Carnival of the Liberals LXIX

WELL HERE WE ARE with the 69th edition of Carnival of the Liberals, (but let’s all be studious and earnest in our attempts to not giggle about that.) This is a sort of ‘no-frills’ edition, where we will let the sampling of liberal writings speak for themselves for the most part. However, in order to fulfill my duties as host in a very minimal way, Your Montag will provide the ‘value added’ service of answering-questions-that-were-never-meant-to-be-answered and providing rhetorical-questions-where-no-questions-needed-asking. It may be the most annoying conceit ever devised for this carnival, and for that I apologize.

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The Ridger, FCD at The Greenbelt writes “Unfortunately”? That’s not what’s unfortunate!:

What is with the AP – and Washington – and their insistence on a position which holds that Iran is not entitled to defend itself?

Answer: There is a lesser-known corollary to one of our leaders’ guiding principles: “It’s only terrorism when they do it,” and that is: “It’s only self defense when we do it.”

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Marcella Chester at abyss2hope writes Why Do Those Who Advocate Shame Have None Themselves?:

He isn’t asking himself to have any shame for acting as if sperm only comes from self-serve outlets. He turns all boys and all men into morality-optional creatures.

A: The titular question is adequately answered, I think, by the last sentence of the excerpt.

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Doctor Biobrain at And Doctor Biobrain’s Response Is… writes Corporate Masters Unite!:

…the big question always has been: Why should Joe Schmo Limbaugh Listener agree? What’s in it for them? They’re never going to be in the big corporate seat calling the shots.

A: They’re never going to be a professional athlete either, but that doesn’t mean they should let steroids, videotaping, corrupt referees or off-field scandals get in the way of cheering for winners.

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mw at Divided We Stand United We Fall writes “This really is a black mark, not only on Democrats, but on the Congress, and the history of the United States.”:

…every single expansion of government power over citizens is ultimately abused by those entrusted with that power.

Question: Why shouldn’t those in power be entrusted with the power to give themselves even more power? OR: Who’s the fucking nihilists here, anyway?

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Martin at The Lay Scientist writes Inertia Creeps: Oil-Balls and the Election:

He states there that “… drilling in ANWR alone would yield 100m barrels a day.” This ridiculous figure has about as much basis in reality as Don King’s hairdo[.]

AND green | rising writes Who Turned Out The Lights?:

…coal plants are being shut down before they open (yeah!) , nuclear is on the hot seat and now solar projects are on hold for up to two years. From where will we get all the energy we need to waste?

A: (Quoting IOZ.) “Carbon fuel is a singularly efficient concentration of caloric energy. It has an affinity for combustion. It is refinable and fungible. Its unique qualities define the made geography of our entire society. We aren’t going to put hydrogen fuel cells into our cars and long-haul fleets and continue put-putting around, but Green! The “alternative to oil” is not a new substance at the filling station. The alternative to oil is the radical physical revision of the entire structure of our civilization.”

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Batocchio at Vagabond Scholar writes Skippy and the Mystery of the Missing Journalism:

Barack Obama held an economic roundtable with 16 Democratic governors.

Q: What aspect of this event could be more newsworthy than state leaders gathering to discuss how the economy is affecting people from a state and local perspective? A: Why, the arrogance of Obama’s campaign designing a personalized knock-off of the presidential seal! Q: But when you really look at it, isn’t the real story here the Obama campaign’s graphic artists’ crimes against aesthetics?

(Went a little off-format there with the ‘question–answer–yet another question’ formulation. Nonetheless…)

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Justin at We Op-Ed writes We Op-Ed Interview: The Next Greatest Generation with Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais:

Millennials are young Americans born 1982-2003.

Q: The kids these days: Are they being properly indoctrinated in the ways of global capitalist democracy?

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Barry Leiba at Staring At Empty Pages writes No liberal option:

Starting on 20 January 2009, our country will be run by one right-leaning president or another. . . . what happened to Mr Liberal, Mr Change?

AND Deborah White at Deborah’s US Liberal Politics Blog writes Second Thoughts about Suitor Obama:

…should I adjust my expectations that he’ll fufill his silken words? Should I have known all along that courtship is merely a time of delightful foolishness, designed only to attract my vote… er, affections.

A: That wise little spoon boy from The Matrix explains:

“Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth.”
“What truth?”
“There is no spoon.”
“There is no spoon?”
“Then you’ll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.”

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That’s all for this edition of Carnival of the Liberals. The next one will be in two weeks at Cult of Gracie. Special thanks to TNG who is the one that started this thing, and who plays an instrumental role in coordinating every single edition, and maintains the mailing list, and website!