Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Argued March 24, 2009
Reargued September 9, 2009
Decided January 21, 2010

Constitutional amendments are meant for protection of civil rights, but with the SC decision on this case, the First Amendment was used to undermine exactly what it was created to guard.

This decision has huge implications. Just like the dissolution of the glass -steagall act brought American financial system back to the pre-1933 economic world, this court decision will throw America back to pre-1907 political world. It is foreseeable that following the Great Recession, a great American democratic recession is in the making.

What does it mean for American foreign policy? It may more and more in line with big corporate interests (they may not be American corporations).

What does it mean for US-CHINA relations? It's complicated. On the one hand, protectionism and populism may be controlled so that bilateral relations could be more stable. But on the other, commercial and business conflicts could easily spill out of the economic realm into a political one, like what Google did recently.

Overall, it is quite strange to see this set back of democracy in America when other democracies are busy curtailing money from politics or making new campaign financing laws to prevent corporate intervention. Given current chaotic situation in the Congress, it's hard to imagine that this problem cold be fix any time soon.

How will this rule play out in future American politics is yet to be seen.

Looming cloud

New York times EDITORIAL: It Isn’t Working for Anyone Else

is a call to "War on Free Trade", which is supposed to be the core value of the corporate USA.

This one-dimensional accusation reflected the frustration of the "left" in this country. Their simple logic was always like this: if you cannot compete, complain about the rules, even though they are made by you.

Contrary to what they say, China and other developing countries' rise bring more good than bad. The economy is recovering and the price is rising again. But they are running out of patience because the speed of job recovery is not catching up with the waning of their political careers. So they want to use the usual populist scheme to shake off their own wrong-doings. Why not blaming China, for all the tainted toys, lost jobs and deficits. Why not create an even bigger enemy so that more government spending and regulations can be justified?

If they succeed, their pork-barrels, war-wastes, wall street ties, health care irresponsibilities, bone-cutting tax policies could all be wiped aside and start anew.

Whoever is writing the editorial is part of the coordinated attack against China recently. They are "exposing" Chinese companied dealings with Iran, calling Google and other companies to threat China(because they have failed miserably in competition in China), putting up tariff on Chinese steel, and basically trying to start an economic cold war to boost American domestic production. After all, it was war that dragged America out of the last Great Depression.

One thing exposed the editorial completely: these are the people speaking for the European and Japanese interests really, not American ones. Think about it, if dollar and Yuan sink together, who hurts the most? So I guess if that's the NY times editorial, the newspaper had better change its name to Trilateral Commission report.

施瓦辛格的艰难抉择

Dodd, Dorgan, Ritter都不选了。看来2010年是很多政治老手的死亡之年。奥巴马的第二个年头可能是他最困难的一年。民主党面临中期选举，众多议员要走马换将，美国政治大洗牌的时候很快要到来了。在这纷纭的背后既是利益重新分配的盛宴，也是各种冲突爆发的战场。而“老英雄”施瓦辛格就遇到了他退休之前最大的挑战。

Dodd, Dorgan 可以不干，可要是施瓦辛格不找到办法，加州政府就要关门大吉（要么就发IOU）。危急关头，施瓦辛格只能两害相较取其轻，为了老师砍狱卒。感觉像中国农村的地方政府，大声广而告之：为了孩子，我们就是吃糠咽菜。。。

夏威夷州政府倒是不管不顾，直接缩减了10%的小学教育时间。别的州政府也面临大规模赤字，比如伊利诺伊州，州长已经被指责为了省钱，放走了1700名重要犯人，导致社会治安受到严重威胁。当然，州和地方都很乐意出租监狱给联邦政府，以便转移关塔纳摩监狱犯人来此，顺便挣点外快。芝加哥市政府更是利令智昏，不惜把市内停车收费权以11亿美元出卖给了私人公司（75年！）。未几，私人公司新年送大礼，停车费在翻了四倍的基础上再涨价25%。为了缩减赤字，从联邦到地方，到处都在加税，各种名目不一而足。瓶装水，酒类，香烟，娱乐项目，甚至注射肉毒素。难怪库克郡去年加消费税被人骂的狗血淋头也坚持不减，到了今年连提都没人提了：反正都在搞，也不在乎这一个了。

施瓦辛格实在不愿意加税，毕竟还是个共和党，这点原则再放弃了，实在对不起观众。更何况本人就是反对前任州长加税上来的。可是做加州高等教育的终结者，施瓦辛格还是死活不敢干的，得罪了知识界，万世名声就毁了。可钱从哪里来？发债？没人买了，况且总是要还的。增税？已经说了，人格问题。那只有拆东补西了。拆谁？这个问题估计他和他的幕僚想了很久。各种公共服务，少哪个也不行啊，尤其是公共医疗，加还来不及呢。最后只好向监狱开刀了。

教育是百年大计，十年树木，百年树人嘛。可是为了教育牺牲公共安全？尤其是得罪州内最有实力的工会之一，加州狱警联合会？这其中足可见终结者的政治豪赌。至于结局如何，只有看美国经济的走向了。

牛二对阿Q的救赎：《斗牛》观后

《斗牛》是一部很经看的“第六代”电影。写农民超过了姜文的《鬼子来了》，写日寇超过了陆川的《南京南京》，写战争与冯小刚的《集结号》伯仲之间，搞笑不输宁浩的《疯狂的石头》，其深刻更不亚于李杨的《盲井》，更别提贾樟柯任何做作的获奖之作。至于其商业程度，还是由中国的票房自己说了算吧。可以说，在相当程度上，2009年的《斗牛》是21世纪中国电影和影人不断探索，寻求自我突破的巅峰之作。

本人电影专业知识不足以对该片评头品足，只想对黄渤成功塑造的牛二形象点评一二，聊以自娱。

牛二其人，胆小怕事，畏首畏尾，自私自利，还略有些精神胜利的意思，乍看起来活脱脱一个阿Q再世。虽然牛二和九儿有一小段羞涩的恋情，牛二被九儿告发戴高帽的时候像极了阿Q被人整治的一幕。鲁迅先生所哀所怒的中国农民被黄渤演的活灵活现。如果就此而止了，我们不过还是回到了“五四精神”的家园，再一次上下求索，咒骂祖宗、宗法之羁绊罢了。就如日军士官教训孬种士兵所用的那段话，支那人就是玩儿蛐蛐丧了志，几近亡国的。在牛二身上没有爱国主义，英雄主义，超人意志，甚至任何令人觉得高尚的东西。周星驰也表现过很多小人物，可那些人物的不可救药程度好像都远远高于牛二这一摊似乎无可救药的皮囊。

然而就是在这样一个时刻，阿Q做了一个180度的华丽转身，如同钟楼怪人卡西莫多一样从丑陋的外表下忽现出令人震撼的灵魂。我们忽然明白，牛二也是人，有着人的情感、尊严、坚韧、智慧和勇气，最重要的是牛二也有自己坚守的比生命更珍贵的东西：信诺。牛二也是人，所以他挣扎、躲闪、犹豫，以至于逃避。可是他最终选择了面对，即便那个时代给他很少的选择，即便他的生命在命运女神手中显得比蝼蚁还不如。这不是鲁迅世界里的农民，不是五四精英们鄙视的乡土。牛二的沂蒙也不需要沈从文来美化，或者柳青来歌颂。牛二和他的牛就是中国人和他的世界的真实写照，不多不少，令人忍俊不禁却又潸然泪下。

牛二是对阿Q的超越。在近100年后，我们终于找到空闲，重新整理思路，回想过去与未来，平静的反思对自己的乡土、祖先、文化的鄙夷和唾弃。其实，牛二就是阿Q， 阿Q就是牛二，他们没有变，是我们变了。过去的中国没有牛阿Q，革命成功不了，日寇也不会在屠村之后还遇到还敢揭叉而起、拼死抗争的人，现在的中国没有牛阿Q，国家富强不了、崛起不了，那北京上海的海市蜃楼也无从谈起。

以前读阿Q的时候，觉得他死前的那句“老子二十年后还是一条好汉”的话很可悲、很可笑。仿佛真要自己戴上戒尺，回去拍醒这个铁屋里的昏旦，告诉他“现代”来了，不醒没活路了。却原来毛老爷子早就认识了牛二的真本性：地面上埋了雷我就窜地道，枪使不来我就使弓箭和铡刀，有人穷途末路我就送牛奶，但要是有人欺人太甚、以怨报德，就只好叫他们自投罗网、“尸横遍野”了。所以，在中国的土地上做事情，一定不要忘了按上公平的手印，否则不是在山上遇到野人般的牛二，就是在二十年后遇到还魂的阿Q，他们有的是执拗，但也不缺宽恕的胸怀。