Which would be worse, if our leaders do not realize they are buffoons, or if they do?
Coffee Break: The big story this weekend will be Greece defaulting and leaving the euro. Or not. Either way some analysts will be proven wrong.
Tradition: There is a long and shameful history of hate and violence being done in the name of God. Both 9/11 and the hysterical US reaction to those events were, and are, firmly grounded in that tradition.
Sandbox: The Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, CA has caved to pro-Israeli pressure and canceled an exhibit of art by Palestinian kids living under Israeli occupation.
Now It Can Be Told? Now they're discovering that that the double dip discussion is pointless because we've been in a recession all along. But as long as folks with torches and pitchforks aren't in the streets, we'll play pretend, okay?
Tiger Repellant: For 38 years, Maine law allowed voters to register on election day. Then the Republicans, fearing that more Dems than GOPers took advantage of this provision, pretended that massive voter fraud might occur – despite the fact it never had – and rescinded the law. Maine voters, not easily fooled by snake oil salesmen, have placed an initiative on the November ballot rescinding the recension.
The Past Is Should Have Been Prologue: Economists' biggest failure has been their eagerness to abandon the lessons of the past for the ideologies of the present.
30,000 or 40,000 – wouldn't it be interesting if BofA had to fire as many employees as they have evicted homeowners?
Know Thy Enemy: Once you put aside the propaganda, most wars are essentially explicable as contests over resources. In the near future, the primary resource whose demand will supply us with global war is oil. Today the US is the world's primary energy consumer, tomorrow it will be China, and the day after that it will be India.
Eye of the Beholder: Sea radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster has been measured to be triple estimate made by Tepco. Strange how corporations never over estimate the damage they've done to the environment. Or people.
Essay: In a few well chosen words, write a positive, pro-Republican anti-voter spin on this: An employee of Wisconsin's Department of Safety and Professional Services was fired after he revealed that a Department of Transportation official had instructed workers to not notify citizens that IDs necessary for voting could be obtained for free.
Why? The bulk of the 9/11 Commission's report remains secret.
Talking Turkey Turkish: Israel is upset that they will be facing Turkish warships the next time they want to shoot up an aid convoy headed towards Gaza. The Turks, still upset at the murder of 9 of their citizens when Israeli naval forces shot up the Freedom Flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza, said that they would “no longer allow these boats to be the targets of attacks by Israel.”
Define “Free”: If we as a nation decide – as we once did – that alcohol is evil and wish to rid ourselves of the scourge, we no longer can. The Scots or the Italians or any number of others would sue us for restraint of trade under the rules of the World Trade Organization. Even a more modest desire, such as reducing teenage tobacco addiction, is forbidden. An exception? Nope, the WTO rules against health, the environment and other piddling national concerns 90% of the time. If this doesn't seem right, it's because it isn't.
5 comments:
Know Thy Enemy: In other news, fire is hot. ;> Every war we've fought in the last 15 years was an oil/natural gas grab. Libya is the most brazen yet--Khadafy was in ally in 2004, but since peak oil has passed all bets are off. At some point the Chinese/Indians will have to stop this or they will face famine.
One other thing, there are very few activities that are less energy efficient than war. Yet, neither side can afford such gross inefficiency. Thus, I predict Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran are within a decade of becoming the glass exportation capital of the world. Glass is the product of sand and thermonuclear energy.
OSR - I'll file "glass exporters to the world" away and use it later on. Without attribution, of course.
ckm
I wouldn't have it any other way.
re Define "Free": CKM, any bets on how long such idiocy will survive the crash of "globalism"? I'm guessing not long, although watching as the Euro comes unglued will provide some clues. Something tells me that F*you will be heard with increasing frequency in response to WTO directives.
Kwark, I've never understood where or how the Trade Representative got the authority to commit to giving away sovereignty. I'm sure there had to be Congressional action - probably in approving and consenting to the various treaties. But was it done in the light of day? How could our representatives made such agreements - it's enough to push me into the conspiracy camps.
As I understand it, we cannot pass a lwa saying you cannot sell poison to little kids if some country wants to do that. Or we can, but then we have to pay the company for their lost profits...
Pure capitalist crapola.
& I'll be glad to see the WTO and globalization fade abruptly away and wouldn't mind a few years of serious protectionism, either.
ckm
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