What Is A "Friend Of Isreal'?

I've thought of what this really means within the landscape of our modern socio-political culture for quite a few years. The Modern American Right can never clearly define it, but do they really have to? For me, personally, this stems more from a religiously extreme point of view rather than from anything that will truly benefit the Jewish State. But I could be wrong - hence the question. This morning, I noticed that mouth agape Breitbart worshipper Jim Hoft over at Gateway Pundit had launched one of the first misleading salvos in the attack against Hagel for Defense Secretary. And hyper-partisan hack Ed Morrissey followed suit - only with less bloodthirsty fervor. Links follow accordingly: Iranian Regime Supports Hagel Nomiation For Sec. Of Defense

Iran on Tuesday expressed the hope that Washington’s foreign policy will witness practical changes after US officials announced that President Barack Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel as his next defense secretary. “We hope that practical changes will be created in the US foreign policy and the US officials’ approach will change to respect the nations’ rights,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday. “We hope that the US officials will favor peace instead of warmongering and recognize the rights of nations instead of interfering in the countries’ internal affairs,” he said. “If such a trend is adopted (by the American officials), hatred for the US hostile policies will decrease, although assessment can be made in action,” the spokesman said. Tehran has been under Washington sanctions after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled a US-backed monarch in the country.

Iran Strangely Cheered By US Secdef Nomination And while Morrissey links to the same article, the title alone shows that he is more concerned with disceminating blatant misinformation. After all, being "hopeful" is completely disparate from "support" and "strangely cheerful". To read these headlines, you'd think Iranian leaders would be celebrating - but they aren't. The reason that the Modern American Right utilize such tactics, why they continually point to Iran as to a defining factor, and why they use the Jewish population ( yes, USE THEM - not befriend them ) is to push the wedge in just a little further. They don't want to face the realities of the world around us. They don't want to be honest with their constituents. They want to seem "caring", "holy", or any other adjective that could distort the five seconds in front of someone's face so they won't pay attention to tomorrow, next week, or even next year. So again, here's the question - what does it mean to be a friend of Isreal? Certainly it's not just attending an AIPAC convention, but there's a great deal of that. And I'm not so ignorant to see that politicians have to save face when election time comes around, but what does your support truly mean? This could, in all reality, extend beyond the Jewish State. And it's not even the "original borders" - something that is strictly off-limits to the Modern American Right in terms of foreign policy discussion. While Chuck Hagel wouldn't have been my personal first choice for Sec. Of Defense, he's lightyears away from people like John McCain - one of his loudest detractors - or just about anyone, save John Kerry. And since we are talking about McCain, let's not he was an ardent supporter of James "Fuck The Jews" Baker. Guess he conveniently forgot those years. Suppose it can be said for most, if not all, of us that the past comes back to haunt you. And Israelis have a past that many of them won't immediately recognize. I'm not talking about biblical or even verifiable historic text, but their history of being treated as metaphorical chess pieces in the foreign policy of this country. Do we endanger them as, if one were to say, showing pictures of the coffins of fallen American soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan would put more troops in harms way? Do we assist them in fighting Palestinians in such a way that would ensure a more productive, a more fruitful life? From how I, and many others, see it - No. Who Is A "Friend Of Isreal"? Certainly not those that would continually boast how they are.

How To Lose Votes

Remember when Herman Cain ( oh, wait, aren't we supposed to call him Herm or Herb now? ) said he would get no less than a third of the black vote?

Let's all watch as that vote magically disappears right before your eyes.



Yep, nothing like telling the black community that a majority of them lack higher brain functions and have no clue that conservative policies are what have kept them down for decades.

Of course, Cain attempts to offer the caveat that it's just 2/3 of blacks in America that suffer under the yolk of Democratic telekinetic suppression, but where is the data to back up this assertion? Oh, I see, Cain just made it up. It's his "anecdotal feedback machine" that he keeps hidden in his suit jacket.

The reality of this is that Cain just made a massive gaffe. All that has to happen now is for the Modern American Right to gin up enough spin to make this sound like a positive for the GOP field, and for Cain more specifically. I'm sure their will be some colorful chart used and Sean Hannity will utilize his own racial invective to back this up by having Eric Rush and Jesse Lee Peterson on as the "token black guys".

I bet Cain's foot tastes like Godfather's Deep Dish Pepperoni.

Wingnut Blogger Praises Socialism

In light of Ron Paul's insistence that a patient in a hospital be allowed to die as a result of an inability to pay for medical expenses, one would think that the Modern American Right would stand by their "individual responsibility" talking points.

Then again, embracing the concept of "I am my brother's keeper" can make you look like a caring and "compassionate conservative" if you find the to go along with it:

A Virginia marine who lost both of his legs and right arm in an IED blast in Afghanistan was welcomed home over the weekend.

J.B. Kerns, 21, returned to his hometown of Ararat, which is located in the southwestern part of the state, to a group of bikers who escorted the war hero home.

“Any young man that comes home in that condition, that’s what he needs. He needs to know people still care for him,” said one of the bikers welcoming him home.

“It feels real good to be home. It’s an honor to come from a town like this that gives such great support,” said Kerns. “You all don’t know what it means to me to know that everybody here is here for me.”

The community has raised more than $50,000 to help the family with medical bills.

( emphasis by Jim Hoft )

Anytime someone of opposing socio-political stripe suggests that the community come together to help another person, the Modern American Right ties themselves into knots while shrieking that such acts are "socialism".

Sure, soldiers returning home from "war" deserve our respect and our help, so why isn't this courtesy extended to others? Are they of lesser value to America because they exercised their free will and opted to not join the military? The answer is certainly they are of lesser value - unless they vote Republican, embrace Tea Bagger dogma, and are regular viewers of Fox"News"

What Is This "Gay Agenda"?

The Modern American Right loves to use the word "agenda", as it evokes a sinister sound and feeling. They use it in relation to virtually everything they either can't understand or reconcile within rational thought. And when we are talking about the Modern American Right, rational thought simply doesn't exist.

I was reading a post from Right Wing sychophant Jim Hoft and that question came back to me - what is the "gay agenda"?

The reality of this issue is simple - though Hoft and his equally ignorant compatriots will not admit it..........

Gays and Lesbians are humans, are workers in society, are producers, and just want to have the same rights as others. That's it. But you wouldn't get that if you read Hoft or paid attention to the framing of the Modern American Right.

What really happened to "Life, Liberty, and the Persuit of Happiness"? Aren't these the pillars of Right Wing Theology?

Evidently not if you are a man that loves another man, or a woman that loves another woman.

The "Gay Agenda" is nothing more than saying "let us exist in American the same way that everyone else does." Why is that so hard for the Modern American Right to accept?

Palin, Cinema, And Context - or - Did Conservatives Not Learn Anything From Their Atlas Disaster?

It's no surprise that The Modern American Right would start crowing like Peter Pan on crystal meth once the Sarah Palin mockumentary premiered in theatres across the US. But one has to ask whether or not these same people have forgotten even the most recent of Right Wing cinema flops that they claimed was a successful box office opening.

The much anticipated Sarah Palin documentary, “The Undefeated”, which chronicles Sarah Palin’s rise from mayor of Wasilla, Alaska to national prominence, will play exclusively in AMC Theatres starting today. You can vote for the movie to play in your town at The Undefeated website.

The Sarah Palin documentary “The Undefeated” opened to a huge opening day. They are selling out from Atlanta to Orange County.

Opens Friday, July 15th!

There are several reports that the audiences are standing and cheering in the theaters.

And while it's not unusual to witness cheering/shouting/standing in theatres during movies ranging from the latest sophomoric Wayans Brothers production to more serious offerings, The Modern American Right is in full framing mode with this one. After all, they have to, considering Palin has become somewhat of a religious figure amongst conservatives and some libertarians.

But lets look at this from an honest marketing and distributing perspective.

The Modern American Right have everything to lose should this mockumentary fail, so it works to their advantage to frame this opening as "groundbreaking". But what they aren't considering is the fact that we are talking about 10 cities, 10 specific theatres, and a cult following that really can't survive in a mass release.

And while some within the Modern American Right are poorly attempting to minimalize the reality of poor ticket sales, I can't but wonder what sort of "victimhood meme" they will conjour once the initial glow has worn off with members of the Tea Bagger set.

It's Called Being Lazy

The Tea Baggers were all in a collective lather over Republicans none-too-modest gains in the Lower Chamber of Congress and said that they have delivered a "mandate" of sorts. I'm wondering if they are going to excuse Mitch McConnell's and the GOP's unblushing laziness.

They've already started:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered his strongest criticism yet of President Barack Obama’s leadership in the ongoing talks.

“I have little question that as long as this President is in the Oval Office, a real solution is unattainable,” he said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Adding, “This was not an easy decision for me.”

Obama, he said, “has presented us with three choices: smoke and mirrors, tax hikes or default. Republicans choose none of the above.”

McConnell added the Democratic budget plan would provide only “a couple of billion dollars in cuts up front with empty promises of more to follow.”

‘”I had hoped to do good, but I refuse to do harm,” he said.

What McConnell is doing is akin to a spoiled child upset that they don't get everything they want at a moments notice. Moreover, McConnell is attempting to excuse the abject laziness of the Modern American Right by claiming that everything they campaigned on that they don't accomplish is actually Obama's fault.

I can recall that the Clinton White House was able to accomplish quite a bit with a Republican majority in the House, so what is McConnell's excuse now? He is clearly favoring pure partisan rhetoric and pandering to the most extreme notions of the Modern American Right, consequences be damned.

What Is July 4th For - A Progressive Perspective

The more I look around the blogosphere today, the more I see how The Modern American Right is making this day about themselves and not about the country we live in. I wrote about this yesterday, but I thought that it would be nice to parallel what progressives ( like myself ) and liberals have to say about the day versus those that are against us.

First, let me tell you what we - libs/progs - are not doing today:

- We are not out to deify a president.

- We are not out to prove we know that little known final verse in the National Anthem

- We don't care to worship someone who cares more about celebrity than country using July 4th as the backdrop

- It's not about claiming how only one type of music matters.

And there's so much more that the Modern Liberal/Progressive Movement believes shouldn't use July 4th as an anchor point.

But what do we believe?

- Celebrating the diversity of community rather than telling our socio-politicals that they have no right to do so

- Enjoying time with family and friends in a non-partisan atmosphere ( and some good BBQ would be nice too )

- Acknowledging that our Founding Fathers had no clue where we would be at this point in history while reflecting on what they managed to accomplish while the country was so young

- And finally, understanding that July 4th is not a religious holiday, but a day of reflection, introspection, and remembrance.

Whatever you do today' be safe, be happy, and appreciate what you have - regardless of socio-political stripe.

And now, let's have some fireworks:



As an aside, Kentucky recently allowed "the good shit" to be sold and my neighborhood - and those around me - took advantage of that fact. It was like a fucking war-zone last night up around the cul de sac. I can still smell the smoke.

The Friday Blog Round-up

Here's a new feature that showcases the blogs I follow.

This section will ( hopefully ) be a continuous Friday feature that showcases both the Left and Right. Not in the spirit of "fairnessy and blancyness", but just to show you how completely off base the Modern American Right are and make you understand that the Mainstream Media aren't digging in like they should on the real issues - while favoring the framing of the Right.

- It's certain to be a Right Wing, GOP, Tea Bagger talking point that Anthony Weiner's seat ( oh wait, are we supposed to say it's "the poople's seat"? ) will tilt to the Republicans, but Nate Silver tells us why Rep's should be tepid in their insistence.

- John Cole how Republican/Conservative/Libertarian/Randian? posturing gets mixes in a pot and either comes out as Galt-Cultist goulash, or just idiocy disguised as important socio-political dialogue.

- My Twitter Pal ( @bluegal - you're "it" ) briefly talks about the different from "non-profit" charter schools and "for-profit" charter schools ( read: Tea Bagger Institutions Of "Learning" ).

- Occasional commenter Busted Knuckles over at "Ornery Bastard" has the greatest description of what it means to be a Republican and really break the law in reference to extra-marital exercises.

- Gryphen over at The Immoral Minority points out what Fox"News" and Fox"Nation" will attempt to spin before we can say "Paul Revere actually brewed that beer with Samuel Adams, donchaknow"

- Former "I'm really the intellectual guy" MTV anchor ( and that's fucking funny on it's own ) Kurt Loder takes to the Doughy Pantload path and ends up highlighting how "Fascism" is part of the Green Lantern movie storyline. Yeah, you knew it was coming.

- Breitbart's "Big Gov't" site continues to push their ignorance ( wait, is it really ignorance or just a veiled attempt to protect those businesses that are more than willing to shaft the consumer if they can have accountability removed? ) of Net Neutrality with another call for "defunding".

- The internet's Dumbest Man is more than eager to show his hatred for women's reproductive systems while stalking his employer Andrew Breitbart at the so called "Right Online" convention to attempt to tell people he knows that his decisions are more important than any woman's. Typical.

- Oh, so the Romney "hey, guys I'm unemployed too" bit was just an innocent joke?

- Once again, Brent Bozell's easily lead employee's equate low ratings with "Liberal Media Bias"

Got a link for me to use? You know where I am.............

Right Wing Entitlement Culture: Pt. III - Accountability?

When we continually hear members of the Modern American Right speak about "personal responsibility", it's curious that we rarely - if ever - hear them speak about accountability for one's actions. Well, we actually do, but it is usually in reference to those they call their ideological opposites - and they tend to be portrayed as belonging to a "lower cast system" ( ie: blacks, single mothers, immigrants - legal or otherwise - media that isn't controlled by Rupert Murdock, et al )

It's with that in mind that we should take a look at Tracy Morgan's poor performance in Nashville where he claimed he would kill his child if they were gay.



This revelation was met with great approval by the Modern American Right, yet they couldn't understand why he should be held accountable for his actions.

Remember how they suddenly embraced accountability when David Letterman joked about Palin's daughter? And there was clearly the intent to make it seem like he was joking about the younger Palin daughter when he wasn't. But nuance is something the Modern American Right doesn't understand, so we'll save that for later.

From "Dr. Laura" and her n-bomb fetishism that resulted in he firing, to Glenn Beck's conspiratorial machinations that have directly resulted in an attempt to murder, and even to the decisions of the Bush Administration that lead to the economic collapse of the nation and the deaths of thousands of soldiers and innocent Iraqis, The Modern American Right have completely divorced "responsibility" and "accountability" when it comes to their ideological kindred.

But back to Morgan, people within the Modern American Right - including Right Wing hack Jim Hoft - think Tracy Morgan should apologize to Sarah Palin for saying exactly what he and many others within their ranks treat her like.

The rationale here is that it's alright to threaten the life of a child, but admitting that you wank it to Palin now and again is tantamount to wiping your ass with The American Flag.

Comedy is an art, something which Tracy Morgan can be both deft with and unable to comprehend all at once. The later is where you favor "shock value" over substance in order to get your audience to respond. If anything, Morgan was successful in getting a very wide audience to respond. But should we neglect holding him accountable for his words?

I say let him continue with this exact same on-stage rhetoric. But when he starts to see his box-office receipts dwindle, the audience share of 30 Rock all but disappear, then perhaps he will understand that if he wants to be considered a serious comedian, then he ought to take his art seriously.

Palin, History, And Conservative Framing

I've been watching, with great interest, how The Modern American Right have been doing the utmost in damage control in light of Sarah Palin's ignorance of American History that she claims to hold dear.

What troubles me about this the most is that it's not Palin's ignorance, nor that of her sycophants, that will ultimately gestate within certain cross-sections of children in our country, but that far too many people are willing to accept conservative "framing" of American history and allow that to be the basis of their response.

As the father of two young girls - one that just recently got an award of excellence in History - I often wonder what teachers are doing in relation to media exposure of people like Sarah Palin. Do they teach class in conjunction with conservative posturing? While this may sound familiar to some of my more Right leaning readers - as they are want to claim that the modern public school classroom is a breeding ground of far-left thought - I have seen a great deal of textbooks that are used in classrooms today that are more akin to far-right ideology.

Should we honestly have to counter Palin's idiocy simply because it is there?

Should we have to digitally grapple with the likes of Fox"News" and their ilk because they place Palin, and her ignorance of American history, on a pedestal?

The answer isn't so simple, but the results would yield dividends for Liberals/Progressives.

I believe that it's time that we take on the issues that matter to all of America, and not what The Modern American Right believes "America stands for". I say let Palin look idiotic on her own while we tackle the real issues. I say let Fox"News" and their easily lead compatriots twitch and chatter all they want while we make this country stronger.

It's time we end the reign of conservative framing.

The Palin Jokes Just Write Themselves

Fox"Nation" and frequent contributor Jim Hoft went full "woman on crustacion" fetish today with this post:

This is why they hate her…
She can bash Obama’s job-killing policies while she pets lobster.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin (L) touches a lobster held by her father Chuck Heath during their visit to Yankee Seafood Cooperative in Seabrook, New Hampshire June 2, 2011.

This whole non-story sounded a lot like this scene from Clerks II



So what's next, Herman Cain molests a slice of Supreme Pizza? Mitt Romney combs his hair in slow motion, or Tim Pawlenty does...........well, I don't know what the Right does up north, but it proabably involves ice, a Vikings t-shirt, and some KY Touch Massage.

But in all seriousness, this whole Palin fetishism is getting WAY out of hand. But it makes for good material.

The Art Of The Hack Right Wing Blogger

Sure, hypocrisy knows no political alignment. I have to admit that I've caught myself more than a few times saying one thing while thinking another. It's something I've learned from and feel I have become a better blogger, and better person because of it. This apparently hasn't happened to Andrew Breitbart's least intelligent employee Jim Hoft ( aka: GatewayPundit ) who's hypocrisy is so transparent that it practically screams at you several hours throughout any given day.

Take this post for example:

Another Day – Another Leftist Attack
The left must be very proud tonight. Far left criminals defaced Sarah Palin’s bus tonight.



The left is upset that Sarah Palin just won’t go away.

Actually, the Left isn't upset that she won't go away, it's just that she makes herself such an easy topic for scorn and derision when she does and says some of the most preposterous things - like this

And you call this an "attack" and an act of "defacement"? Please, it's a piece of paper with tape on the back. Take it off, drive away, and stop the pity party.

What makes this even more of a point that Jim Hoft is so eager to digitally finer-bang Palin that he can't keep his media "hate list" in order, is that he actually sourced the website that published pics from her hacked account. Double standard much?

Just check out his sit tomorrow morning, as Hoft will likely have many more examples that expose his rank amateur status.

The Irony Of Right Wing Posturing

Jim Hoft ( also known as GatewayPundit - or the "Dumbest Man On The Internet" ) has a problem with Community Organizing. That is, until it presents an opportunity for him to pretend like he has a soul:

A St. Louis Facebook group was able to organize and deliver 4 semi trailer full of goods to the Joplin, Missouri tornado victims today.

St. Louis for Joplin Missouri Facebook group organized and sent 4 semis full of goods to the Joplin tornado victims today.

The semis left St. Louis this evening for Joplin, Missouri after the charity drive was organized a day earlier on Facebook. They collected 4 semi trucks full of household goods, diapers, sheets, cleaners, water, etc. for the people of Joplin.

So now he's for community organizing? After all, it's not solely about politics. But I guess it's alright for little Jimmy provided they aren't organizing to find affordable housing for low income families who happen to be primarily black.

Typical.

Yes, He Did: Pt. III - It's All A Conspiracy!!!!!

A saying that most people in America know and often repeat is that there are only two things guaranteed in this world - death and taxes. However, the Modern American Right has added another item that is also guaranteed - anytime the Obama administration does anything, there's going to be a multitude of conspiracy theories formulated.

But not all of these are as crazy and full of comedic value as others.

For instance, the newest meme is that the still photos of Obama's speech Saturday night were "staged", thereby questioning the legitimacy of the message itself. The only problem is that this has been standard procedure since - gasp - the Reagan Era.

John Harrington, president of the White House News Photographers Association, tells me that the Obama Administration has used this technique before and they are not the first.

“I am aware of it happening in previous administrations. I believe Bush 41 [George H.W. Bush] did it too,” Harrington says. “The times where I have known of it happening before is when the president is in the Oval Office and you are working in a very tight space.”

Other photographers who work at the White House told Poynter.org that since the Reagan era (and possibly before) it has been the standard operating procedure that during a live presidential address, still cameras are not allowed to photograph the actual event.

Questioning the actions of the President or his administration officials is completely rational and understandable - that is, until your questions and accusations fail to be rational or understandable.

The morning following the announcement, members of the Modern American Right even went so far as to decry the celebrations in front of the White House as nothing more than a "staged" incident.

Right Wing Socio-Political Agnosticism is quite an intriguing thing to analyze, as they are want to de-emphasize that which can clearly be seen, yet are more than eager to believe that which simply isn't there.

Seeing as how Obama provided the evidence that should silence the "Birthers" once and for all - but you know they'll keep going - the next (il)logical step for the Modern American Right to take is to use the same template in regards to the verified killing of Bin Laden:

The free world, particularly the United States, has a right to make sure Osama bin Laden is really dead. Every American has a right to walk right up to bin Laden’s corpse and view it. We are entitled to know for a fact that the witch is dead. No shroud for dignity’s sake, please – bin Laden’s naked, bullet-riddled corpse should be put on display in lower Manhattan for all the world to see. The entire body should be digitally scanned, inside and out – and made available for everyone to take his or her own picture.

The snuff fetishism of the Right is likely to be the hot issue on the 2012 campaign trail, and that could likely start tonight, as Ron Paul and Herman Cain will be taking the stage for Fox"News".

Truth-be-told, I enjoy a good conspiracy theory, provided it makes me do the research to either verify or debunk it. But the rapid-fire way in which the Modern American Right display their conspiratorial nature tends to make one realize that these are nothing more than excuses for their own ideological ignorance.

Yes, He Did: Reflections On The Aftermath Of Bin Laden's Death: PT 1

I had fallen asleep early Saturday evening, so I missed the good news. But, upon awaking Sunday morning, I was bombarded with Tweets and Facebook updates that revealed not just that we had finally killed the preeminent terrorist of a generation, but that that very action had further divided the nation it was intended to bring together.

In the interest of full disclosure and honesty, I had - for some years, come to believe that Bin Laden had been killed and no one was really reporting this fact because his communications - primarily audio only heard by a select few - were unusually timed with specific Bush Era political moves. Not to go all "Alex Jones" on you, but the fact that Benazir Bhutto claimed to have actionable intel regarding Bin Laden's assassination, I was inclined to more than moderately embrace that theory.

But back to the point at hand.

The first thing that immediately jumped out at me was the fact that the Modern American Right, with unblushing intensity, refused to acknowledge that the Obama administration should be recognized for this victory. And that, to me, tells me that now more than ever, they can't define what the word "victory" means in regards to military action overseas.

What they did do was something I thought quite peculiar, considering their metric for praise prior to Obama's election - they claimed that Bush was responsible for Bin Laden being killed by military action. But this wasn't just about Bush, it was about "waterboarding". It wasn't about techniques proven to provide intel that could immediately acted upon, it was about something that Liberals/Progressives knew was untrustworthy. If "waterboarding" was such a glorious tool for gleaning intel from terrorist detainees, why couldn't the Bush administration accomplish this task in as timely a fashion as the Obama administration did?

Unfortunately, for the Right, this poorly conceived rationalization is false. Donald Rumsfeld has even denied that "waterboarding" was a factor in all of this. But don't tell that to Jim Hoft ( aka: GatewayPundit - someone who is consistently sourced for the "Fair And Balanced" hate-site that is known as Fox"Nation" ). He's also pushing for a new conspiracy - that Obama knew that it was Bin Laden living in that compound since last Fall. The only problem with this is that they were only aware of a compound and not who lived there.

The scrambling and twitching efforts of the Modern American Right to denounce the actions of the Obama administration show not only their desperation, but their own knowledge that the Bush administration failed for nearly 10 years where the Obama administration succeeded in less than 3.

More to come tomorrow.............

NPR, O'Keefe, and Complicit Actions

A brief word on what scam artist and criminal James O'Keefe has accomplished - again.

While the Modern American Right crow like Peter Pan on Crystal Meth - complete with a whine-fest from a disgruntled former employee - one thing should be pointed out:

NPR's Board Of Directors are just as much to blame for what is happening right now.

Actually, the remainder of American media fails in this regard as well.

Are they so weak that they can't stand up to the edits and distortions of O'Keefe and his pimp Andrew Breitbart? Apparently not, as this is not the first time they have enjoyed a certain amount of "success".

Let's not kid ourselves - the Southern Strategy is very much alive in America; and the Tea Baggers are more than willing to swallow it whole and parrot it without fear of reprisal - whether it be in "dog-whistle" fashion or in blatant racism. And from what I have seen here in Western Kentucky, it's becoming more and more apparent and unchallenged.

And speaking about that was, from my perspective, the catalyst that gave CEO Vivian and Ron Schiller the boot. But why?

The reason is that the bulk of America media seem to be more than willing to kowtow to Right Wing attacks, seem to be all to eager to not push the stories that they should.

Of course, this isn't to say that they should adopt the same tactics that their Far Right compatriots do, but that they should report and expose what is there, and do it honestly and openly. In that regard, I would say that there should be more "Maddows" on television every night.

But as far as NPR is concerned, I'm guessing that they pushed out Vivian as more of a procedural move, and Ron was on his way out anyway. But the fact remains that NPR has come off as the weaker one in this story. But they shouldn't have - or is this more of an example of how their reporting has morphed. Dave Neiwert takes on this aspect of the story far better than I could.

There's actually a 2-hour unedited video of the Schiller encounter that I am going to watch and blog about that O'Keefe thinks will absolve him of any wrong-doing - as "context" is something that the Modern American Right are struggling with - but I'm guessing that this has more to do with the fact that their original intent of showing how NPR will accept money from The Muslim Brotherhood failed, and that Schiller voiced his "individual opinion" regarding the Tea Baggers........but more on that later.

Make no mistake, this is not "nu-journalism" as much as it is deception dressed up as reality. But then again, NPR fell for it just like the bulk of the media fell for the ACORN distortions. But there is a downfall to this - it doesn't address the real failures of government funding - which is the alleged point of all this O'Keefe/Breitbart hysteria.

At the end of the day, NPR dropped the ball and made themselves look as foolish as O'Keefe and Breitbart intended them to.

When are people going to realize that scams like this are so transparent?

Free Market Ignorance

And I thought people like Fox"News" and the crazies they get some of their best material from were supposed to understand how "choice and competition" work.



Stupid doesn't burn much more than that.

Pushing The Poll Limits

I've always stated that public opinion polls are nothing more than data manifested from a person's "feelings" on any given issue during any given news cycle. The later is the most prominent factor in this, as the modern cable news outlets are either taping into what is happening in Wisconsin from a pure visceral level or they are blandly reporting on it.

Cable news programs hosted by the likes of O'Donnell, Maddow, Schultz, Hannity, Beck, and O'Reilly are all opinion programs - Well, the first three will state without equivocation that they are opinion programs - but the fact still remains that a lot of people base their standpoints on another person's opinion. What I would have like to have seen from the NYT/CBS sample data regarding Unions in America is where they get their news from - particularly the MSNBC/Fox"News" split.

Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air tries to crunch the numbers:

First, the partisan split in the sample gave a ten-point advantage to Democrats. Their sample for this poll had a D/R/I split of 36/26/31, an absurd sample for political polling. In December, Rasmussen’s general-population survey put Republicans ahead, 36.0% to 34.7% for Democrats.

I'm trying to figure out why Morrissey considers this an "absurd" sample, as the modern American Right have been claiming that the "independent" voter in America is against things like public sector unions. By their own metric, the NYT/CBS poll looked at responses from a larger Independent set than Republican; and only 5 percentage points separate the I's from the D's. Moreover, since the modern American Right insists that "independents" vote largely along the same lines at Republicans, this actually puts the Democrats at a 21% disadvantage.

But then again, I'm just going by what people like Morrissey have been claiming.

While Ed does go on to harp about the percentage of Union employees that were polled, there's some data that he is ignoring; chief of which is as follows:

- A majority of those polled claim their political alignment to be more Moderate or Conservative.

- A majority are not supporters of the Tea Bagger movement while approximately an average of 17% claim no affiliation or opinions of the group.

- The split between the lower and upper age ranges are negligible, as is household income and highest educational level earned.

But Morrissey's final statement at least hints that he knows he just splitting hairs with this one:

The gaps in the results are wide enough that these issues by themselves might not have swung them to the opposite. However, at least the magnitude of the results can certainly be questioned in a poll this flawed.

Flawed in the sense that he isn't being given what he expected? I would largely say yes, as Morrissey is want to denounce any poll that isn't conducted by Rassmussen - who only polls "likely voters" and uses a methodology that only contacts people with "land line" service. Talk about flawed.

But the larger point goes back to the fact that a poll is never going to show you precisely how a person is going to act, simply how they feel at that particular moment in time based off the way they process the information they have available to them, which is primarily from Cable news outlets.

And speaking of ridiculous polls being pushed by the modern American Right, check this out. It's touted as the "real Tea Party Straw Poll".

Their Own Weapons Against Them

Over the past week and a half, I have been researching the union protests in Wisconsin with considerable interest. What we are seeing is not only a reversal of script considering who some of the more vocal of protesters have been the past two years, but we are seeing the tactics of the modern American Right used against them.

Chief of these is the idea first espoused by a saint of the Right, Ayn Rand.

It's called "Going Galt".

First, some background.

The entire premise of Rand's seemingly endless preamble - which culminated with a 70 plus page speech from Galt on what would become known as the foundation of "objectivism" - is that is the "producers" separated themselves from the rest of the country, that they would prosper, as people relied on them - as they "produce the wealth" that all Americans enjoy.

For the avid reader of Rand, her prose is akin to Holy Writ, but upon further examination of the woman, she comes across as more of a hypocrite than a patron saint of modern American Right theology.

So how does this connect with the 14 lawmakers in Wisconsin that have left the state to prevent a "quorum" in the State House?

First, we have to look at how many of the loudest voices on the Right are criticizing the tactics they once embraced.

Vocal protests, suddenly the "thing to do" amongst "real Americans" after the election of Barack Obama have become something to joke about, to smear, to claim are nothing more than astro-turf gatherings that benefit no one but the "hidden" behind the scenes. Naturally, this was to be expected, as the modern American Right are want to embrace the Pee Wee Herman defense on a variety of issues.

But what has happened of late, and something that the 14 Democrats from Wisconsin might not have realized, is that they are using Ayn Rand's/John Galt's positions against them. And as this is something difficult for the modern American Right to reconcile - considering how they rallied around Sarah Palin's swift exeunt from Alaska - it becomes all too apparent that the double edges of this "Galtist" standpoint likely won't work for either party like they want.

For the Right in America, this idea of "leaving" would benefit no one outside of those that they idolize - the "producer". For the Left, those that "leave" are likely to face some form of punishment while those they are helping will see the bulk of the benefit. And in that, we see the clear separation of how the "Galt Cultists" in modern day America have a distorted view of whom needs representation.

That being said, the union workforce in America - in relation to the remainder of workers in America - is quite small. The number floats around 7%. But what is happening in Wisconsin has more to do with "disparate impact" than anyone on the modern American Right is willing to admit. It starts with teachers in Wisconsin and then spreads through the country like wildfire. And it's already happening in Indiana and Jersey. But why teachers? That's one of the real questions here.

Public school teachers have been a target of the modern American Right for decades, and will likely remain one regardless of what happens in Wisconsin. Why? The answer is one that is ultimately far too simple to be true, but it is. Public teachers that have organized simply desire a minimum of compensation for what they get each year and what they would get upon retirement. And to that, we need to face the reality that the Right in America have a seriously distorted view of what teachers make and what they do each day.

Does the average public school teacher make a salary equivalent to the average CEO? Not by a long shot. How about "Federal Employees"? No. But that is another point where the modern American Right shows their utter hypocrisy - not only in their accounting used but in whom they are really speaking about. Are we to believe that ALL Federal employees agree with and vote for Democrats? No, but this is what stories of this nature are designed to produce - a false equivalency. But this also goes by to what the Right often pushes as one of their pillars - being held responsible for your individual choice. Was one person forced into working for local and state government while another forced to take a job with a private company? No.

What will happen to the 14 Democrats from Wisconsin when/if they return to their State Capital? The narrative from the modern American Right reveals much, but nothing that would do much but benefit one side. Why are teachers being targeted? And that's the real question here. It's all a matter of perception versus perspective, as the former is being seriously skewed.

This goes beyond teachers, beyond Wisconsin, and far beyond simply just the average workers desire to fair treatment in the American workplace. This is about creating a wider income disparity, a decrease in the middle class, and a further elevation of monstrous private sector usurpers that want to control government to protect their own interests. This is the M.O. of the modern American Right, and it will ultimately see the downfall of even the least of them - they just aren't willing to admit that yet.

Sending The Message

In light of the uprising in Egypt, the modern American Right have been taking after the Obama administration as one that was "unprepared" and "continually surprised by surprises". Their narrative was one that Obama was and is unable to respond to crisis around the world.

So what happens when the Obama administration begins to utilize modern social-networking to show support for change in the Arabic world? The modern American Right eats what they are spoon fed

Hoping to widen the audience for its mini-pronouncements of U.S. policy amid growing unrest in the Middle East, the State Department has begun sending Twitter messages in Arabic.

The department’s first entry into Arabic language micro-blogging appeared on Twitter early Wednesday. It’s a post saying that Washington recognizes the “historic role” of social media in the Arab world. “We want to be in your conversation,” it said.

The next posts reiterated President Barack Obama’s stance that only Egyptians can decide their future and summarized Vice President Joe Biden’s Tuesday call to Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman.

The Twitter account is “USA bilAraby,” which means “USA in Arabic.” It had 40 followers within hours of appearing.

Naturally, this story was met by the fine, patriotic, folks at Fox"Nation" as just another in a long line of stories designed to do one thing and one thing only: to show that Obama is a Muslim and favors a Muslim takeover of America.

But what if it's a story about how Obama wants to communicate their intentions with the American people - another complaint leveled by the modern American Right, as they claim he isn't including us in the "national conversation" regarding issues like the unrest in Egypt?

Just ask Fox"Nation" darling and serial misinformer Jim Hoft:

Just like Hugo Chavez, Barack Obama wants to ram his way onto your television sets.

Maybe when he starts interrupting “Glee” and “American Idol” more people will wake up to this man’s intrusion on our lives.

Castro does this in Cuba too, doesn’t he?

Funny that the movement that demands instant gratification regarding a whole host of issues would be against the Obama administration showing a sense of immediacy, especially considering that's what they ask for on a daily basis.