01-19-09 - MLK Day
- Mavis Staples "Eyes On The Prize" (youtube) - Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial (youtube)
- President Barack Obama: On the one hand were the nation's overwhelming disgust with Bush and Republicanism, Obama's cunning campaign strategy, and everything that makes the Barack Obama a charismatic figure -- on the other hand was Obama's willingness to win the presidency by co-opting and caving in on so many Republican holy cows that the Republicans no longer had meaty issues they could use to attack him (also successfully utilized by Bill Clinton). Carrying on with this winning political strategy of non-confrontation to curry Republican favor, he went on to appoint and gather around himself as advisors many of the same villains who actually helped create the problems that are now drowning us. Since at least 1952, extremely wealthy conservatives have carefully crafted the path and groomed the politicians to lead us toward and ultimately into the quicksand that is now swallowing us. What will it take to get this basically decent, intelligent man, President Barack Obama, to become the hero we so desperately need to lead us back to dry, solid ground? Is it even still possible? Have the multi-billionaires won? Franklin Roosevelt said, 'If you want something done, lean on me.' Is that what it will take with Obama? Lean on him? OK then, it's time to lean, and lean without mercy, because Obama is playing power politics and will respond to no other.
- Keynote: Naomi Klein and Jeremy Scahill (fstv video). Euphoria over Obama's election can easily obscure the really big, scary problems from our view.
- Keynote: Robert Scheer on the Military-Industrial Complex (fstv)
- Obama, The Crawford Torture Admission & The Army Field Manual Lie (emptywheel). The devil frolics in the details.
- Interloper George W. Bush waves his characteristic 'goodbye' to the nation he swore to defend, but instead raped (americablog)
- MLK: I have a lot of trouble hearing Dr. King's secular message through his layers of religious references, but it's still there, loud and unmistakable. Unfortunately, The Cleaning Crew had to step in and take care of the matter, as they do whenever The Establishment is threatened.
- UCSC Prof. Angela Davis speaks at the 40th anniversary of MLK's death (youtube)
- Some Noteworthy Coincidences (opednews) - Ain't it somethin' how these things just seem to happen this way?
- The American Death Wish (firedoglake)
- After failing to hold Bush accountable for eight years, CNN plans to keep Obama's administration "honest" (americablog). And who's keeping conservative-biased CNN honest? Obama really needs to do a complete overhaul on the US media. Will he? Sure not holding my breath -- and grateful for my DVR.
- AP and Faux News up to their usual misinformation campaign against anything Democratic/liberal. This time over comparative cost of inaugural events of Obama/Bush (firedoglake)
- Methane Discovered in the Atmosphere of Mars (apod) - Could be microbial or volcanic. Why should we care? We're the ones carrying out the Sixth Great Extinction here on our own planet through our zealous overpopulation and disregard for what we dump into the biosphere.
