Despite my macho, bombastic, obnoxious personality I have generally avoided vulgarities in my speech. It might be part of an out-sized ego, a sense of superiority, a self-image that values a better vocabulary or it may just be snobism, I am not sure. But I generally don’t swear nor do I employ f-bombs and other shock words as everyday adjectives for just about everything. Doing so just seems stupid to me…..
I use any word that is in the bible, great literature or even benign common usage so I don’t subscribe fully to ‘high’ speech but most of my petite vulgarities can be heard more frequently amongst nuns and monks rather then the Crips and the Bloods. I am a bit of a goody-two-shoes when it comes to language. I am a bit of a prude verbally speaking (is that a redundancy?). However you interpret me, you would not likely use the term vulgar or coarse. Stupid, maybe. Not ugly. I somehow think that language displays your sense of decency, of respect for others and, dare I admit it, your intellect. I try to project better rather than worse.
So, imagine my surprise to hear the words of the director of White House Communications, Anthony Scaramucci (the ‘Mooch’), laying into his fellow right-wing co-workers with language bluer than Babe the Ox. As the media put it, “….sounded more like the Sopranos than the White House.”
I understand the intellectual position that words are just letters in sequence and no word is bad or good. I get that. But I was raised differently and, to me, dumb is as dumb sounds. Most swearing and cursing sounds ugly, stupid, vulgar and coarse for no discernible reason to me. What’s the point? And interspersing your thoughts with cuss-words because you do not have the right word readily to hand simply suggests that you are lacking vocabulary rather than choosing to make a statement about semantics.
And, even if you were making a stand over the use of letters and words, does it have to be the same ugly words in every sentence? Couldn’t you employ a different set of no-longer-shocking-or-colourful words now and then? And hasn’t the point been made already?
Jus’ sayin’….
So, from my point of view the highest office in the land should sound like it. And it does not. Currently, the highest office in the land sounds just plain stupid. Worse, the official ‘mouthpiece’ intended to make the highest office in the land sound good, instead sounds worse than the pussy-grabbing idiot that he is representing. This is an example of a real-life Dumb and Dumber tweeting and spewing vile and ugly and somehow, unbelievably, doing so from the Oval Office of the White House everyday to the entire listening world. And it does not stop!
If it wasn’t actually happening, no one would try to make this stuff up even in a cheap B gutter-based comedy starring Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler. The stupidest Hollywood has ever offered up is not as stupid as the Republicans of the United States have delivered. To my mind, it is an embarrassment to the country in the extreme and Anthony Scaramucci is currently on the crest of that embarrassment.
Who and what will Trump give us next?
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Appealing to the base seems to be coupled with an ends justifies the means argument. As long as the polls show that the Republican base support remains strong, it appears that there is no depth of impropriety that is inaccessible in the quest to ensure the Republican agenda. You make a very powerful point about the loss of civility.
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I prefer a bit of color, I like to see character through the polish.
Like another dave in another time, the early seventies, a social justice warrior, who I’m inclined to believe was well brought up, the social worker turned premier.
He put some color and character up with that ‘F–k you, f–k you, you venomous bitch’ comment, he was mildly sanctioned, and embarrassed, but plenty of people loved him then and do to this day.
Different strokes for different folks.
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It was effective then. It is not colourful now. Now it is banal. Like nudity, less is more.
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“The Mooch”.
The latest in a ever growing line of rich, arrogant, crass, vulgarians infesting the White House who think they can “control” that boorish self absorbed jackass known as the POTUS.
ALL of them, President included, deserve the endless, microscopic skewering they are recieving in the News media.
And at the risk of being vulgar.
A total shitshow.
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It is what it is. Frankly, I think you sugar-coated it.
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The Mooch, has resigned without ever being sworn into office. The Mooch is loose. Loose lips sink ships or in his case scuttled his barge of filth. Who will take out Bannon?
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The Mooch said the, “Fish rots from the head down.” The Mooch knows!
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I am not so sure the Mooch knows much. His wife just left him for being too ambitious and enthralled by Trump. Anyone who would lose their wife and two children over Trump is pretty stupid. And, God knows, Trump himself has a markedly deficient intelligence. Woefully ignorant at the very least. I think he’s stupid to boot. Many think he’s got a few major personality disorders. But I don’t think he’s that deep, myself. Hedonist, narcissist, bully and shallow with no redeeming features whatsoever. Thats it. Mind you, I might be biased. If Melania and Ivanka love him, he may not be all bad. But, do they? Melania doesn’t exude love in my opinion.
Speaking of love…..John? You there? How are you feeling about your guy as of late! I know, I know, poor guy can’t get a break. Nasty media. All Hillary’s fault. But waddabout the way he and the GOP are working on your behalf? Waddabout the musical chairs in the White House? Waddabout other things like Cuba, China, North Korea? Waddabout the lies? Are you having second thoughts?
Cmon, John. I think you are wrong but basically smart and good. Didja back the wrong horse or not? Or is the jury still out?
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The jury isnt out….it just ran screaming for the exit…….
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Do you think Trumpeters are abandoning the ship of state? I don’t. Not yet. I think John and gang are loyal and faithful and have hope that Trump will do the right thing. Why? I have no idea why they think that but I think they invested in that change agent and they are still sticking with him despite now having a few doubts. John ain’t stupid. He’s wondering, he’s no longer waving banners, he’s wavering. But, what we see as overwhelming evidence John and friends see as ‘ fake news’. They do not believe what they are being told. Still, the bums rush of WH staff must be hitting them in the gut. It has to.
I don’t believe John aligns with the Mooch types. He stretched for Trump but not a platoon of them. John has doubts, don’t you, John?
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In the coal states his support is in the 20% range but in many southern states Trump’s support is under water. In the northern states that he was thought not to able to win but did, his support is way down too. Do not see him running for a second term. After six months he is getting bored. If he can not get his agenda launched he might make a surprise move. A poll of his numbers are on the web.
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I think you misread those polls (or I did). He is flying high in the coal States with plus 20% OVER the running average. He’s doing 60% or better there. In Texas and Arizona he is dropping under by 7% or so but that still means polling in the 30’s. He is up a bit in the rust states, too. So I think Bubba is still onside. Quite a statement, really….onside with what? Musical chairs? Dancing with Russians? Are all Bubbas golf and resort goers? I don’t get it. It’s like hearing that Sarah Palin is popular with soccer moms. Or Ivanka appeals to the Chinese. Why is that? It’s somewhat true but it makes no sense.
Actually, NOTHING makes sense anymore. Hell, even two-socks Trudeau is well liked….go figure….
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Have a look at some of these editorials:
galganov.com
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I did. Some make good points. Some I think are erroneous. All are contradictory. G does a good hatchet job on lefty-types who denigrate righty types without listening to their argument. That’s a good point. But, when doing it, he denigrated the lefty types!! I think being nasty to the stereotype weakens the argument but, to fair, I can’t seem to write Trump in a sentence that does not also include ‘stupid’, etc. So I am guilty, too. I object to the Kadhir AMOUNT but I do not object to the apology or token compensation. Well, I do a bit but you are either going to follow the rule of law or you are not and OK was a citizen whose rights were violated BY THE CONSERVATIVES. I think Trudeau a silly-pants but that case was screwed up before he came to play.
I am not so sure OK deserved those rights but he had them. And maybe he deserved them – he was, after all, only 15 at the time. I can’t judge. I was not privy to the trial.
For the record, I believe in the principle of law and yet have a lot of problems with much of what is written as law. But that’s a tangent.
The irony for me is that I have traditional values which I interpret liberally. Alt-righty’s have similar values which they interpret intolerantly. We have much in common but nothing in common practice. I hate the lies in MSM but they are no more repugnant than the lies of the Alt-righty’s media. I hate disingenuous political correctness but also hate intolerance of minorities. So, in the end, I come down to being a Liberal, green, goody-two-shoes fighting ignorant bullies. Its better than punching whiners and sissies in the face, I guess. It’s a hard call sometimes. The thing is: two wrongs don’t make a right. If we become too liberally weak and silly, fascism is not the answer. If the tyrants and bullies take over, group hugs aren’t gonna fix it. This polarized society actually shares similar values but not methods. And, frankly, I think starting over is required. New institutions or complete overhauls at the very least. But now the tangent I was on has exploded. I’ll quit.
Thanks for the link. It was not all wrong but it was alt-right.
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Your point about intolerance resonates for many. Canadians talk about about the rights of Canada as if the the most important right is personal freedom. We see slogans such as, “No Rules,” but consider free speech. At best we have constrained speech. No hate speech, no slanderous speech, no libalous speech, no speech inciting people to violence and so on. A type of speech considered less often is prudent and self aware speech. With all this talk about being free, why is that freedom applies to some and not to others. We have those that say think and act as I do, vote as I believe or you will have your civil rights removed. This does not describe ubiquitous rights for all Canadians. Canada has never been about unlimited rights but about peace, order and good government. All too often civil rights in the USA are conflated with Canadian civil rights. They are not equivalent Canada had a different founding vision than the one that guided the founding of the USA.
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galganov, I read a few of his “editorials” this guy sounds to me like a plain and simple nutbar.
No wonder he needs bodyguards, and jdc somewhat delicately describes him as alt -right.
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AND the Mooch has been pooched! Already. More than two weeks BEFORE he was officially IN….he is OUT. Faster than Flynn! A new record! And we thought Trump went through wives! If this White House is a team, it should be disqualified for not having enough members on the field of play!
Alt-righty’s might not be all wrong all the time but they sure backed the wrong horse this time. The race has started and their selection is not even out of the gate. Trump is picking staff by rolling dice and consulting his horoscope!
OK, I admit that my miss Manners approach to today’s discourse is not shared by all. My preference for proper language is an anachronism, I guess. I’m a grammar and language fossil. I should just get f’ing hip and like, you know, join the m’fing crowd. “%!/#@!/&$#@”. But, it would seem even the Trump WH was NOT amused at the Mooch’s various vulgarities of which profanity was but one.
The guy lost his wife and kids over Trump and he doesn’t get to warm the positions chair even one day!
Wow!
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How much ya wanna bet ‘Mooch” told the wrong person to “F- off”.
Methinks it would have to be one of Trumps kids that went running to daddy to get Scaramucci toasted so fast…..
Cant wait to hear what happened….
The Trump White House is crazier than “Reality TV”.
One wonders how many “deplorables” are regretting their votes now?
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So…imagine this….you are a ‘player’. You go to the three hundred dollar lunch clubs, you get limousined around, you live on Fifth Ave. You party with Trump. Then you score a WH appointment! You are a cheese, a BIG cheese. A few days later your wife has left you, you go nova on the News and Trump dumps you publicly. Do you show up for lunch at the club or…………maybe schedule a face lift in Switzerland?
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Nah, He’s gonna move O…T…G.
Howdy neighbour !
🙂
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I grew up in a Republican family but am glad they aren’t here to experience this. I also grew up in Crips and Blood territory, straight outa Compton as they say. Then I ended my working in El Monte Flores territory. Survived both just fine.
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Yeah, me too. Spent decades on the wrong side of the colour barrier, tracks, ghettos and ‘east sides’. Mind you, I was usually more appalled at the behaviour in the yacht clubs, country clubs and upper echelons of society. Their behaviours and morals were worse but their houses and cars were nicer. Scaramucci and Trump are good examples of that in my opinion. So were the Corleones.
My basic east side thug-nuts were usually pretty straight up guys. You knew where you stood. Backstabbing was not the way it was done. Mano y mano. Duplicity, hypocrisy, scheming, lying, Machiavelli and other skullduggery was rare in the ghetto. A punch in the face more common. I don’t extol the virtues of either but, forced to choose, I pick the ‘hood.
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Yeah, me too. Spent decades on the wrong side of the colour barrier, tracks, ghettos and ‘east sides’. Mind you, I was usually more appalled at the behaviour in the yacht clubs, country clubs and upper echelons of society. Their behaviours and morals were worse but their houses and cars were nicer. Scaramucci and Trump are good examples of that in my opinion. So were the Corleones.
My basic east side thug-nuts were usually pretty straight up guys. You knew where you stood. Backstabbing was not the way it was done. Mano y mano. Duplicity, hypocrisy, scheming, lying, Machiavelli and other skullduggery was rare in the ghetto. A punch in the face more common. I don’t extol the virtues of either but, forced to choose, I pick the ‘hood.
Thankfully, I was not forced to choose and so I chose OTG.
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One of the best quotes of the past 10 days,
” I’m not a backstabber! I’m a frontstabber!” Anthony Scaramucci
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Oddly, I prefer a frontal attack to a sneak attack but…..call me crazy….I prefer NO ATTACKS at all! Especially from a guy charged with communications. He should only attack lunch with a martini. Communications is another word for spin, smoothing over, amelioration and, duh, charm! What a dickhead! (Thus proving I am not equipped for the position, myself)
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In the Trump White House…….YOU would ROCK!…….for about 2 days……..sorry buddy……Sal would divorce you.
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In Trumps case, I’d be shot dead before divorced. Sal takes her politics seriously.
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