Obama is himself a commodity, the most telegenic political commodity since Kennedy. One that suits American style capitalism best this particular historical political moment. He is a useful illusion, the same as George W. Bush was a useful illusion. What is the difference between George Bush managing the country through media performances and Obama ( Read more... )

There's a plan for some group ice skating and dinner for February 11. I skated last Wednesday night to see how the evening ice conditions are. I hit a rough spot and went down on my butt. I was sore a few days but didn't have too much trouble returning yesterday. Early mornings are cold but things warm up during the day, which of course plays havoc ( Read more... )

[W]hereas the reactionaries were beaten, and even discouraged, they were not at all reconciled to the liberal regime. Sullen and menacing, they lurked in the shadows of the liberal structure, watching and waiting for their opportunity to destroy it.
--J. Salwyn Schapiro[A]ny American citizen concerned with the influence of his or her country in the ( Read more... )

I need to read a couple of books to make my own sense of what McGowan is driving at in the Laurel Canyon series.

( In the meantime )

Failure to embed!As has been stressed throughout this book, US society today is neither a tyranny nor a democracy; it is organized from top to bottom according to the principle of oligarchy or plutocracy. The characteristic way in which an oligarchy functions is by means of conspiracy, a mode which is necessary because of the polycentric ( Read more... )

( [T]he primary objective of every 'bourgeois' is to become an 'aristocrat.' )

The recent revelations regarding the investigation into the Bush administration’s leaking of the identity of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame have implicated the newspaper in a criminal state conspiracy aimed at intimidating political dissent and silencing opposition to the war in Iraq.
--Bill Van AukenChristians, as a whole, are not comfortable ( Read more... )

William Langewiesche showed up on C-Span yesterday. He was speaking at Goucher College, where students were discussing his book, The Outlaw Sea. I haven't read the book, or anything else by the author. I don't think I've heard of him before. I linked to a review which seems to cover the same isssues that were raised in the discussion shown on C- ( Read more... )