Sandy Andina: Blog

We are coming down to the home stretch of the marathon run towards the first step of health care reform. Conservatives (and those who believe them) are decrying the bill's deficit spending during a recession.  But there is evidence of plenty of questionable expenditures that, had they not been made, might help fund reform, create jobs, lessen the deficit, or even pay our military personnel something more closely resembling a living wage.  We've all heard of the hundred-dollar hammers and thousand-dollar toilet seats, as well as five-and-six-figure office redecorations.  But this latest one takes the cake:
Today I got a letter from the Census Department.  Now, as a good citizen, I've seen those cheery TV spots reminding us to respond to the 2010 Census.  OK; though ads don't come cheaply (even if airtime is granted to Uncle Sam for free PSAs, someone's taxes are paying those actors, techs, and writers as well as the costs of even digitally transmitting the ads to [...]

Sorry about not having anything about which to spout off for awhile--had quite an extraordinary couple of weeks of real life.  (For a period in which tons of political stuff and the Olympics happened, you KNOW real life had to have been a real roller-coaster). So if you want to find out what's been going on with me, visit my "News" page and start with Feb. 15, proceeding upwards at the end of each day.  I promise to start ranting again this weekend. :)

I was invited to join the Facebook group "Those Who Protest at Military Funerals are the Scum of the Earth."  Remembering those awful images of the extremist pseudo-"evangelical" hate groups who chose certain military funerals last year at which to protest and insult minorities, gays and abortion, I surmised that was the purpose of the group and clicked "Join."
I was distressed to read the comments posted on that group's page  (including that of its founder) were directed against anti-war protestors, and was horrified by some of the epithets directed at them ("commie"--misspelled--was among the mildest).  I very nearly quit the group, but after some thought, here's what I posted:
I hate war. I detest our being in Iraq & Afghanistan. I detest those who lied to Congress in order to start those wars in the first place. But those kids coming home in boxes when they were told they'd be learning trades and supporting families? Whether or not one thinks they gave their lives [...]

Well, I've been blathering on for weeks about the need for both teabaggers and disaffected/dosappointed independents to take refresher courses in basic civics and history before as a prerequisite for being qualified to lay into Obama and the Democratic Congressional majority for either "accomplishing nothing," "breaking the promise of change and bipartisanship" or (conversely) marching us backwards into Stalingrad ( or even the Munich Putsch). But at this week's convention of the Tea Party Nation (not to be confused with the Tea Party Patriots, who may actually use loose leaf tea for all we know), former (hallelujah) Rep. Tom Tancredo railed against "those who would fail a basic literacy test in civics, not be able to spell "vote" or even say it in English" having installed "a committed Socialist, Barack.....HUSSEIN....Obama."
Wow.  Literacy tests? Does the man even remember the days of Bull Connor and rubber bullets and arcane Constitutional questions being administered ad hoc against [...]

Today was the opening of the Tea Party Convention in Nashville, which is fueled by anger and fear, and the willingness of the angry and fearful to believe without question the catchphrases that the organizers and reactionary so-called "conservatives" are feeding them. The "movement" was invented by those who created the conditions that led to the anger and fear: right-wing shill and ex-Congressman Dick Armey (R), and coalitions of health insurance companies, industries and ulra-rich individuals that stand to lose the most from real reform.  They financed and created the smoke and mirrors, whipped up the flames, and are laughing behind their followers' backs at the theatrics characterizing this mislabeled "grassroots" movement.

Tea Partiers interviewed outside today's convention--none of them alive during or before WW II--say Obama & the Dems "remind them of what happened with Hitler." To them, I say pick up a history book or talk to someone who was around back then. Hitler rose [...]