Ukraine: This seems really messed up

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Monday March 17, 2014 · 9:30 AM PDT

2014/03/17 · 09:30

The US Treasury freezes Russian officials assets?

I realize that our main beef with Russian support for Crimea succession, and the presumed intent of eventual Russian annexation of the region, is that this is in violation of International Law, as determined by the treaties to which Russia and the Ukraine committed when the Ukraine become independent of Russia in one of many such incidents following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

But to freeze assets of individuals, not for committing or supporting actual crimes against people, or violations of human rights, but for agitating or advocating, as an official of an independent political entity -- in the case the Russian Federation -- seems like itself a great breech of the common understanding of "Rule of Law that we are purportedly trying to uphold in the Ukraine.

eastsidedemocrat

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Monday November 09, 2009 · 8:50 AM PST

2009/11/09 · 08:50

President Obama gave a speech to Congress that everyone here knows quite well. In that speech, in the very sentence following the one where Representive Joe Wilson made his infamous and ugly accusation, embarrassing himself and his party, President Obama made an important commitment to keep federal funding of abortion out of health care reform. This is the discourse that drove the Stupak Amendment, and it's important that we understand this in order to ensure that health care reform actually begins to happen in this country.

eastsidedemocrat

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Monday August 17, 2009 · 11:23 AM PDT

2009/08/17 · 11:23

The struggle for universal, affordable health care has come down to the realization that there is a critical need for public accountability, rather than just market accountability, for health care. Sen. Kent Conrad, however, threw a wrench into the gears with his proposal for a private, co-operative based, health care option that would compete at regional levels with private insurers.

The important details of Conrad's plan are unclear or, more likely, undecided, but commentators say he appears to be looking at the models provided by two large, non-profit HMO's, Minnesota's Health Partners or Washington's Group Health. If so, and if that is all there is to his plan, Gov. Dean is right: co-ops are not an acceptable compromise.

However, there are ways that co-operatives can work in health care, and there are successful policy models in American governance already in place:

eastsidedemocrat

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Wednesday December 27, 2006 · 10:45 AM PST

2006/12/27 · 10:45

Bonddad has produced two recent diaries promoting the comfortable concept that we have to put our financial house in order before we start expending public funds on priorities that Democrats want – universal health care, renewable energy, education, and public transportation. He was responding to this excellent op-ed piece by Princeton economist Paul Krugman, who argues precisely the opposite. Krugman is right, and bonddad's criticism of couldn't be farther off the mark, and for a number of reasons.

eastsidedemocrat

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Tuesday April 12, 2005 · 12:50 PM PDT

2005/04/12 · 12:50

Last summer, as Democrats and our allies were hitting the streets in targeted states and counties, this is what a lot of the working class, who should be our base, were listening to several times a day on Country stations. Thirty-one year old Gretchen Wilson was one of the top newcomers on the music scene in 2004, and this song was on the radio constantly: (lyrics follow) Read More

Victor Hanson and our democracy-by-force foreign policy

eastsidedemocrat

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Monday March 21, 2005 · 1:35 PM PST

2005/03/21 · 13:35

The foreign policy of the United States is preemption, as directed by President Bush in the Fall of 2002 , leading to the justification for invading Iraq. The strategy to execute that policy, as indicated by the President in the 2005 State of the Union Address and in a recent speech at the National Defense University , is to promote democracy, by military force if necessary, in nations and regions that are of concern to us.

Victor Hanson is one of the President's unofficial apologists. He is an historian of classical Greece and military affairs, and leads a charming life in California as grape farmer. He writes well and often , which is why a lot of his ideas end up as right-wing talking points on the radio and in blogs. So let's take him on once in a while.
Read More

Is the Democratic Party anti-Catholic?

eastsidedemocrat

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Thursday March 17, 2005 · 11:52 AM PST

2005/03/17 · 11:52

This question may seem odd, given that we just nominated a Catholic for President in 2004, but a lot of Catholics, a traditionally Democratic base, voted Republican this year, even though the Pope condemned the invasion of Iraq.

To receive an endorsement or gain the nomination of the Democratic Party in much of the nation, a Catholic candidate today must publicly renounce some of the most fundemental beliefs of his or her religion - namely those beliefs regarding the origin and meaning of life itself.

Are members of any other major religion subjected to this by the Democratic Party? Baptists? Muslims, maybe?

Can Democrats as a party expect to win if they alienate political leaders from the nation's largest denomination?

eastsidedemocrat

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Monday March 14, 2005 · 1:18 PM PST

2005/03/14 · 13:18

In case we need another reminder of why we are involved in the Democratic Party, this news item from the March 10 Star Tribune should help. The Governor, with the help of Republican state Rep. Phil Krinkie, has actually proposed legislation that would replace city council and county board authority regarding tax levy changes with a mail-in election in which only property owners can participate. And it isn't even one vote per property owner. Rather, its one vote per parcel of property! The governor is proposing to replace our municipal elections with corporate proxy voting! The proposed mail-in election of property parcels would trigger a January referendum if more than 20% of property parcels vote against any change in the city or county property tax levy.

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Ukraine: This seems really messed up

Let me quote President Obama regarding the Stupak amendment

There ARE Co-Op models that work as public options

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Let's talk about Red Neck Women

Victor Hanson and our democracy-by-force foreign policy

Is the Democratic Party anti-Catholic?

MN Governor proposes to take away the right to vote from renters