Cheap Blogging Crutch 03.18

Green-Bashing Exposes the Rot at the Core of Modern Conservatism
Peter Daou looks at how recent studies showing the rise in US skepticism on global warming coincide with more and more scientific studies showing the existence of global warming and climate change, and contrasts it with right wing and corporate messaging that attempts to discredit science with that of left wing and scientific messaging that. It isn't pretty. Sure the might be a global scientific consensus that id fortified with data that only increases their case year by year, but on the other hand: Al Gore is fat and that is funny. So you can see why science and knowledge has trouble combating a campaign that lets regular people feel like they know better than egghead scientists.

Who’s Buried in the History Books?
A NY Times op-ed on how a conservative campaign to get Grant knocked off the $50 and replaced by Reagan is based in a general disrespect of history, the elevation of misinformation, and the cheapened intellectualism of the US. Wait, knowledge, history, and intelligence sacrificed in the name of political myth-making and political gamesmanship? In America? Sounds like someone is talking crazy.

Post Mortem: Who Killed The Public Option?
With health care about to pass and recent attempts to get the public option passed through reconciliation apparently dead (Shocking! But all those Senators said they were for it, I can't believe that it didn't happen), Talking Points Memo goes through the exact history of how a popular and sensible program that improved the health care system for Americans got removed by our elected betters. I think it had something to do with the fact that it was popular, sensible, and improved the health care system for Americans. Read it. You know, just in case you had a wound you wanted to rub salt in. Which, incidentally, isn't going to be covered in any new health plans.

The HBO Auteur
The NY Times does a profile on giant brain man and TV Jesus, David Simon, while he worked on the about to premiere show Treme, about life in New Orleans post-Katrina. As if a massive article on the conception process of the man who created the best show ever, the Wire, isn't enough to get you excited for Treme, Dominic West, McNutty himself, went out and said that it'd be better than the Wire. Can I just cook this show up and shoot it into my veins already? I need something that distills America into a bleak portrait of poverty, crime, and good people being beaten down by the system.

TOP TEN TURNS 60: The List Known ’Round the World
It is the 60th Anniversary of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, so in celebration I think we need to get together, find some tommy guns, give each other colorful nicknames, and go on a multi-state bank robbing spree that results in our violent death at the hands of the feds. Deal? The FBI has decided to celebrate the occasion by putting up a historical article and linking to the mugshots and wanted posters of everyone who has ever been on the list. YMMV. I like my way better.