Over at The Reaction, co-blogger Heraclitus looks at the development of disturbingly fascistic elements on the religious right. No, this isn't yet another Bush=Hitler analogy. Heraclitus, a McCain supporter, is more troubled by what he calls "the almost total ignorance of the American working class on the part of our political elites". This has allowed right-wing demagogues … [Read more...] about Fascism and the religious right
Uh-Oh. U.S. Troops Raid Iranian Consulate
BBC News is reporting that U.S. forces have stormed an Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi town of Irbil and seized six members of the staff. The troops raided the building at about 0001GMT, taking away computers and papers, according to Kurdish media and senior local officials. The U.S. military would only confirm the detention of six people around Irbil. The raid … [Read more...] about Uh-Oh. U.S. Troops Raid Iranian Consulate
Medicare Drug Plan – Is Government Interference Necessary?
Families USA is a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans. They just issued a Report as House of Representatives Is Scheduled to Vote Soon to End Prohibition Preventing Medicare from Bargaining for Lower Drug Price that shows Medicare Drug Plan Prices Are 58 Percent Higher than VA … [Read more...] about Medicare Drug Plan – Is Government Interference Necessary?
Radio Free BBC!
Good morning, Northfield (and everyone else out there)! Just writing to let you know that I should be making an appearance on the radio show "World Have Your Say," which is broadcast from 18:06 - 19:00 on BBC World Service (that's around 1-2 PM eastern, and 12-1 PM central. All other time zone conversions you have to do yourselves). I gather you can listen to a live stream … [Read more...] about Radio Free BBC!
What Americans want
After Bush's "surge" speech last night, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin gave the Democrats' response, and hearing them back-to-back gave me -- for the first time in many weeks-- some clarity about Iraq. This new view stemmed from the most basic of suppositions -- that escalation is not what the Americans voted for; this is not what we want. That's true... but I don't think … [Read more...] about What Americans want
The Islamofascist Weather Channel
WARNING: This post is not about the president's speech. I've had a pretty good case of the ass with the Weather Channel for some time now. My problem is that it's no longer content to merely provide national and regional forecasts, which it gets right more often than not, and is pushing more canned content like Greatest Chihuahua Rescues and live programming that consists … [Read more...] about The Islamofascist Weather Channel
Color Me Blind
We ran this on our Powerblogs site, but many of those links will no longer work, so we're going to re-post some of our favorites. This GREAT short film by Will Drinker, Color Me Blind, won lots of awards: Best Editing Latent Image Film Festival 2005 2nd Place Campus Movie Fest 2005 Haydenfilms.com Finalist Official Selection Woods Hole Film Festival Official Selection … [Read more...] about Color Me Blind
Note: If You Linked To Our Post
If you're a blogger and got a trackback from this post or linked to us, please check the link you put in from this post. We just realized that WordPress operates different from Powerblogs on changing a post's date. On Powerblogs, we could change date and the old link worked. It turns out that when we redated that post it assigned a totally new link to it -- which means it's … [Read more...] about Note: If You Linked To Our Post
Bush Admits He Made Mistakes In Iraq War And Asks For New Support (UPDATED)
NOTE: Due to the importance of this story we are keeping this post at the top out of order. Newer posts are underneath it, so keep scrollilng. President George Bush delivered his long-awaited speech on what had been billed in advance as a "new direction" for Iraq and there was something particularly new. This comment: “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility … [Read more...] about Bush Admits He Made Mistakes In Iraq War And Asks For New Support (UPDATED)
The fundamental question
I listened to President George W. Bush today (Wednesday) as he discussed the "new" strategy for Iraq. After digesting what I heard (with no notes on the visible body language, which I have heard was rather obvious to any normal observer), the fundamental question that I see is this: How is the proposed strategy any different than the past "surges" run with the mantra "as … [Read more...] about The fundamental question
De Tocqueville’s Terrorists
The trouble with trusting the old White male (this time, the target is de Tocqueville's views on religion in Democracy in America). … [Read more...] about De Tocqueville’s Terrorists
Ode to America
One of my oldest readers, Mark Olson, asks if any of his liberal readers can produce a pro-America ode that does not in any way mention America's flaws: "without the normal put downs, praising 'America as it currently is.'" I'll open the floor to any of our more liberal readers. But for my part, I wonder what purpose such an ode would serve. Why should we privilege a purely … [Read more...] about Ode to America
A True Creep Makes Excuses while Apologizing
There IS no excuse for this man and no way that he can ever make amends for the evil he has done. This is not an "extremist" - this is a murderer. CNN: Anti-abortion extremist apologizes to slain doctor's widow BUFFALO, New York (AP) -- An anti-abortion extremist defending himself against charges related to a doctor's slaying decided not to cross-examine the man's … [Read more...] about A True Creep Makes Excuses while Apologizing
Stay Tuned
In answer to emails, an extensive post is now being written on President Bush's speech on Iraq. Parts of it should be on this site within the next 45 minutes. … [Read more...] about Stay Tuned
Conversation with a Soldier
On the final leg of my trip home last night – a flight from Dallas to St. Louis – I sat next to a U.S. Army soldier, in full fatigues, who was on his own journey home after a six-month tour in Iraq. He appeared to be around my age, early 40’s, so I struck up a conversation, asking if he was headed to Ft. Leonard Wood. He said he was. I then made a passing comment about … [Read more...] about Conversation with a Soldier
A Reluctant Surge Supporter
Enough of the President's Iraq Speech has been leaked that I will go ahead and declare that although I rarely agree with Bush I support this surge. It may be that 21,000 troops are too few to make a difference, but I support even the smallest chance that we can help move the Iraqi government to a tipping point were they can maintain public order. I think it is worth the … [Read more...] about A Reluctant Surge Supporter
Hope for Comity
Norman Ornstein pointed out some encouraging rhetoric coming from Congress and makes a few suggestions to encourage Comity. I excerpt liberally: From Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio)...If there is one lesson that stands out from our party’s time in the majority, it is this: A Congressional majority is simply a means to an end. The value of a majority lies not in the … [Read more...] about Hope for Comity
The Next Korematsu
I am becoming more and more sure that our treatment of Jose Padilla will become the next great stain on America's honor. … [Read more...] about The Next Korematsu
Spy money
Here's an interesting story from The Globe and Mail: Canadian coins containing tiny transmitters have mysteriously turned up in the pockets of at least three American contractors who visited Canada, says a branch of the U.S. Defense Department. Security experts believe the miniature devices could be used to track the movements of defence industry personnel dealing in … [Read more...] about Spy money
Blair on Saddam
From the BBC: "Tony Blair has called the manner of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's execution 'completely wrong'." This follows Gordon Brown, who has called it "deplorable and unacceptable". They're both right. One needn't excuse Saddam his many crimes to find his execution an utterly despicable act of vengeance. … [Read more...] about Blair on Saddam