Santorum's Theocracy

Make no doubt about it, when Santorum is talking about his policies, they come from his religion.  And make no doubt about it, he intends to turn this country into a theocracy should he become president.

Watch this little piece and try to become aware of what he means when he says these things.  When he talks about one man's Christianity not being as good as his.  When he derides another person's Christianity because it places value on the planet's health.  When he talks about his theocratic values being the basis for the laws and social policy of this country.

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Theocracy in the United States?  Its always possible.

When analysis starts saying that Santorum is "talking about things like Hitler" and calls it fundamentalist "brainless biblical babble", it should perk some ears up.

PEACE


[update]


I missed this earlier.  Even his spokesperson is in on the gig, calling Obama's policies "radical Islamist".  Special...

Mitt Romney - Pathological Liar

I don't know exactly how to pinpoint it.

Is it his nervous laughter?
His body language?
His stuttering speech?
The tone of his voice?

Or is it all the documented evidence of his constant lies and flip flops?

Hmmmm....

PEACE


p.s.  :I don't know if I want American cars to rule the world.  I think I would prefer a sentient, intelligent being to do that.  *snark*

Why Corporations are Happy

They are happy because Santorum, Romney, and Gingrich are driving the conversation.  This Republican primary and election season SHOULD be talking about a few things.  The conversation SHOULD be revolving around...

- The corporate destruction of the economy
- The corporate destruction of the environment
- Corporate theft of our tax dollars and jobs
- How to fix the economy, and get the money and power influence out of our government.

Instead, we seem to be talking almost entirely about...

- Ending a woman's right to a legal abortion
- Ending a woman's right to legal contraception
- Obama's faith

Republican's know they can't win on the economy.  And since they're gigantic tool bags of the super wealthy  and the 1% in America, they definitely know they can't win the conversation on the economy either.  So what do they do?

Change the topic of conversation and hope that people don't notice.

I thought we were done with this shit when Turd Blossom was advising the president.

I only wish Occupy had kept the conversation around their message.

PEACE

Ideological Purity

As the election season continues to ramp up, this idea of "ideological purity" is popping more and more into my thoughts.  What does it mean to me?  It means staying 100% true to your ideals and values when you vote.  If a candidate doesn't match you on a key value, or values, you either vote for the other guy or abstain from voting out of protest.

Are you willing to be an ideological purist?

Should Democrats, liberals, and progressives be willing to maintain ideological purity?

What ARE the values and ideals we should prioritize and remain true to?

(1) A clean, healthy, and poison free environment.

(2) A strong government that supports this country's social contract and the "general welfare" of the people.

(3) Strong public education, public healthcare, and public transportation, all publicly and democratically owned.

(4) Equality of citizens under the law; male, female, gay, straight, black, white, brown, religious, spiritual, atheist.

(5) A fair economic system that gives everybody a fair chance at success and the "American Dream".

(6) Rule of law with rights protected under the Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Accountability for those who break the law, regardless of their power or wealth.

Number 6 will bring me back to my original point of ideological purity, in a roundabout sort of way.  I will explain.

When Bush was in office, the thing that tended to make liberals and progressives full of anger and rage was the deterioration of rights.  This included the PATRIOT act, the Guantanamo Bay prison, CIA torture camps, drone strikes, etc.  What made it even worse was the lack of accountability for our government and elected officials, essentially making a farce of the Constitution and the rule of law.

Ideological purity... I'm getting there, I swear.

Now that Obama, a Democrat, is president, it seems that the values have changed.  Embarassingly, it seems that a majority of progressives and liberals approve of the Guantanamo Bay prison remaining open and approve of drone strikes abroad, even against American citizens accused of terrorism.

As a liberal and progressive myself, it's fucking embarassing.

So what happened?  Are values not so important anymore once on of our own is in power?  Are we willing to sacrifice some of our values for the bigger picture?

***

I had a debate with a friend of mine over the NDAA bill recently passed into law.  I thought it was pretty clear that the rules on military detention did not apply to American citizens.  Apparently, it is not as clear as I thought, even to the point where the ACLU is taking up this cause.  As I look deeper into this issue, if its true, this could be at serious conflict with my values.

Do I like it?  No.
Do I "approve" of this policy?  No.
Do I think it needs to be changed?  Abso-fuckin-lutely.

Is this a deal breaker for me on President Obama?

No.

Why not?  After looking at the big picture, I'm not willing to be an ideological purist and have this one policy, as much as I may dislike it, cause me to vote Republican or abstain from voting.

Sure, I could vote Republican, but I know there would be no change on this detention policy and that the Republicans could actually make it worse based on their actions in the past.  Other things voting Republican might mean...

...Support of industries that poison our land, water, and air.
...Privatizing, defunding, or even abolishing public support programs like social security and welfare.
...Selling off our future through privatization and "profitization" of our public education.
...Government sponsored legal discrimination of gays and the deterioration of the rights of women.
...More corporate tax-breaks, deregulation, and support for the .1 - .01% at everybody else's expense.

That is what I fear if I vote Republican out of ideological opposition to this one policy of the Obama presidency.

What if I vote for a third party?  This never works and actually typically helps the opposition party in an election.  What is I abstain from voting?  That is one less vote towards an Obama victory and towards a Republican victory, something I can't tolerate in 2012.

But does voting for Obama mean I am accepting his policy via the NDAA?  No.  Will I try and get it changed?  Yes.

Will I be an ideological purist at the cost of an Obama presidency?  Hell no.

You can disagree with me and act in a way that will give us a Republican president in 2012.  Just be honest, as a liberal or progressive, and say you're willing to make that sacrifice for your ideals.  Admit that you're willing to see and have a Republican president as part of your protest to Obama's policies.  That is the risk you take by abstaining or even voting Republican out of protest.

As I watch the debates and the rhetoric coming from both sides, the stakes almost seem to be even higher than 2008.  I'm not willing to make that sacrifice.

Are you?

PEACE

What have YOU lost under Obama?

I'm so sick and fucking tired of hearing the following.

"The country is being destroyed under president Obama."

"We're slowly losing all of our rights under Obama."

"We have to take our country back."

"Our liberties are being eroded little by little."

"This country is turning communist / fascist / marxist."

"Electing a Republican in 2012 is our last hope to save this country."

So lets actually hear it...

What the FUCK have YOU lost under Barack Obama?

What rights have YOU lost?
How has Obama destroyed the country for YOU?
Which of YOUR liberties have been eroded?
How is Obama turning the country away from Democracy?
What will a Republican do better for YOU than Obama?

Seriously...

Anything?

ANYBODY?

...
...
...
...
...

Crickets.... thought so...

I issued a challenge a while back to people asking them what was justified about the Iraq war and why thousands of our troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis had to die for.  I got ZERO RESPONSES.  I realize there are probably no Republicans or even Conservatives who read my blog, so maybe you can share this with them.  Or even ask your conservative friends the above questions.

But lets see the responses.  And yea, I'm mad.  I can't stand that rhetoric anymore.  Its so full of shit it drives me nuts.  Especially when I see rhetoric like this...



Enough already.  Time to back up some of this nonsense with FACTS.


PEACE

Thank You Dan Savage

Thank you Dan Savage.  Without you and your fan base, the following news headlines from last night just wouldn't be the same...

Santorum surges with 3-state sweep (That's a lot of Santorum)

Op-Ed: Santorum Surge Stains Romney's Cloak of Inevitability (I hate getting Santorum on my cloak) 

Romney tries to beat back possible Santorum surge in trio of states (Overwhelming!) 

Santorum's surge fills pocketbook, turns GOP race on its head ... again  (LOL, fills pocketbook)

Santorum's Slow-Mo Surge Continues (Oooooh, slow motion Santorum?)

The Santorum Surge, Take II (I just can't get enough...)

and one of my favorites...

Santorum Stuns Romney

So which one is your favorite?

Do you have any you can add to this amazing list?

PEACE

Why Voting Matters #1

For those of you who are thinking of abstaining from voting this year out of frustration, here is one reason why voting matters:

The 9th Circuit Court in California struck down as unconstitutional the state's voter-passed ban on gay marriage Tuesday, ruling 2-1 that it violates the rights of gay Californians.

"Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples," Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the decision. The court concludes that the law violates the 14th Amendment rights of gay couples to equal protection under the law. Access to gay marriage will remain on hold pending appeals to the decision.

What does any of this have to do with voting for President?  It is the president who appoints the judges of the circuit court of appeals.  Do you want a president who appoints judges that supports the rights of all Americans?

Or...

Do you want a president who appoints judges who supports open discrimination of minorities?

There is some history here to support this.  Obama has repealed DADT and "the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to discriminate against same-sex couples."


Romney?  Here is what he said about today's ruling from the courts:

“Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage. This decision does not end this fight, and I expect it to go to the Supreme Court. That prospect underscores the vital importance of this election and the movement to preserve our values. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices.”

Rights are not political.  Right's are not something to be debated or chosen.  Rights are universal and human, and everybody should receive them.  And we don't need a president who will pick judges who will support policy that openly discriminates against a group of people and takes away their rights.

PEACE