Far, far too much has been made of Ehud Olmert's outgoing comments as prime minister that appear to favor withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory. As I have mentioned before, when Olmert was first elected to pursue a pro-disengagement agenda, he responded by invading Lebanon and reinvading Gaza. He also presided over an acceleration of settlement construction, and he leaves office in the wake of rising settler violence against Israelis.
It's easy to say you're pro-peace when you no longer have to confront your own radicals. But when the man was actually in a position to do something, he balked.
There's nothing admirable about that.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Slime me in Spanish II
The plot in this week's Spanish soap opera thickens, as Obama responds to the McCain smear with a nasty ad of his own. As far as I can tell, the Obama ad is equally full of it. This is great if you're a left wing hack and you like Obama because he is going to give it to the right this November. If, however, you like Obama because you believe he offers something more honest in our political dialogue, it's rather disappointing. It would have been enough to point out, once again, that the McCain smear was inaccurate, and perhaps hit back by noting the truth, which is that the GOP has fully embraced xenophobia.
Instead Obama opted for a personal smear of his own. That may be tit for tat, and few will feel bad for McCain, but the truth would have been far more effective.
Instead Obama opted for a personal smear of his own. That may be tit for tat, and few will feel bad for McCain, but the truth would have been far more effective.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Slime me in Spanish
Much has been made of John McCain's campaign of lies this week. In fact, while campaigns are full of little lies, the past four to five days has seen an explosion, one could even say a surge, of lies. The latest, a Spanish-language attempt to portray Obama as anti-immigration, strikes me as the worst of the lot. Put aside the fact that Obama and McCain both voted the same on this issue (they were pro-migrants), and put aside that it was the Republicans who ultimately killed the immigration reform effort. In other words, put aside the fact that the ad is a smear and a lie. Just ask yourself a simple question: what kind of sleaze ball does it take to scare up a few votes by playing to the fear of their family's deportation?
Now to me this campaign has been a no-brainer ever since McCain demonstrated an inability to differentiate between Sunnis and Shiites (remember that?). Anyone who is actually serious about foreign policy, or who payed even the slightest attention while visiting Iraq, wouldn't make a mistake like that. He certainly wouldn't do it repeatedly. After eight years of incompetence, I want competence. It's straightforward and non-ideological.
But I have to say, watching this guy run through the absolute basement of human behavior, while all the time maintaining that crisp little grin on his face, and constantly bringing up his honor as if it's the 51st star on the American flag, is more than I can take. It's infuriating. It's unjust. It's anything but Country First.
The man must be stopped.
Now to me this campaign has been a no-brainer ever since McCain demonstrated an inability to differentiate between Sunnis and Shiites (remember that?). Anyone who is actually serious about foreign policy, or who payed even the slightest attention while visiting Iraq, wouldn't make a mistake like that. He certainly wouldn't do it repeatedly. After eight years of incompetence, I want competence. It's straightforward and non-ideological.
But I have to say, watching this guy run through the absolute basement of human behavior, while all the time maintaining that crisp little grin on his face, and constantly bringing up his honor as if it's the 51st star on the American flag, is more than I can take. It's infuriating. It's unjust. It's anything but Country First.
The man must be stopped.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Writing About Nothing...
David Brooks shows that it's possible to fill an entire op-ed space in the New York Times with trite psychoanalysis. But I agree with Kevin Drum that along the way he slips and lets out a damning truth:
"The Republicans are intellectually unfit to govern right now..."
That's quite a confession for a conservative, no? It might lead one down a more intellectual and self-reflective track, perhaps ending in the conclusion that, "I shouldn't be voting for Republicans." But no, instead we're treated to a gleeful play-by-play of the political cycle that ends in the revelation that "[w]eirdness wins."
And thanks to guys like Brooks, it just might.
"The Republicans are intellectually unfit to govern right now..."
That's quite a confession for a conservative, no? It might lead one down a more intellectual and self-reflective track, perhaps ending in the conclusion that, "I shouldn't be voting for Republicans." But no, instead we're treated to a gleeful play-by-play of the political cycle that ends in the revelation that "[w]eirdness wins."
And thanks to guys like Brooks, it just might.
Monday, September 1, 2008
I See Your Moose and Raise You a...
Ruggedness - the politically staged variety - has long been a growth industry in America. But the spectacle of Putin shooting a tiger kinda makes Bush, Cheney, and Kerry look like a bunch of JV sissies. As an American aware of my second ammendment rights I have to say it's shameful to be outclassed in this way. From now on, whenever a politician in America wants to show how tough he or she is by taking a bunch of reporters hunting, I say the minimum has got to be a tiger.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Obama!
My initial reaction is that Obama was at his best when he was drawing sharp contrasts between himself and the Republican Party. Directly confronting the charge that he's a celebrity, and challenging McCain in a head-on debate over the war, were necessary strokes along that line. I also liked when he said, "They make a big election about small things." He was calling them out on the pettiness of their political style.
But after raising my hope that he would follow that line of thought further, he meandered back into his own narrative. And one thing he did not do was point out the disconnect between Republican rhetoric and actual Republican values. For example, saying you're pro-freedom and being pro-torture. Or saying you're anti-elitist while passing wartime tax cuts for millionaires. He spoke of their failures, and he hinted at their cynicism, but he didn't call them on their hypocrisy.
Obama's narrative is compelling, but I think this convention has been at its weakest when it's fallen into narrative mode. Those convinced by the Obama story are already voting Democrat, and those left cold by it aren't going to buy into some rhetorical sap. The constant, droning emphasis on the sufferring of average Americans also strikes me as tone deaf. Yes, many are suffering. But many more are not directly suffering, and they are the ones who need to vote Democrat in order for Obama to be the next president. Those are the voters that need to come to despise the GOP and all its works. Those are the voters that need to understand that a vote for McCain isn't just a vote against change, it's a vote for failure. And not just failure in the concrete world of policy, but the moral failure characterized by a party that for eight gruelling years put its own interests ahead of the country.
I want Obama to shame the Republicans.
But after raising my hope that he would follow that line of thought further, he meandered back into his own narrative. And one thing he did not do was point out the disconnect between Republican rhetoric and actual Republican values. For example, saying you're pro-freedom and being pro-torture. Or saying you're anti-elitist while passing wartime tax cuts for millionaires. He spoke of their failures, and he hinted at their cynicism, but he didn't call them on their hypocrisy.
Obama's narrative is compelling, but I think this convention has been at its weakest when it's fallen into narrative mode. Those convinced by the Obama story are already voting Democrat, and those left cold by it aren't going to buy into some rhetorical sap. The constant, droning emphasis on the sufferring of average Americans also strikes me as tone deaf. Yes, many are suffering. But many more are not directly suffering, and they are the ones who need to vote Democrat in order for Obama to be the next president. Those are the voters that need to come to despise the GOP and all its works. Those are the voters that need to understand that a vote for McCain isn't just a vote against change, it's a vote for failure. And not just failure in the concrete world of policy, but the moral failure characterized by a party that for eight gruelling years put its own interests ahead of the country.
I want Obama to shame the Republicans.
A Post on Israel
Writing over at South Jerusalem, the awesomely named Gershom Gorenberg has an interesting take on the long, slow death of Israel's Labor Party. And as I mentioned back in March, I think Olmert has negated the rationale for the Kadima Party.
Unfortunately, that leaves only one large party with viability in Israel. And it ain't the cute and cuddly teddy bear party.
Unfortunately, that leaves only one large party with viability in Israel. And it ain't the cute and cuddly teddy bear party.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
John McCain as Blogger
Jonathan Chait zings Andrew Sullivan by noting that he has a lot in common with John McCain, in the sense that both men view world events in moral and ideological, rather than data-driven, terms.
It's a fair point, but Chait loses his mind when he suggests that John McCain would make a great blogger. The obvious dig here is blogger, not president. But of course John McCain would be a horrible blogger, as anyone who thinks about it a moment would conclude. Assuming he figures out how to log onto the internet, would anyone be able to stand the constant repetition of hawkish boilerplate and analogies to POW life? It would be an unending, digitalized stream of grandpa's "when I was young" rants.
This hints at something deeper, which is that Sullivan and McCain are actually quite different in their political styles. What makes Sullivan a compelling read is that he regularly cross-examines himself. Viewing the world in moral terms is his starting point, wheras for McCain (and Bush) it is the end point. This has led Sullivan into a commendable fit of apostasy, which is a strength, not the weakness that Chait would have you suppose it is.
It's a fair point, but Chait loses his mind when he suggests that John McCain would make a great blogger. The obvious dig here is blogger, not president. But of course John McCain would be a horrible blogger, as anyone who thinks about it a moment would conclude. Assuming he figures out how to log onto the internet, would anyone be able to stand the constant repetition of hawkish boilerplate and analogies to POW life? It would be an unending, digitalized stream of grandpa's "when I was young" rants.
This hints at something deeper, which is that Sullivan and McCain are actually quite different in their political styles. What makes Sullivan a compelling read is that he regularly cross-examines himself. Viewing the world in moral terms is his starting point, wheras for McCain (and Bush) it is the end point. This has led Sullivan into a commendable fit of apostasy, which is a strength, not the weakness that Chait would have you suppose it is.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Shit!
I had my phone on me all day. I kept giving it furtive glances, hoping I had missed a ring. I even checked my voice mail a few times.
But no. I'm not Barack Obama's running mate.
What about you?
But no. I'm not Barack Obama's running mate.
What about you?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Where did everyone go? Did anyone clean up after the cats?
I finally had a full day to kick back and read. No hospital rounds, no running all over creation, no 5-minute "inbetween" reading while I was waiting for my pager to go off. Nope, I had the whole day to read. And man did I read. I poured through an Economist cover-to-cover over breakfast. The renewable energy articles flat out blew my mind. Then I read a few posts on fivethirtyeight.com, the most wonderfully nerdy polling blog ever created. After lunch I made my way over to the DC bloggers, and eventually found myself reading old Bernie Watersmouth posts.
This is all rather fragmented, but some initial bloggy insights gleaned during my long absence from blogging: A) Reihan Salam is the most exciting thing to happen to conservatism since Andrew Sullivan - it's all for the better that he pissed off Newt Gingrich B) Liberal bloggers should under no circumstances be trusted with healthcare reform - I don't doubt their wonkishness, just their ability to grasp what actually happens when people become seriously and chronically ill C) Barack Obama has tapped into a cultural phenomenon that is simply huge - he has managed to merge the public's distaste for cynical, dumbed down politics with the first technology available (the internet) that allows ordinary citizens to circumvent corporate media and financing.
On a more personal note, I've gained one additional insight from recent fatherhood. And that's that single men shouldn't be in charge of anything important. They don't know real beauty when they see it.
This is all rather fragmented, but some initial bloggy insights gleaned during my long absence from blogging: A) Reihan Salam is the most exciting thing to happen to conservatism since Andrew Sullivan - it's all for the better that he pissed off Newt Gingrich B) Liberal bloggers should under no circumstances be trusted with healthcare reform - I don't doubt their wonkishness, just their ability to grasp what actually happens when people become seriously and chronically ill C) Barack Obama has tapped into a cultural phenomenon that is simply huge - he has managed to merge the public's distaste for cynical, dumbed down politics with the first technology available (the internet) that allows ordinary citizens to circumvent corporate media and financing.
On a more personal note, I've gained one additional insight from recent fatherhood. And that's that single men shouldn't be in charge of anything important. They don't know real beauty when they see it.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The End of the Primary!
HOORAY!!!!
It appears that I don't blog on here very often any more and Dr. Bellowsair seems to have given up as well. I'm sorry to the millions of people who read this blog each day looking for a new post. For now, please go elsewhere for your political entertainments. Thank ye!
It appears that I don't blog on here very often any more and Dr. Bellowsair seems to have given up as well. I'm sorry to the millions of people who read this blog each day looking for a new post. For now, please go elsewhere for your political entertainments. Thank ye!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Gential Party
A new political party known as the Genital Party has arisen in American politics. It's President, Laurence Olivier says, "Politicians talk tough. But no one has balls like us."
Treasurer Karate Kid says, "American politics smells like my nuts. That's why our new party is going to fit in so nicely. Chris Matthews you better guard those hard balls of yours. Cause we are going to karate chop them."
Even such celebrities like, Guy Onthe Street seem interested: "Some politicians talk about a new kind of politics. That's just talk. These guys want action."
Treasurer Karate Kid says, "American politics smells like my nuts. That's why our new party is going to fit in so nicely. Chris Matthews you better guard those hard balls of yours. Cause we are going to karate chop them."
Even such celebrities like, Guy Onthe Street seem interested: "Some politicians talk about a new kind of politics. That's just talk. These guys want action."
Bill Prohibits Bias Based On Jeans
Bill prohibits bias based on jeans
People with ugly jeans need not fear
The AP Examiner
A bill that would prohibit discrimination by people that you are interested in dating based on the style or look your genes won final approval in Congress on Thursday by an overwhelming vote.
The legislation, which President Bush has indicated he will sign, speaks to the mounting fear of a dystopia in which the brand and make of people's jeans will be the only determining factor in people being attracted to you. On the House floor Thursday, Democrats and Republicans alike cited anecdotes and polls illustrating that people feel they should not be penalized for the style of their jeans.
"People know we all have a couple pairs of bad looking jeans, and we are all potential victims of jeanetic discrimination," said Rep. Polly Ester, D-N.Y., who was a key sponsor of the bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 95-0 on Tuesday and the House on Thursday by a 414-1 vote, with the one defector being Rep. Jord Dash, R-NM.
Rep. Dash made the statement, "There is no reason for us to be afraid of people being discriminated against by members of the opposite sex based on their jeans."
Rep. Ide Dehn Titty, D NJ responded: "Representative Dash's comments are heterosexist. Some of us are attracted to members of the same sex. Others are not attracted to members of the same or the so-called opposite gender but an alternative gender altogether."
Sen. Dick N Pussy-Rock hailed the measure. "Everyone knows that your attractiveness should not be determined by what your jeans look like. It's what's inside them that counts. Your genitals are all that actually matter. At the end of the day, they are the only thing that make life worth living."
Still, some experts said people still should be cautious with what brand of jeans they where. The bill leaves open the ability for people to be allowed to be unattracted to people who wear EXTREMELY crappy looking jeans.
Owners of dating agencies say a fear of discrimination on the part of their clients has prevented thousands of them from wearing the kind of jeans they wish to wear. A study introduced by the University of Sukmee shows that both male and female clients worry they may be denied blow jobs based on what their jeans look like.
If the bill is signed into law, many more people are expected to take advantage of wearing whatever they want.
The measure did not always have such overwhelming support. Similar legislation had foundered for more than a decade in the face of opposition from Big Jeans.
"Things have changed" says Rep Seth D Michaels, one of 20 newly elected representatives for the District of Columbia.. "And much faster than you can change in and out of your jeans."
"It's a new era," says Rep. Andrew Slack, D MA. Rep. Seth D Michaels replies: "Rep Andrew Slack is crazy but he's right about one thing: it is indeed a new era."
After eating the flesh of fifteen terrorists, Dr. Jonathan Dworkin, D MD says, "It's time to take some action!"
Indeed.
People with ugly jeans need not fear
The AP Examiner
A bill that would prohibit discrimination by people that you are interested in dating based on the style or look your genes won final approval in Congress on Thursday by an overwhelming vote.
The legislation, which President Bush has indicated he will sign, speaks to the mounting fear of a dystopia in which the brand and make of people's jeans will be the only determining factor in people being attracted to you. On the House floor Thursday, Democrats and Republicans alike cited anecdotes and polls illustrating that people feel they should not be penalized for the style of their jeans.
"People know we all have a couple pairs of bad looking jeans, and we are all potential victims of jeanetic discrimination," said Rep. Polly Ester, D-N.Y., who was a key sponsor of the bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 95-0 on Tuesday and the House on Thursday by a 414-1 vote, with the one defector being Rep. Jord Dash, R-NM.
Rep. Dash made the statement, "There is no reason for us to be afraid of people being discriminated against by members of the opposite sex based on their jeans."
Rep. Ide Dehn Titty, D NJ responded: "Representative Dash's comments are heterosexist. Some of us are attracted to members of the same sex. Others are not attracted to members of the same or the so-called opposite gender but an alternative gender altogether."
Sen. Dick N Pussy-Rock hailed the measure. "Everyone knows that your attractiveness should not be determined by what your jeans look like. It's what's inside them that counts. Your genitals are all that actually matter. At the end of the day, they are the only thing that make life worth living."
Still, some experts said people still should be cautious with what brand of jeans they where. The bill leaves open the ability for people to be allowed to be unattracted to people who wear EXTREMELY crappy looking jeans.
Owners of dating agencies say a fear of discrimination on the part of their clients has prevented thousands of them from wearing the kind of jeans they wish to wear. A study introduced by the University of Sukmee shows that both male and female clients worry they may be denied blow jobs based on what their jeans look like.
If the bill is signed into law, many more people are expected to take advantage of wearing whatever they want.
The measure did not always have such overwhelming support. Similar legislation had foundered for more than a decade in the face of opposition from Big Jeans.
"Things have changed" says Rep Seth D Michaels, one of 20 newly elected representatives for the District of Columbia.. "And much faster than you can change in and out of your jeans."
"It's a new era," says Rep. Andrew Slack, D MA. Rep. Seth D Michaels replies: "Rep Andrew Slack is crazy but he's right about one thing: it is indeed a new era."
After eating the flesh of fifteen terrorists, Dr. Jonathan Dworkin, D MD says, "It's time to take some action!"
Indeed.
And We Thought the Democratic Primary Was Dysfunctional?
It has nothing on the "post-election/pre-runoff/boycott/other options" climate in Zimbabwe.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Beginning of the Beginning of the Beginning of the End of this Primary, Part Twenty Seven
This primary may be reaching its end now. For real this time. A few weeks ago Clinton was all like, "I'm winning the superdelegates" and Obama was all like, "I'm winning the actual states." Now that pattern is reversing. Clinton is winning the states. But she's not winning by large margins (with the exception of places like Kentucky). And Obama's getting a key defection by Joe Andrew today is a sign that this primary is about to be over. And I'm pretty optimistic that it's going to Obama.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Hoping For Change
Here's a CHANGE that I am filled with HOPE will happen: the end of the Democratic Primary. This blows.
69
This is the 69th post on Huntingdon Pike. In celebration of this momentous occasion, I have given myself a 69. And if you think that's impossible take a look at the mess that is the Democratic Primary. Any thing is possible. AH! I feel better now.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Getridofthemoderators.com
Geridofthemoderators.com – this could be a good and catchy web site that puts pressure on the moderators and exposes just how stupid they are. We could show quotes and graphs of how bad a job they do and have an honest discussion (as well as a grassroots campaign) around what it would be like to have a good old fashioned Lincoln-Douglass debate where the candidates slug it out without being spoon fed politics-lite BS from moderators who are making this country dumber with each passing second.
This would also remove the question of bias. So yeah, methinks that moderated debates should go "bye bye" and we should usher in a new era of debates based on an old era of debates.
This would also remove the question of bias. So yeah, methinks that moderated debates should go "bye bye" and we should usher in a new era of debates based on an old era of debates.
Barack-aby Bama on the Tree Top
Now my last post aside, I've got to say: Barack Obama did a shitty job at the debate last night. Now if it were me and I was being asked repulsive questions, I would have been pretty freakin' annoyed to. I mean, those were bad questions that Obama has mostly addressed many times over.
But that said, Barack looked as if he was going to fall asleep last night in the middle of each sentence. He looked so tired. I could hardly watch. It was almost as if he was annoyed at the questions not just because they were stupid questions, but because he was really cranky. I understand that and have sympathy for it.
I almost find it funny. I told my roommate, one day when I have a child I'm going to say to him or her when they are looking sleepy: "We better put you to bed! Why you look just as tired as Barack Obama at a Pennsylvania debate!"
But that said, Barack looked as if he was going to fall asleep last night in the middle of each sentence. He looked so tired. I could hardly watch. It was almost as if he was annoyed at the questions not just because they were stupid questions, but because he was really cranky. I understand that and have sympathy for it.
I almost find it funny. I told my roommate, one day when I have a child I'm going to say to him or her when they are looking sleepy: "We better put you to bed! Why you look just as tired as Barack Obama at a Pennsylvania debate!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)