Michael Jackson

He sang, he danced; he was more popular than Jesus.

But something was amiss--his father beat him into becoming a great performer and MJ always resented this --he had to love this as well--without Joe , MJ would have been a human zero.

MJ became white , rich and zany. A lot of people have achieved this state, and you can't blame MJ for wanting what this society has to offer. .

MJ was played out by the time of his Thriller album and he faded into history--possible to be replaced by the star power of Sarah Palin...stay tuned.

Marines in Afghanistan???

Unless we're there to secure oil/gas pipelines and routes, I don't see the purpose. Besides, we're running out of steam... what with Wall Street's flame-out, military overreach and the bubble economy--we'll soon be heading to the 2nd tier pastures of former empires: Britain, Spain, the Dutch. So it goes.

Whatever you do, don't invade Iran!

Don't go there! Please, no invasion of Iran, no drones, no spies sent over to incite, no exploding cigars, no dirty tricks.

We got enough on our plate without meddling in other people's affairs.

Americans seem to get a charge about being the agent for freedom and democracy in the world. ("But not in my backyard")

Maybe it's because we feel guilty about killing off our indigenous population and bringing in 10 million slaves to do the heavy lifting or the wars that got us California, Cuba and the Philippines.

We were supposed to be a shining light, a city on the hill for all the world to admire our goodness, according to our early Puritan settlers. But, alas, we fell short.

So we tell the world how to act right: no nukes for Iran and North Korea ,yet nukes for Israel and India; free and fair elections for Iran , yet we don't respect the outcomes when Hamas wins in a free and fair election.

So, Americans, how about a new ethic: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone...

Our smoke and mirrors economy.

Ever since we gave up the ghost on manufacturing and relied on the financial sector our economy is nothing but bubbles and smoke and mirrors. Making things makes an economy;flipping papers does not.

Obama's Imperial Presidency

I thought it was just Bush--the guy with a reverse Midas touch--everything he touched turned to shit-- with his three failed businesses, Iraq, Katrina. Now Obama, --with his empire of bases, his battle carrier groups that patrol the 7 seas, the nuclear subs that are impregnable to a first strike nuclear attack, the trillion dollar a year military machine—Obama inherits his predecessor's wants (empire) and his means (attack anyone who stands in our way).

Bush and Obama agree? Why yes, they both work for the Wall Street/Pentagon complex. Our oligarchs and their enforcers, though, are short on money and their smoke and mirrors economy is not working. So like other once powerful empires (England, Spain, the Dutch) we recede.

GM bankrupt! --End of manufacturing= end of US empire

End of manufacturing= end of US empire. When the finance whizzes and bankers took over the economy they got addicted to making easy money by flipping papers and creating bubbles.

Sadly, these guys don't do manufacturing--it's too hard a buck. So we begin to sink into a weird world of credit default swaps, sub-prime mortgages and hedge funds. And not even (Larry Summers) can put our humpty-dumpty, old empire back together again.

Get used to it, boys, we're heading toward 2nd tierdom-hopefully we'll become a caring nation.

On the slimming of the Sotomayer Supreme Court pick

We don't need a supreme court, so eliminate it. Ditto the senate, house, and public education. Home school!
Our founders, actually wanted a monarchy but given that England was one, they decided to go with oligarchy instead.
Oh, America, when will you be worth your 1 million Trotskyites and your 10 million dead Indians?
The good news is we're now broke. Empires have a shelf life and ours is near its end. (see England, Spain, Holland...)
Actually Wall Street did us in. The financial whiz kids found a way to make an easy buck-selling junk as gold-and now they're hooked on their criminal ways. They don't want to work hard--as in making things. So they continue to flip papers and click on the mouse.
So down the tubes of history we go--of course the Pentagon helped--a trillion for war every year and the constant invasions, occupations, dronings..
Not to mention that we have a rich caste that refuses to pay taxes or even serve in the military, plus we have really awful leadership (see Rome)..
"Oh mama, can this really be the end...?"