THE HEADLINES

THE RIGHT WING FLORIDA JUDGE WHO DECLARED OBAMACARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL DID THE U.S. LEFT AND U.S. PUBLIC A GOOD DEED…REALLY!

(Counterpunch)

So thinks Mark Scaramella, discussing Judge Roger Vinson’s decision declaring the Act un-constitutional because of the “mandate” requiring that all Americans buy health insurance or pay a penalty. Vinson found that the whole act and not just the mandate requiring insurance purchase must fall because its framers (intentionally) failed to include a “severability” clause that might have allowed other provisions to remain while the constitutionally questionable one might be struck down. Indeed, it was the very politics of the passage of Obamacare that proves this lack of severability. Without it, the powerful insurance industry would not have supported it and the whole bill would have failed— thus Vinson’s actual “favor” granted to those supporting a truly universal single payer system.

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EGYPT: PARDON THE FRENCH, BUT PLUS CA CHANGE, PLUS C’EST, MEME CHOSE.

(Asia Times)

Pepe Escobar’s look at post-revolutionary Egypt gives some force to the French expression that social conditions post-revolution often bear remarkable resemblance to those pre-revolution. With a military coup (with a huge assist from Egyptian masses) having dislodged a military dictatorship, what is left of the Mubarak regime and its U.S. and Israeli supporters is a vigorous effort to contain the changes wrought by the revolution by encouraging some of the more regressive forces in the region. “It remains to be seen”: would seem to be the best summary of the current situation.

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NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY! 2 U.S. MILITARY OFFICERS ARE “SEVERELY REPRIMANDED” FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE AIR SUPPORT LEADING TO DEATH OF 4 U.S. SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN.

(Navy Times)

These possibly “career-ending” reprimands come to light months after they were issued. The survivors of these soldiers take some consolation from the reprimands, but perhaps their solace is tempered by the fact that similar “punishments” were issued for a previous incident in 2008, only to be rescinded when a U.S. General in charge of Afghan operations retired from his command.

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IS IT 1995 AND ARE CLINTON AND GINGRICH PLAYING CHICKEN OVER THE REDUCTION OF THE FEDERAL DEFICIT?

(Common Dreams)

No, says Robert Reich, it’s 2011 and Obama and Boehner are playing chicken over the reduction of the federal deficit. In both cases, a newly-empowered Republican majority in the House is challenging a Democratic President, producing once again the wrong debate in the wrong place. Instead of the two parties playing chicken over which has the intestinal fortitude to cut “entitlement” programs and bring on more “austerity” for the poor, they should be looking to develop a more progressive system of taxation which puts the burden of economic stimulus on taxation of the rich rather than a regression in government services.

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WHOSE BOYNTON BEACH IS THIS ANYWAY—THE RESIDENTS OR THE PARTIERS?

(Palm Beach Post)

This perennial question for beach communities is raised once again in this “quiet” Atlantic oceanside Florida city as residents, many of them retirees, complain of the noise of the live music emanating from local restaurants and lounges. The City Council is now considering noise abatement measures that would require these establishments to obtain city permits controlling the volume and directional aiming of their music and requiring them to shut down at midnight.

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Quote of the day...

“This is making us into a police state that will try to catch people when they are sick. Do we want to stop sick people from coming in for health care?

George Pauk, a retired doctor in Arizona, as state legislature considers bill that would require hospitals to check citizenship status of those coming in for treatment.

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