Left, Right and Center

I received some good feedback on the MoveOn post. The Petraeus ad and recent Rush Limbaugh verbal diarrhea about "fake soldiers" brings up an interesting question: what is the role of our current political extremes? Some say that we must have one extreme to balance out the other. The self righteous liberal activist yelling on a sidewalk is a counter weight to the self righteous conservative talk show host. If you lose one, the whole scale becomes tilted. Some feel the scale is already severely tilted (from both sides of course).

An even bigger question might be, where is the center? With all the polarizing issues out there like abortion, immigration, war and civil liberties, it becomes difficult to see much common ground sometimes. Can we resolve these issues through compromise from the center or would the center only provide watered down ineffectual policy, and still not represent the majority of Americans? Here's a centrist blog from last year that discusses the need for a central party to emerge:

View From The Center Blog

A 3rd party would most likely form from the center, thereby pushing both current major parties to the extremes. Are the Democrats too progressive or are they already too big of a compromise? The dems could move closer to the center and make room for a legit green or progressive party, but that could push the government farther right altogether.

So where does that leave us, the general citizens and semi-conscious voters? Are the extremists on both sides hurting the political process or are their voices necessary to avoid ineffective politicians? How does the media's spin affect our perception of our values compared to our actual beliefs and is our perception of our values really accurate? (remember the political compass)

Should we all move to the center?

MoveOn Backlash

When General Petraeus gave his Iraq report, MoveOn ran a full page ad in the New York Times questioning the bizarre calculations of violence and calling him "General Betray Us". Since then, Republicans and Fox News have blasted MoveOn as anti-American for questioning the accuracy of his report. Senator McCain said the organization "ought to be thrown out of this country."

A few days later, Republicans blocked a bill giving soldiers more leave time between tours and instead decided it needed to react to a newspaper ad and passed a resolution condemning personal attacks on General Petraeus by a vote of 72 to 25. While I do not always agree with MoveOn's statements, I certainly believe they have the right to condemn or question anyone they want to. If you agree, please add your name to a statement from MoveOn:
Sign the MoveOn Statement

The most interesting part of this story is the solidarity the 3 million MoveOn members have formed since the congressional resolution. Within 1 day, MoveOn exceeded their goal of $500,000 in donations for their next ad campaign, more than any day this year. A few days later, the goal of $1 million was exceeded, and now a few days later, the amount is at a staggering $1.7 million. The ad is highlighting the Republican leaders that blocked the bipartisan bill to give troops more leave time, but it represents something much greater. It's an opportunity to show congress we will not quietly sit back any longer, nor will we let them stifle the voice of questioning and dissent. I try to avoid asking folks for donations, but consider joining me in making a donation to MoveOn's next ad campaign:
Donate to Ad Campaign

The Petraeus Report on Iraq

General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees. The general stated major progress was being made, that the surge has worked and we need to stay the course. According to several news reports, Petraeus and the Pentagon are using a bizarre formula for measuring violence and therefore progress in the country.

- The Los Angeles Times reports that people killed in car bombings don't count.
- The Washington Post reports that victims shot in the face don't count.
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies reports that Shi'a vs. Shi'a and Sunni vs. Sunni violence doesn't count
Petraeus Numbers:

Associated Press:

In addition, a comprehensive Government Accountability Office report ordered by Congress found that the "average number of daily attacks against civilians have remained unchanged from February to July 2007." In August, civilian casualties actually increased according to the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times. More U.S. troops died every month this year compared to the same month last year.

Unfortunately, it appears that some of the main stream media has missed these facts. On CBS, Katie Couric echoes the White House almost verbatim:
YouTube Video from MoveOn
And for you locals, WNC's Representative Heath Shuler has given a formal response to the Petraeus report:
Citizen-Times Article

Mountaintop Removal Aerial Photos

To follow up the mountaintop removal article, here are some photos of such a technique for a coal mine outside of Grundy, Virginia.

Mt Grundy Flickr Photos

The photos are courtesy of South Wings, a non-profit conservation organization that provides skilled pilots and aerial education to enhance conservation efforts across the Southeast.

South Wings

thanks to robin "the rabbit" raines

Mountain Top Coal Mining to Expand

The Bush administration is set to issue a regulation on Friday that would enshrine the coal mining practice of mountaintop removal. The technique involves blasting off the tops of mountains and dumping the rubble into valleys and streams.

All mining generates huge volumes of waste, known as excess spoil or overburden, and it has to go somewhere. For years, it has been trucked away and dumped in remote hollows of Appalachia. The regulation would explicitly state that the stream buffer zone rule does not apply for hundreds of miles of streams and valleys.

From 1985 to 2001, 724 miles of streams were buried under mining waste, according to the environmental impact statement accompanying the new rule. If current practices continue, another 724 river miles will be buried by 2018.

New York Times Article

AT&T Censors Pearl Jam

When Pearl Jam was performing the song "Daughter" during the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, the band broke into a version of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." Reworking the lyrics of the classic rock song, Vedder sang, "George Bush, leave this world alone" and "George Bush, find yourself another home."

The lyrics that criticized Bush were muted in the webcast. AT&T admits that the censorship occurred and describes the muting as "a mistake by a webcast vendor."

Madison.com Article

Spader Courtroom Speech

Here's a dramatic yet difficult look in the mirror at what America as a whole has condoned through apathy.

You Tube Video

Thanks to Boone "The Butcher" Guyton