KBR sucks even more with giving rotten food to troops

I believe in capitalism. No, I really do. Like Science, the practice of capitalism is the surest way to find the vaulue of things, to allow the evolution of good products to win over bad products.

So the basic idea of using private industry in place of some government entities doesn’t bother me. The problem is: it’s not really capitalism, because there are leeches out there that keep getting paid for serving the American public and military badly, instead of being sued and driven off a cliff. I mean, if any other company like KBR (former Halliburton spin-off) was found to be serving rotten food and drink filled with body fluids to people they’d be shut down within days.

But oh, no – not the good people KBR who are serving our fighting forces! Because to punish them would be against capitalism, or some other dumb ass reason out there.

Mumbai terrorist asshats get it totally wrong

This is just wrong. Anyone, in the world, who thinks the terrorists involved in the Mumbai, India killings were in any way justified need to have their heads examined. We now have reports that Jews were tortured by the Mumbai terrorists before rounding them up and killing them. Yeah – great way of showing a “religion of peace”, assholes.

And in case those dregs of humanity thought they were standing up for Islam, it turns out that 15% of the casualties were Muslim. That’s right – the people that these jackasses claimed to be killing for, in the religion they claimed to be killing for, were killing the people they claimed to support. Bad news for them – the real Muslims who don’t believe in murdering people are saying they don’t want these asshats given a Muslim burial.

OK – it’s not much, but – it’s the thought that counts.

The real reason why Republicans oppose universal health care

It’s not just because Republicans believe the market will fix all ills. Turns out, the real reason why conservatives oppose health care reform for the US is simply political – if it passes, then Democrats can have a better claim to helping the working man.

All the way back in 1993 Bill Kristol wrote why:

December 2, 1993 – Leading conservative operative William Kristol privately circulates a strategy document to Republicans in Congress. Kristol writes that congressional Republicans should work to “kill” — not amend — the Clinton plan because it presents a real danger to the Republican future: Its passage will give the Democrats a lock on the crucial middle-class vote and revive the reputation of the party. Nearly a full year before Republicans will unite behind the “Contract With America,” Kristol has provided the rationale and the steel for them to achieve their aims of winning control of Congress and becoming America’s majority party. Killing health care will serve both ends. The timing of the memo dovetails with a growing private consensus among Republicans that all-out opposition to the Clinton plan is in their best political interest. Until the memo surfaces, most opponents prefer behind-the-scenes warfare largely shielded from public view. The boldness of Kristol’s strategy signals a new turn in the battle. Not only is it politically acceptable to criticize the Clinton plan on policy grounds, it is also politically advantageous. By the end of 1993, blocking reform poses little risk as the public becomes increasingly fearful of what it has heard about the Clinton plan.

Wow. So – that’s it? Because it would make the Democrats look better? I mean, ignore doing what’s right for people, or what would be economically useful. Nope – oppose health care reform because it’ll make the Democrats look better.

Asstastic!

People – Peace Corp and Americorps != Nazi

Sit down. Have a seat. I want to explain something to you.

The US military has a job, and that job is “blow shit up.” If someone’s doing the wrong thing that might hurt the US or US interests, their job is to “blow that shit up.” Perhaps that involves dropping some super secret Navy seals to sneak in, find the target, blow the shit up, then sneak out. Or perhaps we have an Air Force jet fly overhead, paint some shit with a laser – and then blow that shit up. Or maybe the Army and Marines find a location of bad guys, go in, and blow shit up.

It is a thankless, dangerous, and patriotic duty to blow shit up in the name of America, and every citizen should kiss the butts of our soldiers and make sure they get whatever health and support they need for blowing shit up in the name of America.

Then, there’s Americorp and the Peace Corp. They’re job is to build shit – the former in America, the latter in the world. Need some houses built for poor people, or some immigration canals, or helping people after a hurricane? That’s where Americorp and the Peace Corp come in. They don’t blow shit up – they build shit up.

Now, if someone (say, President Elect Barack Obama) says:

Today, AmeriCorps — our nation’s network of local, state, and national service programs — has 75,000 slots. And I know firsthand the quality of these programs. My wife, Michelle, once left her job at a law firm and at City Hall to be a founding director of an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that trains young people for careers in public service. And these programs invest Americans in their communities and their country. They tap America’s greatest resource — our citizens.

And that’s why as president, I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their efforts connected to a common purpose. People of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem — they are the answer.

So we are going to send — we’re going to send more college graduates to teach and mentor our young people. We’ll call on Americans to join an Energy Corps to conduct renewable energy and environmental cleanup projects in their neighborhoods all across the country. We will enlist our veterans to find jobs and support for other vets, to be there for our military families. And we’re going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered, and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy.

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

We need to use technology to connect people to service. We’ll expand USA Freedom Corps to create online networks where Americans can browse opportunities to volunteer. You’ll be able to search by category, time commitment, and skill sets; you’ll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities. This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda, and make their own change from the bottom up.

Do you then say that the man is trying to be Hitler? That he’s trying to build up a force of the SS because he wants to enlarge the power of Americorps and other organizations that can be as effective in building shit as the military is in blowing shit up?

Because if you did, you’d have to be one ignorant asshole to – oh, wait, Georgia congressman Paul Broun has something to say:

Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

“That’s exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it’s exactly what the Soviet Union did,” Broun said. “When he’s proposing to have a national security force that’s answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he’s showing me signs of being Marxist.”

Oh, no – calling for more volunteer service in helping the homeless, in producing energy, in cleaning up waste is – the same thing as being a Nazi! Yeah – because Habitats for Humanity is going to start using hammers on the population.

Focus on the Family proves asshattery: Obama’s election like Hitlers

It may have been bad enough when when Focus on the Family prayed for a flood to drown out then Senator Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic convention.

You know – because Jesus was all about being a dick.

But no – they can’t stop there. Turns out now Obama’s election is the same as when Hitler was elected in Germany.

Yes. That’s right – according to Focus on the Family, Obama == Hitler.

So – what happens next? Suppose Obama does well. Suppose that nobody is rounded up and forced to become Muslim or to join Nazi concentration camps in the form of voluntary service programs – will members of Focus on the Family say “Well, gee, guess we were wrong and rather rude?”

Nah. Because then you’d have to admit that you were mistaken. And after all, God never makes mistakes. Or, evidently, his so-called followers.

Wah! I hate early voting – says rich guy

How can anyone have a pet peeve against early voting? Especially when he’s complaining because it was crowded with poor people and they took all of his parking.

Good lord. Teh stupid – it burns.

We’re losing – quick, break the Racism glass!

How can you ensure your entry into Asshat Hall of Fame? Well, how about artificially darkening the skin of your political opponent in advertisements? Yes, that’s right – evidently Republican Erik Paulson of Minnesota is getting help for his congressional seat run from the Republican Party by taking his Democratic opponent – Ashwin Madia (Gulf War Vet) – advertisements, then darkening up the skin to make him appear even darker than the guy already is.

Stay classy, Republicans!

Surprise – voter caging rules may mean vets can’t vote

When some states (like my own Florida) announced they were going to discard voter registration ballots that didn’t meet certain requirements – like not having any typos, or needing a photo ID, it seems that they forgot to see if it would keep our overseas troops from being able to vote:

A part of the problem is that each state has its own rules for absentee voting, and those rules can change in the middle of an election season.

In Virginia, for example, the federal write-in ballot required a witness’ signature and address. That proved confusing for soldiers overseas because there was no box provided for a witness address.

Rokey Suleman, the Fairfax County registrar, initially said he would have to discard 63 votes because voters neglected to provide a witness address.

Are you kidding me? The people who are dying to defend their fellow citizens might be able to vote because some asshat decided to make it harder to vote?

Hey AIG execs: You’re doing it wrong

You’d think after the whole “American people bailing you out for $85 billion, then becoming a scandal by sending executives to a really expensive spa trip“, that you’d learn your lesson.

Buuut – no. Seems senior AIG executives decided to run out on an English hunting trip while asking for another $37 billion in bailout money.

Tally-ho!

HIV spreading gang about to get sentenced

Dude – this is just wrong. The Dutch court is now having a trial about a gang of HIV infested men who set out to infect other people.

I mean – weak. How do you start that up? “Hey, Bob – now that we have AIDS, let’s go spread it around! I’ll be fun!” Yeah. How about not.