RhetoricWord. Image. Sound.

Al Sharpton Got It Right With This One!

2010-01-07T21:34:00.002-05:00

It's not often that I feel compelled to shout "amen" to an Al Sharpton statement, but his recent op-ed in the Washington Post is spot on. Take a look and see what you think.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010603913.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline

2009-01-06T19:31:00.001-05:00

The "Fragile Peace" of the Middle East

2008-12-29T13:22:00.003-05:00

A Toast to the Outgoing

2008-12-23T11:55:00.001-05:00

2008-11-05T01:31:00.002-05:00

This is STILL America, Kid!

2008-10-31T11:30:00.003-05:00

http://www.wbaltv.com/video/17854209/

An electrical engineer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, frustrated with having McCain-Palin campaign signs stolen from his own property, rigged a low-voltage electric pet fence to his signs. Caught on video is a 9-year-old sneaking up with an Obama sign, obviously to replace the homeowner's McCain sign, only to get a "jolting" (if mildly so) surprise!

The kid's mom says he "knows better" but she thought the zap was a bit extreme.

What's really extreme is that a homeowner needs to resort to such measures. This IS STILL AMERICA where the First Amendment applies to everyone -- even those with whom we disagree!

A homeowner at the end of my street has a HUGE McCain-Palin sign in his front yard -- about 4'x8' -- and while I admit to an occasional fantasy of spraypainting it or ripping it down under cover of night, I'm telling you I would be the first one to call the cops if I witnessed anyone actually attempting to damage or remove it.

I have a friend I've known since sixth grade and even back then she used to say, "I may not agree with what you say, but I'd defend with my life your right to say it." I should send her over to have a talk with the kid from the video.

Are You in the 95%?

2008-10-16T01:45:00.001-05:00

Obama makes it easy to find out how much your tax CUT will be under his plan. See for yourself.

Oh, how we'd love to hear the (real) answers to these!

2008-10-15T18:03:00.004-05:00

Thanks to our kind benefactor for sending us these proposed debate questions from The Washington Post's Richard Cohen. We think you'll agree, it would be stunningly interesting to hear the answers.

A Few Debate Questions
By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, October 14, 2008; A17

With the final presidential debate scheduled for Wednesday and the previous two having revealed absolutely nothing about the candidates, I have taken it upon myself to suggest some questions for CBS's Bob Schieffer, who will do the moderating chores. I assure you that the candidates have not seen the questions in advance; nor, when the time comes, will they want to answer them. I flipped a coin and Barack Obama goes first.

Senator Obama, you are sooooooooo cool. Can you tell us, please, the last time you lost your temper and what about? You have two minutes.

Senator McCain, I'd like to ask you why you've attacked Senator Obama for associating with the former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, even though you have befriended G. Gordon Liddy, who was jailed for what amounts to subversion of the Constitution. Liddy also once told his radio listeners to deal with agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms by shooting them -- "a head shot," he recommended. What's the difference between Liddy and Ayers? Take as much time as you want.

Senator Obama, did you ever tell Bill Ayers to his face that what he did was wrong?

Senator McCain, I have a question regarding Sarah Palin: How could you?

Senator Obama, in 2007, your former church and its then-minister honored the Reverend Louis Farrakhan, an anti-Semite. Why didn't you say something in protest? Have you ever heard the Latin dictum "Qui tacet consentire videtur," silence is consent?

Senator McCain, what lessons should we have learned from the Iraq war? Should it have been fought? Should we have stuck to Afghanistan? What are our limits as a great power?

Senator Obama, if your plan for troop withdrawal in Iraq had been adopted, the U.S. troops would now be almost out of the country. That being the case, what do you think we'd have there now? Civil war? A peaceful country? An Islamic republic next door in Jordan?

Senator McCain, do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if history will forgive you for Sarah Palin?

Senator Obama, do you ever wake up in the middle of night for anything?

Senator McCain, with the situation in Afghanistan worsening, why don't we switch our troops right away from Iraq, which didn't attack us, to the country from where Osama bin Laden and his Taliban supporters did?

Senator Obama, given the problems facing our country -- a worldwide financial crisis; a looming recession; the prospect of nukes in Iran and North Korea; and Pakistan, which already has nukes, coming apart -- isn't it reckless of you to think that, at your young age, with your limited experience, you can manage it all?

Senator McCain, virtually the same question to you. But in your case, given your age, isn't this all too much?

Senator Obama, have you ever been in therapy? If so, how did it make you feel?

Senator McCain, in May you allowed a restricted number of reporters to review your medical records for a limited amount of time. Some people think you're hiding something. Are you? If not, why not make all the records public?

Senator Obama, we all know that lobbyists are not the problem in Washington; it's the incessant need of politicians to raise campaign funds. Yet you broke your pledge to accept public financing for your campaign. By doing that, didn't you contribute to this problem? And a follow-up: If you broke your word on this, how can we be sure you won't break your word again?

Senator McCain, reportedly you have been told to avoid looking at Senator Obama during debates because he infuriates you and you could lose your temper. Is this because of Obama's age or his manner or something else entirely?

Senator Obama, what's a credit-default swap?

Senator McCain, can you explain short-selling?

Senator Obama, is Senator McCain right?

Senator McCain, you are 72 and have had skin cancer several times. Given that -- not to mention the usual exigencies of life -- how could you pick a running mate who is so dismally qualified for the presidency? And please, for the sake of your own reputation, not to mention your mortal soul, don't say anything about the Alaska National Guard.

Senator Obama and Senator McCain, you both favor NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia. Please tell us how you would explain to an American soldier why he or she would have to fight for either country. Please explain why defending Georgia is in our national interest.

Gentlemen, that's it for now. Over to you, Bob.

cohenr@washpost.com

McCain Should Have Picked Rosanne Cash Instead

2008-10-14T21:50:00.003-05:00

Rosanne Cash (daughter of the late Johnny Cash) makes an excellent case for why she is more qualified for the veep position that the woman from Wasilla.

Check it out here:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081027/cash

Why Are McCain Supporters SO Mad?

2008-10-11T00:27:00.005-05:00

The stories are popping up everywhere. McCain supporters are boiling over with anger at their rallies -- so much so that they're even booing their own candidate when he's not as vitriolic as they want him to be. They say they're mad because McCain isn't "fighting" Obama as hard as they would like to see, that he isn't pressing the issue of Obama's past relationships with his former pastor and with William Ayers. They say they're mad because ACORN is supposedly using fraudulent means to register voters.

Does all that fully explain the depth of their rage? Does it explain McCain having to take the mic away from an old lady in Minnesota because she began babbling about disliking Obama because "he's an Arab"? Does it explain McCainites yelling "socialist" or "liar" or "terrorist" at the mention of Obama's name? Reports describe "...boos, middle fingers turned up and thumbs turned down..." McCain, obviously concerned about the level of nastiness among the mob, insisted that his fellow Senator should be disagreed with but still treated respectfully, only to have the crowd turn on him with their jeers and boos.

There have been shouts of "traitor," "treason" and "off with his [Obama's] head." The Secret Service has even investigated an instance in which someone in Palin's crowd in Clearwater, Fla., shouted "kill him," meaning Obama.

These are serious sentiments, people. Maybe it's just me and all the years I spent in small towns in the south, but I don't think these are merely expressions of "frustration." When people start yelling stuff like this in public, it's time to take notice. And just one more thing -- again, I have to owe this to my southern background -- but when you look at a crowd of McCain-Palin supporters, do you see anyone of color? They are the whitest crowds of people I've seen since I went to a square-dance at a VFW hall in South Carolina as a teenager.

McCain is trying to play nice, on one hand, appearing to try to calm the riled crowd. On the other hand, he and Sarah have been busy working their supporters to a froth with their own claims against Obama's character and questioning his allegiance to America. It was Palin who accused Obama publicly of "palling around with terrorists." McCain's ads have shown that he is more than willing to take the lowest road to the highest office. Do you think maybe no one ever told John McCain or Sarah Palin that if you stir sh*t, it stinks?

Joan Walsh, Editor in Chief at Salon.com, makes an excellent point about the parallel downward slide of the economy, McCain's ratings in the polls, and McCain's integrity. Check out her video at the end of this posting.

Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100903169.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14479.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/10/angry-anti-obama-taunts-grip-mccain-palin-events/?page=2
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002895.html?nav=hcmoduletmv

More Insight About Prima Donna Palin

2008-10-11T00:01:00.003-05:00

Check these articles and blog postings about Sarah:

Palin's Imaginary Washington
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602635.html

PR Consultant Helped Palin Grab the Spotlight
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100903429.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

A Question for Sarah Palin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/08/AR2008100802928.html?sub=AR

Palin GUILTY as charged!

2008-10-10T21:14:00.002-05:00

A bipartisan Alaska legislative panel has released its report after investigations found that Sarah Palin abused her power as governor by 1.) Trying to have her former brother-in-law (a state trooper) fired and 2.) Subsequently firing the State Public Safety Commissioner after he refused to do her bidding against the trooper.

Read the story for yourself at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081011/ap_on_el_pr/palin_troopergate

Listen up, Feds!

2008-10-10T21:02:00.001-05:00

SNL does Biden vs. Palin

2008-10-10T20:21:00.001-05:00

Speaks for Itself

2008-10-10T20:13:00.000-05:00

A Real Maverick Plan!

2008-10-09T20:59:00.002-05:00

So, McCain wants the government to buy up the bad mortgages. See what some experts have to say about it in this Politico article titled, "Critics call McCain housing plan 'half-baked'."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14430.html

Obama's "Closing Argument"?

2008-10-09T19:52:00.004-05:00

USA TODAY reports that Obama has purchased a half-hour block of commercial time on CBS and NBC for October 29 - just six days before Election Day - during "prime time" at 8 p.m.

Follow & compare candidates' ads at USA TODAY's Ad-Tracker:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/ad-tracker.htm

Train Metaphor

2008-10-09T13:04:00.000-05:00

I received this in an email:

Busy Busy

2008-10-07T08:16:00.003-05:00

This is a global air traffic simulation over a period of 24 hours:

It made me think of Professor Swaim - not just because of his jet setting ways.

Thank you, Joe, for saying so!

2008-10-03T22:24:00.006-05:00

I could use up a fair amount of time and space explaining why I am disgusted, not just as a registered Republican, but especially as a female voter. Suffice it to say that my level of disgust and embarrassment -- which has been rising consistently for the past eight years -- has reached the level of no return. I have no intention of trying to do battle with the numbskulls Joe Conason refers to in his piece on Slate; for me, I believe the time has come to abandon a party that can't see past the tip of its own nose. Yeah, I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more!

Rather than attempt to restate what has already been so concisely expressed, I will simply refer you to Conason's article:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/10/04/dumb/index.html?source=rss&aim=/opinion/conason

Jumping in Heels

2008-10-03T21:11:00.004-05:00

I guess when you wear such fabulous heels, you gotta keep the bar low so you don't trip and fall flat on your face. Well, at least "Joe Six-Pack" has something to cheer about for a while. Maybe it'll keep his mind off the possibility of losing his job or not being able to get a credit card to buy more stuff from the big box store.

Got Shattered Glass in Your Eyes Yet?

2008-09-27T19:56:00.000-05:00

McCain's Guilty Conscience

2008-09-27T19:43:00.001-05:00

Red or Blue? Maybe Purple? Which Are YOU?

2008-09-24T21:36:00.009-05:00

If you don't do anything else I request of you on this blog (warning - I reserve the right to rescind this caveat), please go to this site and complete the questionnaire. It's a product of the Pew Research Center, so it's not some waste-of-time pseudo-psych quiz from a teen magazine. This will take you "Beyond Red vs. Blue" and beyond the classic categories of liberal vs. conservative -- although they're included -- to more nuanced leanings such as Enterprisers, Upbeats, Disaffecteds, Bystanders, and more.

http://typology.people-press.org

You just might be surprised to find which ideological tag your answers will earn -- I know I was. Despite what my family has been telling me (and the names they've been calling me) for the last few years, I suppose I've been living in denial. Well, now it's official.... I'm a freakin' liberal!

Hey, do you hear that loud whirring sound? It's sorta like a giant electric mixer.... maybe a very small helicopter. Oh, never mind -- it's just my parents spinning in their graves.

Voting Booth Linebacker

2008-09-20T14:55:00.002-05:00

KUDOS to Lincoln Purvis, et. al., on this amusing video about a serious topic -- the right and responsibility to register and VOTE!

No Matter How You Slice It, The Cake Tastes The Same

2008-09-19T13:36:00.016-05:00

What you call a lie doesn't make it any less a lie. You may nice it down by referring to it as a falsehood, fib, tall tale, misstatement, fabrication, or any of a myriad of euphemisms, but a lie is still a lie.

You may attempt to camoflage it, as Jay Ambrose did in his Viewpoints piece that appeared in the September 12th edition of The Baltimore Examiner. Regarding Sarah Palin's deceptiveness about her handing of the so-called 'bridge to nowhere' Ambrose came to the defense of her honor by categorizing the public's criticism as one of the "slaps at Palin [that] are too many to enumerate." He sarcastically termed widespread public opinion as a "supposedly shocking revelation that she favored the 'bridge to nowhere' before rejecting it, as if public officials never change their view as they learn more."

I don't presume to speak for everyone who has been critical of Palin's claims regarding the bridge, but as for this voter, I don't care one way or the other how many times she may "change her view" about the bridge or any other issue. What I do care deeply about is that she lied about it. She portrayed herself as a noble defender of the taxpayers' interest by bragging about how she told Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks" and insinuated that she had taken some brave stance against Congressional waste and porkbarrel spending. She repeated this pretense many times after the original version was dispersed in her GOP convention speech -- pretty much every chance she got to speak into a microphone.

The truth is that she dropped the idea only after it was already dead and only after Congress had already removed the earmark. Her "change of view" came about only when her view became a political liability. Judging the facts of the case, I believe that was the sole reason for her "change of view" -- that it was simply borne of political self-preservation, and not from a single iota of noble cause.

To have political candidates attempting to spoonfeed lies to the voters is hard enough to swallow (yes, pun intended) but to have journalists try to convince us that the candidates' motives aren't what they are is enough to make one puke.

Beyond the Rhetoric

2008-09-19T13:36:00.010-05:00

In 1968 Roger Ailes, a TV producer and campaign consultant for Richard Nixon, said, "Television is no gimmick, and nobody will ever be elected to major office again without presenting themselves well on it."

And my, how they try. We are bombarded with television and other media hype from the candidates seeking to present themselves well and to present their opponents as the complete opposite.

To aid you in separating the wheat from the chaff, we reccommend the following purveyors of fine truth:

http://www.factcheck.org/ and http://www.politifact.com/

The Living Room Candidates

2008-09-19T13:36:00.009-05:00

Since the 1950s political candidates have been showing up in our living rooms to try to persuade us to vote a certain way. Check out http://www.livingroomcandidate.com/ to take a look back in history at the methods they've employed in their attempts to sway the masses.

Poor, injured Sarah... what, she can dish it out, but she can't take it?

2008-09-11T21:37:00.005-05:00

(click here to view)

Victor Harville
Stephens Media Group
Sep 11, 2008

EditorialCartoonists.com

So, it's okay for Sarah Palin to insult every community organizer in the country in an underhanded swipe at Obama, but when he uses a very common, very old euphemism for... oh, I suppose I'd call it pretense -- you know, making something look better than it really is.... then he's name-calling?? Please.

Integrity Trumps Pretense 2.0: Sarah Says...

2008-09-11T20:07:00.005-05:00

Okay, folks, here's a lovely example of an Integrity vs. Pretense situation. Sarah Palin has repeatedly claimed to have rejected Congress's offer to fund the "bridge to nowhere" in her homestate by telling them, "Thanks, but no, thanks. If Alaska wants to build a bridge, we'll build it ourselves." That, I submit, is pretense and it is my position that pretense and integrity cannot co-exist on an issue -- they are mutually exclusive. Click on this post's title to read the related article.

Integrity Trumps Pretense

2008-09-10T10:06:00.003-05:00

Is it just me, or are there other like-minded political junkies out there who are just about fed up to the gills with candidates' pretending to be perfect? I'm not sure how many more times I can stand to hear them refute their own words by claiming to have been misquoted or misinterpreted before I... well, I'm not sure what I'll do, but I have a feeling it won't be pretty.
Maybe the fault lies with us bloggers, or with other forms of media. Have we so completely cowed them that they are just scared to death to say what they mean and mean what they say? If that's the case, then why does political "mud-slinging" continue? That's one I'd like to scare them out of.
There's a lot of stuff percolating in my mind on this topic, but at the moment, I have to cut it short to get to class. Stay tuned.

2007-03-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

Sprite Commercial

Uncle Sam Photos

2006-12-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

So. In response to Jeremy's most latest request for a blog, I've pulled up a few photos upon which I wrote my most recent paper, entitled The Many Faces of Uncle Sam. I found it was really interesting to see how the original poster has been manipulated throughout the past century to express different political rhetoric and also to notice how it was the artist went about achieving that effect. Consider some of the photos below for yourself.... -Scarlett

Favorite Political Pictures

2006-12-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

Ben Cardin gets passionate.

I think this picture got my mother to vote for him.

I love this. Martin O'Malley shows off his abilities with kids. If that didn't get parents to vote for him, I don't know what did.

Master’s Choice selectors know of no better blog

2006-12-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

The power of Ethos and Pathos defies logic (literally). It works, and that's why it’s used everywhere.

In this picture we see a bag of generic frozen corn from the supermarket SuperFresh. You may notice the subtext on the package. It reads:

"Master’s Choice selectors know of no other sweeter or more tender corn."

Really?

Master’s Choice has Ethos?

The name that SuperFresh has given to a line of generic products has the credibility to speak about the quality of corn?

By definition this is the same exact corn sold in 50 different supermarkets across the country. Surely it’s excellent corn, but are we so taken with Master’s Choice ability to pick cheap food that we can invent an Ethos for them?

The answer is yes. Not because Master’s Choice has Ethos, but because Ethos has Ethos and people aren’t interested in the truth. It doesn’t matter who says it’s good, just that somebody says it’s good. Even if that somebody is a fictional company created to give generic packaging a little more pizzazz.

Logic doesn't stand a chance.

Rockwell Meets Scandal

2006-12-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

This image is a priceless parody. A Rockwell-esque style (think traditional American Values, Campbell's Soup and Mom's Apple Pie) poster with an innocent enough scene.... except when you realize it is Mark Foley!! For all the conservative right wing neocons who believe that the Republican Party really stands for everything good, wholesome, and the good ole American way, where are they when their scandals hit the news? They are the first ones to jump in front of a camera when there is even a hint of impropriety on the part of a Dem. Meanwhile (admitting that I am a Democrat), I didn't see any Democrats screaming into a camera about the Republican party as a whole when the Foley scandal hit. What does that tell you about the direction of the two parties?

The Thrilla in Owings Milla

2006-12-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

The incumbent appears on edge from the beginning--his posture almost prehistoric; his hands constantly moving from praying to waving frantically; he’s unsure as to whether he should speak to the camera (and therefore the people) or the moderator; his suit rolls up tight on his shoulders pulling the sleeves to his elbows and exposing multiple 'charity bracelets'; and finally he gestures with an open hand toward his challenger; who deftly looks offstage as though there’s something there that requires his attention--like an Ali rope-a-dope he moves away from the image-based rhetorical challenge of his opponent...

AND so goes the first 20 seconds of Maryland’s “not so live” 2006gubernatorial debate.

After watching, recording and reviewing the debate several times, I drew the simple conclusion that these were two different characters—or at the very least, two different characters for the moment. Ehrlich admitted he did not prepare and brought the unscripted swagger and off-the-cuff demeanor that carried him throughout his term. While this was a demeanor that may have played well on his home ‘turf’, it probably failed with the objective viewer who was looking for forensics or facts---versus Aristotle's Epideictic or Ceremonial rhetoric. Instead of laying out the plan for the next term of his Administration, Ehrlich jeered, veered and cheered the viewers into sticking with him. He was and is very good at this role and depending on your expectations, he was at his best.

Conversely, O’Malley was well-scripted, fully-prepared and frighteningly ‘wired’ at times. It was as though someone wound him up and sat him in the chair; then hit the on-switch. However, in the end, and when he moved himself to the position of informed-aggressor, O’Malley would have realized great gains in the hearts and minds of the objective voter---had the events received extensive TV coverage. He was clearly the better-prepared of the two candidates; and his command of the data, facts and issues (forensics) o overcame the pathos-style of Ehrlich.

In the end, no one could have missed the sharp contrast between the two participants and while it wasn't the “Thrill in Manila” it was truly worthwhile if only for the purpose of gleaning data on the finer points of rhetorical image and word analysis.

A Rhetorical Stank

2006-12-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

Here is an image of President Bush that's been attached to a popsicle stick and stuck into a pile of dog shit near the sidewalk in Baltimore, MD. The artist is anonymous and their intentions vague, but surely we can glean some information about the text with a good rhetorical analysis.

Obvously, this is a case of the medium affecting the message. It must be one of the few, if not the first, rhetorical texts to use un-scooped dog poop as a medium. Un-scooped dog poop is the bane of urban dweller. It’s a filthy, smelly mess that gets stepped in and tracked into the house; it’s the product of rude, inconsiderate lawbreakers with no regard for their fellow humans; and it’s just another someone else’s mess that we’re going to have to clean up.

Now what could this have to do with George W. Bush? Is there some sort of association the artist would like us to make? Apparently so.

It’s easy to imagine the artist as a member of the urban liberal elite; well-educated, wealthy, and with a little bit of time on his hands. Perhaps they’re a responsible dog owner fed up with the irresponsibility of other dog owners and they’re using these flags as a call to arms for citizens to stand up and pay attention to the lawbreakers. Perhaps they want us to do something about the travesties and injustice being perpetrated against people all over the world … ‘er in Hampden.

It’s also apparent (through analysis) that the intended audience is the artist’s liberal contemporaries and the rhetorical appeal is Ethos. The audience’s opinion of the credibility and character of George W. Bush is such that his portrait makes for the perfect marker to bring attention to the un-scooped dog poop problem in this city. His Ethos will certainly have a powerful persuasive influence on this audience.

Look at this face (the one on the right):

2006-12-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

Saber beats Rock

2006-11-30T14:06:00.000-05:00

WHEN THE LIE'S SO BIG

2006-11-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

Hey guys Happy Thanksgiving. I found this while looking for pics for the November project. Hope you find it as interesting as I did.

http://flickr.com/photos/95769784@N00/56113108/

Baltimore Immigration Summit

2006-11-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

I was on a panel for the Baltimore Immigration Summit earlier today. It was an interesting experience in terms of getting an incredibly intense overview of the state of immigration in Baltimore City, especially in light of the recent election and changing control of the government. The event was very, very political and themed in response to the recent attempts to build a wall along the Mexican border. The event's subtitle was "Building Bridges" (as in, instead of building walls to divide, let's build bridges to connect).

The keynote speaker, Juan Carlos Ruiz, was very involved in the protests of last spring and the recent senetorial election in Virginia. He spoke about working to organize immigrant communities in political action and activity - and when it came to discussing the attitude of former-sen. Allen, Ruiz actually called him Senator Mucaca.

So, yeah, just wanted to put that out there. Because even my presentation (based heavily in history) ended up being heavily political; almost every question I was asked by the audience was about the state of governance in Baltimore City and political activity in the Korean-American community.

News ... ?

2006-11-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

Rhetoric, nay, propaganda:

Here

Voting brings the crazies out

2006-11-07T23:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I went in and voted for O'Malley, Cardin, Della, McHale, etc. Lucky me, I get to vote at my church. Of course, I was wearing my Della/McHale t-shirt with my coat and sweatshirt unzipped when I walked in.

The lady gave me a dirty look, but she didn't say anything. I didn't know not to walk in with my shirt showing. I voted and then went outside to pass out papers for Della and McHale with four other people. It was a lot of fun. Brian McHale is a really nice guy. I met him about 6 years ago.

Well, this crazy guy came up and flipped out on us. He screamed at us at first thinking we were supporting Kimos. Then he called the four people we were supporting idiots.

After that, he made fun of Brian McHale for having been a long shoreman. He said he wasn't good enough to be a politician. First, he was complaining about rich people. Then he complained about McHale for being of the wrong class. I was angry, to say the least.

He began talking about public schools, saying they were all bad except Poly. I told him I went to Poly and what it was really like. He got angry and said that I was just one person and my experience didn't count.

Then he made fun of us for living in this neighborhood all our lives, saying it wasn't ours anymore and it belonged now to all the upperclass people and stuff like that. The rest of the time was great.

Surveillance: videotape as visual rhetoric

2006-11-06T23:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know if anyone else has been following the debate over civilian videotaping of police activity, but some citizens in West Baltimore who have been videotaping police in their neighborhood have been receiving alot of press attention, from the Baltimore Sun to CBS News. Citizens see the video as a form of self-defense from what they consider to be overly aggressive behavior by cops. Disgraced former police chief and current radio talk-show host Ed Norris is so outraged by community counter-surveillance that he actually called on police to respond only to emergency calls, but ignore the corner drug dealers if citizens didn't appreciate police enough to not videotape them.

One thing I thought was interesting is that for the people doing the videotaping, the video provides a vital function in terms of forensic rhetoric, since the ethos of the average black male resident of a large American city is apparently insufficient for complaints of police misconduct to be taken seriously.

Although the official position of the Baltimore City Police Department is that they have no problem with the videotaping--they say they want to know if cops aren't playing by the rules--you can be sure that cops are pissed.

I posted about this in depth on my blog, so I'll just link to that post at the end, since I have video, links to the Sun article, etc. over there. But I wanted to mention something here, since I think the question of video surveillance is an interesting segue to the "image" portion of our seminar. Citizen countersurveillance is a powerful tool, and there's indication that we could see a full-fledged Copwatch program emerge in the coming months.

Turning the cameras back on the cops

The battle over the narrative of 2006

2006-11-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why I omitted the Huffington Post from my blogroll submissions, but it really was a glaring omission. I was just reading an interesting post by Ariana Huffington on the battle to control the meaning of the 2006 election:

"Even before the polls close -- hell, even before they open-- the battle within both parties to control the '06 narrative, to define what the results of this election mean, has already begun.
Tuesday's key fight is the get-out-the-vote ground war, but behind-the-scenes the struggle is to spin the results -- whatever they may be.

Sensing victory in the House, and keeping their fingers crossed on the Senate, the Democratic Party's competing factions -- DLC centrists on one side, progressives on the other -- are eagerly trying to frame the hoped for good news as proof that their side is right."

Read More...

Who is The Party for the Average Joe?

2006-11-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, following an impassioned conversation about free speech (which included whether it was worse to burn a flag or the Constitution but that's another discussion), a law school colleague said "The reason I am a Republican is because it is the working man's party. The Democrats are so elitist that they have lost touch with the average American." (The irony of this statement coming from a future attorney who will most likely be upper middle class was not lost on me by the way).

I was actually flabbergasted and have been churning this statement around in my head ever since. In my mind, the Democrats are the party that fight for the little man/underdog, and the Republicans are the party of the upper-middle and upper class, complete with tax shelters and big business... and I'm not sure if or when that really changed. On strict policy lines, I don't think it has. But perception?

- Did all of this actually change post-9/11?

- Has the war successfully rallied people into believing that the Republican party is the party of the Average Joe?

- Or was it Gingrich and his Contract for America, with the real traction around the "return to traditional values"?

- Or, was it the success of Bush I'm-a-Texan-cowboy-and-the-guy-you-want-to-have-a-beer-with-
despite-having-made-millions-after-my-Ivy-League-education-
and-privileged-background vs. Kerry I'm-clearly-from-the-
Northeast-fought-in-the-war-and-then-protested-it-and-
proudly-went-to-an-Ivy-League-school?

I mean, if the past two presidential elections are any indication, there isn't any overwhelming poll data that I've seen that shows that average Americans are vastly Republican, but maybe people really believe this now.

I'd really be interested in everyone's thoughts about this and the answer to who that party is.

Rhetoric on Rhetoric?

2006-11-03T16:53:00.000-05:00

I heard about this site on the radio today - the ultimate play on political rhetoric. The guy who runs this site is actually a lefty libertarian but Dems and Republicans alike are eating it up.

link to liberalsmustdie

Little more music

2006-11-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

This is Eric Schwartz singing his song. If you're at work plug in the headphones:

Was I the only one who got Kerry's joke?

2006-11-01T23:09:00.000-05:00

I'm suprised no one's posted this. Kerry was speaking to a student audience, encouraging them to get good grades, otherwise, they would, "get stuck in Iraq." I thought this was an obvious jab at Bush and his "C" student remarks,

but then the next day I saw the eruptions that made Kerry's comments= People in the military are stupid. At first Kerry said he wouldn't apologize to anyone, but alas he has come out with an apology after the public outcry.

This is a perfect example of rhetoric manipulation. This is a case in which the artist, and those that back him/her with money, have the ability to literally flip how a communication is decoded by an audience.

The artists that control social action like Kerry have probably been reminded that they are still servant to the giant of public sentiment. It's just a race to see who can prod them in what direction

PSA

2006-10-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

The optimists might be inclined to support net neutrality.

Say here maybe.

See, 'round here even the advertising is intended to raise the level of public discourse

Question

2006-10-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

Is rhetoric always bad? I surf the internet and it seems like that is the general opinion. Any examples of good rhetoric?

No Ads Here

2006-10-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

I’ve been thinking about what Berger writes on pg. 168 of Agitpop:

It is the advertising that pays for the text, which leads me to suggest that the most important genre in most media is the commercial (in electronic media) and the advertisement (in print media).

I don’t suppose anyone disagrees with that suggestion.

We could discuss the consequences of ad-driven mass media on society but instead we’ll ask:

Is advertising the most important genre in new (Information Age) media?

I will suggest not everywhere.

The advertising at web sites whose intention is to raise the level of discourse in society (local or global) is incidental. It exists to support the content, not vice versa. My favorite blogs are all supported by reader donations, site stores, and blogger time and energy. There are advertisements but they support the content, not dictate it. Wikipedia (the most far-reaching and effective media machine invented by man thus far to distribute ~~information~~ knowledge to society) subsists solely on donation and societal time and energy.

Such a phenomenon barely exists in old media and is impossible in old mass media (with the possible exception of NPR/PBS). There are 'zines in cities all over America but they, like Public Access Television, reach a meager audience compared to new media.

If one is an optimist who thinks ad-driven mass media is bad for America, one might find solace in the concept of a non-ad-driven new mass media.

America!

2006-10-24T12:34:00.000-05:00

Here's a song from the movie Team America (by the guys who brought you South Park)with a slide show by some Youtube'r. Careful if you're at work because this one's got a coupla bad words.

My favorite part is the enthusiatic chanting until "Bed, Bath, and beyond!" and "Republicans" (one or two people chant) and then "Sportsmanship!" and "Books!" (no one chants).

More Music

2006-10-24T00:47:00.000-05:00

Here is another Pete Seeger song, played to a homemade video. Its word, image, and sound create a powerful message, if you ask me.

Waist Deep in the Big Muddy

I think Betsy played this in class.

Music

2006-10-23T23:40:00.000-05:00

From brucespringsteen.net:

BRING THEM HOME!: NEW BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RECORDING!
Click on the links below to hear Bruce Springsteen's version of Pete Seeger's "Bring Them Home (If You Love Your Uncle Sam)".

Penned by Pete Seeger during the Vietnam War, "Bring Them Home" quickly acquired anthemic power in the anti-war movement. Springsteen first recorded the song in January 2006 and added a final lead vocal during his European tour, at a studio in Oslo, Norway. His poignant rendition, performed frequently on the Seeger Sess ions tour, adds several new verses and connects the song to a much earlier topic al song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." "Bring Them Home" was written in 1965 and originally released on Pete's 1971 Columbia album, "Young vs. Old."

Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band "Bring 'em Home"

Also, here is the Pete Seeger original

The death of habeas corpus

2006-10-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

Betsy asked me to post these links to Keith Olbermann examining the Military Commision's Act of 2006. You can read or watch the "text".

link 1

link 2

Happy Blogging, Red or Blue

2006-10-23T20:02:00.000-05:00

I came across this and thought it was most appropriate for our class. This is an excerpt of the Supreme Court's opinion in a 1949 case where a man protested by screaming "snakes" and "bedbugs" in referring to various political groups.

"A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it induces a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or even stirs people to anger."

Terminello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1 (1949).

Good off topic post

2006-10-23T17:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry about my completely off topic post. However, it was an article that was sent to me and i think it needs to be shared. It is, for me, a different type of rhetoric, thats closer to home as it affects me everyday. I think it is an issue that we need to pay more attention to. It would be great to know what you guys think.

October 16, 2006
Why Aren't We Shocked?
By BOB HERBERT
OP-ED COLUMNIST(NYT)

"Who needs a brain when you have these?"

- message on an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt for young women

In the recent shootings at an Amish schoolhouse in rural Pennsylvania and a large public high school in Colorado, the killers went out of their way to separate the girls from the boys, and then deliberately attacked only the girls. (...)

Read the whole article followed by a long discussion thread

What did YOU do last night?

2006-10-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

So. Great Fiday night for me. I went down to DC for the annual National Italian American Foundation gala. It's a big deal. Usually lots of celebrities and things like that. I walk in with my guest about half an hour late and who is speaking when I walk through the door?

NONE OTHER THAN GEORGE W BUSH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!

So I got to hear the president speak FIRSTHAND, interesing since ive been looking at his speeches for weeks. It was amazing. I almost cried, and I trembled a little bit, and I giddy with excitement! I took a few pictures and a video, which I loaded onto Youtube. Just wanted to share it with you. I don't know what any of you did with YOUR weekends, but I'll bet I am the only one that was part of a private audience for the President :)

Good Question

2006-10-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

Shouldn't they know this stuff?
link

Continuing My Diatribe

2006-10-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

I think this is an interesting synopsis of the Administration's position on the Military Commissions Act and why I believe they would be more than happy to suspend habeaus corpus for any American citizen who might possibly be connected to something nefarious. Does this remind anyone of a certain, um, Joe McCarthy?

Here's the link

A Series of Tubes

2006-10-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

So, you don't have to look very far to find some treatises on the political and economic significance of free and open source software (FOSS), cryptography, and various other technologies. Computer geeks tend to have really interesting politics, with a fiercely libertarian streak. They also tend to have odd political arguments, partially because their world, where logic always wins, is in many ways the opposite of the world of politics. Not surprisingly, though, the geeks understand that world much better than politicians understand technology. One such argument just popped up on what is perhaps the most important technology news site in the world, if only because it is the most revered such site among the people who actually create the technologies that make news. So, anyhow, you should read (and participate in) this lively discussion about technological innovation, political rhetoric, the United States government, and the nature of democracy.

Sophistry

2006-10-18T14:42:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you remember Betsy talking about her concerns with rhetoric and its slide into sophistry, this is from Stacy Schiff:

"...the treacherous province of cutting and pasting, of history plucked from both text and time. Now we are Photoshopping rather than airbrushing, with enough slicing and dicing, an argument can be made for anything. The doctorate in sophistry is optional." Stacy Schiff, Desperately Seeking Susan. NYTimes Op-Ed. 13 October 2006

(No it's not about the movie but Schiff's disenchantment with Susan B. Anthony)

evol...I mean... intelligently designing through academic activities

2006-10-17T19:59:00.000-05:00

After class today, the Flying Spaghetti Monster came up (I was using it as an example of the action I'd like to take regarding the upcoming House Bill 1215 referendum in South Dakota).

I was surprised to learn that our esteemed professors had never heard of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Open Letter to the Kansas school board.

It's an interesting site, however he recently restructured it so I can't direct you to the fun part like the conversion game (practice for any future missionaries).

Also, because of Swaim's affection for wikipedia, I considered linking it's amusing opposite but it contains some really offensive material so if you want to look it up independently, I encourage that (but I'm not going to actually put it on a class website). So if you are interested, google uncyclopedia. It's built with the wiki script so it even looks exactly the same as wikipedia.

Military Commissions Act

2006-10-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

So President Bush signed today legislation that should worry all of us. It will be interesting to see if anyone actually challenges the legislation in court. I'd be interested to hear Paul's point of view but I don't think, given both the current composition of the Supreme Court and given earlier cases the Court has decided, that the Court will overturn the legislation. In Korematsu v. U.S., a case some of you may remember as the "Japanese internment case" where a US citizen of Japanese descent was sent to a detention center during World War II because of a concern about persons of Asian descent on US soil attacking the mother land. The Court, while saying that the Constitution, particularly the 14th Amendment, doesn't allow for classifications based on race, in that instance they upheld the practice because of the circumstances of war. The Court may uphold this law for the same reason... we'll just have to wait and see.

Of course, this is just another opportunity for the establishment to paint the ACLU, which actually was created to sustain Constitutionally-granted civil liberties, and the Democrats as soft, crunchy liberals that border on Communists.

Word * Image * Sound

2006-10-17T13:42:00.000-05:00

Rhetoric to enjoy:

Words about Words: I actually didn't know half of these but they're kind of fun [these will all appear in my next paper] (words)
12 Warning Signs of Fascism: rhetoric against the rhetoric (images)
Peace Not War and the jukebox: various artists (sounds)

And one extra 'words' sample because it is wonderful: How To Debunk Just About Anything (read "part 1" - the middle section).

Easy, Lucky, Free

2006-10-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

So I was having a hard time choosing music to post, since most of the political music I like is punk-influenced anarchist folk music. And they don't usually make music videos, so it's hard to find that stuff on YouTube. And I haven't gotten to upload any MP3s to my web space yet, so I thought I'd go another direction.

I picked a video by an artist that isn't usually thought of as political, but rather as lovesick whiny boy emo music. But Bright Eyes, aka Conor Oberst, is actually very politically involved, from over on the far left where I like to sit. This video, "Easy, Lucky, Free," is from 2003, I believe, when we were still being lied into the Iraq war, and still being told that shopping was the ultimate patriotic act. Anyhow, enough commentary from me. Here's the video:

Music, right?

2006-10-16T16:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, this was from the National Day of Prayer 2006. I don't have to explain why that's political, right?

I somehow don't think the situation in Iraq fits the honor God message, but don't pay any attention to me. My brain actually works, unlike the president's.

I still think we should have had to sing this in class...but then, I do bad karaoke. I don't remember anyone not wanting to sing this after 9/11, but I may just have been too numb to notice.

This song has always struck me as political. It may be the use of the word freedom. It's also rather idealistic and unrealistic.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright...say your prayers and sleep tight."

If the song is applied to current events, it sounds like blind trust, which is what way too many people had in Bush. I know my dislike of him comes out a lot, but I don't think I could hold it back if I tried. (I am not, however, saying the song has anything to do with him. I'm not even sure when it was recorded. Before 9/11, I think.)

"Lend your voices only to sounds of freedom. No longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from. Fill your lives with love and bravery, and you shall lead a live uncommon."

I wish it was that simple. The soldiers dying in Iraq may be brave, but they are dying for no reason. I wish this country would stop lending it's strength to that which it wishes to be free from. A war against terrorism? Bull. There is no such thing. Fighting for peace? Ridiculous. What does this country really want?

It's funny how songs come to have new meaning in one's mind.

No protest music? Hmmm...

2006-10-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

Much as I sometimes hate to admit it (as a father of two middle schoolers) I actually love Mr. Mathers' music (Slim Shady or Eminem to you younger folks :).

Good news for me is that he became politically active in 2004 when he released a video and accompanying lyrics prior to the 04 elections. Some media outlets still suspect the now-infamous "Mosh" single and video actually influenced the higher-than-expected younger voter turnout. I am not convinced it was borne of Eminem's efforts but do believe that the composite efforts of this type of music and imagery along with other musician outreach from the folks at Moveon and their tour did have a profound influence on the way younger people think about politics...whether it energized them enough to vote or take action remains to be seen.

In any case, the link to the Mosh video and music is pasted below. Note that there are now two versions of this -- one representing the pre-04 election period and the re-edited version for post-2004.

I hope I got the html correct:

Link

Paul

..and I know this is supposed to be "MUSIC" week but this song really works best with the accompanying video. Much like the Eddie Vedder clip we saw in class ----- only different.

'Talking Right': Why the Left Is Losing, Linguistically

2006-10-13T23:33:00.000-05:00

So I know we're shifting from words to music, but this was too good not to throw in... I just caught an interview with linguist Geoff Nunberg on an old podcast of WHYY's Fresh Air (NPR). He wrote a book that was published earlier this year, and... well, why don't I ljust quote from npr.org:

"In his new book, Talking Right, linguist Geoff Nunberg examines the parlance of the American political right. Conservatives, Nunberg notes, have been remarkably effective at creating a language through which to convey their agenda. The subtitle of his book illustrates what he's getting at: "How Conservatives Turned Liberalism into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left-Wing Freak Show."

Nunberg, who teaches at the University of California-Berkeley, is a researcher at the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. He is also the author of Going Nucular and The Way We Talk Now."

You can listen to the interview, as well as read an excerpt from the book, here.

The Investigators

2006-10-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

(Courtesy of The General)

The thousand words

2006-10-11T16:53:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago I posted a picture (here) of some people talking during the 9/11 attacks and asked everyone to talk about their interpretation.

Now here's a link to the article that goes along with the picture: here

The article, by Richard B. Woodward, is entitled Looking Through a Lens and talks about so-called "photoshopping" in the mind, the need for captions, and how "the meanings of photographs are inherently unstable".

Enjoy!

Bush Protest Music

2006-10-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

I think it is interesting that there isn't more "obvious" political protest music in the past decade - at least as compared to the 60s when there was a clear connection between the lyrics and current events.

I heard this guy on NPR over the summer. This is one of the best examples of current, "pop" music where someone is taking a clear slap at the Administration.

Here's the link

Doonesbury

2006-10-10T08:16:00.000-05:00

This is from Betsy. Click on the picture to see a bigger version.

Uhm...how'd I miss this one?

2006-10-09T18:01:00.000-05:00

This is going to be humiliating if we have already talked about this, and I forgot it already (a cognitive failure...retrieval failure, yes?).

It just came to my attention that the dean of the business school is running for comptroller. Of course, I'm a Democrat, so it makes sense that I've ignored her presence in this.

Besides feeling like an idiot, I have that weird skin-crawling feeling. Anyone have any thoughts on this woman as a politician? (Glad I'm a libreal arts student, by the way.)

We have always been at war with Eurasia ...

2006-10-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

Betsy asked me to post this.

Her words:

"Jim just forwarded these images to me--very interesting in terms of the video we just saw. Three different times? If Fox news says that he is a Democrat, and enough people hear them so pronounce, does that make it true even if wrong? The power of an image rattling around in the subconscious minds of whose who have seen it is not insignificant. Hm..."

Here's a link to the other curious Fox News screenshot.

And here's a link to the original post on Brag Blog. They have links to other people talking about it too.

On a music tip:

2006-10-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

Here's a band called I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House
(or SOB for short).

In this review they get called “possibly the most unabashedly political band in the country” and almost everyone who catches a live show calls them one of the best rock and roll bands they’ve ever seen.

They have a wide variety of songs to choose from for this post:

Dear Mr. Heston (about guns)
Rachel Corrie (about the protester killed in Israel)
American Fuck Machine (read the lyrics)

But I’m choosing Westboro Baptist Church. It’s a simple song and to the point.

Click here to listen to the song (on the left click on “Westboro Baptist Church”)

I’m not posting the lyrics on the blog because I don’t want my Grandma to read them. So everyone but Grandma click here and scroll down (it’s the 10th song).

The lyrics are a little dirty (ok a lot) but no one deserves it more than Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, you know, the people that protest funerals (of people who’ve died of AIDS) with signs that say “God hates fags” and other hateful things.

Let’s talk about the rhetoric in the song. What do you think they’re trying to persuade us to think? (not “do”, thank goodness) What kind of an approach are they taking? Who is the audience? Is the style and arrangement of the song important?

The last two verses are my favorite.

A good politician?

2006-10-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

I have been searching for a speech from my favorite politician, Delegate Brian McHale, but I still haven't found one online. I do, however, have him on tape talking briefly. (I wouldn't rely on my own memory, since a few weeks of cognitive psych have convinced me that memory isn't necessarily truth!)

I know some eyes are going to roll because it was a Catholic situation in which this happened. Basically, the pastor at Holy Cross and St Mary's in Federal Hill got kicked out of being the pastor (and no, he wasn't a child molestor...he hired a gay man to play piano...that's the real reason he got kicked out...and no, that's not the official reason given by the Archdiocese of Baltimore...this happened in 2002 and I'm still pissed).

Anyway, Fr Tom Malia got kicked out, and the parishioners decided to protest...at a speech by a few priests from the Archdiocese (we drowned them out by stomping our feet...ok, it was childish), by letters and email, and by holding signs outside of the Archdiocese's office. What does this have to do with Brian McHale? He came along. He's a parshioner at Good Counsel in Locust Point, so he didn't really have any personal reason to show up for this.

I've refused to hear a bad word about the man since. He spoke at this protest, but I think his presence said more than his words. Having talked to him more times than I can count now, I can't see him as anything less than sincere and honest (which I know is naive to say about a politician, but I guess I'm just biased).

All others politicians bore me (in Bush's case, to tears), so this is all I can come out with.

Bush Speeches- Brilliant!

2006-10-02T17:09:00.000-05:00

I always hear poeple complain about Bush's speeches. even in our last class we discussed the fact that his speech writers cant write or dont seem to know how. well after laboring through my two speeches for the paper i realized that his speeches are brilliant. this is not the first time that i have had to analyze a Bush speech, however, i have always watched them prior to reading them if i ever read them at all. this time around i read them before i watched them and it made a big difference. the more I pulled the speech apart is the more i found the the speech writer knew what he or she was doing. the tone, the language, the setting was all perfect. especially in the September 11, 2006 speech. that speech would have driven an average American to action. It was very powerful in its message with its use of patriotism and fear. the next good thing about his speeches is that the writer tailors it to fit him. there are no "big" words, it is very simple. when i was learning to write newspaper articles my professor always told us to write for an audience educated at an 8th grade level. according to him if you did this you would always keep your audience. it is done in a way that they can understand. it is the same tactic that is usedin the speeches. they are written in a wy that the average person can understand. so i will not be so quick to knock Bush's speeches anymore. i think he doesnt know how to present them as well as they have been written. but they are written well.

Worth a thousand words

2006-10-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

What's your interpretation?

R.I.P. U.S.A.

2006-10-01T02:50:00.000-05:00

This is a powerful and appropriate response to the "torture" bill that passed the House and Senate.

Also, an explanation from the guy that created the site.

This is really serious stuff. I'd like to hear the law students in the class weigh in on the bill. Do you think the courts will have anything to say about it?

The Colbert Report spanked the Democrats:

Second Opinion

2006-09-26T00:26:00.000-05:00

We've been reading a lot from the President about the War on Terror, the Iraq war, and the general state of affairs on the five year anniversary of 9/11.

Now, via C&L, comes a different take from Major General John Batiste.

Batiste was delivering a speech to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee on the planning and conduct of the Iraq War. Here's an excerpt:

"...Secretary Rumsfeld and the Administration are fighting
a war in secret that threatens our democratic values. This needs to stop right now, today."
"...we must mobilize our country for a protracted challenge, which must include conveying the "what, why, and how long" to every American, rationing to finance the totality of what we are doing, and gearing up our industrial base in a serious manner. Mortgaging our future at the rate of $1.5 billion a week and financing our great Army and Marine Corps with supplemental legislation must stop."

The Third Way

2006-09-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you remember this but when Clinton first got into office, there was a big push from Clinton and the Democrats to create a "new Democrat"... moving away from the so-called "crunchy" ultra-liberal Democrat to a more centrist form of the party. Alot of off-shoots sprung from that, including the Democratic Leadership Conference and other off-shoots of the party.

Clinton was the first president I voted for (and would vote for him again if I got the chance) so I would claim a New Democrat title. I would label myself in the pro-civil rights, pro-choice, but also for more efficient, sleeker form of government that should stay out of my day-to-day life. I have spent most of my career in the political arena - working for O'Malley for his first term as mayor, then with Franklin during her first term in Atlanta. So now, onto law school, where hopefully the third way really can be found.

Online Tests Are Fun

2006-09-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

(test results removed by siteowner... sorry!)

While I don't affiliate with a political party, I am politically active and opinionated so I decided it would be fun to take some online political tests and see how different ones ranked me (mostly because I have no interest in spouting of my opinion on the 'issues' and decided this would be fun) Above is the one that Scarlett shared. On the political compass Jason shared, I scored a -7.63 for economic left/right and -8.31 social libertarian/ authoritarian.

I also scored libertarian on the world's smallest political quiz (all the way at the top). And on the line between left liberal and libertarian on the On The Issues Quiz.

It was fun to see how my responses to different quizzes were interpreted. But I don't really have anything to say about them - I kind of already had an inkling that I might be a little bit liberal.

9/11

2006-09-22T12:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry for my 9/11 post being so late.

I am very apathetic to 9/11 because frankly worse things happen everyday in the rest of the world. Yes I will agree it was a tragedy and I saw friends crushed by what happened and the loss of friends and family, however these things happen and one simply must move on. What bothers me most about 9/11 was the reasons that were given for why it happened. At the time I was a politics major and all I kept hearing in my classes and in the cafeteria was “it happened because they envious,” “they hate our freedoms,” “they hate our superiority.” My first question was who are they. They meaning Muslims or they meaning the rest of the world. It became a huge debate in my classes till I was practically thrown out for pointing out the we (the rest of the world) don’t envy you (America) for anything. For the simple fact that we all have more important things to worry about than your so called freedoms and superiority.

I am sorry but when my country is being pimped for its bauxite and limestone or being denied the export of it bananas for foreign exchange and having to fight tooth and nail not to have American Nuclear waste dumped into our waters we certainly have better things to care about than US freedoms. When women are being oppressed and trying to fight that oppression, trying not to get genitally mutilated or sold into sex slavery they have more things to worry about than Brittany Spears latest outfit. Them men who are oppressing these women have their hands full in selling them, persecuting them, raping them, mutilating them and fending off outside influences to this behavior to care if Demi Moore is pregnant for Ashton Kucher. For the people in Rwanda who are suffering from Genocide and in Sudan from ethnic cleansing I certainly think they have more to think about and care about than the frivolity happening in the US.

The fact is that what happened on 9/11 had nothing to do with envy but rather frustration. It happened because someone finally got tired of being pushed and pulled by the America. America gets involved when it is not their place to be involved in other countries issues. They like to play the “Big Brother” role which is unnecessary in some cases. They force their beliefs such as democracy on everyone and thee rest of the world should dance to their beat. I remember after 9/11 all my international friends and I where together and we all thought finally, finally America had their bubble burst, finally they know a little piece of what they inflict on the world, finally for once the terrorist is being terrorized. And yes I do see the US as a terrorist because it bullies the rest of the world and we are getting tired of it. And 9/11 happened because someone decided they could no longer dance to the beat. And I agree with Kara America has learned nothing from 9/11 instead it has been milked to enter an unnecessary war, commercialized and used as a tool to keep Americans in fear. And the mere fact that America has learned nothing means that it will happen over and over again. The simple fact is this America needs to get out of other peoples business and concentrate on their problems. In terms of 9/11 shit happens get over it, the rest of the world deals with more trials and tribulations daily, it’s been five years really get over it.

Party Monster

2006-09-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about the results of the Political Compass, as well as this week's assignment to critique a piece of rhetoric from the party (or tendency?) with which you most identify. In class we've pretty much only been talking about the Democratic and Republican parites, wit ha few mentions of the Green Party here and there. The two-party system is IMHO one of the greatest tragedies of the political system in this country. If one is forced to continue with this practice of "representative democracy," the parliamentary system, with its multiple parties, coalition governements, and runoff elections, would be vastly preferable. Even failing tht, however, it might not be bad idea to consider some of the many "third parties" in this country.

Although Lisa identifies as a Dem, and Klipper is interested in the Green Party (but needs more info), their politics actually fall to the left of Ralph Nader, and as such I would suggest looking at the Greens or, perhaps, the Socialist Party USA. SP-USA is a very cool organization. They're multi-tendency, they don't do identity politics, and they're very active in community organizing in areas where they have a bit of density. I was a member of their youth arm, the Young People's Socialist League, when I was in high school.

Scarlett identifies as a Republican, but as I mentioned in a comment on her post, her ideals of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism are the exact opposite of the GOP as it stands today! So, I suggested she take a look at the Libertarian Party. If you like capitalism but want the government out of your bedroom... it's really the only way to go these days.

One could go on all day listing alternate parties. If you like Stalin, there's the Workers' World Party, or the Communist Party USA.

Or maybe you're anti-statist, and the idea of a political party doesn't fit in with your politics; for syndicalists, there are militant unions like the Industrial Workers of the World; or for left-libertarians there are regional federations like the Northeastern Federation of Anarchist Communists (NEFAC).

Well, look around. Maybe you'll find something closer to your own views than your 'affiliation by default.' And it will be a lot more interesting for the assignment to critique rhetoric that's closer to your own views than you thought you might find.

Anyone with a spray can willing to graffiti...

2006-09-21T21:09:00.000-05:00

Just to prove you rhetoric comes in all forms. Took this pic on the way to school from my house this morning. Check it out. click on the picture to enlarge it, it's tough to read when it's small

Democrats Fire Rhetoric Back

2006-09-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

The Democrats are creating their own rhetoric around Bush's pre-midterm election campaign by ressurecting McCarthyism and the Red Scare.... some of their own scare tactics.

Obama Urges Challenge to Bush Policy
By WILL LESTER
The Associated Press
Thursday, September 21, 2006; 12:58 PM

WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday called the view that President Bush has been perfect in fighting terrorism an illusion and urged Democrats to challenge the Bush administration's policies....

Several GOP lawmakers and members of Bush's Cabinet have suggested Democrats are aiding the terrorists and behaving like Nazi appeasers. Democrats have countered that the rhetoric smacks of the McCarthyism of the 1950s. "But we don't always pick our fights, especially when the president has the bully pulpit," he said. His talk was sponsored by the liberal political group Moveon.org. Tracy Schmitt, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, responding to Obama's comments, argued that his Democratic Party's "opposition to the tools imperative to the war on terror illustrates a startling lack of understanding about how to keep America safe.

www.washingtonpost.com

Limiting myself to definitions...

2006-09-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

I exist in class, now to everyone's knowledge, as the token Republican. As I keep emphasizing though, I'm not a super convservative Republican. Actually, I'm a centrist, who falls just right of the line enough to disagree with some democratic things, and according to the politics test I took, I am even slightly totalitarian.... who saw that one coming? :) For instance, death penalty? I'm with Texas on this one. Go ahead and use it as far as I'm concerned. I don't really think it present much of a threat in our society where people sit on the death row for years and years... and years. I'm for more conservative economic laws, that's for sure. But when it comes to social things, I'm a little more liberal. I am adamantly pro-choice. I'm all for animal rights. And I support gun control. This is sooo introspective and explorative of the inner self! lol. (that means laugh out loud for any non gen-x.. or is it gen-y? people in the class). A fun test to take to find out where you fall on the axis is at http://www.okcupid.com/politics ... check it out!

The Decline and Fall of Truth

2006-09-20T23:59:00.000-05:00

In class last Tuesday we briefly touched on the recent review in the New York Times of Frank Rich's new book, The Greatest Story Ever Sold.

I was listening to NPR today (on the actual radio!) and caught a promo for Fresh Air; Frank Rich was the guest, talking about his new book and the 'decline and fall of truth.' I missed it today, but I'm going to listen to it later on the internets.

Links to the Speeches!

2006-09-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

Ok folks. Here we go:

All the speeches in September: Here

Specifically we're to work with these three:

September 5th
September 7th
September 11th

For readers unfamiliar:

Our assignment this week is to write a paper analyzing the rhetoric in these speeches in the context of Berger and Aristotle.

Perhaps when we get the papers back we'll post some excerpts.

Torture

2006-09-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

this guy's having a rough day in guantanamo...maybe bush's stress position is to hold that face for 24 hours.

Bush's pacification interrrogations

Thought it was funny since we were talking about the topic of supposed torture on the part of the U.S. military. Crazy how the person that got the supreme court to rule on military tribunals in Guantanamo was a Yemeni guy being held there that was Bin Laden's bodyguard and driver...hahah, land of the free!!! only in America...pretty interesting.

As far as political stances go...I believe 99% of politicians are crooks. I do, however, find myself nodding more often than not when I listen to 680 AM. I believe there is a right and a wrong and love things that make sense. I wish the government would get the heck out of my life and pocketbook. I believe that the rights of others should be sought after as long as they do not infringe on the rights of me and mine. PEACE!

I'm a Democrat. but you knew that

2006-09-19T17:36:00.000-05:00

I'm sort of obvious like that I guess. Don't want abortion to be illegal. Want the death penalty gone. (However, I don't support human cloning. It's irresponsible to use a procedure on humans that sheep couldn't survive. Do the research. There is no and has never been a healthy cloned mammal.) I'm against euthanasia, and don't get me started on what I thought about Terri Shiavo. And I believe there is no Constitutional reason for not allowing gay civil marriage (and yes I did say civil-requiring churches to allow gay marriage is not compatible with freedom of religion).
Ok, I'm taking the quiz Jason suggested now. I'm too tired to deal with html, so here my cheap copy and paste. Economic Left/Right: -5.00 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.62
(The other half of the assignment-analyzing some piece of rhetoric from my political party-will come later, when I'm not dead tired.)

Lisa

Left, Right, Up, Down, Ana, Kata...

2006-09-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

So, today toward the end of class, we were talking about our personal political affiliations, and the difficulty of defining our politics by party, or by simple political labels like "conservative" or "liberal." One of the greatest flaws of the political system in this country is that the political spectrum is narrowed to two positions which are actually almost identical, in terms of the full political spectrum, and then those positions are presented as opposite ends of the realm of possible political stances. As Noam Chomsky says, the Democrats and the Republicans are just the two wings of the Business Party.

One way to see where you stand in terms of the broader range of political positions is by taking the quiz at www.politicalcompass.org. It charts your position on two axes, a Left-Right economic x-axis, and a Authoritarian-Libertarian social y-axis.

I might as well come out. I'm a libertarian communist, or, if you prefer, Anarchist Communist. But I already knew that.

You can see my graph by clicking this link. Don't worry if that doesn't make sense, it will after you take the test and see the full analysis.

I think it would be interesting if other people took the quiz and linked to their charts in the comments... your results might surprise you!

Who am I? . . . or is it "Who I am"

2006-09-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

Meat-eating, gun-owning, dirt-bike riding, ice-hockey player and coach who owns an SUV, a powerboat and 2 jetskis while passionately embracing the philosophy that govt should help the less fortunate; protect an individual's right to privacy; provide for the best interests of children; and protect the environment . . . in a fiscally responsible manner.

I've had the unique opportunity to serve in a govt political appointment for five years; with 17 years as a professional in the natural resources field working to make MD. a better place. Feel free to ask me how I justify my 'toys' while suggesting protection of the environment....I've been through it before and enjoy a good discussion.

I've also had the unusual privilege of working for two different political parties in Maryland and I am looking forward to November like a football nut awaits the Superbowl.

Of course, no political party serves my interests completely so my solution was to attend law school and use the LAW (the second most powerful tool after Rhetoric) to rewrite the govt 'playbook' and some day (when my two wonderful kids are grown and working to change the world themselves), my lovely bride and I will campaign for political office and change this mess from the inside-out running on a philosophy that we can protect the environment while meeting the demands of our 'social omnivore' lifestyles; and do it in a fiscally conservative manner.

Ciao!
Paul

At least for starters...

2006-09-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the Washington Post article we're talking about right now:

Bush Team Casts Foes as Defeatist

I hope that helps.

Prophylactic punctuation

2006-09-19T02:00:00.000-05:00

Can you have too many Daily Show posts on one blog? Let's hope not.

In this clip, John Stewart analyzes a tendency in the news media to skirt libel by presenting headlines as questions. Can you say anything you want if you're just "asking?" Moreover, what happens when the media we... well, some people... (theoretically still) rely on for information become incapable of presenting us with a simple declarative statement? By turning everything into a question, are the news media really indicating their inability (or refusal) to question anything?

Bush's 9/11 Remarks

2006-09-19T00:59:00.000-05:00

I think I found a perfect example of what Orwell was talking about in Bush's 9/11 remarks:

On this solemn anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to this cause. Our Nation has endured trials – and we face a difficult road ahead. Winning this war will require the determined efforts of a unified country. So we must put aside our differences, and work together to meet the test that history has given us. We will defeat our enemies … we will protect our people ... and we will lead the 21st century into a shining age of human liberty.

The other Side of 9-11

2006-09-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, so there's been a lot of 9-11 rhetoric coming along lately from politicians,tv stations and the like. Not to be outdone, Al Queda, using Islam as their shield, is using the holy month Ramadan as a special warning time for an attack on Americans. I quote, "..., now we have fresh edicts from some prominent Muslim scholars to destroy our enemy." (Dawood in article below)The scheming attackers have supposedly gone so far as to change their names to common christian names and the head al queda guy in Afghanistan, Dawood, is calling the new attack the second Hiroshima. watch out. This new threat comes right on the heels of 9-11, I think, in order to counteract the United States' attempts to use the attack to bolster support for efforts in Afghanistan and the Middle East. The terrorist mentions is sure to mention it in his article.

He talks about one man that will participate in the attack, " He is very well known in Al Qaeda. He is an American and a friend of Muhammad Atta, who led 9/11 attacks five years ago. We call him "Jaffer al Tayyar" ["Jafer the Pilot"]; he is very brave and intelligent. Bush is aware that brother Adnan has smuggled deadly materials inside America from the Mexican border. Bush is silent about him, because he doesn't want to panic his people.

I think this is interesting because these guys are obviously paying attention to domestic politics in this country and playing into the conspiracy that Bush knew about the 9-11 attacks and could have prevented them. These guys are playing on the radical rhetoric in the U.S to play on emotions and try and swing the tide of support more in their favor...very clever, however see-through it is.

read the full article here