Dr. C.A. Rotwang
- : Metropolis
- : 236
- : Spartakusbund
- : Doctor C.A. Rotwang is a desultory observer of the human condition. He has professional credentials of dubious provenance.
- : The American Empire Project Robert Dreyfuss Chase Me Ladies, I'm in the Cavalry
- : The Mass Strike: The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions, by Rosa Luxemburg; Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs; Wall Street, by Doug Henwood
Mighty Oaks from Little A.C.O.R.N.s Grow. Not.
Now that the greatest threat to America has been revealed to be some shadowy organization called ACORN, a little background should be helpful. ACORN springs from the philosophy of a fellow named Saul Alinsky, whose Rules For Radicals was one...more »
Posted on October 11, 2008 2:13 PM
Sarah Is Hot, You Betcha
When I heard about the flap regarding Governor Palin's inability to cite a Supreme Court case, I paused to reflect on how many case names I could come up with. After a period of some duration, which on television would...more »
Posted on October 4, 2008 3:41 PM
The President of Empire
That is evidently what they are competing for, notwithstanding the unmistakable decline of the U.S.A. relative to the rest of the world in terms of economic, political, and military power. I was impressed by both candidates, though I agree with...more »
Posted on September 27, 2008 10:21 AM
Roman Holiday
JonusMcCainus: Have I missed it? Have I missed the battle? Emperor Georgius Bushius: You have missed the war. Jonus McCainus: Father, congratulations. I shall sacrifice a hundred bulls to honor your triumph. Emperor Georgius Bushius: Save the bulls. Honor...more »
Posted on September 25, 2008 8:43 AM
Quotations of Chairman Hank
Posted without comment, except for: until March of this year Paulson is pretty much clueless about the broader ramifications of the housing bubble bursting. Until then, in fact, he is engaged in efforts to keep the bubble from deflating, including...more »
Posted on September 23, 2008 10:41 AM
G.O.P.: You Broke It, You Bought It
Most big issues are owned by one or the other political party, even though they will find nominal supporters in both. Many Democrats have voted for tax cuts, but the Republicans have owned the issue. Republicans have voted for a...more »
Posted on September 21, 2008 3:52 PM
The Fundamentalists of the Economy Are Strong
Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard professor and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, says the U.S.A. needs a $1 trillion bailout. Today the Bush Administration announced that a deal has been made. In return for a liquidity injection from the...more »
Posted on September 18, 2008 8:44 PM
Take My Bank, Please
We recall with delight the G.O.P. claim that Sarah Palin is qualified in foreign policy because Alaska is somewhere near Russia. We have an equivalent, brain-dead assertion from John McCain. (By the way, have you heard he was a P.O.W.?)...more »
Posted on September 17, 2008 8:36 PM
Write Your Own Joke
John McCain's business advisor, Carly Fiorina, asserts that Sarah Palin is not qualified to run a major company. This is by way of discounting Barack Obama's experience. But what about Ms Fiorina? Is she qualified to run a major company?...more »
Posted on September 16, 2008 1:49 PM
Brother Can You Paradigm?
You may have noticed the Capitalism, it doesn't work too good. This should not be good news for John McCain. But it isn't very good news for Barack Obama either, since the secret watchword for his economic policy is "nudge,"...more »
Posted on September 15, 2008 8:17 PM
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I'm certainly dated, and like JMC I'm not Ms Congeniality. As for people invoking Alinsky, just because they don't doesn't mean they aren't adhering to his approach. See J.M. Keynes on 'madmen in authority.'
Like I said, the ACORNs, whose efforts and sacrifices I have complimented in case you didn't notice, have been around a long time. They (nor anyone else) have produced no lasting organization dedicated to systematic radical change. If you think they have, then you don't know what radical change is. You don't know.
It's ironic that you cite Chicago. Chicago is the de facto national showcase for Alinskyism. Chicago has one of the last of the unyielding, urban Democratic machines, as powerful as ever. It delivers the goods, up to a point, and has the place locked down tighter than John McCain's sphincter. I don't doubt ACORN has done good things there, but call me an old fart, I'm just not satisfied. CRA for instance has always been pretty weak tea, and it's 30 years old.
On exhibit in this post is the sort of genuinely reactionary anti-intellectualism invoked by non-radicals to fend off criticism. You can see the same shit at Daily Kos. It's a feeble effort at agenda control. It works at Kos because any discouraging word is deluged with 600 flames, orchestrated by the Minimum Leader and his epigones.
You want to do good deeds, more power to you. You want to get radical, look past ACORN.
Posted at October 11, 2008 8:04 PM in response to Mighty Oaks from Little A.C.O.R.N.s Grow. Not.
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Organizing is hard. If I knew how to do it right, you would have heard about it by now.
Perhaps the two hottest local issues, before Obama, have been the living wage and anti-Wal-Mart, both of which ACORN has distinguished itself.
Hoppy raises the classic problem of insurgency -- focusing on basic needs or building something durable. The more elemental the focus, the less future is in it. Of course, for the people involved it can be life or death. But that doesn't mean it works! As I said, ACORN has been doing the Lord's work for a long time, but the Lord has yet to answer them.
The Ashram and Propaganda of the Deed are understandable alternatives. But they haven't been more productive than ACORN.
Any sort of insurgency, ACORN included, is romanticism. That's the territory.
Posted at October 11, 2008 7:18 PM in response to Mighty Oaks from Little A.C.O.R.N.s Grow. Not.
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Clinton began compromising from day minus one. He had a Democratic House and Senate for two years. HillaryCare was a mess. By contrast, ObamaCare is a model of simplicity.
What started -- or was rationalized by Clintonistas -- as tactics ended up as standard operating procedure.
Christmas is coming. Go back to Santa's workshop and make some toys.
Posted at October 9, 2008 5:56 PM in response to Keeping an Eye on Both Parties
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Reaganomics began in the latter half of the Carter Administration. The Clintons coopted some conservative nostrums and in the process coopted the Democratic Party. This included eliminating many Federal civil service positions, in favor of contractors who do not necessarily do a better job at lower cost. On top of that they bragged about downsizing the Federal gov. I don't recall much corruption, but the real problem then as now is with what is legal.
Danielle's post is on point. Hopefully in the frenzy of anti-McCainism, which I share, people will take heed to the limitations of the alternative.
Posted at October 7, 2008 4:24 PM in response to Corrupt on Both Sides
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N.B., Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture had this story weeks ago.
Posted at October 3, 2008 9:21 AM in response to Letting the Bank Robber Fix the Bank's Books
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"All that is real is rational; and all that is rational is real.” -- G.W.F. Hegel, quoted in Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy, F. Engels.
Posted at September 27, 2008 12:16 PM in response to The President of Empire
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As the magnificently named MF Mary says, it's not the mortgages anymore. It's the multiplication of bad paper on top, around, and underneath the mortgages. Plus any other crap whether it's related or not. That's what they are selling.
Posted at September 23, 2008 9:17 PM in response to Quotations of Chairman Hank
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Well I said it wasn't until March of '08 that I found any evidence that Paulson had a clue. To me this is pretty late in the game.
You can also find Bush Administration calls for reorganization of the GSEs, but these are long-standing and failed to include any alarms that would have proved to be appropriate to the situation that came to pass.
Posted at September 23, 2008 4:08 PM in response to Quotations of Chairman Hank
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Reading comprehension a bit lacking here.
Are the Republicans the party of less government, or not? If not, what the hell are they?
If you think I'm an Obamabot you, along with most of the universe, are obviously unfamiliar with my writings.
Posted at September 22, 2008 11:20 AM in response to G.O.P.: You Broke It, You Bought It
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For a neo-Nazi loon, the honor is hard to come by.
Posted at September 21, 2008 9:54 PM in response to G.O.P.: You Broke It, You Bought It
