I should have done this a long time ago, however, since things are about to heat up, now is going to be the time:
The views I express in this or any of my blog posts are mine and mine alone, and do not necessarily (and probably don't) represent or reflect the beliefs of any organization or company I work or associate with now, or have ever worked or associated with in the past. I have no organizational backing or support whatsoever for any of the things that I am expressing. These are purely my personal beliefs expressed for my own personal satisfaction and for no form of external compensation of any kind. Period.
So yeah.
There are some Facebook pages that I've seen by following liberal trolls, with names like "white and proud of it" or "white pride doesn't equal racism", or whatever the fuck they are called. I feel the need here and now to establish in detail why these statements are not only wrong but also how these names, in and of themselves, go a long way to demonstrating how wrong they really are.
I've read literature by James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Amiri Baraka, W. E. B. DuBois, and other black writers, though admittedly not as much as I should have. However, I have read enough to know that black folks through the years in America have felt shame and self-hatred for being black. Much of this was externally and forcefully imposed - i.e. being told by authority figures, teachers, business owners, politicians, employers, that being black was somehow wrong or less than being white. However this also has often come to manifest itself internally, a black person in quiet moments and in private thought wishing they weren't black or actually believing deep down that being black meant they were less or inadequate, or didn't matter, or were invisible. And the mainstream (white) culture surrounding them did much to support and sanction this belief. This has been expressed by black writers and artists and I fully believe that they are/ were expressing true feelings when they are/ were expressing it.
This is unjust, wrong, and abominable. I believe that as much as I believe anything in this life. And it makes me feel rotten, dirty, guilty, and awful inside, to the point where it has led to sleepless nights, weeks and months of depression, and feelings of hopelessness that there was nothing I could do to right this wrong or even lessen it.
Assholes call this feeling "white guilt".
The term "white guilt" in and of itself isn't necessarily obnoxious, because as a two-word descriptor, it's fairly accurate in naming this feeling (although perhaps in an overly simplified manner). However, it becomes obnoxious when this term is used by racist white assholes to dismiss assertions of injustice and inequity when they are expressed by other white people.
A. Racist: "Oh, it's just white guilt."
What do you mean by "just"?
Is it just for me to feel guilty or ashamed for being who I am? I obviously believe it is. If it weren't I don't think I would feel this way. Is it just that black people should ever feel that they are less or not as valuable as white people? No. It is not.
Obviously I've thought about this issue for many an hour and often my thoughts have turned to the origins of these feelings. Why exactly do I feel guilty?
I don't know a whole hell of a lot about my ancestry, but, I am pretty sure my family or families have not been in America for long enough or have ever been well off enough to have owned slaves. As I said, I can't be completely sure about this, but if I had to actually bet money on it, I would bet money that I am correct in saying what I have said.
Does this mean I have not benefitted from slavery and its consequences? Or that as a white person I have not pursued advantages made available to me by the fact of being white?
Absolutely not.
As confidently as I can make the statement above, I can make the statement: I have not been followed around a store by employees to make sure I'm not stealing anything. Or: I have not been pulled over in my car by the police without doing something wrong. Or: I have not been looked at suspiciously for walking down the street and had people clutch their possessions or lock their doors when I walked by them. If any of these things have ever happened to me, I have never seen or noticed them happen, so like I said, I feel pretty confident that they have not happened.
Can one put a value on this?
Probably not. But if one could, it would not be a small value, it would be a big value. Only by never having thought of this could someone dismiss these things as not a big deal.
Hey - if you know any black people, ask them, have they ever experienced the things I described two paragraphs above? The President of the United States has. Billionaire entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey has. The prominent writers I named at the beginning of this piece have.
That is not fair. That is not just. And that must not be how we as a country define ourselves.
When I state these things to an unsympathetic listener, my statements are dismissed as "white guilt". And that's all the thinking the listener has to do about it. "Oh, he just has white guilt. No need to think about what he said any further. On to the next bullfuck frivolous thing in my life. Doo doo doo dooooooo... being white is awesome!!!"
But when a black person, or person of color states these things, they are accused of "HATING AMERICA!!"
"The Obamas hate America. They're trying to teach our kids to hate America. The history books in these luhbrul public schools are brainwashing our kids to hate UHMURRRCAAHH!!!"
What these assholes mean when they say these things is white America. White people are America and deserve to dominate all other people who are lucky and blessed enough to even be able to be here. They feel entitled enough to equate America with white people. This is the equation that rules an American racist's thinking:
America = White People
So, when you're reading a racist idiot's ramblings (Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Glen Beck, millions of people who aren't getting rich by being racist), just remember, that when they say "America", what they really think and mean is, "White".
So. When I have to look at myself and think about my identity as a white person, which I am, there is no debate over that, I can see in the mirror that I am white, and that is all I will ever be, I just have to feel some kind of self-loathing. I am rightly and justly compelled. Because so very many people erroneously believe that whites are superior. Even if I don't believe it, and have never believed it, and my parents never believed it or told me to believe it, I STILL BENEFIT FROM IT because there are just so fucking many racist assholes that I encounter every day, and because of my whiteness, they view me as good or at least ok, where if I was black they would not see me as good or ok, and would view me with suspicion, distrust, resentment, or full-on hatred. I can't wear a shirt that says "I think racism is bullshit, white people aren't so great, don't afford me any of the benefits of racism" or something like that. The benefits just come to me whether I want them or not.
And that is why my guilt is justified. Because I'm receiving something (a benefit) that I don't deserve and don't want and there is immediately nothing I can do to stop it. And every time I take advantage of it or play into it even a little, even unintentionally, I am doing something terrible. Really terrible. I am committing a crime against humanity.
...
So this is bad, right? Well I'm about to dig deeper and as I do it just gets worse. To this point I probably haven't said anything you haven't already thought of yourself. Things are about to go from bad to worse. Right now.
You might be asking yourself, how did this situation come to be? How did whites reach this privileged position? Why are things this way? How deep does this type of racism go into the fabric of human civilization?
Enter the way of gun.
So, the percentage is going down, but white people are still like 60-70% of Americans.
Hey, wait just a second, not too long ago, wasn't this whole American continent populated by non-white people? What happened? The answer is the gun.
Imagine walking into a fight with a knife or axe or bow and arrow against someone with a gun. How do you think you're going to do? How do you think your army of soldiers, armed as you are, are going to do against their army (mostly armed with guns)?
As it turns out, not so well.
The reason so many white people are here now is white people came here from Europe with guns about 500 years ago and killed all the people who were here before, and took control of the continent.
Feeling good about yourself yet? Get ready to feel great!
And hey! How do you think whites were able to obtain and bring all the slaves, the ancestors of black Americans today, here from Africa? And keep them as slaves? Did they go willingly and slave willingly or did they go at gunpoint? I don't remember. I'm not a historian. I wasn't there. WERE GUNS INVOLVED????!!!
Hey, remember the 2nd amendment? The people... blah blah blah... bear arms.. infringed... yadayadayada, whatever. Remember how these white assholes love it so much and want to carry assault weapons in public and want to fight the government in an armed engagement and all that shit?
Well, if you do, and really I'm fully realizing this now myself, it should really be no surprise that these white people love guns, because guns have brought them to where they are and have made them what they are.
Guns are not "American". Guns are white. And all they bring is violence and death.
America was made at gunpoint.
Actually, it's a proud legacy and tradition I like to carry on by openly carrying on a daily basis. And putting an NRA sticker on my car next to the "fuck Obama" sticker. Next to the "marriage = 1 man + 1 woman" (another equation) sticker. But don't you dare call me racist. HOW DARE YOU??!!!
Conclusion: White pride equals racism because white people are at the privileged center of racism and to be pro-white is to sell that system of racism as hard as it can be sold.
DERM LUBRULS TRAHN TAKE MY GUHRRNS!!! OBAAAHHHHMMEEERRRRR!!!!!!
Let's move forward into the 21st century. We have a chance to leave the death and murder behind. Can we do it?
Only if we make it so.
*smile*
*point forward*
I probably should have entitled this post "America Was Made at Gunpoint".
Friday, August 8, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Papal Precedence part ii, or, To the left!
The Pope is coming out in favor of making meaningful changes to our financial system and how we treat the poor of our society.
This statement is way too far "left" for a typical democrat to put forward in public.
Terms don't mean what they used to mean.
Anything other than eliminating all taxes is called "wealth redistribution". Benefits are called "entitlements". Healthcare is called "Obamacare". And Republicans are against that.
Republicans, or at least I thought, are not specifically anti-government. Smaller government? Sure. Less government waste? Sure. These sound like Republican ideas. But they are supposed to understand that the government has to exist in order for the country to continue to exist. Rather than eliminate programs or departments, you take a look at them and eliminate what of them is not absolutely essential. This isn't my point of view,
(I think the government should frequently intervene to protect people who can't protect themselves from the ruling class - they need it.)
but rather, what I believed the typical Republican view was.
Republicans, actually both parties, should be playing by reasonable rules and, you know, you win some and you lose some... but still govern! Still fulfill the basic functions of the federal government. Like filling judicial positions, paying its bills, making sure the fucking economy doesn't collapse or that private interests don't become too powerful by overseeing them and limiting their practices in such a way that millions of people don't suffer needlessly.
This isn't what we have from the right. We have: refuse to vote on laws, refuse to fulfill our financial obligations, allow the courts to have fewer and fewer judges, and thus, a longer and longer wait for court hearings and trials, (guaranteed in the constitution not to happen) and fucking hold completely stupid, arbitrary, and ridiculous hearings and committees to follow up on baseless conspiracy theories and other bullshit. And vote a shit load of times to repeal what has become a popular law. When all of these things are revealed to be bullshit stall tactics, why aren't they ever fucking held accountable for any of it? Transcript follows.
"Oh, we wasted months and incredible amounts of money on something that has proved completely fruitless and unnecessary, *bam right wing magic* Change the subject!!! To new ridiculous distraction from our god awful bullshit!!"
"Wait... are you telling me that Obama may have broken the law by negotiating a prisoner exchange? Holy shit!! Hey! Rest of media! Let's keep talking about this and putting it in headlines to the neglect of every other issue, you know, the important ones. We must entertain and pursue this stupid uninformed speculation!!!"
Here's a media gem for ya.
"Well, this new poll shows that most Americans believe Obama gave away too much to get the P.O.W. back."
Do most Americans have the slightest fucking idea of the details of the situation? Or really know anything about it at all? Know what the releasees were accused of without being charged or tried? Fuck no. They know that five is more than one. Nothing beyond that. Nothing beyond "terrorism". Another fucking meaningless distraction of a term.
Things aren't fucking simple. Just because people can't understand beyond a simple explanation of the problem, that doesn't mean you deal with it as though that's all YOU understand, as their legislator. It's supposed to be a KNOWLEDGEABLE person who can meaningfully represent their state/ district/ whatever 's interests. Do you hire a plumber or a dentist to fly the space shuttle? Do you hire your neighbor Gus (not an attorney) to be your attorney? No?
THEN YOU CAN'T FUCKING ELECT THESE BRAIN-DEAD TEA PARTY FUCKSTICKS TO CONGRESS!!!
Because, like, important stuff happens there and when you elect fucking morons, you get fucking moronic policies and ideas. Waste. Want to investigate how to cut the budget? DON'T BLOW A BUNCH OF OUR TAX MONEY ON STUPID MEANINGLESS SHIT! DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!!!
So just the idea of passing laws to lower the cost of health care within the existing private market, or extend unemployment insurance (which people pay for and rely on), or have a food voucher system for people with little or no income (where they buy food at privately owned stores), this is communism. This is socialism. That is how far misinformation and speculation have dragged us to the right.
They're awfully close to doing it, dismantling the government and turning us into a third world country. The purse strings just keep tightening and tightening and if they have their way, no one will be able to make a living, and we'll all be fucking slaves. It's not about black and white. It was at one time. But slavery has existed far longer than American slavery did, and it's about rich, entitled, powerful owners of people and ones who have no clout, no influence, no ownership of anything, and therefore are owned themselves. Poor whites in the confederacy didn't have the resources to actually own slaves. But nonetheless they fought and died, often against their own families, to protect slavery. Why?
No matter how many times it's beaten back or resisted, slavery keeps coming back and coming back. Because the entitled don't want to have to pay to have their work or their bidding done. Everyone should just fall into line because it's them, and be grateful for whatever crumbs happen to fall off the table.
This dynamic is the pure bullshit and what needs to be addressed. Not the handling of the unprecedented catastrophe of Bengazzzey. Not petty manufactured scandals. Not gay people getting married. Not abortion. But rather the fact that there are way too many poor people in a country whose richest possess such vast wealth. If they want to be smug, selfish assholes and hoard it all to themselves, then the government should step in and make them NOT be fucking irredeemable assholes.
For idiots who are against a strong federal government, and say that wasn't the founding fathers' intention, and it's un-American, un-constitutional, you don't understand the fucking fundamentals of American history.
IF WE DIDN'T WANT A STRONG FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WE WOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN THE FUCKING CONSTITUTION IN THE FIRST PLACE YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!!
The country was falling apart and the constitution was written to hold it together with a set of rules that everyone has to follow. And it was absolutely intended to be changed and expanded. The government was given the right to tax to fund its operations. If you eliminate the federal government you eliminate America. That is why I can't understand where right wing anti-government nut jobs get off calling those who oppose them "un-American". Oh, that's right, because they're fucking idiots.
What Democrats need to do is, rather than pulling lighter to the left in a pointless attempt to appease these fucks, instead pull even harder to the left than before. Let them hear what actual socialism sounds like. Tough love. It's the only way they'll learn.
ok... maybe I'll do guns next time. Now it's time for a glass of water.
This statement is way too far "left" for a typical democrat to put forward in public.
Terms don't mean what they used to mean.
Anything other than eliminating all taxes is called "wealth redistribution". Benefits are called "entitlements". Healthcare is called "Obamacare". And Republicans are against that.
Republicans, or at least I thought, are not specifically anti-government. Smaller government? Sure. Less government waste? Sure. These sound like Republican ideas. But they are supposed to understand that the government has to exist in order for the country to continue to exist. Rather than eliminate programs or departments, you take a look at them and eliminate what of them is not absolutely essential. This isn't my point of view,
(I think the government should frequently intervene to protect people who can't protect themselves from the ruling class - they need it.)
but rather, what I believed the typical Republican view was.
Republicans, actually both parties, should be playing by reasonable rules and, you know, you win some and you lose some... but still govern! Still fulfill the basic functions of the federal government. Like filling judicial positions, paying its bills, making sure the fucking economy doesn't collapse or that private interests don't become too powerful by overseeing them and limiting their practices in such a way that millions of people don't suffer needlessly.
This isn't what we have from the right. We have: refuse to vote on laws, refuse to fulfill our financial obligations, allow the courts to have fewer and fewer judges, and thus, a longer and longer wait for court hearings and trials, (guaranteed in the constitution not to happen) and fucking hold completely stupid, arbitrary, and ridiculous hearings and committees to follow up on baseless conspiracy theories and other bullshit. And vote a shit load of times to repeal what has become a popular law. When all of these things are revealed to be bullshit stall tactics, why aren't they ever fucking held accountable for any of it? Transcript follows.
"Oh, we wasted months and incredible amounts of money on something that has proved completely fruitless and unnecessary, *bam right wing magic* Change the subject!!! To new ridiculous distraction from our god awful bullshit!!"
"Wait... are you telling me that Obama may have broken the law by negotiating a prisoner exchange? Holy shit!! Hey! Rest of media! Let's keep talking about this and putting it in headlines to the neglect of every other issue, you know, the important ones. We must entertain and pursue this stupid uninformed speculation!!!"
Here's a media gem for ya.
"Well, this new poll shows that most Americans believe Obama gave away too much to get the P.O.W. back."
Do most Americans have the slightest fucking idea of the details of the situation? Or really know anything about it at all? Know what the releasees were accused of without being charged or tried? Fuck no. They know that five is more than one. Nothing beyond that. Nothing beyond "terrorism". Another fucking meaningless distraction of a term.
Things aren't fucking simple. Just because people can't understand beyond a simple explanation of the problem, that doesn't mean you deal with it as though that's all YOU understand, as their legislator. It's supposed to be a KNOWLEDGEABLE person who can meaningfully represent their state/ district/ whatever 's interests. Do you hire a plumber or a dentist to fly the space shuttle? Do you hire your neighbor Gus (not an attorney) to be your attorney? No?
THEN YOU CAN'T FUCKING ELECT THESE BRAIN-DEAD TEA PARTY FUCKSTICKS TO CONGRESS!!!
Because, like, important stuff happens there and when you elect fucking morons, you get fucking moronic policies and ideas. Waste. Want to investigate how to cut the budget? DON'T BLOW A BUNCH OF OUR TAX MONEY ON STUPID MEANINGLESS SHIT! DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!!!
So just the idea of passing laws to lower the cost of health care within the existing private market, or extend unemployment insurance (which people pay for and rely on), or have a food voucher system for people with little or no income (where they buy food at privately owned stores), this is communism. This is socialism. That is how far misinformation and speculation have dragged us to the right.
They're awfully close to doing it, dismantling the government and turning us into a third world country. The purse strings just keep tightening and tightening and if they have their way, no one will be able to make a living, and we'll all be fucking slaves. It's not about black and white. It was at one time. But slavery has existed far longer than American slavery did, and it's about rich, entitled, powerful owners of people and ones who have no clout, no influence, no ownership of anything, and therefore are owned themselves. Poor whites in the confederacy didn't have the resources to actually own slaves. But nonetheless they fought and died, often against their own families, to protect slavery. Why?
No matter how many times it's beaten back or resisted, slavery keeps coming back and coming back. Because the entitled don't want to have to pay to have their work or their bidding done. Everyone should just fall into line because it's them, and be grateful for whatever crumbs happen to fall off the table.
This dynamic is the pure bullshit and what needs to be addressed. Not the handling of the unprecedented catastrophe of Bengazzzey. Not petty manufactured scandals. Not gay people getting married. Not abortion. But rather the fact that there are way too many poor people in a country whose richest possess such vast wealth. If they want to be smug, selfish assholes and hoard it all to themselves, then the government should step in and make them NOT be fucking irredeemable assholes.
For idiots who are against a strong federal government, and say that wasn't the founding fathers' intention, and it's un-American, un-constitutional, you don't understand the fucking fundamentals of American history.
IF WE DIDN'T WANT A STRONG FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WE WOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN THE FUCKING CONSTITUTION IN THE FIRST PLACE YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!!
The country was falling apart and the constitution was written to hold it together with a set of rules that everyone has to follow. And it was absolutely intended to be changed and expanded. The government was given the right to tax to fund its operations. If you eliminate the federal government you eliminate America. That is why I can't understand where right wing anti-government nut jobs get off calling those who oppose them "un-American". Oh, that's right, because they're fucking idiots.
What Democrats need to do is, rather than pulling lighter to the left in a pointless attempt to appease these fucks, instead pull even harder to the left than before. Let them hear what actual socialism sounds like. Tough love. It's the only way they'll learn.
ok... maybe I'll do guns next time. Now it's time for a glass of water.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
An Age
Looking back at everything I've posted, the subjects, the problems, all the emotional and verbal places I've gone, I just have to sit back and say, "What the fuck?"
What has happened to us? I know that things got derailed somewhere but I just can't figure out where.
We are in a time where science, reason, and fact-based knowledge are under assault.
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. Life science, geology, every science related to the earth has proved and proved and super proved that this is the only reasonable explanation for the world around us. And now, it seems, the push against it and for superstition is actually GAINING strength!!! More people believe this creationism shit (in America), probably, than like 10 or 20 years ago!
Do you realize how bad this is?
It's bad, is the answer.
I had been pretty much OK with religion until, like, today. That's kind of a hard sentence to follow. The point at hand, though, is that this belief in God (or god) is giving motherfuckers an excuse to dismiss science and reason. And while I was all psyched about the new, correct pope, and while I'm certainly moved by Buddhism, I'm fucking sorry, we can't be having this shit anymore. It's too fucking important for the continued existence of mankind that we accept the statistical realities of the world we live in and adapt to the very present and obvious dangers that are confronting us.
And I'm fucking sorry, but finding inner peace, or turning the other cheek aren't going to fucking help us where we are now. Living in the moment isn't good enough. Forgiving isn't good enough. Our lives are in danger motherfuckers! Philosophy really fucking doesn't matter anymore either. The numbers are key, and, they tell a story of how fucking fucked we really are. Time to like, do something about it, man.
Time (a number) is running down to the point of our destruction.
If the Earth gets not-that-much-warmer-than-it-is-now on average humans aren't going to be able to live here anymore.
So, that's good.
It seems to me the only way we can pull all of our asses out of the fire, and hopefully, actually improve everyone's quality of life, is to fucking cooperate and drop the pretenses and dick show over who's the greatest. IF WE ALL DIE WHO FUCKING CARES???!!!!
So anyway. I know we can't just do that and just invent clean energy and just change everything all in one day. I know that's impossible. So I guess some of these lesser concerns are going to have to be addressed. Damn it.
But we've got nothing but time. Or should I say, that's all we have to do? Anyway, let's go. Let's do this. Let's make everybody get along GOD DAMN IT!!!
Yeah.
Sincerely,
W. Giffs Afuckhh
What has happened to us? I know that things got derailed somewhere but I just can't figure out where.
We are in a time where science, reason, and fact-based knowledge are under assault.
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. Life science, geology, every science related to the earth has proved and proved and super proved that this is the only reasonable explanation for the world around us. And now, it seems, the push against it and for superstition is actually GAINING strength!!! More people believe this creationism shit (in America), probably, than like 10 or 20 years ago!
Do you realize how bad this is?
It's bad, is the answer.
I had been pretty much OK with religion until, like, today. That's kind of a hard sentence to follow. The point at hand, though, is that this belief in God (or god) is giving motherfuckers an excuse to dismiss science and reason. And while I was all psyched about the new, correct pope, and while I'm certainly moved by Buddhism, I'm fucking sorry, we can't be having this shit anymore. It's too fucking important for the continued existence of mankind that we accept the statistical realities of the world we live in and adapt to the very present and obvious dangers that are confronting us.
And I'm fucking sorry, but finding inner peace, or turning the other cheek aren't going to fucking help us where we are now. Living in the moment isn't good enough. Forgiving isn't good enough. Our lives are in danger motherfuckers! Philosophy really fucking doesn't matter anymore either. The numbers are key, and, they tell a story of how fucking fucked we really are. Time to like, do something about it, man.
Time (a number) is running down to the point of our destruction.
If the Earth gets not-that-much-warmer-than-it-is-now on average humans aren't going to be able to live here anymore.
So, that's good.
It seems to me the only way we can pull all of our asses out of the fire, and hopefully, actually improve everyone's quality of life, is to fucking cooperate and drop the pretenses and dick show over who's the greatest. IF WE ALL DIE WHO FUCKING CARES???!!!!
So anyway. I know we can't just do that and just invent clean energy and just change everything all in one day. I know that's impossible. So I guess some of these lesser concerns are going to have to be addressed. Damn it.
But we've got nothing but time. Or should I say, that's all we have to do? Anyway, let's go. Let's do this. Let's make everybody get along GOD DAMN IT!!!
Yeah.
Sincerely,
W. Giffs Afuckhh
Monday, April 14, 2014
another gigantic hoax, or, "let's get into the salt business!!" part ii
So here's another truly terrible, unacceptable argument, that you're going to hear repeatedly.
"Oh, (raising wages, paying for healthcare benefits, giving paid time off) is going to kill jobs. The job creators won't be able to create more jobs if we do these things!!! BLEGHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Here's my rough translation into the truth:
"Rich assholes (a.k.a. job creators, m.a.k.a. [more accurately known as] job minimizers) will cut low-paying jobs by the thousands rather than decrease their own ludicrous salaries or accept even a tiny hit to their ample profits."
Yeah, so, ok. Let's take a nice look here. So, by forcing you to pay your workers an amount close to what is needed to support a family, the guvmint is taking away your ability to create jobs? Correct?
If that's true, then what kind of fucking country are we living in, man? A free one? No.
Another way to look at it might be, just for fun, maybe you should have less. And maybe rather than you having millions upon millions of dollars, maybe you should just have millions, and a bunch more people could have a place to live. Whaddya say? OH, I know. You say, I'm going to destroy you. Well, let's fucking go, man. I've got your fucking number!
Yeah. Hey you know Fox News? Know how they just say one thing, followed by a completely unconnected, and often contradictory thing? They're not just providing misinformation. No, they're throwing it at you in such mass and from so many directions that not only are you running on bullshit facts after you absorb it, but also, you can't even tell which issues are important and which ones aren't anymore. You can't differentiate. Given the time spent on, and degree of gravity assigned to, shit like Kim Kardashian or Justin Beaver. As a neutral observer of humanity/the earth, based on coverage time, you wouldn't be able to tell which was more important, that, or genocide in Africa or Russian/ Ukranian conflicts, or universal health care, or anything. It just makes you give up on understanding anything at all.
And that is why it is more powerful and dangerous than just peddling misinformation and halfheartedly making retractions where deemed absolutely necessary by law. It goes beyond yellow journalism, I contend, it is more closely akin to brainwashing. So, enjoy being brainwashed. Of course, I suppose the same could be said of all media that's presented to us, at all. But that's not what I'm talking about today.
I'm talking about the titanic lies that Fox News tells - and the unforgivable business of painting billionaires as the source of all things wonderful, and you fucking people should be grateful to them, for giving you jobs and money! MOTHERFUCKERSSSSS!!!!!!
Doesn't that make tons of sense?? OF COURSE IT DOSE!!!!!!
Hey man, I think women who want to take birth control are just sluts, man. They want us to pay for them to have sex. (translation: i never have consensual sex and it's a source of frustration for me)
Those kids want school lunch? THEIR PARENTS BETTER FUCKING BE ABLE TO PAY UP!!! We can't afford this shit! With a budget deficit???? FUCK THOSE FUCKING KIDS!!!!! BREGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bregh.
SO anyway. This is what you have to win against. Mind-numbing ubiquitous inaccurate information.
Good luck to you.
"Oh, (raising wages, paying for healthcare benefits, giving paid time off) is going to kill jobs. The job creators won't be able to create more jobs if we do these things!!! BLEGHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Here's my rough translation into the truth:
"Rich assholes (a.k.a. job creators, m.a.k.a. [more accurately known as] job minimizers) will cut low-paying jobs by the thousands rather than decrease their own ludicrous salaries or accept even a tiny hit to their ample profits."
Yeah, so, ok. Let's take a nice look here. So, by forcing you to pay your workers an amount close to what is needed to support a family, the guvmint is taking away your ability to create jobs? Correct?
If that's true, then what kind of fucking country are we living in, man? A free one? No.
Another way to look at it might be, just for fun, maybe you should have less. And maybe rather than you having millions upon millions of dollars, maybe you should just have millions, and a bunch more people could have a place to live. Whaddya say? OH, I know. You say, I'm going to destroy you. Well, let's fucking go, man. I've got your fucking number!
Yeah. Hey you know Fox News? Know how they just say one thing, followed by a completely unconnected, and often contradictory thing? They're not just providing misinformation. No, they're throwing it at you in such mass and from so many directions that not only are you running on bullshit facts after you absorb it, but also, you can't even tell which issues are important and which ones aren't anymore. You can't differentiate. Given the time spent on, and degree of gravity assigned to, shit like Kim Kardashian or Justin Beaver. As a neutral observer of humanity/the earth, based on coverage time, you wouldn't be able to tell which was more important, that, or genocide in Africa or Russian/ Ukranian conflicts, or universal health care, or anything. It just makes you give up on understanding anything at all.
And that is why it is more powerful and dangerous than just peddling misinformation and halfheartedly making retractions where deemed absolutely necessary by law. It goes beyond yellow journalism, I contend, it is more closely akin to brainwashing. So, enjoy being brainwashed. Of course, I suppose the same could be said of all media that's presented to us, at all. But that's not what I'm talking about today.
I'm talking about the titanic lies that Fox News tells - and the unforgivable business of painting billionaires as the source of all things wonderful, and you fucking people should be grateful to them, for giving you jobs and money! MOTHERFUCKERSSSSS!!!!!!
Doesn't that make tons of sense?? OF COURSE IT DOSE!!!!!!
Hey man, I think women who want to take birth control are just sluts, man. They want us to pay for them to have sex. (translation: i never have consensual sex and it's a source of frustration for me)
Those kids want school lunch? THEIR PARENTS BETTER FUCKING BE ABLE TO PAY UP!!! We can't afford this shit! With a budget deficit???? FUCK THOSE FUCKING KIDS!!!!! BREGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bregh.
SO anyway. This is what you have to win against. Mind-numbing ubiquitous inaccurate information.
Good luck to you.
Monday, March 10, 2014
the language interlude
The way in which something is written is essential to its meaning. Apparently.
I can say "this is great" in response to something, but how much does that phrase have to do with how a given listener is affected by what I am saying, or the effect of my statement in general?
I don't claim to know exactly, but I do know that those are two different questions.
An idea is an ephemeral thing. Ideas come and go, they appear and disappear, most of them are forgotten almost immediately after being conjured in the first place.
And so, to translate a thought into words, this is a challenge!
And then, to have one's words actually affect someone, or especially, a group of people, in a meaningful way, that is perhaps the greatest challenge of all. I do think that the choice of words becomes more and more significant as the group you wish to influence becomes larger, and each individual reaction becomes less significant. Individual reactions cannot be predicted. It is only by looking at larger and larger numbers that trends begin to emerge and you can start to predict what the typical response to something will be.
So what is my point and what does it have to do with the subject(s) of this blog?
Take the term "flip-flopper" if you will.
This is a term that basically means nothing. Someone who changes their mind about things? Do you mean fucking everyone? IS THAT TO WHOM YOU ARE REFERRING???
But yet I do believe this 1-2 word phrase, to some degree, sunk John Kerry's bid for president in 2004. That is a meaningful, valuable, tangible, lasting effect.
Who is the fucking genius of manipulation that introduced this buzz word into the 2004 presidential election???
THIS is the person we should be concerned about, the one who is paid to perpetuate and support someone like George Dubya Bush, or some other moron puppet who finds a way to sell upper class tax cuts as a solution to everything.
Someone like Dubya, he could barely even form a sentence during any kind of public conversation. Seriously, he lowered our standards of acceptability so much, that we could allow a person like Sarah Palin to be in a vice-presidential debate. Like, oh well, George Bush (president) needed flash cards to talk about a simple issue, so, if Sarah Palin (vice-presidential candidate) refuses to answer a question, or says, like, I'll get back to you tomorrow, that's TOTALLY OK!!! Because we've had president moron.
Where is the resistance to this? I know where. Fucking rocked to sleep, that is where. Because these fucking geniuses, manage to carefully formulate these buzz words, catch phrases, talking points, to bury fucking important questions that NEED TO BE FUCKING ANSWERED.
Benghazi? BENGHAZI?????!!!!!
I don't know, man. I just don't fucking know.
I can say "this is great" in response to something, but how much does that phrase have to do with how a given listener is affected by what I am saying, or the effect of my statement in general?
I don't claim to know exactly, but I do know that those are two different questions.
An idea is an ephemeral thing. Ideas come and go, they appear and disappear, most of them are forgotten almost immediately after being conjured in the first place.
And so, to translate a thought into words, this is a challenge!
And then, to have one's words actually affect someone, or especially, a group of people, in a meaningful way, that is perhaps the greatest challenge of all. I do think that the choice of words becomes more and more significant as the group you wish to influence becomes larger, and each individual reaction becomes less significant. Individual reactions cannot be predicted. It is only by looking at larger and larger numbers that trends begin to emerge and you can start to predict what the typical response to something will be.
So what is my point and what does it have to do with the subject(s) of this blog?
Take the term "flip-flopper" if you will.
This is a term that basically means nothing. Someone who changes their mind about things? Do you mean fucking everyone? IS THAT TO WHOM YOU ARE REFERRING???
But yet I do believe this 1-2 word phrase, to some degree, sunk John Kerry's bid for president in 2004. That is a meaningful, valuable, tangible, lasting effect.
Who is the fucking genius of manipulation that introduced this buzz word into the 2004 presidential election???
THIS is the person we should be concerned about, the one who is paid to perpetuate and support someone like George Dubya Bush, or some other moron puppet who finds a way to sell upper class tax cuts as a solution to everything.
Someone like Dubya, he could barely even form a sentence during any kind of public conversation. Seriously, he lowered our standards of acceptability so much, that we could allow a person like Sarah Palin to be in a vice-presidential debate. Like, oh well, George Bush (president) needed flash cards to talk about a simple issue, so, if Sarah Palin (vice-presidential candidate) refuses to answer a question, or says, like, I'll get back to you tomorrow, that's TOTALLY OK!!! Because we've had president moron.
Where is the resistance to this? I know where. Fucking rocked to sleep, that is where. Because these fucking geniuses, manage to carefully formulate these buzz words, catch phrases, talking points, to bury fucking important questions that NEED TO BE FUCKING ANSWERED.
Benghazi? BENGHAZI?????!!!!!
I don't know, man. I just don't fucking know.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
"Let's get into the salt business!"
Hello everyone.
Yeah so I needed a little extra time to find that spark, but I've got it.
Arguing with conservatives online, I've run many times into a quite preposterous and insidious argument, which is usually used by rich people (or, more often, their idiot lackeys) to defend upper class tax cuts and killing benefits for lower income people.
"Well, rather than asking for a handout from CEOs, just start your own business, and become one of them! BLEEGHHHH!!!"
(This kind of statement is usually said in response to a comment that we should hike the minimum wage, or anything related to employers paying their employees more, or raising taxes on the upper 1%, you get the idea.)
Ok. Sounds great. Want to be rich? Just take advantage of the free market, start a business, make good decisions, and beat the CEOs at their own game! Easy!!!
There's about a hundred million things wrong with this so I'm not even sure where to start. I'll do my best.
So great! Great idea! I'll just become a millionaire on my own pluck and moxie!! No problem!!
So, ok, there's a lot of money in pharmaceuticals, that'd be a good industry to get into. Soooooooo, I'll just get a loan to build a huge chemical plant and hire some scientists to develop drugs for me! I'll only need, I don't know, 100 million dollars to get rolling? I'm sure a bank will be more than happy to lend that to me.
Or, ok, I'll get into the oil industry. All I need is a loan to hire some engineers and build some offshore derricks or buy drilling equipment or refinery plants to turn crude into a product I can sell. And buy the land or whatever oil holdings to drill into.
Oh wait. There's no way in fuck I could generate the capital to do anything like that.
So, well, maybe I should just start on a small scale! And work my way up! Compete with those big guys and teach 'em who's boss!!!
OK, I think it should be clear how stupid this is now. I mean, I might be able to get a loan to start a small business, but if you want to become a real billionaire, you've got to inherit the resources to do so (i.e. a chemical or oil company, or a media empire, or whatever. Oh great! There's another example. I'll just take out a loan to hire some reporters and buy some broadcasting equipment and I'll kick those mainstream media outlets' asses! YEEEEEEEEAAAAHHH!!!!)
OK so no, none of that is possible.
But hey! What about Bill Gates? He started out with nothing, and became the richest man in America. I can do that too, right?
Oh wait, I'm not a computer and marketing genius who is capable of creating a revolutionary operating system. That might make it tough. But this is America! I can get the education to learn how to do it, right? Wrong. I took a computer programming class and couldn't do it, and had to drop the class to avoid failing. So I think I can forget making billions in computers. But Bill Gates did it! So that justifies everything.
1 in a million people making it big DOES FUCKING NOT justify the million struggling and being ground down to nothing so that the 1 can keep a higher percentage of his money, which he is directly taking from everyone else. As it happens Bill Gates is a pretty generous billionaire, but hey, not so generous that he's not still basically the richest guy in the world. Or Mark Zuckerberg! He became a billionaire overnight! I could do that!! In case you forgot Zuckerberg went to fucking Harvard, the best and most selective school in the country. He is the POSTER BOY for 1 in a million.
Anyways, the point to be distilled from this is, the argument "oh, well if you don't like it, just become a CEO yourself" is completely fraudulent and ridiculous. The biggest industries, where the most money lie, are on fucking lock.
Hey, you know what I'll do, I'll just start my own bank!! YEEAAAAH! Then I'll be rich in no time. BOOYEAHHHHH MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE ELSE THINK OF THIS??????
You think big oil companies are going to let you find a way in there? Even if you manage to put together the millions necessary to even be able to start? The answer is no. What's the evidence? That we still have the same handful of oil companies that we've had for decades and decades. That a company like BP can spill millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and still make big profits.
Yeah there's the one Bill Gates who became the richest guy on a shoestring. But guess what? Not everyone is a fucking genius. And even plenty of people who are geniuses, aren't geniuses in something that can make them millionaires or billionaires!! Bill Gates just happened to be a genius in an incredibly valuable way!! And be incredibly lucky!
So, yeah, why don't I get into precious metals? Easy! I'll just buy a gold mine. Or why don't I get into salt production? Easy, I'll just buy a salt mine or a huge salt flat and the machinery and labor to harvest it! Easy!!!
I don't know if I have, but I hope I have adequately illustrated how fucking moronic this argument is. Asking people to be poor in exchange for the promise that they could be millionaires one day if they just STICK TO IT!!! is incredibly immoral and terrible and wrong. The truly confounding issue is not how millionaires and billionaires could try to sell this horse shit, but rather how fucking poor people could try to sell it with just as much vigor and determination! Now THAT is stupid. That is so stupid that I can't think of anything more stupid in the whole world.
And here's the really awful, fundamental truth that underlies all of it. All these resources I've talked about, the land and the oil reserves, and the money to create a company to take advantage of them, are on lock. Feel me? What I mean by that is, the people who already own these things aren't going to loosen their grip on them, no matter what. Like, they'll kill all of us and destroy the whole world before they loosen their grip even a little.
So, this so-called freedom we have? It's in name only. Technically, I could become a media magnate or an oil tycoon, but well, really no I couldn't. Because the people who are have a lock on the business, and it's not going to maybe pass to me, it's going to go to their families, and their bullshit spoiled children are going to become the next them. It's been happening, it's going to keep happening. And there's nothing ordinary people can do to break the cycle or even stick a foot in the door. Nothing. And the fact that the rich assholes in charge are selling this bullshit idea to morons, that they could somehow become part of this, in order to fatten their pockets even ridiculously further, is perhaps the greatest of all crimes.
And there's nothing any of us can do about it. Because, like I said, they'll take the whole world down before they even surrender 1% of their power or wealth. So even if normal people were able to seize some kind of political power, as I've said in the past, the power the government has is miniscule compared to the power this ruling upper class has. So political change, which is impossibly difficult to affect anyway, still would not be enough to significantly change the distribution of wealth. I mean for God's sake, they've got these idiots believing BARACK OBAMA is a fucking communist! There is no hope. So I guess we just ride this rocket train all the way to hell and try to scavenge a few moments of happiness along the way.
So, once again, rich people, fucking fuck you. "Oh, don't hate me because I'm successful." OK, I won't. I'll hate you because you're a manipulative fuck and lying is as easy to you as breathing.
I wish there were actually such a thing as class warfare. Because there's nothing I'd like more than for everyone to get a piece of what this planet has to offer, instead of nations of people starving to death so 9th generation motherfuckers can fly around in fucking private jets.
Will enough ever be enough? I'd like to hope so, but it really, really super doesn't seem like it will be. So fuck me. But, even more so, fuck you.
Yeah so I needed a little extra time to find that spark, but I've got it.
Arguing with conservatives online, I've run many times into a quite preposterous and insidious argument, which is usually used by rich people (or, more often, their idiot lackeys) to defend upper class tax cuts and killing benefits for lower income people.
"Well, rather than asking for a handout from CEOs, just start your own business, and become one of them! BLEEGHHHH!!!"
(This kind of statement is usually said in response to a comment that we should hike the minimum wage, or anything related to employers paying their employees more, or raising taxes on the upper 1%, you get the idea.)
Ok. Sounds great. Want to be rich? Just take advantage of the free market, start a business, make good decisions, and beat the CEOs at their own game! Easy!!!
There's about a hundred million things wrong with this so I'm not even sure where to start. I'll do my best.
So great! Great idea! I'll just become a millionaire on my own pluck and moxie!! No problem!!
So, ok, there's a lot of money in pharmaceuticals, that'd be a good industry to get into. Soooooooo, I'll just get a loan to build a huge chemical plant and hire some scientists to develop drugs for me! I'll only need, I don't know, 100 million dollars to get rolling? I'm sure a bank will be more than happy to lend that to me.
Or, ok, I'll get into the oil industry. All I need is a loan to hire some engineers and build some offshore derricks or buy drilling equipment or refinery plants to turn crude into a product I can sell. And buy the land or whatever oil holdings to drill into.
Oh wait. There's no way in fuck I could generate the capital to do anything like that.
So, well, maybe I should just start on a small scale! And work my way up! Compete with those big guys and teach 'em who's boss!!!
OK, I think it should be clear how stupid this is now. I mean, I might be able to get a loan to start a small business, but if you want to become a real billionaire, you've got to inherit the resources to do so (i.e. a chemical or oil company, or a media empire, or whatever. Oh great! There's another example. I'll just take out a loan to hire some reporters and buy some broadcasting equipment and I'll kick those mainstream media outlets' asses! YEEEEEEEEAAAAHHH!!!!)
OK so no, none of that is possible.
But hey! What about Bill Gates? He started out with nothing, and became the richest man in America. I can do that too, right?
Oh wait, I'm not a computer and marketing genius who is capable of creating a revolutionary operating system. That might make it tough. But this is America! I can get the education to learn how to do it, right? Wrong. I took a computer programming class and couldn't do it, and had to drop the class to avoid failing. So I think I can forget making billions in computers. But Bill Gates did it! So that justifies everything.
1 in a million people making it big DOES FUCKING NOT justify the million struggling and being ground down to nothing so that the 1 can keep a higher percentage of his money, which he is directly taking from everyone else. As it happens Bill Gates is a pretty generous billionaire, but hey, not so generous that he's not still basically the richest guy in the world. Or Mark Zuckerberg! He became a billionaire overnight! I could do that!! In case you forgot Zuckerberg went to fucking Harvard, the best and most selective school in the country. He is the POSTER BOY for 1 in a million.
Anyways, the point to be distilled from this is, the argument "oh, well if you don't like it, just become a CEO yourself" is completely fraudulent and ridiculous. The biggest industries, where the most money lie, are on fucking lock.
Hey, you know what I'll do, I'll just start my own bank!! YEEAAAAH! Then I'll be rich in no time. BOOYEAHHHHH MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE ELSE THINK OF THIS??????
You think big oil companies are going to let you find a way in there? Even if you manage to put together the millions necessary to even be able to start? The answer is no. What's the evidence? That we still have the same handful of oil companies that we've had for decades and decades. That a company like BP can spill millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and still make big profits.
Yeah there's the one Bill Gates who became the richest guy on a shoestring. But guess what? Not everyone is a fucking genius. And even plenty of people who are geniuses, aren't geniuses in something that can make them millionaires or billionaires!! Bill Gates just happened to be a genius in an incredibly valuable way!! And be incredibly lucky!
So, yeah, why don't I get into precious metals? Easy! I'll just buy a gold mine. Or why don't I get into salt production? Easy, I'll just buy a salt mine or a huge salt flat and the machinery and labor to harvest it! Easy!!!
I don't know if I have, but I hope I have adequately illustrated how fucking moronic this argument is. Asking people to be poor in exchange for the promise that they could be millionaires one day if they just STICK TO IT!!! is incredibly immoral and terrible and wrong. The truly confounding issue is not how millionaires and billionaires could try to sell this horse shit, but rather how fucking poor people could try to sell it with just as much vigor and determination! Now THAT is stupid. That is so stupid that I can't think of anything more stupid in the whole world.
And here's the really awful, fundamental truth that underlies all of it. All these resources I've talked about, the land and the oil reserves, and the money to create a company to take advantage of them, are on lock. Feel me? What I mean by that is, the people who already own these things aren't going to loosen their grip on them, no matter what. Like, they'll kill all of us and destroy the whole world before they loosen their grip even a little.
So, this so-called freedom we have? It's in name only. Technically, I could become a media magnate or an oil tycoon, but well, really no I couldn't. Because the people who are have a lock on the business, and it's not going to maybe pass to me, it's going to go to their families, and their bullshit spoiled children are going to become the next them. It's been happening, it's going to keep happening. And there's nothing ordinary people can do to break the cycle or even stick a foot in the door. Nothing. And the fact that the rich assholes in charge are selling this bullshit idea to morons, that they could somehow become part of this, in order to fatten their pockets even ridiculously further, is perhaps the greatest of all crimes.
And there's nothing any of us can do about it. Because, like I said, they'll take the whole world down before they even surrender 1% of their power or wealth. So even if normal people were able to seize some kind of political power, as I've said in the past, the power the government has is miniscule compared to the power this ruling upper class has. So political change, which is impossibly difficult to affect anyway, still would not be enough to significantly change the distribution of wealth. I mean for God's sake, they've got these idiots believing BARACK OBAMA is a fucking communist! There is no hope. So I guess we just ride this rocket train all the way to hell and try to scavenge a few moments of happiness along the way.
So, once again, rich people, fucking fuck you. "Oh, don't hate me because I'm successful." OK, I won't. I'll hate you because you're a manipulative fuck and lying is as easy to you as breathing.
I wish there were actually such a thing as class warfare. Because there's nothing I'd like more than for everyone to get a piece of what this planet has to offer, instead of nations of people starving to death so 9th generation motherfuckers can fly around in fucking private jets.
Will enough ever be enough? I'd like to hope so, but it really, really super doesn't seem like it will be. So fuck me. But, even more so, fuck you.
Oh wait. Bill Gates went to Harvard too. Whoops! Forgot that factoid. But, he dropped out, so that doesn't count. He was an underdog, I tell you!!!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
"out" envy part ii
This is a quick one, I'm working on something more long-winded.
And I think this goes a long way to make up for the numbers that may be left lacking from my theory/explanation in "out" envy i.
I think, as an alternative to the person actually being gay, the harasser could have also had a gay daddy, for example, who was just as much not supposed to gay as they are not supposed to be gay. So, while these individuals may actually be straight, they still have some seriously personal and repressed feelings about gayness. So yeah, if you put those two groups together, I feel like there aren't that many more numbers to make up in terms of gay persecutors. Yeah.
Back soon!
And I think this goes a long way to make up for the numbers that may be left lacking from my theory/explanation in "out" envy i.
I think, as an alternative to the person actually being gay, the harasser could have also had a gay daddy, for example, who was just as much not supposed to gay as they are not supposed to be gay. So, while these individuals may actually be straight, they still have some seriously personal and repressed feelings about gayness. So yeah, if you put those two groups together, I feel like there aren't that many more numbers to make up in terms of gay persecutors. Yeah.
Back soon!
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