In Which I Admit, With Great Guilt, My Apathy

Aug 28, 2008

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.

Read on…

In Which I Suggest That the Death of Hundreds of Thousands Might Not Be So Bad After All

Feb 12, 2008

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… (plus 5 Comments)

Official Juniorbird.com Primary Election 2008 Endorsements

Feb 4, 2008

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… (plus 5 Comments)

It's Official: I Can't Vote For Hillary

Jun 21, 2007

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… (plus 3 Comments)

Is it Possible That The Sheriff of Nottingham is Playing Dick Cheney?

Apr 8, 2007

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

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… (plus 6 Comments)

Dear George W. Bush

Jan 11, 2007

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

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… (plus 6 Comments)

Sometimes Stupid Isn't Funny Anymore

Oct 24, 2006

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… (plus 2 Comments)

Curses! Foleyed Again!

Oct 6, 2006

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… (plus 3 Comments)

Those Who Fail To Learn From History Are Doomed To Repeat It. Oops.

Sep 24, 2006

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… (plus 3 Comments)

Clearly I'm Insensitive to Issues of International Politics and Security

Aug 11, 2006

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… (plus 5 Comments)

Let's Outsource Fear!

Jun 8, 2006

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

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

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… (plus 2 Comments)

Untitled Immigration Rant

Apr 2, 2006

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… (plus 8 Comments)

The R Word

Feb 23, 2006

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… (plus 2 Comments)

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

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… (plus 6 Comments)

I'm a Bad Democrat

Oct 3, 2005

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… (plus 10 Comments)

Dear Justice Letter

Jul 1, 2005

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

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… (plus 1 Comments)

Wolfowhat?

Mar 17, 2005

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

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, admired moderates have become irrelevant.

It’s important to think back four years to understand what went on here. In 1999-2000, Powell’s name was bandied about for Veep, if not more. Thompson and Ridge were popular governors of moderate states, percieved to have broad appeal. Vice President in 2004 was not unreasonably Read on…

Arafatrospective

Nov 13, 2004

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 Arabs and the Israelis to justify various political policies, and that none of these policies would improve the lot of his people. Why not choose, under these circumstances, to try and take over first Jordan and then Lebanon? Of course, as with his stewardship of the Palestinian Authority, it all came to pieces in the end.

So what will Arafat be remembered for? For leading Read on…

The White House Won't Take My Official Concession Phone Call

Nov 3, 2004

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 maybe he can learn to fight world terrorism and fix the economy better too.

All yesterday everyone had heard all about the big turnout, which would usually be a bad thing for Bush because:

  • In the past, non-voters have been overwhelmingly working-class and minorities, both of whom skew very Democratic
  • Who schleps out to the polling place Read on… (plus 5 Comments)

    Oh I Love The Electoral College, Yes I Do

    Nov 2, 2004

    (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 still love the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a good, Federal institution. It’s one of those things that makes us the United States of America, not just the Large Country Dominating The Continent Of (North) America.

    Electing a President is, ideally, about putting someone in office with some kind of a mandate. Someone who a lot of Americans will Read on…

    On Tuesday, Some Reasons You Should Vote Against Bush

    Oct 30, 2004

    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 of the most important elections we’ve seen since, well, we kicked out the elder Bush. If there’s any undecided voters among the dozen or so people who seem to actually read this thing, I hope I give you some guidance here.

    The plan is simple: both of our candidates are controversial. There’s a lot to hate, and little to love, about both. Makes you reminisce Read on…

    Cordial Debatery

    Oct 1, 2004

    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 filled with bon mots, with snappy comebacks, with deft verbal takedowns. Oh wait, it wasn’t. No Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy. No Who Read on… (plus 1 Comments)

    Tricky Dick Cheney

    Sep 8, 2004

    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 escalation in the war of words. It’s long been traditional for one candidate to suggest that he or she is more qualified than his or her opponent. This is a different statement: Cheney is saying that he and Bush are qualified, and that Kerry and Edwards are simply Read on…

    George W. Nixon

    Sep 3, 2004

    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 his keynote speech last night, I have to say that I disagree with those commentators: I could absolutely see how somebody would vote for Bush. He talks about a lot of nice things, but in a very Republican way: he’s not afraid to make the Big Lies, and he’s not afraid to go back on whatever he says because he can tell the Big Lie later Read on…

    Schwarzenothing

    Aug 3, 2004

    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 no creative ideas were percolating up to solve them. It seemed the entire culture in our “cow-town” capital was broken.

    Not that I approved of the strategy the Republicans pursued to “fix” things. Having passed up a perfectly good opportunity to beat Gray Davis a year earlier, by running an unelectable sleazy businessman instead of Read on… (plus 1 Comments)

    I Call Bullshit On This Iran Stuff

    Aug 1, 2004

    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 some actual evidence here. But, I still call bullshit. Why?

    1. First of all, allowing terrorists to pass doesn’t equal supporting them; there’s a real line between ignoring and aiding, as anybody who’s had a friend Read on…

      Guvanah Ahnold

      Oct 10, 2003

      (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 and regularly support explicitly racist platforms. But, all in all, I’m not that unhappy with the result of our last election.

      Part of it is simply the natural feeling of being a supporter of the party that lost during bad times. If Arnold is the right choice, then he’ll fix a lot of things, Read on…

      California Recall Vote Slate

      Oct 6, 2003

      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:

      1. Recall Gray Davis or not?
      2. Whom to be the governor, if yes on the above?
      3. Should we require by law that the legislature put money aside for infrastructure improvements, before monies for any non-education purposes are procured (prop. 53)?
      4. Should the government stop collecting data on race for a variety of things Read on…

        War. Huh! Good God Y'All

        Sep 11, 2003

        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 10 years in the ’80s)? Well, we’ve appropriated (or are appropriating) $187 billion for the war so far (that’s nearly 9% of the entire budget for FY 2003). We’ve not got the oil going yet, so there’s no money in that, Read on…

        Throw The Bastards Out

        Jul 29, 2003

        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 the beginning of the fiscal year the budget is for
        • Fails to close a massive deficit
        • Resorts to borrowing to cover the deficit
        • Ensures that we have a budget crisis next year by not dealing with the deficit
        • Ruins the state’s Read on…

          Darrel Frickin Issa And The Granolas

          Jul 1, 2003

          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 have to get enough signatures on a petition to get the recall on the ballot, and the state Republican machine is in full signature-gathering mode. Once the recall is on the ballot (and it will probably get there), Davis basically has to run for office again — against as many other candidates as can qualify. No party primaries or anything.

          Read on…