We Been Collateralized

Collateralized Debt Obligations are basically debt secured by debt -- truly a house of debt cards -- so they act as a multiplier. The potential for gains is increased as is the potential for losses. The value in them as a whole is that they privilege insiders. They privilege the banks themselves and the tiny cadre of people in their highest echelons. Shareholders are on the list but far enough down they might get hurt. 

The society at large derives no benefit but, as we've seen, is insuring this mess.

In other words they're not legitimate financial instruments but a scam. And should be illegal. Republicans work in the same way. There's underlying value -- their votes in Congress, for example -- but not enough to support the debt. Their 'real' responsibilities, to their constituents, the 'rule of law' and so on, are unenforceable and therefore abandoned. But the risk resides there. Constituents are screwable.

Not so wealthy donors. They get benefits at no risk. You can only lose your life once, so you shouldn't be able to borrow as though there are three or four of you. You can only lose your financial or political life once by going bankrupt or getting beat in an election. You see why these politicians cling for life to their jobs. They are underwater, having sold themselves several times over. And they are forced to lie.

They have sold out and are screwing their constituents but they have to continue to convince them they represent them when they only represent their rich donors and the whole cesspool of lobbyists, lawyers, spin meisters, Fox News hosts and so on. This is an artificial industry, dwarfing the actually productive work of the rest of the economy, and powerful enough to put the entire society at risk. 

As we learned in 2008. On the heels of which we had the deregulator's costume ball. They all came made up as makers. Job creators. Wealth creators. Benefactors, philanthropists and heroes of the free market. But they don't make anything but money for themselves and misery for the rest of us, endlessly sucking off responsible citizens. Their constituents are apparently endlessly gullible and living in a fantasy. 

We been collateralized. Republicans borrowed against the value of our lives. But they don't care. Their system filters out decency. 

Down With Dualism

I'm concerned about the next election. It's about choosing life over death. Loving the world over hating it. Loving ourselves over hating ourselves. Because of the dilemma and absurdity of being alive, and mortal and dependent and weak, hate happens because fear and feelings of insecurity are natural. 

Not to be encouraged. Fear and suspicion need to be resisted and countered with love. Love in the sense of caring for one another, and embracing and celebrating life. We know it can be shit. No need to dwell on that. But let's limit the difficulties. Now, dualists hate life. Or, life-haters are usually dualists. 

They despise creation for its imperfection, having as a reference the abstractions of perfection. Whether it's that of God and the 'spirit' or of math, logic and algorithms it amounts to death. Perfection is not thought of as an attribute of life, which is change. Theists think perfection means no change.

How analytical. I think there's a problem with focus there, that perfection is an attribute of the macrocosm which is always changing but that's another topic. Anyway, I say down with dualism. And, with their ear for great slogans and winning narratives, surely Democrats will take it up and run with it. 

We're Totally Screwed

How much trouble are we in? I'll tell you. We're totally fucked. I say this because the people who've voted America into a mess have no idea what they're doing. They vote for racism and hate and, mostly, have no sense of it. They vote for platitudes, talking points and buzzword bullshit. 

I recall an article when Trump ran for president that included an interview with a black woman who'd ended up attending services in a mostly white southern church. She knew, she said, her fellow church members weren't interpersonally racist at all. At all. But they were all voting for Trump. 

This is how southern racism had evolved, to function without average people having to own it. The system did the work. In the worst case, black assertiveness, a small class of enforcers stepped in. It was seldom necessary. Thus most white people were insulated from the evil they were doing. 

And this moral blindness was inculcated for decades. 

We're facing people who were already indoctrinated. Trump's big lie is the myth of the lost cause of the noble south reborn. White southerners were primed to live and love a lie. And they were immunized against the usual appeals against it, partly because it's all wrapped up in southern religion. 

Which means they're unreachable. They aren't a majority. But they're allied with rich people who understand leverage. And they're all completely convinced they're right and they're unbelievably determined. So I think we're screwed. They will have us in the ditch sooner or later. 

It's only a question of how bad it will be. 

Hence the Henchmen

For most of us, it seems implausible that someone would want to be a lackey, enforcer, factotum or henchman. But it makes sense when you look at assumptions. Let's say you feel the only stable state for a society is hugely hierarchical. That power disparities are an immutable fact of life -- in fact, the immutable fact of life. Sacred. That life is, by Godly design, brutal, competitive, punitive and mean. 

But the reference point is what comes after you die, so, whatever. You would want to be an overseer on that plantation, right, and not one of the slaves? Now, how does this play out in an economy that has come unrooted from life necessities and basic needs? One in which energy subsidies have made the production of food, for example, an afterthought for most people? Clothing and shelter are trivial. 

That scenario must map onto something. Meaning, those assumptions of brutality, jealousy, inequality and arbitrary success must find a home. Somewhere. You become a troll. A virtual henchman and enforcer. Anonymity frees you up to be shamelessly vile and sadistic. Which sounds nuts until you see how anonymity plays out online, among the likes of incels. You feel powerful and significant.

Because you can cause pain. And, maybe one day Peter Thiel will hoist you from obscurity and run you for political office, as his man. One can dream, and this dream is more plausible than the one where you get a babe. Because it's happened to people with whom you can identify. And, if they make you rich, you can always get a babe. Stephen Miller was already rich. But, still, look at his trajectory.

And what is the headline on his resume? Professional racist? Johnny McEntee, former quarterback, became Trump's agent of purification, bullying extremely high level govenment employees and getting them fired. This goes back, like so many things, to the arrival of the College Republicans. Atwater, for example. Rove, Abramoff, Norquist and Ralph Reed. All rocketed into situations of enormous power.

Not in spite of being sadists and scumbags but because they were sadists and scumbags. So, a boy can reasonably dream. And for the average incel this dream is as good as any. The latest darling is Richard Hanania. Caught in the act of being a racist troll and he's publishing books and has a university job. In Texas, of course, the state that got so drunk on energy subsidies they never got over it.

I think Hanania actually got backed by Thiel, one of the money gods. And the super-rich, what about them? It's not what you think. They live in fear. That the little people will come after them. They construct or latch onto whole philosophical systems with only one point, their infinite deservedness. They become Social Darwinists. With one project, to put normal people down. Hence the henchmen. 

They Should Be Shot

Back to peace and justice. 

Democrats have been trying for peace. For years and decades. They've been trying to work with Republicans 'across the aisle' or choose your gap or chasm. This has only enabled Republicans because they've rejected our core principles and the amorphous and never fully actualized but still existent thing, the American Social Contract. 

Justice is the other, more left-brain side of this and it can be harsh in comparison with peace, which is conciliation and understanding or maybe humoring in the hope of a spontaneous remission of the disease. The disease will not remit. Even when justice can't be realized it's important as a touchstone, guidepost, reference point and rule. 

What would be just? Facing another possible or probable government shutdown and default because a group of lunatics simply want it shows the limits of conciliation. I say, not as a practical matter but as a point of reference and accountability, they should be shot. In justice, because they've gotten hundreds of thousands of people killed. 

More importantly, they don't care. They don't care how many people they get killed or how much suffering and destruction they cause. In fact they seem to enjoy it. Looking back on the rebirth of the party and its takeover by the College Republican faction we see they are frat boys. Arrested little sociopaths are running everything. 

They should all be shot. The social contract, and the willingness to work together on an even footing, underlies everything and is more foundational than any law or document. But peace and justice can come together in the administration of justice. There's value in owning that these Republicans should be shot. As punishment. However, it can't give us justice.

It would be just but it can't undo past harms and wouldn't prevent future harms but only inflame matters and sow the seeds of later grievance. But we can choose mercy while keeping in mind that they deserve to be shot. Trump deserves to be shot more than anyone but this too is impracticable. Justice is even more unrealizable with Trump.

There must be an accounting but the overriding thing is to prevent future harm. His capacity for which is limitless. So, let's not shoot them all, only recognize they deserve it. The thought of which gives me peace. Order and understanding return in the abstract, at any rate, in comparison with the chaos, injustice and brutality they try to normalize.

Voting Against Democracy is not Democratic

Having people vote to end democracy isn't on balance a democratic activity. It's a disease. 

Nixonian Anti-Democracy

Republicans have always been against democracy. And always in favor of minority rule. Previously they won by compromise and deviousness. Less by force. Those days are gone. 

Now it's whatever it takes. And no Democratic, meaning the Party, influence or input is allowed. They're full-on fascists now. Authoritarians and dictators and madmen and thugs. 

That glimpse we had of real life in the Nixon White House -- of that gang of criminals, thieves and arrogant, power-mad slimeballs -- has won. They run the country now. 

Tour de Farce

Trump is reminding me more of Bush. A lethal idiot. An incompetent clown. A rich fuckup who never understood consequences, because he never had any. The rich are not like us. They're rich. In America that means you buy your way out of shit. 

You can walk away. America has a huge Republican hangover. Going back to Nixon, at least. Certainly to Reagan and fuck the government and rising tide. Well they fucked the government. And the tide rose for them but not for us. Still they endure.

Peddling the same bullshit which we know is bullshit because we've seen the results. The Gingrichers resolved to disempower Democrats and they succeeded. They won. Now they still blame everything on Democrats though they are helpless.

And we're facing a return of Trump. Whose re-election would mean the end of life in the country as we've known it. Possibly the end of the world as we've known it. And all so the rich can have more money. Nothing else. It's too insane for words.

Family Circus

Watch some comedy. On Youtube or somewhere. Comedy is great at stress reduction, a little vacation from everyday life. If it's any good. Then think about what it would be like to watch it all the time. Horrible. Comedy is not meant for that. It's a diversion. 

To give you an idea of where Republicans and Trump are now, they are a diversion. A drama. Made up. They play off of life as though what they do doesn't count. Drunks and addicts sometimes do it -- pretend the way they behave when they're stoned doesn't count. 

Republicans are always stoned. Stoned on lies. Drunk on deceit. So nothing they do contributes to making the society work. In fact they're tearing it down. They're playing off the responsible citizens and free-loading on them. But it can't go on. Because it's not real. 

Guns and Money

Some Republicans want to force the government to default just for the heck of it. They'll keep trying until they create a crisis. The really rich people have so much money now they think they can weather anything. And the idiots who keep voting Republican so nobody will take their guns think they can shoot their way through it. Great country we have here. 

I, Chatbot

No. You, chatbot. Me, human.

Effective Altruism

Why reinvent the wheel? It's called taxation. Contributing to the degree you benefit. And not as generosity. Because you owe it. Because an ordered society enables it. Enables everything that goes on, be it profit or whatever. If people want to engage directly in good works, taking care of others, that's great and that's altruistic. But rich people in the U.S. are being massively undertaxed. Tax the fuckers. The way they used to, when America was great. 

Before rich assholes ruined it. 

The Vogon Diet

Republicans worship entrepreneurs. Really, they just love money but by bowing their heads in reverence every time entrepreneurs are mentioned they can further the bullshit notion that most of these people contribute something remotely proportional to their rewards. Another lie, in other words. Part of the scam, together with rising tide and all that.

Makers versus takers. Oh, right. How is it then that the 'takers' don't have anything? 

Most Republicans couldn't be more the opposite of makers. They suck off the state in droves, burrowing into the system and hunkering down until they can retire with a nice pension. One step removed we have the hordes that are a job away from direct government employment, but at the trough. Heads buried in the trough. Feeding bags, sometimes.

Defense contractors come to mind. Lobbyists come to mind. This is more than a scam, we know now having witnessed Trump's criminal behavior. Organized  crime is more like it. Organized crime is it. We like to think the government is ours but insiders understand this is laughable. The government has always been susceptible to selfish influence.

Now it is completely bought and controlled by rich people. We're so wealthy even the scraps are good, so there's a class of affluent folks deluded into thinking they're autonomous. More likely they don't care. Too busy buying shit and tooling around in expensive, air-conditioned cars while the world burns. Oddly, as many have noted, a lot of little people vote for this. 

These are the idiots. I'm tired of making excuses. If seeing our capitol sacked and the horror of Trump's presidency weren't enough fuck them. Their destructor fleet is doing its thing, mindlessly, like the Vogons in the HItchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Except there won't be a miraculous recreation at the end. It will all be over. Nothing but death and nothingness. 

William Shatner was great on this point, after he blasted into space courtesy of an obscenely over-rewarded entrepreneur. Guess which one? They converge on certain desires, space and yachts and islands, the idea being a realm where they aren't regulated. But Shatner saw through it to the death. That space is death. Listen to Kirk. Oh, captain, my captain! 

We are so fucked. 

And all for nothing. The fucking Vogons are here with their destructor fleet of Republican trolls, operatives and functionaries, mindlessly executing the order to destroy. They don't know why. They don't care. They will conform, play their role and fulfill their mission. No drama, just demolition. No heroes or villains, in the end, just annihilation. 

The Day of the Jackass

The world would be a better place without Trump. So much better. Think how much better it would be if he had never been born. But evil is a part of life. Assholes and douchebags are a part of life. They have their place. Which is not in positions where they can injure other people or cause any kind of harm. 

But we can't just kill Trump. Take out a contract on him. We don't do those sorts of things. Not that he wouldn't. Without hesitation. And feel no remorse once it was done. Because he's an asshole. Luckily, he's also an idiot. He's such a dumbass he's going to do himself in. We won't need to worry anymore.