I said I would move our debate forward…ummm, I lied.  I’m not saying liberals are the answer, Crankster—I never have—I’m just saying your group is almost certainly never the answer, unless the question is “my toilet’s stopped up.”  I’m Kidding!!  I have those eco-friendly no-flush types. I’m also going to refrain from any-and-all Joe the Dumber jokes. 

For the last time: I don’t identify myself as a liberal, mainly because I’m not.   See? That’s the problem:  you still identify yourself as a Republican, worse yet a Fox Republican.  You have tried to pigeonhole me and have failed.  Meanwhile, pigeonholing a Fox Republican is like finding neon on the Las Vegas Strip.

Fox Republicans  = correct about 20% of the time, typical Republicans = correct about 30%, Democrats =  correct about 30% of the time.  Zano correct = ummm, what’s left (hint: that’s higher math and we don’t fund that anymore).

Didn’t you ever wonder why I predict things better than Fox or MSNBC?  I’m guessing not… for that would require that pesky independent thought again. Let’s start thinking of new words for Conservative, Democrat, Liberal, Progressive, because those labels carry more baggage than  See any Rep. Weiner tweet.  That’s why I agree with the Atlantic’s of no party or clique theme, and that’s why I am a proud member of the Transcosmetic Party here at the Daily Discord (three members and growing).  

Case in point, those four “liberals” at your last family dinner party, er….if I’m not mistaken (and I’m not), three of the four of them voted for Bush the first round.  Those crazy libs!  Only difference? They, unlike you, have figured some things out waaaaaaaaaay before dessert, in fact, almost ten years before dessert (hint: maybe they didn’t shift left).  Isn’t it just possible they refused to take the last train to Palinville? 

“I’m really in the middle,” you once said to me.  In the middle of what? If you were an alien looking at the sun from any direction, you would still be so far friggin right of the Ort Cloud it would take a full season of Voyager to find your way back to Earth (see, I can do Trek references too).

There is no compromise on the far right and very little understanding.  Case in point, what Biden said recently is the sad reality, we need a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes, much like my plan.  So end the damn Bush tax cuts already and then we’ll talk.  I’m only saying this because we are waaaay too far in debt to sustain them.

Let’s do this from an individual perspective… let’s say you decide to put one war on your credit card, because, boy, that war would be really cool!  I just have to have it.  And then you charge a second war on your credit card because, damn, Shock and Awe time, baby, we’re America! Then you throw in a prescription drug plan to pander to Florida voters—all unpaid for—and then, amidst this spending spree, you decide to expand the government more than anyone else ever has in our two hundred and thirty five year history…  That pretty much sums up the Bush years.  Oh, and this is the part that pertains to the now, Crank, here’s today’s Republicans:

“Ummm, I don’t even want to pay the minimum anymore on my credit card balance, because it stifles the free market, so let’s extend the Bush tax cuts indefinitely.”

If you can’t see why this line of “thinking” is not at least part of the problem today, I’ll give you one Crank-style all caps hint: CHINA CAN!

Last week on Fox, Bill Hemmer, refused—absolutely refused—to let Alan Colmes complete his sentence. So I will invoke a Bill Maherian FACT ALERT signal.  This sign will allow the fighting Foxeteers at least one sentence to crawl back into the safety of their Neococoon.  Here’s the sad, statistically comprised truth:

“Eight years of the Bush tax cuts never created any jobs.”

– Alan Colmes

I am only quoting Mr. Colmes—and never have before—because Alan tried to say this three times and each time Hemmer just talked louder over him.  This is not something the powers that be want the Foxeteers to understand.   Whew, they win…because, obviously, none of those Foxeteers do understand.

To cut to the entire Crank rebuttal, “Biden and Colmes are assholes!” 

Touché, excellent point, sir.  Technically, that’s two good points.  Well said, or, well…said.  Actually, at the end of the day (or the world), it’s more delusional/all-or-none thinking.  We’re not going to get out of this with spending cuts alone or tax hikes alone—and, if we did, the death toll would be unacceptable to most of humanity—especially when you consider the fact no one actually wants to cut anything, except my job.  Fine, cut my job.  It’s not going to get you there.  Oh wait….there’s my benefits package too, hmmmm, maybe. 

Republicans are very likely to win in 2012, which I initially predicted upon Obama’s inauguration.  But, keep in mind, I predicted we would swing back and forth between D and R until we officially sink.  The fact Obama may win a second term—that he actually has a chance despite a looming depression—is a testament to the ineffectualness of the right.   America is smarter than Fox gives them credit, albeit, barely.

The Crank recently said I speak in half truths.  Fox should aspire toward half-truths; think of the improvement!   The Crank questions all statistics, except the Heritage Group.  Speaking of which, admittedly a verbal gaffe, but the Crank recently told me “How can you even compare Obama’s trillions of debt to Bush’s 800 billion?”   Again, this was a verbal moment, but even the right think tank, the Heritage Group, has these numbers (aka, the kindest numbers they could muster for Bush):

President Bush presided over a $2.5 trillion increase in the public debt through 2008. Setting aside 2009 (for which Presidents Bush and Obama share responsibility for an additional $2.6 trillion in public debt), President Obama’s budget would add $4.9 trillion in public debt from the beginning of 2010 through 2016.

– Heritage.org, March 16, 2009

Yeah, only 4 trillion or so off, but who’s counting?  Certainly not the Republicans.  Well, in their defense they only started counting after Obama’s inauguration—post the actual collapse.

With regards to the economy, the Crank is much more knowledgeable than yours truly. True story.  I don’t think anyone who knows the Crank personally, thinks he’s a dolt.  He would eat most of the Republican nominees for lunch, but that doesn’t always come across in his posts, and part of that is clearly his anger.  We are all angry: angry we’re losing our country, angry we’re losing our rights, and angry we’re losing our way of life.  We just don’t fundamentally agree on how we got here and how to fix things.  I think I am better at big picture issues than he is; I see patterns, and I see things coming.  I practically coined the phrase double-dip recession, way back during TARP, and now Fox thinks they invented the shit.   The Crank has more data at his command in that thick noggin of his than most.  He just needs to learn to translate it into something meaningful and, of course, break from Fox News talking points now and again.  No matter what the problem is, Fox is not, nor should it be, part of the solution.  They, and their ilk, remain the story within the story of our time.

Egotistical, moi? When my country is dying, sorry, I’m allowed to be a little miffed. Frankly, I’m reaaaallly miffed! Some things we are both angry about, but too much of your outrage is directed at things either blown out of proportion, or likely to be disproven a year from now. But that’s OK, because by then you’ll be reacting to a whole new batch of false assumptions.

Fox is never having to think about your last post. The ‘selective outrage’ machine will find some other rapper at the White House or community organizer gone awry to bitch about. But…the other 10% of your outrage is correct and needs to be addressed. There’s important stuff in there…somewhere. But we can’t ever seem to find it through this ‘Are You Smarter than a Fox News Anchor’ approach to journalism.

I know…I’m the problem, not to be trusted. People who see through the matrix have no business addressing the necococoon at all anymore. But here’s the rub, dumb are getting dumber (R) and dumbest (the Tea Party) are becoming the loudest. And as for the just plain dumb (D), the only ones policing them would be better served in a tree somewhere flinging feces at one another. Fox & Feces? Hmmm.

Here’s a brief integral approach to two of today’s issues:

Deficits: The right should be saying:

“OK, we’ll let you raise the debt limit (because the dollar’s collapse benefits no one) but only if you agree to these stipulations about spending cuts over the long term.”

These need to be sane cuts, however. Oh, and if the right gets their way and does block the debt ceiling hike, it’s double dip time. Their own all-or-none thinking may well bring this about. Example: debt didn’t matter, at all, until…er, when was Obama’s inauguration? In this case, none-or-all thinking

Energy/Oil: Now for the left. The alternative energy debate should have started post-Carter, but greed and super-capitalism have a way of derailing anything healthy and good in the world. This is truly pathetic amidst a mass extinction. I‘m talking about the right’s brain cells…what did you think I was talking about? The left should be saying:

“Sure, you can get some of your oil shale permits and permission for new drilling locations, but only as part of a true transitional period to alternative green energies.”

The current Republican plan is to keep the status quo until the shit hits the fan belt; great plan. Neither the left nor the right will budge on this, hastening our demise. Obama needs to be tougher on this issue. The clock is ticking. And as for green energy, how the right has demonized our country’s ONLY route for survival is another testament to both their short sightedness and their propagandic abilities, kudos. You have convinced 40% of our country (in 2011) the only way to proceed is the big three: oil, coal, and nuclear. Oh, on a related note, I did my thesis on clean coal…and unicorn migrations.

Unfortunately, this Discord post project has mired us in debates we should no longer be having. I still believe Sanjaya! Look, here’s the problem, Crankster: your posts always sound well researched and the arguments are sometimes even compelling, but, at the end of the day, perhaps a year from now, we’ll discover most of your assumptions were inaccurate (hint: recently ACORN was absolved of any wrongdoing in a court of law. How many posts was that again?). Not that it mattered. Even if they were as guilty as sin, it still should have been a one and done story. But Fox News, the heart of the misinformation, made it one of the non-issues of the year. Whoo hoo!

The following is a breakdown of your average 10 Fox commentaries:

6 stories: They are pushing an ideology that is dead wrong most. They had a point, somewhere back in the fifties, but have since jumped the shark–at least that’s been their track record over the last decade. Recent example: this week Neil Cavuto defended poor old Chevron again…those poor misunderstood oil companies, all the while hitting the SPA…socialism paranoia agenda. They are always reminding us about our socialist future, when today, right now, twelve people own nearly all of the country’s wealth. What a feat! Paid for by those same twelve people.

3 stories: An average of 3 of 10 are simply “selective outrage” moments, where they choose to be really angry about something completely inane. These generally fall into three major categories:

A.) Stories that hold no interest to me (the mosque debate, birther shit, rapper with bad lyrics invited to White House, yada, yada).

B.) Problems that were actually created by Republican ideologues, but now are suddenly unacceptable under Obama (Secret Service monitoring Fox News!, czar appointments, and deficits that seem to only exist under Democrats).

C.) Simply lies (torture techniques helped capture bin Laden, Bush captured bin Laden, Obama’s a Muslim, etc).

Notice you don’t have to look back too far for the bullshit. Most of those are from this week. Meanwhile, the Crank, had two years to list the atrocities of the lame stream media and has named about as many as covered on this week’s Fox & Frauds. What’s curious is not only their ‘selective outrage’ but their ‘selective memory.’

1 story: Here’s the rub, Fox News is right for about 1 in 10 of their features. This spritzer—this glistening effervescent drizzle of actual reporting—is the gas that feeds those Crank features for months. It gives them that hint of legitimacy. Let’s take immigration reform. I agree with the Crank that we need comprehensive immigration reform and that Obama’s handling of this issue has sucked. But Obama can laugh at anything the right says, because they’ve delegitimized themselves long ago. For a healthy debate, we need a healthy right and a healthy left and today we have anything but.

Here’s my appraisal of the last four Fox News moments:

Story 1: who cares?

Story 2: who cares & has since been disproven in a court of law.

Story 3: wrong!

Story 4: Really?? Sure they don’t want to legalize pot, they must be keeping it all for themselves.

The Crank focuses on dumb and I focus on dumber. I focus on dumber because I think dumber has destroyed us. Sure dumb hasn’t helped, but the sheer list of atrocities for dumber is damning. Oh, and I can’t wait until dumbest takes control. That’ll be real swell. Did you know that dumber is in on the whole getting dumbest elected thing…are they dumbing down?

I would like to get on the same page with the Crank so we can focus on what’s going wrong, right now, but it’s hard to get past the Fox approach. It’s hard to watch their network and keep down your lunch. And at the end of the day, most stories on the right tend to be doctored, irrelevant, or fabricated. Fox News is a delicate blend of misinformation and propaganda, steeped to perfection in bullshit. Sorry, but that’s our job. Granted, they’re effective. They have convinced 40% of our country of a whole host of nonsense.

To briefly address your points from the last post, Mr.Crank:

Sorry, we are two countries now, but to call Obama the divider-in-chief is hysterical. Luckily this is a comedy site. Karl Rove ran Bush’s campaign on a polarization theme, divide and conquer, because he knew it was the only possible way to get someone as dumb as W re-elected. And we have yet to recover. As for Fareed Zakaria advising the president, he’s one of the few integral thinkers out there. The fact Obama has identified him as such is awesome. You say scary and I say whoo! hoo!…progress. Remember how safe you felt under Bush? It’s kind of like that. See my related article.

As for Reid & Pelosi’s shenanigans, you mean to tell me a politician has used his or her influence to help their own districts! Preposterous! I’m not defending it, but it’s been that way since General Washington galloped into office. This is yet another example of Stewart’s selective outrage. Where’s your vent about Republicans pulling that shit? I guarantee there’s more material on your side of the aisle. In fact, I think you’re stepping in some.

Clearly some of your valid rants involve the recent expansion of executive powers. What you fail to realize is, these were all created under Bush. I took note of them and complained about them when they were spawned (hint: when it might have mattered). But don’t worry, they will magically disappear again under the Romney Administration, with the aid of some Fox News pixy dust. Why have a Constitution at all, when all you need is a Sean Hannity telling you just how patriotic you are for gutting it? Example, you never complained when Cheney downloaded all of Google after 9/11 to spy on his political adversaries—er, I mean, to keep us safe—but the Secret Service is now monitoring Fox News? Oh the horror!

Remember what our old VP said, “You’ll thank me someday, Barack, for expanding executive powers.”

Let’s all take this moment to say thank you, Mr. Cheney and move on.org. This stuff isn’t news anymore and I doubt those checks and balances are coming back. We had a chance to say ‘no’ to such things back in 2004, but epic fail. Besides, one false Tweet does not a conspiracy make. If the Secret Service is watching Fox News, what we should be worried about as taxpayers is the hardship, the severance pay, and the increased healthcare cost for those subjected.

How about we review a post or two from a couple of years ago, and then compare notes, eh? Or better yet, let’s take the leading issues of our time and see who stands where on what issues. That should be very revealing…well, not to me. Meanwhile, I will try to identify the relevant points you’re making. Er, I may need to hire a staff, Winslow.

Look, I don’t want to focus on the sickest part of this tree called the United States, but that’s sadly what I’ve done. And, yes, I’ve done this using a less than integral approach and for that I am sorry. But, if you continue to rally around the dumbest, no one is going to beat Obama in 2012—even if he turns out to be the worst of the worst! But, I suppose if you keep defending education at this rate… Hmmmm.

Regardless, we need to move the debate to where it should be. I don’t want to play this ‘No Foxeteer Left Behind’ shit anymore. Sorry, but it’s time to report to the emotional support class down the hall. And would the rest of the class please turn to the Chapter marked Alternative Energy.

I hate economics.  If we weren’t about to go tits up, I would much rather be posting something about Why I Hate Light Beer, which I do by the way, but here we are…  The Republicans’ answers for our economic woes are not going to happen, or won’t work anyway.  I don’t know what they’re smoking, but it’s certainly better than the shit the Ghetto Shaman scores me.

I know, I know, it’s painful when reality intrudes on ideology.  I should issue a warning before my posts.  I love Bill Maher’s line last week, when he warned Fox viewers to turn down the sound until the flashing FACTS sign stops blinking at the bottom of their televisions. On that note, here are some FACTS:

“The Republicans have spent the past 30 years creating deficits and the Democrats have spent the past 30 years closing them. The unimportance of deficits became an article of faith during the second Bush Administration: “Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter,” Dick Cheney famously said. It has been rather hilarious for those of us with even a minimal grasp of recent history to watch these folks pull fierce 180-degree turns on the issue–and it is even more hilarious to watch them accuse Obama of hyper-partisanship after the dump-truck full of garbage they visited upon his head these past few years,”

–Joe Klein

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart—yes, we must resort to comedians for our truth these days—recently showed how expiring the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy had about the same impact on the deficit as Paul Ryan’s plan.  Instead of asking for Bill Gates to fork over an extra percent for Bush’s fiscal fornication, they want to gut critical care and invade Syria.  They are using this crisis, a crisis they predominately caused, to push an agenda even Scrooge would not approve of (the Scrooge from the beginning of the movie, not at the end, wise ass).  And where do they think these people will go? Is the problem solved?  No, they will make a mess, clog our hospitals and jails and cost us more, not less, money. 

Even though my paycheck is primarily funded by Medicaid, I’m OK with responsible cuts across the board.  At the end of the day it’s about priorities and the right doesn’t have any—except preserving their own greedy hides, of course.  By the way, my behavioral health company is down about 26% over the last 3 years.  Defense cuts?  Hmmm. I’m going to guess somewhere around 0% thus far.  On a related note, Ron Paul had an integral moment recently:

“Instead of the left agreeing to cut social spending and the right agreeing to cut military spending, the right agrees to more welfare and the left agrees to more warfare. In spite of all the rhetoric, we will go deeper in debt, the Fed will print more money, and the value of the dollar will continue to plummet.” 

–Ron Paul (http://www.infowars.com/the-nanny-state-cant-last)

This is why I quoted him a lot back in 2003, when “fiscal conservatives” were marginalizing him.

Here’s the main Republican fail (I know, on any given subject, it’s hard to limit it to just one, but here it goes): on the brink of a depression, borrowing money from China to give another gazillion dollar tax break to the next yet-to-be-jailed Bernie Madoffs of the world is not likely to get you a job cleaning out one of their pools anytime soon.  AKA, don’t invest in the pool skimmer just yet, Cleetus.  I’m only saying this because jobs have never been created during a period when taxes remained this low for the super rich, ever. 

But this time’s going to be different! 

Yeah, 1939 different…

We don’t have just a spending issue, we also have a revenue issue and a huge frigging debt that can’t be ignored or made up for by closing ACORN.  Anyone credible knows we need some type of percentage of tax hikes and spending cuts.  AKA, next to no one on the right is credible.

Remember I said to watch England? 

England diced things up thusly, 80/20 (80% via spending cuts, 20% by tax hikes—all over the long haul). Well, it’s not working out too well, is it?  Their recovery is much slower than expected …following the Tories’ (Republicans) “cut everything to shit plan” hasn’t worked.  And, let’s face it, those Republicans are much smarter than their U.S. counterparts (not much of a trick, really).

England is faltering right on cue so Fox assumes, “80% spending cuts just isn’t enough!” or “They weren’t serious enough about spedning cuts!” or some other nonsense.  Oh, and how many times have you heard these “fiscal conservatives” say everything should be on the table?  I have called for some 60/40 type thing that would raise taxes for the rich and would cut things equitably and responsibly across the board.  AKA, you don’t just say everything’s on the table as you drop the toaster into Medicare’s bathtub.  Saving Ryan’s privates? 

Getting the right’s delusional worldview to match history must be a constant struggle, but what amazes me is their rhetoric doesn’t even match their own policies. I know this much, we have next to no chance of avoiding the next dip, but the Republican plan will always be the darker choice; it will always hasten our demise.  More money for the C. Montgomery Burnses of the world and soup lines for everyone else.  You know, socialism.  And the only reason I’m saying Trickle Down Voodoo Reagonomics (TDVR) doesn’t work is because, thus far it never has.  Soooo, over the years my own predictions have been much more accurate and my own policies (like supporting Ron Paul to some degree) have been much more fiscally conservative, so I ask the Foxeteers again, what is your point?  on anything? 

Maybe you’re thinking you’re waaaaaaaaaaaaay overdue to be right about something.  Great plan….or Great Depression.  What about the hard line approach taken way back in 1940?  The spending cuts and belt tightening in the years following the market crash plunged our country into a prolonged four-year depression.  What about that history stuff?

When you read some of this, do you just keep thinking about baseball?  How does your collective mind shift back to some Fox News talking point?  Is it subliminal messages?  Is it some form of Greta Van Semaphore?  Bill Hemmerer pigeons?  Shep signals?  I’m being told to stop…

The right has done nothing except attack liberal radio, homeless Veteran’s benefits, planned parenthood, and a host of other non-profit community organizations that amount to .0000001 of the problem (hint: that’s a small number, much like your viable nominees). And the punch line is, you still think that makes sense! Actually, I don’t think those organizations are even part of problem. YOU, and your voting records are part of the problem.  Oh, and if you pile all of your Obama “scandals” end to end, they would reach all the way to Danny Devito’s shin.  I remember covering real scandals during the Bush years.  I still remember them, in fact, I’m still living them.  And what the right is actually right about these days is so buried in bullshit, we may never find it, and that’s the real tragedy.  

“Even though we have historically low income tax rates for high-earning individuals, even though revenues have collapsed in the recession, even though we have empirically discovered that big tax cuts have not generated more economic growth, the GOP still insists on reforming taxes not to raise revenue but to reduce it. This is where the whole thing gets surreal. The very Laffer untruth that sank America into debt in the early 1990s is one still being peddled against all the relevant evidence to guide us through the next few decades. In my view, if we maintain that ideological fantasy, the US will become a banana republic in short order.”

—Andrew Sullivan

Andrew Sullivan is wrong…we are already there.  When they write the epitaph for America, and someone takes us point for point where we went wrong, it will predominantly be a list of Fox News talking points.  Sadly, that will never be a Fox News talking point.

Mick Zano: Welcome, Sean.  Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.  As most of you know, Sean Hannity is one of the biggest names on Fox News and, therefore, one of the biggest names on cable television.  You are, by far, the biggest interview I have ever landed in my quasi-journalistic life, so again, thanks.  May I kiss your rings?

Sean Hannity:  Small talk.  Blah, blah, blah [Mick’s request to kiss his rings, denied]

Mick Zano: As a self proclaimed patriotic American, will you apologize to the American people for playing such a key role in getting Bush re-elected—a man arguably the worst president in our nation’s history?

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point!  Blah, blah, blah.

Mick Zano:I will ‘get over it’, sir, if and when America rebounds.  Why stop blaming Bush, especially if we, as a country, never recover—which has been my position and my prediction all along?

Sean Hannity: Blah, blah, blah.

Mick Zano: Ahh, Obama’s spending…riiight.  What do you say then to the actual numbers that suggest over the last few decades republicans were deficit creators and pre-Obama democrats were actually deficit reducers?

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point.

Mick Zano: OK, Obama’s spending…what about the almost unanimous agreement within the economic community Obama’s deficit spending was a desperate reaction to avoid the Bush depression?

Sean Hannity: Blah, blah, blah. Fox News talking point.

Mick Zano: Actually the problem is too deep to be resolved by just spending cuts or just tax hikes.  Cutting things equitably and responsibly across the board and letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the rich could do the trick. 

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point [with added gesticulation].

Mick Zano: No, I don’t think a return to 90s level tax cuts should not scare anyone.  You need to come to terms with the facts.  Before Clinton, hell, even Reagan had to raise taxes.

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point!!!!!

Mick Zano: Do you need some water?  Look, no matter how many times you lie about this, sorry, he raised taxes.  Reaganomics didn’t even work for Reagan so how you deified this bozo is another interesting side show (or was it Bonzo?).   Look, let’s agree to disagree on this one. How about socialism?  How do you still say that word to your viewers with a straight face?

Sean Hannity:  ?????

Mick Zano: Well, you’ve made socialism the boogeyman for the ill-informed (aka your viewers) for quite some time.  We currently have wage-inequality in the U.S. on par with Mexico or Venezuela.  So today, right now, we have the complete opposite of socialism, so how do you convince essentially half of America Obama’s a full-fledged and successful socialist?  Boogey, boogey, boogey!

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point!  Blah, blah, blah!

Mick Zano: Let me address your second statement first, I call your viewers ill-informed primarily due to a decade of self observation.  It boils down to this, when questioned, it’s their almost single-minded Borg-like ability to spout only Fox News talking points I find most disturbing.  If that’s not enough, I could also cite the recent Maryland study that named Fox viewers as the most misinformed media faction in America.   As for your first point, I don’t think that statement has any bearing in the real world.  You are operating from a bubble of non-reality I like to call the Neococoon.  

Sean Hannity: Blah, blah, blah.

Mick Zano: True, MSNBC viewers were mentioned in the study as well and were a distant second on the misinformation scale.  I have been disappointed in MSNBC’s decision to follow your lead down this dark road—and I have covered this numerous times here at the Discord.  But let’s face it, they’re minor leaguers compared to Fox.

Let’s agree to disagree and move on.org.  Global warming…after listening to you over the years, I feel you have only a rudimentary understanding of Earth , at best.   Bottom line, why are all clean energy initiatives demonized by the Foxeteers?

Sean Hannity: Fox talking point.

Mick Zano: I would agree with that statement; there is much we still do not know about earth cycles, but why would you side with the minority of scientists on this issue?  Especially when the inhabitability of our world is potentially at stake?

Sean Hannity:  ?????

Mick Zano: Inhabitability, in this context, refers to the planet’s inability to sustain life.

Sean Hannity: Fox talking point!

Mick Zano: Again, that is not based on this reality, which brings up my next point.  How about the continued dumbing down of Republicans at a faster rate than any other faction?  For instance, how do you back a Bachmann candidacy with a straight face? Or now maybe even a Trump candidacy?

Sean Hannity: Blah, blah, blah.

Mick Zano: Well, it clearly ties into your mantra smart people are wrong about everything and dumb people are right about everything.  I see this as a ‘Bush wasn’t dumb enough, so let’s try this even bigger moron’ approach to fixing America, or, as I have referred to it, the ‘doubling down on stupid’ strategy.  Case in point, nearly half the country at one time supported a Palin candidacy. Isn’t this more of an indication of our failing educational system than anything else?

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point.

Mick Zano: You’re serious?  You think I have been duped by the mainstream media into thinking Palin and Bachmann are idiots?  So it’s not when, say, during some Hannity interview, they string words into what can loosely be described as complete sentences—it’s not that these interviews typically leave me scratching my head and/or nauseous…it has nothing to do with that?  You’re saying somehow these feelings are being projected upon me by MSNBC and the Huffington Post?  Hmmm.  Nope, I think they’re idiots.

Sean Hannity: Fox News talking point.

Mick Zano: You seem very sure of yourself lately. There’s a gleam in your eye as we approach the coming collapse.  So you had no warning for us as we drove this country into a brick wall and now, post the collapse, you are gloating as Obama, an American president, struggles to right this country.  Is that really patriotism?  How do you look at yourself as anything but a shortsighted partisan hack?

Sean Hannity: Empty patriotic nonsense followed by a Fox News talking point medley [oh, and lots of these: !!!!!]

Mick Zano: I don’t see how you feel vindicated just because the new guy hasn’t been able to clean up after your guy.  I guess what I’m saying is, that hardly sounds like a clarion call for all fiscal conservatives to rally around.

Sean Hannity:  ?????

Mick Zano: In this context, clarion call means… never mind.  Look, I believe today’s republicans (and I do distinguish them from the party of twenty years ago—when they had valid points that related to the real world)…again, today’s republicans can now be broken down into three major categories: 1.) those who are greedy, intentionally misinforming America for what they see as potential economic gain, 2.) those who are not horribly bright and have fallen prey to the endless propaganda on Fox News, and 3.) those hiding until a party emerges that does not embarrass the shit out of them.

You, Mr. Hannity, obviously do not reside in category 3.) so, bottom line, are you greedy or are you stupid?

[disruption, some yelling]

Mick Zano: Would you still consider me for your Great American Panel!  I used to be a Long Islander too! Please…can I kiss your rings! 

Apparently this interview is over.  We learned a lot today from Mr. Hannity and the inner workings of what can loosely be described as his “mind.”   Stay tuned next week when I interview Professor Stephen Hawking on that illusive stuff known as dark matter…er, but without the aid of his voice synthesizer.   It was apparently sucked into an inter-dimensional rift during one of his last experiments.   We’ll muddle through, so until next time.

As a psychology dude, sometimes I try to figure out where the right is coming from.  My move from the east coast to AZ was kind of like Dian Fossey’s move to the Serengeti (sorry to nitpick).  Anyway, perusing the headlines on the Drudge Report, I was about to read, More Americans Work for Gov’t than Ever…  I know, I know, but let’s give the right the benefit of the…holy crap!  My eyes shifted to the next headline. Bachmann is out fundraising Romney for the GOP nominee?!  I uttered that old Blazing Saddle’s line, “Never mind that shit, here comes Mongo!”

That is a small example of how the right is killing the debate.  They may or may not be crazy enough to elect a Palin or a Bachmann, but the damage is done.  I really should have read that other article, maybe I would understand them a little more.  It’s like setting off a political dirty nuke when many of us are just starting to get our bearings.   And how is distracting the last few real journalists helping?  Just because you don’t have any left on your side doesn’t mean they don’t perform an important function. 

In a post Bush we-can-barely-keep-the-dollar-solvent world, they have derailed the political discourse, yet again.  How is any reasonably sane person supposed to believe cable news?  I want the media questioning Obama, I agree with Fox on that much, but how can you watch it long enough to discern anything meaningful and hold down your lunch?  Especially with, as Andrew Sullivan calls it, this 24/7 Breitbart style circus of ACORNs, and mosques, and birthers, oh my.  I’m much more concerned about Michele Bachmann as president in 2012 than I am about anything else, domestic, global, or Mayan (sorry Ghetto man).   Yes, that’s including my dwindling iodine supply.  But, on that front, if Mothra, Rodan, and Godzilla join forces they can beat Fukushima!  I just know it!

From a level of consciousness perspective, many of our fundamental Foxeteer friends (FFF) are only functioning slightly higher than that Koran-burning bozo from Florida.  Shit is going wrong, right now. I want to stay focused on Libya, on the economy, on the frigging ball!  I just want those someones covering this shit to have their GEDs! Or, at least the GE part.  Hey, don’t they own MSNBC?  Hell, I’m part of the problem…my biggest complaint is not our failing financial system, it’s Fox friggin’ News.  All of my negative energy could be diffused, immediately, if they would simply turn the debate over to those with some insight and some understanding—OK, if they found people with those qualities on the right.  If and when that happens we would be in much better shape. 

The camps are so divided now that neither wants to give the other any ammunition.  Someone goes, “Nice job on that gotcha moment with Obama, dude!”  And then you pass the next cubicle and hear, “Great, you supported a talking point for our ‘special’ journalists over on Fox.”

Granted, it’s no excuse not to do your job, but these days it’s sadly an O’Reilly factor.

The ridiculously dumbed-down debate (RDDD) has poisoned the entire system, as if destroying the global economy in their spare time weren’t enough.  The left leaning media doesn’t ask the hard questions and the right can’t figure out how to hit record on their recorders (which doesn’t matter; they were only going to ask about his birth certificate again, anyway). 

Palin or Bachmann may never come close to the oval office, but there’s that butt…and Palin’s isn’t bad.  Just…er, please stop trying to fit a square peg into an Oval Office.  Instead of covering our fearless leaders’ antics, even Andrew Sullivan spends waaaaaay too much time bashing Palin over on The Daily Dish.  But I get it. Sentient creatures are frightened of what the right is capable of.  Doubling down on the stupid has been fun and all, but we’re getting near the end game now.   

How do you think keeping intelligent people focused on the freak show is helping? Which begs the question, if Democrats can’t fix this shit, who will?  As I have said before, the only group I have less confidence in than the Democrats are the Republicans.  Can we afford someone dumber than Bush as leader of the free world from 2012 to 2020?  Really?  Sorry, but this is what 40% of our programmed populace is prepared to support.   They will all feel much better when things are collapsing again—at least they’re consistent.  No matter what is happening on the world or domestic stage, a Bachmann or a Palin Administration would compound the problem tenfold.   With all the predictions I’ve made thus far that’s the safest bet.

This week the right asked why Bill Maher is allowed to make insensitive comments about women.  Hey, I have an idea…why don’t you police your nominees and then we’ll take away that whole freedom of speech thing for everyone else.  Your myopic view of the Constitution is sickening.  I’m not a witch, I’m your wife… I mean, I’m you, if you were lobotomized.  Vote for me, witch is you…  Yeah, let’s get her back.

Besides…the left’s comedians are much more insightful and intelligent than your flipping candidates!   That’s not hyperbole, that is a fact!  Bring out the IQ testers.   Safe bet part deux.

It really begs the question, are they really that ridiculous or are they placating to the Joe the Dumbers out there?  I think Newt is pandering.  At the end of the day, he is a lot smarter than your average elephant. He’s a bright, but souless man.  We need someone on the right with a functional brain and a functional conscience.  So far none, in any position of prominence, exist.  They’ve all been chased off.  I’m only saying this because “you assholes have a shot in 2012 and I still have to live here.” 

The fact remains, 40% of the population will support these nutjobs, even if their entire candidacy is tied to some shady Koch Brothers’ business deal.   Yes, that’s how dangerous Fox is.  They could get 40% of America to believe Canadians are all socialist, hockey luvin’, pansies who must be occupied for their massive oil shale deposits.  It may sound extreme, but an unchecked media can “prove” any connection and make the case for any invasion (see Iraq 2003).  Sure, we should invade Canada, but only for their beer and hockey.  Sure it sounds crazy, but Fox could make a strong case…and by strong I mean, repeating a falsehood ad nauseam until the feeble minded believe it.

Obama’s picker’s broken?  Please.  Have you read the top ten list of popular people on the right?  It makes Arkham’s Home for the Criminally Insane look like A Very Brady Christmas.  Am I showing my age?  No Greg, don’t surf with the amulet!!!   

Bottom line, many credible folks are disgusted with today’s right, therefore they dismiss all of their arguments, which is certainly part of the reason Obama can ignore a bazillion dollar deficit.  When nine out of ten things you say are untrue and/or uninteresting, you can apparently hide a gazillion dollars in there, somewhere. 

The left needs to start focusing on the deficit.  They need to accept the fact they’ll be adding some fuel to the fire over on Fox, but how can they ignore the greatest issue of our time?  Our defaulting economy is the problem now.  The right is closer to the truth on this score than the left.  Of course, who do they get to state their case?  …Michele off-my-Prozac Bachmann.  Nice…real nice.  Sure the right is politicizing the deficit and attacking and defunding things they hate, like old people, but how is ignoring the deficit any better?  Obama needed to lead on this.  For the first two years of his presidency he gets a pass.  The first gazillion dollars bypassed a depression—most of us get that—but the free pass is now over.  We need a long term solution to the debt, a comprehensive strategy that cuts responsibly from every quadrant and sector of our society.   If we ignore the problem any longer we will default…then we will no longer be a country of any prominence in the world.  But, if we gut all social programs and further expand our defense budget to occupy some other oil rich land, this country is going to be unrecognizable in a few years. 

The Crank has a great point, a flat tax NOW!! See, just mentioning the Crank leads to BOLD, CAPITALIZED SENTENCES AND EXCLAMTION POINTS!!  If you want to purchase something, everyone needs to start figuring in the interest, whether you’re Donald Trump or our own street wandering, Ghetto Shaman—with the exception of malt liquor products, of course.  We have to throw the Shaman at least one Bone (if he hasn’t already been eaten by crawdads).

Join the Transcosmetic Party today and say “no” to dumb and dumber, no matter which side of the aisle they inhabit.