Contemporary culture 'persuades' us

that we should lust after

the latest symbol promising status

Oprah, whose fetishizing of celebrity

and consumerism is legend,

feeds the 'shop till you drop' indoctrination

more than most in the capitalist media

   more »

Keywords: culture, celebrity, consumerism, oprah

There is an obvious reason for Clinton’s refusal to repudiate her 2002 vote to authorize war against Iraq.

She is signaling America’s ruling elite that, should she be elected president, she is prepared to carry out even more horrendous crimes against the Iraqi people and to launch future wars of aggression against other countries in order to assert US hegemony and seize control of vital resources and markets.

No doubt Ms. Clinton has been counseled by her husband in this matter. Bill Clinton is the recognized master of the cynical political technique of triangulation—choosing a middle position between that of your right-wing supporters and the sentiments of your liberal backers.

He would advise his wife that, while criticizing the Bush administration’s handling of the war, she should deliberately distance herself from those Democrats seeking to identify themselves with mass antiwar sentiments.   more »

According to Rasmussen polls, just 21% of Americans believe the country is on the right track, a figure that has fallen by more than a half since the presidential election of 2004.

Meanwhile only a third think the country's best days are yet to come, as opposed to 43% who believe they have come and gone - again a steep decline on three years ago.

These are not one-offs. In the past 18 months almost every poll that has asked Americans about their country's direction has produced among the most pessimistic responses on record - a more extended period than anyone can remember since Watergate.

America, in short, is in a deep funk. Far from feeling hopeful, it appears fearful of the outside world and despondent about its own future.   more »

The term "plutocracy" is formally defined as government by the wealthy, and is also sometimes used to refer to a wealthy class that controls a government, often from behind the scenes.

More generally, a plutocracy is any form of government in which the wealthy exercise the preponderance of political power, whether directly or indirectly.

Plutocracy may also have social and cultural aspects.

Thus, in Democracy for the Few political scientist Michael Parenti is led to comment "American capitalism represents more than just an economic system; it is an entire cultural and social order, a plutocracy, a system of rule that is mostly by and for the rich.   more »

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, today warned the US against the use of force against Iran, in the latest example of blunt talking from the former KGB man, who likes to project a tough-guy image.

"We should not even think of making use of force in this region," Mr Putin said during a summit of Caspian Sea countries in Tehran.

Some of his most pointed language has been directed at the US.

He angered the Americans last week when he told reporters: "We have no objective evidence to claim that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, which makes us believe the country has no such plans."   more »