The Karl Rove strategy for the fall elections is now becoming very clear. True to form, Karl has devised a plan that is as breathtaking in its simplicity as it is starkly evil. Since the weakest point in the Bush and Republican armor is Iraq, Karl has clearly decided to run ON IRAQ. What, you say? How can that be?
It's no secret. Already they are shouting campaign mantras at the Democrats, "Cut and run,"Retreat before the mission is done," "wave the white flag of surrender." AmericaBlog has a good write up plus quotes and links. It's worth a look.
I have to ask, where in the hell are the Congressional Democrats? Who's making the case against Bush and Karl? Even if the Democrats in Congress don't have a magic plan to extract us from an impossible situation, why aren't they making the case that Bush and his keystone kronies have proven one thing since the invasion of Iraq: They don't know what the fuck they're doing...period, exclamation point. But all I hear from House and Senate Democrats are meek little denials that even I don't find convincing, let alone compelling.
They need to get on the stick, or Karl and Krew will reign on come November. This latest Supreme Court decision (Hamdan v Rumsfeld) should have brought complete clarity to any remaining doubters. Bush has four solid, reliable SCOTUS votes and one more death or resignation, he's got it all. Nothing will then stand in his way to becoming Emperor George W and then God help the rest of us.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
The Rich Get Richer...and say, "Screw the Poor!"
This blog posting from a DailyKos diary covers some familiar ground, but the writer's (Brettnet) got some fresh insights which are worth reviewing. He quotes a reporter asking Gore Vidal how it is to live full-time in the United States and Gore replies:
Brettnet describes sitting next to a couple of Republicans on a plane recently and they say that they regard John Edward's "two Americas" meme as divisive because they don't see it. They are completely oblivious to the existence of the poor in this country.
I often see this same attitude among the stolid middle class. But fine friends, watch out. As long as the lower percentiles get their crumbs, they may continue to tolerate this benign and clueless neglect, but if the crumbs stop flowing, watch out. If the Right thinks that it's big and bad right now, it ain't seen nuthin' yet. If the unempowered and the disadvantaged ...ever find themselves in a real corner where food and other basic needs of life become hard to get, their anger is going to grow and then explode and we should all fear for the outcome.
It's one thing for a pack of middle class Right Wing, Limbaugh-Coulter lovers to get pissed off. Besides the fact that only they really know what they are pissed off about, they've got an investment to protect. Most of them have homes, jobs and some wealth and status. If conditions ever deteriorate for the underclasses to the point that rage develops and escalates, they have nothing to lose and the Rodney King riots in South Central LA will be just the foretaste of what kind of violence and anarchy that we might face.
Nature abhors a vacuum. And vacuums come in all shapes, sizes and socio-economic statuses. For examples, study the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, post-World War I Germany and the list goes on.
It ain't pretty, but I see us plunging headlong into the trap in much the same way that we are sublimely and blissfully plunging into a global warming disaster. To quote a very tired cliche, Denial is more than a river in Egypt.
If you care about America it's dreadful," he said. "If you are making money you don't care.
Brettnet describes sitting next to a couple of Republicans on a plane recently and they say that they regard John Edward's "two Americas" meme as divisive because they don't see it. They are completely oblivious to the existence of the poor in this country.
I often see this same attitude among the stolid middle class. But fine friends, watch out. As long as the lower percentiles get their crumbs, they may continue to tolerate this benign and clueless neglect, but if the crumbs stop flowing, watch out. If the Right thinks that it's big and bad right now, it ain't seen nuthin' yet. If the unempowered and the disadvantaged ...ever find themselves in a real corner where food and other basic needs of life become hard to get, their anger is going to grow and then explode and we should all fear for the outcome.
It's one thing for a pack of middle class Right Wing, Limbaugh-Coulter lovers to get pissed off. Besides the fact that only they really know what they are pissed off about, they've got an investment to protect. Most of them have homes, jobs and some wealth and status. If conditions ever deteriorate for the underclasses to the point that rage develops and escalates, they have nothing to lose and the Rodney King riots in South Central LA will be just the foretaste of what kind of violence and anarchy that we might face.
Nature abhors a vacuum. And vacuums come in all shapes, sizes and socio-economic statuses. For examples, study the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, post-World War I Germany and the list goes on.
It ain't pretty, but I see us plunging headlong into the trap in much the same way that we are sublimely and blissfully plunging into a global warming disaster. To quote a very tired cliche, Denial is more than a river in Egypt.
CNN in a Nutshell
This is one of the funniest commentaries that I have read in a very long time. The butt of the humor is already a butt in other respects and deserves all of the ridicule that it gets. And that bulls eye is: CNN.
Here is Nance Gregg working over CNN...couldn't happen to a nicer _____. You fill in your own description. Click here.
Here is Nance Gregg working over CNN...couldn't happen to a nicer _____. You fill in your own description. Click here.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
The Seven Cons
Ian Welsh provides one of the best quick-reference rundowns of the seven main components of the Right Wing coalition that I have seen. His posting is at The Agonist and can be accessed by clicking here.
I slightly disagree with one element of his assessment. He assigns the lead role in the coalition to the "TheoCons" or the Religious Right. I agree that they are the muscle of the coalition, the foot soldiers, but I remain convinced that the core, the brains, the driving force is what he calls the "CorporateCons." The corporate elites provide the financing for just about everything in the Right Wing coalition, from the think tanks and their prolific publications and talking heads to the Republican National Committee with its ruthless tentacles reaching into every level of American politics.
Looking at the Reagan/Bush I era and then at Bush II, all successful initiatives benefited the Corporate elites (tax breaks, reduced regulation, laissez-faire approach to mergers, marketing tactics, “free trade” and off-shoring, etc) while a lot of noisy lip service was paid to the "TheoCon's," the Religious Right's "social issues" (abortion, gay rights, separation of church and state, school prayer, etc)without any tangible, concrete results.
In fact, my bet is that the movers and shakers among the CorporateCons are terrified that Roe v Wade might be overturned. That would de-energize the TheoCons and throw high octane gasoline on the liberal coalition's agenda and arguably give the whole Right Wing four flat tires.
Actually, none of the Religious Right’s central issues have been effectively promoted, let alone implemented, by any of the Right Wing administrations from Reagan to Bush II. I think that in addition to the above-stated reasons, the Republican Party knows that most of the Religious Right’s agenda is just too scary for mainstream America and they are playing the same slippery and cynical game with the Religious Right that they played with Southern segregationists back during Nixon’s “Southern Strategy.” They use all the code words, they make backroom assurances, but never follow through because they know well that none of it will fly in mainstream America.
I believe most Americans who consider themselves conservatives, spell the word with a lower case "c." I also believe that most are primarily concerned with raising their families and leading a comfortable and fulfilling life. To date, Republicans have succeeded in convincing them that they can best provide the political context in which that can happen. They have done it by controlling the media, playing fast, loose and scornfully with the truth, by pandering shamelessly with wedge issues and by relentlessly pushing hate and fear buttons.
And so far, it has worked. They are very lucky in having the disengaged and self-absorbed population that calls 21st Century America home. They are also fortunate that the preceding generation of Right Wingers effectively castrated the media and forged the entire institution into a willing and compliant tool.
Welsh's piece in The Agonist will give you good clarity on the main players on the Right.
I slightly disagree with one element of his assessment. He assigns the lead role in the coalition to the "TheoCons" or the Religious Right. I agree that they are the muscle of the coalition, the foot soldiers, but I remain convinced that the core, the brains, the driving force is what he calls the "CorporateCons." The corporate elites provide the financing for just about everything in the Right Wing coalition, from the think tanks and their prolific publications and talking heads to the Republican National Committee with its ruthless tentacles reaching into every level of American politics.
Looking at the Reagan/Bush I era and then at Bush II, all successful initiatives benefited the Corporate elites (tax breaks, reduced regulation, laissez-faire approach to mergers, marketing tactics, “free trade” and off-shoring, etc) while a lot of noisy lip service was paid to the "TheoCon's," the Religious Right's "social issues" (abortion, gay rights, separation of church and state, school prayer, etc)without any tangible, concrete results.
In fact, my bet is that the movers and shakers among the CorporateCons are terrified that Roe v Wade might be overturned. That would de-energize the TheoCons and throw high octane gasoline on the liberal coalition's agenda and arguably give the whole Right Wing four flat tires.
Actually, none of the Religious Right’s central issues have been effectively promoted, let alone implemented, by any of the Right Wing administrations from Reagan to Bush II. I think that in addition to the above-stated reasons, the Republican Party knows that most of the Religious Right’s agenda is just too scary for mainstream America and they are playing the same slippery and cynical game with the Religious Right that they played with Southern segregationists back during Nixon’s “Southern Strategy.” They use all the code words, they make backroom assurances, but never follow through because they know well that none of it will fly in mainstream America.
I believe most Americans who consider themselves conservatives, spell the word with a lower case "c." I also believe that most are primarily concerned with raising their families and leading a comfortable and fulfilling life. To date, Republicans have succeeded in convincing them that they can best provide the political context in which that can happen. They have done it by controlling the media, playing fast, loose and scornfully with the truth, by pandering shamelessly with wedge issues and by relentlessly pushing hate and fear buttons.
And so far, it has worked. They are very lucky in having the disengaged and self-absorbed population that calls 21st Century America home. They are also fortunate that the preceding generation of Right Wingers effectively castrated the media and forged the entire institution into a willing and compliant tool.
Welsh's piece in The Agonist will give you good clarity on the main players on the Right.
Friday, June 16, 2006
The Media is the (Right Wing) Message
This is the text of feedback I submitted to MoveOn.org:
As Jamison Foser writes in Media Matters (http://mediamatters.org/items/200605260016),
From Russert and Broder to the foaming mouths of talk radio, Progressives are under assault as never before. And what makes this so serious is that there is simply NO BALANCING counterweight. The So-Called Liberal Media (SCLM, thank you, Eric Alterman) is not just missing in action, it is a Right Wing red herring.
Most Americans dismiss politics as "not their thing" and as a result base their voting choices on the blather from Sunday talking heads, shameless Right-wing op-ed pages and the slanted views expressed on talk radio and cable and broadcast news.
This has to stop if Progressives are going to make any inroad into the relentless takeover of America by the Religious Right, the Corporate elites and the Neo-Con imperial expansionists.
There is only one way to address this and it's to hit them in the pocket book. I propose that MoveOn.org support existing efforts (The Daily Howler, Media Matters , Crooks and Liars, and others) to monitor TV, newspapers and periodicals and perhaps even expand their scope to include the entire media spectrum.
The results should be publicized to promote a movement to cancel subscriptions to unbalanced outlets and to focus purchasing power on Progressive-friendly media and their advertisers and away from Right Wingnut advertisers (like Domino's Pizza, Amazon.com and WalMart). Web sites like Media Matters, BuyBlue.org. should be aggressively supported. Progressives selected by Nielsen and Arbitron should be encouraged to NEVER include Right Wing-supporting media when they report their viewing and listening.
The Right has been doing this for decades with the result that they now OWN the media. NBC can get away with lionizing Ann Coulter on the Today Show and Jay Leno because there's no price to pay, there's no outcry from Progressives, their advertisers peacefully continue to advertise, their ratings remain untouched. CNN, MSNBC and Fox can maintain their stable of Right Wingnuts who cover the airwaves with venom simply because they can...there's perhaps only the slightest murmur from the Left but no other impact.
My own hometown newspaper, the San Jose Mercury-News, has been a balanced paper since I began subscribing 30 years ago. However, its parent company Knight-Ridder has recently been sold and the Mercury-News has been bought by some conglomerate I have never heard of before. I'm keeping a close eye, however, and if they start moving to the Right, my 30-year subscription is coming to an end.
I did cancel my 40-year Time magazine subscription when they put Ann Coulter on the cover with a long and supportive article.
Only with a concerted, organized and relentless effort from a group like MoveOn.org can this be effective. We can have house parties, we can have contribution drives and we can sign petitions all we want, but until we address the nature, quality and orientation of the media where most of the US population gets its news and forms its political judgements, we are simply putting out forest fires with a dixie cup.
As Jamison Foser writes in Media Matters (http://mediamatters.org/items/200605260016),
"The defining issue of our time is the media...
The dominant political force of our time is the media.
Time after time, the news media have covered progressives and conservatives in wildly different ways -- and, time after time, they do so to the benefit of conservatives."
From Russert and Broder to the foaming mouths of talk radio, Progressives are under assault as never before. And what makes this so serious is that there is simply NO BALANCING counterweight. The So-Called Liberal Media (SCLM, thank you, Eric Alterman) is not just missing in action, it is a Right Wing red herring.
Most Americans dismiss politics as "not their thing" and as a result base their voting choices on the blather from Sunday talking heads, shameless Right-wing op-ed pages and the slanted views expressed on talk radio and cable and broadcast news.
This has to stop if Progressives are going to make any inroad into the relentless takeover of America by the Religious Right, the Corporate elites and the Neo-Con imperial expansionists.
There is only one way to address this and it's to hit them in the pocket book. I propose that MoveOn.org support existing efforts (The Daily Howler, Media Matters , Crooks and Liars, and others) to monitor TV, newspapers and periodicals and perhaps even expand their scope to include the entire media spectrum.
The results should be publicized to promote a movement to cancel subscriptions to unbalanced outlets and to focus purchasing power on Progressive-friendly media and their advertisers and away from Right Wingnut advertisers (like Domino's Pizza, Amazon.com and WalMart). Web sites like Media Matters, BuyBlue.org. should be aggressively supported. Progressives selected by Nielsen and Arbitron should be encouraged to NEVER include Right Wing-supporting media when they report their viewing and listening.
The Right has been doing this for decades with the result that they now OWN the media. NBC can get away with lionizing Ann Coulter on the Today Show and Jay Leno because there's no price to pay, there's no outcry from Progressives, their advertisers peacefully continue to advertise, their ratings remain untouched. CNN, MSNBC and Fox can maintain their stable of Right Wingnuts who cover the airwaves with venom simply because they can...there's perhaps only the slightest murmur from the Left but no other impact.
My own hometown newspaper, the San Jose Mercury-News, has been a balanced paper since I began subscribing 30 years ago. However, its parent company Knight-Ridder has recently been sold and the Mercury-News has been bought by some conglomerate I have never heard of before. I'm keeping a close eye, however, and if they start moving to the Right, my 30-year subscription is coming to an end.
I did cancel my 40-year Time magazine subscription when they put Ann Coulter on the cover with a long and supportive article.
Only with a concerted, organized and relentless effort from a group like MoveOn.org can this be effective. We can have house parties, we can have contribution drives and we can sign petitions all we want, but until we address the nature, quality and orientation of the media where most of the US population gets its news and forms its political judgements, we are simply putting out forest fires with a dixie cup.
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