November 13, 2007 archive

Today Bob Herbert takes his whack at the “Ronald Reagan didn’t use racist tactics” piñata. He scores a  direct hit:

To see Reagan’s appearance at the Neshoba County Fair in its proper context, it has to be placed between the murders of the civil rights workers that preceded it and the acknowledgment by the Republican strategist Lee Atwater that the use of code words like “states’ rights” in place of blatantly bigoted rhetoric was crucial to the success of the G.O.P.’s Southern strategy. That acknowledgment came in the very first year of the Reagan presidency.

Ronald Reagan was an absolute master at the use of symbolism. It was one of the primary keys to his political success.

The suggestion that the Gipper didn’t know exactly what message he was telegraphing in Neshoba County in 1980 is woefully wrong-headed. Wishful thinking would be the kindest way to characterize it.

Thank you Bob Herbert and Paul Krugman. Shame on you David Brooks.

This is an Open Thread: No hidden fees

Todays Headlines, ‘Hidden Costs’ Double Price Of Two Wars, Sticky issues for Coast Guard, Chalabi returns to prominence and power, Bhutto Put Under House Arrest, Panel Decries Terrorism Blacklist Process, Airline websites ‘are misleading’, The ANC is not known for its fondness of multinationals, plight of Zimbabwean refugees, Japan’s Leader Cites Limits In Global Security Abilities, Vietnam struggles with new flood disaster

USA

‘Hidden Costs’ Double Price Of Two Wars, Democrats Say

By Josh White

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 13, 2007; Page A14

The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to a new study by congressional Democrats that estimates the conflicts’ “hidden costs”– including higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars.

Thanks Buhdy for your kind words, I really appreciated them.  I just wanted to update everyone on where I left off with promotions and what I was up to over the past 2 days.  First of all I added the recommended blog news feed to 15 more news services so your words will be getting out in a global fashion from now on.  It looks like the traffic has picked up as a result.

The wiki is at a good stopping point until the group decides what avenue to go with it all.

I started News Drop which will be a simple hit and run blog with Friday afternoon stories delivered on Monday morning with extra research and background information included.  That should keep me busy on weekends and out of everyone’s hair.  Other bloggers will be invited to go there for quick references to dumped stories by the major media.

I’ll be doing more promotion work on the news feeds and hand submitting listings to various search engines and directories as time allows.  I can’t write on the same political level as most of you but I can promote your work.

Peace and Derek Trucks

Word came down today that Al Gore joined venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and many of us thought that was further proof that he won’t be running for president. I had already been convinced by his recent interview in Rolling Stone. He will, however, be using the market to help develop green businesses, while continuing the work he’s already been doing, as the world’s greatest champion of the world’s most important cause. But more official word has also now come down.

At Daily Kos, diarist Abraham Running For Congress When I Turn 25 has just posted notice from Karen Wunderman, Chief of Staff of the Volunteer Division of AlGore.com:

We have received a communication from a member of Al Gore’s staff discouraging our efforts to put Al Gore’s name on any primary ballots. This includes California, New York, Massachusetts, and the write-in effort in New Hampshire, as well as any other states that are working to get him on the ballot.  Accordingly, effective immediately, we are recommending that all groups cease their signature collection and related fund-raising activities.

Many have said they would not give up hope until Gore asked that the petition drives be stopped. He has. It’s over.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Gore made clear that he considers himself a young 59 years old, and that there may be another time. He doesn’t think the political climate is yet ripe for what he wants to do. He will continue trying to improve that political climate. He may some day again decide to run. It won’t be next year.

It’s time we all refocused our energy by supporting Al Gore in the way he clearly wants us to: by supporting his cause. Research, write, and publicize about global warming- what it is, why it is, and what we can do to mitigate it. Support Al Gore by helping all Democrats to become better on the issue. The political campaign won’t be happening, but the real campaign will continue.

Also posted at Invictus

Troutfishing has a very good article over at Daily Kos on the near-takeover by right-wing Christian evangelicals of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Religious ideology and imagery has long mingled with military rhetoric, as my article yesterday on General Matthew Ridgway and the Korean War demonstrates. But as recent investigations make clear, there is an organizational effort to maximize religious influence in the U.S. military, something beyond the chiliastic comments of a 1950s Cold War general.

In a July 12, 2005 interview with the New York Times, Brig. Gen. Cecil Richardson, Air Force deputy chief of chaplains, stated, "…we reserve the right to evangelize the unchurched." For over a decade, the official [US Air Force] academy newspaper ran ads stating: "We believe that Jesus Christ is the only real hope for the World. If you would like to discuss Jesus, feel free to contact one of us! There is salvation in no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved." The ads were signed by 16 department heads, nine permanent professors, both the incoming and outgoing deans of faculty, the athletic director and more than 200 academy senior officers and their spouses.

(from an article published on Truthdig, The Cancer From Within, by Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) board member and decorated Vietnam War pilot David Antoon)

Let’s assume for a moment that all our fondest hopes and dreams come true and on January 20^th, 2009 we are looking at-

• A Democratic President
• Veto Proof Democratic Majorities in The House and Senate (Veto Proof >= Filibuster Proof for the constitutionally math impaired)
• A substantially larger Progressive Caucus in those same bodies

In other words complete and total victory, our ears soothed by their lamentations (can you say “schadenfreude”).

What would you like to see next?

Now number one with a bullet for me is restoration of our Constitutional Liberty with subsequent prosecution for this gang of criminals and thieves that currently occupy our government.  Coming up second with a respectable effort is COMPLETE.  AND.  TOTAL.  WITHDRAWAL.  FROM.  IRAQ.  NOW!

Still there are other issues- Universal Health Care.  Global Warming.  Taxation.  Social Security.  Immigration.  Homeland Security.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few including some of my favorites, but I’ve left some in that don’t necessarily break progressive because they won’t all break that way due to our Entrenched Media Elite.

Among things I’m in favor of is progressive taxation in the FDR style complete with an absolute inheritance cap.  How much more than $100 million do you actually need to inherit from daddy Paris?  Social Security?  Why do you stop paying after the first $250K of income again?  Don’t even talk to me about getting your money in Capital Gains, it’s all regular income.  Sorry about your greens fees at the club old boy, maybe you can thrash a caddy to work out your frustration.

Now in fact I’m sure that the pain would need to be much greater to get anything near that enacted, but it’s not like things are going to be much better than they are right now and they could be far worse.  I think it’s a 50% chance we’ll be in a full blown recession with rampant inflation because of the collapse of the dollar.  There is no indication at all we will be out of Iraq.  I’ve read persuasive commentaries that the tipping point on climate change has already happened and the ugliness of that scenario is a gift that never stops giving.

Frankly (and here’s the big windup, you can stop paying attention soon) I think it’s highly UNlikely that we’ll be able to stop doing what we’re doing now.  And what is that?  Everything we can.  Specifically, but not limited to, applying pressure for progressive legislation to our Representatives and challenging the dominance of the Entrenched Media Elite.

Your suggestions below.

NFL

Adrian Peterson suffered a probable right knee sprain in yesterday’s loss, and was scheduled to have an MRI today.  Fingers crossed….I love watching this kid play…

NBA

Warriors fans are waiting for November 16th, for Stephen Jackson to return from his 7-day suspension.  Their 0-5 start can’t ALL be blamed on the suspension….can it??  We shall see…

Boston alone remains undefeated (5-0).

Minnesota and Seattle also remain winless; Minnesota’s 0-5 record matches Golden State’s, the Sonics are 0-7.  

Welcome to this week with Anpanman the front runner in the race to be the next President of the United States.