THIS MODERN WORLD

Huh:

General Electric, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, qualifies as a financial company worthy of protection from investors betting against its stock. But that’s not the message General Electric spins to shareholders…

GE Capital Services, as the financial arm is called, holds the rest of the group’s top-notch businesses hostage…GE Capital’s financing needs could put the whole company at risk.

Well, I’m sure if GE bore any responsibility for the current financial panic, Saturday Night Live would have run a sketch about it. That’s what the show is all about: pure comedic honesty. The only reason SNL is blaming everything on women, gay men, blacks and Jews is because it’s really their fault.

Palin:

“Our opponent voted to cut off funding for our troops,” Ms. Palin said, as she was interrupted by a deep-throated chorus of boos. “He did this even after saying that he wouldn’t do such a thing. And he said, too, that our troops in Afghanistan are just, quote, ‘air-raiding villages and killing civilians.’ I hope Americans know that is not what our brave men and women are doing in Afghanistan.”

Reality:

WASHINGTON — An investigation by the military has concluded that American airstrikes on Aug. 22 in a village in western Afghanistan killed far more civilians than American commanders there have acknowledged, according to two American military officials.

The military investigator’s report found that more than 30 civilians — not 5 to 7 as the military has long insisted — died in the airstrikes against a suspected Taliban compound in Azizabad.

1. The self-professed mayor, governor and “business owner” created two businesses that, um, never did any business.

2. Does she really want to talk about terrorist associations?

Stealing a trick from Atrios and replying to him at the same time :

Why do people talk about “the market” as if it’s an hysterical irrational child, forever in need of “calming”?

Because it is.

An animated piece from 1999. The wrong cast of characters, but still as timely as today’s headlines.

… related animation: the rise and fall of eBlinky dot com.