The Face of the New Pacific War - Democratic Source
Matt points out that Eliot Spitzer has become a shill for our robot would-be overlords. Even more alarming, Josh Keating posts the graph to the left, indicating international robot density.
The data support only one conclusion. On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy struck Pearl Harbor with six aircraft carriers, wreaking untold devastation. What if, next time, it’s worse? What if those aircraft carriers had been able to transform into giant robots?
This is the face of the future, my friends:
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Battlestarbook - Political News
Via AG, this brings some funny…
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How Best to Stimulate the Economy - Political News?
Eliot Spitzer is writing for Slate after his fall from grace a few months ago. Spitzer says that the Obama government’s stimulus plan should focus not on essential infrastructure refurbishments but rather on “transformative investments” that might springboard the American economy ahead of its competitors. More than that, Spitzer says that it’s incumbent on Obama’s second New Deal to act in this manner in order to “transform our economy and, in turn, some of the fundamental underpinnings of our society”.
One problem with projects far-seeing enough to deserve the “transformative” label is that they are by definition speculative in nature. They wouldn’t be transformative without the risky element of the unknown. Risk is not necessarily bad. A stock portfolio should contain a certain amount of risky holdings because that’s where the highest rates of return can be earned.
Similarly, government make-work projects, if such are to be created by the new government, should also include some high-risk/high-reward ventures. But not many. The federal government’s addiction to gambling with future generations’ economic security is a large part of what has put us in this crisis in the first place. Doubling down by spending vast sums in an attempt to create the infrastructure of the future might well make things worse instead of better.
For instance, Spitzer’s idea that the federal government should push the deployment of next-generation fuel distribution stations is far from a sure thing. The price of natural gas, for instance, has been as volatile as that of oil in recent years. Where is the guarantee that this will be the fuel of the future. Similarly, where is the assured source of hydrogen that would make laying tens of thousands of miles of pipe a good investment? Such an investment could take decades to pay off even if the right choices are made up front. Or all of these technologies could be made obsolete by new development after the money’s been spent. That’s the problem with making a market.
Considering that significant portions of the existing infrastructure is in need of remediation it seems as though getting these essential projects done first would be a more appropriate approach. Doing so would amount to getting our house in order, always a good move before leaping onto the next big thing.
A Conservative Who’s Been Arrested
Imprisoned tycoon Conrad Black, like imprisoned tycoon Martha Stewart before him, has begun to see the light on drug policy. In an article excerpted by the London Times on Sunday, the former newspaper magnate, who is serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence for fraud in a federal prison in Florida, describes the war on drugs as "a trillion taxpayers’ dollars squandered and 1m small fry imprisoned at a cost of $50 billion a year…as supply of and demand for illegal drugs have increased, prices have fallen and product quality has improved." He calls the plea bargain system "the barefaced exchange of incriminating testimony for immunity or a reduced sentence," involving "intimidation and suborned or extorted perjury, an outright rape of any plausible definition of justice."
[via the Western Standard]
Simple Dramas Packaged For Consumption - Democratic Source
As far as the whole “the left vs. Obama” narrative goes, this passage from Greg Sargent is on the money (emphasis mine):
The problem here is this bizarre need to decide one way or the other whether the entire left is or isn’t irrevocably dismayed with the Obama presidency and whether it has or hasn’t completely given up hope on it.This is fairly straightforward. Some liberals have concerns about this or that particular appointment or this or that particular policy statement. They’re voicing those concerns. That doesn’t make “the left” as a whole unhappy with Obama’s entire presidency. Those same liberals are happy about other things Obama’s doing, and many of them are generally optimistic. Believe it or not, people can simultaneously entertain more than one opinion about Obama’s evolving administration.
The problem here is the desire that the news orgs have to tell a simplistic story about those poor, sad, delusional lefties whose silly idealism blinded them to Obama’s “pragmatism” and “centrism.”
Developing a one-line description of what “the left” think about the entire Obama administration is a silly enterprise lacking any investigative seriousness. It is, instead, an attempt to create a simple drama pitting two not very well fleshed out characters (”the left” and “the Obama administration”) against one another. Dozens of news organizations have sought to use me as one of those characters, recycling two quotes of mine from three weeks ago as somehow representative of a vast anti-Obama uprising among foolish, idealist, hard-left bloggers.
Of course, not only is such a narrative too simplistic in its depiction of “the left,” which is a vast and diverse institution, it isn’t even an accurate portrayal of me. I, like “the left,” think a lot of different things about “the Obama transition.” Further, the Obama transition, like “the left,” is a vast an ongoing process that cannot be accurately described in a single sentence. There are many constituent parts of the Obama transition, which is in the process of hiring 8,000 people. There are many internal debates within the transition, which is not a monolithic reflection of the inside of Obama’s mind. There are debates inside and outside the Obama campaign. Not only is that a good thing, but those debates also tend to be over specific appointments and policies, rather than vagaries about “the left” or “pragmatism.”
I don’t know why so many news organizations are struggling to pay their bills these days, but I can’t imagine that using people to fit into a simplistic, pre-established narrative about something that is actually complex–and very important–is helping that much. Granted, my little media outlet is far smaller and generates far less revenue than most, so perhaps I don’t have the secret to media profitability. However, I think news consumers are better informed and smarter than they are often given credit for being by news producers. This belief comes from having to deal directly with many of the people who consume my website on a daily basis. If you write something that is inaccurate, then some of them will know it is inaccurate, and tell you right away, every single time you do it. Although there are exceptions, devolving into the simplistic is often the same as devolving into the inaccurate, and it might be turning off a lot of consumers who now have the ability to consume news elsewhere.
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Emergency Election Called for in Illinois - Today in Politics
Only time will tell how badly Rod Blagojevich's racketeering scandal damaged the world's trust in people with ethnic names, but his greed has very quickly put Illinois Democrats in a world of shit.
Democratic leaders in both Illinois and Washington are asking the state's legislature to hastily cobble together a special election to fill Barack Obama's vacant senate seat, which the rotten Blagojevich had been trying to "sell" for hundreds of thousands of dollars in favors.
Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, who called the charges shocking, said he would call the chamber into session to pass a bill to establish a special election to fill the vacancy.
"The faith of the citizens of Illinois has once again been shaken," Jones said in a statement. "I will call the Senate back in to session to pass legislation that would create a special election for the U. S. Senate seat to help restore the confidence of the people of Illinois during this difficult time."
In our opinion, this is how it should have been all along. The citizens of Illinois deserve the right to choose the next filthy crook who shall lord over them and steal a shitload of their tax dollars. It's only fair.
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Post tags: Crime, Filthy Cheaters, Illinois, Liars, Politics, Rod Blagojevich
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Did the Cubs and Wrigley Field Escape Bankruptcy Because Zell Expected Blagojevich to Give the Money - Today in Politics?
When the Tribune company went bankrupt becaue Zell had loaded them down with debt, Zell made sure that the Cubs and Wrigley field weren’t included in the bankruptcy. One assumes that’s because he thought they had a better chance of making money going forward. That’s where Blagojevich comes in. One of the largest threads in Fitzgerald’s indictment was the pressure which Blagojevich put on the Tribune to stop writing negative editorials against him.
After hearing that Tribune Financial Advisor had assured HARRIS that the ribune would be downsizing or making personnel changes affecting the editorial board, OD BLAGOJEVICH had a series of conversations with representatives of the ChicagoCubs regarding efforts to provide state financing for Wrigley Field. On November 30, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Sports Consultant, the president of a Chicago-area sports consulting firm, whose remarks during the conversation indicated that he was working with the Cubs on matters involving Wrigley Field. In that conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Sports Consultant discussed the importance of getting the IFA transaction approved at the IFA’s December 2008 or January 2009 meeting, because ROD BLAGOJEVICH was contemplating leaving office in early January 2009 and ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s IFA appointees would still be in place to approve the IFA deal. On December 3, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke again with Sports Consultant and explained that ROD BLAGOJEVICH had control over state funds designated for use in connection with science and technology, and which could be used to pay for improvements at Wrigley Field. Later that same day, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Cubs Chairman and said that he could make state science and technology funds available to the Cubs without having to go through the legislature, and suggested that the Cubs come up with proposals that would allow the use of such funds.
Certainly is suggestive, isn’t it? The Cubs knew that money was coming down the line. When you’re about to get a big cash infusion, well, it’s not time to fold your tent. Unfortunately for Zell and the Cubs, however, Blagojevich was arrested by Fitzgerald before he could come through on his part of the deal.
I expect the Tribune’s part of the deal is also going to be thrown overboard and that their editorials are going to be very anti Blagojevich.
(Thanks to Emptywheel for pointing out the connection.)
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Did the Cubs and Wrigley Field Escaped Bankruptcy Because Zell Expected Blagojevich To Give The Money - Cited by Sharpy News?
When the Tribune company went bankrupt becaue Zell had loaded them down with debt, Zell made sure that the Cubs and Wrigley field weren’t included in the bankruptcy. One assumes that’s because he thought they had a better chance of making money going forward. That’s where Blagojevich comes in. One of the largest threads in Fitzgerald’s indictment was the pressure which Blagojevich put on the Tribune to stop writing negative editorials against him.
After hearing that Tribune Financial Advisor had assured HARRIS that the ribune would be downsizing or making personnel changes affecting the editorial board, OD BLAGOJEVICH had a series of conversations with representatives of the ChicagoCubs regarding efforts to provide state financing for Wrigley Field. On November 30, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Sports Consultant, the president of a Chicago-area sports consulting firm, whose remarks during the conversation indicated that he was working with the Cubs on matters involving Wrigley Field. In that conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Sports Consultant discussed the importance of getting the IFA transaction approved at the IFA’s December 2008 or January 2009 meeting, because ROD BLAGOJEVICH was contemplating leaving office in early January 2009 and ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s IFA appointees would still be in place to approve the IFA deal. On December 3, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke again with Sports Consultant and explained that ROD BLAGOJEVICH had control over state funds designated for use in connection with science and technology, and which could be used to pay for improvements at Wrigley Field. Later that same day, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Cubs Chairman and said that he could make state science and technology funds available to the Cubs without having to go through the legislature, and suggested that the Cubs come up with proposals that would allow the use of such funds.
Certainly is suggestive, isn’t it? The Cubs knew that money was coming down the line. When you’re about to get a big cash infusion, well, it’s not time to fold your tent. Unfortunately for Zell and the Cubs, however, Blagojevich was arrested by Fitzgerald before he could come through on his part of the deal.
I expect the Tribune’s part of the deal is also going to be thrown overboard and that their editorials are going to be very anti Blagojevich.
(Thanks to Emptywheel for pointing out the connection.)
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Free Speech, Jimmy Wales, and Scorpions Win the Fight in London - Democratic Source
Today was a very Euro-centric day, non? First it was Madonna's wedding pictures being leaked, then the doc filmed in Switzerland about an ex-pat who needed assisted suicide, and Kate Moss is possibly preggo?
And now we hear that Britain reversed a ban on a certain Wikipedia page for the band Scorpions, which was originally censored because it contained images of a nude woman for their album Virgin Killer.
But thank god, something called the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) which has a lot of clout over in London town, decided that since their censoring of the particular page made it impossible for some users to access any part of Wikipedia, that maybe they should let the Scorpions album slide. Score one for truth, justice, and rock n' roll.
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Post tags: Censorship, Internet Watch Foundation, Jimmy Wales, Scorpions, Wikipedia
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I Was Wrong - Political News
Sunday I mentioned that the guys at Open Left are “anti-Israel “. While I feel like other authors at OL have been saying things that are actually anti-Israel (but can’t prove it off-hand), I can say with some satisfaction that I was wrong about Paul Rosenberg .
So, put that in your pipes and smoke it.
Sometimes our disagreements are really nothing more than not quite getting what the other guy is saying.
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