Deep Something

Scalia: Not As Originalist As He’d Like to Think

February 15, 2016September 29, 2018 B. John 530 Views 1 Comment Antonin Scalia, Constitution, Dick Cheney, Originalism, supreme court, Ted Cruz

So, by now everyone knows that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died over the weekend. As is usual, everyone is rushing to the airwaves to talk about what a nice and brilliant person he was. Of course I don’t know him personally, but certainly his public personae were not so nice, and I don’t think his legal reasoning, considered by many to be smart and original (pun intended), was all that brilliant. It was merely partisan and theocratic. Scalia was not really interested in the original intent of the framers. He was interested in creating a facade of intellectualism around his rulings. His genius was not in a new form of thought around the Constitution, but in a way to package his rulings so that people thought they had a grand origin.

Congress Constitution Crime Featured Politics Presidency Society War

Is Torture Ever Right?

May 25, 2009 B. John 474 Views 1 Comment Dick Cheney, FBI, Geneva conventions, george bush, John Adams, Newt Gingrich, Rule of Law, Soufan, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Paine, torture

I continue to be baffled by the arguments in favor of torture, and the justifications that are made for America’s use of torture. I have heard one justification after another, and each falls with daily revelations of what really happened. Most disturbing though is a recent Pew Survey finding that the more people attend church, the more accepting they are of these torture justifications. That, my friends, causes me crisis of faith. I fear for what is to become of us as a people and a Republic.

Crime Featured Politics Presidency Society

Tortured Logic on Torture

April 26, 2009 B. John 321 Views 0 Comments america, Bush, cheney, Congress, Dick Cheney, mccain, republicans, secret, torture, V.P.

Sen. John McCain was on Face the Nation Sunday morning, and the contortions he went through to let the previous administration off the hook for their illegal torturing was astounding. He tried to claim that it was all just the result of some bad legal advice. Early in the interview McCain makes the claim that he believes no other Administration will ever make the same mistake (of using bad legal advice…I guess), and torture again.

Politics Presidency

The Box That Brought Down Darth Cheney

January 21, 2009 B. John 253 Views 1 Comment Dick Cheney, george bush

Dick Cheney showed up at the Inauguration in a wheelchair. The official story was that he’d hurt his back while lifting a box the night before. Seeing him “crippled,” and being wheeled around on his last day as Vice President was a suitable coda to the worst administration in history of America, and while it may not matter anymore, I’m not buying the official story.

General

Thoughts on 9-11 Anniversary in 2008

September 12, 2008 B. John 284 Views 0 Comments 9/11, Dick Cheney, george bush, New York, September 11, Terrorism, World Trade Center

I know I’m late with this. I knew plenty would be written and said on 9/11, so I’ve waited a couple of days to offer my thoughts. Much was lost on 9/11, and much has been lost in the seven years since.

Congress Election Politics Presidency

God Makes It Up to John McCain

September 2, 2008 B. John 214 Views 0 Comments Dick Cheney, george bush, hurricanes, John McCain, lobbyist, Republican National Convention, republicans

Apparently some of the krazy kristian kooks had been praying for, and asking others to pray for, rain in Denver during Obama’s acceptance speech. Obviously it didn’t happen, and the Democrats had a perfect evening, so clearly our Republican God was asleep at the switch. But, just when the fundies were about to lose faith, God made it up to them and sent a hurricane to save the day.

Election Featured Politics Presidency Religion Right Wingnuts Science

The Price Paid for Power

August 21, 2008September 29, 2018 B. John 299 Views 0 Comments Cindy McCain, Dick Cheney, Enhanced Interrogation, george bush, John McCain, Mother Teresa, torture, War crimes

John McCain’s military service deserves the thanks and respect of the American people, especially given his time spent as a POW in Vietnam. However, the over-use of this status for political gain becomes laughable after a while. It seems to be used to explain everything. Problem is, according to George Bush and the Military Commisions Act voted for by McCain, the techniques used on McCain while a POW are merely, “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Who wouldda thunk it?

Election Featured Politics

Trading Places-The Karl Rove Wager

August 15, 2008 B. John 244 Views 0 Comments Dan Akroyd, Dick Cheney, Eddie Murphy, george bush, Karl Rove, Trading Places

Back in the early ’80s, a movie was released staring Dan Akroyd and Richard Prior called Trading Places. Two characters in the movie, Mortimer and Randolph Duke (played by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) are wealthy commodity brokers who argue constantly over social issues, and enjoy a small wager from time to time. The $5 wager between the Mortimer brothers is that if they put the Pryor character into the right situation, he’ll rise to his new circumstances, and behave like a well-bread, educated wealthy person. On the flip side, if Winthrope has all the trappings of wealth and influence removed from him, he’ll quickly resort to a life of crime and scamming. In the end, the joke was on the Duke brothers, as Winthrope and Valentine came together to not only financial destroy the Dukes, but become rich themselves. I think Karl Rove made a similar bet some years back.

Congress Corruption Election Politics

Election Roundup for 08-07-2008

August 7, 2008 B. John 221 Views 0 Comments Barack Obama, Democrats, Dick Cheney, FEC, Federal Elections Commission, george bush, John McCain, Political Fundraising, republicans

I thought I’d consider a single post to provide my observations on the election shenanigans for this first full week in August.

Congress Crime Politics Presidency Society War

The Anthrax Questions

August 3, 2008 B. John 353 Views 0 Comments 9/11, Anthrax, Bruce Ivins, Dick Cheney, False Flag, Gleen Greenwald, Iraq, Pat Leahy, PATRIOT Act, Salon, Tom Daschle, War

Glenn Greenwald has an excellent article up at Salon.com discussing the unresolved issues around the 2001 anthrax incident. As everyone knows Bruce Ivins committed suicide earlier this week as a Grand Jury prepared to indict him in connection with the anthrax incident. Ivins had been a top anthrax researcher at a U.S. Government research facility for 18 years. So seven years after the incident, and after having to pay a settlement to one falsely accused researcher, we’re to believe the government had an airtight case against Ivins witnessed by his apparent suicide.

Deep Thoughts

Darwin on Today’s Economy

April 10, 2008August 10, 2015 414 Views 0 Comments Charles Darwin, Dick Cheney, Economy, george bush, Oil Prices, Recession

Reuters has a report from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Economic Policy Institute showing that, “Since the late 1990’s average incomes have declined 2.5 percent for families on the bottom fifth of the country’s economic ladder, while incomes have increased 9.1 percent for families on the top fifth.” That got brought home to me tonight when I went to grab a bite to eat, and saw a couple have to forego eating so the kids could. More on that later in this story. One of the Deep Thoughts on this site is a quote from Charles Darwin, who said, “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.” It doesn’t take much to help people, but the current crooks and liars running this government are hell bent and determined to not only forego providing that help, but in enriching their wealthy friends at the expense of those who can least afford it. One of the Deep Thoughts on this site is a quote from Charles Darwin, who said, “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.” It doesn’t take much to help people, but the current crooks and liars running this government are hell bent and determined to not only forego providing that help, but in enriching their wealthy friends at the expense of those who can least afford it.

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