I don't know that I've figured anything out relative to Paglia and my discomfiture. It is sort of innate.

I don't mind Brazil but I've spent some time there. Once when I stopped for gasoline a man was shot to death in front of my eyes. I think Sao Paulo is a hell hole. The executives there use helicopters to commute because as I understand it, it is too dangerous to drive. There are some beautiful spots but I wonder, comparatively, about the "splendors of Brazil," as she proclaims.

She is taken in by the diva of Brazil. An example:

"I am still trying to process the enormity of my experience in Salvador, which was staggering on every level.

As Daniela Mercury's special guest, I was generously granted amazing access to her home, dressing room, van, and the performance platform of her trio elétrico (amplified truck), where she has never permitted anyone to stand before. For someone like myself who has been studying and writing about the arts for over 40 years, this was a priceless opportunity to see a major contemporary artist in action. I doubt I will ever again witness a performance equal to the one of heroic dimensions that occurred."

Add that to her defense and praise of Rush and the level of blame she bestows on Obama's flacks while mysteriously attributing no blame on Obama himself is insane. I should probably excuse her hyperbole but just can't do it,

"Another thing to do is to try to stop doing business with these companies. So, e.g., my Citibank credit card is never going to be used again. But how to disentangle longterm savings from these corporations is something that is beyond me. Likewise my mortgage. Again, even if I can figure all of this out, it is still a meaningless gesture. But still, I need to do it."

Meaningless gestures indeed! When the telecommunication companies were proven to be in collusion with the government relative to illegal wiretapping and were also censoring certain rock groups, I started canceling all my relationships with the guilty ones. That was a while back and proved absolutely nothing. I cancelled my CitiCard because they raised the interest rate from 10.9% to 16.9% and if you miss payments it can go as high as 29.9%. But it felt good to get rid of Citi because of their unethical practices. But I won't cancel any more relationships because it takes time and is unpleasant (the citi rep got into an argument with me stating that Citi was paying the funds back at a 9% interest rate).

Obama allows and knows what Summers and Geithner and doing and does not seem to care.

Obama allows and knows what John Brennan is doing in covering up and preventing the disclosure of the three torture memos and does not seem to care.

So, who cares? Glenn and Amy and Stewart and Colbert.

Without Obama on-board, anything I do is indeed a meaningless gesture.

--

Yano

"I recall marching 400,000 strong through the streets of Washington DC in 1969 and again, half a million strong in 1971."

Ah, those were the days, those were the days!

But they are gone! Did you protest the Iraq War? Police "crowd control" is now superb. They have tools and strategic plans and use moveable walls to willfully constrain people. In my experience horses were also used to direct people to where they wanted you to go.

In 1969 and 1971 it was a pleasure to protest. The Iraqi War protests were frightening!

I was in a DC march that preceded the invasion of Iraq. Some people in front on me were carrying a sign comparing Bush to Hitler. The cops came pouring in, roughly pushing aside everyone in their path and destroyed the sign. There were thousands of people around and I assume maybe a reporter or two, but nothing was mentioned in the press.

In fact the press coverage was minimal compared to the Vietnam era.

I don't think I am alone when I say this. From rumors in certain articles in the alternative media it was apparent that the Bush administration was pursuing a strategy to control the press and public dissension, therefore anyone who deviated from their rule of law would be dealt with severely.

"...it was apparent that the Bush administration was pursuing a strategy to control the press and public dissension, therefore anyone who deviated from their lawless rule would be dealt with severely.

Fixed that for you."

Thanks. I appreciate your clarification.