"A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer." [Robert Frost]
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BURYING GODWIN'S LAW?
From The Fulcrum: John in DC has not only buried Godwin's Law he's spit on its grave in this post on christian fundamentalists wanting BushCo to muzzle the ACLU.
Time to state the obvious: The religious right is filled with Nazis. You don't like the term "Nazi?" Well too bad.
One good thing I got out of the Holocaust Museum this past weekend was an amazing lesson in how quickly Hitler consolidated power his first six months in office by banning the opposition and slowly (or quickly) whittling away at the rights of Germany's citizens in an effort to create a murderous totalitarian regime...
Wikipedia explains Godwin's standard & corollaries here.
Godwin's standard answer to this objection is to note that Godwin's law does not dispute whether, in a particular instance, a reference or comparison to Hitler or the Nazis might be apt. It is precisely because such a reference or comparison may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued, that hyperbolic overuse of the Hitler/Nazi comparison should be avoided. Avoiding such hyperbole, he argues, is a way of ensuring that when valid comparisons to Hitler or Nazis are made, such comparisons have the appropriate semantic impact.
Artist: Lane
THE WILSONS MAY SUE BUSH, CHENEY, OTHERS @ BUSHCO
Talk Left: Bloomberg News reports that Joseph Wilson may sue Bush, Cheney and others in the Administration:
In an interview yesterday, Wilson said that once the criminal questions are settled, he and his wife may file a civil lawsuit against Bush, Cheney and others seeking damages for the alleged harm done to (Valerie) Plame's career.
If they do so, the current state of the law makes it likely that the suit will be allowed to proceed -- and Bush and Cheney will face questioning under oath -- while they are in office.
The reason for that is a unanimous 1997 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit against then-President Bill Clinton could go forward immediately, a decision that was hailed by conservatives at the time.
What's good for the goose - or "BJ", as they habitually refer to him - is Just Desserts for the goofy ganders...
I OUGHTA HITCH UP MY PANTS & MOVE T' FRANCE
IN METRO FAIRBORN, OH, USA - I PAY $160. A MONTH FOR: DIGITAL CABLE (with a movie package); STANDARD IN-HOME PHONE; and BROADBAND IP CONNECTION!
S. Derek Turner, writes in Salon:
In France, you can get super-fast DSL, unlimited phone service and 100 TV channels for a mere $38 a month. Why does the same thing cost so much more in the U.S.?
In South Korea, super-fast connections are common for less than $30 per month. Places as diverse as Finland, Canada and Hong Kong all have much faster Internet connections at a lower cost than what is available here. In fact, since 2001, the U.S. has slipped from fourth to 16th in the world in broadband use per capita ... These nations all have something the U.S. lacks: a national broadband policy, one that actively encourages competition among providers, leading to lower consumer prices and better service.
Indulge in derision and smirking concerning the French, mon frere, but don't think all the laughs are on them 'til after you count your disposable income - accounting somewhere in there for what you have left to spend after taxes and what they still have left to spend after taxes - and gummint benefits...
WOW! PRICES ARE SOARING! IS THIS INFLATION YET?!
Actually, events such as the DELPHI bankruptcy, the pressure on their suppliers to cut prices, the closure of plants and excess capacity, resulting in lower demand and prices for facilities are all DEFLATIONARY. Outside of a couple of segments of the economy that are outta whack - energy and healthcare - productivity is high and prices should remain stable - except where there is scarcity (energy) and/or inefficiency, such as the creaking, obsolete, overlapping bureaucracies in the largely private healthcare delivery system.
Oil prices will probably never come down to the levels of 2 years ago. We've passed the point of diminishing returns for the world's oil supply. When you have less available to sell than you have sold to date - your impulse isn't to lower prices.
US wage workers need to unite behind labor-friendly
candidates and organize their workplaces. The main cause of distress
among workers isn't lack of jobs, but sub-poverty wages. It isn't high prices, it's cramped-down wages and benefits.
It's a STELLAR day for a drive. I just had this sleek 1960 Plymouth FURY pulled around from the Last Chance Garage - d' YOU wanna drive?
Good fortune.
