In the comments recently, I had a good discussion with Tuor about the wastefulness involved with sending American taxpayer dollars to places where corruption is rampant due to political leaders who aren’t held accountable because they have close ties to a lucrative natural resource. Places like Alaska:
Gravel will be in Alaska later this month for a speech in Anchorage. He will appear before an Anchorage civic group, Commonwealth North. He goes north with mixed feelings. He’s concerned about the corruption scandal and what that does to the state’s reputation nationally. He says Alaskans were too fast to embrace all the federal largesse Stevens sent home, wasted too much of the money and instead should have invested in creating a world-class education system.
Maybe Gravel should end his ridiculous campaign for president and run for Senate or House in AK.
and the point of the post is….?
@2
and the point of the post is….?
To go read Postman’s very nice post on what’s happening in Alaska. Sorry if my attempt at humor was lost on you…
The point is to remind everyone that Alaska is a place full of corrupt Publican politicians.
@Lee
To go read Postman’s very nice post on what’s happening in Alaska. Sorry if my attempt at humor was lost on you…
Many attempt humor, and apparently few succeed.
The sad thing is that the death of the conventional media leaves a huge hole in the world of muckraking journalism. Without a fourth estate, there is little limit on this sort of thing. Will the blogosphere evolve as a replacement, we wait patiently.
During my time in Iraq, I encountered almost the opposite problem. Our system was to damned honest to deal with the realities of trobal traditions. We simply couild not get the resources in money, equipment, or slaves to fill the expected needs of the tribal leaders. Of course thigns are better now, but we are likely too late.
Postman did a good job on the article. And I got and loved Lee’s humor. But then, I grew up around commercial fishermen who’s favorite thing, other than complaining about the indians and judge Boldt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boldt_Decision
was complaining about the government without who’s massive subsidies fishermen wouldn’t be able to make a profit.
I thought it was bad manners to bite the hand that feeds?
4 RES
You know, everywhere is a place full of corrupt Republican politicians.
Totally off topic. But in the immortal words of Fire Marshal Bill, let me tell you something:
The Shi’ites in Iraq (you know, the majority who control the government?) must be ABSOLUTELY FREAKING OUT that the US is currently arming the Sunnis who oppressed and murdered them for years. You think?
But as Matt Yglesias observes:
“Trying to work with Sunnis who are willing to cooperate with us against al-Qaeda is the right strategy for us. Except that the real right strategy for us is to recognize that things are far, far, far too screwed up for us to unscrew them at this point. ”
Hear, hear.
Wingnuts (I can’t wait for an open thread): WHO is your preferred wingnut candidate for president? More importantly, what specific stances on the issues has your preferred candidate taken to form your preference? ummm…if any.
The country is full of corrupt politicians, both democrat and “publican.” To only complain about one party while ignoring the same faults with your party does you and the country a disservice.
It appears the ruling class has won, 45% complain about 1 party, 45% complain about the other party leaving us ten percenters stuck with a corrupt government.
So, start your equal opportunity blog, and trash both sides. Complaining here will likely not result in much satisfaction for you….
Most of us are so outraged at the past 6 years that we have no interest i8n anything other than AT LEAST evening the odds.
@12-chadt says:
Props for being honest. It’s not the county, but the party you have pledged your allegiance to.
11 totdar
Wrong.
@11
It appears the ruling class has won, 45% complain about 1 party, 45% complain about the other party leaving us ten percenters stuck with a corrupt government.
If you think the number of people in the country upset with Democrats is equal to the number of people upset with Republicans right now, your head is so far up your own ass you can’t even see your kidneys.
Daddy Love says: 11 totdar Wrong.
Wrong what. You believe one party is without sin? You think the pork for John Murtha is acceptable while the pork for Ted Stevens isn’t? The bribes for William Jefferson were more honorable than the bribes for Tom Delay? Both parties have screwed us ten percenters.
Lee says: @11 If you think the number of people in the country upset with Democrats is equal to the number of people upset with Republicans right now, your head is so far up your own ass you can’t even see your kidneys.
Head up my ass? What kind of a childish response is that. Are you pleased with the democrat party?
@13,
I’m not in your “county”, fella.
I think I’m going to campaign for Dizzy Gillespie. Although he’s been dead for 14 years, since then he’s still shown more animation than any Democratic candidate I can think of, and smells better than any of the Republicans.
He also hasn’t told any lies.
@17
I certainly have criticisms of the Democratic Party and of Democratic politicians. But on the whole, the Democrats are considerably more responsible, moderate, and in tune with common sense than the Republicans. There’s absolutely no question about that. From nearly every issue, from foreign policy, to health care, to the environment, to criminal justice issues, Republicans are far more ideologically driven and out of touch with the needs of the average American than the Democrats.
When Democrats take over, I’ll be watching them. They don’t get a free pass from me just because the Republicans are worse. But if you’re actually dumb enough to think that there’s some equivalence between the two parties today, you’re a fool.
@2 Sense of humor? Wingnuts have no sense of humor, even when they’re kidding around about killing Supreme Court justices and foreign leaders.
@5 “Many attempt humor, and apparently few succeed.”
The Coulterbitch comes to mind.
@6 Don’t worry, bribery is flourishing in Iraq, and the slaves are on their way.
@7 The more money Big Government gives them, the more they bitch about Big Government. That’s human nature. Thank the Divine Mother Rabbit Spirit that I’m a rabbit!
@10 You’re better off not knowing the answer to that question.
@11 “45% complain about 1 party, 45% complain about the other party leaving us ten percenters stuck with a corrupt government”
Well, yes, that’s what we were doing before Bush came along, but Bush changed everything.
@11 (continued) To paraphrase Bush, “you’re either with us, against us, or caught in the middle!”
@13 “Props for being honest. It’s not the county, but the party you have pledged your allegiance to.”
No, that’s the other guys. We’re patriots out to save the country for everyone, including nitwits like you.
@16 “You believe one party is without sin?”
He’s not saying that. Neither is anyone else. What he’s saying — and it’s entirely accurate — is that one of the parties is much worse than the other.
Now I have a word of advice for you: Go play your wingnut word games somewhere else. Your shopworn “Democrats are as bad as Republicans” bullshit doesn’t sell here.
@19 That about sums things up.
@20 The fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans are utterly selfish people who use politics to line their own pockets and further their own interest, while Democrats are concerned about the common welfare even when it costs them money out of their own pockets.
I got my name on the front page! Yay, me!
And to be on-topic: I hope I never suggested that misuse of tax-payer monies occurs only in foreign lands. Sadly, that is most definitely not the case.
But, back to my main topic: Yay, me!
P.S. Mr. Rabbit, you’ll get your response eventually. I promise.
The oil industry in Alaska seems to make a special point of hiring outsiders to do those jobs.
Big oil sucks. Their excuse for selling gas in Alaska at hugely inflated prices is that “it wouldn’t be fair to the ‘folks’ in the lower 48 to give Alaskans a break on gas prices.”
And to be on-topic: I hope I never suggested that misuse of tax-payer monies occurs only in foreign lands. Sadly, that is most definitely not the case.
No, you didn’t suggest that at all. And it was an interesting conversation on a topic I hadn’t really been thinking about enough recently, but will be a major topic after 2008 I think. As always, thanks for the great comments…