More Bad Attitudes At Pottersville

One of my good friends (in philosophy if nothing else) at Bad Attitudes speaks for me today. Let me know what you think as it begins to look like the "rubber hitting the road" time to me if any of this madness is going to be stopped before real, injured people hit the street (and anyone who gets in their way). (I also read Francis Fukuyama (he of the spurious End of History) today in Newsweek , spreading more propaganda about events of which he was never more than vaguely aware (read the comments accompanying the article), and guess what? He's parted company with the crazy neoConservatives! Yes, he brags about it almost, but . . . the reason? They don't have a Kissinger or James Baker leading them now. It's all good for them (check out his new Palo Alto digs), however (I guess), until the next "strong" leader emerges to show them the best way to continue the American Empire's ascent (or descent - take your pick). Germany . . . pre-1933 anyone?) But first, the real news:

In case you hadn’t heard, the budget deal that the Big Enders struck with the Little Enders on Friday is historic, historic. I’m not exactly sure why. It looks like a typical grubby political compromise to me. Why not just leave it at that? Why the spurious attempt to endow it with some kind of importance that everybody knows it lacks? Pot roast isn’t filet mignon. Stop making asses of us all by pretending that it is.

I’d venture to say that the American people have had their fill of history. In the last decade we’ve seen an historic terrorist attack, two historic wars, the historic accretion of executive power, the historic elimination of historic constitutional rights, the historic Great Recession, and the historic election of a black president who, it deeply saddens me to say, is shaping up to be an historic mediocrity, a honey-tongued Herbert Hoover.

All this in a county that is notoriously indifferent to history.

Truthfully I’m almost beyond caring about it. One group of slimy politicians called Republicans quibbled with another group of slimy politicians called Democrats over which of our limbs are expendable. American bombs are still falling abroad, Goldman Sachs is still making historic profits, and We the People are reduced to being helpless spectators at our own evisceration. That’s all we’re going to be with these kinds of ‘historic’ leaders.

By the way, here’s a lesser known part of the historic deal:

Senator Jon Tester, Democrat of Montana, said the budget bill included his proposal to remove gray wolves in Montana and Idaho from the federal list of endangered species. This would enable the two states to manage their wolf populations and to allow hunting of the animals if they choose.

“This wolf fix isn’t about one party’s agenda,” Mr. Tester said. “It’s about what’s right for Montana and the West.”

How nice. Screw the poor and kill the animals. What bold historical actors our leaders are!

Click here for the no-longer-protected animal's picture. (Many thanks to Jolly Roger) ________________