Sunday News Shows

I watched a number of Sunday News Shows today. Some of them are actually recorded on Friday. They really have a disadvantage come Sunday, especially when news events are moving fast. And that's just how things are right now. 

About the only thing I want to right is that Jennifer Granholm made mincemeat out of Ed Gillespie. Oh, yeah, and I find Evan Thomas to be almost digusting enough to turn off the TV. That guy is not that smart, but he is so full of himself, pompous and arrogant. Yuck. I give his opinion zero weight. 

And I was also disgusted about one of the conservative women on
To the Contrary that spewed out incredible untruths about the unions in Wisconsin. She said that aren't paying anything for their health insurance, which is false. She also failed to say how, for many years, public workers took less salary than their counterparts in the private sector in return for some of these benefits. Now our state governments, after squandering so much money, want to go back on their word. But what do you expect from government? Our governments have their own form of corruption.

If the governor of Wisconsin, Walker, thinks that he can count on his tea party folks to provide consistent and equal protests, day after day, to the unions, he is definitely kidding himself. He may be able to eventually push this thru using all his power as governor, but it is going to cost him politically in a big way in the long run.

Why the union busting with such fervor?

I just can't figure out why the republicans in Wisconsin are so dad-burned intent on busting the public employees union. Shades of Ronald Reagan and the air traffic controllers. The big mistake the unions made then was to not be unified behind the union under attack. The republicans have exempted not only the police, but the firefighters from their union busting in a very hypocritical move. That proves that they understand the importance of unions and are just out to break certain ones. 

Of course, those on the left side of the political spectrum that would be the natural union supporters did not do their job during the elections in November and allowed the republicans to dominate the state government. Part of that is Obama's fault, because he has taken so many middle of the road positions that he depressed the enthusiasm factor for many on the left hand side of the political spectrum. 

But, it is safe to say that the supreme court decision overturning many years of precedent and turning loose the big, greedy, corporate money to be spent at will in elections, also played a big part. Over and over again Crossroads and Crossroads affiliated groups ran TV ad after ad lying about what the democrats were doing, and the democrats did a pretty poor job in responding to those ads. Put it all together, along with the doubts about the security of the computerized vote counting systems, and you ended up with republicans taking over many governments, such as in Wisconsin, when in actuality, the kind of extremist agenda that is being pushed does not really represent the view of the state.

The unions are offering concessions if the republicans will drop their union busting demands, but they aren't negotiating. And, according to news reports, any recall effort against the governor will have to wait at least a year. It's hard to imagine that this kind of political fervor will last a year, but hey, we are in uncharted territory. 

I think in the long run, this is going to hurt the republicans. But, in the short run, it could very well hurt a lot of working people. I think that eventually the democratic senators will give in, the republicans will refuse to budge, the bill will pass, the state workers will lose their union for now. But, in politics, everything that is done can be undone and redone. This kind of in-your-face politics asked for in-your-face politics to be thrown back at them when the opportunity arises. Even if the republicans are successful in doing this now, I think this is one of those things that will not be quickly forgotten.

Cooperation, not deadly confrontation

It’s always hard to judge the accuracy the mainstream media reports on what is going on in foreign countries, especially when the U.S. national interest is very seriously at stake. I remember way back when Kristi and I were interviewed for what ended up being a show in PBS Frontline entitled, “Who’s Killing Calvert City?” After some conversation with the interviewer, they made the statement that NBC is considered to be the U.S. government station. This was in the last half of the 1980s. Well, just so happens that my local TV station, WPSD, out of Paducah, KY, is an NBC affiliate. So I see a lot of NBC. I thought that it was true at the time. I’m not sure it is as much true now. But there is no doubt that NBC keeps the government's interests in mind at all times. Just ask Andrea Mitchell.

But when I hear reports from the NBC international perspective, I have doubts about it. The reason is because I think they have an agenda. It might not be an all bad agenda, but it’s an agenda. They do, however, try to pass off what they report as being non-biased. Don’t think I can buy that. 

So, it’s really hard to know what is happening in Bahrain. But when Gary Sick, who I have seen for many years giving opinions as a foreign affairs expert, on a variety of networks, said, on the PBS Jim Lehrer News Hour, that what the Bahrain government did to “unarmed” and “peaceful” protesters was “brutality” it took me aback. Mr. Sick doesn’t make such claims with ease. 

What is the U.S. to do? Sec. Clinton gave a carefully worded statement today pleading for moderation from the Bahrain leadership. Not likely going to happen, after it was reported that the Saudi leadership advocated, not just to it’s neighborhood allies, but to the US, violence against the protesters in order to maintain stability. And that is just what is happening. But this is so against what we stand for. Are we going to stand aside and let this happen just because they let us park our boats? 

But we supposedly need our boats there because we don’t Iran to have too much power. We need to give it up on Iran and try to be their friend. They are a very successful and powerful society. I am totally for ending oppression in their country, and I’m sure their government is bad. But, a lot of good gets done in good countries regardless of whether or not the government is good, and that is the case in Iran. And the good outweighs the bad, and we should try to be their friend. 

The standoff in Wisconsin continues. And, according to reports, it is spreading to other states. So how did these republicans get such certain control over these state legislatures? Was it because many of the people that are protesting now didn’t vote? I don’t know. I still worry about voter fraud through electronic manipulation. It’s really hard to have complete faith in our elections, and that is a really horrible thing. But, nevertheless, where were all the protesters when it came time to vote? I don’t know. But I’m anxious to hear that analysis.

Why would this whippersnapper governor be trying to end unions for public workers? You can end unions on paper, but you can’t stop people when they really believe that a core interest is at stake. Just look at what is going on in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, and elsewhere. The problem isn’t with middle class workers. The problem is with leaders that make way more than they need, make mistakes in their job that affect millions, aren’t held accountable, keep their jobs, and get bonuses. Why should management people make so much more than the workers? Until that issue is resolved, there isn’t going to calm in society. So best try and address it now.

What a Day!

Wow, there’s so much going on. I just have to write a little. 

I think I have to write about the protests in Wisconsin first. That hits close to home. A newly elected governor and republican legislature is on the verge of passing legislation that would make it illegal for public employees to form unions, basically. 

While it made the NBC national news, there was more detail on PBS. On Jim Lehrer News Hour a reporter from Wisconsin Public Television said a few things that aren’t being reported in the bigger news venues. What he said that caught my attention was that the protests have been going on for a few days, and that everyday they are growing. They include teachers, firefighters, and other state employees, and today numbered 25,000. For a protest in the U.S. that's a lot! 

(And apparently, in a strategic move, the republicans “exempted” the police forces and are going to allow them to keep their unions, in order to keep the police forces on their side. Talk about cynical! I hope that the protests continue to grow.) 

I think that unions are essential for workers to be able to improve their standard of living and working conditions. There really isn’t any reason why cuts have to be tied to taking away workers’ rights to organize - it’s just a new whippersnapper politician seeing what he can do. What he may end up with is massive wildcat strikes. Then what is he going to do? Round up all the strikers and put them in jail? Get real.

But ultimately, this issue, not dissimilar from what is going on in Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia, Libya, and on and on, has not as much to do with how much that teachers or firefighters make as it does with how much more politicians, school administrators, bankers, and other “management” level people make in comparison, even when that level of our bureaucracy has failed us repeatedly. There are people that have been bailed out by untold federal dollars, yet remain in their jobs making way more than they need. The very politicians that are passing these bills have salaries and perks way beyond what average workers make. Yet they are picking on people that are lower on the economic scale. That is wrong.

This is about the same issue that is going on in Bahrain and the other middle eastern countries. The rich minority thinks that they own enough weapons to be able to protect their wealth. Bad assumption, because it doesn’t take into account time, human resolve, and history.

And isn’t it interesting that the Bahrain ruling class is allowing the U.S. Navy to park one of our fleets there? I wonder how much the U.S. is paying for that? A lot, you can be sure. And that may have a lot to do with the lukewarm response to the attack on the protesters from both Obama and Clinton. (you think????) 

If the U.S. isn’t on the right side of this, you will see these minority Shiite populations turn to Iran and Herzballah to help them and they will. Actually, that probably is happening already. But, if they are being oppressed, it is our duty to support their move for freedom. But will we?

Republicans will shut down the federal government

After digesting the reaction to Obama's proposed budget, I am predicting that the republicans will not be able to put together enough votes to pass the continuing resolution in early March and that the federal government will "shut down." 

I heard some pundits recently saying that some republicans are saying that the reason the republicans came out on the bottom of the federal government shutdown under Clinton is that they gave in too soon. This kind of thinking would only lead one to think that there is a substantial group of republicans, probably enough to either (1) only pass spending cuts so extreme that they know that the democrats in the senate will never pass it and/or Obama would never sign it, or (2) won't agree to any continuing resolution that would appease the democrats at all, that it seems almost a certainty that the continuing resolution to fund the government past March 4, I think is the date, will not get passed.

Oh boy, this is going to be a showdown. They say that lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, but I have a feeling it's going to strike again in a very similar way that it did back in the Clinton era. How it all will wash out is anyone's guess, but my prediction is that the republicans are not united enough, nor saavy enough to turn this to their advantage. We shall see.

There's no doubt that the federal government is too big. But what seems like a no-brainer to me is to quit giving federal money to well off people. Why are we doing that? They don't need it. But cutting poor people's heating assistance, food stamps, and help for going to college, to name a few things, is cruel and undercuts all of our arguments about us being an example of how a true democracy works. 

Democracy is not just survival of the fittest. It involves compassion, that dirty word, and conscience. If our nation can't afford that, then we are in real trouble. 

And I just have to add as an epilogue, that Mitch McConnell's comments making fun of Obama's budget by ridiculing "fast trains and windmills" is so beyond the pale that it is an embarassment for Kentucky and the nation. McConnell needs to spend more time with his family and less in Congress if that is the best he can do.

I Luv Mountains rally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9oBX_D5IpI (this is a film I took and edited of highlights of the afternoon}

Kristi and I went to Frankfort, Kentucky and participated in the I Luv Mountains march and rally. The rally's major sponor is the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and the purpose of the rally is to bring opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining to the Kentucky Capitol. 

It was especially poignant this year, because the Kentucky Governor, Steve Beshear, a west Kentuckian, who is up for re-election, recently criticized the US EPA for "overregulating" the coal industry in Kentucky, but he has authorized litigation against the federal government challenging that regulation. 

In response to that, a number of important Kentuckians, not the least of which was poet and in many ways the conscience of Kentucky, Wendell Berry, held a sit-in in the governor's office, for the entire weekend leading up to today's march. 

In the end, 14 people spent the weekend in the governor's office, coming out as a thousand protesters gathered about on the Capitol steps. Some, including Berry, addressed the crowd. Berry's words were as inspiring as one might hope they would be in such a situation. His tone was one of seriousness and reverence. He spoke on behalf of the earth and the people - including the miners. It was very moving.

Others spoke, including a very strong and inspiring talk by Teri Blanton, long time eastern Kentucky activist. The rally included a talk by congressman John Falmouth, from the Louisville area, the only Democratic congressman from Kentucky. He made a great talk. 

As bad as mountaintop removal coalmining is, it isn't going to be enough just to stop it. We need wholesale change in our energy systems. That, in and of itself, is a path to a lot of employment. The fact that as a nation we can't get that done does not bode well on us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9oBX_D5IpI

More Egypt

I am happy to see that Mubarek was made to eat his words. It is appropriate. But I have to say that in retrospect, I think that the US mainstream media, such as NBC news, which is now aligning itself closely with the movement in Egypt, mislead the US public badly for at least the last two decades about the conditions in Egypt, which the US was supporting with large amounts of cash.

Yet, while our media was protraying the image that all was well in Egypt, with it's peace with Israel, control of the Suez Canal, intelligence service rooting out those radical islamists, border closings between Palestine and Egypt....the perfect partner....

....Now we find out that there is abject poverty, no civil rights, no democracy, no freedom of the press or speech or assembly, people who opposed the government disappear, tortured, and on and on - for the last 30 years. Where have these networks been all this time? Covering it all up on behalf of the US government interests, isn't that right?

This kind of coverup has carried over even into the later stages of the uprising. For example, while the mainstream US media did report that there was some violence against the protesters, and my recollection is that there was a report of maybe 4 protesters being killed, now we find out that it is 300. I still don't think that NBC has reported that figure. Why not? 

The Egyptian people have a very difficult job of trying to steer their military to establish a free, democratic society. But the problem is that the military has been receiving huge amounts of money from the US. Hopefully it isn't too much under the thumb of US influence. If it is, and that comes out, and don't say it can't, because the Wikileaks scandal has shown that nothing is sacred, it could be really destabilizing for Egypt. Their citizenry do not want to be under the control of the US.

Congratulations to the people of Egypt. It is rare to see a community so united, at least seemingly so. It is inspiring. We could use many improvements in our own democracy.

Someone manipulated the news big time today

Wow, I haven't ever seen anything like it. All the major US mainstream news outlets reported that Mubarek was going to resign this afternoon our time, evening Egypt time. But when he came on, he didn't seem to resign. That had the US media, and other international media, scrambling. It even went so far as to have Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News take a phone call from the Egyptian ambassador to the US on the air, so that he could explain how Mubarek really had stepped down, with Williams not really believing him. Extraordinary! 

I can't wait for Wikileaks to get the documents on what really went on today. It would be great to see. Well, more like disgusting. We will see what happens tomorrow. I'm worried that the leaders will be targeted. That's what's happened to us in the US over the years. But keep the faith, you are doing great work, Egypt.

The US "diplomat" in Pakistan

It would be bad enough if it just was what is seems to be - the US bumbling in Egypt because it doesn't want to totally pull the rug out from under an old "friend", regardless of how much or how little that interest should be called friend. That seems to be the situation in Egypt. 

But now there is another high profile dispute that we have going in Pakistan which is contributing to our bad standing in the Muslim world. That dispute is over some so-called "diplomat" for the US that shot dead some Pakistanis (he says in self defense). 

I have to say that the first mainstream news report of this incident was probably close to 2 weeks ago. My recollection is that the report was that he was claiming that he was a diplomat, had some kind of diplomatic IDs, but that the US wasn't admitting it, and that in reality, he was a "contractor."

Now, a couple weeks later, with the guy under arrest and in jail in Pakistan, the US is demanding that he be turned loose with "diplomatic immunity." Wow, did they think I wouldn't remember the earlier reports? If I think I'm confused and wonder if what I'm hearing is true, what do you think the average Pakistani thinks? If a Pakistani "diplomat" came to the US and shot dead a couple US citizens, you think we would give him "diplomatic immunity?" You have to be kidding.

It's hard to believe that the decisions that the government keeps making about their relations with these Muslim countries could be so wrong. I hope that I am wrong thinking that they are wrong. Unfortunately, I think I'm right.

US not getting it right in Egypt

Obama came out yesterday and basically said that Mubarak needs to stay in power through the transition. I'm not sure what prompted that - pressure from Israel, the military, who knows. But the timing couldn't have been worse. Today, the response to all of the pressure, including from Obama, to save Mubarak for the moment, the Egyptian people had the biggest march yet demanding his resignation. 

On top of that, it finally creeped into the mainstream news that hundreds of Mubarak protesters have been killed in the protests rather than the handful that had been reported. Not a good day for the US to be perceived as fudging on support for the pro-democracy reformers. 

And on top of that, an academic author who has written extensively about the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt was interviewed today on Fresh Air. He pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Quaeda did not get along, and that this was well known. Yet, in spite of that, the mainstream media still keeps reporting that if the Muslim Brotherhood gets in power that all hell might break loose. That simply is not true.

When are we going to learn? Our foreign policy has a history of being terrible and doesn't seem to be changing. Too bad. I think that most of the citizens of the world would welcome our support. Instead it goes to a few rich and powerful who don't seem to care much about the well being and human rights of everyone else.

Huffington Post and AOL?

It's been internet news today that AOL is buying Huffington Post website for over 300 million dollars. Jim Lehrer News Hour did a spot on the sale. They had an AOL spokesperson and Huffington herself as interviews about the sale. 

I think at this point it is probaby more art than science trying to value in dollars an online venture. I have looked at Huffington Post before, but without having any kind of access to anything even medium speed at home, and only having access to high speed at work, where I have to work and can't just look around, I just don't have the opportunity to experience something like that. When it takes10 minutes or more for the website just to open, it changes your "browsing" habits. 

But I do know that she is considered to be on the liberal side, whether she admits it or not. She said she has a blog by Tony Blankley, former McLaughlin Group conservative who got replace by Monica Crowley, as proof that she shouldn't be labelled "left." Whatever. But I was disappointed, and I think she was too, with herself, when she used the term "consumers" to describe her readers. Yuck. And right after she made this nice comment about how grassroots her website was.

My first comment to Kristi about the sale this morning was that there is a danger that it will be perceived as Huffington going corporate. I don't think she wants that. She better be careful, though, or that's what the perception may become, whether she intended it or not.

Time for "left" to come out in support of Egyptian protests

So some big company wants to put a landfill, or an incinerator, or a chemical plant, or whatever, in your neighborhood? You don't like it and so you ask for hearings and permits and environmental impact statements and the like? Of course, that is your right. And, of course, the hearings are never held right, the comment periods are too short, the public information packets are inadequate, too few people notified, and on and on. 

We all advocate the right to participate in such processes when public funds are being spent, and we call it democracy. But what about when people don't even have such basic rights as being able to run candidates for office, or being able to publicly criticize the government? That's what the folks in Egypt that are protesting are up against. 

I think the time has come in this situation where everyone that believes in democracy speaks out in whatever way they can for the movement to bring about such fundamental rights. So I am speaking out in favor of the immediate removal of Mubarak, the lifting of emergency (which is like martial) law, which has been in place for 30 years, and the other reforms that the very courageous folks in Egypt are asking.

There is a very deep and strong "left wing" voice in this country. It's time that they, including the environmental movement, comes out unequivocally in support of the protesters. The "official" US position has become so twisted in middle-of-the-road-ism that it is not inspiring and supporting the reforms anymore. 

I know that if Mubarak stays in now, or even if one of his lackies takes over, that there will be no change. There comes a point in a situation like this where, to bureaucrats like Mubarak, it becomes a game. They become determined not to let their opponents "win." Right or wrong evaporates. Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing. The ends justify the means. 

I experienced that when the U.S. Forest Service went ahead and logged one of the last old growth forests on public land in southern Illinois, the Fairview Timber sale. 22 of 24 federal elected officials, including 20 of 22 US representatives and both senators, had signed a letter (the FS eventually published it one of their EIS documents) asking the FS not to log the area. They ignored them and logged it anyway. That's because they had been embarassed by months of an effective protest and media campaign against their plans. They didn't like that, and whether or not it was right or wrong to log the old growth forest became irrelevant. The FS was not going to let the protesters win. In the end, something precious was destroyed.

I'm worried that this is just what will happen in Egypt if a world wide level of support among the liberal community doesn't materialize. We won't see an old growth forest logged, but we will see a light of a human desire for a better life be crushed. It's very similar things that are destroyed in the end. 

I don't have any power. I can't really do anything but write words that no one reads. But, after watching and listening to a lot of different folks in Egypt who have made statements on the US media over the past couple weeks I'm convinced that this is at heart a true movement and needs support. So folks, you keep it up. I'm supporting you!

US fudging on support for immediate Mubarak removal?

I don't understand why Mubarak can't just expedite the elections, like for a month or two ahead. He could declare some kind of emergency and get it done if he had to. It would make him staying in power in the meantime a little more understandable. But, if he survives this round of opposition, when September comes, he could just say that it isn't a good time to have an election and go back on his promises. Politicians do that all the time. 

But the US is looking inconsistent and indecisive on exactly what kind of stance to take. Today, the ex-diplomat, Wisner, came out at a conference today in the middle east and said that Mubarak should stay in until the elections in September. The government apparently made a point of saying that his statements didn't represent the official government view, but it was just a couple days ago that he was sent to Cairo, because of his long time friendship with Mubarak to deliver the news that Obama wanted him to begin the transition immediately. Some in the press took that to mean that Obama was leaning on Mubarak to get out now, but I don't think that is what Obama intended. I think he has been trying to keep his statements as vague as possible so that he can point to them after this has tilted obviously and say that he said the right thing. Can't say that I blame him. But, if he wants to get on the good side of the opposition, the statements of today, first by Wisner, and second, by various governmental officials, including, apparently, Sec. of State Clinton, who said that they wanted Mubarak's recently hand picked vice president Sulliman, the head of Egyptian intelligence, what seems to me to be the equivalent to their CIA, aren't going to help in that cause. I can't imagine that is going to please the protesters. 

It would be nice to think that the Egyptian government will fall and a new, more equitable system will start. Things are never that clean and nice. There is lots of money and power at stake here. The US and other interests are trying to steer things. The odds are that they will. And, the steering will be towards a direction that keeps western interests in control. But, the wild card is the will of the people and just how many people join the opposition. Also, what may or may not happen in other countries will have an influence. It's too soon to say, and really, we may not know for decades all of the ramifications of this. But, how can we justify a 30 year presidency with no credibile elections? Isn't that the epitome of anti-American? How could we be throwing a billion and a half dollars toward that every year, especially when our nation is in such need?

Is the Health Care Bill "unconstitutional"?

There have been a number of district court decisions about the constitutionality of the health care reform law. The lastest opinion to hit the news was yesterday when a district court judge in Florida apparently declared the whole law null and void because he couldn't segregate any portion of it without making the whole thing disfunctional. 

I have to say that I do have an open mind toward those who argue that the government doesn't have the authority to make an individual buy something from a private party. It is a slippery slope. And there is no doubt that the commerce clause of the constitution has become the catch all for all those things that congress wants to do that don't fit neatly into any other part of the constitution. 

Perhaps the courts have been too lenient over the decades in granting congress authority under the commerce clause. Granted, commerce is a lot of things. But it isn't everything. And, the Democrats seemed like they gave in way too easily in agreeing that we had to shape our health care system around the private insurance companies. I mean, what they are saying by this bill is that we can't have universal health care if we don't let the insurance companies thrive. I'm not sure that is true. In fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't true. 

And why the Democrats let the health insurance companies roll them, I don't know. Well, yes I do. I guess it is called campaign contributions. But it was a sad thing to behold, just on principle. No doubt this law is going to end up in the Supreme Court. I think there's a good chance that they will strike down the individual mandate. If they do, look out individual mandates that states are giving us, like having to buy auto insurance. That always rubbed me wrong anyway. 

I mean, an insurance mandate is ok, but once you pass the premium period and don't have to put in a claim, you should get some of your mandated investment back, shouldn't you? Maybe all of it? But to be forced to enrich this industry when you don't participate in high risk activities is very questionable. And if a provision in a state constitution butts up against the national constitution, the state should lose. We'll see. 

We're probably heading for another 5-4 decision. Kennedy will be the swing. Oh, the more things change the more they stay the same. I want health care and am willing to pay something for it. But right now, we're getting ripped off. Our premiums are too high. We never put in claims, but they keep going up, simply because we get older, and not based on our health. Why should that be allowed?

Our country is too bought off by money. That's all there is to it. And we're not the only ones. Money is pretty much driving the world. Ultimately, that is one of the biggest problems.

Egypt

Have to say that it is fascinating in a tragic way what is going on in Egypt and how our media is giving it top billing. We have been propping up Egypt with lots of aid, financially and militarily, for decades. It's no secret that the Mubarak government hasn't been the most democratic and that the distribution of wealth, including that which we bestow, in Egypt, like in most of the rest of the world to one degree or another, has not been very equal. 

So a lot of the people are really poor, and a few are really rich. How do the authorities not think that this isn't sustainable? The U.S. is trying to be the friend to everyone in this and in the process is sort of being the friend to no one. But I don't trust the U.S. media to be telling us what is really going on, and in that regard, I have no idea what the truth really is. 

But one thing has to be true - and that is that Israel plays heavily into everything that the US is saying, doing, or not doing in regard to Egypt. But this just brings to the forefront the failure of the US and Israel to seriously address the Palestinian issue. I mean, I remember writing about Bush going into Iraq instead of dealing with the Palestinian issue, and how he could have made a lot more inroads with the Muslim community by dealing fairly with the Palestinian question than by invading Iraq. 

And I'll be darned if Obama isn't making the same mistake. And that's why his administration's statements about Egypt aren't seeming to impress anyone, especially the opposition in Egypt. And yet Obama should be poised to be leading all of this. But he doesn't have his sea legs yet, apparently. And I'm not saying that I would know what to do either. 

But it seems to me that across the board that if a few people are living high on the hog and most aren't, but that there is enough transparency for most people to know that there is such a discrepancy, and, if those that have squander a lot of what they have, causing a national situation where those that don't have end up having even less, eventually people are going to get so angry that they do stuff like what is going on in Egypt. And since that condition is so prevalent around the world, I think that we are likely to see more of it. 

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but now these entrenched powers have been and likely are going to continue to be brutal in trying to hold onto power. They put their money into large and power police forces and militaries, and they use them against their own people if they have to. But heck, we act like it is something so out of the ordinary, but our own police forces have been guilty of similar acts. 

We set up "free speech zones" where supposedly people can go to protest, and if they get out of the zone, people are beat up, sprayed, hosed, whatever. I mean, I suppose it isn't quite as bad as it can get in other places, but it hasn't been that good either. We need to clean up our house, and I think the Chinese have called our bluff on that one. Well, at least in the context of us owing them so much money to them. 

The point here is that we crack down if protesters start getting too close to the heart of the government. Other governments do as well. We need to find a better system to deal with legitimate gripes about wealth inequality.

Tomorrow is state of the union

I did watch the Sunday News shows Sunday. There was actually some pretty good stuff. There was a great discussion on To the Contrary, where one of Erbe's conservative commentators went off the wall in saying that Planned Parenthood shook down their clients and made them have abortions. How silly.

There was talk about the Tucson shooting, the upcoming state of the union address, the death of Sargent Shriver, and the 50th anniversary of the famous "ask not what you can do for your country" speech of John Kennedy, which was his inaugural address 50 years ago. 

Everyone is saying that Obama is going to play for the middle in this speech. I think that is what he will do. The middle is ok on things like deficit reduction and government spending, but it isn't ok for things like unjust wars, occupations, unjust imprisonment, etc. Obama had the nerve to bring up "human rights" to the Chinese president, when we still have guantonamo bay prison open, and have been holding prisoners for many years without due process. It's like we pretend that all those things aren't really happening. So Obama strikes out for that kind of thing.

And Mrs. Obama is dealing with the devil when eliciting promises from the largest discount store chain in the US. I'm not sure this is the way to go, but she is trying to use the existing system to make changes. I can understand that, but I wonder just how much trust they deserve? We desperately need our kids to have really outstanding food. If we provide them with that, their minds will develop much better and we will have a lot better ideas and understanding of how to deal with our current problems than we do if we load up the youngsters brains with crap. 

I don't think Obama will try anything daring at all in his speech tomorrow. We'll see.

Sunday News Shows

I did watch the news shows last Sunday. For the most part, they were irrelevant for the moment, because they were filmed on Friday, before the Tucson shooting. Of the shows I saw, only Meet the Press was live on Sunday and able to cover it. The event was still really fresh on Sunday though, and Meet the Press's discussion. And part of Meet the Press was a pre-recorded interview with Harry Reid. I think Harry Reid is ok, but he's been in DC so long, he doesn't have much of an idea how it is for us lower income people. But I'm glad that he is re-elected over his opponent, who had some pretty far out ideas. He's got a tough job ahead of him though. I guess the best he can hope for is to extinguish some of the fireballs that come out of the republican controlled house. There's no filibuster there - it's straight majority rules - and the republicans have the majority. And I think Reid can be counted on to be competent enough to do just that.

The discussion about the Tucson shooting was pretty reserved and cautious. Since that time, all hell has broken loose as the video clip of shot congresswoman Gifford last summer responding with concern and some fear to being literally targeted by a bulls eye on Sarah Palin's PAC's website has played over and over. Palin is livid. Well, the fact is that under these circumstances, she has a black eye and a big one. All the Glen Bekcs and Rash Lumbaugh's of the world can rant and rave all they want. Most people think that what Palin did went too far, and that it probably contributed to the obviously insane guy that did the Tucson shooting's state of mind. 

But Palin shouldn't be too outraged. I saw clips of her at the time in response to the concerns about her map and she was saying that it wasn't about being violent. She's lucky she said that - that's about all she has. But, we always said when I was growing up that actions speak louder than words. That's why she is under such scrutiny right now. 

What I'm concerned about is that the mainstream media, with its cumbersome power, and some in politics that like to take advantage of such situations, will create a climate in the US where it becomes a bad thing to criticize any public official. That would be a disaster, and I hope that the citizens of the US don't fall for that one. That's an old game that does anything it can to keep the attention away from what is going on.

Of course, the saddest thing of all is that we lost this exceptional 9 year old girl. She may have been the one with the ideas to actually lead us out of our problems successfully. We'll never know. We must do better at protecting our exceptional children. We simply cannot afford to lose them. 

Of course we all face death at every moment. But it shouldn't be randomly dealt out with pain like that, just because an individual feels frustrated. But we can try to improve our education, our compassion, and our vision so that members of our society don't fall into such despair that turns to anger that turns to rage that turns to violence. We have a right to live in peace, and if everyone exercised that right, there would be peace everywhere.

Sunday News Shows

I didn't write anything about the news shows last week, but I did watch them. They just aren't really providing that much new information. Everyone is basically waiting to see what transpires when the new congress goes into session. In the meantime they are wasting time talking about the 2012 presidential race.

Probably the most startling statements this weekend were a combined opinion of Pat Buchanan and Mort Zuckermann on McLaughlin Group. They said that they expected either a U.S. state or some European Union country to go bankrupt in the next year. Buchanan even went so far as to say that the Euro would cease to exist before the end of the year. That seems hard to believe to me. If that happens, we're going to see a global economic crisis. And it isn't that it couldn't happen, but the powers that be will do everything possible, use every gimmick out there, every bailout, simply everything they can think of to keep that from happening. 

But, if California or Illinois, for example, decides that they simply will never be able to pay all of their debts and cannot meet their immediate obligations, I suppose it is possible that they could be forced into some kind of bankruptcy proceeding. That would be disastrous beyond imagination, and could be enough of a trigger to pull down the world economy. If Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal or any of the other EU countries have to do a similar thing, the outcome would be pretty much the same. 

So that brings us to the first vote on raising the debt ceiling, which the new congress, flush with their tea partiers, will take place not too far in the future. Some of these folks have said they will oppose raising the debt ceiling when it comes up, and if that point of view prevails, it will shut down the government. 

The republicans tried that during Clinton's term, and it backfired. I personally think it will more than likely backfire this year too, although who knows. We do need to balance our budget, but I don't think that a partisan, confrontational attempt to politicize the issue of the national debt is going to resonate across the nation. 

The republicans should realize that their grip on power is very tenuous. But I think they think that they are on some kind of mission from God or something. That is going to be their downfall, at least that is my prediction. Hopefully during the next two years they can reduce the deficit. They should look toward land management agencies for one thing. They are wasting tons of money managing land that nature could manage better for free.

Sunday News Shows

I watched a bunch of news shows today. I think they were all pretaped. A bunch of them were filmed on Friday. Thus, they weren't aware of the fact that the Senate had passed the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, thus having it clear both houses and on the way to Obama for signature. All of a sudden, the republicans were joining to help Obama. I guess they are feeling guilty about how they have treated him in the last 2 years. Definitely some of them, like Susan Collins, should feel guilty. 

I liked a political cartoon that ran in the USA Today friday- it showed Obama playing poker with McConnell and Boehner. Obama was saying, "I fold" and Boehner was responding by saying, "But he hasn't even finished dealing yet." That was all the talk last week, but this week it was Obama on the upswing. I have no idea what is going on. None of it makes much sense to me. 

Biden was on Meet the Press. Gregory seems very anxious about "making some news" and NBC is trying to squeeze some news out of the fact that Biden says that we will be out of Afghanistan by 2014 no matter what. I don't think it's much news.

McLaughlin wasn't even above average. And McLaughlin had Mort Zuckerman, who isn't one of my favorites. And Inside Washington had that Evan Thomas guy, at least I think that's what his name is. He's not one of my favorites either. About the only thing that was a little exciting was his getting on Krauthamer for his saying in a comment that Nancy Pelosi was as popular with the US people as the Taliban. I think that Krauthamer was off the wall for saying it, and I'm glad that Shields got down on him. I don't necessarily like everything that Pelosi has ever done, and I've written about it. But she deserves a lot of credit for what she has done, and does not deserve the way she has been dragged through the mud. I think history will atone her work, and it won't take long. And she may not be finished yet.

I think that what the republicans have done with blowing the momentum that they had coming out of the elections is akin to a football player having run 90 yards toward the winning touchdown, about to go into the endzone, waving to the crowd, slipping, losing the football, the other team catching it and turning around and running for the winning touchdown. It's amazing. 

When the new congress takes over in January, it's going to be interesting times. For example, NPR had a long interview this afternoon with Ron Paul, who is going to chair a subcommittee that oversees the federal reserve. That, as well as many other things, are going to be very interesting. Stay tuned.

Get the economy "growing" again?

All these pundits say that the economy is going to grow faster in the months to come, and that will be a good thing. But it isn't going to help most people. That's because commodity prices have become tied to the growth rate. When we start growing, we pay more for commodities, which for the little people, eats up any benefit from the growth. Sure the people with big volumes to cover the commodity price rise can benefit from growth, but the average individual doesn't. 

And we aren't even addressing the environmental costs at this moment in history of increasing growth. In so many ways, it just isn't the most pressing need. What is the pressing need is to make life slower and easier for people on average incomes, because the stress on their schedules due to meeting financial obligations that are out of proportion is affecting how they are raising their families. It is directly contributing to our falling behind a lot of nations who are taking care of their middle class better. 

But our country caters to the rich. That's a big mistake. We too often equate the highest levels of success with the highest levels of income. That's not an assumption that often holds true. And we often sacrifice too much in the long run so that a few can accumulate so much more than they need.