Author and foodie extraordinaire Michael Pollan weighed in on the Whole Foods boycott over CEO and Libertarian/Free Market enthusiast John Mackey's opposition to a public option or health care reform. Mackey also opposes labor reform, which will be an issue next year if labor has any shot of improving the ability of American workers to organize. Pollan's judgment on this whole brouhaha? Bunch of hooey hooey:
So Mackey is wrong on health care, but Whole Foods is often right about food, and their support for the farmers matters more to me than the political views of their founder. I haven’t examined the political views of all the retailers who feed me, but I can imagine having a lot of eating problems if I make them a litmus test.
ETA: I stumbled across this blog Obama Foodorama with recipes (including a Kennedy family lobster stew) and analysis of food politics under the Obama administration.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Grilled Pizza Diaries
Tonight was peach, prosciutto, goat cheese, and rosemary pizzas, recipe courtesy of epicurious. They turned out well and certainly didn't disappoint after a stressful day of obsessing over insurance for the missus. There is, however, always room for improvement:
1. I tend to use too much flour on the bottom when rolling out the dough and then transferring it to a baking sheet. In essence, it gets floured twice and a slightly gritty bottom develops. The taste of grilled flour isn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't inhibit the meal. I need to work on that misstep and it seems rather easy to remedy for the future.
2. The pizzas needed more ingredients. I brushed the pizzas with olive oil before applying the toppings in the following order: rosemary, prosciutto, peaches, and goat cheese. The result was a sparser pizza than I preferred, and more of everything would round out the pizza as a meal.
3. Possibly adding pepper and a dash of salt when coating the tops with olive oil could've brought out some further flavor. Maybe, maybe not. Uncertain on this one.
Is HRC Revolutionizing American Foreign Policy?
Secretary of State Clinton is a lightning rod for criticism and praise as she commandeers the levers of US foreign policy. She's now seven months into the job and some are starting to score her work so far. If there was an A++, David Rothkopf would assign HRC such a lofty grade. Leaving little to the imagination, Rothkopf writes that she's quietly revolutionizing foreign policy. I like Secretary Clinton, and her choice of Anne-Marie Slaughter was impressive. When I read the article on Sunday, however, I rolled my eyes at his saccharine review of her first few months at State. He's correct on several points, especially how the media focuses on her attire and attitude rather than some of her accomplishments. I'm troubled by several elements of his article. Notably, I don't believe that the Obama administration is reinventing the diplomacy wheel, regardless of how well I think HRC might be performing. Rothkopf isn't winning me or a variety of people as fans when he praises this strategy: "In the same vein, she has opened up Cuba to American telecommunications companies and reached out to India's private sector on energy cooperation -- showing that this administration will seek to advance national interests by tapping the self-interests of the business community." ETA: On Monday, Rothkopf participated in a chat based on his article. You can read the transcript here.
From the other side of the aisle, enterprising Christian Brose obliterates Rothkopf for his head in the sand stance on the Bush administration's foreign policy. Writing on the blog Shadow Government at ForeignPolicy.com, Brose sinks his canines into Rothkopf's millennial article. In an appropriately titled post (What is David Rothkopf Smoking?) Brose picks apart the paen to Hillary and, with sufficient evidence, demonstrates how the Obama administration is in part picking up where Bush and Rice left off. (Of course, one could say that Bush utilized networks Clinton created, and Clinton capitalized on the Bush I admin's work at the end of the Cold War...but that could be a stretch.) With Bush and Rice, the US led the way on significant multilateral efforts to bridge the gap between the United States' long-term waning power and what Fareed Zakaria dubbed the "rise of the rest." It would be disingenuous to ignore the Bushies' accomplishments, some of which Bose helped foster.
In the closing paragraphs, he questions whether Obama and Secretary Clinton will elicit more progress than Bush due to the nature of international politics consisting of nation-states who fervently press their own interests over neighbors or allies. And while he's got a point, the administration he worked under embarked on those initiatives after thumbing their nose at world opinion, and there's room to question how seriously the folks on Pennsylvania Avenue and in Foggy Bottom took multilateral or UN endeavors to broker peace or prosperity abroad. Possibly Bush and Rice helped to create the scaffolding for a multipolar direction of US policy in the future. Nevertheless, they didn't do much to strengthen the foundation and accomplish lasting improvements thanks to the militaristic thrust of US diplomacy under Bush. No one wanted to and few could work with Bush, which was the product of the Bush administration's demeanor and not the zero-sum game that is international affairs. When one of your biggest fans is Mikheil Saakashvili, you've got problems.
It's too early to pass judgment on the Obama administration's diplomacy. It's obvious that contradictions exist as well as legacies from the Bushies persist despite Obama's and HRC's out with the old rhetoric. And what Bose neglects to discuss is how State suffered losses to the Pentagon, and it appears that the Obama administration is returning (albeit slower than I would prefer) the rightful control of diplomacy to the professionals and not the generals, as even Defense Secretary Gates proposed. So where are we?
From the other side of the aisle, enterprising Christian Brose obliterates Rothkopf for his head in the sand stance on the Bush administration's foreign policy. Writing on the blog Shadow Government at ForeignPolicy.com, Brose sinks his canines into Rothkopf's millennial article. In an appropriately titled post (What is David Rothkopf Smoking?) Brose picks apart the paen to Hillary and, with sufficient evidence, demonstrates how the Obama administration is in part picking up where Bush and Rice left off. (Of course, one could say that Bush utilized networks Clinton created, and Clinton capitalized on the Bush I admin's work at the end of the Cold War...but that could be a stretch.) With Bush and Rice, the US led the way on significant multilateral efforts to bridge the gap between the United States' long-term waning power and what Fareed Zakaria dubbed the "rise of the rest." It would be disingenuous to ignore the Bushies' accomplishments, some of which Bose helped foster.
In the closing paragraphs, he questions whether Obama and Secretary Clinton will elicit more progress than Bush due to the nature of international politics consisting of nation-states who fervently press their own interests over neighbors or allies. And while he's got a point, the administration he worked under embarked on those initiatives after thumbing their nose at world opinion, and there's room to question how seriously the folks on Pennsylvania Avenue and in Foggy Bottom took multilateral or UN endeavors to broker peace or prosperity abroad. Possibly Bush and Rice helped to create the scaffolding for a multipolar direction of US policy in the future. Nevertheless, they didn't do much to strengthen the foundation and accomplish lasting improvements thanks to the militaristic thrust of US diplomacy under Bush. No one wanted to and few could work with Bush, which was the product of the Bush administration's demeanor and not the zero-sum game that is international affairs. When one of your biggest fans is Mikheil Saakashvili, you've got problems.
It's too early to pass judgment on the Obama administration's diplomacy. It's obvious that contradictions exist as well as legacies from the Bushies persist despite Obama's and HRC's out with the old rhetoric. And what Bose neglects to discuss is how State suffered losses to the Pentagon, and it appears that the Obama administration is returning (albeit slower than I would prefer) the rightful control of diplomacy to the professionals and not the generals, as even Defense Secretary Gates proposed. So where are we?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tomatoes and theTotal Eclipse of the Summer
One of the greatest pleasures of late summer are, for me, fresh tomatoes, peaches, and apples. (Product endorsement coming at you.) Ela Family Farms' western slope peaches and apples are the delight of this time of year. They aren't the cheapest peaches you'll find, but the taste more than makes up for the initial cost. The same goes with their apples.
We're happy to report that our tomatoes--the ones that exploded and took on the form of an invasive, aggressive species--produced a decent initial yield. Judging by the number of green and small tomatoes on the vine, we're hopeful that the next few weeks will bring us an abundance of fruit. Thus far, the Cherokee Purple remains our favorite. The Black from Tula have a subtle taste that is fine and dandy, yet not as overflowing with flavor. We're waiting on the Green Zebra and the Brandywines. When we call it quits, I will write on different approaches and aspects we would change next year.
We visited my family in Chicago last weekend. The wound, as expected, annoyed me throughout the trip and walking proved difficult under the slightly strained circumstances. Even though the Cubs' season is over, and possibly still-born in March/April, they walloped the Pirates 17-2. The game was, in essence, completed by the second inning. Practice runs for the Chicago Air and Water Show lived up to expectations as various jets zoomed, zipped, and buzzed the crowded Wrigley--the highest attendance of the season.
In other news, I bought airfare to Morocco for 7 Nov - 20 Dec. I'm enrolling in an Arabic language institute in Rabat for approximately four weeks. The blog won't settle into a moribund state, I hope, and I will try to update as time permits with photos. In the next few weeks my goal is to return to a bit more analytical posts. Other than that, all's quiet on the western front.
We're happy to report that our tomatoes--the ones that exploded and took on the form of an invasive, aggressive species--produced a decent initial yield. Judging by the number of green and small tomatoes on the vine, we're hopeful that the next few weeks will bring us an abundance of fruit. Thus far, the Cherokee Purple remains our favorite. The Black from Tula have a subtle taste that is fine and dandy, yet not as overflowing with flavor. We're waiting on the Green Zebra and the Brandywines. When we call it quits, I will write on different approaches and aspects we would change next year.
We visited my family in Chicago last weekend. The wound, as expected, annoyed me throughout the trip and walking proved difficult under the slightly strained circumstances. Even though the Cubs' season is over, and possibly still-born in March/April, they walloped the Pirates 17-2. The game was, in essence, completed by the second inning. Practice runs for the Chicago Air and Water Show lived up to expectations as various jets zoomed, zipped, and buzzed the crowded Wrigley--the highest attendance of the season.
In other news, I bought airfare to Morocco for 7 Nov - 20 Dec. I'm enrolling in an Arabic language institute in Rabat for approximately four weeks. The blog won't settle into a moribund state, I hope, and I will try to update as time permits with photos. In the next few weeks my goal is to return to a bit more analytical posts. Other than that, all's quiet on the western front.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Barney Frank Shoots Down Ignorant Comparison of Obama to Hitler
Comparing the President to Hitler for reforming health care. Seriously? From thinkprogress and John Willis,
QUESTION: Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported this policy? Why are you supporting it? [...]
FRANK: On what planet do you spend most of your time? … You want me to answer the question? Yes. You stand there with a picture of the President defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis. My answer to you is, as I said before, it is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Reviews of Naomi Klein The Shock Doctrine and Jon Jeter Flat Broke in the Free Market
(mea culpa: I can't always guarantee that these reviews, or any post for that matter, will be written to the best of my abilities.)
Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: Rise of Disaster Capitalism, 2007.
Jon Jeter, Flat Broke in the Free Market: How Globalization Fleeced Working People, 2009.
When Kate and I traipsed around Ecuador and Peru on our ill-fated honeymoon, I recall a conversation we had in Puno, Peru. Our trips aren't extravagant and our accommodations usually fall on the bottom scale of the budget traveler. (Of course, one could say that decisions such as that lead one to contract a nasty stomach illness that can effectively ruin a honeymoon.) Anyway, we pondered whether we helped or hurt with our travel. After rolling through the vapid glitz of Lima and taking several tourist trips, we both questioned the nature of our travel. For me, it was an issue that bothered me on another level as I helped a company outsource segments of its business. (For the record, the owner of the company has kept Kate and I eating and paying rent and my boss has been incredibly generous to me for the past six years.)
Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: Rise of Disaster Capitalism, 2007.
Jon Jeter, Flat Broke in the Free Market: How Globalization Fleeced Working People, 2009.
When Kate and I traipsed around Ecuador and Peru on our ill-fated honeymoon, I recall a conversation we had in Puno, Peru. Our trips aren't extravagant and our accommodations usually fall on the bottom scale of the budget traveler. (Of course, one could say that decisions such as that lead one to contract a nasty stomach illness that can effectively ruin a honeymoon.) Anyway, we pondered whether we helped or hurt with our travel. After rolling through the vapid glitz of Lima and taking several tourist trips, we both questioned the nature of our travel. For me, it was an issue that bothered me on another level as I helped a company outsource segments of its business. (For the record, the owner of the company has kept Kate and I eating and paying rent and my boss has been incredibly generous to me for the past six years.)
Naomi Klein's weighty book tackles some of these various issues. Clocking in at 460 pages, it's a commitment as she takes you through the battlefields of neoliberalism that left various third world economies cratered and reeling. The Shock Doctrine is exhaustive, to the point that this reviewer was forced to skim at an accelerated pace to conquer the often unskimmable paragraphs. I wanted to enjoy this book. If one of her goals was to chronicle the abuses stemming from the imposition of neoliberal economic development, then she succeeded handily. Nevertheless, I have problems with her use of terminology (especially the term corporatist), the relative absence of the US labor movement and working-class, and her proclivity for marrying the concepts of physical torture (electro shock) with economic counterrevolution (Milton Friedman’s “shock treatment”).
I'm no acolyte of Milton Friedman, and I feel that if you don't question the Friedmanite primacy given to markets then you're not paying attention. That being said, Milton Friedman nor, I would argue, the Chicago Boys convinced a military thug such as Pinochet and others to unleash harsh waves of terror. Possibly the US government did, but that blurs the line of agency and the documentary record on these subjects tends to portray the US as players who acquiesced from the sidelines. (The CIA records aren’t released and I’m not in the business of speculating. Al McCoy is better suited for that task.) She could be stronger if she imposed a clearer vision of corporatism and painted less of a relationship between torture and economic shock therapy. She strays from the torture-shock treatment analogy as she progresses through the book, nevertheless, I think it's a flawed premise. Can't one say that communist revolutions or counterrevolutions imposed economic systems that proved equally as disastrous? The answer is yes, and she legitimizes that line of argumentation. Then the question revolves around revolutions and economics.
If that's the problematic aspect, Klein's clear strength lies in charting how neoliberalism failed to lift all boats. Those who benefited remain the developed states and multi-national corporations. Starting with Richard Nixon, neoliberalism became a pillar of American foreign policy where it remains to this day. We associate market freedom with political freedom, and, as she points out, that logic is severely flawed. This book isn't for beginners, however, and I wouldn't recommend it unless someone had a passionate interest in comprehending the economic beliefs that hobbled developing countries and peoples and led us to this current economic malaise.
Jon Jeter's thinner and equally interesting Flat Broke in the Free Market picks apart neoliberalism from a different methodological stance. Jeter traveled to Africa, Latin America, and in the US interviewing those who toil under neoliberalism's false promises to illustrate how working-class folk suffer under the weight of neoliberalism at home and abroad. The interviews provide a fascinating texture that Klein often overlooks, which is understandable. Beginning with a story of a Kenyan woman whose daily life seems to mirror Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich as the woman tries to sell tomatoes in a desperate bid to survive and feed her children.
Jeter's interviews span the working-class spectrum, everything from the aforementioned tomato seller to prostitutes in Latin America to the folks in the urban renewal group Imagine Englewood If. They allow him to paint the stunning, yet desolate, experiences of the poor that point to no signs of bettering any time soon. Many of the struggles gravitate toward basic necessities--water, safety/security, food, shelter--and work. Not to trivialize his book, but his dedication is one of the more touching ones I've read in this literature. He dedicates the book to those poor who desire to see the ocean. I can't do it justice here, so I won't try and you'll have to trust me on this one.
What would a review be without criticism? First, his fawning praise of Hugo Chavez at the book's close seems romantic and utopian. Second, Asia and Europe are completely absent. Nevertheless, a work can't do everything and I think it's a minor quibble. Third, often his analysis is lost in the midst of the stories and the reader often has to unpack some of what he might try to argue. Fourth, who's responsible here? Who are the agents? Often the guilty parties are Western companies and the US government that employ a neoliberal framework. I think it's dubious to not judge states as sharing the blame for leveling their countries' economies and social structures, but they largely are absent as players who make the decisions. Even though the economic aspect does, as Jeter maintains, demonstrate a new lever of neocolonialism, I find his treatment of agency and responsibility slippery and sloppy.
So what? What do these books tell us? I guarantee that read back-to-back Klein and Jeter don't line one up for an uplifting experience. The culprit remains Friedman and his obsession with free markets that Western governments pushed since the early 1970s, with the clear victim being those in the US and the poor spread out in the world. What can be done? After finishing these two books I have my doubts if this edifice (with such considerable scaffolding in academia, government, and the private sector) can be demolished. This month's Adbusters addresses these questions. Still, I am uncertain if an equitable form of trade and economics will arise from our current economic contraction. Is there a way out of neoliberalism? I hope so, because as both of these books reveal, far too many people suffer for an economic ideology that benefits so few.
I'm no acolyte of Milton Friedman, and I feel that if you don't question the Friedmanite primacy given to markets then you're not paying attention. That being said, Milton Friedman nor, I would argue, the Chicago Boys convinced a military thug such as Pinochet and others to unleash harsh waves of terror. Possibly the US government did, but that blurs the line of agency and the documentary record on these subjects tends to portray the US as players who acquiesced from the sidelines. (The CIA records aren’t released and I’m not in the business of speculating. Al McCoy is better suited for that task.) She could be stronger if she imposed a clearer vision of corporatism and painted less of a relationship between torture and economic shock therapy. She strays from the torture-shock treatment analogy as she progresses through the book, nevertheless, I think it's a flawed premise. Can't one say that communist revolutions or counterrevolutions imposed economic systems that proved equally as disastrous? The answer is yes, and she legitimizes that line of argumentation. Then the question revolves around revolutions and economics.
If that's the problematic aspect, Klein's clear strength lies in charting how neoliberalism failed to lift all boats. Those who benefited remain the developed states and multi-national corporations. Starting with Richard Nixon, neoliberalism became a pillar of American foreign policy where it remains to this day. We associate market freedom with political freedom, and, as she points out, that logic is severely flawed. This book isn't for beginners, however, and I wouldn't recommend it unless someone had a passionate interest in comprehending the economic beliefs that hobbled developing countries and peoples and led us to this current economic malaise.
Jon Jeter's thinner and equally interesting Flat Broke in the Free Market picks apart neoliberalism from a different methodological stance. Jeter traveled to Africa, Latin America, and in the US interviewing those who toil under neoliberalism's false promises to illustrate how working-class folk suffer under the weight of neoliberalism at home and abroad. The interviews provide a fascinating texture that Klein often overlooks, which is understandable. Beginning with a story of a Kenyan woman whose daily life seems to mirror Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich as the woman tries to sell tomatoes in a desperate bid to survive and feed her children.
Jeter's interviews span the working-class spectrum, everything from the aforementioned tomato seller to prostitutes in Latin America to the folks in the urban renewal group Imagine Englewood If. They allow him to paint the stunning, yet desolate, experiences of the poor that point to no signs of bettering any time soon. Many of the struggles gravitate toward basic necessities--water, safety/security, food, shelter--and work. Not to trivialize his book, but his dedication is one of the more touching ones I've read in this literature. He dedicates the book to those poor who desire to see the ocean. I can't do it justice here, so I won't try and you'll have to trust me on this one.
What would a review be without criticism? First, his fawning praise of Hugo Chavez at the book's close seems romantic and utopian. Second, Asia and Europe are completely absent. Nevertheless, a work can't do everything and I think it's a minor quibble. Third, often his analysis is lost in the midst of the stories and the reader often has to unpack some of what he might try to argue. Fourth, who's responsible here? Who are the agents? Often the guilty parties are Western companies and the US government that employ a neoliberal framework. I think it's dubious to not judge states as sharing the blame for leveling their countries' economies and social structures, but they largely are absent as players who make the decisions. Even though the economic aspect does, as Jeter maintains, demonstrate a new lever of neocolonialism, I find his treatment of agency and responsibility slippery and sloppy.
So what? What do these books tell us? I guarantee that read back-to-back Klein and Jeter don't line one up for an uplifting experience. The culprit remains Friedman and his obsession with free markets that Western governments pushed since the early 1970s, with the clear victim being those in the US and the poor spread out in the world. What can be done? After finishing these two books I have my doubts if this edifice (with such considerable scaffolding in academia, government, and the private sector) can be demolished. This month's Adbusters addresses these questions. Still, I am uncertain if an equitable form of trade and economics will arise from our current economic contraction. Is there a way out of neoliberalism? I hope so, because as both of these books reveal, far too many people suffer for an economic ideology that benefits so few.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Hillary's Chortle over John Bolton
John Bolton trashed Bill Clinton's successful trip to free Laura Ling Euna Lee, like most of Fox News.
Here's a snippet of Bolton's acute mind that devalues Clinton's and the Obama Administration's victory
Here's Hillary's Response starting at 26 seconds
Here's a snippet of Bolton's acute mind that devalues Clinton's and the Obama Administration's victory
Here's Hillary's Response starting at 26 seconds
Baitullah Mehsud Killed by a Predator Strike
It was heavily rumored in news outlets yesterday, Baitullah Mehsud was killed on Wednesday in a reported attack that killed his wife. After some initial confusion, the Pakistani Taliban announced Mehsud is dead. So what does this mean? Is this a win for the US strategy of drone attacks that spiked after Obama assumed office?
As Juan Cole opined this morning, Mehsud was a mass murder and a thug, and the world of arts and leisure won't miss him. Cole asks the pertinent question on the results of his death. It seems likely that another thug will replace Mehsud, but one should ask whether this is a victory for the US strategy of disrupting command and control. Cole maintains that political solutions offer the only true ways to disarm and defang an insurgency, and assassinations won't turn the tide. That being said, I'm sure there are some happy folks in Northern Virginia.
As Juan Cole opined this morning, Mehsud was a mass murder and a thug, and the world of arts and leisure won't miss him. Cole asks the pertinent question on the results of his death. It seems likely that another thug will replace Mehsud, but one should ask whether this is a victory for the US strategy of disrupting command and control. Cole maintains that political solutions offer the only true ways to disarm and defang an insurgency, and assassinations won't turn the tide. That being said, I'm sure there are some happy folks in Northern Virginia.
Paul Krugman on the "Town Hall Mobs" of Republican Operatives
At this point, it's no surprise that Republican operatives launched concerted attacks on town hall meetings. As Think Progress points out, one foot soldier described herself to NBC news as "just a mom" was in actuality a local Republican leader who ran an unsuccessful campaign against the rep who convened the town hall.
Paul Krugman's Op-Ed "The Town Hall Mob" in today's NYT tackles these Astroturf, phony grassroots campaigns. He points out that there is some legitimate opposition to health care reform, and not all of these demonstrators are shills from Freedom Works or Conservatives for Patients' Rights. Instead, he points to the false ideas pushed by the Republican leadership, Fox news, and misperceptions regarding the nature of medicare/medicaid. On the latter, it appears that many people mistakenly believe that medicare/medicaid isn't a government run program. Don't get me wrong, I can't understand why or how you can arrive at that conclusion.
Paul Krugman's Op-Ed "The Town Hall Mob" in today's NYT tackles these Astroturf, phony grassroots campaigns. He points out that there is some legitimate opposition to health care reform, and not all of these demonstrators are shills from Freedom Works or Conservatives for Patients' Rights. Instead, he points to the false ideas pushed by the Republican leadership, Fox news, and misperceptions regarding the nature of medicare/medicaid. On the latter, it appears that many people mistakenly believe that medicare/medicaid isn't a government run program. Don't get me wrong, I can't understand why or how you can arrive at that conclusion.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Labor Fights Back for Health Care Reform
It's no secret that Republican operatives, seen below and better known as "screamers," isn't a simple, grass-roots expression of opposition to Obama's health care reform agenda. That's why it's refreshing to see the AFL-CIO and SEIU initiate counter-attacks. AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka promised to oppose the "Brooks Brothers Riot" tactics that disrupted the 2000 Florida recount that Tim mentions below.
I called my Senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennett, and Representative, Dianna Degette, to voice my support for health care reform. The person I spoke with at Degette's office welcomed my call and mentioned that they received a high volume of calls screaming their anger at the President and health care reform.
Eta: A mob descended on a town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida to disrupt a discussion on health care reform. There's nothing like screaming democracy to resolve a major crisis afflicting this country now and in the future as health care costs soak up more and more of this country's GDP.
OK, I'm all for civil discourse and disagreement. But there are certain conditions that make those elements impossible. This is one of those and if you have any doubt about the heightened levels of tension at the Florida town hall meeting, these should answer them.
I called my Senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennett, and Representative, Dianna Degette, to voice my support for health care reform. The person I spoke with at Degette's office welcomed my call and mentioned that they received a high volume of calls screaming their anger at the President and health care reform.
Eta: A mob descended on a town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida to disrupt a discussion on health care reform. There's nothing like screaming democracy to resolve a major crisis afflicting this country now and in the future as health care costs soak up more and more of this country's GDP.
OK, I'm all for civil discourse and disagreement. But there are certain conditions that make those elements impossible. This is one of those and if you have any doubt about the heightened levels of tension at the Florida town hall meeting, these should answer them.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Screamers. This is democracy?
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