To discredit all of them. My sincere belief is that those in power who run our intelligence agencies are right wingers but one thing they are against is a heavily armed population. They have to deal with it but support every other righty idea but that one. Cops are mostly right wing but they don't want people armed. Bundy only got attention because the Hannitys and other loud mouths gave it to him. Too conspiratorial? It was our FDR who said nothing in politics is a coincidence.

I am not sure that it is random coincidence as much as birds of a feather supporting the same ideology. Tell me that it would be a coincidence for Ted Nugent to show up at Bundy's ranch armed to the teeth open day after campaigning for that Abbot asshole in Texas.

Coincidence?...I think not.

When it comes down to it the Right wants a controllable population as much as anyone. The rest is just political games and pushing the envelope in an effort to remove Obama or keep division going to people can't unite and take our country back from the .001%.

Having worked with some of the so-called "intelligence" agencies in DC I think I can say that most of the regular employees are regular people who also understand what brown-nosing is and how their future career lies with the politcal appointees that end up running everything in the US gov't.

I think it really happened in the Reagan time-frame when every Department/etc. became scrutinized on how it toed the party line. My memories fade but a name like Lee Atwater bubbles up from the cesspool every now and then.

Not to say that every century/every administration didn't have its cronyism and paybacks. Only having some personal knowledge back to the Truman era, I think I can say that the use of the government agencies to destroy opponents started its rapid climb during Nixon. JEHoover was almost a government unto himself but he demonstrated how to get the "goods" on opponents and use them.

We're now in an era when the greatest forces within the government for chicanery aren't wielded by government employees. They are directed by the companies whose business is to get the taxpayers' monies. It wouldn't surprise me if many of the gov't employees who have decision-making capabilities aren't also under the influence of these monied interests.

By and large, I think that most honest civil employees are really doing their jobs with a non-biased approach. I think you'll find a high degree of professionalism and even-handedness in the intelligence community in the career ranks. Where I believe you'll find a "fitting the facts to the desired outcome" will be in the higher-level, politically appointed (or wannabes) offices.

The revolving door needs to be stopped with new laws. These contractors, companies and law firms are sucking the treasury dry.

Good points to run with? Or run away from? The whole "intelligence agencies are running and ruling the world" paranoia has as much credibility as does Bundy's paranoid fantasies. And that's my sincere belief.

I can't tell if you're simply naive or this is more if your conservative talking points. My family is represented in the groups I refer to and many of these lawyers and high level analysts go straight to Wall St and run many of our investment firms. It's those firms that DO control our economy and government and they are heavily populated at the top with intelligence people. And for a good reason as they have a better handle on what is actually going on in the world regardless if their response or intentions have been corrupted.

... the people in power who "run things" in general do indeed run our intelligence programs. I misread your comment which I responded to.

His two best qualities are his arrogance and his ignorance. I would love for someone to interview him thoroughly and ask his opinions on many various topics, I'm sure he would spout the republican platform in all it's hateful glory.

It's amazing how these kinds of people can still exist in America!

add in the background his mooooooooocher cows.

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!

I'm telling!

Gotta repost this on another thread where the object is to figure out what, properly, to call them now. In the same vein as those of us who've been called "tree-huggers" and it's meant as an insult. Actually I myself have also been "dissed" as a "tree-hugger" and at the time I read it as an acknowledgement that I was the one doing the good work, and on the good side. So hard to say the word "right" anymore, so I'll say "the good side".

I don't like using their lexicon. I don't like repeating, and thus reinforcing THEIR word for things. It's hard to use the word "right" to denote "accurate" or "correct" because it means too many other things now, and most of them negative. It becomes a possessive adjective, or a one-word definition, for what they want people to think they are. They think they're "right" so they assume everyone else should, too. Another reason I like to think of it as the "World's Biggest Entitlement Program." These folks feel entitled to run things, own things, boss things around, tell everybody what to do "in the name of freedom" (THEIRS, mainly). for That's why it'll always be a big red flag for me when someone says "the Democrat party," or the "Democrat Senator" - when they KNOW it's wrong and they KNOW it's just a tweak and they KNOW it's just asshole-ishness for the sake of asshole-ishness. They've TOTALLY perverted the word "right," hijacked it so it's almost as nonsensical and near-irrelevant as they are, themselves.

Granted this is awfully nitpicky and in some cases silly. But just think about it: this is a device. A deliberate device. This is a way to influence your point of view on this, your takeaway about this, which then becomes part of your own belief system and the "reality" YOU see (or want to see). Remember, years ago - rush limbaugh's first book, I think, was titled "The Way Things Ought to Be." Now there was no "Oh yeah? Sez YOU?!?!" or "BULLSHIT!" or any other such additional phrase. They think things are supposed to be the way THEY want and how THEY see fit, and by Jove they'll make damn sure YOU'RE gonna think that way too, and share their views and stand with them and have their back - or damn near die trying! They can't accept and won't acknowledge that, ironically, THEY are increasingly the minority in this country (the aging, white, CONservative, predominantly male demographic) here. The demographic shrinks down farther when you determine it to be the RICH, aging, white, CONservative, predominantly male demographic. Definitely a minority just by the numbers. And I tell you, they hate that and fight against the very idea about it, which is why they will always assert that their ideology rules and government should only help those who don't need the help and kick those in true need to the curb - 'cause THOSE are lazy moochers who should shut up and go get a job.

What we always need to keep in mind is NOT to repeat or inadvertently reinforce the other side's labeling of things. Like, for example, calling it the loaded slang "Obamacare," hoping to add bad smell to the name Obama and then allow that to bring down the idea of affordable health insurance. Besides, saying "The Affordable Care Act" formally helps to reinforce the true and accurate (indeed, right) name for it. And it doesn't buy into what they're trying to communicate subliminally, which is a negative. RIDICULOUSLY nitpicky, I know, but it's also a very devious device for burrowing down into the psyche, especially when repeated - repeatedly! - and I find it helpful to remind myself of this. They're picking and choosing and using their words and phrases VERY carefully and cleverly. To make points, to distract, to manipulate. It's VERY subtle and if you're not listening for it, it'll wash over you and start soaking in before you realize you've already partially internalized their message. Or maybe you see some way to kinda sorta agree with a little of it or something. We can't. We can't let ourselves be manipulated. frank luntz has done a masterful job - using words to manipulate and influence and woo and win minds, and gain extra ground. We have to be aware of this sneaky-ass manipulation games they play by toying with the language. Antics with semantics, you could say. But it's an effective weapon to have, and use. And it sure helps to be able to recognize when they're trying to play you thusly.

Did you watch the video from your own link?

That the Repukes should use when they talk about patriotic Americans. The video of him riding that horse around his ranch waving the flag like a demented Don Quixote really pissed me off - just too damn jarring.



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horsey.

How can he carry the flag of the USA WHILE he says he says- at the same time- he doesn't believe in the USA? Makes absolutely no sense! Duh!
"a demented Don Quixote" You got that right!

He's just another racist "I want my country back" fool.

except that his land use dispute dates back to Clinton. Most of those idiot "I want my country back" assholes don't even know what they're talking about. Their actions only work to support guys like the Kochs, who exploit the situation for their own benefit.

It always rankled me about all of the Tea Party bullshit how their actions are actually supporting the big corporate gov't takeover that the original Tea Partiers were trying to fight.

Talk about cognitive dissonance. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

It was win-win...either get this freeloader off public land or draw him and his fellow rodeo clowns into a PR war where they could embarrass everyone who took their side.

The administration should pick a new one every month. Spin the wheel of anti-government lawbreaker, call them out and see where it leads!

There could be a calendar!

etc, etc,

We've had these anonymous white supremacist types making comments. These racists use the power of the internet to spread crazy, white supremacist thoughts, comments, and other things and have infected our tolerant culture with their poisonous crap.

It is up to each one of us to recognize when we are being led astray by racist comments, web sites, or political agendas. The media is stupid to give voice to this underground of hate. We must stop it now. It is up to all people of good character to stop this creep of hate since discussion has devolved to this sad state. We can turn this around, fight it everywhere you see it. Don't trust anyone on the net, trolls are out there and are largely responsible for the lack of respect minorities are getting due to their clever use of language on blogs, forums, twitter, etc. Now we caught them! Their little game is over.

And all just because we have a black president. Amazing. Little scared trolls, your game is over!

n/t