While a point may be made, a good number of the mentioned cities the opening paragraph habitually experience such. Athens? Why even mention the assorted riots (1.5 years back beginning youth vs. State and various University takings-over from the late 90s to now).... Bolivia has been rife with protests of assorted kinds, from class to ethic considerations. Anti-immigrant turbulence in Zaragoza has been boiling for years (as it is throughout the 'unified' Spanish nation). To state that street protests in Haiti are new is, of course, absurd. This is not to discount a point on the author's part, but to point out the illegitimate use of anecdotes.

Joan - despite what your boosters say, this was not a balanced or logical post whatsoever. It really, truly, doesn;t help that you resort to the basest attacks, but what is really offensive is the ad hominim attacks based in clear logical fallacies.

"I say "him" because it's simply impossible to imagine a female Limbaugh, of similar unlovely temperament and appearance -- a big, pasty, sweaty, nasty Ruth Limbaugh, let's call her, railing against Bush -- getting any kind of national podium, let alone the kind Limbaugh has. Just try that thought experiment for a minute, and then try telling me sexism is history."

Is it? It seems Coulter has made herself at least the Number 2 of asinine yelling conservatives in recent years. Of course you throw in the physical appearance item just to skew the argument back to your rant, a transparent ploy entirely. While I despise conservativism, let us recall that it was our right wingers who did put women into positions of real influence first (see: Margaret thatcher and Jean Kirkpatrick). But returning to logical fallacy: just because it does not exist does not mean it couldn't. Your supposition here is based on emotion.

"Sarah Palin was the first sacrificial lamb, nominated for vice-president before she was ready (if she'll ever be) and then slaughtered (for the time being, at least) by McCain campaign leaders. Bobby Jindal was trotted out to almost certain failure after Obama's speech last weekend. Now Limbaugh has emasculated the brand-new RNC chair, Michael Steele. I'm sure it's an accident all three represented a possible future of the party that wasn't white and male."

So, you actually imply here that they defeated their own because they were not white and male (and you do imply this, so you can't claim to be saying the opposite). On this, you are observably wrong inasmuch as Palin is the totem of the right wing. And it was, in fact, Jindal himself who took the opportunity to boost his future presidential chances. It was liberal people who (rightly, in my opinion) took the fool down a notch for his insane speech. Steele was not the only one to be taken down a peg by Limbaugh (Jindal's No. 1 backer) as you note yourself. But to imply they were sabotaged is insane.

Were you drinking or following Rush down the Oxy trail or merely losing yourself in your emotions?... whatever, this post is insulting.. not to the conservatives but to your own logical-minded readers. I certainly hope we intend to keep Salon in the realm of the objective and not the realm vapid identity polemics.

That is patent nonsense. Whether you like Mr Cramer or not, he clearly has been a dramatic success in the field of business before parlaying himself into the role of TV celebrity. I am not fan, but have been exposed to him and his minions for a long time now, since I was housemates with a gentleman who would wake up and put Kudlow and Cramer on at 7am.

He left business for the ease of TV life because he was killing himself in the field (this much I picked up from his defenders) and that is a wise choice, but his previous success as an investor cannot be denied.

This is all pop-sociology/psychology/biology ... Broadsheet can be like the stoned kids in the woods discussing life sometimes.

But: "There go my plans to find my next husband by hanging outside the unemployment office .... at lunchtime." -> On one hand this points to the increasing trend for cheaper, high-fat diets in lower income echelons... but more actually, this sentence is disgustingly classist in it's assumption that poor people are slothful, overweight and ugly.

Seriously... what are you thinking?

Meet Brightstar.... Brightstar... lifelike.

I think you two can get along with your unvalidated assertions based on flawed experience.

I never thought I would see someone in these broadsheets whose utterly incomprehensible certainty in ill-concieved conclusions matched or exceeded Brightstar.

Match.Com ain't got nothing on Broadsheet.

click Permalink down below.... there is likely a reason it is called 'perma'

But I HATE Julia Roberts in any context -- interviews, movies -- just can't stand here. I know, also I am not alone. Plenty of people, men and women, just recoil at the thought of her. It doesn't help that she stars in mostly vapid romantic comedies and thrillers, scarcely was very impressive in her academy award winning performance, has been crap in several movies (Michael Collins was not the best of the Irish Civil War/Troubles movies by any means, but her performance in it was god awful) and has a grating, fabricated persona in interviews. Nonetheless, there is an infection in this nation, of people who loath Roberts. I doubt I could ever enjoy a movie she was in, irrespective of what it was.

Can we get a team of psychiatrists to study this (popular) phenomenon?

There is no chance he made a rational decision if we are to take your source at face value (did you read your source). According to Mr Diaz-Durran, the girl was his significant other:

"His crime: Having sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend."

If I were a betting man, I would wager Mr Jepson is about 10 jail assaults, a hearing and a few months away from being an instant millionaire.