Global
Parable No. 1: The Propane Valve Crisis
In California and other states across this great nation, we have been confronting deadlines on new propane bottle valves. I speak of the mostly 5-gallon propane gas bottles soon to be seen in trailer parks, on RV's, Webber BBQ's, boats, back porches and street kitchens. You name it, and there's probably a 5-gallon propane bottle around somewhere.
I recently came across a vivid illustration of the passion aroused by this crisis in Butte County, in the Chico area of Northern California. The local propane distributor told my host, Jeff Howell, that he 'd been physically attacked twice in the past four weeks by angered denizens of trailer parks.
Why was he attacked?
In California and other states across this great nation, we have been confronting deadlines on new propane bottle valves. I speak of the mostly 5-gallon propane gas bottles soon to be seen in trailer parks, on RV's, Webber BBQ's, boats, back porches and street kitchens. You name it, and there's probably a 5-gallon propane bottle around somewhere.
I recently came across a vivid illustration of the passion aroused by this crisis in Butte County, in the Chico area of Northern California. The local propane distributor told my host, Jeff Howell, that he 'd been physically attacked twice in the past four weeks by angered denizens of trailer parks.
Why was he attacked?
AUSTIN, Texas -- The financial industry has always been anathema
to populists. "Bankers all have hearts like caraway seeds," is one of the
mildest populist pronouncements on the breed, and the pugnacious populist
William Brann used to denounce life insurance companies as "vampire bats."
So I thought it was just me when reading the financial pages caused me to
wonder, "Is there anybody in this business who is not a crook?"
I don't think it's just me.
"Republicans lead by Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas and the accounting industry's trade group are working to kill a Democratic measure that would impose new rules on auditors, companies and investment banks in the wake of Enron's collapse," reports The New York Times. That would be the same Phil Gramm who got $101,350 in contributions from Enron and $927,055 from the financial industry while chairman of the banking committee. (By way of contrast, the late Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas, a populist, accepted no contributions from the financial industry while serving as chair of the House banking committee.)
I don't think it's just me.
"Republicans lead by Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas and the accounting industry's trade group are working to kill a Democratic measure that would impose new rules on auditors, companies and investment banks in the wake of Enron's collapse," reports The New York Times. That would be the same Phil Gramm who got $101,350 in contributions from Enron and $927,055 from the financial industry while chairman of the banking committee. (By way of contrast, the late Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas, a populist, accepted no contributions from the financial industry while serving as chair of the House banking committee.)
Right in the wake of House Majority leader Dick Armey's explicit
call for two million Palestinians to be booted out of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem, and Gaza as well, came yet one more of those earnest articles
accusing a vague entity called "the left" of anti-Semitism. This one was in
Salon, by a man called Dennis Fox, identified as an associate professor of
legal studies and psychology at the University of Illinois. Salon titled
Fox's contribution, "The shame of the pro-Palestinian left: Ignorance and
anti-Semitism are undercutting the moral legitimacy of Israel's critics."
Politicians are often eager to outdo their foes with media images
of greater patriotism or piety. But in recent days, Republican and
Democratic leaders have also vied to appear more offended than their
opponents.
The catalyst was a GOP effort to boost campaign donations by offering the faithful a Sept. 11 photo taken as President Bush spoke on a phone aboard Air Force One. At the Democratic National Committee, rainmaker-in-chief Terry McAuliffe called the move "grotesque" and declared: "We know it's the Republicans' strategy to use the war for political gain, but I would hope that even the most cynical partisan operative would have cowered at the notion of exploiting the Sept. 11 tragedy in this way."
A Republican spokesman quickly defended hawking the Sept. 11 picture, which is part of a "limited edition series" that includes a pair of photos from Bush's inaugural and his speech to the joint session of Congress soon after 9-11. "These pictures are of historic moments from the president's first year and are living testimony of his courage under fire, and leadership," said Carl Forti. "It is frankly offensive that anyone would suggest otherwise."
The catalyst was a GOP effort to boost campaign donations by offering the faithful a Sept. 11 photo taken as President Bush spoke on a phone aboard Air Force One. At the Democratic National Committee, rainmaker-in-chief Terry McAuliffe called the move "grotesque" and declared: "We know it's the Republicans' strategy to use the war for political gain, but I would hope that even the most cynical partisan operative would have cowered at the notion of exploiting the Sept. 11 tragedy in this way."
A Republican spokesman quickly defended hawking the Sept. 11 picture, which is part of a "limited edition series" that includes a pair of photos from Bush's inaugural and his speech to the joint session of Congress soon after 9-11. "These pictures are of historic moments from the president's first year and are living testimony of his courage under fire, and leadership," said Carl Forti. "It is frankly offensive that anyone would suggest otherwise."
EL PASO, Texas -- This is one of those stories, like drought,
that happens quietly over a long period, so no one quite notices how
horrible it is ... except those directly affected. Those who pay attention
to the Texas-Mexican border have known for years now about the murder of
women in Juarez.
Mexican and American feminists have tried to draw attention to what at first seemed just an extraordinary case, or series of cases. There was one arrest that looked good (and a bunch of cases of guys who confessed after the cops beat the crap out of them -- this has now become a standard claim), and for a time it seemed the police might have the right guy in custody. But the killing continued.
The newspaper Norte of Juarez bannered the story again last week under the headline, "State Justice Fails." Above it on the front page were the numbers: "More than 250 women murdered, 19 arrests, no one sentenced." The bodies of 274 women who fit the pattern have been found since 1993.
Mexican and American feminists have tried to draw attention to what at first seemed just an extraordinary case, or series of cases. There was one arrest that looked good (and a bunch of cases of guys who confessed after the cops beat the crap out of them -- this has now become a standard claim), and for a time it seemed the police might have the right guy in custody. But the killing continued.
The newspaper Norte of Juarez bannered the story again last week under the headline, "State Justice Fails." Above it on the front page were the numbers: "More than 250 women murdered, 19 arrests, no one sentenced." The bodies of 274 women who fit the pattern have been found since 1993.
AUSTIN, Texas -- President George Bush's foreign policy is
starting to look like a running gag on "Saturday Night Live." How inept can
he get?
On Tuesday, Bush teed off on Castro of Cuba, saying he "ought to have free elections," "ought to have a free press" and "ought to free his political prisoners." All of which is dandy, except Bush was standing right next to one of our more questionable allies in the "war on terrorism," the prime minister of Malaysia.
Malaysia is also in serious need of free elections, a free press and freed political prisoners. Mahathir Mohamad is a far more brutal ruler than Castro ever dreamed of being. His party has been in power since 1957 (love those free elections). He's been in office since 1981 and the subject of denunciations by human-rights groups the entire time. His ruling faction is far ahead of Castro on bloodshed points. And we're offering Mohamad whatever he wants.
On Tuesday, Bush teed off on Castro of Cuba, saying he "ought to have free elections," "ought to have a free press" and "ought to free his political prisoners." All of which is dandy, except Bush was standing right next to one of our more questionable allies in the "war on terrorism," the prime minister of Malaysia.
Malaysia is also in serious need of free elections, a free press and freed political prisoners. Mahathir Mohamad is a far more brutal ruler than Castro ever dreamed of being. His party has been in power since 1957 (love those free elections). He's been in office since 1981 and the subject of denunciations by human-rights groups the entire time. His ruling faction is far ahead of Castro on bloodshed points. And we're offering Mohamad whatever he wants.
A basic principle of democracy is that every person's vote
should have equal weight. So we might expect some public discourse
about the fact that the U.S. Senate is fundamentally undemocratic.
But it's a complete non-issue among politicians and journalists
alike.
One of the key roles of news media should be to raise important questions that powerful people in government don't want to ask -- or answer. However, while thousands of reporters and pundits stay busy with all kinds of stories about politics, they keep detouring around a central tilt of the national legislature's upper chamber.
Like the "purloined letter" openly displayed in a famous tale by Edgar Allan Poe, the Senate's huge structural flaw is right in front of us all the time -- but we don't see it as anything more than an eternal legacy of the nation's political heritage.
The past has ways of enduring. Today, in the 100-member Senate, cattle may be more equitably represented than people.
For instance, Montana -- with a total of 902,195 residents, according to the 2000 census -- has a pair of U.S. senators. So does California, with a population of 33,871,648.
One of the key roles of news media should be to raise important questions that powerful people in government don't want to ask -- or answer. However, while thousands of reporters and pundits stay busy with all kinds of stories about politics, they keep detouring around a central tilt of the national legislature's upper chamber.
Like the "purloined letter" openly displayed in a famous tale by Edgar Allan Poe, the Senate's huge structural flaw is right in front of us all the time -- but we don't see it as anything more than an eternal legacy of the nation's political heritage.
The past has ways of enduring. Today, in the 100-member Senate, cattle may be more equitably represented than people.
For instance, Montana -- with a total of 902,195 residents, according to the 2000 census -- has a pair of U.S. senators. So does California, with a population of 33,871,648.
AUSTIN, Texas -- We seem to be having a hail of news that fails
to amaze.
Israel has been attacked by another suicide bomber. Ariel Sharon, so memorably described by President Bush as "a man of peace," had to rush home to continue his policy of tit-for-tat, which he has so brilliantly demonstrated does not work.
Of course, Sharon is also demanding that Yasser Arafat Do Something about the terrorists. This adds an even more surreal element of black comedy to the tragedy. Assuming Arafat is not himself the head terrorist, as Sharon claims, with what, exactly, is he supposed to do about anything? Sharon has been destroying Arafat's Palestinian Authority piece by piece for months now and has just finished an attack that demolished the last elements. Even assuming he had the will, Arafat has no way. Sharon has put Hamas and Hezbollah in charge. Anyone who is surprised by the result probably thinks Sharon IS a man of peace.
Israel has been attacked by another suicide bomber. Ariel Sharon, so memorably described by President Bush as "a man of peace," had to rush home to continue his policy of tit-for-tat, which he has so brilliantly demonstrated does not work.
Of course, Sharon is also demanding that Yasser Arafat Do Something about the terrorists. This adds an even more surreal element of black comedy to the tragedy. Assuming Arafat is not himself the head terrorist, as Sharon claims, with what, exactly, is he supposed to do about anything? Sharon has been destroying Arafat's Palestinian Authority piece by piece for months now and has just finished an attack that demolished the last elements. Even assuming he had the will, Arafat has no way. Sharon has put Hamas and Hezbollah in charge. Anyone who is surprised by the result probably thinks Sharon IS a man of peace.
AUSTIN, Texas -- In 1901, a Henry T. Finch, writing in The
Independent, reported: "Women's participation in political life would
involve the domestic calamity of a deserted home and the loss of the womanly
qualities for which refined men adore women and marry them. ... Doctors tell
us, too, that thousands of children would be harmed or killed before birth
by the injurious effect of untimely political excitement on their mothers."
I'm trying to imagine an Al Gore speech that would provoke "untimely political excitement."
Actually, what I'm trying to do is remind y'all of the fine American tradition of everybody and his hamster feeling free to make vast, sweeping prescriptions for the entire female gender. We have just been through a modest little media orgy over both Karen Hughes' decision to resign from the White House and Sylvia Hewlett's book pointing out that it gets harder to have babies as we get older.
I'm trying to imagine an Al Gore speech that would provoke "untimely political excitement."
Actually, what I'm trying to do is remind y'all of the fine American tradition of everybody and his hamster feeling free to make vast, sweeping prescriptions for the entire female gender. We have just been through a modest little media orgy over both Karen Hughes' decision to resign from the White House and Sylvia Hewlett's book pointing out that it gets harder to have babies as we get older.
I'd guess it was the most explicit call for ethnic cleansing by
a prominent American since Sherman's designation of the only good Indian
being a dead one, or California's second governor, John McDougal's,
declaration in his first message to the California legislature in 1851 to
the effect that "A war of extermination will continue to be waged between
the races till the Indian race becomes extinct." Mind you, Dick Armey wasn't
calling for every Palestinian in the territories to be murdered, merely
evicted to ... anywhere, so long as it's somewhere else.
Here's what happened. On May 1, on MSNBC's "Hardball," House Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey, puissant legislator from Fort Worth, Texas, called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the occupied territories.
Armey said flatly that the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel -- in East Jerusalem, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- are Israel. Palestinians living in the West Bank should be removed.
Armey: "I'm content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank."
Here's what happened. On May 1, on MSNBC's "Hardball," House Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey, puissant legislator from Fort Worth, Texas, called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the occupied territories.
Armey said flatly that the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel -- in East Jerusalem, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- are Israel. Palestinians living in the West Bank should be removed.
Armey: "I'm content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank."