The Giant Death Ray

“Might this death ray of yours not also have some, um… military application?”

Hungry Kids & Other Observations

Sorry to carry on the Thanksgiving buzzkill here, but this was another story from CNN this morning that’s both depressing and kind of uplifting at the same time, concerning Sherrie Gahn, a school principal in Las Vegas who is making an effort in that capacity to feed and clothe homeless kids attending the Whitney Elementary School.

But hang on… there’s no poverty in America! Kathy Shaidle has said so, and even if there are a few thousand genuinely poor people (according to her course reckoning from the far side of Jupiter), it’s their own damn fault anyway:

The so-called poor have cars and cable tv and free medical. They live in America in the 21st century, where school is free and libraries are free and a bus ticket to a better town costs less than a bag of crack. If they’re “poor” it’s because they were too lazy and stupid to a) finish high school and/or b) keep their pants on. Jesus had something to say about folks who didn’t properly manage their money or other people’s, and who squandered free gifts and good will. He told the adulteress to sin no more, not to find herself another baby daddy.

And there’s more “conservative compassion” from that classic rant:

No one I know uses food banks. No one THEY know uses food banks. It is a common feature of human nature to think that invisible “other people” must be suffering even though my neighbours and I are pretty much cool. The people I’ve heard about who do spend all their government cheque money on beer then go to the food bank, or dress up as poor people to scam the Daily Bread.

Well goody for her. I must travel in different circles, because I know a number of folks that rely on food banks and they’re far from invisible “other people” — one of them happens to be a very dear friend who’s unable to work and now lives on a modest disability pension. I guess that leaves him out of the privileged group that’s “pretty much cool.”

And, at the risk of testing your patience (or raising your blood-pressure) there’s this gem from the same post:

That’s why I don’t care about the poor. They’re no more real than Bigfoot. Those we and these lefty Christians call “poor” are “poor” because they’ve made a series of stupid choices; spend all their (actually, my) money on lottery tickets, beer, tattoos and manicures; are suffering from undiagnosed but easily treated mental illnesses; had too many kids too young; smoked behind the gym while I spent recess in the library, etc etc etc.

I grew up with them. They were jerks and losers. (Believe me, innocent Lefty Christians: you haven’t met real “racists” and “sexists” and “homephobes” until you’ve spent time with the “poor.”)

Jesus said “the poor will always be with you” and all the crooked exegesis on earth can’t make that line read “you are ordered by Me to eliminate poverty forever using dubious economic theories and your own stubborn yet puny human will power.”

Good grief, what a sanctimonious cunt that woman is. Note how she claims that the poor don’t exist (any more than the mythological Bigfoot), but then immediately declares that she grew up with them, before proceeding to demonize such people (who don’t really exist) as nothing more than useless slackers and immoral reprobates.

Sorry for dredging up Shaidle’s reprehensible old screed, but I couldn’t help bring it to mind when I watched this story, as I do whenever the issue of poverty raises its head in our discourse. Sadly, Shaidle’s morally superior disdain for the “ungrateful poor people” that “are a corrosive on the average heart” is quite typical of the despicable attitude held by the extreme fringe of so-called “conservatives” who presume to instruct us in matters of charity and compassion based on the callous teachings of von Hayek, Friedman and Rand.

What Would Jesus Buy?

Given it’s the day prior to “Black Friday” this seems like an appropriate film to re-visit. Actually, “Reverend” Billy appeared on CNN this morning (where you get “the most news” at 3:00 AM, apparently), but quite unsurprisingly he was just contemptuously scoffed at as being something of a loony crank rather than a clever performance artist on a mission to ween us from our materialistic ways…

Anyway, this is also a good opportunity to plug World Vision and their admirable effort to provide more meaningful Christmas gifts that can really make a significant difference to the lives of others less fortunate, both here at home and around the world.

Idiot Nation: Palin Supporters

There’s really nothing to add to this… Watch and be amazed; or mortified, appalled, etc., as the case may be.

By the way, Chase Whiteside (great name) at NLM provides some sidebar notes on his methodology along with responses to critical points that have been raised in response to the video, so maybe check those out before commenting if you’re offended by the content.

Keiser Report #2

Nice to see that Max has landed a spot on the RT channel after being dropped a while back by the BBC. This week’s show covers some curious scandals behind the global economy — from Deutche Bank shortselling American lives to a Peruvian gang that apparently kills people for their fat — oh, and Goldman Sachs figures into the mix as well; turns out their plan to extend credit to small businesses isn’t at all what it’s cracked up to be.

The last half of the program features an interview with German reporter Ullrich Fichtner discussing the unwinnable war in Afghanistan.