Ugh, S.  My son is a grad student at UNT.  Visited several times.  Wouldn’t want to live there.  You have my sympathies.

So cute of you CY to call me a juvenile.  You are correct in saying I only believe what I do about New Hampshire, since I don’t live there and can only go by what is reported everywhere and from everyone who has.  That is pretty much the way of the world, 300 million Americans don’t live in New Hampshire. Just as you don’t cognize every time you eat what it took the world to get that steak to your plate (I hope you can understand metaphors), we more than we like to have to rely on ‘reports’ of trusted agencies, meaning journalists, U.S. census reports, you know, things with the ‘ring’ of verity.  Of course I can’t prove everything, but as a voter 2500 miles away from New Hampshire, I can certainly form opinions from what is hearsay because that is all I have to go on and that is all 300 million other Americans can go on as well.  I do at least do some research, maybe not a dissertation’s worth but enough to get the gist of the world.  What a stupid argument you are presenting.  I am probably more ‘informed’ than most, but probably not as informed as some.  And so it goes.  And I say this is over as well.

Oh, and Ernest Canning, having lived in California for over 40 years I’d love to return to the earthquakes and fires, both, but I now live in Texas the state of the mindless.  And so it goes there too!

S & CY, if you two keep bashing one another over provincial concerns, I will be sure to invite you both out to California the next time we have a really good earth quake or fire, take your pick.

While ubiquity and omnipotence are not my strong suits, I do have unshakable prejudice against hubris. I see that rather than repudiate fact with fact, you, CY, prefer to insolently pontificate.  It is obvious that a state such as New Hampshire along with Iowa with a 90% white population do not represent America in general.  The primary election and caucus posturing of these states are well described by Brian Mann, a public radio, NPR, reporter and professional purveyor of American rural politics.  The fact that NH is slowly but surely ebbing away from the entrenched radical right, is pure indication of the relentless undoing of the rural conservatives who lock-step their archaic “traditional” values by the progressive secularists who are inexorably advancing.  As the voters of America become more and more educated, which the right-wingers completely abhor, Americans proceed to shed their small-minded, small-town, unsophisticated comprehension of what is really going on in their country.  And as Mann is quoted by Paul Beston, WSJ, “rural Americans are not the hapless rubes of TV shows and smug big-city editorials.  On the contrary, America’s 50 million rural, predominantly white citizens, Mr. Mann believes, are a force to be reckoned with—the most powerful “minority” in the country. And they are a population to be understood rather than condescended to…” 

For the present, the only visit to New Hampshire I might even consider would be a virtual tour.  I’m quite happy in my harmonious cosmopolitan mixed population of the Metroplex.  I am a smattering more informed than most.

If we look at the projections from 1995 to 2025 of populations of the states you mentioned in comparison to say California, Florida, Ohio, New York, or even Pennsylvania at
http://www.census.gov/population/projections/state/stpjpop.txt
the superlative comparison for New Hampshire is not too surprising that they don’t need sales tax nor state income tax since they don’t have to social service as huge amount of people, and they have a lot of money per capita.  It is like almost 12 to 1 ratio.  The ranking for safest state is hilarious with that number of people, what else?  And they don’t have that many millions using their roads.  So I personally think, if they in fact elected a Democratic gubernatorial and legislature recently, they are headed in the correct direction (left and liberal).

Well Loeb was before my political time.  I wonder if his bitter invectives did much good with those outside of New Hampshire.  It doesn’t seem like NH is one of the more progressive states in terms of 21st century modernism nor has much influence over the rest of the 49 states except when it comes time for primary elections when it so enjoys its catapult into the limelight.  Seems like a very provincial state.  Conservatism also means clenching onto old ways, maybe not to the degree of extreme lud’dism, but opposed to too much innovation, with a scent of authoritarianism.  That’s my myopic view.  All views count.  Seems also though that the extremes of politics is like a rubber band that is stretched and the ends are in a good tension to keep either side from becoming way too radical, which unfortunately has happened in the last seven years through some aberration of the Supreme Court. But that is a personal opinion as well.

Ah yes, Huckabee.  I’m only interested to the degree his brand of conservative jingoism is capturing the blistered enraptured eyes of the religious right.  I believe in being wary of destructive larva and to take remedial action.  So what is it that the Buddha would buy for Christmas?  Wolfbane or fox urine.

Now where’s that John Edwards?

Huckabee!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The local rag in our neck of the woods reported on what the wife of a Governor Huckabee in Arkansas actually spent two nights under a railroad bridge in order to experience the travails of a homeless person.

One could almost visualize her being dropped off from a chauffeur driven Cadillac De Ville and picked by one of her husbands friendly First Baptist Ministers in his Lexas ES 450.

Still if the guy is said to have moved the entire Republican Party of Iowa into his camp it may as the Kabballah seers proclaimed “either our curse is working or enrapturing time is upon us”.

What?  Have we accidentally discovered a new treasure? Sometimes we have to look underneath the surface.  omop, levity, yes, gravity only when necessary.  Merci.  Now I’m going looking for John Edwards and Mike Huckabee.  Primaries and caucuses are going to be interesting.  In spite of the suck-up media, we have to drudge through and illegitimus detritus non carborundum.

Not overly serious but still appropriate.

A young suburban couple get into their BMW and head to their exclusive country club for their first golf game. The wife, [who but] whacks her ball into a massive window of the most expansive home fronting the course.

The husband [naturellement] exclaims “merde…. look what you have done. Now we have to go knock on the door and offer to pay for the window”.

In response to the knocking on the door a young man wearing pointed sneakers opens the door to hear the couple express their apology and offer to pay for the cost of the window.

The young man, tuts, tuts and then says. “I am glad you broke the window. As a genie I have been wanting to get out for over years and years and because you set me free i am ready to grant my three wishes. One for each of you and the third is mine”.

The husband immediately wishes for 10 million dollars. And the wife demands condos in every capital city in the world including Dubai. Granted says the young man. “And now for my wish. I wish to have sex with your wife in the upstairs bedroom”

Both husband and wife agree to the genie’s wish. After the passage of several hours the young man asks the wife how old she and her husband are. She replies “around 36/37”. To which he replies. “Thirty six years old and you two still believe in genies.”

If this isn’t applicable to the gist of the case for the long view. Then I will have to ask for my Maria Theresa dollar back from that story teller in Marrakesh who supposedly cadied several seasons for Ronnie when he was still a Democrat.

omop, you are such a flirt and while that can be genial it is not appropriate in a forum such as this.  Even though nous sommes vraiment par espièglerie sérieux ici.  We are really serious here.  Now are you able to make any interesting comments about the topic of the article?  If not, then au revoir.

laughing is gut.

Shenonymous, I only recently completed my read of Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine.”  Klein’s analysis was one of the most powerful I have come across, a point underscored by your reference to the thinkers being paid by the makers of tanks.

Because I am a forgiving spirit:  Nous embrassons en arrière… And we laugh a lot too.

Shenonymous

......................baiser

Will make me what?  Omop?  Still not making sense.  Vous portez le rôle de l’idiot très bien.  You wear the role of the fool very well.

Ernest and Enemy are so sober.  But teach us excellent political thinking skills.  Merci.  Bill Moyers is one of the bright spots on television and always presents something worthwhile to contribute to educating the public about the human vermin in our society.  Naomi Klein, author of “The Shock Doctrine:…,” said “We did not lose the battles of ideas. We were not outsmarted and we were not out-argued, we lost because we were crushed. Sometimes we were crushed by army tanks, and sometimes we were crushed by think tanks. And by think tanks I mean the people who are paid to think by the makers of tanks.”

Enemy of State, the topic of “think tanks” within the context of media was touched upon by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber in “Banana Republicans.” While the hard-right attacks a supposed “liberal bias’ of the news media…[it has quietly built it’s] own, unabashedly conservative media such as talk radio and Fox News at the same time they have systematically set about promoting the careers of conservatives within the mainstream media….” 

“Koch Industries is one of the nation’s most notorious polluters, part of the oil and gas industry.  Brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch have a net worth of $4 billion each….In addition to campaign contributions…, they are part of a network of conservative benefactors that support industry-friendly think tanks, experts and subsidized media that repeat, embellish and reinforce their core message that corporations are good while government regulations, labor unions, environmentalists, liberal Democrats and anything else that might restrict corporate behavior are bad.”

Where progressive billionaires, like Bill Gates, donate “millions of dollars to the national Institute of Health” etc., hard-right donations are geared to “a disciplined way to achieve…political goals” with funding coordinated through the Philanthropy Roundtable.  Hard-right “charity” is always geared to acquiring and solidifying power.

What people tend to forget is that think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute are not institutions of higher learning.  They are paid to advance the ideology of inequality on behalf of their billionaire benefactors.  They operate not only to funnel information into the corporate media but also as a source of media pundits and punditry.

Bill Moyers has astutely noted how billionaires like Richard Mellon Scaife and Ruppert Murdoch have thoroughly corrupted the information environment.  “Monopoly over the dissemination of ideas,” writes Moyers, “is tyranny.”

Ernest, veryu interesting and insightful response. What do you think is the relationship between our severely compromised media, and the washington think tanks? It seems to me the later institutions have been providing the brainpower for this gradual perversion of our democracy.

O Iridescent and vain one. Va te faire.

We know that, small minded one. Il s’agit d’une petite affaire.

Since Ernest Canning indulged in the uncrypting of OMOP into O[ne], M[indless], OP[erative] he has provided me with an opportunity to define him as a “fortz”.

This also by way an addendum that my #117537 was in response to Shenonymous’s #117531.

Once again Ernest, I bow to your wisdom and will desist in the banter with the one mentally out to lunch.  He doesn’t know there is knowledge in the body as well.  I can only hope Mr. Edwards sees the significance of Kucinich’s keen perceptions.  Kucinich’s views ought not to be discounted as I think they are powerful.  But I can’t help but think, while he has appeal to a growing number of the political cognoscenti, he doesn’t for the majority of the hoi polloi.  His political language and delivery doesn’t quite cleave.  He is a mighty mind that deserves to be in our government in no small way, and I hope whoever does get the office, surely it will be a Democrat! sees that he is an asset.  That kind of exposure would put him in a better seat for high office.  Relatively speaking, he is still young too.  We also need voices like yours, Nader’s and Chomsky’s to keep the verbal percussion going in order to break the calcified citadel of the Republican/Libertarian one-mattress mantra of corporate genuflection.

A brain full of vanity leaves little room for intellect, Thereby forcing intellect to move in a downward direction in ones body. Proof of such disturbing symptoms were first recorded by witch doctors in the Seychelles archipelago. Descendants of same still have the amulets to prove it.

By trying my sophomoric best I can only conclude that you enjoy the favor of a mirror that reflects both vanity and intellect along with physical attributes.

Ciao.

Shenonymous, Why waste time with omop, which stands for (O)ne (M)indless (OP)erative?  There is no “there” there.

Enemy of the State is correct in pointing to the superficiality, but one has to understand that it is superficiality by design.  Boyarksy’s reference to 80% of Americans wanting issues rather than personalities covered is but another reflection of Noam Chomsky’s “democracy deficit.”

Focus on campaign finance reform misses the mark because it fails to focus on the role of corporate media, which has a vested interest in an “uninformed populace.”  The corporate media intentionally fails to cover “issues” and focuses on personality and image.  It intentionally limits access to those candidates who have trolled for sufficient corporate dollars to buy up the deceptive 30 second ads that only tout image at the expense of substance, while the corporate media works tirelessly to marginalize candidates of substance like Dennis Kucinich.

The most telling poll was the blind poll released last August which listed candidate positions on issues but excluded candidate names.  One candidate, Kucinich, received a whopping 53% while the big three media darlings, Obama, Edwards, Clinton, each received less than 5%—talk about your “democracy deficits!”

There are profound reasons why the corporate media marginalizes Mr. Kucinich—reasons that translate into billions of dollars.  Kucinich not only favors a restoration of the Fairness Doctrine (which would be the death knell for pundits like Bill O’Reilly) but, as revealed by John Nichols & Robert McChesney in “Tragedy & Farce” advocates “breaking up the major media conglomerates” by “limiting the number of media outlets one corporation can own in a given medium, such a radio, print, or television…; a ban on cross-ownership of newspapers, radio and television in the same market by the same corporation…; expansion of funding for public broadcasting…and community-controlled [non-commercial] media…; requiring broadcast and cable networks to provide substantial free air time for candidates and parties during elections…; opening up the regulatory process so that citizens can easily challenge the licenses of local broadcast outlets that fail to provide local coverage and to direct coverage at the entire community they are supposed to serve.”

Lest some right-wing poster blast Kucinich’s proposal for substantial free air time for candidates as a form of Socialism, I would remind that poster that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 amounted to a give-away of monopoly licensing control of the “public” airwaves to the private media conglomerates.  Free air time for candidates can and should be part of the price the private media should pay for their monopoly licenses.  Indeed, that is where the 1996 Act perverted the intent of the 1934 Act, which required that media devote broadcast time to the “public” interest as part of the price for their control of the “public” airwaves.

Until that reform occurs, the growing consolidation of control of what we see, hear and read by a shrinking number of corporations and CEOs like Ruppert Murdoch operates as a threat to the very survival of democracy.

We have lots of problems with superficiality in making important societal choices. The most obvious if the appetite of the public for celebrity junk news (including the various missing white woman who become insta-celebrities), and the MSMs catering to such whims. Then we have the political machines market research, which consists of determining the immediate emotional response of a target audience to various one-liners. Reporters who couldn’t care less to expose catering of politicians to the results of said <i>research<i>, but instead are concerned about how authentic the candidate appears. We have a lot to reform in our culture is democracy is to have any chance of surviving. We are quickly devolving into democracy by simple-minded appeals to emotions, with backroom thinktanks trying out clever new ways to mold the unthinking emotional responses of the masses.

There is content in these scrambled brains. omop.  I am vain, I quite agree as intelligent or not so intelligent women are wont to be.  I quite agree that the so-called “heavenly” calling for the Bushman to nuke Tehran is another example of his idiotic demagoguery supported by his self-serving malevolent bed-fellows.  And your meaning is sophomoric at best.

Shenonymous
# 117519…....Vanite des vanite tout est vanite. You are certainly full of it….......” the mindless fever of the Muslims calling for the death of an….E
nglish teacher…......definitely is swarmier and mindless as the publishing of a Norman Podhoretz in the Wall Street Journal calling on his God to impress on GWB to nuke Tehran.

If my brains are fried yours are definitely scrambled. Hard as it is for you to accept, cretin[e]. You get my meaaning?

One more thing, Non Credo, never in an Internet moment would I have thought you and I would be in “complete” agreement on anything, but your comment on omop’s remark was succinct and superb.

Omop, for some whose brains are fried from some cause or other, asking stupid questions and making what appears to be idiotic remarks does not further a conversation in the least.  Well, we have to tolerate the feeble of mind.

For this atheist speaking, I believe completely in the Constitution, particularly the Preamble that says all men (and women-my modification since I am a woman and sensitive to sexism), Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence. Of course not in that chronological order, as everyone knows, but not the bible, mind you, oh, right, you don’t have a mind, only garbled speech.  That being said, it seems most important that articulate dialogue be requested in forums like this, not to say humor is not appropriate, because anyone who is familiar with my many posts may have noticed my sometimes acerbic, but most always with tongue-in-cheek humor, as I believe levity, not gravity is often heartlifting.  But it is still important that some semblance of intelligence iridesce the comments.  Do you get my meaning omop?

The reason I bring up these liberating documents is to state my personal bias and to take notice that the content of this article makes the case that the news and journalistic media seems to completely miss the point of freedom of the press that Ernest Canning rightly compares. This is important because the mindless fever of the Muslims calling for the death of an altruistic English teacher is one of the most mind-defeating actions yet by those who blindly fall into eternal oblivion of the valley of ignorance.

In “When News Lies,” Danny Schechter provided a description of corporate media methodology that is far superior to Tom Rosentiel’s “incessant incrementalism,” especially as it relates to the primary source of information for the vast majority of the US electorate, television.

“Media coverage tends to lurch from event to event, and from spectacle to spectacle as a substance-deficit disorder hyperactively drives the news agenda.  No sooner are we focused on one major story, than another intrudes to change the subject and insure that there is no time for follow-up, much less thoughtful processing.  The pace of the coverage tends to insure that little will be remembered, much less understood.”  This frenetic pace is placed within the context of a “seemless on-air presentation” which “is very effective at not calling attention to its techniques or behind-the-scenes influence.”

Boyarsky seems to be suggesting that the problem is limited to “political reporters” when, in fact, it is systemic to corporate media which has replaced journalism with infotainment in all facets of its “coverage.”

non-credo #117488.

why not?

Reporters could at least ask meaningful questions.  Like ask the democratic candidates what the health-care industry expects to get in return for the $6.5 million it’s given to their party (and ask republican candidates what the industry expects to get in return for the $4.8 million it’s given their party.)

Anybody think the Dems are going to ‘reform’ health care in this country?  The industry doesn’t seem to think so. Fools may throw $6.5 million down the toilet - mega-corporations never do.

Uh, huh? omop?  Are you some sort of effete?  First of all, it is et al.  And second of all you don’t make any rational sense at all.  And besides you obviously need to learn how to read. Next, what the f*** could an “unzealot” sheep be?  Is that like the teddy bear?  Don’t get me riled up!  You indubitably are not up to it.

Its telling that Shenonymous is not repelled by the constant repetition in Isreal as well as in the US by the likes of Gary Bauer and other fundies that the Creator/God only saw fit, notwithstanding the millions of Chinese, Indians, Africans, at, al, to sign a “land deed” to only one race with only one religion.

But then Shenonymous he/she may count themselves as unzealot sheep.

I think it is more than a Lemming Syndrome or mindless geese.  It is the culture of carpe diem and it has its negative side if taken to extreme. Seizing the moment seems to have a glamour as it is an electrifying principle.  It is life in the fast lane of journalism.  But extreme seems to be the method of choice in today’s world.  The incident of the teacher naming the teddy bear Mohammed is a prime example of mindless zealousness.  That such an innoculous act such as naming can be so death threatening in today’s world by indoctrinated zealots is stupefying.  But it is the sheep mentality.  Journalistic faddism is at its zenith and it is as Mary says, puke.  The journalistic bravado is sometimes a pissing contest and the ignorant public sinks ever further into creeping unsophistication and gullibility.  It is symptomatic of a malaise seeping into the collective consciousness, unfortunately.  But there are those who are alert.

The real bummer in all of this is we have become a nation of sound bites; why?  Because we have the attention span of gnats.

This puts the fotz on the “long view”.  Pity.

John Borowski’s comment about the declining cents worth of the US dollar is reminiscent of the answer a Bedouin boy gave while attending a short term math class in a remote village in North Africa when asked by the instructor, “what do you get when you add 2+2?” and the boy answered “it depends on whether you are buying or selling”.

Every time Mr. Bernanke hints about lowering the interest rate the Dow jumps 200/300 points. In between hinting about interest rates Mr. Bernanke “pumps” in billions to the same folks on Wall Street.

Both Dem and Repub. candidates warn the soon to retire baby boomers that some surgery is required on the SS Fund in order for the contributors to expect receiving a modicum of the contributions they made while working for several decades.

In making the case for the long view how is it that not one of the contenders has come out in favor of making sure that Mr. Bernanke or his successor “pump” billions into the SS Fund?

If the billions being pumped into Wall Street are made up of US dollars so will the billions pumped into SS also be US dollars. In the long run then all Americans will benefit from being “pumped up”.

@ #116919 by Paracelsus

Interesting as usual; CFR, ME, NAU, What do these initials stand for?  I am not familiar with them.  Thanks to you, I now know about the Bilderbergers.

***************************

Well, thank you.
CFR Council on Foreign Relations- There isn’t a politician in Washingotn who doesn’t have some sort of connection to it. Many visit Pratt House to give speeches, and to hold Q and A’s. Most of the A Listers are members.

ME- Middle East

NAU- North American Union, Texans are fighting eminent domain condemnations to build a huge North South highway through it.

It was announced prior to the opening of trading on Tuesday that the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the world’s largest SWF, was paying US$7.5 billion to buy a 4.9% stake in Citigroup, the largest financial institution in the United States. Citigroup, facing what the markets fear may amount to a $30 billion or more hit on its capital base due to its problems with subprime mortgages.

This report is indicative of the focus on the short term. Rather than ride out the problems of the subprime crisis, the quick fix is a partial buy-out of Citigroup.

All is short-term in business and government. Even the reaction by stockholders and by consumers was favorable for it meant dividends wouldn’t be impacted and credit might flow more freely.

We are in trouble and we don’t even know it.

Well we still don’t know who killed Kennedy. Nixon, (the crook who should have gone to prison) has been historically rehabilitated as a legendary statesman. B-actor Ronald Reagan has been resurrected to sit on the right hand of God even though he screwed America’s chances for leading the world in alternative energy, wrote a blank check to the military-industrial complex and kissed Saddam Hussein’s ass for killing a million Iranians for us with our chemicals and weapons. Hillary’s not even dead yet (I think), so her rehabilitation is more of an ongoing chore for those who must perform such duties.

@ #117016 by mary

“This forum gave the viewer a very good opportunity to listen to Sen Edwards talk about important issues, and Charlie Rose asked great questions and allowed Sen Edwards to actually answer his questions in depth.”

Oh freaking wonderful! You have a guest of the Bilderbergers being interviewed by CFR member. If all the rest of the flock think like you do then we are freaking doomed.

I was just watching John Edwards on the Charlie Rose show.  This forum gave the viewer a very good opportunity to listen to Sen Edwards talk about important issues, and Charlie Rose asked great questions and allowed Sen Edwards to actually answer his questions in depth.  Now if we could just get the news to focus on the issues and not their own biases.  When so-called journalists like Russert, Matthews and Blitzer are eliminated, we may just start getting this kind of reporting.  The most important election of our history may be upon us and what do we get, stupid questions about jewlery prefered by Sen Clinton, how ridiculous! The Pew Poll is a good indication Americans are about fed up with these guys.  But then again 70% of Americans want us out of Iraq and we don’t even see anything of substance on the war in the news.  How many Americans, or journalists, know how many have died in this war.  And this is a number that should be in the news daily, along with constant coverage of every aspect of what’s going on there.  Todays journalists are a disgrace to the industry and history will blame them for the fall of our Democracy, and they have only themselves to blame.  I swear if I hear Matthews or anyone else refer to the Repub as the “daddy party”  and the Democrats as the"mommy party” again, I’ll puke!  It’s this sort of crap that should never be tolorated.  Now lets see real news….

In his conclusion, Boyarsky quotes Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

“a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 80 percent of those surveyed wanted more stories on issues and the candidates’ records and personal backgrounds.”

I agree with this.  Please ignore the corporate brainwash of the “horse race” reporting and educate yourself about the candidates records and positions on the issues and vote in the primary for the candidate whose positions on the issues are held as a matter of conscience, not political expediency.  Vote for the candidate whose record and positions agree most closely with what you believe is right.

Think for yourself and do not allow the corporate media to decide the winners before the election is even held.

Bill Boyarsky wrote;

“Political reporters are like geese, waking up to a new world each day as if the day before had never happened.”

Very astute.

And;

This takes a better kind of journalism than what we are getting in the rush of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.

I think this is point on.  The article speaks to the abomitable “news” we are force fed by the MSM, which I read only for entetainment value.

#116919 by Paracelsus on 11/29 at 5:40 pm
(168 comments total)

Interesting as usual; CFR, ME, NAU, What do these initials stand for?  I am not familiar with them.  Thanks to you, I now know about the Bilderbergers.

If all these candidates have been networked into the CFR,  the Bilderbergers, and the Trilateral Commission, then we have no hope of change. Under such a network we will have continued war in the ME, loss of sovereignty into the NAU, and the collapse of the currency.

Well said, Mr. Boyarsky. This election is a make of break moment for America. After Bush is out, if we sweep his mistakes under the rug, and not examine and disavow them, our nation may lose its soul for good. We sorely need a president who is gutsy enough to challenge K Street and Wall Street, wise enough to set a drastically new course, and noble enough to admit our transgressions of the last decades against the world.

Apparently, most Americans feel it in their guts that this is the case. They deserve much better information than what the main stream press offers, in order to make an informed choice.