Cuz she can see it from her house!

"Tyranny cannot be reasoned with. It simply must be exposed and opposed." [some guy on krugman's blog comments]

There are so many things going on in the US I just have to take a moment to comment.

First of all, if you didn't read Paul Krugman's piece – There Will Be Blood – from yesterday, take a moment. It's prophetic. Apparently the ordinarily optimistic, bursting- with- good- ideas Krugman, a man I respect, isn't feeling too peppy about the future of the US just now. His warnings are worth noting, along with a few other (most definitely related) items in the paper this weekend. Don't say nobody toldja.

First a few salient notes from the commenters on Krugman's column:

Let's start with this one which gives you a framework in which to insert those that follow:

"Do Americans remember when good ol' Denny Hastert was Speaker of the House in the shrub's admin? Do they recall him telling the House Democrats that anything they might propose would have to first be approved by a "majority of his majority"?

The Republicans are berift of ideas, except "cut taxes, kill government programs, & more war." They depend on flogging idiotic wedge issues to inflame people. It's truly bizzare why the citizenry would continue to vote against their own self interest. However, when one considers where the U.S. ranks around the world in education, maybe it's easier to comprehend why we are in this ditch."

Right, now how about this –

"... the Republicans will not care one way or the other if their threat to shut down government works or not, and their political calculations do not take into account the suffering of the American people in this respect.

That's likely in any case given their propensity for irrationality. Then, they do what they do thinking that keeping conditions in the country bad will benefit them politically somehow in 2012. That would then be a degree of cynicism that could likely indicate only one thing, a deep and abiding hatred for the president."

"The current Republican power structure plays to the prejudice and ignorance of our citizens, and it does not appear that our citizens will change course. Let us hope that the blood will only be a metaphor and not the real thing."

"# 155... There are two possibilities here: Either Mr Obama is simply a very weak, ineffectual and poor leader who may perhaps be stronger one day but has a steep learning curve ahead; OR he is actually a centrist Republican/Corporatist who makes these concessions because it's what he wanted all along. My money is on the latter."

Now, that last one is something you wanna think about, because if it's true, then the quote with which I started this piece should be plastered on every fridge in the nation starting yesterday, and lived by.

Consider the following:

It's likely that Sarah Palin (Yes - she most certainly can with an 80% favorable rating among Repubs. As my Nanny used to say, "Dontchoo fool yoself!") or Mitt Romney is our next President, barring a four- party race (not likely given the apathy of the voters). The last winner of a four party race in the US was Abraham Lincoln.

UNLESS.... this happens, and the odds of it happening are better than 50/50, but these are strange and unpredictable times. And here is a critique of that prediction, just to clarify.

The thing is, if commenter # 155 above is right, do we even want this guy re-elected? If you really wanna know where the Oblimey White House Econ policy is at, consider the fact that experts in their field like Krugman and Steiglitz were invited to the transition team party in 2000 but basically asked to ride there in the back of the bus and sit quietly, appropriately awed by the fact that they were invited at all. They were given token audience and none of their most potent suggestions to restart the economy were followed. Does this not tell us something? That the Oblimey White House was anything more than a Yes, You Can carte blanche invitation to Goldman to hire their pals and party on?

Is there no one out there tough enough to beat all these political poseurs? Is it possible for anyone to beat the system at this point given all the money and power behind this self-generating pluto-kleptocracy? (Wish Ralph was 30 years younger, I do. – No, you idiot, NOT Lauren. gawd... – Now there was a guy who had the kind of cajones you need for this job. Who fights like that anymore? Hil? Really?)

Finally, there's this. Is it any surprise that we are devolving into a nation of cretinous, rude folks in desperate need of recultivating a civil tongue? Why don't the repubs stop embarrassing their mamas and just be nice? Follow Mr. Oblimey's example of politesse? Set an example for the churren. Tough guys finish dead. Do unto others, etc.

I just can't believe the lack of courtesy in the halls of a government that purports to represent a nation founded on the principles of the Enlightenment. A bunch of self-aggrandizing, closet poofters (just look at the hair!) playing at governance, elected by those ignorant enough to follow their right wing rants like lemmings and dragging the rest of us off the cliff.

Well – I've gathered quite a collection of sturdy, European, union- made shoes over the last three months. When I get home, I'll be gettin them all out. You best keep your distance, Mr. Boehner.

I'm headed over to the 6th and the Cafe Flore to hobnob with the radicals.