The Bushies
AUSTIN, Texas -- Sometimes I forget how truly simpleminded the
Bushies can be. The front-page of The New York Times reports, "The Bush
administration seems to accept and even relish (Attorney General) Ashcroft's
role as lightning rod on difficult criminal justice issues."
Since the attorney general has so amply demonstrated his clueless incompetence, it may seem difficult to plumb why it should be so. But it is precisely, you see, because liberals consider John Ashcroft a dangerous nincompoop that the administration thinks he's doing a good job. They really are that simple.
In the Texas Legislature, the press occasionally gives the If-He-Votes-Yes, I-Vote-No Award for some egregious example of this particular strain of non-thinking. Any halfway smart politician loves to have another pol in this position. That's when you introduce a resolution in favor of Motherhood just to watch the other guy vote against it.
Since the attorney general has so amply demonstrated his clueless incompetence, it may seem difficult to plumb why it should be so. But it is precisely, you see, because liberals consider John Ashcroft a dangerous nincompoop that the administration thinks he's doing a good job. They really are that simple.
In the Texas Legislature, the press occasionally gives the If-He-Votes-Yes, I-Vote-No Award for some egregious example of this particular strain of non-thinking. Any halfway smart politician loves to have another pol in this position. That's when you introduce a resolution in favor of Motherhood just to watch the other guy vote against it.
Media and the Hazards of Political Faith
Weeks before the 20th century ended, the pundit Michael Kinsley
was uncommonly direct in a Time essay that defended the virtues of
the World Trade Organization with these closing words: "But really,
the WTO is OK. Do the math. Or take it on faith." Delivered by the
flagship magazine of the Time Warner conglomerate (soon to merge with
AOL), the message was more overt than usual: We should devoutly
accept certain pronouncements as conclusive.
Such rigid faith is dangerous. It undermines critical thinking. And it's wide open for manipulation -- by mainstream news outlets as well as by some who present themselves as anti-establishment.
Many decades before the invention of television, the American historian Henry Adams was essentially correct when he wrote about the dominant media of the day: "The press is the hired agent of a monied system, and set up for no other purpose than to tell lies where their interests are involved." In substance, there is much truth to that observation in 2002.
Such rigid faith is dangerous. It undermines critical thinking. And it's wide open for manipulation -- by mainstream news outlets as well as by some who present themselves as anti-establishment.
Many decades before the invention of television, the American historian Henry Adams was essentially correct when he wrote about the dominant media of the day: "The press is the hired agent of a monied system, and set up for no other purpose than to tell lies where their interests are involved." In substance, there is much truth to that observation in 2002.
Border Law and an Alcoholic Goat
MARATHON -- In the annals of West Texas law enforcement, few
episodes rival the recent (well, relatively recent) unfortunate occurrence
involving the mayor of Lajitas. As visitors to that border metropolis in the
Big Bend are aware, the mayor of Lajitas is an alcoholic goat named Clay
Henry.
The incumbent Mayor Henry is the third of his line, making this, we believe, the only democratically elected dynasty in the country. If you give the mayor a longneck bottle of beer, he'll swig it -- just like most of his constituents. The Sober Party ran a canine against him in the last election, but it didn't have a dog's chance.
So first thing one morning just a few months ago, Steve Houston, the county attorney, gets a call from Richard Hill, constable in Lajitas, announcing they're dealing with a serious situation: Someone castrated the mayor. A vet is en route at high speed from Alpine, but it's unclear whether the goat will live or not. Local feelings were running high against the perps. Some felt there was danger of a possible lynch mob. Constable Hill got right on it.
The incumbent Mayor Henry is the third of his line, making this, we believe, the only democratically elected dynasty in the country. If you give the mayor a longneck bottle of beer, he'll swig it -- just like most of his constituents. The Sober Party ran a canine against him in the last election, but it didn't have a dog's chance.
So first thing one morning just a few months ago, Steve Houston, the county attorney, gets a call from Richard Hill, constable in Lajitas, announcing they're dealing with a serious situation: Someone castrated the mayor. A vet is en route at high speed from Alpine, but it's unclear whether the goat will live or not. Local feelings were running high against the perps. Some felt there was danger of a possible lynch mob. Constable Hill got right on it.
More News and Commentary
AUSTIN, Texas -- When in the course of the usual reasoned, civil
debate on public affairs -- conducted always with courtesy and good cheer --
one finds one's self snarling, "Oh, shut up!" one has, I fear, been reading
too much George Will.
Being instructed what to think by the peerlessly pompous Mr. Will, perched upon his superiority and apparently in a permanent state of dudgeon over everybody else's stupidity, is reminiscent of being bullied by a snotty teacher. One is tempted to respond with the classic, frozen-faced Texas inquiry, "No bull?"
Will is often worth reading if only so you can figure out why you disagree with him. Lately, he has been leading an entire phalanx of right-wing commentators in full cry over President Bush's loss of "moral clarity" in the Middle East. The sheer implausibility of finding moral clarity in the Middle East does not deter them. Better minds than Bush's are defeated by that challenge, but the moral-certainty crowd admits no shades of gray.
Being instructed what to think by the peerlessly pompous Mr. Will, perched upon his superiority and apparently in a permanent state of dudgeon over everybody else's stupidity, is reminiscent of being bullied by a snotty teacher. One is tempted to respond with the classic, frozen-faced Texas inquiry, "No bull?"
Will is often worth reading if only so you can figure out why you disagree with him. Lately, he has been leading an entire phalanx of right-wing commentators in full cry over President Bush's loss of "moral clarity" in the Middle East. The sheer implausibility of finding moral clarity in the Middle East does not deter them. Better minds than Bush's are defeated by that challenge, but the moral-certainty crowd admits no shades of gray.
Alice's New Adventures in Medialand
Alice climbed out of the news hole. She seemed badly shaken. "I
thought Wonderland was curious indeed," she said, "but Medialand is
even more peculiar."
Responding to my quizzical look, she quickly added: "Don't worry, I stayed away from the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the 'Drink Me' bottle and the 'Eat Me' cake. I did not converse with a single playing card, dormouse or mock turtle. I was simply observant."
Alice's sudden appearance in the sunlit meadow gave me an idea. No longer a girl, she was clearly an intelligent woman. "Here," I said, pulling a laptop from my briefcase, "please write about your latest adventures." And before she could decline, I ran off.
Returning hours later, I found these words:
Oh dear, how to begin? The Hatter and the March Hare could never match the lunacy I've just seen in Medialand. I'd heard of people subsisting on treacle, but the current media diet is rather more grim. I've got half a mind to write a poem: "The Walrus and the Journalist wondered where they'd been. / They wept like anything to see such quantities of spin..."
Responding to my quizzical look, she quickly added: "Don't worry, I stayed away from the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the 'Drink Me' bottle and the 'Eat Me' cake. I did not converse with a single playing card, dormouse or mock turtle. I was simply observant."
Alice's sudden appearance in the sunlit meadow gave me an idea. No longer a girl, she was clearly an intelligent woman. "Here," I said, pulling a laptop from my briefcase, "please write about your latest adventures." And before she could decline, I ran off.
Returning hours later, I found these words:
Oh dear, how to begin? The Hatter and the March Hare could never match the lunacy I've just seen in Medialand. I'd heard of people subsisting on treacle, but the current media diet is rather more grim. I've got half a mind to write a poem: "The Walrus and the Journalist wondered where they'd been. / They wept like anything to see such quantities of spin..."
NPR and the Fallow Triumph of Public Radio
A triumphant story about National Public Radio appeared in late
March on the front page of Current, the main newspaper of the
public-broadcasting industry. "NPR Lands Most Listeners Ever," the
headline announced, over a summary of the latest Arbitron figures: "NPR
programs reached 19.5 million listeners a week last fall, and member
stations drew a record 28.7 million listeners. One in seven Americans
age 25 or older listens to an NPR member station each week."
Network officials are exultant about the impressive numbers. "This demonstrates that NPR is a leading source for news, information and entertainment in America," says Ken Stern, executive vice president. By far, the biggest audiences have been tuning into NPR's two weekday drive-time news programs -- with an average of 1.87 million people listening during any 15-minute period of "Morning Edition" and a 2.22 million average for "All Things Considered."
Network officials are exultant about the impressive numbers. "This demonstrates that NPR is a leading source for news, information and entertainment in America," says Ken Stern, executive vice president. By far, the biggest audiences have been tuning into NPR's two weekday drive-time news programs -- with an average of 1.87 million people listening during any 15-minute period of "Morning Edition" and a 2.22 million average for "All Things Considered."
Where are the Democrats?
AUSTIN, Texas -- Across the length and breadth of this great
land of ours, from the mountain to the prairie, from every hill and dale
comes the question, "Where are the Democrats?"
They're among the missing, along with Judge Crater and Osama bin Laden. The venerable political organization, the party of Jackson and Jefferson, is not to be found in action. OTAM -- out to all meals. So this is what it's like to live in a one-party country.
Is it possible, remotely possible, that Democrats are frightened by the John Ashcroft-Trent Lott school of "patriotism," which holds that questioning our elected (or even not-so-elected) leaders is tantamount to disloyalty if not treason? That expressing concern about our fundamental liberties helps terrorists? For that line of attack to be treated with anything but the contempt it deserves is itself un-American, not a word I use lightly.
They're among the missing, along with Judge Crater and Osama bin Laden. The venerable political organization, the party of Jackson and Jefferson, is not to be found in action. OTAM -- out to all meals. So this is what it's like to live in a one-party country.
Is it possible, remotely possible, that Democrats are frightened by the John Ashcroft-Trent Lott school of "patriotism," which holds that questioning our elected (or even not-so-elected) leaders is tantamount to disloyalty if not treason? That expressing concern about our fundamental liberties helps terrorists? For that line of attack to be treated with anything but the contempt it deserves is itself un-American, not a word I use lightly.
Tax Code Woes
AUSTIN, Texas -- Did anybody vote for this stuff? I mean, aside
from Congress.
Just to make Tax Day even more exciting than it usually is, we have been treated to a series of recent reports that the Internal Revenue Service is busy cracking down on poor folks, while letting an estimated 1 million rich folks and corporations move to Bermuda to avoid taxes.
If you are a worker poor enough to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, your chance of being audited is one in 47. If you make over $100,000 a year, your chance of being audited are one in 145.
This is not only unfair, but also stupid, on account of rich people who cheat on their taxes tend to owe a lot more money than poor people. Thus, their cheating leaves a larger hole in federal budget, which all the rest of us then have to make up for by paying higher taxes. We also pay through all that bad economic stuff that comes with big deficits about which Alan Greenspan is always worried.
Just to make Tax Day even more exciting than it usually is, we have been treated to a series of recent reports that the Internal Revenue Service is busy cracking down on poor folks, while letting an estimated 1 million rich folks and corporations move to Bermuda to avoid taxes.
If you are a worker poor enough to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, your chance of being audited is one in 47. If you make over $100,000 a year, your chance of being audited are one in 145.
This is not only unfair, but also stupid, on account of rich people who cheat on their taxes tend to owe a lot more money than poor people. Thus, their cheating leaves a larger hole in federal budget, which all the rest of us then have to make up for by paying higher taxes. We also pay through all that bad economic stuff that comes with big deficits about which Alan Greenspan is always worried.
fragments
ancient trees standing
so many leaves it seems….
have fallen so early this year
burning trees
now fallen too
returned to the earth
preceded by millions
in other places
acres now barren
cows are grazing
where giants once stood
normally when an animal
takes another energy is exchanged
understanding occurs….
respect in both directions
all those trees taken
with such little regard
strong reverberations
have returned to call
as the laws of physics
in cosmic proportions
unfolded right before
disbelieving eyes
so many leaves fallen
so many trees
so many clues….
have fallen with them
tears streaming down
in disbelief then rage as the first two trees
have been taken
whole trees in fact
with leaves still attached
taken from our own forest
by the hands of others
so many leaves it seems….
have fallen so early this year
burning trees
now fallen too
returned to the earth
preceded by millions
in other places
acres now barren
cows are grazing
where giants once stood
normally when an animal
takes another energy is exchanged
understanding occurs….
respect in both directions
all those trees taken
with such little regard
strong reverberations
have returned to call
as the laws of physics
in cosmic proportions
unfolded right before
disbelieving eyes
so many leaves fallen
so many trees
so many clues….
have fallen with them
tears streaming down
in disbelief then rage as the first two trees
have been taken
whole trees in fact
with leaves still attached
taken from our own forest
by the hands of others
Chemtrails and military weather modification
The “chemtrails” debate is heating up
in Ohio, just like the planet. The
Akron Beacon Journal became the first large mainstream daily newspaper to cave in and cover the issue in a front page story entitled, “Conspiracy theorists look up.” (March 16, 2002) The Free Press received numerous photos and a sworn affidavit from Michel Massullo of Akron documenting extensive aerial activity over that city on February 18, 2002.
Massullo wrote “I took a lot of photographs on February 18. While some of these may seem redundant I wanted to verify that it was actually happening and that it wasn’t a fault in the camera.”
Last year, U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Lakewood) introduced a bill that specifically banned chemtrails as weapons. The U.S. Air Force has officially denied any involvement in “any weather modification experiments or programs and has no plan to do so in the future.” Earlier this year, Rep. Kucinich told the Columbus Alive that they should speak to the Pentagon regarding an “‘ongoing program’ called ‘Vision for 2020.’”
Massullo wrote “I took a lot of photographs on February 18. While some of these may seem redundant I wanted to verify that it was actually happening and that it wasn’t a fault in the camera.”
Last year, U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Lakewood) introduced a bill that specifically banned chemtrails as weapons. The U.S. Air Force has officially denied any involvement in “any weather modification experiments or programs and has no plan to do so in the future.” Earlier this year, Rep. Kucinich told the Columbus Alive that they should speak to the Pentagon regarding an “‘ongoing program’ called ‘Vision for 2020.’”