This Is Utopian Capitalism

I've often said to libertarians who say you can't judge it, as no state has adopted it as a model of government; that there is an example to judge.  Somalia.  For years, Somalia was a libertarian dream.  No functioning state at all, no rules to harsh your buzz.

We've created a few libertarian paradise destinations since then, in parts of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The United States populace does not appear ignorant enough to completely fall for this infantile vision of absolutely no oppressive government; with its taxes and regulations and humanity for others.

But many Republican voters are eager to submit to the conservative vision of the United States.  One of supplication to Wall Street.  One of constant and brutal austerity measures for the plebs, and a Trumpian, gold-plated existence for the royal class.

The new Republican health "care" plan is an example; a massive wealth transfer from the poor to the rich; and it all costs is the lives of the poor, sick, and elderly.

Here is another example.

USA Today: RIGGED

Sessions Fucks Over Soldier

Again and again, Republicans wrap themselves in the valor of the military.
Again and again, our military gets screwed by Republicans.

Jeff Sessions' Justice Department Backed a Mortgage Corporation Over a Veteran

Kremlin West

So Trump has hired psychopath Sheriff David Clarke for his administration, a man whom killed an inmate by withholding water and allowed a baby born in his jails to die.  One would think this would disqualify him as too toxic for any normal administration.

I might suspect Trump feels obligated to hire him as one of the few token blacks he can parade around to show he's not racist personally, just his policies (and Sessions, and Bannon, and ...)

I then I read this:

Clarke is one of a few officials in Trump’s orbit with a direct connection to Vladimir Putin’s government. The Daily Beast reported in March that Clarke traveled to Moscow and met with Putin’s top deputy as part of an NRA delegation in 2015. Clarke got $20,000 worth of airfare, meals, and hotel stays for the trip, which he reported on a financial disclosure statement.

I dunno if "one of the few" is snark, but still... Trump is in a world of shit after having disclosed classified material to the Russians and slavishly trying to protect Flynn from being investigated.  And his next move is to hire a bombastic killer with ties to Russia?

The mind reels.

Jail Deaths Weren’t Enough to Keep Sheriff Clarke Out of Trump Administration

Ho-Lee-Shit

Reuters (H/T Atrios:)

National Security Council officials have strategically included Trump's name in "as many paragraphs as we can because he keeps reading if he's mentioned," according to one source, who relayed conversations he had with NSC officials.

It Isn't Just Narcissism

Fuck the Tea Party As Well

'History will not be kind to Jeff Sessions, but hindsight will not make anyone who cares now more comfortable about the present and not-too-distant future that awaits us.

Fuck Jeff Sessions. Fuck everyone in the U.S. Senate who spoke highly of him. Fuck every senator who feigned greater offense about being called a racist than about the burdens that racism places on all of our darker backs. Fuck the black people who actually lent their hues to his long-stemming hatred of us. Fuck everyone who voted to confirm him. Fuck all of them.

Most of all, fuck that real estate and reality-star scammer who bottoms for the Russian government and whoever else appears to pull his purse strings for asking black people during the campaign that if they voted for him, “What the hell do you have to lose?”'

-  Michael Arceneaux

Where Can Jeff Sessions Go? To Hell. When Can He Go? Now

Grasping At Straws

Never a dull moment with Trump occupying the Oval Office.  After having had his Muslim ban struck down, Muslim ban 2.0 at least temporarily halted, Obamacare repeal resulting in the biggest political defeat in 10 years; you would think Trump might be at least introspective if not humbled.

But this is Trump.

Now one week before the government shuts down, Trump wants his Republican congress to not just pass another continuing resolution to keep funding at current levels; but to get new funding for things like the Trump wall.  Simultaneously, he has asked them to revive Zombie Trumpcare and pass it.  Finally, apparently to the shock of his staff, he has announced plans to introduce a bigly tax reform plan.

He is starting to look your racist drunk uncle at the local casino, spending the last of his social security check at the slots.

Can't trust Republicans, ever.

This article is mainly about how our typical, horrible governor suckered our teachers into supporting a bill that supposedly would improve public school funding, only to have him turnaround and expand the school voucher program.  No surprise, there.

But if you're curious about how Arizona is doing investing in its children, this should tell you all you need to know:

A report by the staff of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee shows the funding picture for public schools has not improved.

In 2008, the state put $5.15 billion into K-12. Divided up into the number of children in school, that came out to $4,989 per student.

The estimated figure for this year is $5.07 billion, or $4,528 per student.

And that’s not considering inflation. When that is factored in, that’s worth just $3,911 in 2008 dollars.

 Arizona teachers respond to Doug Ducey's voucher expansion: 'We got played'

Wisdom by Atrios

One reason this blog is sparsely populated, is every time I'm kicking around a thought in my brain somebody expresses it better than I ever could.  Behold:

Trump Voters Still Love Trump

They see politics as a reality show in which their guy is winning and stomping on the face of the losing team, a team which includes blah people. Keep the racism going, keep pissing off the loser liberals, keep sticking it to the blah people. That's what will keep them happy. It was never about the ex-im bank or Chinese currency manipulation or whatever the hell, it was about kicking the shit out of loser liberals. Go Team Trump!