January 17, 2010 archive

FireDogLake’s resident Obamabot-with-power, Jason Rosenbaum, reacted to a user diary the author of which stated that she will no longer vote for Democrats unless they earn her vote by posting a dishonest, condescending, bullying entry in which he exhorted disaffected progressives not to “be Naderites.”  Surprisingly, the diatribe earned well over 750 comments, most of which come from people smart enough to know what they were reading and who are having none of it.

This further illustrates what I wrote about in my previous entry exposing the utter hypocrisy of self-appointed, phony progressive “leaders” in the blogosphere.  It is important for us on the left to identify our enemies, not only on the right, but on what passes for the left as well.  Bloggers like Rosenbaum are a large part of the reason progressive voters either stay home or vote third party.  They are overgrown children who treat adults like children, engage in extremely hostile behavior toward those whose support they claim is so vital, then turn around and whine, just as Hillary Clinton did in 2008, about how we’re too “stupid” to realize how much we need them.

Progressives really deserve better leaders in the blogosphere.  The question is, who’s going to step up to the plate?

Frederic Podoux/Getty Images

We are on the brink…so we are told and so we will see as the photographs roll in from Haiti, images of death, destruction, survival, conflict, and despair.  

We are ready, as they will paint a whole people as thugs and thieves and we will consume these images with a shake of the head. These descriptions will come from all sources, whether believed to be “left” or “right,” “objective” or Fox.

But we remember Katrina. We remember the power of the photograph and the greater power of seeing behind the image. Experiencing the visual content in light of the context.

Raytheon, a huge defense contractor right here in Massachusetts is hiring to beat the band.  There are even postings for a retiree rehire specialist.

Gee, I thought he won a “peace” prize.  When that happened I was elated. No, rapturous heavenly joy washed over me in the assured joy this would finally wake people up.  But no.  This time the prize is not destroying health care via a Scott Brown win.  I even saw a real billboard on mainstream TV even.  Obama as the Joker character being used against Obamacare.  What else is up for the new year?

Latest video news about Haiti from English Al-Jazeera

(3 very short videos posted at YouTube today January 17, 2010)

The United Nations says Haiti’s earthquake is the worst disaster it has ever had to deal with.

Aid is now pouring in, with a steady flow of relief getting through the nation’s only airport.

The World Food Programme says it expects to feed a million people. But survivors say help is not happening fast enough as dead bodies lie scattered on the capital’s streets.

Tarek Bazley reports.

And more continuing reporting on the British Iraq War Inquiry in the lead up to Tony Blairs testimony, as well as many others.

Blair ‘should face war charges’

16 Jan 2010 Almost a quarter of voters (23%) believe Tony Blair deliberately misled MPs over the Iraq war and should face war crimes charges, an opinion poll has found.

Snip

The YouGov survey for the Sunday Times found less than a third (32%) accepted that Mr Blair “genuinely believed in the threat” which he used to publicly justify sending UK troops, while 52% thought he had “deliberately misled” the country.

And by a similar margin (49% to 31%), they also said they believed his former communications director Alastair Campbell was not truthful when he gave evidence to Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry this week….>>>>>

Specialist Billy Miller was arrested for possessing child pornography while deployed to Afhanistan, is in the brig, and awaits his trial, which could lead to him spending up to 10 years in prison.

At this point, many that are reading this are probably already ready to string him up.

But, wait.  This story has a twist…