Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
John Kyl sees Nothing, Nothing
Never mind that paying people the meager amount they need to keep food on the table and a roof overhead for their families while they look for work acts as a stimulant to the economy. Because unlike the rich who have more than they need, the unemployed spend their checks immediately. The wealthy aren't putting their surplus money into circulation, so it doesn't help our economy's recovery. It makes no sense to extend the very tax cuts were one of the factors that lead to our current budget shortfall.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Best Little Whorehouse in Louisiana
The Chairman's New Clothes, A Fairy Tale of American Exceptionalism
http://www.economist.com/node/16591267
"This was a war of Obama's choosing. This is not something the United States has actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."
—Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, at a Connecticut fundraiser about the war in Afghanistan, which President Bush launched following the 9/11 terrorist attacks (July 2, 2010)
Following a firestorm of Republican criticism, Steele said, "On the other matter, in terms of Afghanistan and all of that, let me be very clear: Absolutely, without equivocation, or doubt or hesitation, I'm foursquare, a thousand percent with our troops on the ground. My goodness, do not leave these young men and women without the resources they need. And that should have been very, very clear -- that I think it's important for us to recognize that this war on terrorism was brought to our shores and we must fight it. We must fight it. And we will fight it and we will win it, because that's what the resolve of the American people is on this. That's part of that exceptionalism again that we bring to this."
And so I show Michael Steele in the embarrassing position of the legendary emperor parading in his new raiments. The clothes that he and everybody else believed to be the most costly and fabulous. The clothes that were woven from the fiber of fiction.
Michael Steele's recent comments concerning American exceptionalism demand a nuanced discussion. The term, like our national flag, has become an object of emotional projection, evoking a plethora of feelings and meanings. Ironically, he was forced to call upon the power of these words to recover from the earlier gaff about our role in Afghanistan. (inadvertent telling of the truth by a public figure) Defending his continued tenure as nominal head of the Republican Party, Michael Steele wrapped himself in the mantle of its ambiguous implications. American exceptionalism brings to mind liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism and laissez-faire. We love to think of ourselves as the best in all things because we are true to these great American values.
Although incorrect in referring to Afghanistan as Obama's War, Steele did raise an important question in doubting Obama's ability to succeed there. As Americans, we believe in our mid-20th century potency to "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." (John F. Kennedy inaugural address January 20, 1961). Yet, at what cost to the needs of our citizenry do we fight in Afghanistan? In light of the corruption of the government in Afganistan, will our involvement actually assure the liberty of people here or abroad? Does the region's history doom our mission to be a fool's errand?
In what other ways has our belief in American exceptionalism blinded us to the reality of our situation? We have neglected our infrastructure. For example according to Thomas Friedman, “The difference is starting to show. Just compare arriving at La Guardia’s dumpy terminal in New York City and driving through the crumbling infrastructure into Manhattan with arriving at Shanghai’s sleek airport and taking the 220-mile-per-hour magnetic levitation train….Then ask yourself: Who is living in the third world?”
Individualism and laissez-faire implies that each of us is free to achieve to our highest potential. Yet our national health hampers the realization of our dreams. We are no longer the best nourished, healthiest people on the planet. Our healthcare system is ranked 37 by the World Health Organization. One marker of our declining overall health is a decline in height in the US population while Europeans are increasing. John Komlos, Professor of Economic History at the University of Munich, and Benjamin Lauderdale of Princeton University's Department of Politics points to poorer diets in the US. Other factors might include Europe's superior health care and welfare systems, better health care in western and northern Europe and more comprehensive welfare systems. At the same time, we are overfed and under-exercised. We lead the planet in obesity, an epidemic 30% of our population.
In what other ways has our belief in American exceptionalism blinded us to the reality of our situation? We have neglected our infrastructure. For example according to Thomas Friedman, “The difference is starting to show. Just compare arriving at La Guardia’s dumpy terminal in New York City and driving through the crumbling infrastructure into Manhattan with arriving at Shanghai’s sleek airport and taking the 220-mile-per-hour magnetic levitation train….Then ask yourself: Who is living in the third world?”
Individualism and laissez-faire implies that each of us is free to achieve to our highest potential. Yet our national health hampers the realization of our dreams. We are no longer the best nourished, healthiest people on the planet. Our healthcare system is ranked 37 by the World Health Organization. One marker of our declining overall health is a decline in height in the US population while Europeans are increasing. John Komlos, Professor of Economic History at the University of Munich, and Benjamin Lauderdale of Princeton University's Department of Politics points to poorer diets in the US. Other factors might include Europe's superior health care and welfare systems, better health care in western and northern Europe and more comprehensive welfare systems. At the same time, we are overfed and under-exercised. We lead the planet in obesity, an epidemic 30% of our population.
Despite our professed value of populism, championing the people in their struggle for power with the elite, we are falling behind in educating the masses. We offer some of the world's greatest universities, yet student achievement among the vast majority of students is in decline. UNICEF ranked the US school system as 17th globally in student achievement. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked US student scores as 33rd in the world, although they fare better in math scores at 27th.
And what about our beloved egalitarianism? CBS news reports that "Women in the United States who are 30 to 44 and who hold a university degree — meaning a bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctorate or medical degree — make only 62 percent of what similarly qualified men do."
And so I show Michael Steele in the embarrassing position of the legendary emperor parading in his new raiments. The clothes that he and everybody else believed to be the most costly and fabulous. The clothes that were woven from the fiber of fiction.
http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity
http://atlanticreview.org/archives/661-Europeans-are-taller-than-Americans.html
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-top-400.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/national/main838207.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/26/world/main530872.shtml
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity
http://www.geographic.org/country_ranks/educational_score_performance_country_ranks_2009_oecd.html
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity
http://atlanticreview.org/archives/661-Europeans-are-taller-than-Americans.html
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-top-400.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/national/main838207.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/26/world/main530872.shtml
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity
http://www.geographic.org/country_ranks/educational_score_performance_country_ranks_2009_oecd.html
Friday, July 9, 2010
Joe Manchin's Sweet Dream
Guest blogger De Walker is an activist who is deeply involved in moving the national discussion about unemployment compensation issues. I would like to thank her for preparing this informative discussion of recent events. Here Facebook page on this topic is entitled "Middle Class Americans."
July 9, 2010
The unemployed are left in holding pattern yet again due to political games. The house has passed a watered down bill by Senator Stabenow which excludes 99ers , tier 5 and Cobra Subsidy. They in addition passed a 30 day bill from the Republicans that included a $25 addition to benefits, Cobra subsidy and tier 5, but was only a temporary solution for 30 days. Both bills were passed to the Senate on June 30th and both parties refused each other offers. This development happened after the millions of the unemployed that had been paying for unemployment insurance benefits their entire working lives had been waiting for several versions of the bill to pass for over 8 weeks.
The watered down bill by Stabenow that excludes millions was due to finally break the Republican filibuster on the 12th of July with the help of 2 Republican votes and the vote from recently passed Democratic Byrd’s seat replacement in the Senate. That hopeful yet inadequate bill is yet again under jeopardy due to West Virgina’s Governor Joe Manchin political aspirations. He was given the duty by the Senate and the Secretary of State to quickly appoint a replacement for BYRD’s Seat in order to pass unemployment Insurance among other important legislation before the Senate.
Governor Manchin announced on MSNBC that he instead of appointing the seat he has decided to have the West Virginia Attorney General decide on whether they should hold an early election for Byrd’s seat in November 2010. Thus depending on whether they decide on a temporary replacement for Byrd’s seat or leaving the seat empty until November it will delay the legislation on the floor from a week to several months. Manchin does this action because although he said he would not appoint himself to the empty seat, he has announced several times that he would like to run for the empty seat in November 2010. West Virginia is using a rarely used local law to try and accomplish this political move at the expense of Millions of Americans.
The latest released info links from West Virginia Attorney General and Governor Manchin are at the end of this article.
De Walker
M.C.A.
Middle Class Americans-Facebook
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38138942#38138942
http://www.wvgov.org/sec.aspx?id=32&articleid=2064
http://www.wvgov.org/uploads/WVAGopinion.pdf
http://www.facebook.com/?page=1&sk=messages&tid=1150745905141#!/group.php?gid=135166673173979
The unemployed are left in holding pattern yet again due to political games. The house has passed a watered down bill by Senator Stabenow which excludes 99ers , tier 5 and Cobra Subsidy. They in addition passed a 30 day bill from the Republicans that included a $25 addition to benefits, Cobra subsidy and tier 5, but was only a temporary solution for 30 days. Both bills were passed to the Senate on June 30th and both parties refused each other offers. This development happened after the millions of the unemployed that had been paying for unemployment insurance benefits their entire working lives had been waiting for several versions of the bill to pass for over 8 weeks.
The watered down bill by Stabenow that excludes millions was due to finally break the Republican filibuster on the 12th of July with the help of 2 Republican votes and the vote from recently passed Democratic Byrd’s seat replacement in the Senate. That hopeful yet inadequate bill is yet again under jeopardy due to West Virgina’s Governor Joe Manchin political aspirations. He was given the duty by the Senate and the Secretary of State to quickly appoint a replacement for BYRD’s Seat in order to pass unemployment Insurance among other important legislation before the Senate.
Governor Manchin announced on MSNBC that he instead of appointing the seat he has decided to have the West Virginia Attorney General decide on whether they should hold an early election for Byrd’s seat in November 2010. Thus depending on whether they decide on a temporary replacement for Byrd’s seat or leaving the seat empty until November it will delay the legislation on the floor from a week to several months. Manchin does this action because although he said he would not appoint himself to the empty seat, he has announced several times that he would like to run for the empty seat in November 2010. West Virginia is using a rarely used local law to try and accomplish this political move at the expense of Millions of Americans.
The latest released info links from West Virginia Attorney General and Governor Manchin are at the end of this article.
De Walker
M.C.A.
Middle Class Americans-Facebook
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38138942#38138942
http://www.wvgov.org/sec.aspx?id=32&articleid=2064
http://www.wvgov.org/uploads/WVAGopinion.pdf
http://www.facebook.com/?page=1&sk=messages&tid=1150745905141#!/group.php?gid=135166673173979
www.msnbc.msn.com
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