Remember some years ago, when Geoge W. Bush attempted to give a label to his political ideology (if ideology is what it can be said to be, as opposed to the corruption of being bought and sold by special corporate interests)?
Yes, he called it "compassionate conservatism".
And remember how that caught on? Suddenly, "compassionate conservatism" was the order of the day, and seemingly all neocons tried to align themselves with this high-minded sounding political trend? Just like that, all of the heartless ideology was given a face-lift to look a lot friendlier. And just like that, people flocked to this supposedly new version of conservative politics with a clear conscience, feeling "compassionate."
Of course, it did not take long for so-called conservatives to shed this "compassionate" label, as it just not in the neocon mentality to actually be compassionate, truth be told. Once it came time to say yes or no to the Iraq war, it was either you are with us or you are the enemy, essentially. No room for doubts or second-guessing, we are plunging head first into this thing.
The arrogance with which Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, and the other twits in control of the White House at the time ran the whole Iraq war thing made America look ridiculous to the entire world. Couple that with the mishandling of the economy and, later, of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the strange corporate corruption cases that that administration seemed to have their hands tied in, and the generally poor way they went about actually governing, and the whole world was wondering what was going on in America. Remember, also, that this country was dragging it's feet on a few key issues that were far more important to the rest of the world than it was apparently here within the United States. I am speaking specifically of the lack of affordable, universal health coverage here, as well as the poor environmental record, particularly of the strength and prominent political sway of climate change deniers, of which every member of the Bush administration seemed to be a denier with a particularly grating, "in your face," mocking approach.
So, George W. Bush in particular was an unpopular politician. And you would think, given the extreme damage that he and a neocon majority in Congress and the Supreme Court did in eight years, that it would have discredited the entire mentality and movement.
But you would be wrong, of course. Within a couple of years, the Tea Party had arisen, providing fresh blood for a very old mentality, and blaming Obama for all of the problems that his predecessor had handed to him. Before you knew it, many Americans were convinced that this convenient interpretation was the truth, and Obama's popularity took a nose dive.
How quickly we forget.
And just like it has always been, the name of the game is mockery first and foremost. Seems to me that when you are bereft of any real validity to your way of thinking, the next best thing is to mock the other side's arguments, like Reagan did with Carter, like the Republicans did throughout the 80's with irresponsible, "tax and spend" Norrtheast liberals, like the so-called Republican revolutionaries did in the nineties, like Bush and his White House cronies did in the 2000's with the Iraq war and the global war on terror, which clearly has no end. And now, much like neocons are doing to obstruct any potential progress that President Obama might make.
So, just like that, the very same Republicans who empowered President George W. Bush and his policies to create so much damage to the country in the first place are back, undeservedly in prominent places within the government. Not surprisingly, the same economic policies that quite clearly led to the near economic collapse in 2008 are being advocated once again. And the repetition does not stop there. Government programs to actually help people are being cut across the board, including for the education of our children to build towards a smarter and stronger country as a whole. Affordable healthcare is actively being prevented. And, of course, there is the whole climate change denying thing.
There is Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, claiming that he has no time for "sad sack stories" from people in need, while he, of course, promotes further government funding to those in need. Still, he, like other neocons, not only has no problem with a bloated Pentagon budget, but in facts wants to pump even more tax dollars into that already excessive defense budget.
He s just one of numerous prominent political figures to the right, making light of the nation's very real problems, promoting tax cuts for the very wealthy and huge corporations that will be paid for by the rest of us, the 99% taxpayers. All the while, these "compassionate conservatives" are trying to fight higher minimum wages and increased benefits, particularly health benefits, as somehow unaffordable. Same old same old, as the rest of the world, once again, wonders what's wrong with America.
They might not refer to it as "compassionate conservatism" anymore, since that label fell by the wayside once President Bush's approval ratings sank dramatically (and deservedly). But surely, the spirit behind it, as well as the political mentality, remains the same.
As do the tactics, not surprisingly.
There was Speaker of the House Boehner, making a ridiculous video on Earth Day, of all days, proclaiming it to be "Jelly Bean Day." Just in case you perhaps got the impression that he was somehow unaware that it was Earth Day, he specifically mentions that he prefers the green ones towards the end of the video.
I'm sorry if this sounds unprofessional, but what an asshole!
Given the symbolic nod of the piece, because it is well known that jelly beans were one of the silly and lighthearted, funny things that the neocon demigod, President Ronald Reagan, famously liked. So, it seems particularly childlike to promote jelly beans, of all things, on Earth Day, as a makeshift nod to the past, to the era of the king of all noecons. Or rather, as a replacement for Earth Day, intended to belittle the significance of caring for our Earth. There is Boehner, drawing his breath from how the Earth actually works, while actively trying to belittle it, trying to appease ignorant voters and his backers with a message geared to not just mock the importance of protecting the Earth and its fragile ecosystem, but to actively set up further attacks against it. Not even on this one day of the year can he and the Republicans that he is supposedly a leader of take the issue of massive pollution and the problem of limitless development seriously.
Science is not on their side, and neither are the poll numbers. Yet, somehow, they seem always to get at least as much air time to voice their opinions (and opinions, not facts, are exactly what they are, as the "Jelly Bean Day" video clearly demonstrates) as experts in the field, if not actually a bit more. Much of the rest of the world is trying to raise awareness, to plant trees, to clean up small corners of the Earth, and to generally express an appreciation for all that we have been blessed with in this world and with a delicate system that fosters life itself. And there is supposedly one of the leaders of the land, a man occupying an office of tremendous responsibility, and all that he can think to do is what climate change deniers always do: mock.
Yes, I know that I am falling into the trap by showing my anger and frustration at such short-sightedness and that childish sense of entitlement and militant ignorance, in what truly seems to be an active campaign of disinformation. But it galls me that someone in his position would waste time and energy to promote exactly the opposite "values" that Earth Day is supposed to represent. It is difficult enough to try and get people to take this crucial matter seriously. Yet, there is Speaker Boehner, in essence promising that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I think the best way to conclude this particular blog entry is by the words of Randa Morris, the author of the piece that got me on this topic to begin with. This was from her article, with the video attached, about John Boehner's irresponsible video release, and sums up perfectly just what we are up against, bringing new meaning to the words "Only in America." Here is that quote that I felt it best to conclude with:
"If we need one more example of why republicans are not fit to lead our country, John Boehner’s asinine ‘Jelly Bean Day’ video is it. Boehner’s video is a perfect illustration of the republican party’s belligerent unwillingness to face the very real problems that confront us at this time in history. It sums up the right wing’s childlike desire to just pretend that whatever they don’t want to talk about, doesn’t exist at all."
John Boehner Releases Asinine 'Jelly Bean Day' on Earth Day by Randa Morris, April 23, 2015:
Compassionate Conservative Wants No Part of “Sad Sack Stories”
Yes, he called it "compassionate conservatism".
And remember how that caught on? Suddenly, "compassionate conservatism" was the order of the day, and seemingly all neocons tried to align themselves with this high-minded sounding political trend? Just like that, all of the heartless ideology was given a face-lift to look a lot friendlier. And just like that, people flocked to this supposedly new version of conservative politics with a clear conscience, feeling "compassionate."
Of course, it did not take long for so-called conservatives to shed this "compassionate" label, as it just not in the neocon mentality to actually be compassionate, truth be told. Once it came time to say yes or no to the Iraq war, it was either you are with us or you are the enemy, essentially. No room for doubts or second-guessing, we are plunging head first into this thing.
The arrogance with which Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, and the other twits in control of the White House at the time ran the whole Iraq war thing made America look ridiculous to the entire world. Couple that with the mishandling of the economy and, later, of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the strange corporate corruption cases that that administration seemed to have their hands tied in, and the generally poor way they went about actually governing, and the whole world was wondering what was going on in America. Remember, also, that this country was dragging it's feet on a few key issues that were far more important to the rest of the world than it was apparently here within the United States. I am speaking specifically of the lack of affordable, universal health coverage here, as well as the poor environmental record, particularly of the strength and prominent political sway of climate change deniers, of which every member of the Bush administration seemed to be a denier with a particularly grating, "in your face," mocking approach.
So, George W. Bush in particular was an unpopular politician. And you would think, given the extreme damage that he and a neocon majority in Congress and the Supreme Court did in eight years, that it would have discredited the entire mentality and movement.
But you would be wrong, of course. Within a couple of years, the Tea Party had arisen, providing fresh blood for a very old mentality, and blaming Obama for all of the problems that his predecessor had handed to him. Before you knew it, many Americans were convinced that this convenient interpretation was the truth, and Obama's popularity took a nose dive.
How quickly we forget.
And just like it has always been, the name of the game is mockery first and foremost. Seems to me that when you are bereft of any real validity to your way of thinking, the next best thing is to mock the other side's arguments, like Reagan did with Carter, like the Republicans did throughout the 80's with irresponsible, "tax and spend" Norrtheast liberals, like the so-called Republican revolutionaries did in the nineties, like Bush and his White House cronies did in the 2000's with the Iraq war and the global war on terror, which clearly has no end. And now, much like neocons are doing to obstruct any potential progress that President Obama might make.
So, just like that, the very same Republicans who empowered President George W. Bush and his policies to create so much damage to the country in the first place are back, undeservedly in prominent places within the government. Not surprisingly, the same economic policies that quite clearly led to the near economic collapse in 2008 are being advocated once again. And the repetition does not stop there. Government programs to actually help people are being cut across the board, including for the education of our children to build towards a smarter and stronger country as a whole. Affordable healthcare is actively being prevented. And, of course, there is the whole climate change denying thing.
There is Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, claiming that he has no time for "sad sack stories" from people in need, while he, of course, promotes further government funding to those in need. Still, he, like other neocons, not only has no problem with a bloated Pentagon budget, but in facts wants to pump even more tax dollars into that already excessive defense budget.
He s just one of numerous prominent political figures to the right, making light of the nation's very real problems, promoting tax cuts for the very wealthy and huge corporations that will be paid for by the rest of us, the 99% taxpayers. All the while, these "compassionate conservatives" are trying to fight higher minimum wages and increased benefits, particularly health benefits, as somehow unaffordable. Same old same old, as the rest of the world, once again, wonders what's wrong with America.
They might not refer to it as "compassionate conservatism" anymore, since that label fell by the wayside once President Bush's approval ratings sank dramatically (and deservedly). But surely, the spirit behind it, as well as the political mentality, remains the same.
As do the tactics, not surprisingly.
There was Speaker of the House Boehner, making a ridiculous video on Earth Day, of all days, proclaiming it to be "Jelly Bean Day." Just in case you perhaps got the impression that he was somehow unaware that it was Earth Day, he specifically mentions that he prefers the green ones towards the end of the video.
I'm sorry if this sounds unprofessional, but what an asshole!
Given the symbolic nod of the piece, because it is well known that jelly beans were one of the silly and lighthearted, funny things that the neocon demigod, President Ronald Reagan, famously liked. So, it seems particularly childlike to promote jelly beans, of all things, on Earth Day, as a makeshift nod to the past, to the era of the king of all noecons. Or rather, as a replacement for Earth Day, intended to belittle the significance of caring for our Earth. There is Boehner, drawing his breath from how the Earth actually works, while actively trying to belittle it, trying to appease ignorant voters and his backers with a message geared to not just mock the importance of protecting the Earth and its fragile ecosystem, but to actively set up further attacks against it. Not even on this one day of the year can he and the Republicans that he is supposedly a leader of take the issue of massive pollution and the problem of limitless development seriously.
Science is not on their side, and neither are the poll numbers. Yet, somehow, they seem always to get at least as much air time to voice their opinions (and opinions, not facts, are exactly what they are, as the "Jelly Bean Day" video clearly demonstrates) as experts in the field, if not actually a bit more. Much of the rest of the world is trying to raise awareness, to plant trees, to clean up small corners of the Earth, and to generally express an appreciation for all that we have been blessed with in this world and with a delicate system that fosters life itself. And there is supposedly one of the leaders of the land, a man occupying an office of tremendous responsibility, and all that he can think to do is what climate change deniers always do: mock.
Yes, I know that I am falling into the trap by showing my anger and frustration at such short-sightedness and that childish sense of entitlement and militant ignorance, in what truly seems to be an active campaign of disinformation. But it galls me that someone in his position would waste time and energy to promote exactly the opposite "values" that Earth Day is supposed to represent. It is difficult enough to try and get people to take this crucial matter seriously. Yet, there is Speaker Boehner, in essence promising that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I think the best way to conclude this particular blog entry is by the words of Randa Morris, the author of the piece that got me on this topic to begin with. This was from her article, with the video attached, about John Boehner's irresponsible video release, and sums up perfectly just what we are up against, bringing new meaning to the words "Only in America." Here is that quote that I felt it best to conclude with:
"If we need one more example of why republicans are not fit to lead our country, John Boehner’s asinine ‘Jelly Bean Day’ video is it. Boehner’s video is a perfect illustration of the republican party’s belligerent unwillingness to face the very real problems that confront us at this time in history. It sums up the right wing’s childlike desire to just pretend that whatever they don’t want to talk about, doesn’t exist at all."
John Boehner Releases Asinine 'Jelly Bean Day' on Earth Day by Randa Morris, April 23, 2015:
Compassionate Conservative Wants No Part of “Sad Sack Stories”
Ron Johnson has no use for ‘sad sack stories’ By Steve Benen, 04/20/15:
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