Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Tea Parties
Obama’s nuclear restraints hold little comfort for others
For governments that mistrust US intentions, Barack Obama’s new restraints on nuclear weapons hold little comfort in a world where “pilots” wielding joysticks as far away as Colorado launch deadly missiles from drones flying 24/7 over Pakistan’s badlands. Almost no government, not even allies like Britain, Germany and France, fully trust American intentions. Of course, … [Read more...] about Obama’s nuclear restraints hold little comfort for others
Value-added tax inches closer via Volcker
Obama economic advisor Paul Volcker spoke yesterday at a New York Historical Society event and noted that America should consider raising taxes to curb deficits and improve our financial standing. But even more interesting is the suggestion by Volcker, a former Fed chair under Bush, that Congress should enact a value-added tax (VAT) in the style of European taxation … [Read more...] about Value-added tax inches closer via Volcker
Is There Any Room in our Common Heritage for the Southern Soldier?
They were typical Americans of their time; proud, independent, industrious - and obscenely racist in their view toward the black race. They embarked on, what in hindsight, was a suicidal rebellion against the United States government and fought with uncommon courage and a determination that eventually precipitated the extermination of their way of life, and the economy upon … [Read more...] about Is There Any Room in our Common Heritage for the Southern Soldier?
Quadreplegic Prisoner Still A Threat ?
Among the many ways California is trying to resolve the budget crisis is to release certain prisoners who are either minor offenders or no longer a threat. The latter category includes some violent prisoners who have suffered illness or injury that reduce or eliminate their potential as a threat. One example is a rapist (clearly a prisoner you would not want to release) who … [Read more...] about Quadreplegic Prisoner Still A Threat ?
Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, The Mislabeled Liberal
The longest serving current justice on the United States Supreme Court, John Paul Stevens turns 90 on April 20. Widely regarded as a high intellect, Stevens graduated in 1947 with the highest GPA in the history of Northwestern University Law School . In recent years he has been unfairly nicknamed “The Chief Justice of the Liberal Supreme Court” in spite of a history that is … [Read more...] about Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, The Mislabeled Liberal
“Southern civilization cannot exist without African slavery”
Here we go again. After eight years the once-dormant "Confederate Heritage Month" declaration has returned to rear its ugly head again in my beloved former Commonwealth of Virginia. I haven't lived in Virginia for many years but I have gone to make a career of the study of the Civil War era, with a special emphasis on the Upper South from Virgina, Delaware and Maryland in the … [Read more...] about “Southern civilization cannot exist without African slavery”
Our Afghanistan Policy Folly
The erratic behavior in recent days of Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, has raised new doubts in many quarters about our expanding involvement in that country. But new doubts aren't really necessary to reach the commonsense conclusion that it's crazy for us to be there in any significant way, and to see that this is the quagmire of quagmires of U.S. foreign policy … [Read more...] about Our Afghanistan Policy Folly
Reader Reax
I received a couple reader reactions to my post yesterday re: David Brooks' optimism column, and a follow-on reaction to a subject we raised last week (twice) -- namely, warrantless surveillance. Both of the reader reactions to Brooks' column were in the "bah humbug" or "optimism schmoptimism" category. From regular reader DLS ... Just wait until later this decade or … [Read more...] about Reader Reax
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave…
Title 10 United States Code § 654, “Policy concerning homosexuality in the armed forces” says in part: The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military … [Read more...] about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave…
Civility, Beliefs and America’s Toxic Political Scene
Civility, Beliefs and America's Toxic Political Scene by Peter Orvetti You don’t have to give up your beliefs to respect those with different ones. There is a common misconception in our increasingly toxic political environment that only pragmatists and compromisers can find ways to be civil. How, this argument goes, can those with decidedly conflicting views on stark … [Read more...] about Civility, Beliefs and America’s Toxic Political Scene
Census
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Census
Steele’s “2012”
Since Michael Steele has been chairman, a succession of disasters have occurred to negatively impact the RNC on his watch. Contrary to Steele's assertion last week that race is one of the driving reasons behind the scrutiny, I am convinced that race is the only reason why he is still the RNC chair. The RNC simply is afraid of the political fallout of firing Steele so close … [Read more...] about Steele’s “2012”
Nuclear
Barack Obama is trying to do something about the word George W. Bush couldn't pronounce, but his revision to the US stance on nuclear weapons only underscores the near-impossibility of a neat solution to a problem that presidents have wrestled with for more than half a century. In one of his last interviews, John F. Kennedy pointed out that Eisenhower had tried to limit … [Read more...] about Nuclear
The World Belongs To Comcast
Is the business model -- the place where money is made -- IN the wires, or ON the wires? A network 100 times faster than what we have today would make an HD movie downloadable in minutes. Even more interesting are the products and services we can't imagine. Telecom analysts say we don't need a network that fast and wouldn't use it. The telecom business model is about playing … [Read more...] about The World Belongs To Comcast
For Sake of the Terror Fight, Anti-Americanism Must End: Gazeta, Russia
The terrorist attack against the Moscow Metro has triggered some soul-searching about the Kremlin's habit of blaming the U.S. and the West for all of Russia's ills. According to this editorial from Russia's Gazeta newspaper, the renewed battle against terrorism means that Russia needs Western friends and allies too badly to allow this habit to continue. The Gazeta editorial … [Read more...] about For Sake of the Terror Fight, Anti-Americanism Must End: Gazeta, Russia
Karzai and Reform
Michael Keefe, The Denver Post This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. UPDATE: And here's the context, in case you missed it. JG … [Read more...] about Karzai and Reform
Unlawful Killings by U.S. Forces, Cover-Ups, and Media Complicity
Yesterday morning -- earlier on the same day that WikiLeaks released the video of U.S. pilots indiscriminately killing Iraqi civilians from an Apache helicopter -- Glenn Greenwald put up a long, meticulously documented piece about another unlawful killing -- this one in Afghanistan, and much more recently: just under two months ago. Here is the first paragraph: … [Read more...] about Unlawful Killings by U.S. Forces, Cover-Ups, and Media Complicity
Obama Refines Nuclear Attack Policy
In the movie "The Untouchables," the Chicago cop played by Sean Connery told Eliot Ness never go into battle armed with a knife when the opponent brandishes a gun. Whereas Barack Obama earned his political bones in Chicago politics, his new policy called a "Nuclear Posture Review" contradicts the street-wise axiom by announcing the U.S. would not use nuclear weapons in … [Read more...] about Obama Refines Nuclear Attack Policy
D.C. Circuit Court Puts Net Neutrality On The Ropes
The U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 3-0 earlier today that the FCC does not have the authority to enforce internet neutrality. The case arose out of a situation where the FCC attempted to require Comcast to feed BitTorrent through its service though Comcast claimed the feed slowed its service to customers. The decision is good news for … [Read more...] about D.C. Circuit Court Puts Net Neutrality On The Ropes