Mike's Blog Roundup
By Mike Finnigan Saturday Sep 27, 2008 10:00amJames Fallows: On strategy and tactics
Cutting Through The Crap: Calmness under fire, careful deliberation...since when?
The Osterley Times: John McCain is campaigning on change whilst telling us that change is dangerous
The Moderate Voice: The liberal Palin pity party, lies, and self esteem
The Peking Duck: What could be more unnerving than having your largest creditor begin pondering your financial demise?
It's fiscal meltdown time at The Opinion Mill's Weekend Bookchat! Learn about the con-man who caused the first banking collapse in America, and read about the book that all but prophesied the current collapse. There's a new creationist pseudo-textbook out, and we've got the reviews! Here's a story about the new India that Thomas Friedman would rather not read! All this and more!
Login or Register to post comments.
met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
If the Chinese new anything about money, they wouldn't have lent us any to begin with. They're so screwed dude! lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
With All Eyes on the Bailout, House Passes Trillion-Dollar Defense Bill
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/100524/with_all_eyes_on_the_bailout,_h...
nicethugbert @ 2:
Not necessarily. The Chinese as well as many other nations that hold onto U.S. debt are definately going to feel a lot of pain. However, China has a very large manufacturing base and will more than likely recover from it a lot faster.
A little off topic site monitor...but I could not believe what I saw on late edition. Eric cantor was blaming Jimmy carter for the housing melt down? WTF is going on here, your country has an economic storm of untold proportion about to burst and everyone is running around covering their ass.
I don't know about you but I'd be looking for someone standing up and saying yes we have a problem. The solution is going to hurt like hell but we need to fix it.
P.S. In the 1990's Canada had serious economic problems(yes I know our economy is tiny) but the Liberal goverment took the bull by the horns and did what needed to be done to fix the problem
Bush bankrupted his oil company in Texas, Arbusto Energy, that was financed by the Saudi's. Now it looks like he has bankrupted the United States. Funny how these behaviors are predictable.
It's also interesting how during the Great Depression, bank consolidation was a big aspect of it. The Big Banks took advantage of the instability and bought up the fledgling struggling banks. Well you see that same thing today and even on a grander scale.
Watch the documentaries.
Orangutan. @ 6:
Yeah, the US pays BIG bucks to people for failing their Corporations.
Thanks for the link Mike!
Here is a report on the US Federal trial of Charles Taylor Jr., son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor Sr., for the commission of torture.
Taylor Sr. is standing trial in the Hague for war crimes.
Here is a reference to US Secretary of State Condi Rice describing her knowledge, in writing, of official discussions about the sanctioning of US use of torture.
Double standards anyone?!!!
Mike the Canuck @ 5:
problems thanks to tax and spend mulrooney.
the numbers in america show better fiscal prudence for democrats in the last 50 years over republicans!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms
Link much appreciated!!
Half watching Clint Eastwood's 1973 movie 'Magnum Force' on AMC at the moment, quite an interesting social documentary on the early 70s.
Main plot line is a 5 man death squad operating inside the police department.
The police gun ranges targets (in the movie) have a circle on the lower torso stomach area, so by implication they didnt officially shoot to kill back then.
Modern and military target range targets have heart lung bulleyes, which is most likely going to be a kill shot.
good quote from Callahan is "the system might be rotten, but until something better comes along I will work inside it" as he rejects the death squads bosses theory of cleansing and going beyond the law.
This second movie is prob the odd one out in the series, different from the first, more serious subject matter.
AMC has the rest of them one after another. Been years since I watched some of them.
Here Amy Goodman interviews Ralph Nader and Arun Gupta on the
bailoutswindle that shouldn't be.The COWARDLY Democrats are being stampeded by the Swindler in Chief.
They are good at it.
CASH FOR TRASH.
Mike the Canuck @ 5:
Its the Republican Conservative way, they lie steal and gut everything they touch, then run screaming shouting 'its not our fault'
Like bratty children caught out in a lie.
During the recent Presidential debate
How about the continuous “mangling” of what Iranian President Ahmadenijad has said about Israel. McCain repeated that the President of Iran has said that “Israel should be wiped off the map” four times four times during the debate. And got away with it. Jim Lehrer did not challenge him. Professor Juan Cole and others who speak Persian have stated that what the Iranian President said was that Zionism " will vanish from the page to time". This statement is a far cry from 'wiping Israel off the map". You can put money on the likelihood of the persistent misinterpretation of what the Iranian President was started by the same liars who lied our nation into Iraq based on a "pack of lies"
Last week I heard Barbara Slavin who was a guest on C-spans Washington Joural allow a caller to repeat this false statement and then Barbara Slavin said “good questions” and did not dispute the caller repeating these false statements. Barbara went onto repeat the false statements.
http://www.c-span.org/video_rss.aspx?MediaID=38322
This past week On Fresh Air Terri Gross repeated the same inaccurate interpretation of what the Iranian President allegedly said. Terri Grosss repeated this inaccuracy twice.
Sarah Palin repeated this false statement during her interview with Katie Couric last week.
This inaccurate and inflammatory statement attributed to the Iranian President has been endlessly repeated the last four years by Senator McCain (Chris Matthews and Stephanpolous let him get away with it and repeat the unsubstantiated claims that Iran has a nuclear weapons program), Micheal Ledeen, James Woolsey, John Bolton (Talk of the Nations Neil Conan gave John Bolton 40 minutes to repeat unsubstantiated claims about Iran. Neil Conan did not challenge him once.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9942906
Cheney repeats these false claims and misquotes. So does Reuel Marc Gerecht, Condi Rice, Bill Kristol etc etc.
The MSM seems to have learned very little from the build up to the invasion of Iraq. I have not heard one reporter, pundit or moderator challenge those who repeat these inaccurate statements. This is so dangerous and has gone far too long
————————————————————————
Professor Juan Cole has directly interpreted just what President Ahmadenijad said about Israel. Both Rep Ron Paul and Rep Kucinich have tried to bring attention to this issue
http://www.juancole.com/2007/0.....mitic.html
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul continue to show themselves among the few in Congress with any integrity and backbone. They declined to go along with a resolution charging Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad with incitement to genocide, given his alleged call for Israel to be ‘wiped off the face of the map.’
As most of my readers know, Ahmadinejad did not use that phrase in Persian. He quoted an old saying of Ayatollah Khomeini calling for ‘this occupation regime over Jerusalem” to “vanish from the page of time.’ Calling for a regime to vanish is not the same as calling for people to be killed. Ahmadinejad has not to my knowledge called for anyone to be killed. (Wampum has more; as does the American Street).
WHY HAVE THE MAINSTREAMERS ALLOWED THIS TO GO ON?
Phillips has warned for years about the inevitably malign consequences of what he calls the “financialization” of the American economy. Sometime in the mid-’90s, he writes, financial services overtook manufacturing as the biggest chunk of the U.S. gross domestic product. If you believe, as Phillips does, that all the furious activity on Wall Street masterminded by the likes of Citigroup and Goldman-Sachs and Merrill Lynch is just a bunch of speculation and froth that doesn’t actually result in the creation of anything real, then there has never been a better time for triumphantly pointing out the disasters that ensue when the rest of the world also realizes that Wall Street is wearing no clothes.
Res Ipsa Loquitur...
Thom Hartmann mentioned an interesting statistic on air the other day, apropos Phillips' phillipics on the economy: He said there are over ONE THOUSAND TRILLIONS of dollars 'invested' in stock options/devices called 'derivatives.' Afaik, each dollar therein is a unit of DEBT. Egro there are over a THOUSAND TRILLION DOLLARS of debt circulating around a financial system that is undergirded my, at most, at any given time, SIXTY TRILLION DOLLARS of Global GDP. There is, therefore, according to Hartmann, more than 165 TIMES more 'debt' in circulation than there is 'value' to redeem it.
A buddy of mine one time said he was just waiting for the moment. He kept his credit spotless, waiting for it: the time when the imminent collapse would mean he could utilize his spotless credit to acquire anything and everything he wanted without the possibility that his picayune pilferage would excite the folks struggling to dam the levees as the economy flowed down the sink-hole of debt. I'd be intereted to know if ol' Bobby's started feathering his nest yet...
I found it extremely disturbing to hear Senator Obama say that "Iran is developing Nuclear weapons" today on Face the Nation. I am waiting for the transcript to come up at Face the Nation, to check his exact words. But I listened very closely and I believe this is exactly what he said.
This is horseshit and it appears that Obama is joining the team who continuously inflame the situation with Iran by repeating unsubstantiated claims
about a nuclear "weapons" program instead of stating that Iran has a nuclear energy program. Why is it that McCain and OBama seem to forget that Iran has the right to enrich uranium under the IAEA. Why is it that Obama and McCain seem to ignore the latest NIE (national INtelligence Estimate on Iran)?
Former UN Weapons inspector Scott Ritter questions the sources of intelligence in regard to what is being claimed about Iran. He ask that the "smoking laptop" be thoroughly investigated and the source for this laptop.
Scott Ritter has said that the U.S. (some say Israel) are all ready in Iran killing and causing chaos
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080729_acts_of_war/
Taking a Stand Against War
http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/20080511_taking_a_stand_against_war/
WHEREAS, The Bush Administration and its Congressional allies are engaging in a systematic campaign to convince the American people that the Islamic Republic of Iran poses an imminent threat to the American nation, American troops in the Middle East and U.S. allies.”
The propaganda war being waged by the Bush administration in this regard has been as intense and relentless as any in recent memory. Either directly or through proxy, the administration has painted a one-sided portrait of Iran which is inaccurate and misleading in the extreme. To have a nation of nearly 80 million people, possessing a history and culture several thousands of years old, suddenly personified in the image of a single individual, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a gross misrepresentation. Imagine if one tried to characterize the entire American people in the form of George W. Bush. Iran is a diverse nation, with numerous political and social constituencies which compete across a broad spectrum of forums, governmental and nongovernmental alike. To take the words and deeds of one man, out of context in some cases and inaccurately in others, and use them to paint a picture of national policy is as wrong as it is deceitful.
This is the latest from Iaea's Director El Baradei has said about Iran
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Statements/2008/ebsp2008n007.html
Implementation of Safeguards in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran. Regrettably, the Agency has not been able to make substantive progress on the alleged studies and associated questions relevant to possible military dimensions to Iran´s nuclear programme. These remain of serious concern.
Although Iran has acknowledged that some information in the relevant documentation, including names of individuals and organizations, is correct, it reiterated that all the documents are fabricated or forged. Iran has also declared that it has not performed any of the activities described in the alleged studies and reiterated its request to be provided with originals, or even copies, of the documentation. I call upon Member States which provided the Agency with documentation related to the alleged studies to authorize the Agency to share it with Iran.
However, as mentioned in the report which you have before you, Iran should clarify the extent to which information in the documentation is factually correct and where, as it asserts, such information may have been fabricated or relates to non nuclear purposes. In that context, Iran needs to give the Agency substantive information to support its statements and provide access to relevant documentation and individuals. Unless Iran provides such transparency, and implements the Additional Protocol, the Agency will not be able to provide credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.
I note that the Agency has not detected the actual use of nuclear material in connection with the alleged studies, nor does it have information - apart from the uranium metal document - on the actual design or manufacture by Iran of nuclear material components of a nuclear weapon. Contrary to the decisions of the Security Council, Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities. Although Iran has so far produced only limited quantities of low enriched uranium (LEU), this is still a cause for concern for the international community in the absence of full clarity about Iran´s past and present nuclear programme.
I reiterate that the Agency does not in any way seek to "pry" into Iran´s conventional or missile-related military activities. Our focus is clearly on nuclear material and activities. We need, however, to make use of all relevant information to be able to confirm that no nuclear material is being used for nuclear weapons purposes. I am confident that arrangements can be developed which enable the Agency to do its work while ensuring that Iran´s legitimate right to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information and activities is respected. I again urge Iran to show full transparency and to implement all measures required to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme at the earliest possible date.
It is now six years since we began intensive work to clarify Iran´s nuclear activities. It is in everyone´s interest that we should reach full clarity as soon as possible.
IF OBAMA SAID " IRAN HAS A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM" THIS MORNING ON FACE THE NATION. HIS TONE AND CLARITY HAVE CHANGED AND THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS
Kathleen @ 15:
An excellent post and an excellent question.
The two wings of the Corporate War party find it useful and therefore continue with it.
Their mouthpiece, the Corporate Media follows suit.
Senator Obama appears committed to investing in the American worker through education, health care, and by promoting much-needed green industry that will reward workers with additional job and growth opportunities.
McCain appears hostile to the American worker. He offers a spending freeze that would cripple education as well as scientific research and development, and a health care plan that would have those in need of medical care seeking out one of Sarah Palin's pastors for an exorcism.
Fallows continues to be sharp.
Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul continue to show themselves among the few in Congress with any integrity and backbone. They declined to go along with a resolution charging Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad with incitement to genocide, given his alleged call for Israel to be ‘wiped off the face of the map.’
As most of my readers know, Ahmadinejad did not use that phrase in Persian. He quoted an old saying of Ayatollah Khomeini calling for ‘this occupation regime over Jerusalem” to “vanish from the page of time.’ Calling for a regime to vanish is not the same as calling for people to be killed. Ahmadinejad has not to my knowledge called for anyone to be killed. (Wampum has more; as does the American Street).
Ron Paul, "backbone" aside, is an unrepentant bigot, and a proven fringe-dweller. His voting record is appalling. I wonder about anyone who would cite him as a good example in any context.
Login or Register to post comments.