November 28, 2007 archive

Nov 28 2007

You Want Civility? I’ll Show You Civility!

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I just received a Ron Paul flyer in the mail. In this particular piece of merde, Dr. Paul is arguing against illegal immigration. He believes he is the one candidate running who will stop it once and for all.

Part of his strategy is to amend the 14th amendment in the Constitution and end automatic birthright citizenship in the United States.

My initial and immediate reaction was…

Fuckity fuck fuck piece of shit racist bastard. What an asshole you are for pulling this shit, especially in the South where it is too damn easy as it is to appeal to the deep-seated racism here. Fuck off.

And then I thought of the fight going on here yesterday, and I see continuing somewhat today. And I thought it worth bringing to your attention.

Nov 28 2007

Four at Four

Some news and open thread for Wednesday afternoon.

  1. The Independent reports Mexico spends millions to welcome insect migrants. “A warmer welcome should soon be awaiting the millions of orange-and-black monarch butterflies which each year make their astonishing migration from the eastern United States and Canada to the fir-clad mountains of central Mexico. The tourist hordes that come to view them should see the change too. The government of President Felipe Calderon is to boost spending at the nature reserve where the butterflies gather for winter by $4.6m (£2.2m) a year both to improve conditions for the insects – and their human admirers – and to step up efforts to combat rampant illegal logging.”

  2. According to the Los Angeles Times, Seven federal wildlife decisions to be revised. “Federal wildlife regulators will revise seven controversial decisions on endangered species and critical habitat made by an Interior Department political appointee who quit in the spring amid charges of improper meddling in scientific decisions… Former Deputy Assistant Interior Secretary Julie MacDonald, a civil engineer from California with no formal training in natural sciences, routinely questioned and sometimes overruled recommendations by biologists and other field staffers, according to documents, interviews and a review by the department’s inspector general. The review outlined instances in which MacDonald advocated altering scientific conclusions in ways that led to reduced protection for imperiled species and that favored developers and agricultural businesses. And she was rebuked for providing internal documents to lobbyists.”

    MacDonald “should never have been allowed near the endangered species program,” [House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall II (D-WV)] said in a statement Tuesday. “This announcement is the latest illustration of the depth of incompetence at the highest levels of management within the Interior Department and breadth of this administration’s penchant for torpedoing science.”

  3. The New York Times reports Oil producers see the world and buy it up. “Flush with petrodollars, oil-producing countries have embarked on a global shopping spree… Experts estimate that oil-rich nations have a $4 trillion cache of petrodollar investments around the world. And with oil prices likely to remain in the stratosphere, that number could increase rapidly. In 2000, OPEC countries earned $243 billion from oil exports, according to Cambridge Energy Research Associates. For all of 2007 the estimate was more than $688 billion, but that did not include the last two months of price spikes.”

  4. The Los Angeles Times reports Ethanol a sticking point in energy bill. “A plan to dramatically increase ethanol production has become a major sticking point in congressional negotiations to complete work on the bill. And it has created a challenge for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose Democratic caucus has split over the issue… At the heart of this year’s dispute on Capitol Hill is the Senate bill’s renewable fuel standard, which would mandate 36 billion gallons of alternative fuels by 2022 — up to 15 billion from corn-based ethanol… Environmental groups, which support alternative fuels, want to ensure that stepped-up production does not damage the environment. They worry about more pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, and the conversion of grasslands and wildlife habitats to farmland.”

Another passing of note below the fold.

Nov 28 2007

Greater Productivity Has Been Cancelled Today

Since we are taking care of the smaller productivity of fighting blog wars over how op relate to each other by writing essay after essay about it, I thought I would throw one in to say that this shit has pretty much ruled out me writing what I was hoping would be a semi-important essay on, like, trying to effect political change and roll back the oncoming tide of tyranny and injustice. Well as possible in the relatively minor fiefdom of the blogosphere.

So anyone who was looking for something like that today…sorry.

We are working out how to be decent human beings on blogs instead.

Just as important in its own small way, but it is always a bit disappointing when we have to stop and do this shit. On the other hand, it is exactly thios kind of shit that keeps the world and our nation and humans in general from making real progress, so I can’t say it is MUCH less important.

Ok, I’ll go back to figuring out how to be a good blog daddy now.

Nov 28 2007

Central America, Yelling Louder: A Dead Man’s Treasury of Death Squads, Torture, Fascism

When is the last time you saw much news about any nations of Central America from MSM sources?  Or remember how the atrocities there were given the diminutive descriptor “football wars?”

If there is one thing to note about the Babylon war, it is that those headlines obscure so much back story to torture, death squads and fascism as sponsored by the US taxpayer since World War II.

Due to recent demand for discussion of Latin American issues, this diary is a mere primer, a postcard in relation to a world of ills wreaked upon Central America with official US support since just the 1970’s.  Public comprehension among the US public is so feeble it is difficult to know where to start.  Therefore this account is submitted as a mere scratchpad to which the author requests others to attach relevant links and information.  Because the sore recent history of the region known as Central America is diffused by individualizing separate nations’ ills.  When viewed as a region it might paralyze one’s conscience for shock.

Nov 28 2007

Why “Civility” Is a Joke

Because those who whine most loudly about it write comments like this:

He is not in control of his speech or his actions when he attacks people (0.00 / 1) [delete comment]

And that makes him a victim of them, as well as a perpetrator of violence.

I am not going to continue this.  You can investigate what I’ve advocated, accept it or reject it.  

I am not advocating silencing anyone – but I am advocating placing limits on actions – in this case, hate speech and ad hominem attacks.

I also see in Armando’s attacks and escalation, acute signs of mental illness, and it’s that which is manifesting in the extreme speech which I believe is also a manifestation of Armando’s distress.  Limiting his ability to hurl invectives while he isn’t in control of himself is similar to providing privacy for patients who are not in control.  The intent is to preserve their dignity and worth, and to provide that in an environment with the least restraint possible to effect the goal.

You as site administrator/owner can schoose to have a PFF-like site, but that should be made clear so that visitors can make an informed decisions about participating.  

I came based on Turkana’s recommendation and your “be excellent to each other” motto.  I see that isn’t the case.

I choose to withdraw.  

Now, did you really want this to be on the site?

If not, then please zero it out.

Okaaay then. Accusation of acute mental illness seem a tad bit uncivil. “Verbal violence” in fact, no? What would Gandhi say?

I know what I say, “civility” seems to depend on whose ox is being gored.

Nov 28 2007

Mitt Romney is a bigot

Famous varmint hunter Willard “Mitt” Romney has been reported to have said he would exclude any Muslims from his cabinet. According to Monsoor Ijaz, in the Christian Science Monitor:

“I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that “jihadism” is the principal foreign policy threat facing America today. He answered, “…based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration.”

Romney, whose Mormon faith has become the subject of heated debate in Republican caucuses, wants America to be blind to his religious beliefs and judge him on merit instead. Yet he seems to accept excluding Muslims because of their religion, claiming they’re too much of a minority for a post in high-level policymaking. More ironic, that Islamic heritage is what qualifies them to best engage America’s Arab and Muslim communities and to help deter Islamist threats.

Apparently, Romney doesn’t understand that our government isn’t constructed along strict demographic lines. Maybe someone should ask him if he thinks it should be. For one thing, that would mean more women than men in both houses of Congress. Which would be a good thing, although it’s likely Romney wouldn’t agree. As for the stupidity of Romney’s bigotry, go read Ijaz’s article.

Furthermore, as Trapper John pointed out, Romney’s an opponent of Affirmative Action, so the position he bases on his bigotry is also hypocritical. And, of course, Romney has tried to weasel out of the situation by claiming a case of bad reporting. Well, TPM Election Central has now discovered that this wasn’t the first time Romney has expressed his bigotry:

As you know, Romney is in a bit of a spot because of an  account in the Christian Science Monitor by an Islamic businessman who claims Romney said that he “cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified” for a Muslim. Today Romney  denied this version of events, saying that he had actually been asked whether he thought he needed a Muslim in his Cabinet to effectively counter Jihad, not whether he opposed the idea of having a Muslim in his Cabinet.

But as we reported earlier today, we located two GOPers in Nevada who say that Romney had in fact been asked a similar question and given a similar answer at another event three months ago. George Harris, a state GOP official, told us that he asked Romney at a private fundraiser if he would have any Muslims in his Cabinet. According to Harris, Romney’s reply was “most likely not.”

We’ve now discovered that there’s a contemporaneous account of this episode in something called Liberty Watch Magazine, which Harris publishes.

So, Romney is not only a bigot, he’s also probably a liar. Act surprised.

The only question is whether being a bigot against Arabs and Muslims will help or hurt Romney, in the Republican primaries.

Nov 28 2007

Yay, we are fighting!

And what family doesn’t?

What is the biggest danger this site faces?

The biggest danger to this sites health: excessive politeness and agreement.

Lack of conflict, leading to a saccharine paradise of conformity and a lack of challenging each other to grow and learn and change.

Conflict avoidance leading to self-censorship group think and echo-chamberiness.

The second greatest danger? People thinking this is some kind of flawless paradise and getting pissed when it is not exactly THEIR picture of paradise. That is the weakness of a paradisaical model. When ANY flaw appears in a supposed paradise, any little thing that takes away the perception of a perfect paradise…. people reject the whole thing, because it is only ALMOST paradise, now that a flaw has been found.

The good being rejected for a lack of perfection.

Nov 28 2007

STOP!

Every one involved, stop.

All the players, and we know who we are, STOP POSTING. Stop explaining. Just stop.

REFRAIN FROM POSTING.    ~~THINK~~    RE-READ THE ORIGINAL THREAD.

And if you find, on the original thread, your comments, or the actions you took, IN ANY WAY, whether intentional or not, were hurtful or insensitive to another poster, OWN IT.

What’s happening here this morning is INEFFECTIVE.

Each one of us who participated needs to clean our slate and then, and only then, can we start over.

Nov 28 2007

Response To Point Of Personal Privilege

So now comes the phony Kumbaya Brigade to ignore facts and realities.

Let’s assume you do not agree with me that accusations of race baiting are racist rhetoric. I think you have no understanding of the use of the phrase if you think that and I think even if you do, you should understand that people of color do not agree with you. Perhaps, with that in mind, you might refrain from such scurrilous charges. A true progressive would, imo.

But let’s get to what really exercises them – “people” being “mean.” And by “people” I mean me. Faheyman wrote an off topic comment in a Buhdy post attacking ME:

“Bad Karma” Alert! (2.00 / 2) [delete comment]

“So we need as loud of a voice as possible…and we need new ways to present our positions clearly and simply. …and to move the candidates AND to promote some form of unity…”

We must yell louder, but yell with good will, if unity (solidarity and united action) is the goal.  To wit…

I came across this comment on the front page earlier today:

[hidden comment] Fuck you (0.00 / 2)

Fuck you you racist bastard!

Hey Buhdy. Fuck this guy.’

Fuck this piece of shit racist.

by: Armando @ Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 05:48:50 PST

This particlar diarist routinely spreads extremely bad karma on your site.  And, since he’s a frequent front-pager, this happens all too often.

He resorts to name-calling (not to mention basic rudeness).

I don’t get it.  It’s more appropriate for the Planet Orange crowd, IMHO.  I thought I had found a refuge from that kind of shit over here.

(Also, thanks for uprating my diary.  You’re too kind.)

Peace.

So I am attacked personally in an off topic manner. The KUMBAYA! Crowd says Hurrah! But that’s not my problem. My problem is with the dishonesty this person displays. He ignores the comments I am repsonding to. For example, this one from a person who then writes this shameless diary. The comment stated:

The only racist statement is yours (1.00 / 2) [delete comment]

“I am sure access had nothing to do with white man Solomont’s decision to bundle for Obama. Riiiiight.” Perhaps your goal is to drive this website into irrelevance?

by: notlightnessofbeing @ Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 09:17:09 PST

Faheyman was not concerned in the least about that person calling me a racist. What of the Karma of that Faheyman? But Faheyman is simply dishonest. In his diary he wrote:

Having been “called out”–not once, but twice–by an essayist here this (yesterday) evening (Eastern Standard Time), I would like to respond.

Why does Faheyman act the victim here? He ORIGINALLY called me out. He has not responded to why he ignored the charges of racism against me by NotLightnessofBeing. He is a dishonest hypocrite. He had nothing to say about Night Owl accusing me of race baiting. What of the Karma Faheyman. But Faheyman is a dishonest phony.

Let’s make this clear. All of the accusations against me are false. I initiated NO HOSTILE exchanges. It was the KUMBAYA crowd who has attacked me personally. It is the KUMBAYA crowd who called ma a raicst FIRST. It is the Kumbaya crowd who called me a race baiter.

It is the height of dishonesty, hypocrisy and phonyism from the Kumbaya crowd to attack me for being mean while they spare no opportunty to attack me personally and call me names.

I have said from day 1 that I do not give a shit about civility and Kumbaya. This is no secret. I do not complain about being attacked. I do complain about dishonest phony Kumbayers here who play the innocent when they are the instigators.

I know that many of you do not have the desire to call out this dishonesty. That’s fine. But rest assured, I will. ESPECIALLY when it comes to race issues.

I will not be silenced by the dishonest Kumbaya crowd here. Only Buhdy can do that.

Nov 28 2007

Pony Party, Are We There Yet?

Nov 28 2007

The Morning News

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Witnesses testify in Blackwater lawsuit

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer

44 minutes ago

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury investigating Blackwater Worldwide heard witnesses Tuesday as a private lawsuit accused the government contractor’s bodyguards of ignoring orders and abandoning their posts shortly before taking part in a Baghdad shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.

Filed this week in U.S. District Court in Washington, the civil complaint also accuses North Carolina-based Blackwater of failing to give drug tests to its guards in Baghdad – even though an estimated one in four of them was using steroids or other “judgment altering substances.”

A Blackwater spokeswoman said Tuesday its employees are banned from using steroids or other enhancement drugs but declined to comment on the other charges detailed in the 18-page lawsuit.

Nov 28 2007

Muse in the Morning

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Muse in the Morning

The muses are ancient.  The inspirations for our stories were said to be born from them.  Muses of song and dance, or poetry and prose, of comedy and tragedy, of the inward and the outward.  In one version they are Calliope, Euterpe and Terpsichore, Erato and Clio, Thalia and Melpomene, Polyhymnia and Urania.

It has also been traditional to name a tenth muse.  Plato declared Sappho to be the tenth muse, the muse of women poets.  Others have been suggested throughout the centuries.  I don’t have a name for one, but I do think there should be a muse for the graphical arts.  And maybe there should be many more.

Please join us inside to celebrate our various muses…

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