Paul Krugman is fed up with the paradox of VSP and writes about it in The age of the anti-Cassandra

Today, our public discourse is dominated by people who have been wrong about everything — but are still, mysteriously, treated as men of wisdom, whose judgments should be believed. Those who were actually right about the major issues of the day can’t get a word in edgewise.

A case in point are all the people who are about to discover the truth about the Surge™ as it falls apart: Iraq forces battle Basra militias

Heavy fighting has been raging in Basra as thousands of Iraqi troops battle Shia militias in the southern city.

At least 30 people have died in the operation, which is being overseen in Basra by Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki, a day after he vowed to “re-impose law”.

Oil-rich Basra is in the grip of a bitter turf war between armed groups, including the Mehdi Army, analysts say.

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According to the reporting of the Charlotte Observer the “accidental” discharge of a firearm on that US Air flight pierced the cockpit wall. They have pictures.

The good news was that the aircraft was in descent and at 8,000 feet when the weapon was fired, so there was no problem with pressure loss.

As for the expert who doubts a single round could bring down the aircraft – what happens if it hits a control computer, or the wiring?

Understand that I have a personal aversion to bullets penetrating aircraft. It is not a pleasant experience.

Two South Florida Congresscritters have said they won’t campaign against three conservative Republican incumbents. One is a black male and the other is a white female. You want to guess which one is being attacked on the ‘Net?

Right in one, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being bombarded from all sides, but no one is talking about Kendrick Meek. The comments thread that accompanies John Amato’s post at Crooks and Liars is not quite in wingnut territory, but it is a general display of ignorance about the realities of South Florida.

If you wonder what people mean about “gerrymandering”, look at Ms Wasserman Schultz’s 20^th district in the National Atlas. The Republicans spent a lot of time designing districts to ensure that while there are more registered Democrats in Florida than Republicans, Democrats can only win one-third of the Congressional seats, and one-third of the seats in the Florida legislature. It’s some world-class mapping on display.

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