Japanese capitalism has been stuck in a holding pattern for decades. The earthquake now will allow the government to mobilize the country into a virtual state of war to revitalize the economy and rebuild the affected areas of the island nation. Qaddafi should give the Japanese some billions for taking North Africa off the web pages for a couple of days. I call this Goldman Sachs Mojo. Remember, of course you don't, that GS was on the ropes when the Haitian quake hit and GS disappeared from the front pages for a bit. There are always silver linings in those clouds; maybe, not so much silver if the clouds are radioactive...but still , some people will benefit from the chaos created by mother nature. GS, Qaddafi and many construction supply firms are about to have a good day.
Of course, if a nuclear plants goes critical and blows, we will need to shift our winners and losers lists a bit. Consult your map for wind patterns and iodine supplies in your area. Perhaps the retiring of the space shuttle is a bit premature. Those who can afford it (GS types) might want to pay for orbit time while the planet cools off from an extra does of you know what.
I just hope the horror of horrors does not happen...William and Kate must marry and honeymoon with Habitat for Humanity in Japan....I'm just such a romantic. Sleep well and cover your reproductive areas if you must.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
NPR: What Were They Thinking?
The flap over NPR fund raiser Ron Schiller's absolutely accurate characterization of Republican and Tea Party activists raises the question of "objectivity." NPR reports more real news in 15 minutes than Fox does in 24 hours...excepting the weather and traffic reports. This recent display of false humility and falling upon the sword by NPR executives makes you wonder: are these people in touch with reality?
The really obscene part of the secret tape by the Republican scam artist, O'Keeffe was what Schiller had to do to raise money for such a worthy organization. What he said about the trolls on the right-wing of the political spectrum were uninspiring; he was doing his best not to call them crypto-fascists. The thing that he really got in trouble for was the obvious truth of his observation that NPR would be better off without government money. There really isn't a good argument for government funding of the news....especially if the government can't manipulate it.
So, if the liberal community wants NPR, it should pay for it. Once freed of government interference, NPR can make its' professional judgements without fear of political reprisals....maybe. Or, when the reprisals come, NPR can be proud of them.
The really obscene part of the secret tape by the Republican scam artist, O'Keeffe was what Schiller had to do to raise money for such a worthy organization. What he said about the trolls on the right-wing of the political spectrum were uninspiring; he was doing his best not to call them crypto-fascists. The thing that he really got in trouble for was the obvious truth of his observation that NPR would be better off without government money. There really isn't a good argument for government funding of the news....especially if the government can't manipulate it.
So, if the liberal community wants NPR, it should pay for it. Once freed of government interference, NPR can make its' professional judgements without fear of political reprisals....maybe. Or, when the reprisals come, NPR can be proud of them.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Moammar, Sheen and Wisconsin
Great minds do think alike! The NY Times March 1 has a brilliant insightful piece on Chuck Sheen and Moammar Gadhafi, http:// www.nytimes.com It is not true that Charles is the son of President Bartlett. He is the spiritual love child of Moammar. It seems both took public speaking lessons from "Crazy Eddy." Anyway, check out Alessandra Stanley's piece in the Times today. The child has a flair for global thinking, sort of a Zizek like connectedness to the Zeitlice. She nailed Charles and his spiritual dad. Oh, in the mean time, the Cheese Head in Chief, Gov. Walker has gotten the unions off their knees and fighting mad....Thanks gov. and Kock brothers for doing what Obama and the Democratic Party would not do...put the fight back into the labor unions....Should we be concerned that Wisconsin could be our Egypt? Nah, we can shop all we want and swear at the meter maids; we are free, right? As Hillery chides Moammar about a lack of legitimacy of his government, she had better be careful. The war crimes of her predecessor and the gangsterism of our allies in Iraq and Afghanistan are, well, embarrassing.
Tah
Tah
Friday, January 28, 2011
They are rioting,well everywhere.
While we were all asleep, the Tunisians (Barberry Pirates) set about having their own version of a Prague Spring. Let's hope the Tunisian version lasts longer than the Czech rebellion of 1968. But, the Tunisians did not reckon with the shock wave that they have sent across the Middle East.
It is obvious that the local conditions in the individual country dictates the shape of the expression that protest will take. Still, it is just plain fun to watch the people take to the streets and express their grievances in a mostly peaceful way: remarkable given the brutality of the regimes themselves.
The United States has been supportive of corrupt regimes in the region for most of the post WWII era. Together with the French and British, we have played the divide and rule game ; now we find ourselves looking for some way of getting on the side of the people in the streets. Wonder what our friends in Mossad are thinking?
We should not be naive and think that Egypt will go the way of a western style democracy. Remember, the best organized political force in the country besides the military is the Muslim Brotherhood. They are keeping a low profile. However, when the smoke clears the Brothers will be a major force in any government. Lots of luck to our State Department buddies working the crowds in Cairo!
It is obvious that the local conditions in the individual country dictates the shape of the expression that protest will take. Still, it is just plain fun to watch the people take to the streets and express their grievances in a mostly peaceful way: remarkable given the brutality of the regimes themselves.
The United States has been supportive of corrupt regimes in the region for most of the post WWII era. Together with the French and British, we have played the divide and rule game ; now we find ourselves looking for some way of getting on the side of the people in the streets. Wonder what our friends in Mossad are thinking?
We should not be naive and think that Egypt will go the way of a western style democracy. Remember, the best organized political force in the country besides the military is the Muslim Brotherhood. They are keeping a low profile. However, when the smoke clears the Brothers will be a major force in any government. Lots of luck to our State Department buddies working the crowds in Cairo!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Violence There's Violence in America?
Dear Blogosphere:
I came out of my trance the other day to find the media chimps up in arms over the senseless shootings in Arizona. So, I sat back and turned the tube off and saved myself thousands of dollars by not putting my foot through the flat screen. There was also the consideration of the NFL playoffs coming along.
I guess I just asked myself about the "sensible" violence" that national leadership is dispensing around the world, the two wars in progress, the many covert operations going on in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. to say that politicians are self-serving and deluded is too obvious; the more entertaining spectacle is the media asking soul searching questions about the rhetorical climate of hate filled political speech...bla, bla, bla.
This country is at war with tens of millions of people around the world; our Congress funds a machine of violence to the tune of 600 plus billions of dollars a year: not counting the spooks, the additional monies for wars in supplemental appropriations and other monies disguised as foreign aid.
The chattering class is having a field day; after all, the Arizona shooting came at a low point in the weekly news cycle. There is a god for low ratings. So, we will be faced with the media condemning bad speech by bad politicians while the media virtually ignores Iraq and the other little wars we are in around the world. What utter self serving hypocrisy. The United States is the most violent advanced industrial society on earth. Have a nice day. Go Jets.
I came out of my trance the other day to find the media chimps up in arms over the senseless shootings in Arizona. So, I sat back and turned the tube off and saved myself thousands of dollars by not putting my foot through the flat screen. There was also the consideration of the NFL playoffs coming along.
I guess I just asked myself about the "sensible" violence" that national leadership is dispensing around the world, the two wars in progress, the many covert operations going on in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. to say that politicians are self-serving and deluded is too obvious; the more entertaining spectacle is the media asking soul searching questions about the rhetorical climate of hate filled political speech...bla, bla, bla.
This country is at war with tens of millions of people around the world; our Congress funds a machine of violence to the tune of 600 plus billions of dollars a year: not counting the spooks, the additional monies for wars in supplemental appropriations and other monies disguised as foreign aid.
The chattering class is having a field day; after all, the Arizona shooting came at a low point in the weekly news cycle. There is a god for low ratings. So, we will be faced with the media condemning bad speech by bad politicians while the media virtually ignores Iraq and the other little wars we are in around the world. What utter self serving hypocrisy. The United States is the most violent advanced industrial society on earth. Have a nice day. Go Jets.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Goldman Strikes Again
The apocalypse may be diverting your attention from the likes of Goldman Sachs. So, is it any surprise that Lloyd Blankfein's Black Amex Card was found near the broken pipe of the BP rig in the Gulf. Mo Dowd, a columnist for the NYtimes, said her sources at the White House told her that the President was really pissed about this revelation. "The President does not have a Black American Express card and he is THE Black American!" the aide pointed out.
No one seemed to care that the card was found at the disaster site. It is now pretty much taken for granted that Goldman Sachs will continue to be associated with world case calamities of all sorts well into the decade. The close correlation between government attacks on Goldman and various global catastrophes has been document by us. Haiti, the Icelandic volcano, and now the Gulf of Mexico is caput. Interesting timing, don't you think. The theological implications seem clear to me...Lloyd is doing the work of god. Lucky the Vatican doesn't have this kind of juice with the Chairman of Chairman in the shy. I may apply for a Templeton grant to work through my proof for the existence of Goldman Sachs.
No one seemed to care that the card was found at the disaster site. It is now pretty much taken for granted that Goldman Sachs will continue to be associated with world case calamities of all sorts well into the decade. The close correlation between government attacks on Goldman and various global catastrophes has been document by us. Haiti, the Icelandic volcano, and now the Gulf of Mexico is caput. Interesting timing, don't you think. The theological implications seem clear to me...Lloyd is doing the work of god. Lucky the Vatican doesn't have this kind of juice with the Chairman of Chairman in the shy. I may apply for a Templeton grant to work through my proof for the existence of Goldman Sachs.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
After a Long Winter's Nap
Say it isn't so! Al and Tipper are going their separate ways. Our heads spin, our hearts race...what's for dinner? Do to the miracles of public health and a healthy diet (look at Al) the Gores were in danger of mummifying after forty glorious years. There was no end in sight, no flu strain to help in the near future....They bit the bullet and separated the pets and the gold fish. Tipper gets the Pat Boone albums and Al gets the photos of himself in various phases of enlightenment. The official cover story is that they have just grown apart.
Yeah, I can buy that: as Al gets fatter and fatter, Tipper is farther and farther away. Who knew that saving the planet might require eating it a chunk at a time. The rumors about Al being attacked by a Japanese whaling ship remain unconfirmed at this moment. But, we have not seen Al in any swim suit photo ops lately. Could be waiting for the scars to heal or he is just sparring us the horror, the horror.
Well, enough of that. Oh yeah! Did you see that Dr. Krugman had himself quite worked up in his last column "the Pain Caucus"in the NYTimes.com May 30, 2010? Krugman lays out the very likely possibility for a double dip recession based upon the mutterings coming out of the mouths of various people at the IMF, OECD and other drab financiers. He can't believe his eyes and ears as there is a substantial call for putting the breaks on fiscal stimulus to fight a non existing problem at this time, inflation.
Krugman gives all the rational reasons why restricting growth now is a very bad idea for the world economy in the short and medium term. The inflicting of massive pain across many national boarders to solve a non existing issue raises the question of what is behind this rush to the edge of depression. This is an opportunity for finance capital to further weaken it's enemy the regulatory and welfare regimes of the EU, and other activist state players. The steady play on fears of inflationary pressures has produced panic in the halls of Congress and odd behavior on the part of the Germans (I guess that is not surprising) and the European Central bank. It appears that the Chinese are not playing the game that would reinforce the power of the markets to dictate terms to the EU. Still, Krugman doesn't see or he refuses to call it for what it is: financial capitalists trying to provoke a collapse of the welfare state system across the globe. The Krugman might warn them to be careful of what they wish for. Without the state in control, there is no guarantor for markets or peace. Fascinating, isn't it!
Yeah, I can buy that: as Al gets fatter and fatter, Tipper is farther and farther away. Who knew that saving the planet might require eating it a chunk at a time. The rumors about Al being attacked by a Japanese whaling ship remain unconfirmed at this moment. But, we have not seen Al in any swim suit photo ops lately. Could be waiting for the scars to heal or he is just sparring us the horror, the horror.
Well, enough of that. Oh yeah! Did you see that Dr. Krugman had himself quite worked up in his last column "the Pain Caucus"in the NYTimes.com May 30, 2010? Krugman lays out the very likely possibility for a double dip recession based upon the mutterings coming out of the mouths of various people at the IMF, OECD and other drab financiers. He can't believe his eyes and ears as there is a substantial call for putting the breaks on fiscal stimulus to fight a non existing problem at this time, inflation.
Krugman gives all the rational reasons why restricting growth now is a very bad idea for the world economy in the short and medium term. The inflicting of massive pain across many national boarders to solve a non existing issue raises the question of what is behind this rush to the edge of depression. This is an opportunity for finance capital to further weaken it's enemy the regulatory and welfare regimes of the EU, and other activist state players. The steady play on fears of inflationary pressures has produced panic in the halls of Congress and odd behavior on the part of the Germans (I guess that is not surprising) and the European Central bank. It appears that the Chinese are not playing the game that would reinforce the power of the markets to dictate terms to the EU. Still, Krugman doesn't see or he refuses to call it for what it is: financial capitalists trying to provoke a collapse of the welfare state system across the globe. The Krugman might warn them to be careful of what they wish for. Without the state in control, there is no guarantor for markets or peace. Fascinating, isn't it!
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