Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Chicken Soup with David Cash, Jeremy Strohmeyer, and a few million American hypocrits...

On May 25, 1997 David Cash chose not to interfere when his friend Jeremy Strohmeyer murdered a 7 year old girl. He's been described as a remorseless, amoral sociopath and I don't defend his behavior.

I'll be adding to this in a day or so but I'd like readers to think carefully before answering the following question:

How is David Cash's indifference to victims any different than that of all the other Americans who've managed to grace this weblog?


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Chicken Soup discusses the theory that domestic terrorism is a form of systemic feedback...

Bullying today is something of a hot, media worthy issue. When I was young bullying was considered a non-problem and anyone who complained about it was a pussy, wimp, faggot, momma's boy, or some other subhuman unworthy of life. Today it is far more acceptable to complain about it and to file criminal charges against the bully.

So what caused this change?

Terrorism.

Beginning in Pearl, Mississippi, the late 1990's brought us an escalating series of school shootings, all precipitated by community accepted bullying. Neither the public nor the judiciary cares much more about the safety of victims than they ever did, but they have to pretend that they care because they fear terrorism.

This is an obvious negative feedback loop. What remains to be seen is the degree of terrorism that will be required in order to convince the judiciary that bullies are not naughty children but serious criminals in need of serious prison time.

Keep your eyes on the David Salmon case.


Saturday, May 19, 2012

Chicken Soup discusses the social benefits of bullying...

Bullying bestows an important social benefit upon society.

Without bullying, cowards wouldn't know who to feel superior to and who to suck up to.

Without bullying, social climbing whores wouldn't know who to service and who to shun.

Without bullying, toadying sycophants wouldn't know who to fawn over.

Imagine the social chaos of living in a world without bullying.

I'm Chicken Soup and I approved this message.


Monday, May 14, 2012

Chicken Soup describes the bullying process...

The purpose of bullying is to establish a social heirarchy founded upon the ability to impose harm on those who are of lower status. Bullying follows a standard, almost textbook pattern.

The bully will begin by observing its environment much as a predator does when its watching a herd of antelope. The bully is looking for physical weakness, social insecurity, or preexisting low status. Sometimes the bully will begin by committing an act that is indistiguishable from any other street crime. It will physically assault its victim, often in full view of others in order to establish a reputation for violence. This appears to have been Mitt Romney's preferred strategy. More often the bully will behave in an overtly imposing manner or commit an act best described as obstruction.

Imposing behavior can take numerous forms but here are a few examples:

The bully will sit down next to its victim during lunch and begin eating the victim's food as if he were invited to do so. It may engage in conversation with others at the table and become angry with anyone who doesn't laugh or otherwise appear impressed with its domineering behavior. The bully may reach over to its victim's desk during class and borrow something. Pushing the victim aside and taking something from the victim's locker is pretty common as well. Shoving the victim aside when the victim is using a piece of equipment that everyone is expected to wait in line for and simply taking over is a favored tactic of schoolyard sociopaths. The basic purpose of this behavior is to demonstrate to everyone that the bully has both the ability to impose itself upon whomever it wants to and has the ability to escape any significant punishment.

Obstruction is similar to Imposition but involves preventing the victim from doing what he needs to do rather than taking something from him. Bullies commonly stand in the way when the victim needs to get into his locker, use the bathroom, enter class, enter the bus, etc. The bully simply gets in the way and forces the victim to either ask repeatedly for common courtesy or to attempt to shove his way past the bully. Assholes raise their children to believe that this justifies committing assault and battery under the rationalization that the bully is only defending itself.

Take care not to confuse bullies with harmless pests. A bully is establishing the right to impose harm upon others by placing himself at the top of the social hierarchy, or at least placing himself above his victims in an environment where allegedly mature, caring adults truly believe that some adolescents are more equal than others. A harmless pest is usually an individual from a socially dysfunctional family environment who makes inappropriate remarks or tells the wrong joke at the wrong time. He or she is easily fooled into behaving, at least verbally as a bully behaves, thus creating the false appearance that he is being a bully instead of being led into trouble by the real bullies who are egging him on. As offensive as this often is to bystanders, it's relatively easy to tell the difference. Unlike bullies, harmless pests are not physically imposing. They do not engage in the Predator Stare while insulting others. And unlike a bully, when told loudly and in front of others to shut up and that no one thinks they're funny, they will become embarrassed, not violent. Bullies are establishing or reinforcing their social status. Telling one of them to shut up will almost always precipitate a violent reaction, a violent reaction that will be defended and justified by just about everyone.

With both strategies, Obstruction and Imposition, the bully wants the victim to defend itself either physically or verbally or both. In the bully's mind and in the minds of all bully enablers this justifies any action the bully chooses to take.

On rare occasions, the victim turns out to be far more violent than the bully expects. The victim surprises the bully by doing some real and morally justifiable damage. This is where bystanders and adults in authority really get to demonstrate their cowardice and duplicity. The victim will be punished to the fullest extent of the law and the bully will be encouraged to take revenge. From the viewpoint of a potential domestic terrorist or serial killer, the entire community becomes a hateworthy and deserving target.

Domestic terrorists like Timothy McVeigh and the Columbine killers obviously witnessed and experienced this process. The only variable here is how much terrorism it will take for Americans to stop coddling violent sociopaths like David Salmon and start confining them to prison cells until they're too old to harm anyone.

Tomorrow's domestic terrorists are watching. Will David Salmon get off in the tradition of South Hadley? Will American voters put a violent sociopath in the White House?

Stay tuned folks.


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Chicken Soup with Mitt Romney the bully...

When high school or college students remind everyone why Columbine is a metaphor instead of a school or a flower, it's a problem. When a sadistic bully stands a step away from our nation's highest office, it's a potential disaster.

A disturbing but not particularly surprising article in the Washington Post describes Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney as a bully. The accusation may be accurate or inaccurate, but Mitt Romney claims he doesn't remember the incident in question.

Yeah...right.

If someone accused me of doing something I didn't do, particularly if that something involved torturing a smaller, weaker classmate my reaction would be simple. I would ask for details. When did this happen? Who was the victim? Did I behave this way as a matter of routine? You get the idea. If the accusation was false I'd clearly state that it was false. I would not, especially as a presidential candidate, claim that I did not remember behaving as a sadist.

I have a good memory. I remember sleeping in a crib and eating in a highchair as a toddler. One of the wooden bars in my crib would loosen up in the winter so that I could twist it around and make a satisfying squeaking sound. During warm weather it tightened up to the point where I could not turn it. As a toddler, I did not understand the ability of relative humidity to expand or shrink wood, but I certainly remember. I also remember with disturbing clarity some of the less innocent incidents of my youth. I won't go into nauseating detail here, but I didn't conveniently forget that they occured. The difference between Mitt Romney and myself isn't just a matter of net income. I occupy an anonymous cubicle in corporate America while His Majesty is actively seeking an obscene amount of political power.

There's more...

What I do not remember about my youth are incidents that happened often enough to be described as routine. I could not, for example descride the bus ride to school on some random date in 1975. I rode to school every day and only rarely did something occur that I'd have reason to remember.

And therein lies the basic problem. If Mitt Romney really doesn't remember behaving as a cocky, sadistic sociopath, then it may have been routine behavior for him. One act of sadism blends into another over the years. Who could be expected to remember a particular one? His classmates remember the incident because it probably wasn't routine for them. Mitt Romney's reaction to the Washington Post article combined with his current screw-the-non-powerful political stance on just about everything strongly suggests that he enjoyed, and still enjoys hurting others, especially those who can't hurt him back. He is probably embarrassed by the public impression that he really does enjoy hurting others but may have forgotten any individual, routine incident of sadism during his youth, and that he hopes the issue will just go away much as our health insurance industry hopes that potentially expensive patients will go away by dying quickly.

From the viewpoint of the world's terrorists, this is just one more example of American character. Electing a cocky, sadistic sociopath to our nation's highest office would surely leave little doubt in anyone's mind that our moralistic posturing about the evils of terrorism is just that: moralistic postering.

Mitt Romney is always welcome to clearly state that he is not, and never was a bully, and that he strongly believes that bullies are a public menace who should be locked up until they're too old to harm anyone.

And pull that vibrator out of your ass before your face gets stuck that way.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Chicken Soup discusses how to manufacture an American Domestic Terrorist...

In a troop of chimpanzees the ability to bully others and escape any significant punishment is the standard method of acquiring status. The large, physically powerful alpha male does whatever it wants and no one dares complain.

In American society, particularly during that critical decade from the onset of puberty to about age 24 or 25 when almost everyone who attends college has graduated or otherwise moved on, the rules of behavior are about the same as those for chimpanzees. The large, physically powerful alpha males do whatever they want and anyone who dares to complain or criticize can expect to be brutalized for the high crime of "trash talking." No adults appear brave enough to mention the fact that if the least violent individuals in your community talk trash about you, it's probably time to clean up your act.

This "critical decade" is when potential domestic terrorists, serial killers, and other, similar personalities are transformed into real ones by conditioning them to hate and fear others. Robbed of the ability to form healthy relationships with others, particularly with females, the potential serial killer or domestic terrorist may spend decades in a fantasy world where he is powerful instead of powerless. It may be years or even decades before they actually start to behave as criminals, but the necessary conditioning takes place when they spend most of their time surrounded by individuals who are about the same age.

Americans in the information age can reinforce the conditioning process by ensuring that violent alpha males like David Salmon are widely seen to be escaping significant punishment. There may be someone in another state, or even another country for whom the coddling of David Salmon will be the last straw. No one will be able to prove that of course, and it doesn't make any difference in any case. For most Americans, the safety of other people's children just isn't a priority when compared to the ego of a young, ruggedly handsome sociopath.

Go Rebels!!




Thursday, May 10, 2012

Chicken Soup visits the subject of depraved indifference...

If there's one skill a terrorist needs in order to get the job done and still sleep at night it's the ability to feel absolutely no empathy for those who suffer. Terrorists can learn this skill by watching the behavior of those who are going to fight hard to get David Salmon off with a stern warning that NEXT TIME YOUNG MAN!!!! YOU'LL BE ON REPORT!!! or some such empty threat.

The Columbine killers watched violent athletes get away with violent crimes. The next such individuals who stage a similar media event will no doubt watch David Salmon walk out of court with his peacock feathers spread wide having achieved his goal of making his peers fear him.

This is the mark of a successful domestic terrorist.

Keep whining about Muslim terrorists. I'm truly fascinated.


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Chicken Soup visits the Minotaur's Maze...

There are a number of articles about David Salmon's behavior available for your online viewing pleasure. Read the previous few posts if you don't know who David Salmon is. Many of the comments left on these articles by other readers refer to David Salmon as a coward for sucker punching his victim Cory Pingeton instead of facing him.

There's a small problem with this:

Cory Pingeton would still be the victim of a violent crime even if David Salmon had openly faced him. In the fantasy world where millions of Americans actually spend their lives, the bully challenges the victim to "step outside" so they can settle things like men. There's a fight in the schoolyard where the bully gets a bloody nose and learns not to harrass the victim again. Everyone gathers around the victim and complements his fighting skill and manliness while the bully stalks off angry with a few of his shocked and scummy looking toadies. The victim is seen looking into the sunset with the pretty girl on his arm. Movie credits flow across the scene to the accompaniment of appropriate music.

In the real world, things transpire a bit differently. The victim is facing a criminal (often the product of parents who are unrepentent assholes) who is much larger, much stronger, and far more violent than he is. If the victim refuses to accept His Majesty's challenge, the cowards (usually the bulk of any community) will look upon him not as a victim of bullying, but as a coward who won't stand up for himself. He is now considered to be a legitimate target for harrassment because he brings it upon himself. (Refer to the Bully Enablers post for more information here.) If the victim steps outside and has his face rearranged by the bully, he is still the victim of a violent crime but cowardly adults will ignore any complaint he makes and remind him that "fighting is not the answer to your problems." He will now be treated as a willing participant rather than a victim.

The victim is gored by the Minotaur no matter where he turns for one simple reason. In America the victim doesn't matter. Most Americans are sick fucks who enjoy watching other people's kids being brutalized while they whine endlessly about crime, violence, and terrorism. Pay close attention to the manner in which our judicial system treats this case. David Salmon will get off with a suspended sentence, perhaps a requirement to attend anger management classes (a sick joke obviously intended to further humiliate the victim), and a stern warning from the judge to "watch me wag my finger young man."

This will embolden other criminals in other high schools and possibly inspire more victims to find solace in very public acts of destruction. And those who could have addressed the problem will play the denial game.

Enjoy the soup folks. And don't forget to feign bewilderment at the next serial killer, mass murderer, or school shooter.


Thursday, May 3, 2012

Chicken Soup ponders how the Patriot Act might apply to David Salmon...

The Patriot Act of 2001, Section 802, (a), (5), (A), (B), (i) defines Domestic Terrorism as acts that "involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population."

The student body at Franklin, Massachusetts High School certainly qualifies as a "civilian population." David Salmon's criminal act was certainly dangerous to human life. His Majesty is more than physically powerful enough to kill someone. And the fact that he had Jeremiah Ramirez video the crime and post it online leaves little doubt that he intended every student in that school to feel intimidated.

Let's hear from the legal experts out there. Either the authorities are going to put their money where their mouths are and aggressively prosecute domestic terrorists or Chicken Soup cordially invites them to stop whining about terrorism.


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Chicken Soup with Jeremiah Ramirez: Franklin's photographer-at-large...



Terrorists can sleep soundly knowing that yet another American sociopath will get off easy after our judicial system goes through the motions of pretending to care about victims.

Jeremiah Ramirez is David Salmon's partner in crime and personal photographer. Ramirez positioned himself to capture David Salmon's assault and battery of his victim Cory Pingeton and then posted the crime on Twitter for all the world to enjoy.

Here's what really happened:

David Salmon is not a person. It's just another violent alpha male member of the human species. It's parents utterly failed to socialize it by teaching him to place value on the lives and well being of others. Like an alpha male dog or chimpanzee, David Salmon wanted to be feared and obeyed. The standard method of inspiring fear in others is to choose a scapegoat, publicly brutalize him, and then sit back and enjoy the lavish attention of the usual social climbing whores, victim blaming cowards, and toadying sycophants who fawn for the alpha male's favor.

Go Panthers!!

David Salmon chose Cory Pingeton to be His Majesty's scapegoat and then conjured up the old "trash talking" excuse for his criminal behavior. Given the history of violent athletes, I fully expect him to get away with it without serving a meaningful sentence.

And here's what's going to happen:

Both of these criminals will get a finger wagging from a judge after cutting a deal with the prosecutor. They'll walk free with their heads held high, secure in the knowledge that in America, victims simply don't matter.

And that's why we have events like the Columbine Massacre. A society that kisses enough sociopath ass eventually precipitates a homicidal rage in the victims.

Go Rebels!!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Chicken Soup "talks trash" about Americans...


Facial expressions can carry a lot of information.

This is David Salmon at his arraignment. Far from displaying a hint of guilt, shame, or fear of significant punishment, David Salmon's facial expression is a show of anger. All he's thinking about is what he's going to do to his victim when he gets out.

And he will get out.

Thanks to America's sociopath loving, victim blaming culture, David Salmon is going to proudly strut away from this with his shiny peacock feathers spread wide. David Salmon knows that he isn't going to serve any significant prison time for his criminal behavior. Far from it. His lawyer will tell him to hang his head a bit lower, utter a few phony words of apology, and wait for the judge to kiss his hero-of-the-gridiron ass with a suspended sentence. And David Salmon will have no shortage of defenders when he walks out of court. America is lousy with people who will shamelessly defend what he did as a matter of personal and family honor. This is why Timothy McVeigh, the Columbine killers, and a long list of serial criminals too long to post here were able to rationalize the moral acceptibility of what they did. They had too many American role models to count. In terms of character, these bully enablers are indistinguishable from those who once defended the lynching of "uppity" blacks. The demographics of bigots and their victims varies with time and place, but the character of the bigot and those who defend him remains the same.

Every time one of these stories hits the news I hope and pray that this time a learned person of the bench will finally pull his head out of his sociopath loving ass and impose a meaningful sentence. I've been watching and waiting for decades. My prediction that something's gotta break began to be fulfilled in the 1990's when school shootings became headline news. When the Columbine Massacre occured, I naively thought that Americans would finally lose their tolerance for bullying. I was wrong. The average American, particularly those who are enthralled by violent athletes couldn't give a damn about the lives and safety of victims as long as someone else's son or daughter is being brutalized. Apparently it's easy for Americans to rationalize that the alleged victim had it coming.

The next time some adult survivor of community sanctioned brutality sprays bullets into a crowd or parks a truck bomb under a daycare center, think about the Americans who raised David Salmon to believe that brutality is acceptible behavior, the Americans who shamelessly shower praise upon violent young men, and the Americans who allowed David Salmon to strut out of court with a suspended sentence.

He's going to get off easy, and the world's terrorists will have one more example of American morality to learn from.