Language I hate:

“missteps” – usually an idiotic attempt to minimize a FUBAR situation, eg, there were missteps in the lead up to the Iraq War.

“challenges” – massively overused and mindlessly inserted into every public and private place of employment, eg, we face challenges in peak oil, peak fish and peak fresh water.

“awesome” – the new “cool” for those under 40. As a 55 year old, every time I hear it, I think … adolescent nitwit.

The people who accept Breitbart as a credible voice are the problem. Look at all the mainstream media and government figures who were totally conned by the manipulated ACORN videos and who continue to be easily suckered by the many bellowing bigots on the right.

Anyone who considers Breitbart or O’Keefe to be good faith actors in our political culture is either a total sucker, or someone who’s not even slightly objective.

The real story is that the establishment pundits will bend over backwards to avoid acknowledging or accepting the protests. Their paycheck depends on them putting their fingers in their ears and going, la la la, I can’t hear you. Wearing blinders and saying, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Their willful ignorance says more about them than it does about the protesters. At this point you have to be pretty thick or complicit to not see the problems with Wall St.

The question is not whether the establishment media “gets it.” The question is whether the media actually supports democracy. A media that asks “what are they protesting?” is a media that has been living in a self-created bubble for the past decade, breathing its own fumes. (imo)

Anyone know if the documentary, “The World According to Monsanto” is available on DVD?

The video demonstrates a level of ironic “humor” which is too subtle for 95 percent of Americans. Ethical considerations are a joke in today’s USA. “Bugsplat” more accurately reflects the level of sophistication of most people in this country.

If I have to call those Dems and tell them that if they cut SS, then I’m done with them — I don’t want those people in office in the first place. If they have to be reminded or pressured to understand that SS and Medicare are off the table, they’re not someone I want to vote for, period.

The administration probably felt they had to brief several people they couldn’t trust. If they briefed Senators Feinstein and Lieberman, and Reps. Pelosi, Boehner that would be worrisome enough right there. In my opinion.

This post resonates with me because I was recently thinking about Rand Paul, who most personifies the party that works tirelessly to tear down the ability for citizens of this country to govern ourselves like sane, informed adults.

The people on the hard right are intent on changing the frame from: how best do we govern our country for all, to: it’s every asshole for themselves.

We’re on the way to there no longer being a common good or a public interest in this country. The right just does away with the whole ideas, like they did away with the concepts of ethical corporate conduct and fairness in media. And too many let them get away with it.

Sadly, this post will change nothing. What will change things is if someone like a prominent member of congress or a major public figure called Simpson out and called him a willfully un-American dunce.

Make a very public stink and make Simpson back down, which of course he won’t do. So ruin his career over it. Destroy the bastard. Publicly say that he has no credibility and he’s a dirty rotten liar.

The Low Info Party

The Fox Party

The Not-Democrat Party

The Moran-Merkin Party

The Money Puppet Party

The White Might is Right Party

The Kool-Ade Party

The Dick Armey

The Koch Klan

Limbaugh’s Lemmings

The Creationist Party

The Reality Creation Party

The Messiah Party

The Real American Party

The Yankee Doodle Dandy Party

This intimidation is about is trying to muzzle free speech, free channels of communication and academic freedom. This “request” by the conservatives says more about them than it does about their target. This is the kind of society they want — a society of frightened, cowed citizens. They want to use heavy-handed tactics to silence critics.

Curious how Rovian warriors like Breitbart, O’Keefe, Beck, Limbaugh etc. never, ever go after the rampant, blatant corruption and hypocrisy on the right.

To the conservative crusaders, America’s worst criminals are those who speak the truth, those who educate, those who empower the poor, those who promote individual choice and those who work to protect the environment. And those who oppose extreme, unethical business and political practices. The worst thing you can be is a liberal blogger, for the crime of daring to speak the truth.

The mission is to create a chilling effect in the media so no one will dare say anything negative about the Tea-publican Party, and make the media censor themselves. Using tactics that make Karl Rove proud. Winning the Spin War and creating a huge distraction. Mission accomplished crusaders.