The Truffle

The FISA bill, complete with retroactive immunity for telecoms, seems to have stalled in Congress yet again, thanks to Senator Dodd's filibuster. The netroots, led by Daily Kos, Firedoglake, and Glenn Greenwald, have been at the forefront trying to stop this bill. Meanwhile, Kos is confused about something. For all the talk of "freedom" that the Paulbots claim to believe in, they sure as heck have been silent on the horrible FISA bill we're fighting to fix in the Senate right now. Same for Ron Paul. Why the silence? And the CATO people and the libertarian publications like Reason, where are they? Here we are engaged in a huge civil liberties issue, and progressives are being forced to fight this thing alone. It's easy to talk about "liberty". It's much more impressive to actually do something about it. I've tried to give libertarians the benefit of the doubt. But given their numerous double standards on the concept of "freedom" ...

In this (fairly) old post, Drifting the Grift defines three kinds of libertarians : faux, hardcore, and sensible. Amber Rhea concludes that UPS sucks rocks. If she thinks UPS is bad, she should try Airborne Express/DHL or whatever that tenth-rate delivery service calls itself. I work with a typesetter that uses Airborne Express regularly, probably because it's cheap. Well, there's a reason it's cheap. Situation FUBAR update: As Rummy departs, Bush says they've "been through war together." Twisty has the scrapbook. Wingnuts, meet facts. Facts, meet wingnuts. Larry Johnson tries to keep food down while reading about Bush/Cheney's tribute to Rummy. Keith Olbermann, for pete's sake: Forget about Bill O'Reilly. He's a head case with bad dandruff, and anyone stupid enough to listen to him is beyond help anyway. Once -- just once -- would you please name the REAL "Worst Persons in the World"? On a happier note, Johnson has some ideas...

I'm confused. Why would any libertarian ally himself with today's Republican party? Perhaps once upon a time, when the GOP promoted fiscal restraint, lower taxes, and smaller government, it would've been pretty understandable. But now? Please. Those libertarians who throw their lot in with the Republican party seem to be suffering the political equivalent of battered spouse syndrome. Really, what's so "libertarian" about the current crop of Republicans? The party that doles out welfare money to corporations, inserts itself into end-of-life decisions, has expanded the government in the last six years, and spends money like there's no tomorrow? The party that gave us the Patriot Act and promotes warrantless wiretapping? And why wouldn't any libertarian be aghast at the flap over gay marriage? Aside from the fact that it's a useless sop thrown to the theocon base, it's an example of the government telling mature adults what they can or ca...