Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Why there will be no real healthcare reform.
Most people (including myself) do not understand the issue and are not going to really try to get the real picture. Many, if not most, are simply going to repeat what they have heard from the echo chamber they exist in.
The media is influenced by big pharma, health insurance companies, and every organization that makes money off the current system. If you doubt this watch Fox, CNN, and MSNBC for any hour of any day and count the number of commercials that are health related. Do you think for a moment that they are reporting the real story when MOST of their revenue comes from the health industries. How much money do the proponents AND those who are quietly standing in the background letting reform fail get from the health care industry? No one reports that.
Those who are adversely affected by the current system are powerless...they only provide anecdotal cover for politicians who pretend to be working on reform.
The media is influenced by big pharma, health insurance companies, and every organization that makes money off the current system. If you doubt this watch Fox, CNN, and MSNBC for any hour of any day and count the number of commercials that are health related. Do you think for a moment that they are reporting the real story when MOST of their revenue comes from the health industries. How much money do the proponents AND those who are quietly standing in the background letting reform fail get from the health care industry? No one reports that.
Those who are adversely affected by the current system are powerless...they only provide anecdotal cover for politicians who pretend to be working on reform.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Giant Step......
40 years ago we landed on the moon but I did not see it. I was at Virginia Beach with college friends working in a restaurant...Neptune's Corner I think. A Greek family owned the establishment. This was an old world family, the "women" lived in Greece because American society would have surely corrupted them and the sons only spent the summers at the restaurant. The waitresses were seen as slaves and under no circumstances would we be allowed to leave to see the FIRST MEN LAND ON THE MOON. Looking back I am not sure why I didn't just leave but we had to pay rent, Oh well I think we heard it on a radio.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
life is good
It's another beautiful day in the "Pitt". we have had great weather this summer but a little rain would be nice.
Getting a handle on those white flies.
Watching Le Tour de France and finding it really exciting. My brother rides L'Etape du Tour tomorrow. It takes the route of stage 20 of the Tour. I hope he makes it up Mont Ventoux. Good Luck Bruz!!!!
Getting a handle on those white flies.
Watching Le Tour de France and finding it really exciting. My brother rides L'Etape du Tour tomorrow. It takes the route of stage 20 of the Tour. I hope he makes it up Mont Ventoux. Good Luck Bruz!!!!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
...and that's the way it is.
I am saddened that Walter Cronkite is no longer here. I feel like he was part of my family. We watched him every night and there was just something about him. He took you with him and believe me there were places to go in the 60's and 70's... the killing of JFK and the funeral, the civil rights movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the Vietnam war, the anti war movement, and the politics. If you remember Cronkite as an unbiased, just report the "facts" journalist you do not remember Cronkite. It was Walter Cronkite who saw the futility in the Vietnam War by 1968 and said so on his news broadcast. He did not scream and call anybody an idiot, he just calmly said what he believed to be the truth and a nation listened and realized that he was right. President Johnson said at the time that if he had lost Cronkite he had lost the country. Walter was appalled during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago at the antics of Mayor Daley. He made this very clear as he anchored CBS's coverage from his booth high atop the convention floor. He loved the space program and did not hesitate to show it. He almost jumped out of his chair the night John Glenn won the senate seat in Ohio. I can see his face right now smiling. He did not take me to the moon but that's a story for Monday, the 40th anniversary of the first men on the moon.
The world seems a little less comfortable.
The world seems a little less comfortable.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
White Flies!!???
My garden has been attacked by white flies and I am sure this has been caused by Obama. Everyone should check their yards for these WHITE flies immediately. They have proven impossible to get rid of and are on their way to wrecking havoc with every living thing in the backyard. Oh to go back to the days when there were only harmless black flies. Oh Obama!
As soon as I get over this I will comment on the Senate Judiciary Committee and its Latina fetish.
As soon as I get over this I will comment on the Senate Judiciary Committee and its Latina fetish.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Cap and Trade...
Sarah Palin has an oped piece in the Washington Post this morning...yes Wapo. I know it hurts but that's what has happened to journalism. I read this editorial and if Palin wrote it I will eat my car. This is really getting ridiculous. I want Palin on a LIVE show to explain cap and trade and then take questions.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Republican "history"
Yesterday I came across the website for the Cobb County Republican Women and their newsletter "Elephant Tatter". Glancing through the site I noticed that there was a section written by Michael Zak who has penned a book on the "history" of the GOP. The first edition that I looked at posed the question "Where does the idea of separation of church and state come from?" "The Constitution doesn't say anything about it." The article goes on to quote the preambles of the 50 state constitutions all making some reference to God. I am assuming that this must infer that there is no separation of church and state. There is one thing to say to these women and Mr Zak...The FIRST AMENDMENT to the Constitution of the United States!!!! The Establishment Clause clearly states that Congress shall pass NO law respecting an establishment of religion. The intent was not to have the same situation that existed in England with a state church, the Church of England. The idea of separation of Church and State was embedded in the mindset of colonial America. Roger Williams left Massachusetts Bay and founded Rhode Island because he was very much opposed to the theocratic nature of the Bay Colony. Thomas Jefferson was determined that there was to be a separation and Madison wrote it into the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has upheld this doctrine and it exists! Iran has no separation of church and state.
I went on to read another edition of the "Elephant Tatter " and became even more disturbed. The article was lauding the Republican Women's participation in the Juneteenth celebration in Cobb County. It was noted that the history of the real Republican Party was much in favor of supporting Blacks and that Lincoln's program of reconstruction after the Civil War was dashed upon his death by the DEMOCRAT Andrew Johnson. Zak contends that history books almost always ignore the fact that Johnson was a Democrat and blamed the entire era of "Jim Crow" on Johnson and Democrats. First, there are no credible history books that ignore the fact that Lincoln selected a Tennessee Democrat who had not seceded with his state as vice president. This was an attempt to bring the country together and gain votes in the 1864 election. The early Republican Party that formed in 1854 in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act was nothing like the party today. The Republican Platform in 1860 called for things like NATIONAL banking reform, a National transcontinental railroad, rights of all immigrants acknowledged, and though it disparaged slavery it did not call for its abolition. The actual abolition of slavery and enfranchisement of freedmen was pushed by a group of "Radical Republicans" who had disdain for state governments. They favored taking All land away from those who had supported the Confederacy and REDISTRIBUTING it (OMG) to the freedmen. Gee I bet that would go over real well with all the Southern Republicans today. Johnson was an inept President and became powerless after his impeachment. He was not removed by one vote, a Republican from Nebraska. (should we blame all ills of the world on this one Republican because he caused Johnson to remain in office?) When Reconstruction was over the Republican presidents, Grant, Hayes, Arthur, Harrison, Garfield, McKinley, T Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover made sure the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were ignored and not enforced. Now a real historian would point out that both political parties and American society in general, were responsible for "Jim Crow" and segregation. Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson certainly did nothing to prevent segregation.
The 1964 Republican Platform and the candidate Barry Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act, and every other piece of legislation that attempted to bring an end to segregation. The "Southern Democrats" in the 1950's and 1960's were the children and grandchildren of the Confederacy and began to filter into the Republican Party as the national Democrats advocated and pushed civil rights legislation. During the 1948 Democratic Convention a group of young Democrats led by Hubert Humphrey included in the party platform a provision calling for the passage of civil rights legislation. This did not go over well with many Southern Democrats so they left, formed the Dixiecrats, held their own convention , and nominated Strom Thurmond to run as their presidential candidate. Thurmond and most of his followers then became Republicans. Zak makes a big deal about the Democrats nominating Senator Sparkman from Alabama as Vice President on their 1952 ticket, and it is true that the Dems were trying to hold on to and appease the votes of Southern Democrats. This was not right but it is a lot like the current Republican Party placating their far right wing's xenophobic rantings and threats to keep the votes. By 1980 the South was a Republican stronghold.
There is very little resemblance between the Republicans today and those before and after the Civil War who advocated the strength of the national government and using the power of the national government to affect dramatic societal change. As a matter of fact, the current Republicans look alot like the pre-Civil War Democrats. History is almost always complex and never simple. Mr Zak, and Republicans in general, have decided that isolating bits of history that "prove" their points, taking them out of context to blame the other side, and never looking at the entire picture makes them right.
It is very dangerous when people change history to validate their agenda. I believe that is what happened in Nazi Germany, Mao's China, and the USSR, wasn't it?
I went on to read another edition of the "Elephant Tatter " and became even more disturbed. The article was lauding the Republican Women's participation in the Juneteenth celebration in Cobb County. It was noted that the history of the real Republican Party was much in favor of supporting Blacks and that Lincoln's program of reconstruction after the Civil War was dashed upon his death by the DEMOCRAT Andrew Johnson. Zak contends that history books almost always ignore the fact that Johnson was a Democrat and blamed the entire era of "Jim Crow" on Johnson and Democrats. First, there are no credible history books that ignore the fact that Lincoln selected a Tennessee Democrat who had not seceded with his state as vice president. This was an attempt to bring the country together and gain votes in the 1864 election. The early Republican Party that formed in 1854 in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act was nothing like the party today. The Republican Platform in 1860 called for things like NATIONAL banking reform, a National transcontinental railroad, rights of all immigrants acknowledged, and though it disparaged slavery it did not call for its abolition. The actual abolition of slavery and enfranchisement of freedmen was pushed by a group of "Radical Republicans" who had disdain for state governments. They favored taking All land away from those who had supported the Confederacy and REDISTRIBUTING it (OMG) to the freedmen. Gee I bet that would go over real well with all the Southern Republicans today. Johnson was an inept President and became powerless after his impeachment. He was not removed by one vote, a Republican from Nebraska. (should we blame all ills of the world on this one Republican because he caused Johnson to remain in office?) When Reconstruction was over the Republican presidents, Grant, Hayes, Arthur, Harrison, Garfield, McKinley, T Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover made sure the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were ignored and not enforced. Now a real historian would point out that both political parties and American society in general, were responsible for "Jim Crow" and segregation. Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson certainly did nothing to prevent segregation.
The 1964 Republican Platform and the candidate Barry Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act, and every other piece of legislation that attempted to bring an end to segregation. The "Southern Democrats" in the 1950's and 1960's were the children and grandchildren of the Confederacy and began to filter into the Republican Party as the national Democrats advocated and pushed civil rights legislation. During the 1948 Democratic Convention a group of young Democrats led by Hubert Humphrey included in the party platform a provision calling for the passage of civil rights legislation. This did not go over well with many Southern Democrats so they left, formed the Dixiecrats, held their own convention , and nominated Strom Thurmond to run as their presidential candidate. Thurmond and most of his followers then became Republicans. Zak makes a big deal about the Democrats nominating Senator Sparkman from Alabama as Vice President on their 1952 ticket, and it is true that the Dems were trying to hold on to and appease the votes of Southern Democrats. This was not right but it is a lot like the current Republican Party placating their far right wing's xenophobic rantings and threats to keep the votes. By 1980 the South was a Republican stronghold.
There is very little resemblance between the Republicans today and those before and after the Civil War who advocated the strength of the national government and using the power of the national government to affect dramatic societal change. As a matter of fact, the current Republicans look alot like the pre-Civil War Democrats. History is almost always complex and never simple. Mr Zak, and Republicans in general, have decided that isolating bits of history that "prove" their points, taking them out of context to blame the other side, and never looking at the entire picture makes them right.
It is very dangerous when people change history to validate their agenda. I believe that is what happened in Nazi Germany, Mao's China, and the USSR, wasn't it?
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Okay, everything I have ever said about Sarah is not half as bad as the truth. What could she possibly be thinking? If she is gravely ill or there is a major problem with yet another child her decision is somewhat justified, but to abandon an elected office is not normal. She has indicated that other people have left office early but only she is being criticized. I cannot think of a politician who announced 18 months before their term was up that they would not seek a second term and then leave because being a lame duck is a bad thing. Her action is extremely unusual in American politics. If her reasoning stands all lame ducks should just quit. Why didn't GW Bush just abandon the Presidency after he won in 2004, after all he was a lame duck. Issuing a statement (4 pages) threatening to take blogs and newspapers to court for spreading lies about her sounds like a middle school "mean girl". Does she not know that there is a First Amendment? Does she not realize that ALL politicians come under scrutiny? Does she not realize that when you start calling people terrorists and socialists and infer that they are somehow not real Americans that people are going to hit back? Did she just fall off a turnip truck?
Friday, July 3, 2009
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