By Demosophist

In a recent column on the CEOs who have been "missing in action," Tom Friedman certainly points to one dimension of of our national risk assessment that could, all by itself, render us as helpless as an upwronged turtle. But although our CEOs are failing in their leadership roles the problems are, unfortunately, far deeper. There is, for instance, a significant minority of Americans who believe that its their mission to convince the rest of us that we really don't face a problem at all. The take of people like James Fallows, and Andrew Bacevich is that we're vastly over-mobilized in the current war. Indeed, their argument is that we're not actually at war at all, and the sooner we come to that realization the better. It's certainly true that, as Friedman observes, our CEOs aren't acting as though we're at war. But from the perspective of Fallows and Bacevich such leaders are the repository of realism and good common sense, because we aren't. Far from seeing this as our last real chance to exit a highway headed to catastrophe, by taking up the challenge of helping install greater degrees of freedom in the "repressive neighborhood" that's the nursery for terrorist cults, they're convinced that we aren't sufficiently nice to those tyrannical regimes. We should respect the oppressed by respecting their oppressors. In other words they respect the sovereignty of a nation even if it systematically tramples the sovereignty of every individual within its impious borders. People have accused George Bush of being naively Wilsonian, but he at least hasn't bought the notion that living under tyranny is a matter of national "self-determination." Would we use that principle to support a regime that decided to nuke itself, just to drag the rest of us along? Fallows and Bacevich hold that there's no problem as long as the curtains on those internal national dramas stay drawn. Is that so! more...

Posted by: Demosophist at 11:54 AM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
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(Las Vegas, Nevada) The infamous Hollywood Madam, Heidi Fleiss, who was put out of business and prosecuted in California, now has plans of opening a brothel in Nevada where prostitution is legal.

From KLAS-TV.com:

She has a long way to go before her brothel becomes a reality. Fleiss has spent months looking at other bordellos and properties in Nevada, from Reno to Pahrump and in between. Because of her criminal record, she will need to latch on with an existing licensee for a period. She's talked to several but hasn't reached a deal.

[ ... ]

In order to stand out from other brothels, and from the all-but-legal hooker rackets in Las Vegas, Fleiss has a grand design in mind -- a replica of the White House. She'll even call it the White House, but isn't trying to make a political statement, just a marketing one.

"It will work. They have the Eiffel Tower there, the Pyramids. So it's time for the White House. You build the White House and it will work. You want something the way it should be. Natural, beautiful, and that's what it is. It's just sex."

Five grand for a fresh face! I'm going to guess that customers will be wanting more than face for that amount. Nonetheless, she claims to have backers prepared to invest millions in her White House.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

Posted by: Mike Pechar at 11:08 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Yeah, modeling a brothel after the White House is such an original idea. I guess she never saw the whitehouse .com website before she had this grand "new" idea.

Posted by: Drew at May 28, 2005 11:38 AM (zEdFo)

2 WOuld this be a good time for a "If you build it, he will come" joke?

Posted by: ccwbass at May 28, 2005 12:10 PM (6gRId)

3 It would make for an interesting "menu." A friend of mine...yeah thats it.....visited one of these brothels called "Mables." They actually hand you a menu and the one I found.........er........he found interesting was something called "Midnight snack." I.........er........he still doesn't know what it is.

Posted by: Capitalist Infidel at May 28, 2005 12:12 PM (xkIHW)

4 Well you know what they say, "You can't keep a good woman down", but in this case I think it would be "You can't keep a good woman up".

Posted by: Butch at May 31, 2005 03:45 PM (Gqhi9)

5 Heidi, can I work for you???????? When do you think you will be opening a business in Las Vegas? I live here. Ginnie

Posted by: Ginnie at June 08, 2005 07:59 PM (sOC76)

6 If she did the prostitution business so well, why did she get convicted of pandering?? I think her 15 minutes of fame is over and she is trying to stretch it out to 20 minutes. There is no way any county in NV. would ever license her, she is a convicted felon. Brothels have survived in NV. because they are low key and discreet. They won't change the laws for her, it's time she get over herself~ Besides, I have been to her little shop of sex, and know people who work for her. She is a drug addict, and her LSoS is a disaster. Heidi, get off the drugs, get a REAL JOB, and stay in LA. where you belong!

Posted by: Alicia at June 15, 2005 06:35 AM (YCk9L)

7 What next Heidi? The Pentagon?

Posted by: heidi at September 29, 2005 10:58 AM (6krEN)

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