Glenn Greenwald:
The Democratic Party’s deceitful game
… Basically, this is how things have progressed:
Progressives: We want a public option! Democrats/WH: We agree with you totally! Unfortunately, while we have 50 votes for it, we just don’t have 60, so we can’t have it. Gosh darn that filibuster rule. Progressives: But you can use reconciliation like Bush did so [...]
Glenn Greenwald.
Presidential assassinations of U.S. citizens
… Just think about this for a minute. Barack Obama, like George Bush before him, has claimed the authority to order American citizens murdered based solely on the unverified, uncharged, unchecked claim that they are associated with Terrorism and pose “a continuing and imminent threat to U.S. persons and interests.” They’re [...]
Amen, Brother Ezra!
Catastrophe tears us apart
“It is amazing that some people here in Congress still don’t get it,” says Sen. Evan Bayh, who’s counseling Democrats to move to the right. “For those people it may take a political catastrophe of biblical proportions before they get it.”
I’ll just note that the “catastrophe of biblical proportions” that [...]
Bruce Schneier. Emphasis mine.
U.S. enables Chinese hacking of Google
… China’s hackers subverted the access system Google put in place to comply with U.S. intercept orders. Why does anyone think criminals won’t be able to use the same system to steal bank account and credit card information, use it to launch other attacks or turn it [...]
Glenn Greenwald, thoughtful as always.
What the Supreme Court got right
The Supreme Court yesterday, in a 5-4 decision, declared unconstitutional (on First Amendment grounds) campaign finance regulations which restrict the ability of corporations and unions to use funds from their general treasury for “electioneering” purposes. The case, Citizens United v. FEC, presents some very difficult free speech questions, and [...]
IOZ on confusion over the reasons behind Obama’s drop in popularity:
Merkwurkdigliebe
… The great persistence of the commentariat … in conflating supporters with backers is the problem. …
This from Adam B at DKos. In the long run (hopefully not that long), the answer must be public campaign finance.
SCOTUS Set To Overturn Corporate Speech Restrictions
It’s anticipated that the Supreme Court of the United States will be handing down its long-awaited opinion in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission tomorrow morning.
…
D. [...]
Wow.
A new approach to China
… These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring [...]
…will apparently cost you €25,000.
Irish atheists challenge new blasphemy laws
… The new law, which was passed in July, means that blasphemy in Ireland is now a crime punishable with a fine of up to €25,000 (£22,000).
It defines blasphemy as “publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters sacred by [...]
Bruce Schneier.
Is aviation security mostly for show?
… We should treat terrorists like common criminals and give them all the benefits of true and open justice — not merely because it demonstrates our indomitability, but because it makes us all safer.
Once a society starts circumventing its own laws, the risks to its future stability are much [...]
What Robert Reich says.
Slouching Toward Health Care Reform
… Is the effort worth still worth it? Yes, but just. Private insurers will have to take anyone, regardless of preconditions. And some 30 million people who don’t now have health insurance will get it. But because Big Insurance, Big Pharma, and the AMA will come out way [...]
Classic Dean Baker in media-critic mode.
Political Philosophers Meet at the White House
This seems to be how the NYT views the meeting between President Obama and the Republican congressional leadership at the White House yesterday. It told readers that they “aired philosophical differences,” in a meeting to discuss ways to increase job growth.
While it is possible [...]
Henry Blodget, via Jorn Barger:
How To Make The World’s Easiest $1 Billion
With all the banks paying back the TARP money, some folks are assuming that the great Wall Street bailout is finally coming to an end.
But of course it isn’t!
Taxpayers are still guaranteeing all big bank bonds (Too Big To Fail) and subsidizing huge [...]
Well, good for him. This from Andrew Brown:
Rick Warren repudiates Ugandan homophobia
The most important evangelical preacher in America has denounced the Ugandan anti-gay law
Who would have thought that Rick Warren, the most influential Evangelical in the USA, would be quicker to denounce the Ugandan anti-gay law than Rowan Williams? Yet after weeks of mounting [...]
Torture enablers, at least. Glenn Greenwald:
America’s regression
… Just think about that. Torture is one of the most universal taboos in the civilized world. The treaty championed by Ronald Reagan declares that “no exceptional circumstances” can justify it, and requires that every state criminalize it and prosecute those who authorize or engage in it. But only 25% of [...]
Glenn Greenwald reads Tom Friedman:
The crazy, irrational beliefs of Muslims
Tom Friedman, The New York Times, today:
Major Hasan may have been mentally unbalanced — I assume anyone who shoots up innocent people is.
…
You can probably guess where Greenwald is going. Go find out for sure.
M J Rosenberg asks, and answers his own question, “Yes.”
There’s a ton of comments, many of the form “McCain-Palin would have been worse” (which really isn’t the point), or asserting that our expectations shouldn’t have been high enough to be seriously disappointed. Rationally, I fall into the latter camp, but I’m disappointed not to be [...]
I’ll give you a couple of sentences from Matt Taibbi, and then you can go read the rest for yourself.
Your average political reporter is a spineless dweeb who went to all the best schools and made it to that privileged seat inside the campaign-trail ropeline by being keenly sensitive to the editorial wishes of his [...]
Obama’s more bitter opponents have come up with yet another “clever” way of calling for his assassination. You’ve probably heard this part already, but bear with me. What’s this Psalm 109:8 business?
May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
The clever part (wink, wink) are the next verses:
May his children be [...]
George Skelton in the LA Times. I heard Whitman’s obviously bogus ad the other day and didn’t get around to doing the arithmetic. This is going to be a depressing campaign.
Meg Whitman’s radio whoppers
… Neither major party has a lock on truthfulness. I’ve written about false advertising by Republicans and Democrats alike for years.
Now, [...]