nymole's blog

Glenn Greenwald: ' "America's Priorities," by the Beltway elite'

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:40:14 -0700

October 24

Salon - Something very unusual happened on The Washington Post Editorial Page today.

They deigned to address a response from one of their readers, who "challenged [them] to explain what he sees as a contradiction in [their] editorial positions": namely, the Post demands that Obama's health care plan not be paid for with borrowed money, yet the very same Post Editors vocally support escalation in Afghanistan without specifying how it should be paid for.

"Why is it okay to finance wars with debt, asks our reader, but not to pay for health care that way?"

Ian Welsh: "Left Wing Self-Defeatism And How To Win"

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:47:50 -0700

September 17

Ian Welsh -One constant theme which needs dealing with is the idea that the country is more conservative than liberal and that centrists are needed to hold off horrible conservative things from happening...

When I look at the US what I see is a banana republic. And then I see people who think that the Senate, or even the House, actually does what the American people want...Oh, Congress will sometimes do what the majority want—when that’s what it was going to do anyway. The plan to fix this is simple enough and always has been. Obama was a right wing democrat and this was clear early... Once he was chosen as the nominee I told people ... to take their time and money and spend it on electing progressive members of Congress, where that amount of money and volunteers could be decisive.

People who hold progressive and liberal policy views are a much larger proportion of the population than the right wing crazies are, they are in fact a majority of the population, though you’d never know it from listening to the gnashing of teeth of some folks.

If the right wing crazies could capture the Republican party, liberals and progressives, who already make up the largest block in the House, and who massively outnumber Blue Dogs, can certainly do the same to the Democratic party.

Media Matters: Fox's little scheme on ACORN games the news media

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:24:03 -0700

September 18

Media Matters - The [Acorn "brothel"] story at this point really has a lot more to do with Fox News and conservative media activism than with ACORN.

The undercover videos first appeared on BigGovernment.com, founded by Andrew Breitbart, a protégé of Matt Drudge and a conservative with a long record of highly partisan and inflammatory statements. Giles, daughter of conservative blogger Doug Giles, attended the National Journalism Center in Washington, one of the many right-wing institutions conservatives have established to flood the field with young, motivated, and rabidly partisan "reporters."

On the offense, Breitbart has lashed out at the mainstream media for supposedly burying the story... Many mainstream reporters were indeed worthy of criticism, but for the opposite reason that Breitbart cited. Their real failure was discussing the ACORN issue on Fox News' terms and ignoring the network's role in pushing the smears.

The New York Times covered up conservatives' well-documented ACORN obsession in its reporting. In their reports, all three network evening news broadcasts -- ABC's World News, NBC's Nightly News, and the CBS Evening News -- left out substantive facts about the incidents that mitigate the accusations, exonerate ACORN employees, or undermine the credibility of the filmmakers. Moreover, none reported that Fox News, in its aggressive promotion of this story, had made false accusations. more

Russell Krauss: "The cause of his life - Ted Kennedy on health care reform"

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:11:09 -0700

Boise Liberal Examiner (snips) | July 21

Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, with the assistance of political strategist Bob Shrum, has published a moving account on the subject of health care reform, which I recommend to everyone.

What I find so disturbing is the tone of so many critics of health care reform, including Republicans, the media, and many Democrats. No one ever talks about the moral imperative, the disgrace of leaving tens of millions uninsured and threatening virtually everyone else with at least the possibility of losing their coverage during critical times in their lives, like after getting sick or losing their jobs. Whenever the Congressional Budget Office issues another dreary, depressing cost projection, the media and Republicans seize on it, trumpet it with obvious relish, as if to say, "See? We were right all along. We can't reform the system. It's too expensive."

Which of course is code for the fact that the haves will have to pony up for the have-nots. The money is there, one way or another. How can we afford useless, wasteful wars, but not health care for our people? Except for a few, the attitude is one of looking for an excuse, any excuse, to perpetuate this disastrous system, and to push our obscene failure to treat all citizens fairly and compassionately away from our collective consciousness.

a columnist from the heartland gets furious at the health care killers

It ain't your daddy's Ipod 'cause our economy's still tanking.

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:58:23 -0700

The Economy Is Still at the Brink

Sandy B Lewis and William D. Cohan | June 6

NYT -Mr. Obama thinks that the way to revive the economy is to restore confidence in it...

We have both spent large chunks of our lives working on Wall Street, absorbing its ethic and mores. We’re concerned that nothing has really been fixed. We’re doubly concerned that people appear to feel the worst of the storm is over — and in this, they are aided and abetted by a hugely popular and charismatic president and by the fact that the Dow has increased by 35 percent or so since Mr. Obama started to lay out his economic plans in March. But wishing for improvement and managing by the Dow’s swings are a fool’s game. more at the link

NYT - IPanic-
Image after the jump. Larger image at link.

Have We Already Lost Iran?

Sun, 24 May 2009 10:16:14 -0700

Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett | May 23

NYT - President Obama's Iran policy has, in all likelihood, already failed. On its present course, the White House’s approach will not stop Tehran’s development of a nuclear fuel program — or, as Iran’s successful test of a medium-range, solid-fuel missile last week underscored, military capacities of other sorts. It will also not provide an alternative to continued antagonism between the United States and Iran — a posture that for 30 years has proved increasingly damaging to the interests of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.

What do Agonistas think of this NYT op-ed piece?

Texas Constructs U.S. Border Wall To Keep Out Unwanted Americans

Sat, 23 May 2009 05:37:16 -0700

The Onion - Calling it an essential step toward securing the Texas border and protecting his people's way of life, Gov. Rick Perry announced Tuesday the completion of a 1,953-mile wall designed to keep out millions of unwanted Americans.

According to Perry, the 75-foot-high barricade running along the northern boundary is the culmination of more than 160 years of escalating tensions between Texas and the United States. Though a protective barrier has been under consideration for decades, the Texas Legislature voted unanimously to begin construction on the project immediately following the 2008 presidential election.

"As governor, it is my responsibility to do whatever's necessary to maintain the territorial integrity of Texas," Perry told reporters during a press conference held inside a sniper tower overlooking Oklahoma. "If you are a Texas citizen, you shouldn't have to worry about some American coming in here, using your goods and services, and taking away your job."

plus

Guantánamo Closure Delayed

"Maybe if we leave it open just one more week, we'll find out if they did it."

Treasury Department Issues Emergency Recall Of All US Dollars

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:43:54 -0700

I know, it's not Friday yet, but the last few days have been ~~torture~~ difficult.

An update on the US financial crisis in Onion video here

Life and Death on the Operating Table

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:09:06 -0700

Pauline Chen, MD | April 17 (snips)

NYT - Not long ago I finished reading the 1992 memoir "The Puzzle People" by Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, regarded by many as one of the fathers of transplantation.

Beginning with his childhood in LeMars, Iowa, Dr. Starzl describes his education and training under some of the legendary doctors and scientists of the 1940s and ’50s. He tells us of his failures and successes, up through his retirement from the operating room just before turning 65. It is an account of one of the most exciting periods in modern surgery, written in lucid and unflinching prose by a man who not only had a front row seat but also frequently dominated the stage...

I recently spoke with Dr. Starzl, who at 83 continues to be involved in transplantation research and with patients (he excused himself from one of our conversations to take a call from a patient). He shared some of his thoughts on the patient-doctor relationship, health care reform, and on being a patient and doctor. MORE

really worth reading if you've become completely cynical about doctors ~nymole

Incredible 'Business-Man' Has Salary of 10 Regular Men

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:13:06 -0700

Chicago | April 3

The Onion - Sources in the Chicago metropolitan area confirmed Monday the existence of an extraordinary "business-man" imbued with the earning power and fiscal strength of 10 ordinary men.

This invincible, superhuman associate is reportedly able to leap from assistant manager to vice president of operations in a single bound...Sources claim the man draws his power from a special hand-tailored Italian suit that strikes fear into the hearts of rival equity firms everywhere...

continued at the link

U.S. Troops In Iraq Excited To Finally Return To Afghanistan

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 07:03:21 -0700

some topical dark humor for the weekend from the Onion

The Onion - Members of the U.S. Armed Forces were reportedly overcome with feelings of joy, nostalgia, and optimism this week after learning they would soon be withdrawn from Iraq and allowed to finally return home to Afghanistan. "I never thought this day would come," said Cpl. Douglas Robinson, who hasn't seen the barren hills and smoking craters of his beloved Kabul in nearly six years. "Being away from those you left behind, for this long, it definitely starts to take a toll on you." Added Robinson, "I can't believe I'm going home again."

In 2003, thousands of American soldiers were unexpectedly uprooted from Afghanistan and sent off to fight in a long and bloody war overseas. After serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq, the vast majority of these troops said they couldn't wait to get back and have their lives return to normal.

"It's going to be great to be surrounded by all those familiar faces again," said Pfc. Shawn Brunner, staring wistfully at an old and faded photograph of the bleak wasteland. "The tribal sheiks, the frightened villagers, all that wonderful rubble near the Id Gah Mosque. When I'm finally back on Afghan soil, I'll probably kiss the ground."

more at the link

The Nelson Report:"The Good News- Investors are Giving Up on Policy"

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:38:30 -0700

Some bad news/good news market philosophy from yesterday's Nelson Report:

OBAMANOMICS...every commentary we read about the Obama Administration's response to the financial crisis is that for the markets, nothing seems to matter except "fixing the banks"...defined as taking all those toxic loans off the back of the credit market, so business can get what it needs to keep employment from continuing to fall off the cliff.

This is very bad news, it's increasingly becoming clear, since "everyone" also now agrees that the markets will continue to tank, in the absence of a "bank plan" it believes in.

That's because the Obama folks seem to be telling us that there will BE no immediate satisfaction of this "demand", since the President and his advisors realize that whatever they may want privately, Congress isn't going to vote the trillion (or perhaps two-trillion) needed to really clean up bad bank debt.

More after the jump

But let's step back 10 feet and listen to experts like ISI's Tom Gallagher.

Tom advises clients this morning that the good news in the bad news may be that "investors are giving up on policy".

"We've noted before that the role of government policy during the financial crisis has been to cause false rallies, as investors have exaggerated views on what policy can accomplish - or are in denial on just how bad deleveraging will be for the economy and markets.

"Part of the problem is that the scale of the problem keeps getting bigger as policy continues to fall short...

"So here's our 'deep thought' for the day: if market bottoms are
psychological and require capitulation by investors, then it can be said that investors are close to that attitude now, on policy.

"The increasingly held view that policy is ineffective in dealing with the credit crisis (and very possibly counter-productive) may be a reason to feel good about market prospects next year.

"The notion that policy is impotent, along with commentary on avoiding
stocks, are the sorts of things that can define market bottoms".

There now! Don't you feel ever so much better? Bank plan, schmank plan.

Limbaugh Rooting for Planet to Explode

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:25:57 -0800

The Borowitz Report

Huffington Post - In remarks that seemed guaranteed to create controversy, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said today that he was "rooting for the planet Earth to explode" because it would help the GOP retake the White House.

Mr. Limbaugh elaborated on his planet explosion theory, explaining that if the world blows up in the next four years "it will happen on Barack Obama's watch." more

Put a Spring in your Step: Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday:-)

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:25:54 -0800

Marc Fisher in Saturday's Washington Post again suggests: "double it:"

Washington Post - Tonight, the clock shifts forward. Tomorrow, sunset moves from 6:07 p.m. to 7:08 p.m. But our work here is not done. If we really wanted to fill our lives with joy and save energy and money, if we really wanted to move beyond the fiction of our agrarian conception of time and into the modern world, we'd shift to year-round Daylight Saving Time--or, if we really wanted to embrace reality and maximize life, go to Double DST, a big, two-hour push forward of the clocks that would turn our summers into a marathon of gorgeous, endless evenings. more

Nation Instinctively Forms Breadline

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:29:18 -0800

After they heard Obama gave AIG another huge wad of their money, they knew it was time- nymole

The Onion -
Drawn by a strange force they could neither resist nor describe, millions of Americans reportedly dropped what they were doing today and, acting as if by instinct alone, gathered into one massive nationwide breadline.

According to witnesses, citizens across the country exited their homes in near unison, leaving behind growing stacks of bills, empty kitchen cupboards, and what was once a life of comfort to form the spontaneous, 2,000-mile-long queue.