North Korea springs to mind, and Karamov certainly meets the requirements in irrationality and paranoia and brutality.

>> Jet, stay away from Garofalo’s vagina dentata, you little pillock.

At least the young ‘uns are laughing #with# me, as opposed to screaming and running away in terror.

RAGOUT >> Although the WWP and RCP are fringe groups, they ended up playing a major role in the US anti-war movement. The United for Peace and Justice coalition was set up specifically as a non-communist alternative.

A good comparison can be made to that which happened in Leftpondia with certain creepy sub-Leninist sects. I could just about appreciate how the anti-war protest could be expanded to encompass the Palestinian issue, but it befuddlefied me completely how the fire-brigade strike was considered relevant; not to mention (in Scotland, at least) the Scot Nats. They’re adept at waiting until a grassroots organization is set up, then sideling along to offer their “help”. Then one will make a “suggestion” and lo!, there’ll be a ready-made cabal of volunteers.

But underfunding the levees, on the evidence we have, isn’t looking like a good decision.

Also, they may be supporting N.Korea as an entity confronting Western imperialism, but are they really working to install N.Korea-style regime in the US? Probably not. Well, what about reputable media organizations like FoxNews and MNBC who routinely give voice to all kinds of equivalent right-wing extremists who actually are trying to implement their fascist ideas, and often succeed?

I guess, what I am trying to say here is that to me at this point in time evil Stalinists seem about as dangerous as evil Martians.

Protests organized by these guys have speakers spouting noxious views, like the charge that Israel organized the attacks on 9/11 and warned Jews ahead of time. In general, they see the anti-war movement (or whatever issue they hijack) as way to get resources and recruits for their organizations, rather than actually caring anything about the issue. You might want to read something about the destruction of SDS in the 1960s at the hands of these kind of sectarian groups.

Although the WWP and RCP are fringe groups, they ended up playing a major role in the US anti-war movement. The United for Peace and Justice coalition was set up specifically as a non-communist alternative.

I don’t know if Barbara Ehrenreich gets enough air time to qualify as a talking head, but she is most emphatically a social democrat. But your point is well taken, abb1.

What seems to be the problem?

Of course, saying that MoveOn and United for Peace and Justice are run by communists is ridiculous.

But Nazism and fascism is eternally relevant, no? I think Communism occupies a position in the righty firmament similar to that which Nazism occupies on this blog—a murderous, incomparable evil that must be memorialized and denounced so as not to repeat it.

Having close relatives who’ve escaped Communism, I tend to agree with them.

Hey, I think we’ve got a winner in the “What The Hell Do We Title The History Of the Bush Years” book naming contest:

“Crass Stupidity and Monumental Levels Of Dogma”

Yup, works for me. Your reward will be seeing civilization last long enough to publish it. If it doesn’t, well, no book no reward, which I think is fair.

And I have to wonder what exactly 60 million in New Orleans would have bought you. Given that a foot of highway can often cost a million dollars, I seriously doubt that 60 million would have made the levies into SuperLevies®. Either way we can only hope their is something akin to the 9/11 commission to figure out why this happened.

I had to go back a re-read the piece because, although I remember the quote, still I could not trust myself. Oh, lord, how I’d like to strip Tiernan naked and rub him up and down with steel-wool. Then slap the sore bits.,

Talk of the sheer scale of military spending is always going to be beyond the comprehension of many people; confusing millions with billions, not even knowing if a billion is 1,000,000,000 or 1,000,000,000,000; but a mere 50 million? That’s a pitance. It would take crass stupidity, and momumental levels of dogma to skimp on… oh, wait…