Right-Wing Mailbag, Hatemonger Dogwhistle Edition

J-G Letters Page, 01/28/2008

Where in the world were all the conservative Republicans? The recent debates were run strictly by the liberal Democrats and the media. There were no questions on morality at all. There was one question on the chief justices’ appointments and was laughed off with a big joke, “dead or alive?” Everybody laughed.

Moral questions were not asked: abortion, stem-cell research, Social Security, Medicare, same-sex marriage, “In God We Trust.”

Sen. John McCain had the true answer on border control and the Iraq war; it’s a just war and we cannot quit when things look bad. Al-Qaida would rejoice if we left the war. We must look way ahead. Wars are costly both materially and bodily. Think of what a hydrogen bomb would do. Al-Qaida must be destroyed.

The moral majority is sleeping again. And if they don’t wake up, the most important election will again be lost.
DICK MILLER Fort Wayne

Ah, nothing like another far-right screed to make the day complete. And this one's complete with that favorite dogwhistle of the hatemonger movement, "morality". For sane people, morality connotes the ability to do what's right in the face of temptation. For this guy and his ilk, morality really means "gay-bashin', woman-hatin', brown-person-killin' bible-thumpin', white, male, evangelical hate".

This guy wouldn't know morality if a dictionary open to the word walked up and rammed him in the nuts.

State of the Disunion

Tonight is the yearly State of the Union address. Naturally, I'm not going to watch, as I'd rather hammer a nail through my schwang. I can give a pretty good guess at what it's going to consist of, though:

• "The economy sucks 'cuz of liberals, taxes, homos, and immigrants."
• "Iraq's goin' great, so we need to send more Americans there to die die for oil company profits die 'cuz I need to keep people in fear serve our country's oil companies interests."
• "The brown terrists could kill every one of us at any time, unless you sign away any and all remaining rights to us."
• "I want some tacos I'm planning on paying you all off giving y'all a tax rebate 'cuz the economy's in the tank circling the shithole about three minutes from a depression at any given moment slightly weakened by predatory lending practices and impending government bailouts, just like daddy did the inability of some lazy-ass brown citizens to pay off their loans."

There. You're all set.

Wiggum Called It a "California Cheeseburger"

From Pandagon: Mom on trial for microwaving baby

Investigators believe China Arnold killed her infant daughter by putting her in a microwave oven. Arnold’s attorneys argue she had nothing to do with the baby’s death in 2005.

Jury selection for Arnold was scheduled to begin Monday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. Arnold, 27, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder. If convicted, she could face the death penalty.

Police investigators believe Arnold killed 1-month-old Paris Talley by putting her in a microwave at her home. Coroner’s officials have said the baby suffered high-heat internal injuries and had no external burns. They have ruled out scalding water, open flame or other possible causes of death that could have damaged the skin.

…During a pretrial hearing in July, police Detective Michael Galbraith said Arnold told him she arrived home in the early morning hours after drinking, fell asleep and was awakened at 2:30 a.m. by the baby’s crying.

She said she warmed a bottle in the microwave oven, tried to give it to the baby, changed the child’s diaper and then fell asleep on the couch with the baby on her chest. Arnold said she and her children were the only ones in the apartment until her boyfriend arrived several hours later and noticed something was wrong with the baby. Galbraith said Arnold told him: “If I hadn’t gotten so drunk, I guess my baby wouldn’t have died.”

But remember kids, it's the damn faghomoqueers who would be bad parents. After all, they'd raise kids in a faghomoqueer environment, which is horribly damaging to everyone who's not also a faghomoqueer.

Oh, and just to hammer the point home:

“If I hadn’t gotten so drunk, I guess my baby wouldn’t have died.”

Yep. Great parenting, there.

Obama takes S.C. - Here's hoping it continues.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/26/sc.primary/index.html?iref=24hours

The Illinois senator earned more than twice the vote that rival Sen. Hillary Clinton did, 55 percent to 27 percent, unofficial returns showed.

A good sign indeed, myself (Phage) very much supports Obama over Clinton - mind you if she gets the nomination, I still plan on voting Democrat this year, however I've encountered a substantial number who will not vote for Hillary, that would vote for Obama or another Democract. Rather deserved or not Hillary has established a reputation of being a 'bitch', this reputation by this point seems to be unshakable, as I said, rather deserved or not. The Democratic party really needs to look at the independent voter here, and I fear running Hillary will lessen the chance for presidency this election. ESPECIALLY if McCain gets the Republican nomination, despite his many screw-ups over the last few years, he's maintained a healthy following with independant voters.

Phage, signing off and looking forward to Super Tuesday with anticipation.

A Conversation With Phage on the Proposed Tax Rebate by the Administration and Its Effect on Us and America, As Well As Its Significance

Believe it or not, this is a conversation between Phage and myself earlier this evening.

(8:39:38 PM) Phage: Hear about the potential tax rebate this year?

(8:39:51 PM) Damian: No.

(8:40:12 PM) Phage: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g06lpUTJHppEC3iGBzDP9k-kud8Q

(8:40:44 PM) Damian: OH, for fuck's sakes, not another payoff.

(8:41:19 PM) Phage: Yep.

(8:41:30 PM) Phage: And as terrible as it is, I'd gladly welcome and extra 800.

(8:41:55 PM) Phage: Not because I support it.

(8:41:57 PM) Damian: So would I, but fat chance of it happening to us.

(8:42:03 PM) Damian: And it ain't fixing shit.

(8:42:04 PM) Phage: Just cause, well I could use another 800 bucks.

(8:42:26 PM) Phage: Oh no shit. I don't expect it to, I mean the 300 dollar one in 2001 didn't do shit.

(8:42:54 PM) Phage: If we paid taxes last year, we would get any tax rebate that went through. I got the 300 in 01.

(8:43:00 PM) Damian: Huh.

(8:43:44 PM) Phage: Hell, since Lady Feline paid taxes last year, SHE should get it as well.

(8:43:51 PM) Damian: True.

(8:44:42 PM) Phage: I mean shit. If this went through that's an extra 2400 to the household.

(8:45:02 PM) Phage: It'd clear up my immediate money concerns for the year.

(8:45:17 PM) Phage: You could get your glasses - and we could get a 360 and rockband.

(8:45:30 PM) Damian: True.

(8:46:45 PM) Phage: Anyway, it's still just on the table. But I have a feeling the American populace is going to respond favorably to it (hate the payoff fact, but I just have a feeling on this)

(8:47:31 PM) Damian: I figure. And we do all need money anyhow, no matter what. This isn't going to fix things, but it would be a good way of reducing what problems we have.

(8:48:25 PM) Phage: Yeah. Also, hell its going back into the market anyway, most americans get cash like that and they throw it right back into the system.

(8:48:33 PM) Damian: That's also true.

(8:50:17 PM) Phage: I don't think it'll effect much either way other than to make the people responsible, voicing it (read Republicans since it's a white house idea) look better before the 08 election.

(8:51:20 PM) Damian: I figure. But if the economy gets any worse, they still won't be viewed favorably.

(8:52:21 PM) Phage: True. It's a desparation move, what I expect it to do is go "OH HEY. MONEY." and when people poor that back into the economy see a temporary improvement, enough to make people forget the downward slump we're in.

(8:52:47 PM) Phage: At least until the powers that be have re-established themselves for a few more years.

(8:53:42 PM) Damian: I expect no huge change in the economy from this. Nor do I expect any real change in opinion.

(8:55:04 PM) Phage: Possibly. Like I said, it's not going to be a huge change, or even an improvement other than showing mild growth for a very short while, it's a marketing ploy if anything. As for opinion, hard to tell until it goes through.

(8:55:32 PM) Phage: It's not a fix, definately - and any improvement is going to be skin-deep at best.

(8:56:40 PM) Phage: Cause, correct me if I'm wrong - but did the 01 rebate do anything of substance?

(8:56:46 PM) Damian: No.

(8:56:49 PM) Phage: I don't recall it doing so.

(8:56:55 PM) Phage: Didn't think so.

(8:57:32 PM) Phage: It's flash bang politics. Give the people what they want to see, so they're not paying attention to what's actually going on around them.

(8:58:01 PM) Phage: I mean, Christ, there are still people who believe Saddam had WMD.

(8:58:58 PM) Phage: *Bangs head on desk* WHY ARE THERE STUPID PEOPLE?

(9:00:06 PM) Damian: And I fully understand the concept. They know that the onyl way to keep us from realizing their utter ignorance is to distract us. And this is a prime form of it.

(9:06:09 PM) Phage: Oh absolutely. Only thing more distracting than something shiney, is something GREEN.

(9:07:17 PM) Damian: Or red. Let's not forget the trotting out of OMG BAD THINGS.

(9:08:43 PM) Phage: DEAD LITTLE WHITE GIRL.

(9:09:48 PM) Damian: OMGZ MISSING WHITE WOMAN

Right-Wing Mailbag, Base Misunderstandings About Science Edition

J-G Letters Page, 01/16/08

Regarding Richard Cohen’s column “Huckabee is the face of religious intolerance” (Dec. 6):

The big-bang theory, evolution, atheism, gay rights, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and many others are all religions. They are someone’s overwhelming beliefs. Why, then, are only Christians considered intolerant?

Everyone knows and science can prove that things evolve to survive the changes on the Earth. But, no one can prove (including science) that a species will evolve into a different species. A dog stays a dog, a bird stays a bird, a monkey stays a monkey, slime stays slime, and a human always was and always will be human (man). No amount of theory can change this fact.

I do not endorse Mike Huckabee or any other candidate at this time. I do, however, praise Huckabee for being honest about his beliefs in Jesus Christ and intelligent design.

Wow. That a functioning human being could be this stupid is amazing. Not even getting into his "science and gay rights are religions" bullshit, this guy understands nothing, NOTHING, about evolution. Not one goddamn thing. My guess is that he gets all his "information" abotu anything scientific from "Godly" sources - like the ignorant pseudoscience of William Dembski or Michael Behe. This is the argument of someone who has never even cracked a science book, for fear he might be exposed to "worldly" things. That this kind of ignorance is even present in the modern day should be a great weight upon the hearts of every good person in the world.

Former Anti-Gay, Anti-Woman Republican Congressman Indicted for Taking Money from Terrorists

From the New York Times:Former Congressman Is Indicted Over Ties to Islamic Charity

A former Republican congressman from Michigan was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of money laundering and obstruction of justice. The charges involve his work as a lobbyist for an Islamic charity accused of illegally funneling about $130,000 to an Afghan warlord labeled a terrorist by the United States government.

The former congressman, Mark D. Siljander, who was defeated for re-election in 1986 after three terms in the House, was accused by a federal grand jury in Kansas City of accepting $50,000 in stolen government aid money as his lobbying fee from the now-defunct charity group, the Islamic American Relief Agency.

The charity — based in Columbia, Mo., and closed in 2004 — and several of its former leaders were already under indictment on charges of illegally transferring money to Iraq and stealing government money.

(...)

Mr. Siljander, 57, was best known in the House for his fierce opposition to abortion and gay rights. He tried to block a $581,000 Justice Department grant to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 1985 because he considered the group to be run by “pro-abortion, pro-lesbian, anti-Reagan radical feminists.”

What a surprise that someone making that kind of statement would have ties to a warlord with direct links to a fundamentalist terrorist group. They say great minds think alike, but in this case, I don't think you can call them great in any non-pejorative sense.

With that said, I'm left wondering how many times Fixed Noise will refer to him as a Democrat.

Huckabee: "Separation of Church and State? Not If I'm Elected"

Even though everyone's already covered this, it's worth repeating: HUCK, THE CONSTITUTION AND 'GOD'S STANDARDS'

"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards," Huckabee said, referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

If, by some incredible collection of coincidences and amazing happenings, this man ends up as our President, our country is fucked. There's no kind way of putting this.

It's bad enough that we've had a pseudo-President for the last seven years who thinks God might be behind all his decisions. Now we've got a candidate who thinks that he needs to change this country to conform to the standards of his Magic Sky Daddy? Thanks but no thanks, mate, I'd like to keep our country from becoming a theocratic nightmare.

What's really frightening is that I'm only imaging this at its least-frightening level, where he just tries to nudge the laws to take away some rights for gay people and women. I'm not even imagining the worst-case scenario, where he actually does turn the country into a theocracy, complete with a rollback of people's First Amendment rights and stoning for things like being gay. I don't think it'd get that bad, but I'm somewhat optomistic about my country.

Huckleberry has to go. He cannot be allowed anywhere near the White House. The man is a religious terrorist and should be treated as such.

More Authoritarian Bullcrap

From Pandagon: Out of control tasing continues

You know, sometimes I think that life's starting to get better, and my country is actually getting back to the way it ought to be.

Then I hear about shit like this and every notion like that just disappears from my head.

I'd say it's high time people start holding these police accountable.

Bush the Bomber (title blatantly stolen, sorry Space Cowboy)

From the raw story via Shakesville:
Bush: US should have bombed Auschwitz

President Bush had tears in his eyes during an hour-long tour of Israel's Holocaust memorial Friday and told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the U.S. should have bombed Auschwitz to halt the killing, the memorial's chairman said.

(...)

At one point, Bush viewed aerial photos of the Auschwitz camp taken during the war by U.S. forces and called Rice over to discuss why the American government had decided against bombing the site, Shalev said.

(...)

Between 1.1 million and 1.5 million people were killed at the camp.

"We should have bombed it," Bush said, according to Shalev.

"I was most impressed that people in the face of horror and evil would not forsake their God. In the face of unspeakable crimes against humanity, brave souls — young and old — stood strong for what they believe," Bush said.

I really don't have words. I just don't. All I can say is that I remind all present that I never voted for this idiot.

And this isn't even getting into the illogical ideas they discussed.

Go Orange

ACLU: Close Gunatanamo

JANUARY 11, 2008, is the six-year anniversary of the first arrival of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay.

On January 11, we are calling on everyone opposed to torture and indefinite detention to WEAR ORANGE to symbolize their sadness and disgust with the national shame that is Guantánamo Bay.

The arrows in the background will remain orange all of today to show that we, as do so many others, want the facility at Guantanamo Bay closed.

Ron Paul: Racist, Lying Scumbag with Racist, Lying Scumbag Constituents

A thorough debunking of the oft-cited lies of the Paul Cult in defense of his racist newsletter.

Since I know the bleating sheep of Fuhrer Ron will be flooding in here soon, I'm going to do two things: Post this, and ban any Paulbot who comes here to troll.

Indeterminate-Wing Mailbag, "Response to Whiny Bible-Thumper" Edition

J-G Letters Page, 01/08/08

Newspapers print many viewpoints

Richard Erdman complained in his letter, “Keep religion out of politics (sic)” (Jan 2), that “anti-Christian propaganda should be kept out of the comics.” Comics are not, and should not be, excluded from freedom of expression. I don’t recall Erdman writing to complain about the constant Christian messages in the comic strip “B.C.”

Erdman complains about this statement from “Frazz”: “Look at history: oppression, inquisition, Crusades and wars galore. Religion can be pretty divisive.” Rings true to me, and not just about Christians, so why take Christian umbrage?

What amazes me is the number of letters from writers who insist that The Journal Gazette should only print features, columns, comics, editorials, etc., that they approve of and agree with. The paper disseminates all kinds of information for readers to digest, to expand our knowledge, to experience the opinions of others, to hopefully broaden our outlook on the world. You can pick and choose which parts to read. If you only want to read what you already think you know and what concurs with your sensibilities, then put down the paper and grab a Bible.

KITTY MORRISSY Fort Wayne

Madam, I tip my hat to you. I was blind with rage when I read that letter and was all set to pen a nasty reply, but instead you've taken something that I would have handled poorly and handled it with style.

I thank you.

Clinton, McCain win NH primaries

Clinton and McCain the comeback kids

Sen. Hillary Clinton has won New Hampshire's Democratic primary, CNN projects.

Sen. John McCain easily won New Hampshire's Republican primary Tuesday, but Clinton and Barack Obama were locked in a tight race much of the night.

Clinton held a 2 to 3 point lead over Obama throughout most of the night, despite recent polls showing Obama 9 points ahead of the New York senator.

I really don't like this. I'm not a huge Hillary fan (though I'm far from being a rabid hater, like so many others), and McCain? Well, I guess at least he's not Huckabee. Or Racist Ron (he got only 8% of the votes, beating out only joke candidate Fred Thompson and non-name Duncan Hunter).

Now I'm just all confused as to where it's all going.

Obama, Huckabee win Iowa caucuses

From CNN.com: Obama, Huckabee win Iowa caucuses

Well, I sorta feel better. Obama beating Hillary is a breath of fresh air, no matter how much infighting will still result from it. On the other hand, Huckabee beating everyone else is a bad sign, mostly because I don't want another theocrat anywhere NEAR the White House.

Hey, at least Racist Ron didn't win.