Wayne LaPierre is paid $970,330 a year.

This may be the shortest essay I write.

Wayne Lapierre and his legal team must possess some of the most outstanding cocksucking skills on the planet, because the NRA sure ain't paying them as an idea factory.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/21/nra-newtown-armed-guards-schools

"Money Is Too Important To Be Left To The Rich"

Who said that? I said that, borrowing from Georges Clemenceau. 

Reading through the catalog notes of the Great Exhibition of 1851 (the famous "Crystal Palace" exhibition intended to display the wonders of modern technology from around the world), I found this dismaying and disheartening entry:

"The absence in the United States of those vast accumulations of wealth which favour the expenditure of large sums on articles of mere luxury, and the general distribution of means of procuring the more substantial conveniences of life, impart to the productions of American industry a character distinct from that of many other countries. The expenditure of months or years labour upon a single article, not to increase its intrinsic value, but solely to augment its cost or its estimation as an object of virtu is not common in the United States. On the contrary, both manual and mechanical labour are applied with direct reference to increasing the number or the quantity of articles suited to the wants of a whole people and adapted to promote the enjoyment of that moderate competency which prevails among them"

I consider it a point of pride that, when Queen Victoria toured the American section of the Exhibition, she found it all "certainly not very interesting", given that the everyday items displayed lacked the grandeur of the tapestries, sculptures, and other luxurious items of neighboring sections. We, as a nation, had not yet engaged in a jaded dissipation, in an exhaustion of resources to coddle and support the idle rich. 

Yes, I said support the rich, for it is my view that we Americans who are in the lower 99% wealth bracket labor to support the uppermost 1%.  It is one of the most insidious pieces of propaganda foisted upon the public that the idiot rich are somehow the "producers" in American society. They are the parasites. The parasites are not brown skinned. They are not Hispanic. They are not Negroes. The parasites are pasty white people sailing on yachts and driving foreign cars, and if things keep on going the way they are going, they are going to be eaten soon.

You have only to remind yourselves that the party of the rich, the Republicans, when they occupied the Presidency and held a majority in Congress, crafted TARP. TARP, keep in mind, bailed out the rich. 

The taxpayers monies went to the pay off the banks' creditors  - those who had gambled and lost. Any ordinary citizen would have been, oh so sorry, better luck next time,  out a chunk of change. But the party of the FYIGM (Fuck You I Got Mine) gave the Wall Street bloodsuckers a do-over. I am astounded, simply astounded, that the American public is not more furious at the big banks, the Wall Street parasites, and the Republican party (yes, I know, the Democrats helped tremendously in screwing this particular pooch, but the Republicans were at the wheel. Obama is going to own this mess shortly, if he already doesn't, but credit where credit is due). 

And all this after a decade of pitifully moribund growth, zero job creation, barely incremental income rise for the middle and lower classes, where the upper 1% saw a completely obscene and utterly disgusting fourfold rise in income, the Bush Tax Cuts made them all even richer. AS if that was necessary. All because we are told that somehow, the rich would throw us a sop, and we poor working slobs'd see more jobs, higher income, and new industries as the rich invested in a productive America. And instead Biff and Buffie's trust fund managers (who Mumsie and Papa appointed so that Biff and Buffie wouldn't blow their inheritance on cocaine and Magic Beans) threw it all down one banker's scam-hole after the next. 

And then, AND THEN, the bankers had the gall to go before the Fed and say "Hey, that's a really nice economy you got there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it".

Talk about a massive restribution of wealth. Talk about in the wrong direction. And yet, somehow, the American public is convinced that the wealth is flowing the opposite direction and it is rampant socialism. What. A. Load. Of. Crap.

Example: Take this piece of shit. Here is the fucking moron who provided the philosophical underpinning of supply-side economics - Arthur Laffer. He should be tarred and feathered for that alone. Laffer complains that allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to lapse is nothing more than soaking the rich, and we shall see such a calamity as has not been seen in his lifetime. Ah, newsflash, Artie, the economy (the one you said was doing GRRR-REAT! in 2007) ain't doing so hot, and ain't gonna see much of a difference if the cuts expire. And if you need an example, look at when Reagan raised taxes in the depths of his recession. What happened? Not much. So, Artie, shut the fuck up. The rich are not managing their (formerly our) wealth very well. Time for someone else to take a crack at it.

It would be nice to see all that money do something worthwhile for a change. Like, oh, I don't know, be invested among thrifty, courteous, honest, productive, hard-working small businesses, so that we could all get back to work again?  

Demarchy

Also known as sortition, klerostocracy, lottocracy, direct democracy. Basically, the idea is we fill representative government postitions by casting lots, in the same way that citizens are selected for jury duty. Ancient Athens occasionally practiced a form of this. I've toyed with the idea from time to time.

Advantages

• It's fair, equitable, egalitarian, and purely democatic. Everybody gets a chance for power.
• Non-partisan. Allows for more 'third party' influences.
• Corruption is eliminated at the voting stage because there is no voting. No need for funds. No influence of special interest groups through funding.
• Voter apathy, fatigue, and non-participation is eliminated

Disadvantages

• It's fair, equitable, egalitarian, and purely democractic. Every idiot gets a chance for power.
• Allows for more 'third party' influences, e.g whacko minority views
• Corruption is not eliminated at the governing stage. In fact, it may increase due to service apathy or exploitation of power (this is in some sense a moot point).
• No accountability.

The reason I discard demarchy would be the big one, idiots in power. Some would suggest, how can that be any worse that what occurs right now? Oh, believe me, it can get a lot worse. Just wait for November.
So, obviously, I'm interested in it from a systemic standpoint. Is there a system of government that has the least amount problems? Is there a way to make government idiot-proof?
And the answer is "No".
Does this make me anti-government? Oh hell no. I mean, there's no way to make anything idiot-proof. Witness Wall Street. And not just September 2008. 1929. 1907. Basically, a Panic and a Depression every ten to twenty years, thanks to "savvy"business types who are not nearly as smart as they think they are. (And please, spare me the "It was the Guvmint's fault!" line of horseshit. The FACTS, and there are whale's buttload of them, do not support that fucking whiny pseudo-libertarian child's excuse of a rationalization. Grow a pair, already, and take some responsibility for your mess, you fucking executive cocksuckers).
Am I anti-capitalist? Oh, hell no. Capitalism is one of the greatest instruments for social change ever created. And if you think about it, only science has done a better job at creating wealth and prosperity.
What am I against? Stupid people. Stupid people in power.
And getting back to the point, come November, you are going to see a lot of stupid people in power. And come 2011, the nation is going to regret. But you know, people get the government they deserve.
You look at the right, because that's where all the stupid people are going to come from, and you see a fucking mess. Long on anger and short on ideas. Fratricidal, divided, cannibalistic, with spokespeople (Limbaugh, Beck, Palin) who I would not trust to wash themselves with a rag on a stick. Theyd' require adult supervision, because they'd do damage with either the rag or the stick, and I don't trust them to wash themselves.
You got the solid core of the right-of-Hitler xenophobic, socially intolerant, immigrant-bashing Southern redneck dipshit faction that views any form of cooperation or compromise as Treason. (Gotta love the South, with their shootin'shit and blowin'stuff'up reeel'good gun and bomb fetishes. So damn quaint, always fightin' the last century's wars).
You got the oxymoronic Tea Party pinheads. They are all over the place, ranging from childishly selfish well-to-do educated idiots, to complete fucking loons, all of whom want to dismantle the federal government, but oh, pay for our social service and fight our wars for us will ya? With no funds from taxes? Thanks!
Let's not forget to mention the incumbents. Rep. John "Who the fuck put the big SPF-15 'L' on my forehead?" Boehner. The truly, deeply creepy Newt "I cheated on my dying wife but at least I'm not a Nazi like Obama" Gingrich. And good ol' boy Sen. Mitch "Fuck you, I got mine" McConnell. Wheezy old John "Geezer and the Dingbat" McCain. Among many others.
Let's not forget Joe "You Lie" Wilson (Seriously, what is WRONG with South Carolina? I know I've met normal people from there, so...???). Farm subsidy whore Randy "Baby Killer" Neugebauer (sounds like a foreigner to me, check his ID). And the latest, Joe "I will, I swear to God, suck BP's dick right here right now before the cameras" Barton. Not a fucking solid brain among any of 'em. Just watery poo in there.
You think country got fucked up from 2000-2008 with the same kind of folks? Let's see what the new crop of pinheads can do in a year!
Please, before it's too late, find some intelligent, moderate Conservatives. They're hiding in someone's cellar someplace.

Stupid Asshole

It's a slow news day for me, so just for the hell of it, I googled "stupid asshole". Apparently, stupid assholes are on my subconscious mind lately.

I don't why I chose to surf for that, instead of, say ego-surfing my name. Again. For the hundredth time. (And there is a John Kurman in Kansas City, MO that I may have to kill one of these days, just so that I can be the only John Kurman on the planet. No. I wouldn't do that. Kansas City Johnny is probably pretty safe, for now, and for reasons that will become obvious in the next paragraph).

Well, the very first entry was a "Are you a fucking stupid asshole?" test on OK cupid. My natural inclination is to say "No. No, I am not", but I took the test anyway. I'm happy to report that I'm only 4% fucking stupid asshole, which makes a generally nice guy, and also puts me ahead of the pack, which averages at 10% fucking stupid asshole.

So, I got that going for me.

Next on the google list are two songs entitled "You Stupid Asshole". One by the Angry Samoans, and the other Mudhoney. Mmmm, am I gonna listen to them? Nah. Moving along...

Next, ah, of course, neighbors complain. Stupid Asshole Neighbor abusing Noise Violation on yelp.com. I'd have thought that would be entry number one.

Next, an email complaint addressed to somethingawful.com. Again no big surprises there.

Next, a definition for stupid asshole on urban dictionary. Do we really need that? Perhaps for all the newcomers to our magic land (And welcome to you!), you know, those not so familiar with slang, or English as a Second Language crowd. So, it nice to see public service entries like this.

Next, another song reference to the Angry Samoans. I guess they are angry after all.

Next, and finishing off the first google page of 685,000: 

"Kanye West and Cindy Sheehan Are Stupid Assholes", from...

kanyewest-cindysheehanstupidassholes.blogspot.com. 

Um, wouldn't think there would be much topical variety there... but I am curious as to how far you can run with it... but no... a quick perusal makes me recommend that you pass on reading. There you go.

Well, not sure where to go with this now. How about I end this with a list of people that I consider stupid assholes. No that would consume too much space. How about a randomly selected stupid asshole? How's that. Kind of in keeping with the thematic content of this journal. And so, reaching into the drum and pulling out a name we get...

Steve Forbes!

Oh, that's a good one. Classic case of evolution in action, as in use-it-or-lose-it. See, this is the end product of  what happens when generations of people inherit millions of dollars without any effort or struggle or thought or intentions involved. You end up with an upper class twit. 

What a stupid asshole.