This page was last updated on September 27, 2015.
INSTANT ANALYSIS: MY TWO CENTS; Carl Davidson; Facebook; September 17, 2015.
You can learn more about BCR’s leftster management here. “Leftster” is the combination of leftist and gangster, inspired by the left-originated “bankster.”
The Republican debate of September 16, 2015, conducted by CNN at the Ronald Reagan Library
For your education and entertainment. Be sure to read the comments as well. The racist and sexist tone of these “analysts” is obvious. If you don’t see the obvious, however, let me know.
Carl Davidson (KD): “IINSTANT ANALYSIS: MY TWO CENTS: Warmongering, militarism and demagogy were the main messages I got out of the second GOP ‘big debate.’ I’ll leave it to others to figure out who, among the 11 candidates, moved up a notch or down a notch, although the newcomer, Carly Fiorino, clearly put Donald Trump a bit on the defensive. Still, nine of the 11 vied with each other to promise more war, more US troops in the Middle East, and vastly more sums going down the tubes to feed the US military industrial complex.
“Much of that discussion, however, had an utterly bizarre quality. The US has the largest and strongest military than most other major powers combined. Yet to listen to this crew, you’d think we were creaking along with old biplanes and steamboats. Every one of them wanted to pour a vast amount of money down that rat hole, yet while slashing taxes every which way.
“They all blamed Obama for this imaginary weakened military, obviously counting on an assumption that not only all of them believed their own rhetoric, but everyone else in the country did too. Not only did they want to expand the military, they also wanted to use it more, taking on Russia and China, as well as the usual whipping boys, Iran and North Korea.
“There were two exceptions. Senator Rand Paul, in this context, sounded like a peaceful non-interventionist dove reminding them that running around the world invading countries and blowing things up had consequences, and many times such adventures backfired. Governor John Kasich of Ohio reminded them that, in order to get your way, it was helpful to have a few allies.
“But the main theme was clear: however much Hillary Clinton wanted to be ‘tougher’ than Obama, she was still an incompetent wimp, and the GOP was the party of forcing the entire world to submit to US hegemony through war and threats of war.
“The phrase ‘no one can bully us’ came up, with the subtext that we would be the unsurpassed bullies. This caused me to thInk a bit about Trump, and why the accusation against him that he was a ‘bully’ was having so little effect. One reason is that a good number of Americans, especially in the GOP demographics, actually like being bullies. It’s part of the ‘superpower mentality’ we take in with our mother’s milk, that ‘we’re the greatest country in the world’ (by what standards?) or that ‘we’re the leader of the world’ (by whose decision?). So attacking these guys as ‘bullies,’ well, it usually just gets you a ‘USA!, USA!’ chant in response. It’s seen as a compliment.
“Everyone, of course, is going to do wonders for the middle class. First, by getting rid of health care. Second, by cutting back social security. Third, by getting rid of whatever labor unions are left. Fourth, by abolishing the IRS and all corporate taxes, leaving only sales taxes or a flat tax of 14 % on all incomes. (Graduated income taxes, you see, are ‘socialism’). Fifth, by shutting down Planned Parenthood. And finally, by getting rid of all those pesky environmental regulations. Business will then be unfettered, with the ‘rising tide lifting all boats.’
“In other words, we’ll save the working class with more austerity, and by the way, toxic sludge is good for you.
“It’s out of Alice in Wonderland, and makes you wonder what these folks are smoking. That was the only comic relief of the night, when Rand Paul defended Colorado’s legalization of pot, while Jeb Bush admitted he inhaled in high school. Paul correctly got on his case for the hypocrisy of letting rich kids off the hook for smoking reefer, while poor and Black kids were put in the slammer. It was probably the main real world exchange of the evening.”
As always, be sure to check the debate transcript before you accept as fact anything KD – or anyone else – claims the participants said. You’ll read why in the next paragraph.
Here’s an example why fact-checking is important. One of KD’s followers wrote,
“Scary ( among so many terrifying comments) to hear two doctors go for vaccines should be individual decisions and autism was created by over vaccinating. These people really sound mentally ill.”
Read the transcript and you find the contributor was “mistaken.” Ben Carson said, “we have extremely well-documented proof that there’s no autism associated with vaccinations” and autism wasn’t among Rand Paul’s vaccine-related comments. Both doctors expressed concern about bunching vaccinations in too short a period of time, but neither said anything about “over vaccinating.”
As for “vaccines should be individual decisions,” Dr. Carson said, “Vaccines are very important. Certain ones. The ones that would prevent death or crippling. There are others, there are a multitude of vaccines which probably don’t fit in that category, and there should be some discretion in those cases. But, you know, a lot of this is -- is -- is pushed by big government.”
Dr. Paul said, “One of the greatest -- one of the greatest medical discoveries of all times was -- were the vaccines, particularly for smallpox. And if you want to read a story, it’s called The Speckled Monster, it’s an amazing story, it was all done voluntary. But people came in by the droves. George Washington wouldn’t let his wife visit until she got vaccinated. So I’m all for vaccines. But I’m also for freedom. I’m also a little concerned about how they’re bunched up. My kids had all of their vaccines, and even if the science doesn’t say bunching them up is a problem, I ought to have the right to spread out my vaccines out a little bit at the very least.” I thought the Washington comment could have been gilding the lily, but according to MarthaWashington.us, “Before she could make the first trip, however, Martha had to undergo her own ordeal. She had to be inoculated for smallpox. Smallpox was one of the most deadly enemies soldiers faced during wartime. After successfully weathering the inoculation, Martha could then travel to the soldiers’ camp without fear of contracting the disease or transmitting it to others.”
If anyone’s “mentally ill,” perhaps it’s KD’s follower who heard Drs. Carson and Paul say things they did not.
In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity. <g>
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