As We Rot

As I get older, I continue to become more amazed at the direction this country is moving.  I continue to marvel at the general sense of “meh” and ambiguity the masses today approach the things in life that truly matter.  I’m amazed at who passes for a hero nowadays.  Years of political correctness have created masses that just don’t seem to believe that there’s such a thing as right and wrong.  “Participation trophies” have led generations to believe that everyone is equal and that everyone’s lives matter…just for simply existing.

 

While debatable today, there is such a thing as right and wrong.  The idea that anyone today can do, say, anything they want, when they want, how they want, in the name of their “First Amendment rights”, is bullshit.  There’s a time and a place for everything.  Forcing others to listen to you bitch and moan about your political and socio-economic beliefs is downright rude.  And selfish.  And arrogant.  It’s wrong.  Can you hear me Al Pacino and Meryl Streep?

 

I’ve stated this numerous times in other posts but I will continue to drive home the point.  Just because a person exists…breathes…that doesn’t mean their lives matter.  The reality is some people are better than others.  The reality is some people are more important than others.  This has nothing to do with skin color, culture, or ethnicity.  It has everything to do with who you are as a person.  If you’re not a productive member of society then guess what…your life doesn’t matter…even if your Mama thinks you’re the greatest person on Earth.

 

It seems in the interest of “equality”, we are slowly meandering towards a reality in which nation/state borders no longer exist.  Everyone has a right to everything, no matter their citizenship.  In fact this reality is sparking a wave of Neo-Socialists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promising a “utopia” of free education, free healthcare, “quality employment”, and “fair housing”. Yet like so many Socialists before her, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez leaves out one little pesky specific necessary for achieving this “utopia”  How are we going to pay for this “utopia”…and whom is going to pay for all this “equality”?.

 

For me, the answer is clear.  Those that are advocating the loudest for all this “equality” are more than likely the ones that will be least likely, for whatever reason, to pay into this “utopia”.  The burden will be on those in future generations, which have found a way to become self-sufficient, to pay for those that aren’t self-sufficient.  In some socialist countries, tax rates are as high as 60%.  Are future American generations willing to pay that kind of money to maintain the “utopia” envisioned by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders?  I guess time will tell.

 

I’ve always believed America’s decline would not come at the hands of war or invasion.  I’ve always believed we would rot from within.  Sadly, that belief can be seen in the way this country is currently headed.  When the masses replace experts like scientists and scholars with pseudo-experts like athletes and actresses/actors, it’s a sign that the masses are becoming misguided.  When our “heroes” are hypocrites like Colin Kaepernick and miscreants like Michael Brown Jr, it’s easy to see just how ignorant and classless the masses are becoming.  This is the direction this country is moving.

 

Every generation has its challenges and future American generations will be no different.  Global climate change, diminishing resources, and overpopulation due to archaic cultural/religious beliefs will only exasperate the socio-economic challenges already in place.  Can the “meh” mentality overcome these challenges?  Will today’s “heroes” end up saving the day?  It seems only time will tell.

Reality sucks…damn right snowflake :o)

Sources:

https://ocasio2018.com/

 

https://taxfoundation.org/how-scandinavian-countries-pay-their-government-spending/

True Heroes Don’t Kneel

I’m just going to keep this simple and succinct…

Navy Veteran and United States Senator John McCain died yesterday.  Unlike today’s “heroes” like LeBron James and the NFL Divas that disparage this country’s Leaders and disrespect this Nation, John McCain was a true hero.  He honorably served his country as a Naval Aviator.  He endured years of unimaginable, horrific mental and physical torture as a Prisoner of War serving his country.  Afterwards, he continued to serve his country as a Steward of the People, selflessly dedicating his life to this Nation’s ideals.

I don’t pretend that John McCain was a perfect man.  Like all of us, he had his faults.  Senator McCain could at times be stubborn, temperamental, and incorrigible.  Yet one thing is for certain…unlike the NFL Divas of today, John McCain never knelt in the face of adversity.  He faced adversity with equal vim and vigor.  Unlike Edward Snowden and Chelsea (Bradley) Manning, John McCain never sold his country out.  Even as a Prisoner of War.  This…this…is what makes Navy Veteran and United States Senator John McCain a true hero. 

Damn right, snowflake…it’s called RESPECT

A True Hero

 

Oh…So You Want To Protest…

***This rant contains not-so-politically-correct language.  If you can’t handle that…don’t read snowflake :o)***

 

Finally, Roger Goodell and NFL owners grew a pair and addressed that pesky “National Anthem issue” that’s been plaguing the NFL over the past couple of years.  Now, if players want to protest, they can do so from the comforts of their locker room.  If they choose to come out on the field, they will stand during the Anthem or their team will be fined.  As to be expected, the new policy was met with dissatisfaction by many of the million dollar divas (and supporters), who claim that the new policy infringes upon their precious “right” to freedom of speech.

 

One of the arguments I’ve seen against the policy is that it was created solely to protect the monetary interests of the owners.  Actually, there’s probably a fair amount of truth to that.  The reality is the NFL is a business.  Business exists to make money.  It’s no secret that the NFL has seen a decline in viewership over the past few years and this whole “Anthem thing” certainly wasn’t helping.  Addressing this “issue” is one less thing the NFL has to worry about adversely impacting the bottom-line.

 

What I don’t understand is NFL players should also be concerned about the NFL’s bottom-line.  Since the NFL is a business, if it doesn’t make money, players aren’t going to get overpaid the ridiculous amounts of money they are currently getting…just to play a game.  If there were not an NFL, they would not have a J-O-B!  There would be no merch.  There would be no endorsements.  They would be broke-broke!  This reality seems to be lost on today’s self-absorbed NFL divas.

 

Another argument I’ve read and heard is that the original “message” of the protests has been lost.  The protests were never about disrespecting the Anthem, the Military, Veterans, or this country.  Once again…I couldn’t agree more.  The message totally got lost.  But what isn’t being said is how and why the message got lost.  What the masses don’t want to hear is that the message was lost the moment Colin Kaepernick first kneeled…at the worst possible moment…during the National Anthem.  It was never Mr. Kaepernick’s intention to disrespect the Flag.  However, due to his lack of planning/foresight and piss-poor timing, the incorrect association was made from the very beginning.

 

What’s ironic about this is Colin Kaepernick has been lauded by the masses as a “hero” for “taking a stand” (Ha-Ha).  Yet, he is the one that is responsible for, and to blame for, the message getting lost in the first place!!  In addition, those that truly believe Mr. Kaepernick did what he did to protest police brutality and inequality are fooling themselves.  Colin Kaepernick protested to bring attention to himself.  It was a gamble to make himself look more appealing in hopes of wrangling a bigger contract and role.  Unfortunately for Mr. Kaepernick, the gamble didn’t pay off.  Not only is he currently J-O-B-L-E-S-S, he’s made a mess and mockery out of what should have been a worthy cause to protest.

 

 

One obvious thing (at least to me) that has been lost in this debate is the fact that I don’t know where anyone, other than the overpaid Prima Donnas that play in the NFL, think they have the “right” to go to work and protest on their employer’s time and dime!  Seriously…in what other profession can a person do that…and there not be some sort of retribution for doing so? I understand we live in a world today where everyone is self-absorbed and thinks simply because they breathe oxygen, their “precious” lives and opinions matter.  At the same time though, do these players really think that they, and their opinions, are really that important?

 

The answer to that is simple…they do.  Because of the fact that they are getting overpaid ridiculous amounts of money, providing them pseudo-confidence that over-inflates their already ridiculously large egos, NFL players really do think their lives and their opinions are that important.  I’ve read and heard over and over, by the not-so-lustrous masses, that the divas in the NFL are “right” in using their platform to highlight social injustice.  As a fan, let me tell you what I think about that.

 

I don’t watch football…or any other sport…because of a player’s beliefs or opinions.  In fact…I don’t give a damn what a player believes or thinks.  A player in the NFL gets overpaid to do three very simple actions…throw ball, catch ball, run with ball (I know, no love for the defense…the unsung heroes of the NFL).  That is what I watch football for.  What a player does with their time and money, off the field, is their business.  When a player is on the field though…they are on my time…and because I pay to watch a player play a game, it’s my “right” to dictate what they do or don’t do.  Today’s self-absorbed, self-entitled NFL players aren’t using their platform to highlight social injustice.  What they are doing is abusing their platform by forcing me, the fan, to listen to their beliefs and opinions even though I may not think the same as they do.

 

One last item of note….a lot of the million dollar divas that play in today’s NFL have taken to social media to disparage the President of the United States.  Too often, too many players have taken to calling The President an “idiot” for daring to call them out for their childish behavior.  It’s about to get hot…let me explain something here real quick.  A person doesn’t become President of the United States by being an “idiot”.  This is a man who is responsible for the welfare of an entire country.

 

Unlike the divas of the NFL, who get overpaid to do one thing…play a game.  That’s right “grown” man…you get paid to P-L-A-Y.  The only responsibility you have is to put your jock strap on correctly (and somehow, some manage to fuck up even that simple…yet vital…task).  If the NFL were to fold at this very instant, life…and the things that truly matter in life…would still go on.  The only “idiot” here are the overpaid NFL divas that really believe they are somehow more important than the President of the United States…because they play a game.

 

The latest decision regarding that pesky “National Anthem issue” in the NFL is the right decision.  Despite the fact that the overpaid divas, and their not-so-lustrous supporters, believe this infringes on a players “right” to freedom of speech, it was a necessary decision.  The NFL literally cannot afford not to address this issue.  Today’s self-absorbed, self-entitled players/divas don’t get that.  They also don’t get the fact that they aren’t getting paid for their opinions or beliefs…and that no, you really don’t have the “right” to protest when you’re on the field in the name of freedom of speech.  Colin Kaepernick started this mess….he also is to blame for the message being distorted.  Colin Kaepernick isn’t a hero…he’s a shit-bag.  And to those that support him, as well as the NFL divas that disparage the President of the United States (and those that support them)…you’re a shit-bag too. Damn straight, snowflake.

NFL divas at their finest

Damn right, snowflake :o)

It’s Bradley…It’s Chelsea…No…It’s Traitor

So it’s official…Chelsea Manning is now a free “man”.  I use the term “man” loosely.  It has nothing to do with the gender he now identifies with.  Just because Manning decided he’s now a “woman”, changed his name to a more feminine one, that doesn’t make him a woman.  Nor is he a man.  The reality is Manning is a spoiled little brat that did what he did out of selfishness and a falsely perceived sense of self-entitlement.

There are many things about the Manning saga that absolutely floored me.  Foremost is the fact that many look at Manning as a “hero” and a “whistleblower” for having the “courage” to bring to light the supposed “atrocities” the United States was committing at the time while fighting the war on terror.  Apparently, these Manning supporters forgot that these “atrocities”  were in response to the cowards that attacked this country on September 11, 2001.  For those that have forgotten, in that attack close to 3,500 Americans were murdered and over 10,000 were injured. (Staff, 2010)  That doesn’t account for the first responders that are now battling and dying from the hazardous environment they were exposed to as they selflessly and courageously performed their duties (unlike Manning, who selfishly performed his duties with absolute discredit).  That doesn’t account for the families whose loved ones, unlike Manning, will never come home again.

I gotta hand it to this “hero” though, he’s quite cunning.  The manner in which he and his supporters pulled off this whole “traitor to victim”  thing is nothing short of brilliant.  Manning sells out his country and is sentenced to a 35 year term. (Savage, 2017)  He goes to jail and immediately states…oh by the way…I’m a girl now, my name is Chelsea…and that is how and what I will be referred to as.  The absolute crazy thing about it is…it worked!  Seemingly overnight, and without any question whatsoever from the media, Bradley was now Chelsea…he was now a she!

This was brilliant for a couple of reasons.  First, because the media embraced Chelsea without question, Bradley faded from the spotlight.  Chelsea became center stage and more importantly…recent.  The “Recency Effect” is a well-established psychological phenomena.  Basically, what it means is human beings are more apt to recall and remember recent information over previous information (Pam MS, n.d.).  This was key because as Chelsea’s “transformation” became “the” story, people forgot about “Bradley’s”  traitorous actions.

Also, once Chelsea’s “transformation” manifested itself, the issue at hand also “transformed”.  Once again, cue the media!  What was the issue of Manning selfishly selling out his country, the media made it into an LGBT issue!  Poor Chelsea…stuck in prison…just wanting to become the woman he felt he was always supposed to be but not being allowed to!  How convenient for Manning!  This “transformation” enabled Manning to now be viewed as a victim instead of a traitor.   Once again, this allowed the original issue at hand to fade from the spotlight.

From this point, the list of injustices continued to flow unhindered.  In combination with strategically planned suicide attempts and hunger strikes, Manning convinced Army officials to begin hormone therapy as a means to “treat” his “gender dysphoria”.  (Kube, O’Hara, Helsel, & Press, 2017)  Despite being a prisoner, this hormone therapy was paid for with tax payer dollars.  In addition, Manning had access to means which allowed him to update his Twitter account from prison. (Karimi, 2015) This enabled him to reach out to supporters and garner support for his “cause”.  Also, while in prison, Manning was able to write opinion pieces for The New York Times and The Guardian. (Karimi, 2015)  Then, the final injustice occurred.  Before leaving office, former President Barrack Obama commuted Manning’s 35 year sentenced after only serving 7 years despite the fact that Manning SOLD OUT HIS COUNTRY!

So yes…it is brilliant how Manning pulled this whole “traitor to victim” thing off.  Manning and his supporters manipulated the media, making all accomplices look like complete and utter fools!   Despite being a PRISONER, Manning garnered privileges that some free, law-abiding citizens don’t even have access to!  Some of these privileges even came at the monetary expense of the very country that he sold out!  At the end of the day, Manning went to prison for selling out his country and somehow managed to come out of it better off than he was before! 

I’d like to believe that Manning feels some shred of remorse for what he did.  Yet, he doesn’t.  He’s simply too selfish, too self-absorbed, and too much of a brat to feel any sort of responsibility or accountability for selling out his country.  This sense of self-entitlement is clear as Manning “is [now] looking forward to eating pizza, swimming, playing PlayStation and meeting the many friends who have supported her over the years”.  (Kube, O’Hara, Helsel, & Press, 2017)  In addition, Manning stated, “After another anxious four months of waiting, the day has finally arrived,” said Manning. “I am looking forward to so much! Whatever is ahead of me is far more important than the past. I’m figuring things out right now-which is exciting, awkward, fun, and all new for me.”  (Kube, O’Hara, Helsel, & Press, 2017)  Clearly, there is no remorse whatsoever on the part of Manning for selling out his country.

Ironically, I hope Manning enjoys his pizza.  I hope he has fun playing his PlayStation and swimming.  I hope he enjoys spending time with the “friends” that he suckered into supporting his “cause”.  I hope he enjoys all these things because in doing so Manning highlights what freedom really means in this country.  What Manning is too self-absorbed and too selfish to realize is only in the United States of America can you sell out your country and still be alive to enjoy all these things. 

The harsh reality is had Manning done what he did as a citizen of less understanding countries…the outcome would have been very different.  In these countries, even if suspected of being a traitor, Manning would have disappeared.  If he were lucky, he would have been killed on the spot.  But…he wouldn’t have been that lucky.  He would have likely been beaten and tortured in ways he has no idea even exist.  If he managed to live, the rest of his pathetic, pitiful life would have been spent in confinement…or a work camp…hoping to die.  This grim reality doesn’t even take into account had it been known that he wanted to be a “she”.  This grim reality doesn’t take into account what would have happened to his family for him being an enemy of the State.

So let’s set the record straight.  Manning IS NOT a hero.  Manning IS NOT a whistleblower.  Manning is a TRAITOR!!!!! Manning was entrusted with secrets vital to the safety and security of this country and just like Edward Snowden, he selfishly and irresponsibly SOLD OUT THIS COUNTRY!!!!!  That is not what heroes do.  That’s not what whistleblowers do.  Manning’s actions were the epitome of what TRAITORS do!  Manning, along with those that defended and supported him, brilliantly manipulated the media to transform him from a traitor into a victim.  This only served to reinforce his selfishness and falsely perceived sense of entitlement which means Manning will never feel remorse for SELLING OUT HIS COUNTRY.  He will hypocritically enjoy the freedoms and liberties of this country despite being a traitor to this country.  Know that those that defend and support him are just as despicable.  Manning may look forward to his future…but his past will never be forgotten.

 

References

Karimi, F. (2015, April 4). CNN. Retrieved from Chelsea Manning tweeting from prison : http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/03/us/chelsea-manning-joins-twitter/

Kube, C., O’Hara, M. E., Helsel, P., & Press, A. (2017, Many 17). msn.com. Retrieved from Army Whistleblower Chelsea Manning Released From Prison — and Wants Pizza, PlayStation : http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/army-whistleblower-chelsea-manning-released-from-prison-—-and-wants-pizza-playstation/ar-BBBeyeo?ocid=spartandhp

Pam MS, N. (n.d.). Psychology Dictionary. Retrieved from What is RECENCY EFFECT?: http://psychologydictionary.org/recency-effect/

Savage, C. (2017, May 16). nytimes.com. Retrieved from Chelsea Manning Leaves Prison, Closing an Extraordinary Leak Case: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/chelsea-manning-leaves-prison.html?_r=1

Staff, H. (2010). 9/11 Attacks. Retrieved from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks

Edward Snowden…A True American Narcissist

Narcissism at it’s finest!

I recently took the time to read Edward Snowden’s latest interview in The Washington Post.  My hope in doing so was I would find something inspiring in Mr. Snowden’s words.  While certainly informative, I found the interview to be largely nothing more than a rehash and timeline of the effects of Mr. Snowden’s actions.  The revelations that Mr. Snowden did reveal were quite inspiring indeed, but not in a way he or his supporters would like to believe.

 

It seems to me based on Mr. Snowden’s own words that he fancies himself quite the savior of the people!  Naturally, the pious individual that he is, he’d never admit or agree to such a label.  In fact, he goes out of his way to remind us that he “didn’t want to change society.”  Wow…how inspiring is that?!  Indeed, Mr. Snowden conveys a sense of selflessness, a sense of duty to the people, as a means to justify his actions.

 

Yet it seemed the harder he attempted to convey his piousness, the more magnanimous he sounded.  No, Mr. Snowden didn’t want to change society, he simply “wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself.”  Ever so humbly, Mr. Snowden explained that for him, “the mission’s already accomplished.”  He went on to explain selflessly that “I already won” and “everything that I had been trying to do was validated.”  When asked later on what entitled him to take the actions that he took, Mr. Snowden explained it was “they” and “the overseers”…”It wasn’t that they put it on me as an individual – that I’m uniquely qualified, an angel descending from the heavens – as that they put it on someone, somewhere.”  

 

Mr. Snowden would like us to believe, while denying it, that he is that “angel descending from the heavens.”  He would like us to believe, without saying it, that he is a hero of the people for giving “society a chance to determine if it should change itself.”  However, real angels do not have to have their actions “validated”.  Real heroes do not refer to their actions “in terms of personal satisfaction.”  True saviors would never blame “they” or an “overseer” for the position in life they find themselves in.

 

The reality is Mr. Snowden is no angel, hero, or savior.  He is a traitor that did what he did not for the good of the people, but rather to satisfy his own egocentric goals and motivations.  In perceiving he has accomplished his mission and won, he has only succeeded in endangering the lives of others.  In believing in the validity of his actions, Mr. Snowden has served only to erroneously validate his over-inflated self-worth and ego.  Mr. Snowden is not a savior of the people.  He is a savior of himself.

 

Sadly, there are those that truly believe Mr. Snowden is a savior.  They truly believe he has saved the people from an overzealous government hell bent on robbing them of their most sacred right to privacy.  What I find most ironic about this is so many of us distrust our government for collecting too much data.  Yet, every time we search Google, our personal data is collected.  Every time we peruse Amazon, our personal data is collected.  Every time we update, upload, or game on Facebook, our personal data is collected.  The Capitalist collects our personal information and uses that information against us for their personal economic gain.  Yet no one is up in arms over this invasion of privacy!  In fact, we often willing contribute our personal information to this cause.  What makes data collection by the Corporate Master any different than the NSA’s data collection efforts?

 

Ironically, Mr. Snowden addresses this very question in his interview.  “The difference with the NSA’s possession of the data,” Snowden said, “is that government has the power to take away life or freedom.”  At the NSA, he said, “there are people in the office who joke about, ‘We put warheads on foreheads.’ Twitter doesn’t put warheads on foreheads.”  While certainly witty, Mr. Snowden’s explanation falls short in adequately differentiating and justifying the data collection methods of the Capitalist. The Corporate Masters may not have “the power to take away life” literally.  However, through the use of personal information, the Capitalist degrades our quality of life through the use of subversive advertising meant to maliciously tempt and play on our psyche.  This purposeful use of psychology, meant to entice us to spend more money, takes away our freedom to think critically.  While Twitter may not “put warheads on foreheads” literally, it does so figuratively. 

 

At the end of the day, there really is no difference between the data collection efforts of the Corporate Masters and the NSA.  When personal information is collected with the intent to use it as a means to violate the privacy of the people, it is wrong.  It doesn’t matter who is doing it.  As for Mr. Snowden himself, he is nothing more than a narcissistic,  ego-centric traitor.  Those that support him are nothing more than hypocrites.  It’s sad that there are people in this country that blindly trust the Capitalist over their Government.  It is a decision that they will eventually come to regret.

 

Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/edward-snowden-after-months-of-nsa-revelations-says-his-missions-accomplished/2013/12/23/49fc36de-6c1c-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html?hpid=z1