Vote Jerry Kohn

Drug WarRant blog endorses libertarian Jerry Kohn for Illinois Senate.

Brands In Rap Hits

Tyler Cowen posts an analysis of brand mentions in hit rap songs from this year.

Ron Paul Says 9/11 Commission Report Will Not Change Anything

Congressman Ron Paulcalls the 9/11 Commission report a charade. Ron Paul argues that the report consists of nothing more than former government officials interviewing current government officials.

Is Hip-Hop Sexist?

Avery Tooley takes on misogyny in Hip-Hop. Avery Tooley says hip-hop is no more misogynist than the rest of America.

Strengthen The Good: Charley Disaster Relief Fund

Strengthen The Good has a link to a charity that is helping victims of Hurricane Charley. I gave $10. I urge you to contribute.

Nader Still Unsure of Ballot Spot in Many States

Nader Still Unsure of Ballot Spot in Many States

"Ten weeks before the 2004 presidential election, Ralph Nader is mired in an arduous struggle to get his name on the ballot in a host of states he contested four years ago."

If Nader had decided to embrace the Green Party, Nader might have received more support. Nader would have had an easier time getting on the ballot in the 20 states where the Green Party have official ballot status.

Why We (Hip Hop) Shouldn't Vote For John Kerry

Bakari Kitwana writesWhy We (Hip Hop) Shouldn't Vote For John KerryQUOTE:

"And the name of the game is politics, not the-Republicans-are-too-evil so-we-can't-really play-the-game. Taking the position that the Republican Party should be avoided like the plague allows us to fall right into Democratic Party's trap; they don't have to work for our vote because they already have it.

Likewise, we shouldn't allow the current anti-Bush mania to sidetrack us. Being anti-Bush is not reason enough to vote for Kerry. Being anti-Bush, as it's being played out, is an emotional response designed to get us on someone else's bandwagon. At best, being anti-Bush is a political sentiment, not a political perspective.

The anti-Bush crusade of course, has it's roots in the Democratic Party. The anti-Bush movement ironically was spawned by campaign finance reform, in the form of 527 non-profits. 527 groups have been around for 4 years, but have now taken on a new importance. Mostly these are Democrats who have found a creative way to keep in the game all that lovely unlimited so-called soft money outlawed by the BiPartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Essentially, the anti-Bush 527 committees are not just anti-Bush, but pro Kerry, even if it's illegal for them to say so. At the end of the day, they are Democratic party footsoldiers and these wannabe hip-hop voter svengalis aren't seeking the hardcore change that the country needs, which inspired our generation to delve into electoral politics in the first place.

Neither should we buy into the tired argument that a vote for Nadar is a wasted vote. Also, we shouldn't be duped by the reasoning that somehow if you're anti-Bush and didn't vote for Gore in 2000, then you're personally responsible for the Iraq War. Again an twisted attempt to put hip-hop voters on the Ker"Kerry bandwagon.

An August 15, 2004 New York Times article about Ralph Nadar’s campaign (“The Secret Shame of the Nader Booster,”) quoted president of Appleseed Recordings Jim Musselman, asking the rhetorical question, “We get to choose from seven different types of Coca-Colas in the supermarket, but we should only have two choices for president?” It’s an important question that gets to the heart of why we shouldn’t vote for John Kerry. Democrats aren’t giving us any real alternative. Kerry isn’t the lesser of two evils, he’s maybe the lesser of two evils—maybe he won’t do us as bad as Bush, but we don’t know for sure. If Kerry has such a wonderful America in store for us, why is it that this Democratic presidential campaign is focused not on Kerry’s merits but on Bush demerits instead?"

Amerrica needs competitive elections everywhere.

You Still Thinking About Voting

Talib Kweli makes some comments on why he is not voting. Quote

: "I'm a little conflicted about the voting issue, because I have a voice that a lot of people pay attention to and I don't vote. I just don't see it as feasible, I see it as being a sham, and I can't willingly participate in something that I know to be false.

I don't buy the argument: accept the lesser of two evils. I see a lot of evil stuff about George Bush but there's a lot that I see about John Kerry that I don't like. By the time a politician gets to that level, to be considered for a presidential nomination, he's so safe, that he can't stand for anything. In this country, in order to be a consummate politician, you have to want to please everybody, and someone who wants to please everybody can't be trusted.

I think politics works, maybe, on a community level like school board elections, city council, people who are still there in those communities, that's the only time that I see it really working at all. Even the fights that they have to go through are so much, but I'd be willing to support something like that. But by the time you start talking about the mayors, and the governors, and the presidents, it becomes so removed from what people are actually doing. The political correctness of things change, the political trends change, but people's lives don't change."

Politics Is A Joke

John Doyle writes a column pointing out that politics is a joke. Quote:

Kerry needed to appear on The Daily Show because the American media itself has become ridiculous and he needs the endorsement of the jokers, not political pundits. The cable news shows that Jon Stewart mocks have become absurdly partisan. The print press is going through a period of self-flagellation as newspaper after newspaper apologizes and backtracks on its initial coverage of the need to go to war with Iraq.

There is no longer a mainstream media in the United States. Every outlet postures and preens. Comedy is now as important as political commentary. Only the jokers have integrity.

Iraq: Mistakes in Nation Building

Larry Diamond has an article in Foreign Affairs titled"What Went Wrong In Iraq". The article gives a thorough analysis of mistakes the CPA and the Defense Department have made in Iraq.

Link via Intel Dump

Nadere Booted Off Illinois Ballot

Jeff Trigg reports Nader has been booted off Illinois ballot. Quote:

The SBoE ruled Nader off the ballot last week, but today a federal judge denied Nader's lawsuit to get back on the ballot. The federal judge, a Clinton appointee, ruled against all of Nader's arguments. An expedited appeal will be requested, but it doesn't look good at this point.

Food and the Free-Market

Tyler Cowen discusses food and how it has improved due to globalization.

Pro-War Not The Same As Pro-Patriotism

Ivan Eland writes that being pro war is not necessarily patriotic.

The Warriors Will Be Remade

Gothamist reports plans are in the works to remake The Warriors.

Hip-Hop In/Out List

Hashim Warren posts a list of hip-hop trends that are in, out, never was and always will.