"Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works."
Carl Sagan
Saturday, October 22, 2011
F&@king American Insanity
Truthfully, by now I should not be surprised when it happens but just when I think the insanity that passes as normal civilized behavior here in the United States cannot get any disgusting I am slapped upside the head with something even worse. At least this time it came from a source relatively close to home, the senior senator for South Carolina, his closeted sweetness the honorable Lindsey Graham.
It is strangely funny in a way; his honesty about profiting from war by rebuilding Libyan infrastructure and gaining access to their oil is very refreshing since he left out most of the usual hackneyed propaganda about spreading democracy. The very bizarre Moammar Gadhafi's body is not even cold and you can almost see Lindsey salivating at the idea of his corporate friends making even more profit. For Lindsey and his fellow Republicans America’s own decaying infrastructure is something to be ignored, or at best thrown a few weak platitudes before they divert attention back to some war they want to fight.
The question I want answered is do Lindsey and the others who spout this neocon dogma of eternal war even believe what they say? Have they deluded themselves to believe that Americans can conquer the world and spread democracy or do they understand they are just puppets controlled by multinational corporations?
Oh, my - "there's a lot of money to made..." "let's help the Libyan people...". Me thinks that actually means 'let's help ourselves...' Gaddafi's not buried but I can hear the pigs on Wall Street salivating already! We had the same on a BBC news programme yesterday suggesting British businessmen should be packing their bags and booking the next flight to Tripoli....
I wonder if they'd all be as happy to mobilise if there wasn't any oil!
Beach, this is just so stunningly representational that's I'm stealing it for today OWS solidarity radio broadcast. Hope you don't mind. Great post up!
I personally don't gave a rats ass about spreading democrcy anywhere. Most of 'em wouldn't know what to do with it if it bit 'em in the butt. And I'm sick of always having to suck up to some undesirables just to get at their oil. Lets find something here that we can get by on, then tell the middle east where to go.
Most people in politics are radicals, but not radical thinkers. They are radical followers. This is true, even for the “leaders,” who simply follow, mostly blindly, the ideologies of their choosing. They want to appear strong and certain, even in the absence of decisive data. What we should do in most cases, whether it is the economy, global affairs, or which cable provider to use or what breakfast to eat, is not clear and there is tons of information, more than any human could ever process, and tons of missing information.
Anyone who is certain he has the right answer and certain he knows just what to do, is insane.
Yet, that is how politicians want you to see them. And oddly enough, everyone does have the exact right answer in the absence of enough information to ascertain it. Of course the oppositions “right answer” is full of holes. All precise answers are ragged. There is not enough data. Of course we reject everyone else’s opinions. They did not select the “truth” we chose, and we can see the flaws in their logic. Everyone’s “right answers” are, of course, flawed, because any “right answer” must ignore a plethora of competing facts.
We simply pick which political faith to embrace, and then they embrace it fully, like a Christian with a stack of contradictory Bibles, or even like a Christian with a single contradictory Bible, but I shouldn't go there. We are talking about why Lindsay is insane right now, so I am straying way off topic.
grotesque. positively grotesque. yeah, i'll grant you at least he;s honest about just wanting to make a buck but good lord....no wonder the world hates us.
Every multinational corporation in the world will be looking to make obscence profits now Gaddafi is gone. There are billions of dollars hiding in banks around the world which belong to the Libyan people who should have a say how it is spent not multinational corporations :-).
You're right. There is no end to their disgusting, pig like ways. They wouldn't even make a good sausage. War profiteers and fascists, what a combination.
Ha. You're so absolutely right on this. There's another little irony here as well. While Mr. Graham and Co. are salivating over profiting from the death of Gadhafi, they're not about to give credit to the man who was largely responsible for it.
Wait a minute...did he say, "...it took longer than it should have..." Did he forget how long ago we invaded Iraq?
I believe the reason change worked so quickly in Libya was because it started from within. It should be the same with rebuilding their country - from within. By Libyans, for Libyans.
We should get busy working on our own infrastructure and energy sources - wind, solar, oil, gas, maybe even nuclear. And then tell them, as lowandslow put it, where to go.
Sue H: Just waiting for the Chinese now to come rushing in with more money and take over.
Gwen: No problem! I keep trying to make the radio shows but things keep getting in the way.
LowandSlow: None of this stuff should surprise me but like you it still gets under my skin. I know of a bridge in Georgetown county, South Carolina that needs to be replaced. It is so bad I will not drive over it. Maybe my home county can declare war on the United States and after we are defeated get infrastructure money.
Randal: I hear, feel, and see a permanent move out of the country for me. Belize is my favorite right now.
RW Rawles: Got to love Lindsey, he said all that without having McCain whisper sweet nothings in his ear.
John Myste: WOW!! Seriously, that was fantastically insightful! It pretty much goes along with my idea that the vast majority of people are not self-aware. That we are no more than glorified ants with somewhat better engineering skills.
Lime: Shhhhh! Don't say such things in public. America is the greatest, freest country God ever graced the planet earth and you might upset some of the asylum inmates speaking the truth.
Windsmoke: My greatest fear, seemingly confirmed, is that none of those in positions of power actually understand what they are doing beyond playing exponentially expanded children's games. God help us when something big and out of the box hits us.
Okijimm: Damn Straight, throw in some grape jelly and I am with you.
Badger: You know I resisted calling it fascism for a long time but that is exactly what it is, unless we on the left mobilize even more than what we are doing now this is going to be considered the good old days eventually.
Leslie: Yeah, I saw the Jon Stewart segment on his show about that. Obama couldn't get a kind word tossed his way for a trillion dollars and all the oil in the world.
Pixel: I agree, but since we sat back on this one the armchair generals didn't get to use, or buy, even more nifty weapons.
Good Afternoon Bum, and Thanx for the read. I wrote more than my fair share on this Libyan issue some time back. As far as what Mr. Graham (Sen.) sez about let's get busy or whatever, making sure this or that doesnt get into the wrong hand's or related yapping ... I would like to ask him ... "and what are the 'right' hand's, Sir? ...", basically speaking for myself as an American only, I dont believe it is my business as a non Libyan to decide for it's country what is right or wrong for them ... I would leave that to them ... but enough from me, because what I say is irrelevant ... Have a good un Guy!
Just another view point that has been marginalized by decades of right wing propaganda: http://cpusa.org/ They're not the bad guys they've been vilified as. They are the one organization that has been consistently been at the forefront of social change... for the good.
World, I apologize AGAIN for South Carolina. (I conclude I'll have to move away to get out from under this burden. If only I didn't love the flora and fauna, the natural beauty of the Low Country so much.)
I really like your characterization of "his closeted sweetness."
Now, to the real question we liberal S. Carolinians get to smack our lips over. Who ya gonna vote for in the open Republican primary?
You nailed it! The multi-nationals are controlling it all and our governments are doing what they are told. This is only but one of the 'beefs' that the 'occupy' groups around the world have. Thanks for dropping by my post today. It is good to meet you! Jim
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22 comments:
Oh, my - "there's a lot of money to made..." "let's help the Libyan people...". Me thinks that actually means 'let's help ourselves...'
Gaddafi's not buried but I can hear the pigs on Wall Street salivating already! We had the same on a BBC news programme yesterday suggesting British businessmen should be packing their bags and booking the next flight to Tripoli....
I wonder if they'd all be as happy to mobilise if there wasn't any oil!
They make me sick, the lot of them!
(btw - thanks for the kind comment on my blog! :-) although I hadn't intended to take up the F3, it seemed to fit the prompt anyway!)
Beach, this is just so stunningly representational that's I'm stealing it for today OWS solidarity radio broadcast. Hope you don't mind. Great post up!
I personally don't gave a rats ass about spreading democrcy anywhere. Most of 'em wouldn't know what to do with it if it bit 'em in the butt. And I'm sick of always having to suck up to some undesirables just to get at their oil. Lets find something here that we can get by on, then tell the middle east where to go.
Yes, you hit a nerve. ;)
S
They're aware of their status as puppets, but as long as they get their cut, they don't mind. Thank you sir, may I have another.
Old Neocons don't die; neither do they fade away; they just get older.
Most people in politics are radicals, but not radical thinkers. They are radical followers. This is true, even for the “leaders,” who simply follow, mostly blindly, the ideologies of their choosing. They want to appear strong and certain, even in the absence of decisive data. What we should do in most cases, whether it is the economy, global affairs, or which cable provider to use or what breakfast to eat, is not clear and there is tons of information, more than any human could ever process, and tons of missing information.
Anyone who is certain he has the right answer and certain he knows just what to do, is insane.
Yet, that is how politicians want you to see them. And oddly enough, everyone does have the exact right answer in the absence of enough information to ascertain it. Of course the oppositions “right answer” is full of holes. All precise answers are ragged. There is not enough data. Of course we reject everyone else’s opinions. They did not select the “truth” we chose, and we can see the flaws in their logic. Everyone’s “right answers” are, of course, flawed, because any “right answer” must ignore a plethora of competing facts.
We simply pick which political faith to embrace, and then they embrace it fully, like a Christian with a stack of contradictory Bibles, or even like a Christian with a single contradictory Bible, but I shouldn't go there. We are talking about why Lindsay is insane right now, so I am straying way off topic.
grotesque. positively grotesque. yeah, i'll grant you at least he;s honest about just wanting to make a buck but good lord....no wonder the world hates us.
Every multinational corporation in the world will be looking to make obscence profits now Gaddafi is gone. There are billions of dollars hiding in banks around the world which belong to the Libyan people who should have a say how it is spent not multinational corporations :-).
Dear Bum.... I would rather spread margarine than democracy....democracy is bad on toast.
You're right. There is no end to their disgusting, pig like ways. They wouldn't even make a good sausage. War profiteers and fascists, what a combination.
Ha. You're so absolutely right on this. There's another little irony here as well. While Mr. Graham and Co. are salivating over profiting from the death of Gadhafi, they're not about to give credit to the man who was largely responsible for it.
Wait a minute...did he say, "...it took longer than it should have..." Did he forget how long ago we invaded Iraq?
I believe the reason change worked so quickly in Libya was because it started from within. It should be the same with rebuilding their country - from within. By Libyans, for Libyans.
We should get busy working on our own infrastructure and energy sources - wind, solar, oil, gas, maybe even nuclear. And then tell them, as lowandslow put it, where to go.
Sue H: Just waiting for the Chinese now to come rushing in with more money and take over.
Gwen: No problem! I keep trying to make the radio shows but things keep getting in the way.
LowandSlow: None of this stuff should surprise me but like you it still gets under my skin. I know of a bridge in Georgetown county, South Carolina that needs to be replaced. It is so bad I will not drive over it. Maybe my home county can declare war on the United States and after we are defeated get infrastructure money.
Randal: I hear, feel, and see a permanent move out of the country for me. Belize is my favorite right now.
RW Rawles: Got to love Lindsey, he said all that without having McCain whisper sweet nothings in his ear.
John Myste: WOW!! Seriously, that was fantastically insightful! It pretty much goes along with my idea that the vast majority of people are not self-aware. That we are no more than glorified ants with somewhat better engineering skills.
Lime: Shhhhh! Don't say such things in public. America is the greatest, freest country God ever graced the planet earth and you might upset some of the asylum inmates speaking the truth.
Windsmoke: My greatest fear, seemingly confirmed, is that none of those in positions of power actually understand what they are doing beyond playing exponentially expanded children's games. God help us when something big and out of the box hits us.
Okijimm: Damn Straight, throw in some grape jelly and I am with you.
Badger: You know I resisted calling it fascism for a long time but that is exactly what it is, unless we on the left mobilize even more than what we are doing now this is going to be considered the good old days eventually.
Leslie: Yeah, I saw the Jon Stewart segment on his show about that. Obama couldn't get a kind word tossed his way for a trillion dollars and all the oil in the world.
Pixel: I agree, but since we sat back on this one the armchair generals didn't get to use, or buy, even more nifty weapons.
USA = War, Inc.
He only believes in enriching himself and his corporate sponsors of course.
Good Afternoon Bum, and Thanx for the read. I wrote more than my fair share on this Libyan issue some time back. As far as what Mr. Graham (Sen.) sez about let's get busy or whatever, making sure this or that doesnt get into the wrong hand's or related yapping ... I would like to ask him ... "and what are the 'right' hand's, Sir? ...", basically speaking for myself as an American only, I dont believe it is my business as a non Libyan to decide for it's country what is right or wrong for them ... I would leave that to them ... but enough from me, because what I say is irrelevant ... Have a good un Guy!
Just another view point that has been marginalized by decades of right wing propaganda: http://cpusa.org/
They're not the bad guys they've been vilified as. They are the one organization that has been consistently been at the forefront of social change... for the good.
no scruples at all. Didn't know they were that bad. Is that man autistic
World, I apologize AGAIN for South Carolina. (I conclude I'll have to move away to get out from under this burden. If only I didn't love the flora and fauna, the natural beauty of the Low Country so much.)
I really like your characterization of "his closeted sweetness."
Now, to the real question we liberal S. Carolinians get to smack our lips over. Who ya gonna vote for in the open Republican primary?
You nailed it! The multi-nationals are controlling it all and our governments are doing what they are told. This is only but one of the 'beefs' that the 'occupy' groups around the world have.
Thanks for dropping by my post today. It is good to meet you!
Jim
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