The Secret of Our Obsession With Anne Boleyn Alternet. The comments on this piece are a bit scary and say a good deal about education in America.
Stress levels soars in US… and young women under 35 are among those bearing the brunt Daily Mail (May S)
The wonder of breasts Guardian (Chuck L)
Why America’s Love Affair with Cars Is No Accident Digg
The iron ore lady: Why the world’s richest woman is mired in controversy Independent
European Leaders to Present Plan to Quell the Crisis Quickly New York Times
Qatar, Saudi Arabia conspire to topple Iraqi government: Maliki PressTV
US holds high-level talks with Syrian rebels seeking weapons in Washington Telegraph
Libya descends into militia chaos as hostages still heldPentagon says airstrikes on Afghan homes will continue Kuwait News Agency (May S)
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Naif dies Financial Times
U.S. military completes initial planning for Syria CNN (May S)
Murdoch pressured Blair to rush into Iraq war, says Campbell in diaries Independent
The contradictory aims of USAID in Egypt OpenDemocracy (May S)
Unspeakable Things: The Liberals’ Clumsy Dance Across Obama’s Killing Floor Chris Floyd
The New Obama Doctrine: A Six-Point Plan for Global War Truthout
Strategic Mumblespeak Slate. On the ouster of Terese Sullivan at UVA by…an ex-Goldman partner! Actually, it’s more about the buzz-phrases-in-absence-of-thought that facilitate coups like this.
‘Teacher of the Year’ fired in ruthless California budget cuts Daily Mail (May S)
‘Papers please’ ex-legislator booted from AZ Mexican restaurants in fundraiser flap Raw Story (Chuck L)
Roberto Unger, Obama’s Former Harvard Law School Professor, Says The President ‘Must Be Defeated’ Huffington Post (Carol B). His prescription is awfully high concept, but his critique (starting at 6:10) is worth watching.
Teach For America is Proud to Partner with J.P. Morgan (Nathan). First the NYC cops, now this…
This Week in Poverty: Disposable Families in Ohio Nation
C.E.O. Pay Is Rising Despite the Din New York Times
We’ve been brainwashed Joe Stiglitz, Salon
Antidote du jour. For Father’s Day, a video of a single dad (story here. hat tip Aquifer):
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Hilary Mantel’s “best-selling Wolf Hall (2009)” really is an excellent read – it’s fascinating to discover that someone can do historical fiction so well.
Her sequel “Bring Up the Bodies” is good too – good enough to make me want to read the final novel in the trilogy when it comes out.
P.S. They got that second title wrong.
The professor’s description of Obama’s shortcomings make him sound much like Toni Blair. Poor you.
Since you tend to err on the gloomy side, Yves, may I draw your attention to events after the match at the Euro football (soccer) championship in which the Czech Republic knocked Poland out.
‘It was lovely to see the sportsmanship at full-time. Despite the devastation, the Poland fans applauded the Czechs as they lapped the pitch and, in response, the Czech supporters yelled “Polska, Polska”.’
On the other hand, after Greece knocked out Russia (!!!!), ‘Revelers broke into chants of “bring on the Germans”, relishing the prospect of meeting the country footing most of the bill for their multibillion-euro bailout and being their most outspoken critic in a quarterfinal showdown with political connotations.’
Είτε με δραχμή είτε με ευρώ
την πρόκριση την πήραμε και πάμε στους οκτώ!
Either with the drachma or with the euro
we got the qualification and to the eight we have gone!
Chant from last night.
Really satisfying, since a lot of idiots were preparing “witty” puns such as “Greece exits Euro (Championship)” in conjunction with today’s elections…
Είτε με δραχμή είτε με ευρώ
την πρόκριση την πήραμε και πάμε στους οκτώ!
Either with the drachma or with the euro
we got the qualification and to the eight we have gone!
Chant from last night.
Really satisfying, since a lot of idiots were preparing “witty” puns such as “Greece exits Euro (Cup)” in conjunction with today’s elections…
They may or may not want to exit the Eurozone, but it’s hoped that they don’t abandone the ero-zone.
Beat LA! Beat LA! :-)
So what I want to know is how many meals would Jamie’s Presidential cuff links buy for those hungry kids in Ohio?
Dear Goin’ South;
Ah, the Dimon life! Nothing like it to beguile the peasants and the proles.
When oh when are we going to see Obama wearing his JPMorgan cufflinks? Or is there just a generic 1% Brand set?
I’m with Brutus on this one: “But they are honourable men!”
I believe it was Brutus who was the “honourable man” and Antony his accuser.
In that case, I’m with Antony.
I suppose in our world, it is the Republic itself that was stabbed in the back by all these “honourable men” with their fancy cuff links.
Apropos of these observations about how different the rich live, there was this fun little piece on Counterpunch this weekend about flying first class:
“Drinks follow. The wines & ports are among the best I have ever enjoyed. This followed by caviar and superb vodka. I am showing no restraint in this matter, yet they indulge rather than display judgment at my lack of Protestant restraint. The more I drink, the more polite they become. Asking with ever more gentleness if they can refill my glass. As the alcohol sets in my curiosity leads me to wonder where the boundaries lay? An official at a British carrier has proposed the ‘need’ to meet the inflation of expectations of the new ‘power elite’ with a new first-class service that would deliver all ‘amenities,’ including, literally, being fellated. What’s next? Eight-mile high snuff parties to amuse the perpetually jaded and bored?
The First-Class travelers I meet exceed all my prejudices for them. To a person they are insipid. We are all endowed (or not) with gifts of one sort or another, but why do these people who so clearly lack any gifts get so richly rewarded? If this treatment were applied as some compensatory treatment for being dull, I might tender support, but given so few enjoy it, it seems more a lottery rather than justice for nature’s short changing them. One presumes these people are like the scions of Gilded Age industrialists who warned against the creation of an idle idiot class. They are neither ‘job creators’ in the parlance of today’s GOP, or job destroyers. They are instead like contemporaries of the late Spanish Hapsburgs, but presumably without title.”
Dear Goin’ South;
AAAAARGH!! Hoist with my own petard!
I guess it proves that it is indeed, “all Greek to me.”
For the most adorable antidote, there’s Jamie Dimon’s teacup poodles Tester and Corker!
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/senators-grovel-embarrass-themselves-at-dimon-hearing-20120615
Now back in the bag, little fellas!
When I read Taibbi on these sad creatures on the Banking Committee and watched Jon Stewart on Thursday night’s “Daily Show” where he pointed out Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska, “You’re just HUGE, Mr. Dimon” (as he makes a gesture with both hands), the visual I get is a lot of l dogs all lying on their backs whizzing on themselves in front of the Alpha. It was pretty disgusting and very very sad. We need direct democracy like the Swiss. This representative stuff doesn’t work with
“You’re just HUGE…” – Well, isn’t that a whore talking to the John?
Aw, come on. “You’re just huge.” He didn’t. He didn’t really say that, right? Because that would be… Just too too delicious.
Somebody should call Johanns up and ask him exactly what he meant….
http://www.johanns.senate.gov/public/index.cfm
I was glad to see Matt Taibbi bring up Jefferson County, AL and Richard Shelby in connection with the shameful, sycophantic questioning of Jamie Dimon.
Isn’t Dimon supposed to appear in front of the House Committee on Financial Services next week? Guess who the chairman of that august body is–Spencer Bachus, Congressman from Jefferson County, AL.
You just couldn’t make this stuff up!
Taibbi was doin’ fine until his last sentence ..
“Somebody has to remind these legislators who it is they work for, and it’s not Jamie Dimon.”
Matt, you haven’t been paying attention ….
The Digg link is actually a wrap-around for an article in Scientific American. On the Digg promotional bar, there’s a very faint ⦻ on the far-right that you can click to get rid of the Digg bar.
If you look at an automobile and think to yourself: gee, no ones going to like that without a massive psychological campaign by an entire industry. Then where does it end?
Is every human being’s desire and motivation inescapably dictated by the evil corporations?
What if cars are just popular?
(Oh wait I know the answer, environmentalists just hate cars so they need a suitably patronising and “sciencey” reason why anyone would disagree)
The auto was NOT liked and was foisted upon us all by corporations. Before the corporate brainwashing and forcing, public transportation and trains were beloved. So beloved that the auto industry had to influence the government to start artificially screwing public transportation.
There is nothing “natural” about the love affair with autos. It is 100% a corporately manufactured affair.
It ends with you saps brainwashed into sending all your relatives to get their nuts blown off in Afghanistan, then sniffling with pride as the poor unemployable sad sacks gimp their way home and go nuts. Cuz who are you kidding – there’s nothing they can’t talk you into.
Cars were just popular with some people in some situations. Rural farm-to-market, getting around, rich people recreating, etc.
But cars were not needed by many people in densepack cities and towns well served by legacy trolley and streetcar
systems. So Standard Oil of New Jersey, Firestone Tire and Rubber, and General Motors started a three way conspiracy to set up cardboard cutout false front ” intra-city transport companies” to buy, tear up, and destroy many dozens of rail travel systems in many dozens of cities/towns/etc. all over America. The logic being that once the rail transport had been destroyed, people would have no alternative left but default reliance on buses and/or cars. Here is a wikilink to a little thumbnail history about a part of that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_City_Lines
(Now this wiki says that it was Standard Oil of California, not of Ohio, which was the Standard Oil member of the conspiracy. So my memory was off on that detail.)
Re: Unspeakable Things: The liberals clumsy dance across Obama’s killing floor
Extract:
“…for so many other “good liberals” and staunch progressives, a five-year-old girl with her guts gouged out by some coward with a joystick 10,000 miles away is an “immoral and hateful maniac” who deserves to die, and whose very presence on the face of the earth justifies any and all repressive measures to keep “our way of life” intact. “On a temporary basis,” of course. Just until all the maniacs have been killed. Just until we “exterminate all the brutes….”
Likely response from “the good liberals”: My word, these ‘abuses’ are troubling. I certainly will not feel the same enthusiasm when I vote for Obama this time around!”
This is the spectrum of liberalism in 2012.”
“Good Democrats” don’t even go that far, unfortunately. They aren’t troubled. They’ll say “we have to incinerate children because that’s the only way to fight terrorists, and we have to fight the terrorists!” See, for example, Booman. Unless you don’t live in America, in which case what you think doesn’t matter.
Same with “good union members”. How could you as a plumber justify blowing up other plumbers? How could you as a teacher justify blowing up other teachers? When the Longshoremen opposed the Iraq war, it was for solidarity with workers in Iraq. If you see somebody as family in Pakistan, how can you blow them up?
You’re right, Claire. I voted for and supported Obama in 2008 and have been sincerely disappointed ever since his inauguration. Every time I point out the truth about what Obama has done thus far in office I usually get the routine about how the CON-gress wouldn’t let him achieve his agenda, blatty-blah. They sure don’t want to acknowledge Obama’s continuation of the neo-con agenda, including his signing the NDAA when he promised otherwise, and of course any discussion of the drone murders is taboo. It’s almost like an intervention from a cult; many are still in the denial stage because “that just can’t be true”.
Australia has a new queen of soul….
Karise Eden sings Stay With Me Baby
http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/the-voice-karise-eden-sings-stay-with-me-baby/x5cdfrp
Skippy… 19 with no previous training. Takes the edge off events unfolding methinks.
Region-locked. Is she fat and white? I think that’s the currently running defintion of soul royalty.
Being from England, the home of soul, also helps…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1POBkwoLKvM
Skippy… 2 seconds and a fix, what are you two good for?
Athens News has a short article about the nuts & bolts of today’s election in Greece.
At the end of the day, I think the ancient Greeks were right to be skeptical about electing people to hold power over the citizenry. Elections select for good actors, hucksters, and glad-handers; who connect to people emotionally while selling them policies that benefit the wealthy and powerful.
The professor’s analysis is remarkable. I had to watch it again.
Even-handed. Well reasoned. And delivered by a person that one would’ve thought to be an Obama supporter (establishment progressive, personal connection to Obama).
Its one thing to see the many criticisms of Obama on the Internet, its another to see a guy like this come out against Obama’s election for a second term.
I was impressed with this piece – the guy didn’t mince words. Powerful and could be a bombshell – especially if he finds one under his bed ….
No, wait, we don’t do that anymore – the coup now comes from overhesd …
This guy is gutsy – is he still on faculty? Emeritus? What did he teach? – obviously Obama didn’t learn very much from him ….. :)
On executive compensation. If you want to incentivize executive’s to look after the long term, why not pay them in warrants that entitle them to payments equivalent to the dividends that a certain number of shares (adjusted for splits) generate, say 5-10 years in the future. This would deal with the problem that a rising tide in the stock market doesn’t mean that CEOs have been doing a good job. As somebody else said, the only number that I believe from management is the one on the dividend check, every thing else is manipulated. I think this could be adjused while said CEO was still working so that he wouldn’t hollow out the company to maximize dividends.
Why not just crowd-source as much executive decision making as possible, and then pay executive salaries that reflect their worth as administrators, say 500K tops?
Dividends are dumb since they remove capital from a corporation when the point of a corporation is to consolidate capital for economies of scale. The purpose of a corporation should be to legitimately increase the value of the shares.
We need to move away from the concept of private money being distinct from equity. Common stock itself can serve as private money and likely would if the State enforced/backed counterfeiting cartel, the banking system, was abolished.
http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2012/06/17/message-to-the-bbc-and-assorted-international-media-on-this-greek-election-day-try-to-recover-your-journalistic-principles-even-at-the-eleventh-hour/
France24 reports absolute majority of Socialists in parliamentary elections this morning. Greens with 20 seats, Left Front 13, Marie Pen DEFEATED! far right party maybe 2-4 seats. Austerity rolling back in France, age 60 retirement restored, troops out of Afghanistan asap, days and weeks!
So Paul, I thoroughly dislike Hollande, but I’m results-based when it comes to politics, so I’ll take that list of outcomes with nary a peep.
Just don’t be surprised if Act II has more shinola than shine, and Act III is a stinker. But that’s tomorrow’s care, hey??!!!!
Greek election results, so far only exit polls.
Here is the Guardian live blog.
“The official projection figures for the election have now been announced by Greece’s interior ministry. Greek pollster, Marika Lambrou, said this:
[…]
New Democracy will receive 29.53% of the vote, equivalent to 128 seats.
Syriza will receive 27.12% – 72 seats.
Pasok will receive 12.2% – 23 seats.
Independent Greeks will receive 7.56% – 20 seats.
Golden Dawn will receive 6.95% – 18 seats.
Democratic Left will receive 6.23% – 17 seats.
Greek Communist Party will receive 4.47% – 12 seats.”
ND-PASOK at 151? In other words, another squeaker and very possible they’ll fall short of a majority again. Nevermind that Venizelos today again said he wouldn’t join a government without Syriza.
And the Greeks, having been boxed into an impossible position by our bankster overlords, will now be blamed for “gridlock” — cue the Grand Bargain™-brand Catfood Chorus at Kaplan Test Prep News — “And ya know what, Fred? I think the problem here is an excess of democracy.” “You’re talkin sense, Tom. What the Greeks need is strong leadership.”
The sun on the meadow is summery warm….
Doesn’t have to come out that way, of course. But the official narrative is part of the story…
Actually, I think there may have been a type on the guardian blog or their source. Elsewhere I’ve seen the same numbers except 33 instead of 23 for PASOK. Makes more sense, since then it would add up to 300 rather than 290. So it looks like it’s not a squeaker this time.
Interesting story:
http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/after-28-years-david-a-hemler-tells-the-truth
Adam Curtis’s latest piece
HOW TO KILL A RATIONAL PEASANT –
AMERICA’S DANGEROUS LOVE AFFAIR WITH COUNTERINSURGENCY
http://tinyurl.com/82oa5fe
Thanks for the link to a new Adam Curtis article! This one’s very interesting, too.
Oh good. A “government of national unity.” Ekathimerini:
FWIW, I’ve always thought a “government of national unity” was one possible end game here. What’s the point of parties and a legislative branch if you’ve got an elected dictator who rules by decree, using the various enabling acts put in place by this administration, and the last one? Not to be foily…
“..to add growth policies and tackle unemployment.”
I’m tired of it, I am sick and tired of the same braindead farts regurgitating the same hollow campaign rhetoric.
You exist for one thing and one thing only, to act at the behest of your handlers, given you are the same tired unmotivated, unimaginative sellout you have always been, and will continue to be.
There is nothing you can do to change your lot in life. You exist as the same simple political type that indebted the country of Greece in the first place and lack the foresight to change its present course.
A simple Brussels conferee and lacky, please don’t hold out false hope to your countrymen that you might by some strange chance actually exhibit some leadership beyond awaiting orders from the financial interests.
Greek pro-bailout parties set to rule
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/17/us-greece-election-idUSBRE85F05320120617
The Euro futures market rallies… for a few days methinks until the hangover is gone.
The “Grailout?”
There may be a Grally, which may or may not be followed by a swift Grash, but will certainly eventually make way for Greality. By then, however, the Eurkets will have remembered the Spailout, so Speality will dominate over Greality for a while. And, of course, there will be a Eurummit or two along the way.
Myself, I’ve had too much of these Euromanteaus.
Steven Keen: “Primer on Endogenous Money”
I’m sad for Greece.
Thank you for the antidote, although it made me a little sad too.
Will ROBERTO UNGER is the first Mensch to openly challenge the legitimacy of Barack Obama as Democratic Candidate for President 2012. Can We the Democrats draft Robert Unger as Democratic Candidate for President 2012? Since Obama has made the Law insignificant, the “registration deadline” for the Democratic Candidate is moot. Let’s see a Blitzkrieg of Penitent Academic and Progressive Power follow through on the GAUNTLET just thrown down at the feet of Barack Obama and the entire Democratic Party by Roberto Unger. Let’s put a REAL MAN, a flat out Mensch in the White House as President in 2012: Roberto Unger. Let the duel begin.
A potential Democratic Slate 2012:
Roberto Unger: President 2012
Susan Webber: Vice President 2012
Paul Krugman: Secretary of State 2012
Michael Hudson: Secretary of the Treasury 2012
William K. Black: Attorney General: DOJ 2012
Catherine Austin Fitts: Secretary of Housing and Local Loans 2012
“LIVING Democracy Now!” If not now, when?
LBR,
Although you don’t Menschen it – methinks it’s time to put a REAL WOMAN in instead – and whaddya know, one is actually running ….
Aquifer, does she have the brains and balls, and commanding voice of authority of Roberto Unger? Does she know the Law as Roberto Unger does?
Aquifer, see: “Beyond the Small Life: a letter to young people” in the “Roberto Mangabeira Unger” SET on You Tube. Young Americans are desperate about their future, in despair, hopeless in America considering “the meaning of their lives.”
Such WISDOM is what all Americans need to hear in order to grow, and move into wise adulthood. Roberto Unger has not only the Voice of Authority, but the voice of deep compassion, and profound wisdom, that comes with having lived “the examined life.” We must get past the juvenile rebellious stage of “Anti-intellectualism in America” if we as a nation are to not only survive , but to thrive in the world at large. To have Roberto Unger address our nation as President would be to hear another “Father of our country.” We MUST return to electing intelligent, learned, and wise leaders, if we are not to perish ignominiously. Why would we let the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors come to naught? We have the potential to be “a great nation” in C.21. But we need a radically exceptional President in order to realize this: Roberto Unger.
The brains? Yes. The balls? The world, it seems to me, is suffering from a superfluity of testosterone … But the guts? Yes – and that is what we need – the guts, the moral fortitude to pursue that which is in the interest of living beings – one doesn’t need balls to have guts ….
The law – hmmm, we have a Congress full of lawyers and where has that gotten us – or an SC full of judges and where did they take us. Laws are made and unmade – the importance is the wisdom behind them. Knowing what the law is – or what it could be, which is greater?
Stein talks about the politics of courage and about practicing political medicine – I think she is fierce about it. As a physician she is trained in the healing profession and has seen folks, literally, from the inside out – at their most vulnerable …. Hands on “wisdom” which comes from experience which theory cannot approximate …. Primo non nocere is the oath that is taken by physicians, not by lawyers ….
There are a number of souls who are wise and have vision – some will run for office, some will not. Tell you what, why don’t you see if Unger is interested, then we can go from there. Fantasy tickets are fun – but at some point they have to materialize …
Don’t like the metaphor?
LBR,
Sorry, to which “metaphor” do you refer?
Besides, isn’t she the third choice on the Table d’Hote menu? Is it too DANGEROUS to order a la carte?
A “third” choice on the menu drawn up by TPTB – the first on mine. The politics of courage requires that we draw up our own menus …
And here’s Roberto Unger’s Reggae Theme Song: “I’M DANGEROUS” – a perfect fit. Come on, We the People of “American vitality”–he’s talking about us.
Time for a Democratic REVOLUTION against Ken Dolls and Pseudo “Orators” speaking in sound bites from teleprompters under the Kliegl lights. How did the Founders of our nation SPEAK? Didn’t they sound more like Roberto Unger than like the two string-pull talking puppets “competing” to be President right now?
And don’t tell me that our leading American PR and Marketing shops can’t make Roberto Unger the sexiest candidate alive, the most vital, the most manly, the most attractive Presidential Candidate to Democrats, Independents, and honest Republicans alike. Our advertisers are the best in the world. Here is their opportunity to distinguish themselves, if not redeem themselves, by giving their best to the cause of Democracy in America right now–showing the People in the audacious person and voice of Roberto Unger what Freedom of Speech was ever really good for, showing what a VOICE OF AUTHORITY looks and sounds like when raised to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Who can fail to hear this Free Voice of Authority of Roberto Unger, the voice of true command to RISE UP and DEFEAT the despicable weakling who presumes to consider himself worthy of a second term as President, after blowing his first term to smithereens? But does this MEAN that a Republican string-pull puppet as despicable string-puppet as Obama MUST be ushered into Executive Office in the White House? Does it necessarily mean that the Supreme Court will be stacked with more shills for Monopoly Finance Tyranny?
“Registration deadline” is moot, since the Law has been all but abolished under Bush and Obama. So why would we hesitate to raise Roberto Unger, a courageous straight-talking Mensch and Master of the Law into the Executive Office of the White House? Will “Madison Avenue” do what it takes to bring the TV-addicted American masses into a love affair with Roberto Unger as THE President that We the People require for our good right now? Will Democrats and Progressives ACT with the courage of our convictions right now? We need BRAINS and BALLS in highest office. Roberto Unger leads the way, as an audacious model, he has earned our unflagging support. WILL we do what is necessary to fulfill the promise our Founders made? Do we DARE to do it?
Don’t tell me it cannot be done. Let’s do what we were born to do: Americans.
OK, I see that Unger was born in Rio. But wasn’t George Washington born in England? It’s a new world, and we’d better get with it.
Get your mind blown: “Nihilism (8/9): The Religion of the Future. Roberto Mangabeira Unger” on You Tube. A few points made in the NC Link to Roberto Unger today are expanded with extreme clarity in this You Tube video. Just imagine overthrowing our tired old fearful selves and our tired old fearful culture, and actually experiencing Greater Life in the eternal Now.
Let’s just do it. We have nothing to lose but our grief.
George Washington was born in Virginia.
I’m sorry my memory was false, that’s really too bad. But another great Founder, Benjamin Franklin, was not born here. The Founders were “Original American”–i.e. “Revolutionary” thinkers–in the forefront of the successful overthrow of a Dead-Hand Imperial Culture such as governs our nation today. They rose to defeat the Executive Agent of Imperial Tyranny, which is what our Presidents have been since Nixon-Kissinger. Theirs is the “qual-ity” of leader who must be permitted to assume Executive Office today, in conjunction ACTUAL Cabinet members (not the gelded Cabinet we see today).
So is Roberto Unger restricted to being our Thomas Paine? The VITAL CONSCIENCE of “government of, by, and for the People?” If so, then WHO is qualified to ACT in Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Office for “We the People” right now; and, if no-one, then let the Constitutional guarantee of our RIGHT to form a completely new form of self-government begin. AND, if We the People have this right to ACT for ourselves, are we not FREE to elect Roberto Unger as our Executive Leader at this time?
LBR,
“then WHO is qualified to ACT in Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Office for “We the People” right now;”
Supplied you with an answer – which you apparently reject; substituting choices that will be de jure disqualified for choices that qualify seems a bit counterproductive, don’t you think?
Aquifer, you yourself aver that she is third choice on the Table d’Hote menu, and your first choice on the Table d’Hote menu provided by TBTF.
Provided by TBTF. So, there is no alternative, TINA, to the Table d’Hote menu?
I must borrow another’s words: “Better shills, please.”
Sigh…. Yves, really? You are shocked that the teacher of the year was fired? We saw that exact headline here in Milwaukee(1).
On one hand, you keep throwing punches against Gov Walker for trying to do the right thing and give public institutions the tools to manage their own budgets and reward good behavior. Then you note with interest that the old system in Wisconsin (and current system in other states) results in the best teachers being let go.
That’s what you get with public union mentality. Seniority above merit. Those at the top feast while those at the bottom are just bargaining chips.
Now that Walker’s reforms have been in place for a year, let’s look at some headlines…
-Neenah schools raise base teacher salare 18% after they are no longer forced by collective bargaining to buy union-sponsored health insurance plans at way-above-market rates. (2).
-After 1 year behind him, Walker wanted to compare the results of his programs with those of previous years. Shockingly, the teacher’s union refused to release the results of surveys of prior years, becasue they showed significantly more layoffs and program cuts during the years when collective bargaining was the rule of the land. (3) During Walker’s first year of reforms, all of a sudden, schools stopped needing to fire quality teachers. And the teacher’s union didn’t want those comparisons to be made. Shocking.
Yves, although you will never admit it, collective bargaining permits such atrocities to happen.
You are a very smart lady. I really don’t understand why you so strongly support organization by government workers when it results in so much bad behavior.
(1) http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/how-collective-bargaining-forced-milwaukee-fire-teacher-year_553779.html
(2) http://m.jsonline.com/more/news/blogs/schoolzone/150798885.htm
(3) http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/weac-walker-at-odds-over-surveys-release-1m4vtqf-147268665.html
The Whitest Kids U Know do the Pledge of Allegiance . . . and nail it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=618U-_8o31k
Bonus censorship watch–check out this comment that was flagged as “spam”, even though it got 82 ‘thumbs up’ and therefore should be promoted in the ‘Top Comment’ section.
“My teacher understood that I refused to say the pledge in highschool. I once had a sub that tried to force me, so I said “I pledge my allegiance to the flag, of the united soviet socalist republics” sub flipped out and I got two weeks in ISS, it was worth it.
IrishRebelArmy 1 month ago 82″
Doesn’t seem like spam to me.