The decay in our democracy comes in two flavors: legal and illegal. This month, CBS’s “60 Minutes” interviewed two of the men who have been at the center of the rot for decades, whose actions define both the legal and illegal flavors, and whose actions have helped to define the policies eating away at our democracy.
- Grover Norquist is the poster boy for the legal poison in our system. His stated goal is to “shrink government to the point where we could drown it in a bathtub”, and his “no federal income tax increases under any circumstances” pledge garnered 279 signatures in the 112th Congress. His interview will tell you a little about how he has assembled these followers, and what he can and does do to those who want to get off the bandwagon.
- “Casino Jack” Abramoff, standard bearer for the illegal side of the coin, was sentenced to six years in a federal prison for his overly-freewheeling lobbying
activities. He describes his process for buying congressmen, the impact of his activities, and what he thinks would be necessary to change the system.
Watching both of these interviews back-to-back will take 28:25, and will give you an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the way our government REALLY works.
News To Make You Furious- UPDATE
Have you heard ANYTHING on the state of the Fukushima disaster lately? You know, that little “oopsie” in Japan when an earthquake and tsunami combined to create one of the three largest nuclear disasters in human history? If you’re like most people, the only sound you’ve heard is the chirping of radioactive crickets in the resounding silence of media coverage. But, there are new developments in the story and there’s information to be had if you’re curious. Here are a few links that we recommend to bring you up to speed…
- Fukushima China Syndrome near says TEPCO, Government
- Fukushima Update– Site brings you constantly updated coverage of the Fukushima disaster
- There are three recent videos taken by an unmanned aerial vehicle of the damaged reactor buildings. This link will take you to the first one, where you’ll also find links to the other two.
- The Washington Post’s Chico Harlan took a trip through the restricted zone around the Fukushima plant. Photos from his trip are here, and a video with Chico’s commentary is here. These images are eerily (and not coincidentally) reminiscent of Paul Fusco’s 2006 tour of the Cherobyl disaster area.
