According to a New York Times article, the younger generation is taking a more liberal political stance. We likely want universal health care and gay marriage nearly 20% more than our predecessors. We are likely ok with elected officials having a past that includes toking on the reefer (but no cocaine. Its a hell of a drug, and we don’t want it in the Oval Office) and an open-door policy on immigration and we oppose drafts, and we are taking over. Watch it, Repubbies. The revolution will be televised. And podcasted.
Elizabeth Edwards called in to politely ask Dragonbeast, I mean Ann Coulter, to refrain from personal attacks in her speaking engagments and writings in order to put focus where it belongs-ON THE ISSUES. Of course, as she always does when she cannot support her antics, Coulter launches right into interrupting and raising her voice to overpower Mrs. Edwards. She is probably one of the most impolite and classless women I have ever seen. (And yes, I know that was a personal attack, but the woman is out of control)
Miss you Caro!! I am waiting on my postcard (watch the vulgarity this time!!)
It’s Gordon Brown mania here today as he is now the new Prime Minister. It seems to this Little Lefty that Brown is the closest thing that the Socialists can get in this country. The British people are of the opinion that Brown’s new post is a change for the better. The one thing that I find stunning and amusing is the Blair’s new job after his disastrous tenure in regards to his foreign policy and the Middle East is that he is now the envoy to the Middle East through the Quartet. The Quartet is comprised of the United Nations, United States, the European Union and Russia.
Gordon Brown says that he will change the National Health…which really needs to be revamped. The small amount of Brown’s speech that I heard from 10 Downing Street seemed rather to the left. Brown has recently come under fire for his contradictions in regards to tax collections. It has been uncovered that under his tenure as finance minister, Brown gave huge tax breaks to the billionares….which isn’t very Socialist. I’ll get into that in another post.
The House of Commons was completely packed with the Members of Parliament with Blairs last address to the House….Blair even seemed to get a bit choked up. Maybe he was crying because he sent his country to war on a lie.
I’ve been in London for the past couple of days…I even went to 10 Downing Street. It was completely packed with anti war protesters and tourists. Above is a picture of me in the Tate Modern Art museum.
I have been unable to write for the past couple of days due to a lack of computer availability and jet lag. I’ve been keeping up with the news through the BBC and it has been rather strange. The few things that have made my little lefty mind ponder are… Gordon Brown is asking Patty Ashdown to be in his cabinet…which to some may seem uneventful, but Ashdown has remained a constant in politics even through his affair that became public. Public officials and extramarital affairs are nothing new, but political satirists came up with a name that has stuck with him for years and still affectionately refer to him as “Patty Pantsdown”. It also seems that Brown is getting rather antsy and wants to take control of his seat. I have heard several times today that during a European Union Summit Brown made several frantic phone calls to Blair not to concede to Sarkozy’s demands on free trade issues as it would effect the British economy badly in the long run. That was just today…hopefully Blair will not concede.
Above is a picture of what I look like jet lagged in the middle of summer day.
I can not bridle my enthusiasm…still jet lagged..I’m jumping for Joy. Friends..I’ll be blogging about politics from a British perspective for the time I am here. Theresa..here is your stretch dance..in mid air!
The sun doesn’t set here until late at night….that leaves a variety of blogging hours.
Bloomberg has officially taken the Republican banner down. He has announced that the republican tenet was not completely reflective of his governing style. Bloomberg swicthed over to the Dark Side seven years ago, to win the New York mayorial election, but has remained socially liberal-he’s a fan of gay marriage, pro-choice, and promotes gun control.
Now, questions are flying regarding a possible bid for president. If he does, rumors are that he will wait until next year and play upon the possible “Campaign Fatigue” among voters by being the new and fresh Independent candidate. We shall see.
Above is a pic from the fabulous Poulos/Simmons wedding this past Saturday! OPA!!!
In case anyone hasn’t seen this showcase of bad acting, its worth a watch:
I am afraid that this is only the beginning of a million parodies of the Sopranos finale. The kicker here is that the song that won the much-publisized contest was “You and I”- a ballad by Canadian (yep, Canadian) pop star Celine Dion. To listen, follow this link: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/song/
To be quite honest, I am getting out the popcorn and Dots and getting cozy on my couch to watch this trainwreck, and that isn’t a negative comment on Hill. I have a special spot of dislike for Celine. She’s like a Wal-Mart version of Cher. I hope to see many a live performance by that crazy Canuck. Her over-enunciation is comedy gold on its own.
As Caro is having a jolly time in London, I iwll be making an attempt to keep the masses informed double time, but forgive me if I am lackluster in style- its a crazy week at the office.
Since the military led offensive that Felipe Calderon launched in December of last year, Mexico has been caught in a violent rivalry between the narcotics gangs and the military. Mexican citizen’s are inundated daily with horrific images of death and torture. Reports are stating that the number of execution style murders has reached 1200 in 2007 alone. With the violence increasing many are begining to question the efficacy of Calderon’s offensive. Political analysts are also apprehensive about any military within the governmental structure in Mexico. The last time the military had a large roll in the government was in the 1940’s and it took a tremendous effort to remove them. In my undergraduate days at St. Edwards in my Latin American politics classes, my professor, Dr. Newton constantly reiterated in his lectures that any military role in the government often marked a brutal time. The only thing worse was if the nation in question was experiencing economic turmoil….the combination of a military role and a poor economy meant a junta.
When a nation is polarized by corruption..like Mexico…any restructuring could work to the detriment of the cause . The leftist rumblings that I have heard in Mexico are that Calderon’s offensive was more of a political ploy to solidify himself in the power structure after his razor thin victory in the election debacle. None the less his poll numbers are in good standing…but for how long? I’m afraid to say that the glass is half empty.
I suggest that everyone do a stretch dance like I and my friend, Brittany are doing in the picture above.
For what it is worth…the Oaxaca state government is apologizing for the political unrest that occurred there in recent times.
From the AP…
“The government of the southern state of Oaxaca apologized for the first time Friday for a police raid on protesters last year that led to the country’s worst political unrest in years.
Oaxaca Interior Secretary Manuel Garcia Corpus said he lamented the results of the June 14, 2006 raid aimed at clearing striking teachers from a protest camp they had set up weeks earlier in Oaxaca City’s main square.
He said he was speaking on behalf of Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whose refusal to negotiate with protesters sparked a five-month takeover of the capital city by teachers and leftist activists angered by what they claimed was police brutality and corruption.
“The government of Ulises Ruiz gives the people of Oaxaca a public apology for the events that arose after the 14th (of June),” Garcia Corpus told the government news agency Notimex. Garcia Corpus’ office confirmed the remarks.
What began as a nearly annual teachers’ strike in May grew into a bloody conflict after strikers were injured during the raid. The teachers later drew on leftist allies, took over the city, erected barricades and chased out police.
Tourists — the city’s lifeblood — were scared away and vehicles were burned by protesters demanding Ruiz’s resignation.
A dozen people were killed in the conflict, mostly protesters shot by gunmen, including Bradley Roland Will, a 36-year-old journalist-activist from New York who was killed while filming a clash between demonstrators and gunmen.
Soon after Will’s Oct. 27 death, then-President Vicente Fox sent federal troops to evict protesters from the city center.”
Above is a picture of Disco with Dinosaurs at the Mixers and Elixers event that took place at the Museum of Natural Science last night. I have never danced disco or salsa around prehistoric creatures before…..
Recently I have had several people ask me about the Zapatistas and the struggles in Mexico. Well…Little Lefty is about to school some fools on the EZLN or Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Let’s call it EZLN 101.
Whether or not people believe in their cause or find it to be just a bunch of nonsense the EZLN has been a presence in Mexico since 1994. The main headquarters is in southern Mexican state of Chiapas, but has roots through out Mexico. The liberation army simply grew tired of continued exploitation that should have been ameliorated with the end of the Mexican Revolution. The revolution only created another dictatorship with the PRI that lasted 70 years and ended with advent of Vicente Fox’s presidency in 2000. The EZLN is primarily made up of indigenous people who… like the people in the time of the revolution… wanted an agrarian reform to take place and that obviously didn’t happen. So… in the interest of reform they army began quick band attacks on the unsuspecting oligarchy and the government began to pay attention. Quite a feat for such a small group that had no money or power to go on. Their struggle continues and the cause has grown larger and larger over the years. They are radicals and have a propensity for violence and unfortunately in Mexico…violence is met with more violence from the opposing side. Also dissidents are being unfairly judged and wrongfully imprisoned…..
So on June 26th of this year there will be protest against all the political prisoners of Mexico. They also have a beef with globalization (join the club)
From their Manifesto..
“And neoliberalism is the idea that capitalism is free to dominate the entire world, and so tough, you have to resign yourself and conform and not make a fuss, in other words, not rebel. So neoliberalism is like the theory, the plan, of capitalist globalization. And neoliberalism has its economic, political, military and cultural plans. All of those plans have to do with dominating everyone, and they repress or separate anyone who doesn’t obey so that his rebellious ideas aren’t passed on to others. Then, in neoliberal globalization, the great capitalists who live in the countries which are powerful like the United States, want the entire world to be made into a big business where merchandise is produced like a great market. A world market for buying and selling the entire world and for hiding all the exploitation from the world.”
All right, so on this protest day they are proposing a set of demands…
1) Liberty and justice for all the political prisoners2) The cancellation of the illegal sentences against Ignacio del Valle Medina , Felipe Alvarez Hernandez, and Hector Galindo Gochicua, members of The People’s Front for the Defense of the Land.3) An end to the harassment of the Sixth Commission
4) An end to the harassment, intimidation, repression and detention of members of “The Other Campaign.”
The Sixth Commission is the Federal Army’s brutality, which is pretty rough.
The protest is officially called “INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST REPRESSION” and it will be taking place in New York.
