WTH

Today's blog probably belongs on "WTH" (wherever that may be) rather than on the Daily Wot. At any rate:
* Austerity. It's the present in some parts of Europe. It's a subtle present and less-subtle future in the US. What's it mean? Essentially, that when the rich abuse the system and bleed a country a dry (such as in Greece where a handful of families possess the wealth to solve the entire country's debt crisis), the regular people bring the country back into balance by giving up a myriad of government services that their taxes are supposed to pay for.

Why? Because although most of the money ends up in the hands of the richest rich, it's more difficult to trace that cash flow because it's generally in the form of taxes avoided and income exported from the country. The only cash flow that can be readily traced and is obvious to everyman is money spent on education and families. Money spent on prisons and weapons are sacred cows. What's left to cut? Humanity. Now why would people protest or fight against that?

* Socialism. For our less-politically-savvy friends, COMMUNISM and SOCIALISM are not the same thing. Not even remotely. Not even a little bit. So when people wish to dismiss socialism as evil, pointing to the failure of the Soviet Union (that would be a COMMUNIST state) only reveals your own ignorance; it doesn't help your case. Want to point at socialist states? Finland, Sweden, England, Holland, Australia.... (It's a long list of countries that you probably like.)

Don't ask the Wiki. The first header in the Wiki article on "List of socialist countries" is "Socialist states espousing communism". WTH? Those would be communist states, not socialist states. And their list does not include the states with socialist systems, such as England, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Canada... ETC!!!!!!!! sheesh (In the Wiki's favor, the page has a ton of complaints for inaccuracy.) How much do I love articles titled, "Why Socialism Failed" when countries we love (like those mentioned above) are still socialist and thriving! This is the same tactic used by enemies of the populist Occupy movement in the US: Pretend it has failed and maybe it will just go away.

* Pakistan. WTH is wrong with you? You cannot simultaneously claim that you did not know that bin Laden was in your country and charge the man who gave up his location with treason! You just can't. 'Cuz you know that robot guy, Data? The one from Star Trek who could handle subtlties of illogical humanity without blowing his circuits? Even HIS head would blow up at the logic of those two arguments. Either you supported that #@%^#^@$, in which case the US bombs you back into the Dark Ages, or you didn't, in which case the good doctor did nothing against your country. Your pick.

* Obama. OK I love you 99% of the time. But I have issues with this whole drone killing thing. It's what I would expect of a Republican president, not of you. I get that you're in a tough, complex spot. That was made obvious by the failure of your attempt to close Gitmo. You signed a Presidential Order to close it and... it's not closed. So there are CLEARLY complications in those international policies that have not been shared with the public. But still... I just have trouble swallowing how right-wing you are on some areas of human rights. You're tougher than I can possibly envision Romney being on the Middle East, and how scary is that?

I have more rants, but I'm going to stop now because there are only so many things one can rant about at one time without sounding rabid.