The Moonbat Chronicles

Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Abortion

2009-06-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

Today, the news is reporting that a doctor in the states was gunned down -in Church no less- because he was a "late term abortion" provider.

I'm not sure when abortion became a religious issue, but it is. For whatever reason, the religious right has dominated this issue, claiming that they themselves only care about the life of the unborn child.

In their ziel to protect life, the religious right that flames the passions of the anti-choice movement, and have pushed many to commit acts of domestic terrorism against doctors and women across the country.

Never mind the irony, never mind the contradictions, never mind how it flies in the face of everything that Jesus ever spoke of. But let us focus, instead, on the insanity of the rhetoric and the very argument of the anti choice movement as it is practiced by so many for so long.

The religious right/anti-choice movement have argued for too long without enough of a push back from the rest of us, that:

1) "Liberals" are pro-abortion
2) Abortion is murder
3) Abortion is a sin
4) Abortion is what Hitler, Stalin, Mao used

It's amazing that when you boil it down to the "talking points" how insane their argument is.

No one is "pro abortion". Anyone, anywhere, ever. We are "pro-choice". And it's a fucking hard choice to make. No one wants to have an abortion. No woman skips merrily to the clinic to get it done and then goes out for margaritas with the ladies to celebrate at an abortion party. It is a soul crushing experience from which many women don't ever fully recover emotionally and spiritually.

Abortion is not murder. As much as this might bother people, murder is a legal definition, not an absolute one. That's why it's murder if I shoot someone while robbing a liqueur store, but it's not murder when the state executes me when I'm found guilty. Abortion is legal, and not murder. You might not like that, but that's the way it is.

Abortion is not a sin. This one is just the most vile corruption of religious philosophy ever. It wasn't until the late 19th century that people even understood the process of conception. Don't tell me the Bible had it figured out 5000 years ago. In fact, in many cases, the Bible equates the act of breathing with life. And since a fetus can't breathe, it can't be "alive" in the Biblical sense of the word. The Bible is filled with references that fly in the face of what most "pro-life" people preach. Don't believe me? Read more here.

My all time favorite, however, is the comparing of abortion doctors to Hitler, and his group of nutcases. To be honest, I'm getting sick and tired of the constant comparisons to Hitler for everything. Hitler performed abortions not to honor a woman's right to choose, but to create master races and to discard "genetically inferior" babies (here's the important bit) EVEN OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF THE MOTHER. Hitler didn't practice abortion. He practiced FORCED abortions. NO ONE is in favor for that. In fact, the very notion flies in the face of what the pro-choice movement has been fighting for for generations.

But these are the lies, smears, and outright hysterics that the religious right/anti-choice movement have been saying about abortion. It's got to stop.

It might help them to know that even on the "Liberal Left" there are MANY, MANY of us who think that abortion is the ultimate ethical Mobius strip. It's the most repugnant of all our rights, and the lesser of two "evils" in many of our minds. But none of us sleep well at night when we hear that abortion rates have gone up.

Maybe if the religious right wasn't so against welfare, government backed daycare, and extended maternity leave, we would have less abortions in our society. I don't know. All I know is that they have got to cut back on the rhetoric before someone else gets shot.

MoonBat

Bares Repeating

2009-05-05T21:48:00.001-07:00

I've been off for a while. Sorry peeps. Just been swamped with things. But I just wanted to post something quickly given the events unfolding in Washington.

Let me -on behalf of millions if not billions of people around the world- be clear so that the people who run America fully understand:

Civilized nations do not torture, and do not quibble as to the definition of torture.

The nation that resorts to torture first, is the nation that admits defeat.

There is no other side to this argument. There is no ticking time bomb scenario. There is nothing.

Black and white. Cut and dry.

You will not, and never will, torture in our names to "defend" our freedoms. We would rather die in an attack, than live in dishonour.

Now go and prosecute Bush and restore our dignity.

Stay Tuned

2009-04-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

Been swamped with stuff lately. Good and bad. Exciting and fearful. So I will have lots to talk about when I get a chance.

Talk soon!

MoonBat

The Myth Of "Living Within Our Means"

2009-03-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

First off, just want to apologize for not blogging enough lately. Been dealing with some family stuff that has distracted me considerably. Ironically, the issue revolves around money -or lack thereof.

My mom is 65, turning 66 this July. She goes to her financial planner last week who suddenly realizes that she's going to be broke by 71. Evidently, this came to a shock to him. This is the guy who is supposed to manage my mom's (limited) money, and has been (again, supposedly) for the last 5 years at least.

Now, I'm going to do a whole other post about the investment systems in Canada another day, but for today I want to talk about a phrase that is suddenly entering into our conversations, and one that mom heard from this douche bag financial planner.

"Live within your means"

Have you head that lately? You probably have.

It has become the rallying call of not just Republicans but Democrats as well. It's become the bumper sicker of the 'new economics' of this American decade.

There's a political action group named for it: http://livewithinourmeans.com/

Obama has used the expression in one of his speeches: http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/02/unreal-obama-says-weve-gotta-get.html

And Republicans like Ron Paul have made a mantra out of it: http://ronpaulromania.blogspot.com/2009/01/ron-paul-solution-is-to-live-within-our.html

Now, on the surface, there is nothing wrong with the argument that we have to live within our means. It makes perfect sense. If you spend more than you make you go into debt and risk financial ruin to not only yourself but your family.

As a nation, if you spend too much, you risk crippling debt, recessions, and potentially disastrous inflation.

But, the advice is great for an ideal world. The fact is, we don't live in one. The ugly truth is that most people CANNOT live within their means, and we have NEVER been encouraged or been able to do so by the powers that be.

We live in a society that NEEDS CREDIT. Not only for convenience, but as a major factor in our economic survival.

Think about it: if it was so easy to "live within our means", why do we have a banking crisis? Why are so many businesses hurting because they can't get a loan, and why is the government rushing to help them out?

I mean, if we should just live within our means, why are we trying to get capital flowing again?

The reason: our system is geared towards perpetual debt. Not perpetual profit.

The abundance of credit has been a KEY factor in the economic success of the Western world for 100 years now. By providing easy access to credit and loans, governments and businesses have ensured the following:

-Easy economic expansion of a consumer based economy

-Suppression of wages of the working class (Why pay someone more when they can live off of credit?)

-Creation of a debt burden to ensure that people work for whatever salary you give them and are less likely to quit no matter how much you exploit them.

-Keeping people economically suppressed so that they are always focused on their personal situations and not the 'big pictures' of life.

The truth is, the Western economies would COLLAPSE if people 'lived within their means'.

If you lived within your means, would you go out to dinner once a week? Would you go to the movies or buy a DVD? Would you get that new iPhone or new Britney CD? Would you buy a house? Or buy a second car? Would you go on vacation somewhere or just stay home?

Would you buy a new dress? Buy a coffee on your way to work? Would you spend any money during Christmas?

Probably not. You won't be able to do much.

So, explain to me then, how does a Western economy like America survive if people lived within their means? Because, after all, the American economy is one of excess.

What would happen to companies if the average American had to live within a budget? What would happen to Mercedes, Abercombe and Finch, The Gap, Nine West, Gucci, Ford, Lincoln, Crocs, Banana Republic, Boss, Armani, Versaci, Disney World, Sony, Samsung, Apple, Louis Vuitton, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Chanel, Rolex, Shell, Boeing, Levi's, Motorola, Nissan, Starbucks, or Nivea?

They'd go tits up, that's what.

To everyone who uses the rallying cry of "Live Within Our Means" as a front against the Obama budget -which at it's worst is somewhere between 1-2 trillion dollars- let me quote from Video Jug :

The average American today has about thirteen credit cards and about $9,800 in outstanding balances... As far as the totals, there is currently about nine trillion dollars in mortgage debt outstanding, about two and a half to three trillion dollars in non-mortgage debt, that would credit cards, which is about nine hundred million, car loans, student loans, medical debt, all kinds of other debts combined are about two and a half to three trillion dollars. So consumers have a total of well over ten trillion dollars in debt in this country and it's hurting an awful lot of people's ability to keep up.

10 trillion dollars. That's what Americans spent on credit.

So image sucking 10 trillion dollars out of the national economy. What do you think it would do? How damaging would that be on business? How many people would be out of work?

Before we all start demanding that people start living within their means, let's understand what the consequences will be: a very different Western world. No more innovations at the rate we are currently used to, no more fun gadgets to buy every Christmas, no more new car line ups every year. Good bye 401ks and RRSPs. So long retirement plans. Nice knowing you manufacturing sectors and blue collar jobs. Good luck tech sector. See ya around GDP growth.

Hello 15-20% unemployment rate for the next 20 years or so.

I completely agree that people need to live within their means. But not for some kind of sick economic morality that seems to be sweeping the nations. But because credit has become a yolk around the necks of the working class and because it perpetuates a false economic condition that cannot survive.

We need to re-engineer our economic systems so that both companies and workers make good money so that companies can reinvest in themselves and that workers can reinvest in their economies without living in debt.

MoonBat

Why the AIG story is big, and why it doesn't matter.

2009-03-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize -and perhaps it is naive of me for not seeing this earlier- as to why the AIG bonuses story is as big as it is.

I'm one of those guys that is constantly saying: "Why isn't the media devoting more time to global warming, or poverty, or the chaos in Africa? Why aren't we talking more about the rise of China or the history of American intervention in the Middle East that lead to the birth of Al-Qaeda?"

For the longest time I used to think that the media didn't do this for bogus political reasons or because of corporate sponsorship. Now I'm beginning to realize that they don't do it because they are lazy.

Stories like the AIG bonuses are easy to produce, because -ultimately- there are only two sides to the story. You are either for the bonuses or against them. The idea of these guys making millions of dollars after crashing the economy lights something up in the reptile part of our brain. The part that gets offended easily and wants some kind of primitive retribution and tribal justice. "It's not fair! It's not right!" is usually the rallying cry of the reptile brain.

Even President Obama said the bonuses were a moral and ethical issue.

For the media, stores like this makes for 'engaging television' and easy journalism. You don't have to cover a story. Only the reaction to the story. Honestly, how much time has been spend understanding why we are where we are with AIG versus the outrage of the bonuses? Ask yourself: what angle of the story is actually more important in the long run?

You can see the same thing with the Octo-Mom story. People were either supportive of it or against it. They spent hours talking about the 'ethical and moral' implications of having so many babies.

Considering all of the true moral and ethical quandaries we are in as a civilization, are these the best examples we can come up with? No. But they are the easiest to put on television. Why? Because these kinds of "dilemmas" are easy for people to understand.

And that's the thing. Rick Santelli had a point recently, that the outrage of the bonuses makes no sense because they represent 1% of the money given to AIG. His thesis: Why the outrage over 160 million when we just handed over 160 billion? And he's right.

But arguing about the bigger issues -like if a bailout for AIG was even required in the first place- requires a nuanced argument, with subtle details of law, economics, capitalism and principle. It means that people have to actually UNDERSTAND the issue before they can have an opinion on it.

(Why is it -for example- that no matter how complex an issue is, the media always reduces it to a two sided argument? (Think Israel vs Palestine). Is it because they are corrupt? No. It's because they are lazy. Explaining the Mobeus strip that is the Middle East is too hard. Making it a story about settlers vs terrorists is much easier.)

Why is it that we have spent more time now talking about the AIG bonuses than we did about the idea of, the implementation of, the management of, and the laws of giving AIG a BAILOUT in the first place? Because the latter requires actual thought and discussion. And the easier it is for people to have an opinion on something -and the faster you can present an argument so they can have one- the more will follow the story and be 'engaged' in it.

Looking back, I can see this happening constantly. Remember the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal? Why was that so big? Cause it was easy for people to have an opinion on it.

Gays in the military? Gay marriage? Abortion? Same thing. Reptile brain reactions to all of them.

Global warming? The role of a central banking system in democracy? The role of government in supporting a capitalistic system and what limitations should be placed on IT as well as the markets in general? Good luck seeing CNN give any of those issues any time. Too complicated. Not sexy enough.

The trouble is, of course, that the most important issues we face as a society, a people, and a species, aren't easy to understand. It requires us to educate ourselves in various schools of thought and subject matters. It means that we have to silence our reptile brain and use our higher functions to actually have an INFORMED opinion.

What is going on on Wall Street and on Bay Street and in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and everywhere else is epic. It's a complex, almost Homer-esque tragedy playing out, and there are no Cliff Notes or Coles Notes to skim off of.

For decades, those in power have been distracting us -and we ourselves- with these simple yes or no 'issues'. Obsessing over them, we have failed to educate ourselves on the real issues that matter, and the stories that we must decode and understand.

The AIG bonus story is big for sure. But not for the reasons you believe it to be. Ultimately, our society won't feel it one way or another if those jerks get their bonus money or not.

No, this story is big because we are so stupid as a country and as a people, that this is the only part of the narrative that we truly 'get', and therefore, the only part of the story that we have an actual opinion on.

Next time you have an opinion on something, I mean REALLY have an opinion on something, odds are likely you have an opinion on a subject that is totally irrelevant to your life and your country. Not because your opinion doesn't matter, but because the issue is most likely so simplistic that it is ultimately irrelevant. It may make you feel good to have an opinion, but so what?

I'll never be able to watch the news the same way again.

Breaking down the AIG Hysteria

2009-03-17T20:53:00.001-07:00

Once again, Kieth Olbermann and Jonathan Turley breaks it down simply in terms of the hypocrisy of the outrage. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

LEAVE AIG ALONE!!!! (redux)

2009-03-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Another day, and another AIG freak out on behalf of the Obama administration.

Today, Obama huffed and puffed about AIG's insistence on paying $170 million dollars in bonuses.

Now I'm a huge fan of Obama and I'm disgusted at the idea of paying bonuses to the guys who broke the American economy. But as I said in yesterday's post on this, AIG is contractually obligated to do so. In fact, if they don't, they may have to pay DOUBLE because of the state laws that they operate under.

The question is not: "How dare AIG pay?". We know they have no morals on the situation anyway. The question is: "How dare the Obama administration NOT know this was going to happen?"

They effectively 'bought' AIG with tax payer money. Didn't they look at the books? Tim Giethner, used to work for Goldman Sachs. He KNOWS how things roll on Wall Street. Hey Timmy. Did it just slip your mind? (Also, I'm sure he also had NO idea that AIG paid $13 billion to Goldman Sachs -even though they were also recently bailed out.)

The US gov is just showing itself to be incapable of dealing with this mess, and at the heart of this shit storm is Geithner. It's time for this guy to step aside. He has lost all credibility in dealing with these issues.

In the meantime, don't get distracted by stories of bonuses. That's not the outrage here. The outrage is that there seems to be no accountability on behalf of the US gov as to how they are spending your money.

MoonBat

LEAVE AIG ALONE!!!!

2009-03-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

So AIG announces that they will have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses because contractually they are obligated to, and -naturally- politicians go ape shit over it.

You know what? Good on AIG. And thanks for nothing Washington.

I know that sounds weird coming from me, given that I've been calling for a major overhaul in the American financial system, and more accountability to American taxpayers, but in this case I side with AIG.

The US government had a chance to nationalize AIG and chose not to. It could have let AIG file for chapter 11 and chose not to. Either one of these options would have allowed AIG to break the contracts that were currently in place with their management team and not require them to pay bonuses.

The US gov has shown itself to be completely incompetent as to their understanding of and their management of this situation. They actually thought that by bailing out AIG, that they had some legal authority to tell AIG what to do. Guess what losers. You don't. Thanks for coming out.

AIG is LEGALLY obligated to pay those bonuses. LEGALLY. If they don't, they can and WILL get sued. How much is that going to cost to resolve?

To the monkey's in Congress and the Senate, please understand: there are no half measures in this. If you want control over how a company spends it's money you have to BE in control of the company. If a company is 'too big to fail' then guess what? You probably aren't going to be in a good position to negotiate, because if you don't meet their demands they will just let the system collapse and still walk away millionaires.

I'm sick of hearing this constant complaint about bonuses. If you hate them so much, take all these companies over an be done with it. If you are too scared to do so, then shut up and stop putting on a show of crocodile tears for taxpayers. You knew EXACTLY what AIG was going to do with this money, and if you DIDN'T, then you are too incompetent to be doing your job.

MoonBat

Douche Bags of the Week

2009-03-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Well another 7 days have gone by so that means it's time for Douche Bags of the Week!

This weeks winners are:

Alan Greenspan - Evidently, wrecking the economy wasn't good enough for Mr. Greenspan, he also wants to wreck history as well. This week, Mr. Greenspan wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal, basically saying that it wasn't his fault that everything went to shit in the economy so don't blame him. Unfortunately, it kinda is his fault. Mr. Greenspan was head of the Fed, and was the one that kept lowering interest rates, which made it cheaper for banks to borrow and lend, which made it cheaper for people to take out mortgages, which yada yada yada. Had he "closed the window" of the Fed, we might have averted the catastrophe that continues to unfold (and much of which that has not) upon on. Not to mention that Mr. Greenspan was also Mr. Don'tRegulateTheMarketsTheyCanFigureItOutThemselves. So fuck you twice Greenspan.

Ben Bernanke - Ben Bernanke is the current head of the Fed, and as such, he's the guy who's supposed to know exactly how the money in America is being spent and where the pains in the market is. Well, 2 years into this recession and 6 months after the economy started to bottom out, Ben has come to the conclusion that the markets need a regulatory overhaul. Really? You figure that one all out by yourself Sherlock? And so quickly too. Of course the markets need an overhaul you turd blossom. And that overhaul has to start with the Fed.

Tim Geithner - I hate coming down on Timmy cause he's had his job just a few days less than Obama has had his. But there are certain screw ups that just need to be pointed out. This week, Geithner had an interview with Charlie Rose, where he said, and I quote "Capitalism will be different". Considering your boss is still being called a socialist by every red neck south of the Mason Dixon line (and a few retards in Washington), maybe you should find better talking points. And next time you sit down and talk about what you are going to do about the banking situation, maybe you should have an actual plan ready to roll out. So far you have nothing.

Stephen Harper - There are douche bags and then there are douche bags. Harper is the crown prince of them this week. I've never liked the guy, I will admit. Personally, I think he's a disaster of a PM in many ways. Sure, he didn't invade an Arab nation without cause, but -believe me- if he had the army he would. This week, Harper decides to launch into a tirade against liberals in a 'closed door meeting' with his party members and supporters. "We are in a global recession principally – and we have to face this – because a lot of people on Wall Street, because a lot of people in the private sector more generally – homeowners or consumers – pushed or bought into a very unconservative idea that they could live beyond their means"," he said. Never mind the fact that is was conservative ideology that screwed up the American system, and liberal ideology that saved the Canadian one. (AND also nevermind that under Liberal leadership Canada had record surpluses a BOOMING economy and a strong dollar) Also, just a few weeks after Obama visited Canada and Harper was all friendly to him to his face, Harper goes on to criticize Obama's stimulus package and economic policy. Hey Harper: next time your approval ratings are in the high 60's you can talk trash to Obama. Until then, shut up. If you have something to say about liberals or Obama, say it in public like a man. Bitch.

Michael Steele Sets His Exit Strategy

2009-03-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

Seems that Michael Steele knows the end is coming and has decided upon an exit strategy.

He recently gave an interview with GQ where he stated (confusingly) that he is (possibly) pro-choice when it comes to abortion.

Not only will this certainly get him booted from the GOP, but it lays down a great excuse as to why he will get the boot.

When he talks about it in the future, he will probably point to his "progressive" stance on abortion rights -not his total incompetency, and corruption as GOP leader.

Brilliant.

MoonBat

BREAKING NEWS: Ben Bernake claims sky is blue!

2009-03-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Or he might as well have.

At least a year after everyone else got the memo, Ben has decided to announce to the world that the US financial system needs serious regulations.

Thanks for coming out Ben. You've been doing this for how long?

Interestingly enough, he decided to announce this -not to Congress or to Wall Street- but the the Council on Foreign Relations, in hopes to create a 'discussion' with the G20 nations to enact international financial standards. Possibly laying down the foundation for a central international banking and financial system.

New World Order conspiracy theorists, start your engines.

MoonBat

Don't Get Your Hopes Up. We're Not Out of It Yet

2009-03-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

So the DOW today had a good day. And there are people already saying that this is the beginning of the rebound.

But let's not get stupid.

For starters, a good day on Wall Street is just that. A good day. People put their money in and then sell it just as fast. So don't get fooled by a one day up tick.

Also, let's not loose sight that NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED ON WALL STREET YET!

There are no true "good days", until we see real change on Wall Street and real regulations and restructuring take place.

Until that happens, today is like like getting lucky on the slots. Just because it pays out once, doesn't mean that your next pull is going to be any bigger.

MoonBat

Reality Check: There is No Silver Bullet

2009-03-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wake up America.

There is no silver bullet to what ails you. For all of the hype behind the stimulus bill, the banking bill, the multiple bail outs -none of them are going to fix this problem.

When an economy is as fucked as yours is, don't expect any one piece of legislation to bring salvation. It's not a werewolf you can shoot at and change back.

Your entire economic system is a fraud. You've been ripped off by those you trusted, and the whole 'trickle down economics' thing is finally kicking in: you're getting pissed on.

Like a badly broken bone, your economy needs to reset. And if you ever had a broken bone reset before, you know it hurts almost as much as the actual break.

What does this mean for you? Probably some are all of the following:

1) Total nationalization of the banking system for a 'short' period of time.
2) The collapse of at least one major auto company.
3) The fall of home values by 30% or more
4) A Dow Jones of around 5000 when it hits 'bottom'. Maybe less even.
5) A national unemployment rate of around 11-13%, with at least one state having one of around 20%.
6) An inflation rate of around 5% or more
7) Kissing your 401ks good-bye

Don't blame Obama for any of this. There is nothing he can do to fix it. Like watching a building collapse, there is nothing you can do but wait for it to hit the ground and then clean up the mess.

Just remember who you should be angry at: every politician that told you that Al-Qaeda was the biggest threat to America. They spent years and a trillion dollars on a 'war on terror' when they should have been waging a 'war on fraud' on Wall Street. Remember them telling you how Osama Bin Ladin was going to destroy capitalism? From a cave no less?

Seems that the jerks on Wall Street did a good job of that themselves.

MoonBat

Pity The Poor Albertans

2009-03-08T11:31:00.001-07:00

Pity the poor Albertans.

I mean that. I'm not saying that in any kind of lefty, snarky way.

The people of Alberta have been shafted. Their leaders betrayed their trust. And the industries that they placed their futures in are indifferent to their plight.

A recent story has it that Alberta's economic is in the ditch.

After years of a booming economy, based almost solely on high gas prices, the plunging markets have screwed up the Albertan economy for at least the next 2 to 3 years. I would hazard to guess more.

Albertans, like all citizens, put their trust and faith into government officials and 'industry experts'. For the last two decades, Albertans have been told that there is no need for real economic diversity, that there is no pressing urgency to invest into new industries, and that the gravy train will never end.

Well it just screeched to a full stop.

Alberta is officially near the bottom in Canada in terms of economic growth.

In many ways, Alberta is representative of what is going on in the world. Focus on what's working NOW, forget about long term planning, ignore all evidence to the contrary, get every one's hopes as high as possible, profit as much as you can in the short term, and then bail when things come crashing down.

Albertans are going to have a devil of a time re-working their economy. Especially with oil and gas lobbyists working overtime to prevent any green shift within the province.

To every Albertan who is going to -or already has- lost a job, I'm sorry. Our government, and our industries should have done better.

I hope, for the rest of us, we learn the lesson.

MoonBat

Douche Bags of the Week

2009-03-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Going to try and start something new tonight. Each week I will be compiling a list of who I consider to be the biggest Douche Bags.

This ignoble title will be bestowed upon the men and women that have done the most in the last 7 days to set back humanity, just because they want to be pricks.

This weeks winners are:

Sanjay Gupta: Gupta has withdrawn his name from being considered for the job of top doctor of the US. Rumor has it that he didn't like the pay cut he would have to endure. Gupta is a brilliant neurosurgeon and a great doctor. He has just prevented millions of people form benefiting from his talents because he wants to earn a little more money shilling for CNN.

Roger Ailes: Ailes, Mr. Buddy Buddy with the Bush family, is the CEO of Fox News. He's recently been quoted as saying that he is ready to wage war with Obama , comparing it to the Alamo. Evidently, Alies considers fairer taxes, and universal health care to be key signs of the Apocalypse.

Ken Starr: What would a douche bag list be without Ken Starr. Not content with wasting the nations time and money going after Clinton in the 90s over blow jobs in the White House, Starr is now devoting his energies to deny civil liberties to homosexuals. Evidently, Starr will not be happy until no one in the country is getting laid -ever.

Zach Wamp: Wamp and Gupta must be dating, because it's a great week for beating up health care. Wamp has publicly stated that health care is not a right. Wamp is correct. There is nothing in the American constitution that requires the government to provide universal health care coverage. But then again, there is nothing in the constitution about teaching evolution, having the ten commandments on court houses, about invading countries without warrant, about having a Federal Reserve system, about banning gay marriage, or about unilaterally negotiating trade deals. All things the GOP are in favor for, and are basically the central ideologies of their party. So if we are going to be technically right, Mr. Wamp, your entire party is full of shit. So if you have the right to be full of shit, then sick people have the right to medicine.

Ken Lewis: Lewis is the big cheese at Bank of America. If you can even call it a bank any longer. Aren't banks supposed to have money? This week Lewis came out and said that TARP was "a mistake", that he really didn't need all that money (but he spent it anyway), and is now refusing to cooperate with the DA of NY regarding bonuses paid to execs. One silver lining, major shareholders of his bank want him fired. Fuck you Lewis. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

MoonBat

Listen to the Markets. Not Wall Street.

2009-03-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

President Obama has been getting a lot of flack lately, because the stock markets are tanking. And most of that flack is really unfair.

There seems to be a consensus building -a false one- that as long as the stock market drops, it is an indication that Obama is doing a bad job in managing the economy. In conversations about this, people routinely use the terms 'markets' and 'Wall Street' synonymously.

And that's a mistake.

Politically, ideologically, and rationally, we have to understand the difference between 'the markets' and 'Wall Street'.

President Obama -like all leaders- needs to do what is in the best interest of the markets. Not of the various 'Wall Streets' around the world.

Wall Street is a euphemism. It's a euphemism for big investors, big brokerage houses, big companies, big banks, and big interests.

The market is what really matters. The market is all about investor confidence, investor integrity, financial oversight, fiduciary accountability and economic responsibility.

The problem that leaders like Obama are facing is that what is best for the market, is not what is best for Wall Street.

Wall Street wants to go back to the party. Back to making insanely dangerous deals for short term payouts, long term bonuses, and big time bail outs.

Wall Street wants no regulations. They want to continue to wreck the value of global currencies, bankrupt nations, and continue the suppression of wages of the middle and working classes.

Wall Street doesn't want to pay taxes, doesn't want to go green, and doesn't want anyone looking at their books.

Wall Street wants to live in a world with stocks are over valued, and assets are over leveraged.

That's not what is best for investors. That's not what is best for the market.

The market needs to be fair. The market needs to have integrity. The market needs to know that it has an honest chance of making an honest buck.

The market is crying out for order and discipline. The market is crying out for honest trading, and consumer confidence.

The market is not asking for guarantees. Just real oversight.

Obama is right to ignore the stock tickers -for now. Wall Street needs to be revalued. It needs to hit rock bottom. It needs to be measured for what a market should be measured for: real potential for a return, real confidence, and real results.

For the last 20 years, we have been living in a fantasy world where a nation that produces nothing, has a serious inflation problem, and a massive long term debt issue, can have a stock market nearly double in a decade.

Wall Street needs a reality check. Wall Street may not like it, but that is exactly what is best for the markets.

MoonBat

Bobby Jindal: Exorcist

2009-02-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

Lost in all the laughter at Bobby Jindal's speech from the other week, was a discussion of what this guy really believes in.

Bobby Jindal is not a balanced man. He might come off as a smart cookie, but he's got some weird, weird beliefs.

Like what?

Like he believes in possessions and personally performed an exorcism.

Why this isn't on the front page news, as it is actually old news, is beyond me.

To my GOP friends: you can't lead a nation with guys like this. You just can't.

Read more here: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/bobby_jindals_dance_with_the_d.php

MoonBat

Reforming the Left. How The Green Party Can Get Its Act Together

2009-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

I recently did a post about how the conservative movement needs to go through a reformation to become relevant again. Well the left has to do the same as well.

Contrary to what many may think, the Obama victory in the states does not signal a tectonic shift in North American politics -just yet.

In order for that to happen, Canada must also re-discover its progressive roots.

I've already shared my thoughts on wanna be PM, current Liberal interim leader Michael "The oil sands are just peachy" Ignatieff. His leadership ideals is hardly progressive. If anything, it seems that Iggy is just running to the centre, which -as far as I am concerned- is the political equivalent of quicksand.

What Canada needs is a TRUE progressive movement. And for my two cents, it is the Green Party that offers us the best chance for a real progressive revolution across North America.

There is a political reality that we all need to recognize: true change cannot happen unless both Canada and the US work together and work hard toward achieving it. We are tied politically, economically, socially, and culturally. If one partner in this dance decides to step on the other's feet, nothing is going to happen. That is why it is very important that Canada find it's progressive voice.

The Green Party, is actually a damn good party. Ideologically anyway. They have some very important policy points that need to be discussed on a national and continental basis. If you are one of those that think that the Green Party is only about environmental policy, you are mistaken. You can read more about their solid party platform here.

As you can see, hardly unreasonable goals, or even partisan ones for the most part.

So you are probably asking yourself, after listing all of this, why would I be insisting on a reformation of the left? Compared to what the right is doing, what is listed above seems inspired.

It is not the Green Party's platform that I have issue with. It is their desire to fight for it that is the problem.

For years, now, the Green Party has been wanting to get into government via a legal means by asking for proportional representation during our elections. The Green Party during the last election got over 10% of the vote, but did not get a single seat because of Canada's "first past the post" federal election practices.

But this is no way to get political clout, and no way to effect change.

Real change comes from hard work, tireless effort, and inspiring others.

Here are my thoughts on how the Green Party can be a contender and usher in the change we need to have a great 21st century.

Rebrand: The Green Party brand has become associated in the minds of millions -rightly or wrongly- as a one trick pony party. The party of tree huggers. The Green Party NEEDS to rebrand and show Canadians that their party platform is a complete one that addresses all aspects of our economic, political, legal, security, and diplomatic needs. Ditch the green and get something else.

Hustle: I live in Toronto. I can't go two blocks without being stopped by a panhandler, street vendor, leaflet hander-outer, or charity solicitor. But in all my time walking around Toronto, I have NEVER encountered a Green Party member trying to introduce people to the party. It's time to get off your butts and go out to the streets. Shake hands, hand out brochures, knock on doors, have conversations. Don't be lazy and wait for people to come to your cozy, heated, indoor meetings. Stand out in the Canadian freezing cold, and solicit for new members. The NDP did it, the Bloc did it, and you have to do it.

Drop the Hippies: The key element keeping the Green Party from effecting real change is the lack of credibility. They are seen by many as a party of tree huggers. They need to expand their membership and target professionals. Entrepreneurs, capitalists, Wall Street types. Lawyers, doctors, rich guys. They need to prove that they can attract people who have money, and are not afraid of Green policies effecting their wallets in a devastating way. The Green Party has enough environmentalists. Now it needs more business types to prove that their economic policies are also right. Bonus points for getting some army guys to show that their security ideas are valid too.

Get Guerrilla On Their Asses: The Green Party needs more press. If they think that the MSM is going to give it to them willingly they are sadly mistaken. They are going to have to fight for every single minute and word of coverage. They need to get the country talking about them. That means protests, sit ins, publicity stunts, rallies, blogging, and getting all up on the Web 2.0. Go out and get a great PR firm. Obama showed that "Yes We Can". The Greens need to show that to.

Pick a Fight: The 'revolution' isn't going to happen because we ask nicely. It will only happen if we show people that this is something worth fighting for. Everywhere our PM goes the Greens need to be there, peppering him with questions, showing the flaws of his logic, projecting the failures of his plans. The more doubt they shine on the current political zeitgeist the better. Press releases aren't enough. You have to confront the issues on the ground as they happen.

The Green Party may be Canada's last best hope for real change. The question is, how badly do they want it? Right now, as great as their ideas are, the Green Party comes off as lazy. A bunch of self righteous do gooders with great ideas, but who are too yuppie to get their hands dirty.

Politics isn't fair or clean. No one is going to give you a seat, and no voter is going to give you their vote. You have to fight and earn everything.

Are the Greens ready for a fight? We'll see.

MoonBat

@&$% You Again Michael Ignatieff

2009-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

You'd think that having already once taken the most absurd position a supposed friend of the environment can take regarding the Alberta Oil sands (the biggest environmental disaster in Canada), that wanna be PM Michael Ignatieff would at least backtrack from his previous comments and reassure people of his total commitment to the green revolution when given another chance to speak on the subject.

Nope. (Read more here: http://www.thestar.com/article/594359)

His latest statements include:

1) Needs more study. (HUH?!)
2) The oil sands is a question of national unity. (Why? So we can all DIE together?!)
3) That we need to bring industry on board to help design a greener Canada. (Really? You think oil companies are just going to line up for that, huh?)

Iggy, if you need someone to bounce ideas off of, why don't you hang out with your fellow pretender George Will. He seems to share much of your delusions about the environment.

Fuck you again Iggy.

MoonBat

5 Ways Conservatives Can Save Their Movement

2009-02-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

I mentioned this in my very first post, and I'm going to elaborate on it now. Conservatism is a dying ideology, getting choked to death by the very people who purport to defend it.

In America, Rush Limbaugh, George Will, Sarah Palin, and Michael Steele are making the Republicans look like a joke. While in Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Minister John Baird, are single handedly destroying a once proud party.

In both cases, the root cause is the same: a failure to adapt conservative philosophies and ideas for the 21st century. In both cases, both parties are slipping into obscurity and potentially into irrelevancy.

So here are the 5 ways conservatives in both nations can become relevant again. And in doing so, help us all have far more intelligent, meaningful, and insightful political discussions and solutions.

The first two first steps are crucial. They will help conservatives gain badly needed credibility in the minds of millions of people that see the movement as a bunch of wingnuts and haters.

1. Admit that you lost the culture war. In both America and Canada, it is clear that the vast majority of the citizens have migrated to the left on most social issues. To most people, gay marriage, abortion, universal health care, and sexual education are non issues. They have come to accept them and embrace them as part of their democratic values. Stop making issues of them. They are doing you no good and bring no value to the nation as a debate. Drop them as wedge issues, and move on. In doing so, you will attract a lot more social moderates into your parties in the long run, including those that view 'social conservatism' as what it is: bigotry.

2. Embrace science once again. Conservatives have gone off the deep end with their near hatred for science. Evolution, global warming, stem cell research, are all rejected by many conservatives that are currently running the movement. Ditch these clowns and get with it. Science is important. By embracing it once again, you will attract many more eggheads to your parties and with it be taken seriously on a host of issues.

3. Get back to talking about the SCOPEof government. While still keeping step number 1 in mind, there is still plenty conservatives can say about the scope of government. Does it really need to fund the arts? Do it really need to give money to the CBC? Should it be taxing food that we think is unhealthy? How about this one: how far can a government go in determining what can of treatments a doctor can perscribe to a patient under universal health care? (What a modern twist on an old conservative theme of 'big government'.) These are all classic conservative arguments -and good ones- that we need to hear again.

4. Get back to talking about the SIZE of government. Different than scope, size is literally the 'BIGNESS' of government. Both in head count, and departments. Even as a liberal the one thing I will acknowledge is that there is a lot of cronyism in government. There are quite frankly a lot of people that get paid to do nothing, and because of liberal fears of unions, nothing is done of it. Well this is another classic conservative argument. Certainly there are departments than can be folded into each other, redundancies that can be eliminated, automation that can take place. Let's hear those ideas, and save a bunch of money to boot.

4. Remind people of the responsibility that government has with taxpayer dollars. Even though this is really a bi-partisan issue, conservatives have always argued it better. No one likes paying any more taxes than they have to, yet governments continue to waste taxpayer dollars. Governments have a responsibility to tax payers to use money wisely and to be completely transparent with what they do with it. Just because we all want universal health care doesn't mean that we can't do it better for less. Just because we all agree that we need a stimulus package, doesn't mean that we can't allow for more local decision making on how that money is spent. And more importantly, just because the government has access to our tax dollars, doesn't mean they can unilaterally spend it without consulting with tax payers first.

Conservatism is in desperate need for a revival. We need a strong conservative voice again in politics. But what we don't need are the far right lunatics that have no respect for reason or principle.

If you have any ideas on how to revive the right, I would love to hear it.

MoonBat

@%&$ You Michael Ignatieff

2009-02-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Would Be PM.

On behalf of millions of Canadians, let me say how insanely disappointed I am at you defending the Alberta oil sands. (Read more here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090226.OILFLAP26/TPStory/TPNational/Prairies/)

The oil sands are an environmental disaster. I don't care how many people it employs. That's a red herring argument and you know it.

Ultimately, we will pay a far greater price to clean up the mess it will cause to our planet than a few lost jobs. For every dollar we pull out of the sands we will probably pay 2, 3, or 4 more in the natural disasters it will result in globally. TAX PAYER DOLLARS.

I am sick of Liberals that are too weak to stand up to basic, meaningful principles. This is a no brainer. I would rather deal with a TEMPORARY employment problem in Alberta than a global climate crisis any day of the week. I would rather my taxes go up to pay for a complete reshift of the economy of Alberta to make them a green energy super power than have to pay to rebuild a town after a hurricane wrecks it.

And if we had begun investing in green technology a decade ago, those Albertans would be too busy setting up solar panels and wind farms to even care about tar sands. Not to mention if the politicians of Alberta had any common sense, they would have diversified their economy so that they would not be so reliant on the oil sector. Ontario -my home province- became too reliant on the auto sector and look at what that did to us.

If this choice is too difficult for you to make Iggy, maybe you should find another job. If you are afraid to stand up to the right, then go sell shoes.

Maybe you don't have the stones to lead a country in the 21st century. Or maybe that fancy education of yours isn't as fancy as you think it is.

If I wanted another Harper in office, I'd stick to the douche bag who has the job now. I was under the impression that you wanted to bring change to Ottawa, not more of the same failed politics and empty compromises that screw everyone at the end.

Fuck you Michael Ignatieff. Thanks for selling out the next generation.

MoonBat

A Tale of Two Markets

2009-02-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

If you watch CNN or read the Washington Post, the financial sky is falling.

Evidently, the American economy is on the brink of collapse (still) and the banks are the walking dead.

Really? Cause in Canada everything is just peachy.

"An oasis of calm"

"Better days ahead"

"Bank beats earning expectation"

When was the last time you heard that kind of talk in relation to the US markets?

But in Canada, that is the picture.

Canada has had a solid economy for the last 12 years, and we owe it to good management, and good regulation of our banking system.

Canada is the only western nation that hasn't had a bank fail yet. Compare that with the US that had 14 banks fail last week.

Canada, years ago, placed a 'firewall' between the banking and investment houses that protected the Canadian market from the kind of insane deals that doomed Wall Street. These regulations were not only fair, but actually HELPED banks make lots of money. It was not uncommon for banks to make billions of dollars every quarter in Canada, and then -3 months later- make even more money.

Today, Canada's banks are solid. In fact, I had a meeting just last week to increase my line of credit for my business and they were happy to do so. When was the last time you heard an American bank do that?

I mention this, because we need to remind ourselves that regulations are not the enemy of the marketplace. When done right, good regulations can actually protect the marketplace, and help businesses succeed by minimizing the risk of exposing the entire system to bad deals.

In the States, the entire financial network is infected with bad debts. In Canada, those "firewalls" have prevented toxic deals from polluting the financial environment.

Are Canadian banks perfect? No. There is still some work that needs to be done. Their user fees are ridiculous, and there needs to be greater transparency about what they do with our savings, and I still have a massive beef between the far too cozy relationship they have with our government.

But you know what? They are the best banks in the world right now, and I ain't complaining.

American's can learn a lot from the Canadian system. The first thing they can learn is that regulations are nothing to be afraid of.

MoonBat

Not Just Another Liberal Blog Site

2009-02-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe it is. But there's nothing wrong with that.

Welcome to The Moonbat Chronicles. This is a place where pissed off liberals -and conservatives- can come and rant, share ideas, organize, inspire each other, and help bring about a revolution of thought to help us create a better society.

Conservatives? Did you read that right?

Yes you did.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a proud lefty, and if you look at the trends, most people lean to the left on most issues.

But I also know that conservatism has been getting a bad rap lately -mostly due to the damage that "conservatives" have caused it.

Contrary to what certain political parties claim to be, conservatism isn't about being a crazy redneck, a dullard who thinks science is bunk, a slave to (rigged) market forces, and legislator of women's wombs. There are some great ideas that need to be expressed, and I hope this blog can serve as a place for some real dialogue.

The legit conservatives know what I am talking about. And I want to bring them in on the discussion.

To my friends on the left, it's time for us to get organized, to stop bitching into our lattes, to stop arm chair politicking, and to start acting.

It's time for real change. REAL change. Our politics are going off a cliff, our economies are being laid to waste, our planet is being poisoned, and our citizens are being bled to death.

Lost in the chaos are average people, trying to live their lives.

It's time for the dreamers, the idealists, the visionaries to step up. It's time to start coming up with solutions that our politicians, our markets, and our governments are too blind or too timid to think up themselves.

This is no time -and no place- for fear. Let's not be afraid to do better.

I hope you will join me.

Moonbat.