The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Richard Day's picture

    HATFIELDS & MCCOYS; AN AMERICAN PARADIGM

    By Richard Day on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 9:32pm |
    The Hatfield clan in 1897.

    I have been viewing the new miniseries Hafields & McCoys presented on the History Channel over the last three days. The History Channel? That surfing stop where the guy with no front teeth catches 40 pound bullheads with his bare hands? Or is he the guy who grabs gators in the swamp.

    Over 13 million people tuned into each of the first two episodes. ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL?

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/05/hatfields-and-mccoys-brings-out-kevin-costner-haters-.html

    The Hatfields were mostly located in West Virginia.

    The McCoys were mostly located across a river in Kentucky.

    The problem with scanning history or rather scanning your memory of history is that you miss nuance. Or at least I do.

    I mean I thought that West Virginia seceded from Virginia to join the Union following the Virginian secession from the good ole US of A in 1861.

    I thought Kentucky; being a border state stuck with the Union.

    Well Costner and Paxton, playing the leaders of the two families both fought for the Confederacy!

    Costner's character (a Hatfield) did desert his post and go home before the fighting had ended and the prayer prone McCoy was none to happy about that decision!

    I at one time thought the main issue involved between these two feuding families was a variant of the war between the Blues and the Grays!

    No!

    Although the first killing between these clans involved the shooting of a McCoy who fought for the North by a Hatfield in January of 1865. Nothing really came of this murder because both clans were violently antithetical to the North. At least that is what I think.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud

    I did a little research and these Scotch Irish clans came to these hilly hollows sometime in the mid 18th Century.

    There are many interesting factors to this series involving the timber interests of the Hatfields and the farming interests of the McCoys.

    There are the Romeo & Juliet(s) scenarios.

    But the real energy of this film (beginning in the late 1870's) involves acceleration.

    Acceleration of general enmity between the clans.

    Acceleration of murderous activity by the clans against each other.

    Acceleration of losses experienced by these two clans.

    Acceleration of just plain evil intent by the individual members of these two clans.

    Kevin Costner is BACK and he terrific. And we do not even have to listen to his version of narration during this epic.

    Bill Paxton is terrific.

    Tom Berringer is really hard to pick out. I mean his character is so very ugly, so very appalling, so very disgusting that one can hardly believe that tom was once Hollywood's pretty boy a couple decades ago.

    And the hill billy ambiance is everywhere to be seen. I mean the members of this culture appear to have missed lessons concerning personal hygiene or even how to properly clean a shirt!

    Oh well enough of this.

    The series is terrific and if you missed it, I am positive the History Channel will cut into its awesome gator and catfish series to re-air it several times over the next month or so.

    Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    I just kept thinking of enmity.

    Just today rush was screaming about how the President gave the Medal of Honor to a Marxist-Socialist.

    Hannity wonders if we are headed for another world war when we have been at war against the world for the better part of 70 years.

    Trump is back screaming about birth certificates and Africa (personally, I have come to the conclusion that the trumpster was born in South Africa!)

    Orly Taitz might actually be the repub candidate for US Senator from California?

    D'Souza is back in the news helping other propagandists spout their Kenyan lies. (Can you imagine that they actually permit him to preside over King's College?)

    http://mediamatters.org/research/201010040030

    Gingrich has decided that although he thinks Obama was born in America, Obama deserves the slings and arrows of outrageous lies because our President is a Socialist douche bag! (Figure out the logic in that one!)

    Allen West is just delightful.

    Walsh (the teaparty Congressman from Illinois) refuses to pay child support and then calls all races but whites dependent is a wonderful feller.

    After attacking the people's right to vote, attacking the right of workers to organize, firing thousands upon thousands of workers (and claiming the Wisconsin labor force has grown, which is a goddamn lie) and cutting services for all except corporations; Walker is going to win.

    FOX is not only airing repub ads for free, IT IS PRODUCING four minute gop ads on its own dime?

    And the Dems will raise a billion by November and the repubs most probably two billion and I am about to give up.

    You know my understanding of Game Theory tells me I cannot lose the game if I do not ante up!

    I mean an aspirin a day is not going to get me through this year if I keep hanging on to this fake media struggle.

    I have come to the conclusion that the American People are not dumb.

    Maybe ads help most of them come up with rationalizations for doing this or that; but for the most part the electorate will do what they will do.

    If this electorate thinks too many people are voting, the repubs will fix that problem.

    If this electorate thinks that the corporations are better able to protect us (along with the Department of Defense and the FBI), then that is that.

    If this electorate thinks that cutting the public work force in a recession and cutting services and cutting taxes for the rich is the way to go, well then that is that.

    If this electorate thinks that shutting a great portion of Americans out of health care is the way to go, well that is that.

    If this electorate thinks it is better to cut the food stamp program and institute in its place Govmarts with beans and rice and spam; well that is that.

    If this electorate thinks that Obama got into Harvard via Affirmative Action and George W. Bush got into Harvard on his own accomplishments; well that is that.

    If this electorate thinks that corporations do better regulating themselves when they are not just supplying the regulators to government positions; well that is that.

    If this electorate thinks that we should go back to the regulatory paradigm used by George W. Bush that led directly to the events of 9/08; then that is that.

    If this electorate thinks it better to its own class interest to pay more taxes, more fees and such and let the rich go free; then that is that.

    If this electorate thinks it better for women to lose many of the rights they have gained over the last 20 or thirty years; then that is that.

    If this electorate thinks that corporations should not be punished for releasing its employees here whilst hiring more and cheaper labor overseas; then that is that.

    If this electorate thinks it is better for us to have 5% unemployment and have 80% of our work force earning less than ten bucks and hour with no benefits; then that is that.

    If this electorate would like to think that FOX makes documentaries and not ads for the GOP, then that is that.

    AND THAT IS THAT FOR ME!

    I no longer wish to be involved in a war between the Hatfields and the McCoys!

     

     

    Comments

    The republicans have a major problem. They don't have anyone left to hate anymore.

    What's worse is, one of their own - Reagan - took responsibility for it.

    The Soviet Union collapsed and China is now more capitalistic than they could ever be.

    The Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans have stopped rioting.

    And OWS is so peaceful, they could be used as anesthesia for a root canal.

    It worse than having the Indians surrender 15 minutes into a John Wayne western.

    It's driving them bat shit crazy.


    by cmaukonen on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 10:46pm

    Whatever it is, I aint gonna worry about it any longer.

    Good luck to em.


    by Richard Day on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 11:12pm

    Sounds like a good idea.


    by cmaukonen on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 11:16pm

    Dick, Is it Walleye season yet? 


    by Resistance on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:32am

    Well it is legal as of the 14th, assuming you are under 15 or you have a license.

    And it has been real real cool of late (they turn off the heat here May 1 and right now it is 37 degrees.

    Now the cooler it gets, the closer to the surface the 'real fish' might be; at least as I recall in my younger days.

    Yes, Walleyes as I recall are best found in the spring and in the fall.


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:57am

    I have come to the conclusion that the American People are not dumb.

    Perhaps, but I will reiterate again that the majority choose to be ignorant.  It's like any type of learning process.  

    It takes doing your homework, paying attention and wanting to discover the truth, but sadly most want to just review someone else's crib notes, not concerned if they are complete and contain all the information needed.  After all, a D is a passing grade and incomplete doesn't really mean a fail does it?

    It seems as if the Hatfields and McCoys had more integrity than the current GOP and their cohorts.

     


    by Aunt Sam on Wed, 05/30/2012 - 11:56pm

    Humm....maybe this is because that all their lives - especially in school - they we taught that getting the grade is more important than getting the education and understanding. By what ever means necessary.


    by cmaukonen on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:27am


    by cmaukonen on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:29am

    oh yeah!   Please suh, can we have more like this?


    by Aunt Sam on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 1:04am

    Maybe it is just:

    I am angry at the poorer folks or I am angry that some folks get food stamps and get to 'eat better' than I do or maybe the local fourth grade teacher makes more money than I do and I work harder or maybe....

    Maybe it's sixteen different things and they hate unions or 'tree huggers' or whatever...

    You are not going to change their minds.

    Rising to the occasion?

    People vote against their own economic interests. That is a fact.

    But I do not think this fact has just to do with ignorance.

    the reason may lie in cultural bias or remembrances of things past ; old resentments.

    Who knows for sure.

    I am just not going to argue with them or to them any longer.


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:54am

    the reason may lie in cultural bias or remembrances of things past ; old resentments

    But, isn't this a form of ignorance? Choosing to stay mired in bias and old resentments when it only serves to tether you to negatives?  Nothing good comes of this.  It's a choice imo.  


    by Aunt Sam on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:59am

    You're a good man DD 

    There is no fire; if you stop putting fuel on it.

    Arguing over and over, wears down the spirit.  

    You're absolutely correct, I am not going to change minds.

    I need to rise above the animalistic tendencies of politics. 

    The last couple of weeks  has shown me, that participation in fruitless arguments, leads to resentment, not love. 


    by Resistance on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 1:11am

    The last couple of weeks has shown me, that participation in fruitless arguments, leads to resentment, not love. 

    Very insightful and so true.


    by Aunt Sam on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 1:14am

    Although we have a different approach or view on how to get to where we want to be, I know you want the best for American families, as does Ramona.

    At first I loved the jousting back and forth, the mind exercise; but at some point it becomes fruitless and bitter. 

    There is still time, to come together and "put our petty differences aside"

     


    by Resistance on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 1:41am

    No; that is not That

    This is it. 


    by Resistance on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 12:15am

    The Hatfields had it coming.

    Lyin', thievin', bastards.

    - McQoy.


    by McQoy. (not verified) on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 10:35am

    Hahahahahaah

    Okay, I hereby render unto McQoy the Dayly Line of the Day for this here Dagblog Site, given to all of him from all of me!


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 10:50am

    This brought to mind the Grangerford-Sheperdson shooting feud that Huck Finn falls into when separated from Jim and the raft. I recall being very shocked by the death of Buck, and Huck crying over his body. I should read the Sawyer and Finn books again.


    by Donal on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 11:21am

    Every couple of years I go back to my three volume set of Twain's essays.

    Now you got me thinking.

    Hell, I can make a couple of clicks on the pc and try my hand at white washing fences. hahahah

    There is the fire in the belly, the hate and then there is the excruciating losses.


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 11:42am

    DD, you need to read up on your Game Theory. It's got nothing to do with poker antes, but it has much to do with this blog. One of the most successful game theory strategies of all time is called Tit for Tat. (It's also a very well named strategy.)

    Tit-for-tat is so simple and effective that it's built into our DNA. You shoot my brother, I shoot your son. You call my internet buddy a troll, I call you a moron.

    The strategy works because it leads you to reward people who are good to you and punish those who are bad to you--which encourages cooperation and helps you avoid getting your ass kicked all the time.

    The trouble is that when two evenly matched opponents both employ tit-for-tat, it can produce the dreaded "death spiral," which the Hatfields and McCoys took literally.

    We got death spirals all over the place these days. Filibuster death spirals, attack ad death spirals, obstruction death spirals. Republicans have been doing a lot of the tatting lately, and some folks want the Dems to tit 'em right back--no holds barred politics b/c that's what they do to us.

    Me, I'm not so sure.


    by Michael Wolraich on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 1:48pm

    I used the ante metaphorically of course, but I get what you say.

    I was watching the Obama's dedicating the George W. Bush painting today.

    In my mind the dedication does much more for the prestige of Obama than some campaign speech. I mean Barry looks and sounds and feels Presidential.

    You cannot buy that kind of media coverage.

    To a great extent, we have some sort of moety system going on here. One half of our 'tribe' seems to reside on the coasts and in the north and the other half covers the South and Southwest with inroads into northwestern states like Utah.

    Of course you will find conservatives everywhere and liberals everywhere; the powers of the various sides varies according to geography.

    The problem lies in the fact that there are not two solutions to every problem but rather scores of possible solutions.

    To me the liberals will offer ten or twenty possible solutions and the conservatives offer one.

    How can there be give and take if you only recognize one possible solution?

    But just thinking about this brings me right into the game, a game I do not wish to play.

    I marvel at the fact that conservatives screamed about liberal and moderate courts making new laws and the conservative court decides to include the fictional corporation created by charter into the definition of 'person' and then supplies this fiction with 14th Amendment rights; in some cases more rights than accorded human beings pursuant to the new Patriot Acts.

    See. I am finding myself right back in the game.

    Hypocrisy is not even a viable standard or term anymore. It is meaningless.

    I really feel that if I were faced with 20 people of varying political and social and religious affiliation, I could cross examine them and prove that only one or two had even the most basic idea of what the 14th Amendment is; let alone how certain rights supposedly were accorded Americans over the last 150 years.

    And me?

    I have read some books and hundreds of articles on climate change.

    But I aint a meteorologist and I really do not understand the concept.

    So I 'choose' sides based upon the best available info that I think I understand.

    Which means all I have is my opinion.

    How in the world therefore could I attack the opinion of Inhoffe on the matter and how in the world could he properly attack my opinion on the matter?

    I do know this:

    Inhoffe and his ilk have one opinion; erase the EPA.

    Liberals have a hundred opinions on how to curb global warming; protect our drinking water and protect our air.

    Again.

    I find myself back in the game again!

    On the other hand Inhoffe can vote on a bill and I cannot.

    So I let go of that one fact.

    What they should do is limit campaigns to 60 days prior to an election.

    And then it is up to our elected representatives.

     

     

     


    by Richard Day on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 2:48pm

    I believe that the real problem of partisanship (or any ideological conflict) is not rooted in differences of ideas but in differences of relation. If you disagree with someone you trust and can relate to, civility and compromise are usually possible no matter how vast the differences. But if you regard a person or people with contempt, then civility seems like weakness and compromise seems like surrender, no matter how small the differences.


    by Michael Wolraich on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 4:34pm

    Well contempt and civility are usually diametric opposites, or let's say civility is more than thinly masked contempt.


    by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 5:12pm

    I have been thinking about your comment and I end up with Avlon and McKinnon and that just seems useless.

    Oh the right screams about growing govment and the left screams about the growing gap between the middle class and the one percent.

    Oh the right screams about leftist cries for class warfare.

    And the left (like me) remind folks that class warfare exists on the streets of this nation every single day and the capitalists win almost every minute of  every hour of every day.

    Reminds me of the antebellum South as the chains of the slaves were tightened due to the fear of a Haitian-like revolution.

    To compare Calhoun's side to Lincoln's side and concede that compromise should have been had (especially with Taney in charge) is abominable.

    I think the argument of the moderates goes like this:

    People die every day and we regret it.

    But there is only so much than we can do.

    The rich have always been with us; the rich cancer victims shall always have a better chance; the rich shall always have a better chance at entering college; the rich shall always have a better chance at elective office or choosing those who should attain elective office; the rich shall always have a better chance to attain the American Dream; the rich shall always...

    And so it goes as part of life.

    Oh, we shall execute the innocent once in awhile.

    Oh, we shall imprison the innocent once in awhile.

    Oh, we shall let off the guilty once in awhile.

    Oh, we shall overlook the guilty once in awhile.

    Justice is a variant.

    Fairness is a variant.

    Equal opportunity is a variant.

    Such is life.

    So the repubs say:

    No more taxes

    But the dems do not say:

    No more cuts to the dispossessed or the middle class without more taxes.

    So it is the dem's fault.

    I know, absolutely know that Grover Nordquist is a pig sucking on the teets of the corporate pigs.

    I know, absolutely that the right is conspiring to control the proletariat and the peasants in order to solidify the corporate oligarchy.

    You cannot compromise with that.

    But the electorate will continue to purchase shamwows and continue to purchase cocoa puffs and continue to purchase the propaganda of the right.

    And there is nothing I can do about that fact.

    If the Rove's of the world win out, I cannot be surprised.

    The right offers nothing of substance to humanity.

    And there is nothing I can do about it.

    I am helpless.

    But I will not, and I never will be able to:

    SEE THE OTHER SIDE

    Because there is no other side except for the 1%.

    Maybe there has never been another side except for the 1%.

    But to rationalize this Congressional paralysis as a function of two sides refusing to act civilly is barbaric to say the the least.

    I am for the pipeline with EPA controls.

    I am not for the pipeline without reasonable EPA controls.

    The left factions will argue over what those controls would be reasonable.

    The right factions simply say that all EPA controls of any kind are unreasonable.

    But I KNOW, I absolutely know that if Minneapolis shits into the Mississippi, Iowa loses and so on down the line.

    And state controls do not ameliorate this situation.

    And I KNOW, I absolutely know that if Kentucky allows fracking without any EPA input that surrounding states (and several non surrounding states) will end up with water that turns rabbits blue and children into corpses.

    And I KNOW, I know absolutely that if banks are allowed to charge the lower 50% fees for 'unknowns' without Federal Oversight, the lower 50% are screwed with no appeal.

    And I KNOW, I know absolutely that the food industry would (without malice) poison our nation by saving a buck without some Federal supervision.

    And I KNOW, that Mitt Romney will aid in the shrinking of the electorate; in the shrinking of the powers of the EPA, in the shrinking of the Federal Oversight of banks; in the shrinking of benefits to the poor; in the shrinking of access to medical care for the lower 80%; in the shrinking of access to proper education; in shrinking of access to food by the lower 30%; in the shrinking of women's rights; in the shrinking of pension rights for a hundred million or more workers in this country; in the shrinking of any benefits that take away from corporate power.

    But if Americans buy the shamwow ads of the repubs, that is that.

    I do not condone it.

    But I do know that a decade later, Americans might look up and say:

    SOMETHING IS WRONG

    And maybe a Haitian Slavery Revolt will finally ensue.

    Vote or no vote.


    by Richard Day on Sat, 06/02/2012 - 5:58am