Tyre Nichols, R.I.P.

This tragedy almost sent me straight over the edge. The buildup of rage after countless other police contacts or stops where minorities who happened to be black, brown or Asian ultimately ended up dead.

How many times does this have to happen in the United States, and in other countries, before we finally get it? The system is broken and badly needs fixing, one police department at a time. In this instance, five Memphis African-American or other black police officers have been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

First off, police departments and services need to deal with The Blue Wall of Silence, where cops who denounced violent behaviour by their colleagues sometimes ended up being demoted or fired. That partially explains why officers do not stop fellow officers on the scene. They do nothing, or worse yet, get in on the retaliatory act. In this case, they were seething that Nichols had got away, and no doubt couldn't wait to catch up with him, which they quite obviously did. 

All this talk about supervisory officers -- sergeants or other cool heads -- not being on the scene. Well, I would put it to you that the statistics must be interesting: what percentage follow their training and actually de-escalate and what percentage do not?

Then there are the other contributing causes such as racism, which does not seem to have played a role here as none of the fired officers seems to have been racist. Then we come to the first elephant in the room: undiagnosed and/or untreated PTSD. What role did that possibility play in connection with this traffic stop? Are police forces screening for that with great regularity, if at all? Ditto for other first responders, but I digress.

And finally, the biggest elephant: the demigod complex, where ingrained individual personality defects and complexes lead to this kind of outrageous behaviour by individual officers. All departments should require that each officer be psychologically evaluated prior to being hired and regularly thereafter while on the force. Period. That would steadily weed out the nut bars. 

Ask yourselves why major reform is often blocked, and that brings you to police brotherhoods, as they used to be called. These police unions are too powerful and badly need reform so that they can no longer block reforms or individual internal police accountability. 

So, that's my take on this sad waste of yet another human life. Now it's up to the courts and the jury. 

 

But, But, But, But, Poilièvre...!

It's been an interesting time over at WarrenKinsella.com with our host once again providing his readers with thoughtful, insightful and even provocative pieces on the state of politics in this country and especially on the shelf-life of the Trudeau government. With that in mind, here's my take on the Trudeau Liberals:

These TRUDEAU Liberals need to get the political thumping of their lives: their smug arrogance; phoney baloney; disingenuous behaviour; virtue-signalling while personally doing the exact opposite; their patronage appointments that aren’t merit-based; their contracts that aren’t tendered and that go directly only to relatives, families, friends and Liberal supporters; their own families who take private money from companies that receive government contracts. Such is the “cachet” of the TRUDEAU Liberals. I could go on, but no one here wants to read a book.

As in the last two election campaigns and immediately prior to the writ being dropped, the Conservatives were ahead as Trudeau fatigue set in. But then the Conservative leader did something stupid that played right into the Joe Clark quote about voting for the devil you know, rather than the one you don't. So, it'll be an interesting election next time as Trudeau and Company try to paint Pierre Poilièvre as at least the devil incarnate.

For his part, Pierre Poilièvre already has so many of the winning cards: inflation, the high cost of living, a broken health care system, mortgage rates, and on and on. But as the leader has already admitted, he and caucus have to stay on message and ram it home. Distractions and eruptions will kill the CPC polling momentum, so message consistency will be invaluable in helping Poilièvre win the next election.

I would add targeted policy directed at families headed by a single parent, more often than not a mom. And the icing on the cake is, of course, what all governments ultimately succumb to at least in part, incumbency corruption in its many forms. 

Watch the increasing level of Liberal desperation and what they'll attempt to pull out of a hat to stay in power. You know, but Poilièvre is this, that and the other thing. Will it work, just like it did with Scheer and O'Toole? It'll be up to Pierre to always be one step ahead of them to make sure that lightning doesn't strike thrice in the next campaign.

Biden Has Crossed The Rubicon.

So, now we're up to at least thirty classified documents. Thirty. It doesn't matter whether Biden knew or didn't know. That point is now entirely irrelevant. Biden's VEEP staff was totally irresponsible, and their actions risked national security. He was the boss and therefore quite properly should take the political hit for this. 

Rightly so, in my book Biden has crossed the political rubicon: if he has any political sense left in him, he will not run again. If he does, he'll likely get trounced in '24 because Trump won't be the nominee. At this rate of disclosure and with the likelihood that even more documents will emerge, he's already close to political toast. 

Biden has only two unpleasant choices left: run and likely lose, or not run. If I was Biden and if his ego and pride will let him, he'll stand down just like LBJ and his decision will have nothing to do with the Texas mafia, but I digress.

And by the way, would you hire political staff who could not recognize classified markings when packing up boxes? I certainly wouldn't...

Classified Documents.

This thing has me baffled: here I was already with an opinion about Trump and his attempts to keep classified documents -- the guy said they were his and he fought sending them to the National Archives, where various laws say they must go. I thought Trump was an oaf and was risking being charged for not willingly turning them over.

Now the boomerang has returned and this time, it's Biden who looks stupid or out of touch. Biden is fully cooperating with the investigation and has turned over everything that was found to the NA. 

But here's the thing: what does this say about past administrations and whether all their classified docs were sent to the National Archives once they were out of office. You will remember that Biden's folly is so far only related to the handling of documents during the Obama Administration. So far. 

I get that each document can have classified markings, and I also get that there is a specific tier of various classification levels which appears at least on the envelopes. What I don't get is whether an actual Registry exists that lists all classified documents and whether they remained in house at The White House or if they were taken off the premises either by the president or the veep. Shouldn't every classified document have a registry number, and shouldn't its whereabouts be also listed there? And once an administration ends, shouldn't that classified registry automatically go to the NA for further ongoing review? It ain't rocket science, or is it?

It just seems incredible how classified documents could be elsewhere than where they're supposed to be and seemingly no one has a clue. Talk about a national security risk. Anyway, I expect this mess to broaden out. Hopefully, we won't end up hearing the same thing about Bush or Clinton. 

In short, what a way to run a railroad... 

It's All About Harper And Success.

Harper, you say? Yup, Poilièvre needs to become the next Harper to win. Oftentimes, the key to political success in Canada goes down the road of political transformation, and perhaps Stephen Harper is the greatest example of that: a guy who rose from the ashes of 2004 and was re-born ahead of the 2006 campaign. We all know what happened after that. Harper got power, only to eventually squander it in 2015.

So, that's the game plan for the next election -- or at least it should be -- turning your own image around so that it becomes self-evident that you've got what it takes to win and, hopefully, win big.

But the power of transformation is often a double-edged sword. Politicians can only re-invent themselves once, rarely twice. That's the problem this Prime Minister has: everyone now knows that the emperor has no clothes, that his government is often incompetent and in shambles, that the guy at the top has no ethics, vision or true sense of governing. Trudeau is all about bullshit, wokeness and a pretense at actually having the ability to govern effectively and in the best interests of this country. His phoney baloney routine, his facade of actual competence as a leader, has finally worn thin with much of the voting public and he bloody well knows it. In short, his only realistic hope of remaining in office is predicated on the other guy either self-destructing, or making a major mistake in an election campaign. For Trudeau to win, he desperately needs for Poilièvre to take the bait and blow himself and his party right out of the water, which Pierre is unlikely to do. Rarely, but sometimes, being a professional politician has its merits. That's what's happening now. May it continue.

Rogers Needs To Apologize.

The lunge at Gaetz that was seen and heard all around the world. Rogers needs to apologize for that. It's never a question of a qualified apology, you know, cause the other guy is from the opposing party, or for some other reason. In this case, we're talking two Republicans, and Rogers should have kept his cool. That's democracy. Gaetz had every right to vote present, or Trump, if he wanted to. Whether you love, like, hate or are indifferent to Gaetz is and should be beside the point. He deserves an apology. I hope it comes sooner rather than later. 

McCarthy: An Ongoing Serial Orgasm For Democrats!

Frankly, Republicans should have pulled McCarthy as their nominee. Instead, they got to enjoy Chinese water torture, or if you prefer, political death by a thousand cuts. So, in the end, rather than having a strong speaker with not inconsiderable power, they've ended up with a virtual weakling who gave the shop away just to get the job. In short, McCarthy is and was that desperate.

For Republicans to win in 2024, they need a series of huge to big political successes that pass in the House and get thru the Senate. The more legislative wins they get, the better their chance of taking the Senate and the Presidency.

But now, with McCarthy in charge, as others have rightly said, the man has been politically castrated. The new de facto speaker is called the Freedom Caucus, and their collective talent as a wrecking ball, both internally and externally, is never to be underestimated. These next two years will be Political Hell for the Speaker and his closest entourage. 

The mantra will be nothing is ever good enough for the FC. They will serially demand going forward and break the institution if necessary. That's the mentality of Representatives that are on an ongoing search and destroy mission -- not just against Democrats -- but who also are fully prepared to eat their own in the process should that become necessary. For the FC, the means fully justify the ends.

Meanwhile, the public, largely already adrift from Trump for obvious reasons, will enlarge their collective sense of contempt to include many House Republicans. Like I said in the title, this can only eventually lead to The Big O for Democrats. Once again, Republicans will do it to themselves, just like Newt did. And the rest as they say will be history.

Just catch Act One: we all already know how Gaetz really won't be resigning now that McCarthy is finally Speaker. Nor will, by some strange coincidence, any other FC members. Surprise, surprise.  

As I said, a great day for Democrats, with seemingly many more to come in the weeks, months and years ahead. 

McCarthy: Does He Sleep Nights? Ha, Ha, Ha!

This is way beyond fucking ridiculous when your own side blackmails you in order to get your support: the five-member challenge is just the most prominent example of this nonsense. Man, you either hang in with your team or you ultimately hang separately, more than likely in the next election. The more Republicans are divided, the more they are likely to inflict wounds internally that will make them lose the House majority next time.

As a Democrat, I've got to say that I'm enjoying this. This is more fun than pigs around a trough. Don't get me wrong, I ain't much of a McCarthy fan to begin with -- he reminds me of a guy with constantly shrinking balls -- a guy who would potentially do practically anything and agree to anything just to become speaker. I want this guy in charge so that Republicans by their own actions can take themselves down between now and '24. I just want to stand back, smile and watch!

This movie is almost as good as the Trump-ThingTM. Can't wait to see whether Trump gets charged criminally, once, twice, three times or not at all. I'm positively living for that. What happens to the Trumpists if the master goes down the drain? The puppets sure as hell can't fix that one in the House, McCarthy or anyone else presiding. 

My guess is that a beholding McCarthy eventually makes it. If he doesn't then it's probably Scalise. This thing is a hoot, watching some Republicans going out of their way to tear themselves apart. By all means, keep it up and bring on those investigations! But by God as Clara Peller said: there better be some beef or else it's curtains credibility-wise that's in your future.

Oh, and don't forget to send Lake a Cry-Me-Doll as a consolation prize.

UPDATE: Two rounds of voting already done and McCarthy still isn't speaker. What a bunch of stupid fuckers.

Now he's lost, what is it, six rounds!? Withdraw, you idiot. You've already made a complete fool of yourself.

But it gets better: the ideologically deranged (The Freedom Caucus) refuse to take their cue from Trump anymore. It's not that they actually have balls, but even they know how totally irrelevant Trump is, especially after those midterm results. I'm loving it.

ELEVEN ROUNDS! And Republicans still want this loser. Frankly, if they do, they deserve what they'll get: a pasting in '24.

Wake up bibi-brains. Thirteen rounds. Hello! The nutbars are trying to get Jordan as speaker. Moderates and centrists get your act in gear and vote Scalise to prevent Jordan from getting it. McCarthy is already done as dinner. Absolutely no credibility left. None whatsoever.