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19:31:02 02/09/12
Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise - Announcement Reveal Trailer (XBLA)
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 19:31:02 02/09/12
Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise - Announcement Reveal Trailer (XBLA)
We are on Facebook.com and Twitter.com Ready yourself, grasshopper, for Qooc Soft's arcade beat 'em up is coming to Xbox Live Arcade early in 2012. ABOUT THIS GAME ************************ Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise, a fast-paced beat-'em-up where the player can seamlessly blend powerful punches, high kicks and perfectly timed blocks to pull off combos that devastate hordes of enemies. Alongside the tight combat system and art style inspired by Chinese calligraphy, Kung Fu Strike features unlockable techniques that add to the repertoire of agony for your enemies, support characters that can be called in to help when your fists fail you and special equipment that can potentially turn the tide of battle. What's more, if you're too weak and puny to go it alone, there is local two-player co-op and versus mode to prove you are the martial arts maestro. Developed by Qooc Soft, Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise will arrive for Xbox 360 via Xbox LIVE Arcade. Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise ******************************************* GENRE: Action Fighting RELEASE DATE(S): + US: Early 2012 + EU: Early 2012 PLATFORM: XBLA EXCLUSIVELY ON: XBLA WEBSITE: kungfustrike.7sixty.com AVAILABLE @ AMAZON: n/a PUBLISHER: 7sixty DEVELOPER: Qooc Soft ESRB: RP for Rating Pending XboxViewTV on FACEBOOK *********************************** www.facebook.com XboxViewTV ON TWITTER ******************************* www.twitter.com From: XboxViewTV Views: 308 15 ratings Time: 01:20 More in Gaming
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00:45:00 02/09/12
Pushing Pal In Pool Fail
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 00:45:00 02/09/12
This dummy succumbs to the power of a slippery floor after tossing his friend into the pool.
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14:43:39 02/06/12
Egypt: Foreign NGO staff face trial as clashes continue
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 14:43:39 02/06/12
Egypt: Foreign NGO staff face trial as clashes continue
www.euronews.net Cairo continues to resemble a war zone near the Egyptian Interior Ministry amid a fifth day of clashes between demonstrators and police. Anger boiled over after last week's football violence, with security forces accused of failing to prevent the deaths of 74 people in Port Said. Protesters also want an early handover of power by the army and a swift presidential election. From: Euronews Views: 147 2 ratings Time: 01:10 More in News & Politics
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14:43:39 02/06/12
Egypt: Foreign NGO staff face trial as clashes continue
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 14:43:39 02/06/12
Egypt: Foreign NGO staff face trial as clashes continue
www.euronews.net Cairo continues to resemble a war zone near the Egyptian Interior Ministry amid a fifth day of clashes between demonstrators and police. Anger boiled over after last week's football violence, with security forces accused of failing to prevent the deaths of 74 people in Port Said. Protesters also want an early handover of power by the army and a swift presidential election. From: Euronews Views: 173 2 ratings Time: 01:10 More in News & Politics
26 Views
01:43:57 01/18/12
Passions Run High at UN Palestine Debate
[LESS INFO] 26 VIEWS | ADDED 01:43:57 01/18/12
Passions ran high as Dore Gold, Aaron David Miller, Mustafa Barghouti, and Daniel Levy argued about whether Palestine should be accepted as a U.N. Member state. Moderator John Donvan stepped in to cool the fervor that threatened to derail the order of the debate.
Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2012/01/10/The_UN_Should_Admit_Palestine_as_a_Full_Member_State
The U.N. Should Admit Palestine as a Full Member State: An Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate. This program was recorded on January 10, 2012.
FOR THE MOTION:
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti
Daniel Levy
AGAINST THE MOTION:
Dore Gold
Aaron David Miller
MODERATOR:
John Donvan
On September 23, 2011, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appeared before the U.N. General Assembly to request full membership for the State of Palestine. America’s veto power renders their bid largely symbolic, but there could be leverage gained– like indirect recognition of statehood– in the process. After 20 years of failed talks with Israel, can this plea to the international community be the only path left to a two-state solution, or have the Palestinians set the peace process back by bypassing negotiations?
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23:00:00 01/11/12
TEDxManhattanBeach - Yaw Adutwum - Accountability and Expectations: Changing Student's Performance
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:00 01/11/12
Talk title: Accountability and expectations: changing students' performance In South Los Angeles a tragic 29% of all students fail to complete high school. Those who graduate often find they don't have the skills to work, to enter a top university, or to succeed in community colleges. Yaw Adutwum founded New Designs Charter School with a simple idea: we must require that students master the skills they need for university. Higher expectations are not enough; we must have higher requirements. New Designs students must meet the entry requirements for the University of California to graduate, for instance every student must pass pre-calculus. "Is it challenging? Yes, but it can be done," says Yaw, who invites us to stand by the children of South Los Angeles. An educator and community activist born in Ghana, Yaw is the founder and CEO of the New Designs Charter School in South Los Angeles. Yaw recognized that while students in south Los Angeles had strong intellectual ability, they lacked motivation and academic self-esteem. He has designed school programs that boost morale and provide students a powerful foundation in mathematics, science, technology and the arts. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxManhattanBeach, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxManhattanBeach event, TEDTalks
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23:00:00 01/11/12
Accountability and Expectations
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:00 01/11/12
TEDxManhattanBeach - Yaw Adutwum - Accountability and Expectations: Changing Student's Performance Talk title: Accountability and expectations: changing students' performance In South Los Angeles a tragic 29% of all students fail to complete high school. Those who graduate often find they don't have the skills to work, to enter a top university, or to succeed in community colleges. Yaw Adutwum founded New Designs Charter School with a simple idea: we must require that students master the skills they need for university. Higher expectations are not enough; we must have higher requirements. New Designs students must meet the entry requirements for the University of California to graduate, for instance every student must pass pre-calculus. "Is it challenging? Yes, but it can be done," says Yaw, who invites us to stand by the children of South Los Angeles. An educator and community activist born in Ghana, Yaw is the founder and CEO of the New Designs Charter School in South Los Angeles. Yaw recognized that while students in south Los Angeles had strong intellectual ability, they lacked motivation and academic self-esteem. He has designed school programs that boost morale and provide students a powerful foundation in mathematics, science, technology and the arts. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxManhattanBeach, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxManhattanBeach event, TEDTalks
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17:42:07 01/11/12
![Everquest II Destiny of Velious Wings Trailer [HD]](http://static0.channels.com/thumbnails/assets/youtube-com/feeds/167-2215/342395/episodes/15963824_MachinimaTrailer-Everquest-II-Destiny-of-Velious-Wings-Trailer--HD---jpg)
Everquest II Destiny of Velious Wings Trailer [HD]
![Everquest II Destiny of Velious Wings Trailer [HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Rd2Toen3lQ4/default.jpg)
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 17:42:07 01/11/12
Everquest II Destiny of Velious Wings Trailer [HD]
Everquest II Destiny of Velious Wings Trailer [HD] Developer: SOE Release: 12/7/2011 Genre: MMO/RPG Platform: PC Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment Website: www.everquest2.com Destiny of Velious%trade follows the events of EQII Sentinel's Fate%trade. The prophecy known as "Age's End" has begun to unfold in the legendary continent of Velious where the war for Norrath has been foretold. The prophecy begins to unravel as the stage is set for the destruction of the entire EverQuest universe when the twin Swords of Destiny, Soulfire, and the Qeynos Claymore have all been drained of their powers. Norrath's guardians must fight to restore the Swords of Destiny if there is going to be any hope of saving Norrath from its fate. To succeed and achieve ultimate glory, the guardians must overcome labyrinthine dungeons, the harsh Velious tundra, and powerful creatures. If they fail, all will fall to ruin. FOR MORE MACHINIMA, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE SPORTS GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MORE TRAILERS, GO TO: www.youtube.com FOR MMO AND RPG GAMEPLAY, GO TO: www.youtube.com TAGS: Everquest 2 Destiny of Velious Trailer Wings official machinima video game gaming pc mac steam windows sony online entertainment gameplay From: MachinimaTrailer Views: 562 24 ratings Time: 01:16 More in Entertainment
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02:48:09 01/05/12
Timid vs Bold
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 02:48:09 01/05/12
Timid vs Bold
Romney's economic plan: timid. Parts of it virtually identical to Obama's failed policy. Timid won't create jobs and timid certainly won't defeat Barack Obama. Newt Gingrich's bold leadership balanced the budget, reformed welfare, helped create millions of new jobs. The Gingrich jobs plan: A powerful plan for growing our economy and creating jobs. Rebuilding the America we love with bold conservative leadership. From: ngingrich Views: 124173 755 ratings Time: 00:31 More in News & Politics
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19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
Justin Locke, author and former bass player for the Boston Pops, visits Google Cambridge to discuss his book, "Principles of Applied Stupidity." From the book's description: "How often have you seen someone fail to move ahead in life because they were afraid of facing the unknown? How often have you seen someone endlessly seek guidance and expertise, and never actually act? The belief that we must become fully knowledgeable (and certified by others) BEFORE moving ahead is a great disincentive to success and personal fulfillment. In this new groundbreaking book (which, we admit, sounds like a gag) Justin Locke (author of 'Real Men Don't Rehearse') does the first actual study of the science, and benefits, of not knowing everything and not thinking too much. (Just one example: 'Principle #7: Ignorance of Difficulty = Optimism') The ability to overcome 'analysis paralysis' and take action in spite of not knowing all possible consequences in advance is key to innovation and success in both your business and in your personal life. This book will show you how to avoid the overly cautious 'let's-commission-a-study-first' thinking that bogs down so many people and projects. The word 'stupid' comes from the Latin 'stupidus,' meaning 'to be astonished,' and you may very well be astonished at the power, freedom and opportunity that will be yours after reading 'Principles of Applied Stupidity.'" From: AtGoogleTalks Views: 2821 23 ratings Time: 49:50 More in Education
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19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
Justin Locke, author and former bass player for the Boston Pops, visits Google Cambridge to discuss his book, "Principles of Applied Stupidity." From the book's description: "How often have you seen someone fail to move ahead in life because they were afraid of facing the unknown? How often have you seen someone endlessly seek guidance and expertise, and never actually act? The belief that we must become fully knowledgeable (and certified by others) BEFORE moving ahead is a great disincentive to success and personal fulfillment. In this new groundbreaking book (which, we admit, sounds like a gag) Justin Locke (author of 'Real Men Don't Rehearse') does the first actual study of the science, and benefits, of not knowing everything and not thinking too much. (Just one example: 'Principle #7: Ignorance of Difficulty = Optimism') The ability to overcome 'analysis paralysis' and take action in spite of not knowing all possible consequences in advance is key to innovation and success in both your business and in your personal life. This book will show you how to avoid the overly cautious 'let's-commission-a-study-first' thinking that bogs down so many people and projects. The word 'stupid' comes from the Latin 'stupidus,' meaning 'to be astonished,' and you may very well be astonished at the power, freedom and opportunity that will be yours after reading 'Principles of Applied Stupidity.'" From: AtGoogleTalks Views: 2821 23 ratings Time: 49:50 More in Education
0 Views
19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
Justin Locke, author and former bass player for the Boston Pops, visits Google Cambridge to discuss his book, "Principles of Applied Stupidity." From the book's description: "How often have you seen someone fail to move ahead in life because they were afraid of facing the unknown? How often have you seen someone endlessly seek guidance and expertise, and never actually act? The belief that we must become fully knowledgeable (and certified by others) BEFORE moving ahead is a great disincentive to success and personal fulfillment. In this new groundbreaking book (which, we admit, sounds like a gag) Justin Locke (author of 'Real Men Don't Rehearse') does the first actual study of the science, and benefits, of not knowing everything and not thinking too much. (Just one example: 'Principle #7: Ignorance of Difficulty = Optimism') The ability to overcome 'analysis paralysis' and take action in spite of not knowing all possible consequences in advance is key to innovation and success in both your business and in your personal life. This book will show you how to avoid the overly cautious 'let's-commission-a-study-first' thinking that bogs down so many people and projects. The word 'stupid' comes from the Latin 'stupidus,' meaning 'to be astonished,' and you may very well be astonished at the power, freedom and opportunity that will be yours after reading 'Principles of Applied Stupidity.'" From: AtGoogleTalks Views: 2821 23 ratings Time: 49:50 More in Education
1 Views
19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 19:36:59 01/04/12
Authors@Google: Justin Locke
Justin Locke, author and former bass player for the Boston Pops, visits Google Cambridge to discuss his book, "Principles of Applied Stupidity." From the book's description: "How often have you seen someone fail to move ahead in life because they were afraid of facing the unknown? How often have you seen someone endlessly seek guidance and expertise, and never actually act? The belief that we must become fully knowledgeable (and certified by others) BEFORE moving ahead is a great disincentive to success and personal fulfillment. In this new groundbreaking book (which, we admit, sounds like a gag) Justin Locke (author of 'Real Men Don't Rehearse') does the first actual study of the science, and benefits, of not knowing everything and not thinking too much. (Just one example: 'Principle #7: Ignorance of Difficulty = Optimism') The ability to overcome 'analysis paralysis' and take action in spite of not knowing all possible consequences in advance is key to innovation and success in both your business and in your personal life. This book will show you how to avoid the overly cautious 'let's-commission-a-study-first' thinking that bogs down so many people and projects. The word 'stupid' comes from the Latin 'stupidus,' meaning 'to be astonished,' and you may very well be astonished at the power, freedom and opportunity that will be yours after reading 'Principles of Applied Stupidity.'" From: AtGoogleTalks Views: 2875 23 ratings Time: 49:50 More in Education
6 Views
16:00:56 12/29/11
Mitt Romney's Big Promises - and Bigger Lies
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 16:00:56 12/29/11
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In the election of 1928, the Republican Party of Herbert Hoover promised voters "a chicken in every pot and a car in every backyard." (We all know how that turned out.) Now, Mitt Romney is pledging that "If I'm President" every college graduate will be guaranteed a job, Iran will have no nuclear weapons and the United States will dominate the 21st century. And when Romney isn't making fantastic promises about what he'll do when he gets to the White House, he's slandering the current occupant , Barack Obama.
"I Won't Let Iran Get Nukes"
Governor Romney's guarantees start with Iran and its nuclear program . In a November 10, 2011 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Romney pledged, " I won't let Iran get nukes ." Or as he put it 10 days earlier during a GOP national security debate : >
"If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. If you elect me as president, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."
As to how he'll ensure that outcome, Romney explained that "If you want peace, prepare for war." And despite occasionally acknowledging the complexity of a strike against Iran and even the questionable possibility of success, Romney told the Wall Street Journal this weekend how he would get it done: >
So what would he do about it? "I do not have a top secret security clearance at this stage to be able to define precisely what kinds of actions we could take." But he adds that "the range includes something of a blockade nature, to something of a surgical strike nature, to something of a decapitate the regime nature, to eliminate the military threat of Iran altogether."
No U.S. Decline in Romney's "American Century"
Romney's promise to "eliminate the military threat of Iran altogether" is just part of his larger assurance that the 21st century will be another " American Century ." Pretending that the rise of India, China and Brazil doesn't inevitably entail the relative loss of U.S. power and influence, Romney announced in his October address at The Citadel : >
"This century must be an American Century. In an American Century, America has the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world. In an American Century, America leads the free world and the free world leads the entire world...As President of the United States, I will devote myself to an American Century. And I will never, ever apologize for America."
Not content to rest there, Romney accused President Obama of "waving the white flag of surrender": >
"An eloquently justified surrender of world leadership is still surrender. >
I will not surrender America's role in the world. This is very simple: If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on Earth, I am not your President. >
You have that President today."
Two months later, Mitt Romney repackaged his promise and his slander at the December 15 Republican debate in Sioux City, Iowa: >
"Our president thinks America is in decline. It is if he's president. It's not if I'm president. This is going to be an American century."
As for Romney's charge that President Obama "went around the world and apologized for America," the Washington Post Fact Checker deemed it a Four-Pinocchio lie .
A Job for Every College Graduate
At an event in New Hampshire last week, Governor Romney's pandering went from the sublime to the ridiculous. There, Mitt pledged President Romney would deliver full-employment for all American college graduates: >
"What I can promise you is this -- when you get out of college, if I'm president you'll have a job. If President Obama is reelected, you will not be able to get a job. That's the reason I will hopefully get young people who are in college is to say, You know what, I understand what it takes to get jobs in America."
As the record shows , not so much. After all, as the Los Angeles Times recently documented, Romney's "Bain Capital often maximized profits in part by firing workers." That's why FactCheck.org , the Washington Post Fact Checker and Fortune all refused to vouch for Romney's claim that "In those hundreds of businesses we invested in, tens of thousands of jobs net-net were created."
Obama "Has Not Created Any New Jobs"
If Mitt Romney can't prove his boasts about his own job creation record, neither can he justify his blatant lie about President Obama's : >
"25 million people are out of work because of Barack Obama. And so I'll compare my experience in the private sector where, net-net, we created over 100,000 jobs." >
"I'll compare that record with his record, where he has not created any new jobs."
Sadly for Mitt Romney, the Bush recession began in December 2007. As ThinkProgress rightly noted, "The private sector has added 2.3 million new jobs since March 2010, and it took the Obama economy one year to create more jobs than the economy under President Bush did in eight." As The Economist explained earlier, the recession was not at its deepest just as Barack Obama was entering office, but far worse than official statistics revealed at the time. Romney might also want to check with former McCain economic adviser Mark Zandi as well as the non-partisan CBO , who concluded that the Obama stimulus program "added up to 0.9 million jobs in 2009, 3.3 million jobs in 2010 and 2.6 million jobs in 2011."
Obama's Debt Exceeds All Previous Presidents Combined
Mitt Romney didn't just lie about Barack Obama's jobs record. At the Sioux City debate, he got President Obama's contribution to the federal debt all wrong as well: >
"We all understand that the spending crisis is extraordinary, with $15 trillion now in debt, with a president that's racked up as much debt as almost all of the other presidents combined."
Of course, we don't all understand that, because it's not true . After Ronald Reagan tripled the gross national debt and George W. Bush doubled it again, Uncle Sam's red ink totaled almost $11 trillion when Barack Obama took the oath of office.
Obama is "Taking over 100 Percent" of Health Care
In his desperate quest to win over conservative Republican primary voters, Mitt Romney has turned his back on his signature achievement which he once boasted was a health care model for the nation. And to do it, Romney has been lying for months by telling voters "Obamacare is about taking over 100 percent of the people's insurance in this country."
In a September 15, 2011 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer , Romney made the same charge: >
"The Massachusetts plan was crafted for Massachusetts, for the needs of 8 percent of our population that didn't have insurance, not for the 92 percent that did. Obamacare is a plan that takes over 100 percent of the people in the country and their health care, and that's one of the reasons why people don't want it."
Sadly for Mitt Romney, repetition of a lie doesn't make it any more true.
The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in the spring of 2010 targets the 17 percent of people (over 50 million people) who are uninsured . As Politifact explained in deeming Romney's fraud another "Pants on Fire" lie: >
According to the Census Bureau, the percentage of Americans without health insurance nationally was slightly under 17 percent in 2009, the year Obama began pushing for the bill. According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, the number was about the same in 2010, when the measure was signed into law. Other estimates have pegged the national number at about 15 percent.
As Henry Aaron, a senior fellow with the centrist-to-liberal Brookings Institution right noted, comparing 8 percent to 17 percent "would have been apples to apples" when it comes to the impact of the individual mandate at the center of both the Massachusetts and national plans. Sadly, Politifact concluded, Romney was guilty of "a felony case of comparing apples and oranges."
Romney "Will Reverse President Obama's Massive Defense Cuts"
During that same "American Century" speech in October, Governor Romney pledged: >
"I will reverse President Obama's massive defense cuts. Time and again, we have seen that attempts to balance the budget by weakening our military only lead to a far higher price, not only in treasure, but in blood."
Sadly for Romney, as Steve Benen pointed out, defense spending has not only gone up every year of the Obama presidency . It is higher than it ever was when George W. Bush sat in the Oval Office.
Of course, Romney's confusion over matters of war and peace are hardly new. In an April op-ed for the Manchester Union Leader, Mitt forgot about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as he denounced President Obama for "one of the biggest peacetime spending binges in American history."
Obama's "Equal Outcomes" and "Entitlement Society"
Last week, the Romney campaign rolled out what may well become the meta-theme and meta-lie for the 2012 general election race.
After President Obama declared in his Osawatomie, Kansas address that Republican trickle down economics "never worked," Romney struck back. Just not with the truth: >
"Just a couple of weeks ago in Kansas, President Obama lectured us about Teddy Roosevelt's philosophy of government. But he failed to mention the important difference between Teddy Roosevelt and Barack Obama. Roosevelt believed that government should level the playing field to create equal opportunities. President Obama believes that government should create equal outcomes. >
"In an entitlement society, everyone receives the same or similar rewards, regardless of education, effort, and willingness to take risk. That which is earned by some is redistributed to the others. And the only people who truly enjoy any real rewards are those who do the redistributing -- the government. >
"The truth is that everyone may get the same rewards, but virtually everyone will be worse off."
By raising the mythical red menace of communism and falsely attributing it to Barack Obama, Romney in the words of Paul Krugman had introduced " The Big Lie " into his " Post-Truth Campaign ." While Andrew Sullivan announced "Mitt Romney is a big, fat liar," Steve Benen lamented that "Romney, allegedly the responsible one in the Republican field, has been reduced to lying uncontrollably." And while Greg Sargent in the past had expressed amazement at "Mitt Romney's casual, effortless falsehoods," New York Magazine's Jonathan Chait explained that Romney's red scare rose to a whole new level of duplicity: >
"This isn't just a casual line. In eight sentences, Romney asserts over and over again that Obama wants to create "equal outcomes" and give everybody the "same rewards." This is nuts, Glenn Beck-level insane. Restoring Clinton-era taxes is not a plan to equalize outcomes, or even close. It's not even a plan to stop rising inequality. Obama's America will continue to be the most unequal society in the advanced world -- only slightly less so. The alternative proposals accelerate inequality even further."
Of course, as the proliferating profiles from the Wall Street Journal , the New York Times , the Washington Post and others show, Mitt Romney is no stranger to inequality. Legendarily cheap and analytical , as a Harvard Business School student Romney gave a presentation to his classmates that "proved the value of family time based not on emotion but on yield." Two Romney quotes - " I love business " and " I love data " - seem to sum up the man.
As for loving the truth, that for Mitt Romney is apparently another matter altogether.
(This piece also appears at Perrspectives .)
0 Views
12:48:49 12/29/11
Going From Fear To Faith
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 12:48:49 12/29/11
Going from fear to faith Luke 22:28 31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me,strengthen your brethren.33 But he said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.34 Then He said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me. ●The spirit of fear. (Old man) ○Lives through its senses.(Bondage and oppression) Clouds our judgment. Compromises our integrity. ○Fear destroys your future. It brings torment. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ●Peter was transformed from living in fear to living in faith by the Holy Spirit at the day of Pentecost. (Freedom) ○He began to live his life trusting God. Not by his senses. ○He was led by the Spirit. *How to come out of a life of fear to live a life of faith. 1.Surrender unto His Lordship. Dedicate your life to God. Not just to know Him but to live for Him and serve Him all your days. 2.Ask, wait, and receive the Holy Spirit into your life. (Baptized in the Holy Ghost.) 3.Feed on the Word of God.
5 Views
19:00:30 12/28/11
Notable Death of the Year: RIP Austerity Economics, 1921-2011
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 19:00:30 12/28/11
"Smokestack Lightnin'," with Hubert Sumlin backing Howlin' Wolf in 1964
This is the time of year when we're reminded of all the famous people who died over the last twelve months, a list which includes two of my favorite guitar players ( Hubert Sumlin and Cornell Dupree ). But there were also some notable non-human deaths in 2011, especially in the world of economic policy.
One of those deaths should have completely altered the political debate in Washington. The name of the deceased was "Austerity Economics," and it was first glimpsed in a 1921 paper by conservative economist Frank Wright. Austerity died of natural causes brought on by prolonged exposure to reality.
But the debate in Washington didn't change nearly enough after its passing. In the nation's capital, dead things still rule the night.
Why Austerity?
"Austerity economics" backers claim that today's economic woes can only be fixed by dramatic reductions in government spending, which will lead to increased private-sector confidence and therefore to greater investment and growth.
But it's never worked. And if investors have lost confidence in the U.S. government's fiscal stability, they're sure not acting that way. There hasn't been this much demand for Treasury bonds since the government began tracking it twenty years ago, and they haven't performed as well since the go-go 1990s.
It's easy to understand austerity's attraction for power elites inside and outside of government. The people who suffer from austerity budgets aren't the kinds of people they know personally, since they're typically public employees like teachers, police, firefighters and the administrators of social programs; people who need government assistance, like the poor; and middle-class people with the temerity to either grow old or become disabled.
Austerity's attraction became even greater in the U.S. because once it became conventional wisdom that tax increases on the wealthy was "politically infeasible." That made it a program whose sole purpose was to cut government spending, lowering the pressure to increase taxes on the wealthy from today's historically low levels.
For a one-percenter, what's not to love?
Austerity Comes of Age
The idea's been around in one form or another since that 1921 paper, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had been imposing it on Third World nations for decades.
But 2009 was the year that austerity really came of age. That was the year that a wealthy stockbroker's son named David Cameron began campaigning for Prime Minister of Great Britain on an explicitly pro-austerity platform.
It was also the year that Cameron helped to form a group named European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) dedicated to electing like-minded politicians across Europe and helping them collaborate on ways to slash government spending. It was also the year that right-leaning Angela Merkel won reelection as the Chancellor of Germany with a stronger mandate than she'd been given in her first term.
With Nicolas Sarkozy as President of France, Great Britain was the only major European power not yet in the hands of the corporate-backed austerity crowd.
The Global Sado-Erotic Thrill Machine
That changed with Cameron's election as Prime Minister in May 2010, an event that threw pro-austerity Americans into throes of near-erotic ecstasy. And if that sounds like hyperbole, consider conservative Anne Appelbaum's reaction to Cameron's budget in September of 2010: >
Vicious cuts." "Savage cuts." "Swingeing (sic) cuts." The language that the British use to describe their new government's spending-reduction policy is apocalyptic in the extreme. The ministers in charge of the country's finances are known as "axe-wielders" who will be "hacking" away at the budget. Articles about the nation's finances are filled with talk of blood, knives, and amputation.
And the British love it.
What can I say? There are people who collect serial-killer memorabilia, too. But Appelbaum wasn't just speaking for herself. It became unacceptable for any politician in Washington, Democrat or Republican, to advocate anything other than an austerity budget for the United States.
And it was more than an economic strategy to its backers. Austerity became a way to demonize those who had suffered most from the banking abuses and self-indulgences of the wealthy, a totemic "blame the victim" response that turned the political debate into a grotesque inversion of morality. Again, Appelbaum: >
"Not only is austerity being touted as the solution to Britain's economic woes; it is also being described as the answer to the country's moral failings."
Bad Metaphors vs. Good Economists
The Democratic President of the United States, Barack Obama, jumped onto the bandwagon with both feet by repeatedly lecturing Americans on the need for government to stop "spending beyond its means." Obama recycled the popular conservative metaphor of a family that has to sit around the kitchen table and decide how much money it has to spend.
That's one of the worst metaphors in modern politics. Does a family establish its own currency -- especially one that has the unique position of the dollar? Can a family borrow money at rates so low they're effectively less than zero? Would a family let Grandma go hungry because Junior bought too many Porsches out of the family kitty and then gambled it away on lousy mortgage investments?
The world's top economists, those who had successfully predicted the crisis of 2008, tried telling the rest of the world what was wrong with the idea: Joblessness and consumer fears were killing any chance of real recovery. More short-term spending was needed to get the economy moving again. Austerity would make things worse, not better.
But nobody listened. Austerity's S%M-like attraction had the world's elites in its grip.
Death of a Delusion
And then something else came into the picture: Reality.
Cameron's austerity budget had a shattering effect on the already-struggling British economy. His government's financial stability was downgraded five times during his first year in power and retail sales had fallen 2.5 percent. Household income was projected to fall an additional 2 percent if his austerity plans were carried forward. Britain's modest employment gains were reversed, youth unemployment reached record levels, and income inequality was the worst it had been in more than half a century.
Anne Appelbaum's erotic dreams had become Great Britain's nightmare.
As Europe's ruling austerity class pushed forward with their plans, even the IMF tried to dissuade them. It was clear to anyone who wasn't blinded by ideology or political cynicism that austerity economics was a failed program. Even in countries like Greece, where government was far graver than elsewhere, the austerity programs imposed from outside threatened to destabilize society while other reasonable measures like improved tax collection were still not taken seriously enough.
And now the entire Eurozone hangs in the balance. Bankers became wealthy by treating governments as if they were mortgages, lending recklessly and pocketing their fees without considering the long-term reliability of their loans. European leaders insisted for months they were take the kind of sensible steps that should've been taken in the United States by requiring bankers to accept at least part of the losses for the bad loans they had issed.
That plan was quietly dropped last month. "Austerity economics" never calls for austerity from those who have gotten rich by being irresponsible, only from those who didn't benefit from it at all.
The Afterlife
President Obama has dropped his austerity rhetoric, at least for the time being, but the Republicans have not. Listening to Mitt Romney discuss economics is like having a doctor wave a dead chicken over your head and saying he's decided to cast a spell on you rather than operate on that thing they found in your X-rays.
Aside from the bill introduced this month by the House Progressive Caucus to almost no media attention, there's no comprehensive plan for dropping this country's ineffective austerity strategy and replacing it with an agenda that works.
Rational solutions to our economic problems are being ignored. There won't be a real debate about alternatives to austerity until an entire political party, not just part of it, adopts this kind of program. Until then there will be chaos. And where there is chaos, austerity's powerful advocates can step in and take charge.
Austerity economics died in 2011 and is survived by the British, German, and French governments as well as the GOP and large portions of the Democratic Party. Instead of sending flowers, the family has asked the public to abandon all hopes of future economic growth.
