by Barry Hastings

This is intended to be all about idiots. Yes, and idiots of all stripes. To wit: “I am writing in response to (blank) in the Nov. 27, 2014, Hastings Banner, about people’s animosity of racism toward President Barack Obama.

“This animosity is not about racism. Let me list a few things this animosity is about…”

The writer then continues the old (totally) inaccurate saw about lack of a U.S. birth certificate, a charge of dictatorship for appointing “czars” to cabinets not subject to Congress (there is no such thing), “fast and furious,” “his plan to ship illegal firearms to Mexico” (everyone except the writer and nitwits who published his pathetic B.S. knows this outrage was perpetrated by renegades in a renegade federal agency, and actually started under BCR).

“He traded five Taliban for a deserter. (I don’t believe proper authorities have decided the issue, as yet.) “He has pushed government-run health care, which is opposed by the majority of citizens. (Only opposed by those who have the means to obtain health care when needed, not opposed by the 6 or 8 million now enrolled, who formerly couldn’t afford or obtain decent care).”

This fool goes on to say the President was responsible for an ambassador’s death in Libya, when everyone (who can and does read) knows the fault lies with a House majority that cut protection money from State Department allocations. (President and State Dept. have been cleared in several investigations.)

Next he claims the President allows his “Terrorist friends” in al-Qaeda to operate terror cells here (If this were true, he’d have been impeached, and convicted, long ago.)

Next he blames the President for the sequester crisis brought on by the GOP, and for firing generals (there are many who deserve it, and we’re deep in the merde brought about by their crappy planning, general incompetence, right now). If any of the problem children have been fired, I’ve not heard about it, and I watch for the good news every day. We’d be far ahead of the game had he fired the lot inherited from BCR.

Next he blames the President for firing Chuck Hagle, I like Chuck Hegel (learn to spell his name). If you ever run across this ignorant gentleman from Vermontville, give him a brief lesson in grammar, spelling, and most importantly, discerning truth from fiction.

I actually put more time and space on page one than I’d expected, but the pathetic twerps who run the Hastings Banner constantly print the most outlandish letters; and those from people obviously not well enough informed to hold, or literate enough to expound, any kind of intellectual opinion.

(What a lead-in!) Now the military high command wants to push all the blame for the disastrous BCR oil-prospecting venture in Iraq onto BCR. Where were they when some 30 generals and admirals resigned commissions in protest? These are the folks who caved-in (far too easily) to pressure from Rumsfeld and Cheney (and a preoccupied shrug from Shrub).

(There’s increasing pressure on government to give up on the thrice-failed notion of nation-building. Tried it in Nam — almost 60,000 dead Americans, four, maybe five times as many wounded — failed. Tried it in Afghanistan – judge for yourself. Iraq – ditto.)

I see no reason to continue along the rocky path we’ve trodden for 14 years — spinning our wheels, counting our dead (and horribly wounded) soldiers, to no appreciable gain. In fact, toward much more danger. Every soldier lost (or maimed) in these conflicts has been wasted… wasted. If the essence of war is violence, moderation in war foolish, and ultimately wasteful; then going to war should be all out. Show these folks what modern stand-off war looks like when you’re the one ‘lookin’ up.’ No cojones in our military or civilian leadership. They could end this mess (reduce it to manageable size) in six months – no sweat. But, no balls.

(Downshift.) The Palisades Nuclear plant on the lakeshore is making (bad) news again. They’ve been warned and fined countless (yes countless) times, but keep popping up again like a devilish jack-in-the-box. Now it’s time to close the junk heap down. Risk of the whole she-bang going BANG! increases with each passing day. Further still, with each “event” (as they so misleadingly term these FUBARS). The safety record there is pitiable, except when you consider how many of us live downwind, then it becomes disturbing, and angering.

Capering Chris Christie (as I’ll refer to the big lump, ‘er, lunk, in future) is on the way to making a bid on ‘the big White House.’ I guess he misread the buzz on Twitter and Facebook, responded spontaneously to all the photos of him cavorting with Jerry Jones after Dallas beat the (still to play a whole game) Lions. He wanted to hug Jones, but unfortunately for him (though glorious to those witnesses who seldom get enough to eat), he couldn’t even extend his arms and outstretched fingers an inch beyond his morbidly massive gut.

I see the DSS wants to drug test everyone who applies for help. Very thoughtful of them. They have pilot projects going in three counties, now. It seems they’re trying to keep needy families from applying. My own view is they ought to be randomly drug tested at least once yearly, along with other civil servants; while cops, from constables to state troopers to sheriffs to Police Chiefs, should be tested for both drug and alcohol abuse, regularly, and randomly.

I like the way we force Cuba to release threats to their state from prison, yet we’re holding people in their nation (some for 12 to 14 years) we’ve never even charged. Shoot ’em, release ’em, or foist them off on our Janus faced, fellow-torturing ally, Saudi Arabia. The mess we’re in over there now is largely result of a religious hash long stirred (and funded) by the Saudi King’s billions.

And speaking of his royal highness, his court has sentenced a man who blogged for a more open society there, to 50 lashes a week for two months — in other words, slowly beating him to death, The first week’s blows fell Jan. 15. A witness said the victim was stoic (like wooden ship seamen were in days of old). The best description of the place I can give you, is from a speech I gave during an anti-Shrubwar rally on the courthouse lawn, March 19, ’08:

“Saudi Arabia is where a rape victim will be stoned (and not pleasantly); where a poor man is beheaded for pissing-off a Prince. There the filthy rich wallow in Western luxury goods and vices – the filthy poor wallow in goat dung and chicken droppings — denied every social, political, religious, and educational opportunity and freedom. Our ally, Sauron the obscene.