Oh Jesus Christ, Hillary

Sen. Clinton pulled out the goddy thing again:

"I have ever since I've been a little girl felt the presence of God in my life. And it has been a gift of grace that has for me been incredibly sustaining. But, really, ever since I was a child, I have felt the enveloping support and love of God. And I have had the experiences on many, many occasions where I felt like the holy spirit was there with me as I made a journey."

No sweetie, that was just the valium.

What is troubling here is not religious faith, but the narcissism that seems to accompany it. Millions of Americans have religious faith, use that faith to inform their moral decisions, and believe they will be judged in the after life. Fine. But why does that faith so often have to be transformed into this kind of "I am special" cants? They are insipid and perhaps denigrating to other, less solipistic, forms of faith. I am not sure I am ready for another Commander in Chief who believes their life and decisions are somehow divinely inspired.

Two Thoughts on McCain

Two articles appeared this week on Senator John McCain. The first was in the WSJ and authored by former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan. Noonan's take is really that the type of patriotism exhibited by Mr. McCain is superior to that of his opponents because it is steeped in American traditions, stories and experiences that have been handed down to McCain through generations of his family. In Noonan's eyes, McCain has an understanding of average Americans that Sen. Obama has yet to display.

The second article, from the NYT, focused on McCain as a member of the so-called "Silent Generation," those Americans born in the late 1930s and who never fought in WWII. The Silents are often described by political scientists and sociologists as being dedicated to consensus,conformity and authority. They avoid questioning their leaders and are motivated by the approval of their community and superiors, usually those in the Greatest Generation. They are the men in the grey flannel suits who were unaffected by -- and uninvolved in -- the Civil Rights struggle or the Peace Movement. No Silent has ever been President. According to the the Times, McCain may posture at being a rebel, but in the end he adheres to the script laid out for him, and genuflects to the country's hallowed institutions and beliefs. He is a vocal Silent, but a Silent none the less.

By combining both analysts I think you can see the problem with a McCain presidency. I agree with Noonan that McCain is deeply steeped in the lore of this country. He has unquestioningly accepted all our myths, justifications, and explanations. And that is precisely why he should not be President. McCain's brand of patriotism effectively stunts his ability to objectively examine American motives or possibilities and completely blocks any ability to hear viewpoints that clash with the mythology so near to his heart. His agenda only contains items that resonate in our past and reflect our triumphs. He will hear no tale of our shortcomings. In short, he is the type of patriot who is so enamored at the sight of our flag waving, that he neglects to notice which way the wind is blowing.

I think we've had our fill of that.

The Rev Wright Redux

John McCain is objecting to an ad prepared by the North Carolina GOP that skewers Sen. Obama for his association to the Rev. Wright. Sen. McCain thinks the ad is too polarizing.

This begins a slightly new chapter in the history of American race relations. We justified slavery and Jim Crow with the idea that blacks were ignorant and possibly dangerous. Now we are worried that, if given political power, they may exact revenge on whitey. So it goes....

Today's Fun fact

The US has just about 5% of the world's population, yet we have 25% of the world's prisoners in our jails. We incarcerate a greater percentage of our population than any country save Russia. So at least we still have something to shoot for....

You Won't Hear it on The News

You won't hear about this from the networks, so I'll put it here.

On Saturday, The NYT ran a lengthy story about military analysts. You know those retired military officers that are trotted out on the news to give their independent analysis of Iraq? Well it seems they are not so independent. Most are part of the Administration's message machine and have been given talking points and briefings by the Department of Defense, who described them in internal memos as "surrogates" or part of the "message force." Other analysts have ties to military contractors who have a a decided stake not only in the war proceeding, but in having it proceed in a certain way. None of these associations were disclosed by the analysts and viewers were left with the impression that the analyst was just calling them as he see's 'em.

According to the Times, the Pentagon and DOD worked carefully to prepare the analysts to deliver the Administration's message on TV and to keep the collusive arrangements secret. Make no mistake, this was not just an effort to provide independent, objective analysts with information. It was the Administration saying, ‘We need to stick our hands up your back and move your mouth for you,’said Robert S. Bevelacqua, a retired Green Beret and former Fox News analyst.

I am not so much troubled by the media's complicity with a corrupt administration. Enough ink has been spilled on the issue of the media's complete abdication of its role. What is more troubling, is that this type of misinformation campaign is just the sort of psy-op we run in foreign countries in an effort to sow the seeds of mistrust and confusion. Only now the enemy is us.

The Man from Plains is Confusing Things Again

Today Sec. of State Condelezza Rice criticized former President Jimmy Carter for traveling to the occupied territories and speaking with representatives of Hamas. According to Rice, Carter's visit "confuses" US efforts to broker a mideast peace deal. I'll say its confusing, Carter makes it look like their actually is a US effort to broker a Mid East peace deal.

This Week In The News

This week, Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for President, announced that he would not support an expanded G.I. Bill now pending before the Senate, despite his earlier statements that he supported enhanced benefits for veterans. The bill, which has 55 supporters in the Senate greatly expands educational opportunities for veterans. Sources in the Senator's office said they are concerned the new bill would incentivize soldiers to leave the military. This week, McCain also laid out an economic plan heavily reliant on the type of tax breaks that he critiziced during the Bush Administration. Contacted for comment on the Straight Talk Express, the Arizona Senator opined, "Its the base dammit. The damn Republican base. As far as they are concerned they never have enough money and we never have enough soldiers to protect it. But my friend, the answer is clear -- I think we need to decrease the sacrifice made by the wealthiest Americans and increase the sacrifices made by our soldiers." Asked if this was precisely the type of tomfoolery McCain raged against during his 2004 campaign, the candidate grew quiet and then exploded "F---k you. Get off my bus and take your damn donuts with you."

This week, Sen. Barak Obama drew criticism from accross the political spectrum for suggesting that small town voters were "bitter" about their economic fortunes and thus turned to issues like guns and religion for solace. Both Sens McCain and Clinton lambasted Sen. Obama for his "elitism." In fact, both Senators then went on a quest to demonstrate how down home they both are. Sen. McCain gave up his Episcopalian faith and proclaimed to be a snake handler and then let on that his current wife Cindy, is a not so distant relative. He then mentioned that he often treats his war wounds with "some Vicks and a touch of the 'shine." Sen. Clinton did shots with some steelworkers and then reported she is three months pregnant with the child of her husband's best friend. She plans to name the child Pabst after the brew present at the child's conception. "Take an empty trailer and a full twelve pack and look what happens..." joked the candidate. One political consultant, who refused to give her name commented, as she Bedazzled a pair of Wrangler jeans for Sen. Clinton, "Its interesting really. I don't think anyone will lose or gain any votes from this. But we will find out once and for all what white working class voters hate more: being mildly insulted or being pandered to."

This week, the NYT and other media outlets reported the fact that former attorney General Alberto "Fredo" Gonzalez has been unable to find a job with a law firm, a setback not usually faced by the nation's former top lawyers. Curious as to how a man of such unique talents and complete lack of integrity was unable to land a very lucrative position, TWN pulled some strings and was able to obtain a copy of Gonzalez' resume. Gonzalez lists as a goal, " a poition inwhich I can leverage my relationships with many contacts in the Bush Administration before they are indicted or become complete laughingstocks." He lists as his strengths "agreeability, willingness to go with the flow." Gonzalez also boast of his "knowledge of various enhanced interrogation techniques that can be used for business or recreation," and his willingness to be "treated almost like a pet by his superiors." According to sources close to him, Gonzalez is looking for positions as a "lawyer, all purpose suck up, or Token Hispanic" in that order. His resume has been circulated to blue chip Washington law firms, various car dealerships, and the Men's Warehouse.

This week, Pope Ratzinger visited the US. During an open air mass in Washington DC the Pope decried the separation of faith from politics and urged American Catholics to adopt Catholic sexual ethics, oppose abortion and take an active stance is supporting the poor and imprisoned. It is difficult to say how much weight the Pope's words will carry with American Catholics. While many support the Church's stand on social justice, they are leary of the Vatican's sexual ethics and opposition to abortion. A larger group favors the Pope on the bedroom issues but disdains the Papal messgae of social justice. Typical of this group, Tom Finnerty of Baltimore, MD noted, "Its all halfsies with me. I am all about being pro life and and anti sex, because really, no skin off my nose. Those are things other people do and its fun to call them out on it. But the whole social justice issue. I am more of a Republican Catholic. I am all for you in the womb, but once you are out. Fuggetaboutit. You are on your own, don't come lookin' to me for help. You gotta -- you know -- pull your own weight by your bootstraps or whatever."

Words Worth Noting

"In a society which values personal freedom and autonomy, it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on others as well as the responsibilities that we bear towards them. . . . We were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love -- for God and for our neighbor." (Pope Benedict XVI, a/k/a Cardinal Ratzinger)

I dump on the guy a lot, only fair to report it when he hits a home run. The communitraian aspects of Christianity are always worth repeating. I am because we are.

The Debate

It seems that Sen. Obama got some heat for his associations with the Rev. Wright, (his pastor in Chicago) and Bill Ayers, (a former member of the Weather Underground). (I won't even get into the flag pin psuedo issue. Haven't we all had enough of symbolic patriotism in this country?) I suppose the Sen. from Illinois is now reaping the harvest of living a real life, among real people, and not just surrounding himself with a revolving cast of sanitized non controversial personas.

At one point George Stephanopoulos actually asked Sen. Obama is Rev. Wright loved America as much as he [Sen. Obama] does. Yeah.... that's journalism.

Not a Good Way to Start The Day

The Pope is in DC and playing footsie with the President. In response to something the Pope said, The President rejoined, "In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred and . . . each of us is loved."

Preemptive War, Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, Iraq, Katrina, renditions, six years of policies that favor the rich over everyone else. Such are not the acts of a man who believes all human life is sacred. The fact that lightning did not strike at the very moment these words were spoken is evidence of the atheist's case.

Academic Argument

On Hardball, Sen. John McCain, highlighted his opposition to the manner in which the War in Iraq was handled by the Administration. He stopped short, however, of actually crticizing the decision to go to war. According to McCain, "We can look back at the past and argue about whether we should have gone to war or not, whether we should have invaded or not, and that's a good academic argument."

"Academic" argument? We all know that when a Republican says "academic" he or she usually means "unimportant." I suspect that there are at least 4,000 Americans and perhaps 100,000 Iraqis who would have liked to have that argument.

Seriously, when did the question of war, of when one country may lay waste to another, become "academic?" When did it stop being fundamental? How did our most basic obligation to each other -- don't kill other people -- become some sort of nicety that we can talk about when it is convenient?

Either Sen. McCain is just trying to frame the issue in a way that makes it easy to marginalize, or he is every bit as callow as our current Commander in Chief or, he seems to have some blind spot in his reasoning when it comes to use of force.

Couldn't Happen to Nicer Guy

According to the NYT, poor Alberto Gonzalez cannot find a job in the private sector. Apparently the recession has hit themarket for suck ups. Personally, I cannot think of someone I would rather see tending the Saturday BBQ at Quentin Edwards Hyundai in El Paso.

Look for a conservative foundation (AEI, Heritage, Olin, Manhattan) to come to the rescue. I would also predict a place as GC at a major coporation, but I think even that may be off the table.

Just Another Thought

As I watch the pander fest that arose from Sen. Obama's remarks (see below) I cannot help but think he stepped into a little known land mine of the progressive movement: romanticizing the working class. As progressives, we feel a special kinship to working class America first because it is the largest yet least represented group in the country, and the short end of the stick they have recieved is easily observed. Second, because the working class has been the engine of many progressive changes and they are a natural constituency for any vision of social justice.

But we have to take off the rose colored glasses. Travel through America's ghettos, defunct mill towns, and small rural burgs and you will see a lot of attractive things, a diverse lot of beliefs and lifestyles, and some of the unattractive things that often (though not always) attach themselves to hopelessness and poverty -- things like bigotry, religious fundamentalism, self destructive behavior, illegitimacy, anti intellectualism, and a lot of misspent frustration. It will be a mark of maturity in the progresive movement when we can dignify America's working class as a constituency without simply turning a blind eye to its problems or worse -- assuming the truth of the redneck stereotype.

Worth a Read

Former Republican consultant Kevin Phillips has a nice piece on the Huffington Post about how Wall Street disdains socialism, except when it comes to the risk they acquire. Risk is spread out so that we all suffer. Reward on the other hand is kept in the hands of the few. Worth a read at www.huffingtonpost.com.

In other news, I am beginning to believe that any damage done by Sen. Obama's "small town" remarks is being overwhelmed by Sen. Clinton's eagerness to pounce on it. Between doing shots of Crown Royal (who does shots of Crown Royal?) and claiming she has been a shooter all her life, the disingenuousness is a little thick. Obama told people something they didn't want to hear, but at least he was being authentic. Hillary's plastic turn as the Coalminer's Daughter may do more harm than good.

Of course, if Sen. Obama's wins, you can bet that Sen. McCain will run an endless loop of the comment as proof of Democratic elitism. And then he will get back to the business of jail raping America's working class.

I Guess That is an Apology

Today the Pope deigned to answer four pre submitted questions at a press conference on his plane bound for New York. On the Pedophilia Scandal, the Pope noted:

“It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the church in general and for me personally that this could happen. As I read the histories of those victims it is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betrayed in this way. Their mission was to give healing, to give the love of God to these children. We are deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible that this cannot happen in the future.”

Ok. So the Church suffered the and the Pope suffered. Can you think of anyone else that suffered? That's right. The victims of clerical sodomy. Someone get this guy a "WWJ" bracelet or something.

What's The Matter with With Pennsylvania?

Barak Obama stepped in it a while back by suggesting that rural Pennsylvania voters cling to their guns and churches as proxies for their declining economic fortunes. Sen. Clinton rapidly jumped on the comments as "elitist" and un American. Hmm... here is the quote with the supposeldy controversial part highlighted:

So, it depends on where you are, but I think it's fair to say that the places where we are going to have to do the most work are the places where people feel most cynical about government. The people are mis-appre...I think they're misunderstanding why the demographics in our, in this contest have broken out as they are. Because everybody just ascribes it to 'white working-class don't wanna work -- don't wanna vote for the black guy.' That's...there were intimations of that in an article in the Sunday New York Times today - kind of implies that it's sort of a race thing.

Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long, and they feel so betrayed by government, and when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama (laugher), then that adds another layer of skepticism (laughter).

But -- so the questions you're most likely to get about me, 'Well, what is this guy going to do for me? What's the concrete thing?' What they wanna hear is -- so, we'll give you talking points about what we're proposing -- close tax loopholes, roll back, you know, the tax cuts for the top 1 percent. Obama's gonna give tax breaks to middle-class folks and we're gonna provide health care for every American. So we'll go down a series of talking points.

But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there's not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. Um, now these are in some communities, you know. I think what you'll find is, is that people of every background -- there are gonna be a mix of people, you can go in the toughest neighborhoods, you know working-class lunch-pail folks, you'll find Obama enthusiasts. And you can go into places where you think I'd be very strong and people will just be skeptical. The important thing is that you show up and you're doing what you're doing.

You really cannot deny that the white working class, be it urban or rural, is in severe distress. On the one hand, their economic fortunes have been devastated by free trade, policies that favor big business at the expense of small business, that favor management over labor, and policies that choked investment in infrastructure. These forces are largely the creation of Republican policies (to which Democrats meekly assented), and any time anyone talks about them, they are accused of class warfare.

On the other hand, the Republican Party has very successfully convinced the white working class that their way of life is under siege by gays, feminists, racial minorities, secularists and abortionists. (Sound familiar Tom Franks). This strategy effectively distracts voters away from the real issues that effect their fortunes and leads them into a bogus culture war.(Let's face it, more working class jobs have been lost to foreign outsourcing than to affirmative action or illegal immigration.) It is this dynamic that Senator Obama identified in his speech. It is the phenomena that leads many working class folks to vote Republican because Republicans "won't take their guns away" even though they will take your job away.

The mistake Obama made is making it sound as though the white working class has been buffaloed by Republicans. They have, of course, but you really have to be careful how you say it. No one likes to be identified as a rube. So I score it this way:

Sen Obama -- + 5 for calling out Republicans on this issue. -5 for being ham handed and making potential voters sound like fools rather than victims of a very comprehensive political strategy. The better strategy would have been to say something like, "For years the GOP has told voters that Democrats want to take their guns, their children, and their religion .. all while their policies are stealing your jobs and your children's future. Its time we stopped being distracted and started looking at the real fox in the hen house and not the mythical fox created by our opponents. Its time we asked ourselves, who took my job, why can't I afford college for my child? Is it because of affirmative action and abortion, or because of outsourcing and the gutting of programs that benefit me and my family? What is a bigger threat to my community, the credit crisis and the War in Iraq or gay marriage? I think the answer is clear."

Sen. Clinton: -2 for being opportunistic and jumping on the Senator from illinois even though she knows he is right. Moreover, she lost an opportunity to call out our real opponents on their bogus culture war and educate voters on the impact of their choices. What she could have said, "I credit my opponent with recognizing how working class voters have been manipulated by Republicans. The question remains though, who is better able to stand up for the livelihood of the middle class in the face of constant attacks from the right. Who can fund our schools, protect our jobs, and check the corporate interests that take a dime for every nickel spent on people? Who will stand up and say the wealthy do not need another tax break? Yada yada...."

And we have to be honest. The message is not going to stick with some. We all know too many people who vote Republican because Republicans are "pro life" and Republicans pay lip service to religious values while their policies take or devalue human life all over the globe. There is a certain group who drank the kool aide. But you are not going to get their votes anyway. So you may as well speak truth to power and hope for the best.

A Few Questions

Pope Ratzinger (for he will always be Ratzinger to me)is coming to visit NYC and DC this month. Being committed to transparency, I am sure he will be taking questions. Here are a few:

1) In 2004 it was discovered that Cardinal Law, head of the Boston diocese, had tolerated the sodomy of young boys by Catholic priests and in fact had covered up the allegations against numerous pedarests, thus allowing them to commit further acts of sodomy against other boys. You recently gave Cardinal Law a very lucrative
($12k/mos plus a lavish apartment)and prestigious position in Rome. Why?

2) Given the uncontested facts in number one above, why would any Christian continue to support your Church or anything else that you were involved in? Inertia is not an acceptable answer.

3) Recently you loosened restrictions on the Tridentine Mass, complete with its anti semtic prayers. You have also claimed that Catholicism is the only true religion. Precisely what does a global game of "my god is bigger than yours" accomplish in this day and age? Are there Holy Lands you still seek to recover? Are you really ready to rumble with the Methodists?

4) The Roman Church is one of the wealthiest institutions in the world. Yet here in Detroit, the Church has all but abandoned the inner city, closing schools and parishes that served the poor. Is there any way, not involving ether, that this level of hypocrisy can be justified? (Oddly, the yearly salary paid to Cardinal Law would probably pay the salary of at least six Catholic school teachers.)

This Week In The News

This week, talks between auto supply company American Axle and the United Autoworkers resumed after American Axle agreed to provide the UAW with financial information regarding the company. The UAW's strike at American Axle has idled production lines at several auto companies for the past month. In a public statement, American Axle's CFO, I.M. Greedy noted, "As usual, the UAW is being nothing but destructive. Why can't they just accept the 'new realities' of the auto industry. That is, we live in a world where their wages will be cut in half because they must compete with foreign workers while management salaries will continue to grow as we outsource and push wages down. I mean, your way of life is over. Why can't you just grow up and deal with it. Pull the kids out of college forget about retirement and let us get back to business. Stupid blue collar worker. If only you had gotten an MBA like me..."

This week, the NYT reported on the Justice Department's practice of pursuing Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) with corporate wrongdoers instead of pursuing criminal prosecutions. Under a DPA, alleged corporate villains agree to pay a fine and be monitored by a third party. In exchange, the corporation avoids defending themselves in a court of law, and keeps the details of the allged wrongdoing secret. Moreover, DPAs can be lucrative for the select few law firms and consultants who are chosen by the government as monitors. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft's consulting company has made over $52 million monitoring a medical device company under a DPA. Asked why, in a world of Enron, Worldcomm and Bear Stearns, the government is shying away from prosecuting white collar crime, DOJ spokesman Sal Mineo noted, "For decades we have been trying to create a economic environment marked by low regulation, low taxes, low wages and little oversight. Some of that we accomplished by changing the law, but some of it we accomplish by just not enforcing the law. We call it, 'Operation Gangsta Paradise.' Asked if the DOJ would extend its philosophy of lax enforcement to drug crime or other street crime, a DOJ spokesman said, "Why no. That would be crazy."

This week, Sen. John McCain took his campaign to Westport,, CN and promised to wipe out the budget deficit by lowering taxes and growing the economy like his idol former President Ronald Reagan. Sen. McCain failed to mention that President Reagan actually tripled the federal budget deficit through a mix of tax cuts and increased military spending. Contacted for comment, a McCain aide quickly cleaned up the record, "As with any other Republican politician, the Senator was referring to the Mythical Reagan who created a healthy economy, balanced budgets, stared down the Soviets and made us all happy and giddy. He was not referring to the Actual Reagan who funded terrorists in Nicaragua, tripled the deficit, and started the largest expansion in wealth inequality since the Gilded Age.' Asked how the public could detect whether the Senator was talking about the Mythical Reagan or the Actual Reagan, the spokeman advised, "If his eyers tear up a little, assume the former."

This week, Attorney General Michael Mukaskey testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the hopes of procuring even greater surveillance powers for the U.S. government. Unfortunately, under questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Attorney General was forced to admit that he previously lied about a phone call that he claims the US was legally prevented from tapping just prior to the 9/11 attacks. Mukaskey admitted that he really had no knowledge of such a phone call and that even if he did, current laws would not have prevented the US from listening in on it. In short, Mukaskey admitted he was a big fat liar. Asked how he had moved from a jurist known for his integrity to just another Administration dissembler, Mukaskey paused and said, "I dunno. One day I had lunch with the President. I thought the Ruby Red tasted a little funny, but I didn't think anything of it. But then I started lying. First about little things- why I was wearing my wife's underwear, whether I let the dog out. But then they got bigger. Now I have this uncontrollable urge to tell people we have turned a corner in Iraq and that we need to bomb Iran. Its weird. It's like I cannot control myself...."

Quote of the Week:

"We haven't turned any corners. We haven't seen any lights at the end of the tunnel." Gen Davis Patreus, Commander of US Forces in Iraq testifying in Congress this week.

Madame on Trial

The Washington DC madame's trial has begun and according to the Post it is a sad affair. It seems the government has insisted on calling as witnesses not only the Madame's current employees, but her former employees as well. The jury had to listen to the painfully detailed testimony of former prostitutes, some now in their 60s, one now a mother of three and one now a careeer naval officer. At one point the judge even asked the prosecution how much "collateral damage" they intended to inflict in the case. Bear in mind this is a "criminal enterprise" that threw off very little actual money and had no discernible victims.

I am wondering exactly when we will decide that the price of our pious puritanism is just too high.

Petraeus on the Hill

Gen. Petraeus is on the Hill today giving testimony about conditions in Iraq. I suspect the General will exxagerate our accomplishments enough so that he is not "retired" like other generals but not so much that people openly laugh at him. This weekend, the military advisors who counsled the Iraq Study Group reported that progress in Iraq is"'so slow, halting and superficial' and political fragmentation 'so pronounced' that the United States is no closer to being able to leave Iraq than it was a year ago."

Bush and Pooty Poot.

US President George Bush and Russian President Putin did not reach any agreement on missile defense systems in Europe. But the papers this morning had a picture of them wearing swell matching light blue blazers. Like they both prepped at the same school or won the same Major golf tournament. I wonder if they called each other that morning. "What are you wearing?" "No what are YOU wearing?"

The Torch & Paris

According to the news this morning, the Olympic Torch was extinguished by anti China protesters as it passed through Paris. I suspect there is going to be some outcry about this, the Olympic torch sullied by political activists, the "politicizing" of the vaunted Olympic games. Already, a former member of the Olympic Committee has written an op-ed piece for the major dailies braying that the games may be tarnished by mere politics. (Ironically, the tradition of the Olympics is one of honoring international solidarity, a value this year's host seems to hold in low regard.)

To me, this is a great example ofundermining something by terming it politics. Caught with your hand in the cookie jar? Turn the tables by saying your opponents are playing "politics," or worse, "politicizing" an issue. (See, e.g., the entire Bush years). But I think this tactic will wear thin where China is concerned. After all, we are not talking about a procurement bill or a farm subsidy here. China is accused of colonizing Tibet and unlawfully imprisoning its leaders, backing genocide in Darfur, and being even more tone deaf on the environment than the US. Not small issues. A body count is associated with each.

The fact that there are some who will be aghast at the protest the Chinese Olympics have engendered is testament to how far we have defined deviance downward. The West has become so self obsessed, ironic, and jaded that anyone who actively calls out one of the worst human rights violators on the planet is regarded as belonging to some suspect subculture of the hopelessly immature or self righteous. (Shouldn't these people press their grievances through the proper channels? You know, the channels where they will be out of sight and we can ignore them. The channels that run outside the public eye.) Our Western traditions, and particularly Western Christianity, has always held that Moral Man has an obligation to act when confronted with injustice. The trouble is, that tradition is running smack into the capitalist tradition of the commodified, corporatized,highly profitable mass spectacle. And we would not want to sully that with politics would we.

0-2

Will not be concerned. Two losses to the Royals does not mean we are a bad team. Getting only two hits means nothing. Breath deep. 178 games left....

Justice Schmustice

Two stories in the news this week underscore exactly what happens when the Executive Branch believes that politics and practicalities, not law, rule the day. On Sunday, 60 Minutes reported on the case of Murait Kuranz who was detained at Gunatanomo Bay, interrogated and tortured only to be released when the DOJ admitted it had detained the wrong man. Similarly, former Governor Art Siegelman of Alabama was released from prison pending his appeal of his bribery conviction. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the House Judiciary Committee believe Siegelman's advocates have raised a colorable issue as to whether his prosecution was the work of partisans in the DOJ and White House Advisor Karl Rove.(Alabama is a reliably Republican state and Governor Siegelmann had the temerity to keep getting himself elected as a Democrat.) Siegeleman's cause has been taken up by over forty State Attorney Generals from both parties. Both cases display a system of justice more akin to Moscow in the 1950s than anything intended in 1776.

Before you start ranting about the Bush Administration, bear in mind that this type of unprincipled abuse is not just the result of arrogance or incompetence. It stems from a certain set of beliefs about the Constitution and the power of the Executive, a set of beliefs usually championed by the GOP and its conservative allies; a set of beliefs often supported by authoritarian fear mongering. In other words, we must not forget that the Bush Administration had a lot of help and support in getting itself into this quagmire and we should not be fooled if the same ideas are peddled by a more respectable candidate.