For those that follow the news, this last week has been pretty epic.   While some things have become more uncertain and entire regions of the globe descend into chaos, others have snapped into focus.  Hindsight has revealed truth as it always does, which is usually as good as some  timely leaks of juicy bits of info.    And longer term strategies begin to show either fruit or corruption, as befits their nature.   All this and more…below…

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Let’s start this out with a poll.  Here’s the results…

MADISON, Wis. — Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. The poll found 61% would oppose a law in their state similar to such a proposal in Wisconsin, compared with 33% who would favor such a law

That seems pretty cut and dried.  Why do so many people seem confused about this?   Let’s look to the usual culprit…

It took me a minute to realize Fox was talking about the same poll, especially when they make it seem that most people “favor” taking away collective bargaining rights.

This is precisely the type of behavior noted in this piece.   When you have confirmation from both the inside and outside of suspicious behaviour, you have suspicious behaviour.

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Much like this one here, where the Pakistanis nabbed Jason Bourne and the U.S. finally admitted it.

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And this one here, where Colin Powell admits he was lied to and, get a load of this, calls for investigations into who told him to lie.

(CNN) — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that U.S. intelligence officials should be questioned over their handling of “Curveball,” an Iraqi defector whose now discredited claims on weapons of mass destruction helped fuel the Bush administration’s drive to war in 2003.

It has become clear over the years that “the source called Curveball was totally unreliable,” Powell said in a statement to CNN.

“The question should be put to the CIA and the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) as to why this wasn’t known before the false information was put into (a key intelligence estimate) sent to Congress, the president’s State of the Union address and my February 5 presentation to the U.N.”

Umm, the CIA knew it was bad.  The DIA told them it wasn’t.  The guy’s name you want in Donald Rumsfeld.   He was recently given an award for this, no shit.

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We also get double confirmation that a certain person not to be named (for fear of trademark violations (<–lol at that fail, BTW)) is a huge fan of sock-puppets.  It turns out that the idiot posted on some random web board saying ridiculously positive things about a certain completely unqualified public servant…..might very well *be* that completely unqualified public servant.

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On to Wisconsin and Other Derp, Derp Strongholds…

I mentioned earlier those poll results.  The whole “Walker the Koch Sucker” storyline is hilarious.  One can assume that a Governor who was elected after millions of dollars of anonymous money poured into his state to attack his opponent would be beholden to said anonymous donor.  One can assume that.  However, once we have 20 minutes of conversation that cements this is exactly how the relationship works, there is no longer the need for assumption.

There is a pretty solid campaign on now to provide Walker cover.  His own lies are being exposed (and again and again).  But the victim machine happens to be run by one of the most powerful entities on the planet, and has no shame.  For example…

Note how the legitimate news organizations are reporting about Walker’s call with Koch, and Fox has instead decided to paint him as the victim here (with their standard “some folks are alleging…).   Note that bit there, “likening Republican Governor Scott Walker to Adolf Hitler”.   This one is kinda funny, since one thing Walker, Koch, and Hitler all share(d) is a hatred for unions and the idea that a reactionary election after an economic crisis is a mandate for their destruction.

I’m starting to think the rapid expansion of hay fever in northern climes (yes, it’s yet another sign the “myth of global warming” continues to have measurable impacts) is having a damping effect on cognitive function.   Check out what Montana is trying to do…

HELENA, Mont. – With each bill, newly elected tea party lawmakers are offering Montanans a vision of the future.

Their state would be a place where officials can ignore U.S. laws, force FBI agents to get a sheriff’s OK before arresting anyone, ban abortions, limit sex education in schools and create armed citizen militias.

It’s the tea party world. But not everyone is buying their vision.

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House Minority Leader Jon Sesso stood in the House Chamber, exasperated. He peppered Republicans with questions: Who decides if the federal government is acting unconstitutionally?

“Who among us is making these determinations that our freedoms are being lost?” he asked, an incredulous expression on his face as he eyed the Republican side of the chamber.

Republican Rep. Cleve Loney rose. A man of few words, the tea party organizer replied: “I don’t intend us to secede from the union. But I will tell you it is up to us. We are the people to decide.”

That, BTW, is pretty standard for the Derp Brigade…get asked a question that points out how idiotic their real world proposals are…and respond with buzzword-bingo populist rhetoric.  

In Montana’s case, it’s not going to get that bad ultimately, as the Governor just ordered a new VETO brand to stop the nonsense from hurting too many real people.  The same can’t be said for Texas, Florida, and Arizona, which thanks to the national orgy after World War II are now inundated with old people retiring and complaining…and voting lock-step for the derp, derp platform.

Many of these folks also hate, and I mean hate, having the option to hear two different languages at the bank (it’s an affront to everything they think America is).  This tendency toward willful ignorance is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, it leaves a generation very poorly equipped to deal with the realities of a changing nation.  On the other hard, it means they’ll fade into a world that is truly their own imagination sooner than most.

I’d expect the derp to get worse in the coming year.   As I’ve demonstrated here, the derpsters still think they have lots of public support and are the real victims here.   Soon, they will have loads of noted Republicans heaping praise their way.   The cold hard reality of another four years of Obama is going to cause a number of them to snap, badly.

Some stuff also happening in the Middle East that is going to cost you more at the gas pump, which is all you really need to know about it (if you are a corporation and that’s all you care about).   The idea that “Freedom isn’t Free” will quickly be lost in the shuffle when the results of not having pliable authoritarian regimes in the ME hits more wallets (and fattens the same old ones).

Oil will hit our economy thusly….if it stays at $100/barrel…half of that 2% reduction in FICA tax we (working folk) are all getting this year…goes straight to Big Oil.    If it goes up to $120, that will eat every last bit of it.    This will, as per, increase private corporate profits and public government debts….which will then be used to blame the whole thing on unions.

The Republican (both state and federal) plans to cut spending (less than they already cut taxes), looks to shrink our GPD growth by about 2% from what was expected and add several hundred thousand public workers (read: not real humans) to the unemployment lines. 

My previous optimism for a sustained recovery is fading somewhat quickly, as elections have consequences and the ones from the last one are just starting to take shape.