I’m a big fan of Brad DeLong’s “Grasping Reality” blog. Brad is a liberal neoliberal’s liberal neoliberal. He knows a great deal about economic history, and knows that it was capitalism, and nothing else, that turned western civilization from a good deal for the top 10 percent into a good deal for potentially everyone. At…
James B. Stewart, lying on behalf of truth
Over at New York magazine, Jonathan Chait takes a long poke at Rep. Paul Ryan. Although I often find Jon a bit knee-jerky, when it comes to Ryan, our knees jerk in perfect time. Chait points, among other things, to the near-worshipful reception that Ryan often receives in the press, as a sort of political…
Optreden ICP do Monk—“Jackie-ing”
Intense. ICP features Michael Moore, alto saxophone + clarinet; Ab Baars, tenor saxophone + clarinet; Tobias Delius, tenor saxophone + clarinet; Thomas Heberer, trumpet; Woller Wierbos, trombone; Misha Mengelberg, piano; Mary Oliver, violin; Tristan Honsinger, cello; Ernst Glerum, bass; Han Bennink, drums. Posted by Vrijegeluiden
Whole Iran Deal not a Big Deal, Experts Say
Yes, that whole Iran thing that everyone was so worried about, well, it’s not really a big deal, says NYTimer James Risen, in an article quoting both faceless and faced experts, politely stepping down all the sturm und drang that the Times has been peddling for the past year or so—quoting, of course, only the…
Pseudo-New Yorker
Legal humor here. “The same thing happened to me! I asked her to give me head, and then, shit, I don’t know, I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” “Yeah, I know they grow back, but, still, it’s embarrassing.” “The things you do for love, right?” “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, my palpitating abdomen!…
Yeah, she’s a Romney
Speaking in Stamford, Connecticut, Mitt’s missus said the following: “I love the fact that there are women out there who don’t have a choice and they must go to work and they still have to raise the kids.” Of course, she didn’t mean that she’s glad that some mothers have to work. She “meant” “I…
Spencer Ackerman, mad as hell and seemingly unlikely to take it much longer
At the Dish, Andrew Sullivan posts this rant by Spencer Ackerman on what’s wrong with DC, which he praises as “Best Spontaneous Anti-Beltway Rant Ever.” In fact, it’s a fairly predictable collection of bitches and moans about what happens when you shove together thousands of highly ambitious people in a few square miles of real…
Danger! Danger! Truth Overload! Israeli General calls Iran “very rational”! AP reveals dreaded North Korean missiles are fakes!
It’s true! Leon “the North Koreans are coming!” Panetta and the entire AIPAC nation must be having heart attacks at this news. I’ll let Jodi Rudoren at the NYT handle the first one: “The Israeli military chief [the chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Force, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz*] described the Iranian government as…
Justice Scalia: Don’t worry, I’m still an asshole
Yes, in case you were worrying, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin “Nino” Scalia is still an asshole. In the Court’s recent oral argument on Arizona’s xenophobic legislation mandating police harassment of foreign-looking folks, reported by Damon Root for Reason, Nino showed himself to be heartily xenophobic, with precisely zero patience with “people who have no…
Barack Obama: Failing to appease the unappeasable
Poor Barack Obama! No matter how hard he tries to make Wall Street and the CIA love him, they won’t. Brad DeLong asks why the Wall Street big shots are crying and then answers his own question: What is there about 50% real increases in equity values over less than 3 ½ years that is…