Right Wing World: Presidential Politics Off The Rails

If this were my first or second year of blogging, I'd probably be typing my fingers into stumps, trying to keep up with the utter insanity overtaking Republican politics right now. But it isn't. I'm actually in my ninth year, and no longer feel compelled to hit this stuff quite so hard. I'm actually kind of glad I don't. It's making me crazy enough as it is.

Listen, I am aware that a lot of what's going on in the world is scary, confusing, complicated and difficult to process. It's just as hard as a hobbyist blogger (i.e., no more professional training than your average talk radio boob or FOX "News"-babe) to figure out what to write. The president spoke from the Oval Office last night, ordinarily something I'd write about. But I listened to the conservative response, which was uniformly negative, naturally, and just threw up my hands. Because, surely the president knows nothing and we really should be following what Joe Scarborough or Sean Hannity thinks we should do, right?

Image from source, Washington Post

Trouble is, the people auditioning for the actual president's job are quite arguably worse than the idiots in the conservative media. Any pretense at looking "presidential" is out the window. Any caution for how their words are perceived internationally is ignored. Even reality itself seems rather malleable in Right Wing World. You've got Trump ready to ignore Muslim Americans' civil rights, you've got Ted Cruz talking about nuking and "carpet bombing" (a war crime) swaths of the Middle East. Conservative standard-bearers--allegedly strict constitutional constructionists--want to throw out religious freedom (unless it's made-up Christian "persecution"). Everything has gone topsy-turvy. And it just keeps getting worse.

I get really bummed when I read internet polls or comments sections, and see these "conservatives" on board with this shit! This is allegedly the cautious party, the party afraid of change, the ones about "rule of law" and "personal responsibility" saying and doing whatever it is that their frothing-at-the-mouth, batshit crazy base will eat with a spoon. Regardless of whether or not it's the most anti-American, potentially unconstitutional, often internationally illegal and quite literally illogical claptrap ever spewed in politics.

Maybe I need to come back to this thing more often.

[Excerpt]

Donald Trump is a disaster for Republicans. And they can’t do a thing about it.

Donald Trump seemed to signal a new -- and even darker -- phase of his front-running campaign for the Republican presidential nomination Monday when he released a statement insisting that Muslims should be banned from entering the country under any circumstances "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on. . ."

Read more at: Washington Post

Right Wing World's Response to Paris Attack: Impeach Obama!

Whenever something awful happens (except for the wide berth given the Bush Administration following September 11), things inevitably get political. And each side declares that the other is "politicizing" the tragedy, usually while simultaneously politicizing it themselves. Sadly, such is the case with Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris.

And right after this left-right thing (which frankly comes with far more volume and crassness from the right*), comes the inevitable blame game. Regardless of how they get there, it's a) the fault of Democrats in general, b) the fault of President Obama, c) the fault of John Kerry, or d) the fault of Hillary Clinton. They're also apt to pick any or all of the above, and the funny thing is, it doesn't have to make sense or have any basis in reality. It's the "Thanks, Obama" punchline, except they're for some reason, serious. And then, inevitably comes the calls for impeachment. The charge? No idea, outside of "presidentin' while black."

Here's a post from Right Wing World Ground Zero, FreeRepublic.com, and not just from the page, but from site creator Rim Job Jim Rob himself.

[Excerpted entirely due to short length]

Jim Robinson of Free Republic with succubus alien being demon seed
Ann Coulter, from source.

Impeach Obama NOW!! Before the Islamofascists attack US again!!

Posted on 11/13/2015, 10:04:58 PM by Jim Robinson

Obama's wanton lawlessness, criminal incompetence, willful neglect, refusal to enforce the law, refusal to secure the borders, refusal to even recognize the obvious enemy, refusal to take Islamic terrorism seriously, etc, leaves us wide open to terrorist attack. Our borders and nation must be secured! All Islamics here on temporary visas must be rounded up and deported now! Recent Islamic immigrants should be suspect. Obama's treasonous policies are inviting ISIS to attack us!!

Don't let it happen again.


And here are just a couple of responses, just to give you some flavor.


"This is just another reason of many for Obama to be impeached."

"I agree completely except it is too late. The radical left has taken over the country and are now consolidating their power.We will never give up and maybe we can take our country back but the only way I can see that happening is an act of God."

"I believe 45 percent of the country would support a democrat even if they were brain dead on a ventilator. We MUST win the presidency with either Trump/Cruz or both."


So much for hoping that a serious event might shake loose some sense on the right.

* If you don't believe me, check Michelle Malkin's or Ann Coulter's recent Twitter feeds.

ISIS Claims Credit for French Attacks

As an atheist, coming up with a response to religious extremism can be difficult. On one hand, I'm all for religious freedom (which entails freedom FROM religion), so I'm not about to come out assailing everyone of a particular religion. On the other hand, I find all religions to be at best a waste of time, and at worst (and provably) downright dangerous. So, I am simultaneously not Islamaphobic, but also pretty much anti-theistic.

Image from source, Huffington Post

That's not to say I don't condemn--across the board--violence in the name of religion. I'm against violence in general, actually. But in the name of religion, it is particularly vexing. If your religion calls you to violence, backs up your actions, and rewards you for it? It's clearly a fucking dangerous religion. Presently, Islam has more vocal and active adherents who wish do harm to random, innocent people (not that specific, less innocent people would be better), and as such, "Islamophobia" is an inevitable result in people who would not ordinarily harbor it.

Whenever Islamic extremists create mayhem somewhere in the world, many will decry "moderate Muslims" for not speaking up, and condemning the actions. This is somewhat unfair, as it isn't difficult to find prominent Muslims doing exactly that. But I'm ready to say that it isn't enough. However badly some Muslims feel--and I do feel for your average, ordinary Muslim who is now eyed suspiciously--there isn't enough outcry. I think they need a pope-like figure, or coalition of religious and state Islamic leaders, prominently decrying at top volume, and for a sustained period of time, any violence in the name of their religion. They need to forcefully excommunicate groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda, denounce them as heretics, shame them from the faith entirely. Divorce "radical Islam" from anything approaching the actual religion.

Short of that, it seems to me we should pull up stakes. Get the heck out of dodge. Can't we do that?

[Excerpt]

Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Deadly Paris Attacks

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Saturday for attacks that killed 127 people in Paris, saying it sent militants strapped with suicide bombing belts and carrying machine guns to various locations in the heart of the capital. The attacks, described by France's president as an act of war, were designed to show the country would remain in danger as long as it continued its current policies, Islamic State said in a statement. . .

Read more at: The World Post

American Taliban?

There is a temptation on my part to let this imagery speak for itself, paste a link, and then leave it at that. But I don't want it to seem that I'm saying this is a 100% direct equivalence. The components of the images are pretty much identical: a weapon, a flag, and a holy book being held by a woman who looks pleased with herself.

I've already seen some commentary on Facebook that virtually shrieks that the woman on the right would be either a) beheaded or otherwise murdered were she to go against her faith, or b) outright behead or murder us. Graphic, right? People have some vivid imaginations. They also seem to see wholesomeness with the girl on the left, and danger in the girl on the right. And most of all, they'll complain that Christianity and Islam are not equivalent, in that Islam is inherently dangerous, and Christianity is not.

I'm not sure this holds up historically. I think atrocities have been committed by religious people in general. I think radicals in any religion are dangerous. It may be true that there are more organized, potentially violent religious extremists on the Islamic side of the aisle at the moment. But let's not pretend that the Bible hasn't been used to justify murder and mayhem, nor that the lady on the left looks any more sane than the lady on the right.

Source: Free Thought Blogs

Facepalm: Michele Bachmann Embarrasses Herself (And Us) One More Time

Michele Bachmann is not running for reelection to Congress in 2014. But that doesn't mean she's going to stop embarrassing herself, or the country. Just take a look at this. Marcus, come get your beard wife! She's doing that thing again!

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Hillary Clinton Responds to Death of State Dept. Officer, Romney Takes Advantage

Mrs. Clinton doing her job. Image from TPM.

Oy. I'm no fan of any religion in particular, and find some reactionary Muslims' hyper-sensitivity to "blasphemy" to be utterly and completely ridiculous. I find the very notion of blasphemy ridiculous, Muslim or not. But to deliberately stoke this irrational beast? To provoke a reaction on purpose? That is insanity, and this "pastor" Terry Jones guy ought to be excommunicated, or shunned, or whatever his idiotic sect does to assholes.

That said, I of course find the use of violence--up to and including murder--to be utterly unacceptable, and unbecoming of this "religion of peace," to say the very least. It takes a couple of typical reactions of religious people--1) overreaction and 2) believing that people not of your faith must follow your faith's rules--and magnifies them to insane proportions.

As for our politicians and their reactions to this terrible turn of events, I find Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's response to be typically very good. I find the Embassy's response to be just fine, provided that it was before the attacks happened, as stated. Mitt Romney has jumped in, trying to burnish his lacking foreign policy credentials, and finger-wagged the White House for "apologizing" for. . .what. . .that we have a douchebag "pastor" inflaming crazy people? I don't know, and Romney really doesn't yet either.

For all the crap President Obama got for "politicizing" the killing of Osama bin Laden--something Bush/Cheney would've had as part of a re-election slogan--Romney politicizing this horrible event right after it freakin' happened shows a real lack of restraint, and I find that inappropriate.

[Excerpt]

State Dept. Confirms Death In Libya; Romney Attacks ‘Disgraceful’ White House

. . .Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed the death at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to the Associated Press. Angry mobs descended on the consulate in Libya and the embassy in Egypt to protest an online film by American pastor Terry Jones that denounces Islam. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

FOX "News" Never Said Obama is a Muslim?

FOX "News" is splitting very fine hairs when they claim "no examples of a host saying President Obama is a Muslim." First, who said anything about it being a host? And secondly, even the hosts have fed the nutty tinfoil hat, conspiracy theorists big juicy slabs of red meat. There are dog whistles, and then there are just the plain as day regular whistles.



[Excerpt]


Bret Baier Ignores Fox News' Role In Fueling Obama Muslim Myth

Fox News anchor Bret Baier responded to a new book reporting that in 2010, President Obama criticized the network for pushing the myth that Obama "is a Muslim" by saying: "For the record, we found no examples of a host saying President Obama is a Muslim." In fact, Fox has repeatedly questioned and promoted falsehoods about Obama's faith, including pushing the false claim that Obama attended a "madrassa.. . ." 

Read more at: Media Matters

As a postscript, I'd like to say, I don't care what the President says his religion is, or even if it differs from what he really is (I'd prefer if he were agnostic or atheist, personall). But we don't question what people say their religion is. We don't ask if Bush was really a Christian. It's nobody's business but their own. And there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, either. And finally, the people making these accusations (or believing them) are by-and-large Christians (allegedly?), and yet they have no problem judging or bearing false witness. Think about that.

Iowa Republicans on FOX "News": Obama's a Muslim!

Yes, this is on FOX "News," is on Hannity, and features Republican pollster Frank Luntz, but still. This is just a paranoid, alternate reality. Right-wing world is a scary, scary place.

Conservatives Flip Out Over Innocuous Google Veteran's Day Graphic

It's official. Anything can be made into the latest right-wing faux outrage.  Especially if you throw in some supposedly veiled pro-Islamic sentiment. Honestly. If everything crescent shaped can be seen as a threat, these folks need to start railing about Pillsbury crescent rolls, New Orleans and the moon.

Source (and don't forget to read the comments) at: Joe.My.God.

Colorado Billboard Depicts Obama in Racist Caricature

Anyone looking at the drawing style of this billboard can see what's being done here. Beyond the incoherant message (digs at gays, Mexicans, Muslims, etc.), is the overt racist artwork.  This sign basically says--whether this is the intent or not--if you're at all "different," vote Democrat.  Oh, and if you are one of those DemocRATs, you're also rigging the game, keeping the "normals" down. Or something. 



[Excerpt]

Billboard Has Obama as Terrorist, Gangster, Gay



A billboard in western Colorado that uses caricatures to depict President Obama as a terrorist, gangster, Mexican bandit and gay has drawn bipartisan scorn from political officials. . .
 
Read more at: CBS News

Thank you to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg Walk Out on Bill O'Reilly on The View

The only time I see The View is when there is a confrontational clip floating around on the interwebs.  Still, I love Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar as performers, and find Bill O'Reilly's schtick hard to stomach. So good on them.

More Conservatives Coming Out Against Minimum Wage

If the election in November goes according to conventional wisdom, the GOP is poised to make tremendous gains, or even take over one or both houses of Congress.  I get that a President's party usually loses big in mid-term elections.  I get that when the economy is bad, the party in power is often in trouble.  The pendulum swings left, and then always swings right again.  But is America ready to have that sucker lassoed, hogtied, and lashed to a hitching post in the furthest reaches of Teabaggistan?

I hope not.  Because if it is, my faith in my fellow man--and their reasoning skills--is going to be lower than it already is.  Think about how this election season has gone so far. Who has been demonized--besides President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid--by the GOP so far?  Gays, naturally. People who don't have health insurance. Immigrants. Black people. Muslims. Gays again. The unemployed. I'm sure I've left some out. And then there's the fact that many prominent candidates are advocating eliminating or privatizing Social Security, Medicare and the VA.  So, there's your old and sick and veterans.  As icing on the cake, now they're targeting the poor.  Who is left to vote for them?

[Excerpt]

More Candidates Come Out Against Minimum Wage

Connecticut GOP Senate nominee Linda McMahon may have been the first, but apparently, not the last Republican hopeful to question the need for a national minimum wage. . .

Read more at: OnTheHillBlog

Religious Knowledge Study Has Surprising Results

Image from source, Pew Forum

I say "surprising" because it surprised some religious people. I wasn't too surprised though, after years of online discussions and personal interactions with religious people.  I'm agnostic-bordering-on-atheist, and the subject of religion comes up a lot. Especially when I mention the above.  Religious people, upon finding out my heathen status, often make it their personal mission to "witness" to me, in a vain attempt to convert me.

Oddly, I rarely approach these discussions with the intent of converting anybody to my way of thinking.  My role is usually just to explain why I believe--or rather don't believe--the way that I do.  It is roughly akin to banging my head into a wall, but I'm apparently a glutton for punishment.  But I've found in these discussions that I often--very often--know more about religion than the religious themselves do.  Oh, not chapter and verse. I was never much for memorization.  Still, I have reasons from my state of disbelief, and those reasons are based on the good book itself.  My knowledge of Hinduism, Islam and other non-Christian faiths is a little more spotty, but that's because I've rarely run into anyone from those religions trying to convert me.

The one thing that did surprise me is that a lot of Catholics don't know that transubstantiation--the conversion of the Eucharist and wine into Jesus' actual blood and flesh--is literal.  I can't say I blame them for attempting to wipe cannibalism from their minds.  Just, ewww.

[Excerpt]

U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey

Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of religious knowledge, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions. . .

Read more at: The Pew Forum

Islamophobia Goes Around the Bend: It's in the Numbers!

We've seen a disturbing rise in anti-Islamic sentiment lately, in the far-right's quest to get us afraid of and/or hating just about everybody (Latinos, immigrants, gays, "radical" blacks, the list goes on). That's not news. But when the outrage-du-jour escalates to "hidden codes," numerology and other conspiracy nut territory, it has either played out, or it is about to get even worse.  I'm not taking bets. 

Just check out the article excerpted below.  After the (not at) Ground Zero (not exactly a) mosque, named Cordoba House changed its name to Park 51--to head off other conspiracy rumors about the name "Cordoba"--you'd think they'd be in the clear, at least as far as the name goes. But no.  Somebody has hit the Qu'ran, assigning meaning not only to the "51" part, but the actual address of the property as well.  And wouldn't you know it?  They cobbled together the translations that suited their purpose, and have concluded that it's an evil Islamic plot, just as they've been saying!  Of course! 

Image from source, Infidel Blogger's* Alliance
(*This is hard for me to type, with the apostrophe in the wrong place)

[Excerpt]

Why Did Cordoba Project Change It's Name To Park 51, When It's Address is 45 47 Park?

Cordoba House changed its name to Park 51 which is odd since the address of the location is 45 47 Park Place.



Look to the Koran-the book of islamic conquest Qur'an CHAPTER 51, Verses 45-47 explains all. . .

Have a shot of bourbon, and read on at: Infidel Blogger's Alliance


But wait, there's more!  Once one of these conspiracy theories gets rolling, people of like mind tend to pile on, to make it even better.  Here are just a few quotes in the comments section on FreeRepublic, where I found the above excerpt in the first place. . .

"This is bone-chilling."

"Fascinating article, thanks for posting. Islam must be destroyed."


"4+5 = 9

4+7 = 11
So 4547 = FU America."

"Finally, some math I can understand!"

Idiots.  Much more here: FreeRepublic

Moron Burns Koran at Ground Zero

I'm not posting this out of outrage, or in any attempt to give this idiot fame or infamy.  I just want to point and laugh at what a jerk he is.  This says a whole lot more about knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers than it does about Muslims, or any kind of political point.  What a maroon.

Conservatives Believe President Obama is All Kinds of Muslim

Image from RandiRhodes'
Daily Newsletter

Sigh. Recently, I wrote a piece about the paranoia of conservative anti-gay people who believe that gays set out--as an ultimate goal--the complete destruction of marriage and the family.  They don't just wanna get married, the gays want to destroy society.  It's so ridiculous, and yet it is pervasive in certain circles. Something very similar is going on with the anti-Islamic faction of the Republican Party (as though those are different people). They think that President Obama may not only be a Muslim, but that he wants world-wide Islamic Law.  Paranoia barely covers it.

[Excerpt]

Poll: Majority Of GOP Believes Obama Sympathizes With Islamic Fundamentalism, Wants Worldwide Islamic Law

A majority of Republicans believe that President Barack Obama "sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world," according to a survey released on Monday. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Hat tip to Randi Rhodes for the link.

Muslim Cab Driver Stabbed & Cut, Probable Hate Crime

Okay, this anti-Muslim crap is getting out of hand. I'm agnostic, practically anti-religion (any religion), and even I can see this is getting nuts.  Maybe this dude is just bonkers, but it sounds like more than that. And I'm particularly squicked out that this guy looks so ordinary, so eerily like. . .well, me. The way he's dressed, the way he looks. Very me. And very weird.

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Ron Paul Repudiates Republican Response to "Ground Zero Mosque"

Image from Think Progress

Yeah, I know, not at Ground Zero, not a mosque. Not the point. What is interesting here is that--crazy as he can be--Ron Paul got this one right. Or, correct, rather.

[Excerpt]

Ron Paul breaks with GOP on New York mosque: The opposition ‘is all about hate and Islamaphobia.’

In strongly-worded statement released today, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), a tea party favorite and perennial GOP presidential candidate, strongly condemned his “fellow conservatives” for opposing the proposed Park 51 Islamic community center near Ground Zero. The outcry over the mosque “implies that Islam alone was responsible for the 9/11 attacks,” Paul said, explaining that the rights of minorities must be protected, even when it’s unpopular. Ultimately, Paul argues that the opposition to the mosque “is all about hate and Islamaphobia,” stoked by “neo-conservatives” who “never miss a chance to use hatred toward Muslims to rally support for the ill conceived preventative wars”. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

FOX "News" Financial Backer Also Backs "Ground Zero Mosque"

Image from Raw Story

What are the chances that the FOX "News" viewers are going to find out this little nugget of information?  If Sean Hannity were capable of thought, his pretty little head might explode at this news.

[Excerpt]

Fox News co-owner funded ‘Ground Zero mosque’ imam: report

The second largest shareholder in News Corp. -- the parent company of Fox News -- has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to causes linked to the imam planning to build a Muslim community center and mosque near Ground Zero in Manhattan, says a report from Yahoo!News. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Keith Olbermann Investigates: Is Barack Obama a Secret Muslim?

I started out writing my take on this video, and it morphed into its own post (see here), so I split this post off on its own. My post was serious, this video is mock serious, but is in reality quite funny--at the expense of the dingbats who believe that President Barack Obama is a secret muslim, or "aren't sure." From Friday's episode of Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

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