just call me horchata

You know in the USA we have freedom of the press, right? That freedom is still enshrined in law (de jure) rather than existing in reality (de facto). What do those strange "de" words mean? lol.

This week I was once again eating breakfast in McDonalds before going in for an early shift at work. The TV in the dining room was roaring away on Fox News, as they all are everywhere. I didn't even have to look at the screen. I could tell by the strident, whiny, high-pitched voices coming from the speakers that it was Fox. To be "fair and balanced" to Fox, I should say that every single major network is much the same.

As usual, after some provocative point was shouted out, somebody near me gets my attention and grunts, "It'n that right, bud?" I guess fantasy living craves approval.

I wanted to say in reply, "Don't believe a f*****g word that comes out of that GD television, not a single word." As usual, I just glared at the person for a second and kept on eating. I'm not up for discussion or confrontation at 5:30AM with mere minutes to go before I have to be at work.

I recently ran across a paragraph that summarizes our freedom of the press with such economy of words, that I think it would be nice to convert it into metered verse or a song:

"If you truly are a person seeking objective information about crises in the Middle East, I really wouldn’t recommend that you read or watch the major U.S. news media. The truth is the journalists all know where their bread is buttered and are acting accordingly. A reporter would have to be a masochist or someone inviting career suicide to write or say anything against the “tough-guy” conventional wisdom."

Robert Parry hits the nail on the head once again. Source article.

Dammit! You let Australia have a US military base, and pretty soon, everybody will be wanting one.

Get the prostitutes and Outback Steakhouses ready.

Well here's the GD quote of the year:

President Obama: "So here’s what this region must know. As we end today’s wars, I have directed my national security team to make our presence and mission in the Asia Pacific a top priority. As a result, reductions in U.S. defense spending will not—I repeat, will not—come at the expense of the Asia Pacific. My guidance is clear, because we plan and budget for the future. We will allocate the resources necessary to maintain our strong military presence in this region. The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay."

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Let's dissect a little:

"So here’s what this region must know." - Well that sounds preachy.

"As we end today’s wars" - Really? Aren't the numbers of enlisted just being reduced and being replaced with private contractors at 100 times the price and with zero accountability? At the same time, the USA and Israel are having total hard-ons for Iran. THAT upcoming war is already being auditioned in the media.

"reductions in U.S. defense spending" - Ain't no reductions going on anywhere near no defense spending. The US's budget woes are totally due to the lavish Social Security benefits the elderly are receiving.

"The United States is a Pacific power" - A power in the Pacific or a pacific power? *roll eyes*

"and we are here to stay" - Rah! Rah!

This brought a major smile to my face.