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- While the debate over Afghanistan has certainly played out on terms that the right wing has laid exclusive claim to since 9/11, I think it's more complicated to say that deference to the military in the United States by political leaders is evidence that we are living in a "center-right" nation. The political consensus over having a permanent global military presence promoting "freedom" was forged over 60 years ago, under Democratic and Republican presidents, and well before the parties ideologically realigned themselves.
- To come full circle on how the Climate Change Conspiracy Theory affects policy to deal with global warming, it's important to understand that belief in the conspiracy precedes any effort to dismiss the science of climate change. When Bradford Plumer regards the conservative feeding frenzy over "climategate" as absurd, what he's seeing are ideologues who have a preconceived notion about the ulterior motives behind climate science looking for any evidence to confirm their crackpot theory. Such thinking does not lend itself to noticing errors in logic and causation.
- It's not shocking that the Republican approach to economic recovery espoused by Eric Cantor is the same approach they always take to economic matters: deregulate, freeze spending, cut taxes. Nor will you find an economics textbook anywhere that says you should only consider raising taxes once unemployment reaches some unrealistically low, arbitrary number. But given the economic illiteracy of the public and the overall jobs picture, why wouldn't the GOP try the same voodoo again?
- Remainders: I hope Harry Reid is sincere in his desire to prevent a GOP temper tantrum over health-care reform; Jim Webb is not bargaining in good faith on climate change; it was only a matter of time before The Onion filed this report; an AP science writer spends 1,000 words comparing the president to a fictional TV character from 40 years ago; and will there be a surge in military contractors?
--Mori Dinauer
