Uh, folks... it's been 8 years already!

Petraeus: We Won't Repeat Russia's Mistakes In Afghanistan

Not that long ago (9 Aug), we had this:

Sen. Lindsey Graham Sunday warned that the U.S. must not ‘Rumsfeld’ the war there [in Afghanistan], a reference to former Bush Administration Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Uh, folks... it's been 8 years.

We've already Rumsfelded Afghanistan.
We've been there just over 8 years. The Soviets pulled out after 9.

Even Nixon had the decency to admit defeat in Viet Nam... or was it "declare victory & go home" - either way, he decommitted the U.S. military from further engagement.

Why can't we do the same in Afghanistan?

Once Humpty-Dumpty is broken, "all the kings horses and all the kings men..."
And this egg was broken as soon as Rummy determined that boots on the ground were obsolete.

personal note

With reference to "self-diagnosis" post below: For now I've opted for "snap out of it!" - resolving to post at least once per day.
I figure the doing - whether inspired or not - will eventually lead to inspired, brilliant commentary! (Well - at least as brilliant and inspired as usual...)

The down side: readers are likely to notice slightly more desultory posts. I've NOT resolved to post brilliant analyses, only to post!!!

making the point better than I

The Audacity of Option
Kevin Maley
The United States stands alone among advanced nations that do not guarantee basic health care for its citizens. We spend half a trillion dollars a year on our military, and accept this on the premise that the government should protect the lives of its citizens. In most other countries, this logic extends to health care; every citizen has basic health insurance, paid for by the government. Everyone is insured. But in the United States, over 47 million Americans are not insured, mainly because we live in a system where you have insurance if you can afford it; if not, you are screwed. We are a country, to paraphrase Senator Kennedy, where the state of an individual's health depends on the size of a individual's wealth.

the next big hurdle...

I note that regulation of the financial sector is beginning to make news again.

Brilliant advice for those favoring increased regulation: Anticipate the crap the loyal opposition will be spewing.

... I'm betting the crap will start with paeans to the magic of the market - and how anything threatening to interfere with the magic of the market is a socialist evil!

Point 1: Laugh out loud whenever anyone mentions the magic of the market!!!
Point 2: Repeat point 1.

Point 3: Okay - regulation is socialism. So what? Socialism protects you and me and the rest of We the People from the predations of unbridled capitalists!

Recall: pure, unbridled capitalism - the unregulated financial sector - brought about the current economic & financial crisis... abetted by the demi-god of free-market efficiency, Alan Greenspan.
[It wouldn't hurt to recall that the Crash of '29 and the ensuing Great Depression was likewise brought on by pure, unbridled capitalism - an unregulated financial sector... and that St. Reagan's dismantling of Depression-era financial-sector regulation is more than just a little to blame for the current mess!]

... It's time we resurrected late 19th-century images of Capitalists as Agents of Evil!

so how come?...

Not that long ago, Republicans of all stripes - Congressional leaders and non-elected Republican talking heads - were peddling "Obamacare" as "death panels".
The media, though taking note of these false claims, seldom made it clear that the claims were FALSE, and never chastised the Prominent Republican Spokesperson for making the FALSE CLAIMS.

Now a Democratic Congressman has dared to declare that Republicans want to "die quickly" if they get sick.
The airwaves are full of media condemnation. "Wholly inappropriate"!

Joe Wilson's outburst ("You lie!") during Presidential address to Joint Session is mildly, even humorously, chastised.

Tell me again: where's that "liberal media bias" I keep hearing about???

Just a reminder: Eric Cantor (R-VA) suggests woman with tumors - but no health insurance - find an existing govt program or rely on charity.
Did major media report this?
No! - Progressive blogs did!

Republicans & Blue Dogs don't care about We the People!
They DO want to protect insurance company profits!

Stop the madness!!!

self-diagnosis

Posting recently has been light.
Letter-writing - both personal & political - is pretty much non-existent.

I'm depressed. Entering year 8 of 'living with cancer' - wife with terminal cancer... she's feeling treatment is worse than the disease, and has started talking about purely palliative care.
I'm sole care-giver with few outlets.

One of the outlets used to be this blog - but recently I've had a hard time getting excited about the continuing depressing daily news.

Three options seem available:
1) snap out of it
2) seek professional help
3) continue to fall into the deep dark

eBay currency index

The dollar is rebounding!
eBay item listed at 499.99 GBP today shows $$$ equivalence = $797.21! - Just a few days ago it was $819.

Not that facts matter, but...

CBO Estimates Show Public Plan With Higher Savings Rate

The article reveals that CBO figures do not represent published research, but oral communication from CBO to Speaker Pelosi.
Hmmm...

Sure would be nice to see CBO numbers in official format.

In case you missed it

The 150th anniversary of Darwin's On the Origin of Species fast approaches: 24 Nov 2009.
Seems former child-actor Kirk Cameron wants to use the event to creatively publicize his Xianist perspective.
I'll not post the original.
This send-up stands on its own:

Note: if this doesn't play well, try the original YouTube link:
Origin of Stupidity:

Oh, good: I'm not alone

Long ago I noted that I finally managed to discourage calls & mail from DSCC & DCCC by writing 'em checks for $2.71 & $2.29, respectively... the intent being to make administrative costs of processing the donations exceed nominal value. (Note: 2, 29, 71, 229, and 271 are all prime... and the sum is a convenient-to-track $5.00)

Seems I'm not the only one who's fed up. From C&L commentary on this article:

The reporter doesn't mention that the netroots community (aka the Democratic ATM) has stopped donating to the DCCC and the DSCC, and instead donate directly to candidates - mostly because we're so disgusted with the Blue Dogs Rahm Emanuel and Co. have recruited.

There are decent Dem incumbents. There are also some real stinkers. Simple cost/benefit analysis suggests it's cheaper & more effective to support the folks you like directly - by-passing DCCC & DSCC.

it's been a while...

... since I last posted.

I'm still reading the news, but haven't been able to get ginned up about it.

Meanwhile: here's a nice article on my high school friend's tea-party experience:

The DC 9/12 Rally: A Lone Protester Stands Up for the Public Option

He also posted a diary on DailyKos:

My walk through the Tea Party

FYI: the sign is home-made, using only standard office equipment, some poster-making software, and clear contact paper... a bunch of 8.5"x11" sheets painstakingly assembled.

back in NM

i mentioned to a few folks that bit about visiting the Capitol & walking around the Mall being inspirational.
No one was surprised.

The folks to whom I mentioned this have all been in DC for at least a couple of decades, and all have worked at some time or other for the Fed Govt.
Each related a story to the effect that, "Yeah, when I used to take the Metro across the Potomac every morning, seeing the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol all lined up was just a fabulous way to start the day!"
... apparently the 'inspirational' thing isn't limited to the tourists.

a note from our nation's capital

Corny as it may sound, it was truly inspirational and delightful to visit the Capitol and walk the National Mall!... I think I was smiling pretty much continuously - and I got a lot of smiles back!

A scheduled tour conflicted with a scheduled meeting with my Representative... I opted for the tour. (I'm not very good 1:1, and really didn't have anything to tell him that I can't get off my chest via email or snailmail.) I did have a chance to speak with one of his young staffers - a fellow I knew from last fall's campaign.

Senate Gallery: saw a roll-call vote on an amendment to some bill. Bingaman & Udall both in attendance.
House Gallery: watched part of a debate on an energy bill. Republican speaker, "this will kill U.S. industry." Democratic speaker, "this will enable U.S. industry."...
... walked away from this feeling very happy that there are people willing to serve in Congress so that I don't have to!

Weather: fairly pleasant - mild temp, overcast... but the humidity is a killer for someone - like me - accustomed to NM dry.

to tell the truth...

... I honestly can't say that healthcare reform was - or is - one of my top priorities for the new Administration...

... BUT: I'd sure like to see Dems show some spine for a change, and if the current hot issue is healthcare reform, then I'm a rabid advocate of true REFORM, and expect my Dem Representative and Senators to back true REFORM 100%.

As I've stated many times before, I'm really sick of headlines that start with, "Dems cave..."

an afterthought re: W's economic legacy

I sure hope folks at DNC, DCCC, and DSCC are paying attention!
My free advice (worth every penny)?

RUN ON W's RECORD!!!

... yep, even in 2010.

We already knew this...

... but it's nice to have latest data.

Closing The Book On The Bush Legacy
Sep 11 2009,
by Ronald Brownstein
The Atlantic
Thursday's annual Census Bureau report on income, poverty and access to health care-the Bureau's principal report card on the well-being of average Americans-closes the books on the economic record of George W. Bush.

It's not a record many Republicans are likely to point to with pride.

It's probably time I update this graph:
I note that Republicans can claim they were right! - The tax-cuts, which predominantly benefitted upper-income Americans - worked like a charm! While median-income households lost earning power, the upper 5% GAINED 1.4% from 2007 to 2008 - not huge, but better than negative!

Recall, as recently as last spring, the Republican solution to economic malaise continues to be , "TAX CUTS"!... for the wealthy, of course. (... or, in Republican parlance, the "job creators"... tho' one might ask, "So how come we gave 'em tax cuts and they're still shedding jobs?")

Just a fun (humorous) quotation

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.
- Ellen DeGeneres

Only a week late!

More from One Fly:

Labor Day - The Reason For It And The Innocent Men Who Went to their Death

It's a good read.

Meanwhile, OneFly clues us in...

What this really means

Off to DC Tuesday

Occasion for trip: a Gilbert & Sullivan exhibit at Smithsonian's Dibner Library.