“If nobody sees it, then nobody gets mad.” – Shary Bobbins “It’s the American way!” – Bart Simpson In the short run, it’s difficult to see how last week’s election will have any effect on the ongoing passion play that is our Afghan War. Whatever else may be said about Congress becoming much more right [...]
Archive for the ‘2012 Election’ Category
Vote Karzai
Hooverville
“Tough times, eh? I’ve lived through twelve recessions, eight panics, and five years of McKinleynomics. I’ll survive this.” – C.M. Burns “Well even so, sir, we could stand to lay off a few employees.” – Mr. Smithers Early last summer, long before the term “death panels” became famous, before Joe Lieberman reminded everyone that he [...]
A Few More Years in Fantasyland
“Well I’ll be sodomized on Christmas.” – Chef The yammering cacophony of nitwit analysis about yesterday’s election won’t subside for quite some time. I made my stupid contribution to the great “why” circle jerk on Sunday, the short version of which is that a terrible economy combined with right wing fear and an unlimited spigot [...]
Getting Closer
Enemy of My Enemy
“Why would you help us?” – Professor Chaos The May issue of The American Conservative has a fascinating set of short essays by authors from across the ideological spectrum. The topic is whether or not it is possible for people opposed to America’s militaristic foreign policy to bridge the traditional liberal-conservative gap. There are, after [...]
The Hump
Taking the Good with the Bad
Handicapping the 2020 Presidential Field
In the Valley of Political Expediency (and Death, don’t forget the Death)
Eyes On the Ball
Legacy Costs
Nobody Expects the Red Guards!
“The death card?” – Lisa Simpson “No, that’s good. It means transition, change.” – Renaissance Faire Fortune Teller “Oh. Heh, oh, that’s cute.” – Lisa Simpson “Ahhh, the Happy Squirrel!” – Renaissance Faire Fortune Teller “That’s bad?” – Lisa Simpson “Possibly, the cards are vague and mysterious.” – Renaissance Faire Fortune Teller There were a [...]
Harbinger of Doom (R-Arizona)
“The problem with both parties is that they always want to give your tax dollars to the less fortunate.” – Prof. Farnsworth Today Thomas Dewey is best remembered for a cameo in what is perhaps the most famous picture of Harry S. Truman’s presidency, “Dewey Defeats Truman” screamed the banner headline of the November 3rd, [...]
The Sad, Unchanging Afghan Political Calculus
Um, . . . What He Said (Part 2)
“Yes, it reminds me of a joke I heard about upper middle class people.” – Judge Whitey I’m aware that I did this a couple of weeks ago, but fuck it. Once again someone else has expressed my thoughts far better than I can. In this case it was an article in the most recent [...]
Is Barack Obama Politically Invincible on Afghanistan?
“A letter of surrender, we did it! Whew, it’s a good thing too because I really didn’t have an exit strategy.” – Stewie Griffin The Iraq War is ending. It is ending excruciatingly slowly, but the President of the United States of America has stated repeatedly that he wants to end the war and he [...]
Thinking Long (Part 2)
The “Also” War: The Real Reason Afghanistan is Fucked
“Marge, there’s just too much pressure. What with my job, the kids, traffic snarls, political strife at home and abroad! But I promise you, the second all those things go away, we’ll have sex.” – Homer Simpson “I simply can’t wait that long.” – Marge Simpson Here in the summer of 2009 one never lacks [...]
Thinking Long
2009 Is Not 2003
Like a Chicken with Its Head Cut Off
“Grrrrrrr.” – Headless Body of Agnew Before David Souter announced that he was handing in his badge and gavel the big story of the week was the defection of Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter from the Reds to the Blues. Specter’s motive appears to be little more than self-preservation, he likes being a senator and his [...]
