Generation Chickenhawk

Max Blumenthal of the Center for American Progress is a great blogger. As it turns out he is also a savvy and funny filmmaker. In this recent short, he goes to the National College Republican conference in D.C. and interviews the college repubs on their views on Iraq, gay marriage, and why all of them seem to have medical conditions that prevent them from actually serving in the war they all claim to support. And be sure to stay tuned for the comedy ending...enjoy.
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Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller attempt to smear Michael Moore

By Ben Cohen


This is another pathetic attempt by the Right wing media to smear Michael Moore's film 'Sicko'. This time, O'Reilly brings on former liberal Dennis Miller to analyse Moore's lethal attack on CNN's Wolf Blitzer last week, accusing Moore of having a 'melt down'. They can't actually talk about serious issues (like the horrendous state of U.S health care), so resort as usual, by making personal attacks.

Miller also tries to ludicrously argue that socialised medical care doesn't work (despite overwhelming evidence that it does), ridiculing himself and his tattered reputation even further. The fact that Fox News the only network that will have him on says it all.

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Labour will force lone parents of seven year olds back into work

The Guardian

Patrick Wintour, political editor
Thursday July 19, 2007

Child welfare campaigners yesterday accused Peter Hain, the work and pensions secretary, of wielding a big stick to force nearly 300,000 lone parents into work, even though their children may still be of primary school age.

In a tougher than expected welfare green paper, Mr Hain proposed that by 2010 most lone parents will be required to seek work once their youngest child reaches seven. The government also proposed that claimants out of work for more than 12 months will have to undertake community work or lose benefit.

Ministers have also accepted in principle a proposal to hire private and voluntary contractors to help the long-term unemployed find work, but a detailed scheme has been deferred until the autumn owing to the Treasury's refusal to provide any pilot funding. The proposals represent the government's response to the welfare review by businessman David Freud for the previous work and pensions secretary John Hutton.

Mr Freud had recommended that lone parents with a youngest child 12 or over should be required to seek work by being transferred from income support to job seeker's allowance. At present the requirement does not kick in until the child reaches 16, the most lax regime in Europe.

Mr Hain said he intended to go further than Freud by first requiring from October next year that lone parents with a child aged 12 or over seek work and then, by 2010, place the same requirement on lone parents with children aged seven or over.

Mr Hain said that by 2010 there would be sufficient pre- and after-school facilities to justify the tougher regime. "This is about opportunities, not big sticks."

It should mean that by 2010 40% of 766,000 lone parents on benefit will be forced to seek work by being transferred to the job seeker's allowance and have to attend interviews regularly seeking work. There are 300,000 lone parents on income support with children aged seven to 16.

Lone parents are likely to be given a small payment of £20 a week to help them seek work, and will not be required to take a job if it will leave the lone parent worse off than on benefit. The requirement to seek work will not apply to lone parents receiving carer's allowance for disabled children.

The Conservatives favour lone parents seeking work once a child reaches five and the party's welfare spokesman, Chris Grayling, claimed Mr Hain had watered down the Freud proposals. Danny Alexander, the Liberal Democrat welfare spokesman condemned the move on lone parents as hasty. The TUC described the proposals as "disappointing".

The Child Poverty Action Group's chief executive, Kate Green, was furious. "Forcing lone parents to face benefit sanctions when their children are still at primary schools is outrageous," she said. "Taking money away from families that are already poor will worsen poverty for many children and put their health and wellbeing at risk."

Chris Pond from One Parent Families warned: "It is extremely worrying that the government is imposing new requirements on parents without detailing any additional form of support. The government has repeatedly emphasised that parents know best when it comes to making choices about how to combine work and family life."

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Bush announces Middle East peace proposal, but no one cares.

By Ben Cohen

Apparently George Bush now wants peace in the Middle East. Having invaded two countries in the region, and funded another (the Israeli invasion of Lebanon), Bush is casting himself as a leader dedicated to ending the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Announcing a Middle East Peace conference, Bush said:

"We can help them prove to the world, the region and Israel that a Palestinian state would be a partner, not a danger".

"We can help them make clear to all Palestinians that rejecting violence is the surest path to security and a better life,"

Rejecting violence? Is he serious? Given the United States has systematically ignored the plight of the Palestinians and bankrolled an Israeli military that has caused thousands and thousands of illegal deaths, not to speak of its own murderous policy in the region, it is beyond ridiculous that Bush would even attempt to speak about the issue.

With the death toll in Iraq rising, and a war with Iran being discussed, the United States has zero credibility when it comes to matters of peace.

Bush has 18 months left in office, and he should probably spend the time on issues he is better able to cope with. Walking his dog and running around the park take skill and dedication, something Bush would be well advised to concentrate on.


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From Right to Left

By Peter Bauer

My change from conservative to liberal was not an abrupt instant of outrage, but rather a gradual conclusion. The more I started to really understand the world around me, the more I felt like I had been systematically ripped off by crooks who have been rigging our “democracy” since the Nixon Administration.

Like many teenagers, I parroted the politics I heard at home, which in my case was a conservative Christian household. My parents came from a specific cultural subgroup that shaped the way they viewed the world, and therefore, the way they raised me. While they always taught me to respect people regardless of their race or creed, I was set on guard against any political candidate that supported gay rights or abortion (the two most stinging liberal platforms). This meant that we supported politicians who were seen as morally right, regardless of the fact that they waged war, discriminated against women, and served the benefit of the richest people in the country. The high school I went to was populated by the children of working class conservatives, so my political views were reinforced at school.

When I got to college, I began to question the world around me. Without my parents recycled rhetoric, I was forced to look at issues on my own and decide for myself. That spring, “Operation Iraqi Freedom” was launched and I was torn between my conservative upbringing, and the agitation I witnessed on campus. The president was a good guy, I assumed, and I believed that he was doing what was in our nation’s best interest. I was wrong.

As I continued my education, I took some political science and women’s study classes that really broadened my perspective of the world around me. In the spring of my sophomore year, I took a class that blew the doors off my conservatism. It was an African American studies class taught by an instructor who I felt was balanced and trustworthy. One day we watched a film called “The Best Democracy Money Can By” based on the book by investigatory journalist Greg Palast. This film single was the handedly changed my mind about the events surrounding the 2000 election, and I realized that our country had been hijacked. I could no longer trust the Republican Party because they were the perpetrators in what I believed to be the tampering of our most sacred institution: free elections.

The more I educated myself, the more I realized that these fear mongers would stop at nothing. They exploit hot-button “moral” issues for political gain. They overstep their constitutional separation of powers. They lied about the 2000 election, Saddam, WMD’s, and invasion. Their inability to speak the truth makes me seriously reconsider their account of 9/11. Who’s gained the most from that deplorable event? How many more civil liberties will I have to give up before I'm safe? How many more countries do we need to invade before we’ve defeated terrorism?

The events of the last seven years have totally eroded any faith I had in my government, specifically the Republican Party. I grew up believing that my leaders had my best interest in mind, and led with moral certainty. Now I realize that I live in a corrupt country that is trudging closer and closer to outright fascism. If there is a future for this country, it will come from citizens standing up for truth and justice. These two traits, for me, are no longer synonymous with conservatism.

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This is insane....

From The Guardian:

Cheney pushes Bush to Act on Iran

Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Julian Borger
Monday July 16, 2007

The balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favour of military action before President George Bush leaves office in 18 months, the Guardian has learned.

The shift follows an internal review involving the White House, the Pentagon and the state department over the last month. Although the Bush administration is in deep trouble over Iraq, it remains focused on Iran. A well-placed source in Washington said: "Bush is not going to leave office with Iran still in limbo."The balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favour of military action before President George Bush leaves office in 18 months, the Guardian has learned.

The shift follows an internal review involving the White House, the Pentagon and the state department over the last month. Although the Bush administration is in deep trouble over Iraq, it remains focused on Iran. A well-placed source in Washington said: "Bush is not going to leave office with Iran still in limbo."

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Musical pidgeonholes?

by Nick Lang

It’s funny when people talk about certain types of music being music for certain types of people; like rap being black working class music, rock being white middle class music, or classical being posh music. It’s ridiculous to think that a creative person would simply reach out to those like them without making a deeper point that others could hear and attempt to learn from. Many white middle class people are criticised for liking music that they ‘don’t understand’, because they don’t know where the artist is coming from, and the same goes for people who perhaps aren’t deemed intelligent enough to understand the intricacy of classical pieces; yet this sells both the audience and the artist short. The words of a true artist can transcend any social, racial or cultural barrier, and can therefore be enjoyed by anyone who is willing to listen. The intended audience of a voice can become almost incidental, as the words bring meaning to many different people.

When Zack De La Rocha first roared forth the words “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me!” it became the voice of the people, not a people. People from anywhere in the world, from any social background felt the power of these words in many different ways: from the intended war cry of those under political and racial oppression, to those who were feeling the constraint of educational and cultural pressure, it seemed that many different people felt united under this simple motto. Simple words such as these can empower people from all walks of life, because standing in defiance can be anything from getting a tattoo, to quitting your job, to peaceful protest, to anarchic violence. Read more!

This is infuriating...

Recently the White House sent the Senate a letter entitled 'STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY:S. 1547 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008'. Basically what it says is that this administration believes there are no restrictions on its power and any attempt to do so would be unconstitutional. I will be posting choice excerpts from the letter, which can be read here in its entirety. The hubris demonstrated by this administration is simply unfathomable to me. First Iraq and Iran:

On Iraq:

The Administration strongly opposes any provision that sets an arbitrary date for beginning the withdrawal of American troops without regard to conditions on the ground or the recommendations of commanders. Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would not bring peace to the region or make our people safer here at home. Withdrawal could embolden our enemies and confirm their belief that America will not stand behind its commitments. Setting a date for withdrawal is equivalent to setting a date for failure and could lead to a safe haven in Iraq for terrorism that could be used to attack America and freedom-loving people around the world. It is likely to unleash chaos in Iraq that could spread across the region. In addition to infringing upon the President’s constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief, the provision would require a precipitous withdrawal of troops that itself could increase the probability that American troops would have to one day return to Iraq – to confront an even more dangerous enemy. If the President were presented a bill that includes such provisions, he would veto the bill.

On Iran:

The Administration strongly opposes amendments to the bill to restrict the ability of the United States to deal effectively with the threats to regional security posed by the conduct of Iran, including Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons. The Administration also notes that provisions of law that purport to direct or prohibit international negotiations, covert action, or use of the armed forces are inconsistent with the Constitution’s commitment exclusively to the presidency of the executive power, the function of Commander-in-Chief, and the authority to conduct the Nation’s foreign policy. If the bill were presented to the President with provisions that would prevent the President from protecting America and allied and cooperating nations from threats posed by Iran, the President’ senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.

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What can I say: Iraq PM: Country Can Manage Without U.S.

From the AP:

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki shrugged off U.S. doubts of his government's military and political progress on Saturday, saying Iraqi forces are capable and American troops can leave "any time they want."

One of his top aides, meanwhile, accused the United States of embarrassing the Iraqi government by violating human rights and treating his country like an "experiment in a U.S. lab."

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OK...enough already with the ridiculous claims of executive privilege

Unless Bush directly ordered the cover-up of Pat Tillman's death by friendly-fire in Afghanistan in 2004 then what the hell are they talking about.

From the AP:

SAN FRANCISCO — Two influential lawmakers investigating how and when the Bush administration learned the circumstances of Pat Tillman's friendly-fire death and how those details were disclosed accused the White House and Pentagon on Friday of withholding key documents and renewed their demand for the material.

The White House and Defense Department have turned over nearly 10,000 pages of papers _ mostly press clippings _ but the White House cited "executive branch confidentiality interests" in refusing to provide other documents.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Tom Davis, R-Va., the committee's top-ranking Republican, said Friday the documents were inadequate. They insisted that the Defense Department turn over the additional material by July 25 and asked that the White House do likewise.

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