Keeping Godwin Alive

First, I want to implore Mark Frost to put the Chronicle online so I can just copy and paste from it. Mark, it will be so good for you to receive all of the zero readers from my blog hitting your site. At least consider it.

OK, so here's Susan Balfour whom I'd like to give a big thanks to. Every now and then when I write a letter to the editor, I feel like a crank. That's actually every time that I do. There's a fine line between crank and gadfly you know. So here's Susan today:

I graduated form Glens Falls High in 1970 with 245 students. Having lived here may entire life. I have witnessed tremendous growth in Glens Falls. So many more houses have been built and many families have moved here.

One would think the number of graduates would be close to the same or more. It is shocking that in 2014 only 130 students graduated. 

So, a web search of US birth rates gives me 25 per 1000 people in 1952 when Susan Balfour was presumably born and 15 per 1000 in 1995 when 2013 graduates were born.

Yes, families are having fewer children, but I wonder how many of those that would have graduated were aborted babies?

So, you're writing this letter based on pure speculation. Could it be that, among many other things, this had something to do with it? Then, I'm pretty certain she considers that to be some form of murder against sperm.

I wonder what talents and gifts were killed with those aborted.

You know, one of them might have been the next Hitler, too.

If we don't think abortion has an impact on every hometown, think again, the evidence is right before your eyes!

Uh, no it really isn't

The Iranian Tea Party

Yes, Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz would feel right at home in the Iranian Parliament. Extremism is extremism.

 The Iranian foreign minister's reported handshake with US President Barack Obama triggered chants of "Death to America" in Tehran's parliament Wednesday and a warning against "another kind of spying".

The foreign ministry has confirmed a "completely accidental" encounter between Obama and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, without denying there was a handshake as reported by Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency.

But hardline lawmakers went on the offensive against Zarif.

C'mon, isn't that "Death to America" thing just so 1980's?

Giving Mario Hepp His Due

I posted John Siebrech's letter and neglected this one. I'm deeply sorry for that oversight. Take it away Mario:

Americans can agree or disagree on Donald Trump’s run for the presidency in 2016 and his political platform, "Make America Great Again," but the polls repeatedly show he is leading by double digits over his closest Republican competitor. The majority of Americans have been totally disgusted with President Obama and this left-wing administration. Donald Trump is the voice of the majority of Americans who are hesitant to speak out on the important issues facing our great nation for fear they would be labeled a racist under the "Left-Wing Blanket" of political correctness. Well, I say “to hell with political correctness, speak your mind!”

The issues facing America range from the flow of illegal aliens crossing our southern borders to the lack of a strong and aggressive foreign policy. Within these parameters are scandals, lies and cover-ups such as: Fast and Furious Gun Runner Operation, IRS scandal, V.A. scandal, Obama/Clinton Benghazi cover-up, the corrupt Clinton Foundation, the Muslim terrorist organization ISIS, Hillary Clinton email server scandal, and last but not least, this disgusting, threatening, Iranian Nuke Deal. America, let's not forget the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979; a leopard doesn't change his spots. Obama the community organizer has been a total disgrace to the presidency of the United States!

God bless America.

Let's not forget overthrowing the Iranian government in 1953 either then. Wonder if he's seen that Jeb! ad pointing out how Trump speaks with forked tongue. Who cares?

A Reasoned, Thoughtful Letter From a Wingnut

No, I'm just kidding. This is the type of thing I don't bother to respond to anymore. There's no changing this guy's mind or anyone that thinks the way he does. And hopefully, his nasty tone is going to turn off anyone even considering thinking that way. John Siebrecht is an old Hometown favorite. Take it, John.

So these past couple of weeks, we've heard from all kinds of liberals, spewing all kinds of nonsense. For instance, about the ridiculous non-deal this administration of clowns says they’ve gotten for us. The argument by the cowardly left is "Even a weak deal is better than no deal." Really? Tell this to your grandchildren as they go up in flames.                        

Let me remind you spineless individuals that we are the United States of America, and before you liberals made us the laughing stock of the world, before you turned our allies against us, we were respected and feared. This is why countries build a strong military. There is no better deterrent to war. So again, your liar-in-chief has lied to us.

Then we have the Democrats who showed the Republicans pushing grandma over the cliff. But it is the Democrats who are standing by while babies are being sliced and diced, while innocent Americans are being murdered, shot down by the same type of cowards who are raping, killing, burning and beheading women and children in other parts of the world.

Keep advocating the murder of the police, liberals and when you finally figure out that the police are the only ones keeping them from you, it will be too late.

Write us another mindless essay about your children going off to college Doolittle, ignore what’s going on in our country advocated by the likes of you.

Here’s a hint for all you liberals ... all lives matter.

If only the Post Star would allow him to use the term libtard, it would read so much better. 

Guest Essay From a Wangnut

Sorry. I couldn't resist being juvenile. Anyway, my local paper deemed to waste valuable column inches with this tripe.

On September 11, 2007, a 240-millimeter rocket thundered like a freight train over Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, Iraq, narrowly missing the building I was in and landing with an ear-splitting explosion about 300 meters in front of the Al Faw Palace, home of Multi-National Force — Iraq.

The impact caused over a dozen casualties, including American soldiers. As for myself, other than coughing up plaster dust for a while, I was fine.

Within days, news of the attack was on national media and most importantly, the identity of the weapon supplier was a headline. Not only did Iran provide large caliber rockets, but they also provided devilish little devices called “explosively formed projectiles” which gave the standard roadside bomb a whole new potency. They, too, killed many of our soldiers and maimed others for life.

Less than five years later, our president, in the interest of “legacy,” has inked a deal with the Iranian leadership which he believes will delay their acquisition of a nuclear weapon for 15 years. Whether this is an example of naivety, poor judgment, an inability to negotiate or a combination of the three remains to be seen.

Fundamental to negotiation is good faith and trust. Looking at the events of the past decade, I find it hard to believe that there is any basis for trust, especially with the stakes so high.

For the past six years, being an American ally has not exactly been a guarantee of protection, safety, or even a seat at the table. America’s foes have been brazen during the Obama administration. 

Vladimir Putin has retaken the Crimea at the expense of Ukraine. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad put the lie to Obama’s “red line” regarding the use of chemical weapons. No wonder ISIS operates so brazenly.

The worst anyone can expect from the United States is the strategic equivalent of a rap on the knuckles these days, unless of course, the offender is an American ally. Then the penalties seem to be more consequential.

In the President’s recent speech pushing support for the Iran deal, he stated that the choice was between his deal and war. This sort of patronizing rhetoric presents a false choice. We have, and have always had, options short of war, if only we had leaders with the creativity and tenacity of purpose to execute them.

Israel, which still has a kinship and ties to the United States that no other nation in the region has, has no right to exist, according to the Iranians. Israel was born of genocide in Europe and has every reason to take such threats with grave seriousness. Iran will be ostensibly “delayed” in their acquisition of a nuclear weapon through, among other provisions, an inspection regimen that provides the Iranians 24 days’ notice before inspectors arrive at specified locations. What possible reason could we have for agreeing to such a provision except for weak-kneed rationalizations that “it will still be difficult for them to have a covert program”?

The one who has the willingness to walk away from the table has the upper hand in any negotiation. 

The only possible reason is that we went into these negotiations with the end in sight — a sign-at-all-costs agreement, in the interest of legacy. And if we turn out to have miscalculated, our President’s legacy will be a nuclear Iran.

Lance Allen Wang is a retired Army Infantry Lieutenant Colonel and Iraq veteran who lives in Eagle Bridge. He’s a past commander of the American Legion Post No. 634 in Cambridge.

Yes, the wingnut is strong in this one. I'm considering a letter to the editor, but I hate writing them. OTOH, I hate reading wingnut tripe in my morning paper. 

Elise Stefanik: This Is Your Base!

Well first, I didn't realize we were considering an East Coast Missile Shield Defense System. Really? Defense system? Shield is definitely cooler and, at the same time, more macho. Ken Tingley and I seem to share the question: why the fuck do we need a ECMDS?

But, what this post is really about is the continuing devolving of the Republican Party. Here is ADKer Don:

A missile defense is necessary as long as we have a coward in the white house! Until we have a president with intelligence and a strong foreign policy that protects America, including bombing Iran, North Korea,and others back into the stone age, we must have a strong defense of our country. All nuclear facilities of Iran, North Korea, and others must be totally destroyed for American to be safe. Obama's cowardliness and incompetence has left America open to being destroyed. Congratulations to Elise and the others who recognize and stand up to this and other treats to America.

Now first, I grew up in the heart of the Adirondacks in  bucolic and totally lacking in employment Crown Point. I was surrounded by hearty mountain folk and carry their same blood in genes despite now living amongst  flat-landers. I don't feel the need to go around advertising myself as an ADKer, though. So, I'm thinking this guy came from Jersey or New Yawk city or some such. 

Secondly, and more to the point of the post, this is the beating heart of the Republican Party. This guy needs to have a president who will commit genocide Iran, North Korea and other countries (plural) to be named later. Yes, turn half the world into a parking lot just so ADKer Don will feel safe. 

Elise Stefanik, does it make you feel good that your base is made up of such brave souls. As I pointed out at the comment section, these are the same people who six months ago were hollering that we needed to cancel all flights from Africa or we were all gonna die from Ebola. And the fuckin' Right -wing in this country see themselves as being descended from our founding fathers? I've said before and will continue to: if these guys were around back then, they would have all been on the side of King George.

UPDATE: This article on the Ebola Chicken Littles of the Right just appeared at Salon and I would be remiss not to include a link to it.

She Thought It Was A Comedy Show

Judith Miller mistakenly stumbled into a real interview. It was kinda like we stumbled into a fuckin' debacle in Iraq thanks to Judith Miller's fine journalistic skills and the lying warmongers she worked for in the Bush White House.

Wednesday night, Miller sat down with Jon Stewart and he gave a master class in adversarial journalism; something Miller was obviously incapable of in the run-up to the war. Several things are notable about the interview that was so contentious you could feel the studio audience holding their collective breath because comedic schtick was being set aside and the type on interviewing that should happen on “Meet The Press” was happening in real time.

Thank you, Jon Stewart. You will be missed. Judith Miller, please crawl into a hole somewhere. 

It Could Have Been Worse

They could have been Rick rolled, or as it's now known, Ted Cruzed. It's just one more instance of the internet having that liberal bias that Al Gore built into it.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the House GOP conference, took to Facebook tocommemorate the fifth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by asking to hear real-life horror stories from real people. 

Hilarity ensued. I tried to go add my "horror story" of how the government is subsidizing my health insurance to the tune of $273 per month. Oddly, the site no longer exists.

ONLY SLIGHTLY OFF-TOPIC: I was curious as to how many Greens have been elected to, well, anything. I knew there were none in Congress. Otherwise, there actually are a few a levels above dogcatcher.

As of October 18, 2012, there were 134 elected Greens across the United States. Positions held varied greatly, from mayor to city council, school board to sanitation district. 

At least, I believe sanitation district is above dogcatcher.

Differences between Dems and Reps.

Say It Ain't So, Nearly Shoeless Joni

And after her rebuttal nearly brought tears my eyes. If I'd watched anyway.

Joni Ernst, the new Republican senator from Iowa who delivered the GOP response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night, called in her address for cuts in government spending and described how her views grew out of her own “simple” upbringing, one in which her family diligently watched ever scarce penny, to the point where she owned only one pair of shoes.

Tears at my heartstrings at least. Of course, my brother and I had breadbags over our socks, too. So, I was really empathizing. Not that I remember that as particularly being a hardship of any kind. Of course, my family never received a half million in government handouts. My parent's were both union papermakers.

But the District Sentinel investigation showed that Ernst’s own father, Richard Culver, received $38,395 in taxpayer handouts, almost all of which went to corn subsidies. The Iowa senator’s uncle, Dallas Culver, made out even better, soaking up almost $370,000 in federal agriculture subsidies.

The total subsidies enjoyed by members of Joni Ersnt’s family came in upwards of $460,000

Ernst failed to mention her own family’s reliance on government assistance in her speech touting the virtues of self-reliance.

Really? I'm sure her opponent 5 years from now will bring it up.

In news of other right wing loons:

In the wake of international ridicule levied against the ill-reputed network, Fox issued a rare public apology last week for its inaccurate depictions of purported Islamist-controlled communities in Europe.

In one broadcast, self-declared radical Islam expert Nolan Peterson compared areas in Paris to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. He claimed that many parts of Paris are under Shariah law where French police will not enter.

“It was pretty scary. I’ve been to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir, India, and at times it felt like those places in the no-go zones,” Peterson said. “You see young men wearing Osama bin Laden T-shirts. In a hookah shop, I saw a speech by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was leading an insurgency against American troops in Iraq at the time. It just, it seemed very mainstream and very accepted.”

And yet, we have citizens who hang on every word from Fox News and roam our streets freely. They should be in "no-go zones. Ironically.

Love this, from JoanWalsh:

Palin and Ernst have other things in common. The GOP’s answer to feminism, its strategy for winning female votes without changing its anti-female policies, seems to be recruiting sassy frontier gals who hunt and ride motorcycles and, yes, castrate hogs, but do it all in lipstick and (camouflage) pumps. And hey, in Iowa, it worked.

Bella Abzug need not apply.

Never heard of Curt Clawson but he is one boring motherfucker. Congrats on the Implody, Ted Cruz.

Norman Lizt Going Galt

I read this ad in the NYT this morning and am really disappointed in not being able to provide a link to it. Guess I'm not the only one who was impressed, though.

An eye-catching full-page advertisement appeared in The New York Times today from a self-described affluent business owner.

What will the world do without one fewer private equity investor? We'll soon know unless Romney pulls off a miracle.

The writer, Norman Lizt of La Jolla, Calif., says he pulls in “close to eight figures annually” and has built a substantial net worth as a sole, private equity investor. He says he also employs a half-dozen people and contributes to charities.

I certainly wish him a very happy retirement. He indicates in the article that it is the fault of President Obama that these 6 people will be out of work. I would like to suggest that at least one of them may be as capable of running a private equity firm as the super-genius wealth creator Norman Lizt. If they can't then I'm sure someone else can. I'm pretty sure that's how capitalism works.

And so, he says, “I probably will simply shutter my business and say my sweet farewells to a half dozen great employees (who are unlikely to equal their current remuneration elsewhere … if they are fortunate enough to get new jobs in this economy).”

Yeah, if these half dozen great employees can't run the business as well as whine-ass, greedhead Norman Lizt then maybe they were just dead weight to begin with. But once again have a nice retirement Mr. Galt Lizt.

“To Barack Obama, I say thank you …” he concludes, “… for freeing me from the yoke and bondage of my current endeavors and providing a newfound freedom. I just hope, however, that there are not thousands and thousands of others in the same position as I am in … the multiplier effect on jobs, the economy and charitable giving could be devastating!”

I'll take the liberty of saying you're welcome for the president. Since you've probably just been loafing the past few years anyway it'll be good to get some fresh blood into the economy. Don't worry I'm sure we're going to be able to survive without you. Bon Voyage!