Desperation and self-flagellation? Could be an interesting mix for that New England Protestant guy who wears a Texas costume every day. I’m thinking Bush in Cowboy boots and Gannon in a Priest’s outfit – with some Camp Pendleton fatigues underneath.
Before W gets to all that stuff, he’s gotta stump in Georgia. Standard operating procedure. Maybe a bit too J. Edgar on this one, though.
Party of Fear! Party On!!
I had the distinct misfortune of overhearing Bill O’Reilly on the Oprah Winfrey show last week. I was shaving for an evening engagement and overheard O’Reilly discussing Iran. He stated that Iran “was emerging as the enemy” of the United States. In typical fashion, the current “controversy” in Iraq was removed from history and from reality. The Iranian leadership and all of its people were demonized by association with the WhatTheFuckWereYouDoingThereCrisis of 1979. Since the current leadership is alleged to have participated in the actual events of that time, and since the leadership has thumbed its nose at the US demands to abandon the enrichment of uranium, the nation must be put on the short list of regimes to be checked by the West. Iran is a card-carrying member of the Axis of Evil.
But what of the history of this region? What of the role of BP? What is BP? It used to be British Petroleum until they decided they didn’t like that name anymore. Before they were British Petroleum, the firm was known as the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. The name, of course, did not signify a partnership between the UK and Iran. In fact, it singled a refining and financing agreement that appropriated a disproportionate share of oil profits for as long as 50 years prior to an intervention by the Iranian Parliament and its democratically-elected, if not democratically-inclined, President Mohammed Mossadegh. Much has been written about his life – about how he was branded as a Communist and a member of the lunatic fringe by the CIA. Some agents have even proudly proclaimed authorship of articles in the Iranian press that skewed the international image of the Iranian leader (Check out this interesting, though a bit grainy, video excerpt from 1985).
There is so much context here – and none of the American political leaders or the national news media have chosen to frame this current debate in this larger historical context. Subsequent to the dismissal of Mossadegh, arrangements were made to split Iranian oil revenues between UK and US firms. The issues of money and energy remain front and center. However, much to the shame of the American media (including Seymour Hersh), this has precious little to do with the absurd spectre of new-q-lar bombs. Hersh goes to great lengths to suggest the Iranians are five years away from creating a deliverable weapon. What they are much closer to doing is participating in a broader regional coalition to shift petro-dollar imperatives in the region.
The roots of this conflict even precede the tenure of Mossadegh and Operation Ajax (the first CIA-led coup to overthrow a democratically-elected head of state). The roots go right to the heart of the belief that one group of people have the right to exploit another group of people – and then fabricate myths to justify not getting their ass kicked. At some point, like in 1979, exploited people get miffed and may snatch up an engineer or two. When that happens, it’s not a tragedy. It’s simply some really, really likely shit that has caught up with folks – and that has to be okay. After all, we live in a world where there are no rules- where human rights violators like China and the Sudan are friends and where rendition to torturing states is a common practice.
Every once in awhile, some poor slob from the West will get caught out there – and get his ass blown off. For O’Reilly (and Oprah, by extension) that is how “enemies” emerge. In such a world, the only history is one that is written by the West. The West reserves the right to do just that – but they no longer have the capacity to physically protect themselves from people who are seeking to balance the scales. And that’s really how enemies emerge.
I found this video because I’m an avid reader over at Prometheus6.org. Check it out. This video is given a privileged place there – and it should be front and center. I’m just posting here to “share the wealth.”
I believe this qualifies as that detestable “flip flop” thing that was so reviled in 2004. We’ll see how acceptable changes of action (not of mind, certainly) are in November. Look out for those voting machines.
It’s almost November. Time for the Republicans to trot out the spectre of gay marriage. Party of fear, your table is ready! Time for the Democrats to trot out the injured soldiers returning with the lives in shambles after another fiasco. Party of despair, your table is ready!
Over at P6, it occurred to me that neither party really cares about these two issues precisely because the stakes are too high:
“…in the broader context of previous discussions about the overthrow of Iran under Mohammed Mossadegh, the proposed Iraqi Oil Bourse under Saddam Hussein, the emergence of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and other challenges suggested by the twin ambitions of Ahmadinejad (nuclear power, petro-dollar independence), the lives of a few thousand SOLDIERS is a miniscule price to pay for cheap gas and the power to continually dictate terms to 3rd world nations. after all, i believe the beltway logic (and the crawford creed) is that if they were the best and brightest, they wouldn’t be over there anyway. truly a small loss indeed. beware of queers and pulpits!!!!!!!”
Fear the queer en route to the justice of peace and pity the fool torn to pieces seeking justice. Cannon fodder and road kill, every one.
My Steelers are 2-4 and on the road to take on the lowly Oakland Raiders. Of course, the Raiders have been playing much better lately. They battled the Denver Broncos and beat the Arizona Cardinals. I happen to believe the Steelers are significantly better than the Cardinals – and at least as good as the Broncos (We’ll find out when Denver visits the Steel City in a few weeks.) Still, anything can happen on any given Sunday. The think that better not happen is the Steelers losing to the Raiders. If the Steelers were to find a way to lose this game, I’d be banned from my bar for at least a year. I’d probably have to buy everyone drinks for about two months – and the Steeler Nation group (about 40 strong) that rolls there each week would have to disband. There’s a lot riding on this game.
| Date & Time | Favorite | Line | Underdog | Total |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At Tennessee | -3 | Houston | 41.5 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At Philadelphia | -7.5 | Jacksonville | 39.5 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At Cincinnati | -3.5 | Atlanta | 44.5 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At NY Giants | -9 | Tampa Bay | 40 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At Chicago | -16 | San Francisco | 42 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At Green Bay | -4 | Arizona | 44.5 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At Kansas City | -4 | Seattle | 37 |
| 10/29 1:00 ET | At New Orleans | -1.5 | Baltimore | 37 |
| 10/29 4:05 ET | At San Diego | -9.5 | St. Louis | 45 |
| 10/29 4:15 ET | Pittsburgh | -9 | At Oakland | 39 |
| 10/29 4:15 ET | At Cleveland | -2 | NY Jets | 37 |
| 10/29 4:15 ET | At Denver | -3 | Indianapolis | 39.5 |
| 10/29 8:15 ET | At Carolina | -5 | Dallas | 41 |
| 10/30 8:30 ET | New England | -2 | At Minnesota | 38. |
Here we go…let’s do a better job this week than last week. Ouch.
First up, Texans at Titans. This should be an intriguing match up. The Texans have taken a bit longer than I envisioned to get their show on the road. Much of this is attributable to the pre-season loss of Domanick Davis. Last week, Wali Lundy emerged as the type of back that just might put the Texans on his back. Last week, the Texans beat the Jaguars in Houston. This week, they’re on the road against Vince Young and the Titans. I’ll take the Titans because they’ve been so tough for the past few weeks. They battled on the road at Indy and won on the road in Washington. Tennessee 27, Houston 21.
Jacksonville is on the ropes. Jack Del Rio is planning the Rope-a-Dope with David Garrard and it just might work. The Eagles have lost games this year precisely because they have consistently blinked at crucial moments in big games. They may blink against the Jaguars and find out the hard way that David Garrard is a baller. The Jaguars need a focal point for this game – and it has to be controlling Brian Westbrook. That’s much easier said than done. Moreover, Donovan McNasty is getting Donte Stallworth back. Expect the Eagles to attack short and deep, often. Philadelphia 31, Jacksonville 17.
Do the Bengals really want to stop the run? Hell no! The Falcons are going to get their yards on the ground – but don’t expect a repeat of Michael Vick’s passing prowess this week. I like the Bengals to get the W here. Rudi Johnson should do well today. I don’t know what type of game Chad Johnson will have. I know that his route running and hands, combined with Carson Palmer’s precision passing, is too much for any DB to defend all game long. DeAngelo Hall will need help. I don’t he gets enough help to slow the Bengals today. Cincinnati 38, Atlanta 27.
I’m a bit surprised that the Giants are 9 point favorites over the Bucs. I mean, isn’t this the classic game that the Giants lose? It is – but I don’t want to push my luck with the Bucs. I picked them the past two weeks to beat the Bengals and the Eagles. I’ve ridden this roller coaster long enough. I’m getting off before the stuff hits the fan. These teams have played one another regularly for most of the past five seasons. There is a higher degree of familiarity than usual. Gimme the G-men in a low-scoring affair. New York Giants 20, Tampa Bay 10.
Da Bears against the Forty Whiners. The Niners showed lots of pluck in losing to the Chargers, but the focused Bears should be too much. The game is in Chicago, so the Niners can forget it. The spread is too big for me. 16 points? Against a team that scored 19 points against the Chargers and consistently moved the ball with Frank Gore and Alex Smith? Nope. Take the abysmal Niners and the points. Chicago 21, San Francisco 6.
The Chargers defense is banged up and now they have to deal with Stephen Jackson and Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. That’s not going to be fun. This could be a long game. I suspect that Marty may want to get back to “Marty Ball” after losing to the Chiefs on the road in a high-scoring game. That might be the best formula today. The longer Bulger and company have the rock, the more damage they can do. If Tomlinson and Turner get 35 carries, the Chargers will cover. If Rivers throws 35 to 40 passes, I think the Rams keep it close. San Diego 34, St. Louis 20.
The Cardinals are going on the road to Green Bay. I would imagine that Matt Leinart is going to be ecstatic about this challenge. He might be nervous and a bit awe-struck by competing at Lambeau against Favre, but this is a tremendous opportunity. I think he steps up to the challenge. I think the Cardinals offensive line bounces back from the debacle against the Raiders and successfully opens a few holes for Edgerrin James. Here’s the problem…Favre and the Packers might score 40 points today. Green Bay 39, Arizona 35.
The Seattle Seahawks are going to have their hands full with the Chiefs today. It’s an old AFC West reunion. Of course, not too many of the Seahawks remember those days, but this franchise has always had tough times in Arrowhead. They’re not alone – ask the Chargers. I’ve decided the Chiefs are not as bad as most people think – and they’re not as good as they think. Last year, they won one more game than the Chargers and beat the Patriots, Broncos and a number of quality teams. They simply gave up too many points. They’re still a work in progress, but Larry Johnson is a work of art. Kansas City 33, Seattle 28.
The Saints are going to have a tough time with the Ravens this afternoon. I don’t like their offensive match ups. From where I’m sitting, I see Marques Colston having a difficult time getting off the line against Chris McAllister. I see Joe Horn having a tough time running away from Samari Rolle and I see the Saints plodding along in the running game. Still, I have to like Drew Brees. He can beat the Ravens. He can make the type of throws that are critical to beating the aggressive Ravens. The Ravens offense needs to improve significantly. It’s still early in the season and since I’ve dropped McNair and Derrick Mason from my fantasy team, I not exactly hoping they have a great game. The Saints underrated defense should be enough to get it done. New Orleans 17, Baltimore 13.
Pittsburgh 45, Oakland 10. There’s no story here.
The 4:00 snoozer game: Jets at Browns. Patriot Games, Redux: Mangini vs. Crennel. Boring! There are some players that I really like on both teams: Leon Washington (Florida State), Braylon Edwards (Michigan), Kellen Winslow (Miami SugarCanes). It’s just not likely to make for a compelling game. I do not like the Jets on the road. Never have, never will. Cleveland 24, New York Jets 21.
I remain unimpressed with the Broncos defense. I like Manning and company to make it happen. Joseph Addai is beginning to roll. Marvin Harrison can’t stop rolling. Indianapolis 45, Denver 28.
The Cowboys were busy this week trying to pull that Giant FORK out of their guts. I think they’re done. Romo is a nice story, but he’s Road Kill against the Panthers in Carolina. Hopefully NBC will find their balls and dedicate their coverage to Steve Smith instead of that other dude. It would be nice to see the guy with the most skills get the most love. We’ll see. Carolina 56, Dallas 10.
The Vikings made my list for the softest NFL franchises of all time. Of course, this year’s version does not qualify as soft. The Vikings defensive tackles have devoured running games all year – and Chester Taylor has run with success up the middle. That’s a pleasant change for this team which has never had a punishing ground game or a punishing defense. They have exceptional running games (Chuck Foreman, Robert Smith, Michael Bennett (when healthy)) and exceptional defenses (Purple People Eaters) – but never punishing. This change, while pleasant, will not be sufficient to get with the emerging and punishing Patriots. I expect Dillon and Maroney to dish out some pain late in the game – not early. Brady needs to be sharp because the carpet can really improve the Vikings chances on Monday. Should be a nice homecoming for Maroney. 2 Td’s minimum. New England 30, Minnesota 20.
And that’s the week that will be.
The national media was ablaze with the New York Times story of Tiki Barber’s retirement at the end of this season. Barber’s announcement was made days before the Giants went down to Texas and throttled the Cowboys. The end result of the game was the benching of Cowboys QB Drew Bledsoe and the emergence of the Giants as a favorite to win the NFC East. Barber’s announcement was viewed alternatively with surprise and scorn by much of the national media (including former players like Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson).
It occurred to me, though, that Barber’s revelation did us all a favor. For one entire week, it displaced a notorious Cowboy wide receiver from the news. The news also shifted the discussion for an entire week from the ongoing drama between the Giants offensive stars (Barber, Burress and Shockey) and the coaching staff. That drama has been blaring full blast since the G-men were ousted from last year’s playoffs by the Carolina Panthers. Barber went on record as saying the Giants were outcoached in a game they lost at home to a team they thought they would beat. Shockey said the same thing this year when the Giants were bum rushed out in Seattle. Burress implied as much when he decided to work out in Miami during the off-season. The Giants were bordering on becoming Team Turmoil entering their bye week at the beginning of the month.
Since that bye week, the Giants overcame a double-digit deficit on the road in Atlanta. They put the smack down on the Cowboys. Next up – the Buccaneers. Tiki Barber may not get into Canton because he simply has not had enough elite seasons as a running back. Still, at this point in his career, no one is better. He runs with power, speed and grace. He no longer fumbles the rock – and he doesn’t blow opportunities to shift the focus to where it needs to be. For one week, Barber moved the focus where it needed to be: on winning this year.
99.99% sanitization of germs that may infect your average politician! It’s a dirty business!!
New York City and New York State – What is the future of Economic Development? The New York Times has an article today that points to some interesting directions. Years ago, while in graduate school, I noticed the tendency of newspapers to report significant political and economic news in the Saturday paper. The Saturday paper is seldom read. It’s the smallest paper, but often has informative articles with implications for planning activities – especially those by governmental and quasi-governmental agencies. This article highlights the challenges of building sustainable economic development around high-tech in New York State.
“Manufacturing alone is not where competitive advantage lies in the long run,” said AnnaLee Saxenian, dean of the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of “The New Argonauts: Regional Advantage in a Global Economy.”
“The key for upstate New York, or any other region, is the ability to build the set of social and institutional relationships that encourage innovation.”
As a cautionary example, Ms. Saxenian points to the once-promising effort to develop a high-tech cluster around Intel’s big chip plant outside Portland, Ore., which seems to have stalled in the last few years.
In upstate New York, as in the nation, pockets of growth are not going to reverse the long-term decline in manufacturing jobs.”
The State is committing itself to development a high-tech corridor in and around the University of Albany. The development is being done with the collaboration of the private sector – and the goal has been a private:public funding ratio of 3:1.
“The Albany nanotechnology complex passes that test. About $3 billion has been invested in the complex so far, mainly for costly tools and equipment needed for research and development. The private spending has totaled $2.5 billion, while the state has invested $500 million in its push to add high technology as an engine of the state capital’s economy, which relies largely on government and related services.
The state’s bid for the planned Advanced Micro Devices factory shows the rationale for government support for high-technology ventures. The state has agreed to provide the company with $900 million in grants and tax credits. A.M.D. is expected to employ about 1,200 people at the factory, which works out to a hefty $750,000 of state subsidy for each job created.”
Of course, it’s not that simple. There are positives and negatives to any deal of this type. The real question will be with the decline of the manufacturing sector, how will benefits from these agreements be passed through to fuel supports to needy upstate urban communities most adversely impacted by these shifts.
“I’m 76 years old. I don’t buy green bananas.” – Charles Rangel, Congressman – Harlem (D – New York)
It seems that Congressman Rangel has moved to the center of a Republican media blitz to instill more fear in the American people. I think the Republicans are the party of fear – and the Democrats are the party of desperation. You’ll vote according to your disposition. If you’re a fearful person who imagines Boogey Men at every turn – you’ll endorse a group of crooks who’ve sanctioned the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens in the name of 3,000 Americans. If you’re a desperate person, you’ll endorse a group of crooks who repeatedly say that they’re your only hope for a better life – even though they’ve never delivered. If you’re neither fearful nor desperate, you’re probably not an American – and you definitely don’t get most of your information from conventional sources.
With that said, the WAPO (a conventional source of information) is suggesting that Rangel has become the focal point of a Republican campaign to spotlight tax-and-spend Democrats. Republicans don’t have to worry too much. Rangel’s time in Congress has not yielded the types of benefits one might expect to accrue to a Congressional district. Harlem, home of Congressman Rangel, has grown tremendously in the past ten years, but he’s had precious little to do with it. Moreover, tax-and-spend Democrats have had even less to do with it. No, the growth is Harlem has been the result of a combination of factors which include crime reduction (under Democrat Dave Dinkins), tax incentives (under Republican city/state/national leadership), low interest rates, and a burgeoning group of black folk with net worth commensurate with property ownership in a historic and dynamic community.
The redistributive effects of Rangel’s tenure are almost invisible. He has never been received with the love of his predecessor – the powerfully effective and charismatic Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Still as a member of the Uptown Democratic Club, a distinguished Korean War veteran, a long-time fighter in Congress, Rangel has paid his dues. The question, though, for poor folks in his home district is, “To what end?”
Republicans would love to paint Rangel with the brush strokes of midnight – blacker than white folks greatest fears…but this tarring and feathering is not likely to stick – for Rangel no more fits the part of tax-and-spend savior than does the “Presidential Impersonator” in the White House.
Congressman Rangel is likely to wind up running the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, but he needs to hang on. Survival, however, may not be enough. Perhaps in addition to yellow bananas, some prune juice might augur the type of bowel and political movement required for his future position to have the impact so desperately needed in places like Harlem.
