Remember when pro-Obama forces argued that an African-American president would inherently represent radical change? Now pro-Hillary Clinton forces are saying the same thing about a woman president. Will liberals fall for the same line?
Margaret Thatcher RIP
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They say Maggie Thatcher revitalized England’s economy and unleashed market forces. But her legacy is much nastier than that: she destroyed the social contract and the idea that people should help each other.
Roger Ebert, RIP
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So for this week, I’m doing something different.
As usual when a celebrity dies, the passing of Roger Ebert spawned a passel of cheesy obituary cartoons by editorial cartoonists who depict the departed at the pearly gates, enjoying the afterlife. I hate the format and I usually only do them to mock the form or take a really contrarian position on the subject.
This time, I’ve decided to show what the form could be: an opportunity for assessing a life, and its social and political meaning in our culture. Yes, Virginia, it is possible to draw an intelligent obituary cartoon. But is it possible for it to be printed in a newspaper?
No doubt, critic Roger Ebert had a remarkable passion for film. His brutal final cancer years couldn’t crush his enthusiasm for the form. Lost in the misty-eyed remembrances, however, was his awful taste. More than any other film reviewer, Ebert reinforced the hollow sentimentality and arrogant exceptionalism that compose the nasty side of the American character.
P.S. Worth reading.
Pre-Sellouts
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Third parties can’t win because people won’t vote for them because they can’t win because people won’t vote for them.
Coming Out
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Republicans with gay family members are coming out for gay rights, saying that familiarity breeds respect.
The Ethics of Death
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Whether it’s OK to use killer drones to blow people up depends on their citizenship and geographic proximity to the Good Old USA.
Love Reaper
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Will the next generation of killer drones have extra features to win over hearts and minds in the war on terror?
Freedom Marches Forward
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Gay marriage seems to be a historical inevitability. Let the self-congratulatory gladhanding begin! Who cares if we can’t make real progress on truly important issues?
Rise of the Econotraitors
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Both major political parties agree that deficit-reduction is suddenly the nation’s top priority. As budget cuts risk plunging the economy even further into recession/depression, no one stops to ask: why now?
Fake the Change
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According to an internal GOP report, Republicans lost the 2012 presidential election because they came off as smug and uncaring. Maybe they can learn from the Democrats.
