Weekend Update, No. 16

This week PB exposes SP (Sarah Palin) and the TP (Tea Party) as the neocon wolves that they are, no matter how good they may look in a dress.  For those who traditionally have been supporters of the GOP, saw W as an aberration (or God forbid, a hero) and SP as the solution (or more of the same), think again.  I implore you to read on.

Sarah Palin and the Desperation of the Elites, by The Daily Bell
She's the "last chance... to maintain the integrity of the two party system" here in the US.  Why are we limited to two parties?  Why is a third virtually never allowed to emerge?  Do we all fit into one of two boxes?  If you like Sarah, you won't like their opinion, particularly the eerie quote from Naomi Wolfe, which is reason enough to read on.



Why Does Sarah Palin Want More War? by Karen Kwiatkowski
The conservative blind spot for government is the military.  No matter how badly the State botches all other programs, the military is sacred and always must be supported.  Palin advocates bombing Iran, thereby expanding our fronts in the GWOT to five (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Iran), at least that we know about.  Kwiatkowski explains.

Sarah Palin's Bad Tea, by Jack Hunter
The conservative polar opposites George Will and Michael Savage have questioned our nine-and-counting year efforts in Afghanistan.  Palin?  Not so much.  (Clue: Osama is long dead.)

Tea Partiers: Ron Paul Bad, ConAgra & Bombing Iran Good, by Jane Hamsher
Though the first tea party way back in ought-seven was thrown by Ron Paul supporters, supposed representatives of the TP movement are opposing him in the Republicon (no typo) primary for his House seat.  Yeah, that makes sense.

Andrew Wakefield, Scientific Censorship, and Fourteen Monkeys, by Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey
Update on the story PB covered last week.  The vaccine-autism link simply WILL NOT GO AWAY, no matter how much energy is directed towards extinguishing it.  Why, dear reader, do you suppose that this is the case?  Because each and every parent is blind or delusional, or that perhaps, just perhaps, they have unearthed a (substantial) nugget of truth?  Read Wakefield's scientific article (PDF) published in the reputable journal Neurotoxicology on Hep B vaccinated newborn monkeys and decide for yourself.  Then go further, realizing that Hep B is a parenterally transmitted (i.e. blood and sexual contact only) virus.  Just how exactly is your newborn (vaccine recommended prior to hospital discharge) susceptible to such?  But even that's not the best of it.  No, not by a long shot (sorry).  The scorned Wakefield is ready to blow your doors off with the results of a multi-year study of monkeys administered the entire US-recommended vaccine schedule (now 36(!) vaccines, up from 10 in 1980).  Curious how the timing of the Lancet's retraction after all these years seems to coincide, no? 

What Has 'The Union' Ever Done for Colorado? by Mark R. Crovelli
Answer: not much, other than get its residents killed.  Government as protector?  Not quite.  The state-federal relationship is decidedly one-sided.  What exactly would a state stand to lose by seceding?  Crime?  Shame?  Invasion of the continental US always has been and remains a preposterous bogeyman.

Ridicule of Conspiracy Theories Focuses On Diffusing Criticism of the Powerful, by Washington's Blog
Recalls the quote "the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist."  If you don't know where this quote was popularized, take this chance to add to your Netflix queue.  Don't allow them to close your mind.

Shah Rukh Signs Off Sexy Body-Scan Printouts at Heathrow, by Dipankar De Sarkar
Our masters swear up and down that the airport genital scanners can't store, save, copy, or print images?  You always knew they were lies.  Right?

Feds Push for Tracking Cell Phones, by Declan McCullagh
As we've noted before, simply having a battery in your cell exposes you to geographic tracking by your provider.  Surprise, surprise, the feds claim they are entitled to this data without a warrant, that simply by owning a cell phone, you have "no reasonable expectation of privacy."  Really?  That news would come as a shock to most savvy PB readers.

The Government Has Your Baby's DNA, by Elizabeth Cohen
All 50 states do it, and several keep it indefinitely.  What do you imagine they could ever do with such information?  To find out the specifics for your state, check the Citizens' Council on Health Care.  In some cases, you are still given permission to opt out.  To some, that's not enough.  Begging for a government permission slip isn't freedom.

Civil Disobedience and the Census, by Robert Greenslade
As sound as his theory and background may be, read this page for "My Rules and Plan of Attack," located approximately 3/4 way down the page.  Then pass on his strategy to all who "get it."  The risks are few and the benefits are substantial.  Name another opportunity for civil disobedience that doesn't result in the gulag, a beat-down, or severe financial pain.

Obama's Proposed 2011 Budget Allows Coin Composition Changes, by Michael Zielinski
OK, let me get this straight.  We no longer have either gold or silver coins that serve as currency, though they existed until 1933 and 1965, respectively.  Copper became too expensive in 1982.  Apparently, now nickel is becoming too rich for our ever more debauched currency.  What's left?  Tin and aluminum coins?

Socialism Viewed Positively by 36% of Americans, by Frank Newport
Last week we highlighted an encouraging Daily Kos poll.  In the interest of fairness, we must now provide the discouraging counterpart.  More than 1/3 view socialism as positive?  Unbelievable.  Meanwhile 86% support free enterprise.  Perhaps I'm not the one who is confused.

Hurtling Down the Road to Serfdom, by John Stossel
Apparently those 36% have forgotten where socialism leads.  Though we were warned more than 50 years ago, and the most dramatic evidence was presented less than 20 years ago, yet more reminders must be issued.  Or maybe it's just that some would rather not face the truth.

No Exit in Sight for US as Fannie, Freddie Flail, by Nick Timiraos and James R. Hagerty
Consider: Fan & Fred are State owned.  They own roughly 90% of all mortgages in the grand ol' USA.  Of those mortgages, roughly 5% are more than 90 days past due, and 1/5 are underwater (more owed than the value of the property).  The chance that these will be paid is essentially zero.  This sorry state leaves us, the few remaining taxpayers, on the hook for losses that aren't even included in the O-man's $1.6 trillion budget deficit for 2010.  When you add short term T-bill rollovers and the inevitable F&F losses, we're looking at financing nearly $3 trillion this year.  Good luck with that.

Krugman: Bush's Deficit Bad, Obama's Deficit Good, by Larry Elder
The hypocrisy of a liberal.  Hint: they're both bad.  Is anyone other than loyal NYT liberal fetishists believing this Nobel-winning charlatan?

The Fallacy of 'Fairness,' by Thomas Sowell
plus Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
The popular columnist devotes his entire week to exploding the fallacy.  Highly recommended.  Even the blowhard Limbaugh finds merit in his arguments.  Hat tip to my mom -- one of my few loyal PB readers, right Mom?

Libertarianism is the Light Shining through the Statist Darkness, by Jacob G. Hornberger
OK, despite the ridiculous title, he's absolutely right.  Make sure to work through his liberal vs. conservative thought exercise.  As he concludes, our "freedom philosophy inevitably produces prosperity, harmony, and morality."

Charlie Don't Surf, by James Quinn
We regularly promote Quinn here at PB.  His latest utilizes the works Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad and Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, to illustrate the inevitable evil and depravity of empire, particularly in regard to our latest efforts in the Middle East.  A guaranteed education on the Belgian Congo and Vietnam.

Sugary Pop Nearly Doubles Pancreatic Cancer Risk, by CTV News
What?  All those high-fructose corn syrup propaganda-mercials weren't entirely truthful?  Noooo.

Doctors Without Borders: Why You Can't Trust Medical Journals Anymore, by Shannon Brownlee
Because the authors, editors, and reviewers are bought off and refuse to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, delusional that they aren't compromised.

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year, at Metacritic plus Triple J Hottest 100 of 2009 (singles), also available at the Triple J website.
Wizened as your editor may be, he still has an ear to the ground as to what the kiddies are up to.  He doesn't mind being a year behind as long as he gets to avoid the garbage that's routinely featured on radio and video.  Recall (see sidebar) that PB also endorses Radio Paradise, the best place to listen online.