Postcards from the Bleeding Edge
Thursday, November 15, 2007
one way to devalue a currency...
is to seize it by force.In other news, the Republican debate on Dec 4th has been canceled because Mitt Romney refused to show up.
Bonuses: Ron Paul vs Bernanke, last week.
And some good writing about unionization vs monopoly power< written by a striking hollywood writer and friends.
Labels: election 2008, msm, Ron Paul, writers strike
¶ 9:22 PM 0 comments
Fact checking the Toast's fact checker
Yesterday, the Left's wonkette joined forces with the Right's redstate to march Paulites off the field, and gathered together to celebrate their mutual victory in banishing the opposition.Frankly, after that, and after the greenwald/neiwert discussion turned toxic, I had to take a break.
This morning the Toast's fact checker posted a an article analyzing the effect of eliminating the income tax. I was overjoyed! Yea! Someone in the MSM actually bothered to look more deeply into the financial issues that concern us all...As usual, the article itself is so-so, but the comments are mostly excellent, and informative. Great questions were asked, as well as some answers provided. Read on. I look forward to deeper analysis by all sides interested in these issues.
Labels: democrats, election 2008, msm, republicans, Ron Paul
¶ 10:32 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Make way for the robot overlords! Bow before Zod!
Every so often you need to exercise, read, walk, smell the roses, and laugh.If that link wasn't enough to get a rueful grin, try kneeling before Zod.
Or try the Onion.
The writers strike is showing signs of spreading to the CBS news writers. I keep wondering what the talking heads there will say without writers putting words in their mouths - that should be interesting - or rather, dull.
I am kind of missing the Daily Show. Ah, well, it's a nice day. I think I'll go to the beach with my guitar and learn how to play American Pie, and get some sun.
Labels: election 2008, laughter, msm
¶ 10:53 AM 1 comments
Monday, November 12, 2007
Glenn Greenwald fact checks Dave Neiwert on Ron Paul
Glenn Greenwald, a constitutional lawyer who has probably written the most insightful and well commented (850 comments at last glance) article on Ron Paul thus far, fact checks Dave Neiwert on Ron Paul's stances regarding flag burning. Good stuff. Read it. Check out the comments. Try also Paul's speech on the topic, talking about all the time wasted on this issue.Dave Neiwert is probably the most organized and fact driven anti-Paul journalist out there, he uses links back to source materials, we have exchanged a civil email, he's written some great stuff about hate groups, and for these four characteristics I give him a bit of respect.
He does see Paul through a progressive's lens, and definately Paul is no progressive.
I read through the piece in question, and started with the last bill mentioned, H.R. 7955. (I figured everybody else would be dissecting from the top down, so I started working from the bottom up)
Read the text for yourself - and then read how Neiwert described it.
One thing I really like about Greenwald's postings, is that he goes back and updates them when in error, so the facts are all laid out on one page.
I would hope that Neiwert would do the same.
Labels: Dave Neiwert, election 2008, Glenn Greenwald, Ron Paul
¶ 4:26 PM 3 comments
I think it's way past time for Donald Kerr, deputy directory of national intelligence, to rethink "employment":
As congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, privacy is getting redefined.
There's a little gem:
Just because there's not a whole lot we can do about it, doesn't mean we have to like it - and I note that many people have alternate identities on the internet for precisely this reason. Some even support encrypted voip calling. You want to ban those, too, right, Kerr?
"R" writes:
Kurt Opsahl, a lawyer at the EFF, writes:
Bush won't sign a bill without this proviso.
40 wiretapping lawsuits are pending, including Mark Klein's whistleblowing lawsuit regarding the installation of a major and probably illegal under then current law wiretapping installation in San Francisco.
Current administration vant dese questions swept into memory hole. Doubleplusungood, they are.
As congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, privacy is getting redefined.
There's a little gem:
- "Those two generations younger than we are have a very different idea of what is essential privacy, what they would wish to protect about their lives and affairs. And so, it's not for us to inflict one size fits all," said Kerr, 68. "Protecting anonymity isn't a fight that can be won. Anyone that's typed in their name on Google understands that."
Just because there's not a whole lot we can do about it, doesn't mean we have to like it - and I note that many people have alternate identities on the internet for precisely this reason. Some even support encrypted voip calling. You want to ban those, too, right, Kerr?
"R" writes:
- So what are we to have? Big brother watching over the web children and the
rest of us having our illusion of privacy? Sounds like it can't be anything but a one-size-fits-all jackboot to me.
Kurt Opsahl, a lawyer at the EFF, writes:
- "Anonymity has been important since the Federalist Papers were written under pseudonyms. The government has tremendous power: the police power, the ability to arrest, to detain, to take away rights. Tying together that someone has spoken out on an issue with their identity is a far more dangerous thing if it is the government that is trying to tie it together."
Bush won't sign a bill without this proviso.
40 wiretapping lawsuits are pending, including Mark Klein's whistleblowing lawsuit regarding the installation of a major and probably illegal under then current law wiretapping installation in San Francisco.
Current administration vant dese questions swept into memory hole. Doubleplusungood, they are.
Labels: election 2008, privacy, Ron Paul, spying, wiretapping
¶ 8:51 AM 0 comments
