Comments for laborlou.com http://laborlou.com Lou's Views on News and Politics Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:36:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Comment on Privacy, Freedom and Individualism by John Connolly http://laborlou.com/2013/06/privacy-freedom-and-individualism/comment-page-1/#comment-15017 John Connolly Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:36:13 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4016#comment-15017 Oh yeah .... who needs Big Brother when you've got Chris Christie? Oh yeah …. who needs Big Brother when you’ve got Chris Christie?

]]> Comment on Privacy, Freedom and Individualism by John Connolly http://laborlou.com/2013/06/privacy-freedom-and-individualism/comment-page-1/#comment-15016 John Connolly Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:34:43 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4016#comment-15016 "Insect-sized Drones ..." nice touch ... and right around the corner. The wry irony is that American Capitalism has done Orwell one better. Who needs clunky, old Telescreens when you've got video-dragonflies and digital keystroke recorders at your beck & call? (Not to mention a lame FISA Court that turns down TEN out of 30,000 phone-tapping requests). No need for a snarling, grim-faced super-sized Stalinist state apparatus, or an all-powerful IngSoc Party (although Orwell's "Inner" and "Outer" Party memberships were also a deft touch) enforcing grinding scarcity upon the Proles while lauding phony ever-increasing production statistics... Capitalism is doing all that with the "soft power" of Wal-Mart, Big Screens, Dumb-You-Down SmartPhones, and (for now) cheap credit. Who needs the Thought Police when you've got the Tea Party? Who needs Victory Gin when you've got the Republican party? Who needs Double-Think when you've got the Democratic party? Who needs the Anti-Sex League when you've got the Wisconsin State legislature? Who needs goat-faced Emmanuel Goldstein when you've got Barack Obama? Who needs the long caravans of East Asian POWs rolling by, jammed into caged-lorries, as the furied vengeful crowds of AirStrip One spew Two-Minute Hate upon them on their way to the Public Hanging Festival, when we've got Guantanamo, and mythical enemies like The Immigrants, The Terrorists, The Gang Members, The Secret Socialists, The Big Labor Bosses? Who needs the First Amendment when you've got the Second Amendment? Who needs O'Brien when you've got Karl Rove? Who needs Winston Smith when they've got YOU. “Insect-sized Drones …” nice touch … and right around the corner.
The wry irony is that American Capitalism has done Orwell one better.

Who needs clunky, old Telescreens when you’ve got video-dragonflies and digital keystroke recorders at your beck & call? (Not to mention a lame FISA Court that turns down TEN out of 30,000 phone-tapping requests).

No need for a snarling, grim-faced super-sized Stalinist state apparatus, or an all-powerful IngSoc Party (although Orwell’s “Inner” and “Outer” Party memberships were also a deft touch) enforcing grinding scarcity upon the Proles while lauding phony ever-increasing production statistics…

Capitalism is doing all that with the “soft power” of Wal-Mart, Big Screens, Dumb-You-Down SmartPhones, and (for now) cheap credit.

Who needs the Thought Police when you’ve got the Tea Party?
Who needs Victory Gin when you’ve got the Republican party?
Who needs Double-Think when you’ve got the Democratic party?
Who needs the Anti-Sex League when you’ve got the Wisconsin State legislature?

Who needs goat-faced Emmanuel Goldstein when you’ve got Barack Obama?

Who needs the long caravans of East Asian POWs rolling by, jammed into caged-lorries, as the furied vengeful crowds of AirStrip One spew Two-Minute Hate upon them on their way to the Public Hanging Festival, when we’ve got Guantanamo, and mythical enemies like The Immigrants, The Terrorists, The Gang Members, The Secret Socialists, The Big Labor Bosses?

Who needs the First Amendment when you’ve got the Second Amendment?

Who needs O’Brien when you’ve got Karl Rove?

Who needs Winston Smith when they’ve got YOU.

]]> Comment on The Generals, the Spies and Barack Obama by John Connolly http://laborlou.com/2013/06/the-generals-the-spies-and-barack-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-15015 John Connolly Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:58:18 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4034#comment-15015 Oooch! Mr. Gibney seems to have nailed it. Oooch! Mr. Gibney seems to have nailed it.

]]> Comment on The Generals, the Spies and Barack Obama by Mark Gibney http://laborlou.com/2013/06/the-generals-the-spies-and-barack-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-15005 Mark Gibney Sun, 16 Jun 2013 02:00:17 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4034#comment-15005 You're doing a Hollywood on this, Lou. You reducing this to ficitonalizing Obama, asking us to get caught up in the drama of the sheriff standing up to the baddies, gathering the farmers to form a posse, risking the harvest because he just wants to protect the women and children. What if Gregory Peck could walk of the set of Mockingbird and into the role of Al Pacino on the Godfather? Could you still dream of him as a kindly uncle? Once the CIA trained Snowden he gets snatched up by Booz Hamilton Allen, his salary rockets from about $40 K to about $200 K and BHA contract him out to the CIA for maybe a million a year. That's the story as I've come to understand it. A high school dropout having access to even Obama's email and voicemail, and the for-profit sector spooks buying their vacation homes on the taxes you and I pay. You’re doing a Hollywood on this, Lou. You reducing this to ficitonalizing Obama, asking us to get caught up in the drama of the sheriff standing up to the baddies, gathering the farmers to form a posse, risking the harvest because he just wants to protect the women and children. What if Gregory Peck could walk of the set of Mockingbird and into the role of Al Pacino on the Godfather? Could you still dream of him as a kindly uncle?

Once the CIA trained Snowden he gets snatched up by Booz Hamilton Allen, his salary rockets from about $40 K to about $200 K and BHA contract him out to the CIA for maybe a million a year. That’s the story as I’ve come to understand it. A high school dropout having access to even Obama’s email and voicemail, and the for-profit sector spooks buying their vacation homes on the taxes you and I pay.

]]> Comment on The Generals, the Spies and Barack Obama by Ben http://laborlou.com/2013/06/the-generals-the-spies-and-barack-obama/comment-page-1/#comment-15001 Ben Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:59:36 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4034#comment-15001 Well, you probably have it about right Lou. Sometimes, it seems, the President has tried to find the more flexible or less arrogant people in the military/"intelligence"/foreign policy establishment such as Hagel for Defense Secretary or Kerry for Secretary of State. But yeah, it must be a constant effort for him. Well, you probably have it about right Lou.
Sometimes, it seems, the President has tried to find the more flexible or less arrogant people in the military/”intelligence”/foreign policy establishment such as Hagel for Defense Secretary or Kerry for Secretary of State.
But yeah, it must be a constant effort for him.

]]> Comment on Privacy, Freedom and Individualism by Tom Mackell, Jr. http://laborlou.com/2013/06/privacy-freedom-and-individualism/comment-page-1/#comment-14980 Tom Mackell, Jr. Mon, 10 Jun 2013 03:07:14 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4016#comment-14980 We should be on our guard and more diligent about how the desire to protect our homeland can enable us to continue to be "free" citizens. I am all for the protection of America but will remain alert to the potential of activities that deny our ability to move and behave in a fashion that will not forster over zealousness on the part of government. Complacency should be a thing of the past if we want to continue to enjoy our rights as Americans. Let's not lose sight that all of our freedoms can be removed in a blink of an eye or by tacit approval by a right wing orientation that seems to be thriving in our House of Representatives. We should be on our guard and more diligent about how the desire to protect our homeland can enable us to continue to be “free” citizens. I am all for the protection of America but will remain alert to the potential of activities that deny our ability to move and behave in a fashion that will not forster over zealousness on the part of government.
Complacency should be a thing of the past if we want to continue to enjoy our rights as Americans. Let’s not lose sight that all of our freedoms can be removed in a blink of an eye or by tacit approval by a right wing orientation that seems to be thriving in our House of Representatives.

]]> Comment on Privacy, Freedom and Individualism by William Voegeli http://laborlou.com/2013/06/privacy-freedom-and-individualism/comment-page-1/#comment-14978 William Voegeli Sun, 09 Jun 2013 22:32:21 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4016#comment-14978 Not clear: does your hypocrisy, confessed in February, remain intact? Or are you starting to think that things done by Republican administrations might not be transformed from outrageous to acceptable when Democratic administrations do the same? "I support President Obama’s drone attacks. "And I admit that I’m a hypocrite. "If a republican administration were executing these practices, I’d probably join the chorus to condemn them as unconstitutional, authoritarian or worse. "But I trust this president’s judgment that the drones are a legitimate way to take out terrorists who would – if they could – kill thousands of Americans. He’s making a trade-off, knowing that a successful massive terrorist attack against us would result in far greater damage to our democratic institutions." Not clear: does your hypocrisy, confessed in February, remain intact? Or are you starting to think that things done by Republican administrations might not be transformed from outrageous to acceptable when Democratic administrations do the same?

“I support President Obama’s drone attacks.

“And I admit that I’m a hypocrite.

“If a republican administration were executing these practices, I’d probably join the chorus to condemn them as unconstitutional, authoritarian or worse.

“But I trust this president’s judgment that the drones are a legitimate way to take out terrorists who would – if they could – kill thousands of Americans. He’s making a trade-off, knowing that a successful massive terrorist attack against us would result in far greater damage to our democratic institutions.”

]]> Comment on Privacy, Freedom and Individualism by Gavin http://laborlou.com/2013/06/privacy-freedom-and-individualism/comment-page-1/#comment-14975 Gavin Sat, 08 Jun 2013 23:46:01 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4016#comment-14975 Almost makes one yearn for going back to just using cash type of economy. Nothing like democracy running amuck. Almost makes one yearn for going back to just using cash type of economy. Nothing like democracy running amuck.

]]> Comment on MSNBC Fading? by rick chertoff http://laborlou.com/2013/06/msnbc-fading/comment-page-1/#comment-14929 rick chertoff Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:15:35 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4009#comment-14929 It's suffering because of its constraints. basically "flogging a dead horse". About 2 months ago I suddenly got fed up with Maddow. She was repetivley driving home a relatively minor point with 3 or 4 consecutive thrusts, when anyone would have gotten the first or second time. When complaining about this to a friend, I added that she never challenges the Administration for not going after Wall St aggressively, not demanding end to foreclosures, which would put $s in circulation and create jobs, for expanding war into more countries, etc. Not criticizing Obama on fundamental grounds- for him not being a but always a . He'll "lead" on guns but not on jobs, not on peace, not on justice. And she is silent or near silent. In fact, when you see where she , she starts to appear like a synchophant for the Demo party, which is a top down set of vested interests dressed up as populist "centrist" party. In other words, by observing where they will not permit their anchors to go, CNBC lets you know more about them than what they do cover. When's the last time you heard a sharp critique of the economic system, why not interview a Chomsky, a Richard Wolfe? When have you heard American policy towards Israel criticized ($100m+ in aid since 67), military expansion, etc. The dogmatically narrow view tells you "must bust in early May, orders from the D.A."...G.E.'s not having it- simple. The irony is there is so much discontent but so little media allowed to voice it. We've been so easily molified by our "team spirit" being handed a few small plums. It’s suffering because of its constraints. basically “flogging a dead horse”. About 2 months ago I suddenly got fed up with Maddow. She was repetivley driving home a relatively minor point with 3 or 4 consecutive thrusts, when anyone would have gotten the first or second time. When complaining about this to a friend, I added that she never challenges the Administration for not going after Wall St aggressively, not demanding end to foreclosures, which would put $s in circulation and create jobs, for expanding war into more countries, etc. Not criticizing Obama on fundamental grounds- for him not being a but always a . He’ll “lead” on guns but not on jobs, not on peace, not on justice. And she is silent or near silent.
In fact, when you see where she , she starts to appear like a synchophant for the Demo party, which is a top down set of vested interests dressed up as populist “centrist” party. In other words, by observing where they will not permit their anchors to go, CNBC lets you know more about them than what they do cover. When’s the last time you heard a sharp critique of the economic system, why not interview a Chomsky, a Richard Wolfe? When have you heard American policy towards Israel criticized ($100m+ in aid since 67), military expansion, etc. The dogmatically narrow view tells you “must bust in early May, orders from the D.A.”…G.E.’s not having it- simple.
The irony is there is so much discontent but so little media allowed to voice it. We’ve been so easily molified by our “team spirit” being handed a few small plums.

]]> Comment on MSNBC Fading? by Margie Murray http://laborlou.com/2013/06/msnbc-fading/comment-page-1/#comment-14916 Margie Murray Sun, 02 Jun 2013 19:21:28 +0000 http://laborlou.com/?p=4009#comment-14916 Lou - you are right on with this essay. I have been turning my attention to art, music and enjoying our summer weather. After the recent elections in the city, I feel it is time to enjoy our city and what it has to offer. Lou – you are right on with this essay. I have been turning my attention to art, music and enjoying our summer weather. After the recent elections in the city, I feel it is time to enjoy our city and what it has to offer.

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