Bat of Moon: Larry Kudlow said more or less the same thing about what Bush 43 inherited from Clinton in The National Review on August 24, 2001. And I disapprove of both Presidents not being held accountable for developments that occur on their watch. The cycle repeats itself but nobody wishes to take responsibility. (And thanks for the tip on the Madison Smartt Bell review. I will check it out.)

Peter L. Winkler: One of Moore’s points is that if the richest 1% control 95% of the wealth, then the poorest 99% hold 99% of the vote. And they have every obligation to use it to reclaim their government. Which is why I bring up the famous Jefferson quote (unmentioned in the film) in response. Moore’s call for action is tepid, in part because, to my eye, it fails to raise hell about what you have rightly observed.

People can only be blamed for the consequences of their political decisions when they have a genuine choice as to who they elect. When candidates from both parties have their pockets stuffed with cash by big banking, big pharma, etc., it’s no surprise that our domestic and foreign policy follows nearly a straight line continuity from one president to another, even when the electoral majority party in power switches from Republican, under Bush to Democrat now. Yet, public policy remains unchanged.

Sorry, Ed, but I don’t think Obama can be blamed for those things — the loss of jobs is the result of the recession *that started last year*. The economic stimulus has already, by some estimates, created or saved hundreds of thousands of jobs — without it, the unemployment rate would be higher than it is.
Universal health care, though — well, that was never really on the table, though a lot of people who voted for Obama were hopeful that it would be. But let’s wait and see what Obama gets through Congress. It won’t be “universal,” but it might just be pretty good.
“Capitalism” does sound like bilious crap, though. Thanks for the review — you’re particularly good with movies.

Also, I know you’ve been reading Imperial. I point you to the latest NYRB, which has Madison Smartt Bell reviewing it — the first piece I’ve seen by someone who isn’t working for a daily paper, and who actually had time to read the book and think about it.

I wont try to paraphrase his work here but I will say it is one of the most eye-opening books I have read in a long time.