Ten years later the wounds are still fresh, the emotion is still high, the outrage is still visceral. As Americans we mark this anniversary with horror, fascination and dread. 9/11 tore a hole in the fabric of our national psyche that we struggle to patch even now. As we endeavor to mend the damage, are we willing acknowledge facts that we all too willingly ignored at the time? Will we face facts about what those who would terrorize us wanted? Will we spend another ten years believing comfortable but inaccurate platitudes like “they hate us for our freedoms”?

Will it make a difference?

I don’t know.

An honest acknowledgement of fact may not lead to truth but it is a damn fine place to start.

The terrorist don’t give a flying fuck about our freedoms, they don’t give a fuck about anything we do as long as we are doing it within the boundaries of our country. Remember the vitriol that spilled (mostly) from the right when the inaccurate reports surfaced that there would be a mosque built at ground zero? Many in our country were completely incensed that such a thing could possibly be allowed, tempers flared, blood boiled and it wasn’t even true… Not only that, it happened in a country FOUNDED on the concept that free expression of religion is fundamental. Osama Bin Laden objected to American military presence on soil his religion considered sacred. Imagine how simple it was for him to inflame the passions of religious people that were offended that a foreign country is interfering with their lives, in their region, and that these foreigners can easily be defined as infidels…

Cool down, I am not suggesting that there is ANY justification to the horrific acts that took place that Tuesday ten years ago today. What I am saying is that if we aren’t willing to “see” what occurred we diminish our capacity to react appropriately.

The world is NOT black and white, each time we try to distill it to the scope of a GOP talking point we reduce our nation and it’s capacity to the lowest common denominator… It wasn’t good enough then, it isn’t good enough now, it will not be good enough going forward.

An honest acknowledgement of fact may not lead to truth but it is a damn fine place to start.

It’s about time we start.

The most disturbing thing (of oh, so many disturbing things) about the debate over the raising of the debt ceiling is this…

Everyone in leadership on the right acknowledges that the debt ceiling must be raised, yet claims that their “compromise” in the effort is raising it at all…

Or if you prefer (or can relate more completely)

The GOP is selling the concept that honoring the “full faith and credit” of the United States of America is somehow a “compromise”…

In either case, in any case, by any standards, the political right in this country is pushing pure shit and is willing, no, eager to decimate the American economy and the citizens of this country to push their anti-American bullshit… is there a ceiling for that?

This is a very simple concept, and only a simple explanation will suffice… I pondered trying to write this post using only fifty unique words but I am not sufficiently talented to make “I do not like the righties plan I do not like it Sam I am” adequately detail what I mean…

Our democracy is based on co-equal branches of government, when those branches are held by different parties the government cannot enact new legislation unless the parties can reach a compromise that satisfies both sides. In such a case new legislation might not be possible, too bad, deal with it.

The problem comes when action MUST be taken by the legislative branch to continue the basic functions of the government that these disparate players are supposed to be serving. If inaction is not an option than compromise isn’t just an unpleasant reality it is an absolute necessity. The government of the United States of America cannot be shredded by the refusal of elected representatives to participate. The business of the United States requires that those who would pretend to be worthy of inclusion could put aside ego and ideology for the greater good of the nation, those unwilling to do so prove themselves unworthy of their post… period.

Democracy is not unlike herding kittens, progress is never going to be simple or direct, but there are times that all hands must come together to accomplish that which must be accomplished. Refusing to acknowledge that divided government requires compromise is tantamount to abdication of the concept of Democracy. If you have no use for our government, get the hell out of the way, the citizens of this country require more. A government of, by and for the people can only be hijacked for a limited time, when that time is up the pushback will be swift and harsh.

I could not, would not, ever vote.
For taxes on a great big boat.
I will not vote to raise a tax.
balance on the seniors backs!
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
We do not like them on the rich.
We do not like them silly bitch.
We will not raise a single tax.
Despite all of your stupid facts.
We do not like them here or there.
We do not like them ANYWHERE!

Seriously, this is the level of discourse from the right, and the country deserves better.

Republicans are losing ground in the overall political narrative in this country. Republicans understand that they are losing ground, time marches on; progress is slow, painfully slow yet, in the grand scheme of things, inevitable.

Marriage equality is slowly becoming a reality in this country. The first building block in the concept that healthcare is a fundamental right for Americans haa been laid. Racism, though far from being conquered has been pushed to the point that is was possible for a man of color to be elected President of the United States.

Though Republicans may not openly admit their slow demise, everything that they do politically, judicially, legislatively points to the fact that they know it, and are willing to damage any institution to any extent to influence the country beyond the “consent of the governed”.

The fact of the matter is that for the whole of human history minorities have thwarted the will of majorities through methods ranging from force to fear to religion to deception… How much of a stretch is it to accept that democracy would be the next method by which those with power would rob those without of even the miniscule power that they had?

The GOP is better at politics because they literally are the current manifestation of power subverting the will of the people in our era, in our country, in our time.

Now it seems the GOP have recognized that the nation is rapidly moving beyond their traditional talking points and fear mongering tactics God, gays and guns will only serve them so well for so long. Those who benefit from the election and governance of Republicans in this country recognize it even more clearly and they are looking to make the shift in power to last decades longer than expected by enacting policy that not only solidifies their position and power but control the process far beyond the point that they can maintain plurality in representation.

Why else would they push for legislation that requires 2/3 majorities to increase revenues but only simple majorities to cut spending?

Why else would they push so hard for mandatory sentencing, reducing a judge’s ability to judge?

Why else would they push so hard to abolish abortion despite the Supreme Court decision that guarantees access to these services for women in this country?

Why else would they push so hard to codify the signing of pledges for all taking the Oath of Office today and those likely to take the Oath of Office in the foreseeable future?

The GOP doesn’t think they will be able to maintain majorities now they are focusing on dictating public policy until they can be over ruled by super majorities (And by super majorities, I mean ultra, super-duper majorities, these are democrats after all).

Mark my words, the GOP or at least the power behind them understands that the demographics of the country are shifting faster than they could possibly adjust for, they are looking to shackle the legislators now and for the foreseeable future to ensure that they can continue to leverage the power they already possess to the maximum advantage, it has worked so far and unless we act it will work yet again.

I haven’t posted in a while as work and my activities with PLAN have filled practically every waking moment but this cannot pass without my small contribution to promote and amplify a superlative voice brilliantly distilling birtherism into the cold, hard, facts…

This video has some strong language, not that it isn’t warranted. Please take the time to watch… I am willing to bet that you will then be willing to share…

Thank you for your time

We see a very dangerous dynamic going on in the state of Wisconsin, and the state of Ohio, and the state of Florida and, and…

The GOP is selling the meme that hard working Americans should be outraged that hard working Americans have a tiny bit more than they do…

The Governor of Wisconsin proposes to strip all state workers the right of collective bargaining under the guise of a state budget crisis. The fact is that Wisconsin was projected to have a surplus this year before Gov. Walker cut taxes, additionally stripping workers of their bargaining rights will have little to no impact in the short term.

The Republicans have spent 30 years engineering the largest concentration of wealth that has been experienced in this country since the 1920′s and now they want those that have been decimated, stagnated, downsized and degraded to rip each other to shreds for the scraps left over…

Think about this for just a moment.

The median weekly wage for a non union worker is $717

The median weekly wage for a union worker is $917

The median weekly income for the top 1.5% is $4,807

The median weekly income for the top .1% is $30760

So logically the GOP would like to see those at the bottom of the earnings scale angry and outraged at those barely higher on the scale… oh and while they are at it outrage at the unemployed and those crushed by the housing crisis would very effectively control the 98% of this country that is being fleeced by unmitigated greed.

Now that the GOP have come completely out into the open to blatantly advocate for only the richest and most powerful we had better be prepared to go to the mat because if we can’t beat them when they behave like this there is very little hope.

This is a brilliant introduction to the complexity & conflicts inherent in capitalism and asks the questions to start a conversation that is long overdue, trust me, you have the eleven minutes to spare.

See? What did I tell you?

This is where I saw the video http://bit.ly/fpuiSr

Republicans gain political advantage by being better at politics than Democrats. This is a cold hard truth that Democrats are loathe to admit, even to themselves. There are two primary methods that Republicans employ to leverage and consolidate their political power: First they speak to wedge issues that are so emotionally powerful that they separate voters from 90% of their interests and well being for the 10% that motivates them emotionally. Secondly, they advocate straw dog solutions to complex issues creating quick, easily repeatable catch phrases that sound like they might be effective even though they rarely would address more than the smallest fraction of the issue they are deployed against.

In the State of the Union last night President Barack Obama tore up half of the Republican playbook, not by disproving or refuting the ridiculous straw dogs that the GOP have used to such great effect for years, he co-opted them, embraced them knowing that they won’t solve anything but also knowing that the quickest way to prove that we require more complete solutions is to include the bumper sticker solutions so that they can no longer be used as an excuse. Several examples are below and I would not be at all surprised if I missed a few…

Straw dog: “America has one of the highest rates of corporate taxes in the industrialized world”

Fact: The largest corporations in America pay nothing even remotely approaching the marginal tax rates.

Obama: Over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and it has to change. So tonight, I’m asking Democrats and Republicans to simplify the system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the playing field. And use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years – without adding to our deficit.

Straw dog: Freezing spending will be effective at stemming deficits

Fact: Discretionary spending is a small fraction of the budget, cuts or freezes of discretionary spending will have a relatively small impact in relation to the scope of the problem.

Obama: We are living with a legacy of deficit-spending that began almost a decade ago. And in the wake of the financial crisis, some of that was necessary to keep credit flowing, save jobs, and put money in people’s pockets. But now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confront the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. That is not sustainable. Every day, families sacrifice to live within their means. They deserve a government that does the same. So tonight, I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years. This would reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade, and will bring discretionary spending to the lowest share of our economy since Dwight Eisenhower was president. This freeze will require painful cuts. Already, we have frozen the salaries of hardworking federal employees for the next two years. I’ve proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action programs. The Secretary of Defense has also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spending that he and his generals believe our military can do without.

Straw dog: Tort reform will solve skyrocketing health care costs

Fact: Medical malpractice costs and the costs of defensive medicine are a tiny fraction of healthcare spending… Texas has some of the toughest tort reforms and also some of the highest costs per capita for health care.

Obama: Health insurance reform will slow these rising costs, which is part of why nonpartisan economists have said that repealing the health care law would add a quarter of a trillion dollars to our deficit. Still, I’m willing to look at other ideas to bring down costs, including one that Republicans suggested last year: medical malpractice reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits.

Straw dog: Small government is better government.

Fact: Size doesn’t matter, it really is about being effective.

Obama: Let me take this one step further. We shouldn’t just give our people a government that’s more affordable. We should give them a government that’s more competent and efficient. We cannot win the future with a government of the past.

Straw dog: Elite Democrats have no respect for the military, not with their policy and not in their institutions of higher education

Fact: Repeal of DADT proved that Democrats respect the service of ALL those who put on the uniform

Obama: Our troops come from every corner of this country – they are black, white, Latino, Asian and Native American. They are Christian and Hindu, Jewish and Muslim. And, yes, we know that some of them are gay. Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love. And with that change, I call on all of our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and the ROTC. It is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past. It is time to move forward as one nation.

Straw dog: Earmarks are evil and wasteful

Fact: Earmarks are a tool, they are only as evil as the user, also they are a tiny fraction of spending

Obama: And because the American people deserve to know that special interests aren’t larding up legislation with pet projects, both parties in Congress should know this: if a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.

Straw dog: Elites like the President that find fault with America, hate America.

Fact: Caring enough to acknowledge our faults and work to perfect the Union has been the work of patriots for more than 200 years.

Obama: And yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, I know there isn’t a person here who would trade places with any other nation on Earth.

By embracing the Republicans ridiculous talking points the GOP is left with nothing to be for… They had nothing before but now it is blindingly apparent.

I have always been fond of saying that intellectual curiosity is the difference between fact informing opinion and opinion filtering fact. Lawrence O’Donnell exposes the effect with Rep. Trent Franks, ideology renders him incapable of responding to the actual question asked… Watch all the way to the end, it is worth it.

Is it really such a blow to freedom to have to reload after ten shots?

Really, think about it… The answer demands a deeper discussion than we have been having so far.