Sep 11, 2005

Some Remembered Things

by Cliopatria

Richard Lingeman,"‘Henry Adams and the Making of America' Misunderstood," New York Times, 11 September, reviews Garry Wills's latest book. It appears to require us to re-think the early republic and adds to mounting evidence that the whole body of Richard Hofstadter's work needs to be thoroughly re-examined. Thanks to Richard Jensen of Conservativenet for the tip.

Grant Jones at The Fiftieth Star points out that Cinemocracy has made eleven of Frank Capra, John Ford and William Wyler's World War II documentary films available on-line for free download. Thanks to Jon Dresner for the tip.

Karen Armstrong,"Old World Order," Guardian, 10 September, argues that"we need a modern way to recreate religion's respect for the earth." Thanks to Manan Ahmed for the tip.

The Bush administration is utterly shameless in response to Hurricane Katrina. Filling the upper ranks at FEMA with unqualified political cronies is no less disgraceful than former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey appointing his gay lover to administer the state's homeland security. If McGreevey resigned in disgrace, why shouldn't Bush? Then the President signs an executive order suspending legislation requiring that cleanup and reconstruction in devastated areas pay prevailing wage rates. That will allow the crony corporations to" clean up" in more ways than one. The stench of it may be worse than anything Katrina left behind. [ ... ]

Thanks to Rick Shenkman for a remarkable week of Katrina coverage on HNN's mainpage. The articles and interviews have been excellent and the Katrina blog has well served its purpose of putting refugee scholars from New Orleans back in touch with each other.

Finally, I hope you've noticed that Mark Grimsley at Blog Them Out of the Stone Age has been using his blog in a fascinating variety of ways, from publishing whole articles of original scholarship to first drafts of work he will subsequently publish in print and introducing non-blogging historians as guest-bloggers. Give Grimsley enough time and resources and he will fulfill the promise of his blog's name.

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David T. Beito - 9/12/2005

All I can say is take a look at the Bernstein book which I think makes a strong case that prevailing wage rules worsen black unemployment. Presumbably, if you accept this evidence, you would have differerent view of whether such rules are worthwhile.

Grant W Jones - 9/12/2005

Thanks to all at Cliopatria for adding The 50thstar to the blogroll.

Ralph E. Luker - 9/11/2005

I am unenthusiastic about the unemployment of African Americans. Now, where are we?

David T. Beito - 9/11/2005

And your answer to my question is.....?

Ralph E. Luker - 9/11/2005

Bechtel and Halliburton are not "little or no" and the Allbaugh connection is sufficient evidence on the Shaw Group. I suspect that you'd defend the very devil herself if she were an appointee in the Bush administration. Er, come to think of it, I think you already have.

Ralph E. Luker - 9/11/2005

David, Your libertarian predispositions would put the whip in any employer's hand to drive wages to the lowest possible level. I assume that you make an exception for tenured faculty members at the University of Alabama.

John H. Lederer - 9/11/2005

The contract with Halliburton was signed before Allbaugh became a lobbyist and is with the DOD and not FEMA. KBR, Halliburton's subsidiary has been active in military service since the Bosnian war.

Shaw Group has Allbaugh as a lobbyist (but not on rebuild contracts). Shaw Group is founded and headed by the Chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party.

But throw enough words up in the air, make a few implications, leave out a few things, and it is just another "example" of Bush cronyism.

Look, companies with ties to the Bush admninistration ought be under very close examination because there is a possibility of cronyism. The same should be true of a lot of Louisiana beusinesses that will be awarded contracts and have close ties with the Louisiana administration.

But that is not justification for innuendo made on little or no basis.

The fact that the Reuters story failed to mention that Shaw's CEO was the head of the Democratic Party suggests that the article was not one interested in the accuracy of its implications.

David T. Beito - 9/11/2005

Would you also agree to this?

"I don't think I need to explain my lack of enthusiasm for the possiblity that more African Americans will be unemployed because of the prevaling wage rate rule."

Ralph E. Luker - 9/11/2005

I don't think that I need to explain my lack of enthusiasm for making sure that African Americans can be readily employed at below the prevailing wage rate.

David T. Beito - 9/11/2005

Ralph, I am surprised to hear you defend the prevailing wage provision of the Davis-Bacon Act. Few pieces of legislation have done more to undermine employment opportuntiies among the poor, especially blacks. Racist motivations played a key role in the passage of the act.

See, for example, David Bernstein's excellent book Only One Place of Redress (which has some revealing quotations from Senator Davis and Rep. Bacon) for details.

Ralph E. Luker - 9/11/2005

You will say the same of Bechtel and Halliburton, won't you? The lobbyist for the Shaw Group is, of course, Joe Allabaugh, the former crony head of FEMA, who passed his job on to his college room-mate, the current crony head of FEMA. The current crony head is only half lopped off at this point. He's apparently still signing contracts with his buds.

John H. Lederer - 9/11/2005

Are you aware that Reuters, and you, have just cited the Shaw Group, rcent winner of a 100,000,000 rebuilding contract, as a "crony corporation" of Bush?

The Shaw Group is a solid supporter of Democrats, whose CEO was Chair of Blanco's transition team, and is currently Chairman of the Democratic Party in Louisiana.

http://www.lademo.org/index.php?display=ShowPage&;id=329508