Category: Politics

Defective Yeti’s take on the NY Post’s Gephardt gaffe. “Can’t even pronounce spaghetti…” Although I might have been more inclined to give Nancy the nod over Jeffy (Family Circus is just “simple” dumb, whereas Nancy is (was) “delightfully surreal” dumb).

Note: The above in no way reflects my opinion of Edwards. Just thought it was funny.

Bizarre and frightening. At georgewbush.com, a new Republican campaign ad features faces and speeches of various Democrats, intercut with a snippet of Adolf Hitler spieling at a rally. I guess this is what Bush meant by “changing the tone in Washington.”

Is this an effective ad? Does anybody even understand what point they’re trying to make here? That both Democrats and Hitler have spoken excitedly at rallies? I’m speechless. Sign the petition at democrats.org to demand bushco to talk about issues.

In the midst of a week of relentless lionization of Ronald Reagan, it was interesting to read another take on the canonical tales of how Reagan single-handedly ended communism in the Soviet Union. The Globe and Mail’s Gorby Had the Lead Role, Not Gipper points out that it was Gorbachev who was taking great strides to reduce the arms buildup while Reagan scoffed that it was all “propaganda.”

…the U.S. administration was reeling. Polls were beginning to show that, of all things unimaginable, a Soviet leader was the greatest force for world peace. An embarrassed Mr. Reagan finally responded in kind.

The “kirktoon” linked above offers biting reverse spin on the week of worship. And the UC Berkeley News Center has an interesting piece on how Reagan used the UCB campus as a political whipping boy. The Free Speech Movement, for example, was one of Berkeley’s great accomplishments – not just for Berkeley but for campuses across America. Students mobilized to make sure that Constitutional rights were more than just empty promises. Reagan saw the movement as the work of spoiled college kids:

Reagan took aim at the university for being irresponsible for failing to punish these dissident students. He said, ‘Get them out of there. Throw them out. They are spoiled and don’t deserve the education they are getting. They don’t have a right to take advantage of our system of education.’

But he was, we are told, infectiously optimistic, so that’s got to count for something. I was young while Reagan was in office, and did not grow up in a very political family. But I remember to this day the absolute scorn my parents held for the man, and how livid they would become talking about his policies. I know my parents were not alone in their hatred of Reagan. But he was, after all, infectiously optimistic.

Why am I suddenly starting to receive funding solicitations and other propaganda from the RNC? I take a certain perverse pleasure in scrawling “Power, Corruption and Lies — Bush Must Go” across the pledge sheet and sending it back in the postage-paid envelope that is inevitably provided. I’ve done this about half a dozen times now, but it so far has not gotten me removed from their mailing lists. That’s OK — I’m patient. And I’ve got lots of Sharpies.

How did Bush manage to base the bulk of his presidency on a “war on terror” when his very own State Department reports that incidents of global terrorism are at a 20-year low?

Currently webcasting: Social Justice & Social Empathy featuring Robert Reich:

What does empathy have to do with inequality? Robert Reich, former United States secretary of labor in the Clinton administration and a distinguished visiting professor at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.

Pretty amazing spiel, although the drag about these events for me is that as fun as it is to run the webcasts, doing so detracts from ability to pay full attention. Some salient points I took away:

– We are a society of “exit-ers” — we simply leave situations we don’t like rather than sticking around to “give voice” or get involved and try to repair our own communities.

– Our fates are connected, you and I. “Insightful selfishness.” You are wealthy and you are willing to pour money into education. Why? Doing so makes society more productive. Productive citizens will partake of your goods and services, thus increasing your wealth. Rising tides raise all boats. My actions bring society up or down, as do yours.

– (via audience member) We don’t breast feed or sleep with our babies as commonly or for as long as in Canada, Europe, Japan. Is there a correlation between the extended core bonding giving to infants in these places and the greater inclusivity of countries with democratic/socialistic tendencies?

Some of the American and British soldiers charged with torturing and humiliated Iraqi prisoners were working under orders to “soften up” prisoners for future interrogation. That’s one of those terms that’s left entirely up to the MP on duty to interpret.

Former Army interrogator Mike Ritz refers to the famous 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment in which regular college students were asked to role play prisoner/guard for an extended period. After five days, the study had to be cut short because the students in the role of guard were becoming sadistic.

The media offers explanations for these MP’s behavior dissmissively (“A few bad eggs”) or suggests a power chain encouraging the behavior. The Stanford study suggests something even more frightening, and in my mind, more probable — that ordinary people put in a position of control will often become sadistic and abusive.

This of course not meant to somehow excuse.