Niall Ferguson Admits He's Stupid

Niall Ferguson is a pseudo- historian known for advocating a vicious form of neo-conservatism. Last week at the Altergris conference Ferguson attacked the John Maynard Keynes saying that Keynes didn't care about the future because he was gay and an an 'effete' member of society." The whole thing sounds very stupid of course. It's an example of "right wing logic" which lumps everything they dislike into one category. Ferguson's comments have even drawn fire from certain right wing opinion makers.

Ferguson is now backtracking admitting that his comments were "stupid." His entire world view is stupid. Ferguson is a relic of the 1980's who preaches militarism, imperialism, and recessionist economics.

Soemthing Completely Different

Recently British businessman James McCormick was convicted of fraud. McCormick was director of ATSC (UK), a company which sold the ADE 651 a device which could supposedly detect explosives, drugs, ivory and even human bodies. It turns out that the ADE 651 is a fraud. The device, which has appeared under different labels, was used extensively in Iraq and Afghanisitan as well as countries ranging from Mexico to Thailand. It would make an interesting story; the ADE 651 as an allegory for greed, scientific ignorance, and corruption all leading to the fiasco of the Iraq war.

After the Dust Settles

We still don't everything about last week's bobmbing in Boston or what the motives of the Tsarnaev brothers might have been. In addition to investigating this one incident we should also have an inqury as to whether there was some intelligence failure or what we can do better to prevent another incident like this. We don't need any posturing nonsense from Repub pols like John McCain or Lindsay Graham who want Dzhokar Tsarnaev to be declared an "enemy combatant." Such a move would declare that America is a "war zone," and would do nothing to correct the problem. We should also resist any tendecny to engage in Isalmophobia or Chechenophobia. The situation calls for good old American coolness.

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.