BLOG POSTS
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Want Obama To Be Bolder? Take To The Streets!
Want Obama To Be Bolder? Take To The Streets!
So which came first - chicken or egg? Obama backing off his promises or his supporters backing off Obama? I think Froomkin made the wrong choice. Why are progressives not in the streets? Well, because they're out of the habit of course. But moreso because the last time they got in the streets - 2008 - they wound up betrayed. It may be a while before they get up the "hope" to do it again - and when they do, it will not be for Obama. If any politician has earned the allegiance of progressives, it's Nancy Pelosi. And maybe yet Harry Reid.
Right now Congress does not need to be reminded by progressives of what is expected from them - other than those Democrats who are moving against the wishes of their constituents. It's the president who needs a reminder, and frankly it's a waste of time. All plans and intentions should be diverted around the White House. Nothing can be expected from those yahoos.
So which came first - chicken or egg? Obama backing off his promises or his supporters backing off Obama? I think Froomkin made the wrong choice. Why are progressives not in the streets? Well, because they're out of the habit of course. But moreso because the last time they got in the streets - 2008 - they wound up betrayed. It may be a while before they get up the "hope" to do it again - and when they do, it will not be for Obama. If any politician has earned the allegiance of progressives, it's Nancy Pelosi. And maybe yet Harry Reid.
Right now Congress does not need to be reminded by progressives of what is expected from them - other than those Democrats who are moving against the wishes of their constituents. It's the president who needs a reminder, and frankly it's a waste of time. All plans and intentions should be diverted around the White House. Nothing can be expected from those yahoos.
Obama To Dems: GOP Will Attack Regardless Of How You Vote
Obama To Dems: GOP Will Attack Regardless Of How You Vote
We know he wants a bill passed, but after all this time we still don't know what he wants in it. Why even bother listening to him?
We know he wants a bill passed, but after all this time we still don't know what he wants in it. Why even bother listening to him?
t r u t h o u t | President Obama's Timid Use of the "Reset Button"
t r u t h o u t | President Obama's Timid Use of the "Reset Button"
The reason the cost of foreign and military activities has gone up so much is that so much of the work is outsourced under contracts which it is hard to break (and hard to break the relationships) over time. The more dependent on private contractors we become, the more expensive it gets and the longer the dependency will continue.
If you stop to think about it, outsourcing of government functions (combined with the costs of purchasing military equipment) amounts to nothing but a stimulus package far exceeding the one Obama passed. Were it not for government money, all these businesses would sink and leave a lot of people unemployed.
If stimulus is okay for functions like these, why is it not okay for functions which have a productive (as opposed to destructive) result?
The reason the cost of foreign and military activities has gone up so much is that so much of the work is outsourced under contracts which it is hard to break (and hard to break the relationships) over time. The more dependent on private contractors we become, the more expensive it gets and the longer the dependency will continue.
If you stop to think about it, outsourcing of government functions (combined with the costs of purchasing military equipment) amounts to nothing but a stimulus package far exceeding the one Obama passed. Were it not for government money, all these businesses would sink and leave a lot of people unemployed.
If stimulus is okay for functions like these, why is it not okay for functions which have a productive (as opposed to destructive) result?
The Goods May Be Virtual, but the Profit Is Real - NYTimes.com
The Goods May Be Virtual, but the Profit Is Real - NYTimes.com
Downloadable music is virtual, too. What you pay for is enjoyment of artistic creation. Before DVDs, you couldn't touch movies either. This is not new - but its potential is unlimited.
Downloadable music is virtual, too. What you pay for is enjoyment of artistic creation. Before DVDs, you couldn't touch movies either. This is not new - but its potential is unlimited.
Friday, November 06, 2009
OBNOXIOUS?
After reading an article referring to obnoxious bloggers calling Obama out for his post election behavior, I thought I'd clarify:
It's not that he hasn't accomplished much. It's that he's shown no real interest in accomplishing what we think needs to be accomplished, has put little effort into what HE thinks needs to be accomplished, and has done a lot of things which utterly contradict what he promised he would do. It's not the lack of accomplishment that's the failure. It's the lack of effort and the embracing of people and theories progressives are naturally going to hate. It's the betrayal that hurts.
It's not that he hasn't accomplished much. It's that he's shown no real interest in accomplishing what we think needs to be accomplished, has put little effort into what HE thinks needs to be accomplished, and has done a lot of things which utterly contradict what he promised he would do. It's not the lack of accomplishment that's the failure. It's the lack of effort and the embracing of people and theories progressives are naturally going to hate. It's the betrayal that hurts.
10 Years Ago Today, Congress Allowed For "Too Big To Fail"
10 Years Ago Today, Congress Allowed For "Too Big To Fail":
"On the 10th anniversary of Congress voting to repeal the law that had long separated Main Street commercial banking from Wall Street investment banking, current members of the body are talking about ways to potentially bring it back. A return to the Depression-era law -- known as Glass-Steagall -- is now being seriously discussed. Some leading economists and financial thinkers point to its repeal as a precipitator of the current crisis, because it enabled banks to become 'too big to fail.'"
Not one word about Obama supporting this.
"On the 10th anniversary of Congress voting to repeal the law that had long separated Main Street commercial banking from Wall Street investment banking, current members of the body are talking about ways to potentially bring it back. A return to the Depression-era law -- known as Glass-Steagall -- is now being seriously discussed. Some leading economists and financial thinkers point to its repeal as a precipitator of the current crisis, because it enabled banks to become 'too big to fail.'"
Not one word about Obama supporting this.
Allen West, GOP Candidate: Ft. Hood Shows "Terrorists Are Infiltrating Military"
Allen West, GOP Candidate: Ft. Hood Shows "Terrorists Are Infiltrating Military":
"Lt. Col. Allen West (Ret), who is running for Congress in Florida's 22nd District, released a statement on Friday morning that heavily insinuated that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan -- the soldier responsible for the Fort Hood killings -- was a Muslim extremist. 'This enemy preys on downtrodden soldiers and teaches them extremism will lift them up,' West said, in a statement titled 'Terrorists Are infiltrating Military'. 'Our soldiers are being brainwashed.'"
Let's take a look at this one. Aside from the fact that there is no evidence yet that Hasan was a Muslim extremist, is West saying that Hasan was preying on other soldiers, or that some group had preyed on him? What does West mean by "infiltrating"? Are there people in the military who are "brainwashing" soldiers, or are these people outside the military who are converting soldiers to their cause? If the former, where's the proof - and if the latter, how is it "infiltration?"
I will give you 100 to 1 that West is an evangelical - because these are the people who see everything in terms of conflict with evil. I'm sure before 9/11 West was looking for Communists in the military - there really is no difference between these two demonizations, and the use of the term "brainwashed" by West proves that he has simply replaced one devil with another.
The 22nd is my district, now represented by Ron Klein. I doubt West can get nominated, but if he does I promise I will do whatever I can to keep Congress safe from another infiltrating enemy.
"Lt. Col. Allen West (Ret), who is running for Congress in Florida's 22nd District, released a statement on Friday morning that heavily insinuated that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan -- the soldier responsible for the Fort Hood killings -- was a Muslim extremist. 'This enemy preys on downtrodden soldiers and teaches them extremism will lift them up,' West said, in a statement titled 'Terrorists Are infiltrating Military'. 'Our soldiers are being brainwashed.'"
Let's take a look at this one. Aside from the fact that there is no evidence yet that Hasan was a Muslim extremist, is West saying that Hasan was preying on other soldiers, or that some group had preyed on him? What does West mean by "infiltrating"? Are there people in the military who are "brainwashing" soldiers, or are these people outside the military who are converting soldiers to their cause? If the former, where's the proof - and if the latter, how is it "infiltration?"
I will give you 100 to 1 that West is an evangelical - because these are the people who see everything in terms of conflict with evil. I'm sure before 9/11 West was looking for Communists in the military - there really is no difference between these two demonizations, and the use of the term "brainwashed" by West proves that he has simply replaced one devil with another.
The 22nd is my district, now represented by Ron Klein. I doubt West can get nominated, but if he does I promise I will do whatever I can to keep Congress safe from another infiltrating enemy.
Unemployment Rate Hits 10 Percent For The First Time Since 1983
Unemployment Rate Hits 10 Percent For The First Time Since 1983
But go ahead and do nothing about it.
But go ahead and do nothing about it.
NOW IT'S NEWS
Robert Cone: Nidal Malik Hasan Shouted "Allahu Akbar" Before Shooting (VIDEO):
"The base commander at Fort Hood says soldiers who witnessed a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead reported that the gunman shouted 'Allahu Akbar!' before opening fire at the Texas post."
I'm suspicious of this one. We'll see.
"The base commander at Fort Hood says soldiers who witnessed a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead reported that the gunman shouted 'Allahu Akbar!' before opening fire at the Texas post."
I'm suspicious of this one. We'll see.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
WHY IS FORT HOOD NEWS?
Is Fort Hood news? Not to me. Not yet, anyway. Let me explain.
News is information relevant to the receiver which will have some effect on what he does or needs to do. For example, if you live in California and your neighbor has threatened to kill you, that is definitely news as far as you're concerned. It may be news to other neighbors, if the conclusion is that the man who made the threat is generally unstable. But to me, in Florida, it is not news. It is simply irrelevant.
Now, if I happen to see a story about your news on TV and find myself engrossed in it, it is still not news to me. It's entertainment. With all that in mind, let's look at Fort Hood.
The story is definitely news to all those directly involved, including those with whom they have important relationships. Beyond that, though, death by itself is not news, except to those who pore through the obits. If death were news, you'd need to hear about all of them.
Some deaths are considered news. But are they? If your local news does a story on a fatal traffic accident involving people you never heard of, why is that news to you? Unless there is something relevant about the way they died - like, for example, some flaw in a highway or a car, or there's alcohol involvement and so a moral to be drawn - you learn nothing useful from the story. It's pure entertainment - a horrible concept, I know, but not much different from Roman times. And if you don't care about the story, it's not even that.
If somebody murders someone in a city near you, that could be news to you if the murderer was loose and targeting people he or she didn't know, or it was a gang killing and some of the gang live in your neighborhood, etc. Short of that, that story is not news to you. If you're fascinated by it, you're being entertained.
Now - do multiple deaths make a story news? Not unless the deaths are relevant to you, or there is a lesson for you to learn. Multiple deaths as news are no different than single deaths. As entertainment sources, they're far superior.
Does the fact that the dead were soldiers make the story news? If the deaths were in combat, yes - because the story impacts on the state of the country of which you are a part. If not, why is it news? Well, if, as many people do, you believe that soldiers are a better, more worthy species of human being - somehow akin to angels - then any soldier death is news. The deaths of angels are always news. I assume this standard would not be applied to the soldier who caused the deaths.
Which brings me to my point: so far, the only smell of news (as opposed to entertainment) in this story for people who do not know the dead or injured rises from the motive of the killer. So far we don't know what that is, but speculation has it that he - a psychiatrist or psychologist who had been treating soldiers returned from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq - heard so many horrifying stories in the course of that treatment that he would rather die than be sent to Iraq, as he was due to be within a month.
So, so far as we know, this story is news because the deaths were motivated by the horrors of war. And the horrors of war is not a story that either the MSM or the power elite want to tell. So, likely, we will never get the news out of this story. We'll have to settle for being entertained.
News is information relevant to the receiver which will have some effect on what he does or needs to do. For example, if you live in California and your neighbor has threatened to kill you, that is definitely news as far as you're concerned. It may be news to other neighbors, if the conclusion is that the man who made the threat is generally unstable. But to me, in Florida, it is not news. It is simply irrelevant.
Now, if I happen to see a story about your news on TV and find myself engrossed in it, it is still not news to me. It's entertainment. With all that in mind, let's look at Fort Hood.
The story is definitely news to all those directly involved, including those with whom they have important relationships. Beyond that, though, death by itself is not news, except to those who pore through the obits. If death were news, you'd need to hear about all of them.
Some deaths are considered news. But are they? If your local news does a story on a fatal traffic accident involving people you never heard of, why is that news to you? Unless there is something relevant about the way they died - like, for example, some flaw in a highway or a car, or there's alcohol involvement and so a moral to be drawn - you learn nothing useful from the story. It's pure entertainment - a horrible concept, I know, but not much different from Roman times. And if you don't care about the story, it's not even that.
If somebody murders someone in a city near you, that could be news to you if the murderer was loose and targeting people he or she didn't know, or it was a gang killing and some of the gang live in your neighborhood, etc. Short of that, that story is not news to you. If you're fascinated by it, you're being entertained.
Now - do multiple deaths make a story news? Not unless the deaths are relevant to you, or there is a lesson for you to learn. Multiple deaths as news are no different than single deaths. As entertainment sources, they're far superior.
Does the fact that the dead were soldiers make the story news? If the deaths were in combat, yes - because the story impacts on the state of the country of which you are a part. If not, why is it news? Well, if, as many people do, you believe that soldiers are a better, more worthy species of human being - somehow akin to angels - then any soldier death is news. The deaths of angels are always news. I assume this standard would not be applied to the soldier who caused the deaths.
Which brings me to my point: so far, the only smell of news (as opposed to entertainment) in this story for people who do not know the dead or injured rises from the motive of the killer. So far we don't know what that is, but speculation has it that he - a psychiatrist or psychologist who had been treating soldiers returned from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq - heard so many horrifying stories in the course of that treatment that he would rather die than be sent to Iraq, as he was due to be within a month.
So, so far as we know, this story is news because the deaths were motivated by the horrors of war. And the horrors of war is not a story that either the MSM or the power elite want to tell. So, likely, we will never get the news out of this story. We'll have to settle for being entertained.
Fort Hood Shootings: 12 Dead, 31 Injured On Texas Military Base
Fort Hood Shootings: 12 Dead, 31 Injured On Texas Military Base
Texas, insanity central, once again. I have my theory on why this happened, but I'm waiting for details.
Texas, insanity central, once again. I have my theory on why this happened, but I'm waiting for details.
Biden: People Have Been Stripped Of Their Dignity
Biden: People Have Been Stripped Of Their Dignity:
"And, unlike so many of the president's other advisers, who have a slight taint of Wall Street to them, he seemed utterly at ease addressing the topic of middle-class struggle. If not for his penchant for verbal gaffes (which is, generally, overstated) Biden would seem to be the ideal spokesperson for an administration trying to rediscover its populist appeal. And it wouldn't be a complete shocker if his public appearances became more frequent going forward."
And then, if Obama is impeached, he gets to be president.
"And, unlike so many of the president's other advisers, who have a slight taint of Wall Street to them, he seemed utterly at ease addressing the topic of middle-class struggle. If not for his penchant for verbal gaffes (which is, generally, overstated) Biden would seem to be the ideal spokesperson for an administration trying to rediscover its populist appeal. And it wouldn't be a complete shocker if his public appearances became more frequent going forward."
And then, if Obama is impeached, he gets to be president.
Federal Reserve Loses Expanded Powers Proposed By Obama Administration
Federal Reserve Loses Expanded Powers Proposed By Obama Administration
Good. This proposal was just another sneak Obama move to help Wall Street.
Good. This proposal was just another sneak Obama move to help Wall Street.
Home / Headlines / No Partner for Peace: Our American Problem - Media Monitors Network (MMN)
Home / Headlines / No Partner for Peace: Our American Problem - Media Monitors Network (MMN)
"The degree to which American policy regarding Palestinian rights diverges so sharply from even that of its European allies, not to mention from the Muslim world with which it is attempting to achieve a modicum of stability and accommodation that will allow it to remove its troops, has implications far beyond that particular conflict itself."
"The degree to which American policy regarding Palestinian rights diverges so sharply from even that of its European allies, not to mention from the Muslim world with which it is attempting to achieve a modicum of stability and accommodation that will allow it to remove its troops, has implications far beyond that particular conflict itself."
Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Make No Mistake, Tuesday's GOP Surge Was About Obama
Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Make No Mistake, Tuesday's GOP Surge Was About Obama
He's got this assbackwards. I doubt there is a progressive left who thinks Obama's charisma is worth a damn. It's just the White House which doesn't seem to get it. Any progressive who is counting on Obama for anything is hopelessly compromised, a victim of the usual media conviction that on the event-o-meter there is no balanced center and every event changes the game to the ultimate. The Republicans are finished? No one believed that but the media guys who, sadly, get to talk about stuff like that. And I guess the advantage to the media of doing that is that once you take the gas tank all the way over to "full", you can thrillingly report how it's going back to "empty." But it MUST go all the way to "empty", so that they get more stories about how it's shocking back toward "full". You can only accomplish that, in the real world, by exaggerating trends.
He's got this assbackwards. I doubt there is a progressive left who thinks Obama's charisma is worth a damn. It's just the White House which doesn't seem to get it. Any progressive who is counting on Obama for anything is hopelessly compromised, a victim of the usual media conviction that on the event-o-meter there is no balanced center and every event changes the game to the ultimate. The Republicans are finished? No one believed that but the media guys who, sadly, get to talk about stuff like that. And I guess the advantage to the media of doing that is that once you take the gas tank all the way over to "full", you can thrillingly report how it's going back to "empty." But it MUST go all the way to "empty", so that they get more stories about how it's shocking back toward "full". You can only accomplish that, in the real world, by exaggerating trends.
Gov. Corzine's N.J. re-election bid nearly abandoned as White House concerns grew | New Jersey Real-Time News - - NJ.com
Gov. Corzine's N.J. re-election bid nearly abandoned as White House concerns grew | New Jersey Real-Time News - - NJ.com
Corzine should have returned the favor and told Obama he ought to resign, for the same reasons. Somebody's going to have to tell Obama not to run in 2012. And that needs to happen soon, so that another candidate can be built.
Corzine should have returned the favor and told Obama he ought to resign, for the same reasons. Somebody's going to have to tell Obama not to run in 2012. And that needs to happen soon, so that another candidate can be built.
Democrats debate Obama agenda's impact on Democratic Party - washingtonpost.com
Democrats debate Obama agenda's impact on Democratic Party - washingtonpost.com
Note: the questioning is happening in Congress, not the White House. And thank God for that.
So-called conventional moderate wisdom will be that the public is afraid of deficit spending, and the White House may seize on that to stop doing the little it is in fact doing to help the middle class.
The public is not afraid of deficit spending. The public has not turned off health care reform. What the public wants is, in fact, progressive results. The public wants health care reform and it wants efforts made to create jobs and to buttress the economic health of others than the wealthy. There's no reason the Democrats can't do both at once. If Democrats focus on deficits nothing will be done.
On job creation, most of the weak ideas being put out there - and there aren't many - involve feeding money to businesses to create jobs. The fairly constant refrain that money should be directed toward infrastructure repair is a stopgap which creates nothing of long term use. The one workable idea of those that are out there now - tax credits for companies which create jobs - should be focused on and passed immediately. But the real accomplishment would be through a Federal jobs creation program, where the middleman is cut out and the money goes directly from the government to the workers. The beauty of this is that the money can be directed towards the creation of jobs which have a future and make sense for the economy as a whole. And the corollary will be that new companies will emerge to take these workers over and off the Federal payroll.
Okay, it's socialism - but it's temporary, and it will work.
The problem is: who's going to propose it and carry it through? Who's got the balls? This is a natural for the president, but Obama's cojones have shriveled into BBs. If health care reform passes, he'll take the credit - but it's Congress that deserves it, not him.
Note: the questioning is happening in Congress, not the White House. And thank God for that.
So-called conventional moderate wisdom will be that the public is afraid of deficit spending, and the White House may seize on that to stop doing the little it is in fact doing to help the middle class.
The public is not afraid of deficit spending. The public has not turned off health care reform. What the public wants is, in fact, progressive results. The public wants health care reform and it wants efforts made to create jobs and to buttress the economic health of others than the wealthy. There's no reason the Democrats can't do both at once. If Democrats focus on deficits nothing will be done.
On job creation, most of the weak ideas being put out there - and there aren't many - involve feeding money to businesses to create jobs. The fairly constant refrain that money should be directed toward infrastructure repair is a stopgap which creates nothing of long term use. The one workable idea of those that are out there now - tax credits for companies which create jobs - should be focused on and passed immediately. But the real accomplishment would be through a Federal jobs creation program, where the middleman is cut out and the money goes directly from the government to the workers. The beauty of this is that the money can be directed towards the creation of jobs which have a future and make sense for the economy as a whole. And the corollary will be that new companies will emerge to take these workers over and off the Federal payroll.
Okay, it's socialism - but it's temporary, and it will work.
The problem is: who's going to propose it and carry it through? Who's got the balls? This is a natural for the president, but Obama's cojones have shriveled into BBs. If health care reform passes, he'll take the credit - but it's Congress that deserves it, not him.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: White House official slams Democratic Cong. Anthony Weiner, saying he should have "manned-up" in
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: White House official slams Democratic Cong. Anthony Weiner, saying he should have "manned-up" in NY Mayor's race. Just sexist or homophobic too?
So the White House gets out to defend the New Jersey governor, a former executive of Goldman Sachs who New Jersey hates. And it lays off Michael Bloomberg. Is the picture clear enough yet? Do we have any remaining doubts as to who this administration works for? Meanwhile Goldman Sachs readies bonuses of $16 billion, four times what they were last year.
We were had. It's our own fault. But I want them to suffer for doing it.
By the way, I have it on inside info - not that anyone needs it - that this kind of attack language is a Rahm Emanuel specialty. To put it mildly, the source said, Rahm is not a nice guy.
The only kind way I can explain Obama is to assume that after the election Rahm gave him a lobotomy, and the only brain function he has left is reading teleprompters.
So the White House gets out to defend the New Jersey governor, a former executive of Goldman Sachs who New Jersey hates. And it lays off Michael Bloomberg. Is the picture clear enough yet? Do we have any remaining doubts as to who this administration works for? Meanwhile Goldman Sachs readies bonuses of $16 billion, four times what they were last year.
We were had. It's our own fault. But I want them to suffer for doing it.
By the way, I have it on inside info - not that anyone needs it - that this kind of attack language is a Rahm Emanuel specialty. To put it mildly, the source said, Rahm is not a nice guy.
The only kind way I can explain Obama is to assume that after the election Rahm gave him a lobotomy, and the only brain function he has left is reading teleprompters.
Mouth Of The Potomac - NY Daily News
Mouth Of The Potomac - NY Daily News:
"Mayor Bloomberg “is an ally,” said one Obama campaign operative who held a top position in the presidential campaign. “He’s an ally, so I’m not sure we would have spent the political capital” to campaign for Thompson, the insider tells The Mouth."
Uh huh. Yep. We know.
"Mayor Bloomberg “is an ally,” said one Obama campaign operative who held a top position in the presidential campaign. “He’s an ally, so I’m not sure we would have spent the political capital” to campaign for Thompson, the insider tells The Mouth."
Uh huh. Yep. We know.
John Varley Defends Bonuses: Profits Are "Not Satanic" Barclays CEO Tells London Church Crowd
John Varley Defends Bonuses: Profits Are "Not Satanic" Barclays CEO Tells London Church Crowd:
"'The injunction of Jesus to love others as ourselves is an endorsement of self-interest.'"
Unfuckingbelievable.
"'The injunction of Jesus to love others as ourselves is an endorsement of self-interest.'"
Unfuckingbelievable.
Goldstone Report "Irredeemably Biased," Says U.S. House
Goldstone Report "Irredeemably Biased," Says U.S. House
I notice AIPAC's influence on Congress has significantly declined of late.
I notice AIPAC's influence on Congress has significantly declined of late.
Sources: Iran gave Hamas missile that can hit Tel Aviv - Haaretz - Israel News
Sources: Iran gave Hamas missile that can hit Tel Aviv - Haaretz - Israel News
Okay, dammit, let's just kill 'em all.
Okay, dammit, let's just kill 'em all.
Hillary Clinton: US Wants Israel To Stop Building West Bank Settlements 'Forever'
Hillary Clinton: US Wants Israel To Stop Building West Bank Settlements 'Forever'
You get the feeling she's just telling everybody what they want to hear? Sort of like her boss?
You get the feeling she's just telling everybody what they want to hear? Sort of like her boss?
Italy Convicts 23 Americans In CIA Terrorist Kidnapping Case
Italy Convicts 23 Americans In CIA Terrorist Kidnapping Case
Oh, jeez, these poor CIA guys - never to have another glass of wine in Portofino!
Oh, jeez, these poor CIA guys - never to have another glass of wine in Portofino!
Depression and suicide rates state by state - USATODAY.com
Depression and suicide rates state by state - USATODAY.com
This is absolutely fascinating. (These are 2007 figures, but what the hell.)
Let's start with suicide rates. They are the highest in (in this order) Alaska, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and West Virginia. See anything interesting here?
They're all red states (except for New Mexico, which must be severely depressed by who its neighbors are, and half of Colorado.) Either there's something fundamentally unsatisfying about living in a red state mindset, or the lone local liberals are killing themselves off.
Just about all of them are politically represented by people with weak connections to reality and a lot of misfocused rage. That in itself would be enough to drive me off a cliff.
Or - though conventional wisdom is that overcrowding leads to suicide, it looks like wide open spaces aren't good for you.
States with the highest rates of depression include:
Oklahoma (James Inhofe is depressing, no doubt about it); and Ohio (a state which has never figured itself out).
New Jersey is the third least depressed state. I don't understand that - after all, it is New Jersey.
South Dakota is the least depressed state, but has the 12th highest suicide rate. I guess when they feel bad in South Dakota, they don't let it fester. As opposed to Rhode Island, which has the fourth highest rate of depression but the fifth lowest suicide rate. If you've ever lived there, you know they glory in misery. They're also not too good at doing something definitive about a bad situation.
The lowest suicide rates are in DC, New York and Massachusetts. That, I assume, is because the folks in those places value themselves so highly they see their suicide as a waste of precious national treasures. Or maybe they just go back where they came from when they want to off themselves. Suicide is not good for your reputation.
Take a look - there's lots more fun stuff to think about.
This is absolutely fascinating. (These are 2007 figures, but what the hell.)
Let's start with suicide rates. They are the highest in (in this order) Alaska, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and West Virginia. See anything interesting here?
They're all red states (except for New Mexico, which must be severely depressed by who its neighbors are, and half of Colorado.) Either there's something fundamentally unsatisfying about living in a red state mindset, or the lone local liberals are killing themselves off.
Just about all of them are politically represented by people with weak connections to reality and a lot of misfocused rage. That in itself would be enough to drive me off a cliff.
Or - though conventional wisdom is that overcrowding leads to suicide, it looks like wide open spaces aren't good for you.
States with the highest rates of depression include:
Oklahoma (James Inhofe is depressing, no doubt about it); and Ohio (a state which has never figured itself out).
New Jersey is the third least depressed state. I don't understand that - after all, it is New Jersey.
South Dakota is the least depressed state, but has the 12th highest suicide rate. I guess when they feel bad in South Dakota, they don't let it fester. As opposed to Rhode Island, which has the fourth highest rate of depression but the fifth lowest suicide rate. If you've ever lived there, you know they glory in misery. They're also not too good at doing something definitive about a bad situation.
The lowest suicide rates are in DC, New York and Massachusetts. That, I assume, is because the folks in those places value themselves so highly they see their suicide as a waste of precious national treasures. Or maybe they just go back where they came from when they want to off themselves. Suicide is not good for your reputation.
Take a look - there's lots more fun stuff to think about.
Mixed Messages | The New Republic
Mixed Messages | The New Republic:
"The center proves to be the most popular place in American politics."
NO NO NO NO NO! Why do these people not get it? I'll answer that, but first:
Polling nationwide shows significant support for a strong public option. Is that a centrist position?
People want the banks brought down to size and controlled. Is that centrist?
People want job creation. Is that centrist?
If any of those were centrist, they would have been accomplished already.
Obama is, being kind, at best centrist, and he's losing support by the bucketful.
And here's the reason these guys don't get it: to them, centrist doesn't mean a balanced political posture. Centrist means what the guys they want to play golf with think. Centrist means a reporter's ticket into the elite. In other words, centrist means squat. And that's what these guys are.
"The center proves to be the most popular place in American politics."
NO NO NO NO NO! Why do these people not get it? I'll answer that, but first:
Polling nationwide shows significant support for a strong public option. Is that a centrist position?
People want the banks brought down to size and controlled. Is that centrist?
People want job creation. Is that centrist?
If any of those were centrist, they would have been accomplished already.
Obama is, being kind, at best centrist, and he's losing support by the bucketful.
And here's the reason these guys don't get it: to them, centrist doesn't mean a balanced political posture. Centrist means what the guys they want to play golf with think. Centrist means a reporter's ticket into the elite. In other words, centrist means squat. And that's what these guys are.
O'Donnell To Steele: "You Led Your Party To A Disastrous Loss... Congratulations" (VIDEO)
O'Donnell To Steele: "You Led Your Party To A Disastrous Loss... Congratulations" (VIDEO)
Michael Steele's status as the reigning Republican boob proves clearly that the powers that be on the right have no long term interest in the fate of the Republican party.
To be honest, and offensive again, I wouldn't be surprised if they saw Steele as some sort of Stepin Fetchit.
Michael Steele's status as the reigning Republican boob proves clearly that the powers that be on the right have no long term interest in the fate of the Republican party.
To be honest, and offensive again, I wouldn't be surprised if they saw Steele as some sort of Stepin Fetchit.
JON STEWART
As usual I can't embed clips from the Daily Show because there's something wrong with the embed code, but check out http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-november-3-2009/indecision-2009---reindecision-2008-and-beyond. It's hysterical.
Gubernatorial contests serve as warning to Democrats - washingtonpost.com
Gubernatorial contests serve as warning to Democrats - washingtonpost.com: "Many of the young voters who came out in big numbers in 2008 and strongly backed Obama stayed home Tuesday. In Virginia, voters under age 30 accounted for 10 percent of the electorate, half the share they represented last year. In New Jersey, their turnout also was halved."
Why is that, does Obama suppose? Disillusionment, perhaps?
All these articles claim that the reason voters moved to the Republicans is that they are concerned about higher taxes and an unbalanced budget. That's pure crap, an expression of the MSM's unquestioning acceptance of conservative thought. If voters believed that deficit spending would benefit them instead of Wall Street, they'd go for it big time. Why wouldn't they? They've gone for it big time in their personal finances. Is it any way believable that people are more concerned about how their kids are going to live twenty years from now than whether they're going to starve to death tomorrow? If Obama actually did anything about taxing the rich - i.e., redistributing the wealth - and putting the receipts on the tables of the middle class, they'd vote for him twice - even the crotchety, delusional old teabag farts. But they'll be damned if they're going to pay for Wall Street bonuses, to put it simplistically and symbolically.
Obama has blown it on purpose. I cannot conceive of a political opportunity being more badly mishandled - or, better put, more purposefully handled so as to destroy that opportunity. It's something to weep over.
Maine Voters First To License Medical Pot Shops
Maine Voters First To License Medical Pot Shops
Ever lived through a Maine winter? Maine has the highest winter suicide rate in the country. No wonder they've licensed medical pot. Soon every Mainer is going to find a way to get sick enough to need medical marijuana. And since they're going to want insurance to pay for it - that would really be sweet, insurance funding your permanent high - Olympia Snowe should take notice that Maine wants universal health insurance coverage. If she stands between a Mainer and his or her dope, they'll throw her into the sea off the cliffs at Cape Elizabeth.
Steele: Election Results Show "Transcendent" GOP
Steele: Election Results Show "Transcendent" GOP: "Steele said he wasn't particularly upset about the GOP's loss in a hotly contested race in upstate New York, saying 'this process is done at the local level. The drama of 23 (district) was nice and is cute and funny and everybody made fun about how the party is fractured.' He said 'we'll have a cleaner process there' in the future.
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said, 'I do think that the Virginia model shows that when we're united as a party, independents are attracted to our message of vision for the future, where we can empower folks to get their economic security back.'"
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said, 'I do think that the Virginia model shows that when we're united as a party, independents are attracted to our message of vision for the future, where we can empower folks to get their economic security back.'"
I don't know whether it helps or not that national Republicans are delusional. From a national perspective, Hughes' win is far more significant that what happened in New Jersey and Virginia; it was a referendum on the current course of the Republican party, i.e. (as Cantor put it) their "vision of the future", while the governors races were referenda on the state of the economy in which neither Republican candidate put forward any ideas on how to improve it. Nor could they have, since the problem is national.
Republicans, as usual, are missing the point. These defeats were the direct result of Obama's failure to succor the middle class. If any ideology or "vision of the future" was judged in these races, it was his. But Republicans are not positioned to take advantage of his failure, because they've done even less than he has. These results are an indictment of laissez faire policy - but the truth is that the voters had and have nowhere to turn to get away from that policy. I don't know what they'll do when they realize that.
Maine Gay Marriage Vote: Voters Repeal Law Legalizing Gay Marriage
Maine Gay Marriage Vote: Voters Repeal Law Legalizing Gay Marriage
The answer? All gays move to Vermont, which suddenly becomes the nation's powerhouse in the arts, fashion, finance, hairdressing, window dressing and all those other stereotypical areas in which gays are supposed to be brilliant - and in fact often are brilliant. The rest of the country withers into dry, sterile, stale, cracked burnt toast.
Election 2009: Virginia, New Jersey Exit Polls - From Obama to the Economy - ABC News
Election 2009: Virginia, New Jersey Exit Polls - From Obama to the Economy - ABC News
What the voters said was that they think Obama is cute, but they don't like the state of the economy, and fixing that is supposed to be Obama's primary task. There isn't much the governor of either state could have done to correct the severe conditions in their states. The bottom line in this vote was disapproval of Obama, and the message is clear: either Obama gets to work or he loses Congress next year.
Michael Roston - Newsbroke – Will Scozzafava protest vote sink Hoffman in New York’s 23rd district? - True/Slant
Michael Roston - Newsbroke – Will Scozzafava protest vote sink Hoffman in New York’s 23rd district? - True/Slant
It did. The Neons stuck their neck out and got their head chopped off. This district went for Obama, but it hadn't elected a Democrat to Congress since the 1870's. This is a direct repudiation by decent people of the totalitarian garbage dragged into their district.
The Neons of course will not get the message, since they aren't programmed to receive incoming information. Things only go out from them, since they are the holders of incontrovertible truth. The sad thing is that when they deny this reality it won't be a tactic for many of them. Uncomfortable facts do not enter their world. They'll stick with it, since it's their mission to beat the devil. I don't know what will ever put an end to them.
But Hoffman won't be invited to any Neon barbecues.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Club for Growth totes up what it did for Hoffman - Capitol Confidential - New York Politics - timesunion.com - Albany NY
New York Mayor Race: Bloomberg, Challenger In Close Contest
New York Mayor Race: Bloomberg, Challenger In Close Contest:
"Thompson was widely predicted to lose by double digits, but he hoped to stoke voter resentment over the way Bloomberg sought a change to the city's term-limits law to stay in office."
Well, I'm not a NY voter, but I sure resented what Bloomberg did. Bloomberg adheres to the Neon philosophy - which is why he felt entitled to a third term despite its illegality - but he hasn't turned it into an ideology, probably for two reasons: 1) he's got a sense of humor, and 2) he doesn't believe he needs God's endorsement since he believes that he is God. He'll want to crush people who oppose him on a deal, but not people who oppose him philosophically. Not that there are many of those left in NYC. That he won the race was inevitable, considering there's no one left in NYC whose fate is not tied to Wall Street's. Jimmie Walker was the right mayor for New York when bootleg liquor was king for the same reason Bloomberg is right when Wall Street is all. He personifies NYC. Still, I wish Thompson had kicked his teeth in.
Trouble Ahead: Can the Right Seize the Banking Reform Issue in 2010? � New Deal 2.0
Trouble Ahead: Can the Right Seize the Banking Reform Issue in 2010? � New Deal 2.0
If the Neons are who I expect they are, they could not make this pitch honestly - they'd be eating their own. But they could make the pitch as dishonestly as Obama did - and win the same results. Spitzer is mostly right.
Wall Street Cries ‘Feed Me’ or World Will End: Susan Antilla - Bloomberg.com
Wall Street Cries ‘Feed Me’ or World Will End: Susan Antilla - Bloomberg.com
The Neon mentality - but I suspect most of these guys have not signed onto the program yet, because they're much too sophisticated to fall for that religious stuff.
They'll get in line when push comes to shove.
ONE TERM
Polls in which voters say that their vote was not a referendum on Obama are misleading. Their votes - and particularly independent votes - were a referendum on the lack of progress the middle class has made this year. And that is entirely Obama's fault. Pelosi and Reid have busted their asses - so far as they are capable - to get things done. Obama has sat on his. So if people are not satisfied with the state of affairs, sooner or later they will realize it is Obama they are not satisfied with. I think he's a one term president. He's made the statement that he wouldn't mind being a one term president if that was the consequence of his getting big things done. I wonder how he'll feel about being a one term president who got nothing done.
LET ME JUST THROW THIS OUTLANDISH STATEMENT OUT THERE
If predictions about major US demographic changes are correct - the decline in the age of the population and the growth of minority communities - the Neon putsch window closes around 2016.
Just something to keep in mind.
VA exit polls: Dems 94-6 Deeds. GOPers 95-5 McDonnell. Indies 60-39% McDonnell.
I wasn't following this race, so I don't know the local factors - but the huge independent majority for the Republican parallels Obama's drop in polls and is in both cases, I think, entirely due to Obama's behavior. Here is a guy who is destroying progressive chances for decades - and doing it willingly. How anyone - right or left - can have any remaining respect for him is over my head.
Club for Growth Is on Hunt for Republicans Who ‘Don’t Fit the Bill’ - Washington Wire - WSJ
Club for Growth Is on Hunt for Republicans Who ‘Don’t Fit the Bill’ - Washington Wire - WSJ
The Club for Growth is Neon Central.
NY-23: [UPDATE] Hoffman Accuses Democrats of ‘Stealing the Election’ � The Washington Independent
NY-23: [UPDATE] Hoffman Accuses Democrats of ‘Stealing the Election’ � The Washington Independent
Like I said - low-level Neon. Would not be invited to C-list barbecues.
2theadvocate.com | Legislature & Politics | Lawyer: Jindal ‘crippled’ La. ethics — Baton Rouge, LA
2theadvocate.com | Legislature & Politics | Lawyer: Jindal ‘crippled’ La. ethics — Baton Rouge, LA
Bobby Jindal - there's a guy who desperately wants to be a Neon. I bet they don't let him in.
This is from MoveOn.org:
Hi,
Here's the nightmare scenario: One Democratic senator joins Republicans to filibuster and 2009 becomes just another year when health care reform failed.
But if thousands of us make it clear that we'd support a primary challenge to that senator, and Democratic senators know it, we might just be able to keep this nightmare scenario from ever coming to pass.
I just pledged to support a primary challenge if it comes to that, and it's critical that all of us who would, say it now. Will you join me?
http://pol.moveon.org/hc_fund/?r_by=17787-8429760-xARjL.x&rc=paste
Thanks!
Here's the nightmare scenario: One Democratic senator joins Republicans to filibuster and 2009 becomes just another year when health care reform failed.
But if thousands of us make it clear that we'd support a primary challenge to that senator, and Democratic senators know it, we might just be able to keep this nightmare scenario from ever coming to pass.
I just pledged to support a primary challenge if it comes to that, and it's critical that all of us who would, say it now. Will you join me?
http://pol.moveon.org/hc_fund/?r_by=17787-8429760-xARjL.x&rc=paste
Thanks!
Considering what I have been writing about, MoveOn is one of the few organizations standing in the way of the Neon agenda. If you agree with their targeted efforts (and I do, in this case), you ought to support them.
IT'S ALL ABOUT POWER
It's time to try to understand the Neon philosophy. And as far as I can see, its basis is that those who have power should be entitled to exercise it for their own benefit without restriction and without having to consider the interests of those who don't. It's a simplistic reading of Ayn Rand, social Darwinism at its most extreme. Whether it's to be used to impose religious or other social beliefs or to enhance Neon financial resources, the exercise of power is actually all it is about.
It goes somewhat beyond that, I guess, in that it is also determined to slap down and grind under - and ultimately, perhaps, to kill - anyone who thinks or advocates otherwise. In other words, it is not just a pragmatic movement determined to hold and use power but also a movement which has devised an ideology to support that intent. It has convinced itself that it is correct - whether by God's standards or any other - and that a view contrary to anything it professes is not just dangerous but evil itself. This certainty immunizes it from any pangs of conscience or any rules of morality which it does not wish to apply. The full extent of its contemplations runs to the matter of how to keep and enhance its power, and to prevent any persons - such as unions - who by agglomeration of the non-powerful create power in themselves from standing in the way of the true elite. In the past this has been accomplished in part by coopting union leaders, who could be considered as having power in the same sense that industry leaders do. That is no longer the case - that kind of power is to be destroyed, because it's based on a dangerously democratic principle.
I have been characterizing this point of view as corporatist, but I think it is becoming more personal now, and that corporations are simply tools to be used by the elite to accomplish their own elevation. I'm not sure even they understand that yet, but if you consider that, for example, huge pay to executives is actually anti-corporatist since it unreasonably takes money away from shareholders, you begin to see that Neonism is not about corporations at all. It is about individual, dictatorial power - at a minimum, the reinstatement of nobility. And considering the religious overtones to all of this, it is not a stretch to predict the return of the divine right of kings.
We are seeing the re-feudalization of the world.
Lest it be argued that this can't be so because there is a track for the powerless to join the power elite - Sarah Palin being a perfect example - I would point out that in feudal days that track also existed: service to a noble often resulted in the conferring of nobility.
Neons spread this ideology down through the masses of people who have no power and whose interests the Neons oppose - without these masses being aware of that opposition. What that does is create sympathy for and agreement with the power elite's grabbing and holding as much cash as possible. Typical totalitarian use of propaganda. Very effective from what I see.
For so long as the Republican Party remains the protector of Neon interests - and I do not think that will continue much longer - Neon leaders have convinced party members to resist political action which stands in their way. Republican Congressmen oppose everything for the simple reason that Neons believe that those congresspeople who advocate for democratic interests have no business interfering with Neon power. I suspect all Republican politicians live in anticipation of being elevated into the Neon elite. Most of them won't be, but you can't blame them for trying. Some of them may actually understand that what is being attempted is the utter reversal of Runnymede.
It's important to understand that prospective Neons are not just those who have been active in Republican affairs. If the goal is to establish an unfettered nobility, there will be plenty of people who wield power in plenty of areas who will be looking for admission to the club. They include, particularly, members of the press and some Democratic politicians (and I don't mean just Blue Dogs, but people like Chuck Schumer), and that is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of all of this. Considering how Obama has been behaving, I wouldn't rule him out either.
I know it sounds simplistic, but it has to be true. It's entirely unAmerican when you consider democratic ideals, but entirely American when you consider history. I'm going to try to focus on proving this point.
It goes somewhat beyond that, I guess, in that it is also determined to slap down and grind under - and ultimately, perhaps, to kill - anyone who thinks or advocates otherwise. In other words, it is not just a pragmatic movement determined to hold and use power but also a movement which has devised an ideology to support that intent. It has convinced itself that it is correct - whether by God's standards or any other - and that a view contrary to anything it professes is not just dangerous but evil itself. This certainty immunizes it from any pangs of conscience or any rules of morality which it does not wish to apply. The full extent of its contemplations runs to the matter of how to keep and enhance its power, and to prevent any persons - such as unions - who by agglomeration of the non-powerful create power in themselves from standing in the way of the true elite. In the past this has been accomplished in part by coopting union leaders, who could be considered as having power in the same sense that industry leaders do. That is no longer the case - that kind of power is to be destroyed, because it's based on a dangerously democratic principle.
I have been characterizing this point of view as corporatist, but I think it is becoming more personal now, and that corporations are simply tools to be used by the elite to accomplish their own elevation. I'm not sure even they understand that yet, but if you consider that, for example, huge pay to executives is actually anti-corporatist since it unreasonably takes money away from shareholders, you begin to see that Neonism is not about corporations at all. It is about individual, dictatorial power - at a minimum, the reinstatement of nobility. And considering the religious overtones to all of this, it is not a stretch to predict the return of the divine right of kings.
We are seeing the re-feudalization of the world.
Lest it be argued that this can't be so because there is a track for the powerless to join the power elite - Sarah Palin being a perfect example - I would point out that in feudal days that track also existed: service to a noble often resulted in the conferring of nobility.
Neons spread this ideology down through the masses of people who have no power and whose interests the Neons oppose - without these masses being aware of that opposition. What that does is create sympathy for and agreement with the power elite's grabbing and holding as much cash as possible. Typical totalitarian use of propaganda. Very effective from what I see.
For so long as the Republican Party remains the protector of Neon interests - and I do not think that will continue much longer - Neon leaders have convinced party members to resist political action which stands in their way. Republican Congressmen oppose everything for the simple reason that Neons believe that those congresspeople who advocate for democratic interests have no business interfering with Neon power. I suspect all Republican politicians live in anticipation of being elevated into the Neon elite. Most of them won't be, but you can't blame them for trying. Some of them may actually understand that what is being attempted is the utter reversal of Runnymede.
It's important to understand that prospective Neons are not just those who have been active in Republican affairs. If the goal is to establish an unfettered nobility, there will be plenty of people who wield power in plenty of areas who will be looking for admission to the club. They include, particularly, members of the press and some Democratic politicians (and I don't mean just Blue Dogs, but people like Chuck Schumer), and that is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of all of this. Considering how Obama has been behaving, I wouldn't rule him out either.
I know it sounds simplistic, but it has to be true. It's entirely unAmerican when you consider democratic ideals, but entirely American when you consider history. I'm going to try to focus on proving this point.
Doug Hoffman Calls Glenn Beck His Mentor (VIDEO)
Doug Hoffman Calls Glenn Beck His Mentor (VIDEO)
Since I have launched on the project of describing a totalitarian movement which is even now crawling out of the primordial ooze in an evolution towards consummate power, and since that story will be with us for years to come, I have to have a name for them. I think I'll call them Neons.
So - is Hoffman a Neon? That is, is he a party member? Probably, but at a very low level. He doesn't look like a very bright man (doesn't look like he's had sex for a long time, either). In Nazidom he would have been a very minor backbencher, maybe an SA Scharfuhrer, the kind who have a strong allegiance but little to contribute. Check this out to discover exactly the nonentity he is. He's the kind of guy who believes that the world was made for big money people, and no doubt sees himself as one of them. Does he fully understand what he's involved with? I don't know, but truthfully, who would bother to tell him? He'll just follow along behind his mentor Glenn Beck.
Here's the real question: Is Beck a Neon? That will take some thinking about. But I guarantee that within this list of Hoffman endorsers are some high-ranking Neons.
Since I have launched on the project of describing a totalitarian movement which is even now crawling out of the primordial ooze in an evolution towards consummate power, and since that story will be with us for years to come, I have to have a name for them. I think I'll call them Neons.
So - is Hoffman a Neon? That is, is he a party member? Probably, but at a very low level. He doesn't look like a very bright man (doesn't look like he's had sex for a long time, either). In Nazidom he would have been a very minor backbencher, maybe an SA Scharfuhrer, the kind who have a strong allegiance but little to contribute. Check this out to discover exactly the nonentity he is. He's the kind of guy who believes that the world was made for big money people, and no doubt sees himself as one of them. Does he fully understand what he's involved with? I don't know, but truthfully, who would bother to tell him? He'll just follow along behind his mentor Glenn Beck.
Here's the real question: Is Beck a Neon? That will take some thinking about. But I guarantee that within this list of Hoffman endorsers are some high-ranking Neons.
Catholic pastors directed to distribute anti-health reform materials at mass � Colorado Independent
Catholic pastors directed to distribute anti-health reform materials at mass � Colorado Independent
I dunno. I can't quit the church, because I never was in it. I can't quit the Republicans, same reason. I never belonged to AIPAC or the ADL. There are a long list of mistakes I never made (along with the really bad ones I did.) But I am deprived of effective protest.
There's only one thing I joined that I can quit and make a statement. That's the Obama fan club, and I am OUT. And you know what they say, the worst critics are converts. I'm like an ex-smoker - I can't stand to be in the room with any Obama news.
I dunno. I can't quit the church, because I never was in it. I can't quit the Republicans, same reason. I never belonged to AIPAC or the ADL. There are a long list of mistakes I never made (along with the really bad ones I did.) But I am deprived of effective protest.
There's only one thing I joined that I can quit and make a statement. That's the Obama fan club, and I am OUT. And you know what they say, the worst critics are converts. I'm like an ex-smoker - I can't stand to be in the room with any Obama news.
"Sarah From Alaska" Book: McCain Turned Lights Out On Palin In "Civil War" (VIDEO)
"Sarah From Alaska" Book: McCain Turned Lights Out On Palin In "Civil War" (VIDEO):
"On CBS' 'Early Show,' authors Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe said there was a 'remarkable internal war' at the end of the campaign between Palin and McCain's teams when the VP candidate was told she could not deliver a concession speech. 'Governor Palin tried to create some confusion' so that she would be able to speak, but she ultimately failed. 'It really turned into an all-out civil war,' Walshe said. On election night, Palin went back out onstage to take pictures with her family and McCain's staff was so terrified that she would give a speech after all that they turned out the lights on her."
Put this with this. It's where it belongs.
"On CBS' 'Early Show,' authors Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe said there was a 'remarkable internal war' at the end of the campaign between Palin and McCain's teams when the VP candidate was told she could not deliver a concession speech. 'Governor Palin tried to create some confusion' so that she would be able to speak, but she ultimately failed. 'It really turned into an all-out civil war,' Walshe said. On election night, Palin went back out onstage to take pictures with her family and McCain's staff was so terrified that she would give a speech after all that they turned out the lights on her."
Put this with this. It's where it belongs.
WHERE'S THE HEART?
Here's the lyric to Tweet's new record. What he sings about is what he talks about on this site - understand that the lover is Obama, and it becomes clear:
When I met you
You looked in my eyes, and you said
"Trust me, baby,
I will never tell lies,
And I will always love you."
And I said: "How do you know?"
And you said: "I can feel it.
My heart tells me so."
So I gave my life to you,
Put you on top.
I know when you started lyin',
Tell me when are you gonna stop?
Where's the heart?
Where's the heart?
All the love's gone flat
Baby, you did that
Where's the heart?
Where's the heart?
I know where the head is at
Where's the heart?
We used to say "Love is what the world needs today"
And we believed that we could show them the way
We used to sing: "Come on, people, now,
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another"
We said: "Do unto others
As you want them to do to you"
And now it's:
"What's in my bank account?"
And: "Who's doin' what to who?"
Where's the heart?
Where's the heart?
All the love's gone flat
Why did we do that?
Where's the heart?
Where's the heart?
I know where the head is at
Where's the heart?
We let the lovin' slip away
With no regret
Now it's too hard to remember
Too easy to forget
Copyright 2009 Aram Schefrin
WHY CALL THEM NAZIS?
By the way, I'd like to point out, re my analogizing of the current situation to the rise of Nazidom, that by attacking everyone and anyone as Nazis, the teabaggers have effectively eliminated the possibility of making a legitimate and important comparison between the Nazis and anything current. I believe that was intentional. Knowing that those comparisons are valid with regard to the new right movement, its leaders effectively took away one of the few tools - history - by which what's going on can be understood. Yet another brilliant propaganda and strategy move.
SLIGHT CHANGE OF EMPHASIS
The issue at Boston's Tea Party was taxation without representation. Taxation without representation = loss of freedom. But the current teabaggers see it a little differently: i.e., taxation = loss of freedom. But absence of taxation is a "freedom" they can't lose, because they never had it.
What this amounts to is a complete negation of the entire concept of governance, particularly democratic governance. It is a declaration of anomie, possibly tending toward anarchy. It is the ultimate statement that "no one matters but me and I'm damned if anyone else is going to benefit from my money." It is the end of the social contract.
But when the totalitarians take over, they'll get your money, folks. They just won't call it taxing. Of course, they could run their government - unnecessary as you think it is - off expropriating the assets of people you hate, for a while. That wouldn't cost you anything. But you know, you can't finance an army off hair and gold teeth. Sooner or later you'll have to recognize that you either hide away from everyone or pay your fair share.
What this amounts to is a complete negation of the entire concept of governance, particularly democratic governance. It is a declaration of anomie, possibly tending toward anarchy. It is the ultimate statement that "no one matters but me and I'm damned if anyone else is going to benefit from my money." It is the end of the social contract.
But when the totalitarians take over, they'll get your money, folks. They just won't call it taxing. Of course, they could run their government - unnecessary as you think it is - off expropriating the assets of people you hate, for a while. That wouldn't cost you anything. But you know, you can't finance an army off hair and gold teeth. Sooner or later you'll have to recognize that you either hide away from everyone or pay your fair share.
Arianna Huffington: Obama One Year Later: The Audacity of Winning vs. The Timidity of Governing
Arianna Huffington: Obama One Year Later: The Audacity of Winning vs. The Timidity of Governing
"Early in the book, Plouffe describes a tense meeting with the candidate in April 2007, after it became clear that Obama was having a hard time connecting with voters turning out to see him. Ax, Plouffe, and Peter Rouse were brutally honest with him. And the candidate agreed about the need "to find his authentic voice and reconnect with the fundamental concerns that drew him into the race in the first place. He had run to challenge the bankrupt and conventional politics of Washington, not master it."
"Then there was the senior staff meeting after their dismal showing in Pennsylvania, where Obama announced: "I want us to get our mojo back. We've got to remember who we are.""
"Then there was the senior staff meeting after their dismal showing in Pennsylvania, where Obama announced: "I want us to get our mojo back. We've got to remember who we are.""
You forget "who you are" when it's something you're not - when it's a fancy outfit you put on to go out dancin' with the public. You don't need to find your authentic voice if you actually have one - particularly if your entire success is derived from speaking and writing.
Arianna's plea here - though she doesn't know it - is for Obama to come out and feed us more bullshit. Thankfully, he's pretty much stopped doing that. The early days of frequent speeches and appearances seem to be over - either because he no longer has to bullshit us because he's busy accomplishing what he wants to behind the scenes, or he knows we won't believe him. Since bullshit is his strength, he weakens if he disdains it. I suspect Obama is on a long downhill electoral slide. But he will have done his damage long before 2012.
TUESDAYS WITH DIOGENES (11/3/09)
7.
“So why are you obsessed with her?” he asked me, the following Tuesday.
“Because I can’t have her, of course.”
“You want her because you can’t have her. Do you know how stupid that sounds?”
“That’s the definition of obsession,” I pointed out.
“So because you can define it, it’s okay?”
I had to admit to myself that it was ridiculous.
“Would you want her if you could have her?”
“Sure. Once, anyway.”
“So you torture yourself over one impossible night in bed?”
“It’s not torture. And who knows, I might want more.”
“So you like the agony,” he said, “of not getting what you want?”
“Yeah,” I grinned. “Obsession is kind of fun.”
He sighed. “Okay, then you’re not obsessed. So we don’t have to deal with that.”
“No?”
“No. You’re not in the moment. But you probably never will be. You are masochistic – but I ain’t a shrink. Anyway, I’ve got a job for you.”
“What job?”
“Hang on there a moment, Bentley, huh?”
He went into his tube, and came back a moment later with a flashlight. He checked to see that it worked, and handed it to me.
“You want me to fix some plumbing?” I said. “Or do a B & E?”
“Here’s your mission, cowboy,” he said, without a hint of humor. “Go out tonight in
“Huh?”
“Not something that looks like a human being. Find an actual human.”
“I don’t get it,” I grumbled.
“By the end of the night, you will. And hey, if you lose my flashlight, I’m gonna be really pissed.”
Copyright 2009 Aram Schefrin
Monday, November 02, 2009
White House Quietly Working To Weaken Investor Protection
White House Quietly Working To Weaken Investor Protection
They're not even trying to hide it any more.
NY-23: 95 Percent of Hoffman Cash From Out of District � The Washington Independent
NY-23: 95 Percent of Hoffman Cash From Out of District � The Washington Independent
Find out who the donors are and you have a window into the totalitarian movement.
AMERICAblog Gay | A great people deserve their rights: OFA tells Mainers to get out and vote without mentioning anti-gay ballot measure
RJ Eskow: Time to Kill the Pseudo-Public Option -- and Other Things to Tell Your Representative
RJ Eskow: Time to Kill the Pseudo-Public Option -- and Other Things to Tell Your Representative
And suppose this candidate was in the pocket of the health care industry, too.
Why is it that the only people taking a beating from Obama are the progressives who elected him? Why did he go after the unionized industries to the benefit of Wall Street and the detriment of unions?
Drew Westen: Leadership, Obama Style
Drew Westen: Leadership, Obama Style
Suppose there is a corollary to what I've been writing about Palinism.
Suppose money Republicans - those who have no ideology except their own bottom line - recognized that they were going to lose control of the Republican party, and that the Republican party was going to lose control of the nation. And suppose they decided to capture the Democratic party at the moment it was headed for triumph by sneaking in a tremendously attractive candidate who was dedicated to Wall Street's success. Someone who could snoggle liberals like Palin snoggles conservatives. A mirror image, in fact.
Suppose while the word was out that this candidate was being funded by small donations, the truth is that Wall Street funded his campaign. Suppose it was agreed between the candidate and Wall Street that he could preach whatever would work for him, and that he could make any changes that would pacify liberals without affecting in any way Wall Street's control.
That's what we got, ain't it?
Senate climate bill faces challenges - washingtonpost.com
Senate climate bill faces challenges - washingtonpost.com
The politician does not exist who will risk his or her own ass to do what is right. Not only will this legislation not happen, but no international effort to alter global warming will ever have any effect. Nothing that's been proposed - cap and trade, for instance - makes any sense anyway. The only thing that will work is a complete cessation of the production of the gases that heat the atmosphere.
There is a tacit recognition out there - or maybe an ignorant understanding - that global warming will be good for some places. Maybe all the Miami Beach hotels will move to Detroit, so why would Detroit want to stop global warming? The fact that Miami Beach will be underwater does not impact thinking in Florida. Why? Because no one cares what Florida is like twenty years from now. By that time, they'll all have made their bucks and moved out of the state. And those who haven't? They've got cars. They can go somewhere else when they have to.
The problem with this sort of thinking (aside from the fact that it isn't thinking) is that it's entirely short-sighted. Maybe the fact that it's warmer in Detroit releases some disease that hits the area like the plague. Maybe there's no one left to go to the newly-moved hotels. Maybe someone ought to think about that.
Which is why I proposed a while ago that global warming thinking shift from stopping it - which won't happen - to accommodating it - i.e., telling us what's going to happen where, and where we should figure to be living 20 years from now, if there is any such place left. That would be useful stuff as opposed to these discussions about the impossible.
Palin, Tea-Partiers Focus On New Jersey's Gubernatorial Race
Palin, Tea-Partiers Focus On New Jersey's Gubernatorial Race
When Palin quit the Alaskan governorship, pundits were mystified. They should not have been.
What Palin did was a hugely symbolic act which declared the initiation of a new movement outside of (and with no tolerance for) the Republican party, a movement which is ideologically pure and is moving toward dominance of America, whether inside or out of customary political activity. And the fact that she either chose or was chosen to be the voice and the first focus of this huge development is evidence of how important she is, or is thought to be.
The radical right is preparing for a takeover, and Sarah Palin wants to be the Hitler of the American right.
The ignorami will complain that I've said a horrible thing. But I'm only bringing history into the picture.
The initial stirrings of teabagger hatred during the campaign had to have been noticed by Palin or the minds behind her. They would have identified her as the face for the new movement represented by that free-flowing animus. As a matter of fact, I don't believe Palin's selection as a candidate was casual or the result of the usual political calculation. I think whoever was then behind her maneuvered McCain to put her on the ticket. I think those people knew McCain was going to lose, and wanted to test-market Palin as a demagogue. She proved herself brilliant at it, and the fact that she lost the campaign for McCain (if she did) didn't matter to her people, who had already given up on the Republican party because its nomination of McCain proved it to be criminally impure. They got what they wanted out of the campaign, and they've been using it ever since.
Now Palin is building on what she had created. So, while the new movement is being constructed, she dissociates from the Republicans, puts out a book and makes speeches to keep her visible until the moment she could do more.
Compare: After Hitler's putsch failed, he put out a book (Mein Kampf) in which he extolled himself as the perfect leader for the German right. He kept visible making speeches and taking political positions while the new Nazi party built its organization and enhanced its power base.
I see no difference here from what Palin is doing. Like Hitler, Palin is immensely popular among the base of this nascent party and is regarded - by them - as being a compelling speaker. Whether Palin can play the intellectual role that Hitler did in orchestrating the Nazi rise is doubtful, so I don't think that when the time comes for there to be a fuhrer that she will be it. Because she has a commanding ego and undoubtedly views herself as the leader of this new movement, it's likely she'll wind up like Trotsky with a hatchet in her head. But I could be misjudging her completely; she could possibly have the intellectual capacity to play a major part in party construction.
In her resignation speech, commonly described as "rambling" (a term very often applied to Hitler's speeches), she said the following:
"You can choose to engage in things that tear down, or build up. I choose to work very hard on a path for fruitfulness and productivity. I choose NOT to tear down and waste precious time; but to build UP this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people! Life is too short to compromise time and resources... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and "go with the flow". Nah, only dead fish "go with the flow". No. Productive, fulfilled people determine where to put their efforts, choosing to wisely utilize precious time... to BUILD UP. And there is such a need to BUILD up and FIGHT for our state and our country. I choose to FIGHT for it! And I'll work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and LIFE... I'll work for and campaign for those PROUD to be American, and those who are INSPIRED by our ideals and won't deride them. I WILL support others who seek to serve, in or out of office, for the RIGHT reasons, and I don't care what party they're in or no party at all. Inside Alaska - or Outside Alaska. But I won't do it from the Governor's desk. I've never believed that I, nor anyone else, needs a title to do this - to make a difference... to HELP people. So I choose, for my State and my family, more "freedom" to progress, all the way around... so that Alaska may progress... I will not seek re-election as Governor. My choice is to take a stand and effect change - not hit our heads against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new environment. Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities - and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans. ... My decision was also fortified during this most recent trip to Kosovo and Landstuhl, to visit our wounded soldiers overseas, those who sacrifice themselves in war for OUR freedom and security... we can ALL learn from our selfless Troops... they're bold, they don't give up, they take a stand and know that LIFE is short so they choose to NOT waste time. They choose to be productive and to serve something greater than SELF... and to build up their families, their states, our country. These Troops and their important missions - those are truly the worthy causes in this world and should be the public priority with time and resources and NOT this local / superficial wasteful political bloodsport."
Not only is the speech Hitlerian in many many ways, but it is also - as Palin said it was - an honest declaration of her intent. In it she tells us exactly what she is going to do, and in fact has now done in upstate New York.
Not only is the speech Hitlerian in many many ways, but it is also - as Palin said it was - an honest declaration of her intent. In it she tells us exactly what she is going to do, and in fact has now done in upstate New York.
The press is baffled by why this race in a historically Republican district became such a focus for Palinites. But it is an obvious follow-on to Palin's resignation. Democrats are thrilled that Scozzafava has endorsed the Democrat. What they need to understand is that they are watching the destruction of the two party system, and the setting up of an epic battle between a political group (Democrats) which can't agree on anything and a new power element which is in harmony to the nth degree and which will not confine its effectiveness to politics.
Palin is doing what she said she would do (the radical right is not shy about declaring its intentions; and, because they are dogma, you can expect them to be pursued). Those who chose not to believe her or not to understand her missed what may turn out to be the biggest story of the coming years.
There is wisdom to what she's doing. They recognize that a tremendous populist backlash against both parties is building, and they are positioning themselves to take advantage of it and direct it into a pre-totalitarian path. While the backlash on the left is being ignored by Democrats, Palinites may capture some of it - but it is more likely that because they have a jump on the phenomenon, they will be able to devalue or even crush any populist movement arising from the left. Lest you think this is peculiar thinking, I remind you that that is what the Nazis did to the Communists.
Bottom line: if the backlash continues to expand - and there is no reason to assume it will not - Obama may be our last democratically elected president. And, since much of the backlash is rightly directed at him, if that happens, he'll be to blame for it. I'm nominating him right now as the worst president we've ever had, because he raised false hopes to such a height, and the collapse of those hopes often leads to the erasure of democracy. And I know he did it on purpose, but I haven't yet concluded that he wanted to destroy us - I think he just wanted to protect his friends. So, soon it will be demagogue against demagogue. By that time, we will already have lost it all.
It is not a stretch to say that we are in a pre-totalitarian state. It only seems like a stretch because as usual America will not contemplate what is too awful to contemplate. But the language out there is entirely totalitarian, and what was once thought of by Tom Delay as the goal of a permanent Republican majority is now being thought of as the goal of a permanent radical majority. Hard to believe, but Tom Delay was a weakling to these folks. And permanent government is totalitarian. So when they tell you what they want - and they always do - you ought to listen, not laugh.
Anyway, this is what it's about. Real radical rightists know it, and you will be able to tell who they are by who aligns early with what began as the teabagger movement (as opposed to those sad Johnny-come-lately's whose political stance is dictated by their own survival needs and not party ideology). Watch who builds on the Scozzafava victory.
'Change is hard': Obama one year on from election - Yahoo! News
'Change is hard': Obama one year on from election - Yahoo! News
Particularly if the president is opposing it.
Dylan Ratigan: Why Keep Geithner?
Dylan Ratigan: Why Keep Geithner?
What this question really asks is: why keep Obama?
So - what's the answer?
White House Pushing To Get Dede Scozzafava's Endorsement For Dem (UPDATED)
White House Pushing To Get Dede Scozzafava's Endorsement For Dem (UPDATED)
This does not improve the situation of the Democrat in the race. What it does do is confirm the totalitarianization of the Republican party. As this continues to happen, the importance of knowing who is actually running that party - as opposed to the goober faces speaking for it - becomes criticial.
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