Monthly Archives

April 2008

Good Article from Chris Durang

Hi America!

If anything makes me vote against Hillary (besides her war vote), it’s the vibe I get of the kind of operation she runs. It’s apparently a really gross club of egomaniacs, old school nasties and rat-f*#%ers (that’s actually a political term from the Nixon days), infant terribles and power-hungry politico-freaks that I do not want assuming the core leadership positions of my country. Doesn’t it count for something that Obama has maintained amazing espirit de corps and discipline of the troops in a decidedly non-Republican way? Or that the management style of Obama’s campaign would obviously to some extent translate to the White House? I won’t print it all here, but read this amazing diatribe on what it’s like inside Team Hillary and tell me why it will be that different were she to be Prez, or for that matter, that it’s that different from what Bill’s romp was?

April 21, 2008 0 comment

'merica

Stockholm Syndrome

written by Uncle Sam

We’ve heard it bleated to death: Barack Obama’s claim that the reason people resist supporting him is because they’re bitter about the economy, and so hold on to the values they know, their religion and their guns, and become single issue voters. The point he made is so obviously true it’s amazing he was even challenged on it. But in a low blow in a campaign of low blows, Hillary Clinton decided this was her best shot, and she took it. Playing to the mob, and indeed the lowest common denominator in the mob, she pounced with all her Battle of the Bulge remaining resources, and yelled to the crowd, "He’s saying you’re stupid! He’s talking about you, you idiots!" If there ever was a cynical ploy, this was it.

The saddest and most ironic thing about it is that at the end of a pretty impressive liberal career, fighting Watergate, fighting for Health Care, fighting for women’s issues, Hillary has been so bludgeoned by the "right wing conspiracy" that she has actually become more than its victim, she’s become it’s puppet. After Ken Starr and the humiliation of the whole scandal-plagued presidency of her husband, which she really did seem to have stuck with to have her own shot at the title, she’s so scarred by the "republican playbook" that she can’t help but, in her death thoes, emulate it. It’s like Stockholm Syndrome, the documented strange human quality where you begin to identify with your tormentors. Hillary’s demagoguery defines her finally as those she’s fought to expose. Who but she knows better the truth in Obama’s explanation. The "bitter" ploy was base and baseless.

Since this website is rapidly turning into "What Obama Should Say Now," let’s just conjure with that theme a little further and offer our best thoughts on his response. Tonight is the debate, and I think he should say, "Sorry if the truth hurts, but this is a big country, and that’s the way some people are. If you’re not used to this kind of straight talk, get used to it. Because if I’m President you’re going to hear a lot more of it. Until we’re honest about who we are, we’re not going to change how we are." The other thing he could say, or point out, or somebody other than him could point out, is that he was being nice. He was essentially being asked why people might be prejudiced against voting for him, and rather than say "Because they’re racist," he said, "Because they’re hurt." That’s the mark of who he is, and that’s emblematic of the new politics he’s been talking about. He should, and we should, be proud of that.

April 16, 2008 0 comment

'merica

The Torch Has Been Taken Hostage!

written by Uncle Sam

Protests in the city streets tonight. Olympic torch ironically headed for China due in San Francisco tomorrow. Hopefully tomorrow San Francisco will take the torch hostage. It could happen. See it with me: A guy dressed as Spock gives the torch runner a Vulcan nerve pinch because he’s really a martial arts master and knows how to knock the guy out with the least amount of effort. Our eco-performance artist terroir-ist grabs the fallen torch, and he tosses it to his buddy who evades security by driving through the pylons in a Smart Car, whereupon a bike messenger whizzes by and snags it. The torch ends up at Land’s End broadcast by live video feed: “China! We have your torch! You will not see it again until you stop torturing innocents and free Tibet!” So we send it out, a live broadcast on the Internet. It would work even if we don’t capture it. Who would know? “We have your torch. We have taken it hostage. “

Cut to live video from our eco-cave, with a parallel feed on Mapquest, showing the suspected site of the sequestered torch. As authorities rush to the spot, the live video shows our heroes chucking it out to sea, via catapult, where the Greenpeace Warrior is waiting offshore. As it’s thrown the eco-hero yells: “China, come and get it!” The Warrior, populated by among others a few Burners Without Borders with long telescoping nets, reaches out and grabs the catapulted torch. Now the torch is 500 yards off shore on a boat with state of the art broadcasting. A call to arms goes out, as people from all over the Bay Area swarm the old Battery, the Presidio, and Lands End, massing on the cliffs, waiting for an attack by China. The city is actually at peace, but as performance art it’s war, and anyway if it’s live on the Web and TV it’s really happening. All over the world the story rings out: “San Francisco took the torch hostage!” Mayor Newsom is briefed, and he’s into the drama. He holds a news conference during the crisis, laughing, saying, “Well, looks like the torch has been taken hostage. It is crazy San Francisco. I hear some guy has the torch in a cave somewhere in the Presidio.”

I’m just saying it’s: “Come and get me China!” time. I’m just having a vision. I see all of America coming to our shores to defend this country. Not against an attack by sea, but against an attack we don’t see. We begin to say it together: “Free Tibet, China.” Uncle Sam sez: Let’s have the guts Reagan did when he stood up to the Berlin Wall. Let’s make sure the message is not lost: Free these people, China.

~ US

April 9, 2008 0 comment

'merica

Change

written by Uncle Sam

Whether or not Obama wins, one point he has made sufficiently well is that at some point in history very soon there will be a President named something other than Jefferson or Lincoln or Kennedy. Great leaders though all these people were, there will come a time when in American history where there will be a president named Barack Obama or something similar.

April 7, 2008 0 comment

'merica

Green For All

written by Uncle Sam

Today Green For All kicked off in Memphis. I called my dear friend Lora O’Connor for a report from the ground, and she said that Harry Belafonte rocked the house, saying how dare we distance ourselves from Reverend Wright. We should all of us be saying how dare people tell us who have been so wronged how to be angry. And Lora reported of the young people in the streets, dancing and inspiring us all with their own hope. She said, “History is being made today. This is the beginning of the true fusion of the envionmental movement and the social justice movement.” She said, “I wish you could be there.” I said, “I am there, with you.”

One last thought. Regarding the war in Vietnam, obviously somewhat like the war in Iraq, MLK said: “There will be no meaningful solution, until the attempt is made to know these people, and hear their broken cries.” Obama is saying this now. Only he’s actually running for president.

April 5, 2008 0 comment