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Speaking of pocketsof resistance from The Left End of the Dial Said it before and will say it again: Don't be biofooled from The Left End of the Dial Bye, Jesse, you left quite a legacy from Pam's House Blend July 4th from Moon of Alabama Election Preparations in Iraq from Moon of Alabama Terrorist Lists from Moon of Alabama The Silent War on Iran from Moon of Alabama Plame and Jerry Doe from Moon of Alabama Hersh on Ongoing Operations Against Iran from Moon of Alabama Missing Answers on the Pashtun Troubles from Moon of Alabama No Post Today from Moon of Alabama Juan Cole and the Iraq Public Opinion from Moon of Alabama Brand New Americans Celebrate 4th by Heckling President from Shakesville Sigh from Shakesville Death of a 19th century man from Linkmeister And the children solemnly wait for the ice cream vendor from The Sideshow R. I. P. R. I. H. from Upper Left The Star Spangled Banner, on uke from Linkmeister Wow: lobate scarps from The Left Coaster Isn't This Reassuring? from Obsidian Wings (hilzoy) Leaving the world a little less hateful? from Just Between Strangers Fourth of July Round-Up: What?s On the Barbie? from firedoglake Patriotism from Jinky The Cat Two for four, one from Lotus - Surviving a Dark Time
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from Liberal Values Blog Refining Obama's Iraq Policy from Liberal Values Blog Conservatism in the wake of Jesse Helms from Pam's House Blend Reid: Cornyn, GOP "Afraid" to Override Bush's Veto from Burnt Orange Report Fireworks from the mindful mission Comparing Elitists from Liberal Values Blog The Obama Response from Fact-esque Litwin on ALA: "transfer of knowledge that is equivalent to the transfer of control." No. 7.5.2008. 111. from Librarian The LiberalOasis Radio Show: SCOTUS Wrap Up Edition from Liberal Oasis Waco Tribune-Herald: Texas Two-Step is "Undemocratic" from Burnt Orange Report After The Fourth, Do You Need A Fifth? from The Yellow Doggerel Democrat SciFi Friday: Doctor Who Conclusion (Spoilers for US Viewers) from Liberal Values Blog Let Obama Be Obama from Liberal Values Blog Weekend Question Thread from First Draft More Freedom and Justice Reading for the Fourth Weekend from Democracy for NM Bell leans toward Senate run from Brains and Eggs The first batch of shirts from Blog-Sothoth Obama Advisor Ben Rhodes Dissembles on FISA, H. R. 6304, Security and Liberty from Irregular Times Jose Padilla announces Presidential run; cites unassailable torture, POW qualifications from Shakesville Help Is On the Way from Discourse.net Patriotism from Apathy and Empathy Come Saturday Morning: From The Sublime To The Ridiculous from firedoglake Euro 2008 from Printculture Best Merkley ad yet from Preemptive Karma For the Record... from A Mockingbird's Medley The Sheer Destructive Force of Bush from Fact-esque Blogger's Chess: My 21st Move from Rook's Rant Independence Day Could Be Happier Without King George from Liberal Citizen All Those Informed People With Their Judgmental Looks Come Election Day? I Don't Think I Can Spend Another Year Dealing With That. from Fact-esque More From Zimbabwe from Obsidian Wings (hilzoy) A Fine 4th of July Indeed from Alternate Brain Internet daze from The Sideshow |
Are you on the US Homeland Security’s “no fly” list, maybe by mistake?
Were you by any chance hoping to get your name removed from the list? Maybe you are out of ideas on how to get off the damned thing. Well, here’s how to do it:
First, become a world-renowned, highly respected foreign leader, “a symbol of freedom admired the world over.” That may take some time and effort. You could be forced to spend decades in prison under an internationally despised regime in a distant country. Always remember that the reward is worth it: no longer being subject to arbitrary search and detention when you try to travel by air, and actually being allowed to board an airline flight. You will no doubt be willing — grateful — to work long and hard to reach such an important goal. The next step is to have your 90th birthday coming up within the month. Yes, it means more waiting, but be patient. This is time well spent. For extra credit, persuade the US Secretary of State to pronounce your inclusion on the list “an embarrassment.” This step may help you achieve the final one. Take a deep breath — you are almost there. You just have to arrange an act of Congress which specifically takes your individual name off the list. Be sure to get the bill passed by both chambers and signed by the president. And that’s all it takes! With a little bit of perseverance, you can go back to living a normal life in the United States of America, circa 2008. In this country, you see, if you try hard enough, you can accomplish anything, even to the point of avoiding dangerous and demeaning treatment by government-employed thugs at one of our lovely, modern air terminals. Happy 4th of July!
A few comments on the rising price of fuel.
1) The US should drastically limit its oil imports and use what we can extract domestically – although buying from Mexico and Canada is almost like buying from ourselves. 2) The following, in no particular order, are a few examples of low-tech measures we should put into place very quickly, either by use of tax incentives, outright subsidies or, if necessary, policing: * Gradually curtail use of private vehicles except for approved necessities and emergencies; * Eliminate sales of incandescent bulbs; * Sponsor free or cheap fares on multiple-passenger “jitney” (van or small bus) transportation systems; * Begin a continuous process of building and modernizing passenger rail and bus facilities; * Encourage delivery of groceries (where possible in electric vehicles), using computerized routing to serve the maximum number of households per run; * Switch from trucking to railroad transportation for non-perishable commodities; * Subsidize availability of warmer clothes in winter, including insulated underclothes; * Begin gradually curtailing meat production, converting feed acreage to human-consumable crops; * Begin to phase out corn-to-ethanol production… … and similar relatively easy conservation steps. 3) We will need streamlined funding and approval for measures implementing the above changes. Unfortunately, local obstacles of many kinds will have to be overridden. We are facing an emergency of unrivaled proportions, far more dangerous than any single flood, hurricane or terrorist attack. 4) The US still has tremendously destructive military power, and the strategic oil reserve to deliver it under almost any circumstances. It follows that US leaders may threaten (though not necessarily publicly) to destroy power plants, bridges and so forth unless oil is diverted in the desired direction. The results of such threats are unpredictable – except that they will probably make matters worse rather than better.
School gets transvestite bathrooms.
BANGKOK, Thailand - For … who … to … as … at one … in Thailand, … a … no … between … and … now a … in … a … that … than … of the … said.So sue me.
Muammar Gaddafi, who watches cable news just like the rest of us, thank you very much, has decided to stick his oar into Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Wednesday U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would have an “inferiority complex” because he is black and if elected he might “behave worse than whites.”Gee thanks! More friendly advice to a Democrat. “We tell him to be proud of himself as a black and feel that all Africa is behind him because if he sticks to this inferiority complex he will have a worse foreign policy than the whites had in the past.” …All praise your teachings, Great One! And is there a particular example you would like to name, some badly-behaved leader who might have an inferiority complex because of his race? Gaddafi saw a dark motive behind a recent speech by Obama in support of Israel. “Obama offered $300 billion in aid to Israel and more military support. He avoided talking about Israel’s nuclear weapons,” he said.You go, Muammar. Pat Buchanan could not have produced a more senseless, paranoid screed. If you ever get tired of the dictatorship business, I’m sure CNN will give you a show. And for heaven’s sake, don’t go feeling all inferior! If Glenn Beck can do it, so can you.
The US is more vulnerable to rising gasoline prices than most other countries, because many Americans live far from their jobs.
Sociologists and economists who study rural poverty say the mounting gasoline crisis in the rural South, if it persists, could accelerate population loss and decrease the tax base in some areas as more people move closer to urban manufacturing jobs. They warn that the high cost of driving makes low-wage labor even less attractive to workers, especially those who also have to pay for child care and can live off welfare and food stamps.What comes next in this sequence of reactions to higher oil prices? No one knows for sure, but it’s a cinch the answer won’t be nice.
One day before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, the detestable Dick Morris was interviewed for the Fox web site. Hold your nose and read it, because he makes a very convincing case.
‘Nuff said.
Chalmers Johnson observes that “60 years of enormous military spending is taking a dramatic toll on the rest of the economy.”
That is increasingly obvious. But why has the once-reliable US strategy of wasting money ceased to create prosperity? For that matter, how could such a plan ever have succeeded? To the naive observer, the idea that demand can sustain an economy sounds paradoxical. It is true that, under the assumption that all demand will be satisfied, net demand is equal to net production. But that assumption can only hold when there are abundant natural resources available to the economy in question. Under those happy circumstances, demand for goods and services does indeed have an apparently beneficial effect, in that the rate of utilization of natural resources increases. As those resources flow through the economy, they leave behind a trail of buildings, roads, houses, consumer products and all the other accoutrements of prosperity. But suppose there are not sufficient natural resources to satisfy demand? At that point the habit of stoking the economic furnace simply by turning up the thermostat fails to work its expected miracle. Oil, in particular, has supplied the powerful and conveniently deployed energy to create goods and services. The US was a net exporter of oil until some time in the 1960s, due to enormous discoveries of black liquids beneath Texas, Oklahoma and California. The rate of extraction of domestic petroleum was always able to increase to fuel the automobiles, tanks and airplanes necessary to satisfy any level of demand. But for any mineral resource, the pace of extraction eventually slows, as poorer veins of ore or deeper deposits of oil must be mined. In 1971 the US rate of extraction of domestic petroleum reached a maximum and then began to decline. At that moment, the era of US prosperity based on unlimited availability of cheap fuel came to an end. Large-scale imports of petroleum began to arrive on our shores from various parts of the world, particularly from the Persian Gulf countries. The US gradually transformed itself from a wealthy producer to a poor but militarily powerful consumer. In the new era, as long as cheap oil could be pried from the hands of client regimes throughout the world, the US lifestyle could be maintained and expanded. Essentially our economy began to thrive only by theft of other countries’ resources. This is of course the colonial model. Colonial-style exploitation (also known as empire building) as a method of gaining one’s living never lasts for very long. For the US, that wondrous period has now decisively come to an end. The old laws of economics no longer function. But our government does not yet fully comprehend that the rules have changed. The paradox of reliance on demand to generate prosperity has finally been resolved. Now we must somehow begin to earn our living rather than simply extract it from underground deposits of unexploited wealth. For a country of 300 million human inhabitants spread over a vast continent, and dependent on cheap transportation for its extravagant way of life, that transition must usher in an era of harsh necessity. How well the US will succeed in coping with this scary new age is as yet unknown.
Cached Jul 5, 2008, 2:12 pm (all times Eastern US)
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Reuters News
Mississippi River reopensas flooding wanes Nigeria deploys troops after 14 killed in land feud Israel blocks WBank village over barrier protests Calm in Mongolia as emergency rule ends Colombia foils bomb plot after rescue Iran vows to pursue nuclear work Protests as G8 gathers for diplomacy Film seen to show Zimbabwe vote rigged Nigeria road crash kills 12 school children Smuggled film shows Zimbabwe vote rigged: report South Koreans protest against beef and Lee Taliban fighters free two Pakistani journalists Lebanese leaders close to government deal Dalai envoys says China lacking commitment to talks Protesters target G8; France backs expansion Britain wants G8 push for more oil dialogue Alabama likely site of new VW plant: paper Russia warns of "new war" in Abkhazia conflict Phelps breaks world swimming record Syrian rights group says dozens dead in jail riot Several thousand anti-G8 protesters rally in Japan Explosion kills 4 in northern Yemen: official Abkhazia says Georgia planned to take region by force France's Sarkozy says "not reasonable" to meet as G8 India party backs government over nuclear deal Earthquake hits north of Tokyo, no damage reported Iran says its nuclear stance unchanged Gunmen shoot dead Afghan member of parliament Big protest planned for Seoul against beef and Lee Colombia shows rescue video Firefighters hold line on two California wildfires Betancourt gets hero's welcome in Paris Former Senator Jesse Helms dies at 86 Bolivia's rebel governors agree to recall vote Obama mixes politics, holiday barbecue U.S. champion retains hot dog eating title Panama says no to U.S. military base Pakistan's Musharraf defies resignation calls Iran responds to big powers' nuclear offer Zambia asks Mbeki to explain comment on Mwanawasa Armenian opposition supporters march through capital A tomato by any other name? Experts set food rules Sarkozy greets Betancourt in Paris Crumbling Pompeii site in "state of emergency" EU defends new migration rules amid Latam uproar New West Nile virus strain may worsen epidemic Breast reconstruction can have lasting benefits Biofuels blamed for food price crisis U.S.-led air raid kills 22 Afghan civilians Belarus blast at concert wounds 50 Sudan's former foes begin Abyei withdrawal Poland rejects U.S. missile shield offer Israel orders razing of Jerusalem attackers' homes Kimmitt confident in economic fundamentals Iran hands Solana atom offer response: report India government looks set to avoid early elections Israel reclosure of crossings dampens Gazans' hopes Anglican leaders face battle over women bishops Despite high prices, farmers' markets still thrive Iran could answer nuclear offer on Friday: report Mugabe says opposition must drop claim to power Israel can raze attacker's home: attorney general India's left gives July 7 deadline on nuclear deal G8 to tackle inflation, but concrete action elusive Tense standoff in South Ossetia after bombardment Japan holds 20 anti-G8 Koreans at airport: activists China warns of Olympics unrest 38 killed in Myanmar delta ferry sinking: report Explosion in Belarus, close to leader, injures 40 |
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The penetration of our news media by CIA-trained specialists began in 1983, during the Reagan administration. Rupert Murdoch (Fox News) and Sun Myung-Moon (Washington Times) had major parts to play. So did Oliver North.
And say, how did Nixon speech writers Pat Buchanan and William Safire end up serving for decades as influential editorialists and staple TV guests? I wonder…
If you want a quick overview, read this summary. For a complete play by play account, buy the book.