Gotham Gazette

Barnhardt in her article has gone erringly absolutist in some instances:
In approvingly quoting John Senior, she fails to note the crime-overwhelming benefit, in some cases, of rehabilitative justice -- allowing the criminal to demonstrate proper remorse through beneficial activities exceeding the damage done due to the crime committed. Thus, the remorseful actions more than compensate for the crime committed -- and punishment, as such, becomes unnecessary following the conviction for the crime.

Who, other than Ms. Barnhardt believes that Ted Cruz, imperfect as he may be, is a psychopath and/or whore in the Senate solely for the money and power? Her axiom, which follows this comment in her article, indicates that either Ms. Barnhardt has dived into the empty pool headfirst once too often, is a megalomanic psychopath whipping the froth of her (in some cases justifiable) rage, or is playing the over-blown altruistic buffoon so that rational critics of the cocksure political poltroons can be easily dismissed as tools of some conspiracy of fools.

Posted by Howard Nelson at July 17, 2014 1:02 PM

Black Captain America, Female Thor....

I wish those people would stop trying to spit in my eye, I stopped caring, or listening, long ago.

But someone might want to compare sales figures for WW and pre-progressive Superman, or Luke Cage and anybody.

Posted by John The River at July 17, 2014 2:53 PM

I'm not so sure, Howard, that I'm not far away from Ann on the character of our elected class. It may be a phenomenon similar to regulatory capture. Scalawag or bounder capture, I suppose.

At our recent election primary, our mailbox was flooded with mailings. I left them in a pile, and quickly flipped through them on election day. I knew what I was looking for, but that was not to be found. I've been around long enough to see it. Instead, it was the lot of them a bunch of amateur grifters with flimsy cons looking for a payday, and I was the mark. Bloody hell that was the most distasteful duty I have had to do in quite some time. Gozer's choice.

Posted by John A. Fleming at July 18, 2014 2:23 AM

It just occurred to me that the current border kerfuffle could be compared to the infamous "Boat People" influx from Cuba. The voluntary expats were one group, and the convicts released for export were another.
What is the current mix?

Posted by tomw at July 18, 2014 8:12 AM

John A. Fleming, I agree that most of our federal politicians, many powerful bankers and Wall Streetwalkers are vicious, self-serving anal apertures [to borrow a Jonah Goldberg term]. But not all of them are. Painting them all with a broad brush, as Ann Barnhardt did, smears the decent with the demonic. This kind of exaggerated and mean-spirited slander hurts the cause for justice.

Let's be prepared for John Corzine's conviction and penalties, and adequate compensation to those injured. Be prepared too, for his being freed if convicted, via some Presidential pardon maneuver.
Life is not fair. Be on guard.

Posted by Howard Nelson at July 18, 2014 6:24 PM

Howard, maybe so, but it's no longer possible to tell them apart. Which means that functionally, we must treat them as all bad, every one.

I went to our local City Council meeting one time. After spending three hours watching the doings of loathsome scumbags, I came home and felt the need for a long hot shower. I thought, what kind of person could actually like this? And do it for a living? And our fair city is relatively well run and corruption-free.

Our local Congresswoman is drop-dead corrupt, her bony fingers grasping for every nickel she can extract from her position. My colleagues who have met her exclaim that she is the most gracious and charming woman they have met, and that she is this way with everyone, not just her own people.

When the Cadet branch of the Ruling Party staged that little Government shutdown back in January, the Senior Branch put a gun to the country's head. They shut down the EBT system for one day in one city. The threat was clear: give us all the money we want, or the EBT system goes down everywhere. The Cadets caved, gave the Usurper every dollar he asked for. That's why the Bear is loose, and every Federal agency has gone lawless. He's not worried about any consequences for his actions, he knows the Opposition is both powerless, and on his side.

And yet every single damn day, every single Cadet lies to us about how they are working to secure our Liberties: Bull! They caused this government lawlessness. There is not one single Federal Republican who will tell the truth. Should they win both the House and Senate in November, nothing will change. The Usurper will get everything he asks for, every Federal Agency will not see their funding drop by a penny, and the border flood will continue.

The Opposition is no longer loyal to our Constitution. It doesn't matter that there might be a few good people there. These good people have acquiesced to the depredations of the Usurper. If there is nothing up with which you will not put, then you are lost.

I believe that most people are inherently good, and really do want to do good. My lifelong experience has been that just about all the people I have met are trustworthy and loyal to their families, their neighbors, their community, and their country. Whether we do good, depends on the quality of our leadership. Good people, in spite of their best efforts, will do bad things when they are badly led.

I no longer think that politicians are in that category of "most people". That era is over. Our government has been captured by despicable and charming gangsters, bounders, scalawags, grifters, and incompetent and petty men and women with delusions of grandeur. Along with their assorted courtiers, courtesans, retainers, minions, sycophants and toadies.

We cannot fix this, until we accept this. Moscow rules:
Assume nothing.
Murphy is right.
Never go against your gut; it is your operational antenna.
Everyone is potentially under opposition control.
There is no limit to a human being's ability to rationalize the truth.
Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is an enemy action.

Posted by John A. Fleming at July 18, 2014 11:18 PM

Hmm, I'll say it another way. When I was reviewing those election flyers, what I was really just looking for was someone with enough courage to say something really different. To really take a stand for something.

Instead, it was every one, all 30 or so, vacuous platitudes, mom, apple pie, good government, lower taxes, more fairness, better business climate, cleaner environment, I will fight for your rights. Every damn lawyer shilling for a judgeship sinecure was a violent crimes or gangs prosecutor. There was no distinctive difference between the Seniors and Cadets.

When everybody trying to climb on the bandwagon is saying the same things as the bandits I already know about, that's my proof that the whole stinking lot of them are no good. It's no longer possible to know who's still good and true.

Posted by John A. Fleming at July 18, 2014 11:35 PM