Dumb Ass ex machina

I had thought for some time that I should leave politics out of this journal. To be completely honest, I cannot come up with a single good reason why. Since I'm VERY disappointed with some 52% of Americans, and I have to suffer through another 4 years of "... the White House denies...", then by God, I am going to use my Constitutional right to complain about it!

Financial 'Reform'

I mean tax cuts, tax code reform, social security 'reform', everything. Its all about America's rich people (excuse me, America's rich who donate to Republican causes) gaining more money and being taxed less. [Its also about market share for Wall Street, who has been after this since at least the 1970's, but thats incidental to the GOP.] Those fancy ass tax cuts do a lot more for the rich than for you or I. Social Security is an even better example. FDR did something brilliant when he created Soc Sec. A poor laborer who gives a lifetime of work and pays his taxes will get more in retirement benefits than he ever would with any personal retirement account. Thats because Soc Sec uses that payroll tax to redistribute the 'wealth' downward. Thats also why the GOP wants to kill it. Why should rich executives (and politicians) submit to a payroll tax when they ALREADY live like they are retired?

Government Infomercials

As if I have to say how asinine this really is. Not only are they selling their BS under a thin guise of journalism, but I'm paying for it???? Hey! I want my money back!

Here is the real kicker:
Lets imagine for just a moment that the W regime is a big corporation. (Not that its hard to think that way, but bear with me.) This corporation's legal counsel (the Justice Department) has told the head office to ignore the independent auditor (the Government Accountability Office) when they say that the Infomercials are illegal. Hmmm... I smell Enron.

Jesse 'the Body' Ventura

Speaking of Social Security and Government Infomercials, remember Jesse, the former Governor of Minnesota? I beleive we need more public figures like him. Opponents loved to seize on his association with 'scripted entertainment' in attempts to discredit him. At this moment, Emperor W is on an infomercial tour. He's making grand speeches about how we need Personal Retirement Accounts to pre-screened audiences that offer only well-rehearsed questions. Everything by the numbers. One, two, three, turn; turn, turn, kick, turn.
Hey W! Jesse may have been wrestling, but the audiences were REAL.
Thats something that the White House will never, ever allow.

Hey! I want to see W fly over the top rope. D'ya suppose I could convince them to spend my tax money that way? Hell, I could sell tickets.

During his Navy SEAL years, Jesse and his team were lucky to survive a training accident. I can think of a number of politicians that more richly deserve to be caught by the current at the bottom of a freezing river. And that list crosses party lines.

EDIT
Thou Shalt Have No Message Before Ours!

From today's New York Times:
"The agenda submitted with the application indicated some of the conference activities would support lobbying, and the budget that was submitted was not able to show that federal funds would not be used for lobbying activities."
Crudely interpreted: the enemy of my enemy just might be lobbying for my enemy, so kill both.
/EDIT

The Saudi Royal Family

My current reading has proven most illuminating. Anyone in this Administration, or ANY administration, who says that its not all about oil is full of shit. Full. Of. Shit. The only way to be more completely shitty is to be employing a team of monkeys to actively fling more feces at you.

The relationship between the United States and the Saudi Royal family is ~exactly~ like this:
The U.S. is a wealthy and powerful woman executive and the House of Saud is her 'kept man'. She's going to buy him a house, a car, playthings, and generally throw money at him because he gives her what she wants. When all is said and done, she is going to take it VERY far up the ass, and then - bleeding and screaming in pain - ask for more. Because thats what it takes to get what she wants.