Open Thread and Diary Rescue

Tonight's selections are brought to you courtesy of the Rescue Rangers.

This evening's Rescue Rangers are Avila, Cordelia Lear, Got a Grip, joyful, msobel, nyc in exile, and watercarrier4diogenes, with Avila and Unitary Moonbat shuffling the scrolls.

You've gotta be careful about starting things on February 28, as they have a tendency to unravel later on. Previous todays have seen the founding of the Republican Party (1854); Michael Jackson winning 8 Grammys for Thriller (1984); and the gun battle that began the siege of the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas (1993).

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My Country, 'Tis of Thee

• With a mix of the philosophy of Malcolm X, sections of The Declaration of Independence and uncommonly thoughtful analysis, kyledeb offers the brillante Moving Towards a New Migrant Manifesto. Sí, se puede. (Avila)
• Daisy Cutter takes a look at the soaring rate of incarcerations for non-violent offenses and asks what we should do to change this in 1 in 100 American adults in prison or jail. (Got a Grip)
• An MD himself, Ralphdog describes how a benefit change (reduction, of course) by one health insurer is just Murder by Spreadsheet at work again. (watercarrier4diogenes)
• JohnKWilson lays out facts and calls for the end of a double standard when it comes to Obama, McCain and Their "Terrorist" Supporters. (Cordelia Lear)
• One of the most shameful aspects of NOLA's plight has been its own newspapers' complicity in hiding the truth from its citizens. scorpiorising tells us Why We are Protesting the New Orleans Times Picayune. (watercarrier4diogenes)
• Geoengineering: basic principles, some thoughts, some questions by diarist A Siegel is a primer on deliberately modifying the earth's environment to promote habitability. (Cordelia Lear)

Sweet Land of Liberty

• dday shows us just how tenuous the political landscape in Iraq is, despite administration protestations to the contrary. Important Iraquagmire news: Iraqi government vetoes "breakthrough" law - AGAIN. (nyc in exile)
• redstatehatemonitor takes exception as Bush claims Afghanistan a Victory in War on Terror. Find out why. (Cordelia Lear)
• Professor Smartass points out why McCain is full of bovine excrement when it comes to al Qaeda support in Iraq in al Qaeda in Iraq small & unpopular except in Bush/McCain propaganda. (Got a Grip)
• Avenging Angel points out our Commander in Chief's ignorance concerning important world developments with a blast from the past in Bush Relives 2000, Claims Ignorance on Putin Successor. (Got a Grip)
• Apartheid has taken a deadly toll on the people of Mozambique. scoutbanana provides an unflinching human context to the economics of despair in what apartheid has done with affordable transportation. (Avila)

Of Thee I Sing

• dlindorff examines how the time Republicans spend on fearmongering against Obama as president might be better spent examining the tyrannical terrorist who is already occupying the White House in A Manchurian Candidate in the White House?. (Got a Grip)
• In the snarkalicious Addressing The Issue Of My Middle Name, neworleanslady68 skillfully rejects and denounces middle name-calling politics. (Avila)

Elise has tonight's Top Comments: Tell me...

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