Government should legislate MORE? Are you _crazy_??

So within my 10 minute drive to the bus station this morning, I heard 2 references on NPR to the government being asked to step in and legislate more.

1) The NFL network and Time-Warner (Austin) are all in a tissy because they didn’t play the Cowboy game on normal cable, and so people had to go to bars. Oh no, you might actually prevent a recession by spending money locally. Careful. Or oh no, you’ll have to go to someone’s house who has the NFL network, interact with them and their friends, and otherwise be social. Either way, you’re screwed. They asked the Texas legislature to intervene. For TV. For entertainment.

2) The government has been requested to monitor and keep track of how speculators affect world markets. Well, duh. Tangential to this, they’re expecting the fed to fuxor with interest rates again today, to bail us out of something horrible we got ourselves into.

Look, networks can broadcast what they want and to cable companies they want. Cable companies can carry them or not. (Don’t get me started on the monopoly cable companies have on MOST areas. That’s truly horrible.) It’s — stay with me here — entertainment. That’s all. It’s not like the cable company is denying us public tv or educational material we need to run our lives. Which, ya know, we all get from TV.

Furthermore, we got all those horrible mortgages. We said yes, we’ll pay that rate. Yes, I want a huge house in the right neighborhood. Yes, it’s as big as my neighbors’. Yes, I’m awesome by owning junk. Possessions make me cool!

If anything, let’s legislate how effing unwilling everyone is to be responsible for themselves. How about, let’s make a talking Jesus doll to tell our children Bible stories, cause we ain’t got time for that shiz.  Let’s legislate frowny faces, overweight, and every other form of not-my-fault unhappiness.  Heck, let’s take free will out altogether and just let some corrupt fat-cat decide on what is right and what is lobbied most lucratively.  Oh, but that’s not anyone I voted for, cause I also need someone to legislate me to vote, too.

Borrowed: rant on Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich

From a post of a like-minded gent, regarding why people with new ideas are deemed “crazy” and won’t get elected:

You know who I find to be irritating?

Others.

If it wasn’t for them, all of Ron [Paul] and Dennis [Kucinich]’s ideas would work.

But others always mess this shit up.

Like that guy who ruined pumping gas before paying for everyone.

Stupid others.

In a country the size of America, where the push is on to make every state have the same laws as all of the others, under the supreme law of the Federal government, (instead of autonomous mini-countries loosely affiliated and banded together for mutual benefit), we are inevitably going to be left with middle of the road, politics as usual, blah blah blah, because in an effort to please all the millions of people , NO ONE is happy.

It will NEVER get better because there are Too. Many. Damn. People.

Thankfully, “bad” here compared to everywhere else is not even worth comparing, so there ya go.

I like watching TV and playing video games.
That will be all.

Freedom is synonymous with SUV?

Unbelievable.  W actually said about Iraq, “Leaving before we complete our mission would create a terrorist state in the heart of the Middle East, a country with huge oil reserves that the terrorist network would be willing to use to extract economic pain from those of us who believe in freedom”?

What mission?  Saddam, gone.  WMD, lie exposed.  Oil?  Oh, right the oil’s still there and we don’t own it yet.   So I guess those of us who believe in freedom must obviously drive cars with huge tanks and dualies, since those would be the ones feeling the economic pain from high gas prices.
Here’s a hint:  drive less.  Drive smaller vehicles. Drive more efficient vehicles.  Or hey, support alternative fuel research?  Hmm.  Maybe all the money we put into the war “on terror” in Iraq might, ya know, be used for some scientist to discover a way we can all use solar, wind, or something we haven’t even thought of yet, affordably.  Imagine that!  Not having to pay for utilities.  Aw, Bushie’s buddies in the oil fields would be out of business.  Now that is “terror”ble.

Yes, I ride a bike.  But I also paid fifty bucks yesterday to fill up my truck.  And you know what?  I only drive the truck when I have to haul something big. Since I’m constantly doing construction projects, I PLAN AHEAD and make sure to maximize my trips.  Comes out to once a week or every 2 weeks, even when someone borrows the truck.  Other trips, especially groceries, go by car, and smaller trips by bike.  If I’m getting grocerties that don’t include refilling my water gallons, I definitely do a bike.  Even ice cream and milk.

Should Americans be free to buy the biggest cars they want? Unfortunately for the environment and our children, yes.  Fortunately for freedoms we uphold, yes.  Should we go to war to make it easier to pay for your huge beast of a car?  No way.  It’s not worth lives.  If you want to exercise your freedom to buy a huge guzzling car, be prepared to pay for that luxury.  If you have lots of children that require you to use a large car, sorry.  It’s all part of the price of having kids.  Just like diapers, baby-sitters, and food.  It’s what we sign on for during orgasm.  Deal.

What is the friggin point?  1) I believe in freedom, and it’s not synonymous with lower oil prices.  2) The war in Iraq is clearly a huge ruse, and clearly about oil as it has been all along.  3) Our president is a fucktard and has lied to us repeatedly.  4) It’s a rant.  It doesn’t have to have a point.

War: what is it good for?

Oh yeah, the song gets it right.  For reals, does the average-Joe public-at-large of any country really want war?  Snip out those weird guys in West Texas and maybe a few yahoos in random countries.  I’m talking majority here.  I say no.  Most of us just want life to continue as it always has.  Sure, I’ll be the first to admit I have it good here in the ol’ USA, but I’ve been dirt poor.  I wanted things to change, but I didn’t want a war to do it.

So basically, who wants war?  The ones with the suits and ties, baby.  War means dollars to some, even though for most the cost is their lives.  The rest of us, the most of us, just want to raise families, go to work, and maybe watch some TV or something.  What does it mean if I can’t put gas in my car?  Well, I’ve got a bike.  And lately I’ve been using it.  With the exception of big items, like saaaay, sacks of cement, I have used my bike for errands.  Yesterday was milk and butter.  Ok, and ice cream.  Today will be a trip to the library.

Is that all these current wars represent?  Power for TV and travel for ice cream?  I hope there better be some seriously huge rewards for these wars, and not just money.  Otherwise, WTF!

US attempts to sidestep guilt with finger-pointing

Oh, yes. This makes me feel soooo much better about being an American. This article says the US outsourced its torture to Europe and so it was highly likely that European officials knew all along that we are assh0les.

So, let’s unsully our pristine reputation as wonderful world citizens by saying a) we’re not to blame because we only ordered the tortures rather than committed them ourselves and b) everyone knew about it anyway!

Yeah, culpability is not mitigated by disclosure. Guilt is not lessened by being merely the officer commanding the troops who pulled the triggers. Didn’t we learn anything from Hitler and his “just following orders” war criminals? No matter how you look at that, those guys are guilty regardless of whose fingerprints are on the smoking gun. Or, if you take the tack of “just following orders” then fine: in this case, America is the officer ordering European torturers who are, in turn, “just following orders.”

This does not make things any better for us, guys. Let’s go: be men and take what’s coming. If we’re guilty, we’re guilty. Admit the world thinks we’re dinks and do the time. It’s only going to make it worse for us if you keep playing these IDIOTIC games. Which, oh by the way, everyone sees straight through.

Hurricane Katrina fubar is NOT news

One word: DUH.

The gov was warned about Katrina’s impact before disaster.

Why, oh news media, waste another article on it? Here’s breaking news: “Bush trips over own words, says something stupid.” “Sun still firmly in the sky.” “Senate committtee still planning to vote on Alito.” “Government officials confuse heads, holes in ground.”

Is there nothing newsworthy today? That is, nothing shocking and depressing? Here’s a thought: if there’s no real news — or at least nothing so horrible that you can’t jar nerves and cause a click-through — take the friggin day off.