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Surprised? Not Really...
Jun. 4th, 2022 10:00 pmOhio is set to enact a law that allows teachers and other staff to be armed with guns in schools once they have completed up to 24 hours of initial training.
No real surprise, given Ohio has a memorable track record of shooting students...
How soon before Texas, Florida & the other GOP-enthralled states follow suit on a policy that's so brazenly reckless it belongs in a comedy routine, not state legislature
No real surprise, given Ohio has a memorable track record of shooting students...
How soon before Texas, Florida & the other GOP-enthralled states follow suit on a policy that's so brazenly reckless it belongs in a comedy routine, not state legislature
Today's Idiot
Mar. 14th, 2022 10:02 pmYou Republicans with your bullshit... your chutzpah, your delusions of... well everything really... Your belief that guns make everything better
Choice quotes from an unfinished interview with Kari Lake, by Australian journalist Liam Bartlett
“What I don’t like is that people are being held in prison without being charged,” she said. “That’s unAmerican. Maybe they get away with that stuff in Australia.
“Perhaps in Australia, because you’ve given your rights away, you melted down all of your guns and you guys have no freedom, that you find that okay.
No... no we didn't. No we didn't. No, we have plenty of freedom - probably more than you do... okay?
“But here in America, we do things differently, we have something called the US Constitution and we have rights.”
Says the woman whose party is trying to make it harder for US citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote
Mr Bartlett asked whether Australia would be better off having more guns, to which Ms Lake said “you absolutely would”.
She said she felt sorry for Australians as they had no power.
“The only thing keeping us from being Australia right now is our second amendment, and we will never, ever let that go,” she said.
And that's supposed to be a good thing, is it - not being Australia... with our universal health care, our low rates of street crime & absence of monthly/weekly school shootings, our elections that don't turn into partisan bloodbaths sponsored by a foreign power?!?
“You have internment camps and people are being forced, if they’ve encountered anybody with Covid, to be locked into a quarantine camp, (which) is the most horrifying thing I think I’ve ever seen a government do.”
No. No we don't. No they're not. And yes, it must be terrible to be held in Guantanamo Bay without being charged by any law enforcement or Federal authority. At least you're right about that being horrifying... you're just looking at the wrong island...
Australia may not be perfect, but geez... fair suck of the sav lady. Pull ya bloody head in!!
Choice quotes from an unfinished interview with Kari Lake, by Australian journalist Liam Bartlett
“What I don’t like is that people are being held in prison without being charged,” she said. “That’s unAmerican. Maybe they get away with that stuff in Australia.
“Perhaps in Australia, because you’ve given your rights away, you melted down all of your guns and you guys have no freedom, that you find that okay.
No... no we didn't. No we didn't. No, we have plenty of freedom - probably more than you do... okay?
“But here in America, we do things differently, we have something called the US Constitution and we have rights.”
Says the woman whose party is trying to make it harder for US citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote
Mr Bartlett asked whether Australia would be better off having more guns, to which Ms Lake said “you absolutely would”.
She said she felt sorry for Australians as they had no power.
“The only thing keeping us from being Australia right now is our second amendment, and we will never, ever let that go,” she said.
And that's supposed to be a good thing, is it - not being Australia... with our universal health care, our low rates of street crime & absence of monthly/weekly school shootings, our elections that don't turn into partisan bloodbaths sponsored by a foreign power?!?
“You have internment camps and people are being forced, if they’ve encountered anybody with Covid, to be locked into a quarantine camp, (which) is the most horrifying thing I think I’ve ever seen a government do.”
No. No we don't. No they're not. And yes, it must be terrible to be held in Guantanamo Bay without being charged by any law enforcement or Federal authority. At least you're right about that being horrifying... you're just looking at the wrong island...
Australia may not be perfect, but geez... fair suck of the sav lady. Pull ya bloody head in!!
Another Day...
Jun. 14th, 2021 10:40 am... another stupid person with a gun, doing something stupid
Imagine if this had been in California, where a gun-happy judge has just overturned the state ban on owning 'assault' rifles - the kid would have been shot in the chest half a dozen times & the outcome would be very different
The very name - assault rifle is enough to make you question so many things, not the least being why an ordinary citizen feels the need to own an assault weapon. The excuse that it's for 'self-defence' goes right out the window by definition alone
And as for a guy who thinks it's okay to pull a gun on someone he 'believes' is tailing him, well...
Guns don't kill people. People kill people? Sure, but what do you think they kill them with??!!
Imagine if this had been in California, where a gun-happy judge has just overturned the state ban on owning 'assault' rifles - the kid would have been shot in the chest half a dozen times & the outcome would be very different
The very name - assault rifle is enough to make you question so many things, not the least being why an ordinary citizen feels the need to own an assault weapon. The excuse that it's for 'self-defence' goes right out the window by definition alone
And as for a guy who thinks it's okay to pull a gun on someone he 'believes' is tailing him, well...
Guns don't kill people. People kill people? Sure, but what do you think they kill them with??!!
Encore! Encore!
Apr. 22nd, 2021 08:08 amAnother young black person shot by police...
Forget about the tragic & ironic timing of this - the day a policeman was sent to jail for the murder of George Floyd... In fact don't forget about that. You'd think on that day, of all days, the police would be trying to tread lightly, whatever city or town they're in. But no, it's business as usual, all guns blazing. Aside from the tone-deafness this implies, why on Earth did this girl have to be shot 4 TIMES!! She only had a knife & wasn't even threatening a police officer... ONE shot could have done the job, surely... & in the leg would have been fine
Blah blah split-second reaction time blah blah protecting the community blah blah judgement call blah blah officer 'stood down' blah blah the inevitable thoughts & prayers. The same generic drivel that happens every time & indeed happened with the policeman finally convicted of a murder everybody watched happen on a screen. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over & expecting a different result
Look, sometimes police shoot people. We know this - it happens everywhere, including here in Australia. But USA!! USA!! is the only place where it happens so depressingly frequently that it seems to be as acceptable as shooting & killing other hunters on the first day of duck season... or rabbit season
I'm sure the current administration won't go so far as to 'defund the police'... Nobody wants to see the police forces disbanded. But surely, some form of radical cleanout of outdated & dangerous practices, attitudes & probably people needs to happen & a new training focus & code of behaviour implemented, along with harsh penalties for when it isn't followed
Otherwise, who'd bet against another black kid shot dead on the street before the end of the month... week... day
Forget about the tragic & ironic timing of this - the day a policeman was sent to jail for the murder of George Floyd... In fact don't forget about that. You'd think on that day, of all days, the police would be trying to tread lightly, whatever city or town they're in. But no, it's business as usual, all guns blazing. Aside from the tone-deafness this implies, why on Earth did this girl have to be shot 4 TIMES!! She only had a knife & wasn't even threatening a police officer... ONE shot could have done the job, surely... & in the leg would have been fine
Blah blah split-second reaction time blah blah protecting the community blah blah judgement call blah blah officer 'stood down' blah blah the inevitable thoughts & prayers. The same generic drivel that happens every time & indeed happened with the policeman finally convicted of a murder everybody watched happen on a screen. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over & expecting a different result
Look, sometimes police shoot people. We know this - it happens everywhere, including here in Australia. But USA!! USA!! is the only place where it happens so depressingly frequently that it seems to be as acceptable as shooting & killing other hunters on the first day of duck season... or rabbit season
I'm sure the current administration won't go so far as to 'defund the police'... Nobody wants to see the police forces disbanded. But surely, some form of radical cleanout of outdated & dangerous practices, attitudes & probably people needs to happen & a new training focus & code of behaviour implemented, along with harsh penalties for when it isn't followed
Otherwise, who'd bet against another black kid shot dead on the street before the end of the month... week... day
Can I Borrow A Car Bomb?
Feb. 27th, 2021 10:18 amI just need to make a quick trip to the CPA Conference in Orlando, Florida...
Face masks are an affront to freedom! Deep state!! Having the 3rd highest death toll in the USA is apparently a good thing! Slander!! Denial!! And TWO Donald Trumps!!!
Better make it TWO car bombs then...
Edit: In the interest of political balance, I should note that I'm not happy about the latest USAF retaliatory bombings in Syria either. But in the interests of balancing that, I wasn't happy when Trump did the same thing a couple of years ago, so...
Or, if you prefer...
Face masks are an affront to freedom! Deep state!! Having the 3rd highest death toll in the USA is apparently a good thing! Slander!! Denial!! And TWO Donald Trumps!!!
Better make it TWO car bombs then...
Edit: In the interest of political balance, I should note that I'm not happy about the latest USAF retaliatory bombings in Syria either. But in the interests of balancing that, I wasn't happy when Trump did the same thing a couple of years ago, so...
Or, if you prefer...
Was he the monster, or was he just the public face of it? Will it make things better, worse, or pretty much the same, now he's been removed from the top job. We've all seen what's behind the curtain of misty-eyed 'land of the free, home of the brave, beacon of democracy, bring me your tired etc...' now - There's a racist, bigoted, sexist, repressive, greedy & self-obsessed country behind there, that at least 74 million voters are a part of. I admire Joe Biden for even putting his hand up for the job of trying to deal with all that, in the midst of a pandemic, a changing global climate, power balance & economy. I'm not sure I'd know where to start in a peaceful, inclusive fashion
A Department of Defence official said something like 'The DC insurrection wasn't sudden, or unexpected like a stroke, or an aneurysm... this was like diabetes - the results of a long-term disease'. I'm paraphrasing because I can't find the actual quote which I heard on ABC radio a couple of times today, but (s)he was right. The roots of the unrest go way deeper & waaaay further back than just the last 4 years... through both Republican & Democrat administrations alike. People aren't disenfranchised & disadvantaged overnight. Trump didn't build the bomb... but, for better or worse, he certainly applied a blowtorch to the fuse!!
Meanwhile the Great Pumpkin will have his hands full dealing with a bunch of troubles old & new, as the protective shield of the Presidency is taken from him
I'm looking forward to retiring my Trump icon... I wonder if the world will let me? Will the "Uncivil War", that Biden referred to, fizzle out, or fire up?
A Department of Defence official said something like 'The DC insurrection wasn't sudden, or unexpected like a stroke, or an aneurysm... this was like diabetes - the results of a long-term disease'. I'm paraphrasing because I can't find the actual quote which I heard on ABC radio a couple of times today, but (s)he was right. The roots of the unrest go way deeper & waaaay further back than just the last 4 years... through both Republican & Democrat administrations alike. People aren't disenfranchised & disadvantaged overnight. Trump didn't build the bomb... but, for better or worse, he certainly applied a blowtorch to the fuse!!
Meanwhile the Great Pumpkin will have his hands full dealing with a bunch of troubles old & new, as the protective shield of the Presidency is taken from him
I'm looking forward to retiring my Trump icon... I wonder if the world will let me? Will the "Uncivil War", that Biden referred to, fizzle out, or fire up?
Choking On Hubris
Dec. 10th, 2020 09:59 pmSo the USA just recorded more than 3000 deaths from Covid19 in a day. More people than the total death toll from 9/11... which everyone was so upset about at the time & rallied together to, rightly or wrongly, declare a war on terrorism
And yet, the country can't unite to fight a war on a virus, with up to 50% of the population preferring to deny its existence, or see public health measures as an attack on their 'liberty'
How bad does it have to get before these idiots realise they're wrong... Is the USA going to be undone by a microscopic virus? We may not be looking at the end times of civilisation as a whole, but it certainly seems the USA will be playing a greatly reduced role in it, as long as the liars are not only listened to, but believed... & put in power... & allowed to stay there even after democracy demands their removal... & still nobody does anything decisive about it!?!?
I can't see how the States are going to stay united... it feels ready to break apart like the former Yugoslavia, with the various tribes ready to fight each other over petty ideologies
And yet, the country can't unite to fight a war on a virus, with up to 50% of the population preferring to deny its existence, or see public health measures as an attack on their 'liberty'
How bad does it have to get before these idiots realise they're wrong... Is the USA going to be undone by a microscopic virus? We may not be looking at the end times of civilisation as a whole, but it certainly seems the USA will be playing a greatly reduced role in it, as long as the liars are not only listened to, but believed... & put in power... & allowed to stay there even after democracy demands their removal... & still nobody does anything decisive about it!?!?
I can't see how the States are going to stay united... it feels ready to break apart like the former Yugoslavia, with the various tribes ready to fight each other over petty ideologies
I haven't been posting about politics for a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching... & watching is about all I can do
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade has issued a warning about not visiting the USA, due to potential violence around the election. I note from the article that many Walmart stores are removing guns & ammunition from the shop floor, to discourage looters, but it may be too late, as people have been stocking up on weapons and military-style tactical gear as fearful Americans prepare to hunker down. Many gun shops have sold out of ammunition, and firearm stocks are running low.
I think I also mentioned the potential for Civil War version 2.0 a few months back... My name, apparently, is Nostradamus II. I know it's mostly scare-mongering, but it's being mongered by both sides of the yawning political divide in the USA & with the amount of civil unrest already going on, that's separate to the actual election, it's only going to take one Proud Boy draped in a rebel flag & a MAGA cap to light the blue touch paper... Meanwhile, also as I mentioned a while back, it's looking increasingly likely that the election will be decided, ultimately, in the Supreme Court, where... well, you know what happened last week - a new judge was installed after 60 million people had already voted in a Federal Election... Please explain how that's democratic, or even truly republican?!?!
Meanwhile, it looks like I'll have to postpone my long-desired European trip for a while, as Covid19 has decided to go back for a 3rd time this year - especially to the United Kingdom. I honestly don't know what's worse - denying the existence & severity of the virus & causing thousands of people to die... or knowing full well how serious the disease is, but then stuffing up its control & suppression, due to a lack of backbone, or intestinal fortitude, or... let's just say 'cojones' to get the job done - & causing thousands of people to die. Again, as I've previously ranted, the human race has faced these things before & has always come through, after drastic measures & consequences. Yet here we are today, complaining that this virus either has, or will, ruin civilisation (& it hasn't even been a year!!!), just because the economy is having a hiccup. The fucking Great Depression went for nearly a decade & you know who caused that? Greedy economists... the same guys who are demanding everyone & everything go back to work - public health be damned
Q. When did Bankers become more important than Doctors?
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade has issued a warning about not visiting the USA, due to potential violence around the election. I note from the article that many Walmart stores are removing guns & ammunition from the shop floor, to discourage looters, but it may be too late, as people have been stocking up on weapons and military-style tactical gear as fearful Americans prepare to hunker down. Many gun shops have sold out of ammunition, and firearm stocks are running low.
I think I also mentioned the potential for Civil War version 2.0 a few months back... My name, apparently, is Nostradamus II. I know it's mostly scare-mongering, but it's being mongered by both sides of the yawning political divide in the USA & with the amount of civil unrest already going on, that's separate to the actual election, it's only going to take one Proud Boy draped in a rebel flag & a MAGA cap to light the blue touch paper... Meanwhile, also as I mentioned a while back, it's looking increasingly likely that the election will be decided, ultimately, in the Supreme Court, where... well, you know what happened last week - a new judge was installed after 60 million people had already voted in a Federal Election... Please explain how that's democratic, or even truly republican?!?!
Meanwhile, it looks like I'll have to postpone my long-desired European trip for a while, as Covid19 has decided to go back for a 3rd time this year - especially to the United Kingdom. I honestly don't know what's worse - denying the existence & severity of the virus & causing thousands of people to die... or knowing full well how serious the disease is, but then stuffing up its control & suppression, due to a lack of backbone, or intestinal fortitude, or... let's just say 'cojones' to get the job done - & causing thousands of people to die. Again, as I've previously ranted, the human race has faced these things before & has always come through, after drastic measures & consequences. Yet here we are today, complaining that this virus either has, or will, ruin civilisation (& it hasn't even been a year!!!), just because the economy is having a hiccup. The fucking Great Depression went for nearly a decade & you know who caused that? Greedy economists... the same guys who are demanding everyone & everything go back to work - public health be damned
Q. When did Bankers become more important than Doctors?
Can't Help Myself...
Jun. 21st, 2020 11:12 pmI said I wouldn't... I know it won't make a bit of difference... I can't let this one go by without drawing attention to it - even if it's just my own
"stop testing so much, you're finding too many cases!!"
The Great Pumpkin has told medical authorities to scale back their Covid19 testing rates, as they're finding too many cases... I mean, where do you even start with such a stupid thing to say, let alone the, for want of a better word, 'thought' process behind it. Sure, he wants the reported cases to go down, so he can spin that into a claim he's winning the war against the virus, so his ignorant redneck supporters can wave their flags & shoot their guns & so his fatcat Republican buddies can continue their business of raping the land & the economy for another 4 years...
Why?? Honestly... Why can't his opponents cut through & call out this puerile bullshit? Why can't even the most ignorant, dyed in the woolly brain, redneck fuck-knuckle see that they're being taken for fools, for a ride, to the cleaners??
Rhetorical... as always
"stop testing so much, you're finding too many cases!!"
The Great Pumpkin has told medical authorities to scale back their Covid19 testing rates, as they're finding too many cases... I mean, where do you even start with such a stupid thing to say, let alone the, for want of a better word, 'thought' process behind it. Sure, he wants the reported cases to go down, so he can spin that into a claim he's winning the war against the virus, so his ignorant redneck supporters can wave their flags & shoot their guns & so his fatcat Republican buddies can continue their business of raping the land & the economy for another 4 years...
Why?? Honestly... Why can't his opponents cut through & call out this puerile bullshit? Why can't even the most ignorant, dyed in the woolly brain, redneck fuck-knuckle see that they're being taken for fools, for a ride, to the cleaners??
Rhetorical... as always
It's A Metaphor...
Jun. 5th, 2020 09:28 pm
Once upon a time... Americans knew how to build bridges. Good ones too
Here at home, working my way through an interminable week... It's 9.30pm & time for bed. I used to be a real night-owl. What happened?!?!
The Point?
Jun. 2nd, 2020 09:09 amWell bugger me... NOW maybe everyone will sit up, take notice & ask themselves what the hell are we doing... Niall Horan, an ex-member of a boy band, has tweeted about the riots & how Trump is hiding in a bunker
Never mind that some people have been pushing the same barrow for months, if not years now. Thank god folks - a has-been pop star is angry about this, so it should all clear up in a day or two... The rest of us can stop writing our little, worthless opinions &, in the case of Pink Halen, actual experiences - nobody's reading or listening. But I'm sure they'll listen to Niall... after all, he sang 'The Best Song Ever'
I think I'm going to find something else to write about - nobody cares what an Australian thinks about American racism - it's not as though we don't have our own ugly history of it anyway
So... on to more important things, like Why don't more women go to King Crimson shows? At least we have an answer to that...
Never mind that some people have been pushing the same barrow for months, if not years now. Thank god folks - a has-been pop star is angry about this, so it should all clear up in a day or two... The rest of us can stop writing our little, worthless opinions &, in the case of Pink Halen, actual experiences - nobody's reading or listening. But I'm sure they'll listen to Niall... after all, he sang 'The Best Song Ever'
I think I'm going to find something else to write about - nobody cares what an Australian thinks about American racism - it's not as though we don't have our own ugly history of it anyway
So... on to more important things, like Why don't more women go to King Crimson shows? At least we have an answer to that...
Unfortunately, No Surprise
May. 30th, 2020 08:27 pmA 19-year-old man has been shot and killed in Detroit after an unknown gunman opened fire on protesters after days of unrest in the city.
The teen was killed after an unknown person in a Dodge Durango approached a group of protesters and police in Detroit's Greektown entertainment district on Friday and opened fire, according to reports.
Look, I know it's resorting to stereotypical thinking, but I can't help assigning a skin colour to the victim & the shooter. And no, they're not the same colour. To be honest, the victim could well be white, or Latin American, or Asian... being angry about police murdering unarmed people is not an exclusively black thing & deserves to be supported & amplified by anyone with a functioning brain. But... I would bet a significant amount of money on the shooter being white... because, as pointed out in the Betoota Advocate today, the white people who think these riots are an over-reaction, are the same ones who took AR-15 rifles to a protest about not being able to get a haircut when they wanted to...
Dear USA - you've just lost 100,000 people to a disease which other similarly developed countries have managed to control by listening to scientists & co-operating with each other, resulting in much lower death rates than yours. The man who allowed all your fellow citizens to die, through callous neglect & spectacular pig-headedness is getting away with it... & you're shooting unarmed protesters instead??!!??
Like most disasters or crime scenes, the rest of the world is standing by, just looking on. We can't do anything to stop it... we know it's going to be horrible... yet we can't look away
The teen was killed after an unknown person in a Dodge Durango approached a group of protesters and police in Detroit's Greektown entertainment district on Friday and opened fire, according to reports.
Look, I know it's resorting to stereotypical thinking, but I can't help assigning a skin colour to the victim & the shooter. And no, they're not the same colour. To be honest, the victim could well be white, or Latin American, or Asian... being angry about police murdering unarmed people is not an exclusively black thing & deserves to be supported & amplified by anyone with a functioning brain. But... I would bet a significant amount of money on the shooter being white... because, as pointed out in the Betoota Advocate today, the white people who think these riots are an over-reaction, are the same ones who took AR-15 rifles to a protest about not being able to get a haircut when they wanted to...
Dear USA - you've just lost 100,000 people to a disease which other similarly developed countries have managed to control by listening to scientists & co-operating with each other, resulting in much lower death rates than yours. The man who allowed all your fellow citizens to die, through callous neglect & spectacular pig-headedness is getting away with it... & you're shooting unarmed protesters instead??!!??
Like most disasters or crime scenes, the rest of the world is standing by, just looking on. We can't do anything to stop it... we know it's going to be horrible... yet we can't look away
Twitter has started putting fact-check links on The Great Pumpkin's tweets &, predictably, he's not happy about it... threatening to shut social media companies down, which of course, he can't do
It all stems from his rants about postal votes, which, somehow, in his fried cranial organ, he thinks will be abused by the Democrats & used for voter fraud, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But that's never stopped him spreading bullshit propaganda before, so Twitter have stepped in
And I love the hypocrisy... Well - I don't, but seeing this in print just makes me smile, albeit somewhat ruefully
"Further stoking the fire on the postal voting issue, Florida newspaper the Tampa Bay Times has now revealed that Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who has been defending her boss’s attacks on postal voting, has voted by mail in every single Florida election she’s voted in.
Ms McEnany defended her and the President’s right to vote by mail when asked why everyone else shouldn’t be allowed to as well.
“Absentee voting has the word absent in it for a reason,” she told the Tampa Bay Times.
“It means you’re absent from the jurisdiction or unable to vote in person. President Trump is against the Democrat plan to politicise the coronavirus and expand mass mail-in voting without a reason, which has a high propensity for voter fraud. This is a simple distinction that the media fails to grasp,” she told the newspaper.
Florida does not have absentee voting: you can vote by post prior to election day for any reason you like, a simple distinction some in politics fail to grasp."
It all stems from his rants about postal votes, which, somehow, in his fried cranial organ, he thinks will be abused by the Democrats & used for voter fraud, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But that's never stopped him spreading bullshit propaganda before, so Twitter have stepped in
And I love the hypocrisy... Well - I don't, but seeing this in print just makes me smile, albeit somewhat ruefully
"Further stoking the fire on the postal voting issue, Florida newspaper the Tampa Bay Times has now revealed that Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who has been defending her boss’s attacks on postal voting, has voted by mail in every single Florida election she’s voted in.
Ms McEnany defended her and the President’s right to vote by mail when asked why everyone else shouldn’t be allowed to as well.
“Absentee voting has the word absent in it for a reason,” she told the Tampa Bay Times.
“It means you’re absent from the jurisdiction or unable to vote in person. President Trump is against the Democrat plan to politicise the coronavirus and expand mass mail-in voting without a reason, which has a high propensity for voter fraud. This is a simple distinction that the media fails to grasp,” she told the newspaper.
Florida does not have absentee voting: you can vote by post prior to election day for any reason you like, a simple distinction some in politics fail to grasp."
You Guys Are In Trouble...
May. 14th, 2020 09:45 amWell, it's been about a week since I touched on this subject - give or take a day...
Are you a 'smug liberal', or a 'reckless republican'?
Some highlights... or lowlights, more accurately...
I’ve heard of Muslim women in America being taunted for wearing hijabs, I’ve heard of Jewish men being mocked for wearing yarmulkes and now I’ve heard it all: A friend of mine was cursed by a passing stranger the other day for wearing a protective mask.
When the president visited Phoenix a week ago, some residents who’d turned out to see him harangued journalists in masks, “saying how we’re only wearing masks to instill fear,” BrieAnna Frank, a reporter with The Arizona Republic, told Tom Jones of Poynter. Frank posted a Twitter thread with videos in which journalists were loudly accused of being “on the wrong side of patriotism” and “like communists.”
Outside the State Capitol in Sacramento two days later, a woman held a sign that said: “Do you know who Dr. Judy Mikovits is? Then don’t tell me I need a silly mask.”
Mikovits is a discredited scientist whose wild assertions and scaremongering regarding vaccines have made her a hero to conspiracy theorists and a social media and YouTube star. Naturally, masks factor into her repertoire. She has claimed that “wearing the mask literally activates your own virus.”
How has this virus become so incredibly politicised in the USA, to the point where people would rather die, than practise common consensus?!?!
Are you a 'smug liberal', or a 'reckless republican'?
Some highlights... or lowlights, more accurately...
I’ve heard of Muslim women in America being taunted for wearing hijabs, I’ve heard of Jewish men being mocked for wearing yarmulkes and now I’ve heard it all: A friend of mine was cursed by a passing stranger the other day for wearing a protective mask.
When the president visited Phoenix a week ago, some residents who’d turned out to see him harangued journalists in masks, “saying how we’re only wearing masks to instill fear,” BrieAnna Frank, a reporter with The Arizona Republic, told Tom Jones of Poynter. Frank posted a Twitter thread with videos in which journalists were loudly accused of being “on the wrong side of patriotism” and “like communists.”
Outside the State Capitol in Sacramento two days later, a woman held a sign that said: “Do you know who Dr. Judy Mikovits is? Then don’t tell me I need a silly mask.”
Mikovits is a discredited scientist whose wild assertions and scaremongering regarding vaccines have made her a hero to conspiracy theorists and a social media and YouTube star. Naturally, masks factor into her repertoire. She has claimed that “wearing the mask literally activates your own virus.”
How has this virus become so incredibly politicised in the USA, to the point where people would rather die, than practise common consensus?!?!
Sorry To Bang On About This...
Apr. 25th, 2020 05:58 pm... well, okay, maybe only a little bit sorry, but...
Dear People of the USA... okay, not all of you, but you know who you are... What the fuck are you doing?!?!?!?
In that article, there are a couple of photos of protestors in quasi-military garb, holding semi-automatic rifles (or are they fully automatic? I don't know - I don't own one & I don't need one!) 'protesting' outside a State Capital building. What the fuck do you need the guns for?? Who are you going to shoot... & why???!!! How is this okay... how do you justify attitudes that bespeak actions like this??
Nobody's shooting at you... the 'enemy', if you must have one, is microscopic & invisible... What makes you think you can kill a virus with an AR-15... what makes you think threatening to shoot government officials, or health workers, is the right way to go about restoring your supposed 'rights' that you think are being removed... What makes you think dressing up as soldiers & waving guns around is the right way to go about anything??!!??
And then there's the photo of the protestors smearing their faces & hands all over the doors of a government building. That's a sure way to guarantee you'll catch something... & with any luck it will be nastier than Covid19. Please share it with your friends...
Frankly, you're an international embarrassment to your country. Land of the free & home of the brave? I'm pretty sure your founding fathers never had behaviour like this in mind when they wrote the Constitution you like to misrepresent... just like Jesus would never condone this shit, no matter what your 'preachers' tell you he said...
Behaviour like this, is making me think the Chinese Government weren't being over-reaching when they literally welded people into their homes at the height of the outbreak. I'm pretty sure they remembered to let them back out... didn't they??
Dear People of the USA... okay, not all of you, but you know who you are... What the fuck are you doing?!?!?!?
In that article, there are a couple of photos of protestors in quasi-military garb, holding semi-automatic rifles (or are they fully automatic? I don't know - I don't own one & I don't need one!) 'protesting' outside a State Capital building. What the fuck do you need the guns for?? Who are you going to shoot... & why???!!! How is this okay... how do you justify attitudes that bespeak actions like this??
Nobody's shooting at you... the 'enemy', if you must have one, is microscopic & invisible... What makes you think you can kill a virus with an AR-15... what makes you think threatening to shoot government officials, or health workers, is the right way to go about restoring your supposed 'rights' that you think are being removed... What makes you think dressing up as soldiers & waving guns around is the right way to go about anything??!!??
And then there's the photo of the protestors smearing their faces & hands all over the doors of a government building. That's a sure way to guarantee you'll catch something... & with any luck it will be nastier than Covid19. Please share it with your friends...
Frankly, you're an international embarrassment to your country. Land of the free & home of the brave? I'm pretty sure your founding fathers never had behaviour like this in mind when they wrote the Constitution you like to misrepresent... just like Jesus would never condone this shit, no matter what your 'preachers' tell you he said...
Behaviour like this, is making me think the Chinese Government weren't being over-reaching when they literally welded people into their homes at the height of the outbreak. I'm pretty sure they remembered to let them back out... didn't they??
Oh My God.... You People...!
Feb. 11th, 2020 07:04 amThese are the kind of supporters Trump is getting... & somehow seems okay with it
Right wing, racist nutjobs who believe John F. Kennedy Jr. faked his own death to support their cause & their new leader...
The trouble with this is - being the USA, there's enough of them to be a real force. And, being the USA, they're likely well-armed. I'm not saying Australia doesn't have its share of disaffected FITH Syndrome outpatients, but with our smaller population (and better gun laws!!), they're much more invisible & manageable... & their votes wouldn't count for much at election time. That's at least one good thing about the Westminster system
There are political analysts who are very worried about what will happen if Trump is returned for another term later this year. There are political & social analysts who are more worried about what will happen if he loses... I'm with them...
Right wing, racist nutjobs who believe John F. Kennedy Jr. faked his own death to support their cause & their new leader...
The trouble with this is - being the USA, there's enough of them to be a real force. And, being the USA, they're likely well-armed. I'm not saying Australia doesn't have its share of disaffected FITH Syndrome outpatients, but with our smaller population (and better gun laws!!), they're much more invisible & manageable... & their votes wouldn't count for much at election time. That's at least one good thing about the Westminster system
There are political analysts who are very worried about what will happen if Trump is returned for another term later this year. There are political & social analysts who are more worried about what will happen if he loses... I'm with them...
NRA!! NRA!! NRA!!
Sep. 4th, 2019 01:52 pmI have no words for this, so I'll just let the NRA speak for themselves...
Earlier today, retail giant Walmart announced it would stop selling certain types of ammunition in response to a shooting at one of its stores in El Paso, Texas.
A month ago, a gunman opened fire in the El Paso store, killing 22 and injuring at least 27 others.
There have also been mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and Midland Odessa, Texas in the past month.
The National Rifle Association, America’s largest gun lobby, released a statement slamming Walmart’s new policy as “shameful”.
“It is shameful to see Walmart succumb to the pressure of the anti-gun elites. Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms,” the statement said.
“The truth is Walmart’s actions today will not make us any safer. Rather than place the blame on the criminal, Walmart has chosen to victimise law-abiding Americans,” the NRA added. “Our leaders must be willing to approach the problems of crime, violence and mental health with sincerity and honesty.”
Walmart stopped selling assault-style rifles in 2015 and raised the age to purchase guns from 18 to 21 last year.
Earlier today, retail giant Walmart announced it would stop selling certain types of ammunition in response to a shooting at one of its stores in El Paso, Texas.
A month ago, a gunman opened fire in the El Paso store, killing 22 and injuring at least 27 others.
There have also been mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and Midland Odessa, Texas in the past month.
The National Rifle Association, America’s largest gun lobby, released a statement slamming Walmart’s new policy as “shameful”.
“It is shameful to see Walmart succumb to the pressure of the anti-gun elites. Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms,” the statement said.
“The truth is Walmart’s actions today will not make us any safer. Rather than place the blame on the criminal, Walmart has chosen to victimise law-abiding Americans,” the NRA added. “Our leaders must be willing to approach the problems of crime, violence and mental health with sincerity and honesty.”
Walmart stopped selling assault-style rifles in 2015 and raised the age to purchase guns from 18 to 21 last year.
Less Words, More Pictures!!
Jul. 11th, 2018 02:50 pmI'm sure there are a few of you out there who are saying "Oh no, another entry from WaitingMan... I wish he'd stop banging on about politics & how crap his job is/was & would just post some photos..."
So here are a few from the 2016 USA trip:
A male elk, doing helpdesk work for AT&T... possibly...
Frisco, Colorado
En route to Moab, Utah
Arches National Park, Utah
So here are a few from the 2016 USA trip:
A male elk, doing helpdesk work for AT&T... possibly...
Frisco, Colorado
En route to Moab, Utah
Arches National Park, Utah
The Inevitable Las Vegas Post...
Oct. 4th, 2017 08:31 am
Oh America... Why is it always 'Bigger, better, faster... more!!' with you??
The biggest cars (& meal sizes!!), better technology (& hospitality!), faster planes, trains (& automobiles!) & more of... well, just about everything...
Unfortunately, that also applies to your guns. They're bigger, 'better', faster & there are certainly more of them - than anywhere else. It also seems you're determined to apply the maxim to your mass shootings. Every year, they're bigger, faster & more of them ('better' only in the mad minds of the perpetrators - "Gotta get more than the guy at Sandy Hook!!!")
And the rest of the world looks on in horrified bemusement... especially Down Under here...
I really don't know how much worse you want it to get (and it undoubtedly will...) before you come to your collective senses & get your powerful, lunatic, right-wing, paranoid gun club under control. Perhaps you could start by stripping it of its title 'National Rifle Association', which gives it a veneer of respectability it doesn't deserve. I suggest re-naming it 'Mad Fuckers, Duck Hunters & Loonies From The Boonies'
