establishing a man's integrity based on past accomplishments rather than current endeavors, appeals to authority, wilfull avoidance of issues/conflicts even when clearly outlined, "poor us" rejoinders, the "we're serious journalists who trust our sources rather than investigate the merits of the information" (hello NBC, Judith Miller ring a bell) . . . this is straight out of the playbook--you continually repeat the same big lies long and loud enough pretty soon it becomes conventional wisdom. Journalism, pretty boy Williams, and NBC clearly shouldn't be written in the same sentence. Brian Williams, NBC, and a program taxpayer subsidized Pentagon propagandists should always be. Why isn't this a violation of domestic law again?

Will the mysterious McCaffery PR guy be making an appearance anytime soon? I'd enjoy watching him get raked over the coals. Almost as entertaining as Zoloft Dingleberry's recent posts. GG getting tapped for Meet the Press would mean buying a TV again, which I don't really care to do, bringing the number of actual critical thinkers on network "news" to approximately 4. Not great but a start. Would they make GG wear a suit sans the Chuck Taylor's? Thought I saw him going old school on the video in Minneapolis if memory serves. Good look Armani suit with lowtop CT's (black leather ones of course). Might make old man Broder's head explode which would be entertaining as well.

loved the piece but this is a truism that all the little people know of and live. But in their minds they just aren't empowered to fix it. How do you "outcompete" the son/daughter/spouse of someone who has all the power to rig the system. I just saw a huge survey (sample 30,000)of high school students nationwide--60% have cheated on exams and papers multiple times in the last year, 2/3 have stolen, . . . an ironically they described their personal "morals" as "very high"). The young get it. If you want to get ahead in America you have to cheat because the system is rigged. The rules are designed to benefit the rich and powerful. Every law that used to protect consumers, renters, debtors, union members . . . has been gutted over the last 35 years.

I've worked for executive branch agencies for 15 years and believe me what GG writes about is the norm in promotions. All the civil service protocols are a sham. The chosen get all the choice "details" so they build up all the experience to advance regardless of how qualified they were to begin with. Advancement has very little to do with qualification or skill but who you know so that you get the first and only crack at the limited skill building opportunities. Everybody else fills the roles that actually produce something and make the machine work. We used to laugh about how ironic it was that the higher up in civil service you go the less responsibility and accountability you have. Sitting in your big office, knocking off for golf with your pals, cutting a few ribbons, saying a few words, taking a few calls, never actually making a decision of any importance, hatching a few programs of little to no added value. All the real work is done by the "little people". And I can guarantee you no superior wants to lose a productive subordinate who is good at his/her job and will do almost anything to make sure you don't advance ahead of them.

I'm pretty sure the French were the only ones to every catch on and take appropriate action. I'd say the rich should be very wary because it is an unsustainable power relationship. Then again they have a secret weapon in the steady stream of Dancing With the Stars calibre programming being pumped into homes 24/7/365. That shiny shiny mind control is a real bitch to overcome.

"John McCain, with all he had going against him as the GOP candidate, still received 46% of the vote. That, more than anything else, suggests just how conservative the majority of Americans are."

First off how do you get a "majority" out of 46%?

Or it could suggest how incredibly narrow minded, incredibly incapable of critical thought, incredibly enamored of assbackwardsness, and incredibly easy to manipulate 46% of "teh conservatives" are. Ya think? I'd throw in that a significant portion are actually unrepetent fearful bigots/hypocrites but that would start a real nasty flamewar around here. Then again our side is only marginally better which is, I believe, a focus of many of GG's little missives.

The system is clearly broken and we have two choices. Tear it all down and start over or try to incrementally take it back and fix it. I vascillate from day to day about which path is more likely to work. Maybe neither because the masses are too uninterested or overworked to care. But for 46% there's always paradise in the afterlife so this all doesn't amount to much. For non-believers like me its the only chance. Might actually enjoy watching it all fall if it wasn't for all the human misery it would entail.

away from his computer slowly.