Counterpunch ran a rant by John Steppling yesterday, titled The Magic Liberal.

As you can deduct from the title, the author takes aim at liberals, with focus on their public reaction to Comey's defenestration and their sudden love affair with institutions (law enforcement/intelligence agencies) that have proven time and time again to be an enemy of the public.

Check out this (admittedly rather long) snippet:

And so we return to the firing of James Comey. And this story has less to do with the Trump’s motivations and the fact that Comey probably needed to be fired (though not because of anything to do with Russia Gate) than it does with the sudden open embracing of throughly corrupt and compromised institutions.

I’ve had people tell me the integrity of the Judiciary in peril. One wonders how such sentences can be uttered with a straight face. I have read people writing of the attack on Democracy signaled by Comey’s firing. What can that possibly mean to anyone who says it? The anti democratic actions of Obama over 8 years seems to pass unnoticed. What was NDAA? Obama expanded surveillance, prosecuted whistleblowers and expanded military tribunals. And this just scratches the surface. What was TTP for that matter?

And yet, if you can find me a liberal willing to actually debate this, I will clean your house for a year, free.

No, the New Victorian, the american white educated liberal is in crises. He or she is in a panic over Trump not because they fear global conflagration or nuclear annihilation, but because their Yoga class might get cancelled. They are forever aggrieved over the violation of feelings — of selected vulnerable groups. This never includes the poor, Arabs, Communists or Africans. Well, ok, on occasion it does include Africans but only in very broad abstract ways (i.e. when George Clooney argues for saving South Sudan or whateverthefuckever it was he was on about).

The adoration of the White Helmets, a proven group of psychopathic jihadist mercenaries is a perfect example. The White Helmets fit the white paternalist narrative. It is a form of colonial logic. The subaltern needs rescue. And its just so wonderful that some clearly teachable Arabs can help themselves with the rescue. Lets give them an Oscar. The style codes are what matters here.

No helmet, shorts and sleeveless.... what could go wrong ?

At first I thought the helmet was in case of a crash.

Then I thought it was because of the low steel ceiling beams.

Then I thought no. It's to protect the rider's ears from the noise that thing must give off. Epic music can only do so much.

Still, I wouldn't say no to one, but as they say in Hungary "I will not buy this hoverbike, it is scratched."

Have you met kids? It's pretty common for kids, even "normal" kids, to play with toys of the opposite gender. Boys play with dolls; girls play with toy soldiers. Boys put on sparkly dresses; girls put on football helmets.

http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/meet-avery-9-year-old-transgender-girl-who-made-it-cover-national-geographic-54412

When you've got a 4 year old boy asking how to kill himself, but putting on a dress makes him feel better, maybe he's on to something.

While I agree it's absurdly complicated, I suspect that gets worse as you get older and more firmly affixed in your pigeonhole. Plus, if Avery decides to undergo physical alteration, whether it be hormone treatment or full surgical reassignment, it goes a lot better if you start that process at or before puberty starts making its own changes.

Considering the kids oxygen setup I just figured a Darth Vader helmet would have made more sense. The juxtaposition of cute kid/symbol of galactic oppression does make for an odd commercial.

I have 2 theories.....
1. They are seeing the mass conformity and allegiance to the empire as antithetical to freedoms of choice and expression, or
2. They looked at the helmet as a stand in for a burka, and had a problem with it.

Of course, I could easily be wrong, maybe they're just being douchey.

I love how he puts on a helmet but wears nothing but a t-shirt.

@ 1:00 in the clip you can see the guy flying along the outside of the ship with no helmet (it appears seconds later).

Did they not have time to re-record that?

A stormtrooper has his helmet off while boarding a shuttle and turns to smile at the audience? I don't think these are the story writers you are looking for...

a crash helmet?

Epic trick.

But seriously, these guys were being complete assholes. They're trespassing and they WERE acting belligerent, or did you miss the part where he got into the woman's cart?

I'm guessing that's a school, so all the poor woman is doing is her job and not exposing the school when these little shits sue because he's too fucking stupid to wear a goddamn helmet.

Should at least give the kitty a helmet to wear...

360 helmet cameras can't come soon enough!

Neither really applies here. The motorcyclist simply couldn't have heard / seen the ambulance in time. When you have a full face helmet on, your sound intake is muted. Not silent, but with the ears being covered and wind around you.. it's basically like being deaf to anything not in your immediate vicinity.

This is the EXACT reason that almost all emergency vehicles (at least locally) even with lights and siren blaring will slow right down at an intersection to make sure they aren't going to get clobbered.