Provocateurs, Saboteurs and Terrorists

Hello Papamoka Bloggers! There have been many great thinkers talking about the poor state of politics today, but the best and most recent was an op-ed by Frank Rich in yesterday's New York Times, where he discussed far-right fanatics in a way that put a lot of things into perspective for me. Thank you Frank!

He does a great job of showing the right-wing's lack of moral fiber when it comes to issues like domestic terrorism and political consistency. He points out historic examples where their radicalism and willingness to court violence - especially when they disagree with the Democratic opposition - surges far beyond mere political paranoia.

He talks about the "simmering undertone of violence" in our politics today. That is something I feel strongly about too, and wish more mainstream politicians - especially Republicans - would talk about. Their angry assault-weapons-carrying-nut-jobs are a real threat. Instead, they brush them off as honest, harmless patriots. It's obviously more serious.

The right-wing penchant for violence is clear to most of us. We lived through eight years of Bush and other Republicans talking and acting like great patriots - true lovers of freedom and democracy, but the truth is far less simple. They act differently when out of power. Some seem willing to take power when out of power.

The Republicans seem to have plenty of enemies. Al-queda, Iraqi Sunnis, the Taliban, Europeans, the French, and Democrats. The list goes on and on it seems. They question everybody's loyalty, or at least those who disagree with them. Who but Republicans would actually go so far as to question the legal status of a legally elected Democratic president? I can see questioning the election itself, but the man's birth certificate? What the hell is wrong with them? Let's face it, there are no limits to their political paranoia.

Frank Rich does a great job of describing the Republican inconsistencies of the past. He talks about how they have created an atmosphere of fear, where even the Secret Service feels militarily threatened by the right-wing nuts. Short of the radical Black Panthers back in the sixties, I can't remember guns being wielded at rallies. As far as I know Code Pink never carried guns. Purses maybe.

It's clear that most Republicans are tribal in their politics. They're only happy if their tribe is in power. If not, they see themselves more as the provocateurs, or worse, saboteurs. Possibly even political terrorists?

There is plenty of evidence. Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA) of Northern California had one of his constituents scream out "I'm a right-wing terrorist" at one of his rallies last week. Supposedly the Republican crowd applauded loudly in support while Congressman praised the individual for being a great patriotic American. That is scary people, and it's happening more and more.

Even the Bush Homeland Security Department issued security threat assessment reports warning of a rise of "violent right-wing extremism" once "Obama takes power." Sounds like foreshadowing to me. Subsequent assassinations and attempted assassinations have proven those warnings correct. Despite Republican demands for departmental apologies, we Democrats are more concerned about who will be next.

Whether it's FOX "News," Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Neil Covuto, Michael Steele, Glen Beck, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingram, or so many others, the right-wing is out-of-control and threatening the left with violence and retribution on a daily basis these days.

It doesn't even seem to matter how many times we play their own words back to them, since they always deny they said it. Truth be damned.

The blogosphere is rife with it too. Right-wing bloggers scream bloody murder anytime the left wants to do anything the majority supports. The lies begin shortly thereafter and ultimately cloud the issue so much nobody knows their ass from a hole in the ground when the dust settles. My favorite is when they claim Democrats have no right to spend federal money, since "lefties" don't work or pay taxes according to them. They really believe it too. What a bunch of tards!

Since Bush left it's become clear that all money belongs to the right. They don't want us to spend ANY money. NONE! Despite our desire to improve fiscal responsibility in government, the Republicans allow us no flexibility. Everything must be revenue neutral these days - a standard the Republicans never held while in power.

It's true the deficit ballooned over a trillion dollars in the fiscal year since Bush left office (the bulk of it spent by Bush himself), but that number pales in comparison to the $7 trillion or so Bush spent during his eight years in office - perhaps more, since most hasn't been tallied yet. It's pretty clear the Republicans ruined the country, and now they want us to go against our election promises and plans, lower taxes for the rich, pay the bills (btw, impossible when you lower taxes on the rich), and shut the bloody hell up.

Sorry assholes, that's not going to happen. IF the Democrats grow a pair, we're going to fix what you people broke, and you're going to pay your FAIR SHARE for a change!

The waste and ruin of past Republican administrations be damned, for it seems all that matters to the right-wing is how to keep the left from spending any money or changing any policy until they get back into power. They don't want to work with us, just prevent us from working. Once they regain power, all bets are off once again.

It's incredible! Their arrogance is outrageous! Their ignorance profound.

We Democrats are trying to solve real problems affecting real Americans. Incredibly, instead of cooperation, the Republicans and their militia are trying to shut down our efforts by ANY and ALL MEANS necessary. They even talk about armed revolt. It's true. It's a frequent discussion on the Sean Hannity shows - TV and radio. It's often when that fat-sack-of-shit-toe-sucker Dick Morris joins him. I swear, that man is a human-swine hybrid. He makes me sick.

Frank Rich also talks about the the Democratic backbone issue we discussed here last week. Rich says that it "would be shameful...if they [Democrats] catered to a decimated opposition party that has sunk and shrunk to its craziest common denominator." My God I agree with that statement. He goes so far as to call the Republicans a "paper muskrat" denying them the more impressive "paper tiger" status. I would say they're more of a PAPER RAT!

In the end Frank Rich lays out a very good case for why we need to stop playing games with them. They're not worth our time. We need to acknowledge the political climate and start talking about what is right. If we keep compromising with Republican demands, who now only represent the "whites in Dixie and the less populated West," and negotiating like idiots, then we deserve to lose.

Speaking of toughness, Barney Frank seems to be the only one with enough melon balls to fight back these days. Start talking more tough like him people! :)

It's time to put Reaganomics to rest. It never worked! It's time to start talking about how well government-run programs work, and how the Republicans are lying to the American people. It's time get off defense and back on offense people! Obama and the Democrats need to remember who put them in power, and stop being afraid to talk about solutions from a Democratic perspective.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Is It Politics or Monty Python? What a Bunch of Moroons!

Attention Readers! If you don't like name-calling, perhaps you should skip this article and retire to your morning paper. Have a good day! Michael

Good Morning Papamoka Readers! I'm sorry, but this has to be one of the most hilarious, and saddest, "serious" protests in American history. I keep thinking they're going to scream "gotcha" and admit the joke, but it hasn't happened yet.

It's incredible to think that intelligent, serious people are out there protesting for lower taxes when President Obama just passed one of the largest tax cuts in American history. Okay, not for the richest, but still one of the largest. I can understand if they're out-of-work and being paid by the rich to protest, which would be sad but understandable, but to do it because you're too stupid to look up the facts - people, that's just plain feebleminded!

95% percent of Americans will see their tax burden reduced because of the Democrats and President Obama!

Unless the boneheaded buffoons with the signs are all making over $250,000 a year, which is highly unlikely, they're protesting against something that was just passed in their favor! What a bunch of ignorant simpletons! Protesting against people trying to help them. You have to admit, they've invented a whole new category of political ignorance - TAX TWITS!

It gets even funnier, or sadder. Many are out there protesting GOVERNMENT SPENDING! They're like outdated broken political caricatures talking about Democrats as "tax and spend" liberals - sorry, socialists. Why don't you economic-policy-ignorant-imbeciles READ why the government is forced to spend right now? Any economist worth his degree is in favor of government spending at this time, especially spending designed to encourage lending, create jobs and spur the economy. They're trying to help EVERYBODY, not just the poor, you FREAKING FOOLS!

If you political pinheads with the signs were so principled and against wasteful government spending, then you should have been protesting during the Reagan, Bush and Bush Jr. Administrations. Yes, they're the ones who spent all your freakin money! They ran up the debt! It's true, over 30-years of Republican tax cuts (while maintaining popular federal programs to win votes and retain power) ran up over 90% of today's $11 trillion in federal debt.

George "the idiot" Bush - alone - ran up over a trillion in less than a year before leaving office for God's sake. Why don't you political nincompoops protest THEM?!

The only thing President Obama and the Democrats are guilty of is trying to keep the deepest recession since the great depression from officially becoming another great depression - and it's already close. That's it, plain and simple. The only way to do that is to prop up economic spending, regulate broken economic sectors, and reduce costs in industries like health care and energy. That's the only way to ultimately save money, invest in the future, and perhaps - over time - reduce taxes.

President Obama did a great job explaining it yesterday. He truly is the Professor-in-Chief of the nation. He helps the majority of us - sane, well-read Americans - understand exactly what must be done to fix the problems. It's the only way to achieve the goals being screamed out by the protesters - lower taxes and less spending.

Anyway, the whole Tea Bagging phenomena has to be one of the most absurd, crazy, insane, and outrageous acts of political naivety - or stupidity - ever witnessed on American soil. I must admit, it makes for a good laugh. Unfortunately, they may seem harmless, but they're not. It's morons like the "Tea Baggers" that keep voting for idiots like Bush, McCain and Palin.

They are the regressive, ignorant part of our political society. They are the ones who hinder progress through sheer laziness (that leads to ignorance), hardheadedness (their inability to learn from past mistakes), and desire for an ideology whether right or wrong (close-mindedness) - among other things. Yes, they're the dumb, slow kid who constantly cracks jokes in the back of class. They're only funny as long as they don't prevent the rest of us from progressing. Unfortunately, they've been far too disruptive for far too long.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

PS - Btw, they're also a bunch of DUMBASSES! I forgot to use that one. :) Even funnier, they remind me of a bad Monty Python sketch. You know, the idiots with the scarves on their heads screaming at each other. LOL!!!