OMG, It's So Much Worse Than We Thought That I Crapped Myself!

Crossposted in my secret diary, which may end up being the only record I ever existed.

When I first started blogging at dKos nearly two years ago, I took a lot of grief (and I mean oodles and oodles of grief) for some of my assertions, such as:

• The US was overthrown by Adolf Hitler in 1950 and has been ruled by Nazi fembots ever since.

• The American military-political establishment has long been guilty of the most heinous crimes imaginable. First, they horsewhipped every living being on Earth. Then they barbecued live kittens on open grills, and drank blood from the carcasses of their own sons and daughters. Then they brought back slavery, added a Holocaust, and nuked every major city on Earth. Next, they forcibly injected millions of people with mind-altering drugs and made them serial rape their immediate family members. After that, they detonated thousands of biological weapons in our atmosphere, releasing a plague that infected everybody on the planet with something like ebola, except that it hurt. Now take all of that, roll it up into a single crime, multiply that by 100, and you can begin to understand the scope of the evil atrocities committed by the military-political establishment just this morning before breakfast.

• The war in Iraq was always about oil. Oil and empire. In fact, the CEO of Exxon personally commands United States troops through use of a chip implanted directly in the human brain. Remember when Stephen Colbert said that Cheney’s fondest pipe dream is driving a bulldozer into the New York Times while drinking crude oil out of Keith Olbermann’s skull. That wasn’t satire!

• The Iraq War was planned far in advance of 9/11/2001. In fact, the American government did the September 11 attacks ourselves, just ‘cause Osama bin Laden was more like Osama bin Lazy.

• The elections of 2000 and 2004 never happened.

• Failure to impeach will ensure the end of our democracy. (Even though, as I have previously established, our democracy was abolished in 1950 by Hitler.)

• The Democrats also barbecue mewing kittens. Except they do it to be cool, rather than out of evil. Everyone knows that evil Republicans are the coolest.

• Bush and his cronies and everyone who supports them or enables them are all war criminals and traitors, because I alone have the insight and authority to legally and summarily pass judgment on millions of Americans.

• We are never leaving Iraq. You know when that radioactive waste Exxon is pumping into Yucca Mountain will finally break down? Yeah. We’ll still be in Iraq.

• We are NOT a democracy. (See Items 1 and 6.)

• The fembots really hate Daily Kos and shut it down two days after it opened. Markos was drug out into the street and shot. Meteor Blades and Plutonium Page remain at large and are rumored to have a hideout in the Netherlands, but they’re too doped out to even remember that Adolf Hitler is running America.

I don’t make these assertions so often or so vigorously anymore—I don’t have to. They are made daily by virtually everyone in the blogosphere—especially you!. You and that old man who plays Pyramids on Yahoo! Games. My "wild-eyed hysteria" is now common knowledge. Reality has sunk in. In fact, it’s far worse than even I imagined. Everything I said already is a fucking picnic, complete with strawberry shortcake, compared to what’s really going on in America.

NOT my America

The Bush Family Gets Away with Crimes That Would Land Anyone Else in Jail

By Chicken Sans Head, CraZy Ass News. Posted November 26, 2007

America has become Biff’s 1985. The Bush family owns the police. My flower garden is dead. There are GOP fembots outside my house. Help—

Tin Foil Net

Even the slow kids are waking up to the fact that we’ve been had. Yep, you heard me: If you’re not buying this shit, you are palpably stupid and probably rode the short bus to school when you were little.

Democrats Are Mostly Just Republicans Who Squirm At The Sight Of Roasted Kitten

By Screamsbee McLoudest, CraZy Ass News. Posted November 30, 2007

Who is speaking for the Democrats these days? Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel. No, not Himmler. Hummel. This Guy.

 Source

While the mega-hyper-hypocrites who lie to us all about everything and who so shamelessly boast of "supporting the troops" are actually responsible for the gravest abuses of our service men and women to have occurred at any point in our history. That’s not actually a sentence, but by now you should be screaming so hard it doesn’t matter.

Also, the Secret Police is evil.

Suicides Among Veterans Prove Everything I Say

By Shameless Heartless Dick, CraZy Ass News. Posted November 32, 2007

Earlier this year, using the clout that only major broadcast networks seem capable of mustering, CBS News contacted the governments of all 50 states requesting their official records of death by suicide going back 12 years. They heard back from 45 of the 50. From the mountains of gathered information, they sifted out the suicides of those Americans who had served in the armed forces. What they discovered is that in 2005 alone -- and remember, this is just in 45 states -- there were at least 6,256 veteran suicides, 120 every week for a year and an average of 17 every day.

Clearly, this means the United States is a fascist police state controlled by Adolf Hitler’s fembots.

Tin Foil Net

And Now, As If All the Cheap Shot Betrayals Weren’t ENOUGH, We Have This Pathetic POS - H.R. 1955

With special thanks to Chicken Little for sounding the alarm on this.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Declaration of War vs. The People

On October 23, 2007 the U.S. Government declared War on the American People. By a vote of 404 to 6, the U.S. House of Representatives approved HR 1955: The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This act designates every American who acts -- OR PROMOTES ACTION -- against the U.S. Government to be a TERRORIST. Simply put: If you've ever said that George W. Bush should be hanged as a war criminal, you sir, are a Terrorist.

Source

404 to 6.  And they did this while no one was paying attention. To pull this off, the Gestapo started wildfires all over Southern California that completely dominated the news cycles just long enough for the U.S. Government (a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Glaxo Smith Kline McDonalds Sachs) to declare war on the American people without anyone noticing. Except ME!! And a few other friends of mine in the ALUMINUM FOIL FREEDOM INDUSTRY!!!!!!!!!

WHY HR 1955 WAS RAMMED THROUGH UNDER COVER OF FIRE

By Potsie, CraZy Ass News. Posted October 29, 2007
© 2007 - NewsWithViews.com

:Dramatic quote that has nothing to do with anything." – Thomas Jefferson, 1788

Last week while the horrific fires were burning up Southern California and every major news network, including cable were providing non-stop coverage, a very dangerous bill to liberty and freedom was passed by 404 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Called the 'Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007'...

Source

Our own government is preparing to wage war on us. So why the fuck are you sitting here reading this? Go steal some weapons and murder your nearest city councilmember. If you don’t live in a city, FIND A CITY.

This is war, which means it is timed for armed resistance against the government. Otherwise we are all going to die. We will probably die anyway. I think I hear Gestapo agents outside my front door. Quick, recommend this diary before it’s too late!

Now, let’s see what’s in this "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act," shall we?

`SEC. 899F. PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES WHILE PREVENTING IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM.

`(a) In General- The Department of Homeland Security's efforts to prevent ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism as described herein shall not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents.

`(b) Commitment to Racial Neutrality- The Secretary shall ensure that the activities and operations of the entities created by this subtitle are in compliance with the Department of Homeland Security's commitment to racial neutrality.

`(c) Auditing Mechanism- The Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Officer of the Department of Homeland Security shall develop and implement an auditing mechanism to ensure that compliance with this subtitle does not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties of any racial, ethnic, or religious group, and shall include the results of audits under such mechanism in its annual report to Congress required under section 705.'.

A Real Link to a Real Source

No, no, no! Don’t read that part. That totally undermines my whole point. Scratch that part entirely and read this part instead:

H.R.1955 Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (Referred to Senate Committee after being Received from House)

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. PREVENTION OF VIOLENT RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM.

(a) In General- Title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 361 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle:

`Subtitle J--Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism
`SEC. 899A. DEFINITIONS.

`For purposes of this subtitle:

`(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.

`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.

`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

`(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term `ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs.

The Library of Congress Thomas

In other words, it’s just like I said: The government is going to kill us. Who qualifies as a homegrown terrorist? Easy. You and me. Or anyone who dares oppose anything the Reich does.

Concentration camps are next:

Concentration camps are next.

If the Senate passes this bill, a lot of us are going to have a hard way to go, and the transformation of America into a fascist police state will be complete. God save the Queen!

See you in Gitmo.
~ TS

...

... ...

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Okay...so, what the hell is this diary about? Hopefully you already have a good idea. If not, then read the Original Diary. I always knew we have our own, homegrown, batshit fucking insane wingnuts here on the left. But I was frankly astonished that such a diary made it to the top of the Recommend list and was roundly praised in the comments.

There is a crucial difference between documenting and opposing the legitimate and systematic abuses of the Bush administration and congressional Republicans, and just flat out making shit up and scaring the eyeballs out of suggestible people who don't know any better. I hope most of us in the dKos community understand that.

Some of the comments in the Original Diary could only have been written by the mentally ill. Why are any of us encouraging this? Why are any of us encouraging people to abandon their own faculties of critical thought and run around in blind terror like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off?

I think we need to keep our wits about us. I hate fear-mongering. It’s the bread and butter of the entire Republican balloon, but we lefties can do it too and I hate it, because it undermines everything we work for by banishing the truth from our discourse and debate.

There is nothing more important in political activism than a passionate desire for the truth, because the truth determines every stand we take and every move we make. When we give in to our fears, the truth withers. Fear is the abdication of critical thought. A little of it can motivate us to learn, but a lot of it sends us scurrying to the kitchen drawer with the tin foil in it.

I have no doubt that, someday, the United States could become a fascist police state. But for as bad as things are today, this is not Nazi Germany and we are not on the verge of being rounded up and packed into concentration camps. And despite the smug, knowing nods of two conspiracy theorists with their heads put together, saying things like that is not smart, or insightful, or at all useful. The sort of bullshit that I read in the Original Diary is so far removed from reality that I wonder whether One Pissed Off Liberal was, himself, writing satire. But the fact that so many people took it literally and emphatically suggests that, regardless, we have a serious faction in our community whose views of the world are as crazy as those of the preposterous people on the right whom we so rightly lampoon for behaving like ridiculous children.

I should not have to point out the obvious. If the tin foil hats were right, then Daily Kos would have been shut down a long time ago. The Original Diary would never have been published in the first place, and, if somehow it had been, One Pissed Off Liberal would either be in custody or on the lam. If even half his claims in the Original Diary were true, then we should be preparing for armed rebellion rather than blogging. If his claims were true, we would have personal stories of family members seized in the night, villages slaughtered, whole communities on the Internet silenced, and all the rest of it. That isn’t happening, because the tin foil hats are wrong.

This diary is a plea to everyone to discourage that kind of behavior. Enough with the fear-mongering! We can scarcely afford it on our own side right now. We have enough problems as it is with the endless schemes of real-world Republicans, the weak-willed Democratic leadership in Congress, and a hugely important election next year.

It was the great popular scientist Carl Sagan who said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Let’s keep that in mind.

•  

  by Marcus Tullius on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 03:51:18 AM PDT

  •  Oh my God, Marcus,

    Priceless, just priceless!

    by Owllwoman on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:01:46 AM PDT

•  Tips and Flames

  Hopefully I'm not the sole voice on this. But, whatever: Let your conscience speak.

  I stayed up half the night to write this thing, so I'll stay for comments as long as I can, but that won't be long.

  by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 03:52:35 AM PDT

  •  Good job

    My sentiments exactly.

    by kuulray on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:13:49 AM PDT

    •  Thanks

      by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:18:08 AM PDT

    •  I read the original

      this morning and wondered how we'd devolved into wingnuts. Also wondered how it hit the top of the rec list. What happened to standards and basic sanity?

      by kuulray on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:19:10 AM PDT

      •  Hmmm.

        So pointing out that the 2000 election was clearly stolen doesn't meet "standards of basic sanity"?

        That's not much of a critique. And 2004? With voting irregularities in several in-play states, and another very doubtful "victory" for Bush-Cheney? Questioning that doesn't meet "standards of basic sanity"?

        All this smarmy, snarky personal attacking  and parodying of the sources and their implications simply does not address the original points.

        All you've managed here is to point fingers and call names.

        Pat yourselves on the back. And don't sweat the scary stuff.

        by Cenobyte on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:38:09 AM PDT

        •  Your Point Is Beside The Point

          I think you are seeing in this only what you want to see.

          I actually do agree, as does a majority of the community, that the 2000 election was stolen--not out of some grand conspiracy but by a stroke of good luck for the Republicans that came from having key allies in the right places at the right time.

          2004 probably wasn't stolen. The tin foil hats showed their evidence, and it was not extraordinary.

          And if that's all you care to address, then you have ignored the main point of my diary, wherein I express frustration that people around here cannot divorce fantasy from reality when it comes to appraising our mutual right-wing enemy.

          by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:22:50 AM PDT

          •  Sinistral, your tone isn't even snarky -

            it's snide. One Pissed Off Liberal made a number of important points, and while you clearly disagree, I'm kind of amazed at the amount of time and energy you put into this Nyaa-Nyaa!! piece. But despite the tone, I didn't want to TR you because that time and work tells me that you feel quite strongly about all this, and, hey, debate and disagreement is what it's all about.

            I think it's fair to argue that the Dems have sold us out. They kept impeachment, in Pelosi's words, "off the table," tried to shut down Kucinich's move to do so, balked for months at sending any real demand for change in Bush's Iraq disaster, caved in on an AG who wink-nudge endorses torture ...

            And I think it's fair to say we're stuck in Iraq. We are. Our government says so, using other terminology, of course, we're building a gigantic diplomatic compound there, and iraq and the US just announced a deal for an ongoing US presence.

            If some of the rest of what s/he said went too far for you, so be it. But, again, the amount of energy you poured into doing little more than making fun of the post astonishes me.

            Yes, I believe that 2000 was stolen. Period. And I think there's plenty of evidence that shows Republican meddling - including the public, caught-on-camera shoving and kicking of Dems and ballot-counting officials in Florida. And in 2004, three states had voting irregularities that then mysteriously resolved into a Bush victory. I wonder when the last time was that we actually elected a president in this country. And that's not beside the point - it's a big god-damn deal.

            by Cenobyte on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 01:06:35 PM PDT

  •  Thanks

    I have stopped reading diaries by the original diarist, so I had to go back and read through it.  Then, I had to go through the comments to see what happens to people who disagree, or who think that it may be slightly hyperbolic to write diaries like the original.  It's never very nice.  

    It's interesting to note that the Goering quote used in the original is actually pretty descriptive of the original diary itself.  

    by otto on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:57:19 AM PDT

  •  "The government is going to kill us. "

    Ha-ha-ha . . . such an absurd idea . . . our government killing us . . . unless of course, you've witnessed the government doing just that.

    The idea that our government is NOT in the hands of fascist neocon thugs is delusional. Opol's post was over the top, however I found this to be mean-spirited and not very funny.

    by bobdevo on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:39:38 AM PDT

•  I get good results with

  lithium.

  by bugscuffle on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 03:57:40 AM PDT

•  Are you really trying to Bash OPOL?

  One of the most loved diarist here on D Kos? Shame on you! If you are not worried by what our Gov. is doing you are brain dead. Satire or not, Your words say different.

  by Owllwoman on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 03:59:36 AM PDT

  •  oh no

    "the most loved diarists" are not to be questioned! Love conquers all (including reason).

    by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:05:14 AM PDT

  •  I am not brain-dead.

    And I am not "bashing" anybody. I am being critical. That is an important distinction.

    Also, I don't particularly care how famous or popular a person is. If they're being dumb enough that it drives me to write, then I write.

    I would hope that nobody here bases their critical judgments on who is the more popular person.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:07:27 AM PDT

  •  and of course

    if you don't think we are a New Fascist Dictatorship you are not worried at all about our government. And you shall be purged from the pure brigades.

    by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:08:08 AM PDT

    •  Well, I will say that, considering your

      recent thoughts on Ron Paul, and the amount of time you've actually been here, I'll have to take your thoughts on the subject with a grain of salt.

      I like the "pure brigades", though.  Has a nice ring to it.

      by Marcus Tullius on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:10:47 AM PDT

      •  he is a radical

        but I am sorry that I don't think he is racist devil incarnate. Feel free to take my thoughts however you wish, no objection here.

        by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:33:40 AM PDT

        •  I believe Marcus' tagline says what you need

          to know about his persona here. I have seen him serial abuse his TR status probably more than any person here, save maybe for user id taylormattd.

          It's pretty funny that a few people here are so self-satisfied with themselves that they would make their absurd obsession with arguing with people on the internets into a lifestyle tagline.

          by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:58:00 AM PDT

          •  You can't be talking about me...

            I only ever had TU status for about three weeks, after participating in a Feminisms diary. During that time, I never once troll-rated anybody.

            by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:29:20 AM PDT

            •  That's all it takes...

              A bunch of comments in one diary and boom, your a TU. I have had it many times but have only handed out one TR since being here, and that was to someone who was throwing blatant personal insults. Oh, and I was certainly not talking about you.

              by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:48:26 PM PDT

  •  Beloved diarist?

    Sounds like a paranoid conspiracy theorist to me. But I haven't been coming here long enough to know whom I'm supposed to revere.

    by kuulray on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:25:35 AM PDT

  •  One can be worried about what our

    government is doing and also be critical of the diary in question.

    One can be worried about what our government is doing and also be critical of any diary or diarist.

    If agreeing with any particular diarist or any particular diary is an a priori precondition for satisfactory opposition to the Bush administration, then a lot of people are going to fail the test.

    I assume that such a condition is not what we're after, here.

    by LithiumCola on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:25:52 AM PDT

    •  Thank You, LC.

      by SaneSoutherner on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:18:52 AM PDT

  •  I love OPOL's stuff.

    but that certainly doesn't mean we can't make fun of it from time to time.  This piece took a lot of effort and is pretty damn funny.

    by Dartagnan on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:51:55 AM PDT

    •  Thanks

      I only wish it was funny. Thanks for the kind word, though. =)

      by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:30:39 AM PDT

•  the histrionics are of the insane order

  any big time dems coming to respond to that diary? Yeah, I thought so. I am about to be dragged off to the "concentration camp". My long dead relatives are turning in their graves.

  by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:06:57 AM PDT

  •  Bill HR1955 in the hands of a next

    repub. president will have an affect on how you blog. It is not only opol that is concerned about this Bill. Democracy Now ran a program on this Bill. After it passes its too late! Have you writen your Senators? This diary opol wrote was about the fifth diary on I seen on this Bill and no one is paying attention.

    by Owllwoman on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:25:45 AM PDT

    •  no, because I don't think it's a huge deal

      there is a reason 99% of the House voted for it, because it is not the end of the World as we know it. Opol can write another 50 times about it and it still won't affect my blogging or change our country into a dictatorship.

      by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:40:05 AM PDT

      •  99% of the Senate voted for the PATRIOT act.

        Just sayin . . .

        by LithiumCola on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:03:44 AM PDT

        •  you have to take each bill as it comes

          but you got a point there.

          by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:07:14 AM PDT

      •  Not the end of the world, still bad legislation

        The attention's not a bad thing, if it leads us to parse the real dangers. Not that HR1955 itself gives the authority to lock us up, the Definitions apply ONLY within the bill, but that it lays the political groundwwork for rapid passage of the Commission's "recomendations" after (next scary incident.)

        I discussed the bill with Russ Feingold Thursday evening, he hadn't read it yet, but planned to when he got home.

        by ben masel on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 09:41:41 AM PDT

    •  and my senators are Hillary Clinton and Chuck

      Shumer who are fine people, and one of them will make a great president.

      by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:41:19 AM PDT

      •  Schumer, apparenty following the Clinton line

        of reasoning and using the argument that perfect is the enemy of the good, endorsed Mukasey for AG.  Mukasey apparently convinced Schumer that he hadn't read a newspaper in 5 years and had no idea what waterboarding is.   Smart guy, that Schumer. Clinton didn't manage to show up for the vote.

        President?  You've got to be kidding!

        by Persiflage on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:59:43 AM PDT

        •  yeah wow I support a popular

          Democratic Senator for President, who actually votes with the rest of her caucus 90% of the time and holds sensible positions. I must be kidding.

          by Chuckie on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:06:26 AM PDT

          •  Voting for PATRIOT was "voting with her caucus."

            Doesn't make it right. The first time, forgivable, the renewal inexcusable. Sure, she promised to return and "fix" it, but I haven't seen Clinton's (or Obama's) PATRIOT repair package. If either does their job as Senators and leads on it now, I'll feel more comfortable with the prospect of their Presidency.

            by ben masel on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 09:45:50 AM PDT

•  awsome diary

  thanks for your rambling insanity this late evening :)

  by soros on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:13:28 AM PDT

  •  damn

    just started reading the last part of this and realized what it was all about.. should have left that part out, took all the fun out of it :)

    I will now go back to reading http://www.timecube.com

    by soros on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:22:25 AM PDT

•  Would it help if I told you that I

  and my 9 and 7 year olds had a good laugh reading your diary? But seriously, instead of spending half the night writing this, why not get out more, meet people, see the world? I'm thinkin' your lack of awareness results from living an overly sheltered and insulated existence. Tin foil hats: very amusing.

  by bottsimons on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:20:39 AM PDT

  •  Er...

    Maybe the reason I stayed up half the night doing this diary is that I do have things to do during the day.

    But, right or wrong, I'm glad you had a laugh. Laughter wasn't really my point with this diary, but I'll take it over nothing.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:33:31 AM PDT

    •  I suppose what I really should have said...

      was that I remember the good old days when I would have agreed with you. Hard, painful, personal experiences changed my mind. But I do apprecite the effort and it was quite good. Just a touchy subject these days.

      by bottsimons on Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 01:17:13 AM PDT

•  Good satire

  and hope it isn't as bad as the diary you mock lays out.

  If you think this administration is not permitting illegal acts to be committed against US citizens you are mistaken.

  The best defense for a conspirator is to have their plan labeled a conspiracy "theory", after all only conspiracy nuts believe in those.

  Who would want to be labeled a nut. Better to just stick your head in the sand and ignore it.

  And pray they are wrong.

  by saildude on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:27:54 AM PDT

  •  Your pithy cliches aside...

    If you think this administration is not permitting illegal acts to be committed against US citizens you are mistaken.

    Yes, had I said that, I would have been mistaken.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:36:38 AM PDT

•  When people who say

  this is a fascist country start acting like they believe it, give me a holler.  Meantime, good diary.

  by bugscuffle on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:28:23 AM PDT

  •  If You Like

    It would be nice to think that people who wear the tin foil hats are just venting their frustrations in a very bizarre way.

    But my experience tells me otherwise: Crazy talk is often the hallmark of crazy people. One needn't be wearing a straightjacket and foaming at the mouth to be "crazy" in that sense, which is the problem we've had with the Religious Right all along.

    I don't want to condone it when it comes from our side, not even tacitly. It's dangerous, and it's also a matter of principle.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:40:01 AM PDT

•  I'm not impressed with your effort.

  Saying...

  I always knew we have our own, homegrown, batshit fucking insane wingnuts here on the left.

  about someome who is, in my view, a patriot of the first order, is more than offensive.

  If you want to argue your point, you can do it without the BS.  

  After the Patriot Act, FISA, gutting Habeas Corpus and Posse Comitatus, authorizing torture, and all the other unchecked shredding of our nation's fabric by this administration and a feckless Congress...it's about time we be really worried.

  Read the darn Bill...

  Sounds like another McCarthy era on the way.

  by Persiflage on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:42:15 AM PDT

  •  Come on

    The Sinistral did a great job spoofing a diary that was way over the top. In doing so he exaggerated. Standard practice in satire.

    by kuulray on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:55:52 AM PDT

    •  Humor distracts from the gravity

      of the situation, Comrade.

      by bugscuffle on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:08:11 AM PDT

      •  Plenty of gravity left. n/t

        by Abra Crabcakeya on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:55:29 AM PDT

    •  What's way over the top

      is the collapse of the appropriate interaction and controls by and within the three branches of our government and the resultant excess of executive powers.

      If anyone is going to be alarmed, I'd prefer they be alarmed about the erosion of our Constitution and the rule of law rather than being alarmed that someone might be paranoid or too sealous in bringing potential problems to the fore.

      by Persiflage on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:40:34 AM PDT

      •  Concentration camps for starters

        Suspended elections. Fascism. Police state. My friend Rio from Chile had to flee his homeland back in the 70's when Pinochet took over. He would laugh at all this.

        by kuulray on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:20:19 AM PDT

        •  I read a left-leaning blog from Singapore

          which comments not infrequently about the U.S., and while he's sympathetic to the issues facing our country and constitution, he does feel the need to put things in perspective.

          

          by BobzCat on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:59:51 AM PDT

  •  I Call BS

    Saying...

      I always knew we have our own, homegrown, batshit fucking insane wingnuts here on the left.

    about someome who is, in my view, a patriot of the first order, is more than offensive.

    There is no other way for me to construe the Original Diary than "batshit fucking insane." I tried, I failed. I couldn't do it. That's part of why I wrote this diary.

    Whether he's a patriot or not is beside the point, and whether he's "batshit fucking insane" in his life beyond his proclivity for writing diaries like that is also beside the point, because, like I said in an earlier comment, I am not bashing OPOL so much as being critical of something he wrote.

    Sounds like another McCarthy era on the way.

    In my original draft I had Senator McCarthy taking over the USA instead of Hitler. (Hence the 1950 date.) But it didn't have the same ring, ya know?

    After the Patriot Act, FISA, gutting Habeas Corpus and Posse Comitatus, authorizing torture, and all the other unchecked shredding of our nation's fabric by this administration and a feckless Congress...it's about time we be really worried.

    I never said otherwise. Like many of the people who support the Original Diary over mine, you refuse to acknowledge the distinction between dealing with reality and running around like the sky is falling.

    The sky is not falling. The real-world abuses of the administration and the Republicans in Congress is well-documented and most definitely is cause for grave concern.

    But a fascist police state? Disappearings in the night? Concentration camps around the corner? Elections canceled?

    Bullshit. That does nothing but scare people, encourage misinformation, and distract us from our legitimate battles.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:48:57 AM PDT

    •  As opposed to just writing about our "battles"

      and putting others down who are articulating concerns...I, and many others here, do a good deal more.  I'm not going to enumerate all those things but it ranges from contributing heavily to working with our elected representatives to get some of these problems solved.

      What you may or may not do, I don't know.

      I know this...58,000 of my peers died in a war I participated in.  It was not a necessary war.  People actually got out and raised hell over it instead of writing about it.  And LBJ, for his many and grievous faults, hadn't done to America what Bush has done and continues to do on the civil liberties front today.

      I'm personally concerned.  If you think that's being over the top, then so be it.  Maybe you'll be asleep on the sofa when then come to get you.  I won't.  Neither, I suspect, will OPOL.  

      by Persiflage on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:14:12 AM PDT

      •  Analysis

        Let's use my little Intent-o-Meter to see what you mean when you said some of these things:

        ~~~
        Statement:

        As opposed to just writing about our "battles" and putting others down who are articulating concerns...I, and many others here, do a good deal more.

        Intent:

        There are two kinds of activists in life: There are the ones who act, and the activists who talk. Activists who act are much superior to activists who talk. Persiflage is an activist who acts.

        ~~~
        Statement:

        What you may or may not do, I don't know.

        Intent:

        The Sinistral is an activist who probably just talks.

        ~~~
        Statement

        I know this...58,000 of my peers died in a war I participated in.  It was not a necessary war.

        Intent:

        Persiflage changes the subject to further bolster his reputation. It has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but the Vietnam imagery is emotionally powerful, much like September 11 imagery.

        ~~~
        Statement:

        I'm personally concerned.  If you think that's being over the top, then so be it.

        Intent:

        Persiflage attempts a straw man maneuver in order to further bolster his own views without having to actually argue them on the merits, while simultaneously discrediting The Sinistral for being myopic and complacent.

        ~~~
        Statement:

        Maybe you'll be asleep on the sofa when then come to get you.

        Intent:

        The Sinistral is just a lazy activist who talks. Activists who talk are dumb and will be the first casualties of our fascist police state. OPOL is right: The US government is already preparing concentration camps, and all the rest of it.

        ~~~
        Statement:

        I won't [be asleep on the sofa].  Neither, I suspect, will OPOL.  

        Intent:

        Activists who act are insightful and alert, and quick. Quick like a fox. Bush and his secret police will never catch Persiflage or OPOL unawares.

        ~~~
        CONCLUSION:

        Persiflage is a Tin Foil Hat, probability 94 percent.

        The Sinistral does not appreciate being taken for a fool, probability 100 percent.

        by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:41:53 AM PDT

    •  You'll also note It wasn't necessary to say

      you're batshit fucking insane,  THAT's over the top.

      by Persiflage on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:15:55 AM PDT

      •  Necessary? No. Appropriate? Yes.

        Abandoning the pursuit of truth in favor of emotional appeals and fear-mongering is what is over the top.

        by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:44:33 AM PDT

•  Outstanding satire

  And, for the record, I like OPOL's piece too.

  by Dartagnan on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 04:48:04 AM PDT

  •  I fully concur

    I rec'd both diaries. This one and OPOL's. Here's why:

    OPOL is always "over the top." He pens hortatories. Because Paul Revere doesn't gallop down the street yelling, "I have it on fairly good authority that we might want to keep an eye on various machinations going on amongst the British - just sayin'!"

    It's akin to poetry - you don't absorb the words as much as you grasp the gestalt of the writer. OPOL feels, as do I, that there's this strange feeling of having woken up in an episode of the Twilight Zone. A grade B monster movie. One day, I was living a normal life, and the next day, I was in some bizarre fictional simulacrum of it.

    This hit home most clearly after Abu Ghraib. I was at a dinner party, chatting with my hosts, and the subject of torture came up.

    No - you don't get it! We simply have to torture some people. Because pain is all that they understand.

    And I'm listening to that and realizing that some essential spirit of our country has been lost. We might as well be the Soviet Union. We've got the secret police. We have people in court being tried for crimes and they are not allowed to view the evidence held against them because the exposure of the evidence that the government has committed a crime is judged to be a "state secret." Kafka had a bit to say about such things.

    So I read OPOL in that kind of fashion - he's yelling that we need to be aware of the sea change that is occurring under out feet, that the water in the pot is approaching a boil. Extreme times call for extreme measures.

    And all that said, this diary had me laughing so hard I was almost crying. Beautiful satire, brilliantly rendered.

    by The Raven on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:40:53 AM PDT

    •  "It's akin to poetry"

      What a great description of OPOL's diaries!
      Not a fan myself, but when you put it in those terms, it makes much more sense.

      by skohayes on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:01:12 AM PDT

    •  course

      the British were on the march when Revere alleged they were.

      by smintheus on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:20:49 AM PDT

    •  Quoth the Raven

      So I read OPOL in that kind of fashion - he's yelling that we need to be aware of the sea change that is occurring under out feet, that the water in the pot is approaching a boil. Extreme times call for extreme measures.

      I think yours is an opposing comment that I can respect and acknowledge. I don't know if you are actually right, but, if you are, then the Original Diary is a little less concerning.

      No less concerning, however, are the comments that followed that diary. But that's not what you were talking about, so I'll let it be.

      Anyhow, glad I could give you a laugh.

      by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:51:57 AM PDT

•  I normally hate "snarky" response diaries...

  Because they are generally mindless drivel...tailor made for the rec. list by a seemingly ever-chortling band of users just waiting to hit that rec. button for rarely funny, never informative drivel.

  This diary, on the other hand, is a well-done response to a diary that (as you have made clear) was actually pretty misleading.

  Nice piece, well done! Tipped and rec'd!

  by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:04:44 AM PDT

  •  I'm not convinced that OPOL's diary

    is misleading, but I do appreciate the encouragement to reflect on it, provided by this satire.

    And this diary is pretty funny.

    I rec'ed both.

    by LithiumCola on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:06:19 AM PDT

    •  I rec'd the first

      and would have rec'd this one because I like satire, but when the diarist goes on and on explaining his satire... that changed it from a spoof to a hit piece.

      Continue to work, shop, eat, sleep, repeat every 24 hours.  The government is here to help us.  Don't worry.

      The Homegrown Terrorist Bills are very dangerous.
      read them.

      by Zwoof on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:12:33 AM PDT

      •  That's fine...

        But danger or not (and I agree that this bill, at the very is pointless and could very well be dangerous) it is clear that OPOL cherry picked which items he did and did not include as part of his diary. It was misleading, because the diarist did not put the bill in its context.

        Even in its context, the bill may very well still be dangerous. But that, sadly, is not the case OPOL chose to make. The case OPOL made was (I think) purposely misleading because 1) It was clear OPOL did read the text of the bill 2) The bill did contain language pertaining to civil liberty protections and 3) OPOL did not include in his diary a discussion of said protection and whether they may or may not be adequate.

        by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:35:49 AM PDT

        •  First sentance should read "at the very least..."

          Oops

          by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:36:49 AM PDT

        •  I agree with redhaze

          I was going to post that I didn't like Opol leaving the protection part out, too, but she said it for me.  

          The bill still needs to be studied and questioned.  What was the purpose of it, if it didn't change anything?

          The smartest politician I ever watched said "Let's go home and give the people a break."

          I have watched Jane Harmon for a long time.  She has been cooling her heels after offending many Democrats.  Guess it was her turn to tighten the screws a little.

          You would have to be crazy not to be suspicious of those who have repeatedly let down the Democrats.

          Fox News said this morning that Republicans were mentally healthier than Democrats.  Could that be because the repugs are nerve wrecking?

          I have read that usually the most insane acting person is not the insane one in the family, the insane acting person is reacting to insanity. I believe that.

          We probably wouldn't be blogging this morning if we didn't care and didn't have a conscience like many on FoxFakeNews.

          by relentless on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 07:18:27 AM PDT

      •  I did read them.

        I didn't say they weren't dangerous.

        by LithiumCola on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:44:49 AM PDT

        •  I'm sorry...

          I didn't imply you didn't read them...or did I? If so, my apologies. I certainly never thought that. If I sounded like I was saying that, then it was my mistake.

          by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:59:41 AM PDT

          •  Oops...

            You weren't talking to me. My mistake again...

            by redhaze on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 07:02:11 AM PDT

            •  No problem :)

              by LithiumCola on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 01:11:26 PM PDT

  •  Thanks, redhaze

    I normally hate "snarky" response diaries...

    Me too, actually. Snark and meta diaries usually make me frown. I'm as surprised as anyone that I wrote this diary at all. Consider it a testament to my sheer astonishment that the Original Diary was written at all, and that it received such broad support.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:55:00 AM PDT

•  I stopped reading OPOL's diaries.

  I thought they were great at first, but then I grew tired of the appeal to emotion.  My reaction became "Well, duh, I get that.  Tell me something new.  Lay it out in boring, irrefutable detail so I repeat it without sounding like a complete alarmist.".

  Some people prefer The Big Picture.  I prefer the hard little facts, the crunchy bits of data.  Overblown rhetoric only reminds me of how we got here in the first place.

  by Fabian on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:58:52 AM PDT

  •  Evidence Is Key

    The big picture is important, but you are spot on the mark that, without the "boring, irrefutable detail," big pictures don't mean much of anything.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:56:45 AM PDT

•  I also expressed an awed wonder...

  ...that OPOL's diary was so far at the top of the rec'd list.

  I'd made a critical comment. When I again noticed the big lead on the DKos front page, I wondered if someone should address that, head-on.

  How nice that you did, swimmingly so.  Even the title was a masterpiece.

  Not like I want to see OPOL humiliated, or something like that; I sincerely don't. I just like the perspective this diary lends to situation.

  Rat own, bruf!

  by razajac on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:12:35 AM PDT

  •  Thank you.

    I know exactly how you feel.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:57:20 AM PDT

•   OPOL does what he knows best:

  to constantly remind us of the inanities of this current regime. A sort of clarion call if you wish. As for Bush, he's 109% Evil, even he is given la gniappe!

  by Asinus Asinum Fricat on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:14:28 AM PDT

•  Oh, God you're so fucking right . . .

  we should just TRUST THE DEMOCRATS TO PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

  THAT'S A PLAN!!!!

  by bobdevo on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 06:17:22 AM PDT

•  priceless

  by smintheus on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:24:02 AM PDT

•  Sometimes the hyperbole on here

  gets a little crazy.  But then, I don't do reactionary.  Never have. Massively overstating one's case doesn't help the cause, in my mind.  Well, it helps in the sense of getting people stirred up, which is a good thing, but at the cost of surrendering realistic analysis?   Not for me, sorry.  Devotion to the actual truth is always our friend.

  (Give it 5 minutes, and there'll be someone along to accuse me of being stupid/uninformed/unconcerned/trusting of the Bushies/asleep/part of the problem/naive.)

  by SaneSoutherner on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:34:18 AM PDT

  •  Rec'd

    Well, it helps in the sense of getting people stirred up, which is a good thing, but at the cost of surrendering realistic analysis?   Not for me, sorry.  Devotion to the actual truth is always our friend.

    Beautifully said. Worth repeating.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:59:11 AM PDT

•  :-)

  thanks

  by terrypinder on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:38:02 AM PDT

•  I see what you're getting at

  but if you have any sense of what the government considers "extremist beliefs" it's not quite so funny. And it's been going on for a long time.

  Oklahoma Christian University was raided and shut down by the FBI during WWI for "radical pacifist activists," i.e., teaching and practicing Christian pacifism.

  It was not so long ago that a group of Quaker grandmothers were monitored and investigated for the similar horrifying crime of being peaceful advocates for peace. Those are just bookends on a half century of persecution of people who simply wanted an end to killing and destruction in the name of extremist philosophies.

  Then there are all the instances of police and FBI (and CIA, although they're not supposed to) agents not only infiltrating groups but attempting to convince them to become violent so that they can be branded as extreme and arrested for real crimes.

  As for the real text of the bill that you quote, I see a whole lot of CYA—why else would anyone write "this law is not to be construed as allowing people to break the law?" Show me where the punishments are. Show me that the people in charge of enforcement actually will. Show me that the disproportionate reactions to people of color will not be justified as "the officer reacting to a sense of danger" or something like that, convenient burying the reason why Black men (to pick one example) are more likely to be seen as dangerous all else being equal.

  It's true, OPOL doesn't go for subtlety and sometimes overreaches. He's going for motivation more than dispassionate analysis. But this diary overreaches the other way. "Trust the Powers That Be" is not a popular opinion 'round these parts and there are solid, factual reasons why not—but that's what you're saying we should do.

  by oldjohnbrown on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 08:43:55 AM PDT

  •  Correction

    "Trust the Powers That Be" is not a popular opinion 'round these parts and there are solid, factual reasons why not—but that's what you're saying we should do.

    I never uttered that phrase, nor its like, not in word and not in spirit. Indeed, my spirit is very much to the contrary of complacent trust.

    The events of the past one year, of the past seven, of the past thirteen, and of the past thirty, all give us excellent cause to hold up the ideals of skepticism and curiosity.

    by The Sinistral on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:02:59 AM PDT

•  Am I chicken little?

  My original post, the one that inspired OPOL is here.
  Hardly "Sky is falling."

  OPOL's piece is not the one I'd have written, but The bill does deserve to be squelched, even if it poses only indirect threats to Civil Liberties.

  I parse the actual, non-hyperbolic problems with it upthread.

  by ben masel on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 10:00:36 AM PDT