Utah for Obama

Illinois

Walt — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:38:14 EST

Flat
Endless rows of corn
Champaign-Urbana
U of I
Fighting Illini
Peoria
Caterpillars
Caterpillar tractors
Chicago
Lake Michigan
Glittering lakeside wall
Hub of the nation
Sports
Cubs, Sox
Bulls, Bears
Home
Home, sweet home
Home of Presidents
Lincoln, Grant
Reagan, Obama
Illinois

Truthout

Walt — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:52:34 EST

I recommend Truthout as a source of news. It is news when you want it and the articles cover subjects not covered so well elsewhere. You can pick and choose what you read and when. No commercials like TV and much more detail than in a brief report on the tube. You may not agree with the article, but it is a voice worth considering. They need your support. There is no admission charge, but consider making a donation. I donate $10 per month automatically. I feel that an independent source of news is worth maintaining. The media giants are too big to fail and support corporate interests more than the first amendment. The web address is www.truthout.org

California

Walt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:01:58 EST

Golden state
Golden gate
Riches untold
Citrus and dates
Cattle and lettuce
Fruits and nuts
Yosemite
Kings Canyon
Kings ransom
Sequoia
Redwoods
John Muir
Muir Woods
Sutter's mill
1849
Donner party
Snow
18 feet deep
Mt. Whitney
Death Valley
Beverly Hills
Watts/South LA
The barrio
Discrimination
Left coast
Liberal
Orange County
John Wayne Airport
John Birch Society
Diversity
California

Poverty part 1

Walt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:53:15 EST

Most of us will endure poverty during a portion of our lifetimes. If you haven't been poor yet in your life, odds are that you will be at some time. Some will experience it during childhood; others will be poor during their golden years. Still others, through accident or misfortune, will be poor for a period during their working adulthood. The social safety net is there to help us through periods of poverty when we need help. Some are in and out of poverty repeatedly while others never escape. It is the safety net that some want to further dismantle. The would-be dismantlers say that poverty is a person's own fault. Anyone can escape poverty if they really try. That is not true.

Seventy-five per cent of the poor are poor through no fault of their own. Some are children too young to work; others are the aged, 65 and older. Still others are adults aged 18 to 64 years who have physical or mental disabilities that prevent meaningful employment. In toto, these groups make up three quarters of the poor. The remaining poor work for a living at jobs that pay little or they cannot find work. That is a problem that our society faces, not enough good paying jobs to go around. I will discuss that in Poverty, part 2, but first I want to digress a bit and discuss my own encounters with poverty.

I think that the only time I was really poor was as a child. We had enough to get by, but all my friends and relatives had more. I felt poor. I worked hard in school and got good grades. I went to college but did not graduate. Then I found employment and worked my way up to middle management. By the time I was forty, I was a financial success. The rising tide had lifted my boat along with many others and I could afford some of life's luxuries. Then the tide turned, and my boat started to drift downward with many others. Hard work was not enough to keep up with the Joneses or inflation. I used debt to try to maintain a lifestyle that became more and more difficult to achieve any other way. Finally in 2003, my wife and I moved from California to Utah to extinguish our debts and get a new start.

We sold our home in California and bought a larger home in Utah and paid cash. We also planned to use a portion of our proceeds to eliminate the rest of our debt. It did not happen according to plan. Shortly after moving to Utah, I was involved in an auto accident in Las Vegas that destroyed my vehicle and left me with a sore shoulder that is not completely healed six years later. Then six weeks later I fell and broke a leg that prevented me from working for seven months. A veritable one two punch. Our small nest egg disappeared in a hurry. We paid our bills using credit cards and dug a deep hole of debt. Six years later, we are still trying to dig our way out. I am not poor, but I can see how easily an accident or illness can devastate the best laid plans.

To be continued

Utah

Walt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:49:03 EST

Red rock
Black lava
Gray granite
Sage brush
Tan hills
Fertile fields
Prosperous ranches
Mormon faith
Scenic wonders
Bryce Canyon
Zion Park
Marble Arches
Painted Deserts
Trees of stone
Sandstone
Sand and cactus
Plants that sting
Snakes and scorpions
Birds that run
Open spaces
Treeless plains
Mountain peaks
Desert depths
Gentle streams
Roaring torrents
Utah

Utah winter

Walt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:45:42 EST

Clear skies
Cold nights
Hot cocoa
Whipped cream
Bright lights
Christmas gifts
Carols float
High/low notes
Powder snow
Skiers delight
White peaks
Vast lakes
Spirited giving
Faithful living
Utah in winter

Global warming

Walt — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:45:18 EST

Global warming is fact, not fiction. We can disagree about the causes: natural, man-made or a combination, but we cannot argue about its existence. Here in the West, we are concerned about oceans rising and severe weather, but in the Orient, their concerns are more grave. The glaciers of the Himalayas are melting. If you doubt that, ask anyone who lives in that neighborhood. The glaciers of the Himalayas are the source of the major rivers of Asia. They supply drinking water and water for food crops to India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and several smaller countries in that area. About half the people of the world depend on that water for survival. We can expect major flooding downstream on those rivers initially. Then as the glaciers continue to melt and the flooding subsides, severe drought will follow. Famine will ensue. War and pestilence usually accompany severe famine. It is up to us to try to prevent this from happening.

Yes

Walt — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:29:37 EST

Yes I can
Yes I will
Yes you can
Yes you will
Yes we can
Yes we will
Yes I, you, we will prevail.

Party of Yes

Walt — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:40:45 EST

Those of us who support Barack Obama belong to the Party of Yes.

Yes we can.
Yes we can pass affordable healthcare reform.
Yes we can defeat al-Qaeda.
Yes we can provide affordable college educations.
Yes we can give the able-bodied good jobs at decent wages.
Yes we can lead the world by our example.
Yes we can.

Party of No

Walt — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:35:19 EST

The Party of No is looking for new recruits. If you qualify and want to join, please go their web site, www.gop.com , to signup. If you don't qualify, they will cheerfully accept your cash donation, the larger the better. These are the qualities they are looking for. They realize that these are the ideal and most people will not possess all these desired attributes.

No heart
No eyes to see the truth
No nose to sniff out corruption
No tongue to taste the false and misleading
No spine to stand up for what is right
No compassion for the less fortunate
No lips to speak one's mind
No brain to think for oneself
No strength of personal conviction
No two legs to stand on
No feet firmly planted to resist lies
No intestinal fortitude
No guts, no glory

No

Walt — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:01:08 EST

No birds
No bees
No leaves on trees
No sunny days
No starry nights
November
November 2010

In November 2010, the Party of No will seek to regain power in Congress. Here is their platform. Please consider it and then vote your conscience.

No healthcare
No healthcare reform
No healthcare reform at prices we can afford
No jobs
No jobs here in US
No good jobs here in US that pay well
Nothing
Nothing for you
Nothing for you, everything for me and my contributors.
Vote for me
Vote for me or don't vote
Vote for me or we will obstruct your right to vote.
No, no, no
NO, NO
NO

War

Walt — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:21:29 EST

Why is the Republican party waging war on democracy? Because they view democracy only as a way to win elections and maintain or gain power. Democracy to them is not increasing dialogue and participation to decide what is good for the country or what is right or wrong. Republicans know they cannot win if more people vote. That is why they wage war on groups and individuals and organizations that they believe may support their opposition with donations or votes. Money is the mother's milk of politics and that is why any source of contributions for the opposition is attacked and vilified. Witness their attacks on ACORN, trial lawyers, unions, George Soros, the Hollywood crowd, the liberal press and the list goes on. Opponents are labelled radicals, extremists, socialists, communists or Marxists without a shred of evidence. It's the schoolyard all over again. Stick and stones etc.

Rethink reform

Walt — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:28:40 EST

There is a disgusting full page ad on page 17A of today's USA Today. It shows the bare bottom of a male patient in a hospital gown. It is a view I sometimes see at work but we are trained to preserve a patient's modesty by securing the ties of the gown. Small print at the bottom of the ad says ,"paid for by the Employment Policies Institute." I went to their web site and to the Rethink Reform site at www.rethinkreform.com. There is no information there about where they are getting their money. That information would be very helpful and I think that it should be required in all advocacy ads in the future. I will make that a priority in the future. We don't need a list of all donors, but we do need to know where the big donations are coming from.

Poetry

Walt — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:30:51 EST

I have always loved to play with words. Now that lifetime of experience is helpful when I want to express myself in poetry. Some poems just write themselves like the three below. When I must struggle, the results are not as pleasing. Two of these poems were written for fun. The third, In Afghanistan, is an attempt to distill about a dozen books into a few lines. It incorporates what I have learned from The Kite Runner, An Unexpected Light and others into what I think is a successful poem. I tried something different in Minneola. The rhyme between tangerine and orange is not in the words, but in the flavors.

How

How black was the cat
How blue was the kazoo
How brown was the nose
How red was the rose
How pink was the skink
How orange was the bowl
How purple was the grape
How great was the ape
How tall was the giraffe
How later was the alligator
How wide was the river
How high was the sky
How round was the ball
How square was the nerd
How bright was the sun
How dark was the night
What did the Indian say?
How

Minneola

Minneola, Osceola, tangerine
Lemon, lime, orange
Sprite, 7Up, Diet Coke
Dr. Pepper, Dr. Thunder
Mr. Pibb, root beer
Bud, Miller, Heineken
Put mine in a stein
Please pass the chips.

In Afghanistan

In Afghanistan
Bright light, great height
In Afghanistan
Bobbing kites take flight
In Afghanistan
Warring tribes always fight
In Afghanistan
They pray to Allah
In Afghanistan
Muslim faith, infidels beware
In Afghanistan
Taliban means student zeal
In Afghanistan
Outsiders welcome if invited
In Afghanistan
Invaders must convert or die
In Afghanistan
England, Russia and USA
In Afghanistan
Confront destruction/defeat
In Afghanistan.

COBRA bites

Walt — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:28:47 EST

Beginning yesterday, the emergency government subsidy that lasted 9 months began expiring for the first recipients of COBRA help. COBRA is the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and it enables the unemployed to keep their health insurance for 9 months after losing a job if they can afford to make the exorbitant payments. When my wife and I moved to Utah, we paid about $850 per month for just the two of us. The average cost for a family across the US is about $1100 and the government subsidy paid about $700. Imagine being unemployed and being required to pay $400 per month with government help or $1100 per month without government help for health insurance. COBRA really does bite.

Earmarks

Walt — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:37:03 EST

I have not made a final decision about earmarks. I suppose that one person's valued project is another person's wasteful spending. The money will be spent and someone must decide how it is spent. In Congress, as in life, it may be necessary to go along to get along. In his book Catastrophe, Dick Morris has a list of earmarks that he disapproves of, I believe. They are listed by title and amount which is insufficient information to decide the merits of the expenditures. One earmark caught my attention, $1,791,000 for swine odor and manure management research in Iowa. Apparently Dick has never lived near a pig farm. I have not either, but I understand the smell is horrific. If he had lived near a pig farm, I am sure he would support increasing the funding.

I sometimes must drive from Southern California to Northern California on Interstate 5. In Central California along the east side of the freeway is a cattle feedlot. The animals are packed tightly and the odor is terrible. Rolling up the car windows and closing the air conditioning vents is insufficient to keep the odor out. All one can do is speed up and hold one's breath. I cannot hold my breath for the five minutes required to escape the odor entirely.

Stand by Barack

Walt — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:12:28 EST

Tonight at West Point, Barack will announce his decision regarding Afghanistan/Pakistan. He will choose the least bad solution among four competing bad solutions. Then a storm of criticism will erupt. I plan to stand by Barack. I urge you to do the same.

Corporate governance

Walt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:23:56 EST

Shareholders own the corporation and those owning common stock can vote on items presented to them by the board of directors. Shareholders vote on board members and it is the board of directors that sets policy, hires the corporate officers and sets their compensation. That is how it is supposed to work, but does NOT in practice in many cases.

Ownership of stock is divorced now from exercising the rights of ownership because so much stock is now held by mutual funds. Mutual fund managers are interested mostly in making as much money as possible. If management delivers, then the mutual fund managers don't exercise their rights as stock owners. They frequently buy and sell stock quickly, holding it only for a short time. They support current management most of the time. That allows management to pack the corporate boards with friends who go along to get along. Congress enacted the law creating mutual funds, and now it needs to revise the law so that the rights of shareholders receive greater protection.

Ends/means

Walt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:44:22 EST

Do the ends justify the means? That is a question all of us have been asked in school. Usually the discussion is about hypothetical's and when we are young, the alternatives don't mean a lot. However, now the discussion is about to get very real and each of us will be asked to decide if the ends have justified the means. Let's assume that everyone in the Bush administration had the best interests of the US at heart when they tried to protect the country from future attacks. We soon will be asked if the means they used were justified by the ends they sought. It is going to be a very difficult time making those judgments.

Collateral damage

Walt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:39:47 EST

Collateral damage used to refer to property damage around a bombing target when bombs were dropped from aircraft. Now it has been expanded and is used as a euphemism to cover injuries and deaths caused by US attacks on those we suspect are guilty of something. Here in the US if the authorities suspect you of nefarious behavior, you are given a chance to explain. If your explanation is not satisfactory, there are protections, legal safeguards, to protect the innocent from arbitrary arrest and/or punishment. We do not punish for evil intentions.

Abroad those protections do not exist. If the US suspects you of evil intent or behavior, they very well may fire a Hellfire missile at you. You have no opportunity to explain what you were doing. If the weapon kills or injures the innocent, well, too bad. In the news here in the US, your death will be reported as a statistic; so many militants or so many terrorist suspects died today in whatever was your home.

Those who are innocent and survive a US attack are understandably upset. I would be in their place. Is it any wonder that we cannot defeat the terrorists/insurgents when our actions make it so much easier for al-Qaeda and others to recruit from a growing pool of angry potential recruits?

Incomes

Walt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:43:05 EST

In our system of capitalism, competition and effort and luck determine how much one earns. Those who earn a lot say that the system works well since it rewards them for their hard work. They earned their success. Others can work just as hard or harder and earn much less. If hard work is not rewarded, then hard work by itself cannot justify the enormous differences that some experience. If a low paid individual must work a full time job and a part time job to survive, then he/she is working as hard or harder than a person who works one well paid job. The person who makes $250,000 per year is not working ten times as hard as the person who earns $25,000 per year.

What are we going to do about this discrepancy? Ultimately the people who decide what all of us earn are the members of society here in the US, all 300 million plus strong. I like to simplify society for clarity to three members, you and I and the other guy. Three members so that there are no tie votes. Society decides what to pay each sector of the economy and then lets each sector decide how divide its share of the national income. People at the top of a sector issue instructions that pass down the chain of command until they reach our level. Our supervisors decide on on our compensation following instructions from their supervisors. Each year at salary review time, my supervisor tells me that he would like to pay me more because I am worth it, but he cannot. I understand his position. But as members of society, you and I and the other guy have the power to change his instructions if we have the will. It may require changing laws or custom, but we have that power. The markets only carry out our instructions. We are not ruled by the capitalist system; we made the rules and we can change them if we wish. A more equal distribution of income/rewards would be a good thing.

War tax

Walt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:37:21 EST

I favor a surtax to help pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Until George W., we as a country have always taxed ourselves to pay for ongoing wars. George W. borrowed to pay for his wars. During the Vietnam war, everyone figured their tax bills and then were required to add 10% to the remittances to the IRS as a surtax. There were still deficits that led eventually to higher inflation, but the onset of that inflation was delayed.

India

Walt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:34:40 EST

Why is India important to the US? India is the most populous democracy in the world and is expected to surpass China in 40 years to become the most populous nation in the world. We outsource factory jobs to China and we outsource service jobs to India. India can also play a critical role in our battle with al-Qaeda. Look at the map and you will see that Pakistan is sandwiched between India on the east and Afghanistan on the west. Since partition in 1947, India and Pakistan have disputed over many issues with Kashmir being the most important.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir and now both countries have nuclear arms. Some experts consider this dispute to be the most dangerous on the globe. The state of Kashmir in the north of India is checkerboard or crazy quilt of various peoples and religions. Some want to join India and some want to join Pakistan while some want to be independent of both. Untangling the conflicting claims will take the wisdom of Solomon. There has been no progress in solving the Kashmir problem in the 60 plus years that India and Pakistan have disputed the area. I think that at some distant future, India and Pakistan may both share rule of the area with a co-dominion. That will require a degree of cooperation that presently does not exist.

Returning to the present situation, some elements of the Pakistan government and military support the Taliban in Afghanistan so that Pakistan can face India without a threat from a hostile power in the rear. If Barack can reduce tensions between India and Pakistan, perhaps Pakistan will be more willing and able to confront al-Qaeda in Pakistan itself. We can use all the help in the tribal areas of Pakistan that we can enlist.

Take back the country

Walt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:18:33 EST

Barack's critics are saying that they will take back the country in 2010. I am starting to hear this at work and in the media. We will hear it much more next year. I intend to challenge each and every occurrence of that claim with two questions. From whom are you going to take the country back from? What is your agenda for the country if you succeed? We don't want a return to the Bush years and the BushMess.

Inalienable rights

Walt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:16:45 EST

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Author Thomas Jefferson. These words are part of the Declaration of Independence. Instead of shouting at town halls and waving this document in the air, I suggest that the protesters read what they have in their hands.

The inalienable rights are given by the Creator to all men/women, not just American men/women. Inalienable means cannot be taken away, not that aliens do not possess these rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Truth/untruth

Walt — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:50:58 EST

Somewhere between Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, our political system lost its respect for the truth. It got much worse under George W. and has now gone to H in a hand basket when the Republicans lost in 2008. I am reading books by several of Barack's critics in an effort to answer their criticisms. I am finding a mix of fact and fiction that is very hard to separate. It is so much easier to mix the two than it is to separate the truth from the fiction. It reminds me of the marble cakes my mother made when I was a child. She had a ring mold cake pan into which she put alternating rings of vanilla and chocolate batter. Then she removed the rings and swirled the batter before baking the cake.

Even if I do succeed in separating fact from fiction, Barack's critics probably won't listen. Some just want to criticize for any reason or no reason at all. Truth is taking a back seat in current political discussion.

Enhanced interrogation

Walt — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:56:54 EST

George W. has said, "We do not torture" so often that I think that he actually believes that lie. At some point, not yet, the American people are going to demand the truth. By then Dick Cheney will probably be too old or ill to be prosecuted and Barack will probably pardon George W. Those who facilitated torture and the many who carried it out will face prosecution.

I love Barack

Walt — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:55:19 EST

I love what Barack is doing for the country. It is so nice to be able to respect the President. I love Barack.

A rising tide

Walt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:53:25 EST

A rising tide lifts all boats and a falling tide lowers all boats, except the yachts of the rich. It all depends on how the economy and tax laws are structured. Right now they are structured to help the rich and oppress the middle class. During my lifetime, I have experienced both a rising tide from birth to the late 70's and a falling tide from about 1980 to date. Both a rising and a falling tide in economic expectations create very different outlooks on life. A rising tide creates optimism while a falling tide generates pessimism. Our politics now reflect the meanness engendered by a pessimistic outlook on life. A rising tide means that you can expect life to get better materially and that makes it easier for the generous to be more generous with the less fortunate among us. When pessimism is rampant, it becomes everyone for him/herself. Concern for others decreases or vanishes. It is our job to turn the tide.

It's the economy

Walt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:05 EST

It's the economy, stupid
Polls from the Right and
Polls from the Left
Polls and more polls everywhere
The only polls that matter
November 2008 and 2010
The media must poll and poll
Or else what is there to discuss?
Forget healthcare reform
Forget Iraq and Afghanistan
It's the economy, stupid
Forget the polls, Mr. President
They do not matter
Barack and we all know
All the nation's problems
Are linked and intertwined
You can't solve one
Without solving another.
It's not just the economy, stupid.

Wishes

Walt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:28:57 EST

From time to time for fun, I like to pretend that I have a magic power that allows me to grant wishes. I limit each recipient to one wish and state that I will fill the wish if I can, but that I cannot fill all wishes. I listen to my co-workers talking, and if I hear a wish, I try to fill it. One co-worker wished for a pack of gum, and I immediately purchased a pack from a vending machine. She was grateful until she learned that she could have wished for a million dollars instead. She wanted to trade, but no deal. Many people ask for money. I am not rich enough to fill their wishes directly, but I do supply a copy of the book, Automatic Millionaire. That book advocates saving by payroll deduction where the employer matches funds going into a 401K. It takes time and effort, but the saver can accumulate a sizable nest egg. Granting wishes takes thought and some resources but it is very satisfying. Try it, you'll enjoy it.

Barack is called upon from all sides to grant all kinds of wishes, some very contradictory. That is why I limit my recipients to only one wish each. It would be hard to grant two wishes that are directly opposite each other. Barack must deal with citizens who want stimulus for jobs at the same time the deficit is reduced. Logically, deficit reduction comes after job stimulus. Barack has the much tougher job of satisfying so many conflicting demands. I wish him luck for his sake and for ours.

Iraq/Afghanistan/Vietnam

Walt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:27:09 EST

There is no significant similarity among these three wars except for the financial impact on the US. Vietnam was partially financed by taxes and the deficits led to increasing inflation that culminated in Jimmy Carter's defeat in 1980 by Ronald Reagan. The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been financed entirely by borrowing which will probably lead to inflation in the near future. That deficit spending contributed to the crash of 2008 and led to John McCain's defeat by Barack Obama.

9-11 Trial

Walt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:57:41 EST

If I lived in New York City, I too would be nervous about the upcoming 9-11 terrorists trial. But then I have been nervous about another al-Qaeda attack since 9-12-01. I live in a small town in Utah and I don't fear an al-Qaeda attack here. I think that they will attack again when they are ready with WMD's. Al-Qaeda has vowed revenge for the Muslims whose death we have caused, at least in their opinion. They blame us for more than 10 million Muslim deaths in Iraq and around the world. Thus I expect that they will attack large population centers to cause the maximum number of deaths. New York would be a target whether the 9-11 trial is held there or not.

Some opponents of the trial say that we will provide the terrorists with a propaganda platform. However, we will be affirming our commitment to justice for all, not justice for all except Muslims. The advantage that the terrorists receive will be more than offset, in my opinion, by our demonstration to the world that we practice what we preach. Hopefully our example will make recruiting for al-Qaeda more difficult.

Trash

Walt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:07:49 EST

As a service project, I collect trash from nearby BLM land and I have been doing that since January 19 when Barack asked all Americans for a day of service. I have found all of the following: a large tree stump, palm fronds, construction material, aluminum awnings, a dead dog wrapped in a hospital blanket, paper and plastic cups, auto parts, broken glass galore, empty cartridges, both printer and gun, cans and today currency. I now know that the favorite beverage of the litterer is Bud Light. Like dogs, some litterers try to bury their trash but most don't bother.

How to prevent this mess? I have two suggestions. Prohibit the sale of beer in bottles. Cans are much easier to pick up and less glass means fewer flat tires and cuts. Secondly, make trash pickup free. I believe that some dumping is an effort to save money. Make trash pickup at home more convenient by responding to phone calls for special pickups.

Utahns want to have more of Utah under state control, rather than Federal control that now exists over much of the state. Will Utah control of our undeveloped lands lead to better care of those lands?

Like dogs, empty beer bottles travel in groups called packs, usually six in number, sometimes more. When I find an empty bottle, I usually can expect to find five more. Does someone drink six bottles at one place in the road? I think not. They just unload by throwing the empties from the window of a moving vehicle. If I am lucky, the bottle has had a soft landing. Otherwise, there are dozens of pieces that can cause potential harm. If the penalty for throwing bottles from a car were greater than for having them in the car, people would think twice before dumping their trash.

Living wage

Walt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:04:48 EST

I support a living wage, which varies depending on where you live, and is approximately double the minimum wage. The living wage is defined as the amount needed to bring a family of four up to the federal poverty line. Why do I support it? If the minimum wage were increased to a living wage, all other wages would be increased and all of us would enjoy a higher standard of living. Detractors point out that some entry level jobs would disappear. That is true. I would train those lacking jobs to fill higher paying skilled jobs.

The question that needs to be asked and no one is asking is: who is willing, are you or are we, to be associated with an economy that forces millions to work for near starvation wages? I am NOT. This nation has the resources to provide a dignified life for all who work. If a job is worth doing, it is worth paying a living wage for its performance.

Joe the plumber

Walt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:01:18 EST

Joe the Plumber, aka Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacker, paid a visit to St. George yesterday. He addressed a small audience at a local college and I attended. Dress was casual. Joe says exactly what he thinks and he asked for our support for politicians who do the same. I applaud his words.

It was interesting to hear his side of his encounter with Barack during the campaign. Barack was in Joe's neighborhood and Joe was curious to see what was happening. Joe had recently discussed with his boss the purchase of the small business where Joe worked. That was on his mind when he encountered Barack. Barack made the now famous statement that he wanted to spread the wealth around. I think that Barack wanted to say that he favored a more equitable distribution of the nation's income.

Joe talked at length about everyone taking responsibility for the results of our politics. I agree wholeheartedly with his ideas although I disagree with other positions he endorses. I believe that to make democracy work requires three steps: vote, express your opinions frequently, and donate/time money to a cause of your choice. Joe talked about the second item and I believe that he would support all three if questioned, which I did not do.

Joe also complained about the taxes a small business must pay. I might or might not agree with him if I knew more about how small businesses are classified, either as business or individual taxpayers. After WW2, individuals provided 65% of federal revenue while businesses paid 35%. Gradually over time with the advent of more and more loopholes, businesses now pay 10% of federal taxes while individuals pay 90%. Businesses should pay their fair share. If big businesses can pay their top officers millions or tens or hundreds of millions of dollars per year, they are not paying enough in taxes.

In Afghanistan

Walt — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:31:17 EST

Cobblestones

Walt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:07:03 EST

When sailing ships still used ballast to keep from being blown over by the wind, rock was commonly used as cheap ballast. Then when no longer needed, the rock was used for other purposes. Ships sailing to and from Kabul, Afghanistan, frequently used the local rock for ballast. Upon returning to home ports in Europe, the offloaded stones were dumped in piles in port cities. At some point, someone decided that the stones from Kabul could be put to use paving the muddy streets of those cities. They were Kabul stones that gradually was changed in English to cobblestones.

Capitalism

Walt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:03:53 EST

Some prefer unbridled capitalism. I prefer capitalism with a bridle. Opponents call capitalism with a bridle socialism. I prefer to think of it as compassionate conservatism.

Michael Moore's new movie called Capitalism: a Love Story is an uneven treatment of the recent financial meltdown. There were two parts of the movie I found particularly interesting. He had extensive film of the recent, December 2008, sit-in in Chicago of the terminated workers at a factory that made windows until it could no longer get financing from Bank of America. The workers were not paid what they were owed and were thrown out of work just prior to Christmas. I grew up in Chicago and the film showed how close to the Loop the factory was. The Loop is Chicago's center of political and financial power. During the sit-in, a Catholic Bishop visited the strikers to voice support. He told how his life was shaped by growing up on the South side of Chicago where abandoned steel mills sit empty and the lost jobs they represent. His experience was similar to Barack's when he was a community organizer in the same area.

The other part of the movie that impressed me was a much shorter segment that showed FDR making a radio address just before his death. FDR thought that the voters should see that part of his speech so he invited movie cameras into the office where he was broadcasting. FDR proposed another bill of rights for the US in which certain rights would be guaranteed: adequate affordable healthcare, a living wage, decent housing and affordable higher education. He died before these rights could be enacted, but the US imposed these rights on the constitutions of our defeated enemies in WW2, Germany and Japan. Isn't it ironic that our defeated enemies enjoy those rights now and after more than 60 years, US citizens are still denied them?

Turn about

Walt — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:59:50 EST

Instead of sending more US troops to Afghanistan, I think that the US should enlist the aid and support of Russia. The Russians were there recently before and faced the same enemies we are fighting now. When the Russians left in defeat, they were defeated by the insurgents aided by the US. If we fought as allies this time instead of on opposite sides, we could learn from each others experiences. The terrain in Afghanistan has not changed and the enemy uses the same methods of ambush as before and has only recently added the use of IED's which method they have imported from the fighting in Iraq. Just think what we could accomplish with the US and Russia fighting the insurgents from the north and west and Pakistan attacking from the east. The insurgents would be surrounded. This could be our best chance for success.

A new day

Walt — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:21:04 EST

A new day dawned
Exactly one year ago tomorrow.
His critics see a glass half empty
Barack sees a good beginning.
The road ahead is hard and long
The BushMess will not yield
In a day or month or year.
Those of us with Barack
Should stop from time to time
For a bit of fun and to survey the path
How far to go and how far we have come.
The Right may raise their voices
But that is all they raise
Everything else they lower
Hopes, expectations and results.
The BushMess is their doing
As much as it was George W.'s.
BushMess, BushMess go away
Don't return another day.
Wishing will not prevent a repeat.
Only hard work and constant vigilance
Will preserve our freedoms and our democracy.

I am not a Marxist

Walt — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:26:34 EST

I am not a Marxist.
Barack is not too.
Call us socialists if you will
Labels do not matter
To those who care
Or to those who care to think.
To a good Christian or Muslim
Charity is a necessity.
Fairness, not charity, is what we seek
Putting the needy before the greedy
Is our program and our creed
Doing right for the many
Not right for the Right few
It is time to put our differences
To the side and be done
The Founding Fathers gave us more than they received
Let us emulate their vision and their wisdom
We can/must advance the cause of freedom and equality
Both here and abroad
Let us lead by example
Not by force and bluster
We can make the US number one again
In the hearts of all mankind.

Only the Super-Rich

Walt — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:30:49 EDT

Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! by Ralph Nader, 733 pages is a fast reading fable about what is wrong in the US and how with leadership and donations from billionaires we can right the wrongs. Nader gives names to the good guys and slightly disguised names to the bad guys. I found the inside details on the working of Wal-Mart and Congress the most interesting parts of the book. Whether you like Ralph Nader or not, he has done a lot of good for the country. In this book, he reveals knowledge that he has accumulated over a lifetime fighting for the average citizen.

Some critics of Barack want the US to be the tough kid on the block in defense matters. This is Nader's response: "Asserting moral courage is being tough. Waging peace is tough. Standing up to arrogant power is being tough. And until we have the deeply just society our people deserve, doing the right thing even it costs us in the short run is being tough."

Nader also relates Lincoln's style on campaigning before there was mass media in 1840. Lincoln advocated dividing the voters into three categories: those who are with you from the get-go, those who are susceptible to persuasion, and those who are against you from the get-go. Then he guided his followers through the step-by-step process-- or more accurately the doorstep-by-doorstep process--of meeting with every voter except the opposition hardliners. Worked for Lincoln. Let's give it a go in 2010.

He also quoted Judge Learned Hand, "If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shall not ration justice." Nader contends..." that it is democracy, justice, and the rule of law that make capitalism produce a better material life for more people, not capitalism in itself.'

I am giving my copy of this book to my son. I have purchased two additional copies of the book which I will send free of charge to the first two people who respond to this message. I wish that I could give away more than two copies. Please send an email to me at walthe@aol.com and put "Nader book" in the subject line. I will send a book to each of the first two responders.

Debtors prison

Walt — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:19:20 EDT

In England in Charles Dickens's day, people who could not pay their bills went to prison. They stayed until they raised the money to get out, either by selling property, inheritance or through the efforts of friends and relatives. Prison furnished very little and prisoners were required to pay for any extras like clothing, more food or a better cell location.

Now we don't use debtors prisons; our debtors are allowed to roam the country so that they can work to repay their debt. As an experiment, I suggest that you add up all the interest that you pay per month including mortgage interest. You'll be surprised at the total; I was. Mortgage interest is deductible on your income tax, a subsidy to the home buyer, but also to the lender who can thus charge more, Lenders don't really provide much of a service for the exorbitant amounts they charge, If too big to fail, the risk is minimal. And it is our money they are lending, not theirs. For more on this I suggest a nearly century old classic, Other People's Money by Louis Brandeis. A slender book as true now as it was when it was written.

In Dickens's day before TV, people used to visit debtors prisons and insane asylums for entertainment. Now we can be entertained without leaving home by watching home videos of people falling down. A small improvement. Instead of finding other's problems entertaining, we should be doing all that we can to help solve their problems. With the debt problem, that means insisting on lower bank fees and interest rates.

Cheney's chutzpah

Walt — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:51:14 EDT

Dick Cheney, the master of pulling strings on his puppets from backstage, has lost his position backstage at the White House and his puppets who have retired, resigned or been convicted of a crime. Now that he is in the unfamiliar position of speaking for himself in front of the curtain, he is trying to be a Republican spokesman at the same time as he tries to defend himself from looming charges of sponsoring torture. To suggest that the Obama administration is incapable of defending the country when he and his puppets let bin Laden escape, invaded Iraq needlessly and neglected Afghanistan is the height of chutzpah and hypocrisy.

Bankers

Walt — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:23:19 EDT

Those of their ilk
Are quick to complain
Used to silk and more silk
Sackcloth is too plain
Downing straight milk
They are in ulcerative pain
The taxpayer they bilk
TARP is their gain.
Not ours, the taxpayer
Whose money it is.
Too big to fail
Too small to take less
Golden parachutes follow
Salaries and bonuses
Out of sight, but
Not out of our minds
Their greed will not
Be allowed to continue
A 90% cut is just the beginning.

Fox

Walt — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:58:23 EDT

Under the first amendment, Fox has the right to criticize the President. Under the first amendment, the White House has the right to criticize Fox.

George W. Bush's first press secretary was Ari Fleischer, who called reporters whose stories the White House did not like. Reportedly he threatened some with loss of access to White House sources in the future. If you are a White House reporter and cannot get access, you could very well lose your job. In my opinion, Fleischer's threats crossed the line. Can anyone truly say that the actions of the Obama White House have crossed a line?

Perfection

Walt — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:51:00 EDT

I have an idea for the perfect health care reform. You have an idea for the perfect health care reform. They have ideas for the perfect health care reform. Let's not let the yearning for the perfect get in the way of good health care reform. Once we have health care reform and we see how it is working, we can always make necessary changes.

Iran

Walt — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:42:41 EDT

In a recent post, I predicted that Iran would be an ally on the war on terror. I want to explain my thinking. Before the 1979 revolution, the US supported the Shah with weapons sales so that Iran would have a big stick to police that part of the world. The US had installed the Shah in power and he had ruled with an iron fist through his secret police, SAVAK. Their abuses probably exceeded ours at Abu Graib. Our interference in Iranian affairs made many Iranians anti-American and goes a long way toward explaining their current attitude to the US.

Our current allies in the West are doing little in the war on terror and in Afghanistan and want to do less. Our allies in the Muslim world do little to help and some sectors of their societies are actually helping the other side. Saudis are funding madrassas, schools, in Pakistan that produce Taliban recruits and probably recruits for al-Qaeda too. The Pakistan intelligence service, ISI, has been an active supporter of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now that support has boomeranged with Taliban attacks in Pakistan. I do no know if ISI support for the Taliban continues at this date.

We in the West who are not Muslim are infidels to be converted to Islam. Shiitie Muslims in the Middle East are considered by most Sunni Muslims to be heretics to be put to death. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, That puts the Muslim Shiites and the majority of the West on the same side. I do not expect Iran to send troops to Afghanistan or Pakistan. I do expect that Iran will desire peaceful borders with Iraq, Aghanistan and Pakistan. Iran has a larger population than any of its neighbors, save Pakistan. Iran has a big stake in settling the wars in their neighborhood.

If we reduce our dependence on Saudi oil, the Saudis will not be able to take our support and protection for granted. Our friendship with Iran will put pressure on Saudi Arabia to modernize their society, reduce corruption and reduce funding for the madrassas in Pakistan if they desire our continued friendship.

Marxist

Walt — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:07:00 EDT

I ran into a new charge against Barack recently. that he is a Marxist. It looked like a laundry list of guilt by association. I was instructed by the author to read Marx and at this time I do not have the time. Can any reader of this blog respond by posting a comment that the rest of us can use to respond to this charge? Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Haste makes waste

Walt — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:48:00 EDT

Haste makes waste is the slogan of Haste International, a large multinational company, and the world's largest supplier of waste. At the beginning of George W. Bush's first term, they had 13 factories in the US and now there is only the one required for government contracts that specify made in the USA. The other factories have been closed and the jobs shipped to China. We now import 95% of our waste from China. The reason I am talking about Haste International now is that Dick Cheney is urging Barack Obama to use haste in deciding the next steps in Afghanistan. The Bush administration used a great deal of the Haste product and you can see the waste all around the US and the rest of the world.

Logic is facing a surge in unemployment since Bush left office. The sign on the door of employment offices at the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and other conservative think tanks reads, No Logic Need Apply. Logic has gone out of fashion at the Republican party too. The policy now is make any charges against the Obama administration, however false and fanciful. If repeated often enough and loud enough, some will believe.

More death

Walt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:13:28 EDT

In a recent posting, I listed three causes of approximately 118,000 US deaths every year. I am reading Ralph Nader's most recent book, Only the Super-rich..., which I will review as soon as I finish reading it. In the meantime, some numbers just jumped off page 286 and I wanted to share them with you as soon as possible.

Numbers are again approximate

65,000 die each year from air pollution
58,000 die from workplace related disease and trauma
100,000 die from medical negligence or incompetence in hospitals
100,000 die from adverse effects of commercially advertised drugs

That is an additional total of 323,000 added to the originally reported 118,000 for a grand total of 441,000 preventable deaths per year here in the US. Reducing those numbers must be a high national priority.

Student debt

Walt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:03:30 EDT

A college degree used to be a sure ticket of admission to a middle class life style. No more. With the rising cost of college and the accelerating disappearance of good paying jobs, exacerbated by the Great Recession, new grads are finding it very difficult to find jobs that will allow them to begin paying back the loans that got them through school. Many are forced to live at home with their parents as they postpone starting a life of their own.

Adding to the downward pressure on wages is the insistence of business to import temporary workers to fill jobs that Americans would fill but at a higher wage. A recent online study shows that IT workers, such as computer programmers and software engineers earn about 6% less than they would without the competition of H-1B visa workers. The undocumented and those with green cards or H-1B visas hold down wages for all of us.

When supply and demand are equal, the price set by their intersection is called the market clearing pricer since enough is supplied to meet demand with no overage. Business wants no government interference in setting the market clearing price since a price too low would lead to shortages and less profit on items they sell. However, when it comes to their purchases, business is happy with a price below the market clearing price since it reduces their costs and increases profits.

Let's assume no H-1B visas are issued. Jobs would be filled with American workers and wages would rise if some jobs are not filled. That would create an incentive for Americans to train themselves in the skills needed to fill what are now better paying jobs. It might take some time, but eventually, the supply of job applicants would increase to meet demand and a market clearing wage would be established at the higher level.

Predictions

Walt — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:29:26 EDT

Today Barack has been in office for nine months and one day. His critics are saying that he should take full responsibility for the mess Bush left behind and stop blaming his predecessor. George W. Bush inherited a nation mainly at peace and a budget surplus. He left office with the nation at war and deeply in debt. During his eight years in office, he never fully accepted responsibility, continuing to imply that Bill Clinton was at fault for 9-11.

I predict that Barack will take full responsibility soon for the state of the economy and for our relations with the rest of the world, both peaceful and not. Barack is a man of high moral courage who will demonstrate progress both here and abroad before the elections of November, 2010. I predict that Barack will outsmart Osama bin Laden. That is something that George W. Bush was never able to accomplish, preferring force to strategy. I can make these predictions because of my high level of confidence in Barack Obama and his advisers.

At this time, I want to make another prediction that I am not as confident about. If you look at a map of the area, you see how central Iran is to wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. I predict that Iran will be an ally, perhaps our most valuable ally in our effort to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaeda, both Sunni organizations. Iran is a Shiite country with regional aspirations. If we do not attack Iran, I believe that Iran will be willing to help us, not tomorrow perhaps, but soon.

Afghanistan

Walt — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:24:40 EDT

In the September 28 issue of Time magazine, Joe Klein has an informative article about Afghanistan. The past US strategy put our troops in the wrong places. General McChrystal wants more troops so that he can put troops in the right places and keep the troops already there in the wrong places. We should be in Kandahar in strength because that is where the Taliban began and it is the home of both Mullah Omar and the Karzai brothers, one of whom runs the country, the other runs Kandahar in corrupt fashion. Afghanistan has just experienced five years of ineffective Karzai government and now we and they are expected to support the Karzais for five more years after a probably stolen election. To read the article online, please go to www.time.com/swampland

Death

Walt — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:05:50 EDT

These numbers are approximate.

43,000 died in traffic accidents in 2008.
30,000 die each year from gun shot wounds
45,000 die each year from lack of health insurance

That is a total of 118,000 US citizens dying each year needlessly. What are you going to do about it? Probably nothing unless a friend or loved one falls into one of those three groups and then it will be too late. How many of us are among the walking wounded bearing physical or emotional scars from contact with the results of the above three sources of death?

The NTSA and others have worked for years to reduce traffic fatalities. Now it's the turn of lack of health insurance to receive attention. In a few days or weeks, the US Congress will decide the fate of health care reform. In the immortal words of George W. Bush, " You're either with us or against us." If you are a member of Congress and you don't support health care reform, please get out of the way. If you support health care reform, now is the time to be vocal about it. The opportunity for real reform is a very rare occurrence.

US Constitution

Walt — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:03:52 EDT

There are 27 amendments to the US Constitution. When an elected official swears to preserve and protect and uphold the Constitution, he or she is swearing to preserve and protect and uphold all of it, not just those amendments favored by some voters, such as the 2nd and the 10th. The first amendment guarantees free speech and religion, the 14th makes you a citizen if you were born in the US, and the 16th added the income tax. The 18th instituted prohibition while the 21st repealed the 18th. The most recent amendment, the 27th, regulates the timing of increases in Congressional salaries.

Truth/fiction

Walt — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:46:24 EDT

One person's truth is another person's fiction. How can we tell which is which? I suggest a trusted authority as a starting point. Then if the point in dispute is important to you, read at least two books by other authors, one on each side of the argument. Do online research and discuss it with friends and co-workers. Then make up your own mind, but be alert for additional facts which may cause you to change your mind later. A mind that cannot or will not change is a sign of advanced age, not advanced wisdom.

Patrick Henry Caucus part 3

Walt — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:59:31 EDT

The Patrick Henry Caucus held a rally here in St. George on Saturday October 17. The rally started at 4pm under cloudless skies at Worthen park with a temperature in the low 90's. Entertainment was provided by a band and two vocalists who performed their We Are the People, which was available there on CD for a donation to the cause. The founder of the Caucus, Carl Wimmer, first spoke at 419pm when he introduced the giver of the invocation and then again at 426pm when he led the pledge of allegiance. Next he introduced his mentor, state senator Margaret Dayton, who spoke at length about several proposed laws for 2010 in the Utah legislature.

It was hot in the sun and at one point Carl and I were supporting the same tree as we sought its shade. Carl held up one side of the tree while I supported it from the other. When we left the shade, the tree was able to stand on its own. When I left the park and the rally, Carl was asking for donations to create a web site that would allow members of the Patrick Henry Caucus to talk to each other and to their elected legislators. We already have a site for the state at www.le.state.ut.us and the federal government at www.usa.gov I don't quite understand the need for another site. The easiest way to find someone is to do a search at www.google.com Another site will not guarantee its use by our elected officials. I email Orrin Hatch often and he always responds by letter delivered days or weeks later by the US Postal Service. I can predict his reply; he always disagrees with my ideas. Why do I bother to write? I want him to know that his constituents have a variety of views.

The local newspaper estimated the audience that day at 125 people. I think that is a bit generous but I will not disagree. Most of the audience were senior citizens. The children there were bored. Young adults attending were a distinct minority. I saw no other minorities in attendance. I will not venture a prediction about the future of the Patrick Henry Caucus although I understand that this rally drew less than half the attendance of a prior one.

The organizers of the event were wearing name badges that sometimes listed their professions. One young adult's badge stated constitutional lawyer. Here in St. George? I wondered about that. Perhaps he teaches or perhaps he traveled to St. George from Salt Lake City. In any case, I place my faith in Barack, a constitutional lawyer that we elected President.

Opportunity

Walt — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:49:39 EDT

The US is the land of opportunity. However, not everyone gets an equal opportunity to succeed. Some start life with wealthy parents and some don't. The child of privilege will be able to afford to live in a good neighborhood, enjoy good food and a healthy life style and a quality education. The child of poverty will be denied so many of those things. So much for equal opportunity for all. It's like a race with varying starting positions with the starting point determined by a draw. The slowest racer may be required to go two or three times as far as the fastest. That's not fair.

Patrick Henry Caucus part 2

Walt — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:09:28 EDT

Today's local paper gave extensive coverage to a rally yesterday that I attended with about 125 other mostly senior citizens. The Patrick Henry Caucus is all about state's rights and the 10th amendment to the Constitution. I would suggest reading the rest of the document and not just the second and the tenth amendments. For example, under the 14th, all those children of illegal aliens in our schools were probably born here and are therefore US citizens. Most illegals who cross the border northward are smart enough to leave their children at home since the trek north can be very dangerous.

The undocumented

Walt — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:55:57 EDT

Why do the undocumented come to the US from Mexico and points South? For the money of course. If we truly want to slow or stop illegal immigration, we must eliminate the attraction of earning money in the US. Money spent on a southern border fence would be better spent, in my opinion, on undercover INS agents posing as undocumented aliens in sting operations in our larger cities and towns. Stiffer penalties for hiring the undocumented and mandated jail sentences will go a long way toward reducing hiring. With no way to support themselves here in the US, many of the undocumented will return to their homes to the South.

In addition, we should work with Mexico to help their leaders make Mexico a better place for their citizens to live, thereby reducing the need to work in the US. We should make it clear that Mexico and others can no longer export their problems north. Phasing in increased penalties and mandatory jail time here in the US over 5 or 7 years will give the leaders of Mexico and others time to make the needed reforms that will keep the undocumented home, not here in the US. Mexico should enforce progressive taxation, reduce corruption, and with our help, destroy their drug cartels.

Obamacare

Walt — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:34:03 EDT

Yesterday's local paper carried an op-ed piece by Michelle Malkin on Obamacare. I have read the article several times looking for her reasons for opposing healthcare reform, but I can't find any. I can think of only three reasons for opposing healthcare reform, but there may be others. 1, fear of change. 2, don't care about uninsured. 3. cause Obama to fail. I support healthcare reform for 2 reason: the country needs it and Obama cares. My wife has been a nurse for more than 40 years and I have worked in the healthcare industry for 20 years. I know what I am talking about. Too many of Obamacare's critics do not.

Gravity

Walt — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:24:54 EDT

I have osteoporosis and a fear of falling. What may make me fall? Gravity. Therefore I fear gravity; I hate it. What I hate and fear I label socialism. Forget about the fact that gravity helps me walk upright and that it keeps stuff where I put it. I hate and fear it nevertheless. It is SOCIALISM.

Banks

Walt — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:12 EDT

Yesterday my wife called a local branch of a national bank. While waiting to speak to a real live human, a recording told her that the call might be recorded for training purposes and quality control. She jokingly suggested that she was recording the call as well. Tit for tat. When the real live human finally came on the line, she questioned whether my wife was really recording the conversation. My wife admitted she was not. If she had tried to record the conversation, the bank representative indicated that the call would be immediately terminated. Small thing you say? Yes, but indicative of the non level playing field between the banks and us.

Banks were largely deregulated to foster competition that was supposed to lead to better service and lower prices for consumers. The only result of banks competing is that banks are competing in raising fees and profits so that the larger banks can merge with and swallow smaller banks. Then they are too large to fail and must be bailed out if failure is imminent. We the taxpayers pay if the banks succeed or if they fail. Interest rates used to be regulated. Now the banks can charge whatever they please and change interest rates whenever they please. I consider an interest rate above 10% as usury. Usury is condemned in the Bible and makes getting out of debt very difficult. Consumers should use debt wisely so say the lending institutions. Then why do they make it so easy to borrow and hard to get out of debt?

My wife feels about banks the same way I do about insurance companies. Her solution is for the consumer to boycott the banks until such time as the banks start treating the consumer with respect. Not a bad idea if it were possible. My approach would be through our Congressional representatives. Through deregulation, they got us in this situation, and now it is time for them to get us out.

The Plan

Walt — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:06:13 EDT

The Plan, Big Ideas for America by Rahm Emanuel and Bruce Reed was published in 2006. Both authors worked in the Clinton White House and now Rahm Emanuel is Barack's chief of staff in the current White House. The book is worth reading if only for the insights in the Clinton era and Emanuel's thinking now. Emmanuel contends that we should not fight the Republicans on their terms, trying to outshout each other. Instead, Democrats should offer solutions to our problems that the voters will support. He offers his thoughts on a wide range of subjects including: universal service, college access, retirement savings, health care, fiscal responsibility, corporate welfare, tax reform, green energy and the war on terror. Well worth reading.

He even quotes from one of my favorite Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt who included the following in a 1910 speech to Civil War vets in Kansas: "At every stage, and under all circumstances, the essence of the struggle is to equalize opportunity, destroy privilege, and give life and citizenship of every individual the highest possible value.... We work in a spirit of broad and far-reaching nationalism when we work for what concerns people as a whole. We are all Americans. Our common interests are as broad as the continent."

Afghanistan is not Vietnam

Walt — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:40:28 EDT

Afghanistan is not Vietnam. Comparing the two will not lead to illumination as to what to do. It is a false and misleading analogy. Afghanistan is unique and so is the problem of the Taliban and a nuclear Pakistan. Barack is smarter than the critics who are pushing for more troops or a complete withdrawal.

Turkey/Armenia or Armenia/Turkey

Walt — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:44:33 EDT

The recently announced agreement of Turkey and Armenia to recognize each other is a big deal. In itself, it almost justifies Barack's Nobel peace prize. Since the forced relocation of Christian Armenians during WW 1 by the failing Muslim Ottoman Empire as a potential fifth column in which 1 million to 1.5 million Armenians died, both sides have been at odds. Armenians both in the US and Armenia have been demanding that Turkey acknowledge past misdeeds, which some have labeled genocide.

For its part, Turkey has always denied responsibility for the actions of the Ottoman Empire although Turkey occupies the heart of the former Ottoman Empire. When he established modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk westernized the Turkish alphabet making it very hard for Turks to read the voluminous documents from the past.

Why is this first step to better relations between Armenia and Turkey so important? Turkey and Armenia at peace with each other will make it easier to route oil from farther east through the area. Turkey is a member of NATO and a US ally. Turkey wants to join the European Union and this brings them closer to membership.

I am not an expert on the events of WW 1 and the Ottoman Empire, but I am currently reading A Shameful Act by Turkish historian Taner Akcam which covers that period.
This bodes well for the soon to happen Arab/Israeli talks.

Recovery

Walt — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:07:09 EDT

Wall Street is recovering and since that is in the backyard of so much of the media, they think that the recession is over. On the contrary, outside of New York and Washington DC, the country continues to suffer and additional stimulus will be necessary. Opponents of additional stimulus will point to the deficit. The deficit will only get worse until the Great Recession is over. None of the critics of additional stimulus will be among the unemployed.

Nothing

Walt — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:56:51 EDT

Barack has accomplished nothing say his critics. If he had accomplished anything, they would have opposed it. If he had accomplished nothing, then much of the reason is the opposition of so many in Congress.

On the contrary, I say he has accomplished a great deal in nine months and the prospects for more look excellent. Jobs and homes have been saved and more is on the way. Relations with the world are improving. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and possibly Pakistan are receiving a hard look. Neglected reform and infrastructure here in the US are receiving the attention they need.

Nobel peace prize part 2

Walt — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:54:22 EDT

The Nobel committee gave Barack the prize in part to show that the world has a different perspective on his efforts than many of his critics here in the US do. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa received his Nobel peace prize in 1984, ten years before the dismantling of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela. Archbishop Tutu had not completed his work in 1984 and some think that he received the prize to ensure his safety from the white South African government. Giving Barack the prize now may be the international community's way of answering Barack's critics here in the US. They approve of what he is trying to do and want him to succeed. That is not true of many Republicans at this time.

Delay

Walt — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:51:49 EDT

Delay is used to kill legislation that you are opposed to. Under our system of checks and balances, it is very difficult to pass legislation in Washington DC. Delay has been used time and again in our history to kill reforms. Those opposed to healthcare reform are hoping that the moment for its passage will pass and that support for reform will fade. Barack did not strike when the iron was hot, but I am confident that he has a plan of action that will surprise his critics. Barack is one of the smartest Presidents that we have ever had and Team Obama has shown that it can win repeatedly.

Nobel peace prize

Walt — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:36:12 EDT

Congratulations, Barack

Chicago violence

Walt — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:46:33 EDT

Young people are killing young people in Chicago. Would second amendment supporters suggest arming everyone for self defense? When the smoke cleared, the streets would be littered with the dead. As an alternative, should the police shoot to kill? That might reduce the violence temporarily, but is not the solution.

I grew up in Chicago but it is many years since I have been back. When I lived there, Chicago was one of the most segregated cities in the country. I doubt that much has changed. I am now in Utah and Chicago is still many miles away in Illinois, but from here I think I know what the problems are. I cannot offer specific solutions but I do know that a piecemeal approach will not work. The problems that face our youth must be approached simultaneously if there is to be any hope of success.

The problems are: drugs, gangs, broken families, poor schools, guns in the wrong hands, unemployment and lack of opportunity. Why spend the effort to educate yourself if you are denied a chance to advance? Good , rewarding lives as productive members of society require good, well-paying jobs. Political and social leaders must set moral examples. Jails are overcrowded and the courts are too. Justice delayed is justice denied.

Patrick Henry

Walt — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:29:22 EDT

Why did the Patrick Henry Caucus choose Patrick Henry for the name of their organization? For his quote, "Give me liberty or give me death," I suppose. During his lifetime, Patrick Henry was the greatest living speaker. People said that he could convince anyone of anything. He teamed with John Marshall for a short period. It is the opinion of some that Marshall and Henry made the greatest legal team of all teams anywhere in the world for all time. Marshall wrote the legal arguments and Henry delivered them. As much as I respect Patrick Henry, there were two members of the Supreme Court who I regard more highly, John Marshall and Louis Brandeis.

John Marshall served with Washington during the Revolutionary War and later wrote a long biography of Washington. He served as John Adams secretary of state at a time when the Secretary of State assumed the duties of the Presidency when the President was out of town. This was before the Vice President assumed those duties. Adams was out of town a lot. At the end of his Presidency, Adams appointed Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court where he served for many years. Marshall was the third Chief Justice but it was during his tenure that the form and substance of our federal court system took shape. Marshall was related to Jefferson but they were on opposite sides politically.

Louis Brandeis was an associate justice of the Supreme Court from 1916 to 1939. Before went on the Court, he did a lot of pro bono work for the disadvantaged. He actually defeated the insurance companies of his day in New England when they tried to overcharge workers for term life insurance. Before he went on the Court, he defended an Oregon law that limited the daily work of women in factories. He won that case using vast amounts of economic data gathered by volunteers. With this case he changed how cases were argued before the Supreme Court and later as a member, he changed how cases were decided. At first, he and Holmes were on the minority side of 7-2 decisions, but over time his decisions carried the majority.

I think that the country would be better off with more citizens like Louis Brandeis. They have been too rare in our history. Now if we return to strict construction of the Constitution as the Patrick Henry Caucus and others advocate, we will be overturning the good work of Brandeis and others to protect the weak. Do we really want to strike down laws that protect the weak, such as hours worked by women in factories? I think not.

Passionate

Walt — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:12:50 EDT

Last night, Keith Olbermann devoted the entire hour of Countdown to a passionate denunciation of health care insurers. I enjoyed every minute of it. If you play by the rules, you expect to be treated fairly. I was not treated fairly by my insurers and they keep changing the rules in their favor.

To be fair, the insurers are not the only problem with health care. There is big pharma overcharging for drugs; malpractice suits frequently over reward a few and neglect the many; records are archaic, and doctors are forced to practice defensive medicine. Please watch this special comment

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NEPUo_IcO8&feature=related

Patrick Henry Caucus

Walt — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:48:02 EDT

The Patrick Henry Caucus was started here in Utah by state representative Carl Wimmer in May. The organization is going to have a rally here in Saint George on Saturday October 17 at Worthen Park, 400 East and 300 South, 4-6pm. I intend to attend to see what they have to say. Apparently they are strict constructionists of the US Constitution and emphasize the 10th amendment which leaves all powers to the states not expressly granted to the federal government. I thought that the strict constructionist argument went out of fashion with the Civil War. Ah, what some people won't do to oppose change they don't like. I will report on the rally after it occurs. I want to see how many attend and what they have say. There will be question and answer session. The local newspaper is providing publicity.

John Birch Society

Walt — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:15:37 EDT

I thought that the John Birch Society had died and gone to heaven or to that other place. Instead it is alive and well and dwelling at www.jbs.org . I owe this knowledge to a rambling letter to the editor I saw recently in a local newspaper. I don't advocate joining the Birch Society but I do recommend browsing their site from time to time to see what the other side is saying. As expected, they oppose everything that Barack is trying to do. One individual there is calling for the impeachment of B. Hussein Obama.

Jobs, jobs, jobs

Walt — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:32:31 EDT

Between now and November 2010, Barack's critics will be talking jobs, jobs, jobs. It will be all talk and no cigar. I respectfully suggest that all those talking heads, members of Congress, lobbyists, and think tank members resign their current positions and look for a job in the manufacturing or the service industry. Only with a real job will they be qualified to talk about jobs, jobs, jobs. I wish them luck in finding a job with no REAL job experience in their resumes. Instead of pointless criticism, what the country and the jobless really need is constructive suggestions to reduce unemployment soon.

Moderation

Walt — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:10:24 EDT

With criticism from the left
And criticism from the right
Barack steers a middle course of
Moderation you say.
The critics charge extremism.
The moderate label they decry.
Barack a moderate?
Both sides would disagree.
To the impartial,
Few may they number
Steering between two perils
Is a skill they value.
Like Scylla and Charybdis
Left and Right in America
Imperil the ship of state.

Let Freedom Ring

Walt — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:07:06 EDT

Let Freedom Ring by Sean Hannity was published in 2002. This is the first in an occasional series of reviews of the writing of Barack's critics. Sean Hannity is co-host of Hannity and Colmes on Fox. It is not a show I watch regularly but I might give it a sampling now and then. Hannity considers his life a success and he says that if he can do it with hard work, anyone can. Apparently he has been lucky so far but then we'll see if he changes his tune if life deals him a reverse or two.

Hannity is a conservative who believes what he says. Some of his opinions are flat out wrong in my opinion, and he shows that he has given little thought and done little research on some topics that he offers opinions on. Religion plays a big role in his life and his world view. The US is the greatest country and can do no serious wrong. Criticism that could lead to improvement is not welcome. He worries that Congressional hearings into national security could become political circuses. Certainly there is an ample supply of clowns in Washington. Less government is better; least is best. Liberals who disagree with him are against freedom and democracy. We owe it to our children to support a strong military so that no other country or group of countries can challenge US hegemony.

I believe that he subscribes to the conservative ethic that the husband dominated family is the strength of the country. Straying from that model leads to all kinds of evil that weaken the country's morale and morals. The liberal view of the family is a partnership between two adults, usually of differing genders, but not exclusively. The liberal family lives a moral life that is not dictated solely by someone else's interpretation of the Bible. It is possible to live a moral life with a different or no religious belief. That is anathema to the religious Right.

Hannity began his broadcasting career at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He says that he offended the powers that be with his conservative views and was asked to move on. I lived in Santa Barbara at that time and I was not aware of his presence. I was also conservative in my earlier years and I was disturbed by the lopsided liberal voting pattern at UCSB. I thought then that the students and other residents of the university community should think for themselves. 90% versus 10% results, to my mind, did not represent independent thought. Thinking for oneself and being willing to accept new evidence are the mark of the truly educated.

Liberal/conservative

Walt — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:12:43 EDT

Some start life as conservatives and remain so.

Some start life as liberals and remain so.

Some start life as conservatives and change opinions as they grow older.

Some start life as liberals and change opinions as they grow older.

I am not going to insert my opinion here as who is right and who is not. All I am going to say is that education and self examination are signs of growth. Someone who will not consider other viewpoints is someone who is not able to grow and is calcified in this life. 2400 years ago, Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living.

Sticks and stones

Walt — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:01:56 EDT

According to some, Barack is a liar, communist, terrorist, socialist and the list goes on. Do we as Barack's supporters respond in kind? I say no. Name calling at this or any level is a waste of time. We should be discussing our differences in an adult fashion with the goal of advancing the nation. We won't do that by the school yard manner of name calling. Neither side can advance its agenda by out shouting or out denouncing the other.

Socialism

Walt — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:26:18 EDT

Socialism is a term used by many today to express their opposition to many different proposals. The favorite term used to be communism but you don't hear that used as much today since the USSR dissolved. Socialism is a word used as though democracy and freedom are opposites. That is not true. Most countries still practicing socialism successfully are democracies with all the freedoms we have, but with a higher level of taxes. Who opposes higher taxes? Those who will have to pay them and those who are fooled into thinking that they will have to pay them.

Let's do away with taxes and government. We want freedom and free market capitalism which are not the same thing. Let's do away with Social Security, Medicare, unemployment benefits and disaster relief. Make our highways into toll roads. Extend the workday to 12-14 hours each, six days per week. Take children out of our failing schools and let their start earning a living in factories here in the US instead of sending those jobs to South America, Africa or Asia to employ children there. Our children can work just as well as their children. Now that is freedom.

8 months

Walt — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:09:27 EDT

January 20 to September 26, 2009. The Obama presidency is only 8 months and a few days old, but it seems like forever. The Bush administration is a rapidly fading bad dream. If Barack had a honeymoon, it was certainly a short one. All the Republicans can do is make noise and delay, and that they are doing at full volume. Barack continues to make good decisions and great speeches. Soon the 2010 electioneering season will be upon us and it will be another 12 months of the same old right wing noise. The time is going to drag, but we can make use of it to reduce their numbers in Congress. The Republicans are counting on history to increase their numbers in Congress. Let's give them a big surprise.

Graveyard of empires

Walt — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:05:56 EDT

Afghanistan is rightly called a graveyard of empires. The natives gave Alexander the Great a hard time when he passed through on his way to India about 2300 years ago. More recently, neither Great Britain nor Russia was able to subdue Afghanistan for long. Now the US is finding how difficult a nut Afghanistan is to crack.

Some say that as the world's only superpower, we have the right and the duty to rule the world. The rest of the world disagrees. Great Britain gave up its empire to preserve its democracy. Russia gave up its empire and never really achieved full democracy. What it did achieve is slowly slipping away. Now it is our turn to choose between empire and democracy and we must make our decision soon. I choose democracy.

Climate change

Walt — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:31:37 EDT

The Revenge of Gaia by James Lovelock, 177 pages, is subtitled Earth’s Climate Crisis and the Fate of Humanity. The author is a British citizen and scientist who believes that the most logical source of power to run our civilization in the near term is nuclear. He makes a case that our reluctance to more fully use nuclear power is related to our fears of cancer and of nuclear bombs.

The fear of cancer is groundless since the data show no increase in cancer rates from nuclear radiation. Most cancers in humans are caused by the oxidation of food in our body by atmospheric oxygen and by smoking. The smoking we can control with healthful practices but breathing oxygen for life is a process we cannot alter.

Other forms of energy generation, such as wind, are unreliable or cannot generate the tremendous amounts of energy that are necessary. In addition, generating power from carbon based sources will add to the amount of greenhouse gasses in the sea and the atmosphere and those gasses must be decreased, rather than increased. They contribute to global warming in the atmosphere and alter the sea’s chemistry affecting the food chain all of us depend on to sustain life.

The Gaia hypothesis regards the earth as a closed system where changes in one area potentially can affect many others. Before we take any large scale actions, we must understand how those actions will affect the earth, Gaia, on which all life depends. “…Gaia theory* is provisional and likely to be displaced by a larger and more complete view of the Earth. But for now I see it as the seed from which an instinctive environmentalism can grow; one that would instantly reveal planetary health or disease and help sustain a healthy world.”

Possibly the most important paragraph in the book is in the glossary. It reads as follows:

“Algae are photosynthetic organisms that use sunlight to make organic matter and oxygen. The ocean plants are almost all algae; some are single cells, others, like kelp, can exist as huge assemblies of cells as long as sixty metres. The first algae on Earth appeared soon after life started over three billion years ago. Their form was bacterial and these microscopic organisms are still abundant: they are found either in living organisms or, importantly, as inclusions within the more complex cells of plants, called chloroplasts. Algae are unusually influential in the Earth’s climate: they remove carbon dioxide from the air, and they are the source of the gas dimethyl sulphide (DMS) which oxidizes in the air to become the tiny nuclei that seed the droplets of clouds. Their growth in the surface waters of the sea is sensitively dependent upon its temperature, and if this is above 10 to 12 degrees C the physical properties of the ocean prevent them from receiving nutrients and they do not flourish. Fossilized algae are the source of petroleum.”

*Gaia theory

“A view of the Earth that sees it as a self-regulating system made up from the totality of organisms, the surface rocks, the ocean and the atmosphere tightly coupled as an evolving system. The theory see the system as having a goal-the regulation of surface conditions so as always to be favorable as possible for contemporary life. It is based on observations and theoretical models; it is fruitful and has made ten successful predictions.”

Cross purposes

Walt — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:41:56 EDT

The problem, as I see it, is healthcare reform and its opponents are confused by the linking of two systems that are at cross purposes, loggerheads if you will. The purpose of healthcare is a healthy population. The purpose of healthcare insurance if done by a free market, profit making company is to make as much profit as possible. In healthcare, salaries are largely determined by education level. In healthcare insurance, salaries are determined by how much one contributes to the bottom line, net profit. And the CEO is rewarded outlandishly if profits are high and increasing.

Solving this set of cross purposes requires breaking the link between the two systems. In my opinion, a public option leading eventually to Medicare for all is the solution.

Hate crime

Walt — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:28:07 EDT

Hate produces hate crimes. I sympathize with Nancy Pelosi when she suggests that the recent upsurge in hateful language reminds her of past events in San Francisco. All who deride others will deny that their words have any influence on those who commit hate crimes, but words have consequences. All who use hateful words and those who do not protest their use bear some responsibility for the actions of those who take hateful actions in response to those words.

Let me cite a personal experience. I began my healthcare career as a nursing assistant first in a nursing home and later in a hospital. While working a hospital shift, one of my assigned patients was a Mexican-American farm worker who was brutally beaten by two young drunken Anglos on New Year's Eve. He had been kicked in the head and could no longer speak or care for himself. In the hospital bed, he was in constant motion and was difficult to care for or keep from accidentally harming himself.

In a long trial, the two attackers were sentenced each to a year in prison for what had been an unprovoked attack, a hate crime that they committed only because they hated Mexican-Americans. The victim's family lost a husband/father/breadwinner while society, that is you and I, had a new responsibility, providing care for the victim and aid to his family.

Seeing the results of a hate crime firsthand is an eye-opening experience. At the time, I was very disappointed at the sentence the two attackers received. One year seemed not enough. I think that the sentence would have been more if they had been sober. Drunk or sober made no difference to their victim. I wanted the attackers trained as nursing assistants so that they could spend the rest of their lives caring for other people disabled by similar hate crimes.

EFCA

Walt — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:01:05 EDT

EFCA, the employee free choice act. Some oppose it because it produces unionization in a workplace without an election. That is not democracy say the critics. NONSENSE. In this country, we have free speech but not in the workplace. How can there be democracy in the workplace without free speech? All an election does is allow management to delay an election while it campaigns against a union. Those who support a union too strongly are fired. Others lose interest as the election is delayed. I have witnessed management's actions at first hand, and although mild by some standards, management still danced in the aisles when the union effort failed.

Hope/fear

Walt — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:55:19 EDT

The Democrats are the party of hope. The Republicans are the party of fear. If you have watched any of the Republican members of Congress on TV lately, you have heard them speak about all the things American now fear: higher taxes, the deficit, health care reform, socialism etc. It is easier to make political points using the emotion of fear than it is education on issues to produce hope.

Barack is our educator-in-chief but he cannot do everything or be everywhere no matter this past Sunday. I have a suggestion. Each Obama support group should organize a portion of the membership into truth squads. Each member of the squad can monitor a local newspaper or TV station or program and look for distortions or untruths. A prompt response may prevent further distortions. None of us can do it all against such an organized Republican campaign, which I'll bet is financed by just a few very wealthy individuals. We cannot permit the 2008 election to be nullified by a few wealthy people. Millions of us worked hard to elect Barack and we cast ballots to elect him. Now the opposition is mounting and using fear to defeat his and our agenda.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself and a big money campaign by those out to destroy the Obama presidency.

Heart

Walt — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:43:14 EDT

In a recent post, I said that I support Barack because he tells the truth. I support him also because he has a heart and it is in the right place. Additionally, he is consistent and the only consistency in the Republican opposition is their inconsistency.

Recently a Republican spokesman on TV called for respect for presidential addresses to Congress so that the next Republican president may receive the same treatment. George W. Bush may be the last Republican president if the Republican party continues its present course. The Whig party disappeared to be replaced by the Republican party. At some point in the near future, the Republican party may be supplanted by a new party, perhaps named the Conservative party. Our system functions best when we have two vigorous, responsible parties that both appeal to the moderate center.

Racism

Walt — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:28:11 EDT

I have just re-read James Baldwin's book, Go tell it on the Mountain, first published in 1953 while he was living an expatriate life in France, It is his version of what life in the US was like for blacks in the middle of the 20th century. Things have changed but some things have not. Read the book and try to put yourself in the place of a black man in the US. Empathy can be improved with practice. James Baldwin was one of our most influential black writers and he died in 1987.

Civility

Walt — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:05:47 EDT

I want more civility, but not censorship, in our daily political discourse. Jimmy Carter was viciously attacked for a recent book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He will again be attacked for his statement yesterday on racism in the attacks on Barack. It takes great courage to speak the truth these days and it should not. I do not know if Jimmy Carter is correct, but he should be able to speak freely.

Congress should enforce a standard of free and responsible speech on its members. If it will not expel some members, then it will be up to the voters to do the job. We the people own the airways, not the broadcasting companies, who license their use from the FCC. If the broadcasters will not discipline their employees in the search for bigger profits, then we the people through our government should refuse to renew their licenses when they expire.

Letterman

Walt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:30:14 EDT

On Monday September 21, Barack will be Letterman's only guest.

Welcome to the Future

Walt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:13:01 EDT

I was eating breakfast at work Sunday before beginning my shift at 7:00 am when a music video by Brad Paisley captured my attention. It featured smiling and attractive children of many races with captions stating their choices for future occupations. The optimism of this video is so uplifting and encouraging that it contrasts greatly with the dissension and anger that so much of TV news presents today.

Democracy

Walt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:08:24 EDT

How does democracy work? You must convince the unconvinced of the rightness of your idea. Take a group of 4 people. Convince two of the four that you are right. An equal split? Not if you are the fifth member of the group. Two with you and two against. Counting your vote, makes it 3 to 2, which in percentage terms is 60-40%, which is considered a landslide victory.
In a larger group of 100, you need 50% plus 1 to prevail. Split the group 50-50 and add your vote, and you win a closely divided decision. That is how democracy works; the majority rules, except in some cases such as the US Senate.

Fairness

Walt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:05:59 EDT

Some hedge fund owners/managers make as much as a billion dollars per year which is $500,000 per hour while the janitor who cleans their offices at night might make $10 per hour. The person who makes $500,000 per hour would not miss $10 per hour to double the janitor's wage to $20 per hour. After all, that would leave the hedge fund owner/manager with $499,990 per hour. Surely enough.

The hedge fund billionaire could surely spare $1000 per hour to give 50 breadwinners an additional $20 per hour and thus provide a more decent life for them and their families. If each family consisted of 3 people, 150 people would benefit from the hedge fund owner's generosity. As Barack told Joe the plumber, he wanted to spread the wealth around. The hedge fund billionaire would still be making $499,000 per hour. The question before us is, how many of us need to suffer to allow a few to live lavishly?

Respect

Walt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:02:40 EDT

During my lifetime, I given my highest respect to 3 politicians who had the courage to stand up straight and tell the truth:

Barry Goldwater, Republican

Tom Bradley, Democrat

Ralph Nader, Green party

Telling the truth is one reason I voted for Barack Obama. After 16 years of presidential lies during the Clinton/Bush years, I wanted a president I could trust. For many young adults, this is their first experience with a president whose words they can trust.

Efficiency

Walt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:58:45 EDT

What price efficiency? How much is efficiency in financial markets worth? How much is it worth to you or to me? The hedge fund owner/manager who clears $billion in a single year, $500,000 per hour, thinks he/she is worth the price. If we put the job out for bids, I am sure that someone would volunteer to do it for $500,000 per day and then someone else would offer to do it for $500,000 per week and then another for $500,000 per month and finally $500,000 per year. I don't care if the financial markets are super efficient or not. I might be willing to pay $500,000 per year or I might not.

The standard argument heard from Wall Street is that huge salaries and bonuses are necessary to keep the talented from joining competitive firms. So what? If the talented were not profitable to an individual firm, it would not matter who they worked for.

Then there is the other false argument thrown out by those who support the present tax structure, that the US has a high rate of taxation. That may be true on paper but it does not reflect the real world of tax loopholes and tax havens. If the hedge fund owner/manager really believes this, let him/her take his firm elsewhere and start paying taxes in a foreign country with a lower tax rate that lacks the tax loopholes that exist here in the US.

The numbers describing the US economy are huge, in the $trillions, but that is not an infinite number. If some pay themselves and friends in the $billions, that leaves less to be divided among the rest of us. How much is enough and how much is too much? We can read about how much is more than enough when we read about Wall Street's greed.