I sometimes think, on the basis of the scant evidence available to a blogger, that George Bush Jr might just be the first non-literate President of the United States. A harbinger if you will, of the coming reign of the completely illiterate.
Certainly Bush knows how to read, but has no appreciation of reading as an activity nor any real use for it.
Sadly, this is the coming type in US Politics. Unlettered, unread, comtemptuously assured in all things and an insufferable philistine.
Truly outside of school, has Bush ever read a book of his own volition?
I doubt it.
Hell I doubt he has ever read the Baptist Bible whose Sharia type rules he seeks to impose on us all.
Damn, even Reagan read westerns and Harry Truman that proud High School Graduate, read everything he could lay hands on.
Not Bush though, he doesn't need books to tell him the shape of things to come, he has the blissful eye of faith.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Friday, July 08, 2005
Honest to Ghod but
Larry King is a hopelessly senile old coot.
Last night he was interviewing a spokesman for the London Fire Brigade in the aftermath of yesterday's terrorist attack....fine so far.
Then went Larry and actually asked this poor schlub if the famously narrow streets of London were a problem for firetrucks?
The guy put on this pained tight little smile, you could just tell this was indeed the stupidest question he'd been asked since the first bomb had gone off that morning.
However, our boy swallowed manfully and assured all and sundry that London's narrow lanes were no great challenge to the Fire Brigade.
Alas its like this all over the cableverse, CNN sent its cameras out to get some face time off of that blustering clown and Imus in the Morning regular Bo Dietl...he said nothing of any import and then it was off to get commuters reactions.
At a time when we need timely and objective news reportage we are served largely by a collection of sideshow freaks, the likes Brian Williams the Human Collie Dog, Nancy Grace the Prom Queen of Court teevee or the King of the Undead, Paul Harvey.
These are the yaps with the microphones and hours and hours of congressionally licensed airtime with not a single sensible thought among any of them.
Sick
Demented
Typical...
Last night he was interviewing a spokesman for the London Fire Brigade in the aftermath of yesterday's terrorist attack....fine so far.
Then went Larry and actually asked this poor schlub if the famously narrow streets of London were a problem for firetrucks?
The guy put on this pained tight little smile, you could just tell this was indeed the stupidest question he'd been asked since the first bomb had gone off that morning.
However, our boy swallowed manfully and assured all and sundry that London's narrow lanes were no great challenge to the Fire Brigade.
Alas its like this all over the cableverse, CNN sent its cameras out to get some face time off of that blustering clown and Imus in the Morning regular Bo Dietl...he said nothing of any import and then it was off to get commuters reactions.
At a time when we need timely and objective news reportage we are served largely by a collection of sideshow freaks, the likes Brian Williams the Human Collie Dog, Nancy Grace the Prom Queen of Court teevee or the King of the Undead, Paul Harvey.
These are the yaps with the microphones and hours and hours of congressionally licensed airtime with not a single sensible thought among any of them.
Sick
Demented
Typical...
Thursday, July 07, 2005
The Globe is trying to build up
the current morning after pill legislation, now headed for the Governor's desk, as the clash of civilizations crapola. Mitt's newly minted sterling conservatism versus the Great and General Court's ever roilin' liberalism....yadda yada yadda look for the usual cliches from the usual suspects.
in fact this whole situation is a good illustration of Mitt's fast shrinking political prospects. Think about it, if he signs it with the usual whining about his private beliefs versus public promises, the out of state wowsers will go predictably apeshit and Mitt will look weak.
If he vetoes the bill, Romney will once again appear to be toadying up to the GOP's theocrats. Again...he will look weak.
Is this the same guy that Scot Lehigh etc insists has superlative political skills?
Mitt has painted himself into so many easily avoided corners that I've lost count.
I mean god forbid he should try to address any issues from the perspective of what is good for Massachusetts.
Alas Mitt is long past that, he has mortgaged himself and his alleged ideals to a fanciful dream of ice cream socials in the Rose Garden...all else that follows is tedious and sadly predictable.
in fact this whole situation is a good illustration of Mitt's fast shrinking political prospects. Think about it, if he signs it with the usual whining about his private beliefs versus public promises, the out of state wowsers will go predictably apeshit and Mitt will look weak.
If he vetoes the bill, Romney will once again appear to be toadying up to the GOP's theocrats. Again...he will look weak.
Is this the same guy that Scot Lehigh etc insists has superlative political skills?
Mitt has painted himself into so many easily avoided corners that I've lost count.
I mean god forbid he should try to address any issues from the perspective of what is good for Massachusetts.
Alas Mitt is long past that, he has mortgaged himself and his alleged ideals to a fanciful dream of ice cream socials in the Rose Garden...all else that follows is tedious and sadly predictable.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
NBC News' Brian Williams is a
a news anchor just made for shark attacks in Florida and kidnapped white kids all over America. His blank punim, his robotic baritone its all so intimate and reassuring.
The summer, traditionally a slow news season is nothing less than Brian's time to shine. Bits on sunburn, the latest beach toys, robot lawn-mowers all Brian's stock in trade.
Of course if you need someone to explain how La Famiglia Arbusto's tax policy is both bankrupting and de-industrializing America you'll need someone else. Thats too big a job for poor Brian.
The summer, traditionally a slow news season is nothing less than Brian's time to shine. Bits on sunburn, the latest beach toys, robot lawn-mowers all Brian's stock in trade.
Of course if you need someone to explain how La Famiglia Arbusto's tax policy is both bankrupting and de-industrializing America you'll need someone else. Thats too big a job for poor Brian.
Blogger.com is still
lingering over a resolution to the whole gap-between-title-n-text problem.
It truly kills my desire to post since the blog looks so amateurish as a result...amateurish by even my elastic standards.
It truly kills my desire to post since the blog looks so amateurish as a result...amateurish by even my elastic standards.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Judgement Passed...
Nothing so aptly illustrates the bankruptcy of the President's Iraq policy than the announcement that the Army is short some eight thousand recruits this year.
Thats about what? Half a combat division?
Seems like small beers but when you've got an all volunteer army, a eight thousand man shortfall can easily double and even treble in very little time.
Such is the nature of this manpower gap, that the President actually had to hype joining the armed forces last week during his wretched little exercise in Iraq war boosterism.
I can't recall a President who had to beg people to join the army in a time of war, not in my lifetime at least.
Shit, there must be eight thousand kampus konservative bundists out there who are willing to sacrifice to fill in those gaps?
The oil industry alone alone must have eight thousand able bodied lobbyists who could be trained up as infantry.
Alas...nothing the call goes out across a silent and distracted nation.
America has passed judgement on this war and they want no part of it. Oh there are no shaggy Abbie Hoffman's in the street preaching riot and ruin, but the nation's abstention from combat is nigh on complete.
We wish the soldiers and sailors well, nobody is hassling them, but it is very much George Bush Jr's war in the minds of the general public.
This is the passive aggressive way America deals with a lot of unpleasant issues, keep the recruiters away from your kids and kill the TV whenever there is grisly footage from Baghdad.
Its not a particularly wise way to deal with the situation, it doesn't address the crippling debt the war is generating or the casualties that mount up. Otherwise we will put up with this misbegotten war as long as our own kids don't have to fight it.
Its not the most admirable attitude but it is realistic and understandable.
Which is why I still say the day the JCS marchs in and sez, either we draft or we sue for peace will be the day Bush folds his hand in IRaq.
of course, Secretary Rumsfeld and all the rest of the Admin's praetorians are working 24-7 towards whatever cockamammie lash up solution that will delay that confrontation even a little bit.
Sick
Demented
Typical
Thats about what? Half a combat division?
Seems like small beers but when you've got an all volunteer army, a eight thousand man shortfall can easily double and even treble in very little time.
Such is the nature of this manpower gap, that the President actually had to hype joining the armed forces last week during his wretched little exercise in Iraq war boosterism.
I can't recall a President who had to beg people to join the army in a time of war, not in my lifetime at least.
Shit, there must be eight thousand kampus konservative bundists out there who are willing to sacrifice to fill in those gaps?
The oil industry alone alone must have eight thousand able bodied lobbyists who could be trained up as infantry.
Alas...nothing the call goes out across a silent and distracted nation.
America has passed judgement on this war and they want no part of it. Oh there are no shaggy Abbie Hoffman's in the street preaching riot and ruin, but the nation's abstention from combat is nigh on complete.
We wish the soldiers and sailors well, nobody is hassling them, but it is very much George Bush Jr's war in the minds of the general public.
This is the passive aggressive way America deals with a lot of unpleasant issues, keep the recruiters away from your kids and kill the TV whenever there is grisly footage from Baghdad.
Its not a particularly wise way to deal with the situation, it doesn't address the crippling debt the war is generating or the casualties that mount up. Otherwise we will put up with this misbegotten war as long as our own kids don't have to fight it.
Its not the most admirable attitude but it is realistic and understandable.
Which is why I still say the day the JCS marchs in and sez, either we draft or we sue for peace will be the day Bush folds his hand in IRaq.
of course, Secretary Rumsfeld and all the rest of the Admin's praetorians are working 24-7 towards whatever cockamammie lash up solution that will delay that confrontation even a little bit.
Sick
Demented
Typical
Friday, July 01, 2005
The Song of the Bankrupt
Apparently the President's speech the other night got very low ratings...few people actually watched.
Well its not hard to understand why, the President is morally and politically bankrupt. As a result the polity ignores him and will continue to do so until the bill comes in for the war on terror or he introduces conscription.
The public sighs and is resigned to Bush be it his tangled syntax or his bumbling ideologically driven ways.
However being philosophically destitute hasn't prevented Bush from being re-elected or from acculmulating even greater increments of raw power. He is out of ideas, incapable of listening to good advice, laughably corrupt, and hell bent on his own jealous bitter crusades no matter what the cost...and yet nothing restrains him.
This strange dichotomy the ever increasing autonomy combined with the rapid decline in conservative ideology is a strange hallmark of the current regime. By any normal definition of politics Bush would be trapped in the White House right now, hounded by a half dozen investigations and frantically dodging process servers.
Certainly controlling congress helps, the absolute abandonment of the news media from any pretense of covering Bush objectively (how many of Rove's traps have these pompous dimwits at CBS and NBC fallen into nigh these past five years?)and the public's utter torpidity all play a part.
Ah but then there is Bush's own particular skill to contend with, embittered, narrow-minded, arrogant, and corrupt he is also one who has mastered the art of making decline and declinism work for him.
He is a virtuoso of degeneration in so many ways.
Well its not hard to understand why, the President is morally and politically bankrupt. As a result the polity ignores him and will continue to do so until the bill comes in for the war on terror or he introduces conscription.
The public sighs and is resigned to Bush be it his tangled syntax or his bumbling ideologically driven ways.
However being philosophically destitute hasn't prevented Bush from being re-elected or from acculmulating even greater increments of raw power. He is out of ideas, incapable of listening to good advice, laughably corrupt, and hell bent on his own jealous bitter crusades no matter what the cost...and yet nothing restrains him.
This strange dichotomy the ever increasing autonomy combined with the rapid decline in conservative ideology is a strange hallmark of the current regime. By any normal definition of politics Bush would be trapped in the White House right now, hounded by a half dozen investigations and frantically dodging process servers.
Certainly controlling congress helps, the absolute abandonment of the news media from any pretense of covering Bush objectively (how many of Rove's traps have these pompous dimwits at CBS and NBC fallen into nigh these past five years?)and the public's utter torpidity all play a part.
Ah but then there is Bush's own particular skill to contend with, embittered, narrow-minded, arrogant, and corrupt he is also one who has mastered the art of making decline and declinism work for him.
He is a virtuoso of degeneration in so many ways.
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