Michaels Backporch: Hardcopy (Feb. 4, 1991) Charles Manson Pirate Prison Tapes

Source:Hard Copy Special Report on Charles Manson & his crime family.

Source:The New Democrat

The Manson murders twenty years later. Actually twenty years after The Manson Family murderers were convicted of those evil murders. I mean when I think of evil serial murderers Charlie Manson and Ted Bundy are at the top of my list at least when you're talking about individuals. The KKK as a group are probably just as bad though. Manson ordering murders of people because they were literally part of the successful establishment. Imagine that as your defense in court. But not only that, but ordering the murders of the wrong people. He wanted Dennis Wilson murdered and wasn't aware that Wilson had moved out and other people moved in. Roman Polanski and his girlfriend Sharon Tate.

Charlie Manson wasn't a dumb person. Certainly uneducated and not educated in the traditional sense. But we're talking about someone who didn't functioned properly mentally. Who lacked moral character, actually didn't really have any. Who believed he was above the law and that somehow these murders was benefiting society or something. Even though again he ordered the murders of the wrong people in the sense that it was Dennis Wilson that he wanted murdered. And his crew didn't realize that Wilson no longer lived there and that new group of people are now using that home. The Manson Family soldiers I guess who were made up of high school and college dropouts and people who were kicked out by their parents, didn't understand that.

Charlie Manson created a cult of evil an even culture of evil. I guess he was pissed off at society after leaving prison for the last time in his life and was looking for a way to get back at the people that he believed wronged him. We're talking about a man who grew up in prison and at 32 in 1967 had spent more than half his life in prison. And even though prison was always the best and most comfortable place for him in life he now believed he was going to punish the people for sending him there. And he finds his societal dropouts in the Manson soldiers with the young women, Tex Watson and others and now had the crew to commit the evil acts that he didn't have the balls to do himself. Charlie Manson is the perfect example of why we have life in prison and life without parole in prison. Because you don't want people like that living freely ever again.

AMC: 'Myra Breckinridge Backstory (2001) 'The Making of a Legendary Comedy'

Source:AMC- part of the cast from Myra Breckinridge (1970)

Source:The Daily Review

"This making of special aired in 2001.

This making of special aired in 2001. Don't watch this if you haven't seen the movie. It gives the whole storyline away.

This special on model Gia Carangi [1960-1986] aired in 2001. The audio and video is very bad on this one. I'm sorry about that. This copy is all that I have.

Myron Breckinridge flies to Europe to get a sex-change operation and is transformed into the beautiful Myra. She travels to Hollywood, meets up with.

This interview aired in 1990 about an etiquette manual Ms. Barrows had written called Mayflower Manners."

From AMC 

Hollywood Goddess Raquel Welch in the very first scene of Myra Breckinridge. This movie really was a sort of a sexual fantasy of what life would be like if radical feminists were running the world and you that in the very first scene of the film. 

Source:AMC- Hollywood Goddess Raquel Welch as Myra Breckinridge.

"It's too awful for that dubious distinction. But American Movie Classics featured the film and advertised it as such in its half-hour AMC "Backstory" series recently. 

Doubtless, worse movies have been made, but they're so inconsequential they've been forgotten, or they have become kitsch, that is to say so pretentiously dreadful they're beyond consideration.

In terms of money spent, importance of cast, publicity, major studio participation and chutzpah, "Myra Breckinridge" (1970) is in a class by itself as cinematic refuse.

The film is and always has been a terrible, miserable, obscene, unsanitary waste of celluloid by people who should know better.

Producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown thought it would be a sexy, daring comedy from which 20th Century-Fox would earn millions to refill studio coffers emptied seven years earlier by the "Cleopatra" disaster.

Instead, "Myra" plunged the studio into worse debt, nearly destroying Fox and ruining the careers of almost everyone involved.

Zanuck and Brown went on to make subsequent hits of "The Sting," "Jaws" and "Driving Miss Daisy."

"Myra," however, was the nadir of their careers and the definitive loser in Hollywood history." 

From UPI 

Just to respond to the story from UPI: Myra Breckinrdige was way ahead of it's time, maybe even 10 years. Even in the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s, I just don't think there were enough Americans, even enough hippie Baby Boomers and Beatnik Silent Generation babies to even understand the movie, let alone enjoy it. And if was made today, it would probably be killed by radical feminist political correctness and be called sexist and homophobic. 

Myra Breckinridge is one of those movies that looks better as it ages, because it was so ahead of its time. I think the makers of the film calculated wrong thinking that this is a 1970 movie probably made in 1969 and that this movie would be perfect for its time in the 1960s and the cultural and sexual revolutions. With young Americans experimenting and trying all sorts of different things even when it came to their sexuality.

But very few people were talking about transgender sexuality and sex changes back then. It was very new and then you throw in all the pornography in the movie (which I personally don’t have a problem with) and it was a tough movie for a lot of people to see which is why it was a financial flop when it came out.

If this movie came out 25-30 years later perhaps even 20 years I think this movie would have been very successful. (Especially on Cinemax) I’ve seen this movie like ten times now and have blogged about it multiple times and it was one of my favorite comedies. I’m laughing through most of this movie with Raquel Welch being at her hottest, sexiest and cutest, all in the same movie.

Raquel was so funny in this movie and this is where you really get to see her sense of humor and great comedic timing. John Huston playing Buck Naked, I mean Buck Loner in this movie a sex starved, or sex addict head of an acting school. (Of all things) Getting blow jobs and sexual massages on the job and trying to run his school at the same time.

And of course you can’t talk about Myra Breckinridge without talking about Mae West. Where she also plays a sex starved star in the movie a man-loving woman who can’t spend more than five seconds with a young stud (Tom Selleck) without making a pass at him. And of course you get to see Mae sing Hard to Handle which was perfect for her and her character in this movie.

And of course Gore Vidal with without his book with the same title this movie isn’t made. (Which might not have been a bad thing) But his great comedic ability and willingness to take big risks is how he writes the book that he did and how this movie gets made. I believe movies are judged by how they look as the years go by and later in history. And Myra Breckinridge to me looks like a great comedy.

A&E: Biography- Raquel Welch: 'Beyond The Fantasy'

Source:A&E Biography Raquel Welch.

Source:The Daily Review

The photo shots and video footage of Raquel Welch are absolutely incredible. Rarely will you ever see a women that is this hot and adorable at the same time with incredible sex appeal as well. She’s truly a goddess and then you throw in the voice, the way she moves, the singer and that she’s a hell of an actress as well and we really are talking about not only one of the best looking entertainers of all-time, (arguably the best looking) but one of the best entertainers of all-time as well. A many ways both Raquel and Sophia Loren represent what Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield could have been if they just bothered to grow up personally and took care of themselves. Two incredibly attractive women who both had a lot of talents.

Hollywood at least at first probably just saw Raquel as a sex goddess. The 1960s and 1970s version of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield and just wanted to use her for her looks and sell her that way. As far as her movies and the rest of her appearances. So they overplayed her sex appeal, but in the same time period she was given very good roles that also brought out her other talents. Her comedic side and the great voice as well. With the work she did for Vietnam servicemen and servicewomen. Movies like Fathom, Lady in Cement with Frank Sinatra, 100 Rifles with Burt Reynolds and Jim Brown and of course Myra Breckinridge, which I at least believe is one of the funniest movies of all-time. Where you got to see her great comedic timing in it.

I believe since Raquel has always had that hot baby-faced adorable face, the incredibly sweet sexy voice and high energy personality and that she’s known these things and again unlike Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield she’s lived very well and has taken care of herself and has been very responsible with her life by in large, (except for the marriages) she has aged so slowly and still remains a red-hot baby-faced adorable goddess in her mid-70s today. Who is still active in Hollywood and has other careers going for her in writing and in fashion. To me she’s a goddess in the best sense of the word. Both physically and professionally as far as her talent, intelligence and professionalism. And is one of the most impressive women I’ve ever known of.

Brookings: William A. Galston & E.J. Dionne: 'The Case For Universal Voting'

Source:Brookings Institution- "The Case for Universal Voting: what's your opinion?"

Source:The New Democrat 

“William Galston and E.J. Dionne, Jr. make the case for universal voting – a new electoral system in which voting would be regarded as a required, civic duty. They argue that universal voting would enhance the legitimacy of our governing institutions, greatly increasing turnout and the diversity of the American voter base, and ease the intense partisan polarization that weakens our governing capacity.”

From Brookings

"The election over. Campaign memories already faded. Inauguration Day less than 3 weeks away.

But doubts rankle still about the way we vote. Could it be more efficient, more democratic? Could more of us participate? Could we ever get rid of the Electoral College ... and should we want to?

Should we be considering weekend voting, universal early voting, e-voting, even compulsory voting? (which they have in more than 30 countries, including Belgium, Brazil and Australia!)

Those questions and more on our Due Process post-election show, featuring Sandra King in conversation with Marc Holzer, Dean of The Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration, and Thomas Gentile, a onetime campaign adviser to Rudy Giuliani and a spokesman for the Federalist Society. And if that's not enough to make you to tune in to Due Process, watch us for some biting election satire from the documentary "Electoral Dysfunction" and political humorist Mo Rocca."

From Due Process TV

Before doctors try to fix their patients and fix what is physically wrong with them they first look their patients over to figure out the problem. They talk to their patients to where they are hurting and give them a full-examination. Well, the lack of voting in America should be treated the same way. Instead of just saying out low voter turnout is a problem that must be fixed how about we first try to find out why people aren’t voting in the first place. Low voter participation in America is the perfect time for people especially politicians and partisan political activists to look in the mirror to see where they’re responsible here.

You want more voting in America then you need better politicians. And I’m not talking about people who get elected and reelected easier who’ll say they’ll do one thing during the campaign, but then govern a different way. But we need politicians that will simply go to Washington and do their jobs. Which is represent their districts and states. And instead of focusing most of their attention on the reelection or moving on to the Senate from the House, or looking at a presidential run they instead serve their people and establish a good record in Congress. And concentrate their reelection, or hopeful promotion based on their record in Congress. They do their jobs and reelection and promotion will take care of itself.

The only way you get better politicians is by having better voters. Which means the current people who vote every two years for Congress and four years for president need to do a better job of voting. Treat voting like a high school and college test and actually do your homework. Know who you’re voting for before you actually vote for that person. I know that sounds like commonsense, but a lot of American voters don’t bother to do that. And instead vote for people solely based on political commercials, soundbites and short campaign speeches. Without bothering to look to see if their current rhetoric matches up with their record in Congress, or before they ran for Congress.

As a proud Democrat it would be easy for me to be in favor of compulsory universal voting. With higher turnouts especially with young adults you would see more Democrats getting elected and reelected. Higher turnouts tend to favor Democrats, because there tends to be more registered Democrats than Republicans. One of the reasons why hyper-partisan Republicans support the so-called voter ID laws which are really Democratic voter prevention laws. Which at least one Federal judge saying that the proponents of these laws failed to show any real evidence of real voter fraud. Which is why the Pennsylvania voter id law was struck down.

But there are a couple problems with that argument. One of the practical and that is even if somehow you were to make voting mandatory in America, most non-voters or people who only vote during presidential years would still choose not to vote. And pay the twenty-dollar fine or whatever it would be. But then the other problem is why should Americans be punished for not voting for people they don’t believe in. A lot of Americans don’t vote because they don’t like the available choices. Which again goes to the need of needing better politicians and candidates. Which would drive up voting in America.

Lifetime: Intimate Portrait Raquel Welch

Source:Lifetime Intimate Portrait Raquel Welch.

Source:The Daily Review

Just to start off about Raquel’s figure (for no apparent reason) I think she actually has a better body now or at least in the last 10-15 years than she did in the 1960s. She got stronger and developed curves. I saw her as somewhat flat before that, but that’s me. I have photos of her in her late 60s early 70s where she still has that hot adorable baby-face which she’s had her whole life. But with beautiful curves to go with it. When I think of goddess’ she’s at the top of the list. Here’s a women in her seventies and collecting Medicare and Social Security and yet she’s still gorgeous and very adorable and still has a great body. She’s an angel sent down from Heaven or some place giving millions of men pleasure every time she speaks, or makes an appearance.

But she’s a hell of a lot more than that. I’ve heard people say that she’s never had a hit movie, or has never been in a good movie. And yet she’s been in a lot of movies where she’s had big roles where at the time they weren’t hits, or even make money are now cult classics and very popular today. Movies like Myra Breckinridge which 45 years later is still one of the funniest movies of all-time. Hannie Caulder, The Last of Sheila, Mother Jugs and Speed, where she’s part of a private ambulance company and perhaps others. One thing I respect about her is that she’s taken a lot of risks that could have hurt her career that didn’t pay off at the time, but 30-40 years later look really good as far as movies. Like Myra, Hannie Caulder, The Last of Sheila.

Raquel is not the greatest actor ever, but she’s someone whose more than a Hollywood Goddess who has real talents other than looking great. To me at least to be a Hollywood Goddess you have to do more than have goddess looks, but like Lauren Bacall, or someone like that you have to be able to act and entertain as well. She’s a very good actress if not great one who doesn’t have a whole list of hit movies that she’s been in, but has had big roles and has done well in smaller movies that have stood the test of time. And end up becoming hits on DVD, cable and other places. And has made a great career for herself as an entertainer and not just an actress. But someone who is also a successful singer, dancer and even author and still going and looking strong today.

Brookings Institution: Ron Haskins: $2 a Day, A More Complete Picture

Source:Brookings Institution-

Source:The New Democrat

I agree with Ron Haskins here that when today’s Progressives say that Americans in poverty only live on $2 a day, they tend to leave out things like public housing, food assistance, Medicaid to use as examples. All of these benefits that go to low-income non-workers and unemployed workers. All of these benefits are obviously worth money and help people in poverty pay their bills and survive in the short-term. Plus all the benefits that people get from private charity as well. Like extra food, blankets, clothes, furniture even. All of these things that we all need to live well and survive in America that go to low-income people whether they work, or not for free and they all have cash value.

The way for more people on Welfare to earn more money is to either go to work, or get a good job. And where government can help is help low-income people find good jobs. And if they’re also low-skilled empower them to finish or further their education. Public assistance in America was never designed for people to live comfortably and to feel like they are part of the middle class. Especially when you have to be out of work, or have a low-income job in order just to qualify for public assistance. The idea is to encourage as many physically and mentally able people to become independent and work with a good job. So we have as small of a poverty population as possible which gives us more resources to help the less-fortunate.

One of the reasons why I would like to see a 10-12 dollar an hour minimum or living wage in America at least for adults who have finished high school is to encourage more low-income people to work. And then apply the $7.25 minimum wage to people on Welfare for a forty hours a week. Have people on Welfare take the first job that they are qualified for and give them real work experience. As well as assistance for child support and education so they can get themselves the skills that they need to get a good job. Like finishing high school if they haven’t done that, junior college, or vocational training, empower them to start their own business’s even and even work from home.

Today’s Progressives, Social Democrats really, seem to believe that everyone born in America is entitled to at least a middle class income for simply being live in America even if they didn’t earn that income form their own skills and what they bring to the market. The problem with that is once you encourage people to not earn their own living and not work for it that is exactly what is going to happen. You’ll see more Americans decide, “why should I finish my education and get a good job when Uncle Sam is just going to give me a check every week or month that covers all of my bills and allows for me to live comfortably?” Plus throw in how expensive and national basic income would be. Even if you have that you’re still going to have to have a lot of deciding to get educated and earn a good living for themselves.

Public assistance is social insurance. You collect from it to help you get by in the short-term while you’re rebuilding your lives, or a building a life for yourself and your family. But unless you’re disabled it is not meant to live off of at least not indefinitely, but to help you get by in the short-term. And one thing that you can also do with social insurance is to prepare people and empower people to take control and charge over their own affairs. That comes with education and a good job, economic development, infrastructure, small business loans, to empower people who are struggling to get on their own feet and no longer have to live in public assistance at all. You don’t move people out of poverty by giving them bigger public assistance checks. That just encourages more people to get on public assistance. Especially if they’re already struggling.

Lifetime Intimate Portrait Jaclyn Smith

Source:Lifetime Intimate Portait Jaclyn Smith.

Source:The Daily Review

I probably think of Jaclyn Smith as an actress last, because of outside of Charlie’s Angels and a few guest TV appearances in the 1970s and even in the last few years if you’re a fan of CSI which I am, her acting career I don’t believe has been a big focus of her professional life. She’s a goddess who has used that to promote her business career. And I’m not talking about sleeping her way to the top or anything like that. But she’s this gorgeous if not hot baby-faced adorable Texas sweetheart and has made a great career for herself in fashion and showing women how they can look great as well. And whatever you think of the Charlie’s Angels series and I would be one of the first to tell you it wasn’t a great show, she is by far the most successful of the Angels.

Jackie is my favorite of the Charlie’s Angels. Farah Fawcett is overrated and became a star mostly because of her gorgeous adorable looks who perhaps didn’t grow up and burned out real fast and died early in life. Kate Jackson, is a very good actress and funny and also very pretty and very cute. With Cheryl Ladd and Shelly Hack I think they were looking for the next Farah Fawcett and I don’t know what they brought to that show. But Jackie was a true Angel a Goddess who could also act and has a good sense of humor. Who almost forty-years later is still very active and still doing very well. I don’t think you can say the same about any other actress on that show.

Charlie’s Angeles was a hit for ABC because of the three girls on the show. Women love seeing strong women on TV and women who are in charge and don’t get pushed around. Guys love seeing beautiful sexy women kick ass. Today shows that feature beautiful sexy female cops, or law enforcement officers, or private detectives, who kick ass are very common. CSI, Law & Order SVU, are just a couple of examples of that. But in the late 1970s and early 1980s that wasn’t very common. Charlie’s Angels was truly groundbreaking TV for how they featured strong independent women. So in that sense it was a great show and historic. And Jackie Smith was a big part of that and I believe the star of that show.

Marci Hamilton: The History of Religion in The United States

Source:National Constitution Center-

Source:The New Democrat

I believe Marci Hamilton hit it best that one of the great things about America is our Freedom of Religion and religious diversity. Because we are such a diverse country both ethnically and racially a country of Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, Germanic's, Slavs, Mediterraneans, Latinos, Africans, Asians, Indians, Middle Easterners, Jews and others, we are also a very diverse country religiously as well. Because all of these people's have their own cultures, traditions, faiths, that represents where their ancestors come from. That we don't have one dominant ethnic or racial majority with one religion for the whole country and we certainly aren't governed by any religion either. We have Freedom of Religion and freedom not to practice any religion, but we also have Separation of Church and State.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, is free to believe that homosexuality is a sin and that gays are sinners simply for being gay and that same-sex marriage is some moral threat to straight marriage. And she's also free to be deeply wrong about that. But as a government official she swore a duty to serve and protect the public. And even in Rowan County, Kentucky that includes gay people and she simply can't deny gays access and deny them marriage licenses simply because they are gay. She has a sworn duty to serve those people as much as she has a sworn duty to serve straight people. And if she has a problem from that she always resign from office. And perhaps take up the fight of protesting against homosexuality in America wither other members of the Christian-Right in this country.

And while Kim Davis is still serving the whole public in her country she still retains the right to believe that homosexuality is a sin and that gays should be second-class citizens in her county and perhaps everywhere else. Simply by using her First Amendment right and her freedom of religion. But that stops when it comes to forcing your religious beliefs as deep as they may be on everyone else in your community. Freedom of Religion in America doesn't give people the right to force others to live by your beliefs and deny people access because of your beliefs especially when you're a public official. If Clerk Davis doesn't want to serve the entire public in the county she can always resign her office and go work in the private sector like at her church.

David Von Pein: The Age of Kennedy: NBC White Paper (1966)

Source:David Von Pein- 1966 documentary about President John F. Kennedy. From NBC News,

Source:The New Democrat

"THE AGE OF KENNEDY" is an outstanding "NBC White Paper" documentary that was first aired (in two parts) on the NBC Television Network in late May and early June of 1966.

The two "White Paper" programs (subtitled "The Early Years" and "The Presidency") chronicle the life and political career of the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

This black-and-white documentary is filled to the brim with excellent archival film footage of JFK and his family. This program is definitely one that should be seen and downloaded for future viewings. It's absolutely wonderful.

Adding to the classy flavor of this particular JFK video biography is the frequent narration of distinguished actor Henry Fonda in the first half of the program, as Fonda reads words that were written by John Kennedy himself. Chet Huntley of NBC News also serves as a narrator throughout this 101-minute documentary.

In 1997, "The Age Of Kennedy" programs were released by NBC News on home video in a 2-Tape VHS collector's set, with a slightly-altered title: "NBC White Papers: The Kennedy Era".

©1966, 1997 National Broadcasting Company, Inc.
©1997 New Video Group, Inc."

From David Von Pein

John F. Kennedy's early years as an adult  are not very impressive. He was in the U.S. Navy for a few years during World War II and got out in 1945 to and then ran for the House of Representatives in 1946 and got elected there mostly because of his name and his father literally buying votes and ballots. I think the way to look at Jack Kennedy in the 1940s and 1950s is as a student who is still figuring things out and trying to decide what he wants to do in life. But I don't believe he figures that out until his first term in the Senate in 1953. Jack Kennedy, was a playboy in Congress really the whole time he was there from 1947-61. His six years in the House and eight years in the Senate. He marries Jackie in 1953 and that doesn't make him any more responsible.

Kennedy doesn't figure out what he wants to do and where he's going in life really until he gets reelected to the Senate in 1958. And he writes the book Profiles in Courage where you get to see his political and ideology emerge. As a Cold War Liberal Democrat who sees communism as the biggest threat to freedom and even mankind. As well as someone who wants to use a limited government to empower people in need to get themselves up and live well in life. Kennedy, wasn't a Conservative that today's right-wingers want to portray him as, or a Social Democrat that had a government program to solve everyone's problems for them. That today's so-called Progressives want to see him as.

By the time Jack Kennedy completed his first term in the Senate and decided that he wanted to be President of the United States is where he got serious as a public servant and political leader. That communism needed to be defeated and that freedom needed to be expanded at home. For Americans who were struggling and living in poverty, but also for Americans who were simply denied access in America because of their race and color. Which is just one reason why JFK being assassinated at the age of 46 in 1963 is so tragic. Because the great liberal Jack Kennedy as a political leader was just emerging. He probably gets reelected fairly easily in 1964 against Senator Barry Goldwater. And I think we would have seen one of the best American leaders of all-time.

ABC News: 'ABC World News Tonight, July 10, 1978'

Source:ABC News- anchor Peter Jennings.

Source:The New Democrat 

"The premiere edition, anchored by Frank Reynolds, Max Robinson, and Peter Jennings.Posted for educational and historical purposes only. All material is under the copyright of their original holders. No copyright infringement is intended." 

From News Active

The thing that people need to know about Marxist states which is exactly what the Soviet Union of Russia was for over seventy-years before the Soviet Union broke with all the non-ethnic-Russian states breaking away and creating their own independent countries, is that they can consider anything that goes against the state as treason. And anyone that says anything in opposition to the central state, is a treasonous. 

The fake trial of Natan Sharansky back in 1978 was which was obviously fake. Here’s a man who was simply calling for human rights in a Marxist state where human rights don’t exist. The only rights that exist in a Marxist state all belong to the central government. Which is supposed to use that power to take care of the people.

In the late 1970s you saw Russia get more aggressive with their foreign policy and make moves in North Africa and Central Asia to protect their interests. Like in Ethiopia to protect a Marxist government there and of course in Afghanistan to install a Marxist government there. 

You also saw Russian activists and non-ethnic-Russian activists in Russia like Natan Sharansky speak out in favor of human rights in a country where they simply don’t exist. As well as Russian citizens and non-ethnic-Russian citizens including Russian-Jews fleeing their country in hopes of finding freedom and coming to America so to speak because of that. And part of that had to do with President Jimmy Carter making human rights as part of his foreign policy.

1978 was a big year for tax cuts and a bad year for high taxes. As you saw several states with movements calling for cutting taxes across the board. Even in the so-called Republic of California that has always had high taxes and has been one of the most leftist states in the union when it comes to taxation. 

In 1978 there was a movement led by anti-tax advocate Howard Jarvis, who you could call a 1970s Tea Party leader who managed to get on the state ballot there a measure that would cut property taxes across the board. And it passed even though California is one of the biggest Democratic states in the union as far as party registration. With a 2-1 Democrat to Republican party ratio. With Democrats controlling both houses of the State Legislature going back to the 1950s.

ABC News: America Held Hostage: The Iran Crisis

SourceABC News Special Report on the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Source:The New Democrat

I never make excuses for terrorists and terrorism and don’t respect anyone who does. But the U.S. Government including the Carter Administration and every single American administration going back to Harry Truman, have some responsibility for this crisis. The Iran Hostage Crisis is the perfect example of the weakness and consequences of backing unpopular authoritarian dictatorships. Whatever you think of the Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and he did have come progressive qualities liked developing the Iranian economy, he was a brutal dictator to his opposition. Both Islamic Theocrats and more liberal democratic factions in that country.

The Iranian people and the Islamic revolutionaries in that country were simply fed up with the Pahlavi Regime there and wanted a different form of government and a different future there. Which is what and whatever you think of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni, a different future as an Islamic theocratic dictator of Iran is exactly what he represented for Iran. A different future for that country. The Iranian people essentially replaced one authoritarian dictatorship for another one. Which sort of goes to the judgement of that country and doesn’t make them look very good. But perhaps that’s for a different discussion. The United States, backed the Shah of Iran, because they were worried about what type of government would come to Iran instead and because of Iranian oil and gas.

The United States and the United Kingdom, interfered with the governmental operations of Iran for almost forty-years, because they were worried about the Shah falling and being replaced by an anti-Western authoritarian regime. But that is exactly what they got anyway which was an extreme Far-Right Islamic theocratic government to replace a more moderate and reasonable monarchy that they wanted all along. As America also found out with their backing of authoritarian dictator Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, there serious and deadly consequences that come from backing unpopular dictators. And the way you prevent even worst regimes from coming to power is to work with the people on the ground. Not backing unpopular dictators.

Bob Parker: ABC World News January 6, 1987: The 100th Congress and The Iran Contra Investigation

Source:Bob Parker- The opening of the U.S. House of Representatives, for the 100th Congress.

Source:The New Democrat

"ABC World News January 6, 1987 with Peter Jennings."

From Bob Parker

Early 1987 and really the whole 1987 year was a bad one for President Ronald Reagan and the Reagan Administration. Republicans, lost the Senate in 1986 which gave Congressional Democrats complete control of Congress going into 1987. Just when the Iran Contra investigation was in the news and when both the Senate and House was looking into that. The House and Senate put together a joint Congressional committee to investigate the Iran Contra situation in the summer of 1987. Where people like Marine Colonel Oliver North became a famous name and person and became a main focus of the Congressional Iran Contra Committee.

I was eleven years old and in fifth grade for most of 1987, so I don't remember a whole lot about the politics that year. I remember seeing some of the Iran Contra Committee with my parents on TV. I remember hearing about Gary Hart running for president and then dropping out because he was caught having an affair with a woman who wasn't his wife. I remember hearing the name Michael Dukakis and a little about Robert Bork who President Reagan nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court. But most of these things except for Gary Hart and Mike Dukakis weren't good for President Reagan. And all issues that Vice President George Bush would have to inherit as he ran for president in 1988.

For really the first six years of the Reagan Administration, except for perhaps 1986 when Iran Contra became a big issue, President Reagan and his team were always on the offensive. And able to push their issues and get the country behind them in some key areas. They got their military buildup, tax cuts, Social Security reform, immigration reform, negotiations and better relations with Russia, to use as examples. But 1987 was the 1998 for the Reagan Administration. Where they played defense for most if not the whole year. Either answering questions they didn't want to answer, or trying to avoid questions that they didn't want to give the full truth on.

Movie Clips Classic Trailer Vault: ‘Lenny Official Trailer- Dustin Hoffman Movie (1974)’

Source:Movie Clips Classic Trailer Vault- The official trailer for Lenny 1974: the movie about comedian Lenny Bruce. 

Source:The Daily Review

"Lenny Trailer - Directed by Bob Fosse and starring Dustin Hoffman, Stanley Beck, Frankie Man, Gary Morton, Guy Rennie. The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the Establishment as too obscene for the public."

Source:Movie Clips Classic Trailer Vault

Lenny Bruce, was a comedian who used humor to talk about everyday American life. And part of how Americans live is how we interact with each other even in the most personal of ways. Including, marriage divorce, family and yes, even sex. All he did was talked about how Americans lived, but he did it in public. He said things in the public that right-wing culturally conservative establishment who perhaps thought we were a Middle Eastern fundamentalist country and not a Western liberal democracy, didn't believe Americans should be allowed to hear or say.

As I mentioned yesterday had Lenny came out 10-20 years later, he probably never spends a day in jail for his act. At least outside of the Bible Belt. He actually had a significant criminal record as a thief and dealing with drugs, but when it came to his comedy act he was arrested for literally using adult language in public. Which is clearly unconstitutional under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. He wasn't libeling people, he was inciting violence, he wasn't calling for violence to come against anyone. Even the cops who arrested him for using adult language. He was simply using adult language in public as part of his comedy routine.

People tend to think of political correctness as censorship against language that may tend to offend certain groups of people. And that is true obviously, but political correctness in the 1950s and early 1960s was used against people who used language that lets say the most religiously conservative of Americans not only find offensive, but immoral.

And when that language is used they believe the people who say those things should literally be arrested. Today political correctness is used against comedians and other commentators who say negative things even if they're true against minority groups in America. Lenny Bruce was a victim of 1950s and 1960s right-wing political correctness fascism. 

Mysteries & Scandals: Lenny Bruce

Source:Mysteries & Scandals- Comedian Lenny Bruce: free speech under assault.

Source:The Daily Review

Keep in mind that Lenny Bruce's act came out in the 1950s and up until the early 1960s when we were still living in this Leave it to Beaver Pleasantville, where a lot of Americans are supposed to live on the farm, or out West, type of culture. Where the idea of political correctness was not saying anything that went against this establishment. Where sex and divorce wasn't talked about, where government officials were considered gods and looked up to, where women's place was in the home and where gays place was in the closet, jail, or a mental institution. Where everyone at least was supposed to take their parents word as gold and if you questioned them, you were committing a sin.

Imagine if you're Lenny Bruce and this is the culture you live and work in and your act is not ahead of its time, but you might be twenty-years ahead of your time. Your act would be mainstream in 1975 or so and to a certain extent in the late 1960s in certain places, but you're starting out in the early and mid 1950s where America was still supposed to be Pleasantville. And you have this comedian whose literally being arrested and you have cops going to his shows for talking about things that the supposed culture and establishment of the time sees as unacceptable. Even with our liberal free speech and first amendment rights.

Lenny Bruce, was using swear words in a culture where words like damn, hell, bitch, bastard, ass, words that were very mainstream by the mid 1970s or so, that were considered very sinful and immoral in 1955, or so. Lenny, wasn't getting in trouble for calling for people to be hurt, or murdered, or libeling people, things that aren't protected by the First Amendment. Bruce was being harassed and prosecuted by government for using adult language. And talking about adult topics like marriage, divorce, sex and using adult language. All things that are protected by our first amendment.

I think the closest comedian to compare Lenny Bruce with would be George Carlin. Who came onto the scene about ten-years after Bruce. But they have similar styles and the ability to take on the system, or establishment and inform people that America and their country isn't as perfect as their government wants them to think it is. That America is Pleasantville at least not everywhere. That we have real issues and concerns that need to be dealt with. And that talking about things even adult subjects issues that all Americans do in private at least is okay to talk about those things in public as well. And besides we have a First Amendment that protects this speech anyway.

USA Today: Kirsten Powers: Donald Trump, Evangelical Scam Artist

Source: USA Today- The Donald Trump: thank God there's only one. 

Source:The Daily Review

This is one example of why I love Kirsten Powers. Her damn straight to the point honesty. And oh by the way, to anyone on the Right who now sees Kirsten Powers as one of their new heroes, she’s a self-described Liberal. I was starting to think I was the only one who didn’t take Donald Trump seriously as a presidential candidate. To take The Donald seriously as a presidential candidate, I would have to take Michael Jordan seriously as a Major League baseball player. A guy who struck out in Double A. I would also have to take meat lovers seriously as vegans and I could go down the line, but I won’t.

Donald Trump for president, is literally a realty show. He has no idea what he would do as president and probably doesn’t even want the job. His whole campaign. ( And scam, really ) I mean he’s anti-abortion? I mean this guy has less credibility on that issue than Mitt Romney. Donald Trump has been officially anti-abortion since he decided to run for the Republican nomination for president a few months ago. As Kristen powers said he has a long record of supporting pro-choice abortion causes. He’s a fundamentalist Christian who has never asked for forgiveness from God? Who has been married and divorced multiple times who at best is still learning how to be a good husband.

The whole Donald Trump for presidential realty show/soap opera, goes to my whole point about ignorant voters who don’t know who they’re voting for. Donald Trump, is the best scam artist as far as the number of people he has fooled, perhaps of all-time. He’s a billionaire and he’s never spent a day in jail for any of his scams. And because you have this so-called Silent Majority Tea Party Middle America faction of the country, who still can’t believe it's no longer the 1950s and that their America has disappeared. With all the new diversity and tolerance for different ways of living in America that are now considered acceptable to most Americans, Donald Trump has a Super Bowl sized audience to pull off his latest realty show/scam. Who Wants Donald Trump For President?
Source:U2 Heaven Bound