There’s ice on Mars! The universe is expanding and nobody knows why! Meanwhile, here back on the rock we’re still well in the thrall of corporate obeisance. Not obedience. Though there’s plenty of that. And there’s nothing wrong with obedience, per se. We’re not talking about this Obeisance, mind you (check it: “Nuklear Fist”! Awesome! Hell Paso rocks!). Merriam-Webster gives us this example sentence:
“The people paid obeisance to their god by kneeling at the shrine.”
Not just kneeling, mind you – other rituals are represented, too, not the least of which is a smattering of transubstantiation. Here you’ve got some crime, but if the Congress holds it in its hands, it becomes innocence! Especially if you’re the big-pocketed telecom companies. Remember when there was a big to-do about revelations that they’d had been cooperating with illegal wiretapping conducted by the Bush administration? The secret room? The hearings? Anyone? How about the EFF’s class action suit against AT&T? Not ringing a (Ma) bell? Good. That’s just what Congress wants – today the House voted to approve the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, and Senate approval is probably not far behind, having already shown their corporate toady colors on this issue.
Where are the presidential candidates at? Glenn Greenwald points out that Obama’s against telecom immunity. Yet he’s campaigning for Georgia Rep. John Barrow, who takes a lot of money from Big Telecom (HOW is there not a photo of Phony McRingRing on the Internets to link here?), and supports immunity. Meanwhile, it’s not clear what future Wife Swap contestant John McCain thinks about the issue. His spokesperson, however, is clearly down with the religious metaphors in play here at Toxic Culture, making it clear that McCain isn’t interested in granting indulgences. Well, good. No need for anyone to nail any theses to any doors here, people. Move along.
Other genuflection’s been on display for Big Oil. In Iraq, No-bid contracts are fixing to be awarded to all the usual suspects in the petroleum racket. Meanwhile, we’re also looking to drill. The New York Times writes here about “The Big Pander,” which involves opening up a whole ton of lands and waters to drilling. Sure, the oil companies need more places to drill (never mind that they hold leases on about 66 million acres that they’re not drilling on now). And sure, everyone’s freaked out by $4 gasoline (here in the Golden State, that’s a minimum of $4.50). Enter the President, who recently seemed shocked that such a thing might even be discussed. Now he’s springing into action to … um …. do something that is unlikely to affect gas prices until 2030 at the earliest, while doing nothing to deal with the reasons we need all these fossil fuels in the first place. And never mind the environmental costs, which is why many of these lands have been closed off for decades.
Good thing we’ve long since left the “reality-based” community far behind. That’s what’s necessary when obedience becomes obeisance.
So I’m just curious but where can I get myself a hymen?
I’m thinking ebay.
Interesting – whereas your primary reaction to the telecom immunity fiasco is revulsion at the corporatist aspects of it, my reaction is revulsion at the government shutting down the chance to sue the telecoms and find out exactly what the NSA was doing. Which probably means we’re doomed – when corporate and state interests are so aligned it’s hard to differentiate the two, look out.
Good point, Will. Although to be fair I share your point of view on this too – this kind of interference is the worst kind of big government; a far cry from the people who were supposed to be against government interference in our lives. Much less the market.