Dr. Jacob Bronowski summed it all up in the last chapter of his marvelous work, The Ascent of Man: “It’s all about sex; before sex,it was a pretty dull world.”

Sabagio Mauraeno on a dull damp day in Decatur, GA, waiting for the clouds to lift,the Sun once again shine, and ...

I don’t think that it’s any coincidence that Edwards is the top story.. especially since the affair has been public knowledge since at least last October.

Yea, tis Cynical Times in which we live,So, on this day when we prefer to Give
So be thankful we have still

Oh, Brave New World, for Good or Ill
As in a tale best told by Will,

In Tempest,  Prospero,  someone whom we all know whose calling is to put the damper on our Show,

“Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.”

But The Bard will not let this be the Last Word,  and so it’s through Miranda, who was there and heard all the Wizard had to say, and still proceeds along her dreamy, optimistic way,

“O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in’t!”

Sabagio Mauraeno, awakened by the shrieks and screams of glee by those who find under their Xmas tree, gifts and gadgets, expensive watches,
on this day only, given freely, with no catches.

John Edwards?  Yesterday’s news. He cuda been a contender. Now he’s not, his future defined as an inconsequential blip on the timeline of American political history. What a legacy! Unfortunately, the Commentariat of national news readers can’t let John go just yet.  There is too much prurient interest in his public disgrace remaining to be mined , to much money to be made by corporate marketteers and other miscreants in their constant quest to milk the last drop of air time from the public display of the misery, angst and confused states mind of his   family and friends.  Ah, America. What a country!

Rowman writes to Patrick Henry

•  “Anyway. As much as you love your little democrats, at some point you are going to have to come back to reality. They are the epitome of hypocrisy.”

~~~

Patrick Henry. This should be a clue to you, not to take the bait from a presence on this forum who has proven himself over and over again, to be a slime-cluster scumbag proto-type of the karl rove series. If he actually had any other purpose besides the swamp reptile partisan goals of the same repiglicans (which actually gives pigs a bad rep) that have destroyed us to date, he would KNOW that you aren’t a ‘lover of little democrats”. You’ve stated your case for Ron Paul countless times before, and while I’ve respectfully disagreed with you in the past, that would be enough of a clue to anyone really paying attention, that you aren’t a ‘lover of little democrats.”

As an aside, I DO believe that MSM should have given Ron Paul far more voice for participation, just because that’s the way it should rightfully be. I emphatically believe the same about Dennis Kucinich. It’s the only way the American public could have a full look at any of these candidates, because it’s imperative to put them ALL under the microscope. Enough debates on the ISSUES, and a close enough examination of their Congressional behavior, (ie all of the bills that they’ve sponsored, and how they’ve voted, and their personal careers and all the rest, should be on display as much as the next candidate). In the end, THAT is the best way for an informed citizenry to make the choices that actually do represent more of the population. But, it has it’s downsides as well, because one must be able to withstand close scrutiny, and effectively defend past behavior and activities, and I’m ONLY talking about the behavior and activities involved in their work for the public. I still don’t care about any of the rest of this private stuff.

An example is Ross Perot, who actually sounded good enough in his debates and stuff back in the day. Had I NOT been aware of the fact that he runs his business, (EDS) like a concentration camp/gulag, I would have been easily convinced as well. I don’t think that ever really came out though. And, that’s how we’ve become stuck with so many other bad news folks on Capitol Hill. YOU knew McCain was a raving lunatic who treated his staff like shit, long before I did, just because you have that connection. (of course since then, his public references to his wife as a cunt, and other similar things has pretty much made that obvious). Still, you get my point. They ALL need full exposure, and then the public can decide what’s important in a leader, and what is less important.

But, that DOES require an informed public, and one that can tell the difference between ideology and reality, and how they effect each other to the extent that the greater public good is served or not served.

As for rowman, we’re talking diabolical ideologue for whom the primary goal is bulldozing anyone who might actually serve that public good, rather than his own perverted and hateful agenda. These types NEVER profess any specifics for what ‘good’ or positive traits their own candidate or party might have, (because how does one point to ANYTHING acceptable about McCain or the current batch of republicans?) So instead, each and every word or nuance is focused on the other guy that must be rammed down, at all costs. That’s just the scumbag way.

In other words, ALWAYS ACCUSE the OTHER, of EXACTLY what it is that they themselves are guilty of. That’s exactly what McCain’s campaign has been about.

Karl Rove and rowman in action. Despicable.

Now how about that…. Some common ground.

They all need to go.

I am down with you on Ron Paul but I am done voting for the “less of two evils”.

By rowman, August 13 at 4:21 am #

Actually I would like to “flush” all encumbents and start anew.  The lobbiests would have to start their courtships all over again.

I prefer Obama much more than McCain and I prefer Ron Paul over all of them.  I voted for Nader the past 2 general elections but he doesn’t seem to have “it”.

The non reporting event demonstrated by the MSM, who went out of their way not to report about Ron Paul, was criminal and certainly opened my eyes as to how far our so called “free press” has been manipulated.

I can safely say if you are a neo Republican (Bush or Reagan type) you are either a moron or have been paid off by them with some of the trillions my grandchildren will have to pay back.

AT,

The 10.4 trillion you quote is our debt using the “cash”  method of accounting,  which only the government uses. The “cash” method is in effect how much our national checkbook is overdrawn.

Using the “accural”  method of accounting,  which every business uses, our actual debt,  which includes all of our obligations (Veterans benefits,  Social Security,  Medicare, ect.) is approx $69 trillion,  or $375,000.00 per working American.

78% of this debt has been racked up by the last three Republican presidents,  Reagan,  Bush,  and Bushed.  12% of this debt is WWII debt we have not yet paid off.  The remaining 10% is due to various other reasons.

We can not afford another Credit Card Republican for president, incidently McCain’s tax cuts,  targeted at the richest 1% of Americans will produce 1 trillion more dollars in debt than Obama’s middle class targeted tax cuts will.

mike kohr

Re: Sabagio Mauraeno, August 13 at 6:53 am #
“John Edwards had a public message that still needs to be heard “

Sadly, he could care less about poverty. Anyone willing to shell out $400 on a haircut has no concept of what poverty is so he is most definitely the wrong guy to carry that message.

To him, it was nothing more than a marketing angle to establish a platform. The Democrats did not care for his message and platform so they opted for Obama’s marketing instead. “Change” that elusive word that can infer so much but means so little…

Fact is, Pelosi owns him. Reid owns him. Dean owns him. Kennedy owns him. And now we know that corporate America owns him as well.

I have an idea. Obama should change his marketing slogan to better reflect the situation. Lets try “Same”. As in The “Same” corrupt policies and government that you can rely on to screw you over again.

That is something you can believe in.

Sexual adventures and the US Politician.

I never cease to be amazed by the arrogance and conceit of politicians who think they won’t be caught in dalliances of the first kind. Nelson Rockefeller let his gonads get the best of him;Gary Hart believed that it was OK to play, so long as he did it on shipboard;Bill Clinton was a sex addict that future psychobabble pundits will base their entire careers on; and Governor’s mansions in every state have the potential for carrying on sexual indiscretions even when protected by State Police assigned to keep their mouths shut.

Now it’s John Edwards.  Here is a man who set himself above the fray, whose public image of loyalty and commitment to his wife stood out as both rare and exemplary. And then he goes and does something stupid. That’s what is disappointing. Why?  Even though he’s no longer a candidate, he makes the national news. People think he still has something to say that’s relevant, important and necessary to the Presidential Debate. For example the issue of endemic poverty in our country was abandoned by Reagan and his Babbits.  Remember Ron’s expose of the welfare mom with a Caddy parked out front of her house. Ron’s predecessors were too timid and too concerned about how conservative talk show blusterers and ditherers would react, labeling them “bleeding heart liberals.” Remember George I’s campaign against Willie Horton and his followers? Probably not.  The recent gasoline price gouging and accompanying panics at the pumps demonstrate how fragile our economy is, and how vulnerable all of us who are not members of our economy’s Inner Sanctum are to fall below the Poverty Line. We will be joining millions of our Invisible Citizens who have been there for years, generations.

Why is Poverty a critical issue. The Greed is Good proponests should view it as the more poor people we have, the less money to do the things necessary to survive as a civilization;the more our “dependant populations increase in numbers, the old , sick, and young, the more drain on limited resources will by to bring its member back from beyond redemption and becoming Productive Citizens. 

Poverty in past times, the Great Depression for one, was a condition fraught with potentials for political instability and social revolutions. Marie’s “Let em eat cake” solution toppled the French heads of state. Our Bonus Marchers were viewed as such a threat they were driven out of DC by armed troops lead by the WWII hero, Douglas MacArthur and his sidekick, DD Eisenhower.

But we’ve forgotten about these difficult days. The Boom Times of the Baby Boomers, whose motto has been “It(poverty and political upheaval)Can’t Happen Here” prevails in spit of some very real New Realities. 

So, yes I’m disappointed.  John Edwards had a public message that still needs to be heard and had a national forum where it could be heard:Endemic Poverty in the US of A is a clear and present danger, and should be addressed with as much vigor and debate as the war in Iraq, international terrorism and costly energy shortages.

Now he doesn’t.  And it’s a shame.

Amazing how many comments on this forum are completely off topic.
I sometimes wonder which world Chris Hedges is living in.
What on earth does he watch on TV to be able to speak of “the idealized couples we watch on television”.  That is certainly not what appears on my TV.
He speaks as if crass sexual misconduct and the violation of human rights are mutually exclusive. It is often a case of “both and” rather than “either or”.
Neither journalists nor politicians rank high in public esteem for a very simple reason. Both professions tend to put forward/propagate ideals which are very far from their own personal lives. A plague on both houses is what I say.
I am still waiting for real honesty from Chris Hedges and everyone else. Hedges persists in maintaining that formal religion has something useful and noble to offer us. Unless and until a truly free-thinking presidnetial candidate stands a chance of being elected we will carry on in the same old way.

Amazing how many of the posts on this forum are completely off topic. 
I sometimes wonder what world it is that Chris Hedges is living in.

Chris, where did YOU get that info about what Dubya and Condomliza do in the oval office?  I thought I was the only one who knew about that!

Re: Patrickhenry

You want to know what is really funny. Someone here pointed me to that while referencing another issue they posted on.  They were slamming someone and misread the article they thought backed their position. Cited it as a ref. to back their position. Oh, my side still hurts from laughter.

Anyway. As much as you love your little democrats, at some point you are going to have to come back to reality. They are the epitome of hypocrisy.

Take the word change. Everywhere you look, Barak supporters are pimping the word “change”. We need change they say. We need a new way of doing things so let’s “change”. But if you press on, you find that they are not talking about any specific change. It’s more like a concept but there are no tangible metrics behind this change. Change is a marketing word that means nothing. It is empty.

The Democrats are offering four more years of the same government mismanagement and they market it as “Change”.  Now that is Hypocrisy!

Same Corporations will remain in charge of the government. The change Obama is talking about is what is left in your pocket after he robs us with the corruption we know he is capable of. Just look back at his dealings in Chicago.

You guys remind me of the Bush Republicans who backed him several years ago and is now looking back trying to figure out where things went so wrong. That will be you too….

By Harry, August 12 at 4:28 pm #

Says who? you.  You are obviously a neo-Republican and if you continue to post here be advised that your hypocrisy will be pointed out to you.  It is very easy to “attempt” to negate others opinion while not offering any of your own.  Cyrena has a long history of commentary here, you don’t.

By rowman, August 12 at 4:44 pm #

Your counterpunch article is laughable considering it is written by a pro Israel and therfore anti Obama writer and is full of conjecture, banter and name calling (not against McCaint of course).

Its a no brainer that the Corporations would withhold their monies until they were sure they knew which way the wind was blowing.  Irregardless of how the diebolded polls are reported, the Republicans and many old time Democrats (who are no better than the Repubs) are doomed this election.  I don’t think diebold can save them, hence this last minute war against Iran, courtesy of Israel and all their lobbying might as their overrepresentation is doomed too.

http://counterpunch.org/

Oh dear, what has happened to the knight on the white horse?

This week, many of Barack Obama’s admirers were shocked. Up to now, it had been believed that the huge sums of money flowing into the coffers of his campaign came from anonymous citizens, each sending a check for 100 or 200 dollars.

Now, alas, it has been disclosed that a large part of those millions actually came from big donors - the very same huge corporations, their CEOs and lobbyists, who have corrupted the democratic process in previous contests. They spread their largesse generously and simultaneously among all the candidates from left to right, so as to be on the winning side whatever happens.

Obama had promised to put an end to the old, dirty corporate funding-for-influence system. Now it appears that he participates in this corrupt system himself.

What a disappointment.

While I personalizing our differences usually gets us nowhere in general, and I don’t blog here very often because of that and some pretty big differences I have with some of the more outspoken regulars on TD, this time I don’t hesitate to make a bit of an exception. Though she has no need of it, I would like to point to new poster Harry that first off Cyrena has thousands of posts on this board which are quite often characterized by citations of links and articles to carry her points-even when they are ones I don’t agree with. What her assertions (or mine, or anyone else’s) have or don’t have to do with what goes on in places like churches is irrelevant and the low road labeling of her as a ‘Propogandist…not worthy to be in America’ is just the kind of moral absolutism that the new Right Fascism has brought to what once was the sane discussion of how to improve this country.
If you, personally, have managed to escape the economic ravages of the current economic holocaust, and don’t think a few more thousand lives and limbs traded behind lies for oil dreams and corrupt schemes are a problem, that is your business. Good for you, keep the blinders on; but you make more dignified arguments if you refrain from hanging such labels upon those who don’t share your opinions.

By Harry, August 12 at 4:45 am #

Full of useless criticism and blind to boot.

These past 8 years from the diebolded election against Gore to 9/11 to the castration of the constitution (“goddamn piece of paper”) have been the most un-American I’ve seen. 

Harry, I see you have some of the Bush dickheadism in you as the “decider” of who deserves to be in Amerika and who doesn’t.  Moreover, who’s a terrorist and who isn’t and who has rights and who doesn’t.

More 700 club soup kitchens!! thats your answer.

New government, thats mine.

By Harry, August 11 at 12:00 pm reponse to Cyrena

Millions and Millions all over the globe with 10 million right here in America huh. Sounds like a disinformation propaganda campaign to me. Care to prove this or provide citation that can back this vomit up?

~~~~~~

Well, unregistered Harry, one would have to be blind or totally illiterate not to see the ‘proof’ and citations everywhere around them.

Frank Cajone has provided some resources for you here, and he thinks my estimate in probably low. He’s probably right.

~~~
“…By Frank Cajon, August 11 at 7:54 pm
In response to the challenge to Cyrena’s assertion, be it on topic or not, to the effect that America during the Bush dictatorship has slaughtered people around the globe and left, counting Americans tens of millions homeless and destitute-a statement that has furrowed the brow of at least one blogger here-I think the number is a low estimate and that the allusion to a ‘proof’ necessary is a close as a drive to the nearest urban center in the US, the morning newspaper, the foreclosure statistics in the realty markets, and the mass graves in Iraq. Open your eyes.
So, just start with a newspaper Harry, any one will do, though you can’t stop there, since the media has clearly performed as a Ministry of Propaganda for the Dick Bush Dictatorship. Be that as it may, it’s a good start. Take a drive or walk down the hill from you castle, (which will eventually come down at some point) and check out the nearest urban (or even rural center). Check out the list of the 10 fastest dying towns/cities in America. (rural towns have evaporated into literal ghost towns)

Check the latest unemployment stats Harry, and double them for a real figure. Note the 14 airlines that have recently collapsed, along with several banks. Let’s not forget Bear Steans which the taxpayer’s have bailed out, or Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

As for the destruction of Iraq, that link is right here on TD, so you must only do selective posting of your own propaganda here.

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20080810_city_ of_walls/?ln

Then there are all the dead and wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan, that started out HERE. Did ya maybe forget about all of them? Yeah, yeah, I know. The active military and their families who’ve lost their futures as a result of fighting in aggressive wars for profit only make up what..10% of the US population? I mean, it’s basically the same ones that we keep recycling though there, with occasional new additions to try to keep up with the attrition rate..attrition due to the thousands of deaths, (4,174 to date) and the HUNDREDS of thousands of ‘wounded’ who remain untreated, and are likely to be found living on the streets, or maybe hanging around the nearest Veterans Center, where those haven’t been closed down.

Disinformation propaganda campaign Harry? NOT. We might call your presence here a very pathetic attempt to prevent such information from surfacing, but that’s a lost cause. Too many folks are living this REALITY now, and you can’t tell them that they aren’t.

So, check that out Harry. See if your eyes tell your brain that it’s propaganda. Tell the last batch of 500,000 that those foreclosure eviction notices are just propaganda. I’m sure they’ll be convinced. Tell the same thing to the person who might still have a job, when they try to buy gas to get to it. Just tell them that those numbers there on the pumps are ‘just propaganda’, and that they don’t have to pay for the stuff. Then watch what happens when they believe you.

As Frank suggests, maybe you could just open your own eyes, and you’ll get all of the citations you need.

In response to the challenge to Cyrena’s assertion, be it on topic or not, to the effect that America during the Bush dictatorship has slaughtered people around the globe and left, counting Americans tens of millions homeless and destitute-a statement that has furrowed the brow of at least one blogger here-I think the number is a low estimate and that the allusion to a ‘proof’ necessary is a close as a drive to the nearest urban center in the US, the morning newspaper, the foreclosure statistics in the realty markets, and the mass graves in Iraq. Open your eyes. We are a third-rate world power with the nuclear weaponry of what once was the greatest nation on Earth, with one of the world’s highest murder rates, the most convicts in prison, highest trade deficit, most hand guns, and a crumbling infrastructure that has wasted away while the national debt has been increased 55% under the fascist regime in power since seizing power in the 2000 coup.
I remain convinced that all this and the lies behind it do not, however, make it all right for our leaders (or those who in their own grandiose world view think of themselves such) to be excused for having the morals of an unfixed feral alley cat.

In his book, “War is a Force that Gives us Meaning,” Hedges writes about the relation between pornography and violence—that is, the evil of lust and the evil of killing.  He seems to contradict himself in this article.  Also, the Hitler reference could easily be countered with a reference to Gandhi, who was also abstemious and a vegetarian.  The Hindus call chastity brahmacharya, meaning the search for God.  That’s the literal meaning.  The other meaning is chastity in thought, word and deed, which Gandhi said was the only way for a person to be nonviolent.

The real problem is that we have these endless debates about why the Democrats can’t win the national electons when the truth is that they have been winning but the elections are rigged.

Easy solution . . . take back the elections.

clinton’s were afraid Edwards would be chosen for VP; it’s one of their tricks; and no one cares; it’s kinda like the “hollywood fluff” they keep trying to jam down our throats when what we the people want is HONEST TO GOD NEWS MEDIA COVERAGE that alerts us to the TRUTH not the “mrs Bush goes to wonderful Afghanistan & all is well” when in reality 2 weeks later they are pulling troops there cuz of the “hotbed”; which if you had any independent media access at all such as http://www.democracynow.org you would have seen that a Pakistanian man was telling us that we the citizens of the USA are being GIVEN FALSE PICTURES, etc; that the Al Quida are small & have few if any guns (in case you missed the fact that there was no link ever found between Saddam/Iraq/& Al quida; NONE; there was a blurb in the news shortly after saying “the Sunni want to be known as” and poor McCain couldn’t remember if it was the Sunni’s or the Shiites the Gov had decided to “sell” the idea to the citizens of USA who the “big bad Al Quieda” were to be; the Shiites were the ones who said it was a dictatorship (USA set up Gov & Corp’s that work with them); we want PEOPLE, CITIZENS with a PASSION for the PEOPLE & the COUNTRY of the USA; we the people are FED UP with garbage, inside of the WH, in Cesspool Congress, & the parasitic Pentagon folks who amazingly enuf were 50% short of staff; & the ones who always over pay the contractors who WERE there happened to be in the clear of the airplane hitting it; they were “prepping” for a strike to the Pentagon by an airplane; wasn’t THAT a “coincidence”;

Edwards deserves no free pass here. No, he isn’t Herr Bush slaughtering a generation and destroying America’s future, but no one says he is. What he is: another in a long line of Democrats who can’t keep their zippers up, lie about it compulsively, and betray the trust of millions of people who voted for him for VP and in the primaries. His wife has a terminal, systemic disease, and yet he has not hesitated to likely impregnate (none of these fools ever heard of a condom, or their Freedom of Choice mates The Pill) a woman just to get his rocks off, plain and simple. If you can’t keep your marriage vows, or, like Herr Bush, will compulsively lie to cover any previous lie, what in the hell are you doing asking people to entrust you with the ability to make decisions that can result in World War III or failure of our economy? Lately, it seems hard to find a Democrat of note who has not had a tacky affair with a female other than their wife, or a Republican one that has not done similar with a male (or taken a bribe). Blaming this on media sensationalism is not right. The first thing we deserve from our leaders is trust and honesty and we are not getting it from most of them, either side of the aisle. Shame on Edwards, he and the others (Craig, the list goes on) who can’t keep it in their pants deserve their political ruin.
On the same subject, just what in the HELL are the Democrats doing giving an entire evening of their convention to Bubba Clinton after his ruin of the party for a few quick head jobs? The man is a disgrace as is his wife, and the Jackasses might as well have Edwards give the keynote address if they are going to let this fool and his wife have the key spots on two straight nights in a celebration of how politics and morals don’t mix.

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

Re: cyrena, August 10 at 10:12 pm #

By “regime” you must be referring to both the democrat and republican parties. They both control this country and each is guilty. They are equally corrupt, equally inept and equally under the control of corporations.

So… why do you continue to pump the democrat propaganda here?

If anyone needs proof that the media has failed miserably in informing the public but scored high marks for promoting the superficial, a real study was done.
  The National Media Watch Group (FAIR) studied primary election coverage on the nightly broadcast network newscasts (ABC World News, CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News) in the six weeks leading up to February 5, 2008, often referred to this year as “Super-Duper Tuesday,” when 24 states held primaries or caucuses.
  It designated category codes: Issues, Campaign Analysis/Strategy, Biography, News, Polls/Voter Mood, Human Interest/Local Color and Media/Advertising. The 385 stories were put into these categories.
  In summary, a full 88 percent dealt with either the how of elections, with news or with polls.
  Five percent, or 19 of the 385, were dominated by issues. Sixty-five percent involved a dominance of Campaign Analysis/Strategy (the “how” of getting elected).
  Human rights issues get very little coverage. Passage of the FISA bill, which provides immunity for the telecoms that cooperated with the National Security Agency’s illegal surveillance over the past six years, hardly gets mention. Furthermore, there is little commentary on Obama’s or McCain’s intention to sign it. It’s as though the dismantling of our freedoms has little importance in our corporate world.
  Then there is the quagmire in Iraq. Its coverage, is, compared to last year, quite sparse. With the neo-conservatives declaring a surge victory, the media seemed to completely lose interest.
  According to data compiled by Andrew Tyndall, a television consultant who monitors the three network evening newscasts, coverage of Iraq has been “massively scaled back this year.” Nearly halfway into 2008, the three newscasts have shown 181 weekday minutes of Iraq coverage, compared with 1,157 minutes for all of 2007, making the 2008 coverage the equivalent of somewhere around 365 minutes, or less than one-third of 2007.
  So where is the Fourth Estate now? Perhaps the term no longer has a meaning in today’s corporate America. It is a term which has always referred to the press, both in its explicit capacity of advocacy for the people and in its implicit ability to frame political issues.
  Clearly its advocacy is for corporations, and its frame or intent is one of plutocratic rule, disburser of agenda-based information, and supplier of entertainment.

The war crimes of our politicians and the sexual indiscretions of our politicians are not mutually exclusive.  They should both be news.  A lot of people on here are bemoaning the media coverage of this, yet we all read the headline and took a look.  People are interested in sex, and the fall of important people.  That’s nothing new and its not going to ever go away.  It should be covered along with the other things.  It doesn’t make sense to me to say don’t cover this, only cover that, news is about ratings, and sex always sells. 

As if a major presidential candidate/former vice presidential candidate having an affair and lying about it is not newsworthy.  Please, Chis Hedges really misses the mark here.  Its not about the public needing to think they are better than us, but as good as us.  We are not all lying adulterers hypocritically condemning others for crimes we are guilty of.  Its about the lack of honesty and disrespect toward the public by blatantly lying to them.  I am married and I work through all the problems of my marriage and I don’t disrespect my wife by cheating on her.  I expect politicians to have the same level of moral control.  I personally don’t care about his sex life, but that he is the kind of person he portrays himself as being.  If he portrays himself as a committed and loving husband, but is really a cheating dog, spending campaign contributions on his flings, then we should be fully informed.  If people find that more interesting than war is not that surprising, after all sex is exciting and war is depressing.  However, its not really about sex, but about dishonesty and trust.

I would also note, that having watched a lot of the olympics the last couple of days (a rare look into the mainstream networks for me) and I have heard about the conflict in Georgia many times, and even saw George Bush interviewed and asked about that and Chinese Human rights issues.  Yet, not a single mention of Edwards.

The war crimes of our politicians and the sexual indiscretions of our politicians are not mutually exclusive.  They should both be news.  A lot of people on here are bemoaning the media coverage of this, yet we all read the headline and took a look.  People are interested in sex, and the fall of important people.  That’s nothing new and its not going to ever go away.  It should be covered along with the other things.  It doesn’t make sense to me to say don’t cover this, only cover that, news is about ratings, and sex always sells. 

As if a major presidential candidate/former vice presidential candidate having an affair and lying about it is not newsworthy.  Please, Chis Hedges really misses the mark here.  Its not about the public needing to think they are better than us, but as good as us.  We are not all lying adulterers hypocritically condemning others for crimes we are guilty of.  Its about the lack of honesty and disrespect toward the public by blatantly lying to them.  I am married and I work through all the problems of my marriage and I don’t disrespect my wife by cheating on her.  I expect politicians to have the same level of moral control.  I personally don’t care about his sex life, but that he is the kind of person he portrays himself as being.  If he portrays himself as a committed and loving husband, but is really a cheating dog, spending campaign contributions on his flings, then we should be fully informed. If people find that more interesting than war is not that surprising, after all sex is exciting and war is depressing.  However, its not really about sex, but about dishonesty and trust.

I would also note, that having watched a lot of the olympics the last couple of days (a rare look into the mainstream networks for me) and I have heard about the conflict in Georgia many times, and even saw George Bush interviewed and asked about that and Chinese Human rights issues.  Yet, not a single mention of Edwards.

Truth and accountability are what have piqued interests in the Edwards’ affair. Whereas the new governor of New York had the good sense (some might think otherwise) to put all of his sexual exploits on the table when first appointed. I don’t remember much furor over the news of his tawdry exploits. The citizens knew what they were getting and dealt in a mature civilized manner with the news. Truth has a way of disarming people.

Edwards was portrayed as the fair-haired, caring, Christian family man by himself, his wife and his staff (pardon the pun). No, he never claimed perfection but we were led to expect that at least familial fidelity was not at question. Supporters expected the good works promised by Edwards would not be undermined by a personal affair and that campaign donations would not be sidetracked to support such an affair, that strong possibility has been mentioned by “thebeerdoctor” and “mackTN”.

Horn dog playboys can serve the public, I mentioned Governor Paterson of New York. He was at least bright enough to diffuse his own image. I think we are better able to deal with a public servant that is imperfect by admission rather than perfect by illusion. The Edwards affair had/has been simmering for some time. A lot of fair-haired propaganda went out and a lot of misled donations came in during that time. He never came forward out of good conscience, he was caught later. That makes a difference.

Just for a moment consider his campaign succeeded and he was elected president. I for one would be concerned that a sitting president would have to deal with his former mistress and love child while juggling larger issues. Not that that has never happened but I would rather not sign on for that ride.

Dorothy was pretty pissed seeing the man behind the curtain (at least as pissed as one could be in a 1939 film). Nobody likes a humbug.

Chris Hedges would make an atheist say “amen!” to this

The description in the first paragraph reminds me of the movie, ” Land of the Blind,” with Donald Sutherland as a political prisoner who eventually gets released and then over throws the current rulers, having them killed after he and some soldiers break into the bedrooms of the infantile ruler and his wife having kinky sex as depicted in this opening article. He then takes over the country to become even more repressive and evil than the former ruler he overthrew. If only art imitates life in this case.

Greg Bacon, loved the merger of CNN and the National Inquirer.

Anyone remember the Chandra Levy/Gary Condit-that’s all you heard on the fixed news before 9-11 happened, then it was on to another infantile sex scandal after that. As the rest of the world comments on Americans, we have a six year olds view of sex, very immature and childish. It’s time to grow up already, if it is not to late, and see what is really going on in the real world. Besides, other peoples sex lives should be private and not public, as long as they are not child molesters or habitual real sex crime offenders.

By Noah, August 9 at 3:43 pm

•  “..But I would argue that the media focuses on sex scandals and makes them the pinnacle of evildoing deliberately and intentionally, to desensitize us to the greater crimes being committed - the foremost being war.”

This is a bulls eye observation Noah. Others on the thread have alluded to this, but you go much further, and some of us can certainly appreciate your insight. It is clear. You continue..

•  “…I see every bad deed of the media, including the sensationalism and triviality of current “news”, as a deliberate effort to destroy the last vestiges of sensitivity and activism within that segment of the general population that has a conscience, and to discourage us from speaking out or having hope…”

Few have said it better. I would add that this is a long, long, long, practiced habit of any authoritarian state in the making. In fact, it is THE POINT…to desensitize, specifically to DEHUMANIZE on a mass level. It’s very intentional. It breaks the ‘classes’ into masses, who are far more easily controlled. This always brings me back to my question of so many, many years ago, when I was first learning about the German Holocaust, and shortly later, the similar atrocities of the Stalin regime. I couldn’t understand how so many millions of people could be so meekly and compliantly marched to their deaths, (like dummies) without anybody else saying or doing anything. The entire population had been totally desensitized; the result being the Banality of Evil, that we can as easily reverse to what we see now as the Evil of Banality.

We’re slaughtering people all over the globe, and the amount of money and resources used to conduct the destruction has left 10 of millions of Americans (in addition to the millions in the Middle East and elsewhere) homeless, hungry, and virtually destitute. Yet, we hear the constant gripes about the $114,000 dollars that was allegedly provided to this woman (no proof of that anywhere, or even where it came from) and more and more tales of how this one event, by one man, has somehow destroyed the Democratic party. It’s like, never mind that 5 million pound bomb that’s about to drop on your head, just count those pennies, and then, count them again for good measure. Never mind the TRILLIONS being spent in Iraq to build billion dollar embassies, and the hundreds of military bases, or the prisons, or any of that. Never mind that. Just keep your careful eye on the campaign funds of the guy who didn’t have enough of the same, to make the grade.

It would seem (in my opinion) that this is the now recognized reaction of a population under siege..terrorized by the forces of a totalitarian regime. It isn’t new. It’s the product of the destabilization of a society, and PROPAGANDA ALWAYS works well. Just distract what have by now become ‘the masses’ so they can’t or won’t pay attention to the context of the realities.

And yes…it serves this purpose as well..

•  “And of course, such reporting also serves to propel those without conscience into even more rabid support of wars, and to throw the general public into greater and greater ignorance and hopelessness…”

That’s what propaganda is designed to do, and this regime has used it as effectively as any other of the monsters of the past. The more ignorant the general public can be rendered the more control the dictators have. They can say, ‘look over here, and not over there’, and it works every time.

It’s a constant exercise of “Wag the Dog” as several other posters have noted just on this thread..the sailing of the Armada to create the Naval blockade of the Persian Gulf that will kick into full swing, more war in the Middle East. Then we’ve got the escalating war between Georgia and Russia, where thousands have already been killed. And every day, there are more and more homeless people on the streets of all US communities.

All of that said Noah, DO NOT give up.

beerdoctor you got it right!
“By thebeerdoctor, August 10 at 11:38 am #

It is not the screwing, it is the money. The $ 114,000 of his campaign funds used to set up Ms. Hunter’s phony job as a documentary film maker. “

This money contributed by real victims of poverty and homelessness, Hurricane Katrina victims, subprime predator victims—to pay the salaries of the goodtime girl and his proxy, Andrew Young.  This is a terrible betrayal and disrespect for those supporters.

But John’s budddy feels so sorry for them—not for the Hurricane Katrina victims, for Hunter and Young—that he relocates them on the other side of the country and puts each of them multimillion dollar houses and gives them allowances of $15000month.

In a campaign about the misery of poverty, this buddy’s sympathy seems misplaced.  How many Hurricane Katrina victims could he have helped with that money? 

Why not just help Hunter and Young get jobs and an apartment…or even a Fema trailer, which is good enough for other Americans.

From beerdoctor: “Elizabeth Edwards does not fare well in this matter either.
According to her, she knew the affair was going on before he started his presidential campaign.”

Yes, I’m beginning to wonder too—perhaps that decision to reveal the coming demise of Mrs Edwards helped deflect mounting attention away from this story.

This is exactly what’s wrong with the govt and elected officials who seem easily distracted from taking care of the people’s business and who use their access for personal advantages. 

I don’t care who these people screw—just do it on your own time with your own money.  If this story had just been Edwards screwing Hunter with NO MONEY INVOLVED then it would have been their private affair.

I’m a conservative - how I ended up here, I don’t know - so while I don’t agree with your litany of the sins of the Bush administration, your point that policy is more important than sex is right on the money.  Edwards is already a has been who couldn’t win the Vice Presidency, couldn’t win reelection to the Senate and couldn’t win the Presidency. Who, other than Elizabeth, cares who he sleeps with? 

I’d change the picture you opened with though…Harry Reid being ridden around the Capitol Rotunda by Nancy Pelosi would be fine with me if they’d allow an up or down vote on a comprehensive energy policy that included environmentally safe drilling in the OCS.

It is not the screwing, it is the money. The $ 114,000 of his campaign funds used to set up Ms. Hunter’s phony job as a documentary film maker. The videos produced were not going to win any awards. Edwards in his interview lied about this, saying his personal relations with Hunter came after she was hired to make the documentaries. This was not the case