Too funny to resist - Requiem for a Lightweight

Yeah, I hold a grudge. Forever sometimes. And along with this particular grudge comes nothing but disgust and derision for old Markie Moosetits and the rest of his crew. I always found it funny that I can pay dues, vote in polls, sign their petitions, but I can't put in my 2 cents because I was right and they were full of shit about 1) Barack Obama; 2) the boondoggle called the 'Affordable' Care Act; 3) the lousy quality of representation that we get out of our 'representatives' who decided send nurses and doctors to jail; and, 4) that those types of 'representatives' are not real Democrats and should not be rewarded with our votes. (Why deliberately vote for and pay someone to screw you?) So you can see where something like this just tickled the shit out of me:

Requiem for a Lightweight
Markos Moulitsas was once the face of American progressivism. That shouldn't happen again

*

And yet. Two months out from the shock demolition of the Democratic Party, the most faithful acolytes are not getting it. Someone like Moulitsas, an irrelevancy himself, can only be a real, pressing threat when marching in lockstep with the rest of a vast zombie horde — a sea of dead flesh which somehow is still upright, clogging the highways, trapping those still alive and trying to break out, in a waking nightmare without end. It is the only way of explaining a Democratic Party, from Markos Moulitsas to Cory Booker to Rahm Emanuel, cheering the demise of decent health care as a going concern for many Americans.

*
Like the official introduction of sushi as a Sizzler salad bar item, Moulitsas’s mainstream inclusion as a pundit in the those years was a grasping, clumsy attempt by corporate forces to keep up with the times. That in all of his appearances, Moulitsas inevitably resembled a teacup poodle, yapping endlessly at passing mailmen, was immaterial. He had tapped into something new, something fresh. This man blogged. This man blogged, online — on the internet.

It was the right time and place to be writing online. Kos, along with a lot of other people, was well positioned in the early 2000s to exploit an emerging technology that the big boys didn’t quite understand yet. It’s easy to forget now, when the president-elect can liquify share prices with a pissy tweet, that political blogging was once a novelty. Within a few years of blogging’s established viability, it was ubiquitous enough for everyone to be doing it, such that by the time Obama came along, even fameballs like Pat Sajak were blogging about politics (in a welter of truly diseased arch-right screeds that I of course highly recommend reading).

*
Kos’s schtick was always as a tough guy, a truth-teller with little regard for the niceties of most liberals. While he wasn’t very good at it, at least he tried. His 2010 book, American Taliban, a naked attempt to ape the polemical bestseller style of a Jonah Goldberg or Ann Coulter, was very dumb, but with its titular thesis in the hands of a more fearsome writer, might’ve gotten at some dark truths.

They view themselves as ardent liberals who extracted real concessions from the Democratic Party, rendering the GOP impotent, as recounted in a 2014 victory lap which seems unhinged the more you think about it. Even at their most resolute, norms regarding illegal warfare, addictive militarism, free-market greed, and vicious social conservatism were more or less accepted by Netroots liberals as unimpeachable political realities to be snaked around rather than confronted head-on.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/01/markos-moulitsas-kos-democrats-clinto...

Yep, I'm a petty geriatric grudge holding TOP hating old white female PROGRESSIVE. And as far as I'm concerned this article is dead on. I just figured some of you guys might find it amusing as well.

EDIT: put space between 'a' and 'Lightweight'
EDIT EDIT: fixed a misplaced 'a'
EDIT EDIT EDIT: fixed Requiem. I thought I fixed ion the original OP. Guess not,

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dervish's picture

For most people, the natural reaction upon learning Markos Moulitsas had penned a blog post titled “Be Happy for Coal Miners Losing Their Health Insurance. They’re Getting Exactly What They Voted For” probably went something like this:

“What is this? This is awful.”

“Hmm. That is awful.”

Or, perhaps, “Who? What is this website? This is awful to me.”

Twelve years later, and it feels like we are a much longer way away from the halcyon era of the Howard Dean campaign. It is baffling to think the losing Democratic primary campaign of a yelping pharma shill in the pay of a violent Iranian cult could be some high-water mark for liberals. But to at least one rapidly graying liberal clique, it is.

Such is — was — the mindset of Markos Moulitsas, or “Kos,” as he is insufferably known: an un-person already, at the youngish age of forty-five.

The Markos Moulitsas of 2016 uneasily lingers on from those heady Netroots days, like some errant looping transmission from a long-lost spaceship — a hologram still beaming from some distant spot in the galaxy, screeching about a Borg attack that claimed his life many lightyears ago.

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"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

riverlover's picture

@dervish Well, some grew up and out. More were bounced out. We were the lucky ones.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Nearlynecessary's picture

And thank you for Markie Moosetits! That will always be how I read his name from this point on.

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Any stained glass afficionados? Please check out my website: www.masterpieceglass.net

Amanda Matthews's picture

@Nearlynecessary
Moosetits to me too!

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

EdMass's picture

Kos’s schtick

All the rest of your post, while entirely accurate, is only fodder for ToP commenters who troll here, most mysteriously most who have joined in the past year after Brock spent $1 million dollars to pay trolls. (That'll get you banned for saying that...Heh) and can't keep themselves from coming here to deride the Democratic "opposition" that does NOT conform.

Talked to Twigg months ago. Another of the disappeared. By choice. MB posts like once every 2 or 4 weeks. Hmmmm Why is that. he was early for Bernie, like me. Wrong narrative, I guess.

Progressives? Wut?

You're nuts. I'm nuts. They are the sane ones... These are not the nationwide defeats from dog catcher to congress you are looking for.

Let's adjust our attitude. Then it will be better?

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

Amanda Matthews's picture

@EdMass
here to say. Screw them. No one here should censor themselves because of them. That's why this place is here. Because they've controlled the 'discussion' for far too long.

That site is dying like the Dypocritic Party is going broke.

Democrats’ fundraising way down in April despite unity tour with Bernie, debut of vulgar new slogan

While progressives debate the big question on their side — should Congress hurry up and impeach Trump now, or wait until after the 2018 elections so that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will become president once both Trump and Pence are removed from office — registered Democrats might be pulling the rug out from under There’s no denying that events like the Women’s March, pulled together quickly after the election and driven by backlash against Trump’s victory, were massive. Maybe if the Democrats had set up a “pussy hat” concession stand they could have raked in a few bucks, because it doesn’t look like the anti-Trump crowd is feeling like giving the Dems more money.

https://www.google.com/amp/twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2017/05/22/democrats-...

https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/866735215275888640

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

@Amanda Matthews

I think she's going to lose to this Bernie supporting employment lawyer:

Jaffe For Congress

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Beware the bullshit factories.

EdMass's picture

@Amanda Matthews Just an observation

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

Amanda Matthews's picture

@EdMass

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

@Amanda Matthews

Pelosi for President? On the plus side, nobody would be understanding what she was trying not to say while avoiding answering any issues or questions; on the down side, nobody would be understanding what she was trying not to say while avoiding answering any issues or questions. The radioactive slag thing likely to result from any candidate allowed by TPTB to attain Presidential office in the US is starting to look like a better option than any candidate allowed by TPTB to attain Presidential office in the US.

No wonder TPTB keep their political and PR lackeys doing the same thing over and over and over again, creating a circular rut going nowhere that they drag everyone else into, especially when describing any of them or anything they do.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@Amanda Matthews

Why should they give the Dems any money when the Dems won't even support a push for a living wage for the people these greed-blinded parasites expect money from? Where the heck are the people supposed to get money from when they don't get corporate welfare?

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0 users have voted.

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Citizen Of Earth's picture

someone here posted a graph showing dKos website traffic started melting. Most apparently took his invitation to Get Out F**k Out. Smile
I wish I had the link. Would love to see what has happened to traffic since. I haven't been there in ages and the curiosity itch to check it is long gone.

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

PriceRip's picture

@Citizen Of Earth

dailykos.com Traffic Statistics

caucus99percent.com Traffic Statistics

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Hillbilly Dem's picture

Thanks for the article!

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"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey

Amanda Matthews's picture

@Hillbilly Dem
All that dump has been reduced to is an echo chamber. For PUMAs.

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

gulfgal98's picture

at this line.

That in all of his appearances, Moulitsas inevitably resembled a teacup poodle, yapping endlessly at passing mailmen, was immaterial.

And I do not care if ToP's folks read my coments and report them back. Markos is the perfect embodiment of the banality of the Democratic party. He stands for nothing except identity politics. His writings are very shallow, based more upon how F words he can lace them with instead of deep thought. Markos has his so why should he care about poor miners in West Virginia whom the Democratic party has ignored for decades? Or all those people in the Rust Belt whose jobs were outsourced by a Democrat?

The bottom line is Markos Moulitsis and a goodly number of the regular posters over there very much represent the New Democrats, well educated, white collar, elitists who have no time for those they ignored and have left behind. It is called neoliberalism and that is the brand that he is promoting.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Bollox Ref's picture

Fuck, fucketty, fuck!

(As the great man would say.)

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

When, as with Moulitsas, one’s working assumptions and grand strategy have been pulverized again and again and again and again and again — an entire life’s work rendered as laughable as a small hat on a big dog — well, it seems unnecessary to stamp the dirt down harder.

I don't know what I dislike about the place the most. The immature, roving gangs sitting people in a corner to shut them up. The group stupid that feeds upon itself. The propaganda on the front page. The fact that it gives the words "liberal, progressive, left, a rank smell. I could go on, but suffice it to say, I can't believe I wasted 10 years there. I left, and I don't miss it a bit. Hillary/Obama bots and Tea Party zealots have so much in common.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

gulfgal98's picture

@dkmich I listened to a podcast between Caitlin Johnstone and Zach Haller. One thing that struck me is that they both strongly agreed that Trump supporters were far easier to have a civil conversation with than the Hillbots. It is like the Hillbots are living in another dimension of reality.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

@gulfgal98

They ARE - virtually - living in a different version of reality. Their perceptions have been altered and they can't see the forest or the trees for the sugar-plums slam-dancing with stock options in their eyes.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

CB's picture

moosetits.jpg

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Amanda Matthews's picture

@CB

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

orlbucfan's picture

I still shake my head over TOP. Markos posted his personal info, and I noted that he was initially a Repukelican. I made that a mental note. He made a lot of money off the site personally. The warning signs started up when BO was elected. I signed on there in 2008. He was allowing a lot of subtle harassment over any criticism of Obama. That did not compute as progressive. When the edict went down about being for $hrill or else in March 2016, I was mentally done. Rec'd!!

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

Amanda Matthews's picture

@orlbucfan @orlbucfan
It once. Maybe I did. My phone kept losing the internet connection so it took 5 tries to get the damn thing posted. The correction could have been in attempts 1 - 4. Each post was different. And they got shorter with each new try.

Beats me.

EDIT: *sigh* deleted rogue '?'

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

Alligator Ed's picture

Is it "Get the fuck outta here"?

Or is it:

It does not seem possible that anyone, except a hermaphrodite could possibly do both. Would I need toilet paper upon which to make a donation? Or a condom? Help! My head hurts.

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Amanda Matthews's picture

@Alligator Ed
genital oriented these days. I guess that only figures. That place has turned into Asshole Central.

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa

Alligator Ed's picture

@Amanda Matthews

That place has turned into Asshole Central.

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Not Henry Kissinger's picture

He had tapped into something new, something fresh. This man blogged. This man blogged, online — on the internet.

what Tom Sawyer was to fence painting.*

(*an oldie but still a goodie.)

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

dkmich - always great writing that made me think. Thank you for that! peace.

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