The Lost One - brief book review

I have just finished the second of a number of books I received for Christmas. The Lost One, A Life of Peter Lorre by Stephen D. Youngkin (University Press of Kentucky). As biographies go this is fairly typical, being a chronological account of Lorre's life pretty much from birth to death. It is quite thorough and about as detailed as such works are, perhaps a bit more detailed than most. The author clearly spent a great deal of time and effort reviewing the professional career of Lorre and interviewing a great many people who knew and worked with him. As one might have surmised Peter Lorre was far more complicated than the image most of us have of him. He was not at all like the murderous stereotyped character he was forced to play by the media and the film industry. In addition to being an exceedingly accomplished if mostly unappreciated actor, he was also an intellectual, a practical joker, and a man blessed with a marvelous sense of humor. Addicted to morphine from a relatively early age he struggled with the problem all his life, and while it did not keep him from pursuing an unusually active and busy career it did at times force him into hospitals and sanitariums for "cures." Although he took eagerly to the Southern California lifestyle and Hollywood he was well aware of the shallowness and pretensioness of the industry. He worked for the money which he seemed unable to hang on to for long and, of course, died broke. I think what I came away with is the appreciation that he was a remarkably fine and talented human being who was much abused by the "business." Driven out of Germany and away from his friend and mentor, Bertolt Brecht, I'm sure he wished it had not been so. This is a fine biography and if you have any interest in such things I recommend it. Even the finest biographies regretfully can tell us only the high and low spots of someone's life, much like trying to comprehend a human body from a mere fingerprint. You must appreciate what you are given.

The small California coastal town of Arcada passed a resolution calling for the impeachment or resignations of Bush/Cheney. See, there really are some intelligent and responsible people. Too bad they seem to be so few. But things are, at last, looking up a bit. DeLay is finished as a leader and quite likely even as a Congressman. Cunningham apparently wore a "wire" which will no doubt help implicate others in this ongoing Republican scandal (don't buy into the claim that it was bipartisan, it was overwhelmingly Republican). And don't believe even for a moment that what Bush did was legal. Keep the pressure on until they all end up in jail where they rightfully belong.

Getting somewhere?

Are we at last perhaps actually beginning to "get somewhere?" Senators Warner, McCain and Graham have indicated they are not going to roll over for Bush's claim he does not have to follow the McCain amendment regarding torture. When Bush signed the amendment he also executed what is known as a "signing document." While this is not a legal document, it is an indication of how the President views this matter. And he views it as something he can completely disregard if he feels like it. This is another claim on absolute power by the President. So now there is a direct conflict between the Senate and the President over the extent of Presidential power (the President is going to eventually lose but no doubt after weeks if not months of controversy, effectively keeping any other important business from being considered). Does Bush really believe that McCain, having fought so hard for this amendment which passed something like 92 to 6 (or some such figure) is going to just stand by and let him claim he doesn't have to obey it? Now the battle is truly joined. Stay tuned for the fun.

Pat Robertson, the senile and idiotic "leader" of a least some so-called "Christians," is at it again. It is now reaching the point where one has to wonder if he is even sane. His latest foray into something that is not his business in the first place has to do with Sharon's massive stroke. According to Robertson this stroke was God's punishment for Sharon trying to divide up "God's land." That is, withdrawing from the Gaza strip. God, according to Robertson doesn't like it when someone tries to divide up his land. I guess this has nothing to do with the fact that Robertson and his cronies want Israel to sell them (or perhaps give them) 35 acres or so where they can establish "Jesusland." This is going to be a theme park featuring, I guess, walking on water, feeding hundreds on a loaf of bread, perhaps parting the waters, and such things. No doubt it will be a non-profit enterprise devoted entirely to the worship of Jesus. Would someone tell me how these people keep escaping insane asylums?

Alito comes up next week for confirmation for the Supreme Court. From what is now known about Alito it would seem that he is singularly inappropriate for such a position. Not only is he on record as being opposed to abortion, he is also on record as favoring an Imperial Presidency (just what we need at the very moment that Presidential powers are an exceedingly contentious issue). So far there is no indication that he will not be confirmed although there is some very remote possibility the Democrats may filibuster. But why is he being allowed to come up at all at the moment, given the current problems with the Bush/Cheney administration? Surely we ought to be able to wait until we know whether Bush/Cheney are going to survive the next year or two. If Democrats allow this appointment they clearly have a death wish.

One interesting and unprecedented development has come up. The Human Rights Watch has written to Bush suggesting that our massive (and heretofore never challenged)support for Israel should be cut back in the amount they are spending on their illegal wall and expanding their equally illegal west bank settlements. It is clear the wall is not merely for security but is more importantly a blatant land grab that is and will create terrible hardships for Palestinians. Sharon, of course, has gone ahead with this even though he has been told not to by the U.S. and the U.N. (when has Israel ever paid any attention to anyone that attempted to be fair and balanced with respect to the Israeli/Palestinian problem?). Nothing will come of this, of course, but it is interesting that as far as I know it marks the first time anyone has actually suggested that monies should be withdrawn because of Israeli violations.

Fasten your seat belts! It's going to be an interesting and exciting year. Come on Fitzgerald, join the fun. The sooner the better.

The rats are leaving

Geez, you go away for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose. With Abramhof and Scanlon agreeing to cooperate and perhaps implicate as many as 60 others, and Senators and Congressmen falling all over themselves to return tainted Abramhof money, it is obvious that the rats are deserting the sinking ship of state. It is not clear exactly how far this will go but those in the know think it will be the worst scandal in decades. It is pretty clear that DeLay is finished. Hallelujah! There will no doubt be others as well.

Bush held a meeting to which he invited all the ex Secretaries of State, Defense, and so on. He claims he wants their input on the situation in Iraq. Too bad he didn't think of this before he recklessly and immorally ordered the attack on a helpless nation that was not a threat whatsoever. Bush is the worst war criminal since Hitler. He says he heard things he liked and things he didn't like. He's trying to demonstrate now that he doesn't really live in a bubble. Sorry Georgie, too late.

It's not enough that he ordered spying on Americans without warrants, and insists he will go on doing so, he now says he doesn't have to live up to the McCain amendment on torture. If he wants to torture he will. Can no one get through to him enough so that he can understand that he has delusions of dictatorial grandeur? He is either completely uninformed about what he is doing or he is crazy as a loon. It is plain and simply not the case that being at "war" (which we aren't) allows him dictatorial powers. If he has his sycophants that want to tell him otherwise, like Yoo and Gonzales or whomever, well and good, but it just ain't so. Of course if no one is willing to do anything about it perhaps he will get away with it (and most of us will have to ask for political asylum elsewhere).

Now he has also decided that he doesn't need Congressional approval for his appointments. He has just made 17 "recess" appointments which allows him to bypass any oversight. And he has predictably appointed political cronies to positions for which they are mostly unqualified. Julie Myers is perhaps the most blatant of these crony appointments but they are all bad. This must be the most incestous administration ever.

In spite of the fact that today there were more than 130 killed in Iraq, including at least 5 more American troops, Bush continues to insist that things are going well and we are making "progress." Rumsfeld, the senile old goat who goes on pretending to be Secretary of Defense, also insists that things are going well, the troops really like what they are doing, the Iraqis are "coming around," and so on and on.

And finally, in a few days, the Alito confirmation will come up. Personally, I cannot understand why they allow this to go forward at this time, pending the possible impeachment or resignation of Bush/Cheney. Furthermore, as it now appears that Alito is somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan, and seems to believe in a dictatorial presidency, to say nothing about opposing abortion and being overly favorable to corporations, it would seem this will be a very divisive confirmation (which I don't think Bush/Cheney really need at the moment). But what do they care? It promises to be an interesting year. Don't expect even one single positive thing to come out of our government for the next three years (unless Bush/Cheney can be prevailed upon to resign). As long as the Republican Party continues to support and defend them, they are equally criminal. And don't expect anything out of the cowardly Democratic "leadership," other than more silence and inactivity. I'm sorry to have to say it, but we need nothing short of a cultural revolution.

Something strange...

Morialekafa will not appear tomorrow. If all goes well he'll be back on Wednesday.

Something very strange is going on in our country. Bush/Cheney are claiming dictatorial powers and virtually no one is seriously challenging them. Of course there is Conyers and maybe a very few others, but for the most part the Democrats are silent. What, for example, happened to Dennis Kucinich? He was an outspoken critic of the "war" and in the past minced no words. Is he now so happily married he just doesn't care anymore? Or has Bush/Cheney's secret spying found out something that forces his silence? What about Barney Frank? He used to be very outspoken but what have we heard from him lately? Or is it the case that they do speak but the MSM simply refuses to cover them? Then there are the Clintons. But they have obviously joined the Bush/Cheney group (they know where the real power lies). One scenario, not at all far-fetched, is a Hilary vs McCain contest in which the Republicans (corporations) will win whomever is elected. Then there is Kerry who seems to be totally unaware of reality and goes on pretending that he participates in some form of democracy. There is Biden who claims he doesn't know anything much about the DeLay scandal and wants to continue the "war." John Roberts? Is the MSM aware of him? Warner of Virginia? He doesn't say much of anything about the "war." One can only conclude that the Democrats, one way or another, have been castrated.

Republicans, like Arlen Spector, are making noises about questioning Bush's claim to absolute power. But will they really try to do anything about it? Doubtful in the extreme. Let's face it, the long planned fascist takeover of the U.S. is about to be realized. The major Democrats are apparently in on the scheme and the rest of us, the peasants, will have no choice. Minimum wage? Ha ha. Universal Health Care, hee, hee. Environmental protections? Don't make me laugh. Rebuilding Iraq and New Orleans? Can't afford it, it might take away some taxes from the obscenely wealthy. Unions? No way. Civil rights? Not in a time of endless "war." Afghanistan? Oh, yeah, I remember that place. Is it a country or what? We still have to get rid of that pesky Social Security. We'll continue to work on it behing the scenes, in secret, where our best work is done.

Today it was announced that there will be no funds included in the budget for rebuilding Iraq. Why should we have to rebuild Iraq anyway? Besides, we've already paid out billions to Halliburton and others to rebuild it. And yes, it's true that the military has banned soldiers' blogs. We don't want anyone to see all those unpleasant things. Is this a great country or what?

On INN World Report today there was an absolutely marvelous discussion by Professor Mark Crispin Miller about how the Republicans blatantly stole the 2004 election. His book on this subject will be coming out (fairly soon, I hope) and leaves no doubt about what happened: pre-election, election, and post-election. I wonder if anyone will be interested. The 2004 election was a long time ago and Lost will be starting again soon. Oh, well.

A fresh start

Thank heavens the holidays are over. Perhaps something important may happen this year. I would like to begin the year going back to some basics:

"It is with the help of the commodity concept that the mechanism of the market is geared to the various elements of industrial life. Commodities are here empirically defined as objects produced for sale on the market...
"The crucial point is this: labor, land, and money are essential elements of industry; they also must be organized in markets...But labor, land, and money are obviously not commodities; the postulate that anything that is bought and sold must have been produced for sale is emphatically untrue in regard to them...Labor is only another name for a human activity which goes with life itself, which in its turn is not produced for sale but for entirely different reasons, nor can that activity be detached from the rest of life, be stored or mobilized; land is only another name for nature which is not produced by man; actual money, finally, is merely a token of purchasing power which, as a rule, is not produced at all, but comes into being through the mechanism of banking or state finance. None of them is produced for sale. The commodity description of labor, land, and money is entirely fictitious."
Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation

Thus the operation of a "free market system" over time, subject to no rules or restraints, would eventually self destruct, because inevitably the labor (people) and the land (environment) would be slowly destroyed and money would become irrelevant. A few enlightened countries, such as Norway and Sweden, for example, understand this and regulate the market so as to protect both their people and the environment. But in other countries, such as the U.S., for example, those in charge of regulating the market, being interested only in power and profit, regulate to insure only these interests and the people and environment suffer. Is this not exactly what has been happening over time in the U.S.? Here they even want to commodify (privatize) our water and air!

Eventually, in a system like this, when conditions begin to be unbearable for the people and their environment, they revolt and demand controls on the market that will benefit them rather than the corporations. Is this not precisely what has been happening in Venezuela, Bolivia, and other South American countries? Is it not what happened in the 1920's and 30's in the United States? It is not happening here in the U.S. yet again, but it inevitably will if the existing conditions being dictated by the wealthy and the corporations do not change. And, of course, they are exceedingly resistant to change and will do anything to stop change from happening. Hence the secrecy, the lies, the spying, the violations of civil liberties, the nonsensical main stream "news," the deliberate "dumbing down" of the electorate, the utter stupidity of TV programming, and so on.

The American Democracy we have been so proud of in the past is under attack by the current Bush/Cheney administration. Now they are claiming dictatorial powers that are not supported by our Constitution or our laws. They must not be allowed to get away with it. Let us make sure that we do indeed have a Happy New Year and not a repeat of last year.

Happy New Year to all

Motherdear: You must be joking. But thank you just the same. Good to hear from you.

I must say that the end of 2005 has left me more or less speechless. What more can one say about the runaway criminality of the Bush/Cheney administration, the rampant corruption in our current political system, the unspeakable horrors of Bush's totally unnecessary and immoral "war" in Iraq, the suffering of the victims of Katrina apparently now more or less abandoned by the administration, the secrecy and constant stonewalling and lies of Bush/Cheney and their cronies, the very near fascist takeover of the United States, and the shame of the current administration in the eyes of the entire world? Justin Raimondo has said that 2006 will be a year of revelations. I hope so. But I sincerely hope we can go a lot further than mere revelations. How about some real jail time? Some justice?

When I was a boy my father (may he rest in peace) never received anything for Christmas other than Lucky Strike cigarettes and neckties. Now that I am old and no longer either smoke or wear neckties all I receive are socks and books. One of the books I received (that I asked for) which I have now read is a biography of Stepin Fetchit (Lincoln Perry) by Mel Watkins. Most of you probably don't even remember Stepin Fetchit. I only remember him as a minor character actor who portrayed "the laziest man in the world." He was, of course, a shiftless, lazy "darky" who bumbled and created a notorious black stereotype. He was also, I learned, an accomplished dancer. As his career began in silent pictures and then continued on for a time with "talkies" I confess I did not see much of them or him. I was not aware, for example, that he was in fact a genuine "star" right up there with W.C.Fields and Charlie Chaplin. He was for a time the highest paid black performer in the U.S. (no doubt the world), had a huge following, owned a fleet of expensive cars, thousand dollar suits, and promoted himself shamelessly. He was a good friend of Jack Johnson and later of Muhammed Ali. Of course as the civil rights movement began to develop and naturally took an extremely dim view of his characterization of blacks his star faded. He kind of faded away and died broke. Watkins, who did not have a lot of information to work from, has done a very credible job. If you have any interest in the early years of Hollywood, and especially of the treatment of black entertainers at that time, I think you would enjoy this book.

Let us all look forward to a much better year. So Happy New Year to everyone. Be of good cheer and hope for the best.

What?

According to a Harris poll reported in the Wall Street Journal, 22% of Americas still believe that Sadam Hussein helped plan 9/11. Twenty six percent still believe there were WMD's at the time we attacked Iraq. Twenty four percent believe that at least some of the hijackers were Iraqis. Actually, this is a great improvement from a few months ago when these percentages would have been much higher. But doesn't it make you wonder where these people have been all these months? They not only don't connect to the web, they apparently don't connect to anything anywhere. What I find even more disturbing, however, is the fact that some 40 to 41% of the public still supports Bush/Cheney. These supporters must be the hardcore "base" of the Republican party. Now, most of these people must know better. They must know what the charges against Bush/Cheney are, they must know there are increasing calls for impeachment, they must know that many of us believe Bush/Cheney have blatantly acted illegally, and so on. But still they support them. The only thing I can conclude from this dismal situation is that Republicans are proud of their war criminals and are willing to support them no matter what the facts. For them loyalty to country is irrelevant, loyalty to party, no matter what, is important. Such is the siren song of power and greed.

As I said previously, I hate this time of year. One of the things I hate the most is that virtually all television programs think they have to review the past year. Weren't the disasters of the past year bad enough the first time? Why do we have to relive them all? Who wants to wallow around further in the disaster of Katrina, the obscenity of Falluja, the sickness of Schiavo, the tsunami? It's not that I think these events were unimportant, it's because they were so terribly important that I don't need further reminders of how terrible they were. I remember them. And I won't forget them. And what about the things that are not reviewed, that have seemingly completely disappeared from our collective memories? What, for example, happened to Sibel Edmonds? Gannon/Guckert? Posada? All of the things that were simply stonewalled until they have been pretty much forgotten. This is one of the major strategies of the Bush/Cheney administration - just stonewall, stonewall, refuse to turn over anything, obfuscate, delay, lie, invoke national security, etc., etc. until everyone just gives up and forgets. Will this ever catch up with them? Apparently not if the Democrats have anything to do with it. They let them pull off this dishonest business time after time. Probably because they know they might be complicit in it.

Is it not interesting that Chalabi who received less than one percent of the vote in the recent Iraqi elections has been put in charge of the Iraqi oil fields? I guess the Iraqis must have done that because they felt sorry for him?

Justin Raimondo thinks that 2006 is going to be the year of revelations, because, of course, there are finally going to be trials where evidence will be presented and the full extent of Republican criminality will be exposed. I sincerely hope he is right but I'm not going to believe it until I see it. Just remember, Republicans control virtually everything. I wouldn't be surprised to see them run Ken Lay for president (after he wins his "Dumb CEO" defense). After all, he couldn't possibly be any dumber than what we have now.

"Capitalism turns men into economic cannibals, and having done so, mistakes economic cannibalism for human nature."
Edward Hyam

Happy Christmas/Holidays/New Year - Bah, Humbug

I truly dislike this time of year. No, I'm not a Scrooge or a humbug or a cheap guy who just doesn't want to spend money. It's just that nothing happens for a period of two to three weeks. In the University context the whole system might as well just shut down completely from about 10 December until January 5th. There is nothing but shopping, parties, absences, parties, shopping, more shopping, and so on. It is not quite so bad in ordinary society but it is certainly bad enough. I don't care if they call it Christmas, Holidays, Hannukah, or whatever, it is still the same dreary period of inactivity (other than shopping). And the music! How many times are we supposed to listen to the same Christmas Carols over and over again. And the modern Christmas music is so insipid it offers no relief whatsoever (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, even Jingle Bells pales after the ten thousanth repetition). I like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But that's enough. I'm willing to take the first day of the year off but that is absolutely enough. More importantly, even though there are monumental political problems that desperately need attention, these are simply ignored while everyone indulges themselves in this holiday madness. I don't care if Mommy is Kissing Santa Claus or the night is silent or holy, I want to know what is happening in Iraq and Korea and Taiwan and Bolivia and Venezuela and Africa and even the Arctic Circle. Nature doesn't stop for the holidays, does it? The world, politically and physically is busily coming apart and we are concerned with killing trees and slopping down mulled wines and egg nog (ugh). So I do say, passionately, Bah, Humbug.

If you watched Democracy Now today you will have heard all about the sweetheart deals the big Corporations have been working out with the Federal Government. If this doesn't make you sick there is something wrong with you. And, of course, this is our biggest problem at this moment in our history - we are being controlled by and subservient to a relatively small number of huge Corporations that effectively control not only the U.S. but the world. They don't even pay any taxes to speak of! It takes us right back to the days of the railroad and mining and timber "Robber Barons." People had to take to the streets and demand justice. This may happen again, especially if the present administration doesn't finally get defeated. But with Democrats and Republicans both in the same conspiracy to maintain the present status quo the future looks bleak. If it's true that you get the government you deserve we're in big trouble. When do we get to see the next episode of Lost?

Does anyone even care anymore?

Bush/Cheney, having been caught red-handed breaking the law and violating the Constitution, and having no reasonable excuse other than a blatant power grab, have had to lay down the gauntlet. In the simplest terms possible, they are claiming that the President has unlimited, unchecked, dictatorial powers during wartime. He is above the laws and, indeed, according to them, he IS the law. This would seem to ignore the obvious fact that we are not truly at "war." Congress never declared war on Iraq. In fact, the "war" on Iraq is no more legitimate than the "war on poverty," or the "war on drugs." He has for an argument the fact that his legal advisors, Gonzales, and Yoo, have told him so. But as both of them are obvious toadies willing to tell him anything he wants to hear this will probably not wash when it comes right down to it. I am no lawyer, and not even a student of the Constitution, but I know there is nowhere in American law or the Constitution anything that gives the President dictatorial powers anytime at all, including at times of war (which we are not in at the moment in any case). This is a claim that is absurd on the face of it.

There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that this is true. The crucial question, however, has to do with whether anyone cares enough anymore to do anything about it. It doesn't seem to me that much is likely to happen. Democrats may complain (but who listens to them anymore), a few Republicans may pretend not to like it (but probably won't do anything about it), and the American Public will simply go back to Lost (a good description of where most of them are - lost in a sea of television nonsense and credit card debt). I hope I am wrong about this as it is a matter of absolutely monumental significance to the American political system.

There is a piece on Buzzflash today discussing a program where Russert is interviewing Brokaw and Koppel. I must say they come across about as intelligent as your normal fourth grader. Among other things they claim that Clinton would have gone to "war" just as Bush did if he had been President at 9/11. Does anyone believe that Clinton would have attacked and invaded Iraq because the problem was Osama bin Laden? I find the claim so ridiculous as to not be worthy of comment. Clinton may have had his problems, and he may have done things he should not have, and he may have even been overly militaristic, but he was/is not stupid like our present so-called Commander-in-Chief who might have qualified as a dogcatcher somewhere in Texas. I swear most of our "hot-shot" television anchors and reporters are nothing but yes-persons who are willing to just parrot back anything they are told by this criminal administration. They are just as responsible for this obscene, disgusting, illegal, immoral, unnecessary "war" as Bush/Cheney/Rice/Rumsfeld and the rest of the neocons.

Will justice be done in 2006? Don't count on it but do pray for it.

Worse by the day

Watch 'n Wait: I was wrong. The Seattle underground was not the result of an earthquake. It was basically the result of a fire. In 1889 a huge fire destroyed most of Seattle. They wanted to rebuild. But Pioneer Square was an area where there was a small island and water (a kind of wetland, I guess). So they decided to build 8 or more feet higher on fill. But they were so impatient they decided to build first and fill second. So most of the buildings sunk their first floor into the ground which created the underground.

Portland was different. They apparently had buildings whose basements were connected by tunnels. These were used by white slavers and others who shanghaied sailors. I guess they must have been built deliberately for these purposes.

New York underground is a result of more normal features, like the subway system, the sewers, wiring, and etc. I don't really know much about any of this but all you need to do is google Seattle underground, Portland underground, New York underground and etc. There is a ton of information on New York underground.

In the Seattle Post Intelligencer there was an article by Stewart M. Powell that suggests why Bush went the route of warrantless spying. In 2003 and 2004 the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court refused on 173 occasions to give Bush the warrants he requested. This was far more rejections than those of the previous three or four Presidents combined. Obviously the rejections were because Bush could not demonstrate "probable cause." In other words, the Secret Court simply refused to rubber stamp his requests so he simply went ahead without their approval. He clearly broke the law big time. I'm not so sure the Republicans will be able to just sit this one out. But I don't know, they seem to be proud enough of their war criminals to keep on supporting them. Unless something very strange happens I think this will be the end of the Republican Party for years to come. At least the very conservative Barrons has apparently figured this out.

John McCain, who I am beginning to believe might be somewhat demented, has suggested that when it comes to Intelligent Design v.s. Evolution "the students should be allowed to decide." Actually, I don't think he is demented. I think he wants the nomination so bad he is willing to do and say anything. Would you want a president who has been filmed actually hugging Bush? Personally, I hope the Republicans will nominate Santorum.

Somewhere I saw a report that bombings in Iraq have increased fivefold in recent weeks. Can anyone explain to me why continuing to bomb Iraqis, especially innocent civilians, at this point in time, is in any way either justified or productive? What is the point? What might be gained by this apparent insanity? Are they bombing Iraq in order to save it (from the horrible Iranians)? I'm sorry to be so dense, but I just don't get it. The "war" is over. The Iranians won. Our Army has been pretty much decimated, our "advanced" weapons of "shock and awe" pretty much useless. We are going to have to withdraw with the neocons "pipe" dreams of empire down the tube. Why do we have to be such poor losers? The enormity of their crimes is such that I doubt the damage Bush/Cheney and the neocons have done can be overcome even in a century.

The Gathering Storm?

Watch 'n Wait: Good question indeed. I don't know the answer but I think in the Seattle case it may have to do with earthquakes. I'm going to look into it.

I always loved this Churchill title. I think (and hope) it may be applicable to the present circumstances. I cannot imagine that after the first of the year there will not be massive "explosions" of one kind and another.

We already know and anticipate some form of action with respect to DeLay, Abramhof, Frist, Rove, Libby, perhaps Cheney, and who know what all else. Republicans may try to downplay Bush's illegal wiretaps but I don't think they will escape this time. And there is always the Iraqi situation which will almost certainly dissolve into a civil war (if, indeed, it is not already that). The Iraqis will want us to leave but Bush/Cheney will not want to give up all that control of oil and the Middle East - should be truly interesting.

Now we have Governor Bill Richardson claiming that his phone may have been tapped while he was discussing things with the Koreans (in the U.S., not on international phone lines) and the conversations turned over to Bolton. Now that's interesting!

We also now have Representative John Lewis saying that he will support impeachment proceedings if they arise. And there is more and more mention of impeachment these days, even in the MSM. I don't think impeachment in this case is possible or even practical. However, it could lead to resignations. If Bush/Cheney had any sense of decency or interest in the welfare of the U.S. they would resign now. But of course they have no sense of decency and could care less about the U.S.

At the same time they claim to being outlawing torture (ha ha) they are also doing away with habeas corpus. This is truly vile. In fact probably the most horrible development in the history of the U.S. And of course it is really designed to protect the torurers not the tortured. I cannot believe that our Congresspersons and Senators will allow this. God help us if they do.

Powell has said there is nothing wrong with Bush's warrantless spying, but why didn't he get the warrants. Am I missing something? Isn't that what the controversy is all about? As far as I know no one is questioning his right to spy, provided he gets the warrants. But he didn't. Just couldn't be bothered with the paperwork. It strikes me that we have pushed insanity in government about as far as it can go. Look forward to a happy 2006 when some minimal form of justice might actually reappear.

And oh yes, there is the Alito matter. From what I have seen so far there is no way on earth he should be appointed to the Supreme Court. But that doesn't mean he won't be, such is the level of idiocy that exists in our current administration. And given that idiocy, plus all of the developing scandals, plus Alito, plus Iraq, plus the coming elections, can you imagine anything at all of a positive nature occurring in the months to come? Bush/Cheney should be forced to resign for the good of the country. NOW!

Happy Holidays

It appears to me that nothing much is going to happen until after the holidays (as usual). So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Morialekafa will return on Monday the 26th. Eat and drink and be of good cheer, and be prepared for god knows what next year.

Ghouls and Wimps

It seems clear to me that we need some new terms to describe what is going on in American politics at the moment. Republicans are no longer all conservatives but many are neoconservatives, and neoconservatives are not really conservatives but radicals. Democrats are no longer automatically liberals but now have many who are considered Republican-Lite. That is, they are not liberals at all. Liberal/Conservative, Democrat/Republican, just don't cut it anymore. So I suggest we call the two presumably opposed groups what they really seem to be: Ghouls and Wimps.

The Ghouls, at the moment in the majority and holding all the power, are in favor of cutting 40 or so billion dollars from the national debt. They want to do this by taking money from the poor and middle class by cutting programs that help them. For example, medicaid. Whereas at the moment if a family of three has an income of $17,000 per year and now pays $3 for an initial medical exam, the Ghouls think they should have to pay somewhere between $20 and $120. Similarly, students who depend upon loans to pay their way through college should now have to pay higher inerest rates on their loans. Never mind that for the first time in history American students are falling behind other countries with respect to their educations and abilitites. After all, who needs bright, creative, intelligent people anyway? We can always hire them from India, Pakistan, and Japan.

The Ghouls are not without compassion. They are very concerned that wealthy people, especially those with incomes only hovering around a million a year, are unduly suffering from their taxes. So the 40 billion in cuts is designed to balance the approximately 100 billion in tax cuts for the obscenely wealthy. Is this not truly compassionate? Is it not fiscal conservatism?

The Ghouls also are big on torture. When challenged on this by one of their own they did everything they could to insure they could continue to torture with impunity. Eventually they had to pretend that they wouldn't do it anymore but, of course, wink, wink, they know what is really going on.

Ghouls also believe it is perfectly allright to spy on innocent Americans as long as their Ghoul in charge says it is okay (because Ghouls do not have to obey the laws). They also think it is fine that they can imprison anyone they wish for no reason at all for the rest of their life with no recourse to any form of justice whatsoever. This is regarded as a perogative of the Ghoul in charge. Ghouls are also allowed to lie constantly about everything because - well, because they are Ghouls.

Wimps pretend to oppose most of the things Ghouls do. But they are very careful not to upset the Ghouls in any way. So if the Ghouls say we should go to "war" the Wimps say we need more troops (they don't want to appear wimpy). When the Ghouls want to rob the poor to fund the rich the Wimps usually go along (they don't want to appear to be obstructionist). When the Ghouls tell one outrageous lie after another the Wimps don't want to call attention to it (it might cause trouble). The Wimps know how corrupt and dishonest the Ghouls really are but don't dare say anything because they are complicit in much of the dishonesty and don't want to "rock the boat." It doesn't seem to matter how outrageous the behavior of the Ghouls, how illegal or unconstitutional, how disgusting, how criminal, or how obvious the crime, Wimps simply will not challenge it. Isn't that what Wimps are for?

Absurdities

Does anyone but me ever reflect on the absurdities of American culture and politics. Doesn't it strike you as absurd that in the election for President of 2000 one of the candidates was probably the most qualified candidate for the Presidency there ever was, whereas his opponent was a known loser, not at all qualified to become President, but who then actually became President. He wasn't really elected, of course, but, rather, appointed by a dishonest, illegal, and unconstitutional Supreme Court. This doesn't change the fact that this was absurd, to say the least.

How about going to "war" against Iraq because the towers were attacked by someone else? Iraq had nothing to do with it, was not even remotely involved, but was singled out for attack anyway. Is this not absurd?

The national debt is at an all time high. So what do Republicans do? They pass more tax breaks for the wealthiest people in the world. People who already have more money than they could ever use in probably hundreds of years. In order to finance this they actually take money from the poor. Is this not absurd?

Some forty million people in the U.S. have no health insurance. Does Congress worry about this? No, not at all. They worry about homosexuals marrying, women having rights, and flag burning. Is this not absurd?

The Bush/Cheney administration stays in power because of corporate power and the backing of religious fundamentalists. These two groups having nothing in common. Corporations could care less about homosexual marriages and abortion and the fundamentalists are too stupid to realize they are being conned. Is this not absurd?

The Bush/Cheney administration is about to implode. It has proven to be so corrupt and incompetent that many of the major players are in trouble: Rove, Libby, Abramhof, DeLay, Frist, etc., etc., etc. So what is the Republican "base" concerned about? Christmas, that's what. We should refuse to shop at any store that emphasizes "holidays" rather than Christmas. Is this not entirely absurd?

Bush, Rice, and others are insisting that we do not torture at the same time Bush/Cheney are trying to block an anti-torture amendment sponsored by McCain. Is this not absurd? They managed to compromise with McCain with an absurd pretense that they are not going to torture anymore.

Bush argues repeatedly that we must "stay the course" in Iraq. To do otherwise would dishonor those who have already died. So we must insist on further deaths to honor the already dead. Is this not totally absurd.

I could go on but I am being pressed by family to get off the web so they can conduct more important business. So Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and whatever.

"...a goddam piece of paper"

Doug Thompson of Capital Hill Blue reports that during a meeting of Republicans discussing the Patriot Act Bush said, "I don't give a goddam, I'm the President and Commander-in-Chief. Do it my way...Stop throwing the Constitution in my face. It's just a goddamed piece of paper." This was apparently confirmed by at least three witnesses.

So there you have it. That's what your President thinks of the U.S. Constitution. Is it any wonder he violates it whenever he feels like? And of course he has toadies like Gonsalez and others who tell him he can do so because he is all powerful, citing very questionable interpretations of the law. By now it appears quite clear that he did overreach his authority when it comes to spying on American citizens. According to John Dean, who knows something about abuses of power, Bush has admitted to an impeachable offense. And there is more and more talk about impeachment. John Conyers has also suggested that Bush/Cheney be censured for what they did about 9/11. Bush knows he is in truly hot water, witness his attempt to silence the New York Times about this.

But will anything really happen? Are our Corporate masters fed up enough with Bush/Cheney to agree to finally take some action against them - like, maybe, force them to resign? After all, what else can possibly go wrong for this incompetent, criminal administration? Or will the Republicans, once again, close ranks and protect their war criminals and incompetents. This latest outrage against the Constitution and American law may be the straw that breaks it (god, how I hope so). Bush now has both feet firmly planted in do-do. Will he come out once again smelling like a rose? How much more is the American public willing to take?

Did he or didn't he?

Did Bush act legally when he secretly authorized the NSA to spy on American citizens? He, of course, insists that what he did was legal (you could hardly expect him to claim otherwise). But many others, including John Dean, think he not only acted illegally but has admitted to an impeachable offense. Both Democrats and Republicans have called for an investigation. As Bush apparently called a meeting on December 6th with officials from the New York Times, specifically to try to get them not to run the story, he may have suspected or known that he had acted illegally. Apparently Bush thinks he can do whatever he wants because Gonzales and others have led him to believe that as Commander-in-Chief he has the authority to do anything he wants. While I am not a lawyer I am positive there is nothing in the Constitution or American law that allows a President to override the law whenever he wishes. It is clear that Bush has acted above and beyond the law all along. Note his claim that he can lock up prisoners for as long as he wants, with no rights whatsoever, and so on. Indeed, this is why they are treating Padilla is such a ridiculous fashion - they fear that if it goes to the Supreme Court they will be told that they do not, in fact, have such authority.

This latest almost surely illegal activity aside, can there be any doubt that Bush/Cheney should be impeached? Can anyone be ignorant of the enormity of their war crimes? The unbelievable misery they have brought upon the people of Iraq and also on the people of the U.S.? And for what? So Bush could be a "war president?" So we could control the Middle East? So we could "spread democracy?" So Cheney's oil companies could become even more filthy rich?

If you want to see the future look to South America. Evo Morales, the first indigenous President of Bolivia. Chavez in Venezuela. Progressives in Brazil and Argentina. They are going to break with the colonial traditions that have kept them subservient to the U.S. for so many years. Their people for the first time are going to actually benefit from their own natural resources rather than having them stolen by the powers that be. Viva Morales! Viva Venezuela! Viva Socialist states like Norway and Sweden! Death to imperialism! There is hope for the world in South America if not in North America.

Bush/Cheney and the neocons are war criminals. There is no doubt about this. They deserve to be punished for their crimes. But will that happy day ever come? Doubtful. Remember, in their world, might makes right. Black makes white. Up makes down. Lies equal truth. We do not torture. Iraq had WMD's. We are more safe now. Things are going well. The national debt doesn't matter. The rich deserve more money. God is on our side. We, alone, are good. The rapture is coming soon. Hoorah!

Ho-hum, another speech - and an essay

Bush gave another speech. From the Oval Office. Big deal. Apparently he said we are winning the war in Iraq. As usual I didn't watch or listen. Quite frankly, the sight or sound of him makes me sick. I doubt we are winning. I don't even know what winning in Iraq might consist of unless being able to control their country and resources. I think the relatively large turnout indicates that the Iraqis think this is the only way they can get us out. Powell said earlier today (or yesterday) that America will have a presence in Iraq for years to come. Of course we will. That was/is the plan. Can't let all that oil go unguarded. No mention, of course, of Bush's illegal spying on American citizens. This will be ignored and just fade away like all the rest of his transgressions. As virtually nothing seems to be happening other than more lies here is another essay.

Save the…

Save the whales! Save the gorillas! Save the elephants! Save the bull trout! Save the caribou! Save the salmon! Save the pygmy rabbits! Save the prairie dogs! Save the orangutans! Save the wolves! Save the orcas! Save the chimpanzees! Save the baby seals! Save the wild horses! Save the sage hens! Save the grizzly bears! Save the puffins! Save the tigers! Save the Panda bears! Save the spotted owl! Save the wolverines, the lynx, and the bobcats! Save the Condor, the Brown Pelican and the Albatross! Need I mention the Borax Lake Chubb, the Bliss Rapids Snail, the Lost River Sucker and the Wyoming Toad? How about the thousands of other endangered species?
I can’t honestly say that I have been solicited for funds to save all of these creatures, but I certainly have been for many of them. In some cases I actually donated money for what I believe to be worthy causes. But it has made me think about it. Why should I, a mere individual, have to feel responsible for the potential disappearance of species? I pay taxes. Why didn’t/doesn’t the Government take care of this sort of thing? How is it they have been so irresponsible and allowed things to deteriorate so badly? Why haven’t they looked after the planet better than they have?
Consider what Europeans set about doing when they first arrived in the “New World.” They slaughtered the Passenger Pidgeon into extinction very quickly. They attempted to do the same thing to the Buffalo (and almost succeeded). They did away with the wolves so successfully we have recently had to reintroduce them from Canada. The Grizzly Bear, too, was virtually eliminated, as were coyotes, prairie dogs, wild turkeys, alligators, eagles, hawks, and virtually everything else that moved; gunned down and trapped with such unbridled mindlessness and savagery as to be almost impossible to understand. And it was not just the animals and birds and fishes that suffered this onslaught, the indigenous people did likewise. Whole Indian tribes were decimated, wiped out, if not by force of arms, by the use of smallpox and other diseases. In most cases the motive for this was, of course, to take over Indian lands and resources. But in many cases it was a question of “the only good Indian is a dead Indian.” Even the children were slaughtered, “nits make lice.”
Even now we are struggling with the effects of this unprecedented attack on the environment and everything in it. Save the Salmon! Save the Cod! Save the Burbot! Save the Forests! Save the Great Lakes! Everywhere we look we are being asked to help repair the sometimes irreparable damage we have done to our environment and the creatures that try to survive in it. How can one explain this apparently insatiable blood lust to destroy virtually everything with no concern for the future or the consequences?
I suggest this has been the case historically (and continues even now) because Europeans brought with them to the “New World” a totally unprecedented ethos. This ethos came about primarily because of two basic building blocks or developments in European thought. The first of these came from the bible: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Notice here that man is not only to have dominion over the earth but also to subdue it.
The second building block, not entirely unrelated to the first, was the belief in a “Great Chain of Being.” That is, all creatures constituted a kind of ladder leading from the lowest to the highest, the highest, of course being white European males (unhappily this belief is still quite widespread).
The result of these two belief systems was the tendency by Europeans to hold the rest of nature, particular the flora and fauna, and, indeed, anything “below” themselves, relatively speaking, in contempt. There was such abundance in the New World they felt they could subdue at will, and did. They seemed to believe there was no end to this abundance. It was estimated that at the time Europeans arrived in what is now the United States there were 50 million buffalo. In a relatively short period there were no more than a few hundred (at most). They killed wantonly, took just the hides and the tongues, and, in fact, in many cases just shot them for sport.
This was unprecedented because of the lack of respect. American Indians killed, to be sure, but they had respect for the animals, and rituals and ceremonies to keep them healthy and prolific. Cynics might argue the Indians didn’t kill them all simply because they didn’t have enough people or the technology but this cannot be true. Europeans didn’t kill indiscriminately because there were too many Europeans, they killed just because they had the means, but also because they had a belief system that told them it was their right to do so. Following Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, we might entitle a book on this subject, The European Ethos and the Rape of Mother Nature.
And notice this was not peculiar to the Americas. The same pattern was followed wherever Europeans spread in the “Age of Exploration:” in Australia, Tasmania, South America, the Middle East, the Far East, and Africa. Wherever Europeans went, following their ethos, they destroyed: the animals, the forests, the indigenous peoples, whatever they wished. This still continues and, of course, is not a topic that can be dealt with here. It would require volumes: tomes of misery, rape, arson, destruction and death, shameful acts of greed and pillage, excused as “the white man’s burden.” It continues.
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King George?

Watch 'n Wait: I believe you are right. The neocons are leading us into WW III. I am not so sure they are doing this "unavoidably." I am not in the least surprised to learn that NSA has been illegally spying on U.S. citizens.

The big news is, of course, that the NSA, at Bush's discretion, has been (presumably) illegally spying on U.S. citizens within the borders of the U.S. There seems to be some confusion over whether or not what he ordered was truly illegal. But as near as I can tell it was. Somewhere I read there is a legal mechanism for doing what he wanted but that he couldn't be bothered to use it, preferring instead to bypass it entirely. This certainly fits with his previous behavior that indicates he does, in fact, think he has Kingly prerogatives (he can jail people indefinitely on a whim, etc.). If, as some claim, this was illegal, then he has committed (and admitted to) another impeachable offense. The circumstances leading up to, and his pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, are certainly impeachable enough. But apparently Republicans are determined to protect their war criminals no matter what. And with an absolutely wimpy Democratic Party going along with the war crimes it appears there is little we can do about it. Fact is, we no longer have two different political parties so there is no real opposition party. They all suck from the same corporate teats. There were, for example, 1,052 supoenas for the Clinton administration. There have been 3 for the Bush/Cheney administration. That is, of course, because they returned honesty and dignity to the White House.

I have not read Jimmy Carter's new book on American Values. I saw a brief excerpt on the web. Apparently we (that is, the U.S.) is holding many children in prisoner camps, children as young as eight (8) years of age. They are not allowed lawyers, nor even allowed to see their mothers. Rumsfeld is apparently well aware of this and the policy is that age makes no difference. Rumsfeld and his ilk are no less than absolute monsters. I hope I live long enough to see them all in jail where they clearly belong.

I wish Fitzgerald would either indict Rove or not. I can't stand the suspense. I can't help but believe he may be going to indict more than just Rove. How I hope so!

I like Feingold. I don't care if he is Jewish or not. But I do care if he is an uncritical supporter of Israel, no matter how much land and water they try to steal from the Palestinians. Until Israel is curbed there will never be peace in the Middle East. And now that they are threatening Iran we may, indeed, be looking at WW III. If Israel is stupid enough to attack Iran let them do it without any support from the U.S. Disaster in the making. And a U.S. administration stupid enough to get sucked into it, if not actively striving to bring it about.

Does Bush have a death wish?

Suzie Creamcheese: Thank your for your comments. I have been a fan of George Monbiot for some time. I think he is consistently very insightful and well worth reading.As far as touting my book, The Cham Stones, I have to confess to having a financial problem that leads me to do things I don't really want to do - like trying to sell my book on my blog. The fact is, in spite of my advanced age, I have a 20 year old son who is attending an out of state University. The tuition is expensive. As a retired University Professor I am not wealthy, complicated by the fact that I am living too long and outliving my retirement benefits. So I am trying to leave no stone unturned, so to speak. It does make me feel like an (ugh) American, which of course I am (but under present circumstances I would prefer not to be). But back to business.

In an interview with Brian Williams of NBC Bush apparently said the following: "I remember the day we committed the troops, or I committed the troops, there's no 'we' to it. I committed the troops to combat in Iraq. And I left here (the Oval Office), walked out the door, walked around that South Lawn with my trusty dog Spot,just thinking about the consequences."

Is he really unaware that he is confessing to having committed a war crime? Can he possibly be that out of touch with reality? I fear so. As near as I can tell he must basically want everyone to know that he, George W. Bush, is a very important person who can order "wars" or whatever he wants. I guess Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, et al, had nothing to do with it. I think he must have stopped listening to Rove. I refuse to even comment on his "trusty dog Spot."

Well, Bush and McCain seem to have arrived at some agreement about torture. They have apparently agreed that everyone will abide by the Military Code. Of course the Military Code is being revised so no doubt it will still allow for torture but under another name. So McCain gets his victory (which will help him in his quest for the Presidency) and Bush gets credit for being flexible. If you believe any of this dreck let me sell you some nonexistent property.

The Senate, much to their credit, has blocked the renewal of the Patriot Act, or at least some of its more objectionable features. Perhaps there is hope after all.

It now turns out that Bush signed a secret document to allow spying on U.S. citizens, even though such a things was/is illegal. I gather this is going to be investigated by Congress (ha ha).

I guess the most interesting development of all has to do with the latest argument from the anti-evolutionists that if people are merely animals, and animals wrote the Constitution, the Constitution must be irrelevant. At least I think that is what they are saying. I must confess that everything these people say is so far fetched and ridiculous my tiny brain is not able to cope with it. The bible is literally true? The earth is only 6000 years old? People existed contemporaneously with dinosaurs? The Grand Canyon is a result of the flood? The Rapture is imminent? George W. Bush communicates with and was sent by God to spread democracy around the earth? Intelligent Design is as useful and believable as the theory of evolution? Why do I not believe any of this? Because I am a disgusting atheist who is determined to take the Christ out of Christmas. If there is a Christ in Christmas nowadays he has to be hiding somewhere in a cash register.

Bush boasting of war crimes?

Let me try to get this straight. Attacking a sovereign nation that is no threat to you is clearly recognized as a war crime. Iraq was clearly no threat to the U.S. Bush "pre-emptively" attacked Iraq anyway. He has now accepted the responsibility for doing just that. So why does that not make him a war criminal? As I have repeatedly pointed out, torture is a war crime, hiding prisoners from the Red Cross is a war crime, using white phosphorous on people is a war crime, war profiteering is a war crime, killing civilians is a war crime. Bush/Cheney have clearly been involved in all of this. Then, ipso facto, they are war criminals. Bush has just now said again he will pre-emptively attack others if he feels like it (semi-happily, at least, Rumsfeld having destroyed the army, he probably can't do this). He did say that Rumsfeld has "done a heck of a job." He certainly has, if you think losing a "war" and ruining an army is the way to go.

Now all hopes seem to ride on the Iraqi election. This election can never be seen as legitimate as it is held while the country is being occupied, there is so much violence candidates couldn't even campaign, there are so many candidates most people don't even know who they all are, most Iraqis will vote however their religious leaders tell them to, and so on. As the Bush/Cheney administration's goal is to have permanent bases in Iraq it will be most interesting to see what they will do if even this puppet government asks them to leave (which is apparently a possibility). If Bush/Cheney would come right out and say the U.S. has no intention of having permanent bases in Iraq it would make an enormous difference. But have you heard them say anything like that? Not yet, and you're not likely to either. They will have to be literally thrown out.

We have had no snow for almost two weeks. There is still a little on the ground. The temperature has hung somewhere between 5 and 25 degrees for days. It is miserable. However, tonight is clear and there is a full moon so large you feel you might actually reach out and touch it. Magnificent! We are now engaged in the annual Kill-a-Tree-for Christ" festivities. We did not murder one of our own trees this year. My wife took the easy way and actually purchased a tree at great expense from one of the lots that sell trees this time of year. When I protested that the tree was obscenely expensive she replied that she bought it from a poor woman who was watching the lot while her husband was out cutting more trees. She was probably watching the lot from the comfort of the cab of her fairly new Ford 250. She did not say where her husband was cutting the trees. I am pretty suspicious about all of this but the tree is up, decorated, and ready to be inundated with mostly useless presents. It's the American way. So Happy Holidays everyone wherever and whomever you are. I hope you all get copies of The Cham Stones.