Ogre-oid: Arizona Mass Murder

Details are still coming out about the shooting of Rep. Gabriel Gifford (D-AZ) but it appears she survived a point-blank gunshot to the head that passed through her brain.  20 people were shot, of these six died including a Federal judge and a 9 year old girl that planned on running for class office.  Fox News is reporting* there is a strong link between the shooter and a right wing extremist hate group known as American Renaissance.  There is no direct link between him and the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, or Fox News' stable of frothing hate mongers, but it is early yet.  I would like you to read these quotes from Sheriff Dupnik's news conference last night (Dave & I were watching the direct feed after the horrible Saints game and were both astonished to hear this):

[just before he started answering questions]  When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be ou...trageous. And, unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

It's not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included. And that's the sad thing of what's going on in America. Pretty soon, we're not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people who are willing to subject themselves to serve in public office.

[at the end of the press conference just before he handed the podium to the doctor]  Let me just say one thing, because people tend to poo-poo this business about all the vitriole that we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech.... But it's not without consequences.

 And Keith Olbermann names names and points his fingers:




*For a real "through the looking glass" experience, read the comments that follow this article.

Art of War analysis of Thailand crisis

Thailand may be approaching a state of civil war, as protestors and government forces have clashed violently for the last three days. The violence was set off after Major Gen. Khattiya Sawatdiphol, a leader of the "Red Shirt" protestors, was critically wounded by a government sniper on Saturday [he died yesterday in a Buddhist temple -A]. Interestingly, Sawatdiphol's comments to a reporter just before being shot echo Sun Tzu's Art of War. The Major General predicted that soon there would be an out-break of violence (he was right) and that "there will be no rules;" the conflict would be "free form." The Art of War states that it is "best to be formless" and to approach conflict in ways that are both orthodox and unorthodox (no rules). Yesterday announcements were made to protestors that they had a choice of leaving the Red Shirts to avoid continued violence and that children would be in danger. This caution reflects the value of avoiding loss of life advocated in the Art of War. In coming blogs, I'll be keeping on eye on the Thailand conflict through the lens of the Art of War.

Ogre-oid: Post Health Bill Threats from Palin, Teabaggers

I think this graph from Sarah Palin's PAC website says it all.  She "targets" the "enemy" by placing "gun sites" over their homes.  Yep.

Apparently the threats and actual actions are not only being aimed at opposition politicians but members of their families as well.  Good call, right wingers.  It's about time for the jack booted thugs.