Newt Gingrich beat Mitt Romney in the GOP South Carolina primary. He's now posing as a "populist" bashing Romney for having money in Swiss bank accounts and other sins. Of course Gingrich himself has benefitted from influence peddling. Only he hasn't made quite as much money as Romney.
On the deeper level, it's getting harder for the GOP to claim that they stand for the "little people" while they push an economic agenda that only benefits a small class of speculators--like Romney and Gingrich.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Insanity or Stupidity?
There's a fashionable definition of insanity as "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." Personally, I think that's more indicative of stupidity. But in any case it does show a misguided stubborness, an unwillingness to learn, and to maintain that "It's going to work because it has to work."
The result of the recent elections in Egypt, in which the Islamist parties came out ahead, are frankly alarming. An Islamist regime in Egypt would not be terribly friendly to the US or Israel and would further destabilize the region. In fact the upshot of the "Arab Spring" has merely resulted in the demise of two pro-Western governments (Egypt and Tunisia) and the collapse of one regime (Libya) that for geographic reasons was especially vulnerable to Western pressure. Other than that it has only produced more violence and instability.
It seems that our foreign policy pundits don't get it that we shouldn't be messing in the internal affairs of other countries. The delusions of the Neo-Conservatives who dragged us into the mess in Iraq should have shown us that. These days nobody will admit to being a Neo-conservative, but the Foreing Policy elite still continue to act as if we can somehow control events in the rest of the world.
The only way we should "promote" democracy is by setting a good example in our own conduct. In that sense we are failing miserably.
The result of the recent elections in Egypt, in which the Islamist parties came out ahead, are frankly alarming. An Islamist regime in Egypt would not be terribly friendly to the US or Israel and would further destabilize the region. In fact the upshot of the "Arab Spring" has merely resulted in the demise of two pro-Western governments (Egypt and Tunisia) and the collapse of one regime (Libya) that for geographic reasons was especially vulnerable to Western pressure. Other than that it has only produced more violence and instability.
It seems that our foreign policy pundits don't get it that we shouldn't be messing in the internal affairs of other countries. The delusions of the Neo-Conservatives who dragged us into the mess in Iraq should have shown us that. These days nobody will admit to being a Neo-conservative, but the Foreing Policy elite still continue to act as if we can somehow control events in the rest of the world.
The only way we should "promote" democracy is by setting a good example in our own conduct. In that sense we are failing miserably.
Friday, January 13, 2012
The GOP Leadership Defecit
It seems that Mitt "I Like To Fire People" Romney has virtually locked up the GOP nomination for President. His narrow win in Iowa and New Hampshire have given him the momentum. The other contenders--Gingrich, Santorum-- might claim they still have a chance but they don't have the staying power to beat Romney. Most Repubs may not like Romney but he is the least objectionable candidate, if only because he's neither a kook or a crackpot. At the same time it's clear that Romney can only win the Presidential election if there's an economic downturn and/or a foreign policy debacle.
The GOP has been having a Leadership defecit ever since the late 80's. They have become the Bush dynasty party (word is that if the Repubs lose this year's Presidential race Jeb Bush will become the GOP front runner for 2016). Their crude anti-government ideaology has not only left them without policy ideas, it has also turned them into flunkies of corporate interests.
The GOP has been having a Leadership defecit ever since the late 80's. They have become the Bush dynasty party (word is that if the Repubs lose this year's Presidential race Jeb Bush will become the GOP front runner for 2016). Their crude anti-government ideaology has not only left them without policy ideas, it has also turned them into flunkies of corporate interests.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)