Setting the Record Straight

(bumped up by NoQuarter)

I’ve been debating whether or not to post these thoughts for several weeks now. On the one hand I really don’t want the aggravation that is bound to ensue as a result of what I’m about to write, but on the other hand I have to address what I believe is a disturbing trend in the comments section of this blog.

The boards appear to have been hijacked by some of No Quarter’s most shrill and unhinged readers. Thanks to Larry’s generosity I’ve been writing for this blog for quite some time and have enjoyed interacting with NQ fans, who have turned this corner of the Internets into a thriving community. I’ve noticed that many of the former regulars don’t post anymore. I can’t help but wonder whether they’re disgusted, too frightened or intimidated to express their thoughts.

I won’t mention any names, but some of you need to check yourselves. Those of you who claim to speak for “America” (and you know who you are) need to dial down your Muslim-baiting, your xenophobia and your paranoia. I think some of you took a wrong turn on the information highway. The Free Republic is that way —————–>

There are those of you who are writing about Barack Obama in increasingly hysterical terms, comparing him to Hitler, Castro (pick one – or both if you like), Hugo Chavez, a Marxist danger, a terrorist, a Maoist, a militant Muslim Mancurian candidate…the list goes on and on. Meanwhile those posters also criticize Obama for his thin record and having skipped so many votes during his time of service. How that circle can be squared is beyond me, and quite frankly I’m not interested in exploring the possibilities.

Then there’s the whole George W. Bush revisionist history crowd, who are a) not impressed with or moved by facts and b) eager to “move on” and not dwell on boring old history. One poster wrote that Bush’s decision to invade Iraq will be viewed so favorably by history that he’ll be another Harry Truman. No comment. For those of you who are not part of the tin foil hat crowd, a brief laundry list of of the Bush administrations many, many crimes:

Florida 2000
Guantanamo: a human trafficking operation on a massive scale
FISA
The PATRIOT Act - I don’t think anyone to this day knows how many Consititutional violations are contained in this rancid piece of legislation, passed by a passel of craven “lawmakers” who allowed themselves to be bullied into voting “aye” to avoid being labeled as “with the terrorists”
Turning Americans into sheep, too scared and frightened by orange alerts and other “threats” (which tended to crop up when bad news was about to hit, or when elections were imminent. A coincidence I’m sure).
Shredding the Constitution
Appointing an Attorney General who appeared to have no understanding of the law. Any law. A man who “could not recall” anything that happened over the course of his miserable tenure. A man so incompetent and slavishly devoted to his master that he managed to achieve the impossible – turn the insane John Ashcroft into a sympathetic figure.
Cheney. Rove. Wolfowitz. Feith. Yoo.
“Pootie Poot”.
Strongarming the CIA into distorting its intelligence to fit the agenda.
Rushing back to the White House to sign the Terry Schiavo bill.
Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson.
Max Cleland.
Non-existent unconfiscated WMDs leading to imaginary mushroom clouds.
The most unpopular President in modern history. And that’s just among Americans.

If those of you who come here to be apologists for George W. Bush don’t like what I’ve written, well, I don’t actually give a fuck. Good luck to you. I’m all about moving on but not about forgive and forget, not for the Bush crowd. The country George W. Bush wrecked during his wretched 8 years in the White House is not the country I was born in and not the country my immigrant family chose to live in.