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John le Carré on the Iraq War: The United States of America has gone mad

While doing some background reading online about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (a movie I found aesthetically pleasing but dramatically unsatisfying), I came across this Jan. 2003 article John le Carré wrote for The Times of London at the dawn of the Iraq War, entitled (appropriately enough), "The United States of America Has Gone Mad."

The spy novelist wrote, " How Bush and his junta succeeded in deflecting America's anger from bin Laden to Saddam Hussein is one of the great public relations conjuring tricks of history. But they swung it. A recent poll tells us that one in two Americans now believe Saddam was responsible for the attack on the World Trade Centre. But the American public is not merely being misled. It is being browbeaten and kept in a state of ignorance and fear. The carefully orchestrated neurosis should carry Bush and his fellow conspirators nicely into the next election. Those who are not with Mr Bush are against him. Worse, they are with the enemy. Which is odd, because I'm dead against Bush, but I would love to see Saddam's downfall - just not on Bush's terms and not by his methods. And not under the banner of such outrageous hypocrisy. "

Fast forward nine years later.

Iowa seeks to criminalize investigative journalism on farms

A proposed law HR 589 in Iowa is the latest effort by a state legislature aimed at preventing investigative journalists from reporting on farm practices. As Cody Carlson explains in The Atlantic, "HF 589 (PDF), better known as the "Ag Gag" law, criminalizes investigative journalists and animal protection advocates who take entry-level jobs at factory farms in order to document the rampant food safety and animal welfare abuses within. In recent years, these undercover videos have spurred changes in our food system by showing consumers the disturbing truth about where most of today's meat, eggs, and dairy is produced. Undercover investigations have directly led to America's largest meat recalls, as well as to the closure of several slaughterhouses that had egregiously cruel animal handling practices. Iowa's Ag Gag law -- along with similar bills pending in other states -- illustrates just how desperate these industries are to keep this information from getting out."

As a work-around to the obvious freedom of speech problems caused by censuring public scrutiny over agriculture, safety, and public health, this latest version of the legislation would make it illegal to make a false statement on a job application in the agricultural sector. Thus, if asked the question, "Are you a journalist?", undercover reporters would be legally obliged to say yes.

Why is America's poorest state one of its most conservative? Real Time in Missisippi

Real Time with Bill Maher correspondent Alexandra Pelosi interviews Mississippi residents.

Rush Limbaugh Calls Sandra Fluke a Slut - Reformed Whores' Response Video

Reformed Whores' response to Rush Limbaugh calling a female Georgetown law student a SLUT. Apparently the word doesn't mean what we thought it did...

Hayes Carll "Another Like You"

Music Fog: Hayes Carll and Bonnie Whitmore perform a duet from Hayes' upcoming album KMAG YOYO. Recorded during the Music Fog sessions at the 2010 Americana Music Festival. At the time this was recorded, Hayes gave us the working title for this song as "Fox vs. MSNBC."

Folk singer Todd Snider takes on the "hydrogen bomb made out of dumb"

"Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republican, Straight, White, American Males" by Todd Snider

Salon published an interview today with the underrated Todd Snider, one of my favorite singers. Snider had a brief pop culture moment back in the early 90's with the release of "Alright Guy," then has largely been forgotten by the mainstream even as he has continued to pour our a steady output of great albums and invigorating storytelling performances for a cult fan base.

In the interview, Snider discusses politics and songs from his new album, Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables. A comment to remember:

"I feel like I’ve always sung anti-suburban Christian songs. I grew up conservative Christian and all that, and now when someone tells me they’re conservative politically and also a Christian, I think, Why didn’t you just tell me that you’re a hydrogen bomb made out of dumb. Because those two ideas don’t gel. There’s one group that’s saying, Take everything you have and give it to the poor. And there’s another group that’s saying, Don’t tell me what to give to the poor. How can you join both groups? That’s like you’re joining Puppy Kickers Animal Rights of America. It just doesn’t gel, and that’s what I ran away from."

Salon writes: "Snider may be angry, but he’s also genuinely curious, perhaps even slightly bemused by the exaggerations and mutations of human greed and self-justification. 'At least it helps folk music, if nothing else,' he laughs at one point during our conversation."

Read the full interview here. More music videos after the jump.

ProFlowers' formulaic tweets

ProFlowers, advertising sponsor of the Rush Limbaugh show, was sending out streams of form tweets earlier today as faux responses to persons outraged that a flower company would sponsor such as misogynistic an individual as Rush Limbaugh. They've apparently been overwhelmed and have given up on the cut-and-paste PR attack but be sure to show them some love @proflowers with a few tweets of your own.

Upset about Rush Limbaugh's comments? Fight back

Here is a list of radio network and advertising sponsors to contact.