Derry, Northern Ireland

Derry, Northern Ireland
A book I'm working on is set in this town.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Off till Wednesday

At which time I hope to have my second draft of IF done...and it has been changed and restructured enough to where it is, officially, a second draft. Dammit. Or not. I dunno. I'm livin' on the edge with this story so who knows what is what, anymore?

It was nice to see the Rethuglicans doing the caving, for once, instead of the Democowards, as regards the SSI withholding increase. I wasn't happy that everyone kept referring to it as a tax increase when it was really returning the percentage taken out of workers' salaries for Social Security back to where it was. Meaning the program took in a hell of a lot less, last year, than it normally does, thanks to this. Meaning this gives the GOP more fodder for their lie that Social Security is going broke. But at least the way it played out, with Boehner's Brats tossing a fit because they couldn't have their way, wound up putting the onus on the GOP for once instead of the Democrats...and even the media saw it that way. Big surprise there.

No surprise was how PolitiFact presented a truth as the "Lie of the Year." They said that Democrats claiming the GOP voted to end Medicare as we know it is not true. Just one problem -- it is true. And supporters of Paul Ryan even flat out said so. So a supposedly unbiased organization that claims it's out to hold both sides accountable for their lies and half-truths just blew every shred of credibility they had, not just with the claim, and not just by refusing to acknowledge that it was a mistake, but by DEFENDING their choice with whining and nonsense.

Here's their defense -- "PolitiFact" -- and here's the truth behind it all -- Krugman, Benben, DeLong -- to name a few. It's absurd...but it's American discourse, these days. Romney lies about Obama and no one in the press corps calls him on it. Obama extends Bush's actions in regards to arresting American citizens and keeping them locked up without trial, and it's seen as something good.

It's reached the point where I'm beginning to believe "Alice in Wonderland" was a prescient warning about the future of the world...where up is down, all things are backwards, and the Queen does nothing but shriek "Off with their heads!"

Where's Grace Slick when you need her?

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