Unattributed Musings

Wanna Buy a Liver?

2009-09-30T22:08:00.002-04:00

There has been quit a bit of talk around the interwebs about Richard Thaler's piece in this weekend's New York Times. Quite frankly I am a bit surprised that some people are so troubled by changing the way people select their organ donor status.

My own thinking on the issue has evolved over time. I can recall quite vigorously arguing for an open market for organs, in my property class in law school. I still find the idea somewhat appealing on its face, but realize the very real negative risks to such a system. Obviously, a market for the sale of organs would result in the wealthiest members of society receiving most, if not all, of the available organs.

Perhaps some way around this would be a lottery. People who were in need of a liver could enter into the lottery for an available liver that matched. The total proceeds of the lottery, less some administrative cost, would be given to the seller. But you'd have to find some mechanism to prevent wealthier individuals from purchasing so many tickets as to tilt the odds into their favor. Also, without some very strict form of limited ticketing, there would be an obvious arbitrage opportunity. In other words, devising a system that ensured equity in the distribution of available organs would be complex at best, impossible at worst.

Thaler seems to express at least some trepidation about moving to an opt out system, which is why he pushes instead for mandated choice. I do not have any particular moral/ethical reservations about an opt out system. But I do feel it might be difficult to figure out a way to phase it in. I'm not so sure that it's as easy as making the person's next license renewal include the opt out default setting. There are older people who might not be aware of the change, even if it is well publicized.

Of course, the larger issue we have to confront under any change is the way in which Americans cling to life. We can be sure that the usual suspects (pro-lifers and other religious conservatives) will find plenty not to like about a system that makes it easier to harvest organs. Death panels will be replaced with liver panels. I'm sure Betsy McCaughey is working on it already.

When the Gut Rules

2009-08-17T16:02:00.003-04:00

You end up with elderly Americans, who are on Medicare, protesting against government run health care. I'd like to know how many of them are willing to give up their socialized medicine in order to jump into the individual market for health insurance.

Are You There God? It's Me, Crazy Michelle

2009-08-17T15:55:00.002-04:00

Michelle Bachmann, as has been well documented in other places, is one crazy Congresscritter. But, we can now add auditory hallucinations to the list. Though I suspect there is no God, I would have to assume that if there were she wouldn't waste her time on a nutjob like Bachmann.

Moronica for Morons

2009-08-17T15:32:00.002-04:00

In what parallel universe is it okay to carry not only a handgun, but an assault rifle, to an event with the POTUS? This is the third time in the past week that a teabagger has come to an Obama event packing heat. If this doesn't show the American people just how unhinged from reality the right wing has become, then I don't know what will.

Oh, and to the false equivalency people out there (yes, I'm looking right at you MSM)- the crazies on the Left brought puppets to protest, while the crazies on the Right bring loaded assault rifles. See the difference? Idiots.

Plus Ca Change

2009-08-17T01:29:00.002-04:00

I have to wonder if there are any people left who still believe that November 2008 actually changed anything. Sure, the Democrats enjoy overwhelming majorities in both the Senate and the House and control the White House, but the charade that is health care reform is no different from their performance during the eight years of Chimpy McFlightsuit. No lessons have been learned; no spines have been hardened. Instead we get the same old policy of giving in before negotiating.

Wait, maybe that isn't quite right. Perhaps the Democratic idea of negotiation is to give up. To sell out your principles rather than to fight. I mentioned someplace else that the Democrat's idea of a tough negotiation is taking their ass raping without lube. And that seems to be about right.

What else can explain Dem leadership's worshipping at the shrine of Broderian bipartisanship? How is it that Kent Conrad and Max Baucus, Senators who together represent just .52% of the US population, are the arbiters of health care reform? By what freakish turn of events does a member of Congress who feels the need to state that he won't vote for a bill with death panels, which shows that he is batshit fucking insane, get any say over health care, let alone a near veto power?

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. We now have the President's own HHS Secretary insisting that a public option is not a requirement. Are you kidding me?

The likely result of this entire debacle will be some milquetoast "reform" that fails to address any of the very real problems with our current health care system. And we can all thank our ineffectual, no wimpish, Democratic leadership in DC.

Say what you will about Bush/Cheney/Rove, but if they were given the kind of majorities the Democratic Party now holds, they'd have outlawed abortion, invaded Iran and lowered the top marginal tax rate to 20%. So, I suppose there may be some who are grateful that Obama and company are not Bush. But simply being better than Satan really isn't enough to make me want to believe.

Should I Return?

2009-08-17T01:23:00.003-04:00

It's something I have been pondering for quite some time. I've replaced my blogging with 140 character messages on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/justinanderson1) and posting links on my Facebook page. But the space limits of those two mediums, and my inordinate amount of free time, has caused me to think about putting the band back together. (By band, I mean blog)

The one downside to reentering the blog world is that I will have to be careful about the topics I write about and the language I use to characterize those in the public sphere. Or, I could possibly begin a new blog using a pseudonym. But I do somewhat prefer to blog under my own name. I have no problem with being held accountable for my ideas and opinions, so long as they don't cost me a job.

Spineless Democrats

2008-06-19T22:35:00.002-04:00

Once again, the Democrats in Congress have done the impossible, performing an act of self-fellatio. Or maybe they bypassed the self gratification and went straight to inserting their heads up their asses. How else can we explain their caving in to the President and the telecoms on retroactive immunity.

Mr. 28% is not the most popular person in the country. Even the GOP nominee is running away from him like a kid with the cooties. So why should the Dems in DC cave? Because it is hard wired into their DNA. Talk about reinforcing the meme of Democratic weakness.

There has been a lot of talk about more and better Democrats over the past two years. But I hope that sooner than later we focus exclusively on the latter. I am so sick and tired of seeing our so-called leaders snap defeat from the jaws of victory. I am not even surprised anymore when they crumble like a house of cards. I've seen jellyfish with stronger spines than Steny Hoyer et al.

Yet they just assume that we, the base, will come out to support them time and time again. But I have a word of warning- remember Joe Lieberman and Al Wynn. If our current crop of Democrats are too chicken shit to stand up for Democratic values, then we will find candidates who will. And we will primary those weak-willed cowards.

The Government They Deserve

2008-05-02T23:11:00.002-04:00

Forgive me my rant. But more and more I feel like the stupid American voters have exactly the government they deserve- the dumbest on Earth. This whole gas tax holiday has got me enraged. There is not one economist or public policy person who will go on record and say it is a good thing. For one simple reason- IT ISN'T!!!! What part of supply and demand does the average voter in this country not understand?

Hillary is out there saying how it will save consumers $8 billion dollars. WRONG! First of all, her windfalls profits tax has about as much chance of enactment as I do of winning American Idol. And, even it was passed, the tax would actually be borne mainly, if not wholly, by consumers.

Let me say this one more time- the demand for gas is inelastic in the short run and medium run. Maybe in the long term one might see some elasticity as people opted for smaller cars and public transportation. Maybe. We also have this tiny little supply problem. Now, class, tell me what happens to prices when the demand curve shifts and the supply curve stays the same? This is Econ101. The market clearing price (ie, the equilibrium price) goes UP. Not down.

Anyone with more than two brain cells to rub together understands that the gas tax holiday would likely result in HIGHER prices at the pump. And huge windfalls for the oil industry. Now, call me crazy but I thought Hillary was running on the Democratic ticket. But more and more, she seems to be pulling a Lieberman.

And honestly I am at the point of saying to the American people- "Fuck you. you're getting the government you deserve."

McSame and Hillary Think You're an Idiot

2008-04-30T14:47:00.003-04:00

What else would explain their love for a gas tax holiday? To anyone with even a modicum of economic understanding it is an absurd idea. Demand for gasoline is fairly inelastic, and in the short run is quite close to perfectly inelastic. Thus, gas prices will stay right about where they are prior to the tax holiday. So, who does this benefit? Not you! Unless you're a big oil company, who will see their profit margins increased.

Oh, and what about the millions of dollars this will cost the Highway Fund? And the jobs that will be lost due to lack of project funding?

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Cruel and Unusual

2008-04-24T12:17:00.004-04:00

Executions are soon to resume after last week's 7-2 ruling that lethal injection does not violate the 8th Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause. However much this ruling may be in line with the framer's notions (after all, we were still dunking witches at the time of the writing of the Bill of Rights), it does not comport with any sane notion of not cruel. The act itself is murder, though sanctioned by the justice system.

But does this state sanctioning remove the moral stain from the act? I would argue that it does not. Not only is this sort of eye for an eye justice barbaric, but it makes us all complicit in the taking of life. For centuries we have accepted that murder is wrong, whether we found the rationale from religious doctrine or from our notions of civilized society. Yet, we have been willing to set our morals aside when it becomes convenient to do so, such as in the cases of war and capital punishment.

Though I am a pacifist, I do grant that war provides an exception to our rules against murder. But I can find no moral support to exclude capital punishment. Not only that, but because this punishment is meted out by the state, which ostensibly acts on our behalf, we are all implicated in these murders.

I fully understand that for many people these criminals are beyond rehabilitation. And that might in fact be true for a good many. I accept that some people are inclined to evil. I do not have an explanation for why or how that happens, but I do feel it to be true. I do not know whether those who do evil are capable of remorse. Perhaps some are, and others are not. Yet, the lack of hope for rehabilitation or remorse is not a reason sufficient to end a life.

Can Our Politics Get Any Dumber?

2008-04-21T15:16:00.001-04:00

Marking a new low in American political discourse, all three remaining candidates for President will appear on WWE Monday Night Raw. Oh, does that statement make me an elitist?

Still Doing a Crappy Job

2008-04-20T20:35:00.002-04:00

According to this recent report from the Massachusetts Department of Education and the MA Board of Higher Education, too many public school graduates are requiring remedial courses at the state's universities and colleges. More troubling, though, is the variance in rates by socioeconomic status and race. Over half of African Americans, Hispanics and low income students enrolled in remedial courses in college. In addition, over 60% of students who received SPED services in high school and 50% of LEP students took remedial courses.

While it is not too surprising that SPED and LEP students might need some help in college to catch up, it is an abomination that our public schools have continued to fail our neediest students. The findings in this report make clear that we have two different school systems in Massachusetts- one for the middle and upper classes and another for the poor and minority students.

It ought to be clear to all that we need to devote more resources to our neediest students. Yet, the state's fiscal crisis has forced school districts to cut back on programs or implement fees. Beyond the fees for sports and other extra-curricular activities, many districts charge for kindergarten, full-day kindergarten and pre-kindergarten. This not only undermines our commitment to universal education, but further exacerbates the gap between the educational haves and have nots.

We are, in essence, consigning an entire class of children to the education underclass. And this has effects beyond those felt by these children. Their need for remedial education diverts resources that could be put to more productive use. And, if they cannot catch up, they are more likely to drop out of college and earn less income, which means lower revenues for the state and potentially more criminals. It is not rocket science to figure out that providing a quality education to ALL makes for a stronger society, both economically and structurally.

Yet, we continue to ignore the problems of the underclass, even here in Massachusetts. And for that, we are all to blame.

IOC Cowardice

2008-04-13T19:13:00.002-04:00

Athletes who display a Tibetan flag will face possible expulsion from the Olympics, according to this article. Apparently, athletes must check their free speech rights at the Chinese border. Shame on the IOC for buckling to China and its repressive regime.

Elitist??

2008-04-13T18:55:00.003-04:00

I am having a hard time seeing how the following quote from Obama is elitist-

"It's not surprising that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment."

This is essentially the thesis of Franks' What's the Matter With Kansas and has been a part of mainstream political discussion for several years. I am not sure on what planet stating the obvious is elitist. If anything, Obama's statement is quintessentially populist.

The point is that when people feel economically under siege they will reach out to find someone to blame. Their government has failed them, and the GOP has been very good at distracting these folks to the point where they vote against their economic interests. Instead of holding the GOP accountable for their slavish devotion to the economic interests of the superrich, they instead get into a lather over God, guns and gays. And immigration has only added more fuel to the fire.

Capitalism's Enemies

2008-04-13T18:30:00.002-04:00

No, no, no. This is not about those pesky Marxists. It's about the true enemies of capitalism and the free market- big corporations.

Why are they capitalism's greatest foes? Because the have the money and the influence that your average Marxist econ prof does not. You want examples? Here's just two-
1) NAFTA
2) Bear Stearns

I am still waiting for someone to explain to me how NAFTA is free trade. Now, unlike some of my more liberal colleagues, my critique of NAFTA comes from (dare I say) the right. NAFTA is not free trade; it is managed trade. And it is managed to maximize profits for large multi-national firms. NAFTA has nothing to do with promoting open and free exchange among Mexico, Canada and the United States. If it was, would it really take thousands of pages of rules?

Ahh.. Bear Stearns.. time to bail out the Masters of the Universe (Tom Wolfe reference). After all, we can not let anyone on Wall St. collapse or suffer. So, the Fed gives out a nice $29 billion "loan" to JP Morgan to acquire Bear Stearns. Yet, hard working Americans who are losing their homes through the subprime crisis get next to nothing from the federal government. Joe and Jane Average are just not important enough to merit a bailout.

There is not any doubt that corporations and their enablers in the GOP (and many Democrats, too) pay nothing more than lip service to free market economics. The only time we hear anything about the glorious free market from these folks is when there is talk of a tax increase or some new regulation. Otherwise they live by the adage that he who was the best lobbyists in DC wins.

Need I shout it from the rooftops? Crony capitalism is NOT free market economics!

Responsible Fiscal Policy

2008-04-13T18:10:00.003-04:00

Our worsening economy has led to countless stories about sub-prime mortgages and a sinking financial and banking sector. But the present crisis is affecting municipalities, state governments and authorities as well. Too many government entities have used either variable rate bonds or entered into swaptions (interest rate swaps), resulting in large increases in debt service costs.

There are those who would claim that the risk associated with variable rate debt and interest rate swaps is worth taking because quite often they result in lower debt service costs. And, while that is true, it does not diminish the argument that governments have a stronger fiduciary duty to taxpayers than a corporation has to its shareholders. This unique relationship dictates that conservative management be exercised.

In other words, governments ought to only use fixed rate debt instruments. This provides much needed predictability in public budgeting. Beyond that, fixed rate debt can be refinanced to take advantage of lower rates, when available. Sure, there would be some costs associated with any refinancing. But not only are refinance costs not particularly high, but they are a small price to pay compared to the fiscal distress governments are now facing as variable rates go up, up, up.

On another front, the difficulties that have plagued Ambac and MBIA ought to make issuers of public debt a bit more cautious when using a bond insurer. Ambac and MBIA, like many other financial institutions exposed themselves to incredible risk with CDOs (collateralized debt obligations). It is hard to know what the solution to this problem is as there are only a limited number of bond insurers, and going to market without insurance would make for enormous debt service costs, or possibly prevent issues, for some smaller governments. Hopefully the monolines will get out of the CDO field, especially those related to real estate, as soon as possible.

A Sad Day in History

2008-04-04T01:08:00.002-04:00

Today marks the forty year anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination. I can not think of anything to say so eloquently as Dr. King himself, the night before he was shot in Memphis-

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

We are still far away from the promised land that Dr. King spoke of, but his memory and words bolster us up in our march to that land. We must continue on.

And Now, For Something Completely Different

2008-04-04T00:50:00.002-04:00

I don't know that I've ever done a baker's dozen from the iTunes here. So, here goes nothing...
The Sun in Braids- The Angelic Process
Otogima Horse- 4 Bonjour's Parties
Three Things- Sleeping People
Trying Whining- The French Kicks
Grey Day- Esoteric
Black Carpet Magic- Lilys (this is off the album, Everything Wrong is Imaginary, which to me is one of the best album titles ever)
Good Dancers- Sleepy Jackson
Moosebumps- Dr. Octagon
The Lonely Death of Space Avenger- 13Ghosts
Chromakey Dreamcoat- Boards of Canada
Polaris- Zero 7
Acidropx- Concentrick
You Don't Care About Us- Placebo

Human- Not the Only Animal on Earth

2008-04-03T19:18:00.002-04:00

But we sure act like it. From the depletion of natural resources to the chemicals poisoning our air and water, humankind is doing its darnedest to not only shorten our own lifespans, but to ruin the habitats of other animals. We humans take our exceptionalism to the nth degree, to a point where the survival of any other species of plant or animal is inconsequential. Aside from cataclysmic events such as the Ice Age, man is the only species that has the power to drive another species to extinction.

Whether one believes in some for of a deity or not, it seems clear that our exceptionalism is appropriately viewed as stewardship of the Earth's resources. That we are to be good keepers of the land and oceans, not that we are here to exploit, to the end, our resources. We are meant to coexist with the other animals and plants that inhabit this sphere.

What makes us believe that our needs sit at the top of the hierarchy. Have we abused our rational abilities to the point that we are convinced that our needs are the only ones that matter.

Boycotting the Beijing Olympics

2008-04-03T19:12:00.002-04:00

It appears that the United States will not engage in any sort of boycott of this summer's Olympics in Beijing. And that is more than unfortunate. Given the current situation in Tibet and the continuing crackdown on political dissidents in China requires something more robust than a token "tsk-tsk" from the diplomatic community. At the very least the US ought to consider, along with the EU, boycotting the opening ceremonies. To simply look the other way as China continues its oppression in Tibet and elsewhere is to give China the green light for further human rights abuses.

God Damn America!

2008-03-30T19:33:00.004-04:00

I have to admit to a bit of shock over the response to Reverend Jeremiah Wright, especially among folks who consider themselves liberal or progressive. It is no shock that Faux News and the other cogs in the rightwing media machine went nuts. After all, these are the same people who cannot seem to separate scientific fact from religious fiction (yeah, I'm talking about evolution).

"God Damn America" does elicit a visceral response from many (most?) listeners. But after that initial shock, shouldn't the rational brain take over and think through the implications of what Pastor Wright is saying. What is it about American exceptionalism that makes us believe that we alone will be blessed by god? Especially given our history.

Need I recount? We stole land from the indigenous people. We brought human beings to this land in shackles as slaves. We kept the institution of slavery well into our history. And, after we formally ended slavery we created a de jure and de facto separate society where former slaves did not have the rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Women were not allowed to vote until our country was over 100 years old. And the list goes on.

Today we live in a country of obscene wealth that is concentrated in the hands of the few. And as the rich get ever more rich, the poor in our country suffer. We have nearly 13 million children living in poverty. About 3.5 million people, including 1.35 million children, experience homelessness each year. Our public education system is in ruin and continues to lag behind other industrialized countries. Oh, and about 47 million people lack health insurance.

And yet you tell me that god blesses America? What for? For our good deeds in the world community? Point to one post WWII success story for American foreign policy. Just one. We sat idly by during the genocide in Rwanda and the ecocide in Nigeria. Perhaps if the denizens of Africa had a paler hue to their skin or more natural resources America could begin to care. But the sad reality is that America cares only about itself, by and large. We are a selfish country. Not only in our relations with the rest of the world community, but within our own society.

I'm sorry, but if this is a country worth blessing then I would hate to live in a country that god would damn.

Sometimes You Just Have To Say, "What the F*ck?"

2008-03-26T02:08:00.003-04:00

As if Bill Clinton going on Rush Limbaugh wasn't bad enough, just who was Hillary sitting down with today? Richard Mellon Scaife, the rightwing millionaire who funded the Arkansas Project, the hit job designed to take down the Clinton presidency. You see, he owns the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and Hillary was there for an ed board meeting. In her time there, she tried to revive the Wright story.

So let me see if I have this right, Hillary supporters. She is supposedly the better Democratic candidate, yet she had a fundraiser held by Rupert Murdoch (Faux News), her husband goes on Rush Limbaugh's show on the day of the Texas primary, and, she is a member of the rightwing super secret Fellowship ( a network of sex-segregated cells of political, business, and military leaders dedicated to "spiritual war" on behalf of Christ).

Add in her refusal to acknowledge the mistake of her Iraq War vote and her campaign's thinly veiled racist attacks on Obama and you have a run of the mill neocon. Come on people. Wake up. Hillary is not a progressive Democrat. She is Joe Lieberman in a dress. And soon enough she will morph into Zell Miller in a pantsuit.

Transparency

2008-03-25T19:29:00.002-04:00

For the past few months the Obama campaign has called on Senator Clinton to release her tax returns going back to 2001. Team Hillary has stonewalled for the most part, saying that they will be released on or about April 15. That would be understandable if we were talking about her return for 2007, which is not due until then (unless, like many other taxpayers, she files for an extension). But what about 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006? Is it really that difficult for a staff member to Xerox the Clintons' returns?

This is not to say that their returns contain anything untoward. However, earlier this year Hillary loaned her campaign $5 million. This is not an unsignificant amount of moner and clearly more than she has earned in her six years in the Senate. So, one would have to assume that at least some of that money came from the income earned by her husband since he left office. Of course, he has every right to earn money however he sees fit. But wouldn't it be nice to know who has been paying Bill, and thus in a around about way helping to finance Hillary's campaign?

It would seem to me that Democratic primary voters ought to know just where the $5 million came from. Is Bill earning big bucks from polluters or Big Pharma or defense contractors? This is about basic transparency. It has been the norm for politicians to release their tax returns to the public. And we should not have to wait until the presidential primaries are nearly over to know just where Bill and Hill have been getting all their money.

Unsolicited Advice to the Democratic Party

2008-03-24T18:58:00.002-04:00

Some people think it's unfair that Democrats forced out Governor Spitzer for his dalliances with high priced prostitutes while the GOP (not to mention the media) turns a blind eye to US Senator Vitter (LA). But life is unfair in so many ways I have to wonder why my fellow liberals/progressives even bother to fret.

Rather than force Vitter to resign, only to be replaced with another Republican (appointed by GOP Governor Jindal), the real solution is to beat his ass with a strong Dem challenger in 2010. We know the GOP won't try to primary him; let's face it, for the GOP talking a big moral game is far more important than leading a moral life.

And how do we win a Senate seat in a deep red state? Easy.. imagine this campaign ad-- a photoshopped pic of Vitter in diapers (for those who don't know, that was his fetish) with the question- who do you trust to protect you from terrorists? Diaper boy Vitter or Candidate X?

Oh, I know most Democrats would be afraid to run such an ad. And that is why we LOSE. We are fundamentally afraid to get down in the trenches and fight. There is simply no good reason not to run a tough campaign against Vitter. Or any other GOP incumbent. Some may say this is the politics of personal destruction. But is the moral high ground helpful when our Constitutional rights are rapidly evaporating? How about when we mortgage our future for a war based on lies? Tell me how well that moral high ground is working out for you lately, my fellow Democrats.

The Blue Dress

2008-03-24T18:38:00.002-04:00

So, an Iowa co-chair for Obama came under fire today for writing that Bill Clinton's questioning of Obama's patriotism would be "a stain on his legacy, much worse, much deeper, than the one on Monica's blue dress." Of course, Team Hillary and their online minions went ballistic, saying that Obama now "owned the low road." Right.

Leaving aside all related to the current Clinton campaign and the hypocrisy of such a charge, what is so wrong with referencing the blue dress. I am tired of the constant refrain from some corners of the Democratic Party that the whole episode is beyond the pale and reinforcing of right wing frames. The reality is that Bill Clinton could not control his sexual urges. And the entire Lewinsky scandal did not exactly come out of the blue. Conservatives made it quite clear all throughout the 1992 campaign that they were on a mission to destroy Bill Clinton, and in particular they would use his sexual past to do so.

Bill Clinton entered the White House with full knowledge that the GOP was obsessed with his sex life. Yet, despite this knowledge he still could not keep his dick in his pants. Bill Clinton decided that it was more important to get off than it was to lead the country in a progressive direction.

Sure, Clinton loyalists can point to a strong economy, but what other opportunities for progressive change were stranded on the rocks of Bill's libido? I am sick and tired of progressives and Democrats who rule all criticism of Bill Clinton out of hand. Bill Clinton fucked us all. He squandered a unique opportunity to dramatically change the country; he cost the Democratic Party control of Congress; he ignored the genocide in Rawanda (maybe if they had oil or promiscuous women he'd have shown more interest); he acceded to a radical restructuring of welfare that has done little to help the truly needy. Oh, but we had some more jobs and the rich got even richer (nevermind the yawning income gap).

Fuck you, Bill Clinton.

Coming Back Soon

2007-12-02T21:39:00.001-05:00

I promise.

Music Matters

2007-10-24T01:55:00.000-04:00

Even though our politics are in the crapper, we still have great music. The sound of music can serve as either a balm to soothe our psyche through melody or ethereal notes. Or, it can be an industrial grade abrasive scouring the particles of despair from our minds. Here are some of the best of each type.

Calgon, Take me Away
Places- Georgie James
Burning Off Impurities- Grails
The Shepherd's Dog- Iron & Wine
The Stage Names- Okkervil River
Pilgrimage- Om
The Fragile Army- The Polyphonic Spree
Oblivion With Bells- Underworld
Night Drive- Chromatics

Pardon Me While I Scrub My Subconscious
Gone- Mono
Pink Mammoth- Pelican
S/T- A Place to Bury Strangers
Split- Ryokuchi & Fire Witch
Weighing Souls With Sand- The Angelic Process
Rhythms from a Cosmic Sky- Earthless
Void- Intronaut
Samus Octology- Irepress
Given to the Rising- Neurosis

Song of the Day*

2007-10-24T01:50:00.000-04:00

Wild Mountain Nation by Blitzen Trapper

Come out from the world
and into my arms
like wind on the water with me
come out from the city
come out from the town
build stone by stone a wild mountain home

When the red moon wains
we'll be moving on the plains
through the tall grass out to the sea
and we'll cross that water
my wild mountain lover
like wolves running silent and free

So if your love won't grow
and the rivers won't flow
just join that holy desert tribe
is where we saddle up to ride
you know that wild mountain nation
on the rise of going home

Come out from the world
and into my arms
like wind on the water with me
with wings like the angels
and hearts like the sun
building stone by stone
a wild mountain home

*Though this is the song of the day, it has been one of the most played songs on my iPod over the past few months.

Finding a Voice

2007-10-08T17:47:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the progressive blogosphere for funding robocalls into the districts of five Bush Dog Democrats who voted against children's healthcare. The DCCC has been running their own effort to put pressure on vulnerable GoOPers and now the progressives have set their sights on the morons in our own Party. It's about time these Congresscritters realize that there is a price to be paid for siding with the President over the people of their districts. No longer will incumbents get a free ride merely because they have a D after their name.

(click here for more information)

More Cowardice

2007-10-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

Remember back a few weeks ago when the Democrats in the Senate (specifically Leahy) said they would not confirm a new Attorney General until the White House provided documents relating to the USA scandal? Well, surprise, surprise... they have caved already. In a letter made public Wednesday, Senator Leahy stated that confirmation hearings would go forward despite the White House's lack of compliance. So, of course, Senator Leahy got a letter from me.

Senator Leahy-
I am saddened by your cowardice in the face of the Bush administration. I refer specifically to the nomination hearings for AG nominee Mukasey. This administration's refusal to provide documents and honor subpoenas has dangerously undermined our American system of government. Rather than hold this administration accountable, you have instead folded. I'd like to say that I am surprised by this level of cowardice, but as someone who has watched an emasculated Democratic Party for the past many years, nothing shocks me anymore.

My only solace is that you and your fellow spineless DC Democrats are nearing retirement and we have been replacing your kind with actual fighting Democrats. I look forward to the day when we will be rid of our cowardly leaders such as yourself.

Burma

2007-10-03T23:45:00.000-04:00

This is what totalitarianism looks like- a dead Buddhist monk, lying face down in Rangoon.

BREAKING NEWS

2007-10-03T13:42:00.001-04:00

... Bush, still an asshole.

Ok, so that isn't really news. But Chimpy did veto the bipartisan State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill today. The bill provided for an expansion of the program to cover an additional 4 million children. But, Bushie said to do so would move us towards socialized medicine.

Socialized medicine? Are you kidding me? That is the best the White House can come up with for a reason to keep millions of children without access to health care. It should come as no surprise that their worry was that children might leave private insurers in favor of SCHIP. God forbid anything happens to the precious HMOs bottom lines!

This administration has made it abundantly clear that their health care policy is driven solely by the economic interests of the insurance and Pharma lobbies. Just look at the monumental clusterfuck that is Part D. We could save billions of dollars if the government provided Rx coverage through Medicare, rather than lining the pockets of private insurers. But why think about things like efficiency when you've got corporate masters to satisfy?

It is sickening just how little this band of corporatists care about our children, our elderly and our less fortunate. Compassionate conservatism my ass!

Food for Thought

2007-10-01T17:19:00.001-04:00

"... aren't you ashamed to care so much to make all the money you can, and to advance your reputation and prestige- while for truth and wisdom and the improvement of your soul you have no care or worry?" -- Socrates

F*ck the Senate Democrats

2007-09-20T17:44:00.000-04:00

Twenty-two Democratic Senators voted to condemn MoveOn's General Betray Us ad. Of course, all but three GOP Senators supported the measure. That came right on the heels of an alternative measure that would have also condemned the folks who slandered Max Cleland in 2002 and John Kerry in 2004. So, in other words it is perfectly acceptable to question the patriotism of Democratic veterans, but not to criticize Republican generals.

That Republicans supported this patently ridiculous resolution is certainly not a surprise. But what is amazing is that Senate Majority Leader Reid even allowed this to come to the floor. And that 22 Dem senators were craven enough to vote yea. What a bunch of cowardly jackasses.

It's nice to know that the Senate finds it more important to condemn a fucking newspaper advertisement than to end this war. Shame on them.

A Plan for Progressives in '08

2007-09-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

What do we, as progressives, do in 2008 if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama are our party's nominee? Do we meekly fall into line and toil in the hopes of an end to the GOP occupation of the White House? Do we work against our Party? Or, do we instead focus on Congressional races, leaving the race for the White House to be run by the typical DC insiders?

I would suggest that the latter is our best option. We ought not waste our precious resources electing a person who embodies the worst of our Party. Hillary Clinton is no progressive. If you weren't sure of that before, just look at her recent fundraiser targeted to homeland security contractors. These folks not only got access to Senator Clinton, but to other members of Congress who sit on committees that determine homeland security policy. Now, when Bush and Cheney do that we call it selling policy to the highest bidder. It is no different in this instance. Team Clinton has vacuumed up bundles of campaign cash from corporate special interests and their lobbyists. It is the classic case of insideritis. And it is beyond naive to believe that Hillary will clean up DC.

Although Barack Obama sometimes talks like a progressive, he suffers from the same disease that many Democrats contract once they spend time in Washington- lackus backbonicus. At times Obama comes across as bold and decisive, but more often he seems timid and unsure of himself. It should come as no surprise that his advisers consist of the typical DC Dems. It is hard to be bold when you're counseled by Tom Daschle.

Luckily, we have an alternative (assuming my own choice, John Edwards, does not win the nomination) and that is to use our power to elect more progressive Democrats to Congress. This means supporting progressive challengers to Democratic incumbents, as well as against Republican incumbents. We have the ability to defeat Bush Dog Democrats and Republicritters. A more progressive Congress is the only bulwark against both a triangulating, corporate Democratic administration and a Republican one.

A more progressive Congress would also equal more power for us in the long run. Breaking the stranglehold of cowardly, corporate DC Dems is a long term project. We cannot expect change overnight, nor can we afford to be discouraged by the short term failures we might encounter. In the end, we will be judged by the quality of the democracy we turn over to future generations.

What Have I Become

2007-09-11T02:09:00.000-04:00

Something struck me the other day. I have become a radical. And it is an evolution that took a mere five years. What shocked me was that not only did it take such a short period of time, but it has happened while living in a purple and then a red state. Growing up in Massachusetts, and living most of my life there, made me no more liberal than average. In fact, much of my late teens and twenties were spent working in Republican politics in the Bay State.

But the past several years have simply left me with no other option than to embrace my newfound radicalism. See, it wasn't just the Republican control of our government with their trashing of the Constitution or their pathological lying to the American people that pushed me over the edge. It was actually the feebleness of the Democratic Party that sent me down this path.

With almost no exception the Democratic Party has been ineffectual, corrupt and cowardly. They have sit idly by while BushCo has sent our troops off to die for a war based on lies, while the real culprit for 9-11 bides his time in the hills of the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. They have failed to show even one iota of courage or convictions. They do not to speak truth to power. Not only are the Democrats weak-willed, but they suckle from the same corporate teat as their GOP comrades.

Where is the outrage? Where is the leadership? How is it that at this moment in time, when our country is in such a crisis, that one entire Party sits silently and fails to exercise its power to make change?

I am sick and tired of Democrats telling us to sit tight, that they will get tougher tomorrow. Too many tomorrows have passed and I, like many Americans, am out of patience. It is past the time for those of us who care about America to take the Democratic Party back. It will no longer suffice that someone has a D beside their name. If they vote to continue this war, to continue eviscerating the Bill of Rights, to continue to finance tax cuts for the rich on the backs of the poor, then they do not deserve our support. If they want to act like a Republican, then let them be a Republican.

The time has come to challenge EVERY fucking Democrat complicit with this administration. The blood of thousands of our young men and women is on their hands. And they must be made to pay for their transgressions in primaries. We need to take back our party from the corporatists and the cowardly. America deserves no less.

Vote, Vote, Vote .... and Pledge

2007-09-07T15:24:00.000-04:00

Tired of DC Democrats bending over for Bush? Then vote at MoveOn to support progressive challengers in primaries. And while you are there, be sure to pledge your financial support.

Friday Letter Section

2007-09-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

To Congressman Brian Baird, the Democrat from Vancouver, Washington who since returning home from the Green Zone has become a surge cheerleader:

You should be ashamed of yourself for falling for BushCo's dog and pony show in the Green Zone. All objective evidence has shown that there has been no progress in Iraq. The surge has been a failure.

Your reliance on the Pottery Barn theory to justify our continued occupation of Iraq is simplistic and wrong. Certainly we are responsible for breaking Iraq, but to use that as an excuse to continue our failed policy is absurd. Do you believe that the Pottery Barn would allow you to keep breaking items so long as you paid for them? No, they would throw you out of the store.

Along with this administration and its enablers, you will bear the responsibility of your votes to continue this failed war. I do not know how you are able to sleep at night, knowing that the blood of US troops and Iraqi civilians are on your hands.

Friday Food for Thought

2007-09-07T13:54:00.000-04:00

One virtue is more powerful than a thousand vices.

Party Discipline

2007-09-04T23:40:00.000-04:00

The GOP has it; we don't. Not only do Republicans possess extraordinary message discipline, but when the chips are down, even those who stray from the Party's talking points come home to their elephant roost. Folks like Olympia Snowe, Sue Collins, Arlen Specter, Chris Shays et al express "independent" ideas on the Sunday morning talking heads shows only to fall right into line with BushCo when the actual votes are being tallied. (That the media constantly fall for this schtick just goes to show how incredibly dumb or lazy our press is.)

On the other hand, Democrats cannot even seem to agree on the color of the sky. There is absolutely no consequence for people like Brian Baird or other Bush Dogs to abandon the Party (and their constituents). It is simply amazing that Joe Lieberman still has committee assignments (not to mention a chair) from the Democratic Party. If he were a Republican he would have been purged a long time ago.

I wonder whether the leadership is either that impotent or is simply unwilling to play hardball with people who forget that the D after their name means something. Either way it only supports the meme of Democrats as ineffectual and WEAK.

Time for a Change

2007-09-04T17:21:00.000-04:00

As alluded to in my post supporting John Edwards, it is time for drastic change in America and her politics. Our most obvious problems, things like the Iraq War and the economy, are merely surface manifestations of a much deeper malignancy. Our true ailment is the ever increasing power of elites to determine the shape of our society.

This power manifests itself in our government and in our economy. Powerful elites have always held much sway over America. And to ignore their historical power would be folly. However what we have witnessed in the past thirty or more years has been a centralization and consolidation of that power. Moneyed interests have not only gained access to our public institutions (government, universities, media), but they have, in some instances, purchased them.

Elites have come to amass so much power through a series of incremental steps. Little noticed provisions in spending bills or reauthorization bills or the tax code. On the surface they may seem benign to the average citizen, but their cumulative effect has been enormous. We now have a democracy that is enslaved to corporate and elite interests. Just take a look at our lack of universal health care or high-quality public schools or a truly progressive tax system.

Progress towards each of these three policy goals has been held up by corporate elites, whether it is Big Pharma and HMOs blocking health care reform, or multinational corporations more concerned with a steady supply of drones rather than informed citizens, or very wealthy CEOs demanding ever more tax cuts at the expense of those who labor. All of this has been wrought by a political system for sale to the highest bidder.

This bought and paid for government provides us with crony capitalism, no-bid contracts, and a yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots. And it is well past time for average Americans to take our country back from the elites. Let us not be ignorant of the reality of class warfare, for it has been with man since the dawn of time. It is being waged against the middle class and the poor, as it has been for over thirty years. And it will continue to be waged until either we all succumb or we fight back.

Food for Thought

2007-09-02T13:32:00.000-04:00

No real posting over the weekend, but just a few words of wisdom to ponder.

A man of quality is not threatened by a woman for equality.

Just as many kinds of garlands can be made from a heap of flowers, so also much good can be done by a mortal being. - Buddha

Edwards for President

2007-08-31T16:50:00.000-04:00

At some point we all have to make a decision. And for quite some time I have sat on the fence in the Democratic race for president. That was largely because even though I like John Edwards, I worried that he and Obama would split the anti-Hillary vote. I was looking for some indication that either Obama or Edwards would solidify their position as the alternative to Hillary. But the longer I waited the more I realized that it was fence-sitters like me who were further delaying this process.

I also believe that in making a choice to support a candidate we must look not only to issues like electability (let's face it, Rove got an inarticulate draft dodger elected twice), but to our passions and our beliefs. And only one candidate moves my emotion meter, and that is John Edwards. I feel that Edwards "gets it" more than the other major candidates. No one else speaks so passionately about poverty and the need for systemic change.

Edwards has said, "We cannot replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats, just swapping the Washington insiders of one party for the Washington insiders of the other." He has demonstrated that he understands the nature of the problems we face, and that simply electing any Democrat would be like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Despite his wealth, Edwards is not a part of the elite class that has steadily increased its influence on the levers of our government for the past few generations to a point where it is now so rigged in their favor as to have established a stranglehold on our society.

John Edwards gives us the best chance to reclaim our democracy from moneyed elites. We will take back our democracy from those who have profited from their influence and status, while the rest of us have been shut out. We will again have an America that all of us can proud of- where hard work is valued over soft money; where the rule of law applies to all, regardless of their connections; where we come together because of our shared humanity, rather than driven apart by petty prejudices and those who exploit them; where our Constitution and Bill of Rights are respected and not made irrelevant by stoking our irrational fears.

In short, John Edwards will return America to her core values of liberty, tolerance, equality and justice.

What is Strength?

2007-08-31T16:30:00.000-04:00

Democrats, or at least most of them in DC, are confused as to what the meaning of strength is. For at least the past thirty years, Democrats have been labelled as weak-willed, soft, lacking resolve, etc. Rather than fighting back against these stereotypes, many Dems have instead accepted this as their fate by adopting Republican frames and being cowed into submission by the Right Wing Noise Machine.

I give you, as an example, the current debate over the War in Iraq and what is soon to be another $50 billion requested for the surge. Before the administration has even made the request, some Democrats are falling all over themselves to support the request, lest they be labelled anti-troop or pro-terrorist or some other catchy slogan dreamed up by Frank Luntz and Karl Rove. For those who might have forgot, this is the same Democratic Party who said that they would get tough (or have tough votes or some other tripe) in September.

But, as always, they have misplaced their spines in another failed attempt to look tough for the American people. But supporting this ill-fated War (and make no mistake, by continuing to fund the War, these Democrats are supporting Bush's Iraq debacle), Democrats are actually showing their lack of resolve. Or their wimpiness, if you will.

What the American people see is a Congress afraid to stand up to a tremendously unpopular president and put an end to an extremely unpopular war. This despite what voters were led to believe prior to returning Democrats to power in November 2006. What is so baffling is that it does not take much courage to stand up for what is the position of a majority of Americans.

We are not looking to write a new chapter of Profiles in Courage. That time has long since passed. What we seek is a Party and leadership that is willing to actually represent the will of the people. Is that really too much to ask?

What's the Difference?

2007-08-30T19:36:00.000-04:00

Imagine, if you will, a situation where two sitting US Senators have engaged in unlawful sexual acts. Both are members of the Republican Party; both are married. One senator paid for heterosexual sex with a prostitute (and apparently has a diaper fetish, to boot); the other senator was seeking homosexual action in a public restroom.

Arguably, both senators were engaging in improper and illegal acts. Yet, only one has been stripped of his committee assignments and called upon to resign. Can you guess which one? If you guessed the one whose transgressions were homosexual, give yourself a gold star for today.

But another difference has been largely ignored by the media- the gay sex senator represents a state with a Republican governor, while the diaper aficionado comes from a state governed by a Democrat. In other words, if Senator Craig were to resign, he would be replaced by another conservative Republican. But, if Senator Vitter goes, his governor would appoint a Democrat to fill his seat.

So, for those who worry that the GOP is obsessed only with gay sex, take heart. They are equally, if not more, concerned with their ever dwindling numbers in Congress.

Welcome

2007-08-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

This blog will contain my thoughts and takes on politics, current events, books and music. Some posts will be short and random; others will be meandering missives, complete with links, and maybe even citations. I hope you enjoy my new home. Posting to begin very soon.