Vacation

This is essentially my first extended time off work in about a year and-a-half. I'm enjoying visiting with my Brother and his son, watching sports, and loafing. Back next week ready to get stuck in.

Sunday Soccer Bloggin'

Spent yesterday erecting the fresh-cut spruce and generally decking the halls here at 49PB HQ. This meant I got to actually watch the better part of two entire soccer games. GolTV's web site is non-functional and their on-screen listings completely off, but through persistence I was able to catch the beginning of the top of the table clash between Juventus and AC Milan. One would expect such an important game -- four points separating the two sides -- to be full of emotion, goals (or at least shots on) and for a bonus perhaps a bit of a food fight at the end. Alas, the odds-on candidate for World Footballer of the Year, Andrei Shevchenko was kept in check and a rather dreary scoreless draw was the result.

Next up was what should have been tedious is big-scoring walkover for fourth place(!) Real Madrid away versus a way-down-there Racing Santander. I was going to turn it off but Racing was having none of Los Galacticos. With Becks on the bench, a riveting, end-to-end match ensued in which Real robbed Racing of one (not to say three) points with a Zidane header in the 92nd in a desperately needed but undeserved win.

It really is a funny old game. Oh, and the Bhoys won to stay top of the SPL, but I'll never see any of it. I need to get a new favorite (European) club...

Outfitting the Minority Leaders; Social Security.

This morning I would like to call your attention to the text of the official Democratic reaction to President Bush's Social Security plan. This joint statement was released by Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid yesterday. I must say this is EXACTLY the kind of business-as-usual, limp-wristed crap we desperately need to get the hell away from.

Therefore in our role as, Outfitter to the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party, we submit the following draft statement for consideration by the Honorable Representative and Senator.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 17, 2004


Pelosi and Reid: President Wishes To Destroy Social Security, Not Save It.

"The President's 'economic summit' should have been an opportunity to begin an honest discussion about strengthening and improving Social Security. Instead we were treated to a parade of the usual congregates of the administration's economic Amen Corner. Not a single dissenting voice was heard."

"We have been encouraged to hear that the President would like to work on a bipartisan basis. But this is not the way to go about fostering bipartisanism. Democrats look forward to receiving a detailed proposal from the President and are eager to work cooperatively with him to strengthen and improve Social Security."

“Social Security has been a resounding success -- Social Security benefits have been paid on time and in full every single month for almost 70 years. According to Congress' official nonpartisan scorekeeper, the Social Security Trust Fund will be solvent for almost 50 years, and even after that it will continue to pay 80 percent of benefits. Social Security faces real challenges, but is not in crisis. As we work together to address these challenges, the last thing we should do is cut its funding and make the problem worse."

"Let us repeat this again -- for it is of critical importance in the policy discussions to come; the Social Security trust fund is in no danger of going broke. The growing difference between the number of working Americans and retirees will require us to find ways of increasing inflows to the trust fund by 20 percent. That alone will allow Social Security to remain solvent for another 70 years. The Social Security financing system is fundamentally sound and will remain so for generations to come."

"What we have heard from the President and his policy people regarding their
Social Security proposal-in-work should fill all Americans with trepidation. Far from strengthening the Social Security program, this Enronization of Social Security will produce a gaping, multi-trillion dollar hole in a federal budget already stretched to the limit by the Administration's profligate policies. If enacted as currently outlined this Social Security scheme would amount to the old Vietnam era doublespeak strategy of 'we must destroy Social Security in order to save it.'"

“Social Security is the only safe and secure source of retirement income for millions of Americans, and it must be protected. Social Security has lifted the lives of millions of Americans, and it will lift the lives of millions more if we commit to strengthening, not raiding, this incomparable program.”

# # #

We have added the two key things Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid could not bring themselves to say outright. One; the other side is out-and-out lying when they say there is a "Social Security crisis." Two; we call bullshit on the President's plan. I like "the Enron Plan" for Social Security reform, but you can add your own.

The key thing here is to frame the debate in a way that destroys the GOP's "letting you handle your own money" argument. That's false. What they are really proposing is a huge windfall for the money-management industry. We need to make sure the first thing people think of when they think of the Bush Social Security plan is, crooked businessmen who ruined people's retirements.

A Speech Writer Nonpareil

Someone at the DNC needs to give The Rude Pundit a job. He needs an editor, of course. But any fool can excise the nasty bits and leave the nuggets of pure, red meat, cut-through-the-bullshit, common sense appeal to even the dimmest soul. The blogsphere is chock-a-block with smart people who are adept at wading through the morass of politics and exposing the insanity of our modern political process to the light of day. But people who can actually write are rare indeed. Many, many is the time, I've found myself pounding the desk reading one of his posts, going "Fuck, yeah!"

Because if and when one gets past the profanity the things he says are exactly what needs to be coming out of the mouths of Democratic Party leaders. Take this pre-third presidential debate passage for instance... (Warning, very profane language.)

When Kerry is asked, "How do you answer the charge that you are one of the most 'liberal' members of Congress?", he doesn't answer, "Bob, let me begin by saying that what you are asking is a stupid goddamned question that only has meaning if you've been busy wolfing down chowder from Karl Rove's boner. Holy shit, what the fuck does that mean? No, seriously, ask anyone in the audience if they even understand what it means, 'liberal.' And you know what? Not a motherfuckin' one of them will know or they just know some goddamn lies. 'Cause they've been taught to react to the word like a bull that gets an electric prod shoved in its nuts whenever it wants to wander off in another direction. So fuck your goddamn label. And don't you smirk at me, you Bush bitch, you little corporate whore, so painted red by pharmaceutical companies, with your little slit mini-skirt and no panties, ready for Merck or Exxon/Mobil or Carlyle to negotiate a price for your sweet policy pussy. I'll come over to your fuckin' podium and force feed you a bowl of mercury emissions and we'll watch you twitch and dance, motherfucker, dance as that toxic shit eats away your fuckin' brain man, makin' you seem like more of a retard than ever. And now I'm talkin' to all my bitches in the audience, every motherfuckin' one of you sittin' in your tiny apartments, in your decaying nursing homes, shovelin' discount mac and cheese from Wal-Mart into your faces, listenin' and watchin' this shit, still thinkin' that this insignificant bitch, this dickless wonder, gives a holy happy fuck about you, lemme tell you what a liberal is: a liberal ain't some sandal-wearin' pussy who sobs for the spotted owl while abortin' children, invitin' Osama Bin Laden over to dinner for sensitivity training, and donatin' money to French Faggots Against America. No, motherfuckin' liberals got shot down tryin' to make sure you had an eight-hour work day, motherfuckin' liberals got lynched for sayin' people oughta be equal, motherfuckin' liberals got beaten down tryin' to stop the Vietnam War. And the next day they got up and kept keepin' on. It's this cocksmoker and his buddies who will sell you out in a second, sell your organs and your nuts and your souls, if Halliburton tells 'em to do it. You wanna die? Vote for that hunched over Mama's boy with Daddy issues. 'Cause he'll kill you. He may not do it with a gun, but he'll kill you slowly, with broken promises of education for urban America so that my homeys have no choice but to be gangbangin', with tax cuts that drain the Treasury like so many vampires with so many sweet virgins, with health care policy that amounts to 'Oh, fuck it, just pray and hope Jesus wants 'em in heaven,' with an environmental policy that says clean air and water are decided on by energy companies, oh, and sorry about all the skin cancer and hurricanes, with a 'security policy' that amounts to fuckin' beggin' the Lord for another terrorist attack on chemical plants or ports so that Bush bitch can send John Ashcroft out to remove the Constitution from the archives and jack off on it in front of the Congress, screaming, 'Jesus loves me' as he comes and his cum wipes the ink from all those beautiful amendments, drippin' free speech away, drippin' fair and speedy trials away, goddamn, Ashcroft wants to wipe his dick on the Bill of Rights. You wanna vote for that 'cause you're afraid I'm a 'liberal'? Then, fuck it, enjoy the slow, painful death of America. You keep clingin' to that Republican-fed dream, man, as you're huddled in the darkness and cold 'cause you can't afford the oil to heat your house, even workin' fifteen hours a day at two jobs, as you're eatin' dog food and rationing out your scrips, you keep believing that better days are comin' and goddamn those September 11 terrorists for makin' your life so miserable. Yeah, you and your dying American dream can comfort yourselves that you didn't vote for the liberal," then the debate will be worthless.

Now, a PG version:

Bob, let me begin by saying that I welcome that question. I'd like to ask anyone in the audience if they even understand what 'liberal' means. You know what? I'll bet that most of them only know lies. 'Cause they've been taught to react to the word like a monkeys in a psychology experiment. Choose the right answer get a banana, chose the wrong answer, get an electric shock.

I want to address every American watching this debate. Anyone sitting in a tiny apartment, in a decaying nursing home; anyone whose dinner tonight might have been discount mac and cheese from Wal-Mart, not because it tastes good, but because it's all they could afford; anyone listening and watching this and still thinking that this man across the way from me really cares about you.

Let me tell you what a liberal is: a liberal isn't some sandal-wearin' hippy who sobs for the spotted owl while aborting children, inviting Osama Bin Laden over to dinner for sensitivity training, and donating money to French Gays Against America. No, liberals are people who were shot down by business thugs trying to make sure you had an eight-hour work day. Liberals are people who were lynched for saying people oughta be equal. Liberals fought against conservatives so women could vote. Liberals were beaten by the cops trying to stop the Vietnam War. And the next day they got up and kept keepin' on, and the next, and the next, until those battles were won.

It is this President and his buddies who will sell you out in a second, if big business wants them to do it. Do you want to talk about fear? I'll tell you about fear. Vote for the conservative agenda, because they'll kill you. They may not do it with a gun, but they'll kill you slowly, with broken promises of education for urban America so that young people have choice but to be gangbangin', with tax cuts that drain the Treasury like so many vampires, with health care policy that amounts to 'Just pray and hope Jesus wants 'em in heaven,' with an environmental policy that says clean air and water are decided on by energy companies, oh, and sorry about all the skin cancer and hurricanes, with a 'security policy' that begs for another terrorist attack on chemical plants or ports so that the Administration can remove the Constitution from the archives and wave it in front of Congress, howling to do away with, free speech, do away with habeas corpus and speedy trials for anyone suspected of anything.

You wanna vote for that 'cause you're afraid I'm a 'liberal'? Fine, do it. Keep clinging to that Republican-fed dream, as you're huddled in the darkness and cold because you can't afford the oil or gas to heat your house, even working fifteen hours a day at two jobs, as you're eating dog food and rationing out your scrips. Keep believing that better days are coming and blame those September 11 terrorists for makin' your life so miserable. You can comfort yourselves that you didn't vote for any 'liberals.'

Is there anyone out there who doesn't believe that the above response or one substantially like that, would have had an impact on the course of the election? I'm not saying it would have won it for Kerry or anything. It is merely an example of the kind of counter-punching the Democratic party needs to be doing.

The GOP has been saying up is down for so long, that people have begun to believe them. Morality in public policy means gay marriage, not decent health care. It's time to start calling lies, lies.

Designing the Future

I’m proud to say that I’ve been a card-carrying member of the Viridian Design Movement since its inception. Since very few of you have probably ever heard of this particular movement – a situation I hope will soon begin to change – a bit of background is in order.

The Viridian Design Movement is the brainchild of noted science fiction author and sometimes journalist, Bruce Sterling. Its central tenets are fully explained here and here but for brevity’s sake they are;

1. The fight against global warming is essentially lost. By the time we turn the ship of the global economy around the changes in climate wrought by industrial civilization will be here to stay.
2. The first is no reason to not begin to prepare for a more sustainable future. To that end Viridians believe that mankind’s dependence on carbon is fundamentally a design problem. The dependence of our economies on consumer products means that sustainability must include everything, and in order to sell sustainability is has to be sexy and trendy. People have to want to conserve not because they have to but because it is cool. That they can feel good about being cool is just a bonus.

There is much more to it than that, but this mean understanding will suffice for the point below to become apparent.

This evening while catching a snippet of the PBS program Wall $treet Week with FORTUNE, I was startled to see a segment related to a design feature in FORTUNE Magazine’s December 13^th Issue. Check out this quote from panelist, Virginia Postrel,

First of all, to designers within the design community there's a big emphasis on sustainability and environmental values today, and so design students even are often evaluated in part on whether they include that in their projects. But what I really think makes this work is that it's beautiful. It's more aesthetically pleasing than a plastic plate or a paper plate, so you're willing to pay more, even if you couldn't care less about the environment. And so it's a coming together of two things. First of all, the appreciation of beauty for its own sake, as opposed to just the function of being able to throw it away, and the other thing that I think designers are realizing is that the way to sell sustainability is not to sell it as a hair shirt but rather to sell it as something that's cool and sensorially pleasurable.

I hope this all heralds the beginning of a turning of a corner if you will – there’s a phrase with a newfound loadedness – in consumer awareness. Nothing any resident of say, Clinton will notice right away mind. But the beginning of a subtle shift that, as many fashion and design trends do, will begin to snowball. I hope that at some point some folks will begin to call this movement what it is, Viridan.

Postrel’s quote is also quite relevant to us as progressives. Simply replace designers with Democrats; sustainability with progressivism and you get a proper mindset for the Democratic Party going forward. Okay, all except the bit about being sensorially pleasureable perhaps. Although I wouldn't be too hasty to rule that out myself.

More on this anon.

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