Owner: Markism Explored URL:http://issuesandcurrentevents.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:09:53 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: A running collection of my thoughts and opinions about the current events of the world, focusing on politics, technology, and news, with a liberal slant. Site statistics:Click here
Bush's policy is killing Americans 2008-03-10 03:51:43 Killing ourselves in Afghanistan | Salon News Interviews with Afghan and U.S. intelligence officials involved in covert U.S. operations along the border suggest that U.S. intelligence operatives have known since 2005 that the Pakistan army and the ISI have been training and arming insurgents in the Tribal Areas who cross into Afghanistan to kill Afghan, U.S. and coalition forces. "Our guys are getting killed because Pakistan has a double policy," said an American policy advisor who travels frequently to U.S military and CIA bases near the border. But the same advisor says intelligence officials have only recently gotten through to their superiors in Washington that Pakistan is part of the problem.It's not a new idea that President Bush has maintained power for himself and his party throug Read more:Americans
Teaching children 2008-03-10 03:12:53 Mail-in ballot suggested as possible Florida-Michigan fix - CNN.com "The rules were set a year and a half ago. Florida and Michigan voted for them and then decided that they didn't need to abide by the rules. When you're in a contest, you do need to abide by the rules," he said last week.Before I started teaching young children there are a lot of things I thought I would never say. I never thought, "because I said so", would ever cross my lips. Also, "what did I JUST say", still sounds ludicrous to me. But as millions have learned before me, these are the things we say to children. We put them in the corner to teach them a lesson, and hope that they actually learn it. Recently I realized that when my kids were playing tag they would run around taunting whoever was "it", only to cry,
Leave it to Clinton 2008-03-09 13:00:30 Obama takes Wyoming caucus - CNN.com "We are thrilled with this near split in delegates and are grateful to the people of Wyoming for their support," Clinton
's campaign manager, Maggie Williams, said in a statement.Leave
it to the Clinton campaign to somehow turn a 61-38 loss into what sounds like a victory. I think we will see this pattern for the remainder of the race. The longer this race goes, the more people are bound to see that Clinton is exactly the wrong leader for our country. Not as bad as McCain, perhaps, but why be forced to make that choice when we have Obama in the race. Everything they throw at him misses.
Iraq should pay 2008-03-09 12:53:41 Senators: Where is Iraq
's oil money going? - CNN.com Using numbers from the U.S. State Department and Iraqi Oil Ministry, the senators said Iraq hopes to produce 2.2 million barrels of oil a day this year. Weekly averages suggest that the number has climbed as high as 2.51 million barrels a day.Let's be clear. The US has spent billions of dollars trying to stabilize Iraq. The money has in many ways crippled the American economy, as we have been unable to finance other programs all so that we could ensure that our soldiers were well supplied. So now we're suggesting that Iraq start paying for their own recovery.Of course they should pay for their own recovery, and how about a little recompense. It's curious to see all of their money moved safely out of our hands, presumably so that whe
Strangest news I've ever Read 2008-03-13 08:13:05 Woman stuck on toilet for two years, police say - CNN.com "She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," Whipple said. "It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself."A woman sat down on the toilet and didn't get up for TWO YEARS! Now I've been know to enjoy a nice sit and read over a cup of coffee, but what could you possibly do on the toilet for two years? And a better question is why would her boyfriend wait for two years to call in help? I'm certain if my girlfriend wouldn't come out of the toilet for 24 hours I would certainly consider calling in some assistance, or I might just break down the door, and force her to have a chat. But I absolutely would not bring her a snack!
The Prostitute 2008-03-13 08:04:24 Spitzer's escort: 'I love who I am' - CNN.com Court documents reportedly identified Ashley Youmans -- now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre -- as Kristen, the high-priced prostitute who met with Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on February 13.So the New York governor has been brought down by his connection to a high class prostitute. Strangely the prostitute is not being charged with a crime. I assume she cut a deal. The world being what it is I actually think it is unfortunate that our politicians can so easily be destroyed by such moral crimes. I understand prostitution is a crime, and so Spitzer broke the law, but I think the more important issue is whether prostitution should be illegal in the first place. Much like Marijuana and Sodomy, I'm not really sure what our soc Read more:Prostitute
The absurdity of the Second Amendment 2008-03-17 11:44:34 Gun Case Causes Bush Administration Rift - New York TimesExactly what the SecondAmendment
was intended to do is at the heart of the dispute. With a combined total of 69 briefs, the two sides offer competing historical and linguistic analyses of the Second Amendment’s 27 words, mystifying in their arrangement and punctuation: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”Among other things the Second Amendment appears to guarantee the right of the people to bear arms. This amendment is the rallying cry of every gun nut in the country. I find them similar to, and often the same people as, those who quote biblical scripture for political purposes. They will argue uncategorically that
What do we do about China? 2008-03-17 02:42:18 Dalai Lama: China
causing 'cultural genocide' - CNN.com Chinese paramilitary troops and riot police were patrolling, and shots could be heard from time to time, according to James Miles, a reporter for The Economist in Lhasa. "People are now too afraid to come out of their homes," Miles said. "People are afraid to go about their normal business."In the US China has become synonymous with two things: cheap goods, and human rights abuses. But what can the US do about it? Not much.The first problem, of course, is that China is bigger than us. Our military my in theory be more powerful, but it's all tied up in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, so what remains of it would more than have it's hands full with the Chinese military that outnumbers most national populations. They are not surprisin
By what measure failure? 2008-03-18 03:14:56 Iraq invasion was successful endeavor: Cheney | Reuters"If you look back on those five years it has been a difficult, challenging but nonetheless successful endeavor ... and it has been well worth the effort," Cheney, an architect of the invasion, said after meeting Iraqi leaders.Cheney has decided that the Iraqi invasion was a success. I'm reminded of Bush's claim to Victory shortly after the invasion. The goal, of course, is to keep shouting victory and success and hope that it catches on. And among those who tend to believe anything the government says as long as its republican, I'm sure his cries will indeed catch on. But I have to ask...If Iraq has been a success, exactly how would you define a failure
? Tens of thousands dead, millions displaced, and the US now five years in, wit
Sound Familiar 2008-03-18 02:52:14 BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Dalai Lama blamed for Tibet riots "There is ample fact and plenty of evidence proving this incident was organised, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," he said. "This has all the more revealed the consistent claims by the Dalai clique that they pursue not independence, but peaceful dialogue, are nothing but lies."maybe it's me, but I have trouble believing that the Dalai Lama, incited violence in Tibet. in truth it is more likely that the people of Tibet grow increasingly restless with the Dalai's constant push for peace. The comment I quoted, however, sounds so incredibly like George W, that I couldn't help but post it. Basically, we have all the evidence we need to announce that this has happened. We aren't going to show you that ev Read more:Sound
It takes all kinds 2008-03-21 04:33:25 Public Health Risk Seen as Parents Reject Vaccines - New York Times Vaccine skeptics provide differing explanations for their belief that vaccines may cause various illnesses and disorders, including autism. Recent news that a federal vaccine court agreed to pay the family of an autistic child in Georgia who had an underlying mitochondrial disorder has led some skeptics to speculate that vaccines may worsen such conditions. Again, researchers say there is no evidence to support this thesis.I have so many objections to crazy parents refusing to inoculate their children I hardly no where to begin. I think I'll start with the part where they are risking their own children's lives because they read somewhere that there's a distant chance that vaccines might cause some other kind of illness.
Free Tibet 2008-03-21 03:36:30 BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | US lawmaker speaks out on Tibet
"If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China and the Chinese in Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak out on human rights," Ms Pelosi told a crowd of thousands of cheering Tibetan exiles, including monks and schoolchildren, in Dharamsala.It's good to see an American politician standing up and speaking about a controversial issue. Well said Nancy. If you haven't been following the Tibet story, you should be. For those looking for a way to help...
Easter IS Meaningless 2008-03-20 03:26:56 Has the 'notion of sin' been lost? - USATODAY.com A new survey by Ellison Research in Phoenix finds 87% of U.S. adults believe in the existence of sin, which is defined as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective."The trouble here is not that people are out of touch with sin, but that sin is out of touch with people. I think in the modern world Christians and non-Christians are starting to understand something that many who have researched this thoroughly have understood for a while. There are very few universal truths in the world.I often get pretty heavy push back when I tell people that morality is a wast of time, and that there is no true right and wrong. I got into this one night at the pub, and everyone at the table sta Read more:Easter
Republicans don't like to be wrong 2008-03-20 02:50:12 Republicans and Democrats diverge on health care - Yahoo! News Clear differences appeared when the respondents were sorted by political party identification. Among Republicans, 68 percent said the United States is the best, compared to 32 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of independents.I don't find it in the least shocking that most Republicans are harboring the belief that the US has the best health care system in the world. It has been my experience that Republicans are more capable of maintaining an opinion in the face of contrary evidence longer than any group of people I have ever met. What's worse is their tendency to create new evidence to support their opinions when all the real evidence has failed them.The US health care system costs more money than any other industrialized Read more:Republicans
Looking forward to $8 gas 2008-03-20 02:33:30 Three-quarters of Americans say gas prices hurt finances - Mar. 19, 2008 Rising fuel prices have caused most Americans to cut back on their driving. Of the over 1,000 American adults surveyed in the poll conducted March 14-16, 64% said they have made some changes to their driving behavior as a result of higher gas prices, with 19% saying they have cut back on driving enough to have a major effect on their daily lives. And 5% say they have stopped driving altogether.Maybe it's just me, or maybe no one else has noticed, but the driving force to advance alternative fuel technology is the desire of the American consumer. As long as gas is cheap, there is no desire. Mr. and Mrs. America will continue driving around in their ridiculously over-sized SUV's, while funneling their hard earned cas
Bush still has downside potential 2008-03-20 02:24:09 Poll: Bush's popularity hits new low - CNN.com "Defeating this enemy in Iraq will make it less likely we will face this enemy here at home," he said. "We're helping the people of Iraq establish a democracy in the heart of the Middle East. A free Iraq will fight terrorists instead of harboring them."I'm not really sure what evidence Bush has for the above statement. I'm not sure there is any reason to believe that complete victory in Iraq will result in a nation that is any more anti-terror than, say, Pakistan. It's all political rhetoric. There's no particularly good reason to believe that complete victory is even possible in this kind of war.If anything History has proven that an occupying force is always at a disadvantage. All the enemy has to do is not quit, and eventually the occ
The courts did something right 2008-03-26 04:18:26 Druggist sanctioned for refusal to sell 'morning after' pill - USATODAY.com The 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled the punishment the state Pharmacy Examining Board handed down against pharmacist Neil Noesen did not violate his state constitutional rights, specifically his "right of conscience" to religiously oppose birth control.If you don't want to dispense drugs, don't become a pharmacist. It's very simple. I don't care what you believe. If you want to believe it's a sin to take birth control, fine. If you believe in the spaghetti monster, that's fine, too. But if your job is to fill my prescriptions as given to me by a doctor, then guess what you should do. That's right, gold star to anyone who said fill my prescription. When you go to work, leave your religion at the front do Read more:courts
, something
The government's foundation of idiots 2008-03-26 04:09:36 2010 high-tech census at 'high risk' - USATODAY.com The computers proved too complex for some temporary workers who tried to use them in a test last year in North Carolina. Also, the computers were not initially programmed to transmit the large amounts of data necessary.Many years ago I managed one of those big box retail bookstores. One of the many difficult parts of that job was a required annual inventory. The company I worked for contracted this job out as being too time consuming and important for the employees to take care of. So one night every year this company would come into our store and count everything. In order for this to work properly a select group of my own employees would have to stay to supervise the workers. One might ask why I needed my own workers there, often l
I desire an end of Patriotism 2008-03-25 03:02:47 Rev. Jeremiah Wright | Salon We are now five years into a war that may outrank Vietnam as the most pointless and disastrous one in our history. George W. Bush and his neoconservative brain trust conceived that war, but they were only able to push it through because the American people, their political leaders and the mainstream media signed off on it. And they did so because they were in the grip of the fearful, vengeful, patriotic frenzy that swept the nation after 9/11. Without 9/11 and America's fateful reaction to it, there would be no Iraq war. Every day that the war drags on is yet another indictment of that self-righteous, unthinking "patriotism."I remember the dark days after 9/11, when it was proclaimed that by refusing to be patriotic, by refusing to smile and be friendly to you Read more:Patriotism
I love the sound of backpedaling in the morning 2008-03-25 02:18:28 Clinton Says She ‘Misspoke’ About Dodging Sniper Fire - New York Times The backpedaling was a rare instance of Mrs. Clinton’s acknowledging an error, and she did so on a sensitive issue: She has cited her “strength and experience” since the start of the presidential race, framing her 80 trips abroad as first lady as preparation for dealing with foreign affairs as president. That argument was behind her campaign’s “red phone” commercial, which cast her as best able to handle a crisis.It seems Clinton is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the image she has spent so much time preparing of herself as a foreign relations guru. Not only does she not have an impressive resume of foreign relations credentials, but her experience overseas is almost exactly what one woul
Who gets punished? 2008-03-28 03:31:32 Parties Differ on Whom Economic Aid Should Help - New York Times The ideological clashes are less about whether the government should intervene in the economy, and more about whom it should try to rescue.I'm not an economist, but it seems to me the big difference here is who gets to take the brunt of the problem. It a top down versus a bottom up repair approach. The conservatives, of course, want to protect the big companies. The liberals, of course, want to protect the American consumer.This is one area where I think both sides have valid arguments. Obviously the economy needs a certain stability in the financial markets, and obviously millions of consumers going bankrupt will hurt other market sectors. I also agree that the economy is going through a correction caused by both irres Read more:punished
Normalcy? NORMALCY?!?! 2008-03-28 02:38:37 BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraq MPs plan emergency session US President George W Bush praised Mr Maliki's decision to order the crackdown, saying "normalcy was returning to Iraq".Us officials are ordered to stay in reinforced buildings and to wear helmets and protective gear in the green zone, the people of Basra are running out of food and water, protests are erupting calling for the resignation of the prime minister, and more than 130 people are dead since Tuesday. Exactly how is that normal?It's amazing to me the capacity our president has to continue justifying violence. The very best I can say about this new crackdown is that it isn't us. At least the Iraqis are doing it themselves, but I'm sure they put this plan together under our supervision. The worst part is that they have att
I'm confused 2008-03-27 03:46:25 U.S. jets escort Russian bombers off Alaska coast - CNN.com Meanwhile, U.S. military officials say the incidents are not a concern. They say it's the Russian military flexing its ability and presence.I know that we're supposed to be friends with the Russians now, or at least not Cold War enemies anymore, but how exactly is "the Russian military flexing its ability and presence" not a concern. The Cold War was won primarily through economic forces. It was capitalism triumphing over communism. While Russia isn't exactly the freest economy in the world, it's no longer communist, and it's flush with oil money.I think it would be generally unwise to ignore them or take our current peace for granted. They don't like us meddling in their affairs, they are displease with our ill-advised anti- Read more:confused
Nuclear Oops 2008-03-27 03:19:52 China upset over errant U.S. missile part shipment - CNN.com Four nose cone fuses for intercontinental ballistic missiles were shipped to Taiwan instead of the the helicopter batteries it had ordered, Wynne said. He said the fuses, intended for a Minuteman strategic nuclear missile, were returned to the United States after the mistake was discovered.Oops. We're terribly sorry we sent nuclear missile components to Taiwan. This sort of thing scares the hell out of me. It's the same kind of problem that has terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq fighting with our guns. How the hell do these kinds of mistakes happen? Exactly how do we accidentally ship nuclear missile components to Taiwan?I don't care how big the DOD is, or how complex it is to keep track of deadly weapons, I'm certain this Read more:Nuclear
Interesting discovery 2008-03-27 03:02:45 BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Spain dig yields ancient European "The earliest hominins outside Africa are those from Dmanisi in Georgia. After that, we have occupations in Europe, but the ages are not very precise. They are also without hominin [remains]," said Dr Marina Mosquera, a co-author from the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain.So they've found and dated early human remains in Spain. The earliest every discovered actually. A new link is added to our evolutionary past. I'd like to point out that no dinosaur bones were discovered with the remains.
Clinton turns to Conservative press 2008-03-29 03:31:12 Hillary Clinton
, Barack Obama, campaign tactics | Salon Whatever McPeak's offenses, however, the Clinton campaign went too far in responding. When it starts circulating material from the same ultra-right rags that have routinely accused the Clintons of felonies and treason, its behavior reeks of cynicism. Shall we all start reading World Net Daily for news and guidance?Clinton continues to have trouble gaining traction in the race. The dust up over Obama's ties to his preacher didn't really work to being him down. Evidence that Clinton's idea that Barack would not stand up to vetting is erroneous. Cries for her to drop out of the race have not only returned but are getting stronger and coming from more powerful people. So what is her response? Does she get behind the candidate with t Read more:turns
Starbuck's Stealing? 2008-03-29 03:18:11 Starbucks will not refund California baristas. - Mar. 28, 2008 "The ruling would take away the right of shift supervisors to receive the tips they earn for providing superior customer service," said Chief Executive Howard Schultz, in a voicemail message to employees Wednesday night. "I want you to know that we strongly believe that this ruling is extremely unfair and beyond reason."I don't think so. I think anyone who gets behind the idea of suing Starbuck's for stealing from it's employees is really either misunderstanding the problem, or greedy. I think it vastly more likely that these former employees are disgruntled and they have been convinced by a very greedy class action lawyer that they can get some cash out of the coffee giant.Unfortunately for them I don't think the lawsuit ha Read more:Stealing
More gun news 2008-04-02 02:11:51 7-year-old brings loaded guns to school - CNN.com School officials called it a very unusual occurrence and would not comment on the status of the first-grader. Bringing a weapon to school carries a mandatory punishment of expulsion, according to Baltimore County Public Schools policy.So a seven year old walks into school with TWO loaded handguns. We'll just add this to the many, many reasons I think handguns should be banned altogether.But...the rule for bringing a weapon to school is mandatory expulsion. Really? Our best option for dealing with ill behaved kids, or kids who screw up, is to take away their education? I'm just not sure that's the best option for our society as a whole. How about turning it on the parents. Any child who comes to school with a weapon, and their parents
Enough Talk 2008-04-02 02:01:12 Clinton, Obama take on Big Oil - CNN.com Attending an International Renewable Energy Conference in March, President Bush said, "America has got to change its habits. We've got to get off oil." "I've set a great goal for our country, and that is to reduce our dependence on oil by investing in technologies that will produce abundant supplies of clean and renewable energy," Bush said.So Clinton and Obama are both developing plans to reduce US dependency on Big Oil. Mostly that involves not giving tax breaks to what is the most profitable industry in the US, and instead reinvesting that money in alternative fuels and renewable energy. Great idea. It won't bring gas prices down, but it will eventually force everyone to switch to renewable energy, which is a better long term solution. I ha Read more:Enough
More on Basra 2008-04-01 02:29:17 Why al-Maliki attacked Basra
| Salon The campaign was a predictable fiasco, another in a long line of strategic failures for the sickly and divided Iraqi government, which survives largely because it is propped up by the United States. So why did al-Maliki do it? With no obvious immediate crisis in Basra that called for such desperate measures, what could have motivated the decision to attack?I consider this article an interesting follow up on my statement about Basra yesterday. I think it's important to recognize the motivations behind Maliki's actions. Americans want to believe that, because the action was supported by the US and the UK, Maliki must have been doing something good for the country. Don't be fooled. Bush supported Maliki because Maliki supports Bush. Al-Sadr supports
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