From My Point Of View

What The Right Wants

2010-10-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

For approximately a year, whether we want to see and hear it or not, the Republicans and the not so loosely affiliated Tea Party have been making pronouncements and demands and propositions on the way the United States government should do business and change the laws. There is, obviously, a basic message which mainly involves demonizing Democrats in every way. But, they have some various plans just in case they actually do, as Sarah Palin says it, take back the country. I've begun to make an informal list of the things the various groups and politicians are saying they want. My sources are their advertising in the media and in my mail, the statements they make on television, and the content which appeared on their own campaign websites. The following is my list. The entries are not in any particular order.

1. Many of the Republican candidates would like to replace income tax with a large sales tax. Depending on the source and the particular candidate, the amount varies from 9.5% to a whopping 23%. Some candidates would still have special exemptions for the very wealthy and for large corporations.

2. Most candidates on the right would like to either discontinue Social Security entirely or privatize it in some fashion. Some have proposed the funds should be invested, by the government or by individuals, on Wall Street.

3. At least one Tea Party supported politician, who was recently elected, would like to repeal the Americans With Disabilities Act.

4, They would like to do away with most, if not all, government regulation of business, banking., investment corporations, and any other entity of that sort.

5. Various Republicans would like to do away with everything from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to the Consumer Protection Agency.

6. Many newly elected Republicans would like to discontinue Medicare and Medicaid entirely.

7. Many on the right would like to abolish all unemployment insurance.

8. At least one newly elected Tea Party favorite would like to legalize prostitution and legalize all currently illegal drugs.

9. They want to be rid of all the new health care reforms, such as they are, and make their own reforms which would not be of any benefit to average citizens. Their plans would leave most people still unable to receive even primary care and at the mercy of the insurance companies.

10. Many on the right would like to abolish all gun laws.

11. Many rightwing politicians would like Christianity to be declared a kind of state religion. They would, at least, like some sort of official decree that the United States is a Christian country. This would apparently put the teaching of religion in American public schools back where it was in the nineteenth century.

12. Many on the right would like to make all of the United States into so-called right to work states.

13. Many on the right would like to be rid of OSHA and all of its safety protections for workers.

For more detailed information, please click this link: http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/es.aspx?s=785&e=161045&elq=304990dd371a4555a624c959a6f8044e&elq=304990dd371a4555a624c959a6f8044e

I know I've not listed all of their to-do list, but I've listed those I believe will be most harmful if the Republicans act as they wish. Although some people may not believe all of these ideas are objectionable, all should ponder whether they'd want to see most of the above listed ideas become realities.

For The People?

2010-02-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

The people of the United States are being systematically duped into believing those people we are voting for in various elections have a whole lot of interest in doing much of anything to promote the general good. Recently, the Supreme Court made a ruling which will make a very corrupt system even worse. It is not, apparently, bad enough that lobbyists bearing gifts and big political contributors to political parties and campaigns hold far more power over what government does or does not do. They already pay out thousands and thousands and millions of dollars to legislators and others, at every level of government, to do whatever their employers want. These are bribes, of course. The difference is no one calls these gifts and all by their right name in public. Now, corporations and any other persons or group entities will be permitted to run political advertisements to their hearts' content and, probably, conceal that they are the sources of these advertisements.

Meanwhile, many people are angry and frightened over the economic upheaval which can not be ignored. For the past forty or so years, there has been a kind of financial bubble which grew larger and larger until it has finally burst. This bubble was caused by, among other causes, a lack of supervision of the way Wall Street works and the systematic destruction of the American manufacturing base. It also came of the mantra of so-called conservatism which is keep government limited and taxes low. Things have become so bad it could not be ignored. The status quo could no longer be maintained. The value of houses became absurdly inflated. Unions were weakened and nearly every sort of thing one buys is made very poorly in China or some other country without fair wages for workers and a general disregard for workers or product safety. Naturally, those who had done so much to create a false sense of security and given the public permission to be heedless consumers could not admit the notion big business, banks, insurance companies, loan companies and so forth should be permitted to carry on doing whatever they wished had not been thinking of the best interests of the American public. It had to be the fault of socialists and leftists of all kinds. These slick right-wingers also seem to have a rare talent for making any changes not to their liking seem ominous and terrifying.There still are, according to these conservatives, too many taxes and too many rules. Even the Enron scandal didn't change their minds. Just the other day , one of them said if government would only get out of the way the economy would be off and running. This is the kind of thinking which made wrong-doing so very easy for people like Bernie Madoff. Never mind that if there were even a grain of truth in such nonsense, there would be no economic downturn or whatever they're calling the thing now. Unfortunately, these self-styled conservatives sound persuasive and they make sure to seem like regular guys. Even certain career politicians have persuaded some people they, the conservative right, are not part of the problem.

The fact is, most people, including health care professionals, support a single-payer system for health care. Most people, including my health care professionals, support the formation of a government health care plan to compete with the health care companies. Most people are very angry over all of the money given to bail out big financial corporations. Most people do not seem to comprehend that most of the tax cuts which the president would like to take away would only affect people who have annual incomes of $250,000.00 or more per year. What has actually happened, thanks to the lobbyists and their employers, is those with big lobbies were heard and others were ignored or even arrested. A health care bill which will help most people is quite unlikely to ever be passed. Wall Street continues to do business as usual. It is not a matter of merely voting the bums out, as it were. It is a matter of making a push to change this extremely corrupted corporation led legislative and legal system entirely before it is too late. It isn't right to sit by and blame the whole mess on the president. He did point out he could not accomplish all of those appealling lofty goals alone. I'm not suggesting anyone adopt their rude and crude methods but, are those misguided tea partiers the only ones who can make their opinons known? Public opinions would matter if enough people would put their mouths where their votes were.

Politics As Usual

2009-11-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

Seems like more and more our elected officials tend to put politics before good sense. The Democrats, and this unfortunately appears to include the president, are trying harder to please and pacify Wall Street and huge corporations in general than they're trying to fulfill all of those hollow campaign promises they've made to get elected. Obama hasn't pushed what he knows to be the right things to do in the way of health care reform. He tries too hard not to annoy the Republicans. Too much of the time he and his people avoid specific statements of their intentions. This promotes public distrust. Everything Mr. Obama ever proposes will annoy Republicans. It is just the way they are now. There is no middle ground. It is a great waste of time to seek it. What Mr. Obama needs to do is be more forceful, actually lead his party and be more specific and firm on what ought to be done. That is what leaders do. All of this dithering around and saying nothing when the bills which now exist will do little or nothing to change health care and will not effect anything at all for about four years. It is the same as doing nothing and saying something was done. That non-solution does not work for me and it won't work for a lot of people. He also needs to take a firmer stance on getting banking and investment regulations with real teeth passed. Wall Street goes on in the same ethically and economically questionable way they have always done. The difference is now they do it at the tax payers' expense. So, again, there is another house of cards as it were and more welfare for the rich. Big insurance still takes their customers' money and frequently cheats them out of what they believed they've paid for. No one prosecutes them for consumer fraud even though that is what it is in the end. Nothing is being done about the lobbyists and their shameless influence peddling. It is still politics as usual if not worse than ever.

Where is the help the people of the United States, (who earn less than a quarter million dollars per year), are needing right now? We contributed to the Obama campaign five and ten dollars at a time. We voted in larger numbers than have been seen in many years. Now we watch in disappointment and horror as President Obama and the Democrats turn their backs on us in favor of catering to Wall Street and the big money. The public are angry, confused, and often fearful because it appears the average person is being forgotten in the political shuffle. Why aren't the general public an entity too big to fail? Changes which aren't explained and, so far, seem meant to benefit big business with nothing for regular folks except more budget cuts which hurt the most vulnerable are scary and provoke anger. It is an abysmal situation in Washington right now.

What needs to be done? I have a few suggestions. Change the income tax regulations so the wealthy will be paying their fair share. No one should be getting more tax write-offs because they have larger incomes. And, next time a company is deemed too big to fail, it should be made to break up into smaller companies before any welfare for corporations is even considered. Small business should have a tax classification of its own so as to not be unfairly burdened. Needed revenue could come from taxing alcoholic beverages. This idea makes sense because there are many more drinkers than there are smokers. I'm aware there would be a lot of squawking, but those who would do so would adjust to the changes. The notion of taxing sodas and such is not all that productive or lucrative. Put more money into public transportation. Better public transport will even make it easier for many people to seek work in places inaccessible now because of a lack of reliable transportation. That would be likely to get more people employed. Give companies who want to supply electricity from wind or other alternative means the same breaks the huge utility companies are receiving. Do something more to promote the importance of a good basic education. Functional illiteracy is becoming a larger and more noticeable problem every decade. Also, something should be done about the predatory student loan situation. That issue was briefly mentioned and forgotten. Shouldn't have been. It is a moral and ethical outrage. Most of all, it is important for President Obama to do his best to do as he said he would do during his presidential campaign. For anyone who says any of my ideas are not politically expedient I can only point out that those corporations and other donors may give money for political campaigns, but the rest of us are voters. Soon the slick television ads won't mean zip. Only our reality will be the deciding factor.

Re: The president's health care speech

2009-09-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

I watched and listened to President Obama's speech on his vision of a new health care plan. It seemed quite straightforward. Seems like the sort of health care arrangement any person would wish to have. It seems the sort of thing any right-minded and decent sort of person would wish others to have. It is certainly far better than the majority of Americans have now.

However, I know the hate radio people and their followers and those Republicans will find numerous faults in it. I was thinking on that last bit and was reminded of a very nice lady I met while waiting in a checkout in my local supermarket before all of the trumped up controversy on health care was escalated. She told me she is 91 years old and has never in her entire life ever heard any president criticised as much as Mr. Obama. She also said her own health plan did not cover everything she really needs. She, too, cannot imagine there are very many people who are so happy with American health care they wouldn't change a thing. So tonight I watched as the Republicans sat shaking their heads and looking at each other significantly. Some smirked and some all but sat on their hands. I thought of the fact Washington D.C. is swimming in influence peddlers and lobbyists. I pondered how many of the smirkers had gladly taken the money and promised mean spirited things.

So now each person should think on the speech and decide what is in it for them. It seems this thinking should also include a bit of reflection on what maintaining the status quo might cost us all. Then, after such reflection, each person should let their congress person and their senator know his or her opinion on this issue. There is another bonus in this proposition as well. The tax breaks which have unfairly allowed those who have the most money to pay 28% less taxes would disappear as well. There would be no more free rides for the filthy rich. They would actually need to pay their own way.

Spreading The Truth: More Information On Health care Reform

2009-08-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

I received this in my email very recently and thought I'd reprint it here. This is my way of spreading more of the truth about health care reform.

Linda --

Special interests and insurance companies are spreading lies and trying to scare seniors into opposing health reform that will help us -- just so they can protect their own profits. It's shameful.My name is Connie, and I'm a senior and a volunteer with Organizing for America in Florida. I'm working to set the record straight, so I wanted to share with you a list of reasons reform will help seniors.I've already emailed this to folks I know, and printed it out to hand around -- please do the same! We all need to get the truth out to as many friends and family as possible to fight these shameful lies.President Obama's plan for health insurance reform is good for seniors, because reform...... will STRENGTHEN Medicare. Reform will improve Medicare's quality of care by cutting down on paperwork, focusing on wellness and prevention, and rewarding doctors for the care they provide instead of how many procedures they do. This all adds up to more choices and better care. ... will NOT cut our Medicare benefits. President Obama has clearly said, "nobody is talking about cutting Medicare benefits." And AARP agrees that reform will simply eliminate billions in giveaways via the Medicare Advantage program that boost insurance company profits -- but don't help folks like us. ... will SAVE us money. Reform will close the doughnut hole in Medicare Part D that's costing people so much money for prescription drugs, and eliminate co-pays for preventative care like cancer screenings and immunizations.... will SAVE Medicare in the long run. If we do nothing, costs will keep rising and the Medicare trust fund will be at risk of going bust within a decade. Reform will save Medicare from bankruptcy and ensure we get the care we need for years to come. ... will HELP our loved ones. I have three children with pre-existing conditions. I live in fear that I will have to mortgage everything to pay for their care if they lose their jobs, and can't get coverage. Reform will extend coverage for young people, stop insurance companies from charging women more or cutting care when you need it most. And most importantly to me, reform will make it illegal to deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition.In so many ways, reform will help every American struggling with our health insurance system -- especially seniors.But insurance companies that want to protect their profits and partisan attack groups that want to weaken President Obama at any cost are spreading rumors to scare folks like us into opposing the reform we need. It's outrageous.Each of us probably knows at least one person who is uncertain about reform. So it's up to us to let our friends and neighbors know that reform will help them, not hurt them.You can start by forwarding this email to everyone you know today! You can also click here to print out a fact sheet for seniors that you can give to friends and family.It's so important to get the truth out about reform.

Thanks,

Connie L.
Florida Volunteer Organizing for America

United States Health Care: Another View

2009-08-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have watched in dismay the very disturbing spectacles some agitators and their reactionary followers have made of various town meetings. I've heard the silly and dangerous unfounded rumors of what might be in a health care reform bill. The United States is about the only country in the civilized world which does not have universal health care in some form. I listened to the greatly exaggerated tales of the perilous health care systems in Britain and Canada and wondered how much of that libel and slander would continue without anyone talking back to those who spread such rubbish.

The health care system in the US is in shambles. If it weren't harming so many people, I'd say it is a joke to even pretend very many Americans are now well-served by their present system. The right-wingers have spread all manner of tales about death panels who will decide who lives or dies depending on the cost of their treatment and equally ridiculous fear-mongering rubbish. I also suspect there is a certain amount of planned disruption at these town hall meetings. There has been an ongoing effort to rile up the racist lunatics against Mr. Obama and anything he proposes because of his bi-racial heritage. As can only be expected, the mainstream Republicans deny any involvement and the Tea Party supporters have actually claimed all of those obviously racist placards at their rallies were part of a Democrat plot to discredit them. . All of this is, of course, supported by money-grubbing and predatory health insurance corporations who truly do have what could be described as death panels made up of people who are specifically employed to discover reasons to deny care. One of the most common reasons Americans lose their homes is from a head of household or a close family member falling gravely ill and then these unfortunate people try in vain to pay medical expenses.

The fact is the US health care is so poor there are so-called health fairs set up in various parts of the US, notably in the south which is run by some of the most heartless of the right-wing nutters. Folks come from miles around for their chance to have themselves or their children seen by a real doctor. They wait for hours on end and these fairs are often set up in animal pens used for county fairs and such. It is very much like a thing one might see in some third world country. Those who are disabled or very poor with young children are served by Medicaid. Medicaid covers bare necessities and is restricted from providing certain services, depending on what state one resides in. Some states do not have it at all. Medicare serves the elderly and that service is uneven because those who have the means to pay higher co-pays receive better care. Even so, before restrictions were set up, those who live near the Canadian border would travel there to fill necessary prescriptions. The so-called doctors who provide services for low-income people are often the worst of the lot. They are what one of my family calls "pill doctors". They're oddly keen to write prescriptions for anything for which the patient can produce an empty bottle with his or her name on it and a fairly current date when the medication was last dispensed. They listen to the patients' hearts and lungs and, maybe take a blood pressure. This is called, by them, a physical examination. When a state's costs need to be cut or taxes need to be raised on those who have more than they could realistically ever need, it is services to the poor and their children which are among the first things to go. As Bill Cosby said years ago, they think the poor have all the money. Emergency rooms in hospitals are crowded with those who are entirely uninsured. A good friend once said it was like a mob missing only the flaming torches and pitchforks. He was watching this spectacle from a different area because he is fortunate enough to be insured. Compare all of that to the national health care in the rest of the industrialized world and think which option you would choose.

The tales of woe could go on and on. Only those with deep pockets receive anything like decent health care. It is very revealing that Americans pay more money for health care but the general health is much worse than that of residents in countries with univeral health care.Even so, they are terrified by the bogeyman called socialised medicine. I'd heard from others this fear of the dreaded socialised medicine has been promoted for around seventy years. Part of the problem is Americans are still affected by the scary stuff which was said about socialism over fifty years ago when socialism was connected, in the public mind, to the old USSR. Sadly, too many Americans are functionally illiterate and amazingly ignorant of how the rest of the world lives. American television is all about sensational tabloid subjects when they aren't offering the public presentations which border on outright indecency. When they aren't watching that trash, they're watching Fox News. That is why so many Americans are so easily led by such as Rush Limbaugh and the vapid Sarah Palin. The only true exception is the Public Broadcasting Service and the working class and those who style themselves middle-class, which they're certainly not, do not usually watch that because they believe PBS is leftist and controlled by the dreaded liberals.

Healthcare Reform and the Octopus Corporations

2009-06-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

The health care system in the United States has needed reform for quite a long time. The American public spends more money on health care than any country in the western world. But, the general health of the Americans is far worse. One might reasonably ask how such a thing can be so. Possibly it could be the junk food habit or the fact that Americans walk less and generally get less exercise than Europeans. However, the root causes are a sad lack of good education and a lack of good primary health care for most people. Yes. I do say most people do not receive adequate primary health care. Some people have health insurance and the fine print says it will not cover this and that medical service whether such service is necessary or is not. The Medicare system actually is shamefully inadequate and, in many states, does not pay for many vital services such as eyeglasses and hearing aids. Also, the co-pays increase on a regular basis. This means many senior citizens can barely pay for their medical care and their prescriptions even though some pharmaceutical companies claim they will help people in such situations. Other seniors, who could afford to pay for private insurance, take Medicare anyway and use the extra money for luxuries. There is also Medicaid. The problem is some people earn too much money to qualify for that benefit even though what ever insurance they have is painfully inadequate or insurance premiums are so costly they are unaffordable. There is also the difficulty of finding a doctor who will actually accept patients who have only Medicaid.

When these unfortunate folk have health issues which cannot be ignored, they must go to an emergency room in some hospital. The result is, basically, chaos. People who would not have an emergency situation if they had good primary health care crowd into emergency rooms and wait and wait.. In addition to those people, there are the mentally ill who come hoping someone in the hospital can at least treat the uncomfortable and often frightening symptoms of their illnesses. The hospital staff are often over-worked and stressed because they not only have the life threatening cases but these others who also truly need help and have no alternative places to seek treatment. The saddest part is most of these medically needy cannot even hope to pay for their services. It is also a fact these poor folks do not receive the same level of care someone with an expensive insurance card will receive. Some states will pay some of the costs, but many do not. All of this matter of who will pay has led to draconian methods of collection which have caused even more suffering. Many hospitals are now parts of massive corporations and it is more geared toward hospital care as a money making enterprise with stockholders and all which that entails. The bottom line is this makes life extremely difficult for those who had no choice but to sign papers agreeing to payment arrangements they might never have considered in the ordinary way of things. Another factor is the growing disappearance of doctors in private practice. Many doctors are part of some company and one can't help but think such an arrangement has the potential to become problematic. The company could also make decisions based more on monetary considerations and less on the best interests of the patients. Recently it was announced Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Michigan is raising its rates 22% for those customers who pay their premiums out of pocket instead of receiving their coverage through an employer.

There are others who have paid for one of those health insurance plans one sees advertised on television. These dubious insurance companies take unsuspecting people's money and never tell them of the fine print in language designed to confuse and mislead. The policies come with huge co-pays and cover very little in the way of medical care. They are, fundamentally, a kind of cruel scam. I know someone who is a small business owner. Last year he accidentally gave himself an injury. He needed stitches, got a bad infection and nearly lost a finger. He could not afford to seek medical care. His co-pays are so large he has the same as no insurance at all. The problem is more coverage from a reasonably legitimate insurance company is too expensive.

The worst of the lot are the massive conglomerate insurance companies who offer their services to businesses so they can give health insurance to their employees. Businesses pay astonishing premiums for their insurance coverage. They are the source of the high cost of American health care. Even while they make statements of reducing their premiums and all, at least one very well-known insurance company is trying to raise premiums for individuals who pay their own premiums and do not have group coverage. One of the biggest octopus insurance companies took barrels of money from the federal government and used it to pay unbelievable bonuses and for frivolity. Many insurance company executives live like royalty. They get away with this because these insurance companies, like the corporations who run banks and all, have powerful lobbies with hoards of lobbyists. These insurance corporations also contribute mountains of money to political campaigns. The lobbyists twist arms and remind these politicians who put them where they are. It is more than a bit like prepaid bribery. They pay for expensive advertising campaigns designed to persuade the general public anything which even faintly smells like the dreaded socialised medicine is like making a deal with the devil. I know I've heard this rubbish most of my life. This is the only country in the civilised world where the average person has to worry over the idea that if they or their child has a devastating illness, it could cause their family's financial ruin. It is the only country in the civilised world where insurance companies dictate whether or not the treatment one's personal doctor says is best will be paid for. Their refusals have led to patients' deaths. The insurance companies love getting money. They don't like paying out benefits. It is rubbish.

In fact, the only alternative which makes any economic sense could be a single payer system. Less than 80% of each insurance premium actually is being used to pay for health care. A large amount of one's premium is used for paying for processing costs. Many millions of dollars would be saved by putting an end to just that one inefficient thing. The insurance companies are literally making out like bandits. The pharmaceutical companies are making out like bandits. They are just about the only ones who will receive any benefit from maintaining the status quo. The general public ought to give this some deeper thought and consider who is generation all of the negative talk about a public health plan. Some fear the socialism thought. Some are wary of change. I can only say the present system is simply not working efficiently at all and is literally killing people. The true beneficiaries of public health care could be the American public. There are many good public health care ideas which work well in other countries. They ought to be studied and the bits that work well could be formed into a good system for Americans.

New, What?

2009-02-10T18:44:00.000-08:00

After following this business of the stimulus bill and much of the arguing and the pouting and the tantrums and all from the Senate and the House of Representatives and also watching and listening to what President Obama has said and done, I am persuaded these people who seem to forget they are actually elected public servants may need to behave much differently from what they have always done in the past. They may actually need to give up politics as usual because the president does not seem to be wavering on any of it. There were several times when I was reminded of rebellious children trying to see how much scapegrace behavior they could get up to. It didn't come to a whole lot. I am impressed by the fact that any kind of bill was passed without any earmarks. I was appalled that the funding for the National Endowment For The Arts was removed. However, I know how short-sighted these types will be and there was no surprise in it. Some people have complained loudly that this stimulus package will not work . But it is clear, in most cases, most of the complaining is about the bits which are meant to do some lasting good and will not immediately give anyone ready money.

A thing these people ought to remember is they are elected and are meant to serve the country and do what is best for the country. The general population knows, I believe, politics as they've been practised in the past have brought the United States to a very perilous place economically and otherwise. Other more sensible and ethical methods must be used to make a way upward out of this mess. More people are able to watch what is being done or not than ever was possible. People have the means to voice their various opinions on current events and have a larger audience. This exchange of ideas at least gives one the opportunity to see a matter in a way which is different from their own view. The entire exchange may promote deeper thinking. One can always hope. In any case, the actions of those for whom we vote will be very likely to receive more scrutiny than in the past. Most people are disgusted with regular revelation of some politicians scandalous/unethical behavior. That closer scrutiny could cause people in public service not to do so many sneaky things which would generate embarrassing public notice. Generally, the country will be better without politics as usual. I do suspect ridding government of the lamentable habits will not disappear overnight. It certainly shall be interesting to watch.

Unity, Promises And The !!##@$$%!!!

2009-01-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

The only way the ideas President-elect Obama has can become realized is if he can actually persuade most people the ideas and the implementation of these ideas will be good for them. There are still people out there who believe anything at all which might result in lifting up others from poverty or even providing a plan for universal health care so every American will, at least, have good primary health care and no American will lose everything they may have ever worked for because of something like a devastating illness is a bad plan. Recently I have heard that the television preachers are speaking against social assistance of any kind. They don't believe in social security of any kind for any reason and certainly not unemployment insurance or food stamps. I do not know in which kind of religious writing these notions are written. They must be somewhere the Golden Rule is not. Of course I do not subscribe to the rantings of television preachers. However, if even some of those who do follow such people can be persuaded there is a better way to think perhaps something productive can be accomplished.

The entire plan does depend on people having hope and feeling a spirit of community which includes citizens from every social and economic group. It also assumes everyone does have a right to certain things like shelter, education, access to health care and a reasonable feeling of personal safety. There are, indeed, many good-hearted people who truly do wish to help make their communities better places. Unfortunately, those other people seem to make more noise and seem to have a remarkable ability to be listened to by those who are afraid of all who are not just like themselves. People have been subjected to a kind of creed which says those who have the most money should be taxed less. Everyone should be self-serving first and all, business should be as unregulated as possible. Above all , the less fortunate almost always are less fortunate because they are shiftless and lazy. Surely, it is very difficult after nearly thirty-five years of that, to accept the notion that prosperity which is real and enduring just might be something which comes from the bottom up and not from people who have spent their entire lives making money off other people's labor more often than earning money from their own labor. It must also be difficult to accept the notion that a part of the function of government is to ensure fair treatment for all which includes care for those who cannot take care of themselves such as the elderly and the disabled and people who are displaced because of job loss due to rampant corporate greed. Does all this mean there is no hope for a better America? There is always hope.

Ulterior Motives?

2008-12-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Now there is a bridge loan package which has obviously been crafted to try and please nearly every politician. This obviously resulted in a lot less of what is needed and a lot of stuff which might actually cause more problems than it solves. Even so, there are some Republican senators and a few other Republicans who have vowed to fight the entire thing with everything they can throw at it. One might wonder why they would choose to put themselves forward in this way. They have bent the truth of the situation where they could not disregard the facts entirely. After all, a surprisingly large share of those who will surely suffer financially if the auto companies go down have habitually voted Republican. I have said many Republicans seem to be digging themselves into a hole, but this passes the gross stupidity even I imagined they could get up to. The stock markets will spiral downward as these anti-Americans try to destroy American manufacturing perhaps beyond mending.

To understand the reasons, one must consider the cast of characters. Some represent the so-called right to work states and/or have a self-serving interest in keeping or attracting producers of foreign cars to their state. Apparently all of them would like to see an end to all organized labor in the United States. They say union members are paid too much and receive too many benefits. The hourly wage of UAW members has been greatly exaggerated. The highest figure mention, which I have heard is nearly two and a half times what the average hourly auto work receives. It is easy for these Republicans to run their mouths because, chances are, none none of them has ever done eight hours of work with their own two hands and their own backs in all of their lives. Also a large part of the original purpose of unions was to ensure fairness in treatment of employees. This includes issues such as employees' personal safety and protection from outrageous labor practices such as being fired for no particular reason with no viable recourse. In right to work states there is blacklisting and all that sort of behavior. There are a shameful number of people who would prefer to treat others in that way. WalMart already does do such things. The problem for them is, they have been sued. In their idea of a perfect world, there would be no legal remedy. In the right to work states, no viable protection from business exists. The UAW is one of the biggest unions. They have been bent, but they have not been broken. If these unsavory characters can take the UAW down, the rest of the labor unions would surely follow. Then these same repellent politicians can begin to change states' laws to reflect their wishes while pretending they are actually good guys who only want to help save the economy. So they spread the propaganda and are, it seems, doing a fair job of persuading the easily led that Americans would be better off if the auto companies went down the drain. This is what comes of the sneaky way American history is deliberately not taught in public schools. It is easier to lead people into accepting lies when they don't know their own country's past. Life was harsh for American workers before unions. No one should wish to return to that.

I am aware that some unions have taken advantage and have committed their own outrages and many know a bit of those disgusting stories. That fact is not an excuse for bankrupting three large manufacturing companies, putting millions of people out of work and paupering entire towns and cities. The behavior of these Republican senators and their followers is un-American and is unacceptable in an economy which is already floundering badly. Does this Senator Shelby actually represent American people or is he mostly representing foreign manufacturing interests and serving himself. These nasty senators seem quite smug and confident because there is very little public outcry. It does cause one to ponder why giving loans to auto companies is supposed to be bad and the money ear-marked in that seven billion for Wall Street, which was given for rum producers and racetracks was not badly spent. It appears helping the average working person is not acceptable but welfare for the rich is acceptable.

Not Our Problem?

2008-12-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

It is quite puzzling that so much controversy surrounds the requests of the three major American auto companies for loans to help them get through an unprecedented bad patch which could cause the demise of all three. Not only is it unbelievable so many people are not at all alarmed by the thought of losing even more of United States manufacturing to other countries, it is unbelievable so many people apparently have no concept of the rippling effect of that loss on the entire country. This is absolutely not merely a Michigan problem. This is not the time when certain elected legislators should choose to be vindictive because of anger caused by these companies past transgressions. Those matters of what regulations should be put in place to ensure future American cars will be more environmentally friendly can be addressed when the aid package is constructed. The immediate task is to save this last bastion of American manufacturing so it will continue to exist. Dictate terms after agreeing to help.

What will be the consequences of letting them fail? Directly that would mean the loss of approximately four million jobs. Then the dealers would have to close their dealerships. That would cause the loss of thousands more jobs all across the United States. So the suppliers would not be able to keep their businesses viable. This would cause even more layoffs. Finally, with all of these jobless people not having money to spend anything many of the businesses where they shopped would also feel the pinch and that would cause even more layoffs. The taxes all of the defunct and nearly defunct businesses paid would also go away. Any contributions these companies and their former employees made to charitable causes would go away . The contributions to everything from PBS to Little League would also go away. Maybe when all of this happened those who imagined the whole Big Three deal was not their problem would begin to think differently. Then it would me too late to say they were sadly mistaken. Actually, this worst case scenario would be only the beginning of the ripples in this particular pond. The United States has already taken a severe blow because most other manufacturing was sent out to other countries. Why would anyone wish to deal the final killing punch. The entire idea is unAmerican.

The other thing to ponder is why the Wall Street corporations were not raked over the coals in this way. Surely their collective behavior was at least as bad as Chrysler, Ford , and General Motors. AIG used some of their loot to throw parties and all. Actually, most of what was done with these handouts is undocumented and that means no one knows all that was done with the money. Why is no one so loud on the subject of the various ear-marked handouts which were fairly quietly added to the 700 billion dollar bailout. Some priorities seems a bit upside down.

What Happens Next

2008-11-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

Soon there will be a new president. I hope the recent euphoria I saw the other night does not give way to disenchantment when no one waves a magic wand and makes all the bad things go away. This is not a fairy tale. This is the real world. It must be understood that it took eight years and a bit more to create this dreadful mess and, although there might soon be some hopeful signs things are improving a bit, there will continue to be a job of complicated work to do. I, for one, hope the necessary decisions and actions will be well thought on. Some of the comments I've been hearing on the television and seeing on some websites give me the impression some people are expecting instant gratification. That will not happen.

The best anyone can do now is be supportive to our new president. This also applies to those who voted for a different candidate. Let us all give him a chance to do this task. Better yet, hope and pray and cooperate to change this country to what it has the potential to be. We can then all be a part of this change for something better. It matters very much, this spirit of cooperation and caring, for we in the United States are all Americans and we should care for that before considering our various political dogmas. We are also residents of the earth and we should all care for that as well.

Money, Money

2008-10-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Recently there has been a lot of loose talk about money and who actually has it. Naturally, much of this talk involves the use of words which refer to social class and to which people are in certain social classes. There has also been a lot of loose talk on who should decide how tax money is spent and how the money ought to be spent. Words such as socialism and bureaucrat are flying around quite frequently.

The first issue is who belongs to the much discussed middle class. Many people, when they are asked, will say they are middle class. However, this is not necessarily their actual social/economic class at all. In the United States slightly less than ten per cent of the population are technically more than working class. This designation is partially because of their incomes, but it is also because of their level of education and the status of the person's job. If Americans are suddenly inclined to openly discuss this social class issue, the entire conversation becomes inevitably unkind and there is no way I can imagine to make the thing otherwise. Nevertheless, the actual percentage of United States citizens who are technically middle class is about eight per cent and about two or three per cent have a higher income than that. Therefore, most of the people are not affected much by a tax increase for people who receive more than $250,000.00 per year. Also, they who have earned the quarter of a million or more will quite likely continue to have tax breaks from capital losses and various other things they can itemise in their tax returns. Quite a few of these are still paying less tax than some who earn a lot less in a year. The true story, from more than thirty years ago, of the extremely wealthy man who paid less income tax than his head housekeeper still has some current truth in it. These same people with very deep pockets worry themselves silly that some undeserving someone will get a piece of their hoard for nothing.

This brings me to the second issue of taxes or lack of taxes on business. It should be shamefully obvious that those who own huge businesses and those in the upper management of them do not care one little bit about anyone but themselves. The behavior of certain people at the top of recently failed corporations is proof of their mentality. They do not appear to adhere to any of the supposed guidelines for ethical conduct. In fact, it appears much of their conduct should be considered criminal because of the harm done to so many others. When they do get a bit of extra money, it is either spent on themselves or hoarded away for later spending on themselves. Those at the very top, in fact, are parasites making money off the work of others and these parasites do no work at all to speak of. They probably could not manage a day of manual labor or even a genuine desk job. I am sure there are a few people in these circumstances who do not behave in that way only because it defies common sense to say of any group that they will always do thus and so. I do see evidence the majority are as unscrupulous as they can hold together.

The bizarre bit of all of the fretting some of these so-called conservatives is they are worrying whether their tax dollars will go to some middle-aged fellow who, perhaps, has a part-time job in a bakery shop and only earns a dollar above minimum wage will receive a tax rebate. After all, this fellow has only a little and does not earn enough to pay a federal income tax. Never mind the fact that he is probably paying a little state income tax, sales tax, and he pays property taxes even if it is a part of his rent. His quality of life is a tad more bearable because of the federal relief but that does not matter. The attitude is he does not pay anything so why should he receive any federal money. All the while, people are being paid farm subsidies who do earn a lot more than a quarter of a million dollars a year. Many of these so-called farms are actually big agricultural businesses and a surprising number of recipients of farm subsidies are people who do not farm their land at all. In fact, some are still being paid not to grow certain crops. Some are being paid even if their crop is now making a very good profit. There are companies which are paid for exporting jobs to third world countries. And, there is the money recently doled out to the rum producers as part of the bailout bill. I fail to see why this sort of thing is not ever called welfare for rich people. It certainly is not in any way aiding the economy. Unfortunately, that is a very tiny portion of the ways the public funds are misused for the benefit of people who already have more than enough by any rational person's standards. At least one person has said, on network television, that none of the government's money woes could be solved simply by looking at the books and eradicating all of these truly stupid expenditures did not do his homework. This sort of thing is a part of the public record. Certainly government cannot fix everything, but they can solve this one if they wished to and if enough legislators had enough moral courage and honesty to pay more than mere lip service to the much discussed necessity of maintaining fiscal responsibility. I can only surmise there are elected officials who also gain from this sort of irresponsible thing. There are clearly opportunistic people, with connections in high places, receiving handouts for nothing who use the public money and provide no discernible productive return for the general public. These free rides could be stopped.

Finally, there is the question of so-called socialism. Recently, a good friend was sent to a large hospital for some medical tests which needed to be done immediately. He was transported by ambulance and was left in one of those ER cubicles. He said he had a good view of the emergency room entrance and it looked like a mob scene from an old monster movie. He joked that all that was missing were the burning torches and the pitchforks. It had been several years since he'd needed to go to an ER and previously had no idea how bad the situation with people coming in to hospitals for issues more appropriate for general care in a doctor's office had become. These people, without insurance and no hope of any, have no where else to turn. So the indigent and the very low income people and the mentally ill people who need help crowd in to emergency rooms everywhere. In some states even that option is disappearing because of the predatory way some hospitals are attempting to collect payments. This actually costs everyone. Even a system which provided good primary medical care for all would be better than the present state of things. In many European countries, this sort of thing does not happen. Even in Canada people receive good primary care and dire emergencies are not situations when people must worry that medical bills could make them penniless. Even with all of the current problems, far too many people are still persuaded that universal health care would be a nightmare and cost too much for the general public. The talk is mostly scare talk. Certainly government would be called upon to monitor many things and the allocation of money and resources would need careful scrutiny to prevent government waste. Universal health care would save the average American a mountain of money in the long haul. It is also worth noting that many people would be thankful to be assigned a competent doctor because they currently have no doctor to see to their medical care. In countries with universal health care there are private health insurance plans available as well as private doctors. There are many ideas which have been proved to work well in other countries. A bit of study and borrowing of these better ideas is in order, I think. This seems ridiculous when one ponders the cost versus benefit of sending ten billion dollars for a war in Iraq every month. Another social issue is the lack of social services for people who have worked hard and had no choice but to live from paycheck to paycheck. Now there is such a severe economic crisis, many of these people either have had their hours reduced or their unemployment is running out. In addition to all of that, jobs are increasingly hard to find. So finding a new job before the worst happens could easily not be an option. Unfortunately, if any of these people do not have children at home and are not yet eligible for retirement, there is no useful help for them at all. If the economy does not improve and no appropriate provision is made for such an eventuality, there could be quite a noticeable crowd of homeless middle-aged people.

I recently heard a pro-Republican newspaper columnist say if the United States moves toward anything like socialism people would become sluggish and lacking in ambition like Europeans. I was totally stunned by such an unfounded statement. Just because the American passion for money grubbing and for instant gratification is not much admired in European countries does not make his statement a fact. In my view, Many Europeans seem happier, a lot more mannerly than the average American and a lot more comfortable in their own skins. That is something of real value even if one can't sell stock in it.

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Some Reflections On Ethical Communication

2008-10-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

It is easier to begin with the kinds of communications which are not ethical so a comparison can be made to what kinds of communication styles are reasonably ethical. One hears and sees the obviously unethical nearly every day in common advertising which is selling something which is not the product or service. These things are sold by using peoples' most basic emotions. Everything from hair color to automobiles is sold with sexual innuendo. If it isn't that, it is sold based on something I call the hot item index. Anything from a mobile phone to a pair of shoes to a vacation to some supposedly desirable destination falls into this category. This is basically greed or envy as a selling strategy . There are also the things which are sold with fear as a motivational tool. These kinds of selling usually are about ideas and concepts. If people with no scruples see some gain in power or money for themselves, they will use everything from a fear of the unknown to fear of eternal damnation and they will never have any personal attack of conscience. The other unethical method of communication is lying by omission or only telling a half-truth and pairing it with an untruth.

Since all of these various forms of unethical communication are out there, it is a good idea for people to stop and think. Many times this is the thing the person selling whatever the product is does not want people to do. Fortunately for the average con artist, critical thinking is losing more ground every day. That is a good part of what has created the economic mess the United States is in and it is a part of what keeps the nervous fear going. Suddenly, people are getting a dose of cold reality. This is also being used as a tool. Blame must be placed on some particular group. The truth is there is plenty of blame to go around and all of the finger pointers are responsible.

This following without thinking helps despicable people to make money off pushing religion and gives others excuses to murder in the name of religion and patriotism. Every bit of it comes with some one who will say acting and not thinking is the right way. The get rich quick pushers and those others are not so different and they are equally deceptive. All such selling comes with a statement of urgency. One must act immediately or all will be lost. Except for natural disasters or medical emergencies, this is rarely the truth. So now people are distrustful of ethnic/social groups which are not like them. Those strange others are blamed for things they did not do. The greatest lie is the one which implies that any group of people is always this way or that. They give people excuses to discriminate or spy or violate others' human rights in the name of security. Stereotypes are a substitute for facts and critical thinking. People who seem to be more knowing than the average and who say they are authorities say it is so and others thoughtlessly accept their pronouncements as known facts. These kinds of pretend knowledge are like superstitions. Superstitions are unlikely stories people have made up to explain the apparently unexplainable or the superstitions are used as coping strategies. And so it goes until all of these unthinking followers are falling off a figurative cliff.

I have sometimes joked, half seriously, that if I could do such a thing, I'd cause all of the politicians to be compelled to tell the absolute truth when asked any direct question. Forty-eight hours would be time enough to do the job. That one bit of interference could certainly cause an uproar, I think. It surely would be fascinating. It might also clear the air a bit. Such an event would do much good in the cause of ethical communication. I can only speculate what that would do for the cause of politics.

Porky Business As Usual

2008-10-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Just as I predicted, everything involved with this so-called rescue bill was not what it seemed to be. Some additions to the bill were reasonable and even necessary. The bit raising the amount in an individual savings account needed doing anyway. The research and development thing makes some sense. No one has been very forthcoming on details of what the various institutions who will be given these funds will actually be permitted to do with them. There were some other things which are obviously pork barrel/pet project deals which surely should annoy reasonable taxpayers. One hundred ninety-two million dollars for rum producers in Puerto Rico and the U S Virgin Islands does not seem to be money well-spent to prop up the American economy. I do not know whose deal that was, but it is not anything like being conservative with the public funds. There are at least nine million unemployed people in the United States right now. Many are unemployed directly or indirectly because of all the manufacturing and service jobs which have been outsourced to other countries where those workers can be paid nineteenth century wages and work under nineteenth century conditions. Even so, are the citizens of the United States of America supposed to believe that rum producers are more deserving of one hundred ninety-two million dollars than displaced American workers? If the unemployed received a handout that large, the Republicans would call it socialism and be all upset and noisy. But, a bill was just passed in Washington D.C. with a handout to rum producers. I believe something is wrong with this picture.

Bail Outs And Other Political Footballs

2008-10-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I have been watching and listening with interest as this Wall Street/ banking mess has gotten to the point of being like a really bad movie. First, there is an announcement that 700 billion dollars must be given to the Wall Street financial people before the sky falls. The interesting component of the initial pronouncement was the bit about these White House related financial people wanting Congress to simply grant the money with no particular strings attached and all. Apparently, no one was supposed to place any prohibitions on so-called golden parachutes and other such stuff these financial investment people and big corporation people depend on for their well-fattened and mostly undeserved nest eggs. Already it had been on network television that at least one of the upper level executives still had his two or more palatial houses and fat bank accounts while the regular employees walked away with their cardboard box of things out of their desks and very little else because , it turned out, the employees had owned a lot of stock in the now dead company. It is not as if that sort of thing has not happened before in the past eight years. Undue enrichment is the name of the game. The difference is this time the effect is more far-reaching. So, Bush and associates decided to throw them a huge pile of money. These people call themselves conservative, but that does not seem to have any relationship to how they spend the public funds. The conservative part is related to anything remotely related to helping out regular folks who may be having a really tough time. If the thing is something for possible general good, they start squawking about socialism.

Things escalate and Mr. McCain makes the momentous announcement that he will be the hero in the white hat who goes to Washington D. C. to save the day even though he has admitted he actually knows nearly nothing about economics. In fact, he said, it was so important he would temporarily cease his presidential campaign and also cease running negative political advertising. That last thing did not happen. I saw at least a dozen such advertisements that day and I barely watch commercial television. I watched less than two hours of it that day. The thing which happened next is Mr. McCain contributed little and the entire ill-conceived scheme fell apart and the thing became, said the McCain crowd, the fault of Democrats.Naturally, there are the McCain advertisement saying the Obama people didn't make a big production of going to Washington because, according to the McCain approved message, Mr. Obama lacks leadership qualities. If a person is saying he will be the leader and has no real clue how best to proceed, he lacks real leadership ability. It might have been wiser for the McCain campaign to have been mum on the subject of leadership ability. In all fairness, the whole thing was likely to fall apart anyway. Passing out money in that way is guaranteed political suicide. Meanwhile, constituents from everywhere were making angry phone calls to their elected officials and carrying angry signboards in Wall Street. So it was, obviously back to the old drawing board to try and make the thing half-way palatable. It appears some progress may have been made on that.

Truth is something has to be done. More than twenty-five years of deregulation and lack of proper supervision of the naturally greedy and unethical has created a problem of epic proportions. Contrary to the assertions of the McCain crowd, this is not Mr. Obama's fault. He was just a kid when this trickle down economics and Me Generation rubbish began. This pot has been simmering for years and now it has boiled over. Something must be done with money as much as it annoys rational people and something must be done in the way of proper oversight. I have doubts as to how much good any of this money will do if there are no enforceable regulations put into place to stop Wall Street excess and all. The so-called conservatives seem to be allergic to anything which involves rules of decent conduct for big business. But I'll hope for something constructive to happen because the general public seems finally engaged enough to demand something better than business as usual. Whatever happens with that has to be far better than this weird debate between prospective vice presidents. Is it just me or isn't just a tad disconcerting that things have got so bad one of the candidates cannot recall the name of even the magazines she has read recently. I gritted my teeth through a half hour of debate and listened while that woman repeated herself and dodged questions she either could not or would not answer. How difficult is it to answer questions on what factors have contributed to global warming and that sort of thing. I can only wait, like everyone else, to see what happens next.

Another Republican Falsehood

2008-09-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have found the McCain/Palin advertisement which repeatedly refers to them as the original mavericks very annoying. So I did a bit of research. I discovered, as I'd expected I should, that they are no such thing. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, which is widely recognised to be an authority on such matters, the original mavericks were quite different from any Republican I have ever seen. The reference specifically says the term maverick was originally applied to an unbranded calf. They were so called because of a 19th century Texas rancher named Samuel A. Maverick who did not brand his cattle. I doubt the cattle had any political affiliations. I am hoping that after this election is decided I'll never hear that word again unless the person is referring to a bovine creature instead of a pretentious pair of politicians.

The Gullible and the Infatuated

2008-09-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

If the political polls are any where close to accuracy, I was wrong. Many women are easily lead. Judging by some of the comments I have heard from women, they are in love with idea of a woman being on a presidential ticket to the point they will willingly sacrifice the good of the United States for some idea that electing anyone female to such a high office will advance the equality of women and give them bragging rights. I do not comprehend how this particular woman's election would do either of those things. I do not vote based on gender. That makes no more sense than voting based on what the candidate eats for lunch. These issues looming ahead for the next president are far too serious for that kind of behavior. This woman is actually not any better than the infamous Phyllis Schaffly (not entirely certain of the spelling ). She is nearly everything women originally rebelled against over forty years ago. No one appears to notice. They have this vision of a woman being a president or a nearly president. Balderdash! I am deeply ashamed that my gender would stoop so low and be so silly-minded.

Incidentally, I heard Mr. Obama say "...You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig." I was vastly entertained by that statement. Hear! Hear! I am sure this statement will become fodder for some typical Republican nonsense. When all else fails, they tend to claim they're being unfairly picked on. Let us not forget the small uproar which came of Senator Obama saying he knows he does not look like the presidential candidate folks are accustomed to seeing. In that case, Mr. McCain alleged he had been accused of racism. This Ms. Palin is from GOP central casting. The Republicans have seemed very defensive on her candidacy and all. One really must be protective of the so-called weaker sex. When that behavior serves an agenda. That's is why Senator McCain looks as satisfied as a cat with the canary still in his greedy mouth. He gambled on feminine gullibility and the effect of centuries of being told by men what to think and when to think it, especially in church. It is a form of emotional blackmail. And, better yet, if anyone says anything about anything, the Republicans can suddenly accuse Democrats of woman bashing. What a neat little scam. All the while the GOP is leading women to believe they are, yet again, being handed one thing when they are actually going to receive something they really do not want. The election of McCain and Palin would set the rights of women back at least one hundred years.

Looking Presidential and Maybe Not Part 2

2008-08-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

When I happened to see Mr. McCain had chosen a female running mate, and I had not yet heard where this person came from, I thought it was quite transparent that this is an attempt to woo those women who are disappointed and disgruntled about the regrettable Clinton thing. Are there so many women so easily led that all a political party has to do is adopt a woman who looks like the mom from some Seventies sit-com and the women will immediately fall into the line to obediently vote for the worst Republican presidential candidate imaginable? Is it the assumption of Senator McCain and his advisors that women are more enamored of the notion of a woman in or near the White House who is not a president's wife they won't stop to use their brains before voting? I believe most women actually do use their own minds and will make choices based on issues vastly more important than bragging rights. If the dignity of women truly does have deep meaning, surely no woman worthy of being holding her head up with pride will fall for this lame effort, by the boys who are always in the back room, to lure women and pacify them with this gesture without substance.

I believe a woman will be president and, hopefully, she will be qualified for the office in every way. Assuming she is, I shall surely be pleased to see it. I have no doubts there have been and there are women who would do very well as president. It is certainly worth waiting a short while longer for a candidate intelligent women can support with pride. This Republican public relations ploy is not the way to break the infamous glass ceiling. Supporting this offensive offering of the token woman is certainly not the way. It would only contribute to making the glass ceiling a lot thicker. Using a woman in this fashion is not at all nice. It is extremely insulting to the intellectual capacity of women in general. If the mouthpiece of the right wing fringe thinks it was a brilliant move, those who are not so die-hard as he should question the entire matter. To put it in plain terms, it is just another cheap and tacky political hustle.

Where Is The Change?

2008-08-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

Recently, I watched a television program on photographs which were taken of people living through the Great Depression. The photos were often very disturbing and sad because these were luckless people, many of whom would have been poor anyway, who were suffering even more because of the lack of jobs and the devastation of the rural economy. But more than the photos, the public attitude which was described as being quite general among those who did not experience the greatest hardship of the time was so familiar because the same attitudes on what should be done to help such unfortunate people has not changed and may, in fact, be more entrenched in the minds of far too many Americans. Those people criticised the photos as propaganda and a great waste of public funds. They criticised President Roosevelt for trying to help by providing some sort of work programs so people could provide for themselves and their families a little bit while doing some useful work. Most of all these critics were, apparently, upset by the fact of seeing the actual fact of these other people's sad and hopeless existence. Many called Roosevelt a communist or a socialist and those labels were just as much like being called something undesirable as they are now. The ignorance of these ideologies has persisted, thanks to plenty of actual propaganda. The belief that if people who can not help themselves are given the least bit of aid or encouragement it will only encourage these unfortunate folks not to help themselves still looms large in the general American public psyche.

So, the fictional Ebeneezer Scrooge fully realized that kind of thinking is not only counterproductive socially, it is bad for the soul. The American general public has not learned that important truth. This selfish form of thinking stubbornly persisted and is actually growing as the rich become richer and the middle-class erodes from the bottom up. The inner cities in any part of the United States have housing which is mainly owned by cold-hearted absentee landlords and these landlords are not compelled by law to repair or replace these places. Many times, even the federally funded government subsidised housing is barely inhabitable and the management is either cruelly and uncaring or plainly lazy and will not do anything to help keep these places in good repair. Much of this is not the fault of anything the tenants have or have not done. Any building which has been given little or no regular maintenance will fall into a general state of decay and disrepair. And, yes, I have heard people say it is because certain groups of people have tendencies to destroy what they have or generally have nasty personal habits. What I know for sure is many of these people find it very difficult to view such grim places as something of value which requires them to be overly careful of these slum landlords' property. The public schools suffer from the same decay. Some of the school buildings should probably be shut down as health hazards. Therefore, the children are too hungry to learn properly. They are ashamed to wear the clothing they have to school. The schools are often unsafe places. These directionless children turn to street gangs either by choice or from forced circumstances. Naturally, this leads to criminal behavior in most cases. The children drop out of school. They are, therefore, practically unemployable. The ugly and unproductive cycle goes on to condemn yet another generation to a life of misery. The obvious solution is to provide better living conditions and better schools for these young people and offer them some hope of improved lives. The people who run the government and those they listen to want more prisons and less real public services. Social services are generally called wasteful because, so far, those who criticise most have not felt the coldness of true want. The social stigma of receiving so-called welfare is greater in some areas of the United States far more than in other areas and that affects what state government will do.

The list of these terrible conditions in what is advertised as the greatest country in the world goes on and on. When will Americans learn to do better for those who are their fellow Americans. Why is more tax money spent on some war than is spent in service of the public good and barely a voice is ever raised to say something is wrong with that picture. Why is it, if any person does say it is wrong, that individual is labelled unAmerican. It is not good to know that caring about the welfare of one's fellow citizens is unAmerican. The idea, apparently, is if it looks like real help there must be something wrong with the plan. People in need do not receive what they need. They receive what a bunch of self-serving politicians say the less fortunate should have. However, even though the presidential candidates have both said one thing and the other on the plight of the middle-class, neither candidate has mention those Americans who live in hopeless poverty. That way, I suspect, lies political suicide.

Since I actually know a man who has half-jokingly suggested he ought to liquidate most of his assets and live off welfare, the justice will come when the same middle-class who complain about welfare try to apply for it and find most of the welfare myth is simply not true. There is very little aid for poor people. There is no actual form of general welfare as some imagine. There never was anything significant enough to rile people up they way, it seems to me, people always have been on that issue. However, the propagandists did a fine job persuading many people it was factual. Less than two or three per cent of the federal budget was ever spent on those sorts of social programs. What aid there is, is barely enough to keep body and soul together and that aid has always had many limits and parameters. These programs do not, for example, have any provision for any significant help for non-disabled adults who havenot yet reached retirement age and have no minor children living at home. The system desn't recognise any extenuating circumstances in which that group of citizens could be in dire need of assistance.

The food banks are currently pushed to their limits. The homeless shelters are pushed to their limits. Many who need medical help, including mental help, fall through the cracks. People die of ailments which are either preventable or curable. This is mainly because there is no system of good primary health care in most of the United States. It is a shame to us all these serious social problems have only become worse since the era when President Roosevelt tried to help. Even the social security system is misused. It was originally intended as insurance for those who could not be expected to have the means to have provided for themselves in cases of old age or disability. It is now used by too many people who are pretty well fixed and use that money and Medicare to live quite a bit better than they actually must in order to live out a reasonably comfortable retirement. It is witless to have ever permitted such misuse of the system. It is also unethical for those who don't actually require such assistance to accept it as their due whilst those in greater need are hardly able to have human necessaries. Ironically, many of these well fixed people are complaining loudly over what the less fortunate do receive.

The biggest elephant in the room is the colossal stupidity of sending so many of the manufacturing jobs which were the true backbone of the American economy to countries where the governments are totalitarian and labor is very cheap and safety practices and production standards are negligible. That is something which is indescribable stupidity. The effects are working their way up the social scale every day as the companies who did this terrible thing to the American economies continues to be rewarded in the form of tax breaks and government subsidies. It is said history repeats itself. The reason probably is no one is learning from the past which might give people a clue to what happens next.

Looking Presidential and Negative Attention

2008-07-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

Some people seem to believe even unfavorable attention is better than being ignored. This is a too -common behavior in children and certain dysfunctional people who apparently believe even the worst sort of publicity is desirable because it gets them noticed. However, it is more than a bit disturbing when a man of, supposedly, mature years indulges in that sort of thing and approves some of the most unbelievably ridiculous political ads I have seen a a very long time. It was merely ridiculous and disgusting when they aired the ad featuring the 'summer of love'. Now I really am grateful for the mute button. I have pondered why it is that being a so-called war hero has ever qualified a person to lead a government. It really does not work for me unless the idea there is the president's job involves the mentality to kill and to order others to kill. That is quite a repellent thought.

So Mr. McCain dismisses and/or scoffs at the radical idea that getting along well with others and perhaps discussing problems and working out productive solutions might be a better first choice. Okay. Some people always use violence or shout people down during disagreements and confrontations. In my view that strategy is immature at the very least. In any case, all of this bluster about winning and killing and staying in Iraq for a hundred years may hold some appeal for some segments of the American population. McCain seems to go on and on about winning in Iraq. What is his definition of winning? Considering his belligerent and militant mindset, one can only imagine what he would be capable of doing to Americans. It is unnerving to imagine even more hostile opinion of Americans in other countries, but there is a bit of tradition of Americans running roughshod over people in other countries, claiming these people are being liberated in the name of world peace, and expressing a kind of distrust and disrespect for people in other countries. So I supposed he was only preaching to the choir.

Then came the next act in this dark comedy and the ads saying Barack Obama has caused the soaring price of oil and is the single-handed cause of economic chaos for the middle-class. I began to wonder if Mr McCain and his people are believing the general population are quite that gullible. It is an insult to the collective intelligence of most Americans. Now he complains Mr. Obama is getting all of the attention and publicity and it is all empty like certain female celebrities' heads. He, apparently, is saying Mr. Obama is all show and no substance. Mr. Obama is now being accused of acting too presidential and he is too over-confident. As if that was not enough, Mr McCain and company actually complained of Mr. Obama mentioning his own physical appearance. They say he is playing a "race card" by merely pointing out the obvious. Is that weird, or is it part of some widespread fear of being called a racist out loud.

The Internet ads are much like malicious pranks gone wrong. What form of immature being believes this stuff is either amusing or worthy of a presidential candidate? Frankly, it seems more like Mr. McCain is having full-blown tantrums and calling names and generally acting as dysfunctional as a vindictive version of those vapid female celebrities. He is also contradictory. First McCain said Mr. Obama could not know how to conduct himself when dealing with world leaders because he is so inexperienced and all. Then, when Obama does a bit of world travelling and makes a very favorable impression on people in other countries, that is also not acceptable to Mr. McCain and his followers. Of course I am aware all of that news coverage of Mr. Obama took the spotlight off Mr. McCain. So he fumed and pouted and complained of not being the center of attention. Mr. McCain hasn't ceased saying all should look at him. There is no substantial reason to do so unless one is entertained by the antics of someone who more and more seems to have very little grip on reality and has a strong desire to play soldiers with real people. McCain says he should be the leader. I say he needs a time out.

Is McCain's campaign showing presidential qualities? In my view, presidential elections are a serious business and not a spectator sport. This election will have a lasting effect. This particular election is a fork in the road. I hope those with wiser heads will move back to working out some serious and intelligent plans for solving the huge problems Americans are actually facing instead of focusing on subject matter unworthy of rational adult human beings.. We need committed and humane leadership. We do not need a person who will focus so much on mean spirited kid pranks. I am aware the Republicans have become accustomed to this sort of nasty behavior, but it is time to cease rewarding them for substituting this cheap psychological manipulation for intelligent ideas. The United States cannot afford to indulge in this tacky political rubbish and must find a new and better way. How about getting back to the issues?

Big Labor?

2008-07-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Recently I heard a political commentator refer to big labor. He was saying labor unions are an impediment to the economy because labor unions will impede business or manufacturing investment from other countries. I could not help but imagine what particularly these foreign investors might be hoping to avoid. Is it the possibility of having to pay workers decent wages or is it because the unions might expect a reasonable consideration for worker safety or some hope workers would not be dismissed on a whim after which they would have no recourse or is it some other thing. Those issues are a considerable part of why so much American manufacturing is done in either third world countries or in countries where a totalitarian government is willing to shut its collective eyes to all kinds of labor abuses as long as the right government officials receive a piece of the action.

Time has passed and children in public schools have not been taught much, if anything, about the lives of ordinary laborers before there were organized unions who could legally demand anything at all. In those days, which are not so far in the past, people worked for subsistence wages. They had work weeks much longer than the current standard of forty hours for a full-time job. They received no extra payment for any overtime work. They did not usually receive any real breaks during a work day. Illness and so forth could mean the worker lost the job entirely and could be prevented from getting another job. People could be refused work because of anything the owners of a business or whoever acted for them might decide. Consequently, these people and their families, also enjoyed poor living conditions, poor nutrition, sub-standard medical care and so their lives were much shorter than the lives of those who owned the means of production. This is a very bleak picture and, if the public are not careful, this could happen again. Some of this is happening to some degree in the so-called right to work states anyway. Most people who find themselves in a situation which gives them even a bit of power over others and little worry they are being watched and regulated will treat those who they view as inferiors with nothing like dignity and fairness. In the past few years it is very clear unions have backed down to big business to either salvage what they could based on promises which have been repeatedly broken by business or because those at the top of the union were more intent on trying to preserve their own hides rather than risk more for common workers. These union leaders appear to have also forgotten why unions had to be formed.

On the other hand, there are cases where the union business has gotten carried away with itself. One notable case is the power of teachers' unions. They have such a stranglehold on those who need to see schools are fulfilling their perceived role that too many times poor and unsuitable teachers may not be sacked nor competent teachers hired. A great deal of the public funds go to waste catering to the unbelievably unfair demands of teachers' unions and the students as well as society as a whole suffer because of it. In fairness I must point out that many times the government aids and abets this state of affairs and when someone dares to say this is the current state of affairs it raises a lot of hackles. The disgruntled teachers' loud and often threatening behavior does not change fact. I have personally seen teachers who ought never to be near children and other travesties.

The point,here, is most of the time unions are usually better than no union. And, I am always wary of anyone who is suggesting even less regulation of business than already exists. Surely the present state of big corporate scandals, including investment companies, and all is reason enough to consider more regulation instead of less and unions help a little bit to keep these greedy folks from getting even more out of control. Also, instead of a trend toward big labor, I have seen more hostility on the part of big business and more anti-union propaganda as well as unfounded hostility from people who apparently do not know much about the intended purpose of unions .

Reality Check

2008-07-10T19:52:00.005-07:00

Recently I have begun to ponder whether the people who are either world leaders or those who aspire to be world leaders are out of touch with reality or simply trying to be politically expedient. I also have grave doubts about the general population and Americans particularly. For example, this past week there was a G-8 conference and these people agreed to give their respective countries 42 years to do something to reduce greenhouse gases and clean up the earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, the polar icecaps are melting much more quickly than was predicted just five years ago by scientists who study such matters. I am amazed no great number of people seem aware something must be done and it must begin very immediately. I can only assume too many people see this as not their problem and it is some other person's job to make any inconveniences go away. People, however, are too spoiled to give up the notion each person should own a car and drive it constantly. Many people are also avoiding carpooling. Many would be more likely to eat from a dirty ashtray than ride the public transportation or move closer to where they work. So they whine about the cost of gasoline and the big business faction and their toadies want to drill for more oil to make even more pollution. Everything will be awesome as long as oil prices go down and no one has to see any windmills on the horizon. The United States is full to the brim of short-sighted and immature brats who will whine as the earth dies of pollution.

Naturally, that is only the tip of the mountain of other ill-conceived ideas such as using farmland to grow plants to make automobile fuel and building more nuclear power plants, Clearly these so-called solutions are,even now creating more problems than they will solve.

Some good ideas might be that things, like food, ought to be a priority and produce ought to be grown much closer to where people live in their own countries as much as possible. May be it would be good for more manufacturing should be done in the countries where people will be buying and using these items. It actually would make more economical and ecological sense. Possibly, it is something to at least consider while the earth is at least marginally inhabitable.

The New Republican Low

2008-06-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today I was telling a good friend I had not written anything in nearly a month because so many bizarre things are being said by Republican politicians lately I wouldn't know where to start. She said, "I would. I'd start with George Bush saying he would veto a bill to give the jobless a mere three month extension of their unemployment benefits because he claims it would be too expensive even though he has no problem spending billions in Iraq." I said she had a good point and I wondered out loud what he supposed people ought to do seeing there are few jobs to be had mostly because the basic manufacturing jobs which used to be the bedrock of the United States economy had been sent to China and et cetera causing the economic breakdown we are beginning to see. "Well," she said, thoughtfully, "Maybe they are supposed to die and decrease the surplus population. But that wouldn't really do because what would happen to the five or ten percent of the population who would never be cleaners, or counter clerks, or any of those other menial jobs this tiny segment of the population would never do? "

Too late now, I pointed out. They did not think ahead. They never thought of those people and the factory workers and such as being connected in some way. They never thought of trickle up economics. If those people do not have spending money, how shall the others make money off their labor? That is actually the way of things. Even in the nineteenth century, when people such as Thomas Malthus and Jeremy Bentham were pushing their mean spirited ideas around, people never imagined sending their means of production to a distant country to manufacture inferior merchandise. I suspect they knew that would be counter-productive. It is true, up to one point, that those who own the means of production receive the most benefits. It is also true that the consumer is also very important. Employees are also consumers. If there are fewer active consumers in the Target market, the owners of the means of production ultimately loose far more than the have gained. If there is more ready money being circulated in a given economy, that economy is more likely to thrive. It certainly does not require a degree in economics to see it. The entire system is a lot like a piece of machinery. One cannot arbitrarily remove a gear or a flywheel and expect the thing to function as normal. Someone is always praising the superiority of a free market economy while big business seeks to take away a necessary piece of the free market system. Naturally, Republicans don't want to regulate the system. Is everyone actually suppose these owners of the means of production will not be tempted to behave badly even if they believe more money is there to be made by behaving badly? In the known history of the world, there have always been those who have engaged in less than ethical business practice. Some always have engaged in political lobbying to make the unethical legal. There has also always been lobbying in some form, too.

I thanked her for the suggestion and said I couldn't write about something like that. It is too obvious only a cracked brain Republican would not see how it will be if this trend continues. Maybe things will become so insufferable they will see the need for major changes in the current ways of doing business and governing business. It is obvious the way things are done now is not in the common interest.

The New Political Correctness Dogma

2008-05-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

I am stunned by what people must say or not in order to be politically correct. Recently, I have compiled a list of opinions which have, apparently, been considered politically incorrect. It could also be called something such as there are certain facts about the USA which are never discussed in public because the issues or telling the bald truth about these particular issues is uncomfortable.

1. Never say there is, and has been since day one, widespread covert and overt racism in America. Some ignorant nitwit can print obviously racist tee shirts, but never say Americans are racist. The bigots hate being called by their right name. It is the same as suddenly having a nasty vice revealed in public. Hypocracy and sanctimony are ever so much easier.

2. Never say, even once, that one might just be a bit embarrassed to be an American even when one's government does stupid or wrong things. I really become considerably annoyed when people in other countries believe I must have voted for Bush because I am an American. Never say these people in other countries , more often than not, have valid criticisms of the American government and the behavior of many Americans.

The other side of this strange coin is, apparently, it is acceptable to actually be so bigoted that race or gender are valid issues or raise the question of whether a non-Christian could be a good president with hardly anyone calling shame on those who have such despicable thoughts. It is also acceptable to be inhumane for numerous reasons and call it being conservative. In fact, in the past several years conservative has taken on a whole new meaning and so has the word liberal. Someone may find it necessary to revise the dictionaries so they will be politically correct.

I will say all of the above and write the truth as I see it. After all, I am not running for president.

What Kind Of Deal Is This?

2008-05-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well. On and on go the presidential primaries. One candidate has tried to impress by sucking beer and bragging how she learned to kill defenceless ducks. After all, ducks don't vote. She has been caught in more fibs than that fellow who used to be on Saturday Night Live. Her husband thinks the entire business is some sort of sport. Apparently the object is to see who can get away with the most nasty name calling and low-minded innuendos. This is singularly childish and unimpressive. That sort of thing is what the mean girls have done to their more vulnerable schoolmates for many decades and it does not show leadership ability or even good character. Unfortunately, many of the media love it because of the appeal such behavior has to the vulgar. It is on the same level as the tabloid trash. The entire campaign seems to be based on focusing on half-truths and complete fabrications. I cannot imagine there are many adults who do not know at least one person who has done or said one or more things which are embarrassing or, at least, regrettable. It is quite possible many people know someone who has broken some law or other some time in the past. One of the problems with celebrity is people are constantly and avidly searching for some dirt and few human beings are without anything in their past which might be, at the very least, a bit dusty.

What ever happened to candidates talking of real issues and offering practical and humane solutions to the very real problems which exist right now? Wouldn't this kind of speaking be far more productive? It is indeed a sad state of affairs when the candidates are either cutting up some one's character or the candidate is being pressed to explain matters which have been blown out of proportion for political reasons which are the verbal equivalent of digging a hole under the next person to make one's self appear taller.

Taxes Could Be Good

2008-02-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

I heard the old "conservative" mantra about the inherent evils of taxes again today. There is this strange belief many politicians use to get the public liking them. It is all about how the public should expect good roads, safe streets, the usual city and state and federal services without raising taxes and without taking away any of the tax cuts which were given mainly to the people who have the most income. Then, when they're really on a roll, they talk of making even more tax cuts. The catch is these new tax cuts would be for the very rich and for the big corporations. The reasoning offered is this would stimulate the economy. Is this wishful thinking or an outright lie? Why would any person with a shred of common sense actually imagine the same people who give themselves paychecks way out of proportion to anything a real human being needs would give any of that money up to hire more employees or cut costs of their goods and services? It is ridiculous in every way, but those who follow such people are firmly convinced these "conservatives" know what is best.

They do not even bother to ask who will pay for all the necessary stuff like good roads and schools and bridges and fire fighters and so on. Could be they believe this rubbish about entitlements and how it will be okay to cut even more services to the disabled and others who are the most vulnerable in our society and do not have rich lobbyists and all to speak for them. Truth is, if it is not their election year and you do not seem like someone who could make a huge political contribution and you have the temerity to, for example, phone your congressman or woman because you have a suggestion or a complaint you will get nothing except what my grandfather would have called the bum's rush. Anyway, the fact is, the money allocated for any kind of social aid is only a tiny sliver on that tax pie chart. A huge portion of that "pie" is paying for the war started because of a pack of lies. Another huge portion is paid for over priced services in the form of government contracts. If anyone had enough backbone to clean up all of the questionable and overblown government contract mess, it would nearly clean up the national debt. Another flat out lie is the one which says public funds are being spent on sneaky illegal aliens who never pay taxes at all. The fact is, many pay taxes because they are working and all. a great deal of this rhetoric is the result of bigotry and not because of any actual security threat or economic threat. The other consideration which affects most of us is, because of a shortage of willing workers to harvest crops our fresh produce costs much more as good food rots in the fields. That must be counter-productive at the very least.

Taxes are not actually the problem. One of the problems is who is paying his or her or their fair share and who is actually not paying what is fair. The other problem is how the tax money is being spent. Until people educate themselves on what is true and what is mainly emotional blackmail of one kind or another this deception will continue. The out of control spending on pointless foreign wars will go on. Legislators will fund their pet projects at the public expense while decrying the cost of Medicaid or whatever. People who work in America's dysfunctional school systems will be over paid while they send even more functional illiterates into mainstream society. Potholes will grow and bridges crumble and underground steam pipes will burst and other social ills will go out of control because no one wants to be responsible. They only want the power and the money. The all too gullible public who avoid anything which might educate or inform are pacified with political double-speak and trashy television fodder. This is the price which is paid when people do not have the tools required for critical thinking. It is definitely a worse problem than taxes.

Conspicuously Absent

2008-01-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

After following the news on the current presidential primaries, I have noticed the absence of mention of any important issues which affect average people. There has been no mention of any plan to help with the rapidly crumbling infrastructure in this country, especially in larger and older cities. There has been no mention of the impact of sending ordinary manufacturing jobs to any country where there is cheap labor and little regulation of such production.There has been only a threadbare mention of who has got benefit from the majority of tax cuts and deregulation. That is, of course, only a tiny part of the list of issues being ignored.

The things which are being said sound,in the main,like some material written for television advertising. Too much of this stuff seems chameleon-like. As the various candidates make their pitches in different states with different target audiences, they choose a persona to fit the venue. There have been certain themes which do repeatedly appear. One trumpets his religion. He seems to think the only American citizens worth his notice are the "evangelical" Christians. One can only wonder how much that rhetoric will be toned down in parts of the country where there are not so many of them. Because of this, every other candidate has to periodically put some religious bit in their presentations as proof the candidate is not, apparently, a heathen.

Hardest to ignore is the continuing chorus of change. Not all change is good. I am also persuaded that any candidate who repeated pushes familiarity with the system is not intending to make much of a push toward anything different in a productive way because anyone so practiced at working the system must perforce be more interested in business as usual. How can one work the system and simultaneously change the system? In all fairness, I must point out the one candidate who has been a tad more out-spoken on changing the system is not precisely ignored by the primary voters though he is down in the middle somewhere. The message may be most voters would prefer a devil like the ones they know, if you will. It is also a bit puzzling that war-mongering seems to play well and those candidates who are not so inclined to violence as a problem solving strategy have seemed to be using the tactic of avoidance. If one does not address the subject, one is not accused loudly of being soft on terrorism. And so it goes.

Because of the show business nonsense with debates which tell one nothing of what the various candidates are actually up to as some of them take cheap shots at whoever is the chosen target and never say anything of substance which could be used in evidence against them. They also must avoid seeming too intelligent at all costs. The last two presidential elections have proved any sign of notable intellect is the kiss of death. One or two must be, and are, carefully moderating their use of complicated ideas or multi-syllabic words.

I shudder to think this country will either be treated to the same we have had this past seven or so years or find there is an ineffectual ninny in charge who doesn't want to annoy anyone. It is the stuff of nightmares.

Greed and Things

2007-12-25T05:51:00.000-08:00

It is not that I have not mentioned the subject before, but this push to entice people to buy things they do not need is especially obvious at this time of the year. People who are more short on disposable income through their own profligate behavior or because many ordinary jobs simply do not pay what they have done in the past are constantly bombarded with advertising for things and, of course, credit cards or other methods which may be used to obtain the new things immediately. The idea is to persuade as many people as possible that everyone cannot survive without the newest electronic gadget or garment or whatever other imaginable thing some corporate entity can discover which can be marketed with any hope of success. It reminds me of the day I observed a group of crows fighting over a shiny bit of blue foil. None of them needed it. The thing had no practical use, but they all wanted the attractive thing and were quite determined to have it. I have seen the identical behavior in news footage of shoppers in electronic stores within the past few months.

Mass media are actually as much as at fault as the distributors of these things they push people to buy. How many times do the various morning news and entertainment programs showcase piles and piles of the newest unnecessary stuff? How many other news reports are on the subject of people doing absurd things such as camping out in the freezing cold or using some form of violence on their fellow shoppers with a view to being the first to own one of the newest things? How many parents have gone without necessaries so their children could possess the current most desirable thing? If the economy is so slow and jobs, especially in some places, are becoming more scarce, where is the money for these people to buy the thing? They shop themselves into deepest debt

I know a woman who is so enamored of having stuff and of appearing to have the means to own lots of stuff that she is in nightmarish debt and nearly a step away from possible homelessness. This is not new behavior. This is her customary way of living which has finally collided with the reality of her actual financial state. However, when one of her family members suggested she should sell some of her stuff, she was horrified. She was also appalled at the suggestion that it might be good sense to move to a somewhat smaller and more affordable dwelling. She may be evicted from her home soon because she buys stuff instead of being sure her necessary expenses are being met. During this past summer she added 1800 more square feet in which to store her stuff. Her home is packed with stuff. She has, for example, an entire rack of winter coats. She has audio equipment still in the original boxes. She bought that stuff last year simply because it was on sale. She did, in fact, spend money this past year on many needless things and services and, naturally, on keeping up appearances. And what did she do yesterday even though she is on the brink of bankruptcy or worse? She bought a new high definition television. After all, she said, I have a store credit card I haven't used at all. Never mind the fact that she usually won't answer her phone because of all her creditors and their collectors are phoning many times a day to demand their money. This person is just one example of what American society has become. This behavior has become quite common.

So what has this country come to? So-called "socialized medicine" is, so the public is told, a scary and undesirable idea even though it provides good primary care in many other countries among other benefits. It may not pay for elective procedures, but the majority of Americans cannot really afford them anyway. This means no one in the US who can not have these services now, because they are too costly, would miss them if there were socialized medicine. However, health care is a big and lucrative mega-business and they do not want anyone to kill that golden goose at all. This is one area are where corporate greed sometimes kills by putting the bottom line before all other considerations. The thousands of manufacturing jobs which were exported to countries with cheap labor and totalitarian governments is another glaring example of public and private greed. No worries about some regulatory agency poking about the factories. No worries about unions complaining of unsafe working conditions or any other impediments to immoral labor practices such as child labor there. It is not at all about "globalization". If it were, people in these places would be paid a fair living wage based on their cost of living. The quest is for cheaper and cheaper labor and there are absolutely governments willing to provide that commodity for various reasons. No problem with many people buying these products of this suffering labor force either. These uncaring consumers are only thinking of the stuff and the unbelievable bargain the stuff appears to be. Aside from the shoddy and often unsafe junk which results from this type of sharp practice, without ordinary manufacturing employment in the US there is less money out there in the mainstream. I believe it beyond ridiculous that these corporations who have their goods manufactured in some other country and brought to America to sell to Americans should be classified as an American company with all of the privileges of an American company. The people employed in the stores owned by at least one huge corporation are earning a paycheck which still keeps them in poverty or near poverty while the federal government and some state governments give the people who own these companies huge tax breaks and some astonishing perks at the public expense.

The effect will and currently is working its way upward. As the rich become richer and more of the general population who like to call themselves middle class slip downward, the economy suffers. Even so, the almighty credit card provides a false sense of security just as the bizzare notion that one's equity in a house is like a bank account instead of a home made people feel secure. This habit of living on virtual money will not be able to sustain itself much longer. Will as many people ignore this crisis in the same way they ignore the impending dangers of global warming? I recently heard someone who was critical of a certain presidential candidate because he is "anti-corporate" and I wondered how, in the face of reality, a right-thinking individual can be anything else. That critic's reason is we cannot be anti-corporate because corporations are the employers. Okay. How does that put the corporations beyond reproach? Does it not seem wrong that they continue to sell these needless and costly things and fail to provide needed goods with that same gusto? Does it not make them something bad if they obtain their products as they do and deal with their employees as they do while giving those at the very top big paychecks and big severance packages when they probably ought to be in prison for embezzlement or something? The final big question is when will it become a problem big enough that the general public takes more notice instead of behaving like gullible puppets buying whatever the advertising says buy? When will people of good conscience say it is enough and say it loudly and forcefully?

Consolidated Media And True Journalism

2007-12-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

http://http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1187 http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/
Today is the day the FCC creates media monopolies. This will be the beginning of controlled information in the media. It did not appear to matter to those in charge, namely three Republicans, that this is a thing the public does overwhelmingly not want at all. One cannot help but think the motivation here is not anything but a few people with deep pockets and a lot of political cronies trying to ensure the public will begin to see, hear, and read only what they choose. Goodbye to independent newspapers and television and radio. Big corporations with their own agendas will soon own all or most of those. This entire thing is becoming too Orwellian for my taste. Interestingly, I have noticed in the mainstream television media there were nothing but brief mentions of this today and no mention of it on national television, except PBS, before today. Some local television stations may have mentioned it, but not where I live.
Media consolidation is most certainly a threat to freedom of the press and, ultimately, to free speech. Observe the harsh measures taken in some other countries, not only against the mainstream press, but against bloggers.
It is not the time for apathy. This current government has proved again they do not care what the public wants or what is really in the best interests of ordinary citizens.

Bill Moyers Journal . RSS Feeds | PBS

2007-12-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

Bill Moyers Journal . RSS Feeds | PBS

The Greed Factor

2007-11-21T18:46:00.001-08:00

Recently a friend told me about a call she received from a telemarketer. Apparently . she was a bit careless and someone got hold of her name and phone number. That is, of course, annoying but not the worst that could happen. Anyway, back to the story. The caller had a business proposition. The company he works for would set up a web business just for her so she could sell nearly everything but stalks of celery and the kitchen sink at a 75% mark up which is just their little secret because the ignorant, bargain hunting customer is not meant to know. All she had to do is pay under fifty dollars up front and do a couple other things to drum up a little business. There is, naturally, the other little detail. The company doing all of this nifty stuff for this low, low price offered for this limited time would never officially have their name attached to any of it. The liability, should anything be amiss with the merchandise, would then be her's as well.

Meanwhile, she is processing all of this rubbish the caller is pressing her to seriously consider.
The whole idea is bad. Any customer complaint would be her liability. There is zero guarantee that any money could be made at all. Anyone, I am told, who chooses to shop on line has many truly reputable retailers from which to choose as well as an army of scoundrels and the proverbial suckers who are born every minute who are lured by people of the same stripe as the individual who phoned her. After at least fifteen minutes of listening to this hard sell, she began to push back and became a bit adversarial. Soon he got the message and gave up. She said she'd had a passing thought about just pressing a button and cutting the call off. The person, she said, was not even well-spoken enough to be the executive he claimed to be and listening to him speak like someone with low origins in a very odious and pushy tone began to wear on her. Finally, she explained to him in her normally forth-right way why the entire business proposition was not only illegal but quite risky.

The entire story reminded me of other such scams one hears of from time to time. An event is set up which is, supposedly about investments or insurance and they prey on the desperate or the greedy. It is the same as those trying to persuade people to become a part of some pyramid marketing scheme which were more common a few years ago. I see enough commercial television to be aware some of that is still a large part of infomercials. This applies to the politician commercials as well. Naturally the entire narrative got me thinking on why anyone would even consider involvement in something so perilous and so shady. The bottom line is greed.

The people who are these kinds of predators depend on the greed. The greed is what caused the mortgage fiasco and the manufacturing of shoddy and hazardous goods which is now in China. It is what gets any slick politician who says he or she will cut taxes and prevent new taxes without mentioning which things may change for the worse without these revenues and failing to mention their own pet projects will still go forward. They also fail to mention that keeping taxes low is meant mainly to give tax breaks to those who need them least. Greed is these people's most useful tool. The next time you are offered something and claims it will put money in your pocket the easy way, especially if that person implies it is some slick secret meant only for those in the know, consider the greed factor and beware.

Last week I got a call from some group representing a certain presidential hopeful who I would never consider voting for. The person's presentation was quite a lot like one of those spurious job offers, I think. I would, along with many other ordinary citizens, have to bear the consequences of their self-serving decisions. These people do give me a fright because they are so slick and can be quite convincing to those who tend to not think of what happens next. There have been eight years of that kind of carrying on and more of the same is a singularly terrifying idea. It is all about the greed.

Who Will Control The Media?

2007-11-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

http://http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2007/11/news_polarization_ethnic_media_1.html
This subject should matter a great deal to us all. No matter what one's political views are, it is unwise to allow huge corporations to dictate the news items we see in the media or which opinions are permitted to be expressed. After these companies succeed in their efforts to control radio, newspapers, and television, what happens next? Do they decide whose blogs will be published? Think on it. When independent media are completely gone, who can know what the truth is or what dissenting opinions may be out there. It has been said one essential element of a free country is a free press. How free is the press if a few own all the media outlets?

Focus On The Elephant In The Room

2007-10-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Recently it has been all over the news that some public school is offering to give birth control pills to girls as young as eleven. The entire controversy seems to be on the pills and some notion which is not actually new. It has been more than half believed for a very long time that if anyone actually tells girls, especially, about sex, they will try it out. Perhaps the person who really takes the prize for ignorant remark of the month is the fellow who said giving birth control pills to the girls is far worse than giving condoms to the boys. If nothing else is wrong with his statement, it is certainly sexist thinking. The truth is ignorance is a much larger problem than birth control pills or condoms. If no one explains anything properly and in real terms all the health risks of early sex and unprotected sex instead of only saying something like, "Don't do it because your parents and/or your church say do not," the poor child still has been armed with no more useful information than she had before such a pronouncement was made. Many parents do not say a single useful thing on this taboo subject to either girls or boys. Many have no knowledge of STD s or any of that. So the children glean what ever they think they know from the media and from what ever they see older kids doing or saying and from things they hear or see adults doing. Like little video recorders they glean from a huge garden of misinformation.
Sounds like something from some fifties sit-com in which all of the married couples slept in twin beds. Big problem. It was a world with a lot less access to right or wrong information without one's mother knowing of it.. if one were a very young girl. It caused some big problems no one discussed in public. That kind of silence still does cause such problems. How are they to know enough to avoid such behavior if they have no idea what any of it means to the rest of their lives?
I got my information out of a book in the library. It was very plain and clinical and quite detailed. I was fortunate. The emotional component was something I surmised from historical romances and films, I suppose. It was better than nothing, but it was hardly ideal and I paid for what no one ever told me and ought to have done. My mother was not one to discuss any such subject and I knew intuitively whatever she said would be dictatorial and contain little or no practical information or advice. That is why I feel so sorry for the parents who say this is not the proper role of a public school system and the parents should decide. They do not always decide to do anything except shout everyone down who is trying to offer practical help. Also, so many families are quite dysfunctional behind closed doors someone should intervene. It is unfortunate but a certain percentage of very young children do engage in this risky behavior and they do not know why it is especially dangerous and possibly life-threatening for physically immature females.
The code of silence paired with the content of commercial television and pop culture in general is a recipe for things all of these noisy parents say they don't want. Purity dances and all of that other rubbish people invent to give themselves a false sense of security will not solve the problem. Common sense and more consideration of what films, pop music, television programs and the rest is teaching children might be more productive. Where are those family values?

The Michigan Budget: Taxes And Whining

2007-10-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

After the expected cliffhanger, the Michigan legislators patch worked together a budget. Some taxes will be added or raised and, in my view, it will not be anything like as painful as some are already complaining these taxes will be. Only the incurably clutch-fist ed would actually believe otherwise. Many people waste that much money every month...at least those in the $50,000 a year and up do so. I have worked in retail and all. It was a part of my job to notice what is selling or not. I know. Therefore, the whining there seems like more melodrama than fact.

On the other side, no pay cuts for these same elected legislators were announced as part of this new budget. Surely they ought to have done. Obviously they, as a group, do not appear to earn the paychecks they are receiving. Who actually does merit more than a $100,000 a year paycheck anyway? Is this with or in addition to the expense account and all? What of that shady deal for the new state police building and the ridiculous and money wasting health care deals for teachers and other public employees? What of the sub-contracting for public school teachers? It is a sweet deal for them. The teachers retire or something. Then they are hire back as sub-contractors. They receive retirement benefits and collect a paycheck from what is basically the same source at the same time. It is where the tax money goes. I heard the folks who put that strange scheme together are claiming it saves school districts money. The entire situation is not discussed much. The reason is obvious. It is easier to do these sneaky deals if everything is hushed up and all.
Keep it in mind when you vote and take note that both political parties are a part of this ramshackle way of doing business.

Doing What Is Right

2007-09-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

This post has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative or left or right. All of the name calling stuff is not relevant to any of the subject. In truth I am no fan of either political party. This is about doing what is right and necessary to the exclusion of the politically expedient behavior in which the politicians who are often, however inaccurately, referred to as Michigan's elected lawmakers, are so sadly inclined to do. At this moment and for many days past, they are engaged in forming some kind of agreement on what the state budget will be. The problem is neither side is willing to do what any half-way objective person can clearly see must be done. The people who are the slickest talkers have most people bamboozled into believing all can be cured with magical budget cuts. Those folks ought to take care what they wish for because they could discover such budget cuts might affect their lives in ways they really won't like at all. That is not the real answer because nothing is ever that black or white when government and politicians are involved.

What must be done? The entire list of things which must be paid for and the things which are actually not a necessity must be looked at with very critical eyes and all of that which can be postponed or discarded entirely must go. This is the task of both political parties. It is not a secret that one political party is dead against reinstating any previously removed taxes because the people with very deep pockets are their core group of supporters . However, times are tough for many people and it is time for what Engler took away to be given back. Those tax cuts helped those who needed them least. It is the Republican way. Unfortunately, this same political party tends to take aim at society's most vulnerable members such as the children, the disabled, the unwillingly unemployed and the under-employed. Maybe it is as Bill Cosby once said, "Everybody knows the poor have all the money." They do not and that is precisely why they are the easy targets. The slander of rampant laziness or deliberate fraud can be levelled agaist the less fortunate is often made with no fear of reprisals. The record shows most fraud and other such originates or is aided by the very ones who should be preventing such abuses. This is especially disturbing when it involves medical care and so on for people who are very elderly or disabled and do not have any actual political voice. The attitude seems to be one of ignoring those who do not have money or power to give politicians. The other party has a pet project or two such as the shame for building new state police quarters. Obviously there is something smoky going on with that. Every person who was quizzed on it it seemed suspiciously evasive and/or full of excuses and disclaimers. Many times, not being forthcoming is very revealing and says much more than the involved individuals might care to reveal. All I will say is there should be a flat law which says no one who contributes large amounts of money to a person running for office or to a political party should be barred from doing actual business with the government for at least five years from the point of the most recent contribution. In this way a loophole would be closed more tightly. Obviously there were loopholes in the rule that rules that all contracts for state projects must be open to bidding. Shame on all of those who are guilty of these outrages. Exceed expectations one time and do what you know deep-down is the right thing considering the present difficulties in this state. I love Michigan, but at this moment I feel embarrassed and angry.

So everyone is, in the long view, is going to pay for this exhibition of political self-interest and posturing for effect. How can such people be trusted to do what is best for Michigan's citizens? Difficult and, possibly, unpopular choices must be made. It is a fact there must be better methods for running certain services in a more cost effective way and even improving such services so the deserving people who need these services will, indeed, receive them. There is so much going on in Lansing which is unfair, unethical, and possibly immoral. Remember this when you vote. Look to the person's character instead of some party loyalty or falling for the popularity contest. The current situation is a direct result of most people not voting and not paying closer attention to current affairs. However, don't let the facts get in the way of what you wish to believe. It helps the political scoundrels when people do and that does help them keep their jobs.

Echo

2007-09-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

Although I have said this before, I believe it all needs saying again. The human race is not going forward. The human race is running backward. Certainly there have been developments of new technology and all sort of that sort of thing, but the same old and tiresome human failings remain. People continue to find excuses to hate, or at least show contempt for their fellow earthlings. There also does not seem to be much caring for our innocent furred and feathered inhabitants.
Anything will serve as a reason. If another is from a different part of the world or if their ancestors were or if someone's religion is not what another is used to or if someone's economic status is different or if someone has a different language. A needless restriction like "English only" is a form of bias. Merely saying everyone ought to be a Muslim or ought to be a Christian is an excuse to hate. It has always been so. Thousands have died because of some narrow concept of who God is or what God wants. Religion is probably the number one excuse for killing or oppressing others. The next two are probably greed or simply because those others look different in some way. Same old reasons. Some are arranging things in their minds and influencing the minds of others to make it all appear to be the right thing while it is not right at all. Many times history will be adjusted to serve that end.
So now Americans don't yet notice they are literally their own worst enemies. Things are run in a greedy and self-serving way with no thought for others. Health care? Who cares? I have my health insurance. And don't raise my taxes because I need all that extra cash to buy what I never needed. Who cares if the most vulnerable suffer? Predatory house financing schemes? Who cares? I have my stash in the bank. There's a sucker born every minute. The working poor often go without human necessaries...even their children? Who cares? If we give them any help it will be a hand out and they might give up working entirely because everyone knows the poor are lazy. I got mine, don't I? Build a wall and don't let the Latinos in and call it guarding our borders. It would make me ill to even type the stupid things I have heard and read about Latinos because it is based on entirely unfounded nonsense. How many people will watch Kid Nation so they can see children being exploited as an entertainment? I know American society has coarsened and much television is aimed at the lowest common denominator, but this is outside of enough. Then there is the Chinese situation. There is a barbaric and oppressive government which has learned easily there is loot to be made and, since people are interchangeable and easily replaced, the populace can be coerced to work for slave wages and produce a huge pile or ten of inferior and hazardous junk for the rest of the world and WalMart and such make a pile of money, and all of the guys who own the means of production and distribution do too. But, who cares about oppressed people in some other country unless they have something which can be exploited? Who cares if some poor Joe or Jane is jobless because of all the manufacturing jobs are somewhere cheap? Well..cutting the bottom off the blanket to repair the top never works out well. The self-serving hurt themselves as well in the end.
It happens in other ways too. Consider the situation in Jena. What form of jackass would make a huge issue of which people may sit under a tree in a public area? What form of jackass can not see equal means treat everyone in precisely the same way every time given the identical situation.? Incidentally, if Louisiana does not have a statute relevant to the wrongs of hanging nooses from trees and other such threatening gestures, perhaps they had better make one. A racist act is a racist act. This repellent example of racism is being televised around the world and the American government dare to criticise others for human rights violations. Then the white people in Jena insist they are hard done by and the press is painting a false impression. Is this some sort of self-deception.?
Also, in Iraq and other nearby places there are people who are killing their fellow Muslims and lying and blaming all but themselves for their own disgusting brand of bigotry of religious sectarianism or tribal rivalry and, naturally, they put God into it. They also blame Americans and/or Europeans for this. I definitely agree much which has been done by Americans have in too many ways made an unstable situation more unstable. Some of what has been done has been beyond shameful However, there are many who have the gall to cast stones while they put forward lies to the very people they call fellow Muslims. Far too many of those maimed and bleeding people who they use for their own propaganda were put in that condition by other Muslims. How does this make those liars superior to anyone. A liar from anywhere who lies to further their own ends is still a liar. Anyone who would bring weapons into a place of prayer should not dare to say God approves of anything they are doing. Hate and killing are not God's ways. That is one fact I am sure of.
The final point here is , do as you would be done by. It is a strategy which works better than magic. Why can so many never learn from history and cease to make the same painful and stupid mistakes over and over? Think on it.

Whatever

2007-09-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

I have found if a person chooses to point out what others try very hard to ignore it makes others very uneasy. They don't know where to look. They suddenly have an urgent appointment somewhere else. I know a man who avoids watching the news because, he says, he can't do anything about the unpleasant news so he does not have to think on it at all if he hasn't heard it at all. It is an odd sort of avoidance. He can watch a film with violence and all sorts of repellent behavior and language, but he can't watch the news or read a newspaper. Very simple to avoid both, actually.

Some people are the same if others challenge their core beliefs. This has always fascinated me. I've the easiest way to be rid of a door-to-door religion salesman is to challenge his beliefs. Such questions as " Do you believe this thing because you're scared not to believe it or do you believe because you have meditated on the thing and studied on it until the set of beliefs in question is something more than, for example, the result of emotional manipulation. This also an excellent method of dealing with certain types of political campaigners.

The fact is I don't care all that much if anyone reads anything I write. I need to write it and if some people read what I've written that is lovely. If no one reads any of it, I have not lost anything because I like to write. I know people are generally more comfortable if they don't let anything get in the way of what they choose to believe. No one likes to have their spelling corrected so the dictionaries are being adjusted to accommodate them and history books have been changed to accommodate political views (among other reasons). I don't even begin to aspire to as much importance as all of that. I am merely an amateur pundit with strong views.

Sweep It Under The Rug

2007-08-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

One of the parts of human behavior I will never understand is the inclination to either ignore or deny unpleasant truths. This has been going on for a very long time. I recall little snippets of social history such the story of the decrepit dwellings on the side of Central Park which were razed to the ground so those who were wealthier and more privileged would not have to view them and know the misery which must be there. Perhaps I am giving those people too much credit for a trace of guilt. May be they merely thought of those others as some inferior sort of human who "ought to die and decrease the surplus population". But then who would do all of the very menial work? Servants' stairs were accessed through doors which didn't look like doors in order for the others who lived or visited there to barely ever see those who cleaned the rooms. Every day children would be chased from the wharves and the ships which were docked there because they slept in coils of rope or empty barrels or whatever other hider hole they could find. Men who fathered children on women and girls who were not their wives ignored them and never would have claimed them as sons or daughters and the men's wives participated in this awful pretense. There are many more such things from past social history just as ugly and even uglier.

So. Why do I mention all of this? This kind of thing is happening now. There are people who work every day and are as poor as those nineteenth century people who worked about sixty hours a week and lived in the worst condition. Hurricane Katrina exposed a way of life which served the others who were more fortunate very well. They were the waitstaff and cleaning staff and whatever who made the luxury hotels and restaurants and all of that lovely tourist trade possible. It is also true in many other large cities from New York to Detroit to Los Angeles. It is shameful. There are areas of the United States worse than the shocking pictures of life in some large city in India. Supposedly, this is the wealthiest country in the world. Many believe Americans are superior to other people in other countries in every way and it actually is not even near to being the truth. Americans as a whole are often loud, illiterate and jaw-dropping arrogant and ill-mannered...especially when they are visiting other countries. Too many Americans are ethnocentric down to the bone. They export disgusting television programs and offensive "music" and make people with no redeeming qualities one can find out to be " stars" to be admired and emulated. They thinly disguise ethnic bias as "protecting our borders".

Of course not all are that sort of person. But those who are will make their noise whether anyone wishes to hear them or not. They become our elected officials and the toadies and henchmen of said elected officials. What sort of impression would that kind of carrying on present to the rest of the world? As if all of that is not damning enough, the very infrastructure (i.e.: bridges, sewage pipes, water pipes, roads, schools, levees, and on and on) is literally falling into frightening disrepair while more and more money is shovelled into this tar baby of a war which so far appears to have done more harm than good. There are more hired armies over their than there are regular armed forces people from any particular country. Contract soldiers or mercenaries. They swagger about and do whatever they wish, apparently. The entire truth on all of that may never be known. They have good PR and friends in places of political power. If not for them, this stupid and expensive war probably could not continue. Most of what they get paid comes out of our taxes and it is billions. I have heard all of the reasons and excuses ad nauseum. I say this because I do indeed care about my country and my world. The sad truth is, if things continue as they have been these past few years, we need not bother to look to be protected from some outside threat. This business of not dealing with infrastructure or health care or shipping all those manufacturing jobs to China so we can poison ourselves, our pets and our children with inferior and dangerous products. It is difficult to buy anything not made in China. From toys to the food in our supermarkets. America is its own worst enemy. The political corruption in this country is perhaps the worst in history. It affects everything. I wish it were not so. This is not merely some kind of wacky conspiracy theory, this is a frightening fact. It is perilously close to a thing George Orwell might have written. That lump under the rug is becoming mighty large. That unsightly lump is beginning to draw attention to itself.

Politicianspeak

2007-08-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Judging by the recent report of Mr. Obama allegedly putting his foot in his mouth a couple times because he ventured to give his plain-spoken opinion, what seems to be the mark of being "presidential" is the ability to speak with out precisely saying anything openly and plainly...unless one is pointing out a perceived faux pas some other candidate has committed. Have we not has a bellyfull of that behavior yet? In the past few years humbuggery has become a way of life in the White House and certain members on both sides of the aisle in both branches of the legislature are not far behind. Enough already! Frankly, I am sorry to have been proved right when I have joked honest politician is almost always an oxymoron.

Sad as that is, considering the powers they are given to do good or ill, I am not disheartened enough nor silly enough to forgo my right to vote. Please consider that many people who can legally vote do not do so and also consider that may very well be part of the reason the state of thing is so abysmal in areas where there is no valid reason for things to be so. So don't just complain or fume or read stuff written by amateur pundits like me. Vote! And, when you vote, consider the candidate's character and intelligence and potential for strong moral courage. And pray, as the old song says"that we won't be fooled again".

Conventional Wisdom?

2007-02-12T22:26:00.002-08:00

I often listen to other people talk wherever I might be. I don't mean eavesdropping or anything of that nature. What I'm referring to is general conversations people are having in the break room at work or some other place people are gathered and talking, so it seems, just to pass the time. I have to figuratively bite my tongue, but I manage to not interrupt what is often a very revealing glimpse into what people believe simply because they hear a thing many times. It is similar to a catch phrase in a cartoon from several years back: "if you see it on television, it must be true". People actually believe, for example there is a group of people who are "social drinkers" who, I suppose, are those who drink alcoholic beverages on a regular basis and are not addicted to them. I have never in my life met such an individual. If one challenges some person who claims to be so to entirely quit alcohol consumption for a month or two, it can cause an argument which involves nasty name calling and the person making such a rude suggestion is forever labelled as "some kind of a nut" or worse. I know. Another common belief is there are groups of lazy and shiftless people out there in the USA who live off "welfare" because it is so lucrative and, of course, easier than some form of productive labor. This belief persists stubbornly even though most states have barely even got any sort of social safety net when a family might actually require such assistance. I've even seen this misinformation in newspapers and a certain politician in my home state made it part of his agenda to rid the state of such means of support at the public expense never minding the fact that there is no such thing and there has not been for nearly twenty years. A previous occupant of the same political office he aspired to did away with all of that. Of course there is also that ever ephemeral thing called "family values". I have pondered that notion and concluded it is not threatened by television programs which feature gratuitous sex and/or violence and it does not prevent advertisements such as "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" and it does not include not curbing the astonishing depiction of alcohol even in television shows and films ..even those deemed suitable for children...as long as no one smokes and it does not include the public condemnation of the hate groups gaining a new popularity with people who really must have some group of people to hate and blame for whatever. It does, however include homophobia and people who object to Harry Potter films and books because they include magic. I have even heard objections to classic Disney cartoons because of the same reasons. Perhaps it is because the issues are easier for the functionally illiterate to handle.

Airing My Own Views #2

2007-02-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

Subject 1; I am still pondering how people can possibly believe there is some justification for the violence some are persuaded to do and then have the temerity to say the do it in God's service.Which holy book says there is ever justification for killing little children and other defenceless people? Many times women have no say in political or religious mattters than the small children. So why harm them? Has no one learned nothing good comes of this sort of thinking? Can it be that people who are persuading others this is desirable behavior have some other agenda and they are using others who are gullible and impressionable to do these terrible things? Any one can say he has some special inside track on what God wants and because he has a persuasive way of speaking and a way of "proving" his arguments with sacred writings. Balderdash! It is God who gave each human the ability to reason things through and a built-in warning bell which sounds when things are wrong. Unfortunately, too many seem to find ways to silence that bell as if it is a minor annoyance to be ignored. Just a thought. It remains a good idea to be cautious who you believe and who you follow. It is an excellent idea to consult others who can be more objective. If whatever it is will not stand up to a bit of critical discussion and if it is solely based on a "believe it because I say it so" and it is based on rousing some sort of emotional reaction only, the thing should be investigated more closely before a hasty decision is made. Please remember prejudice is mainly caused by ignorance and fear of the unfamiliar. People manipulate others by appealing to emotions and basic desires. Much of television advertising does this. Some who claim to be spreading the message of God do this. Some who are politicians do this. Tread warily. Also' there is no such thing as everybody [insert selected group of people here] always are or do whatever the thing is. There are always exceptions to any belief or behavior in any chosen group of people. Far too much variation exists in humanity than allows for any strict uniformity.

in answer to a recent email: Actually, no, I've taken a while to ponder all of the above, rational exchanges of ideas are helpful. They are, at the very least, more productive than killing those with whom one disagrees or does not understand. And, I'd be delighted to provide a reading list to any who might request it. I actually won't expect any to take that offer, but I shall do if I'm asked.

Meanwhile, keep a hand and have a peaceful and productive day.

Airing My Own Views

2007-01-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Subject one:
I really must make a few observations. I recently had someone tell me he did not not Christians feel as strongly about what they believe as Muslims do because he had never heard of any suicide bombers who call themselves Christians. I was truly stunned. i had never expected to hear anyone say such a thing in real life. I had heard of the so-called Jesus camps where, it appeared, children were being indoctrinated to thing just that way. I don't understand. Jesus would have wanted that?! It seems to me those who wrote of his life and teachings said he mostly taught peace and love and compassionate understanding are the right things. I don't subscribe to any particular faith tradition, so perhaps I have not kept up with the current religious perversions of what the great teachers taught. It is that " God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts" sort of thing which those of all faith traditions should keep in mind..

Next subject:
Someone left a comment which had a line in it about me getting a "real" college degree. I have one of those. Just because I am an abysmal typist and have admitted I work at a service job is no reason for anyone to assume otherwise. Beware of painting things with a broad brush. The issue is often more complicated than it first appears.

Third subject:
Recent political upheavals in Washington D.C. have been interesting. I am waiting to see if anything useful will come of it all. I certainly think the previous majority were going to hell in a handbasket, as the old saying goes. Let us see if the newly voted majority can do better or will they be bogged down by high-flown ideas and no practical solutions to implement those fine ideas. An unfortunate tone has been set in this country in the last several years that self-serving is the right thing and nothing matters except big business and not regulating their abuses of power and money and employees. I have heard some awesome excuses and spurious reasons why corporate greed is actually a good thing for the elusive middle class. One wonders who those folks could actually be when faced with how many people actually live below the poverty level. Probably it is those people who, like the imaginary Stanley Johnson, are in debt up to their eyeballs, (sinking quickly, actually), whose offspring are doing the sorts of criminal activities which used to be, supposedly, the behavior of the lower classes.,, not in real life, mind, but in the popular imagination. But, I digress. I am waiting to see an attitude adjustment at the highest government levels and I am not going to hold my breath waiting waiting for that miracle.

Now that I have, probably, annoyed someone, keep a hand and have a good week.

The Power Of Good Works

2005-01-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

In the midst of a world of wars and prejudice and hate there has recently been several horrific tragedies. In the aftermath of this came so many people to help, including, at least once, American soldiers. They came to help. The needs seem overwhelming, but it is wonderful to see people of so many different countries and cultures doing their best to help others when help is most needed.
Someone told me recently that diplomacy does not help the world's problems and the only way to deal with people who hate Americans and whichever other people they believe they should hate is to make war with them. Perhaps it would be even more productive for everyone to try learning about cultures other than their own and accept that people are different from each other. That does not , in itself, make these differences bad or wrong. The other consideration is some uses of certain words have a negative meaning because of the behaviors or past events with which they are associated. The point of view or context are the definition of the terms in many cases. The word "crusade" for example. In the western world that word has become innocuous and can be used for such things as "a crusade to sell children fruit juice rather than sodas". However, on the other side of the world it is still associated with the several wars against the indigenous people in the Mideast. History makes it very clear that war never solves such problems. Mutual understanding may help much more. I am quite willing to look at any proof of any long term good result ever came of fighting wars. There is, however, much to be said for doing good and helping others simply because it is the right thing to do. Certainly, with the increasingly volatile weather probably exacerbated by global warming it will become, perhaps, more a priority to give aid to those who suffer than to engage in wars over metaphysical ideas. It is also very good PR...I should rather have the taxes I must pay spent on good works...I am certain there are other fine reasons for getting a well-deserved reputation for making the world a truly better place. John Lennon's wonderful "Imagine" comes to mind.

Naturally there are those who have evil agendas. They are naturally bloody minded or terribly misguided or mentally ill. But, one way to thwart their efforts is to do good and help others. There are hundreds of innocent children and, also, ordinary people who are much like anyone you or I might know and all they want is to live reasonably peaceful and normal lives. Just for one moment the supporters of violence on both sides should consider that. Just for one moment, forget petty politics and cultural differences which seem strange, and stop imagining that one's concept of God is God... It doesn't matter because God will still BE God. Now, take a deep breath and give to help those most in need if it is at all possible...prudently checking to see that is what your chosen charity is about..and be careful of who you follow and take care in which pronouncements you believe. If it is anything like blind hate, it is likely to be the wrong thing.

A Kind Of Grinch

2004-12-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

At this wonderful time of the year, it really saddens me that someone I was once close to no longer believes in any of the things Christmas has always meant to me. In my mind, Christmas is more about the hope of peace and the coming new beginning of a new year...with much of the old Yuletide idea more than of Christianity as many would interpret that particlar religious persuasion. I admit he has had some real tragedy in his life. But now he has none of the hope, faith, or true magic which helps create the light and inner peace in one's life. I believe without a doubt that there should be some place in a person's mind for a creator we call by some name...a being who is greater than ourselves. There should be a capacity to allow for the existence of angels, fairy folk, prayers which are answered, Santa Claus. reindeer who fly, a real life after life, and an eventual explanation for why bad things happen to good people. Without all of these things, it takes the shine out of life. I know it has for that man I mentioned.
So all I can do is pray someday he will see the truth of the vital human mythology he so coldly dismisses as nonsense and wish everyone a very happy Christmas season and add my daily prayer that there actually will be peace and people will stop fighting over their various concepts of God and try harder follow that wise and useful golden rule as some religions teach there are many paths to God. Can one not choose a good path and allow others to freely choose his or her own path? It is as wrong to say there is no God as to say there is only one way to honor God.