Well, for those of us living in New York this has been, shall we say, an "interesting" week. I discuss the scandal surrounding Eliot Spitzer in some detail in this newsletter. In the end it just may be a good thing. Our new governor, Governor Paterson, is untested in many ways...and some consider him a bit weak. But I have a better feeling about him than I did about Spitzer when he was elected. But time will tell.

This week also has been horrible for our economy. Things are getting worse and worse and no end in sight. I am seriously concerned about the economic situation. But Bush has been "reassuring" America that the economy is just fine. This reminds me of his father telling us "Don't worry, be happy." Which, of course, led to the brilliant counter line, "It's the Economy, Stupid." Well, "It's the Economy Stupid" applies more than ever, as I write on Culture Kitchen. Halliburton, Exxon/Mobil, Shell Oil, Chevron etc. rake in record profits while you and I have trouble making ends meet...and Bush "reassures" us. Pardon me, but to Hell with that! This economy has sucked during the entirety of Bush's term, with this being the SECOND recession he has given us. And inflation has been a problem at the very same time. I am not reassured.

But change is coming. Whether our nominee is Clinton or Obama, I am eager to see a change. Either way we will see some of the nastiest attacks from the Republicans we have ever seen. Be prepared. And be prepared to fight it tooth and nail. They will be as sexist and/or racist as they need to be to win. They will lie, steal and cheat to win. We are poised to take the Senate solidly, win more House seats and take the White House. This week alone we won yet another House seat (in Illinois) and successfully defended a threatened seat (in Indiana). But they have more dirty tricks up their sleeves and we have to be ready for it.

Mr. Hannity: The new appeasers claim that UN (United Nations) authorization is needed for war. (pp. 139-140)

Mr. Hannity: Although Shah Pahlavi "led an often oppressive regime...our alliance [with him was]...strategically crucial". (p. 89)

My response: Here we observe two related ideas: the law of the balance of power and the principle of the lesser of two evils. Thruout history, nations have tended to collect into various loose federations in order to increase their security against an aggressive nation or to balance out one another's power. Through such politics, nations strove to preserve international harmony and to correct disharmonies and divisions. The principle of the lesser of two evils holds that a state party can side with a second state party which is generating or promoting certain evils for the purpose of mutually counteracting a third state party which is generating or promoting even worse evils.

Mr. Hannity: "Liberals," including US Catholic bishops, reproachfully stirred up millions of people to join nuclear freeze demonstrations in the early 1980s. (p. 76)

My response: Some brief background on this issue might help clarify the discussion. Early in the Cold War, American administrations pursued a strategic, offensive-defense security doctrine known as Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). The idea was for the US to maintain "strategic parity" with the Soviet Union --that is, a balance among number, power, sophistication and readiness of atomic bombs such that neither country would dare to start a nuclear war against the other thanks to fear of equally destructive retaliation by the adversary. Except for a temporary challenge during President John F. Kennedy's administration, which began courageously downsizing America's nuclear arsenal, the MAD doctrine more or less continued to guide American nuclear policy through containment to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) of the 1970s, which aimed to mutually reduce US and Soviet nuclear forces. The acronym of MAD was quite appropriate; this delicate policy was truly insane, as it could not be continued for long without leading eventually to a global nuclear disaster.

Mr. Hannity: "There is no appeasing this enemy." (p. 6)

My response: By its very nature, terrorism is a drastic form of negotiation. It is defined as the threat or use of wanton violence to frighten governments in order to achieve a political goal. Just as a baby kicks and screams in an attempt to force his parents to give him what he wants, terrorists use violence hoping to leverage the US into complying with their demands. However, there are two noteworthy differences between the baby and the grownup terrorist. One is that the terrorists' ultimate objectives are usually just and legitimate. Second, "Islamic" terrorists are prepared to go to great lengths for their cause, even to die for it--precisely because it is just. To summarize, terrorists attempt to achieve a good end through bad means.

This is an absolutely brilliant move on the part of Al Gore. With this move he will now be able to use the Nobel Peace Prize he will receive in a ceremony in Oslo next month to truly seek effective and expedient changes in how the world does business, which will hopefully foster peace.

Al Gore's next act: Planet-saving VC
The recovering politician is teaming with a legendary venture capitalist and bigtime moneyman to make over the $6 trillion global energy business. A Fortune exclusive.

Now, joining a venture capital firm may not seem like such a move, but when you look into what invesments are made and the motives behind them, in Mr. Gore's case it is indeed to further the truth that leads to action that leads to peace.

Global warming and Israel are two of my most important issues. I am an American Jew who was raised with the question, "Is it good for Israel," though we also were none too keen on the right wingers in Israel and the first invasion of Lebanon. I am an avid history buff, including, but not exclusively, Jewish history. Much of my historical reading leads me to the conclusion that my survival and my son's survival are improved significantly by the existance of Israel. That is important to me. But I also recognize that much of what I feel about Israel can apply to Palestine as well. I have written about this in the past and will not review it here. That is not my purpose.

ALL of us are faced with global warming. This will cut across all borders, all divisions, all people. We must all address it. United we have a chance. Excessively divided, we will find ourselves screwed by our own stupidity. THAT is what I am writing about: a more united approach to dealing with economic and environmental problems, with the ancient/modern land of Canaan as my focus.

An exciting international movement is underway to ban cluster bombs - and it's about time. Cluster bombs, like landmines, overwhelmingly kill and maim civilians, and they do it for years after conflict has ended. Handicap International reports that 98 percent of all casualties from cluster bombs are non-combatants.

These weapons drop hundreds or thousands of small "bomblets" over a large area. Many do not detonate on impact and in effect create a minefield, lying near towns, playgrounds, and farms. Many children are blown up when they mistake the metal object for a toy. (Way to take action after the jump.)

Al Gore's response on this dangerous program is below, which I agree with. Just what will it take before we realize the capabilities we have to destroy ourselves, and that in the hands of the wrong people that well may come to pass?

Sometimes people commit suicide.  Sometimes they do it passively.   Sometimes they do it deliberately.   Sometimes it is over in an instant.   Sometimes it takes years.  Sometimes it is done out of anger, or desperation, or madness, or ignorance.   Sometimes it is a final defiant act in the face of untenable choices.   But one thing never changes.   It always hurts the people left behind.

When I think about the Hezbollah rockets and the Israel's recent decision to expand the fighting, they both strike me as suicidal, but in very different ways.  This brings to mind a third example very different from both of those two. 

What does real leadership look like? It certainly isn't donning a flight suit and choppering into the Green Zone. Folks like Father Louis Vitale and Medea Benjamin are about to show the world what real leadership is all about.

First - Father Vitale worked with a group of people who really want to bring an end to the violence in Iraq, putting together a "Declaration of Peace," a comprehensive plan for withdrawing our troops from Iraq and building a real, working government in Iraq, and providing for the safety of the average Iraqi people.

Second - Father Vitale, Medea Benjamin, Cindy Sheehan, and Tom Hayden are traveling to Jordan to meet with members of the Iraqi Parliament, to work with them on further solidifying the peace plan.

AFP/File/Nicholas Asfouri

If you could gather one hundred or so of the best minds on the planet and serve them a list of questions compiled from "ordinary people" all over the world what might you expect from such a gathering?

We may find out soon because according to the emails I've been receiving from a group called "dropping knowledge" just such a meeting is in the works:

On September 9, 2006, 112 scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers, writers, artists and activists from around the world will come together in Berlin, Germany, as guests of dropping knowledge. Seated around a vast round-table in the heart of the city, these remarkable individuals, renowned for the creative, social and humanistic impact of their work, will engage with 100 questions from the global public. These questions, selected by dropping knowledge's founders and ambassadors from the many thousands generated by our "What's Your Question?" campaign, will reflect the topics of greatest concern to the global public, emphasize under-reported issues and engage key themes endorsed by dropping knowledge in 2006.

In talking to people online, I have heard two conflicting message. The one, prevalent of most people here, is that the Democratic Party has not shown enough spine and that we need to return to the days of 1860 and draw a clear distinction between ourselves and the Republican Party. But the problem comes when I try to help lay out a Progressive agenda including my endorsement of Russ Feingold for President and Chuck Pennacchio for Senate. All of a sudden, when it comes time to actually do the hard work of challenging our favorite DINOs in the primary, people freak out and tell me why it is so impossible to elect Feingold because (insert difficulty here).

You know what's interesting about assassination....did you ever stop to think about the people we kill? It's always those who tell us to live together in harmony and try to love one another. Jesus, Gandhi, Lincoln, John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X, John Lennon. They all said live together in harmony... BAM! Right in the head. Apparently we aren't ready for that yet. - George Carlin

We might add Yitzhak Rabin or Anwar Sadat or Medgar Evers to Carlin's list. Far too many can be added. Sigh. Why do we kill the peacemakers?

An examination and quotes below the fold...