Movin’, movin’, movin’…

I told you all we had big plans, so here we go: Hanlon’s Razor now has its own domain! Again. Please move yer bookmarks and whatnot to…

http://hanlonsrazor.org

All right, let’s get rolling!

Changes coming up.

Be on the lookout for some changes on the site. They’re on the horizon, hopefully within the next day or so.

Dear GOP: Please stop being gay.

Seriously, this just isn’t funny anymore. At first I loved the deep irony of moralizing hypocrites like Mark Foley and Ted Haggard being outed as gay, but then the gay Republicans just kept on coming. It’s becoming a tired running gag, and I just can’t swallow it anymore. Last year saw Florida state Rep. Bob Allen, Washington state Rep. Dick Curtis, Young Republican National Federation President Glenn Murphy Jr., and several other Republicans’ political careers go up in flames in gay sex scandals, topped only by Senator Larry Craig. The latest one is Alabama Attorney General Troy King, already burdened with the name of a gay porn star.

The Alabama AG’s office is still denying it, but rumors are swirling around saying that King was caught in bed with another man… by his wife. Of course, this would just be a plain old boring gay sex scandal if it didn’t have a generous dollop of right-wing hypocrisy. In 1992 and 1993, King wrote several hateful anti-gay diatribes in the Crimson White, the University of Alabama’s student newspaper. Some of his ironic hits:

“The argument can often be heard that what goes on in the bedroom is private. However, it is flawed reasoning to attempt to justify the gay movement in America today on this basis, for they have taken sex from the confines of the bedroom into the streets, the evening news, and now even the front page of the newspaper.

“I often hear the argument that homosexuals who live together create a loving, caring family environment, perhaps an environment which is even superior to that which can be provided by a heterosexual couple. In this day of rampant decadence, many homosexuals would mislead society into believing that three men, an armadillo and a houseplant create a functional family. This is clearly flawed reasoning, which will wilt under scrutiny and should be dismissed as such.”

“To argue that Jesus Christ condones these acts is ludicrous and hardly even deserves a response. Perhaps, Jesus never addressed the issue of homosexuality because the horror of Sodom and Gomorrah still echoed across the ages like the deep rumble of judgment.”

So, naturally, he gets caught cheating on his wife with another man. I can’t even laugh at this sort of thing anymore. It’s not funny, it’s just depressing. I’d like to go half a year without hearing about a right-winger being revealed as a closet homosexual after a career of railing against the evils of homosexuality. I’d love to see just six months tick by without seeing a moralizing conservative’s pitiable hypocrisies laid bare to the world.

At this point, being vocally anti-gay might be one of the best indicators of homosexuality available, outside of actually admitting that you’re gay. Screw enjoying musical theater, watching Bravo, or listening to Coldplay. Preaching about how terrible homosexuality is might be the most direct way to set off a gaydar.

- Will

FISA “compromise” passes in the Senate

You ever had one of those times when you knew something bad was coming, and the slow approach took so long that buy the time it arrives you’re no longer angry, but rather disappointed?

Well that’s what happened when I found out that the FISA bill passed. You know, the “compromise”.

The relatively one-sided vote, 69-28, came only after a lengthy and heated debate that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks. It ended almost a year of wrangling in the Democratic-led Congress over surveillance rules and the president’s warrantless wiretapping program that was initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

…

The bill is very much a political compromise, brought about by a deadline: Wiretapping orders authorized last year will begin to expire in August. Without a new bill, the government would go back to old FISA rules, requiring multiple new orders and potential delays to continue those intercepts. That is something most of Congress did not want to see happen, particularly in an election year.

Yes, a political compromise that ended with a one-sided vote. By the by, what does a “compromise” look like in 2008 Washington? Apparently something like this: all Republicans voting yea, and all of the nays being Democrats.

If that sounds like a compromise to you, then congrats, you’d be great both in Washington and, I suppose, writing for the New York Times.

Hey by the way, Maverick?

Maybe it’s just me, but uh… when the right and the media tout McCain’s “maverick” status, praising him for being independent, aren’t they implicitly admitting that Bush and the conservatives have bad policies, and it’s a good thing to deviate from them?

Thoughts of patriotism on the 5th of July

I was listening to Mike Feder in the car earlier today (I love you, free trial of Sirius), and he really got me thinking about what it means to be patriotic, how we celebrate the 4th of July, and what’s all screwed up about this holiday.

When I was in high school, our choir director used to stop us from applauding people who sing the national anthem. The way she explained it to us is that the song is not a performance, it’s a tribute to the nation and should be time for reflection when it’s over. A moment to think over the sacrifices made, amongst other things.

Feder asserted that this is what should be happening on Independence day. I want to remind everyone of a little line in our national anthem:

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

What does this mean? War. The Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, its lyrics reflecting his pride at seeing the American flag hoisted through the battle. As the explosions raged on, the flag was illuminated, showing that the United States would not back down in the face of attack. It was a sign of courage during a time of great turmoil.

Today, what is the image conjured? Fireworks. Celebratory explosions. Those are our rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in the air.

Our nation doesn’t really think about what it means to be an American any more, or what the flipside of freedom truly is. Conservatives often show a callous disregard for the fate of the less fortunate in economic issues, saying that if bad things happen to the poor, that’s just the cost of living in a free and capitalist society. Somehow this logic has escaped them in the social sphere, where they would happily give up every freedom they have left if it means feeling more protected.

The men who founded this nation were men who realized that freedom was paramount, though it came with inherent risks. When they outlined the basic tenets that formed this great nation, it was in the spirit of freedom and bravery, not fear, that they set ink to paper. When they signed the Declaration, they knew that their chances of personal harm were high, and accepted it in the name of, you got it, freedom.

Not so any more. There is no sense that freedom is what matters most, even if means some bad things may happen. Can anyone here honestly say that the Founding Fathers would have agreed to implement 24/7 spying in order to sniff out any Loyalists that may be in their midst? Would they have authorized a war on every nation associated with England after the War of 1812, given the resources? When Key wrote that song, would he have done so watching American bombs lighting up a tattered Irish flag during an invasion of that country?

I say this not just to spout standard talking points about the current War on Terror, but to think about a flawed attitude that has invaded the definition of “patriotism”.

Al Franken once said that the difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals love America like grown-ups. We believe that true love of America is honesty, criticizing when it is deserved and doing what we can to fix all of its flaws. Conservatives believe that loving America means never, ever, ever saying anything is wrong and never criticizing it for any reason at all.

The only way to show America that you truly love it is to sit back and reflect on what it means to be an American, what freedom means, and what is most important in keeping (or perhaps “placing”, at this point) this nation at the top of the pile where it belongs.

Some seem to think celebrating our independence means eating like a pig and lighting small pieces of dynamite while wearing American Flag printed clothing and giant American Flag hats. I don’t. That smacks of ignorant jingoism that’s more about being flamboyant than anything else. That has nothing to do with patriotism, it has nothing to do with America. It’s just mindless howling with people competing for the biggest fireworks display and who can eat more hot dogs. The sad thing is, it represents where America is today, rather than where America should be.

But, to avoid ending on a sour note, I should say that if I thought it was all a pointless endeavor, I wouldn’t be writing this. I know I’m not alone in this. So join me in quietly thinking about what makes America great, how bad the right has fucked it up over the past eight years, and how important the next four are going to be in making it great again.

More on Elitism

Will’s post gave me a little inspiration. This talk about elitism has always driven me crazy, but the way the phrase has become horrendously twisted is just getting out of hand these days.

The best way I can explain it is to perform a little exercise. Say to yourself the word “elitist”. Think about what this word conjures, to the best you possibly can. Imagine this person, this elitist, in detail. Really, get a clear picture in your head of the stereotypical liberal elitist.

Chances are, your image is something like the following: buys coffee at Starbucks, drives a hybrid, has a degree in liberal arts (or maybe is a professor of some kind), enjoys skiing, drinks wine, enjoys independent movies, writes on a blog, and listens to classical music and NPR. That sound about right?

What’s sorely lacking from that image is anything relating to station in life. A cup of coffee at Starbucks costs about $3, hybrids are pretty cheap, a bottle of wine runs about $12, blogs are free, and music means nothing. There isn’t anything particularly “elite” about what is involved in the “elitist” image.

You know what a true elitist is? Someone who earns seven figures a year and believes anyone who asks for government help is a freeloader. Someone born privileged who thinks an immigrant struggling to make a living is inferior because he hasn’t learned the language yet but took a semester of Spanish in high school and then gave up. Someone with four houses that believes that lower-class people skipping a vacation or picking up a second job just to pay the mortgage is something that just has to be done. That’s elitist.

Somehow the right as taken the “elitist” image not as anything actually elitist, but just as “liberal” in some manner. You can earn $20,000 a year and be an “elitist” according to these guys, so long as you drink fancy coffee and are concerned about the environment. Meanwhile, you can earn $20,000,000 a year and not be elitist just because you drive a pickup truck and listen to country music.

Traditionally, an elitist is someone who is of a higher class or value than others. The elite class would be CEO’s and surgeons, people whose stations in life are, admittedly, more important than office workers, bartenders, and taxi drivers simply because they have a far larger effect on peoples’ lives than others.

Colloquially, elitists are those who believe themselves to be inherently better than anyone else. They may not be, but the point is that they believe that, as human beings, they are of better stock. More realistically, they are people who are completely out of touch with the trials and woes of middle-class Americans.

Now you have to ask yourself, what makes someone out of touch with the concerns of “everyday Americans”? Is it the caffeinated beverages they drink, the sports they play, the car they drive? Or is it when they are in another strata of class, were lucky enough to be in the top 1% of income, and think that anyone earning less is doing so due to laziness? Does drinking a latte make you elitist, or does thinking no one deserves government financial help? Does someone buying a $20,000 hybrid to save on gas prices make them elitist, or does spending $200,000 on a top-level SUV that needs $100 per tank in gas every other week?

Ask yourself that. Your answers may surprise you.

House votes to send impeachment proceedings

Okay, by the by, there’s a lot of people saying the impeachment will gain no traction.ell you all can cram it, the machinations are in motion, as the House voted to send the resolution the House Judiciary Committee. Overwhelmingly.

24 Republicans voted for it.

24.

Republicans.

The list.

From the brit source, the 35 points of Dennis Kucinich. I have to admit I was unaware of a few of these (at least in the sense of his involvement), and at least one I had to Google because I didn’t know what it meant (Article XXIII).

Article I

Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq

Article II

Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression

Article III

Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War

Article IV

Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States

Article V

Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression

Article VI

Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114

Article VII

Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.

Article VIII

Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter

Article IX

Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor

Article X

Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes

Article XI

Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq

Article XII

Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation’s Natural Resources

Article XIII

Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries

Article XIV

Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency

Article XV

Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq

Article XVI

Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors

Article XVII

Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives

Article XVIII

Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy

Article XIX

Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to ” Black Sites” Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture

Article XX

Imprisoning Children

Article XXI

Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government

Article XXII

Creating Secret Laws

Article XXIII

Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act

Article XXIV

Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment

Article XXV

Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens

Article XXVI

Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements

Article XXVII

Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply

Article XXVIII

Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice

Article XXIX

Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Article XXX

Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare

Article XXXI

Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency

Article XXXII

Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change

Article XXXIII

Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 9/11.

Article XXXIV

Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001

Article XXXV

Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders

So basically, if you ever need to answer to someone “why do you hate Bush so much?”, you can just refer to this list.

The British media is on top of the impeachment story.

Just so we’re all aware, the Brits are talking about Kucinich’s stand. But the US media is oddly silent, save fairly buried stories you have to search for yourself.