I haven't lost sight of the irony behind the plethora of right-wing, hate-laced editorial columns attacking Barack Obama that appeared in the media during Easter week. Most of the editorials were poignant reminders of how little we’ve actually learned from Christ and just how low people will stoop to destroy a message of hope.
Take Michelle Malkin, for example. Her syndicated right-wing column entitled "Say Goodbye to the Glowbama Mystique", had a field day calling Barack Obama every political name in the book and chastising the candidate for his association with a fiery pastor whose views on a number of subjects, including the immorality of war’s violence, aren’t in line with Ms. Malkin’s extreme right-wing ideology.
The visceral nature of Ms. Malkin’s attack against Obama reminded me of similar attacks on Christ by the religious establishment of His day, who objected greatly to Christ’s association with tax collectors, prostitutes and the poor - people who were generally regarded as the sinners of society. Christ brought His message of hope to the marginalized, and those in power felt angry and threatened and saw to it that He was nailed to a tree.
Barack Obama is not Jesus Christ, nor is he America’s religious savior. But he does carry a message of hope for a better America, and there are many, like Ms. Malkins, who feel threatened by that message and will stop at nothing to nail Obama to a tree.
Hope can bring out the best in people. It can also bring out the worst
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Eliot Spitzer Should Resign
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's career as a corruption fighting prosecutor was worthy of admiration and acclaim, as he relentlessly championed the rights of society against institutions attempting to subjugate the interests of the common man. Given that track record, it was heartening to see the citizens of New York elevate Mr. Spitzer to the State's highest office where he could also use his vast influence and experience to continue that legacy.
Now that Governor Spitzer's effectiveness as a champion for the common man has been destroyed through his own personal failing, it's time for the Governor to step aside. Yes, it's grating that the sanctimonious crooks that inhabit New York's legislative majority are demanding an immediate resignation or they will commence impeachment proceedings, but the fact is that resignation is the only honorable thing left for Governor Spitzer to do.
An immediate resignation may not repair his reputation in the court of public opinion, but it is the one thing he can do to maintain his own self-respect. At this point in his life, it may be the only thing he has left!
It behooves the rest of us to remember that none of us are without personal failings...and regardless of the personal failings of Eliot Spitzer, he was no worse than the rest of us.
Now that Governor Spitzer's effectiveness as a champion for the common man has been destroyed through his own personal failing, it's time for the Governor to step aside. Yes, it's grating that the sanctimonious crooks that inhabit New York's legislative majority are demanding an immediate resignation or they will commence impeachment proceedings, but the fact is that resignation is the only honorable thing left for Governor Spitzer to do.
An immediate resignation may not repair his reputation in the court of public opinion, but it is the one thing he can do to maintain his own self-respect. At this point in his life, it may be the only thing he has left!
It behooves the rest of us to remember that none of us are without personal failings...and regardless of the personal failings of Eliot Spitzer, he was no worse than the rest of us.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Recession - A Political Dirty Word
Last week, Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Banks, in testimony before Congress, and President Bush, at a press conference, both remarked that the U.S. economy was not heading for a recession. Even if they’re right, which many economists find highly doubtful, such claims are largely meaningless in light of the fact that tens of millions of individual U.S. economies – the economies of individual American households – are already experiencing recessions and there is little hope of changing the landscape anytime soon
2.83 million Americans collected unemployment benefits last week, the largest level since September of 2005.
Employers slashed 63,000 jobs from the economy last month, the largest decrease in five years.
Home foreclosure rates have skyrocketed to their highest point in 23 years.
Because of the tanking housing market, 10% of American homeowners have no equity or negative equity (mortgage higher than a home is worth) in their home.
The average price of a gallon of gas has surpassed $3.27 and is expected to hit $4.00.
The value of the U.S. dollar is in a free-fall in money markets around the world.
The stock market has lost over 600 points spanning the last 5 trading sessions.
Consumer confidence is at its lowest point since 2002.
Health care and College education expenses have soared through the roof.
Inflation could top 7% in 2008 if the current rate-climb continues.
Against this backdrop, millions of Americans are eagerly awaiting the ‘stimulus’ checks the government is planning to send out, starting in May. Unfortunately, most of that money will not be spent on stimulating the U.S. economy, or individual household economies for that matter, it will be spent by ordinary Americans in a vain attempt to keep from drowning. That is to say, it will be spent trying to stay current on the bills.
America needs a stimulus package that does more than simply mail out checks. It needs a package that creates millions of real jobs, shores up America’s infrastructure and stimulates long-term growth that individual economies can then experience. And it’s going to take leaders willing to admit that for many, recession is already here. If you can’t admit there’s a problem, you’re not going to be working towards a solution.
2.83 million Americans collected unemployment benefits last week, the largest level since September of 2005.
Employers slashed 63,000 jobs from the economy last month, the largest decrease in five years.
Home foreclosure rates have skyrocketed to their highest point in 23 years.
Because of the tanking housing market, 10% of American homeowners have no equity or negative equity (mortgage higher than a home is worth) in their home.
The average price of a gallon of gas has surpassed $3.27 and is expected to hit $4.00.
The value of the U.S. dollar is in a free-fall in money markets around the world.
The stock market has lost over 600 points spanning the last 5 trading sessions.
Consumer confidence is at its lowest point since 2002.
Health care and College education expenses have soared through the roof.
Inflation could top 7% in 2008 if the current rate-climb continues.
Against this backdrop, millions of Americans are eagerly awaiting the ‘stimulus’ checks the government is planning to send out, starting in May. Unfortunately, most of that money will not be spent on stimulating the U.S. economy, or individual household economies for that matter, it will be spent by ordinary Americans in a vain attempt to keep from drowning. That is to say, it will be spent trying to stay current on the bills.
America needs a stimulus package that does more than simply mail out checks. It needs a package that creates millions of real jobs, shores up America’s infrastructure and stimulates long-term growth that individual economies can then experience. And it’s going to take leaders willing to admit that for many, recession is already here. If you can’t admit there’s a problem, you’re not going to be working towards a solution.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
...and the Anti-O'Bama Hate E-mails Keep Coming
Nobody is as prolific at creating and spreading "hate" e-mails as the right-wing ideologues in this country are, and now that Barack O'Bama is leading the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination, right-wing hate-mongers have focused their high-powered machinery on him. I've received a slew of anti-O'Bama hate e-mails in my mailbox this week, and I'm sad to report that many have stooped to a new low in hateful content.
Hatred sickens me. It pollutes the human experience. When I see e-mail cartoons that represent nothing more than hatred wrapped in caricatured form, I have the same reaction.
When hatred infects politics, it becomes even more dangerous because it provides whole societies with excuses for attacking or eradicating others. Arab cartoons, for example, often advocate the killing of Jews and the extermination of Israel...and the "overt" quality of their cartoons openly telegraphs the message that Jewish people are worthless and eradicating them from the world would be a good thing. U.S. cartoons, on the other hand, are way more subtle in their conveyance of hatred, which in some respects, can do far more damage because the reader does not immediately recognize the hate message, but takes it in, and ever so slowly has their normal defenses to hatred eaten away. Unfortunately, however a message is spread, whether subtly or overtly, the damage it causes is widely felt.
The term, "political correctness" has acquired a negative connotation in this country, but the underlying aim of the term, to encourage people to consider how their acts and what they say will affect those who hear and see them, is a goal worth pursuing since the practice fosters a harmonious existence for everybody.
When "PC" meets resistance, very often it's because folks don't want to recognize, or deal with the discomfort of recognizing their own personal stereotypes...or simply don't want to change their viewpoint because they like the way it makes them feel.
The point I am trying to make here is that, far too often in our lives, hate seems to be acceptable as long as it's not directed towards us, and we're willing to turn a blind eye towards hate so long as we're not in its ugly cross-hairs. I personally find that condition unacceptable, as I recognize that hate, in all its ugly forms, is nothing short of a cancerous growth on the soul of humankind.
Hatred sickens me. It pollutes the human experience. When I see e-mail cartoons that represent nothing more than hatred wrapped in caricatured form, I have the same reaction.
When hatred infects politics, it becomes even more dangerous because it provides whole societies with excuses for attacking or eradicating others. Arab cartoons, for example, often advocate the killing of Jews and the extermination of Israel...and the "overt" quality of their cartoons openly telegraphs the message that Jewish people are worthless and eradicating them from the world would be a good thing. U.S. cartoons, on the other hand, are way more subtle in their conveyance of hatred, which in some respects, can do far more damage because the reader does not immediately recognize the hate message, but takes it in, and ever so slowly has their normal defenses to hatred eaten away. Unfortunately, however a message is spread, whether subtly or overtly, the damage it causes is widely felt.
The term, "political correctness" has acquired a negative connotation in this country, but the underlying aim of the term, to encourage people to consider how their acts and what they say will affect those who hear and see them, is a goal worth pursuing since the practice fosters a harmonious existence for everybody.
When "PC" meets resistance, very often it's because folks don't want to recognize, or deal with the discomfort of recognizing their own personal stereotypes...or simply don't want to change their viewpoint because they like the way it makes them feel.
The point I am trying to make here is that, far too often in our lives, hate seems to be acceptable as long as it's not directed towards us, and we're willing to turn a blind eye towards hate so long as we're not in its ugly cross-hairs. I personally find that condition unacceptable, as I recognize that hate, in all its ugly forms, is nothing short of a cancerous growth on the soul of humankind.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Terrorsim No Cause to Celebrate
On a day filled with the unspeakable horror of a Palestinian gunman massacring 8 Jewish seminary students and wounding numerous others at a rabbinical seminary in Jerusalem, it is unconscionable to witness the sight of throngs of Palestinians pouring into the streets in Gaza to cheer in celebration of the murder and mayhem. It brings to mind a similar display of Palestinian callousness following the bloody Al Qaida attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001.
Peace will never come to the Middle East as long as terrorism, in any form, is celebrated in the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens.
Peace will never come to the Middle East as long as terrorism, in any form, is celebrated in the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Bush/Cheney Rap Sheets Get Another Entry
Wth three DUI's between them, and offices in the White House on their resume, one might have figured that the criminal rap sheets of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were as long as they were going to get, but apparently not! The Vermont towns of Brattleboro and Marlboro voted yesterday to press criminal charges against Bush and Cheney for "violation of the U.S. Constitution".
No doubt, the media today will focus heavily on Hillary Clinton's big primary wins in Texas and Ohio, but the Vermont towns' symbolic gesture deserves top-billing as a step, albeit one of questionable Constitutional legality, towards holding both the President and the Vice-President accountable for their systematic dismantling of the rights, privileges and protections guaranteed to all citizens by the U.S. Constitution.
While the charge of "crimes against humanity" would have been more apt, considering this Administration's immoral invasion in Iraq, the charge of crimes against the U.S. Constitution will suffice to put historians on notice that, far from being protectors of the pillars of our national foundation, Bush and Cheney were leaders in the campaign to tear it down.
For those efforts, both deserve to have their rap sheets lengthened.
No doubt, the media today will focus heavily on Hillary Clinton's big primary wins in Texas and Ohio, but the Vermont towns' symbolic gesture deserves top-billing as a step, albeit one of questionable Constitutional legality, towards holding both the President and the Vice-President accountable for their systematic dismantling of the rights, privileges and protections guaranteed to all citizens by the U.S. Constitution.
While the charge of "crimes against humanity" would have been more apt, considering this Administration's immoral invasion in Iraq, the charge of crimes against the U.S. Constitution will suffice to put historians on notice that, far from being protectors of the pillars of our national foundation, Bush and Cheney were leaders in the campaign to tear it down.
For those efforts, both deserve to have their rap sheets lengthened.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Go Vote Folks!
This is a short message to the folks in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont: Go out and Vote! (Especially all you Democrats) The Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama offers a historic choice that any registered Democrat should relish making. Both are well-qualified candidates worthy of this Nation's highest office. Let your voices be heard! Go Vote
Monday, March 3, 2008
Abusing Our Juvenile Offenders
According to a recent study conducted by the Associated Press, reports of youngsters being abused and mistreated in juvenile detention facilities has reached epidemic levels in the United States. The Associated Press found that over 13,000 claims of abuse were filed between 2004 and 2007, a time period when approximately 46,000 youngsters were detained in the juvenile justice system. The AP study opined that the number of abuse claims filed is actually much higher than they reported because the study was not able to include private contractor facilities, who universally refuse to divulge the kind of abuse-related information the Associated Press was seeking. Sadly, the findings of the report seem to suggest that 1 in 4 juvenile detainees in the U.S. are abused in some form while detained.
In many instances, the juvenile justice system marks the final opportunity society has to readjust childhood behavior and set a youngster on the proper course of law-abiding citizenship. Unfortunately, that opportunity is far too often lost or seriously undermined when the last thing a juvenile experiences before adulthood is physical and emotional cruelty and sexual abuse.
The numbers reported by the Associated Press are alarming in and of themselves, but they mask an even deeper problem - the cavalier attitude many in this country possess when it comes to treatment of juvenile offenders. It’s not uncommon to hear somebody express the sentiment that a kid must have done something awfully bad to land in juvenile hall, and if they’re that bad, they ought to get a taste of what real prison life can be like – as if a youngster actually deserves the kind of abusive treatment they receive. Said attitude reflects a sense of ‘frontier justice’ still popular in this country, but it does not serve this Nation well when it comes to providing unruly juveniles with a healthy blueprint for leading a productive life. In fact, just the opposite is true.
When that taste of prison life includes cruelty and sexual abuse, juveniles overwhelmingly conclude that said behavior is not only acceptable, but it is necessary to achieve a sense of control over their lives. Hence, they leave the juvenile system not seeking to adjust their anti-social behavior, but rather seeking out situations where they can inflict cruelty and abuse on others or continue to experience said ill treatment from people more powerful than them. In both instances, the lives of those juveniles are markedly scarred, and many end up right back in criminal institutions – the very result juvenile facilities were created to avoid.
If Americans are sincere about the desire to reform wayward youth, its high time we demand said youth be treated with dignity and respect. If we do not take this one last opportunity to provide an example of how proper citizens should behave, our wayward youth will never get the message!
In many instances, the juvenile justice system marks the final opportunity society has to readjust childhood behavior and set a youngster on the proper course of law-abiding citizenship. Unfortunately, that opportunity is far too often lost or seriously undermined when the last thing a juvenile experiences before adulthood is physical and emotional cruelty and sexual abuse.
The numbers reported by the Associated Press are alarming in and of themselves, but they mask an even deeper problem - the cavalier attitude many in this country possess when it comes to treatment of juvenile offenders. It’s not uncommon to hear somebody express the sentiment that a kid must have done something awfully bad to land in juvenile hall, and if they’re that bad, they ought to get a taste of what real prison life can be like – as if a youngster actually deserves the kind of abusive treatment they receive. Said attitude reflects a sense of ‘frontier justice’ still popular in this country, but it does not serve this Nation well when it comes to providing unruly juveniles with a healthy blueprint for leading a productive life. In fact, just the opposite is true.
When that taste of prison life includes cruelty and sexual abuse, juveniles overwhelmingly conclude that said behavior is not only acceptable, but it is necessary to achieve a sense of control over their lives. Hence, they leave the juvenile system not seeking to adjust their anti-social behavior, but rather seeking out situations where they can inflict cruelty and abuse on others or continue to experience said ill treatment from people more powerful than them. In both instances, the lives of those juveniles are markedly scarred, and many end up right back in criminal institutions – the very result juvenile facilities were created to avoid.
If Americans are sincere about the desire to reform wayward youth, its high time we demand said youth be treated with dignity and respect. If we do not take this one last opportunity to provide an example of how proper citizens should behave, our wayward youth will never get the message!
Responding to a South American Bully
Some bullies are always looking for fight, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is no exception. Chavez has ordered a slew of his army battalions to the Venezuelan border with Columbia in an audacious saber-rattling move equaled only by his belligerent diatribes against the Columbian government and the United States.
Columbia poses no danger to Venezuela, nor are Columbian leaders seeking to wage war against a well-armed adversary at the same time as they are fighting drug lords in that country’s jungles. Nevertheless, Chavez continues to sound the drumbeats of war as if his country is on the verge of a massive home invasion. Clearly, Chavez is not satisfied with limiting his combative politics to Venezuela; so he’s decided to spread it to the rest of South America as well, a move that will bring much suffering and tragedy to the region.
Standing up to Chavez’ bellicose attitude without resorting to military force will require great courage on the part of this Nation’s leadership, and a willingness of our citizenry to pay the price (at the gas pump) for our courage because Chavez will certainly stop the flow of Venezuelan oil into the United States to test our resolve.
As individual citizens, we must not allow our government to make the same mistake with Venezuela that it made with Iraq. Nothing good can come from using violence against Venezuela. This time, cooler heads must prevail.
Columbia poses no danger to Venezuela, nor are Columbian leaders seeking to wage war against a well-armed adversary at the same time as they are fighting drug lords in that country’s jungles. Nevertheless, Chavez continues to sound the drumbeats of war as if his country is on the verge of a massive home invasion. Clearly, Chavez is not satisfied with limiting his combative politics to Venezuela; so he’s decided to spread it to the rest of South America as well, a move that will bring much suffering and tragedy to the region.
Standing up to Chavez’ bellicose attitude without resorting to military force will require great courage on the part of this Nation’s leadership, and a willingness of our citizenry to pay the price (at the gas pump) for our courage because Chavez will certainly stop the flow of Venezuelan oil into the United States to test our resolve.
As individual citizens, we must not allow our government to make the same mistake with Venezuela that it made with Iraq. Nothing good can come from using violence against Venezuela. This time, cooler heads must prevail.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The Mukasey Threat to Democracy
It should come as no surprise to anyone that U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey is refusing to fulfill his duty as the government’s top attorney and pursue contempt of Congress charges against former White House aides Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolton. Like his refusal to pursue charges against C.I.A. agents engaging in torture, Mukasey has once again demonstrated complete repugnancy for the rule of law when it conflicts with the political purposes of the Bush Administration.
When Mukasey took the oath of office such a short time ago, he vowed to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the laws of this Nation over any other concern. Apparently, Mukasey had no intention of honoring said pledge, and his subsequent refusal to enforce the laws of this country place him squarely among the plethora of dishonorable liars who have inhabited the current Administration.
When people speak of terrorists, they invariably link such individuals as threats to the very core of our democracy. If that’s the case, then the likes of Mukasey deserve a spot in Guantanamo Bay as much as any foreign terrorist does, for their abuse of power represents no less a threat to the rule of law in this nation.
When Mukasey took the oath of office such a short time ago, he vowed to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the laws of this Nation over any other concern. Apparently, Mukasey had no intention of honoring said pledge, and his subsequent refusal to enforce the laws of this country place him squarely among the plethora of dishonorable liars who have inhabited the current Administration.
When people speak of terrorists, they invariably link such individuals as threats to the very core of our democracy. If that’s the case, then the likes of Mukasey deserve a spot in Guantanamo Bay as much as any foreign terrorist does, for their abuse of power represents no less a threat to the rule of law in this nation.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Immigrants, Bigotry, Flag-Waving and Idol Worshipping
There's an anti-immigrant e-mail floating around that depicts a group of Hispanic high school students raising the Mexican flag above the American flag on a flagpole outside their high school. The creator of the e-mail expresses utter outrage at the lack of respect for our national symbol and urges the viewer to pass on the e-mail if they are similarly enraged.
I recently received the flag e-mail again, and this is how I responded to its sender:
"I’ve seen that e-mail before, and it never comes accompanied with a note urging folks to keep things in perspective. Then again, I never was big into idol worship, even when the idol was a piece of cloth, so I guess I just don’t have the same visceral feeling others get when they see an American flag so depicted.
The first thing that strikes me when I look at those photographs is that they depict a bunch of kids, who by their very nature as kids don’t grasp the depth of emotions they trigger in folks here who revere the flag like a god. Five years from now, they’ll know better.
The other thing that strikes me about the e-mail is how it’s engineered to create the impression that all Hispanic immigrants are disrespectful, flag-hating people. It takes the actions of a handful of nitwits and attempts to use them to smear a whole class of people; a classic example of bigotry in action.
I can’t decide which I loathe more – the bigotry or the idol worshipping."
Subsequently, the sender took issue with my reference to flag adoration being akin to idol worshipping. Here is my rebuttal:
"One reason I'm so negative about the 'pro flag' sentiment that has reached a crescendo over recent years is the corresponding willingness of those same flag wavers to shed every freedom and value that the flag was said to represent - all in the name of maintaining national security. If the events of 9/11 proved anything, it's how little we actually treasure our freedoms...because we quickly jettisoned them at the first sign of adversity. If Americans defended their freedoms and time-honored values with the same intensity as they worship the U.S. flag, this country would be a place worthy of national pride...and so would the flag.
I remember, back when I was a kid, asking my grandmother why God was so mad about the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. It was just a large piece of gold, she said. Some people thought it could do something, but it was just an object and God was upset that it took their focus away from Him and what was really important.
Today, I look at the flag in the same light. It's just an object that takes every one's focus away from that which is truly important. If that viewpoint makes me unpatriotic, so be it, but I tend to think that defending freedom is a far higher calling than defending a collection of strands of cotton, polyester and nylon."
I recently received the flag e-mail again, and this is how I responded to its sender:
"I’ve seen that e-mail before, and it never comes accompanied with a note urging folks to keep things in perspective. Then again, I never was big into idol worship, even when the idol was a piece of cloth, so I guess I just don’t have the same visceral feeling others get when they see an American flag so depicted.
The first thing that strikes me when I look at those photographs is that they depict a bunch of kids, who by their very nature as kids don’t grasp the depth of emotions they trigger in folks here who revere the flag like a god. Five years from now, they’ll know better.
The other thing that strikes me about the e-mail is how it’s engineered to create the impression that all Hispanic immigrants are disrespectful, flag-hating people. It takes the actions of a handful of nitwits and attempts to use them to smear a whole class of people; a classic example of bigotry in action.
I can’t decide which I loathe more – the bigotry or the idol worshipping."
Subsequently, the sender took issue with my reference to flag adoration being akin to idol worshipping. Here is my rebuttal:
"One reason I'm so negative about the 'pro flag' sentiment that has reached a crescendo over recent years is the corresponding willingness of those same flag wavers to shed every freedom and value that the flag was said to represent - all in the name of maintaining national security. If the events of 9/11 proved anything, it's how little we actually treasure our freedoms...because we quickly jettisoned them at the first sign of adversity. If Americans defended their freedoms and time-honored values with the same intensity as they worship the U.S. flag, this country would be a place worthy of national pride...and so would the flag.
I remember, back when I was a kid, asking my grandmother why God was so mad about the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. It was just a large piece of gold, she said. Some people thought it could do something, but it was just an object and God was upset that it took their focus away from Him and what was really important.
Today, I look at the flag in the same light. It's just an object that takes every one's focus away from that which is truly important. If that viewpoint makes me unpatriotic, so be it, but I tend to think that defending freedom is a far higher calling than defending a collection of strands of cotton, polyester and nylon."
Friday, February 29, 2008
Kicking the Homowner When They're Down
A careful examination of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s recent remarks to Congress about proposals to stem the current epidemic of mortgage foreclosures illustrates the dark side of conservative ideology concerning ‘personal responsibility’ in the marketplace. On one hand, Secretary Paulson advocates against Congress taking action to shore up lower class homeowners struggling under the weight of adjustable rate mortgage payments they cannot afford when the mortgage rate re-adjusts. One the other hand, Paulson vehemently oppose regulations against the mortgage lenders to prohibit the very practices that created this housing fiasco in the first place. What are we to conclude then, but that conservative economic policy is to encourage the creation of an economic trap and then severely punish those who are ensnared in it?
From 2004 through 2006, the President touted what he called the drive towards an “ownership society”, creating an illusion that the American Dream was within the reach of any American willing to sign on the dotted line – and for a brief time, it was. Millions of people with no down payments were approved for mortgages with no reference to their ability to repay the debt they were assuming. In a vast number of other cases, borrowers were approved for adjustable rate loans they could afford when they borrowed the money, but were obviously not going to be able to afford when the loan rate re-adjusted. In both situations, massive foreclosures were more than foreseeable; they were assured to occur.
Now, at the day of reckoning, the very government that encouraged and facilitated this economic meltdown seeks to evade assuming its own ‘personal responsibility’. If that’s compassionate economic conservatism, I want no part of it!
From 2004 through 2006, the President touted what he called the drive towards an “ownership society”, creating an illusion that the American Dream was within the reach of any American willing to sign on the dotted line – and for a brief time, it was. Millions of people with no down payments were approved for mortgages with no reference to their ability to repay the debt they were assuming. In a vast number of other cases, borrowers were approved for adjustable rate loans they could afford when they borrowed the money, but were obviously not going to be able to afford when the loan rate re-adjusted. In both situations, massive foreclosures were more than foreseeable; they were assured to occur.
Now, at the day of reckoning, the very government that encouraged and facilitated this economic meltdown seeks to evade assuming its own ‘personal responsibility’. If that’s compassionate economic conservatism, I want no part of it!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Missing Cheney E-Mails
Today is the Two Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety-Fifth day of the Dick Cheney Vice-Presidency, and during every one of those days, federal law required that all e-mail originating from the Office of the Vice-President were to be retained and archived.
Unfortunately, as we are being led to believe, e-mails from seven of those 2,595 days are missing. Nowhere to be found! Gone! Vanished into the thin air of cyberspace.
And those seven days just happened to be the very seven days, from September 30th, 2003 to October 6th, 2003, when the Justice Department started investigating the White House as the source of Bush Administration attempts to punish former Ambassador Joe Wilson by outing his wife as a CIA agent.
Wilson was the guy who went public and exposed the Bush Administration’s lies with respect to supposed efforts by Saddam Hussein to buy Uranium from Nigeria, a false claim used by the Administration to justify America’s invasion into Iraq. The White House exposed Wilson’s wife’s CIA covert agent status to punish Wilson for exposing the truth.
The country now knows that the original source of the leak was the White House itself, including the President and Vice-President, though mostly centered in the Office of the Vice-President, but the e-mail exchanges that might have proved organized White House efforts to obstruct the Justice Department’s 2003 investigation are now nowhere to be found.
Coincidence? I don't think so!
Unfortunately, as we are being led to believe, e-mails from seven of those 2,595 days are missing. Nowhere to be found! Gone! Vanished into the thin air of cyberspace.
And those seven days just happened to be the very seven days, from September 30th, 2003 to October 6th, 2003, when the Justice Department started investigating the White House as the source of Bush Administration attempts to punish former Ambassador Joe Wilson by outing his wife as a CIA agent.
Wilson was the guy who went public and exposed the Bush Administration’s lies with respect to supposed efforts by Saddam Hussein to buy Uranium from Nigeria, a false claim used by the Administration to justify America’s invasion into Iraq. The White House exposed Wilson’s wife’s CIA covert agent status to punish Wilson for exposing the truth.
The country now knows that the original source of the leak was the White House itself, including the President and Vice-President, though mostly centered in the Office of the Vice-President, but the e-mail exchanges that might have proved organized White House efforts to obstruct the Justice Department’s 2003 investigation are now nowhere to be found.
Coincidence? I don't think so!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
A New Peddler of Hate Video
Ayman al-Zawahri, Al Qaeda’s second-in-command to Osama bin Laden, just released a new video wherein he bemoans a recent U.S. missile attack in Pakistan’s North Waziristan province that killed several of Al Qaeda’s top leaders. As is normal for videos released by the Al Qaeda leader, al-Zawahri lashed out in a diatribe against the United States and he promised more brutal and senseless violence in retaliation for U.S. efforts against his terrorist organization.
Of particular interest to me was the backdrop in al-Zawahri’s latest video, a loaded bookshelf like one would see in a huckster personal injury lawyer ad – designed to convey a sense of importance, but essentially a shelf full of knowledge and wisdom never consumed.
How appropriate that a purveyor of perversion and violence like al-Zawahri would expose himself as the huckster he is; a man whose character amounts to little more than a wretched old soul appearing before a fake backdrop.
There is no substance to al-Zawahri’s message, no wisdom in his words, no redeeming social value in his cause.
Hate and killing sow no crop worth reaping.
Of particular interest to me was the backdrop in al-Zawahri’s latest video, a loaded bookshelf like one would see in a huckster personal injury lawyer ad – designed to convey a sense of importance, but essentially a shelf full of knowledge and wisdom never consumed.
How appropriate that a purveyor of perversion and violence like al-Zawahri would expose himself as the huckster he is; a man whose character amounts to little more than a wretched old soul appearing before a fake backdrop.
There is no substance to al-Zawahri’s message, no wisdom in his words, no redeeming social value in his cause.
Hate and killing sow no crop worth reaping.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Scalia's Taste For Torture
You know the worlds gone mad when a United States Supreme Court Justice states publicly, with all the bluster of ancient Rome’s Caligula, that a country’s use of torture is justifiable in the name of national security. It’s hard to believe, given all we know about the atrocities committed by Germany’s Hitler, Rome’s Caligula and all those who perpetrated the Inquisitions of the Middle Ages, that some would still think that the depravity of torture could be excused, let alone encouraged, but that’s exactly what Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia suggested on BBC Radio several weeks ago.
As if that was not enough, Justice Scalia took the occasion to mock European criticism of the U.S. death penalty, calling Europe’s opposition to the American practice ‘self-righteous’ and ‘ridiculous’.
One could almost forgive Justice Scalia as being ignorant on both topics, as he’s never witnessed the atrocities that millions of Europeans did, but Scalia is routinely touted as one of the most brilliant thinkers on the Supreme Court. Thus, it can only be concluded that Scalia is perfectly happy with the use of torture and state-sponsored killing, as his comments suggest, which places him squarely in the company of such unworthy notables as Hitler and Rome’s Caligula.
You wouldn’t think that the bloodthirsty would achieve such high respect, but like I said, “The worlds gone mad”.
As if that was not enough, Justice Scalia took the occasion to mock European criticism of the U.S. death penalty, calling Europe’s opposition to the American practice ‘self-righteous’ and ‘ridiculous’.
One could almost forgive Justice Scalia as being ignorant on both topics, as he’s never witnessed the atrocities that millions of Europeans did, but Scalia is routinely touted as one of the most brilliant thinkers on the Supreme Court. Thus, it can only be concluded that Scalia is perfectly happy with the use of torture and state-sponsored killing, as his comments suggest, which places him squarely in the company of such unworthy notables as Hitler and Rome’s Caligula.
You wouldn’t think that the bloodthirsty would achieve such high respect, but like I said, “The worlds gone mad”.
Gas Economics
The Headline I read touted that gas prices rose 2 cents over the weekend, but I can tell you that’s not true. Gas prices didn’t rise over a span of three days – they rose in a matter of minutes. And it wasn’t two cents; it was ten!
Somewhere between 3:10 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, the price of gas rose ten cents at a local convenience store and within an hour, every gas outlet within 20 miles of my computer followed suit.
At the same time as the news outlets were reporting that gasoline supplies in the U.S. were rising, an event the laws of supply and demand say should trigger a price reduction, every gas station in the country was increasing their prices. So much for the fundamentals of economics!
Call me jaded, but I think gas suppliers are gouging.
Tensions rise in the Middle East; gas prices go up ten cents.
Tensions abate in the Middle East; gas prices go down five cents.
Fire breaks out at a domestic oil refinery; gas prices go up ten cents.
Firemen extinguish the blaze; gas prices go down five cents.
And then, at the end of each fiscal quarter, Exxon posts record profits.
Somewhere between 3:10 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, the price of gas rose ten cents at a local convenience store and within an hour, every gas outlet within 20 miles of my computer followed suit.
At the same time as the news outlets were reporting that gasoline supplies in the U.S. were rising, an event the laws of supply and demand say should trigger a price reduction, every gas station in the country was increasing their prices. So much for the fundamentals of economics!
Call me jaded, but I think gas suppliers are gouging.
Tensions rise in the Middle East; gas prices go up ten cents.
Tensions abate in the Middle East; gas prices go down five cents.
Fire breaks out at a domestic oil refinery; gas prices go up ten cents.
Firemen extinguish the blaze; gas prices go down five cents.
And then, at the end of each fiscal quarter, Exxon posts record profits.
Monday, February 25, 2008
War Lies Go Unpunished
There was a time in this country when killing without justification was treated severely, oftentimes resulting in the death of the perpetrator, but that practice hasn't been applied to our elected officials who authorize killing with reckless abandon under the cloak of 'waging war'. And it certainly hasn't been applied to President Bush and his Administration for lying to the American people and duping the Nation into believing there was a moral justification for going to war in Iraq.
The well-respected Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. recently released the results of an in-depth study it undertook of public statements issued by President Bush and members of his Administration in the lead-up to the Iraq War. The study documented that President Bush and his Administration issued 935 false statements regarding the justification for invading Iraq in the two years before the war began.
Those lies convinced a majority of the American people (albeit a slim majority) that invading Iraq was morally justified when it was not. They duped this Nation into sacrificing the lives of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of billions of dollars that future generations will be required to repay. They triggered the senseless deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis. They destroyed America's moral credibility in the eyes of the world, but more importantly, in the eyes of God.
Even today, many of our conservative politicians refuse to acknowledge the lies, refuse to repudiate the lies and refuse to accept responsibility for perpetrating the lies. As a result, those lies go unpunished...and the killing continue! When will it end? When will someone be held responsible?
The well-respected Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. recently released the results of an in-depth study it undertook of public statements issued by President Bush and members of his Administration in the lead-up to the Iraq War. The study documented that President Bush and his Administration issued 935 false statements regarding the justification for invading Iraq in the two years before the war began.
Those lies convinced a majority of the American people (albeit a slim majority) that invading Iraq was morally justified when it was not. They duped this Nation into sacrificing the lives of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of billions of dollars that future generations will be required to repay. They triggered the senseless deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis. They destroyed America's moral credibility in the eyes of the world, but more importantly, in the eyes of God.
Even today, many of our conservative politicians refuse to acknowledge the lies, refuse to repudiate the lies and refuse to accept responsibility for perpetrating the lies. As a result, those lies go unpunished...and the killing continue! When will it end? When will someone be held responsible?
Friday, February 22, 2008
MISSING THE MARK - a Question of Ethics or Romance
If you read The New York Times article questioning John McCain's relationship with lobbyist Vicki Iseman, or any of the hundreds of articles subsequently commenting on the story, you can’t help concluding that society is still not ready to accept non-marital male-female relationships without jumping to the conclusion that a romantic and/or sexual element lies somewhere within.
What disappoints me is not that The New York Times ran the piece; after all, McCain is running for President on an ethical and moral character platform, it’s that the discussion quickly dissolved into whether The New York Times showed bad taste for running the article or John McCain cheated on his wife. Few stopped to examine the nature of relationships in general. It appear as if everybody just assumed that a man and a woman can't have a non-romantic relationship, an assumption that is patently false.
In my book, The New York Times article and the firestorm it has triggered is more telling about the focus of this Country than McCain's character. I saw the piece as questioning McCain’s willingness to be influenced by special interest lobbying – whereas the rest of the country focused on the question of McCain’s marital fidelity. Perhaps our society gravitates towards the scent of sexual scandal out of habit, but this proclivity gravely undermines a discussion that is sorely needed - the nature of relationships between the sexes and how those relationships should be viewed in the public arena.
Until such a discussion occurs on a broad scale in this country, every question of improper political influence between a man and a woman will automatically become clouded by the aura of sexual impropriety, and the evils of improper political influence will take a backseat thereto. For that, we all suffer.
What disappoints me is not that The New York Times ran the piece; after all, McCain is running for President on an ethical and moral character platform, it’s that the discussion quickly dissolved into whether The New York Times showed bad taste for running the article or John McCain cheated on his wife. Few stopped to examine the nature of relationships in general. It appear as if everybody just assumed that a man and a woman can't have a non-romantic relationship, an assumption that is patently false.
In my book, The New York Times article and the firestorm it has triggered is more telling about the focus of this Country than McCain's character. I saw the piece as questioning McCain’s willingness to be influenced by special interest lobbying – whereas the rest of the country focused on the question of McCain’s marital fidelity. Perhaps our society gravitates towards the scent of sexual scandal out of habit, but this proclivity gravely undermines a discussion that is sorely needed - the nature of relationships between the sexes and how those relationships should be viewed in the public arena.
Until such a discussion occurs on a broad scale in this country, every question of improper political influence between a man and a woman will automatically become clouded by the aura of sexual impropriety, and the evils of improper political influence will take a backseat thereto. For that, we all suffer.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Common Sense Security Finally Begins
Long overdue improved security measures were commenced at this Nation's borders today when new State Department rules concerning the forms of ID needed to gain entry into the country finally went into effect. The media is reporting that officials at the State Department say enforcement will not be strict at first, which is disappointing to say the least, but the action to improve security at the borders is a welcomed sign nonetheless. Once full enforcement is implimented, we can all breathe a little easier.
That's not to say that the new rules will end outside threats. Nothing can be farther from the truth. What the rules do represent though, is a major common-sense improvement in how we scrutinize those coming into this Counrty. The new rules represent a significant step in protecting our Nation without unnecessary infringement on the lives of those who cross our borders.
That's something we can all celebrate.
That's not to say that the new rules will end outside threats. Nothing can be farther from the truth. What the rules do represent though, is a major common-sense improvement in how we scrutinize those coming into this Counrty. The new rules represent a significant step in protecting our Nation without unnecessary infringement on the lives of those who cross our borders.
That's something we can all celebrate.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Atttorney General: Think No Torture...See No Torture
It's not very reassuring that the Nation's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, won't provide a legal opinion as to whether "waterboarding" constitutes torture, and thus, constitutes a violation of the federal statutes prohibiting torture. Mukasey says that's not his job. I find such a claim incredulous!
I thought the job of the Attorney General of the United States was to enforce this Nations' laws and to insure that every person who violates those laws is held accountable for their actions. And I also thought, apparently in error according to Mukasey, that in order to carry out his or her duties, an Attorney General would have to render a judgment call as to whether an actor's conduct fell within the conduct prescribed by a federal criminal statute. After all, the Canons of Legal Ethics require a prosecutor to believe that a crime was committed before charges can be filed. So, it would seem logical that when it comes to whether conduct is illegal or not, especially when the conduct centers around torture, the Attorney General would have an opinion.
But not with this Attonrey General. The way he sees it, that's not his job.
I thought the job of the Attorney General of the United States was to enforce this Nations' laws and to insure that every person who violates those laws is held accountable for their actions. And I also thought, apparently in error according to Mukasey, that in order to carry out his or her duties, an Attorney General would have to render a judgment call as to whether an actor's conduct fell within the conduct prescribed by a federal criminal statute. After all, the Canons of Legal Ethics require a prosecutor to believe that a crime was committed before charges can be filed. So, it would seem logical that when it comes to whether conduct is illegal or not, especially when the conduct centers around torture, the Attorney General would have an opinion.
But not with this Attonrey General. The way he sees it, that's not his job.
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