LT Saloon

Inspection- Of Ironing Out the Ironies….or Not

You’ll never get them all. I’m not sure I would want to. Old truism: “life is filled with ironies.” Let me get out my pundit-based Sunbeam and at least steam out a few of the more embarrassing and problematic wrinkles, because these “wrinkles” are so big they threaten to rip the fabric of society. And when it comes to the certain current topics the irony is so thick it’s wrapping itself around Uncle Sam’s neck; strangling the freedom out of a nation.

Gays in the military.
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Inspection- An Abusive Relationship

President Obama gave a great speech, according to many reports. I don’t know. I didn’t bother tuning in. I already know he gives good speeches. But no matter how good the speech results are what really matters; and “results” rely mostly upon how we really react when faced with the inevitable opposition after the speech.

Once that meant they just disagreed with us… or not. It meant a few would vote with us… most would vote the other way. Now it’s become a name calling contest, mostly from extremists on the other side of the aisle. A race to find the most inaccurate, most offensive, way to portray our efforts, our President and what we have proposed.

We wince.

We put up with it.

We claim we want to “move forward.”

If we believe in change, are we going to continue to put up with the same old patterns enough to actually “move forward?” Guess not. Already Libs are twisting their panties over the fact that Republicans are headed the opposite direction: being even more uncooperative.

Doing something about it? Eh, not so much.
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Inspection- Representative Government Takes a Back Seat to Fascism

I tried really hard. I had an Inspection column almost ready to go, asking if we had made the right decision when choosing between Hillary and Barack exactly a year ago. But I had to take it down. Events simply washed the whole concept away.

No, I’m not about to write about Massachusetts. Democrats: specifically Barack Obama, got the spanking they deserved. Yes, they’ve learned the wrong lesson since Barack has declared he’s going to be even meeker and less aggressive. But all that means squat now.

Like ten years ago, the Supreme Court has struck again. We no longer live in anything remotely like a representative form of governance. Welcome to corporatocracy. Say hello to fascism.
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Inspection- All Terrorists Are…

Listening to the Alex Bennett Show on Sirius Left I heard one of those common curious talking point cliches’ that is convenient, but wrong.

“All terrorists are Muslim.”

-Caller to The Alex Bennett Show

Now being somewhat left of what is considered center these days… center being far more right, in my opinion, than it has been since the 50s and some of the 60s… I find this statement absurd: at best.

Why?

Hmmm… I bet you think you know where I am about to go with all this. Yes, I think it goes without saying that dropping bombs on a population that may be filled with innocents, keeping suspects forever in some hell hole, or killing innocents in the process of prosecuting war, might all be considered terrorism: terrorism committed by the State.

But… never mind. That’s not the point I wish to make at all.

I won’t get into Native American history and how we treated them. Forget that for now.

I won’t go to the old truism/chestnut: “one person’s definition of terrorism is another person’s patriotic act…”

…or how settlers who shot from behind trees were considered terrorists.

…or how yesterday’s terrorist actions become part of regular warfare.

Scratch each and every one of the previous examples: for now. We’ll save all that for some other discussion. Let’s limit terrorism only to the following: individuals and groups specifically designed to commit terrorism. Ready? Let’s play, “Top asinine statements of the past 20 years!”

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Inspection- Do Your Damn Jobs

Re: the Christmas bomber.

Does the following sound more than just a wee bit familiar?

“The problem was the inability to share between data bases.”

So almost nine years after 9/11 they’re still pulling out that old well rotted chestnut?

Paid cash, one way ticket(s), no luggage, an explosive merely moved from a shoe to a crotch?

Hellllloooooooooooo…. the shoe bomber? And almost nine years ago? You know that collection of numbers that pols loved to regurgitate over and over to excuse anything and everything, “9/11?” Remember we were told 9/11 “changed everything?” Maybe they stayed the same, only got much, much worse?

Oklahoma City was an act of terrorism. There were acts of terrorism, and attempts, long before 9/11, and acts or attempts after. Since the first tower bombing perp did a, “We’ll be back,” Terminator imitation, maybe some pol should have paid attention, don’t you think?

The excuses every time? Well… too often the same damn ones. Solutions pols and pundits pushed back then seem weak echoes of the same solutions pushed after 9/11. Maybe they have always honestly thought the best way to protect us was to dump our freedoms like they were toxic waste. You know, the very same “freedoms” they keep telling us we’re hated for? Can’t be that they hate us for what they have done in our name. Never that. No, no, no… not our nation’s policies, or our “mistakes.”

Even if we, as a nation, went overboard with our own citizens, it was all to protect us.

Unless…

…well, it couldn’t be, could it?

No, I won’t even go there…
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Inspection- Gifts Given, Wishes Granted

The old Robert Frost poem about two different paths we choose from reminds me of this past Christmas, New Years, and 2001. I swear some scientist invented a machine that transferred personalities between different time periods; targeted the Left and the Right, switching personalities back and forth between the two across the span of time.

Eight years ago many of us were still angry and suspicious regarding the last election, the winning candidate… and far more than just “suspicious” about all that had happened during the year after that election . An administration was moving as fast as it could, pushing an agenda we found offensive at best; doing all it could to make its vision for America come true. The anger on the Left was pulsating; on high, vibrant and filled with hate.

Do any of these feelings seem at all familiar to some of you who didn’t vote for Obama, now?
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Inspection- Of Santa, Politics and Raising Children

Now the gifts are open and the tree about to be taken apart, or put out to the curb, shall we honestly approach that house invasion expert who somehow creeps down mostly invisible chimneys these days, escapes the flames of fire places and furnaces… and commits vandalism by altering the contents of our houses?

“Don’t tell them Santa isn’t real. Children need to be able to imagine, to dream.”

-Talk show host on Sirius Left

That reminds me of the director of a school I work with. When I told her about certain Montessori schools that teach as if Maria believed children under five weren’t ready to pretend, she said, “How are you going to stop them?”

Children will dream. They will imagine. We can’t stop them, though we can certainly plant the “bah humbug” seeds far too easily.

There are those who suggest we shouldn’t rob our children of Santa; that outright lying to our children has no blow back: doesn’t effect their later life or attitudes. Then there are those who think Santa should be banned.

I don’t agree with either stance. And I think this has a lot to do with what we think and believe: politically, socially and religiously.
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Inspection- Why Does Sarah Remind Me of Diane?

I have been thinking lately about Sarah Palin and, no, it’s not fantasy, has nothing to do with whips, chains or sex toys. God help me, Hell, no: I learned a long time ago I didn’t care for people like Sarah… and it had nothing to do with politics. Well, nothing to do with adult politics, but maybe whatever “politics” go on in a third grade classroom.
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Inspection- Winning in Afghani-scam

“Hey, Buddy, try this magic elixir. Cure all terrorism. Make a ‘country’ that’s less ‘country;’ more a bloody conglomeration of feuds between warlords and failed empire building, become an actual civilized, democratic representative, country. I call my magic elixir ‘American Naivete.’”

Would you call that a scam? Most likely, right? Why did so many otherwise wise people buy into it?

We might have a ever so slight chance to turn “Afghanis-scam” into a win in “Afghanistan.” But considering this column appears mostly on left-leaning sites, I promise, you won’t like it.

We already dropped the total BS excuses “get bin Laden” or “get rid of the Taliban.” The Taliban is stronger than they’ve been since they were in control of the country. And I bet the populace has a bit more sympathy for them. Not much, overall. But the underdog in an occupation always gets at least a bit more sympathy. It has been reported that many have been saying, “At least we knew where we stood under the Taliban,” and they prefer how the Taliban courts deal out actual “justice;” predictably, though in the usual cruel fashion. With all the corruption, well let’s just say the rising stock of the Taliban is frustrating, but understandable.

So we didn’t go in to get rid of the Taliban, or capture bin Laden, or even get rid of al Qaeda, since we left Tora Bora to warlords; some who actually sympathized with them. And we probably aren’t going to become beloved and worshiped occupiers. After, how many years have we been in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many years has there been conflict in Afghanistan out of the past 30 years or more? How long have others been in there and then failed?

Here’s how we might win…
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Inspection- My Birther Moment

Local pub, discussing politics with friends. We’d never “gone there” before with this couple. Ah, to go where no Ken has gone before…

Suddenly we’re having a birther moment.
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