jehanna argues that it isn't a zero-sum game. I bet to differ. In a capitalist society, many things are a zero-sum game. When the demand for a particular kind of occupation exceeds the supply of employment opportunities there will be winners and losers. In a growing economy, labor has an advantage. In a shrinking economy, labor loses. In the race to control costs and maintain competitiveness companies outsource on a contractual basis, move their operations abroad, or 'import' labor. Right now, there is a fairly good sized effort to import labor in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields. I don't have the answer to this state of affairs. The issues are complex and nuanced. But, I do not believe it is accurate to claim that it's not zero-sum. It is very much a rivalrous set of circumstances. However, I support, what I believe is, jehanna's larger premise that we're all in this together. It's not hard to slip into tribal affiliations when we're threatened. The ability and opportunity to provision oneself is one of the most fundamental needs any citizen has. It's basic. I don't want to deny anyone the opportunity, but I struggle when one person's opportunity must come at the expense of my own. And, I feel it's reasonable, ondolette, for you to feel the same way. I continually have to remind myself that the problem is a structural one, it doesn't originate with my 'neighbor.'

Every leader of every country from Canada to Japan takes advantage of every opportunity they can find to dis (as in dismiss, disassociate, disparage, disregard, or disrespect) George W. Bush from now until January 20, 2009.

Oh, no! It doesn't excuse the Rethugs at all. What the Rethugs have done is to amplify the worst aspects of that structural equation. There are lots, and lots of variables, and opportunities for leverage in there. The Rethugs have simply taken the aspects that are punishing and ramped them up by an order of magnitude.

In fact it's been argued that part of the Rethug overall strategy was to get us precisely where we are with all of the marbles/cards/advantages on the side of the corporations. Witness; individual health care plans that are punishing to purchase on your own, the demise of the National Labor and Relations Board,... The list is a really long one. It all serves to ramp up the competition in the labor market at the very same time we endure the mergers and acquisitions of multi-national corporations. First they came for the auto workers, but I didn't speak up because I wasn't an auto worker....

Talking Points Memo is reporting that MoveOn together with a number of top bloggers (Atrios, Digby, Glenn ...) will be supporting the idea that their readers contact Obama's and Hillary's campaigns to support Dodd in his bid to "hold" or filibuster FISA. Those bloggers contacted appear to have granted their support for the initiative.

http://tinyurl.com/25m2pp

Updates suggest that both have issued statements agreeing to support the filibuster.

http://tinyurl.com/2zknwz

Well, that's sweet, isn't it? Anticipating a flood of calls? Hook up the answering machine? Want to cling to the option value of a non-position? Take input. I guess the next best thing is email. As Senators, they have to have a contact address. But, still...GRRRR.

I think I would have liked your mother. I imagine she had some great stories. And, I agree with her prohibition on editorializing. But, given that you did, precisely what your mother taught you to do, it was easy to draw the conclusions your mother argued a person could draw from the facts. Of course, GRRRR is shorthand/code for a whole lot of words that would, at best, be in very poor taste. I imagine you de-coded that message as well. I'm still going to make those calls, but thank you for warning me in advance that I'd have to back 'em up with emails.

The ACLU is sponsoring an email petition to Jay Rockerfeller. Text of the petition is below. They're shooting for 50,00 signatures. Link at the sig. You need not be a member of the ACLU to sign.

Senator Rockefeller:

Stop trying to let telecom companies off the hook for breaking the law.

Senator Rockefeller, you were one of the first to challenge the legality of the NSA spying program. Now you have become the driving force behind backroom negotiations to immunize telecom companies from illegally providing customer information to the government without warrants. What happened?

Recent polls show that 59% of American voters reject amnesty for phone companies that may have violated the law by selling customers’ private information, preferring to let courts decide the outcome.

Senator Rockefeller, we need you to protect the constitutional rights of the American people, not the telephone companies

.

I am an American who’s concerned about my privacy. That’s why I want you to oppose telecom immunity.

MoveOn is also sponsoring a petition. Link at the sig.

Subject: Hold lawbreakers Accountable

Hi, For years the Bush administration has been illegally wiretapping Americans' phone calls with the willing assistance of major telecom companies like Verizon and AT&T. Now the White House is putting enormous pressure on Congress to give phone companies retroactive immunity for all the laws they broke spying on innocent Americans.

Here's why: The pending lawsuits against these companies may be the only way we ever find out how far the Bush administration went in breaking the law. President Bush wants immunity for them to cover his own actions.

The problem is, some key Democrats are poised to help him do it. We need to speak out loudly against this move. I just signed a petition urging Congress to reject immunity for lawbreaking phone companies. Can you join me?

Thanks!