January 2011 archive

This is an improved rewrite of a previously-posted (elsewhere) review of Chris Hedges’ newest book, Death of the Liberal Class, which I am republishing as part of a discussion, occurring at DK4 and elsewhere, on “imagining postcapitalism.”  Hedges offers readers an important narrative to explain the disappearance of left politics rather than as suggestions for any sort of reality which we can bring about after the collapse of capitalism.  Hedges clearly suggests a solution; yet its perceived improbability leads Hedges to predict disaster.  In light of the continuing conformity of thought that characterizes this era (as I’ve discussed it in this diary), Hedges’ pessimism seems appropriate to the times.

(Cross-posted on Kos)

I.  Giraffes never hang their heads

“My favorite animal is a giraffe–it walks around with its head held high, proudly rising above the rest, never hanging its head in sadness or shame, always showing the world its smile.”

That’s what my mother told a camper at the summer camp in the Adirondacks she ran with my Dad in the 1960s and 1970s.  And that’s the way my Mom lived her life every single day until the day she died at 94, on January 27 of last year.  This diary is in honor of her first Yahrzeit.*

She was a 1915 baby, a Depression teen; a 1940 bride; a dance teacher; a camp counselor and owner; a mother to a war baby and a boomer; a jewelry maker; a proudly Jewish Ethical Culturist; and dozens of other varied and fascinating pursuits.  She brought light and inspiration to everyone she met, most of all to my Dad, to whom she was married for 67 years until he died at 91 in 2007.

Below:  

   Part II: Je t’aime, je t’adore, que veux-tu encore.

   Part III: Would you want to be a King .  .  .?

Next They’ll Be Charging You For The Oxygen You Breathe    

Airlines’ path for profits: Fly less, charge more

After a decade of multibillion-dollar losses, U.S. airlines appear to be on course to prosper for years to come for a simple reason: They are flying less.

By grounding planes and eliminating flights, airlines have cut costs and pushed fares higher. As the global economy rebounds, travel demand is rising and planes are as full as they’ve been in years.

Profit margins at big airlines are the highest in at least a decade, according to the government. The eight largest U.S. airlines are forecast to earn more than $5 billion this year and $5.6 billion in 2012.U.S. airlines are in the midst of reporting fourth-quarter results that should cap the industry’s first moneymaking year since 2007.

“The industry is in the best position – certainly in a decade – to post profitability,” says Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly. “The industry is much better prepared today than it was a decade ago.”

This essay is a companion piece to the “Atheists and Agnostics Need Not Apply” essay by The MomCat yesterday. It’s also a followup to a comment I made near the bottom of the threads.

It’s actually fairly common knowledge that RW evangelicals have been turning the USAF academy into a hell hole for non-evangelicals. Cadets are forced to pretend they are evangelicals or face harassment and /or expulsion.

A lot of what I’ll be quoting here goes to Thruthout. Here is their link. This essay was published 30 Sep 2010. It’s recent.

Like I said, the news is old. Here’s an article Air Force Removes Chaplain From Post –

Officer Decried Evangelicals’ Influence from WaPo dated 13 May 2005. That’s a five year time span. that’s a long term plan and a concerted effort to hijack the USAF, the Strategic Air Command and the Missile Command. This includes “Looking Glass” the nuclear super hardened command center deep in the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain.

I’m going to toss out some blockquotes so you can get a sense of what’s going on. Truthout and WaPo will be the origins. I don’t need to go any further than two articles five years apart. For now. Note the one cadet quote going back to 1977.

There’s a veteran’s group, the MRFF, that follows this closely. Here’s their cred: MRFF Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

October 27, 2009

The USAF Academy is located in Colorado Springs. It’s nick name is “the Evangelical Vatican”. Some small background via Wiki:

The military boom continued and in 1963, NORAD’s main facility was built in Cheyenne Mountain. This placed NORAD directly next to Colorado Springs and permanently secured the city’s military presence. During the Cold War the city greatly expanded due to increased revenue from various industries and the prevailing military presence in the city. In the mid 1970s, Ent Air Force Base was shut down and later converted into the United States Olympic Training Center. Military presence was further increased in 1983 with the founding of Falcon Air Force Base (later changed to Schriever Air Force Base), a base primarily tasked with missile defense and satellite control. Fort Carson and Peterson are still growing and continue to contribute to the city’s growth. Air Force Space Command is located on Peterson AFB.

Religious institutions

Focus on the Family Visitors Center

Although houses of worship of almost every major religion can be found in the city, Colorado Springs has attracted a large influx of Evangelical Christians and Christian organizations in recent years. At one time Colorado Springs was counted to be the national headquarters for 81 different religious organizations, earning the city the tongue-in-cheek nickname “the Evangelical Vatican”[48] and “The Christian Mecca”[citation needed]. Religious groups with regional or international headquarters in Colorado Springs include: the Association of Christian Schools International, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Compassion International, Every Home for Christ, Focus on the Family, HCJB, the International Bible Society, The Navigators, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, WAY-FM Media Group, Andrew Wommack Ministries, and Young Life.

Italics mine.

The BQs are after the jump. Enjoy. And be sure to follow the link to the last on and read the full article. If you don’t, you’ll be leaving yourself very ignorant and vulnerable  to a Fifth Column effort in the USAF.