A fare-thee-well

As I understand it, I have three to twelve months left to live. And since I'm already about three months in, I'd think much less than twelve is more accurate.

I don't feel like writing anymore. Hell, I don't feel like thinking and feeling anymore.

So, this is likely my last post.

I can't say that I will miss this shitty planet with all of the shitty little parasites running around on it being shitty to each other.

I'd wish you all good luck. But that would be in vain. Mankind is its worst enemy and won't be satisfied until it does itself in.

All religion is merely fantasy. You think you'll be rewarded for killing each other? If there were a sky daddy, I couldn't imagine it rewarding people for the disgusting way you view and treat your fellow man.

Myself, I am elated that I finally have a ticket out. For the rest, it's too late. The damage you've wrought is past the tipping point. That is what saddens me.

So, fare thee whatever the fuck you get. 

Retiring Senator Romney confirms Pentagon, Congress knew Trump planned violent coup days before January 6

Republished in full from wsws.org

By

Jacob Crosse

15 September 2023

On Wednesday, 76-year-old US senator, multi-millionaire venture capitalist, and 2012 Republican nominee for president Mitt Romney announced he would not seek re-election in 2024.

Coinciding with his announcement, the Atlantic published select excerpts from a soon-to-be released biography of the senator, revealing that Romney and several of his colleagues, Pentagon officials and police agents knew that then-President Donald Trump would be leading a violent coup on January 6, 2021, yet said nothing publicly.

Romney’s statements that it was well known among members of Congress and those charged with protecting it that Trump was instigating an attack on the Capitol were made in hours of interviews, emails and journal entries shared by the senator with Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins, author of Romney: A Reckoning.

Sen. Mitt Romney, Republican-Utah, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, heads to a vote before a national security briefing on Ukraine at the Capitol in Washington, March 16, 2022. [AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]

In his interviews with Coppins, the senator said that on January 2, 2021, four days before the attack on the Capitol, he received a distressing text from Senator Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, requesting that Romney urgently call him. January 2 was the same day that Trump and top coup lawyers, including Cleta Mitchell, called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and demanded that he “find” the 11,780 votes Trump needed to overtake Biden.

Speaking with Romney, King relayed that an unnamed “high-ranking Pentagon official” confirmed to him that police agencies had been tracking, online, Trump paramilitaries who were planning on attacking Congress on January 6. Coppins wrote that King told Romney: “There’s talk of gun smuggling, of bombs and arson, of targeting the traitors in Congress who are responsible for this travesty,” by which King was referring to Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

King told Romney his high-level Pentagon source had informed him that Romney’s name was circulating in right-wing circles on the internet and that he was not sure if “Romney will be safe.”

Coppins wrote that after the call with King, Romney immediately sent a text to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“In case you have not heard this,” Romney wrote to McConnell, “I just got a call from Angus King, who said that he had spoken with a senior official at the Pentagon who reports that they are seeing very disturbing social media traffic regarding the protests planned on the 6th. There are calls to burn down your home, Mitch; to smuggle guns into DC, and to storm the Capitol. I hope that sufficient security plans are in place, but I am concerned that the instigator—the President—is the one who commands the reinforcements the DC and Capitol police might require.”

According to Romney, McConnell never replied to his text.

None of the official investigations into the January 6 coup, including the multiple hearings held by the now defunct House January 6 Select Committee, made any mention of the fact that some 96 hours before the siege, leading members of the Senate, high-ranking Pentagon officials and police agents knew that Trump and his allies in the Pentagon would be blocking the dispatch of military reinforcements to defend Congress in the face of a fascist attack.

Instead, both Democrats and Republicans have claimed that so-called “intelligence failures” led to the Capitol being overrun. In its final report, the bipartisan Select Committee sought to exonerate the Pentagon for refusing to authorize the deployment of the D.C. National Guard by ludicrously claiming “miscommunication” issues prevented D.C. troops from arriving at the Capitol for 199 minutes. The House committee was led by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and then-Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican daughter of Dick Cheney, vice president under George W. Bush and leading war criminal in the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

The Democratic Party and the Biden administration have sought throughout to present the attack on the US Capitol as the work solely of Donald Trump and a narrow circle of co-conspirators—downplaying or concealing the complicity of the Republican Party, the Pentagon, the FBI and at least two Supreme Court justices (Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas). This systematic coverup is designed to protect the institutions of the capitalist state as US imperialism wages war against Russia, prepares for war with China and confronts a growing insurgency by the working class, which is being made to bear the costs of wars and bailouts of the corporate elite.

Romney’s revelations underscore the deadly seriousness of Trump’s failed coup, which the Republicans, the pseudo-left and right-wing libertarian journalists such as Glenn Greenwald have sought to downplay as simply a “riot” that got out of hand.

Trump’s coup nearly succeeded due to the deliberate stand-down of security forces and the refusal of the Democrats, desperate to protect the state apparatus from an aroused working class, to call for popular resistance.

In his interviews with Coppins, which serve as a parting shot before he exits public life, Romney admits that “A very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution.”

As the Republicans transform into a fascist party, the Democrats continue to do everything in their power to uphold its legitimacy. In an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe following Romney’s revelations, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who announced earlier this month she would be seeking re-election in 2024, characterized Romney’s pending retirement as “bad news.”

“He is such an example of courage in the United States Senate and the Congress,” Pelosi gushed. “The country needs a strong Republican Party. I say that all the time.”

* this, my friends, is the death knol for US imperialism, monetary hegemony in world markets, and inability to progress on solutions that should benefit all of mankind to eradicate poverty and lack of access to health care, education, and all other rights as humans that conservatism would eliminate. 

The Magic of WWE - the popular bad guy phenomenon

I think I'm beginning to understand now what 45's appeal to the Idiocracy. (And, quite frankly, it's making my head hurt and stomach ache).

It's not that they don't know he's - e'hem - a scoundrel. It's that they find him amusing. He does daily what they would like to do. It's not "will he be good for the country, rather will he amuse and excite me?" And in their enthusiasm they fail to understand how the chaos will adversely affect their own interests. 

Some people find him amusing, despite acknowledging his negative qualities. Rather than evaluating whether he would be good for the country, these individuals prioritize being entertained and excited by him. Truth and goodness holds no entertainment value. 

This phenomenon can be observed in various contexts, where individuals may be drawn to charismatic or entertaining figures, even if they possess questionable qualities or behaviors. This can be attributed to various factors, such as the desire for escapism, the entertainment value of controversial or outrageous actions, or a sense of rebellion against traditional norms.

However, it's important to note that the appeal of such individuals can be subjective, and different people may have varying opinions on what is entertaining or admirable. Additionally, it's crucial to consider the potential consequences of supporting someone primarily for their amusement value, as their actions and decisions can have significant impacts on society and the country as a whole.

The Master Race

We can put a man on the moon with a slide ruler. 

But we can't trust our roads, bridges and politicians. We can't keep a certifiable psycho from buying a weapon of war to gun down innocents nor prevent some random white nationalist from killing people for their religion, hair style, clothing, political affiliation or their skin color. 

And we still have no clue what hiccups are, where they come from, nor where they go.

Some master race, superior being kind of shit going on right there, now! 

A Party of Two

The two-party system in the United States is a powerful force that impacts the political landscape in many ways. It has been argued that this structure of two dominant parties inherently creates a “rigged” system that stacks the deck in favor of the two established parties. This system of two parties has been in place for many years and has been difficult to break. As a result, it has been extremely difficult for third parties to gain enough traction to gain ballot access, let alone achieve electoral success.

This system of two parties creates insurmountable hurdles for third parties to overcome to gain ballot access. In many states, third-party candidates are required to collect a significant number of signatures to qualify for the ballot. This process can be both costly and time-consuming and can be especially daunting for third parties that lack the resources of the two established parties. Furthermore, in some states, the requirements to gain ballot access are so strict that it is virtually impossible for third parties to qualify.

The two-party system also creates a situation where the two major parties are in a position to control the issues discussed and the public discourse. This control of the narrative can be detrimental to the American electorate, as it limits the range of options and ideas that are available to them and can lead to a false sense of only two choices for voters. Furthermore, the lack of competition within the two-party system can lead to issues of complacency and stagnation, as there is no incentive for the two major parties to make real changes or innovations.

One possible way of eliminating this party of two would be to fund election campaigns publicly - this would also help curb the epidemic of dark money and special interests currying favor in government while making it impossible for third parties to compete. However, the current two parties would never let this happen. It would be an existential threat to them. It would also be the first time the two parties worked together on anything in decades, possibly. (That statement may seem to catastrophize this possibility to some but it seems to have a ring of truth.)

Overall, the two-party system in the United States creates a “rigged” system that is difficult to break and has far-reaching consequences for the American electorate. The system limits the choices available to the public and can lead to a lack of innovation and progress. Third parties are almost completely excluded from the process and have virtually no chance of achieving success. The only way to truly give the American people more choices and to ensure that their voices are heard is to break the two-party system and open up the process to more voices and more competition.

The Evils of Capitalism

In today's world, capitalism is a major force in shaping our economic and social life. It is a system that promotes the free market, allowing individuals to make decisions based on their own economic interests. However, capitalism also has many negative effects, which can lead to economic and social inequality and exploitation.

The first major evil of capitalism is that it can lead to inequality. This is because capitalism allows those with more capital or wealth to gain an advantage over those with less. This creates a system in which the wealthy can become even wealthier, while the poor become even poorer. This type of inequality can lead to an economic and social divide, where those with wealth have more power and influence than those without. This can lead to social injustice, as those with less are unable to access the same resources and opportunities as those with more.

The second major evil of capitalism is that it can lead to exploitation. This is due to the fact that capitalism is based on the principle of competition, which means that businesses will try to maximize their profits by keeping wages low and cutting costs wherever possible. This can lead to the exploitation of workers, as businesses can force them to work for low wages and in dangerous and unhealthy conditions. This can also lead to environmental degradation, as businesses may prioritize profits over environmental protection.

The third major evil of capitalism is that it can lead to a lack of regulation and oversight. This is because capitalism is based on the idea of the free market, where individuals can make decisions based on their own economic interests. This means that businesses and individuals are not held to the same regulations that exist in other economic systems. This can lead to an environment where businesses can do whatever they want without any oversight or regulation, leading to potential abuses of power and exploitation.

Overall, capitalism has many evils that can lead to economic and social inequality and exploitation. It is important to be aware of these evils and to take steps to mitigate them, as they can have a negative impact on society as a whole.

Death and Dying

I don't let people get close to me though I crave company and conversation. There are two reasons that I've identified for this mindset in me. 

First, I don't think I could survive the loss of another close friend or loved one. That's a pretty straightforward concern.

Second, as my health deteriorates with age (and milage) and the care that I may need in the not too distant future I can't picture myself having another person to clean me up from the mess old age will likely bring. I forfeited a family of my own, in part, because I stayed home with first my grandfather and then my mother in order to keep them out of the horrific nursing homes. So, I know what would be required of others to care for anyone.

As I get closer to the inevitable and consider I find myself dreading what I worked so hard to save the two most important people in my life from I struggle to figure out how to avoid that for myself. None of my solutions are something to talk about in polite company. But sometimes I just long to say it out loud without judgement.

I went through a bout of severe depression around 20 years ago. I called the "help line" and they sent cops and ambulance and then required follow-up counseling. I never indicated to them that I wanted self harm nor harm of another. But they just sent the storm troopers anyway. It ended up being like on probation.

I shit you not!

So, I hope, dear reader, that you might understand the predicament I find myself in now.

I guess I'll just lay here until I figure it out.