It seems that folks in Spokane Washington are dealing in the latest of illegal substances................. dishwashing soap. A recent law passed in Spokane County prohibits the sale of dish soap containing phosphates as part of an effort to reduce water pollution. The problem is that the eco-friendly detergents do not perform as well as their counterparts. Many people were … [Read more...] about Spokane Residents Dealing In Illegal Substances
The United States As A Banana Republic
The Atlantic has a very important piece written by former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson entitled "The Quiet Coup." The author is one of the world's foremost experts on dealing with countries that are suffering from massive amounts of debt and ineffectual governance. What he has to say about our current crisis is scathing, driven not from bombastic proclamations, but a quiet … [Read more...] about The United States As A Banana Republic
Non-Violence in Our Times
Gershom Gorenberg has an unbelievably good article in The Weekly Standard taking a look at the possibility of a genuinely non-violent Palestinian resistance -- one set to the mold of Gandhi and King. He looks at the people advocating such a stance today, the reasons why it hasn't manifested in the past, and the barriers to producing such a movement in the future. It is a … [Read more...] about Non-Violence in Our Times
Robert Gates: Military “Too Busy” to Stop Persecuting Gays and Lesbians
Matthew Yglesias's response just nails it: It’s simply the nature of the military that this “a lot on our plates right now” excuse will almost always be available. In retrospect, the 1990s were a period of relative peace and quiet for the military, but at the time it was seen as a stressful period of multiple deployments (to Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia) around … [Read more...] about Robert Gates: Military “Too Busy” to Stop Persecuting Gays and Lesbians
Resignation Rumored at GM [UPDATED]
UPDATE from The Politico: The Obama administration asked Rick Wagoner, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, to step down and he agreed, a White House official said. The White House confirmed Wagoner was leaving at the government's behest after The Associated Press reported his immediate departure, without giving a reason. Just got two emails: MSNBC BREAKING … [Read more...] about Resignation Rumored at GM [UPDATED]
Torture Charges Filed Against Bush Legal Team; Judge Garzon Handles Case: Publico of Spain
As readers of the Moderate Voice are now aware, legendary Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon Real has asked the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Madrid to examine a complaint against President Bush's legal team, including Alberto Gonzales, Bush's White House Counsel and later attorney general; David Addington, counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney; William J. Haynes, counsel to the … [Read more...] about Torture Charges Filed Against Bush Legal Team; Judge Garzon Handles Case: Publico of Spain
The Derivative At The End Of The World
Everyone knows by now that derivatives are a major cause of the world's present economic crisis. Some long used and very valuable derivatives known as options have always proven their worth as insurance vehicles in various markets. But a new crop of derivatives that started to appear in the 1990s, known in the trade as "exotics," were untested, highly theoretical mathematical … [Read more...] about The Derivative At The End Of The World
Some Big Bumps In The Road For Sarah Palin’s National Career
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has hit some bumps in the road in what some consider to be her inexorable attempted journey to the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination. She has some public relations problems at home -- typically being blamed on poor staffing that doesn't do the real Sarah Palin justice. And the man who plucked her out of being just one more GOP governor and … [Read more...] about Some Big Bumps In The Road For Sarah Palin’s National Career
Grand Old Contradictions: Obama and the GOP (Guest Voice)
Grand Old Contradictions: Obama and the GOP by Dalitso Njolinjo I have always been fascinated with American popular culture from an early age. The mythical promise of the American dream found me at an early age, while I still roamed my birth place of Blantyre, Malawi. Whether it was the dream of drinking an ice cold bottle of Coca Cola while watching Jordon fly to dunk a … [Read more...] about Grand Old Contradictions: Obama and the GOP (Guest Voice)
That’s No Angry Mob, It’s a Movement (Guest Voice)
That’s No Angry Mob, It’s a Movement by Michael Winship A college friend of mine, after much quaffing from the keg, so to speak, would start singing a faux hymn that began, “We are sliding into sin – whee!” I’ve thought of his bleary tune from time to time as we all watched our financial institutions slide from thoughtless, wretched excess into calamity, aided … [Read more...] about That’s No Angry Mob, It’s a Movement (Guest Voice)
Introducing TMV’s Newest Co Blogger And…
A quick note. You have have noticed a few changes at TMV lately -- one of which is our newest coblogger, Kathy Kattenburg. We've admired her posts for several years on two excellent blogs, her her own blog Liberty Street, and on Comments from Left Field. Kathy's post often offer a lot of info and links to readers in a compressed amount of space and when she does a longer … [Read more...] about Introducing TMV’s Newest Co Blogger And…
Fauxrage In Mexico – Hillary Hates Catholics!
This weekend finds us with another dose of stories which have recently made me despair of covering politics this year. Just to set the baseline here, I opposed Hillary Clinton's bids for both our Senate seat here in New York and her presidential run. Also, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. (Nor did I vote for John McCain.) But after his decisive victory in November I was somewhat … [Read more...] about Fauxrage In Mexico – Hillary Hates Catholics!
Obama’s Language Problem
As George W. Bush goes off to write his "authoritarian" version of the past eight years, we are getting the first glimpse of what could be a drawback in having an articulate president. Barack Obama made a ringing statement Friday about the US mission in Afghanistan, but we now learn how divided his Administration was over the decision, including the opposition of Joe Biden, … [Read more...] about Obama’s Language Problem
A Massive Psychosis of Stupidity
Centuries from now, the world will look back at a relatively small but very noisy cult-like faction of people who for reasons unknown, fell victim to a massive psychosis of stupidity that made them do things like taking the "RedState Pledge": Tomorrow is something called Earth Hour Take the official RedState Pledge: I do solemnly swear that I will honor Earth Hour by … [Read more...] about A Massive Psychosis of Stupidity
The Credible Space Storm Threat
NewScientist: IT IS midnight on 22 September 2012 and the skies above Manhattan are filled with a flickering curtain of colourful light. Few New Yorkers have seen the aurora this far south but their fascination is short-lived. Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker, then become unusually bright for a fleeting moment. Then all the lights in the state go out. … [Read more...] about The Credible Space Storm Threat
Washington’s Strategy of ‘Chaos and Intervention’ in Mexico: La Jornada, Mexico
NEWSPAPER SAYS - QUOTING SECRETARY CLINTON: 'WE'RE GUILTY OF THE VIOLENCE IN MEXICO. WE'RE BIG DRUGGIES' UNCLE SAM SAYS: 'AND IN 1847, WE WERE REAL THUGS WHEN WE STOLE HALF OF MEXICO FROM THEM, AND IN 1910 ...' Continuing with our coverage of U.S. involvement in the drug war from the Mexican point of view, today we post this article, which poses an old question being … [Read more...] about Washington’s Strategy of ‘Chaos and Intervention’ in Mexico: La Jornada, Mexico
Flicking the Lights Off
Ninety minutes to Earth Hour here on the east coast... and this fun Sarah Silverman spoof called “flicking the lights off” hasn't gotten nearly enough attention... Via Sarah van Schagen at the Grist where she has several other good Earth Hour links. See also dday at Political Animal for some conservative snark about the hour. … [Read more...] about Flicking the Lights Off
What Went Around Is Coming Around
Bush administration lawyers would be well advised to think twice before traveling to Europe -- or anywhere outside the United States: One of America’s NATO allies—which supported the Bush Administration’s war on terror by committing its troops to the struggle–has now opened formal criminal inquiries looking into the Bush team’s legacy of torture. The action parallels a … [Read more...] about What Went Around Is Coming Around
While We Talk Truth Commissions, Others Target Bush Torture Lawyers in Criminal Probe
A few weeks ago, Patrick Leahy, six-term Democratic Senator from Vermont, a former prosecutor and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote an article in TIME titled "The Case for a Truth Commission." In it, the Senator discusses the abuses during the Bush administration years---such as the scandal at Abu Ghraib, the disclosure of torture memos and the revelations … [Read more...] about While We Talk Truth Commissions, Others Target Bush Torture Lawyers in Criminal Probe
Things are Bad when the IMF says Spend More Money
Most of us know what the International Monetary Fund prescription for saving any given economy is, right? Drastically cut spending. No really, cut it. Slash it to the bone. Even military spending. Cut cut cut cut cut! This approach has opened them to criticism both from true conservatives and progressives. So then, you know it's a big deal on those rare occasions that the … [Read more...] about Things are Bad when the IMF says Spend More Money