The Linear Canvas
This journal is about the wrongs and rights of the world, as I see them.

The Linear Canvas

Intimidation, Not Just For the Far Right Wing Anymore

March 25th, 2010 . by Alexander Fisher

"Rich People pay Fox (News) People to make Middle Class People hate Poor People."
John Fugelsang (comedian)

After the healthcare bill was signed into law on March 23, 2010, there were a number of acts of violence and vandalism involving those that were aligned with corporate interests in preserving the status quo in healthcare. These persons resorted to violence and intimidation mainly because they just didn’t get their way on this. (childish?) In addition, the political representatives of this group were in charge for the last ten years and ran the country into the ditch, that it is still in. Red Necks

I must say that those politicians did this with the help of the same lunatic fringe that is now threatening our democracy with violence, unless they get their way. (treason?) Most of these same political “leaders” have never responsibly denounced this violent behavior, only excused it. This is of course how they governed as well, irresponsibly.

For a few years after September 11, 2001, I rarely would talk about, and often hid my political and religious views from strangers, family, and co-workers. After I "exposed" myself as a Democrat in 2004, I was confronted by co-worker’s twice. Both were near physical confrontations about me being pro-abortion, although I am anti-abortion. But these individuals were convinced that "Libruls" were all the same.

The intimidation by the right wing is only ratcheting up, it has been fomenting since the Reagan days. As long as they have a cable channel and an overly compliant mass media to disseminate their corporate propaganda to their minions, this will only get worse. And I’m sure it will.

I don’t have any issue with gun owners or gun ownership. During the cold war, I used to fantasize that if the Russians ever attacked us, the NRA members would be an asset. Now I think if we were attacked, by one of their corporatist allies (Saudi Arabia?), the right wing propaganda machine, and the NRA, would be aligned with the attackers, against the “Libruls”.

My impression is that some of these people committing violent acts feel empowered and dominate as long as they are armed, and that a weapon gives the armed citizen one more vote than the unarmed. If they’d gone to government class in high school instead of skipping out, they’d realize that’s exactly what can kill a democracy, not save it.

Senator Al Franken; Is That The Sound Of Bill O’Reilly’s Head Exploding?

September 7th, 2009 . by Alexander Fisher

I’ve always liked Al Franken, No matter what Fox Network (they’re not news) says about him, he’s funny and smart. More so than any of the Fox-licans that hate him. I used to listen to his Air America radio show because it was informative and funny. I quit listening in it’s last year because he started running for the US Senate and the funny suffered. I can get informative from anywhere.

Here are a couple of cool videos taken recently at the Minnesota State Fair, of Senator Al Franken. The first one, he talks down a Tea Bagger mob with logic, reason, and knowledge. The second he draws a USA map from memory. I’d like to see Bill O’Reilly do either.

 

Senator Al Franken calms down health insurance reform opponents

 

Senator Al Franken draws a map of the USA from memory

Obama’s Surrender to the Health Care Lobby

August 17th, 2009 . by Alexander Fisher

I guess I should have known that the threats to withhold campaign contributions, and whatever other methods the corporate insurance elite have been using to get the current administration back in line would work eventually. Now there’s talk that President Obama will announce his surrender to them on the health care issues that I think would have the biggest impact, Single Payer and/or the Public Option. I sent an e-mail to the White House this morning and this is what I wrote:

President Obama,

I am a life long Democrat. I supported you through most of your campaign. I have never voted for a non-Democrat for president.

Now that you have decided (?) to surrender to the medical cartel, first on single payer and now on a public health care option, my only thought is that how “they” have won and “you (alone)” have failed. Do you think Fox News will ever let you live this down? Fox and their paymasters have beaten you and they know it. I, for one, am ashamed. I am ashamed that lies and money have finally gotten to you. Maybe I am the one that failed in believing that you were capable or willing to change anything.

This was your Waterloo and you did not win. You just managed to have an orderly surrender.

Read the rest of this entry »