To tax or not to tax?

      I find it interesting that the republicans that while they were running screamed about the huge federal deficit are now the ones that seek to extend the Bush tax cuts to the rich. I mean, I realize that no one wants to pay taxes. I get that. I resented the chunk of taxes removed from my pay check every two weeks this summer. I dread dealing with my parents during tax time. Taxes put everyone in a bad mood. But the fact of the matter is that our government has no other way of raising revenue to run itself.
      When Bush came into office, we had a surplus. Thus, at that time, some tax cuts made some sort of sense. If the government has more money than needed, why not give American tax payers a little break? Now, in the midst of a recession with unemployment rate at 9.8 percent, now does not seem like the time to give those rich people a tax break. In fact, I would much rather use government money to help resinstall unemployment benefits than to allow some rich person to buy their second jet. Just saying.

Wikileaks

      So, the website wikileaks continues to release confidential cables of US diplomats saying unfavorable things about foreign countries. I am sure they think they're doing the world a favor, and that these things should be released. I, personally, could not disagree more. In a world where the US is already viewed disfavorably, these cables stand to seriously endanger American diplomatic relations with foreign countries. Some things should be kept private, and I think US diplomats should be able to frankly and honestly discuss foreign diplomats, leaders, and policies without fear of having the information leaked.
               In the meantime, the U.S. military has tried to close the security gaps that it believes allowed a low-level military intelligence analyst to steal hundreds of thousands of classified documents and ultimately give them to the WikiLeaks website. A U.S. soldier who served in Iraq, Manning has been charged with illegally transferring classified data onto his personal computer and adding unauthorized software to a classified computer system. The 22-year-old is suspected of having downloaded thousands of other documents from a server in Iraq. Hopefully, after this incident the US government will institute measures to keep such documents more classified.

TSA debate

Something very difficult for the U.S. to balance is the saftey of its citizens with the rights and freedoms we have all come to expect. The fact is, the more protection, the less freedoms can be granted, but the safer one is. I am sure most Americans want their government to protect them from future terrorist attacks. However, Americans also like to complain about the augmented security at airports that is aimed at this goal. While I do find security measures at airports exasperating, I would much rather go through a full body scan and know that the other passengers on my plane have to if it decreases the danger risk. The problem is, the moment the TSA fails to catch something, and it results in a dangerous situation, they are basically screwed and subject to lengthy investiagtions. To prevent this, the must tighten security, understandably.
  The best part of this whole thing is that it is not really as big of an issue as the media is making it seem. In fact, most travelers will not even be subject to the measure this holiday season.  80% of security lanes will not have the full body scanners or intrusive pat downs. In addition, 78% of Americans actually approve of the full body scanners., no matter how invasive they may be. I have to say, while I would not mind a full body scan, I would feel very uncomfortable with an aggresive pat down. However, if I had to chose to be on a plane with people who had not done the scanners and those who had, I would defintiely go with those who had.

Obama returns from Asia

   Today ends Obama's 10 day diplomatic and econimc trip through Asia. this trip has had mixed results. He recieved a warm reception in India but criticism in South Korea. Mr. Obama's last stop was with Mr. Medvedev, the prime minister of Russia. He hopes to forge friendlier relations with the country by ratifying an arms control treaty, which is stalled in the Senate. Rekations between the two leaders seemed good, taking on a chummy tone. The two leaders will meet later next week at the NATO summit in Lisbon, where they will continue to discuss a variety of issues.
   The Asia Pacific leaders' gathering, though friendly, did not seem to produce much in the way of concrete results. The twenty leaders there agreed to work towards creating a free trade zone in the Asia Pacific region but set no timetable for this to happen. There were also pledges to move toward rectifying global economic imbalances. Over all, it was a typical diplomatic trip.

New Congress members settle in

    Before they can change the direction of the country, new members of Congress must first learn the tricks of the trade. All this week they will be attending seminars and social events educating them on how to do their new jobs. Most will be searching for places to live, possible roomates to live with, and deciding whether they can handle a commute or want to be in walking distance of their workplace. The week is full of appointments and meetings with prospective staff members. Each new member must assemble the entourage of staff members that will aide them for the next two or six years.
  All in all, this reminds me quite of bit of what will be instore for me next year as I enter college as a freshman. These rookies, soon after election, are even sent out a thick manual going over the nuts and bolts of being a Congressman giving advice on how to hire staff and please constituents. Today the freshmen will be hearing from Nancy Pelosi and taking a tour of her Congressional suite. Later they will hear from John Boehner. Overall, these new members have quite a busy week ahead of them.

History may be kind to Mr. Bush

     George W. Bush left office with the lowest approval ratings of any modern president. Many people view him disfavorably and resent his decisions regarding Iraq. After two years of solitude, he has decided to remerge on the public scene however. He has just released a new memior detailing and defending major points in his life and presidency. He has also reemerged on the television circuit, even making an appearance on Oprah.
      With Obama's approval ratings sinking, this is the perfect time for Bush to release his new book. After two years in office, Democrats can no longer blame George W. Bush for the country's problems. Souvenir stores in Washington D.C. have begun selling shirts with Mr. Bush's face on it with the caption "miss me yet?" Bush, however, has been veering away from the political arena, and does not seem to want to rub the Republican win in Obama's face. In fact, he has had only gracious things to say about the current president, and commented very little on his policies. I think this is quite wise of Mr. Bush. It is probably best to just step back and not say much at all. He's probably just grateful Obama's in the hot seat now, instead of him. 

Even if proposition 19 passes, people may still be charged for lighting up.

       There's an interesting proposition on the ballot in California. Next month Californians will vote on Proposition 19, which would change state law to allow adults to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana. The state would then be able to tax the selling of distribution, hopefully helping to relieve the existing budget deficeit. Though this issue seems like a state issue, if the proposition passes, it will most likely turn into an issue for the national government.
         The real question is, when power is shared between the national government and the state, what happens when states pass laws violating national law? Supporters of the national government cite the supremacy clause, while state's rights activitists claim they're protected under the tenth ammendment. The department of justice says it will enforce marijuana laws in California, whether the proposition passes or not and many other law enforcing bodies in California say they will do the same. Many of the supporters of the proposition say, bring it on. They are apparently unafraid of the consequences. No matter what this issue threatens to plunge California into a murky fight with the federal government.

Another group of canidates trying to "clean up government"

         I'm very hestitant about people running for office that say they are going to go in and "clean up Washington." They make it seem like they have the power to just walk in, say "hey, let's completely change how things are done" and really get anything done this way. Fiorina brags in her add how she will bring new blood to Washington, and that her lack of political expierence is a good thing. If elected, in my opinion, she'll end up learning her lesson just like Obama did. The lesson is this: you cannot just march into a political arena forcing your own agenda on seasoned members of the system and be successful. It is necessary to play the game of politics, in order to efficiently get anything done. As the phrase goes, you catch more bees with honey than vinegar. If you play by the rules of Congress, your much more likely to get legislation passed (example: Woodrow Wilson's failed Treaty of Versailles).
      Unfortunately, canidates think this forceful, no-nonsense attitude is something that will attract voters. Meg Whitman proclaims she will go in and run California like she ran private business (though in goverment, she cannot just throw fits and fire a bunch of people like she did at ebay). She talks about how she's not a politician, but neither was Arnold, and no one likes him much anymore. It seems like this approach is not working very well in New York's race for governor. Carl Paladino who claims he will "take a bat to Albany" is quickly falling behind in the polls. According to one recently published in the New York times, a majority of the people polled do not think Paladino has the right tempermant or attitude to be governor. In fact, one republican they interviewed said she though Mr. Paladino was angry in a scary way. It's good to see some people realize that this forceful, stubborn approach to politics is not always what is best for our country.

Things don't look good for the Democrats, it seems. . .

    Tea party candidates posing very real threats to moderate Democrats. Alienation of Liberals as the result of Obama's first two years in office, especially his actions in the war. A new poll released stating that only 51 perecent of registered Latino's are planning on voting in the upcoming election. The fact that the democratic party often has a lower voter turn out than Republicans. All these things do not bode well for the Deomcratic party which stands to lose its majority in Congress in the upcoming elections.
     In response to this threat, Obama is trying to rally troops, focusing on encouraging college kids and minorities to make themselves heard. He chastises people who only vote for what the consider the most important election of all, the presidential one. This effort that the president has to make to improve democrats chances demonstrates the country's disillusionment with the continuing recession and Obama's governing thus far. There seems to be quite an enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans, especially as the ultra conservatives organize into their Tea Party faction. What some of these disillusioned Democrats that are not planning on voting do not seem to understand is that losing a majority in Congress would make it even harder to make liberal gains. Think getting any sort of democratic legislation through both houses is hard now? Just wait until it has to fight through a Rebulican majority. On the bright side, if Democrats do lose the majority, they can at least start playing the filibuster card.

BP's well finally sealed.

        The federal government has finally declared BP's oil well dead. Finally. I have to admit, sometimes it felt like they would never plug it. Like it would keep gushing oil forever. I mean, at first, BP made it sound like they could plug the spill in a few weeks, as opposed to the several months it actually took. The government said that oversight for the well would now pass from the National Incident Command, which is headed by Admiral Allen, to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. The main well, as well as the two relief wells will be abandoned.
    Overall, I think the federal government handled the disaster fairly well. Unlike Hurricane Katrina, there did not seem to be as much squabbling among the state and national agencies over who was supposed to handle what (that's federalism at work for you, right?). The only thing that really annoyed me was the blame game played by the three companies involved in the defect of the well's shut off valve. During the hearings, it just kept going around in a triangle. In my opinion, they were all responsible, and all of them should have taken some sort of responsibility for the situation. Anyway, now that the well is officially sealed, the Gulf will just need to start healing from the after affects.

Tea and conservatism, anyone?

With great trepidation, I take on the challenge of discussing the Tea Party in this blog. Now I do this with hesitation due to the fact that I can;t say I really understand, it's all quite complicated. I know it is a right-wing conservative group. I have really only been marginally paying attention to them, but it seems they merit more attention, now that they seem to be winning more and more primaries.
     Despite their recent gains, I am skeptical of this faction's ability to really take a permanant hold on the country because the whims of the American people shift so rapidly. Part of the reason Obama got elected was because he seemed to offer something different. After eight years of the Bush administration, most people seemed ready for some "change" and so a democratic president was elected with a democratic majority in Congress. Now that Obama is not changing things as fast as people expected, they are once again shifting sides, listening to the side proclaiming they will bring in new blood and finally be the ones to change things. This I think, is part of the reason the movement is gaining so much speed.
          Another aspect of this faction is a seeming lack of organization. Many groups claim to be part of this movement, groups like: FreedomWorks, Tea Party Express, and Tea Party Patriots and the whole Tea Party group itself considers itself a part of the Republican Party. If this group really wishes to keep power, not just gain it, they will have to reconcile with the moderates in their political party. A very split republican party would only be a good thing for Democrats, which could take advantage of this weakness by attracting moderate republicans worried by the radical views in the Tea Party movement. Over all, the elections on November 2nd will be a true indicator about the real strength of the Tea Party movement.

Terrorism, and it's influence in today's culture.

       A sure fire way to get people to let you do what you want? Say you've discovered a terrorism plot, apparently. Or at least that seems to be the case when the FBI decided to keep its eye on an anti-war rally in Pittsburgh. According to the inspector general Glenn Fine, they had no reason to suspect possible terrorism links in the rally. Nonetheless, this was their documented reason for doing so. The FBI it seems, has also been filing some non-violent civil disobedience probes under the classification "Acts of Terrorism." This begs the question of what exactly is classified as terrorisim?
      Since 9/11 the term terrorism seems to have evolved into a sort of buzz word. Politicians and seem to sense the fear it inspires in Americans, and tell us they will protect us from these terrorists. Government agencies justify their activties by saying they're helping uncover terrorist plots, which makes us feel all warm and fuzzy and safe. In my opinion, this word has spun wildly out of control. No doubt terrorism is a devastatingly evil thing. On the other hand, at this point, I am more likely to die in a car crash on my way to school than be the victim of a terrorist attack. I mean, I know that 9/11 was terrible, but we do not live in a country filled with constant suicide bombings, which makes us luckier than some. While I do want my government to keep me safe from terrorist plots and such, I just feel this word has become increasingly misused. Bottom line, the FBI should just admit when it's a slow day, instead of using vague reasons like "terrorism probes" to stake out a protest rally.

Aren't you excited to read another blog about the Islamic center and the Quran burning?

     So, in this lovely country of ours, we have the right to express our own opinions and ideas, at least with in the limits of law. People it seems, can never agree, and maybe this is the reason we all get so royally pissed off at eachother and up in arms about everything. This I feel, applies to the situation of the Islamic center (with a space for prayer) near ground zero, which everyone is all in a tizzy about. This is mostly based on the seeming ignorance of most Americans, who automatically assume that Muslims are terrorists. Just because the terrorists in 9/11 were Muslims does not mean Muslims should not build Mosques in America. Ted Bundy was Mormon but no one brings that up when The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints try to build places of worship. I really think there should be some sort of book all Americans would be required to read called Muslims, Terrorists, and Muslims who also just so happen to be terrorists: How to tell the difference. The people behind this Islamic center of course have every right to build it, and in my opinion should do so. However, there is another side to the coin, I think. Mayor Rudy Guilani said (and I am paraphrasing here) that he believes they have every right to build the center, however, if part of their intent is to create peace, harmony, and show support is that really what their accomplishing when all this strife is happening as a result? I am not quite sure.
      This whole situation now relates to Minister Jones over in Florida, pretending as if he actually knows what is going on. All he wanted to do, I think, was call attention to himself, and he knew this whole burning a book that's deeply sacred to many people was a sufficient way to do it. It reminds me of when all those trashy young stars like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton were getting out of cars by splaying apart their legs and letting everyone see their lack of underwear. Was it a good type of attention? No, of course not. But they still took the cheap shot at bad press, as did Mr. Jones. When he saw the chaos he was causing and the reprovals from democrats and republicans a like (including the president), he conveniently decided to call the whole thing off, claiming he got the Imam in New York to stop building the Islamic center. This it seems, is a completely fake claim. Hopefully this man will realize he is a laughing stock, and just lay low for the rest of his life. That however, would be the sensible thing to do and Terry Jones is far from sensible.

Glenn Beck rallies America. Or attempts to, at least.

      I discovered Glenn Beck  even existed when I sat down outside of a dressing room in Macy's and decided to watch whatever news program was on their tv. On it, some white guy started ranting about how the country was going to hell and how all media, (except for his show, presumably,) was in league with the national government and they were both keeping vital information from all of us. Only he, Glenn Beck insisted, was the messenger of truth in our country. Then he babbled on about virtues and God for a while and encouraged all his viewers to attend some sort of rally on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr,'s I have a dream speech. Wow, I thought, this guys crazy. Little did I know, he has a large following, and this rally actually happened last week.
      It attracted many followers (mostly white and middle-aged) and Glenn Beck shouted about how our country is heading the wrong direction and how we must turn back to God and how his rally was really making a difference. I do not believe this for a second. What Glenn Beck was doing was taking the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s march and I have a dream speech, an event that truly made a difference for a worthy cause, and using it to promote his own right-wing ultra coservative agenda. He was not truly honoring Dr. King but distracting from the anniversary of his acheivement. Besides, I get very tired of people painting bleak portraits of the future and shouting about how the country is going to hell. These demagogues appeal to and attract followers by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people. Their claims are not based on logic and sound reasoning, but people are unable to see this because they get caught up and make decisions based on the fleeting feelings produced by these passionate orators. Basically, whether democratic or republican, there will always be some sort of Glenn Beck attracting followers with wild claims. One day Mr. Beck will simply fade away, and another one like him will rise. Besides, if the counrty really is going to hell, I would rather have it happen peacfully, without people like Glenn Beck shouting about it all the time.

Flood Ravages An Already Shaky Country.

     Things are not looking good for Pakistan. An already shaky country now dealing with the deavsting effects of massive flooding. Towns completely submerged. Roads and schools washed away. The amount of damage and loss is beyond calculation. Pakistan has been economically devasted, especially in the major export of rice, as many rice paddies are now under water. Many people are homeless, without adequate access to food, water and other basic necessities. One of the worst aspects of this natural disaster is that it is still happening; huge amounts of water are still gushing through Pakistan.
    One the most serious issues brought up by the flood is the apparent instability of the government as shown by their delayed reaction to the flood. An apparent credibilty gap between the aide trucks the Pakistani government says it is sending around the country and the amount of government aide actually seen in the flood damaged areas has created internal dissension within the country. This opens the country more to extremist groups within Pakistan who seem to be offering more help than the government. This is something that should theoretically worry the American government, how is a counrty in ruin supposed to continue to root out Taliban extremists (though to say all the extremist groups offering help are terrorists is a large assumption I am not prepared to make). The flood has also already blocked routes used to get supplies to American soldiers in Afghanistan. Over all, the flood is one of the worst things that could have happened to an already struggling country like Pakistan. Their economy is ruined, their land has been ravaged. Things that help connect a country (roads, schools, etc.) have been wiped out. Though the United States has re-directed 50 million to help rebuild, this is a setback Pakistan may well not recover from for decades to come.