Us against Them

For the last week or so, the Daily Howler web site has been performing an invaluable service for American democracy by posting daily critiques of the media's propaganda war against Social Security. I urge everyone to read these posts (archives are available on the site) to see how our Corporate Press Corps(e) has been pushing the (false) party line about Social Security. In short, here's the real facts you need to remember:

1. Social Security is NOT in crisis;
2. Social Security is NOT going broke;
3. Social Security IS the most successful government program EVER;
4. The plan most favored by the administration is a covert attempt to shower Wall St with BILLIONS of dollars of profit from "fees" to be charged against the privatized portion of the proposed plan;
5. Priviatization plans in other countries have NOT lived up to the loft aspirations set forth by the Bush administration for their own very similar plan, resulting in huge government bailouts (READ trillions of $ in additional spending) to prevent catastophic poverty among elderly populations;
6. The Coporate Press Corp HAS NO CLUE what they are talking about in regards to Social Security so they parrot adminsitration talking points;
7. With very small changes in the current program (like raising the current $88,000 annual income cap on FICA withholdings), Social Security should remain capable of paying FULL benefits for ALL retirees indefinately.

One of the only people writing in the main stream press who actually does know what he's talking about in regards to Social Security is Paul Krugman at the other wise Corporate Press Stalwart New York Times.

In short, Social Security privitization, just like the tax cuts, is nothing more than an attempt by the super rich to redistribute wealth from the general population into the hands of these same super rich. The Coporate Press Corpse, being wholly owned and operated by the super rich, are nothing more than tools used to convince you that whatever the super rich are doing is a good idea and you should fall in love with it, all the while they are stealing you blind.

Trust No One, Agent Mulder.

Kerik-ter

For the true definition of what George Walker Bush sees as "character," read the Talking Points Memo posts about the adventures of Bernard Kerik, Bush's favorite "tough-guy." I guarantee they will leave you in stitches!

Homeland Insecurity

I swear I was going to cut down on the political posts, but this one was too important to put aside. A few days ago, when Bernard Kerik (the man who was the NYC Police Commissioner on 9-11-01) was named as the new Secretary of Homeland Security (replacing Tom Ridge), I was a little uneasy. I had a gut feeling the Mr. Kerik was really not the best choice for this job. I was also a little surprised - isn't there a major politico who wants this job? I had heard names like Asa Hutchinson (current assistant Sec.) or Jim Gilmore (former Va. governor who chaired a major terrorism task force a few years ago). I also read on one of the blogs (can't find the source) that Rudy Guiliani used his clout with Bush to get Bernie the job - this is even more surprising.

Nope, Kerik is the guy. So why did I have this unexplained uneasiness about this appoinment? Well, Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo helps me find my inner 'scared out of his wits' child:

In an article in the New York Daily News on May 16th 2003, Kerik confirmed that he'd been tapped to be the American in charge of the Iraqi Interior Ministry (formally, he'd be the chief 'advisor'). Principally, that meant he'd be in charge of domestic security and specifically in charge of standing up a new Iraqi police force.

.......

But little more than two months into his tour, just as Iraq was slipping the first few rungs down the ladder into chaos, something happened -- something that I've never seen explained. Remember that on August 7th, the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad was bombed -- the first high-profile terrorist act since the war. Then on August 19th a truck bomb
destroyed the UN compound in the Iraqi capital killing seventeen, including the head of the UN mission, Sérgio Vieira de Mello.

Then, only a few days later, a few press reports noted for the first time -- in most cases just in passing -- that Kerik was preparing to leave the country. The earliest of these that I'm aware of came in a Times article by Dexter Filkins in which he notes in passing that Kerik was "wrapping up his tour in Iraq" and later that Kerik's "time here is to end in a week."

[ed.note: If there are earlier references to the timing of Kerik's departure I'm not aware of them. But if you are, I'd be obliged if you could let me know.]

Then just a few days later, on August 29th, a bomb exploded outside the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf killing upwards of a hundred people including Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, head of SCIRI.

So Kerik goes over for the long term job of rebuilding the Iraqi police force (which has gone splendidly, wouldn't you say?) and comes back after a series of major terrorist attacks in the region, carried out presumably by outlaws in Iraq!

Now he's going to be in charge of US Homeland Security? Anyone seeing a pattern here?

• September 2001, heads NYC police when WTC attacked.
• Summer 2003, heads Iraqi security when insurgency erupts
• 2005 - heads US Dept. of Homeland Security.........

Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough! - Aragorn to Frodo, LOTR-Fellowship of the Ring.

Blog Direction

I’ve been thinking for a while about how to blog now that the election is over. I’ve come down to organizing my posts as such:

Baseball – it’s time I started devoting regular blogging time to my favorite sport. During the offseason, I’ll post updates on free agents and other player transactions, breaking news, and occasional fantasy player musings.

Schadenfreude – This word basically means to enjoy or take pleasure in someone else’s misfortune. For example, liberals who are enjoying watching Republicans suffer the loss of pet projects in the new appropriations bill thanks to OK Representative (and appropriations chair) Ernest Istook stripping funding because they supported funding for Amtrack can be said to be experiencing schadenfreude.

Media Ineptitude – There are many blog resources devoted to cataloguing (here, here, and here)the incompetence and corrupt actions of the so-called liberal media (SCLM), so these posts will most often reference those blogs and their posts.

Cat blogging – Fridays will be devoted to pictures of crazy kitties.