civilized ku # 933 ~ doling out some viscous slashes
Monday, April 25, 2011 at 10:10AM 
Columns and stairs ~ NYS Museum - Albany, NY • click to embiggenIt has been suggested by Dennis Allshouse that "chuck"'s comment, re: that my tulip pictures are "rankly derviative", may have been motivated by my "vicious[sic] slash at republicans". A slash wherein I stated that "....You can search the site until hell freezes over or Republicans start making sense (take your pick - both have the same level of probability)...."
While it may be true that I stand guilty as as charged, re: taking a slash at republicans (is "chuck" a republican?), I plead innocence to the "viscious" descriptor. Although, if these charges were to be brought to a court of law, I would most definitely be entering a plea of nolo contendre.
That said, don't look for a break in the action, re: making vicious slashes at republicans or, for that matter, making the same at democrats. Here in the good 'ole US of America, our political class on both sides of the aisle are offering up very little to be proud of.
However, that said, the republicans have been refining and practicing, for quite some time, the art of the BIG LIE. Examples of such abound, including a most recent case in which the republican BIG LIE approach is laid bare for all to see ...
Recently, on the Senate floor, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), eager to prove that the budget debate wasn't just about Planned Parenthood, spent some time on the Senate floor going after Planned Parenthood. He stated (now on the the Congressional Record) ...
"Everybody goes to clinics, to doctors, to hospitals, so on ... Some people go to Planned Parenthood. But you don't have to go to Planned Parenthood to get your cholesterol or your blood pressure checked. If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that's well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does."
As it turns out, factually, only 3% of what Planned Parenthood does is related to terminating pregnancies. Factually, over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does is related to preventative health care services.
Senator Kyl, when questioned about his 3000% numeric "discrepancy", replied through a staff spokesperson, that ...
"... his remark was not intended to be a factual statement, but rather to illustrate that Planned Parenthood, a organization that receives millions of dollars in taxpayer funding, does subsidize abortions.".
In other words, just make crap up to "support" your position and, if anyone happens to notice that you're lying through your teeth, explain - with a totally straight face - that your statement(s) was "not intended to be a factual statement".
HOLY SHIT!!! How far down the rabbit hole of spewing lies and deceit do you have to be to use that incredulous obfuscation as a credible "explanation" for lying?
On the subject of one of the republican's favorite targets, Planned Parenthood or, perhaps more accurately, a woman's reproductive health, republican Texas House Rep. Randy Weber, when advocating the de-funding and/or elimination of Planned Parenthood, stated:
There’s been research done. ... It actually shows the highest abortion rate is among women actively using contraceptives.”
In fact, there has been research done that found that 54% of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant. However that same research also found that among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users report having used their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users report correct use.
If Rep. Weber had done the math on all of the research's finding, he could have made a more truthful / accurate / factual statement along the lines of the actual results of the research - 46% of women who have abortions had not used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Add to that number those who used their contraceptive method inconsistently or incorrectly and it becomes undeniably obvious that "actively using contraceptives" is not related to creating "the highest abortion rate".
In fact, when women actively, consistently, and correctly use contraceptive, they accounted for a very small percentage of abortions.
The research, when viewed in its entirety (not selectively), points to a conclusion that Rep. Weber and his lying / distorting ilk want to avoid - what is needed is not a cut to / elimination of organizations which provide education and services devoted to a woman's reproductive health, but that the more correctly educated and informed a woman becomes about contraceptives and their consistent / correct use, the decidedly lower the rate of abortions.
Consequently, with research that finds that a very high percentage of woman having abortions do not use contraception and that a very high percentage of those having abortions who do use contraception do so inconsistently or incorrectly, the inescapable conclusion is simple - we need more emphasis upon and more support for the organizations which provide education / instruction about and access to various methods of contraception, the correct use thereof.
While I'm at it, here's a "viscious slash" at democrats - where's the emphatic, informed, and direct response to all of this absolute nonsense? Show some fortitude and speak up. And, if you've responded but the lamestream media isn't reporting it, speak much louder and with much more frequently.
gravitas et nugalis
Featured Comment: Jimmi Nuffin (no link available) wrote: "94% of your blog viewers do not care or want to hear about your political thoughts and/or ideas. Count me among them. In fact I want to go back to the days when the photos didn't have that weird border thing and there were more rocks and twigs in them." - "Not intended to be a factual statement."
my response: how did you do your research?
Reader Comments (8)
Kind of a strange tangent for your blog... the landscape of politics perhaps? "Having said that", I love the points you are making.
I love the image you posted even more. The composition is faultless, and true to boot. The tonal values, as usual, are elegant... but to me frustrating. Curves are not working for me yet and Margulis's book only frustrates me more. Perhaps it's like getting to Carnegie Hall?
Very nice shot. (Comment applicable to all three elements of the post.)
"A fascist is one whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends."
Vice President Henry Wallace, 1944
True I did mistype but viscous slash is more poetic.
Re your current post:
why let facts get in the way of a good sound bite? Of course Mr. Kyl is retiring from the Senate to ... " spend more time with the family", " explore new opportunities", or maybe guard our southern border from those pesky illegals.
An interesting side note is that Kyl has had the original statement "edited" in the official Congressional Record. It now uses the correct 3% value (even though he said 90%). Of course, the actual video will last forever on the internet.
Kyl is an idiot, but compared to "The Donald" he's damn near Jeffersonian.
And that is why I live in Norway where politicians are remotely honest, social mobility is high and fjords deep.
94% of your blog viewers do not care or want to hear about your political thoughts and/or ideas. Count me among them. In fact I want to go back to the days when the photos didn't have that weird border thing and there were more rocks and twigs in them.
"Not intended to be a factual statement."
Count me in among the other 6%, also regarding rocks and twigs. Factual or not, the world's more complex (and difficult) and interesting than that alone.