Politics Category Archives

Boomerang Effect

Published on 13 Jan 2007 at 4:34 pm. 2 Comments.
Filed under Politics, Etcetera, etcetera.

The latest—and most pathetic—attempt by the Bush Administration to deflect attention from its systematic deconstruction of the Constitution is the attack by Department of Defense official Charles “Cully” Stimson on law firms representing the Guantanamo detainees. An article in Jurist on Friday reported that: […]

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Ziplock Security

Published on 2 Jan 2007 at 6:27 pm. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics, Airlines, Etcetera, etcetera.

Thanks to Anna Quindlen for her column in Newsweek about the current state of airport security. I travel frequently and the experience is like a fraternity hazing. One word of complaint and you can wind up holding your arms up, feet apart, until you miss your flight. What we have is kabuki theater, not security. Only […]

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Abshopious New Year

Published on 31 Dec 2006 at 3:00 pm. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics, The Economy, Good Manners, Words, Credit Cards.

I’ve coined a new word for the New Year: abshopious. I’m going to try to give up (ab) mindless shopping in 2007. Ab-shop-ious. Derived from one of my favorite words: ab·ste·mi·ous [ab-stee-mee-uhs] adjective sparing or moderate in […]

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Pie in the Sky

Published on 25 Dec 2006 at 7:00 pm. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics, The Economy, About Buff.

A recent report in the New York Times that college-educated women are losing ground in the race for pay equality will come as no surprise to any woman who’s spent time in the working world. As a full professor, I can report that even people who know the law are rarely aware of the discriminatory […]

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2024

Published on 20 Dec 2006 at 4:57 pm. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics.

A friend wrote me recently concerning the torture issue. She said that she believes that some Americans think that “24″ is an accurate depiction of our national security operations and that may be why they aren’t upset about the United States systematically torturing prisoners, and transporting them to other countries to cover it up. They […]

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Humorous Intel

Published on 1 Dec 2006 at 7:07 am. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics, Airlines, Credit Cards.

Buff is back. The truth is that during most of 2006, I was imprisoned in Guantanamo for attempting to bring hummus through a TSA screening checkpoint. My possession of a Middle-Eastern food product made me an obvious terrorism suspect. I’m free, I assume as the result of the mid-term elections. The Rs figure it’s only a […]

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Collateral Dumb-age

Published on 12 Feb 2006 at 2:34 pm. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics, Good Manners.

What could qualify as a more perfect example of irony and poetic justice? News flash: Vice-President Cheney just accidentally shot a friend while bird hunting! Although my first reaction was to laugh out loud, it isn’t funny. I’m sure it isn’t funny for his friend, although I’m guessing the medical response team was hovering nearby. Can’t […]

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“Who Knew?” Economics

Published on 3 Feb 2006 at 3:01 pm. 2 Comments.
Filed under Politics, The Economy.

Salon reported today that the Administration has asked for an additional $120 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan—that’s in addition to the $226 billion already allocated. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so bad if the Administration’s plans for Iraq hadn’t included handing $82 million in cash to a convicted felon who doled it out to his friends. Meanwhile, […]

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State of the Onion

Published on 1 Feb 2006 at 11:40 am. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics.

It’s no longer possible to identify satire in America. After listening to the President’s speech, I honestly felt that John Stewart should have delivered the response. Anyone ready to celebrate the results of free elections in the Palestinian territory, for example? Or believe that a president with crude oil running through his veins (to say nothing […]

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Nuclear Opinion

Published on 18 Jan 2006 at 9:24 am. Comments Off.
Filed under Politics.

Forgive me, but I’m wondering why the Democrats have decided not to filibuster the Alito nomination. Why not face the nuclear option and go down fighting? To paraphrase Former Secretary of State Albright, what is the point of having this weapon if you don’t use it? Particularly now, when the future of our nation […]

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