I'm grateful that somebody's watching

because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to follow the US "timetable" for withdrawal from Iraqi cities by the end of this month, and from Iraq by 2012. The answer: don't count on either.

There's no explanation for this...

except for the dominance of the military-industrial-political complex.

Iran's democracy

It was on Bush's "axis of evil," but when it comes to presidential debates, it beats our version hands down.

"New beginnings"

I just watched Obama's speech in Cairo. I teared up at the end. I realize now why I voted for the guy, and why I'm proud that we elected him our president. In case you missed it, and want to be moved, here's a link to the C-Span presentation of it.

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/06/04/HP/R/19357/Pres+Obama+Speaks+to+the+Muslim+World+From+Cairo.aspx

Norman Lear speaks

Not just a fine creator, an oracle. This video is directed to the first President Bush:

I couldn't resist

Here's another letter I wrote to the SB NewsPress, which, if it's published I'll be surprised and will update accordingly.

To the editor:

A few days ago, George W. Bush gave a speech to the graduating class of a New Mexico high school. It was the first time ever that he said something with which I heartily agree, and so I cannot help but pass it on. Commenting on what it felt like now that he was no longer President of the United States, he said, "frankly, it's a liberating feeling."

What's in a name?

In Iraq, when are city limits not city limits?

Sometimes you find an essay that says it

better than you can. Howard Zinn's is such an essay (actually, transcribed from a speech).

Good news

I used to be a knowledgeable antitrust lawyer. Back in the day, I prosecuted class-action lawsuits against price-fixers in the bread business and the title insurance industry; I fought tie-in sales and market-allocation schemes on behalf of consumers and small businesses. I used to know the law in these areas and I used it, I think, to positive effect.

But over the years the law eroded, erosion caused by both the opinons of a neglectful US Supreme Court and an indifferent bunch of enforcers in the federal government, from the Department of Justice Antitrust Division to the Federal Trade Commission.

Now, finally, this will change. Perhaps because of a realization that the prior policies have caused the phenomenon of "too big to fail" corporations, perhaps because of the dominating impact of some segments of our economy upon our national wellbeing--we're in for some serious re-thinking of our antitrust policy. It's long overdue, but it's welcome.

I'm worried, very worried...

Without citing a score of essays which say what I'm about to, I tremble when I think of the prospect of a new round of economic decay based on the collapse of commercial real-estate paper, credit-card paper and related gambling slips (derivatives). There are thousands of commercial mortgage- and lease-defaults as well as millions of consumer-debt defaults imminent, which, together with a new round of residential mortgage defaults as "teaser" mortgages re-set, will cause the bank bastards to return to Congress with a bigger hat in hand, and this time there may not be the majority to support their bailout.

If that happens--and it's likely--we're in for a long, hard slog, and worse.

Does David Brooks have something here?

If so--as to this writer--ouch!

Very interesting cyber-development

It's certainly worthwhile, but I wonder if it can tell me where I left my wallet, and a related question, why did I come into this room?

How bad is this recession?

The worst one ever, by far. Check out these charts.

Specter's switch

A rat deserting? A reader of wall-writing? A come-to-Jesus-er? A flip-flopper? Does it matter why, so long as 60 votes, counting Franken and sans Lieberman, are assured?

What's it all about, Alfie?

When Michael Caine is considering leaving Britain because of the prospect of its increasing its tax rate on the highest incomes, we know the end of civilization is near. Except, as you'll note from the body of the article, he's done it before, as have many of Britain's leading actors in the past.

Question: What do Americans who earn those obscenely high incomes do to avoid income tax? Could it be?--yes, it could--that the US tax rate for the wealthy is relatively low? Could it be?--yes, it could--that our tax system has built-in devices for avoiding or deferring tax that aren't available in other systems? Could it be?--yes, it could--that even as we struggle with enormous government deficits, we are a tax haven?

Here's the Telegraph article that's referred to in the above blog.

Now wait a goddam minute!

This worldwide recession thing is getting really scary when it leads to this.

Two and a half questions

First, why do I continue to follow national/global politics with such relish when nothing I do, or can do, affects them; nor do they affect me?

Second, plus one-half: Since I acknowledge that there are forces/concepts/entities in the "universe" that my mind doesn't comprehend, how is it that I am so firmly of the belief that there is no god/God? A corollary: Isn't such a belief of the same merit, based on exactly the same lack of data, as a belief that there is one?

Rats and ships

This asshole, Richard Posner, is now leaping off the free-for-all capitalistic bandwagon. Google him and you'll find him somewhere to the right of Ayn Rand, a free-market monster who's many books and essays were the keystone of the U of Chicago School of Law and Economics, to wit: Whatever business does is good. Period. What a fraud he is, and a dumb one at that.

And another of my favorite essayists...

Naomi Klein. What an imaginative piece of writing.

As usual, when it comes to war/anti-war

Justin Raimondo nails it.