I think it's getting safer for people to be smart again. I'm hoping this anti-intellect thing is passing into the dumper where it belongs.
And btw: maybe it's just that I've felt starved for really smart policy arguments for a very long time, but I think Elizabeth Warren is really sexy.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Madison Ave Gets It?
So how far behind the rest of us does Washington have to fall before they start to understand that they have to lead? They can't just sit there waiting for the new polling numbers to show them it's time to get up off their butts and get out in front of something. Step up or step aside, fellas.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Jesus Junkies
The visible spectrum of the GOP has been almost completely captured by the Christianist wing. It's pretty obvious that there's very little room in any Repub primary for anybody not willing to lie his ass off (if need be) to establish his bona fides as a standup God-fearin' TheoCon. This is not new, of course. Its been heading this direction for at least 30 years.
For my own self, I lean towards atheism and I believe strongly in making my own decisions about my own life; knowing that it has to be tempered by the understanding that we're all in this together so we need rules to keep us from steppin' on each other too hard or too often - not much that's particularly odd about any of that; but I find myself totally unwelcome in a political party I once thought of as home. Don't get me wrong, I think registering as Independent has been a net plus. It's kinda forcing me at least to make the effort to dig out something I can hold onto from "both sides". Also, I've had to disabuse myself of any notion that what we have here is a two-party system. One of the soul-stripping effects of the system we do have (ie: Legalized Bribery) is that we can either vote for the candidate who's a complete asshole, or we can vote for the one who's slightly less than a complete asshole. So, yeah - it's a Hobson's choice between the lesser of two evils, but that means you damned sure better be paying attention so you don't pick the greater of the two evils.
Attempting to counteract the TheoCons, "Lefties" are trying to hold up the Jesus of The 4 Gospels, saying "Repubs are hypocrites because they're not following the teachings of their hero". Sorry guys, but these jokers believe we're living in the End Times now. They're way past that Hippie Jesus. We're talkin' kick-ass Jesus from Revelation here, Bubba. This Jesus wears a blood-soaked robe, and he has a sword coming from his mouth. This Jesus is gonna give his followers the power to "rule the nations with an iron rod". Jesus is coming - and he's pissed - at you.
If you watched the Repub debate the other nite - the one where the yahoos cheered Rick Perry's record of executions, and then shouted in the affirmative when Blitzer asked Ron Paul if he'd just let people die if they chose not to have health insurance - and these things both appalled and puzzled you; well, guess what? The "truth" has set them free. The worst possible behavior has now passed out of Unthinkable, through Forgivable (and through Acceptable too), and is now arriving at a place called Preferable.
Do not hand the reins of power to these pricks.
For my own self, I lean towards atheism and I believe strongly in making my own decisions about my own life; knowing that it has to be tempered by the understanding that we're all in this together so we need rules to keep us from steppin' on each other too hard or too often - not much that's particularly odd about any of that; but I find myself totally unwelcome in a political party I once thought of as home. Don't get me wrong, I think registering as Independent has been a net plus. It's kinda forcing me at least to make the effort to dig out something I can hold onto from "both sides". Also, I've had to disabuse myself of any notion that what we have here is a two-party system. One of the soul-stripping effects of the system we do have (ie: Legalized Bribery) is that we can either vote for the candidate who's a complete asshole, or we can vote for the one who's slightly less than a complete asshole. So, yeah - it's a Hobson's choice between the lesser of two evils, but that means you damned sure better be paying attention so you don't pick the greater of the two evils.
Attempting to counteract the TheoCons, "Lefties" are trying to hold up the Jesus of The 4 Gospels, saying "Repubs are hypocrites because they're not following the teachings of their hero". Sorry guys, but these jokers believe we're living in the End Times now. They're way past that Hippie Jesus. We're talkin' kick-ass Jesus from Revelation here, Bubba. This Jesus wears a blood-soaked robe, and he has a sword coming from his mouth. This Jesus is gonna give his followers the power to "rule the nations with an iron rod". Jesus is coming - and he's pissed - at you.
If you watched the Repub debate the other nite - the one where the yahoos cheered Rick Perry's record of executions, and then shouted in the affirmative when Blitzer asked Ron Paul if he'd just let people die if they chose not to have health insurance - and these things both appalled and puzzled you; well, guess what? The "truth" has set them free. The worst possible behavior has now passed out of Unthinkable, through Forgivable (and through Acceptable too), and is now arriving at a place called Preferable.
Do not hand the reins of power to these pricks.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Job Creators
Add this to the growing litany of Repub bullshit: "Government never created even one job."
(hat tip to John Gorman)
(hat tip to John Gorman)
Both Sides Do It
...except when they don't.
The Southern Strategy
Watergate
IranContra
Willie Horton
The Arkansas Project
McCain's Black Bastard Child
WMD (update: this one can be balanced off by Gulf of Tonkin)
Valerie Plame
Swift Boaters
Max Cleland
Birthers
The Kenyan Usurper
Death Panels
I don't have any problem understanding both Dems and Repubs being at least roughly equal in their venality when it comes to the Pay-To-Play aspects of our system here in the US. We've allowed a pretty great thing to get almost totally FUBAR. From that viewpoint, they're dead even.
But when I look at how the 2 sides conduct themselves when they're trying to sell the public on either a candidate or a policy, I see one side getting a lot deeper into the muck.
If you can come up with something Dems have done that can match the whoppers I listed at the top of this post, please apprise me of them so I can check and compare.
The Southern Strategy
Watergate
IranContra
Willie Horton
The Arkansas Project
McCain's Black Bastard Child
WMD (update: this one can be balanced off by Gulf of Tonkin)
Valerie Plame
Swift Boaters
Max Cleland
Birthers
The Kenyan Usurper
Death Panels
I don't have any problem understanding both Dems and Repubs being at least roughly equal in their venality when it comes to the Pay-To-Play aspects of our system here in the US. We've allowed a pretty great thing to get almost totally FUBAR. From that viewpoint, they're dead even.
But when I look at how the 2 sides conduct themselves when they're trying to sell the public on either a candidate or a policy, I see one side getting a lot deeper into the muck.
If you can come up with something Dems have done that can match the whoppers I listed at the top of this post, please apprise me of them so I can check and compare.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Agonist
Pretty good crop of items today at The Agonist.
1) Israel is looking to hookup with Kurdish rebels in Turkey
2) Looming default in Greece
1) Israel is looking to hookup with Kurdish rebels in Turkey
2) Looming default in Greece
Iraq
Precisely typical of the quagmire scenario that everybody but Junior Bush seemed to understand:
Baby Bush says, "We'll leave if you'll stop attacking us."
Muqtada al-Sadr says, "We'll stop attacking you when you leave."
Obama rides in and starts the process he promised - altho' it's a couple of years later than most expected.
Baby Bush says, "We'll leave if you'll stop attacking us."
Muqtada al-Sadr says, "We'll stop attacking you when you leave."
Obama rides in and starts the process he promised - altho' it's a couple of years later than most expected.
According to Reuters, Muqtada al-Sadr told his militias to cease operations against US soldiers until the full withdrawal is complete at the end of 2011. If the withdrawal is extended or US troops remain, he has promised renewed attacks.
"Out of my desire to complete Iraq's independence and to finish the withdrawal of the occupation forces from our holy lands, I am obliged to halt military operations of the honest Iraqi resistance until the withdrawal of the occupation forces is complete," al-Sadr said in a statement late Saturday.
And then he warned: "if the withdrawal doesn't happen ... the military operations will be resumed in a new and tougher way."
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/muqtada-al-sadr-radical-iraqi-cleric-tells-followers-to-stop-attacking-us-troops-2011-9#ixzz1XkNLsqX9
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Huey Lewis And The News
You have to be selective because so much of Huey's stuff was pure crap. But the guy knew how to put a band together, and when they got it right, it was pretty damned good.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
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