Daily News March 8th, 2012

DATELINE: NOT LEAVING ON A JET PLANE – Republican/Conservative: When the hell did that come to mean that, at the cost of everything else, the right of a business owner to make money and the need for me to shove my moral and religious values on you, trump everything else? How did it go from being for less government involvement and more opportunity for everyone to have that great dream of a better life, to let’s fuck over the workers, the unions, and while we are at it, the women as well? When did it become about everyone having to pray to one god, that god being the almighty dollar, under the guise of one christian Deity?

Imagine a world with no labor unions. Seriously, try to think back to when a man could own a flourishing company, rake in money, pay slave wages, offer no benefits and keep getting richer by the day while the people who kept him where he was, those who provided the sweat, who went hungry, who were horribly abused, got nothing. Remember those days when the guys who owned the companies did their damnedest to also own the government, so that the laws could always go in their favor, knowing that politicians are more than willing to take money for their campaign funds, their household funds, or their fun funds. What a great world! The politicians are happy and rich. The big business guy is happy and rich… oh, wait! You don’t need to imagine! Lucky enough there are plenty of third-world models for this delightful lifestyle. Soon enough, we will be fully entrenched in this lifestyle again, if we aren’t already.

Those with the money are continuing to rake it in while those who are working their asses off are finding less in their envelope, fewer benefits, and absolutely no loyalty or respect. Is it really so hard to at least respect the people who work every god damned day for you, doing a long honest day’s work? On the good side, what do they need holidays for anyways? It’s not like they can go anywhere or do anything any more. Those businesses that are not unionized have been taking great advantage of the economic climate, seeing it as an opportunity to totally fuck their staff, resorting gladly to that ‘if you don’t like it, go get a job somewhere else’ line of thought. Those that are unionized are learning, with the government firmly in their employers pocket, their right to collective bargain no longer exists.

I am not, and I have never been, a great advocate for labor unrest. I hate that a group of people can take the entire public hostage while they feather their own nests, demand absolutely disgusting increases and benefits, retirement packages and job security that will mean they can’t get fired no matter what they do or don’t do. In part, the unions have earned a bit of the shit smell they wear, because many times, with the threat of labor disruption, they held their employers over a barrel while demanding, and eventually receiving, what in essence were perverse contracts that certainly did their share to fuck up the balance of the economy as well. It would be a wonderful world if we didn’t need the unions, if employers would treat their staff fairly, with respect, and consideration. It’s totally fucking nuts that they don’t, but the lure of that shiny gold coin has our resident business moguls unable to see the forest for the trees. No, they should not have to accept or pay for a consistently poor performance by an employee. They should, however, realize that there is very little they can produce that is not intended, at some point along the way, for public consumption. Therefore, it should behove them to know they will sell more of whatever they create if there are people making money enough to buy it.

Yes, it pisses me off to see some people in some unions, especially in the public sector, going year after year, daily fucking the dog at my expense… and yes, it happens, all too often. It pisses me off that because of a possible labor dispute that does not involve me, my life is still fucked up and I am out of pocket for something that is now denied to me because of labor disruption. No, the unions should not hold us hostage, but more to the point, the fucking employers should not be so fucking dickheaded as to cause that to happen. No, I don’t think that, in this economy, it is a good idea to demand double-digit wage increases, when the rest of the non-unionized sector is getting fucked in the ear with roll-backs, fewer benefits and the need to pray every fucking night that they will still have a job in the morning, even though they work their asses off every day on that job. I think its insulting. Even more reprehensible is that companies who are still making profits, (or would be if they weren’t so fucking mismanaged while still offering those mismanagers their obscene fucking bonuses for not doing a god damned thing) are taking advantage yet again of the economy and their employees, and fucking them in the ear where pay is concerned. Too many of them are sitting on their cash, hoarding it for themselves, and not realizing that by doing so, they are at the same time fucking themselves.

At one time, to be Republican or Conservative, meant that you embraced a fair work environment that offered the chance for ALL to prosper without the government having to interfere. Government had no business in the business of business. There would be no need for social programs (sic handouts) if everyone was working and earning their way. Now that isn’t possible, and it won’t be until big business pulls their heads out of their asses. Now, to be Republican or Conservative, means that even paying a fair wage is looked on as a handout, and they don’t do handouts. They find ways to minimalize the public, the worker, the regular guy. He is but a means to an end for them, the end being a well-lined pocket at any expense. The big businesses can and do have the ability to turn the economy around, but with the help of a political faction that HATES the worker, and political rhetoric that does nothing to support the needs of the worker or the plight of the worker, what is to be expected. We will just take those massive strides back to the days of Dickens, and hope for a new Norma Rae to come along and save our sorry asses. Maybe it is time for the unions to do what has to be done, for the sake of everyone who has to earn a paycheque out there. It’s obvious the Republicans/Conservatives won’t. They are too busy allowing the business to fuck their staff, while they tell us who, how and why the rest of us will be allowed to fuck at all.

DATELINE: IN THE CRAPPER, FLUSHING IT DOWN

So, it’s come to this: comedian Stephen Colbert coyly almost announcing his candidacy for the GOP South Carolina primary. What a sad fucking day – but not for the reasons you think.

How did this almost soon-to-be maybe announcement come about? Because five percent of people in South Carolina who were asked about their choices in the primary indicated to pollsters they would vote for Stephen Colbert – so why shouldn’t he throw his hat into the ring. Anyone else would. The sad part of this is that it shows, without doubt, the mockery that the political system has become. It shows the frustration of the electorate, and it shows (no offense, Stephen) that any ass is a welcome part of that system. It shows that too many people don’t take some very serious situations seriously at all.

Yes, Colbert and Stewart have brought attention to the stupidity of the system and the people who are part of it. They have, in essence,proven the hypothesis that politicians take care of themselves first, last and always. Their experiment has removed any doubt that the system now is so corrupt it is virtually impossible to take it seriously. That whole PAC crap about advertising money and the candidate having nothing to do with it? Oh please, there is NO ONE who doesn’t know that Gingrinch and Romney have everything to do with them… because that is the way governments now work. They don’t worry about morals or ethics anymore, especially when it comes to getting a chance to sit behind that fucking fancy desk in the Oval Office. These guys would even eat their young, for fuck sake, if it meant one more vote in a swing state.

‘But Bambi, you’re a Canadian. Why do you give a shit anyways?’ Good question. There are several reasons. The first is that whatever the most powerful country in the world does, it has an impact on every other country, and the closer you are to the US, the more it affects you. The second is that, we are really really close neighbors, and when your asshole leader lets his ego gets in the way, and the bombs start falling, we are right in the middle of the firing range, much to close for comfort. The third is that,whether right or wrong, we are sort of like the US’s adoring little brother,looking up to him, following his lead, emulating what he does… and I do NOT want Canada to be like that ever (although already, as kids are wont to do as they age, we are quickly catching up and becoming more and more like you every day). The fourth reason is because we have to watch all of your political bullshit and ads every time we turn on our fucking sets, and you know, you guys are in Perpetual Election Mode down there now. The minute the votes are counted, you are off and running again, making sure that you win the next one four years later. You are so fucking busy running for election that you have no time or interest in actually running the country.

The even sadder part of this is that you have an incredible system offered to you by some incredibly smart people, who were not looking to line their pockets and have unmitigated power and authority over the whole land. Those people were more concerned about freedom, equality, creating a land where EVERYONE had a chance to live their dreams (not just the top 1%). Once that plan was in place, a plan that the rest of the world looked at in awe and wondered if they should ever dare to dream of some plan for their own countries that offered the same great gifts, it became time to fight for it, and fight they did. They all put their lives on the line, and men and women have been proudly doing the same ever since. They never looked for a fucking loophole to garner them more favor and give them one more vote over the other guy; they were too busy crouching in fox holes under barrages of artillery fire, and watching, horrified, while their buddies had their arms, legs, heads blown off.

I hear people saying there is no point in voting, what difference does it make? They are all corrupt, they lie to get into office. I am not arguing any of that. What I am arguing is that apathy is the most powerful weapon in these candidates arsenal. By not voting, we allow them to do what they want. By not voting, we say it’s okay to do what they are doing. Yes, the system needs change, and it needs it right now, but the system is not going to change it, and the politicians are not going to change it. The people are the ones to do that. You don’t have to don a uniform, pick up a gun and crouch in a fox hole while shitting your pants in fear; but you do have to stand up and be counted, and really, that’s not a lot to ask, is it? You want to see changes, hold these assholes accountable. There isn’t a candidate that wholly appeals to you? Then find one, and ask them to run. There are a lot of smart,honest, principled, hard-working people out there – so find one. If you have to ‘settle’ on a candidate, then when he is elected, hold him to account, write letters, and make a stand. If you are asked to make a political contribution, say no because you don’t like the tactics. You don’t want someone to buy their way into the White House, then don’t give them money – which means don’t give the money to those companies who do support them. If you know that someone is sponsoring a crooked candidate, contact them and say you won’t purchase their crap anymore. Tired of the mudslinging bullshit ads? Phone the television stations and say ‘Enough! I am changing the channel because this is bullshit.’ If the 40% of the population who does not vote did these things, did something more than bitch from their armchair, the system would change. It would be held to account, and it would be because you stood up. Until then, I guess we sit back and watch more people make a mockery of a system that is already sadly, dangerously not more than a daily joke.

So, Colbert MIGHT run. I am not going out on a limb to say that his ideas could not be any more dumbass than the ones being floated by the 'traditional' candidates, his past could not be more smarmy than theirs, he could never be even close to them on the hypocrisy chart, so maybe this is a blessing. Maybe he is meant to be 'the chosen one', Anderson Cooper and his Ridiculist be damned! If Colbert manages to sweep the Carolinas and goes on to take Washington, though, it’s to be hoped that Jon Stewart could be his vice president, and become the first VPOTUS to have his face on paper money. If I had dollar bills with Jon Stewart’s face on them, I would save those puppies, glue them up on the bedroom ceiling, and have a couple in my hip pocket just to take out and lick throughout the day, then lovingly slide them back where they belong. It would create a whole new, much more palatable economic crisis.

DAILY NEWS -- November 8th, 2011

DATELINE: BEATING THE SUGAR OUT OF THE CAIN: This might surprise you, considering the topic, but no, this is NOT about Herman Cain and his alleged inability to keep it in his fucking pants (well, it might be, but that’s secondary). This is about the entire press corps and their pathetic attempts to fill news time with their partisan bullshit. That’s what is wrong with the whole fucking continent –we have asshole politicians with a huge sense of entitlement, and a media that panders to them.

Since this story about sexual harassment broke, how many ‘experts’ have been interviewed about what this does to a person, why they might not report it immediately, why they might report it now? Well hell, why would they bring those on when they can have a plethora of pundits sit and spew erudite opinions from their assholes? As usual, the REAL story, the real opportunity to be journalists and make a difference is lost in the need to score political points one way or the other. To hear men saying that ‘it happened twelve years ago so what difference does it make’ is enough to make me want to crawl through the television screen and scrog a few scrotes.

Why didn’t these women come forward when it happened? Well, two of them did, and there IS record of that because they were in fact paid settlements that, in 2003, Herman Cain acknowledged. Funny how in 2003, he admits to something that he adamantly denies today… but I digress. Most women will not come forward at the time, because they will lose their fucking jobs if they do, or they will be poo-pooed by the rest of the male workforce and subjected to even more harassment. That’s the wonderful thing about sexual harassment – it’s like the gift that keeps on giving.
Women in that situation, by nature, feel ashamed. They shouldn't, but they do. They are accused of wearing the wrong clothes, saying the wrong words, standing the wrong way, walking too provocatively, or chewing their food in a way that would invite a man to make advances. It is always HER fault. That’s why they rarely make a claim at the time. Why did they wait for twelve years? Because they can see that now this man has a very viable opportunity to become the most powerful man in the world; how the hell many more women does that put on his holy altar? As the Big Guy in the Oral Office, how many other women would he abuse? They came forward because they are scared as hell for other women that might have to work with him. After twelve years, to dig up this shit internally and relive it though asshole reporters and pundits is not an act of desperation; it’s an act of sacrifice and bravery because they know, once again, they will be victims of abuse because of it. For reporters to say that none of these reports have a bearing on how a man will vote is nothing more than MORE evidence as to why women will not come forward when they are victimized like this. To have those absolutely ignorant blonde bimbos using their news shows to spew the Republican Party line and discredit all these women and victims is totally reprehensible. Stick to the fucking story, ladies, and quit turning this into nothing more than cheap talking points for our own pulpits. Be journalists for a fucking change.

As for Herman Cain… *sigh*… My problem is not that he apparently was an asshole twelve years ago. To be honest, working in predominantly male work environments all my life, I would be surprised if he didn’t, because, and there is no way to gently state this, a LOT of men are colossal dicks to work around. Their attitude towards women sucks. Here is a news bulletin for all you wanker-toting individuals out there: the majority of women-folk can think, we can work, and we do NOT spend our entire day dreaming of that perfect man and trying to tantalize you all.

Herman Cain COULD have gotten in front of this, but he chose to be an asshole. Yes, it was years ago and people do change, and he easily could have said that yes, he had made mistakes, yes, he has grown and matured and learned something about it, and yes, he recognizes that he can make a difference by helping to empower women and make it so this is less likely to happen. When he instead went with the ‘deny, deny, deny’ despite evidence to the contrary (yes, I am back to the cases where there were cash settlements – and those have not been disputed), it set the precedent for him, and was a pretty clear indicator that there was more to come. When he started to get angry at the press for asking him about it… considering he IS planning to become President of the United States… anyone with half a brain had to wonder what the anger was for, and realize the obvious thing is that there are even more skeletons in the closet. He has adopted the old ‘offence is defense’ principle, and it will not work. He could have turned this into something beneficial for himself, for women, for workplaces, but instead, he showed that yes, Virginia, he really is a misogynistic prick, no, he does not have any respect for women, and for sure, he is not an appropriate candidate to lead the country.

He will have a press conference today. The asshole reporters will chew apart every word he says, looking for innuendo. They will conveniently avoid discussing the fact that statistics indicate that up to 70% of women working in North America have been victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. Yes, that is UP TO, because, like cases of sexual assault, the vast majority of the cases go unreported because the victim has already been abused enough and can’t handle the shame of having to go through the process again, and again, and again, in order to get anywhere when the bottom line is, and the abusers know this, it will be one word against the other, and that very rarely works in the victim’s favor. Statistics show that at least 62% of victims will not take action. Virtually 100% of female victims claim that their harasser was a male. Of the reported 7% of men who are victims of sexual harassment (although, again, I suspect this would be higher if all of them came forward), 59% of them are harassed by women. 70% of the time, the person doing the harassing is someone of higher status and authority within the organization, 20% of the time it will be someone at the same employment status as the victim.

Am I pissed about this whole situation? Damned right I am. The media circus has proven in spades why victims will not come forward in these situations, and has set the cause of ending sexual harassment backwards by twenty years just in the last two weeks. Herman Cain has taken what could have been an incredible opportunity to make a real difference to a lot of people, and turned it into his own little fucking pity party, peppered liberally with self-righteous indignation. Despite the policies he might campaign with, despite his ability to make a speech, despite his hard earned success, he has proven he is not a man who will stand up and be counted, and in doing so he has proven he is not a man to be elected President of the most powerful and influential country in the world. He has shown it would not be appropriate to have him championing women’s rights or human rights or equality or freedoms. He has shown that he is nothing more than slimy and pathetic, especially when, as a last ditch effort, he brings his wife into the debate by stating she supports him and knows nothing about his perverse sexual proclivities. My first response to that is that if you are an asshole to women, Herman, what the hell else is she supposed to do? My second response is that she is your wife, and the wife is always the last to know, since I rather doubt your over-dinner banter includes a list of the women you groped over the course of your work day. Sorry, asshole, but your 15 minutes should be up. Unfortunately, with the media we are blessed with today, this fucking cock and pony show will continue on, to the detriment of all victims of sexual harassment, for many more weeks.

There are many people out there who have made mistakes. The real adults own up, learn and use that experience to make a difference. There are many good people out there who treat others with respect; why the hell is it so hard to find a candidate in any political suit who understands respect or shows respect? Why is respect such a rare commodity in the media now? Until we start to see that, it’s damned near impossible for us to have any respect for them. It’s time for us to start demanding it in both arenas.