Obama the imperialist

"The first Democratic president in the modern era to be elected on an anti-war ticket is also, to the relief of neocons and the liberal belligerati, a hawk. Committed to escalation in Afghanistan, his foreign policy selections also indicate bellicosity towards Sudan and Iran. During his first week in office he sanctioned two missile attacks in Pakistan, killing 22 people, including women and children. And his stance on Gaza is remarkably close to that of the outgoing administration. The question now is how Obama will convince his supporters to back that stance. Bush could rely on a core constituency whose commitment to peace and human rights is, at the very least, questionable. Obama has no such luxury. In making his case, he will need the support of those 'liberal hawks' who gave Bush such vocal support."

The death of cash = the death of liberty

"The death of cash represents the death of freedom in our society. Where previously those who wished to buy goods or services without a record of the transaction could always pay cash, it is now increasingly difficult to do so. We are willful participants in this trend toward tracked, electronic commerce, too: Very, very few of us even pay with actual cash anymore. I spent some time watching the checkout at a Starbucks not long ago, and every single person who bought coffee paid with a card. Not one of them had actual cash. Whether using credit or debit, every last one of them waved a magnetic-strip-equipped piece of plastic at the clerk."