RETURN TO THE VALLEY OF THE BANNED

One of the most honored, yet humbled, days of my life was when Professor Donald Douglas of American Power, banned me from his site for the mere act of exposing the deluded views of he and his deluded right wing disciples.








My pride was reinforced when shortly thereafter Professor Douglas also banned my adopted big brother and wisest man on the web, TAO, for daring to point out the Professor's erroneous thinking.










And while Nihilist, Liberal hedonists all over the web look in envy at me for my TKO over one of the neocon's most ardent champions, this almost pales in comparison to the banning I most recently am enjoying.









The Right is Right Lady has once again ordered (banned) all her followers from visiting TRUTH SHALL RULE.




In her most recent post she thanked all those that obeyed her and sent her minions out to savage those that refused.









Now I'm not one to stoop to comparing her banning of her disciples from my site as comparable to censorship or book burning. Although I do suspect she would provide the matches and gasoline if there were such a thing as blog burning. I have to respect the loyalty and obedience of her followers. I also have to respect the Right is Right Lady for her strong leadership.








The greatest compliment I can give her is that her strength and leadership skills remind me of one of my favorite people. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.









My thanks to you Right is Right Lady. Just as it was an honor nearly 40 years ago to be on Richard Nixon's "shit list" I am honored and humbled to be on yours.




May God bless you. And may God bless America.

IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO DECIDE, YOU'VE MADE A COWARDLY CHOICE.

As much as I like taunting and messing with righties, there is a purpose behind this. I really want to understand why they think the way they do.

Since the end of WWII, the nuclear deterrent kept the superpowers at bay. But for some reason, it was never used as a deterrent against lesser foes.

Why didn't Truman or Ike just go ahead and nuke the North Koreans? As long as we were there, nuke the Chinese also. Back then it was just us and the Soviets. They are masters of the proxy war. They would have fought to the last Chinese and North Korean but not any Russians.

Why didn't JFK just nuke the Castro? We sent a half a million Troops to Vietnam. Lost 50,000 lives. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, injured and either physically, mentally or both, scarred for life. Why didn't we nuke them?

When the terrorists suicide bombed our Marines in Lebanon, why didn't President Reagan really teach those bastards a lesson and nuke the shit out of them the way he taught the Iranians a lesson after they released our hostages. That was the word then. The Iranians were afraid of Reagan and didn't want to incur his wrath. But Reagan didn't nuke them either.

We knew Saddam was an asshole while supporting him during the Iran/Iraq war. After he invaded Kuwait President BushI built a coalition and kicked the Iraqis asses back where they belonged. Lot of work. Lot of diplomacy. Why didn't he just nuke the bastard then?

The Taliban were and still are a bunch of no good pricks that deserve a good nuking as much as any no good prick. But invasion and occupation was chosen over a good nuking.

If Saddam was as bad as we were told before the Iraq invasion and occupation, why didn't President BushII just nuke him?

President Obama is considering strategy in Afghanistan. General McChrystal wants more Troops. The Right wants more Troops. The left wants to leave. The Right and the pro Military wants us to let the military win wars and not have more Vietnams. They call for President Obama to listen to the General and send more Troops. They of course, in true republican fashion, don't want to pay for it though.

It leads to the question, why doesn't the right call for nuking them instead of more expensive occupations and nation building programs that drain our treasury and worse, cost the lives of so many of our finest People.

If we nuke em, Halliburton, Blackwater, and other defense contractors don't make any money.

General Douglas MacArthur said "In war, there is no substitute for victory." A multi generation occupation is not a victory. It's just an expensive way to put off making a decision.

OLYMPIA SNOWE JOB

It has always struck me as odd that the party of the evangelical, God fearing moral majority is run by such complete, backward thinking, deluded, angry fools.

A woman was denied health insurance because she was raped and had to take anti HIV drugs and go to counseling. Another woman was gang raped and 30 U.S. Senators voted against her being able to have her day in court. What in the name of Christ is so moral and evangelical about denying health insurance or a day in court to a victim of rape? Are there any righties out there that can honestly answer this?

Of course there aren't. We will get the same nonsensical talking point crap about freedom and flags and families and personal responsibility and socialism. But not one will give the honest answer that those that run the republican party are only interested in the keeping the profits of their supporters protected at all costs. Despite how many women get raped.

The big deal now is whether or not Republican Senator Olympia Snowe will vote for the health insurance bill being crafted now. She said she was "deeply disappointed" that the bill would include a public option. I guess this two faced piece of crap, THAT'S RIGHT OLYMPIA. YOU DON'T FOOL ME. YOU'RE TRYING TO PANDER TO EVERYONE AND IT'S BULLSHIT. She had her moment of the world revolving around her while she was playing like she was being bipartisan so Democrats would slobber all over her ass for her worthless vote on the Finance Committee.

Now that the moment of bigshottedness is over for her, she comes up with more garbage to keep herself in the limelight. How about being "deeply disappointed" that women were denied health insurance because they were raped Olympia. Perhaps you should be "deeply disappointed" that a woman was denied her day in court after being gang raped.

I don't know if it's anti health insurance Republican women or the men I should be madder at. I'm still old fashioned in that I think we males have a duty to respect and protect females. Common sense would indicate that protecting women from not only the vile act of rape, but then further rape at the hands of our justice and insurance system would be our duty.

You know, I'm going to go ahead and post this: the republicans remind me of the Taliban or the damn Saudis with their views on this. Denying health insurance and a day in court is no different than blaming the rape victim for being raped. Rape is not a choice. It's a crime. Could the republicans at least this once forget about corporate profits and do the right thing.

THERE'S A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE

Being the capitalist that I am, I can truly appreciate a business focusing it's marketing on a particular demographic.

Much like the NBA focuses it's marketing on young males. Or property insurance companies focus their marketing efforts on older people because they file fewer claims, our friends at FOX News focus their marketing and programing on it's favored demographic of bigots, homophobes and idiots.

That FOX does this is laissez faire capitalism at it's best. Who cares that a major media outlet is giving a voice to crackpots and those that pander and rile them up as long as ratings are good and Rupert Murdoch and friends are making money.

That FOX has learned to exploit the closed minded, backward thinking beliefs of a certain portion of America has not gone unnoticed. MSNBC and CNN have a few right leaning, (Lou Dobbs labels himself independent. He is working hard to make the word "independent" synonymous with "anti Latin American asshole.")

MSNBC in particular has taken a liberal bent. But where MSNBC fails in the ratings game is that it's two "stars" don't speak the language of moronity. If Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity and Limbaugh teamed up against Rachel Maddow in a debate she would kick hell out of these simple minded fools. But that is where the business model of MSNBC falls short in terms of loyal viewers.

People of progressive views are by nature, just plain smarter and whether the right likes it or not, far more cynical and pragmatic in their approach to issues than the right. The righties have a psychotic need to be reminded over and over of silly catch phrases like "less government" and "lower taxes" and a few other bullshit phrases that they will listen to right wing propagandists for hours a day.

Those of us on the left are smart enough and comfortable enough to not need constant propaganda to keep us from actually thinking for ourselves. When we do watch Olberman or Maddow, it's for information, not reaffirmation of a deluded view.

One of the righties has taken the baton from the Right is Right Lady, and has been leaving comments all over the place ordering righties not to read mine, Shaw's and other progressive blogs. But he/she demands you keep listening to Rush and the rest of the cabal of right wing propagandists. A few righties then follow up to these orders by commenting their agreement.

The rank and file righties obey. Now check your emails my right leaning friends. Glen Beck is do for another mass mailing telling you what tea party you have to attend next.

MISPLACED REPUBLICAN GUILT

Being the kind and gentle soul I am, empathy is one of the qualities about my personality that I just can't hide.

It is this empathy that has allowed me to explore and understand the mind of the Republican. You see my friends. Just as much as Republicans are driven by greed. They are also driven by guilt.

The guilt is not what you would think though. It has nothing to do with denying those that can't afford health care health care. It has nothing to do with sending our young men and women to places 6,000 miles away to fight for people that neither care about us or our ideals.

No my friends. Republican guilt is caused by their feeling bad for asking the rich to pay more. They know it's the greediest, most selfish rich that support the Republican Party financially. So Republicans try to make it up to them through getting them big tax cuts and stupid wars that make big profits for Republican companies like Halliburton. They try to assuage their guilt also by giving the tiniest tax cuts to the poor and middle class. But we all know that's just a ruse to keep the most simple minded placated into thinking Republicans really care about them or America as a whole.

Another example of Republicans leaning on the rich is their use of the term "safety net." I think Ron Paul invented the use of this when he called for limited government spending on social programs among other things. He said the safety net would take care of the people most in need.

Many bloggers have taken the term "safety net" and run with it. My good friend Patrick M. of the fine blog, Sane Political Discourse has on many occasions said that the rich could donate money to organizations that help the poor. Doctors could donate their time on weekends.

Other right leaning bloggers have taken this position. What they are really saying is they want the rich to donate more because they don't want to pay for it. To pay the rich back they will support their tax cuts and stupid invasions. I recommend my right leaning friends read this paragraph at least three times and then look in the mirror.

As a Roman Catholic, I can appreciate good guilt. I really appreciate guilt that is properly focused. Focusing ones guilt on rich, greedy Republicans because they bankroll the party of greed and obstruction is misplaced. Harms America and emboldens our enemies.

It's time the average rank and file Republican drive around the most expensive neighborhoods. Drive by the country club. Look at their own bank statements. Health insurance coverage and debt. Then ask himself, WTF am I feeling sorry for Dick Cheney and his friends?

BIG BABY RUSH LIMBAUGH STILL WHINING OVER HIS FIRING

As a former union negotiating committeeman, a large part of my duties were defending members from unjust treatment. These duties also included telling members when they were being treated in accordance with the bargaining agreement and to stop whining like freaking babies.

It's time for whomever Rush Limbaugh looks to for advice, God I guess, to tell him to shut the f%$k up and stop his whining.

You got fired Rush. We all get fired sometime in our lives. Maybe several times. If life were fair we wouldn't need the Democratic Party or Unions looking out for us.

Now, if you and your fellow media hounds want to clog up some poor judges time and help a few media hound lawyers do some media hounding, there isn't much we can do about it. Just another piece of advice though you whiny pansie: Order your minions to hold off on talking about tort reform until your silly lawsuits are over. You wouldn't want to look like a hypocritical whiny baby now. Would you?

RUSH LIMBAUGH; YOU'RE FIRED!

So Rush is all in a pissy mood because he got fired from the ownership group. Yes that's what happened. They fired his ass.

Rush can whine all he wants about free speech and political correctness and liberal media. But he can't change it because the owners group that fired him are exercising their rights also.

Maybe Rush should have joined a union that would fight against unjust termination on his behalf but wait. Rush thinks employers should be able to terminate without any justification. He thinks employees are basically serfs that offer no value and should be replaced by machines or cheap Chinese labor.

Screw you Rush. Welcome to the real world of Working America.

BLACKMAILING FOR BOOBS

All the charts, salesmanship and goodwill in the world just don't work, and are far more expensive, than good old fashioned blackmail.

The health insurance industry came out with a report blasting health insurance reform. It was really nothing more than a blackmail note to the American People. It said don't reform and cut our profits or we will raise your rates. Of course, this blatant attempt at blackmail will go unpunished.

Blackmail has even become a common business practice. Whenever a business needs an improvement, decides to relocate or build a plant, the first thing it does is goes to government demanding blackmail or it will take jobs somewhere they will pay blackmail. Many states succumbed to blackmail by imposing working family oppressing "right to scab" laws, making union organizing difficult if not impossible.

What really strikes me as so outrageous as to almost be hysterically funny, is that after a company gets millions in incentives and tax breaks and infrastructure from a local government, it's leaders are then feted to great ceremonies and given keys to the cities they extorted the millions from.

All these Chamber of Commerce, Republican Party member businessmen, and women, I haven't forgotten the wonderfully toothed Carly Fiorina that Hewlett/Packard couldn't fire fast enough, claim to hate big government. One thing for sure. These jokers might not like the rest of it, but they sure love the big government teet they're constantly suckling.

WARS OF ATTRITION GENERALLY DON'T GO OUR WAY

After reading Arianna Huffington's piece on why Vice President Biden should resign, it got me to thinking about the Vietnam War again.

Much like Vietnam, Afghanistan is also a "war of attrition." General McChrystal, just like General Westmoreland, wants more Troops. Nothing wrong with that. That's what generals do. Tell us we need more troops.

What gets them into trouble. Well not them really. But the poor Troops that have to go to battle for them and us, is that Vietnam, like Afghanistan, have been in wars of attrition since time immemorial. Like it or not, nobody is going to wait them out. No matter how many Troops are there.

The Soviets took cruelty to as an extreme level as possible in their war with Afghanistan. Cruelty didn't win either. They had to leave.

Our Forces have been there nearly eight years and we're no closer to a stable, democratic Afghanistan than before we invaded. If anything, the situation is worse and now Pakistan is on the edge instability and God knows what else.

One could say the Cold War was a war of attrition and that we won. The truth is, it's still going on. There might have been a brief hiatus during Yeltsin's time as Russia's president. But the guy in charge now, although he isn't president in name, Vladimir Putin, is a former KGB officer. The proxy war with Russia continues to this day. They don't have to build bombs to compete with us anymore. They've wised up. Just create instability. Or fight and obstruct any efforts to stabilize problem areas. They have tricked our leaders into focusing precious time and money on futile efforts. Each billion dollars we pour into Iraq is a billion less we have to rebuild New Orleans. To stabilize our markets and build and rebuild infrastructure. To invest in energy that comes from sources other than oil. Yes my friends. The Iranians are on the side of the Russians in this. As are the Saudis and Venezuelans and others.

We cannot win wars of attrition with bullets. We have more bullets than anyone. They have more oil. Replace oil, we win. Keep fighting with bullets. The war will last forever.

HE AIN'T HEAVY. HE'S RUSH LIMBAUGH.

Rush bashing is all the rage in NFL circles since Rush Limbaugh said he was thinking about buying the St. Louis Rams.

Several players have indicated they would not play for a team owned by Rush Limbaugh. As far as I can see, the current members of the St. Louis Rams don't play anyway. They suck. Even the Player's Union as said it was against Rush as an owner.

The fuss being raised shows a deeper problem with professional sports. We all know the great Baltimore Raven linebacker, Ray Lewis. The same Ray Lewis who's buddies killed a guy one night. But every player in the NFL would love Ray Lewis as a team mate. They would love Leonard Little. Current Ram. Killed a mother while driving drunk one night. Got another DUI not long after that. I won't bother bringing up Michael Vick. But face it. If Charles Manson helped a team win the Super Bowl, he'd get cheered.

I've always felt responsible, law abiding citizens have the right to own firearms. Just being an asshole doesn't disqualify one from the that. Just as it doesn't disqualify someone from being an NFL owner. I was watching the day Rush asked if the "liberal media" was easy on Donovan McNabb because he was black. I went nuts and swore at the TV and all the other stuff libs are required to say and do when a conservative makes an ignorant statement.

Rush says the bullshit he says because it makes him money. There is a certain percentage of the population that wants to hear this crap. If Rush wants to buy a crappy team like the St.Louis Rams with the money he made from saying crap then I say it's a match made in Heaven.

WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE?

Several well known and respected bloggers in this group have undergone tragedies recently. The most recent is a blogger I rarely interacted with but I certainly would have been a better person had I read more of her work. Jennifer of Thinking Out Loud gave Z a far better expression of sympathy than I could have and I encourage anyone reading now to visit both Jennifer and Z's blogs to express their sympathies.

Most posts I rattle off in a few minutes. This one is difficult because I don't know where to begin or how to say what I'm trying to say without sounding either hypocritical or holier than thou.

I wish these blogs had a filter so we knew when we crossed the line from getting our points across and perhaps being entertaining to just plain being cruel. I've self deleted a few of my own and I'm sure most of you have as well. Sometimes we're not that careful and we can really hurt someone.

I want everyone that visits here to feel welcome. I don't like deleting comments. I'd just as soon let everyone defend themselves. But if it comes down to it, like it or not. We're all blogging because we have a passion for politics and want what's best for our Nation. Some of us see the Lefts point of view. Some of us the Right's. A blog gives us a chance to get our views out there. I'll do my best to remember whomever I address a comment at is also a mother or father. A wife or husband.

Wish me luck.

NOBEL COMMITTEE OVERLOOKS KIND AND GENTLE FOR CELEBRITY

Well. Looks like the elitist bastards on the Nobel Prize Committee once again overlooked a true man of peace for the "Flavor of the Week."









Damn right I'm talking about this personal snub in favor of President Obama. It was TRUTH 101 that deserved this award and the money and prestige that goes with it! When has President Obama ever been called "Kind and Gentle 101"? Take that you Swedish bastards!









Who has called for higher taxes to pay for social programs?






Who leads the fight against misogynist religious fanatics?







Who is the calming voice that brings sanity Blogdom?






That's right! Good old TRUTH 101!









Where do Righties and Lefties from across America and the world go for civil discussion and rollicking good times? Not the freaking useless United Nations in New York for crying out loud. They gather here at the home of Truth, wisdom, kindness and gentleness.











On behalf of peace loving people everywhere, I accept the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia. I thank everyone that made this moment possible.

RICHARD NIXON: THE MOST HONORABLE REPUBLICAN I COULD THINK OF

I've been blogging all over about the right's unwillingness to sacrifice a few more dollars in taxes in order to successfully transform Iraq and Afghanistan into republics that respect human rights. Not that the righties would ever do anything like offer to pay for things when borrowing has worked so well for them since President Reagan's time in office.

That led me to one of the great ironies of our time. The last Republican I can think of that actually was fiscally responsible was President Nixon. While we all remember Cheney saying "deficits don't matter." And Reagan's massive redistribution of wealth to the wealthiest with his trickle down nonsense, it was Richard Nixon who said "Do whatever it takes. As long as it doesn't cost any money."

Nixon embodied what every Republican can only dream of. A twisted form of honest dishonesty. I for one say lets carve his face on Mt. Rushmore. As long as it doesn't cost anything.

THE BEST ARMY MONEY CAN BORROW

For all the talk, I really do wonder if Republicans actually want to win a war.

After the 911 attacks we all rallied behind President Bush and demanded justice and revenge. Nothing wrong with revenge. That is a big part of what justice is.

But all the while we were demanding war and invasions and occupations and nation building and freedom and democracy and apple pie and honoring our Judeo/Christian Forefathers and putting up Ten Commandment monuments everywhere we could, damn few of us were demanding we pay for all this.

Where were all the great right leaning Americans who said forget my tax cut Mr. President. We have a war to pay for. Our Troops need proper equipment. We need to focus on victory no matter what the cost.

But alas. My faith in the right wasn't shaken because there never was any. While our Soldiers went to fight in Afghanistan and then Iraq, the right decided it was more American I guess to dig our Nation into a gaping debt than raise taxes enough to pay for the wars and promises we made to those that fought them.

Now the General in Afghanistan is calling for more Troops. Not surprising. Generals always call fro more Troops. Republican senators will line up to attack President Obama if he doesn't send them. But how many will have the balls to say "Folks. This time, let's pay for it. We need to raise taxes."

Not one of them.

We have the best people in the world serving in our Nation's Armed Forces. And we can't even honor them enough to pay for the wars and occupations we send them to.

God Bless America, I hope.

BEING A REPUBLICAN MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY; EXCEPT TO RUSH LIMBAUGH

Congressman Alan Grayson recently said Republicans want you to die quickly. Of course he was pilloried by Republicans who actually want you to die slowly from torture which they say is just enhanced interrogation.

I figured Grayson would either outright apologise or do a John Lennon thing when Lennon said The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. Lennon said what he meant to say was he, Paul, George and Ringo were all taller than Jesus. The controversy went away and it was an abject lesson for history.

Grayson, to his credit, didn't apologise. And although I've given Nancy Pelosi hell at times, she's not apologising either. I say good for both of them. In fact, I say take it a step further. If Boehner or some other hypocritical, health insurance reform blocking bastard demands an apology, tell him to go shit in his hat. That's all these clowns deserve for toiling at diverting our Nation's eyes from the important issues in favor of nonsense.

A good crop of Righties has been visiting as of late. No doubt, a few of them will demand an apology for me calling Congressman Boehner a clown. To them I offer a sincere and heartfelt;

Go shit in your hats.