Monthly Archives: March 2009
Overestimating the threat and our power
On Friday, Obama tried to sell America on his plans for escalating the war in Pakganistan. Obama says the “if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban, or allows al-Qaida to go unchallenged — that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly [...]
What marijuana prohibition costs
On Friday, I briefly criticized Obama’s glib response to the question of legalizing marijuana. I said, “our marijuana laws, in particular, are much more destructive than the effects of the drug itself. They tear apart families through prison terms and divert/waste government money on an incredible scale.”
In the comments section, Ian thought I went too far [...]
Roundup for Friday 3/27/2009
Apparently, rightwingers are convincing themselves that Obama is too reliant on teleprompters and is thus a terrible communicator (we’ve come a long way since the days of ‘Just Words’). Here is Letterman’s response:
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From the guys who brought you the Iraq war (Kristol, Kagan and Senor), comes a new foreign policy think tank titled the Foreign [...]
The looting continues
Remember that money we gave to Citi and Bank of America so that they could start lending again? Turns out, instead of lending, they are using it to buy up more toxic assets, so they can reap the benefits of the Obama/Geithner auction (giveaway) plan I mentioned on Tuesday.
From the NY Post (@ Naked Capitalism):
As [...]
Giving the power to Wall Street
The Obama administration, like the Bush administration before it, believes in the necessity of financial monsters like Citi, Bank of America and AIG. The proof is in their approach to fixing the credit and banking crisis.
On Friday, the details of Treasury Secretary Geithner’s plan to save the banking system were leaked. As others, like Krugman, [...]
FedEx plane crashes landing in Japan
Holy crap:
The two American crew members operating the plane were killed. So far the best guess is that wind gusts caused the accident.
Thankfully this wasn’t a passenger plane, because I doubt anyone would have survived that fireball.
The years just fly by…
Yesterday was the six year anniversary of when the United States invaded Iraq. And it definitely is weird that very few people even bothered to mention it.
Here’s hoping…
that the next few years in Iraq are less bloody than the last six
the United States has learned a valuable lesson about the limits of military power
Obama keeps [...]
Quotes of the Week: "Going Galt" edition
“I’m going to put people in my place, so when the history of this administration is written at least there’s an authoritarian voice saying exactly what happened.” – George W. Bush
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“Now that I’m more or less finished with my taxes, I can proclaim without reservation that I have, for the 34th consecutive year, successfully managed [...]
If you're not part of the solution…
In the grand scheme of things, we’re just animals programmed to eat, poop and reproduce. Abstinence programs ignore that we’re driven by genetics to seek out sexual partners as soon as our bodies are capable. Promoting condom use recognizes the strength of those urges and the fallibility of human self control.
But rather than embrace the [...]
Chris Cornell, WTF?
What were you thinking when you made this album with producer Timbaland?
Seriously, did you actually listen to these songs before you released them on your victims to the public?
I’ve listened to this song a few times, and I can’t think of any redeeming quality:
These guys are responsible for some of the most iconic songs of [...]