Russian Propaganda vs. American Propaganda:

In Russia, where the State controls the media and the Oligarchy loves the President, Vladimir Putin is hugely popular with the masses. In spite of starting new wars, wrecking the economy, destroying jobs and empoverishing millions. Because the media is controlled by his allies.

In America, where the Oligarchy controls the media and hates the President, Barack Obama is hugely unpopular with the masses. In spite of ending two wars, saving the economy, creating jobs and lifting millions out of poverty. Because the media is controlled by his enemies.

See a pattern? Yeah, me too.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

As predicted, “Voodoo Economics” has created a “Zombie Economy”.

This blog sneers ofttimes at “Republicans” and their stupid-f*** “supply-side” economics. (Here is one example of said mockery.) The gist is: tried and true data-based economic practices are the way to succeed, and Randian, Lafferesque Voodoo economic policies are the way to fail.

In Kansas, one of several states that have decided Ayn Rand was the false Goddess they shall worship, Voodoo economics have had the result most of those in the Reality-Based community have predicted:

In Kansas, the right wing has completely run the show in the state capitol since the 2012 elections, when Sam Brownback (who became governor two years earlier) led a purge of moderate Republicans who were acting as a brake on his agenda in the state Senate. Kansas is now a laboratory for what would happen if conservative Republicans gained full control of government. Empowered state Republicans slashed taxes for the rich, arguing that an economic boom would follow. It didn’t, as job growth in Kansas has underperformed the national average (as has Scott Walker’s Wisconsin, another state that moved hard right around the same time). But what did follow was a huge hole in the state’s budget (while liberal-dominated California is running a surplus and paying down debt).. (Emphasis via Cranky)

In state after state, the predicted results have occurred: Voodoo economics have created a sort of Zombie economy. What might seem just a mildly amusing turn of phrase is in fact a devastating blow to those of us not in the 1% (said 1% motherf***ers not being in the least incommoded by the Undead Economy). The economy is limping along, barely alive as far as most of us can tell, and that is not a sustainable path.

In Kansas, Wisconsin, Ohio, and indeed across the nation, we see the results of “Republican” policies: and rotten results they have proven to be. Using millions of people to test their voodoo theories was unethical at the outset, and has since sucked most of the life our of our economy.

Unlike the zombies one sees in movies, our Repub-afflicted economy can be healed and brought back to life. All that is needed is to lay off the voodoo, apply some healthy policies, and the rotting ambulatory corpse of our nation will be restored to health.

And the first step of that cure? Get out and vote. Vote against each and every “Republican” in every race, in every location. Banish the witch doctors and bring back the trained, educated professionals that had served us so well for centuries. Ditch the dream of Supply-Side, and awaken to reality.

That ‘dream’ turned out to be a nightmare the likes of which even Romero could never have envisioned, anyway.

Mr. Blunt and Crankly

Yes, Ralph Nader is still an A**hole.

Nader is a millionaire dilletante arsewipe who took lots of money and assistance from the “Republicans”, deliberately damaged the Democrats, and alternately admitted it and lied about it repeatedly in 2000 and 2004. He hoped ( and said so) that Bush would defeat Gore and Kerry, and worked to make that happen.

Never mind the many thousands who would suffer or die as a result of his actions: Nader wanted a Bush presidency that would be so bad, so destructive, so injurious to the populace that Nader’s own political fortunes would be enhanced. And he got the cataclysm he wanted. In fact, we all got that cataclysm, even though the rest of us didn’t want it (because WE suffered, while his wealthy, privileged a** suffered not one bit). Of course, he didn’t get the political throne he coveted, and thank God for such small favors: but the damage he wrought via the illegal and illegitimate Bush “Presidency” remains with us to this day.

And when he is challenged on his idiotic, un-American, Left-betraying, Right-enabling actions? Why, his response boils down to “I’m right, and you’re wrong.” Pretty much the same thing that the Naderoids (differing from hemorrhoids only in the type of a**hole they are attached to) say, in the main. And if you bring up the facts that are contained within the above hyperlinks? He and his Naderbots either ignore them, embrace them, or deny them, depending on their mood at the time.

And this, Gentle Reader, is the crux of his a**holitude: it’s not that he did stupid s***; it’s not that the stupid s*** he did helped to cause such death, destruction, and exacerbated the economic injustices that plague our society; it’s that he looks at the havoc he enabled the Bushistsas to wreak upon the planet, and STILL says that he was right to do what he did.

Actually, a**hole isn’t a strong enough word for him or his supporters. But it’ll do for getting along with.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Ohio Voters – Dumber Than the National Average

As Mr. Blunt and Cranky has previously opined, the 2012 national election results were a sight for sore eyes: the nation administered the gentlest of bitch-slaps to DC “Republicans” by electing just a few more Democrats. That’ll make it a bit harder for the Boehner Brigade and McConnell Minions to run roughshod over the wishes of the American majority. This should enable a wee bit of bipartisanship. Yay.

Ohio voters, on the other hand, displayed their usual blend of stupidity and selective amnesia by putting one party in complete and absolute control of the government. Yes, a purple state decided to make its government as red as red can get.

This after the Repubs did the following to the Buckeye State within the past two years: handed millions of dollars of public money to a bunch of Kasich’s cronies with no oversight; tried to screw police officers and firefighters out of their benefits; tried to restrict the right to vote; allowed gas wells to be drilled almost anywhere, including next to school playgrounds; and cut the budgets for almost everyone except buddies of Repub politicos. (Note: this is not a complete list.)

So after being boned in such a blatant manner, what did a large percentage of Ohioans do? Why, they decided to elect even more Repubs, so we can can get reamed even more frequently than we are already.

As the song says, “Eh, oh, way to go Ohio”. What a bunch of buffoons we are.

Mr. B & C

Austerity Doesn’t Always Work

Not quite a century ago, America had the Great Depression. The government at first tried to let the free market fix everything, used a tiny amount of stimulus, imposed austerity measures, and made things even worse.  A subsequent administration used huge amounts of stimulus, which helped the economy to recover and made it possible for the United States to avoid being taken over by the German Empire later on. Only a few fringe theorists think that we should have stuck with austerity in that case.

A decade or so ago, Japan had a pretty severe recession. The government decided to impose strict financial discipline and imposed drastic austerity measures. Japan’s economy has not yet gotten back to where it was before the recession, even after all these years, and independent economists have pretty much reached a consensus that austerity didn’t work in that case.

A while back, China had no particular economic issues but DID have huge honkin’ political issues. The government used unnecessary stimulus to distract the populace and is now realizing that they are about to have a recession. Neither austerity nor stimulus should have been used in that case.

A year or four ago, America and Europe got whacked with the Great Recession. America hedged its bets and went with a small dose of government stimulus, and the EU went with drastic austerity measures. Today, America’s economy is slowly (very slowly) recovering while Europe’s is circling the drain. Once again, independent economists are saying that the Yanks’ stimulus approach helped to stop the bleeding, and  the Europeans’ austerity measures have made a bad situation even worse.

So why, despite its lousy track record, do so many of us still think that austerity is a good tool to use in fixing our current financial mess?

Mr. B & C

Romney/Ryan – Out to Steal Nearly Four Decades’ Worth of Our Money

As you’ll recall, the Ryan Budget (which Romney’s people say he’d have signed) would have turned Medicare into a voucher system for people in Mr. Blunt and Cranky’s age group. In other words, if these yahoos win, he will be f***ed out of the Medicare benefits for which he has been paying over the past 38 years.

Do they care? No. These are not people who honor contracts or deals that do not profit them personally. Look at their records and you can see that self-interest is their M.O. They are going to steal  (or perhaps we should say “harvest”?) our money and give us nothing in return. That allows them to shift more money to themselves, their buddies and paymasters; a re-distribution of wealth that would make Nottingham jealous.

You have been warned –  if you are under the magic cutoff age, the money you have sent to Washington in exchange for Medicare will be gone. Stolen by Ryan/Romney and the rest of the “Republican” party. Stolen in broad daylight, and no cops available to arrest them for the crime: because the crime will have been committed by the lawmakers, hence it would be a “legal robbery”. Tens of thousands of dollars of YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH, stolen by the GOP.

Tell me again why you’re voting for these crooks, please.

Mr. B & C