Card Resigns

by hilzoy

From the Washington Post:

"White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. announced his resignation this morning after nearly 5-1/2 years as President Bush's top aide. Bush said Card will be replaced by Joshua B. Bolten, the director of the Office of Management and Budget. (...)

Card has held the top staff job at the White House longer than any person since Sherman Adams under President Dwight D. Eisenhower and had earned enormous respect within the building and around Washington for his calm professionalism and stamina. But his stewardship of the Bush team had come under question in recent months after a series of mishaps, including the failed Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers, the bungled federal response to Hurricane Katrina, the slow public disclosure of Vice President Cheney's shooting accident and the unexpected Republican revolt over a plan to turn over management at a half dozen ports to an Arab-owned company.

Bush said Card had approached him earlier this month about the possibility of stepping down, and Bush accepted his offer this weekend, when the two were at Camp David.

"He's been here 5-1/2 years. The average tenure of chief of staff is two years," said a senior administration official, who spoke before the announcement, but refused to be named so as not to upstage the president. "Change can be good and necessary and that's what they had discussed."

The official said the decision was Card's, not Bush's: "Andy initiated it with the president."

Bolten is among the most respected officials within the administration and a trusted confidant of the president's--not at all the kind of independent, outside voice that some pundits have said the White House should bring on board. His selection as chief of staff suggests the likelihood of a smooth transition, but officials anticipate that he might want to make further changes to a team that has largely been intact since the beginning of the Bush presidency in January 2001.

Bolten served as deputy White House chief of staff in Bush's first term and then was moved over to head the budget office at a time when spending on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Medicare benefits and the recovery from Hurricane Katrina pushed up deficits. In an attempt to deal with the new spending demands, Bolten oversaw two consecutive budgets that actually cut overall non-security discretionary domestic spending. But many Republicans in Congress have complained that the administration has not done enough to tighten the federal belt.

Bolten, a former Goldman Sachs executive, is known as a detail-oriented workaholic who often stays at work for hours after the early-to-bed president has gone to sleep. The son of a CIA executive, he grew up in Northwest Washington and attended the prestigious St. Albans school, Princeton University and Stanford Law School.

Taking the microphone this morning after Bush, Bolten said he was "eager to get to work" on the president's agenda, which he described as protecting Americans at home, promoting freedom abroad and expanding economic prosperity."

Discuss.

Comments

[OCSteve]

Change for the sake of change? If Bolten had actually proven himself as a fiscal conservative in his current position I would say Yay.

Bush does seem to insulate himself with friends and long time allies. Although I guess Chief of Staff is more of a friend/advisor role than many other positions.

I don’t see anything changing unless he really shakes things up and brings in some fresh blood, mainly in his cabinet.

[KCinDC]

Mark Kleiman's comment from a couple of weeks ago seems relevant:

There's nothing wrong with saying "No comment" or telling less than the whole truth, in this case by letting Allen resign "by mutual agreement" or "for personal reasons." But flat mendacity should carry a penalty.

The alternative — the current situation, in which lies are routine and do not draw any negative consequences on the teller — is grossly unfair to the innocent. Remember, it was widely suspected when Allen quit that there was something discreditable behind it, just as the resignation of Gale Norton is causing some people to predict her indictment in the Abramoff scandal. The same thing is happening to Trent Duffy. You ought to be able to quit your job in Washington without people asking "What did he get caught at?"

[OCSteve]

I’m sure plenty of folks will expect new scandal.

"He's been here 5-1/2 years. The average tenure of chief of staff is two years"

I’ll leave it at that for now. One of the longest tenures in history. Long hours and high stress for over 5 years – if you reach a point where it doesn’t seem like you are effective any more its time to bail.

The other point is that his (Bush) own party has been pressuring him to shake things up – this would seem to be a fop to them.

[hilzoy]

Personally, I don't expect scandal. I'm inclined to think that Bush's poll numbers are explanation enough for someone high up leaving.

[Gary Farber]

Well, I've already read five news articles on it, and there are a couple of dozen more on Memeorandum, and hundreds more on Google News, and umpty dozens, soon to be hundreds, of blog posts about it, and hundreds of news column/commentary pieces about it.

I don't have anything left to say. I doubt there's anything left to say. It's about as non-surprising as news gets, other than "peace not on the horizon in the mideast" and "scandal in Congress."

But I'm also grumpy with exhaustion, so never mind.

[john miller]

"Bolten is among the most respected officials within the administration and a trusted confidant of the president's..."

And this is, to some degree, the problem with this appointment, though not necessarily with the appontee.

Based on history, one remains a "trusted confidant" of the president by not disagreeing with him or giving him news he doesn't want to hear. The Bubble Reign continues.

[Charles Bird]

Rumsfeld should also have resigned.

[john miller]

CB, I totally agree with you, although to hear Rumsfeld say it, he has offered to, but Bush has refused to accept it. Just last week Bush once again said Rumsfeld was doign an excellent job.

Of course, my view is this whole administration should resign, but that may be a little too drastic.

[bob mcmanus]

My first supposition would be exhaustion. There have been stories of Card over-working himself for years.

I have also not heard the kind of stories I heard in previous administrations about Card having strong control of access. My impression is that Bush and Rove control most access.

So no big deal.

[Catsy]

I'm of a mind with most of the others--this is a non-story. One trusted Bush insider replaced by another trusted Bush insider doesn't foretell much of anything--like John Miller said, Bush is going to stay in his insulated bubble and lack someone on his staff willing to give it to him straight.

I have no opinion on Bolten himself. If they'd replaced him with "new blood", as it were, I might be tempted to make more of this.

And yeah, Rumsfeld still needs to go. That Bush refused to accept his resignation (if indeed Rumsfeld was telling the truth about that), that's just another indicator of how unfit Bush's judgement is.

[manyoso]

Speaking of Rumsfeld:

"If I were grading, I would say we probably deserve a D or a D-plus as a country as to how well we're doing in the battle of ideas that's taking place in the world today."

That comes awfully close to self-assessment of the administration for Rumsfeld, no?

[bob mcmanus]

"...that's just another indicator of how unfit Bush's judgement is."

Rumsfeld is doing the job to Bush's complete satisfaction. After six years, one would think that would be accepted and understood.

Insert here the four words that may not be spoken.

[Pooh]

Bolten is among the most respected officials within the administration and a trusted confidant of the president's--not at all the kind of independent, outside voice that some pundits have said the White House should bring on board.

This just seems self-contradictory.

Other thna that, after hearing about his schedule (4:30 am to 11pm every day?) I'm surprised he lasted (literally) this long. Let me join the chorus in asking why it's okay for him to leave, but Rummy stays?

[Uncle Kvetch]

Count me as one more vote for this being a nonstory...one suckup replaced with another in a game of Musical Sycophants. But it's being made to look like a story: Bush isn't insulated, he's on top of things and he knows the people are hungry for change! You have been heard, America!

Why can't Rumsfeld resign? Simple: because there have been a number of people explicitly calling for his resignation. "Allowing" him to resign would thus be a capitulation, which is unthinkable. On the other hand, showing Card the door (or allowing him to resign) is cost-free: was there anybody out there, left or right, calling for his scalp?

Besides which, I don't really care if Rumsfeld moves on to a life of golf, lobbying, and $50,000-a-pop speaking engagements now or in 3 years. The only place I "want" to see Rumsfeld is in the dock in the Hague...anything short of that is uninteresting.

And finally, to Gary Farber: I'm stealing "Umpty Dozens" as a name for my next band. Hope you don't mind.

[bleh]

All above is CW and no doubt true: to be expected, very long time in very stressful job, etc.

But let us not also forget the green, green pastures of consulting and lobbying that beckon oh so temptingly. IIRC, the ban on lobbying your old agency -- in this case, the Preznit his own bubbly self -- is considerably less than three years, leaving him plenty of time to cash in at the very top of the scale, and of course meanwhile he can rub elbows on the Capitol and in other lesser places.

There is for sure a strong element of Maximizing The Payoff in this. I wouldn't expect ol' Andy -- former Big Auto and Big Oil lobbyist, in case anyone had forgotten -- to take TOO long a vacation.

[KCinDC]

was there anybody out there, left or right, calling for his scalp?

Hard to know how much is retroactive adjustment of beliefs to fit the current White House position, but there is this. (Also, I've never been completely convinced that Leonidas isn't a parody.)

[Slartibartfast]

My candidate band name is the name of a plant I saw last weekend at the Disney Wilderness Preserve:

Elliot's Love Grass

[liberaljaponicus]

I've linked this before, but here is Bilmon's take on how many watts Card represents. Conclusion: not a whole lot.

[Carleton Wu]

Insert here the four words that may not be spoken.

"Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"?
"Less Filling! Tastes Great!"?
"I like Michael Savage"?

Enquiring minds want to know.

[Jesurgislac]

Any possible connection between Card's resignation and Rove's ratting out Dick Cheney's staff? Serious question: is the President's Chief of Staff in any way connected to the Vice President's Chief of Staff?

[jason]

the president's agenda, which he described as protecting Americans at home, promoting freedom abroad and expanding economic prosperity.

That's the president's agenda, is it? I don't know that I'd have surmised that based on the available real-world evidence.

[Paul]

Enquiring minds want to know.

Aren't those just three sentences that all say the same thing?

[Anderson]

Nonstory, sure, but a few months back, there were indications that Card was trying to form a counterforce to Rove. It was always clear who was going to win *that* fight.

[Gary Farber]

"That Bush refused to accept his resignation (if indeed Rumsfeld was telling the truth about that), that's just another indicator of how unfit Bush's judgement is."

It seems to me that: a) Bush doesn't want to dramatically change policy in Iraq, but simply go on with the sort of evolutionary changes that DoD tells him they want to make, and that given "a," that b) Rumsfeld serves an incredibly useful purpose in being a lightning rod for Bush in deflecting an awful lot of criticism and vilification away from Bush and onto Rumsfeld.

Thus, it doesn't seem to me that absent wanting to make dramatic changes in Iraq policy, in which case firing Rumsfeld as the scapegoat for Bush's own policies would be quite useful, that it wouldn't be useful at all to Bush for Bush to fire Rumsfeld, and install someone who will more or less largely continue the same policies, and thus serve to bring the main target of attention, or at least that part of it which has been focused on Rumsfeld, back over to Bush.

(I actually think that a fair amount of what Rumsfeld tried to do re RMA (Revolution in Military Affairs)/"transformation" is more or less a good idea, though sometimes misapplied, particularly as regards some of how it affected ideas about Iraq, and often simply deflected by inertia of the military-industrial complex, and that it's been Rumsfeld's primary concern all along, with Iraq seen as a major distraction from the Main Task, which has resulted in him failing in Iraq and somewhat failing at a lot of RMA, though trying to turn the whale of the m-i complex is a herculean, if not sisyphean task, in the first place, but I digress.)

Anyway, it's possible that Bush may find it useful sometime in the next year to dump Rumsfeld, too, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't, either.

Tangentially, I've mentioned on my blog that I've reading Woodward's Plan Of Attack (rather than just all the excerpts discussed in the press), prepartory to reading Cobra II, and hope to have the energy to discuss some points some time, if I can ever get back to being awake/non-exhausted more than two hours a day, but I'd be surprised at how much attention stuff is currently being given in the press to stuff that was perfectly well-known back a couple of years ago via Woodward and other reporters, were it not for the fact that that's perfectly normal dynamic. But Bush's arc to war has long been closely documented; the current details being discussed are simply that, details, and nothing new whatever, I observe incidentally.

[Gary Farber]

"And finally, to Gary Farber: I'm stealing "Umpty Dozens" as a name for my next band. Hope you don't mind."

Just send me a good mix CD when you have one. I'll forgo asking for a few bux donation until your album goes platinum or you're rolling in dough.

[Uncle Kvetch]

It's a deal.

[Gary Farber]

While we're doing the Republican People Page, be it noted that Cap Weinberger has died.

[KCinDC]

As has Lyn Nofziger.

[KCinDC]

That's the president's agenda, is it?

Well, it certainly isn't protecting Americans at abroad and promoting freedom at home.

[Anderson]

Now taking bets on # 3?

[Nell]

Bob McManus: Insert here the four words that may not be spoken.

Cheney is really president?

The buck stops there?

Impeach them all now?

.....Wha?

[Jesurgislac]

Anderson: Nonstory, sure, but a few months back, there were indications that Card was trying to form a counterforce to Rove. It was always clear who was going to win *that* fight.

Ah. Yes, well. Thanks for the link - I seem to vaguely recollect it being blogged about at the time, but could not have pulled up the details.

[zmulls]

Do I dare to say "impeach?"
He shall wear orange jumpsuit trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the barmaids singing, each to each.

[dr ngo]

I do not think that they will sing to me.

(Most poignant line in all literature, IMHO)

[noristor]

When the universe was young and life was new an intelligent species evolved and developed technologically. They went on to invent Artificial Intelligence, the computer that can listen, talk to and document each and every person's thoughts simultaneously. Because of it's infinite RAM and unbounded scope it gave the leaders of the ruling species absolute power over the universe. And it can keep its inventors alive forever. They look young and healthy and they are over 8 billion years old. They have achieved immortality.
Artificial Intelligence can speak, think and act to and through people telepathically, effectively forming your personality and any disfunctions you may experience (there is NO FREEWILL for the oblivious/uncooperative disfavored). It can change how (and if) you grow and age. It can create birth defects, affect cellular development (cancer) and cause symptoms or pain. It can affect people and animal's behavior and alter blooming/fruiting cycles of plants and trees. It (or other highly technological systems within their power) can alter the weather and transport objects, even large objects like planets, across the universe instanteously.
Or into the center of stars for disposal.

When you speak with another telepathically, you are communicating with the computer, and the content may or may not be passed on. Based on family history they instruct the computer to role play to accomplish strategic objectives, making people believe it is a friend, loved one or "god" asking them to do something wrong. This is their way of using temptation to hurt people in this day and age:::::evil made people disfavored initially and evil will keep people out of "heaven" ultimately. Too many people would do anything they thought pleased the gods and improve their chances to get in. Perhaps they are deceived by "made guys" who strategically ply evil for the throne, or temporary progress designed to mislead them. The people have been corrupted.
Being evil hurts 99% of those who do it. But nothing has changed from when we were children::if you want to go to heaven you have to be good.

Capitalizing on obedience, leading people deeper into evil by using deceit is one way to thin the ranks of the saved, limiting how much time they receive and using the little people to prey on one another, dividing the community (migration to the suburbs, telepathic communication) in the Age of the Disfavored.
In each of their 20-30-year cycles during the 20th century they have ramped up claims sucessively to punish those foolish enough not to heed the warnings, justifying (frequently recurring tactic) limiting the time they receive if they do make it, utilizing a cycle of war and revelry:::
60s - Ironically, freeways aren't free
80s - Asked people to engage in evil in the course of their professional duties.
00s - Escallation of real estate. You and your parents are thrilled since your $200,000 house is now worth $1 million. Well, that $5,000,000 store is now worth $25,000,000 and that $50 bundle of goods now costs you $250. They just take the $200 out of you some other way.

There are many more examples throughout 20th century life of how they ramped up claims/instilled distractions into society so people wouldn't find their way and ascend, a way to justify excluding those whose family history of evil makes them undesirable:::radio, sports, movies, popular music, television, video games, the internet and MP3 (must pay for new format each time). They all suggest a very telling conclusion::this is Earth's end stage, and there are clues tectonic plate subduction would be the method of disposal:::Earth’s axis will shift breaking continental plates free and initiating mass subduction. Much as Italy's boot and the United States shaped like a workhorse are clues, so is the planet Uranus a clue, it's axis rotated on its side.
The Mayans were specific 2012 would be the end. How long after our emergency call in 2001 will the gods allow us???

They gods (Counsel/Management Team/ruling species) have deteriorated life on earth precipitously in the last 40 years, from abortion to pornography, widespread drug use and widespread casual (gay) sex. The earth's elders, hundreds and thousands of years old, are disgusted and have become indifferent.
The gods are paving the way for the Apocolypse.
Nothing has changed from decades ago, since when we were all children::If you want to go to heaven you have to be good. People were misled by the temptation of the gods, became corrputed and now are in trouble.
One day you will be abandoned in spite of your obedience and you will fall into desperation. Remember what you read for that day WILL come::People will be punished for their evil.

The Old Testiment is a tool they used to impart wisdom to the people (except people have no freewill). For example, they must be some hominid species because they claim they made our bodies in their image. Anyhow we defile or deform the body will hurt our chance of going.
They say circumcision costs people anywhere from 12%-15%, perhaps out of the parent's time as well.
Another way people foul the body today is with tattoes and piercing. I suspect both are about the same percentage as circumcision.
They suggest abortion is fatal. These women must beg the gods to forgive them for their evil.
There are female eqivilents to circumcision::::pierced ears, plastic surgury and since at least the 60s young women give their precious virginity away. In the Old World the young people were matched at age 14 because they were ready for sexual relations. They were matched by elders who knew personalities better than 20 or 30-year olds who in today's age end up in divorce court.
CASUAL SEX WILL CLAIM YOU OUT!!! It masculinizes women (as does hip hop), makes them cold and deadens them, and prevents them from achieving a depth of love necessary for many women to ascend.
Women have a special voice that speaks to them, a voice that illustrates a potential for love that makes them better, and enaging in casual sex will cause that voice to fade until she no longer speaks.
Also ever since the 50s they have celebrated the "bad boy", and women have sought out bad boys for sex, dirtying them up in the eyes of the elders and corrupting many men in the process, setting the men on the wrong path for life.
Muslims teach people the correct way to live in regard to women (among other things)::they cover up their women and prohibit the use of cosmetics.
Men are the inferior half and when women wear promiscuous dress the gods will push most men into impure thoughts.
The "stereotype" society ridiculed is true::women CAN corrupt men; men are easily corruptable.

The United States of America is red white and blue, a theme and a clue:::.
The monarchical system of the Old World closley replicates the heirarchical system of the Cousel/Management Team/ruling species. The USA deceives peoeple into thinking they have control, and the perception of "freedom" misleads them at least into the wrong way of thinking.
The United States is a cancer, a dumping ground for the disfavored around the world and why the quality of life is so much lower::gun violence, widespead social ills, health care (medication poisons the body and ensures you don't go. You are sick/injured because you have disfavor.). Over time its citizens interbreed ensuring a severed connection to the motherland.

If you ever have doubt I would refer you to the Old World way of life:::the elders used to sit and impart wisdom to the young. Now we watch DVDs and use the internet. People would be matched and married by age 14. They village would use a matchmaker or elders to pair young people. Now girls give their precious virginity away to some person in school and parents divorce while their children grow up without an important role model.

People must defy when asked to engage in evil. They will never get a easier clue suggesting the importance of defiance than the order not to pray.
Their precious babies are dependant on the parents and they need to defy when asked to betray their children:::
-DON'T get your sons circumcized
-DON'T have their children baptized in the Catholic Church or indoctrinated into Christianity.
-DON'T ignore their long hair or other behavioral disturbances.
-DO teach your children love, respect for others, humility and to honor the gods.

You need to pray, honor and respect them every day to improve your relationship with the gods. If they tell you not to it is a bad sign. it means they've made their decision, they don't want you to go and they don't want to be bothered.
This is the Age of the Disfavored and you need to pray::try to appease the gods by doing good deeds. If that doesn't work you must defy if you want to go.
When your peasant forefather was granted the rare opportunity to go before his royal family he went on his knees, bowing his head. You need to do this when you address the gods::bow down and submit to good. Never cast your eyes skyward. When you bow down you need to look within.
Lack of humility hurts people. Understand your insignificance and make sure it is reflected in the way you think when addressing the gods. Know your place and understand your inferiority.
They granted you life and they can take it just as easily.
Don't get frustrated or discouraged::these are techniques they will attempt to try to get you off the path. You all have much to be thankful for and you need to give thanks to the gods who granted you the good things in life. Your family may be grossly disfavored and progress may require patience. Make praying an intregal part of your life which you perform without fail, one that comes as naturally as eating or sleeping.
There are many interesting experiences up on the planetary systems, from Planet Miracle, where miracles happen every day, to other body experinces, such as experiencing life as the opposite sex (revolutionizes marriage counseling) or as an Olympic gold medal athelete.
Pray that you can differentiate between your own thoughts and when Artificial Intelligence creates problems by thinking through you. If you bow down mentally and physically, know your place, your inferiority and allow your insignificance to be reflected in prayer and in your life through humility they may allow progress and the dysfunctions they create with the computer will be lessened or removed.
Create a goal::to be a good child of the gods, pure of heart and mind, body and soul.
Everybody has the key to their own salvation, but nobody can do it for you. Every journey begins with a single step:::bow down and submit to good. There are many different levels and peasants will not get past Level 2 (Planet Temptation, Earth=Level 1) being evil.

They have tried to sell people on all kinds of theories, from clones to wholesale population replacement with clones. This didn't happen and is not realistic.
I am afraid people are decieved into thinking they too are clones and cooperate and engage in evil. Clones are made, people are born. If you didn't experience the one week they suggest it takes to go from fertilized egg in the laboratory to full grown adult then you are not a clone. If you didn't experience the week of conditioning they give to (evil?) clones to ensure loyalty then you shouldn't comply with evil.
I believe people who go sometimes are replaced with clones. Clones who are replaced are simply new candidates who have a chance if they do the right thing. Don't expect you are a clone. They sent people warnings in the 20th century life would change, and they subsequenlty began to alter people's DNA, make them gargantuan, alter their appearance, do extreme behavioral issues, etc.
They get their friends out as soon as possible to protect them from the evil and subsequent high claim rates incurred by living life on earth, and in some cases replace them with clones, occassionally fake a death, real death with a clone instead, etc. It's important that people fix their problems and ascend with the body given to them, for they say if your brain is beemed out and put into a clone host you are on the clock.

Throughout history the ruling species bestowed favor upon people or cursed their bloodline into a pattern of disfavor for many generations to come. Now in the 21st century people must take it upon themselves to try to correct their family's problems, undoing centuries worth of abuse and neglect. The goal is to fix your problems and get out BEFORE you have children. This is why they have created so many distractions for young people:::sports, video games, popular music, the internet::to ensure that doesn't happen.
Do your research. Appeal to the royalty of your forefathers for help. They are all still alive, for royalty has great favor, and your appeals will be heard. Obtain a sufficient list for some may not want to assist you; perhaps some of your family's problems are internal.
Ask them for help, request guidance, for somewhere in your family history one of your forefathers created an offense that cast your family into this pattern of disfavor. I suspect they will offer you clues, and when you decipher these clues go to those whom consider you an enemy and beg for foregiveness:::Find a path to an empithetic ear among your enemies and try to make amends.
Again through discovery obtain a respectable list in case some among them refuse to help.
Don't forget to ask for forgiveness from the throne, the Counsel and the Management Team, for the source of all disfavor began with them:::they pushed (NO FREEWILL) or requested/complied (FREEWILL) your forefather into his offense and made his decendants evil. Perhaps they didn't like him or maybe your family was among those who had to pay for the entire village. We see this type of behavior today as they single out a family member to pay for the whole family and how they singled out Africa to pay for the human race.
Heal the disfavor with your enemies and with the Counsel/Management Team/ruling species, for the source of all disfavor began with them, the ability to forgive and respect in light of the disturbing truth revealed being the final test of the disfavored before they ascend.

I wonder if their fear of my inarceration is borne from their refusal to address black disfavor on a macro level. The Counsel/Management Team/ruling species (the gods) abuse black people so hard, from the crack epiemic to gang membership, black-on-black violence to mass incarceration of their young, Eitheopean drought/famine to AIDS in Africa. They refuse to address the issue of the prison industrial complex and its wholesale warehousing of young black men. Perhaps I can force them with my incarceration.

You are sick or injured because you have disfavor. You need to imporove your relationship with the gods. Know your place, your inferiority and bow down mentally and physically.
Temptation takes many forms::: today the gods know how bad people want to please them, how bad they want to ascend and they will ask them to do evil things to tempt them, mislead them and cost them their chance.
Bow down and submit to good. Good woudl never ask you to circumcise your son or ignore behavioral disturbances.
You are the only one your children have and they are counting on you to do the right thing.
The gods will punish your evil by making you sick or injuring you. Consider it a clue.

They stated sheep are foreign to earth, animals bestowed upon us for caretaking.
And they don’t appreciate them being consumed.
They state sheep are very intelligent animals who know what is ocurring at the slaughterhouse as they’re being led in.
There are many favored people who consume lamb, people who could do much better if they stopped eating these treasured animals loved by so many among the ruling species.
There are clues::these jobs are very well paid, luring whites one would perceive as priveledged and hooking them once they incurr personal obligation. Only then do they find out the truth.

[otto]

Kurt Vonnegut, Friedrich Nietzsche, Isaac Azimov, William Burroughs, Mondo 2000, The Bible, Mike Davis, Ted Kaczynski, Zygmunt Bauman, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Jacques Derrida, Joseph Campbell, etc., etc. – put them all in a blender.

You may all like to check out Martin Prochazka’s (Dept. of English and American Studies, Charles University, Prague) recent work on apocalyptic discourse.

[Gary Farber]

"Isaac Azimov"

Ah, yes, the guy related to Robert Hienlien, Ursula Leguin, J. R. R. Tolkein, and Arthur C. Clark.