Is This the End of Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela? (Juan Nagel) from the Daily Beast
"In the midst of runaway violence, inflation, and shortages of basic goods, Venezuela’s youth have taken to the streets—to take on its Orwellian government."
Bull in China’s Shop (Michael Sorkin) from the Nation
"The urbanization of China and infusion of Western forms amounts to a second Cultural Revolution."
‘The Upside Of Down: Why The Rise Of The Rest Is Good For The West’ from the National Memo
"Being born today in the West is like winning the birth lottery for the human species. And nothing that has happened over the last few years—the global recession, tensions between the United States and Iran or North Korea—has changed that. There are fears, however, that the quality of life in the West has reached a peak. That China or India will soon overtake Europe and America, leaving them in decline."
It’s Over: Gay Marriage Can’t Lose in the Courts: A Perfect Record for Equality Post-Windsor (David S. Cohen and Dahlia Lithwick) from Slate
"o Scalia, this was conclusive evidence that the majority opinion was wrong. To the rest of us, it was conclusive evidence that Windsor might mean what Scalia thought it meant. Insofar as there was confusion about what Windsor meant at the time it was decided, the lower courts across the country have now effectively settled it."
Billionaires' Wealth Is Skyrocketing. Their Philanthropy Is Not (Nick Summers) from Bloomberg
"This puts the 4 percent increase the Chronicle of Philanthropy hails in context. At a time when the richest Americans’ wealth is skyrocketing, it’s appropriate to ask whether their giving is skyrocketing as well. The country’s non-billionaires are giving their share. As the New Yorker noted on Feb. 10, total annual giving by all Americans stands at about $230 billion, dwarfing the top 50’s $7.7 billion."
The Case for Deficit Optimism (Ezra Klein) from the Washington Post
"Here’s a secret: For all the sound and fury, Washington’s actually making real progress on debt. ... Together, that’s slightly more than $3 trillion in deficit reduction. After accounting for reduced interest payments -- as there’s now less debt to pay interest on -- it’s more like $3.6 trillion. That’s real money!"
Obamacare Attacks Failing. Health Insurance Marketplace Exceeding Expectations (Egberto Willies) from Daily Kos
"Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to lie about Obamacare (Affordable Care Act). Millions have been sent to discourage Americans from enrolling in Obamacare. Yet, Americans are still signing up in droves. Even with the latest lie about the CBO Report saying Obamacare causes job losses, Americans will continue to enroll. Why? The need for affordable health insurance and the security of not going bankrupt is personal. It is real."
Why I’m Running for Congress (Matt Miller) from the Washington Post
"The timing seemed fated to test my values. The reason I was in New York when the Waxman news broke was to meet with a publisher about a book proposal. Its working title is “Making Victory Matter: Why Democrats Need to Think Big Again.” "
For Democrats Looking to Post-Obama Era, How Populist a Future? (Dan Balz) from the Washington Post
"With three years remaining in the presidency of Barack Obama, the party he has led since mesmerizing members with his 2008 campaign has begun debating a post-Obama future. Though more united than Republicans, Democrats nevertheless face simmering tensions between the establishment and a newly energized populist wing, led by the unabashed liberalism of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the fiery rhetoric of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren."
The Party of Gridlock (Fareed Zakaria) from the Washington Post
"I have been described as a centrist. And I freely admit to believing that neither side of the political spectrum has a monopoly on wisdom or virtue. But sometimes, reality points firmly in one direction. Watching the machinations in Washington over the past two weeks, it is now impossible to talk about how both political parties are to blame for the country’s gridlock."
Let Our Lawmakers Hide! (Frank Bruni) from the New York Times
"... many members of that caucus wanted the measure to succeed, recognizing that this was in the nation’s interest, but wanted at the same time to vote no, so as not to draw attacks from party extremists. In Congress, this isn’t considered a contradiction. It’s not even considered undignified. It’s considered canny self-preservation. (You serve, above all, to get re-elected.)"
Cruz Calls Out GOP Leaders as Dishonest on Debt Issue (Humberto Sanchez) from Roll Call
"Ted Cruz, R-Texas, ripped his fellow GOP senators on conservative talk radio, taking a bit of a victory lap for forcing a politically tough vote to lift the debt ceiling and avoid a default. “Why is Congress at a 13 percent approval rating?” Cruz asked on the “Mark Levin Show” Thursday. “Because people don’t like to be lied to.”
This guy is more dangerous to the GOP than he will ever be to the Dems.
Someone who agrees with me:
Cost of an Ego Trip (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial page dubbed Cruz “the Minority Maker” for making his GOP colleagues “walk the plank” on a “meaningless debt ceiling vote.” But Cruz doesn’t care about all that. Leaving the chamber, he told reporters McConnell’s fate would be “ultimately a decision . . . for the voters in Kentucky.” His actions suggest Cruz has put himself before his party and even the nation’s solvency."
Ted Cruz's Imperialist Fantasy (Colin Elliott) from Salon
"When Cruz says we're living under an "imperial presidency," his ignorance and hypocrisy are staggering. Here's why."
Why Hillary Clinton Won't Pay for Disparaging Her Husband's Accusers (Conor Friedersdorf) from the Atlantic
"Without endorsing any of Hillary Clinton's behavior, or minimizing any unfairness experienced by her husband's sex partners or alleged victims, it seems to me that asking a man or woman to react rationally and sympathetically to a person just as they're revealed to be having an affair with their spouse, or accusing their spouse of a crime, is to demand superhuman self-control and circumspection. Few could do it."
I agree with Friedersdorf here -- and the feminist critique of Hillary vis a vis Lewinsky is mind-boggling! I can't imagine that any meaningful percent of the electorate will buy it or (more importantly) that conservatives could effectively make any such case against Hillary in the first place.
Recycling For Fun And Profit: The Imminent Return Of The ‘Clinton Scandals’ (Joe Conason) from National Memo
"Hillary Clinton may well run for president in 2016. Or she may not. But while the nation awaits her decision, both jittery Republican politicians and titillated political journalists – often in concert – will seize upon any excuse to recycle those old “Clinton scandals.”"
36 Hours On The Fake Campaign Trail With Donald Trump (Macay Coppins) from Buzzfeed
"Over the course of 25 years, he’s repeatedly toyed with the idea of running for president and now, maybe, governor of New York. With all but his closest apostles finally tired of the charade, even the Donald himself has to ask, what’s the point? On the plane and by the pool with the man who will not be king."
How is it that ANYONE ever took Trump seriously -- especially a reporter?!
RENAISSANCE NUGGET!!
The Uffizi’s Secret Mass Grave from the Daily Beast
"Construction workers have unearthed dozens of ancient skeletons hidden beneath Florence’s famous art gallery—and their bones could hold clues to one of the darkest periods in the city’s history."
POLITICAL HISTORY NUGGET!!
The Know Nothings were Right on Mass Immigration: For Better or Worse, America Will Change (Michael Brendan Dougherty) from The Week
"No one laments mass Irish immigration to America anymore because assimilation runs two ways. Immigrant groups become Americanized, and America is transformed, too. History and the democratic political process reconciles us. But in the meantime the fear of diminished political influence in today's restrictionists is very real — and plainly justified by history."
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