The Dent in The Wall My Head Made

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Saturday June 05, 2010 · 12:17 PM PDT

2010/06/05 · 12:17

It's never been harder to be both a conscientious liberal and a Zionist than it is right now. Particularly in the United States, where Zionism has been reduced to "there is no such thing as bad Israeli policy," and where it's easy to conclude that only the neo-cons think that Israel should do anything to defend itself, the tension between liberal values and Zionist values is, quite frankly, enough to make me bang my head against the wall.

It wasn't always this way. Zionism was once flat-out socialist; indeed, there was a time when Israel was more aligned with the Soviet Union than the United States (-ish; most of the Middle East alliances during the '50's have a certain amount of "-ish" to them; you can also argue that the Soviets were backing pan-Arabism and be just as right). It was once easy to be both Zionist and left. No more.

Rather than wade into the trenches of "who did what to whom" and the round and round of the flotilla incident (which in the best possible interpretation is an example of Israeli leadership seriously blowing the call, possibly worse than Jim Joyce), I decided I would throw out a few thoughts about things that probably aren't the best phrases to toss around in the conversation.

mkrell

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Monday December 07, 2009 · 1:20 PM PST

2009/12/07 · 13:20

Last night I read Ministry of Truth's I just got a job as a paid Progressive Activist, and while I am happy for MoT that he feels like he's making a difference, and that he got out of a situation that frustrated him, I have also worked for Fund-model organizations (not thank G-d, in the canvass), and I see a lot of the fair critiques that greg bloom raised way back in 2006 on MyDD. There are reasonable answers to those critiques, but I'm not here to talk about the Fund and its brethren specifically.

Instead, I want to talk a little bit about something that's often derided in the netroots, although frequently by assumption: the idea that working for a business or "going corporate" is somehow bad. I don't think it necessarily is.

Poll

129 votes Show Results

Where do you work (in order I thought of it)?

129 votes Vote Now!

Where do you work (in order I thought of it)?

Corporate America

21 votes

Some other large, private entity (professional firm, for example)

12 votes

Small business

20 votes

Government

17 votes

Non-profit

14 votes

Unemployed

21 votes

Student

10 votes

Other (what does that mean?)

14 votes

Ars Scientia Propagandis: Law's Problem with Expelled

mkrell

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Monday April 28, 2008 · 2:02 PM PDT

2008/04/28 · 14:02

So Expelled has been causing a little bit furor over its unremitting and unending stupidity. And, I want to be quick to point out, that stupidity does NOT have to do with the content of its underlying "science," creationism (which, for the record, is pretty stupid). The stupidity comes from its false dichotomy and its insistence that there's some sort of Great Atheist Conspiracy to suppress creationism.

But I have a slightly different question, since I'm not by any means a science blogger - I'm at best a law blogger who sometimes forays into religion or politics. Anyway, my question is this:

How are we supposed to ensure that only science is science?

mkrell

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Tuesday January 01, 2008 · 7:42 PM PST

2008/01/01 · 19:42

Non-lawyers are welcome to not read any further than this (hell, lawyers too). But if you're interested in pastordan's fire, and want something to do to actually make some changes, this project may give you something to do (unless you're writing a dissertation, in which case you aren't allowed to help until you finish the dissertation).

I've been fired up by a decision issued last week by the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board, the court that decides disputes between workers acting collectively and employers). Basically, the Board issued a decision on the last day of the Chairman's term, after this Senate made it clear that he was no longer acceptable as Chairman, and I think in his hurry to give one last "Fuck you" to unions, workers, and Democrats, that the opinion misunderstands Constitutional law.

Much, much more after the jump. But only jump if you're interested in fighting back for workers.

mkrell

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Wednesday April 18, 2007 · 3:13 PM PDT

2007/04/18 · 15:13

So I just finished reading the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood. In that decision, in case you're living under a rock while you surf SP, the Court upheld a Congressional Act banning "intact dilation and evacuation," an abortion procedure that is, quite frankly, too gruesome for me to describe. Now, don't get me wrong - it's a disaster of a decision for those who think that reproductive rights are important. And today, for you and me, it's a terrible result.

But I think in the long run, it'll all be all right. Let me explain why.

mkrell

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Tuesday April 03, 2007 · 10:31 PM PDT

2007/04/03 · 22:31

So tomorrow my Con Law class discusses the Court's abortion jurisprudence. I figured I'd share with you my thoughts for two reasons: 1) to figure out what exactly those thoughts are, and 2) to refine my thought with your thoughts.

But first, a few preliminary thoughts. In Jewish law, abortion is easily permitted for the first thirty days of a pregnancy (it is regarded as "mere water," the Rabbis tell us). After that first thirty days, abortion is only permitted to protect the health of the mother. It is required to protect her life. The rabbis justify that requirement by weighing the potential life against the known life, and coming down on the side of that which is known versus the mere potential. The rabbi, in determining whether an abortion is halakhically forbidden, permitted, or required, is expected to consult heavily with the woman's medical professionals. N.B.: In all cases, the rabbi makes a halakhic determination based on HIS understanding of the Law. The woman is free to disregard his determination, if her understanding of the Law is different.

So that's where I'm coming from.

That said, Jewish law does not control American courts. Thank G-d. So, let us examine the Court's decisions in Roe and Casey.

mkrell

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Monday March 26, 2007 · 2:02 PM PDT

2007/03/26 · 14:02

March 26, 2007

Judith Clark, Pharmacy Services Director
Division of Medicaid, State of Mississippi

Dear Ms. Clark:

I am writing on behalf of the thousands of lawyers, law students, and activists of the Student Hurricane Network, an organization working to rebuild and repair the lives of Hurricane Katrina survivors in Mississippi and Louisiana, to sing the praises of one of your employees, Joyce Hunter. Ms. Hunter today gave assistance vastly beyond the call of duty. I am stunned as I write this to recall the difference she made in one person’s life today in ten minutes on the phone.

mkrell

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Friday March 23, 2007 · 1:33 PM PDT

2007/03/23 · 13:33

Matt Stoller has a phenomenal piece on what it means to be a part of the progressive movement in America today. Seriously. Go read it.

Stoller makes the point that the goal of the progressive movement has to be not just a short-term victory in stopping Bush or ending the war in Iraq, but completely rearranging the fundamental assumptions of the American system. In other words, destroying the "authoritarian national security state."

The roots of this state are traceable directly to an authoritarian South, a one-party unique region in America that has held the balance of power since the 1930s and that was and is dedicated above all to a race-based hierarchical society. Through shaping even progressive legislation, like the Wagner Act, Dixiecrats ensured that broad-based class movements failed.

mkrell

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Friday January 26, 2007 · 2:11 PM PST

2007/01/26 · 14:11

I'm not quite sure what the implications of this are:

Judge Senter sends State Farm and Mississippi back to the table.

Basically, what this says is that Judge Senter doesn't believe the negotiated settlement to establish a fair process for assigning claims for payment.

More analysis on the flip:

mkrell

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Tuesday December 05, 2006 · 4:55 AM PST

2006/12/05 · 04:55

In a word: Electability.

I'll pause while you all laugh your heads off.

But there are a few things I want to actually talk about with this hit piece against Mrs. Clinton.

First, there's the explicit acknowledgment that there's a double standard:

While Hillary Rodham Clinton tops every national poll of likely 2008 Democratic presidential contenders, the New York senator is dogged by questions of "electability" -- political code for whether she can win enough swing states to prevail in a general election. It's a gauge typically applied to Democrats, as few question the crossover appeal of the GOP front-runner, Sen. John McCain of Arizona. (italics mine)

Can people please get past this? Thank you, we know the press likes John McCain because he gives them the illusion of straightforwardness - but that's just because the press mistakes a lack of manners for "straight talk." There's so many circumlocutions involved in being polite, that if you're willing to just jettison the idea of being a nice person, then hey! you can speak much more forthrightly.

mkrell

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Friday December 01, 2006 · 6:13 AM PST

2006/12/01 · 06:13

Some time ago (I can't find the frickin' diary, but I know it's out there somewhere), I wrote a story in which I promised that, if my current state representative ran for a vacant State Senate seat and won, that I would run for his House seat.

Well, it happened. And so now we have a conundrum.

Certainly I can't be forced to keep my word in this circumstance - and everyone would understand if I said, "no, I need to concentrate on other things." But here's the thing.

Poll

30 votes Show Results

Should mkrell run?

30 votes Vote Now!

Should mkrell run?

Run, and run hard - you can win!

21 votes

You will get cheesed (and gouda), but you should run anyway.

4 votes

Don't waste your friends' time and my money - don't run.

5 votes

The dKos Wars of Religion 2006: A Glossary

mkrell

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Saturday November 25, 2006 · 3:05 PM PST

2006/11/25 · 15:05

Cross-posted at Street Prophets

Hi. Let's talk a little bit about religion, and politics. There's been some people here, and elsewhere, lately, who thought that they needed to talk about the evils of religion.

Fair enough. Religion certainly has its share of evil ascribed to it, both fairly and unfairly. We should never hesitate to call out the evil we see. The place where some of these people went wrong, is in their semantics.

Epistemology in the extended section.

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The Dent in The Wall My Head Made

The Case For Kossacks to Sell Out

Ars Scientia Propagandis: Law's Problem with Expelled

Fight Back From Your Keyboard - Help Needed.

Digesting Today's Decision.

This Troubling Matter of Abortion. Again.

Government Works: An Open Letter

Fixing the Soul of America

Katrina Settlement REJECTED by Federal Judge

Hillary: Why the Hell Not?

MS-LEGE: Should I Run?

The dKos Wars of Religion 2006: A Glossary