Happy Halloween everyone!

Apropos Indeed

A great historical find by Digby.

And, as always, she is right about this - it is hideous.

Government, Democracy, Capitalism and Free Markets, Part 1

I have been thinking a lot over the last several weeks about trying to put in words my own thoughts about freedom, democracy, capitalism, free markets, etc., trying to see if I can lay out a comprehensive framework of what I believe in terms political and economic philosophy.   This is the first of what will likely be a number of posts musing on these topics.

One thing I am struck by when observing political reporting and political advertising in the last several months is how there is a perception among most Americans that the government is fundamentally the only thing out there that can reduce or eliminate a person's freedom.  There seems to me no concept that private individuals can do as much or more to eliminate a person's freedom as the government can.  Yes, certainly a tyrannical government is not something anyone wants, but it should always be remembered that the main reason government exists is to prevent individuals from harming one another - from reducing their freedom, either by killing or injuring them, taking their property away, etc.

The worst loss of freedom a person can suffer is to become a slave - which is at its heart one person having total control over another. The government really has nothing to do with this - it is a private act to enslave another person.

But this is just an extreme.  There are enumerable other ways that one person can take away another's freedom.  And unless we are going to have a society characterized by chaos, the only way to prevent this is to have a government that intervenes to prevent one person from harming another.

Once we can all agree on this basic concept, in many ways is just a matter of degree as to what kind of powers the government should have.  We can all agree on some basic things - that people should not be able to kill or injure each other, or rob each other, or enslave each other.  The government ought to have the power to stop these things when it can, and to punish people who do these things when it fails to stop them.  From here on it's just a manner of defining what it is we want to prevent, and decide how we want to prevent them.

Hilarious

This is one of the funniest pictures I've seen in a long time:

You mean capitalism didn't cause those miners to be trapped to begin with?  What a moron.

BTW, this is a picture of a supporter of Daniel Webster, a tea party Republican seeking to unseat progressive Democrat Alan Grayson of Florida.

h/t Digby

Most People Just Don't Understand How Common This Is

This post from Angry Bear describes a trend that is getting worse and worse.

There are basically two ways to prevent corporations from breaking the law.  One is through government regulation and oversight, and the other is by having private citizens sue.  Over the course of the last decade, regulation is becoming virtually non-existent, as our elected leaders have allowed corporations to essentially capture the agencies that are supposed to regulate them (witness the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster earlier this year).  The second is now being foreclosed by the courts, who are effectively requiring plaintiffs to prove their case before they are allowed to file a lawsuit - which is exactly backwards, since you can't get the evidence needed to prove your case until after the suit is filed.

Legislation is useless.  If the law cannot be enforced, it may as well not be there.  And if corporations are not required to act legally, there is no such thing as a free market.

The sad thing is that this is the kind of event with 99.9% of Americans aren't even aware of.  Our corporate media sees to that.  Yet it affects our rights so much more intimately than a muslim community center being built two blocks from the WTC.

Another nail in the coffin of democracy in America.

In Memoriam

My father passed away on Saturday.  Here is the text of the obituary that appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune on Wednesday:

MITTS, JOSEPH PATRICK March 13, 1932 to Oct. 23, 2010 CDR Joseph Patrick Mitts, USN (Ret) of Mira Mesa died on October 23, 2010, at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. His loving family was by his side. Born in Great Falls, MT, on March 13, 1932, Commander Mitts attended schools in Montana, California and Wyoming. He enlisted in the Navy in 1949 from Casper, WY. Commander Mitts was commissioned as a "mustang" Supply Corps officer in 1956. His 25-year naval career included service during the Korean conflict, and two tours in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, China Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal with two stars. Following retirement in 1975, Joseph and his family moved to Rancho Bernardo. He was employed as assistant purchaser for San Diego County while working toward his bachelors and law degrees. He practiced law in the San Diego area, and received an award from the San Diego Bar Assn. for work done on behalf of clients of incapacitated and disabled attorneys. Joseph loved his family, his children and grandchildren, and his dogs. He especially loved the sea and time in the service of his country. He married Roberta Hope Mitts in 1984. He also is survived by his sister Sandra Yoffie of San Rafael, CA; his daughter Kathleen Coles of Pittsfield, MA; his sons and their spouses: Joseph (Pat) and Kathy Mitts of Las Vegas, NV; Sean and Lorraine Mitts of Brewster, NY; and Kevin and Marybeth Mitts of Lenox, MA; two stepsons, Isreal Nahsohn of Napa, CA, and Adi Nahsohn of Temecula, CA; eight grandchildren, Brooke Nahsohn of San Diego, Corey Mitts of Las Vegas, Connor and Kyle Mitts of Brewster, NY, Alex and Jacob Coles of Pittsfield, MA, and Margaret, Elizabeth and Katherine Mitts of Lenox, MA. Three step-grandchildren and nine nieces and nephews also survive. He was predeceased by his brother, Michael Francis Mitts of Kalamazoo, MI. A U.S. Navy Burial at sea will be scheduled. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his honor be made to the Navy-Marines Corps Relief Society of San Diego, PO Box 8103, San Diego, CA 92136-8103.

My father and I had a lot of disagreements, and some extended periods of estrangement, but I was always very proud of his service to our country.  He instilled in me a sense of public service that I treasure in myself.  I am very happy that I had the chance to see him before he passed last weekend.  

Impeachment

Once again, Scalia and Thomas show themselves for the scum they are.

There is no place for people like this on our Supreme Court.

You know, we can impeach judges too.  This seems such a clear violation of what judges are all about that it should be seriously considered.

Of course, the spineless Democratic leadership will never even consider it.

The Joe Miller Incident

I haven't been commenting on this since it seems to be something everyone is talking about.  But I agree with Digby - this is very disturbing.  If the Army does nothing about this then there should be a huge uproar.

I particularly like 23skidoo's comment on Glenn's post:  "I guess Sarah Palin was right - you CAN see Russia from Alaska."

Privatization Part 2

Although, in this case, the "private service provider"was a neighboring government.

And I have personal experience with this sort of thing, though for prudence sake I won't go into it....

Well, at least they're not airing it.

But they had to be urged not to?

Robert Reich

He says it so much better than I can.

Outsourcing

When people think of outsourcing, they think of US companies using companies in India to reduce costs.  But there is a more invidious kind of outsourcing - having our government outsource basic governmental functions to private enterprise.  Among the first functions to be outsource in the US was incarceration of prisoners - private prison companies have been around for quite some time.  And this is the kind of thing that happens when we allow this sort of thing.

On the national security side, once we started contracting for huge weapons systems and private mercenary companies, it was only a matter of time before we had to start manufacturing wars to keep their profits up.

What to do

Digby asks what are we going to do about the flood of corporate money taking over our politics.

I suggest a Constitutional Amendment.  The language would be fairly simple:

The rights enumerated in this constitution shall apply only to human beings and shall not be applicable to any legal entity, whether or not incorporated.

For good measure, I might add the following:

Any legal entity whose existence is reflected in the issuance of a certificate by the government of the United States or any State shall be treated as a department or subdivision of that government for all purposes of this Constitution.

This would make it clear that it is illegal for corporations to violate the constitutional rights of any individual.

I think these changes would go a long way toward restoring sanity to our democracy.

Appalling

This is why our country is going to hell in a handbasket.  All of our elites - Democrat and Republican - are drinking the same kool-aid.

I was once a big fan of Bill Bradley.  What happened to him?

Move Along

Nothing important going on here....

What the Future Holds

Avedon links to this article which I think lays out our current dilemma perfectly.

I agree with commenter JRB - need to think about this awhile before I add my two cents worth.

Banksters

This is what happens when we privatize tax collections.

It's the Sixties All Over Again

This does not surprise me.  Somehow peace activists are viewed as dangers, while mercenary companies are viewed as good things.

I kind of thought that this sort of thing as would be commonplace when it was revealed that the NSA was collecting every single email sent in the United States.

I've also noticed a dangerous trend toward entrapment in terrorism cases.  Here is an article about the terrorism trial going on in Newburgh, NY.  There hasn't been an arrest yet in a foiled terrorism plot in the US where an FBI informant was not in on the plot from the very beginning.

We have created such a monster of an anti-terrorism system in this country.  Reference this Washington Post article of several months ago.  It was inevitable that they would do things like this - they need to justify their existence.  Anything that the powers that be now consider a threat is suspect.

What Glenn Said

Brilliant, as usual.

More on the Foreclosure Crises

Ezra Klein asks a great question.

And, as usual, Atrios supplies an answer which, of course, is spot on.

Be prepared - it's going to get ugly.

Funny But Sad Too

Sometimes the shenanigans that go on the preserve the corrupt system now in place are really unbelievable.

Only the Big Corporations Are Recovering

Now there is some data to prove it.

This is no big surprise - it's why the stock market continues to rise while the rest of the economy languishes.

The real question is - why isn't there anyone in the media talking about this?  And of course, the answer is simple - the media is dominated by big corporations.

The Return of the Know-Nothings

God help us.

Pat Sajak - Political Pundit?

To be honest, I never knew that Pat Sajak was an ultra conservative - not that I pay attention to the political views of entertainment celebrities to begin with (actually, I don't pay attention to their personal lives at all - but that's a discussion for another day.

I also didn't know that Pat Sajak was so stupid.

Live and learn.

Big New Problems for the Banks

Felix Salmon, a columnist/blogger for Reuters, has an interesting - and in my view scary - explanation of what is going on with this mortgage mess.  I love Atrios' succinct analysis of the Salmon article:  "Shorter Felix Salmon:  Big Shitpile is shittier than any of us ever imagined."

The corruption in this whole process is incredible.

Now we know the following:

1. Mortgage bankers were using the hard sell to get consumers with edgy credit to enter into loans they clearly could not afford.
2. Banks purchasing pools of mortgages originated by these mortgage bankers were aware that a very large percentage of the loans being purchased were of very low quality - i.e., failed to meet the banks' underwriting standards, and so negotiated steep discounts when they were purchased from the originators.  But when they sold these pools to issuers of mortgage-backed securities, they failed to discloses this and didn't pass along the discounts.
3. Needless to say, the rating agencies vastly overrated the quality of the mortgages underlying the mortgage backed securities - in some cases issuing AAA ratings for stuff that should have been rated as junk.  Documentation shows that they did this because their clients wanted them to, and they wanted to keep their clients (and the high fees they paid).
4. When the mortgages were sold to the issuers of the mortgage-backed securities, the parties actually failed to complete the documents transferring title of the mortgages to the issuers.
5. And now many states have imposed moratoriums on foreclosures since it has become known that the banks are engaging in the widespread practice of falsifying documentation filed in the foreclosure cases.

A few additional points.  First, it seems fairly clear that we are about to have another huge jolt to the financial system as a result of all of this.  Believe me, people are going to be suing each other all over the place.

Now I know why we need tort reform - we need to clear the courts so that our biggest corporations and richest investors can wage legal war against each other.

And if my reading of all this is correct, I'm pretty sure the banks are going to bear the bulk of the losses resulting from all of this.  So get ready for another bailout.

And finally, can someone please explain to me again why no one has gone to jail over this?

Viral Emails

These kinds of things really bother me.

Yesterday out of the blue I received an email about illegal immigration.  I quote it in its entirety:

LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT:

IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE US. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET:

* A JOB,
* A DRIVERS LICENSE,
* SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
* WELFARE,
* FOOD STAMPS,
* CREDIT CARDS,
* SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
* FREE EDUCATION,
* FREE HEALTH CARE,
* A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
* BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
* THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRYS FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DONT GET ENOUGH RESPECT
* AND, IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU CAN VOTE.
*

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION

Most of these emails I just toss aside, but for some reason I couldn't do it this time.  This is my response.

Sorry, but I find these kinds of messages very annoying.

First of all, are you telling me that the United States should look at North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Venezuela and Cuba as role models?  Are you really saying that because they treat foreigners like crap that its ok that we do too?  Aren't we supposed to be better than these countries?

Second, so much of what's in here is false or at least misleading:

* A JOB - Yes, but only because employers want cheap labor.  They would rather have the profits from cheap labor than hire American citizens.
* A DRIVERS LICENSE, - Only in a couple of states.  Certainly not in New York.
* SOCIAL SECURITY CARD - Yes, a fake one, so they can pay social security taxes but will never get the social security benefits.  That's a good thing for them?  None of them have real social security cards - this is is right wing lie.
* WELFARE, - No - this is a right wing lie.
* FOOD STAMPS - No - this is a right wing lie.
* CREDIT CARDS - Yes, but again, only because corporate America wants to get 20% or more in interest from them.  Certainly this is not a government benefit.
* SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE, - They don't get government housing subsidies - this is a right wing lie.
* FREE EDUCATION - Yes, but only the children, not the adults.  What, do you punish the children for the actions of the adults?
* FREE HEALTH CARE - only if you consider access to emergency rooms "health care"
* A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON - You mean the Chamber of Commerce?  They're the ones that Congress listens to, and they're the ones that are lobbying against any changes because they want the cheap labor.
* BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE - You know, there are American citizens for whom spanish is their native language.  People seem to forget that 30% of our nation was conquered from Mexico and has a lot of native spanish speakers.  Just like people seem to forget that Puerto Ricans are Americans too.

* THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRYS FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DONT GET ENOUGH RESPECT - Which is worse - carrying the flag of Mexico or carrying the Confederate Flag?  At least these people didn't commit treason against the United States.
* AND, IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU CAN VOTE - Absolutely not.  There is no evidence that illegal aliens vote anywhere in the United States.  This is another right wing lie.

Look, I'm as unhappy about the situation as anyone.  I know that the presence of these immigrants in the United States is one of the ways that the middle class is being screwed in this country.  But it is only one of the ways, and the immigrants themselves are only partly to blame for this.  And it doesn't do any good to spread a lot of lies about what is really happening.    

The real reason this is happening is because the powers that be like it this way.  Getting cheap labor from abroad - like shipping jobs overseas - only accomplishes one thing - screws the vast majority of Americans and enriches the elites.

That is really where people's anger should be focused.

Needless to say, the sender is no longer on my friends list.

Links to Some Interesting Posts

Just a few things I came across today, which I find interesting but am too lazy to comment on.

Brad DeLong, on trying to talk rationally to teapartiers.

Digby, on how the national leadership of the Democratic Party are masochists.

David Neiwert, on Fox News' duplicity when dealing with the so-called "ground zero mosque" issue.

Thers on the mainstream media's views of left and right.

Glenn Greenwald on additional evidence of the collapse of the American empire.

Misperceptions

Today I came across this article by political scientist Brendan Nyhan - sparked by recent poll that indicated that a significant percentage of the American public believes that President Obama is a muslim.  And in an update, Nyhan links to this article by another political scientist John Sides on essentially the same topic.  The gist of both articles is that Americans' knowledge of "political facts" is influenced by their partisan beliefs.

Duh.

The interesting thing to me about both of these articles is that they don't really address the fundamental question of why.  For example, no one would believe that Obama is a muslim if there wasn't someone creating this misperception and if there weren't mechanisms for spreading them among the populace.  Or being more direct, there are people who create these lies - political operatives (political elites) who lie for in an attempt to win elections - and the media spreads them - some purposefully (like Fox News) and others complicitly (like CNN).  I rarely hear any major media outlet actively call out political operatives on the lies they spread.

There is little doubt in my mind that the primary responsibility for these widely held misperceptions is the media.

The question is what do we do about that.