A Moment of Your Time

A Moment of Your Time

Since I went underground before Thanksgiving, I wasn’t even going to write this post, but three very close friends said I should. Last November my Dad became extremely ill. His…
Guest Post: Occasional Words from the Resistance …from the desk of R.E. Vanella.

Guest Post: Occasional Words from the Resistance …from the desk of R.E. Vanella.

In reply to anonymous; is it fascist fait accompli? Move me on to any black square.  Use me any time you want. Just remember that the goal is for us to capture all we want.    –Yes, I’ve Seen All Good People Steve Bannon to king’s knight 2…. check. On Woody Guthrie’s guitar there was a note taped that read, “This Machine Kills Fascists.”  Now, I’m nobody to disparage Woody Guthrie, but throughout history when fascists really needed killing the Martin 000-18 was insufficient. John R Bolton to queen’s rook 4…. check. Now that we’ve arranged the pieces just so how many moves will it take the Grand Master marketer and media manipulator to sort it out? Wraith of Julius Streicher to queen’s bishop 3…. check.
Guest Post: Occasional Words from the Resistance – The first in a series of remarks from the desk of R.E. Vanella

Guest Post: Occasional Words from the Resistance – The first in a series of remarks from the desk of R.E. Vanella

Unhappy the land where heroes are needed.  –Bertolt Brecht, Life of Galileo I am in here.  Like many of you I had a painful week.  I think dramatic vacillation between severe emotions has the same effect as ascending too quickly from great depths in the sea.  If I accelerate from rage directly to despondency in, say, less than two seconds I experience significant waves of nausea. I’ve concluded that the seriousness of this moment requires us to navigate through the storms of the body and the psyche and get on the same page.  There’s been mention of coming together.  So to that end and if you’ll permit me, I’d like to make a few remarks. What I am going to do, and what I strongly urge you all to do, is whatever it takes to prepare yourself for the fight ahead.  We’ve read polls, and spread memes, and spewed talking points, and told the jokes, and made predictions, and dismissed other people predictions, and also the videos.  It seems a little surreal that there was a game in this space around Republican primary season.  Has anyone else had this thought? Please know I mean no disrespect, but I’m in no mood to play now.
It’s On – I’m Sure Trump Voters (And Anyone Who Didn’t Vote Or Voted 3rd Party) Will Be Happy

It’s On – I’m Sure Trump Voters (And Anyone Who Didn’t Vote Or Voted 3rd Party) Will Be Happy

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday that Medicare has “serious problems” that would need to be addressed when Congress moves to repeal and replace President Obama’s health-care reform law — a signal that he is willing to immediately enter the treacherous politics of entitlement reform and perhaps break with President-elect Donald Trump. “When Obamacare became Obamacare, Obamacare rewrote Medicare, rewrote Medicaid, so if you’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare, you have to address those issues as well,” he said in a Fox News Channel interview. “What people don’t realize is that Medicare is going broke, that Medicare is going to have price controls. Because of Obamacare, Medicaid is in fiscal straits. So you have to deal with those issues if you’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare. Medicare has got some serious problems because of Obamacare. Those things are part of our plan to replace Obamacare.”
Oooh... basically private insurance for retirees! Which, if you had a functioning brain cell, you knew was always the Republican plan. If you voted for Trump, or voted 3rd party, or didn't vote then you voted for this. No complaining. This was the agenda. Shame our media never discussed it, but, you know... EMAILS and Hillary is untrustworthy! And as much as I'd like to lay the blame for all of this at the GOP's feet, I can't. On this very blog, for months - and even days - before the election we (WE!) were still discussing this nonsense. Hell, liberals/progressives were discussing the DNC and how rigged it is. We Gored (get it?) ourselves because *sigh* we weren't inspired. Holy crap, aren't we supposed to be grown ups? Obviously not.
White Privilege And It’s Built-In “Lone Wolf” Excuse

White Privilege And It’s Built-In “Lone Wolf” Excuse

I'm exhausted. This election season, along with other events, has beaten me down. It's endless, and next Tuesday will not put an end to it. And now we have another lone wolf. Here's how the NYT described the "ambush shooter" who killed two police officers:
Investigators quickly identified a suspect in the slayings, who then surrendered — a local man described as a troubled loner who was familiar to the police in his suburban town, Urbandale. He had a string of arrests and confrontations with officers and others, but nothing in his record approached the scale of violence that erupted here. Sgt. Paul Parizek, a spokesman for the Des Moines Police Department, “We may never actually know what motivated this act.”
A troubled loner. Oh well then, let's move along. He couldn't possibly be part of a culture. Why? Because white men are viewed as individuals. I'm so tired of this. There is a problem here, and why we keep ignoring - and excusing - it escapes me. And the idea that "we may never actually know what motivated this act" strikes me as ridiculous.
The Walking Dead Tonight!

The Walking Dead Tonight!

Yeah, you either love it or hate it. I love it - a show I started watching three years ago when I was looking for something to do with my…
#WhyWomenDontReport

#WhyWomenDontReport

Exhibit A: A day after Jessica Leeds accused Donald Trump of sexual assault in a story reported by the New York Times, Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs used his large audience on Twitter — roughly 797K followers — to advertise the woman’s New York address and telephone number.  Exhibit B: "Take a look. You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don’t think so. I don’t think so." - Donald Trump Exhibit C: #WhyWomenDontReport   (Amazing Twitter thread)
Trump Warns: Don’t Make Me Hit You

Trump Warns: Don’t Make Me Hit You

Josh Marshall (TPM) refers to Donald Trump as an abuser. The description is accurate. In The Abuser's House: By any pre-2016 standard we know, the entirety of angry, blustering manner…