Political Rants

In a way, I kind of keep hoping these idiots keep it up, cuz they're just making themselves look bad. The Traditional Values Coalition (like we needed another one of these) has 'outed' Shrek 2 and blamed DreamWorks for "helping to promote cross-dressing and transgenderism". Are there subtle sexual references in Shrek 2? Yes. Will they go over the heads of most kids? You betcha. Do parents have the brains to make the decision on their own? Doesn't seem to matter to the TVC.

Amusing sidenote: a colleague on one of my listservs tried to link to the TVC...and her filter blocked them

According to this calculator from Senate Democrats [bias noted], under the Bush plan for privatization, I'll make $5326 less per year than under traditional Social Security. And that's with a decent, if modest annual income (I used 50K, which might even have been a high 'average', as they don't clearly explain if that's an average over a lifetime of work, or what).

I notice Greenspan this week gave tacit approval to the privatization scheme, assuming the money was 'well-managed'. Um, yeah, well anyone with a brain knows that BushCo. already has in mind which of their financial services cronies will get the 'job' of managing our monies! Probably the same ones who manipulated the stock market to hurt small investors. Whatever...

I agree that Social Security in its current form is not an efficient or long-term stable system. But I can't imagine that privatization, which as it is currently described would increase the possibility for loss, is the answer. Or at least not the whole answer. Those who have disposable income already have private retirement accounts (not enough, granted, as we're not a country of savers, but still). Despite the calculator above, Social Security is not for me--I'm educated, white, and relatively well-off despite my choice to work in public service. Social Security is (IMO) a social contract that says I won't let my fellow countrymen and women starve when they get old and/or disabled.

And why is no one paying attention to the fact that Medicare is in much worse shape, and will fail much sooner, than Social Security?? Oh, right, cuz BushCo already 'took care of that' with their little drug card deal. Um, NO!

Interesting blog entry from earlier this month from Buzzmachine, sent to me by Tracey.

The problem I have with the Eeyores is that for all intents and purposes, they refused to see the positive in the election and the start of a new democracy; they refused to think first of the human rights of the Iraqi people and instead thought of their own political agenda and political anti's. That's Eeyoreism.

...Reasonable people can agree. Reasonable people should agree that the exercise of freedom and democracy in Iraq is good for the Iraqi people. Reasonable people should agree that we must be cautious about intervening in nations but should also take steps to defend the human rights of our fellow man when we can. Reasonable people can disagree about this war and its aftermath and its duration.

Reasonable people.

They're not Eeyores. I prefer to think of them as Poohs.

An interesting online test: Moral Politics

Your Score

Your scored -2 on the Moral Order axis and 0.5 on the Moral Rules axis.

Matches

The following items best match your score:

System: Socialism
Variation: Moderate Socialism
Ideologies: Social Democratism
US Parties: Democratic Party
Presidents: Jimmy Carter (90.89%)
2004 Election Candidates: John Kerry (88.10%), Ralph Nader (82.18%), George W. Bush (60.66%)

Statistics

Of the 34923 people who took the test:

1.7% had the same score as you.
29.9% were above you on the chart.
58.1% were below you on the chart.
47.8% were to your right on the chart.
28.1% were to your left on the chart.
Others

For President and Candidates, the percentage measures the distance between you and them where 100% is a perfect overlap and 0% is the longest possible distance.
If you overlap two regions, they are both listed. So if you see both Liberalism and Conservatism, you are a "perfect" Centrist.

Slight variations in my answers brought me to different points on the axes. Also, I like that you can mark if a question was 'confusing'.

Thanks to Todd K.

You know, I remember thinking all that day (though I was home sick, so really only when I was conscious), "but where are the groundhog jokes?!" Here they were:

This year (2005) Groundhog Day coincided with the State of the Union Address. As Air America Radio pointed out, it was an ironic juxtaposition: "one involved a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involved a groundhog."

Thanks, Tracey

Today I got an automated email from Terry McAuliffe, saying goodbye (it's also on the Dems website). I mean, I know he tried, but, well, the party's a mess, Terry, and part of that HAS to be cuz of you. I wish him well, but it's past time for a change. I have my doubts about Howard Dean's ability to work with the entrenched Dem leadership, but I want to give him a chance and I hope they do, too. If nothing else, he brought record numbers into the discussion--if he can keep them there and make their voices heard, it can only do good for the party, and help restore some balance in the nation. And, no, I don't mean I want the Dems to take everything back (no, really!)--what I want is *balance*. You know, as in checks and balances, which have been completely thrown out the window. As in a balance even within the main parties--don't tell me moderate Republicans with any kind of clue feel like they're being heard!

The Dems need to learn to fight back, and fight back hard. Like the recent attacks on Sen. Harry Reid. I mean, he's not my first choice for Minority Leader, and can have the force of presence of a bowl of oatmeal, but his comments weren't racist, as the pundits would have you believe. See the real text of what he said and the ridiculous responses to it at Media Matters. We need to learn to stay on message--Republicans, esp. those on the right, are brilliant at message. They've made a minority view into a national policy agenda. That takes cajones. Dems need to grow a few pair. I wait to see what Howard can do.