Archive by Author
The DoO vs. the Rest of Us
Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
First, I read this: “Over the last eight years, the core U.S. defense budget has risen 70 percent, even without factoring in $500 billion-plus separately appropriated for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Keep in mind, the Cold War, our long winter of nuclear build-up, strategic missile placement and proxy wars throughout the world, officially ended […]
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The Stumbling Block to [Fill in the Blank] that is Afghanistan
Posted on 01. Nov, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
Earlier today, Abdullah Abdullah confirmed weekend rumors that he is withdrawing from the November 7 run-off against President Hamid Karzai. “A transparent election is not possible,” he said. I suppose not, if the Karzai-appointed head of the Independent Electoral Commission counts one vote as 10, as Abdullah (and Human Rights Watch) alleges. What struck me […]
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Busting up Obama's Boys Club
Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
For the first time this past Sunday, President Obama golfed with a member of my sex. I’m supposed to be thrilled. Score one for equality and all that. Over the last few weeks, Obama’s gotten grief for his frequent and frequently all-male basketball games. Boys’ games, the argument goes, are where deal making occurs. All-male […]
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Looking for the Godfather in the Oval Office?
Posted on 18. Oct, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
It amuses me when Beltway-types accuse each other of not being “tough enough.” Having spent some time around men (and women) who disagreed with fists, forks, whatever, I have real trouble understanding what the National Journal means when it says, “neither foreign leaders nor U.S. lawmakers fear the vengeance of the president.” It sounds like […]
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Oh, Melvinia!
Posted on 12. Oct, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
A grad student once asked how my last name came to be Murphy. It was after hours and we were in a packed on-campus pub in central London. My classmates and I were using cheap liquor to forget another eye-crossing day of theory and lecture so it was a plus to chit-chat with the guy […]
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What ACORN Can Teach Americans. Even Now. Seriously.
Posted on 21. Sep, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
There’s a whole lotta wrong in the videos released last week of the ACORN sting operation. But I noticed one right. Finding out that a low income community organization encourages tax fraud doesn’t bother me. Half the country would cheat on their taxes if they could and the wealthiest already are. But encouraging underage prostitution? […]
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Mr. Wilson Yells at the President
Posted on 12. Sep, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
He wouldn’t have shouted “You lie!” to a white president. Maybe. Maybe not. I suppose arguments could be made for both sides but on questionable racial slip-ups, I tend to swing by on the “Who gives a [beep]?” branch of the Negro family tree. When it comes to race, this country runs the same tired […]
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The Obama presidency is becoming a distraction…
Posted on 06. Sep, 2009 by Carla Murphy.
Or so many progressives are feeling today, since learning that noted human rights activist Van Jones resigned from his advisor role to the White House’s environmental advisory body. That probably reduces the number of bona fide progressives in Obama’s inner circle (if being an advisor to an advisory body can be said to be “in”) […]
