Set the Controls for Fear and Loathing

INVASION!! Did you know that our country is being invaded? Drop everything and get your "Go Bag" ready! Our President and his acolytes have been raising the alarm and now thousands of American soldiers are deploying to defend our southern border against the invaders.

Upwards of 5200 US troops will bolster the border against... maybe 3500 asylum seekers from Guatemala and Honduras, mostly mothers and children bugging out from a murderous local scene. That's a lot of firepower against teddy bears and blankets. But it's all needed because this foot-borne invasion is an Imminent Threat - they are only 1000 miles away!! By the time they get here sometime in December, our troops will be dug in and ready for action. Unless the migrant/asylum caravan (they are traveling together for group protection) never even makes it to the border, which is far more likely.

By now, we all know how the MAGAbomber and the Tree of Life shooter took their lethal cues from the rhetoric emanating from Trump, the GOP, and Fox News/Hate Radio. Such "caravan people" are criminals, murderers and rapists. MS-13 gang members and Middle Eastern terrorists. Infected with smallpox, leprosy and rabies. Young, strong bad guys. Really bad. Coming to a darkened alley near you.

In fact, today on a radio ad, Virginia gubernatorial Republican candidate Corey Stewart says Democrats "allow criminal illegal animals to assault our daughters, murder our sons, and deal drugs. The Democratic Party of today is an unhinged angry mob of thugs." Such wild, hateful and emboldened racist rhetoric is possible because it echoes the very things Trump has said over and over. It takes a page from the blatant but trusty Brown Thugs Raping White Women appeal.

And, aside from the Democratic Party and maybe ISIS, who else do Trump & Co. hold responsible for this Caravan of Existential Calamity? "Globalists". Like philanthropist George Soros and Jewish refugee agencies such as HIAS. Living in this climate of Fear and Loathing, the MAGAbomber sent a bomb to Soros (and 13 other Trump "enemies") and the Tree of Life killer targeted that synagogue through a "hate directory". It's pretty easy to connect the dots.

Someone who predicted all of this is Daryl Johnson, a former analyst for the Department of Homeland Security. His 2009 report envisioning the current fever swamp of right-wing radicalism was seen then as too controversial. Since 2016, its conclusions are prescient. Please give this a read, it unveils all you need to know about Trump's deliberate rhetoric and the rise of extremism it engenders:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/10/29/trumps-hate-and-lies-are-emboldening-extremists-just-ask-the-analyst-who-warned-us/?utm_term=.e8cfb2488435

Wow. Any questions?

So what does our Trump Administration do to reduce the Fear level it's been churning out? Well, nothing. The band plays on. On the other hand, it has done a swell job in ratcheting up the Loathing quality to the equation. The following is one of the best reads of the year. It's about VP Mike Pence and his decision to bring out a Jews For Jesus "rabbi" at a political event, to say a few words regarding the Tree of Life massacre. Though awful to consider, this piece is very funny, and absolutely to the point:

https://www.wonkette.com/mike-pence-gets-fake-rabbi-to-offer-fake-blessing-sparks-real-outrage

Oh, ho ho. Come for the subject matter, stay for the comments section. But honestly, how was it judged to be a good idea to bring in this "off-brand rabbi", a Christian convert, to deliver up a "prayer" for the Republican faithful in Michigan. It's so hugely insulting, as Five Dollar Feminist outlines in her article above. Although it must be said that Pence is a big Conversion kind of guy. He made his political hay in Indiana by touting "Gay Conversion Therapy" programs. You know, Gays can be converted to Straighthood, ya just need the right tools and a positive attitude. He seems like just the kind of guy who has gone through such therapy. Loathsome? Why yes, yes!

There are plenty of other examples of how Trump & Co. are using Fear and Loathing to manipulate their voter base. Holding them accountable is up to all of us, but in particular it is up to The Enemy Of The People.  Here is a nice rundown on how this can be done:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055440819283353601.html

And what if these approaches can't help? Well, there's always Divine Intervention. The Creator Of Heaven And Earth has not been pleased lately, as you can detect from the deity's two twitter accounts:

https://twitter.com/TheTweetOfGod/status/1055847614690713600

and

https://twitter.com/TheGoodGodAbove/status/1055905151809150977

Finally, it should be noted that Saturday's Tree of Life Synagogue massacre took place in a neighborhood in Pittsburgh called Squirrel Hill. Aside from being referred to as the intellectual and moral center of the city, it is also known as the home of the late Fred Rogers. It really was Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Here is Mr. Rogers himself, speaking after yet another award had been bestowed to him. He really was a gentle genius of children's television. And what he says here resonates so deeply:

"Look for the Helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Amen to that, Mr. Rogers.

Turning Lies Into Bombs

It is surprising that it has taken this long. Presently, there have been at least a half-dozen bombs sent to targets seen by many as opponents to President Trump. The MAGAbomber has selected long-time objects of Trump's ridicule and wrath: Hillary "Lock Her Up!" Clinton. President "Birth Certificate Is A Fraud, Founder Of ISIS" Obama. Representative Maxine "Crazy, Low IQ" Waters. Billionaire George "He Pays Professional Protestors" Soros. Former CIA Director John "Loudmouth, Political Hack Who Can't Be Trusted With The Secrets Of Our Country" Brennan. Obama's Attorney General, Eric "He Better Be Careful What He's Wishing For, I Can Tell You That!" Holder. Representative Debbie Wasserman "Must Not Let Her Off The Hook" Schultz. CNN and The San Diego Union Tribune, both examples of Trump's "Enemies Of The People". Who knows where this ends?

It's hard to find a positive note in all this. Trump's hateful and dangerous demonization of his opponents has fractured the country. The enmity that he has helped spawn is now alarming. The main question is how long will it take to mend? Certainly not while the Divider-in-Chief and the complicit GOP Congress remain in charge. Empty words of "unify the country" will be spoken, then it will be off to another Two Minute Hate rally session. Just last week at one gathering, Trump congratulated a Republican congressman for body-slamming reporter Ben Jacobs of The Guardian. Let's see what he says at tonight's rally in Wisconsin.

Harsh, but true...

He typically vilifies anyone or anything that does not bow down to him. He defines them as hateful objects, worthy of being physically harmed. His opponents are harmful impediments to Making America Great Again.

The Press have become "The Enemy Of The People".

The Democratic Party is "the party of massive crime... they want to unleash violent predators and ruthless killers..."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-11/trump-attacks-arsonist-democrats-as-polls-show-house-at-risk

"They are not just extreme, they are frankly dangerous and they are crazy... They want to dismantle law enforcement and attack the heroes that keep us safe."

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/sep/22/trump-blasts-democrats-20180922/

Is it any wonder that the MAGAbomber is following through for Fearless Leader? In his twisted mind, the bomber has to be convinced that violent death to traitorous enemies is the path set forth by President. The incredibly toxic rhetoric favored by Trump is finally blooming into domestic terrorism. Again, it was only a matter of time before the Firehose of Hate created this degrading moment. It's Lies, Incorporated. Lies R Us. All Lying, All The Time.

To verify this claim, let's let the terrific reporter Daniel Dale of The Toronto Star (of Canada, a former staunch US ally) tell us about the torrent of BS blasting out of Trump's oral orifice:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/fact-checkers-identify-increasing-rates-of-false-claims-by-the-president

Yes, as time goes on, so does the velocity of whoppers and fibs. From 2.7 falsehoods a day in 2017 to over 5 per day now. And the last couple of weeks have been remarkable for the sheer volume of fabrication, a veritable Niagara of mendacity. Take one minute to check these out:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1054802555727986690.html

and Trump's contention that there are riots going on in California:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1053729767692926983.html

and that possible ISIS infiltrators are mixed in with the refugee "caravan" approaching the southern border:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1054352194777047040.html

and just general WTF-ery:

https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1055083496014839809

Oh, thank you, Mr. Dale. It can't be easy covering what amounts to be the Mt. Everest of Fallacy every day. It might be frustrating, it might even be comical, but today, it is dangerous.

And my humble apologies for striking such a strident style with this post. As you probably know, I do attempt to couch my observations with what passes for wit and perspective. But what has transpired today, and over the last couple of weeks, has pulled my patience out of the plug.

Putting it into the context of classic mid-60's power pop, here are The Knickerbockers singing their One Hit Wonder, "Lies". Two minutes of Beatlemania without the Beatles...

"All The President's Men" meets "The Producers"

After a two-week descent into the maelstrom, let's settle back a bit and ramble through some random observations gleaned from this past week.

As usual, there was an enormous amount of news and malarky. But what stuck with us was the hilarious and terrifying interview of President Trump and his core advisors, conducted by a truly surprised and disbelieving Olivia Nuzzi, of New York Magazine. Plucked unexpectedly from the press gaggle, she was escorted into the Oval Office for a lengthy session with, well, ya gotta read it to believe it. This is a remarkable and jaw-dropping interview; nearly every line is worth a king's ransom:

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/my-private-oval-office-press-conference-with-donald-trump.html

It all comes off like a poorly-produced TV Reality Show: "Oh, look who's behind Door Number Three!! And Wow, here's a surprise guest star we have walking in!" It's so very weird, as if David Lynch has taken over the Trump Administration, which has morphed into a bizarre dreamland mashup version of The Executive Branch and Mulholland Drive. It reads like a speed freak's fever dream, chattering away about nothing, over and over. Oh, the author, Olivia Nuzzi, bears a passing resemblance to Ivanka. Maybe that's why he went head-over-heels throughout the interview.

Going further into movie comparisons, the present administration is really more like "All The President's Men" meets The Producers. What began as a Not-Serious Presidential campaign that would have set Trump up with an easy and lucrative Major Media Platform in 2017 ended with a shocking electoral turnabout, the equivalent of "Springtime For Hitler" becoming a hit. As the Mueller investigation continues, Trump's fortunes will probably end with the imprisonment of various family and staff, and the collapse of his businesses. Life can be funny sometimes.

Speaking of humor, the Conservative funnybone was on full display this week. In a Thank You editorial to Senator Susan Collins, who provided the "Yes" vote to confirm Kavanaugh, the Wall Street Journal editorial board decided upon "Susan Collins Consents" as its headline. Oh, Ha Ha, it's a rape joke double entendre! Those scamps! You can almost hear them hooting in their work space...

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/6/17945228/wsj-editorial-board-members-susan-collins

Well, boys will be boys. And some girls, too. Drinking beer to celebrate the Kavanaugh confirmation became a thing, because, you know, he's now Justice Kegger. The following quick read is quite a carnival ride. After a brief summation of events, we experience a rapid pass-through of the Pro-Kavanaugh crowd, as the bubbles rise. Quite a rogue's gallery of supporters, hoisting their suds:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/remysmidt/beers-for-brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-confirmation

In another attempt at Funny, GOP Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), longtime party leader and member of Senate Judiciary Committee, tweeted: "Not quite #Beers4Brett but #Bubbly4Brett instead" Ha Ha, I get it! The guy who by most accounts was a sloppy drunk who'd drink to extreme excess is now on the Supreme Court! Conservative humor is sooo funny:

https://twitter.com/JohnCornyn/status/1048696008513925120/photo/1

Not to be outdone, Chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley (R-Trumpistan) said that female Republican senators haven't asked to be on the Senate Judiciary Committee, ever, because they don't want to do it. There's just too much work involved and the poor dears don't have the time:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/05/politics/chuck-grassley-judiciary-committee-women/index.html

Meanwhile, Senator Susan Collins (R-Patriarchy), delivered her own deep thoughts. She attempted to put a pro-Women spin on her vote, but fell headlong into the Land of Farce by declaring it a vote with a "silver lining":

https://www.bustle.com/p/susan-collins-believes-theres-a-silver-lining-to-the-kavanaugh-allegations-12181696

"The one silver lining that I hope will come from this is that more women will press charges now when they are assaulted,"Collins said. Yes, that's the message millions of women embraced from last week's shitshow - women should no longer be concerned about not being believed like Dr. Ford (who Collins "believes" but doesn't believe was correct in ID-ing Justice Kegger). After the last two week's worth of escalating verbal assaults against Dr. Ford, and other accusers, by President Trump and the Republican firmament, resulting in death threats and forced relocation, women everywhere should take heart that they can now step forward with their stories. It just could be that Susan Collins is simply trolling us.

Then there were more wild and wooly Trump rally claims... "You don't hand matches to an arsonist and you don't give power to an angry left-wing mob, and that's what they've become. Democrats have become too extreme and too dangerous to govern. Republicans believe in the rule of law, not the rule of the mob." Actually, Republicans believe in the minority's Law of Rule over the majority:

http://theweek.com/articles/800880/gops-sneaky-attempt-paint-majority-angry-leftwing-mob

Also, too, there was this mysterious moment after Kavanaugh's swearing-in ceremony, where now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, Kegger's sponsor, seemed to be unpleasantly shocked by something Trump said to him as they walked off camera. It set DC conspiracy theorists over the top:

https://twitter.com/Eleven_Films/status/1049449309790322688

Yes, it is curiouser and curiouser... something about Kennedy's son? Prolly more like "I like big butts and I cannot lie."

Also, there was the President's Guest Editorial on Health Care that USA Today published. It was a thing of beauty, one where the Washington Post exulted that nearly every line of it was false:

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/10/fact-checking-president-trumps-usa-today-op-ed-medicare-for-all/?utm_term=.44025f683402

On a related note, there was Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer's wickedly funny analysis of the same piece:

https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1050053956993503232/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1050053956993503232&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fpolicy%2Fhealthcare%2F410763-schumer-rips-trump-medicare-for-all-op-ed-as-smears-and-sabotage

Yes, it was quite a week. The First Lady claimed to be "the most bullied person in the world." Trump spent Thursday morning with Kid Rock and the afternoon with Kanye West. Kanye wants the 13th Amendment repealed, the one that abolished slavery. I'm sure that his new White House friends can get behind that. It's too bad he couldn't have walked in, special guest-star style, on the Olivia Nuzzi thing the day before!

Finally, we found out that if massive, radical and unprecedented globally-coordinated changes in energy consumption are not implemented within 10 years, we are forever doomed:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/08/world-has-only-years-get-climate-change-under-control-un-scientists-say/?utm_term=.a3e0660af43b

Oh, and a record-setting hurricane hit Florida as an exclamation mark for that study, too.

Our final finally, this week was All Time Favorite Musician Thelonious Monk's 100th Birthday. Check out this ebullient three minute dip into bliss. Also, watch the dancing otter up at the top while listening to it!! He's got it going!

"We are the Hollow Men..."

These past two weeks have been extraordinarily painful for Americans and America. For thinking people, it has challenged basic concepts in governance and civil society. It has forced a harsh spotlight on the most private of personal actions, gender vulnerabilities, and triggered long-long-overdue examinations into the constant of Sexual Assault as an unreported crime.

There is no better analogy for what has happened to our country, to millions of women and of this moment than a comment I read the other day:

With this in mind, Your Obedient Servant attended the #CancelKavanaugh protest in DC, marching  from the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse to the steps of the Supreme Court.

Of the 2000 or so attendees, baking in the uber-hot and humid air, I can only guess how many were Survivors. But I sense they were in the large majority of attendees. Their passion helped fuel the enthusiasm and energy felt throughout the crowd. One could feel the waves of emotion pass through the columns.

The shouts and the chants never ceased along the way. At one point, I was walking along with a trio of accomplished a capella singers as they sang "Come this November, we will remember" and other slogans in three-party harmony. It was lovely and moving.

Standing in front of the Supreme Court building, we listened to other Survivors from across the nation. We were asked if Kavanaugh was the best this Clown College could offer up, and if so, what were the alternatives like? As more speakers continued, it reminded how absolutely toxic this man is, and how his presence will contaminate, like a chunk of high-grade radioactive crud, the entire Court. Kavanaugh will be a weaponized political Justice. His forced confirmation is the result of an amoral Patriarchy in action, desperate to hang onto power while the winds of change begin to blow.

When the speakers had concluded, we were urged to head over to the Hart Senate Building for "direct action". So about half of the crowd headed over, as did I. Here are some pictures and a basic rundown of what happened:

https://www.bustle.com/p/these-cancel-kavanaugh-march-photos-show-thousands-came-out-to-protest-the-scotus-nominee-12165290

While waiting to clear the metal detectors to get inside, I spoke with a few fellow protestors. "If you get inside, be prepared to get arrested." The protest was going to ramp up into the realm of Civil Disobedience. Your Humble Reporter chickened out as several Republican Party Reptile staffers walked past, giving cynical glances and chuckling to each other.

I did manage to put myself in the way of a rapidly-departing Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, getting in his face and shouting "PLEASE VOTE NO!!" It slowed him down enough that others realized who he was. And it was off to the races! Corker went into Power Walk mode while a group of Survivors ran after him, giving him their Bumper Sticker versions of what had happened to them. "Please vote No for the future of our country!" I heard one say. They walked back, crying. I couldn't think of a damn thing to say except, "Well Done". It was, but it wasn't enough.

Here is what I missed inside; I wish I had the nerve to have followed through:

https://twitter.com/AyannaPressley/status/1047945508705259525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1047945508705259525&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bustle.com%2Fp%2Fthese-cancel-kavanaugh-march-photos-show-thousands-came-out-to-protest-the-scotus-nominee-12165290

Nearly 300 arrested. The Atrium and walkways were filled with hundreds more spirited and determined protesters who No Longer Have A Fuck To Give.

The following Hart Senate Building moment is a perfect encapsulation of how odious the GOP really is. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is on the Judiciary Committee. In fact, he is the Senate's President Pro Tempore, THE FOURTH IN LINE OF SUCCESSION TO SUCCEED THE PRESIDENT.  Here is a video clip of a protester describing what happened when she attempted to ask Sen. Hatch a question as he walked by. Watch her video, it's sickening.

He waves her off and then snarks on about meeting her "when she grows up". Which enrages everyone there. As they press towards the open elevator, his staff bark out "we'll have you arrested!" And as the doors close, there is a grinning, mocking Senator Hatch waving Bye-Bye to them. What a complete and utter putz.

The great Sarah Kendzior brings forth the intro to T.S. Eliot's iconic poem, "The Hollow Men", with a fine relevant pictorial format to provide Poetic Commentary on this colossal fustercluck:

https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/1047313401553276928

What she doesn't have room for: "Between the idea/And the reality/Falls the Shadow... This is the way the world ends/Not with a bang but a whimper."

Speaking of Hollow Men, our Leader was having a fine old time at a political rally the night before. Yes, he is an awful person. They are out there among us - you may know a few. What continues to appall, though, is how many (white) women think he is so good and kind and is God's imperfect vessel and laugh at his slanderous jokes and GRRR during his Two-Minute Hate and fall in line with the GOP-driven protocols of Patriarchy. I know that Tribalism is strong, but this is ridiculous.

Let it not be forgotten that he is our Sexual Assaulter-In-Chief:

https://www.businessinsider.com/women-accused-trump-sexual-misconduct-list-2017-12

I really wanted to dive deeply into the GOP/Conservative mindset that abide by this avalanche of awfulness. But I've broken down a couple of times already writing this. All I can say is that, in general, things are going to get a lot worse. But the worse it gets, the better it will become. And it will. Until then, we all need to persevere.

One way to hang on is through music. I know it works for me. Let's see if it can work for you! Try this one on for size: The New Pornographers, the wildly under-rated World Class band from Canada, perform "It's Only Divine Right." Turn it up to 11. And let yourself dance like no one is watching!!