English Swill

Lazy Blogging, Great Message

2012-03-01T08:38:00.002-08:00

Cutting and pasting, hammering away, chopping wood, keep on knitting, etc., etc. etc.

Pick a description, this blog has this title for good reason.

The Paradox of Consistency

2012-02-23T19:56:00.001-08:00

In yesterday's Republican Presidential debate, each of the candidates was asked to describe their character in only one word. A fat, jolly Newt Gingrich called himself "cheerful." Mr. Hair Spray, Mitt Romney, said "resolute." And condom-hater Rick Santorum chose the word "courage."

I don't know about that word, Rick. I did that moralistic schtick in law school, and now when I look back, it seems more earnest than courageous, even though I have fully reconciled my so-called conservatism with the ambitiousness of youth.

As for Newt's "cheerful" and Mitt's "resolute" (a musical instrument?), yeah, well, I guess they picked good words to describe themselves, given the grandiose silliness of Gingrich's candidacy, and the growing sentiment that Romney is a quixotic patsy for the anti-Reagan Rockefeller wing of the party.

Massachusetts? In the political Zeitgeist of 2012? Give me a fucking break.

"Political consistency is a by-product of thinking through sound principles, but the usual consequence of being politically incorrect means putting one's self at a political disadvantage."

Yeah, that one's mine. I said it 28 months ago, and for sure, nothing's changed.

Consistent politics is the anti-thesis of hypocrisy.

The root meaning of hypocrite is "actor." A hypocrite wears a mask. He is a fake, but you buy into the act because . . . well, I don't know . . . do you buy into their act? When it comes to politicians, follow Nancy Reagan's uptake on Betty Ford: JUST DON'T BUY IT.

Ask yourself who appears least like an actor? In this electronic information age, people are more able to identify a fake when they see one, and that may explain a great deal about why some politicians can't "connect" with voters or "close the deal" in spite of overwhelming establishment backing. Our ability to now filter political events with greater speed also explains the volatile nature of national politics and the significant, though misleading, role that pollsters play in the electoral process.

I say misleading because what gets reported through traditional information gatekeepers almost never coincides with the sentiments, the heated sentiments, the actual sentiments, of not just the majority of the people, but the majority of thinking people who work and live for nothing other than peace and prosperity, and not for a guest spot on CNN or for the mother lode of mind-rotting misinformation, hosting a show on MSNBC.

Electronic political talking heads create self-serving expectations. As they sell ad minutes on TV, they routinely make pontifical pronouncements far from and devoid of concrete, economic, retail realities of non-televised, but no less dramatic, experiences of daily life in America. Need an example? Who was Scott Brown 18 months ago? Which party controlled the House in 1994? Who won back the House in 2010? How about 1980? They never see it coming, and that fact helps us keep faith with the ideals expressed in our country's foundations. We don't "cling" to our guns and bibles. We re-load and learn to live by them.

The paradox (or perhaps it is irony, I can hardly tell them apart anymore) is that for all the good intentions of party politicians and liberal government officials to bring hope and change, the real philosophical difference between regular people (like you and I) and the hypocrites we suffer in the media studios and corridors of elitism is ultimately this: they lack grace and they suck at comedy. Congress is despised because the veil has been ripped open by the 24-hour news cycle, so now, more than ever, whatsoever we sow, that we shall surely reap. Right, Congressman Weiner? Since Oprah Winfrey has purchased the U.S. presidency, it may well be time to put aside philosophy, and start learning economic theory.

Whether it is a sign of success, the hobgoblin of little minds, the mark of a professional, or a character flaw in its predictability, consistency works in the echo chamber of political blogging. Ideally, you want to be consistent and also get it right. But striving for such is an altogether impractical (non-utilitarian) path because strategy and tactics lose some degree of relevance. Being consistent and getting it right provides little bang per buck because it is often irreverent and prone to snarkiness.

But it is a path. Getting it right requires taking the high road and continuing to explain with patience and humor that Tea Party outrage is genuine American outrage, and it has not been quelled, and its life-affirming origins rest within the Honesty of a particular philosophical viewpoint.

A consistent one.

A revolutionary one.

How We Got From Metal Detectors to Full Body Scans

2012-02-21T06:46:00.000-08:00

Mr. McCarter appears as a cheerleader for the War on Terror.

When you are a professional liar, just say "I am not aware of that."

Horse Feathers

2012-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Funny things happen when you beat a dead horse with a feather duster. It really annoys the horse, and your house doesn't get any cleaner. Imagine that. Annoyed. A dead horse. A dirty house. I'm no ghost writer, so I beg your pardon for the sarcasm, and apologize in advance for the bizarre metaphors to come.

Using a syringe to inject the minutiae of historical analysis and factual tedium into the cacophony of modern day politics only brings heaps upon heaps upon piles of scorn upon you. And that may be the response one should expect from a culture that prefers to avoid reading and thinking about anything as liberating as a search for truth. You are on a Skyrim quest but without the trophy rewards or satisfying kills. Instead, all your cleric endeavour ends with words blinking on the screen to remind you that no one (save your LORD) is listening. And the words are: "Game Over." You're busted. Again.

Come to think of it, there is but a mist, a veil of recollection, in the lore of the Sainted Days of Reagan, when the people carried the heartfelt sentiments of Goldwater. And, we Americans believed we had faced down the existential threat, the Red Menace, thanks to the mythos of Happy Warrior optimism, and the cock-sure arrogance of a Bruce Springsteen anthem (pre-Nebraska).

Knowing that empires fall, this generation will pass as the blessings we attempt "to secure for ourselves and our Posterity" remain fraught with challenges brought on by the eloquent deceptions broadcast by monied agents of mayhem. The fluttering legacy of Pandora, the hope of one-one thousandth persists in the cloud of the war for hearts and minds. And as the video below clearly reveals, we LIKE war.

Most lawyers are too late, having been polluted by the pharisees of academia, content to be happy idiots struggling for the legal tender. God bless you should you choose to read this brief. Remember the sign that was posted as Dante entered Hades, since most lawyers are hopeless. And because the world of politics remains . . .

. . . Hollywood for ugly people.

© 2012 Roy Barin Santonil

Disclose.tv - George Carlin \'We Like War\' Video

Hijacked!

2012-02-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

This article came from the KOLO-TV web site, reporting about the largest county in Nevada.

"They hijacked the party away from the people. We were winning and they shut it down."

That was 2008.

The video shows late coverage of one Clark County Caucus in 2012, held over due to Sabbath concerns of Jewish and Seventh-Day Adventist citizens.

THINK: Paul won nearly 60 percent of so-called "religious" voters in the LARGEST COUNTY IN NEVADA.

As of this post, the State Republican Party Chairpersons have resigned in both Iowa and Nevada.

Again with the lessons of history . . .

Conservative Image Problem

2012-02-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

If you believe in political labels, you're dealing with this:

versus this:

The big questions are:

1. which side will YOU choose, and then,

2. which side will the U.S.A. choose?

Mitt Obama is a dead end, even according to The Washington Post. Hollywood-types think so much of the future of this country, they are shipping out.

But, we commoners aren't going anywhere. Congratulations, New York.

The Numbers . . . are . . . GROWING . . .

2012-02-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Think for yourself.

Been there, done that.

2012-01-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Stirring the swill with this addendum to "The End of Labels:"

"Whatever the label, the more disdain expressed by the priviliged few, who dismiss serious concerns [by] using ad hominem arguments against deluded crackpots and crazy racists, the more acceptable explication of "what's going on" is not merely missed. It is obliterated. It is denuded, hidden in a shroud of chatter in a game played by so many smart people, each claiming fairly that they are the smartest person in the chat room. Wherever you find them on the spectrum, the pot is not the kettle, and that is the rub. "Old" media has been recognized (once again) as the Fourth Estate and, therefore, another arm of Leviathan oppression. So while the pot and the kettle mud wrestle in a televised cage match to the death, who really cares what is (actually) written?

After only a month of doing it online, a writer becomes aware of how truly unoriginal his thoughts are. He eventually figures out that anyone intelligently interested in what you wrote, to their credit, probably already knew it. They get it. I think that explains why a confession-obsessed personality serves bloggers so well. It's not so much guilt as it is a desire to illuminate. For a writer to achieve his aim, whatever one lacks in originality can be compensated by another equally compelling social trait, a negative one; such as, oh, I don't know, Gruesomeness.

We watch politics for the same reason we watch NASCAR. Or Oprah. Or Tiger making sextuple bogey."

Look away. Look away. Look away.

In My Mind . . . and yours . . .

2012-01-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Performance art takes it to another level, with a sort of Jerry Falwell - Simon and Garfunkel hybrid, emblazoned with the audaciousness of the New South.

Brilliant.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

A "Vision Thing" from the Carolinas

2012-01-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

You shouldn't expect subtlety from a guy named Molotov. Here's the latest from Illuminati Pictures, a very creative bunch out of Durham, NC.

The End of Labels

2012-01-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Doctor is most definitely "IN."

The swill is getting thick, and even if we've already been there, and done that, it doesn't hurt to rekindle the unconscionable.

No School Like Old School

2012-01-15T09:50:00.001-08:00

Less jaded and cynical, college hoops STILL contains the raw emotion that makes us love sports.

Mark Halperin Illustrates Why "The People" Despise The Status Quo

2012-01-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

If you haven't completely waived your right to sanity, perhaps you may need to supress feeling infuriated with the way it is in the world of TV "journalism."

This helping of swill is from 2009, but remains no less dangerous . . . to the status quo.

Halperin's cross begins at 4:48.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This is More Ironic than Freudian . . .

2012-01-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

All You Need to Know About Mitt ...

2012-01-04T06:16:00.001-08:00

He's your man if you want more of the same.

BTW, if you think the Zionist Santorum is your man, ask his nephew.

Here's the little secret you won't hear from the traditional media: 75% of Iowa Republicans don't want the Establishment candidate.

Hold onto your three-cornered hats!!

Monkeys Playing with Fire

2012-01-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

From across the pond, this Daily Mail video makes you feel either compassion or contempt for the other beings shown in it.

Of the numerous 2012 New Year's Top 10 lists on the web, one that I think deserves mention comes from [wacky] World News Daily, a rich source of material for anyone engaged in producing swill. The "Most Ignored Stories" in this age of fluttering attention spans are dangerous material in the minds of a readership lacking the ability to think critically. If you don't have the time to follow the link, here are their MOST IGNORED STORIES OF 2011.

1. The true rate of unemployment and inflation and the real state of the U.S. economy, which is far worse than reported.

2. The Justice Department’s “Fast and Furious” operation, which facilitated the delivery of American firearms into Mexico to violent drug cartels, later used in the murder of hundreds, including a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

3. The organizations and money behind the supposedly “leaderless” Occupy Wall Street movement.

4. The role of leftwing groups and the Obama administration in the fall of Arab regimes and the rise of Islamic radicals.

5. Compelling evidence from multiple experts that the birth certificate released by Barack Obama on April 27, 2011, is a fraud. [note: Will this horse ever die?]

6. The true mission of Islamic groups such as CAIR and other U.S.-based Muslim Brotherhood-front organizations and their infiltration of the U.S.

8. The harmful impact of unions on the American economy. [note: My take from 2009]

9. The looming potential for an EMP attack on the U.S. and its devastating impact.

10. The federal government’s raid of the Gibson Guitar factory.

You may ask yourself, why Golfmage? Why say mean things about people who don't think as you do? I say, imagine having to choose between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama in November. Here is a similar slant, which I hope provides some explanation for the sour attitude: I don't exist.

In Your Heart, You Know He's Right . . .

2011-12-31T12:46:00.000-08:00

"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."

--Macbeth (IV, i, 14-15)

This is "English Swill," partly because of previous rants like the following:

Paul was the ironic foil of the party establishment. Ironic because, like GWB43, no one ever really listened to what he actually said. Mainstream political operatives flooded the information gate-keepers with misconceptions about his ideas, thereby overwhelming any meaningful examination of the words he was using or the substance of his ideas. He can be characterized as an archaic throwback, as most so-called "conservative" politicians are labeled. Yet, to fully understand Ron Paul's candidacy is to address both the connotation and denotation of his words.

The full post from 2009 is here.

Prophet? Politician?

Who cares?

IT SUCKS TO NOT "GET IT."

Entangle Me This ...

2011-12-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

I hear concerns that civil libertarian constitutionalists (sorry, but that's the label that fits) represent a foreign policy consisting of code words like "isolationist" or "disastrous," due to that fact that the consistency required to maintain contextually valid foreign policy requires that we as a nation avoid undermining our independence. Here is a great analysis of how George Washington envisioned American foreign policy, with a key pull quote:

Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence therefore it must be unwise to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships, or enmities. . . . Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European Ambition, Rivalship, Interest, Humour, or Caprice?

That is not merely a wise foreign policy, but a wise way to live your individual life. Don't let's get started on all the money with which we could replenish in our National Treasury once our Imperialist behaviours are banished from our government. Here is a past link from WGS that may or may not assuage those concerns.

For the long haul ...

2011-12-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

Once More . . . with Gusto

2011-12-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

No apologies. This will get the ball rolling. Forget when I said it, and even forget I said it. Keep your eyes on the prize because the story is the same one.