Ya know, tweeting is MUCH easier than this whole blog thing. But I feel remiss in my duties, so... Great piece from Representative Keith Ellison on the class warfare that is the GOP tax policy. On the same subject, sorta, is this great piece on what the real problem is (hint: it's the capitalism, stupid!)... And here's a trenchant piece from Robert Creamer on the absurdity of the current Republican argument for re-electing them because, essentially, the Democrats have not cleaned up the mess that they created fast enough. And you watch. Americans will do it. They believe that Americans should have voted Republicans back into Congress in 1934 and replaced FDR with Hoover in 1936. Because the New Deal "didn't work".
And, just so that none of us gets the idea that any amount of facts might penetrate the fantasy world of the tea partiers/Foxaholics, here's a piece on why that quaint little notion is doomed to failure. There. I've blogged. Happy?
15 July 2010
11 September 2009
Obama Doesn't Just Defend the (pretty lame) Healthcare Plan...
But defends liberalism itself and the power of government as a good. Wow. Worth watching.
21 February 2009
Finally! The Villagers Hear the Truth.
This guy is my new hero. I mean, seriously, when did the American worker become such a sheep and fall for this Fox news stuff? ALL of us should be speaking this way! What is WRONG with us?!?!? Note the utter perplexity of the Fox guy. He literally cannot believe what he is hearing. Priceless expression. And you KNOW the conversation after the cameras stopped rolling... "who let THAT guy on the air?!?!?!"
03 November 2008
What is There Left to Do But Weep...?
And pray that Americans can find it in themselves to vote their hopes and not their fears. When have you EVER seen a politician elicit such responses from people? I know I've never felt this way. Americans are dying for leadership. For inspiration. Deep down, we're all afraid to even believe in anything. We're afraid of being played. Of being disappointed. Yet we're letting ourselves fall anyway. For Obama...all I can say is, godspeed. As someone at huffpost said, be well, be well. Thank you 'Toot', rest in peace, your work is done.
On election eve, this gentleman gives me comfort in the face of my election anxiety. After all of the horrible videos of rabid proto-fascists at Palin rallies, all I can say is, THIS is what Obama's campaign has always been about. This man represents the America I grew up to believe in.
11 October 2008
06 October 2008
Dodgy Debt... or, How is it Possible that British Comediens Really Did Get the Credit Crisis Right???
Remember my link to this great little piece of "comedy" about the sub-prime crisis? Turns out, it was as accurate as an investigative report at "60 Minutes". God help us all...
Watch CBS Videos Online
Watch CBS Videos Online
28 September 2008
Maybe We Should... Talk About the Weather...
Some truly amazing, beautiful, and inspiring pics from the Obama blog from a campaign event in Virginia. Check out the local news coverage of the event. Good good stuff. I refuse to write that I'm starting to feel a little optimistic. I'm NOT writing that. Not me. Nope.
22 September 2008
What They've Done to My Country, or, 'It's the De-Regulation, Stupid!' ...Rant Beginning in 5, 4, 3, 2...
So, I'm watching this heart wrenching video of the brilliant Leonard Slatkin conducting the BBC Orchestra in Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings", which juxtaposes images of 9-11, and, seeing those buildings coming down... it occurs to me... What's going on right now is financial terrorism. I'm seeing bank buildings crumbling to the ground in my head. I'm seeing what will be the utterly bewildered looks of horror and incomprehension that will be on people's faces when the fall comes. I'm seeing all hope for future plans to make the government work for the people - with healthcare, education... just, evaporate into thin air under a mountain of debt. What better way to stop national healthcare in its tracks? Make it impossible for anyone to even seriously consider it, now that we own the garbage left in the wake of Milton Friedman, Grover Norquist, and their Republican ilk.
CNN has a headline: "GOP takes brunt of blame on economy, poll says"... which should conceivable make me happy, because, despite the Republicans' sudden shedding of their uniforms and attempts to disown this entirely predictable outcome of their de-regulatory ideology, apparently, Americans aren't falling for it. Good. It's the "GOP's" fault!
Really? Who the fuck VOTED for "the GOP"?!? It's not the fault of every voter since Reagan who bought into the lie that government regulation was bad, unnecessary, and possibly even communist?!? The Republicans didn't lie about what they proposed to do. They told the voters what they planned to do and the voters voted for them based on exactly that. And now those same voters want to act like victims. It's "the Republicans' fault"?
No. It's the American people's fault. For not taking their duty to educate themselves in order to participate in our democracy seriously. For letting themselves ignore history and common sense and be bamboozled by criminal swindlers. We were told by Reagan that we could cut taxes and have the biggest, baddest, sexiest military of all time. All at the same time! And we bought it. Cake and eat it too. Yippee! And now we turn around in shock that we're 9-10 trillion dollars in debt. Then we were told that we could get rid of the cops on the regulatory beat. "Get BIG GOVERNMENT off our backs!" Let the "market" rule! And we bought that too. Anyone who tried to convince people otherwise, that this was madness, that all they had to do was read the history of the Great Depression, were called names. "Socialist". "Communist". "Liberal".
And now they complain that we have to bail them out or face ruin? What the FUCK did they think they were voting for all this time?!!?!? They have the AUDACITY to bemoan the "greed" and "corruption" on Wall St. as if they are shocked, SHOCKED that this is its nature. As if this nature was not EXACTLY why we had regulation in the first place! It is literally the equivalent of people being SHOCKED that thugs and criminals mug little old ladies more often after they choose to remove cops from the streets. Whoda thunk people can be mean? Someone once likened regulation to the bars and cages holding in the lions and tigers and bears at the zoo. They do it because they understand the nature of the beast. But we all wanted to pretend that we didn't understand the nature of Wall St. capitalism.
No, I have no sympathy for these Americans pretending to be outraged at this situation. As if they are themselves blameless. As if they didn't send these politicians to Congress and to the Executive branch to do exactly what they did. What victims they are! They were sold a bill of goods, yes. But they were willing participants in their own brainwashing. I don't wanna hear the excuses. Anyone who turned on ten minutes of the Republican mouthpieces on hate radio who couldn't figure out that what they were saying was pure, unadulterated, bullshit doesn't deserve their democracy. Or their money.
Democrats aren't completely blameless. They've been selling out the New Deal for years now in hopes of winning elections, kowtowing to the right, rather than doing the hard work of explaining and defending economic liberalism. I guess all those corporate donations didn't hurt. But make no mistake, the party currently trying desperately to shed its uniforms, like the Iraqi soldiers at the end of the invasion, is the PARTY responsible.
I hope I'm wrong and that everything works itself out. But as I re-watched those buildings coming down on 9-11 I couldn't help but see the metaphorical equivalent in what is currently playing itself out. And the people responsible are just about as evil. I leave you with one of my favorite segments from a book that should be required reading for every American, Thomas Geoghegan's "Which Side Are You On? Trying to Be For Labor When It's Flat on Its Back":
One night in Cambridge a few years ago, I drank scotch with my
college teacher, Samuel Beer, and I asked him what he thought.
He said, "Well, look what people used to say about Reagan and
Thatcher, that history had passed them by, and now they're the
dominant...well, not the dominant, but a major influence."
I said, "Do you think there could be another depression?"
"Could there be? I don't know. Some people think so.... But
one thing we do know, from experience. If there ever is another
depression, people will turn on these business leaders and say,
'You sons of bitches.'"
Well, you sons of bitches. And all of those enabling assholes who voted for the politicians who did your bidding, you can all go to hell. It's just too bad that it's possible you'll take those of us who knew better with you.
And CNN also reports today - as if we didn't know - that Obama could lose as much as 6% of the vote simply because of his race. Hopeless. Our democracy is being destroyed by people too stupid to know their own self interest if it bit them in the ass. Heaven forbid we vote for the black man! Because THAT's what's important! I've always been told I'm supposed to be tolerant of rednecks and racists and idiots. If I'm a true liberal, I'll understand them or accept them or some such shit. But I've always contended that they aren't just ignorant and frustrating. They're dangerous. And now we have proof.
Well...end of rant. And for those who forgot how we got into this mess... here's a re-post of the best and most hilarious - in a terrifying and tragic way, of course - explanation of the sub-prime crisis that started it all...And thanks and h/t to 'OneGoodMove' for posting this since youtube has since removed it.
onegoodmove: Attack Ad
Posted using ShareThis
CNN has a headline: "GOP takes brunt of blame on economy, poll says"... which should conceivable make me happy, because, despite the Republicans' sudden shedding of their uniforms and attempts to disown this entirely predictable outcome of their de-regulatory ideology, apparently, Americans aren't falling for it. Good. It's the "GOP's" fault!
Really? Who the fuck VOTED for "the GOP"?!? It's not the fault of every voter since Reagan who bought into the lie that government regulation was bad, unnecessary, and possibly even communist?!? The Republicans didn't lie about what they proposed to do. They told the voters what they planned to do and the voters voted for them based on exactly that. And now those same voters want to act like victims. It's "the Republicans' fault"?
No. It's the American people's fault. For not taking their duty to educate themselves in order to participate in our democracy seriously. For letting themselves ignore history and common sense and be bamboozled by criminal swindlers. We were told by Reagan that we could cut taxes and have the biggest, baddest, sexiest military of all time. All at the same time! And we bought it. Cake and eat it too. Yippee! And now we turn around in shock that we're 9-10 trillion dollars in debt. Then we were told that we could get rid of the cops on the regulatory beat. "Get BIG GOVERNMENT off our backs!" Let the "market" rule! And we bought that too. Anyone who tried to convince people otherwise, that this was madness, that all they had to do was read the history of the Great Depression, were called names. "Socialist". "Communist". "Liberal".
And now they complain that we have to bail them out or face ruin? What the FUCK did they think they were voting for all this time?!!?!? They have the AUDACITY to bemoan the "greed" and "corruption" on Wall St. as if they are shocked, SHOCKED that this is its nature. As if this nature was not EXACTLY why we had regulation in the first place! It is literally the equivalent of people being SHOCKED that thugs and criminals mug little old ladies more often after they choose to remove cops from the streets. Whoda thunk people can be mean? Someone once likened regulation to the bars and cages holding in the lions and tigers and bears at the zoo. They do it because they understand the nature of the beast. But we all wanted to pretend that we didn't understand the nature of Wall St. capitalism.
No, I have no sympathy for these Americans pretending to be outraged at this situation. As if they are themselves blameless. As if they didn't send these politicians to Congress and to the Executive branch to do exactly what they did. What victims they are! They were sold a bill of goods, yes. But they were willing participants in their own brainwashing. I don't wanna hear the excuses. Anyone who turned on ten minutes of the Republican mouthpieces on hate radio who couldn't figure out that what they were saying was pure, unadulterated, bullshit doesn't deserve their democracy. Or their money.
Democrats aren't completely blameless. They've been selling out the New Deal for years now in hopes of winning elections, kowtowing to the right, rather than doing the hard work of explaining and defending economic liberalism. I guess all those corporate donations didn't hurt. But make no mistake, the party currently trying desperately to shed its uniforms, like the Iraqi soldiers at the end of the invasion, is the PARTY responsible.
I hope I'm wrong and that everything works itself out. But as I re-watched those buildings coming down on 9-11 I couldn't help but see the metaphorical equivalent in what is currently playing itself out. And the people responsible are just about as evil. I leave you with one of my favorite segments from a book that should be required reading for every American, Thomas Geoghegan's "Which Side Are You On? Trying to Be For Labor When It's Flat on Its Back":
One night in Cambridge a few years ago, I drank scotch with my
college teacher, Samuel Beer, and I asked him what he thought.
He said, "Well, look what people used to say about Reagan and
Thatcher, that history had passed them by, and now they're the
dominant...well, not the dominant, but a major influence."
I said, "Do you think there could be another depression?"
"Could there be? I don't know. Some people think so.... But
one thing we do know, from experience. If there ever is another
depression, people will turn on these business leaders and say,
'You sons of bitches.'"
Well, you sons of bitches. And all of those enabling assholes who voted for the politicians who did your bidding, you can all go to hell. It's just too bad that it's possible you'll take those of us who knew better with you.
And CNN also reports today - as if we didn't know - that Obama could lose as much as 6% of the vote simply because of his race. Hopeless. Our democracy is being destroyed by people too stupid to know their own self interest if it bit them in the ass. Heaven forbid we vote for the black man! Because THAT's what's important! I've always been told I'm supposed to be tolerant of rednecks and racists and idiots. If I'm a true liberal, I'll understand them or accept them or some such shit. But I've always contended that they aren't just ignorant and frustrating. They're dangerous. And now we have proof.
Well...end of rant. And for those who forgot how we got into this mess... here's a re-post of the best and most hilarious - in a terrifying and tragic way, of course - explanation of the sub-prime crisis that started it all...And thanks and h/t to 'OneGoodMove' for posting this since youtube has since removed it.
onegoodmove: Attack Ad
Posted using ShareThis
21 September 2008
Score One For Our Side...
I haven't posted in awhile. I can barely stomach or comprehend what is going on in America. It's the Great Depression, only this time, we're gonna re-elect Hoover. What is there to say? How does one even begin to explain this? I hope I'm wrong, but then again, my motto has always been that "Hope Kills".
So anyway, came across this little story on CNN. It won't get much coverage, but it gave me a warm fuzzy, anyway. Why aren't American leftists doing this kind of thing? Sure, at Klan or neo-nazi rallies there are always "counter-protesters" usually outnumbering the right wing neanderthals, but THIS is something more. I know, some will say, what about free speech, etc.? Well... I don't have an answer for that. I just liked what happened here.
So anyway, came across this little story on CNN. It won't get much coverage, but it gave me a warm fuzzy, anyway. Why aren't American leftists doing this kind of thing? Sure, at Klan or neo-nazi rallies there are always "counter-protesters" usually outnumbering the right wing neanderthals, but THIS is something more. I know, some will say, what about free speech, etc.? Well... I don't have an answer for that. I just liked what happened here.
06 August 2008
Obama Deconstructs the Republicans in ONE sentence..
"They take pride in being ignorant." So simple...and yet... it is exactly what has been wrong with that party and its followers since Reagan. Of course, for the "brains" behind the party, it is a willful and agenda-driven ignorance, but still...
Update: Paul Krugman on the same topic, since he's, you know, actually articulate, unlike myself.
15 July 2008
"BALDERDASH!!"
Why can't a discussion like this appear in the U.S. media....??
H/T to Information Clearinghouse. British MP George Galloway completely blowing every argument for "strategic strikes" on Iran out of the water. Plus, he's got a wicked cool accent.
H/T to Information Clearinghouse. British MP George Galloway completely blowing every argument for "strategic strikes" on Iran out of the water. Plus, he's got a wicked cool accent.
08 July 2008
THIS JUST IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What would we do without the mainstream media? Huh? I ask you...
I am not making this up... Actual headline at msnbc:
"Wealthy Still Traveling Despite Economy"
The intrigued and enlightened reader clicks on this in order to find THIS shocking revelation coming from what must have been some absolutely stunning investigative journalism:
"Wealthy people less likely to feel pinch of rising food and energy costs"
And really...this IS good news, indeed. I was a bit worried about the wealthy...
Seriously...do I file this under completely non-news news - the 'duh' file? Or under the I-can't-believe-they-actually-had-the-audacity-to-report-this-while-the rest-of-us-are-wondering-where-our-next-car-payment-is-coming-from file?
Argh.
03 July 2008
Collect 'em All!
Obama just keeps grinding them out. Speeches which, short of declaring that the U.S. should adopt the Scandinavian system, say exactly what I have always wanted to hear a leader say. Uncanny, almost... Seriously, it began with the now famous 2004 Democratic Convention keynote speech and has only gotten better. I have previously posted the 'Race' speech here, and so, like baseball cards, I may as well keep it consistent and collect 'em all. So...enjoy: Obama on "Patriotism".
19 June 2008
In Honor of the Supreme Court Standing Up for Habeas Corpus...
"This American Life" ran a piece on Guantanamo called "Habeas Schmabeas" back in 2006 and won a Peabody for it. It was incredibly well deserved. They updated it in 2007 and you can listen to it Here. In honor of the Supreme Court's ruling a few days ago, I thought I would post it here in case you never got a chance to catch it. I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially considering the wingnuts' completely hysterical reaction to the novel idea of upholding the Constitution and, you know, Magna Carta, and whatnot.
09 June 2008
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