Feinstein, Class and Death Merchants

From the Silicon Valley Metro, via Alternet, we find that Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee:

SEN. Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee. As previously and extensively reviewed in these pages, Feinstein was chairperson and ranking member of MILCON for six years, during which time she had a conflict of interest due to her husband Richard C. Blum's ownership of two major defense contractors, who were awarded billions of dollars for military construction projects approved by Feinstein.

Why she was on the subcommittee in the first place should certainly raise eyebrows. But let's just be clear for the sake of thick-headed Democrats who bask in the illusion that their party leaders do no wrong, that the Dems are somehow a bastion of virtue and a genuine alternative to those dirty corrupt Republicans:

1. She approved contracts -- multi-billion dollar contracts-- awarded to her husband. That's no different from what Duke Cunningham did, and in fact is arguably dirtier by virtue of the fact that at least ol' Duke wasn't married to the people he was fellating (or who were fellating him).

2. Let's get something straight: Richard Blum is an arms contractor. He's a merchant of death. So much for the weak arguments made in defense of Clinton, et al, that "at least Democratic corruption doesn't kill people." Feinstein and Blum are part of the death machine. She may be a little (or medium-sized) Eichmann (although Joshua Frank legitimately calls her a war profiteer), but he's a big Eichmann.

3. It's class, stupid. A Democratic millionaire is not the lesser of two evils, any more than a Black millionaire or a female millionaire or a gay millionaire is. If you somehow think Obama or H. Clinton wouldn't do these things if given the opportunity, well, you'll get the President you deserve, I guess. Unfortunately, I will get the one I don't deserve, and so will my family. My children will be drafted to fight in corporate wars because my hippie, semi-radical friends thought that they should vote for Hillary 'cuz she's got a vagina--and since most of my semi-radical hippie friends are above having kids of their own, they will find excuses to defend wars that Democrats start.

And even if they don't start the wars, they don't have any real incentive to stop them: as one commentator said recently on a different blog:

As long as hypocrits like Feinstein profit, the war will go on. Which democrat raking in millions from the slaughter of Iraqi families and GIs is going to act to stop the war?

Let's see how long it takes bourgeois feminists to start defending her...

Dueling ignorances: Bigoted Army Recruiter vs Self-Righteous Gay Black Man

Frankly, it's hard for me to decide who is more ignorant or offensive in this exchange...the recruiter will certainly lose her job, though.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Here's some of the email exchange between Corey Andrew of Jersey City and Sgt. Marcia Ramode on Feb. 27 and March 1 as provided to The Jersey Journal by Andrew. Misspellings, capital letters and grammatical errors are as they appear in the emails:

Sgt. Ramode: My name is Marcia Ramode, and I am United States Army recruiter. I saw your resume on career builder and we have lots of vacant positions in Logistics, Administration...If interested please give me a call at my toll free number.

Andrew: Awesome! Sounds great! The US Military has so many vacant positions and opportunities. I had no idea. I'm seriously considering contacting you. One thing, I'm not up on current politics but since its 2007, I would imagine also that I am now able to serve in the US military as an openly gay man, right?

Ramode: WELL IF YOU ARE GAY WE DON'T TAKE YOU. YOU ARE CONSIDERED UNQUALIFIED.

Andrew: Wow! Unqualified to serve my country just because I'm gay? It's because they think I might all of a sudden desire one last kiss from my fellow male solider if ever facing death at the hands of the enemy in a fox hole, isn't?... Funny, the US Government doesn't mind taking my "gay" dollars every tax season or out of my paycheck every two weeks. I'm stunned that the US ARMY could afford to be so choosey when I see sergeants on my school campus and in the local shopping Mall...begging teenagers to enlist.

Ramode: YOU ARE DEFINITELY UNQUALIFIED, NOW TAKE YOU GAY SELF SOMEPLACE ELSE WE DO NOT TOLERATE GAY PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN ANY PART OF THE MILITARY. AND IF IT BOTHERS YOU PAYING TAXES THEN MIGRATE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY.... AND IF IT BOTHERS YOU ABOUT THE US MILITARY RECRUITING THEN YOU GO TELL THE BOARD OF EDUCATION .... AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RECRUITERS RECRUITING IN FRONT YOU HIGH SCHOOL THEN COMPLAIN TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OR BETTER YET TRY COMPLAINING TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY... YOU SHOULD SAY THANK YOU MILITARY PEOPLE FOR WHAT YOU DO SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE A FREE LIFE IN THIS COUNTRY. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

Andrew: Before you go on waving your flag all over the place let me first inform you, that as an African American who's ancestry is most likely MORE deeply rooted in American history than yours ever will be...I respect the millions of soldiers fighting to protect my rights every day but just so you know, those rights include me being gay... I applaud servicemen and women everyday for their role in our country's protection. However, for you and the government to deem homosexuals "unqualified" to risk their own lives and defend their own freedom as well as their country's freedom, is moronic.

Ramode: OH I FORGOT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YES YOU MIGHT TO TRY TO KISS A SOLDIER IN THE FOXHOLE SO THAT IS A NO NO.

Andrew: You are living proof that "Don't Ask Don't tell" is a fallacy. You initially rejected me without any consideration whatsoever of my integrity, or abilities. This behavior is at the very core of the discrimination that has plagued the USA for decades. You should know that I never had any intention of joining the military; I simply wanted to have this discussion to prove a point. With over 2,500 cases of anti-gay harassment acts against gay soldiers, including bashings and murders, for you to say the US Military only takes "straights" is delusional.

Ramode: YOU HEAD OFF TO THE GAY LAND OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO MORALS AND GET RID OF YOURSELF. PERSONALLY I THINK BEING GAY IS DISGUSTING AND IMMORAL.... AS AN AFRICAN HAVE NO PLACE TO SAY YOUR ROOTS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED HERE. MY ROOTS ARE MUCH TRONGER THAN YOURS. YOU WERE BROUGHT HERE BEING YOUR WILL POWER WHEREAS MY ROOTS RUN FROM THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN. I HAVE MORE RIGHTS HERE THAN YOU AND MY ROOTS HAVE BEEN HERE EVER INCE BEFORE THE AMERICAS WERE DISCOVERED...YOU TAKE YOUR GAY A- OFF SOMEPLACE AND GO TO SOME OTHER COUNTRY AND BADMOUTH THE MILITARY...TAKE YOUR A-- BACK WHERE YOU BELONG NOT HERE.

Andrew: Clearly with your limited vocabulary and poor spelling, the Army mayhave been the only option YOU had in life. Granted, there are highly intellectual people in the military. You're just not one of them. ...Native American history you are so proud of and research their position on homosexuality. They are very tolerant and accepting of homosexuals believing that the inner spirit is true to itself in its nature. They are less tolerant of fools than they are of homosexuals. So take that to your next rain dance.

Ramode: YOU GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE AND PRACTICE YOUR GAY ORALS OVER THERE THAT'S WHERE YOU BELONG....I AM REPORTING YOU AS SPAM AND ADDING YOU TO MY BLOCK SENDER LIST SO I DO NOT HAVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN....

More about the army we got

My friend Zack added this:

you know, my cousin left for Iraq this week with a knee not suited for a 65 year old person(as he was told by an army doctor). His duties in Iraq will include carrying an automatic weapon that is more weight then I have seen him be able to bear while helping set up his wedding reception. He is counting days until they no longer own his soul...I have nothing but respect for men and women in uniform, I think it is despicable how the Pentagon shits on them constantly.

Going to war with the army you have...

The U.S. Army is ordering injured troops to go to Iraq. Enough said.

Woman

So somebody apparently referred to John Edwards as, hypothetically, "the first woman president."

My take:

Identity politics=stupid and counterproductive. Condoleeza Rice would do horrible, awful things if she were President. Hillary Clinton may very well be President, and will undoubtedly do horrible things behind liberal face paint.

Affirming diversity of identities among human beings in the material world=good, provided that such distinctions do not cause disproportionate social harm. We need to understand that groups are singled out, divided and conquered, colonized with cheap ideology for the sake of maintaining material power relations. We need to appreciate --and, moreso, enjoy-- cultural differences.

But the main point of this post is about me. Being a burly, teddy bearish, but sensitive and reasonably intelligent male=priceless.

Movies that make me cry every time I watch them include "A League of their Own" (the scene where the player receives the letter saying her husband has been killed in the war), and "Last Temptation of Christ" (the entire last third of the movie where Jesus believes he has been freed from the cross, starts a family, realizes things are messed up, etc...).