Friday Cartoon Fun: Ted Rall Edition

“America can do whatever we set our mind to.”

Celebrating death? Death is nothing to celebrate, but we seem to do it well. We do killing real good, too. Poverty? We just haven't set our minds to it, apparently.

Perhaps the only thing more disturbing than the celebrations unleashed in the wake of bin Laden’s demise was the cynical way in which the president suggested that his killing proved “America can do whatever we set our mind to.” If this is, indeed, the lesson of bin Laden’s death, then this only suggests we clearly don’t want to diminish, let alone end, child poverty, excess mortality rates in communities of color, rape and sexual assault of women (including the many thousands who have been victimized in the U.S. military), or food insecurity for millions of families; because we aren’t addressing any of those things with nearly the aplomb as that put to warfare and the killing of our adversaries.

We are, if the president is serious here, a nation that has narrowly constricted its marketable talents to the deployment of violence. We can’t manufacture much of anything, but we can kill you. We can’t fix our schools, or build adequate levees to protect a city like New Orleans from floodwaters. But we can kill you. We can’t reduce infant mortality to anywhere near the level of other industrialized nations with which we like to compare ourselves. But we can kill you. We can’t break the power of Wall Street bankers, or jail any of those bankers and money managers who helped orchestrate the global financial collapse. But we can kill you. We can’t protect LGBT youth from bullying in schools, or ensure equal opportunity for all in the labor market, regardless of race, gender, sexuality or any other factor. But we can kill you. Booyah, bitches.

Tim Wise

A Word About Pre-Existing Conditions, Mike

"It sounds so good, and it's such a warm message to say we're not gonna deny anyone from a preexisting condition," Huckabee explained at the Value Voters Summit today. "Look, I think that sounds terrific, but I want to ask you something from a common sense perspective. Suppose we applied that principle [to] our property insurance. And you can call your insurance agent and say, "I'd like to buy some insurance for my house." He'd say, "Tell me about your house." "Well sir, it burned down yesterday, but I'd like to insure it today." And he'll say "I'm sorry, but we can't insure it after it's already burned." Well, no preexisting conditions."

Really Mike Huckabee?  Those of us with cancer and such are just a fucking burden, I know.  We should just die, and die quickly (Grayson was not being hyperbolic, apparently).

We needed Universal Health Care and we didn't get it.  We didn't even get a public option.  But we got the pre-existing condition (PEC) thing, and the Republicans want to repeal it.  What assholes.

I am now among those with a pre-existing condition and no insurance.  I can't tell you how stressful it is.  I was hoping, if I live till 2014, to be able to get insurance when the PEC part kicks in.  It looks like that may never happen.

I am disgusted by the classism that defines our politics.  I am worried our oligarchy has been cemented in place.  This is a scary time, unless you are rich.

The super-wealthy in America have not been paying their share.  They are a disgrace to the human race.

Fuck you, Mike Huckabee.

Death And Taxes: The Big Picture, Literally Updated

Click the pic to make it B I G.

Update: I think the link is fixed now.

Barbara Lee Speaks For Me

President Obama has decided to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.  You can voice your opposition here by supporting Barbara Lee's bill.

Sunday Cartoon Fun: Death Edition

Sarah Palin Is Right About Americans

We all know what Sarah Palin and John McCain mean when they "wonder" about Barack Obama. They are trying to paint him as "different" and "risky". Sarah Palin said that Obama doesn't see America the same way "we" do. That got me thinking.

Palin is right. When she is up in front at the rally, spouting her bile, she is speaking, as a member, to a group of people who at this point occupy the base of the base of the Republican Party. These people are the ones who think Jews and black people are ruining everything. They are the ignorati, the closed minded, the sheep. They do not see America the way Obama sees it. They see America as a white, Christian, cowboy, ass-kickin', nigger-hating, Jew-baiting bastion of beer and chips, where people are free to read absolutely nothing and watch reality shows for hours and hours on their flat screens they got 2nd mortgages to purchase, shoot wolves from helicopters, and secede from the union.

I mentioned in a previous post that McCain has now decided to denounce the hateful words that come from the mouths of the mob. However, it is clear that the mob is not happy about this turn of events. McCain now has nothing. He can't use fear because he said he won't, and his base hates him for it. He can't use anything else because he is basically a failure. Good riddance, McCain campaign.

So, the next time you hear a Republican say "You don't see America the way I do" say thanks and remind them how badly they are going to lose this election, because it is they that are the minority now! Most of America see themselves the way Obama sees America. And so Obama will win.