An instant messaging exchange, about the Hartmann Radio Show, Friday, between me (STF) and another guy (OtherGuy): (editted to make us look better)
OtherGuy: hartmann was talking to krugman, who was cool until the end when he said the usual (employed economist) bullshit about there being new jobs to replace all the exported ones. (WHY do otherwise intelligent, skeptical people believe that absolute crap?)
STF: Because he's a professor and he has tenure.
OtherGuy: yeah, but I assume that some equations work out to prove it too. I wish I had the time and inclination to prove why these equations are flawed.
STF: other than using our own eyes?
STF: Brad DeLong's site goes on about this as well.
OtherGuy: usually when your own eyes contradict equations it turns out your eyes are being tricked. or the equations are based on some very subtly wrong assumption.
STF: Here's how I worked out the problem once: The idea is that you take a $100,000 job, and send it to India where the worker is paid $10,000. That means you have $90,000 more in your economy to invest or buy stuff.
OtherGuy: yes, but everything is more efficient!
STF: So your loss of $100,000 consuming power is balanced by the purchase of $10,000 from you by the India guy, AND the $90,000 extra for investment or consumption here. BUT that doesn't work if instead some rich fuck POCKETS the $90,000 and puts it in a swiss bank - which is what IS happening. The concentration of wealth cancels out the beneficial results of that extra $90,000 AND nothing at all says that $10,000 WILL come back to the US resulting in exports
STF: at least in our lifetime.
OtherGuy: except for literally putting the money in the mattress, "just pocketing" is a myth. yeah, the lag time is the problem.
STF: Well, if the money goes out of the US, it helps the Swiss or Caymans prosper, which is supposed to also come back to us. Eventually. But, again, not in our lifetimes.
OtherGuy: and the fact that entire industries seem to be wiped out almost instantaneous. the one question NONE of these people can ever answer is : "What do I retrain FOR?"
STF: Yeah, retrain, to become a different cog in the machine. Your only value in America is the extent to which you can serve as an economic unit, making some rich fuck richer.
STF: Another problem is that Mexico is losing jobs to VietNam and VietNam is losing jobs to Cambodia and Cambodia is losing jobs to China.
OtherGuy: Exactly. and as hartmann always points out that global capital is (now) almost completely free to move anywhere instantly, whereas labor is stuck where it's stuck.
STF: On the macroeconomic scale it's a wash. But it doesn’t take into account WHO benefits. Like the room where there’s a hundred people, and Bill Gates. On average that is an extremely wealthy room full of people. Never mind that 99 of them are starving.
STF: It is a downward spiral. A free market in labor in a world with too many people is necessarily a formula for worldwide poverty.
OtherGuy: yup
STF: If the market is completely free and "clears rapidly" the consequences NECESSARILY are that wages reach subsistence AFTER enough people have starved, leaving just enough workers for the jobs.
OtherGuy: It's really very depressing to know that there is nothing I can do that will prevent me from continuing in relative poverty for the rest of my life. [Note - OtherGuy is a programmer.]
STF: Until enough people have starved off, of course the wages don't NEED to be at subsistence level. You only need to pay enough that someone will take the job and starve slower than the rest.
OtherGuy: eat the fucking rich!
OtherGuy: and EVERYONE (except a very few rich fucks) would be better off.
OtherGuy: Revolution. heads on pikes!
STF: In such an economy, where the unemployed are starving off, and employers are only paying a penny or so a day until enough people have starved, leaving just enough people remaining to do the jobs, a person with extra fat on his body has the advantage over a thin person, because the thin person will die of, and the person with fat will live long enough to outlast the labor surplus
OtherGuy: that's my plan!
OtherGuy: (being fat)
STF: You're way ahead of the game
OtherGuy: heh
STF: you are one of the elite few who will survive
STF: survival of the ...
STF: wait for it...
OtherGuy: heh
STF: fattest
OtherGuy: yay!
STF: I think I should blog this
Moral of the story: Who is our economy FOR, anyway?
10/11/2003
Discouraged
Maybe I haven't been writing as much lately because I just feel overwhelmed and discouraged, and that it's useless to keep pointing things out. For example, these two stories, about items released by the Bush administration on Friday afternoons - so that the stories are "buried" and the public never hears about them. First, U.S. May Expand Access To Endangered Species:
What I'm getting at is, they accuse everyone else of being evil...
So they have this tactic of releasing news like this on Friday afternoons so the story gets "buried" in weekend WORKS. How do we get the public to understand that things like this are happening? I hope everyone reading this is doing all they can to get people reading online news sources like BuzzFlash, and weblogs like this one!
The Bush administration is proposing far-reaching changes to conservation policies that would allow hunters, circuses and the pet industry to kill, capture and import animals on the brink of extinction in other countries.And this, also released late Friday, Bush eases mining rules:
The Bush administration announced Friday that it would start allowing companies that mine gold, silver and other precious metals as much public land as they need to help them develop their claims.I often say that one way to learn about Republicans is to listen to what they accuse others of, and then realize that their tactic is to cover their OWN motives an actions by accusing others of those very things. (Another long, convoluted sentence. Does this one get the prize?) For example, they were accusing Clinton of being corrupt and immoral -- and now look at the Bush administration, the most corrupt and immoral in history. Or how about Bill Bennett being the "morality" guy? And, of course, Mr. Judgement himself Rush Limbaugh.
What I'm getting at is, they accuse everyone else of being evil...
So they have this tactic of releasing news like this on Friday afternoons so the story gets "buried" in weekend WORKS. How do we get the public to understand that things like this are happening? I hope everyone reading this is doing all they can to get people reading online news sources like BuzzFlash, and weblogs like this one!
10/10/2003
Keys
Y'know, if you always know where your keys are because you always put them in the same place, and then one day you can't find them no matter where you look, it's better to remember BEFORE you call your wife demanding to know where she hid them, that you bought one of those little USB storage devices and put it on your keychain, and now it's plugged into the back of your computer.
Also, this is longest sentence contest day.
Also, this is longest sentence contest day.
Voting Machines and Working At The Polls
One of the things I have learned from working at the polls on election day for the last couple of elections is the way they safeguard the ballots. There are fairly extensive procedures for making sure that all of the ballots are accounted for and only those ballots marked by actual voters are counted.
In California's San Mateo County they use optical scanning equipment. The voter is given a paper ballot. The voter marks the ballot by completing a thick line next to the choice the voter is to make. For example, for the recall there are two choices, YES and NO. The voter sees something like the following:
Before the ballot can go into the ballot box, it passes through a scanning machine. If there are any problems with the ballot, like an overvote or an incorrectly marked choice, perhaps by circling instead of drawing the line or writing in a name as well as marking it -- problems like we heard about in Florida -- the ballot is rejected and the voter has the opportunity to try again. If the ballot is accepted it drops into a locked ballot box and can be used in a "hand count" to check whether the machine correctly tabulated the voters' choices.
When the polls close there are special procedures for making sure that only the voters' choices are counted. There are several "judges" who must independently verify several things. The number of ballots received before the polls opened must match the number voted, spoiled or remaining to be voted. The number voted must match the number of signatures from voters who showed up and voted. The marked ballots are guarded using special procedures, and are taken to the central counting location in one car with another judge in ANOTHER car following to make sure that those ballots make it there with no funny business along the way. Many other procedures are in place to guard against any kind of fraud or mistake.
Having experienced all of these procedures makes it all the more difficult for me to understand how any voting machine company would even THINK of trying to sell a voting machine that did not allow the voters a way to ascertain that their votes are correctly tabulated! How could they even imagine that any election official would do anything but laugh at the idea of purchasing and using such a machine? By the same token, it is inconceivable that any county election official would EVER have allowed such machines to be used!
Yet, we have voting machine companies that refuse to offer -- and receive the extra revenue for -- voting machines that provide the voter with a ballot they can look at that is clearly marked with their choices. And we have election officials who accept these machines and tell the voters to "just trust us."
It is my opinion that any election official that shows so little respect for the sanctity of the voting process that they would accept a machine that does not allow the voter a way to be sure that their vote is correctly counted and backed up should not be allowed to continue in that office! That official is in the wrong line of work, and needs to go be a realtor or something.
Fortunately, awareness of this issue is spreading. People are learning of the dangers of these new electronic voting machines that do not have a way for the voter to double-check that their choices are correctly tabulated. Already enough people are aware of the problem that I do not expect that election results from these machines will be accepted. Soon I expect that the public will demand that their election officials respect the need for procedures that reassure the public that their votes are correctly counted. Just telling the public to trust the machines is not enough.
In California's San Mateo County they use optical scanning equipment. The voter is given a paper ballot. The voter marks the ballot by completing a thick line next to the choice the voter is to make. For example, for the recall there are two choices, YES and NO. The voter sees something like the following:
YES <<=== ===The voter uses a special pen to connect the line next to the voter's choice.
NO <<=== ===
Before the ballot can go into the ballot box, it passes through a scanning machine. If there are any problems with the ballot, like an overvote or an incorrectly marked choice, perhaps by circling instead of drawing the line or writing in a name as well as marking it -- problems like we heard about in Florida -- the ballot is rejected and the voter has the opportunity to try again. If the ballot is accepted it drops into a locked ballot box and can be used in a "hand count" to check whether the machine correctly tabulated the voters' choices.
When the polls close there are special procedures for making sure that only the voters' choices are counted. There are several "judges" who must independently verify several things. The number of ballots received before the polls opened must match the number voted, spoiled or remaining to be voted. The number voted must match the number of signatures from voters who showed up and voted. The marked ballots are guarded using special procedures, and are taken to the central counting location in one car with another judge in ANOTHER car following to make sure that those ballots make it there with no funny business along the way. Many other procedures are in place to guard against any kind of fraud or mistake.
Having experienced all of these procedures makes it all the more difficult for me to understand how any voting machine company would even THINK of trying to sell a voting machine that did not allow the voters a way to ascertain that their votes are correctly tabulated! How could they even imagine that any election official would do anything but laugh at the idea of purchasing and using such a machine? By the same token, it is inconceivable that any county election official would EVER have allowed such machines to be used!
Yet, we have voting machine companies that refuse to offer -- and receive the extra revenue for -- voting machines that provide the voter with a ballot they can look at that is clearly marked with their choices. And we have election officials who accept these machines and tell the voters to "just trust us."
It is my opinion that any election official that shows so little respect for the sanctity of the voting process that they would accept a machine that does not allow the voter a way to be sure that their vote is correctly counted and backed up should not be allowed to continue in that office! That official is in the wrong line of work, and needs to go be a realtor or something.
Fortunately, awareness of this issue is spreading. People are learning of the dangers of these new electronic voting machines that do not have a way for the voter to double-check that their choices are correctly tabulated. Already enough people are aware of the problem that I do not expect that election results from these machines will be accepted. Soon I expect that the public will demand that their election officials respect the need for procedures that reassure the public that their votes are correctly counted. Just telling the public to trust the machines is not enough.
10/08/2003
Views Of The Media
This depressing Gallup Poll confirms what my own research has shown me. In the early 70's the Right started a well-funded campaign to push the public to the right. Telling the public that the media are liberal is just one part of the strategy. You can trace the specific funders and organizations involved. See this and this [large PDF, html coming soon] and the How They Do It series.
In the Gallup story, scroll down to the chart that shows public perceptions of the media over time:
And think about the tremendous influence they now have on the public, 45% of whom think the media is "too liberal."
In the Gallup story, scroll down to the chart that shows public perceptions of the media over time:
"Gallup first asked Americans about their trust and confidence in the media back in the 1970s, but stopped at that point and didn't begin to use the question again until 1997.The Right's campaign really got going in the early-mid 70's, after the Heritage Foundation was started in 1973. It was well underway by the time Carter was President -- reflected in his "Malaise Speech," as I wrote about in this post. Looking back, the Right's attacks explain a lot about how Carter's presidency proceeded and is perceived now. Think about what is said about Carter, through the lens of knowing what they did to Clinton.
There was a clear change in views of the media between these two periods of time. About 7 in 10 Americans said they had a great deal or fair amount of trust and confidence in the media in 1972, 1974, and 1976, perhaps reflecting public approval of the news media's role in uncovering the Watergate abuses of power. When Gallup picked up the question series again six years ago, however, the trust levels had fallen to the mid-50% range."
And think about the tremendous influence they now have on the public, 45% of whom think the media is "too liberal."
Splitting the State
I think this map shows some of the best boundaries for splitting California into two states, as has been discussed over the years.
What Were We Thinking?
This story, Leaker May Remain Elusive, Bush Suggests:
I mean, this was SERIOUS SHIT. The Party actually outed an undercover agent working to stop WMDs, as revenge for criticizing The Party. Serious consequences - the possibility of dead informants and agents, exposure of the network of companies and other covers the CIA used, and, of course, most importantly the WMD she was trying to stop now able to find other ways into the hands of those who would use them against us. Can't get much simpler and clearer than that.
What were we thinking?
The press was only waiting for The Party to feed them their new line -- there are lots of leaks, mushy liberals and the press are usually the culprits, and the President wants to stop these terrible leaks. The headline of today's story in the San Jose News, for example, presents Bush as the hero of the whole affair and the press as the bad guy: "Bush eager to find leaker":
See the forest - these are the people who marketed tobacco to our kids. They are GOOD AT THIS. They convinced people to kill themselves and blame themselves for it, but first to hand over their money to them.
It's over. It's not just over but it was OUR FAULT and THEY ARE THE HEROS.
"President Bush said on Tuesday that he was not sure whether the Justice Department would determine who disclosed the identity of an undercover C.I.A. officer to journalists, but he pledged to provide investigators with "everything we know."For a few minutes last week some of us thought maybe this time would be different. Maybe this time the press would get involved. Maybe this time a Bush crime would be exposed. Maybe this time there might be an honest investigation. Maybe this time something they had done would "stick" and the public would demand answers.
I mean, this was SERIOUS SHIT. The Party actually outed an undercover agent working to stop WMDs, as revenge for criticizing The Party. Serious consequences - the possibility of dead informants and agents, exposure of the network of companies and other covers the CIA used, and, of course, most importantly the WMD she was trying to stop now able to find other ways into the hands of those who would use them against us. Can't get much simpler and clearer than that.
What were we thinking?
The press was only waiting for The Party to feed them their new line -- there are lots of leaks, mushy liberals and the press are usually the culprits, and the President wants to stop these terrible leaks. The headline of today's story in the San Jose News, for example, presents Bush as the hero of the whole affair and the press as the bad guy: "Bush eager to find leaker":
Bush said he is eager to discover the identity of those who disclosed the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame, who is married to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a prominent critic on Bush's Iraq policy. . .What were we thinking? The system isn't going to stop them because they ARE the system now. The Supreme Court is the system, and the Supreme Court put The Party in total control of all of the branches of our government. The Justice Department isn't going to investigate this - the Justice Department gave them a day's warning that they are going to ask for documents. The FBI is little more than the investigative branch of The Party - they're the ones who put all their resources into investigating Clinton instead of al-Queda. The Courts are now dominated by Federalist Society drones. The Congress refuses to look into this, but the Congress is run by The Party. And the press...
Bush said, ``Everything we know, the investigators will find out,'' but he told reporters: ``I have no idea whether we'll find out who the leaker is -- partially because, in all due respect to your profession -- you do a very good job of protecting the leakers.''
See the forest - these are the people who marketed tobacco to our kids. They are GOOD AT THIS. They convinced people to kill themselves and blame themselves for it, but first to hand over their money to them.
It's over. It's not just over but it was OUR FAULT and THEY ARE THE HEROS.
10/07/2003
A Long-Ass Day
I just got back from working at the polls. All I can say is 6am to 9:30pm is one long-ass day. We were short-handed so I got one 20 minute break to run and get a sandwich.
10/06/2003
Tuesday
Tuesday I am working at the polls. I have to be there at 6am, and probably won't be back home until after 10pm. Don't wait up for me.
DNC Voting Machines Resolution
Here is the relevant section of the DNC's resolution. There are a nuber of "Whereas" clauses, and a few "Be It Resolved" clauses, and this:
"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the DNC goes on record demanding that all electronic voting equipment used in public elections must incorporate an accessible voter-verified paper audit trail as soon as practical, but in no case any later than the November 2004 general election."
Make these donuts with extra grease. This batch is for the chief of police.
Does anyone remember a tune from the early 80's that was a lot of guitars strumming a monotonous tonal thing for a long time, and then, just once, lyrics, shouted, "Make these donuts with extra grease. This batch is for the chief of police!" and then guitars again for a long time?
10/04/2003
BIG Voting Machines News!
I have just learned that the DNC - Democratic National Committee - has passed, unanimously, a resolution asking for voter-verified paper audit trails on all electronic voting machines before the 2004 election. This is a big victory! They also asked for full funding of HAVA, the law that helps pay for new voting equipment, passed by COngress after the Florida vote was stolen.
The national Democratic Party is now on record on this issue. Will the Republicans support this or try to block it? If they try to block it - why?
The national Democratic Party is now on record on this issue. Will the Republicans support this or try to block it? If they try to block it - why?
10/03/2003
More On That Report
As promised. From the introduction to this report on tort reform and the Right: (This is a PDF document. I should have it up in HTML in the next few days.)
”…in addition to the expected corporate-front organizations like the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) and Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), the “tort reform” movement is ideologically associated with a network of organizations, such as the Washington Legal Foundation, the Cato Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council, which are part of what they themselves call the “conservative movement.” This web of “movement” organizations receives general operating support, project grants, and strategic guidance from a core group of ideological far-right-wing foundations that has been working for nearly thirty years to alter public attitudes and move the national agenda to the right.
This web of right-wing organizations funds and supports many other voices that speak on behalf of tort reform and other issues. The people who write the books are funded. The people who write the op-ed pieces are funded. The people who speak on radio and cable TV shows are funded. The people speaking to public interest organizations are funded. Even the people who initially write many of the templates for letters to the editor are funded. In addition to funding these individuals, the right-wing organizations provide them with institutional bases and access to publishers and media.”
"The Right Wing Media Slime Machine"
Paul Krugman, in 'Slime and Defend' writes about "The right-wing media slime machine, which tries to assassinate the character of anyone who opposes the right's goals...".
This writes about it, too. (Caution - big PDF file.) More later.
This writes about it, too. (Caution - big PDF file.) More later.
10/02/2003
He Says: It's Because I Was Right
My empathy goes away.
Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/01/2003 | McNabb: No apology wanted:
And his listeners all show smug smiles and nod.
Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/01/2003 | McNabb: No apology wanted:
"McNabb said his biggest concern was the thoughts of families and kids who watched Limbaugh's remarks.That's right, Rush. Black people being outraged only proves that you are right. What else could it mean?
'My worries were not about what was said, but about the people who were watching,' McNabb said. 'What about the people in the African-American homes, the kids, the parents, when they hear something like that on national TV, on ESPN, what do they think?'
Limbaugh tackled the subject again today on his radio talk show.
'All this has become the tempest that it is because I must have been right about something,' Limbaugh said. 'If I wasn't right, there wouldn't be this cacophony of outrage that has sprung up in the sports writer community.'"
And his listeners all show smug smiles and nod.
What Have They Been Doing?
This article, Mercury News | CIA leak called `serious' points out that the CIA first asked the Justice Department to investigate the "outing" of CIA agent Plame. In July.
: "Senior intelligence officials said Monday that the CIA filed what they termed a ``crime report'' with the Justice Department in late July, shortly after syndicated columnist Robert Novak, citing two unnamed administration sources, identified Wilson's wife by name. The CIA report pointed to a ``possible violation of federal criminal law involving the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.''"As you read about this story, remember, the CIA first asked the Justice Department to look into this in July. So in the months since July the Bush administration did nothing, not even asking staffers to preserve documents. What kind of investigation do you think this Justice Department is conducting?
Hating Davis
Here's an e-mail I sent to my wife, for the kid in her office who "hates Davis" because his tuition went up:
For those who don't know about California, the budget requires a 2/3 vote in the legislature to pass. The Republicans have just enough votes to block any tax increases, so the budget was balanced almost entirely with spending cuts. The Democrats wanted to raise taxes on upper incomes and corporations and the Republicans refused to allow any tax increases, even to pay for education. So they cut the state college budgets, which required tuition increases. (The Republicans even tried to eliminate 100,000 kids from Kindergarten.) You can look this up, it is what happened.
Repeat - Governor Davis tried to STOP the spending cuts that led to the tuition increases. The Republicans forced this to happen. Arnold says he will cut more spending if elected. He says the government spends too much. The only alternative to the government spending is raising tuition and other fees that regular people pay.
Cutting spending means increasing tuition, and other fees that regular people pay.
Cutting spending means cutting services that regular people use - like police and fire and health care and road repair and even having enough people at the DMV to keep the lines from getting really long.
Cutting spending means laying of government workers, which means even more people looking for work.
Arnold and McClintock, the Republican candidates, are calling for spending cuts. Much of the state's budget goes to education. There are limits on how much they can cut K-12 so those cuts will be from the colleges. If Republicans get in office this kid's tuition is going to skyrocket!
If you support a candidate who wants to "cut spending" please find out WHAT spending they mean!
For those who don't know about California, the budget requires a 2/3 vote in the legislature to pass. The Republicans have just enough votes to block any tax increases, so the budget was balanced almost entirely with spending cuts. The Democrats wanted to raise taxes on upper incomes and corporations and the Republicans refused to allow any tax increases, even to pay for education. So they cut the state college budgets, which required tuition increases. (The Republicans even tried to eliminate 100,000 kids from Kindergarten.) You can look this up, it is what happened.
Repeat - Governor Davis tried to STOP the spending cuts that led to the tuition increases. The Republicans forced this to happen. Arnold says he will cut more spending if elected. He says the government spends too much. The only alternative to the government spending is raising tuition and other fees that regular people pay.
Cutting spending means increasing tuition, and other fees that regular people pay.
Cutting spending means cutting services that regular people use - like police and fire and health care and road repair and even having enough people at the DMV to keep the lines from getting really long.
Cutting spending means laying of government workers, which means even more people looking for work.
Arnold and McClintock, the Republican candidates, are calling for spending cuts. Much of the state's budget goes to education. There are limits on how much they can cut K-12 so those cuts will be from the colleges. If Republicans get in office this kid's tuition is going to skyrocket!
If you support a candidate who wants to "cut spending" please find out WHAT spending they mean!
Hates Davis
My wife was telling me about a young guy at work who is going to vote for Arnold because he "hates Davis."
Why does he hate Davis? Because his tuition went up.
For those who don't know about California, the budget requires a 2/3 vote to pass. The Republicans have just enough votes to block any tax increases, so the budget was balanced almost entirely with cuts. Cuts to state colleges required tuition increases. (The Republicans even tried to eliminate 100,000 kids from Kindergarten.) Also, Arnold and McClintock, the Republican candidates, are calling for budget cuts. Much of the budget is education. There are limits on how much they can cut K-12 so those cuts will be from the colleges. If Republicans get in office this kid's tuition is going to skyrocket!
THIS is how our media informs our citizens.
Why does he hate Davis? Because his tuition went up.
For those who don't know about California, the budget requires a 2/3 vote to pass. The Republicans have just enough votes to block any tax increases, so the budget was balanced almost entirely with cuts. Cuts to state colleges required tuition increases. (The Republicans even tried to eliminate 100,000 kids from Kindergarten.) Also, Arnold and McClintock, the Republican candidates, are calling for budget cuts. Much of the budget is education. There are limits on how much they can cut K-12 so those cuts will be from the colleges. If Republicans get in office this kid's tuition is going to skyrocket!
THIS is how our media informs our citizens.
Poor, Persecuted Right Wingnuts
This just came in my e-mail, from Heritage Foundation's TownHall.com. (Just to show how closely linked they are -- TowhHall.org is the Republican National Committee.)
To: Conservative FriendsYes, those poor, persecuted right wingnuts. "Liberals" (Jews) are killing Christ (Bush).
From: Human Events
Re: Liberals are Waging War...against Christianity!
Yours FREE when you subscribe to Human Events
Dear Fellow Conservative,
Open your eyes -- it’s happening right now...Christians are increasingly being driven from public life, denied their First Amendment rights, and even actively discriminated against for their beliefs.
In Persecution, a relentless exposé of political correctness run amok, bestselling author David Limbaugh rips apart the liberal hypocrisy that condones selective mistreatment of Christians in the mainstream media, Hollywood, our schools and universities, and throughout our public life.
In the name of “diversity,” “tolerance,” “multiculturalism,” and “sex education,” the social engineers actively indoctrinate hatred of Christianity as ignorant, repressive, and offensive - caring not at all about the beliefs of most parents whose tax dollars support the public schools.
etc...
10/01/2003
Why Did They Wait?
Two months ago the CIA agent was named by "two senior Bush administration officials." THAT was the time for administration outrage. But not a word, and certainly no action.
Yesterday, only in response to press attention, the Bush administration launched an internal investigation. Brad DeLong has this to say:
Yesterday, only in response to press attention, the Bush administration launched an internal investigation. Brad DeLong has this to say:
"The moment for an internal investigation was two months ago. The moral and ethical measure of these statesmen has already been taken. "
What The Right Is Saying
Just to keep tabs - here's a right-wing blogger's postings about the Plame scandal. Prepare yourself - it seems that smearing Wilson (the agent's husband) as being anti-war makes everything OK. Almost the whole post is smears against the agent's husband, as if that has ANYthing to do with ANYthing. (When you read this remember that her husband was a Reagan appointee.)
Note also that there's a tone of smearing the CIA. What's that all about? Somehow the CIA has become the enemy of the right, similar to how they feel about the UN? Remember - ANYone who opposes The Party is subject to the treatment.
Note also that there's a tone of smearing the CIA. What's that all about? Somehow the CIA has become the enemy of the right, similar to how they feel about the UN? Remember - ANYone who opposes The Party is subject to the treatment.
What The Press Is Concerned About
Almost all mainstream news coverage of this Valeria Plame scandal has been in terms of the POLITICS of the story! I hear that "the Democrats see a political opportunity." I hear that it "threatens Bush." Even a BBC report I heard yesterday said that Democrats are speakling up "because they smell blood."
What about the danger to the country? What about right and wrong? What about the danger this woman and every contact she has had for decades was exposed to? These do not seem to be the concerns of our mainstream press. WE do not seem to be the concerns of our mainstream press.
What about the danger to the country? What about right and wrong? What about the danger this woman and every contact she has had for decades was exposed to? These do not seem to be the concerns of our mainstream press. WE do not seem to be the concerns of our mainstream press.
Understanding The Motive
This might help you understand what's behind the "Valerie Plame CIA employee" scandal - as well as why so many are afraid to go up against The Party. From Why Are These Men Laughing? by Ron Suskind, Esquire, January, 2003:
And now that The Party is threatened - for almost the first time in many years - with having to face some consequences for its actions, the hardball really starts. You think you have seen smears? You think you have seen lying?
"Eventually, I met with Rove. I arrived at his office a few minutes early, just in time to witness the Rove Treatment, which, like LBJ's famous browbeating style, is becoming legend but is seldom reported. Rove's assistant, Susan Ralston, said he'd be just a minute. She's very nice, witty and polite. Over her shoulder was a small back room where a few young men were toiling away. I squeezed into a chair near the open door to Rove's modest chamber, my back against his doorframe.You cross The Party, they will fuck you. Doesn't matter if it involves outing an undercover CIA agent who is working on tracking down weapons of mass destruction. It doesn't matter if it means burning every organization or individual that provided her with cover over the years, and exposing every informant she had and risking their execution, exposing the agent herself and every other undercover operative she was ever seen meeting with (not to mention anyone ELSE she was ever seen meeting with) to great danger. And never mind the weapons of mass destruction she was tracking down. This is much more important - this is about fucking you for crossing The Party.
Inside, Rove was talking to an aide about some political stratagem in some state that had gone awry and a political operative who had displeased him. I paid it no mind and reviewed a jotted list of questions I hoped to ask. But after a moment, it was like ignoring a tornado flinging parked cars. 'We will fuck him. Do you hear me? We will fuck him. We will ruin him. Like no one has ever fucked him!' As a reporter, you get around -- curse words, anger, passionate intensity are not notable events -- but the ferocity, the bellicosity, the violent imputations were, well, shocking. This went on without a break for a minute or two. "
And now that The Party is threatened - for almost the first time in many years - with having to face some consequences for its actions, the hardball really starts. You think you have seen smears? You think you have seen lying?
9/30/2003
Californians - Take A Look At Garrett Gruener for Governor
If you're in California, take a look at Garrett Gruener for Governor. He should be getting more exposure in this election! (I am acquainted with Garrett from a previous job.)
9/29/2003
COVER UP!
So it's going to be another cover-up. White House Rejects Independent Counsel for Leak:
"The White House on Monday rejected Democratic demands that an independent counsel be appointed to find out who leaked secret information apparently aimed at discrediting a vocal critic of prewar intelligence on Iraq."There is no law.
Party Over Country
Bush Aides Say They'll Cooperate With Probe Into Intelligence Leak (washingtonpost.com):
"But the aides said Bush has no plans to ask his staff members whether they played a role in revealing the name of an undercover officer who is married to former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, one of the most visible critics of Bush's handling of intelligence about Iraq."Party over country. Every single f*&king time.
9/28/2003
Party Over Country
There have been some who doubted that the Bush administration operates to benefit The Party rather than the country. The latest news in the scandal over the "outing" of a covert CIA agent will show them they have been wrong about that. This story, Bush Administration Is Focus of Inquiry (washingtonpost.com) reveals that "two top White House officials" outed an undercover agent whose job was to stop weapons of mass destruction from coming into the U.S. They did this because her husband had embarrassed Bush by revealing that his claim that Iraq was close to having nukes was a lie.:
However, The Party controls the White House, the Congress, the Justice Department, much of the Federal Court System, and almost all other agencies of our government that might otherwise be able to bring some oversight and accountability -- and the press has mostly ignored what has been going on -- and they have been successful at blocking every investigation, even things as big as investigations of intelligence failures that led to 9/11. Let me repeat that: The Party has successfully blocked every inquiry into possibly unethical or criminal or other embarrassing activities. They have operated with absolute impunity. Even things as small as an inquiry into who met with Cheney's energy task force (remember how they forced public the records of Hillary's health care task force?) Even investigations of Bush's insider trading at Harken Oil, and the cover-up by his father's SEC. Even of their involvement with Enron. Even of the no-bid contracts awarded to contributors and cronies. Even of Cheney's continuing ties to Haliburton. Even of their hiring of felons, convicted of crimes of subverting our government. This list could go on and on...
Party over country. This time, absolute proof.
"Yesterday, a senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. Wilson had just revealed that the CIA had sent him to Niger last year to look into the uranium claim and that he had found no evidence to back up the charge. Wilson's account touched off a political fracas over Bush's use of intelligence as he made the case for attacking Iraq.The investigation -- if The Party doesn't block it -- might reveal how many of her foreign contacts have been imprisoned or executed as a result of this leak. It might reveal how many WMD purchases occurred because of this leak.
"Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge," the senior official said of the alleged leak.
Sources familiar with the conversations said the leakers were seeking to undercut Wilson's credibility. "
However, The Party controls the White House, the Congress, the Justice Department, much of the Federal Court System, and almost all other agencies of our government that might otherwise be able to bring some oversight and accountability -- and the press has mostly ignored what has been going on -- and they have been successful at blocking every investigation, even things as big as investigations of intelligence failures that led to 9/11. Let me repeat that: The Party has successfully blocked every inquiry into possibly unethical or criminal or other embarrassing activities. They have operated with absolute impunity. Even things as small as an inquiry into who met with Cheney's energy task force (remember how they forced public the records of Hillary's health care task force?) Even investigations of Bush's insider trading at Harken Oil, and the cover-up by his father's SEC. Even of their involvement with Enron. Even of the no-bid contracts awarded to contributors and cronies. Even of Cheney's continuing ties to Haliburton. Even of their hiring of felons, convicted of crimes of subverting our government. This list could go on and on...
Party over country. This time, absolute proof.
9/27/2003
9/24/2003
Arnold
Robert Scheer found this quote in an article interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger, at Salon.com | Family values, down the toilet:
Republicans!
''As we were rehearsing, I saw this toilet bowl,' says Schwarzenegger, an impish smile crossing his face. 'How many times do you get away with this -- to take a woman, grab her upside down, and bury her face in a toilet bowl? I wanted to have something floating in there,' he adds. Apparently, he was vetoed. 'They thought it was my typical Schwarzenegger overboard,' he says. 'The thing is, you can do it, because in the end, I didn't do it to a woman -- she's a machine! We could get away with it without being crucified by who-knows-what group.' (Note to California's Democratic strategists: The soccer-mom set is now yours for the taking!)' "So Arnold relishes the opportunity to "get away with this."
Republicans!
VOTING MACHINES ALERT!
If you try to go to Black Box Voting's web page you see this, apparently put up by their ISP:
Apparently Diebold has gotten Bev Harris's website provider to shut down her page!
Update - Bev is up at Blackboxvoting.com!
This is BIG NEWS and should be circulated widely!NOTICE
Due to a dispute with Diebold, Incorporated, and its wholly owned subsidiary Diebold Election Systems, Inc. (collectively 'Diebold'), which is claiming links to certain materials that do not reside on the blackboxvoting.org website constitute copyright infringement, blackboxvoting.org has been temporarily disabled.
We regret any inconvenience this may cause visitors and journalists to the blackboxvoting.org site and hope to have this matter resolved shortly.
In the interim, send questions or information requests to webmaster@gatorgraphics.net."
Apparently Diebold has gotten Bev Harris's website provider to shut down her page!
Update - Bev is up at Blackboxvoting.com!
9/23/2003
Another Voting Machines Story
Global Eye -- Vanishing Act:
"Who's behind these private companies? It's hard to tell: The corporate lines -- even the bloodlines -- of these 'competitors' are so intricately mixed. For example, at Diebold -- whose corporate chief, Wally O'Dell, a top Bush fundraiser, has publicly committed himself to 'delivering' his home state's votes to Bush next year -- the election division is run by Bob Urosevich. Bob's brother, Todd, is a top executive at 'rival' ES&S. The brothers were originally staked in the vote-count business by Howard Ahmanson, a member of the Council for National Policy, a right-wing 'steering group' stacked with Bushist faithful.
Ahmanson is also one of the bagmen behind the extremist 'Christian Reconstructionist' movement, which openly advocates a theocratic takeover of American democracy, placing the entire society under the 'dominion' of 'Christ the King.' This 'dominion' includes the death penalty for homosexuals, exclusion of citizenship for non-Christians, stoning of sinners and -- we kid you not -- slavery, 'one of the most beneficent of Biblical laws.'
Ahmanson also has major holdings in ES&S, whose former CEO is Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. When Hagel ran for office, his own company counted the votes; needless to say, his initial victory was reported as 'an amazing upset.' Hagel still has a million-dollar stake in the parent company of ES&S. In Florida, Jeb Bush's first choice for a running mate in his 1998 gubernatorial race was ES&S lobbyist Sandra Mortham, who made a mint installing the machines that counted Jeb's votes."
Voting Machines
At Salon today, An open invitation to election fraud:
"Not only is the country's leading touch-screen voting system so badly designed that votes can be easily changed, but its manufacturer is run by a die-hard GOP donor who vowed to deliver his state for Bush next year."
Clark
Despite his early lead, Clark is still untested Poll reveals a few strengths:
"Democrats haven't been drawn to retired general Wesley Clark because of his detailed policy positions. He doesn't have any."
Afghan Massacre
There is a documentary available describing what may have happened to 3,000 Afghan prisoners. There is a five-minute trailer for the documentary online at Afghan Massacre - acftv.
This film exposes the deaths of thousands of Afghans who had surrendered to Americas Allies after the siege of Kunduz. Eye witnesses tell of the disposal of the bodies in an operation controlled by American Special Forces.BuzzFlash interviews the producer-director of this documentary.
Kerry Comes Out Against Unions
Kerry Attacks Rival Dean Over Protectionism:
Next I suppose he'll make a bold statement by hiring telemarketers from India, as Bush did, to make calls on behalf of his campaign.
In the past year I have moved from being a big Kerry supporter, to being disillusioned with Kerry, to discovering Dean but saying I think Kerry would be a great president, to thinking Kerry's way out of touch and should retire. With this statement by Kerry I'm wondering what kind of morons he is surrounding himself with, and why he listens to them and what positions he is willing to hold on to out of principle. I don't want to use the 'M' word to describe the man himself - the man who once headed up VietNam Veterans Against the War and who brought to light the CIA's possible trade in cocaine - but he's pushing me there.
"Speaking in Detroit, Mr. Kerry said that Dr. Dean and Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, who have staked out traditional pro-labor positions on trade, were pandering to unions and advocating a 'retreat from the global economy.'"Yep, that's the way to win the Democratic nomination. Come out against unions and workers.
Next I suppose he'll make a bold statement by hiring telemarketers from India, as Bush did, to make calls on behalf of his campaign.
In the past year I have moved from being a big Kerry supporter, to being disillusioned with Kerry, to discovering Dean but saying I think Kerry would be a great president, to thinking Kerry's way out of touch and should retire. With this statement by Kerry I'm wondering what kind of morons he is surrounding himself with, and why he listens to them and what positions he is willing to hold on to out of principle. I don't want to use the 'M' word to describe the man himself - the man who once headed up VietNam Veterans Against the War and who brought to light the CIA's possible trade in cocaine - but he's pushing me there.
9/22/2003
Campaign School
Check out Campaign School. This is Dean-oriented, but it's useful regardless of who you support. Do you know about GOTV?
Info On The Right
TBOGG has a post about the Bradley Foundation today. Go take a read. This is important stuff. I have some stuff coming soon along these lines.
Here's a previous piece, Some History of the Conservative Movement.
Here's a previous piece, Some History of the Conservative Movement.
Click The Bat
Click the bat over there on the left of this page. Scroll down. Under the picture I have a message for you.
9/21/2003
It's That Time Again
It's the last ten days of the quarter. The Dean campaign has set a goal of raising $5 million over the Internet before September 30. This will make history, and will make news. Over on the left of Seeing the Forest you'll see the Dean "Bat" indicator, showing their progress, until the end of the month. Click on the Bat picture and you'll be taken to my Dean fundraising page. I'm trying to raise $2000. Please contribute, even if it is only $5.
Getting Rid Of Public Schools
This Washington Post commentary, No Illusion Left Behind explains how Bush's much-touted education bill is actually a Trojan Horse designed to destroy public schools by 2014. This People For the American Way study, Voucher Veneer: The Deeper Agenda to Privatize Public Education, shows that privatization has been the agenda behind "vouchers" all along, so don't be surprised that Bush has slipped a time bomb into a bill they said would strengthen public schools.
How many Democrats voted for Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act? Did they even read it?
How many Democrats voted for Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act? Did they even read it?
Here It Comes
Iraq to Open Most of Economy to Investors:
The wide-ranging reforms, undoing years of rigid control of the economy imposed by Saddam's one-party rule, will permit the sell-off of Iraq's numerous state-owned companies to foreigners and introduce new taxes.Get it? Who will decide the price to sell off Iraq's assets - factories, banks, etc.? And who get's to bid? And why is this happening BEFORE Iraq elects a government of its own? As if I need to answer those questions.
[. . .]
Al-Gailani said the reforms would be implemented in the near future. He pledged Iraq would "allow up to 100 percent foreign ownership in all sectors except natural resources."
9/20/2003
Talking About Race
Was Dean correct when he said he is the only white politician who talks about race to white audiences? From Dean Faces Uphill Battle in Courting S.C. Blacks:
"Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) fired off a statement on his chats with audiences about marching with Martin Luther King Jr. Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) released a statement about growing up in the segregated South, watching black people get shoved aside for jobs, education and health care.Lieberman only makes Dean's point -- as if talking about having walked with MLK is talking about race. Earlier Edwards said he talks about civil rights, which again makes Dean's point. Edwards words it differently here, and does a much better job -- here he's starting to talk about race, not civil rights -- but because of his earlier response it feels like someone explained it to him. Kucinich gets it, except I've heard Dean talk about these things.
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio) appeared to be more upset than the rest. 'We hit the roof when we heard that,' said Jeff Cohen, Kucinich's campaign spokesman. 'I think Dean's deluded. Representative Kucinich brings up racial issues that Dean hasn't even touched. He talks about the racially biased death penalty at campaign stop after campaign stop. He talks about the drug war and the racially unjust 'three strikes you're out' law."
9/19/2003
Too Ugly?
I've been fiddling with things, trying to make Seeing the Forest more readable. Have I made it better, or is it too ugly now?
I'll be investigating new templates, and maybe Movable Type instead of Blogger...
I'll be investigating new templates, and maybe Movable Type instead of Blogger...
Subscribing to Seeing the Forest
You can subscribe to Seeing the Forest, and receive a daily e-mail with links to and summaries of that day's posts, at Bloglet. It is very convenient, and speeds up your day.
To subscribe, scroll down until you see the following on the left. For now you can just use the following.
To subscribe, scroll down until you see the following on the left. For now you can just use the following.
AOL Bribes The Right
Newsday.com: AOL to Buy Post for a Day to Plug New Service
The unusual move also is designed to draw attention to a free concert by the Dave Matthews Band in Central Park to benefit New York City public schools; it is underwritten by AOL.The right wing New York Post? All it draws attention to for me is that AOL-Time-Warner is giving a huge wad of cash to the right - just as the Congress is considering replealing the FCC's media consolidation decision.
No Smallpox
U.S. weapons hunters find no evidence Iraq had smallpox.
No weapons of mass destruction?
No al-Queda link?
No nuclear bombs?
Then what did Iraq have?
No weapons of mass destruction?
No al-Queda link?
No nuclear bombs?
Then what did Iraq have?
Operation Beat Hasty Retreat
The other day in What They're Going To Do I wrote, "It's starting to look to me like the Bush adminstration is going to simply declare victory in Iraq and go home soon.
Billmon agrees.
Billmon agrees.
9/18/2003
Show Up At Democratic Party Meetings
The comments following this post at Brad DeLong's weblog are talking about Eric Alterman's words about Ralph Nader, which I wrote about earlier. Nader had said he wanted to throw the election to Bush to "force" the Democrats to move to the left. I left a comment:
There IS a way to "force" the Democratic party to the left and that is to show up at meetings and vote. That's all there is to it. That's how the Christian Right has taken over the Republican Party, so you can see for yourself how effective it can be.
The Democratic Party is nothing more than who shows up and votes. It is not some "they" who run everything and work with corporations and decide who does what and where. You show up at your county meetings and you VOTE and that's all there is to it.
Imagine if instead of leaving the party, the Greens had done THAT! Where would we be today? Where would the country be today?
And by the way, people reading this, have YOU been to YOUR local Democratic club, or county central committee meetings? Try it. You'll be surprised.
Go here, look for "Get Local" and choose your state.
There IS a way to "force" the Democratic party to the left and that is to show up at meetings and vote. That's all there is to it. That's how the Christian Right has taken over the Republican Party, so you can see for yourself how effective it can be.
The Democratic Party is nothing more than who shows up and votes. It is not some "they" who run everything and work with corporations and decide who does what and where. You show up at your county meetings and you VOTE and that's all there is to it.
Imagine if instead of leaving the party, the Greens had done THAT! Where would we be today? Where would the country be today?
And by the way, people reading this, have YOU been to YOUR local Democratic club, or county central committee meetings? Try it. You'll be surprised.
Go here, look for "Get Local" and choose your state.
DNC Weblog
I pointed to the new Democratic National Committee weblog, DNC: Kicking Ass, yesterday. But I wanted to point to it again today. Good work!
I'll Just Steal It
I'm going to just steal something from Altercation, instead of quoting pieces of it. Here it is, just to piss off all my Green friends:
"FINE GREEN WHINESUpdate - All I had to do was scroll down and I would have seen that I wasn't stealing the whole thing... So go read the rest.
Speaking of people who need their (metaphorical) butts kicked, but good, Ralph Nader whines, “Old-timers years ago would have wondered what the Mayor means by marketing NYC. Cities were viewed more benignly when they were more livable, more employable at good wages, more replete with public institutions like good libraries, good public transit, good schools, good hospitals and clinics and good recreational facilities in the neighborhoods. New York City is crumbling on these measurements.”
Hey Ralph, no one, and I mean no one on the planet, is more responsible for the deterioration in the quality of life of my city than you are, bud. All you had to do was say, “I ran a great race and thanks for your support but this guy Bush is scary. Vote for Al, not me and we’ll we what we can get at the bargaining table….” But no, you wanted to elect Bush. And you did. Congrats."
Clark -- A Comment I Left
I left a comment about Clark's candidacy over at annatopia. Here it is (heavily edited to make me look better.)
I think Clark's a great guy, and if he's giving Dean's speech that's all the better. Clark is for the Washington-type people who think that image and perception are the ONLY thing that matters. And as far as it DOES matter it's great to have a 4-star general out there supporting everything Dean is saying. Because that alone gets rid of the "McGovern" problem. THE non-McGovern says the same things as Dean does.
But in my opinion Clark can't win the nomination. The Washington/Perception/Image people hope that just having a general running will cause everyone to rush away from Dean and over to Clark. I just don't see it happening. Dean is about substance, issues, honesty and respecting the public. And THAT is what is driving Dean. The people behind Clark (not Clark himself) are not about that - they are about presenting an image, and essentially using it to trick the public. It's the very same people who screwed up Gore in 2000 by stopping him from speaking his mind and making him act like a phony. I mean the very same individual people that screwed up the Gore campaign are running the Clark campaign.
I think Dean is inoculating the body politic against that sort of thing now. He is speaking frankly, he is involving the public in his campaign, he is actually speaking about the issues that matter and talking about the reality of what has to be done - previously forbidden in politics - and he is acting like an adult. This is inoculating the public against the phony, poll- and consultant-driven conventional wisdom of campaigning.
And Clark doesn't even HAVE positions on issues - at least that I know about, and I am heavily following these things. I mean he probably does but they are not articulated, or known, or on his web site, etc... and issues will drive this primary. He can't have thought through the issues, or even be aware of all the issues that matter - and if he WAS aware and HAD thought them through he would have been spending a lot more time publicly talking about his ideas. So he doesn't have time or experience to formulate the issues into policies. He doesn't have the background of public office to translate the issues into realistic positions that reflect the needs of the nation.
Clark also doesn't have experience delivering a stump speech six or seven times a day. He doesn't have the background of dealing with crowds, and crowds of reporters, and all the other things that make a campaign. Put simply, he doesn't have ANY experience in politics and that is no place to be coming from and running for President. Especially THIS campaign, with Dean in the race, raising more than any previous Democratic primary candidagte, with his HUGE well-organized base of support. It will show. He can't win the nomination.
But if he does win the nomination and win the Presidency the country will be better off than it is now by far. He is a good man, he is on the right side, he clearly has the right instincts and certainly has a background of leadership.
Those are my thoughts.
I think Clark's a great guy, and if he's giving Dean's speech that's all the better. Clark is for the Washington-type people who think that image and perception are the ONLY thing that matters. And as far as it DOES matter it's great to have a 4-star general out there supporting everything Dean is saying. Because that alone gets rid of the "McGovern" problem. THE non-McGovern says the same things as Dean does.
But in my opinion Clark can't win the nomination. The Washington/Perception/Image people hope that just having a general running will cause everyone to rush away from Dean and over to Clark. I just don't see it happening. Dean is about substance, issues, honesty and respecting the public. And THAT is what is driving Dean. The people behind Clark (not Clark himself) are not about that - they are about presenting an image, and essentially using it to trick the public. It's the very same people who screwed up Gore in 2000 by stopping him from speaking his mind and making him act like a phony. I mean the very same individual people that screwed up the Gore campaign are running the Clark campaign.
I think Dean is inoculating the body politic against that sort of thing now. He is speaking frankly, he is involving the public in his campaign, he is actually speaking about the issues that matter and talking about the reality of what has to be done - previously forbidden in politics - and he is acting like an adult. This is inoculating the public against the phony, poll- and consultant-driven conventional wisdom of campaigning.
And Clark doesn't even HAVE positions on issues - at least that I know about, and I am heavily following these things. I mean he probably does but they are not articulated, or known, or on his web site, etc... and issues will drive this primary. He can't have thought through the issues, or even be aware of all the issues that matter - and if he WAS aware and HAD thought them through he would have been spending a lot more time publicly talking about his ideas. So he doesn't have time or experience to formulate the issues into policies. He doesn't have the background of public office to translate the issues into realistic positions that reflect the needs of the nation.
Clark also doesn't have experience delivering a stump speech six or seven times a day. He doesn't have the background of dealing with crowds, and crowds of reporters, and all the other things that make a campaign. Put simply, he doesn't have ANY experience in politics and that is no place to be coming from and running for President. Especially THIS campaign, with Dean in the race, raising more than any previous Democratic primary candidagte, with his HUGE well-organized base of support. It will show. He can't win the nomination.
But if he does win the nomination and win the Presidency the country will be better off than it is now by far. He is a good man, he is on the right side, he clearly has the right instincts and certainly has a background of leadership.
Those are my thoughts.
9/17/2003
From A Soldier
Paths of Glory Lead to a Soldier's Doubt - a moving testimony from one soldier in Iraq.
THE Follow-Up Question
Today Bush admitted "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th."
Combine that with the fact that it looks like there have not been any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq for 12 years, and one of these days maybe some reporter will ask Bush the obvious follow-up question:
Then why, Mr. President, DID we go to war with Iraq?
Combine that with the fact that it looks like there have not been any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq for 12 years, and one of these days maybe some reporter will ask Bush the obvious follow-up question:
Then why, Mr. President, DID we go to war with Iraq?
Pensions
Someone wrote me a message about this commentary talking about the "social contract." I replied:
Something that the public doesn't understand yet - the huge deficits that the government is running now means that we likely will not be able to get Social Security and Medicare when we retire. That money is going out now, mostly as tax cuts, military spending increases, and to the war in Iraq.
And there's another factor at work. Companies used to provide pensions - the company sets aside money for the employee's retirement. It's called a "defined benefit" system. But in the early 80's the government passed the 401K idea. That means that the employee is supposed to set aside the money, not the company. It's called a "defined contribution" system. Some companies also put some money in as "matching contributions," where they match some percentage of the money an employee puts in, but that is happening less and less often.
So where did that money go that used to be set aside for employee pensions? The great stock run-up started at the same time. (Because money that used to go to pensions was now reported as profits.) So in essence what happened was that all the pensions of people from then on instead went to the owners of stocks. (Almost all stock is owned by the top few percent of wealthy people.) One of the great Reagan tricks from the 80's that people still haven't figured out - employee pensions were instead handed off to the really, really rich.
And, of course, many employees are not setting aside enough money in these plans - 401K plans are usually only in larger companies and IRAs don't let you put very much away - for their own retirement. Not to mention the amount of money in 401K plans and IRAs that went away in the crash. So along with the problem of the deficits risking wiping out the government's ability to pay our Social Security and Medicare, few people are saving enough to provide for their retirement.
BUT WAIT -- there's more. Those companies that DO still have pension plans are in trouble. During the stock boom the value of their pension funds was going up, so they stopped putting money into the pension plans. And then the market dropped, and the companies found themselves way short of what is supposed to be in the pensions plans and do not have money to put into the plans to make up the difference. This is called "underfunded" pension plans. If you go to Google and search for that, you'll see what's going on. (Really, look at a few pages of the Google listings.)
This problem is so bad that several large companies are technically nearly insolvent, if they had to report this shortfall. But the government is doing a few things to keep this under wraps because of the damage this could do to the economy. Currently the government is allowing these companies to pretend they are getting 5%, 6%, even 10% return on their pension holdings, as a way of letting them off the hook until things get better. But, of course, they are not getting that kind of a return right now. AND when they have to put money into the plans, this money comes out of profits, so these companies will see their stock values drop, and this will bring the market down more, which means they are even MORE underfunded in the pension plans...
Several state pension plans are also in trouble.
Something that the public doesn't understand yet - the huge deficits that the government is running now means that we likely will not be able to get Social Security and Medicare when we retire. That money is going out now, mostly as tax cuts, military spending increases, and to the war in Iraq.
And there's another factor at work. Companies used to provide pensions - the company sets aside money for the employee's retirement. It's called a "defined benefit" system. But in the early 80's the government passed the 401K idea. That means that the employee is supposed to set aside the money, not the company. It's called a "defined contribution" system. Some companies also put some money in as "matching contributions," where they match some percentage of the money an employee puts in, but that is happening less and less often.
So where did that money go that used to be set aside for employee pensions? The great stock run-up started at the same time. (Because money that used to go to pensions was now reported as profits.) So in essence what happened was that all the pensions of people from then on instead went to the owners of stocks. (Almost all stock is owned by the top few percent of wealthy people.) One of the great Reagan tricks from the 80's that people still haven't figured out - employee pensions were instead handed off to the really, really rich.
And, of course, many employees are not setting aside enough money in these plans - 401K plans are usually only in larger companies and IRAs don't let you put very much away - for their own retirement. Not to mention the amount of money in 401K plans and IRAs that went away in the crash. So along with the problem of the deficits risking wiping out the government's ability to pay our Social Security and Medicare, few people are saving enough to provide for their retirement.
BUT WAIT -- there's more. Those companies that DO still have pension plans are in trouble. During the stock boom the value of their pension funds was going up, so they stopped putting money into the pension plans. And then the market dropped, and the companies found themselves way short of what is supposed to be in the pensions plans and do not have money to put into the plans to make up the difference. This is called "underfunded" pension plans. If you go to Google and search for that, you'll see what's going on. (Really, look at a few pages of the Google listings.)
This problem is so bad that several large companies are technically nearly insolvent, if they had to report this shortfall. But the government is doing a few things to keep this under wraps because of the damage this could do to the economy. Currently the government is allowing these companies to pretend they are getting 5%, 6%, even 10% return on their pension holdings, as a way of letting them off the hook until things get better. But, of course, they are not getting that kind of a return right now. AND when they have to put money into the plans, this money comes out of profits, so these companies will see their stock values drop, and this will bring the market down more, which means they are even MORE underfunded in the pension plans...
Several state pension plans are also in trouble.
"As of last year, 79 percent of state pension plans were underfunded, up from 51 percent in 2001 and 31 percent in 2000, according to a survey of 123 state plans by Wilshire Associates of Santa Monica, Calif."It really, really does matter who you elect.
"Likely"
Yahoo! News - Congress Watchdog Warns on Budget Deficit:
Do we have the reporters we deserve?
"Earlier on Wednesday, the Treasury said in its August budget statement that the year-to-date deficit was a record $400.46 billion dollars. With less than a month left in the fiscal year, the fiscal 2003 deficit will likely handily outstrip the previous record of $290 billion seen in 1992.""Likely." The deficit is ALREADY over $400 billion. Yes, it is likely that the deficit will break the previous record of $290 billion.
Do we have the reporters we deserve?
Good For Them!
Labor activists picket outsourcing event.
People in unions are paid more. They have better benefits. They have greater job security. Have YOU thought about joining a union?
People in unions are paid more. They have better benefits. They have greater job security. Have YOU thought about joining a union?
White House denies tying Iraq to September 11 attacks
White House denies tying Iraq to September 11 attacks.
His comments came a week after a public opinion poll found that nearly 70 percent of Americans believe that Saddam's regime, which US-led forces toppled in April, was linked to the attacks that prompted the global war on terrorism.Oh, please! GIVE. ME. A. BREAK. Not a pollster. JUST LAST SUNDAY Cheney said Iraq was tied to 9/11.
Asked how that could be, McClellan dismissively replied that he was not a pollster and could not explain those findings, but said Saddam had a "long history" of ties to terrorism.
"We learn more and more that there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda that stretched back through most of the decade of the (19)90s," he said in the interview.
On Sunday, Vice President Dick Cheney told NBC television "it's not surprising that people make that connection" and hinted at a growing body of evidence tying Saddam's regime to Osama bin Laden's network.My friend Ron says, "The most troubling quotes I read came from soldiers in Iraq ready to kill any Iraqi they saw to avenge 9/11. I dont care if he lied to me but to lie to the soldiers to ge them to fight thats beyond the pale." I replied, "Show that White House quote to soldiers with friends who died." Ron replied, "Imagine the rage a brave soldier will feel when he realizes how many fellow soldiers died or were seriously wounded because of this lie."
Democrats Weenie Out Again
Dems Scrap Plans To Look Into Claims White House Manipulated Intel On Iraqi Threat:
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE???!!!
Don't they get ANYTHING? Don't they take their jobs even a LITTLE bit seriously?
Both historically and politically this is THE most important question I can imagine. Historically, lying to the country in order to get us into a war -- what could be more serious? This MUST be investigated!
Politically, 70% of the public believes that Iraq was behind 9/11. Imagine what would happen to the Republican Party if the public came to understand that this is a lie, that they were tricked, that the Republicans USED the 9/11 tragedy for their own gain, that they DROPPED the war on terrorism to invade Iraq (and dropped doing what's needed to protect the public), that Iraq was NOT about terrorism, was NOT about weapons of mass destruction and was NOT about an imminent threat to the public? !!
Update - I left a nasty comment over at the DNC'S EXCELLENT NEW WEBLOG.
David Helfert, a spokesman for Congressman David Obey, D-Wisconsin, who criticized the White House for relying too heavily on murky intelligence to get support for the war, said Friday that Congressional Democrats would no longer pursue hearings on the intelligence matter.NO LONGER AN ISSUE????!!!!
"WeÂ’re past that," Helfert said, referring to the intelligence issue. "Those questions were eclipsed by the supplemental request by President Bush for $87 billion" to fund the Iraq war. "Congress is focusing on asking questions about the $87 billion, what it will be used for and whether itÂ’s worth it. It would be a good characterization to say that the intelligence questions on Iraq and how the President came to believe that it had weapons of mass destruction are no longer an issue."
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE???!!!
Don't they get ANYTHING? Don't they take their jobs even a LITTLE bit seriously?
Both historically and politically this is THE most important question I can imagine. Historically, lying to the country in order to get us into a war -- what could be more serious? This MUST be investigated!
Politically, 70% of the public believes that Iraq was behind 9/11. Imagine what would happen to the Republican Party if the public came to understand that this is a lie, that they were tricked, that the Republicans USED the 9/11 tragedy for their own gain, that they DROPPED the war on terrorism to invade Iraq (and dropped doing what's needed to protect the public), that Iraq was NOT about terrorism, was NOT about weapons of mass destruction and was NOT about an imminent threat to the public? !!
Update - I left a nasty comment over at the DNC'S EXCELLENT NEW WEBLOG.
What You'll Lose
I'm a little behind on this, but Nathan Newman has a weblog entry pointing out what we lose if California recalls the governor.
SBC DSL And Really, Really, Really, Really Bad Service
At home I have a cable modem, and I love it. It's fast and never has problems.
But at work we have DSL from SBC. It used to work OK, but in the last few months we have had intermittent service problems. All day long the connection is off and on. It will go off for a few seconds, then come back for a while. Sometimes it goes off for 10 second three times a minute. Sometimes it goes off for a minute, comes on for ten seconds, then goes out again. Like I said, this has been going on for months.
I call SBC tech support, and they "ping" the modem and tell me everything is working OK. We must have a virus. I e-mail tech support and get back a form letter telling us we must have a virus. They have a tech support chat room, but it never connects. For a while they took tech support off of their phone system, instead providing a message telling everyone they have a virus.
Yesterday I finally got through to a tech support person who cared, and spent quite a bit of time with her, working on this. It turns out we have a line problem. (Duh!) But after quite some time, she informed me that the "Line Department" refuses to "open a ticket" to fix intermittent line problems. New policy - they just don't fix intermittent line problems. Period. She said she went past procedure to talk to the line department at all and couldn't take this any further without risking her job.
Anyone reading this, don't get DSL. Try not to do business with SBC (except that they are the phone company here.) Get a cable modem - DSL sucks, and is much slower than cable. Pass this on.
But at work we have DSL from SBC. It used to work OK, but in the last few months we have had intermittent service problems. All day long the connection is off and on. It will go off for a few seconds, then come back for a while. Sometimes it goes off for 10 second three times a minute. Sometimes it goes off for a minute, comes on for ten seconds, then goes out again. Like I said, this has been going on for months.
I call SBC tech support, and they "ping" the modem and tell me everything is working OK. We must have a virus. I e-mail tech support and get back a form letter telling us we must have a virus. They have a tech support chat room, but it never connects. For a while they took tech support off of their phone system, instead providing a message telling everyone they have a virus.
Yesterday I finally got through to a tech support person who cared, and spent quite a bit of time with her, working on this. It turns out we have a line problem. (Duh!) But after quite some time, she informed me that the "Line Department" refuses to "open a ticket" to fix intermittent line problems. New policy - they just don't fix intermittent line problems. Period. She said she went past procedure to talk to the line department at all and couldn't take this any further without risking her job.
Anyone reading this, don't get DSL. Try not to do business with SBC (except that they are the phone company here.) Get a cable modem - DSL sucks, and is much slower than cable. Pass this on.
9/16/2003
Scam
This one's fun. This SPAM came in just now. I received another the other day, too...
Dear eBay User,DON'T ACTUALLY DO IT! It's a scam. I'm just posting it for your viewing pleasure. Note that the address you are taken to is NOT the address you see. They actually ask for your credit card number, Social Security number, birthday, password and PIN number!
During our regular udpate and verification of the accounts, we couldn't verify your current information. Either your information has changed or it is incomplete.
As a result, your access to bid or buy on Ebay has been restricted. To start using your eBay account fully, please update and verify your information by clicking below :
https://scgi.ebay.com/saw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?VerifyInformation
Regards,
eBay
**Please Do Not Reply To This E-Mail As You Will Not Receive A Responce**
Voting Machines
Here is where you can find the transcript, audio and video of yesterday's Lehrer Newshour segment on voting machines. I mentioned this yesterday.
Economy
The Federal Reserve decided today that the economy is in so much trouble that they had better keep interest rates at the lowest rates since 1958. In response the stock market posted its biggest gains in more than a month. n (Or maybe they see this as the Fed trying to pump up the economy at any cost before the next election.)
9/15/2003
What They're Going To Do
It's starting to look to me like the Bush adminstration is going to simply declare victory in Iraq and go home soon. The problems are growing, and the Bush people are not the type to stick with anything if it gets tough.
They will blame the resulting chaos and huge national security threat on Democrats "for insisting on bringing the troops home," which is, of course, a lie.
They will blame the resulting chaos and huge national security threat on Democrats "for insisting on bringing the troops home," which is, of course, a lie.
Excellent Voting Machines Story Coverage On The Jim Lehrer NewsHour
The Jim Lehrer NewsHour just finished an excellent story on the problems with electronic voting machines. It is likely to be repeated at different times on different stations, so look for it tonite! I believe that transcripts of the NewsHour will be available here soon as well.
More On Where Your Job Is Going
Zeitgeist: Backlash? You bet.
And you know what I always ask: "Who is our economy FOR?" It's a good question to repeat to others.
What exactly will it be that America does when the IT industry is destroyed?He has a great quote from Neal Stephenson's great book, Snow Crash.Almost all of our light manufacturing fled this country in the 70s and 80s. The US is clearly not a dominant manufacturer of automobiles anywhere except in America (and that's slipping fast). We don't have a viable steel or metals Industry any more. The vast majority of electronics in the world is built (and designed!) overseas
And now, with the implosion of the IT market thanks to a bunch of very clever, self-serving, short-sighted and fatally unpatriotic so-called "American" companies, the last of what could be described as America's home-grown talents is going away.
And you know what I always ask: "Who is our economy FOR?" It's a good question to repeat to others.
More Blatant Corruption
Through Atrios, we find this at Orcinus. The woman who started the Whitewater investigation as a partisan Republican operation to smear the 1992 Democratic Presidential candidate -- and was caught violating agency polices and perjuring herself -- is now appointed to a job as chief of staff in the traditionally nonpartisan Defense Department's inspector general office. Yes, she is now in charge of watching out for corruption in Defense Dept. contracts -- like the no-bid contracts being given to companies with ties to The Party and to cronies of the President and Vice President. (Not to mention $50 million bridge contracts awarded in spite of $300,000 bids from other companies.)
How much of the Defense budget is being funneled straight into the pockets of the Bush Crime Family? (Haliburton, Carlyle Group, etc.) How much is being funneled into The Party. (Remember, Bush is raising $170 million to campaign during the PRIMARIES - even though he has NO OPPOSITION.)
Here is the action question -- What are you doing about this? Are you telling people? Are you writing to people and letting them know they can get news at websites like BuzzFlash and Seeing the Forest? Are you registering people to vote? Have you committed to bring at least one new voter to the polls?
"The really germane question is this: How exactly did L. Jean Lewis rise suddenly from the ranks of minor RTC investigator to the overseer of a massive Defense Department bureau? What exactly were her qualifications? The ones she put on display for the RTC: Namely, ginning up scandals against Democrats, and covering up scandals against Republicans.Appointing an operative like this to the job of investigating corruption in the awarding of Defense contracts can ONLY mean one thing: THEY ARE STEALING MONEY. The Party knows it is operating with impunity now, and is becoming more overt and blatant with its corrupt practices. Just two more examples: The Party appoints CONVICTED FELONS John Poindexter and Elliott Abrams to key positions.
Where there is smoke, there is fire. If I were a Beltway reporter, I know I would be immediately sniffing around Lewis' department to figure just what kind of fraud vis a vis corporate dealings in Iraq she may now be in charge of covering up. Are there any real journalists left there?"
How much of the Defense budget is being funneled straight into the pockets of the Bush Crime Family? (Haliburton, Carlyle Group, etc.) How much is being funneled into The Party. (Remember, Bush is raising $170 million to campaign during the PRIMARIES - even though he has NO OPPOSITION.)
Here is the action question -- What are you doing about this? Are you telling people? Are you writing to people and letting them know they can get news at websites like BuzzFlash and Seeing the Forest? Are you registering people to vote? Have you committed to bring at least one new voter to the polls?
9/13/2003
Laid-Off Steel Workers Blaming CLinton
As Factory Jobs Disappear, Workers Have Few Options:
"Ask laid-off workers what is to blame for the woes, and they point to imports, low wages in China, the strong dollar, production moving overseas, President Bill Clinton for embracing the North American Free Trade Agreement and President Bush for focusing only recently on the crisis.This reminds me of the poor people in Alabama who voted to keep their taxes high and their schools unfunded so that the rich people in Alabama don't get a tax increase. Also reminds me of the 70% of Americans who believe Iraq is behind 9/11. There is a HUGE gap in the information you and I get, and the information that people out there in the mainstream of America get.
Robert White, a laid-off steelworker who voted for Mr. Bush three years ago, said: 'He's slowly getting his eyes awakened to what's going on. The air has been going out of the balloon for a long time, and he's trying to stop it. But the air is almost out of the balloon.' "
9/12/2003
Scoobie Davis / Buzzflash / Krugman
Scoobie Davis Online quotes a bit of the Buzzflash interview with Paul Krugman. Be sure to see it.
The Party Of The Confederacy
Republican poll seeks to identify Rebel flag supporters. The Republicans know who their voters are.
What I don't understand is why Democratic candidates, especially in the North, don't brand the Republicans as the Party of the Confederacy. No one in the North has any business voting for candidates from a party that supports, more and more openly, neo-Confederates.
What I don't understand is why Democratic candidates, especially in the North, don't brand the Republicans as the Party of the Confederacy. No one in the North has any business voting for candidates from a party that supports, more and more openly, neo-Confederates.
Voting Machines Story
Newsday.com - Gaffe Casts Doubts on Electronic Voting
Silicon Valley computer experts have long criticized touch-screen voting machines, which do not normally provide a paper receipt and which send digital votes directly to a computer server. Programmers say software bugs, power outages or clever hackers could easily delete or alter data -- and recounts would prove impossible without paper backups.
How The Right Spins
Take a look at this story, Jupiter homeowner faces foreclosure for flying U.S. flag.
What a terrible thing! What is our country coming to? A man is losing his home for flying the American flag! Those damn libruls!
The homeowner association had a rule against flagpoles. He knew about the rule and moved in anyway, violated the rule, and then refused to pay after a court ruled that homeowners associations have the right to make rules!
This reminds me of the right's tactic of saying a person is "arrested for praying" when the person was blocking a major intersection by sitting down in the middle of the street and shouting about Jesus. Or the right's tactic of saying people are forbidden from "praying in school" when teachers aren't allowed to try to convert the classes to one or another religion or version thereof. Anyone can pray whenever (not necessarily wherever) they want.
What a terrible thing! What is our country coming to? A man is losing his home for flying the American flag! Those damn libruls!
Defiant flag flier George Andres once again is facing the prospect of losing his Jupiter home after a Palm Beach County judge ruled Wednesday that his homeowners association could go forward with a foreclosure sale next month to collect legal fees.Wait a minute -- the headline said he was facing foreclosure for flying a flag, but the story says something else! He is facing foreclosure because he refuses to pay legal bills for refusing to go along with homeowner association rules.
The homeowner association had a rule against flagpoles. He knew about the rule and moved in anyway, violated the rule, and then refused to pay after a court ruled that homeowners associations have the right to make rules!
This reminds me of the right's tactic of saying a person is "arrested for praying" when the person was blocking a major intersection by sitting down in the middle of the street and shouting about Jesus. Or the right's tactic of saying people are forbidden from "praying in school" when teachers aren't allowed to try to convert the classes to one or another religion or version thereof. Anyone can pray whenever (not necessarily wherever) they want.
Big Voting Machines Story
See Scoop: Diebold Confirms U.S. Vote Count Vulnerabilities.
Read these e-mails from Diebold. Their ONLY concern is making the sale (of the voting machines), and if it involves hiding the security problems from the customer, so be it. If you have been in business, you will see in these e-mails that they are sales-driven, and you will be familiar with people with sales-driven attitudes. It's natural they will see anyone complaining about problems with their product as pests and threats.
The e-mails show they (and who else?) have known about security problems for ten years -- which means that ten years of elections handled by Diebold election machines are suspect.
Read these e-mails from Diebold. Their ONLY concern is making the sale (of the voting machines), and if it involves hiding the security problems from the customer, so be it. If you have been in business, you will see in these e-mails that they are sales-driven, and you will be familiar with people with sales-driven attitudes. It's natural they will see anyone complaining about problems with their product as pests and threats.
The e-mails show they (and who else?) have known about security problems for ten years -- which means that ten years of elections handled by Diebold election machines are suspect.
9/11/2003
Where Your Job Is Going
The Zeitgeist talks about where YOUR job is going, so your CEO can pocket more millions - and send a big check to The Party.
Who is our economy FOR?
Who is our economy FOR?
Voting Machines Issue Reaching Senators
Following is an e-mail from Senator Corzine, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. It reads like someone in Washington has heard that some people are upset about something to do with voting machines, didn't bother to find out WHAT people are upset about, but let's see if we can get them to contribute money.
But hey, it's still good news -- awareness of the voting machines issue IS penetrating to the top. One of these days they'll actually stop to learn what it is ABOUT the voting machines that is a problem!
Republicans have sunk to a stunning new low.Right, return the money you gave to the RNC and everything will be all right. Right. But what about fixing the machines with a voter-verified paper trail, so we can see for sure that they recorded votes correctly? They don't get it yet.
First there was Florida and the theft of the 2000 presidential election by the Supreme Court. Then there was the California recall. And of course, there is Tom DeLay trying to rig the Congressional elections in Texas to ensure that the Republicans keep the majority in the U.S. House so they can advance their radical agenda.
Now to show that Republicans will truly stop at next to nothing to win elections and hand the keys of the national treasury over to their fat cat donors - there is Walden O'Dell, the CEO of Diebold Inc. Diebold is the company that wants to get the contract to provide and program voting machines in every state for the 2004 election and O'Dell is raising money exclusively for President Bush and the Republican National Committee (RNC).
O'Dell, in a fundraising letter on August 14th, committed "to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year" according to the Associated Press. In the 2002 election cycle, O'Dell gave $5,965 to the RNC while Diebold gave the RNC $95,000.
This is outrageous!! Not only does Mr. O'Dell want the contract to provide every voting machine in the nation for the next election he wants to "DELIVER" the election to Mr. Bush. In fact, Mr. O'Dell's fundraising appeal on behalf of President Bush came one day before Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, also a Republican, was set to qualify Diebold as one of three companies eligible to sell upgraded electronic voting machines to Ohio counties in time for the 2004 election. INCREDIBLE!! On the day before the Ohio Secretary of State was set to qualify Diebold to provide voting machines for the state of Ohio, its CEO said in a letter he will "DELIVER" Ohio for President Bush.
There are enough conflicts in this story to fill an ethics manual but suffice it to say when it comes to an issue as sensitive as how and who tabulates the votes of the American people this episode is truly outrageous. Either Diebold should cease seeking the contracts for voting machines or Mr. Bush, the RNC and its affiliated committees should return the campaign cash they have received from Mr. O'Dell and his fundraising appeals and from Diebold.
HELP US STOP ANOTHER ELECTION FROM BEING STOLEN! Today, I'm asking you to sign a petition to the Chairman of the DSCC, Senator Corzine, to show your support for fighting back. Republicans must stop trying to steal elections.
Sign our petition and send them a message today: http://www.dscc.org/information/stopvotingmachines/
After you sign the petition, forward this to everyone you know. People MUST be educated about the tactics Republicans embrace. Their sickening attempts to hijack fair elections must be stopped. Florida 2000, California 2003, Texas redistricting I could go on and on. Don't let Republicans get away with it. Sign the petition today.
Sincerely,
Andrew Grossman,
Executive Director, DSCC
But hey, it's still good news -- awareness of the voting machines issue IS penetrating to the top. One of these days they'll actually stop to learn what it is ABOUT the voting machines that is a problem!
Voting Machines
I just had a thought about a simple way to scam elections that use electronic voting machines that do not have paper trails.
You go to polling places in areas that traditionally vote a certain way, and bring a big magnet. Maybe it's a really big electromagnet in a truck. Maybe it's a device (and here) that generates an electromagnetic pulse. You go near the machines, turn the magnet on, and wham - everything in those machines is erased or screwed up, and the votes from that polling place cannot be counted, swinging the election toward the preferences of people in other precincts.
Call your Congressional Representative and demand voter-verified paper trails. It doesn't MATTER how secure they say these machines are. If I can't see for myself how that my vote is recorded correctly and backed up, I simply will not trust the election results.
You go to polling places in areas that traditionally vote a certain way, and bring a big magnet. Maybe it's a really big electromagnet in a truck. Maybe it's a device (and here) that generates an electromagnetic pulse. You go near the machines, turn the magnet on, and wham - everything in those machines is erased or screwed up, and the votes from that polling place cannot be counted, swinging the election toward the preferences of people in other precincts.
Call your Congressional Representative and demand voter-verified paper trails. It doesn't MATTER how secure they say these machines are. If I can't see for myself how that my vote is recorded correctly and backed up, I simply will not trust the election results.
Diversions
Two years ago our country was attacked by an organization called al-Queda, based in Afghanistan. Now, two years later, our country is tied up in an occupation of Iraq -- a country that had nothing whatsoever to do with the September 11, 2001 attack.
ONE country - Afghanistan - provided territory and resources to the al-Queda organization. For reasons that are still not entirely clear to any of us, our government has convinced much of the public that this OTHER country - Iraq - was responsible for what happened to us, and attacked that country.
Meanwhile, while diverting unbelievable amounts of money to cronies of the president's family, (both from revenue reductions and sweetheart contracts,) driving the once-wealthiest country into severe debt, money needed to protect the public for further attack is not forthcoming.
So much is happening so fast. We are all overwhelmed by the attack on our country's traditional values. Overwhelming the opposition is a tactic. Bush said yesterday, in another context, that the way to win wars "is to stay on the offensive..." The right knows what they're doing. And we're on the defensive, not even able to catch our breath before being hit by next attack on our values. "Healthy Forest Initiative" that lets logging companies profit by cutting down the trees. "Clean Air Initiative" that lets companies profit by polluting the air. School vouchers designed to gut public school funding because "government schools" (and here and here and lots more) indoctrinate children into socialism. The far-right nonsense is endless but THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF THE GOVERNMENT!
The historical implications of current events are almost too enormous to hold in the mind.
Update - I left out one important point. While ONE country - Afghanistan - provided territory and resources to the al-Queda organization, the terrorists involved in the September 11, 2001 attack themselves, came primarily from, and are rumored to have been financed by ANOTHER country, Saudi Arabia -- A country where the Bush family has extensive business interests. al-Queda's leader is a member of a family with whom the Bush family has extensive business interests. Meanwhile, Bush and the Republican Party are blocking investigations into failures of government agencies that led to the September 11, 2001 attacks, and into the relationship between Saudi Arabis and the terrorists. What is that all about? And why does Bush and the Repubican Party continue to block attempts to answer those questions? I report, you decide.
ONE country - Afghanistan - provided territory and resources to the al-Queda organization. For reasons that are still not entirely clear to any of us, our government has convinced much of the public that this OTHER country - Iraq - was responsible for what happened to us, and attacked that country.
Meanwhile, while diverting unbelievable amounts of money to cronies of the president's family, (both from revenue reductions and sweetheart contracts,) driving the once-wealthiest country into severe debt, money needed to protect the public for further attack is not forthcoming.
So much is happening so fast. We are all overwhelmed by the attack on our country's traditional values. Overwhelming the opposition is a tactic. Bush said yesterday, in another context, that the way to win wars "is to stay on the offensive..." The right knows what they're doing. And we're on the defensive, not even able to catch our breath before being hit by next attack on our values. "Healthy Forest Initiative" that lets logging companies profit by cutting down the trees. "Clean Air Initiative" that lets companies profit by polluting the air. School vouchers designed to gut public school funding because "government schools" (and here and here and lots more) indoctrinate children into socialism. The far-right nonsense is endless but THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF THE GOVERNMENT!
The historical implications of current events are almost too enormous to hold in the mind.
Update - I left out one important point. While ONE country - Afghanistan - provided territory and resources to the al-Queda organization, the terrorists involved in the September 11, 2001 attack themselves, came primarily from, and are rumored to have been financed by ANOTHER country, Saudi Arabia -- A country where the Bush family has extensive business interests. al-Queda's leader is a member of a family with whom the Bush family has extensive business interests. Meanwhile, Bush and the Republican Party are blocking investigations into failures of government agencies that led to the September 11, 2001 attacks, and into the relationship between Saudi Arabis and the terrorists. What is that all about? And why does Bush and the Repubican Party continue to block attempts to answer those questions? I report, you decide.
Repost - $50 Million Crony Contract
In this post I referenced a story about an Iraqi company that bid $300,000 to fix a Bhagdad bridge, but, instead, an American company was awarded $50 MILLION to do the job.
This should be a big story. If a $300,000 bridge repair becomes a $50,000,000 graft deal, where is the rest of that $87 billion going?
Come to think of it, where is ALL of the money that the Bush administration manages really going? A year ago I wrote about Koch Oil getting the contract to supply the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That is worth billions and billions, especially at the inflated price of oil. Koch is one of the major funders of the far-far-far right.
Just how much of our tax money is being paid out to Bush cronies or companies that have direct links to the Bush Crime Family?
This should be a big story. If a $300,000 bridge repair becomes a $50,000,000 graft deal, where is the rest of that $87 billion going?
Come to think of it, where is ALL of the money that the Bush administration manages really going? A year ago I wrote about Koch Oil getting the contract to supply the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That is worth billions and billions, especially at the inflated price of oil. Koch is one of the major funders of the far-far-far right.
Just how much of our tax money is being paid out to Bush cronies or companies that have direct links to the Bush Crime Family?
9/11 Tribute to President Clinton
On his radio show, Tom Hartmann just reminded us that the Republicans mocked Clinton for being obsessed with Bin Laden. They accused him of "wagging the dog" for sending cruise missiles to try to kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan, and mocked him for "bombing an aspirin factory" for sending cruise missiles to destroy a chemical manufacturing plant owned by Bin Laden & suspected of manufacturing components of nerve gas.
While the Bush administration has, so far, effectively blocked any serious investigation into the failures of government agencies that occurred before 9/11, we do know that the outgoing Clinton administration tried very hard to get the incoming Bush administration interested in pursuing Bin Laden, and that the Bush administration refused to do anything -- even blocking funding for several anti-terrorism efforts. Also, see the post below about the unanswered questions.
While the Bush administration has, so far, effectively blocked any serious investigation into the failures of government agencies that occurred before 9/11, we do know that the outgoing Clinton administration tried very hard to get the incoming Bush administration interested in pursuing Bin Laden, and that the Bush administration refused to do anything -- even blocking funding for several anti-terrorism efforts. Also, see the post below about the unanswered questions.
Fuzzy Jobs
Bad news on jobs. New claims for unemployment rose by 3,000 from 413,000 to 422,000. (Remember, Bush = fuzzy math...)
How come the fuzzy math always makes things look better than they really are?
The Labor Department said first-time filings for state jobless benefits rose by 3,000 to 422,000 in the week ended Sept. 6. The climb, which pushed claims to their highest level since early July, defied predictions on Wall Street for a drop to 400,000 from the 413,000 originally reported for the Aug. 30 week.Except Brad DeLong shows that it isn't 400,000, it's 357,000. More fuzzy math.
The 400,000 level is seen by economists as a dividing line between a deteriorating and improving labor situation.
How come the fuzzy math always makes things look better than they really are?
9/10/2003
Webloggers
If you see your weblog listed on the left, please put a link to Seeing the Forest on your weblog! (The technical term for this is "linkslutting.")
Suckers
Voters in Alabama overwhelmingly rejected a plan to cut their own taxes and raise taxes on the rich a bit. Instead the state services they receive will be cut dramatically.
The beneficiaries are a coalition of "bankers, farmers, small-business owners, timber interests and conservative groups like the Alabama Christian Coalition and Americans for Tax Reform."
Never forget what we're up against -- the Right's marketing people are the same people who convinced millions of people to kill themselves, but hand over their money first. These people are GOOD at what they do.
Update -From a Washington Post story:
Update - Read the comment from Romberry, who was working on this in Alabama!
The beneficiaries are a coalition of "bankers, farmers, small-business owners, timber interests and conservative groups like the Alabama Christian Coalition and Americans for Tax Reform."
Never forget what we're up against -- the Right's marketing people are the same people who convinced millions of people to kill themselves, but hand over their money first. These people are GOOD at what they do.
Update -From a Washington Post story:
Alabama has the nation's lowest state and local taxes per capita and ranks near the bottom in tests of public school performance. It also has more than 28,000 inmates in a prison system built for 12,000, and its state police force has only six troopers patrolling 67,500 miles of roadway after midnight. Riley's plan also aimed to shift the tax burden to the wealthiest Alabamians, who pay an effective tax rate of 3 percent, from the poorest, who pay 12 percent.What can I say? The right OWNS them. I was in the car earlier and Rush was saying that the librulmedia can't "get away with" anything anymore because there are enough people getting their information from him, and Fox, and Drudge and other far-right sources... He's right. ("Right" -- get it?)
[. . .]
Perhaps most striking was opposition among low-income voters, whose taxes would have been cut dramatically. A poll conducted late last week by University of Alabama at Birmingham communications professor Larry Powell found that low- and middle-income voters opposed the plan by a margin of about 30 percentage points. Upper-income voters, who would face tax increases, opposed it by a margin of 14 percentage points.
Update - Read the comment from Romberry, who was working on this in Alabama!
Republicans Say Howard Stern Show Is News Program
The "Family Values" Republicans now say that Howard Stern Show Is News Program. This is a technicality, so Stern can plug Arnold.
Actually Arnold is another great example of Republican family values -- on AND off the screen. This all shows just how dedicated the Republicans really are to "Family Values" when it comes up against the interests of The Party.
Actually Arnold is another great example of Republican family values -- on AND off the screen. This all shows just how dedicated the Republicans really are to "Family Values" when it comes up against the interests of The Party.
9/09/2003
Your Tax Dollars At Work
From the weblog Bhagdad Burning: (Please read the whole piece)
Update - Read this too, it's informative.
As May was drawing to a close, his manager told him that someone from the CPA wanted the company to estimate the building costs of replacing the New Diyala Bridge on the South East end of Baghdad. He got his team together, they went out and assessed the damage, decided it wasn’t too extensive, but it would be costly. They did the necessary tests and analyses (mumblings about soil composition and water depth, expansion joints and girders) and came up with a number they tentatively put forward- $300,000. This included new plans and designs, raw materials (quite cheap in Iraq), labor, contractors, travel expenses, etc.And we all just know that the company getting the $50 million contract is kicking back a percentage to The Party. (Or maybe just the Bush Crime Family.)
Let’s pretend my cousin is a dolt. Let’s pretend he hasn’t been working with bridges for over 17 years. Let’s pretend he didn’t work on replacing at least 20 of the 133 bridges damaged during the first Gulf War. Let’s pretend he’s wrong and the cost of rebuilding this bridge is four times the number they estimated- let’s pretend it will actually cost $1,200,000. Let’s just use our imagination.
A week later, the New Diyala Bridge contract was given to an American company. This particular company estimated the cost of rebuilding the bridge would be around- brace yourselves- $50,000,000 !!
Update - Read this too, it's informative.
Never Mind
It looks like I may have miswrote earlier. I read summaries of the PNAC report, which made it sound much more like the PNAC report was asking for the US to develop "biological weapons 'that can target specific genotypes." For example, the commentary written by the former British cabinet minister said, "It also hints that the US may consider developing..."
Now I am reading the report itself (see page 60) FOR MYSELF and it says that this is a potential aspect of warfare in the future. The report does not specifically call for the US to develop these weapons.
Mistakes were made. Never mind. It isn't saxaphones and violins that people are upset about. (Let me know if you get that.)
Now I am reading the report itself (see page 60) FOR MYSELF and it says that this is a potential aspect of warfare in the future. The report does not specifically call for the US to develop these weapons.
Mistakes were made. Never mind. It isn't saxaphones and violins that people are upset about. (Let me know if you get that.)
Suckers
Thanks to Sideshow I found this post by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, To put it bluntly:
"I’m not going to call you a sucker for voting for him. I’m telling you that he thinks you’re a sucker. That’s when he thinks about you at all, which isn’t often."
Repost
Please read this again. I think it's important, but I buried it among other posts.
In case it isn't jumping out at you, here's what this means. "Target specific genotypes" means viruses that kill only people of a certain race -- or even narrower characteristics. And "politically useful tool" means the ability to threaten to kill everyone of a specific race unless they do what we want.Someone needs to find out quick if the United States is developing biological weapons that can target characteristics such as what we call "race." Most of the rest of the PNAC plan became Bush administration policy -- why not this? Keep in mind that Bush has rejected the bioweapons treaty. And people who describe biological weapons that can target specific races as a "politically useful tool" are now RUNNING OUR GOVERNMENT!
Not Important Until October, 2004
New Passport Rules Are Put Off by U.S.:
The rules, arising from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, were intended to stop terrorists from trying to use false passports to enter the United States and make it easier for officials to gather information on people arriving here.But stopping the use of false passports isn't important until October, 2004. Gotta have them tax cuts!
The Cost Of The War
From this story:
Yes, that's inflation-adjusted costs.
And one more thing, from the story:
"With $166 billion spent or requested, Bush's war spending in 2003 and 2004 already exceeds the inflation-adjusted costs of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War and the Persian Gulf War combined, according to a study by Yale University economist William D. Nordhaus. The Iraq war approaches the $191 billion inflation-adjusted cost of World War I."Just to keep things in perspective.
Yes, that's inflation-adjusted costs.
And one more thing, from the story:
"In the president's speech last night, there was a glaring omission," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "While he fully funded the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, he failed to talk about anything that would beef up homeland security at home, such as making our airlines, ports, nuclear power systems and the like more secure."
9/08/2003
Was Bush Behind 9/11?
I didn't write enough about this earlier when I pointed to this commentary. A former member of Britain's cabinet is dancing around making an accusation that the Bush administration was behind 9/11. That's pretty serious.
I report, you decide.
I report, you decide.
I Met Joe Trippi!
I met Joe Trippi (Gov. Dean's campaign manager) at a Dean fundraising event yesterday. He reads Seeing the Forest.
I told him I need to say this: "My mother lives a few blocks from the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Please don't let the Bush people get away with politicizing 9/11." I know that was corny, but I meant it. It's personal. My mother had to breath that cloud that rose after the buildings fell, and now we learn that Bush ordered the EPA to lie, and they told the public not to worry about what they were breathing. One day we will know the consequences of that lie, when we learn whether all the people who took no precautions -- because they were assured it was OK -- were harming their health.
I saw a few things on TV over the weekend looking back on the Trade Center attacks. It brought it back, and made me really mad to think about how Bush has used that event to push a right-wing agenda, and to attack Iraq! Then they used it to manipulate the 2002 elections. And now they've moved their convention into September in Manhattan so they can make the association with 9/11 in the public's mind. They should not get away with using that tragedy as they did. It should be exposed as blatant politicizing of a tragedy and the entire nation should react by turning every single Republican out of office.
Oh yeah, there was another guy at the Dean fundraiser yesterday -- Dean. He spoke shortly after President Bush's speech. Before he came out to speak he was giving press interviews nationally, in response to the President's speech. (Fortunately, too, because if he had come out when scheduled the sun would have been directly behind him as he spoke.) He was excellent. If you ever, ever get a chance to go see Gov. Dean speak live, do not miss it. This was the fourth time I have attended an event where he spoke. I am more convinced than ever that he is the right person at the right time.
The event was a "Garden Party" at Rep. Zoe Lofgren's house in San Jose. They had a pretty good turnout: the $100 even attracted 1,200 people. Rep. Lofgren said that was the cutoff because there wasn't more room, and upwards of 2,000 people wanted to come. That's $120,000, and it's NOT from 60 $2,000 donors. (They DID have a $1,000+ donor reception as well, before the garden event. I don't know how much was raised.)
This is being done the RIGHT way! The RIGHT way to beat Bush and the corporate money people is for lots of regular people to get involved and win with "people power."
I told him I need to say this: "My mother lives a few blocks from the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Please don't let the Bush people get away with politicizing 9/11." I know that was corny, but I meant it. It's personal. My mother had to breath that cloud that rose after the buildings fell, and now we learn that Bush ordered the EPA to lie, and they told the public not to worry about what they were breathing. One day we will know the consequences of that lie, when we learn whether all the people who took no precautions -- because they were assured it was OK -- were harming their health.
I saw a few things on TV over the weekend looking back on the Trade Center attacks. It brought it back, and made me really mad to think about how Bush has used that event to push a right-wing agenda, and to attack Iraq! Then they used it to manipulate the 2002 elections. And now they've moved their convention into September in Manhattan so they can make the association with 9/11 in the public's mind. They should not get away with using that tragedy as they did. It should be exposed as blatant politicizing of a tragedy and the entire nation should react by turning every single Republican out of office.
Oh yeah, there was another guy at the Dean fundraiser yesterday -- Dean. He spoke shortly after President Bush's speech. Before he came out to speak he was giving press interviews nationally, in response to the President's speech. (Fortunately, too, because if he had come out when scheduled the sun would have been directly behind him as he spoke.) He was excellent. If you ever, ever get a chance to go see Gov. Dean speak live, do not miss it. This was the fourth time I have attended an event where he spoke. I am more convinced than ever that he is the right person at the right time.
The event was a "Garden Party" at Rep. Zoe Lofgren's house in San Jose. They had a pretty good turnout: the $100 even attracted 1,200 people. Rep. Lofgren said that was the cutoff because there wasn't more room, and upwards of 2,000 people wanted to come. That's $120,000, and it's NOT from 60 $2,000 donors. (They DID have a $1,000+ donor reception as well, before the garden event. I don't know how much was raised.)
This is being done the RIGHT way! The RIGHT way to beat Bush and the corporate money people is for lots of regular people to get involved and win with "people power."
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