A Hero's Reward

Maybe you caught the Bill Maher show this month when he had Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger on as a guest. We remember him as the pilot who successfully landed a passenger plane on the Hudson River a couple years ago after having his engines cut by bird strikes. The media, politicians, and public alike all praised the outstanding pilot as a hero. And he is rightly called a hero. His superb piloting skills, unflappable nerves and cool thinking undoubtedly averted a terrible event and saved many lives.

It’s a good thing airline pilots are so handsomely rewarded with generous pay for their unending responsibilities for the safety of the passengers and public. Or are they generously, or even fairly, compensated?

Remember the fatal crash near Buffalo in February of ’09? Sully told us the first officer of that flight earned $16 thousand a year and had to sleep on the floor the night before the flight because she couldn’t afford a motel. He also informed us the captain of the flight had no training to prepare him for the dive the aircraft took when ice had built up on the plane.

From the AP:
The training by the airline — Manassas, Va.-based Colgan — for the Dash 8-Q400 Bombardier, a twin-engine turboprop, didn't include a demonstration or simulation of the stick-pusher system, sources said.

A stick-pusher automatically kicks in when a plane is about to stall, pointing the aircraft's nose down into a dive so it can pick up enough speed to allow the pilot to guide it to a recovery.

However, when Flight 3407's stick-pusher kicked in on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport the night of Feb. 12, Renslow pulled back on the plane's control column, apparently trying to bring the aircraft out of the sudden dive by raising the nose up. Pushing forward to gain speed is the proper procedure.
The activation of a stick pusher can be a jarring experience for any pilot, especially if the pilot has never experienced it before, said William Waldock, an aviation science professor at Embry-Riddle University in Prescott, Ariz. The natural response is to pull back unless you've been trained through repetition to push forward, he said.

I guess we should take comfort in knowing the CEO’s and shareholders didn’t have to make any sacrifice.

Ever wonder how Sully’s income and pension are doing? Well, Sully has lost 40% of his pay. Sully’s first officer had just taken a 60% pay cut. Sully said his pension was “terminated, gone”. He was sad to report that he could never encourage a younger person to follow him in a career as a commercial pilot.

The sacred bottom line is revered and served over the public’s safety. The public interest and general welfare of the American people is being subverted. The American Dream is ending in a nightmare. But don’t worry, be happy. Big Business is doing just fine.

"Sound Science"

If you believe the Earth is 6,000 years old and can ignore geology, paleontology and other science that prove the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, chances are pretty good you are a Republican voter.

If you can ignore archeological studies and carbon-14 testing showing hominid life has been present on earth for millions of years, and insist Adam and Eve were the actual “first couple”, chances are pretty good you are a Republican voter.

If you can ignore the fact that the ten warmest years on record have been since 1998, the world’s glaciers are receding, Arctic permafrost is thawing, the Arctic Sea’s Winter ice cover is shrinking, vast Antarctic ice shelves are detaching into the sea, and the overwhelming scientific consensus is we are facing real climate change, chances are pretty good you are a Republican voter.

In fact, the more you distrust science and dislike scientists, the more likely you are a Republican voter.

So what’s the deal here? Does science have a liberal bias? Or do the non-liberal opponents of scientific research have a political and financial interest in suppressing the results of scientific studies. We remember the Bush Administration muzzled NASA climate studies.

Let’s ask renowned climate scientist Rush Limbaugh for the real truth. “Climate change is a liberal hoax”. Well, there you go. This is all that some people really need to believe, and no more attention is required for such nonsense. Just go vote for Republicans and everything will be alright.

Or not. Now let’s be fair. Republicans have their own favorite kind of science. They love the science that gives us more spectacular ways to kill our fellow human beings. They love all the new high tech surveillance tools the Bushies praised and utilized in their war on the Bill of Rights.

Maybe Stephen Colbert was right when he said, “Reality has a well known liberal bias”. Maybe that means science must share in that bias, right?

Indeed, the Right has a strong bias against any science that might cost them financially or politically. And they are not ashamed of it. Remember, by the typical Right Wing tactic of re-definition, they label research and studies they don’t like as not being “sound science”. They attack both the message and the messenger. Credit must be given to their organized assault on science, and education in general. Remember colleges and journalism, like science, are also full of liberal bias, according to the Right. But is the Right... right? That doesn’t matter. Only their bottom line matters.

Here’s where this discussion gets interesting. It turns out Americans on the whole still like and respect science. Sixty percent of the public supports government investment in research.

As far as the climate change issue goes, Limbaugh and the Right have done a heck of a job misleading the American public. Now only 49% of Americans, down from a majority, think the Earth is getting warmer due to human activity. The great majority of scientists, 84% think this is true. I guess this would indicate the percentage of scientists who work for Big Energy and other major polluters.

The effectiveness of the Right Wing propaganda machine can also be seen in these: “Just 40% of scientists agree that “when something is run by the government, it is usually inefficient and wasteful”; a majority of the public (57%) agrees with this statement.” And: “Most scientists had heard at least a little about claims that government scientists were not allowed to report research findings that conflicted with the Bush administration’s point of view. And the vast majority (77%) says that these claims are true. By contrast, these claims barely registered with the public – more than half heard nothing at all about this issue. Only about a quarter of the public (28%) said they thought the claims were true.”

Damn know-it-all liberals, no doubt.

The Religious Right has been effective in denying evolution: “Most notably, 87% of scientists say that humans and other living things have evolved over time and that evolution is the result of natural processes such as natural selection. Just 32% of the public accepts this as true.”

I’m quoting a Pew research poll that also tells us only six percent of American scientists admit to being Republicans. Fifty-five percent identify themselves as Democrats. No wonder the Right hates scientists. And no wonder they want to suppress research that disagrees with their agenda.

This information goes far in explaining the Right’s hostility towards science, and by extension, public education, college professors, journalism and any other sources of knowledge and information that threatens their power and sacrosanct bottom line.

Although none of this is really news. Galileo’s persecution by the Pope almost 400 years ago was the classic lesson on institutionalized conservative power’s war on science. The Vatican has since apologized for the suppression. What do you think the chances are of the American radical Right apologizing for their suppression over the next 400 years?

Wake Up, America!

You know, lately I've begun to realize how extreme my political perspective has become. I have now come to understand the Big Picture more clearly. I think it's time to moderate my thinking a bit. After all, why should I blame Republicans and conservadems for our national troubles? Liberals must take their share of the blame, since they were in power for most of the last three decades. FOX (R) is just what we need for sensible balance to the radically liberal corporate media. I wish Progressives would get a clue and figure it out. The Republican Party and their donors only want what's best for every American. They are the epitome of freedom and democracy. George Bush and Dick Cheney left us a gloriously free and prosperous America, until Obama the Socialist used ACORN and the New Black Panthers to steal the election. Now we see his Marxist plans for the destruction of America are rolling over the interests of Wall Street and the Chamber of Commerce. They are powerless to stop him. He could very well be the anti-Christ! Wake up, America!

False Equivalency

Let me spell it out again. There is no left-wing, liberal, or even Democratic Party version of FOX(R). The FOX(R)/MSNBC false equivalency is a corporate media, conservative, “fair and balanced”, talking point.

First, some not-so-long-ago-historical Perspective:

After other networks realized it was too close to call the 2000 election, they withdrew their projection for a Gore win. It was a Bushie who called the election for Bush on FOX(R), when nobody could have made that judgment.

For FOX(R) had a job to do. And it was not journalism.

While all the pre-Iraq War propaganda was flashing 24/7 on FOX(R), along with the flag-waving cheerleading for the Bush Administration, MSNBC fired Phil Donahue. Why? Not for lack of ratings...no, no. His ratings were the highest the network had. No, he was fired because he had too many guests on that spoke out against Bush’s Crusade. Never mind he was told to have more pro-war than anti-war people on. Did FOX(R) have war dissenters on? No. They accused, with open contempt, all liberals against the war of being unpatriotic, of course. They were silent about conservatives against the war like Ron Paul and a few other Libertarian types. Nothing to see there, folks.

For FOX(R) had a job to do. And it was not journalism.

Second, some perspective on who they are lately:

FOX(R) has had on its payroll numerous Bush Administration members and Republican politicians, who clearly have presidential ambitions. How many on the MSNBC payroll were Clinton or Obama Administration members? (No, not Pat Buchanan.) How many on the MSNBC payroll have been on presidential and presidential primary ballots? Not so many as FOX(R)? No, not so many at all.

For FOX(R) has a job to do. And it is not journalism.

Maybe you saw the exciting promotions. All around the country there were to be fabulous “FNC Tea Parties”, featuring Glenn Beck and all your favorite FOX(R) personalities. Everyone was urged to come see the FOX(R) personalities and Republican politicians at an event sponsored by FOX(R), Dick Armey’s political operation, and the salt of the Earth Billionaire Koch Brothers. Yup, a regular gathering of regular folk to advance the agenda of the corporate elite. FOX(R) calls this “grass roots”.

For FOX(R) has a job to do. And it is not journalism.

Remember when Glenn Beck told us Obama was “a racist with a deep seated hatred for white people”? Again, maybe if MSNBC gave a nightly program to Kanye West after he said Bush doesn't like black people, you might find some equivalency. West was chastised by most liberals, in and out of the media. I even joined them. Bush does not hate rich conservative black people. I wonder how many millions of dollars FOX(R) has given to Beck since his “observation”. He’s still working there isn’t he? Yes he is.

For FOX(R) has a job to do. And it is not journalism.

“One Thing That I Do Know”

As Stephen Colbert discussed Bush’s approval ratings at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner, he informed us, “...Reality has a well-known liberal bias”. So conversely, we must conclude, un-reality would logically have a well-known conservative bias.

It’s almost overwhelming to think of all the lies and wild fabrications the Right has come up with to undermine, obstruct, and defeat the democratically elected corporatist President of the US. They say he is a foreign born, Muslim, socialist racist who hates white people and pushes policies intended to not only send old folks to death panels, but to destroy America.

True to form, Weeper of the House Boehner said “it’s not my job” to tell the people the truth. I can even understand that, from the Right, Obama seems a “liberal”. I’ll allow them that. Although from the center, he looks moderate/right when he continues to appease Wall Street, continues Bush foreign policies without investigating the torture and pre-war lies, and extends tax breaks for the rich.

In fact it’s the job of the entire Republican Party and radical Right to spread falsehoods and blur everything that challenges their efforts toward one-party dictatorship.

This week we heard presidential contender Mike Huckabee lie, and repeat it, on The Steve Malzberg Show, yet another AM propaganda swill machine of the radical Right.

Continuing the Right’s campaign to portray Obama as an African anti-colonial, anti-imperialist savage, Huckabee said, “I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, [is] very different than the average American.”

One might pause here and say, “Wait a minute. Wasn’t the US born of an anti-colonial, anti-imperialist revolution?” Well, yes, but that was before we became a colonialist empire. Now, according to the Right, it is clearly unpatriotic to share those founders’ sentiments.

Huckabee’s apologist lackey eventually squawked, “Governor Huckabee simply misspoke when he alluded to President Obama growing up in 'Kenya.' The Governor meant to say the President grew up in Indonesia."

"When the Governor mentioned he wanted to know more about the President, he wasn't talking about the President's place of birth - the Governor believes the President was born in Hawaii. The Governor would however like to know more about where President Obama's liberal policies come from and what else the President plans to do to this country - as do most Americans."

Oh, I see. This is about where Obama “grew up” and was trained in his anti-American Marxist convictions... from age 6 to 10.

Huckabee went on and “misspoke” again, “...if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.”

Perhaps we need to understand something here. It’s probably very easy to confuse the Mau Mau Revolution in Indonesia with the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya, right? And what difference is there, really, between the British imperialists and the Dutch, or between Africa and Southeast Asia?

Have you known anyone that ever “misspoke” so elaborately? Has anyone ever “misspoke” so elaborately and repeatedly? This sounds like more than a mere slip of the tongue. It sounds like the deliberate, slippery, oily tongue of someone who stands to gain from the spread of misinformation. He is obviously talking to the brainwashed dupes of the Right who believe Obama is a foreign Muslim Marxist racist. He wants their votes and will allow any lie or falsehood to conveniently work towards that end.

A fifth of our country believes Obama is Muslim. There’s a clear reason for this. To borrow the Huckster’s words, what I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is the truth is not on the Republicans’ side. It never was and never will be.

***
Update: George Will, of all people, has a not-so-dissimilar take on this extremist trend into un-reality.

One More Time...

Ever since Reagan and fellow foxes took control of the henhouse, expanding corporatism has allowed Big Money to have almost complete control of government policy and regulations.

The wealthy are now paying their lowest tax rates in many decades. The economic elite are reaping huge new fortunes. Banking and corporate entities have more political power than ever.

The Middle class is decimated. Poverty and unemployment numbers are increasing.

Some say it is time for new ideas to correct the past several decades’ vast re-distribution of wealth to the economic elite. I can’t think of any new ideas that are as good as some old ideas; old ideas that corporations are not people, money is not free speech and public elections need public financing. America must make a Constitutional shift in that direction if it is to survive as a free country.

Today Egypt, Tomorrow the World!

When I see the pictures of the demonstrations in Egypt, I feel an odd mix of excitement and dread. I am proud of the people rising up and demanding the departure of a dictatorship of thirty years. And I am worried what will happen to those people during and after the changes that must happen.

I respect both President Obama’s admonition against violent suppression by the Mubarak regime, and the sensible comment from House Speaker John Boehner, "The administration, our administration, so far has handled this tense situation pretty well. Clearly, reforms need to occur in Egypt."

What I don’t respect is the wacked out fear mongering from FOX(R) “deep thinkers” and the peanut gallery huffing from Rush Limbaugh. Fox Nation shrieks, "Obama Will Go Down In History As The President Who Lost Egypt.” Just how he can lose something he never had is a mystery to me. Limbaugh ominously warns us of the perils of not supporting the dictator. “Could we perhaps be helping to usher in a terrorist group under the guise of a democratic uprising?" Heavens to Betsy Ross! Tell me it isn’t so! That would be horribly similar to al-Qaeda in Iraq, where we practically asked for it.

If that were the extent of the fear-mongering I wouldn’t give it another thought, but it gets loonier.

Thank goodness for Glenn “Don’t talk to me about crazy conspiracy theories” Beck. He tells us just what to fear most, scary Muslims and Liberals, of course. Yes, as every “fair and balanced” indoctrinated American believes, Obama pals around with a domestic terrorist. It only makes sense that we to the left of Obama are even worse; we liberals are in cahoots with Islamic extremist terrorists.

Yesiree, Beck clued in O’Reilly when he told him Egyptian unrest “is being orchestrated by the Marxist Communists and the Muslim Brotherhood”. But the threat does not end there in Egypt. It is global. Yes, it’s high time we all fear the coming Islamic caliphate that will end our way of life.

On his radio show today we learned three very important points from his imaginary blackboard. “These are the things that I believe,” he told us.

1. Groups from the hard socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are both a common enemy of Israel and “the Jew”.

2. Groups from the hard core socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are the common enemy of capitalism and the western way of life.

3. Groups from the hard core socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together to overturn relatively stable countries because in the status quo they are both ostracized from power and the mainstream in most of the world.

Ya got it?

Islam wants a caliphate. Communists want a communist new world order.

They will work together because they both want chaos. Period.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Communists and Muslim Brotherhood have allies in hard core socialists like me. I can only suppose that would have to include Obama too. Quick! Somebody better go warn Boehner!

Wait a minute. Didn’t those oil rich capitalist Saudi Wahabists support al-Qaeda, who in turn hated the Russian Communists? And don’t those socialist European countries enjoy our “western way of life”? Come to think of it, isn’t Communist China incorporating capitalism? I thought Daddy Bush wanted a new world order. And I thought a caliphate was an office, state, or jurisdiction. Those don't sound very much like chaos to me. Say, don’t liberals and socialists and communists strongly oppose theocracy?

I’m getting confused...and frightened. I guess I just have to “believe” we liberals “will work together” with the terrorists, and will plot to destroy America. Thanks for clearing this all up for us, Glenn. You're the expert. That’s just what we needed here.