...just a different wrapping on the same old crap. That a black former druggie managed to get all the way through a forty five minute speech on race in America without mentioning the fact that one in three black men will lose their right to vote tells me he is not serious about what he says..

I do not believe that it is an accident that as blacks were demanding and getting their civil rights through the front door their civil rights were being taken away through the back door.

In 1970 blacks and whites had roughly similar incarceration rates and today they do not, in my opinion that is not an accident.

-- Aycharaych

You may well be correct that he is not all that different in many ways. Nixon promised me that he would get us out of Vietnam.

However, look at it this way; we need to vote out the crooks and liars in office because they are entrenched and know how to work the system. Vote in the Dems as they will need to relearn the system. Or, look at it as an oil flush in an engine --- it will not fix everything, but it will not hurt.

Paul Craig Roberts is vilified in these parts because he was once in the Reagan administration, even though he has been calling Republicans everything but human for 20 years. (Dems also, of course) His book from 2000 explains the overthrow of our justice system and there is a new edition just out that is updated and in paperback. Well worth your time to read; and see that it may been greatly due to the drug war, but the so-called justice system has many more flaws than just that.

Errata: The line from "Big Trouble" is "you got that right".

Other: lwm claimed that you only had to ask a black man in the south and he would tell you that the central government is wonderful: Bucky1 says, "bullshit." I invite him to stand on a street corner in Paramore (section of Orlando) and try to sell that one.

Other: Kitt will be here to edit soon, he has been the thread police for days.

Combine bigotry/racism/anti-intellectualism and anti-liberalism and you have a potent mixture that many are going to have a hard time overcoming in the privacy of the voting booth when confronted with war-hero-conservative-maverick-McBush and the ni**er, ni**er, ni**er dogwhistle the Republicans are going to be blowing like a steam calliope on steroids.

-- Aycharaych

I respectfully disagree. I know Republicans inside the family and outside, who are going to vote Obama if he is one the ticket and McCain over Clinton if that is the choice.

Obama is sounding a lot like the later Nixon, "declare victory and come home". That sells; he can tap a huge reservoir of anti-war sentiment from the Republican base. And remember, we do not need them to actually vote Obama; only to not vote. A vote for Obama would be nice, but just a non-vote by a large minority of Republicans will hand Obama the election in a landslide.

I'm also not too fond of the other half of this thesis, which states that only those who once risked getting their asses shot off in one of our dirty little wars of self-aggrandizement understands the true meaning of freedom and democracy. That is the smelliest bullshit of all.

-- William Timberman

Got the right.

(from movie Big Trouble, where that line is all one hit man ever speaks)

As Glenn points out journalistic crimes:

BIGGEST NEWSPAPER AD PLUNGE IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS

EDITOR & PUBLISHER According to new data released by the Newspaper Association of America, total print advertising revenue in 2007 plunged 9.4% to $42 billion compared to 2006 -- the most severe percent decline since the association started measuring advertising expenditures in 1950. The drop-off points to an economic slowdown on top of the secular challenges faced by the industry. The second worst decline in advertising revenue occurred in 2001 when it fell 9.0%.

TV industry next!

WASHINGTON—Approximately 550 mongers in the fields of war, hate, and fear mongered together at the Washington D.C. Marriott last week as part of the 34th annual mongering conference. According an itinerary released by the National Mongering Council, the three-day summit featured monger-building activities from 9 a.m. to noon, optional night-mongering seminars, and three meals a day to promote social mongering. "This is the greatest collection of mongering minds in our generation, making the conference a prime target for any number of horrific biological and terrorist attacks," fearmonger Gerald Sachs mongered. "Of course, with the current political and social climate, the main question is whether next year will be anywhere near as mongerly." None in attendance could confirm whether they would be present at next week's fish- and whoremongering conference in El Paso, TX. (The Onion)

I responded to several here in the early morning hours as is my habit, but Salon eat all five of them. No great loss to humanity, but I did write two that were very complimentary of your anti-war position and stance on non-intervention.

So, I say again --- good job William.

--b1

"Hello, this is Norad. Today is Sept.11, 2001. All our offices are closed today for a system wide test. Please call back tomorrow. If you know the extension of the party you wish to reach, you may dial it now.You will bve connected with their voicemail. We will return your call as quickly as possible. Your call is important to us. Dial one for...."

-- Derbig Mooser

You called that day to? What a coincidence.