There are many who believe that once the US presidential election is over the economy will stabilize -- said believers undoubtedly also believe that there remains a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to getting us in and out of this mess. The good news: the election will soon be behind us; the bad news: without the eternal election countdown, the media will be left to focus 24/7 on the economic meltdown. Still, one cannot rely on the mainstream media to understand this crisis so we turn to resident economist Gilles d'Aymery who continues to unravel the financial Gordian knot that is going to entangle us for years to come, no matter the president (we can only hope the future leaders of Asia will help us untie it...). In the meantime, please spend the next couple of weeks pondering what you've gotten in exchange for your previous votes and how you might put this precious privilege to best use. Swans Editors offer their campaign endorsements, which Jan Baughman expands upon with her real-life confessions of a Naderite.
For more on democracy, it takes relentless researchers like Michael Barker to expose The New York Times' critical role in preventing the public from understanding the National Endowment for Democracy's global manipulative work on behalf of the imperial war chest. Martin Murie exposes Sarah Palin's election win -- of the Rubber Dodo Award on behalf of her global warming denial and anti-polar bear stance. Since she cannot see the Caribbean from Alaska, Palin probably never heard of Trinidad writer V.S. Naipaul; Peter Byrne will bring her up to speed with a review of Naipaul's biography. Nor can she have seen all the way to Britain, where Charles Marowitz discovered the richness and delicacy in the plays of Noel Coward, which he reveals in his review of The Letters of Noel Coward. And while Palin is certainly close to nature, she could use a lesson in good taste from Raju Peddada, who illustrates that an inclination towards nature for greenbacks is not the answer for personal growth.
Finally, we take a look at American myths and realities with more thoughts on the economic crisis by Walter Trkla; an appeal for bottom-up change by R. Scott Porter; and a gasp for fresh air by Carol Warner Christen. In poetry, Guido Monte and Alison Phipps search for an innocent land with their beautiful words and a picture by Simone Di Trapani, and Marie Rennard graces us with a polesy on sailing blind with the tides. We close with your letters, from the economic recession, the financial bailout, and the "socialist scare" to the Center for Public Integrity defending its integrity.
As always, please form your OWN opinion, and let your friends (and foes) know about Swans. It's your voice that makes ours grow.
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Gilles d'Aymery: Blips #75
A few selected issues that landed on the Editor's desk, from the rotten ratatouille fed to the Lehman and AIG shareholders by their golden-parachuted CEOs who landed in a spa; hedge fund manager Andrew Lahde's goodbye letter that reveals the Aristocracy for what it is; a Jewish conspiracy enters the mix, as usual; pondering why Lehman Brothers was left to fail; rethinking the cause and effect of the real and fabricated economies; to the arrival of autumn, the departure of geese, and flying high with the swallows. More...
Swans Editors: 2008 US Elections: Recommendations
Voting recommendations for the 2008 US presidential and congressional elections. More...
Jan Baughman: Confessions Of A Naderite
Confessions of a lonely Naderite: There is too much at stake to exclude Ralph Nader from the election, as with each passing year the betrayal by the Democrats and Republicans becomes more costly. More...
Michael Barker: The New York Times "Reports" On The National Endowment For Democracy
This article reviews how The New York Times has reported on the activities of the National Endowment for Democracy, which is an instrument of the US government's imperial war chest, and whereby the paper of record serves a critical role in preventing the public from understanding the NED's democracy-manipulating work. More...
Martin Murie: Sarah Palin's Dodo
Sarah Palin's extreme position against global warming and the fate of the polar bear is an extension of the Bush administration's intent to gut the Endangered Species Act and enact policies that are trashing the earth. More...
Peter Byrne: Mimic Man
A review of Patrick French's biography of V.S. Naipaul, an anecdotal and descriptive writer from Trinidad who was a Hindu minority with Brahmin pretensions, and a frantic running man whose work should be prized. More...
Charles Marowitz: The Letters Of Noel Coward
Barry Day's The Letters of Noel Coward reveals the personality of an industrious artisan, a patriotic Englishman, faithful friend, a first class playwright and an incorrigible wit. More...
Raju Peddada: Acquired Taste: Seeing Beyond The Obvious
Getting closer to nature pays big dividends, however we cannot lose sight of the fact that euphemistic inclination towards nature for greenbacks is not the answer for our personal growth -- we must slow down enough to observe the latent beauty around us. More...
Walter Trkla: American Economy Predicaments
The Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush years represent a backlash against policies of their predecessors -- will the next president dare to regulate the economy, or is this promise of regulations just more of the same? More...
R. Scott Porter: Willpower
Change starts at the bottom with individuals willing to adjust their thinking, setting common goals, and demanding the same of our leaders to foster a better future. More...
Carol Warner Christen: Methane Is Poisonous
Carol Warner Christen ponders the future of the planet and, disheartened, signs off as a writer. More...
Guido Monte & Alison Phipps: Mondana Commedia n.5: Fine (World Comedy n.5: The End)
Guido Monte and Alison Phipps are searching, on the different way of Ungaretti, for an innocent land. More...
Marie Rennard: Head Up!
A polesy sailing blind with the tides, east to the bareland, west to the dream, north to the cold. More...
On the economic recession and the "socialist scare"; fighting them there so we don't fight them here; the financial bailout, preserving the duopoly and business as usual; and the Center for Public Integrity defends its integrity. More...
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