Can NASA also protect us from Republicans?

Nattering Naybob: The Red Ranger, I was heartened to read in the HuffingtonPost today that NASA is appointing someone they call a “Planetary Defense Officer” as part of an overall effort to defend our earth from asteroids, meteors, and other space-based projectiles that threaten the very existence of us Earthlings. I guess they are trying to do whatever they can to try and protect us from threats from space, while Republicans from the Fringe Lunatic Right (which are about 99.7% of Republicans, lately) do their best to destroy our Earth by rejecting all evidence of global warming (“I’m not a scientist, BUT….”) and scoffing at attempts to reduce carbon emissions, etc. Question for NASA: Can you also protect against Earth-bound threats such as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, The Koch Brothers, and the NRA?

 

Artists rendering of us all getting killed

The Red Ranger: What a great idea, I suggest we round up some far left radicals and assign them to patrol the universe.  I say we send DiBlasio, Sanders, the Clintons (Bill and Hill) and the Obama’s into space on a never ending search for asteroids, meteors, etc.  The cost of providing them a one-way trip through the universe will surely be less than the cost they would inflict on humans should they remain on earth.

Speaking of costs, in the article it indicates that the cost of this effort is budgeted at $50 million in 2016 which is up from $4 million in 2010.  This is a 52% compound annual growth rate. That is outrageous even by Obama’s standards.  I am sure that if they identify an object on a collision course with the earth some bleeding heart liberal will argue against destroying it claiming we must not have borders and these alien objects have every right to enter the earth.

Nattering Naybob: You have proven yourself a true deficit hawk. You would rather save money than help save the world, literally. I’m surprised you aren’t supporting an idea that your Conservative icon and God, Ronald Reagan, first proposed. One of his few good ideas.

The Red Ranger: I am not a deficit hawk just one for sound fiscal policies.  I am not against spending just want to make sure money is spent wisely with the highest benefit return for all.

Nattering Naybob: One would think that saving the planet from getting hit by an asteroid that would potentially cause the mass extinction of most or all animals and human beings, would be something with a high benefit attached. But that’s just me…

 

 

 

Drudge plays the Hitler card. Republicans stay quiet (again).

Nattering Naybob: Many Republicans (not necessarily you, Red Ranger, buy many Republicans), react with shock and indignation when anyone charges that the Right-Wing blamestream media complex, are on the extreme edge of what used to be considered common respect and decency. Matt Drudge is, as you know, perhaps the most influential Right-wing blogger out there today (The Red Ranger is gaining ground). Below is a screen shot of the homepage of the Drudge Report at one point late last week.

Prominent Right-wing personalities consistently get away with saying and writing things that would once have been considered so outrageous that it would have ended their career. Not so any more. I do not recall any high-profile Republican Thought Captains having condemned Drudge or his onerous homepage that appeared on the Internet last week.

There is a habit that has become something of a cliche, to say that “both sides are guilty”. Not so. Name me any example of prominent (emphasize: “Prominent”) Liberal-leaning bloggers who ever come up with anything resembling the kinds of outrageous horrible attacks that the Right-wing media complex ever do, and get away with regularly. The one episode that sticks out in my mind is that of Rush Limbaugh mocking the involuntary movements consistent with Parkinsons Disease about seven years ago, because Michael J. Fox had the audacity to make a campaign ad for then-Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, who was supporting stem cell research. Yet Limbaugh was never disciplined or suspended, nor did he apologize. That is why I laugh when I hear Republicans claim there is a Left-wing media bias in the country. What complete and utter boulderdash!!!

The Red Ranger: So I see you watched the Ed Show last Thursday night.  I had hoped you had something better to do with your time.

I have to laugh when the left gets all riled up whenever anyone has anything negative to say about Obama.  What about the eight years of vicious, vile attacks that George Bush withstood with such great dignity?  What about all the attacks on your favorite, Sarah Palin.  The left wing media darlings (not necessarily bloggers) Maher, Moore, Goldberg, Behar, etc. all get away saying whatever they want with nary a mention of it in any of the liberal, biased MSM.  This bias displayed by the left is so ingrained in society now that it has become their accepted norm and those on the left, yourself included, do not even realize it anymore.  You cannot see the forest for the trees (or whatever the saying is).

While I do not agree with the comparison to Hitler, from your outrage at this I am assuming that you are then comfortable with the President using an executive order to deny Americans one of their constitutional rights.  This time it may be the right to bear arms.  Maybe next time it will be freedom of speech because as you have indicated here the left cannot bear to take any criticism.

To not admit that the MSM has a liberal bias is confirmation of the fact that your mind has gone to mush and that you have succumbed to their brainwashing.  It is sad to see a once great mind operating in such a diminished capacity.

Nattering Naybob: NOW you tell me you think I at least has a great mind, once. To date you had never even told me that in all the 43 years we have known each other, so I consider that a victory of sorts.

I actually did not watch the Ed Show the night that this appeared, but you basically admitted that you did, by saying Ed Schultz talked about this. Is your insidious addiction to FOX News, weakening? We can only hope.

By the way, the Republican’s all-time favorite Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (whose oft-stated allegiance to the Yankees is his only saving grace), said that the Second Amendment does not imply, or grant, exemption from regulation of guns. This finding was contained in the 2008 Supreme Court case 554 U.S. 570, District of Columbia v. Heller, and was summarized as follows in this main article in Wikipedia.

(2) Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons. Pp. 54–56.

Therefore, since any sane-thinking person would acknowledge that President Obama would never attempt a sweeping confiscation of everyone’s guns, any Executive Order to implement rational limitations on large magazine clips, etc., would NOT be in violation of the 2nd Amendment. Is your heretofore moderate view on sensible gun limitations, eroding? Has the National Rifle Association implanted some kind of chip into your brain without your knowledge?

Sandy Hook

The Red Ranger: Regarding the shootings at Sandy Hook….

I know the gun control crowd will be out in force and as I have said before I fully support stricter gun control measures but I truly wonder if something like this can really ever be prevented without having to send our kids to a fully locked down school on a daily basis to learn.

Nattering Naybob: Well it looks like we had to endure such events as Virginia Tech, Columbine, Aurora, and several other mass slaughters before we finally seemed to get the attention of the nation that this must end. My only hope is that these innocent young children and brave adults will not have died in vain, and that this latest tragedy will represent a true watershed event. That we will condemn the ideology and greed of those who promote the most extreme elements of the NRA and gun lobby, start to destigmatize the existence and treatment of people who suffer from mental health challenges, and reject the desensitization of the culture of violence that is ruining our country.

The Red Ranger: Hopefully this is the event that causes some meaningful change.  The timing of the event so close to Christmas will hopefully force it to remain fresh in everyone’s minds. While it is unlikely that these types of events can every truly be eliminated perhaps some changes can make them harder to carry out.

First off are tougher gun laws.  There are so many simple steps that can be taken that should be relatively painless for the gun control lobby to accept.  Perhaps a tax deduction for every gun turned in could be something Republicans can support.  Limits to the types of guns that people can own seem to be a no brainer.

Second is tougher care for people for mental health issues.  We have spent the last 20-30 years trying to mainstream people with mental health issues and this does not always seem to be the best approach.  I have a feeling that these people are not better off by being forced into situations that they cannot cope with.  I know that parents feel that their kid should have the chance to fit in and be treated like everyone else but that is just not practical in all situations.  As harsh as it sounds there may just be some people who cannot interact in a civilized society and alternatives that separate them may be necessary.

Thirdly, I do agree that the culture of violence needs to change.  While you and I both like a good Quentin Tarantino bloodfest or zombie apocalypse we are able to separate it from reality.  However, today with easy access to these movies, video games and vulgar music the line is blurred for most kids.  Luckily, my kids are not really into playing video games but there are some kids and even adults who play video games constantly.  Perhaps instead of banning 32 oz. sodas Mayor Bloomberg should limit the number of hours someone can play a video game in a given day.

Nayttering Naybob: I am encouraged that as we near the close of CY 2012 I find myself in agreement with The Red Ranger, maybe this is a good omen for the overall level of agreement that will be needed between Democrats and Republicans in the coming year and beyond. As horrific as the Sandy Hook massacre was, and even though I get choked up every time I see a snapshot of one of the children who were killed, I do find it a little disturbing that NOW everyone seems to be focusing on the issue of gun violence, and that similar massacres at Aurora, Tucson, et al, did not seem to have the same affect. If I were the families of those killed at those equally horrible past events, I might be asking myself whether national outrage over senseless gun violence was predicated over some sort of age requirement, or whether the victims had to like horses or took karate classes after school, or was a fan of Victor Cruz, to garner sympathy. Better late than never, I guess.