Democrats cave again?

University destroys Ph.D. student’s
seven years o f research by tossing his
77 pound collection of Lizard dung.

It appears the Democrats have caved again, if what I heard about the compromise on the stimulus package is true. It is said to now be 58% spending and 42% tax relief. This means that almost half of the billions set aside to get our economy back on track will do no such thing. Tax cuts, it has been demonstrated, are the least useful way to stimulate the economy. The Democrats know this but they apparently have given in to Republican demands once again. You might think with a Democrat as President, majorities in both Houses of Congress, they might have enough backbone to stand up to these Republican crazies, but apparently not. Remember, and don’t forget it, we’ve tried their tax cuts for the past eight years and it has been a dismal failure. Remember again, Einstein’s comment that insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If it is true that Democrats had to agree to this just to get two or three Republican votes, they should have refused and let the nation see what Republicans think of the middle class and all those people out of jobs. I believe the reaction would have sobered them up quickly and enough to change some minds. Or are they deliberately trying to invoke a march on Washington with pitchforks and axe handles?

And speaking of such things, next week may see the beginnings of a battle to the death between Republicans and Democrats and Labor versus Corporations. The Employee Free Choice act is going to come up for debate. As you doubtless know, Republicans would rather die than see any unions formed. If you remember any of your history you will recall the period of rioting, strike-breaking, killings, and strikes that occurred at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century when unions had to fight tooth and nail for any progress. Out of this carnage eventually came the 40 hour work week and other benefits. The malicious and evil Ronald Reagan started this all over again when he broke the traffic controller’s union, and Republicans have been at union busting again ever since. Remember they just tried to force Detroit to pay their auto workers less to bring their wages and benefits down to the level of the foreign companies operating in the South. This may well prove to be a much more difficult fight than even the stimulus package (although not of such immediate necessity).

If this is not enough on Obama’s to-do list, I believe that the Israeli elections are next week. Netanyahu is at the moment favored to win. “Bibi,” as he is called, is a racist, warmonger, imperialist, who has already announced that he is opposed to a two state solution. As there is no other viable option this means there will never – ever – be peace in the Middle East. I suppose one could argue there are at least four other possibilities: (1) A one state solution in which Arabs would soon outnumber Jews and be forced into second-class citizenship, (2) somehow forcing all the Palestinians to emigrate to other countries, or (3) forcing Palestinians onto small, separated reservations, (4) genocide (personally, I believe this would be the Israeli hardliners preferred solution). None of these possibilities would seem realistic. What is more, it is now being said that after the Israeli elections the Israelis will come to Washington and attempt to browbeat or frighten Obama into keeping his pledge to not allow Iran to develop a nuclear bomb. How this could be done short of an all-out war with Iran is not clear to me. I trust Obama is not foolish enough to agree to attacking Iran, so how this might play out is a great unknown at the moment. I would hope that Obama might tell them that as Iran is no threat to the U.S., and their interests are not identical to ours, they should fight their own wars (which, of course, they won’t do without U.S. backing). Between Israel and the U.S. there are enough war criminals to keep the International Courts busy for years and years to come.

Ah, sweet irony. It seems that Dick the Slimy is a fly fisherman of sorts. Some Fly Fishing Group wants to honor him with some ceremony and award. Except (hee hee) they are in Vermont, and in Vermont there is a warrant out for Cheney’s arrest as a war criminal. So not only can Cheney not visit Europe, he can’t even visit Vermont. I love it! It couldn’t happen to a more deserving creep.

I can give advice to a balloon
I can tell him not to feel sad
He can stop feeling lonely
Because I am with him
I can give advice to a balloon
I can tell her not to fall
In love with the wrong balloon
Because first there is a hug
Then there’s a kiss and
Finally there’s a tear, so don’t
Ever cry or you will pop

By Oneida, 7th grade

TILT:
Cats have been associated with people for at least 9,500 years.