> > Newly anointed New York Times columnist David Brooks has
> > deplored both the viciousness and the shallowness of today's politics,
> > compared with the Athenian atmosphere he recalls in the 1980s.
>
> Somewhat tangental, but it would be interesting to see the Brooks'
> column that contains this passage. The "Athenian '80's", with Pericles
> telling us that "It's Morning Again in Attica"?
>
> That anyone would mistake Reagantime for the Greek Classical Age plumbs
> the depths of the general depravity that the American ruling class has
> fallen into - and liberals are most definitely included.
Well there is the mattter of the Romans and here there are some useful comparisons in the transition from a Republic to an Empire and the battle between leading houses of the republic for power. Ceasar got stabbed and the Republic was no more. When Bush got elected in a rigged vote that was then sanctioned by the courts your republic died. So Athens no, but as ever Rome.
Travis
Neocons are
> just the leading edge. But it all really got started with Reaganism,
> which still runs rampant today, now though as the crisis rather than the
> answer to crisis.
>
> As for Bush, his gang has scored a stunning success corralling the Left
> back into the two-party scam. Now they are at the racetracks along with
> everybody else. Alas, as "activists" were betting on the wrong horse
> (Dean), it will be slightly amusing to watch these pathetic creatures
> scramble onto the "whatever" (Kerry) bandwagon (it's a horserace with
> bandwagons, metaphorically speaking :-)
>
> Perhaps some long knives are finally being drawn within the ruling class
> over Bush, and especially over Cheney. Certainly Soros has drawn his,
> but he is really a Euro (again, what a telling comment on the American
> state that the "main opposition" in American politics is not even an
> American), and what is really needed is a horse called something like
> Perot. Now that would be interesting - and the Left can support the
> independent rightwinger, too. Or do they only support rightwingers
> called Democrats - why? Or I mean, Whatever?
>
> Or maybe it is just more scamming hype. Bush got the WMD investigation
> pushed out past the election, so Cheney is the only shoe left hanging.
>
> Otherwise, it is safe to tune out America for the time being. Move
> along, nothing new here. And no, I didn't watch Bush's interview nor
> Janet Jacksons' boob either.
>
> Rest of the world is much more interesting.
>
> -Brad Mayer
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