tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85288562011-07-14T17:28:14.938-04:00A Forum of Culture and PoliticsAmbivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.comBlogger2381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-56156784965851249882011-04-09T13:55:00.001-04:002011-04-09T13:55:22.238-04:00

In the comments to this NY Times The Caucus blog post about the wonderful budget compromise, FF writes:Wait -- I thought compromise meant that each sides gets some of what they want. So Republicans get nearly $40 billion in spending cuts and Democrats got... single payer health care? Increased social security benefits? Tax hikes on the rich? Oh yeah, that's right, they got nothing, except

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-56654278324042824172011-03-26T16:13:00.001-04:002011-03-26T16:13:18.302-04:00

Finally, the government has put someone in jail for one of the masses of fraudulent loans perpetrated during the housing bubble. You remember, the one that helped destroy the world economy? Of course, this country being run by and for the rich, it wouldn't do to have someone who made millions selling those loans go to jail. Heavens no. Jail is for little people, like this guy from California, who

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-59634359140548611192011-03-06T20:33:00.001-05:002011-03-06T20:38:00.010-05:00

If you haven't seen this Daily Show clip yet, I recommend watching it. It's a good example of how different the rules are in the US these days for the rich than they are for everybody else. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-3-2011/crisis-in-the-dairyland---for-richer-and-poorer---teachers-and-wall-street?xrs=share_copyThe Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cCrisis in

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-72719793055912237522011-02-18T17:49:00.003-05:002011-02-18T17:55:32.850-05:00

I think Kevin Drum is right on the money here:I won't pretend to be the world's most full-throated defender of public sector unions. If I could trade ten points of union density in the private sector for ten points in the public sector, I'd take the trade in a heartbeat. But that is, obviously, not the trade on offer. Nor is what's happening in Wisconsin merely hard bargaining during tough

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-65628112070622154872010-01-25T21:44:00.002-05:002010-01-25T21:52:19.335-05:00

Please. A spending freeze (not including military spending, of course)? I really thought the Obama administration had more political skill than this. It won't be at all effective in dealing with the deficit, won't mollify Republicans or impress independent voters, and will just piss off progressives still more. If this is the best the administration can do, the Democrats are in real trouble.

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-76233795801648008272010-01-19T20:05:00.002-05:002010-01-19T20:18:09.598-05:00

Polls close in MA in a few minutes, and Coakley may yet pull out a win, though the odds are against it. But jeez, even if she does win--why was she running in the first place? Why isn't there a more credible Dem candidate for Senate here in North Carolina? Why is the media landscape dominated by Republican spin, even as the Dems enjoy historic majorities in both houses of Congress?In part, there

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-33888980021876807562009-11-23T16:22:00.002-05:002009-11-23T16:32:13.427-05:00

Representative David Obey (D-WI) is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. On 19 November he released a letter calling for a graduated surtax to pay for the war in Afghanistan:“For the last year, as we’ve struggled to pass healthcare reform, we’ve been told that we have to pay for the bill – and the cost over the next decade will be about a trillion dollars. Now the President is being

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-68936208261809907862009-06-01T09:29:00.002-04:002009-06-01T10:26:33.609-04:00

Based on the strong recommendation from Bill Moyers, I watched "Torturing Democracy" over the weekend. It is a very meticulous and well-made documentary available free on-line that chronicles the path from 9/11 to the use of "enhanced interrogation" (i.e. torture) techniques by agents of the United States, as well as the role of high-level officials in the Bush Administration in authorizing them.

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-90935509040209756272009-04-16T18:39:00.003-04:002009-04-16T18:51:30.848-04:00

Naomi Klein always seems to have a sharp eye for cutting through the usual day to day discourse and focusing on what is really happening--the big picture. Her latest analysis of the state of the Left Progressive movement vis-a-vis the Obama Presidency, just published today in The Nation on-line, is well worth reading. There may be some who still yearn for another hope fix from above, but I, for

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-252129676792473852009-03-17T13:19:00.002-04:002009-03-17T13:30:00.082-04:00

Should we stop flying? Ever since I read British environmental journalist George Monbiot's stimulating book, Heat: How to Stop the Planet From Burning awhile back, one of the conclusions that stuck with me most was how the air travel sector (and high-speed long-distance travel in genreal) is probably the most difficult sector for finding technological solutions to reduce greenhouse gas

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-46987259153270153242009-03-10T14:31:00.002-04:002009-03-10T14:56:43.377-04:00

Several months ago I read Marc Bousquet's sensational How the University Works: Higher Education and the Low-Wage Nation (New York University Press, 2008). I've been meaning to write a blog posting about this book, since in many ways it offers a manifesto for lumpenlogocrats. I keep thinking that I will find the inspiration to write a longer analysis. But it just isn't happening. So I figure I

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-45422244274062892562009-03-07T08:29:00.001-05:002009-03-07T08:29:28.104-05:00

There's a good article in the recent Mother Jones about the problems of producing enough food for the world in the ways currently in vogue as "sustainable." The author, Paul Roberts, argues that the organic- and local-food movement is promoting a model of farming that is very difficult to scale up to the size needed to feed the earth's growing population. That part of the article is certainly

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-85125284088971805912009-02-04T20:53:00.003-05:002009-02-04T21:49:05.760-05:00

"Hegel remarks somewhere that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. ... Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-6145317590267771692009-01-19T16:55:00.002-05:002009-01-19T17:02:03.051-05:00

With all the attention focused on Obama's (incoming) inauguration tomorrow, I'd like to take note of the other (outgoing) side: the departure of George W. Bush. Tonight we can all--at last--celebrate the last night of an eight-year downward slide in our country and the world. We could commemorate Bush's two terms in many different ways--the illegitimacy of his initial election, the warmongering,

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-77768906920026524392008-12-19T21:27:00.002-05:002008-12-19T21:30:06.388-05:00

350. Bill McKibben, who has emerged as one of our most important public intellectuals of the present moment, says it is the "Most Important Number on Earth." He makes a compelling case. Let's get to work.

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-47191170227362289632008-12-18T14:28:00.003-05:002008-12-18T15:19:26.767-05:00

Tis the season to talk about love, not hate. But I can't help inverting and rewriting the old anti-war slogan just for a moment. Because we are at a crucial juncture for the role of Christianity in American political culture.Lamentably, for years--even decades--now, Christianity in politics to most people has meant activism against cultural progress on issues like freedom of religion in schools,

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-39076698641745446552008-11-26T19:34:00.001-05:002008-11-26T19:34:07.163-05:00

I've been very bored with politics and the news since the election. Pretty happy with the results of the election, mind you, but I don't really care about following all the rumors about who is going to be appointed to what position in the Obama administration. I'll judge the administration on it's policies once in office. But I have to admit to being a little disappointed by just how ordinary

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-57358881577590470042008-11-23T13:40:00.002-05:002008-11-23T13:58:19.205-05:00

Back in the primary season, when I would tell people that Barack Obama in 2008reminded me of nothing so much as Bill Clinton in 1992, many of them looked at me like I had just said something completely outlandish. (Granted, some of these people may have been small children in 1992...) But now I think we can see that the centrist Democrats are back in charge again. As a former Edwards supporter

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-89054174191331310672008-11-04T18:36:00.003-05:002008-11-04T18:39:17.006-05:00

I have nothing to add to this, but "Amen." Not only is it an eloquent indictment of our outgoing president, but it's also missing Yglesias's usual glaring typos. You should read the whole thing, but here's one of the good parts:On his watch, the country suffered the most catastrophic terrorist attack in its history, and he’s been relentless ever since that day in trying to turn his own inability

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-4703708765577826982008-11-03T22:10:00.001-05:002008-11-03T22:10:14.414-05:00

I can't wait for tomorrow to be over. According to the pollster geniuses at FiveThirtyEight.com, McCain's chances of winning the election are now at an all-time-low 1.9%. Obama stands a fair chance of winning North Carolina (yay!), and could even pull out victories in Missouri, Indiana and Georgia. Amazing. Of course nothing is certain until all the votes are counted. C'mon, Tuesday...

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-6595862297632765202008-10-23T19:53:00.005-04:002008-10-23T20:01:33.810-04:00

Matthew Yglesias recently posted this interesting chart from Andrew Gelman:The graphs show support for Republicans compared to the national average by occupational group for the last 50 years. An upward slope means increasing support for Republicans. Business owners and skilled workers show the largest increases in Republicanism, with non-skilled workers not far behind (though they are still

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-71768174411719745172008-10-20T16:17:00.003-04:002008-10-20T16:21:34.942-04:00

Nouriel Roubini, an economist at New York University who predicted the current financial crisis as the housing bubble collapsed, was sometimes called "Dr. Doom" because of his pessimistic forecasts for the economy. Although he believes current efforts to salvage the banking system are "going in the right direction," they are too late to keep the world from sliding into the worst recession in 40

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-42637507631716652862008-10-15T16:44:00.003-04:002008-10-15T16:46:46.759-04:00

Let's see... The Dow's up 900 points! Wall Street loves the bailout! Woohoo--crisis averted! Oh, wait. That was October 13. Today the Dow is down again, about 700 points as of 4:00 p.m. Hey, you guys need another bailout? I guess not everyone is happy with the sweetheart deal Paulson gave his old friends in "forcing" them to accept government investment. Besides, the bailout wasn't really

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-34143093340912189682008-10-09T20:08:00.003-04:002008-10-09T20:10:18.447-04:00

From Wordle.net, a word cloud of this blog. Have we really been talking about McCain so much?

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-25072545341637548492008-10-04T10:35:00.001-04:002008-10-04T10:35:55.669-04:00

So the big bailout has passed and been signed into law. As the NY Times points out this morning, now the Treasury has to figure out a price for all those mortgage-backed securities so it can start buying them up. These are the securities that more pessimistic observers refer to as "worthless" and "toxic." Whoopee.It's striking that even supporters of this bill don't like it, and recognize its key

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-36958877765670777152008-10-01T19:53:00.004-04:002008-10-01T19:56:04.321-04:00

The Economist.com has asked its online readers around the world which candidate for US president they would vote for. The results are weighted by population according to the rules of the US electoral college. The results so far? Obama 8,202; McCain 15. Only Andorra--a place I've always wanted to travel, actually, ever since I read about Richard Halliburton's visit--is in the "strong McCain"

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-27625419121553572052008-09-30T16:35:00.003-04:002008-09-30T21:02:41.784-04:00

One of my favorite political writers, the historian Rick Perlstein, uses the theories of another of my favorite political writers--Naomi Klein--to argue that Barack Obama should use the sense of crisis in America to push for a new New Deal. And this was back in August, 2008:Progressive political change in American history is rarely incremental. With important exceptions, most of the reforms that

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-81836335853402737362008-09-26T11:42:00.001-04:002008-09-26T11:42:42.064-04:00

Now that the Republicans have scuttled the proposed bailout plan, the Democrats have a couple of options. They could keep the basic plan they thought they had Republican agreement to, and hope that Bush and Paulson can convince the Republicans to go along with the deal. This may happen, if McCain scuttled the deal only to allow himself to seem more involved in the eventual solution. But McCain

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-60212344639681824942008-09-01T19:13:00.001-04:002008-09-01T19:13:55.328-04:00

I bet in all the coverage of the Republican convention, few mainstream journalists will ask any serious questions about what seems to be pretty horrendous abuse of local, state and federal police powers to disrupt protests and detain protesters and journalists, in part by raiding the houses where they're staying.Can't have any dissent messing up the carefully planned shots of McCain and his

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-64349111689486088162008-07-06T09:23:00.001-04:002008-07-06T09:23:39.519-04:00

So sure, the recent spate of articles about Obama's "refinement" of his Iraq pull-out plan is a sign that today's journalists are hardly any better at political coverage than they were in 2004. If it's a slow news day, some phony scandal must be puffed up to fill all that airtime and column space. But Obama's very real flip-flop on the FISA bill opened the door to this whole meme.

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-67337482970478510292008-06-22T20:03:00.002-04:002008-06-22T20:07:16.486-04:00

Obama backs the FISA bill "compromise." As Kevin Drum points out, it's not just the immunity for the telecom companies that makes this a bad bill.I suspect this is just the beginning of many progressives' disenchantment with Obama. It will only get worse once he's in office. Especially in domestic policy, Obama is far more centrist than progressive. In foreign policy I think we can look forward

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-3795370555189357212008-06-13T20:57:00.003-04:002008-06-13T21:07:12.910-04:00

Not that I think world travel, per se, is a bad thing. But this is a bad idea: Obama considering world tour ahead of August convention. A quick tour won't shore up his foreign policy credentials--it will just give the GOP and the media an excuse to talk about how skimpy they are. (Even though all the people with the right credentials were totally wrong about Iraq.) Moreover, the election won't be

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-21225275620998161962008-04-05T13:35:00.003-04:002008-04-05T14:19:10.332-04:00

I have a new favorite book. After months of letting it languish on my list of books to read (it was published last September), I finally got around to reading Naomi Klein's masterful synthesis of the last several decades of global history, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. If I could get everyone to read just one book to understand the origins of our times and our present-day

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-30980718516747413942008-03-08T19:31:00.005-05:002008-03-09T10:00:05.248-04:00

Although he's now racked up another huge caucus win (in the nation's least populous state), it's been a bad couple of weeks for Barack Obama. The Clinton campaign, coming off slim wins in Ohio and Texas that they have succeeded in spinning as significant comebacks, has drawn Obama into a series of mini media frenzies. Obama's responses to attacks about his connection to the developer Tony Rezko,

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-3338893095525895082008-03-01T07:56:00.002-05:002008-03-01T20:14:14.171-05:00

It's not with silly attacks on Obama, like the 'red phone' ad she's currently airing. (Obama's response to that was spot on, by the way.) And it may be too late for her to make any convincing argument at all at this point, but here is what I see as her main advantage over Obama, and how she could have capitalized on it.She could say something like: "Obama talks a lot about wanting to restore

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-36070707208809937742008-02-16T18:40:00.001-05:002008-02-16T18:40:50.025-05:00

This is another issue that I've not heard either Obama or Clinton talk about. As the previous post points out, talking about decreasing the stupendous size of our defense budget is viewed as political suicide, so there is a fairly good explanation (though not a pleasing one) for why the candidates have left it alone. But the erosion of our constitutional protections against governmental--

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-61924227046842999862008-02-06T13:47:00.001-05:002008-02-06T14:06:02.925-05:00

Amid all the hoopla over the party horseraces on Super Tuesday, at least someone has his eye on the ball (sorry to mix sports metaphors): good ol' Robert Scheer. In his truthdig column, "The Legacy of Bush II" , Scheer raises the alarm about Bush's budget-busting military spending proposal, which would raise "defense" spendingto a level exceeding any other year since the end of World War II, and

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-23437484191264324002008-02-03T13:57:00.001-05:002008-02-03T14:00:59.224-05:00

A very nice video putting Obama's 'Yes we can' speech to music. I slightly embarrassed to say that I don't know many of the people in the video, being an old fogy and all, but it's a pretty powerful piece of agitprop.You can watch the YouTube embedded video below, but a better quality version is on the original source: Dipdive.com.

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-29421182072720476692008-01-02T12:24:00.000-05:002008-01-02T12:54:10.917-05:00

I'm not sure there are any Iowans (or New Hampshirites) who read this blog, but if so--let me add my voice to the chorus of progressives in support of John Edwards as the Democratic nominee for President. I mentioned several months ago that I was shifting from Kucinich, who I supported in 2004, to Edwards this time around. The intervening months have only strengthened my conviction that he

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-3572531558156330722007-12-14T01:05:00.000-05:002007-12-14T01:28:57.311-05:00

Dear readers,Please excuse the length of this posting. I am excited to share with you some excerpts from one of my favorite classic texts of the movement that furnishes my nickname on this blog (i.e. the "Christian Left")--while we are still in the year 2007. One hundred years ago, a powerful and prophetic book was published: Walter Rauschenbusch's Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907), which

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-45370809280191281252007-11-21T13:51:00.001-05:002007-11-21T14:11:31.356-05:00

The latest IPCC report's "summary for policymakers" on climate change came out a few days ago. I downloaded it and have been working my way through it. You can download it for yourself from the IPCC's main website (look under "The AR4 Synthesis Report" mid-way down the page). Given that many have criticized this latest IPCC report for perhaps not being bold enough, it is quite striking how

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-73190876382654718102007-11-08T18:31:00.000-05:002007-11-08T18:50:35.795-05:00

Before another craven, clueless right-wing politician utters the phrase "Islamofascist" again...please, please, please, I hope that person reads Middle East scholar Juan Cole's recent article in The Nation, "Combating Muslim Extremism". Cole is responding to the recent resurgence of anti-Muslim bigotry among many of the G.O.P. presidential contenders.For those still unswayed by the basic

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-17774864713225232972007-11-03T08:45:00.000-04:002007-11-03T09:52:54.374-04:00

Since Barak Obama is looking for new ways to invigorate him presidential campaign, I have some advice. The new take on Iran is a good start. But something bigger is what you need, and the country needs it too.If I were a candidate (and I'm ready to form an exploratory committee if anyone out there asks me to, and gives me hundreds of millions of dollars), I would pledge to undo the Bush

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-56269005184137164592007-10-07T18:04:00.000-04:002007-10-07T19:51:04.622-04:00

I have often opined on this blog that I see little basis for the complaint of some of my fellow Christians that somehow secular liberals "disrespect" us. Most of my experience confirms this viewpoint, but I do occasionally encounter a rare exception. Let me dissect one recent example to show just how outlandish and illogical someone has to become in order to cross that line of respect. I recently

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-77412074411754470992007-09-14T16:49:00.000-04:002007-09-14T17:19:26.804-04:00

I've disagreed in the past with Jim Wallis's attempts to foster a Christian progressive politics built on a framework "neither Left nor Right" (why can't we just follow our conscience directly to the Progressive Left?) and his complaint that somehow the secular Left isn't accepting enough of Christians (Huh? Aren't they our closest allies?). But this week I have to give Wallis credit for his

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-69277726562149056402007-08-23T16:51:00.001-04:002007-08-23T17:07:54.234-04:00

I'm sure the following insight has occurred to many other opponents of the Bush Administration and its disastrously failed war in Iraq. But I need to state it out in the open, to add my own little sandbag against the flood tide of forthcoming GOP spin...They know that Iraq is lost. They know we will have to leave. They are trying to create the impression that we are suddenly starting to have "

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-29635777522270576342007-08-21T18:15:00.000-04:002007-08-21T19:01:03.325-04:00

The Republicans are in disarray. The conservative movement is losing steam. Americans seem to be turning Left. Carpe diem, one might say. But are we Progressives seizing the day?A smart new blog posting by _The Nation_ editor Katrina Vanden Heuvel suggests that we are not. She astutely critiques the leading Democratic candidates for not seizing the moment to articulate an even bolder agenda,

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-29054817035393553892007-08-09T12:24:00.000-04:002007-08-09T12:43:41.698-04:00

Oh, fer crying out loud. I am supposed to be doing other things right now (finishing the conclusion to my dissertation, ahem), so if one of you has a few moments to spare, would you care to offer a concise critique of this absurd article from the New York Times? It argues that the reason so much wealth and power is concentrated in the rich countries of the world is that capitalist genes spread

thirdpartydreamernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-5433428631836361762007-08-04T09:35:00.001-04:002007-08-04T09:45:59.863-04:00

I'm rather late in getting to this wonderful article in the Washington Monthly, but I urge you to read Ted Sorenson's speech, the one that he would like to hear the next Democratic nominee give. It's an eloquent summary of many important ways the Bush administration and its cronies have tarnished the country, and it has some great ideas for first steps in rehabilitating our politics and

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-52167243256330006082007-07-14T12:08:00.001-04:002007-07-14T14:27:53.871-04:00

Republican Senators Warner and Lugar have rolled out a proposal to... well, do something about the war in Iraq. This story in the NY Times, by Jeff Zeleny, doesn't tell you what the Warner-Lugar proposal is until the 15th paragraph. The main part of the story is devoted to retelling the familiar tale of how "politics" and "pandering to the base" is messing up the pursuit of level-headed centrist

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-29452326560692318192007-07-12T17:50:00.001-04:002007-07-12T17:50:29.559-04:00

This is just sad and scary: Today was a historic first for religion in America's civic life: For the very first time, a Hindu delivered the morning invocation in the Senate chamber — only to find the ceremony disrupted by three Christian right activists.This is just crazy:Wall Street soared Thursday, propelling the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrials to record highs as bright

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-15563678845715907172007-06-25T19:11:00.001-04:002008-12-09T04:16:38.550-05:00

In the late 19th century, in the wake of the strikes of 1877 and the Haymarket riot, armories began to spring up in major cities in the US. They housed "National Guard units thought to be more reliable than local police when upholding urban order might involve firing at strikers. New York had twenty of them, Philadelphia six." Ah--but those were the bad old days, right? This New Gilded Age is of

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-6630748836309807932007-06-16T19:36:00.000-04:002007-06-16T19:51:05.858-04:00

I was just catching up on Immanuel Wallerstein's last few semi-monthly "commentaries" on the Fernand Braudel Center website. His perspective is almost always provocative and interesting; he does a better job than most commentators at panning away from the day-to-day to reveal the bigger picture. I was especially intrigued by his second-most-recent commentary, which outlines two possible "endgames

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-45395680963188293192007-06-16T09:03:00.000-04:002007-06-16T09:09:48.872-04:00

The number of slaves rescued from brick factories over the past few weeks is more than 500, and probably there are hundreds and hundreds more that have been hidden, or whose bosses have paid off local officials. Apparently the priority for officials in the central government is not doing something about the problem, but damping down the embarrassing/enraging publicity by censoring related reports

thirdpartydreamernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-73315664044739169952007-06-14T19:40:00.000-04:002007-06-14T20:15:35.278-04:00

Shocking story in the Chinese news that has also registered in some Western media: 200-some slaves (or 'slaves,' using the BBC's inexplicable scare quotes) were rescued from brick factories in Shanxi and Henan provinces, central China, recently. Many of these people were children who were abducted from the capital of Henan, sold to traffickers, and forced to work for no pay under armed

thirdpartydreamernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-56884303256558528572007-05-29T09:54:00.000-04:002007-05-29T18:00:26.393-04:00

Nicholas Kristof recently published an op-ed in the New York Times about how great education is in China. Mostly it was same-old, same-old: Chinese families value education and respect teachers, and Chinese students work harder, so they outperform American students. On the face of it, these seem to me reasonable claims, even if they are simplistic and banal. But he also suggests that the Chinese

thirdpartydreamernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-25579710079563511762007-05-22T18:43:00.000-04:002007-05-22T19:22:37.383-04:00

Forgive the tabloid headline--I couldn't resist. There are only early reports, to be sure, but it seems that the Democratic leadership has decided that firm deadlines and benchmarks for the bill to fund more of the Iraq war will not be in the next bill. I'm probably more sensitive than many lefties to the political realities Harry Reid et al are dealing with here: they don't have enough votes to

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-55388147337658162552007-04-07T10:46:00.000-04:002007-04-07T11:11:08.217-04:00

Like many Americans, I'll be filling out my tax forms this weekend. Just in time, Peter Rothberg over at The Nation has provided a great link to the National Priorities Project, where you can see the breakdown of where all your federal income taxes go. The main punchline is, of course, that a huge proportion is going to past and present military expenditures, including the vast amounts that we

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-32715820367415648662007-03-26T20:37:00.000-04:002007-03-26T20:53:37.753-04:00

Is it just me, or does every harebrained scheme e-mailed to Danger Room contain some version of the phrase above? As an employee of a famous learned society, I have been favored with one such e-mail myself, proposing a method of time travel, and it also contained a similar admission. I'm not terribly informed of physics myself, but that doesn't seem to be as stimulating to my imagination as it is

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-16646013607119639302007-03-25T19:09:00.000-04:002007-03-25T19:41:32.718-04:00

What did he know, and when did he know it? Or, if you're feeling more pessimistic about the future of our current AG, Alberto "Fredo," "Geneva Conventions are quaint" Gonzales: When will he go, and how will he do it?With Republican senators offering at best lukewarm support, Fredo's days may, indeed, be numbered. But the senators seem to have fixated on the need for Gonzales to clear up the

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-75429836283351696612007-03-24T12:30:00.000-04:002007-03-24T13:00:52.486-04:00

At long last, I've rejoined the blog after my delay in signing up for the new blogger (compounded by buying a new house and moving--I know, real estate is in terrible shape right now and possibly getting even worse, but at least I'm in a low-price small town market!) I just came across a very thoughtful and comprehensive article on recent and future political developments in the wake of the '06

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-46934599815979987052007-03-13T22:06:00.000-04:002007-03-13T22:27:03.835-04:00

For the life of me I cannot understand why politicians and bureaucrats continue to use that phrase, but here it is again, fresh out of the mouth of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Bloggers are prognosticating ('Blognosticating'(tm)) that Gonzales's resignation is coming soon. Maybe, but remember how long Donald Rumsfeld lasted?Gonzales, in typical Bush administration fashion, stepped in front

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-36625813308748632752007-03-03T11:39:00.000-05:002007-03-03T12:45:12.540-05:00

Joe Klein at Time.com's Swampland blog helpfully provides a checklist to determine whether one is, or is not, a left-wing extremist. Let's see how I measure up:A left-wing extremist exhibits many, but not necessarily all, of the following attributes: --believes the United States is a fundamentally negative force in the worldMmm... What does he mean by 'fundamentally'? If an extremist believes

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-48772398663750595772007-02-24T17:50:00.000-05:002007-02-26T20:34:39.522-05:00

Max Sawicky's take on Kos's attempt to dismiss Kucinich's candidacy is good reading. The one sentence version is "DK is a romantic, and MM is a cynic." The conclusion:Hear me now and believe me later: mockery of Dennis Kucinich is founded on fear of progressive politics, either from enemies on the right, or those who feel it threatens electoral viability and professional interests on the

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-65440918972252669742007-02-17T08:15:00.000-05:002007-02-17T08:31:41.124-05:00

Giving in to the dictates of corporate America turned out not to be so bad. Not the getting a Google ID part of it anyway. It did not require me to do anything more than choosing an ID and password. Heaven knows what sort of data mining my posts and comments will now be subject to by Google, but I suppose it was unavoidable. So I have joined the Google-Borg. Resistance is futile. I have been

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1171232591070505742007-02-11T17:22:00.000-05:002007-02-13T11:50:06.393-05:00

When ambivalent_maybe told me the other day that the blogger site is not letting him post here anymore without getting a google account, I was confused. Because I was still able to post freely. But now it appears that I will soon be forced into the same dilemma (I've been warned this may be my "last time" to log on through the old blogger system). I'm not sure what we're going to do...maybe we'll

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1171229896141129752007-02-11T16:02:00.000-05:002007-02-11T16:38:16.160-05:00

I've been thinking for a long time about posting again on an issue that I believe is increasingly central, though it is avoided by most leading Democrats and Republicans: the obscenely high level of U.S. military spending.Now recent events are giving me the nudge. More specifically, the Bush Administration has released its budget request for Fiscal Year 2008. Far from trying to lower U.S.

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1168908665011123182007-01-15T19:46:00.000-05:002007-01-15T19:54:21.440-05:00

I would like to say something about the legacy of Martin Luther King, but I’m afraid I haven’t been able to craft sentences to match my feelings. It will hardly be controversial, I hope, to say that the world—but the United States in particular—owes a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. King and what he did for the Civil Rights movement. The nonviolence Dr. King taught, continuing in the tradition of

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1168803936158088992007-01-14T14:34:00.000-05:002007-01-14T20:31:03.083-05:00

This story by Jebediah Reed at Radar has been linked to by several prominent blogs, so you've likely seen it already. But if you haven't, it's worth reading about how pundits disastrously wrong about the war in Iraq have enjoyed continued career success, while many of those who warned the invasion would be a disaster have seen their careers suffer. It's bad taste, I guess, to stick around and

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1168661337978965172007-01-12T22:19:00.000-05:002007-01-12T23:08:57.993-05:00

I've been browsing around, trying to find the most direct criticism (from an informed critic) of Bush's "new" "plan" for Iraq. The most succinct so far is probably the comment made by Hawaii Representative Neil Abercrombie (D) to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, quoted in the Washington Post: "This is the craziest, dumbest plan I’ve ever seen or heard of in my life.” Granted, I

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1168394993808887652007-01-09T21:02:00.000-05:002007-01-10T08:24:11.736-05:00

Mmm, irony deep-fried in hypocrisy, with a chutzpah dipping sauce! And Terry Gross just ate it up. What follows is a verbatim quotation from her Fresh Air interview with Republican pollster Frank Luntz, aired tonight. Luntz is the guy Republican politicians seek out to disguise the stench of bad policy with verbal perfume (e.g. saying “energy exploration" instead of "drilling" when talking about

thirdpartydreamernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1165756941464893562006-12-10T07:47:00.000-05:002006-12-10T08:22:21.483-05:00

Recently I received the followin group e-mail message from Dennis Kucinich. I don't think he'll mind if I share it with you:Dear Friends, I am on a quest for integrity in Washington this week. The Democratic leadership plan to continue the war in Iraq by supporting yet another appropriations bill that is likely to go to the floor early next year granting an estimated $160 BILLION, the largest

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1165533703191874022006-12-07T16:58:00.000-05:002006-12-07T18:21:43.813-05:00

Wow, is this an amazing coincidence--yesterday I posted about Kucinich, for the first time in awhile, and now look: here's the most well-known member of the "progressive" blogosphere trashing him...and mocking those of us who support him as "the cranky left." What a heart-breaker. (I truly mean that, not being sarcastic.) I must say, what a crazy world we must live in for someone who claims to

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1165447010091090962006-12-06T18:09:00.000-05:002006-12-06T18:19:27.036-05:00

While I've been focusing on who to support for President in '08, look what my '04 favorite Dennis Kucinich just said in Part IV of his series on "There Is Only One Way to End the War in Iraq"...Seriously, the piece is great--very prophetic, not what you will usually hear from an elected politician in America--and he DOES actually use the word "hegemony" in the opening paragraph.As I mentioned

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1165006111378072792006-12-01T14:52:00.000-05:002006-12-01T15:48:31.466-05:00

I have a nomination for Media Idiot of the Week.Some would say that whether a new Muslim congressman gives his oath on the Bible or the Koran is a one of those silly manufactured issues, such as the War on Christmas, that are pure bluster, lacking in substance. I would normally tend to agree--we are after all, in the middle of a terrible war right now, and have serious moral issues about poverty

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1164914279574800512006-11-30T14:16:00.000-05:002006-11-30T14:17:59.586-05:00

I know I said the other day that I want to support John Edwards in '08. But if Bill Moyers ever did jump in the ring (guess that is a long shot), I might have to support him instead. Wow--what an eloquent and graceful, yet razor sharp, speech maker he is!

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1164749214099580462006-11-28T15:32:00.000-05:002006-11-28T16:31:32.080-05:00

In these days of horrifically escalating bloodshed in Iraq (i.e. “civil war”), I hesitate before raising a completely different issue. I am gratified by the media attention that the Iraq issue is receiving, even if way too much respect is still paid to the ridiculous assertions of the Bush-Cheney Administration. (In case you missed Michael Moore’s recent and refreshing diatribe on the subject--

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1164248102871504582006-11-22T21:11:00.000-05:002006-11-22T21:15:02.886-05:00

Behold, for the combatants of 4GW:The US Army uniform board has just released a new patch for those trapped in staff positions and who have served above and beyond the call of duty in making time consuming POWERPOINT presentations day after day, week after week, month after month without recognition.http://www.nbc-links.com/powerpoint.htmlVia DefenseTech.org.

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1164160393141084162006-11-21T20:07:00.000-05:002006-11-21T20:53:13.200-05:00

Anyone with an interest in conspiracy theories and the geekier aspects of economics, and with a instinctive distrust of anything the government does (especially during the Bush administration) will just *love* this item. Last year the Federal Reserve nonchalantly announced that as of March, 2006, it would no longer report the broadest measure of the nation's money supply, known as M3. Certain

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1164031335287809172006-11-20T08:47:00.000-05:002006-11-20T09:02:18.343-05:00

I would like to write more about my own ideas on Iraq in the near future, but for now I recommend (with one reservation) this post from Suzanne Nossel at Democracy Arsenal. It's a good summary of various policy options that ends up with this prescription:In short, develop a withdrawal scenario that includes whatever steps can reasonably be taken to minimize the chaos in our wake. A regional

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1163679365155518962006-11-16T07:06:00.000-05:002006-11-16T07:16:05.180-05:00

Now that my favorite '08 Democratic presidential candidate (Sen. Russ Feingold) has announced he won't run, I've been thinking about who else I might want to support instead. Well, it only took a few days. I was already leaning towards former North Carolina senator (and vice-pres. nominee) John Edwards, but hearing him interviewed on NPR sealed the deal. I love his positions on economic populist

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1163194000623955722006-11-10T15:17:00.000-05:002006-11-10T16:26:40.850-05:00

Here I am posting yet again; I guess being stuck overseas during the most exciting election outcome of my life is making me a temporarily prolific blogger.Anyway, I want to offer my suggestion for "the most important thing for Democrats" to do right away, now that they have taken control of both houses of Congress. I agree with all the items in the 100 hours plan announced by Nancy Pelosi (reform

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1163100769353575832006-11-09T13:13:00.000-05:002006-11-09T14:54:21.006-05:00

I already posted something today, but I just can't resist posting an addendum: A gigantic "huh?" response to the brief election commentary by Jim Wallis, one of the best known Christian leaders attempting to pose a more thoughtful alternative to the religious right, on Beliefnet (cross-posted on HuffPo) just now. In a reflection entitled "A Defeat for the Religious Right and the Secular Left,"

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1163074442085387502006-11-09T06:04:00.000-05:002006-11-09T07:14:02.880-05:00

I've been reading some of the ways that people are trying to spin the Democrats' big election victory on Tuesday (which, if course, I am also still celebrating!) My sense is that it is a big win for grassroots candidates and for economic populists. I heartily welcome both of these outcomes.I should begin, however, with a response to the pessimism/realism exhibited by ambivalent_maybe of this blog

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162997148477881952006-11-08T09:18:00.000-05:002006-11-08T09:45:48.506-05:00

Well, the preliminary election results are in. A resounding victory for the Democrats. (What a relief, after the last few heartbreaking election cycles!) Now maybe America can begin to take a new direction. As of this writing, it appears that Democrats won the two remaining Senate contests: Montana and Virginia. Of course, the margins are close, so we may have to wait for recounts. But, after the

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162814647305692762006-11-06T05:57:00.000-05:002006-11-06T07:04:07.923-05:00

Not now. Not this year. I don't know if any of this blog's readers are even thinking of voting for Republicans tomorrow--after all, the party of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have gotten us into so much trouble on so many issues, it is hard to believe anyone would. But I can't resist one day-before-Election-Day plea, on the remote chance that anyone is undecided or thinking of staying home (and

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162745817188931462006-11-05T11:12:00.000-05:002006-11-05T12:36:59.240-05:00

Listening to the news this morning, I heard several commentators note that things were bad for the Republicans, despite the economy being in good shape and unemployment very low. I won't repeat here all the evidence that the economy is not in great shape for middle- and lower-income Americans--that's it's being buoyed by record levels of debt, a frothy housing market, and Gilded Age tax policies

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162577769606976672006-11-03T12:54:00.000-05:002006-11-03T13:16:09.636-05:00

I have a few times before mentioned my admiration of Robert Jensen's courageous articles and commentaries, which so often go against the "conventional wisdom" of American political culture. But, wow! Jensen has really struck a chord with a recent meditation entitled "Finding my way back to church -- and getting kicked out: The struggle over what it means to be Christian today." I am a Christian

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162467563469143582006-11-02T06:35:00.000-05:002006-11-02T06:39:23.483-05:00

Whatever the micro-scale realities of local calm and order in Iraq, this widely circulating image is a sobering reminder of the general trajectory under U.S. occupation.

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162346261424880832006-10-31T20:07:00.000-05:002006-10-31T22:37:15.876-05:00

Listening to NPR recently I heard two stories that are evidence 1) that media outlets such as NPR can be careless in their reporting, seemingly too eager these days to report the latest example of misconduct and malfeasance by the US in Iraq; and 2) that US forces are accomplishing some good things in Iraq.Yesterday NPR featured a story by Tom Bowman with the headline (on their website): "

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1162149716841156482006-10-29T14:15:00.000-05:002006-10-29T14:21:56.860-05:00

This article from the New York Times this morning, ''Antiwar' and Other Fighting Words,' repeats a theme common in media coverage these days: that Democrats are haunted by ghosts of their 1970s anti-war activism: Democrats are torn between two visions of their history. Some potential candidates in the 2008 Democratic primary and many liberal activists argue that the Republican responsibility

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1161206816680306122006-10-18T17:07:00.000-04:002006-10-18T17:26:56.703-04:00

While browsing a recent issue of Fernand Braudel Center's quarterly REVIEW, I came across an intriguing article by scholars Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler, which led me to the extensive website of their writings: www.bnarchives.net. They write a lot about global capitalism, arguing that far from endangering the profits of large capitalists, the Iraq War and other Mid-Eastern conflicts have

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1159544783241035532006-09-29T11:46:00.000-04:002006-09-29T11:46:24.333-04:00

So the horrific torture bill has passed, with some last-minute changes that make it more horrific still. Bush claims a victory, and McCain and Specter get to tout their willingness to stand up the chief executive, yet still give him basically all he asked for. That's how the legislation played out on the coverage I heard and read, anyway. Democrats were absent from the whole debate. I am not the

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1158425411558891512006-09-16T12:11:00.000-04:002006-09-16T12:50:11.586-04:00

Since I'm based in Berlin, I like to pay special attention to news about Germany. In this case, I was alarmed, but not completely surprised, to read the latest political news out of Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania, which is the German province north of Berlin (formerly part of East Germany). The scary news is the continuing resurgence of the neo-Nazi party, officially called the "National Party of

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1157903280896041142006-09-10T11:10:00.000-04:002006-09-10T11:48:00.923-04:00

As the 5th anniversary of 11 September 2001 approaches, lots of bloggers and other commentators are writing either in proper commemoration of the sacrifices made by so many on that fateful day or, alternatively, criticizing the disgusting way that the Bush-Cheney Administration has tried to gain political benefit from the September 11th attacks. I agree wholeheartedly with both of these

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1156460819136357062006-08-24T19:06:00.000-04:002006-08-24T19:06:59.166-04:00

Osama bin Laden is not only the shadowy leader of a world-wide network of ruthless terrorists, he is also a big fan of Whitney Houston, Van Halen, and the TV series "The Wonder Years." This according to Kola Boof, who has just published her autobiography in which she recounts her year as the captive lover of OBL. You can read an excerpt in Harper's, and catch a few more details from the coverage

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1155608952661997472006-08-14T22:29:00.000-04:002006-08-14T22:29:12.726-04:00

The NPR show Fresh Air this evening had an interview with Boston Globe reporter Charlie Savage, revisiting his April, 2006, article about president Bush's unprecedented use of signing statements. You can listen to that segment of the show on NPR.org. I was waiting for the interviewer to ask what effect the signing statements have had on federal law enforcement. But he didn't, and so I'm left

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1155492637718438772006-08-13T13:51:00.000-04:002006-08-13T14:22:18.996-04:00

This should actually be a comment on Christian_Left's previous post on speed limits, but Blogger won't let me embed an image in a comment (dammit). So go back and read his post and its other comments before you read this, okay?Looking again at the web page CL linked to in his post, I noticed that they do give sources for their data at the bottom of the page. For fuel efficiency they cite a study

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1155486163588559762006-08-13T12:22:00.000-04:002006-08-13T12:22:43.663-04:00

Just when you thought the Bush administration couldn't possibly screw up US foreign policy in the Middle East any more than they already had, they surprise you once again by abetting the Israeli invasion of Lebanon (with some neo-cons encouraging them to widen the war by attacking Syria and maybe Iran, too). As bad as the US position in the region before the Israeli invasion, it's now worse. Arab

Ambivalent_Maybehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02092354702770501469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8528856.post-1155308721238698152006-08-11T10:44:00.000-04:002006-08-11T11:05:21.253-04:00

I'm back in my old home state, Nebraska, right now. As I was driving on the central expressway corridor, Interestate 80--commonly called "I-80" by locals, not "The 80" as locals might say in southern California--I was thinking about how much gas people (including me) were wasting driving the 75-MPH which is the posted speed limit. Now, estimates vary, but it seems that most auto efficiency

christian_lefthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com2