RationalWiki:What is going on in the blogosphere?/September 2009

September 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Democratic congressman finally grows some balls and goes on the offensive against Republican efforts to derail health care reform. Meet Perimeter, also known as Dead Hand, the Soviet Union's (semi) automated nuclear retaliation system that would activate in the event of a surprise attack. Sleep well. A new book claims that the 9/11 Commission was given false information by the Bush Administration. The book isn't getting any press coverage, which would be expected if it were written by just another 9/11 conspiracy theorist. However, this book was written by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Farmer_Jr. Senior Council of the 9/11 Commission] (a Republican). Currently, the book is being supported by the 9/11 Commission Chairman (also a Republican) and at least one member of the Commission (a Democrat). Another film misrepresents the scientists interviewed for it, this time, on the subject of HIV denial. Are Recent AIDS Vaccine Claims Seriously Flawed? Kirk Cameron makes a prat of himself. The cultural side of the culture war. Will the "culture war" that the righties have obsessed about -- War on Christmas, War on the Flag, etc. -- become an actual shooting war? Speaking of pre-existing conditions, the American health care debate is overlooking the most prominent of all pre-existing conditions: America's obesity epidemic. To the list of pre-existing conditions that American insurance companies have used to deny coverage -- e.g., acne, broken bones -- eight states allow one other condition: spousal abuse.  There would be nine states, but Arkansas passed a law prohibiting this in April. An alternative medicine we can all appreciate. Are the Stars and Bars Racist? [http://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/Love-Is-Creative-Sex-Is-Analytical-5259.aspx Love makes people think creatively. Lust makes people think analytically.] LSD makes people think like Utne Reader bloggers. The party that opposes state healthcare in the US is the same party that Supports it in Iraq. Hypocrisy much? It is actually the apolitical nature of Obama's speech to school children that the wingnuts fear most. Urban low wage earners in America are often cheated out of bonuses, overtime, etc. (Not that their rural counterparts fare much better.)