Constructing the Future - PBS

Public television has a new campaign to whip up donors... particularly dead ones who wish to leave a trust. That's cool. So far, so good.

The spot that I saw this morning had a voiceover by a "teacher" (the hairshirt wearing ascetic sisterhood of the left) extolling the virtues of Public TV. It was a cavalcade of Noble Savage and Blank Slate mumbo jumbo.

"We CAN construct the future. We can capture the idealism and innocence of children and use it to change the world."

I wonder if this "teacher" knew that she was channeling Rousseau? I wonder if she knows who he was and how his philosophical ideas helped shape the way that she views the world?

No matter. It's such a pleasant fantasy. Children are unspoiled, "natural" humans full of goodness and light. Children are wise... adults are polluted. It's only when technology and the culture of profit gets in the way when we have bad stuff.

It takes a village of un-selfexamined knuckleheads to raise a child to such a simple minded role model.

Hewitt on South Dakota Blogs

Hugh has an article that illustrates the power of political bloggers. Apparently Tom Daschle is in a horse race for his Senate seat and local bloggers are exposing his true record. This would include his recent Michael Moore F9/11 boosterism

The influence of blogging on politics is nowhere more obvious than in South Dakota. Tom Daschle has long sold himself as a moderate to South Dakota voters, and has done so with the assistance of a very friendly local press. But now the
locals get the news via a stream of serious reporters trawling the national press and internet sites for the real news on the hyper-partisan Daschle. The result is that, for the first time in Daschle's political life, he will have to run on his record, not on what he presents as his record.

Hmmm...

sounds

very

familiar.

Health vs. Wealth

The subtle and thoughtful title of Paul Krugman's latest column . Here's the first, brimming with nuance paragraph.

Will actual policy issues play any role in this election? Not if the White House can help it. But if some policy substance does manage to be heard over the clanging of conveniently timed terror alerts, voters will realize that they face some stark choices. Here's one of them: tax cuts for the very well-off versus health insurance.

Never one to stoop to demagoguery our Herr Doktor Professor.

Here's to the Gray (decrepit, putrid... skanky) Lady.

The Government and the Public

WHO TV news had a 15 second blurb on the Enron/Kenneth Lay indictment. Nothing to talk about except that the anchorman used the phrase "... accused of defrauding the government and the public."

So... what's the difference?

I thought the government was the public.

Fundies and Libbies Revisited

Looks like I'm not the only one who's making this comparison. From Lileks' Bleat today:

Believing in Bush’s perfidy gives some people the same comfort and emotional nourishment others get from believing in Jesus. It validates them, cements their view of the world – venal, conspiratorial, run by capering chimps who are somehow ten times less intelligent than Usenet posters but somehow able to yank strings on a global scale.

He then goes on to crush Michael Moore. It's tasty.

Who would have thunk it...?

Fasten your seat belt... if it's long enough to fit, that is. You're going to find this shocking. A new study has determined that fat mothers have... fat kids.

Now, the ultimate questions... Is it nature, nurture or... cheetos?

Will no one rid me of this toublesome priest???.



Archbishop of Cantebury Rowan Willams is at it again. Cremation is a no-no because of global warming. We WILL bury you in a bio-degradable cardboard box, however. No... this is not an Onion parody.

I know... I usually don't post pictures. But this one speaks volumes.

Doak - True patriotism means always having to say your sorry

Richard Doak gives us a sweeping, Transnational Progressive history lesson to celebrate the 4th this year. On parade are all of the old progressive chestnuts... the ones that were just beginning to take hold when I took American History my junior year in college 26th years ago.

* We've pissed away our gift of democracy to the world.
* Above all... and I mean all... beware of pride and hubris. We may think we're great... but we're nothing but money grubbing, bourgeois capitalist toady scum.
* National economic success is not a virtue... it's a sign of avarice... and exploitation of the masses.
* Power corrupts. Shun it. Victim-hood makes for more polite cocktail party conversation.

If Washington were president today, the leader of the "great nation" he foresaw, it's still impossible to imagine him alienating old friends or launching pre-emptive wars. He would have known that the American version of democracy could not be imposed on lesser countries by force of arms. America was to lead by example, not muscle.

Wow! Dick Doak is channeling George Washington. And then he keeps on goin'.

lEchoes of Washington's vision were heard as recently as Ronald Reagan's presidency, with his frequent references to America as the "shining city on the hill." Reagan grew up in the small-town Midwest in an era when the original spirit of America could still be felt.

Boy, he's a sharpie, that Dickie. First, he cynically praises Reagan. And, in the same sentence lauds "...the small-town Midwest...". Excuse me... my gorge is rising... rrrralllph! Then he celebrates Independence Day by bemoaning the loss of "... the original spirit of America...".

Make's ME want to wave a flag. Oh... I'm sorry... this is revised 4th of July. Flag waving is insensitive and gauche. This is a holdiay for deep and peaceful reflection. This is a time for self-analysis paralysis.

And no fireworks boys... they're dangerous. You could put your eye out.

Cities on the hill have a strong defense, but they do not march down the hill to change the lessor cities below. They concentrate on renewing themselves from within, so that their example remains worthy of imitation. So that their city always shines.

Except perhaps when those "cities" threaten our common defense. Yep, we're nothing but a big schoolyard bully, throwing our weight around.

It's still 9/10/2001 for Dick and his crowd. There was no connection between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Just because Saddam was reaching out to Osama beginning in 1994, well… never mind.

God, I hate that it's come to this. I fear that we need another attack to wake us up. This one could be much less spectacular than the WTC, but with a much higher death toll. I hope I'm wrong.

And, I wonder what Doak's reaction will be next time.

More of the same? Why do they hate us? Don’t take the fight to the terrorists and the states that back them, but… Don’t do anything to limit civil liberties at home. Just set a good “shining city on a hill” example and hope that they stop hating and attacking us.

What a childish, ’60 pipe dream.

And Dick… guess who said this…?

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War. - George Washington

Check out State 29 for more.

Independence Day

Man, even the name of our supreme national holiday must scare and piss off the social democratic elites of the world. I'm sure that the doyens of the EU and UN would much rather have us celebrate "Interdependence Day" or "Drop Trow and Accept the Jurisdiciton of the International Court of the Hague Day".

Well, the name may not say it all, but it says a lot. Like it or not EU... UN... and the rest of you Tranzie Loonballs, we've got it goin' on. We've had it for over 225 years. We're not going to allow some insane attempt at social engineering through state power that grants rights instead of aknowledging man's natural ones to subsume our country. As attractive as that sounds... thanks, but no thanks.

Anyway... have a safe (but DO indulge in some pyrotechnic fun!!!) and happy Fourth of July.