On a day when the initials "AIG" were becoming almost as familiar to the average American as the initials "MTV," President Barack Obama did a town hall meeting in Costa Mesa -- a meeting sure to get local media coverage, national coverage and provide sound bites galore for news shows, talk radio hosts and blog embeds. And one thing seemed clear before he left and once he got … [Read more...] about Obama And AIG: No More Mr. Nice Guy?
Yes, I Watch Rachel Maddow
On Monday night, Maddow invited counterinsurgency expert John Nagl to discuss Afghanistan in her 'Talk Me Down' segment. Nagl is a retired lieutenant colonel who commanded an Army battalion in Baghdad and wrote Learning to Eat Soup With a Knife, an influential analysis of American failures in Vietnam. In addition, Nagl worked with David Petraeus on Field Manual 3-24, the … [Read more...] about Yes, I Watch Rachel Maddow
U.S. and Pakistan
Two worthy reads on one of the U.S.A.'s most critical relationships - the one with Pakistan This one from the Daily Jang, translated from Urdu by the people at Watching America.com, and this one from the Guardian in England... (left untranslated from British English!) … [Read more...] about U.S. and Pakistan
Google Rules, A Biblical Interpretation
Ron Smith, a San Diego pastor, was reading What Would Google Do? the book by Jeff Jarvis. When he got to the New Ethic chapter, page 91, he saw a connection between the Google "rules" as articulated by Jarvis, and his work in the church. Behold, Google rules reinterpreted biblically: Make mistakes well. As I write my Doctorate I am learning that one of the most detestable … [Read more...] about Google Rules, A Biblical Interpretation
U.S. ‘Must Accept Reality of China’s Growing Strength’: Wen Wei Po of Hong Kong
Given the growing strength of China's military and the fact that the People's Republic of China is America's largest creditor, is it time for the United States to curtail its military surveillance in and around that nation? According to this editorial from Hong Kong's China-owned Wen Wei Po, Beijing recommends in part: "Washington should size up the situation and learn from … [Read more...] about U.S. ‘Must Accept Reality of China’s Growing Strength’: Wen Wei Po of Hong Kong
Boeing Unveils Its F-15 Silent Eagle—With Fifth-Generation “Add-Ons”
Boeing yesterday unveiled the F-15 Silent Eagle (F-15SE) which, according to Boeing, "... is designed to meet our international customers' anticipated need for cost-effective stealth technologies, as well as for large and diverse weapons payloads," and "The innovative Silent Eagle is a balanced, affordable approach designed to meet future survivability needs." While not a … [Read more...] about Boeing Unveils Its F-15 Silent Eagle—With Fifth-Generation “Add-Ons”
The Fed End Game
People are rightly outraged about the AIG bonuses [um, why not the Merrill Lynch ones that were far bigger and possibly involved outright fraud?] but the amounts involved in that are tiny compared to the size of our problems. I would agree that the bonuses themselves far outweigh their monetary value because they are reflective of an insular, entitlement mentality that has … [Read more...] about The Fed End Game
Chavez Tells Obama: ‘Align Yourself Toward Socialism with Us’: El Financiero, Mexico
Days ago, the wire services reported that Venezuela President Hugo Chavez invited President Obama to join him in 'socialism.' We translated this article from Mexico's El Financiero, which contains that quote along with some others. Chavez also explains why he thinks it correct that democratically-elected leaders remain in office as long as the people want to vote for them and … [Read more...] about Chavez Tells Obama: ‘Align Yourself Toward Socialism with Us’: El Financiero, Mexico
AIG Robbery
Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about AIG Robbery
Farmer Hans to U.S. Bankers: “Welcome to the Kill”—Dutch Commentary
About a week ago, I posted excerpts from a story from the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, about a young Dutch farmer, Jelle Hans Reitsma, who emigrated to the U.S. 20 years ago and recently committed suicide because of huge---to him probably insurmountable--- financial problems. The story evoked only one comment from a reader---a nice and sympathetic one at that. I have … [Read more...] about Farmer Hans to U.S. Bankers: “Welcome to the Kill”—Dutch Commentary
Education Department’s Annual Digest of Statistics
Everything you could ever want to know about education in America (this year): The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics released today its “Digest of Education Statistics, 2008” — an annual compilation of data on American education from prekindergarten through college. One statistic included in the report is the change in tuition from … [Read more...] about Education Department’s Annual Digest of Statistics
Obama, The Gridiron And Leno: Where’s The Outrage?
Sigh.... Perhaps it's a sign of impending pundit burnout. Or a sign of eyes nearly popping out as I remain addicted to reading a host of websites and blogs of all persuasions. But I KNEW some stories would fall a certain way... For instance, when it was announced the Barack Obama wouldn't attend the Gridiron, I told friends: "Just watch. This will become a big issue now. … [Read more...] about Obama, The Gridiron And Leno: Where’s The Outrage?
Breaking The Wall Street Union
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan took an enormous chance that delivered enormous benefits for his administration and its core beliefs. He broke the airline controllers' union. Unions had been losing a lot of power and membership for years before this, but the controllers' encounter seemed to be a unique situation. Airline controllers felt that had an unbeatable hand. Their … [Read more...] about Breaking The Wall Street Union
Obama Set the Bar, But GOP Embraces Defense Mechanisms to Thwart His Efforts
One thing that I’ve noticed since President Barack Obama was inaugurated, but which comes as no surprise, is that, how, when you campaign on the idea of transparency, and you succeed a president whom people say they voted for because he was so folksy and you’d want to have a beer with him but that president then abused that folksiness image to let people who saw him as folksy … [Read more...] about Obama Set the Bar, But GOP Embraces Defense Mechanisms to Thwart His Efforts
Jon Stewart Rips Obama on Troop Insurance
Ever since I caught the business end of a verbal Louisville Slugger for asking if late night comics would begin criticizing the Obama administration, I've been carrying this guilty feeling as if it's my responsibility to keep watch over the late night comedians. Last night, more signs of life were breathed into my hopes for even handed satire in the age of Obama when Jon … [Read more...] about Jon Stewart Rips Obama on Troop Insurance
AIG: The Populist Outrage Wave Breaks On The Shore
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE The long-building wave of "populist outrage" over craven capitalist elites with a suffocating sense of privilege has broken on the shore with the AIG bonus scandal. Having spent the last few days on the road, I come late to the story of the moment. Nevertheless, the more complicated it becomes the simpler it is: The U.S.'s largest insurance … [Read more...] about AIG: The Populist Outrage Wave Breaks On The Shore
Bat-Gate!
Animal rights activists around the globe will surely be up in arms over news that NASA has cruelly and unusually murdered a free-tailed bat which was attempting to get a free ride on the Space Shuttle. A bat that apparently had trouble flying instead tried to hitch a ride on the space shuttle Discovery, NASA officials said. The rodent was last seen clinging on the foam of … [Read more...] about Bat-Gate!
Bush Declines To Criticize Obama And Doesn’t Agree With Limbaugh
Former President George Bush pointedly passed up a chance to criticize President Barack Obama, who has increasingly peppered his speeches with pointed criticism of Obama -- once again underlying a seeming split between Bush and his former Vice President Dick Cheney. On several occasions since leaving office, Cheney has criticized Obama in terms that are more akin to a talk … [Read more...] about Bush Declines To Criticize Obama And Doesn’t Agree With Limbaugh
State-By-State Review of How Tight the GOP is Wearing Their Blinders
Salon.com has compiled a review of the health and well-being of the Republican Party, state by state: The following list examines the trends in each of the 50 states over the past three election cycles, assessing demographic shifts, voting patterns, rising and falling political stars and organizational strengths and weaknesses. The picture it paints is not pretty, but it is … [Read more...] about State-By-State Review of How Tight the GOP is Wearing Their Blinders
Sex & Sin As Economic Stimuli
Colonel Pickering: “Have you no morals, man? “ Alfred P. Doolittle: “Nah, can't afford 'em. Neither could you, if you were as poor as me.” These were some of the many great lines from “My Fair Lady” a Broadway Musicale by Lerner & Lowe, that was based upon the play “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw. These 2 lines are most appropriate for our current national economic … [Read more...] about Sex & Sin As Economic Stimuli