With the killings of a Kansas abortion doctor and at the Holocaust Museum, group hatred in this year of Change was losing its bipartisan flavor, but here comes Barack Obama's former pastor from stage left to restore some balance and, insofar as the subject allows, comic relief. As usual, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's entrance involves tongue-tripping. After telling a reporter … [Read more...] about Jeremiah Wright to the Rescue
You Say “Jews,” I Say “Zionists,” Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off
All through the endless election of '08, I was annoyed by the Republican habit of scritching, sniffing and scratching around Reverend Jeremiah Wright in their efforts to find a cudgel to wield against Barack Obama. The results at the ballot box were a testament to the lack of traction that line of attack bought for them, but I always disliked the argument on principle. It's a … [Read more...] about You Say “Jews,” I Say “Zionists,” Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off
God, Google & Our Changing World…
Can we live without Google? asks James Harkin in The Times. A reader taunts Harkin: "Can we live without GOD? YES. Can we live without GOOGLE? Silly Question. Of course, We can, if we want." Harkins reminds us that eight out of ten people prefer Google, a search engine that is now worth roughly £100 billion. "In the space of a single decade, internet search has changed the … [Read more...] about God, Google & Our Changing World…
Google Blasting
I had never heard the term before the WaPo's Jose Antonio Vargas credited it with swinging the Virginia Democratic primary for governor in favor of Creigh Deeds: Starting at 3 p.m EST Monday, hours before polls opened across Virginia, Deeds's campaign bought what's called a "Google blast." Or, more appropriately, a Google attack. If you live in Northern Virginia (or, like … [Read more...] about Google Blasting
Some Harsh Economic Lessons
When settlers first came to the colonies of North America in the 16th and 17th centuries they were amazed by the tremendous natural resources and the rich soil that seemed to make everything grow. Unfortunately they took it for granted that these bounties would last forever. Southern farmers in particular adopted a very bad policy of using up the land until it was barren and … [Read more...] about Some Harsh Economic Lessons
Shooting Shows Why We Need Holocaust Museum
I heard an interview on NPR with Elie Wiesel, the famed author, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor, on Thursday. He was asked for his reactions to the shooting which occurred at the US Holocaust Museum on Wednesday. Of course, Wiesel said, he was shocked. But he also asserted that the actions of a deranged Holocaust-denier did not represent a growing body of … [Read more...] about Shooting Shows Why We Need Holocaust Museum
Yes, Michael, American Health Care Really Sucks.
Back in 2005, President Bush tried to reform Social Security. I don't know if his partial privatization plan was the best, but at least he was acknowledging there was a problem with Social Security. Democrats, opposed to privatization, fought back against any reform by saying "there was no crisis." In the concern over health care reform this year, many Republicans and … [Read more...] about Yes, Michael, American Health Care Really Sucks.
Book Review—“Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath”
Auschwitz, the Gulag Archipelago, the Killing Fields of Cambodia. These are names that immediately evoke images of some of the most horrific acts of cruelty and inhumanity. In their new book, Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman take us to yet another place and another time when men and women "suffered an ordeal of unparalleled cruelty and savagery: forty-one months of … [Read more...] about Book Review—“Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath”
What Digital Transition ??
With less than 24 hours to go until the digital transition takes place it seems that some people are still not ready for the big change. According to a report today on MSNBC (which follows similar reports on the other networks) as many as four million Americans are not ready for the digital switch and of those as many as one million remain somehow unaware that any sort of … [Read more...] about What Digital Transition ??
Now I’ve Started Smoking Again
I thought it would never happen again. Hell's Bells... I *PRAYED* it would never happen again. But the Obama administration has done what I thought was impossible. Some time ago I quit smoking cigarettes. It's a terrible habit. It was shortening my life. It was driving away my friends. It smells bad. It's just awful. But as of 3 pm this afternoon, I have news for you, President … [Read more...] about Now I’ve Started Smoking Again
Conservatives vs. the Two-State Solution
CONSERVATIVES VS. THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION: George W. Bush is gone. There is no more pressure on conservatives to support Bush's call for a two-state solution. Bibi Netanyahu is prime minister. Conservatives who oppose a two-state solution no longer have to explain why they reject the approach favored by Israel's own government. Barack Obama is throwing his weight … [Read more...] about Conservatives vs. the Two-State Solution
Holocaust Museum Shooting Attack Is Not News at Fox
Ali Frick at Think Progress has a very interesting piece about Bill O'Reilly's dismissive attitude toward the terrorist shooting incident at the Holocaust Museum yesterday (emphasis in original): … [Read more...] about Holocaust Museum Shooting Attack Is Not News at Fox
Sasha, Malia and the Remarkable Mr. Obama: Nachrichten of Switzerland
What seems like weakness to U.S. Republicans is actually the steely resolve of President Obama to ensure a safer world for his two young children. That's the thesis of this article by Swiss columnist Patrik Etschmayer, who like Philippe Coste of France's Liberation, contends that America's opposition party is so out of touch that it doesn't recognize real strength when its … [Read more...] about Sasha, Malia and the Remarkable Mr. Obama: Nachrichten of Switzerland
Senate Passes Anti-Smoking Legislation By Huge Margin
Considering the fact that tobacco-related products kill 400,000 people annually, this is indisputably a pro-life issue, although of course it isn't being described that way. Almost half a century is way too long for Congress to have gotten its act together on tobacco legislation, but better late than never: … [Read more...] about Senate Passes Anti-Smoking Legislation By Huge Margin
What Defines A Conservative Foreign Policy?
"Understanding the Hobbesian nature of international relations fundamentally grounds conservative foreign policy in reality."That quote is from John Bolton's op-ed in today's Washington Times. Does Bolton's description accurately characterize George W. Bush's foreign policy? What about Dick Cheney's? Hawkish policymakers like Cheney and Bolton certainly emphasize the … [Read more...] about What Defines A Conservative Foreign Policy?
America Doesn’t Deserve Barack Obama
What can a responsible satirist satirize at a time when America is blessed with a President who transcends irony and sarcasm? The American people, of course: "Obama Drastically Scales Back Goals For America After Visiting Denny's" Cross-posted at Conventional Folly … [Read more...] about America Doesn’t Deserve Barack Obama
Why Tiananmen Still Matters
While I was away, the 20th anniversary of the Tiannamen Square massacre on June 4, 1989 was observed (except in China). Dan Twining has a great post on why Tiannamen still matters today. Here's his starting point: "We should start from the premise that the crackdown, and China's subsequent rise as an authoritarian rather than a democratic superpower, was not inevitable. We … [Read more...] about Why Tiananmen Still Matters
Ignorance Is Bliss
In my eight lackadaisical days on St. Kitts, I didn't pick up a single newspaper. I saw a handful of headlines while checking my e-mail, but didn't read any full stories. Once in a while, CNN would be turned in one of the bars where I was having a drink. In short, I simulated the diminished state of news-awareness experienced every day by tens of millions of Americans, who … [Read more...] about Ignorance Is Bliss
Hate (Guest Voice)
Hate by Anastasia Pantsios The timing was uncanny. Before he left on vacation, my editor at the publication I work for wrote this week’s cover story which hit the streets this morning, imploring George Voinovich as a sane — if not exactly as-moderate-as-described — Republican who is retiring and whose office is therefore not vulnerable to attacks from right-wing crazies, … [Read more...] about Hate (Guest Voice)
Murderous Math in the Museum
Old age is an education in asymmetry as the ratio of effort to result keeps worsening, as it takes many times the previous exertion to get a fraction of the results for the simplest act. In that light, what happened yesterday at the Holocaust Museum is a reminder that the rules of nature are not so simple: An 88-year-old with the strength to press a trigger kills a young man … [Read more...] about Murderous Math in the Museum