Thanks to the blogosphere, there's no such thing as a slow news day anymore. Below are a few of the raging controversies of the day, as well as some good reading from the left side of the blogosphere.
The WaPo on the Angry Left
Maryscott O'Connor over at My Leftwing stars in a Washington Post front page feature: The Left, Online and Outraged:
Maryscott O'Connor says her liberal Web log, My Left Wing, is "one long, sustained scream." . . . Not that long ago, it was the right that was angry and the left that was, at least comparatively, polite. But after years of being the targets of inflammatory rhetoric, not only from fringe groups but also from such mainstream conservative politicians as Newt Gingrich, the left has gone on the attack. And with Republicans in control of Washington, they have much more to be angry about.
The story underlines the anger of the left, and while the right tries to discredit the left because we are angry, it is a fact that righteous anger is absolutely essential to the project of provoking a new progressive era. Maha at The Mahablog has more on the value of righteous anger.
Do Your Semen or Ova Have Equal Rights?
For the answer to this important question, check out righteousbabe over at dkos. She is recruiting for the "next great American social revolution" -- the Sperm Liberation Movement.
Never mind Social Security, what's needed is Seminal Security:
Semen and ova are the single most disenfranchised group in America today. Every second, more of their population is tortured and killed using weapons of mass spermy slaughter (WMSS) like pills, patches, and condoms. Innocent ova are cruelly shed onto tampons. And when we hear the phrase, "Never forget," who isn't reminded of the most brutal genocide in the history of the world- the great tragedy known as masturbation? Thankfully, brave, heroic Republican pharmacists and lawmakers are finally standing up for these voiceless, unrepresented victims. With their help, we hope to forge a new future for not just blastocyst Americans, but all unfertilized sex cells.
Gay Rights to the Back of the Bus
Via Ex-Gay Watch, I'd like to say, this is unbelievable, but, of course, it's not. Thanks to the ever vigilant homophobic passion of some of our ignorant elected officials, outrages like this can only increase.
D.C. bus driver fired over anti-gay poster
A bus driver for one of the city’s new Circulator tourist buses was fired last month for telling a passenger to move to the back of the bus after the passenger complained about a message hanging behind the driver’s seat that equated homosexuality with murder.
Good Liberals vs. Bad Progressives
In case you've been wondering what it means to be a liberal versus a progressive or any other variation of a lefty, Time magazine's Joe Klein, self-designated expert, defines liberal as good and leftists as bad in: The Crucial Difference Between Liberals and Leftists. The good news is that Klein gets brutally slammed, in the comments for bashing progressives in his gross simplification of the continuum of leftist positions. RJ Eskow observes:
Here's what's wrong with the American press: It's Friday and Joe Klein still has a job. Klein has pathetically attempted to defend himself in HuffPo from the wave of outrage over his recent remark about progressive Democrats - that is, that there is a "hate America tendency of the [Democratic Party's] left wing." Somehow Klein thinks it's less offensive that he said "left wing" instead of "liberal wing" (I guess because his job title at TIME is still "liberal columnist.")
Relax, America -- Rummy's Doing a Heckuva Job
America heaved a sigh of relief when it learned that Bush thinks "Rumsfeld is doing a very fine job." Thus, the calls for Rummy's resignation by all those retired generals must be unfounded. Generals are known for their combative nature, and given the Bush Administration's reputation for retaliation, we think the generals are just looking for a little action in the homeland (we assume the generals' wives are not CIA agents).
Kevin Hayden over at The American Street recalls some of the victims who have been cursed with the Bush kiss of death, and The Heretik informs us that the Hades switchboard has been inundated with inquiries about Rummy's stay at Hell’s Hilton. Greg Palast tells us Why Rummy Should Not Resign (via the Progressive Daily Beacon ).
More on Pro Life Nation
Tiffany over at Blackfeminism has a summary/analysis of Jack Hitt's piece in the New York Magazine, Pro Life Nation. I wrote something about the scary rightwing utopia here.
Neil Young Records 'Impeach the President'
Finally, Cursor reports that Neil Young's new album -- 'Living With War' -- includes an anthem called 'Impeach the President'. The anthem "features a rap with Bush’s voice set to the choir chanting ‘flip/flop’ and the like."
Progressives Rumsfeld Bush Gay Reproductive Rights Impeach Bush Birth Control Media Feminism Abortion Joe Klein Neil Young
