After Benazir Bhutto was brutally murdered last week, the Pakistan People's Party was left without a leader.
She had named her husband Asif Ali Zardari to head the Pakistan People's Party in her will, which was read on Sunday, but he handed over the position to the couple's son, PPP official Makhdoom Amin Faheem said.
How can you ‘will’ political power to another person? And how can you just ‘hand it over’ to another person? This is not the way of true democracy.
Blood is not a deciding factor on the ability of a person to run a country. But, then again, neither is a democratically held election.
I suppose one could say that if the party accepts the person presented as the leader then democracy, in its truest sense, does exist.
This sense of true democracy is struggling in the U.S.
Bush and Cheney have created a stronger presidential office much to the detriment of democratic freedoms. Their own reasoning for their actions, of course, is to protect those same freedoms, but those freedoms are not in danger from anyone other than these two power hungry old men. This is a case of where their egos got in the way of doing what is right for this country. They have lost faith in Democracy and decided they know better than our forefathers on how to maintain and nurture democracy.
In their zeal to appear as if they were putting this nations’ security first, they grabbed a bunch of people of Arabic dissent without solid evidence of any clear terrorist ties and then held them for six years under the guise of guilt. Their guilt has never proven and habeas corpus suffered because these two old men refused to admit they could have made a mistake.
This administration has condoned torture. Sure it cannot be proven in a court of law because the very people we need as witnesses are all involved. But citizens of this country and of the world know the U.S. participated in it and perpetrated it.
I present this question to the world: which is worse, Saddam Hussein, who we all despised for his use of torture to control his citizens and ensure his reign of power, or a democratically elected president, by the way that election was disputed and not decided by the public, who looks the other way as long as torture is used for our purposes?
If any other country took American citizens and held them in prison as “enemy combatants” without proof, without any clear date set for prosecution, and used torture to extract information from them, would the American government sit back and not do anything?
This president and vice president have seen fit to set up an illegal spy network on its own citizens that reflects the FBI era of J. Edgar Hoover. This was done in the name of ‘protecting’ our freedom. As U.S. citizens learned they had their privacy invaded by this illegal network and wiretapping practice, lawsuits were filed against the communications companies that this administration used to realize their plan. The response from the administration is to change legislation to protect the communications companies! Unbelievable, but typical, Bush/Cheney tactics.
If we extend the Bush/Cheney ‘reasoning’ for warrantless wiretapping to every law enforcement entity in this country there would be spying taking place on every U.S. citizen based on whatever reason law enforcement would choose. A giant leap towards George Orwell’s 1984.
People who believe in the ‘freedom’ that our forefathers granted us should be outraged that these practices are taking place and even more outraged that they are not being stopped.
The expectation of freedom in this country has diminished greatly since these two took office.
The main danger with granting power to someone is that they don’t want to give it up. The main danger of granting power to egotistical, delusional madmen increases the danger of us losing even more of those freedoms that we have cherished for so long.
Given the general trend that this country seems to be following, that being that people are becoming more unethical, more immoral and more willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want and to hell with everyone else, will only solidify the bleak Orwellian prediction and may very well place George Orwell as a greater prophet than Nostradamus.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Another lesson learned
In the headlines this morning I saw this article: “Girl wins concert tickets with essay faking dad’s death in Iraq”.
This is what we are teaching our children.
They are learning that in order to get what you want you have to lie and embellish and dramatize to stand out from the crowd. You have to be a bigger liar than the next person.
They are learning that cheating is rewarded.
As soon as this 6-year-old girl won that contest it was planted firmly in her consciousness that this is the way to get what she wants.
The contest, sponsored by Club Lilly Lu, gave to the winner, a makeover that included a blonde Hannah Montana wig, as well as airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to the sold-out Hannah Montana concert on January 9.
Hannah Montana is a very popular, Emmy award-nominated children’s television series on Disney Channel. The main character, played by Miley Cyrus, lives a double life as an average teenage girl at school during the day and a famous pop singer at night. She conceals her real identity from the public, so the very premise of the show is based on a lie, a cover-up. And, yes she is the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus of country music fame.
I grew up watching all the Disney classics and every Sunday evening my whole family would gather around the television in anticipation of watching the Wonderful World of Disney as if we were expecting Christmas.
Disney used to have a way of telling a story complete with all the evil in the world being visited upon hapless innocent victims. Through virtuous honesty and purity that victim always came out on top and evil was exposed and shunned by everyone.
We have come to expect the virtues of what a Disney production should represent. They have been the hallmark of honesty, of wholesomeness and of purity for several generations. It used to be safe to expose children to what Disney teaches (preaches). Families used to expect higher standards from a family oriented production from Disney.
As I grew older and wiser to the ways of the world and became privy to widespread behind the scenes business dealings, I realized that Disney, just like every other business we humans becomes involved in, resorts to under-handed methods to get ahead in the day-to-day dog-eat-dog business world.
As we age we all have to accept that adults lie and cheat and steal and commit every crime and sin imaginable against each other.
This 6-year-old girl should not have been subjected to the treachery of adult life at such a tender age. And for this lesson to have been laid upon her by her own mother is unforgivable.
The girls mother, Priscilla Ceballos, told company officials that the girl's father died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq. She had identified the soldier as Sgt. Jonathon Menjivar, but the Department of Defense has no record of anyone with that name dying in Iraq. Only then did the mother admit to the deception.
In an interview with Dallas TV station KDFW she said, “We did whatever we could do to win." This doesn’t sound like a contrite person. This doesn’t sound like a moral person. This sounds like the average, everyday parent bragging that she knows what has to be done to get what she wants. This is how we are raising our kids. It is scary as hell. This is true terror. This is what America has become.
This is what we are teaching our children.
They are learning that in order to get what you want you have to lie and embellish and dramatize to stand out from the crowd. You have to be a bigger liar than the next person.
They are learning that cheating is rewarded.
As soon as this 6-year-old girl won that contest it was planted firmly in her consciousness that this is the way to get what she wants.
The contest, sponsored by Club Lilly Lu, gave to the winner, a makeover that included a blonde Hannah Montana wig, as well as airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to the sold-out Hannah Montana concert on January 9.
Hannah Montana is a very popular, Emmy award-nominated children’s television series on Disney Channel. The main character, played by Miley Cyrus, lives a double life as an average teenage girl at school during the day and a famous pop singer at night. She conceals her real identity from the public, so the very premise of the show is based on a lie, a cover-up. And, yes she is the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus of country music fame.
I grew up watching all the Disney classics and every Sunday evening my whole family would gather around the television in anticipation of watching the Wonderful World of Disney as if we were expecting Christmas.
Disney used to have a way of telling a story complete with all the evil in the world being visited upon hapless innocent victims. Through virtuous honesty and purity that victim always came out on top and evil was exposed and shunned by everyone.
We have come to expect the virtues of what a Disney production should represent. They have been the hallmark of honesty, of wholesomeness and of purity for several generations. It used to be safe to expose children to what Disney teaches (preaches). Families used to expect higher standards from a family oriented production from Disney.
As I grew older and wiser to the ways of the world and became privy to widespread behind the scenes business dealings, I realized that Disney, just like every other business we humans becomes involved in, resorts to under-handed methods to get ahead in the day-to-day dog-eat-dog business world.
As we age we all have to accept that adults lie and cheat and steal and commit every crime and sin imaginable against each other.
This 6-year-old girl should not have been subjected to the treachery of adult life at such a tender age. And for this lesson to have been laid upon her by her own mother is unforgivable.
The girls mother, Priscilla Ceballos, told company officials that the girl's father died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq. She had identified the soldier as Sgt. Jonathon Menjivar, but the Department of Defense has no record of anyone with that name dying in Iraq. Only then did the mother admit to the deception.
In an interview with Dallas TV station KDFW she said, “We did whatever we could do to win." This doesn’t sound like a contrite person. This doesn’t sound like a moral person. This sounds like the average, everyday parent bragging that she knows what has to be done to get what she wants. This is how we are raising our kids. It is scary as hell. This is true terror. This is what America has become.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Is China buying America?
The Chinese government has been quietly buying its stake in the bastion of America’s financial center through multi-billion dollar investments in our most prestigious financial companies. Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, Blackstone Group, and Britain's Barclays are eagerly taking money from China to help bail them out of recent financial troubles.
It brings back visions of “It’s a Wonderful Life” where James Stewart runs down main street of his home town that has become unrecognizable due to it all being sold to an entity that has no stake in the true town spirit but was bought up purely for its profit potential.
China is leading a surge of strategic investments from Asia and the Middle East that so far have sunk about $25 billion into Wall Street banks.
In selling out to the Chinese, these financial institutions are selling America’s right to remain American.
The subprime mortgage mess provided an ideal opportunity for foreign investors to buy a piece of America. And, slowly, piece by piece, we are losing our heritage.
In this new world order of global economy that Bush has been pushing, we are losing our claim as the richest nation on earth.
This is the early stages of a dramatic reversal of financial power on Wall Street, the cornerstone of the U.S. economy.
"Both Chinese private and government interests are controlling more and more of the U.S. economy, and this is a result of the big trade and budget deficits we have," said Alan Donziger, professor of economics at Villanova School of Business. "These investments will make the U.S. somewhat less independent, but this is inevitable when we live in a global economy."
U.S. business practices created this situation by opening credit to financially unsound home buyers, along with giving credit to anyone who asks for it. To be sure, Wall Street's current predicament is "our own doing," he said. Turmoil in the credit markets have been fueled by defaults on subprime mortgages, and that's caused the Federal Reserve to attempt a bailout of the industry through interest rate cuts.
The value of the U.S. dollar has fallen which makes investments in these financial institutions cheap.
China agreed to pay $5 billion for a 9.9 percent stake in Morgan Stanley, and those securities pay 9 percent a year until they convert to shares in 2010. That translates to a gain of about $450 million of cash next year. But this infusion of new stock will lessen the value of shares to Morgan Stanley investors this same factor affects every investment firm that sells to foreign governments.
By keeping investments under 10 percent, it does not trip an automatic review by the government. Bush, and others, believe the injection of foreign capital helps keep the banks competitive and restores faith in an industry beaten down this year. Bush is part of the problem, the thinking is that any new money is good money, especially for his buddies in the financial arena. But he fails to consider how America in general is affected in the long run.
The selling out of America holds little meaning for high stakes dealers. As long as their company can stay afloat they don’t care that they sell America.
The phrase ‘sell your own grandmother for a dollar’ comes to mind.
Banks don’t want to admit how much say these government-sponsored funds might get. And this is only the beginning. Merrill Lynch & Co. is on the hunt for a foreign investment to help cushion what could be a huge fourth-quarter writedown in January.
Financial power is moving dramatically toward China and the Middle East which will have significant impact over time.
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, buys most of its goods from China creating a one-way flow of cash to China. China buys Americas financial cornerstone providing a financial highway into China’s bank accounts. It doesn’t take a financial genius to see that America will soon be another Chinese province.
Make no mistake, America is being sold out.
It brings back visions of “It’s a Wonderful Life” where James Stewart runs down main street of his home town that has become unrecognizable due to it all being sold to an entity that has no stake in the true town spirit but was bought up purely for its profit potential.
China is leading a surge of strategic investments from Asia and the Middle East that so far have sunk about $25 billion into Wall Street banks.
In selling out to the Chinese, these financial institutions are selling America’s right to remain American.
The subprime mortgage mess provided an ideal opportunity for foreign investors to buy a piece of America. And, slowly, piece by piece, we are losing our heritage.
In this new world order of global economy that Bush has been pushing, we are losing our claim as the richest nation on earth.
This is the early stages of a dramatic reversal of financial power on Wall Street, the cornerstone of the U.S. economy.
"Both Chinese private and government interests are controlling more and more of the U.S. economy, and this is a result of the big trade and budget deficits we have," said Alan Donziger, professor of economics at Villanova School of Business. "These investments will make the U.S. somewhat less independent, but this is inevitable when we live in a global economy."
U.S. business practices created this situation by opening credit to financially unsound home buyers, along with giving credit to anyone who asks for it. To be sure, Wall Street's current predicament is "our own doing," he said. Turmoil in the credit markets have been fueled by defaults on subprime mortgages, and that's caused the Federal Reserve to attempt a bailout of the industry through interest rate cuts.
The value of the U.S. dollar has fallen which makes investments in these financial institutions cheap.
China agreed to pay $5 billion for a 9.9 percent stake in Morgan Stanley, and those securities pay 9 percent a year until they convert to shares in 2010. That translates to a gain of about $450 million of cash next year. But this infusion of new stock will lessen the value of shares to Morgan Stanley investors this same factor affects every investment firm that sells to foreign governments.
By keeping investments under 10 percent, it does not trip an automatic review by the government. Bush, and others, believe the injection of foreign capital helps keep the banks competitive and restores faith in an industry beaten down this year. Bush is part of the problem, the thinking is that any new money is good money, especially for his buddies in the financial arena. But he fails to consider how America in general is affected in the long run.
The selling out of America holds little meaning for high stakes dealers. As long as their company can stay afloat they don’t care that they sell America.
The phrase ‘sell your own grandmother for a dollar’ comes to mind.
Banks don’t want to admit how much say these government-sponsored funds might get. And this is only the beginning. Merrill Lynch & Co. is on the hunt for a foreign investment to help cushion what could be a huge fourth-quarter writedown in January.
Financial power is moving dramatically toward China and the Middle East which will have significant impact over time.
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, buys most of its goods from China creating a one-way flow of cash to China. China buys Americas financial cornerstone providing a financial highway into China’s bank accounts. It doesn’t take a financial genius to see that America will soon be another Chinese province.
Make no mistake, America is being sold out.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Dick Cheney gets his way or your fired
J. William Leonard, director of the Archives' Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), is being forced out of his position by Dick Cheney after 34 years of service.
The unit monitors the handling of government secrets and is responsible to the President for policy and oversight of the Government-wide security classification system and the National Industrial Security Program. They receive their authority from Executive Orders 12958 "Classified National Security Information" and 12829 "National Industrial Security Program", as amended.
What did Mr. Leonard do to draw Cheney’s ire? The veteran National Archives official challenged claims by the Office of Vice President (OVP) to be exempt from federal rules governing classified information.
Once again, this administration thinks it is exempt from the rules that everyone else must follow. And Cheney’s petulance will force someone out of his livelihood because that person had the temerity to apply the rules to the Office of the Vice President.
Mr. Leonard’s efforts touched off a firestorm—and a counter-strike by Cheney's chief of staff, David Addington, who tried to wipe out Leonard's job.
Mr. Leonard has been described by National Archivist Allen Weinstein as "the gold standard of information specialists in the federal government". But this glowing accolade will fall on the deaf ears of Mr. Cheney.
Cheney’s little snit will cause this nation to lose the accumulated knowledge and experience of the type of person this country strives for to fill any and all of its governmental offices.
Here’s a bit of background on how this travesty came to pass.
After 2002, OVP stopped reporting to the National Archives and Records, the depository for government records that helps keep democracy alive by allowing U.S. citizens oversight to the course of business conducted by the U.S. Federal government, which became an independent federal agency in 1985. After several routine attempts to do a review of the OVP they said ‘they weren't really subject to our reviews’ said Mr. Leonard. The wall that the White House had built around itself remains impermeable unless they want you in.
The ISOO produces an annual report of government offices and the Chicago Tribune saw an asterisk next to the entry for the OVP which stated that it contained no information from OVP. The Chicago Tribune decided to investigate.
A spokesperson from the OVP made public the idea that because they have both legislative and executive functions, that requirement doesn't apply to them. Mr. Leonard then wrote a letter to the Attorney General [asking for a ruling that Cheney's office had to comply.] Then, shortly after that there were email recommendations from OVP to a National Security Council task force to change the executive order that would effectively abolish Mr. Leonard’s office. Who wrote the emails? David Addington, fall guy for the Vice President, because you know he did not do this on his own, not with such a controlling boss like Dick Cheney.
It turns out that the OVP stopped cooperating with the ISOO around the same time the Valerie Plame case became public.
Is this the kind of power and spitefulness we want from our politicians? Cheney is acting like a child here. “You are not the boss of me!”. What a brat!!
The unit monitors the handling of government secrets and is responsible to the President for policy and oversight of the Government-wide security classification system and the National Industrial Security Program. They receive their authority from Executive Orders 12958 "Classified National Security Information" and 12829 "National Industrial Security Program", as amended.
What did Mr. Leonard do to draw Cheney’s ire? The veteran National Archives official challenged claims by the Office of Vice President (OVP) to be exempt from federal rules governing classified information.
Once again, this administration thinks it is exempt from the rules that everyone else must follow. And Cheney’s petulance will force someone out of his livelihood because that person had the temerity to apply the rules to the Office of the Vice President.
Mr. Leonard’s efforts touched off a firestorm—and a counter-strike by Cheney's chief of staff, David Addington, who tried to wipe out Leonard's job.
Mr. Leonard has been described by National Archivist Allen Weinstein as "the gold standard of information specialists in the federal government". But this glowing accolade will fall on the deaf ears of Mr. Cheney.
Cheney’s little snit will cause this nation to lose the accumulated knowledge and experience of the type of person this country strives for to fill any and all of its governmental offices.
Here’s a bit of background on how this travesty came to pass.
After 2002, OVP stopped reporting to the National Archives and Records, the depository for government records that helps keep democracy alive by allowing U.S. citizens oversight to the course of business conducted by the U.S. Federal government, which became an independent federal agency in 1985. After several routine attempts to do a review of the OVP they said ‘they weren't really subject to our reviews’ said Mr. Leonard. The wall that the White House had built around itself remains impermeable unless they want you in.
The ISOO produces an annual report of government offices and the Chicago Tribune saw an asterisk next to the entry for the OVP which stated that it contained no information from OVP. The Chicago Tribune decided to investigate.
A spokesperson from the OVP made public the idea that because they have both legislative and executive functions, that requirement doesn't apply to them. Mr. Leonard then wrote a letter to the Attorney General [asking for a ruling that Cheney's office had to comply.] Then, shortly after that there were email recommendations from OVP to a National Security Council task force to change the executive order that would effectively abolish Mr. Leonard’s office. Who wrote the emails? David Addington, fall guy for the Vice President, because you know he did not do this on his own, not with such a controlling boss like Dick Cheney.
It turns out that the OVP stopped cooperating with the ISOO around the same time the Valerie Plame case became public.
Is this the kind of power and spitefulness we want from our politicians? Cheney is acting like a child here. “You are not the boss of me!”. What a brat!!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Another case of ‘lost’ data
This is yet another case of personal sloppiness affecting hundreds of thousands of adults and children.
This time the National Health Service has admitted to losing data collected on patients from nine hospitals in England.
The usual line was given to the affected individuals that there is no evidence data has fallen into the wrong hands. But once again, no one knows for certain because the data is missing.
In one case a disk failed to arrive at an east London Hospital. My first question, how was the disk sent? By private courier or daily mail?
Another case involves data on patients treated 40 years ago. They are all deceased and you may think no big deal, nothing can happen to them. But you would be wrong. Professional criminals would love to get their valid social security numbers and use them.
One hospital reported two breaches which means there are actually 10 new cases.
Law officials are of course promising to take action against anyone who failed their responsibilities under data protection laws. But the underlying problem of a lackadaisical effort at data protection again goes unmentioned. The individuals involved became derelict in their duty. The data needs to be transmitted using more secure methods. Privacy needs to be taken more seriously.
The whole culture of data management needs to be addressed. Rules are in place as required by laws but the individuals who are governed by them take shortcuts to make their personal lives easier. Sometimes it becomes a nuisance to take that extra precautionary step. We have all been faced with this situation. Maybe we will miss some deadline if we follow the rules to the letter so we circumvent one step.
Individuals set themselves up for misfortune by not practicing effective secure routines. If any of these same individuals who are tasked with protecting other peoples data discovered their own data had been compromised by someone not taking the rules seriously I am certain they would be concerned.
When we care for other people we are actually caring for ourselves. It is a simple thought to keep in mind as we go about our daily business. We need to care for other peoples data as if it were our own. If people really cared we would need rules to tell us to do so.
This time the National Health Service has admitted to losing data collected on patients from nine hospitals in England.
The usual line was given to the affected individuals that there is no evidence data has fallen into the wrong hands. But once again, no one knows for certain because the data is missing.
In one case a disk failed to arrive at an east London Hospital. My first question, how was the disk sent? By private courier or daily mail?
Another case involves data on patients treated 40 years ago. They are all deceased and you may think no big deal, nothing can happen to them. But you would be wrong. Professional criminals would love to get their valid social security numbers and use them.
One hospital reported two breaches which means there are actually 10 new cases.
Law officials are of course promising to take action against anyone who failed their responsibilities under data protection laws. But the underlying problem of a lackadaisical effort at data protection again goes unmentioned. The individuals involved became derelict in their duty. The data needs to be transmitted using more secure methods. Privacy needs to be taken more seriously.
The whole culture of data management needs to be addressed. Rules are in place as required by laws but the individuals who are governed by them take shortcuts to make their personal lives easier. Sometimes it becomes a nuisance to take that extra precautionary step. We have all been faced with this situation. Maybe we will miss some deadline if we follow the rules to the letter so we circumvent one step.
Individuals set themselves up for misfortune by not practicing effective secure routines. If any of these same individuals who are tasked with protecting other peoples data discovered their own data had been compromised by someone not taking the rules seriously I am certain they would be concerned.
When we care for other people we are actually caring for ourselves. It is a simple thought to keep in mind as we go about our daily business. We need to care for other peoples data as if it were our own. If people really cared we would need rules to tell us to do so.
Who is the real enemy to peace in the Middle East?
This mornings headline reads “Israel rules out cease-fire with Hamas”. Okay, I get why Israel and Hamas do not like each other, but, it seems to me, that when your enemy sticks out his hand and offers to stop fighting, the right thing to do is to accept his hand and stop fighting.
In my admittedly unscholarly estimation, Israel is becoming (has become) a warring nation, period. Sure they have been kicked around like dogs for centuries and they have developed a monster-sized chip on their shoulders. But to turn down an opportunity for a cease fire is saying they like their role as a warring nation. Or they just want to be a nation of martyrs.
Which is it Israel? Do you enjoy killing? Do you enjoy being killed? The rest of world can see how hateful you have become. Step outside yourselves and look at what you have allowed yourselves to become. I don’t understand how a nation of people who believes in God can wantonly kill another human being.
If you myopically cite one passage that says an ‘eye for an eye’ as a reason to kill then you are missing the very reason Jesus died on the cross. God alone can pass judgment on his people.
Let’s set aside, for a moment, that this season, the celebration of the birth of the son of God, is enough reason to at least stop the aggression. Let’s forget for a moment that God has told us ‘Thou Shalt not Kill’. Israel, I beg of you to show the world that you do indeed want peace and that you will graciously accept the hand that is offering it.
All my life I have heard only one theme from Israelis and Palestinians, ‘we attack them because they attacked us’. As a child I remember my parents telling me that this reasoning is nothing more than justification for more killing.
Is this true Israel? Is this what you want out of life, more justification to kill? I have concluded that there can never be peace in the very homelands where Jesus was born because you, Israel, will not allow it. This fact alone fosters disdain for your people and leads down a road of hatred and mistrust. Am I wrong here? There is no good reason to continue this killing. Learn to live together by sharing what little you each have on both sides.
I know this sounds very simplistic and is really way too much to ask for, but peace can only start when you forget the past and look to the future.
Another thing that has been pounded into our conciseness at every turn is how our children are our future. What are you, Israel, telling your children, that is okay to kill Palestinians because they are Palestinians even when the Bible teaches us not to kill your neighbor. You are teaching hypocrisy.
There is always time to accept peace and the best time, the utmost best time, is when it is offered. Accept this cease-fire. It is an opportunity our future cannot ignore.
Now listen to the world collectively say “Israel, what the Hell are you thinking?”
In my admittedly unscholarly estimation, Israel is becoming (has become) a warring nation, period. Sure they have been kicked around like dogs for centuries and they have developed a monster-sized chip on their shoulders. But to turn down an opportunity for a cease fire is saying they like their role as a warring nation. Or they just want to be a nation of martyrs.
Which is it Israel? Do you enjoy killing? Do you enjoy being killed? The rest of world can see how hateful you have become. Step outside yourselves and look at what you have allowed yourselves to become. I don’t understand how a nation of people who believes in God can wantonly kill another human being.
If you myopically cite one passage that says an ‘eye for an eye’ as a reason to kill then you are missing the very reason Jesus died on the cross. God alone can pass judgment on his people.
Let’s set aside, for a moment, that this season, the celebration of the birth of the son of God, is enough reason to at least stop the aggression. Let’s forget for a moment that God has told us ‘Thou Shalt not Kill’. Israel, I beg of you to show the world that you do indeed want peace and that you will graciously accept the hand that is offering it.
All my life I have heard only one theme from Israelis and Palestinians, ‘we attack them because they attacked us’. As a child I remember my parents telling me that this reasoning is nothing more than justification for more killing.
Is this true Israel? Is this what you want out of life, more justification to kill? I have concluded that there can never be peace in the very homelands where Jesus was born because you, Israel, will not allow it. This fact alone fosters disdain for your people and leads down a road of hatred and mistrust. Am I wrong here? There is no good reason to continue this killing. Learn to live together by sharing what little you each have on both sides.
I know this sounds very simplistic and is really way too much to ask for, but peace can only start when you forget the past and look to the future.
Another thing that has been pounded into our conciseness at every turn is how our children are our future. What are you, Israel, telling your children, that is okay to kill Palestinians because they are Palestinians even when the Bible teaches us not to kill your neighbor. You are teaching hypocrisy.
There is always time to accept peace and the best time, the utmost best time, is when it is offered. Accept this cease-fire. It is an opportunity our future cannot ignore.
Now listen to the world collectively say “Israel, what the Hell are you thinking?”
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Erosion in local news coverage
The Federal Communications Commission has voted to allow ownership of both a TV channel and a newspaper. The rule that prevented this dual ownership has been in effect since 1975.
The chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin, cast the deciding vote which broke the tie stating it "may help to forestall the erosion in local news coverage".
I have lived in several news markets around the U.S. and in each of those markets there has never been less than three local TV news stations and never less than two major newspapers as well as a handful of community and regional newspapers.
Does this indicate an ‘erosion in local news coverage’? I don’t think so. I am surprised that the FCC believes this.
Where I live, along the Rocky Mountains, there are four local news stations that currently broadcast so often in their morning (5 AM – 7 AM), afternoon (11 AM – 12 PM), evening (4 PM – 7 PM) and late night (10 PM – 11 PM) time slots that one would have to be actively trying to not learn what happens in this town.
This town has two major newspapers that do an outstanding job of presenting even more in depth coverage than the TV stations here.
Between TV and news print, so much of the local news is repeated that you must be blind to think there is an erosion of local news coverage taking place here.
It is shocking that the FCC would set the stage for any media empire to be in control of two of the largest purveyors of news, TV and newspaper. This does not support the diversity of opinion that the 1975 rule sought to enforce.
Allowing a handful of people to decide what news stories are presented and how those news stories are presented creates an atmosphere of mistrust and the potential for abuse. Opinions are going to either be stifled or slanted to match the owners political beliefs.
It is true that with the proliferation of cable TV and the internet we now have an even greater idea-base from which to color our world view, leaving these two media sources as the only real choice does not serve diversity.
The chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin, cast the deciding vote which broke the tie stating it "may help to forestall the erosion in local news coverage".
I have lived in several news markets around the U.S. and in each of those markets there has never been less than three local TV news stations and never less than two major newspapers as well as a handful of community and regional newspapers.
Does this indicate an ‘erosion in local news coverage’? I don’t think so. I am surprised that the FCC believes this.
Where I live, along the Rocky Mountains, there are four local news stations that currently broadcast so often in their morning (5 AM – 7 AM), afternoon (11 AM – 12 PM), evening (4 PM – 7 PM) and late night (10 PM – 11 PM) time slots that one would have to be actively trying to not learn what happens in this town.
This town has two major newspapers that do an outstanding job of presenting even more in depth coverage than the TV stations here.
Between TV and news print, so much of the local news is repeated that you must be blind to think there is an erosion of local news coverage taking place here.
It is shocking that the FCC would set the stage for any media empire to be in control of two of the largest purveyors of news, TV and newspaper. This does not support the diversity of opinion that the 1975 rule sought to enforce.
Allowing a handful of people to decide what news stories are presented and how those news stories are presented creates an atmosphere of mistrust and the potential for abuse. Opinions are going to either be stifled or slanted to match the owners political beliefs.
It is true that with the proliferation of cable TV and the internet we now have an even greater idea-base from which to color our world view, leaving these two media sources as the only real choice does not serve diversity.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Administration guard dog: Mukasey
It has already started. Recently appointed lapdog replaces old lapdog. U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey rejected a congressional request for information about a Justice Department probe into the CIA's destruction of videotapes of harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists.
This congress is supposed to work together to get at the truth of any suspicious activity. When someone holds back information it can only mean one thing, damning information for someone. Now who could the U.S. Attorney General possibly be protecting?
The Democratic-led Congress has begun its own investigations of last week's disclosure that the CIA destroyed some tapes in 2005, with critics charging a possible cover-up of illegal torture.
The word transparency has been knocked about lately. Evidently the term has not yet reached the Attorney Generals office. But then, transparency has never been one of this administrations strong points.
In refusing to release information that federal investigators have dug up so far, Mukasey wrote: "The department has a long-standing policy of declining to provide non-public information about pending matters." So, it seems, tradition dictates that the U.S. Attorney General's office not cooperate with any other investigations. This department is contributing to duplication of effort forcing Congress to take up time that can be used for other endeavors.
"This policy is based in part on our interest in avoiding any perception that our law enforcement decisions are subject to political influence," Mukasey added in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the panel's ranking Republican. Actually, sir, this policy only muddies the waters about who you are protecting, a very clear perception of political influence. It is a very common term, namely ‘Covering Your Ass’. It is also called obstruction of justice. This is another of those well-practiced double standards that you like to hang onto.
This congress is supposed to work together to get at the truth of any suspicious activity. When someone holds back information it can only mean one thing, damning information for someone. Now who could the U.S. Attorney General possibly be protecting?
The Democratic-led Congress has begun its own investigations of last week's disclosure that the CIA destroyed some tapes in 2005, with critics charging a possible cover-up of illegal torture.
The word transparency has been knocked about lately. Evidently the term has not yet reached the Attorney Generals office. But then, transparency has never been one of this administrations strong points.
In refusing to release information that federal investigators have dug up so far, Mukasey wrote: "The department has a long-standing policy of declining to provide non-public information about pending matters." So, it seems, tradition dictates that the U.S. Attorney General's office not cooperate with any other investigations. This department is contributing to duplication of effort forcing Congress to take up time that can be used for other endeavors.
"This policy is based in part on our interest in avoiding any perception that our law enforcement decisions are subject to political influence," Mukasey added in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the panel's ranking Republican. Actually, sir, this policy only muddies the waters about who you are protecting, a very clear perception of political influence. It is a very common term, namely ‘Covering Your Ass’. It is also called obstruction of justice. This is another of those well-practiced double standards that you like to hang onto.
Friday, December 14, 2007
A war is a war is a war
I don’t understand what has changed in America that we applaud soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan when those who returned from Vietnam were jeered and called criminals.
I support our troops 100%, no matter where they are told to go. This war is not of there choosing. Vietnam wasn’t either. They go where they are told just as they have throughout history.
This war in Iraq is an illegal war based on the lies the Bush administration forced upon us seemingly overnight. Vietnam, though not technically a war but a police action, was forced on us too but it took years of gradual buildup responding to an ever increasing threat. Politicians back then were more open as to the reason we were there. Not so in Iraq.
Communists were never going to come to our shores and turn our citizenry into state-sponsored zombies working only for the state. And today, terrorist are not coming to our shores to destroy every thing we believe in.
Sure the whole atmosphere of protest during Vietnam against anything authoritarian was turning this country inside out and we were all turning against each other and therefore honoring our troops was just too far out of the question. But is the lack of protest today over what this single most undemocratic of administrations has perpetrated upon us an admission that we don’t care? Have we just thrown our hands up in resignation to the realization that we are powerless to change anything?
Patriotism back then was a dirty word uttered under the threat of being ostracized by the very people these soldiers were fighting to protect. Patriotism today is merely a tool used by right wingers to declare themselves ‘better Americans’ than anyone who voices their opinion against this war even when they support the soldiers.
What has changed over the last forty years?
Soldiers then were drafted and forced to fight, some volunteered but this nation’s citizenry turned their backs on them just the same. There was no applause, no pat on the back for a ‘job well done’. There were no large cheering crowds welcoming them home to the nation they put their lives on the line for.
Soldiers today volunteer, although the latest reports show those numbers are dwindling. Is this the reason we as a nation view them so differently? If these soldiers today were drafted and forced to go to Iraq, would they be jeered and called criminals just as they were during Vietnam?
The U.S. became the aggressor in this war. We went in uninvited, supposedly to rid the world of an evil man who was in reality no threat to the U.S. In Vietnam we answered a call to protect a friendly nation. You can decide for yourself which war was more ‘just’.
Has America grown up since Vietnam? Do we now realize we should support our brothers and sons no matter where they are sent knowing the reason could be unjust?
Supporting the troops is not an admission that we support the war. Protesting the war does not mean we are unpatriotic. We can all be patriotic and still admonish an evil, lying, manipulating president. Right wingers need to understand that doing our patriotic duty out of a sense of honor can be separate from the disdain we feel for the fool that sent us into battle.
Our brothers who fought in Vietnam should have been treated better than they were. That shame is on us at our own hands and cannot be washed away.
We can however, pay attention to what our elected officials are up to and force them to be transparent in their dealings so that we are never blindsided again and forced into another illegal war.
If we have indeed learned anything from our mistakes with Vietnam, I can only hope we will also learn from our mistakes with George W Bush.
I support our troops 100%, no matter where they are told to go. This war is not of there choosing. Vietnam wasn’t either. They go where they are told just as they have throughout history.
This war in Iraq is an illegal war based on the lies the Bush administration forced upon us seemingly overnight. Vietnam, though not technically a war but a police action, was forced on us too but it took years of gradual buildup responding to an ever increasing threat. Politicians back then were more open as to the reason we were there. Not so in Iraq.
Communists were never going to come to our shores and turn our citizenry into state-sponsored zombies working only for the state. And today, terrorist are not coming to our shores to destroy every thing we believe in.
Sure the whole atmosphere of protest during Vietnam against anything authoritarian was turning this country inside out and we were all turning against each other and therefore honoring our troops was just too far out of the question. But is the lack of protest today over what this single most undemocratic of administrations has perpetrated upon us an admission that we don’t care? Have we just thrown our hands up in resignation to the realization that we are powerless to change anything?
Patriotism back then was a dirty word uttered under the threat of being ostracized by the very people these soldiers were fighting to protect. Patriotism today is merely a tool used by right wingers to declare themselves ‘better Americans’ than anyone who voices their opinion against this war even when they support the soldiers.
What has changed over the last forty years?
Soldiers then were drafted and forced to fight, some volunteered but this nation’s citizenry turned their backs on them just the same. There was no applause, no pat on the back for a ‘job well done’. There were no large cheering crowds welcoming them home to the nation they put their lives on the line for.
Soldiers today volunteer, although the latest reports show those numbers are dwindling. Is this the reason we as a nation view them so differently? If these soldiers today were drafted and forced to go to Iraq, would they be jeered and called criminals just as they were during Vietnam?
The U.S. became the aggressor in this war. We went in uninvited, supposedly to rid the world of an evil man who was in reality no threat to the U.S. In Vietnam we answered a call to protect a friendly nation. You can decide for yourself which war was more ‘just’.
Has America grown up since Vietnam? Do we now realize we should support our brothers and sons no matter where they are sent knowing the reason could be unjust?
Supporting the troops is not an admission that we support the war. Protesting the war does not mean we are unpatriotic. We can all be patriotic and still admonish an evil, lying, manipulating president. Right wingers need to understand that doing our patriotic duty out of a sense of honor can be separate from the disdain we feel for the fool that sent us into battle.
Our brothers who fought in Vietnam should have been treated better than they were. That shame is on us at our own hands and cannot be washed away.
We can however, pay attention to what our elected officials are up to and force them to be transparent in their dealings so that we are never blindsided again and forced into another illegal war.
If we have indeed learned anything from our mistakes with Vietnam, I can only hope we will also learn from our mistakes with George W Bush.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Will baseball withstand cheaters?
With the Mitchell Report on Baseball’s steroid problem due out today, I’m wondering if game of baseball will actually change.
I have been a fan of Americas game since I was a kid. It was the first sport I was exposed to, it was the first sport that I could actually participate in. It is open to both boys and girls. What could be more fair and equal than that?
It is not unusual to drive through any community in the U.S. and see groups of kids playing baseball. In fact the game reaches around the world.
Growing up at a time when morals and ethics were actually being taught in the home, kids were very much against cheaters. If you didn’t play fair, you didn’t play.
As players begin emerging from the crowd as possible super stars of the game, the crowds cheer them on. Some of those players go on to break records. We cheer even louder and push them to attain even greater heights. This is what fans love about sports, stellar performances and breaking records and making the impossible plays. Every fan dreams of watching another human tear down a long standing record and we cheer them on as if they were heroes.
But fans have one overriding rule that does not need to be vocalized because we all grew up with it as the cornerstone for everything we know is right and just, you can not cheat.
When that record-breaking human is found to have used performance enhancing drugs to perform that impossible feat, fans lose respect for the player. The cheers become jeers. And a little more of our faith in humanity is torn down.
As we grow up the stakes become higher, there is major money involved from the sport they love and sponsor endorsements. There is constant pressure from the front office to perform beyond their means so their investment pays off, and there is constant pressure from the fans to become a sports legend. This last pressure is, I think, more in the players head because true fans just love to watch the strategy of the game being played out.
Athletes turn to performance enhancing drugs to help alleviate these mounting pressures. Fairness becomes no more than a childish thing to hold onto. The drive to be number one is a powerful force and ethics can be easily trampled into the dust of the playing field. The virtuous players get left behind, uncelebrated.
Before steroids came along, records were made and broken by muscle and sheer effort, the true essence of sport.
What is it about these guys today who feel they cannot reach those records on their own strength and ability? What drives them to shun this very basic rule of sports and subject themselves to the stigma of being a cheater?
Is the stigma of being a cheater being lessened by what we are repeatedly exposed to in the daily news? CEO’s cheat and steal from their own employees. Politicians cheat and lie to their own constituents. Religious leaders have forsaken moral values for their personal weaknesses. The poor and rich alike will steal and cheat to get ahead. Is it no surprise that the world of sports is riddled with these same low moral and ethical people?
The answers to these questions is the subject of psychology and I certainly am not equipped to address them. Although, I suspect it has a lot to do with ego and self image.
Just the fact that steroid use could lead to severe body damage such as liver cancer, steroid rage, testicular atrophy, torn tendons, osteoarthritis, just to name a few of the more serious side effects, shows the extent to which a person will go for fame.
Whatever their justification for using drugs, these cheaters should be banned from baseball forever and their records taken down. And not just baseball, there is no place for cheaters in any sport.
This game of baseball is still Americas game. I hope it can withstand this ‘black tide of cheaters’ and not lose more fans.
I have been a fan of Americas game since I was a kid. It was the first sport I was exposed to, it was the first sport that I could actually participate in. It is open to both boys and girls. What could be more fair and equal than that?
It is not unusual to drive through any community in the U.S. and see groups of kids playing baseball. In fact the game reaches around the world.
Growing up at a time when morals and ethics were actually being taught in the home, kids were very much against cheaters. If you didn’t play fair, you didn’t play.
As players begin emerging from the crowd as possible super stars of the game, the crowds cheer them on. Some of those players go on to break records. We cheer even louder and push them to attain even greater heights. This is what fans love about sports, stellar performances and breaking records and making the impossible plays. Every fan dreams of watching another human tear down a long standing record and we cheer them on as if they were heroes.
But fans have one overriding rule that does not need to be vocalized because we all grew up with it as the cornerstone for everything we know is right and just, you can not cheat.
When that record-breaking human is found to have used performance enhancing drugs to perform that impossible feat, fans lose respect for the player. The cheers become jeers. And a little more of our faith in humanity is torn down.
As we grow up the stakes become higher, there is major money involved from the sport they love and sponsor endorsements. There is constant pressure from the front office to perform beyond their means so their investment pays off, and there is constant pressure from the fans to become a sports legend. This last pressure is, I think, more in the players head because true fans just love to watch the strategy of the game being played out.
Athletes turn to performance enhancing drugs to help alleviate these mounting pressures. Fairness becomes no more than a childish thing to hold onto. The drive to be number one is a powerful force and ethics can be easily trampled into the dust of the playing field. The virtuous players get left behind, uncelebrated.
Before steroids came along, records were made and broken by muscle and sheer effort, the true essence of sport.
What is it about these guys today who feel they cannot reach those records on their own strength and ability? What drives them to shun this very basic rule of sports and subject themselves to the stigma of being a cheater?
Is the stigma of being a cheater being lessened by what we are repeatedly exposed to in the daily news? CEO’s cheat and steal from their own employees. Politicians cheat and lie to their own constituents. Religious leaders have forsaken moral values for their personal weaknesses. The poor and rich alike will steal and cheat to get ahead. Is it no surprise that the world of sports is riddled with these same low moral and ethical people?
The answers to these questions is the subject of psychology and I certainly am not equipped to address them. Although, I suspect it has a lot to do with ego and self image.
Just the fact that steroid use could lead to severe body damage such as liver cancer, steroid rage, testicular atrophy, torn tendons, osteoarthritis, just to name a few of the more serious side effects, shows the extent to which a person will go for fame.
Whatever their justification for using drugs, these cheaters should be banned from baseball forever and their records taken down. And not just baseball, there is no place for cheaters in any sport.
This game of baseball is still Americas game. I hope it can withstand this ‘black tide of cheaters’ and not lose more fans.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Average has become the new genius
Every time I read about or hear about proof that the average American citizens’ intelligence level is lower than that of a common chimpanzee I cringe until my blood begins to boil.
There is no excuse, whatsoever, for adults to not live up to their intelligence potential. We are given the opportunity to get a free education until the 12th grade and most (the vast majority) squander the time spent in high school as an excuse to ‘hook up’ with their friends or plan parties. Parents are happy to get the kids out of the house for six to eight hours a day so they get time alone away from them. Opening books and studying for the barest information possible required to pass the next test is the only brain exercise these kids get. And they do not want to do anything more than what is minimally required to get into the next grade level with only one goal in mind, to graduate. By the time they do graduate they can’t even answer what are considered high school level questions.
Jay Leno occasionally does a segment on the Tonight Show, called “Jaywalking”, where he goes to a college campus and asks college students high school level questions about various subjects. The responses he gets make me want to cry. I want to cry because I am so embarrassed about being an American citizen and, by default, lumped into the same pin with these morons. The fact that these ignorant asses just laugh off their stupid responses just shows how little regard we Americans have for education.
You can find examples everywhere of how under-educated America has become. It has become commonly acceptable for Americans to not watch the evening news, or any news program. Current events is treated as a plague to be avoided at all costs. Proper English, the very tool of communication we have been born and raised to speak and write with has not been used in this country for years, possibly even decades.
There is a television program called “Are you smarter than a 5th grader” where adults subject themselves to be pitted against actual 5th grade students. The creator of this program must have the same cynicism that I feel towards American adults. I gave up watching television for entertainment years ago but my father-in-law was watching this particular program as I passed through the living room the other night an just for the hell of it I decided to watch part of it. A grown man was struggling to identify what a bear’s offspring is called. As I watched this moron actually take the time to vocalize the elimination of three of the four possible answers, I could not help but picture everyone backstage laughing at this product to our education system. The fifth graders had already written their answer on a piece of paper and were patiently waiting for him to come up with an answer. This show has to be scripted. There is no way an adult is going to stand in front of an audience and humiliate himself like this. At least I was praying this was not for real. Is this the level that television has been lowered to? What a colossal waste of airtime.
You quiz any group of adults about history, math, science, politics, etc, any high school level subject and the great majority of them will fail that test. You may ask, does it matter? Hell yes, it matters. Why? Because the dumbing down of America plays directly into the hands of the people who run this country. These people depend on an ignorant population to keep them in power. If we get too intelligent then we will figure out what is true and what is pure crap. Politicians live on crap. If the voters became more intelligent then the politicians would have to become more intelligent. We get what we vote for.
We are all born with the equal ability to be great thinkers. We all have the same capacity to think for ourselves. Yet we freely give up that potential in exchange for being cool. Do you remember someone in high school who was obviously eager to do well and always studied to get good grades? Do you remember how that person was treated? That person was labeled a geek and was ostracized from all of the ‘in crowd’ activities because that person did not ‘fit in’. The people who did ‘fit in’, those who thought they were cool because they shunned education to party and hang out with their friends now have low level jobs, dead end careers, and appear on television shoes like “Are you smarter than a 5th grader” and are happy about it. The ‘geek’ owns a business, drives new cars, has lots of money.
You see, high school isn’t all about education. It is a means of teaching you to plan ahead, do the research, be industrious, think for yourself in order to become a leader and not a follower. It teaches you self-reliance. Some kids pick up on this early on and are the most likely to succeed. Others decide they would rather party and ‘be cool’.
Things have gotten so bad that if you exhibit average intelligence then you are the person who is most likely to succeed. Although, you still will probably not get to the top unless you really apply yourself. But in most cases, all you have to do is show a little bit of intelligence and fortitude and most people around you will think you are a freaking genius. This is truly sad.
There is no excuse, whatsoever, for adults to not live up to their intelligence potential. We are given the opportunity to get a free education until the 12th grade and most (the vast majority) squander the time spent in high school as an excuse to ‘hook up’ with their friends or plan parties. Parents are happy to get the kids out of the house for six to eight hours a day so they get time alone away from them. Opening books and studying for the barest information possible required to pass the next test is the only brain exercise these kids get. And they do not want to do anything more than what is minimally required to get into the next grade level with only one goal in mind, to graduate. By the time they do graduate they can’t even answer what are considered high school level questions.
Jay Leno occasionally does a segment on the Tonight Show, called “Jaywalking”, where he goes to a college campus and asks college students high school level questions about various subjects. The responses he gets make me want to cry. I want to cry because I am so embarrassed about being an American citizen and, by default, lumped into the same pin with these morons. The fact that these ignorant asses just laugh off their stupid responses just shows how little regard we Americans have for education.
You can find examples everywhere of how under-educated America has become. It has become commonly acceptable for Americans to not watch the evening news, or any news program. Current events is treated as a plague to be avoided at all costs. Proper English, the very tool of communication we have been born and raised to speak and write with has not been used in this country for years, possibly even decades.
There is a television program called “Are you smarter than a 5th grader” where adults subject themselves to be pitted against actual 5th grade students. The creator of this program must have the same cynicism that I feel towards American adults. I gave up watching television for entertainment years ago but my father-in-law was watching this particular program as I passed through the living room the other night an just for the hell of it I decided to watch part of it. A grown man was struggling to identify what a bear’s offspring is called. As I watched this moron actually take the time to vocalize the elimination of three of the four possible answers, I could not help but picture everyone backstage laughing at this product to our education system. The fifth graders had already written their answer on a piece of paper and were patiently waiting for him to come up with an answer. This show has to be scripted. There is no way an adult is going to stand in front of an audience and humiliate himself like this. At least I was praying this was not for real. Is this the level that television has been lowered to? What a colossal waste of airtime.
You quiz any group of adults about history, math, science, politics, etc, any high school level subject and the great majority of them will fail that test. You may ask, does it matter? Hell yes, it matters. Why? Because the dumbing down of America plays directly into the hands of the people who run this country. These people depend on an ignorant population to keep them in power. If we get too intelligent then we will figure out what is true and what is pure crap. Politicians live on crap. If the voters became more intelligent then the politicians would have to become more intelligent. We get what we vote for.
We are all born with the equal ability to be great thinkers. We all have the same capacity to think for ourselves. Yet we freely give up that potential in exchange for being cool. Do you remember someone in high school who was obviously eager to do well and always studied to get good grades? Do you remember how that person was treated? That person was labeled a geek and was ostracized from all of the ‘in crowd’ activities because that person did not ‘fit in’. The people who did ‘fit in’, those who thought they were cool because they shunned education to party and hang out with their friends now have low level jobs, dead end careers, and appear on television shoes like “Are you smarter than a 5th grader” and are happy about it. The ‘geek’ owns a business, drives new cars, has lots of money.
You see, high school isn’t all about education. It is a means of teaching you to plan ahead, do the research, be industrious, think for yourself in order to become a leader and not a follower. It teaches you self-reliance. Some kids pick up on this early on and are the most likely to succeed. Others decide they would rather party and ‘be cool’.
Things have gotten so bad that if you exhibit average intelligence then you are the person who is most likely to succeed. Although, you still will probably not get to the top unless you really apply yourself. But in most cases, all you have to do is show a little bit of intelligence and fortitude and most people around you will think you are a freaking genius. This is truly sad.
Monday, December 3, 2007
President Bush’s abuse of Congress
This political system of ours is a strong one. It will withstand any onslaught from within and from the outside. But it will do so only if Americans know what specific powers each of its branches of government have and only if those branches diligently and relentlessly exercise their own powers that are designed to hold each others power in check.
President Bush is no stranger to controversy on how he has usurped the power of Congress to declare war. He has also abused his office in declaring his right to spy on his fellow Americans and has used corporations to help him pull off this illegal and heinous activity as well as a long list of other crimes against the Constitution.
The current White House has made a mockery of what our forefathers deemed was the perfect union of the three branches of government and continues to do so unchecked by the very safeguards that were built into our Constitution.
I found an article on AntiWar.com written by Thomas R. Eddlem back in February 2006. This essay addresses the presidential powers, and lack thereof, as succinctly as any I have read. I present the link here in hopes of further enlightening as many Americans as possible to how President Bush’s ego has sought to destroy the balance that our forefathers instilled in our constitution. Mr. Eddlem has more clearly outlined the presidents role in politics much better than I ever could. I thank-you Mr. Eddlem for your articulation in this much needed clarification.
President Bush is no stranger to controversy on how he has usurped the power of Congress to declare war. He has also abused his office in declaring his right to spy on his fellow Americans and has used corporations to help him pull off this illegal and heinous activity as well as a long list of other crimes against the Constitution.
The current White House has made a mockery of what our forefathers deemed was the perfect union of the three branches of government and continues to do so unchecked by the very safeguards that were built into our Constitution.
I found an article on AntiWar.com written by Thomas R. Eddlem back in February 2006. This essay addresses the presidential powers, and lack thereof, as succinctly as any I have read. I present the link here in hopes of further enlightening as many Americans as possible to how President Bush’s ego has sought to destroy the balance that our forefathers instilled in our constitution. Mr. Eddlem has more clearly outlined the presidents role in politics much better than I ever could. I thank-you Mr. Eddlem for your articulation in this much needed clarification.
Venezuela rejects socialism
Chavez lost his bid to make himself dictator. By a very narrow margin, 51% voted against his constitutional referendum that would have allowed President Hugo Chavez to remain in power indefinitely.
President of the National Electoral Council, Tibisay Lucena, said the process "shows the entire world that we are a democratic country."
I would not be one bit surprised to learn that Chavez will blame the United States for interfering in this election process causing him to lose his bid. He is a dictator at heart and will not step down peacefully.
At stake were 69 amendments proposed by Chavez, who has said he wants to steer Venezuela toward full socialism -- a state his detractors describe as full totalitarianism.
Chavez called Venezuela's electoral system "one of the most transparent in the world," and said its voting machines are among "the most modern of the world."
So, with that statement he cannot say the machines were tampered with, but the paranoid tyrant will undoubtedly find someway to blame the U.S. for his loss.
I want to personally gives my thanks to the people of Venezuela, we already have too many dictators and far too many dictator wannabes.
President of the National Electoral Council, Tibisay Lucena, said the process "shows the entire world that we are a democratic country."
I would not be one bit surprised to learn that Chavez will blame the United States for interfering in this election process causing him to lose his bid. He is a dictator at heart and will not step down peacefully.
At stake were 69 amendments proposed by Chavez, who has said he wants to steer Venezuela toward full socialism -- a state his detractors describe as full totalitarianism.
Chavez called Venezuela's electoral system "one of the most transparent in the world," and said its voting machines are among "the most modern of the world."
So, with that statement he cannot say the machines were tampered with, but the paranoid tyrant will undoubtedly find someway to blame the U.S. for his loss.
I want to personally gives my thanks to the people of Venezuela, we already have too many dictators and far too many dictator wannabes.
Definite bias in national media
On the subject of the latest snow storm to hit this country from the west through the east, this snow storm dumped 4+” of snow and ice on the western states of Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, etc Friday night through late Saturday afternoon and I did not see one national media outlet say anything about it. But when it merely threatened the east coast, before it even got there, every national media outlet was predicting how it was going adversely affect the Monday morning commute.
Why was so much more attention placed on the east coast while the western states were ignored? Because all of the major national media is headquarters along the east coast.
This is not the first time I have seen this clear bias. It is as though the west is some other entity that is not worthy of the almighty east coasts attention.
Just an observation.
Why was so much more attention placed on the east coast while the western states were ignored? Because all of the major national media is headquarters along the east coast.
This is not the first time I have seen this clear bias. It is as though the west is some other entity that is not worthy of the almighty east coasts attention.
Just an observation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)