Paul Krugman, “The Politics of Spite.” Hammer, nail, etc. Then read Neal Gabler’s “Politics as Religion.”
Shorter Ross Douthat: If Democrats do not, in the next ten minutes, clean up the mess left behind by eight years of the Bush Administration, liberalism will have failed.
I can’t remember the last time I ate a hamburger. Now I’m glad I can’t remember the last time I ate a hamburger.
Read Sebastian Jones’s “Dick Gephardt’s Spectacular Sellout” together with Frank Rich’s “The Rabbit Ragu Democrats.”
Gabler’s analysis is interesting and depressing all at once. I don’t believe it is so hopeless, this country does however have a very short attention span, and the fact that the economy is perceived as Obama’s fault really does lay waste to the “liberal media bias” bullshit. And speaking of the media, the cable and Sunday show bobbleheads really are a bunch of numbskulls. I saw several examples of how they all repeat each other even when its complete bullshit. SNL did a funny skit at the beginning of the show, they illustrated how Obama really has not accomplished anything since he’s been in power, this was of course an exaggeration, but the point was: why are the right-wingers so outraged (socialist, fascist, despot, ruin the country teabagging bullshit) when Obama really has accomplished very little. Of course the bobbleheads missed the point and all reported it as SNL’s parody of Obama’s failed presidency. Ignorance is bliss, especially when it is unanimous.
“He is a man of incredible credibility and ethics and is well regarded in this city,”
Until there is robust campaign finance reform, I will run for my life when I hear that quote. There will be no such thing as ethical politicians, tho some will demand a higher price for their services, it is all a matter of how much it takes to make them ‘professionals.’ I guess I should say that I can count on both hands the people I think could be exceptions and I have been sorely disappointed in the past.
Ignorance is bliss, especially when it is unanimous.
I can’t top that, or add anything to it. Excellent comment.
Great links. I agree with the Krugman and Gabler analyses. Of course, I think this Douthat asshole is full of shit. Here’s why- Douthat makes a lot of assertions (as conservatives always do) that simply have no basis in fact. One example is that the current tax code is already very “progressive”, which is nonsense. Take the rates that “passive” income like dividends and interest are taxed at. The maximum rate is 15% on that type of income, while wages are taxed up to 39%. Same for hedge fund managers income. Why should Paris Hilton pay less while she waits by the pool for her dividend check to arrive in the mail than a plumber who earns his living by the sweat of his brow? I also dispute his assertion that American corporations “pay” more than in other countries. While the statutory rates may be higher, the effective rates are often much lower, thanks to credits, deductions, carrybacks, etc. Many large American corporations have effective tax rates of zero! Also, Douthat’s comments about education exhibit the same stupidity that conservatives exhibit towards another public good – health care. The glorious free market does not work for eithrt one of them as there is monopolistic issues, there is no real “profit motive” and if there were, it would lead to a whole lot of socially undesirable outcomes. In short, Mt. Douthat doesn’t know what the fuck he is talking about!
Gabler and the NYT hamburger story are both depressing in their own way.
Though I can (and have) drop out of the global agribusiness supply chain for my beef, I don’t quite know what I can do to replace a broken national political discourse.
I also dispute his assertion that American corporations “pay†more than in other countries. While the statutory rates may be higher, the effective rates are often much lower, thanks to credits, deductions, carrybacks, etc. Many large American corporations have effective tax rates of zero!
That’s my thought also…like who is fooling who? I go back to the question of why would Wells Fargo acquire Wachovia when they know they had 350 billion dollars in bad debt.. The answer is…because the American tax payer will eventually eat those losses through tax manipulation schemes and corporate game playing.
I read Krugman and Gabler; Gabler is perceptive, but doesn’t talk about what happens next. A group that has given up on civil communication/turned its back on being a faithful partner is, if there’s no reconciliation, either going to 1) resort to violence to reclaim the country or 2) move off the island – psychologically, emotionally, physically.
There probably have always been these factions in our history. Given the likelihood of a long recession and the degree to which our economy has become/will continue to be a “plutonomy” – this will only feed the tendency of people to stop believing in the government’s legitimacy, a belief-virus spreading beyond the boundaries of the radical right. Hasn’t happened yet, but this is one scenario.
Why do we have only 10 minutes to clean up a mess that took years to create by idiot Republicnas?????
Douthat is just empty space to fill the empty space vacated by Kristol. He has so little intellectual rigor that it’s embarassing. I suppose they have to have someone who calls themself conservative besides Brooks.
As for the burgers I’ve discovered Fantastic Foods Nature Burger. Their seem to be two kinds of fake bugers, those that pretend to be meat and those that don’t. These don’t and are a lot cheaper than that fetid, disease and bacteria-ridden, artery-clogging ground beef. I don’t trust ground anything these days because it’s how they make a buck on the parts no one in their right mind would eat by themselves. You just don’t know what they slip in there. It’s a matter of trust and thorough FDA inspections netiher of which I’m counting on.
So if you still like the bun, cheese, condiments and lettuce/tomato experience these things taste really good. I can’t get enough of them. If protein’s a concern (up to 75 grams if you exercise regularly) then there’s always chocolate whey protein and milk… iron supplements.
I had read the Krugman article. I think he’s given the Repubs way to much credit on the age comparison. And if the Dems don’t do something good, just anything, like take out the fucking trash then maybe this is the chance to go all Indy on their ass.
Maybe get a Faith Based Initiative grant and start Beelzebub for President.
Speaking of trash, Dan Riehl refuses to answer allegations of child molestation.
Wish I knew how to pick an emoticon. I’m never sad. I’m too sweet to be sad.
“Shorter Ross Douthat: If Democrats do not, in the next ten minutes, clean up the mess left behind by eight years of the Bush Administration, liberalism will have failed.”
________________________
Douthat’s paid to think in polarized terms, so he’s ignoring the real playing field, the one where corporate interests control many aspects of government through its elected representatives against the best interests of those who elected the same representatives. The reason “liberals” won’t clean it up even in 4, 8, or 12 years, is that those who want genuine reform to the system are in a minority in both parties.
But yes, Douthat is an asshat. Carry on.
Chris, theres an independent site where you can register your own emoticon, http://www.gravatar.com and if you create one there in the right way then this site picks it up. My original one had band-aids over the mouth but I probably deserve that sometimes. LOL. Still it had been auto-generated (by computer) and not some mischievous slight. You could give yourself an angel or just about anything there. It’s free.
I was a little concerned today that Thom Hartmann reported Gold-in-sacks is starting to buy up media companies. God help us now.
Thanks Pat. I’ll give it a whirl.
“Shorter Ross Douthat:”
Funny all three Krugman, Gabler and Douthat articles seemed about equally brief. Did you mean shorter cause you knew most wouldn’t be able to stomach the whole article, yuck!
“Thom Hartmann reported Gold-in-sacks is starting to buy up media companies.”
Hartmann can be a bomb thrower, worth looking into.