"Barbarians"

Jerry Lee, from sweetlyrics.com

From selfstyledsiren's wonderful blog:

The Siren hasn’t been able to track down exactly how The Rains Came made it past the Production Code’s miscegenation clause. This grimly simple statement (“Miscegenation (sex relationship between the black and white races) is forbidden”) was long interpreted as barring interracial love affairs whether they came via script or casting. (The rule cost Anna May Wong the lead in The Good Earth, scuttled Lena Horne’s chances for Show Boat, and was no doubt a big reason for Merle Oberon’s silence on her own Indian roots.)

Recognize the underlying attitude in this film code from America's recent past?  It's exactly the same tone taken by Mrs. Bachmann's husband in his comments on dealing with teens who might think they're gay.  It's the good old, tried and true solution, stretching back to when power was the only law.  Since those pre-historic days humans have struggled to find better solutions--at least some of them have struggled.  There have always been others who never see anything at all wrong with the old answers, and strive to employ them whenever they feel the need, using whatever "justifications" might be easily at hand.  Some talk about saving "marriage."  Others about saving "civilization."  It ain't nothing but Jerry Lee Lewis chunking a shot glass at the head of a Roger Miller sideman who asks him to play a song he's fuckin' tired of playing.  (Read the book, "King of the Road," for the details, and by the way, I love Jerry Lee Lewis.)  Everyone is susceptable to attacks of lizard brain, given the right circumstances.  After all, if anybody was a barbarian, it was Jerry Lee.

But when politicians start down this road, it's a red light for voters, or should be.  Not that Bachmann is anything more than bits of tinfoil fluttering down behind the B-24 fleet.  The real election questions are more subtle.  It's becoming obvious.  Mr. Obama is indeed going to give in to serious alterations in the structure of both social security and medicare, even in the face of the mathematical fact that a simple end to the cap on social security taxes at $100K would end the long-term problems the program now faces--a solution favored by large majorities of Americans.  What, I have to wonder, are the implications of that for folks who otherwise might re-elect him next year.  It really is quite possible that disillusion will become a major player in 2012, even given that allowing the dangerous fanatics who are now the Republican Party to gain full power will lead to certain disaster for the Republic.  Depression is a powerful force.  Depressed people kill themselves.  And that's another rise of the lizard brain I think one could say.

Friday Update.  Virginia's right-wing Governor's abrupt about-face on the debt ceiling issue, coming mere seconds after Moody's threatens to degrade Virginia's credit rating, is hilarious, and another example of the shot-glass method.  It all goes back in the end to the voters gaining more judgement--and not falling for impossible promises.  Running a competent government without appropriate tax revenues is utterly impossible. Only people who want an incompetent government want such a situation to obtain--these would be right-wing oligarchs and their syncophants--people who are cunning like Norquist and Rove, or simply stupid but articulate, Hannity and Limbaugh being the latter examples.  Ever tried to have a real conversation with a used-car salesman?  They might have some sales skills and know how to "close" (which is what successful browbeating is called in the trade).  They don't necessarily know shit.   Anyways, the Va Gov's pirouette is the first evidence I've seen that the debt ceiling will be allowed to rise.  Too bad Moody's didn't act six months ago. Wonder if there's an internal memo somewheres in the Moody's offices titled "Whole Lotta Shakin'".  None of these people should be paid a dime for wasting all this time on nothing.  They're supposed to be at work for "the people."  And I sure would like to hear the conversation between Rep. Cantor and the Va Guv.   One of 'em is now twisting slowly in the wind.