Monday, May 18, 2009

The right's tortured shell game

Media Matters, with a video full of demented wingtard loonies.

This week one thing became abundantly clear: Media conservatives want to talk about torture -- well, not really; they want to blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for failing to stop the Bush administration's torture policies. You know, the policies conservatives contend worked great to keep us safe. Have trouble following their logic? That's sort of the point -- a shell game is designed to confuse the audience, forcing members of it to select the wrong shell and lose whatever money they've thrown on the table. There's little difference between that curbside gambling and what we're seeing now from conservatives.

My best advice about shell games is to walk on by, but you can win every time if you can back your play physically. While the guy is suckering you into betting money on his con, he may let you win a game or two so you can tell yourself your eyes are quicker than his hands. Don't believe it.

As soon as the money is on the table, the guy will shuffle the shells around just like before, but when they come to rest, the pea or bean or whatever will be safely in his palm. It will never be under the one you choose because it isn't under any of them, but it will miraculously re-appear under the one he wants.

Here's how you win: Declare that the pea is under, for instance, the center shell. The trick is to simultaneously pick up the other two shells and turn them over and say "isn't it?". What's he gonna do? He knows you've got him. Now you can either have a good laugh or demand your 'winnings'. This is when the fight will start. Heh.

In essence, you've called the con man's bluff, and this is exactly what we have to do with the Repugs.

It's too bad the Dems don't have anybody with the balls to back their play.

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