Rainer Shea Is What's Wrong With The Left

Shea is the sort of puritanical Marxist I've been dealing with since long before he was born, the type whose only "accomplishment" is keeping the Left divided and powerless through incessant gatekeeping.  Many of those people were actually corporate shills sent to do just that, and given a couple of Shea's current positions, I have to wonder where all he's getting his cornpone.

First, he seems to think opposing Russia and China is just imperialism.  Please.  I knew more about both when he was still swimming around in his daddy's nutsack than he'll ever know, and I've kept up, so I'm not putting up with this bullshit.  Russia is a religio-fascist state Hells-bent on recovering Eastern Europe.  China is a pseudo-socialist hellscape that destroys its environment and ruthlessly exploits its workers so it can present the proper face to naive, Western damnfools.  Is there imperialism involved?  Of course.  Does that mean they shouldn't be opposed?  Give me a fucking break.

Second, he's suddenly cutting a lot of slack to a lot of right wingers who in no way support the Left.  He thinks libertarians opposing corporate government somehow makes them allies.  That is a bullshit tsunami.  They don't oppose corporate government; they oppose functioning government.  With very few exceptions, they're Ayn Rand Fascists with fully digested copies of Atlas Shrugged inhabiting their guts like tapeworms and visions of being John Galt dancing in their heads.  He also thinks the populist shift to isolationism is somehow anti-imperialist.  No, just no.  Isolationism and imperialism are facially strange bedfellows that have historically gotten on quite well together.  The populists are just using Israel's genocide of the Palestinians (And yes, we need to stop supporting Israel and start helping the Palestinians in ways that matter.  And no, opposing Israel is not anti-Semitic.  Israel is not Judaism.  Israel is not the prophesied Jewish state.  Unless the Messiah came back recently and took over, and I just missed the memo.) as a cover for their inherent anti-Semitism and America First policies, neither of which are or should be a part of Leftist policy.

The Left has long been plagued with the shallow and callow, people too immature to understand success is built from coalitions, coalitions of people who disagree on many things, who may not even like each other, but who are willing to tolerate each other to accomplish something.  Shea may one day grow up enough to understand this.  I'm not holding my breath.

"Successful" Millennials

Just posted over on Tumblr about yet another article about a Millennial "making it on their own" when Mummy and Daddy are quite obviously propping them up.  It's ridiculously easy to demolish these propaganda puff pieces, and it's exasperating that no one bothers.

Today’s Episode of…

…Sorry Millennials, But There Are a Butt-Ton of us Boomers Who Know EXACTLY What You’re up Against.  I receive newsletters from a website called “Bon Appetit”.  It’s pretty chi-chi, but it has some fun recipes, and it’s free, so there it is.  “Bon Appetit” has a series called “The Receipt”, articles about what subscribers eat and how much it costs.  Today the newsletter contained an article titled “How a 24-year-old Waitress Eats on $18K/Yr”.  I thought, “Oh, this is going to be good.”  And by “good” I meant “ungood”.  It did not disappoint. Or it completely disappointed, depending on POV.  I’m not providing a link because: 1) the person who wrote this did so anonymously, so screw them; and 2) drivel like this does not deserve more of a platform than it already has.

The lady in question lives in Durham, North Carolina, and just received her masters in linguistics (Although she says she’s still working on her thesis.  There was a time when getting a masters before even finishing your thesis, let alone defending it, was a laughable proposition.  Further evidence of the crapification of US education, even at a place like Duke.). She is looking for a job in her field, and is supporting herself by waitressing and teaching pottery.

Then she lists her expenses, and the red flags become unmissable.  Her rent is $800.  In a college town.  How many people live in that apartment with her?  Or does she live with her parents, and this is the token rent they charge?  $76 for car insurance.  Which means she doesn’t have collision insurance, which means she doesn’t have a lender’s lien on her title, which means she paid cash for the car.  Or somebody did.  Or she’s just driving one of her parents’ cars, and she’s paying Daddy a little toward insurance.  I’m inclined toward this last option because her budget includes neither maintenance nor fuel.

Speaking of items omitted from her expenses, no health care.  No health insurance.  She’s 24 and just graduated.  Bets she’s still on Mummy and Daddy’s plan?  No student loan payments either, not even a projection for them when they kick in in a couple of months.  But she tips her hand here, admitting she has $15,000 in savings, the bulk of it being what’s left over from what her parents gave her for school.  JFC.  And let’s not forget her pottery teaching.  No expenses listed for that.  Not studio rental.  Not equipment and supplies.  Nothing.  Which in all probability means Mummy has a pottery hobby, and daughter is free-riding on it.

Which means she isn’t living on $18K.  She’s living on Mummy and Daddy, just like every other “successful” Millennial not engaged in overt criminal activity.

And now a message for my age cohort.  Just shut your pie holes with the “Well if she can make it, other Millennials should too” stuff.  Seriously, just STFU.  If you can’t see the parade of bullshit flags flying over articles like this, you don’t get to have an opinion.  You have no excuse.  You’re not as senile as the folks or as callow as the kids.  You should be seeing this propaganda for what it is.  Up your game.

And Unregulated Crapitalism is the Greatest Thing EVER!

For anyone who thinks fossil fuel pipelines are a good idea, you might want to look up what happened in Bellingham, WA, 21 years ago next Wednesday.  If you're intellectually honest, that is.  Which, if you support these pipelines, you can't be.  The rest of you, who aren't crapitalist whores and have two brain cells to rub together, should look it up as well, and since you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a link.  Isn't it amazing how something like that can happen in a US city just two decades ago and it's like it never happened?  Come on people, boost the link.  People should know.  And OBTW, the assholes at Olympic Pipeline were an even bigger bunch of assholes than how they're presented in the documentary.  They were convinced they were untouchable (just as every pipeline fuck everywhere thinks he's untouchable).  They should have been lined up against a wall and had a flamethrower turned on them.

As for you Trumptard asswipes in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Snohomish, etc. Counties (including the fascist buttplug who is the SnoCo Sheriff) who incessantly whine about how the gummint is takin' away yer rats, most of you were in the territory when the Bellingham explosion happened.  This is the inevitable consequence of your philosophy.  And yet you cling to it.  You aren't just stupid.  You aren't just selfish.  You're fucking evil.  You are a fundamental threat to the health and safety of all of us.  The funny thing is, though, by your philosophy the rest us don't have to give a shit about your health and safety.  And guess what?  We don't.  The time is coming when everyone realizes you're the threat, and it won't go well for you.  You sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind.  I read that in a book none of you have ever read but you all like to thump on a lot.

If You Think King's Being Gone...

...is good news, stop celebrating.  Randy Feenstra, a state senator, has defeated nine-term congresscritter and proud Reichsfuehrer Steve King in the Rethuglican primary for the congressional seat in western Iowa (better known as Nebraska East).  In the words of Monty Python, "And there was much rejoicing."  Pump the brakes (unless of course you have ABS).  Feenstra is Dutch Reformed.  And not just Dutch Reformed.  He graduated from Western Christian High School.  And then Dordt College.  He's a fucking Boer.  His agenda is no different than King's, but he'll present it in a squeaky-clean way that will be oh so palatable to idiots everywhere.  And the idiot news media.  He's fucking dangerous.

When Fascism Comes to Murica...

...it will be brought by white, suburban, "thoughts-and-prayers" liberals.  Like Mayor Maggothaul.  More on that fucktard below (Keep reading.  It's a doozy and worth your time.)

Thanks to Herroner, we now have an overnight curfew through next Monday.  Because of the "riot."  GODDAMNIT PEOPLE, THERE WAS NO FUCKING RIOT!  A cop car got burned, and another car got trashed.  Boo fucking hoo.  One of the cardinal rules of riots is, "Fuck the rules."  But here were hundreds of people waiting for the traffic lights to change before they crossed the street.  OH, THE HUMANITY!  A number of cops claim they "felt threatened."  BULLSHIT, you motherfucking thugs!  You're more heavily armed and armored than the average Marine in Kandahar.  Threatened?  Fuck that.  That was a Sunday School picnic next to the real thing, you wienie, lying sacks of shit.  I was sucked into worse when I was 9.  I was actively involved in worse when I was 11.  And you big, brave heroes were afraid?  Suck it.  You weren't afraid when almost as big a crowd, armed to the teeth with semi-auto weapons, surrounded City Hall because their favorite bar was closed and they couldn't get a haircut.  But oh wait, those inbred Trumptards were political allies of yours, weren't they?  And memo to Maggothaul: Remind me again what curfew you imposed then?  Oh that's right, there wasn't one.  But there weren't any cops telling you to get your kneepads out and start servicing them that time, were there?  You are such a piece of...work.

You apologists out there are going, "Well yeah, but the anti-lockdown demonstrators weren't causing any damage."  First, morons, these were suburban whites who have a voice in what happens.  They like to whine about being ignored, but they aren't.  Second, the lockdown did not put them at risk for their lives, it just inconvenienced their lifestyles.  They aren't being murdered in their homes or on routine traffic stops.  Finally, if you and your gang are walking around packing Armalites and threatening violence up to and including civil war, THAT is damage.  You're damaging everyone else's security just because you're an overgrown brat throwing a temper tantrum.  Just like your Fearless Leader Der Drumpfenfuehrer.

One of the schmucks who torched the cop car has been charged .  Federally.  They went that way because the federal criminal justice system is criminal.  He's facing a mandatory five years and up to 20.  Because his arson "interfered with interstate commerce."  Again, bullshit.  This isn't about enforcing the law.  This is about intimidating.  This is about terrorizing.  And OBTW, fuck the Feddies for going along with this.  ATF are whores.  DAs are whores.  SEC, FTC, FBI, CBP, etc., etc., etc.  They don't give a SHIT about that guy.  They want an example.  They want to beat all the rest of us into line.  So watch out, guy with "Black Lives Matter" painted on your car.  You're on a road, you're "interfering with interstate commerce."  And the sign on the I-215 crossing saying "Black Lives Matter"?  Definitely "interfering with interstate commerce."  You see where this is going?  They want to CRUSH your ability to speak out.

Now on to Mayor Maggothaul.  My intel network has given me some intel.  I have been unable to determine whether it's gold dust or chicken feed, but I'm going to throw it out there at least as a heads up.  We knew in the mayor's race that Escamilla was the progressive candidate and Maggothaul was the DNC/DLC corporate whore.  I have learned that certain shit may have gone down in that race.  Namely that DNC/DLC corporate operatives engaged in a covert get-out-the-vote campaign with East Bench Rethuglican whites that basically said, "You'd better get out and vote because you don't want a brown West Sider as mayor, do you?"  Now, there is no way to verify that anyone received such a  pitch because no one will admit they received such a pitch, much less acted on it, so that is pretty much a dead end.  But such behavior is consistent with the thoroughly assholish behavior I saw from the DNC/DLC tools as Hilbots in 2016 and Anybody-But-Bernie-Bots in 2020.  "Erin is white/cute/white/pliant/white" (not necessarily in that order).  So while it would not surprise me if this happened, for obvious reasons, I can not tell you with certainty it happened.  But I can tell you that, even if they didn't, they wanted to, and that sentiment is what they're acting on now.

But hey, law and order, right?  Earlier this week some fascist asshat was pontificating down at the former protest site about how we need "law and order".  Let me tell you about the history of "law and order" in this country.  Farmers in western Massachusetts want more of a say in the government?  We need "law and order".  Natives want to keep their land?  We need "law and order".  Abolitionists want to end slavery?  We need "law and order".  Miners and railway workers want decent working conditions?  We need "law and order".  Women want to vote?  We need "law and order".  Veterans want their benefits?  We need "law and order".  Blacks want to vote?  We need "law and order".  People want to stop the draft and the invasion of Southeast Asia?  We need "law and order".  Hispanic farm workers try to organize?  We need "law and order".  Anyone advocating "law and order" is in fact advocating mob rule supporting the powers that be and needs his head turned into a canoe.

Maggothaul needs gone.  Even if this racist crap from the election isn't the case, she needs gone.  She, along with her DNC/DLC enablers, need removed.  Otherwise, we are headed for full on fascism.  And don't believe the narrative trying to demonize the protesters.  They aren't the problem, and it's pretty damned obvious exactly who actually is.  And fuck you if you insist on believing otherwise.

And If You Wonder Why Everyone is Misinformed...

...it could because shit like this is what poses for in-depth coverage in Murican spews media.  Trump has done much to boost the economy?  No Ross, Trump has done much to boost YOUR economy, which is why you people put him in office, isn't it.  You don't want to admit we're already in a housing bubble?  Well I guess I can understand that since you still have properties you're trying to unload, and you don't want your marks to find out it's all a scam and the merry-go-round is about to break down yet again.  But this is all a bit much coming from a guy who has been at the hub of the bubble AND the growth in unaffordable housing (Hudson Yards gentrification, anyone?).  Fuck you, Stephen Ross.  And fuck you Andy Serwer for giving him just another PR platform.  And double fuck you Calder McHugh for promoting this flack flatulence.

Happy Illegal Immigrants Day

Today is Pioneer Day in the TRU (Theocratic Republic of Utardistan), by which they mean Mormon pioneers, 1847, and all that twaddle.  One of the lovely ironies here is that, when these people got here, it was part of Mexico.  And they certainly didn't have Mexico's permission to move in (That would have required 1) at least lip-service conversion to Catholicism, which wasn't gonna happen, and 2) freeing slaves, which wasn't gonna happen either.  Oh yes, modern Mormies, many of your rugged, pioneer ancestors were slavers.  And Peep-Stone Joe and Brigham the Brigand were racist AF even by the standards of the time.).  Which makes them Utah's original illegal immigrants.  Suck on that at your next Kahn-fernce.

So Megan Rapinoe is Woke Now

She's figured out that dear old Murica isn't a shining beacon of Truth, Justice, and Enlightenment after all.  Given that she's now stepping out with Sue Bird and that she lives in a country run by the most homophobic, misogynistic religio-fascists this side of ISIS, it's about damned time, and welcome to the fight girl.  But you also might want to ask yourself why the US Women's Team (of which you're a member and were in the 2011 World Cup) gets away with muggings, mayhem, and murder no other team can.  Case in point: your 2011 World's Cup match against Canada.  One of your teammates hurdled the Canadian goalie and kneed her in the temple IN THE FUCKING BOX!  For anyone not wearing the Red, White, and Screw-You, it would have been a red card, but for you ladies the ref said, "Play on!"  Because FIFA knows the US Women's Team is the bank (rather like WAC refs used to know BYU was the bank) and is not to be interfered with.  And that can kind of crapitalistic, kleptocratic, kakistocratic entitlement is EXACTLY what creates what you are now purporting to protest against.  Think about it, Megan.

Indiana Primary

Texas Teddy Cruz is out, so that part of the farce is over.  And Clintstone will ultimately take the D nomination regardless how few people actually vote for her because the DNC is the DLC and it will never allow a real Democrat to run for president.  Anyone else notice that Clintstone's power base in Indiana is the Copperhead Counties in the Ohio Valley, the area that was constructively Confederate in the Civil War?  This really ought to tell you what you need to know about her.

Larry Miller: The Bilge that Keeps on Bilging

Paul Rolly pointed out the usual level of Utah hypocrisy today.  Utah is all for free enterprise.  Until, of course, it interferes with someone who pays big tithing.  Utah has an absurd car dealership law thanks essentially to the lobbying of Larry H. Christ, er, Jesus H. Miller, er, Larry H. Miller (and yes, it goes well beyond the Sunday closure law).  It exists specifically to restrict car dealerships to a few, good tithe-payers.  And to complete this hypocritical prostitution, Salt Lake Community College has a Miller Campus with a Miller Free Enterprise Center.  Jesus H. Miller.

Mia Love: Missing the Forest for the Trees

Given Republican policies on minorities, why would an Afro-American be a Republican?  Given Republican policies on women, why would a woman be Republican?  Answer: When you don't care if you're the latest token the Rethuglicans seat right next to the door so everyone can see how diverse they are, in the proud tradition of "Uncle" Thomas Sowell, Clarence "Uncle" Thomas, James "Don't Call me Uncle Tom" Evans, and Allen "I'm a Bigger Whackadoo than Kanye" West.  Enter Mia Love, who is willing to sell out anything to get to Congress.  But she's Mormon, so she's used to selling out.  She's only interested in getting her va-jay-jay into the Celestial Kingdom, and this world be damned.