Got Democracy?

I just finished Paul Farmer's book on Haiti. He points out that we have consistently not wanted Haiti to be democratic, just as we have not wanted most third world countries in our sphere of influence to be democratic. Other people's democracies are inconvenient. Other countries have different national interests than our national interest. Assuming that democracies express the will of the people and the national interest, it is much more convenient to have a benevolent or not so benevolent dictator.

It is also very convenient to have third world countries. They make cheap things. They allow capitalists in developed countries to accumulate more capital. In a world of might makes right, it is nice to have a few countries who are 98 pound weakling. It wouldn't be so much fun to be a bully if you could get a black eye yourself.

I read an editorial in the Economist recently where the author came down on the anti-interventionist arguments of the American left. The author pointed out that the idea that you shouldn't get involved abroad because the United States messes up other countries (historically--very true) is unlikely to be sympathetic to Am-ur-I-can patriots at home.

And that's true. It seems that the people who wave the flag are not the same people who work to make the flag something to be proud of. They don't want to do the hard work. So, why should the left have to try to appeal to this cheap and easy patriotism anyways?

Soju With A Really Expensive Feeding Tube

Soju has liver disease. But she is doing OK with the feeding tube. She looks grumpy on account of her collar makes her hair stick up.

That Quaint Revolution

So I'm reading this book on the American Revolution and it strikes me that the terms of colonial debate are once again shockingly relevant.

The revolutionaries objected to a monarchs because they were corrupt and monarchies tended to have a bunch of ass-kissing sycophants collecting public money and giving no value in return.

The revolutionaries thought that men should own property in an ideal republic. People who are in debt to other develop servile personalities not suitable for voters and free men.

Finally, they thought that people should be able to rise on merit not just in science and art, but in politics, law, and other important offices related to the public welfare.

So today, we have a negative savings rate and a guy name George running the country as the most corrupt president in U.S. history. Kind of makes you wonder why we bothered with our little old revolution.

Where my Money Went:

PETROCOMMERCE ATM WITHDRWL 02-21 #000242245 CUSTOMER 6587 99900507 NIZHNY NOVGOR RU

Because I shopped at OfficeMax with my debit card, the Russian mafia got my ATM number and made a fake card.

Here is the bank where the mafia guys took my money out:

Nizhni Novgorod9 Sergiyevskaya Street, Nizhni Novgorod 603109, Russia tel./fax: +7 (8312) 37-68-88www.nnov.pkb.ru

In case you want to visit, here is a Nizhni Novgorod website:

http://www.unn.runnet.ru/nn/

I like this gem:

"Visitors are astonished at the abundance of snow and low temperatures that are so common in Russia during the winter season. It usually doesn't thaw until March in Nizhni Novgorod, and only in April does spring really begin."

Technically, Cheney shot the man in the face...

so I guess my comment about no one getting shot in the back as a result of the Bush administration still holds true....

The Road to Whatever

I'm just finishing "The Road to Whatever" by Elliott Currie. His thesis is that adults don't take enough responsibility for teenagers. I think he's absolutely right. It seems so weird to me that a parents can send their kids to horrible boot camps in third world countries and that isn't considered child abuse. It seems doubly weird to me that these parents who preach "personal responsibility" to their children who are in trouble are the same ones who ship off their kids and take no responsibility for how they ended up that way.

Secrets and Lies

Secrets will naturally lead too lies. Lies create a chasm between those who know the truth and those who are merely guessing.

And of course incompetence is a third issue. When half of a presidential administration is staffed by idiot children of the rich and powerful, secrets and lies become a necessary evil to keep the public from getting freaked out.

Its hard to compare our current reality to a totalitarian state because nobody (to my knowledge) is being shot in the back or "disappearing" in this country. Of course it may very well be that in other countries this is happening. At the same time, the very brazenness of the secrets and lies of this White House has created something that is not quite democracy. (a secretocracy? a totalitarian democracy?)

Frankly, impeachment (however remote a possibility) is the only thing that will lance this boil.

Is Bush playing politics with 9/11?

Duh.

Lies, Lies, Lies

I was home sick from work today so I got to watch James Frey on Oprah. I also got to see George W.'s press conference on the whole Hamas thing. James Frey pretty much just took it from Oprah. Given that he'd lied (a lot) about his memoir that seemed like the right thing to do. George W. refused to reveal what he's done with Jack Abramhoff but had a lot of weird enthusiasm for the Hamas electoral victory, democracy, and the ability of people to overthrow corrupt leaders. Which is weird, because we sent those corrupt leaders 2 million dollars to help them out in their election. So I guess losers are corrupt and winners are just powerful.

So, when did the truth become so malleable? As a good liberal I deeply believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I don't believe everyone is entitled to their own facts. And since an opinion without facts to back it up isn't very convincing, all the good liars of the world have to make up some of their own facts.

I had an interesting conversation with an opposing attorney who had written a letter to the court saying that we had settled the case when, in fact, he'd never even called me.

Me: So, it seems like you've misrepresented the facts to the court.

Ethically Challenged Attorney: Misrepresent is a little harsh, and I'm not sure whats so bad about that. I settled with the other party.

Me: But you didn't settle with me.

Ethically Challenged Attorney: But what does it matter exactly?

Me: You said something untrue to the court. (I'm trying desperately to avoid the word lie at this point)

Ethically Challenged Attorney: But it doesn't really matter because I settled with the other party.

By the end of the conversation I was actually slowing down my words like you do for a very stupid child. And the conversation went on like this for half an hour.

I also managed to get in some Jerry Springer today. Those people throw punches when somebody lies, although it seemed to me that they were all lying about being shocked (shocked) that their boyfriends had slept with their cousins.

It just seems dangerous that we're living in a world where no one can be counted on to tell you the truth and there's not even really the condemnation of the good people to keep the bad people from lying.

The Autonomy Myth

I'm reading Martha Fineman's "The Autonomy Myth." The basic thesis is that our current economic structure doesn't account for the value added by those who take care of dependents. Which is basically true.

The "Free Market" is not exactly value neutral. Some things cost money. Other things are free. In general, the market values things and not people. But its easy for market thinking to bleed over into personal relationships. Some people can command good wages. Other people are only able to earn minimum wage. People who can't earn money start to look like less valuable human beings.

A big reason why women want to work is that in our capitalist modern reality, earning money defines you as a valuable person. So, I'll reveal my hippie liberal socialist side and say: Money can't possibly be the only way to value things and it is certainly no way to value people.

sanctimonious but true.

I got 99 problems, but my bitch ain't one...

So, in thinking further about whether the b-word is sexist, I'm going to come up with the predictable response that its all about the context. If somebody is joking, it can be OK. If someone is using it to mean that this particular woman is so mean or nasty that she deserves to be called a female dog....well....its just not nice.

Because the history of the word is not nice, unless you're a full time comedian needing to make a few cutting edge jokes, I think that in most contexts you're just going to be dropping a little mean bomb into conversations when you use the word.

Also, there are far and away not enough demeaning words for white males because they are the top of the heap and always have been. The fact that there is an opportunity to use an especially loaded word for women, gay people, or non-white people, should give any one pause about using those words....

King George

I think I wouldn't object as much to domestic spying if I thought the government was going to do something sensible with it. If only rational reasonable people looked through my library records and listened to my phone calls and watched my every keystroke as I blogged, I would at least be able to say to myself "Its bad to have every move watched in Democratic society, but at least nobody is going to misinterpret things."

But these Republicans are not only paranoid and bad people, they are also completely nuts. So, it appears to me that it would be very easy for a hypothetical crazy person who hears voices from God and thinks they were sent to save the nation to misinterpret my reading selections or my phone calls with my friends.

But if you think about it, the natural consequence of a President who thinks God picked him out for the job (despite a notable lack of any qualifications) is overreaching and power grabbing. King George doesn't need those old fashioned checks and balances because God picked him. Somebody who talks to Jesus every day certainly doesn't need to consult with Congress.

Actually, King may not be a strong enough word. I think maybe Pharoh George fits better. Of course, ironically the Bible has a little something to say about selfish pharohs and kings....

A motif (See, I did pay attention in English class)

So, I'm reading the United States of Walmart which is unusual for its repeated use of the word "bitch" which is probably not likely to gain it any red state readers. The blurb on the jacket states "We are all Walmart's bitches."

The Dukes v. Walmart case also featured what the witnesses politely referred to as the B-word.

And then there are Sam Walton's hunting dogs. Many of the dogs were, in fact, bitches.

So, it is kind of like a motif.

People treating other people like dogs. Women being compared to dogs. White male liberal writers playing with the B-word to get some street cred.

On approval ratings

So Mssrs. Bush and Cheney's approval ratings have bounced back somewhat.... Still below 50% but the press has returned to lap dog mode (probably exhausted by the supreme effort of doing their jobs and ready to do some stories on Santa Claus).

I guess it was too much to hope that we were going to see an actual impeachment....

Reading, nanny fatigue, and is marching something you do by yourself?

I'm finally (and very reluctantly) reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran" because it was part of the 3 for 2 sale at Borders. So far, it is about being overly dramatic about dull things. Reading about reading is sort of too many layers of reference, but we'll see.

I was severely disappointed by "The Career Mystique" because it seemed to deal with upper middle class families exclusively. I suppose poor people don't have "careers"--they have "jobs." I'm just so bored by the eternal nanny problems of the upper classes that I'm ready to hurl. (Hint to Salon.com).

I also finished two Sarah Vowell books today. "Assassination Vacation" is pretty brilliant and a lot of fun. One of my favorite things about women authors is that there autobiographical bits usually reflect stuff about other people (in Sarah's case, her sister). Male authors occasionally give you all the uninteresting bits about themselves and NOTHING about their families and friends.

The same trend can be noticed in biographies of men and women. I think biographies of women tend to do more to place the women in context in their social and family circles. Biographies of men--especially the genre I call "great men in funny clothes marching through history"-- tend to emphasize the man as struggling in the world on his own. And just in terms of what makes biographical or autobiographical stuff interesting, it is way more cool to find out about how people affect each other than to make the (usually false) assumption that marching through history is a solo occupation.

Bush's Team 666

The whole Bush White House has been so thoroughly evil and so completely illogical that I've been unable to settle on an explanation for it. One theory is that Americans have done something really bad (slavery? Genocide of Native Americans?) and therefore Bush is the retribution we deserve. Another theory(more popular) is that the election was stolen, the people were hoodwinked and we innocent Americans were lied to.

However, I think there is actually a more logical explanation and one that fits nicely into the right wing Christian world view. Bush, Ashcroft, Condi, Cheney, Rove, and possibly that guy Scooter are members of a secret cult that worships Satan.

For all non-Christians in my audience (basically my whole audience), I'll point out a few of Satan's outstanding attributes.

1. He lies (nuff said)
2. He hates life (and probably loves unnecessary wars)
3. He doesn't like families or children (and tax cuts, spending cuts, deficits, and environmental damage can best be explained as the policies of people who hate children)
4. He does like rich people (especially when they oppress poor people)

So, my theory is that Bush Junior bats for team 666. Until a better theory comes along, I'm sticking to it.

Everything Right is Wrong

A congressman from San Diego pled out today on charges of accepting bribes from defense contractors. Defense contractors are making a ton of money off of Iraq--including at least one of the contractors who bribed the congressman.

And these were the people to restore honor and integrity to the government? Blow jobs in the oval office are starting to look pretty good.

The American Dream--Japanese Style

I just got back from a vacation in Tokyo--I'd never been before. I'm also in the middle of a polemical book by Paul Stiles called "Is the American Dream Killing You?" Mr. Stiles' premise is that we are living in a hyper-market and that the market seeks to kill all human traits that don't lead to consumption. Along the way he recommends Alan Bloom and trashes day care providers. Mr. Stiles is far from credible but he does make an interesting point about capitalism which contrary to popular belief is not pro-mother, pro-homemade apple pie, or pro-democracy.

Tokyo is a hard nut to crack--especially for a foreigner who spent all of 5 days there. Lost in Translation does provide a sense of the place but skipped the bland and endless malls, department stores, and other shopping opportunities. Tokyo seems to be a place of endless and exhausted consumption. According to economists, the problem with the Japanese economy is too little consumption and too much saving. And as a tourist, my role in the eco-system was consumption and not production. But still, it did seem that a lot of time must be spent in malls.

It was downright depressing imagining the typical Japanese day of working and consuming. Of course that isn't that far off from the typical American day and that's depressing too. Adults and especially adults who never were lucky enough to get a quality education are mostly workers rather than thinkers. And however loony-bin Mr Stiles may be, we do lose something incredibly precious when life becomes an endless cycle of working and buying.

I think I'll probably have to do a blog after this one explaining why I am not a communist. But markets do not have ethics. If we want more out of life than buying and selling, we need to value it enough to make it happen.

Save Christmas

Apparently, right wing Christian lawyers are ready at a moment's notice to save Christmas from the school boards and mayors of the world who think that church and state should be separate things.

Which is fine by me. Because this State and those Christians are one and the same. So, I think the only healthy thing is for them to admit it and plaster their tacky brand of Christianity all over City Hall and Washington DC and every other place they can find.

Because this scandal plagued President is their President and these crazy Supreme Court Justices are theirs. And some day real Christians are going to say to themselves... Is a plastic baby Jesus on the post office lawn a fair trade for leaders who trounce on every imaginable Christian value? And the real Christians at least will say "No."

Mean-spirited Musings

In the last 5 years I have gone from believing that religion is a matter of personal choice to believing that certain kinds of Christians are a cancer that could destroy our country. I have also started to believe that Republicans are dangerous and irresponsible people. I never wanted to be a closed minded liberal and I blame Bush and cronies for making me this way.

So, here's what I hope. I hope that when America wakes up from this awful nightmare, we will wake up a wiser and better country.

I also hope that the Bush administration is revealed for what it is. I hope that people are held responsible for the tragedy in Iraq. I hope that the Republican party dies forever. I hope that liberals learn how to stop being so damn fuzzy in their thinking.

Here's the mean spirited part. I hope that there is a hell and that it is chock full of hypocrites and liars and selfish people who caused innocent people to die. I hope that it is even something like the Christian version. I hope that there are a few places warming up for when the members of this administration go to meet their great reward.

Because sometimes there is not enough justice in this world.