Pitch-perfect.

In the face of evidence of dwindling upward mobility and long-stagnating middle-class wages, my party’s economic ideas sometimes seem to have shrunk to just one: more tax cuts for the very highest earners.

But the thought leaders on talk radio and Fox do more than shape opinion. Backed by their own wing of the book-publishing industry and supported by think tanks that increasingly function as public-relations agencies, conservatives have built a whole alternative knowledge system, with its own facts, its own history, its own laws of economics.

I refuse to believe that I am the only Republican who feels this way. If CNN’s most recent polling is correct, only half of us sympathize with the tea party. However, moderate-minded people dislike conflict—and thus tend to lose to people who relish conflict.

The conservative shift to ever more extreme, ever more fantasy-based ideology has ominous real-world consequences for American society. The American system of government can’t work if the two sides wage all-out war upon each other: House, Senate, president, each has the power to thwart the others. In prior generations, the system evolved norms and habits to prevent this kind of stonewalling. For example: Theoretically, the party that holds the Senate could refuse to confirm any Cabinet nominees of a president of the other party. Yet until recently, this just “wasn’t done.” In fact, quite a lot of things that theoretically could be done just “weren’t done.” Now old inhibitions have given way. Things that weren’t done suddenly are done.

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As such, I dropped off my absentee ballot already.

I’d only glanced through the Bushism books previously so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. There is definitely a risk of something like this having a nasty edge, but I thought the Bushisms DVD did a very good job of poking fun at the jumbled words without going after the man directly (at least not viciously).

Many of the quotes are somewhat famous at this point, but listening to them all back to back is quite a ride. For me, it started out funny, then got a little embarrasing, then downright painful.

The George W. Bush singers are definitely a highlight. You can see them in action in the demo video clip. Their rendition of 4000 years is (unfortunately) very catchy and was stuck in my head for a day or two.

It was also interesting to hear from the people that help bring attention to these gaffes. Jacob Weisberg of Slate:

…after September 11th. We went through a lot of agonizing about whether with the nation at war and under attack, if it was right to continue making fun of the President. And when he said that, we realized we had no choice.

One silly thing that struck me; during parts of the DVD when you are reading from the screen (with little or no audio), there is background music playing that is reminiscent of original Nintendo games. I wonder if anyone else had the same thought when they heard it.

Anyway, if you like watching verbal train wrecks, Bushisms on DVD is a must-see.

Our last stop in Utah was Canyonlands National Park. We did a driving tour to a number of lookout spots, but didn’t do any hiking (we’d hiked in Arches in the morning).

Canyonlands had some of the most dramatic views we saw on the trip: deep, fingered canyons reaching out in all directions. I’m not sure the photos do it justice.

Here is an article about Iraqi’s in favor of the the US invasion written by a Jewish-American living in London who had actaully gone to Baghdad to protest the war.

Contrast that to reports I heard on BBC radio of Iraqis who were returning to Iraq through Jordan. These men were returning to fight against the British and US troops. I think that the only thing that is clear is that there is no 100% consensus how the Iraqi people feel about the war, like everything else in the Middle East – it’s complicated.

There is some good reading to be had over here, don’t forget to read the comments too.

I love The Onion.

If you haven’t been reading Doonesbury this week, you’re missing out.

From the BBC, How Saddam may see the war.

current events

scare quotes

I did manage to do a little reading this evening though, here are some links:

California Representative Henry Waxman has posted a letter to the President. (Thanks Jim)

I think all Americans should read this article. This article from Salon pointed me to it. Are we still a country that values dialogue and the dissenting point of view?

I think there is a bit of a logical problem with "supporting the troops but opposing the war". If you oppose the war, then you oppose the invasion. If you oppose the invasion, you oppose the actions of the troops that are doing the invading. So if you say you oppose the war and that means you oppose the actions of the troops, what does it mean to say that you oppose the war but support the troops. What does it mean to "support" the troops and oppose their actions at the same time?

Here is an article debunking some myths on both sides of the war discussion.

Robert Elliott has dissected the President’s speech. Has anyone else noticed that the President breaks down sentances into 2-3 word chunks and delivers them very slowly without normal sentance inflection. I think this is a change his speech team made intentionally so he doesn’t make inflection mistakes while giving the speech as he did during the election campaign.

[Note, war just started.]

Aaron Swartz has some good words.

Bill has also been blogging about the oil-war.

I tend to agree with Enjelani’s fence straddling. I want to believe there is some reason we are doing this.

MPT has also chimed in with some good thoughts.

Some good words about patriotism from former President Theodore Roosevelt, thanks Robyn.

From the BBC, steps to war.

From the words of the President this evening:

We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people.

What exactly is the threat and when did the people of Iraq ask us to come bomb them? I wonder how we would feel if another country told us to disarm. We’d probably tell them to piss off too. I feel really sad about my country today…

And an Atlanta member of the New Black Panther Party has requested permission to demonstrate in Augusta next week. "He wants to protest against the triviality of this whole protest" surrounding Augusta National, Powell said. "He says there are lots more important issues going on in the world right now, such as war with Iraq." from AP

words fail me…

Washington, DC (Reuters) — A tragic fire has destroyed the personal library of President George W. Bush. Both of his books have been lost. The president is reportedly devastated, as he had not yet finished coloring the second one.

HU’S ON FIRST
By James Sherman

(We take you now to the Oval Office, where National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice is talking to G.W.B.)

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What’s happening?

Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.

George: Great. Lay it on me.

Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.

George: That’s what I want to know.

Condi: That’s what I’m telling you.

George: That’s what I’m asking you. Who is the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes.

George: I mean the fellow’s name.

Condi: Hu.

George: The guy in China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The new leader of China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The Chinaman!

Condi: Hu is leading China.

George: Now whaddya’ asking me for?

Condi: I’m telling you Hu is leading China.

George: Well, I’m asking you. Who is leading China?

Condi: That’s the man’s name.

George: That’s who’s name?

Condi: Yes.

George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.

Condi: That’s correct.

George: Then who is in China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir is in China?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Then who is?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.

Condi: Kofi?

George: No, thanks.

Condi: You want Kofi?

George: No.

Condi: You don’t want Kofi.

George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi?

George: Milk! Will you please make the call?

Condi: And call who?

George: Who is the guy at the U.N?

Condi: Hu is the guy in China.

George: Will you stay out of China?!

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi.

George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.

(Condi picks up the phone.)

Condi: Rice, here.

George: Rice? Good idea. And a couple of egg rolls, too. Maybe we should send some to the guy in China. And the Middle East. Can you get Chinese food in the Middle East?