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Comments Posted By Helloise

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Let’s Put the Blame Where it Belongs

I read that, too, and completely agree with you. Another heartening trend, a sizable group of Republican pols in Kansas, some of whom were mowed over by the Club for Growth or one of those oxymoronic groups just announced they were supporting the Democrat over Brownback, whose fiscal “experiment” has had devastating effects on the economy and education. Another self described moderate is challenging a tea partier in office.

It’s one thing for progressives to despise the tp’s, but in the end, it has to be the gop moderates who remove the tumor.

» Posted By Helloise On July 17, 2014 @ 5:27 am

thx The Hedges quote says it all.

» Posted By Helloise On July 17, 2014 @ 5:17 am

Great subject, Nirek. I no longer think of the TP’s as a party, but a virus and one that has spread from the carriers to the host body, the GOP, which in turn has had an exclusively negative effect on the legislature and ultimately the entire country, even those who imagine otherwise. Worse, they are so delusional, not about their power that unfortunately exists, but their understanding of the issues and the repercussions of their infantile postures, that they actually imagine they are independent and not lackeys for interest groups and individuals who could care less about the country or them.

To me, there is nothing more depressing than watching one of their representatives offer up a stew of delusional assumptions, conspiracy nonsense, simplistic slogans and hubris, as if there was an inkling of comprehension of whatever issue they’re mangling, nonetheless anything resembling a solution to a problem.

It reminds me of sitting in a classroom and watching some entitled, self congratulatory ignoramus present a mommy-made science project with breaks for applause. That metaphor comes to mind, because it’s possible to draw a straight line that goes directly from a TP talking point to its funding source. There’s a great piece on Alternet today connecting the opposition to the immigration bill with the private prison industry that not coincidentally elected Jan Brewer. Climate change denial, funded by the Kochs and other big time polluters. Highway bill, thank private contractors who don’t want the feds getting in the way of their intention to bilk states with sympathetic governors.

From top to bottom, the tea party represents how far it is possible to go by appealing to the worst instincts of humanity.

» Posted By Helloise On July 16, 2014 @ 11:20 am

Ted Cruz: A Thorn In The Side Of The GOP Establishment

I’m not surprised that Cruz’s colleagues have been blindsided by his ruthless behavior; it’s hard for run of the mill narcissists to see the markings of a raging sociopath before he/she/it reveals the poison fangs hidden behind the smarmy smile.

We’re talking about a Olympic style social climber, one who demanded a law school study group be limited to Ivy Leaguers now presenting himself as the voice of the common man against the “elitists” in the tyrannical government that happens to pay his salary, a man who has the chutzpah to claim it was not his intention to shut down the government … all the president who would be king had to do was cave in to the junior senator’s imperial demands and there would have been no crisis and most telling and laughable, a man who foisted his own wrong-headed interpretation of “Green Eggs and Ham” during a completely contrived and meaningless, phony filibuster.

Presumably he has some loyalties, although it’s hard to believe he actually buys into his father’s crackpot theology (that includes the notion that his son is going to help usher in the rapture, which if you change the a to u, is believable), probably to his wife and daughters, but otherwise, it’s very hard to ascertain what he actually thinks he is achieving beyond the immediate thrill of outfoxing those foolishly attempting to do even a portion of the job the public expects them to do.

Although Cruz is probably smarter and more disciplined than Joe McCarthy, he lacks an overarching cause that might appeal to the masses, such as anti-communism. I have to admit being curious enough about what makes sammyglick run that I hope he graces us with a bid for president, upsetting the clown car as he puts his foot on the pedal and grabs for the wheel.

» Posted By Helloise On July 13, 2014 @ 10:10 am

Internal GOP Rift Widens With Cuccinelli’s Call To Defund The NRSC

This is like watching a Little League game after the Incumbent team beats the Oppositional Disorders, who react to their defeat with a collective tantrum supported by their division, The Sore Losers, streaming onto the field to join in the head bashing fray.

» Posted By Helloise On July 10, 2014 @ 7:11 am

Hobby Lobby, Contraception and Bearing False Witness

1. You assume that one definition of “religious freedom” is accepted by everyone else, which simply isn’t the case and the people who have disagreed with the court’s ruling on that basis include those who identify themselves as Christian.

2. Even the definition of “abortofacients” is completely subjective and disputed by every legitimate medical association. Yes, every human being is entitled to his or her own opinion and religious beliefs, but the question is should private corporations be allowed to impose those beliefs on others by depriving them of their rights to access to anything they are entitled to by law? Why do their beliefs automatically trump their employees’ beliefs and in this case, patients’ right to privacy?

3. The reality is that Hobby Lobby has been providing health insurance to their employees — and good for them! — for years and almost certainly insurance that covers all means of birth control. The only difference now is that birth control is included on a medically sound list of products and procedures classified as preventative care meaning that insurance companies agreed with the government that birth control used by 90% of the female population at some point in their lives for a wide range of reasons should no longer be be subjected to a co-pay adding to the extra fees that women were being charged based solely on gender.

4. It should also be pointed out that Hobby Lobby had no problem opening a store in Massachusetts, which has had the same mandate under Romneycare to which they voiced no objections. They have also invested in pharma companies that make the products the very products they condemn and appear perfectly happy to trade with China, a country responsible for mandating abortions.

5. As ACA was constructed with input from every presumed interested party — insurers, medical societies and physicians, patients rights groups, religious institutions, even Republicans in congress despite the fact they intended to vote against it on “principle” — following a model inclusive of the private sector, to suggest that this president or any president would have the power to demand that insurance companies cover every drug and service imaginable is at best disingenuous. The bottom line is that it is insurance companies interest to provide coverage for all forms of birth control, not only because it allows physicians and patients to decide what’s best, but it’s a lot less expensive than providing services for pregnant women.

6. After the decision there was a lot of talk, particularly from the religious lobbying/law firm that found and is funding the lawsuits regarding the birth control mandate, about the “sincerity” of the Green family. From everything I’ve read and observed, I have no doubt that this family is indeed sincere, but what that has to do with this legal decision, or any legal decision including the inevitable suits to follow alludes me? We’re talking about appointed judges, not Solomon here. It’s pretty ironic to see five men capably of blithely disregarding say, the emotional testimony of those affected by voting restrictions turn around and use “sincerity” as a component of their decision.

» Posted By Helloise On July 6, 2014 @ 10:49 am

“I Get Bergdahl- Been There.” Words From A Young Iraq/Afghan Vet

Thank you so much for sharing this, Murph. By now I should be incapable of shock at the lack of empathy I see in the public sphere, but in the case of Bergdahl, I think a large share of the responses have gone beyond an inability to comprehend someone’s particular experience or even to acknowledge it as such, but bordering on and sometimes crossing a line into a denial of his humanity through a denial of their own emotions, foibles, fears and failures.

Honestly, how many of us can say with any certainty how we would react if we found ourselves in his situation, or even more to the point, can honestly say that we have never even in the most mundane of circumstances realizing we have volunteered for responsibilities we resent or fear or make us angry reacted in ways that might be judged by others as a betrayal of trust or cowardly or simply inexplicable?

That some of his fellow soldiers would feel all of those things is completely understandable, but can we not admit as your story illustrates that when it comes to betrayal, they might if they allowed themselves feel a much greater sense of abandonment when it comes to a country that engaged in wars of choice with no real thought given to the consequences, not just abroad, but here at home. Worse, many of the same people judging Bergdahl with knee jerk platitudes about loyalty and service and blah, blah, blah are the very same people responsible for helping to create the cascading series of disastrous events leading to the precarious situation that our soldiers and so many of our vets find themselves in today.

I am so glad that you were able to lend a hand to your neighbor. We all need to do that every day and on a grand scale.

» Posted By Helloise On June 22, 2014 @ 8:32 am

The Bush Legacy 2.0: The Dissolving of Iraq Into Warring Factions

Excellent summation, Outlandish, and nice to see you and other friends on this site. I wrote something similar somewhere, though not as thorough, only adding that I thought it was about time the oil companies, who have been reaping the profits of our military’s sacrifice and efforts, profits that were supposed to pay for the misbegotten travesty, ponied up now to secure their particular interests, as well as contributing to the humanitarian situation, there, and here at home, the results of their throwing a pittance of their prior profits to finance politicians like McCain.

I have to say that one of my favorite neocon hits now being replayed as the same idiots blame Obama for not buying into their original delusions and keeping them afloat was a quote from wrong-way Kristol in the lead up the invasion pooh poohing the concerns of those he called “pop psychologists” for bringing up the “contrived” idea that invading Iraq might stir up over a thousand years of sectarian conflict between religious factions. Right, Bill, the Sunni Shia divide was just a figment of the imaginations of those overly analytical cowards needing any excuse not to jump on the kamikazee bandwagon.

» Posted By Helloise On June 14, 2014 @ 5:22 pm

No Longer Lost: Finding a New Home at Daily Kos and PlanetPOV

I agree with almost everything you’ve written, Beatriz09 and it’s nice to see you here. I, too, really appreciate what Murph and his pals have done in providing such well researched guidance. But, like you, I miss certain things about the HP system, including the ability to converse in real time all the time, the opportunity to fan people specifically, the wide range of topics and yes, even the tabloid stuff that I mostly avoided but didn’t mind perusing on occasion.

While it was wonderful to find so many really smart, well informed and people with similar world views on that site, which is true of Planet POV and Daily Kos, I also enjoyed sparring with dissenters and monitoring the tea party, NRA, etc. when they alit in droves in response to certain articles, mostly pushing exactly the same narratives or should I say, sentences.

I do realize that some of my objections to go directly to FB are probably a reflection of my generational preferences, but it did feel like a bait and switch, as I have zero interest in that enterprise and have since its inception, despite the fact that many of my friends are users and have invited me to join. I did sign up to continue posting at HP, but have not once visited or responded to their queries.

Anyway, I suppose HP had its reasons for the switch, but although I’m thoroughly enjoying being exposed to other worthy sites, I still find it sad that they took the detour most traveled on.

» Posted By Helloise On June 15, 2014 @ 2:46 pm

Was Pvt. Bergdahl Choosing Suicide?

Great to see you, too! I’ve just gotten here, as I’m going through a really busy patch, but was happy to see old friends even in a quick perusal. I imagine there will be more as the word is spreading. I hope to “see” you soon.

» Posted By Helloise On June 12, 2014 @ 3:32 am

Hi Murph! I followed the yellow brick road and arrived at this wonderful destination, so thank you for that. Your thesis makes a great deal of sense. More on that soon after I get some much needed sleep, but wanted to say hello. Helloise

» Posted By Helloise On June 11, 2014 @ 7:53 pm