The Danger of National Ignorance

A true story of willful denial on a national scale (he’s talking about US).

“At its worst extreme, a culture of misinformation can produce something like Iran, which is run by a Holocaust denier.

It’s one thing to forget the past, with predictable consequences, as the favorite aphorism goes. But what about those who refuse to comprehend the present?”

Read the whole, depressing article here: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/building-a-nation-of-know-nothings/

1930 to 2010: What’s Changed?

We should be very alarmed when hatred gets to such a point that a man walking through a crowd may be harassed for simply looking like he belongs to certain ethnic or religious group. We don’t need to wait for a government which condones actions like that to take power before we become alarmed at the dark undercurrents which are present in our own community.

It’s not 1930s Germany and we will never let it be. But American resilience to ethnic hatred relies on the immediate and unconditional repudiation of this sort of behavior. People rallying around hate and proposing the limitation of one group’s constitutional and civil rights for the appeasement of “the majority” must always swiftly be revealed as the minority.

The Youtube description describes the scene pretty well:

A man walks through the crowd at the Ground Zero protest and is mistaken as a Muslim. The crowd turns on him and confronts him. The man in the blue hard hat calls him a coward and tries to fight him. The tall man who I think was one of the organizers tried to get between the two men. Later I caught up with the man who’s name is Kenny. He is a Union carpenter who works at Ground Zero. We discussed what a scary moment that was for him. I told him that I hoped it did not ruin his day.

Espada Confirms Our Worst Impressions of Him…Again

With crucial legislation (like the Revenue Bill that Republicans hate) waiting for a vote, Espada decides to take the day off depriving Democrats of their majority. You can’t make this stuff up, it’s too stupid. Here’s what the man said:

“I cannot participate in a legislative process that still has not addressed basic and important needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Working in the district today and tending to the needs of my constituents will be far more productive.”

Check it out the full article here.

Target Funds Rabid Anti-Gay Politics

Here’s how it works – Target has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Tom Emmer’s PAC, a very anti-gay MN politician running for Governor. Emmer is a good friend of Bradlee Dean, the front man for Christian Rock group You Can Run But You Cannot Hide which has appeared as various GOP events and who he has referred to as “nice people”. While Emmer is anti-gay, his friendship with Dean gives us an idea of how anti-gay. Bradlee Dean literally wants to kill homosexuals and has said things like:

“[Homosexuals] play the victim when they are, in fact, the predator. On average, they molest 117 people before they’re found out. How many kids have been destroyed, how many adults have been destroyed because of crimes against nature?”

And don’t forget the classic:

“Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination”

If you’re wondering, boycotts of Target are being organized and you can see the original articles here:

http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/targets_150000_donation_to_fund_anti-gay_politics

http://sfist.com/2010/07/23/targets_anti-gay_support.php

Republican Leadership Likens Financial Crisis To An Ant

Now come on, isn’t this just a little too much? See President Obama refute John Boehner’s idea that the Financial Crisis was an “ant” and Financial Regulation is a “nuclear bomb.” Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

The President on the comment at Racine Memorial Hall in Racine, Wis., yesterday:

The leader of the Republicans in the House said that financial reform was like — I’m quoting here – ‘using a nuclear weapon to target an ant.’ That’s what he said. He compared the financial crisis to an ant. This is the same financial crisis that led to the loss of nearly 8 million jobs. The same crisis that cost people their homes, their life savings. He can’t be that out of touch with the struggles of American families. And if he is, then he’s got to come here to Racine and ask people what they think. (Applause.) Do you think we should fix — I mean, maybe I’m confused. Do you think that the financial crisis was an ant and we just needed a little ant swatter to fix this thing?

Amazing Expose On The Politics Of The Failed NY Budget

If you haven’t listened to the “This American Life” episode from June 19, you should. Put it on while you’re working out, taking a bath or bored with your friend’s crappy story – I guarantee your jaw will drop at least once. Ira Glass rips into Albany, interviews Dick Ravitch and all around let’s us know that, while not the only state in budget shortfall (48 of them are), we’re amongst the worse.

Go ahead, click the link and edify yourself. Just stream the whole thing, it’s free – that’s what public broadcast is for.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/410/social-contract

See the BP Spill on YOUR House

Having trouble visualizing the magnitude of the oil spill disaster? Tired of people using the word disaster until it’s meaningless? Here is the page for you – it will overlay the spill on your house using Google Maps.

http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/

UPDATE: Barack Obama To Kick Ass (And Sing About It)

‘Nuff said.

Arizona Shows Its True Colors: White

More unbelievable than the immigration law that recently passed, and far more blatant. People are literally yelling racial slurs at kindergartners of various ethnicities painting a mural on the side of their school. This is why progressive youngsters need to get involved and stay involved; we can’t leave our country to the likes of this:

And these children, for the past several months as this happy mural encouraging “green transportation” was being painted by local artists, have been treated to the city of Prescott’s finest citizens driving by and yelling “N—–” and “S—” at this school wall painted with pictures of the children who attend the school. And this has been encouraged by a city councilman, Steve Blair, who uses his local radio talk show to rile up these people and demand the mural be destroyed.

And now the faces are being painted white, “because of the controversy.”

Read more at Wonkette: http://wonkette.com/415809/arizona-school-demands-black-latino-students-faces-on-mural-be-changed-to-white#ixzz0qBSzqVC1

21 Year Old Could Stop Gulf Oil Leak

21 year old Alia Sabur has caught the attention of BP and the Coast Guard with an innovative idea to capture the flow of oil pouring into the Gulf. A simple and elegant idea, it’s great that they’re considering it but a shame that they couldn’t figure it out sooner. What, exactly, do they get paid for? See clip from CNN below.

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