Quit Hating on Jimmy

As Ben Smith reports on his Politico blog, some Jewish Democrats, although certainly not all, are taking offense at Jimmy Carter's willingness to make even a mild critique of Israeli policy. Elliot Abrams, an Iran-Contra indictee, and Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council whine about the former President's willingness to point out how big a contribution Israeli settlements have made to continuing the conflict in that region.

My Gut Reaction: Oh, boo-hoo...

Analysis: If one takes even a brief look at their website, it becomes clear what the NJDC is trying to do. As part of their "Stop the Smears" campaign, they are doing their best to present President Obama as Israel's best friend possible. Any comments, however legitimate, that might lead some to doubt the Democratic Party's support for Israel will be condemned, no matter how well-thought out they are.

However, these criticisms ignore the genuine moral claims of Palestinians in the face of Israeli settlers. Furthermore, they ignore the fact that, as a major source of funding for the Israeli government, we have the most control over what they do, and hold responsibility for their actions in the face of the Arab world. If we seek to be taken seriously as peacemakers, we must rein in the Israelis' actions.

Funny but True

How to Offend A Catholic

1. Tell them you used to be a Catholic, but are no longer.

2. Explain to them why you are no longer a Catholic.

3. Explain to them why a full grown woman might have more rights than a zygote.\

4. Discuss why you might be reluctant to send children to schools with track records of protecting pedophiles.

5. Suggest that the Church's limits on debate in Catholic colleges are actually a stifling of intellectual freedom.

6. Point out how idiotic the idea of papal infallibility is.

7. Point out the Church's adaptation of pagan saints and rituals.

8. Discuss the Church's history of violent intolerance.

9. Discuss the Church's collaboration with Fascist leaders such as Mussolini and Francisco Franco.

10. Point out the Church's indirect responsibility for violence and intolerance against homosexuals.

11. Point out various revisions the Church has made to its own doctrine.

12. Note that Catholic charities are not the only way to help the poor.

13. Point out how Catholic schools are in many respects indoctrination centers meant to brainwash children.

14. Discuss how the American Catholic Church is increasingly dependent on immigrants to keep its numbers up.

15. Mention all the former Catholics you keep meeting at Unitarian Churches.

16. Counter their arguments about how the longevity of the Church proves it's right by noting that Buddhism is older.

17. Note how all the best Catholic politicians are not particularly devout Catholics.

18. Discuss how the majority Catholic countries in Europe are largely secular.

19. Mention the Church's genocidal policies on AIDS in Africa.

20. Laugh at them when they post absurdist YouTube videos comparing President Obama to Hitler.

Blessed Are the Intolerant Nitwits

The usual gang of idiots at The Lair of the Catholic Cavement apparently have a beef with surfers or people who like going to the beach. In a screed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, they complain about the diocese's effort to reach out to non-traditional religious communities among the surfer crowd, whom the blogger denounces as pagans and heretics.

This hostility from ultra-orthodox Catholics is apparently somewhat common. Another Catholic blog denounces the diocese for permitting Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, apparently taking issue with her positions on abortion and Obama's health care plan.

My Gut Reaction: This stupidity is what made me leave the Roman Catholic Church.

Analysis: I am no fan of the Catholic Church, but I feel that if members of the Church are willing to reach out to people with other religious and political viewpoints, that should be encouraged. More ecumenism, even from a church I stongly disagree with, is always to be encouraged.

Iraq: Land of the Death Penalty

According to Amnesty International, there are roughly one thousand people on death row in the country of Iraq. They are currently being held by the Iraqi Ministry of Justice, with some alleging that they were tortured to give false confessions. Iraq's current government has admitted to carrying out executions in secret.

My Gut Reaction: Ah, Iraq, that beacon of freedom in the Middle East.

Analysis: There are a number of human rights issues confronting the Iraqi government which should give observers extreme pause in trusting their use of capital punishment. For example, the Iraqi justice system has been documented to have difficulty dealing efficiently with lesser criminal cases. This is hardly an encouraging prospect for someone facing the death penalty.

I believe the death penalty is barbaric in all cases, no matter how serious the crime. Admittedly, many, although not all, of those facing death in Iraq are terrorists. However, that does not mean we should trust a government to kill them, particularly in a country that was so recently under a dictatorship.

Sick, but Funny

OK, folks, the video below is definitely for mature audiences and the not easily offended, but it is hilarious.



Thanks to Pharyngula for posting this.

Arrest this Bastard!

Steven L. Anderson (I refuse to call him Reverend) of the Faithful Word Baptist Church seems to be one of the more dangerous rising fanatics in the Republican fold. Not only has he prayed for the death of President Obama, with one of his congregation, Chris Broughton, turning up at an Obama rally with a gun, but he also considers homosexuals to be predators who should be stoned to death, as is documented by the RightWingWatch blog of People for the American Way.

My Gut Reaction: Something tells me the Founding Fathers did not have this nitwit in mind when they wrote the First Amendment.

Analysis: I'm all for free speech, as anyone who reads this blog can attest, but that doesn't mean I think people should be allowed to advocate for the death of the President. There are many public figures whom I dislike, but if I were to go out and advocate for their deaths in the way that Anderson has, I would be imprisoned, and rightly so. I do not see how Anderson's claims to spiritual authority make him immune.

To Hell with the Pope, Long Live Ted Kennedy

An article on Yahoo News documents the conspicuous lack of reaction from Pope Benedict XVI to the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, in spite of receiving a letter from the Senator via President Obama. The article implies this silence is a result of Kennedy's liberal stance on abortion, which one Vatican official commented was in defiance of the Church's Magisterium (teaching authority.)

My Gut Reaction: Senator Ted Kennedy, with all he's done for America and the working class, had more moral authority than the Church's vaunted Magisterium. Even considering Chappaquidick.

Analysis: Senator Ted Kennedy, in spite of scandal and assassinations of two of his brothers, devoted his life to public service. This does not mean he was a perfect man or a saint. However, when one considers the recent history of the Catholic Church (cough-child molestation-ahem)one could argue that Senator Kennedy held the moral high ground.

Flu Panic

The University I am currently attending has announced an aggressive policy aimed at combatting the spread of swine flu. This policy has included altering aspects of freshman orientation to limit the spread of the disease, and placing students who live in dormatories in isolation if they are suspected of having the disease. Essentially, they are treating this as the second coming of the Black Death.

My Gut Reaction: If anyone from Student Health Services attempts to place me in isolation, I will respond with the magic word: lawsuit.

Analysis: Frankly, I believe this to be a complete overreaction generated by media scare tactics. As the CDC admits, most of the infections in the United States have been relatively mild, with only four hundred some dying in a nation of three hundred million people, in which a million had already been infected as of this June. Worldwide, the death toll is estimated to be a little less than 3,000.

Not only is the University's, and the media at large's, response alarmist, but it makes it less likely in the future that people will take real disease threat seriously. They will be perceived as another case of media hysteria.

Barney Frank Lays on the Smack Down

My Gut Reaction: Right on, Barney

Analysis: The above video is an example of how liberal Democrats and the Administration should deal with the extremist opposition that has arisen to health care reform. There is no point in attempting to debate someone who believes that President Obama is like Hitler, or who argues in spite of all evidence that there will be death panels included in health care reform. The only legitimate response is to point them out for the morons they are.

Like many liberals, I am deeply angry with the reports that the public option may be shelved due to fanatic opposition. This could be a lost opportunity which America may regret for decades in the future. However, I do not blame President Obama for this failure, as the fault lies largely with the American people. If they refuse to engage in critical thinking and stand up to the lies put up by people like Sarah Palin, they have only themselves to blame when they get led down a disastrous path.

We should not let this failure divide our party. Rather, we should see it as a call to strengthen our efforts against a fanatical opposition that will stoop to any depth to thwart us.

Christians Don't Get Much Stupider than This

One Indian, One Normal - Watch more Funny Videos

This has to be one of the most humorously disturbing videos I have ever looked at. I am not totally certain whether it is real or a put on. Long story made short: Two girls invite a new Indian friend to their house, insult her race, then try to convert her to born again Christianity when they find out she's a Hindu.

Thanks to Christian Pwnage for posting this video.

Orly Taitz: Not Just a Nutty Birther

Orly Taitz, the Russian immigrant who believes that President Obama was born in Kenya, turns out to have a very diverse selection of conspiracy theories that she is promoting. Esquire writer Jonathan Richardson, excerpted on Ben Smith's Politico blog, reveals that she believes in conspiracies including a killer bird flu vaccine, a plan to set up labor camps in the United States, and a conspiracy involving voting machines that includes Hugo Chavez and Saudi Arabia.

My Gut Reaction: I told you she was nuts.

Analysis: See above.

Spoke Too Soon

This afternoon, while I was in my local drug store, I noticed that in the P.M. edition of the local conservative paper, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had a headline on its front page claiming that former President Bill Clinton was "begging" in North Korea for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two journalists jailed in North Korea on in all likelihood trumped up charges of violating their borders. The implication of the headline was that he was engaging in ineffective appeasement.

Unfortunately for the Tribune-Review, less than an hour after I saw their headline, I saw another headline that made them look slightly stupid.

Hitchens on Henry Louis Gates

Christopher Hitchens provides a highly intelligent analysis of the Henry Louis Gates fiasco, in his usual grand style. He convincingly argues that the issue is not race, but abuse of power. A must read for anyone who wants to understand what happened.

Time to Fight Back

An article from Politico.com and linked on Yahoo News notes that President Obama is beginning to strike back at Republican intransigence against the stimulus and health care reform. He has begun issuing statements through the Democratic National Committee condemning the behavior of Republican leader Congressman Eric Cantor, and Cabinet Secretaries have called the governors of states such as Arizona with Republican representatives who oppose the stimulus, asking if they would like stimulus monies to be withheld.

My Gut Reaction: It's about frakking time.

Analysis: For too long, we have allowed the Republicans to indulge in rough politics without any real retaliation from the Democratic leadership. If what we are seeing is any indication, that's about to change.

If the Republicans want to bitch about stimulus spending, they should have the guts to forgo any benefits it may bring. It is hypocritical to take the public money if they think it is useful or harmful to the nation's long term interests. Let the Republican shirkers go without, while the rest reap the rewards.

Democrats used to be willing to play hard ball. As Molly Ivins once described, President Lyndon Johnson once had an issue getting the schools in a particular southern town to integrate. Furious, he called the governor of the state the town was in, and asked if his state wanted to keep its military bases. When the governor anxiously said it did, President Johnson said coldly: "Schools. Integration. Tomorrow."

And lo and behold, the schools were integrated the next day.

The moral of the story is the Democrats need to start polishing up their political guns. It's elephant hunting time.

Organic Panic

On the Alternet website, food writer Ari LeVaux complains that the Silk soymilk company has switched its supplies from American organic farmers to Chinese farmers. LeVaux argues that this move harms American organic farmers, while risking imports of reduced quality.

My Gut Reaction: Oh, boo-hoo.

Analysis: LeVaux seems to believe that the Silk company is a charity rather than a business. He whines that the decision to switch to Chinese supplies was taken by Dean Foods-a "megacorporation." He forgets that the objective of any business, no matter of what size, is to make a profit, not to fund its friends and neighbors.

His misunderstanding of basic economics extends to consumers. He expresses consternation that they buy supermarket garlic from China rather than domestically produced garlic from farmers' markets. Maybe that is because the supermarket garlic is generally cheaper. In case you haven't noticed, we are in a recession. People don't have huge amounts of money to spend on organic food.

Houston, We Just Destroyed a Piece of History

According to NPR, NASA has admitted that it in all likelihood accidentally deleted the original magnetic tapes of the Apollo 11 landing and moonwalk. Apparently, they unwittingly used the tapes to record feeds from one of their numerous satellites.

My Gut Reaction: Somebody f###ed up.

Analysis: This, sadly, is part of the process of historical remembering. All too often, prime historical documents are lost through carelessness, stupidity, or simply bad luck.

The Sotomayor Follies

Well, the Sotomayor hearings are pushing into their third day, with a rather circus-like atmosphere granted by the presence of anti-abortion fanatic Randall Terry, who has commissioned protestors to disrupt the hearings. He is ordering these actions despite the fact that Sotomayor has remained mum about her abortion views.

Judge Sotomayor herself is trying to keep her hand of cards as close as possible. As an article on Yahoo News notes, she is revealing as little of her views as possible to ensure the easiest possible route towards confirmation.

My Gut Reaction: This is all much ado about nothing for several reasons, not the least of which being the fact that the idea of an impartial Supreme Court Justice is fiction.

Analysis: We all know it. Virtually all the Supreme Court justices appointed over at least the past twenty years have been partisans of one political position or another. Hell, it goes beyond contemporary times. Throughout American history, Supreme Court justices have held partisan positions of one form or another, for good or for bad.

I support Judge Sotomayor because her views correlate with my partisan positions. (And don't get huffy, conservatives, we all know you support Justices Scalia and Thomas because of their partisan positions.) The trick isn't getting a so-called impartial justice; it's getting someone whose views roughly correspond with yours.

Viewing the World Through a Tinted Lens

Over the past week, I have been commenting on a blog called The Victim's Voice. The blog, maintained by Mr. Stephen M. Flatlow, who lost his daughter in a terrorist attack, is largely an apologia for Israel. The majority of the posts, at least that I've seen, focus on defending Israel against accusations of imperialism and racism.

Unfortunately, this defense at times translates into opposition to any sympathy for the Palestinian cause, no matter how measured. For example, the post which provoked my ire attacked a speech by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who praised the courage of Palestinian refugees who've endured in spite of conflict.

Flatlow contends that rather than praising the refugees, Ki-Moon should be attacking Muslim countries for not integrating the refugees into their own populations. Never mind the fact that the Palestinians as a whole seem to want to return to their original homes.

Flatlow's response to this point is that the Palestinians voluntarily left in order to allow Arab armies to attack Israel. Even if one ignores the general dictates of prudence, which suggest that one should flee an area if a military force is approaching, this ignores the evidence presented by Ilan Pappe, a Jewish Israeli historian, has uncovered evidence that Zionist leaders planned to expel Palestinians before the war started. One commenter on the blog, Shana Maydel (apparently a pseudonym, as shana maydel is a Yiddish phrase for "pretty girl") attempted to discredit Pappe as a bad historian, incidentally throwing in that he is a "Communist" and "anti-Zionist." Though if he was such a bad historian, one wonders why they felt the need to drive him out of the country.

Once Again, The Revolving Door

An article in today's Washington Post examines the phenomenon of former government and congressional employees going to work as lobbyists for health care companies in the upcoming health care debate. These new lobbyists include former employees of prominent senators such as Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Charles E. Grassley, as well as former lawmakers such as Dick Armey and Dick Gephardt, and are working for pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, as well as industry lobbying groups such as the American Medical Association and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The lobbyists claim that their contacts with lawmakers do not give them or those they represent any extra advantages, but public interest groups are not so sure.

My Gut Reaction: The lobbyists and congressmen may be sincere in their protestations of innocence, but this situation still makes me rather quesy.

Analysis: With all these lobbyists weighing in on health care reform, it seems the only ones not getting Congress's ear are the American people. Although the public is supposed to be represented by our elected officials, I have the suspicion we get far less attention than these corporate lobbyists. Although some may argue that hiring lobbyists is simply a form of free speech, to me, hiring a former government official to speak for you seems a lot like influence peddling.