Y’know, at some point my gut told me in his first term that if George W. were re-elected he would lead America into a depression. And not one word from him Wednesday night apologizing in any way that yet another world-shaking catastrophe is happening on his watch.
Anna Quindlen writes in Newsweek:
His party has been in power as the country has run aground, yet he and his people try to suggest that the same party with the same people and the same policies will somehow produce different results.
That noted reputable source for the finest in faux news, The Onion, has an exclusive on John McCain’s secret proposal for personal prosperity.
McCain’s Economic Plan For Nation: ‘Everyone Marry A Beer Heiress’
Something I haven’t heard yet is how much input bankers and brokers had in the drafting of the bank/insurance/brokerage bailout plan. For that matter, Henry Paulson came from Goldman Sachs, so that puts an element of doubt as to whose interests are really being served. Newsweek has a feature article on Paulson that I haven’t read yet. If there will be further foreclosures, thereby punishing the borrowers, will the big money boys be likewise made to feel some pain?
George W. is pushing for approval of the plan. Isn’t he the guy who said if we did what he wanted with taxes and the economy — which we did — everything would be great? Well, things didn’t turn out so well. So why should we believe him now? I’m very pleased to see so much bi-partisan push-back on the bailout, but I wish I were hearing a more realistic assessment of its pitfalls from Barney Frank.
On the recommendation of SamJay, Carol and I are watching “Mad Men”, the AMC show that won the Emmy last night for best drama. We are, as usual these days, doing this by getting the DVD’s from Netflix, rather than “watching TV.”
We weren’t sold on “Mad Men” at first, especially because of the pilot featured historical inaccuracies, over-the-top situations, and ludicrous dialog. In fact, after watching season 1, disc 1, we weren’t sure if we’d queue up disc 2.
But Samjay urged me to stick with it, and we’re glad we did. The series picked up quickly after the third episode, presumably thanks in part to having a team of writers smoothing out creator Matt Weiner’s idiosyncrasies. The characterizations and relationships become much richer as the series progresses, and the acting is first rate. But c’mon, does anybody have a work life that’s as rich, complex and rewarding as the characters on TV programs?
I was surprised to read in the Sunday Boston Globe that “Mad Men” has only about 1.5 million viewers. The Emmy should help that, and thanks to DVD it’s easy to start at the beginning.
Something else I’ve seen that I recommend is the documentary “King Corn”. If you liked “Supersize Me” and you read “Fast Food Nation”, you’ll want to see this. “King Corn” is a journey of curiosity and learning, and it has a wonderfully leisurely pace with a critical, yet non-judgmental tone. The commentary from farmers and academic experts alike is honest and given equal consideration, although the conclusion about the effects of corn on the American diet — obesity and diabetes — is undeniable. Here’s the trailer.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/SEP/KingCorn.flv 440 330]
This worries me.
Poll: Racial views steer some white Dems away from Obama
If Obama can’t win because he’s half black, then the country deserves whatever calamities befall it after January 20, 2009.
There are so many bottom lines to the credit crisis, but for myself the bottom line is we’re seeing what happens with an ideology of “the market rules, so don’t rule the market.” A friend wrote today, commenting on all of the government bail-outs:
I wish someone would point out that this means the GOP is moving toward a socialist model. When they rant and rave about the horrors of socialism (in medicine), they need to understand what they’re talking about.
Ex-actly. In the ultimate irony, extreme capitalism has led directly to socialism, literally overnight. Bush started his second term touting a plan to privatize Social Security, and he’s ending it nationalizing Wall Street. This is not a normal business cycle downturn. It’s the result of market manipulation and a lack of oversight.
As D.F. Rogers characterizes it, this is the real trickle-down effect. The profits are kept at the top, while the losses are passed down. McCain wants to leave the tax cuts in place for the richest 1% of Americans?? At least with this latest calamity there’s some outrage. With so much tax money being ponied up, we’d better be able to impose some tough regulations and restrictions without hearing even one peep of complaint from the brokers.
A TRILLION dollars for Iraq. HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS for Wall Street. Why would anyone vote for the old white guy and the monster hockey mom?
