Also published at http://www.liberaltimes.com

March 19, 2004

WARNING: Kerry does not actually talk like this. But he should.

The following was found on a CD in Boston Commons and was later verified to have originated in the John Kerry for President campaign.

Draft Convention Speech, Depending.

Thank you. And thank you for your fine speeches, Teddy, Nancy, Al, Howard, Dennis, Ralph. Thank you, Ralph, especially, for joining our effort to rid this nation of a tyrant. We haven’t overthrown a King read more

March 29, 2004

Also published April 8th on http://www.truthout.org

Global warming is a far bigger threat than global terrorism, according to Tony Blair’s chief scientific advisor, David King. Global warming is likely to lead to economic catastrophe and wars over diminished resources according to a report commissioned by that group of flaming liberals, the U.S. Department of Defense.

The unelected president of the United States, following the lead of ExxonMobil, denies the danger of global read more

April 5, 2004

Also published on BartCop and OpEdNews

The internet has not yet reshaped politics in any fundamental way, and its failure to do so constitutes a powerful argument for reform of the television, newspaper, and radio media. In his recent book “Politics Moves Online,” George Washington University professor Michael Cornfield claims that “the more activists a campaign ensnares in its network-on-the-Net, the more money and volunteer hours it will collect, and the more voters read more

April 5, 2004

When most people hear of utilitarianism these days in the United States, if they think of anyone they think of the admirable Peter Singer, or perhaps of John Stuart Mills. When we hear of Jeremy Bentham, we think first – if of anything at all – of Michel Foucault’s critique of the panopticon. We could do better by Bentham and by ourselves.

Foucault, of course, used Bentham’s design of the panopticon ( a building in which a guard in the middle can observe prisoners read more

April 12, 2004

Also published at http://www.democraticunderground.com

Because I’m convinced that the current occupant of the White House is off-the-charts, beyond-the-pale, outside-the-normal-range worse than any of his predecessors, I am continually amazed when I meet people who oppose Bush in the strongest terms and then indicate their plans to vote for Nader or another third-party candidate or to not vote at all, but certainly not to pour their hearts and souls into winning votes for Kerry. read more

April 19, 2004

Senator Kerry has the Democratic nomination wrapped up. I and many others for whom he was not the first choice are now working as hard as we can to win him votes. So is Dennis Kucinich. While most people never knew Kucinich was in the race, those who follow progressive politics closely know that he is STILL in it, pushing to make Kerry’s platform more progressive. What many progressives understand is that this is the politically smart move for the Democratic party.

Surveys read more

April 23, 2004

Many have compared Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to Il Duce, Benito Mussolini. Berlusconi himself has encouraged the comparison and praised and defended the fascist dictator. But the similarities are also striking between Mussolini and another imperialistic leader whom Berlusconi likes to praise, namely George W. Bush (or whoever it is that’s running the Bush Administration).

Yes, I know, Mussolini was more honest about his intentions, and, yes, I know, Mussolini read more

April 25, 2004

Last week Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said in support of a military draft for the war on Iraq: “Should we continue to burden the middle class who represents most all of our soldiers, and the lower-middle class? Should we burden them with the fighting and the dying if in fact this is a generational — probably 25-year — war?”

The problem with this is that if we pour $1 billion a day into Iraq or other new pieces of the empire for 25 years, we read more

April 26, 2004

The April issue of the American Prospect magazine carries an article called “Kerry’s Women.” The title does not refer to the voters whom Senator John Kerry needs in order to win or to his love life, neither of which topics is considered at all. Rather, it refers to his Campaign Manager Mary Beth Cahill, Press Secretary Stephanie Cutter, Policy Director Sarah Bianchi, and Campaign Chair Jeanne Shaheen.

The article includes this quote from Ann Lewis, national chair read more

April 29, 2004

Also published at http://www.opednews.com

ABC’s Ted Koppel plans to broadcast on Friday on “Nightline” the names and faces of the American soldiers who have been killed in action in Iraq. The complaints that this does not go far enough have already begun, and I agree with all of them. Koppel is excluding those who have committed suicide or been killed in an accident. He is excluding those who have been horribly wounded. He is excluding his 14 fellow journalists who read more