Front Page: Bangkok on Brink as Protests Rage

April 13, 2009

by CitizenSugar 12

Thailand's prime minister has declared a state of emergency after antigovernment protests and intense violence have continued for days. — CNN
Somali pirates have vowed revenge today for the death of three pirates killed by the US. They promise to kill US and French soldiers. — CNN
The Obamas will host 30,000 people today for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. — ABC News
A passenger landed a small plane in Florida after the pilot died in flight. — AP
Officials say a woman jumped into the polar bear enclosure at the Berlin Zoo. She was bitten several times. — AP
Hannah Montana topped the box office this weekend, bringing in $34 million in ticket sales. — BuzzSugar
Economist Paul Krugman thinks Republicans have stopped having real policy debates. — New York Times

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12 Comments

mydiadem 4 years 5 weeks

I don't really see the value in what you are presenting Grandpa, with all due respect. Seems that DeLay did suggest that evolution being taught in schools was part of the cause for Columbine. Fair enough there were other reasons, but this was one of them. And as for oil prices, they are down because demand is way down as a result of the recession. Doesn't mean the long term trend isn't going to continue up as Krugman suggests.

Grandpa 4 years 5 weeks

A response to Krugman: http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/04/we-farm-out-the-krugmanbashing-and-help-truth-get-its-boots-on.html We Farm Out The Krugman-Bashing (And Help Truth Get Its Boots On) Eddy Elfenbein of Crossing Wall Street criticizes Paul Krugman's fixation on Tom DeLay: Paul Krugman writes about Tom DeLay: Going back to those tea parties, Mr. DeLay, a fierce opponent of the theory of evolution — he famously suggested that the teaching of evolution led to the Columbine school massacre — also foreshadowed the denunciations of evolution that have emerged at some of the parties. These are the kinds of the things Krugman writes that are so frustrating. He’s a brilliant economist but too often drives off the reservation into dishonesty. After reading Krugman’s account, are you led to believe that Tom DeLay said in a clear declarative sentence that Columbine was the result of the teaching of evolution? That he repeatedly said it and would say it again today if asked? I really wonder how many people understand that saying something that’s factually correct isn’t good enough. An accurate fact can be presented in a dishonest way. I think if I said this to many political pundits, their heads would explode. Context? We don't need no stinkin' context! However! In the course of trying to establish just what Tom DeLay did or did not say, a little chestnut emerged at AlterNet, the Public Citizen, and About.com, as well as at other sites including Kevin Drum's (who emerges as the comic foil). Here is Drum: R.I.P. TOM DELAY....Ruth Marcus memorializes Tom DeLay in the Washington Post today and does a fine job. However, I — like many others — will always remember him best for his reaction to the Columbine shootings in 1999: Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare, the teaching of evolution in the schools, and working mothers who take birth control pills. Ooops! Turns out that Tom DeLay never actually said that, as Drum notes a bit later - the "quote" is a very simplified paraphrase of a letter DeLay read on the House floor, as explained by Mr. Elfenbein. Here is a NY Times story covering the House debate in 1999 which does include a part of the paraphrase: Mr. DeLay said that in a way he was pleased with the final result. ''The guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence,'' Mr. DeLay said, adding that he ''had a great time this week'' getting to debate cultural issues. WE WRITE OF MISSING CONTEXT: Here is Krugman simplifying DeLay on July 13 2004: Mr. DeLay, who, in the debate over gun control after the Columbine shootings, insisted that juvenile violence is the result of day care, birth control and the teaching of evolution. Really? Just glancing at the letter Mr. DeLay read, I would say he passed along the view that juvenile violence may be due to broken homes; parents not spending time with their kids; kids in daycare; kids watching, on average, seven hours of violent, sexualized televsion per day; violent video games; kids being viewed as a burden and a failure of birth control; humans being presented in schools as glorified apes; and kids being taught "that there are no laws of morality that transcend us". Hey, no mention of rap music? Well, Tipper Gore could have signed up for some of these concerns, as could any earnest lib. MY FAVORITE CITE: My favorite instance of this bum quote comes from The Transnational Institute, "a worldwide fellowship of committed scholar-activists". When it comes to raising money for his PACs, however, DeLay shows his mastery of the modern world. He saves his anti-modernism to explain the real causes for the school terrorism at Columbine. "Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare, the teaching of evolution in the schools, and working mothers who take birth control pills (Stephen Pizzo, Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans," alternet May 16, 2002). The man who has promoted himself as a champion of children took "a $100,000 check from a Hmm. The AlterNet cite is the one linked above; the book by Stephen Pizzo, "Inside Job", was published in 1989, covers the S&L debacle, and, I am quite confident, does not contain any of Mr. DeLay's thoughts on the 1999 Columbine shooting. RANDOM FUN: At the Times website they promote some Krugman columns form the archives; their second selection is this: Fuels on the Hill By PAUL KRUGMAN Why are politicians so eager to pin the blame for oil prices on speculators? Because it lets them believe that we don’t have to adapt to a world of expensive gas. June 27, 2008 opinion Op-Ed From the column we gain this insight: In any case, one thing is clear: the hyperventilation over oil-market speculation is distracting us from the real issues. Regulating futures markets more tightly isn’t a bad idea, but it won’t bring back the days of cheap oil. Nothing will. Oil prices will fluctuate in the coming years — I wouldn’t be surprised if they slip for a while as consumers drive less, switch to more fuel-efficient cars, and so on — but the long-term trend is surely up. "The long term trend is surely up". No doubt. West Texas Intermdeiate was roughly $135 a barrel when Krugman wrote that and the long term trend persisted for another two weeks before beginning a short term swoon which took the price down to $31/bbl at Christmas; it is now about $50 /bbl. I guess Krugman wasn't surprised since he had predicted prices might "slip a little".

cordata 4 years 5 weeks

The Protest in Bangkok is AWFUL considering it's the new year, and time for merit making and washing away the past. I hope more people will care about this issue. Citizen sugar rarely seems to post on Asia, so iIm glad there's finally a story on the situation, since the BBC and CNN had on their front page.

cordata 4 years 5 weeks

The Protest in Bangkok is AWFUL considering it's the new year, and time for merit making and washing away the past.I hope more people will care about this issue.Citizen sugar rarely seems to post on Asia, so iIm glad there's finally a story on the situation, since the BBC and CNN had on their front page.

hausfrau 4 years 5 weeks

Amen Org!

hausfrau 4 years 5 weeks

Amen Org!

organicsugr 4 years 5 weeks

Yes, the only reasonable side of economic policy debate is to increase taxation and spending, because higher taxes always lead to prosperity and freedom.

popgoestheworld 4 years 5 weeks

Crazy story about the pilot dying. Amazing that one of the passengers happened to have 20 years of flying experience. As for the polar bear story, I guess bears are often portrayed as cute and cuddly? But yeah, there had to have been something wrong with that lady.

popgoestheworld 4 years 5 weeks