propaganda – Page 17 – BilgeBucket Gazette

Peace Through Ineptitude

Last week, North Korea and South Korea took a huge step toward peace when North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met with South Korea’s leader Moon Jae-in in the demilitarized zone on the border between the two countries. Kim Jong Un has announced his intention to make strides toward a nuclear free Korean peninsula.

So what caused Kim Jong Un’s about face after threatening the west with nuclear annihilation for the past seven years or ever since he came to power? Well, apparently North Korea’s test facility has completely collapsed after the last test and may be unusable. So that would definitely change Kim Jong Un’s tune if he couldn’t back up his churlish threats with, you know, actual firepower. We’re thinking that’s a of lot of egg on Kim Jong Un’s face.

But what is really strange is that Trump is somehow receiving credit for the Korean peace summit. Top Republicans have even submitted his name for a Nobel Peace Prize. But what’s even more peculiar is that the United States press and media has seemingly buried the test site’s collapse. Go ahead and Google ‘north korea test site collapse’ and the latest stories all date to April 25-26, 2018. Instead of stating the obvious reason for Kim Jong Un’s sudden enthusiasm for peace, it’s letting slide the narrative that Donald Trump is responsible for ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons without even mentioning the collapsed site. We think the destroyed test site is huge! Why is this news not getting more attention by the media? Not even the late night comedians have mentioned it. Just more bizarre events in a bizarro world where Donald Trump is somehow now the world’s greatest peacekeeper.

Now that Trump has nixed the Iran deal despite urgent pleas from our allies in France, U.K. and Germany, not to, we wonder if America’s CEO/Dictator/’Peace Guru’ will use the same game of nuclear brinkmanship that he used with North Korea. For the sake of the planet, we certainly hope not.

After his nuclear test site collapsed, wacky-coiffed, egg wearing North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, proclaims he's all for peace which prompts wacky-coiffed, egg laying American CEO/Dictator/'Peace Guru', Donald Trump, to announce that he will boldly try the same nuclear brinkmanship/peace plan on Iran. — After his nuclear test site collapsed, wacky-coiffed, egg wearing North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, proclaims he’s all for peace which prompts wacky-coiffed, egg laying American CEO/Dictator/’Peace Guru’, Donald Trump, to announce that he will boldly try the same nuclear brinkmanship/peace plan on Iran.

Governor Ducey: The Teacher Troll

Arizona made headlines last week when teachers walked out of their classrooms on strike trying to get improved pay and teaching conditions. This on the heels of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (pronounced douchey) half-hearted, perfunctory offer of a 20% raise in salary by 2020. But teachers counter that it doesn’t address other demands of the teachers like better pay for support staff, yearly teacher raises, a restoration of school funding to 2008 levels and no new tax cuts until the state per-pupil funding reaches the national average.

We mentioned before back in 2016, Ducey’s attempt to defraud Arizonans of public land to pay for education. Now, Ducey is using this offer of a raise as a blatant attempt at political posturing since he’s up for re-election this year. Since we’re Arizonans here at the Bucket, we’ll just say he’s done jack squat in his four years. We’ve noticed on local television plenty of Ducey re-election ads touting his offer of settling the teacher strike just days after he offered the deal. Coincidence? We think not.

Not surprisingly, Arizona Republicans have started attacking the teachers, because that’s what they do. House Majority Leader John Allen, R-Scottsdale, said the strikes amount to class warfare creating “strife between the haves and the have-nots” and that taxing the rich is precisely the way to undermine economic recovery. “I’ve never gotten a job from a poor person,” Allen added. What an arrogant asshole! Another Republican leader, Maria Sims from Paradise Valley, claimed the strikes are part of a national socialist movement (calling Joseph McCarthy). Sorry to burst your bubble, Ms. Sims. Teachers aren’t communist bastards; they just want a living wage and better working conditions.

There is some promising news for sane Arizonans. Last week’s special election in congressional district 8, which includes the old, white, conservative, retiree-from-the-Midwest bastion of Sun City served as a wake up call for the state’s GOP. Democratic candidate Tiral Hepinini lost by only five points to Debbie Lesko in a district that has gone overwhelmingly to Republicans in the past two elections. This has conservatives in this state sweating bullets. If there is indeed a blue wave sweeping the nation, with anti-Trump sentiment rising, it’s indeed possible that Democrats could actually make a dent in this state and considerably weaken the Republicans’ stranglehold (and we do mean stranglehold) on this state. A purple Arizona could very well be in the works and we’d love to see Trump supporter Doug Ducey back peddling his overpriced ice cream again instead of ‘leading’ this state.

In a grand move of political posturing, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (pronounced douchey) proposes a token pay raise to the greedy commie bastard teachers who actually want a living wage.

If You’ve Got The Money, Mulvaney Has The Time

One of Donald Trump’s promises upon coming into office was draining the swamp. As we’ve commented many times before, America’s CEO/Dictator has not only not drained the swamp, he’s restocked it, mostly with corporate friendly hacks like Scott Pruitt who have no qualms on dismantling our government protections while spending millions of taxpayer’s dollars doing it. Which brings us to Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Mick Mulvaney.

As CNN reported, Mulvaney said the swampiest thing you could possibly say. Mulvaney proclaimed proudly that “What you do here matters. We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you. If you came from back home and sat in my lobby, I talked to you without exception regardless of the financial contributions.” Or in other words, if you’ve got the money, I’ve got the time. Hardly the words you want to hear from a supposedly ‘honest’ government official who also claims to be catholic. But then again, the Trump administration hypocritically spews forth lies and deception every second of every day.

In addition, Mulvaney wants to eliminate public access to the consumer complaints database at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Therefore, they can give financial shysters even more power to wield over unsuspecting consumers because in America, profit is more important than people. You’ve got to screw the other guy before he screws you and if you don’t have money, you are shit out of luck, buddy. Still think capitalism is a christian economic system?

OMB director, carnival barker and corporate lackey, Mick Mulvaney, hustles plutocrats for funds and special privileges in the completely honest and not swampy at all Trump administration with his mantra of "If you've got the money, I've got the time". — OMB director, carnival barker and corporate lackey, Mick Mulvaney, hustles plutocrats for funds and special privileges in the completely honest and not swampy at all Trump administration.

Ryan The Rat Jumps Ship

Paul Ryan made big news recently by announcing that he will not be seeking re-election for his congressional seat, thus ending his reign of mediocrity as Speaker of the House. Of course, this is after he emphatically denied rumors he was going to resign. We’ve had nothing but contempt for this Ayn Rand acolyte ever since he was Spiff Romney’s vice-presidential choice back in 2012. Go ahead: check our archives. Now, claiming that he wants to ‘spend more time with his family’, it’s obvious that he wants to jump clear of the exploding clusterf*ck that is the Trump administration, which he supported despite weak and ineffectual statements to the contrary.

Ryan proudly claims that he’s achieved what he wanted to do so it’s time to go home. But his dubious achievement is a tax cut which will only benefit the wealthiest Americans, add 1.9 trillion dollars to the deficit and burden most Americans in the future with the bill that they really can’t afford. This from a supposed fiscal hawk who cried and whined that Obama was adding to the deficit with Obamacare and then when Republicans seized power, they immediately augment it. So between Bush’s idiotic war in Iraq and Trump’s tax cuts, we’re talking close to four trillion dollars added to the deficit by Republicans, who are supposed to be the masters at fiscal responsibility. What a bunch of hypocrites!

Paul Ryan has been nothing but a lackey for the plutocrats of corporate America. We here at the Bucket would just like to say good riddance and don’t let the door hit your greedy, feckless ass on the way out.

Speaker of the House and Ayn Rand acolyte, Paul Ryan, plans to jump off the GOP sinking ship now that he's achieved his dream of giving plutocrats a huge tax break while burdening America with debilitating debt for decades to come — Speaker of the House and Ayn Rand acolyte, Paul Ryan, plans to jump off the GOP sinking ship now that he’s achieved his dream of giving plutocrats a huge tax break while burdening America with debilitating debt for decades to come.

Trump’s Newspeak Lackeys

America’s CEO/Dictator, Donald Trump, continued his assault on democracy and the freedom of the press with his whining about all the ‘fake news’ media outlets who have the utter nerve to broadcast his ludicrous, insipid, asinine, daily statements. And then our mendacious, duplicitous liar-in-chief has the audacity to say the media makes him look bad.

But what is really Orwellian is the fact that Sinclair Broadcasting Group has recently sent out to its news affiliates scripted news that news anchors must read; if they don’t…they’re fired. Sinclair Broadcasting Group is a extremely conservative and extremely aggressive in pushing its agenda on America. John Oliver did an outstanding piece on them last July. It’s no surprise that they’re taking the Fox News (a.k.a. Republican Propaganda Network) route and blatantly calling any news which is critical of our orange haired man-child, as being fake news.

This latest stunt by Sinclair is frightening because it shows the right wing media outlets are moving us more and more in the direction of Nazi Germany’s propaganda machine (also very right wing) which so effectively and brutally killed any kind of free speech and free press, which are cornerstones of our democracy and separates us from authoritarian regimes like Russia and China. We find it ironic that for eight years, conservative Republican outlets like Fox News vilified, mocked and derided President Obama at every turn and yet Obama let them exercise their right to free speech. He didn’t threaten them or call them names. Now that Trump’s in charge, nobody can criticize him. Of course, Fox did the same thing when ol’ Dubya was the decider (if you’re not for Bush, you’re for the terrorists). The Republicans who allow this disgrace of a presidency to continue will hopefully be bitch slapped this fall by the voters. Then, maybe, just maybe, Trumpty-Dumpty will finally have his great fall.

A local Sinclair Action McNews team warns viewers of fake news while touting the totally not fake news awesomeness of American CEO/Dictator, Donald Trump.

Fox News: GOP Propaganda Machine

It’s hard to keep up with the flak generator that is the Trump administration, but this piece of news is straight from the DUH file.

In a bombshell, retired Army lieutenant colonel and news analyst, Ralph Peters, quit Fox News, a.k.a. the Republican Propaganda Network. In a scathing statement, Peters said “In my view, Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration.” Peters went on to lament on how the Fox anchors now shamelessly “dismiss facts and empirical reality to launch profoundly dishonest assaults on the F.B.I., the Justice Department, the courts, the intelligence community (in which I served) and, not least, a model public servant and genuine war hero such as Robert Mueller.” Wow! And this is from an ultra conservative hawk who thought the clusterf*ck Iraq War was a good idea, and called Obama a pussy. Of course, Fox News has obviously been spewing Republican Party propaganda since it’s inception over twenty years ago. This is crystal clear to anyone with half a brain. Hence, the DUH.

We’re not saying we like Peters now…far from it. It’s just that Trump and his propaganda channel are now officially so pathetic that staunchly conservative Republicans are abandoning ship or as Peters put it, he could not “in good conscience” remain with a network that “is now wittingly harming our system of government for profit.”

Conservative pundit, Ralph Peters, a.k.a. Captain Obvious, shocks the world by declaring Fox News to be nothing more than a propaganda machine for American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump and his gang of Republican party lackeys hellbent on destroying the government for fun and profit. — Conservative pundit, Ralph Peters, a.k.a. Captain Obvious, shocks the world by declaring Fox News to be nothing more than a propaganda machine for American CEO/Dictator Donald Trump and his gang of Republican party lackeys.

DeVos: Secretary Of MisEducation

Like every week in the Trump era, there is just an ungodly amount of shit to process. We’ve had a Rexit already this week, more Stormy Daniels news and the GOP in the House completely lost all credibility by pronouncing that Russia didn’t collude with Trump in the 2016 election. But also, Secretary of Education (or MisEducation), Betsy DeVos gave a universally panned interview with 60 minutes Saturday where she exposed her incompetence for all to see. It’s truly stunning to see such ineptitude on a national level but hey…this is the Trump administration.

Trump’s cabinet is truly a clusterf*ck of clowns – Pruitt, Zinke, Perry, Carson, etc… The scary thing is that while Trump provides cover with hourly feats of colossal stupidity, the underlings, like DeVos, are quietly dismantling our government. Like we’ve said before, the Republicans don’t want small government, they want no government.

Betsy DeVos explains that funding schools less will lead to improvement is as obvious as 2+2=5, Detroit is capital of Michigan and Donald Trump is the bestest president ever. — Secretary of (Mis)Education, Betsy DeVos, explains in elementary terms how truly incompetent she is.

Rewind: John Bolton’s Image Makeover

The exodus of personnel from the disaster that is the Trump White House continues. Rumor has it that NSA advisor, H.R. McMaster, one of the few competent people in the Trump administration, is heading for the hills. The scuttlebutt is that everyone’s favorite mustachioed, hate filled, crusty curmudgeon, former United Nations Ambassador during the Bush Administration, John Bolton, is being considered for the NSA position. Bolton is an unabashed warmonger and would be disastrous not only for the country but for the world.

Back during Dubya’s days in the White House, we had a regular feature here at the Bucket called Probing Inquiries. Bolton definitely had an image problem (and still does) and desperately needed an image makeover so he’d appeal to a wider swath of Americans. How’d it turn out? You be the judge.

This is from our January 11, 2006 issue.

Probing Inquiries

John Bolton Softens His Image

The new controversial U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, recently hired a crew to completely makeover his image from a grizzled curmudgeon to a softer, more amiable statesman. Leader of the makeover team, world renowned fashion consultant Fantasticus, who is also responsible for the stylish makeovers of Katie Couric, Condoleezza Rice and Prince Charles’ polo horse Skippy, describes the different looks considered in the makeover odyssey. The final result will surely make John Bolton the most loveable U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations ever!

John Bolton with a Michael Bolton makeover. The obvious first choice was to make John Bolton look like the other famous Bolton in America, singer Michael Bolton. We thought the long locks, smoldering eyes and sex appeal of Michael would transfer well to John. We were wrong. Next!

John Bolton with a Donald Trump makeover. Next!!!!!

John Bolton with an Easter Bunny makeover. We decided to try to make John Bolton more fluffy and lovable and who is more fluffy and lovable than the Easter Bunny. Well this just plain frightened our test group, which was made up of mostly children. I’m pretty sure they’ll probably have nightmares for the remainders of their lives. Next!

John Bolton with a Tyra Banks makeover The makeover was going downhill quicker than Bill O’Reilly’s ‘War on Christmas’, so I called in makeover diva, Tyra Banks, as a consultant. Tyra is known for her ‘fierce’ makeovers, but this look just creeped everyone out. Next! Hurry!

John Bolton with a Dame Edna makeover. WINNER! We fired Tyra immediately, but she was on the right track. Who’s more non-threatening in a masculine-feminine way than Dame Edna. This look will put his fellow ambassadors at ease and bring laughter and love to the entire United Nations.

GOP Wants Pistol Packing Teachers

We’ve commented many times about gun control here. We’ve even created a category. This subject seems like a no-brainer to most civilized, intelligent citizens. For starters, reinstate the assault weapon ban and mass school shootings will decline. All logic points to this action.

But American CEO/Dictator, Donald Trump, and his Republican pals continue to lick the ass of their masters, the NRA, and push for ludicrous, asinine solutions. Just this past week Trump trotted out the old “let’s arm the teachers” suggestion to widespread and deserved ridicule. Then he backtracked and suggested that the cruel media was putting words in his mouth. Then he suggested that he’d run in and save the children. This from a man who got five deferments from Vietnam, one for bone spurs. He couldn’t even protect his son and wife from rain with his umbrella. And yet, Trump would charge into a school without a weapon to attack a shooter? Not bloody likely!

Let’s make no mistake: arming teachers is a horrendous idea. Arming students is a horrendous idea. Voting for Republicans is a horrendous idea. Modern day conservative Republicans are broken human beings and need to be removed from any kind of position of power. And Democrats, who also feed at the NRA trough, need to start stepping up to the plate, grow a spine and start pushing for legislation against assault weapons.

And as if on cue, this just in… there’s news that a teacher in Georgia barricaded himself inside a school and fired a gun. Hey Republicans…still think arming teachers is a great idea?

In conservative Republican schools of the future, no nonsense teachers will teach our children the importance of a good education beginning with how to use a gun.

We’re Living In 1984

We’re sick of Trump and his horde of gun loving, conservative Republican malcontents, so we’re doing a palette cleanser today and instead focus on how technology has transformed our society and not always for the best.

We’ve commented before about the ubiquity of cell phones and how we’re completely and totally distracted by all things related to technology. We saw the old Apple Macintosh commercial from 1984 not too long ago and the irony leaped out at us. In the commercial, the downtrodden people are slaves to their masters who appear on screens barking instructions on what to do and how to do it. By choosing the Mac, one can break free from the bonds of uniformity and gains independence.

Cut to the 21st century and people everywhere are walking around like automatons taking orders from first, Apple’s guru Steve Jobs, who passed away in 2011, and now Tim Cook. When Apple issues a new iPhone, people drop what they’re doing and wait in line for days for the new gadget. When Jobs spoke, people sat spellbound in the audience just like in the 1984 commercial. Now, Cook does the same. Oh, the Irony!

We’re not saying all tech is bad. The Internet is clearly a wonderful thing. No longer does one have to trek to a library to do research. One can find the weather forecast instantaneously or watch world events happening in real time. But the fact is that we don’t control technology anymore; technology controls us. We are truly slaves to technology. And the people who are in control of our society are taking complete advantage. At any given time, you can be tracked down and located. One disturbing instance in Orwell’s book 1984 was that people couldn’t even enjoy their own privacy. Big Brother was always watching them and knew where they were at all times. Well, Big Brother is watching us now and it’s not just the government. Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google wield enormous power and influence. Our society is permanently distracted by social media and until we learn to control our addiction, our society will continue to suffer. When the measure of a human being is how many friends one has on Facebook or how many followers you have on Twitter then something is seriously wrong. We need to break free from this conformity and regain our independence or else accept that the dystopian future of 1984 has come to pass.

Humanity has managed to make the dystopian future depicted in George Orwell's book 1984 a reality in the technology addicted 21st century. — Humanity has managed to make the dystopian future depicted in George Orwell’s book 1984 a reality in the technology addicted 21st century.