The collapse of free market capitalism position (ideology?) is a sight to behold. Where does one turn when the fundamental assumptions and theories are wrong?

The strange arguments of Pearlstein are just the start of the many we will hear over the next few months and years.

Now we have real fears unlike the made up fear of a few thousand Al-Qaeda terrorists that are dressed up to be fear of a new cold war. The real fear is a potential collapse of the world economy. Economics is not a science: it does not have the ability to predict and control outcomes.

While it may be a shock to those who are self important, old fashioned argumentation and dialog may make a come back. The blogger community will play an increasing role in developing a new common sense.

Obama's campaign message of hope is especially important at this dark hour.

There is only so much that can be said when such a dramatic change is needed to get beyond the security state and the right wing powers including the media. Obama has to keep repeating phrases like "McCain has not shown one policy difference with Bush on the economy."

You make an essential point that we must not allow the abuses of power to not be addressed. I was at a small gathering last night and a fairly well connected attorney active in Democratic political circles said that Harry Reid has been known to sell legislation to consultants. He thinks that Obama should dump Reid.

I may be naive, but my hope is that Obama's constitutional ground will be brought into play and he will address the issues you mention.

Keep reminding us of these Glenn.

Glenn,

My good friend is a conservative, well versed on organizational history including military history and an organizational theorist. He does not think that Obama can bring about real change.

Do you agree?

My idea on restoring our republic is to prosecute the criminal behavior of the Bush administration. This would include initial steps like stripping Lieberman of his committee chair.

This has not happened.

As someone said in one of the comments on this blog, during the election cycle there were many times we thought that Obama did not respond to an attack, or did not take the right position, especially on FISA. But overall, his strategy has been sound.

My hope is not totally gone. Maybe this appointment can be one of the steps to restore the constitution and the rule of law.

Bush has messed things up so badly that it will take the first term just to fire fight problems and control buried land mines that we don't yet even know about.

It doesn't look like there will be much time to restore the rule of law while compromising. I don't think Obama wants to take down the democratic politicians since he has to deal with the power bases in the DOD and the business interests.

If he pulls us out of our current situation, he will be right up there with Lincoln.

It had a lot of traffic. As I recall, second to Huffington Post. And reporters were on the TV shows a lot.

What better measures of success!

Maybe there is a desire to not put away more criminals because the prisons are already full.

This should rank right up there with the drive to decriminalize drugs.

A couple of days ago there was a letter to one of Glenn's blogs about how Roosevelt said to someone who brought up an issue, if you want it done, make me do it.

Hopeflly, this survey is the start of the growing public opinion on accountability. On the first day after Bush left, a former NSA analysist on Olberman's said that journalists were targeted 24x7 for years. Maybe that group will wake up to the danger of breaking the law.

Chalmers Johnson continues his documentation of the death of the republic through military empire in this article on the web.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175029/chalmers_johnson_economic_death_spiral_at_the_pentagon

My hunch was that Israel's war in Gaza went too far this time and resulted in a sharp decline of world wide support.

If the election, as Glenn predicts, further moves them into international pariah status, even the USA will be forced to take a stand against the government policies.

John Perkins, author of "The Economic Hit Man" spoke last week in Columbus, Ohio and noted the democratic trend in Latin America. This trend has included the political rise of indigenous tribes against the oppressors. Now 9 countries have democratically elected governments which include 80% of the population. And they are using the USA founding documents as the basis for building their democracy.

If this is going to become a world wide trend, (my hope wants it to be so) then the colonial rule of the Israel government is going to fail.

The "news" as entertainment. A personality parade of pundits. Led into the "news conference" two by two -- was it on a walk way like a fashion show?

An unspoken conspiracy. A perversion of journalism. Personality over truth.

Robert Fisk, the British correspondent, from Wiki

Fisk has said that journalism must "challenge authority — all authority — especially so when governments and politicians take us to war." He has quoted with approval the Israeli journalist Amira Hass: "There is a misconception that journalists can be objective ... What journalism is really about is to monitor power and the centres of power."

I recall when I learned things from him. He did well on Al Franken's Air America radio show as well.

Then came his recent book "It Can't Happen Here" which I read and donated to the goodwill right after I was done.

Joe was a Hillary supporter and occasionally I read him at Salon.com.

Is he protecting the Clinton legacy? Or has he just gone soft?