Transcontinental Meditation - Evidence of Weakness?

Let's you and him fight!

I might be a reactionary, but as far as religion goes I'm afraid (almost literally) that the doctrine of selection or ideas of pre-ordained, select souls that are destined to success in this world, and the next, may be true. That in fact worldly success was proof of being "saved". How else to explain the eternally baffling why/how some people are golden and untouchable*, unless as favored by some terrible and perverse unknowable deity? You might think this is funny if you knew what a slacker I am, and many people are their own worst enemy, but it's world wide and history deep - the shit always rises. I don't think I can ever stop resenting what is evidently unalterable reality. I even want to resent it, but the non-religious explanation, that the strong and ruthless will always prevail, is almost equally unacceptable, and either would suggest that resistance is futile.

One of my biggest takeaways from Carlyle, was that political history is very continuous and deeper than wars, revolutions, genocides, etc., which seems almost like mere noise and drama compared to the steady unchanging nature of man to breed, plant, build, and trade, while being continually harassed, threatened, robbed, enslaved etc. by their superiors, who are treated similarly, but sometimes more gently, by theirs. Carlyle was miffed, 150 years ago, because the worst had risen, by sham of democracy and reform, to replace the natural order of rule by a true elite, under God (for him a necessary pairing, logically, if the elite were not "elect", they would not be "true"). The only difference with today's situation is we can only know that the elite is not true, but have no real explanation beyond the lengthy indictment of facts and allegations. They obviously suck, yet somehow never suffer any temporal punishment beyond the occasional fine.

At least Caryle could be content that sins would be eventually paid and justice rendered. What do we have? Resentment, ridicule and occasional schadenfreude (my favorite!), and a dim hope that more people can get their personal lives in order and leave the other peasants alone while the "nobles" fight it out. Despite the endless discussions, we don't seem to have evolved much, and maybe worse, the standards of conduct seem to be getting lower as the firepower increases. Please fasten your seat belts and put your trays in the upright position. Note the location of emergency exits (if any).

PM update; from commenter Radical Marijuana on Zero Hedge

"Basically what has happened is the human ecology has bifurcated into a relatively small minority that acted like Vicious Wolves, and a much larger majority that acted like Zombie Sheeple. The Wolves have taught the Sheeple to bleat their morality. The majority of people are constantly told that everyone needs to be better Sheeple. The reality is that the actual systems are run by the Wolves, and the only good solutions are for everyone to become better Wolves. ...
None of the other economic problems could ever be resolved better without that quantum leap to understand evolutionary ecology better. Blaming the lying politicians, or the public that is tricked by them, is way too superficial, although it is partially correct. The greater TRUTH is profoundly paradoxical, since it requires understanding how and why warfare was the oldest and best developed social science, and therefore, understanding the psychology of the various actors within that system."





* I like this guy Israel Shamir.  International man of mystery

Does the Memory Hole have an Event Horizon

Can a physical hypothesis be used as a metaphor regarding a literary construct in order to better understand the workings of those who direct our resources and attention?

Was there ever so bright and brief meteor as the Petraeus "scandal"? Google has a few stories about the secondary and tertiary characters, but not much on the principals. Where's he? Vegas? Harvard? She transfered back to Deeaieh? That's all there is? A restaurant cheque and a couple of candy wrappers? Neatly done, oh invisible masters, who ever you are!

Cossaks Regain Control of Moral Steppes, Westeners Remain Puzzled

from RT

"On Tuesday, Russia threw its support behind a UN resolution that calls on Washington to end the trade embargo, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. "We hope that after the US government eases its embargo in certain areas – in particular, on US citizens' visiting relatives in Cuba, as well as on making money transfers and postal orders. Other steps for the final lifting of the embargo will follow," the Russian ambassador said from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly. He stressed that Russia has consistently called for the termination of the embargo, in addition to halting “political and military pressure that aggravates confrontational tendencies in international relations." 

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to condemn the US commercial, economic and financial embargo against Cuba.

 Russia was among 188 UN member states that voted in favor of the resolution, which calls on Washington to lift the embargo against Cuba "as soon as possible." 

Only the United States, Israel and Palau voted against the document."

Let's stipulate that RT is obviously a propaganda organ that mostly highlights American failures and doesn't highlight Russian ones; and further stipulate Russian policy is very much reactively against American, with a high probability that it would move into any areas conceded by American power. This move is significant when paired with recent changes in American law to enable cash transfers to Cuba, and the recent news that Cuba will allow un- or anyway less-restricted emigration.


This should be headline news, but it doesn't seem to be. I assume this is because there is a lot happening back-channel that would be damaging to parse out in the public sphere. Braver people than I could try to determine why Israel voted against it or what are their ties to the anti-cuban lobby. Smarter people than I might explore the whole embargo issue, and I'm sure they have. I just say Madelaine Allbright; case closed.  My basic objection is that only the powerless suffer from embargoes while their leaders, popular or not are the very last to feel the effects. We have given up the moral high ground, so we will lose every propaganda advantage. Straussians say it doesn't matter, but since I don't want any Empire (including ours) to succeed or prosper, I welcome the pushback. Pat Buchanan marked the battle for Falluja as the high water mark for the American forward momentum. I hope that this is confirmation that it continues to recede to at least "realist" levels, if never constitutional or rational levels.

Fecal Cliff

Again, from the Latter-day Pamphlets;

  " For, in fine, the tragic experience is dimly but irrepressibly forcing itself on all the world, that our British Parliament does not shine as Sovereign Ruler of the British Nation; that it was excellent only as Advisor of the  Ruler; and has not, somehow or the other, the art of getting work done; but produces talk merely, not of the most instructive sort for most part, and in vortexes of talk is not unlike to submerge itself and the whole of us, if help come not!"

  "The beginning of all business everywhere, as all practical persons testify, is decidedly this, That every man shut his mouth, and do not open it again till his thinking and contriving faculty have elaborated something worth articulating, Which rule will much abridge the flow of speech in such assemblies! ... and this, alas, is precisely the rule which cannot be attended to in constitutional Parliaments."

Eisenhower in Tryst w/ Driver; Normandy Invasion Cancelled

Pundits Mystified by Lapse of Judgement

by Lester Lingamfelter
London, June 5, 1944

   The United Nations  was stunned today with the collapse of Operation Overlord, when it was revealed that General Eisenhower had submitted his resignation, effective immediately, because of possible conduct "unbecoming an Officer and Gentleman". He stated further that "he deeply regretted that his conduct has reflected poorly on himself and the trust of his Commander-In-Chief."

   Operative responsibility has been transferred to his next in command, General Karl Malden, who has put Overlord on temporary suspension, until the ramifications of the shakeup, and especially it's effect on the other United Nations' allies could be assessed.  It is still unclear whether the Polish forces, as well as contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece and the Netherlands would proceed as planned.

   Although details are only slowly emerging, there is some speculation that General Eisenhower and his aide-de-camp, Capt. Natalie Wood, had been "playing pattycake" after some of their late-night whist sessions, but no one in the chain of command would comment on the record, except Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, who only said "Nuts!" when asked for his response, giving no more clarification.

   President Rockefeller is believed to be at his Hot Springs, Ga. retreat where he is reportedly undergoing vigorous swimming and diving therapy for his asthma, which has flared up during Washington's unusually dry spring and summer. His assistant, Dr. Jane Russell, who  has been directing his regimen at Hot Springs, has informed the President, and his response is expected this evening.

   If General Eisenhower's resignation is accepted, it will mark only the second such high ranking officer to be so terminated, since General Ulysses S. Grant was let go in under similar circumstances after reporting for duty while inebriated in 1862, which was thought by many historians to account for the sudden collapse of the United States war effort and ultimately the loss of the Confederate States.

11/16/12 - via Abu Aardvark, L'Onion-

"Nation Horrified To Learn About War In Afghanistan While Reading Up On Petraeus Sex Scandal - As they scoured the Internet for more juicy details about former CIA director David Petraeus' affair with biographer Paula Broadwell, Americans were reportedly horrified today upon learning that a protracted, bloody war involving U.S. forces is currently raging in the nation of Afghanistan. 'Oh my God, this is terrible,' Allie Lipscomb, 29, said after accidentally stumbling on an article about the war while she tried to ascertain details about what specific sexual acts Petraeus and Broadwell might have engaged in. 'According to this, 2,000 American troops have died, 18,000 have been wounded, and more than 20,000 civilians have been killed. Jesus Christ. And it's been happening for, like, 11 years.' Sources confirmed that after reading a few paragraphs about the brutal war, the nation quickly became distracted by a headline about Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash's alleged sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy." 

Whither Hence, "American Conservative"?

Has anyone found any alien pods under the desks of the new "crop" of bloggers at the American Conservative? Is Ron Utz devoting too much of his attention to his vanity projects? Is there an editor in the house? This is just unreal. According to Scott Galupo, Republicans are going to resist letting the Bush tax cuts expire and instead are okay with eliminating all deductions and loopholes, because that won't be "raising taxes". Sounds weird, right? How about some quotes? My brackets...

     "The House GOP has signaled it’s not ready to budge on those rates. So we’re left with that big pot of tax expenditures, which, via the Romney-Ryan campaign, Republicans have tacitly committed to tackling." [If that's true, we're extra-lucky Romney lost!]

    "So here’s what I’m thinking could be the outline of a fiscal cliff-averting deal. Call it the Romney-Ryan plan without the rate cuts. It would give Obama the revenue he wants, [Oy!] and Republicans could at least claim not to have raised tax rates." [Sounds very Clintonian to me.]

     "Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, but I think it’s a deal that both sides could live with. Even more important, I think it would be good for the economy." [No, you're not - both sides could live very well with it,  its not important what you think, let alone more important, (editor!), and it would kill whatever is left of the economy. Quadruple Oy!]

     "Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner are the two most important people in America right now. My prediction: they will do the right thing, and we will get a deal." [Billy the Kid made a deal with Bill and Ted, too, "Whatever I win, I keep. Whatever you win, I keep." "Sounds good, Mr. the Kid!" said Bill and Ted and Scott Galupo.

Let's see if I can recreate my comment from memory, since they didn't run it for some reason;

"Wrong! Sorry liberal "conservatives" - although, you didn't mention what the taxpayers would get out of the deal (or the Republicans, for that matter), every penny would be spent, and trillions more would be borrowed, monkey business as usual would continue until the wheels fall off the wagon, and then they'll send the goon squad around like the Sheriff of Nottingham, looking for hoarders and tax-evaders. Respectfully [hah!], you're seriously deluded."

Here's a representative quote that they did publish;

Scott Galupo says;
Deduction limits can be structured in such a way that the wealthy [fucking bastards and crooks] take the biggest hit —> http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/10/18/study-deduction-cap-would-raise-1-3-trillion
And honest liberals [Hahaha] concede that middle-class taxes will probably need to go up at least somewhat.

Carlyle on Blogging

"If the young aspirant is not rich enough for Parliament, and is deterred by the basilisks or otherwise from entering on Law or Church, and cannot altogether reduce his human intellect to the beaverish condition, or satisfy himself with the prospect of making money, - what becomes of him in such case, which is naturally the case of very many, and ever of more? In such case there remains but one outlet for him, and notably enough that too is a talking one: the outlet of Literature, of trying to write Books.  since, owing to preliminary basilisks, want of cash, or superiority to cash,  he cannot mount aloft by eloquent talking, let him try it by dexterous eloquent writing. Here happily, having three fingers, and capital to buy a quire of paper, he can try at all lengths and in spite of all mortals: in this career there is happily no public impediment that can turn back; nothing but private impediment that can turn him back; nothing but private starvation... To the British subject who fancies genius may be lodged in him, this liberty remains; and truly it is, if well computed, almost the only one he has.
   A crowded portal this of Literature, accordingly!..."

Thomas Carlyle, Latter-day Pamphlets - "Stump-Orator." 1850

Church of the Latter-day Pamplets

Thomas Carlyle, Latter-day Pamphlets, "Stump-Orator" - 1850 (fer chrissakes!)

"Probably there is not in Nature a more distracted phantasm than your commonplace eloquent speaker, as he is found on platforms, in parliaments, on Kentucky stumps, at tavern-dinners, in windy, empty, insincere times like ours. ... Alas, he is in general merely the windiest mortal of them all; and is admired for being so, into the bargain. ... Not empty these musical wind-utterances of his; they are big with prophecy; they announce, too audibly to me, that the end of many things is drawing nigh!"

"While the many listen to him, the few are used to pass rapidly, with some gust of scornful laughter, some growl of impatient malediction; but he deserves from this latter class a much more serious attention."

"If speech is the banknote for an inward capital of culture, of insight and noble human worth, then speech is precious, and the art of speech shall be honoured. But if there is no inward capital; if speech represent no real culture of the mind, but an imaginary culture; no bullion, but the fatal and now almost hopeless deficit of such? Alas, alas, said banknote is then a forged one; passing freely current in the market; but bringing damages to the receiver, to the payer, and to all the world, which are in sad truth infallible, and of amount incalculable."

Cicero (106-43 B.C.) is quoted as saying, 'Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi' (The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter). Nailed It!

Mitt Got Uns

"In this world there is but one appalling creature: the Stupid man considered to be the Missioned of Heaven, and followed by men.  He is our King, men say, he; - and they follow him, through straight or winding courses, and I for one know well witherward."

Thomas Carlyle,  Latter-day Pamphlets

thanks to Mencius Moldbug for opening the soot-stained and opaque window of True History.

Call to End Historic Snake-Handler Schism

As a lay man, I have no influence on the chosen or elected ecclessial leadership (an essay in it's own right), but I would pray that the twin bugaboos of anti-anti-venomism and anterior/posterior approach, going back almost 45 years to the Foundation itself, would finally be put back in their dank lairs. Whether or not Bishop Jesco White continues to frighten the women and children with "milked" snakes is not really the issue; nowhere does scripture mention venom. "Serpent's sting" is not Copperhead or Coral Snake or Rattler. I'm not pleading for Rationalism, far from it. If God's creation is used by him to reward you for your faith and bring you to him sooner rather than later, we will all rejoice.

I have been bringing surgical hose and razors to Church for years, on the off-chance that one of God's blessed creatures be sent to test my Faith. I know this gives the appearance of a doubt and weakness, but won't somebody please think of the children! I don't fear the timing of my own Heavenly Reward, I merely pray that the Holy Sacraments be restricted to the actual Body and Blood (traditionally understood to be Moonshine and Meth and NOT smoked) and NOT the Devil's O[xycodin]. A return to the traditional pre-Tulsa liturgy is absolutely required if we are to continue to attract young people with families, an increasing number of whom, while not completely literate and doomed to doubt, get an increasingly open view of life through the television. Electric guitars and 20-inch rims can make Snakes seem boring, but many youngsters still hunger for the Apocalypse, some even helping with our Holy Land Initiative, and these people are the future.

Praise the Lord, and let his Messengers go Forth!

Let the Kid Go. Please. I'll be your Friend! We can Hang Out. Please, Count Dracula. C'mon, Be a Nice guy! I'll vote for you!

A so'ger boy named Manning, got tired of all the shammin',
and leaked some awful, gruesome videos.
When asked about his Oath. he said he wanted both;
honor and patriotic duty, and so...
he's in the jailhouse now,
he's in the jailhouse now.

I'da told him once or twice;
they'll beat you silly and put your nuts in a vice.
Plus he's in the jailhouse now.

"Prior to 1930, several different versions of it were recorded and copyrighted. The earliest is Davis and Stafford's 1915 version, which has verses about a man named Campbell cheating at a card game, and a corrupt election." -wikipedia

http://www.bradleymanning.org/

Rules for Radicals - the Paul Campaign, Pt.1

Alinsky's Rules

1. Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.
2. Never go outside the experience of your people.
3. Wherever possible go outside the experience of the enemy.
4. Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.
5. Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.
6. A good tactic is one your people enjoy.
7. A tactic that drags on too long is a drag.
8. Keep the pressure on.
9. The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
10. The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.
11. If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counter side.
12. The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.
13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize and polarize it.
    
    
    The Paul campaigns have demonstrated rule one consistently. His whole career has been major bogey to the neo-cons even before they existed. Fortunes have been spent trying to dislodge him from congress, trying everything including star-power (if memory serves it was the wife of Frank Sinatra Jr., haha, losers all.) It only served to bring him even more attention and support. First, they did not ignore him or ridicule him (contra the popular saying), but went straight to Orange alert. They were afraid when his "power" was infinitesimal - It became what they thought he had, and they couldn't really ratchet up from their initial shock-and-awe, which had always worked before. His power came from his enemies. For comparison, note how Marilyn Manson based his whole career on free advertising from the Christians.
    Never go outside the experience of your people. I'm not sure what Alinsky was getting at here, other than that even a relatively unsophisticated audience senses bullshit when they are talked down to, or up to. Don't try to bedazzle or impress your supporters. Wherever possible go outside the experience of the enemy. This has been simple for Paul, because the enemy lives in it's own dialectic bubble; almost everything that has been excluded for so long, is outside of their experience. They know only pragmatism and are generally incapable of considering anything else, lest they be thought of as "nut", "naive", "idealistic", etc. It bothers them though, because they must use ideals to justify their pragmatism to the public. They can't quite square the circle; they know there might be an unguarded ventilation duct in their invincible battlestar.
    
    
    Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules. It can't be done, of course, since the rules are written to give them advantage. What can be done, and the Paul campaigns have done brilliantly, is to show the postmodern traits of the elite - complete disregard for facts, constant appeals to emotion, selective justice, no punishment for failure or fraud, outright lies, coverups, entrapment, (among many others), and done almost completely in the open. Never mind what we don't see. Obviously, this has been going on through history, but how long has it been this blatant? The sheer mass would have been to large to cover at some point, they may have had to quit trying, marginal returns and whatnot, but Ron Paul has been drawing attention to the gaps, for just about the same time as the neo-cons have been saying yeahsowhatayagonnadoaboutit. Not coincidentally.
    
    
    Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.  Here I disagree, at least with respect to the Paul campaign. There was never a need to ridicule anyone whose open behavior is Clinton/Bush level ridiculous; it is merely necessary to point out a few of many, many clusterfucks and leave the ridicule to lesser men like yrs tru'ly. They(the ridiculous asshats) have damned themselves with their own words and deeds to a sort of purgatory of ridicule where their names are only mentioned by the impolite or quietly amongst the dupes: Clinton, Rich, Bush, Cheney. Rice, Wolfowitz, Kagan, McCain, Lieberman, Graham... stop me anytime. Meanwhile, there above the shitstorm, stands Ron Paul, like a stone wall. Ridicule may have been a more potent weapon when more people had consciences. Today, not so much. The low point may be booing a guy for bringing up the golden rule outside of church. Self-ridicule; the most sincere. I might say ridicule is a potent weapon when used sparingly. Nobody likes a snotty wise guy, believe me; I know some guys like that.
    A good tactic is one your people enjoy.  Ron Paul all the way. I enjoyed seeing him win elections despite landslide opposition. Everyone loved the '08 campaign; blimps, unheard of internet support and grassroots workers coming from everywhere, 6 million dollar moneybombs, winning every poll opened, the original tea-party. All new, fresh and exciting. Fear and loathing from the gravytrainers. The look on Romney's and Hannity's faces after the debates when the straw poll votes were announced - Mitt was astounded, Sean pissed. Priceless. The entire Republican primary has been about stopping Ron Paul, and without him, would have been less interesting than major-league baseball. I'll bet I'll even enjoy the end-game and convention, even though I know they're going to throw the christian to the lions.
    
    I read somewhere that there exist a certain breed of political activist that simply enjoy crushing bastards, that donate out of chumped, self-defensive spite and malice and long to see some clowns take a faceplant, and there's more every day. Country will grow.
    
    
    Next installment: A tactic that drags on too long is a drag.

Rules for Radical...Paleos?

The Daily Bell and Lew Rockwell have recently featured articles about Saul Alinsky and his Rules for Radicals. I had been only vaguely aware of Alinsky, because I knew him to be a man of the left; best ignored, even when they have something of value to say, because of a profound distrust of their  motives. It's properly conservative to realize that the Situation, however grim can always get worse. What I have come to share with the radicals is the belief that it has to get worse to get better.  "If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counter side". The pendulum needs to complete its swing, whether they speak of "historical inevitability", or we of economic cycles. Few would argue that we need to move farther away from individual freedom and decentralized economies, although the trend will continue. We can sense that the momentum is fading to stasis, the tipping point where the pendulum reverses, and remember that the acceleration at apogee  is almost imperceptible in both directions. We will not recognize the point in real time, but we will have to change tactics as dynamics change. Think of sailing by utilizing wind and currents to best advantage. Think racing yacht and crew. Forget the furschluginer pendulum analogy, (except the momentum bits, still pretty proud of them), unless I can think of what might substitute for the constant of gravity; I'm thinking greed/opportunity, might involve calculus. It only seems like clockwork. Wind, weather and currents and tides; that's the ticket. Longitude, bollocks. Vikings didn't need no stinkin longitudes.

"What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be. The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away."

In a recent post, How To Gum Up Any Institution, Gary North introduces the Remnant to Saul Alinsky, previously known by me only as a communist agitator, community organizer and general bad guy. The article is devoted to Alinsky's method of turning beaureaucratic rules against the beaureaucrats themselves and prevailing. Cool stories, but I remain skeptical, given that the average american, say IRS agent, could probably instruct gulag prison guards on cruelty and stupidity, but I was bowled over by North's by Alinsky's 13 rules;

We can learn from Alinsky. We must learn how to gum up the works. We must create a new, hypothetical society, "Gummit," which sounds a lot like "Guvmint."
Here are Alinsky's 13 tactical rules:

1. Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.
2. Never go outside the experience of your people.
3. Wherever possible go outside the experience of the enemy.
4. Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.
5. Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.
6. A good tactic is one your people enjoy.
7. A tactic that drags on too long is a drag.
8. Keep the pressure on.
9. The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.
10. The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.
11. If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counter side.
12. The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.
13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize and polarize it.

CONCLUSION
Every system can be brought down. Every system is vulnerable. If you can spot the weak point in the system, you can exploit it. 

Looks like Ron Paul's to do list. It's amazing how close he has kept to it. 

Final Thoughts on the District Convention

I attended mainly to support Ron Paul and secondly to witness the reaction. This largely confirmed my original notions that this Republican primary has been all about beating Ron Paul. That's why they ran the seven dwarves, desperate to find a non-romney, non-paul. One by one, they "took one for the team" and showed the inevitability of the Presumptive Romany. But the presumptive romany has one hand tied - he is unable to mention any position on any real issue, because at some point in the past he has said the exact opposite. So, he must run an issueless campaign against Paul. and lo, he is winning. It turned out to be a good strategy against Paul; he intends to use the same against Obama, and he will fail, because the press doesn't have to pretend that there is no Obama, To further confirm this theory. I got a four-page fund-raising letter from Romney, asking me several times to donate, that never mentioned policy at all; just that we need to defeat Obama and Obama care.

Running against Obama will lose, and that's all they got. I'm sure he doesn't care that he's taking the noble loser role from thomas dewey, gerald ford, bob dole and john mccain. Both parties have shown total consistency on squelching reform, all the way down to the district level, and there is no shortage of those "taking one for the team". It is completely obvious that both Parties are happy to take turns drinking deeply of the sweet river of taxpayer honey. Whatever it takes to divert attention from anyone who may possibly threaten it.

Paul Gottfried;
"Nisbet said that what he called the “sociological tradition” owed a great deal to conservative critics of the French Revolution. These enemies of progress had analyzed the value of hierarchical relations and the link between community and custom. But Nisbet, who was an old-fashioned Taft Republican in American politics, did not believe this conservative legacy was alive and well in the US. And it wouldn’t seem from anything he wrote that he thought that either the conservative or traditional liberal legacy had much to do with the American present.

One can learn from Nisbet’s work on conservatism more than one ever could from the made-to-order GOP polemics that pour out of the Rupert Murdoch empire. One does not draw significant ideological distinctions by accusing the Democrats of not playing fair in the communal sandbox. Getting paid for throwing back sand at the other toddlers is a nice gig but hardly a scholarly activity.

I am amused to learn that Democratic sociologists imagine that Republicans are suffering from some mental disorder. I had hitherto assumed that Republicans were people addicted to zombie-like centrist presidential candidates, all of them resembling Bob Dole. Perhaps the “psychopundits” have something to teach us after all."

So no. I wouldn't try to work for anything within the formal party; it is carefully constructed and tended to promote and perpetrate various frauds on it's own members and the taxpayers, and would be destroyed if it ever really threatened the gravy train. I could see some possibility of success outside of this area where the entire economy is directly or indirectly based on Federal spending. Bushco wrecked the Republican party; it is now the rump opposition to the Great Society, stuck forever lost somewhere in Viraq-namistan, cursing hippies.

Can you "work within" the borg? If the Republican party were reformed completely along favorable lines, and became an effective force for good, it would then, be somehow bent back to serve the insiders, or negated. The convention is the last chance to prove loyalty and crush the Paultards. Will they sacrifice everything else? Bill Kristol assures us they will, and I believe him. It's just a shameful irony that after all Dr. Paul's work and our money spent, the next president will be Gary Johnson.

Ron Paul really was your last chance, Americans. You blew it. Now chew it.

Misc. posts, pt.2 - the Good

I've covered the bad and the ugly; here it like to be as positive as possible. The crowd was beautiful, completely diverse despite being about 99% white. Otherwise, every shape, size, age, sex, and yes, class, represented, in a cheerful and co-operative mood, much like a party as opposed to Party. I was expecting tension, drama, and confrontation; didn't see any. One spunky older dame got up and told slightly blue jokes. Irony piling up against innocence and rolling over on sentiment and nostalgia. Wonderful. I wish I knew her, wife of some potentate, I assumed.

The candidates that spoke were mostly convincing and effective, with the exception of George Allen, who has exhausted his schtick after long use, and seems to running on inertia alone. He's too good, a brand now, and doesn't have to try very hard. Lost momentum, stuck in low orbit. The deja-vu would kill me; I would start to dislike and despise the muppets, make mistakes. He'll win the primary, though. Tall, good-looking rich guy with a famous father, proven success, a made man. Another "presumptive" nominee, God curse them all! Whoops, sorry; trying to be positive, but while I'm at it, two words I never heard mentioned were bush and romney. The dogs that didn't bark, as 'twere.

I'm a Bob Marshall "fan", for reasons I won't bore you with - essentially he's a real conservative, but he is actually effective, focused and committed, and has done some real good things; so naturally he is considered a potentially dangerous loose cannon by the insiders (the only one I actually know pronounced him "kind of a nut"; thus are a thousand campaigns scuttled) and won't be supported. The Senate is their sanctum sanctorum - "None shall enter with unbrowned lips". Possible exception, Rand Paul, that proves the rule.

 I had never heard of or about E.W.Jackson before, but Wow. actually double wow after I found out more, but the speech easily won on style (off the charts) and content. The only person to mention the U.N., for instance. The insiders should be swarming this guy - marine, harvard law, businessman, minister (well-known evidently; one of the school employees who was talking to him in the parking lot asked him if he were known as "the bishop", which Jackson affirmed.) Talk about outreach. Black conservative influential church-goers; the remnant, natural small-r republicans. If Marshall weren't running, I'd back him, even if he turned out to be a neo-con tool. What's one more out of 98? Allen and the faceless Democrat, whose name escapes me for good reasons, are anyway, so what's to lose?

I talked a bit to Mr.Wear, before and after the vote. I said that I wished I had paid the full toll so I could vote for him, and after he seemed to listen to my concerns about the huge numbers of kids graduating into the current non-economy, and this could be easily tied into his ethnic (futile attempt, whoops again) outreach project. "A (for instance but not exclusively) young americanised asian engineer with a private-sector job is Republican; with a government job, a Democrat; unemployed, a libertarian, often a very effective libertarian." Plus they may be able to explain to their parents why they should take time out of their 14 hour workday to try to vote for someone to allow/help them to run their business and pay their taxes. A smart guy could put together some pieces to build the party. Another kind of smart guy could try to build the party by scaring the muppets some more, but even they must see that it's wearing thin.

That concludes the sunny part. If it keeps raining, I hope to outline opportunities. Short version - few.

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Misc. Notes from District Convention

I wish I had recorded the audio of the convention, because I lost the thread when the vote totals were announced, even though I knew that was the critical part to understand. They picked an obvious dimwit, (probably intentionally, so that he or she wouldn't notice that the math didn't work, just my opinion)  to read the totals. She read the totals as percents, ("291.5 per cent")which annoyed me, but at that point I was really hoping that no one made another procedural point. What she was reading were the weighted vote totals, for which I substituted votes, so no big deal, I tried to follow as best I could. Never mind that I had already decided that the weighted formula was obvious bullshit in order to distract the rubes, and, as a rube myself, resented that.

In the event, some hero stood up and called them on the math. This person, I had noticed him earlier, but I couldn't tell if he was an RP guy, doesn't matter, is a mensch, because he almost immediately objected that the numbers didn't add up. Don't let anyone tell you that IQ is not real, I mean, even if I had bothered to follow the math, it probably would have taken me 10 minutes with a calculator and by that time, the non-rubes would already be having a cool one by the pool. So if any one of 5 readers who aren't trying to sell me Russian viagra can forward this to that dude - I'd like to say thank you, Sir, and if you are an RP guy, nice catch. In any case, I must applaud your giant brain. [update 5/21; I've been informed that he was David Ray, and he was not a RP supporter. See smart/non-evil in discussion below]. Although I would not be surprised that some other scam did go down, I feel pretty confident that this was a fairly run count. "Never attribute to Malice, that which can be explained by Stupidity." Well, why not both? It's a team effort, amiright?

It just occurred to me, how much like the really shitty parts of high school this was. Which brings me to, the Parliamentarians. There should be any number, the more the better, I don't care. They should be almost completely quiet. There was a Parliamentarian on the podium. There was at least several loud "seconds" for every motion, many objections and points of order, mostly loud. Some really loud single, "opposed!" Please turn down the volume and rate. No one except other nerds give a shit, and it's a big time waster. Here's a good idea, vote first and dick-fight afterwards. One would suspect the proceedings are dragged out to drive the rubes to the exit. It almost did me, twice...

The resolutions to protect life and promote heterosexual marriage. I hoped everyone would just recite the pledge - just affirm the resolutions; should have taken 10 minutes - tops. To my amazement, many people wanted to debate. Okay, queers getting married is a pretty new thing, but abortion has been legal since 1972, and the Republicans have never done anything about it, even with a Republican president and both houses. That Parrot is dead and gay marriage will follow quickly. It is a scam to get conservatives' donations. I was donating to Michael Farrish 20 years ago. I've never seen anything but symbolic gestures, and the total amount donated and spent on the issue could probably eliminate the deficit. I'm sympathetic to the true believers, but by this time, if you don't get it you're starting to seem kind of, I don't know, "Special"? I don't think I care at all about gays, but I know they're not dangerous, except (rarely) to children. Anyone who hurts a child should be castrated at a minimum, but I'm not in the policy game. Howbout don't ask, don't tell; no harm no fowl, something along those lines. Either way. argue after the voting. They're called "wedge issues" because it feels like your skivs are being jerked hard. No offence, Bible Boyz, but if you're very worried about other peoples' sex lives, you just might do a quick self-check pretty often. I'm just sayin'.

Even though my guy lost in the second round, it was almost worth it to see the bullet-heads all pull together, as one of them told me in a spam afterwards, "take one for the team". "What team might that be?" I wondered, as if I knew I wasn't on it. The three remaining gentlemen withdrew from the "race" and threw their support to the remaining cheerleader, I mean lady. Besides chivalry, I can only imagine their doing this to block the Ron Paul guy. Pretty cool, really, but a desperation move; showed a lot of cards. Pretty much confirmed they are scared. Me like scare dumb jocks. want scare more, thought would be harder. maybe tampa with them. listen to screams of both kind of women, they are no warriors. 

The problem as I see it is that the evil but smart Fairfax Republicans, for example, Tom Davis*, got out while the getting was good, to a well-deserved obscurity, leaving the younger, less experienced pole-climbers to fend for themselves. Logically, this leaves the smart/non-evil types who are more experienced to run things while the dumb/evil fight the dumb/good for the privilege of doing busywork and  ineffective retail politics, hopefully in a position to bully someone. Pretty much just like their real job, but paid in brownie points. You know - morons. I kid because I love.


I went to support Ron Paul and to determine if I could become involved with the FRP in order to have an effect locally. I still need to know if it can be at all useful in county affairs. I doubt it, although this convention didn't specifically address local issues, and the Ron Paul candidacy is skewing them so much that there might be effective core after that plays out. They need help, but I don't think they want it from the likes of me. There were some impressive people there. I'll try to post my positive thoughts next. Then I'm going to look for that Men in Black memory formatter. Brrr...

*Maybe his endorsement helps the meatheads. I scan the endorsement lists for such personages. I consider them deal-breakers

WOOF - White,Old, Overweight and Frightened

I held my nose and waded into the Virginia Republican 11th District convention yesterday to support the Ron Paul delegates to the National convention (two were running, one was elected). The only surprise for me was how many Paul supporters were in attendance, as Fairfax county, being one of Mordor's bedrooms, may be one of the least freedom-friendly venues in the U.S. The overall theme was probably Cognitive Dissidence on Parade, with detectable overtones of fear and loathing, kicked up a notch with smug self-satisfaction and sublime hints of nostalgia and wishful thinking.

Overall, the 2012 candidates from dog-catcher to President, are running against Obama. Not his policies, because those are virtually identical to those of Bush, Jr. (a personage completely unmentioned, yet whose presence hung over the affair like the Holy Ghost). Barack HUSSAIN! Obama, is not only the Worst President Ever, but also the Worst Guy Ever, who, aided by the LIBERALS! is DESTROYING the Economy and the Country and Perverting such of our Youth who are unABORTED only by the grace of God and the constant vigilance of our good Republican Women of both sexes. Also, SACRED Marriage is between a Man and a Woman, although divorce and serial marriage are evidently okay for those that can afford it, or at least not spoken of. The sole purpose of Government is to provide Security and a STRONG DEFENSE. Never forget that OBAMACARE will destroy the greatest Health Care System in History and send us all in pain to an early death. Also, Republicans should Reach Out to Minorities, especially Asians who are much like us and struggling to raise their children in a godless, business-unfriendly environment, probably because of OBAMA. Nary a mention of the Banks, TARP, bailouts, Foreign Aid, subsidies, Federalism, the Bill of Rights, the FED, Waste Fraud and Abuse, or really anything else of substance. On the credit side there was no mention of Romney, the Aunt in the attic. Hence, the cognitive dissidence. Because I was under cover in a suit with a fresh haircut and no RP regalia, I did hear some mutterings about "those Ron Paul People", hence, the fear and loathing. I love it!

To be clear, I am white, (kind of) old, (slightly) overweight guy, and I agree with much of this, except that I don't give a rat's ass about Obama, abortion, health care or marriage, gay or otherwise. The Democrats really do suck. These things are not of concern to free people. We can take care of ourselves and families if we want to, and in fact we must, because no one else can or will, even if they want to, because we are beyond broke. That parrot is dead; has gone to the choir celestial, it has ceased to be. Some mention was made of this fact in passing, but the speaker was roundly booed (and will probably lose the primary) for mentioning that the problem is of long standing and bipartisan agreement. Nope - it is the fault of OBAMA and the LIBERALS. I love the old Republicans, God bless their dotty heads, and I'm drawn to the nuttier types - one old guy had a voters' guide that excoriated one candidate for being a "free-mason". As a Jacobite, I'm glad to see the old gods still walk the land, however unacknowledged. D____d Quakers and Jesuits. Ha! [I'm halfway through Mason and Dixon, by the demi-god Thomas Pynchon (highly recommended), and I'm starting to think and write 18th century, which seems like a paradise, (except maybe for the filth, disease, murder and republicanism - some things never change.) compared to the present age of stupidity. Long live the Stewarts!

I would like to say a few words about the younger "conservatives" in their huge suits and sour demeanor. The guys with the lexus SUVs and the pretty wives; Santorum supporters probably, you know the type. A little advice, if I may; knock off the carbs, turn off the TV, and for God's sake, get to the gym. If you can, crack a book or two. Then go fuck yourself. Chumps.

Grandpa out...

Oh, you wanted a PONY for Christmas. Sorry!

                                              RU kidding? I luv these guys!

My niece was kind enough to send me a link to the Kony2012 video that's become so popular (I haven't and probably won't watch it, being able to spot a propaganda campaign from a mile away). I was impressed that she was able to recognize this on an instinctual level - "Regardless of whether or not this video is a "scam"...". Although she was touched on an emotional level she knew something was not kosher, and I'm so happy she is developing the jaundiced view of human nature that is going to become so necessary to Americans in the future. If you know you're going to have to walk through the cattle yard, put on your high boots. As I explained as best I could,

"You would be even more upset if you knew why the LRA "child soldiers" came into existence:
basically the Ugandan army massacred all of the adults, the boys escaped into the bush, regrouped, rearmed and took the fight to the army, and WON!* You're right though - it is a huge scam; propaganda designed to generate support for the expansion of "western" neo-colonialism in western Africa, which just coincidently (not) has almost unbelievably huge mineral resources, ripe for the taking except for those pesky Africans. You might wonder where the funding came from to support this giant scam, and you would be on the verge of taking the red pill, (or the blue, I forget which was the one that exposed the matrix.)

My suggestion is to fix America before we straighten out the rest of the world."

p.s. - since it occurred to me that what I knew was from 2002, I did a little more research (haha - wikipedia - the shortcut to knowledge!). Yoweri Museveni is the enemy of the LRA, not a good guy, although there are probably no living good guys in western Africa; typical to turn on the people who put him in power. I've been very focused on this since the Rwandan genocide, literally mountains of skulls - economic and religious warfare on top of tribal warfare, but the friend of my enemy is my enemy as they say.

"His presidency has been marred, however, by invading and occupying Congo during the Second Congo War (the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has resulted in an estimated 5.4 million deaths since 1998) and other conflicts in the Great Lakes region. Rebellion in the north of Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army continues to perpetuate one of the world's worst humanitarian crises."

" It was while at high school that he became a born-again Christian"

"he studied economics and political science and became a Marxist, involving himself in radical pan-African politics. While at university, he formed the University Students' African Revolutionary Front activist group and led a student delegation to FRELIMO territory in Portuguese Mozambique, where he received guerrilla training. Studying under the leftist Walter Rodney, among others, Museveni wrote a university thesis on the applicability of Frantz Fanon's ideas on revolutionary violence to post-colonial Africa.<sup>"

(born-again communist, THAT can't be good)


"</sup>By July 1985, Amnesty International estimated that the Obote regime had been responsible for more than 300,000 civilian deaths across Uganda, although the CIA World Factbook puts the number at over 100,000. The human rights organisation had made several representations to the government to improve its appalling human rights record from 1982. Abuses were particularly conspicuous in an area of central Uganda known as the Luweero Triangle." (that's when he was aligned with the LRA)

" Abandoning his Marxist ideals,[yeah, sure] Museveni embraced the neoliberal structural adjustments advocated by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."

(absolutely damning, especially with this from the world's most evil woman...) "In official briefing papers from Madeleine Albright's December 1997 Africa tour as Secretary of State, Museveni was called a "beacon of hope" who runs a "uni-party democracy,"  (just like the USA!)

"Troops from Rwanda and Uganda plundered the country's rich mineral deposits and timber. The United States responded to the invasion by suspending all military aid to Uganda, a disappointment to the Clinton administration, which had hoped to make Uganda the centrepiece of the African Crisis Response Initiative."

"Museveni was re-elected on 20 February 2011 with a 68% majority with 59% of registered voters having voted. The election results were disputed by both the European Union and the opposition. "The electoral process was marred with avoidable administrative and logistical failures", according to the European Union election observer team."

In short - call or write your congressperson and urge them to butt the heck out of a complex situation that most of them couldn't understand if they wanted to.


* "That’s the lesson of the 20th century: If you want to kill a few people and get bad press, then go ahead: dress in black, drink blood and talk about how you love torture like Amin, Bokassa and Hitler. But if you’re serious about wiping out whole populations, wear a dove of peace and talk about progress and love. That’s what Stalin and the US did, and between them they killed a dozen for every one Hitler got.
Obote was smart; he knew he needed that “moderate” label if he was going to wipe out all his enemies. So he smiled a lot and wore suits and talked progress…and then went to work. When a densely-populated Bantu zone called the Luwhero crescent gave him trouble, his soldiers went in and killed every **** human being in the place. Ever hear about it? No, you didn’t, because the respectable papers didn’t want to know. Amin was good copy; Obote was too “moderate.”

The survivors of Luwhero, mostly kids too young to be worth killing, formed up in a kind of bush army and kept fighting, even when their leader Museveni said “**** it” and hightailed it to London. And to everybody’s surprise (including Museveni) they won. Obote’s soldiers fled north still picking people-meat from between their teeth. Museveni flew home in time to celebrate his victory and resume command. He is now the official ruler of the land. Ta-da!
A real Cinderella story, Central-Africa style.
The LRA gets backing from Sudan, which uses them to massacre other Christians like the Dinka, who are rebelling against the Arabs of the North. The North/South, Muslim/Christian war in Sudan is another of those meatgrinder wars that just doesn’t interest the Western press. It’s inland, and the reporters don’t like getting too far from the beach hotels; it’s hot and malarial country; the victims are nobody’s poster boys."

Zaparogian Siech

                                                          "Why am I stalking you?"

This was driving me nuts - I was searching for "Zaparogian Seitch" or Siech, an island stronghold between the Russian and Tatar banks of the Dnieper [evidently Zaparovian and Zaparogian are equivalent], and dumb old google wanted to know if I meant "switch". As if!

(That would be funny if Siech were indexed tomorrow). That's what I get for reading more historical fiction than history.

Also, I forgot to send the "Putin Drools" pic to balance the Limonev Rules.

Sorry if I offended any Progressive девочки (ptitsy in Nadsat, Oh, my brothers), with my crypto-facist remarks.

 I'm really a quiet, nice guy as you can tell by my track suit, gold chains and kepka keblatka.                                            "Не хотите ли семечек?"

Ron and Rom; Ain't Nothin' but a Thang

This persistent phony meme that Paul and Romney are somehow teaming up is fairly risible, and probably motivated by the idea that Romney may be more naive than overtly evil like Sant and Ging, but I'm doubtful that a second generation insider Governor is going to be so clueless. It's more likely that he's just better than the other two liars in lying convincingly, and the Mormon thing makes it easier to believe in true lies. I would be very surprised if Ron were to play ball with this lightweight, after thirty or so years of non-compromise. Rand, now, I'm not so sure.

(Oh, yeah, thanks a lot Ted! Now I REALLY don't believe you never did drugs! Look at that SE grin and squinty eyes. Now you can go hunting with the Mittster. Tip - wear orange and stay behind him.)

I just came from a discussion of this topic over at Infowars, (yeah, I know, I know...) Ron Paul Warming To Potential VP Slot?, but even in that rarified atmosphere most of the commenters were keeping good faith with Ron. Rand remains a known unknown, however, and even though I have, and continue, to support him, I was somewhat dismayed to be informed in his weekly newletter that -

"Americans Previously Detained In Egypt Released

It was reported this week that the Egyptian government lifted the travel ban on the remaining Americans being prosecuted for their association with pro-democracy nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Over the past several weeks, I have worked tirelessly to bring attention to the unjust actions of the Egyptian government, and I insisted that my colleagues in the Senate debate, consider, and vote on my amendment to deny Egypt any U.S. foreign aid unless they ended their attempt to prosecute these Americans. Now that Egypt has begun to relent, it is clear that the growing pressure on Egypt from the U.S. government - including from Congress - was a factor in their decision.

It was later confirmed that a plane carrying the previously detained American pro-democracy workers left Egypt on Thursday. It brings me great relief to know the brave American pro-democracy workers in Egypt are safely returning home to the U.S. Their safe return brings closure to this ordeal."

I don't know what he's up to here, but I don't like it. (Personally I was hoping the Egyptians would hang the bastards, but I admit to being somewhat immature.) I have complete faith in Ron, but methinks Rand may be "growing into" acceptance by the PTB. " brave American pro-democracy workers".  Say what?  I hope Rand knows what he's doing. Maybe he does, but if you lay down with the dogs, don't be surprised when you start itching.