The Voices

ampedstatus.com — The economic elite have launched an attack on the U.S. public and society is unraveling at an increased rate. You may have missed it in the mainstream news media, but statistical societal indicators are reading red across the board. Let's look at the top 15 statistics that prove we are under attack.

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openleft.com — Bush's tax cuts and "free market/free trade" policies were supposed to turbo-charge America's economy, while the neo-conservative foreign policy was supposed to be a blueprint for extending American hegemony across the globe, indefinitely, with the containment and subordination of China as a key strategic goal. Conveniently, those lofty promises of yesteryear have been entirely forgotten. Otherwise it would have been impossible to cover Obama's recent visit to China without starkly confronting the utter failure of conservative ideology.

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airamerica.com — From desperation and irrelevance, the GOP beckoned for a bold, fresh piece of something. They got the governor of Alaska. So November came; McCain and Palin went. Their landslide defeat was an embarrassment if only because Palin managed to draw so many admiring onlookers. But now the only thing that matters to them is that — among a GOP leadership that has devolved into a free-for-all of personalities shouting across a (narrow) spectrum — Sarah Palin still stands tallest in a crowd.

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truthdig.com — In the parlance of our times, the term idiocracy means a nation run by idiots — and the term idiot is defined by the dictionary as “an utterly foolish or senseless person” who exhibits “a mental age of less than three years old.” If there remained any flicker of hope that we aren’t turning into a full-on slobbering idiocracy, that hope was snuffed out last week by two of the Washington intelligentsia’s most respected voices.

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truthdig.com — The loudest voices on the right never tire of telling us that they are the truest patriots. They claim to be the deepest believers in our system, the strongest defenders of our Constitution, the most upbeat, bold and courageous Americans anywhere. But now that the government is finally prepared to put the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on trial, these same patriots are the first to spread doubt, instigate anxiety and abandon constitutional principles. When did fear-mongering in a time of war become an act of patriotism?

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airamerica.com — While you can't avoid speaking to anyone still willing to identify themselves as a Conservative altogether — whether at the Thanksgiving table or in the wider world — there are some precautions we can take to make it a more pleasurable experience. Here are some basic guidelines.

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truefoodnow.org — Geneticaly modified nightmare on its way.

Based upon data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), report author Dr. Charles Benbrook presents compelling evidence linking the increase in pesticide use on GE, “herbicide-tolerant” (HT) crops to the emergence and spread of herbicide-resistant weeds.

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washingtonmonthly.com — For all the GOP bluster, I find it hard to believe even the most wild-eyed Republican seriously believes repealing health care reform — which they apparently concede will become law in some form or another — is a possibility. For one thing, if anyone thinks the year-long effort to pass reform was difficult, just imagine trying to un-pass it.

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washingtonmonthly.com — Over the summer, right-wing activists hung Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil in effigy outside his district office. It was a key signal of what's to come — the far-right Tea Party crowd's tactics go a little further than the usual political protests we're accustomed to in contemporary American politics. How far? Virginia Tea-Baggers plan to burn the representative and Speaker Pelosi in effigy at their "Fired Up for Freedom Rally."

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