Junior Boys Bring White Boy Funk

This year on mischief night, Canadian electro/indie duo Junior Boys played Sonar in Baltimore. Junior Boys are from Hamilton, Ontario, and are currently touring in support of their fourth album, Begone Dull Care. Opening for Junior Boys were another Canadian electro/indie duo Woodhands.

Woodhands performed to a small, but passionate audience. They have had a revolving door of musicians, but their current line-up consist of Paul Banwatt and Dan Werb and uses key-tars and drums. Their sound is reminiscent of a more dance oriented Bloc Party, with the same kind of electronica-punk style drumming. Although they are not very unique in this era of indie/dance music, the energy on stage made for a fun and danceable set.

Junior Boys were next, and they were immediately impressive. On CD, their version of minimalistic electronic beats and soft sung vocals can be fun or just good background music while your having fun doing other stuff. Live, however, those minimalistic beats become accessible dance tracks, and Jeremy Greenspan's vocals are much more emotive. The small room at Sonar was almost full, and the everyone in the crowd seemed to enjoy the show.

While it's hard to say that any band will become big in the fragmented media scene of the early 21st century, Junior Boys are poised to take advantage of their years of hard work in obscurity. They have real indie cred, releasing a couple disc before even those in the cool crowd had heard of them. Also, the mix of accessible dance music and soulful vocals make them ideal for a FM breakthrough. It seems that a hit set at a major festival, such as Bonnaroo, or a prime spot soundtracking a commercial, like i-tunes, is all that this band needs to appear on mp3 players on college campuses and soccer mom minivans alike.

Controversy On "Fake" News Show

The Daily Show was the focus of some controversy this week when Jon Stewart hosted Jewish-American author Anna Baltzer and Palestinian democratic leader Mustafa Barghouti. Both advocate non-violent means to bring an end to the Middle Eastern conflict.

Tension were high right of the mark, when an audience member shouted "you lie" at Barghouti. Both guest went on to discuss not only the violence that has marred the peace process in the past decades, but also the peace protest, on both sides, that is mostly ignored in the western media. The truth is that the United States is actually to the right of Israel when it comes to Israel, probably because we are not witness to the violence. It is ridiculous that anyone who advocates the methods of Gandhi and Mandela to solve one of the longest ongoing conflicts in the world should be derided in the way that Baltzer and Barghouti were, both leading up to their appearance and at the show.

It is going to take a lot of hard work to resolve this conflict. This is not news. However, the situation is both more complicated and less dire than is presented in the western media. It is true that both sides deserve blame for increasing tensions, but it is imperative that more people such as Baltzer and Barghouti are visible in the media to bring hope to those that wish to see those tensions end sooner rather than later, and with a little bloodshed as possible.

Half A Loaf

Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled the merged health care reform bill. The measure comes just days after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced his reform bill. The bill was met with criticism from both the left and right.

The bill would create a public option, but unlike the Senate version, it would not include an "opt-out" provision for states. The bill would also raise Medicaid eligibility to 150% of the poverty line, compared to 133% in the Senate version. Both bills would end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and end lifetime and yearly caps on benefits. Many liberals in the house, however, feel as though the public option is not strong enough. Instead of pegging reimbursement rates to Medicare plus 5%, the bill would allow the government to negotiate with providers for lower rates, meaning that tax-payers may get a worse deal and the insured may have variable fees from state to state or doctor to doctor. The plan would be paid for by raising taxes on individuals who make more than $500k a year and companies with payrolls of $750k a year who do not provide health insurance to their employees.

Perhaps most upset today is Congressman Anthony Wiener (D-NY), who is a major advocate of single-payer. According to sources, Wiener was promised that the House would bring a single payer bill to the floor for an up-or-down vote. Not only would this get members on record with regard to their position on single-payer, but, more importantly, would require the Congressional Budget Office to score the bill. Since national single payer would be much more cost effective, such an action might have dramatically shifted the balance of the debate this fall, and perhaps for years to come. The fact that Nancy Pelosi is not willing to take this step says much about her commitment to universal coverage. What has our national debate come to when congressional leaders are not even willing to get the facts on legislation that they say they support?

It certainly looks as though health reform is going to pass, despite the claims of Senator Lieberman. The only question is, "In what form?" Today, proponents of a robust public option were handed another setback, but just like in the past, this bill is only the beginning. If this country really is at the start of a liberal renaissance, then this will not be the final health care bill, because it does very little to control cost. Hopefully, this will at least get coverage for the 45 million Americans that don't have it, and then we can improve this legislation to bring a true government-run bill to all Americans,

Another Lieberman Betrayal

On Tuesday, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) stated publicly that he would be willing to filibuster the health care reform bill if it contains a public option. Previously, majority leader Harry Ried (D-NV) had announced that he would include a public option with a so-called "opt-out" for individual states.

Lieberman has a contentious relationship with Democrats, even though he caucuses with them and chairs some committees. He infamously supported the Iraq war, even after most Democrats had realized it was a mistake and were trying to pressure President Bush into reducing the troop presence there. Then, he lost a primary to Ned Lamont, only to win re-election running as an independent. In 2008, he openly supported Republican John McCain (R-AZ), going so far as to speak at the Republican National Convention and criticizing Obama for his lack of experience. Even after all of that, he was still allowed to caucus with the Democrats. Now, on the most important domestic policy agenda in a generation, Lieberman has again decided that he is on the Republican's team. How much longer can this be allowed to stand?

If Lieberman follows through on his filibuster threat, there must be consequences. He will already face a Democrat in his re-election bid in 2012. Until then, he must be stripped of his leadership positions, if not outright removed from the caucus. Furthermore, one must question the leadership of Ried if he did not question Lieberman's loyalty enough to seek guarantees before allowing him to keep those chairmanships.

Make no mistake, although Lieberman was elected as an independent, he ran as a progressive. He promised to fight for progressive causes, including health care for all. Connecticut voters will not forget this betrayal, and the 2012 senate race there will be one of the most widely anticipated in the country.

Taliban Options Dwindling

As President Obama continues to take fire from both the left and right in the United States over his continuing delay on Afghanistan, an important victory has been achieved in what used to be called "the war on terror," and with little or no US military presence. Pakistani security forces have waged an offensive against the Taliban in the province of South Waziristan.
After a series of attacks by the Pakistani Taliban last week, it was appearing as if Pakistan may be unable to deal with threat inside it's own borders. The Taliban had bombed a number of government buildings in Islamabad, and some were even wearing Pakistani Army uniforms. But this week, Pakistan has struck back hard. Pakistan has captured the militant stronghold in town of Kotkai, home to Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud. The situation in Kotkai has created tens of thousands of new refugees, and forced many of the remaining Taliban into the mountainous countryside. Already familiar with terrorist tactics and asymmetrical warfare, Pakistani officials are worried about new attacks on public places, and are acting quickly to defend themselves, according to Al Jazeera.
This comes as great news, not only to Pakistan, but also to Afghanistan and President Obama. One of the biggest questions going forward was, "is Pakistan willing and able to defend themselves against Islamic militants?" After today, the answer seems to be yes. Going forward, that may allow Obama to proceed with confidence in Afghanistan, knowing that the Taliban cannot simply flee across the mountainous border into more friendly territory. With the American military on one front and the Pakistani's on the other, they can squeeze the Taliban until they have no safe havens at all. Although the Afghan war has always been thought of as "the right war," support in the United States and our European partners is starting to dwindle. If we know that we have a true partner in Islamabad (and Kabul for that matter), perhaps we can deny Islamic extremist a base to plot against the West without having to double down on troops and resources in the region.

Socialism On The Internets!

This week, Finland became the first country to offer broadband access as a right to every citizen. Citing the Internet's functionality as a communication tool and the fact that it is no longer for entertainment purposes only, Finland committed to building the infrastructure to bring 1MB/s speeds to all of their citizens. Even more ambitiously, officials have promised to raise the requirement to 100MB/s by 2015. The "right" is not free, however, and users will have to pay a low monthly fee.
This news should be exciting, yet somewhat disconcerting for Americans. In the country that invented the Internet, using military spending in the 1960's to build the first computer networks, the United States ranks 25th in the world in broadband access. Among active Internet users, only 80% of households have broadband access.
While businesses, both large and small, and, of course the military, have taken full advantage of the Internet since it was commercialized in the 90's, many poor and underprivileged Americans have yet to use the Internet to it's full potential. There are many advantages of broadband for social and economic use, such as online education, job-seeking, and information about social problems, such as domestic violence and drug abuse. While the United States should not, perhaps, go as far as to proclaim broadband "a right," we would be well off to ensure that access is as wide-spread and affordable as possible, including building the infrastructure for free wi-fi in poor urban areas. That would give adults and children alike access to jobs and education that these communities desperately need to change the current economic conditions.

Port O'Brien Opens; Shines

On Sunday, OTB attended the Port O'Brien / Seawolf show at Sonar in Baltimore. Singer/songwriter Sara Lov, originally from Hawaii, opened the show. Although everyone could hear the metal show taking place next door, the crowd seemed to be on her side, and she persevered. Next came Port O'Brien, who are from California and are supporting their third album, Threadbare. Finally, Seawolf closed the show.

Sara Lov's set, as mentioned, was complicated, and possibly cut short, because of the sound bleeding from the next room. While the quiet nature of her music made it harder to appreciate, her great singing voice was immediately noticeable, and she quickly won over the crowd. Next was Port O'Brien, ,thanks to the rhythm section, was much more audible. They were a good live show, mixing elements of folk and indie rock. For the closing number, "I Woke Up Today," they passed out pots and spoons to the audience, and everyone participated with percussion and singing. Seawolf closed the show. They are experiencing a new level of fame with their appearance on the Twilight; New Moon soundtrack. Seawolf are more rock then their two opening acts, and it was evident which fans came for which bands.

Overall, Port O'Brien received the best reception, and deservedly so. While Seawolf are currently poised to breakout, one feels that Port O'Brien may have only long term career of the night.

Profits Before Democracy

Latin American politics don't get a lot of attention in this country, unless you want to talk about the narcotics trade. Honduras, however, has had a large profile in recent months thanks to the coup that took place on June 28th. Today, representatives of ousted President Manuel Zelaya met with the interim government of Roberto Michelletti to discuss the future of the government. While neither side will comment publicly on the negotiations, there seems mostly to be wide spread agreement on all but one issue, and that is Zelaya's return to power.

Zelaya was ousted, supposedly, because he wanted to have a referendum to rewrite the constitution to allow the president to serve more than one term. In retaliation, he was abducted by the military in the middle of the night and led out of the country in his pajamas. He returned to the county on September 21st, and is taking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in the capital, Tegucigalpa. Zelaya has demanded that he be back to power before the upcoming election on November 29th, going as far as to say that he would postpone the election if he was not back in the presidency by October 15th.

There has been universal condemnation from across the world to this coup. Well, almost. The right wing in the United States continues to shock everyone with what they consider basic tenets of democracy. Witness Senator Jim DeMint's new op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. DeMint has compared Zelaya to Hugo Chavez, and said that there is more chaos in the Obama Administration than there is in Honduras. Oh, really?

There have been many instances of police brutality since the new government was installed. First, there was the curfew. Police would patrol the streets after dark, some shooting first and asking questions later. They were encouraged to break up all protest, no matter how small, and often did so with gunfire. Once, they tear-gassed a human rights office where 150 people had gathered to issue complaints about the police. At least 10 deaths have been blamed on officials since the coup. There is also a media crackdown. Two television networks that were critical of the coup were both shut down for promoting "social anarchy" and "national hatred."

So what is Senator DeMint talking about? Well, here he sees a two-for. First and foremost, he gets to criticize Obama. Remember, this is the same man that spoke publicly about his attempts for "Obama's Waterloo." Secondly, Zelaya is what you might call a liberal. In this country, he would be considered a socialist. By the right wing, a communist. DeMint sees the coup as an opportunity to have a more conservative government in Tegucigalpa, one that is more favorable to American conservatives, and more importantly, American businesses.

The good thing about Jim DeMint is that he doesn't try to hide his true colors. He is a proud corporatist. Whether it's health care for Americans or democracy for the third world, DeMint will reliably choose corporate profits instead.

One Small Step For A President

Today was a big day for Obama's most important domestic policy agenda. The Senate Finance Committee passed their version of the bill to become the final relevant committee to do so. This is the first time since Medicare was passed during the Johnson administration that any effort to improve the health care in this country has gotten out of committee. The bill passed with a vote of 14-9, including the only Republican to vote for the bill, Maine Senator Olympia Snowe.

The bill will cost 829 billion dollars over ten years, saving 81 billion in the deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It would cover 29 million Americans that don't have health care access, leaving 25 million uninsured, mostly undocumented immigrants. The bill would tax expensive insurance plans, and would save money with cuts in medicare.

The main goals of reform are tougher regulations on insurance companies, an individual mandate and higher subsidies for lower income Americans. Some versions of the bill would tax millionaires at a higher rate to increase these subsidies. While the Finance Committee bill would meet all these goals, but it does not include a public option. Meaning that although all Americans would be required to buy insurance, the government would not take major steps to help everyday Americans afford that coverage.

The vote takes place on day after a report on the bill, which was payed for by the insurance companies, was released. The report, which claimed that premiums would skyrocket, was roundly criticized as Democrats as a "hatchet job." Basically, the bill gives a floor to what will become the final version, and obviously the insurance companies don't like it, which probably means that it's a good bill.

It is important that the Democrats were able to pull one Republican vote for it. It shows that at least some Republicans are negotiating in good faith. Now that bills need to be combined into one final version to be voted on on the Senate floor. Hopefully, the final version will include a public option. Equally important, it is important that all Democrats vote to end a Republican filibuster, regardless of how they intend to vote on the final bill. Obama was elected, and Democrats given huge majorities in Congress, so that the country could benefit from health care reform. It is generally accepted fact that Republicans will gain seats in 2010, and the Democrats need to realize that any loses will not be a result of them being too liberal, only a result of them not being able to deliver.

Obama Praised; Republicans Furious

This morning in Oslo, Norway, came the annoucemnent of the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, and was it a surprise. Gasps were audible in the room when President Barack Obama was named the recipiant by Nobel chairman Thorbjoern Jagland. Obama was awarded the prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between nations."

Although Obama was only in office for two weeks before his nomination, there are three key moments that brought on this recognition. First was his speech in Berlin during the campaign where he addressed America's role in the world and the need for understanding and cooperation from Europe. Secondly, was his speech in Prague shortly after he took office. His speech for nuclear disarmament, in the Czech Republic, forshadowed domestic controversies including the Eastern European missile defense shield and multi-lateral diplomacy with Iran. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, was his speech in Cairo. Obama's declaration of a new relationship between Europe and the United States and the Muslim world was really the centerpiece of his effort to reposition the US as a nation that is willing to deal with it's problems in a diplomatic manner, first and foremost. This last point underscores what may really be behind this honor, the departure of George Bush.

Which is why the right-wing in the States have reacted so negatively to the announcement. One can hardly be surprised that the same people who were celebrating Chicago's failed attempt to bring the Olympics to the the US are now aghast that a sitting President has received such a widely respected award. Republican chairmen Micheal Steele was quoted as saying, "It is unfortunate that the President's star power has out shined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights." Obama himself has acknowledged that the award may be premature, saying that it should serve as a "call to action," and that it will provide momentum for his policies and goals.

Obama becomes the 3rd sitting US President to receive the award. The first was Theodore Roosevelt for his "mediation of the Russo-Japanese war." Next was Woodrow Wilson, for his attempts to establish the League of Nations. Former President Jimmy Carter also received the award after he left office for his efforts to advance human rights and economic improvements.

9 More Years?

Today, President Obama met with Congressional leaders from both parties to discuss the war in Afghanistan while the pressure on the administration to send more troops keeps increasing. Discussion of Afghanistan has increased dramatically in recent months, although the matter was made all the more pressing with the deaths of eight American soldiers in Nuristan province yesterday. Although the president has not given any hints to what he may do, the White House did say that a total withdraw of troops from the region was not on the table.
That being said, there are basically three ways that the administration could go. General Stanley McCrystal has said that he may ask for as many as 40,000 more troops. However, Obama may feel that that number is politically risky, and decide to lower that number to ten or twenty thousand. Also, there have been hints that Obama may decide on a third option, actually pulling troops out of Afghanistan in favor of a more focused anti-terrorism mission.
Obama has said that his first job is to determine the strategy in Afghanistan, and only then can a decision be made about resources and how best to implement that strategy. Many Republicans, including former presidential candidate John McCain, have expressed a counter-insurgency strategy, much like what was used in Iraq. The problem with that is that it assumes that we have a honest broker in the region.
Peter Galbraith, formerly of the UN, has said that he witnessed voter fraud in Afghanistan and was told to keep quiet in the name of national unity. Most who support Afghani president Karzai are ethnic Pushtans, while those who support Abdullah are Tajiks, and fears are growing that in such a tribalistic country like Afghanistan, ethnic cleansing might not be far off. Furthermore, the Taliban and Al-Qeada have contacts and operatives in Pakistan, as shown by the bombing of the World Food Bank this week. Afghanistan's Foreign Minister has said that Afghanistan faces "a triangle of terror that compromises the Taliban, Al-Qeada, and the ISI." The ISI is Pakistan's intelligence service. If we are dealing with people who are more interested in power and jihad than a safe and secure Afghanistan, are we ever likely to achieve that goal on our own?
So these are the choices that Obama, and indeed the American people, face. Sadly, this decision may define the Obama presidency more than any other. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 9th year of this war. Have we wasted our opportunity for a secure Afghanistan that respects the rule of law? Was it ever possible to begin with? This part of the world seems increasingly immune from the influence of American power. We, however, are not immune from the consequences of what happens there.

Spring Standards

The Spring Standards played the Executive Banquet Center in Newark, Delaware on Friday October 2nd. The band, although based out of New York City, are from Newark, and Kennet Square, Pennsylvania.

The Spring Standards are an indie/folk trio. Although they don't have a drummer, they all share percussion and singing duties, and specialize in three part harmonies. Their first EP, titled No One Knows, was produced by Alternative/Country star Rhett Miller, of the Old 97's.

This was the first show they have played in their "hometown" in some time, and it was obvious from the crowd. All band members' parents were in attendance, as were most of their friends, and the crowd was considerably older than the band. Secondly, the Executive Banquet Center is not your typical concert venue, and is more commonly used for corporate events and proms. All this made for a somewhat awkward, if not unique, concert experience. The band, however, did not disappoint. They played two forty-five minute sets, including songs from the EP, new songs they are currently recording, and covers. Harmonies have made a big comeback in the indie scene with bands like Grizzly Bear, and with the help of a name like Rhett Miller, the new record could lead to a breakout, making the Spring Standards the biggest band out of Delaware since George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.

Keep Talking

Today marked the beginning of a new phase of diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran. President Obama has promised a renewed focus on diplomacy since he ran for president in 2008. So, the E3+3 and Iran met in Geneva to discuss, mainly, Iran's attempts to enrich uranium.
It has been thirty years since the Islamic revolution in Iran caused the United States to break all diplomatic ties, and the two nations have rarely engaged in talks. Among the big stories to come out of Switzerland today, Iran has agreed to allow weapons inspectors in the country. This comes as somewhat of a surprise, as it was only last week that Iran announced the existence of a second, previously unknown, nuclear enrichment site. Iran has always maintained that there nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes, and that they have an "absolute right" to nuclear energy. Iran, for it's part, claims to want total global nuclear disarmament. While this is obviously aimed at the United States (and Russia, the UK, China, France...) it is also a swipe at Israel, who have not disclosed their nuclear activities, and have not received the same negative attention. The United States has expressed some satisfaction with the progress of the talks, but says that Iran must keep to it's commitments. If all goes well, a second round of talks has been scheduled, possibly for the end of October.
This is a early foreign policy victory for Obama, and a marked departure from the last eight years. By actually talking to Iran, and not labeling them "evil," Obama has reduced the rhetoric in an already volatile region. Iran, with all of its problems, could be a strategic partner in Afghanistan. The question of Iran's nuclear program must be addressed if they wish to engage with the rest of the world. With the threat of a major, and possibly catastrophic, military encounter currently off the table, perhaps forces inside Iran can persuade the regime to adopt a more open and democratic society. All of this is possible as long as all parties involved keep talking instead of shooting.