There is a group of Americans out there...

... that is willing to lose everything to the point of living under an overpass in a tent with a rat on a stick just so long as the group in the next tent does not have a rat or a stick to put it on. And while we fight each other the rich get richer and we lose more, all because red herrings like race, immigration, and the "evils" of socialism are used by conservatives to do what they always accuse their opponents of doing - wage class warfare.

Saddam Looms Over Our Middle East Policy, or Lack Thereof

I am not ignorant of who he was or the horrible acts he committed, but he served a purpose. And it was one countless other dictators who are, or have been, American darlings serve - keeping order abroad that benefits American interests.

The only thing the George W. Bush administration did when it launched an unprovoked attack on Iraq (other than fill the pockets of corporations with blood money and further destabilize the Middle East for decades) was confirm what opponents had been saying in the months leading up to the war - Saddam is contained, keeping order in Iraq, and poses no direct threat to the United States.

When our forces were caught in the middle of an Iraqi civil war I was discussing the issue with my friends. At one point I said, "you know what Iraq needs? A dictator." We laughed, but all conceded it was largely the truth. And the lack of that dictator continues to loom over our lack of a foreign policy in the Middle East - outside of making the military industrial complex richer, of course.

The Supreme Court is playing a very clever game.

Its recent decision to not rule on gay marriage across the country takes attention away and distracts from the fact the Court is in the pocket of big business and the GOP. Sure, they have destroyed any semblance of democracy by saying money equals free speech and reaffirming corporations are people, but look how nice the Court is being to gays. I despise this court.

Words matter. And terms like "Food Insecurity" are ridiculous and trivialize important issues.

This is the image that has provoked this response:

It's hunger. It's poverty. Let's not drape it in desensitizing terms.

This is the type of word game people use so we don't have to look at ourselves in the mirror objectively. And such tactics are also used to trick people into supporting policies. Let's get rid of the "death tax," despite the fact the vast majority of people don't have to pay it. "Trickle Down Economics" works because the "job creators" aren't greedy bastards who horde their money, but spread the wealth around like little gift giving fairies and make jobs sprout out of the ground like daisies. The Republicans have clearly mastered this game, but liberals play it too and I don't find it clever or helpful.

Both politics and law make me distrustful of language and this is why.

Report: Secret Service Agent Leaked Obama Locations To Romney Campaign In 2012

TPM: Report: Secret Service Agent Leaked Obama Locations To Romney Campaign In 2012

The report, from the website Inside Sources, cites two Romney staffers "who witnessed the events in question." The sources told Inside Sources that the married-Secret Service agent, who was not identified, was motivated by his flirtation with the female staffer to disclose the information and on a separate occasion gave joy rides in Secret Service cars with lights flashing. This all happened in a key battleground state in October 2012, according to the report.

Inside Sources reported that the schedule provided by the agent was received with skepticism by the Romney campaign but it was eventually proven to have been accurate.

The Inside Sources item came the same week that The Washington Post has been publishing reports on new details about Omar Gonzalez, the White House fence jumper who made it deep into the presidential mansion despite official reports that he had not. As a result of those reports, Julia Pierson stepped down as head of the United States Secret Service.

Story Time: Julia Learns To Disrespect Others (Christian Bigotry in Children's Book Form)

Fox hosts: Drunk girls share blame for frat rapes

How's that Nobel Peace Prize working for you?

I was in awe and strongly disagreed with the decision to award Obama the prize when he had done nothing to earn it (my friends, who also voted for Obama, were very dismayed by my criticism). It was probably one of the only times I agreed with the right wing that such a decision was way premature and undeserved. All Obama did was talk about his strong desire for peace and ending the constant wars we wage, and the Nobel Peace Prize was given to him despite the fact his actions beyond talk were negligible and what he did do had little to no impact on world peace and abating American imperialism. It was simply inane to award the Nobel Peace Prize to a new president when this country consistently wages war whether the President of the United States is a Democrat or Republican.

"Well regulated militia" in the American gun debate.

My conservative cousin and I met at our latest family event this weekend. He was talking about guns and the right to bear arms when I said his side conveniently forgets the "well regulated militia" portion of the Second Amendment. His response? Prolonged silence, followed by usual talking points like "there are too many illegal guns out there so we need to defend ourselves," and even that "good guy with a gun bullshit." I don't think he is part of that well regulated militia thing.

The Cost (literally) of "Justice" in Ferguson ($$$$$$$$$$)