Russia, Europe, and the Natural Problem
Having now denied many European countries gas for 10 days, Russia may have brutally exposed the vulnerability of the European Union. But it has also shot itself in the foot and forced the EU to get serious about cutting its exposure to Russian provisions. In the end, Moscow’s only long-term reward may be the hope it has done irreparable damage to Ukraine’s pro-Western ambitions.
Normally, it would be big news if a former communist superpower, that has displayed totalitarian tendencies in recent years, cuts off natural gas to Europe in the dead of winter. Not only does natural gas provide heat, but it powers factories, too — and we don’t need factories closing during a recession because that’s how depressions start. I should be paying more attention to this story, but Bush is leaving office, Obama is being inaugurated, and this makes for retrospective and introspective pieces coming from the fourth column the past couple of weeks… Then there’s Gaza, and Zimbabwe… So along with everyone else, I’m guilty of putting Russia on the backburner (pun intended).
Since my full attention is not on this story, I can’t comment on the latest news with fully informed intelligence. But here’s some factors to take into account when pondering this news.
Sphere: Related ContentCraven Partisanship At It’s Worst
In case there was any doubt left that RNC Chair candidate Ken Blackwell epitomizes the worst aspects of GOP partisan politics his recent article “Obama’s Trojan Horse” in the hyperpartisan Townhall.com should remove all doubt.
While only a few details are known, one overlooked issue is that it could create a major electoral advantage for Democrats at taxpayer expense. That would be unacceptable for what is being touted as a nonpartisan measure, and gives Republicans yet another reason to oppose it if not restructured. […]
But most federal employees, that are not political appointees, vote Democrat. Since Washington, DC is the seat of government, whenever new federal bureaucrats are created many live in Maryland and Virginia. In 2008, Virginia went Democrat for the first time since 1964, and Mr. Obama won it by 130,000 votes. Creating 600,000 new jobs might help cement Virginia in the Democrat column, making it harder for Republicans to retake the White House. [...]
So this bill, as currently designed, has serious flaws, some of which convey a partisan advantage. These must be thoroughly discussed and understood, and any major legislation cannot be allowed to benefit one party in what must be a bipartisan solution.
What this boils down to is simple. Even taking Blackwell’s 600k federal jobs statistics as fact, despite it coming from nobody but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, nobody but those blinded by GOP zeal could possibly see this as a bad thing. That’s 600,000 jobs created in the middle of a recession depression that has cost millions of people their jobs and even more their standard of living when you factor in lost overtime and slashed pay/hours. Read the rest of this entry »
Sphere: Related ContentFile this under the “Not to sound conceited, but I hate it when I’m right” department
Seven days ago, I discussed this year’s dismal economic outlook, and one snippet of that post was…
If something isn’t done now, the economy will slide further downward. Retail stores that were in trouble before the Christmas shopping season are still in trouble, and we’re going to see a lot of them close this year.
Bankrupt Circuit City Stores Inc., unable to work out a sale of the company, said Friday it will go out of business — closing its 567 U.S. stores and cutting 30,000 jobs.
If anyone wants to partake in gallows humor, we can have a betting pool over which retail outlets will close next. Because unfortunately, there will be more.
Sphere: Related ContentFriedman Defines Terrorism
I saw this gem the other day in passing, but didn’t have time to write about it:
Sphere: Related ContentRick Sanchez Pwns Joe the Plumber
Oooo–that’s gonna leave a mark.
Transcript @ Crooks & Liars, h/t Chet Scoville.
Post-partisan Ass-covering
Paul Krugman wades into the ongoing debate over whether Obama should look back or move forward with regards to extra-legal activities on the part of the outgoing administration:
Sphere: Related ContentLast Sunday President-elect Barack Obama was asked whether he would seek an investigation of possible crimes by the Bush administration. “I don’t believe that anybody is above the law,” he responded, but “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”
I’m sorry, but if we don’t have an inquest into what happened during the Bush years — and nearly everyone has taken Mr. Obama’s remarks to mean that we won’t — this means that those who hold power are indeed above the law because they don’t face any consequences if they abuse their power.
[...]
Now, it’s true that a serious investigation of Bush-era abuses would make Washington an uncomfortable place, both for those who abused power and those who acted as their enablers or apologists. And these people have a lot of friends. But the price of protecting their comfort would be high: If we whitewash the abuses of the past eight years, we’ll guarantee that they will happen again.
These Three Words (with Apologies to Stevie Wonder)
“Waterboarding is torture.”
Sweet goddess: I thought I would never hear such words, spoken by a cabinet-level presidential appointee, again.
Eight Years of Vindictiveness Are Over
From the Washington Post’s coverage of PEBO’s visit to their newsroom:
Sphere: Related ContentLater, he was asked, “Are you having a good time?” Obama responded, “If I didn’t have to move twice in five days I would be happy.”
Warnings unheeded
Nearly 50 years ago, another Republican president said farewell to the nation with a warning about the growing strength of the ties between the military and corporations. Eisenhower said:
Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet, we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Tonight, Bush ended his own farewell address with references to Iraq — an unneeded war where private/corporate militias were heavily relied upon for fighting.
And Ike — a real Republican — rolls over in his grave.
Au revoir, Bush. Be sure not to cause anymore catastrophes on your way out, if you can help it.
Sphere: Related ContentWhich Decade Is This?
Somebody’s going to have to remind me which decade we’re in, because from the news I’m beginning to feel like I’m back in my middle-school days in the 90’s.
I was looking over a daily almanac and saw that Vincent Foster would have been 64 years old today. In the 1990s, I spent a lot of time covering his death, beginning with trip to Fort Marcy Park the morning after his body was discovered. From the very beginning, I felt confident it was a suicide, something I think was conclusively proven by Kenneth Starr’s 1997 report.
[...]
And even though the scandal went on for quite a while, it seems very long ago now, especially when you look at all the Clinton types who are playing enormously important roles in today’s affairs. Hillary Clinton — who the independent counsel concluded gave “factually false” testimony on the Travel Office firings — is going to become Secretary of State. Her husband is an international statesman. John Podesta runs an influential think tank and has orchestrated the Obama transition. George Stephanopoulos is sitting in David Brinkley’s chair at ABC News. And Vince Foster has been dead for 15 years. Make of it what you will.
Emphasis is mine, because quite frankly that last sentence is the raison d’être for the entire article. Next up they’ll probably try to fund a $40 million campaign to find a little blue somewhere in the White House or start talking about OJ Simpson 24/7 again (or then, maybe not).
Remember guys, it’s 2009. Your old trick won’t work twice.
Sphere: Related ContentTunnel Vision
Sometimes, the sheer obtuseness of Israel supporters makes me want to scream until my vocal cords give out. This is Jeffrey Goldberg, opining about the possibility of peace between Hamas and Israel [go to BugMeNot for user id and password to avoid compulsory registration]:
Sphere: Related ContentHow much BS wankery can one fit into a glowing retrospective on Bush?
I’m not because I have my limits on reading this garbage. For this Telegraph op/ed piece titled “History will show that George W Bush was right“, my limit was paragraph #8:
Similarly, the cold light of history will absolve Bush of the worst conspiracy-theory accusation: that he knew there were no WMDs in Iraq. History will show that, in common with the rest of his administration, the British Government, Saddam’s own generals, the French, Chinese, Israeli and Russian intelligence agencies, and of course SIS and the CIA, everyone assumed that a murderous dictator does not voluntarily destroy the WMD arsenal he has used against his own people. And if he does, he does not then expel the UN weapons inspectorate looking for proof of it, as he did in 1998 and again in 2001.
Hooo boy…
Sphere: Related ContentTwo Words for Bush: “Tora Bora” (or “Epic Fail”)
Atrios oft ponders the eternal debate about statements from the likes of George Bush — is he ignorant or lying? Here’s Bush’s latest trespass against the facts:
President George W. Bush said he was unaware if, during his eight-year tenure, Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was ever close to being captured.
In a farewell interview of the presidential couple with CNN’s Larry King, Bush said he was “absolutely” certain bin Laden will be caught sooner or later, “because we have a lot of people looking for him.”
Asked if the September 11 mastermind ever came close to being captured since US forces went into Afghanistan looking for him in 2002, Bush said: “I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”
Pressed by King, Bush replied candidly: “I really don’t know. I’m not trying to hide anything.”
Bullshit! We had Bin Laden at Tora Bora and we let him get away. I suspect Bush’s lying because, to me, the thought of a president being so out of it that he doesn’t know about Tora Bora is just too frightening.
In a just world, Larry King would have respond to Bush’s false statements like this:
Sphere: Related ContentThe Consequences of Torture
The advocates for torture in the Bush administration were so convinced it was the only way to get actionable intelligence in the misnamed “war on terror” that they never considered basing an interrogation program on any other methods and never asked themselves how evidence gained through torture would affect the government’s ability to prosecute.
Sphere: Related ContentAmerican Idol Sucks!
I hear the premiere episode of American Idol, Season 8 aired tonight. Of course, I don’t waste my time with such silly drivel; you know, with all the heady shit I got goin’ on ever evening — reading me some Shakespeare, thirty year old repeats of Masterpiece Theatre to watch.
If I were the type of loser that did watch, here are some impressions I hear I might’ve had.
Randy’s been eating well, Paula was strangely coherent (rehab?), Simon dominated and the new judge blew (as did the overplayed “what’s her name” bits).
Three chicks apparently stood out in the friendly sangin’ competition part of the show. The one I hear I would’ve liked the best was the rocker chick at the beginning of the show who nailed an accapella version of a Macswain ATF, Heart’s Barracuda. She’s as real as Sarah Palin is fake.
Vanessa Hudgens had a great audition. Though I thought she was already under contract to Disney, so not sure how she got on.
Then there was some trailer park chick that delivered a grimey version of Otis Redding’s Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay. I hear she had an original voice if your into that low brow kind of thing.
All the dude singers basically blew chunks. I know many of you might’ve fell for that last dude working his angle. Nice voice, kid, but don’t mistake that glint in my eye for a tear … it was … uhm ..you know late … and i was … uhm … tired. Now beat it Ol’ Yeller. I not like you!
Sphere: Related Content“Reining in the Imperial Presidency”
That is the title of the almost 500-page report from the House Judiciary Committee on the Bush presidency’s many abuses of power. It’s extremely detailed and comprehensive and, to use Christy Hardin Smith’s word, “scathing.”
Sphere: Related ContentWhen A War Crime Is Not a War Crime
Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic:
Sphere: Related ContentAt least nine hundred people, maybe half of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza so far, the overwhelming majority presumably killed by Israel (some people, more than we probably know right now, have been killed by Hamas, mainly Fatah activists in revenge killings). This number, nine hundred, is large, and it brought to mind another conflict between a Western army and a Muslim insurgency, the one portrayed in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.” Roughly one thousand Somalis were killed by American forces over the twenty hours or so of the First Battle of Mogadishu (eighteen American soldiers, of course, were also killed).
I couldn’t get an accurate read on how many of those Somalis were civilians, so I called my colleague, Mark Bowden, who wrote the book. He said that eighty percent of the Somali deaths were of civilian. Eighty percent! Roughly eight hundred people. I asked Bowden if he thought this meant that American forces in Somalia had committed war crimes. …
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