Posts Tagged ‘history’

Fidel Castro and Pappy McDaniel

Posted: September 7, 2010 by datechguy in media, opinion/news
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In 1941 Governor Lee “Pappy” McDaniel ran in a special election for an open Senate seat created by the death of Senator John Sheppard (an interesting fact is that a son of Sam Houston the 1st president of Texas born in 1793 was appointed as a “placeholder” senator during the time between the death and the election). His primary opponent was Lyndon Johnson then a congressman from the 10th district. The two primary candidates fought it out and both were involved in some underhanded tactics however at the end of the day it looked like Johnson had the game won until (According to Robert Caro in his book The Years of Lyndon Johnson the Path to Power) O’Daniel’s enemies contrived to steal the election FOR him to get him out of the governors office.

It turned out that Pappy although corrupt had one “virtue” and that was dislike for alcohol. Convinced it was the devil’s brew he was prepared to keep “dry” zones around military bases and his foes in the liquor industry wanted him out.

I thought of Pappy O’Daniel when I read this surprising quote from Jeffrey Goldberg’s interview with Fidel Castro:

Over the course of this first, five-hour discussion, Castro repeatedly returned to his excoriation of anti-Semitism. He criticized Ahmadinejad for denying the Holocaust and explained why the Iranian government would better serve the cause of peace by acknowledging the “unique” history of anti-Semitism and trying to understand why Israelis fear for their existence.

It was quite a shock to hear one of the monsters of the 20th century excoriating a modern monster for antisemitism and going on about the long history of Jewish suffering, that’s when I remembered Pappy.

Pappy was an opponent of the dangers of drinking, but it didn’t make him any less a corrupt pol.

Castro if this interview is to be believed believes that antisemitism is a centuries long disgrace and that Israel has a right to exist, that doesn’t make him any less of a murderous thug. I’m not going to fall for his pap any more that the Babliu blog guys will.

As the Doctor once told Margaret the Slitheen it doesn’t matter, you can oppress millions because every now and again you can speak up against an injustice that has nothing to do with you.

memeorandum thread here

Gone with the Bush

Posted: September 6, 2010 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, Blame Bush, internet/free speech, opinion/news, politics, war
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Back in Aug of 2009 I ran this chart of Vietnam vets against the war on Google news in a story of how Vietnam vets against the war decided not to back up Cindy Sheehan’s protest against the Obama administration:

Funny how they dropped off the radar in Jan of 2009.

I was reminded of that story when I saw this:

Several factors — war fatigue; a deep, lingering recession; and the presence of a Democratic president they helped elect — have drained the energy from organizations that led the fight against the Iraq war. Some of the most influential anti-war activist groups that once summoned half a million people to march against the Iraq war and the policies of former President George W. Bush are straining to raise the money and attention to fight what they see as Obama’s military entrenchment in Afghanistan.
“We don’t have a very vibrant anti-war movement anymore,” lamented Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink, one of the anti-war movement’s most visible organizations. emphasis mine

Politico seems to be confused by this. If they had been paying attention a year ago they would not be so surprised. Have they given the anti war much attention in print themselves? Or perhaps they might remember this famous line:

If George W. Bush becomes president, the armies of the homeless, hundreds of thousands strong, will once again be used to illustrate the opposition’s arguments about welfare, the economy, and taxation.

George Bush is no longer president, those who oppose him politically who provided finances and manpower and media coverage in an attempt to bring him down will absolutely not do the same with Barack Obama.

BTW I figured I’d update my check of Vietnam Vets against the war on Google News since last year.

Vietnam vets against the war updated graph

A blip, we have a blip! Is it a press release, is it a march, is it a national event, no? What can that one blip be?

This is defiantly NOT the time to get out of politics. Some people feel threatened by the Tea Party movement. While I don’t subscribe too many of their viewpoints, I welcome them to the political fray. Their movement is probably the best thing to happen in politics since the Vietnam Vets against the War staged a million person demonstration in West Potomac Park in March of 1973.

One mention in a side article on the tea party in February. That’s it?

Don’t despair Cindy, Medina, it takes time to create true believers. Come November 2012 I’m sure many on the left who decided that American Military power is not something to protest will suddenly come around. Rest assured that you will have all the support and manpower George Soros and the Democratic party can buy.

I take a day off from the net and Stacy Gets attacked again…Update: What’s with the Diner, where did the post go?

Posted: September 5, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, business, local stuff, short films/interviews
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I planned on taking a day or two off with scheduled posts and what happens, the left goes nuts over Todd Palin talking to Stacy McCain.

I’ve already spent plenty of time defending Stacy from Johnson & Co. I’ve known Stacy via e-mail now for a year and in person for 9 months. He has stayed in my house, I have seen him up close and personal. I have shared a front room in a hotel with him and my hat still sits on his head on a daily basis.

On occasion he drives me crazy, he is an interesting passenger to share a car with, he is on perpetual hyper-drive, smokes like a chimney and is a coffee vampire. He has Watching him cuss out his pc when it is running slow is an experience.

But as a reporter who is better, who came up to Massachusetts crashing on a couch to cover Scott Brown on his own? Who while Andrew Sullivan et/al were pinning the Bill Sparkman suicide as “right wing violence” actually went to the scene of the crime to talk to people, who covered Mattie Fein in Ca36 when the paper there would not? And who flew to Alaska on his own dime (and the dime of those who hit his tip jar) to cover the Joe Miller victory first hand?

I haven’t done it as I don’t have the money or backing but Why didn’t the MSM do these things? Why hasn’t Andrew Sullivan done this he has the Atlantic to back him? Why hasn’t Charles Johnson, the new darling of the left? Who would do these things if Stacy did not?

This is why the left can’t stand him. He does this without caring what they say. All he does is get the story and fight for conservative values and victory. They can’t stop him so they have to attack. As a blogger and as a reporter he is worth any 6 of them.

On a personal level he is my friend, I would trust him with my own life and with my family’s. I have not seen him carry himself in any way that would make me think otherwise.

Finally I’ll say this to the Palin family in general and Todd Palin in particular. You have more to worry about by associating with my fedora than you do associating with Robert Stacy McCain.

Memeorandum thread here. And let me say it is disgraceful that there needs to be such a thread.

Update: Somehow this post got replaced by a post I’m scheduling for tomorrow on a local diner. I’ve managed to put it right and you can read about Moran Square in the morning

Birth of a Nation: Amazon Review

Posted: August 29, 2010 by datechguy in amazon reviews
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My review of the 1915 silent movie Birth of a Nation one of the most famous American movies in history is available at Amazon.com here.

After you read my review read Roger Ebert’s from 2003: A peek:

To understand “The Birth of a Nation” we must first understand the difference between what we bring to the film, and what the film brings to us. All serious moviegoers must sooner or later arrive at a point where they see a film for what it is, and not simply for what they feel about it. “The Birth of a Nation” is not a bad film because it argues for evil. Like Riefenstahl’s “The Triumph of the Will,” it is a great film that argues for evil. To understand how it does so is to learn a great deal about film, and even something about evil.

I don’t have much use for Roger Ebert as a political commentator but his review of this movie is spot on. We can only thank God that for the good of society Michael Moore or Oliver Stone doesn’t have the skill or talent of D. W. Griffith.

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