Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.
Thomas Jefferson
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Quote of the Day
Friday, February 27, 2009
Progress.
One of the more unsettling aspects of the extraordinary rendition and detention programs instituted by the Bush Administration is that getting these people out of this mess has just as much of an effect on the law as denying them the writ of habeas corpus.PEORIA —In a move seen by some as sidestepping a major civil liberties issue, the U.S. Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss a pending complaint by a former West Peoria man detained for more than five years as an "enemy combatant."
Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, 43, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Peoria on charges he conspired from July 2001 until his arrest on Dec. 12, 2001, to help al-Qaida. A second charge accuses him of providing material support and resources to the terrorist group.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the charges show the government's resolve to "protect the American people and prosecute alleged terrorists to the full extent of the law."
The charges were sealed until Friday morning, and afterward, the Justice Department announced its request for dismissal of the complaint. If successful, the move would block the Supreme Court from weighing in on whether the government during wartime can hold someone indefinitely without charges.
The court battles over this stuff will take decades. And if it is not handled correctly, we could see both an erosion of civil liberties and an erosion of the powers of law enforcement.
While I'm glad to see that the JD has moved to start trying these people in civilian courts--which could not come too soon, the question I have now is whether or not the Supreme Court will take up the complaints of a lot of these defendents, and what kind of prescedents will be created by the court's interpretation of various law enforcement legislation.
If I had to guess, I'd say most of the justices will realize that absolutely no good can come from their handling of any of these cases, so they will refuse to hear any of them. The best thing that can be done now is to get these people in civilian courts, try them as best we can, sentence the guilty. I think it will be impossible to get convictions against a lot of these folks, if they are guilty, because we've fucked them over. So be it.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Nothing to Say
I haven't posted much in the last couple of days because nothing really has happened worth comment. Obama gave a "non-state of the union" speech last night, and the only news out of it was Governor Jindal did himself no favors last night. Having heard sound bites of him before, I thought that perhaps Republicans had found themselves someone who really could carry their message. If last night was any example, no.
I'll be gracious here and say he performed well below his own standard of oratory. But I have heard him speak comfortably. And he's a master of bullshit. I have to work with guys like this, and they're pure bullshit artists, which is to say that the cadence, the manner of speech--there's just something off about it. If you're around people like Jindal long enough, you realize that there's absolutely no way to tell whether or not he's lying, so you just have to assume he's lying all of the time. And his presentation is such that there's no room for catching him midsentence to call him out on his lie.
Here's a normal bullshitter:
Paragraph detailing a series of events, altogether untrue. Lying at length. A cut from broad cloth lie.
Here's an above average bullshitter: Truth. Truth. Bullshit. Truth. Gotta run. An above average bullshitter will tell you things that are true, or turn out to be true, to obfuscate his own lies.
Here's a master bullshitter:
aergaqrbgarvaerhwgWEGAEHGFVAEHBAEFASERBAaervasrvaevaegaegaergaergaergagf.
There are about 20 discordant lies delivered with so much haste that by the time you've realized that the first thing out of his mouth is a lie, he's 4 topics head in the conversation. It's a blitzkrieg of lies; the shock and awe of bullshitting.
Now, his greatness at bullshitting is beyond dispute. He is amazing at it. But the problem with being that good at being so full of shit is that it is not a good long term strategy.
I know Jindal has higher aspirations, and if he wants to be a Senator, he can be a Senator, and if he wants to be a vice president, he can probably do that too. But he had better put those presidential aspirations up on the shelf, next to the dreams of becoming an astronaut, because there is absolutely no way he can have a dialogue with the American people.
So, as a spokesman for the Republican party, fantastic. Delivering criticisms and becoming a face of Republican opposition, sure. But he's not the guy you want to be selling new ideas. He can talk your ear off, but he, like me, has nothing to say.
I'll be gracious here and say he performed well below his own standard of oratory. But I have heard him speak comfortably. And he's a master of bullshit. I have to work with guys like this, and they're pure bullshit artists, which is to say that the cadence, the manner of speech--there's just something off about it. If you're around people like Jindal long enough, you realize that there's absolutely no way to tell whether or not he's lying, so you just have to assume he's lying all of the time. And his presentation is such that there's no room for catching him midsentence to call him out on his lie.
Here's a normal bullshitter:
Paragraph detailing a series of events, altogether untrue. Lying at length. A cut from broad cloth lie.
Here's an above average bullshitter: Truth. Truth. Bullshit. Truth. Gotta run. An above average bullshitter will tell you things that are true, or turn out to be true, to obfuscate his own lies.
Here's a master bullshitter:
aergaqrbgarvaerhwgWEGAEHGFVAEHBAEFASERBAaervasrvaevaegaegaergaergaergagf.
There are about 20 discordant lies delivered with so much haste that by the time you've realized that the first thing out of his mouth is a lie, he's 4 topics head in the conversation. It's a blitzkrieg of lies; the shock and awe of bullshitting.
Now, his greatness at bullshitting is beyond dispute. He is amazing at it. But the problem with being that good at being so full of shit is that it is not a good long term strategy.
I know Jindal has higher aspirations, and if he wants to be a Senator, he can be a Senator, and if he wants to be a vice president, he can probably do that too. But he had better put those presidential aspirations up on the shelf, next to the dreams of becoming an astronaut, because there is absolutely no way he can have a dialogue with the American people.
So, as a spokesman for the Republican party, fantastic. Delivering criticisms and becoming a face of Republican opposition, sure. But he's not the guy you want to be selling new ideas. He can talk your ear off, but he, like me, has nothing to say.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Quote of the Day
Thomas Jefferson survives!
Dying words of John Adams, July 4, 1826, unaware that Jefferson had in fact passed a few hours earlier.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Jesus.
The Dow is approaching the 7k level, Citigroup is trying very hard to fuck us over, and those AIG motherfuckers are posting a $60 billion loss.
Meanwhile, housing starts are at the lowest level in a half century, home values have dropped about 20%, rate of unemployment is accelerating, and if all of that weren't bad enough, the convective outlook shows nothing, NOTHING!
My eternal optimism is very strained at the moment.
Meanwhile, housing starts are at the lowest level in a half century, home values have dropped about 20%, rate of unemployment is accelerating, and if all of that weren't bad enough, the convective outlook shows nothing, NOTHING!
My eternal optimism is very strained at the moment.
Quote of the Day
[I]t does me no injury of my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Quote of the Day
As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible, avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it, avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertion in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear. The execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives, but it is necessary that public opinion should co-operate. To facilitate to them the performance of their duty, it is essential that you should practically bear in mind that towards the payment of debts there must be revenue; that to have revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant; that the intrinsic embarrassment, inseparable from the selection of the proper objects (which is always a choice of difficulties), ought to be a decisive motive for a candid construction of the conduct of the government in making it, and for a spirit of acquiescence in the measures for obtaining revenue, which the public exigencies may at any time dictate.
Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it 7 It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and at no distant period, a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it ? Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue ? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices?
President George Washington, Farewell Address
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