Analysis
Submitted by meg on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 1:47pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White
The right-wing backlash of name-calling and hatred is in full swing, many weeks before Inauguration Day. If you've been following the backlash from my article about the Astroturf fear mongers at Grassfire.org, you won't be surprised to hear this from their shill at Democrats=Socialists.com: "If you had a 'hate meter' and filled one gymnasium with 6,000 Klansmen and the other with a lone Obama button wearing liberal, the gymnasium with the liberal would emanate a spectrum of hate and intolerance that would take a team of NASA physicist years to interpret."
The writer still won't give his identity (he's actually quite paranoid about it, writing that my interest in his identity must be because I want to "email Obama HQ and have them look into my tax records." He does say he's named "Buffoon" and he's a father, husband and veteran), but he's aligned himself with the Klan. Enough said. But it's not just anonymous racist nuts trying to get the hate out. It's full-fledged companies and their high-powered CEOs getting in on the game.  Technorati Tags: Analysis grassfire blankenship west virginia coal massey environment lies energy conservation global warming pollution
Submitted by christine on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 1:09pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman
Do American citizens realize that active-duty U.S. troops are now charged with serving domestically? They are currently funded and prepared to fight, if asked to, in the streets of the U. S. of A. according to a recent report from The Washington Post: The Pentagon's plan calls for three rapid-reaction forces to be ready for emergency response by September 2011. The first 4,700-person unit, built around an active-duty combat brigade based at Ft. Stewart, Ga., was available as of Oct. 1, said Gen. Victor Renuart, commander of the U.S. Northern Command. Technorati Tags: Analysis Protest Troops Northcom Defense Terrorism
Submitted by meg on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 12:00pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White
When a right-wing blogger calls your writings "extreme liberal bile and dung," you know you must be doing something right. My recent article about the paranoia of Grassfire.org's campaign to assemble an army of resisters against the Obama Administration garnered an extreme response from the Web site DequalsS.com. In case you're wondering, the domain name stands for Democrat = Socialist. As for other information about the writer, all I could find was an IP address. The site's mission statement section is no help either, saying "I'll put some stuff here later… do you really care what my mission is anyway?" And the author didn't sign the entry, so I can't say this to him/her directly, but I'll use what the writer refers to as "the liberal sewer called BuzzFlash" to send this message: Calm down. Seriously, relax. Your ramblings are starting to look dangerously like those of Joseph McCarthy. Technorati Tags: Analysis right wing mccarthyism fear obama michelle relax blog communism socialism radical grassfire buzzflash gop
Submitted by meg on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 1:05pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White  On Monday, the Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.- based public policy think tank, recommended the United States reconsider the embargo against Cuba in some truly major ways. The recommendations came in a report titled "Re-Thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations" (click here to view the full report).
The report makes the pragmatic and humanitarian arguments that have been common talking points from anti-embargo thinkers for decades: There's no evidence of Cuba harboring terrorists, so why should they suffer the ignominy of being on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism? The U.S. is already Cuba's fourth-largest trade partner; why not expand? Lifting travel restrictions would promote mutual understanding with geographically close neighbors. But Brookings didn't address the more pressing reason for the incoming administration to end the embargo: the economy. With the global scale of the economic meltdown, the U.S. government needs to look outside its borders, as well as within, for fiscal solutions. Technorati Tags: Analysis cuba embargo latin america brookings institution castro economy trade human rights import export florida
Submitted by Chad on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 11:04am.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Chad Rubel You might think it's sacrilege to think about Christmas this early, but you would be too late in your outrage. Besides, the day after Thanksgiving sales require you to get to the store of your choice well before the opening doors at 5 a.m.
I confess I've been spending some money on myself, but I usually wait until this time of year to do so, since prices are better. I did buy all new cookware from a chain that was going out of business - grabbed the floor model and got 20% off. Bought a fancy alarm clock from the same place for 40% off.
And like most Americans, I am drooling over potential new electronics to add on (still want an LCD HD set).
But the temptation is to spend less for the holidays, or perhaps shift the focus to giving to charity.
Technorati Tags: Analysis Chad Rubel Christmas Thanksgiving holiday budget
Submitted by Chad on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 2:05pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Chad Rubel Not coming to a theater near you: Three middle-aged men go on a road trip to rediscover the world they live in and how to improve it. But there's one wacky catch: each of them runs a failing auto company, and they're driving from Detroit to Washington, but they need a car that can get them there without falling apart. Oh, and if they take one of their one, which company gets the honor?
On the surface, this might be a more watchable version of "Wild Hogs." But this could be the reality the next time the automakers come back to Washington.
It was be quite cool, if they do take one of their own cars, to ask them what kind of mileage they get on that car. They might wish they were traveling in a Honda or Toyota if the price of gas actually meant something to them.
Technorati Tags: Analysis Chad Rubel auto industry Detroit buy American road trip
Submitted by christine on Fri, 11/21/2008 - 9:21am.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman A friend of BuzzFlash wrote to us today: I have a horrible "down" feeling. I was so happy that Obama won, and now, the elation is gone. I don't like the looks of things at all. They just keep looking worse. I thought, well, VP, hmm, okay, not my pick, but okay, then, Emanuel, hmmmmmm, well maybe needed. Now ... humph, what the hell is going on?
As information about prospective Obama administration appointments dribbles out, has the thrill of the campaign been replaced by the fear of dashed hopes? Obama and his transition team may need to revive a Sixties slogan quickly -- "Keep the Faith, Baby" -- and bolster morale among his many waiting supporters before he starts losing them. Two and a half weeks out from election day, news junkies and political addicts are getting impatient and reverting to their worst fears. Technorati Tags: Analysis Obama Base
Submitted by meg on Wed, 11/19/2008 - 2:33pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White
Lately, life has felt like the tail end of a zombie movie. As the sun rises over the tattered scene, bloodied protagonists let out a collective sigh of relief that finally, almost unbelievably, the nightmare is over. But before the credits roll, one last demon pops up where they least expect it, for that final scare. Except this isn't a movie. No, it's more like the never-ending Friday the 13th series (the twelfth in the series to be released in 2009), with enemies that keep coming back and almost winning with the same old attacks. After the collective sigh of relief that followed the election of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), liberals have already started the infighting and self-criticism. But the boogeyman is still out there, and he's amassing an army. Technorati Tags: Analysis obama election president grassfire right wing group fear mongering scare tactic horror movie misinformation
Submitted by christine on Wed, 11/19/2008 - 2:23pm.
Analysis
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman
Looks like the GOP right wing has found its hot-button issue for 2008. Not gays in the military or perpetual "life support" for Terri Schiavo (may she rest in peace). It's back to union busting. Unions have always been a favored scapegoat of the right. Conservatives are trying to exploit economic hard times to blame and destroy organized working people. They cry "no more bailouts" the minute a bailout might help unionized workers in a troubled industry. They must have somehow missed Obama's message of national unity and careful, pragmatic problem solving. Technorati Tags: Analysis
Submitted by Chad on Tue, 11/18/2008 - 4:14pm.
Analysis
 all pictures take by me
A T-shirt for sale in a truck stop in Sawyer, MI displaying a feeling toward the gas issue. A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Chad Rubel
During my long weekend, I felt nostalgic. Signs of $1.98/gallon. And when I got to Canada, gas prices listed as $0.88/liter, first time under a dollar in some time.
But the drop in the price of oil, while a welcome relief for many Americans, doesn't take away from the need to reform everything gasoline-related. And gas-related includes automakers, auto workers, ethanol, CAFE standards, hybrids and electric cars.
Cries of accountability to accompany any potential bailout. Force the companies to restructure to be more viable.
This is what you hear from the right wing relating to the potential automakers bailout. But it's also what you heard from the left wing on banks and insurance companies.
Another look at the issues surrounding the auto industry. This picture was taken in a drug store parking lot in downtown Windsor, ON, Canada.
Liberals are being more consistent in that they want accountability on all these proposed bailouts. But the conservatives' sudden interest in accountability stems from their desire to reduce the number of unionized workers in the auto industry.
Technorati Tags: Analysis Chad Rubel auto industry Detroit Windsor buy American drill baby drill
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