One Gasbag Finally Gone–How Many To Go?

(The Nation) McCain’s Pastor Hagee on Hitler and the Jews
(The Nation) McCain Finally Rejects Hagee Endorsement
(The Nation) Does Lieberman Still See Hagee As Moses Incarnate?

And with the holiday on Monday, we are taking off until Wednesday–catch ya laterz, gaterz

AAAAaaaauuuuuggggghhhhhhh!
Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, our stupid human managed to come down with aspirative bronchitis (something got caught in his throat, he coughed it up and it got stuck in his nose, the whole thing became infected and settled in his chest—blarrrrrghggghhhhh!) and we will be taking off the rest of the week–HEY, we’re SQUIRRELS, we don’t draw that good!–
Fred’n’Bert

Finally feeling a lot better, but unfortunately not up to drawing a new cartoon yet–and I really WANT to draw Scott of the Cathartic, purging himself of guilt for aiding and abetting this gang of crooks in the Administration. It didn’t help finding out that Lorenzo of Lorenzo’s Oil fame just died of aspirative pneumonia, which is the more acute version of what I’ve got. But there’s about 4 days left of antibiotic so hopefully we’ll be clear by then. 🙂

Yes, But Did You Really Want To See Mr. Dymbulb In His BVDs?

I know, I just did a sex-aid pill cartoon a week ago, but the words election and erection just managed to make the connection in my brain. Besides, I’m sick of the Democratic nomination process which keeps going and going. One has to ask what they’re trying to accomplish. In regards to that, there’s a interesting new book Democracy Incorporated by Sheldon S. Wolin (Princeton University Press, 2008) reviewed on Alternet, Inverted Totalitarianism: A New Way of Understanding How the U.S. Is Controlled By Chalmers Johnson, Truthdig Posted on May 19, 2008, Printed on May 19, 2008.

The thesis of the book is that we’ve achieved a brave new totalitarianism, one that developed from a strong democracy instead of a failed one, where lip service is paid to democratic ideals, but a “managed democracy” has taken its place in which the elite yield total power, but no one notices because too many distractions have been given to them. I can’t describe it all in a few sentences, but read the review and pick up the book if it looks interesting. Here’s the paragraph that I was thinking of when I was inspired to this cartoon…

“Another elite tactic of managed democracy is to bore the electorate to such an extent that it gradually fails to pay any attention to politics. Wolin perceives, ‘One method of assuring control is to make electioneering continuous, year-round, saturated with party propaganda, punctuated with the wisdom of kept pundits, bringing a result boring rather than energizing, the kind of civic lassitude on which managed democracy thrives.’ The classic example is certainly the nominating contests of the two main American political parties during 2007 and 2008, but the dynastic ‘competition’ between the Bush and Clinton families from 1988 to 2008 is equally relevant. It should be noted that between a half and two-thirds of qualified voters have recently failed to vote, thus making the management of the active electorate far easier. Wolin comments, ‘Every apathetic citizen is a silent enlistee in the cause of inverted totalitarianism.’ It remains to be seen whether an Obama candidacy can reawaken these apathetic voters, but I suspect that Wolin would predict a barrage of corporate media character assassination that would end this possibility.”

When Your Mouth Gets THAT Big, It’s Hard To Say What’ll Come Out Of It

Oooooo the right wing has a new word, “appeaser”. Seems anyone who talks to a country we have difficulties with is an appeaser. Son of Neville Chamberlain, who tried to prevent WWII by appeasing Hitler. Seems they remember what Teddy Roosevelt said a little differently than I’d heard: Speak loud and if they don’t listen, thwack ’em with a big stick.

Seems Hamas said–quite understandably–that they hoped Obama was elected because it was the only way they could see they might get a fair shake. We’re talking about the people who got kicked off their own land 60 years ago. Happy Birthday Israel. And if you don’t think our country’s policies have been pro-Israel, just read Georgie’s address to the Kenesset. But anyway, both McCain and Georgie took the concept that Obama might actually TALK to Hamas and have turned him into an “appeaser.” Georgie practically accused him of starting the Holocaust single-handedly.

It’s gotten so bad that Christ Matthews has briefly found his brain again and gotten thoroughly disgusted at the way the right wing is handling things Chris Matthews Eviscerates Right-Wing Host Kevin James Over Obama “Appeasement” Claims. Seems this radio “host” is all for calling Obama an appeaser but really has no concept what an appeaser is, except something you don’t want to be. Chris tries to get James to say exactly what it was that Neville Chamberlain DID that made him such a terrible person and the guy literally COULDN’T ANSWER except to repeat and repeat and repeat that he appeased Hitler. See the video on the Huffington Post for a good laugh.

Now I’ve got a word for the Right Wing. Any of you remember back in the school yard? If you had a problem with another kid, you worked it out. Sometimes you worked it on with your fists, but more often you talked through it. But there was one kid you couldn’t work it out with. The Bully. He was the one who never worked it out–it was always his way or get creamed. Oh, you don’t remember? Hmmm, that means you were probably the one who nobody could work it out with–or one of his toadies.

Think it over.