Democrats Stop Being Such Effing Hypocrites: Updated
Where have you been the last eight years?
While candidate Obama came to office pledging to end George W Bush’s wars, he leaves office having been at war longer than any president in US history. He is also the only president to serve two complete terms with the nation at war.
President Obama did reduce the number of US soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, but he dramatically expanded the air wars and the use of special operations forces around the globe. In 2016, US special operators could be found in 70% of the world’s nations, 138 countries – a staggering jump of 130% since the days of the Bush administration.
Looking back at President Obama’s legacy, the Council on Foreign Relation’s Micah Zenko added up the defense department’s data on airstrikes and made a startling revelation: in 2016 alone, the Obama administration dropped at least 26,171 bombs. This means that every day last year, the US military blasted combatants or civilians overseas with 72 bombs; that’s three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day.
Not many even uttered even a peep as the US expanded their wars across the globe.
When President Obama pardoned torture and war crimes when he first entered office, near silence, he won a Nobel Peace Prize!!! dear god.
As the bombing of sovereign nations continued, the silence deepened.
When drones slaughtered innocents, silence.
When a well marked well lit hospital was bombed, a war crime in itself, it was merely an oopsey.
As for the spreading of democracy bullshit I have but one word, Honduras.
The bar for winning a Nobel Peace Prize has never been lower.
Bearing this in mind they presented America with a Henry Kissinger hugging candidate anyway.
It didn't take Hillary Clinton long after the election to demonstrate her warmongering tendencies, which were always there and the number one reason why I refused to vote for her:
"I still believe we should have done a no-fly zone," she said, in a slight knock against former President Barack Obama, whose Cabinet she served in. "We should have been more willing to confront Assad."
Oh damn, I must be a Russian plant!! Just remember the result of our last no fly zone, a full scale invasion, based upon lies.
Bomb, bomb, bomb Hillary the "Democratic Party" version of L Graham and J McCain. Even if we forget about her lead in the Libya fiasco; how is that one going by the way?
Now Democrats are going full blown conspiracy theory in attacking Trump for doing what their candidate intended to do from day one. Trump colluded with Russia!! by warning them of an imminent bombing campaign in accordance with an agreement signed by the Obama administration. Imagine the results if he had not and Russian military personnel had died.. Do you ever think through the bullshit you spew?
Trump is merely following the foreign policy established under both G W Bush and B Obama. There has been no discernable change. When Russia is consulted it's now treason, rapprochement forbidden. When "we" bomb the first instinct is to cheer it on.
This partisan "group think" has made me want to vomit for decades now, if our side does it it is strategy!! if their side does it, it is all one big conspiracy theory. The global 9-11 vengeance circuit is still alive and well.
History matters.
Hypocrisy is abhorrent.
We want peace in the Middle-East- Bomb it.
Please never speak to me about spreading democracy ever again, look at whom we support.
Please never tell me it is about protecting the women and children ever again.
Please never tell me it's about keeping me safe ever again.
I can take only so much bullshit.
Now go back to creating whatever "theory" you wish based upon your political affiliation, I do hope it makes you feel better, however:
You make me want to puke.
To republicans, as for your peace spewing liar of a moronic President, you can fuck off as well.
Update:
I noticed Glenn Greenwald on a similar theme:
2. Democrats’ jingoistic rhetoric has left them no ability – or desire – to oppose Trump’s wars.
Democrats have spent months wrapping themselves in extremely nationalistic and militaristic rhetoric. They have constantly accused Trump of being a traitor to the U.S., a puppet of Putin, and unwilling to defend U.S. interests. They have specifically tried to exploit Assad’s crimes by tying the Syrian leader to Trump, insisting that Trump would never confront Assad because doing so would anger his Kremlin masters. They have embraced a framework whereby anyone who refuses to confront Putin or Assad is deemed a sympathizer of, or a servant to, foreign enemies.
Comments
To republicans
WARNING: Video may be NSFW!
[video:https://youtu.be/fHC05_9b0gw width:500 height:350]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
One of my favorites.
@thanatokephaloides
That was freaking wonderful! Thanks!
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.
I'll never forget the horror
I'll never forget the horror of seeing footage of crowds of Americans cheering the reports of the murder by armed forces of a sick old man requiring kidney dialysis (one actually reported as having died some time earlier, which would not have been surprising considering his known state of health, while he was represented - as the scion of a rich family close with the Bushes and apparently a CIA asset - as living in caves and running around with a bandit crew ?and a staffed kidney dialysis machine? for years afterward) because this was represented as being an enemy kill.
I don't care what anyone has done or has been claimed to have done - murder of the vulnerable by armed assassins is disgusting. I'm with Agatha Christie's Poirot - I do not approve of murder.
What happened to the country which was to be a democratic land of laws, not men, and was warped into a lawless corporation to enrich psychopaths at public expense while propagandizing that public in too many cases into putty to be molded as they pleased?
Such a sick waste of what began, according to the more enlightened (if imperfect men of their time) of the Founders as a dream of equal rights, treatment and opportunity and a good life for all Americans!
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.
Told repetitively from birth that we are exceptional and
Americans live in god's country, tends to warp horribly our world view.
@LaFeminista
Believe me, I can see that! But the number of Americans seeing through the propaganda despite this give me heart. And I rather suspect that this news footage would have been slanted for maximum 'yahoo', even if there was a lot to choose from at the time. I'm just glad that I escaped having been born and raised in New York - I might have been one of the 'yahoos' myself...
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.
When Obama announced he had offed Bin Laden
I waited for the other shoe to drop.
Yep, sure enuf, buried at sea, no evidence presented to the public, just lots of reassurances that yeppers it was that evil guy you betcha, trust yer guvmint on this one.
Pretty much nailed the last stud into my conviction that Obama was complicit with 911.
Well, they did offer "proof"
in the form of that photograph that turned out to have been photo-shopped. It even fooled a member of Congress, as I recall. It's amazing that so few call them on their transparent lies.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
@dervish
I don't think their eyesight works very well either; they never noticed how many different Bin Ladens appeared on various 'incriminating' videos.
On the other hand, maybe it's like Repubs with Dem voters having the same common last names in different states, or with Monsanto/Dows, etc.,patented GMO foods looking similar to natural foods, 'the optics being all' thing getting to them.
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.
@gustogirl
Oh, yeah! And I have to admit (edit: that I wonder) if that also enables perpetual blackmail from such as the Likud from the US public funds the US government keeps pouring out, in the form of military supplies to kill sitting-ducks such as the captive Palestinians, while their own citizens go homeless. (Not that they probably wouldn't do that sort of thing anyway, since Israeli-supporting billionaires and the MIC pay well...)
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.
I agree LF
and I will be needing a barf bag as well.
Invest in barf bags, many more will be needed before
this ends badly.
Yes. Here we go again.
Besides all you've said, what is it with MSM reporters? I think it was Dan Rather, someone I had a bit of respect for, who interviewed an officer on an aircraft carrier in the 1st part of the Iraq invasion. I thought he was going to drop down on his knees at any minute and give the man some serious fellatio. The admiration in the reporters eyes as the officer described the power and details of their weapons. I've seen that look with grown men and really cool tools, but this was something almost sexual and the tools result in people fucking dying.
And now we have Brian Williams, fluffer for war porn.
Nicholas Kristof...
Ah fuck, puke is right.
If you use the word "military" you must immediately
fawn over anyone even vaguely associated with our imperial forces.
Speaking of barf bags,
send me one for every time I hear "thank you for your service".
That bit of propagandizing has gone over the top.
These poor fools, fodder for the 1% have never heard "what if they threw a war and no one came?" That's the one that need to be heard over and over again.
Indeed, it has become a reflex with no substantive
meaning, just like the bloody flag pin. A bit like having a flag pole on your house as if any has anyone doubt which country they are in, oh look and American in America how unusual.
"USA! USA! USA!"
Such a stunning lack of self awareness fell across the convention hall. As the Left walked out betrayed and in grief, I could see the certainty of Donald Trump's victory. The longer they carry on in denial, the more firmly their 2018 national defeat takes form. They need to step down right now, unless it is their intention to destroy the Democratic brand, completely. No matter how awful Donald Trump is, nobody wants them.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
On the contrary...
One cannot speak of lack of self-awareness at that Convention. The chants of USA, USA, USA were scripted, handed out on cards to participants beforehand. Everyone was entirely self-aware. They prefer that formulaic self-congratulatory chant to any consideration that the party as a whole could be straying from its moorings. The folks who chanted did so (and the ones who approved of it did that) to preserve their piece of privilege, and to drown out any chance of reconsidering it.
2018 means nothing to these folks. They don't care if the left abandons them. They only want to preserve their bits of privilege. Winning office would only be sprinkles on top.
There is a natural limitation on this
- the limitation being until anyone is wounded or ends their service in whatever capacity. Then, if there's any sign of distress, they are treated as throw-aways and are untouchables.
It's a similar process to how Republicans grandstand about being extremely pro-fetus... right up until the moment the fetus comes into the world and has a first breath and begins doing all the messy work of eating and filling endless nappies and growing. At that point, they are bloody on their own.
The people who populate the military are loved (at least in rhetoric) as long as they are potential veterans and not actual ones.
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
The Democratic Party stain is basically dishonesty
and it colors the rest of us, all the way down. Why should ordinary people trust ANYONE who even fkn TALKS ABOUT POLITICS in light of their dishonesty? Why should we even trust the people who stand on the sidewalk waving "Give Peace A Chance" signs if all they're going to do is vote for Democrats?
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
After listening to the crap spouted on ToP during the Obama
administration that made up my mind in two respects.
1] I did not in anyway want to be associated with either side of the duopoly.
2] I could no longer write diaries for that place even though I was relatively well followed.
The DP partisans after many years eventually drove me away and I was not alone as could be seen by the results of the fiasco that was Election 2016. The primaries probably disgusted me more than the arrogance shown in the Presidential run off of two easily dislikeable and odious candidates.
And, of course, there's this noble endeavor
The US Provided Cover for the Saudi Starvation Strategy in Yemen
But that's all we do: strike attitudes and imitate poses. We merely play at being Romans, and deceive ourselves, sometimes, into accepting the imitation for the reality. -- Robert Silverberg, Roma Eterna
Absolute monarchs we know and love.
Yes, US foreign policy goes merrily on unchanged.
It would appear
that it is not human beings who are running this planet.
I think they know.
They know what they have become, in the most profound subconscious way.
You can see it in the shadows cast by American culture, in television and films where sociopathic disregard is normalized and the themes of the apocalypse never get old. The American Horror Story as told by Hieronymus Bosch.
The light blinds them, so they seek the haunted shadows of the unconscious. I can't say I blame them. They are a peculiar kind of liberal who deny themselves human rights to avoid the responsibility of self governance.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
It's getting very dark and the candle I'm holding is
nearly burnt out.
Relight your candle LaFem
So we can find each other in these dark days.
I want a Pony!
the crap about spreading democracy...
really means protecting corporate interests. Because democracy = capitalism and the US has swallowed the bs hook, line, and sinker. Speaking of which I think democracy sank a long time ago.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I call it an Empire same rules apply, only the citizens
[the elite] votes matter.
Love that cartoon.
Literally sounds like me talking to my kids and grandkids.
+1000
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
@Lookout
Great post! And I loved the cartoon.
Only I wish that people would quit referring to the Parasite Class as 'elites'.
This is giving a flattering term implying 'the best of the best' to destructive, control-freak self-interests when they only have too much money to spend in multiple life-times - much of this generally drained from workers/consumers/the public/the environment/war-mongering, etc. - and use it to buy policy/politicians/political parties/break democracy, essentially to drain off enough more money and rights from the relative Poors to make life impossible for non-billionaire others and ultimately for themselves.
Terming the merely wealthy 'elites' supports the 'meritocracy' notion that simply being rich makes you somehow 'better' than those with less material wealth - and mysteriously qualified to ruin the lives of non-multi-millionaires/billionaires in order to increase the latter's already excessive wealth and power by further depriving those with least, when, among the sane, it only gives you an option for a better life yourself, or to make life better for others.
I'd support ex-President Carter being termed an 'elite', but he's not sinking his fangs into the public teat; he's been off seeing about building houses for those in need, even if possibly in personal expiation for US government-sourced international sins.
Not that I expect the rich to turn to the public good, that being the job of their government in seeing to the welfare of the country and people government exists to serve.
But they should stick to their own business, because they have no business mangling the public's.
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.
Warmongers say what?
The democratic party and it's supporters have lost all credibility. I shouldn't say that because it assumes they had credibility.
Yes, it's very clear the dem party and supporters have painted themselves into a corner so to speak with their rabid support for Obama and Clinton and their wars and imperialism. They assumed the mantle of the Bush supporters as Obama did Bush. The democrats own the Libya and Syria wars so it's only right they remain the biggest cheerleaders.
What drives me crazy about the democraps...
Is the insane Russia meme. Syria helps the damn dems create and magnify the conflict with Russia. I haven't enough words to describe my disdain of the dummycraps
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I remember Republicans accusing anti-war Dems of being
hypocrites and only opposing the war because a Republican was in the White House.
Naturally I denied it. After all, I was genuinely opposed to war.
What I didn't realize was that I was indeed marching with a bunch of hypocrites.
For 8 years they pretended, for 8 more they ignored
how long this time will they fool themselves.
I just said as much to my wife
On one hand I'm THRILLED to see discussions of false flag efforts involving gas attacks on civilian populations happening over at GOS. On the other hand, it's disconcerting to realize that none of them actually care about things like civilian causalities. They just care that Trump "did it".
I love how they can just recycle the lies... not even bothering to come up with something new. "Atrocities visited on civilian populations via Sarin gas" Except it likely wasn't Sarin and no conceivable logic makes this a +EV play for Assad. But hey, let's not get bogged down in details or even 3 year old history. Let's just go kill that murderous bastard!
A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard
All just the way Israeli strategists laid out, in the Yinon Plan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinon_Plan
TPTB who finance BOTH sides of the aisle don't make money
off peace. It's killing that's profitable. Ask Mrs. Clinton.
http://www.militaryeducation.org/military-equipment/
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
Priorities, priorities . . .
Missing at the bottom is the yugest entry of all: “? DoD audit failure”
Missing dark money. Trillions of it. Unaccounted for. No paper trail. Truly missing, or going to what amounts to a secret shadow government? Who the heck knows?
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/3614:department-of-defenses-unending-...
Accounting for that missing money is a totally
''lost' cause. It paid fir a lot of things that could and most likely would land a lot of people in prison. In a country with an honest (haha) government, that is.
Supposedly the lunatic (L Ron Hubbard) that founded Scientology said if you want to get rich then 'create' a religion ( or so I've read). Regardless of who said it I'd add being a life long 'public servant' to that statement.
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
@lotlizard
Lol - a very convenient money-pit, especially for funding terrorists and the like:
If the Republicans were fiscally responsible and concerned about wasted spending, they'd only hand over money for costs which could be accurately accounted for... ROFLMAO
No wonder so many Congress-critters get rich quick!
I guess none of those responsible count for anything - so why can't Trump fire them all off and hire people who can count?
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.
Guess: they made it clear to him he could end up like JFK & RFK?
What if the real “red lines” are the ones dictated to the POTUS by the Pentagon and the Deep State?
To borrow from Robert Frost, who indeed read at JFK’s inauguration . . .
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetry-and-power-robert-frosts-inaug...
@lotlizard
Bet you're right... dammit!
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.