Open thread

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Giuliani jetted around the country in gambling kingpin's plane

But he's really conservative, really. The sad part is, I half believe that Giuliani is now planning on becoming a conservative. Just like Romney, at heart Giuliani is a Democrat, and a liberal one at that. But now that Giuliani, and Romney, want to be president, they're willing to sell their soul for votes and each is promising the moon to the far right of the party. The danger for Republican voters of all stripes is that it's simply not clear which Rudy and which Mitt you're electing - the liberal Democrat or the intolerant, extremist conservative Republican? Read More......

Do the GOP candidates think that it is wrong to "speak Spanish"?

GOP pundit and hearththrob Laura Ingraham thinks it's wrong for a presidential candidate to speak Spanish, as Chris Dodd did the other night during the presidential debate in response to a questioner who greeted the candidates in Spanish. It's not clear what ticked Ingraham off about this, though it probably has something to do with the immigration debate - apparently now all things Spanish are verbotten in America. I'm curious what the GOP (and Dem) presidential candidates think about this. Was it okay for Senator Dodd to "speak Spanish" in response to the Latino questioner during the debate?

A simple question that could lead to some fascinating answers. Read More......

Japanese fishing fleet departs for whale hunt

If the whale populations were more secure and if the Japanese themselves actually ate the whale meat I might - might - tolerate the hunt. It's becoming less and less popular and last year the whale meat ended up in school lunches because it failed to ignite popular support in the markets. Unfortunately this is all about the ego of a few political extremists who are very vocal. What an absolute waste. What cowards. Read More......

A disturbing story that only the immigrant bashers could love

This story must make immigrant bashers, like Presidential candidate Lou Dobbs, just giddy. Actually, Dobbs should turn this into a t.v. ad to show just how tough he wants to be on immigrants -- ripping breast-feeding illegal immigrants mothers from their American citizen children:

Federal immigration agents were searching a house in Ohio last month when they found a young Honduran woman nursing her baby.

The woman, Saída Umanzor, is an illegal immigrant and was taken to jail to await deportation. Her 9-month-old daughter, Brittney Bejarano, who was born in the United States and is a citizen, was put in the care of social workers.

The decision to separate a mother from her breast-feeding child drew strong denunciations from Hispanic and women’s health groups. Last week, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency rushed to issue new guidelines on the detention of nursing mothers, allowing them to be released unless they pose a national security risk.

National security risk. Yeah, the Bush administration is so good at sorting out national security risks. Read More......

Mediterranean Sea is in serious trouble

Over the years I watched the Chesapeake Bay decline and have heard numerous stories about the once-plentiful Delaware Bay becoming a graveyard for sea life. The Chesapeake has witnessed an increase in fish populations (less so crabs and oysters) and another example of recovery has been the previously polluted and almost dead Lake Erie. It's possible to bounce back though to do so requires money for policing, organization and determination. It also means dedication to change.

Looking at the sorry state of affairs in the Mediterranean, pulling back from the brink of disaster is unlikely. In France, people will take anything they can find from the sea and if there are any regulations on fishing, I've yet to see them enforced. It's shocking to see the level of disrespect for marine life and without radical change, there's little reason to be optimistic. Worse still, Italy finds it impossible to protect it's magnificent Roman history so policing it's seas will surely not be much better.

Europe, at least southern Europe, needs to step back and rethink what is left of it's natural environment, both on land and in the sea. Whether we're talking about a few remaining bears in the wild or the graveyard of the Mediterranean, radical environmental change is needed quickly. Killing everything that moves on land and in the sea is not much of a long term strategy. Read More......

When pop culture starts dissing the dollar, we're in trouble

There have been a series of articles in the past few days about how now even rappers and supermodels are giving up on the US dollar in favor of the euro. (Interestingly, my Spanish blogger friend Marc Vidal wrote about this a week ago, before the story went everywhere). Here's the Independent's take on it:

Pay attention as you watch the catchy new music video from the mega-star rapster Jay-Z, "Blue Magic", and see if you can't spot the product placement. It is not a fancy car that he is endorsing – although both his rides, a Rolls- Royce and soft-top Bentley, are plenty spiffy – but rather a currency – and it is not the dollar.

Like so many in the hip-hop genre, the song is a celebration of ostentatious wealth. But capturing the attention of commentators in this clip, shot in the glimmering, neon-lit canyons of New York City, are the repeated glimpses of flickering wads of €500 notes. Jay-Z has thus performed a currency defection: the dollar is not just down, it is out. The euro is the new bling.

And Bloomberg shows that the dollar dumping is even wider:

Kuwait, freed by the U.S. from Saddam Hussein's army in 1991, unhinged its currency from the dollar in May, and pressure is building for Gulf Arab neighbors to follow suit. Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jaber al-Thani, complained Nov. 11 that the dollar's drop is cutting oil and gas income, leaving less to invest abroad. The United Arab Emirates may drop the dirham's peg to the dollar, analysts said.

The central bank in Iraq, a country the U.S. military has occupied since 2003, last month said it, too, wants to diversify reserves away from mostly dollars.

Korean Shipbuilders

Korea's central bank this week urged shipbuilders to issue invoices in won, the Korean currency, and take out more hedging policies to guard against a weakened dollar.

I took a few classes in international economics in grad school, and did well, but still, the issue of the dollar and its effects on the economy confuses the hell out of me at times, and none of these articles make it any clearer. I get how interest rates affect the dollar exchange (higher interest rates mean you get a higher return when you buy dollars, which increases demand for dollars which increases the dollar exchange rate). What I don't get is this line from the Bloomberg piece:

Ultimately, if the dollar's swoon depresses U.S. stocks or threatens global growth, Group of Seven major industrial nations may have to do more than issue communiqués.

How does a weak dollar affect US stocks or global growth? I.e., what's the tie between the dollar exchange rate and a real impact on the US and/or world economy other than people making more or less money by investing in dollars?

And while we're at it, I don't think I'd mind a good explanation of the entire issue of other countries "buying dollars." Why and how do they "buy dollars" and what's the impact of them selling the dollars they have? We always hear about how China is financing our debt - what does that really mean, and what happens if they stop?

Any enterprising economists want to take a stab at writing a very concise explanation of all of this that I can post in the future? Read More......

Frustrated, but hanging in there

President Bush, in his weekly radio address, criticized Democrats for not providing him with the full $196 billion dollars he is requesting for his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And as expected, he accused the Democrats of failing to meet their responsibilities to the troops.

Oh how he’s loves to beat that drum over and over again… the troops, the troops, the troops. As if the only way to support them is to provide Bush with the sufficient funds to continue getting them killed for his delusional plan for Iraq.

And as much as I am used to it … it still annoys me to no end due to the hypocrisy and the total distortion of the truth that Bush continues shove down our throats.

This is a man who lied to the American people, the United Nations, and the entire world community in order to sell them the war in Iraq. And when the rest of the world would not go along with his fabricated case for war he decided to take it upon himself to boldly hand them an ultimatum.. you are either with us or against us.

When the world rejected that ultimatum he ordered our military into the middle of Arabia to fight innocent people who did not want war with us over manipulated intelligence cooked up by his neoconservative crew of chicken hawk intellectuals who have no clue, care, or concern regarding the devastation that unnecessary war inflicts upon millions of people.

Bush ignored the predictions of General Eric Shinseki, he sent our troops in alone, with inadequate manpower, without the proper equipment, with no plan to win the peace, and no exit strategy. As a result we have now lost 3,867 Americans in this illegal war. And the death count of innocent Iraqis is so high that the actual number is unconscionable and unable to be determined.

And this idiot wants to criticize his political opponents for not giving him more money to continue his failed neocon experiment in Iraq. Well boo-hoo.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has been inserted into this debate and claimed that he will have no choice but to layoff approximately 200,000 civilian employees and have partial base closings due to the blank check not being handed over to Bush. I feel bad for the civilian employees who “may” be laid off, but at this point – oh well.

People are dying, their lives are being wasted, and that supersedes Bush’s desired defense budget.

As a Democrat, I was pleased that my Senator from Pennsylvania, Bob Casey gave the Democratic response to Bush. According to the AP Casey stated that our troops " will face hatred they did not create and sectarian violence they cannot possibly resolve." "They are doing a remarkable job, a heroic job, but the Iraqi leaders are not holding up their end of the bargain."

And as much as I agree with Senator Casey this situation just goes way beyond his analysis. It is not that simple. The Iraqi leaders he is referring to are puppets of the United States. Furthermore, Bush assured them that we will not leave Iraq. So there is no real motivation for them to step up to the plate and take control of their country. So in my opinion we should just dismiss the Iraqi leaders as the ineffective sellouts they are – meaning they sold out their own people for a stooge like Bush.

It is blatantly obvious that our elected officials, both Democrat and Republican, still do not understand the Iraqi people and Muslim culture in general. The Iraqis will never adapt to American ideology and our way of life that we keep trying force upon them with military might.

What politicians in Washington need to realize is that the military phase of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” has long been achieved. Our troops have done everything they can do to transform Iraq to the liking of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. However, it is mission impossible. Those clowns will never accept that reality. But why can’t Congress?

I have been very critical of how Democrats in Congress have been operating recently -- especially with the passage of HR 4156 in the House of Representatives. The bill only gives Bush a partial amount of funding ($50 billion) and does call for a redeployment of our troops from Iraq.

The problem is that the Democrats knew for a fact it would not pass the Senate or make it to Bush’s desk for a veto. And even if it were passed Bush could just take the money and do as he wishes because the bill is a “non-binding” piece of legislation with no legality to force Bush to change course.

So what was the real purpose of this attempt by the Democrats? I can’t call it.

Was it so they could put on an act that they stood up to Bush and the Republicans? I guess they will need that cover in order to face their constituents while they are on their two-week Thanksgiving recess. I’m sorry, but at a time like this, the recess should be forfeited, and members of Congress should stay in Washington and do their jobs -- primarily working on a solution to this mess.

I know that I’m being harsh on the Democrats, my own party affiliation, but as a totally frustrated Iraq veteran who gave so much to the anti-war movement I just expected more out of them.

I still support Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Reid, and the Democrats in Congress. However, my patience is wearing thin. I do not entirely trust that they will have the courage to actually exercise the power of the purse (like Reid said they will) in the face of a defiant Bush and his loyal subjects in Congress who continue to ignore the wishes of the American people who want an end to the war. I hope they prove me wrong.

I feel obligated to speak out when leaders that I have supported are not being tough enough when the stakes are so high. I want to see solutions not smoke screens.

I think it is time for our elected officials to learn from their past mistakes -- to realize what works and what doesn't work. Make the corrections and keep pushing forward with change.

I know my rhetoric is harsh, but the war in Iraq is brutal and criminal. As is the continuation of it.

John Bruhns
Iraq Veteran Read More......

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

"Meet the Press" celebrates itself today. The other shows are doing real news -- like the presidential election. Three candidates, Thompson, Edwards (twice) and Huckabee, are on today.

Here's the lineup:

ABC's "This Week" — Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn.

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CBS' "Face the Nation" — Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.

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NBC's "Meet the Press" — A 60-year anniversary retrospective of the show.

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CNN's "Late Edition" — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto; Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda; Edwards.

"Fox News Sunday" _ Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; Billy Martin, attorney for Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and NFL quarterback Michael Vick.

Michael Vick? Why is anyone giving a platform to dog abuser Michael Vick? Read More......

Good guys win, again

I love rivalry games and especially when Ohio State plays Michigan. Sure the Big Ten is down this year and of course, Michigan isn't the team that they used to be when they destroyed my beloved Buckeyes during the Cooper years but so what? Maybe I'm old school but I still love the idea of the Bucks winning the conference and heading out to the Rose Bowl.

Chris "Beanie" Wells had an incredible day, more than doubling the entire yardage of the big mouthed, little action Michigan offense. Glad to see another trash-talker from either side was shut down in The Game. It would be great to see Lloyd Carr head into retirement with a nice bowl game victory so he can go out in style. Despite his record in recent years against the Bucks, the guy has been a winner and most schools in the country would kill to have a win-loss record like his.

With a few more weeks of college football to be played, anything can happen this year. Wouldn't it be fun to see a team like Kansas make the national championship game? I'd love to see someone new make it and win. Who will be the next top ranked team to crash and burn? Who does everyone like this year for the Sugar Bowl? Read More......

La Fayette - surely Americans remember him, no?

Putting aside the stupidity of the "Freedom fries" and anti-French hysteria from the pre-war days (hey, they were right!) I find this article hard to believe. I believe La Fayette (also known sometimes as Lafayette, one word) is the most often used name for towns, cities and counties in America after Washington. The man was a true hero and provided leadership and connections to France, both of which were critical to the success of the America War of Independence. Without the deep pockets of France and the military assistance from the likes of La Fayette and Admiral de Grasse (see victory at Yorktown) who knows if the US would have won.

In the US there's an often discussed idea that if people are upset with the government, they will turn and somehow manage to succeed. The facts are quite different. A burning desire for change and improvement are but a few of the necessary factors. Look at Iraq, for example. Plenty of foreign assistance, but a lack of leadership and desire for a better system has everyone stuck in an ugly cycle of violence for the sake of violence.

Back to La Fayette and his proper place in America. If this is in fact true, that Americans don't know who he was or what he did, this explains our pre-war arrogance and ignorance. This also raises the issue of why Americans are so often disliked around the world. Here today, gone tomorrow and what have you done for me lately? Like it or not, America has a shoddy reputation for forgetting about our friends, with La Fayette being but one example. This attitude certainly does nothing to help us realize that yes, we have relied on friends around the world, even in the toughest times. By forgetting about people such as La Fayette, it only feeds into the arrogance that the US alone is the best and the greatest. Indeed, it's not just the French who have a reputation around the world for being arrogant. This perhaps also explains the friction between our two great nations over time.

Remembering our friends and being respectful of our traditional allies doesn't make America any weaker or less important. As we move forward with a re-emerging Russia and the fast-moving China it's going to be even more important that we go back and work on our global relationships. We tried "going it alone" and look at where it got us. Whoever our next president will be, they are going to need to build bridges and lots of them. Let's not forget about the La Fayettes of the world. Read More......

Open thread

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