A Bucketful … of Snarky Snippets

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

There is just so darn much to ruffle the feathers, rile the temper, send the ol’ blood pressure soaring these days … I started earlier today on a humour piece that I had an idea for, thought it would be a nice change of pace.  And then … I looked at the news.  Suddenly, my humour piece didn’t seem very funny, and instead it made me want to cry.  So, instead I am back to being my ol’ snarky self, and any humour will no doubt be acidic and acerbic.

Under investigation …

He sure does know how to pick the winners, doesn’t he?  That is, in this alternate universe where up is down, black is white, and winners are losers.  I did a series of posts after Trump took office about his choices for his cabinet, all of which were the antithesis of the “right person for the job”.  ‘Draining the swamp’ apparently meant adding more alligators. Consider, for example, his first choice to head the EPA, Scott Pruitt, who had sued the EPA numerous times.  Or Betsy DeVos, his choice for Secretary of Education who was against public education!  One of his crew is in the news again today.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seems to have a whole series of corrupt heads and staff.  I’ve long said that Trump’s goal was to dismantle the EPA, or at least render it powerless, and it seems to be the case.  The latest?  Bill Wehrum, who headed the EPA’s air policy division from November 2017 until he resigned under a shadow last month.WehrumWehrum, according to the New York Times …

“… worked for the better part of a decade to weaken air pollution rules by fighting the Environmental Protection Agency in court on behalf of chemical manufacturers, refineries, oil drillers and coal-burning power plants.”

Wehrum’s clients included Koch Industries, the American Petroleum Institute, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, the Brick Industry Association, and the Utility Air Regulatory Group.  And then, he went to work for Donald Trump’s EPA where he pushed for rollback of environmental regulations and continued to interact with former clients. This, despite an ethics rule that prohibits former industry lawyers and lobbyists from meeting with former clients in private settings to discuss government-related matters.

During his 19 months at the EPA, he oversaw efforts to ease regulation of the coal industry, slow requirements that cars and trucks become more fuel efficient and overhaul how the agency calculates costs and benefits to favor industry.

In April, the House Energy and Commerce Committee launched an investigation into whether Wehrum had improperly aided his former industry clients since joining the administration.  Last month, Wehrum resigned, and today the EPA’s inspector general is looking at Wehrum’s interactions with his former law firm as well as several of its clients, who rank among the nation’s major emitters of greenhouse gases linked to climate change.

Yet another example, my friends, of Trump & Co. putting their own greed and that of their wealthy benefactors above the well being of this nation and its people.  My best guess is that this investigation will quietly fade away, that EPA head Andrew Wheeler will ensure it is all swept under the carpet, and that Wehrum will be replaced with an equally corrupt, noxious person.

Look what’s crawling out from under the rocks …

I’ve said it before and I say it again … when Donald Trump took the oath of office (which he has failed miserably at upholding) it was an invitation to all the slimy creatures to come crawling out from under the rocks where they had been hiding, lying in wait, biding their time.  Two examples …

A professor of law at University of Pennsylvania, Amy Wax, recently told a group of republicans last week that …

“Conservatives need a realistic approach to immigration that … preserves the United States as a Western and First World nation. We are better off if we are dominated numerically … by people from the First World, from the West, than by people who are from less advanced countries.”

Amy WaxWhat. A. Bitch.  She said her position is not racist because her problem with nonwhite immigrants is cultural, rather than racial.  Bullshit.  And … it isn’t only immigrants against whom she is prejudiced.  Last year, in an interview with a professor from Brown University, she said …

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Black student graduate in the top quarter of the class, and rarely, rarely in the top half.”

And then this …

Charlie Rispoli is a 14-year veteran of the police department in Gretna, Louisiana who apparently shares Ms. Wax’ view of how the demographics of this nation should be.  Last Thursday, he posted to his Facebook page …Rispoli

Rispoli and another officer who “liked” the post were both fired, but only five days later, when the public backlash became loud, or as Chief of Police Arthur Lawson said, “a ripple in a pond that became a tidal wave.” The incident is haunting.  How many police officers are there out there who share Rispoli’s view?  We already know there are police officers who would shoot a black man quicker than a white one … what next?

Representative Ocasio-Cortez’ response was, I think, precisely correct …

“This is Trump’s goal when he uses targeted language & threatens elected officials who don’t agree w/ his political agenda. It’s authoritarian behavior. The president is sowing violence. He’s creating an environment where people can get hurt & he claims plausible deniability.”

Sickening

As I occasionally do in the mornings, I checked Trump’s approval rating yesterday morning.  Yes, I know polls are subject to many vagaries and variables, but I use the FiveThirtyEight aggregate of polls, and while I don’t put a lot of store in the actual percentages, I think the trend is a fair indicator of the pulse of the nation.

Imagine my reaction when I saw that his approval rating was at it’s highest point since March 2017, shortly after taking office.  🤢  WHY????  Last night, I found the answer …

Trump has been prolific in his hate speech the past week, spewing trash talk against four congresswomen of colour and not letting up … every morning, while he sits on the potty, his tiny thumbs work the buttons of his twitting machine, never tweeting anything new or original, just the same hatred over and over and over.  Most of us are sick of it, most of us don’t even bother to read it anymore.  But … according to a Pew Research study, a large portion of republicans claim his speech makes them feel excited, proud, happy, and hopeful.  If this doesn’t make you feel sick …

PEW-study.pngI would love to hear from some republicans in response to this.  C’mon, tell me how the hell racist speech makes you feel excited or proud!  Granted, these only represent some 72% – 79%, but folks … on average that is 3 out of 4 republicans!  What the Sam hell is wrong with these people???  The democrats, however, say his speech makes them feel exhausted, concerned, angry and insulted.  I am an independent, but these days I might as well be a democrat, for I cannot imagine ever again voting for a republican with those attitudes.  In fact, I think I will change my party affiliation this week!

And now that my blood pressure is sky high, my teeth are cracked from gritting them, I will leave you with a cartoon to brighten your morning.'toon.jpg

33 thoughts on “A Bucketful … of Snarky Snippets”

  2. I think a lot of people thought these racist thoughts but weren’t confident enough to say them out loud. Trump and company have given them the courage to come out in the open. Racist views don’t form overnight. Also, children aren’t born with them. They’re a poison that is given out to children. It’s kept alive by fear. I’ve had to overcome some of it. I was raised in a white world but my faith says it’s wrong and I trust that belief. I have to live with myself full time. I believe God created us all and the part of the world we come from determines the color of our skin. It has to do with the sun in each area. The color is protection. Sadly, it doesn’t protect people from racism. 😦 — Suzanne

    Liked by 1 person

    • You are so right … racism, or any form of bigotry, doesn’t form overnight, and isn’t present in small children. And your last two sentences are so astute … darker skin is protection from the sun, but does nothing to protect them from man’s inhumanity. And if, after all these millennia, bigotry in all its forms hasn’t gone away, I see no reason to believe that it ever will. Sigh.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I have to admit you were right. Popping over to your blog is partly frustrating 😚. What the hell is wrong with these people? Lets see what we can offer with our blonde baffoon in No10 in the next few months. And the 31st of October is our wedding day…. 😡🙋‍♀️🐝

    Liked by 1 person

  7. A woman came up to me yesterday apropos of nothing, and started bitching about how new immigrants to Canada have to get government help to learn to speak English. Why can’t they learn the language before they come over here?
    Like if she was going to move to Spain she would learn to speak Spanish? Spaniards can learn to speak English to prepare for her arrival! Or all Africans should learn to speak English, because all they speak is gibberish anyway. They aren’t really people!
    Gail’s mother is like that. She is a retired school teacher, but to listen to her you would think every country in the world should speak English, because that is what real people speak. And she doesn’t even support Trump…
    I give up….

    Liked by 3 people

    • Arrogance … sheer arrogance. I will never understand it, and I’m just about at the point today that if somebody said that to my face, I would land in jail, for I would surely deck them. I would also tell them that many other languages are much more beautiful to the ear than English, which is harsh-sounding, and that darker skin is much more beautiful than pale skin which tends to remind me of cottage cheese! Obviously, my mood is sour today … sorry. Sigh.

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  8. Jill, the Louisiana law enforcement firing is related to the poll numbers. The two officers were not fired until the public loudly said this is not right. The same must be done with people supporting the president’s racist tactics – note it is no longer just remarks – it is a divisive, racist campaign to divide. We must loudly say and condemn the silence from Republican leadership.

    People who read my blog know that I am independent and former Republican (and Dem) voter, but I am also a 60 year old white man raised in the south. What the president is doing is dog whistle racism – he does not tell Biden, Warren, Sanders, McCain et al to send them back – he is telling four women of color.

    Think George Wallace. Think Richard Nixon’s sourhern strategy. Think Senator Jesse Helms from NC. All have used variations of the same tactics to get elected. Of course, Donald Trump is racist. Keith

    Liked by 3 people

    • There was never any doubt in my mind … his racism long before he even decided to run for office was well-documented. What disturbs me more is the very thought that it makes some people ‘happy’ or ‘excited’ … what has our society devolved to? This is the 21st century, not the 19th … have we learned nothing about diversity, about humanity, about compassion and caring? Sigh. I’m a little tired of this world, y’know?

      Liked by 1 person

      • Jill, an editor of a newspaper’s editorial section (not my local paper) sent me a nice note in response to my dog whistle email. He used the noteworthy term we are being “gaslighted” by Trump as he tries to call others racist. That is apt. Keith

        Liked by 1 person

          • Jill, it may not make national news, but city council for the host city for next year’s RNC voted last night to condemn Trump’s racist remarks. They also discussed the legal ramofications of withdrawing as host, but decided against it due to lawsuits that woujd occur. Keith

            Liked by 1 person

            • It actually did make the national news … I saw it on WaPo, CNN and the Hill, as well as HuffPost! Good for Charlotte!!! I understand why they didn’t withdraw, but wouldn’t it have been a hoot if they had? I can picture Trump’s face now!

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  9. Strange times we live in. It feels almost like being waterboarded. We don’t get to come up for air, before the next round of hate comes to hit us. You don’t even want to hear what is coming out of the mouth of my hubby these days. I have never heard him be so racist, mysoginistic, or nihilistic before. It sort of reminds me of an old 1977 movie (Telephon) where secret agents were activated into automated killers with a phone call quoting the first line of a poem (hypnosis). I hate my life right now. The world is changing before my eyes. I know it sounds fanciful and very far fetched, but I can’t help but think that there is weaponry being activated of which we are not aware… to implode society. I can’t remember a time when I remember so many people turn into something we no longer know. I see it in family and friends too. Either that, or it is me who has changed and seeing the world differently.
    I read a bunch of reports yesterday, they all seemed to be promoting negative activities in a positive manner. Am I going mad? I hope not. 😔 That people should be able to knowingly destroy things is just beyond my psyche.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh my …how do you live with someone with such different and vile views on people?
      And I so agree with you that something strange is happening to be that many trump supporters and that much hate. Plus we see a rise in this all over the world.

      I have often wondered if we could be living in a computer simulation. Science says no, but a few think it’s possible. And they could simply be tweaking things to see what will happen or it’s a computer game..good versus evil …like chess, many moves to see who can ultimately win. Then game over and it starts again.

      I seriously have grave concerns. I feel for you with your living situation. I hope you have like minded friends nearby.

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    • You have defined it perfectly … like being waterboarded, not allowed to come up for air before the next hit. I cannot begin to imagine how awful it must be for you, living with a man whose world view is so very different from your own, and who spouts his hate every day. You’re a stronger woman than I, for I likely would have bashed his bloomin’ head in by now! Yes, it does seem as if the world is about to implode, for there is so much hate … I cannot remember another time like this, not even in the 60s during the civil rights movement. Most days I’m glad I’m old instead of in my 20s, but then I think that perhaps if I were in my 20s I could find a way to help change things. I hope there’s somebody out there who can. 😥

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