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POPSSeattle's Byzantine Primary System There are good reasons why our primary is seldom, and probably shouldn't be relevant. First, is because Washington State is largely full of people who are willfully out of touch with national trends. We're independent, and most often not interested in following the rest of the nation. Something that is taken for granted as conventional wisdom in Seattle's overwhelmingly liberal voting public would be highly controversial elsewhere. That's why we elect the nation's most radical congressman by margins of up to 80%. In Republican areas Washingtonians are no different - we all love crazy people who make no attempt to moderate their ideals. (Me included, I must confess.) The second reason we shouldn't matter is that our primary system is so complex, redundant and useless it could only have been developed by Microsoft's web developers. (More on this in comments...)
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POPSThe Tethlon Idiot of Economics It's amazing how nothing sticks for this guy. Let's try to synchronize all his statements... 1.) Tax Cuts made our economy grow... 2.) We are now on the brink of a recession... 3.) Our economy is strong... 4.) We urgently need to save our economy... 5.) The government needs to spend more money 6.) The government needs to collect less taxes 7.) Tax cuts will help our economy now, just like they helped it over the last 6 years. IS HE TOTALLY INSANE? Please, tell me, someone, try to explain at what point we admit that EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE shows that Bush's tax plans have destroyed the US economy, and we are now being dragged deeper into the abyss with Bush blithely turning his sails into the storm.
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POPSThe Truth Behind Bush's Tax Cut Plan: Korsakoff's Syndrome Bush proposes tax cuts to save us from a recession. Apparently he doesn't remember that he's been cutting taxes for the last 6 years, and that's what brought us to the brink of recession in the first place. If six years of consecutive aggressive tax cuts won't save our economy, then wouldn't it seem obvious that one more year of aggressive tax cuts isn't going to either? In fact, I can make the argument that the tax cuts are actually causing the recession, due to our staggering deficit. Doesn't he have any other ideas? Doesn't he remember saying the same things over and over again as things get worse and worse? Korsakoff's Syndrome is what the guy in Memento had, where he couldn't remember what happened 5 minutes ago. One of the causes of Korsakoff's Syndrome is a depletion of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) caused by substance abuse and alcoholism. Given Bush's history, this clip is only half joking.
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POPSOn The Difference Between Belief and Politics
If someone holds conservative, right wing beliefs, I've got not problem with them. I might even find myself agreeing with them sometimes. On the other hand, right wing politics are what really get under my skin. And when it comes to Bush, it's pretty much 100% pure politics. So what's the difference? Well beliefs are ideas - principles you think are right, and that you are willing to stand up for. Politics is using other people's beliefs to get what you want. Bush doesn't believe in being a "fiscal conservative!" He just talks about that so that right wing voters will support him. He wants to be fiscally conservative on public schools and health care and other areas that don't directly benefit him or his friends, but when it comes to something he wants, belief takes a back seat to unadulterated greed. Why do conservatives feel they have to defend him? Why deny reality to defend something that is against your values? Bush has dragged the entire GOP into deluded solipsism
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POPSImmanuel Kant & Brittney Spears The central question this poses is: did we do this to Brittney Spears? Isn't this somehow our fault? Spears poses an interesting challenge to this conventional interpretation of Kant. Consider this: it seem very clear now that Spears was merely a meat puppet, who's trials (both literal and figurative) and travails (mostly figurative) have destroyed her as a person. And to what ends? Nothing more than our temporary amusement, no doubt. The creation and destruction of Brittney Spears won't even provide long-term amusement, except maybe for later day insomniacs who watch VH1 20 years from now. But, did she not concent? Was not this devils bargain something she not only entered into fully appraised of the situation, but even sought it out? Didn't she get the life she wanted? (Albeit in a twisted and cruel way.) It seems Kant places too much confidence in people's rationality. We explained the ends to her and accepted it, but deep down didn't we all know something that s
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POPSPat Robertson's Endorsement: Blessing or Curse? Leave it to national politics to turn a normal guy into Crazy McGee. Giuliani is campaigning so hard to the Republican fringe that he seems to be sabotaging the traits that might have made him appealing in a general election. On the other hand, think about what Pat Robertson is saying: "the defense of our population from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists" W*$# the F@&#!!!! Now imagine if a liberal candidate got endorsed by a national figure who talked about the "Blood lust of Christian Colonialism and Capitalist Neo-Fascism." That would pretty much be the end of the trail for that campaign. It is horrific that someone who could say something like this is actually thought of as an important endorsement. How many people seriously think like that? Are we really that ignorant and angry? Why would anyone be proud to be endorsed by someone who sounds increasingly apocalyptic, paranoid, and deranged?
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POPSThe Imminent Collapse Of China Contrary to popular myth, the Chinese have very little common sense when it comes to business. Virtually no Chinese-run company is internationally competitive. What's driving the Chinese economy? Pixie dust: The collective power of 1.3 Billion pairs of hands clapping to keep Tinker Bell alive. The business world is as riddled with corruption, nepotism and waste as the government. Often times, there is no difference at all between state and industry. This will end the same way it did for America in the thirties: with collapse. Investing in companies based only on enthusasim, nationalism, or just excitement and ignorance. (Gee, I'd really like to buy some stocks but I don't know which ones, oh well, let's get these, they have a pretty color, and your cousin works there, doesn't he?) I'll say it on the record right now: stay away from China if you have a business. Do everything you can to insulate yourself, because this is one house of cards that's gonna come tumbling down, and
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POPSOh, the Glory of it All: Nuclear War and North Korea Coming on the heels of Bush's retro-active opposition to the ascension of Raoul Castro, we see another naive and anachronistic policy push from the extreem right wing: trying to intimidate North Korea. For all those who don't get cable news in their fall-out shelters, North Korea is already a nuclear power. Why are we so eager to provoke what would inevitably become a nuclear war? Because it won't hurt us. There's no way that N.K. could reliably hit the US, their first targets would probably be Seoul and Tokyo. So for Republicans like Bolton and his ilk, the nuclear destruction of Seoul (Population 30,000,000) would be "sad" but convenient, because it would provide us with the pretext to use our nukes and annihilate North Korea, which deep down they secretly think would be kind of fun. So, tell me again: Who is it that is Evil?
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POPSJapanese Fashion: Paranoid + Crazy + Stupid This is just weird on weird with weird sauce! I've always been amused by the fact that people who live in safe countries are often the most afraid of crime, but this goes far beyond the mere synchronicity of bourgeois ennui and paranoia. While this will probably be a big hit at the Peter R. H. Sellers Memorial School for Espionage and Sleuthing, I can't imagine how impossibly stupid someone would have to be to ACTUALLY fall for it. LOOK! You can see her sneakers sticking out from the bottom of the "vending machine!" Can you imagine someone hiding in this? There is something really messed up with Japan these days, on a monumentally surreal level!
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POPSThe Three Cs: Korea, Corruption, and Capitalism Wow, the part of Korea that didn't go crazy communist went crazy capitalist. Apparently, according to the testimony of Korea's President, being a powerfull buisnessman actually does make someone above the law. Read the article for more great quotes, like how the prosperity of the nation is more important than the rule of law. Actually, sounds a lot like some of the stuff Fred Thompson is getting at when he talks about not damaging the prosperity of America. Have fun Korean working-class! You will be hunted for sport for the amusement of corporate elites starting next week!
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POPSGive Abe the Finger Well, thats nationalism for ya, apparently they'd didn't appreciate his display of affection. Poor guy.
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POPSFollowing the... KOREAN model? Wait a minute, did they just seriously say that? Follow the KOREAN model? That's a great idea! I mean, after the Korean War we created two stable and successful countries, and there were never any military problems or crises there ever again, right? I'm sorry but WHAT THE F*** IS THIS? Is their memory really that short? Its like they've got Korsakoff's Syndrome. These are the same people who were desperately trying to negotiate a nuclear crIsis on the Korean peninsula like three or four months ago? Did they forget they didn't solve that crisis yet? Is it because North Korea is No. 3 on the Axis of Evil list while Iraq was No. 1 that this may be seen as progress? Are we learning from past mistakes so that we can go and intentionally make them again?!?!?! THIS IS F'ING CRAZY!
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