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December 29, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Monday's Links
Activism
Ho-Ho-Holiday Donations, Early Edition. Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Well, we sure hope so, but before you get too far, take a moment to think about those less fortunate. The end of the year is the perfect time for you to assess how you've fared, and how lucky you likely have it. Over at The Nation, Katha Pollitt has assembled a short list of some very worthwhile causes that could use your support. Furthermore, these are progressive causes, and ones that don't get a lot of press. The holidays are the time for giving!
News
Family Upset Over Marine's Body Arriving As Freight. Well, that's certainly an understatement. We can see Bush's end of the decision now. "OK, Joint Chiefs, here's the situation. We're appropriating another $700 trillion for y'all to use in Iraq. But you've gotta start watching the books. Don't make any unnecessary spending." So, we give Halliburton, et al, an overabundance of money so that they can line their pockets, but the soldiers who come back from Iraq in coffins are sent to their families in the hold of a commercial airplane, next to Uncle Joe's skis? If you needed any additional sign that this administration doesn't give a damn about our soldiers, then look no further.
Commission Finds Irregularities in Iraqi Voter Registration. Wow, Iraq really is becoming more and more like the U.S.! With parliamentary elections scheduled for this week, the Iraqi electoral commission has found "irregularities in voter registration." To quote the New York Times, "The commission said experts conducting an audit of voter lists found that there had been an unexpected surge in voter registration in the area. When the experts scrutinized the voter registration forms, the commission said in a written statement, they found that many had been filled out incorrectly. Some had missing signatures and others had more than one signature. In some cases, the same name appeared on several forms." Monkey see, monkey do, we suppose. The "irregularities" occured in the province of Kirkuk, which has no clear dominance of Shiite, Sunni or Kurdish Iraqis. Kinda like Florida, or Ohio. So what better way to ensure that your party will win then by cooking the books? After all, it worked for the GOP here. Twice!
Protesters Placed in FBI Terrorism Files, ACLU Says. From the Bill of Rights, Amendment I. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." However, as the FBI so conveniently notes, it doesn't say anything about amassing a database of those that do choose to assemble. Witness the story above, where 30 people who attended an anti-war event three years ago in Colorado have now been placed in the FBI's "terrorism" files. These were peaceful protestors. They weren't throwing rocks, or threatening policemen. In fact, all they had done was sit in the street. They were told to disperse, did not, and were tear gassed and pepper sprayed as a result. Still feel safer, America, knowing that the FBI is hard at work keeping tabs on these miscreants?
Editorials
Dreaming Big to Keep America Rolling. Do you ever get the idea that America's stagnating? Sure, there's still a lot to be proud of as an American, but sometimes we wonder if a country with this many resources ought to be achieving a lot more. David Ignatius writes about the perils of GM, and wonders if it's "a snapshot of where we're all heading unless people take the country's economic problems more seriously." One of our major industries is lagging behind. We can either throw our hands up in the air, or we can do something about it. Ignatius takes a look at a strategy "proposed last year in a study by Amory Lovins called 'Winning the Oil Endgame: Innovation for Profits, Jobs and Security.' " The title alone seems to encompass all of those things America used to stand for: Innovation, Profits, Security. What are we waiting for?
Blogger Commentary
Conservative? No. Radical, Regressive, and Reckless? Yes. Gary Allen Scott makes a point that we've been thinking about for several months now. The GOP at large (from Bush to O'Reilly) are not conservatives. There are, in fact, very few conservatives left. Conservatives we could work with. No, this new breed of Republican is radical, regressive and reckless. "Webster's Dictionary defines 'conservatism' as the 'disposition in politics to preserve what is established'. It is further defined as 'a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions and preferring gradual development to abrupt change.'" Does that sound like anyone you know? Anyone? Anyone at all? Can you name one Republican politician to whom this definition truly applies? Its not really recent (Reagan wasn't exactly fiscally conservative, was he?), but it's become far more apparent over the last year or two that the mentality of "conservative" has fallen by the wayside, and that the RRRs are taking over.
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December 29, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Monday's Links
Activism
Ho-Ho-Holiday Donations, Early Edition. Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Well, we sure hope so, but before you get too far, take a moment to think about those less fortunate. The end of the year is the perfect time for you to assess how you've fared, and how lucky you likely have it. Over at The Nation, Katha Pollitt has assembled a short list of some very worthwhile causes that could use your support. Furthermore, these are progressive causes, and ones that don't get a lot of press. The holidays are the time for giving!
News
Family Upset Over Marine's Body Arriving As Freight. Well, that's certainly an understatement. We can see Bush's end of the decision now. "OK, Joint Chiefs, here's the situation. We're appropriating another $700 trillion for y'all to use in Iraq. But you've gotta start watching the books. Don't make any unnecessary spending." So, we give Halliburton, et al, an overabundance of money so that they can line their pockets, but the soldiers who come back from Iraq in coffins are sent to their families in the hold of a commercial airplane, next to Uncle Joe's skis? If you needed any additional sign that this administration doesn't give a damn about our soldiers, then look no further.
Commission Finds Irregularities in Iraqi Voter Registration. Wow, Iraq really is becoming more and more like the U.S.! With parliamentary elections scheduled for this week, the Iraqi electoral commission has found "irregularities in voter registration." To quote the New York Times, "The commission said experts conducting an audit of voter lists found that there had been an unexpected surge in voter registration in the area. When the experts scrutinized the voter registration forms, the commission said in a written statement, they found that many had been filled out incorrectly. Some had missing signatures and others had more than one signature. In some cases, the same name appeared on several forms." Monkey see, monkey do, we suppose. The "irregularities" occured in the province of Kirkuk, which has no clear dominance of Shiite, Sunni or Kurdish Iraqis. Kinda like Florida, or Ohio. So what better way to ensure that your party will win then by cooking the books? After all, it worked for the GOP here. Twice!
Protesters Placed in FBI Terrorism Files, ACLU Says. From the Bill of Rights, Amendment I. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." However, as the FBI so conveniently notes, it doesn't say anything about amassing a database of those that do choose to assemble. Witness the story above, where 30 people who attended an anti-war event three years ago in Colorado have now been placed in the FBI's "terrorism" files. These were peaceful protestors. They weren't throwing rocks, or threatening policemen. In fact, all they had done was sit in the street. They were told to disperse, did not, and were tear gassed and pepper sprayed as a result. Still feel safer, America, knowing that the FBI is hard at work keeping tabs on these miscreants?
Editorials
Dreaming Big to Keep America Rolling. Do you ever get the idea that America's stagnating? Sure, there's still a lot to be proud of as an American, but sometimes we wonder if a country with this many resources ought to be achieving a lot more. David Ignatius writes about the perils of GM, and wonders if it's "a snapshot of where we're all heading unless people take the country's economic problems more seriously." One of our major industries is lagging behind. We can either throw our hands up in the air, or we can do something about it. Ignatius takes a look at a strategy "proposed last year in a study by Amory Lovins called 'Winning the Oil Endgame: Innovation for Profits, Jobs and Security.' " The title alone seems to encompass all of those things America used to stand for: Innovation, Profits, Security. What are we waiting for?
Blogger Commentary
Conservative? No. Radical, Regressive, and Reckless? Yes. Gary Allen Scott makes a point that we've been thinking about for several months now. The GOP at large (from Bush to O'Reilly) are not conservatives. There are, in fact, very few conservatives left. Conservatives we could work with. No, this new breed of Republican is radical, regressive and reckless. "Webster's Dictionary defines 'conservatism' as the 'disposition in politics to preserve what is established'. It is further defined as 'a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions and preferring gradual development to abrupt change.'" Does that sound like anyone you know? Anyone? Anyone at all? Can you name one Republican politician to whom this definition truly applies? Its not really recent (Reagan wasn't exactly fiscally conservative, was he?), but it's become far more apparent over the last year or two that the mentality of "conservative" has fallen by the wayside, and that the RRRs are taking over.
|
December 29, 2005
Ho-Ho-Holiday Donations, Early Edition. Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Well, we sure hope so, but before you get too far, take a moment to think about those less fortunate. The end of the year is the perfect time for you to assess how you've fared, and how lucky you likely have it. Over at The Nation, Katha Pollitt has assembled a short list of some very worthwhile causes that could use your support. Furthermore, these are progressive causes, and ones that don't get a lot of press. The holidays are the time for giving!
News
Family Upset Over Marine's Body Arriving As Freight. Well, that's certainly an understatement. We can see Bush's end of the decision now. "OK, Joint Chiefs, here's the situation. We're appropriating another $700 trillion for y'all to use in Iraq. But you've gotta start watching the books. Don't make any unnecessary spending." So, we give Halliburton, et al, an overabundance of money so that they can line their pockets, but the soldiers who come back from Iraq in coffins are sent to their families in the hold of a commercial airplane, next to Uncle Joe's skis? If you needed any additional sign that this administration doesn't give a damn about our soldiers, then look no further.
Commission Finds Irregularities in Iraqi Voter Registration. Wow, Iraq really is becoming more and more like the U.S.! With parliamentary elections scheduled for this week, the Iraqi electoral commission has found "irregularities in voter registration." To quote the New York Times, "The commission said experts conducting an audit of voter lists found that there had been an unexpected surge in voter registration in the area. When the experts scrutinized the voter registration forms, the commission said in a written statement, they found that many had been filled out incorrectly. Some had missing signatures and others had more than one signature. In some cases, the same name appeared on several forms." Monkey see, monkey do, we suppose. The "irregularities" occured in the province of Kirkuk, which has no clear dominance of Shiite, Sunni or Kurdish Iraqis. Kinda like Florida, or Ohio. So what better way to ensure that your party will win then by cooking the books? After all, it worked for the GOP here. Twice!
Protesters Placed in FBI Terrorism Files, ACLU Says. From the Bill of Rights, Amendment I. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." However, as the FBI so conveniently notes, it doesn't say anything about amassing a database of those that do choose to assemble. Witness the story above, where 30 people who attended an anti-war event three years ago in Colorado have now been placed in the FBI's "terrorism" files. These were peaceful protestors. They weren't throwing rocks, or threatening policemen. In fact, all they had done was sit in the street. They were told to disperse, did not, and were tear gassed and pepper sprayed as a result. Still feel safer, America, knowing that the FBI is hard at work keeping tabs on these miscreants?
Editorials
Dreaming Big to Keep America Rolling. Do you ever get the idea that America's stagnating? Sure, there's still a lot to be proud of as an American, but sometimes we wonder if a country with this many resources ought to be achieving a lot more. David Ignatius writes about the perils of GM, and wonders if it's "a snapshot of where we're all heading unless people take the country's economic problems more seriously." One of our major industries is lagging behind. We can either throw our hands up in the air, or we can do something about it. Ignatius takes a look at a strategy "proposed last year in a study by Amory Lovins called 'Winning the Oil Endgame: Innovation for Profits, Jobs and Security.' " The title alone seems to encompass all of those things America used to stand for: Innovation, Profits, Security. What are we waiting for?
Blogger Commentary
Conservative? No. Radical, Regressive, and Reckless? Yes. Gary Allen Scott makes a point that we've been thinking about for several months now. The GOP at large (from Bush to O'Reilly) are not conservatives. There are, in fact, very few conservatives left. Conservatives we could work with. No, this new breed of Republican is radical, regressive and reckless. "Webster's Dictionary defines 'conservatism' as the 'disposition in politics to preserve what is established'. It is further defined as 'a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions and preferring gradual development to abrupt change.'" Does that sound like anyone you know? Anyone? Anyone at all? Can you name one Republican politician to whom this definition truly applies? Its not really recent (Reagan wasn't exactly fiscally conservative, was he?), but it's become far more apparent over the last year or two that the mentality of "conservative" has fallen by the wayside, and that the RRRs are taking over.
