When Right is Wrong

Margaret Thatcher has died. To some she was the "Iron Lady" to the others she was "La Pasionaria of Privilege." I'm not an expert on British politics, but it's fair to say that Thatcher became the role model for Ronald Reagan and most right wing politicians, in the West at any rate. We should remember how she played a role in encouraing Bush II to invade Iraq. Though in her later years she allegedly made statements to the effect that invading Iraq was a mistake. In fairness, people who recognize their mistakes are preferable to those who persist in their stupidity.

How's That Again?

Marty Kaplan is a blogger for the Huffington Post and apparently some kind of "liberal" personality. His latest post strikes a strange note. "Daddy's Been Arrested" about Michael S. Steinberg, a 41-year-old stock trader for New York hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors, who was arrested by the FBI at his $8 million Manhattan co-op. (Think about that number!) This is related to the scandal involving SAC employees indicted in the investigation of its founder, Steven A. Cohen, whose net worth is around $10 billion. Four of them have pleaded guilty. Apparently the FBI is trying to reel in and flip Cohen's conspirators in an alleged insider trading scheme, and Steinberg -- Cohen's golden boy -- is their latest catch. But here's the thing. It's like we're supposed to feel sorry for Steinberg and his ilk.

Since his name surfaced in the investigation, Mr. Steinberg has occasionally spent evenings in New York hotels to avoid being handcuffed at home in front of his two children. Federal agents refused to let Mr. Steinberg surrender of his own volition at F.B.I. headquarters downtown, expressing the view that white-collar defendants should not be given special treatment.

Oh really! Steinberg and his kind have caused so much economic harm to 99% of the planet's population. Not satisfied with the legal pilfering they can do, the now break the law as well. And we're supposed to feel sorry for them? Personally, I don't give a rat's hindquarter's for Steinberg, Cohen, or their defenders.

Repubs Hate America

I think that's what if comes down to: Repubs, for all their flag waving and strident displays of "patriotism" really hate America. The real purpose of their "budget sequster" is to force the economy into recession and punish America for not voting for them. The budget cuts are having an adverse effect on all levels of education, from College Aid to Head Start. But then an uneducated and uninformed populace would be in the interest of the Repubs and the Corporate interests they serve.

Send Them To Waziristan!

This is the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, and that country was hit with a new wave of bombings that left 60 people dead. Al Qaeda claimed responsibilty, which shows that invading Iraq did nothing to put that group out of commission. In fact, the entire Middle East is actually less stable. The sacrifices we made-- 5000 dead, and 32,000 wounded, as well as nearly 1 trillion dollars were for nothing. Well, the was did "accomplish" one thing; it got GWB his second term. But only an idiot would argue that invading Iraq made the Middle East either more peaceful or democratic.

The appalling thing is that there are still those who defend the invasion in Iraq. Listening to their arguments is a sickening exercise in "counter factual" thinking. But even worse is how many of these people are still taking seriously as "pundits," how they continue to push for war against Iran, for instance. All these neo-conservatives should be rounded up and flown to Waziristan. See how their bombastic mania goes over there.

Boy Blunder At It Again

Paul Ryan, who never lets facts or figures stand in his way, has unveiled the new GOP budget proposal to drastically slash Federal spending, repeal the President's healthcare reform, and replace Medicare with vouchers. Ryan calls it "The Path to Prosperity," a verbal distortion as grotesque as anything in George Orwell's "Newspeak."
Ryan and the rest of the Repubs are economic destrutionists, who are trying to destroy the national economy for the sake of their twisted ideology.

The Decline and Fall of Bob Woodward

Those of us who remember the seventies came to see Bob Woodward as a hero. The way he together with Carl Bernstein exposed the Watergate scandal has become the epic standard of investigative journalism. To confront any Presidency is daunting to confront the corrupt and abusive Nixon White House can be considered heroic. However, recently Woodward has gotten into a spat with White House Economic Director Gene Sperling over an email exchange in which Sperling wrote "I think you will regret staking out that claim." Woodward is now claiming on tv appearances that the Obama White House is threatening him. He's even gone on Fox tv, whcih is usually a sign of moral degradation. Anyway, reading Sperling's full email shows that there was no threat implied. What's happened is that Woodward has gone from being an insurgent to an insider, because forty years is a long time.

"The Makers" on PBS

Last night PBS showed one of its best programs of all time; "Makers: Women Who Make America." It shows the history of the women's movement from World War II to the seventies. One important aspect of the show is that it sets the record straight on the Feminist movement. In spite of all the distortions that have been circulated, Feminism wasn't about "women versus men" but the progress of human equality. It is important to remember why Feminism was necessary in light of the current attack on reproductive rights and the right=wing attempt to turn back the clock on gender equality.