This new healthcare add on is really scary. It is a tax on "gold plated" healthcare and will help the drive towards a public plan and therefore more control. But it is allowing for unionized healthcare benefits be untaxed. This is a travesty and as their said in bloomberg "political favoritism". It is just to get votes and if they get it this could be a slippery slope towards a more European model of American life. Large subsidies with expensive nice products and a general malaise, making the vaunted "American worker" a thing of the past. We are losing our spirit right now hitting the highest saving rates in years in the United States we are looking more like Japan after their recession in the nineties. I hope that is not the case. The economy is still leveling out the wheels are slowly stopping and it is only us that can start it back up in the right direction, maybe even to the speed it was going in the past. It is not by regulations which will meter out maybe not the initial jumpstart but will definately exclude it being ramped up to its past speed. We need money, a more ethical business and confidence. That is what will get our good system going again and not let it slip off the tracks.....I hope sense comes to those in Washington
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aDvu77pZr7k4
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE55P1DC20090626?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLpv3.MFL1Oc
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Game: The Loss of Ideas
This occured to me as I was trying to fall asleep tonight. I began thinking about what it takes to get elected in this country today. It brought me to this movie made a couple years ago by Robin Williams 'Man of the Year'. In this movie he is a straight shooter independent candidate who long story short blasts the competition away in a phony election but really makes an impact not being beholden to any party or lobbyists. Wouldnt this be refreshing!? Today it is all a game. It reall is a game. It is not about ideas, well to a certain extent it is...but its about pandering, timing, schmoozing, playing the polls, having the right accent, being from the right place, having the right story being squeaky clean. Ideas today in the wake of all of those things being combinded, ideas are second fiddle. Yet ideas are ultimately what we vote for....my main gripe with Obama in this election was that he was vague, his ideas were vague....but he, himself and the political geniuses which he gathered around him used the most simple means to capitvate the people. Change. The South Park episode puts it best when Randy confronts his boss saying "I dont have to take your shit anymore because everything is going to change!". That simple saying, no real slogan other than "yes we can" just change....and everyone knows we needed change. But have we really gotten it? This is what I have been trying to get at with my past couple of posts. With that article exposing Obama's lack of disclousure on White House visits and his real smug attitutde towards those who would even dare challenge his initiatives I believe the change was more in the billing than in the actual show.
Because of this I feel that we need to look at our political process a little more closely. Man of the Year gave me hope, inspiration...because I too one day would like to be that outside who is able to speak his mind and rock the buttoned up, honky tonk world of Washington politics. Now I understand I cant waltz into any state and make my political landfall, you have to have roots in your area, you have to speak their language talk their talk. My state, Mass is a hard one to crack. Mitt Romney did it, by becoming a huge liberal, some accused him of being a carpetbagger but he is one political outsider who could make a difference. He has some point on ideas and actual experience handling money, but again the media establishment labeled him as some part of a Mormon cult and killed some of his chances....I hope he runs again maybe this time with a bit more support. What I am pointing towards here is that a little too much attention is paid to things outside of ideas and someones ability to implement them. The media gave Bill Clinton a free pass totally separating his womanizing from his ability to lead the country. Whereas snippits of GWB snorting cocaine or being an alcoholic threw his ability into doubt. Partisan lines have divided us a little too much [if I seem to lean towards the media letting Democrats off the hook and Republicans get too much flak its not because I am bitter its because its what I see, I want a straight shot for everyone not just Republicans] and have added to the theater of politics.
"Theater of politics" is such an awful phrase. I cringe when I hear it. Politics is not theater it is real life it is the medium between life and death, peace and war, poverty and prosperity. I never understood those people who say I dont care for politics that much becasue it effects all of us. Getting down to the nitty gritty of my main point politics have become to much of a partisan theater. It scares me. We have gotten away from ideas, plenty of ideas. In a time where the only thing that will save us IS IDEAS we have gotten away from them. Congress doesnt even read bills anymore ITS APPALLING THEY HIRED A SPEED READER, A SPEED READER, WE ELECT SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN THEN PAY THEM SO THEY CAN GO OUT AND CAMPAIGN FOR THEIR OWN REELECTION AND HIRE SPEED READERS TO READ BILLS. That is outrageous and is happens on both sides of the aisle as frequently as the other. Its really a crucial time in America a time to say stand up or shut up. There are some rare straight shooters out there but they are old and dying off, one is in the White House now. I have infinite respect for John McCain, Joe Biden and others who have been in the game long enough to be the outsiders on this new political game. Maybe I am still outdated, I have been one to always look to the past for answers [but isnt that what they say about history "the only way to make a better future is to avoid the mistakes of the past"?] but these guys actually care about their constitutents. I care about this country and the people in it, I care about actual change that makes us all better off and does not just put my name in the history books as doing something that could never be achieved before. Some of the things that are trying to be shoved through congress right now are only to rival one great presidents first 100 or so days in office and that shouldnt be the case. We need deliberation, a national conversation on where we want to head as a country. There are many paths, some have been taken before us some are waiting for us to uncover....either way this is an important time not for the political game not for empty words, lip pursing and closed fist thumb pointing, it is a time for ideas.....not government ideas private ideas, ideas based on our principles as a people so that we the US can acheive even more prosperity once again in the face of decline.
No more games.....IDEAS
Because of this I feel that we need to look at our political process a little more closely. Man of the Year gave me hope, inspiration...because I too one day would like to be that outside who is able to speak his mind and rock the buttoned up, honky tonk world of Washington politics. Now I understand I cant waltz into any state and make my political landfall, you have to have roots in your area, you have to speak their language talk their talk. My state, Mass is a hard one to crack. Mitt Romney did it, by becoming a huge liberal, some accused him of being a carpetbagger but he is one political outsider who could make a difference. He has some point on ideas and actual experience handling money, but again the media establishment labeled him as some part of a Mormon cult and killed some of his chances....I hope he runs again maybe this time with a bit more support. What I am pointing towards here is that a little too much attention is paid to things outside of ideas and someones ability to implement them. The media gave Bill Clinton a free pass totally separating his womanizing from his ability to lead the country. Whereas snippits of GWB snorting cocaine or being an alcoholic threw his ability into doubt. Partisan lines have divided us a little too much [if I seem to lean towards the media letting Democrats off the hook and Republicans get too much flak its not because I am bitter its because its what I see, I want a straight shot for everyone not just Republicans] and have added to the theater of politics.
"Theater of politics" is such an awful phrase. I cringe when I hear it. Politics is not theater it is real life it is the medium between life and death, peace and war, poverty and prosperity. I never understood those people who say I dont care for politics that much becasue it effects all of us. Getting down to the nitty gritty of my main point politics have become to much of a partisan theater. It scares me. We have gotten away from ideas, plenty of ideas. In a time where the only thing that will save us IS IDEAS we have gotten away from them. Congress doesnt even read bills anymore ITS APPALLING THEY HIRED A SPEED READER, A SPEED READER, WE ELECT SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN THEN PAY THEM SO THEY CAN GO OUT AND CAMPAIGN FOR THEIR OWN REELECTION AND HIRE SPEED READERS TO READ BILLS. That is outrageous and is happens on both sides of the aisle as frequently as the other. Its really a crucial time in America a time to say stand up or shut up. There are some rare straight shooters out there but they are old and dying off, one is in the White House now. I have infinite respect for John McCain, Joe Biden and others who have been in the game long enough to be the outsiders on this new political game. Maybe I am still outdated, I have been one to always look to the past for answers [but isnt that what they say about history "the only way to make a better future is to avoid the mistakes of the past"?] but these guys actually care about their constitutents. I care about this country and the people in it, I care about actual change that makes us all better off and does not just put my name in the history books as doing something that could never be achieved before. Some of the things that are trying to be shoved through congress right now are only to rival one great presidents first 100 or so days in office and that shouldnt be the case. We need deliberation, a national conversation on where we want to head as a country. There are many paths, some have been taken before us some are waiting for us to uncover....either way this is an important time not for the political game not for empty words, lip pursing and closed fist thumb pointing, it is a time for ideas.....not government ideas private ideas, ideas based on our principles as a people so that we the US can acheive even more prosperity once again in the face of decline.
No more games.....IDEAS
Energy, Obama and Michael Jackson
Have not posted in a while, been to busy/way to lazy. This new energy bill that is going through congress is interesting and could be devastating to the United States. In essence it puts restrictions on businesses that operate out of the United States and frankly anyone in the United States that the rest of the world has not undertaken and frankly will not. This will continue the exodus of some from the United States because of new restirctions and will also raise prices and such across the board. Now is not a time for a "cap and trade" bill it will only bankrupt the country more. Instead of trying to regulate old industries we need to do what Americans do best, innovate we need to pump money into the private sector to make green jobs and green industry profitable. We also need to get ballsy in our decisions, nuclear energy is an option once we find out what to do with the waste. Today there is not enough being spent figuring out what to do with the waste, maybe partnering with european countries which use substantial amounts of nuclear energy would make it possible to find a proper way to dispose of it. This article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124580572129645069.html supporting changes to our nuclear energy policies is a good read and helped me a lot in understanding what we need to do. Energy should be at the top of the list but impedeing profits and stagnating on creating a green industry are counterproductive
Obama is making me somewhat sick once again. For some reason I watched the ABC infomercial after his "no-no" in doing a planted question during his daytime press conference but this was just sick. Planted questions galor was not enough meatball questions were the norm. This healthcare issue is going to blow up very soon with both sides getting heated. I believe I stand somewhere in the middle. Some things need to be changed, our livestyles need to change and people need to have the right information. But we need to keep the best doctors coming into this country and we need to keep private insurers. True people should not be precluded from getting care, true doctors should not be scared of getting random malpractice suites, the lure of family medicine should be subsidized by government grants for graduate education....we should be digitized.....there are flaws but that DOES NOT included a public plan. Obama is dilly dallying on that answer because he wants it but he needs to know it is politically feasible, he is pandering. I hate this game and he tries to play it too often. Say what you want....not what you think people want to hear....we need change but not with the governments hand involved.
Michael Jackson, the man had it rough. It is a sad day to see an icon fall. For some reason I never thought he was guilty of the horrible things people accused him of. Some may say I am crazy, and maybe I am but for some reason I dont think there was a malicious bone in that guys body and he knew molesting children was bad. I truly believe he could only feel himself with other children, he was a man child....he only had some semblence of a childhood and then the rest of his life was managed and revolved around his carrer. Him hanging a baby out the window? He didnt know it was wrong....I believe we, the people, the public fucked this mans life for good and then gave him shit for it....he was an icon, a part of the fabric of American culture that will never be torn out....R.I.P Michael
Obama is making me somewhat sick once again. For some reason I watched the ABC infomercial after his "no-no" in doing a planted question during his daytime press conference but this was just sick. Planted questions galor was not enough meatball questions were the norm. This healthcare issue is going to blow up very soon with both sides getting heated. I believe I stand somewhere in the middle. Some things need to be changed, our livestyles need to change and people need to have the right information. But we need to keep the best doctors coming into this country and we need to keep private insurers. True people should not be precluded from getting care, true doctors should not be scared of getting random malpractice suites, the lure of family medicine should be subsidized by government grants for graduate education....we should be digitized.....there are flaws but that DOES NOT included a public plan. Obama is dilly dallying on that answer because he wants it but he needs to know it is politically feasible, he is pandering. I hate this game and he tries to play it too often. Say what you want....not what you think people want to hear....we need change but not with the governments hand involved.
Michael Jackson, the man had it rough. It is a sad day to see an icon fall. For some reason I never thought he was guilty of the horrible things people accused him of. Some may say I am crazy, and maybe I am but for some reason I dont think there was a malicious bone in that guys body and he knew molesting children was bad. I truly believe he could only feel himself with other children, he was a man child....he only had some semblence of a childhood and then the rest of his life was managed and revolved around his carrer. Him hanging a baby out the window? He didnt know it was wrong....I believe we, the people, the public fucked this mans life for good and then gave him shit for it....he was an icon, a part of the fabric of American culture that will never be torn out....R.I.P Michael
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Recent Obama Dealings.....
To me there seem to be cracks developing in the Obama armor. Not to criticize for fear of being labeled as "following the party line" [republicans] but only to point out some things that have developed that are glaring to me. Firstly I am short of appalled at the increasingly egotistical anecdotes and actions I see coming from the White House. To me Obama has been getting his way, being the golden child of the democratic party and now is the first time he has encountered resistance in his political life. Republicans couldnt touch him because he was untouchable, clean...no democrat could challenge because everyone knew he or Hillary was the best chance at the White House. He has stepped up his rhetoric and just watching his interviews he seems to be increasingly impatient with questions from reporters and any resistance he gets from either side of the aisle. A posting on Drudge report [http://www.newsweek.com/id/202875] sparked my interest and inspired me for this post talking about how he has not been open. Refusing to release names of executives who visited the White House to talk about very many important issues facing the American people today. He seems to also be ignoring [for an administration which is overly concerned with polling data] what the American people have been expressing which is a concern for the future. Keeping the budget deficiet LOW. Two more things about the growing ego of Obama and his smug posture lately....what he is doing to Hillary Clinton is a crime. A great politician, a strong advocate for America....we know she doesnt take shit. She has been relegated to the sidelines, Obama wants to make a name for himself being the savior of the world and solving all the world issues and he doesnt want Hillary to be any part of it. A special envoy is dispatched all over the world in hot spots and she is out of sight and out of mind. Secondly the use of ACORN in the upcoming census scares me to death. It is WRONG to use a politically connected and overtly left leaning organization to collect all personal information on citizens and no doubt solicit some of their views when being paid by the country to go door-to-door. This I believe as do many others is an attempt to mobilize the second coming of the Obama Army which will be revamped for a re-election bid. I think it has to be against some ethics code to be using an organization like this for a census.
Now I am not one of those crazies out there who believes in conspiracy theories or anything like that. Nor do I believe that there is some socialistic take over being done covertly by Rham Emmanuel and Obama but I do believe that we are getting away from some of the things that made America great and made it what it is today. Adam Smith - one of the greatest political/economic philosophers ever and one who had a great impact on our country today saw government as this - a regulator of the public good. A public good is something that everyone uses and needs but no one wants to pay for i.e. roads, streets lights, police etc. We seem to be getting away from that believing that many more things are public goods, which in turn is not so good for the public. If Obama wants to do all of these things maybe he should open up a debate about our basic principlas as a nation [a debate he would sorely lose], I say this all tounge in cheek. Mainly though his growth of ego and his seeming frustration and inability to do what he said he was going to do [bridge the partisan gap] is really troubling to me. If he was going to bridge that gap he couldnt have an ego, but maybe he only said that because he has an ego. I am not spelling his demise here nor and saying anything concrete the jury is still out....but one thing is for sure, he is every day becoming more messianic and hardline in his rhetoric and approach to some really tough and lasting issues and I just hope some of the air is let out and he can take a step back and take the time to think about what world he is going to leave me.
Now I am not one of those crazies out there who believes in conspiracy theories or anything like that. Nor do I believe that there is some socialistic take over being done covertly by Rham Emmanuel and Obama but I do believe that we are getting away from some of the things that made America great and made it what it is today. Adam Smith - one of the greatest political/economic philosophers ever and one who had a great impact on our country today saw government as this - a regulator of the public good. A public good is something that everyone uses and needs but no one wants to pay for i.e. roads, streets lights, police etc. We seem to be getting away from that believing that many more things are public goods, which in turn is not so good for the public. If Obama wants to do all of these things maybe he should open up a debate about our basic principlas as a nation [a debate he would sorely lose], I say this all tounge in cheek. Mainly though his growth of ego and his seeming frustration and inability to do what he said he was going to do [bridge the partisan gap] is really troubling to me. If he was going to bridge that gap he couldnt have an ego, but maybe he only said that because he has an ego. I am not spelling his demise here nor and saying anything concrete the jury is still out....but one thing is for sure, he is every day becoming more messianic and hardline in his rhetoric and approach to some really tough and lasting issues and I just hope some of the air is let out and he can take a step back and take the time to think about what world he is going to leave me.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Youtube Coverage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztE-z0ooXd4&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2009%2F06%2F13%2Firan-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html&feature=player_embedded
Pretty amazing footage, reminds me of the resolve those involved in the American, French, etc. Revolutions had....fed up with being misrepresented by a tyrant the people of Iran voted for change, the tyrant could not accept defeat and started what is looking more and more like a revolution....you cannot silence these millions Mr. Ayatollah and Mr. Ahmedinejad....sorry
new dramatic video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X086so9QN4&feature=related
Pretty amazing footage, reminds me of the resolve those involved in the American, French, etc. Revolutions had....fed up with being misrepresented by a tyrant the people of Iran voted for change, the tyrant could not accept defeat and started what is looking more and more like a revolution....you cannot silence these millions Mr. Ayatollah and Mr. Ahmedinejad....sorry
new dramatic video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X086so9QN4&feature=related
News Coverage Continued....
With a recent response to my posting on the Huffington Post. We need to get away from partisan bull in this instance. Yes the media is not covering this very well because the White House or [OBAMA] does not seem to make it a large issue but I am not saying that because he is a Democrat or Republican just because of his words. He has controlled the media even Fox News handcuffing them with his comments that they never say a good word about him. For some reason the news agencies in this country do not believe that this is that big of a story considering they are covering the LA Lakers parade!!!!!!!! It does not matter whether or not you believe this is partisan, right now is not the time to debate things like that, right now it is more important to stand with our brothers in Iran. The news is shi**** the bed on this one and it is embarrassing......blogs, twitter and community websites will soon be the go to source for news b/c of this embarrassment.
ps. some of the comments by both republican and democratic senators and representatives alike are ridiculous, get off your high horse and dont use this for political gain, people are dying in the name of freedom something most of you have never come close to doing
ps. some of the comments by both republican and democratic senators and representatives alike are ridiculous, get off your high horse and dont use this for political gain, people are dying in the name of freedom something most of you have never come close to doing
American News Coverage
The American news coverage of the Iranian "revolution" is ridiculous. Every single news agency has a bunch of pu***** working for them. This is not real journalism, real journalists who care about the stories and the people they are covering do anything they can to get out the story, to get first hand accounts. These men and women are holed up in their hotel rooms parylized by the Iranian government showing an embarrassing lack of courage in the shadow of such courage expressed by Iranians. The men and women of Iran are a testament to democracy, risking their lives getting their stories out even though they know they could be killed for their actions. Just as journalistic integrity in the United States is floundering, so is the courage and willingness to report hard stories. Maybe we can learn something from the Iranian people, courage to fight against the large hand of government. As they move away from overarching government we spiral towards more government, we have become sheep....the people in Iran have become their own shepards not risking letting someone else do their work for them.....civic activism at its best, God Bless the Iranian people - Green Revolution!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
