Posts Tagged ‘CHILD MOLESTATION’
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In Bureaucracy, History, Medical, Politics, Social commentary on October 10, 2023 at 12:12 am
“All revolutions,” said Ernst Rohm, leader of Adolf Hitler’s brown-shirted thugs, the S.A., “devour their own children.”
Fittingly, he said this as he sat inside a prison cell awaiting his own execution.
Ernst Rohm
On June 30, 1934, Hitler had ordered a massive purge of his private army, the S.A., or Stormtroopers. The purge was carried out by Hitler’s elite army-within-an-army, the Schutzstaffel, or Protective Squads, better known as the SS.
The S.A. Brownshirts had been instrumental in securing Hitler’s rise to Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. They had intimidated political opponents and organized mass rallies for the Nazi Party.
But after Hitler reached the pinnacle of power, they became a liability.
Ernst Rohm, their commander, urged Hitler to disband the regular German army, the Reichswehr, and replace it with his own legions as the nation’s defense force.
Frightened by Rohm’s ambitions, the generals of the Reichswehr gave Hitler an ultimatum: Get rid of Rohm—or they would get rid of him.
So Rohm died in a hail of SS bullets—as did several hundred of his longtime S.A. cronies.
SS firing squad
Eighty-nine years later, even the most Right-wing Republicans learned that you can’t be too Fascistic if you want to remain in power.
Case in point: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-FL) the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In January, McCarthy—desperate to become Speaker—agreed to let even a single lawmaker force a vote on his removal. It was a concession to about 20 holdouts, who were blocking his election.
On October 3, eight Right-wingers led by Gaetz, forced that vote.
His “crime”: He had reached a deal with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling to stave off a government shutdown for 45 days.
The federal government’s fiscal year ends every September 30. Before this deadline, Congress must write and pass the budget for the next fiscal year. If a budget agreement is not reached in time, funding for federal agencies lapses and the government shuts down.
Driving the push for McCarthy’s ouster was his longtime antagonist, Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Said Gaetz: “A vote for a continuing resolution [to fund the government] is a vote to continue the Green New Deal, a vote to continue inflationary spending, and the most troubling of fashions, a vote for a continuing resolution is a vote to continue the election interference of [Special Counsel] Jack Smith.”
Gaetz’ rant was a model of hypocrisy and obstruction of justice.
Hypocrisy: On August 2, 2019, President Donald Trump signed into law a two-year budget deal that raised spending by $320 billion over existing spending caps set in a 2011 law—and boosted military and domestic spending.
The bill threatened to push the budget deficit to more than $1 trillion in 2019 for only the second time since the Great Recession of 2007-2008 and add $1.7 trillion to the federal debt over a decade.
“Fiscally conservative” Republicans—including Gaetz—praised Trump’s massive contribution to the national debt.
Of course, now that a Democrat is President, Republicans have become “fiscal conservatives” again.
Obstruction of justice: Gaetz is seeking to cut off funding for the prosecution of Trump for inciting a deadly riot against Congress on January 6, 2021. Trump’s goal: To stop the counting of Electoral College votes that would certify Joe Biden as the legitimate winner of the 2020 Presidential election.
Had this occurred, Trump would have obtained his objective of becoming “President-for-Life.”
In the past, Republicans billed themselves as the party of law-and-order. But when the foremost Republican becomes the target for inciting treason, the party closes ranks around him.
But, for Republicans, McCarthy’s Ultimate Sin was working with Democrats.
“Some of those who wanted him out think that Kevin McCarthy should not have tried to work with Democrats to keep government open,” said PBS Newshour Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins.
“That’s a factor in our government beyond Kevin McCarthy, and he’s being punished for it right now.
“President Trump, who himself did call for a government shutdown, he has been someone who has really injected into the Republican Party the idea that not only is disruption safe, but it is good. He has encouraged conservatives like this to try and challenge institutions, including the head of the institution of the House of Representatives itself.”
Yet another reason for House turmoil: In the past, Republicans prided themselves on their anti-Communism. But since Russian dictator Vladimir Putin began paying bribes—euphemistically called “campaign contributions”—to Republican Senators and Representatives, many of them have taken a decidedly pro-Russian turn.
As a result, it’s Republicans who want to end funding for the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression. And it’s Democrats—long branded as “Communists”—who are trying to ensure further aid to Ukraine.
Anyone in Nazi Germany could be accused of disloyalty to Adolf Hitler or the Nazi party. Now any Republican can be accused of disloyalty to Donald Trump or the Republican party.
“Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves,” wrote the author Mercedes Lackey. “The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the things they are willing to do to support it.”
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In Bureaucracy, Business, History, Politics, Social commentary on October 9, 2023 at 12:12 am
Right-wingers love to attack those they hate as “snowflakes,” and boast about how easy it is to “trigger” them into anger.
Yet it is Right-wingers whose sensitive feelings can be “triggered” by something as innocuous as a word: DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion).
Target, Bud Light and Disney have all faced backlash for their support of the queer community, which is officially known as LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer).
Other companies that have found themselves targets for Right-wing ire have been:
- Keurig (for dropping advertising on Sean Hannity’s show on the Right-wing Fox Network)
- The NFL (for its players sitting or kneeling during the National Anthem
- Amazon (for supporting Washington State in a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order barring people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States)
- Starbucks (for its CEO opposing the same executive order)
- Nordstrom (for cutting ties with Ivanka Trump’s brand of clothing)
- Kellogg (for dropping advertising on the Right-wing Breitbart website)
Now comes Chick-fil-A as the latest business to enrage the self-appointed holy warriors of the Right. Its crime: Hiring a vice president of DEI.
And even worse for the Right: He’s black.
Erick McReynolds has been a longtime employee of Chick-fil-A. According to the company’s official statement:
“Erick McReynolds joined Chick-fil-A in February 2007 as a Business Consultant. Since then, he has been promoted to various positions like Team Captain, Director – Service Team, Executive Director (Midwest Region), and Executive Director (DEI).”
In 1988 he had earned an MBA from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University He then worked as a Sales Representative at International Paper till June 2001. He served as a Senior Business Analyst at Sprint for five years till January 2007.
Erick McReynolds
Chick-fil-A has long championed Right-wing causes. By 2012, it had donated over $5 million to anti-LGTBQ groups. When the company faced backlash for this, Republicans like Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee led counter-protesting efforts such as “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.”
Its owner, Dan Cathy, publicly denounced same-sex marriage, citing the “biblical definition of the family unit.” This enraged liberals but ignited support among Republicans.
The company promised in 2019 to stop donating to anti-LGBTQ groups. It would instead focus its philanthropic efforts on hunger, education and homelessness.
Although McReynolds has served as VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion since November, 2021, the Right was unaware of his appointment until May 30, 2023. That was when Right-wing strategist Joey Mannarino tweeted:
“We have a problem. Chick-Fil-A just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This is bad. I don’t want to have to boycott. Are we going to have to boycott?
“It’s only a matter of time until they start putting tranny semen in the frosted lemonade at this point.”
Joey Mannarino
Adding to Mannarino’s resentment was McReynolds’ public statement:
“Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”
Other Right-wing eruptions on Twitter included:
Director of Citizens for Renewing America Wade Miller: “Everything good must come to an end. Here @ChickfilA is stating it’s commitment to systemic racism, sexism, and discrimination. I cannot support such a thing.”
@BrandonStraka: “As a liberal I boycotted Chick-fil-A. As a conservative I’ll be boycotting them again. I will not support any company that pushes the disingenuously named diversity, equity, inclusion agenda.”
@amuse: “Sadly, Chick-fil-A is embracing DEI and ESG [Environmental Social and Corporate Governance] after being co-opted by race & trans activists who have made it impossible for the organization to reflect the Christian values of its founder. Marxists won’t allow belief in Jesus Christ.”
The Right generally and Republicans in particular have long been fixated on issues involving sexuality. This is especially true for those where children are supposedly victimized.
Thus, fetuses become “babies” even when they’re no bigger than a microdot. This allows Rightists to claim they’re “pro-life”—while they champion the “right” of criminals, terrorists and the insane to own military-style firepower
And even though 90% of child molesters are heterosexual family or friends, the Right continues to charge all homosexuals with pedophilia.
Anyone who dares to challenge its agenda is charged with being a “groomer”—someone who builds an emotional connection with children or young people to sexually exploit them.
Totally ignored by Republicans are supposed Right-wing moral paragons who turn out to be “groomers” like Josh Duggar (of the “19 Kids and Counting” series) who was sentenced in 2022 to 12 years’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography;
A useful rule of thumb: Be wary of those who loudly preach their own virtue—such as Charles Sutherland, an elementary school librarian who spray painted “groomer” around the D.C. area during the 2022 Pride week. When police arrested him for possessing child pornography, they found a child-sized doll in his bed.
Meanwhile, Right-wing politicians—most notably Florida Governor and Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis—continue to exploit the fears and hatred of their equally Fascistic constituents.
With the 2024 Presidential campaign now underway, expect more of the same to come.
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In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Military, Politics on May 1, 2020 at 12:06 am
Why do Republican voters support sex predators?
Roy Moore’s 2017 run for Republican United States Senator from Alabama offers several answers.
To attain his goal, he had to overcome a serious obstacle: The allegation that, during his 30s, he pursued relationships with teenage girls.
At least nine women accused him of making improper advances toward them—ranging from harassment to sexual assault.
In years past, such allegations would have proven fatal for any political candidate—especially one who repeatedly cited the Bible as his source of inspiration.
But in 2016, Presidential candidate Donald Trump proved that more than a dozen women can accuse you of sexual harassment—or even assault—and you can still win office.
Roy Moore
So Moore hoped that what worked for Trump would work for him: Deny all the charges and accuse your accusers of lying in pursuit of a corrupt political agenda.
And many Alabama voters said they would support him—even if the charges were true.
Among the reasons they offered:
“The Lord has forgiven him.”
According to voter Dottie Finch: “At first, I really wasn’t sure how I felt about the situation. But then I look at it this way: I don’t have the best past, and to have it be brought up after years of speculation and never anything being said about it, I don’t know just because he’s trying to prove himself that now people want to come out of the closet and accuse him of things.
“And if it has happened, I believe the good Lord has forgiven him and he has the right to continue to prove himself.
“I would power forward and keep on supporting him, just like I have with Donald Trump as our president.”
“Yes, he acted improperly. But so did other people in the Bible.”
One such voter was Jim Ziegler, Alabama state auditor: “Take the Bible: Zechariah and Elizabeth, for instance. Zechariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist.
“Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”
“If Democrats say it, it has to be untrue.”
According to voter Tom Cammack: “I feel that the Democrat Party, like a lot of things it does, tries to manufacture things to make President Trump look bad. It’s all done for political reasons.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Said Alfonso Bradford: “I don’t think he’s done anything like that. Why didn’t it come up seven to eight months ago when he was running? All of a sudden, when it’s two weeks from now, all of this stuff comes up. I believe it’s a lot of BS. I really do.”
“He may be a pedophile, but he’s a Republican pedophile.”
Even a pedophile Republican was better, in their eyes, than any Democrat. For them, it was strictly a matter of holding power over those they hate. And the best way to guarantee that was with a Congress stocked with only Republicans.
According to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey:
“I believe in the Republican party, what we stand for, and, most important, we need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on things like the Supreme Court justices, other appointments the Senate has to confirm and make major decisions. So that’s what I plan to do, vote for Republican nominee Roy Moore.”
Fortunately for Alabama, Moore lost. His Democratic opponent, former United States Attorney Doug Jones, received 49.9% of the vote; Moore got 48.4%.
* * * * *
Seventy-five years ago, another fanatical, Right-wing woman concluded: “If we can’t rule the world, there’s no point in living in it.”
She was Magda Goebbels, wife of Joseph Goebbels—Propaganda Minister for the rapidly-collapsing Third Reich.
On April 30, 1945, Russian troops lay only a few blocks from the underground bunker where Adolf Hitler—and the Goebbels family—-awaited the inevitable.
That afternoon, at about 3 P.M., Hitler shot himself in the right temple while biting on a cyanide capsule.
Magda and Joseph Goebbels, with their six children and a uniformed friend
On May 1, it was the turn of his propaganda minister—and his wife.
“I do not wish to live in a world without National Socialism,” Magda Goebbels said.
Nor did she want her six children to do so: “The children are much too good for anything that will come after us.”
To make certain they escaped living in a world not governed by Nazis, she gave each of them a powerful sleeping tablet. Then she crushed a cyanide capsule between their jaws.
Finally, it was time to for Joseph and Magda Goebbels to exit the Third Reich: He shot her in the back of the head, and then he shot himself.
That, more than anything, was the mentality at work in the Alabama election.
Those supporting Moore cared, foremost, about having power over those they hate. And they gave their allegiance to any candidate, no matter how despicable, who promises to give them that.
ABC NEWS, ADOLF HITLER, ALABAMA, ALTERNET, AP, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CHILD MOLESTATION, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, FACEBOOK, JOSEPH GOEBBELS, MAGDA GOEBBELS, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NAZI GERMANY, NBC NEWS, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, RAW STORY, REUTERS, ROY MOORE, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, THIRD REICH, TIME, TWITTER, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY
In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Politics, Social commentary on July 23, 2019 at 12:05 am
Why do Republican voters support sex predators?
Roy Moore’s 2017 run for Republican United States Senator from Alabama offers several answers.
To attain his goal, he had to overcome a serious obstacle: The allegation that, during his 30s, he pursued relationships with teenage girls.
At least nine women accused him of making improper advances toward them—ranging from harassment to sexual assault.
In years past, such allegations would have proven fatal for any political candidate—especially one who repeatedly cited the Bible as his source of inspiration.
But in 2016, Presidential candidate Donald Trump proved that more than a dozen women can accuse you of sexual harassment—or even assault—and you can still win office.
Roy Moore
So Moore hoped that what worked for Trump would work for him: Deny all the charges and accuse your accusers of lying in pursuit of a corrupt political agenda.
And many Alabama voters said they would support him—even if the charges were true.
Among the reasons they offered:
“The Lord has forgiven him.”
According to voter Dottie Finch: “At first, I really wasn’t sure how I felt about the situation. But then I look at it this way: I don’t have the best past, and to have it be brought up after years of speculation and never anything being said about it, I don’t know just because he’s trying to prove himself that now people want to come out of the closet and accuse him of things.
“And if it has happened, I believe the good Lord has forgiven him and he has the right to continue to prove himself.
“I would power forward and keep on supporting him, just like I have with Donald Trump as our president.”
“Yes, he acted improperly. But so did other people in the Bible.”
One such voter was Jim Ziegler, Alabama state auditor: “Take the Bible: Zechariah and Elizabeth, for instance. Zechariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist.
“Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”
“If Democrats say it, it has to be untrue.”
According to voter Tom Cammack: “I feel that the Democrat Party, like a lot of things it does, tries to manufacture things to make President Trump look bad. It’s all done for political reasons.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Said Alfonso Bradford: “I don’t think he’s done anything like that. Why didn’t it come up seven to eight months ago when he was running? All of a sudden, when it’s two weeks from now, all of this stuff comes up. I believe it’s a lot of BS. I really do.”
“He may be a pedophile, but he’s a Republican pedophile.”
Even a pedophile Republican was better, in their eyes, than any Democrat. For them, it was strictly a matter of holding power over those they hate. And the best way to guarantee that was with a Congress stocked with only Republicans.
According to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey:
“I believe in the Republican party, what we stand for, and, most important, we need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on things like the Supreme Court justices, other appointments the Senate has to confirm and make major decisions. So that’s what I plan to do, vote for Republican nominee Roy Moore.”
Fortunately for Alabama, Moore lost. His Democratic opponent, former United States Attorney Doug Jones, received 49.9% of the vote; Moore got 48.4%.
* * * * *
Seventy-four years ago, another fanatical, Right-wing woman concluded: “If we can’t rule the world, there’s no point in living in it.”
She was Magda Goebbels, wife of Joseph Goebbels—Propaganda Minister for the rapidly-collapsing Third Reich.
On April 30, 1945, Russian troops lay only a few blocks from the underground bunker where Adolf Hitler—and the Goebbels family—-awaited the inevitable.
That afternoon, at about 3 P.M., Hitler shot himself in the right temple while biting on a cyanide capsule.
Magda and Joseph Goebbels, with their six children and a uniformed friend
On May 1, it was the turn of his propaganda minister—and his wife.
“I do not wish to live in a world without National Socialism,” Magda Goebbels said.
Nor did she want her six children to do so: “The children are much too good for anything that will come after us.”
To make certain they escaped living in a world not governed by Nazis, she gave each of them a powerful sleeping tablet. Then she crushed a cyanide capsule between their jaws.
Finally, it was time to for Joseph and Magda Goebbels to exit the Third Reich: He shot her in the back of the head, and then he shot himself.
That, more than anything, was the mentality at work in the upcoming Alabama election.
Those supporting Moore care, foremost, about having power over those they hate. And they will give their allegiance to any candidate, no matter how despicable, who promises to give them that.
ABC NEWS, ALABAMA, ALTERNET, AMERICABLOG, AP, BABY BOOMER RESISTANCE, BBC, BLOOMBERG, BUZZFEED, CBS NEWS, CHILD MOLESTATION, CNN, CROOKS AND LIARS, DAILY KOS, DAILY KOZ, DONALD TRUMP, FIVETHIRTYEIGHT, HARPER’S MAGAZINE, HUFFINGTON POST, MEDIA MATTERS, MOTHER JONES, MOVEON, MSNBC, NBC NEWS, NEW REPUBLIC, NEWSDAY, NEWSWEEK, NPR, PBS NEWSHOUR, POLITICO, POLITICUSUSA, RAW STORY, REUTERS, ROY MOORE, SALON, SEATTLE TIMES, SLATE, TALKING POINTS MEMO, THE ATLANTIC, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, THE DAILY BEAST, THE DAILY BLOG, THE GUARDIAN, THE HILL, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE INTERCEPT, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NATION, THE NEW REPUBLIC, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE NEW YORKER, THE VILLAGE VOICE, THE WASHINGTON POST, THINKPROGRESS, TIME, TRUTHDIG, TRUTHOUT, TWITTER, TWO POLITICAL JUNKIES, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, UPI, USA TODAY, X
In Bureaucracy, History, Politics, Social commentary on December 7, 2017 at 12:33 am
Roy Moore wants to be United States Senator from Alabama. And polls indicate he might well become that on December 12.
But first he has to overcome a serious obstacle: The allegation that, during his 30s, he pursued relationships with teenage girls.
At least nine women have accused him of making improper advances toward them—ranging from harassment to sexual assault.
In years past, such allegations would have proven fatal for any political candidate—especially one who repeatedly cited the Bible as his source of inspiration.
But in 2016, Presidential candidate Donald Trump proved that more than a dozen women can accuse you of sexual harassment–or even assault—and you can still win office.
Roy Moore
Moore is hoping that what worked for Trump will work for him: Deny all the charges and accuse your accusers of lying in pursuit of a corrupt political agenda.
And plenty of Alabama voters have said they’re willing to support him—even if the charges are true. The reasons:
“The Lord has forgiven him.”
According to voter Dottie Finch.
“At first, I really wasn’t sure how I felt about the situation. But then I look at it this way: I don’t have the best past, and to have it be brought up after years of speculation and never anything being said about it, I don’t know just because he’s trying to prove himself that now people want to come out of the closet and accuse him of things.
“And if it has happened, I believe the good Lord has forgiven him and he has the right to continue to prove himself.
“I would power forward and keep on supporting him, just like I have with Donald Trump as our president.”
“Yes, he acted improperly. But so did other people in the Bible.”
One such voter is Jim Ziegler, Alabama state auditor: “Take the Bible: Zechariah and Elizabeth, for instance. Zechariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist.
“Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”
“Other people’s sexual behavior is more important than that of my candidate.”
Moore has claimed that electing Doug Jones, a Democrat, would result in “abortion, sodomy, sexual perversion and transgender troops in our bathrooms.”
Same-sex marriages are now legal—courtesy of the United States Supreme Court. The vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by heterosexuals, not homosexuals. And there has been no invasion of “transgender troops in our bathrooms.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Says Alfonso Bradford: “I don’t think he’s done anything like that. Why didn’t it come up seven to eight months ago when he was running? All of a sudden, when it’s two weeks from now, all of this stuff comes up. I believe it’s a lot of BS. I really do.”
“He may be a pedophile, but he’s my kind of political pedophile.”
Even a pedophile Republican is better, in their eyes, than any Democrat. For them, it’s strictly a matter of holding power over those they hate. And the best way to guarantee that is with a Congress stocked with only Republicans.
According to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey:
“I believe in the Republican party, what we stand for, and, most important, we need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on things like the Supreme Court justices, other appointments the Senate has to confirm and make major decisions. So that’s what I plan to do, vote for Republican nominee Roy Moore.”
* * * * *
Seventy-two years ago, another fanatical, Right-wing woman concluded: “If we can’t rule the world, there’s no point in living in it.”
She was Magda Goebbels, wife of Joseph Goebbels—Propaganda Minister for the rapidly-collapsing Third Reich.
On April 30, 1945, Russian troops lay only a few blocks from the underground bunker where Adolf Hitler—and the Goebbels family—-awaited the inevitable.
That afternoon, at about 3 P.M., Hitler shot himself in the right temple while biting on a cyanide capsule.
Magda and Joseph Goebbels, with their six children and a uniformed friend
On May 1, it was the turn of his propaganda minister—and his wife.
“I do not wish to live in a world without National Socialism,” Magda Goebbels said.
Nor did she want her six children to do so: “The children are much too good for anything that will come after us.”
To make certain they escaped living in a world not governed by Nazis, she gave each of them a powerful sleeping tablet. Then she crushed a cyanide capsule between their jaws.
Finally, it was time to for Joseph and Magda Goebbels to exit the Third Reich: He shot her in the back of the head, and then he shot himself.
That, more than anything, is the mentality at work in the upcoming Alabama election.
Those supporting Moore care, foremost, about having power over those they hate. And they will give their allegiance to any candidate, no matter how despicable, who promises to give them that.
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In Bureaucracy, History, Law, Law Enforcement, Politics, Social commentary on April 13, 2016 at 12:01 am
“Yesterday they were ruffians. Today they control our lives. Tomorrow they will wind up as keepers of the public lavoratories.”
So wrote the ancient Roman poet Juvenal about the brutal non-entities who reigned at the court of the Caesars.
Roman Emperor Nero
Yet he could have been writing about the rise and fall of a onetime American Caesar named Dennis Hastert.
On May 28, 2015, Hastert, the former Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives (1999-2007) was indicted for violating Federal banking laws and lying to the FBI.
He had tried to conceal $3.5 million he had paid since 2010 to a man whom he had molested as a high school student. The student had been on the wrestling team that Hastert had coached.
The relationship had occurred while Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in Yorkville, Ill.
Later, in 1981, Hastert entered Congress.
On October 28, 2015, Hastert pleaded guilty to structuring money transactions in a way to avoid requirements to report where the money was going.
Dennis Hastert
“I felt a special bond with our wrestlers,” Hastert wrote in his 2004 memoirs, Speaker: Lessons From Forty Years of Coaching and Politics. “And I think they felt one with me.”
Apparently that “special bond” extended to activities outside the ring.
In the pre-sentence report, Justice Department prosecutors charged that Hastert had abused four young boys when he was their wrestling coach. One was only 14 years old.
Hastert had claimed that a coach should never strip away another person’s dignity.
But, said federal prosecutors, “that is exactly what defendant did to his victims. He made them feel alone, ashamed, guilty, and devoid of dignity.”
Hastert’s sentencing, delayed because of health problems, is now scheduled for April 27.
Hastert wasn’t indicted for having had a sexual relationship with underage students. The statute of limitations had long ago run out on those offenses.
He was indicted for trying to evade federal banking laws and lying to the FBI.
Shortly after his indictment, Hastert resigned from the board of Wheaton College, an evangelical university in Chicago known for its anti-gay policies.
The FBI began investigating the cash withdrawals in 2013.
The Bureau wanted to know if Hastert was using the cash for criminal purposes or if he was the victim of a criminal extortion.
When questioned by the FBI, Hastert said he was storing cash because he didn’t feel safe with the banking system: “Yeah … I kept the cash. That’s what I’m doing.”
One part of Hastert’s life was not secret: His opposition to homosexual rights.
From 1997 to 2007, Hastert voted for the Marriage Protection Act, which “forbids requiring any state or any other political subdivision of the United States to credit as a marriage a same-sex relationship treated as marriage in another state or equivalent government.”
Hastert also voted in favor of a Constitutional amendment to “establish that marriage shall consist of one man and one woman.”
He also voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which banned companies from discriminating against employees “on the basis of sexual orientation.”
Owing to Hastert’s “deeply conservative” voting record, in 1998, he received perfect scores of 100 from
- The National Rifle Association;
- The Christian Coalition;
- The National Right to Life Committee; and
- The Chamber of Commerce
Click here: Dennis Hastert’s secret gay ‘misconduct’ is even worse given his terrible voting record on gay rights
Hastert, who concealed his past as a sexual predator while claiming to be a man of virtue, wrote in his autobiography:
“I was never a very good liar. Maybe I wasn’t smart enough. I could never get away with it, so I made up my mind as a kid to tell the truth and pay the consequences.”
Hastert makes the third Republican “family values” Speaker of the House to become ensnared in an ethics scandal.
Newt Gingrich was the first Speaker (1985-1999) in the history of the House to be reprimanded and punished for ethics violations. His offense: Claiming tax-exempt status for a college course run for political purposes.
He successor, Bob Livingston, was forced to resign when Hustler publisher Larry Flynt revealed his sexual infidelities.
And now there’s Dennis Hastert, whose conduct involved neither money nor women–but a series of male high school students.
Of course, Democrats have had their sex scandals as well–as President Bill Clinton can thoroughly attest. But Democrats usually don’t suffer as badly from them.
The reason: Republicans portray themselves as moral examples for the nation. So for them, being caught literally with their pants down proves a double-whammy.
They are condemned for their specific illegal/immoral acts–and for the sheer hypocrisy of their false claims of sainthood.
Ironically, Right-wingers like Hastert would fare better when caught in homosexual affairs if they simply admitted their sexual tastes and registered as Democrats.
But in heavily Right-wing states like Texas and Oklahoma, they wouldn’t stand a chance of being elected as a Democrat.
And Red-state voters, feeling themselves moral arbiters of the nation, wouldn’t elect anyone they thought was “unnatural.”
So Right-wingers will continue pretending to be moral paragons–and will continue paying the price when they’re exposed as fallible humans.
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“ALL REVOLUTIONS DEVOUR THEIR OWN CHILDREN”: PART TWO (END)
In Bureaucracy, History, Medical, Politics, Social commentary on October 10, 2023 at 12:12 am“All revolutions,” said Ernst Rohm, leader of Adolf Hitler’s brown-shirted thugs, the S.A., “devour their own children.”
Fittingly, he said this as he sat inside a prison cell awaiting his own execution.
Ernst Rohm
On June 30, 1934, Hitler had ordered a massive purge of his private army, the S.A., or Stormtroopers. The purge was carried out by Hitler’s elite army-within-an-army, the Schutzstaffel, or Protective Squads, better known as the SS.
The S.A. Brownshirts had been instrumental in securing Hitler’s rise to Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. They had intimidated political opponents and organized mass rallies for the Nazi Party.
But after Hitler reached the pinnacle of power, they became a liability.
Ernst Rohm, their commander, urged Hitler to disband the regular German army, the Reichswehr, and replace it with his own legions as the nation’s defense force.
Frightened by Rohm’s ambitions, the generals of the Reichswehr gave Hitler an ultimatum: Get rid of Rohm—or they would get rid of him.
So Rohm died in a hail of SS bullets—as did several hundred of his longtime S.A. cronies.
SS firing squad
Eighty-nine years later, even the most Right-wing Republicans learned that you can’t be too Fascistic if you want to remain in power.
Case in point: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-FL) the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In January, McCarthy—desperate to become Speaker—agreed to let even a single lawmaker force a vote on his removal. It was a concession to about 20 holdouts, who were blocking his election.
On October 3, eight Right-wingers led by Gaetz, forced that vote.
His “crime”: He had reached a deal with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling to stave off a government shutdown for 45 days.
The federal government’s fiscal year ends every September 30. Before this deadline, Congress must write and pass the budget for the next fiscal year. If a budget agreement is not reached in time, funding for federal agencies lapses and the government shuts down.
Driving the push for McCarthy’s ouster was his longtime antagonist, Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Said Gaetz: “A vote for a continuing resolution [to fund the government] is a vote to continue the Green New Deal, a vote to continue inflationary spending, and the most troubling of fashions, a vote for a continuing resolution is a vote to continue the election interference of [Special Counsel] Jack Smith.”
Gaetz’ rant was a model of hypocrisy and obstruction of justice.
Hypocrisy: On August 2, 2019, President Donald Trump signed into law a two-year budget deal that raised spending by $320 billion over existing spending caps set in a 2011 law—and boosted military and domestic spending.
The bill threatened to push the budget deficit to more than $1 trillion in 2019 for only the second time since the Great Recession of 2007-2008 and add $1.7 trillion to the federal debt over a decade.
“Fiscally conservative” Republicans—including Gaetz—praised Trump’s massive contribution to the national debt.
Of course, now that a Democrat is President, Republicans have become “fiscal conservatives” again.
Obstruction of justice: Gaetz is seeking to cut off funding for the prosecution of Trump for inciting a deadly riot against Congress on January 6, 2021. Trump’s goal: To stop the counting of Electoral College votes that would certify Joe Biden as the legitimate winner of the 2020 Presidential election.
Had this occurred, Trump would have obtained his objective of becoming “President-for-Life.”
In the past, Republicans billed themselves as the party of law-and-order. But when the foremost Republican becomes the target for inciting treason, the party closes ranks around him.
But, for Republicans, McCarthy’s Ultimate Sin was working with Democrats.
“Some of those who wanted him out think that Kevin McCarthy should not have tried to work with Democrats to keep government open,” said PBS Newshour Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins.
“That’s a factor in our government beyond Kevin McCarthy, and he’s being punished for it right now.
“President Trump, who himself did call for a government shutdown, he has been someone who has really injected into the Republican Party the idea that not only is disruption safe, but it is good. He has encouraged conservatives like this to try and challenge institutions, including the head of the institution of the House of Representatives itself.”
Yet another reason for House turmoil: In the past, Republicans prided themselves on their anti-Communism. But since Russian dictator Vladimir Putin began paying bribes—euphemistically called “campaign contributions”—to Republican Senators and Representatives, many of them have taken a decidedly pro-Russian turn.
As a result, it’s Republicans who want to end funding for the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression. And it’s Democrats—long branded as “Communists”—who are trying to ensure further aid to Ukraine.
Anyone in Nazi Germany could be accused of disloyalty to Adolf Hitler or the Nazi party. Now any Republican can be accused of disloyalty to Donald Trump or the Republican party.
“Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves,” wrote the author Mercedes Lackey. “The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the things they are willing to do to support it.”
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