I don't think there is a left and right anymore. The lines are blurred. Maybe especially on the left side. There just are no classic liberals anymore. Liberal was once a good word, and it was not a political position. As the old Willie song says "Lefty split for Ohio, where he got the bread to go, there ain't nobody knows."

Posted at July 22, 2008 11:53 PM in response to Benny Morris, the Times, and Iran

"..they didn't think the views you express...are not the word of God." A double negative? Do you mean that the NYT does think the views of the Left are the word of God? Maybe one less martini before you write, or a short nap.

Posted at July 22, 2008 11:23 PM in response to Benny Morris, the Times, and Iran

Well, yes. The hedge funds, and Bear Sterns, serve(d) little useful purpose. Is that not true of the Stock Market in general? Is the Stock Market really a mechanism to provide investment capital to business? That was the original idea. It is no longer an investment pool. It is a casino. The Stock Market does more harm than good. We need lots of reforms. I agree. Let the hedge funds go broke. And, reform the stock market. Go back to the basics. One share, one vote. A share must be held for at least 6 months. No golden parachutes. (Wouldn't a parachute made of gold fall straight and hard to the ground?)

Posted at July 20, 2008 11:01 PM in response to Inequality and the Fannie/Freddie Bailout

More than a few top Israelis have stated in no uncertain terms that Israel will attack Iran unless Iran stops their nuclear program. They believe, rightly or wrongly but sincerely, that Israel's very existence is at stake. They believe their lives and homes and families are at stake. Are they bluffing? No. It can't be a bluff. Smart people never bluff if their opponent cannot be bluffed. Anyone who has played poker knows you never bluff if you are certain to be called. So, why have so many Israeli's stepped up and stated so unequivocably that Iran will be bombed? If bombing Iran is inevitable, it makes more strategic sense to be more quiet. I think the Israelis are genuinely scared. They know that what they are about to do could be catestrophic. Sometimes people who are afraid will express their fears.

Posted at July 20, 2008 10:25 PM in response to Top Israeli Predicts Conventional -- and then Nuclear Attack on Iran

If society lets the hoods run the streets "unreglulated", the result will not be in the best interest of the average person. Many of the wealthy are just as greedy, moreso, than the hoods with Saturday Night Specials. If we let them run amok, as has been the case for about 20 years, they will steal, just like the hood, except they will hire lawyers and politicians who will call it legal.

Posted at July 17, 2008 8:21 PM in response to The Idiocy of Deregulation

We need a day of Jubilee. All debts of any kind erased. It would work. The winners would be the people who actually work in the real economy. The losers would be the wealthy who hold the paper.

Posted at July 12, 2008 11:33 PM in response to Rescuing Fannie and Freddie: Let's Draw Blood

Has no one yet figured it out? There are persons in this world, and in the United States who will do anything to keep Bush in power. Don't tune in only to TPM etc. Listen to the other side. They believe that Obama will be an absolute catastrophe (to their bank accounts and to Israel). Here is what may happen: Huge terroism in the US, maybe even nuclear weapons. Bush will assume it is Iran, though it will really be people we would never suspect. Bush, the decider that he is, will annhilate Iran. He will shoot, then ask questions. Don't you see? Just setting Iran back a few years with tactical bombing will not do the trick in their eyes. There are people who want Iran annhilated. Their last chance is Bush, and they will have to act quickly. When/if this happens, Bush will call off the elections. Is that Far out enough? See if it happens, if not, I am glad, and you can then call me crazy.

Posted at July 8, 2008 7:43 PM in response to Ha'aretz Columnist: An Israeli Attack on Iran Would Be Suicidal

I know a couple who have insurance that covers 90% of any bills. They are young, had a premature baby and the bills went to over a million dollars, which in and of itself is rediculous. They simply can't pay the $100,000 and have declared bankruptcy. Why cannot the hospital/doctors forgive the 10%? They are afraid of setting a precedent, and it gets them in trouble with the insurance industry. Remember what Bush said about the bankruptcy reform? "We are a nation of proud people who believe in paying our bills." He has never really paid a bill in his life. He writes checks from a bottomless checking account, but that is not at all the same thing.

Posted at July 8, 2008 7:07 PM in response to Obama Speaks Out on Bankruptcy

Indeed. You have my vote. The cost of oil is a fraud perpetrated by a group of extremely wealthy individuals who are manipulating the market. They are trading paper oil back and forth to rake off profits, exactly as the "speculators" in real estate did a number of years ago in Texas and elsewhere causing the Savings and Loan crisis. A few years ago, what they were doing was considered a crime. Remember Bunky Hunt? When the Feds threatened him with jail, the price of his silver fell from $48 an ounce to $8. What is going on now is still probably a crime. I doubt if the present administration will consider it that way, but the next one may.

Posted at July 5, 2008 9:08 AM in response to October Surprise: Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb...Bomb Iran

The latest round of news includes opinions/analysis from experts who think an attack against Iran is unlikely. Earlier, other experts were giving opinions that an attack was nearly certain, probably imminent. It all depends upon who we want to believe. The one side says that Israel must attack, because a nuclear armed Iran is totally unacceptable. That the very survival of Israel is at stake. Israel has no choice. The other side says: What? Attacking Iran would be a colossal catastrophe. Oil will cost $1000 a barrel, the world will shut down, then we will have WW3. My opinion is that Iran is going to getting bombed. The weight of the evidence just seems to lead to that conclusion. After all, why does oil cost $134 a barrel? It is not a supply/demand problem. The marginal cost of oil is $70. Economics 101 says it should cost $70. There are no gas lines, and all can get all the oil they want. The price is $134 because speculators are trading paper oil and have driven the price there. The speculators believe the market will be desrupted. I think they are right.

Posted at July 4, 2008 9:11 AM in response to October Surprise: Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb...Bomb Iran