Author: R J Adams

It’s hardly the way to run a banana republic. If some sleazy South American or African nation had politicians hold their government to ransom, it would be all over the western media, and we’d shake our heads and thank our god it couldn’t happen here.

The United States of America is not quite a banana republic, but it’s heading in that direction. Yet again, for the third time this year (and, let me remind you, it’s only April!) the American people are threatened with the shut-down of their government, by a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears, college boys (and the odd girl) with immature, ideological, crackpot ideas of how to run a country.

Fifty-one Tea Party House of Representative newbies, trying desperately to make a name for themselves in politics, are holding three hundred million Americans to ransom.

What are their terms?

They want to cut $66 billion dollars from this year’s budget and (well, the figure varies depending which of these plonkers is asked the question) four, five, or, possibly six trillion dollars from next year’s budget.

Let’s not forget, of course, that these same guys (and the odd girl) will eventually wend their way out of politics and into the corporate structure, where they’ll land plum, highly-paid, cushy little numbers with the corporate they’ve served best while on ‘The Hill’.

Their political stay is temporary; a stepping stone to higher, more lucrative, employment. The Koch brothers will welcome them with open arms. “Good job, lads. Come, have a brandy and soda while we discuss your futures.”

Where are the four, five, or, possibly six trillion dollar cuts to come from?

Not out of their pockets, for sure. Nor the cavernous pouches of Koch Bros.

No, it’s you and I, the real workers of corporate America who will have to pay the bill for the promotion of fifty-one Tea Party politicians destined for higher things.

Nowhere in their list of cuts is anything that’ll cost the wealthy and powerful a light. Not one penny of that four, five, or, possibly six trillion dollars will come cascading forth from the upper echelons of the powerful.

No, it’s all destined to be stolen from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, schools and education, and a whole host of other services vital to the wellbeing of ordinary Americans.

One has to wonder when the American people will wake up.

The Republicans in the House of Representatives have their weakest leader for years. John Boehner is a big, wet, crybaby. Today, there are 241 House Republicans. Only 51 are Tea Party members – under 22% – yet they’re ruling the roost on the red side of the House.

Boehner would happily come to terms with Reid over the budget if he had free rein. Who’s holding him back? Who is it who turns him all red in the face, and hot and sweaty, whenever a media man sticks a microphone under his nose?

Not fifty-one Tea Party freshmen, that’s for sure.

How about, those who control the Tea Party? Those whose dollars created the Tea Party?

Wake up America.

As George Carlin said, “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.”

There are fifty-one Tea Party newbie politicians who will be in it – one day. If the American people allow them to get away with what they’re doing right now.

And, they’re doing it in your name. How many times have you heard the words from their lips, “The American people voted us into office to do this.”

Did you really vote them in to steal your Social Security, your Medicare when you’re old and ill, the education of your children and grandchildren?

“They don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t care about you…at all…at all…at all…”

^{My thanks to ‘Twilight’ for reminding me of the late George Carlin video.}

Just once every blue moon, cialis advertisers take the trouble to produce a product worthy of capturing our attention. No background music was added to the video above. Kenjiro Matsuo was responsible for the amazing woodland xylophone used in this advert for a Sharp cellphone.

I think J.S. Bach would have approved.

^{My thanks to Al DeVito at “Vineyard Views” for bringing it to my attention.}

Filed under: Peace on Earth

We all remember Israel’s 2008-2009 military offensive in Gaza. It was on every news broadcast for a week. We remember the atrocities, as reported to us by TV newsmen in the field. We remember the vile images of burned children, schools bombed, civilian houses obliterated.

We also remember the report of South African judge Richard Goldstone, that accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Of course, nothing was ever done to bring those responsible to justice. The matter was left to lie. No-one dares take on Israel. It would be anti-Semitic.

Today, Richard Goldstone says he was wrong. Israel never deliberately targeted civilians. His report was in error.

Writing in the Washington Post yesterday, Goldstone exhibits a surprisingly marked bias towards Israel, even to the point of criticizing the U.N. Human Rights Council:

I had hoped that our inquiry into all aspects of the Gaza conflict would begin a new era of evenhandedness at the U.N. Human Rights Council, whose history of bias against Israel cannot be doubted.”^[1]

Goldstone goes on to condemn Hamas for not holding its own investigations into its war crimes – that of firing rockets into Israel and targeting civilians. It was, according to Israeli sources, these rocket attacks that led to the Israeli military offensive of 2008-2009.

He applauds Israel for investigating accusations it targeted civilians, though these same investigations have produced no outcome, and says the basis for his original findings was one family of Palestinians, the al-Simouni family, who lost twenty-nine family members when their house was hit by Israeli fire-power.

During the Gaza offensive, which lasted twenty-two days, 1,400 Palestinians were killed. These included hundreds of civilians, many of them children.

What of those, Mister Goldstone?

During the Gaza offensive, which lasted twenty-two days, 13 Israelis died. None of them were civilians.

Who is Richard Goldstone?

Below, is a quote from his Wikipedia entry.

Goldstone is a third-generation South African born into a Jewish family in Boksburg near Johannesburg. He is of mixed English-Lithuanian descent; his mother’s father was English and his grandfather was a Lithuanian Jew who emigrated in the 19th century. His family was non-religious, but he credits his Jewishness with having shaped his ethical views through being part of a community that has been persecuted throughout history.”

Says it all, doesn’t it?

Who got to you, Mister Goldstone?

Oh, and before the comments and emails arrive accusing me of being an anti-Semite, I’m not. But I am bitterly opposed to any nation that’s hellbent on emulating the Third Reich.

^{[1] “Reconsidering the Goldstone Report on Israel and war crimes Washington Post, April 1st 2011}

Filed under: Stink of corruption