Unity, Evolution Gotta Come
Ben Branzel, Elizabeth Jacobs, and my friends Chris Hayes and Ezra Klein are teaching us about social democracy. Join them, won't you?
Elizabeth Jacobs: The New Deal in popular memory was a time of greater solidarity. But was it the case, actually? Public opinion was a messy business back then, so it's hard to say. But. People seemed just as socially schismatic and individualistic in the 1930s as today. "Many of the poor and lazy class do not want work," said some Ohio housewife in 1936. So how did we end up with the New Deal? Because FDL "had an idea of what he wanted to do and worked hard to get it done" and through wily and ruthless coalition politics. Political leadership is what matters.
Ben Branzell: Barack Obama is cool and all, but the important thing is to build a movement and now I will explicate that through a convoluted booster-rocket outer-space metaphor that I probably shouldn't have bothered with. "We'd be kidding ourselves if the candidate Obama who talked about bringing ... everyone together, when he becomes president of the country" won't have a seat at the table, and that includes the assholes. There's this thing called "Oh No You Don'" organizing that helps activists tap into opposition-politics over impeachment/the war/FISA gutting; won't be sufficient in an era of progressive governance.
Chris Hayes: Blah blah blah I am soooo smart. Conservatives blow. There is no constituency for conservative destruction of government. As a result, they "burrow like a termite" into government infrastructure, hollowing it out so, while government grows unchecked, it grows more venal, incompetent and upwardly redistributive of wealth. I AM ALSO VERY EXCITED! The pillars of future progressive governance are/should be: health care for all, and a new-energy economy. But the way Washington works is to bribe interest groups using public coffers. "There's gonna be some bribery that's gonna happen," but we also need "the bullying model. And that's to beat the crap out of the energy lobby and to beat the crap out of the medical lobby." Bring the force of public opinion to counterbalance interest-group pressure on congress. I'm optimistic that the last 10 years of transformed liberal activism has the potential for doing so. We'll need a good cop/bad cop model.
Ezra Klein: I like the model of coalition politics. You see how the angles are played -- but this also means that GOPers have a direct incentive to making Democratic administrations fail, as with Kristol's famous 1994 "at all costs" health-care memo. No one's figured out the angles for how to stop this. We need to get rid of the politics of fear -- GOP exploits it to cower Democrats into submission.
- Original article
- FILED UNDER: Guest Blogger
- July 19, 2008
Unity?
I just read that Clinton campaign aids have purchased the domain name: HRC2012.com
LOL - bunch of fools
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By f u bush2July 19, 2008 - 11:30pmYawn
I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 12:47pmI think they typo'ed it.
For accuracy, they should have picked HRC2016.com instead. President Obama's going to need all eight years to undo the damage the g0p has done to this country.
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith
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By nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 5:56pmMaybe you people should realize that not
people believe your agenda is a good agenda. It's not "politics of fear" it's mistrust of the agenda you people put forth. Just like you people don't like the agenda put forth by the republican's. You people thrive on "fear politics". You people "fear" offshore drilling, nuclear energy, tax cuts, free enterprise, the military, wire tapping the enemy in foreign lands, water boarding, Bush, Chaney, the right to bear arms, free speech, etc.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 11:20amBy leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 11:20am
And yet the Dems will gain House & Senate seats while also winning the presidency. The 20%er "Ignorance is Strength" crowd that you belong to is now completely irrelevant.
George W. & George H.W. Bush - Living proof that the dumbshit doesn't fall far from the dumbass.
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By Guy FawkesJuly 20, 2008 - 12:04pmBy Guy FawkesJuly 20, 2008 - 12:04pm
Guy
hatey is pretty angry today. This is really getting out of control. He isn't offering anything. He is simply bouncing around hurling insults. I say we all ignore him and let him continue. Then we send an e-mail to Sam with all the documentation.
This troll is just an annoying ass that can't get over being banned so many times. He needs to get a life.
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By f u bush2July 20, 2008 - 1:00pmBy f u bush2July 20, 2008 - 1:00pm
You're right, but I can't believe that he's already this drunk on a SUNDAY. Baby Jesus would be quite pissed.
George W. & George H.W. Bush - Living proof that the dumbshit doesn't fall far from the dumbass.
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By Guy FawkesJuly 20, 2008 - 1:04pmI bet you get bullied a lot.
Anyone who told you to be yourself couldn't have given you any worse advice.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 1:07pmBy Guy FawkesJuly 20, 2008 - 1:04pm
LOL
Well at least we've established he's not christian.
Did you see the White House accidently sent the press the announcement that Maliki agrees with Obama? LMAO!
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By f u bush2July 20, 2008 - 1:15pmThat was great.
That's really going to take a lot of the wind (or is it just hot air?) out of the reich-wingers' sails. Maybe that's why they're melting down so bad today. Of course, they could always blame it on global warming...
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith
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By nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 5:55pmI'm busy now. Can I ignore you some other time?
This is an excellent time for you to become a missing person.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 1:06pmI don't know what makes you so dumb but it really works.
Are you always this stupid or are you making a special effort today.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 2:04pmI will defend, to your death, my right to my opinion.
I know you are nobody's fool, but maybe someone will adopt you one day.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 2:22pmKillfiles are wonderful things.
I wish my script-fu was stronger so I could actually make money off it!
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith
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By nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 5:53pmIn the spirit of keeping things PC,
I have decided to remove the words "liberal" and "democrat" from my vocabulary, henceforth calling those individuals "politically challenged".
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 12:44pmHey guy sucks:
If I throw a stick, will you leave?
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 12:45pmHey guy sucks:
I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 12:46pmThe right wing really contributes to the conversation here
LOL
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By f u bush2July 20, 2008 - 12:48pmAhhh...I see the fuck-up fairy has visited us again...
I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 12:52pmposted at 1:21 pm on July 20, 2008 by Allahpundit
If it is true, as yesterday’s three-decker front-page headline in the New York Times had it, that “U.S. Considering Stepping Up Pace of Iraq Pullout/ Fall in Violence Cited/ More Troops Could Be Freed for Operations in Afghanistan,” then this can only be because al-Qaida in Iraq has been subjected to a battlefield defeat at our hands—a military defeat accompanied by a political humiliation in which its fanatics have been angrily repudiated by the very people they falsely claimed to be fighting for. If we had left Iraq according to the timetable of the anti-war movement, the situation would be the precise reverse: The Iraqi people would now be excruciatingly tyrannized by the gloating sadists of al-Qaida, who could further boast of having inflicted a battlefield defeat on the United States. I dare say the word of that would have spread to Afghanistan fast enough and, indeed, to other places where the enemy operates. Bear this in mind next time you hear any easy talk about “the hunt for the real enemy” or any loose babble that suggests that we can only confront our foes in one place at a time.
That first sentence was echoed by Maliki himself in the Spiegel interview but, curiously enough, most of the U.S. media’s coverage of the story glossed over it. As for Afghanistan, Obama told CBS this morning that the situation there is grave enough that we can’t wait for the next president to take office before doing something about it. See this post at the Nation for an example of which way leftist sentiment is trending on what that “something” should be. Exit quotation: “[E]ven though the cover of the latest edition of Time magazine refers to the fight in Afghanistan as ‘The Right War,’ and even though Obama seems to have bought into this particularly dangerous variation Washington-insider spin, there is nothing right or smart about deepening the US troop commitment in a country that has a long history of thwarting the best-laid plans of great military powers.”
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By fu bush3July 20, 2008 - 2:04pmhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036561/Now-1-000-laws-l
The march of the Big Brother state under Labour was highlighted last night as it was revealed that there are now 1,043 laws that give the authorities the power to enter a home or business.
Nearly half have been introduced since Labour came to power 11 years ago. They include the right to:
• Invade your home to see if your pot plants have pests or do not have a 'plant passport' (Plant Health England Order 2005).
• Survey your home and garden to see if your hedge is too high (Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003).
• Check that accommodation given to asylum seekers is not being lived in by non-asylum seekers (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999).
• Raid a house to check if unlicensed gambling is taking place (Gambling Act 2005 Inspection Regulations 2007).
• Seize fridges without the correct energy rating (Energy Information Household Refrigerators and Freezers Regulations 2004).
The rise in clipboard-wielding state inspectors flies in the face of repeated pledges by Ministers to curb the power of bureaucrats.
The full extent of the state's 'powers of entry' is revealed in documents slipped out quietly by the Government last week.
More...
* In full: Home Office list of our 1,000-plus Big Brother laws
* MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: These ludicrous, and sinister, snooping laws
The information was posted on the Home Office website, but in a highly unusual move, the computer file was locked to prevent it being copied or printed. A secret Home Office password was required to access the file.
A Home Office spokeswoman denied the restrictions were an attempt to stop the state's powers being circulated more widely.
She claimed it was a 'mistake' and the file would be unlocked tomorrow.
Some 420 new powers of entry are the product of laws introduced since 1997. A further 16 are in laws due to be approved by Parliament in the next few weeks.
A recent study by the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank warned that the 'proliferation and variety' of such laws mean householders can no longer 'realistically be aware' of their rights and legal obligations.
Gordon Brown last year announced a review of 'powers of entry' laws and said they would be subjected to a 'liberty test' to stop abuses by the state.
However, new powers set to be approved by Parliament include inspecting for non-human genetic material, for looted cultural property from Iraq and for 'undeclared' carbon dioxide, as well as enforcing bin tax.
Town hall 'bin police' already have the right to enter homes, take photographs, seize contents of bins, and 'investigate as required'.
Householders can be fined up to £5,000 if they refuse entry or 'obstruct' an official.
Shadow Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: 'Day by day under Labour, the rights and liberties of law-abiding citizens are being eroded.'
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By fu bush3July 20, 2008 - 2:17pmI'm glad the Progressive's in this country are on the run.
Even Obama sees the handwriting on the wall, as he is now moving towards the center.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 2:20pmLooks like this is the flame war du jour.
Notice all the RepubliCANT sheeple-trolls spewing as much garbage as they can to prevent any real discussion from taking place on this thread.
Some of us have better things to do than play in the mud with the RepubliCANT sheeple-trolls. Let me know when they've left.
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith
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By nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 3:37pmBy nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 3:37pm
hatey has gone off the deep end. I say provide the link to each thread and the number of personal attacks on each thread when complaining. I mean look at this thread. It is all hatey sock puppets attacking every post made.
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By f u bush2July 20, 2008 - 3:50pmI noticed that.
I can smell him melting down from here. He must REALLY be getting desperate to keep any meaningful discussion from occurring. Probably it's because he knows the g0p has absolutely nothing to bring to the table, and their "candidate" is a guaranteed FAIL for them.
It must really suck to be them, so bitter and so unbalanced. They're lashing out at anything and everything, hoping to find some straw they can grasp so they can maintain some level of power in government. But the fork's already coming back nice and clean...they're DONE. And they're finally realizing it.
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith
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By nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 3:59pmBy nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 3:59pm
Desperate is the key word here. It's rather sad actually.
I just watched A Face in the Croiwd. It was an excellent movie from the 1950's. Sort of a "Network" from a generation earlier.
I love this bit of dialog from the movie. Lonesome Rhodes is a television personality trying to elect congressman Fuller as president. A foreshadowing of Fox News:
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By f u bush2July 20, 2008 - 4:19pmProphetic indeed.
The problem is, nobody ever thinks the process through far enough. Yes, as a wise man once said, you CAN fool all of the people all of the time...but only for a certain AMOUNT of time. At some point, the people wake up and realize they've been taken for fools, and then they rise up and fight the person who took them. In extreme cases, that person doesn't survive the experience...on average, that person treats the masses to a perp walk.
The RepubliCANTs are out of time, and they know it, and it's scaring the shite out of them. That's why they all sound so shrill and desperate and are working so hard to keep people from discussing the important issues: the Middle East, the economy, the environment, health care. Not even the topic of gay marriage is working any more, because they overplayed THAT card last time, and it's become passe. Previously "safe" seats for them are facing serious and strong challenges. And their hand-picked "conservative and strict constructionist" Supreme Court has been bitch-slapping them time and time again, especially regarding their pet "detainee" zoo at Gitmo and the suspension of habeas corpus. I'm stocking up on popcorn to watch the show when the ACLU lawsuit against the "new and improved" domestic-spying law comes before SCOTUS. It's going to be SO entertaining watching the PNAC attorney try to squirm past some very direct questions and examination of precedent under the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
No, the RepubliCANTs are done, and they're running scared. So the best thing we can do is sit back, discuss things intelligently (a feat beyond their capacity), and ignore their little rants, barbs and weak-assed insults. They'll be gone soon enough anyway. And if one or two of them happen to violate the ToS for the site and get themselves IP-banned as a result, well, too bad, so sad.
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith
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By nonexistent manJuly 20, 2008 - 4:31pmhow is it that youve managed
to live this long and not be demoted to a single cell organism?
If you were twice as smart as you are now, you'd be absolutely stupid.
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By leftysrsickJuly 20, 2008 - 3:45pmDo you plan to contribute
Do you plan to contribute anything to the topic of this thread?
I'd love to discuss and have an intelligent debate about this issue, if we can restrict ourselves from the personal attacks.
-- McCain = Four more years of the same --
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By dtaylo75July 21, 2008 - 11:00amlefty/fu mccain found an
lefty/fu mccain found an insult site on the internet (or bought an insult/joke book). He feels compelled now to insult anyone who has annoyed him.
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." Dwight Eisenhower
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By MichtouJuly 21, 2008 - 12:13pmhttp://lashawnbarber.com
Barack Obama Says America Needs A Civilian National Security Force
…and the media haven’t reported it. What the…?
Every time I hear Barack Obama speak, I’m reminded of the expression, “Like shooting fish in a barrel.” He is the embodiment of it.
His ideas are so incongruous and on-the-fly, I wonder why mainstream media aren’t picking his statements apart. Yes, I know it’s too easy. There’s no challenge in it. Yes, I know mainstream media liberals want him to win. But news organizations report news, and a Democratic candidate advocating a civilian quasi-military security force is news.
On July 2, Obama gave a speech to an audience of what appears to be military veterans. Relevant to this post is this nugget (emphasis added):
“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”
Listen to the whole thing to get the context. It was painful for me. His voice exudes inexperience, and its phony quality makes me think of chalk scraping against a chalkboard:
Here’s where it gets interesting: In subsequent media reports and the official transcript, the “civilian national security force” statement does not appear. (See WorldNetDaily) Why? Did the Obama campaign realize how strange it sounded?
The week after the “security force” statements, Obama likened Immigration and Customs Enforcement to terrorists, simply for doing the job of enforcing immigration laws! He made this statement before members and supporters of the hispanic racialist group La Raza. Two seemingly opposing statements uttered before two different audiences.
Future president of the United States, what would this proposed civilian national security force do, exactly? Will it profile Muslims, or help secure the border, like the Minuteman group, whom George Bush called vigilantes? May it conduct immigration raids, which certainly are part of national security? If so, how do you reconcile “terrorizing” illegal aliens with immigration raids and forming a quasi-military force of civilians to help the military “achieve national security objectives?”
What does that mean?
No response from BHO headquarters.
Bloggers and right-leaning news organizations have been all over this. Check out Google blog search and Google news.
Now that I’ve returned to political blogging, I’m paying attention. And I’m astounded how Barack Obama has gotten away with this stuff. A nation of sheeple, we are.
Update: Commenter CorbinKale writes:
“More to the point, [Obama’s] voting record on gun control says that he has no plans for any ARMED civilian security force. Maybe, it is some program to get neighbors to spy on neighbors? He just thought that was what the Vets wanted to hear. You won’t hear it again.”
I strongly suspect we won’t. :?
Commenter Mwalimu Daudi writes:
“I remember how some folks went ballistic when the Minutemen simply sat and watched the Mexican border. I predict nary a peep out of those same folks about this monstrosity.”
http://lashawnbarber.com/archives/2008/07/17/barack-obama-says-america-n...
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By fu bush3July 20, 2008 - 5:49pm