BREAKING RANKS

Two disturbing stories about the U.S. military caught the attention of the Propeller community this week. "Soldier Suicides: Veterans Are Killing Themselves in Record Numbers" racked up the biggest vote count (205) and a lengthy conversation thread. SwampFox-82nd let loose with both barrels at the current administration: "We need all veterans to make a stand against that son-of-a-Bush. He has never stood next to any Brother in combat! He hid in Texas during 'Nam; that moron he calls a VP got a medical deferment, something about his toes were on backwards." BravoSierra was equally aghast, and predicted worse to come: "More Vietnam veterans committed suicide after the war than died during the war. This war may be worse. We'll see. Since Reagan, mental health programs have been slashed to pieces." But injest quoted a study to the contrary, suggesting that the military suicide rate may be comparable or even lower than the civilian rate. Meanwhile, "Women soldiers being raped more than killed by enemy fire" generated 167 votes and 340 comments. UnusualSuspect said: "As a male, I am ashamed of my brothers overseas who have committed these crimes. I would strongly urge these women to pursue charges against these cowards, to the fullest extent of the law!" DropkickaLib wondered if this was a recent development: "Could you imagine someone like R. Lee Ermey putting up with that kind of indiscipline when he was a Marine Corps drill instructor during the Vietnam War?" Not so, said Petom1: "This has been one of the military's 'dirty little secrets' for years. During the time I served 30 years ago there were far fewer women and rape by fellow soldiers was almost routine and seldom investigated thoroughly."

POLL POSITION

Barack Obama was front and center again this week, with eight separate stories in the Top Twenty. "Obama blames 'ethic of greed' for economy," with 158 votes and 325 comments, included a long exchange about campaign finance reform. "No donations allowed," said Dionys. "Period. Of any sort. That's the only solution because for the most part the majority of senators and representatives (not to mention the P and VeePee) are paid more by corporations than by the American public." DoseASpinoza disagreed: "That would create a government of the rich and for the rich, even more than today. The contest would already be settled as Romney vs. Clinton." But redLineRunner came up with a compromise solution: "There needs to either be one 'general pool' or one pool per party, and every donation goes into that pool. Then, the pool is evenly divided among the candidates when they run." Other Obama stories focused on the candidate's poll rankings. "Polls Show Obama Damaged by Reverend Wright," with 106 votes and 155 comments, elicited this accusation of double standards from Lurch: "[It's] OK for McCain to seek a hateful, racist reverend, but not OK for Obama to distance himself from a hateful, racist reverend." Obama fans, meanwhile, could take solace in this story, which drew precisely the opposite conclusion: "Poll: Pastor Controversy Hasn't Hurt Obama." With 102 votes and 307 comments, this was essentially a replay of the other post, with a rueful aside from cowboygrandpa: "Stupid is what it is.... The Republicans just sit back and wait for their Democratic rivals to start tearing each other down." There were additional stories on Obama cleaning up in Texas, narrowing Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania, facing down prejudice, and going toe-to-toe with John McCain in a projected presidential contest.

PHONING IT IN

Although the issue has been hotly debated for years, the latest verdict on cell phones generated a lively response from the membership. "Cell phones: more dangerous than smoking" rang up 168 votes and 70 comments. Said tanglang: "Well, if cell phones really do cause tumors, I'm screwed. That's all I use. Unfortunately they don't have land lines in the woods/swamps where I work." Added ranchhand: "I have owned one for nearly three years and just recently found out it has a speaker phone on it. Hope it don't make me sterile." But for wtagg, it wasn't the radiation that makes cell phones so lethal, but the constant drain on the owner's attention span: "My wife and I were almost broadsided 2 weeks ago by a women driving, smoking a cigarette, and texting. We actually saw her holding the phone out in front of her and pushing the little buttons. She never even saw us or indicated that she realized what had just transpired." Perhaps we all better heed HOUSEMD, who came up with an immediate prescription: "Shut up, hang up the cell phone, and put that cigarette out. Live long and prosper."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

The death of Killing Fields survivor Dith Pran struck a chord for many. "Dith Pran was an heroic human spirit," said 1-2-Oscar. "We were all enriched by his presence." This comment was seconded by Wolfie2007: "I pray his soul is abiding in heaven this day." But it was Hanyman who noted exactly who finally put an end to the massacre in Cambodia: "The country that stopped them was communist Vietnam. They invaded Cambodia because they were tired of the flood of refugees coming across the border from their insane neighbor." Another story, "As Jobs Vanish, Food Stamp Use Nears Record," nabbed 93 votes, 87 comments, and the best (sardonic) resume ever seen on the site, courtesy of walden3: "I was a Navy SEAL. I landed on the moon. I have a PhD in quantum physics. I built purified water plants in Guatemala. It was me that pulled Saddam out of his spider hole." And finally, there was "Late Show: McCain and Letterman Trade Barbs," with 144 votes and 138 comments. AlphaGnosis, who posted the original video clip (watch the entire interview here), was asked whether she was simply looking for converts. "Not looking for anything except a good man with a fat wallet," she replied, with a wink. To which cherev replied: "Rats! I'm a fat man with a good wallet." We'll leave it at that, folks.

THE WRIGHT STUFF

Barack Obama's relationship to his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, has been at storm center the entire week. The lengthiest conversation of the week, with 825 comments, was inspired by "Obama Condemns Pastor But Defends Continued Relationship." Candida defended the candidate from what she defined as an obvious smear: "The preacher is not running for president, and claiming that his rhetoric, which may be offensive but falls far short of hate speech, is somehow reflective of Obamas's thoughts and beliefs is the smear." Another member, ybdogsct, concurred: "Through some torturous logic, some believe Obama espouses everything Wright uttered, despite the fact that Obama is half-white himself and (unlike McCain) has never been quoted uttering racist comments." Other members were far less forgiving of the connection. Said HOUSEMD: "It is just wrong for any senator to participate in anti-American/racist activities. [Obama] should have immediately and strongly condemned this the first time he heard Wright's hate sermons." Another, purpose, was similarly skeptical: "Senator Obama has proven one thing. He still has supporters even after being caught in a lie." But rumple4skin wasn't giving an inch: "Lettin' you know that I am not going to engage in your brand of dispute. Until you have spent time in a Black barber shop, hairdresser, or church, do not attempt to discuss issues you know nothing of other than what you heard on u-tube or faux." Quite a few related stories made it into our Top Twenty for the week, including "Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11" (140 votes, 694 comments), "Ringing the Bell: What Obama's Speech Says," (166 votes, 496 comments), and "A Church Under Attack Says 'No' to the Political Smears" (110 votes, 208 comments). It was the latter story that elicited this vote of no confidence from tkyrchncs: "It is my understanding that when a man of the cloth in full regalia standing at his pulpit on a religious occasion says 'God damn' something (in this case America), it is not just an expletive one might say on mashing his finger. It is calling down the Wrath of God."

BREAKING THE BANK

Another hot topic this week was the ongoing mortgage crisis. With 176 votes and 116 comments, "Mortgage relief plan falling short" produced a spirited conversation. DamnLiberals pinned the blame squarely on the homeowners (especially those who went in to make a quick buck): "Fools rush in.... I look at this as the new Gold Rush where people looking to strike it rich made dumb decisions and lost everything." Grrr had some other culprits in mind: "So it's the borrower's fault, and not the fault of the banks, the Fed, Congress, the POTUS, and Wall Street?" Not so, said TOD396: "No one forced these people to bite off more than they could chew. They made a conscious decision to buy a home and then things changed for them, and they now aren't able to make the payments." But it was IanFraiugun, the rare Propeller member with a degree in accounting, who took a middle course: "I do agree we should not bail out the lenders, because their greed in approving non-viable loans led to their problems. On the other hand, we need to find a way to help those borrowers that we badly misled by the lenders." As Shakespeare, no accountant, advised us in Hamlet: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." Currently both parties are taking it in the head. Could the Bard have been anticipating the subprime meltdown?

HEAT TREATMENT

Global warming never fails to raise the collective temperature of the community, and this week was no exception. "Glaciers Melt At Fastest Rate in Past 5,000 Years" bagged 159 votes and 136 comments. One member, airglide, dismissed the whole scenario: "Try another. An Alaska pilot can no longer land near a glacier where he used to take tourists, because the glacier has grown a half mile in the last two years." Case closed? Not according to wtagg, who insisted that we cast the evidential net a little wider: "Using one glacier is wrong as evidence. Exit Glacier and Portage Glacier are demonstratively retreating. Does that mean we are experiencing global warming? No.... We need to examine all glaciers in context." Meanwhile, at least one member, rwrnae, saw some benefits to a possible spike of the global thermostat: "Wish the damn ice would hurry up and melt, maybe it would drown D.C."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

"Right to bear arms at heart of high court case" rang up 116 votes and 155 comments, including this sardonic assessment of the Supreme Court from memestryker: "They don't give a rat's behind about the Constitution. They all are there to push their own agendas, and find arguments to support their own bias--on all sides." There were popular stories about the Iraq war, the swooning dollar, and Dick Cheney. Over at Considerable Sounds, the music business was pronounced D.O.A., and blothbelt blamed the industry's woes on its own sloth and inertia: "It needs a serious resuscitation. Mouth to ear in this case. It's as if the music industry is doing its best not to record anyone who is good enough to demand anything." And finally, this post about Sweden's prostitution statutes (very much a post-Spitzer story) sparked a short but fiery exchange. If you're curious, cue up "Private Dancer" and enjoy the thread at your leisure.