2011 archive
Endless War All Over the World 0
At the Asia Times, Yong Kwon analyzes the latest drumbeats:
This contention has always been popular among Americans who believe that the United States should actively utilize its massive military and economic might to neutralize international threats.
The simple logic behind the coercive approach is attractive, but dangerous if not completely irresponsible.
Atrios summed up the endless war approach to foreign policy quite well.
Facebook Frolics 0
Violating a electronic confidence is still violating a confidence.
As a bonus extra, this also illustrates the corrosiveness of the self-righteous bigotry sometimes fueled by religion.
QOTD 0
A. J. Liebling, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news.
Facebook Frolics 0
When does “delete” mean “keep”?
Apparently, in Facebook World:
The Irish office of the Data Protection Commissioner confirmed to the newspaper that it is investigating the world’s largest social network after numerous complaints were filed by a 24-year-old student, who discovered Facebook had been holding onto boatloads of personal information he had deleted from his Facebook account.
The investigation is not completed, but, given Facebook’s track record of acting in bad faith, I suspect that the findings will be worse than expected.
The Voter Fraud Fraud 0
The undercurrents of bigotry in the voting I. D. laws are rapidly becoming overcurrents:
Tennessee resident Virginia Lasater found out the hard way after she was unable to get the photo ID required to vote in her state because she wasn’t able to stand in a long line at a DMV . . .
The DMV staff said there was nothing they could do.
What’s Wrong with Our Youth? Cantor’s Cant Dept. 0
A Penn student commenting on protests contemplated for an appearance by Eric Cantor:
“I think it’s a little too much to bring the protest to a college campus,” she said.
I mourn for the lost generation.
(Cantor canceled the appearance when it became apparent that the university was not going to allow him to handpick the audience. Competing press releases at the link.)
Driving while Brown, Price per Head Dept. 0
Axel Caballero on Cuentame’s Immigrants for Sale campaign, and the politicians and corporations that profit from detention centers.
QOTD 0
Erasmus, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
A good prince will tax as lightly as possible those commodities which are used by the poorest members of society.
More and Better Twits on Twitter 0
The Camden County, New Jersey, Republican Party has withdrawn support from their state Senate candidate because he repeatedly twitted on Twitter.
(snip)
Earlier this week, Mitsch defended his tweet, telling The Inquirer’s editorial board on Wednesday that it was “a great tip” that “shows the utmost respect for women.”
If the Republican Party pulled support from every candidate who repeatedly said gratuitously stupid, hurtful, or vindictive things, many ballots would be shorter.
Indeed, The CNN “presidential” debates would be virtually depopulated.
The Voter Fraud Fraud 0
Clarissa is busy, so Zandar explains it all.
Dustbiters 0
More responsible fiscals honored by the lifting of their responsibilities.
Bank no more on these:
- Community Capital Bank, Jonesboro, Georgia
Decatur First Bank, Decatur, Georgia
Old Harbor Bank, Clearwater, Florida
Community Banks of Colorado, Greenwood Village, Colorado</ul>
Remember, these are the financial geniuses whose guidance we are supposed to respect because, as we all know, access to large sums of money ipso facto signifies virtue.
Also, pigs, wings.
Identity Politics, Sauce for the Goose Dept. 0
Annette John-Hall considers wingnut reaction to a black talk radio jock’s statement that black folks should support President Obama because he’s black.
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Aside: I’m old enough to remember white folks saying that white folks should support George Wallace because he was white and right (wing, that is).
Here’s a snippet from the article:
Is this call to blackness that Joyner espouses some kind of diabolical plot, some secret code intended to erase the post-racial nirvana some think we achieved with the election of a black president?
“Identity politics is only a problem when minorities do it. Whites do it all the time,” Johnson argues.
“It’s absolutely naive to question the unified behavior of a minority group, given the fact that [historically] the majority has always been unified in their oppression.”
He’s got a point there. I guess there’s a reason it took us so long to get to our first black president.
Read the whole thing.