14 posts tagged “politics”
John McCain, where did you go wrong. Hear his stirring rendition of Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran, to the tune of the Beach Boy's Barbara Ann. I don't think I need to explain why this is creepy.
So, remind me again why everyone is so goddamn eager to get into wars?
A couple of interesting Chicago bits, in honor of Chicago's Olympic bid (courtesy of Gaper's Block)...
• The Library of Congress has an amazing collection of Chicago media (photos, sounds... even a 110 year old video accredited to none-other-than Edison himself!). I good starting point is a collection of photos from the defunct Chicago Daily News
• Compare and contrast: City vs. Suburbs. If you're a vain gas-guzzling comfort seeker, then yes, do move to the suburbs (the Suburbs article is an urbanist's nightmare in words).
Cue incoherant rant (before any of you get your undies in a wad, yes, this is the product of own imagination)
The City article also highlights the distinction between Chicago and Los Angeles (and yes, I'm working in typical stereotypes). See, Chicago is all about the self-made man—the person that took their destiny into their own hands and made their own fortunes. In contrast, the LA mindset seems to be "I'll show up and get discovered," which is essentially the opposite—hope someone else makes you into something. I think this speaks to the greater changes in the American psyché—a solid, productive work ethic replaced with the something-for-nothing mindset. And I think this frivolity is responsible for many of today's problems—a consumerist nature where the next dream product will make you happy (it won't) or a quest for fame satifying your needs (it doesn't). This obscures the real things that really make people happy, that your life really needs—hard work (and reaping the corresponding rewards) and community (connection with the world and loved ones)—these things are much more rewarding than a second toaster or an appearance on American Idol. What do you walk away from American Idol with? A nation of people judging, making you—you're not you, you're what people have made you to be. That's not something you're resposible for, something you've created—in the end, it's empty because you're not reaping the benefits of your own labors. Happiness doesn't lie in fame—it's in living, in fulfillment, in finishing a task that was worthwhile. Nothing is more impressive than seeing the human—nay, American—shear force of will in action. We're a country of doers—and we've lost our way.
With Kurt Vonnegut exiting stage left, the folks at Mother Jones dusted off a commentary he wrote in 1983 about Ronald Reagan. Sounds vaguely familiar... Why is it that Republican presidents sound like a broken record?
Demanding chastity? A demonstration to show that you're not going to cave in to the world's demand that you have sex? A rebellion against ungodliness?
What Do We Want? Chastity! When Do We Want It? Now!
I give this the supreme "what the fuck?"
Choice is not forcing you to do something—it's the abilitiy to do it. That's what's absolutely bizzare about these people and their "movement." No one's forcing them to not be chaste—you want it, go for it—but it's not for everyone. And for those not choosing chastity, they should be allowed to do as they please.
We're not forcing you to have sex—we're letting you!
Don't feel like voting today?
Listen to this: What's in a Number - 2006 Edition, from This American Life.
Listen to what's happened in Iraq. Listen to how our troops handle civilian deaths. It's not their fault they're in this situation.
Go vote—it's a matter of accountability.
Tomorrow is election day in the United States.
If you do not vote tomorrow, you are not participating in the choosing of your leaders and therefore are not influencing the direction in which your country goes. That means that you can neither take pleasure in your country's actions nor deplore them, because you didn't choose or oppose them.
So if you don't vote, you don't have a voice.
Eight days until the election—it's time YOU get involved.
- Head over to CallForChange.com. MoveOn.org provides potential voters and you call to encourage them to vote (they did this right—easy-to-use web page for getting numbers and recording responses and no crazy time/quota commitments).
- Sign up for Skype. It calls from any computer to any land line in the US for free (I have a cell phone and this is a better way to call without killing minutes).
DO IT NOW, lest people forget pedophile cover-ups, secret detention camps, legalized torture, and thousands of dead servicemen.
You guys are KILLING me here!
OK, you've got the Republicans on the run. They're imploding and you didn't have to say a damn thing (which is a good thing, since opening your mouth is usually just a prelude to you sticking your foot in it).
NOW is your chance to go on the offensive and an unfashionable twerp named Kim Jong Il just gave you your issue: North Korea just got the bomb.
The Republicans, so bloated with power, so obsessed with Iraq, so __ with __, turned a blind eye to North Korea and now they have the bomb. A part of the mother fucking Axis of Evil has the mother fucking bomb!
C'mon Dems, STICK IT TO THE 'PUBS ALREADY! Security has always been one of the 'Pub's main bags and here they've done gone let a despot develop his own toy bomb!
Their moral pillar has been knocked out from underneath them with the whole Foley scandal—nail the security one and they'll topple faster than a jenga tower at a sorority mixer!
What on god's green earth are you freakin' waiting for!
UPDATE: Just to make it easier for you, here's the timeline that shows how the Republicans let North Korea join the Nuclear Club: thinkprogress.org.
