Grave Error

From Andrew Sullivan:

As her speech staggers on, after the gas tax holiday gambit, and a plea for Burma, she eventually turns to Florida and Michigan. You almost want to look away. But it’s fascinating in a way. She cannot concede; she cannot give an inch; she cannot acknowledge reality. Observing sociopaths in close detail as their world collapses around them and they cannot absorb the truth is always fascinating. And yet some sliver of humanity is discernible: her tone is altered. Even she cannot fake enthusiasm or confidence any more. And Bill seems grim. Chelsea seemed close to breaking into tears.

If you want another president whose own grip on reality has little relationship to the outside world, then you know who to vote for.

The Bill Moyers Journal and Sebastian Mallaby have recently done very good jobs at exposing the good old American double standard.

According to Bill Moyers, (more…)

Yesterday on This Week when confronted with why not a single economist or newspaper of any merit considered her (and McCain’s) gas tax plan as anything other than senseless and counterproductive pandering, Hillary blanketly called all economists elitists.

Normally, Hillary is so much more prepared when defending her proposals. I almost felt vicarious embarrassment while witnessing her absurd defense to an absurd plan. What’s she going to argue next: the world is flat, creative design, or that all knowledge is elitist? Give us break!

By the way, the rich have gotten richer — you made $110 Million over these past seven years you’re complaining about.

I find it absolutely laughable that Americans, the press, or any Republican or Democratic politician could somehow question Barack Obama’s patriotism or ability to act as president because he was a member of Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s church. Why are there people in the U.S. who are trying to turn Senator Obama into some kind of politican radical? What is going on here? For the time being let’s just call it laughable — to avoid calling it disturbing.

Hillary has more than her share of questionable cronies from back in the Arkansas days — even during the Clinton Administration. Nobody’s is taking another look there. Where is the outrage — other than Iran’s official protest before the U.N. — for her “obliteration” threat? When Chelsea was last asked about Monica Lewinsky, she moved away from the “that’s none of your business” response to the “my father’s behavior shouldn’t influence how you vote for my mother”. But if the press and pundits are asking why Obama chose Wright as his preacher for 20 years, shouldn’t they also ask Hillary why she decided to stay married for the past 10 years with her lying and cheating husband? You think it was to help her get elected? Seriously! Why is it that Hillary talking about her religion and her relationship to God is not too personal to share with the American people, but talking about Bill and her sham marriage is none of our business?

How about John McCain? The U.S. military has a horrendous record of segregation, discrimination, homophobia — not to mention invading foreign countries and murdering civilians, and yet no one is asking John McCain to justify his lifelong committment to the U.S. military. Why is no one outraged that McCain is “glad to have” Hagee’s endorsement?

I don’t think it is such a hard stretch for any American, white or black, to understand Wright’s frustrations with and anger towards a system that has abused a large percentage of American citizens. Should all presidential candidates distance themselves from African Americans who are angry about the past? How much more radical is what Wright has said than his white counterparts John Hagee or Pat Robertson?

New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Rich has written an excellent piece today entitled “The All-White Elephant in the Room” about this double standard. (more…)

On Friday, I went to Toledo — just a short thirty minute train ride from Madrid. I just happened to be wearing one of my Barack Obama t-shirts, and I must say that I haven’t gotten so many stares since I used wear my Rastafarian hat to junior high school back when I was fourteen.

Believe it or not, people were pretty excited when they saw my t-shirt. I think Europeans really like the idea of a true change in U.S. politics and in a new candidate. They were also probably pretty shocked to see a politician on a t-shirt; candidate pins, bumper stickers, and t-shirts simply do not exist over here — which is probably a good thing.

In any event, it was a beautiful sunny day in Toledo, and I made this cheesie video of me, my Barack Obama t-shirt, Toledo, and Duke Ellington with John Coltrane playing “Big Nick”.

With the increase in demand from China for things like meat, milk and rice, we are seeing food prices skyrocket and even food shortages. It’s funny to think that there can be food shortages when governments in Europe and the U.S. heavily subsidize agriculture. In the past twelve months in Spain, for example, the price of milk has increased 30%. Something like 40% of the total EU budget goes to agriculture — that means that consumers are paying twice (first through taxes and second at the cash register).

Nevertheless, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. If the wealthy nations don’t react quickly and change their agricultural policies, China may just be the opportunity that developing nations in Africa and Latin America have been waiting for to finally be able to compete in a global market.

One year a later, I spent another April in Paris and also without rain! That’s a real surprise because for the past year, traveling to Paris at least once a month, I think I haven’t had to fortune to live through a single rainless weekend.

But not this weekend. We had a beautiful weekend of sunshine. I tried to capture — unsuccessfully — the wonderful day in Montmartre with another low budget video. This time with Thelonious Monk playing “April in Paris“.

I think I need to take a short break from the campaign trail. Something is happening, and I am not quite sure exactly why, but it doesn’t sit well in my stomach. It has to do with the turn that the election spin is taking. I am not saying that Hillary is now in the lead or has a real chance of winning. She still has the same chance that she had two months ago — she can only destroy Obama for the general election and that’s about it. But it’s the destruction that seems so unhealthy and astounding — even coming from the Clintons. It also feels hurtful to the nation, and the press is just loving it.

Last night I went to the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid to see (and hear) my friend, Philippe Raskin, play. Although I had heard him play once before in a quartet setting, this was the first time I got to experience him live on solo piano. The experience blew me away. It was by far the best concert I have ever been to. I wish I had more time now to describe the performance in depth. Unfortunately I don’t, so I’ll be brief. (more…)

The United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population. But it has almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners.

Enough said? Read more. (Photo of the abandoned Carabanchel prison by my co-worker, Eloy Muñoz).