Presidential Election 2012 Official Juniorbird.com Endorsements
Nov 4, 2012 in Ye Olde Politicks
It’s presidential election season again, which means it’s time for us to discuss college transcripts and bimodal distibutions. It also means that it’s time for me to publish my official… Read on…
Official Juniorbird.com Primary Election 2012 Endorsements
May 22, 2012 in Ye Olde Politicks
It’s primary election season again, and that means it’s time for me to make my endorsements again. You may scoff, but remember: if you’d listened to me, you wouldn’t have… Read on…
Compromise & Consistency
May 19, 2012 in Ye Olde Politicks
A lot of us liberals were disappointed, although not surprised, to see the threat of a default over the debt ceiling trotted out again. I mean, it seemed to us… Read on…
Towards a More Perfect Union
May 9, 2012 in Ye Olde Politicks
It’s hard not to be sad about North Carolina’s double-banning of gay marriage; but it does make it clear that very many of us disagree on very many things. Perhaps… Read on…
Whither Syria?
Apr 5, 2012 in Ye Olde Politicks
About a year ago I correctly predicted the outcome of the “Arab Spring.” Pats on the back for me. Now the Syrian state is on the ropes, and we’re all… Read on…
On Trayvon
Mar 27, 2012 in Ye Olde Politicks
The death of Trayvon Martin is probably one of those things that will be hashed and rehashed for generations. It’s sad all around, but one thing that’s not come up… Read on…
LRWhy?
Oct 17, 2011 in Ye Olde Politicks
In the abstract, I’m all for going against the Lord’s Resistance Army; they seem to be really, really bad people who should be dead or maybe in prison. But, in… Read on…
The Laziness Narrative
Sep 14, 2011 in Ye Olde Politicks
These days, seems like every time I hear someone telling me how we should fix things, they’re telling me to do what we’re already doing, just do it harder. The… Read on…
Sic Transit Capitalism in American Healthcare
Aug 14, 2011 in Ye Olde Politicks
This is what bothers me about Obamacare’s individual mandate probably being struck down by SCOTUS in their next session:Obamacare is a plan in which privately-practicing physicians treat patients who privately… Read on…
Why I'm Not Worried About the Debt Ceiling Talks
Jul 24, 2011 in Ye Olde Politicks
Seems like every day, I hear “Obama did this” or “Boehner said that” or “Polls show the other thing.” So nobody can seem to agree about the debt ceiling. Meh;… Read on…
He Whose Name Shall Not Be Spelt
Feb 27, 2011 in Ye Olde Politicks
So a few days ago I predicted that Gadhaffi would be the first to go. Since then, everyone important out there has used another spelling of his name, but, despite… Read on…
Paging Gen. Suharto, Gen. Suharto to the Arab League
Feb 22, 2011 in Ye Olde Politicks
It’s been really exciting watching the revolutions in the Middle East — change in Tunisia and Egypt has opened up the possibility of living in an exciting new world. It’s… Read on…
Which Party Spends More?
Dec 9, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
Facebook is super-fun for political arguments. Well, maybe not if you’re not me. Me, I like to use social networking tools to have vigorous, vitriolic disagreements, apparently even in the… Read on…
I’m not sure that the information leaked by WikiLeaks actually adds anything to the world.
Dec 2, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
I’m not sure that the information leaked by WikiLeaks actually adds anything to the world. I’m not sure there’s a reason that it shouldn’t be secret other than the overall… Read on…
Snap Thoughts on the Election Results
Nov 3, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
Obviously, the Democrats got thrashed in last night’s elections. This was pretty much as expected. Based on the restults, the coverage I saw last night, public statements by major players,… Read on…
Official Juniorbird.com General Election 2010 Endorsements
Oct 31, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
Election time is upon us. Both parties have girded up their loins — one for a counterattack, the other to face certain disaster with aplomb — and we’re down to… Read on…
Death and Taxes
Oct 27, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
So, I’ve been looking into all of our candidates, and the positions generally cleave down a simple line. Sure, there are differences on a variety of important issues and many,… Read on…
Hooverville
Oct 10, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
You remember those old movies from the 1930s? Filled with frugal people and their quaint lifestyles? I’m starting to worry that it’s not all memories. First it was the Murphy… Read on…
The Proposition 8 Ruling (in simple language)
Aug 5, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
squashed:A trial happened. This means that the judge made findings of fact. He found that there was no evidence that Prop. 8 served a legitimate government interest. This is important… Read on…
The Origins of the Enthusiasm Gap
Aug 5, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
Link: The Origins of the Enthusiasm Gap Robert Reich:A stimulus too small to significantly reduce unemployment, a TARP that didn’t trickle down to Main Street, financial reform that doesn’t fundamentally… Read on…
Official Juniorbird.com Primary Election Endorsements
Jun 6, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
Here at Juniorbird.com, we take our civic responsibilities seriously. Therefore, we’re happy to tell you how to vote. For best functioning of our state, follow our recommendations exactly. I’ve provided… Read on…
The Republicans Made Me Vote For It!
Mar 21, 2010 in Ye Olde Politicks
There’s this thing you sometimes see in business, where something big happens to a company and the stock… just doesn’t move at all. Like, for instance, somebody releases big quarterly… Read on…
One of The Few Times I'll Talk About Torture Without Mentioning Asher Roth
Apr 22, 2009 in Ye Olde Politicks
I blew a a big chunk of Friday evening reading the torture memos; probably not the kind of sunny-attitude stuff to start a weekend on. DJ L’il Bit had to drag me out of my melancholy. It was the kind of down you can only feel when you discover that it’s your country that is the bad guy on the Saturday morning cartoon. That said, I don’t feel bad that Obama’s done nothing so far. Read on…
Official Juniorbird.com 2008 General Election Endorsements
Nov 2, 2008 in Ye Olde Politicks
OK, I’ve ensured that I’m registered to vote, and soon it will be time for all of us to get out there and get our democracy on. There’s a lot going on this year; it will be an exciting election night. If you’re looking for recommendations on how to vote, I’ve a few ideas for you here. Read on…
Help Me Resolve This Voting Dilemma
Oct 2, 2008 in Ye Olde Politicks
I made up this metric for who I’d vote for just yesterday. It had the virtues of being simple, of being easy-to-measure, of being relevant, and of being something I… Read on…
In Which I Admit, With Great Guilt, My Apathy
Aug 28, 2008 in Ye Olde Politicks
So I grew up in a part of the country where national politics was everyday news. All the Senators and Cabinet members and whatnot were just down the B-W Parkway and their foibles were as likely to make the Maryland section of the paper as the National. And I absorbed it all — I had opinions on all the Secretaries, every Senator, the fitness of the overall Congressional delegation from each state, to say nothing of policy issues. But I didn’t watch Obama tonight. Sadly, I just don’t care.
In Which I Suggest That the Death of Hundreds of Thousands Might Not Be So Bad After All
Feb 12, 2008 in Ye Olde Politicks
Election season is nigh; candidates are dropping right and left. Central to this year’s campaign is Iraq. How soon do we get out? Obama and Clinton say “real soon now”,1 while McCain suggests we’re in it for the long haul and Huckabee punts, saying he’ll stay in there as long as the military wants but not a second longer. The two parties offer an interesting and inadvertent dichotomy, because no party puts the needs of the Iraqis first.2 This results in a campaign in which the Republicans want to sacrifice American lives to save Iraqis, and Democrats want to let Iraqis die to save Americans. To say this is an unexpected reversal of roles is an understatement. And, although I’m deeply uncomfortable with the concept, I do support a policy that has Iraqis dying so Americans don’t. In fact, I think we should get on with the Iraqis dying as soon as possible.
Read on…
Official Juniorbird.com Primary Election 2008 Endorsements
Feb 4, 2008 in Ye Olde Politicks
Despite the fact that, through some bureaucratic snafu, I appear to be unregistered to vote, I’m going to make my usual elections endorsements here. So, if you vote like I say you should, then you’ll make up for the fact that I can’t vote! Especially if you don’t usually vote. So, go out, vote early, and vote often! Read on…
It's Official: I Can't Vote For Hillary
Jun 21, 2007 in Ye Olde Politicks
I had been skeptical of her ability to make good decisions, given her support for the Iraq war, but this really proves that her judgment can’t be trusted. I mean, some things are just obviously bad decisions. And, please, going Canadian at a moment like this? I think you’ll agree with me after you see this embarrassment: Read on…
Is it Possible That The Sheriff of Nottingham is Playing Dick Cheney?
Apr 8, 2007 in Ye Olde Politicks
In BBC’s Robin Hood, I mean? And, if so, would that mean that Robin Hood is John Kerry? (It’s necessary to actually have watched this show to answer this question.)… Read on…
Dems: Say Goodbye to the White House
Jan 20, 2007 in Ye Olde Politicks
Well, now Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are running for President in ‘08. That means that us lefties can say goodbye to the White House for probably the next 12-16 years. The decision of these two people to run in two years says awful things about the Democratic Party machinery and its long-term planning capability.1 Obama and Hillary2 can’t win in 2008, and, by overexposing them now, we’ll ensure that they can’t win later. It’s lose-lose and it will keep a Republican in the White House for eight years or more.
Read on…
Dear George W. Bush
Jan 11, 2007 in Ye Olde Politicks
Thanks for introducing the plan that’ll allow us to win the war in Iraq. I really appreciate that you’ve gotten to the heart of it and discovered that an increase of 16% in our forces is what we need to win. This simple solution really gives us victory without having to change what it is we’re doing at all, and that’s an approach that every American can appreciate. Read on…
Juniorbird.com Mid-Term Election 2006 Endorsements
Nov 5, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
Somewhere along the line, somebody got it into their heads that I knew something about this politics thing, and that I should make endorsements so that others know how to vote. Hah! Yet another fast one put over on y’all. But I will turn the lens created by my massive brain, regular reading of the LA Times, and BA in Poli Sci towards the morass of sleazy ads that is our 2006 midterm elections, and tell you how to vote to create my perfect society of all-powerful supermen, bwa ha ha ha! Read on…
Sometimes Stupid Isn't Funny Anymore
Oct 24, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
I have this half-written, incredibly snarky entry that, with substantial humor, skewered the Bush Administration. It’s a funny entry, written in the form af a primer on the concept of planning, because I once thought that all we needed was a good plan and we could win the war in Iraq, the war on terror. It was really funny, but sometimes the times we live in are not funny. Sometimes the times we live in are fucking hopeless. It’s not that our leaders don’t know how to plan; our problem is, they don’t even know how to win. Read on…
Curses! Foleyed Again!
Oct 6, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
All the liberals I know are pretty thrilled at this whole Mark Foley (R-FL) gets caught molesting underage congressional pages thing; they’re enjoying the potential lost GOP House seat, the bloodiness of the scandal, the threat to Hastert leading the House. But not me; I think it’s all a Republican conspiracy, and, like most Republican conspiracies, it’s working. Read on…
Those Who Fail To Learn From History Are Doomed To Repeat It. Oops.
Sep 24, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
One thing about me — a detail which makes me substantially less useful as a person from whom you can borrow a book — is that, like many geeky boys, I enjoy my military history books. My tastes in this genre tend strongly to more-technical works which completely describe the challenges individuals and states face and then give a complete history of how that challenge was surmounted (or not). Right now I’m reading a particularly interesting (to me), if perhaps somewhat detailed and dry, book, The Arming of Europe and the Making of the First World War. I’ve recently come to a chapter that describes the oft-forgotten Bosnian crisis of 1908, a historical event that, at the time, appeared to be a complete victory for Germany and Austria-Hungary but which turned out to be, unexpectedly, a complete disaster for those two Powers. Read on…
Clearly I'm Insensitive to Issues of International Politics and Security
Aug 11, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
While hearing about the latest round of foiled terrorists and new flight security restrictions, all I’ve been able to think is “thank goodness I didn’t have to fly across the Pacific without my iPod, water, and hand lotion!” I realize this makes me a complete boor. Read on…
Let's Outsource Fear!
Jun 8, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
Well, we finally got Zarqawi, which clearly means that we only have one problem left — Iran and its nukes. Lots of people suggest that we should engage the Iranians in productive dialog, resolving security issues jointly and building a better world. Others say that only pussies engage others and resolve things jointly. Of course, it’s the latter group that’s in power, which is why I feel the need to put forth the following solution, one which is simultaneously macho and engaged. We spend too much of our time worrying about whether or not some crackpot terrorist is going to nuke us; I hereby propose that we outsource our worrying to the Iranians. If they’re spending all their time worrying about whether or not the US gets nuked, they’re unlikely to provide fissile material to people who want to nuke us. Read on…
I Hereby Propose
May 31, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
That all us lefties henceforth refer to Republicans as Franquistas. You know, as in, “those Franquistas in the GOP,” or “my Franquist opponent.” Read on…
Untitled Immigration Rant 2
Apr 13, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
Watching the talking heads on TV, it seems like everyone’s spouting off about keeping the borders secure, about not rewarding immigrants who have come to the US illegally, and about how much it costs to finance illegal immigrants here in the US. Well, I’ve got bad news for you all, but those are exactly the wrong questions to be asking here. In fact, these questions are wrong in two ways: there is a better question to ask, and these questions distract from the real issues. Read on…
Untitled Immigration Rant
Apr 2, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
Since all the kids these days are taking a position on immigration, I guess I’d better throw in my two cents. Goodness knows, I’m sure to have either an exciting, progressive position or a fantastically racist. Or, more likely, both, since I’m both a raving liberal and a white American. If I were in charge, I would fix it all by: Read on…
The R Word
Feb 23, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
Apparently, we’re all supposed to get our panties (or, I guess, in my case, boxer briefs) in a twist because a bunch of our ports are going to be run by people from Dubai. Apparently, said people from Dubai will, with malice aforethought, leave our ports open to terrorist attack. There is no specific rationale — apart from a general and vague divergence of overall goals — presented for why destroying our port infrastructure will be the goal of these same ports’ new managers, but this viewpoint is certainly widely accepted as reasonable. But it’s not reasonable; it’s racist. Read on…
Well, That's Some Democracy We Got Us Over There In The Middle East (Or, Why I'm Actually Happy Hamas Won)
Jan 26, 2006 in Ye Olde Politicks
It’s a good thing that Hamas won the latest Palestinian Authority election. I’m all for it. I’m a Jew, and sympathetic to old-fashioned Zionism, but, most of all, I’m an American and, by birthright, I believe in democracy and opportunity for everyone, and this is the best way to give democracy to the Palestinians and opportunity and, even, security, to the Israelis. Read on…
I'm a Bad Democrat
Oct 3, 2005 in Ye Olde Politicks
Um, yeah. I have a confession to make. I’m a lifelong, vote-the-party-line Democrat. I think the Republican party is an evil, reactionary, racist, corrupt party. But I don’t think that Bush’s nominee for the Supreme Court is all that bad. Read on…
Dear Justice Letter
Jul 1, 2005 in Ye Olde Politicks
Well, that’s pretty unexpected — I know everyone was planning on a Supreme Court seat opening up via death, but I don’t know that there was any reason to anticipate a seat coming open via retirement. There are many questions why, but, not being a SCOTUS follower, I won’t speculate. However, as a blogger, it’s my God-given right to spout off as to how she will be replaced. Read on…
Restore Terry Schiavo's Rights!
Mar 21, 2005 in Ye Olde Politicks
The case of Terry Schiavo, currently playing itself out in the Federal courts, is a sad one. I can understand the positions of both Terry’s husband — that her feeding tube should be removed — and of her parents — that Terry’s life should be prolonged. What I can’t understand is Congress’s need to involve themselves in this case. The involvement of the Federal and Florida Legislatures is a simple violation of both Terry and Michael’s rights, and a frightening violation of the seperation of powers enshrined in our Constitution. Per the decision of several courts, Terry should have her feeding tube immediately removed. Read on…
Wolfowhat?
Mar 17, 2005 in Ye Olde Politicks
So Bush followed up his appointment of a prominent anti-UN pundit to the position of UN Ambassador with the appointment of a divisive individual to be the head of a bank with the word “World” in it. What in the world is going on? Read on…
It's A Purge!
Dec 1, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
So now Tom Ridge is gone. In quick succession Ridge, Tommy Thompson, and Colin Powell have been cast aside by the Bush administration — three of the GOP’s most prominent,… Read on…
Arafatrospective
Nov 13, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
I can understand a lot of the choices that Yasser Arafat made during his lifetime. He probably understood quite early on how his people were being used by both the… Read on…
The White House Won't Take My Official Concession Phone Call
Nov 3, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
Well, the apparently oft-underestimated Mr. Bush has done it again. And this time, better, which is actually a good thing because, well, if Bush can learn to get elected better… Read on…
Oh I Love The Electoral College, Yes I Do
Nov 2, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
(Note: as of this hour, the election has not yet been called for anyone.) I’m all for the Electoral College. Bush may end up in the White House, but I’ll… Read on…
On Tuesday, Some Reasons You Should Vote Against Bush
Oct 30, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
I’ve been way too busy to write as much as I’d have liked about politics over the last few months. This bothers me deeply, because I believe this is one… Read on…
Cordial Debatery
Oct 1, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
I think I’m required, by statute, to comment upon the seminal political event of our times: the most cordial debate in Florida last night. And what a debate! It was… Read on…
Tricky Dick Cheney
Sep 8, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
So Dick Cheney said that if we elect Kerry we can expect the terrorists to blow something big up. I wonder how he knows? But seriously, this is a major… Read on…
George W. Nixon
Sep 3, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
I heard a piece on NPR the other day in which a number of European commentators stated that they couldn’t understand how anybody would vote for Bush. After having seen… Read on…
Schwarzenothing
Aug 3, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
While I didn’t vote for the Governator, I was not unhappy to see him take office. A change was clearly needed in Sacramento; the state’s problems were getting larger, and… Read on…
I Call Bullshit On This Iran Stuff
Aug 1, 2004 in Ye Olde Politicks
Apparently the administration would like us to think that Iran was, or, perhaps, is now, behind al Queda. I’ll admit that, unlike Iraq and chemical weapons, there seems to be… Read on…
Guvanah Ahnold
Oct 10, 2003 in Ye Olde Politicks
(Because what headline writer would voluntarily use “Schwarzenegger”?) I’m a Democrat. A big-time one. I’m a Democrat because, where I came from, the Republicans try to prevent African-Americans from voting… Read on…
California Recall Vote Slate
Oct 6, 2003 in Ye Olde Politicks
Hey, I live in LA, I’m required to have an opinion on the recall election. Good thing I’m such an opinionated guy! There are three major questions: Recall Gray Davis… Read on…
War. Huh! Good God Y'All
Sep 11, 2003 in Ye Olde Politicks
What is it good for? Well, apparently, absolutely nothing. Where are we today with Gulf War II (or III, if you count that little scrap Iran and Iraq had for… Read on…
Throw The Bastards Out
Jul 29, 2003 in Ye Olde Politicks
It must be worthless bastard season, because politicians are again screwing up our futures. In California, the legislature just passed a budget that is: Way, way late — well past… Read on…
Darrel Frickin Issa And The Granolas
Jul 1, 2003 in Ye Olde Politicks
There’s this recall thing going on in California. Some Republicans — in particular, a right-wing state legislator named Darrell Issa — want to recall our Democratic governor, Gray Davis. They… Read on…