1) There is only one mistake that cannot be corrected, and that is the death penalty.

I’m not a peacenik or a pacifist. I’m super lefty progressive, but I think that sometimes revolutions need blood. But the death penalty in never a form of revolution or even justice and is the only form of punishment that has no reversal. I was watching Thomas Kahill (Spelling?) on PBS say that “No one who has money ever ends up on death row”. Poor people don’t commit worse crimes than wealthy people (Hello OJ), they just have less legal resources and therefore become fodder for our public bloodlust.

2) Just like there should be no taxation without representation, there is no representation without taxation.

Taxes, besides paying for the common good, are one of the best way we have of judging how well our government is representing us. In countries that have no need of taxes because of some alternate form of wealth (specifically oil rich countries) there is no reason for the government to bow to the demands of it’s citizens because the citizens are not paying for the government, outside interests are.

In our country, when I hear the “strangle the government in the bathtub” people start speaking, what I hear is “so that we don’t have to do what the people want anymore”. It’s not just that the no taxes people are personally selfish (though that is a part of it) it’s that there is no need to represent citizens (or tax payers) best interests if they are not being taxed. And if people are not being taxed, they have no measure of whether their government is providing the services they want. People are generally rational and understand that nothing comes free. But we also understand when we are being screwed over,

I have been studying political science for so long that it is rare that I hear anything profound come out of someone’s mouth regarding politics anymore. I think the last time I read something that made me go “OMG!” was several years ago while reading a biography of the first socialist leader of Sweden, Tage Erlander. To paraphrase severely- a business that does not pay it’s employees a living wage is a failing business in the eyes of the state, and should not be supported. Why would it be a failing business? Well the people who are employed are not making enough to live on, let alone contribute to the public good through paying taxes. If a business cannot employ people well enough so that they can pay taxes, then the business is failing it’s duty to the state (WalMart- I’m thinking about you) by pawning off some of the costs of doing business on to the state.

So I was watching Bill Moyers interview Benjamin Barber about his book Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens Whole. And I had another “OMG!” moment. To paraphrase again

When politics invades every aspect of life, we call it totalitarianism, when religion invades every aspect of life, we call it theocracy, but when capitalism invades every aspect of life, we call it liberty.

We are slaves to the market economy. It invades everything we do, from birth to death. But we call this freedom because we think we have a choice. More from the interview (and again paraphrased because I am not great with on the spot dictation) We think we have a choice because we can choose over 200 models of cars to drive, but what we can’t choose is quality public transportation because it’s not available.

The freedom to shop is not true freedom. (I would say that the freedom from shopping is not true freedom either and the kid and I are in the midst of what is being called “The Suckiest Christmas Ever!”) So if we are entrenched in a society based on shopping- what do we call it?

(Editor’s note: You may have noticed the Powell’s books banner at the top of this site. If you are looking for books and you go through my site using that banner or any links, like the one for the Barber book above, and you buy books through that link- I get a commission. Yes I realize the hypocrisy of shilling for cash in this post. But buying from Powell’s mean you support one of the last independent book sellers and help the Kid and I at the same time. I have also got some t-shirt designs up at CafePress, so if you want a bitchy t-shirt, now you know where to get one. )

Googling yourself and seeing that at least some of the links actually are for you. At least 3 of the links on the first google search page are me, despite my having a much more common last name than I thought.

Now if only those damn genealogy freaks would stop googling my dead relatives, I might be the top link. A girl can dream- can’t she?

I’m not a big one for celebrity gossip blogging but……

Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney Spears’ 16 year old sister, is pregnant.

Let’s see, take a teenager, give her more than the usual pressures not to have sex by requiring her to maintain virginal innocence in order to keep lucrative kid’s television job. Amazingly, teenage girl still has sex, and gets pregnant.

Now if a whole shitload of money and massive public scrutiny are not enough to keep kids from having sex, then can we really expect abstinence only programs to work for kids who don’t have that kind of pressure?

Nope.

I’ve been trying to dig up a video clip of my favorite celebrity interview moment ever, but I can’t seem to find it. All I can do is give you this quote

Asked if motherhood is the best experience of her life, Huffman says, “No, no, and I resent that question. Because I think it puts women in an untenable position, because unless I say to you, ‘Oh, Lesley, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done with my whole life,’ I’m considered a bad mother. And just when I said no you, you went back.”

That was Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives fame. I am not a Housewives fan, but I love Huffman. I loved Sports night. I love her husband, William H. Macy. And I especially love that she doesn’t give pat answers to stupid interview questions.