Audience

I don't bother with this for the locals, you know. This is for those OUT THERE. IN THE GREAT BEYOND. They all know that.

Death photos, Freedom of Speech, and Decency

AATP post, topic: Should ObL death-photos be released?

The photos MUST be released. Did you not learn anything from the birther phenomenon? The r/w radio hate-shows and all their brethren will spin and spin and spin this out until it's as big as a rancid housing bubble. Diffuse it now. Then it will never really have the chance to grow. I wish this is a world where decency counted, but it's not. Not anymore. The SCOTUS saw to that, quite a while back. Free speech? This is what it got us - personally abused by ubiquitous photos of a quasi super-enemy with several holes in his head, by a bunch of deranged hate mongers called Westboro, by an election system bought and paid for by invisible corporate "persons" who have rights but no responsibilities. Don't like it? Too bad. The Fairness Doctrine is history, and now even the word "fair" is becoming verboten, according to some of the pious. This IS America, and enquiring minds pretty much have a Constitutional right to know, at this point.

On the news that the President has decided to not release the photos:

Unfortunately, not releasing the photos will give the r/w media propaganda machine a new growth medium to re-invigorate their illogical frenzy of manipulation. We will all have to watch a new fallacy bubble build as they spin it as hard as they can. I can only trust that the President has made this decision based on intelligence info about international reaction, because, politically, on the domestic front, this will cause a lot of needless see-sawing in the polls, a lot of anxiety, and a lot of avoidable problems, to say the least.

The Rabid Right

Status post May 3 2011:

On Limbaugh: He is a fear-mongering, hate-spewing, lie-propagating manipulative opportunist, who preys upon his faithful devotees by slyly making insinuations, distorting facts, and antagonizing deeply held convictions about "American freedom" and "Christian values". He is a merchant of bigotry, a champion of untruth, a hate-pimp.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLS/Justin R, May 3, 2100:

Sleepy Time Thought: As the anger from the Right spirals out of control at Obama’s success, it becomes all too clear that there is no line too far to cross, no lie too extreme to utter, no depth too low to sink to. Compromise can only be reached with the rational and the Right has gone mad with fear and loathing. Liberals MUST present a united front against the insanity or we’ll be lost in the incoherent rage.

 My response:
 

Great. We have a two-party system, and one party is now rabid. Furthermore, we have no system in place to medically evaluate, diagnose, and treat this condition, because that would be infringing upon the "freedoms" of this party's members. We used to have a more effective system, the Fairness Doctrine was part of that, but it's elimination has led to this. How are you supposed to 51-50 such a large segment of the GOP? How much further will this go before it is so clear that they are a danger to themselves or others that we, as the collective mental health team/conscientious electorate, will have the authority to force them to get the help they need?

From Cameron B:
The fairness doctorine was only there so as to allow the flat earthers time to convince round earthers they were wrong.
 
Me:
Well, Cameron, I suppose I'll just have to put the finishing touches on my flat-earth mindset equivalency calibration wave-equation-scope-powered super death-ray machine, because science always wins the future.  

This changes something, not nothing

Statement on Osama bin Laden's death:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/05/bin_laden_statement.html
from CAP comment thread

J Corbett:
It isn't over folks... Seriously. I invite you all to read my latest status update for more information. This changes nothing.

Me: 

I disagree, Mr. Corbett. Internationally, it may change little. But, in the hearts and minds of many Americans, especially those who been affected by loss and grief during these confusing and troubling times, it will bring closure. For the first time I have the feeling the all this painful sacrifice might not be entirely just senseless, pointless corporate pawn-brokering. I still think that the way these wars have been fought have been much more about lining private interest pockets, which is heinous and shameful, but perhaps some good will come out of it, after all. And no, it isn't over. You are certainly correct about that. There are dark times ahead. But, a door has been closed. This chapter of the saga is finished. That is a good thing for the nation.