Race Relations

A few thoughts on the Obama-Gates-Crowley Situation:
1. Lack of trust in the black community leads to more crime and Gates and Obama's comments will lead to less trust.
2. Disrepect for the police will unfortunately contribute to the death of an African American and the Gates and Obama comments contribute to this disrepect.
3. Racism is defined as taking a general or historic truth, such as "many young black males are criminal" or "white cops have done racial profiling" and applying these generalities to a specific case, such as "those 2 black guys are doing something illegal" or "the white cop is racially profiling. It would seem that maybe Gates, and definitely Obama, had a racist moment here.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/27/the-presidents-accidental-gift-on-race/?feat=home_headlines

http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/citizens/uppity_blacks_vs_blue_col.php

I like the comment that many are concerned about the "guilty until proven innocent" attitude toward Crowley. Like the attitude toward the Duke University Lacrosse team.

Another decline in Obama's popularity

Now 29% Strongly Approve of Obama's performance and 40% Strongly Disapprove.
I normally support the underdog because it is important to have a contrarian view and prevent the mob rule effect. So, if this keeps up, I may have to start writing good things about Obama.
But, for now, the main media is still doing that job. When they start looking accurately at Obama's performance, I will start supporting him.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Tom Friedman

I always enjoyed reading Tom Friedman's books. The World is Flat, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, etc. But this house of his is just shocking.
We have greed in this country. We have environmental problems caused by the over consumption of resources. We have an inequitable distribution of wealth. I try to do my part by living in a 950 sq ft house, with 100% of the electricity coming from renewable means, heating with a "green" pellet stove, using a manual mower, etc. I do this from choice, not economic necessity. And I contribute a reasonable percent of my income to Kiva.com, Children's Fund International, and other charities.

Why in the world does Friedman has a house like this?

http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/07/25/thomas-friedman-keeping-up-with-the-saudis/

Health Care

Obama has agrued, counterintuitively, that health care will actually save tons of money because American businesses have been so burdened by health care costs and his plan would save money.
Unfortunately, the CBO estimates than any savings will be very small and will not offset the increased cost of universal health care.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/kausfiles/archive/2009/07/26/orszagism-reeling.aspx

Health Care Reform

I beleive that every state has a health plan. Massachusetts has a Universal Health Plan. So, how about this as a federal health care measure: Require every state to have a universal health care plan. Provide some federal funds for these plans. A lot of funding could come from simply taxing current health care benefits. It should be common sense that someone who makes $40,000 a year and has a employer provided health plan through work that costs the employer $13,000 per year has more income than someone who makes $40,000 a year and no health plan.

And all Congress members must have the same plan as their state plan.

Racial Profiling

My concern here, and why I despise Obama's remarks, is that sometime soon, an African American is going to have a confrontation with the police. And the African American will be emboldened by Obama's remarks and confront the police on the perceived, rightly or wrongly, injustice of the police involvement and the situation will escalate and the final victim will be the African American.
Common sense tells me that the police don't know who you are and what you are capable of. And the wise course is to stay calm and do as you are told. If it is police harassment, bring that up later, in a less stressful environment, in a day or whenever.
An African American will be killed by police and Obama's statement will be, in a small measure, a contributing factor.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534687,00.html

Obama-Palin

2 Odd News stories today. An ABC article entitled: "Sarah Palin Losing Popularity, Problems for Political Future"
http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/story?id=8157536&page=1

And a Rasmussen poll that shows Palin in a statistical tie with Obama in the 2012 Presidential race.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

So, to recap, Palin is in real trouble and Palin is tied with Obama. Amazing disconnect in the main stream media.

Tonsillectomies of Greed

I got to go with doctors when it comes to health care. If I had to chose between all the doctors disappearing or all lawyers disappearing, I would go with the removal of the lawyers. Why isn't tort reform or malpractice reform part of the health care plan?

http://inmycopiousfreetime.blogspot.com/2009/07/tonsillectomies-of-greed.html

Health Care Reform

Here is how I thought things worked in the US. You know, the 10th Admendment-"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Massachusetts has Universal Health Care. They, like the Dutch, basically made it mandatory for people to have health insurance. What is wrong with state by state health insurance? Why does there have to be a national plan. Don't things work better with more localized control?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-22-masshealth_N.htm?csp=34

Health Care Reform

For those of us who believe that Medicare is one of the main reasons why health care spending has increased over the past 40 years, way more than inflation, this is troubling news. And another breaking of a campaign promise by Obama. During the campaign he spoke in favor of private insurers and a voluntary system. Did he lie then or did he just discover realities?

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/23/obama_us_cant_insure_all_americans

Hope and Change

A group wants transparency and release of records detailing converations between the Obama administration and health care officials. No matter which party is in power, there should be disclosure, if there are no national security issues.

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/23/watchdog_group_sues_for_disclosure_of

Hope and Change

They're back! Those presky signing statements that GWB liked to put on legislation prior to signing. Nobody liked them in Congress. Well, now Obama likes the idea.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99J1IPO0&show_article=1

Another decline in Obama's popularity

My natural tendency is always to precede slowly. Seldom is there really a rush to do something, outside of military operations. Public policies should be debated, opposing views listened to and incorporated into the policy, etc. So, it is great news that this runaway train is slowing down. I am in favor of universal health care. I am in favor of environmental safeguard and caution on global warming. I am in favor of the concept of energy independence (but also common sense suggests that we should get our energy at the cheapest prices, regardless of where those prices are.)
But I have little or no faith that Congress will do the right thing. I have little faith that any legislation is not some massive payout to special interests. I have little faith that any legislation will not have significant unforseen consequences that make that problem worse in the long run. We are still suffering from the effects of some of LBJ's Great Society programs such as increased single families, broken homes, school dropouts, etc.
So this is why I cheer any decline of popularity for Obama. There is little negative consequence in just slowing things down. There is no reason for last minute admendments, bills passing without being read, etc.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25189.html

Honduras

Honduras seems to be a little below the radar but there is growing concerns. To recap the situation:
The President is elected for one term and can not be re-elected. Zelaya's term ends in January. However, Zelaya took steps to change the Constitution so that he could get re-elected. The Legislative Branch and the Judical Branch both told Zelaya to stop what he was planning. Zelaya proceded, against these complaints. There is no impeachment mechanism in the Constitution. The military stepped in and overthrew Zelaya.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/yes-we-can-still-help-honduras/

I don't understand why we are getting involved but our involvement is helping fuel the flames and increase the liklihood of a civil war.

Our Federal Debt

I think that Congress likes it when we complain about Bush did this and Obama does that. It helps keep people's eyes off of the ball. Our Constitution gives so much power to the Congress. It is our legislative branch. It controls the budget. All revenue measures are required to start in the House of Representatives. All of the Executive Departments were formed and regulated by Congress. Except maybe the State and Defense departments but even they are controlled by the Congressional budgeting.
We are nearing a threshold. In the 6 years of having a Republican President and a Republican controlled Congress, we added $3,018 billion to our national debt. In the 2.5 years of having a Democrat controlled Congress, we added $2,918 to our debt. At the current rate, it will take about 3 total years, or 6 more months, for the Democrat controlled Congress to add more debt than the previous 12 years that there was a Republican controlled Congress. In 12 years of Republican control, $3,880 billion was added to the national debt.

Health Care Reform

A thought on health care from David Bernstein:
Serious Health Care Reform Proposal: Let the Democrats put forward three different health care reform proposals. Let the Republicans put forward two different proposals. Find five states to volunteer. Each state adopts one of the proposals. Wait several years. See if any of these proposals worked out well, and if so, which one seems best, and why. Learn from this trial and error, and then pass a national health bill, instead of trying an untested, one-size fits all solution for 20% of the American economy.

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_07_19-2009_07_25.shtml#1248062921

Seems reasonable to me. We have gone 40+ years with millions of uninsured. And people don't agree on the current science. So have large scale testing. And bring health care now to millions.

UPDATE: I posted the above comment on SodaHead and got the response:
"Here's an idea:Let every single industrialized nation in the world except America require universal coverage.Wait several years.Find out which one works best and modify it for America.oops! We've already done that! "

Of course, we have not done that and there is considerably difference in what universal health care means. China has universal health care and families tend to allow parents to die rather than pay the costs of "universal health care". The Dutch system is basically a law that tells everyone that they must buy medical insurance through whatever private company they want. Sounds like a plan. If you want universal health care mandate that everyone buy a COBRA plan or something else like it. Wait, we already have that, don't we?

Going John Galt

The Obama effect. Not sure whether the people who have pulled out of the economy either voluntarily or involuntarily will stay out. A year ago I thought that the US economy was so strong that it could withstand Obama and still be strong. Now I am not sure.
I can say, as a 59 year old who has gone Galt, I went from paying around $28,000 in taxes to receiving $30,000 in assorted government/public assistance and paying less than $2,000 in taxes (which I should get back when I file).
http://www.bizzyblog.com/2009/07/13/this-is-what-going-galt-and-obamas-induced-uncertainly-have-led-to/

Why work? And why would I ever work again? And there are millions of baby boomers like me.

Hope and Change

I just love this. But then I love the odd twists and turns of "logic" that some people use. Obama's campaign was based largely on the idea that he was going to follow the law and put an end to the illegal things that Bush was doing.
Now the Administration realizes that they will not be able to prosecute the Gitmo detainees in time to close it by the end of the year but they will continue the detention process. And it would seem even worse to transfer the prisoners to another country where they would have even less rights than they had at Gitmo.
But the idea that, even if the detainees are prosecuted, if the sentence is insufficient, they would continue to be detained. What is that?

http://reason.com/blog/show/134686.html

Pres Clinton and the Economic Crisis

"Clinton bashing -- like Bush bashing -- is often a cop-out, but Clinton made critical mistakes when it came to dealing with the financial industry. Three poor decisions stand out. "

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/did-clinton-cause-the-banking-crisis.aspx

According to the Obama Administration, Protests are "Terrorism"

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526972,00.html

Who knew?

War on Pakistan

Where is the outrage? Where is the transparency? Where is the regard for human life? Bush started this outrageous policy and Obama has stepped it up. 40 Drone strikes on Pakistan. Killing over 700 civilians, most of them with no ties to Al Qaeda.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99726V82&show_article=1

Honduras

The following summarizes the situation in Honduras. Although there must be a more articulate counterpoint of view someplace. We are certainly not getting an articulate counterpoint from Obama, the OAS, or the UN. It would seem logical that if 2 of the branches of government support the overthrow of Zelaya than perhaps it was a legal and Constitutional "overthrow". Why is Obama is against the overthrow and meddling, something that he was unwilling to do in Iran?

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0702/p09s03-coop.html

Hypothetical, rhetorical question: If, say in 2007, the Congress impeached Bush but Bush tried to retain power would his arrest and forced removal from office be unconstitutional and a violation of law, condemned by Obama, the UN, and the OAS?

How does a country remove it's leader?