unfortunately for those who yearn to sustain their belief in the legitimacy of our oligarchic corporate ‘democracy’, both major parties are complicit.

from Chris Hedges in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The failure of the left is the failure of well-meaning people who kept compromising and compromising in the name of effectiveness and a few scraps of influence until they had neither. The condemnations progressives utter – about the abuse of working men and women, the rapacious cannibalization of the country by an unchecked arms industry, our disastrous foreign wars, and the collapse of basic services from education to welfare – are not backed by action. The left has been transformed into anguished apologists for corporate greed. They have become hypocrites.

it’s maybe a tough choice for some, but it’s time to choose between sincere opposition to the war and support for the war enabling (D) party.

try reading

http://powerofnarrative.blogsp…..ering.html

There is one final point to be made about all this — and that has to do with the supreme value of a single human life. In our desensitized, dehumanized age, most people have almost no appreciation for what I’m talking about, and our political establishment and media only make this grievous failing worse. Each of us is unique; not one of us can be replaced. Each of us has a family, loved ones, friends and a life that is a web of caring, interdependence, and joy. When even one of us is killed or horribly injured for no justifiable reason, the damage affects countless people in addition to the primary victim. Sometimes, the survivors are irreparably damaged as well. Even the survivors’ wounds can last a lifetime.

This is of the greatest significance. There is nothing more important or meaningful in the world. No moral principle legitimizes our invasion and occupation of Iraq, just as it will not justify an attack on Iran. Therefore, when the first person was killed in Iraq as the result of our actions, the immorality was complete. The crime had been committed, and no amends could ever suffice or would even be possible. That many additional tens or hundreds of thousands of people have subsequently been killed or injured does not add to the original immorality with regard to first principles. It increases its scope, which is an additional and terrible horror — but the principle is not altered in the smallest degree.

or disregard this, and cast your little vote in support of the grasping (D) factotums, that they may grind the gears of the state and divert some spoils to their cronies.

The blurb on the web site reads:

The Bush Administration estimated the total economic cost of the Iraq War would be a low as 50 billion dollars. Currently, the “official” estimate is up to 500 billion dollars.While President Bush maintains the Iraq War won’t harm the American economy, a leading economist puts the future price tag of the War into the trillions. Today, we discuss the “hidden” costs of the Iraq War.

In the discussion Stiglitz also touched upon some other points e.g. the terrible cost in human lives, the problem and cost of mercenaries, the economic problems we are facing right now. WBEZ posts the audio of these programs. You can listen at this site
http://www.wbez.org/Program_WV.aspx?episode=21244

I also want to suggest that perhaps Stiglitz could be invited here for an online interview or book salon. (True confession: I haven’t read the book.)

Do you a world of good to watch it and also go to moveon.org to vote on their ads. it’s fun and uplifting as well.

sorry i missed your supplemental post….

this is what i was pushing all day in calls and letters–

and posted it this morning trying to find out if they are speaking about the same bill—

gop wants to attach fisa to supplemental bill–i have not seen this mentioned anywhere but in this article….voinavich’s office knew nothing, haven’t called harry reid’s yet. had other things i had to do today.
http://thehill.com/leading-the…..04-24.html

dems want unemployment aid
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..eheadlines

is this the same bill? major games goin’ on.

I bought the Chicago Transit Authority album (again) just for Prologue, August 29, 1968, will Denver be the reprise? The whole world is, indeed, watching!

I’ll check in later and go rest for now.

Does anyone else feel we are watching a new version of lynching a black man this election with gusto salavation?