...and whatever money David Dukes has is his money as well, right? So I'm sure there would be no outcry if David Dukes somehow built a 40 million dollar school for impoverished white South African boys--as long as it was his money.

People may be free to spend their money, but they are not free to go without criticism for their actions. And most human actions, I might add, involve the spending of money.

In this case Oprah is simply following the typical American pattern of charitable giving: first of all, it's all about us--it's about our generosity, our selflessenss, and, most of all, it's about our money. Secondly, it's about separating out the 'deserving' from the non-deserving. Since it's our money, we can't have it going to the wrong kinds of people, can we? Thirdly, the recipients of our generosity better not bitch back at us, because their only role is to be grateful to us, because it's not about them at all--it's about us. It's our money. And if they're not grateful to us for spending our money on them, then what was the point of doing anything for them?

Hence Oprah builds her school without regard or question for what happens to her students or their families. It's all about Oprah's needs, you see, and not about the needs of South African girls. On "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition" we rip down people's homes and build ultra fabulous mansions full of absurd artwork and toys without regard for how that might impact their lives--in property taxes, cleaning and utility bills, and just plain general disruption. The show is only about making us feel better, you see, and not about actually improving other people's lives. The show might be better entitled, "Fuck You, Poor People, Your Home Is Shit, We're Giving You A Brand New Dream Home That We Would Like To Live In Even If It Kills You."

Who knows what bizzare citeria Oprah uses to pick her kids? On the home makeover show, only the mediagenic charity cases need apply--if you're a child with cancer and the most woeful story in the world, you will never get on the show if your Dad is a drunken lout who molests you. Your family will not be considered sympathetic enough to be deserving of a new home, so tough luck to you, kid. Besides, you're just not pretty enough to be on tv.

As a nation, we are now engaged in playing "Extreme Makeover, Country Edition" in Iraq. We didn't give one single thought or concern to what the Iraqis might think or make of our charitable efforts for them. We just thought they would be grateful to us, the bastards, for providing them with the liberty and democracy we wish we still had. Because really, it was never about them, it was all about us. It's our money, you see, and we can spend it as we like--damn it.

...is that she didn't actually say anything. Yeah, military families pay the price, but who didn't know that? And how is mentioning that going to change anything?

If Condi Rice had 12 kids and they were all serving in Iraq, she would still be wrong on the war. So what does her personal background have to do with anything?

Personal backgrounds very rarely have anything to do with anything. So when Boxer made a rambling and basically pointless reference to the Secretary's childlessness, she left herself wide open to invidious interpretations by the likes of Limbaugh.

Kerry made the same mistake when he brought up Mary Cheney in the debates. To a lot of people, it wasn't clear why he brought her up, so they assumed he was simply trying to trash the Cheneys. They thought he was being hypocritical because if he supports gays, then why was he picking on Mary Cheney? Isn't she allowed to be gay?

One could also mention here Kerry's badly stated joke that was also open to misinterpretation.

The basic problem is that you have so many people like Boxer and Kerry who assume that whatever they say inside their circle will make perfect sense outside of it. But often that just isn't the case. If liberals want to speak to the general public, they need to get outside of their circle more often.

...on an infantile world.

In fact, it's quite dead on.

Anyone who thinks they can produce better satire is welcome to do so.

...blow-dried grey hair, exaggerated mannerisms, and all. The Donohue show at least had debate, controversy, interesting issues. Oprah squelched all debate.

It's tv and it's important. Just as the Internet is.

...epitaph of the neocons.

What a fool this man is.