Saturday open thread… Update: Chomsky Top of the Pops…;) 23 September 2006
Posted by marisacat in 2006 Mid Terms, 2008 Election, Big Box Blogs, DC Politics, Democrats, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Iran, Political Blogs.trackback
Diego Rivera – Flower Day – 1925
What a hoot! I snagged this from The Guardian, they report via the NYT on a meeting Amadinejah had at the CoFR. I’d have paid to be a butterfly on the wall:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can accuse the US and Britain of being lawbreakers.
As if that wasn’t enough for him, the New York Times reports on the Iranian president’s confrontational meeting with a US foreign policy thinktank. By the sound of things, he seemed to enjoy it.
He entered a hotel conference room on the East Side with a jaunty smile, a wave and an air of supreme confidence.
“Mr Ahmadinejad […] squared off with the nation’s foreign policy establishment, parrying questions for an hour and three-quarters with two dozen members of the Council on Foreign Relations then ending the evening by asking whether they were simply shills for the Bush administration.”
That last made me smile.
hmmm At first I thought I did not have much to add to this (colonising is quite insidious, shall we say)… but when I reached this snippet on Desmond Tutu and more importantly religion…
The Archbishop Desmond Tutu radiates more sweet, selfless joy than his little body could possibly contain. No religion in the world promotes death and murder, he said. Instead, all of the world’s religions promote compassion, justice, love, caring. It is unfortunate that people misuse religion for bad purposes, like a knife intended to cut bread might be used to hurt someone.
Gotta love the Clinton Global Initiative squatting on Manhattan for a few days…. A PR structure provides a forum for our puppets to lecture us. Rania – and King Abdullah of Jordan, an ”operetta of a regime” [a quick tumbnail from poor old Hitchens, but he is right on that one] that does not want to be “on the menu”, so to speak. Karzai, from a Conoco executive to Pashtun leader in a few leaps. Necessary deals with war lords, a shakey protector of Kabul and beyond that, Taliban retaking by the day and a failed narco-state (all but) that was reported as such far and wide last year following a UN report, but those reports were outside the continental USA. Once called Fortress America. Now it is just in an ignorance bubble. And a celebrity bubble.
From the AP, in the IHT:
Rupert Murdoch, the conservative global media mogul whose Fox News Channel and New York Post have criticized the Clintons in the past, participated in a panel at the conference Friday. He appeared onstage with Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, who won wide praise for Wal-Mart’s announcement earlier this week that it would begin selling dozens of generic drugs for $4 (€3.10).
As part of the Clinton conference, Wal-Mart announced a five-year plan to reduce product packaging by 2013.
Wal-Mart has faced criticism in recent years for its low wages and lack of affordable health insurance for its employees. Earlier this year, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton returned a $5,000 (€3,901) contribution from Wal-Mart.
Friday morning, Sen. Clinton, a potential 2008 presidential contender, headlined a panel on women’s economic empowerment. She decried what she described as the global “feminization of poverty.”
Later, President Clinton announced that Murdoch had partnered with singer and liberal activist Barbra Streisand to give seed funding to the Clinton Climate Initiative.
“Rupert’s richer than I am. He should give more,” quipped Streisand when she took the stage with Clinton.
Lordy.
So should we applaud? — or just vote for the former Wal-Mart Bd of Directors member ’86 – ’92, this tidy critical detail went nearly unreported inside the US in the ’92 run. I read about it in the continental and UK press. Nor is it mentioned in her blurb at the CGI website.
And all this schmooz about removing the word Terror and inserting Extremism… well, if we buy into that watery pabulum then we had best shoot ourselves. Pronto.
From one of the bloggers
As I posted earlier, I’m spending the next three days at the Clinton Global Initiative. A few of my favorite bloggers, including Jessica, Barbara and Peter, are all here also. The opening plenary session, which featured President Clinton, First Lady Laura Bush, and a panel discussion, just ended. The pre-session video featured several of the event’s coordinators and contributors, including Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, who said, “Extremism only exists where there is ignorance, where there is isolation, where there is deprivation. So it is crucial to educate our youth… and give them hope for the future.” Gayle Smith from the Center of American Progress followed with, “It is time to stop talking about why we can’t do things and go ahead and just do it.”
Prepare for a long two years (run up to ’08) as those colonised channel the messages. Yes, I am sorry to be blunt.
It will take several years, but all of this soft as runny eggs foundation-based work that is to come from immense monies (oh and “pledges” which are notoriously welched upon, after the PR of the promise is passed…) safely behind the legally constructed wall of the various foundations, will come in for an investigation. To the extent that it can be done.
On the other hand, the “little people” are encouraged to believe that a return to what is 19th c white philanthropy will take care of things. And if that belief were to be punctured?
Generally in foundations, other than true philanthropic monies, often quietly working away… generally foundation money just accumulates. Away from the prying eyes of the government. And, as of a few years ago (I am not current), only had to dispense 5% of its holdings per annum to retain all of the benefits of being a foundation. And of course pay any number of strata of Directors, board members and whoever else.
And, yes, of course Peter Daou was there. And, yes if you click on the CGI link, you will see a bright and cheery photo of Hillary, with a blurb just a click away about how she was elected in 2000 to [blah blah blah] for the people of NY. A “featured” attendee at the conference.
Blah. Blah. I hope the play pumps really do work. We are going to hear about them whether they do or not.
I am sorry, but I just dislike the cheap slobber. The laden with irony soul food consumed in Harlem is coming back up to greet us, as ink. Further, the soft takes were, on a small scale, important. The CGI annual meeting is technically closed to the public, but for media.
Can the public take part?
Attendance is limited to CGI members. However, the entire meeting will be webcast live and can be viewed at www.clintonglobalinitiative.org. For additional suggestions on “what you can do” to get involved, please visit our website.
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UPDATE, 12:30 pm
There seems to be quite a bit of chatter in the Blogoland about the Clinton appearance on FOX with Chris Wallace. In case anyone is interested, this is (I think transcribed from TIVO as usually FOX gives highlights) a “rough” of the full interview at Think Progress.
I am bats on full transcripts. After Kerry selected Edwards, they had several luncheon interviews with editorial boards in the major press. I remember three published the full transcript. NYT, Wapo and I think the Chicago Trib. I can no longer remember the Trib – or the third – precisely, but with both the Times and the Wapo, Kerry and Edwards CONFLATED Iraq with the WoT – and did so immediately at the opening of the interviews.
You gotta wonder.
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Marisacat 
the colonized are really fighting back, and we (western Europeans) seem to be more and more clumsy responding to them. We’re like hyper-developed musclebound freaks, pumped up on the steroids of our own greed and self importance. We can no longer move gracefully, no longer even hold our own limbs comfortably.
The talking heads are bleating on the cable nets that Chavez and Ahmadinejad are nuts, crazy, out of control, but to many they sound like they are merely speaking truth.
LOL speaking of colonised… prepare for a long two years.
Some of the Harlem 20 are on the loose and were breathless at the IGC listening to puppets (karzai, Rania of Jordan, Musharraf and so on) wax pro West.
and at one site sounds like Peter was on hand to make sure the little Clinton missionaries got their questions asked.
RUBES IN TOYLAND.
oops sorry it is CGI Clintin Global Initiative.
I am so dismissive of PR on steroids that the actual name seems superfluous. If not sulfurous… 😉
If I may post this here…
NORTH and SOUTH TOGETHER
Bolivian Indigenous President and Foreign Minister Meet
North American Native American Leaders
( New York ) On Monday, September 18, President Evo Morales Ayma and Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca of Bolivia met with Native American leaders on the Bolivian President’s first day in New York City . The President, Foreign Minister and his delegation were in New York for the opening of the General Assembly.
The meeting was organized at the request of the President and facilitated by the American Indian Law Alliance, a New York City Indigenous non-governmental organization, along with the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN. Tonya Gonnella Frichner (Onondaga), President of the American Indian Law Alliance, moderated the meeting. She opened the discussion with a brief history on some Native nations’ historical and modern relationships with the American government and the struggle of North American Native peoples. The discussion between the Indigenous Bolivian delegation and the Native American leaders from Haudenosaunee, Cree, and Lakota Nations, as well as urban Indian representatives of New York , centered around shared world views on the environment and stewardship of the natural world. Chief Sid Hill, Faitherkeeper Oren Lyons (both Onondaga), Willie Littlechild (Cree) and Alex White Plume (Oglala Lakota) spoke of the changing climate and the unceasing assault of Native peoples’ lands, territories, resources and culture since Columbus stumbled ashore in the Caribbean. The Bolivian Foreign Minister, David Choquehuanca, stated “our Mother Earth is mortally wounded. We have been called here to work to say we, the Indigenous peoples, can no longer tolerate this abuse.” The Foreign Minister added that the pollution of water resources was one of the most serious challenges faced by responsible leaders today. President Morales stated, “meeting with you here today obligates me to be even more committed to our Mother Earth.”
The political realities of operating as Indigenous nations in the modern world were an obvious aspect of the discussion between an Indigenous president and contemporary leaders of Native nations. President Morales stated that “the time has come for Indigenous peoples to move from resistance to power.” He then told the people gathered a little about his peoples’ movement in Bolivia . Foreign Minister Choquehuanca remarked that “struggle is not just for freedom. When most of the world speaks of freedom, they speak only about the human beings. But society must also include freedom for the natural world, the plants, the animals, the water. Everything must be a compliment to everything else and this is more than freedom. It is a balance of all life that we seek.”
Another critical aspect of the discussion surrounded the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is anticipated that the General Assembly will vote on the Declaration during the current session. It is the hope of Indigenous peoples that this critical aspect of human rights standards will prevail despite strong opposition by the United States , Canada and some other countries. The Declaration would be the first official recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights since 1493 when the Roman Catholic Pope declared Indigenous peoples to be pagans not entitled to rights or territories. Alex White Plume and Oren Lyons reminded the delegates at the meeting that this standard prevails to this day in most modern western “democracies.”
President Morales, who addresses the General Assembly on September 19th , asked that the Native American leadership at the meeting submit some language to him to include in his remarks that pertain to passage of the Declaration. The wording submitted included congratulations to the Human Rights Council on passage of the Declaration, the importance of the Declaration in building a new partnership between member nations and Indigenous peoples and the General Assembly’s passage of the Declaration without amendment or change.
The most important result of the meeting was more than anything an increased understanding between the Indigenous peoples of North and South. Kent Lebsock (Lakota) of the American Indian Law Alliance, along with President Morales, and many of the participants, remarked on their hope that this was just the first of many meetings. Alex White Plume invited President Morales and his Foreign Minister to a Lakota gathering to be held at Bear Butte in the summer of 2007 while the President invited all present to come to Bolivia for an event they would host on October 12th in La Paz. In closing, President Morales said, “thank you for coming here today to talk with us in this great and historic meeting. After having heard from each of you and the struggles you and your peoples have endured, I have great respect for you.” His words were echoed by Foreign Minister Choquehuanca who stated, “It has been a joyous experience to meet our brothers and sisters from different latitudes.”
For more information contact the American Indian Law Alliance , 212-477-9100, or Thomas Kruse, Assistant to President Morales, 202-415-7037
It is funny, isnt it, how the leaders under the greatest threat/stress from the US, such as Chavez and now Ahmadinejad, are both acting so … well, lighthearted in their demeanor. Different styles and ideologies/ideas of governance, but the same sort of devil-may-care attitude toward their #1 most-powerful foe.
Bush does have that effect – makes such a mockery of his own words and acts, delivers such comic performance on top of all the mess, that these leaders’ unusual reactions seem totally of a piece with these times.
I saw part of the Ahmadinejad interview by Anderson Cooper TRANSCRIPT
Ahmadinejad is sly when confronted with his claims of “IF” the Holocaust happened, but, I believe, he is trying to make a larger point and REframe the issue. He does so poorly and recklessly, but I believe there is a salient point within the mess. He states that of the “60 million” killed in WWll only ”2 million” were soldiers (he is way off on that count, I think 25 million were military, which makes 37 million civilian – total death toll=62 million) the rest then being civilian victims. His thrust I see as a neon arrow of counterpropaganda aimed at the west, attempting to blink and point furiously to what Norm Finkelstein would concur on, and I do too, that there has been an exploitation and propaganda effort, begun a couple of decades after WWll ended and Israel began, of the suffering of the Jews during the Holocaust to serve Israel’s ends. That is what I believe he would like Americans, especially, to understand.
His point being that tens of millions of civilians were killed (true, just not as many tens as he claims), some others systematically rounded up, like gypsies, and that this is obscured by the excessive spotlighting of the suffering of the Jews in the Holocaust, to the exclusion of others’ suffering. He is trying to show that this is given too much spotlight, too much weight in order to give Israel carte blanche to do as it wishes. The Jewish people can never be but victims. Give them a pass. There is an imbalance, a bias.
I believe he is trying to say the Holocaust is no excuse for present day colonialist Jewish state behavior. Nor for that of that state’s powerful enabler/partner in colonialism=USA. And, currently, the major colonizing ground is the Middle East, which only makes Ahmadinejad’s crooked, but not without relevance, arrow blink all the harder, with greater immediacy. Especially given current stirrings about his nation as next target for military action on our part. Israel on board, of course. Any outrageousness in his propagandistic bullshit is rather proportional to our own nation’s and that of Israel, really.
When it gets down to it, he seems to espouse one Palestinian state, Arab dominated, with Jews living there if they wish. This is similar to a view many others support although they express it without that rough edge of rhetorical extremism that he does when he is on home turf.
And, of course, it is a nonstarter, even in the realm of those who are trying to resolve this evenhandedly. The Arab League’s 2002 proposal (Iran not included, natch, in a ARAB league) for a 2 state solution, interestingly, I heard somewhere is being dusted off by some for a renewed look. Europe? (Will have to look it up) That was a very rational proposal which Sharon tossed promptly into the circular file while Bush winked and said, Good throw, Ariel!” Bush, of course, was holding the wastebasket at just the right angle.
A few thoughts about Iran:
It has occurred to me that it is a shame and it is rich that Iranian leaders, hardline Mullahs and presidents alike, are hamstrung by their own hardline oppressiveness from using to great effect a golden ACE up their sleeve in making a case against US hegemony and serious US sins of intervention against their own nation. (Chavez, on the other hand, suffers no such restraints re our historical record of LA intervention/oppression and Bush’s coup against him. Neither do many of his leftist LA allies.)
What I am referring to is the US’s utterly NONdemocratic takeover of Iran via the wretched Eisenhower/CIA coup of 1953, which sought to and successfully did oust (in alliance with good ole OIL greedy Great Britain), the democratically elected, secular reformist, Mossadegh, a modern leader who actually liked the US (well, liked it under noninterventionist Truman, who refused to partner with the coup-pressing Brits). The US-British coup killed off the nascent reform movement in Iran, which was the ONLY secular democracy in the ME. We installed a dictator, the Shah, and reactionary dominoes fell, taking us to modern day mullah-dominated Iran.
WOW!
I mean, what a glaringly stellar example of our imperialistic meddling, of the hypocrisy of installing a dictator and killing off this democracy/ME modernity BushCo and GOP/DEM enablers (who sing the AIPAC chorus) are always screaming has never existed in the ME except for Israel.
BUT… not so fast! Cant go there. Wouldnt be prudent.
Unfortunately, silence on this score is more golden for Irans’ leaders than that ace up their sleeves, because in overthrowing the Shah the mullahs did not retrieve Mossadegh’s democracy baton, but, rather, they took Iran into a state of religious and dictatorial oppression all their own. Now, Ahmadinejad and his overlords of the Mosque could still use the US/Brit coup to some effect, ie, could point out what the US did, how it was and still is wrongly interventionist, and a big fat hypocrite when it cries about the need for democracy in Iran (tack on more examples, as you will). They could broadcast far and wide that while they never once attacked the US, we attacked them by proxy to rework to our liking their sovereign nation’s affairs, never mind that they dont subscribe to the Mossadegh model of governance. However, it seems bringing up Mossadegh and this whole ugly affair is too problematic for them as it would highlight the stark contrast between his modernity and progressivism of a half century past compared to the iron fist governance of oppression they are unwilling to relinquish today.
And the US, for its own obvious reasons, does not want to brandish about that example of its own interventionism and destruction of a true democracy in the ME. Ah, the motherfucking hypocrisy. So instead we have silence on this coup. Both sides keep it in the memory hole, although, granted, far more Iranians know about it than Americans… FAR MORE. What a fucking shame on a whole lot of levels. And the US media is so compliant in this, acting as though our history in Iran began the day the hostages were taken by those crazed fundies who popped outta nowhere.
My ears perked up when Barbara Slavin, the USA today reporter who interviewed Ahmadenijad earlier this year, was a guest on WJ/Cspan. A caller, bless him, brought up that Iran has this serious chit to call in on the US re this coup and she didnt miss a beat in agreeing that this is a very justifiable grievance, known among all Iranians. See, if someone ACTUALLY brings it up, it has to be discussed at some point.
Memory Hole–>>> Dig!
I like Slavin. She has reported for USA Today from inside Iran many times.
I do too. I actually saved that appearance because I never got to hear all of it, but she struck me as fair, and therefore was chosen to get this early and rare interview.
I meant to comment on this yesterday, cannot let it pass.
Deepest Throat, re your link to Delaware Dem Sees Edwards as Pinko and your comment: “Delaware Dem should troll rate himself.”
God, no joke. That is simply an amazing piece of shite. Thank you for exposing it. NIce compliment to his recent slice of PIE, although if Edwards decides to run, it kinda runs up against his marching order to support all Dems or Shut UP and get outta town/Daily Kos. Oh, wait. Edwards is now a COMMUNIST. Oh, that’s how it all works out. Right.
Calling John Edwards a communist! Unfuckingbelievable. It is funny but it is sad. I guess Delaware Dem has signed up for someone NOT Edwards for 2008. And is playing opposition as dirty and McCarthyesque as they come. To say something as unbelievably RIGHTWING insane as that, it can only be that. Or is he really that bone-deep addled as to genuinely believe he stumbled into an encounter with Chairman Mao reincarnated into John Fucking Edwards?
I think not on the latter, although anything is possible, especially when one remembers not to forget what passes for normal in our current political landscape, e.g., the slow waking up of a good swath of folks to the 5-alarm bells over these years of BushTimes and the remaining hardcore 40%ish BushFans (Chorass: We shall not be moved.)
With the abovementioned in mind, conclusion=Delaware Dem is bone-deep disturbed whether motivated solely by the dirtiest of political gamesmanship or a genuine belief that John Edwards is dangerously glowing hot pinkO. Or BOTH. (oh lol, oh dear)
PS – This DD lunacy reminds me of Bush, ie, you think youve seen outrageous, but then the goal posts are moved again. And furthering the Bush/DD similarities, it looks like DD has a strong minority we-shall-not-be-moved constituency similar to Bush’s, according to the diarist you linked, if you look at his poll numbers.
The diarist says of DD:
When I first looked at that nutty Edwards explosion, I didn’t realise it was from back in April. So a different blow-up, though part of the same pattern.
The problem with those poll results, NYCee, is that there are plenty of people on dkos who like and approve of the people they consider assholes. Witness the whole Armando phenomenon.
NYCO
thanks so much for posting that report. Mitakuye Oyasin, “We are all related”. Perhaps the indigenous peoples can help us find a way to avoid destroying ourselves and the world that supports us.
Just thinking that now that the media has begun to incorporate the big blogs into their landscape, they are often referred to as “Left” or “progressive” or, dare we say it, “liberal.” (Advertise Liberally?) The media is tragically and deliberately slow, so I imagine they will stick with this for the longest. Ugh. Or rather, embrace them more and more as an acceptable form of the Left. (Crossfire!) Ugh again.
Still, Im now imagining the severe cognitive dissonance (and then, probably, sigh of relief) of some journalist who is greenhorn to the left-labelled blogs, who makes a foray onto a webpage of “scary” Left blogistan, say on D Kos, only to encounter this from Delaware Dem. This would be an encounter of not just moderate mush and serious sins of omission, now commonplace on these blogs, but downright rightwingistan displays. Such a reader might well fall off his chair, dizzy from the dissonance: This is what passes for the raging Left of the netroots? Calling John Edwards a communist, a man who was a former DLCer, who has been reborn as a populist progressive? (And yet to be proven in action.) Attacking him with what can only be seen as Limbaughesque stretches of rightwing propaganda-saturated accusations?
This DD toxic diary is an excellent example to me of why the BBBs are so disappointing. They are machine cogs, for the most part. When all Jane Hamsher can say on Countdown to explain why the Democrats now are taking notice of their clout – beyond !Lamont! WE DID IT! – is that the blogs have proven themselves because they raised a multitudinous stink over the ABC 9/11 miniseries, which makes Bill Clinton recognize them as a serious and positive political force for change (people powered stink=We protect you, Bill)… well…. that really isnt saying anything progressive.
Yes, the series was warped, but protecting the establishmentonian Clintonian political legacy/future does not do much for the people of the planet and the planet itself, all being seriously harmed by the establishment, (doers and enablers), in terms of the ISSUES, now does it?
I think it is harder and harder for them to speak on issues the more they align themselves to Dem party wins as be all end all. The incredibly shrinking issues. How the hell to speak on stances on the issues, if you want to preserve that much lauded big Dem tent – GOP/establishment-infested – with the exception of Lieberman? Whose issues? Conyers’ or Ford’s? Feingold’s or Nelson’s? They have run up against the same problem faced by the party that they have vowed to champion on to the finish line. And DD’s status on DK, given such an outlandish statement on Edwards, is a fine example of them drifting even further to the right.
Where were the lieutenants of the “Left” when this appeared? I am shocked, I say SHOCKED, that he is still allowed to post there… PPPP (Progressive People Powered Police) mustve been off duty and/or unarmed, eh?
NYCee — I didn’t have a chance to respond to the Delaware Dem comment raised in Mcat’s thread yesterday, so I’m glad you brought it up again.
I was struck by this comment, “I believe in a progressive tax, which means that those who earn more should pay more in taxes….”
Umm, no. This is not the definition of a progressive tax. A progressive tax system is one in which the wealthier pay a higher tax rate, i.e., they pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes than others. In any tax system based on rates or percentages of income paid in taxes, the wealthier will pay more because they make more. But the simple fact that people pay more because they make more does not automatically make it a progressive tax system.
Perhaps it was simply sloppy writing or sloppy thinking on DD’s part, but I find it truly sad that so many modern-day Democrats have so little understanding of truly progressive policy ideas. I am constantly amazed at the ability of the Republican/Big Business party to redefine the political center and shift “legitimate debate” to the right. While Steve Forbes “flat tax” policy has not actually been implemented yet (well, technically at least), it sure seems to have done it’s job is altering the public’s and the Democrats’ notions of “fairness” in the tax system.
IMO Kos used “liberal” very purposefully from the start.
And of course he is not. but there certainly were liberals there from the get go.
LOL a lot less now. And I really don’t think the blahgs, the BBB, are liberal. A social position here or there, or oppose the war as it is BUSH”S, but they are not liberal.
The BLAHHGS are reactionary… LOL. That is what they are.
A sure thing for you if you have a media event you need publicised ont he netteries.
And they like soul food… 😉
I heard one of the panels from CGI, CLinton Global Initiative, as I cooked int he kitchen. Moderated by ugh… the Iranian airline heiress,,, forget her name (and I like her). Jamie Rubin’s wife. It was CNN. Gah.
What a pity. What a fake platform.
Rami Khouri tried to say a few things aobut the Hizbollah IDF Lebanon war, that they had thought the West might care a little bit about Lebanon as it is a moderate democracy – if young and struggling – right inside the ME.
Got glossed right over. The topic of the panel was “In God’s Name” but the operational tactic was to blame individuals and hold Official Religion blameless (the Tutu model seen above in the post). Well Ratzi took care of that fiction just recently… and certainly some mullahs and clerics on the other side can be discussed. IF one wants to.
The whole thrust was to reinforce that religion is a force for good. I say: it is a political force, in any country. Basta! with the naivete.
And last, this is the kicker. Shimon Peres was there. His slobber about hte war – the war on Lebanon – GOT APPLAUSE.
Hope all the the little Peter Daou cadres are happy.
LOL might as well laugh. They, so many of them, had this or that to say about not supporting Hillary. They will line right up. Whne the time comes.
Good pernt, mjb.
I was simply too flabbergasted by the Edwards=commie thing to pay too much attention to the details, but you are right about progressive taxation meaning a higher rate of taxation, and so it should be. And the Dems shouldnt be afraid to say what it means and why it is good. Heard recently that CEOs now make 430 times what the workers make. OUCH. This was from the AFL CIO treasurer-sec who was on Cspan a week or so ago. He actually was very good at laying out the case for unions and progressive policies for workers, which was good, since the clueless need good teachers. God knows we have a shitload of the former. Delaware Dem, case in point.
No European CEO, in their wildest capitalist dreams, would dream of making 430 times that of their workers. I think the closest country to us in Europe is Great Britain, and they were like 14 or maybe as much as 20 times more than the workers (for some reason those two numbers come up). Sweden was lowest at about 5 times. We are drifting so far away from the progressivism achieved there. A writer for the Economist was just on Cspan talking about the meld of us n them in the 60s, but then the drift in the 80s … he is writing about our rightwing ascension a lot. Abortion, death penalty, economic fairness/safety net, religious etc… the gap is widening drastically btw our regression and their progression. He noted how the Dems are different now too, and even if they win, it will be a mild reversal of present insanity. Nothing FDRish. Uh huh.
Unless Edwards the Commie takes over, that is. Woo eeeee!
Escucha bien! Back by Populist Demand!
It’s Hugo Time! It’s Noam Time!
Heads up: Dont watch Superman! Watch Cspan’s Book TV, which is featuring the author, Noam Chomsky, speaking on the book the world is chattering about: Hegemony or Survival, due to hot hot hot new Venezuelan literary critic, Hugo Chavez, who has recommended it to America, nay, to the world itself! Cspan heeds Hugo’s call.
Cspan ll, Tomorrow, Saturday, 12:00 ET. A re-airing of Noam’s 2004 talk on Hegemony or Survival.
Hugo Hugo Hugo – comedian excelente, book critic extraordinaire, who also, incidentally, moonlights as president of Venezuela… oh, and does volunteer work as Mother Teresa of Heating Oil to the Poor… (My god, but the man is multi-talented… How could our media not adore him? Doctor, examine their cabezas… )
Anyway, mostly he is just so fucking funny, making me laugh laugh laugh everywhere he goes – UN, Harlem, wherever – you name it, he’s funny… and now THIS:
I am laughing again.
Damn, I don’t like being reminded how old Chomsky is.
I heard earlier today … somewhere… that the book had moved to 7th BUT WAS NO 1 by now.
I completely forgot to even look at Amazon to see if it was right…
Information is powerful. :0
And Chavez standing in the UN, saying that, over rode all the blocs and censures.
When I first saw the news yesterday, I checked Amazon, and it was number one. (Can’t remember what time it was.)
to me, one of the most important things chavez brought up in his speech was this reminder of america’s double standard:
few of the corporate media that i can find have mentioned this portion of chavez’s speech. its very hush hush. my local paper didn’t mention it. the stories here are all about the brown man who speaks of el diablo and the smell of sulfur. you won’t read about it on the partay blogs either, they’re all toeing the BULLSHIT partay line. and yet i must assume that around the world many people in many nations see that our white house does protect men like posada carriles and orlando bosch, and others like them. our representatives, such as Florida Republican congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, protect posada carriles and his ilk. the governor of Florida, Jeb Bush protects them and covets their votes. Our country has a tradition of supporting counter-revoluntary violence. And everyone in the world might become aware of that now, if they were not before, thanks to Chavez. In fact the only people who will continue uninformed about these matters are the ones living within this country, as well as those who are willfully blind.
Chavez walked into the very maw of his hell and spit in the eye of el diablo. he backed up his characterization with cold hard facts that are pretty much indisputable. Chavez defined speaking truth to power this week. None of the average people in this country will know much about it though. They won’t know because the so-called elites are covering it up.
Very good comments and posts in these threads, and at this blog, today, and every day.
Carilles, Bosch and the Floridian Cubans. ANd all this bullshit about screaming about terrorists at the southern border only to push racism, nativism and fear… not to really make the nation secure, in anyway…. It was CARILLAS who came in that way last year…
[…] And Madman drew on one of the comments from NYCO: ( New York ) On Monday, September 18, President Evo Morales Ayma and Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca of Bolivia met with Native American leaders on the Bolivian President’s first day in New York City . The President, Foreign Minister and his delegation were in New York for the opening of the General Assembly. […]