- Ed Snowden > patriot or traitor?
let me first say I don’t know the whole story. I don’t pretend to. What I do know, though, I say patriot. I see his take, and my take, as ‘the govt is our employee, and works for us.’
plus, the govt’s severe reaction to this concerns me. If I was the govt, this is how I would have handled it. “Yeah, we are listening to phone calls. Big whoop. We have been doing it ever since 9/11. Also, we TOLD YOU we were going to do that in the Patriot Act. We are doing this FOR you, not TO you. Our supreme goal is to protect America and Americans. Those who mean no harm have nothing to be concerned about. Basically, we view Snowden’s leaks as really late press releases about the Patriot Act.”
- Julian Assange > patriot or traitor?
traitor. Well, he isn’t American, so that isn’t the correct characterization. I do not like what he does, though.
I would imagine many people perceive the actions of Assange and Snowden as almost the same. I absolutely do not.
Giving out state secrets to make a point is a dick move, and technically makes you a terrorist.
Or, as I call it ‘pulling a Robert Novack’. Robert Novack, you see, is a terrorist and a sty on humanity. I am not sad he is gone. What is this about Robert Novak? He is a piece of shit, and he is dead. I have written about him here. I am still angry because he never copped to it, was never held accountable, and never apologized. So, died a coward and a traitor in my book.
- Using communist China to bankroll two wars to spread freedom. Ironic? Brilliant?
stupid. We now owe 1.3 trillion dollars for Bush’ unfunded wars. Allow me to explain why I use those terms, lest they seem hyperbolic and biased. During the two wars (Afghanistan and Iraq) the US cut taxes. to my knowledge, that has never been done in history. Wars are SUPER expensive. No one argues that. What is strange is during these two world wars, our govt under Bush actively decided to collect less taxes from Americans.
So, how did that manifest? Thusly – someone has to pay for all those tanks and guns and stuff. Since we weren’t collecting money, we had to borrow. Borrow we did. In order to fund the two wars to spread democracy, we borrowed 1.3 trillion dollars from communist China.
So, the following President (no matter who, or what party, it was) inherited colossal debt. historic debt. debt like a motherfucker. the kind of debt two ten year world wars creates. Naturally, that guy needed to keep borrowing to keep the country solvent, since we weren’t collecting taxes anymore. When he did that ONCE (Bush did it 13 times, mind you) they tried to start a revolution calling him fiscally insane.
Who are ‘they’? Am I just being hyperbolic and super liberal Democrat apologist here? Nope. ‘They’ are the tea party. The Tea Party was started and funded by the GOP. Specifically, by Dick Armey. The GOP started the Tea Party to give Americans the illusion they had a third party standing up to govt. Really, though, it was just the GOP in disguise. This is why ALL tea party candidates, you will note, were Republican.
Here is an analogy of your illusion of choice. Remember when craft beer starting being all the rage? It was back when every beer was a ‘red’. The big two breweries, quite wisely, got on the bandwagon and created independent microbrewery looking organizations. Miller had ‘Plank Road’ and Coors has ‘Blue Moon’. So, when American sheep (myself included here) started buying beer from these microbreweries to support small business and stick it to the majors… we were all just still drinking Coors and Miller. THAT… dear reader… is the story of the Tea Party.
- Explain to someone who comes from a benevolent monarchy the benefits of freedom in a twitter like 3 sentences max
here is what is swell about America. I can (and have) spent every waking moment railing against the suckiness and tyranny of American leadership… and I do not disappear in the morning. That makes America, no matter how hard I bitch, pretty fuckin’ great.
- What is the one thing you would change with stroke of a pen about the United States if you were the benevolent monarchist?
it would be about feeding people. I get that not everyone can have a home… or even a job. Everyone should be able to eat in America, though. I am sure if we put out resources to it, it shouldn’t be an issue. It just seems doable. So, what am I doing towards that goal? Nothing. I volunteer plenty, and I am not that passionate about hunger. Like I said, it just seems solvable. Like drinking and driving. That seems awfully preventable if resources were put to it. The average DUI costs over $10,000. But, how much of that money goes to preventing future DUI’s? Maybe $200 in court costs. DUI is big business. Trust me, I know. It is all privatized, and it creates a ton of jobs. But… DUI shouldn’t be good for the economy like it is.
* about the picture up top – ok, you know I ALWAYS do a mandala. However, I did not want to do an American Flag mandala. Know why? The American flag is not to be used as a decoration. Like, on a race car or as a pair of shorts. So, you can imagine it is also not to be used as a bikini top. Her use of the US Flag as a sexy ‘hey y’all, isn’t America just the best’ is belittling to the flag, and frankly sexist and insulting to women. I get that. Here is the thing, though. I am mortal, and only a man. I really really really like this photograph. So, I have left some of my principles at the door in exchange for boobies. It will likely happen again, America. I am not proud.
I am Correct 