NEOCONS OUT OF CONTROL

I think BigT would want you to read this post by Juan Cole. It provides the context for understanding the recent stories about someone in the pentagon spying for Israel. It is complicated but a must read, showing how out-of-control foreign policy has become under this administration.

good graphics of important stuff

Thanks to Chris Dykstra for this link and graphic which is awesome to view. It must resemble the path of the Titanic viewed from the side; now we see the path of the neocons, sinking...seen from our perch, solid, high on the coast of the massive land of opportunity, home of freedom, fairness and truth that should, and can be, America.

.....what cheese.

but the point, the POINT people.

now, go look at the chart again

things they say......

Statements by prospective attendees to the 2004 GOP Convention, taken from this article in the New York Times The comments are about the cost of the event which this year for the first time will be passed on to its attendees.

About the cost of the event:

"'A lot of us looked at that thing and said, whoa!''

"A lot of people just can't afford that.''

"We want to use our hard money resources in the smartest way possible,''

"The price of playing the game has risen dramatically,''

"I don't think anybody is happy about writing the check. But it's a cost of doing business.''

About the Bush Campaign:

"These are about the stingiest bunch of guys I've ever seen.''

"I don't blame them," ..... "They didn't have a choice. They are not trying to stick it to us, there are costs to these things."

Abouth ambitions:

"I really wanted to be a Pioneer or a Ranger; that's what I worked my butt off to do,'' ...... "I don't have an endless pot of money to commit to political events. But I didn't want to go there and not participate in the Pioneer and Ranger stuff. That felt horrible.''

Can you hear Will Farrell saying that last line?

Read the article, it's great.

The 35% of "republicans" that are living not quite as far over the median income line as they think are, are about to realize they're getting screwed in this deal too. Then we will have common cause that they understand.

Best Thing I've Read Today

In a follow up to the post below, Bob Herbert's column today points out that, to a certain extent, it is our laziness and desire to be told what we want to hear, instead of hard truths, that have driven politics to their current sorry state:

These are incredibly difficult issues and an honest search for solutions can only come from a sustained effort by the broadest array of America's brightest and wisest men and women. What the U.S. really needs is leadership that could marshal that effort.

Unfortunately, we've become a society addicted to the fantasy of a quick fix. We want our solutions encompassed in a sound bite. We want our leaders to manipulate reality to our liking.

[snip]

The voters may deserve better, but there's a real question about whether they want better. It may well be that candidates can't tell voters the truth and still win. If that's so, then democracy American-style may be a lot more dysfunctional than even the last four years has indicated.

Important thoughts to keep in mind as we search for ways to reclaim our democracy from the looming corporate oligarchy. However if you read Herbert's column in the actual print version of the NYT, read past the end of the column, below his email address, you see the following words:

William Safire is on vacation.

Music to my ears.