From almost day one of the George W. Bush years, the Dionysian take on human existence has been banished into another galaxy. Unfortunately, it hasn't been replaced with the alternative Apollonian view of the world, which at least would be nurturing of science and civilization.

Republicans, to say it straight out, simply seem to be terrified of sex. Bush's buddy Christian fundamentalists inevitably conjure up visions of Salem Witch Trials.

And predictably, the recent abusive man/boy antics of Republican congressmen demonstrate that sexual repression is always neurotically acted out.

Which brings to mind another matter. A righteous hatred (or fear) of sexuality has historically been associated with a contempt for women.   more »

Imagine that someone pointed to a workplace in a distant society and said, “Hey, look, 20% have all the chocolate, 80% have none.

The former folks get more income and dominate decisions. They rule. The latter folks are exhausted, alienated, subordinate.

They get less income and obey. Look, here is how disparity in their possession of the chocolate causes that result.

The possession of all the chocolate gives the former folks confidence, knowledge of the overall conditions of work, social skills, energy, and so on.

The absence of chocolate in their workdays relegates the latter folks to exhaustion, depression, a condition of less confidence, diminishing social skills, ignorance of the overall conditions of work, and so on.”   more »

For five hundred years Western capitalism has ridden roughshod across the planet, plundering and enslaving entire continents, exterminating entire cultures and peoples’ in the pursuit of profit.

It has done this, until the 20th century with virtual impunity by virtue of overwhelming military power and control of international trade, itself protected by overwhelming military force.

But following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Western capitalism was stripped of its justification for continuing its pillage of the planet.

It needed a new enemy behind which it could continue its operations and one effectively impossible to defeat simply because it not only has no centre, but also because ‘international terror’ simply doesn’t exist except as a propaganda message.   more »

Hillary Clinton's recent radical facial transformation began in New Hampshire, shortly before she was due to share a platform with her Democrat competitors for the American presidency.

Small wonder she was in a panic. There she was, aged 59, sharing a stage and the harsh glare of television camera lights with two men who have superficial but powerful advantages over her.

At 45 Barack Obama is - and looks - significantly younger. Youth and energy are the watchwords of his campaign. John Edwards, tall and well-dressed, is unfailingly telegenic. He looks what he says he is: "A nice guy."

What was she to do? In order to keep up, she felt, something definitive was necessary: she appeared on the platform looking at least 15 years younger.   more »

Before anyone can even begin to craft a plan for extracting us from this disaster, Bush and Cheney will have to be politically cornered, politically overwhelmed, and politically defeated.

That defeat must begin in Congress. That is the punch behind the Reid-Levin amendment. That is the punch behind the next amendment to come, and the one after that, and the one after that.

The administration's Iraq policy has almost no public support, and Senate Republicans know it. Their previously unswerving support for Bush and his Iraq policy now hangs ponderously around their necks like Coleridge's albatross.

The GOP lost majority control of the Senate by a small margin after last November's elections became the first vividly public repudiation of the war.

As bad as that was for Republicans, the potential for greater calamity looms; the approaching November '08 midterm elections could well become an even more strident platform for citizens to vote their disdain.   more »