Destroying Angel

This video, from Al-Jazeera in English, illustrates everything I hate about fundamentalist religion. We see that religious concerns and prejudices have created a situation in which innocent children are put at risk due to their parents' ignorance. Rather than acting as a spiritual guide to enlightenment, religion here acts as a destroying angel.

At the same time, it must be noted that the United States's actions on the foreign policy front have contributed to this horror. If our troops were not in Iraq, this paranoia about an American desire to commit genocide on Muslims would not be as prevalent. Let's hope that our next president changes course so that we can restore international trust in our country.

The Power of Money: A Response to Chris Schwartz

Today, my friend Chris Schwartz posted a response to my post, "We Are All Socialists," on his blog Schwartztronica. In it, he questions my thesis that the current bail out program represents a form of socialism, calling it a "capitalistic solution to a capitalistic problem."

I must politely disagree. One thing I feel Schwartz is not considering is the sheer amount of power that this bail out will give to the federal government. If you give a financial firm or insurance company large amounts of money to prevent them from going under, you will automatically gain a hold over them. This may be expressed in favors such as campaign donations. It may also, however, assert itself in terms of government regulation.

As I stated in my first post on this topic, I do not necessarily think this is a bad thing. In the right hands, this could be a force for moving our economy to work more for the commonweal, essentially the vision expressed by John Kenneth Galbraith in The Affluent Society. If nothing else, it could be used to obtain easier financing for public works.

What concerns me, though, as I mentioned earlier, is the total lack of forethought and discussion that is being put into this. The bail out plan has apparently been agreed to by Congress, less than a week after it was published. A few concessions by the White House-limits on executive pay and a bit of Congressional oversight-and it gets through. Am I the only one reminded of the Patriot Act?

This is part of a pattern of taking advantage of emergencies, whether military or economic, that Naomi Klein has dubbed "The Shock Doctrine" in her book of the same title. Indeed, Klein has drawn this conclusion herself.

What troubles most is the overall pattern of expanding government power. The government is now training troops for deployment within the United States, as I've discussed in a previous post. The Patriot Act has made massive inroads into our civil liberties and freedoms. Although we generally divide civil liberties and economic issues, I fear they may be part of one and the same pattern.

The War at Home

Reason Magazine's Hit and Run blog documents the recent training of an Army division for deployment here in the United States, as reported by the Army Times.

This is not a good sign.

We are moving from deploying the National Guard in emergencies to deploying all-out military forces. Although this may be legal under the Insurrection Act, it represents part of a wider trend toward using the military as a police force against civilians. This is not what the military is for, and will create the risk of brutal overreactions by battle-hardened troops.

Anyone remember Kent State, or the Boston Massacre?

We Are All Socialists Now

Our fearless leaders in the Bush Administration just took a sudden turn leftward with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's new bail out plan. Amid all the talk about how much it will cost, few people seem to be discussing what this will mean in terms of government power.

In effect, we will be adopting a semi-socialist system, with the government entering, at the very least, the banking industry. I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing, but I think our government and our polity should begin discussing what this will mean. How can we turn this to the greatest benefit of the American people? How can we best protect individual and entrepreneurial freedom under this system? We need a real debate about the course of our country over the next decade or so.

An Unpleasant Truth

Commentary by Nicholas Von Hoffman of The Nation in regard to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's proposed bailout.

"As for costs, he said no more than that it will involve a significant investment of taxpayer dollars. A better adjective than "significant" might be "staggering." The economic tar pit is so deep and so sticky it may be necessary to sacrifice wildlife programs, preschool education and scientific research. Even without knowing the numbers, we can kiss health insurance goodbye. If and when Obama gets in, he will discover the cupboard is bare."

I suppose the one piece of good news is that we won't have money to bomb Iran.

Deja Vu?

As New York Times columnist Paul Krugman reports on his blog, Sen. John McCain has been repeatedly quoting President Herbert Hoover on the strength of the economy.

Gee, I wonder if quoting the guy who let us fall into the Great Depression will cause people to question Sen. McCain's capacity to guide us through economic chaos?

If Obama Doesn't Pick Up on This, He Needs His Head Examined

The McCain campaign recently handed Sen. Barack Obama two gifts on the economic front. First, just as Lehman Bros. was beginning to collapse, Sen. McCain's financial adviser Andrew Luskin claimed that "Things today just aren't that bad" economically in a Sunday Washington Post op-ed. (Thanks to Wonkette.)

To add to the McCain economic incompetence parade, Sen. McCain himself held a press conference this morning in which he claimed the "fundamentals" of our economy are strong, as reported by NPR's All Things Considered. Later, the Senator backtracked and claimed they are "at risk." If Sen. Obama doesn't use this for a campaign ad, he should fire his campaign manager.

There's a fundamental message that I think Sen. Obama and the Democrats haven't been hitting hard enough: are we better off than we were eight years ago? If not, it's time to vote for a Democrat.

The Drug War Run Amok, Again

Yesterday, the New York Times carried a story about a movement to criminalize yet another substance in order to protect those idiots who might want to injest it. The target this time, an herb called salvia divinorum, is the focus of legal attention by various states because it is a powerful hallucinogen. Some idiots have apparently been posting videos to YouTube showing themselves getting high on it. One Texas representative, Charles Anderson, commented: "When you see it, well, it sure makes a believer [in prohibition] out of you." (Hmm, Representative, I wonder if a video of some guys getting drunk on beer would be any more edifying.)

The fact is, the state should not be involved in determining what people put in their own bodies. If someone is stupid enough to poison themselves with some drug, that is their problem, and my tax dollars shouldn't be spent on it. We shouldn't be criminalizing people for just being stupid.

What makes this really disturbing is that salvia divinorum looks as though it could be a useful component for psychiatric medications and possibly AIDS treatments. Idiots like Rep. Anderson, in trying to protect people from themselves, will only slow the progress of medicine.

Thanks, But No Thanks: What It Really Means!

Recently, MSNBC journalist Chris Matthews busted Gov. Sarah Palin for apparently lying about her opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere" project. She has repeated the lie at least seven times.



Perhaps Mr. Matthews is being too cynical. After all, she always uses the phrase "Thanks, but No Thanks." What she's really trying to tell us is that she supported the project (saying thanks), before opposing the project (saying no thanks.)

Thanks to Talking Points Memo for this video.

Eagles Fans vs. Steelers Fans

An article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contemplates the potential effect new NFL regulations will have on Pittsburgh Steelers fans, including concerns that the regulations could affect fans' ability to celebrate. Frankly, I doubt the city's sports fans have anything to worry about.

Coming from Philadelphia, I know that Pittsburgh's fans are relative gentlemen. Unlike the fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, they have never pelted Santa Claus with snowballs on national television. They have not cheered as a critically injured opposing player was taken off the field in a stretcher. Although I am certain Steelers fans include their share of rowdies, they do not compare to their east coast rivals in Philly.

RNC Bloopers

The Talking Points Memo blog highlights a highly amusing blooper during Sen. John McCain's speech at the Republican National Convention last night. while Sen. McCain was speaking, a photo of what appeared to be a mansion appeared behind him. Although there was speculation that the Arizona senator was showing off his copious real estate wealth, it turns out that the photo was probably of Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, CA. Just compare the photos above.

Apparently, the McCain Campaign had been planning to put up a photo of the Senator at Walter Reed Medical Center for injured soldiers.

Photo taken from Talking Points Memo.

A Wise Decision

Recently, the Allegheny County Board of Elections barred two referendum questions regarding the drink tax in the Pittsburgh area because they did not meet the proper legal criteria. One question asked whether voters wanted to repeal a 10% tax on alcohol that was opposed by the restaurant and bar industry, while the other wanted to examine alternative means of raising revenue such as the property tax, as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

At least the politicians in this city have some priorities straight. A rise in property taxes would make it more difficult for low income and elderly people to afford their homes. You can choose whether or not to drink, whereas you have to live somewhere.

Naturally, some people were in favor of the drink tax. An article in the Pittsburgh City Paper several weeks ago by Frances Sansig Monahan argues that old people should move out of their houses, even if they've lived in them their entire lives, just so people can pay a bit less for a drink.

Sorry, Frannie, unacceptable. These are low income, elderly people who may not have a place to go. They could easily be my parents, or my grandmother. If the drink tax is cutting too deeply into the pockets of you and your boozer friends, start ordering water.

So Much Experience

Great video from CNN featuring an interview with a McCain campaign representative, Tucker Bounds, regarding Gov. Sarah Palin. Wait for about three minutes in and watch Bounds flounder as he tries to justify Gov. Palin's experience. Not surprisingly, McCain's campaign has said the candidate will not be appearing on their network anytime soon.



Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for posting this on his blog.

Juno in Juneau?

Recently, the Internet has been buzzing with the rumor that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's recent infant is actually her daughter's. Observing the political scene over the past few days, another, rather more interesting conspiracy theory has occurred to me:

Palin's daughter isn't pregnant at all...

You may think this is preposterous. After all, why would Gov. Palin and the Republicans create such grief for themselves? However, the grief is exactly the point.

With the media focused on her daughter's pregnancy, all the real issues with Gov. Palin's political views and background-her extremist connections and allegations of corruption-are given short shrift. (Let's face it folks, even without having registered for the Alaskan Independence Party, it becomes clear she was neck-deep in these weirdoes.) Everyone will be talking about her daughter, while the legitimate issues fade away.

Don't believe me? Just don't be surprised when her daughter has a sudden, tragic miscarriage...

Perils of Palin

Over the past 48 hours, Gov. Sarah Palin has demonstrated herself to be one of the most under qualified and downright bizarre Vice-Presidential selections of recent years. Putting aside the imbroglio about her pregnant daughter, we have more reason to be concerned about her seeming past membership in the fringe Alaska Independence Party, a party which apparently advocates that the state hold a referendum about seceding from the Union. (Neo-Confederacy, anyone?) She was apparently attracted to the party by her religious beliefs, as the AIP is an affiliate of the theocratic Constitution Party.

Other rumors have been flying around the web, including the possibility that she endorsed Pat Buchanan's far-right candidacy in 2000. (McCain's campaign denies this, and her affiliation with the AIP.) McCain seems to have chosen a first rate wingnut as his co-candidate.

Corruption seems to be an issue as well. Her apparent firing of Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner over refusing to fire her ex-brother-in-law is well documented, including via e-mails and tape recordings, but an investigation by the Washington Independent website confirms that she engaged in similar behavior during her term as mayor in Wasilla.

The bottom line: in his urgency to scoop up Hillary supporters, Sen. McCain did not bother to investigate Gov. Palin.

A Palin Imitation of Hillary

Sen. John McCain has added Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to his ticket in an aboveboard attempt to lure Hillary supporters to his campaign. Indeed, some feminists, such as Geraldine Ferraro, seem rather enthusiastic for Gov. Palin. However, feminists who support Senator Clinton have reason to step back very slowly...

Far from being a step forward for feminism, Gov. Palin's nomination thrusts forward one of the most anti-feminist politicians in America. As NARAL Pro-Choice America documents, she opposes abortion even in cases where the mother has been subjected to rape and incest, and is a member of the group Feminists for Life. This group follows Gov. Palin's lead, publishing a brochure, Victory over Violence, condemning the decision to abort after rape. If you're a woman who's experienced a sexual assault, don't turn to Gov. Palin for comfort.

Perhaps the greatest sign of Sen. McCain's anti-feminist credentials is that he chose a wingnut like Palin. He must think women are truly stupid to fall for her just because of her gender.

Convention Summary and Response

Overall, I believe the Democratic National Convention went well for Sen. Obama. No fights broke out between his supporters and the die hard backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton. Sen. Clinton's speech was a case study in conciliation, while Sen. Obama's concluding speech was his usual inspiring work, establishing his moderate credentials while establishing the groundwork for a nuanced, issues-based attack on Sen. McCain.

A few observations:

The convention got better as it went along. Monday night was actually rather disappointing, with mediocre speakers like Sen. Nancy Pelosi, whose speech, posted below, was a study in how not to excite a crowd.



Things got better on Tuesday, with some speakers, such as Sen. Bob Casey launching attacks against Sen. McCain and the Republican Party. Casey's "Four more months" line should be adopted as an overall campaign slogan. The best, however, was Thursday night. Gov. Richardson of New Mexico gave a speech, posted below, that made me wish he had been the vice-presidential selection.



Second, building on Sen. Casey's speech, the Democratic Party, and Sen. Obama in particular, need to go into attack mode. This can be done without violating Sen. Obama's pledge to pursue a new kind of politics. It is entirely possible to make issues-based attacks which focus on Sen. McCain's record of favoring the wealthy and backing the Bush Administration while still remaining catchy.

For example, one ad that has occurred to me would feature photos of Sen. McCain and President Bush together with descriptions of how Sen. McCain has supported the President's worst policies, punctuated by the refrain "Four More Years." An ad in a similar vein would feature the same material, with a digital background showing the M in McCain's turning upside down into a W.

Finally, all conventions, in the end, are pap. You will not see any nuanced exploration of the candidates positions just by watching their party's conventions. For that, you have to do your own research.

Striking Similarities

Am I the only one who thinks that Gov. Sarah Palin looks a lot like SNL actress Tina Fey?

Palin





Fey

He's At It Again!

Nation columnist, Counterpunch editor, and professional nutjob Alexander Cockburn has just launched a negative attack on Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Biden. In doing so, he only exposes his own radicalism, his lack of understanding of mainstream American politics, and his willingness to engage in smear tactics.

Cockburn begins his attack by ranting that Sen. Biden is not doing enough to attack "corporate capital." The reasoning: Sen. Biden apparently voted against a law that would have prevented bankrupt corporations from relocating to his home state of Delaware. Gee, Mr. Cockburn, I wonder why Sen. Biden would have voted against a law that adversely affects his own state's interests?

Cockburn follows up with an unsourced attack on Sen. Biden's character, citing an unnamed Counterpunch staffer who claims that Sen. Biden flirted with her only a week after his first wife's death. This is beneath contempt, but hardly surprising for Cockburn. After all, in a recent issue of The Nation, he humiliated himself by claiming that the national media was not publicizing reports of John Edwards's affair enough, only to have the article come out just as the media was flooded with stories about the same topic.

Tell me, Mr. Cockburn, why doesn't your staffer come forward with her allegations on 60 Minutes or some similar program? Why doesn't she let us see her face so we'll know who's making these claims and can evaluate her credibility?

Finally, he lambasts Sen. Biden for not being a critic of Israel. Umm, Mr. Cockburn, most American political opinion now favors Israel, for better or worst. I don't like it, but that's just life. If we followed Cockburn's advice, we'd never get a candidate in office.

Here's a little suggestion, Alex. Since you dislike the Democratic candidates so much, why not resign your column at The Nation, which is whole-heartedly backing them. Then you'll be putting your money where your mouth is, just like your erstwhile colleague, Christopher Hitchens (who, by the way, is a much more provocative, and persuasive, writer than you.)

Unitarian Universalists of America, Fight Back!

I was deeply disturbed and angered by a recent post on the Alternet liberal website in relation to the recent shooting rampage at a Knoxville, TN Unitarian Universalist Church. The article describes the experience of Jenna Kerns, a writer who published an opinion piece in Newsday linking fanatical right-wing commentators such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity to the shooting. (The shooter, Jim D. Adkisson, owned copies of books by Hannity, O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Savage, and was motivated by a hatred of the Unitarians' liberal views.)

How did the right-wingers respond? Did they engage in an examination of conscience and rethink their hateful rhetoric? No. Did they launch a minor league smear campaign against Ms. Kerns, with the help of right wing censor L. Brent Bozell? Yes.

It's time for UUs to take matters into their own hands. If someone shot up an evangelical church and was found to have books by liberal commentators such as Keith Olberman and Richard Dawkins, you can bet they would do everything in their power to drive those commentators off the airwaves and off the bookshelves. Maybe it's time we learned a lesson from our evangelical brethren.

Every UU church should have a sign up in front condemning these commentators and holding them directly responsible for the attack. (I'm thinking wanted posters with "Incitement to Murder" written on them.) Advertisers on their shows should be informed that they will be subject to a boycott for as long as they continue to support this hate speech.

It's time to fight back.

Pittsburgh View

Here are some photos I took from the window of my apartment in Pittsburgh. They are all from the early evening / twilight hours. Hope you like them.

France Mourns

Today, there was a nationally televised memorial ceremony in France for ten French soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Among those who spoke at the tribute was President Nicolas Sarkozy. Whatever else one says about the French, it must be granted that they honor their soldiers to the fullest extent possible. They give their fallen a national ceremony. We give ours coffins hidden from view and decrepit VA hospitals.

This seems to be a trend around Europe. For instance, when I was in Great Britain, the British put a great deal of effort into their version of Veterans' Day, called Remembrance Day. The memorial was complete with masses, collections for injured veterans, etc. We use our Veterans' Day for used car sales.

Who's a Rich Elitist Now?

In this Obama ad, Sen. McCain learns that people who live in seven houses shouldn't throw the "rich elitist" stone.

Much Ado about South Ossetia

I have been rather amused in recent days by the amount of anger by American pundits and government officials over the war in South Ossetia. Conservative commentators such as George Will and Jack Kelly are lambasting the Russian invasion and waxing poetic about Sen. McCain's opportunity to show strength in the face of Vladmir Putin. They all seem to forget the fact, as Maureen Dowd notes, that the current administration launched its own aggressive war five years ago.

Moreover, they see the conflict as a totally one-sided war. Although it is unquestionable that the Russians have used excessive force against Georgian forces and civilians, as a recent Human Rights Watch report notes, the same report notes that in their initial invasion of South Ossetia, the Georgians fired at apartment buildings and other civilian targets in fighting with Ossetian militias. Indeed, a Fox News interviewer was rather nonplussed to find a South Ossetian girl who thanked the Russians for saving her and South Ossetia from Georgia. This is not to justify the Russians, but to point out that the Georgian government is not the heroic entity certain government officials and members of the media are making it out to be.

Our pundits need to step back a bit and remember that the Cold War is over.

Verbal Thunder

The recent movie Tropic Thunder has generated a lot of anger and vituperation from some quarters because it features the use of the word "retard." Disability advocacy groups claim that any use of the word is unacceptable, and are trying to get people to boycott the film. As the Daily Kos reports, one reviewer, Timothy Shriver, head of the Special Olympics, writing for the Washington Post, gave the film a bad review without having ever even seen it.

Personally, I think this is political correctness run amok.

Since when do advocacy groups get to pre-vet movie scripts to determine what is and is not acceptable content? Are we going to have prior censorship of movies by every special interest group that could possibly be offended by a joke or character? It's a bloody Ben Stiller movie, you morons!!! It is not meant to be taken seriously...

Reading the excerpts Mr. Shriver provides, it becomes clear the movie is not making fun of the mentally disabled. It revolves around a group of self-absorbed actors, and the dialogue in question deals with one character's attempts to get film awards through playing mentally-challenged characters. The target is the actor, not the disabled. Anyone who reads the actual dialogue without blinkers can understand this.

This is not just about one movie. It is about a larger movement within the disabled community to regulate the words we use every day. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, there are groups among the disabled who are trying to force people to use terms such as "person with disability," saying that "the disabled" is a discriminatory term. They would like to impose an Orwellian Newspeak on the rest of us in order to sauve their own egos.

It's time to stand up for our rights. Don't let other people tell you what words you can use or censor you. Allowing this would just be retarded...

Correction

According to Wikipedia, the clip I posted yesterday was actually recorded this past May, and has no relation to South Ossetia.

Chris Matthews vs. an Idiot

The following clip shows a segment from Countdown with Keith Olbermann featuring fellow MSNBC journalist Chris Matthews talking about his interview with conservative radio host Kevin James. James discussed the issue of appeasement as applied to recent foreign policy crises, such as the conflict in South Ossetia. However, when Matthews asked him to go into more detail about appeasement, something interesting happened:



As Matthews goes on to discuss, this incident holds great meaning for our current political discourse. Nowadays, we do not discuss political ideas so much as hurl insults such as "appeaser" or "warmonger" or "celebrity," with little thought as to what they really mean. This is not a sign of a healthy democracy; rather, it is a symptom of demagoguery.

(Thanks to European Tribune for posting this video.)

Spirit of Sport, Spirit of War

The thin, comradely veneer of international sportsmanship that is promoted by the Olympic Games has been pierced on the very first day of the Games by Russia's invasion / intervention in South Ossetia. Gymnastics competitions, scull races, and fencing are no match for the bloody demands of neo-imperial spheres of influence, ethnic tensions, and the scramble for natural resources. This video from al-Jazeera International speaks to how thin a tissue for peacemaking that the Olympic spirit is:



Talk of the "Olympic spirit" has always struck me as a marketing scheme concocted by the Olympic Committee. One need only reflect that the original Olympic games were held by the Greeks, who constantly fought among themselves.

If you really want peace, look to diplomacy, look to international law, look to a balance of power with every country having the weapons to fight off its stronger neighbors. Don't look to sports.

Another Reflection on the Priorities of the American Media

On a day when Russia is going to war with its former Soviet possession Georgia, Yahoo News sees fit to run a featured story about Democratic primary candidate John Edwards's extra-marital affair.

Deja Vu...

The recent speech by Sen. Barack Obama on energy was not perfect by any means. It pandered to the auto industry and auto unions, and gave no specific indication of what type of sacrifices would need to be made by the American people in order to achieve sustainable energy use.

That stated, there was one point Sen. Obama made that was quite important, although it has not been focused on by the media to my knowledge. At one point, he notes that our current crisis is partially the result of the failure of previous generations of American leaders to deal with the issue of our dependence on foreign oil. In doing so, he unwittingly echoed a warning voiced by President Jimmy Carter over twenty years ago.



In an address to the nation, he warned that failing to address our dependence on oil at the present time would lead us to more dire straits later on. In Obama's speech, we see what the failure to heed that warning has led to.

The Dumbest Generation?

A new video on the Reason.tv website discusses the lack of wide-ranging knowledge among many young people today, and speculates on the causes of this lack. Author Mark Bauerlein suggests that this may be a result of the rise of digitized media. Although he may have a point, it is worth noting that, as the interviewer, Nick Gillespie, the Internet may have opened up opportunities for the enterprising young person to enrich their minds. Watch the video and see what you think.

A Solzhenitsyn Quote

"Literature is the living memory of a nation. It sustains within itself and safeguards a nation's bygone history...But woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force."

Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his Nobel lecture, quoted in a news article by J. Y. Smith

Alexander Solzhenitsyn RIP

The great Russian dissident author Alexander Solzhenitsyn apparently died yesterday. He is justly famous for his stand against Soviet tyranny, and his willingness to endure KGB harrassment in order to express his viewpoints.

Nevertheless, as a post on the Reason Hit and Run blog points out, Solzhenitsyn's protest was not born from a love of freedom and democracy, but from an emphasis on a more religious, ethnic vision of totalinarianism. For instance, there is strong reason to suspect that Solzhenitsyn was anti-semitic. Also, in his later years, he was a strong supporter of Vladimir Putin's authoritarian rule.


Nevertheless, he must be lauded for his courage and the risks he took. There is a video biography available on the BBC News website here.

Food for Thought: Religion

"The great end in religious instruction...is not to stamp our minds irresistibly on the young but to stir up their own; not to make them see with our eyes but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own; not to give them a definite amount of knowledge but to inspire a fervent love of truth; not to form an outward regularity but to touch inward springs..."

Rev. William Ellery Channing at the 1837 annual meeting of the Boston Sunday School Society, quoted in The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide, William F. Schulz, ed.

This quote struck me as the ideal definition of what religious education should be. Perhaps because of my experiences in the Philadelphia Catholic school system, at institutions such as Northeast Catholic High School, I strongly distrust dogmatic approaches to religious instruction. Catechisms seem fitted mainly to making children into slaves, not thinking worshippers and citizens. I feel the Unitarian approach is much better, teaching children to think for themselves even at the risk that they may later change or depart from their parents' faith.

Guarding the Oil

This report from Al-Jazeera International describes the activities of American troops and Coast Guard guarding Iraqi off-shore oil rigs. They drive away any ship that comes too close, and constantly training to repel attackers.

It is reports that this which make me laugh at anyone who thinks that oil had nothing to do with the reasoning of the Iraq War. It may not have been the only reason, but it certainly played a part in the Bush Administration's thinking. You can't tell the Iraqis not to suspect our motives when their major oil rigs are surrounded by American troops. As long as we have our troops there, we continue creating a negative impression.

True, it can be argued that with oil prices as high as they are, it is necessary to guard these sites from an attack that could place further pressure on the American and world economies. Nevertheless, having our troops on these rigs gives us quite a bit of power over the Iraqis. (Imagine if we decided not to hand the rigs over to them, citing "security concerns.") The report mentions that we are training Iraqi troops for an eventual handover. Our government, or a successor administration, should see that it happens soon.



Thanks to Juan Cole's Informed Comment blog for posting this video.

Just a Thought...

If Sen. McCain can compare Barack Obama to Paris Hilton, can Sen. Obama compare McCain's wife, a known drug addict, to Amy Winehouse?

A Humorous Quote on Humor

"A weak thinker fears strong images."

Jack Shafer in a recent Slate Press Box column about the New Yorker cartoon.

Reason's Hit and Run blog has a new post about the Washington Post's recent censoring of a column satirizing drunk driving. It's amazing how uptight we are becoming in some respects in this society.

Bikes in the City

Matthew Yglesias has an interesting post about the need for city planners to develop more bicycle-friendly designs to deal with our current fuel and environmental crisis. He argues that more people need to ride bicycles so that motorists and city governments will become more aware of them.

This is only partly true in my opinion. I think biking is a great idea, but I am concerned about the recklessness of certain drivers in dealing with bicyclists. We need more help from city governments before we will see a mass movement towards bikes.

Still, it is great to see someone pointing out America's need to become more bike friendly. We are way behind Europe in this regard.

Response to Chris Schwartz

The following is a response to a recent post by my friend Chris Schwartz on the issue of evil and history. I had to respectfully disagree with some of Chris's views. I sent my response via e-mail, and Chris asked me to post it here so that we may start a discussion.

Dear Chris,

I have been thinking about your commentary on the theodicy of history, and I am sending this e-mail as a type of response. It will not by any means respond to every point you made, but it will deal with matters I found particularly striking.



First, I wish to examine your reliance on the belief in a personal God. (I will not address the issue of God itself, which would require a book to properly address.) Even if we concede God exists-I am not certain that he does or does not-why do we have to insist that he is interested in us one way or another? At one point, you deride "the deist's negligent watchmaker." I personally believe that this vision of God is the one most likely to exist. The most persuasive argument for God that I have encountered is the "first cause" argument. (I.e. something had to produce the universe, both matter and energy.) God seems as good an explanation as any. Deism fulfills this without any unnecessary claptrap.



Part of the reason I am rather hostile to the concept of a personal god is that it strikes me as an invitation for unnecessary religious interference in our lives. If God is personally interested in every person, it necessarily follows that he may want to regulate all aspects of our lives: our thoughts, our sexuality, our political beliefs…



Admittedly, this hostility developed at least partially from my youthful experiences with the Catholic Church, which made me suspicious of any type of authoritarian religion. One could potentially argue that I am simply projecting the offenses of an embittered nun onto God itself. Still, I believe that the progress of Catholicism, Evangelical Christianity, and the more fundamentalist sects of Islam and Judaism should give pause to anyone who believes that a personal god is necessarily a good thing.



The second issue I wish to examine is the question of evil. I am not certain it is impossible to accurately describe something as good or evil. Although it is true that in many cases there are heavy shades of gray in even the worst crimes, there are some large scale crimes that can be reasonably described as evil, no matter what good effects they may have on the individual level.



Turning to the case of the Cambodian genocide you cite, I personally believe such events fall into the category of absolute evil, no matter what good side effects they may have had. Take, for example, the case of Haing S. Ngor. Mr. Ngor was a Cambodian refugee who came to America after the fall of Pol Pot. In America, he became a part time actor, ultimately garnering an Oscar for his role in The Killing Fields.



However, the level of suffering he experienced in Cambodia negates any good consequences he experienced from coming to our country. As he described in his autobiography, Surviving the Killing Fields, Ngor's family was largely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. His wife died while giving birth to his child, who also died, all for lack of a doctor. (This, incidentally, ultimately led to Ngor's own death, as he was shot after refusing to give some muggers a locket that contained the only photo he had of his wife.) Ngor himself was in three different Khmer Rouge prisons, where he had two of his fingers cut off and was at one point literally crucified.



Some things are simply so evil that no amount of individual good stemming from them can allay, or even slightly mitigate the evil. These events fall into the select category of "pure" evil. This is not to say that their perpetrators are absolutely evil; all humans have at least some good in them, even Hitler or Pol Pot. This does not change the nature of the acts, however, at least in my opinion.



It is true, and you might wish to write about this at some point, that the term evil is often abused in that is applied to our enemies when they commit certain acts, but not to our allies when they do the same. For instance, Robert Mugabe is attacked to violently intimidating his opponents, but Hosni Mubarak is given a pass for equally atrocious repression. Although some pundits, such as Alexander Cockburn, use this to excuse atrocities on the part of leaders they are sympathetic to, it seems to me that we should confront evil both in our supposed allies and our enemies.



You argue that absolutely recognizing evil is not a necessary component to taking action. I tend to disagree. For instance, the Allies, even if they did not know the full horror of the camps, had more than enough information to make the determination. Based largely on laws the Nazis had published regarding Jews, legal scholar Raphael Lemkin was able to publish Axis Rule in Occupied Europe in 1944, in which he coined the term genocide to describe Nazi policy. Full knowledge isn't needed to judge whether someone is doing evil.



Furthermore, I feel evil is a potentially useful concept for rallying people to oppose human rights abuses, genocide, etc. It is a term people are used to, that they can instantly rally around. For instance, the objection to President Bush's use of the term evildoers was not that I did not think al-Qaeda is evil. It was that it lent a hysterical air to the proceedings that was unnecessary and destructive in the post 9/11 environment. The President could have evoked the evil of al-Qaeda without sounding like the mayor of Gotham City.



One thing I really want to praise you for is the conclusion of your essay. It incorporates human responsibility into the concept of God's involvement in the world that I found thought-provoking. I especially liked your use of the Hamlet analogy. It made me look at the play in a way I never had before.



I hope you won't take offense at the critiques in this e-mail. I found your essay very interesting, and wanted to discuss the matter more with you.



Sincerely,



Michael Gallen

Defending the New Yorker

I think the current flap over the cover of the New Yorker represents a terrible over-reaction to what is clearly a piece of satire. The cartoon represents a caricature of the constant internet rumors that have been circulating about Sen. Obama's religion, showing just how implausible their import is.

Some bloggers will no doubt take issue with this interpretation. For instance, Swan McSwannessy at the Swan's Politics Blog compares the cartoon to a racist t-shirt. The only problem with this analogy is that it was not on a racist t-stirt. It was on the over of the New Yorker, a magazine that often has satirical covers.

Think about this for a second. To believe this was a racist attack, one would have to believe that the editors of the New Yorker had suddenly become rabid down-home bigots, whereas the magazine itself is historically liberal. Context matters, people! I would unfailingly oppose such a cartoon if it appeared on the cover of National Review or NewsMax, conservative publications with an interest in spreading smears against Sen. Obama.

It's time to abandon knee-jerk accusations of bigotry and try to recognize satire for what it really is. Long live free speech.

[Note: I do not own the image of the cartoon I have posted. If the cartoonist or the New Yorker have any objection to my using it, they can contact me, and it will be deleted.

John Grady, RIP

I just found out today that someone I was rather close to has died.

John Grady, an Economics professor at La Salle University, passed away this Sunday. He was head of the La Salle University Honors Program, and had a profound influence on the course of my life.

Dr. Grady not only offered me academic guidance, but he put me in touch with the Davies-Jackson Scholarship Committee, which ultimately awarded me a scholarship to St. John's College, Cambridge University. If it had not been for Dr. Grady, I would not have gone to Cambridge, and my life would have taken a different course.

Dr. Grady was a warm, caring man, with perhaps a streak of the curmudgeon. He was one of the longest teaching professors at La Salle University while I attended that institution. I took one of his Economics courses, and found it hugely informative. Dr. Grady recognized the power of the free market while still pointing to the need for limited government intervention.

He will be sorely missed.

Interesting Articles by the Schwartz

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but things have been on the busy side for me recently.

There are two very interesting articles by my friend Chris Schwartz on his blog. One is a historical study of Confucius, the other of Socrates. Both look to be quite thought-provoking.

Hitchens Under the Gun

The Blue Girl, Red State blog features photos of journalist and Iraq war advocate Christopher Hitchens undergoing waterboarding, for an article in Vanity Fair magazine. Unlike many who support the Iraq war, Hitchens has demonstrated a willingness to explore the consequences of that war. One hopes the neocons will have the courage to follow his example.

Last Minute War?

The following is a disturbing video I found on Wonkette featuring an interview with New Yorker reporter Seymour Hersh about the possibility of President Bush starting a war with Iran. Apparently, there is a real possibility that our fearless leader will launch strikes at the very end of his term if Sen. Obama is elected.



As mentioned above, I found this video on Wonkette, who in turn found it on the Informed Comment blog.

To Those Who Deny that Some of the Opposition to Barack Obama Stems from Racism

"I'll tell you," says one, "if Michelle Obama really doesn't like it here in America, I'd be very pleased to raise the money too send her back to Africa."

The diminutive and smiling old lady's friend leans over. "That's going a little too far, dear."

"Too far?" says the first. "Farrakhan is saying they were brought here against their will, and their bodies are still feeding the sharks at the bottom of the sea! I mean, really!"

"OK, sharks still eating bodies," I say, writing it all down. "Could I have your name, ma'am?"

"Janice Berg," says the first old lady. "And lest you think I'm Jewish, the name comes from Norway."

Quoted from Matt Taibbi "Full Metal McCain," Rolling Stone, June 26, 2008

Politics in the Pulpit

This past Sunday, I saw something rather disturbing when I attended services at a local church. For reasons that will become obvious, I will not identify the church except to say that it was of a liberal Protestant denomination.

The service in question was a special congregation-led affair that featured a segment where people could talk about what they were doing over the summer. One woman talked about her attendance at an AIDS conference, and mentioned that many other people who attended the conference hoped a new president in the White House would change American AIDS policy. She left no doubt that she meant Barack Obama, although she did not explicitly mention him.

The political endorsements became more explicit, however, with one of the next people to speak. She declared that she would be volunteering for Barack Obama over the summer in order to convince Hillary Clinton supporters not to vote for John McCain. She urged other people also to volunteer, if I remember correctly.

Although I agree fully with these congregants’ choice of candidate, I think they seriously erred in using the church as a forum for their chosen political campaign. This is not the first time this has happened at the church in question. Several months ago, in the lead up to the Pennsylvania primary, the minister (who it should be noted was not present at this Sunday’s service) reminded the congregation to register as Democrats so they could choose between Obama and Clinton. Although he did not endorse either candidate, it is difficult to imagine that a Republican or Libertarian congregant would have been made to feel comfortable by this announcement.

The significance of these incidents increases when one considers that churches are not supposed to endorse specific candidates for office if they want to keep their tax-exempt status. Several evangelical churches have gotten into trouble for endorsing Republican candidates, and it would be hypocritical and unfair for more liberal churches to engage in the same behavior. Lobbying for social justice is one thing, endorsing a specific candidate is entirely another.

Some will no doubt object that this is an infringement upon free speech, and it may well be in some respects. I would have no difficulty allowing ministers to endorse specific candidates, if churches paid taxes like any other part of civil society, as I feel they should. Those who will not contribute their fair share to civil society have no right to expect the full rights it offers. The government should not subsidize, in the form of tax breaks, a partisan organization that directly endorses candidates. Since there is no reason to expect in the near future that churches will begin paying their fair share, I feel this is the best compromise that can be worked out.

George Carlin, RIP

Yesterday in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I saw yet another letter from professional right wing fanatic Oren M. Spengler, who regularly fills that letter page with his ravings. This time, however, he went too far. Spengler dumped a pile of garbage on the grave of the late comedian George Carlin, claiming he "offended civilization" by using foul language.

As Carlin himself pointed out, language is basically a tool. Words are not offensive in and of themselves, but only by the meaning we give them. Carlin often used rough language to make good social points.

I have posted the clip below to prove Carlin's point. This clip is especially for you, Mr. Spengler. (Warning: Adult Language)



(Note: I do not own this clip. If HBO, George Carlin's estate, or any other owner wants it taken down, just contact me and it will be done posthaste.)

A Plan for Hope

I recently discovered a new plan for getting us out of Iraq. The proposal, posted at the Responsible Plan website, calls for a recognition that ultimately Iraq is a problem that cannot be solved militarily (mindless rejoicing about the surge aside). It calls for greater emphasis on diplomacy, as well as finally starting to address the economic and social problems faced by many Iraqis.

I will be posting more about this plan in the near future. It is backed by a number of legislators and former military leaders, and is well worth considering.

Olbermann Kicks McCain's Butt

Here is a great commentary by Keith Olbermann on recent comments by John McCain comparing Iraq to South Korea:

Mortgage Crackdown

MSNBC reports that over 400 people in the mortgage industry have been arrested in connection with the recent subprime meltdown and other financial misdoings. Among those arrested were two executives at Bear Stearns, who were accused of misleading investors as to the health of their company.

Although I hold many libertarian beliefs, I feel the government does need to do a better job of regulating the economy. A lack of oversight since the Clinton years has allowed the financial community to run amok, with the Feds only stepping in to pick up the pieces. Let's hope the next president has the courage to change this.

Septa's Septic Service

Over the past week or so, I have noticed a real deterioration of service on the part of SEPTA. It started last Sunday when I was trying to get home from Center City. The 5 bush which I usually take had been detoured because of the Philadelphia Gay Parade. I went to the designated pick up point, only to wait there for an hour in the sweltering heat along with an elderly man.

When the bus finally picked us up, the driver told us she had been unable to reach the pick up spot. Listening to her speak with her dispatcher over the radio, I came to the conclusion that lines of communication between the drivers and SEPTA were not especially good, as the driver was not certain where detours were.

One might argue that this was simply the result of a special event on a weekend, not reflective of SEPTA’s overall service. However, this past Thursday, I went out to get the 5 bus up to Frankford Terminal, only to find that it was a half hour late. This was in the middle of rush hour on Frankford Ave.

When I finally arrived at Frankford Terminal, I found that the 26 bus was running ten minutes late. This was actually lucky from my perspective, as I was actually able to catch it, but the ten or so other people waiting for it seemed to mind.

Finally, we must discuss the fortunately short-lived SEPTA police strike. Here, both sides seem to be at fault. On one hand, SEPTA refused to accept binding arbitration, perhaps fearing the union would be able to get a fairer, and more expensive, shake. At the same time, union officials seemed all too eager to prey on the public’s fears in the wake of recent violence on SEPTA, warning people to seek “alternative transportation.” Do we have to trust our safety to such uncaring people?

The Humanitarian Conscience of Our Military Leadership

"If these fucking Hajis would learn to drive, this shit wouldn't happen."

---Comment of an American colonel upon learning that American forces had killed a family of Iraqi civilians in a car because they mistook them for suicide bombers, according to Chris Hedges.

Militarized Cyberspace

A recent post on the TomDispatch website about the Air Force’s new Cyber Command raises many issues worth considering. Although I do not take as alarmist a view as William Astore, the author of the post, I think it is a matter calling for some scrutiny.

Astore describes the Cyber Command’s mission of protecting the United States and, more specifically, the Pentagon, from foreign computer hackers as essentially Bush-era paranoia. I am not so sanguine. Cyber warfare is rapidly becoming part of international relations. (Witness the attack on the Estonian government’s computers by hackers emanating from a country formerly known as the Soviet Union.)

In America’s case, the Pentagon is increasingly subject to hacking attempts from foreign countries, particularly China. As Richard Clarke noted on NPR's Fresh Air, Given the amount of information now stored on computers, it only makes sense that foreign governments will attempt to gain access through illicit means. It’s just James Bond 2.0. We should do everything we can to prevent such intrusions.

Nevertheless, Astore’s report raises some troubling issues. First is the threat to privacy on the web. Astore warns of the government’s increasing power to tap into private web and telephone communications. For instance, the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act requires the installment of equipment by ISPs for easy wiretapping. Organizations such as the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) have been sounding the warning about this trend for a while.

Equally worrisome is the Cyber Command’s plan to develop offensive Net-based weapons for use against other countries. This plan is summed up by what Air Force insiders apparently call D5, the capacity to “deceive, deny, disrupt, degrade, and destroy” other nations’ computer networks. This plan is troubling not only on the moral front, but also because of its potential to encourage other nations to further develop their cyberwar abilities. As Astore warns, we may well find ourselves in a cyber arms race.

Pundit for Public Transport

Robert Reich has produced a very interesting commentary on his blog about the need for greater investment in public transportation. In the light of rising fuel costs, riding buses, trains, and subways is making increasing sense to a large number of people. However, Reich warns that we may need to increase public funding to meet this demand.

Maybe, maybe not. Certain things I’ve observed in Philadelphia indicate that public transport may not have the funding issues Reich warns of. Recently while riding on the 5 bus along Frankford Ave. on a weekday afternoon, I found the bus to be filled almost to capacity, a highly unusual circumstance. News reports have also indicated an increase in SEPTA ridership, so much so that SEPTA is considering expanding service, with or without an increase in state funding.

That said, I am in no way opposed to government funding for public transport. When I was in Great Britain, I found the London Underground to be an excellent means of transport. It was very efficient, and offered access to most areas of the city I wanted to visit. I think London offers a model most American cities, including Philadelphia, could learn from.

A Billboard with a Different Message

On I-95 near Allegheny Ave, a coalition of local humanist and aetheist groups has posted a billboard telling Philadelphia-area free-thinkers that they are not alone, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Finally, we see freethinkers standing up to the all too prominent evangelicals and fanatics who have been hogging a limelight. Although I am personally an agnostic, I think any challenge by secular forces is coming at the right time.

The Blog of Shame!!!

It seems some Hillbots can't handle the prospect that their candidate could actually be defeated. One particularly cowardly example, Susie Madrak, has banned commenters from attacking Sen. Clinton on her blog. (Never mind the fact that she has continually attacked Sen. Obama on her blog.)

To add insult to injury, she has begun spewing obscenities on her blog. For instance, in one particularly classy post, she called Sen. Obama "really fucking dumb." That was an exact quote.

When I recently commented about the hypocrisy of her language, she called my reference to her obscenity as cute. In that spirit, I am certain she won't mind this comment I heard from a fellow Obama supporter who is annoyed by Hillbots complaints about attacks on Sen. Clinton:

"IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT, STAY OUT OF THE FUCKING KITCHEN!!!"

The commenter in question has also referred to Sen. Clinton as a "piece of shit" and an "asshole," nice gender-neutral terms I am certain the Suburban Guerilla could not object to. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

To Kill a Chicken

Excellent article on Slate about the urban farming movement and how some city dwellers are now killing their own meat. There are even classes explaining how to kill the chickens you raise.

I think this is a great idea. I believe everyone should partake in the killing of their own food at least once. It not only gives you a better appreciation of how your food is raised, but it also helps you to understand the cycle of life and death that is part of nature. Too many people, especially vegans, have separated themselves from that understanding with an overly romantic view of wildlife.

Dumb Enough to Die!?!

A disturbing post on the Alternet blog notes that executions of the mentally challenged / retarded have resumed in the United States. A man who apparently had an IQ of only 65 was recently killed in Virginia.

I oppose capital punishment in all cases, but to my way of thinking, the execution of the retarded is especially heinous. It violates every canon of mercy in our culture, and degrades the value of human life overall.

An Incident Observed at Shop-Rite

My mother observed this incident yesterday at a Shop-Rite in the Kensington neighborhood, where a police officer was recently killed during a bank robbery.

A woman was talking with her husband about the robbery, complaining that the bank should have an around the clock guard, and blaming the “goddamn n-----s.” All this was said in a loud voice, in a produce section full of people of all races.

This incident is a testament to the racism often found amid the white working class. This has relevance not only to race relations in Philadelphia, but also to the 2008 presidential campaign. The fact is, whether or not people want to talk about it, a certain portion of the working class is opposing Obama because he is African-American. This may not be all of the reason behind working class opposition to Obama, but it is certainly a part of it.

Letter from a Nonexistant World

A recent post on the Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary blog, “Letter from a Vegan World,” reveals a lot about what is currently wrong with the animal rights movement. It has been co-opted by vegan extremists who will not settle for anything less than a totally vegetarian society.

The post is an attack on the humane farming movement, which seeks to escape the factory farming paradigm in favor of a model that more closely fits the natural impulses of farm animals. Its author, Joanna Lucas, claims that even in these farms, animals still suffer. She cites several examples: an organic dairy cow, a rose veal calf, and a free range egg-laying chicken.

In a highly manipulative, anthropomorphic style, Lucas explores the emotional “traumas” that these animals undergo as part of everyday agricultural practice. She points to calves being taken from cows, and eggs being taken from chickens, as if they are offenses on a level with the kidnapping of a child.

The goal of this attack is to dissuade people from consuming any animal meat (or, as Lucas prefers to call it, flesh) at all. Lucas argues that a committed vegan movement could persuade the entire world to go vegetarian, if it only tried. She condemns animal rights activists for not more actively promoting a vegan agenda, claiming that organizations larger than hers are not standing up for a vegan agenda. (Apparently, she has not heard of Farm Sanctuary or PETA.)

There are two finds I find particularly wrong with this approach. First, its goal is unattainable. The desire for meat is actually growing with the rise of industrial nations such as China and India, and demand is still strong in the United States. People around the world want meat, and nothing will change that within our lifetimes. Lucas’s approach displays all the strategic acumen of Don Quixote.

Secondly, I am disturbed by what her article omits. Although she bewails the “suffering” of animals on free range and organic farms, she does not compare their experience with the horrors of factory farming. For instance, #6, the organic dairy cow who misses her calf, grieves amid the pastures of a free range farm, circumstances that would be envied by her factory-farmed cousins. All the animals pictured in the report look clean and well cared for. Although Lucas claims the chicken has been debeaked, the pictured chicken appears to have its beak intact. If it has been debeaked, it was done very skillfully.

This is not to overlook some problems in the organic farming industry. Because of the rather loose definition of “organic,” some meats are labeled as organic while still being raised in sheds. Indeed, as Lucas notes, many free range eggs are actually laid by chickens in enclosed, overcrowded barns. Nevertheless, this is the most humane, practical solution that I am aware of.

Why then, does Lucas object so strenuously? I suspect it is because she, like many vegans, cannot accept the idea of animals being killed at all. Never mind that in nature, many of the cute calves and other baby animals do not survive to see adulthood, dying either of disease, accident, or being eaten alive by predators. Death is the converse of life, a necessary part of the ecological cycle. There is nothing more immoral about a person killing an animal to eat it than in a wolf killing its prey. The moral challenge is to kill in the most compassionate way possible.

Repent Hillbots, the End Is Near

An article by the Washington Post and MSNBC reports that Sen. Clinton's and Sen. Obama's fundraisers are getting together and working out how to work together for the general election. Sen. Clinton's top financial backers have recognized that the jig is up, and it's time to start backing a winning candidate.

Beat the Cockburn

Although The Nation Alexander Cockburn is known for his extreme opinions, his “Year of the Prisoner” column was beyond the pale. (Note: You must have a Nation subscription to read the full article.) First, his suggestion that Democrats should accuse John McCain of collaborating with the North Vietnamese is politically suicidal. Doing so would open the Democratic Party to a deluge of condemnation for being unpatriotic. It is bad enough when the Republicans swift boat us; we do not need to do it to ourselves.

Second, his claims that nuclear weapons may be on the USS Jimmy Carter, despite international agreements to the contrary, are unsubstantiated. Aren’t journalistic accusations supposed to be supported by evidence, or has The Nation adopted the standards of Fox News?

Mr. Cockburn should look to the example of his brother Patrick and base his assertions on the facts on the ground. Until he does so, his column should be entitled “Out to Lunch.”

Nanny State for Adults

A recent post on Lew Rockwell.com illustrates just how out of control government efforts to interfere with our lives have become. A father has been imprisoned because his eighteen year old daughter failed the math portion of a GED test.

Excuse me, but aren't adults supposed to take responsibility for their own actions? If she's old enough to die in Iraq, isn't she old enough to be held responsible for her test scores?

Hillary: The Official Candidate of Whitey

Well, it's official. Senator Hillary Clinton claims only she has the support of "hard working white Americans," as documented on Face the Nation today. Yeah, Hillary, you'll be able to unite the party if you somehow manage to steal the nomination.

Vice Laws

Two recent news stories offer an all too saddening glance at our society’s futile and misguided attempt to regulate behavior through vice laws. Although both of these stories are being treated as tabloid / human interest fodder, they have a great deal to say about our drug and prostitution laws. None of it is good.

The first case is the arrest of Susan Febvre, who had been on the run for over thirty years after escaping from a Michigan prison. She had been facing a twenty year sentence for selling heroin. In her time out of prison, she has from all appearances completely reformed, going on to raise a middle class family and get involved in community organizations.

Now she’s being sent back to prison for nineteen years, for things that happened in the seventies…

The second case is that of the “D.C. Madam,” Norma Jean Palfrey, (One of the most disgusting aspects of the media’s treatment of these cases is their salacious focus on sex while ignoring the human aspects), who committed suicide at her mother’s house in Florida. She was facing sentencing on prostitution charges, which could potentially have carried up to fifty years in prison, although it would more likely have been six years.

Two families thrown into chaos, all because our government wants to protect people from their own decisions.

Surely I am not the only one who sees the waste in all this. Not just of individual lives, but of society’s resources. When you put a drug offender or someone in the sex trade in prison, you take up space that could hold a violent offender. That is part of the reason we have so many incidents with violent criminals being paroled and then killing people.

This is not to glamorize the drug or sex trades. Having lived in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, I have seen the horrible effects drugs can have on individuals, and the degradations prostitution can inflict upon women, not to mention the potential for spreading disease.

However, this is the result of individual choices, which should be left up to the individual, not to society. Indeed, many of the vices which are legal in our society, such as smoking, alcohol, and gambling, have their own negative effects. If we were to follow the logic we use for drugs and prostitution, these two would be illegal.

Oath, Schmoath

A disturbing story from the Los Angeles Times reports that a Quaker teacher was not allowed to take a job at California State University because her religion would not let her take a loyalty oath.

Didn't we get over this crap in the 1950s? Whatever happened to religious freedom?

Not a Conspiracy, Just a Tragedy

The Suburban Guerilla blog has an idiotic post about the suicide of D.C. Madam, Deborah Jean Palfrey, alleging, without any evidence, that she was actually murdered.

Rather than spewing conspiracy theories, we should focus on the damage that vice laws do to people's lives.

I will be posting a much longer essay on this topic in the near future. I would have posted it today, but I left my flash drive at home.

Losing Faith in Obama

Senator Obama's rejection of Rev. Jeremiah Wright comes as a great disappointment to me. I saw Rev. Wright on Bill Moyers Jounal recently, and found myself agreeing with much of what he said. I particularly agreed with his point that if America goes around using terroristic tactics against third world countries, it will inevitably provoke a brutal backlash. The only thing I saw as questionable was his idiotic belief that the US government created AIDS.

Not all Obama supporters agree, though. Andrew Sullivan applauds Sen. Obama's denunciation of Rev. Wright. In one particularly amusing line, he condemns Rev. Wright's attack on America's brutal treatment of Nicaragua during the 80s. I suppose the Contras were just fine, upstanding gentlemen then?

The Stimulus Package, Explained

Brendan Calling has another great entry, this one about the new stimulus package being sent out as we speak.

Although I would not endorse most of Brendan's suggestions for spending the money, I have my own suggestion: Don't spend it at all. America needs to up its savings rate. This is a great opportunity to do so.

Why Hillary Is Unqualified?

Naturally, Senator Clinton supporters everywhere are crowing over the recent victory in Pennsylvania. Regular readers of this blog will be able to figure out how I feel about this.

My opposition to Hillary Clinton does not grow out of the issues or her experience. I feel there is another matter that no one is giving attention to: her moral qualifications for the office.

As I have previously documented in this blog, Hillary Clinton aggressively lobbied for her husband not to intervene in Bosnia in the early nineties, while hundreds of thousands of people were being killed. Essentially, this makes her an indirect accomplice to genocide. To me, complicity in genocide is an automatic, and irrevocable, disqualifier for the presidency.

What especially galls me is that some Hillary supporters are promoting her as being the one tough enough to stand up to Osama bin Laden. If she lacks the moral strength to even oppose genocide, what in hell makes them think she'll oppose al-Qaeda?

Vote Tomorrow

This is just a reminder to Pennsylvanians to vote in the Pennsylvania Primary tomorrow. As you all probably deduced, I will be voting for Barack Obama tomorrow.

The Liberal Media?

Hillary-lovers who think the media is too soft on Obama, take heart.

As the Brendan Calling blog reports, AP officials at a get-together with Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama kissed the former's butt while denigrating the latter.

I never bought the whole media affair with Obama thing. How could I, given the Rev. Wright and "bitter" fiascos?

Nutter Should Be Over the Hill

The recent brouhaha over Senator Obama's "bitter" comments are all the evidence we need for why Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter should be endorsing him over Sen. Clinton.

While Hillary whines about Barack disrespecting "sportsmen," he comes out and speaks the god-honest truth: rural single issue voters are focusing on issues such as gun control and religion at the expense of our cities and our country. With Mayor Nutter's recent efforts at creating gun laws in Philadelphia, he should be embracing Barack with both arms.

And as for Senator Clinton's contention that Obama's comments were elitist and could lead to Republican attacks, just look at brendancalling's response to a post on the Suburban Guerrilla blog.

Olympic Protests

You have to give kudos to the protestors who are standing up to China and the Olympic Committee. They're putting the Chinese government on notice that they cannot attack human rights with impunity.

The Chinese government, of course, is having none of it. They, and their appeasers in the Olympic Committee, are calling this an insult to the Chinese people.

Well, perhaps not all the Chinese people. I suspect the inhabitants of Beijing who were forcibly expelled from their homes as part of Olympic "redevelopment" plans probably commiserate with the protestors. Ditto for the Tibetans whom the Chinese government claims as its subjects.

Hillary: Complicit in Genocide?

Several days ago, I lambasted the Clinton record on human rights. Given that the events I focused on took place during her husband's administration, I did not give much attention to Hillary's own involvement.

Turns out, I should've.

As Christopher Hitchens describes in a recent Slate article, Hillary Clinton may have played a direct role in convincing her husband to delay intervening in Bosnia. As told by Clinton insiders such as Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, Hillary feared a Bosnian intervention would distract from her health care proposals.

If these accusations are true, they are proof of her moral unfitness for the office of president. Anyone who would sacrifice human lives for their own political gain is beneath contempt.

Calling Someone by Their Proper Name

Senator John McCain is complaining that one of Barack Obama's supporters called him a warmonger.

Umm...John. If you go around saying you'd be willing to stay in Iraq for one hundred years and joke about bombing Iran, people have every right to call you a warmonger.

Yeah, Great Priorities, Opie

Oprah's getting socially conscious again. In a world where millions of Chinese and Tibetans are having their human rights violated, guess what she's up in arms about?

Yep, you guessed it: puppy mills. Torture, executions, and robbing entire cultures and religions of their freedoms are all trumped by dogs.

Who do we have to thank for this stupidity? Take a look at the morons at Main Line Animal Rescue, who think the life of a dog or puppy is more important than those of a thousand Chinese people. If you air-dropped these mental cases into Auschwitz, one cannot help but wonder if their main concern would be how the attack dogs used by the SS were being treated.

A Power-less Interview

Carlin Romano's interview with Samantha Power, who is appearing at the Free Library tonight, in today's Inquirer is a complete waste of print. Mr. Romano has time for a short conversation with one of the world's leading experts on human rights and genocide, and all he can think to ask her about is a lousy comment she made about Hillary Clinton.

Reading Romano's interview, I actually began to wonder whether he knew anything about Ms. Power's background. For instance, he briefly mentions that her book, A Problem from Hell, won "major book prizes." Umm, Carlin, specifically, she won the Pulitzer. He glances over all this to focus on campaign politics.

This is a pity, because if he had bothered to read the book, Romano would have gathered some of the background behind her comments, which called Hillary Clinton a monster, and perhaps even have given consideration to whether they might be justified.

As the introduction to A Problem from Hell makes clear, the prevarications of the Clinton Administration endangered innocent people in Bosnia. Although Bill Clinton made strong statements of support whenever a major atrocity took place, he did not intervene until late in his second term. His statements of support gave many Bosnians the impression they would be protected by the Americans. As Power graphically illustrates in her book, this misconception led them to allow their children outside to play, only to be used for target practice by Serbian artillery.

Had Mr. Romano paid attention to this background, he might have conducted a better, more informative, interview. This is just further evidence of the political and intellectual decline of America. Rather than actually look at an issue, people are interested in cheap soundbites.

Action on Tibet

The True Majority website has set up a petition calling for an end to China's violent actions against Tibet. Click on the link and you can sign it.

For too long, our people and our government have been appeasing China in order to advance our own economic interests. We should begin taking action to show the Chinese that they cannot trample on human rights and international law without consequences.

Tibet Troubles

They told us that bringing the Olympics to China would quell Beijing's human rights issues.

Yeah, just like the 1936 Berlin Olympics turned Nazi Germany into a human rights leader.

Obama, Religion, and Race

The clip posted below features the full speech Senator Barack Obama gave yesterday regarding the recent press frenzy over controversial remarks made by his pastor.
They offer many insights into the issue of race in America.

Sen. Obama rightly points out that his election will not solve all of our racial problems. At the same time, he notes that as people come together, we will form a more united people. An African-American president will mark a great step toward racial progress.

The Senator also notes that just because someone is his pastor does not mean that he endorses everything that person believes or says. He further points out the great racial divide in American religion, and the difference in black and white religious practices.

Beyond that, I'll let the Senator speak for himself. His words are far more eloquent than mine.

The (Airline) Gods Must Be Crazy!!!

I have been looking at various airlines' prices for flights from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Things are truly getting nuts! Many of the airlines are only offering flights with connections, some as far away as Dallas, TX. Continental's cheapest flights are over a thousand dollars!!!

The only really cheap flights seem to be from Southwest Airlines. However, given their recent safety concerns, I am not certain I want to deal with them.

Part of this is the result, I suspect, of high gas prices. However, it is also a sign that our air travel system, like much of our infrastructure, is in decay.

A Nation of Idiots

In this week’s issue of The Nation, the letters page is crammed with complaints from angry Hillary supporters who were ticked off that the magazine has endorsed Obama. The majority of them were so stupid as to beggar belief. I do not know where to begin.

Perhaps I should start with the person who said that men have been in charge long enough and that only a woman can solve America’s problems. Given that Hillary Clinton voted for many of the nation’s problems as a Senator, including the Iraq War and the Patriot Act, this seems rather doubtful. Even if women are better suited to solving these problems, it’s certainly not this woman. As Reason Magazine noted, this only exposes the bankruptcy of identity politics.

In one particularly galling letter, some idiot tries to harp on the fact that the Constitutional amendment giving women the vote was passed decades after the amendment giving African-American men the vote. This completely ignores the fact that, except for a brief period during Reconstruction, in many parts of this country, black people couldn't exercise that constitutional right until the 1960s. Many civil rights activists died for that right. This letter practically spat on their graves.

Another writer claimed that Obama would be unelectable. If so, than Hillary doesn’t stand a chance in hell. With all the baggage she has, the Republican attack machine will literally bury her in mud. I can just imagine the infamous September 2008 You Tube video “Have a Cigar, Hillary?” Although her supporters claim that the Republicans have thrown all they can at her, the fact that they have so much to throw should give one pause.

Karen, Shut the Heller Up

In yesterday’s Inquirer, columnist Karen Heller wrote a fairly stupid commentary on the Elliot Spitzer case. In it, she gives Spitzer’s wife unsolicited advice on how she should have reacted, as if she gives a damn what some newspaper columnist in Philadelphia thinks.

Does Ms. Heller have a degree in psychology or marriage counseling that we don’t know about? Has she been receiving off the books tutoring from Dr. Phil? If not, she should shut up.

Frankly, I am getting sick of hearing about the Spitzer Affair. There are far more important things the news media could be focusing on right now. Let’s make a list.

1. The resignation of Admiral Fallon, who had been military commander in the
Middle East. His resignation apparently stems from disagreements about the strategy we should pursue against Iran.

2. President Bush’s veto of a bill that would bar government agents from using waterboarding in interrogations.

3. The real reason behind rising oil prices. Although Hillary Clinton blames OPEC, the increase stems from speculation driven by the weak dollar, combined with political events overseas. It is not an issue of supply.

4. How our nation’s inflation is being driven by the move to ethanol. As a recent NPR story notes, the diversion of corn to ethanol is raising food prices across the board. Even meat is being affected, as most corn is grown for animal feed.

This focus on unimportant, salacious stories is reminiscent of the mindless chatter that passed as news before 9/11. It almost makes one question the wisdom of the first amendment.

Spitzer Down the Tubes

Well, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s career is pretty much down the drain. Personally, I think this is a waste and an overreaction to what was essentially a private peccadillo. Gov. Spitzer was a talented force in politics, and his skills should not be thrown away just because of his sexual issues.

Think about it. What real bearing does this have on his ability to govern? None, other than the fact that our infantilized media, who crawl over everything having to do with sex, won’t leave him alone about it. Successful presidents such as JFK, Dwight Eisenhower, and FDR engaged in all manner of philandering, with no discernable affect on their job performance. I see no way in which the involvement of money changes that, other than the existence of anachronistic, nanny-state laws.

Naturally, the folks at Reason’s Hit and Run Blog are crowing over this, a rather ironic position to take when you advocate the legalization of prostitution.

Time to Get Rough, Barack

Barack Obama's campaign recently condemned one of his unpaid aides, Professor Samantha Power, for referring to Sen. Hillary Clinton as a power-hungry monster. My only question is: why?

As Andrew Sullivan notes, Senator Clinton and her husband will do whatever it takes to stay in power. They will stoop to dirty tricks (e.g. the race baiting inherent in their release of the Somali Barack photo), negative campaigning, and manipulating the nomination process to get elected.

It's time to fight back. And we have so much to do so with. If Hillary Clinton wants to run on her record, let's start with her health care screw ups. I can see it now...

"It's 3 AM. Your children are sick. Who do you want in charge of our national healthcare system? A man who is willing to work in a bipartisan fashion to create a workable, affordable system, or a politician who wastes opportunities through partisan bickering?"

Strip Search at School

A young female student at a Middle School was recently strip searched by school faculty because another student wrongly accused her of supplying him with drugs. Reason Magazine's Hit and Run blog has the scoop.

The Ninth Circuit Court is claiming that this is not a violation of Fourth Amendment rights, even though they didn't even bother informing the parents. If there were any real sense in the justice system, the school staff who performed the seach would be registering under Megan's Law.