Back in June 2004 I wrote this:
"I am certain that, given enough time, our brilliant political leaders will screw this up, just as they have all the other social engineering initiatives. (For example, Dick Daley was backpedaling the "Service Economy" at the National Design Engineering and Manufacturing Show, and gave a keynote rally about manufacturing in the USA. Unfortunately, all the exhibitors at the predominant "Southeast Asia", "China", and "Mexico" pavilions, could have cared less!).
"I will be given a permanent "vacation". I just hope I am able to salt enough away to live on while on my furlough and pay for my insurance and all the benefits I will not be entitled to while working during my golden years at Wal-mart. Who knows, the best is yet to come! An alternative from the "If you can’t lick them, join them" Department: become a politician. Just one term in Congress and I get retirement benefits for life, which can't be raided, as can the Social Security "tax" fund".
Showing posts with label Politics as usual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics as usual. Show all posts
Monday, November 17, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What will Saturday Night Live Do Now?
A friend gave me a link to a YouTube video in which V.P. candidate Palin received a bogus telephone call from some comedians impersonating French President Sarkozy.
The video is supposedly funny; however, it underscored my opinion that what Americans really want is entertainment, not solutions.
This prompted the realization that if Sen. Obama does win the presidency as the polls currently predict, that the comedians on SNL will have a significant problem. Fey and Poehler will have to go back to work. I understand the SNL ratings have been up about 35% since their parody of Palin and Clinton.
At least someone is profiting besides the politicians, the pollsters and the political entourage.
However, the 100's of millions spent on the election this year will be suspended and lots of ad men, writers and so on will have to find something else to do. Perhaps get a job in the manufacturing industry? Oh, that's right, I forgot, we don't do that anymore. Our economy is based on the service industries, such as political service, postal service, fast food, banking, finance, criminal activities, entertainment, etc.
On a very positive note, the congress will also have to get back to work. No more campaigning, as Obama has done for the last 21 months. I thought we, the citizens of Illinois elected him as one of our representatives in government. Seems I just don't get it. Our purpose as citizenry is to elect these people so they have a springboard to a political future with lifetime paid insurance, benefits, political connections, etc., forever.
As for the congress, they'll get back to work, all right, and probably pass a lot of resolutions, just as they have done for the past two years. Oh, that's right, they aren't there to represent us, the citizenry, they are there to further the party, feather their political nests and represent the fringes of society; the rich, the too poor to work, the stupid and so on.
The video is supposedly funny; however, it underscored my opinion that what Americans really want is entertainment, not solutions.
This prompted the realization that if Sen. Obama does win the presidency as the polls currently predict, that the comedians on SNL will have a significant problem. Fey and Poehler will have to go back to work. I understand the SNL ratings have been up about 35% since their parody of Palin and Clinton.
At least someone is profiting besides the politicians, the pollsters and the political entourage.
However, the 100's of millions spent on the election this year will be suspended and lots of ad men, writers and so on will have to find something else to do. Perhaps get a job in the manufacturing industry? Oh, that's right, I forgot, we don't do that anymore. Our economy is based on the service industries, such as political service, postal service, fast food, banking, finance, criminal activities, entertainment, etc.
On a very positive note, the congress will also have to get back to work. No more campaigning, as Obama has done for the last 21 months. I thought we, the citizens of Illinois elected him as one of our representatives in government. Seems I just don't get it. Our purpose as citizenry is to elect these people so they have a springboard to a political future with lifetime paid insurance, benefits, political connections, etc., forever.
As for the congress, they'll get back to work, all right, and probably pass a lot of resolutions, just as they have done for the past two years. Oh, that's right, they aren't there to represent us, the citizenry, they are there to further the party, feather their political nests and represent the fringes of society; the rich, the too poor to work, the stupid and so on.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
It is Time to Take Back Our Country from the Politicians
We need to transform this country. To do this we must move beyond the political status quo, and we need a 21st century transformational energy policy NOW!
I got a letter from Al Gore yesterday. OK, so it wasn’t really a letter prepared for me; it was a form letter sent to me because I am on the MoveOn.org mailing list. In many respects, it was similar to many emails and letters I have received during the past 10 years. This particular letter was written on behalf of a group called the DSCC.
The DSCC's purpose is a variation on the familiar theme of “take back America”. This time, they want me to send a donation to assist them in building a filibuster proof Senate with at least 60 Senators from the Democratic party.
I find it amazing that these people want me to join millions of Americans to take America and hand it to them on a gold platter! What they are essentially telling me is "Take back America from the Republicans and give it to us. We'll take care of it and of you."
I have been voting for about 40 years and I am absolutely convinced that none of these people is going to take care of me. Their promises keep getting greater and the debt keeps getting larger. Now it is over $10 Trillion and growing. After multiple Democratic and Republican governments we have no energy plan and we have no funds in the SS trust fund (only IOUs which our descendants will have to pay back). So much for the good life!
I have had enough!
The only way we will take back America is if WE THE PEOPLE take it for ourselves.If you have any doubts about who REALLY owns this country, then the events of the past few weeks should have been a “wake up call”. I am referring to the bill before the congress, HR3997 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the senate version which some cynically call the “No Banker Left Behind” bailout.
If you have been watching the deliberations in the House and the Senate, you should have noticed a strange thing. While the politicians continually rail either for or against it, it is generally described as something that is vital and that “we must have”. But no one can actually say exactly why we must have this specific piece of legislation. I do understand the issues of credit markets seizing, etc. However, why do we need a bill with the specific tenants of this one, such as authorizing our government to use nearly $1 Trillion of taxpayer dollars to purchase distressed assets, including those of “foreign authorities and central banks” at prices which the government has already stated will be “above market value” and therefore just about guaranteed to lose money for the taxpayer? I know this is included in the legislation because I read HR3997, and Secretary Paulson has made testimony to the fact regarding the prices that will be paid. I suggest you go to this link and you will be given a summary of the first 32 pages of the bill and a link to download it:
http://foreverthecynic.blogspot.com/2008/09/full-text-of-hr-3997-emergency-economic.html
The bill gives the Secretary of the Treasury broad powers and has a mechanism to reward the same firms that got us into this mess. Such firms will be hired to manage the money, for a fee:
http://foreverthecynic.blogspot.com/2008/10/secretary-of-treasury-to-be-given-broad.html
Why on earth would we do these things? I don’t know, but everyone from Senator Obama to Senator McCain say it is absolutely vital that we do this, and do it NOW.
I’ll tell you what we really need; we need an energy policy that diverts the flow of the 100s of billions of dollars we send each year to oil rich countries and instead, returns it to our shores, where it can be used to rebuild the manufacturing and infrastructure of this country. But we won’t have the funds to do this unless we first develop our own sources of energy. Then each and every year, those $100s of billions that we don't send to despots and tyrants all over the world will be put to use here, in America. Once we have the power and electrical transmission systems on line, we can transition from oil based automobiles to electrics, which we have simultaneously developed with R&D funds provided to companies right here in the USA. We will have to expand and upgrade our electrical transmission system. We can then use any funds surpluses to alleviate the deficit and we can sell the technology we have developed to others all over the world.
We can become leaders in this 21st century endeavor. Washington is beginning to get the word; today for the first time I heard Senator Obama talk about improved electrical transmission system as part of infrastructure improvements, while defending the “bailout” bill before the Senate. However, Washington has a penchant for moving slowly on most issues.
This is not "new" news. But our politicians have ignored most of this for over 30 years. One must ask, why would they do that? Maybe this problem is simply too complex for them to understand, just like the financial system and markets of this country.
It is vitally important that each and every American get on board and press congress, the Senate and our President, whoever he may be, to make this a national priority of the greatest urgency. This is not something to do tomorrow. It is something that must occur today. This transcends party politics and many of the issues that our politicians use to maintain their status quo.
We can build a better future. Politicians have been talking about a “National Energy Policy” for over 30 years and have done absolutely nothing. NOTHING! There is only one way and that is for us, the citizenry to take back our government from the politicians. We are the owners. We are the taxpayers. It is our country, not theirs. They are but civil servants elected to do our bidding. It is time we began treating them as such and acting like the owners we are. TAKE BACK AMERICA FROM WASHINGTON – NOW!
It is our choice and it is our opportunity. We can continue to support politicians and their failed or non-existent policies or begin looking beyond the hollow issues our politicians use to maintain their status quo. We can live in the past, or we can choose our future. These are exciting times we live in, and to use that often quoted phrase “a crisis is a dangerous opportunity”. Let us not waste it. This election, there is only one platform to vote for and that is for the candidates who have made energy transformation of this country THE priority.
What do YOU think and what are YOU going to do about this?
I got a letter from Al Gore yesterday. OK, so it wasn’t really a letter prepared for me; it was a form letter sent to me because I am on the MoveOn.org mailing list. In many respects, it was similar to many emails and letters I have received during the past 10 years. This particular letter was written on behalf of a group called the DSCC.
The DSCC's purpose is a variation on the familiar theme of “take back America”. This time, they want me to send a donation to assist them in building a filibuster proof Senate with at least 60 Senators from the Democratic party.
I find it amazing that these people want me to join millions of Americans to take America and hand it to them on a gold platter! What they are essentially telling me is "Take back America from the Republicans and give it to us. We'll take care of it and of you."
I have been voting for about 40 years and I am absolutely convinced that none of these people is going to take care of me. Their promises keep getting greater and the debt keeps getting larger. Now it is over $10 Trillion and growing. After multiple Democratic and Republican governments we have no energy plan and we have no funds in the SS trust fund (only IOUs which our descendants will have to pay back). So much for the good life!
I have had enough!
The only way we will take back America is if WE THE PEOPLE take it for ourselves.If you have any doubts about who REALLY owns this country, then the events of the past few weeks should have been a “wake up call”. I am referring to the bill before the congress, HR3997 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the senate version which some cynically call the “No Banker Left Behind” bailout.
If you have been watching the deliberations in the House and the Senate, you should have noticed a strange thing. While the politicians continually rail either for or against it, it is generally described as something that is vital and that “we must have”. But no one can actually say exactly why we must have this specific piece of legislation. I do understand the issues of credit markets seizing, etc. However, why do we need a bill with the specific tenants of this one, such as authorizing our government to use nearly $1 Trillion of taxpayer dollars to purchase distressed assets, including those of “foreign authorities and central banks” at prices which the government has already stated will be “above market value” and therefore just about guaranteed to lose money for the taxpayer? I know this is included in the legislation because I read HR3997, and Secretary Paulson has made testimony to the fact regarding the prices that will be paid. I suggest you go to this link and you will be given a summary of the first 32 pages of the bill and a link to download it:
http://foreverthecynic.blogspot.com/2008/09/full-text-of-hr-3997-emergency-economic.html
The bill gives the Secretary of the Treasury broad powers and has a mechanism to reward the same firms that got us into this mess. Such firms will be hired to manage the money, for a fee:
http://foreverthecynic.blogspot.com/2008/10/secretary-of-treasury-to-be-given-broad.html
Why on earth would we do these things? I don’t know, but everyone from Senator Obama to Senator McCain say it is absolutely vital that we do this, and do it NOW.
I’ll tell you what we really need; we need an energy policy that diverts the flow of the 100s of billions of dollars we send each year to oil rich countries and instead, returns it to our shores, where it can be used to rebuild the manufacturing and infrastructure of this country. But we won’t have the funds to do this unless we first develop our own sources of energy. Then each and every year, those $100s of billions that we don't send to despots and tyrants all over the world will be put to use here, in America. Once we have the power and electrical transmission systems on line, we can transition from oil based automobiles to electrics, which we have simultaneously developed with R&D funds provided to companies right here in the USA. We will have to expand and upgrade our electrical transmission system. We can then use any funds surpluses to alleviate the deficit and we can sell the technology we have developed to others all over the world.
We can become leaders in this 21st century endeavor. Washington is beginning to get the word; today for the first time I heard Senator Obama talk about improved electrical transmission system as part of infrastructure improvements, while defending the “bailout” bill before the Senate. However, Washington has a penchant for moving slowly on most issues.
This is not "new" news. But our politicians have ignored most of this for over 30 years. One must ask, why would they do that? Maybe this problem is simply too complex for them to understand, just like the financial system and markets of this country.
It is vitally important that each and every American get on board and press congress, the Senate and our President, whoever he may be, to make this a national priority of the greatest urgency. This is not something to do tomorrow. It is something that must occur today. This transcends party politics and many of the issues that our politicians use to maintain their status quo.
We can build a better future. Politicians have been talking about a “National Energy Policy” for over 30 years and have done absolutely nothing. NOTHING! There is only one way and that is for us, the citizenry to take back our government from the politicians. We are the owners. We are the taxpayers. It is our country, not theirs. They are but civil servants elected to do our bidding. It is time we began treating them as such and acting like the owners we are. TAKE BACK AMERICA FROM WASHINGTON – NOW!
It is our choice and it is our opportunity. We can continue to support politicians and their failed or non-existent policies or begin looking beyond the hollow issues our politicians use to maintain their status quo. We can live in the past, or we can choose our future. These are exciting times we live in, and to use that often quoted phrase “a crisis is a dangerous opportunity”. Let us not waste it. This election, there is only one platform to vote for and that is for the candidates who have made energy transformation of this country THE priority.
What do YOU think and what are YOU going to do about this?
A letter to our Senators sent today re: $700B Bailout
This is the text of emails sent today to our US Senators and a version was also sent to our Representative.
"My spouse and I am opposed to the Federal bailout of Wall Street, HR3997 and the Senate version. I believe the plans are seriously flawed.
I have read the House version and first, I do not think taxpayer funds should be allocated for the purpose of purchasing the assets of “any” financial institution, and specifically “foreign authorities and central banks.”
Second, I do not think that funds should be used for the purpose of hiring firms to help manage the assets of companies the government basically nationalizes. This has the potential of providing federal funds to the firms that contributed to, profited from or participated in the failure.
Finally, I think the primary purpose of the plan should be to address the problems of the taxpayers who are being asked to pay for this plan. I do understand there is more than enough blame to go around, and that many people were stupid or at the very least ignorant, and possibly millions participated in some form of fraud. However, this is a reward to the people who promoted and profited from this situation.
We are homeowners who purchased below our means and are practicing a philosophy of living below our means. We are saving for our retirement and have invested in bank funds such as CDs and we also have 401(k), 403(b) and Roth-IRAs which we have used to invest in American companies. We are feeling the pain of the current financial situation and while I am “entitled” to retire with social security benefits, I am in fact working and paying taxes. Frankly, my financial future is in jeopardy.
We are registered voters and my spouse and I will be thinking long and hard about the forthcoming election and we will be voting our conscience in this matter. "
"My spouse and I am opposed to the Federal bailout of Wall Street, HR3997 and the Senate version. I believe the plans are seriously flawed.
I have read the House version and first, I do not think taxpayer funds should be allocated for the purpose of purchasing the assets of “any” financial institution, and specifically “foreign authorities and central banks.”
Second, I do not think that funds should be used for the purpose of hiring firms to help manage the assets of companies the government basically nationalizes. This has the potential of providing federal funds to the firms that contributed to, profited from or participated in the failure.
Finally, I think the primary purpose of the plan should be to address the problems of the taxpayers who are being asked to pay for this plan. I do understand there is more than enough blame to go around, and that many people were stupid or at the very least ignorant, and possibly millions participated in some form of fraud. However, this is a reward to the people who promoted and profited from this situation.
We are homeowners who purchased below our means and are practicing a philosophy of living below our means. We are saving for our retirement and have invested in bank funds such as CDs and we also have 401(k), 403(b) and Roth-IRAs which we have used to invest in American companies. We are feeling the pain of the current financial situation and while I am “entitled” to retire with social security benefits, I am in fact working and paying taxes. Frankly, my financial future is in jeopardy.
We are registered voters and my spouse and I will be thinking long and hard about the forthcoming election and we will be voting our conscience in this matter. "
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Let Me Think About This!
OK, so I finally got off my stumps and created this blog. What spurred me to do it? I like writing and I love this country; in my experience it is the best in the world, but could be much, much better. Au contraire, mon cher! It is not getting better.
Of course I have concerns. But I won't let them drive me. I also have my dreams and aspirations, but I am not entitled to them. Yes, I can have my dreams, but the universe is uncaring. I'm just another bug on a big rock hurtling through space. If a comet were to obliterate the earth tomorrow, do you think anyone in the next solar system would care? Would it make a difference anywhere but here?
So how to balance the very short view such as dealing with the jerk in the next office, with the long view? How to make a difference and honor and respect my fellow human beings, even if they want to dwell on getting the latest Iphone and watch America's Got Talent, or BET?
Life is living in the question. There is no answer.
So, getting back to the here and now, as I was driving home tonight, from work of course, I was listening to NPR. The topic was the Democratic Convention. The correspondent was discussing the booze that was available at the bar, and the bar keep was describing Johnny Walker Blue Scotch.
Now, I first was made aware of this very fine scotch whiskey during a trip to Saudi Arabia, a "dry" country (my experiences there could be the subject of another blog). So here I am driving home and I am listening to this tongue in cheek lecture about what is essentially another political excess. (Hey, I spent a good part of my life thinking that Johnny Walker Black was an excess).
Arriving home, I tune into C-Span because my spouse was still at work. There is the Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich from Ohio, lambasting the opposition because of they have supposedly destroyed the Social Security trust fund.
OK, so I have heard enough for one day. I assume Kucinich saw or heard about the movie IOUSA and was using his best spin to pin it on “somebody else”. About the movie: Mr. Walker, former Comptroller General of this USA was stumping for years about the “immoral” situation with the SS trust fund.
Surprise! The trust fund is broke. (If you don’t know this, you are probably under 20 or in denial, asleep or brain dead). Despite the implications of Rep. Kucinich, this did not happen because of the Iraq war. It happened because American citizens believe their politicians when they speak. Think about it; the politicians in this country have been raiding the SS trust fund for years. The last time, as I recollect was during the Clinton Administration. Good ‘ol Vice President Al Gore cast the tie breaking vote to raid the trust in the name of “balancing the budget”, as in, spending more than we could currently afford.
So why would this be considered immoral by the Comptroller General? Well, because the IOUs in the trust fund will be paid by our descendents. So we are basically strapping our children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars of debt, so we can party today. (How much debt? Well, something like $53 Trillion or about 50 Iraq wars worth of debt!)
Now, I pointed this out to associates when Mr. Walker was stumping around the country, and you know what? It fell on deaf ears. I've always wondered why they would they be deaf? I can only guess. Some possibilities: General apathy is first. Possibly those under 30 see it as a problem in the distant future. Those in the age group 30 to 60 are simply "too busy" dealing with today’s issues. And those over 60? They are possibly unwilling to admit they are robbing their children of their inheritance.
So I decided to “put it out there” in the universe (or at least the blogosphere). So here goes!
As for this blog, I probably won't be telling you about the pets, or describing the lint in my navel. I'll save that for posting somewhere else!
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_o_u_s_a/?nopop=1#synopsis
Of course I have concerns. But I won't let them drive me. I also have my dreams and aspirations, but I am not entitled to them. Yes, I can have my dreams, but the universe is uncaring. I'm just another bug on a big rock hurtling through space. If a comet were to obliterate the earth tomorrow, do you think anyone in the next solar system would care? Would it make a difference anywhere but here?
So how to balance the very short view such as dealing with the jerk in the next office, with the long view? How to make a difference and honor and respect my fellow human beings, even if they want to dwell on getting the latest Iphone and watch America's Got Talent, or BET?
Life is living in the question. There is no answer.
So, getting back to the here and now, as I was driving home tonight, from work of course, I was listening to NPR. The topic was the Democratic Convention. The correspondent was discussing the booze that was available at the bar, and the bar keep was describing Johnny Walker Blue Scotch.
Now, I first was made aware of this very fine scotch whiskey during a trip to Saudi Arabia, a "dry" country (my experiences there could be the subject of another blog). So here I am driving home and I am listening to this tongue in cheek lecture about what is essentially another political excess. (Hey, I spent a good part of my life thinking that Johnny Walker Black was an excess).
Arriving home, I tune into C-Span because my spouse was still at work. There is the Honorable Dennis J. Kucinich from Ohio, lambasting the opposition because of they have supposedly destroyed the Social Security trust fund.
OK, so I have heard enough for one day. I assume Kucinich saw or heard about the movie IOUSA and was using his best spin to pin it on “somebody else”. About the movie: Mr. Walker, former Comptroller General of this USA was stumping for years about the “immoral” situation with the SS trust fund.
Surprise! The trust fund is broke. (If you don’t know this, you are probably under 20 or in denial, asleep or brain dead). Despite the implications of Rep. Kucinich, this did not happen because of the Iraq war. It happened because American citizens believe their politicians when they speak. Think about it; the politicians in this country have been raiding the SS trust fund for years. The last time, as I recollect was during the Clinton Administration. Good ‘ol Vice President Al Gore cast the tie breaking vote to raid the trust in the name of “balancing the budget”, as in, spending more than we could currently afford.
So why would this be considered immoral by the Comptroller General? Well, because the IOUs in the trust fund will be paid by our descendents. So we are basically strapping our children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars of debt, so we can party today. (How much debt? Well, something like $53 Trillion or about 50 Iraq wars worth of debt!)
Now, I pointed this out to associates when Mr. Walker was stumping around the country, and you know what? It fell on deaf ears. I've always wondered why they would they be deaf? I can only guess. Some possibilities: General apathy is first. Possibly those under 30 see it as a problem in the distant future. Those in the age group 30 to 60 are simply "too busy" dealing with today’s issues. And those over 60? They are possibly unwilling to admit they are robbing their children of their inheritance.
So I decided to “put it out there” in the universe (or at least the blogosphere). So here goes!
As for this blog, I probably won't be telling you about the pets, or describing the lint in my navel. I'll save that for posting somewhere else!
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_o_u_s_a/?nopop=1#synopsis
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