Excuse me while I run around the block naked screaming at the top of my lungs.  Certainly I’m not the only one being driven crazy by the examples of cognitive dissonance emanating from the various hawks and military megaphones lately.

John McCain and Liz Cheney are all over the tube criticizing President Obama for not sending another 40,000 troops to Afghanistan to “protect America’s interests.”  (Whatever the hell that is at this point.)

Meanwhile, the officers in charge of the war are telling news outlets that the new strategy is to win the confidence of the Afghan people so they can learn to protect themselves from the terrorists in their midst.  Of course, the “terrorists” are often their cousins, so it’s a bit of a quandry for some of the locals.

Required reading now for U.S. military honchos is “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (2006, Penguin Books.) Mortenson spoke in Clayton, MO, recently and mentioned that certain higher-ups such as Gen. Petraeus are now reading his book. Someone at the Pentagon finally got the message that people don’t like having their family members blown to bits.  Well, duh.

 

Mortenson’s inspiring story is worth the read all by itself.  But the screaming crazy part is what we could have done with the billions of dollars we’ve spent killing Aghans and making them hate us even more than they already did.  With a tiny portion of that money, Mortenson could have built hundreds (nay, thousands) of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  His take-home message is that educating the girls in those countries is the key to bringing them into the 21st century. His Central Asia Institute has built over 78 schools in the most remote areas of those countries.

The book’s title comes from a Balti proverb: “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family…”

President Obama understands that there are better ways to “protect America’s interests” than by scolding and threatening people.  But the neo-cons just can’t get their arms around that concept.  So they dump all over Obama for being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize while at the same time they are hollering that we need “peace” in Afghanistan so we can move on to the next battleground in the war on terrorism.

Is this batshit crazy or what?

Previously: Living in a glass house

Missouri Representative Mark Parkinson (r) attempts to dip into the same stand-up comedy well as other Missouri republicans. Via Twitter:

Because Obama threw out the first picth at the MLB All-Star game here in St. Louis is he now the front runner for the Cy Young Award? 8:30 PM Oct 9th from Tweetie

Like the Saint Louis Rams, Obama is 0-5, but the Nobel Prize Committee proclaims the Rams Super Bowl Champions! 4:17 PM Oct 11th from Tweetie

Let’s look at Representative Parkinson’s long list of legislative success:

Missouri House of Representatives

2009

95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. Mark A. Parkinson

SPONSOR

HB348

Authorizes a state income tax deduction for school supplies and books purchased for home schooling a child

HB348 — (LR# 0717L.01I)

TAX REFORM

Voted Do Pass (H)

HB349

Allows persons who are permanently disabled to apply to the Department of Revenue to have a notation indicating that status on his or her driver’s or nondriver’s license

HB349 — (LR# 0029L.01I)

TRANSPORTATION

Voted Do Pass (H)

HB350

Makes it a crime for a person to conceal, harbor, or shelter from detection any alien knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the alien has entered or remained in the country illegally

HCS HB 350 — (LR# 0718L.02C)

Referred: Rules – Pursuant to Rule 25(32)(f) (H)

HB351

Requires any person who is found guilty of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a felony in this state on or after August 28, 2009, to serve a minimum prison term of 85% of his or her court sentence

HB351 — (LR# 0716L.01I)

CRIME PREVENTION

Public Hearing Completed (H)

HB385

Requires the Driver License Bureau within the Department of Revenue to establish a database of next of kin persons for use in emergency situations

HB385 — (LR# 0861L.02I)

PUBLIC SAFETY

Public Hearing Completed (H)

HB625

Exempts personal and residential property owned by certain taxpayers 65 years of age or older from increases in assessed valuation and limits increases in their personal and property tax

HB625 — (LR# 0719L.02I)

Referred: Ways and Means (H)

HB779

Allows any person to purchase or sell any slot machine for operation at the residence of the owner if the slot machine is not operated for gambling purposes

HB779 — (LR# 1929L.01I)

Perfection Defeated (H)

HB801

Exempts political subdivisions from paying taxes levied by the state or other political subdivisions

HB801 — (LR# 1899L.01I)

Referred: Tax Reform (H)

HB833

Requires information from reports made to the state literacy hotline regarding students who have dropped out of school to be made available electronically with personal-identity information withheld

HB833 — (LR# 2010L.01I)

Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education (H)

HB977

Establishes the Annual Sportsman Sales Tax Holiday Act which authorizes an annual state sales and use tax exemption on purchases of certain outdoor sportsman equipment

HB977 — (LR# 2051L.03I)

WAYS AND MEANS

Public Hearing Completed (H)

HB1009

Requires the Official State Manual to be made avaiable for distribution only in an electronic format on compact discs with exceptions

HB1009 — (LR# 2386L.01I)

Rules – Reported Do Pass (H)

Well, he did introduce bills. The slot machine bill is quite striking, don’t you think? I was really hoping that one would win the prize. Alas, nothing in the session made it through.

Missouri House of Representatives

2008

94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. Mark A. Parkinson

SPONSOR

HB2366

Changes the laws regarding illegal aliens and immigration status verification

Approved CCS SS HCS HB 1549, 1771, 1395 & 2366 — (LR# 3681L.12T)

Delivered to Secretary of State (G)

HB2564

Establishes the Missouri Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act regarding illegal aliens in the state

HB2564 — (LR# 5635L.01I)

Referred: Special Committee on Immigration (H)

HB2573

Exempts personal and residential property owned by certain taxpayers 65 years of age or older from increases in assessed valuation and limits increases in their personal and property tax

HB2573 — (LR# 5632L.01I)

Referred: Ways and Means (H)

HB2580

Authorizes a state income tax deduction for school supplies and books purchased for home schooling a child

HB2580 — (LR# 5631L.01I)

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TAX REFORM

Public Hearing Completed (H)

Wait, he got one through. One.

…During his tenure in the General Assembly, Rep. Parkinson was the sponsor of HB 2366 in 2008, a bill that became part of the successful immigration reform omnibus bill that session. For his work on this issue, Rep. Parkinson was recognized as one of the freshman legislators of the year…

He doesn’t tell us who “recognized” him, does he? You think it was one of those republican caucus “give the guy a ribbon for showing up” things they hand out like cheap candy on Halloween? Just asking.

Do we have another candidate for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives?

Just read this little piece of republican drivel:

@ChadLivengood Former GOP state Rep. B.J. Marsh just called me and said he heard President Obama won the Heisman Trophy for watching a football game. about 2 hours ago from web

I suppose being a republican in the Missouri General Assembly makes you a comedian or a legislative giant. Not.

Rep. Marsh was originally elected to the House in 1988 and 1990, and was re-elected to his current term in November 2000. He was appointed in 2003 as a commissioner for the Missouri Tourism Commission…

Gee, with that kind of institutional experience you’d think he should have been cranking out a lot of important bills addressing pressing public concerns:

Missouri House of Representatives

2003

92nd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. B.J. Marsh

SPONSOR

HB245

Designates a portion of U.S. Highway 60 as the “Korea War Veterans’ Memorial Freeway”.

Approved HCS HB 245 — (LR# 0993L.02T)

Delivered to Secretary of State

HB294

Allows Springfield to establish a satellite enterprise zone.

HB294 — (LR# 0942L.01I)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Executive Session Held (H)

HCS VOTED DO PASS

Missouri House of Representatives

2003

92nd General Assembly, 2nd Special Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. B.J. Marsh

No Bills Sponsored this Session.

Missouri House of Representatives

2004

92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. B.J. Marsh

SPONSOR

HB777

Changes the name of Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State University.

HCS HB 777 — (LR# 2533L.03P)

Third Read and defeated (H)

AYES: 73

NOES: 83

PRESENT: 3

Missouri House of Representatives

2005

93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. B.J. Marsh

SPONSOR

HB26

Renames Southwest Missouri State University as Missouri State University and increases the number of members on the board of governors

HB26 — (LR# 0202L.01I)

Withdrawn (H)

HB285

Changes the name of Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State University and the membership of its board of governors

HB285 — (LR# 1118L.01I)

Referred: Higher Education

Missouri House of Representatives

2007

94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session

Legislation Sponsored by Rep. B.J. Marsh

SPONSOR

HB205

Changes the laws regarding sales and transient guest taxes; the expiration date of theTourism Supplemental Revenue Fund; and the establishment of theater, cultural arts, and entertainment districts

Approved SS HB 205 — (LR# 0859S.02T)

Delivered to Secretary of State (G)

HB678

Allows certain school districts in declared federal disaster areas after the January 2007 ice storms to not make up lost time and allows other schools to make up only a certain number of the missed days

Approved HCS HB 678 — (LR# 1712L.04T)

Delivered to Secretary of State (G)

Yep, definitely material worthy of a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

That popping sound you’re hearing is right wingnut heads exploding across America.

President Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Obama gets reward for world view

…The committee does not make any secret of its approach. It states that he is being given the prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.”

This is of course an implied criticism of former US president George W Bush and the neo-conservatives, who were often accused of trying to change the world in their image.

The committee “attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.” But it also mentioned the UN, climate change and the “strengthening” of democracy and human rights…

Cue the so-called mainstream pundits citing the leftist liberal selection committee in three, two, one…

The individuals who won presidential elections on either side of dubya, Al Gore (2007) and Barack Obama (2009) have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And all dubya can maybe look forward to is an appointment as Commissioner of Little League Baseball.

I contemplated writing an essay about Al Gore and the Nobel Peace Prize. You know, something inspirational and nostalgic.

Then I read this:

Davenport, Ia. — Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain said the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, announced today, should have gone to someone else other than former Vice President Al Gore.

“I would have liked to see that prize go to the Buddhist monks who are suffering and dying in Burma,” McCain said after a speech this morning in Davenport….

That’s when I realized it. Al Gore didn’t get an Emmy, an Academy Award [Oscar] and the Nobel Peace Prize because he is concerned about the effects of global warming. He went after all those accolades to upset republicans and their enabling cable network gasbags. Brilliant strategery. Why, at this very moment Al Gore is probably rubbing his hands together and cackling with glee at all their sputtering and exploding heads.

Living well is the best revenge.

Let’s get back to John McCain – the man who is running way behind a whole bunch of other people for the republican nomination to be president. The Nobel organization states about nominations:

In the month of September, the respective Nobel Committees send invitations to thousands of qualified individuals to submit names of candidates for the following year. Around 200-300 names are submitted since the same candidate can be nominated by several persons. The names of the nominees cannot be revealed until 50 years later.

If you’re really dense, or a republican cable network bloviator, I’ll spell it out for you. The Buddhist monks in Myanmar (how’s that for presidential geopolitical knowledge?) are eligible to be nominated for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize – their commendable and life risking activities for peace have only recently taken place in the public eye. Since he didn’t know that, we can probably assume that John McCain is upset that he hasn’t ever been solicited to nominate anyone by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Either that, or he knew and he’s an ungracious political hack.

Nah, they’re probably all just unhappy because the United States Supreme Court didn’t vote 5 to 4 to give the Nobel Peace Prize to dubya.
[Yes, I stole that joke.]