I see the governor of Kentucky is raising the minimum wage through Executive Action. And I see the problem the President's immigration Executive Action has created. In both cases, GOP representatives are outraged at the end around the legislative process. No matter how much I agree with the policy the executive action is aimed at, what good is it really, if the next GOP leader can undo it with an Executive Action and can tie it up in a court process.
No matter how frustrated one is with the lack of progress on issues of importance, we have to respect the legislative process. It is a foundation of our democracy. We don't have a parliamentary system, for better or worse, and I generally come down on the better side of that consideration.
David Brook's column today focuses on another side of that overriding issue in American politics and one this column has been dedicated to from the start. The need for the middle to have a voice and be respected in the policy process.
The middle is silent in this current process drowned out by shrill of partisan politics which has led to gridlock, except when the courts or voters, through referendum, can take a lead.
We can only hope that the Democratic presidential candidates can rile up the base in the primaries and then do the traditional tack back to the middle for the election and governing.
David does not seem optimistic that will happen.
Link to David Brooks column
Meanwhile, hats off to the voters in Turkey for stuffing Erdogan megalomaniac desires. Maybe, we will start to see a cut off of Turkish support for ISIS, which seems to have been a driving desire of the voters.
And hats off to the G7 leaders for continuing the economic sanctions against Russia for Putin's megalomaniac desires in the Ukraine. And, please do not forget, that it was Russia that shot down the Malaysian Air jumbo jet killing everyone on board. It is really too bad Putin cannot be put in jail for that.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
People who are idiots
The Kardashian people. Why would anyone watch them? or Care about them? The Daily News forces my eyes to see the headlines they write about them even when I don't read the articles or want to see the headline.
Ted Cruz, who makes sick jokes about Vice President Biden's grief.
Any politician who is a pervert, corrupt, or otherwise dishonest.
Sarah Palin & Michelle Bachman who cannot string coherent thoughts together and ignore facts. But at least they are not in office anymore.
People who watch Fox News because you can't trust anything stated on there, and I saw a survey that said at least 50% of Fox New's audience are Democrats who want to know what is being said on the channel.
I am sure I will add to this list, thank you for letting me rant.
Ted Cruz, who makes sick jokes about Vice President Biden's grief.
Any politician who is a pervert, corrupt, or otherwise dishonest.
Sarah Palin & Michelle Bachman who cannot string coherent thoughts together and ignore facts. But at least they are not in office anymore.
People who watch Fox News because you can't trust anything stated on there, and I saw a survey that said at least 50% of Fox New's audience are Democrats who want to know what is being said on the channel.
I am sure I will add to this list, thank you for letting me rant.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
History Shows States Rights Used to Protect Racism
I, as a Baby Boomer, have long believed that States Rights have an important role in spending money well because the states are closer to the realities on the ground. But I have seen several shows on history recently, that combined with the assault on the EPA, by States Rights advocates; and the high level of corruption in certain state legislatures, create doubts about this.
States Rights advocates used this argument to prevent a Federal law stating lynching is a crime. And can you imagine the race to the bottom by GOP dominated legislatures if clean water is determined by the state. What happens when water crosses state lines as it does so often in rivers and big lakes?
And just look at this travesty in health insurance with states setting the standards. How does somebody making $3,000 a year afford health insurance when that is the level the state sets for access to Medicaid?
Another travesty is the ability of straw gun purchases where gun traffickers can buy lots of guns in some states and then resell them illegally in other states.
Who buys those guns? Gang Bangers And who fears Gang Bangers, the police. So unarmed young black males get shot by fearful police who cannot manage their fear. And then states pass Stand Your Ground laws that allow anyone with fear to shoot anyone. I am afraid of all those white gun owners shooting me, but I am Caucasian and know they will not target me. But they will target a young black man. So if I were a young black man, I would want a legal gun to protect myself, so I could Stand My Ground. That is a nasty negative circle not unlike the Sunni Shiite bullshit in the Middle East.
No wonder I am depressed.
States Rights advocates used this argument to prevent a Federal law stating lynching is a crime. And can you imagine the race to the bottom by GOP dominated legislatures if clean water is determined by the state. What happens when water crosses state lines as it does so often in rivers and big lakes?
And just look at this travesty in health insurance with states setting the standards. How does somebody making $3,000 a year afford health insurance when that is the level the state sets for access to Medicaid?
Another travesty is the ability of straw gun purchases where gun traffickers can buy lots of guns in some states and then resell them illegally in other states.
Who buys those guns? Gang Bangers And who fears Gang Bangers, the police. So unarmed young black males get shot by fearful police who cannot manage their fear. And then states pass Stand Your Ground laws that allow anyone with fear to shoot anyone. I am afraid of all those white gun owners shooting me, but I am Caucasian and know they will not target me. But they will target a young black man. So if I were a young black man, I would want a legal gun to protect myself, so I could Stand My Ground. That is a nasty negative circle not unlike the Sunni Shiite bullshit in the Middle East.
No wonder I am depressed.
This Presidential Campaign is Depressing
And it is just getting started. Part of the problem is we are still over 6 months away from the real campaign, but pollsters are busy asking preferences, grandstanding to raise funding is on-going, emails begging for contributions are arriving and we face the future with two realities staring us in the face.
1. Clinton vs Bush is absolutely depressing. I would rather neither was running.
2. The chances of Congress doing anything productive in the next 18 months are nil. And we have problems that need addressing like a bankrupt Highway Trust Fund and decrepit bridges/sewers/water treatment plants. And a GOP that thinks a clean environment is something the capitalist system can protect when it was capitalism that created a dirty environment because keeping a clean environment costs money.
And I don't understand this fascination with killing the Ex-Im Bank. Who cares if they help Boeing & General Electric compete with foreign firms that are supported by their Ex-Im bank? Our Ex-Im bank supports U.S. manufacturing jobs which are in short supply.
1. Clinton vs Bush is absolutely depressing. I would rather neither was running.
2. The chances of Congress doing anything productive in the next 18 months are nil. And we have problems that need addressing like a bankrupt Highway Trust Fund and decrepit bridges/sewers/water treatment plants. And a GOP that thinks a clean environment is something the capitalist system can protect when it was capitalism that created a dirty environment because keeping a clean environment costs money.
And I don't understand this fascination with killing the Ex-Im Bank. Who cares if they help Boeing & General Electric compete with foreign firms that are supported by their Ex-Im bank? Our Ex-Im bank supports U.S. manufacturing jobs which are in short supply.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Iran & Saudi Arabia are Where Peace Will Be Found
And not until they are ready to talk to each other will there be an effective way to combat ISIS.
Thomas Friedman takes that thought a bit further and amplifies it.
He makes a coherent case that putting U.S. boots on the ground is a recipe for disaster without any clear path to a successful outcome because the one thing removing dictators in the Middle East from ruling is to illustrate that the basic building block of a modern civilization is missing. That building block is a belief that life is not a zero sum game between citizens. Working together we make things better for everyone.
Link to Thomas Friedman column
And while I am writing, I will note that I picked up a reader in Cambodia. I don't think internet is that widely available in Cambodia so it must be either a government official or a banker cruising blogs when they should be working.
Thomas Friedman takes that thought a bit further and amplifies it.
He makes a coherent case that putting U.S. boots on the ground is a recipe for disaster without any clear path to a successful outcome because the one thing removing dictators in the Middle East from ruling is to illustrate that the basic building block of a modern civilization is missing. That building block is a belief that life is not a zero sum game between citizens. Working together we make things better for everyone.
Link to Thomas Friedman column
And while I am writing, I will note that I picked up a reader in Cambodia. I don't think internet is that widely available in Cambodia so it must be either a government official or a banker cruising blogs when they should be working.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Micro Beads Illustrate Why Environmental Regulation is Necessary & Congress & the NSA
I have been concerned about micro-beads every since I first heard of them a few months ago. They are microscopic pieces of plastic that are put into things like toothpaste, body wash and shampoo. They are so small they wash into the sewer system, don't get taken out of the water in the sewage treatment plant and go into the ocean and rivers, where they are consumed by fish and any humans that get their drinking water from such a river or desalination plant.
I don't know about you, but I try not to eat plastic because plastic comes from oil and natural gas and probably causes cancer if you get enough of it in your body for a long enough time. So I applaud the states that are trying to limit the use of these micro-beads and wonder where the EPA has been on this issue since clean water is on their watch.
Of course, if the GOP had their way, there would be no EPA and business would be free to put whatever they want to in the water that we drink, enjoy swimming in, and use to hydrate our food supply. And I believe business would put everything they could into the water because to do otherwise reduces profits. And that is why Richard Nixon created the EPA.
Meanwhile, our "we do not lead, we follow the masses", Congress is failing to reauthorize one of the most effective tools we have to monitor terrorists, their use of social media and email and phone calls. Anyone who believes the NSA is following their boring daily activity if they are not using the buzz words that terrorists use is a conspiracy theorist who is ignoring the simple logistical hurdle that following millions of people without screening for what you are looking for is impossible.
So since I am mentioning terrorism in this blog, they might read it, but then they will realize that I am not a threat and I am not supporting terrorism in any way. What the bleep should I care if they read this? And why is the Congress not trying to educate the public about why this monitoring is good for American and not a threat to our civil liberties.
What is a threat to our civil liberties and happiness is the complete and utter b*llSh*t that comes out of the Tea Party wing of the GOP and wants to end the EPA, the NSA, and the Ex-Im Bank, not to mention Heritage Foundation/Romney/ObamaCare, Medicare, medicaid and Social Security.
I don't know about you, but I try not to eat plastic because plastic comes from oil and natural gas and probably causes cancer if you get enough of it in your body for a long enough time. So I applaud the states that are trying to limit the use of these micro-beads and wonder where the EPA has been on this issue since clean water is on their watch.
Of course, if the GOP had their way, there would be no EPA and business would be free to put whatever they want to in the water that we drink, enjoy swimming in, and use to hydrate our food supply. And I believe business would put everything they could into the water because to do otherwise reduces profits. And that is why Richard Nixon created the EPA.
Meanwhile, our "we do not lead, we follow the masses", Congress is failing to reauthorize one of the most effective tools we have to monitor terrorists, their use of social media and email and phone calls. Anyone who believes the NSA is following their boring daily activity if they are not using the buzz words that terrorists use is a conspiracy theorist who is ignoring the simple logistical hurdle that following millions of people without screening for what you are looking for is impossible.
So since I am mentioning terrorism in this blog, they might read it, but then they will realize that I am not a threat and I am not supporting terrorism in any way. What the bleep should I care if they read this? And why is the Congress not trying to educate the public about why this monitoring is good for American and not a threat to our civil liberties.
What is a threat to our civil liberties and happiness is the complete and utter b*llSh*t that comes out of the Tea Party wing of the GOP and wants to end the EPA, the NSA, and the Ex-Im Bank, not to mention Heritage Foundation/Romney/ObamaCare, Medicare, medicaid and Social Security.
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