Saturday, April 09, 2005

What a dolt

When asked about his reaction to attending the funeral of the Pope our wise and eloquent leader had this to say: "It was one of the highlights of my presidency."

I kid you not. The quote was reported by no less stolidly supportive newspaper that the Houston Chronicle. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/pope/3124793

And there's this gem casting aspersions on the worth of US debt securities, as reported by the NYT. Not just doltish, demonic.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

The Whites get richer and the Blacks get poorer

Economic recovery? Compassionate Conservatism? Equality, Liberty, "Ownership"? Not for Blacks in America.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

I don't get it

Nascar Dads, whose wages, in real terms, are steadily declining under Bush, and big-money investors, whose stocks--according to the S&P 500, the broadest-based index of publicly-traded shares--have experienced the first-ever five-year decline during Bush's watch, are among his ardent supporters. This can't be based on his performance. How come he's still their darling? Any ideas? What am I missing?

Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Given the benefits of pot smoking--new ones being discovered every day--who caused marijuana to be made illegal? There are hundreds of sites, but check out this succinct recital of the feds' intervention in the age-old debate.

Give that woman a Pulitzer

for reporting, under the name Riverbend, what the media is like in Iraq. And in the US, too.

Surprise, surprise

The US will likely establish permanent military bases in Afghanistan. Who'da thunkit?

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Irrational irrationality

Who the fuck does Alan Greenspan think he is, all of a sudden becoming the guru on oil supply, demand and prices? He may know something about the effect of interest rates on borrowing and investing, but what magic wand has he recently found to predict inflation based on future oil exploration and refining?
Answer: None.

Many oil experts, contrary to Greenspan's expression of calm, orderly adjustment to price and demand, have told us the Earth's production has now peaked and that as the third-world nations, particularly India and China, adopt our Western ways, we're in for decades of creeping price increases. And maybe not creeping.

Under the radar

The lack of job growth under Bush's regime (worst job rebound after a recession--ever), as well as the decline, in real terms, of purchasing power by workers over the last four years, has simply slipped out of public debate. We hear about economic growth in the US economy, but there's no expansion of earnings for the middle and lower classes.

Of course, what else should I expect from a Republican administration.