Saturday, December 15, 2012
Safety
Fallows in the Atlantic.
I will henceforth and only talk about "gun safety" as a goal for America, as opposed to "gun control." I have no abstract interest in "controlling" someone else's ability to own a gun. I have a very powerful, direct, and legitimate interest in the consequences of others' gun ownership -- namely that we change America's outlier status as site of most of the world's mass shootings.
Oh Jeebus
He said the same thing in a post yesterday which I managed to ignore, but...
A drunk William Burroughs killed his wife while playing a game of "William Tell."
(ht tbogg)
"After a shooting spree," author William Burroughs once said, "they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it." Burroughs continued: "I sure as hell wouldn't want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military."
A drunk William Burroughs killed his wife while playing a game of "William Tell."
(ht tbogg)
Vigilante Fantasies
The thing about gun nuts is that every single one I've known had a vigilante fantasy. Basically they all wanted the "opportunity" to kill a black person.
I don't mean all people who own guns. I mean gun nuts. The type who obsess about them, and are always packing.
It doesn't sound like this murderer was a gun nut (though we really don't know at this point), but all the people who think the solution is to arm every toddler are.
I don't mean all people who own guns. I mean gun nuts. The type who obsess about them, and are always packing.
It doesn't sound like this murderer was a gun nut (though we really don't know at this point), but all the people who think the solution is to arm every toddler are.
Broken
Our discourse, that is. Fortunately, we have DDay trying to repair it.
People.
Just to pick at random, here are a couple headlines at the Hartford Courant site just from the past 24 hours: Woman Shot, Man Dead After Standoff In Rocky Hill. Armed Robbery At Hartford Bank, Two In Custody. It’s not that school shootings like this are abnormal. They are depressingly normal. The fact that there were no shootings in one day in New York City recently was seen as a major achievement, which shows you how desensitized we have become to gun violence as a normal occurrence of daily life.Just a reminder. The NRA is an industry lobby for the gun industry. The industry that makes consumer products largely designed to kill people. Not deer. Not rabbits.
People.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Off the Table
WDS.
You want to know what taking something off the table looks like? It looks like a congresswoman being shot in the head by a lunatic and her political party celebrating when she recovers enough to lead the pledge of allegiance at their convention --- but never even mentioning gun control. That's what taking an issue off the table looks like.
Via Digby today.
Can't Even Call Happy Hour
Regrettably, I fall into the camp that says nothing will change. Hope I'm wrong!
Geeks
Now that stereotypical (from my day) geek stuff is cool (video games, comic book superheroes, Lord of the Rings, etc.) it's a lot easier to see that there are geeks everywhere. Sports fans are tremendous geeks, as are gun nuts. But while healthy obsessions can indeed be healthy, it's hard to see how a long term obsession with a killing machine can be all that healthy.
I Said I'd Take Them All Away
I think some people didn't get my point here: I will happily support any gun restriction you can come up with, I'm just not sure what restrictions that would get held up by the current Supremos would have much of an impact.
As for the argument that cars kill people so neener neener, long time readers know I'd take all of those away, too.
As for the argument that cars kill people so neener neener, long time readers know I'd take all of those away, too.
Shorter Bobby Jindal
Let's change our position on birth control because Democrats are cheating by accurately describing our position on birth control.
Obviously Jindal does not understand what motivates the anti-unapproved of sex nuts in his party.
Obviously Jindal does not understand what motivates the anti-unapproved of sex nuts in his party.
Guns
When I am your benevolent dictator I will actually take all of your guns away, but until that day comes I really don't know what can be done given our current understanding of the constitution. There are a lot of guns out there, they're easy to obtain, and I'm not really sure what could change that.
We do need more and better access to mental health services in this country.
We do need more and better access to mental health services in this country.
Always Grifting
The amounts are absurd, but so is the "boys on the bus" model of campaign coverage. It's hideously expensive and pointless.
The Stupid Wimmenz
Free market worshipping state school employed glibertarians should consider that popular women's magazines are giving their audience what they want.
But that would require acknowledging that the women are something other than passive vessels.
But that would require acknowledging that the women are something other than passive vessels.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Greatest Deliberative Body In The World
I obviously don't have any sympathy for Joe Lieberman, but the reports that he gave his farewell speech to basically no one makes me think: god senators are selfish assholes. Comity!
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over
Yeah, I didn't actually think anything was really off the table, just that the signs were getting better.
I just can't imagine telling 62 year olds.... psych! No Medicare for another 5 years!
Horrible.
I just can't imagine telling 62 year olds.... psych! No Medicare for another 5 years!
Horrible.
Oh Kevin
Affectionately, I think you've hit unintentional self-parody here...
That's why I'm willing to make a deal even though I probably don't really have to.
That's Something
The worst idea ever probably won't be implemented.
As Digby said the other day, it's our job to freak out when these kinds of things are floated. And when we do, there are always sensible sober people who inform us that there's no way it could happen, or it would be okay if it did because it would be traded for something worthwhile, or it's just a shiny object to distract us from some other horrible thing, or...
And any of these things could true. But when the idea of increasing the Medicare eligibility age is floated, it's up to the rabid lambs of blogofascism to freak out about it. Because it really is the worst idea ever.
As Digby said the other day, it's our job to freak out when these kinds of things are floated. And when we do, there are always sensible sober people who inform us that there's no way it could happen, or it would be okay if it did because it would be traded for something worthwhile, or it's just a shiny object to distract us from some other horrible thing, or...
And any of these things could true. But when the idea of increasing the Medicare eligibility age is floated, it's up to the rabid lambs of blogofascism to freak out about it. Because it really is the worst idea ever.
Not A Puzzle
The kinds of "loopholes and deductions" that anyone ever contemplates getting rid of would only have a relatively small impact on the tax bill of a rich person. Those things generally benefit people who earn good money but who aren't the 1%. Truly rich people don't care much about the mortgage interest deduction or that employer health benefits aren't taxed, and there's no chance Mittens would have supported ending the tax avoidance strategies for rich people that he devoted his life to.
The only way to soak the rich is to increase the top marginal rate.
The only way to soak the rich is to increase the top marginal rate.
Not Just The Fed
All of the Very Serious People have been constantly predicting that the light at the end of the tunnel was just around the corner for years.
If in late 2008 I would have predicted that unemployment wouldn't drop to 6.5% until 2015 people would have thought I was crazy, in large part because they would have thought the policy response would fix it. Of course those same people got the policy response wrong, so here we are.
If in late 2008 I would have predicted that unemployment wouldn't drop to 6.5% until 2015 people would have thought I was crazy, in large part because they would have thought the policy response would fix it. Of course those same people got the policy response wrong, so here we are.
Nothing To Do With The Deficit
Yes I repeat myself. Endlessly. But this is all about enacting an elite consenus policy which involves kicking the poors and olds, funneling ever more money to Defense and Finance, and cuttings taxes on rich people.
The situation changes, the desired policies never do.
The situation changes, the desired policies never do.
Everybody Agrees
Obama needs to give the Republicans the cuts they want, even though they refuse to specify what those cuts are.
So Many Mobs
I don't have a very educated thought about this, but it's worth contemplating how white dudes killing each other are characterized as "mob hits" while similar non-white people killing each other tends to be characterized as "gang activity."
It's all the same thing, really. Not sure why we need different words for it. Perhaps there are reasons.
It's all the same thing, really. Not sure why we need different words for it. Perhaps there are reasons.
Power
Another day, another example of obviously good public policy blocked by government-enforced "private-sector" monopolies. This week's edition, solar power.
First, the investor-owned utilities that depend on the existing system for their profits have little economic interest in promoting a technology that empowers customers to generate their own power. Second, state regulatory agencies and local governments impose burdensome permitting and siting requirements that unnecessarily raise installation costs. Today, navigating the regulatory red tape constitutes 25 percent to 30 percent of the total cost of solar installation in the United States, according to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and, as such, represents a higher percentage of the overall cost than the solar equipment itself.In Germany, where sensible federal rules have fast-tracked and streamlined the permit process, the costs are considerably lower. It can take as little as eight days to license and install a solar system on a house in Germany. In the United States, depending on your state, the average ranges from 120 to 180 days. More than one million Germans have installed solar panels on their roofs, enough to provide close to 50 percent of the nation’s power, even though Germany averages the same amount of sunlight as Alaska. Australia also has a streamlined permitting process and has solar panels on 10 percent of its homes. Solar photovoltaic power would give America the potential to challenge the utility monopolies, democratize energy generation and transform millions of homes and small businesses into energy generators. Rational, market-based rules could turn every American into an energy entrepreneur.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Nice Things
Our government wastes immense amounts of money on expensive, horrible, and pointless things (see large chunks of the defense budget). Occasionally it spends money on nice things (SUPERTRAINS or whatever your favorite is). Sometimes Sensible Liberals rightly point out that the nice thing probably costs more than it should, and besides there's this other nice thing which would be way better and also cheaper. But that trade is never on offer. If there's a nice thing about to built, it's generally at the end of a years-long process. You can't just step in and say, "Hey! Let's buy this instead."
An example of this is HSR in California. If I had a hundred billion bucks to spend on my California train set, that's probably not how I'd spend it. I'd primarily spend it on improving mass transit within California's larger cities instead of inter-city rail. But that's not the choice. It's HSR or nothing. Might as well take it.
An example of this is HSR in California. If I had a hundred billion bucks to spend on my California train set, that's probably not how I'd spend it. I'd primarily spend it on improving mass transit within California's larger cities instead of inter-city rail. But that's not the choice. It's HSR or nothing. Might as well take it.
He Probably Believes It
There are plenty of liars in this game, but Steny Hoyer probably does believe that anti-stimulus is stimulus.
The Internet Is A Lot Smarter Than It Used To Be
It's easy to forget, as it slowly evolves, but 6000 blog years ago when I began blogging, it wasn't actually a given that you could search for the answer to something and have a good chance of finding a reasonable accurate answer. Google news didn't exist. Wikipedia was new and far from comprehensive. Google maps was much less useful.
For example, I wanted to know what senators would be up for election in 2014. Was correctly confident I would be able to find out.
For example, I wanted to know what senators would be up for election in 2014. Was correctly confident I would be able to find out.
Is It Jan. 1 Yet?
I just can't see the downsides of having the Bush tax cuts expire, as the entire conversation then becomes disconnected from that baseline. Obama the Benevolent can then propose a bunch of tax cuts for poor and middle class people which have nothing to do with the Bush rates.
It'd be liberating.
It'd be liberating.
A Slightly Less Sociopathic Fed
In the latest statement they've said that they'll tolerate inflation going up to TWO AND A HALF PERCENT before putting on the breaks. This is an improvement over their 2% is both our target and our ceiling policy which they've effectively been operating under for years.
The Weirdest Tic
For white dudes of a certain generation, their desperate desire to use any excuse to express the N-word is truly weird. It's like the PC police came and took away their favorite bicycle. They want it back.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Impossible To Shame
Pointing out that the plutocracy fluffers are, in fact, nothing more than plutocracy fluffers will not shame them, because they're laughing all the way to the bank.
Things That Aren't Explained
There is a large deficit reduction plan which is current law.
Villagers who spend all of their time hating deficits hate the deficit reduction plan.
A few hate it for the right reason, that contractionary policy is contractionary, though you can't get them to admit that expansionary policy is expansionary.
Most hate it simply because it raises taxes on rich people, cuts the Defense gravy train that their friends dine out on, and doesn't punish the poors and the olds quite enough.
Villagers who spend all of their time hating deficits hate the deficit reduction plan.
A few hate it for the right reason, that contractionary policy is contractionary, though you can't get them to admit that expansionary policy is expansionary.
Most hate it simply because it raises taxes on rich people, cuts the Defense gravy train that their friends dine out on, and doesn't punish the poors and the olds quite enough.
No One Left To Hate
The problem for Republicans is that the 27 percenters have a rage addiction. They need someone to hate, someone to rage at, and the list now includes minorities, immigrants, the poors, and women (foreigners too, but they don't vote here). That's a big chunk of the population.
If they'd just kept it at...hating the undefined population known as liberals...they'd probably be ok.
If they'd just kept it at...hating the undefined population known as liberals...they'd probably be ok.
They've Never Cared About The Deficit
Deficit hawks generally oppose deficit reduction plans (see "fiscal cliff").
They want lower tax for rich people and, to a lesser extent, gutting of the safety net, though mostly because the latter makes the former easier.
That's it. The Big Conversation in Washington my entire adult life is a total con job, and all the Very Serious People fall for it, or pretend to.
“The Clinton plan doesn’t come close to balancing the budget, even in the near term,” wrote Peterson. “Inevitably, Clinton’s deficit path will mean a much larger public debt.”
They want lower tax for rich people and, to a lesser extent, gutting of the safety net, though mostly because the latter makes the former easier.
That's it. The Big Conversation in Washington my entire adult life is a total con job, and all the Very Serious People fall for it, or pretend to.
Free To Be Kristof
Anyone actually caring about the plight of people in poverty, as Kristof claims to, would be asking one simple question: how the fuck do these people manage to get by on so little money?
We are ruled by the worst people in the world.
We are ruled by the worst people in the world.
Justly Married
It's late and I should be in bed, but for some reason I am not. These pictures remind me of the moment when Gavin Newsom, briefly, empowered himself to bless same sex marriage ceremonies way back in 2004. It was a beautiful moment. I'm pretty sure I sent some flowers to those in line when it happened.
It was a radical act. Perhaps a radical act in service of a non-radical institution, but nonetheless. And not so many years later everybody knows that it's all inevitable, just a matter of precisely how and when.
It was a radical act. Perhaps a radical act in service of a non-radical institution, but nonetheless. And not so many years later everybody knows that it's all inevitable, just a matter of precisely how and when.
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Worst Person In The World
Pierce has more on The Great White Benevolent Father.
The piece I was basically unable to process when I read it this morning was this.
The poors are refusing to assume their God-given place as cannon fodder for our empire.
I think Kristof is the first simultaneous Worst Person/Wanker award winner.
The piece I was basically unable to process when I read it this morning was this.
Our poverty programs do rescue many people, but other times they backfire. Some young people here don't join the military (a traditional escape route for poor, rural Americans) because it's easier to rely on food stamps and disability payments.
The poors are refusing to assume their God-given place as cannon fodder for our empire.
I think Kristof is the first simultaneous Worst Person/Wanker award winner.
Park-n-Ride Hell
I'm all for more trains everywhere, but instead we should really be encouraging (and by encouraging, I mostly mean allowing) infill development around stations instead of spending immense amounts of money on parking. Philly has a very extensive commuter rail system, and plenty of the stations are in places which are almost-sorta-kinda-walkable, but the big parking lots around the stations don't help that. Zone for multi-story, multi-family mixed use around the stations. That's the way to get more riders.
Parking constraints at many stations are real, but the solution isn't more parking. It's more people being able to walk.
On Thursday, the SEPTA board approved spending up to $282,788 for 4.86 acres owned by real-estate developer Wolfson Verrichia Group Inc., of Plymouth Meeting. The deal is still in negotiation, and the board on Thursday authorized SEPTA officials to acquire the property rights by condemnation if the developer declines to sell.
"We've had numerous discussions, and it's our intention to amicably acquire it," said SEPTA real estate director Gerald M. Maier.
About 3.5 acres would be used to build a 600-space parking garage, and 1.3 acres would be used for an access road to connect with U.S. 1, Maier said.
Parking constraints at many stations are real, but the solution isn't more parking. It's more people being able to walk.
Completely Predictable Consequences
Heckuva job.
I think most men really have no clue how many women really really rely on Planned Parenthoood.
When state lawmakers passed a two-year budget in 2011 that moved $73 million from family planning services to other programs, the goal was largely political: halt the flow of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood clinics.
Now they are facing the policy implications — and, in some cases, reconsidering.
The latest Health and Human Services Commission projections being circulated among Texas lawmakers indicate that during the 2014-15 biennium, poor women will deliver an estimated 23,760 more babies than they would have, as a result of their reduced access to state-subsidized birth control. The additional cost to taxpayers is expected to be as much as $273 million — $103 million to $108 million to the state’s general revenue budget alone — and the bulk of it is the cost of caring for those infants under Medicaid.
I think most men really have no clue how many women really really rely on Planned Parenthoood.
Good Luck With That
I'm glad the two local papers are finally going to have distinct online brands/identities, but I really doubt that the paywall model will be a success for them. Happy to be wrong!
I think the desire of most publications to charge online readers stems more from need to be validated that their product is "worth something" than a rational business model. Of course their product really was always eyeballs, not content, but they never like seeing it that way.
I think the desire of most publications to charge online readers stems more from need to be validated that their product is "worth something" than a rational business model. Of course their product really was always eyeballs, not content, but they never like seeing it that way.
Torture Rocks
I really do wonder what motivates this. Is it the desire to see the US as the uber-Daddy, doing The Tough Things That Need To Be Done? Is it a desire to whitewash our crimes by pretending they're necessary?
Torture. It's extra awesome.
Torture. It's extra awesome.
What We Really Need More Of
Are people who aren't really liberal but who think they are mansplaining Hard Truths to the silly little children who are actual liberals.
Sunday, December 09, 2012
I No Stoopid
I get it. I know the reason we all care about the "fiscal cliff" isn't because of Keynesian concerns that it will destroy the economy, it's because tax rates for rich people are going up.
And that's all anyone cares about. Anyone with a big microphone, anyway.
And that's all anyone cares about. Anyone with a big microphone, anyway.
Dear Penthouse Forum
A couple of guys earning in excess of a million dollars per year were desperate to get that sweet sweet $2200 per year month (max) Social Security was going to give them.
Sunday Bobbleheads
Face the Nation has Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dogg and the Enema Man. Also too, the liberal Michael Gerson, the liberal Joe Klein, the liberal Norah O'Donnell, and the liberal Major Garrett.
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has Durbin, Kevin McCarthy, Newt!, Julianna Goldman, Booby Woodward, and Lawrence O'Donnell.
This Week has Coburn, Stabenow, Hensarling, Grijalva, George Will, CarvilleMatalin, Matthew Dowd, and Krgthulu.
Document the atrocities!
Dancing Dave's Meet the Press has Durbin, Kevin McCarthy, Newt!, Julianna Goldman, Booby Woodward, and Lawrence O'Donnell.
This Week has Coburn, Stabenow, Hensarling, Grijalva, George Will, CarvilleMatalin, Matthew Dowd, and Krgthulu.
Document the atrocities!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)