Month: September 2016

The Big Night…..Debate And Merriment

Tonight is the night……. the reality show that we call the 2016 election rolls on and on….and the show in the center ring will be the debate…….the much publicized first presidential debate…..

Before this thing can begin the silliness is all around……and you thought this was going to be a serious affair (pun not intended)……it is all a game being played by dolts and dullards…….

For the moment it appears the woman who had an affair with Bill Clinton will be front-and-center during Monday’s debate at Donald Trump’s invitation, BuzzFeed reports. It started with the Clinton campaign inviting Bizarro-Trump Mark Cuban to the presidential debate at Hoffstra University. TPM quotes a Clinton aide as saying Cuban “has the best seat we have access to.” CNN explains that each candidate gets a few tickets for the debate and can decide who sits where. “Just got a front row seat to watch Hillary Clinton overwhelm Donald Trump at the ‘Humbling at Hofstra’ on Monday,” Cuban, an increasingly vocal critic of Trump, tweeted Thursday. “It is on!”

“If dopey Mark Cuban of failed Benefactor fame wants to sit in the front row, perhaps I will put Gennifer Flowers right alongside of him!” Trump tweeted Saturday. In 1998, Bill Clinton admitted to having a sexual relationship with Flowers in the 1980s. The former model quickly accepted the invitation, tweeting, “Hi Donald. You know I’m in your corner and will definitely be at the debate!” and adding a kiss emoji. Flowers’ assistant confirms to BuzzFeed that Flowers has accepted the invitation despite turning similar ones down in the past to avoid being a “sideshow.” The Trump campaign hasn’t said whether Trump’s tweet constitutes an official invite. The co-chair of the debate commission tells CNN they “would frown upon” any attempt to use guests to “impact the debate.”

(Trump’s camp has said that Flowers will not be at the debates)

I usually am a junkie for this political stuff but this debate offers NOTHING…not even for it as entertainment possibilities….it will be a worthless waste of time of diatribes insults and platitudes…..I will not watch……I will not lower myself to that level of stupid.

But I did see a thought on Twitter that made perfect sense…..why not just cancel the whole she-bang……

Let’s call the whole thing off.

Not the election, although if we only had a magic reset button we could pretend this sorry spectacle never happened and start all over.

No, we mean the presidential debates — which, if the present format and moderators remain as they are, threaten an effect on democracy more like Leopold and Loeb than Lincoln and Douglas.

We had a humiliating sneak preview Sept. 7, when NBC’s celebrity interviewer Matt Lauer hosted a one-hour “Commander-in-Chief Forum” in which Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spoke with Lauer from the same stage but in separate interviews. The event was supposed to be about defense and veterans issues, yet to everyone’s bewilderment (except the Trump camp, which must have been cheering out of camera range that Lauer was playing their song), Lauer seemed to think Clinton’s emails were worthy of more questions than, say, nuclear war, global warming or the fate of Syrian refugees.

Source: There’s No Debate – BillMoyers.com

A great idea!  Why waste the viewers time with this silly excuse for the process?

The voter has, at least the ones that may watch, have already made up their tiny brains on who they will support when they enter the booth….

If debates need to happen then the major alternative parties should have a seat at the table…..the media will keep this from ever happening…..the US is the big loser in this debate thing.

Spoiler Alert!  Monday’s debate will be as worthless as the candidates.

ME?  I gotta wash my hair…..or maybe the dog…..but not wash the dishes.

Vintage Social Networking

My granddaughter visited and we had a great talk about social media and where it was likely to go.

Then we talked about the “social media” in my day….she found it all so humorous…..it is official…I am OLD!

We have come a long way….but I still use the old school times….my granddaughter did a cartoon of me standing along side a T-Rex….(she did make it clear that there was NO religious content to her ‘toon)……I will get even…..

Restore American Leadership

Guess what?  IST although an opinion blog prides itself at giving everyone that visits the whole story around an issue…..I try to read all thoughts on the different issues and try to pass them on to my readers…..I refuse to be a one trick pony blog.

These days the US foreign policy is ruled by the neolibs and the neocons….or what is smilingly called the “war hawks”…..but not all Americans see our continuing interventionism as a good thing…..

In  all fairness I read a paper in “World Affairs Journal” that illustrates the neoliberal vision for US foreign policy…..

U.S. foreign policy today is failing every test by which a great power’s foreign policy can be judged. America is not feared by her enemies, nor trusted by her friends. Neither the American people nor the world-at-large understand any more the purposes of American power, or, even worse, the principles that shape them. Indeed, after a decade and a half of conflict in the Middle East and South Asia, some Americans have concluded that the best thing to do is to pull back from the world and its troubles. Some argue that America’s role as guarantor of global order is no longer necessary, history having “ended” with the Cold War; others think that “nation-building at home” is some kind of alternative to engagement abroad.

Source: Presidential Priority: Restore American Leadership | World Affairs Journal

Both of our major candidates in one form or another believe that this report is the fact by which our foreign policy should be ruled.

Who Has A Lock On Patriotism?

My Sunday begins……I would like to post on a subject that is all the rage right now.

Like so many elections before….we have a wealth of nose pickers that think that unless you support their candidate then you are not patriotic.  These people always describe themselves as “true American patriots”.  Apparently if you are a “true American patriot” then you must hate brown skin people, believe that you have a lock on religion and must support a bigoted asshole like Trump.  And that if you are a Left leaning individual then you cannot be called a patriot…..and are a sub-par intellect.

“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.”

“Guard against the postures of pretended patriotism”…..George Washington  1796

Ever noticed that the “true American patriot” never served in the military or served but not in a combat position….but they know all about what it takes to be patriotic and/or a hero.  Wearing a uniform does not make one a hero

Thomas Paine called these people “Sunshine Patriots”…….

Ask yourself this….what would have been said a couple of decades ago if a presidential candidate had praised a Russian leader?  Or the same people that condemn the disrespect of our flag or national anthem and are the same people that support a yahoo that goes on Russian State TV and criticizes the US and its leadership.  Yet today the “patriots” are celebratong this person as some sort of hero for speaking his mind.

It is simplistic thinking like this that is the most dangerous to this country.

I have been debunking these tools for years here on IST with posts on patriotism…..

Source: Patriotism – In Saner Thought

Or this one……

Source: What Is Patriotism? – In Saner Thought

Now days if you oppose the hemlock offered by Trump then you are an “apologist” or worse “liberal scum”…..to Trump supporters the term is just a way to categorize people….they have NO idea what patriotism is all about……

It’s been called the last refuge of scoundrels. It is undeniably linked to “us-against-them” tribal impulses, rooted in emotion and often impervious to reason. It feeds nationalism and militarism, making it a potentially dangerous phenomenon in a world of modern weaponry. Yet patriotism—outward, vocal, and enthusiastic patriotism—is still considered a vital element in American politics, an aspect of our culture that we not only tolerate but encourage.

Patriotism shouldn’t be hostile, divisive, and uninformed

Source: Is American Patriotism Getting Out of Hand? | Psychology Today

To some people the term “patriot” is a dog whistle for bigotry.

Then there is the pathetic use of un-American…….anyone that has a problem with an issue and then acts on that issue…then they are un-American…..but yet gun toting dipsticks can take over a government installation and they are somehow preserving our freedoms….

The very same people that think an educated person is  somehow a danger to the country.

“Loyalty to petrified opinions never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul in this world–and NEVER will”  Mark Twain 1885

Looking For Nessie

Another weekend begins….my granddaughter went on a date last night and I think I scared the be-jesus out of the little guy…..good!

Today is grill day even though it is horribly hot I will over look it for one of my 2/3 lb burgers……medium on a toasted bun with mayo and spicy brown mustard…..

How many people have heard of the Loch Ness monster?

Nessie the 8th wonder of the world……

We all remember that iconic fuzzy out of focus pic taken a bizillion years ago….but would you believe there has been a new pic and a new sighting…..

A picture of what might be the Loch Ness monster

Amateur photographer Ian Bremner, 58, was driving around the Highlands in search of red deer – but stumbled instead across the remarkable sight of what appears to be Nessie swimming in the calm waters of Loch Ness.The father-of-four spends most of his weekends in the region taking photographs of the stunning natural beauty.But it was not until he got back to his home in Nigg, Invergordon, that he noticed three humps emerging from the water which he thinks could be the elusive monster.
Source: New Loch Ness Monster photos surface | UK | News | Daily Express
Whatcha think?  I have not been able to find if this has been exposed as a hoax or not…..so I cannot vouch for the realness of this report…..(if anyone can help then by all means do so)……..Time for me to bounce……you guys have a great day and enjoy what is left of Summer….

Progressive, My Ass!

Let me open with……everyone STOP using the term “progressive” when you write or talk about Clinton or Sanders or Murphy or Warren….these people (I use the term loosely) are NOT progressive….they are nothing more than a Democrat with strong opinions (opinions do not equate into action)…..as f*cked up as they are.

I use to think that I could support some of these people like Sanders and Warren…I was mistaken……they are NOTHING more than the same cop out toads that the rest of the Democratic Party are…..

They are just as owned by the AIPAC bunch as the GOP bunch……it is common knowledge that I am not a supporter of Israel and its jack boot group called the IDF……I think that any debt that the US felt they owed the Jews is has been paid in full and now it is time for the country to stand on its own two legs or go down swinging….

The media has done an excellent job making Israel the victim in all the crap going on in the region….they are far from being a victim…..

My latest dislike of these so-called Progressives is a warning that they have issued to Obama……

The news that many progressive US senators as well as vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine signed on to an Israel lobby letter designed to limit President Obama’s actions against the Israeli occupation, now nearly 50 years old, has been widely reported, but the plain facts need to be stated.

Yesterday the Israel lobby group AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, flexed its muscle against President Obama and on the side of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu by posting a letter signed by 88 senators warning President Obama not to back any international measures that would pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories.

We urge you to… make it clear that you will veto any one sided UNSC [UN Security Council] resolution that may be offered in the coming months.

Source: Progressive senators Warren, Murphy, Markey, Booker, Reed sign AIPAC letter seeking to limit Obama’s actions

These people are bigger cowards than the GOP bunch

FUCK ISRAEL!  Time for us to keep our cash to be used where it is needed…..HERE!

If you consider yourself a progressive then may I suggest that you look elsewhere for representation.

Then There Is Gary Johnson

As the election (or should that be the erection) draws closer……how many disenfranchised GOPers have changed to the Libertarians?  They seem to be afraid of Mr. Trump’s candidacy…..but they may be so with their new best choice.

I have written a wealth on why Trump and Clinton are bad ideas for your vote….I have also written about Dr. Stein of the Green Party….which is NOT a bad choice…….but I have not written much about the Libertarian in the race, Gary Johnson.

Personally I think Johnson is a joke but he is polling higher than Stein….for some reason….maybe because voters do not know that much about him other than he is for legalization of marijuana and his basic ant-interventionism…..both of those stands are commendable but there is more to the candidate than he wants to talk about….

A recent NBC News/Quinnipiac poll reveals that more than a quarter of young voters—many who had supported the presidential bid of Sen. Bernie Sanders—plan to cast their presidential ballots for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. Democrats are increasingly nervous that Johnson’s candidacy could pull more voters from Hillary Clinton than from her Republican rival, Donald Trump, especially in key states like Colorado and Wisconsin. While Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein draws mostly progressive voters, Johnson’s support hails from the breadth of the political spectrum, making it more difficult to suss out. However, because he is on the ballot in all 50 states (Stein is not), most pollsters consider his campaign to be a greater threat to Clinton’s chances in some swing states. And because the U.S. uses the electoral college system to determine the outcome of presidential elections, that could matter on November 8, no matter Clinton’s overall support among the general population.

Source: 12 Ways Gary Johnson Is a Hardcore Right-Wing Radical | Alternet

I am a foreign policy wonk so I base a lot of my support on that….but when Johnson was asked about the situation in Aleppo and he did not know what it was…strike one and then when the most recent bombings in NYC/NJ and he said “At least no one was hurt”….maybe those 29 people would like to know that they are nobodys.

But his ignorance is there……so what type of ignorance is it?

Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson flubbed a question about the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo but a more pervasive form of ignorance comes in the form of politically slanted “knowledge,”

The vast majority of people “live locally.” Wherever they are residing, that is the arena of their life, and it is that environment that they know best. Even up-and-coming American political leaders are subject to this rule. This became embarrassingly obvious when, on Sept. 8, Gary Johnson made his now famous faux pas.

Source: Simple Ignorance vs. Politically Slanted Ignorance – Consortiumnews

The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once commented that “false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance.”…..love the quote!

However if you are leaning toward the Libertarians then for Christ sake….know your candidate!

Source: The myth of Gary Johnson

I see nothing in his stands that would lead me down the hemlock trail and vote for him…..or any Libertarian……the ideology is just plain….how shall I put it?  Wacky!

I am still thinking GREEN…..and so should you.

I Cannot Support Donald Trump–HH

I will admit that Trump has said a few things that I can agree with……but his social and economic issues just suck.

But one thing that he has that I cannot tolerate is the support he has received from hate groups like KKK, Neo-Nazis, etc…..

With his many appeals to nativism, bigotry, and bitter discontent, Donald Trump has enthralled far-right extremists with his campaign for president. According to an investigation by Mother Jones and the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, since Trump officially announced his bid in June 2015 he has drawn effusive praise and formal backing from some of the country’s most virulent neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militia supporters, and other extremist leaders. They include the head of the American Nazi Party, three former Ku Klux Klansmen, four people involved in a recent armed standoff against federal authorities at an Oregon wildlife refuge, and at least 15 individuals affiliated with organizations described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.

Trump has disavowed none of them.

Source: Meet the Horde of Neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and Other Extremist Leaders Endorsing Donald Trump | Mother Jones

He, Trump, may not be a fascist himself but he has the support of many of them and their representative bodies….our country has enough problems we really do not need these toads sniffing after our candidates.

These people have a right to their beliefs and the right to support whomever echoes their beliefs……but that does not mean that I must follow suit…..

I would NEVER knowingly support any candidate that has the endorsement of these groups….and that is why I could NEVER support Donald J. Trump.

US Foreign Policy, Not Religion, Sparked Rise of Terrorism

Before some old hater decides to go off on me for write such a post….may I suggest that one read the report before showing their ignorance…..

How many time have you heard the idiots tell us that the terrorists hate our freedoms and our way of life?  How many?

It seems that an FBI report does not agree with the standard bullshit offered up by the morons on the Right.

A newly-released 2011 FBI Intelligence Assessment shows the 11 percent uptick in terror plots against the US from 2006 was led by US persons, not foreigners. A “broadening US military presence overseas and outreach by Islamist ideologues” bolstered the increase.

The previously classified document was the result of analysis conducted by the Los Angeles Division of the FBI and the Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC), covering terrorist plots against the US and its interests from 2001 to 2010. It was made public via a California Public Records request to the Los Angeles Police Department, according to Muck Rock.

Source: Declassified FBI Report: US Foreign Policy, Not Religion, Sparked Rise of Terrorism in US | Global Research – Centre for Research on Globalization

After years of fighting against stereotyping…..there is now an official FBI report that nails the real culprit in the rise and spread of terrorism.

Will The Future Be Conflict?

The truth is that I am about as sick of politics as I can get…..foreign policy is also at a basic stand still until after the election…..I am sooooooo Borrrrrrrrred!

And then I read an article about a region that I know from past experiences….Western Sahara…..

Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. After Spain withdrew from its former colony of Spanish Sahara in 1976, Morocco annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara and claimed the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania’s withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Morocco’s sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire and the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation. As part of this effort, the UN sought to offer a choice to the peoples of Western Sahara between independence (favored by the Polisario Front) or integration into Morocco. A proposed referendum never took place due to lack of agreement on voter eligibility. The 2,700 km- (1,700 mi-) long defensive sand berm, built by the Moroccans from 1980 to 1987 and running the length of the territory, continues to separate the opposing forces with Morocco controlling the roughly 80 percent of the territory west of the berm. Local demonstrations criticizing the Moroccan authorities occur regularly, and there are periodic ethnic tensions between the native Sahrawi population and Moroccan immigrants. Morocco maintains a heavy security presence in the territory

My interest comes from having been in the country back when I was working overseas and I fell in love with the region and the people.

I have written many posts about the country but there a a few that go better with the happenings these days……

Source: Western Sahara–Will Violence Return? – In Saner Thought

And a little later……

Source: Western Sahara: A New Direction – In Saner Thought

After reading those posts you will see that the people are seeing NO other option than armed conflict….the world especially the US has turned their backs on the old stand-by “The Right Of Self-Determination”…….

There is an old saying…..”Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

“The seed of revolution is repression.”
The people of Western Sahara are beginning to see that they have no other choice but a rebellion……

After evaluating 25 years of peace, Sahrawi officials and some civil society players agree that armed struggle is the only option they can depend on to reach their goal of independence.

Sept. 6 marked the 25th anniversary of the United Nations-sponsored cease-fire agreement in Western Sahara between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the Sahrawi independence movement. The peace accord was supposed to be followed by a referendum in which the Sahrawis would choose their system of governance from three options: integration with Morocco, autonomy or independence. But the planned vote was canceled after Morocco refused to allow any process that would include independence as a choice. The dispute is still ongoing, with continued tension.
It is only a matter of time before the world will have to face the situation in Western Sahara…..the simple solution is for the US to step the Hell up and demand Independence for Western Sahara…if they would do that then the rest of the world would follow suit….Morocco would be pissed but they will be alright once the swelling goes down.
(My apologies for missing the anniversary of the accord)