Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Bush Barbarians At the Gate

I always believed that society and civilization would move forward and advance.  It would not be a steady advancement; there would be setbacks, wars and disease. But from one generation to the next, the condition of mankind progresses.

After all, many devastating diseases were eradicated, electricity and telephones brought to the far corners of our nation in the twentieth century, and recently, to most corners of the world.

And humanity is smarter. We know what provokes and what incites people to violence, despair, anger and revenge.

I was never so innocent to believe that every moment would make the world safer; I was raised in the shadow of the nuclear bomb. But my belief was steadfast that societies and civilizations would advance, become more humane, more generous, more caring and more intelligent, especially when dealing with sensitive matters.

I still believe that.

I am also convinced that two or three hundred years from now, when historical analysis is finalized, the Bush administration will be noted with the Hitler years as two of the major setbacks in the advancement of mankind. 

This is not to say that the atrocities of Hitler are in any way comparable to the the miscalculations of the Bush Administration.  It is to say that the enormity and barbaric decision making of the Bush Administration had the same consequences in turning the civilized world into chaos and despair.

From allowing the advent of war without knowing the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite, to executing Saddam Hussein on the eve of a significant Muslim holiday, it is evident that ideology, perseverance, and warmongering can be overwhelmed by an even more significant driver, stupidity.

Peter Munoz, the Real Conservative in the Race

This week the conservative staffer to former Mayor Sue Bauman (1997-2003) announced his own candidacy for mayor of Madison. Munoz launched his bid with an interview with The Capital Times:

An aide to former Mayor Sue Bauman from 1997 until 2003, Munoz said he worked very hard to get Cieslewicz elected in 2003..."I had worked very hard on the annexation agreement with the town of Madison and the city of Fitchburg as part of the Bauman administration. Soglin said he would do anything in his power to undo that. Soglin also opposed the merger of the county and city public health departments. We needed that too," Munoz said today.

Munoz is clearly trying to prevent Cieslewicz from getting all of the credit for the health merger and the annexation venture, and claims pride of authorship.  The problem is that, as predicted, both programs were a total failure:

• The city of Madison always used its Public Health Department as part of a team to combat environmental problems such as the remediation of landfills, normally seen as an engineering matter.  When the city Water Utility failed to confront water quality issues for three years, the newly merged City-County Health department was unavailable.
• The city Department of Public Health was an indispensable part of the Neighborhood Resource Teams (NRT), which fought crime and poverty in various neighborhoods.  The merger all but gutted the heatlh role in the NRTs and left the city ineffective in dealing with poverty.
• Madison's annexation agreement with Fitchburg and the Town of Madison resulted in continual administrative failures in planning and development, including the Mortensen project on the Beltline, but more importantly, resulted in the the City of Madison subsidizing the Town of Madison to the tune of over a million dollars a year. 
• The city covers police and fire protection for the Town as well as feeling the fiscal and human toll of the town's inadequate response to crime and poverty. It must be great to have a 'foreign aid' policy when the resources are needed by Madison taxpayers.

Munoz's agenda comes with some benefit. He accurately accuses the Mayor of having a fixed agenda with no real belief in public participation:

"The trolley initiative comes from the mayor's vision. It is not based on any public outcry that we need that form of public transportation," Munoz said.

"The mayor has a clear vision of what he wants. But we live in a magnificent democracy, especially here in Madison where democracy really works."

Munoz said: "I take issue with the mayor's strong vision. I especially object to trying to ram it down people's throats. I don't want to build a pedestal for his vision."

Municipal budgets should be frugal, he added. "The Metro system is in great need of help and spending resources we don't have on streetcars seems, on face value, not a good choice." However, Munoz said, the final determination should be based on solid research.

Ford's Real Legacy

Gerald Ford's real legacy is not the pardon of Richard Nixon, although that act did save the modern Republican Party and Nixon's ass, not to mention his reputation.  It's not sparing us from legal termoil and the possibility that Nixon could've gotten off, despite what one of WaxingAmerica's heroes, Stanley Kutler, fears:

Can you imagine if Richard Nixon went to trial? There would have been years of proceedings and he would have made a mockery of the legal system, tying it up in knots, and possibly even winning a reversal of judgment.

  Ford wisely ended the matter, Kutler said, adding, "The acceptance of a pardon is acknowledgement of guilt."

(Ford) believed that it was essential to get this out of the way, and didn't realize that he created further problems for himself.

Ford's real legacy is the root of our current situation.  It was Ford that elevated Donald Rumsfeld from US Ambassador to NATO to White House Chief of Staff, and then to Secretary of Defense.  It was Ford that allowed Rumsfeld to bring in his toady, Dick Cheney, as Assistant to the President, and then appoint Cheney to replace Rumsfeld.  These two hadn't had their hands directly on the steering wheel of the entire federal government before then, just significantly smaller pieces of it.  Rumsfeld and Cheney managed to screw quite a bit up by the end of Ford's term, but unlike Ford, they were only getting started.

Of course, we must also remember that Ford appointed George H.W. Bush to Chief of the Liason Office to China, and then to head the CIA.  Do I have to explain why that was not a good appointment?

(And it was Ford that kept Henry Kissinger on as Secretary of State, and allowed him to corruptly engineer the end of the Vietnam War and pick up a Nobel Peace Prize  for it to boot, when, in fact, Henry K should have been indicted for war crimes. But that's another rant.)

- Barry Orton

Best 35-Year Old Xmas Song (War Is Over)

John and Yoko's 1971 "Happy Xmas (War is Over) still stands up well, 35 years later.  Crooks and Liars has the YouTube link, and Wikipedia has the history.

War Is Over! (If You Want It)

- Barry Orton

Sales Tax Reform: Wisconsin Merchants Federation

In a refreshing bit of news last week, the Wisconsin Merchants Federation (WMF) announced it was supporting a sales tax on items purchased via the Internet.  This loophole, failure to collect the sales tax on out-of-state Internet sales, has plagued the states and the federal government for the past decade, and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

WMF, which was not part of the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce's (WMC) incessant attacks on liberal politicians, continues to show thoughtful consideration on matters of public policy.  While progressives may still find themselves in disagreement with many of WMF's positions, WMF is a necessary component of any discussion about improving the quality of life in Wisconsin. 

WMF's website is down for repair, but I will provide a link when it is available.

For a thoughtful discussion on the subject, see the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) position paper, The Impact of Electronic Commerce on Local and State Tax Systems.  USCM worked diligently with progressive organizations to implement reform in this area in 2000, but was thwarted every step of the way by a right wing Congress.

James Brown Has Finally Left The Stage

Rest In peace, James Brown.  Charles Hughes's tribute at Shot of Rhythm is right on target:

..."Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)" is still one of the most important singles of the modern era, a proud and loving celebration of blackness that won't ever go out of style. We can't quit, until we get our share. For a man whose life began at the very bottom of America's socio-economic ladder, the triumph inherent in the snapping snare and insistent call-and-response of "Say It Loud" is affirmation at its highest personal and community level.

- Barry Orton

Lyin' Right-Wing Junkscience: DDT

Here is what the right-wing fanatics at Human Events turn out in their attack on the environment and human health in the name of Junkscience (yes, Steven Milloy) regarding the use of DDT in Africa to combat malaria, peddled last September by Foxnews:

Day of Reckoning for DDT Foes?

Last week’s announcement that the World Health Organization lifted its nearly 30-year ban on the insecticide DDT is perhaps the most promising development in global public health since… well, 1943 when DDT was first used to combat insect-borne diseases like typhus and malaria...

...Rachel Carson kicked-off DDT hysteria with her pseudo-scientific 1962 book, “Silent Spring.” Carson materially misrepresented DDT science in order to advance her anti-pesticide agenda.

Anyone who reads this nonsense would come to the conclusion that both the United States and International bans on the use of DDT was unfounded and scientifically without merit. In addition, because the deceptive authors of this bogus right-wing propaganda omit major portions of both the scientific detail as to the affects of DDT and the nature of its present day use, the reader is left misinformed and ignorant.

The right wing Neanderthals fail to disclose the nature of the application of DDT as authorized by the UN. Rather than my telling the story, why don't we go directly to the World Health Organization (WHO) and its release on the subject:

Reversing its policy, UN agency promotes DDT to combat the scourge of malaria

15 September 2006 – Nearly 30 years after safety concerns led to the phasing out of indoor spraying with DDT and other insecticides to control malaria, the United Nations health agency said today it will start promoting this method again to fight the global scourge that kills more than one million people every year, including around 3,000 children everyday.

“The scientific and programmatic evidence clearly supports this reassessment. Indoor residual spraying is useful to quickly reduce the number of infections caused by malaria-carrying mosquitoes,” said Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director-General for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.

“Indoor residual spraying has proven to be just as cost effective as other malaria prevention measures, and DDT presents no health risk when used properly.” Indoor residual spraying is the application of long-acting insecticides on the walls and roofs of houses and domestic animal shelters.

“We must take a position based on the science and the data,” said Dr Arata Kochi, Director of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme. “One of the best tools we have against malaria is indoor residual house spraying. Of the dozen insecticides WHO has approved as safe for house spraying, the most effective is DDT.”

WHO actively promoted indoor residual spraying for malaria control until the early 1980s when increased health and environmental concerns surrounding DDT caused the organization to stop promoting its use and to focus instead on other means of prevention. Extensive research and testing has since demonstrated that well-managed indoor residual spraying programmes using DDT pose no harm to wildlife or to humans, the agency said.

Views about the use of insecticides for indoor protection from malaria have been changing in recent years. Environmental Defense, which launched the anti-DDT campaign in the 1960s, now endorses the indoor use of DDT for malaria control, as does the Sierra Club and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. (emphasis added)

In other words, the UN reversed a 1980's decision after new research showed that a very limited use of DDT as applied to indoor spraying of the walls and roofs of structures, not the massive outdoor spraying of the 1940's-60's, was acceptable.

For those who want a better understanding of Indoor Residual Spraying(IRS) of DDT, here are some good links:

• Indoor residual spraying (IRS)
• USAID Indoor Residual Spraying ... The use of the insecticide DDT for IRS is very different from the massive agricultural applications that led to the ban of DDT in the United States and other countries, both in terms of the amounts of insecticide used and the potential risks to the environment.
• MedicalNewsToday...Indoor residual spraying is the application of long-acting insecticides on the walls and roofs of houses and domestic animal shelters in order to kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes that land on these surfaces
• US Embassy Press Release Nairobi...The use of the insecticide DDT for IRS is very different from the massive agricultural applications that led to the ban of DDT in the United States and other countries, both in terms of the amounts of insecticide used and the potential risks to the environment...

Christmas Movie Poll Results

While it led most of the holiday season, with a 132 votes cast, in the last few days, Jean Shepard's A Christmas Story (41.7%) slid into second place behind Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (43.9%). A Christmas Carol was a distant third.

While I can't stand the thought of watching Capra's film one more time in my life, it at least disproves conservative myths.  It turns out that liberals are sentimental slobs who are not waging war on Christmas.

Packers Win; NFL Network Loses

It's over; the Pack won and neither team managed to score a single touchdown.  The real loser was the NFL Network, which couldn't pressure Charter (or Time Warner) to fold. Fans listened to the radio, went to bars, visited friends with dishes, or did something else.  The world as we know it in Wisconsin didn't end, and Brett Favre's Lambeau career probably didn't either, despite the ballyhoo from the NFL Network. 

I liked Jason Wilde's lede in the State Journal:

Maybe those fans without the NFL Network were the lucky ones.

Yes, if you didn't schlep to a local watering hole or mooch off a satellite-dished buddy, you didn't get to see the Green Bay Packers' 9-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings Thursday night, a triumph that kept the Packers' surprising-but- scant playoff hopes alive for at least a few more days.

The headline was pretty good, too:  "Win over Vikings tough to watch."

Tom Oates didn't do badly with:

...Thanks to the NFL Network's decision to use you, Madison-area Packers fans, as leverage in its ongoing battle with cable television providers, the Packers' 9-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings Thursday night went largely unseen.

I put this one to bed on Wisconsin Public Television's Here and Now show tonight (actually this afternoon on tape).They titled the segment: Cheeseheads Livid due to Lack of the Pack. Frederica Freyberg said the game "was so ugly it deserved to be on pay-TV."  This ugly battle over our money is over for the season; the NFL Network has taken its ball and gone home.

- Barry Orton

Clear Channel Reverses Itself; Dumps Fox Sports, Keeps The Mic

Madison's Air America Radio affiliate will remain, Clear Channel radio announced Thursday.  The rally, the petition, the funeral procession, and the hard work of several organizers paid off.

"We are overwhelmed by the recent outpouring of support for our progressive talk format from the public, some of our community leaders and some dedicated local advertisers," said Jeff Tyler, Clear Channel's market manager in Madison. "We deeply appreciate the local business leaders who are pledging their advertising support -- they are playing an enormous role in helping to keep progressive talk on the air in our community."

Tyler planned to announce the decision on the airwaves on Friday morning. He said Clear Channel had to end an agreement with Fox Sports Radio to make the deal possible...

Valerie Walasek, a 28-year-old listener who organized the protests, said she had shifted her focus to other options, such as trying to buy a new station. She was shocked by the company's last-minute change of heart.

"It's evidence that as people stand up and demand what they want and demand they are going to take back the airwaves, somebody will listen," she said. "Maybe Clear Channel just came to their senses because it never made sense for them to get rid of it. They were making money."

Last week, Paul called it:

What was miscalculated was the degree and intensity of public opposition. If Tyler is effective he is going to convince the home office that the battle is not worth it, and they should take the sports issue elsewhere.

The Mic lives!

- Barry Orton