Changes, Hopes And Predictions for 2006

I have a big post brewing that I hope to get finished before he end of the year, but in the meantime I wanted to announce some minor changes to the site in 2006. Mainly, I'm going to print the text of each daily (well, Monday-Friday) Cup O' Joe Report on the site and make them available for podcasting. I figure increased output will hopefully bring increased readership. Increased readership and listenership are two of my primary goals as far as the blog and radio show is concerned. I don't expect to ever get the numbers of the big blogs, but I would be ecstatic to get about 500-1000 hits a day, even more ecstatic to get enough subscribers to cover my basic necessities; at present I could get by with $800 a month, which is just enough money for rent, bills, and food.

For myself, I'm hoping for a year of full employment, best case scenario being an actual job as a radio host. If things look good financially I will stay at my current address, perhaps even looking to rent the other basement apartment and using my current room as a studio. I may balk at that, unless I can get the landlord to hire some contractors to patch a few things up. If things look really good financially, I'll pay for the contractors myself as a gift to my landlord who was generous enough to allow Cathy and I to stay here despite not being able to pay the rent for many months. I can't imagine where we would be if it weren't for him. My long-term hope is to do the radio gig from home and making enough to buy a small house and building a real studio where guess can sit and be comfortable.

At the very least, I hope to put together a house party/fund-raiser and try to raise about $10,000 to cover the back rent I owe the landlord and improvements on the computer: more memory, a faster chip, and much more hard drive space. If I earn enough money I'd love to get server space from which I could stream "Radio Joe" which would essentially be me tossing my thousands of songs, comedy bits and other assorted items into WinAmp, setting it on shuffle and letting it play. I think I could go a month and not repeat anything.

Always the optimist, me...

Predictions

I think I'll make this an annual thing. most of these are going to be lame, and many are liable to be just plain wrong, but I'm going with my gut so you take what you get. My gut has been right about a lot of things over the last ten years or so. I think I'll be more accurate with my domestic predictions than my international ones.

I predict, firstly, and this is the one I am most sure about, that Congress will remain roughly as it is after the 2006 elections, mainly due to a combination of electoral fraud, gerrymandering, and apathy. I also predict some obvious shit, like the big community bloggers will remain as cliquish as ever and conversation there will still be slanted towards the Oh Boy Bush Is Gonna Get It Now! crowd.

Bush will of course still be in office in 2006, and there is a slim possibility that Karl Rove and Tom DeLay and possibly a few more high-ranking administration officials will be indicted, and an even slimmer chance that Cheney will be indicted. If the near-impossible happens and both Rove and Cheney are either imprisoned or forced to step down, I predict that Bush will become even more unstable. Rove and Cheney are the real powers behind this administration, Bush can't even watch TV without getting a black eye. It's possible that Bush may even try to pardon a few people, if he does I predict that the right wing will find the lamest excuse to defend it and an even lamer excuse to blame Bill Clinton.

I predict the Democratic leadership will continue to spend more time fighting for their own political careers than they will fighting to save the country, and that moderate Republicans, while maybe occasionally speaking out against the criminality and corruption of the administration. will continue to kowtow to the GOP leadership on substantial issues.

I predict that there will be at least one more catastrophic natural disaster in the US, and that Bush will fumble it again, and he will be defended by the so-called "professional" media. There will be no major terrorist attacks in the US by Islamic fundamentalists, however there will be several small incidents with radical Christians.

I predict that working people in this country, especially poor Southerners, will continue to vote against their interests, and many will continue to make fear and hatred their primary passion when it comes to public policy.

On the international front, I predict that Iraq will become more and more unstable and that a civil war will break out either in summer or directly after: with Kurds attempting to form their own nation-within-a-nation, Sunnis increasing their attacks on US troops and Shi'ite, and Shi'ite starting to fight back in a big way. Ayatollah Sistani will be the most powerful person in Iraq, and Ahmad Chalabi will either be assassinated or be exiled to Iran. There will be stirrings in Saudi Arabia, and we will see the beginning of the end of the rule of the Saud family.

I predict that the European Union will suffer some severe setbacks, however it will survive and in time emerge as a more unified continent.

I predict that China will take further steps in their space program and announce that they will attempt a Moon landing sometime within the next ten years.

I predict that Central America will become more and more anti-American and that the Bush administration will try once more to oust Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, possibly even an assassination attempt.

Anyway, that's about it. Some of the predictions are pretty lame, I know, but I couldn't be any worse than anyone making real money doing it. Hope you all have a good New Year, hopefully I'll have my big post up by Jan. 1.

Show 112: Death To Diebold

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My thanks again to Phyllis Huster of Count Paper Ballots for being on the show. I haven't forgotten the other Georgia bloggers, the holidays just kinda got in the way. Hopefully next show.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas...

Dear NY Times:

To The Editors:
As the Athenians told the Melians, "Rights only come into play between equals in power. The strong do what they will, all others do what they must." We cowardly give power to ruthless politicians who do not deserve it based only on their word that they will protect us from unknown enemies. We cowardly (and lazily) give up our right to vote by allowing unaccountable and unverifiable machines to do the counting for us. We cowardly allow others to be tortured and innocent foreigners to be murdered in our name for the sake of safety and revenge. A country which once prided itself on doing something not because it was easy, but because it was difficult is now a nation of cowards who huddle in fear and strike out at straw men and helpless opponents.

By being cowards, we are no longer equals in power with our own government. Once, we were citizens, now we seem more like subjects. Should Mr. Bush decide to declare martial law and extend his "term" indefinitely, I doubt many of us would take to the streets, and no doubt you in the press (and yes, at the Times, who at the word of Mr. Bush decided not to tell the public that their own government was illegally spying on them) would marginalize those who did, as those millions who sought to prevent the war in Iraq were discounted and marginalized; even now, after all of the numerous excuses this administration has given have proven to be lies.

By their greed and arrogance, the Athenians fell. Rome moved from Republic to Empire because its citizens no longer desired the burden of self-rule. Having failed to learn the lessons of history, we in America will soon follow. And all to the good. As Benjamin Franklin said, those who give up liberty for security deserve neither liberty nor security.

Sincerely

Joe Vecchio

Crisis Of Faith

Last night I saw part of a Charlie Rose interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the book Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. It was an excellent interview, and I plan on reading the book as soon as I get down to the public library. As I learn more and more about politics and history, I am discovering how great Lincoln truly was and how much he meant to the country both then and now. The Civil War was the greatest crisis the United States had ever faced and we can only wonder what the country would be like were it not for an assassin's bullet.

I bring this up because at times during the interview Ms. Goodwin and Mr. Rose made the inevitable comparisons between the Civil War and the war in Iraq (and by extension between Lincoln and Bush). I don't mean to say that they were in any way trying to equate Bush with Lincoln, but I believe they were correct in implying that we are currently facing a great crisis. Mr. Bush may like to pretend, and may even believe, that he is a visionary in the style of Lincoln but it's pretty clear, to me at least, that he is no Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln did not seek civil war: he sought to prevent it, and when he couldn't he understood that it was a war he had to win to save the Union. On the other hand, for Mr. Bush and his administration, Iraq was a war of choice, not necessity. Had Lincoln failed, the Union would have been lost. Should Bush and his people fail in their attempt at empire-building, that loss might turn out to be better for the country (in the long run) than whatever "victory" they can imagine.

The crisis we now face is fueled by a combination of many things: sloth, arrogance, greed, ignorance, and apathy most prominent among them. The struggle, as Lincoln pointed out at Gettysburg, is not so much to save America specifically as a country as it is to save the very idea of self rule: that is, of government of, by and for the people. By neglecting our duties and responsibilities as citizens, by allowing others to manipulate us based upon unwarranted fears , by doubting our ability to control our own destinies, and by failing to understand that the rights we demand for ourselves must also belong to all the peoples of the world, we have brought this crisis upon us.

The current administration and its powerful financial backers are just symptoms of our loss of faith in ourselves and our institutions. Were we to assert ourselves we would be surprised at how much power we really have, only our fear of retribution and preoccupation with our immediate lives prevent us from realizing that. It took several centuries after the fall of democratic Republics in Athens and Rome for a new society based on those ideals to be formed again, if we fail, the very idea that people can govern themselves may fail. This is what is at stake now and what will be at stake again in the future should we survive this. It doesn't matter how many victories we win, all it takes is one defeat for us to fall back into barbarism and tyranny.

The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II, these were all tests of our character and the strength of the government our Founders created. We have dealt with great adversity and survived. But our current crisis, as in Athens and Rome before us, is showing how we survive great success: the responsibility of great power and how we use it. They both failed their crisis of faith. Will we fail ours?

Small Victory

Case No. 04cv2688
TAMMY KITZMILLER, et al.
(Plaintiffs)
v.
DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al.
(Defendants)

Conclusion
The proper application of both the endorsement and Lemon on tests to the facts of this case makes it abundantly clear that the Board’s ID Policy violates the Establishment Clause.

In making this determination, we have addressed the seminal question of whether ID is science. We have concluded that it is not, and moreover that ID cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents.

Both Defendants and many of the leading proponents of ID make a bedrock assumption which is utterly false. Their presupposition is that evolutionary theory is antithetical to a belief in the existence of a supreme being and to religion in general. Repeatedly in this trial, Plaintiffs’ scientific experts testified that the theory of evolution represents good science, is overwhelmingly accepted by the scientific community, and that it in no way conflicts with, nor does it deny, the existence of a divine creator.

To be sure, Darwin’s theory of evolution is imperfect. However, the fact that a scientific theory cannot yet render an explanation on every point should not be used as a pretext to thrust an untestable alternative hypothesis grounded in religion into the science classroom or to misrepresent well-established scientific propositions. The citizens of the Dover area were poorly served by the members of the Board who voted for the ID Policy. It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy.

With that said, we do not question that many of the leading advocates of ID have bona fide and deeply held beliefs which drive their scholarly endeavors. Nor do we controvert that ID should continue to be studied, debated, and discussed. As stated, our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom .

Those who disagree with our holding will likely mark it as the product of an activist judge. If so, they will have erred as this is manifestly not an activist Court. Rather, this case cam came to us as the result of the activism of an ill-informed faction on a school board, aided by a national public interest law firm eager to find a constitutional test case on ID, who in combination drove the Board to adopt an imprudent and ultimately unconstitutional policy. The breathtaking inanity of the Board’s decision is evident when considered against the factual backdrop which has now been fully revealed through this trial.

The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom , with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources.

To preserve the separation of church and state mandated by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Art. I, § 3 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, we will enter an order permanently enjoining Defendants from maintaining the ID Policy in any school within the Dover Area School District, from requiring teachers to denigrate or disparage the scientific theory of evolution, and from requiring teachers to refer to a religious, alternative theory known as ID. We will also issue a declaratory judgment that Plaintiffs’ rights under the Constitutions of the United States and the Com Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have been violated by Defendants’ actions.

Defendants’ actions in violation of Plaintiffs’ civil rights as guaranteed to them by the Constitution of the United States and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 subject Defendants to liability with respect to injunctive and declaratory relief, but also for nom nominal dam damages and the reasonable value of ages Plaintiffs’ attorneys’ services and costs ’ incurred in vindicating Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.


(signed) John E. Jones III
United States District Judge
Case 4:04-cv-02688-JEJ Document 342 Filed 12/20/2005

Yes, the language is about as strong as it can get for a case like this. Yes, the plaintiffs were even ordered to pay damages for, in essence, wasting everyone's time with this nonsense. But regardless of any of that, the fact remains that the creationists and other assorted theocrats will continue their efforts to turn this country into a Christian theocracy. A country where Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell can operate behind the scenes with the force of law. This is the world they want, and they are relentless in their pursuit of it. They are well-funded and very organized and have the support of a lot of people who genuinely fear that God will punish them if they fail. And unless human nature itself changes, they will continue. We should remember that and remain vigilant.

What's The Deal?

You've probably noticed that there haven't been a lot of posts recently, and a big reason for that is that I've been concentrating a bit more on some other things, partly my new job (and looking for full-time work) but also the Cup O' Joe Report, which does take some time to put together: not only deciding what I'm going to talk about but writing it down precisely because the timing has to be perfect.

Obviously there's a lot of stuff going on and I do have a lot to say about it, but it's all so overwhelming it's hard for me to figure out exactly where to start. Bush admitting he broke the law is a huge thing but naturally he and his cult supporters are doing everything they can to justify it, but that behavior isn't surprising: Bush has been doing all sorts of shit from day one and his cult has always backed him up on it. The question is how long before the population that avoids politics like the plague starts to realize what's going on and start to get involved. Skeptic that I am, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting.

"Line In The Sand" is the term I've heard used most often, but I believe that line was crossed a long time ago. The GOP machine may seem like it's losing a little steam but don't let appearances fool you. These people aren't going down without a fight...

To My Wife, Who I Loved

If you took every word
If you took every song
That was written for love
No matter how skilled the writer
It wouldn't match how I felt for you

It's not as complicated as some make it out
Not always as showy or dramatic
It's just the feeling we had when we were together

We never had the kind of life we wanted
We were only together a short time
But it was the best time of my life

Just knowing you were home waiting for me
Just knowing that we could talk about anything
Or not talk at all
Your company alone was enough to make he happy

I'm sorry I couldn't do more
That I didn't have more time to show you how much I loved you
And I know you're sorry you couldn't do more either
That you didn't always get to do the things you wanted to do for me

But we are beyond forgiveness becase we both understood
That doing was less important than being

Yes I miss you terribly but I know how much you were hurting
I'm sad you're not here but happy you're no longer in pain
My life goes on and my grief will last as long as I live
But I won't let it overwhelm me because I know you wouldn't want it to

I don't know what waits for me when my time comes
But whatever is out there
I know that we will be together again
Because no wall is unbreakable

So until that time comes
I will continue
The rest of my life is mine
But my heart and soul are yours
Hold them for me until we meet again

Open Thread: Show 111

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You know, despite the unbelievably horrible year I've had, I'm really a very lucky guy. I mean as bad as things have been for me this last year, I'm still so much better off than a lot of other people in the world, as I've said before. Which is why I feel sorry for the power players. Despite all their money and power, I bet they're not anywhere near as happy as I am. Maybe that's easy for me to say, having never had a lot of money and probably never will, but that's how I feel. And I hope all of you out there feel the same way, that despite whatever problems you may have, you're still pretty well off compared to most.

And of course that means we should keep on fighting as hard as we can so that eventually the only problems people all over the world have are trivial ones. Sure it's a pipe dream, but that's how I am.

Truth And Politics

Political language, as used by politicians, does not venture into any of this territory since the majority of politicians, on the evidence available to us, are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.

Harold Pinter – Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth & Politics

When I grew up, I was raised to believe that America was the greatest country in history. And despite everything that's happened over the last few years, I still believe that, though of course not in the way I was raised to believe it. It's an unfortunate fact that this country has rarely, if ever, lived up to the high standards it's set for itself. We have the illusion of self-rule but the reality is quite different to anyone with eyes to see it.

There is no doubt that we Americans live in a prosperous country. Even I, impoverished though I may be, still live in the kind of comfort most of the world's six billion people would envy. But our prosperity comes with a price, and that price is blood and sweat and tears: the blood of innocents who stand in the way when we want something they have, the sweat of honest people who work far harder than they need to for less money than they deserve, the tears of those who seek a just and fair world but are powerless to bring it about. And there are still millions of Americans who are far worse off than I am, with no roof over their head and only the vaguest idea of where their next meal is coming from.

But because many of us either never see or choose to ignore this poverty, whether it be in the slums of Bangladesh or in our own cities, we are all too ready to believe the lies others tell us, lies whose only purpose is to increase the wealth and power of the liars. And happy as we are with the scraps we receive in return, we're all too glad to give up our power and our freedom. Truth, first casualty of war, is grist for the mill of our lifestyles.

As much as I hate what the Bush administration, the Republican leadership, and their financial backers have done in Iraq and elsewhere, what I hate most is the fact that they have made me an accomplice to their crimes, because I am in part responsible for the actions of my government, as are all Americans who are reading this. But I still believe in the ideals America stands for, and I want it not just for us but for all the people of the world.

I have no doubt that many will listen to my words and sneer at my naive idealism, and I won't argue: because in their own way they are correct. Jesus said that the meek will one day inherit the Earth, but for thousands of years before and for thousands of years since his passing, the reality is that the strong do what they will and everyone else does what they can.

Open Thread: Show 110

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Many thanks to Amber from Being Amber Rhea and Rusty from Radical Georgia Moderate for joining me in Studio Al, it was a great interview and I'm hoping to get more Georgia bloggers on soon. Remarkable how quickly the time passes when you're having a good conversation.