Category: United States

US politics

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ron Paul Speaks the Truth!

I have to hand it to Ron Paul. Rick Santorum, attacking Ron Paul, gets applause while showing his ignorance of US foreign policy. When Ron Paul explains, Ron Paul gets boo’d. This exemplifies how Republicans govern on fear and how the Republican audience fails to comprehend the more complex issues at hand.

Let me rephrase:
Ron Paul speaks, we have bases on their sacred land, we mistreat the Palestinians, over the past decade we’ve killed thousands of their people. Audience reacts with boos.
Rick Santorum, Republican poster child, speaks, they hate us because of our lifestyle. Audience reacts with cheers.

Are the American people really that full of themselves?

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Yes, Republicans Are Ruining America

And here’s the statement that sums it up:

In the long run, however, Democrats won’t be the only losers. What Republicans have just gotten away with calls our whole system of government into question. After all, how can American democracy work if whichever party is most prepared to be ruthless, to threaten the nation’s economic security, gets to dictate policy? And the answer is, maybe it can’t.

[Source, The New York Times, The President Surrenders by PAUL KRUGMAN]

I am deeply troubled by the state of politics in America. Our Congress is embarrassing. Our President needs a backbone transplant. The Tea Party needs history and economic lessons. The Republicans need morals. The middle class and poor need a champion. And I need antacid.

Maybe this would help!

And here’s some more:

Anyone who characterizes the deal between the President and Republican leaders as a victory for the American people over partisanship understands neither economics nor politics.

[Source, Business Insider, Anyone Who Thinks The Debt Deal Is A Victory For America Understands Neither Economics Nor Politics by Robert Reich]

See also I’m a Canadian watching the whole "debt crisis" from the outside – I was just wondering: Why aren’t there mass protests over what is happening? Your politicians are blatantly subverting your democracy for a quite blatant corporatist agenda. Good question!

And from CNN’s Republican David Frum:

I’m a Republican. Always have been. I believe in free markets, low taxes, reasonable regulation and limited government. But as I look back at the weeks of rancor leading up to Sunday night’s last-minute budget deal, I see some things I don’t believe in:

  • Forcing the United States to the verge of default.
  • Shrugging off the needs and concerns of millions of unemployed.
  • Protecting every single loophole, giveaway and boondoggle in the tax code as a matter of fundamental conservative principle.
  • [Read more…]

There was another way. There still is.

  1. Unemployment is a more urgent problem than debt.
  2. The deficit is a symptom of America’s economic problems, not a cause. … Cut the deficit first, and the economy will get even sicker.
  3. The time to cut is after the economy recovers.
  4. The place to cut is health care, not assistance to the unemployed and poor. … The problem is that Americans pay too much for the medicine they use.
  5. We can collect more revenue without raising tax rates.
  6. Passion does not substitute for judgment.
  7. You can’t save the system by destroying the system.

[Source, CNN, Wake up GOP: Smashing system doesn’t fix it]

Posted on by — Leave a comment

To the members of US Congress

(full size)

Seen at http://imgur.com/3prAG

It is comforting to know that am emergency team of 8th-grade civics teachers has been dispatched to Washington!

WASHINGTON—With lawmakers still at an impasse over increasing the debt ceiling, a special team of 40 eighth-grade civics teachers was air-dropped into Washington earlier today in a last-ditch effort to teach congressional leaders how the government’s legislative process works. [READ MORE]

[Source, the ONION, Emergency Team Of 8th-Grade Civics Teachers Dispatched To Washington]

Posted on by — Leave a comment

My State Representatives Do Not Represent Me

Tennessee House Rep. Julia Hurley (R-Lenoir City) said, "I don’t understand why it’s news, and I don’t want to talk about the desk."

Tennessee House Rep. Julia Hurley (R-Lenoir City) has confirmed that she carved her initials into her desk in the state legislature. … this childish display is indeed pretty disappointing — and she isn’t the only one who’s done it, as there are other initials and dollar signs carved into the House’s desks.

[Source, BoingBoing, Tenn. state rep: "I carved my initials in my desk in the House, but I don’t understand why it’s news"]

Representative Hurley, allow me to explain. Your vandalism of public property is news. It demonstrates your lack of respect for your position and your standoffish, it doesn’t matter, response is suggestive of how you may chose to ignore your constituents.

I was twelve years old, not 29, the last time I carved my initials into something. It was a hand rail at a Disney World ride during an excruciatingly long wait. But after being scolded, I felt bad and was apologetic. I realized the wrong I had done in choosing to vandalize. Perhaps Representative Hurley would do well to learn from a child that we accept our wrong doings and apologize.

Why does this matter? Because as an elected official, she reflects upon every person of Tennessee. When people outside of TN learn that I am from TN, their first impression of me is established by the news of Representative Hurley’s, or Stacey Campfield’s et al, actions and legal decisions. Also, if Rep. Hurley does not approach her job with more professionalism, and let’s face it–carving in desks is something middle schoolers do, how can we expect her to approach legislative decisions?

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The US Healthcare System is the Best in the World!

Well, actually it’s ranked 37th.

Evidence that other countries perform better than the United States in ensuring the health of their populations is a sure prod to the reformist impulse. The World Health Report 2000, Health Systems: Improving Performance, ranked the U.S. health care system 37th in the world…

It is hard to ignore that in 2006, the United States was number 1 in terms of health care spending per capita but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy. These facts have fueled a question now being discussed in academic circles, as well as by government and the public: Why do we spend so much to get so little?

[Source, , ]

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Is this really the simple difference between right and left?

Listen to the words of Kirsten Haglund (Miss America 2008) between 3:50 and 3:58. Does she sum up the difference between liberal and conservative beliefs in 8 seconds? If so, I’ll be happy to be labeled left, leftie, liberal, what-have-you. Just push play below and it should already be cued up to 3:50.

But it’s a basic difference in world view in that usually liberals and people on the left, Secular Humanists, believe that human nature is ultimately good. But conservatives believe it’s not.

[Source, Youtube, Fox News – Elmo & Big Bird Are Too Liberal & Make Gay Boys Want To Be Prom Queens quote by Kirsten Haglund 3:50-3:58]

I do believe in the goodness of people.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ministry of Truth to be created in California

A California corporation has been awarded has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom) to build the Ministry of Truth. "The project has been likened by web experts to China’s attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet."

The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".

[Source, guardian.co.uk, Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media]

Now, before you grab your tinfoil hat (and mine is shinier than yours), note that "said none of the interventions would be in English, as it would be unlawful to ‘address US audiences’ with such technology"

…any English-language use of social media by Centcom was always clearly attributed. The languages in which the interventions are conducted include Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.

In his evidence to the Senate committee, Gen Mattis said: "OEV seeks to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology and propaganda." He added that Centcom was working with “our coalition partners” to develop new techniques and tactics the US could use "to counter the adversary in the cyber domain".

[Source, guardian.co.uk, Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media]

See also: Inspector General – Information Operations Contracts in Iraq page 9, Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) – online engagement, The man behind Operation Earnest Voice, and Operation Earnest Voice Part III.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

This does not make me proud

The land of the free, the promised land, the place people once longed to visit or immigrate is quickly becoming the land to stay far away.

going to the US is more unpleasant than going to Soviet era Russia or even Iran 10 years ago. Sure, you sometimes have to bribe people, but at least I’ve not had gear stolen off me during security checks or had people break my gear without at least compensating me.

And taking pictures. Well, let me put it like this: you are 20 times more likely to get hassled for whipping out your camera anywhere in the US than in, say, downtown Teheran.

I offer this as an observation from the outside. The US is isolating itself and it is becoming a very, very unpleasant place to visit. I often talk to fellow travellers and even a lot of business types in nice suits often relate how they’d rather not travel to the US if they could help it and that they’d rather work with people in Europe or Asia. I can relate to that.

[Source, Reddit, Why I stopped travelling to the US and I largely stopped doing business in the US.]

My fellow Americas. Can we please return to the pre-9/11 sensibilities we once had?