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Chewing politics and current events one bite-size chunk at a time Opinions about current events, politics, religion, pop culture, and society. And the occasional comment on soccer, the world's game. |
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Thursday, February 28, 2008So much traffic By VictorM:I can't pass up another opportunity to show how perception in America is changing about soccer. Here's another example. There has been much debate about building a soccer stadium in Washington, DC for DC United. Lots of pros and cons, for a variety of reasons. This article contains several letters from readers containing Pro and Con views. One of the people against building the stadium lists this as one of the reasons: I know people think visitors are going to be using the Metro, but the stadium’s still going to bring so much traffic."So much traffic"? Remember when the objection to investing in soccer was because no one would come? There wasn't enough support? Not enough fans? No one in America cares about soccer? Those days are gone! Vallejo, CA: A sign of times to come? By VictorM:While the Bush administration and fellow accomplices continue to try and disguise the serious problems they've institutionalized during their years in power, the realities of the consequences are rearing their ugly heads. Here's an example: Vallejo, a city of 135,000 outside of San Francisco, moved closer to bankruptcy after negotiations with its labor unions collapsed... Vallejo faces ballooning labor costs and declining housing-related sales-tax revenue, leaving budget officials projecting that money will run out within weeks.That's not a small town near bankruptcy. And unlike New York City years ago, this is not just mismanagement. And there's no relief in sight for them. The hard times, they are a-coming to many a neighborhood near you. He seemed like a decent fellow By VictorM:I echo this Liberal Values comment: William F. Buckley, Jr has died at age 82. While the news is too recent for much reaction, National Review Online does note that he died while at work in his study, exactly how they think he would have wanted it. Buckley’s great achievement, as noted by The New York Times, was to make conservatism “a system of ideas.” We might not agree with many of his ideas, but Buckley was the type of person to turn to in order to hear opposing viewpoints argued with intelligence and wit.I remember watching his TV show on PBS and although even as a teenager I disagreed with the man on virtually everything, I just couldn't dislike the guy. Truly, a far cry from today's rat pack of conservatives. To paraphrase the Man in Black: He seemed like a decent fellow. Wednesday, February 27, 2008Smelling a rat By VictorM:So a right wing radio host says some nasty things about Barack Obama, and after it, John "Bush's 3rd term" McCain says: "I take responsibility and I repudiate what he said," McCain gamely said. "I will not tolerate anything in this campaign that denigrates either Sen. Obama or Sen. (Hillary) Clinton.'' McCain's comes across as taking the high road. But I have to ask: why didn't the Republican senator repudiate the person who called Hillary Clinton a "bitch" a while back? The answer is obvious: when McCain was contesting the Republican primary, coming across as uncaring towards Hillary served his purposes to attract core Republican votes but now that he's in general election mode, he wants to come across as a uniter. Bottom line: McCain's latest statements are pure political grandstanding and the radio host was used to accomplished that purpose. After all, as this poster said:
Tuesday, February 26, 2008The job from hellBy VictorM:How would you like the job coaching the national soccer team of Iraq? Can there really be compelling reasons for taking such a job? Wouldn't starvation and homelessness anywhere beat that gig? I would think so, but 3 months ago, Drillo Olsen, from Norway, accepted the job. Luckily for him, he's gotten fired: "I have tried to make contact with the association down there, but haven't heard anything since Thursday," said Olsen, noting that he'd only heard of his alleged firing through the media.I tried to find an angle to blame the Bush administration for this, but I think they're off the hook this time. Although, thanks to the billions of our money going there, payments were not much of a problem: Olsen also had initial problems getting paid, but now says he's received all agreed pay. He reportedly will also receive severance pay.All that and he's alive to tell about it. Now, that's what I call progress. (This article doesn't mention that the team doesn't practice or play in Iraq because it's too dangerous). Intellectually incoherent By Atrios:I don't know if Bush stays in Iraq simply because he's stubborn, doesn't like when Poppy's pals, otherwise known as the Iraq Study Group, try to tell him what to do, and equates leaving with losing, or if he really is invested in a long term military occupation of a Middle East client state. It doesn't much matter, really, the guy is a simpleton and whatever reasons he has are probably intellectually incoherent. Monday, February 25, 2008Tell us how you REALLY feel, S.W. By VictorM:Ralph Nader's announcement that he will be running for president again has brought about this reaction from S.W. Anderson: Well... I know who S.W. will not be voting for. The Spoiler Returns By VictorM:Ralph Nader will be running for president again. Some of us have opinions about his candidacy. Come join our discussion forum and participate in The Spoiler Returns. What God is telling the church By VictorM:John Marks was a born again Christian who years ago questioned his fate and left the church. Recently, he spent a couple of years investigating Christian America. In a Salon.com interview, he had this to say about religion in America: I don't see America outgrowing its faith. But what God is telling the church to do is changing. If you think of the evangelical community as Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, you're going to be surprised at every turn in the next 20 years. You're going to see many more evangelicals becoming staunch Democrats."But what God is telling the church to do is changing." How did he do that? Text message? Email? How exactly? And is god changing what he told Pat Robertson? And is this the same god that talks to bin Laden? And told George Bush to invade Iraq? Come on! God didn't tell anyone anything. The religious establishment will just adapt and change their marketing strategies to maximize revenue and stay relevant as long as they can. Evangelicals becoming staunch Democrats? *gulp* Can't they embrace Nader instead? Please? Color me skeptical of Mr. Marks conclusions. Sunday, February 24, 2008Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee By VictorM:Well, that's if you believe the Republican party. They have started their typical coordinated attacks on Barack. The newest piece of garbage being floated by their rumor mill and picked up by a too willing mainstream media is that Barack is not patriotic enough: Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on Internet and in the media to question his patriotism.I'm serious. I know it sounds like material from The Onion, but it's not. Saturday, February 23, 2008Idiot of the day: Dean's World By VictorM:As Atrios is fond of saying, sometimes right wingers are so stupid it hurts. This bozo compares the actions of a few individuals to national movements that included armies and governments: Michael Hirsh approvingly quotes perhaps the stupidest thing ever written: "It is perhaps a paradox—and one that is fitting for the strangeness of our current age—that we will need to end the war against terrorism because we cannot end terrorism." Yes, if only we had applied this logic to Communism and Nazism, we could have avoided so much needless conflict; there are, after all, still a few Communists and Nazis, so clearly we cannot end Communism or Nazism.Michael Hirsh is right; we can no more end terrorism than we can end crime, drug use, prostitution, abortion or virtually anything else that an individual is able to carry out. Sure, we can try to control and minimize, but we can't end them. But at least the visitors to Dean's World are setting the poster straight: terrorism is a tactic. communism and nazism are ideaologies. it's impossible to eliminate a tactic. 9/11 was no fluke - we agree on that - it was about two dozen men armed with BOX CUTTERS - who herded SLEEPY COMMUTERS to their deaths. Why do Warpublicans feel they can stop that kind of terrorist with military action? Friday, February 22, 2008The cult of Russ FeingoldBy VictorM:The greatest US Senator on the land had been reluctant to endorse any Democratic candidate but now, even without an official endorsement, Russ Feingold has sent a strong signal: Sen. Russ Feingold said today that he voted for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama in this week's Wisconsin primary and indicated that he likely will vote for Obama's nomination as one of the state's "superdelegates" to the Democratic convention this summer.I'm still willing to support either of the two Democratic candidates, but Russ Feingold's views carry a lot of weight with me. And I'm not the only one:
I agree 100%. There is no one in government that I too respect more than Senator Feingold and his endorsement seals the deal for me! I know the world does not work this way, but I wish he could be veep. ... but is the allegation true? By VictorM:About the allegations by the New York Times that senator John "Bush's 3rd term" McCain had improper relations with a lobbyist... His defenders say the New York Times is a liberal newspaper that will do anything to get Obama or Hillary elected. Even if that's true, the question remains... but is the allegation true? Thursday, February 21, 2008A text book non-denial denial By VictorM:In response to accusations that he had an affair in 1999, John "Bush's 3rd term" McCain, the Republican presidential candidate said: “At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust or make a decision which in any way would not be in the public interest or would favor anyone or organization.”Test book non-denial denial. When asked if he had romantic relations with that woman, Ms. Iseman, Senator McCain said "no." That, of course, was a poorly worded question. Romance is a hard thing to prove. The question should have been: "Did you ever have sexual intercourse or engage in oral sex with Ms. Iseman?" But, we're all now playing the Bill Clinton game of parsing words. Wednesday, February 20, 2008Yeah!!!!!!!! By VictorM:Every time I post about George Bush's approval ratings, not matter how low they have been, I've expressed displeasure with the results, saying that until his numbers are below 20% I will not be happy. Well, it finally happened in a poll from ARG, one of the major pollsters: Among Americans registered to vote, 18% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 78% disapprove. When it comes to the way Bush is handling the economy, 15% of registered voters approve of the way Bush is handling the economy and 79% disapprove.18%!!! Fitting for the worst president ever! [UPDATE] To put things in perspective about how low these numbers are, take a look at this: Worse than Richard Nixon in the days before he resigned in disgrace during Watergate, worse than Jimmy Carter during the Iran hostage crisis, much worse than Bill Clinton when he was impeached. Just as Roger Bannister raced through what once seemed the unreachable 4-minute mile, Bush has burst through a barrier once also thought impossible, below the 20-percent mark.And you know what? I think this number can go lower. Oh yeah! It can. 260 and climbingBy VictorM:Looking for substantive reasons to vote for Barack Obama? davefromqueens listed 260 of them, with others adding to the list. I don't like number 260 (Favors the death penalty in the rarest but appropriate of circumstances), but hey, most of the other ones are pretty good. Tuesday, February 19, 2008Avoiding TV By VictorM:Right after George Bush was awarded the presidency by the US Supreme Court in 2000, I decided to give up all television watching, except for soccer games. No more Firing Line, no more Hardball, no Survivor or American Idol, no more annoying commercials selling crap, no Brady Bunch, and no Father Knows Best. Nothing! And my life has been much better for it. Last night I got a reminder why my decision was a good one. I stopped in for dinner at the concierge lounge at the hotel I'm staying and they were showing Larry King Live. I ate as fast as I could to get out of there, but not before I saw an interview with Ronald Reagan's son about his mother, Nancy Reagan's fall. The woman is 86 years old. She fell. She's OK. What's the big story there? But then came the promo for the next segment... dramatic look on Larry King's face... Obama... Hillary... and "The War of the Words"... dramatic music.... cut to commercial. Are there any political shows that actual inform and educate? It seems they are all about poking someone in the eye and getting a bunch of paid pundits to throw as much lemon juice on every paper cut. I'll stick to watching only soccer. No commercials during the run of play. And hey, Goldenballs* will be on TV (ESPN Classic) tomorrow night. *Goldenballs is David Beckham's nickname. Monday, February 18, 2008Idiot of the day: MoonbatteryBy VictorM:Right wingers, I swear, are too stupid to live. They have screwed everything up and with logic like this idiot, no wonder: Oddly, Northern Illinois University, where an armed maniac wreaked havoc today amid defenseless students and faculty, is another gun-free zone. The killer shot 22 people, killing 6, if you include himself. He must not have noticed the "gun-free zone" signs. Police arrived in minutes, but that was much too late. As the Founding Fathers understood, the only safe populace is an armed populace.Yes, let everyone have guns. Sure. Problem solved. Like what society needs are more teenagers with loaded guns walking about. As if this guy couldn't fire off a bunch of rounds before someone in the classroom could reach for their gun, aim, and shoot the guy without taking down innocent bystanders running around for cover. These people are so stupid it hurts. And by the way, the Founding Fathers understood nothing of the sort. Not only are people like this right winger stupid, they're liars too. Northern Ill. University Killings By VictorM:This almost uniquely American disasters continue to happen. We continue to spew the same crap about the killers, but really, does anyone really understand why this is happening? Mark Ames has a good article that dares to look at this problem in detail. It's a good read and good food for thought. Read it. Here's some of what it says: In my book Going Postal I proposed looking at these uniquely American and uniquely post-Reagan massacres without cheap moral blinders. Look at the setting of the crime, look at the people who live in that setting, and look at the genealogy of the crime... If we bracket his massacre as the work of an evil lunatic on drugs, we'll miss yet another opportunity to genuinely examine what life is like for most Americans today, who live in that terrifying gap between the official propaganda about a nation of happy fun-loving Number Ones, and the reality of mediocrity, petty malice, and a flat physical setting that reflects the malice and mediocrity of its town elders. Sunday, February 17, 2008An answer in one word: NoBy VictorM:The Philadelphia Inquirer has a readers' letter section with this title in big, bold letters: Use taxes to support stadium? An answer in one word: No This is how they describe the question posed to their readers: Today's letters respond to a question about whether the state government should subsidize the proposed soccer stadium in the city of Chester (with $47 million) to spur a waterfront economic development in that city that goes beyond the stadium.They posted nine reader letters. Of the nine, only one objects to the idea; all others are enthusiastically in favor. Here's some examples of what they said:
Technorati Tags: chester stadium, soccer stadium, philadelphia soccer, mls Bush's Africa "Successes"By S.W. Anderson:CNN Radio News noted the incidence of AIDS in Africa has tripled during Bush’s time as president. The Bush administration’s reluctance to support programs that subsidize distribution of free condoms, favoring instead programs urging abstinence except within marriage, is surely part of the reason for the sharp increase in AIDS cases. To the right of Bush By The Seminal:Check out McCain's laughable response: "Anyone who worries about how long we’re in Iraq does not understand the military and does not understand war." As Think Progress points out, McCain is at odds here with several top pentagon and military officials. Not to mention the American people... When it comes to indefinite wars and pre-emptive strikes, this guy is to the right of President Bush. Saturday, February 16, 2008What's going on here?By VictorM:In an article in USA Today from February 14 (page 5A), they cover how enthusiastic the Democratic party is and how the low morale on the Republican side is so evident. They include results of polls that show a 52 to 39 percent party identification in favor of Dems. On questions about the views of the political parties, we have results like: which party can bring needed changes (Dems=58%, Reps=39%); able to manage the federal government effectively (Dems= 54%, Reps=38%), has most honest and ethical members in Congress (Dems=52%, Reps=41%). Anyway, you get the idea. Then, they mention a USA Today/Gallup poll that shows John McCain leading Hillary Clinton by 1 and trailing Obama by 4, both within the margin of error. What's going on here? I would expect that both Hillary and Barack would hold significant leads over McCain. Am I to assume that independents are overwhelmingly for McCain? I don't believed that for a second. Is it that enough Obama or Clinton supporters simply won't vote for the other if their candidate loses the Democratic primary? I don't buy this one either. So, wise people, what is it? Friday, February 15, 2008Demography is destinyBy VictorM:While some continue to decry soccer's ability to make it in the Unites States as a successful professional sport, others look for the realities that may make the doubters wrong: As people scoff and say that soccer simply doesn't fit the United States, the country transforms to fit soccer. The Census Bureau says that 25 percent of the population will be Hispanic by 2050. In 35 of the 50 largest cities in the country, non-Hispanic whites are or will soon be the minority. Americans debate border control and guest worker programs, and the immigrants keep coming.The questions is, if those Italian immigrants loved the game of soccer -- and they did -- why did soccer not succeed then, and why should it succeed now? My belief is that back then, Italians and other immigrants were running away from tyrants and oppression. They sought to have their children Americanize to distance themselves from the oppressors at home and from those who considered them second class citizens here. And so soccer, which for a time was as popular as football, gave way to the sports practiced by Anglo-Saxons at the cool colleges and universities. And so Joe DiMaggio became a baseball player instead of a soccer player. The current wave of immigrants, while seeking a better live here, aren't running away as those in post world wars did; they are trying to assert themselves as first class American citizens without giving up who they are. And that includes not shying away from their love for the beautiful game. If only they could support Major League Soccer in greater numbers... It's over! By VictorM:Valentine's Day is behind us. Thank the almighty one. It's one of the many holidays I can't stand. It's so freaking fake, so commercial, so pathetic. I was going to write a whole bunch of reasons why I dislike that day, but sanantonerose posted a something that expresses my sentiments exactly. Go read this V-Day Rant! Thursday, February 14, 2008Myths about Canadian health care By VictorM:In part I of her article, Sara Robinson addresses common myths about Canadian health care. It's a really good read and it clarifies a lot of things. Here's myth number one:
Washington Culture By VictorM:I got an email from Al Franken asking for help getting him elected to the US Senate. Part of the email says this: But if we're going to fundamentally change the political culture in Washington, we need to stand together.I hear Barack Obama say similar things, and of course George Bush in 2000 promised something similar. I assume those words must play well with many voters, hence their repetition by politicians on the outside looking in, but they do nothing for me. For one thing, I have no idea what those words actually mean, but more importantly, if these guys got to Washington and were able to change the culture, wouldn't whatever they changed it become the Washington culture? And wouldn't new candidates have to attack that culture as justification for us to vote them in and the other guys out? It's a never ending promise loop. So Al, you'll get my money simply because Norm Coleman is terrible and you're much better. Plus, I like Senators with a good sense of humor. Technorati Tags: al franken, barack obama, george bush, washington culture Bush's third term By VictorM:Via email, Howard Dean has the line that should be a bumper sticker for anyone who wants a sane president (emphasis mine): [John McCain has] been a vocal supporter of George Bush's strategy in Iraq, and he's said that he wants to be there for another hundred years. He's committed to appointing judges who will overturn Roe v. Wade and privatizing Social Security. And he's admitted that he doesn't understand the economy, which would leave millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Wednesday, February 13, 2008USA - Mexico TV ratingsBy VictorM:Baby steps, baby steps... Last week the Unites States played Mexico in Houston's Reliant stadium in front of a sold-out 70,000+ crowd. Here's how the game did on TV: In the lucrative 18-34 age demographic, the telecast by Spanish-language Univision outdrew every network – ABC, NBC, CBS – except Fox, which had “American Idol” at the same time in Central and Eastern time zones. In Houston, Univision's numbers even topped “Idol.” Idiot of the day: Erik EriksonBy VictorM:It appears that liberal blogs are more popular than conservative blogs. Does it mean anything? I don't know and I don't care, but right wingers don't feel this way. They must explain the disparity by doing what those idiots do best: make shit up. Here's an example of right wing stupidity: "Erick Erickson, editor of the popular conservative megablog RedState, conceded that progressives currently enjoy an advantage over conservatives online — though he attributed it to an asymmetry in free time, since conservatives 'have families because we don’t abort our kids, and we have jobs because we believe in capitalism.'"Sore loser! McCain is a lemonBy VictorM:We're starting to come out of the primaries fog and it's starting to look like a John McCain versus Barack Obama general election. Yes, Hillary is still in the running, but the momentum is not with her. Not only is Obama sounding more and more like the Democratic nominee, he's starting to sound like a president, particularly when contrasted with McCain:
Tuesday, February 12, 2008A Liberal, not a DemocratBy VictorM:I always identify myself as a liberal, never as a Democrat. This is not to say that under current political realities I would ever vote for anyone but a Democrat, but it's getting increasingly harder to be proud of being a Democrat when shit like this happens:
Idiot of the day: Dr. SanityBy VictorM:Yes, yes, they (right wing loonies) make shit up, don't they? Here's another example: Hillary Clinton did not get where she is today by being a person of integrity, honesty and courage--she got there by riding on the coattails of her charismatic husband; and by shrewdly altering her opinions to accommodate the prevailing political winds.Hillary has been accused of many things but "altering her opinions to accommodate the prevailing political winds" is not one of them. And did this Dr. Sanity provide any examples of such alterations? Of course not. The idiot just made it up! Monday, February 11, 2008Obama CultBy VictorM:As I visit liberal blogs such as DailyKos and Talking Points Memo, or read comments in blogs at the New York Times, Washington Post and others, the pattern I find is the same: far too many Obama supporters are annoying as hell. To me, this is no reflection on the candidate, who I think will make a fine president, but the sheer number of his obnoxious supporters have me wishing that he doesn't win the nomination. Everything said about Obama, unless positive, is racism, unfair, or dirty. Post any pro-Hillary comment and you get attacked. Paul Krugman tackles the subject:
Saturday, February 09, 2008I'm still not happyBy VictorM:Another poll, another low for the worst president in USA history: Bush reached his lowest approval rating in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on Friday as only 30 percent said they like the job he is doing, including an all-time low in his support by Republicans.He's still getting 30 percent approval? Come on! That number is still too high. We can bring it down at least another 11 percent and get it under 20. Then I'll be happy. Thursday, February 07, 2008Idiot of the day: Captain's QuartersBy VictorM:One of the many hallmarks of nutty right wingers is this: they make shit up. Take a look at this idiot's paragraph: Having run out of men for terrorist activities, and apparently temporarily short on the mentally handicapped, al-Qaeda in Iraq has begun recruiting grade-school boys to conduct attacks. Children as young as 10 have received training on kidnapping and assassination in order to get past security processes and attack civilians."Having run out of men for terrorist activities..." How does this idiot know that? Where did he get that information from? If this is true, why aren't we done in Iraq? Really, do we need to make shit up to insult al Qaeda? I would think they're an easy target with the plain truth. Wednesday, February 06, 2008It ain't no friendlyBy VictorM:Tonight, 9 PM Eastern time, on ESPN2... USA versus Mexico from Reliant stadium. Yeah, it's technically a friendly, but there is no such thing when the two giants of North America meet. Here's an example to illustrate that sentiment: Bring the game on! In the bag By A Siegel:Dealing with our environmental and global warming challenges is not susceptible to a single, simple, silver bullet answer. There are technological, resource, political, fiscal, and social challenges. At times, multiple domains can coalesce to help drive change. In 2002, Ireland instituted a fee on plastic bags. There was an awareness campaign and a fee of 33 cents. The result?
That's right, the Irish take their canvas bags to the supermarket. Tuesday, February 05, 2008Anti Clintons By VictorM:There are a whole lot of right-wingers, conservatives, Republicans, and Obama supporters who don't like Hillary Clinton (or any other Clinton, for that matter) for reasons that go well beyond her political views. But what do those sentiments say about the people who hold them? S.W. Anderson is on the right track. The problem By VictorM:Last time I checked, she is white and she is a woman. That makes sanantonerose part of the problem. Monday, February 04, 2008Those darned pollsBy VictorM:Everywhere you look, there are polls. And they are all saying the same thing: the Republican party is in trouble. Here's another poll with interesting results:
Sunday, February 03, 2008The West Wing, revisitedBy VictorM:I loved The West Wing TV show because of the political drama, humor, characters, production value, acting, writing, and yes, because it presented a liberal viewpoint. But despite its high quality, there was something hallow about watching it. It felt like pure fantasy. After all, the show was about a Democratic administration at a time when George Bush and the neocons had taken over and, if you believed the pundits and right-wingers at the time, the USA was practically headed to a single party system. Just this past week I decided to see the show again on DVD, and boy, what a difference it made seeing it now. It didn’t feel like a fantasy at all. A Democratic president in the White House? It’s coming. A president speaking clearly and eloquently? Yes! A brown-skinned Latino as his successor? Possible. The Republicans nominating a pro-choice, reasonable, honest, and sensible candidate? Well... OK, OK. So the show still retains a sense of fantasy but it was a lot more fun watching it this time around. |
