Shutting down

This summer I have realized that I don't have the time and creativity (especially when lacking my own computer) to run this blog at the level that I want it to be. Therefore I am shutting this blog down, and I am now creating a new one with a co author. My friend David from back home and enrolling at Carelton college next year will be co moderater of the site with me. So everyone reading this should go investigate our new website.

A solution to War

In my last post, I encouraged everyone to read the book God's Politics. One thing from the book that really jumped out at me was the author's recomendations for how to bring about just world peace. The basic argument is that peace will not exist unless other needs of people are met. This mostly pertains to global poverty and other quality of life issues. At this point in our world poverty is a choice, and it is possible for us to take great steps towards the irradication of poverty if we choose to do so. Once these problems are solved, nations won't be forced into wars for economic purposes. By curing the problems of poverty people will feel that they have a sense of belonging in the world as well as having a share of the responsibility of things running properly. There will no longer be the ideas of hopelessness which lead people to radical violent action. When people are able to have a decent life the need for wars will not exist in our society.

Book

I would recomend that everyone out there read the book God's Politics by Jim Wallis. It lays out a vision for a different way for our nation to behave in accordance with the teachings of jesus and the prophets. The book is fascinating, and Mr. Wallis has some brilliant ideas for how to solve problems of our nation and our world.

Unfortunate

Governor Pawlenty has vetoed a bill that would have created a state poet Laureate. His primary reason was that he thought it would open the door to creating a state mime or state interprative dancer (just like how gay marriage leads to people marrying their pets folks). This would have allowed for the governor to appoint a state poet to be both recognized for their artistic acheivments and to compose verse for events that are of special significance to the state. There would have been no cost to the state for this in any way. I think something like this is a great missed opportunity for out state. This is another example of how our state could do better than it is, and it is choosing to give up an oppertunity to let us do better. This is really representative of what kind of governor Tim Pawlenty has been. My best guess as to why he vetoed this is that he doesn't like the type of people that like poetry, but of course Bill Holm says it best.

"Mr. Pawlenty seems to think that if you keep from raising taxes, the imagination will cease to be rambunctious. He's terrified of the imagination rearing up and giving a good, swift kick to his dead ideas."

History in the Making

W. Mark Felt has announced that he was the source "Deep Throat" for Woodward and Bernstein used during their invesitigation of President Nixon. The information that he provided helped to bring down the presidentcy. Bob Woodward has just confirmed that this is in fact the truth. Felt was the number two person at the FBI during the Nixon years.

He is a man of courage and conviction, and his actions have done a lot to shape the way that our government now opperates. A result of watergate has been the rise of investigative journalism. This has proved to be a double edged sword of society. In some ways it has made it harder for the American government to do bad things in secret (although now they don't let publicity stop them), but on the other hand it has put our elected officials on trial in the media.

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to everyone out there especially those who are serving our country at this moment.

Tragedy

The son of MN state senator Becky Lourey was killed in Iraq yesterday. He was the pilot of the helicopter that was shot down. Matthew Lourey was serving his second tour of duty with the army. Let our thoughts and prayers be with their family in what must be an incredably difficult time in their lives.

Friday Song Lyrics

Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Is it worth it
A new winter coat and shoes for the wife
And a bicycle on the boy's birthday
It's just a rumour that was spread around town
By the women and children
Soon we'll be shipbuilding
Well I ask you
The boy said 'DAD THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE ME TO TASK
BUT I'LL BE BACK BY CHRISTMAS'
It's just a rumour that was spread around town
Somebody said that someone got filled in
For saying that people get killed in
The result of this shipbuilding
With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls
It's just a rumour that was spread around town
A telegram or a picture postcard
Within weeks they'll be re-opening the shipyards
And notifying the next of kin
Once again
It's all we're skilled in
We will be shipbuilding
WITH ALL THE WILL IN THE WORLD
DIVING FOR DEAR LIFE
WHEN WE COULD BE DIVING FOR PEARLS

This is Bizarre

I found this from Buy Blue. I'm really not sure what to think of the:

Demcard,=

This sounds like a fun idea

There have been a good deal of reports coming out to verify what Newsweek said about Koran abuse.

Americablog

has an idea for somethign democrats could do to help make that situation not happen again (theoretically), score political points, and best of all have fun at the expense of congressional republicans.

"Come on, Democrats. The Republicans would crap their pants if you offered this legislation. If they opposed it, they'd be responsible for sending a terrible message to the world - not to mention, I'd love to see them explain to the voters why they refused to vote for the Bible Protection Act. And if they support it, the religious right will crap as they can't stand ANYTHING that even vaguely recognizes Islam as a legitimate religion, thus we'd inflame a greater schism between the Republicans and America's Taliban."

class politics

The increasingly frusterated members of the working class are more and more often being represended by the far right of the Republican Party. This seemingly impossible paradox has been made possible as a result of uncoordinated shifts in the direction of both parties. Republicans have crafted a media strategy that resonated with working class voters that more and more have felt left behind by the rest of society. This political message has consisted of cultural issues that more likely than not are unwinable such as stopping abortion and gay rights, patriotism, and issues of decentcy. These distract from the realities of most of their support's lives which involved their lives getting worse as a result of republican policy. The current state of the religious right is an example of how this functons. The political battles that they fight are most likely doomed to failure, but it gets enthusiastic support from segments of the population that otherwise wouldn't have anything to gain from them.
The shift in working class political allignment is just as much the fault of the democratic party. Over the past two decades the democratic party has gone from being concerned with class economic issues to being primarily focused on social issues. It springs from the idea from some democrats that by sticking to a hard line socially liberal policy while compromising on economic issues and becoming more pro business will attract more upper class support and money. It was assumed that lower classes would not abandon the party because they would still be better than republicans. Instead of that happening, more socially conservative and less educated working class voters saw no reason to stick with the democratic party because their needs wern't being represented. It can be infered that the result of this failed powergrab is the cause of the democrats recent election woes especially in Ohio and the midwest.