Politics
If Aliens Attack?
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 | Politics | 3 Comments
I was listening to a program on television and they were talking about Oath Keepers. They are, from what I can gather, a group that believes they should have the right to carry concealed weapons. They seem to be recruiting police and former Armed Forces people and from what I heard they seem to be getting an Army.
If you don’t believe me look at their web site
This isn’t the only group that seems to be forgetting that our country is named the United States of America. I think that they should realize that it is exactly this unity that gives us our strength. Of late, the Birthers, the Oath Keepers, and a lot of our elected Republicans among others, seem to be suggesting that the Bible was wrong and a House divided against itself can stand.
Now don’t get me wrong, I think that one of America’s strengths is the fact that we encourage dissent but it is the after-effect that I am worried about. When I was growing up if you didn’t get the laws that you wanted you redoubled your efforts especially at election time.
The latest action seems to be that of the petulant child ” If I don’t get my way I’ll take my state and secede.” Which finally brings me to the point.
America is often called a melting pot and I think that we should revise that idea to being a stew pot . The gravy being the rich and they affect the majority and the minority. The other parts of the stew still retain their own ideas and customs but they are still part of the stew.
Even though we are separate we should be like a big family. I may talk about my brothers but don’t assume that you can. We should be working towards that idea.
I remember a television series called V that was about aliens that took over Earth. While there were a few humans that sided with the aliens; the majority fought side by side with their fellow humans despite religion, creed, skin color to defeat these invaders. Maybe the SyFy channel should run the series again.
Maybe We Should Try Democracy?
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 | Economics, Politics | No Comments
Most people think that what we were told in school is true. We are told that we live in a democracy but in truth we live in a representative democracy. How does this change things? Well, in a democracy the majority rules, everyone is pushing for the law to benefit themselves, and the amount of cash they have has no influence on the vote.
In a representative democracy the representatives rule, normally with the rich minority in mind. The representatives have only their job on their mind not the law or your benefit. The only reason that they pay any attention to the rich minority is because they need to get reelected and that costs money.
When the founding fathers came up with the idea of a representative democracy it was a good idea. The majority of our populace was not well educated and so it made sense that the rich, who were, should make decisions for the majority Our country has progessed since then to the point that the majority is well educated enough to make decisions about their welfare.
What I am suggesting is that we change from the representative democracy to a pure democracy. You could set it up sort of like the voting on American Idol, after all, more people vote for American Idol then for our President. Wouldn’t that mean that we would be subject to voter fraud? Well we could always get someone like Richard Daley or even our Supreme Court to oversee the election. We know that fraud could never happen on their watch.
I know that you are probably thinking that this would lead to chaos and perhaps it would. We would no longer send jobs overseas because we would realize that the extra money in wages we would be getting from the closing of the rich’s tax loopholes would make us realize that buying even America’s worst products is still keeping money in America. It would make it almost impossible for lobbyist to do their job which could lead to universal healthcare, gun control, or even not jumping into senseless wars. Total chaos!
Warren
P.S. There are now Congressmen who want to pass a bill to make it mandatory for the President to prove that he meets the qualifications to be President. Ordinarily I would think that they had gone too far but in this case I don’t think they have gone far enough. We should make it mandatory for all public officials. Does that mean that many hours would be wasted by the Congress in following the law? Not as many as they are wasting now.
No Excuses
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 | Economics, Politics | No Comments
Obama’s nightmare may have come true. Al Franken has officially won the election and that gives the Dems the 60 votes to prevent filabusters. This means that the Administration has to perform.
They won’t be able to blame anything on the Republicans till the midterm elections. If they don’t perform, then it may be the Republicans turn to do things.
I think that President Obama should now give up the idea that bipartisanship is essential to get the job done. I think that the only bipartisanship that counts is the one that always counted.We have always ruled by bipartisanship. The bipartisanship between the majority and the minority. I know that some would say that you can’t have bipartisanship between the majority and the minority because by definition there has to be agreement but the fact that we don’t have alot of revolutions indicates that there is some agreement.
I hope that President Obama will be able to disregard his impule to be well liked in favor or our desire to be well governed. He hasn’t, so far, pushed through any major legislation that address the concerns of the common man. The credit card bill didn’t make it mandatory to be able to fight the FICO scores tyranny. It didn’t even make it mandatory to give us our FICO scores.
They are still talking about health care as if we need the health care industry to come up with a plan. Medicare works, why wouldn’t universal health care? Think about it, the elderly are more likely to need healthcare then any segment of our economy. The government took over the segment that should be the most expensive and still health care costs went up astronomically. Do we really expect them to come up with a solution?
We haven’t even faced the real problems yet. Lots of people are being laid off but are “saved” by unemployment. What happens when they don’t have any income coming in, then the dominoes will really start to fall. Now is the time for actions, not excuses.
Nothing Succeeds Like Secession
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 | Diplomacy, Politics | No Comments
The recent talk about Texas seceding from the Union made me think about the good it would bring about. The first question would naturally be why didn’t they think about this when George Bush was governor (Did I really use the word think and George Bush in the same sentence? Shame on me!)
Now don’t get me wrong I don’t want to lose Texas from the Union. If we did where would I get my Texas Toast? I know that in reality we would never let Texas secede. We more or less settled the secession question with that little Civil War thing.
Does Texas realize that it has the largest border with Mexico of any of our states. With the lack of Federal funds to help them they might as well change the name of El Paso to Ellis Island and avoid that bothersome fence building. Do the Texans really believe that Mexico will honor their borders? I know that Texas won their independence from Mexico but in all fairness it was with the help of lots of Americans, both Houston and Austin were born in Virginia. I’m not so sure that the Mexicans have gotten over losing Texas and they may want it back. By seceding, Texas would be a separate country responsible for its own defense. This might be something to think about when you consider that they can see Mexico from their door step.
Too Much, Too Late
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 | Economics, Politics | No Comments
Another person called me today and told me the bad news. He works in the construction industry and hasn’t worked for three months. Another friend works at Circuit City and though he is still working he isn’t putting much in his retirement account. I’d love to think that like some B movie western, the cavalry is on the way but I fear the horses might be dead.
The experts are predicting that the unemployment rate will reach eleven percent by the third or fourth quarter (sounds like a hell of a Christmas present). Yet the Congressional Republicans are still fighting with the President on his stimulus bill.
Some of them argue that the bill will take too long to actually stimulate the economy, others say they want more tax cuts but those of us who don’t have secure government jobs for the next two, four, or six years just want action.
I can’t help but think that the business of politics should change it’s name to show business because all of these politicans seem to be posturing for the next election. Okay, we get it, Republicans are the tax reducers and Democrats spend like there is no tomorrow.( which the way things are going my not be a slogan but a prophecy) On second thought, the way they are arguing maybe that should be No Show Business. When Sean Penn expresses his opinion on a government action we don’t have to listen. When Congress and the President express theirs, we better listen.
I realize that nobody in government wants to make a mistake that would cost them their next election but now is the time for action. If you make a mistake try something different. The American people are forgiving if you make a mistake cause at least you tried something.
Imagine two doctors at the scene of an accident; doctor one waits for the injured to get to the hospital and doctor two treats the wounded on the spot. If one of the injured dies while doc two is treating him we would be more forgiving then if doc one’s patient dies in the operating room. It is better for the economy to have a little now then to die with too much , too late
Life as a Seesaw
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 | Economics, Politics | 5 Comments
They are sometimes called a teeter totter or teeter board but they most often are known as seesaws. Most of us have been on one or at least know what I am talking about. In a sense, most of our lives are analogous to the actions of the seesaw.
We have our highs and lows and sometimes we are in perfect balance where we are neither plunging to the depths or ascending to the heights. Where the analogy doesn’t hold is when you figure the fat cats. On the playground a heavy kid could suspend you in mid air and if he wanted, he could torment you. He could raise it just enough and then let his weight go crashing to the ground, this left you sometimes doing a headstand on the other side. I’m sure that this must have been the forerunner of the mechanical bull which would have been fun if Debra Winger was riding it but she never came to my playground. the really cruel fat cats would even go so far as to pretend that you could get off and then not let you.
In real life the fat cats are the ones on the top of the seesaw and they still get to torment us. The difference is that now they do it financially. The banks now have their money and we were led to believe that credit would open up again. Every day there seems to be another business dying or someone losing their home and yet the fat cats are still hoarding.
What the fat cats don’t realize is that their seesaw is perched on a bigger seesaw. The way things are going right now the bigger seesaw is balanced. It won’t stay that way.
Don’t Be Nice in Front of Me
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 | General, Politics | No Comments
Most of the time when a President leaves office he looks a lot older then when he was elected. I know he is older but I mean that he seems to have aged disproportionately more in those 4 or 8 years. If things keep progressing the way they have been, President Obama may look like Benjamin Button at the beginning of his life when he leaves office. As if the economic crisis wasn’t enough now he will have to face more problems in the Middle East.
I can understand that Hamas has attacked Israel and that Israel has the right to defend itself, but does it have the right to do more? If I remember from the Old Testament playbook it is not an eye for a spleen. Please don’t tell me that the Israelis have a right to eradicate Hamas because they are a threat because that’s what Hamas is saying about the Israelis.
Of course I won’t be solving this problem anytime soon, so I am trying to make things easier on me. A couple of days ago I was coming to a stop and a car was coming out of the parking lot. The car in front of me stopped and let the other car ahead of him. I quickly stopped. Then I prayed that the car in back would not be coming home with me. As I was waiting, it suddenly dawned on me that the car in front of me thought that he had done a good deed by letting the other car go in front of him. From my point of view, however, he had inconvenienced me and therefore had done a bad deed. Now I know that two wrongs don’t make a right but a right and a wrong make a neutral.
So I think we should agree to this rule. If you are in front of me don’t be nice; that guy leaving the 7/11 will have to wait for a break in traffic. If, however, the Black Toyota coming out of the Piggly Wiggly has me behind the wheel; do a good deed and let me out.
Warren in Wonderland
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 | Politics | No Comments
I don’t like to think of myself as naive( i know, how naive) but recently I’ve had my doubts. Some of my beliefs have been changed into misconceptions. What brought about this sea change of beliefs? The answer is Caroline Kennedy.
I used to believe that we were different from England in that we did not have a royal family. I thought that the belief that some people were divinely ordained to rule was a concept that we purged with the end of the Revolution. It seems to be at odds with that “all men are created equal” part of our heritage. I realize that when President Kennedy was assassinated the world was shocked but I was more shocked when I found out the way that his father made all of the money that put JFK in office. Does the end justify the means?
I thought that Obama was going to change the status quo. He was going to get rid of the old boy network. He has, since the election, put so many Clinton cronies in office that I guess he meant that he would get rid of the old boy network and replace it with the good old boy network.
I’ll admit that I used to believe my grade school civics teacher that anyone can become President. I now know that only the rich can be President. This wouldn’t be so bad except it means that any man who becomes President is beholden to the fat cats that get people elected. This leads me to Caroline Kennedy. She is being talked about as the replacement for Senator Clinton’s Senate seat.
The experts will tell you that the endorsements of Ted and Caroline were crucial for Obama in winning the Presidency. I may be naive enough to believe that Senator Clinton was not promised a place in the government in exchange for her campaigning for Obama. I’m not naive enough to believe promises were not made to the Kennedys.
What worries me most is that I was so afraid of being naive that I wasted my vote. I could have voted for Paris Hilton.
Am I, My Brother’s Keeper?
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 | Politics | No Comments
You know, this is one of those questions that even God did not answer very well. God did condemn Cain to walk the earth with that little “mark” but that turned out to be more like a blueprint for Secret Service protection. Cain had to walk the earth but no one could kill him without incurring the wrath of the Big Guy (yes, I could have used the term Big Girl for those of you who believe that God is a woman but that would have entailed me calling God a girl which the Divine Entity may well be. The problem would then be, calling God a girl and then calling Her big which could be tantamount to calling God a Fat Girl, talk about incurring wrath).
If Cain was responsible weren’t Adam and Eve? How far does responsibility go? This brings us to the recent Blagojevich problem. Is it fair to Barack Obama to question whether he is involved in this? After a hard fought campaign I would have thought that he might be involved in more serious pursuits, like the economy. It is easy to be cynical, I find it very easy, but can’t we wait till Obama gets into office before we castigate him?
Godless Republicans
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | Politics | No Comments
When I was younger I thought that there were clear differences between the Republicans and the Democrats. To me the Republicans were the party of business and the Democrats were the party of social justice. The Republicans were more likely to lower our taxes and the Democrats to raise them. The Democrats were more likely to extend unemployment benefits and the Republicans were more likely to put us on unemployment
They seem to have changed. It might be difficult to suggest that the Democrats will be turning into Republicans because they may have to raise taxes this term. If Paris Hilton’s had been elected she would probably raise taxes (the possible tax exception being Prada bags). The problem seems to be that Republicans seems to be afraid of socialism and communism but a theocracy is all right.
There are more registered Democrats then Republicans. Assuming that all the Democrats vote for Democrats and Republicans for Republicans then the Democrats always win. Despite the media’s insistence that women or blacks or blue eyed Eskimos were the swing vote minority that won the election, the real swing vote were independents.
McCain and the Republicans made a big deal about Sarah Palin invigorating the base. which is one of the reasons they lost. They should have worked on the independents. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that If the Democrats outnumber the Republicans they have to get votes somewhere.
The Independents are for the most part middle of the road. They see a need for taxes and social programs. They don’t like extremes in politics or religion.
I think that this is one of the mistakes that the Republicans made. They seem to be going from a political party to a theological party. They include in their platforms things that are more concerned with religion than politics. Yes I’m talking about abortion. I don’t understand how a party that doesn’t like the government to intrude on their life with taxes and governmental regulations is fully willing to force someone to have a baby.
I don’t understand how the Christian Right was all for Sarah Palin when she chose to run for office. She has a special needs child at home. I know people with special needs children and it comsumes most of their time. They don’t have time to run for the PTA let alone the Vice Presidency. Her husband might be filling in but from what I understand he is away from the house weeks at a time for his employment. So who is taking care of Trig?
Okay, I digressed, the point I was trying to make was that the Republicans should become Godless. Get away from the Bush and Palin belief that God has annointed them for a new religious crusade (remember how well those crusades turned out for us) and get back to the Coolidge Idea: The business of America Is business.
Will that mean that they will lose the Christian right? Where will they go? Will they threaten to vote Democratic? Even Hillary supporters’ claim that they would vote for McCain had more of a chance; because they hoped that he would turn rogue once he got into office. They should aim for the center and let the rest follow. If you aim for the center you have more chance of hitting the bullseye.
Warren
P.S. They are misinforming us again. Having worked at GM I know that union members do get 95% of their pay but half of that is Unemployment Benefits which all of the unemployed are entitled to. The problem with GM is that while Japanese CEOs earn no more than 50 times what the lowest paid worker makes;American CEOs make upwards of 500 times the lowest workers pay.
P.P.S. I would like to thank all of the people who have sent in comments. You have encouraged me to keep on going (possibly to the regret of some). I had considered replying to some (especially those young nymphomaniacs with daddy issues) but my wife informs me it would not be in my best interests.
Warren