NRA and Corporate America

Given all of the shootings in recent years, including at an elementary school, of unarmed black youth and by a young girl of her instructor, one would think the NRA would soften their message a little to ensure they didn’t upset or alienate their base. One would be wrong: Daily Kos. In fact, it appears the base of the NRA is the same base that is indirectly supporting the agenda of Corporate America by electing the very obstructionists that are pissing off so many Americans to, well, get something done. How likely is it that they will? Listening to Rand Paul and Ted Cruz leads one to believe the answer is “when pigs fly.” Yet, looking a layer deeper into the NRA platform, I guess that is actually what they are shooting for – that nothing is done to make America safer for those of us who chose not to own guns and, based on statistics, those with them as well.

Of course, NRA Executive Vice President LaPierre has always been veracity-challenged when it comes to talking about America and its relationship to guns, but he was quite clear in this election in claiming America needed to be protected from ebola and ISIS by a GOP Congress. Now that he helped save us from those non-threats, he is already moving on to 2016, claiming on NRA’s Cam & Company on November 6: “"We've won the first half here of the game, but we won't win the battle until we win all the game and 2016 is a big deal. I mean if we end up with an anti-Second Amendment president in 2016, I mean all we've worked for in the last 30 years or our freedom since the founding of the country could be in jeopardy.” Thank God LaPierre and the NRA are saving Americans from undue sleep and the belief they can actually walk down the street without being shot by a crazed lunatic! Of course, it does seem rather convenient that all our religious and cultural fanatics always seem to align themselves with the interests of Corporate America, doesn't it? I'm sure it's a simple coincidence ...

Ted Cruz Hates Everything Good: Including Net Neutrality

Ted Cruz is nothing if not consistent. Anything that might benefit the people while hurting his corporate sponsors is, of course, bad. Anything that borders too close to sanity or rationality is also generally considered bad. The fact that this right-wing lunatic is probably going to run for president should give people serious pause. He is a radical anti-government ideologue of hate that the press takes far too seriously, thus making his agenda seem serious and reasonable.

His latest parry is to attack Net Neutrality a day after President Obama began his offensive on the conservative-Congress-to-be by unveiling an aggressive plan to undermine attempts to create a fast lane for huge multinational corporations. Cruz’s response? The following Tweet: “’Net Neutrality’ is Obamacare for the Internet; the Internet should not operate at the speed of government.”

Of course, the Tweet makes little sense, either from the perspective of healthcare, the issue of Net Neutrality or of the analogy between them. But that matters little to a man who likes to stir up his Tea Party base and their rabid hatred of all things liberal (aka “government”). The reality is that one can actually get better Internet service more cheaply in Europe and Asia, where the government does intervene in the market, versus the U.S. – where monopolies charge exorbitant rates for subpar service. Hmm, actually that does sound a little like our healthcare system as well. Government can do good, particularly when we are talking about public goods like education, healthcare and, maybe today, the Internet. But that is a radical idea to an American conservative discourse that ignores reality whenever it involves an inconvenient truth.

Wake up America and smell the corporate-sponsored conservative movement trying to keep you angry and asleep to the truth!

Thank You for Smoking ...

Arsenal Blows 2nd Lead in 5 Days: Lose 2-1

Is there anyone left in world football who thinks Arsene Wenger should still be the coach of Arsenal? If there is, I suggest heading to your local psychoanalyst for some serious therapy. Arsenal took the lead 1-0 on 63 minutes when, you guessed it, Alexis Sanchez scored. It was a lovely counter started by Oxlade-Chamberlain who rushed from the back passing forward to Cazorla, who sent the ball through to Welbeck on the right. Welbeck pulled up and then laid the ball across the goal for an easy finish for the Chilean. And yet Swansea were almost level two minutes later, after Montero shuffled past Chambers yet again (more on this in a moment). At that point, you would think Arsenal would begin to sit back a little, recognizing their tendency to concede goals this year at a rate of about two a game.

But that would be the rational choice, and the Gunners are about as irrational a team as one can find these days. So it was little surprise when a sublime free kick from Sigurdsson tied it up in the 74^th minute. It wasn’t terribly shocking when the lead turned all the way around three minutes later, as Chambers was beaten on the left for seemingly the 8^th time and Montero then sent a cross to Gomis (in for Bony) who bullied Monreal before heading the ball in from above him. And though the Gunners fought valiantly for an equalizer, the late goal did not come today. Three more points dropped in a season where it appears the struggle for fourth will again be the narrative. Five thoughts on the game and season so far:

1.  No Lead is Safe When Arsenal Play: this is true of both opponent’s leads and their own, but Arsenal are watching their season fall apart because they can’t play defense. Up three nil and cruising to the knock-out stage, Arsenal inexplicably blow a three-goal lead Tuesday. Five days later they have a 1-0 lead on the road against a hot team, but fail to fix the major problem (Montero on the right) and get burned for two goals. For a neutral, they may provide the most drama from week to week, but for fans it just further solidifies the belief that this is a team in crisis yet again (as they appear to be every season for several years now). How is this essentially the same team that had the best defense in the league in calendar year 2013? Injuries alone do not explain it!

2. Wenger Clueless Exposed Again: I have been criticizing Wenger almost all season, but let’s focus on a rather obvious error he made today – after failing to adjust in any meaningful way after Anderlecht scored their first goal on Tuesday (and blaming the officials a few days later). Colum Chamber was actually signed as a right back from Southampton, though Wenger thought he would be a CB or DM, eventually. Early injuries meant Chambers moved to CB early in the season and, beside a tendency to garner yellows every time he plays, acquitted himself relatively well. But at right back he has a tendency to be overpowered and overrun. That was clearly the case today, with Swansea’s Montero gliding past him time after time. It was only a matter of time until it would result in a goal and that’s exactly what happened on the winner – with the other problem, Nacho Monreal at CB, directly contributing to the goal as he was overpowered by Gomis. Of course, we wouldn’t be talking about defensive problems if Wenger had kept Vermaelen or signed the defensive cover he needs, but I’m tired of talking about that.

3. Bizarre Table: As we head into the International Break, Chelsea sit at the top of the table, as many predicted, though few would have had them still undefeated, with only two draws, after 11 games. Below them things start to get a little strange. Southampton still sit in second, only four points behind the leaders. Below them is a Man City squad that, beyond Sergio Aguero, is just not good enough so far this season (8 points behind) and then even stranger, West Ham in fourth. Arsenal were jumped by Swansea after the result today and they sit in 6^th, 12 points (or four full games) behind Chelsea with 27 to play. Below the Gunners are United, Newcastle (of four straight wins) and Stoke City. To find Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham, we have to move down to 10 through 12, respectively, all 15 points behind the leaders. It is a bizarre start to the season, with only Chelsea living up to expectations as we move toward a third of a season being completed.

4. Sanchez is a Star/Welbeck Not So Much: Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa are certainly competing for signing of the summer, with Costa (and maybe Fabergas) having the edge only because Chelsea seem poised for a wire-to-wire, relatively easy title winning season; unless something changes dramatically. Sanchez scored his 8^th goal in the league today (in 11 matches) to go with one in the Capital One Club, and 2 goals and an assist in the UCL (total of 11 goals and 3 assists). He is a truly exceptional player, but needs others around him to start scoring – including Welbeck, who had two good chances to put the ball in the net, though he did get the assist for Sanchez’s effort. In fact, just as Sanchez has been red hot, Welbeck has been ice cold, scoring only once since his hat trick against Galatasaray on October 1 – a goal in the 2-2 draw with Hull. Maybe those questions about his finishing are worth revisiting? And speaking of ice cold, Cazorla has now gone 24 games without a goal in the league, absurd for a player of his ability!

5. Foundation There for Right Coach: let’s be honest, with a healthy team, Arsenal are probably a player or two short of a real shot at a title. You have Ox, who has the ability to get around almost any defender in the league, Ozil in the #10 slot, Sanchez able to play in several positions and score on a regular basis, Welbeck and/or Giroud up top, Walcott’s speed and finish on the right flank, Ramsey, hopefully returning to form, as the b-2-b man and Mertesacker and Koscielny sandwiched between Debuchy and Gibbs. That is a quality team with a lot of scoring potential – and we can add Wilshere, Campbell, Podolski and Cazorla to the list. With a strong DM, that is a formidable team – though it is a necessity as too many of our offensive stars don’t contribute on the defensive end. But with Wenger’s unwillingness or inability to create a complete team, manage injuries or adjust strategy/tactics, the results are essentially down to luck from week to week – will the other team take the chances they are sure to get, will Sanchez score a goal or two, can anyone else on the team put the ball in the net? If Klopp is truly available at the end of the season, the board should snatch him up without a second thought.  

Arsenal now head into the international break on a low, that could very easily have been so different. If they had held their two leads this week, they would be in fourth place, on to the knockout stage of the Champions League and with some momentum. Instead the same old questions continue to be asked, and will be until the people upstairs wake up and starts listening to the voices of sanity regarding a tired and increasingly tiresome Wenger.

Obama Who?

Many hoped having won the election, the GOP might get down to the job of governing and stop all the negativity. But there is always another campaign right around the corner; and when you don't have an actual platform, I guess it's not that surprising that the Hillary bashing is already underway ...

Arsenal Blows

When we are young, sports fans chose a team that, for better or worse, we will generally support for the rest of our lives. Different factors go into whom those teams will be, with proximity and the teams one’s father supports high on the list. Some also make choices based on who the best or most popular teams are at a given time. For me, proximity explained the majority of my selections: the Yankees, Rangers, Knicks and Jets. Beyond this, I became a fan of Michigan football rather young, as I liked Bo Schembechler and remember kind of being drawn to their uniforms. Finally, I became a Celtics and Cowboys fan because they were pretty good and I had early memories of gifts from my father related to each team. As far as football goes, I wasn’t really a fan until I moved to Barcelona in 1999. I quickly became a fan of their home team, of course, and then started watching English football on the side – particularly when I came back to the states and had a hard time finding La Liga matches. Back then it was going to be either Arsenal or Manchester United as the obvious choices, and I went with the later, entranced by their attacking and flowing football, backed by a solid middle and quality defense.

For the first few years, I was quite happy with my choice, as Arsenal won the league, won some trophies and then had the greatest season in the history of English football. But as the years wore on and my affiliation and loyalty grew stronger, Arsenal grew weaker and weaker, until they started to look like a feeder team sending their best players to title rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and then, in one of the worst moments in the history of Wenger’s reign, to hated United. I began to wonder why I failed to remember the French's record in war in the 20th century and pick the more English United, particularly as I was in Barcelona on that famous night when they scored two very late goals to win the Champions League over Bayern. Alas, it was too late by the time I realized Wenger was less flexible that a totem pole. But, But over the past two seasons, Wenger has finally “splashed the cash” as the British press likes to say and bought in some real quality – in Ozil and Sanchez, among others. They fought for the title valiantly last year before injuries and some defensive lapses saw them drop precipitously for a time, before rebounding to snatch fourth from Everton and the other chasers. They finished the season on a high, with the FA Cup and then started this one by adding the Community Shield. Expectations were high and everyone thought Wenger would buy the final three players needed before the window closed (a striker, a DM and a backup CB). But he only attained the first and fans have been angry ever since.

But I suppose I should probably move on to the game itself. Before that, let’s take a quick gander at the title of this piece, which could, in my estimation signify one of four things (let me know if there are any other potential meanings I have neglected): 1. Arsenal had a three-goal lead, which they subsequently “blew,” to end up with a 3-3 draw, 2. Arsenal are a terrible team that “blows,” thus continuing to drive their fans crazy, 3. Arsenal blew two points by giving up the 90th minute equalizer, or 4. As a double-entendre with the emphasis on #2. I will leave the interpretation up to you. But onward to the game, which looked really good for Arsenal for 60 minutes, before they threw it all away, like a alcoholic going on a bender the day of his wedding and showing up two hours later, after everyone, including the love of his life, has gone.

What can we say about the game? Welbeck was tripped up in the box in the 24th minute, leading to the opening score – a perfect penalty taken by Arteta, for his first score ever in a UCL game. A few minutes later Sanchez made it two with a sumptuous finish after his free kick hit the wall. Oxlade-Chamberlain added a third on 58’ when he raced clear and beat Silvio Proto with a curving effort that hit the inside of the side netting. All was thus going smoothly for the Gunners to qualify for the final 16 with two games to go, along with having the chance to beat Borussia and challenge for first place in the group. And then everything fell apart. How? Well, rather than offering a drawn out narrative of the collapse (goals by Borre in the 61st minute, penalty by Borre in the 73rd and then equalizer in the 90th by Mitrovic), I think I'll offer a multiple choice quiz on the reason(s) instead:

a. Wenger is Clueless in Transfer Window: enough has been said about this by me and others, but it is hard to ignore the fact an average defensive left back has been playing centre back for the past few weeks. His mistake led to the second goal and one could comfortably blame him for a part in all three. But, of course, we shouldn’t ignore the lack of a DM that could have done the job of stopping the attacks once that first Anderlecht goal went in, which leads to the second point.

b. Wenger is Tactically Retarded: I know that sounds harsh, but I think it appropriate to the circumstance, particularly if we remember a few years back when the Gunners allowed a 4 goal lead to evaporate against Newcastle. This term they have blown a fair number of points by letting teams back into games after they took the lead. And up 3-0 in a European game with huge implications, doesn’t it make sense to sit back, absorb the pressure and play on the counter? To anyone but Wenger, of course it does. To the mercurial Frenchman, apparently defense is something for those other guys to worry about – you know, the ones that win trophies and stuff (see ex-Gunner Paul Merson expand on this very point).

c. Wenger No Longer Knows How to Create a Culture of Winning: this is apparent given the long stretch without a trophy and the collapse of the team in the title race last year, and really several times over the past decade. Even the coveted FA Cup was almost snatched from under his zipper-challenged fingers when they quickly fell 2-0 behind. Some coaches get the best out of their teams, some coaches simply buy the best teams and then find a way to comb the collective egos of their stars and some, like Wenger, appear to hope for the best and expect the worst, while literally (and I do mean literally) wringing his hands on the sideline.

d. All of the above.

e. Anderlecht Secretely Flouridated the Water in the Home Locker Room

I'll go with D, though I suppose E is about as likely as Justin Bieber finding a way to have a career in adulthood. The Gunners are still in a position to progress, but a beating by Dortmund and a bad night in Galatasaray could change that. This is a team that is lost at the moment, largely as a result of too many injuries and a complete lack of confidence and mettle. Let’s hope they fair better on their trip to Swansea this weekend and that they stay within breathing room of the title and get out of the group before their stars finally begin to return in December and January. This was, for lack of a better word, an apoplectic-inducing and utterly pathetic display of why Wenger should go (a message I will stay on with the disciplined tone-deafness of a Republican politician until he is gone)!!!!!

Dog Days of November ... for Dems

Well, as predicted, the Senate has gone to the Republicans. But worse than predicted, the Republicans picked up enough seats in the House of Representatives to reach 250, meaning their highest majority since 1946 (WP). And on top of that, they won tight governorship races, including in the unlikeliest of places – Maryland. It was a slaughter and one that should give the Democrats pause. On the other hand, I’m afraid the party and media will misread this election and try to make it a “wave,” that signals a sea change in the political landscape of America. I believe that would be a mistake for a number of reasons (partially outlined in a post I did a few days ago). Let’s consider a few here:

1. Continuation of a Long Term Trend: While the Clinton and Obama presidencies, together with some big Democratic results in midterm elections, have done enough to block the greatest extremes of the conservative revolution, I would argue we are still in the midst of the conservative pogrom of government that started with Reagan’s inauguration in 1981. Sure, Obama did show that a truly progressive message can resonate on a national level, but that rhetoric must be backed with action, and for a variety of reasons, that only happened during the first two years of his Presidency (Pew Study on Party Affiliation Trends).

2. Partisanship Solidifying (Pew Partisan Trends 1987-2012): the reality of the country is that we are almost evenly split between conservatives and liberals, particularly when we compare the urban centers to the larger (though less populous) rural American “heartland.” There might be more registered Democrats, but that doesn’t matter when we look at gerrymandered Congressional districts and statewide Senatorial and Gubernatorial elections. This is why the momentum has swung back and forth since the 90s, with the country seemingly intent on giving neither party a full mandate to rule (though it has occurred on a few instances over the past four decades).

3. Cynicism & Lost Faith: exit polls yesterday found 54 percent of respondents claiming that the government is trying to do “too much.” A smaller percentage claimed the opposite, though it was still significant (. The great irony is that depending on how you ask the question, many actually support progressive economic ideals. Yet an uninformed and increasingly “uneducated” populace is likely to believe that whomever is in power is behind the economic malaise and thus chose the other side. That happened with Obama in 2008 (“I’m not Bush” aka “Change”), with the Republicans two years later, with Obama again in 2012 (Romney was seen as one of the elites causing the troubles) and now with Obama as the source of the failure of the recovery to actually improve the lives of the middle and working classes. Maybe most depressing, 48 percent of Americans now believe that the next generation will be worse off than this one, essentially putting one of the final nails in our adherence to the American Dream (WP). This leads to my third point …

4. Misplaced Blame: the greatest trick the devil ever played was to make us believe he didn’t exist. And while the corporations and elite are certainly part of the conversation these days, they have very effectively led the public to believe that the government is the real enemy, the ones that are causing all our problems and the last institution we should turn to to solve them. I notice this in my classes every quarter/semester, as students focus most of their ire, and blame, on the government, largely ignoring the excesses of corporations or the 1% (Salon).

5. Money & the Destruction of the Voting Rights Act: more money was spent on this election than any midterm election in history, by a long shot. Just the top 10 races in the country led to spending of $700 million (Yahoo). And while we will need time to figure out how bad voter suppression was, it appears to have turned the Florida election, as universities stopped voting on campuses among other approaches to manipulating the vote that hearken back to the 2000 election (though they are now, more or less, legal … hoorah!)

No matter the reason, the beginning of the year should be fascinating, as the GOP Congress will probably send a series of bills to Obama that are essentially against everything he stands for and everything he has done. We will probably see a push to overturn parts of Obamacare, to further undermine attempts to regulate the banking industry, further attacks on the environment (including some global warming doubter chairs for key environmentally-oriented committees) and maybe some more tax breaks for the wealthy (and certainly for corporations, as Rand Paul sets himself up for his presumed presidential run). It should be interesting, but also rather depressing to those of us who had hoped the country might actually find a way to move along a positive direction any time soon …

Election Day -- Go Vote!

Privacy in Doubt

Midterm Election Blues

The midterm election is, of course, Tuesday, and it is still likely that the Republicans will win the Senate, again demonstrating how cynical the electorate has become and which party that cynicism tends to serve. Some will say it is "Obama fatigue" at the heart of the likely victory, others will blame the ignorance of the masses and still others will say the country is simply continuing its long march to the right that started in the 70s. I think the more realistic explanation explores three related trends: 1. The aforementioned cynicism, 2. The rise of political insularity (one could say toward partisan fundamentalism) and 3. The power of money and fear.

Political cynicism is a topic that has interested me for many years and one that seems to have become more of a problem with each passing election. There was a sense that Obama’s victory in 2008 was a step away from that cynicism based on its message of hope and change, but the effectiveness of the right in obstructing almost everything Obama has attempted to do ever since (after the first year or so) has exhausted that early hope and only amplified the sense that government can do nothing right. That is, of course, not the case – and one could argue the state is increasingly important as the only check to unfettered corporate power. But cynicism is more powerful than any other ideology, as it disempowers people from seeking social change at the level of the individual and their subjectivity, ensuring more of the same or worse in perpetuity.

The second issue that has become increasingly troubling in recent years is that of partisanship, though I think insularity and fundamentalism might better capture the true nature of the issue. Far more people hold steadfast to their political affiliation than in the past and far too many of these people now insulate themselves from any opinions that contradict their growing uncritical certainty. I find this problem on the left as much as on the right, with the Internet probably the biggest enabler – as one can read publications, blogs, tweets and websites that simply reinforce what they already believe. The growth of talk radio and cable television mean that one can comfortably go through large parts of their lives listening and watching only those that reinforce what they already believe. It is the fascist dream, cut into two, with the resultant inability to get anything done actually serving conservatives much better than liberals (and the power elite more than everyone else).

The final issue is the insane amount of money now being spent on elections in the wake of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision and the further proliferation of attack ads and fear mongering to arguably undermine the will of the people. As I have reported here before, generalized surveys show that the average American does care about corporate power, about inequality, wants progressive tax reform, more regulation and, essentially, many aspects of a relatively progressive platform. And yet when it comes to elections, the country is split along partisan lines that tend to confuse the corporate media into claiming them as ideological lines. Fear and money have essentially undermined the very notion of American democracy and early discussions of a constitutional amendment to address this central problem appear to be one of the only viable answers until the Supreme Court changes its balance (if that ever happens).

Arsenal Win 3-0; Sanchez Shines Again

Arsenal hosted the bottom dwellers in the league today at the Emirates, a Burnley team that had yet to register a win in nine tries this season. Most thought it would be an easy day at the office for a clearly superior team. And yet 70 minutes in, the game was still poised at 0-0, with Burnley actually scorning two decent chances to take the lead. Arsenal, who has been struggling with form and results all season, looked nervous and lacking in the resolve that saw them win these tight contests on a regular basis for over a year. Everyone on the pitch that is except our two best signings of the summer – Calum Chambers and Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez has been on a tear for 12 games now, scoring 10 goals in that period, including the brace today. And Calum Chambers has acquitted himself well since being pushed almost immediately into the starting line-up, first as a centre-back and now back at his more natural right back position. And so it seemed apropos that it would be a Chambers cross that Sanchez would meet with a clever run between two defenders and an excellently placed header finish in the 70th minute. Arsenal were on the board and two minutes later secured the three points with a second. That was after Chambers followed up his assist with a fine finish from close in, after an excellent save from Burnley’s GK on a blistering Welbeck shot. Arsenal looked hungry for more, with sub Podolski (80 for Welbeck) going close three times within five minutes of entering the game, only denied by a great save, the post and a near miss. But it was Sanchez who finished the scoring for the day after a Cazorla pass was snatched by Gibbs and driven across goal, with the Chilean settling the ball before pounding it in.

And so Arsenal had only their fourth win of the season, to go with five draws and the sole loss, to the still undefeated Chelsea (who themselves won 2-1 against QPR). With those three points, they maybe surprisingly moved into fourth place in the table. Though they sit nine points behind Chelsea, they do appear to be settling in and with Walcott making a late cameo to a roaring ovation in the 80th minute, spirits must be up. One game against the bottom-dweller in the league should not be taken out of context of course, and Cazorla’s trouble scoring continued, with three good chances all spurned (meaning he has now failed to score in 10 months in the league), the defense almost exposed on at least four occasions, and all the passing, corners and shots in the first 69 minutes failing to yield a goal. Ox and Sanchez were lively throughout and Walcott looked good upon entering the game, but Arsenal need to find more goals from Welbeck and the midfielders, particularly in the big games where Sanchez will receive additional attention. They must also work on their set pieces and corners, as I can’t remember the last time they have scored from one even as they had 18 corners in this game alone! One problem is a lack of height, besides Mertesacker until Giroud returns.

One might also wonder if Wenger has been reading the papers, or noticed all the goals the team shipped early in the season, as he has played Arteta and Flamini side by side for two games running now. While it does appear to shore up the defense and provide a foundation for impressive possession domination (68 to 32 percent today), one could argue it also undermines the attack by making the buildup too slow and predictable, meaning the Gunners are trying to penetrate through seven to ten defenders around the box. It worked today, and might be sufficient to beat Anderlecht on Tuesday, but it is questionable whether it is a strategy that can succeed against the rest of the top seven.

The good news for the Gunners did continued when looking at their closest rivals though, with the exception of Chelsea and Southampton (who have now won 7 of their last 8 competitive matches). Everton drew yet again, this time against Swansea City at home, and Liverpool lost to Newcastle 1-0 on the road, with United and/or City sure to drop points in their derby tomorrow. After the Anderlecht game, the Gunners travel to Swansea next Sunday, before two key matchups at home, first against United on the 22nd and then with Dortmund the following Wednesday. If they can get through this stretch in good stead, they then have a series of winnable matches heading into the holiday season. COYG!