Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea
I've held the belief that the War in Iraq was a mistake. I am not of belief that there was not a war needed (the people of Iraq were suffering under a tyrant) but it was not wise to engage Iraq at a time when we already in a tough war in Afghanistan. History lesson: the fall of Nazi Germany was due to fighting on too many fronts.
I am not one to doubt the positives that have emerged in Iraq; the people are getting closer to a Democratic society and are living more freely. The war did, however take our eyes off the ball in Afghanistan where the people who want to destroy the US are still thriving. I am of the same opinion of President Obama that Afghanistan is the war of necessity. We must fight to get Al-Qaeda and it's allies out of the region and ensure Pakistan will help us fight the war. As of right now, Pakistan is a facilitator for Al-Qaeda. While not helping them, per se, they do tolerate them. Having them support us even in a minor way will be a major win.
News today also reports of a thawing relationship between the US and North Korea. Talks have been frozen for years and they are one of the few countries that we do not have a diplomatic relationship with. Of course some people will say we don't need a relationship with them but what has ignoring North Korea gotten us in the Bush Administration? Oh, that's right, a more hostile North Korea.
I am not one to doubt the positives that have emerged in Iraq; the people are getting closer to a Democratic society and are living more freely. The war did, however take our eyes off the ball in Afghanistan where the people who want to destroy the US are still thriving. I am of the same opinion of President Obama that Afghanistan is the war of necessity. We must fight to get Al-Qaeda and it's allies out of the region and ensure Pakistan will help us fight the war. As of right now, Pakistan is a facilitator for Al-Qaeda. While not helping them, per se, they do tolerate them. Having them support us even in a minor way will be a major win.
News today also reports of a thawing relationship between the US and North Korea. Talks have been frozen for years and they are one of the few countries that we do not have a diplomatic relationship with. Of course some people will say we don't need a relationship with them but what has ignoring North Korea gotten us in the Bush Administration? Oh, that's right, a more hostile North Korea.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Obama Approval Rating By State
Gallup has a new article about the approval rating for President Obama state-by-state. His highest is 92% in DC and lowest is 46% in Wymoing. Some very interesting stuff. I never knew Georgia was leaning Democratic...Health Scare
The debate over the proposed healthcare reform took a turn for the absolute worst when members of the House of Representatives went back to their respective districts to hold town hall meetings with their constituents. Instead of the calm, rational debate we'd been seeing previously, the Congresspeople were bombarded with shouts, violence and, in extreme cases, hanging effigies.
I strongly believe in the First Amendment right of free speech. Our society and our political system has it as a backbone. No one should be silenced if they have something constructive to say and add to the debate. These protesters, however, are not being productive. They are opposing the House bill (there isn't a Senate bill as of yet) calling it Socialized Medicine and, best yet, are berating the Congresspeople for not reading the 1000+ page bill.
First off, people are using the word Socialized too sparingly. Like I said before, there is no take over of Health Care. I raised my concerns in the entry and upon some more research I have found out that even if your employer does decided to enter the Public Option, the individual can take a Government subsidy to keep their private insurance or buy other private insurance. And on the issue of crowding out Private Insurance Companies, President Obama made a poignant point that Fed Ex and UPS are doing just fine competing with USPS.
As far as reading the bill, how would they know if they won't let them explain the bill? And how many people who showed up protesting have read it? I can barely get passed the Table of Contents and I have a drive to do so.
I strongly believe in the First Amendment right of free speech. Our society and our political system has it as a backbone. No one should be silenced if they have something constructive to say and add to the debate. These protesters, however, are not being productive. They are opposing the House bill (there isn't a Senate bill as of yet) calling it Socialized Medicine and, best yet, are berating the Congresspeople for not reading the 1000+ page bill.
First off, people are using the word Socialized too sparingly. Like I said before, there is no take over of Health Care. I raised my concerns in the entry and upon some more research I have found out that even if your employer does decided to enter the Public Option, the individual can take a Government subsidy to keep their private insurance or buy other private insurance. And on the issue of crowding out Private Insurance Companies, President Obama made a poignant point that Fed Ex and UPS are doing just fine competing with USPS.
As far as reading the bill, how would they know if they won't let them explain the bill? And how many people who showed up protesting have read it? I can barely get passed the Table of Contents and I have a drive to do so.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Economic Recovery?
Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan put it correctly when he said on ABC's This Week that when we look back at July 2009 it will be considered the month that the economy began to rebound. Today we had some news that Unemployment numbers for July fell from 9.5% to 9.4%. This marks the first time in over a year that that percentage has fallen. What else makes July so significant? The Stock Market had the single most productive month in nearly 7 years. The Stock Market not only predicts the future profitability of corporations but can also indicate consumer outlook. A rallying in the stock market not only shows growing consumer confidence but can also incite confidence in the cynical. Finally, Second Quarter 2009 also marked a much slower decline in Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The loss was -1% which is much less than the -6%+ that we had seen in Q1 2009. The USA Today even predicts an increase in Real GDP starting in October.
What I want to know now is where is all the GOP rhetoric that the Stimulus Package was failing?
What I want to know now is where is all the GOP rhetoric that the Stimulus Package was failing?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Got Socialism?
Socialism has gotten more attention in recent months than almost anything else in the news. FOX News adds flames to the Red Meat and MSNBC devotes countless hours to mocking those who believes the Obama Administration is a group of undercover Socialists. I find it a little more than humorous that every proposal by President Obama or the Democratic Majority in Congress is being called nothing more than an attempt to turn America Socialist. Nothing happening is a bold move in the direction of Socialism.
Let's define Socialism to start things off. Webster defines it as "a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state." What that means is that the government controls and runs every facet of life. It is a clear definition that the government runs EVERYTHING (think Orwell's 1984). That being said, you'll be hard pressed to find anything in our society that the government has complete control over. Our society is not Socialistic. Now that we have the definition lets apply it to the policies of President Obama and the Democrats.
The Policies and Proposals
The bailouts for the financial sector started under G.W. Bush's Administration. The plan was to take tax expenditures and give them to failing "banks" to use as capital to continue the flow of credit in the economy. The money was a loan that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has said will be paid back (in a substantial proportion at least) and even some revenues can be and has been made. The problem was that some banks were not failing but had already failed so for those banks the government had to take a controlling stake. Socialism? Hardly. The government did not take a step in creating a unified banking system run by the government. The Auto industry was next to get a bailout and the one company that has caused controversy was General Motors who was "taken over" by the government. The head of the company was forced out and a new head was appointed by the government. I have mixed feeling about this. I don't believe the government should have forced anyone out of a job that is not in the federal realm. But, as said before, there wasn't an attempt to turn Ford, GM, and Chrysler into Barackars Inc. and thereby only making government cars. No Socialism here.
Next up is taxes. Ah yes, good ol' Joe The Plumber acquainted us with Barack Obama's tax policies during the Presidential Race and started a dialogue on....well Socialism. Obama was quoted saying that he was for a "redistribution of wealth" meaning take from the rich and give to the poor. Redistribution is indeed coupled with Socialism. Does that mean Obama is a Socialist? In my opinion, not at all. The context in which Obama answered the question was all about opportunities. The way the government allows opportunities is through grants and assistance programs that are funded by tax revenues. That meaning Obama supports the rich paying more taxes to facilitate the governments programs. Don't automatically assume programs such as Unemployment and Social Security; the government also has programs such as the Pell Grant that gives us college students financial aid and also grants that help start up businesses. This is more a political ideology for Democrats than anything else. Taxes have been cut for 95% of working Americans under Obama thus far. No one has seen one tax increase and nothing has been proposed to have a tax increase during the recession.
At bat next is the famous Healthcare! Now, as my previous entry explained, some call the Public Option a step into Socialist Medicine. I see it more as a step towards a single payer system rather than Socialism. The Government very well can starve out the othe insurance companies as I said before if they continue to have insurance tied to employment and pass the Public Option plan. This very well could be a step, albeit small, into Socialism....but there's too many hypotheticals attached to call it Socialism on the surface.
So to summarize: Obama is not Socialist! In my very humble opinion, it's an attack from The Right to scare away any proposals since they don't have control over the two branches of government that has influence over policy.
Let's define Socialism to start things off. Webster defines it as "a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state." What that means is that the government controls and runs every facet of life. It is a clear definition that the government runs EVERYTHING (think Orwell's 1984). That being said, you'll be hard pressed to find anything in our society that the government has complete control over. Our society is not Socialistic. Now that we have the definition lets apply it to the policies of President Obama and the Democrats.
The Policies and Proposals
The bailouts for the financial sector started under G.W. Bush's Administration. The plan was to take tax expenditures and give them to failing "banks" to use as capital to continue the flow of credit in the economy. The money was a loan that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has said will be paid back (in a substantial proportion at least) and even some revenues can be and has been made. The problem was that some banks were not failing but had already failed so for those banks the government had to take a controlling stake. Socialism? Hardly. The government did not take a step in creating a unified banking system run by the government. The Auto industry was next to get a bailout and the one company that has caused controversy was General Motors who was "taken over" by the government. The head of the company was forced out and a new head was appointed by the government. I have mixed feeling about this. I don't believe the government should have forced anyone out of a job that is not in the federal realm. But, as said before, there wasn't an attempt to turn Ford, GM, and Chrysler into Barackars Inc. and thereby only making government cars. No Socialism here.
Next up is taxes. Ah yes, good ol' Joe The Plumber acquainted us with Barack Obama's tax policies during the Presidential Race and started a dialogue on....well Socialism. Obama was quoted saying that he was for a "redistribution of wealth" meaning take from the rich and give to the poor. Redistribution is indeed coupled with Socialism. Does that mean Obama is a Socialist? In my opinion, not at all. The context in which Obama answered the question was all about opportunities. The way the government allows opportunities is through grants and assistance programs that are funded by tax revenues. That meaning Obama supports the rich paying more taxes to facilitate the governments programs. Don't automatically assume programs such as Unemployment and Social Security; the government also has programs such as the Pell Grant that gives us college students financial aid and also grants that help start up businesses. This is more a political ideology for Democrats than anything else. Taxes have been cut for 95% of working Americans under Obama thus far. No one has seen one tax increase and nothing has been proposed to have a tax increase during the recession.
At bat next is the famous Healthcare! Now, as my previous entry explained, some call the Public Option a step into Socialist Medicine. I see it more as a step towards a single payer system rather than Socialism. The Government very well can starve out the othe insurance companies as I said before if they continue to have insurance tied to employment and pass the Public Option plan. This very well could be a step, albeit small, into Socialism....but there's too many hypotheticals attached to call it Socialism on the surface.
So to summarize: Obama is not Socialist! In my very humble opinion, it's an attack from The Right to scare away any proposals since they don't have control over the two branches of government that has influence over policy.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Healthcare: Both Sides of the Story
November seems so long ago. Back then, Senator Obama could get away with making promises about a myriad of topics including the hot button issue of the summer: healthcare. President Obama has a very very very full agenda comprised of two wars, a failing economy, diplomatic horror, and a healthcare system that's been broken for decades.
The Plans
The Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House so it's only natural that their proposals have taken center-stage. The main focus of the Democratic plan is the much talked about Public Option with most, if not all, Left Wing commentators saying it's the way to go (Ed Schultz from The Ed Show on MSNBC and Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post being two of the most vocal supporters). This plan would create a government run set of plans much like Medicare and Medicaid available to anyone who wishes to purchase the plan. The thinking behind creating a Public Option is that it will force the private companies to lower premiums that they charge which benefits all people not just those that buy the government plan. The idea is to create a more responsible competitor and one that anyone can get access to.
Republicans have often been labeled by The Left as not having any ideas or as being "the party of no" which I 100% disagree with on THIS issue. There is no Republican Congressperson who supports the Public Option which isn't surprising to anyone who is familiar with Republican beliefs of capitalism and markets free of government intervention. Some plans include a tax rebate to put money in the hands of the people so they can buy the coverage they need (a plan that Senator McCain endorses) and the bi-partisan Cooperative idea. The New York Times has a story on the Cooperative plan and describes it as offering "a system of health providers or contract out for members' medical services."
The Criticisms
The Democrat's plan has been labeled Socialism by way of a Government takeover of healthcare. The Republicans argue that the Public Option is backed by unlimited resources which will make it more appealing than Private Plans so the Private Plans will starve out leaving only the Public Option. The Republicans also dispute the notion Americans will not be forced out of their current plan. The Republican Plan has been attacked as offering very little reform and much of the same.
My Verdict
I agree with both sides, especially Republican Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal who believes that we should move away from employer and union-based administration. I say let individuals and families choose their own care because it is true that you can be forced out of your current plan if your employer does decide to go with the Government Option. This way, people who are against the Public Option can keep Private Insurance and those who want the Public Option can keep it without any forcing into anything. But here's the question: do we want our lives in the hands of companies whose bottom line is profits?
The Plans
The Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House so it's only natural that their proposals have taken center-stage. The main focus of the Democratic plan is the much talked about Public Option with most, if not all, Left Wing commentators saying it's the way to go (Ed Schultz from The Ed Show on MSNBC and Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post being two of the most vocal supporters). This plan would create a government run set of plans much like Medicare and Medicaid available to anyone who wishes to purchase the plan. The thinking behind creating a Public Option is that it will force the private companies to lower premiums that they charge which benefits all people not just those that buy the government plan. The idea is to create a more responsible competitor and one that anyone can get access to.
Republicans have often been labeled by The Left as not having any ideas or as being "the party of no" which I 100% disagree with on THIS issue. There is no Republican Congressperson who supports the Public Option which isn't surprising to anyone who is familiar with Republican beliefs of capitalism and markets free of government intervention. Some plans include a tax rebate to put money in the hands of the people so they can buy the coverage they need (a plan that Senator McCain endorses) and the bi-partisan Cooperative idea. The New York Times has a story on the Cooperative plan and describes it as offering "a system of health providers or contract out for members' medical services."
The Criticisms
The Democrat's plan has been labeled Socialism by way of a Government takeover of healthcare. The Republicans argue that the Public Option is backed by unlimited resources which will make it more appealing than Private Plans so the Private Plans will starve out leaving only the Public Option. The Republicans also dispute the notion Americans will not be forced out of their current plan. The Republican Plan has been attacked as offering very little reform and much of the same.
My Verdict
I agree with both sides, especially Republican Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal who believes that we should move away from employer and union-based administration. I say let individuals and families choose their own care because it is true that you can be forced out of your current plan if your employer does decide to go with the Government Option. This way, people who are against the Public Option can keep Private Insurance and those who want the Public Option can keep it without any forcing into anything. But here's the question: do we want our lives in the hands of companies whose bottom line is profits?
Meet the Blogger
I guess the initial post on the blog should follow the clichéd "meet the blogger" type deal. As much as I dislike clichés, I think it's rather fitting for a blog of this nature. It's beneficial to be familiar with the bloggers....biases I guess would be the word. Not only my biases but what you can expect to read about here. First of all, it is a political blog. I do like to take my politics seriously but I also like to have fun; this is going to be an informative and also entertaining blog (at least I hope!). Politics and government are part of our everyday lives and is especially important. I can't underline that importance enough. Government gives and takes away our freedoms.
I'm a Moderate Democrat who loves the game of politics. More so than putting a label on myself I value my beliefs above any party. There are times when I'll disagree with the Democrats; I don't like to think I'm a sheep who will follow whatever box a party attempts to put society in. The election of 2008 bolstered my interests in politics and possibly influenced my career choice. I don't believe in having an opinion for the sake of having an opinion when it comes to debates. I'll use constitutional text and facts from reliable sources to back up my point. I welcome healthy debate from anyone who reads my blog. Use the comments section to post something you disagree with or agree with and I'll respond. I'd like this to be an interactive blog as much as possible. I do hope you'll visit regularly!
I'm a Moderate Democrat who loves the game of politics. More so than putting a label on myself I value my beliefs above any party. There are times when I'll disagree with the Democrats; I don't like to think I'm a sheep who will follow whatever box a party attempts to put society in. The election of 2008 bolstered my interests in politics and possibly influenced my career choice. I don't believe in having an opinion for the sake of having an opinion when it comes to debates. I'll use constitutional text and facts from reliable sources to back up my point. I welcome healthy debate from anyone who reads my blog. Use the comments section to post something you disagree with or agree with and I'll respond. I'd like this to be an interactive blog as much as possible. I do hope you'll visit regularly!
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