Post #457- Unsolicited Observations

As you know, today is December 12, 2012: 12/12/12. That type of numeric arrangement will not be occurring on the calendar again for nearly a century - a long time any way you slice it or dice it. By that time we'll all be dead and buried. What better occasion for some random  observations that I had written down haphazardly on paper or posted here and there on the internet? They may not be earth-shattering, but what the hell. Let us agitate, shall we?

1. BREAKING NEWS! FOX NEWS THINKS THAT THEY HAVE FOUND THE ANSWER TO COLBERT AND STEWART! 
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Memo to the right wing - Fox Noise in particular. There is a dandy reason why nearly every political humorist out there leans decidedly to the left. This may come as a bit of a shock to some of you, but in order for satire to work it has to be based upon at least a kernel of truth. You see where I'm going with this? Good bear with me.
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There are political humorists out there who are to the extreme right, no doubt about it. In fact, I've seen a couple of them on CSPAN. Here's the problem: They aren't funny. And if they do happen to make me laugh, the giggles are ALWAYS unintentional. 

Take the knucklehead who does the comic strip "Mallard Fillmore". It runs in my paper the Times Herald-Record of Middletown New York. Every morning I read it - not because I find it funny - not at all. But I'm always giddy with the anticipation of wondering what idiotic thing this nitwit is going to come up with today. It's that bad.
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There was a conservative humorist who I thought was very witty, the late, great Lewis Grizzard (Photo on left). But his humor dealt, for the most part, with the cultural aspects of being a "redneck". He had the good sense to stay clear of the subject of politics. Try to pick up a copy of his book, "Elvis is Dead and I Don't Feel Too Good Myself". It's a hoot-and-a-half.
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 2.  Stand your ground, baby!
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The headline from AlterNet came to my inbox a few very early mornings ago. It was a short blurb that told me that another black teenager had been shot and killed for no apparent reason by a righteously indignant, half-witted, middle-aged white guy. My very first thought was, it's gotta be Florida. Sho 'nuff.

Why was this kid murdered? The guy thought that his music was too loud. I sincerely wish I was making this up. I'm not

Do you know that in Europe, there are travel agencies that warn their clients against traveling to that overrated peninsula? Can you blame them? I sure as hell can't.

By the way, "Stand Your Ground" was signed into law by Jeb Bush - who still maintains that it was just a fine 'n' dandy idea. Sweet. The question is literally screaming to be posed:

Is there anyone amongst us who is still unaware what a mistake it would be to send another member of that disgusting family to 1600 Pennsylvania  Avenue?

Just curious.

3. Don't Let It Be Forgot That Once There Was a Spot....
 

I know, it's syrupy and sentimental, and I know "Camelot" never really existed, but I can't help it when it comes to President Kennedy. It's an Irish thing; you wouldn't understand. Some of his speeches read like freakin' poetry fifty years later.
 
Although he was hardly the fightin' Liberal that his admirers remember him as being, it should never be forgotten that he was the last chief executive to take on the Federal Reserve. For all the revisionism that has been visited upon his biography in the nearly half-century since his passing, let's not overlook the fact that - warts and all - Jack Kennedy was a good guy. One of the best.

By the way, one of the perks of being Irish Catholic is that we can refer to the late president as "Jack".

"....for one brief, shining moment...."

I'm sorry, I'll stop.

4. Corporate Carnage

Profits are up to record highs. So what - you may well ask - are the corporations doing? They're decimating the work force. Consider this just for a minute:

When a corporation behaves this irresponsibly, it wrecks havoc on society. This is not merely my opinion in fact it's kind of a no-brainer. Call it Economics 101

A corporation that behaves this irresponsibly should be seized by the people. If you're honest with yourself, that's not such a revolutionary idea. Think about it for a minute or two. What would we do to a lone kook who was causing so much disruption within his community by means of arson, bombings etc. that his actions put hundreds - thousands - of his fellow citizens out of work? Again, this is another no-brainer - we'd throw him in prison. Questions?

Why should we let a corporation take take full advantage of our free enterprise system for a period of years and then be allowed to dump the very workers that allowed it to accumulate its treasure? Especially when the treasure of which I speak comes out of the pockets of regular consumers who are adversely effected when they dump - like trash - their work force. Its very greed causes much disruption and heartache within the the local (and national) community.

And notice that I refer to this proverbial corporation as "it", not "he" or "she". I'm not sick enough to refer to a corporation as "a person". Give me some credit please.

When a corporation does so much damage to society, how come it cannot be legally seized by the state to keep it from committing further economic carnage?

Why is this allowed to occur? Anybody?

5. Mitch

Please, if anyone knows of a more despicable, corrupt and reprehensible piece-of-shit ever to slither 'neath the capital dome than Mitch McConnell, by all means drop me a line. I'd sure as hell would like to know about it. It just doesn't get any creepier than old Mitch.

6. Bah, Humbug!

Christmas comes but once a year
So you'd better make hay while the spirit lingers 
It's slipping through your fingers, boy
Don't you realize?
Christmas can be such a monetary joy!

-Stan Freberg 

I can't remember the last time I was possessed of the "Christmas Spirit". The holiday is ruined for me - for personal as well as societal reasons. Our economic survival depends upon us making a mockery of the birth of the Prince of Peace every year. Maybe my indifference is also based on the fact that so many people I loved dearly are either dead, dying, or out of my life forever. Whatever. 

When I was a little boy I took it for granted that Ebenezer Scrooge was a work of Charles Dickens' imagination. It never occurred that such a person could possibly exist. Now I understand. I can relate to Ebenezer in ways I never thought I was capable. He is becoming one of my heroes of fiction - right up there with Huckleberry Finn, Atticus Finch  and Kilgore Trout.

Although I would definitely have given Bob Cratchit the day off. I'm not that mean. Honest!

7. Unions Died Last Night in Michigan.

Didn't have nothin' to do with the unions themselves, The governor of that state says that the "Right To Work" laws will only "strengthen" the unions. Ain't that a hoot? Get used to living in a country in ruins.

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Happy 12/12/12, everyone!

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
tomdegan@frontiernet.net 

SUGGESTED READING:

Alice Roosevelt Longworth
by Carol Felsenthal

"Princess Alice", as she was dubbed by the early twentieth century press, was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt. At a time when most women "knew their place" Alice was something else indeed. Her father once told a friend, "I can be president of the United States or I can control Alice. I can't possibly do both." She was never afraid to do whatever the hell she felt like doing. Although always identified as a staunch conservative, she was perfectly capable of crossing the ideological divide - and she crossed it many times during her long life. Of course by the weird and twisted standards of today, the Tea party would probably label her a screaming lefty. She died in 1980 at the age of ninety-seven. This is a fun biography. Although probably out of print, it's worth a read if you can find it on ebay. This gal's life is a Broadway musical waiting to happen. Seriously.  

BREAKING NEWS, 12/13/12, 4:00 PM:

Susan Rice has just announced that she has taken her name out of consideration to be appointed Secretary of State. In a letter to President Obama she explained:

 "If nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly - to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities."  

This is an intelligent and capable woman who would have done an outstanding job representing the United States on the international stage. But for the right wing scream machine....

This is pure politics, folks. The GOP knows damned well that Obama's second choice for the position, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, will leave his senate seat open when he is confirmed. They want that seat very badly.  

BOLD PREDICTION: They won't get it.
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The Republican party is ruining your country. Are you angry yet?  

AFTERTHOUGHT:

Here is a link to a piece I wrote about uber bastard Mitch McConnell two-and-a-half years ago:   

http://tomdegan.blogspot.com/2010/04/mitch-plutocracys-bitch.html

Mitch: The Plutocracy's Bitch