Bill Kristol is not shy about his fetish for war. His latest piece at the neoconservative Weekly Standard borders on self-parody in the way that it openly longs for a return to a time when Americans were eager to send the U.S. military off on unnecessary, imperialistic adventures.
Kristol is frustrated by the “war-weariness” of the nation. He laments the reluctance on the part of the Republican Party to “challenge” “the idol of war-weariness.”
“A war-weary public can be awakened and rallied,” Kristol cheers. “Indeed, events are right now doing the awakening. All that’s needed is the rallying. And the turnaround can be fast.”
People like Kristol are so blinded by ideology that they breach the etiquette which calls on elite commentators to camouflage their enthusiasm for war with superficial appeals to peace. He loves death and destruction and wars of choice and he doesn’t care who knows it! He is way out of the closet. That he can explicitly call for Americans to be “awakened and rallied” for new wars and not be embarrassed by the Hitler-esque tone of such despicable cravings is an indication of how lacking in self-awareness he is. His foreign policy beliefs are the kind that are not susceptible to reasoning or disconfirming evidence. His worship for the warfare state is religious in its persuasion.
Kristol condemns using war-weariness “as an excuse to avoid maintaining our defenses or shouldering our responsibilities.” In other words, the fact that Kristol’s preferred policies were implemented throughout the Bush administration and it led to war crimes, hundreds of thousands killed, trillions of dollars wasted, region-wide instability in the Middle East, and clear geo-political losses for the United States shouldn’t deter us from continuing to spend more than the rest of the world combined on our military or from “shouldering our responsibilities” of ruling the world through force and war.
To Kristol, war-weariness is a kind of ailment that Americans need to be cured of. He calls for war-weary Americans to be rallied to some unspecified military crusade just around the corner. Iran, Russia, China…anything will do, I suppose.
I’m reminded of what Noam Chomsky wrote in his book Media Control about this ailment, or “malady” of being averse to extreme violence and war.
“The Reaganite intellectual Norman Podhoretz defined it as ‘the sickly inhibitions against the use of military force,'” Chomsky writes. “There were these sickly inhibitions against violence on the part of a large part of the public. People just didn’t understand why we should go around torturing people and killing people and carpet bombing them.”
“It’s very dangerous for a population to be overcome by these sickly inhibitions, as Goebbels understood, because then there’s a limit on foreign adventures,” he explains. “It’s necessary, as the Washington Post put it rather proudly during the [first] Gulf War hysteria, to instill in people a respect for ‘martial value.’ That’s important. If you want to have a violent society that uses force around the world to achieve the ends of its own domestic elite, it’s necessary to have a proper appreciation of the martial values and none of these sickly inhibitions about using violence.”
That’s the real threat of our resistance to extreme violence. Anything that puts a limit on foreign adventures is like kryptonite to Kristol and his ilk.
We're not just war weary, we're philosophically opposed to U.S. imperialism. So Mr. Kristol: "your propagandas no good in here"
Well Bill, you look like you'd make a wonderful general. Why don't you lead the charge?
Kristol was born in 1952, so he was old enough to enlist before the Vietnam War was over. He chose not to. Just another neo-con chicken hawk. Not worth listening to.
It is not propaganda that Kristol is doing. The evil ones must tell us what they are about to do. It is almost a prerequisite that those with evil in their hearts must tell us what they are up to in order for them to do it.
Kristol is telling us that something sudden will happen (another false flag) that will rally us all to war. War is the only thing the elite banksters have in their bag of tricks to take our minds off the economy which is in a depression that they caused. I think that many Americans are now suspect of these evil people who continue to beat the drums of war. Another false flag will be met with suspicion and contempt for those who profit from the wars they start.
When observed from a mentally stable and reasonable perspective, Kristol absolutelt has a sickly obsession with war. Sick is a good word for Kristols mental state. If he is longing for more death and dismemberment. If he is longing for more children without fathers. If he is longing for more innocent civilians to be killed and maimed and live in absolute terror…then indeed he is a sick man. The picture at the top of this article seems to suggest that he is….out there.
For Bill Kristol (and many other GOP strategists), war is just a side-effect of the role that military actions and defense spending and 'patriotism' plays in GOP politics. Its mostly about making Democrats look weak. That's why his writing seems so crazy, with it's any war will do sort of message.
Militarism and foreign enemies is the glue that holds the GOP together. Take it away and the GOP coalition is gone.
In the end, it is all politics for Bill Kristol. He is a stunningly amoral person.
As Major C.H. Douglas observed over 70 years ago, the powers dictating major world events care no more about the immolation of a whole people than about the death of a sparrow. Can anyone today doubt the accuracy of his assessment?
The psychologist Erich Fromm recognized that there are persons who are obsessed with destruction, death and "breaking things apart"; the word he used was "necrophilous". Check out "The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness".
HEY LET'S PUT HIM ON THE FRONT LINES–LET'S SEE HOW HE LIKES THAT!
The man is insane. He needs to be given a lobotomy like Jack Nicholson in that movie with nurse Ratchet. Perhaps then the world would be a safer place. He belongs in the coo coo nest for life.
And, so does John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Rand Paul – who recently issued his own mentally insane, deranged, psychopathic tirade at Putin and Russia.
I mean, the hypocrisy of these slabs of human scum is truly amazing. Let's paint a hypothetical scenario whereby Putin and Russia had inserted teams of agents inside Canada and they were stirring up dissent, conflict, and were working to overthrow the Canadian government. Let's assume they achieved this hypothetical objective and then they installed a pro-Russian puppet government in it's place. Shortly thereafter, Russia started to negotiate deals with the pro-Russian Canadian puppet government to allow them to establish military bases inside Canada, say along the US-Canadian border. Then, the Russians would station nuclear missiles along our border that could be used to threaten the national security of the United States.
Would the USA have the right to be concerned about such a coup taking place in a nation that is right next door to them? You bet your sweet bippy, they would. So, how is anything that Putin is now doing any different?
Answer: It isn't. Putin and Russia are within their rights to take whatever steps are necessary to defend themselves from these vile and despicably evil neo-cons and their blood thirsty, war mongering agenda.
BTW: Back in 2012, a day or two after the Communist from Kenya was put back into office for another 4 years, this Bill Kristol cockroach was on one of the political talk shows. I saw a clip of this smirking rat on that show and he was postulating that 'Rand Paul' was probably the future of the GOP. That told me right there and then that Rand Paul had sold out to the war mongering, blood thirsty neo-cons and Israel Firsters and that Kristol was announcing that Rand was in the pocket of the psychopaths in Tel Aviv. That's who they want to foist upon the GOP base in 2016, so they can get their thermo-nuclear, global-wide, WW3 off the ground.
Well, I'm all up for it! Mr. Kristol needs to rally his (neocon) friends and they all can buy plane tickets to the Ukraine. On the way or there, they can pick up some weapons and go attack Russia. As private citizens I applaud all those with a cause that go out and pursue it. In fact, as such a rabid fan of these type of adventures, I believe all those cheerleaders should be up at the front of the line when the action starts. Just don't think I or anyone else I know is following you or would give our government permission to participate. But, that's the problem, our government usually does what it wants whether the citizens agree or not.
I wonder how many of the backshooting mercenaries are rallying around Billy Boy?
Not a good idea to threaten them with actual combat. Has Bill never heard of "fragging?"
He honestly believes the for hire "bushwackers 'r' us" are eager to confront Russian Spetsnaz?
What a seriously, seriously sick, vile, and demented personage … I can't call him a human being … Someone should drop him in the middle of a war zone to give him a taste of what he advocates … then do a YouTube of him $hitting his pants and crying like a baby … smug creep. Just disgusting.
Piss on Kristol, that chickenhawk, warmongering, Israel-First douche bag. He and his degenerate kind ought to be sterilized.
So true…people like this creaton are "somehow" able to spew this kind of sociopathic crap on the TV…it just shows US the caliber of "people" who control our information.
There'd be Peace, truth, justice, freedom, health and prosperity for US all..if it werent for those bastards who control our (govt, TV, Congress, dollar, etc, etc.)
I remember David Swanson thought the normative 'argument' for war reduced to ~"blaming us for not being enthusiastic enough." What's-in-it-for-us turns out to be reeeeaallly thin, blaming us for that is all they have, at bottom, and it seems to be all Kristol (and Kerry previously) thinks he needs here… Maybe occasional frankness like this from Kristol aint surprising, but it's 'fascinating' that a self-chosen master would describe their unwilling cash slaves as 'sickly.' Normal people wouldn't grasp that perspective…us Plebs might have to explain it with John Kleese imitations:
You lazy, malodorous, sickly masses make me want to vomit! How could you not love stabbing yourself in the back with Trotsky's sickle over and over again? Worthless jaundiced bunch of layabouts! If you quit cannibalizing each other now it-will-all-have-been-in-vain! Don't you see? [slams trap door, it's dark again]
And just like they've got no carrot for you, they've got no explanation for what they claim about those they'd sick you on. There's a naive popular view of evil that allows for circumventing questions of motive. E.g., why, if indeed he did, did 'Saddam' strike Halbja? Survey your GWoT-Sucker friends and I guarantee the 'motive' works out to 'he was just that evil.' Hated Kurds or something. I say that's no coincidence. E.g. Michael Ledeen, while selling GWoT: "I don't know what people's motives are, hardly ever. And I don't much worry about motives." That's extremely significant. The 'enemy' can be mostly covered by making insinuations and allowing the dupes to project the rest. If I were evil, I'd sell evil to trash all damn day; just like a neocon.
I know that I do not possess an enlightened mind and lCk some of todays more civilized graces but Why TF are not this man and his backers and supporters doing out of a prison?
What is it in peoples minds that allow he and and those bloody bastards to remain among civilized humanity; not only that but to be held in positions of esteem among US political and ezpecially the elite news organizations?
This man is in a very great part responsible for the Nation of US to be used to kill millions of people
worldwide, while enriching his supporters beyond physical and financial accontability in rewards.
At no expense and no guilt for such actions he smiles and americans fawn and swoon over his remarks.
My lack of knowledge and finance keep me prisoner in a nation of the insane. And this man is one of the criminaly insane.
While he and neo cons play to the lowest of human denominators and become wealthier and associate with the worlds leaders as equals then asduredly such insanity is not just localized to US
THE NEO ESTABLISHMENT NEEDS TO BE DISMANTLED, con or libs, people pay in blood and poverty while they use not their wralth but nations wealth as they use worlds populace as tin soldiers and
collateral.
Kissinger roams the earth and many of Clintonistas now own the town with a statue of Clinton Kosovo, and none of neocons or us military lay for murder of Iraq and Afghan or African and Latinos and the crimes go on.
All while bastards like Kristol cal for more blood letting and calling those who disagree as weak and cowrdly.
We must be, or else someone would shut he and his friends upThis is not political discourse he talks about but plans for murder and plunder.
My simple mind thought such things in my nation were illegal and moray reprehensible.
The solution to end all wars of choice is pretty damn simple. A MILITARY DRAFT WITH NO AGE LIMITS, AND NO DEFERMENTS. Check out this elite combat unit: William Kristol, Ann the Mann Coulter, Slush Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow, Rev Al Sharpton, Ed Schultz, Toure, Karen Finney, the Kagans, Neal Boortz, Cliff May, Danielle Pletka, Michael Eric Dyson, Bill Maher, Susan Rice, Condoleezza Rice, Samantha Power, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, G W Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Ken "Iraq Will Be a Cakewalk" Adeleman, Valerie Jarrett, Victoria Nuland, and the list of neocon and obamacon mass murderers is endless. But I think you all should get the point. As soon as these killers get a taste of what it's like to be on the front lines, then all wars of choice will come to a speed end…………………
They should taste their own medicine.
You mean everything you need to know about the actual reality of modern war can't be learned from Shakespeare? Really you couldn't even invent these intellectually pretentious morons pontificating to us. They are beyond parody almost beyond self-parody.
I see you would be an equal opportunity employer! Good job.
We are being governed by a bunch of reptiles!!!!
Let's have a war. Billy and his gang of neoturds are dancing in the street to their favorite song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4PmO9Pavqc
This is a psychopath talks, a paranoia speaking, a idiot with proven track record in act against humanity desperate to get personal pleasure out of others misery, now, all of this kind of being are same, look alike
With different idea how to kill of more human being. To hell with warmongers, this kind of beings are war monsters from turn of the century, a stone aged social class with tie and laundered money in their off shore bank accounts, if Obama wants to sanction anyone, he can start with this kind of ¥£€%#}sht.
Neocons are sick people.
If neocons have convinced the US public that pre-emptive war is acceptable, who could possibly be more appropriate and poetically just targets for drone strikes than Kristol and his fellow warmongers?
I predict the drone strikes will be coming for these criminals sooner or later. And I won't be too surprised if those eventual drones are authorized by and sent by the US government.
His worship of the warfare state is religious? I’d say sexual.
People like this guy need to go back to their closet and stay there.How many deaths do they want before they'll be happy ? Oh and of course their kids will never go to some far flung foreign land to shed blood for their country.The founding fathers were pretty clear that they wanted to steer clear of foreign entanglements especially in Europe.Prior to WW1 we weren't looking to become an empire.After WW2 that all changed once the industrial war machine was in place.Afterwards several leaders warned us of what was to come which is the giant military industrial complex we have today calling the shots with so called patriotic politicians on the payroll getting perks and kickbacks.This nation is capable of far better than just knocking over third world nations for their resources under the guise of "nation building" or "spreading democracy".We could and should be leading by example soling our own issues and being that beacon that so many have died for instead of ramming our culture down they're throats.So far their mission to spread "our way of life" has been a dismal failure with repercussions for this nation still to come.Obama said he wanted to rebuild the reputation of this nation especially after Bush junior really messed things up with his "Your either with us or against us" policy.I'm still waiting for that to happen.I'm still in a fog as to why he was given the Nobel peace prize when he did nothing to earn it besides con everyone into thinking he would be different.Actually I'm still waiting for many of his promises to become reality as are most who voted for him, which this time I did not.Fool me once shame on you .Fool me twice shame on me.Truly the bottom line is he isn't in charge and the war mongers are .Bush the iron fist ,Obama the velvet glove covering the iron fist.Time for some real change and a real viable third party giving Americans a real choice instead of this broken two party joke for a choice.
WW1 was not the beginning. Don't forget the 200,000 murdered conquering the Philippines around 1900. Right from the beginning of this country there were there were those who envisioned consolidating a federal government that could be steered towards empire and conquest. The civil war was a war to conquer the south and establish the unquestioned authority of the federal government. The notion that northern industrialists and bankers went to war to free some Africans is just laughable. Even funnier is the US going to WW1 to make the world safe for democracy. Our allies were the three most muderous colonial empires since the Romans. If you want to know why we went to WW1 listen to Benjamin Freedman's 1961 speech. Its on YouTube.
Well, I once suggested to Scott Horton that the US embark on a $5 trillion, 30-year project to bring LNG back from Saturn's moon Titan that would employ several million directly or through related industries. Horton condescendingly ridiculed my idea, and that was the moment when I realized that US culture is completely bereft of intelligence and inspiration. Looked at from the individual level, if the world were not in such a political mess, Scott Horton would therefore have no job.
This vile, despicable, fifth columnist,, Israel Firster, and rabid warmonger, like all the neocons, was too cowardly to wear the American uniform. Some like Rahm Emanuel, rushed to wear an Israeli uniform and serve in the Israeli army. They deserve to be made to run a gauntlet of families of our war dead every time they leave their opulent homes. Dual citizens should not , of course, ever be allowed to to hold public or policy making office. Just look where they have led us.
Saddle up Billy boy lock and load. We'll call the Russians and Iranians and let them know to be afraid as, you're on your way.
So Kristol you're going to be the first one on the front lines right?
How about this Mr. Kristol we'll start up a collection for Russian warmongers (hell warmongers in general) so they can put their money where their mouths are. It wouldn't be just for you Kristol you can take your fellow warmongers;
Ted Nugent
Al Franken
Sarah Palin
Bill Clinton
Charles Krauthammer
Hillary Clinton
Rush Limbaugh
Barack Obama
Bill O'Reily
Al Sharpton
Ann Coulter
Jesse Jackson
Michelle Malkin
Bill Maher
Tom Tancredo
Laura Ingram and a whole host of others you can take with you if you want war with the Russians.
You forgot Lindsey Graham.
And John McCain – Seriously!
I actually like to call them Lindsay McCain, they are just so awesome together.
'Hanoi John'
How you like me now?
Attn: Cynical: Bill Maher is NOT a warmonger. He despises militarism. Hadn't you noticed?
On the other hand, the Crimea putsch by Russia is all within the plans of our Neocon friends, like Victoria Nuland… There she is, handing out cookies to Nazi Thugs and their lackies.. http://www.kyivpost.com/media/images/2013/12/11/p… OOOO… Wait, Here she is on the phone with Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt: United States Ambassador to Ukraine… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL_GShyGv3o
&&&&&&& WTF!!!…WTF..!!! SHE MENTIONS JEFFRY FELTON… Isn't Felton the GUY who arranged the 2006 war on Lebanon??? These Neocons seem 2B all war all the time….. and guess who gets to pay for it…???
Wikipedia: "In a speech following the Israeli operation in Lebanon in 2006, the Secretary-General of Hizbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, dubbed Fouad Siniora's government in Lebanon as the "Feltman Government".[citation needed] Nasrallah's label stressed what Hizbullah sees as Feltman's deep influence on the Lebanese government's decisions. The title of "Feltman Government" has since been widely used among several opposition parties in Lebanon whenever referring to Siniora's government.[citation needed]"
http://www.innercitypress.com/usfelt2ukrfsa020714…
Jeffrey Felton was the KEY frontman who arranged the Lebanese military to stand down against Israel in the 2006 war…. Where is he now???? HaHa Ha
WIKI: Jeffrey D. Feltman (born c. 1959) is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. As head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs Feltman oversees the UN's diplomatic efforts to prevent and mitigate conflict around the globe.
Before joining the United Nations, Feltman served as US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from August 2009 to June 2012 with the rank of Career Minister. He was previously the United States Ambassador to Lebanon from July 2004 to January 2008.
Before becoming Ambassador to Lebanon, Feltman volunteered to serve at the Coalition Provisional Authority office in Irbil, Iraq, from January to April 2004. Prior to his work in Iraq, he was at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, where he served first as Deputy (August 2001-November 2002) and then as Acting Principal Officer (November 2002 to December 2003).
The plan is to drive a wedge between Russia and the U.S. so they won't cut any Iran deal….. Same Syria.
Kristol's ideas are insane. But he is not insane. He is doing his job for the military industrial complex and Zionism.
Okay, Bill, if you really feel that way; here's your rifle. Here is your parachute. Watch your head climbing into that transport plane, and we will call Putin and tell him you are on your way to kick his butt all by yourself.
Give Kristol a rifle and Putin a flyswatter: I'd still bet on Putin.
Love listening to you Mike…
“War-weariness”? Frustrated, with killing innocents? Sorry to say, and definitely not advocating any type of violence, but if your close loved ones were on the other side, among the countless dead that you seem to want to create (from the comfort of your chair), then you would have a more enlightened perspective.
Kristol the freak was on the PNAC, he really wishes to wage war against American workers jobs and against the survival and prosperity of future generations of Americans, by diverting resources from global warming to pointless wars, he hates America and one day Americans will understand that their own job and their own kids are not on any protected list – to Kristol the freak.
I have zero trust in so-called Conservatives like George Will, Bill Kristol, Peggy Noonan, and Dick Morris who do not trust average American citizens to possess, buy, carry, or wear firearms.
Someone's stance on the Second Amendment is the perfect Conservative litmus test. Ask someone, "Do you believe in the people's unfettered right to buy a handgun?" The answer is "YES!" Any other answer shows they are thinking about it too much because they do not believe in this right.
You shouldn't trust conservatism to begin with but thats another argument.
I would wish this piece of crap to go to hell but I’m convinced that is where he and his kind are from and therefore he wouldn’t take offense. Peace to humanity and may these murderers get what they deserve.
Kristal the Talmudist troll needs to be put out of his misery.
This gentile hater needs the electric chair for his crimes against humanity. No wars for Israel and Zionists.
Kristol probably has his own general's outfit with chrome helmet, spats and a sword. He love to lead America to war but he's more inclined to stand up after his favourite dessert and yell "Chaaaaaarge! See if''n there's any wait staff to spook.
The US/NATO troops, especially the pilots are in for a rude awakening.
Rude being an understatement. Instead of flying in, bombing undefended territory and back home right on schedule for their beer and burger suppers, there will be Su-27/35 and S-300/400 systems ready and waiting. In other words – there will be blood.
For the ground troops, after 12 years of fighting hill people and dirt farmers armed with AK-47, IED and RPG, to a draw, they will have the honor of confronting aircraft, choppers, artillery, tanks, MLRS, drones, etc., etc., etc. The troops won't be conducting door to door civilian soldiering so much as facing armed trained soldiers. I'm sure the backshooting mercenaries are very eager to 'have at it' with Russian Spetsnaz and special forces. Very eager, indeed…
"in other words – there will be blood" err you won't be coming home….
I think in that case Russia will use nuclear force. Don't be mistaken. Russian's and the rest of us don't want to live on our knees anymore.
Go home Ami! Stay home Ami! We don't need anything from America. Your Hollywood culture, your McDonald's food sucks.
Reminds me of the L7 song "Wargasm". "Smutty, bloody pictures! Ecstasy!"
Why don't we put a uniform and gun on Kristol, the chicken hawk, and fly him over to the Ukraine. It is easy to send others to fight and die for you, so maybe he should do his part. But you know neither he, nor any of his family or f(r)iends, will ever have to fight in any of these wars they wish to start.
Everything is fine in your article till you brought out the Hitler BS showing that you know nothing about what happened in WW2!!!
read! http://www.tomatobubble.com
Hitler never wanted war!
Spoken like a true, arm chair chicken hawk, who never spent a minute in the military. If the neo-cons want to take this country into another war, here are some things I think should happen. 1) Bring back the draft. A no deferment draft that effects everyone. 2) raise taxes to what ever level necessary to finance the adventure. 3) Require all defense contractors to provide goods and services at cost.
It's easy to be in favor of war, if you have nothing at risk, and it doesn't cost you anything.
Let's send his whole family and all their friends to Russia for a sneak attack. We can get their names off the PNAC documents.
"Why of course the people don't want war … But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship … Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." – Hermann Goering, German leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II
I did not see in the story what military background Billy has that e should believe him as a source. Does the man even know how to shot a rifle much less have the knowledge of why a nation should risk its youth in a matter. It would appear the less military experience the great the urge to have our kids killed in something I am sure will make money for billy. I really do not want to follow war mongers and I suspect billy to be one. I see little importance to get involved in most matters over seas ad I believe our founding fathers were correct when they warned about getting involved in foreign affairs. It would appear all the suffering of the world in wars in the past 100 years has resulted in one group gaining a lot of power and influence but contribute none of its youth to fighting.
I'm sure the sheeple will be rallied to war the next time a catastrophic and catalyzing event happens, you know, like a new Pearl Harbor.
You know the crazy conspiracy theory about the world being taken over by the "reptilian aliens"? Well I'm starting to believe it…cause Bill Kristol looks just like a goddamn lizard. You can look at that picture and just imagine him wringing his hands and a forked tongue coming out that sleazy looking face of his.
He and his ilk should take their assets to Israel and not let the door hit their psychopathic butts on the way out.
If chicken hawk Kristol wants more war than the perpetual imperialist wars we already have, then he should be the first to go fight and die in his war.
More drivel from another neocon imbecile.
F-you go fight your own war you coward scum. Send your sons and daughters, their young and their family, and young. Welcome them back in body bags,caskets and missing limbs. You can't you terrorist cowards. Get them to die for your way of living and life. No more from us. You murdered enough of our sons and fathers for your gain and our naught.
Kristol reminds me of Churchill who loved war so much that he didn't leave out any chance to instigate one, and of Roosevelt. Both were acting on their islands of relative peace and political stability and wishing for war. And they got it.
Why does anyone call this warmongering pimp neocon, mister?