An 82 year old man getting hit with a hammer is nothing to laugh about. Neither is the 4000 pound missile of a car that a drunk Pelosi launched on an unsuspecting motorist a few months ago. Which perp gets the more severe sentence? Unless the homeless hammerer gets less than 2 real days in jail and less than 3 years probation, Pelosi comes out the lesser aggressor. Is that appropriate?
Great Line!!!! “ rockets red-glaring all over Citizens Bank Park” — fits perfectly
Different subject and would like your thoughts in a TML sometime. Watched FCC vs Philly the other week. The flops, the faux-agony and the pleading with officials made the match unwatchable. MLS, and the sport need to fix this. Ruining the sport!.
I have been cynical about the bangles since the lost decade of the 1990s. The NFL is so socialistic that you actively have to work to lose games. It sure seemed the bangles and Mike Brown were actively pursuing that option. I was pleasantly surprised they went to the Super Bowl and had no hopes they would win. This season reminds me of the lost decade.
To quote a renowned writer from down in the hollers of Louisville, by the name of Hunter S. Thompson, “The main problem in any democracy is that crowd-pleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage and whup their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy—then go back to the office and sell every one of the poor bastards down the tube for a nickel apiece.”
That's our political state today in the United States, both sides, all sides, from the township level all the way to the federal level. When politics and public office became get-rich, benefit-laden "careers," instead of actual "public service," is when it all started going down the tubes. We are, unfortunately, seeing the zenith of that path in the current day.
Doc talks of cynicism today ... that's where my cynicism lies, not with The Men and their pummeling along the banks of the Cuyahoga.
When it comes to The Men, and The Club, and the others who have teased and broken the hearts of so many Cincy fans through the years, I tend to view such occurrences as Monday night as more high comedy anymore than with a cynical or jaded eye. "What might I see tonight that will be a new entry into the definition of bungling?"
I guess that still fits the definition of cynical, but I still try to make light of it and enjoy the gaffes as they occur. After all, laughter is the best medicine, right?
There is so much to unpack here. Let's stick with the 64% of Republicans who believe Trump won. I have voted center right all of my life. The core of both the GOP and the Dems have been decimated by the extremes. Liz Cheney is correct. The GOP, my former party, has chosen tribalism over country. Political power is top down. But for the first time in my life, I am witnessing the base dragging the Republicans around by the nose. The country club Republican has relocated to potluck suppers in rural Indiana. I like rural Indiana and potluck suppers; it’s the ruse of faux populism, infusing religion and politics, and bumper sticker culture wars that is cringe worthy and, maybe, dangerous. The best the Republicans could come with in a critical swing state is Herschel Walker. Meanwhile, all the Dems could find in an easy to win Wisconsin senate race is, dear lord, a Progressive. It’s a shit show, folks. Since one party is crazy and the other is stupid, I am committed to the idea of asking England when we can come back.
Liz Cheney said if Trump is nominated in 2024, she would run against him as an independent. I’d like to see that, if it does play out. I may not agree with her policies, but I respect her for her courage to potentially torch her political career by standing up for common decency and her convictions.
In conjunction with your fantasy of returning to England, my fantasy is thinking maybe we should have let the South succeed and split the US into 2 separate countries after all, thus skipping the Civil War. We'd have South US and North US. The vast majority of the worst, most bigoted, and most dishonest politicians of my lifetime have been from South US. Today we've got that electorate electing goofphballs like Tuberville, Greene, Lindsey Graham, H Walker, DeSantis the Drama Queen, Cruz, and so on and so forth, not to mention past flaming racists like George Wallace, Huey Long, etc as well as the KKK of the 20s and 30s. I'd rather they were a separate country, and had to fight among themselves over the resolution of their long history of bigotry. At least they would have to stay in their own lane and stop infecting the North US with their insane politics and politicians. And I would gladly support a wall separating the 2 countries. Today's South is loco.
That’s interesting. You think it would it have ever worked? Our ideological divides today seem more urban vs rural. I have to imagine some of that existed even then. Like surely some people who lived in a Union state aligned more closely with the policies of the Confederacy and vice versa. If so…how do you ever resolve that? Everyone has to move if they agree with the other side?
I sometimes wonder if a similar solution might be to allow individual states to choose their own stances on the most hotly debated topics. So if you’re pro choice…live in a pro choice state. If you’re pro life…try to live in a pro life state. And then just don’t worry about what happens 3 states over from you because it’s having ZERO impact on your personal life. The world is still a pretty big place…do we really NEED the entire country to come to consensus on some of this stuff? Probably not.
You had me at Southern goofballs but lost me when you failed to mention the Arkansas Arians…Bill and Hillary Clinton. Too harsh? Ask Arkansas blacks how their life was after Clinton was elected AG and then Governor. Does “Bring super predators to heel” remind you of anything? What about Haiti? Last I read on Politico, most of the receipts for 20 billion in aid are missing and none of the infrastructure was completed other than factories for US companies and internet/cell phone towers from a Swedish (?) company all in an area unaffected by the earthquake. Those companies then donated money to one of several Clinton charities. We are in agreement that all of those charities mostly benefit the Clinton’s, right? Those two are as guilty of atrocities against black people as any pre-Johnson Democrat/New Republican and beyond. Other than that, I enjoyed reading your words. :)
But…hey…keeping with today’s theme, maybe I’m just cynical.
Haiti, in securing an indentured independence from France in 1804 , incurred a buyout debt of $21 Billion (in today's money), which has ruined its ability to sustain economic health since. The US has pumped aid money in for many decades. Much of early US aid-1950s, 60s,70s- was stolen by crooked Haitian leaders. Despite that, the US continues to send aid to keep Haiti afloat. Huge tariffs in the 1990s and 2000s by private owners at Port au Prince docks pushed cargo ships to other Carribean ports, crushing the economy. To resolve this and create new economic growth, a huge industrial park combined with a huge new port and power plant were funded after the earthquake by USAid dollars, headed by Bill Clinton and located in Carocal, on the country's northern shore, closer to Miami. Clinton's role was as director and figurehead. Some of this goal has been realized, some of the money was consumed in red tape and 3rd world inefficiencies, some stolen or "lost" in Haiti. No one has accused the Clintons of any malfeasance here, and there is no paper trail of any sort to them, despite your suggestion. The park was a great idea that hasn't realized its full potential to date, but still may. Haiti is a huge mess both politically and technologically. That is not the fault of the US. As for Politico, it leans left, and some of their writers manipulate facts to fit agendas. I like Politico, usually, but I read with a jaundiced eye, knowing some writers there are strong progressives and bend truths. Arkansas was a southern state during the Civil War, but I hardly see the Clintons as pro slavery, anti-black types. They're just the opposite.
Red Tape and T. World Inefficiencies appear to be Clinton Charity employees because they appear so often in explanations of where the money goes.
Expired AIDS drugs diluted for Africa? Red Tape. Clean water for Africa? T. World Inefficiencies. I’m pretty sure Upin Smoke and Da’butler Didit might also be employees.
Wow, Pogo. That's maybe my favorite of all your many great posts over the years. That's a complicated and explosive topic. But I think it's one we'll be seeing more of if things don't get reeled in quick.
I don’t condone someone guarding a ballot box with a gun any more than I approve of someone showing up at a congressional baseball practice with the intent to kill everyone on the field.
If any of you think YOUR party is the better party then you are grossly uninformed. This situation we have found ourselves in is out of hand because political parties and their appointed-to-be-elected shills feed select millions of idiot masses with carefully curated bullshit. You might think otherwise but you’d be wrong because most people live in a blind man’s bubble where you choose not to see how your chosen party is f’ing up the country. It’s always the other guy that causes the problems in your world. Grow the f’ up, because you, Democrat/Republican person, have more in common with your politically opposite neighbor than you do with any of the power hungry egomaniacs you are force-fed to vote for.
Wholeheartedly agree with this as well. Maybe we don't need politics shoved down our throats day in and day out by every media source possible. It just never ends and it's driving a constantly growing wedge between us.
"They’re a bunch of GI Joe wannabes"...YUP, why do these 'pseudo warriors' seem to abound in the Midwest more than the Western States (I know this reference is about Texas). When there have been random shootings I often figured I'd prefer my family members be visiting (and safer in) Idaho, Wyoming, Montana etc where people frequently hunt (and carry weapons daily) ...sensing greater responsibility in their useful, practical use of guns, rather than those 'posturing in militias'.
Last Friday, while enjoying a robust cigar from Mr. Rose Colored Glasses at Jungle Jim's, I enticed a certain scribe who will remain unnamed (PDoc) to bet me $10 on the Series. He said no way Houston loses, whereas I, having noticed that the Phillies big hitters (Harper, Casty, Schwarber) had recently caught fire and were glowing red hot at just the right time, saw a quick way to make a sawbuck. Now if Altuve finally remembers how to hit and the "Stros rise from the Dead Gratefully ( I see what I did there), I'll won't mind, cuz I'll be happy for Dusty. As for now, though, he remains badly cursed in big games. Meanwhile, I think I'll order that $10 in quarters and practice my gloating. The extra weight will make it seem like a lot more money.
Cynicism is the result of having to live with problems not of your own doing that you have little to no power to fix. It's borne out of frustration, and can poison the bearer if left unchecked. It's a reasonable coping mechanism as long as it is tempered with at least some effort to try to drive out the problem. Cynicism grips us local Cincy sports fans, because we have some very bad situations; owners with huge egos and poor management skills, players constantly coming and going, lots of really bad seasons. The boycott of the Reds last year certainly got ownership's attention, and I urge everyone to continue boycotting this year. Sooner or later, Bob and The Big Mouthed Guy will get tired of it all and sell. When the stadium is empty, the Castellini's can't lie any more about what the problem is. They've had their run. It's been awful for the most part. They need to go. Let's help them realize it.
Ahh, nothing like more jibberish from The Morning Liberal. Seems they want to monitor ballot drop boxes in Arizona simply to keep from ballot harvesting. Nobody is going to get shot. Nobody is going to have their ballot denied or altered. Most Americans just want a fair election process, one legal voter, one legal vote. Is that too much to ask?
Of course security cameras on each and every drop box could help prevent some of this type of voter fraud, but....., we all know that somehow, someway, some of the locales will have cameras with mechanical issues or that were mysteriously turned off all together. Kind of like the ones at the Pelosi's crib a week ago. Seriously, who is Night Cap Nancy's home security with? Some door to door Vivint guys?
You can't seriously be in support of people showing up at ballot drop boxes with weapons and body armor? That's your vision for America?
Get your head out of the sand. Nobody is dumping boxes of ballots out, nobody is changing votes digitally, etc. Ballot "harvesting" is actually legal in some states. Even in Arizona as long as it's done by a family member, household member, or caregiver. You've been duped by a conman and his sycophants. Not one court that reviewed evidence found grounds to act upon the claims that have been made. I believe around 60 cases were heard. Some by republican judges. All ended the same way...no real evidence of widespread fraud was found.
Never said that, just that monitoring drop boxes would help deter ballot harvesting. Family member or caregiver okay, some random person coming with boxes full stuffing dozens in needs to be questioned, and there is video footage of that out there from 2020. Even a documentary don on it.
People still read the paper, who knew? I don't and haven't for years, got tired of them trying to force a narrative rather than just give the news, especially when it comes to politics. So, when Teleprompter Joe got more votes than any President in history, while winning fewer counties than Obama won 8 years earlier, I'm going to question the results.
Sure the 2000 Mules has some holes in it but there is too much of what they did show that should give pause to everyone that votes, not just the election result deniers.
Thanks for replying and honesty. Now that you dug a hole and, apparently, like to keep digging, let me ask another one. Where do you get the information that leads to the conclusions you have.
I’m still cynical, but not as cynical as I used to be! I guess that is because we are not the laughing stock of the NFL as we once were. The Reds on the hand …
Very enjoyable column today. I try not to get worked up over sports anymore. Is that wisdom at the ripe old age of 60? Winning a championship is like having an orgasm. It feels great, for a very short time. Before long, you're no longer satisfied and looking for the next one. If the Bengals had won the SB, we'd all be on a 24 hour high, but would soon crash down to earth. Do you think anyone in LA is still excited about the Rams'win last year? Is anyone in Pittsburgh still excited about their previous success? The Bengals were improbably AFC champs last year, but now fans are already annoyed. So why sweat it? Next year nobody will care about this year. We had fun last year. Try to remember that feeling and be grateful.
STS: I couldn't agree more. The only way we get past this nonsense is to not elect conspiracy theory trolls. Political parties only care about winning. If this strategy fails, they will move away from it. Maybe we can get back to some semblance of reasonableness. If not, God help us. If you live in Ohio, I urge you to vote for Tim Ryan.
It was OK for nearly every D to question Trump's election in 2016 and for many D's to call W's 2000win illegitimate for four/eight years, but when one questions an election with ballot harvesting, ballots mailed to all voters in some states, election boards accepting improperly completed ballots, and drop boxes those people are conspiracists? The double standards are infuriating.
I don't want to get into a heavy argument over this because I don't believe in flaming divisiveness, and everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. Having said that, no other losing candidate continued to spout denial claims at rallies, social media, TV, radio, and print nearly TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION! It's possible there were some irregularities during the election. That happens EVERY election. Common sense says that since our elections are very decentralized, pulling off massive fraud across multiple states is very unlikely. Even if one state could have pulled it off, Trump still lost. Noticeably, he never questioned the integrity of states he won. Imagine that! Or, how about all the Republican down-ballot winners in states Trump lost? Hmm, maybe they really didn't win. Maybe we should be checking into that as well. Simply questioning the process is fine, but when nearly 60 independent courts rule that there was no fraud (many Trump appointees), along with Trump's own Secretary of Homeland Defense and Attorney General in agreement, and people still want to believe the election was stolen; well, at that point those folks are conspiracy theorists who have lost touch with reality.
Certain people, often described as crackpots, have contested every election decided by a small margin from the beginning of time. But in America, I defy you to give me evidence that either of our Parties has gone to the lengths that the current GOP has to promote such spurious claims. Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Al Gore all conceded their defeats. Neither Trump, nor any of his politically terrified toadies can make that claim.
There may have been SOME looney leftists that made that claim, but not ANYWHERE near the level we're seeing right now from the republican party. In fact...the only accusation I recall was that there was some Russian interference on social media and whatnot. That's vastly different than trying to disparage the entire electoral system that is the backbone of our democracy. You strike me as an intelligent person...clearly you can agree that there's a huge difference here, right?
Brian, maybe I finally found something I agree with you on. If you want to call HRC, Jesse Jackson, Karine Jean-Piere, Jen Psaki, and Tom Friedman among many others "looney leftists," I am down with you. Here is a 10 minute video of those and many others denying Trump's legitimacy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoMfIkz7v6s
BTW, I did watch the video, and again do NOT condone the violence in Portland. Of course, we all know Portland is weird and VERY lefty. They are not representative of everyone who calls themselves Democrat. I also don't believe that asking electors to disregard the will of the people is acceptable, regardless of party. But here's the thing, if you believe the Left acted irresponsibly in 2016, how do you justify your party doing the same today? Behavior is either right or wrong. Whataboutism is killing us. We are using it to rationalize all sorts of bad behavior. We believe in winning at all costs. We see it everywhere in society. We see if with ballplayers who know they dropped the ball but if they can get away with it being called a catch, they will gladly cheat. We see it with people committing insurance fraud, thinking it's no big deal. We see it with people illegally streaming pirated content. Yet, those same people would be the first to point out looters taking hard goods from a Target. We have a serious ethical void in this country. Our "win at all cost" mentality may eventually turn all of us one day into losers.
I agree with Stephen's comment regarding a candidate making those claims after the election is over. Hillary was wrong for that. I'll admit I didn't know she went on a talk show tour saying things like that. But then...I don't care for Hillary so never made a point to listen to her interviews.
There's one key difference, though. She did concede. That talk ended at some point. Compare that to Trump who still claims falsely that he won the last election. He and many in the Republican party are doing everything they can delegitimize our election systems and I have a really hard time understanding how so many people are ok with that. It's doing real harm to our nation.
So based on your thinking, if you strongly believe that Trump's 2020 election was stolen, then I guess he never should have been president in 2016. I for one don't condone any candidate continuing to make such claims well after the election, certainly not once the period for using court procedures is up and the votes are certified. I really can't remember any Congressional Democrats using a HRC stolen election as they basis of their campaign for office in the way that Republicans are doing now.
As for looney, MTG, Boebert, Bannon, Gaetz, Gosar, Walker to name just a few. Neither side can claim the high road here. Let's be real.
I have not said what I believe, but I do believe Trump won 2016 and the Russian Collusion stuff was non-sense. I am providing a point of view and calling out D hypocrisy on the issue of questioning elections.
BTW, your boy Tim Ryan was on TV yesterday continuing to spread the false story that a police officer died during J6. Facts matter to Ds until they don't. The officer died of an unrelated stroke the next day.
If Ryan misspoke (or lied) then he should be held accountable. Unfortunately, our system allows candidates to spread all kinds of lies during campaigns. They are either all out lies or half truths. In his defense, at least Ryan ran some ads that were totally positive, saying nothing bad about Vance. Can Vance say the same?
I agree, facts matter.
For the record, I'm an I. I have no allegiance to either party; in fact, I'm not a fan of either. I own guns, but couldn't care less about what one does in the privacy of their own home. Live and let live, be it straight, gay, trans, whatever. What do I care and why does anyone else?
Oh, come on. Lawsuits were dismissed due to lack of standing by the parties filing the lawsuits. That means nothing on the legitimacy of the underlying complaint.
Meanwhile, we all complain about government and the way it functions. But now we are supposed to believe that all 50 states and their respective election boards performed flawlessly and should not be questioned? Neither you nor I have any way of proving how well they performed or did not perform.
Dude, that's an unreasonable assertion. It's like me saying, prove to your wife that you never had an affair. Good luck with that.
The burden of proof lies with the person making the assertion. There is no evidence that the 2020 election was run any worse or better than others. Besides, they don't have to be run flawlessly. It's not like the margin of error was 3 votes anywhere, and errors will likely balance themselves out. You will never have perfection. If that's your standard, you may as well look for another place to live. It ain't happening.
Actually it is a reasonable statement to make in light of all the certitude proffered by the Left that this was the "most secure election in history." It is unproveable and likely false for the reasons in my original response to you.
Again, good luck proving that. I will never convince you, but again, prove to me you have never had an affair. Trump's own DHS and AG stated that, not me! If you have no faith in 60 court decisions, then I suppose if there are enough of you out there, we are soon doomed. Because like having faith in that the dollar bills in your wallet will be accepted for goods and services, if we have no faith in our institutions, then we cease to exist as a nation. Nothing will matter. We will become an anarchy. Think Somalia and Afghanistan, and other failed states. That will be our future. Ruled by warlords.
We need ranked choice voting and open primaries. These two things alone will help diminish the hold the extreme few have on our two major political parties. The majority are not being properly represented with our current electoral processes.
Let me get this straight: The sheriff of Maricopa County is telling these "guardians" (or whatever these nitwits call themselves) to stay 250 feet from ballot boxes while allowing them to carry weapons with a range 25 times that distance? I guess I picked a bad week to give up cynicism.
How many times did they count the ballots in AZ? Found nothing and still these fools are going to try to show up armed to intimidate people.
It's hard to be anything but cynical about the direction of this country. Our government is dysfunctional. Our elected officials poison the electorate with lies and hate. And half the country believes a conman who runs around claiming he won an election that has been verified over and over again. Where's our way out of this mess? I'm real short on hope right now.
I'd like to think that the fact that many millions of us agree with you means something. But with the way things are going, and the fact that one of our two political parties pretty much ostracizes any of its members who express discomfort with the tactics of the hardliners, the truth is that I feel more despair than cynicism.
An 82 year old man getting hit with a hammer is nothing to laugh about. Neither is the 4000 pound missile of a car that a drunk Pelosi launched on an unsuspecting motorist a few months ago. Which perp gets the more severe sentence? Unless the homeless hammerer gets less than 2 real days in jail and less than 3 years probation, Pelosi comes out the lesser aggressor. Is that appropriate?
Great Line!!!! “ rockets red-glaring all over Citizens Bank Park” — fits perfectly
Different subject and would like your thoughts in a TML sometime. Watched FCC vs Philly the other week. The flops, the faux-agony and the pleading with officials made the match unwatchable. MLS, and the sport need to fix this. Ruining the sport!.
I saw the same behavior in the Bengals/Browns game. Shocking!
How likely are the Astros to win since you picked them? Hopefully for Dusty's sake they will.
Not very.
I have been cynical about the bangles since the lost decade of the 1990s. The NFL is so socialistic that you actively have to work to lose games. It sure seemed the bangles and Mike Brown were actively pursuing that option. I was pleasantly surprised they went to the Super Bowl and had no hopes they would win. This season reminds me of the lost decade.
To quote a renowned writer from down in the hollers of Louisville, by the name of Hunter S. Thompson, “The main problem in any democracy is that crowd-pleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage and whup their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy—then go back to the office and sell every one of the poor bastards down the tube for a nickel apiece.”
That's our political state today in the United States, both sides, all sides, from the township level all the way to the federal level. When politics and public office became get-rich, benefit-laden "careers," instead of actual "public service," is when it all started going down the tubes. We are, unfortunately, seeing the zenith of that path in the current day.
Doc talks of cynicism today ... that's where my cynicism lies, not with The Men and their pummeling along the banks of the Cuyahoga.
When it comes to The Men, and The Club, and the others who have teased and broken the hearts of so many Cincy fans through the years, I tend to view such occurrences as Monday night as more high comedy anymore than with a cynical or jaded eye. "What might I see tonight that will be a new entry into the definition of bungling?"
I guess that still fits the definition of cynical, but I still try to make light of it and enjoy the gaffes as they occur. After all, laughter is the best medicine, right?
I call them Bengal Moments. BMs.
That is absolutely hilarious. Love the double-entendre.
There is so much to unpack here. Let's stick with the 64% of Republicans who believe Trump won. I have voted center right all of my life. The core of both the GOP and the Dems have been decimated by the extremes. Liz Cheney is correct. The GOP, my former party, has chosen tribalism over country. Political power is top down. But for the first time in my life, I am witnessing the base dragging the Republicans around by the nose. The country club Republican has relocated to potluck suppers in rural Indiana. I like rural Indiana and potluck suppers; it’s the ruse of faux populism, infusing religion and politics, and bumper sticker culture wars that is cringe worthy and, maybe, dangerous. The best the Republicans could come with in a critical swing state is Herschel Walker. Meanwhile, all the Dems could find in an easy to win Wisconsin senate race is, dear lord, a Progressive. It’s a shit show, folks. Since one party is crazy and the other is stupid, I am committed to the idea of asking England when we can come back.
Liz Cheney said if Trump is nominated in 2024, she would run against him as an independent. I’d like to see that, if it does play out. I may not agree with her policies, but I respect her for her courage to potentially torch her political career by standing up for common decency and her convictions.
In conjunction with your fantasy of returning to England, my fantasy is thinking maybe we should have let the South succeed and split the US into 2 separate countries after all, thus skipping the Civil War. We'd have South US and North US. The vast majority of the worst, most bigoted, and most dishonest politicians of my lifetime have been from South US. Today we've got that electorate electing goofphballs like Tuberville, Greene, Lindsey Graham, H Walker, DeSantis the Drama Queen, Cruz, and so on and so forth, not to mention past flaming racists like George Wallace, Huey Long, etc as well as the KKK of the 20s and 30s. I'd rather they were a separate country, and had to fight among themselves over the resolution of their long history of bigotry. At least they would have to stay in their own lane and stop infecting the North US with their insane politics and politicians. And I would gladly support a wall separating the 2 countries. Today's South is loco.
That’s interesting. You think it would it have ever worked? Our ideological divides today seem more urban vs rural. I have to imagine some of that existed even then. Like surely some people who lived in a Union state aligned more closely with the policies of the Confederacy and vice versa. If so…how do you ever resolve that? Everyone has to move if they agree with the other side?
I sometimes wonder if a similar solution might be to allow individual states to choose their own stances on the most hotly debated topics. So if you’re pro choice…live in a pro choice state. If you’re pro life…try to live in a pro life state. And then just don’t worry about what happens 3 states over from you because it’s having ZERO impact on your personal life. The world is still a pretty big place…do we really NEED the entire country to come to consensus on some of this stuff? Probably not.
You had me at Southern goofballs but lost me when you failed to mention the Arkansas Arians…Bill and Hillary Clinton. Too harsh? Ask Arkansas blacks how their life was after Clinton was elected AG and then Governor. Does “Bring super predators to heel” remind you of anything? What about Haiti? Last I read on Politico, most of the receipts for 20 billion in aid are missing and none of the infrastructure was completed other than factories for US companies and internet/cell phone towers from a Swedish (?) company all in an area unaffected by the earthquake. Those companies then donated money to one of several Clinton charities. We are in agreement that all of those charities mostly benefit the Clinton’s, right? Those two are as guilty of atrocities against black people as any pre-Johnson Democrat/New Republican and beyond. Other than that, I enjoyed reading your words. :)
But…hey…keeping with today’s theme, maybe I’m just cynical.
Haiti, in securing an indentured independence from France in 1804 , incurred a buyout debt of $21 Billion (in today's money), which has ruined its ability to sustain economic health since. The US has pumped aid money in for many decades. Much of early US aid-1950s, 60s,70s- was stolen by crooked Haitian leaders. Despite that, the US continues to send aid to keep Haiti afloat. Huge tariffs in the 1990s and 2000s by private owners at Port au Prince docks pushed cargo ships to other Carribean ports, crushing the economy. To resolve this and create new economic growth, a huge industrial park combined with a huge new port and power plant were funded after the earthquake by USAid dollars, headed by Bill Clinton and located in Carocal, on the country's northern shore, closer to Miami. Clinton's role was as director and figurehead. Some of this goal has been realized, some of the money was consumed in red tape and 3rd world inefficiencies, some stolen or "lost" in Haiti. No one has accused the Clintons of any malfeasance here, and there is no paper trail of any sort to them, despite your suggestion. The park was a great idea that hasn't realized its full potential to date, but still may. Haiti is a huge mess both politically and technologically. That is not the fault of the US. As for Politico, it leans left, and some of their writers manipulate facts to fit agendas. I like Politico, usually, but I read with a jaundiced eye, knowing some writers there are strong progressives and bend truths. Arkansas was a southern state during the Civil War, but I hardly see the Clintons as pro slavery, anti-black types. They're just the opposite.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/11/haiti-and-the-failed-promise-of-us-aid
Red Tape and T. World Inefficiencies appear to be Clinton Charity employees because they appear so often in explanations of where the money goes.
Expired AIDS drugs diluted for Africa? Red Tape. Clean water for Africa? T. World Inefficiencies. I’m pretty sure Upin Smoke and Da’butler Didit might also be employees.
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37826098
Wow, Pogo. That's maybe my favorite of all your many great posts over the years. That's a complicated and explosive topic. But I think it's one we'll be seeing more of if things don't get reeled in quick.
Thanks for making sense. Much appreciated
I really miss Republicans like you. Arguing was so much more fun when both sides were watching the same game.
I don’t condone someone guarding a ballot box with a gun any more than I approve of someone showing up at a congressional baseball practice with the intent to kill everyone on the field.
If any of you think YOUR party is the better party then you are grossly uninformed. This situation we have found ourselves in is out of hand because political parties and their appointed-to-be-elected shills feed select millions of idiot masses with carefully curated bullshit. You might think otherwise but you’d be wrong because most people live in a blind man’s bubble where you choose not to see how your chosen party is f’ing up the country. It’s always the other guy that causes the problems in your world. Grow the f’ up, because you, Democrat/Republican person, have more in common with your politically opposite neighbor than you do with any of the power hungry egomaniacs you are force-fed to vote for.
Wholeheartedly agree with this as well. Maybe we don't need politics shoved down our throats day in and day out by every media source possible. It just never ends and it's driving a constantly growing wedge between us.
"They’re a bunch of GI Joe wannabes"...YUP, why do these 'pseudo warriors' seem to abound in the Midwest more than the Western States (I know this reference is about Texas). When there have been random shootings I often figured I'd prefer my family members be visiting (and safer in) Idaho, Wyoming, Montana etc where people frequently hunt (and carry weapons daily) ...sensing greater responsibility in their useful, practical use of guns, rather than those 'posturing in militias'.
Last Friday, while enjoying a robust cigar from Mr. Rose Colored Glasses at Jungle Jim's, I enticed a certain scribe who will remain unnamed (PDoc) to bet me $10 on the Series. He said no way Houston loses, whereas I, having noticed that the Phillies big hitters (Harper, Casty, Schwarber) had recently caught fire and were glowing red hot at just the right time, saw a quick way to make a sawbuck. Now if Altuve finally remembers how to hit and the "Stros rise from the Dead Gratefully ( I see what I did there), I'll won't mind, cuz I'll be happy for Dusty. As for now, though, he remains badly cursed in big games. Meanwhile, I think I'll order that $10 in quarters and practice my gloating. The extra weight will make it seem like a lot more money.
Cynicism is the result of having to live with problems not of your own doing that you have little to no power to fix. It's borne out of frustration, and can poison the bearer if left unchecked. It's a reasonable coping mechanism as long as it is tempered with at least some effort to try to drive out the problem. Cynicism grips us local Cincy sports fans, because we have some very bad situations; owners with huge egos and poor management skills, players constantly coming and going, lots of really bad seasons. The boycott of the Reds last year certainly got ownership's attention, and I urge everyone to continue boycotting this year. Sooner or later, Bob and The Big Mouthed Guy will get tired of it all and sell. When the stadium is empty, the Castellini's can't lie any more about what the problem is. They've had their run. It's been awful for the most part. They need to go. Let's help them realize it.
Ahh, nothing like more jibberish from The Morning Liberal. Seems they want to monitor ballot drop boxes in Arizona simply to keep from ballot harvesting. Nobody is going to get shot. Nobody is going to have their ballot denied or altered. Most Americans just want a fair election process, one legal voter, one legal vote. Is that too much to ask?
Of course security cameras on each and every drop box could help prevent some of this type of voter fraud, but....., we all know that somehow, someway, some of the locales will have cameras with mechanical issues or that were mysteriously turned off all together. Kind of like the ones at the Pelosi's crib a week ago. Seriously, who is Night Cap Nancy's home security with? Some door to door Vivint guys?
"Nobody is going to get shot."
Then why the guns? What's the purpose?
Bingo
Sorry not dignifying that w a response
Did I speak too soon?
You can't seriously be in support of people showing up at ballot drop boxes with weapons and body armor? That's your vision for America?
Get your head out of the sand. Nobody is dumping boxes of ballots out, nobody is changing votes digitally, etc. Ballot "harvesting" is actually legal in some states. Even in Arizona as long as it's done by a family member, household member, or caregiver. You've been duped by a conman and his sycophants. Not one court that reviewed evidence found grounds to act upon the claims that have been made. I believe around 60 cases were heard. Some by republican judges. All ended the same way...no real evidence of widespread fraud was found.
Never said that, just that monitoring drop boxes would help deter ballot harvesting. Family member or caregiver okay, some random person coming with boxes full stuffing dozens in needs to be questioned, and there is video footage of that out there from 2020. Even a documentary don on it.
Curious. What newspapers do you read? You watched the "2000 Mules" video, didn't you?
People still read the paper, who knew? I don't and haven't for years, got tired of them trying to force a narrative rather than just give the news, especially when it comes to politics. So, when Teleprompter Joe got more votes than any President in history, while winning fewer counties than Obama won 8 years earlier, I'm going to question the results.
Sure the 2000 Mules has some holes in it but there is too much of what they did show that should give pause to everyone that votes, not just the election result deniers.
Thanks for replying and honesty. Now that you dug a hole and, apparently, like to keep digging, let me ask another one. Where do you get the information that leads to the conclusions you have.
I’m still cynical, but not as cynical as I used to be! I guess that is because we are not the laughing stock of the NFL as we once were. The Reds on the hand …
Very enjoyable column today. I try not to get worked up over sports anymore. Is that wisdom at the ripe old age of 60? Winning a championship is like having an orgasm. It feels great, for a very short time. Before long, you're no longer satisfied and looking for the next one. If the Bengals had won the SB, we'd all be on a 24 hour high, but would soon crash down to earth. Do you think anyone in LA is still excited about the Rams'win last year? Is anyone in Pittsburgh still excited about their previous success? The Bengals were improbably AFC champs last year, but now fans are already annoyed. So why sweat it? Next year nobody will care about this year. We had fun last year. Try to remember that feeling and be grateful.
STS: I couldn't agree more. The only way we get past this nonsense is to not elect conspiracy theory trolls. Political parties only care about winning. If this strategy fails, they will move away from it. Maybe we can get back to some semblance of reasonableness. If not, God help us. If you live in Ohio, I urge you to vote for Tim Ryan.
It was OK for nearly every D to question Trump's election in 2016 and for many D's to call W's 2000win illegitimate for four/eight years, but when one questions an election with ballot harvesting, ballots mailed to all voters in some states, election boards accepting improperly completed ballots, and drop boxes those people are conspiracists? The double standards are infuriating.
I don't want to get into a heavy argument over this because I don't believe in flaming divisiveness, and everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. Having said that, no other losing candidate continued to spout denial claims at rallies, social media, TV, radio, and print nearly TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION! It's possible there were some irregularities during the election. That happens EVERY election. Common sense says that since our elections are very decentralized, pulling off massive fraud across multiple states is very unlikely. Even if one state could have pulled it off, Trump still lost. Noticeably, he never questioned the integrity of states he won. Imagine that! Or, how about all the Republican down-ballot winners in states Trump lost? Hmm, maybe they really didn't win. Maybe we should be checking into that as well. Simply questioning the process is fine, but when nearly 60 independent courts rule that there was no fraud (many Trump appointees), along with Trump's own Secretary of Homeland Defense and Attorney General in agreement, and people still want to believe the election was stolen; well, at that point those folks are conspiracy theorists who have lost touch with reality.
Certain people, often described as crackpots, have contested every election decided by a small margin from the beginning of time. But in America, I defy you to give me evidence that either of our Parties has gone to the lengths that the current GOP has to promote such spurious claims. Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Al Gore all conceded their defeats. Neither Trump, nor any of his politically terrified toadies can make that claim.
And in fairness to the GOP, let me add Richard Nixon and Thomas Dewey to that list.
There may have been SOME looney leftists that made that claim, but not ANYWHERE near the level we're seeing right now from the republican party. In fact...the only accusation I recall was that there was some Russian interference on social media and whatnot. That's vastly different than trying to disparage the entire electoral system that is the backbone of our democracy. You strike me as an intelligent person...clearly you can agree that there's a huge difference here, right?
Brian, maybe I finally found something I agree with you on. If you want to call HRC, Jesse Jackson, Karine Jean-Piere, Jen Psaki, and Tom Friedman among many others "looney leftists," I am down with you. Here is a 10 minute video of those and many others denying Trump's legitimacy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoMfIkz7v6s
BTW, I did watch the video, and again do NOT condone the violence in Portland. Of course, we all know Portland is weird and VERY lefty. They are not representative of everyone who calls themselves Democrat. I also don't believe that asking electors to disregard the will of the people is acceptable, regardless of party. But here's the thing, if you believe the Left acted irresponsibly in 2016, how do you justify your party doing the same today? Behavior is either right or wrong. Whataboutism is killing us. We are using it to rationalize all sorts of bad behavior. We believe in winning at all costs. We see it everywhere in society. We see if with ballplayers who know they dropped the ball but if they can get away with it being called a catch, they will gladly cheat. We see it with people committing insurance fraud, thinking it's no big deal. We see it with people illegally streaming pirated content. Yet, those same people would be the first to point out looters taking hard goods from a Target. We have a serious ethical void in this country. Our "win at all cost" mentality may eventually turn all of us one day into losers.
I agree with Stephen's comment regarding a candidate making those claims after the election is over. Hillary was wrong for that. I'll admit I didn't know she went on a talk show tour saying things like that. But then...I don't care for Hillary so never made a point to listen to her interviews.
There's one key difference, though. She did concede. That talk ended at some point. Compare that to Trump who still claims falsely that he won the last election. He and many in the Republican party are doing everything they can delegitimize our election systems and I have a really hard time understanding how so many people are ok with that. It's doing real harm to our nation.
So based on your thinking, if you strongly believe that Trump's 2020 election was stolen, then I guess he never should have been president in 2016. I for one don't condone any candidate continuing to make such claims well after the election, certainly not once the period for using court procedures is up and the votes are certified. I really can't remember any Congressional Democrats using a HRC stolen election as they basis of their campaign for office in the way that Republicans are doing now.
As for looney, MTG, Boebert, Bannon, Gaetz, Gosar, Walker to name just a few. Neither side can claim the high road here. Let's be real.
I have not said what I believe, but I do believe Trump won 2016 and the Russian Collusion stuff was non-sense. I am providing a point of view and calling out D hypocrisy on the issue of questioning elections.
BTW, your boy Tim Ryan was on TV yesterday continuing to spread the false story that a police officer died during J6. Facts matter to Ds until they don't. The officer died of an unrelated stroke the next day.
If Ryan misspoke (or lied) then he should be held accountable. Unfortunately, our system allows candidates to spread all kinds of lies during campaigns. They are either all out lies or half truths. In his defense, at least Ryan ran some ads that were totally positive, saying nothing bad about Vance. Can Vance say the same?
I agree, facts matter.
For the record, I'm an I. I have no allegiance to either party; in fact, I'm not a fan of either. I own guns, but couldn't care less about what one does in the privacy of their own home. Live and let live, be it straight, gay, trans, whatever. What do I care and why does anyone else?
Tell it to the more than 60 judges who dismissed trumps lawsuits. I guess they were all wrong too
Oh, come on. Lawsuits were dismissed due to lack of standing by the parties filing the lawsuits. That means nothing on the legitimacy of the underlying complaint.
Meanwhile, we all complain about government and the way it functions. But now we are supposed to believe that all 50 states and their respective election boards performed flawlessly and should not be questioned? Neither you nor I have any way of proving how well they performed or did not perform.
Dude, that's an unreasonable assertion. It's like me saying, prove to your wife that you never had an affair. Good luck with that.
The burden of proof lies with the person making the assertion. There is no evidence that the 2020 election was run any worse or better than others. Besides, they don't have to be run flawlessly. It's not like the margin of error was 3 votes anywhere, and errors will likely balance themselves out. You will never have perfection. If that's your standard, you may as well look for another place to live. It ain't happening.
Actually it is a reasonable statement to make in light of all the certitude proffered by the Left that this was the "most secure election in history." It is unproveable and likely false for the reasons in my original response to you.
Again, good luck proving that. I will never convince you, but again, prove to me you have never had an affair. Trump's own DHS and AG stated that, not me! If you have no faith in 60 court decisions, then I suppose if there are enough of you out there, we are soon doomed. Because like having faith in that the dollar bills in your wallet will be accepted for goods and services, if we have no faith in our institutions, then we cease to exist as a nation. Nothing will matter. We will become an anarchy. Think Somalia and Afghanistan, and other failed states. That will be our future. Ruled by warlords.
We need ranked choice voting and open primaries. These two things alone will help diminish the hold the extreme few have on our two major political parties. The majority are not being properly represented with our current electoral processes.
Let me get this straight: The sheriff of Maricopa County is telling these "guardians" (or whatever these nitwits call themselves) to stay 250 feet from ballot boxes while allowing them to carry weapons with a range 25 times that distance? I guess I picked a bad week to give up cynicism.
How many times did they count the ballots in AZ? Found nothing and still these fools are going to try to show up armed to intimidate people.
It's hard to be anything but cynical about the direction of this country. Our government is dysfunctional. Our elected officials poison the electorate with lies and hate. And half the country believes a conman who runs around claiming he won an election that has been verified over and over again. Where's our way out of this mess? I'm real short on hope right now.
I'd like to think that the fact that many millions of us agree with you means something. But with the way things are going, and the fact that one of our two political parties pretty much ostracizes any of its members who express discomfort with the tactics of the hardliners, the truth is that I feel more despair than cynicism.
Great read and song. Interesting that McCullers was tipping his pitches?
That was the thinking after Harper talked to Bohm. McCullers said nah
A couple of the visuals from his delivery do look different…interesting though..