Too Bad They Forgot to Taser Him–Cops Handcuff 11-Year Old

by on February 22, 2011

 Can we call it a fascist police state yet?  The police of Arvarda ,Colorado, arrested and brutalized this 11-year old kid (whatever happened to being sent to detention?) for doing what he was advised to do by his therapist for his ADD (sketch out pictures with fantasies of disruption rather than actual disruption), despite the fact the kid promised not to make any more sketches and the school did not want to make a fuss.  …
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Grand “Compromises”–And People Power

by on February 20, 2011

So,  Greece, Ireland, Portugal and the UK.  The “austerity” being imposed on various economies by neo-liberal policies makes the innocent (average citizens) suffer while at best tut-tutting the real malefactors (the bankers who, it needs to be said, have been bailed out by the very same citizens).  Contrary to the usual propaganda, these measures are not “necessary” as many of these countries, as a certain noble …
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“Calling Out the Guard”–Gov. Walker Goes Literal on the Class War Front

by on February 18, 2011

UPDATE: PolitifactWisconsin considers any reading of Governor Walker’s mobilizing the National Guard as an implicit threat to protesting workers as a “pants on firre” lie.  I would like to read their reasoning, but the link is broken at their website.  That said, I am not sure I would agree that any deceit is going on when people show concern.  Since the National Guard has not been mobilized by any state …
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An Immodest Proposal–WIC Cuts and the GOP Swiftians

by on February 16, 2011

Jonathan Swift famously proposed selling Irish babies as tasty broilers for the ravenous English palate during an earlier era of “austerity” so maybe the GOP can take a leaf out of his book.  The conservative movement which, in Barney Frank’s famous quip, believes “life begins at conception and ends at birth,” is showing its concern for “life” by gutting the Women, Infants and Children Program of nearly $747 million.  Now …
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Of Seeing Stones and Goblins–Palantir and the Digital Pinkertons

by on February 16, 2011

Glenn Greenwood has posted new details on the creepy nexus of digital “security” companies HBGary, Palantir Technologies and Berico Technologies and massive power interests such as Bank of America and the Chamber of Commerce through the classic “bagman” lawfirm of Hunton & Williams.  Glenn notes that Huntman and Williams is the key link here for those conducting immoral, unethical and very, very likely illegal “dirty tricks” campaigns against liberal activist groups such …
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The Heritage is Hate: Mississippi, Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Politics of Commemoration

by on February 13, 2011

So, what next? A remake of Birth of a Nation written and directed by Mel Gibson?

The attempt by the the  Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (now think about this for a moment–the sons of the sons of the veterans are of course, long dead) to commemorate via license plate General  Nathan Bedford Forrest (yeah, that Nathan Bedford Forrest) is not simply an appalling mainstreaming of racist …
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For Egypt

by on February 12, 2011

I dunno why, but this song just struck me as appropriate (and yes, I’m aware that it probably should be “Internet Clash” but hey, it’s the best I could do).

…
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The Third Rail of Politics? Obama and Social Security

by on February 12, 2011

Well, this is a good development.  Seems Obama has learned, as Reagan and Bush did before him, what is the real third rail of American politics.  With tens of millions of Americans suffering from unemployment and underemployment in the wake of the Great Recession messing with government pensions was particularly politically stupid.  Countless workers in the fifties and early sixties are desperately trying to hold on until they can get …
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Bingo!–How Glen Beck and Barack Obama are the Same Guy

by on February 11, 2011

Here’s a very nice post at Avedon Carol’s Sideshow that nicely sums up what is going on with American politics.  While he finds far more identity with the political program of the “change you can believe in” crew with the Insane Right Clown Possie than I am comfortable with positing, the fact of the matter is that the spectrum of ideology in the American political scene runs the gamut from …
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Mr. Obama’s New Plan for Fiscal Responsibility

by on February 10, 2011

To screw the poor.  It’s not like he hasn’t done it before (you know, cutting taxes on the top 2% while effectively raising the burden on working poor).  I mean, it’s not like we have a crisis with poverty or anything.  It’s hard to imagine, I know, that anyone will suffer from such cuts. 

But that’s this “liberal” admiministration’s MO.  It’s quite clear that their effort to …
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Bank of America Pinkertons Target Glen Greenwald

by on February 9, 2011

UPDATE:  So, apparently the Pinkertons were hired by the Chamber of Commerce as well to destroy liberal groups with various dirty tricks.  Nice.  We’re all living in Nixonland.  And don’t expect a government investigation–the Justice Department recommended these thugs (spying on people’s children–ewwhh.  There’s some sick fucks) so I doubt they’ll want to investigate the black mail, sabotage, invasion of privacy and conspiracy.  Fortunately, I’m sure Think Progress will …
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Shit – Meet Fan

by on February 9, 2011

This is not good news.  Not unexpected of course.  The louder people have been warning about “peak oil” the more they have been dismissed by political and industry hacks as alarmists.  This news makes it quite clear why Obama favors offshore drilling (which will happen despite the ecological devastation), why Medvedev is signing on to Arctic drilling with Chevron and why China is making such a huge investment in …
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