Yes, I know it’s been a while since I’ve blogged. I was in Canada for work all last week, and dealing with some stuff I needed to take care of at home. No biggie I’m back.
I haven’t blogged much about the GOP presidential nominee race. Maybe a little. I am a staunch supporter of Gary Johnson, who’s gotten about as much traction as Buddy Roemer (who? exactly) in this race. Unfortunately, Gary Johnson has decided to jump the GOP ship and seek the Libertarian Party nomination, disappointed with the establishment’s refusal to allow him to even participate in debates.
While I respect his decision, I do think it’s a career killer. I respect libertarian ideals, but the party has no capacity to organize or mount effective national campaigns. I think Gary Johnson’s biggest mistake was to not build a national brand early and running a national campaign for president like a campaign for governor or even a local campaign. I hate to say it, but that’s not the way to win.
So who’s left?
At one point I thought that maybe I’d vote for Ron Paul. Sure, his foreign policy ideas are batshit crazy. He honestly thinks Iran would be much more warm and fuzzy toward us if we were just nice to Ahmadinejad. Uh….
He favors an isolationist policy. He doesn’t think Russia is enough of a threat to continue our participation in NATO – a stance I am positive is absolutely wrong.
He thinks we should disband the CIA. He doesn’t trust the intelligence community. One of the main functions of the presidency is that of commander-in-chief of America’s military. How the hell can you be an effective commander, if you have no trust in your intelligence??
You can’t.
I was also never a fan of his habit of tacking earmarks for his district onto bills that are sure to pass, voting against them, knowing they will pass, and then claiming to be some kind of champion of responsible spending.
I could almost overlook all that.
But then there’s this.
Ron Paul apparently thinks Bradley Manning – the little shit who handed over thousands of classified records to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks is a patriotic hero. That’s right. This kid violated a contract he had with the military to keep the government’s secrets. He endangered sources and their families. He revealed confidential State Department communications. He revealed critical infrastructure, procedures, and other sensitive information. And Ron Paul thinks he’s a hero.
Manning wasn’t a hero, and he didn’t reveal sensitive information out of a responsibility to get any kind of truth out, nor did he do it because he felt our government was behaving criminally! If you read the logs of Manning’s conversations with Adrian Lamo, you’d understand that he was an emotionally unstable jerk, who was upset about not being treated like he thought he deserved. He was conflicted about his sexuality, and he was determined to prove himself important.
Manning didn’t do this out of any sense of obligation! He downloaded everything he could find and gave it en masse to Assange. He wanted to appear important, nothing more. And the information he revealed didn’t serve to paint our leaders as “criminals.”
What he did do was reveal names of sensitive sources.
What he did do was endanger the families of assets in Afghanistan.
What he did do was reveal a list of sensitive sites that our allies consider critical to national security.
And what he did do is make public private communications between State Department employees.
Additionally, what he did do was violate his contract with the Army to keep sensitive information secret.
He’s not a hero. He’s a criminal, and a disgusting, whining piece of crap who decided to get back at Uncle Sam for not treating him like his mommy and daddy would.
And THIS is what Ron Paul finds patriotic and heroic?
I’m done with this guy. Any support I might have had for him vanished with his coddling of a criminal who played games with our national security to build up his own ego. Ron Paul can’t even put his distrust of authority aside long enough to understand that governments DO need to classify information, that governments DO have the authority to punish those who violate contracts with it, including non-disclosure agreements, that circumstances DO exist that should preclude the people having access to information.
Please, Ron Paul. Just go away. Last thing we need in the White House is a truther nut who doesn’t even trust his own intelligence community.
h/t: Misha
Dec 23, 2011 @ 00:49:13
So who’s left? Because it’s going to be RuPaul or Gingrinch against Zer0.
Dec 23, 2011 @ 09:33:29
If it’s Gingrich, I promise you, I’ll vote for Zero. I find him to be an odious toad, a RINO with no honor and an opportunistic, self-centered swine. I’d rather focus on helping elect a veto-proof majority in the legislature.
At this point, however, I think it’s going to be Mittens, for whom I’m considering voting, but generally, I think I’ll probably wind up voting for Gary Johnson if he gets the LP nomination. At least I’ll be voting with a clear conscience.
Dec 26, 2011 @ 23:10:55
Nicki, you say you care about freedom? I have news for you. The only credible danger to your freedom and mine is the US government and its enforcers, i.e., the police AND the military.
The US military and all police will do whatever the tyrants in office command them, just as they always have. From the Bonus Army to gun confiscations after Hurricane Katrina, the military has turned its weapons on American citizens before, and they’ll do so again. This is why the Founders of this nation feared a standing army.
Manning might have betrayed the US government, but he did NOT betray ordinary Americans or jeopardize our security.If anything is jeopardizing our security and our freedoms, it’s these constant US invasions of Middle Eastern countries. These cowardly attacks on weak, low-tech foreigners only engender hatred toward the US and motivate some to seek revenge. This is why 9/11 happened in the first place, and I’m sure that won’t be the last attack on our soil.
Meanwhile, the threat of such attacks, which the US government is doing everything possible to increase with its wars for Israel and “defense” industry profits, is being used as an excuse to turn the US into a police/surveillance state where Constitutional “rights” have many, many exceptions. What will “our” troops do about it? Absolutely nothing, of course, in spite of their oath to protect that Constitution.
Dec 27, 2011 @ 08:09:18
While I agree that government does present a danger to freedoms, government being the very definition of force, I’m not idiotic enough to simply say we need to get rid of government and all will be well. And don’t condescend by telling me you “have news” for me. I’m not stupid, nor do I have any delusions about the nature of government.
1 – I was deployed to Katrina. Do NOT presume to tell me what we did or did not do there. When we first arrived there, the IG gave us a briefing on our mission. He told us that we will see plenty of people carrying guns, both open and concealed. He also specifically told us that the people have the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment, and we were NOT to disarm them or attempt to do anything to relieve them of that right at any time, unless they were actually committing a crime with that firearm. I’m so sick and tired of people who weren’t there presuming to tell me what we did or did not do in Louisiana post Katrina!
2 – I was a member of the military – both in the National Guard and in active duty Army. The vast majority of people with whom I served understand they took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. They understand the nature of an unlawful order, and have an obligation to disobey said orders, if they are, in fact, unlawful.
3 – Manning set back our diplomatic relations with a lot of other nations. He endangered Afghan assets who were perceived, thanks to those documents, to be cooperating with coalition forces. They and their families were threatened and harmed. I guess you don’t give a fuck about the little brown people in Afghanistan who did nothing more than provide information about murderous insurgencies? Neither did Assange. He also didn’t care about innocent civilians working at key facilities around the world that were deemed critical to national security and could easily be targeted by terrorists thanks to Manning’s release. http://thelibertyzone.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/and-when-terrorists-target-those-sites-with-updated-thought/
4 – And if you think that the terrorists and the radical Islamists will just go away and leave us alone if we just pet them on the head and be nice to them, you’re just as delusional and crazy as Ron Paul. There are people in this world who do NOT act in rational self interest. There are people in this world who are evil. There is a lot wrong with our government, but the tinfoil hat nutbaggery that accompanies nearly every Paul supporter’s screed about war for oil, the evil defense industry, the evil Israelis, etc. is getting old.
Dec 27, 2011 @ 21:30:15
I alway sound like a smart ass, but I not trying to be: I starting to like dr. Paul because he’s seems like the guy talking about goverment in a bar, or such. My problem with Dr. Paul is that he want to get ride the ADA Act, as s disabled Ameican this was wrong but I get it.. I chose to be born with Cebral pasley and to be abuse as a child. I love that once people has the rigth to discard the disabled, I won’t be able to pay off my student loans. Yeah! I will not vote for obama, whom I love ans think is hot btw, because he is a political mind man: the only good thing about Obama is that he loves his wife and kids. Dr. Paul’s believes are out here but he is better than the hottie in the white house, now?
Dec 27, 2011 @ 22:44:24
If you like a President who’s the crazy uncle at the family barbecue, yelling at gnomes and screaming about the time he was kidnapped by aliens and given an anal probe.
Not the president I want.
As for the ADA – it’s not about discarding the disabled, it’s about legislating compassion.
http://www.liveleak.com/e/5ad_1247426264Dec 28, 2011 @ 00:19:05
What Nicki said about the ADA. Same goes for the Civil Rights Act.
Dec 28, 2011 @ 12:03:40
Dr. Paul want overturn the ADA, I been trying to looking beyon that because I was accuse of being a racist my friends for vote Obama in ’08. I want to run for President (in tweney years) and who vote now could be use against later. I’m 25 now and just staring on disablity and post- secondary education.
I did not know nicki was for ADA, many of converse/ republicans/ liberatens I know are not. I, out of self interest am for it. But, I am also for social entuprentership as replace for our welfare systems. I am a naive BA of speech Commuintions. I understand legislating compassion, but I’d rather have a manage playing flied, so I be focus on succes. Or get put the way. I want to help teens with abilities understand that, in some cause, a lack of self value is what stop you. I done my share of crying and I want to act. Get Obama out the White house is part my plan: i believe he is not suited for his current job, but if he came back to il and help with doning taxes and legal for NFPs, he could change things. I apologize if I have anger you in way.
Dec 29, 2011 @ 18:56:18
Just watch that video. I’m overly touchily about this issue because I want to help with disabilities, most teens with learning disabilities. .I sorry that this act, my life, has take away your freedom. I guess that because I am a disabled and black woman , it means i have to be prefect. 100% in a class is a F-, 110% is D+. that how i was raise.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 09:29:49
There’s a difference between wanting to help and forcing others to do so.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 09:48:08
Yes, I get it you’re saying forced
compassion is more hurtful because it does created a lack of freedom. And it I agree with you on that note. Yet, I not going to lied and say the Ada has not help me. Oh well huess I’ll vote for Perry or not vote. But, still believe that people with disabilities should held higher standard than non-disabilities because That will benefit all.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 09:56:03
Additionally forced compassion creates antipathy toward the subject of said compassion. I will gladly help a disabled person, give them my parking space or a seat on the Metro, but if I’m FORCED to do so, I am less likely to have goodness in my heart when I’m doing it, and less likely to do so voluntarily in places where there’s no law.
Perry has his own issues.
It’s a bad field.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 16:19:39
I thought I’d said that you are right, that usallay end the debate. Anyways, you know more about being disabied than I do. I’ve only had Cebral pasley for 25 years. You know more because you’re older and smarter than I am, it mone of my business if are disable or nor. You not dumb, I am because I have not kill myself due to disabitiy ( a teacher told me I should kill myself to lower her taxes). Once I have sex for first time I’ll get right on. But, I am startinng to get bitchly: I fon’t anymore I get bitchly when I sad or upset. So, I just say thank you for point that out, and happy New year, Nikki. And why don’t you run for office? I may not agree with you, but you’re a vet with a passion for the freedoms of this Union. Just sayin’
Dec 30, 2011 @ 17:45:31
I wasn’t aware I was debating. Merely stating my opinion. I will never run for office. I like my job too much.
Happy New Year.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 16:49:09
When I said you’re older and smarter I was being sendeces, not ironic.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 19:39:49
OhI did not debate in a bad way. I intchamge debate for talking, sharing ideas. I’m speech commucation theory nerd!
. I reget that debate this one thing I didn’t do on/for my speech team in college. I believe that one of the best way to learn is by talking those who has a diffent view than me. I’m glad you like your job, but wish someone with balls would run. I still have go to law school 
.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 21:10:46
It’s all good. Good luck with it.