The relativity of crime

Woody Guthrie put it one way and Bob Dylan put it another, but both went to the heart of the matter.

First Woody:

Well, as through this world I've rambled
I've seen lots of funny men.
Some will rob you with a six-gun
And some with a fountain pen.

Then Bob:

Steal a little and they throw you in jail
Steal a lot and they make you king

Some might suggest that the same is true of crimes that involve the loss of human life. This item from In These Times contrasts the execution of Troy Davis on shaky evidence with the fact CEOs like Massey Energy's Don Blankenship who have presided over companies where workers have been killed on the job often never face sanctions of any kind.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED

Unspectacular and always human

"Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table."--W. H. Auden

GET BUSY. Here's a "Move the Money" toolkit from AFSC about how to get involved in working for a sane federal budget

CLASS WARFARE? Elizabeth Warren rather forcefully whacks that notion here.

ONE TO WATCH. Here's a new website that aims to be a resource for state and national acting to promote shared prosperity. The name of the site says it all: buildingthemiddleclass.org.

FOR ADULTS ONLY. Wild (but probably not very hot) squid sex is discussed here.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED

Thought for the day

A friend of mine raised an interesting point the other day. What if they repossessed wars when people couldn't pay for them anymore?

ECONOMIC BLOODLETTING. Krugman came up with a good analogy.

THE REAL CLASS WAR. Here's a quick look at the wealth gap.

THE SCIENCE OF STUBBORNNESS is discussed here.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED

This is our concern, Dude

This item from CNN pretty much sums up the problem for millions of Americans:

Over 46 million people are living in poverty, 2.6 million more than in 2009 and the poverty rate has reached 15.1 percent.

The outlook is grim. The recession has compounded decades of growing economic inequality, structural poverty, and urban decay. With the projections that unemployment will remain high for several years, these numbers are not likely to improve.

Making matters worse, as Ron Haskings at the Brookings Institution noted, "Safety net programs run by the federal and state governments are helping millions of families avoid poverty, but thee programs could be subject to cuts at the federal and state level because of continuing deficit and debt problems."

The article goes on to note that most politicians from either major party don't even want to go there. Methinks a key task of the next stretch is to get their attention, which will no doubt require making some noise and kicking up some dust.

THIS WOULD BE FUNNY IF IT WAS A JOKE. Republicans are crying "class warfare" over Obama's proposal that millionaires should pay at least as much in taxes as middle class Americans.

BORED WITH BURIAL OR CREMATION? Get juiced.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED.

Brave too

Much of West Virginia is still buzzing about Landau Eugene Murphy's winning of the America's Got Talent contest. The Logan County native has proven that Sinatra-style crooning can still work in unlikely places.

I was amused by this anecdote as reported by WV Metro News:

At one point, his rare talent prompted a wager. A friend bet Murphy he couldn't sing Sinatra and get away with it at a bar out in a rural area of the southern West Virginia county.

But like the judges on AGT, the bar goers were amazed, Murphy says with a smile.

"Ever since, I've never had to pay to go into that bar," said Murphy.

I'd say we can add courage to Murphy's other admirable qualities.

THE NEW AMERICA? Here's a sad look at the new reality for millions of Americans.

WHAT'S OFF THE AGENDA (BUT SHOULD BE ON IT) here.

HOW TO FLIRT LIKE AN ANIMAL here.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED