PoliTalkBack

What the right understands: "Words = power"

2007-06-08T04:01:00.000-04:00

In a recent post about Mitt Romney, Josh Marshall remarked "...I find him genuinely frightening."

I believe that those of us on the left need to stop referring to folks on the other side as 'scary' or 'frightening'. Why? No, it's not to be nice. You see when we say that one of their guys is 'frightening', a sizeable proportion of the right thinks to themselves 'good'. You see, frightening is strong, frightening is powerful, frightening is tough.

Calling people frightening gives them a heft, an importance and a power that they don't deserve. By contrast, think about how they refer to our side. 'Kooky', 'nutty', 'the looney left'. Why? Because just as 'frightening' assigns power, words like 'looney' drain power. They are dismissive.

We need to stop giving the right more power than they deserve. We can start by how we think about them and talk about them. Words matter.

The "jobs that Americans won't do" fallacy

2006-08-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

I recently read: "President Bush was right that there are jobs that Americans won't do,..." - Navarrette: Can you make it past my last name? (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/24/navarrette/index.html) This is, quite simply, a lie and it's time that reporters and commentators quit repeating it. Can anyone really point to a type of job that illegals are doing that hard working Americans are not also doing? No. And the statement by the president (repeated by many) is a real slap in the face to all those Americans who have to compete with illegals for work. It is a question of money. Here is an example: Q. Would you work at a fast food place serving burgers for $5.00 per hour? A. No. Q.Would you work at a fast food place serving burgers for $500.00 per hour? A. Hmm, $20,000 per week? Hell yeah, I would. At the right price, there is NO job that Americans won't do. So the real question is: Why are we allowing businesses to keep their wages down by hiring illegals who will work at jobs for so little that many Americans can't afford to do those jobs. Simply put, if the illegals were not here, businesses would have to raise their wages to attract enough workers. It is time we stop letting the President and all the lapdog press and pundits get away with this lie. They should be saying: "there are jobs that not enough Americans will do unless you pay them more."

The "Voting = Treason" crowd

2006-08-14T14:49:00.000-04:00

Ted Kennedy has a great article about Dick Cheney and the "Voting = Treason" crowd. Here is a roundup of what others have had to say about Cheney's words.

Should we be afraid now or later?

2006-08-12T22:17:00.000-04:00

British wanted to continue surveillance on terror suspects, official says Key quote:

"In contrast to previous reports, the official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports."

And:

"...while the investigation into the bombing plot began "months ago," some suspects were known to the security services even before the London subway bombings last year."

You might want to put off your fear for a while.

How Ned Lamont Blew it on Primary Night

2006-08-12T02:02:00.000-04:00

I watched the coverage on C-SPAN. Here is what Ned did wrong. 1) Ned needed to realize that primary night is not a night for thank-yous and congratulations. It is, first and formost, the first and most important day of the fall campaign. 2) Ned needed to understand that he was not talking to the people in that room. He was talking to all the potential voters in the state. For many people, this may be the only time they have seen him, and may be the only time they see him until election night in November. Never squander that kind of audience. 3) Timing. Ned needed somebody to make sure he was in front of the cameras as soon as Lieberman was finished (perhaps even just before the end). The tv stations would have been forced to cut to him (after all he was the winner), and deprive Lieberman of that end of rally euphoria, and make sure the audience didn't drift away. 4) Contingencies. Ned should have listened to the Lieberman speech or had someone listen to it and let him know how aggresive he could be. Once Lieberman started into the "we won't quit" talk, and especially launched into criticism of Lamont, Ned should have been given the heads up that the gloves were off. No need to be polite. Time to deal Lieberman the death blow. 5) Talk directly to the Lieberman supporters. Many of them wanted to stay with Lieberman because of a perception that Lieberman, based on seniority, is a big man in the Senate. Remind them that as an independant, he might as well be a freshman. All Lieberman's important committee assignments will go to real Democrats come November, even if he wins.

CNN... Fox News light?

2006-08-11T22:54:00.000-04:00

A group claiming links with al Qaeda and responsibility for the Madrid train bombings said it wants George Bush to win another term in November, but that didn't stop CNN Justice Department correspondent Kelli Arena from saying May 27 that al Qaeda prefers John Kerry in the upcoming US elections. Arena, apparently reflecting the Republican Party line, claimed, "there is some speculation that al Qaeda believes it has a better chance of winning in Iraq if John Kerry is in the White House." But Reuters reported March 17 that the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings, said it supported Bush in his re-election campaign, and would prefer him to win in November rather than Kerry, as it was not possible to find a leader "more foolish than you (Bush), who deals with matters by force rather than with wisdom." http://www.populist.com/04.12.dispatches.html That was in 2004. Now there is this: "And might some argue, as some have, that Lamont is the al Qaeda candidate?” http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/11/headline-news-lamont/ The more things change...

Cognitive dissonance...

2004-05-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

The real reason people still back Bush and the war...

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon which refers to the discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information or interpretation. It therefore occurs when there is a need to accommodate new ideas, and it may be necessary for it to develop so that we become "open" to them. Neighbour (1992) makes the generation of appropriate dissonance into a major feature of tutorial (and other) teaching: he shows how to drive this kind of intellectual wedge between learners' current beliefs and "reality". Beyond this benign if uncomfortable aspect, however, dissonance can go "over the top", leading to two interesting side-effects for learning: if someone is called upon to learn something which contradicts what they already think they know — particularly if they are committed to that prior knowledge — they are likely to resist the new learning. Even Carl Rogers recognised this. Accommodation is more difficult than Assimilation, in Piaget's terms. if learning something has been difficult, uncomfortable, or even humiliating enough, people are not likely to admit that the content of what has been learned is not valuable. To do so would be to admit that one has been "had", or "conned".

Kerry laying low...

2004-05-17T22:35:00.000-04:00

Josh Marshall is making the point that Kerry should stay out of the way of a self destructing Bush.

Trying to land punches when he's desperate and going down gives him the opportunity to hit back. And in a dire moment that may be all he has. Why give him the opportunity. With all we're seeing in Iraq right now, does anyone really need to 'make the case'? I'd say the case is making itself.

One point I would like to add is the problem with events outside Kerry's control. For example, now there may have been a chemical weapon found in Iraq:

Officials cautioned that field tests had identified traces of sarin but that more sophisticated tests would be conducted outside Iraq. During the invasion of Iraq last year, U.S. forces reported many discoveries of poison gases or germ weapons, but further testing showed they were false alarms.

There will be other surprises, so best not to say things that could come back to haunt him if events change. However, now would be a great time to focus on the big themes of the campaign.

Offer voters a bold moral vision of what America can be. A vision that is bigger than the things that divide us. A vision that brings hope and soul back to our politics and appeals to more than voters' narrow self-interests. A vision that makes America once again a respected force for good in the world.

Jackass award... close call

2004-05-12T02:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I thought that Joe Lieberman was the biggest jackass on the Senate panel for the silly speech he made to Rummy which still tried to link Iraq to 9/11. Mr. Secretary, the behavior by Americans at the prison in Iraq is, as we all acknowledge, immoral, intolerable and un-American. It deserves the apology that you have given today and that have been given by others in high positions in our government and our military. I cannot help but say, however, that those who were responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, never apologized... But no, it was James Inhofe who took the prize for his rant today. ...as I watch this outrage that everyone seems to have about the treatment of these prisoners I have to say and I'm probably not the only one up at this table that is more outraged by the outrage than we are by the treatment. The man is clearly unhinged.

Torture is in our nature

2004-05-06T12:12:00.000-04:00

Many people have suggested that Americans, simply by virtue of their being American couldn't be torturers. "This is not the America I know," said the president, and others. Let me tell you about the America I know. 1. It has been shown repeatedly that the CIA has conducted and taught torture in the 60's, and even as recently as 1983. 2. The Stanford Prison Experiment has shown us that brutality is possible in any environment where one group of people is given power over another. 3. I have said this before, but lynching was common in America until less than 100 years ago. I think that if more people had been willing to accept that the torture tragedy at Abu Ghraib prison could happen, they would have looked out for it, and possibly prevented it. It's time for Americans to take the blinders off and accept that we are human like everybody else, and not uniquely better just because we are American.

7 ABC affiliates ordered not to air 'Nightline'

2004-04-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

"Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its seven ABC stations not to broadcast Friday's "Nightline" that will air the names and photographs of the more than 500 U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war."

History of US Interventions

2004-04-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

The history we like to forget The history the rest of the world can't forget http://www.adbusters.org/jams/history/flash.html

Clearly the most important news of the day...

2004-04-28T18:44:00.000-04:00

Congressman omits 'under God' from Pledge of Allegiance A spokesman for McDermott said Wednesday that McDermott, 67, made a mistake in his recitation of the pledge Tuesday on the House floor. Spokesman Mike DeCesare said McDermott told him that as a child he had learned the pledge without the phrase "under God." The phrase was added to the pledge in 1954. No, you're not reading The Onion...

Sounding like Communist China...

2004-04-27T17:23:00.000-04:00

The Bush administration will today seek to prevent a former FBI translator from providing evidence about 11 September intelligence failures to a group of relatives and survivors who have accused international banks and officials of aiding al-Qa'ida. Sibel Edmonds was subpoenaed by a law firm representing more than 500 family members and survivors of the attacks to testify that she had seen information proving there was considerable evidence before September 2001 that al-Qa'ida was planning to strike the US with aircraft. The lawyers made their demand after reading comments Mrs Edmonds had made to The Independent. But the US Justice Department is seeking to stop her from testifying, citing the rarely used "STATE SECRETS privilege". Today in a federal court in Washington, senior government lawyers will try to gag Mrs Edmonds, claiming that disclosure of her evidence "would cause serious damage to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States".

More about Propaganda

2004-04-27T09:49:00.000-04:00

Propaganda Critic http://www.propagandacritic.com/ Propaganda techniques http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Propaganda_techniques

Chris Vlasto... now he's gunning for Kerry

2004-04-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

Chris Vlasto "Also significant is the identity of one of the report’s producers: Chris Vlasto. He was last in the news when he was identified as a media agent of the right-wing operatives who engineered the Clinton impeachment. Vlasto picked up the tab for a celebratory dinner for Paula Jones and her Christian fundamentalist attorneys the day they succeeded in hauling Clinton before a grand jury and compelling him to testify under oath about his sexual history, including answering questions about Monica Lewinsky." Now he's gunning for Kerry with this "Exclusive" for ABC News

Psychology of the right

2004-04-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

Psychology of the right Bush Dominates a Nation of Victims http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16243 Language: A Key Mechanism of Control http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4443.htm Limbaugh's Fans Are Certain They're Right http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1112-02.htm Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition[pdf] http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/Jost/_private/Political_Conservatism_as_Motivated_Social_Cognition.pdf Paternalism & The New GOP http://www.g21.net/right8.html The right wing's summer of hate http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/08/15/hate/index_np.html Stunning Victory in a Propaganda War http://truthout.org/docs_03/091403J.shtml

How Republicans see themselves and Democrats.

2004-04-26T11:06:00.000-04:00

"We see life as it is," May says of Red Americans. Stein calls Blue Americans "whiners."

News you can use?

2004-04-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

University of Maryland researchers found that Fox News viewers were four times more likely than National Public Radio listeners to believe that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11, that most of the world supported the Iraq war, that U.S. forces found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. They didn't just believe Pentagon spin, they believed things that are completely -- and demonstrably -- false. But here's the rub: CBS ranked right behind Fox with a 71 percent score, while CNN and NBC tied as the best-performing commercial broadcast audience at 55 percent. Forty-seven percent of print media readers held at least one misperception.

A Canadian's take on Fox News

2004-04-24T22:44:00.000-04:00

I've never been called "a douche-nozzle" before. At least, not that I know about anyway. The insult came from one supporter of the Fox News Channel. But then I don't think The Globe and Mail has ever been called "the far-left Toronto Globe and Mail" before. That's what this great newspaper was called by Bill O'Reilly on the Fox News Channel on Monday night.

The Fourth Estate

2004-04-23T08:22:00.000-04:00

This is further proof that "we the people" can no longer count on "the fourth estate" to keep the government in check. We must do it ourselves. Executives at news organizations, many of whom have protested the policy, said last night that they had not known that the Defense Department itself was taking photographs of the coffins arriving home, a fact that came to light only when Russ Kick, the operator of The Memory Hole, filed his request. "We were not aware at all that these photos were being taken," said Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times.

Reuters VS AP

2004-04-22T15:03:00.000-04:00

Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites)'s military records, released on Wednesday after critics questioned one of his medals, show he was a highly praised commander credited with killing at least 20 enemy soldiers. Initial AP story: By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Records of John Kerry's Vietnam War service released Wednesday show a highly praised naval officer with an Ivy League education who spoke fluent French and had raced sailboats - the fruits of a privileged upbringing that set him apart from the typical seaman. Later update to this: By NEDRA PICKLER The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Records of John Kerry's Vietnam War service released Wednesday show a highly praised naval officer who volunteered for a dangerous assignment and at one point was "unofficially credited with 20 enemy killed in action."

First They Came for the Jews...

2004-04-21T10:58:00.000-04:00

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. Pastor Martin Niemöller

I report, you decide...

2004-04-20T21:06:00.000-04:00

Today I read an article about a document from one American official in Iraq to another. The article went to great lengths to explain what was in the memo, and what it meant, without ever showing the memo. Meanwhile I was thinking "why not just print the memo and let ME decide what it means". Well, somebody finally got the idea. Decide for yourself what it means.

But which ones are smarter?

2004-04-19T23:13:00.000-04:00

So, Republicans really ARE different.. Politics on the Brain? Resorting to M.R.I.'s for Partisan Signals "But they have already noticed intriguing patterns in how Democrats and Republicans look at candidates. They have tested 11 subjects and say they need to test twice that many to confirm the trend."

Follow the money...

2004-04-18T22:25:00.000-04:00

Looks like Bob Woodward has tracked down another Republican breach of the constitution: “Gets to a point where in July, the end of July 2002, they need $700 million, a large amount of money for all these tasks. And the president approves it. But Congress doesn't know and it is done. They get the money from a supplemental appropriation for the Afghan War, which Congress has approved. …Some people are gonna look at a document called the Constitution which says that no money will be drawn from the treasury unless appropriated by Congress. Congress was totally in the dark on this." These guys just hate to play by the rules. Will they finally get a slap on the wrist by congress? Don't hold your breath.

Bush WAS on the case...

2004-04-17T01:23:00.000-04:00

... Bush O.K., tell Tenet to get himself down here in the next few days. I want to make sure that we're doing everything possible to prevent whatever the Evil One is planning. I want people at our borders looking out for bad guys. And if Big Beard is into aviation, let's watch flight schools and airports. We're America. Nobody pushes us around. Briefer Mr. President, the bureau already has 70 investigations open on bin Laden. They're on top of it. Bush I want to make sure. Word's got to get out that stopping an attack is top priority. If there's chatter about a major attack soon — Oklahoma City or worse — I don't want us sitting on our duffs. I want to light a fire under the bureaucracy. Let's kick butt. ... Oh, sorry...That was all a dream.

Circus of the inane

2004-04-13T12:04:00.000-04:00

Here is today's CNN quick poll: Who is responsible for the current crisis in Iraq? &125; The coalition &125; The insurgents OhKay... Somebody decided that the site MUST BE INTERACTIVE , apparently, no matter how pointless that interaction.

Oh, is that all...

2004-04-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

You can't make this stuff up: The president also stressed that the memo's two explicit references to hijackings were "not a hijacking of an airplane to fly into a building" but "hijacking of airplanes in order to free somebody that was being held as a prisoner in the United States." Oh, is that all... I guess a standard run-of-the-mill hijacking would not be worth getting excited about... I fault the printer. You see, Al Queda had beautiful engraved invitations all picked out, but the printing run was late, so the president didn't get his.

Bring 'em on...

2004-04-11T18:25:00.000-04:00

Well, they are bringing it. And we are still losing troops. Meanwhile, back in Texas, George Bush is clearing brush on the new ranch. Here is a suggestion for the April 12 PDB (Presidential Daily Briefing)... Dear Mr. President, We know how pleasant a long vacation can be (though it has been a while), and Texas can be beautiful this time of year. However, you started a war a while back, and though you planned for it to be over by now, sorry to say, it is still going on. Now pay close attention, because this is the "actionable" part. Why don't you get off your POTUS ass, and GET BACK TO WORK. Sincerely, The American People

Change is Good

2004-04-08T00:41:00.000-04:00

Well, a few folks from Harlem are annoyed that their favorite radio station WLIB has turned into AirAmerica Radio. As an African American who used to live in Gotham, I gotta say...I won't miss it. The fact is, the station was caribean centric, and though I have some ancestry there, it is not a focus for me, or, it seems, most NYC African Americans. The station never made money, and after all, it was a business in the end. The complaints that there are not enough AAs at AirAmerica, is not quite accurate, as there are at least three. For a national station, that seems like a pretty healthy ratio (last I checked, the country was still majority white). I understand that the protest was organized by a former employee of WLIB (not the one who moved on to AirAmerica, I suppose). Fox news is gleefully reporting this, of course, as are other conservative outlets.

Propaganda techniques

2004-04-07T15:27:00.000-04:00

Here is a great list of propaganda techniques that the right wing employs so well. Next time you are listening to Rush, Bush, Hannity, or Cheney (you listen?) see if you can pick out the techniques being employed. "We won't get fooled again!" - The Who

Clinton's final report

2004-04-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

The right wing Washington Times is peddling the idea that Clinton's final report does not show that Al Qaeda was an urgent threat. "...refers to Osama bin Laden by name just four times." http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040406-121654-1495r.htm But it's best to read the report for yourself: Key paragraph: "Afghanistan remains a serious threat to U.S. worldwide interests because of the Taliban's continued sheltering of international terrorists and its increasing export of illicit drugs. Afghanistan remains the primary safehaven for terrorists threatening the United States, including Usama bin Ladin. The United Nations and the United States have levied sanctions against the Taliban for harboring Usama bin Ladin and other terrorists, and will continue to pressure the Taliban until it complies with international requests to bring bin Ladin to justice. The United States remains concerned about those countries, including Pakistan, that support the Taliban and allow it to continue to harbor such radical elements. We are engaged in energetic diplomatic efforts, including through the United Nations and with Russia and other concerned countries, to address these concerns on an urgent basis." This is the only use of the word "urgent" in the whole report. Also: "Whenever possible, we use law enforcement, diplomatic, and economic tools to wage the fight against terrorism. But there have been, and will be, times when those tools are not enough. As long as terrorists continue to target American citizens, we reserve the right to act in self-defense by striking at their bases and those who sponsor, assist, or actively support them, as we have done over the years in different countries. Fighting terrorism requires a substantial commitment of financial, human, and political resources. Since 1993, both the FBI's counterterrorism budget and the number of FBI agents assigned to counterterrorism have more than doubled. The President has also created and filled the post of National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counterterrorism. Three presidential directives now coordinate the efforts of senior counterterrorism personnel from various government agencies in dealing with WMD and other threats at home. The FBI and the State Department, respectively, operate Rapid Deployment Teams and interagency Foreign Emergency Support Teams to deploy quickly to scenes of terrorist incidents worldwide."

Mercenary Killing

2004-04-05T00:57:00.000-04:00

The killing in Fallujah was outrageous, But two points ought to be made: 1. Why is it the military can afford to pay these mercenaries $1000 per day, but can't afford to provide body armor and good pay for all of our regular troops? 2. How outraged should we really be when we know that just 60 or 70 years ago, this kind of thing was common in this country! Lynching in America The lynching of Rubin Stacy. Onlookers, including four young girls. July 19, 1935, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

2004-04-04T22:10:00.000-04:00

NEWSWEEK EXCLUSIVE: Before Rice Agreed to Testify in Public, 9/11 Commission Executive Director Faxed White House 1945 Photo Showing Presidential Chief of Staff Appearing Before Pearl Harbor Congressional Panel the photograph would"...be all over Washington in 24 hours," http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040404/nysu007a_1.html Did you notice the elipses in the quote? I wonder what the whole quote said. Maybe something like "probably leak out and"... the photograph would"...be all over Washington in 24 hours,"

2004-04-04T21:28:00.000-04:00

"The Bush administration came in and the scope of our investigation was considerably shortened. I had never seen something so corrupt and lawless in my entire career." Jack Spadaro Here we go again... Another round of corruption and cover-up. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/01/60minutes/main609889.shtml

2004-04-04T17:26:00.000-04:00

I found this article to be funny in a way: Taiwan interior minister offers to resign http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-04-04-taiwan_x.htm The funny part is the fourth paragraph: "It is a Taiwanese tradition for government and military officials to take responsibility for problems or mistakes and resign." The Associated Press assumed that since nobody in government here ever takes responsibility for mistakes, they'd better explain. I laughed 'till I cried (or vise-versa).

2004-04-01T13:16:00.000-05:00

A really really funny Bush Vs Bush Flip Flop video

2004-04-01T13:08:00.000-05:00

Daily Kos has another list of Bush Flip-Flops.

2004-04-01T13:03:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press recently compiled a list of recent Bush flip-flops: •The president initially argued that a federal Department of Homeland Security wasn't needed, but then devised a plan to create one. •He resisted a commission to investigate Iraq intelligence failures, but then relented. •He opposed, and then supported, a two-month extension of the 9/11 commission's work, after the panel said protracted disputes over access to White House documents left too little time. •He initially said any access to the president by the commission would be limited to just one hour but relaxed the limit earlier this month.

2004-04-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

Google is offering 1 gigabyte of storage space for their new email service. Sounds incredible, but rest assured that Google has crunched the numbers. These guys are scientists and mathmaticians. First off, the growth of storage space is not linear with signups. There are no special pieces of each disk set aside for each user just a quota number. Secondly, people will have a tendency to delete unwanted messages such as spam just so they won't have to look through them. Third, if you think disk space is cheap for your own pc, imagine what it costs for Google. Finally, this bold move is going to suck all the life out of all the other free email services long before anybody hits 1Gig of storage space.

2004-03-31T18:39:00.000-05:00

Howard Dean is having a live chat. He's pushing his Democracy for America.

2004-03-31T15:57:00.000-05:00

So George W needs to have Dick Cheney sit with him for his testimony to the 9/11 commission. I guess we know who the daddy is in that family...Who's your daddy?

2004-03-31T13:25:00.000-05:00

Heh, heh. Bob Kerry is ripping Bush a new one on the Franken show.

2004-03-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

So, I'm listening to Franken's show (Air America Radio http://www.airamericaradio.com/). Sounds great to me. Funny.