Tuesday, July 10, 2018

The Squeaky Wheel



Last week we saw the Fourth of July.  The day we former colonists celebrate our independence from tyranny, while at the exact same time some Americans are embracing it.  I'm sure you're just as tired as I am of the vitriol being spewed by so many these days.  The differences in political opinions were always there for the most part, with a couple notable exceptions I'll get to later, but the volume of the discourse has risen to intolerable levels.  And that volume is disturbing the peace, infringing on rights, and interrupting daily life.  People aren’t playing nice and their volume is drowning out other voices.
I belong to a fraternal organization that has rules in place during meetings to prevent certain potential negative situations.  The annual budget items and elections slate must be published a month in advance.  This gives everyone ample notice to carefully weigh the budget items, and make plans to participate in an election- keeping pet projects and problem candidates at arms length.  
There are no such rules though when it comes to political discourse these days.  While social norms keep most people within the boundaries of proper behavior, we’ve recently seen the complete opposite in the news.  You probably heard how DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was confronted by a bunch of protesters over dinner in a DC restaurant a couple weeks ago.  They chanted/shouted “Shame” like something out of Game of Thrones, accusing her of hypocrisy over her choice of a Mexican meal, while at the same time she was enforcing our laws by deporting criminals at the border.  


The deplorable part of this is the fact that these protesters had zero concern for rest of the people in the restaurant.  The yelling and chanting wasn't some brief intrusion either.  It went on for well over 10 minutes, disrupting the restaurant, the workers, the other diners, etc.  The same type of incident happened a day or two later with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.  It wasn't initially an planned protest, but the owner of the restaurant asked her and her family to leave.  However, when the Sanders family went across the street to another establishment, it didn't end.  

"The owner of the Red Hen -- nobody's told this -- then followed them across the street, called people and organized a protest yelling and screaming at them from outside the other restaurant and creating this scene."  Mike Huckabee on the Laura Ingraham Show.
Adding to the cacophony was California Congressperson (and certifiable nutcase), Maxine Waters who called for the harassment of Trump and levied additional hyperbole to "take Trump out."  She then doubled down on her rhetoric when called out by her fellow Dems by denying she said "harass" and that Shumer and Pelosi were only motivated by a desire to stay in power.  Those on the far left truly believe the ends justify their means, even if they have to lie, trespass on private property, disturb the peace, sign up illegal voters, destroy evidence, lay false charges, stuff ballot boxes and other fraudulent election activities.  All the while accusing the other side of doing exactly what they themselves are doing.  And terms like Resist Trump, and Soros-backed Occupy and Anti-fa movements just exacerbate the problem.  These groups truly are the Brownshirts of today.



Conservatives and Liberals, Dems and Republicans- we're different, I get that.  I have no problem with that.  We're supposed to have different political leanings and opinions.  That's perfectly fine, and often keeps us relatively centered.  Most people get along perfectly well with those they disagree with.  However, we respectfully disagree, and politely converse, if given the chance, to discuss a particular issue and attempt to sway one's opinion, or at least understand the other's.  Unfortunately, the civility isn't typical behavior for some these days.  It's not just the protesting that shows a lack of civility, but it's the dearth of an independent and neutral press, and the almost overwhelming and ever present desire to lie or obfuscate the facts, both for their policies, and to subvert their opponent's.  These acts show a complete lack of awareness that there are different and perfectly valid points of view.  They believe their view is the only correct one, and they can't comprehend that anyone would believe something different.


Another instance is over the Supreme Court's ruling on Janus v. American Federation.  The Supes ruled that compelled support to labor unions, for those in public service who choose not to join and pay said union, was in violation of the First Amendment.   It was really a strike against the growing power of these unions; power essentially bought by donations to political candidates and parties.  What I saw following the decision was a bunch of seemingly canned memes and pro-worker propaganda claiming that people will lose jobs, that unions may collapse, and workers will be fired for joining a union.  Complete sky is falling BS.  The Unions know that the only thing affected is their bottom line (and power to influence), and the left just keeps spouting the lies.

Care for some more lies that I alluded to in the opening paragraph?



But Trump is the racist.


How do Trump and Obama Compare?  Pretty close apparently.  Where were the haters in 2014?  Where were the calls to resist Obama for having the exact same stance other than a border wall?  Why are we seeing sanctuary cities when Obama wanted the same violent criminals deported?

It's because of hate.  Not for the message, but for the man.  So much for tolerance.

The hypocrisy in those videos and among the left is deafening.  In our society, it was never supposed to be the loudest voice that gets to advance an agenda- it was the one that was most salient, the one that was backed by facts identified after careful scrutiny and debate.  Now?  The left and the media are able to bypass scrutiny because of a lazy and "easy-media" dependent public.  People don't read in-depth articles anymore, they just read twitter, watch the Daily Show, or get other 20 second soundbites to help them decide the course of our nation. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but that wheel is now a loud, arrogant, uncivil group that owns the narrative.

At least they think they do.

29 comments:

  1. Spot on Tuna. Since election night November 2016, the never-ending shrillness and vileness from the Left has not ceased..... they will not like reaping what they have sown. Aaannd when I need a good laugh, I watch a replay of a compression of The Young Turks election night melt-down.....that perks me up considerably.

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    1. The Donald is having fun with them also. Here's one of his latest tweets, which is a real side-splitter, at least, to me.

      https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1016079192604139520

      hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahaha

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    2. And, I cannot get enough of watching Joy Reid get that constipated look of amazement when Ann Coulter says Trump would win. It's just... perfect. Goes to show how slanted media is right there at one little clip.

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  2. Great post Tuna. I concur with what you're observing. For some reason either the Left sees an opportunity to somehow reverse the election (which would be illegal and treasonous) or they have completely lost their collective minds. The truth is in that spectrum, somewhere. I blame the media, they have become the propaganda arm of the DNC, and the American people, who seemingly aren't paying attention. But in truth, I think the bulk of the populace knows what's really going on, but we know who's getting all the "grease."

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    1. The media is definitely showing us who is their master.

      And, funny, I seem to remember after the fall of the Soviet Union that records from the KGB proved that the KGB had successfully infiltrated and taken over all of the USA's colleges of journalism and actually controlled most newsrooms.

      So, who was colluding with the Russians again?

      I barely trust the 'right-wing' media. The Main Stream Media? Not a chance. It's bad when the conspiracy sites have more truth in them than the MSM.

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  3. Was it not eight years of "the black guy in office, and worse rhetoric" then? Right, and some people disagreed with that rhetoric then, but it was allowed because of the first admendment then. Why not now? Is this president sacrosanct? Or thin skinned? Or is one party, the way? Come now, recient history shows a great "white washing going on".
    The diatribe against unions, I am a retired unionist. I have one of my retirements, because of one of the union participation. Would the city I worked for, have had a retirement system in place for it's employees, if not for the union? I joined the city in 74, employee retirement plan started in 78, for the department heads, and elected officials, 82 for the rest of the employees, after the threat of a strike. Was the threat fair? No, but, was the denial of retirement fair to the lower level employees? Being a u ion member, gave me a voice, gave me job rules to follow,
    What I see coming, because of the rules changes, more Simon legrees, and unfortunately, more patronism, you support this, and look the other way, when problems arise. The not enforcing the safety, health codes, and mechanical safety codes will lead to more often safety deaths that should have been avoided. With that, pollution death will start to rise, wages will shrink and you and I will be in increasing danger. You will then have to have a fire extinguisher alongside with a food taster, and your firearm.
    Would I say it's the media, no, they are doing their job, reporting. Consolidation of the media? Yes but, calling it liberal? No. Look at the companies and their leadership? Democratic? No. The big item? Hilleries email? Yeah, that's Democrats...

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    1. James, I appreciate your comments, but they are completely off topic. It's not that there is rhetoric being thrown it's how it is being thrown. Disrupting staffers Diner when her kids are with her with constant heckling is completely out of line. There was another instance I did not write about when the president was meeting for a photo op with the prime minister of the Netherlands. Reporters were just screaming mr. Trump, mr. Trump how can you this or that regarding is immigration policies. They were YELLING, this, not at a press conference but just a photo op. Where's the decorum? Sure, people didn't like Obama, but they weren't harassing his staffers out in their public and private lives.

      And I said nothing about the value of unions. I only commented on their huge political power which I disagree with. Unions also have someone been superseded by a variety of well enforced health and safety regulations in the workplace. I I don't believe that without a union public sector workers would not have health and safety regulations, nor would they not get a fair pay or Healthcare. Even Roosevelt thought that collective bargaining by public sector unions could be disastrous for the government. Talk about health and safety, think of what would happen or at least what could happen if the Department of Homeland Security airport screeners decided to not show up for work one day. Or if air traffic controllers did the same. Unions are great at ensuring that profits are shared among workers, but the government doesn't make a profit. Thank you for commenting, but I'm only railing against the volume.

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    2. Got a few typos in there because I'm dictating this into my phone before I go into work. I expect everyone will get the gist though.

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    3. Well, Tuna, the ATC did decide to not show up one day. And President Reagan canned all their asses, and had military people fill in as needed until a new batch could be brought up, or canned ones brought back. So... Yeah... Probably one of his most memorable moments. But that's what happens when a non-strike union strikes. They violated their own accords, so, well "bu-bye!"

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    4. As to unions, ask the former employees of American Airlines how they feel about unions now. Or American Airlines.

      It's one thing to have a union fight for actual safety and fair compensation. But unfair compensation? To the point of ruination of the company that is paying the union employees?

      Like all those places going for $15/hour minimum wage and 'living wages.' All they are doing is forcing the automation of the workforce, which means less workers, which means less union and leftist employees, which means less money for the left, which means they push for higher minimum wages and higher union wages, which results in …

      Unions also destroyed the American Garment Industry. Pretty much destroyed the American Car Industry. They've screwed over Boeing and LockMart, also.

      The days of the Unions fighting for real rights and real workers are long over. Funny, the one industry that might still need a union, the Coal Industry, was pretty much killed by Barky the Magnificent. Fortunately, that industry is roaring back, now led mainly by employee-owned companies, which kinda rules out unions yet again.

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    5. I don't have much against Unions in the Private sector. Both sides have skin in the game and the economics of their market influence the outcome. I am adamantly opposed to unions in the government. It's one hand greasing the other with the taxpayer getting screwed, so Tuna, I'm in complete agreement with you. And...yes...The volume of the Howler Monkeys is way to loud to be condoned.

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    6. I don't have a problem with unions in the private sector, right until they actively work against the companies they supposedly represent the employees of and run said business out of business.

      I also don't like watching the private-labor unions using strong-armed tactics on government to force positive (for a few select individuals) results out of the masses.

      And no union should be able to force members to join. Unions are supposed to be a solidarity of the workers, not a self-governing prison racket.

      Sorry, kinda worked up over these issues. Hope there's some planes in the future. (I miss our noble host just randomly popping up Phantom pics. Or Eagle pics. Heck, I'd take a Starlifter pic right now.)

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    7. There was a time when the unions did a lot of good for the working stiff. Then the union bosses got greedy, and over time priced American labor right out of the world market. Surprise, the jobs moved off shore. The workers were still here, and had to find other ways to survive. A LOT of technical knowledge and manufacturing expertise just faded away. Really warms my heart to see some of it coming back.

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    8. Yep. What you said. We now see the same thing with the $15/hour min wage. Lost opportunities, lost jobs, going elsewhere.

      My experience is that modern unions serve to funnel money into the pockets of union officials and the DNC. It was a shock two years ago when mining unions and some others put their support behind President Trump. I think you could hear jaws dropping from Mars!

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  4. Those people on the left are very smart, smarter than me, I'm pretty sure they know best and have my interest at heart...still...F*ck em!

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    1. Stalin wasn't evil, he was, um, misunderstood, yeah, that's the ticket.

      ;)

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    2. These are not the dead you are looking for, move it along, move it along...

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  5. It’s the freakin’ escalation and further swinging of that proverbial pendulum that disturbs me. There is no longer any reasonable discussion. A prime example on the prog’s side is the rhetoric spewed by NYU students regarding the SCOTUS selection before the selection was even made. Talk about premature ejaculation.

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    1. Planned Parenthood (yet another lefty oxymoron) issued a press release after the announcement of Judge Kavanaugh soundly denouncing the candidate, whom they called "XX." So. So... So stupid. It goes to show us that no matter who was selected, they (PP)(followers of Bael, really) already had the same opinion, the same canned response to whatever happened. This is not learned discourse.

      This level of incomprehensible civil violence towards one side hasn't been seen since, oh, the days leading up to the Great Unpleasantness of 1861. Which is funny, because during the reign of Barky the unMagnificent, when 'we' talked about succession, they (The Left) made fun of it. But now that the Hills didn't ascend to her majesty, They are talking about succession as a viable political alternative to the 'literally Nazi Germany' that this nation is now after the selection of 'Reichsfurher von Trumpenstein' (no, not making it up, one of my many ex-friends who is a barking moonbat but was tolerable in the previous 8 years spouted this out, at her job, at a major university, when I went to her area to do some business, sigh.)

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    2. My bad, it was the Women's March people who pulled off that spartacular piece of un-editing.

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  6. They just keep on keeping on letting their mouths overload their a****.

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  7. And, unfortunately, it has reached the point where the security details will be forced to use violence to protect their charges, and that's when the handle will totally fall off the cart.

    I know, already happened with Scalese, but what I am referring to is the subtle protective detail that is around all of these people that no one really sees, that will react when their primary is threatened. Each one of these acts of uncivil discourse is pushing the sec-det that much closer to, well, pulling the trigger in one way or another.

    It is almost like that is what the victriol-filled arse-buckets have planned. As to why, I do not know. None of us, especially those on the left, are going to like the way things fall out if They do push too hard.

    The truly sad thing is that the Left used the Right's inner sense of consciousness against them. Imagine if the Right had acted this way during Billy Jeff's presidency? I know what would have happened under Barky McMoonbat's reign of terror, there would have been many more arrests, many more seizures of assets, many much more instances of illegal lawfare against us (notice the use of many-more? That's because the last administration openly attacked vocal right-wing opponents using assets of the FedGov including the IRS, ATF, FBI, NSA, the FED and various federal financial regulation institutions, the FCC, and on and on and on. And I can say that without wearing a tinfoil anti-conspiracy hat, without speaking from some hidden location that is actually my mom's basement.) And that whole left beating the right with their own stick stuff is just sad.

    I don't know where this will end up. I hope with the #WalkAway movement now hitting the Dems hard, the more conservative and middle sections of the (un)Democratic party will shed away, only leaving the mad bombers and hard liners left, for everyone to point towards and laugh at. That's what I hope.

    And now, it seems Grandma Hills is testing the waters for yet another run at the Oval Office. Oy Vey! Way to hand the rest of the nation right into Trump's hands, lady.

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    1. I know many of my fellow Blue Dog Democrats are moving right. Of course, we old, grey, and dying out. Damned if I will ever align with the Jeb' Republicans but thinking better of President Trump everyday.

      The late Mike Vanderboegh (Sipsey Street Irregulars)saw this coming. Really miss his insights.

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  8. So do I, miss MV, that is. Cranky, opinionated, sometimes not a nice person. Kinda like me, except he was much more gruff.

    I see the JebReps heading left. They left me. I didn't leave them. And I liked Jeb as the Governor of Florida (especially considering the idiots before and directly after.) He was mostly harmless, which is what I look for in most politicians.

    (Hey, I finally get a neat picture and stuff, yay, it worked!)

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  9. There is much more continuity than people dare to admit in the Bush-Obama-Trump administrations.
    All of them have been villified with reckless abandon by their respective opponents.
    Reality has a way of enforcing kind of continuity as a range of realistic options is often not too wide...

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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