2011 archive
Have Cake, Eat It Too, Graham Cracker Dept. 1
Budget cuts for thee, but not for me:
The ability of Republicans to talk out of both sides of their mouths simultaneously is truly quite remarkable.
TSA Security Theatre (Updated) 0
Your tax dollars at work:
Via Delaware Online.
Addendum, Later That Same Week:
Thoreau recounts his mother’s experience. A nugget:
And via Thoreau, a Raving of a Feral Genius.
John Cole Cuts to the Quick 1
Bingo:
Nitpick:
It should be conditional: If Obama were white . . . .
First Shots 0
Today’s Chicago Tribune recalls that paper’s editorial upon the assault on Fort Sumpter. The tone of the editorial recalls the jingoistic bombast common in the 19th century (and the descendants of which are still with us: remember “freedom fries”?).
But the Trib was quite correct as to the reason for war.
The South seceded to protect chattel slavery and its belief that black persons were born to be enslaved.
Any other reason advanced by defenders of secession is simply Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes for the truth.
The Galt and the Lamers 0
Derrick Z. Jackson on our modern robber barons and how they, with the aid of the Republican Party, are benefiting from the panic depression recession:
The only people being saved are the wealthy.
While unemployment remains at close to 9 percent, the average salaries for CEOs at 200 of America’s largest companies rose 20 percent, to $11.7 million, according to the New York Times. Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that CEO bonuses at 50 major corporations rose 30.5 percent last year, the biggest gain in three years, to an average bonus of $2.5 million.
(snip)
Then income for the wealthy roared back full circle. The share for the top 10 percent was back up to 45.6 percent in 2008. For the top 1 percent, it was back up to 18.3 percent in 2007. All signs point to these shares breaking the records of the 1920s and ’30s. In an email, Saez (Emmanuel Saez of the University of California–ed.) said, “I expect top income shares to be going up sharply in the near future . . . With a split Republican/Democrat, Congress/administration, it does not look like the government will take drastic policy steps to change this trend in the medium run (such as more progressive taxation, or stringent regulations).
Follow the link to get even more panic and depression.
Update from the Foreclosure-Based Economy 0
The masters’ strategy to fuel housing sales by reselling houses taken from their previous owners seems to be working most splendidly, thank you.
That is the highest volume of foreclosures sales on record, up from 42 percent in February.
“Not Intended To Be a Factual Statement” 0
Lies and lying liars:
Via TPM.
Afterthought:
It’s somewhat surprising that John Kyl (R–Cloud Cuckoo Land) was willing to just come out and admit to just making stuff up. Republicans are not usually so open about their mendacity.
Drink Liberally Tomorrow in Norfolk 0
Struggling start-up needs your help for fun and fellowship. All you have to do is show up and pay your tab.
Think of Drinking Liberally as a support group for liberals.
When: 6 p.
Where:
Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub
241 Granby Street
Norfolk, Va. (map)
More about Drinking Liberally.
Democracy in Short Supply 0
I fear that Andy Borowitz is closer to truth than to satire in this:
That is the grim assessment of a new study commissioned by the University of Minnesota, which predicts that if the U.S. continues to export democracy at its current pace it may completely run out of it at home by the year 2015.
Read the whole thing, then consider this.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
All hail of bullets to the Lord.
Virginia Attorney-General Cuccinelli opines that gun nuts may worship their guns idols in church:
A section of state law specifies that individuals who carry firearms or blades into a place of worship while a religious meeting is being held “without good and sufficient reason” are guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. A conviction carries a maximum fine of $250.
Responding to a request from Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania County, for an interpretation of that law, Cuccinelli wrote that “carrying a weapon for personal protection constitutes a good and sufficient reason.”
And Well-Deserved, Too 0
Mendez, the UN special rapporteur on torture, said: “I am deeply disappointed and frustrated by the prevarication of the US government with regard to my attempts to visit Mr Manning.”
The U. S. government’s reaction to Wikileaks has emphasized how much governments fear that truth will embarrass them.
“Republican Broke” 0
J. M. Ashby suggests a new term:
Follow the link to see his reasoning.
Facebook Frolics 0
Your value as a Facebook user went up.
For Facebook.
The increase was on Facebook’s self-service ads, not the higher-priced premium ads that run on user home pages . . . .
We Need Single Payer 0
Matt Ruben, writing at Philly dot com, considers the Republican war on the sick and infirm.
It’s all about the country club memberships. Here’s a bit:
So the private insurers, and the financial firms heavily invested in them, stand to make lots of money from 40 million new customers, as all of the nation’s seniors would remain in the private market at age 65 instead of being able to get Medicare. And you, your children and your grandchildren would subsidize those profits by paying more and more to the insurers during all those years after age 65.
To add insult to injury, the GOP plan also calls for more tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. So the vast majority of us, who really need Medicare, wouldn’t even get a tax break to help offset the increased costs.
It’s a scam, pure and simple, another front in a class war being waged by the relative few who get rich off their investments, on the majority of Americans who survive primarily by working for a living.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The Do-Bee says, “Always be polite to your playmates.”