Our ‘Special Relationship’ With England Is A Relic
“We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special… The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared history we have,” said an anonymous adviser to Mitt Romney, about the candidate to The Telegraph of Britain. When this quote appeared ahead of Mitt Romney’s disastrous foreign policy outing, it [...]
Libor Scandal: Will Wall St. Get What It Deserves?
Just over a week ago, the British and American governments announced the largest fine in history levied against Barclays PLC, just under half a billion dollars. The fine agreed to ignore criminal charges against Barclays itself, but current and past employees were not exempt. Well, after a letter from Democratic lawmakers (including Rhode Island’s Sen. [...]
Better Government, or Just Cheaper Government?
One of the great things about sophistry is that in any argument there is always enough dust around to throw in people’s eyes. Whatever the argument, the dirt at your feet is always at hand. One of the great things about intellectual honesty is that you don’t take positions without multiple sources of support. It [...]
President Obama and the Imaginary Spending Binge
Recently, I did something I shouldn’t have done, and I’d like to confess here. Someone I don’t know wrote me a nice note about some things I have written and some banking issues I’m working on (more on this someday). In the process of the note, he described himself as moderate Republican, “fiscally conservative and [...]
Equality Endorsement One on Long List for Obama
On Wednesday President Obama remarked that he supports allowing same-sex couples to marry. That’s great, but it is just words. What’s more, the president doesn’t really have much to say on the issue anyway, since (a) marriage is a state-by-state thing, (b) in state votes, same-sex marriage keeps losing, (c) Obama isn’t a Supreme Court [...]
Electoral Abstinence: Choosing None of the Above
Thousands of Rhode Islanders went to work today (or looked for work) instead of to the polls. Maybe they were going to vote, but then decided they just wanted to go home. Or maybe they didn’t like the candidates. Or maybe they just didn’t know where their local polling place was. They’ll all be counted [...]
VP Candidate Talks Politics, Race, Music at RIC Friday
There is room at every election for new voices – including the ideas of former communists and those of modern-day socialists. That’s my premise and I’m sticking to it. Well actually, I’m doing more than that this Friday at a panel discussion I’m facilitating at RI College called “Race, Politics and Music: A Look at [...]
Afghanistan and the Sunk Cost Fallacy
The recent news out of Afghanistan is grim. On the heels of a burning of Qurans (along with other Islamic literature) that sparked mass protests in the country, the massacre of 16 civilians, nine of whom were children and three of whom were women, by a lone U.S. gunman; now Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has demanded [...]
Reza Rites and RI Future at SXSW in Austin, TX
Heard of South by Southwest, but can’t be in Austin yourself? Pop in daily to “Take 5 with Reza Rites” on RIFuture.org for photos and live updates about her adventures at the annual festival – or follow her on Twitter and Facebook @rezaclif. Besides blogging for RI Future, Reza will be recording interviews and footage [...]
Fighting for Rhode Island
The last few years have been tough for our great Ocean State. Across Rhode Island, I’ve organized community dinners, main street tours, and coffee hours where I’ve heard firsthand from so many people struggling to find work, seniors worried about their Social Security and Medicare, families being crushed by unfair credit card rates, and students [...]
Join Obama for America – Rhode Island at a State of the Union Watch Party in Your Neighborhood
Scores of Rhode Islanders are getting together next Tuesday night in homes, restaurants and college campuses across the state to watch President Obama’s State of the Union address. And it’s not too late for you to join them! “This is an important speech—one you, your friends and your family can’t miss,” says Devin Driscoll, Rhode [...]
Host a State of the Union Watch Party!
Across Rhode Island, people are getting together in their neighborhoods to watch the 2012 State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 24, celebrate our work of so far, and to plan out the next couple of months for the campaign in the Ocean State. Can you have a few people over to watch? All it [...]
How to Further Destroy the Economy in Two Easy Steps – A Tutorial Brought to You by Obama and the Democrats
Step One: Form a “Fiscal Commission” tasked with developing a plan (with the end result of implementing the plan) to reduce the budget deficit during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. This will be done by slashing spending on social services, MediCare, Social Security, education, etc. (all the things that working folks depend on), [...]
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