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December 29, 2005
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
The Corporation. You like movies, don't you? Well, we have a doozy of one for you. "The Corporation" is a fantastic documentary that recently arrived on DVD. It documents the rise of corporations as legal entities in America, from the early days, when they had to serve the public good. Now, they have all the rights of people, but unlike people, can't be jailed, and are rarely even dissolved. The movie argues that if many corporations were actually people, they'd fit all of the criteria for being certified psychopaths. So why are exploitative and harmful corporations given a pass, and why are their leaders often revered? We urge you to watch this documentary any way you can - rent it, Netflix it, or see a screening at a house party. It truly is insightful, well-crafted, and compelling.
News
When It Hits the Fan...Maybe it's the Downing Street Memo. Maybe it's Bush's falling approval rating. Maybe it's a mass attack of conscience. Whatever it is, there are now a whole lot of people saying that they didn't think the evidence for War was strong enough. Some had said it before, but not publicly. Others had suspicions. But when this many high-level people think you're doing something wrong (i.e. starting a war), then you're probably doing something wrong. Of course, it's not like Bush listens, so even if these people had went public, and had their suspicions sprayed across the front page of the Washington Post, but would simply not pay attention.
DHS Arrests 60 Illegals in Sensitive Jobs. Homeland Security has arrested 60 illegal immigrants who worked in "12 critical infrastructure sites" in the U.S. Although none of the immigrants have any terrorist ties, they apparently were still a security threat, according to DHS. DHS crows about how these immigrants could be "potential" targets of terrorist activites. News flash: We do have something in this country called "presumed innocent until proven guilty." If DHS wants to actually do something, why don't they investigate how all of these workers came from the same company, which used the same hiring service? Or look at how they all obtained false identification that was good enough to get them hired? Are we asking for too much here?
Tense moments for Laura Bush at Jerusalem holy sites. For some inexplicable reasons, most Americans are pretty fond of Laura Bush. Well, as usual, our friends overseas are a bit more insightful and demanding of their world leaders. Mrs. Bush took a trip to Jerusalem, presumably for some glad-handing and publicity shots, but no one was really buying what she was selling. Jews used the opportunity to protest the imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard, a man in prison for spying for Israel. Muslims, well, you can only imagine how Muslims felt about Mrs. Bush's trip.
Editorials
Getting Democrats From No to Yes. E.J. Dionne, Jr. writes about the "Politics of No." Essentially, it's far easier for Democrats and Republicans to agree on what they can't agree on, instead of trying to find things to agree upon. Dionne's biggest point is Social Security, which, as most Americans agree, shouldn't be changed to reflect Bush's plan. However, we do disagree with Dionne's statement that, regarding Social Security, "For the first time in a long while, core liberal principles are actually winning in a public debate." If our memory serves correctly, public opinion was with Democrats when Republicans decided to introduce legislation to "save" Terri Schiavo. Public opinion is with Democrats in not removing the filibuster. Hell, public opinion has been with the Democrats regarding the war in Iraq. Now, Democrats need to focus on sharpening that public opinion into favor for the Democratic party. How do we do that?
The Chinese Connection. Let's talk a little more about China. Earlier in the week, we wrote about the U.S. demanding that China change it's currency policy. But what does that mean, really? Essentially, China is making a lot of money from trade. China then turns around and uses that money to buy American "dollar assets." This means that China is lending lots of money, at low interest rates, to America. This money has kept our interest rates low, even with the massive borrowing we've had to do to cover the budget deficit. These low interest rates mean soaring house prices, booms in the construction industry, and, most importantly, allows homeowners to refinance their mortgages and turn that into cash. So, why is the government complaining? The U.S. is complaining because the low value of the yuan means that the trade surplus stays unbalanced. But it's a huge catch-22, because if China does change it's currency policy, the exact opposite of what's listed above will occur, ending with falling home prices that lead to a wave of bankruptcies. Of course, that's short term. The long-term effects mean a healthier economy. And the above could happen without a change in the yuan, if China stops buying dollars. There's no easy answers yet, but the first step to finding an answer is to understand the problem. That's why we have Krugman.
The people responsible for this are the ones who are undermining the troops. What is Steve at No More Mr. Nice Blog talking about? Well, he's talking about the "Koran-gate" story. As you know by now, once in a while, instead of insightful, civilized political commentary, sometimes we like to present insightful, uncivilized rants that cut to the heart of the matter. And here's a great one. Basically, if you somehow think that it's Newsweek's fault that there were riots in Afghanistan, well, as Steve puts it, you're an idiot.
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December 29, 2005
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
The Corporation. You like movies, don't you? Well, we have a doozy of one for you. "The Corporation" is a fantastic documentary that recently arrived on DVD. It documents the rise of corporations as legal entities in America, from the early days, when they had to serve the public good. Now, they have all the rights of people, but unlike people, can't be jailed, and are rarely even dissolved. The movie argues that if many corporations were actually people, they'd fit all of the criteria for being certified psychopaths. So why are exploitative and harmful corporations given a pass, and why are their leaders often revered? We urge you to watch this documentary any way you can - rent it, Netflix it, or see a screening at a house party. It truly is insightful, well-crafted, and compelling.
News
When It Hits the Fan...Maybe it's the Downing Street Memo. Maybe it's Bush's falling approval rating. Maybe it's a mass attack of conscience. Whatever it is, there are now a whole lot of people saying that they didn't think the evidence for War was strong enough. Some had said it before, but not publicly. Others had suspicions. But when this many high-level people think you're doing something wrong (i.e. starting a war), then you're probably doing something wrong. Of course, it's not like Bush listens, so even if these people had went public, and had their suspicions sprayed across the front page of the Washington Post, but would simply not pay attention.
DHS Arrests 60 Illegals in Sensitive Jobs. Homeland Security has arrested 60 illegal immigrants who worked in "12 critical infrastructure sites" in the U.S. Although none of the immigrants have any terrorist ties, they apparently were still a security threat, according to DHS. DHS crows about how these immigrants could be "potential" targets of terrorist activites. News flash: We do have something in this country called "presumed innocent until proven guilty." If DHS wants to actually do something, why don't they investigate how all of these workers came from the same company, which used the same hiring service? Or look at how they all obtained false identification that was good enough to get them hired? Are we asking for too much here?
Tense moments for Laura Bush at Jerusalem holy sites. For some inexplicable reasons, most Americans are pretty fond of Laura Bush. Well, as usual, our friends overseas are a bit more insightful and demanding of their world leaders. Mrs. Bush took a trip to Jerusalem, presumably for some glad-handing and publicity shots, but no one was really buying what she was selling. Jews used the opportunity to protest the imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard, a man in prison for spying for Israel. Muslims, well, you can only imagine how Muslims felt about Mrs. Bush's trip.
Editorials
Getting Democrats From No to Yes. E.J. Dionne, Jr. writes about the "Politics of No." Essentially, it's far easier for Democrats and Republicans to agree on what they can't agree on, instead of trying to find things to agree upon. Dionne's biggest point is Social Security, which, as most Americans agree, shouldn't be changed to reflect Bush's plan. However, we do disagree with Dionne's statement that, regarding Social Security, "For the first time in a long while, core liberal principles are actually winning in a public debate." If our memory serves correctly, public opinion was with Democrats when Republicans decided to introduce legislation to "save" Terri Schiavo. Public opinion is with Democrats in not removing the filibuster. Hell, public opinion has been with the Democrats regarding the war in Iraq. Now, Democrats need to focus on sharpening that public opinion into favor for the Democratic party. How do we do that?
The Chinese Connection. Let's talk a little more about China. Earlier in the week, we wrote about the U.S. demanding that China change it's currency policy. But what does that mean, really? Essentially, China is making a lot of money from trade. China then turns around and uses that money to buy American "dollar assets." This means that China is lending lots of money, at low interest rates, to America. This money has kept our interest rates low, even with the massive borrowing we've had to do to cover the budget deficit. These low interest rates mean soaring house prices, booms in the construction industry, and, most importantly, allows homeowners to refinance their mortgages and turn that into cash. So, why is the government complaining? The U.S. is complaining because the low value of the yuan means that the trade surplus stays unbalanced. But it's a huge catch-22, because if China does change it's currency policy, the exact opposite of what's listed above will occur, ending with falling home prices that lead to a wave of bankruptcies. Of course, that's short term. The long-term effects mean a healthier economy. And the above could happen without a change in the yuan, if China stops buying dollars. There's no easy answers yet, but the first step to finding an answer is to understand the problem. That's why we have Krugman.
The people responsible for this are the ones who are undermining the troops. What is Steve at No More Mr. Nice Blog talking about? Well, he's talking about the "Koran-gate" story. As you know by now, once in a while, instead of insightful, civilized political commentary, sometimes we like to present insightful, uncivilized rants that cut to the heart of the matter. And here's a great one. Basically, if you somehow think that it's Newsweek's fault that there were riots in Afghanistan, well, as Steve puts it, you're an idiot.
|
December 29, 2005
The Corporation. You like movies, don't you? Well, we have a doozy of one for you. "The Corporation" is a fantastic documentary that recently arrived on DVD. It documents the rise of corporations as legal entities in America, from the early days, when they had to serve the public good. Now, they have all the rights of people, but unlike people, can't be jailed, and are rarely even dissolved. The movie argues that if many corporations were actually people, they'd fit all of the criteria for being certified psychopaths. So why are exploitative and harmful corporations given a pass, and why are their leaders often revered? We urge you to watch this documentary any way you can - rent it, Netflix it, or see a screening at a house party. It truly is insightful, well-crafted, and compelling.
News
When It Hits the Fan...Maybe it's the Downing Street Memo. Maybe it's Bush's falling approval rating. Maybe it's a mass attack of conscience. Whatever it is, there are now a whole lot of people saying that they didn't think the evidence for War was strong enough. Some had said it before, but not publicly. Others had suspicions. But when this many high-level people think you're doing something wrong (i.e. starting a war), then you're probably doing something wrong. Of course, it's not like Bush listens, so even if these people had went public, and had their suspicions sprayed across the front page of the Washington Post, but would simply not pay attention.
DHS Arrests 60 Illegals in Sensitive Jobs. Homeland Security has arrested 60 illegal immigrants who worked in "12 critical infrastructure sites" in the U.S. Although none of the immigrants have any terrorist ties, they apparently were still a security threat, according to DHS. DHS crows about how these immigrants could be "potential" targets of terrorist activites. News flash: We do have something in this country called "presumed innocent until proven guilty." If DHS wants to actually do something, why don't they investigate how all of these workers came from the same company, which used the same hiring service? Or look at how they all obtained false identification that was good enough to get them hired? Are we asking for too much here?
Tense moments for Laura Bush at Jerusalem holy sites. For some inexplicable reasons, most Americans are pretty fond of Laura Bush. Well, as usual, our friends overseas are a bit more insightful and demanding of their world leaders. Mrs. Bush took a trip to Jerusalem, presumably for some glad-handing and publicity shots, but no one was really buying what she was selling. Jews used the opportunity to protest the imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard, a man in prison for spying for Israel. Muslims, well, you can only imagine how Muslims felt about Mrs. Bush's trip.
Editorials
Getting Democrats From No to Yes. E.J. Dionne, Jr. writes about the "Politics of No." Essentially, it's far easier for Democrats and Republicans to agree on what they can't agree on, instead of trying to find things to agree upon. Dionne's biggest point is Social Security, which, as most Americans agree, shouldn't be changed to reflect Bush's plan. However, we do disagree with Dionne's statement that, regarding Social Security, "For the first time in a long while, core liberal principles are actually winning in a public debate." If our memory serves correctly, public opinion was with Democrats when Republicans decided to introduce legislation to "save" Terri Schiavo. Public opinion is with Democrats in not removing the filibuster. Hell, public opinion has been with the Democrats regarding the war in Iraq. Now, Democrats need to focus on sharpening that public opinion into favor for the Democratic party. How do we do that?
The Chinese Connection. Let's talk a little more about China. Earlier in the week, we wrote about the U.S. demanding that China change it's currency policy. But what does that mean, really? Essentially, China is making a lot of money from trade. China then turns around and uses that money to buy American "dollar assets." This means that China is lending lots of money, at low interest rates, to America. This money has kept our interest rates low, even with the massive borrowing we've had to do to cover the budget deficit. These low interest rates mean soaring house prices, booms in the construction industry, and, most importantly, allows homeowners to refinance their mortgages and turn that into cash. So, why is the government complaining? The U.S. is complaining because the low value of the yuan means that the trade surplus stays unbalanced. But it's a huge catch-22, because if China does change it's currency policy, the exact opposite of what's listed above will occur, ending with falling home prices that lead to a wave of bankruptcies. Of course, that's short term. The long-term effects mean a healthier economy. And the above could happen without a change in the yuan, if China stops buying dollars. There's no easy answers yet, but the first step to finding an answer is to understand the problem. That's why we have Krugman.
The people responsible for this are the ones who are undermining the troops. What is Steve at No More Mr. Nice Blog talking about? Well, he's talking about the "Koran-gate" story. As you know by now, once in a while, instead of insightful, civilized political commentary, sometimes we like to present insightful, uncivilized rants that cut to the heart of the matter. And here's a great one. Basically, if you somehow think that it's Newsweek's fault that there were riots in Afghanistan, well, as Steve puts it, you're an idiot.
