Latest Blogs

Seminal Watercooler – Poverty in Afghanistan

By: Jim Moss Saturday November 21, 2009 7:00 pm

poverty_childrenA recent poll of Afghans about the causes of their nation’s conflict revealed some answers that might surprise some Americans:

"70% see unemployment and poverty as a key driver of civil war; 48% blame the government’s weakness and corruption; 36% point to the Taliban; 25% to interference by neighboring countries; 18% to the presence of international forces; 18% to al Qaeda; and  17% to the lack of support from the international community."

Which raises the fundamental question:  Is the solution found in escalating military action, or in rebuilding the devastated economy?

What’s on you mind tonight?

Senate Health Care Debate Liveblog

By: Jason Rosenbaum Saturday November 21, 2009 3:53 pm

8:09 EST: Dodd, presiding over the Senate, said the motion passed, smattering of applause. Motion is agreed to. Clerk is now reporting the bill and amendment.

And that’s it for the night. Debate will begin after Thanksgiving, plus amendments, then moving on to the final cloture motion and a final vote.

8:04 EST: Cloture passes 60-39. Debate will start after Thanksgiving.

7:57 EST: Voting continuing.

7:56 EST: Clerk reading cloture motion.

The question is: Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the motion to proceed shall be brought to a close. Clerk is calling the roll.

Voting now.

The Right Wing Culture of Victimhood

By: Chris Edelson Saturday November 21, 2009 1:30 pm

It’s ironic to see right wingers like Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and their followers thrive on a culture of victimhood.  After all, as I have noted in the past, the right wing spent years deriding liberals for supposedly building a culture of victimhood.  This was a convenient way for rightwingers to dismiss legitimate complaints African-Americans, women and others had about inequality and discrimination.

Over the years, right wingers ended up claiming victimhood as their own calling card and making it into a rallying cry.  Whether it is Bill O’Reilly wailing about the secular progressive agenda to get religion out of the public square, Charles Krauthammer fantasizing about a liberal media that ruthlessly persecutes right wing pundits (even as they continue to freely spout their opinions from all corners of the media),  Sen. Jim DeMint accusing President Obama of hostility to Christians, or a kooky anti-government group (praised by Pat Buchanan) that thinks the government is about to confiscate their guns and impose martial law, it’s hard to find a right winger who doesn’t see himself or herself as a victim.   Rush Limbaugh’s brother David wrote a book with a title that sums it all up: "Persecution"–it’s the untold story of how Christians are mistreated in American life.

The right wing has a persecution complex.    One is tempted to simply tell them, as they would have said to the liberal whiners they derided for years: "get over it."  The fantasies of an America where Christian white males are oppressed are outlandish, for reasons that are obvious, and that I have gone over in some detail before.  However, as has become all too apparent, baseless assertions can still have a great deal of power in current American politics. 

Wal-Mart Jeans and Health Care Reform – Too Cheap To Be Good

By: Jim Moss Saturday November 21, 2009 10:45 am

Because we as a nation have lost sight of what is good value, we are looking at a bunch of cheap solutions to expensive problems.

Control Your Space: End Fox “News” Pollution

By: Ruth Calvo Saturday November 21, 2009 8:13 am

Join me in ending pollution of paid space by protest against Fox in places you pay for.

Seminal Watercooler – Disposable Earth

By: Jim Moss Friday November 20, 2009 7:00 pm

Mars could be successfully terraformed by the end of the 21st century, which might convince some that we need to invest our efforts there instead of in saving our earthly habitat.

Coming up on Food Sunday – Thanksgiving!

By: Jason Rosenbaum Friday November 20, 2009 4:30 pm

Coming up on this week's edition of Food Sunday, all things Thanksgiving.

Midwest Dems (heart) Coal!

By: BAmer Friday November 20, 2009 2:00 pm

As reported by Mother Jones earlier this week, some of our favorite midwestern Democrats sent a bill to the Democratic leadership asking for more carbon offsets for coal-burning utility companies in the Senate's energy/climate change bill.

Is the Best Hope for Failing Public Schools the Possibility of a Natural Disaster?

By: Chris Edelson Friday November 20, 2009 12:00 pm

Does Joe Scarborough think the best hope for failed public school systems is the possibility of natural disaster?

Poll: Americans want a debate and a vote on health care

By: Jason Rosenbaum Friday November 20, 2009 10:30 am

Last week, the case was made that Americans deserve a debate and a vote on health care. And indeed, America agrees. Health Care for America Now has released a poll showing that voters in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Nebraska overwhelmingly agree that the Senate should debate and have a fair, majority vote on health care.
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