Dec 182014
 

I’m writing for tomorrow, day 43.  I’m waiting for Store to Door to deliver groceries.  I’m still feeling pretty crappy, but I do have a second article for you.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:58 (average 5:08).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: What some insiders are calling a “rash display of backbone” last week could endanger Senator Elizabeth Warren’s career as a Democrat, leading party operatives say.

Harland Dorrinson, a strategist who has guided the campaigns of dozens of Democratic candidates, said that the Massachusetts legislator’s “recklessly truthful” tirade about banks left him “smacking my head.”

“She stood up for what she believed in and didn’t try to water it down,” he said. “That is a serious violation of the Democratic playbook.”

Andy is on. Unlike the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, Liz does not hump a few Republican legs, while begging, whine, roll over, and play dead.

From Daily Kos: Yesterday, the former vice president of the United States and one of the architects of the American torture program explained why he was unconcerned about the torture of innocent prisoners.

CHUCK TODD: Let me go to Gul Rahman. He was chained to the wall of his cell, doused with water, froze to death in C.I.A. custody. And it turned out it was a case of mistaken identity.

DICK CHENEY: –right. But the problem I had is with the folks that we did release that end up back on the battlefield. […] I’m more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent.

CHUCK TODD: 25% of the detainees though, 25% turned out to be innocent. They were released.

DICK CHENEY: Where are you going to draw the line, Chuck? How are– […]

CHUCK TODD: Is that too high? You’re okay with that margin for error?

DICK CHENEY: I have no problem as long as we achieve our objective.

I’d be happy to chip in for his ticket to The Hague.

From Upworthy: Housing is a human right. And an economy based on financial markets doesn’t care about human rights. Maybe it’s time for a new economy?

 

Click through for more info. This is what Republican rule is doing to Detroit and to America.

Cartoon:

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  15 Responses to “Open Thread–12/18/2014”

  1. Chip in for Cheney's one-way ticket to The Hague?

    Hell, I'd pay the whole damn fare!

  2. if Darth Cheney (who is really getting his true name now) believes these actions are okay/permissible, why don't we offer to let him demonstrate the techniques from the victims points of view????

  3. New Yorker – Andy nearly got me again, till I realised halfway through it was him! 

    Daily Kos – Cheney doesn't care who was tortured, he doesn't care who was innocent – TC and Nameless are right – he should be in The Hague.  (And we must not forget – the 'objective' he talks about achieving was not anything to do with morals or democracy, but more billions for his pals).

    Upworthy – housing as a human right – on another site we have been discussing the amount of sociopaths and psychopaths in society – and particularly those in power, both in politics and as CEOs and other high positions in corporations – this looks as though this could be a continuation of that discussion ….

  4. Dave C – I love the 'Darth Cheney' name – and I have long thought that those who think it is alright to 'rehydrate' and feed prisoners by colonic irrigation should be offered that option themselves – it would certainly make sure they'd never ask for water on a studio set again, wouldn't it?!  (Shudder!).

     

  5. Upworthy:
    Detroit, Michigan:
    Home to 285,704 people in 1900, the Michigan city enjoyed a peak of 1.86 million residents in 1950. Detroit once was the fourth-largest city in the country. Detroit is  now number 16 on the list of the top 20 populous city in US.

    Now, the Detroit, MI. population is 688,701 (2013) and continues to decline.. Michigan once had 19 seats in the House of Representatives. Now, it is down to just 14. Reason: The dramatic decline of the auto industry.

    LINKS and 2 Stories and Photos:

    Here are two articles about the homes in Detroit these days.
    I grew up in Detroit and cannot even begin to fathom the plight of Detroit!

    Detroit demolishes its ruins: 'The capitalists will take care of the rest'

    http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/sep/28/detroit-demolish-ruins-capitalists-abandoned-buildings-plan

    Detroit's young gentrifiers face a daunting task in buying $500 homes: evicting poor residents 

    http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/nov/27/detroits-young-gentrifiers-face-a-daunting-task-in-buying-500-homes-evicting-poor-residents

    "The destruction of the houses is the result of a renewed city effort kicked off this spring to completely eradicate residential blight in Detroit over a period of five years, at a total estimated cost of just under $1bn. Each house demolition costs around $15,000 a pop."

    "So far, demolitions are happening at a speed of at least 200 houses a week. Even at that pace, it’s a crawl. There are over 40,000 houses and buildings that qualify for immediate blight removal." The city has an estimated 78,000 abandoned buildings across its 142 square miles.

    "“You ask me, banks caused a lot of this. When things got bad, they weren’t helping anyone. People wanted to work with the banks, but they wouldn’t work with anyone.” Durkin, resident

  6. 16 of the 17 properties on this block have been tax foreclosed in recent years.

    Something is Wrong with this system.

  7. 5:56 average unchanged.  I never think of elves and bamboo, but I suppose it's another case of everything coming from China.  If you don't like little gnomes and elves, check out http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/reiher/elves.html

    The New Yorker – Ouch.  That should hurt the 32.  But probably won't.  People get awfully self-righteous in Washington.

    Daily Kos – I believe Spain also has a warrant out for him.

    Upworthy – I absolutely agree that housing is a human right.  But we will never convice Republicans of it.  I can hear them now, "There they go again, dam libruls, giving away money I worked hard for to lazy-a$$ed peiople who never did a lick of work in their lives."  Yes, you know and I know that's a myth, but it's one that has developed not just A-1 running legs but also wings.  Would that I knew what to do about it.  In places where remnants of Occupy are still mobilized and trying to help stop evictions (Detroit and Atlanta come to mind), they will ask for people to sign petitions and make phone calls to banks.  Usually the victims for whom  this is requested are people who have worked hard and paid a lot.  Often they are also elderly and/or disabled.  I applaud Occupy for helping, but just as every rape victim is not a 90-year-old nun with stab wounds, not every housing victim is perfect (like, who is?), but none deserves the kind of treatment they are getting.  Just in passing, it was pretty obvious when Michigan appoined an "administrator" for Detroit that his job was to steal the citizens blind and destroy what property was left.  Well, they are pretty close now.  OK, rant (temporarily) over.

    Cartoon – Out of energy to respond properly.

     

  8. 3:28  I hate gnome man's land!

  9. Puzzle — 3:28  I hate gnome man's land!

    The New Yorker — Based on the past election, thank goodness she made a serious violation of the Democratic playbook.  Somebody has to stand up for what`s right and just!

    The Daily Kos — So for Dickie Dick, the end justifies the means!  So if someone offs him as retribution, the end justifies the means?  Add me in, I`ll contribute a $1 or $2.  Just the sight of his sneering visage makes me want to hurl!

    Upworthy — Housing is definitely a human right, for without housing, one of the very basic needs is not met. As much of this problem was engineered by greedy bankers, they should be the one`s ameliorating the situation.  Not the city.  Not the people.  Further, since the financial crisis is the result of out-of-control greedy banksters, and supported by Republicanus/Teabagger politicians, they should be held accountable, both financially and morally.  But that won`t happen with a Republicanus/Teabagger dominated Congress.  This is sickening.  Most of those properties in the video were nice homes and there was pride of ownership.

    Cartoon — Speaking of sickening . . . 

     

  10.  The New Yorker:  Andy is so close to reality again.  Warren is not afraid to speak the truth, or speak for what is right.  Maybe she can show her fellow democrats how to stand up for themselves and their constituents.

    Daily Kos:  disturbingly, a recent poll shows that 51& of the people in America who were surveyed agree with Dick Cheney. I am not one of them.  Those actions go against everything this country has stood for and guilty or innocent, no one should be tortured.  Cheney made millions off the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he probably thought the more we tortured, the more he would make.

    UPworthy:  Yes, we bailed out the banks, but not the home owners, those little ants who made the banks rich.  This continues today, every where in the country.  A very nice house across the street from us had been empty for two years.  The homeowner abandoned it because he could not make the payments, the bank foreclosed, and it still sits empty.  No one can even find out which bank owns it.  Several people have expressed an interest in buying it.  The men in the neighborhood mow the grass all summer, that is all that has been done.  This makes no sense at all.  The people in detroit have been put through hell from the mismanagement of their government.  Shutting off water to more than 2500 households at a time would have produced an outcry if it had been done in another country.  Little has been said about Detroit.  Water is a human right, and housing is a human right.  

    Cartoon:  I am too old to have to live with another Bush in the White House! 

     

  11. Thanks all.  Still down.  Overslept.  Please carry on. 🙂

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