Knocking wood... MUCH wood... a whole damn forest if I need to...

... dialup connection has stabilized, for the time being.

I called the co-op this morning, spent a little bit waiting for them to find which department I needed to speak to, and complained about linenoise keeping me from connecting.

Afterwards things actually managed to get worse- half the time the ISP's computer couldn't even recognize that my machine WAS a computer trying to connect.

And then, around noon, a stable connection at 16.8 K. Very slow, yes, but it isn't dying every sixty seconds or less, so I'm reluctant to try to get a better one.

Hopefully, though, things are fixed. We'll see.

Knocking wood... MUCH wood... a whole damn forest if I need to...

... dialup connection has stabilized, for the time being.

I called the co-op this morning, spent a little bit waiting for them to find which department I needed to speak to, and complained about linenoise keeping me from connecting.

Afterwards things actually managed to get worse- half the time the ISP's computer couldn't even recognize that my machine WAS a computer trying to connect.

And then, around noon, a stable connection at 16.8 K. Very slow, yes, but it isn't dying every sixty seconds or less, so I'm reluctant to try to get a better one.

Hopefully, though, things are fixed. We'll see.

It's Not Reagan's GOP Anymore

Andrew Sullivan has a post today which sums up all the differences between Reagan's Republican Party and today's Republican Party.

Here's the relevant part, with my comments in boldface.

Reagan raised taxes occasionally in deference to some concern about deficits. The current GOP refuses to even think about thinking about raising any taxes. Except, of course, that Reagan had eliminated the highest tax bracket and never did restore it- which led to what was at the time the largest national debt in our history when he left office in 1989.

Reagan embraced immigrants and indeed granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.

Reagan was prepared to negotiate with the Soviet Union. The current GOP does not believe in meeting or negotiating with any foreign enemies. Unless they have nukes-which is all that much more encouragement for Iran and everybody else to get 'em, as a hedge in case the current GOP gets power again.

Reagan opposed an anti-gay initiative in California. Today's GOP regards anti-gay initiatives as a key fundraising and base-stoking tool.

Reagan never went in for extensive and open-ended nation-building and pulled out of Lebanon after a bombing that killed many Marines. The current Republican party never retreats on anything.

Reagan took personal responsibility for his violation go the law in Iran-Conrtra. Bush still has not taken responsiibility for the illegal authorization of torture. Actually, Reagan did not take "personal" responsibility; he only said that, as President, he had an institutional responsibility. He maintained to the end that he had nothing to do with Iran-Contragate.

Reagan took pride in his reading and his thinking on the philosophical and economic and social arguments that forged modern conservatism and the critique of the welfare state. Today's leader of the GOP - Sarah Palin - holds up her ignorance as a badge of honor. Of course, Reagan's reading was of much the same sort signed off by flaming racists Bill Buckley Jr. and Pat Buchanan. Take that as you will.

Reagan signed the UN Convention on Torture. Today's GOP takes pride in violating it.

Let's also recall that Reagan advanced the careers of many Nixon-era officials who were up to their armpits in violations of Constitutional limits on Presidential power. Reagan practiced a clear and unambiguous anti-environmental policy, gutting regulatory offices and attempting to thwart scientific findings which ran counter to corporate interests. Worst of all, he gave credibility to "trickle-down" economics- the notion that, if you make the rich richer, they won't keep all of the dough. All of these things are still part and parcel of Republican ideology.

If you look at the above differences, though, you will see two things Reagan had that the current GOP is clearly missing. First, Reagan was dedicated to governing well- to leaving America and the federal government in better condition than when he found it, according to his beliefs. The current GOP wants to smash all parts of the state that don't directly benefit them. Second, Reagan was a pragmatist- he avoided battles he couldn't win and sought to gain ground through negotiation with a Democratic Congress. Today's GOP, on the other hand, are partisan hacks masquerading as ideologues. To them thwarting the other party and grandstanding are more important than actually advancing their agenda through compromise and negotiation.

I personally believe that Reagan was a bad president- bad in that he moved our country in the wrong direction on most issues. It ought to be troubling that (a) the modern GOP is actually seeking to make things worse, and (b) that our only alternative worth speaking of, as things stand, is a corrupt, divided and spineless Democratic Party.

It's Not Reagan's GOP Anymore

Andrew Sullivan has a post today which sums up all the differences between Reagan's Republican Party and today's Republican Party.

Here's the relevant part, with my comments in boldface.

Reagan raised taxes occasionally in deference to some concern about deficits. The current GOP refuses to even think about thinking about raising any taxes. Except, of course, that Reagan had eliminated the highest tax bracket and never did restore it- which led to what was at the time the largest national debt in our history when he left office in 1989.

Reagan embraced immigrants and indeed granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.

Reagan was prepared to negotiate with the Soviet Union. The current GOP does not believe in meeting or negotiating with any foreign enemies. Unless they have nukes-which is all that much more encouragement for Iran and everybody else to get 'em, as a hedge in case the current GOP gets power again.

Reagan opposed an anti-gay initiative in California. Today's GOP regards anti-gay initiatives as a key fundraising and base-stoking tool.

Reagan never went in for extensive and open-ended nation-building and pulled out of Lebanon after a bombing that killed many Marines. The current Republican party never retreats on anything.

Reagan took personal responsibility for his violation go the law in Iran-Conrtra. Bush still has not taken responsiibility for the illegal authorization of torture. Actually, Reagan did not take "personal" responsibility; he only said that, as President, he had an institutional responsibility. He maintained to the end that he had nothing to do with Iran-Contragate.

Reagan took pride in his reading and his thinking on the philosophical and economic and social arguments that forged modern conservatism and the critique of the welfare state. Today's leader of the GOP - Sarah Palin - holds up her ignorance as a badge of honor. Of course, Reagan's reading was of much the same sort signed off by flaming racists Bill Buckley Jr. and Pat Buchanan. Take that as you will.

Reagan signed the UN Convention on Torture. Today's GOP takes pride in violating it.

Let's also recall that Reagan advanced the careers of many Nixon-era officials who were up to their armpits in violations of Constitutional limits on Presidential power. Reagan practiced a clear and unambiguous anti-environmental policy, gutting regulatory offices and attempting to thwart scientific findings which ran counter to corporate interests. Worst of all, he gave credibility to "trickle-down" economics- the notion that, if you make the rich richer, they won't keep all of the dough. All of these things are still part and parcel of Republican ideology.

If you look at the above differences, though, you will see two things Reagan had that the current GOP is clearly missing. First, Reagan was dedicated to governing well- to leaving America and the federal government in better condition than when he found it, according to his beliefs. The current GOP wants to smash all parts of the state that don't directly benefit them. Second, Reagan was a pragmatist- he avoided battles he couldn't win and sought to gain ground through negotiation with a Democratic Congress. Today's GOP, on the other hand, are partisan hacks masquerading as ideologues. To them thwarting the other party and grandstanding are more important than actually advancing their agenda through compromise and negotiation.

I personally believe that Reagan was a bad president- bad in that he moved our country in the wrong direction on most issues. It ought to be troubling that (a) the modern GOP is actually seeking to make things worse, and (b) that our only alternative worth speaking of, as things stand, is a corrupt, divided and spineless Democratic Party.