The American Dream has become a comatose nightmare. Visiting it daily fills me with grief and guilt. How did my own and following generations let something of such beauty turn into an ugly political boneyard with so few shreds of decency and hope? Worst of all, how do I explain it all to teen-aged grandchildren who should be looking ahead to their lives only with hope and … [Read more...] about Apology and Challenge to Grandkids and Kids
Lessons Learned
Even as Senator Ted Cruz warns ominously (In my mind, he says these things as he twirls his moustache and leans carelessly against a host of barrels stacked neatly on a set of train tracks. There might even be rolling sage brush) that he's not above shutting the government down again in his quest to slay the mighty Obamacare beast, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned
China: Revenge of the mistresses
China: Revenge of the mistresses (via GlobalPost) Enlarge HONG KONG — In a country where it seems that just about every corrupt male official keeps one or two mistresses — or 18 of them — average citizens take pleasure watching the philanderers occasionally get their comeuppance. Known in China… … [Read more...] about China: Revenge of the mistresses
Populists, presidents and parliaments (Guest Voice)
Populists, presidents and parliaments (via The Economist) LISTEN to this guy, talking about his decision to vote against the Senate-authored bill whose passage ended the shutdown and raised the debt ceiling last night: “I’ll vote against it,” said Representative John C. Fleming, Republican of Louisiana… … [Read more...] about Populists, presidents and parliaments (Guest Voice)
McConnell vows: no more shutdowns (UPDATE)
Amid a consensus Republicans failed badly in their attempt to shut down the government and use a debt limit default as a threat, talk show hosts talk about not "caving" (the word partisans now on both sides use for compromise), Rush Limbaugh dreams of 45 Ted Cruzes, and a Fox News pundit suggests someone "got" to the agencies saying the shutdown had a bad effect on the … [Read more...] about McConnell vows: no more shutdowns (UPDATE)
PARTISAN THOUGHTS FROM OUTSIDE THE MATRIX
I have often claimed to be outside the meaningless Republican/Democratic fixation that traps so many people in the U.S., but I have fallen into the trap of partisanship from time to time. The perpetual dysfunction, gridlock and paralysis of Washington DC are features (and the desired status quo) for many who control our corrupt political duopoly. While national political … [Read more...] about PARTISAN THOUGHTS FROM OUTSIDE THE MATRIX
Why I vote, (Video)
I produced this video back in 2010 before the important mid term elections and I think it is just as relevant now as it was three years ago. In reality, our system reflects those who vote, and until moderates can get elected, these type of politics and government will continue. I voted in 2010 but unfortunately a great deal of moderate voters sat home and now with the 2014 … [Read more...] about Why I vote, (Video)
SHOCKING Video from inside the Kenya Mall Terrorist Killings (VIDEO)
CNN has obtained and aired shocking footage from Kenya's Westgate mall terrorist massacre that took place last year -- the dirtywork of an Al Qaeda affiliated group. Here's the segment that aired with the adult-discretion video clips: … [Read more...] about SHOCKING Video from inside the Kenya Mall Terrorist Killings (VIDEO)
A Few Thoughts For Your Thursday
All of us go through rough times in our lives and when those burden become truly heavy we should always remember to go to our family and friends because that is what they are there for. At the same time we should not let our burdens overgrow their true size. If you have a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear.,, If you live in reasonable security and safety from … [Read more...] about A Few Thoughts For Your Thursday
UNDERSTANDING MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY/REALISM/MMT
I have already posted some blogs concerning Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) on TMV. Few readers seem to care but I will persist. One recent commentator on my last post disputed some of the ideas behind MMT because my prior posts and those I recommended within the MMT community were not fully explored or appreciated. Some of the writers on TMV seem to be trapped in a partisan … [Read more...] about UNDERSTANDING MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY/REALISM/MMT
Blinks and Winks to End the Shutdown
First McConnell, then Boehner and finally Cruz turns away from the staring contest with the White House, and the 16-day government shutdown is over. The little clocks in the corner of cable TV screens are gone, and pundits go on to the political postmortems. Next week: the World Series, where there will be only one winner and one loser. In Washington, nothing is that … [Read more...] about Blinks and Winks to End the Shutdown
Poll: Shutdown could hurt GOP Senate candidates
New polls from Democratic pollsters are showing that the shutdown could hurt GOP Senate candidates in 2014 -- polling that is significant since there are already signs that Republican conservatives want a "rematch" on the debt limit and government shutdown in only a few more months. It's clear the political consquences could be serious for the GOP: A new batch of … [Read more...] about Poll: Shutdown could hurt GOP Senate candidates
Oreos addictive? Rats treat Oreos like cocaine, study suggests.
Oreos addictive? Rats treat Oreos like cocaine, study suggests. (via The Christian Science Monitor) Researchers at Connecticut College have found that rats' behavior toward Oreo cookies is not unlike their behavior toward cocaine and morphine.(Mark Thomson / The Christian Science Monitor) If you happen to be a Nabisco executive who is currently considering… … [Read more...] about Oreos addictive? Rats treat Oreos like cocaine, study suggests.
Republicans go back to war against… who? this time? (Ted Cruz)
Republicans go back to war against... who? this time? ...Ted Cruz. One of their own. Greg Sargent reports that Peter King, the Republican rep from New York, "predicts the Texas Senator will try do this all again in a few months, and crucially, he points out that it’s on the non-crazy Republicans to prevent this from happening": “He’s going to be coming back, … [Read more...] about Republicans go back to war against… who? this time? (Ted Cruz)
Please, can we govern now?
WASHINGTON -- We should never govern ourselves like this again. We cannot create absolutely pointless crises that make our great democracy look foolish around the globe. We cannot give Chinese government propagandists fodder as they call for "a de-Americanized world." We must not allow the extremist politics of a tea-party minority to turn our republic upside down. Our … [Read more...] about Please, can we govern now?
George Clooney wants you to drink this coffee
George Clooney wants you to drink this coffee (via GlobalPost) Enlarge NAIROBI, Kenya — George Clooney wants you to drink South Sudan’s coffee. And this isn't about charity — it's all business. The Hollywood star has a long relationship with South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 after a peace deal… … [Read more...] about George Clooney wants you to drink this coffee
Cartoons on the government shutdown and debt limit crisis (Cartoon roundup)
Cartoonists all over the world have been having a field day with the House Republican-generated government shut down and debt limit default crisis. Here's a cross-section of cartoons: See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license cartoons like the above cartoons that are licensed to run on The Moderate … [Read more...] about Cartoons on the government shutdown and debt limit crisis (Cartoon roundup)
The Republican Party: Weaker by the Week (Guest Voice)
Weaker by the Week by Michael Reagan A lot of people are asking what the heck is wrong with the Republican Party. What isn't? That's no joke. Not for the GOP, not for the country. The party of Ronald Reagan is getting weaker by the week. Republican failure, Republican infighting, Republicans caving on their principles -- it's a grim soap opera, and it's … [Read more...] about The Republican Party: Weaker by the Week (Guest Voice)
Centrist Republican Ripon Society statement on agreement to open government and avert a debt default
The Ripon Society, a centrist Republican think tank, has issued this statement on the agreement to open the government and avert a shut down: Statement of Jim Conzelman President & CEO of The Ripon Society On tonight’s agreement to reopen the government & raise the debt limit “Winston Churchill once said that you can always count on the American people to do the … [Read more...] about Centrist Republican Ripon Society statement on agreement to open government and avert a debt default
CRISIS (for now) AVERTED: House approves Senate’s bill to reopen government and avert debt default
And so a major crisis has been averted -- for a few months, at least. The House of Representatives by a 285-144 vote with 87 Republicans voting yes has approved the Senate's bipartisan bill passed earlier reopen the government and avert a potentially catastrophic debt limit default. It's a temporary fix, which raises the question of whether Washington's political class will be … [Read more...] about CRISIS (for now) AVERTED: House approves Senate’s bill to reopen government and avert debt default