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Monday, June 26, 2006
A Personal Note on 'Kos'
My experience and observations of Daily Kos have found it to be full of an extremely paranoid group (trolls are a constant theme and focus), with narrow leftist interests to the point of outright censorship of ideas the pack of posters there have no interest in or intellectual comprehension of (just try to post any liberal ideas, tenets or positions not in the Kos playbook). The posters there are self-absorbed, generally anti-intellectual (typically American in their naivete) and as immaturely strident as any right wing bloggers of whom they are so overly conscious.
It is a place for teenyboppers (look at the source), those of similar mentality and those insecure in their liberalism. . . The phenomenon of it is fascinating, to be sure, but not a place of real force of content and leadership in the long range interests of 'the good fight'- in my humble opinion.
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It is a place for teenyboppers (look at the source), those of similar mentality and those insecure in their liberalism. . . The phenomenon of it is fascinating, to be sure, but not a place of real force of content and leadership in the long range interests of 'the good fight'- in my humble opinion.
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Failed Progress on All Fronts in Iraq
With debate on the subject in the Senate today, it should be noted that most honest observers know the counter-insurgency and nation-building efforts in Iraq have failed.
The security situation is worse and worse as few will be surprised to hear. This remains true even if one looks below the surface at more detailed indicators, like increasing civilian casualties and an enormous increase in the crime rate, than just the daily military death count.
The economic situation is still bad news overall. No new salient infrastructure (despite America's huge investment- where has all the money gone?), no jobs and growing poverty. Any progress here and there has been too slow to help defuse the insurgency, at all.
The political situation is in greater ineffectual confusion than since the end of official war. Various opinion polls show that public optimism, in terms of Iraqis' views about their personal and country's future, has greatly diminished. The political process still estranges Sunni Arabs. They form the core of the insurgency, and bringing them into a successful national 'unity' government seems more unlikely than ever.
The unwarranted American aggression in Iraq and it's incompetent management have created chaos which will not be solved by continued occupation. The Iraqis are going to fight it out amongst themselves one way or another, eventually.There is no longer reason to hope for progress in Iraq.
The time for America to get out and out of the way is now!
(edited from a Nov 2005 post--
click on the title link)
La plus ca change. . .
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The security situation is worse and worse as few will be surprised to hear. This remains true even if one looks below the surface at more detailed indicators, like increasing civilian casualties and an enormous increase in the crime rate, than just the daily military death count.
The economic situation is still bad news overall. No new salient infrastructure (despite America's huge investment- where has all the money gone?), no jobs and growing poverty. Any progress here and there has been too slow to help defuse the insurgency, at all.
The political situation is in greater ineffectual confusion than since the end of official war. Various opinion polls show that public optimism, in terms of Iraqis' views about their personal and country's future, has greatly diminished. The political process still estranges Sunni Arabs. They form the core of the insurgency, and bringing them into a successful national 'unity' government seems more unlikely than ever.
The unwarranted American aggression in Iraq and it's incompetent management have created chaos which will not be solved by continued occupation. The Iraqis are going to fight it out amongst themselves one way or another, eventually.There is no longer reason to hope for progress in Iraq.
The time for America to get out and out of the way is now!
(edited from a Nov 2005 post--
click on the title link)
La plus ca change. . .
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Friday, June 16, 2006
A Critique of Lefitist Bloggers and Our 'MSM' Counterparts
I do not mean to say here that liberal bloggers and MSM commentators have not made important political inroads in the course of our deliberations with the reactionary right of late. We have loudly raised our concerns about government incompetency, unjust war and the erosion of civil liberties, while leading the way to a better future. I applaud the statements and writings for the 'good fight' in our most recent movement against the neo-fascist repug party. We will continue to do so, I think. Thank you to all.
What we must remember is that the right has been at it's successful 'propaganda' game longer, presenting it's cause to an often complascent public better than we have. This is just an historical fact. They have recruited the 'best' educated, most strident and most presentationally savvy crowd of reactionary apologists to their end, effectively. This is not a fluke. It is a decades long, calculated program of public opinion manipulation by a cynical, fat-cat repug party, from the slimey roots of 20th century fascism and stalinism.
We are right. They are wrong. Our world view just needs to be articulated better! Let's not be afraid to be smart, just because the right thinks we and the American people are stupid. . .
What I suggest for leftists' ascending success in these forums are the continued, yet not fully realized, honing of our written and oral debating skills in defense of our principles. This should be based on quality of argument, not just fervor of position without subsequent coherence of thought and theory. This, I observe, is not always the general and consistent content of blogs and MSM punditry on our side, now.
Until very recently, the right has been able to take good advantage of this basic flaw in our just armor. We now have begun to find at our backs a new wave of quality forums, online writers, radio and television analysts who have finally and powerfully come to the aid of the humanist faithful! Too late? I don't not think so.
Still, I believe that if some of the talented and insightful liberal bloggers, radio and television presenters of whom I have have had the privilege to read, observe and debate would spend more time honing their writing styles and argumentation skills, instead of trying to match the confusing thought processes, stridency and rhetoric of the right; we will find a better way to convince a wavering public of the justice of our cause. Because they have been so ill informed for so long, it is our duty to have the truth presented to them thoughtfully, pointedly and with force of content.
(Title Link a trackback to Truth Out diary post- please click on it for a lively discussion)
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What we must remember is that the right has been at it's successful 'propaganda' game longer, presenting it's cause to an often complascent public better than we have. This is just an historical fact. They have recruited the 'best' educated, most strident and most presentationally savvy crowd of reactionary apologists to their end, effectively. This is not a fluke. It is a decades long, calculated program of public opinion manipulation by a cynical, fat-cat repug party, from the slimey roots of 20th century fascism and stalinism.
We are right. They are wrong. Our world view just needs to be articulated better! Let's not be afraid to be smart, just because the right thinks we and the American people are stupid. . .
What I suggest for leftists' ascending success in these forums are the continued, yet not fully realized, honing of our written and oral debating skills in defense of our principles. This should be based on quality of argument, not just fervor of position without subsequent coherence of thought and theory. This, I observe, is not always the general and consistent content of blogs and MSM punditry on our side, now.
Until very recently, the right has been able to take good advantage of this basic flaw in our just armor. We now have begun to find at our backs a new wave of quality forums, online writers, radio and television analysts who have finally and powerfully come to the aid of the humanist faithful! Too late? I don't not think so.
Still, I believe that if some of the talented and insightful liberal bloggers, radio and television presenters of whom I have have had the privilege to read, observe and debate would spend more time honing their writing styles and argumentation skills, instead of trying to match the confusing thought processes, stridency and rhetoric of the right; we will find a better way to convince a wavering public of the justice of our cause. Because they have been so ill informed for so long, it is our duty to have the truth presented to them thoughtfully, pointedly and with force of content.
(Title Link a trackback to Truth Out diary post- please click on it for a lively discussion)
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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
A Timely Quote:
"One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting." --George Orwell
If this doesn't sound like Bush and his supporters, I don't know what does!
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If this doesn't sound like Bush and his supporters, I don't know what does!
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Monday, June 12, 2006
Ann Coulter: What's in a Name?
Ann Coulter's foul mouth and disposition have made their way into the news and talk show circuit again, while she promotes another of her shoddily written diatribes. Her most recent insults won't even be dignified here with a response. She continues to proudly and stridently represent the 'compassionate conservativism' (LOL) of the reactionary Republican party.
Any honest observer knows that both her views and her methods of expression have proven to serve no public interest. They only monger hate and division. The hope is that the MSM will not continue to give her the cynical, self-serving forum she seems to thrive on. But, likely the cynical, self-serving and sympathetic publisher and press will continue to do so as long as it brings in the cynical readers and viewers; and the subsequent self-serving sales and advertising revenues.
(Title Permalink to Salon.com- letter to the editor)
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The 'woman' calls herself a 'christian', but is not one in any traditional sense. No doubt, Jesus would not recognize her or her supporters as such. Yet, she sure is a 'coulter'. It is defined as the 'wedge' at the front of a plow. Wedge is what she does, and with her uncanny likeness to a 'horse' perhaps she pulls the plow, too. She certainly is effective at stridently sowing the seeds of dissension.
Any honest observer knows that both her views and her methods of expression have proven to serve no public interest. They only monger hate and division. The hope is that the MSM will not continue to give her the cynical, self-serving forum she seems to thrive on. But, likely the cynical, self-serving and sympathetic publisher and press will continue to do so as long as it brings in the cynical readers and viewers; and the subsequent self-serving sales and advertising revenues.
(Title Permalink to Salon.com- letter to the editor)
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Sunday, June 11, 2006
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