Republican brinksmanship in the halls of Congress these past few weeks has been reminding me of Grendel rampaging through Heorot Hall in “Beowulf.”
Tag Archives: politics
Life Imitates Aristophanes in Colombia
In Aristophanes’ great anti-war comedy, the women of Greece, led by Lysistrata, stage a sex strike, which gives them the leverage they need to end the Peloponnesian War. Currently there is a sex strike underway in a remote village in Columbia.
Mr. Obama vs. Washington Reality
Did President Obama get rolled in the recent budget negotiations? The possibility that he did brings to mind a film about another naive politician, Frank Capra’s 1939 “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Debt Ceiling Debate, Frank Capra, horror movies, Maureen Dowd, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Comments closed
Rhinos and RINOs, Both Endangered
Rhinos are killed for their horns, which are falsely believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Knocking off RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, is proving an intoxicating political sport of its own.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Rhinoceros Poem", Endangered Species, Nature, Scott Bates, sex Comments closed
Freedom (a.k.a. Irresponsibility)
Jonathan’s Franzen’s “Freedom” is written in the John Cheever-John Updike-Tom Wolfe-Don DeLillo tradition, an up-close look at American middle class culture. But it leaves out some of the heroic struggles that are going on.
The Debt Ceiling Goes to the Movies
Columnists have been turning to popular movies to talk about the drama of the debt ceiling debate that is currently paralyzing Congress and threatening the credit rating of the United States. The films include “Fifth Element,” “The Town,” “Cowboys and Aliens,” and “Sophie’s Choice.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Back to the Future, Cowboys and Aliens, Debt Ceiling crisis, Fifth Element, Film, Sophie's Choice, Town Comments closed
Shelley and Non-Violent Resistance
Blogger Austin Allen credits Shelley’s poem “Masque” with setting in motion the idea of non-violent resistance that we are currently seeing employed throughout the Arab world.
