the.antiMandate...: 05/01/2002

Heart of Cheapness - Paul Krugman, The New York Times. Krugman discusses the outcome of Bono and Treasury Sec. O'Neill's trip to Africa. The title explains itself- The US is a greedy nation with self-interests. The rich continue to get rich, while they complain about taxes and charity. The ironic thing is that the middle class gives much more of its share per capita. But I thought irony was dead. Or was it hypocricy?

...antiMandate...

America the Scofflaw
Paul Krugman, The New Yorl Times.

Is it humanly possible for Chimp not to make enemies of og the whole world? The trouble here with trade tariffs is that Chimp and his fellow baboons are only concerned, as Krugman points out, with political gain. They intend to make a mockery of all the cooperation the US have gained over the last several decades, by denouncing it for electoral votes. And we all know his track record in this department.

'With the United States increasing military spending, there could be a future... in which "the U.S. does the fighting, the U.N. does the feeding, and the EU does the funding."'

Resurfacing Animosity Awaits Bush in Europe -T.R. Reid, Washington Post.

The above statement doesn't seem to far off, considering the US's increasingly unilateral, "I came here to do two things, drink beer and kick some ass. Look's like we are almost out of beer!" approach...

Lights Out on Bush's Excuses
Robert Scheer, The Los Angeles Times.

This is a smart commentary and gets right to the point. Scheer points out: "A year ago, California Gov. Gray Davis told Bush: "We are literally in a war with energy companies that are price-gouging us; many of those companies are in Texas. You didn't create this problem, but you are the only one who can solve it. And with all due respect, Californians want to know whether you're going to be on their side." The president wasn't."

Of course Smirk wasn't... actions do speak louder than words. So when mid-term elections come around and Repugs blame Davis for spending all CA's surplus on electricity and he could have excercised "other options," remember how we got their in the first place.

Thanks, jonesz, for the heads up. The quote he sent me fits well:

"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us to destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

~Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Get your Natioanl ID Cards here!!!

Big Brother, Where Art Thou? Anni Layne Rodgers, FastCompany.com

Excerpt: “"The government knows an awful lot about you and me anyway...This card isn't going to create any files on you that don't already exist. If the government wants to tap information about you, it's going to tap that with or without a national ID card. What we're talking about is the difference between lots of little brothers and one Big Brother."

Are we promoting capitalism or protection? C'mon! What people don’t realize is that smart-card technology can store a lot more information than a ss#, date of birth, and place or residence; it can also store medical information, which law enforcement and politicians have absolutely know right to view without court intervention...

"It is all well and good to believe what you believe, but if you are unable to translate those beliefs into policy that helps those for whom you speak, you may as well stay in bed."
A Pressing Moral Imperative for the American Left By William Rivers Pitt

Wonderful article. It really explains why the Left is so important to politics in this world.