My hands are aching from all the scraping and sanding,

and the other day I somehow managed to scratch an eyeball slightly(yes, I know, even before went to the doc I shouldn't have been out in the wind and crap), so I've been looking around.

Kevin had a post that directed me to MaxedOutMama, whose post started with this
I am so sick of identity politics. This can go no further. We are either going to commit cultural suicide, or we will break the back of the snake of "group rights". There are none. The Constitution grants rights to individuals only. If we ever abandon that principle, then we are squarely in the world of the Muslim, Nazi, Communist and Italian fascists.

Liberty is an inherently offensive lifestyle. Living in a free society guarantees that each one of us will see our most cherished principles and beliefs questioned and in some cases mocked. That psychic discomfort is the price we pay for basic civic peace. It's worth it. 

It's a pragmatic principle. Defend everyone else's rights, because if you don't there is no one to defend yours. If you are not willing to defend other people's rights, then US society is going to become an increasingly violent competition between groups for control. The choices before us are pretty clear. Do we want fighting in the streets, or do we want to support each individual's rights?
and has this further down:
It's time for Americans to grapple with the fact that our academic system is riddled with people who espouse values that are utterly antithetical to the American Constitution and the founding principles of our society. You cannot defend academic freedom for Ward Churchill (who has a long track record of espousing murder and violence as political weapons) on principle and then turn around and promulgate disposition theory in education schools, require social work students to lobby legislatures for particular political programs, or dismiss instructors who argue with Palestinian activists.You cannot logically institute a policy of non-discrimination against same-sex couples and then promulgate a policy forbidding RAs to hold bible studies in their own dorms. A university system that prevents the Danish Mohammed cartoons from being shown in the context of a discussion about them is fascist to its ugly, petty core.
You really ought to read it all.


I admit to a lot of gloomy thoughts lately.  I'm listening to/reading people I generally think smart who actually believe that not reelecting Obama means we hate someone/want someone to die/don't care about the world/are racist/I think are actually scared of Romney*.  We've got a President who'd rather pander to terrorists and muslim fanatics than defend that Constitution he swore an oath to uphold and defend.  I've actually had someone tell me that 'We're not out of money, there are a lot of rich people who have a lot we don't have access to yet!'(which scares the bloody hell out of me, because SHE ACTUALLY MEANT IT).  As Sarah Hoyt has pointed out, poor people in the US live at a level that most nobles and princes of not that long ago could not imagine, yet we're constantly told that we 'owe' it to those poor to take care of EVERYFUCKINGTHING for them; otherwise "You don't CARE if people suffer/die/whatever!", etc(after 'It's for the CHILDRENNNN!' one of the more common insults lately).  And so forth.

And that miserable sonofawhore Bernanke decided to make my savings and retirement account worth less and less, apparently so he can continue to play with peoples' lives and claim he's doing it for us.

And, of course, we have the savages working the Terrorist Veto worldwide.  And the hoplophobes and gun bigots using lies to try to disarm anyone not with a 'State Minion' id.  Add to that son being in Somewhereinthehell Afghanistan while our President is 'negotiating' with the enemy...

All this does not for a peaceful mind make.

Makes it hard to enjoy things.


 *Yes, I know what Romney is; no, I don't much trust him; yes, I do think he'd be less dangerous to the country than another four years of Obama.