What Rightwingers & Libertarians Mean When They Use The Words "Freedom" & "Liberty" (Thom Hartmann Rant #9)

The following is an excerpt from the 5/19/2016 airing of the Thom Hartmann Radio Program (edited for brevity and clarity by me). Thom briefly shares his thoughts on the abuse and misappropriation of words in the English language (prompted by a remark from a caller... which I have excised).

Thom: The words that I think are most abused are "freedom" and "liberty". These are words that have been appropriated by the Far Right to mean, basically, the freedom and liberty of the billionaire class... to do whatever they damn well please. [While] the rest of us are free to die like dogs in the gutter. If lose our jobs, if we lose our health insurance [there should be no social safety net programs there to help us]. I'm aghast at how these words have been appropriated by the [Right and by] Libertarians.

Taxing rich people to pay for government programs that benefit us all represents a "morally untenable position". Yes, people in the middle class (as well as those who qualify as the working poor) pay taxes, but much of the burden falls on the wealthy. Boo-hoo for them. That they make a majority of the money and therefore pay the majority of the taxes is so sad. They (rich folks) need the freedom to do with "their money" as they please.

Large corporations also need the freedom and liberty to pay low wages or export jobs to low wage countries (and import goods manufactured in these countries sans tariffs). Which is why the Koch brothers founded the Cato Institute (originally the Charles Koch Foundation) and consider themselves to be Libertarian (OST #61).

But the truth is that, if you "pull up libertarianism's floorboards, look beneath the surface... you'll start to get a sense of its purpose". Which is to serve the interests of the billionaire class. (The True History of Libertarianism in America: A Phony Ideology to Promote a Corporate Agenda).

This is something that Libertarianism and the modern Republican party have in common... freedom and liberty for the rich man... and serfdom for the poor man ("right to contract" in Conservative doublespeak).

SWTD Tags: Libertarianism, Thom Hartmann.

DSB #44

Not Able To Comment On The RNUSA Blog

This commentary concerns the blog Rational Nation USA. The screenshot (below) should given you an idea of a technical issue I'm encountering on this website that is preventing me from accessing the comment box. (Click image to enlarge).

As you can see from the image, the RNUSA website is appearing as a jumbled mess. Text that is supposed to be contained within the blog's lefthand sidebar is spilling over into the main panel. And (I'm guessing), that when I hover over the comment box, I'm actually hovering over the lefthand sidebar. Thus it is impossible for me to get into the comment box and type anything.

Meaning, that unless this problem resolves itself, I'm effectively banned from commenting. BTW, I did try 2 different browsers (Chrome and Firefox) with the same result. I also tried using my tablet, but the problem persists. It's possible the problem has something to do with the fact that my internet connection is currently being throttled because I've exceeded my monthly data cap (which I'll be able to determine when my monthly data allowance is refreshed Monday night), but I'm thinking this is a Blogger issue.

The sidebar on most blogs is on the right, whereas with RNUSA it is on the left. If the sidebar is on the right (where is should be) text cannot spill over onto the main panel. Because text, always being left-aligned, can't flow in that direction (can't flow over the main panel from the sidebar when the sidebar is located on the righthand of the screen).

I mention this in case the problem is not on my end, but some sort of Blogger technical issue. The blog host might want to move his sidebar from the left to the right of the screen. If this is a problem that other people are encountering and it isn't just me that can't comment on his blog (I'm saying).

On the other hand (if nobody else is encountering this problem), I guess I'll just have to wait and see if it resolves itself (after my allowance resets, or if the Blogger technical glitch is fixed). Whatever is causing the problem, for now I cannot comment.

For the record, I did notice this issue a couple of times in the past. However, after the page finished loading, everything that was supposed to be contained within the lefthand side bar was stuffed back into it. Currently that isn't the case... the page remains a jumbled mess even after it finishes loading.

DSB #43

If gop Preznit Nominee Trump Promises To Appoint Ted Cruz To SCOTUS #NeverTrump Wingnut Author Tells Glenn Beck Then He'll Vote 4 Him

The following via the Cruz-supporting Glenn Beck website.

Ted Cruz's defeat on Tuesday may have pulled the plug for some in the #NeverTrump movement, but not for Brad Thor. The New York Times best-selling author joined The Glenn Beck Program on Wednesday [5/4/2016 to discuss the] "only one way that I will move out of the #NeverTrump camp... and that would be to put Ted Cruz into Scalia's seat at the Supreme Court". (This One Thing Could Convince Author Brad Thor to Abandon #NeverTrump by Jonathan. GlennBeck.com 5/4/2016).

"Glenn pointed out many people are arguing a vote against Trump is a vote for Hillary" and Brad Thor replied "Right — and no to Hitler was yes to Stalin"... so Trump is Hitler and Hillary is Stalin? And yet Thor would vote for Adolf Trump, if only Donald J. Hitler promises to appoint Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court?

Nevermind that this appointment is, constitutionally speaking, Obama's to make. Thor adds, "We've now seen who really stands with liberty, who is a constitutionalist and who is in this just for their own". Ha ha, he made a joke. But actually, no. That was no joke.

Anyway, who the heck is "Jonathan" (dude the article is credited to)? Damned if I know and damned if I care. Someone who works with Glenn, I'm guessing. Brad Thor (for the record) is "is an American thriller novelist [and] a member of The Heritage Foundation [who] has spoken at their national headquarters on the need for robust missile defense". Also, "Thor has said in interviews that he shadowed a Black ops team in Afghanistan in 2008 to conduct research for his thriller The Apostle [and, additionally] because of the content of Thor's thriller The Last Patriot, Glenn Beck predicted incorrectly that he might be assassinated by Muslim extremists".

Interesting, because (regarding assassinations) Thor said (during the Beck interview) "I think we will see unprecedented assassination attempts on Donald Trump"... which I doubt. Because (1st of all) he's very likely going to lose spectacularly to Hillary Clinton.

Secondly, the assassinating-types (extremist militia groups who want/wanted Obama dead) are Rightwing. I'm not saying that nobody will want Trump dead, but "unprecedented assassination attempts" against a White Conservative is stretching it bigley IMO. Keep in mind that under our first African American POTUS "the rate of threats against the president has increased 400% from the 3k a year or so under President gwb" (Source).

But back to Thor... he sez "far be it from me as an author to lay out the meaning of words, but perhaps the hashtag should be #NeverEverTrump... I mean, it can't be more clear than that. Never - you know, this is coming from the left. I thought no meant no to the left. Does never not mean never?".

Obviously (given the FACT that he laid out a scenario under which he WOULD vote for Trump) never must NOT mean never (to him). Hashtag should be #NeverTrumpUnlessCruzSCOTUS.

Audio: Snippet of Glenn Beck and #NeverTrump advocate Brad Thor conversation from 5/4/2016.

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Glenn Beck, Hillary Clinton, SCOTUS, Ted Cruz.

DSB #42

President Obama Should Appoint A Supreme Court Justice If Congressional Republicans Refuse To Act

So, who is going to appoint the murdered Justice Scalia's replacement? Congressional Republicans have vowed that it will not be Obama. They say the American people should have a say. By that they mean our next president should do the appointing and they are praying that the next prez is a Republican (Paul Ryan via a brokered convention?).

But according to an article from the Washington Post (published in the opinion pages on 4/8/2016) the Senate Republicans are (by refusing to hold hearings) waving their right to provide advice and consent.

Gregory Diskanta: Obama can appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court if the Senate does nothing (article excerpt) It is altogether proper to view a decision by the Senate not to act as a waiver of its right to provide advice and consent. A waiver is an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right or privilege. As the Supreme Court has said, "No procedural principle is more familiar to this Court than that a constitutional right", or a right of any other sort, "may be forfeited in criminal as well as civil cases by the failure to make timely assertion of the right before a tribunal having jurisdiction to determine it". It is in full accord with traditional notions of waiver to say that the Senate, having been given a reasonable opportunity to provide advice and consent to the president with respect to the nomination of Garland, and having failed to do so, can fairly be deemed to have waived its right. Presumably the Senate would then bring suit challenging the appointment. This should not be viewed as a constitutional crisis but rather as a healthy dispute between the president and the Senate about the meaning of the Constitution. This kind of thing has happened before... (Gregory Diskanta is a law firm senior partner).

If the Republicans don't cave and hold hearings (during which they could reject Garland, if that is what they want to do), then Obama should definitely go this route. Not that I'm enthusiastic about Garland. From what I hear he's a "moderate". But it is Obama's prerogative to nominate a replacement justice, and if the Congressional Republicans refuse to even hold hearings, then hell yeah Obama should go around them if he can (as Diskanta says he can). Hopefully he doesn't wuss out.

SWTD Tags: Barack Obama, SCOTUS.

DSB #41

Larry Flynt Offers A Team Of Doctors To Conduct An Examination Of Trump's Package To "Confirm His Boast"

"He referred to my hands, if they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem. I guarantee it" Trump said in response to a comment by Marco Rubio in which he implied that Trump's weiner was small (this statement by Trump from the 11th gop debate on 3/2016 in Detroit MI).

"Boasting" is how Larry Flynt perceived Trump's comments, and now he (as well as several other groups) want to "document" Donald's size.

Late last week, Hustler founder Larry Flynt was said to have issued an open letter to Trump offering "a team of doctors ready today to conduct the examination required to confirm your boast", according to the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas. ...adult toy and novelty maker Pipedream Products chimed in, inviting the Republican front-runner to have his member molded [and] the Erotic Heritage Museum, a five-minute walk from Trump International in Las Vegas, said it wants to display that cast. (Las Vegas sex museum seeks donation from Trump by Wesley Juh. Las Vegas Review Journal 3/7/2016).

OK, so there is probably a zero chance that Trump will acquiesce to any of these request, and those making them likely know it, but that they have is pretty funny.

This reminds me of when Flynt derailed the speakership of Republican Robert Livingston. When the gop controlled House threatened to impeach Bill Clinton for receiving a Lewinsky, Flynt offered a million dollar reward for proof that any Repub member of Congress cheated on their wife. Which resulted in Livingston admitting an affair and resigning.

But back to the funny - according to Stephen Colbert the situation with Trump is even worse than what happened during the Lincoln/Douglas debates, when Lincoln said the following.

Abraham Lincoln, 10/15/1858: No American, whether they be from North or South, free or slave, has ever complained about the size of my Lincoln log. And yes, the beard matches the drapes. (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, 3/7/2016).

10/15/1858 was the date that the last (of 7) of the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas took place (in Alton IL). Abe lost that election to the Illinois senate, btw. Here's hoping that the upcoming presidential election's results are similar. With Trump losing, that is. And/or with the Republican losing (if the nominee somehow isn't Trump).

Image: "He's always calling me Little Marco. And I'll admit he's taller than me. He's like 6'2, which is why I don't understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5'2", said the soon to drop out out Rubio.

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Donald Trump.

DSB #40

Donald Trump Prenup With Wife Melanoma Says If She Poops Or Farts She Gets Nothing In Divorce

Actually Donald's prenup doesn't say this, that is a joke Carlos Alazraqui made on the 3/9/2016 airing of the Stephanie Miller Show in reaction to John Melendez bringing up a REAL story concerning Trump's claim that his wife Melania (not melanoma) does not poop or fart. Seriously.

The following from a 2003 Howard Stern interview (edited, see full interview video below).

Trump: Howard let me just ask you. You said something a while ago about Beth that amazed me because it applies to Melania. You said you've never seen her do anything, like, bad, in terms of her own personal. ... You said you've never heard her fart. Stern: Not only is that true, she doesn't make doody. She hasn't made doody... Trump: I can say the exact same thing about Melania. ... I've never seen any of that. Stern: You're probably expecting a big one this year, though. Trump: Maybe they save that for after marriage. Beth and Melania, maybe they save it for after marriage. (Donald Trump claims his wife doesn't poop or fart by Stefan Sirucek. 2/24/2016).

This explains Trump's comment about Hillary Clinton taking a bathroom break during the 3rd debate being "too disgusting" to talk about... he thinks women's bodies process waste differently than men's bodies do.

Even though, according to Oddee's Fart Facts "people pass gas about 14 times per day [with] the average person producing about half a liter of farts every single day... and even though many women won't admit it, women do fart just as often as men".

I guess you could say that Donald Trump is a dumbsh*t. In this case he's a dumbsh*t regarding women sh*tting... as well as tooting.

Video1: Donald Trump and Howard Stern discuss the "fact" that neither of their wives poop or fart... as far as they know (Trump sez "I've never seen any of that"). Fast forward to the 7 minute mark for the exchange (19:03). Update, 10/26/2016: Sirius whined to YouTube and had the video removed, although the relevant part can be viewed as attached to a 2/16/2016 BuzzFeed article, Trump Isn't Into Anal, Melania Never Poops, And Other Things He Told Howard Stern. (Note: the video, as presented on BuzzFeed has no embed option. I looked at the html in an attempt to find it, but no luck. So you'll have to follow the link to view it).

Video2: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump remarked on Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton's brief absence from the debate stage on Dec. 19 saying, "Where did she go? I thought she quit".

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton.

DSB #39

Kiss-up Kick-down Christy Trump Endorsement (Thom Hartmann Rant #8)

The following is an excerpt from the Thom Hartmann Radio Program, 3/2/2016, which I edited for brevity and clarity. Thom discusses the endorsement of Donald Trump by Chris Christie.

Thom: My take on Chris Christie? I have known, in business over the years, a number of people that I refer to "kiss-up kick-down people". They are people who, [in regards to] their bosses and their supervisors, they're unctuous. They kiss-up to them, they're "oh, you're so wonderful". The people below them they treat like absolute crap. They kiss-up, and they kick-down. I think Chris Christie is that kind of person. I think he created that culture in his gubernatorial administration and that's why the whole Bridgegate thing happened. I think now that Donald Trump is the big dog, so Chris Christie is kissing up. It's a terrible character flaw and it's disappointing.

Yeah, I think that sounds right. The bully Christie got whipped, so now he's eager to kiss-up to bully who beat him. Being a toady for, and getting to share the spotlight with Trump is better than nothing. And Christie doesn't appear that interested in governing NJ, what with his spending 55% of 2015 outside of the state (Travelin' guv: Christie's been out of NJ 5 out of every 9 days, NJ.com).

And there could be something in it for Christie, according to Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight blog.

Vice President Christie or Attorney General Christie ain't all that far-fetched. Christie also replicates many of Trump's weaknesses, however. Like Trump, Christie is very unpopular with general election voters. Like Trump, he has been accused of cronyism and corruption. Like Trump, he can come across as a bully. So Rubio and Ted Cruz won't have to change their messaging all that much. ...the Christie endorsement... once again proves how easily Trump can control the news cycle. Christie, long a favorite subject of political reporters, will also be an effective surrogate for Trump. (Christie's Endorsement Of Trump Totally Makes Sense).

Unfortunately for Christie, toadies get kicked down and treated like crap by their bully masters. After his endorsement, Christie was expecting to stick around. "I'm with the winner" was likely what he was thinking, and he was looking forward to receiving any congradulations that might be coming his way (for the "wisdom" of jumping on the Trump train).

But Trump, in typical bully fashion, put his toady in his place and told Christie to get lost (not wanting anyone to horn in on the adulation the crowd was showering him with). "Get on the plane and go home" Trump informed the surprised and dejected apple polisher. And so Christie slunk away, embarassed.

Or, that's the interpretation of some (including myself). RealClearPolitics says "it appeared that Trump was dismissing Christie [but he was actually] thanking him and giving him a free plane ride back to New Jersey".

Free plane ride, huh? Maybe. That isn't as funny as the first interpretation, though.

Video: The Young Turks discuss Trump's dismisal of his toady Christie (3:32).

See also: The real reason Christie endorsed Trump: NJ governor, 53, was infuriated by patronizing Rubio, 44, phone call telling him he had a "bright future in public service". The Daily Mail 2/28/2016.

SWTD Tags: 2016 Election, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Thom Hartmann.

DSB #38