Monday Open Thread
Welcome to your Monday open thread. What can I say, it’s Monday. So, share your thoughts below.
Surprise, surprise, conservatives are hypocrites on democracy promotion in the Middle East.
It can’t be stressed enough that many of the people faulting the Obama administration for not doing enough to undermine Mubarak and other authoritarian allied rulers are the same people who insist that he has been betraying and undermining allies for the last two years. Of course, Obama hasn’t been betraying any U.S. allies, and the administration still seems to understand that encouraging Mubarak’s downfall would be and would be seen as a strategic blow and humiliation for the United States. Americans should want to get out of the business of empire and power projection in the Near East, but there is no way that having a client government overthrown or actively encouraging its overthrow does anything but harm legitimate U.S. interests along with harming misguided hegemonist policies. If the U.S. didn’t insist on having a huge role in the region and meddling in its affairs, we wouldn’t need an alliance system that leads us to support such authoritarian governments, but very few of the people urging the administration to help wreck a major alliance want the U.S. to disentangle itself from the Near East.
Democracy promotion advocates continue to make the same arguments that were wrong when applied to Iraq, and they have not improved with time. Kirkpatrick made the basic conservative critique of democracy promotion three decades ago, and it remains valid now:
Although most governments in the world are, as they always have been, autocracies of one kind or another, no idea holds greater sway in the mind of educated Americans than the belief that it is possible to democratize governments, anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances. This notion is belied by an enormous body of evidence based on the experience of dozens of countries which have attempted with more or less (usually less) success to move from autocratic to democratic government. Many of the wisest political scientists of this and previous centuries agree that democratic institutions are especially difficult to establish and maintain-because they make heavy demands on all portions of a population and because they depend on complex social, cultural, and economic conditions.
It’s hard to keep up with which popular uprisings are good according to the neocons.
*snicker* Apparently this is real.
Breaking wind is set to be made a crime in an African country.
The government of Malawi plan to punish persistent offenders ‘who foul the air’ in a bid to ‘mould responsible and disciplined citizens.’
But locals fear that pinning responsibility on the crime will be difficult – and may lead to miscarriages of justice as ‘criminals’ attempt to blame others for their offence.
One Malawian told the website Africanews.com: ‘My goodness. What happens in a public place where a group is gathered. Do they lock up half a minibus?
‘And how about at meetings where it is difficult to pinpoint ‘culprits’?
Blame other people? That never, ever happens. My inner twelve-year-old is very amused by this.
Tags: Open Thread
George Clooney is already on top of this or behind it,whatever the case might be.
He has set up a BUTT PLUGS for MALAWI program through the UN.
GOOD for him.
Hello. Working on the advanced lab science portions of our program. UI, as a woman in science, what would you suggest as a terrific educational opportunity/inspiration for my upcoming woman in science? She’s not a giant fan of the rural life, so sending her to science camp (which was swell for boyscouting science Dad, when dinosaurs roamed) is no go, but I’d like her to get some support, kwim? Any suggestions welcome. 🙂
did anyone see one of the c lassiest game winning shot celebrations in the history of the NBA yesterday?
Major Breaking News!
Federal judge strikes down Obamacare as unconstitutional. Says without the individual mandate, the whole bill is void.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/us/01ruling.html?_r=1&hp
Like the other wingnut judges that have ruled on this, he’ll dominate the liberal media for a few hours… Then poof!
Oklahomo Shitty has a basketball team? Who knew.
“Federal judge strikes down Obamacare as unconstitutional. Says without the individual mandate, the whole bill is void.”
it’s a good thing the conservatives crusade against activist judges who try and effect the entire nation by their power over the laws.
MIAMI (Reuters) – A judge in Florida on Monday became the second judge to declare President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law unconstitutional, in the biggest legal challenge yet to federal authority to enact the law.
U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson, appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, ruled that the reform law’s so-called “individual mandate” went too far in requiring that Americans start buying health insurance in 2014 or pay a penalty.
“Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire act must be declared void. This has been a difficult decision to reach, and I am aware that it will have indeterminable implications,” Vinson wrote.
I wonder if a bunch of teabagz will rush to comment here when this ruling is determined to be horse shit?
Demint Tweets: All 47 GOP Senators on board to co-sponsor Obamacare repeal
You know, some people NEVER get sick!
But everybody emits noxious odors from their anal orifice!
Wake up and join George Cloony’s ” I’m just not a pretty face, I’m a sensitive guy that wants to look like a regular guy even though I live in a gated community ! and GIVE to BUTT PLUGS for MALAWIS!!!
Following the ruling today out of the Northern District Court in Florida on the Affordable Care Act, Tracy Schmaler, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs released the following statement:
“The department intends to appeal this ruling to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
“We strongly disagree with the court’s ruling today and continue to believe – as other federal courts have found – that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional. This is one of a number of cases pending before courts around the country, including several that the government has won in the district courts that are now before the courts of appeals. There is clear and well-established legal precedent that Congress acted within its constitutional authority in passing this law and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail on appeal.”
“We are analyzing this opinion to determine what steps, if any – including seeking a stay – are necessary while the appeal is pending to continue our progress toward ensuring that Americans do not lose out on the important protections this law provides, that the millions of children and adults who depend on Medicaid programs receive the care the law requires, and that the millions of seniors on Medicare receive the benefits they need.”
For more information on the department’s defense of The Affordable Care Act, visit: justice.gov/healthcare
“I wonder if a bunch of teabagz will rush to comment here when this ruling is determined to be horse shit?
This is not ‘horse….!’ Even a freshman in college taking a constitutional law class realizes the usurping of power by Congress.
Unlike Hosni Mubarak’s non-constitutional and authoritarian-type rule, the U.S. has a constitution that is grounded on specific and enumerated powers. Most notably, the Article I section of this document spells out the general powers under the commerce clause; this clause in no way trumps the ‘other’ distinct and separate powers expressly written therein.
Your usual prosaic and platititudinal remarks reveal your wholesale ignorance of the world.
Btw, Judge Vinson’s 78-page ruling presents said judges understanding of the gravity of this opinion. He qualifies his words nicely. The U.S. Supreme Court, most assuredly after an appeal fails, will take up the important constitutional interpretation of the commerce clause as enumerated through the 112th Congress.
Keep going Republican judges! Wipe out ACA!
NO ONE will go back to the pre-existing conditions ways, rescissions, etc. Oh yeah… I’m happy. Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to end up with Medicare for all/single payer.
“Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to end up with Medicare for all/single payer.”
There is a better way – rule the individual mandate severable and strike it down, leaving the rest of the law in place. Watch panic ensue among corps and Repubs. Fat chance though.
I can’t get too worked up about the court ruling. It will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, or more accurately, Anthony Kennedy.
“Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to end up with Medicare for all/single payer.”
or a better way to make car insurance optional…. Cant you wait for the day when you get into a crash with someone who is LEGALLY UNINSURED….then your health insurance ponzi LEGALLY DROPS YOU because driving is a pre existing condition?
i know the Teabags cant wait for that day. long live Any Rand!