Category: politics

Fri 04 Jan 2008

So, Iowa is over. Romney came in second to Huckabee -- I know I didn't see that coming. The interesting thing, I think, is the dominance of Obama. I've seen references to both Huckabee and Edwards as being HueyLongish, but really Obama seems more like that to me. The whole, speaking truth to power, all while milking the powers that be for all they're worth, pretty much sums up Long. But what do I know?

Anyway, this just makes me think of Greenspun's take on Obama. Of course, Greenspun later on went on to predict an Obama victory and some effects following it. And it wouldn't surprise me a bit if it all happens exactly like he says.
Posted in the morning [ /politics ]

Wed 17 Nov 2004

Last night, I was having a political discussion with some friends of mine, and happened to mention that I haven't seen Fahrenheit 911, nor will I ever see it. What happens? "Well, aren't you interested in what the other side is saying?" In less disguised terms, what, are you completely closed-minded?

Man, that crap pisses me off. Look, I read Atrios, I read Farber, I don't need to see some propagandistic movie in order to know "what the other side is saying." Maybe I should read Crooked Timber, too, just so I can see more arguments, but I don't. There are only so many hours in the day.

And really, if the girl who asked me that spends any of her time perusing National Review, The Weekly Standard, or The Wall Street Journal op-ed page, I would be surprised. How does she get her information about what the other side is saying? Probably by reading Friedman. That's balance for liberals.

OK, let's face it, this is just another manifestation of my ego, poking through. I honestly think I read more than most other people I know. And very little pisses me off more than when someone assumes I don't know something that in fact I do know. What is it with people? One of my professors blithely told me last night that I didn't know who Pogo was. OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT POGO IS! Walt Kelly, "we have met the enemy, and he is us"! ARGHHH!!! That's as bad as the time in Con Law when the professor states in class "none of you know that Alf Landon was from Kansas" (OK, in all honesty, he might have thrown a "probably" in there to soften the blow a bit -- I can't remember)

Anyway, needed to vent. Rant over. Breathe deep...
Posted before Wills and Trusts [ /politics ]

Wed 03 Nov 2004

So, it looks like the democrats are going to try the same thing in Ohio that they tried 4 years ago in Florida -- recount until you get the result you want, then throw your hands in the air and say, "let's quit now!" And this time they don't even get the benefit of saying that their candidate won the popular vote. But they have to try to make up 130,000 votes, which is a bit more than the, what, 5,000 that the closing tally was in Florida?

And I love the silence from Atrios. Makes my day. I expect to see a post up from Balkin, urging Kerry to withdraw because he lost the popular vote any time now. BWAH HA HA!!!!

UPDATE: November 9, before Admin Law: Well, obviously I underestimated the guy, because although he didn't urge Kerry to quit, he did reiterate his hatred for the electoral college. So at least he can claim to be consistent.
Posted after a good night's sleep, thank you very much. [ /politics ]

Tue 26 Oct 2004

<**RANT ALERT**>

In the last eight hours, I have:

1. received a phone call, on my cell phone, during class, from the democratic candidate for governor here in Indiana reminding me to vote
2. been handed a petition to protest the library and bookstore subpoena provisions of the Patriot Act
3. been forwarded an email from the EIC of the journal, urging me to get involved in an openly democratic effort to enfranchise where no enfranchisement should exist.

LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!

Yeah, I wanna spend 8 hours next tuesday in some godforsaken corner of the Cincinnati hood, making sure every crack addict has the right to come in and punch the ballot for Lurch. Right. And you know what? They're quitting at 5 pm. (According to what I overheard someone say today, anyway -- this may not be true.) In other words, when the people with JOBS start showing up.
Posted in the evening. [ /politics ]

Tue 05 Oct 2004

As long as I'm posting, I just want to say that I am completely burned out on this election. Sick of it. Period. At this point, I would give the whole thing to Kerry just so everyone would shut the heck up about it. I'm tired of the rants on Lessig, Layne, and Farber, and to be honest, I'm even tired of the relentless partisanship of those on my side.

Guess I'd best find some new blogs, or go to foreign sources.
Posted in the morning [ /politics ]

If you are in the mood to read a good rant today, try this one, about the forever ongoing problems in Africa. I don't know how true this stuff is myself, but if you have personal knowledge that contradicts what he lays out, I'd appreciate any correction.
Posted in the morning [ /politics ]

Mon 06 Sep 2004

Read about Beslan here.

I remember a couple of days after September 11 writing in some column or other that weepy candlelight vigils were a cop-out: the issue wasn't whether you were sad about the dead people but whether you wanted to do something about it. Three years on, that's still the difference. We can all get upset about dead children, but unless you're giving honest thought to what was responsible for the slaughter your tasteful elegies are no use. Nor are the hyper-rationalist theories about "asymmetrical warfare".

Tue 31 Aug 2004

Great article in the Jerusalem Post, about attitudes vs. the policies of the French.

via Arts and Letters Daily, another site I should probably blogroll.
Posted in the afternoon, shortly after Law and Economics [ /politics ]

Thu 19 Aug 2004

I think most of you know who I support in November. I almost wish I had registered to vote in Illinois while I was working there this summer just so I could vote for Keyes. But there are serious problems with some of the people who "support the troops", or at least do so selectively. In a story even more disgusting than the one below, did you know how people treat tattle-tales in America?

Farber has it covered. I agree with him here, 100 percent.
Posted in the evening [ /politics ]

Fri 09 Jul 2004

OK, some background here for the non-news junkies:

1. Authority was handed over to the new Iraqi government early.
2. Paul Bremer made some remarks which were broadcast on Iraqi TV.
3. The Washington Post flubs the story.
4. Bloggers yell and scream.
5. Chandrasekaran (the author of the flubbed story and WaPo Baghdad Bureau Chief) emails one of the bloggers in question.

Needless to say, the speech was not resonating among the score of people my Iraqi translators talked to that day to gauge public reaction to the handover.