Turn off the Fox News

There is an expression that goes like this, "Those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it." The converse is usually assumed to be true, that is, that those who know the past can prevent the worst elements from manifesting themselves again.

Here is a quote from the past that I find relevant to contemporary American affairs:


The American fascists are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. Their newspapers and propaganda carefully cultivate every fissure of disunity, every crack in the common front against fascism... They claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective toward which all their deceit is directed is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection."

Henry A. Wallace, 1944

Sophistrication

In this article by Fareed Zakaria, it is posited that Conservatives used to base their policies on sound reality-driven assessments. I am more inclined to believe they have always whored for monied interests and taken as much as they could get for their constituents. It is just that, in times like these, there is no pushback and the taking knows no restraints.

Perhaps I am being uncharitable. Fareed, to his credit, looks at the ideology of his party and searches for the substance behind the doctrine. When he doesn't find any he does not soften the blows that come from reason.

For instance, he says:

Taxes — federal and state combined — as a percentage of GDP are at their lowest level since 1950. The U.S. is among the lowest taxed of the big industrial economies. So the case that America is grinding to a halt because of high taxation is not based on facts but is simply a theoretical assertion.

Conservatives gone wild

The uncharitable view of this revelation is that Republicans are not so much wrong on their facts as spinning them, but of late need not trouble themselves with the masks that come from sophistry.

The pledge

There is an old saying, "If you don't change direction you will go where you are headed."

What is Grover Norquist's tax pledge driving America towards?

Financial Oligarchy

I wonder how he has so much influence, it's like all these Congressional people can't read maps.

Wondering...

I wonder if the Nobel prize committee can take back what it gave president Obama?

He is lawlessly fighting one war in Libya, using drone attacks in Pakistan and Yemen, maintaining the Gulag Guantanamo (interestingly, the phrase "enemy non-combatant" marks it as such), and seems to think peace is a thing best delivered in the nosecone of a cruise missile.

Domestically he is working hand-in-wallet with plutocrats and fascists, ignoring laws when it suits him, and investing heavily in warfare while cutting aid to school aged children.

If these are the actions of a "peace prize" laureate, then the Nobel committee would better spend their time crafting urinals.

Big top

Republican presidential candidates are apparently having a political debate tonight. My only question is, "Will they all enter via the same tiny car?" I love it when clowns do that.