Since Mr. Kucinich's impeachment seems to be the most widely discussed topic on Daily Kos at this time, I thought it would be prudent to venture my humble opinion on this matter and on the matter of impeachment in general.

The main points of contention seem to be whether impeachment is (a) viable – whether it can be successfully carried out – and (b) whether it is expedient, which is to say whether it harms the Democratic Party and its presidential candidate or not.

Thoughts on it below the fold. I should point out, however, that this diary is decidedly not focussed on expediency and anyone for whom that is a primary concern is advised to keep an open mind: What ought to be is at least as important as what is. If nothing else, towards what should we strive? What should be our goal? Theoria sine praxis est rota sine axis sed praxis sine theoria est caecus in via, as someone who's absorbed way too much would say.

During these last few months we've been privileged to see a horde of Republican intellectuals, spearheaded by Ron Paul demonstrating in no uncertain terms that they don't know two bits about economics. Therefore, it is my intention to provide Kossacks with a few diaries dealing with economic theory (and possibly followed by a few exercises) so that a progressive might counter, at least on a basic level the prattle offered by Ron Paul's adherents and libertarians. This is the first and possibly the dullest diary in the series, which will demonstrate the basics of spending and product realisation, with a brief stint into the state's role in the economy.

Before we begin, just a caveat, please: I am a law student, not an economics student, and therefore it should not be assumed that I am an expert on the matter; furthermore, while the subject is relatively fresh in my mind I do not have all the literature here with me, which raises the possibility of making daft mistakes. If a fault is found, it should be soundly criticised; also, all mistakes should be taken as my own. Furthermore, I am excerpting from my notes and literature in my language while translating into English, which might lead to terminological inaccuracy and rigidity of phrase.

All right. Let's move below the fold.

To commence, I would like to extend a heartfelt ''hi!'' to all the Kossacks here after a long absence. Exam time's a real salope and prevents you from doing anything very much at all, except for staring at the innumerable pages until the letters begin to tap-dance in front of your eyes.

You do, however, learn quite a few useful things in the process, and that is why I thought it would be useful to take a step back from the daily political battles and discuss theory for a change. Since a large part of politics revolves around elections, I thought it could be worthwhile to present different vote distribution (''voting'' for short) systems and discuss their merits.

As always, I apologise for any mistakes in terminology. Translating anything legal from memory, without a dictionary, is a devil's job. Feel free to correct me - in fact, I should demand it.

All the credits go to my professors and their textbooks. No names - blogs have to be a bit incognito - but they know who they are. While you make May a little slice of hell, most of you are all right, really. There. I said it. Don't count on a repeat until after the second round of exams passes, heh.

Alas, poor George. When the whole world is turned against you (literally in this case) you can at least find solace in the company of your household pets. Unfortunately for George, his favourite poodle, Tony, seems to have caught a strange case of Anti-American rabies called ''growing a spine,'' and has just delivered its master a nasty, festering bite.

British PM Tony Blair is to announce his intent today to withdraw (read: Pull out) nearly half of Britain's troops out by the end of the year. The debate in the Commons is scheduled to start in a few hours.

Details below the fold.

The main story being run today on BBC is the death of the former Russian spy and civil rights activist, Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko. Because Litvinenko was one of the most outspoken critics of the Russian government and Vladimir Putin, suspicions have arisen concerning Putin's possible involvement in the plot. Is there any merit to this suspicion? I shall speculate on this below the fold.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is currently addressing the United Nations. The top issues are: Nuclear technology, UN impartiality, and US-Iran relations. Despite his often fiery rhetoric, Ahmadinejad is employing conciliatory, peaceful, and smart language. His words below the fold.

The European Parliament has passed a resolution today condemning the US over its Guantanamo detention centre. It has also addressed the issue of illegal kidnappings on its own soil by the CIA, the United States' intelligence agency.

Here on Daily Kos a polemic is sometimes hinted at but rarely takes place: The existence and role of hate speech. Proponents declare that hate speech should be defined and restricted while critics argue that all opinions should be voiced and allowed. This diary is intended to shed some light on this issue.

I've been on a trip to Florence over Easter. My, what a wonderful city it is! The Duomo, the crypt of the Medici, Santa Maria della Novella, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Barghello, and the Ponte Vecchio are all examples of a wonderful, cultured history and a beutiful part of world heritage. However, Florence, and the Medici in particular, got me thinking in a different direction. What do the rich do today and what did they do in the olden times?

Everything below the fold.

We have been hearing a lot lately about human rights, war criminals, international tribunals, the United Nations and their role, democracy and freedoms. Bush said long ago that "terrists" hate our freedoms. I agree wholeheartedly. But the question remains: Which freedoms do they hate and why? Does the US respect them? Are they all equal? I shall attempt to address this question below the fold.

(Given the fact that this is my first diary I would appreciate at least a token response, such as "uninteresting")

Snip