Life versus Death in the United States in 2022

By InsightAnalytical-GRL

While contemplating the intersection of the GOP’s gun cult, racism, misogyny and “Christians” (see note below)…I came up with this thought:

“Pro-life” Means Valuing Guns More Than “Post-Born” Life

To quote George Carlin….

“Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to 9 months. After that, they don’t wanna know about you. They don’t wanna hear from you. No nothing! No neonatal care, no daycare, no Head Start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you’re pre-born, you’re fine, if you’re preschool, you’re fucked.”

1996 HBO special, “Back In Town”

Youtube

Hypocrisy at its height.

If George were alive today, he would add to the list the total lack of concern about kids being killed with guns, because the GOP as a corrupted, cynical, cruel party does not worship life…it worships guns, the NRA and political contributions and, above all, power. A few “Democrats” also fall into this group…but, by and large…it is the vile Republican Party that is destroying lives every day. Does the Republican Party ever really use its power to actually do good?

I’m not going to bore you with a look at the role of Trump, evangelical white nationalist “Christian” churches, sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention or the Catholic Church, and witch-hunting “pastors.” Or quoting the unctuous Ted Cruz. But I will use the words of the Texas governor Greg Abbott as the prime example of how utterly debased/detached from humanity a person can be:

“I’m EMBARRASSED: Texas #2 in nation for new gun purchases, behind CALIFORNIA. Let’s pick up the pace Texans,” Abbott tweeted on October 28, 2015.

New York Daily News

The insults to my intelligence have been coming especially thick and fast lately. But the wounding of my soul has been ongoing as I’ve observed the decline of the American “experiment.” Frankly, America is failing. Just my opinion, but one that is valid.

NOTE

“Christians” in the context of this post does not refer to the Christian faith as practiced by people who are not brainwashed into being part of the Trump/GOP cult of arrogance, racism and cruelty. I feel sorry for Jesus Christ. Would he condone the use of his name by these people?

PARENTS, BEWARE! Trump/GOP Is OK with Helping Your Kids Get Diabetes…But the Hell with Them Later When They Get It… (and if you suffer from mental health issues or opioid addiction, no care for you, and back to LONG jail time for all you low-level user losers out there…)

By InsightAnalytical-GRL

Hey, all you loving parents out there who want good schools for your kids and a brighter future for them!  OK, I know you’re grappling with the idea of Betsy Wetsy DeVos wrecking the schools academically, but hell, at least if you are of limited means you can be somewhat consoled that at least your kid may have access to some fairly decent food at breakfast and/or lunch  Right?

WRONG!!

Attention, poor people! This meal is NOT for you!

Michele Obama, of course, worked damned hard to get kids aware of eating better and also pushed for better quality school lunches…and rules were changed to move the ball forward on that score.  WHOLE GRAINS, instead of mysterious foam slices.  Vegetables that really were vegetables instead of that leftover ketchup from the Reagan days.

But, now you’ve got a problem.  In the middle of all this sturm and drang over Russia, Comey and the antics of this pretender of a President, things are happening that will affect stomachs.

Recently, the rules for what goes into school meals were sent back a few decades by our spanking brand new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. He also took a swipe at another Obama initiative at the same time called “Let Girls Learn” for girls overseas just to try to erase Mrs. Obama along with her husband in GOP’s version of history. (And who cares about girls overseas, hell, we don’t care about them HERE!)  From the Los Angeles Times:

New Agriculture secretary says he’ll roll back Michelle Obama’s healthy school lunches initiative

By Melissa Etehad Contact Reporter  May 1, 2017 9:15 PM

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Monday that he would roll back part of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s healthy eating initiative: stricter nutritional standards for school lunches.

(SNIP)

Under the changes to the federal nutrition standards, schools won’t have to cut salt in meals, states will be able to allow some schools to serve fewer whole grains, and schools will be allowed to serve 1% milk rather than only nonfat milk. (SNIP)

The Obama administration placed standards on school lunch nutrition in 2010 when it passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. During that time, Michelle Obama was seen by many as a leading advocate in the fight against childhood obesity. She started the Let’s Move! campaign, which sought to encourage children to take part in more physical activity and help provide healthier food options in schools in under-served communities.

The percentage of U.S. children with obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s, causing long-term physical and emotional distress for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children with obesity are at higher risk for having asthma and Type 2 diabetes. Many are bullied and, as a result, are likely to suffer from depression and self-esteem issues.

In 2014, the standards were met with challenges in Congress led by the School Nutrition Assn., which has called the regulations too rigid, and House Republicans who supported the powerful lobbying group’s efforts.

But according to the Department of Agriculture, 97% of schools across the country are implementing the school nutrition standards set by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

MORE

Today, a story at Raw Story details how Mrs. Obama took a shot at Perdue…

Michelle Obama smacks down Trump for gutting her healthy meals program — without ever mentioning his name

Tom Boggioni    12 May 2017 at 14:54 ET

Speaking a health conference in Washington D.C., former First Lady Michelle Obama took a veiled shot at President Donald Trump for gutting her program designed to get kids to eat healthier.

According to NBC5 Chicago, the popular Obama said parents should stop and “think about why someone is OK with your kids eating crap.”

Responding to reports that Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was considering delaying a requirement to lower sodium levels in school meals and would continue to waive a requirement that schools serve more whole grain food, Obama criticized the wisdom behind the moves.

“If we want to make this country great, our kids need to be healthy,” Obama said. “Not some, but all.”

MORE with video

This blunt reaction is welcomed, of course, but not so welcome is a story that is up at Shareblue today originated at the Washington Examiner (Note the upbeat headline on this one…)  But, the focus of the article is really about how Office of Management and Budget Director Gnome Mick Mulvaney  is out delivering the Republican message on healthcare that specifically targets …DIABETICS!

Mulvaney agrees with ‘Jimmy Kimmel test’

by Kimberly Leonard | May 11, 2017, 3:49 PM

(SNIP)

Mick Mulvaney, President Trump’s budget chief, said Thursday that a Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare should pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test,” though his definition deviated from that of the comedian’s.(SNIP)”I do think it should meet that test,” Mulvaney said. “We have plenty of money to deal with that. We have plenty of money to provide that safety net so that if you get cancer you don’t end up broke … that is not the question. The question is, who is responsible for your ordinary healthcare? You or somebody else?”He said the debate centered on whether others should pay the burden of paying for someone’s healthcare.”That doesn’t mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmel’s kid? I don’t think that it is.”

MORE

Soooo, this really puts a fine point on the general idea that Republicans like to talk about…that you basically don’t deserve healthcare if you are a “bad person.”Of course, if you trash school lunches for poor kids by trashing the nutrition standards that are aimed at helping kids eat better than they usually would, a program whose goal is to AVOID becoming diabetic or developing heart disease or asthma, particularly at a young age, then we can heap further scorn on them by not allowing them to get the necessary healthcare once these conditions develop…the ones that the GOP apparently doesn’t want to prevent them from getting in the first place! Obesity is the way to go!!Because we all know that poorer families, white, black, Hispanic and everything in between, tend to eat cheaper, more processed foods, often times because they are in places with limited grocery shopping options…and for Baby Jesus’ sake, we don’t want THEM hanging around too long because they are BAD, UNWORTHY people and  what better way to go than to just cut out healthcare for them!!! Let’s feed them “crap” at school and help their demise along right from the start of their lives! That’s a plan!!This is the way the GOP plays the game all the time….opioid/mental healthcare slashed under Republican “healthcare” (GOP Plan Strips Addiction, Mental Health Coverage For Millions As Opioid Deaths Soar ) while Jeff Sessions plans a rollback of Obama era rules with the intent to again jail even low-level drug offenders that have filled up our prisons… Hell, we really need to build more private prisons so that industry can make more money!!For the gory details on this one, see

Sessions expected to roll back Obama-era policies on drug crimes

So you see, the GOP wants to feed you crap if you’re young and need a school meal then deny you health care and apparently figures people suffering from opioid use really need to just die…or if you’re a pot smoker, well Sessions is onto that, too, and you can just spend decades in jail to help the bottom line of private jail companies. The trick to all this is that they have to be careful to allow you to live long enough on crappy food so they can populate the jails…

But don’t despair if you fall into one of these groups…you are helping Trump be a “winner” and you should be PROUD that you are helping the GOP set the clock back as YOUR time runs out!

P.S.  Sarah Palin will chug a giant soda in your honor!!!

“I LIKE IKE!”…But the GOP Doesn’t Seem To…

~~By InsightAnalytical

As yet another disgusting election season nears its end,  I find that Dwight D. Eisenhower has been on my mind lately.

Eisenhower was the first President I knew.  I was born in 1951 and he became President in 1953.

I remember like it was yesterday standing at the corner of Pierrepont and Lincoln Avenues in front of my grade school (Pierrepont Elementary) as I debated with a long-forgotten classmate about Kennedy vs. Nixon. I was in 6th grade and Eisenhower would be out of office by January 1961.

He passed away in 1969.

Since I was so young when Eisenhower was President, I don’t remember much of what went on…but I do remember the Interstate Highway system being built.  Reading about his time in office is fascinating as I try to recall how my childhood fit into the times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower

I can’t recall exactly when the name “Eisenhower” was purged from the GOP’s history.  I recall David Eisenhower and wife Julie showing up at some conventions, and perhaps they still do, but the Eisenhower name hasn’t been uttered in years as far as I can tell.

The plain truth is that Eisenhower was not nuts.  The current GOP IS nuts.  And Eisenhower is just not crazy enough for them to give him much thought.

There are plenty of sites which have some of Eisenhower’s best quotations.

I’ve selected a few that make me feel nostalgic for Ike. Maybe I’m just wandering back to my childhood, but I don’t think that’s the main reason I’ve been thinking about Eisenhower.

I think I’m just trying to remember what  a more sane GOP might sound like…

So, here are some of my favorite quotations from Ike:

“Unless we progress, we regress.”– State of the Union Address  January 9, 1959

“Only Americans can hurt America.”

“There are a number of things wrong with Washington. One of them is that everyone is too far from home.”

“May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”

“If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.”

“Whatever America hopes to bring to pass in the world must first come to pass in the heart of America.“

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.”

And,  I offer this excerpt from Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, January 17, 1961:  http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower#Farewell_address_.281961.29

• Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society.In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Eisenhower  knew that American needs “an alert and knowledgeable citizenry” and that  “The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.”

So, as we come to this Election Day, with the process marred by Citizens United and Koch brother money, voter suppression, extreme hostility to President Barack Obama, most likely fueled by racism, attacks on women’s rights, and the general ignorance of the public,  what would Eisenhower be thinking today??

How would he be viewing the “future of this republic”?

 

 

July 4th, 2014… WHAT FREEDOM MEANS in the Era of Republican Repression…Nelson Mandela Had It Right

By Insightanalytical-GRL

It’s been awhile…aging parent do take a lot of time to care for.

But, that doesn’t mean I’ve checked out of the world.  Believe me, the current political situation in this country only adds to the stress of family issues as one gets swamped by negative, cruel messages from the Republican Party.

In light of the recent Supreme Fart rulings (Hobby Lobby contraception, etc), the general onslaught of religious crap in this country and the  anti- EVERYBODY who is not one of THEM attitude, this sort of captured the moment for me….

This wonderful quote goes to what is being crushed in this country by right wing forces…a sense of what should be normalcy being trashed by a rotten GOP, a cruel version of “Christianity” which borders on insanity and Taliban-like qualities, intolerance, racism/voter suppression, hostility toward women, anti-healthcare expansion,anti-food assistance, holding immigration reform hostage,  etc….it’s all out there now,  courtesy of a rabid bunch who have taken over the GOP.

The Republican Party, its Tea Party wing (which is a deviant of the original Tea Party which was all about economic concerns, not social issues), what I call COCKROACH CHRISTIANS (insidious, crawling out of their very dark places everywhere and not being really Christian at all,  in shorthand CRAP “Christians”)….these UN-PATRIOTIC idiots who want to destroy the country…

These  people show NO RESPECT FOR ANYTHING….They are seriously toxic people….

It’s time for the rest of us to RISE UP and re-ignite OUR REVOLUTION!

 

MY ONLY POST ABOUT ELECTION 2012

~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL

No secret that I was not an Obama worshipper back in 2008.

But, I’m voting for him this time around.  There are other blogs out there who piously state that they don’t have a “dog in this race” to which I say…bullshit!

Do PUMAs really want the Supreme Court to go to the Rethugs? Do you really want your wives and daughters to lose all rights to make decisions about their own bodies?

Do you really want a “bishop” who asked a pregnant woman with blood clots that threatened her life why she “should have it  “easy” by choosing to abort?

Have you taken the time to peek out beyond your own noses to see how this country could deteriorate in so many ways?  Regardless of who wins, we’ll have continued hard economic times…but there’s more to life than economics.  Do you really want to elect a mob that apparently disrespects women, blacks, Hispanics and just about everybody who isn’t one of THEM?  Especially if you aren’t a  “Christian” THEM?

Recently, I’ve been listening to Mike Malloy again on my Kindle Fire via TuneIn.  Mike, a true progressive now sadly relegated to asking for donations to keep his show on the air, once held the view that a loss to the Republicans would create the final catalyst for change to the system if they finally screwed up.

Well, he’s changed his opinion.  He has come to the conclusion that at this juncture in time, to allow power to fall back into the hands of the GOP might finally quash any chance to win back our system.  They will be in a position crush the life out of the middle class and pave the way for the ultimate corporatization of this country.  Liberals won’t have a chance to breathe.

For Mike Malloy to come around to this position is a big deal.  Apparently, some lefty blogs don’t see it this way.  But, frankly, there is too much at stake to allow the GOP into power, regardless of what you think of Obama and the Democratic Party.  No matter what, they are about all we have at this point.

So, that’s it. If you really want to see the guy whose foreign policy advisers come from the Bush Administration get back into power (something like 17 out of 25 are former Bushites), go ahead and don’t vote.If you want this bully CEO to come in and follow right along with the likes of all those GOPers who think rape is not a big deal, who think women are sluts if they get birth control in their health plan, who is right in line with the party that now shoves vaginal probes at us for no medical reason...go ahead and don’t vote.

If Romney wins this election, what will you be saying then? Will you blame Obama…or yourselves?

Me? I’ll be blaming a lot of people who are still stuck in 2008 and refuse to face the reality of the political world we live in now.  It’s time to grow up…