Christopher Hitchens' Cancer: Author Undergoing Chemotherapy For Esophageal cancer

At various times I have agreed with Christopher's views and at other times I have disagreed intensely, but I have always admired his obvious genius. His talents and fund of knowledge are almost unparalleled. In a society which is driven by disinformation he has always seemed to strive for a logical truth. I am deeply saddened by the news of him suffering from this devastating illness.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

A Bank Fee Is Cut From Financial Overhaul Bill - NYTimes.com

A Bank Fee Is Cut From Financial Overhaul Bill - NYTimes.com
Gee, which political party would you guess just gutted the new financial reform law? Right, the R's. The famous first term Senator Scott Brown, who won Ted Kennedy's old seat carried the water for the R's on this issue. Because the Democrats needed at least a few R votes to pass the legislation they had to cater to Scott Brown's demands. Brown had originally voted for the increased fees on the giant banks and hedge funds but changed his mind and demanded that the new taxes on the criminals who put us in this near-depression be lifted from the bills. How, any person in this country, no matter their political affiliation, can shill for those greedy blood suckers is beyond belief. But then again the R's have no shame when it comes to whoring for their rich buddies. Look at our local hero to the money changer's, Representative Pete Sessions of Dallas, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. When his buddy Allen Stanford was charged with a Maddoff-like ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of billions of dollars, his buddy Pete sent him a little love note that said ``I love you and believe in you,'' said the e-mail sent on Feb. 17. ``If you want my ear/voice -- e-mail,'' it said, signed ``Pete.''

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/12/27/v-fullstory/1399470/feds-probe-banker-allen-stanfords.html#ixzz0sJU0QJy4

Sanford you see spent millions lobbying and befriending legislators to fight off any legislation that would get in the way of his fraud. You have to read the Miami Herald article to understand just how embedded this creep was in the republican party. There were a group of republican legislators called the "Caribbean Caucus" which included Petey boy who took 12 trips to the Caribbean at Stanford's expense for luxurious trips that gobbled up $311,307 from his non-profit the Inter-American Economic Council. He liked Sessions so much he rallied his brokers to give generously to support his campaign against Martin Frost, raising $38,875 in the final weeks of the campaign.

Not that Stanford didn't contribute to the democrats, but it wasn't anywhere near the amount lavished upon his republican lapdogs.

So when you Tea Baggers say you have had enough of the government, I hope you mean to start by getting rid of these sleazy bought and paid for republicans because they are a rancid bunch. Though somehow, since your "grassroots group" was funded by former republican Congressman Dick Armey, I doubt it.

Rand Paul has long history of controversial views | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

Rand Paul has long history of controversial views | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal

I guess this is what Republicanism is coming down to, advocating social anarchy and survival of the fittest. What would you expect from someone named after Ayn Rand, the author who basically advocated complete selfishness in an amoral world, the hell with the "weak". Kind of like the VP of BP saying last week "People say big oil companies don't care about the small people. But we care. we care about the small people".

Rand Paul has some even stranger and less moral views about society like the following:
He advocates abolishing Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
Sees no reason that businesses should be required to accommodate the disabled
Thinks seat belt and anti-smoking laws should be abolished
Doesn't think businesses should have to serve people of any race
Advocates drastic reduction of military spending (one I agree with)
At a tea bag party meeting last March he defended the Big Banks, Investment Houses and Hedge Funds.
A strong supporter of capitalism, Paul complained at a Boston tea party rally on March 2, 2009, that capitalism was unfairly being blamed for the recession.

"We have very little vestige left of laissez-faire capitalism," he said. "We have a largely regulated economy, and we cannot let capitalism take the blame for this, or we will have less capitalism."

Paul also told the protesters that "the other thing just infuriates me is that they blame greed. Not that greed is a good thing to have. ... But it is an indirect way of blaming capitalism. What is greed? Greed is an excess of self-interest, but what drives capitalism? Self-interest and profit. They are good things."

And he has criticized the Obama administration for treating BP unfairly over the Gulf Oil spill, including in a May interview with Good Morning America.

We are headed somewhere even more ugly in society and it is not because of the President being Barack Obama it's because the Republican party is siding with these wing nuts who want to destroy the social support systems in our society, eliminate regulation of giant financial corporations, and take us back to the frontier days where the person with the most guns took what they wanted.

Politics -- The People Versus The Powerful

Politics -- The People Versus The Powerful