no nuclear option

it seems to me that if the republican majority in congress passes the republican president's bills without even the appearance of debate, then perhaps congress isn't doing its job to serve as a check and balance on the executive branch. if the democrats filibuster to block judicial nominations that might give the executive more weight than maybe it should, or if they try to block other bills for that purpose, then they're playing their proper role of checks and balances, while the republicans are not. furthermore, a judge who believes corporations have more rights than individuals doesn't deserve to sit on any bench. and since when have the democrats been racist, you cynical bigoted shit-eating republicans?
and what do the republicans do when the democrats are back in power, and the filibuster rules are still missing? when they can't block those 'activist judges' the president keeps ranting about. this all-out-war politics has to stop. we need compromise, we need discussion, we need debate. stop this power play mockery, stop gerrymandering, stop corruption. they're fucking you, all of them. they're ruining your lives.
and you voted for these idiots?

fiscal imprudence

the harsh political reality of economic prudence will be raising taxes, trimming spending, and cutting retirement benefits. the present level of spending, tax cuts, and anticipated benefits are fiscally unsustainable. this means a lot of politicians are going to face tough decisions about keeping the country on track for the next hundred years, since most of those decisions will anger their constituents and threaten their power. do they favor the short-term and keep their power even while they run the country into the ground, or does anyone in congress have the dignity and nobility to do what is right despite the political cost? my suspicion, my fear, is that the answer is no, and we're all doomed. the bush administration is going to kill the economy. somehow they're going to manage to cut taxes and strip out funding for social programs that benefit the people most hurt by a stagnating economy. in other words, bush and the republicans are still busy fucking everyone not making $200,000 a year or more. so are you rich or fucked?

republicans hate women too

support your local anti-gay marriage amendment, because battered women and unmarried straight couples don't deserve rights either.

'the best store in the world'

a co-worker just called wal-mart 'the best store in the world.' i wanted to say to her: you ever worked for minimum wage without benefits? you ever worked mandatory unpaid overtime? you ever worked a retail/stockroom job without union protection? you ever watched your better paying job go because wal-mart squeezed out the local employers, leaving your only employment option wal-mart? you ever wondered why you paid your employer to pay you?
you ever been royally fucked, and then fired for complaining about it?
if wal-mart employees try to unionise, the company would rather close the store, even if it's their most profitable store in canada. unions exist to prevent the bullying and strong-arming wal-mart imposes on its employees. scare tactics, and a weak economy, keep wal-mart strong. which is why, despite my need to cut expenses, i'd rather go to target. i'll pay the extra whatever to go somewhere with a marginally greater social conscience.

stand up for something: a manifesto (incomplete)

when i'm older and take a more mature approach to this perhaps it'll become legitimate political commentary, less vulgar and extremist, but for now i'll just rant about what bothers me. i get excessive, but more to shock you into reading than because i mean it. it's an attention-getting tactic, though at the time i may mean some of it. the point is, don't go around thinking i'm some anarchist nut or marginal crazy. maybe i am, but that's not why i write like this.
my politics are an odd mix of economic liberalism (meaning less government regulation/intrusion), cultural socialism, and personal freedom. basically, i don't like government intrusion in my life, be it federal or state, but i do want the government to help coordinate care for those less fortunate than me, those who slip through the cracks of a capitalist society. it should care for the poor and the old and the left-out. i don't like the power the wealthy have in this country, because it undermines the representative democratic ideals on which america was founded. i don't believe religion should have a role in determining policy, nor should morality stemming from religion control politics. america is designed to protect minorities against those who would oppress them, but gerrymandering, money politics, and and corruption have combined to allow vocal, wealthy, and zealous groups to control the debate, and thus the power, in our country. that's not right. we should steer a middle path socially, with a tendency towards progressiveness, not conservatism.
for example: abortion is a personal issue. i don't want the government making decisions for me about that (er, for women, since as a man i can't have one). the same with homosexuality. in fact, i should be free to do as i want provided it doesn't interfere materially with other people's freedoms. which means, homosexuals should be protected against discrimination, and should be allowed to marry. we shouldn't kill people because it denies the victim a right to live. i think most illegal drugs should be legalized, though regulated for our safety. i think blanket policies on most things are inherently unfair, and there must be room for courts to make decisions on individual cases with different circumstances.
i guess i don't really have the time or patience to go into all my beliefs right now, but they'll come out and you can analyze them as you please. i'm open to discussion/challenge/debate about any of these, and who knows, maybe you'll change my mind.
but i doubt it.

your politicians suck ass

tom delay offers no apologies for being a corrupt son of a bitch.

before anyone complains to me about partiality, let's make it clear that i'm not the media. not in any way involved with them. at the same time, it's pretty evident the media isn't doing it's job. they've got this thing about being impartial critics, which apparently means not being critics at all. that's wrong. the media should serve the people to keep the government in check. thus, it should chase down scandal and corruption and lies in all politicians lives. it should expose the powerful for the liars and incompetent fools they are. if the republicans show up in the news more, it shouldn't be the media's fault: it should be because the republicans are crossing more ethical boundaries than democrats. but definitely the democrats are doing their own share of cheating and lying, and they, too, should be exposed.

don't trust any politicians. they lie to you for power. they're not really interested in helping you or making america better. they could give a shit about that. no, they're concerned with self-aggrandizement and maybe their posterity. they're concerned about media spin and deluded public perception. public deception. that's what politics is, lies and illusion. they're all corrupt, they're all trying to kill you.

the culture of life

this man is going to spend the rest of his life behind bars. this is one of the few cases where i think justice, however ironic, would have been execution. killing people to stop others from killing people. that makes a lot of sense.

where i stand

it seems ironic to me that the neo-cons who so eagerly and forcefully promote democracy around the world are equally eager and forceful in subverting it at home. one has to doubt the sincerity of those so cynically (and brashly) hypocritical. one should always be suspicious of those who align themselves so closely with cheats, liars, and thieves.

a fresh start

here we go, a new blog for me. this one, hopefully, will be politico-social entries. that's the idea, at least.

i've found that as i become more unified in self, i have an increasing desire to fragment my web presence. i want to put poetry one place, personality another, and political fire here. i won't link to those others from here, but i will link to here from them. so you can come here from there, but you can't go back. not that anyone will ever read this anyway, but that's ok.