Dear President Obama,
Nearly a year ago, 28 years of hyper-deregulating government policies led us and the world to the brink of economic collapse. You assumed office almost 6 months after this moment, 15 September 2008, and since then, through partisan action and your strong and decisive leadership, we are stepping back from the precipice. We can take a breath and whether others will join me or not, I don't know, but I want to say: Thank you.
Of course, it has not been an easy road for you, for the country, for the world. Many are still without work; new businesses are not opening up and credit is still not readily available to most; yet, during this time, and despite the best (or worst) efforts of the Republican Party, you have fought the fight for the American people.
Laying policies that will lower costs over the long-term; depriving greedy, and in many instances, morally reprehensible big businesses from their obsession with short-term profits (see finance industry, auto industry, energy companies, insurance companies, maybe even Coca-Cola); you have been harassed and mocked by a substantial minority of Americans and what used to be a relevant political party in our nation. Yet, you persevered.
The members of that party, I call it the GOPCON Party (GOP meets CON-servatives), have done everything they could to obstruct you; to prevent you from not just leading our nation out of the morass of 8 misguided years of abject incompetence, but, even in many cases from simply governing. They want America to fail.
You, Mr. President, and your party--although not all of them--initially strove for bi-partisan solutions to problems that had not been seen in 70 years. They, however, chose a talk-radio approach to our nation's future by littering the present with emotional garbage, nonsensical delays, demagoguery, rebel-rousing and tactics so common to roving groups of neo-facsists: fear and threats.
President Obama, I am proud to be an American again. I was shamed by how our nation had behaved over the last 8 years. I live abroad and truthfully, I tend to be somewhat of a loud-mouth and don't fear too many people so not many foreigners could scare me in their overt disgust for our antics since W became president; however, it has not been easy. Many people didn't so much as hate us as they were simply shocked that we, America, would behave so stupidly, be so reactionary and twice vote in a man who could barely speak a sentence that even the dumbest Americans could understand, let alone bright ones.
Your policies have set the auto industry back on a track that at least resembles principles from Business 101: build products that people want to buy. You are trying to get our nation to see the benefits of a green revolution and just how many jobs could be created should "we", I mean those so-called wealthy businessmen ever lobbying for tax-cuts so they could invest in American businesses, use our once great American ingenuity to lead the world in this field--instead of giving this too off to China.
Your Accomplishments
You have fought the credit card companies and made it safer for us to use credit cards. Their irresponsible and predatory customer-trolling policies were nothing more than legalized loan-sharking--who hasn't been cheated by a credit card company? But, changes have been made. You, the president, the government, is forcing them, a monstrous corporate entity against which we, small, hardworking, Americans simply have no recourse, to change their ways. Good job!
The environment bill could have been better but I am a gradualist. If you try to go too far then the "system" will stand to lose too much money and it will prevent you from doing anything. Again, hats off for being a pragmatist. Next time, we will do better. The clunker program was anything but; yet, if we listen to those idiots on the right, they will say this too was farcical. Name one program, Mr. President, that they have supported or passed that has made our nation better in the past 30 years.
Soon, you will save tax-payer money by cutting out the banks as the middlemen in the student loan process and again, despite what you can be sure will be GOPCON obstructionism, the quality of American's lives, those of the "disregarded majority", will be set on firmer ground. You will fight the fight against big business by going after obesity. If people cannot smoke--I am not a smoker--because it harms them and us, why are companies allowed to poison us with these sugary, fake-foods. Why is 30% of our nation allowed to drain our nation's resources because they make life choices that turn them into herds of scootering-zooming fatties?
Finally, President Obama, I sleep well at night knowing that you are doing your best to make our nation as great as it could've been had the GOPCON Party not stopped the wheels of modernity; had we not been side-tracked by sheer and unadulterated stupidity, greed, contradiction and shameless fake-religiosity and anti-Americanism.
You need to be civil to the likes of that idiot southern congressman, Joe Wilson. I don't have to be--I still blame that state for firing the first shot. So, until you are ready to completely and fully accept their political irrelevance as a modern day political party and govern as if they didn't exist, we will continue to fight the battle for you.
The America in which you and I want to live, Mr. President, does not condone such antics like what were seen on the floor of the Congress when you were speaking. The America you and I love, voices our opposition, and then when the nation needs decisions and governance, we make decisions and govern: the GOPCON Party has chosen to extract itself from governing the nation. They should be ashamed, they should be impeached.
What is the next problem we will tackle, President Obama? Perhaps, we can start taking away their guns?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Par for the Course
They should be ashamed, but, they won't be.
There are things like, let's see...a constitution. ""Ah, that's just an outdated piece of paper," they mutter over grits drowned in butter. There is a court that is supposed to make decisions based the letter of the law. "Yeah, but, most of those justices were chosen by republican presidents so they had to choose W for the presidency," they rejoice whilst staring at maps of the world where thanks to our troops "democracy" has taken root.
There is even an office, an oval one, in which sits the highest, elected official in the land. He is the President of ALL the United States of America. Shame was brought to this great office by Nixon; by a republican congress-led witch hunt, which did to Clinton what is trying with some success to do to Obama--spread lies and hate against the president so as to distract him from his agenda and wait until he makes a major mistake. Yes, Clinton was stupid to start that affair given the HUAC-style pressure he was under from a nation held hostage by Newt and company.
W brought shame to the White House, to the nation; but, he was and still is called President Bush and in all my dislike of him, I would be awed to meet one of less than 50 men in the past 200 plus years to have held the title of President of the United States of America.
Last night, some southern Joe from none other than the state that fired the first shot against federal troops in 1861 at Fort Sumter, had the utter indecency to shame the office again by screaming (like a spoiled, rotten brat) "you lie." Not since a southern senator beat a northern one with his cane into a coma in the 1850's has such a display been seen.
Shame on you! Shame on the GOPCON Party!
President Obama is all ya all's president so respect him, or at least tje office, an shut the hell up, Joe!
There are things like, let's see...a constitution. ""Ah, that's just an outdated piece of paper," they mutter over grits drowned in butter. There is a court that is supposed to make decisions based the letter of the law. "Yeah, but, most of those justices were chosen by republican presidents so they had to choose W for the presidency," they rejoice whilst staring at maps of the world where thanks to our troops "democracy" has taken root.
There is even an office, an oval one, in which sits the highest, elected official in the land. He is the President of ALL the United States of America. Shame was brought to this great office by Nixon; by a republican congress-led witch hunt, which did to Clinton what is trying with some success to do to Obama--spread lies and hate against the president so as to distract him from his agenda and wait until he makes a major mistake. Yes, Clinton was stupid to start that affair given the HUAC-style pressure he was under from a nation held hostage by Newt and company.
W brought shame to the White House, to the nation; but, he was and still is called President Bush and in all my dislike of him, I would be awed to meet one of less than 50 men in the past 200 plus years to have held the title of President of the United States of America.
Last night, some southern Joe from none other than the state that fired the first shot against federal troops in 1861 at Fort Sumter, had the utter indecency to shame the office again by screaming (like a spoiled, rotten brat) "you lie." Not since a southern senator beat a northern one with his cane into a coma in the 1850's has such a display been seen.
Shame on you! Shame on the GOPCON Party!
President Obama is all ya all's president so respect him, or at least tje office, an shut the hell up, Joe!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A Common Good
Ownership is a good thing. Owning a car, a home, a dog, a bike, a chair and even a garbage can are all good and helpful things.
Each one of those things requires certain care in their respective handling so as to ensure that they will be maximized in their use for us. Each of these things, to a greater or lesser extent, is a resource for the owner and even for non-owners in some cases.
Each of these things becomes a part of our routines of life, a life woven into a common one. We sit in the chair to eat, read the paper or surf the web. We walk the dog and pet him, relaxing on the couch after a long day soaking up the unconditional love of a good pup. The garbage can, if properly used, sorts our recyclables and this act in our personal life adds to the common one which makes it better--good.
Ownership
American society is an ownership society. Again, there is nothing wrong with this; well, there are many wrongs but the overall basis for this concept upon which our nation was founded is not wrong. Yet, when people own things, they strive to ensure that their neighborhoods are good, clean, safe and happy. If all of this, then a town or a neighborhood can be a great place to own a home, a dogs, bikes, balls, TV's, bbq's, etc. By acting in a manner that is conducive to an overall good, one contribute to a sounder, common good.
A common good is something that the GOP and the conservatives don't want for America. I believe this from the bottom of my heart. This is not rhetoric. They do everything they can to put the interests of America behind the needs and interests of a) the wealthy and b) big business. How else can we justify what they did to our nation during W's 8 long years? How else we can justify the way they are creating panic and hysteria over the president's courageuous efforts to overhaul health care? They mocked the clunkers program--an obvious benefit to some but at the end of the day, a benefit to all.
There are so-called preachers wishing President Obama dead and there are talking-heads on Fox hinting that something "radical" must be done to stop him. Is this good for our nation this hate? How is it that when W was lying to the world about Iraq, all debate on the need for that invasion was considered "anti-American" and "support for the terrorists"; and now, when we are trying to pull our nation back from the brink of bankruptcy by overhauling the greatest drain on our nation's wealth, the failed healthcare system, conservatives and the GOP are turning the debate into a screaming match while wrapping themselves in the buntings and banners of silent Old Glory?
The Media
The emasculated and fading-from-relevance, traditional media is not questioning or condemning these tactics. Why? Again, the profit incentive. They too need to make money, they are looking after their own interests. The Iraqi invasion was exciting. It was good for sales of newspapers and magazines. Many a smart journalist probably knew as I that the "truth" W was selling was about as accurate as a history book written by Soviet historians. Those same journalists also knew that uncovering W's deceit would sell still more papers and magazines, etc--help them and their interests.
Writing an article with the facts and figures about the healtcare dilemma, showing support for the president and why these conservatives and the GOP are simply wrong and even anti-American, is boring. Such journalistic responsibility can't compete with the lies of Fox News, the reprehensible and irrresponsible criticisms by Cheney of Obama's policies so why try, they figure.
With no regard for the nation's rules, mores and precedents before him in regards to governing and the US Constitution, Mr. Potter (Cheney) has again broken with protocol and less than 6 months out of office, already, he is vocally challenging the president; trying to plant the seeds of doubt, hate. When will death knock on his door I ask? It will be a great day for our nation when he dies and I will be the first to shout with joy. (So Republican of me, such anger. Imagine, waiting for someone to die. So, non-Christian of me.)
At a time when our nation needs to gather behind our president as he struggles to lead us to a better place, the lies and emotions of the conservatives threaten to destroy our president, our nation. Why? Because they want to be re-elected, they want to limit more abortions, kill more criminals, invade more nations which were not threatening our good, embarass us on the world stage more often, ruin the environment further, give more tax breaks to the billionaires, bankrupt more local governments and states further: California, arguably our greatest state, is stricken by disasterous fires and bankruptcy.
A Genius Idea
Cars pulling into a Burger King in New Jersey drive over a medal speed bump at the drive in and energy is created and stored. Eventually, it is hoped that this would be used at all drive-thrus, toll-boothes, etc. This invention received stimulus money from Obama's "failed stimulus package" (so say the conservatives). If used at all the drive-thrus and in other places throughout a town of 15,000 people, 30% of its energy needs can be taken care of in this manner. This is a simply genius invention which will do wonders in lowering energy costs. This is something that never would have seen the light of day under a republican administration.
A woman was interviewed in a local paper in New Jersey about how she would feel if these things were put around the town" "So long as it doesn't mess up my routine, I don't care. But, if it gets in my way, don't need'em." What has happened to our "can do", "community first" attitude? When did we become so obsessed with our own so-called personal good? When did the cult of comfort, ease and leisure replace our belief in the American nation? Have we become so self-possessed that we can't slow the car a little, add 22 seconds onto our drive to the store, for the sake of creating energy to run the street lights in our town? For the sake of maybe, just maybe, staving off the disastrous effects of global warming by a decade or two: a common good.
What has happened to the common good and who is left to make sure it survives? President Obama is one and this is why the conservatives are finding it so easy to railroad his healthcare overhaul. He has proven himself to be naive and foolish: he believes in the America that drove our troops across battlefields in faraway countries, in their efforts to accomplish the mission and lead us to victory.
He wants to make ALL of us better and not just some of us. How cynical we have grown as a nation. We are more like Europe than we want to admit.
Each one of those things requires certain care in their respective handling so as to ensure that they will be maximized in their use for us. Each of these things, to a greater or lesser extent, is a resource for the owner and even for non-owners in some cases.
Each of these things becomes a part of our routines of life, a life woven into a common one. We sit in the chair to eat, read the paper or surf the web. We walk the dog and pet him, relaxing on the couch after a long day soaking up the unconditional love of a good pup. The garbage can, if properly used, sorts our recyclables and this act in our personal life adds to the common one which makes it better--good.
Ownership
American society is an ownership society. Again, there is nothing wrong with this; well, there are many wrongs but the overall basis for this concept upon which our nation was founded is not wrong. Yet, when people own things, they strive to ensure that their neighborhoods are good, clean, safe and happy. If all of this, then a town or a neighborhood can be a great place to own a home, a dogs, bikes, balls, TV's, bbq's, etc. By acting in a manner that is conducive to an overall good, one contribute to a sounder, common good.
A common good is something that the GOP and the conservatives don't want for America. I believe this from the bottom of my heart. This is not rhetoric. They do everything they can to put the interests of America behind the needs and interests of a) the wealthy and b) big business. How else can we justify what they did to our nation during W's 8 long years? How else we can justify the way they are creating panic and hysteria over the president's courageuous efforts to overhaul health care? They mocked the clunkers program--an obvious benefit to some but at the end of the day, a benefit to all.
There are so-called preachers wishing President Obama dead and there are talking-heads on Fox hinting that something "radical" must be done to stop him. Is this good for our nation this hate? How is it that when W was lying to the world about Iraq, all debate on the need for that invasion was considered "anti-American" and "support for the terrorists"; and now, when we are trying to pull our nation back from the brink of bankruptcy by overhauling the greatest drain on our nation's wealth, the failed healthcare system, conservatives and the GOP are turning the debate into a screaming match while wrapping themselves in the buntings and banners of silent Old Glory?
The Media
The emasculated and fading-from-relevance, traditional media is not questioning or condemning these tactics. Why? Again, the profit incentive. They too need to make money, they are looking after their own interests. The Iraqi invasion was exciting. It was good for sales of newspapers and magazines. Many a smart journalist probably knew as I that the "truth" W was selling was about as accurate as a history book written by Soviet historians. Those same journalists also knew that uncovering W's deceit would sell still more papers and magazines, etc--help them and their interests.
Writing an article with the facts and figures about the healtcare dilemma, showing support for the president and why these conservatives and the GOP are simply wrong and even anti-American, is boring. Such journalistic responsibility can't compete with the lies of Fox News, the reprehensible and irrresponsible criticisms by Cheney of Obama's policies so why try, they figure.
With no regard for the nation's rules, mores and precedents before him in regards to governing and the US Constitution, Mr. Potter (Cheney) has again broken with protocol and less than 6 months out of office, already, he is vocally challenging the president; trying to plant the seeds of doubt, hate. When will death knock on his door I ask? It will be a great day for our nation when he dies and I will be the first to shout with joy. (So Republican of me, such anger. Imagine, waiting for someone to die. So, non-Christian of me.)
At a time when our nation needs to gather behind our president as he struggles to lead us to a better place, the lies and emotions of the conservatives threaten to destroy our president, our nation. Why? Because they want to be re-elected, they want to limit more abortions, kill more criminals, invade more nations which were not threatening our good, embarass us on the world stage more often, ruin the environment further, give more tax breaks to the billionaires, bankrupt more local governments and states further: California, arguably our greatest state, is stricken by disasterous fires and bankruptcy.
A Genius Idea
Cars pulling into a Burger King in New Jersey drive over a medal speed bump at the drive in and energy is created and stored. Eventually, it is hoped that this would be used at all drive-thrus, toll-boothes, etc. This invention received stimulus money from Obama's "failed stimulus package" (so say the conservatives). If used at all the drive-thrus and in other places throughout a town of 15,000 people, 30% of its energy needs can be taken care of in this manner. This is a simply genius invention which will do wonders in lowering energy costs. This is something that never would have seen the light of day under a republican administration.
A woman was interviewed in a local paper in New Jersey about how she would feel if these things were put around the town" "So long as it doesn't mess up my routine, I don't care. But, if it gets in my way, don't need'em." What has happened to our "can do", "community first" attitude? When did we become so obsessed with our own so-called personal good? When did the cult of comfort, ease and leisure replace our belief in the American nation? Have we become so self-possessed that we can't slow the car a little, add 22 seconds onto our drive to the store, for the sake of creating energy to run the street lights in our town? For the sake of maybe, just maybe, staving off the disastrous effects of global warming by a decade or two: a common good.
What has happened to the common good and who is left to make sure it survives? President Obama is one and this is why the conservatives are finding it so easy to railroad his healthcare overhaul. He has proven himself to be naive and foolish: he believes in the America that drove our troops across battlefields in faraway countries, in their efforts to accomplish the mission and lead us to victory.
He wants to make ALL of us better and not just some of us. How cynical we have grown as a nation. We are more like Europe than we want to admit.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Summer Shorts
For good or bad, better or worse, I am back to my editorial rantings on "what I see, feel, hear, eat, smell, know, don't know, think I know or feel like acting like I know but don't really know about."
It has been a long month since my self-inflicted bout of silence. I felt that I was getting in too deep, sounding a bit angry and being consumed by my inherent hatred of the conservative wing of the GOP (I don't dislike the other wings of the GOP, after all, who hated the Bad News Bears?)
My seething disgust for the cons was drawing me away from rational thought and I found myself succumbing to their eternal war which evokes emotional outbursts devoid of intellectual thought--I too was becoming the demogogic diatribe, the shadow of Limbaugh only standing to his left.
Having cleaned the head and spent some time in the promised land, America, I am back and ready to set at it again with earnest.
Clunkers
Man, isn't it nice when you see the federal government actually demonstrating that there are some intelligent and America-first (read: not just Big Business but all Americans, rich and poor) people still involved?
The clunker program had it problems and of course the usual suspects were against it--although I am sure that many of them made trade-ins and received the $4500 check from the government--but, for the most part, it was a wonderful and successful program. It was precisely what our government has been void of for the past 8 years under Republican rule: creative, progressive, take-action-now thinking/governing. America will be better off for it.
Overall 690,000 cars were sold thanks to this program with Toyota leading the way. The fact that the Japanese automaker was number one in sales again demonstrates just how bad our auto industry has been over the past two decades. Chrysler, however, did finish second.
Many Republicans shouted that this was middle-class welfare (and tax cuts for the billionaires isn't welfare for the rich?). Last time I checked, though, I think the backbone of America's power was it's well-developed middle class, so what is the problem?
Also, it seems that if this $3 billion investment by the government resulted in the sales of 690,000 new cars, isn't that a stimulus to the economy? Yes, the good old cons, always against America.
Health Care
All I can say about this spectacle of neo-Nazi heckling and white-led rebel-rousing is: obstructionism, obstructionism, obstructionism.
They have absolutely nothing else to offer but fear-mongering (see GOP Scare Tactics and the 'War on Terrorism' due out soon by Eichmann, Hitler and Goring Publishing and written by Cheney and Rumsfeld) and lies: "death committees." Sweet baby Jesus, couldn't they have come up with something more Dr. Suessian like yuzz-a-ma-tuzz or grikly-gructus or diffendoofer committees? Now, that would have at least shown that they had made some progress since their last great quotable: "drill, baby, drill," not to be confused with "Seig Heil."
Sadly, our new president seems a bit overwhelmed by these tactics as they are truly overwhelming and when we have a president who actually strives to make our nation better for all (and to repair the damage of GOP control), one can get distracted. However, my good friend Paul Krugman writes on a regular basis helpful editorials and I quite often respond to the Obama's when they email letters about what they are doing.
So, yes, to the chagrin of the cons, we will pass health care legislation and we will probably increase the deficit but whereas endless tax cuts for the wealthy and endless wars against all middle-eastern nations that don't look like fat, balding white men don't lead to savings for the nation (or increased tax receipts), the savings gained from health care will eventually lead to a lowering of the deficit. Inaction will only increase the deficit and lead to our ultimate bankrupting and this is what they--yes, I said it, "they" (who you calling 'they'?)--want.
Wal-Mart
Re-energized from a lovely end-of-summer trip to New Jersey and surrounding states, I marvelled at the Wal-Mart commercials on TV.
"Live Better. Save Money." In this stylishly done ad, they show some pretty cool cats enjoying USDA steaks (read: "yo, Mexican boy, if you can't clean the carcass in 3 seconds of shit and other gorey matter, then get off the line. A little e coli is good for people.") and sitting wearing nice clothes around a stylish dining room table.
A) All of the people are thin and seem to have a modicum of intelligent thought in their heads; B) there is no 'B', I just needed my rant to seem deeper. Really, though, the whole notion that by buying--yes, buying--shit made in China (and never in America), somehow we will live better because we are saving money on that shit, makes my head spin. Call me a commie or whatever, but, I will never comprehend why and how consumption is the answer to our problems.
Granted, we need things to live and to survive. Families have needs beyond what I can imagine (having no children yet of my own) and when on a tight budget a place like Wal-Mart is helpful. I am not against that end of the bargain and I am grateful that there is such a place to keep prices in perspective for we all know that Big Business and their lobbyists (read: GOP) are evil; however, let's call it what it is: Wal-Mart kills small American businesses faster than the Chinese and rabbits can breed.
Every dollar spent in Wal-Mart is money out of our nation; it is killing a small business downtown--not that they offer much anymore (thanks to Wal-Mart). Wal-Mart, however, could lead the nation in a American small-business revival if it too decided to ensure that at least 50% (or even 60%) of everything sold there was being made in America.
Imagine, the increased prices by such a policy would be offset by the higher-wage-paying jobs. Sadly, however, when my wife and me try to buy "typical American souvenirs" for friends in Russia, we are always shocked to realize that everything you touch--even the Amish star I bought from an Amish store--is made in China!
We tried this time to buy only "made in America" souvenirs and guess what? Our bag of gifts was empty.
Well, enough for now, I am starting to sweat.
Soon, it will be time for College football (Go Knights), the World Series (Go Yanks) and the Oktoberfest ("another beer, please.").
It has been a long month since my self-inflicted bout of silence. I felt that I was getting in too deep, sounding a bit angry and being consumed by my inherent hatred of the conservative wing of the GOP (I don't dislike the other wings of the GOP, after all, who hated the Bad News Bears?)
My seething disgust for the cons was drawing me away from rational thought and I found myself succumbing to their eternal war which evokes emotional outbursts devoid of intellectual thought--I too was becoming the demogogic diatribe, the shadow of Limbaugh only standing to his left.
Having cleaned the head and spent some time in the promised land, America, I am back and ready to set at it again with earnest.
Clunkers
Man, isn't it nice when you see the federal government actually demonstrating that there are some intelligent and America-first (read: not just Big Business but all Americans, rich and poor) people still involved?
The clunker program had it problems and of course the usual suspects were against it--although I am sure that many of them made trade-ins and received the $4500 check from the government--but, for the most part, it was a wonderful and successful program. It was precisely what our government has been void of for the past 8 years under Republican rule: creative, progressive, take-action-now thinking/governing. America will be better off for it.
Overall 690,000 cars were sold thanks to this program with Toyota leading the way. The fact that the Japanese automaker was number one in sales again demonstrates just how bad our auto industry has been over the past two decades. Chrysler, however, did finish second.
Many Republicans shouted that this was middle-class welfare (and tax cuts for the billionaires isn't welfare for the rich?). Last time I checked, though, I think the backbone of America's power was it's well-developed middle class, so what is the problem?
Also, it seems that if this $3 billion investment by the government resulted in the sales of 690,000 new cars, isn't that a stimulus to the economy? Yes, the good old cons, always against America.
Health Care
All I can say about this spectacle of neo-Nazi heckling and white-led rebel-rousing is: obstructionism, obstructionism, obstructionism.
They have absolutely nothing else to offer but fear-mongering (see GOP Scare Tactics and the 'War on Terrorism' due out soon by Eichmann, Hitler and Goring Publishing and written by Cheney and Rumsfeld) and lies: "death committees." Sweet baby Jesus, couldn't they have come up with something more Dr. Suessian like yuzz-a-ma-tuzz or grikly-gructus or diffendoofer committees? Now, that would have at least shown that they had made some progress since their last great quotable: "drill, baby, drill," not to be confused with "Seig Heil."
Sadly, our new president seems a bit overwhelmed by these tactics as they are truly overwhelming and when we have a president who actually strives to make our nation better for all (and to repair the damage of GOP control), one can get distracted. However, my good friend Paul Krugman writes on a regular basis helpful editorials and I quite often respond to the Obama's when they email letters about what they are doing.
So, yes, to the chagrin of the cons, we will pass health care legislation and we will probably increase the deficit but whereas endless tax cuts for the wealthy and endless wars against all middle-eastern nations that don't look like fat, balding white men don't lead to savings for the nation (or increased tax receipts), the savings gained from health care will eventually lead to a lowering of the deficit. Inaction will only increase the deficit and lead to our ultimate bankrupting and this is what they--yes, I said it, "they" (who you calling 'they'?)--want.
Wal-Mart
Re-energized from a lovely end-of-summer trip to New Jersey and surrounding states, I marvelled at the Wal-Mart commercials on TV.
"Live Better. Save Money." In this stylishly done ad, they show some pretty cool cats enjoying USDA steaks (read: "yo, Mexican boy, if you can't clean the carcass in 3 seconds of shit and other gorey matter, then get off the line. A little e coli is good for people.") and sitting wearing nice clothes around a stylish dining room table.
A) All of the people are thin and seem to have a modicum of intelligent thought in their heads; B) there is no 'B', I just needed my rant to seem deeper. Really, though, the whole notion that by buying--yes, buying--shit made in China (and never in America), somehow we will live better because we are saving money on that shit, makes my head spin. Call me a commie or whatever, but, I will never comprehend why and how consumption is the answer to our problems.
Granted, we need things to live and to survive. Families have needs beyond what I can imagine (having no children yet of my own) and when on a tight budget a place like Wal-Mart is helpful. I am not against that end of the bargain and I am grateful that there is such a place to keep prices in perspective for we all know that Big Business and their lobbyists (read: GOP) are evil; however, let's call it what it is: Wal-Mart kills small American businesses faster than the Chinese and rabbits can breed.
Every dollar spent in Wal-Mart is money out of our nation; it is killing a small business downtown--not that they offer much anymore (thanks to Wal-Mart). Wal-Mart, however, could lead the nation in a American small-business revival if it too decided to ensure that at least 50% (or even 60%) of everything sold there was being made in America.
Imagine, the increased prices by such a policy would be offset by the higher-wage-paying jobs. Sadly, however, when my wife and me try to buy "typical American souvenirs" for friends in Russia, we are always shocked to realize that everything you touch--even the Amish star I bought from an Amish store--is made in China!
We tried this time to buy only "made in America" souvenirs and guess what? Our bag of gifts was empty.
Well, enough for now, I am starting to sweat.
Soon, it will be time for College football (Go Knights), the World Series (Go Yanks) and the Oktoberfest ("another beer, please.").
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