Jon Stewart on the crazy right

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Tuesday

The trickle of information on our torture policy continues. The International Red Cross has released its complete report, and Mark Danner has a right up of it here. It is always shocking for me to realize that our Christian president authorized policies taken from the Gestapo and KGB that were intended to produce false confessions.

And the former Vice President is still out there defending torture as essential. I found this quote from Colonel Wilkerson to be the most troubling:

Simply stated, this philosophy held that it did not matter if a detainee were innocent. Indeed, because he lived in Afghanistan and was captured on or near the battle area, he must know something of importance.... All that was necessary was to extract everything possible from him and others like him, assemble it all in a computer program, and then look for cross-connections and serendipitous incidentals—in short, to have sufficient information about a village, a region, or a group of individuals, that dots could be connected and terrorists or their plots could be identified.
Thus, as many people as possible had to be kept in detention for as long as possible to allow this philosophy of intelligence gathering to work. The detainees' innocence was inconsequential.

Glenn Greenwald notes:

Note how warped our political culture is: Sen. Dick Durbin was forced to tearfully apologize on the Senate floor for accurately comparing our treatment of detainees at Guantanamo to the techniques used in Soviet gulags and by Gestapo interrogation squads, but those who perpetrated these war crimes have apologized for nothing, remain welcome in decent company, and are still shielded by our Government from all accountability.

****

One bit of good news is the way our current President speaks about our history and religious tradition. As Rob Boston notes, Obama told a Turkish audience that we are not a Christian nation:

" "I've said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is - although as I mentioned we have a very large Christian population - we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation," Obama said. "We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."
A few second later, Obama went on to praise the concept of "a secular country that is respectful of religious freedom, respectful of rule of law, respectful of freedom, upholding these values and being willing to stand up for them in the international stage.""

Doesn't mean that Christianity has not played a critical role in our history (though not always positively), but it simply means that we are a secular nation. Secular, as Boston notes, does not mean the same thing as being hostile to religion. And the right wing should stop acting as if it does.

Christians and torture

Obviously, the big question about why goes to George "Jesus is my favorite philosopher" Bush, but as Steven Waldman points out, the question of how a Christian could allow torture goes very much to the very visibly Christian John Ashcroft, who made a big point of leading Bible studies and arguing that he was only interested in doing what was right in God's eyes. Yet, there is no evidence so far, and none argued by Ashcroft himself, that he ever stood up and tried to stop the torture.

"On one of the greatest moral questions of the administration -- and arguably one of the greatest challenges to Christian ethics of the last decade -- he has nothing to say.

For sake of argument, let's say Ashcroft shouldn't have brought his religious beliefs into his decision-making. Perhaps we want our Attorney General to completely submerge his religion when dealing with policy. Indeed, on other occasions Ashcroft apparently went against his personal beliefs in order to enforce the law -- as when he had federal marshals protect doctors who perform abortions.

But if that's the case, I'm left wondering: what is the value of having a religious person in office? I don't mean that as a snarky rhetorical question. I'm honestly perplexed: if ever there was a situation when we actually could have benefited from having a self-righteous, moral, Bible-reading, God-fearing Christian in the room to morally challenge utilitarian thinking, the discussions about torture would have been it."

I am with Waldman here (though his reference to Richard Land as a "moderate" leaves me puzzled), if people like Bush and Ashcroft are not expected to actually act like Christians, then what is the point of electing them?

I would further add that this not only goes to Ashcroft, but the large population of conservative Christians who praised Bush's faith and reelected him--all without ever questioning the man on torture.

And people wonder why I have lost respect for the GOP

They are now holding Obama nominees hostage in order to keep Bush torture memos secret. I know too many Republicans who are offended by torture, but this kind of action makes it very hard to believe that the institutional GOP and leadership don't really support it. They have done everything in their power to help Bush and Cheney torture. Holding up nominees is political theater, and Democrats have done that as well. And the winning side, as Hilzoy notes, gets to say that they won and should get the nominees the President wants. But the bigger issue is why the GOP is threatening war on these nominees--to defend torture. It should make the grownup Republicans feel just a little ill.

And while I am reading Obsidian Wings, let me note this other great post by publius on our lost decade. It isn't just that Bush invaded Iraq and tortured people--something we may never dig our way out of. But all of the things that Bush and the Republicans refused to do and squandered. Work on climate change, health care, etc. Goes back to my continual rant that these particular Republicans have no interest in investing in anything for the public good, and have no interest beyond cutting taxes for the rich and regulations for the corporations. And we have seen just how well that has worked. Our lost decade.

Let's hope it is just a decade. I would like America back, thank you very much.

Sunday night feminist rant

I am making dinner and getting ready to watch the OU women play in the Final Four. They are a lot of fun to watch and I am hopeful they can make the finals.

But one of the OU players is Carlee Roethlisberger. ESPN keeps running this little thing about her and her older brother (Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers). I am fine with that, though I still resent Ben crediting Jesus with his starting job in college. Stupid theology just effects me that way, I guess.

But this ESPN coverage bothers me nearly as much. Here is a very good college player, and all they can talk about is her big brother, and the piece is about her watching Ben win the Super Bowl. Nothing about her 3 point shot, or how she contributes to OU's great team.

That just pisses me off. Ben gets his due all the time, and deserves it (in that sports context, mind you), but his little sister is pretty good on her own. To present her just as a fan of her older brother is demeaning and chauvinist. I am just tired of that stuff. Women are not defined by the men they love or share a family with. Get with it, ESPN.

Ah, family

A great essay by one of Rush Limbaugh's less conservative cousins.

The Official George W. Bush Presidential Librarium

The Official George W. Bush Presidential Librarium.

Brilliant

And she could have been Veep

Palin, Ruedrich call for Begich resignation: Former Sen. Ted Stevens | adn.com. The entire GOP continues to surprise me with their stupidity right now. "Spending freeze?" Have any of these people read any history?

But Palin and JTP take the cake, and they are the people the "base" of the Republican party just loves. What more can you say about that "base?"

New Blog to read

Our good friend Sara Leader now has a blog, and I am thrilled to see her online. She is a really thoughtful and talented artist, and is now showcasing some of that talent here with her photos and writing.

Drop by and show her some love.

Annoying

Watching OU lose to UNC, which is not that big of a deal as the Tarheels are a pretty good team and OU is underperforming. Those are the joys of competition.

But what annoys me to no end are the stupid ads that we see during sporting events. The Howie Long homophobic ads for trucks. Or the unbelievable Burger King ads--either for using a little person to sell breakfast meals, or for the stupid and sexist ads for their little burgers using buxom women.

But the taker of the cake was the Guitar Hero ads that featured NCAA coaches Krzyzewski, Pitino, Smith, and former coach Bobby Knight. Fine. Do a take off from Risky Business, I really don't care. But when Bobby Knight throws the equipment in a tantrum, we really see how tolerant the American people are of abusive personalities. No wonder we have problems in this area.

That's right. The guy is an abusive asshole who threw chairs at refs and potted plants at secretaries. He even choked a player one time. And he is elevated to spokesperson and icon.

Pass.

Woohoo

Wilco // New Album Slated For Summer Release

John Yoo and Alberto Gonzales may not want to travel overseas

Unless they want to be arrested and tried for torture.

Cold Saturday

I had another weird Facebook moment this week. FB has a bit of a blogger feel--the interaction and comments, but the world-colliding part makes for very weird political connections. Here at the blog, everyone knows I am a liberal (except that troll who accused me of being some kind of Republican apologist), but on Facebook (even though my profile lists me as liberal) not everyone seems to get it. The other day, I received an invite to a group to oppose stem cell research, and to organize letter writing to pressure Obama to move away from a pro-choice stance.

Yeah. Like I said, all of you here know that while I may not be a big fan of abortion, I am essentially pro-choice, and I thought Bush's ban on federal stem-cell research was pure politics, and very little science. Like I said, my profile says that I am proudly liberal, so I was a bit surprised to get this invite from this old high school (and church) friend.

But no big deal. I declined the invite and then sent him a short (and nice) note telling him that I certainly didn't mind the invitation, but I was no longer a conservative, and had in fact supported Obama during the campaign. Trust me. I was nice.

And the response? Nothing.

While being spammed with right wing stuff didn't bother me, the lack of polite response bothered me a lot. Frankly, it pissed me off. I have been very close to firing off another email and not being as nice this time. Talking through it with SOF, however, I realized that she was probably right (duh) that this guy was not the real target of my ire. I have had this happen before, however, and the wounds are rather deep. Friends from the past, and even some of my relatives (more distant) have reconnected with me in the last 15 years, but when they discovered that I was *gasp* a "liberal" they just stopped talking to me. One sent me an email riling up support for the beleaguered Boy Scouts in their battle with the gays. I wrote back and said, "you do remember that I am your liberal relative, right?" His response? "I didn't think you were that liberal." And that was the end of that email exchange. Not sure I have heard from him since.

I don't mind people disagreeing with me, but I do sorely object to being treated as some kind of pariah or defect. Those wounds are still a little painful, and have not helped my view of conservative Christianity. I am grateful for those family (my parents and nieces and nephews, in particular) who have kept in relationship with me despite political and theological differences, and I have a few friends (really just one) from the old days who have done so as well. But those who have dropped me really have some answering to do about their faith and how their faith asks them to treat others.

Anyway. Long story, but one I needed to get out. I have not responded to this latest one, but am still considering a less angry and more inquisitive version of the "take off" email I initially drafted in my head. (Actually, it wasn't "take" in my head!) He certainly doesn't need to to pay for those old debts, and perhaps no one can.

*****

One more item, not necessarily related, but I saw this from George Packer at the New Yorker that reiterates what I have been arguing about radicals on the right v. radicals on the left.

Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck have far more power in the Republican Party (it sometimes seems to include veto power) than Klein, Lee, and Moore have in the Democratic Party. The views of right-wing commentators in the grip of the paranoid style (Obama is a stealth radical, the Democrats are imposing socialism) are much closer to mainstream conservative and Republican belief than the views of their counterparts on the left (the levees in New Orleans were blown up by the government, the White House had something to do with 9/11) are to mainstream liberal and Democratic belief. The reasons are complex, but I would list these: the evangelical and occasionally messianic fervor that animates a part of the Republican base; the atmosphere of siege and the self-identification of conservatives as insurgents even when they monopolized political power; the influence of ideology over movement conservatives, and their deep hostility to compromise; the fact that modern conservatism has been a movement, which modern liberalism has not.

This is not to say that the more destructive forms of populism and outright paranoia can’t appear on the left. They have, they do, and they will, especially in times of extreme distress like these. It’s only to say that the infection has been more organic to the modern right.

Perhaps I have run headlong into that "deep hostility to compromise" in my own life too much. :)

*****

Anyway. It is a little (emphasize little) snowy here in Norman, and a perfect day for my latest experiment in sourdough bread. Hope you are all well.

My productive Spring Break week

So often Spring break is either spent skiing (which is cool) or not getting stuff done and not relaxing either. This one has not been the most restful break I can recall, but it has been pretty productive. So, here are my accomplishments for the week:

1) As already mentioned, cleaned out some of the very messy garage. Still a long way to go, but made progress.

2) Placed the order for a shed to replace our garage space.

3) Attended three sessions with my new chiropractor. Jury is still out, but so far, so good. Also made it to two yoga classes.

4) Came up with name "socialized nature" to describe stupidity of current discussion on socialism. Perhaps greatest accomplishment of the week.

5) Filed application for remodel permit. It did take me too trips, and my first trip had me in front of man probably ten years my junior rolling his eyes at my ignorance. Can't fight city hall, but did have the instinct to give him the time honored gesture indicating his number one status. Did not give into that instinct, and my second visit went much better.

6) Removed a few more rocks from my pond water feature.

7) Bottled my IPA this afternoon (tasted really good coming out of the secondary).

Now to make dinner and get ready for the OU/Michigan game. Tomorrow, I make gumbo and am planning on making the darkest roux I can possibly muster. Hmm... roux.

Later.

Yeah, I am still here

Though it has been a weird week.

After a fabulous visit last week with our fabulous niece, I faced spring break and the need to clean out the garage. I have not mentioned it here, but we are trying to remodel that space into something useful--well, more useful than the storage of random crap ... and a lawnmower.

The weird part of the week, however, began Saturday night when we attended a film about and concert with Wanda Jackson--the Oklahoma contribution to women in rock. Most of this was pretty cool, but there was also a fairly weird quality to this evening that I can't quite untangle. Parts tent meeting and altar call, and parts 1050s bad girl dating Elvis, mixed with parts current performer and forthcoming member of the Rock Hall of Fame. The entire thing had me feeling like world's were colliding in some way that unsettled me a little.

Monday, I started working on the garage with a borrowed truck (used to be my truck) and giving away some of the crap from the garage. Along the way, I had a great coffee with my friend JS, and even had a great little connection to an electrical contractor who has done a lot of work for us over the years, and with whom I feel a friendship.

That was cool.

Tuesday, I made my first visit to a chiropractor's office. I grew up with the sense that they were not legitimate, but have just had so many friends who tell me how much help their chiropractor has been to them. After a month or so of nagging back pain, I broke down and went to one in the city that came highly recommended. He is a pretty nice guy, and uses this cool little computerized tool to stimulate the muscles in the back. I went back yesterday, and am scheduled to go again tomorrow. Not terribly convenient, but so far, it has been intriguing and even helpful. We shall see.

Last night, I enjoyed a few beers with a history colleague from Germany. My favorite moment, I think, was when I mentioned the conservatives talking about Obama leading us into socialism. I believe he nearly spit out beer, and then became a little irritated at this nonsense. I told him that I had decided to start referring to our National Parks as "Socialized Nature," and will now accuse everyone who uses our Interstate Highway system at all as "socialists."

Well, it amused me.

Larry Wilmore on being white in today's climate

Wilmore is brilliant most of the time, but this one is just amazing.

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Louis CK on just how spoiled we all are

H/t to my guitar buddy for this one.

Jon Swift on Bristol Palin

Brilliant as always.

Why Bristol Palin Is Different: "We should have the courage of our convictions and not play the liberal game of moral equivalency. Instead of trying to explain away Bristol's pregnancy we should be defending it, holding her up as an example of the difference between liberal teenage unwed mothers and conservative teenage unwed mothers. Because just as it is true that, as Richard Nixon once said, 'When the President does it, that means it is not illegal.' when a good Christian conservative has a child out of wedlock, that means it's not immoral."

Jon Stewart as real journalist

We turned on the The Daily Show to watch the interview with Jim Cramer, and both of us watched in amazement. We both expected fluff, and instead watched Jon Stewart absolutely lay into Cramer and CNBC. This was one of the most interesting news events I have yet to see. You won't see David Gregory do this. And you won't see Brian Williams do it. It took a comedian doing fake news.

Couple of take-aways: one, that Republican deregulation allowed much of this to occur, with Democratic complicity, btw. From 1999-2007, the market increased at a 30% rate, and everyone got greedy. That happened to me as well, and I am well aware that, as I said, Democrats were complicit in this. But this is what happens when you assume that CEOs and Wall Street have our best interest at heart. Deregulation and lower taxes have been the repeating mantra of the right, and this is what you get. Cramer talked about indictments for these people, but I really wonder if they broke many laws in robbing from the 401ks. Republicans have made a sport out of elevating the rich and convincing the poor that their interests are the same.

That was the second takeaway, that Jon identified the central disconnect between the interests of the very rich and the interests of the average investor. CNBC (and Republicans and Democrats in Congress) catered to the interests of the very wealthy, and assumed that would help everyone out. When some of us point that out, we are accused of "class warfare" but the reality is that, as Jon points out, there are two economies. And one is a game played with little morality or ethics that is funded by the investment economy of ordinary people playing by the rules.

This was one of those watershed events, I think, where Jon Stewart dared to point out the naked emperor. He did so with humor and anger, at one point telling Cramer how angry it made him to hear him describe how to game the system.

Here is a clip from the uncensored edition:

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The Thin Line Between Socialism and Capitalist Nirvana

Interesting graph showing how socialist Reagan really was.