Looking back

2011 is upon us, and so it is time for a review of 2010. What did we do to improve our country?

In 2010, a number of important things happened, here's the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good:

1. Healthcare reform was passed ensuring that most Americans will be able to afford healthcare while simultaneously saving the federal government nearly 100 billion dollars over the next decade. A proud moment for our great nation.

2. Despite Republican attempts to handicap the president's ability to improve America and the tea party's attempts to chain us to the glory days of Jefferson's yeoman farmer, Democrats were still able to take significant steps to strengthen the economy. Bipartisan tax cuts included a second, significant stimulus that should boost the economy and a financial regulatory bill was passed that theoretically puts in place the oversight necessary to make sure that runaway banking doesn't bring the world's economy to its knees.

3. Congress is able to achieve a few key agenda items during its "lame duck" session, notably repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," verifying the New START treaty and providing healthcare for 9/11 first responders.

The Bad:

1. Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives. While this doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, as Republicans do have some good ideas, the way the party has conducted itself during the last two years has been nothing short of disgraceful. Republican obstructionism and pandering delayed economic recovery and turned conversations about important issues like healthcare into spectacles of lies and fear mongering.

2. This really deserves its own category, the very bad, but America's failure to act in the field of green and alternative energy is going to haunt our country years from now. I've said it a million times before, but global warming is going to force our hand sooner rather than later. The unsustainable way we treat our planet is killing it, and this will become only more obvious. America should have done more to encourage development and innovation in the realm of alternative energy sources, and should also do more to help us end our addiction to fossil fuels. This must become a priority in 2011.

The Ugly:

1. This was rectified, but the Republican refusal to extend healthcare to 9/11 first responders using the deficit as an excuse after they had just forced through tax cuts that would cost the country 700 billion dollars was despicable. Even Faux News and Rudy Giuliani hammered the party for this appalling and contemptible display of disregard for Americans.

2. The "debate" over the not-at-Ground-Zero Community Center or perhaps the mosque of terror. The fact that this is an issue is also disgraceful. "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," except maybe the Muslims who want to build a community center in Manhattan. While this fear of the other is just another hiccup along the American march towards true equality it's ugly nonetheless. To those who think this is going to be some kind of monument to Islam's triumph over America, I have two things to say: 1) turn off Faux News and get out of your bubble, not all Muslims are out to get you, no matter what Glenn Beck says. 2) If you ever make it to New York, visit the "mosque" and go to the 9/11 memorial located there. Arizona's law - while much of it has been ruled unconstitutional - still deserves a special shout out. Kudos to Jan Brewer for being willing to do the wrong thing even when when everyone knows it's wrong. It takes real fortitude to be that ignorant and bigoted.

3. The debut of the Tea Party. I can't find anything good to say about these people. They're naive, they're stupid, they're misguided (I mean really, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin? These are your heros? Really?). The Tea Party vision of America is a peaceful and idyllic one, but living in the past doesn't solve the problems of the present, and if the Tea Party really wants to live in that world then I suggest they stop paying taxes (they'll probably be fine with that), use the extra cash to buy a huge plot of land in Mongolia or some other far away place, and build a commune for idiots in which they can happily practice their 1790s ideas without harming the greater society.

Despite the bad and the ugly, I still look at 2010 as a great year, and I expect even better in 2011. This is America and not even the Tea Party can hold us back. Happy New Year.

Semper Fi

This post is designed to do two things, celebrate the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and laud the Marines for their foray into the realm of green energy. It's been a big week for the military.

First, kudos to Congress for repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This is America, it's ok to be gay. If a gay person loves our country enough to put his or her life on the line for it, they shouldn't have to compromise themselves to do it. It's really as simple as that. Studies showed this could be done without compromising the military's ability to kick some ass, so there wasn't really a reason aside from bigotry or political pandering to bigots not to repeal the act.

I support all of our troops no matter what color their skin is, what god they believe in, and regardless of their sexuality. Being a soldier in the United States Military shows far more about how you feel about America and what kind of person you are than any of those other factors possibly could. I'm proud of Congress (imagine that!) and I'm proud of the service men and women who spoke up and let the Pentagon know that openly gay soldiers wouldn't affect their ability to wage war.

I'm particularly proud of the Marines and the Navy who have been taking important steps to greenify themselves. You can buy a politician, but you can't buy a branch of the armed service. No amount of oil money in the world can convince the Marines that what they know - all that money we spend on oil is being funneled to people who are out to kill Marines - is wrong. While the American public weans itself from its oil addiction and American politicians continue to ignore the reality of global warming and the ever-growing Chinese lead in alternative energy, the American Military has had enough.

American soldiers and sailors are field testing biofuels, solar panels, and all sorts of other green equipment. Combine that with this cool new toy (not related, but really interesting) and it's clear that what will America's politicians lack, America's military has.

There are many reasons to love and be proud of our country, America's military certainly being one of them. In the last few days, the Armed Forces has taken a lot of positive steps. Semper Fi.

The tracks of his tears

I've written before about my distaste for John Boehner, the man who hates America. But perhaps I had Boehner all wrong, after all he's spent a whole lot of time lately crying about...well just crying, I'm not sure why.

But Boehner's tears are nothing if not proof of his love for America. It seems the very mention of our great country is enough to start the waterworks. He just loves Ameri...sob...sob...sob.

Nothing wrong with crying. It happens, it's even nice that John Boehner is moved to tears when he thinks of our country's glory. The problem is, the man is doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to ensure that America will be great for the next generation. In fact, he's doing nothing to make America great 24 hours from now. Though his faucets are leaking, his votes are lacking. Far from wanting to keep America great, John Boehner wants Americans to suffer.

If we trace the tracks of Boehner's tears to his voting record (or hell, just to what he has to say on television), we'll see that while America the country makes Boehner weepy, Americans the people aren't really on his radar screen.

Let's start with the most obvious example (which do I choose?), Boehner wants to repeal the healthcare law. Well the healthcare law is going to save the federal government money while at the same time extending health insurance to 30 million Americans. The country saves money, the citizens can afford healthcare. Everyone wins. Boehner weeps. Boehner also opposes a cost-saving measure to help Americans.

Boehner is also against extending unemployment benefits. It's only the Christmas season after all. Why not give out of work Americans money that they will immediately go spend on holiday gifts, thus providing a little Christmas cheer and a boost to the economy. Again with the crying, again with the disdain for our country and its people.

Finally, and most reprehensibly of all, John Boehner is against paying for the healthcare of first responders on 9/11. On 9/11 John Boehner, like many other Americans, probably cried and rightfully so. That day stands as one of the darkest and saddest in our nation's history. But on September 11th brave New Yorkers risked their lives to help their fellow Americans. Their heroism is enough to make you tear up, and I bet Boehner does when he talks about them. But his tears don't pay for their healthcare, and while he's ready to give them a whole well of his sobs, he won't give them his vote.

So all we've learned about John Boehner is that he's a cryer, but crying about something doesn't mean you love it, it just means you're a cryer. John Boehner is just a cryer. I'm sure in the future we'll see more of his tears. I'll start to be moved by them when he starts to give a damn about our country.

The Constitutionality of Healthcare

I'll be honest, I'm not qualified to comment on the Constitutionality of healthcare, but I'm good at keeping score, and so far that score is 2-1; 2 judges believe the law is constitutional, 1 doesn't. Hardly an overwhelming a majority, but certainly not an indictment either. The score will change, but since I'm one JD short of being an authority, I'll stray from discussing whether or not this is Constitutional and instead talk about whether or not it is necessary and practical.

You see, health insurance may not be a right. It may very well be unconstitutional to force people to buy insurance. But while health insurance may or may not be a right, healthcare is. In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. That's a long title for what amounts to this, if you need emergency medical care, you get it. Doesn't matter if you're a citizen; doesn't matter if you can't pay. If you need emergency care you get it.

Problematically, emergency care is the only type of care covered by EMTALA. Emergency care is also far and away the most expensive kind of healthcare, and emergency care is often used when and if people have no other healthcare options.

This healthcare is either paid for via Medicaid funding, or worse, just isn't paid for at all, driving the cost of healthcare for everyone up as hospitals are forced to charge more to people who can pay to make up the difference. In turn, health insurance premiums rise. The system is unsustainable.

So what does the new healthcare law do to fix it? The new law implements this supposed communist requirement that everyone buy healthcare. Forget that people will still be buying healthcare from PRIVATE companies, forget that most of the people vehemently opposed to this law already have healthcare (how dare the commies make me buy health insurance...wait, I already have health insurance, what am I pissed about...communists!). These things get glossed over by the sheer, overwhelming evil socialist plot to make Americans buy insurance.

Now again, I don't know if it's Constitutional, but I'm more concerned with whether it fixes problems, and this law seems to do that. By requiring everyone to have insurance - which most people would agree is something positive, it's not like the government is making you buy asparagus Judge Hudson - prices would be driven down because people wouldn't be taking advantage of the most expensive kind of healthcare. They would be able to afford cheaper preventative care rather than overburdening emergency rooms.

So I can only hope that judges decide that mandated healthcare is Constitutional, because, if they decide otherwise, healthcare costs will continue to balloon as people who cannot afford health insurance (or simply don't want it), receive free emergency treatment. Maybe mandatory health insurance is unconstitutional, but isn't an expensive and burdensome healthcare system that is causing our country hemorrhage money while neglecting nearly 40 million Americans a problem? Shouldn't our great nation be able to provide the best healthcare (which we do) at a price that is affordable to all citizens and doesn't contribute to our government's debt (which we don't do)?

Like Judge Hudson, I don't want the government telling me to buy asparagus...I'll buy it on my own, I think asparagus is tasty. But I don't have a problem with the government requiring everyone to have health insurance when that policy benefits America and Americans. The government requires us to have driver's licenses, but no one is outraged (except, perhaps Ron and Rand Paul). Why? Because there are a lot of very good reasons for it. Well there are a lot of good reasons for people to have health insurance too. As we continue to tally the score for the Constitutionality of healthcare, I hope we consider the important benefits that it will bring our country and not succumb to silly arguments about the forced purchase of vegetables.

In agreement with Fox!?

Today something truly extraordinary happened; I read an op-ed piece on Fox News and I agreed with what the author had to say. Apparently, even our nation's most ludicrously conservative are pissed at their elected officials for the betrayal of American heros that took place when Republicans refused to allow a vote on a healthcare spending bill for 9/11 first responders.

There's not a ton to be said here that I haven't said already. The only word to describe this is disgraceful, and I'm glad Faux News is willing to step up and say the same thing instead of posturing about the budget deficit.

I'll leave you with a letter that I wrote to my Senators from Mississippi. It's pasted below:

I am writing to voice my intense displeasure at your recent decision to vote against funding healthcare for first responders on September 11.

It is morally reprehensible and hypocritical beyond belief to cloak your disdain for American heros behind the guise of caring about the budget deficit. You and your party used September 11th as an excuse to lead our country into a war that has cost $750 billion dollars and over 4000 American lives. You use September 11th as an excuse to deny Muslim Americans their first amendment rights to build a community center a few blocks away from Ground Zero. Yet you will not allot seven billion dollars, a paltry sum for the federal government, to help actual American heros who did far more than you did on September 11th.

The tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that you champion will cost our country roughly $700 billion over the next decade but you find seven billion dollars worth of aid to real heros to be the straw that will break the camel’s back?

Your actions today represent nothing short of the worst our country has to offer. The hypocrisy alone is astounding, but the fact that you find it acceptable to spend hundreds of billions on an unnecessary war in Iraq while refusing to assist the Americans who helped the victims is the height of immorality. The healthcare you receive as a Senator, and which you voted to deny roughly 30 million Americans, means that you will never know what it is like to suffer as these people have. I hope next time you look in the mirror and straighten your American flag lapel you remember that your actions and your vote led to the suffering of the people you are supposed to be representing.

An irate citizen and true patriot

Paying respect to 9/11

That's actually not what this post is about, in fact, this post is about just the opposite. This post is about disrespecting American heros, those people who risked their lives to help others on September 11, 2001.

You see, in a bold move to avoid adding to the budget, Senate Republicans blocked a $7.4 billion dollar bill that would have paid for healthcare for first responders and others who are suffering from breathing in the toxic fumes and dust after the Word Trade Center collapsed.

That's right America, the party that led us into a nonsense war in Iraq, a crucial part of "the war on terror," the party that plays to Islamophobia and is dead set against a community center a few blocks from ground zero on the grounds that it is offensive to the memory of 9/11 is refusing to pay for healthcare for first responders. Quite the tribute.

Just as a further reminder, the war in Iraq has cost about $750 billion. The tax cuts for the wealthy that Republicans championed will cost $700 billion but we can't find $7.4 billion to pay for healthcare for the heros who risked their lives on 9/11. But these people walk around with American flag lapels and denounce mosques and call themselves patriots. Truly disgraceful. Shame on you Republicans, shame on each and every one of you who stood in the way of spending a meager amount of money on sick heros while flinging your fear-mongering about Muslims and a deficit that you created around as an excuse.

I've tried to be as nonpartisan as possible in the wake of November's massively disappointing elections and the possible looming derailing of much of the progress America has made in the last two years, but Republicans make it so difficult. No, we can't respect the first amendment and the right to freedom of religion, we can't embrace our own Constitution, apparently the first amendment is just as un-American as a Muslim community center. But here's what we can do, we can control the purse strings, and we can deny healthcare to the people who did more than any elected official to make a difference on 9/11.

This is nothing short of morally reprehensible and for Republicans to cloak their disdain for American heros in the guise of fiscal responsibility after they just pushed through tax cuts that will cost the nation $700 billion is the height of hypocrisy.

I will continue to support ideas and actions that strengthen America, and I acknowledge that Republicans have some of those ideas, but there's no excuse for blocking healthcare for first responders, and every REAL American patriot should be furious about what happened today.

What can we learn from Shanghai?

Apparently quite a bit. According to the most recent international testing results, Chinese students from Shanghai blew away the rest of the field, placing first in math and reading. Good news for Shanghai even if these results don't represent the nation as a whole (which they certainly don't), bad for America. For purposes of comparison, our kids placed 11th in reading and 26th in math.

It's not enough that the Chinese are already outproducing us in the field of green and alternative energy (and I promise you this will haunt us if we don't get our act together quickly), they're out-educating us too. Ok, that may not be entirely true, but they're educating and they're doing it well. Combined with the rapid pace of their economic growth, this signals a real threat to America's position as the world's premier economic power. It's time to step up and in a big way.

The part of this that struck me most is the following quote "Also, in recent years, teaching has rapidly climbed up the ladder of preferred occupations in China, and salaries have risen. In Shanghai, the authorities have undertaken important curricular reforms, and educators have been given more freedom to experiment."

In other articles on other sites, I've written about the need for America to invest in educators, compensating them and providing them with work environments that affirm the fact that teachers are the cornerstones of our society. Weird how they're doing that in China and the students there just placed first in both math and literacy. I wonder if there is a correlation...

Some experts, upon seeing these results, proclaimed that this would America's new Sputnikesque wake-up call. This is the moment we realize we can't just sit around and expect to remain on top because others are actively trying to unseat us. I can only hope these people are right because clearly America needs a wake-up call. While Kentucky exports biblical stories and Oklahomans live in fear of sharia law that is an ever-present danger in the heartland, China is investing in science, math and reading. Does this really mean Americans think we'll stay the best by building biblical theme parks and legal walls to protect against Islam while the Chinese think they'll become the best by educating people? I certainly hope not, because if that's the case America is in a truly bad spot.

So here's to Apollo, the American rockets that took us to the moon after Sputnik scared us out of our socks. Hopefully someone somewhere in our great nation has a modern-day Apollo up their sleeve so we're not left studying history in Kentucky's theme parks.

America Abroad

I've spent 80+ blog posts talking about the host of domestic issues with which America is grappling, but despite my interest, I've been relatively quiet on the problems America faces abroad.

But wikileaks and New START have made it impossible for me to stay quiet any longer. There's just too much to talk about, and so I'll try to hit on some important topics.

American foreign policy for the last decade has been dominated by the politics and crises in the Middle East. There's a war in Iraq; there's a war in Afghanistan (geographically not the Middle East, but the ties to the region are obvious); there's a constant crisis in Israel and what may become Palestine; there's instability in Lebanon; terrorists in Yemen; and nuclear reactors in Iran. Oh yes, there's a lot of oil...almost everywhere.

Increasingly, the Middle East looks like the Muddled Enigma. Did we win in Iraq? Are we winning in Afghanistan? Can we ever get crazy Israelis and crazy Palestinians to cooperate like sane Israelis and sane Palestinians want to? Is Saudi Arabia helping us curb terrorism or funding it elsewhere? Does Iran have a nuke yet, if not, when's that going to happen and more importantly, how can we prevent it? WHAT'S GOING ON?

These questions and problems are - obviously - paramount to our national security, and also directly linked to our current domestic problems. The continuing cost of our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't exactly helping close the budget deficit.

But America can take some big steps towards fixing it's foreign problem right here at home. For starters, Congress can ratify the New START treaty which would go a long way towards building Russia support for tougher action on Iran. I don't need to tell you that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is one of America's (and the world's) primary security concerns. A nuclear Iran would provide a direct threat to the stability and peace of an already unstable region, and the potential for nuclear dissemination into the hands of terrorists is a truly scary possibility. In the most blunt terms, nuclear Iran = very, very bad. Securing Russia's support is vital. Ratify New START.

Even more importantly, the most recent wikileaks reveal how imperative it is that America ends our addiction to foreign oil. We funnel money to Saudi Arabia for that sticky, black goop, but while we use the oil to make the planet dirty, the money we send overseas is used to buy weapons that kill Americans. We are quite literally buying guns for the enemy. This truly unbelievable paradox is one that we can fix quite easily in Washington, DC by implementing a gas tax. Many people are upset that their tax dollars are used to fund things with which they disagree, but I'm furious that every time I buy gas, I'm helping a nutjob Jihadist purchase a shiny new RPG. Tax gas, do it now, no questions.

For America to project its power in the world we have to be taken seriously. But why is Russia going to take us seriously about stopping Iran's nuclear program when we won't even agree to an arms deal with them? How are our Middle Eastern allies going to take the steps to fight terrorism in their countries when they know that Americans are helping to fund those terrorists through our oil addiction?

These are problems we can fix. No one wants Iran to have nuclear weapons, but if we're going to lead the charge, we need to show the world we're serious by taking the steps to reduce and modernize our own nuclear stockpile. Terrorism is a major concern for many of the world's industrialized country, but we can go on killing terrorists in perpetuity until we find a way to address the real issues, one of which is our oil-driven involvement in the politics of the Middle East.

It's time to start taking steps at home to strengthen America abroad. So after we figure out taxes, I want New START and I want a gas tax because I want a stronger America at home and abroad.

Another glimmer

It would actually be quite easy to lament this as typical partisan politics. Republicans have refused to even consider other issues until something is done about taxes. It's good politics, Americans seem to care quite a bit about taxes. It's not terrible policy either, but it's also irresponsible and obnoxious when there are so many other important issues to discuss.

Nevertheless, I'm not here to bash Republicans any more than I did in the above paragraph. I'm here to look for progress, and I think I may see some. The tax issue is - for some mysterious reason - a controversial one. I get that people don't want to pay excessively high taxes. I'm one of those people. What I don't understand is how Democrats don't understand that higher taxes in a recession is a bad idea and how Republicans don't understand that tax rates will have to rise if we're actually going to close the deficit.

But maybe I'm not giving either party enough credit, because what I'm hearing through the grapevine is that Democrats and Republicans may be close to reaching the logical conclusion about the expiring Bush tax cuts. Extend them for a few years to help the economy get back on track without guaranteeing to extend them permanently.

America's primary concern should be economic recovery, not the deficit. Smart people know this even though some of them use the deficit to create a sense of fear. The deficit is a real problem, but it's not the primary problem.

Both our politicians and our populace need to keep this in mind moving forward. If we can fix the economy, the need to fix the deficit won't be as pressing, it will start to take care of itself. Unsustainable spending will still need to be cut in certain areas, but not as drastically as the fear-mongerers would have you believe.

Furthermore, extending tax cuts permanently would perhaps spur investment, but by the actual, measurable numbers, would do nothing to cut the deficit. In fact it would cost 4 trillion bucks. It's possible that investment would offset some of that cost, but there's no way to know. Similarly, it's difficult to predict how much of a dent economic recovery would put in the deficit. So both sides can claim to be right but only in a certain scenario, neither of which is certain.

The best thing to do then, is the safest. Extend tax cuts temporarily. The lost revenue from temporary cuts isn't going to destroy America and the extra purchasing power may help spur recovery. Don't make cuts permanent either, if the deficit becomes the huge problem that people want us to think it is now, we may very well need those 4 trillion dollars in a few years.

Despite all the demagoguery and bickering, it seems as though sensible people know that fixing the economy is paramount. Democrats and Republicans agree that tax cuts should be extended for everyone making under 250K. People need to have money to spend and it can't hurt to give wealthier people more money as well, maybe they'll go buy yachts, or even better, reinvest.

At the same time, this deficit that Republicans love to scare us with does need to disappear. They hypocrisy of using the budget deficit as a tool for fear while simultaneously taking steps to increase it by 4 trillion is not only wrong, it's unbelievably short-sighted. (I know I promised I wouldn't bash Republicans, but sometimes I can't help myself...it's just so easy). What if economy doesn't recover as expected but the deficit continues to grow? It's going to take more than just spending cuts to bring it under control. The permanent loss of 4 trillion dollars worth of revenue is a scary prospect when times are bleak.

And times are bleak, but I'm seeing another glimmer of hope. In the last few days, Congress has made spinach safe, now maybe they'll take an important step towards fostering economic growth without handcuffing us to future revenue loss.

The importance of yesterday's post

Yesterday I took a few minutes to laud safe spinach and, more importantly, the ability of Congress to find common ground on an issue that affects the well-being of Americans.

Today I want to reiterate how important that cooperation is, but I'm going to let Thomas Friedman be my mouthpiece, like Hall Mark, he always says it best.

For quite a while I've been harping on certain issues, especially green and alternative energy. It doesn't take a genius...check that...it doesn't take a mildly aware person to figure out that America faces a mountain of problems and that other countries - particularly China - are not just sitting around waiting for us to get things fixed.

While Americans get mad about invasive airport screenings - I went through one over the Thanksgiving Holiday and felt about as UNviolated as I could imagine - China continues to invest in its future.

Now, not all of China's success is tied to American problems. China manipulates its currency and still has more people living in poverty than America has people. But there is a serious and scary difference between our two countries. Americans like to talk about our greatness, the Chinese apparently want to invest in becoming great.

America is the world's greatest country, and I like to say that as much as anyone. But knowing you're great doesn't excuse you from fixing your problems and it certainly doesn't mean that failing to address an issue is going to make that issue disappear. If you love your grandmother and she's sick, you take her to the hospital, you don't pretend that she's healthy, and you certainly don't use her well-being decades ago to justify her current status.

America faces competition, serious competition. Other countries know what made America great and they're taking the steps to make their countries great. They're educating their workforces to create both innovators and skilled workers; they're investing in the technology of today and tomorrow and not the oil and coal of yesterday; they're creating countries that people want to travel to and want to stay in, not scaring people away with archaic, xenophobic laws.

So for the sake of tomorrow's America, I'm reiterating the importance of yesterday's post. Our elected officials, and for that matter, our electorate have got to find some common ground in being Americans. I'm no Republican, and while I'd prefer that Democrats still controlled the House of Representatives, I'd rather live in a world in which America is the greatest country than a world in which America is controlled by the political party I support.

If Americans can't begin to work together and compromise to make difficult but imperative political decisions then we'll be stuck listening to Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin talk about how great we are on the airwaves while watching China zoom by us in real life.

I can only hope that if our politicians can make our spinach safe, they can keep us great.