Donald Trump is a true fool, an embarrassment to himself and to America and he's not even denying it. Today, after years of speculation about whether or not President Obama is a citizen, the President released his birth certificate. Even though we've known all along that Obama is a US citizen and no president before him has ever been forced to do this, idiots like Donald Trump just wouldn't let the issue go. We all know that the "speculation" is nothing more than an underlying and perhaps even subconscious racial paranoia, but it was speculation nonetheless and sadly, the release of Obama's birth certificate probably won't resolve the issue.
Even more sadly, the issue had been confined to a group of fringe idiots until Donald Trump spent a fortune to make it mainstream. Championing the "birther" cause, Trump has spent money "investigating" Obama's birth certificate and doing interviews recently about how Obama isn't a citizen.
Rather than being sensible, Trump was a fool and today, after the release of the birth certificate, he patted himself on the back for being such a moron. Watch his statement here. Trump is honored and proud of himself for making such an issue out of a non-issue that the president finally posted his birth certificate instead of worrying about, you know, the state of the country. This wasn't even making a mountain out of a molehill, this was making a mountain out of a mound of garbage. Way to go, Trump, you're a real winner.
Trump's ego-massaging didn't end with that though. He's glad that now when he does interviews people will stop asking him about the issue. News flash Trump, the only reason you were doing interviews was to talk about the birther issue. You don't have anything else to say. The only reason you're famous is for being an asshole on your show The Apprentice and for being an asshole to Rosie O'Donnell. No one actually likes you, you're just a jerk and it's why you're famous. In order to keep that fame going, you have to find new ways to be a jerk, so you took up the birther issue. You're relieved the media will stop hounding you about this? Get over yourself, moron, the only reason the media paid any attention to you is because you took an extremist idea and threw a lot of money at it. You looked like a fool doing it and you look like a fool now and somehow you're proud of yourself about that. Meanwhile America faces a plethora of pressing issues, most of which you probably don't have a clue about. But you're a jerk with money so you create media attention for yourself.
Donald Trump is America's Embarrassment today and he is proud of it. My hope is that this "success" will propel Trump to the Republican nomination so that he can be humiliated nationally when he loses to Obama in 2012 thus ensuring that a REAL AMERICAN with REAL IDEAS about how to move our country forward will have another four years to make America better. That will be good for Trump anyhow, it will give him something else to be bitter about and then he can spend his money to further embarrass himself by being a jackass in front of the whole country.
You're fired Trump, get out.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A different kind of budget
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Paul Krugman, so naturally I read his piece in the NYTimes about raising taxes yesterday. Normally I agree with Krugman, and I agree with most of what he had to say yesterday. In Paul Ryan fantasy world, we can eliminate the deficit without raising taxes. And in the World of Warcraft, dragons fight ogres.
In reality, that just doesn't work. Our tax code needs an overhaul. Somehow I paid the federal government $400 in extra taxes last month while GE paid $0...at least the government needs the money. It's almost like a charitable donation. I'm ok giving money to charity. Under the Paul Ryan plan, my tax money would be used to give tax breaks to millionaires. I'm not ok with that.
So all sensible people know that in order to fix our budget issues we will have to raise taxes, but how much? After all, taxes that are too high can stifle investment and innovation. While Paul Ryan's plan represents a poor extreme as far as budget proposals go, there is another poor extreme on the other side of the spectrum, the tax too much extreme.
In his piece yesterday, Krugman trumpets the People's Budget put forward by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. I took a look at the People's Budget and there is a lot to like. It applies real solutions to the problems of the deficit rather than shifting costs to consumers by dismantling coverage.
But if Paul Ryan's plan is tax-free, the People's Budget struck me as a bit too tax heavy. It's a much better proposal than Ryan's, which - despite some good ideas - is a very poor plan. And while the People's Budget leaves in place systems and programs that benefit millions of Americans, it still increases taxes too much for me.
Which leads me to this: Republicans love tax cuts, especially for rich. They justify tax cuts with the theory of trickle down economics, a theory which has been proven not to work. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Republican vision of the future is the past. Yet there is something to be said for the Republican idea of confidence. That is, if the government had given me $1200 or even $400 in my tax returns instead of taking an additional $400 from me, I would have been a good patriotic consumer and spent or invested that money. Paradoxically, what Republicans don't get is that confidence extends to more than just tax cuts. For example, if I have health insurance, I'll feel comfortable spending money instead of fretting about what happens if I become ill.
So what I don't understand is how Republicans understand that tax breaks create confidence and allow people to spend and invest but don't get that having other safety nets in place does the same thing. Meanwhile Democrats understand that safety nets bolster society as a whole but don't seem to get that unreasonable taxation stifles investment and innovation. This strikes me as strange.
So what I'm hoping for is something in between and I'm now counting on this group of six in the Senate to provide it. Paul Ryan flopped and the People's Budget - while a good starting point - taxes a bit too much (and far too much for it to be considered politically). What we need is a different kind of budget, a bipartisan kind of budget. One that will acknowledge the need for tax hikes while also realizing that we have to make smart and difficult decisions about spending cuts. It needs to address Social Security and Medicare without ending those programs and it needs to take into account how to trim defense spending while protecting America's national security. This is all very possible and the fact that there exists a bipartisan group of Senators working on the issue is encouraging. I hope and I believe that the group of six will present us with something bold and effective.
In reality, that just doesn't work. Our tax code needs an overhaul. Somehow I paid the federal government $400 in extra taxes last month while GE paid $0...at least the government needs the money. It's almost like a charitable donation. I'm ok giving money to charity. Under the Paul Ryan plan, my tax money would be used to give tax breaks to millionaires. I'm not ok with that.
So all sensible people know that in order to fix our budget issues we will have to raise taxes, but how much? After all, taxes that are too high can stifle investment and innovation. While Paul Ryan's plan represents a poor extreme as far as budget proposals go, there is another poor extreme on the other side of the spectrum, the tax too much extreme.
In his piece yesterday, Krugman trumpets the People's Budget put forward by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. I took a look at the People's Budget and there is a lot to like. It applies real solutions to the problems of the deficit rather than shifting costs to consumers by dismantling coverage.
But if Paul Ryan's plan is tax-free, the People's Budget struck me as a bit too tax heavy. It's a much better proposal than Ryan's, which - despite some good ideas - is a very poor plan. And while the People's Budget leaves in place systems and programs that benefit millions of Americans, it still increases taxes too much for me.
Which leads me to this: Republicans love tax cuts, especially for rich. They justify tax cuts with the theory of trickle down economics, a theory which has been proven not to work. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Republican vision of the future is the past. Yet there is something to be said for the Republican idea of confidence. That is, if the government had given me $1200 or even $400 in my tax returns instead of taking an additional $400 from me, I would have been a good patriotic consumer and spent or invested that money. Paradoxically, what Republicans don't get is that confidence extends to more than just tax cuts. For example, if I have health insurance, I'll feel comfortable spending money instead of fretting about what happens if I become ill.
So what I don't understand is how Republicans understand that tax breaks create confidence and allow people to spend and invest but don't get that having other safety nets in place does the same thing. Meanwhile Democrats understand that safety nets bolster society as a whole but don't seem to get that unreasonable taxation stifles investment and innovation. This strikes me as strange.
So what I'm hoping for is something in between and I'm now counting on this group of six in the Senate to provide it. Paul Ryan flopped and the People's Budget - while a good starting point - taxes a bit too much (and far too much for it to be considered politically). What we need is a different kind of budget, a bipartisan kind of budget. One that will acknowledge the need for tax hikes while also realizing that we have to make smart and difficult decisions about spending cuts. It needs to address Social Security and Medicare without ending those programs and it needs to take into account how to trim defense spending while protecting America's national security. This is all very possible and the fact that there exists a bipartisan group of Senators working on the issue is encouraging. I hope and I believe that the group of six will present us with something bold and effective.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Where is Barack Obama from!?!?
This is getting out of hand, I mean seriously out of hand, only AMERICANS can be president. To be an American, you have to be born in America. Unless of course you're born in Panama to American parents, but that's another issue. So I'm sick and tired of our country being run by this Barack Obama guy who pretends he was born in Hawaii. I mean really? Barack?
I'm glad serious people like Donald Trump - whose presidential bid, if America is lucky, will dissipate like sugar in water - are out to prove that the President is a big phony. I'm glad with all the serious issues our country is facing that we are making absolutely sure that even the president isn't above the law. I'm glad...
Ok, I couldn't keep it up; I just simply ran out of nonsense to say about this nonsense. Even the Tea Party has picked a real issue to make noise about. Donald Trump is just crazy. Sadly, people out there are listening to this crap. According to a recent survey taken by the New York Times and CBS one out of every four Americans think President Obama wasn't born in America! We're still stuck in a recession; we're still at war in Afghanistan and trying to figure out Libya and the rest of the Middle East; we still face a growing energy crisis that is exacerbated by a refusal by some to acknowledge science...I wonder how many Americans don't believe in global warming...
But HOLD THE PHONES, the president was born in Kenya? And Donald Trump says so!? Today's sign of the apocalypse: a man with a toupee and a lot of money is on a mission to prove President Obama isn't American.
The sad, serious part of all this is that legislators in a number of states are taking up this banner and attempting to turn a non-issue - a non-starter in fact - into a tool to galvanize political support. Fortunately, many of the bills haven't become law. Even grumpy old Jan Brewer in Arizona wasn't dumb enough to sign a bill passed by the Arizona legislature into law. Next up, Oklahoma, a state that has already banned Sharia law, thus preventing an Islamic takeover of America's heartland. Perhaps that bastion of enlightenment can also provide America with a law demanding Barack Obama's removal from office, thus preventing an Islamic takeover of the white house.
The mythology of Barack Obama the Kenyan persists and grows and while it does, the economic, social, environmental and international issues that require our immediate attention are pushed aside. But hey, Trump 2012 for an AMERICAN America!
I'm glad serious people like Donald Trump - whose presidential bid, if America is lucky, will dissipate like sugar in water - are out to prove that the President is a big phony. I'm glad with all the serious issues our country is facing that we are making absolutely sure that even the president isn't above the law. I'm glad...
Ok, I couldn't keep it up; I just simply ran out of nonsense to say about this nonsense. Even the Tea Party has picked a real issue to make noise about. Donald Trump is just crazy. Sadly, people out there are listening to this crap. According to a recent survey taken by the New York Times and CBS one out of every four Americans think President Obama wasn't born in America! We're still stuck in a recession; we're still at war in Afghanistan and trying to figure out Libya and the rest of the Middle East; we still face a growing energy crisis that is exacerbated by a refusal by some to acknowledge science...I wonder how many Americans don't believe in global warming...
But HOLD THE PHONES, the president was born in Kenya? And Donald Trump says so!? Today's sign of the apocalypse: a man with a toupee and a lot of money is on a mission to prove President Obama isn't American.
The sad, serious part of all this is that legislators in a number of states are taking up this banner and attempting to turn a non-issue - a non-starter in fact - into a tool to galvanize political support. Fortunately, many of the bills haven't become law. Even grumpy old Jan Brewer in Arizona wasn't dumb enough to sign a bill passed by the Arizona legislature into law. Next up, Oklahoma, a state that has already banned Sharia law, thus preventing an Islamic takeover of America's heartland. Perhaps that bastion of enlightenment can also provide America with a law demanding Barack Obama's removal from office, thus preventing an Islamic takeover of the white house.
The mythology of Barack Obama the Kenyan persists and grows and while it does, the economic, social, environmental and international issues that require our immediate attention are pushed aside. But hey, Trump 2012 for an AMERICAN America!
Friday, April 15, 2011
A real budget for a real America
Did you see the President on Wednesday? You may not have recognized him because he's been in hiding for quite some time, letting Republicans dominate the airwaves with their silliness, but I guess he was just resting up because on Wednesday he came out swinging and man did he look good!
Before I get into how Obama made Paul Ryan look silly, I'd like to turn your attention west, to Britain. As you may remember, Britain imposed harsh austerity measures a year ago, planning on turning around their economy and reducing their deficit. Take a look at Britain today and see how that's working out. The layoff of more that 300,000 government employees due to cuts may very well lead the country back into recession. That's not a foregone conclusion, but it's always sadly amusing to hear Republicans say they're concerned with creating jobs when their policies will cost thousands of jobs. For the economy to grow there needs to be demand and unemployed people don't spend their paychecks. Obviously there has to be a balance between public and private employees (and by balance I mean there need to be FAR more private sector employees than public employees), but nonetheless, public employees are spending those paychecks and creating demand. Republicans seem to either forget that or just simply not care.
Anyhow, back to Obama's budget plan. I want to start with a bit of criticism. I've been hearing a lot of this lately: "we've got to live within our means." Let's talk leadership for a second. Leadership requires vision and President Obama certainly delivered plenty of that in his speech, but Russia is planning a lunar base as a stepping stone to putting a man on Mars. If any country beats the United States to putting a man on Mars it would be a national travesty and an embarrassment. Let's stop pretending like America is a decrepit nation on the way out and that we have to cut back on our greatness to reflect our position as an impoverished nation that must live within its means. This is America, we've got problems and we're going to fix them because that's what we do in America.
But about those problems, the deficit specifically, the President did not disappoint. Rather than offering a vision of America in which we're too poor to provide basic services (although still somehow rich enough to give money to rich people), the president outlined a much better path.
Among the cuts he mentioned - and he was far too vague - were many that I and a multitude of others have mentioned in the past. He began by talking about cutting defense spending. The need for cuts in defense spending is paramount. We can assure America's safety and still spend less and more wisely on defense. How's this for hypocrisy - CBO analysis has shown that the $38 billion in cuts passed recently really only amounts to about $350 million. Why? Because they were offset by increased military spending. Keep that in mind next time you go to the polls.
The president then went on to address healthcare spending, the main driver of federal spending and debt. Let's make this clear for anyone who may not understand the difference between Obamacare and Paul-Ryan-no-care. Skyrocketing health costs are the main driver of federal debt. The Paul Ryan plan for fixing rising health costs is to ignore them and slash spending by refusing to pay for Medicare, instead offering vouchers to help subsidize costs. All this does is shift the cost to people; it makes Americans shoulder the burden. In no way whatsoever does it even attempt to control rising costs. Obamacare (I'm staring to love the term) is an attempt to spread the burden by requiring that everyone have insurance so that my taxes don't pay for your healthcare. It focuses on cheaply preventing diseases rather than expensively treating them. It's not a perfect bill, but it attempts to address the problem and preserve benefits for Americans rather than running from the problems while leaving Americans with less.
Finally, Obama mentioned the politically incorrect, but the fiscally responsible step that has to be taken, raising taxes. In Paul Ryan fairly tale land we can make $4.3 trillion in cuts, but also cut $4.2 trillion in revenue and close the deficit. In Paul Ryan fairy tale land, vampires and werewolves are friends, but everyone knows that in real life vampires and werewolves are locked in an ancient, unending war, so we know Paul Ryan's budget is loony. In reality, we will have to raise taxes. This year I paid the federal government $400 and GE paid the federal government $0. Aside from being grossly unfair, is that kind of revenue really going to fix our deficit? Is cutting revenue further going to make it better.
There are obviously other areas that need to be addressed to truly make the government efficient and yet still allow it to provide the services that Americans want. But if we want to ensure the greatness of our country we have to do so with sensible cuts that maintain a view of America's future greatness and the well-being of all Americans. We cannot afford a budget that cuts everything including revenue and benefits only the wealthy. Exit Paul Ryan, enter Barack Obama, a man with a real budget for a real America.
Before I get into how Obama made Paul Ryan look silly, I'd like to turn your attention west, to Britain. As you may remember, Britain imposed harsh austerity measures a year ago, planning on turning around their economy and reducing their deficit. Take a look at Britain today and see how that's working out. The layoff of more that 300,000 government employees due to cuts may very well lead the country back into recession. That's not a foregone conclusion, but it's always sadly amusing to hear Republicans say they're concerned with creating jobs when their policies will cost thousands of jobs. For the economy to grow there needs to be demand and unemployed people don't spend their paychecks. Obviously there has to be a balance between public and private employees (and by balance I mean there need to be FAR more private sector employees than public employees), but nonetheless, public employees are spending those paychecks and creating demand. Republicans seem to either forget that or just simply not care.
Anyhow, back to Obama's budget plan. I want to start with a bit of criticism. I've been hearing a lot of this lately: "we've got to live within our means." Let's talk leadership for a second. Leadership requires vision and President Obama certainly delivered plenty of that in his speech, but Russia is planning a lunar base as a stepping stone to putting a man on Mars. If any country beats the United States to putting a man on Mars it would be a national travesty and an embarrassment. Let's stop pretending like America is a decrepit nation on the way out and that we have to cut back on our greatness to reflect our position as an impoverished nation that must live within its means. This is America, we've got problems and we're going to fix them because that's what we do in America.
But about those problems, the deficit specifically, the President did not disappoint. Rather than offering a vision of America in which we're too poor to provide basic services (although still somehow rich enough to give money to rich people), the president outlined a much better path.
Among the cuts he mentioned - and he was far too vague - were many that I and a multitude of others have mentioned in the past. He began by talking about cutting defense spending. The need for cuts in defense spending is paramount. We can assure America's safety and still spend less and more wisely on defense. How's this for hypocrisy - CBO analysis has shown that the $38 billion in cuts passed recently really only amounts to about $350 million. Why? Because they were offset by increased military spending. Keep that in mind next time you go to the polls.
The president then went on to address healthcare spending, the main driver of federal spending and debt. Let's make this clear for anyone who may not understand the difference between Obamacare and Paul-Ryan-no-care. Skyrocketing health costs are the main driver of federal debt. The Paul Ryan plan for fixing rising health costs is to ignore them and slash spending by refusing to pay for Medicare, instead offering vouchers to help subsidize costs. All this does is shift the cost to people; it makes Americans shoulder the burden. In no way whatsoever does it even attempt to control rising costs. Obamacare (I'm staring to love the term) is an attempt to spread the burden by requiring that everyone have insurance so that my taxes don't pay for your healthcare. It focuses on cheaply preventing diseases rather than expensively treating them. It's not a perfect bill, but it attempts to address the problem and preserve benefits for Americans rather than running from the problems while leaving Americans with less.
Finally, Obama mentioned the politically incorrect, but the fiscally responsible step that has to be taken, raising taxes. In Paul Ryan fairly tale land we can make $4.3 trillion in cuts, but also cut $4.2 trillion in revenue and close the deficit. In Paul Ryan fairy tale land, vampires and werewolves are friends, but everyone knows that in real life vampires and werewolves are locked in an ancient, unending war, so we know Paul Ryan's budget is loony. In reality, we will have to raise taxes. This year I paid the federal government $400 and GE paid the federal government $0. Aside from being grossly unfair, is that kind of revenue really going to fix our deficit? Is cutting revenue further going to make it better.
There are obviously other areas that need to be addressed to truly make the government efficient and yet still allow it to provide the services that Americans want. But if we want to ensure the greatness of our country we have to do so with sensible cuts that maintain a view of America's future greatness and the well-being of all Americans. We cannot afford a budget that cuts everything including revenue and benefits only the wealthy. Exit Paul Ryan, enter Barack Obama, a man with a real budget for a real America.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
How to fix the Deficit while still lowering Taxes
HA! Tricked you. I bet you thought you would read this post and think to yourself, wow, we can do it. Rich people can pay less and we as a country can still get more.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but this is a fantasy, not unlike unicorns, yetis and the Smurfs. In a more in depth analysis of the Paul Ryan plan, it has come to my attention that that all of the budget cutting that Ryan would do would be offset by lowering taxes for rich people. In effect, the rich would get more money and the middle class and poor people would lose benefits. This is the path to prosperity? It's been more than two decades since Reagan and we're still trying to practice his economic theory. I got bad news Paul, the jury is in and judgement has been passed. It's the economy, stupid. Reaganomics set the stage for poor HW Bush to get ousted by Bill Clinton because the economy stunk. We know that there is no trickle down in trickle down economics!
So Paul Ryan has given us a budget that cuts benefits for almost all Americans and still doesn't save money! It's almost incomprehensible. Check that, it is completely incomprehensible.
Today, President Obama will outline his plan for a budget which will include tax increases for the wealthiest Americans. There is an article on Foxnews.com titled, "Obama Eyes Tax Increases in Debt Plan, Faces GOP Opposition." Yes, the GOP is still convinced that we can fix our debt problem - a problem created by HW's son, Dubya - by destroying the middle class and letting rich people pay less. Mathematically this doesn't work, but math is too real for the GOP. They prefer unicorns and Smurfs.
Consider this quote in all its stupidity from none other than the leader of the fools, John Boehner, "We don't have deficits because Americans are taxed too little, we have deficits because Washington spends too much," House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday. "And at a time when the American people face skyrocketing prices at the pump, energy tax hikes are a particularly bad idea."
A brief analysis of just those two sentences can tell you everything you need to know about the hypocrisy and foolishness of the Republican Party. For starters, we have deficits both because Washington spends too much AND because Americans are taxed too little. We don't have to go back far to remember how Republicans led by Dubya took the unbelievable and unprecedented step of lowering taxes during wartime, and not just one war, two wars. Never before in American history had this been the case. We should also keep in mind that the Medicare Part D was passed in 2003 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Bush.
So sure, Washington spends a lot, and Obama is certainly not exempt, although the stimulus package undoubtedly helped save jobs and Obamacare will ultimately save the government money. But to say that Americans aren't taxed too little and worse that we can fix our deficit problems while lowering taxes for billionaires is equivalent to saying that you caught leprechaun riding a chinese dragon.
Boehner goes on to explain how energy taxes would be a bad idea. This isn't just shortsighted, this is a complete inability to see what is in front of you. Oil is dirty and it's limited. When Winston Churchill modernized the Royal Navy nearly a century ago, he made the switch from coal-fired ships to oil-powered ships. That should clue you in on oil as an energy source, it's glory days are over. The future of energy is not oil. True, a gas tax would certainly cause temporary pain, but the revenue would help pay off the deficit and it would spur investment and innovation in alternative energy, the future of the American and global economy. If we really want to talk about shared sacrifice, job creation and budget reduction we should tax gas incrementally starting yesterday.
But these things aren't on the radar of the Goofy Out-of-Touch Politicians, no, the GOP would rather spend its time saddling the shrinking middle class with higher costs for less benefits while funneling money to the rich, some of which of course would "trickle down" to the rest of us thereby setting America on the "Path to Prosperity." Sure thing, and after that, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but this is a fantasy, not unlike unicorns, yetis and the Smurfs. In a more in depth analysis of the Paul Ryan plan, it has come to my attention that that all of the budget cutting that Ryan would do would be offset by lowering taxes for rich people. In effect, the rich would get more money and the middle class and poor people would lose benefits. This is the path to prosperity? It's been more than two decades since Reagan and we're still trying to practice his economic theory. I got bad news Paul, the jury is in and judgement has been passed. It's the economy, stupid. Reaganomics set the stage for poor HW Bush to get ousted by Bill Clinton because the economy stunk. We know that there is no trickle down in trickle down economics!
So Paul Ryan has given us a budget that cuts benefits for almost all Americans and still doesn't save money! It's almost incomprehensible. Check that, it is completely incomprehensible.
Today, President Obama will outline his plan for a budget which will include tax increases for the wealthiest Americans. There is an article on Foxnews.com titled, "Obama Eyes Tax Increases in Debt Plan, Faces GOP Opposition." Yes, the GOP is still convinced that we can fix our debt problem - a problem created by HW's son, Dubya - by destroying the middle class and letting rich people pay less. Mathematically this doesn't work, but math is too real for the GOP. They prefer unicorns and Smurfs.
Consider this quote in all its stupidity from none other than the leader of the fools, John Boehner, "We don't have deficits because Americans are taxed too little, we have deficits because Washington spends too much," House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday. "And at a time when the American people face skyrocketing prices at the pump, energy tax hikes are a particularly bad idea."
A brief analysis of just those two sentences can tell you everything you need to know about the hypocrisy and foolishness of the Republican Party. For starters, we have deficits both because Washington spends too much AND because Americans are taxed too little. We don't have to go back far to remember how Republicans led by Dubya took the unbelievable and unprecedented step of lowering taxes during wartime, and not just one war, two wars. Never before in American history had this been the case. We should also keep in mind that the Medicare Part D was passed in 2003 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Bush.
So sure, Washington spends a lot, and Obama is certainly not exempt, although the stimulus package undoubtedly helped save jobs and Obamacare will ultimately save the government money. But to say that Americans aren't taxed too little and worse that we can fix our deficit problems while lowering taxes for billionaires is equivalent to saying that you caught leprechaun riding a chinese dragon.
Boehner goes on to explain how energy taxes would be a bad idea. This isn't just shortsighted, this is a complete inability to see what is in front of you. Oil is dirty and it's limited. When Winston Churchill modernized the Royal Navy nearly a century ago, he made the switch from coal-fired ships to oil-powered ships. That should clue you in on oil as an energy source, it's glory days are over. The future of energy is not oil. True, a gas tax would certainly cause temporary pain, but the revenue would help pay off the deficit and it would spur investment and innovation in alternative energy, the future of the American and global economy. If we really want to talk about shared sacrifice, job creation and budget reduction we should tax gas incrementally starting yesterday.
But these things aren't on the radar of the Goofy Out-of-Touch Politicians, no, the GOP would rather spend its time saddling the shrinking middle class with higher costs for less benefits while funneling money to the rich, some of which of course would "trickle down" to the rest of us thereby setting America on the "Path to Prosperity." Sure thing, and after that, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Feeling inspired by Russia?
It's a sad day when I have to look towards Russia to find some future project to be inspired by, but the Kremlin is providing a vision for the future that American's politicians have lost. According to Vladimir Putin, Russia is planning a moon base to act as a jumping point for a manned mission to Mars. Well that's awesome. While America's leaders fight battles over whether or not we should pour greenhouse gases into the air, Russia has come up with an exciting prospect, a way to push humanity forward, a goal to unite people behind rather than an argument to divide them.
It was five decades ago that Russia sent the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space. The space race that was initiated shortly before by the Russian launch of Sputnik, not only united our country, but set off an educational boom that led to the invention and creation of jobs and consumer products that spun off of space-based technology.
Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon really was a giant leap for mankind, and it represented the collective greatness of all Americans. What can we do as the United States of America? What can we do with inspired vision and leadership? We can put a man on the moon that's for sure. I don't see why we should stop there. America is the world's leader, the rest of the world looks to us for leadership and inspiration. Part of America's mission should be to provide a visionary look to the future. Maybe just like last time, Russia will give us a little kick in the butt.
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Paul Ryan Plan
I've had some time to review the Paul Ryan Plan, and though I still won't call myself an expert, I'm ready to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Before I get there, I would like to offer an obligatory "shame on you" to the Republican Party whose members are currently threatening to shut down the government over issues pertaining to women's and environmental health. Way to lead guys, way to lead.
Back to Pauly Ryan. In previous posts I've bashed Ryan, and I was not incorrect to do so. The man has presented some mind-bogglingly bad ideas that illustrate either his dishonesty or his inability to do math or both. In today's post I am going to bash Paul Ryan a little bit more, but I'm also going to praise him, so when looking at Paul Ryan's plan, let us start with the good.
What good do we find in Paul Ryan's plan? Well to start with, we find the plan itself. Flawed though it is, Paul Ryan has done something that no one else has dared to do, he has stared (some of) the main drivers of debt in the eye and come up with (flawed) plans to tackle them. For all we hear about the evils of government spending, the people who are most against it - the Tea Party - are wasting there time with inconsequential cuts that will hurt Americans but not dent the debt. Paul Ryan has actually attempted to curb some of those drivers. That makes him an easy political target, but he has had the gall to do what no Democrat or Republican will, address the real issues. Even if his plan only acts as a conversation starter, he deserves to be lauded for showing some fortitude on this issues. The man clearly believes we have to make changes and he understands what things need to be changed.
Ryan's plan also calls for states to receive lump sums or block grants to cover Medicaid. Rather than allocating the money, the federal government will give states money and allow them to make the decisions. This may very well be more efficient, but it may also lead to a serious loss in benefits depending on how the state decides to spend the money.
Of course, if you look only at the numbers, the Paul Ryan plan cuts trillions of dollars in spending. In terms of fixing our long-term deficit, it's on point...until of course we get to the bad.
The plan has job growth goals that aren't only unrealistic, they're unworldly. In fact they're so unrealistic that the analysis, done by the Heritage Foundation, was removed from their website. The problem with the analysis has mainly to do with the tried and untrue Republican idea of trickle down economics. Despite the fact that we know this doesn't lead to dynamic growth, it's still being thrown out there as serious economic policy. Paul's plan lowers taxes dramatically, which of course sounds good, but also doesn't necessarily spur job growth and means that the plan is based on cutting alone. That may sound good until you realize what is being cut...which brings us to the ugly.
As if relying on flawed economic theory and faulty job creation projections weren't enough, Paul has skirted the real issues by making cuts that would harm Americans rather than coming up with creative solutions to the problems. For example, Paul attempts to tackle the problem of Medicare spending by privatizing the system. It's true that this would save a lot of money, but it's also true that people would also be getting worse coverage. Pay less, get less. Fair enough I suppose, everyone will have to sacrifice, but Ryan's plan doesn't attempt to rein in the ever rising cost of healthcare. Unlike the President's new healthcare law which attempts to control costs by sharing the burden of payment, Paul Ryan just wants to cut benefits. It's not so much a solution as a shortchange. It is increasingly evident that Republicans don't have a solution for how to fix the problems of healthcare. It's a good thing we've got Obamacare.
Furthermore, Ryan doesn't go anywhere near Social Security. For a budget that is bold enough to cut Medicare, it's strange that Ryan didn't attempt to reform social security. At the very least, even if no steps are taken to reform how money is spent, the retirement age must rise. That alone will make a dent, and it's an important step to take.
Finally, Paul Ryan is living in a fantasy world in which it's possible to fix our deficit woes without raising taxes, in fact, Paul Ryan is living in a fantasy world in which we can cut taxes significantly and still run a surplus in the future! Aside from being fantastical, this is just morally wrong. Paul Ryan's "path to prosperity" involves giving more money to rich people while cutting benefits for the poor and elderly. Typical. Only a combination of taxes and spending cuts is going to solve our budget woes.
In conclusion, Paul Ryan deserves some credit. He's done what no other politician, either Democrat or Republican has had the fortitude to do. He put himself in the firing line and perhaps jump started an important national debate by proposing necessary albeit controversial ideas. However Ryan's approach is flawed and based on either outright deceit or a gross misunderstanding of the issues.
Put simply, I think Ryan has constructed a nice template for fixing our long-term deficit problems and I hope that he will spur other politicians to make tough decisions and choices and get involved in a very important debate. Having said that, Ryan's plan is only the "path to prosperity" for those who are already prosperous, the real work of fixing our budget will have to be done by people who understand the drivers of long-term debt AND care about the welfare of average Americans.
Before I get there, I would like to offer an obligatory "shame on you" to the Republican Party whose members are currently threatening to shut down the government over issues pertaining to women's and environmental health. Way to lead guys, way to lead.
Back to Pauly Ryan. In previous posts I've bashed Ryan, and I was not incorrect to do so. The man has presented some mind-bogglingly bad ideas that illustrate either his dishonesty or his inability to do math or both. In today's post I am going to bash Paul Ryan a little bit more, but I'm also going to praise him, so when looking at Paul Ryan's plan, let us start with the good.
What good do we find in Paul Ryan's plan? Well to start with, we find the plan itself. Flawed though it is, Paul Ryan has done something that no one else has dared to do, he has stared (some of) the main drivers of debt in the eye and come up with (flawed) plans to tackle them. For all we hear about the evils of government spending, the people who are most against it - the Tea Party - are wasting there time with inconsequential cuts that will hurt Americans but not dent the debt. Paul Ryan has actually attempted to curb some of those drivers. That makes him an easy political target, but he has had the gall to do what no Democrat or Republican will, address the real issues. Even if his plan only acts as a conversation starter, he deserves to be lauded for showing some fortitude on this issues. The man clearly believes we have to make changes and he understands what things need to be changed.
Ryan's plan also calls for states to receive lump sums or block grants to cover Medicaid. Rather than allocating the money, the federal government will give states money and allow them to make the decisions. This may very well be more efficient, but it may also lead to a serious loss in benefits depending on how the state decides to spend the money.
Of course, if you look only at the numbers, the Paul Ryan plan cuts trillions of dollars in spending. In terms of fixing our long-term deficit, it's on point...until of course we get to the bad.
The plan has job growth goals that aren't only unrealistic, they're unworldly. In fact they're so unrealistic that the analysis, done by the Heritage Foundation, was removed from their website. The problem with the analysis has mainly to do with the tried and untrue Republican idea of trickle down economics. Despite the fact that we know this doesn't lead to dynamic growth, it's still being thrown out there as serious economic policy. Paul's plan lowers taxes dramatically, which of course sounds good, but also doesn't necessarily spur job growth and means that the plan is based on cutting alone. That may sound good until you realize what is being cut...which brings us to the ugly.
As if relying on flawed economic theory and faulty job creation projections weren't enough, Paul has skirted the real issues by making cuts that would harm Americans rather than coming up with creative solutions to the problems. For example, Paul attempts to tackle the problem of Medicare spending by privatizing the system. It's true that this would save a lot of money, but it's also true that people would also be getting worse coverage. Pay less, get less. Fair enough I suppose, everyone will have to sacrifice, but Ryan's plan doesn't attempt to rein in the ever rising cost of healthcare. Unlike the President's new healthcare law which attempts to control costs by sharing the burden of payment, Paul Ryan just wants to cut benefits. It's not so much a solution as a shortchange. It is increasingly evident that Republicans don't have a solution for how to fix the problems of healthcare. It's a good thing we've got Obamacare.
Furthermore, Ryan doesn't go anywhere near Social Security. For a budget that is bold enough to cut Medicare, it's strange that Ryan didn't attempt to reform social security. At the very least, even if no steps are taken to reform how money is spent, the retirement age must rise. That alone will make a dent, and it's an important step to take.
Finally, Paul Ryan is living in a fantasy world in which it's possible to fix our deficit woes without raising taxes, in fact, Paul Ryan is living in a fantasy world in which we can cut taxes significantly and still run a surplus in the future! Aside from being fantastical, this is just morally wrong. Paul Ryan's "path to prosperity" involves giving more money to rich people while cutting benefits for the poor and elderly. Typical. Only a combination of taxes and spending cuts is going to solve our budget woes.
In conclusion, Paul Ryan deserves some credit. He's done what no other politician, either Democrat or Republican has had the fortitude to do. He put himself in the firing line and perhaps jump started an important national debate by proposing necessary albeit controversial ideas. However Ryan's approach is flawed and based on either outright deceit or a gross misunderstanding of the issues.
Put simply, I think Ryan has constructed a nice template for fixing our long-term deficit problems and I hope that he will spur other politicians to make tough decisions and choices and get involved in a very important debate. Having said that, Ryan's plan is only the "path to prosperity" for those who are already prosperous, the real work of fixing our budget will have to be done by people who understand the drivers of long-term debt AND care about the welfare of average Americans.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Near the Edge of the Precipice
Tomorrow the government will shutdown due to lack of funding. A few days ago perhaps this wasn't a foregone conclusion. Today it seems almost predestined. While I certainly hope for the sake of the nation that Democrats and Republicans can work things out, it's looking increasingly less likely that a deal will get done as we approach the deadline.
I've been doing a lot of reading on who will benefit from this politically, Democrats or Republicans. I think it's a shame that we're discussing who will benefit politically when we know who will suffer - Americans. A government shutdown may be good for one party or the other, but it's not good for us.
Nevertheless, our politicians can't reach a compromise, and though neither side deserves to benefit, one side, excuse me, one fraction of one side is to blame. It goes without saying that I'm talking about the Tea Party. Tea Party politicians are willing to let millions of people lose necessary government support and willing to let government employees lose their paychecks over cuts in last year's budget that won't put a dent in our deficit. Despite the lunacy of shutting down the government and derailing the economy over last year's budget, the Tea Party is unsurprisingly unswayed.
So it is with the economic health of the nation in mind that I implore John Boehner - who well remembers how the last government shutdown played out - as well as moderate Republicans and Democrats to agree on a budget with 30 billion worth of cuts and move forward. America is going to suffer unnecessarily if the government shuts down, and there are far more important topics to discuss, most notably the long-term budget that actually matters.
Given that Paul Ryan has just unveiled a budget that would cut trillions over the next few decades and that at least attempts to tackle some of the real drivers of the deficit, it makes much more sense to work with that blueprint and try to perfect it rather than to nitpick over a much smaller amount of money. Of course, when talking sense one should avoid mentioning the Tea Party, which is why for the good of the nation the Republican Party needs to step up and do what's best for our nation. There are 30 billion dollars worth of cuts on the table. Republicans need to take the deal. After we get past this, we can start to fix the long-term issues, the ones that are important.
But until Boehner finds it within himself to stand up to the idiots in his caucus, we're going to find ourselves looking over the edge of a cliff. And we won't even be looking over the edge of the cliff for much longer, soon, we'll just fall in. Any significant shutdown will stifle economic growth and cause America to suffer, ironically this will happen in the name of economic growth.
So no matter who benefits, we know who is to blame and more importantly, we know will suffer...the people in the mirror. For the sake of our country, John Boehner, unshackle yourself from the Tea Party and make the right choice.
I've been doing a lot of reading on who will benefit from this politically, Democrats or Republicans. I think it's a shame that we're discussing who will benefit politically when we know who will suffer - Americans. A government shutdown may be good for one party or the other, but it's not good for us.
Nevertheless, our politicians can't reach a compromise, and though neither side deserves to benefit, one side, excuse me, one fraction of one side is to blame. It goes without saying that I'm talking about the Tea Party. Tea Party politicians are willing to let millions of people lose necessary government support and willing to let government employees lose their paychecks over cuts in last year's budget that won't put a dent in our deficit. Despite the lunacy of shutting down the government and derailing the economy over last year's budget, the Tea Party is unsurprisingly unswayed.
So it is with the economic health of the nation in mind that I implore John Boehner - who well remembers how the last government shutdown played out - as well as moderate Republicans and Democrats to agree on a budget with 30 billion worth of cuts and move forward. America is going to suffer unnecessarily if the government shuts down, and there are far more important topics to discuss, most notably the long-term budget that actually matters.
Given that Paul Ryan has just unveiled a budget that would cut trillions over the next few decades and that at least attempts to tackle some of the real drivers of the deficit, it makes much more sense to work with that blueprint and try to perfect it rather than to nitpick over a much smaller amount of money. Of course, when talking sense one should avoid mentioning the Tea Party, which is why for the good of the nation the Republican Party needs to step up and do what's best for our nation. There are 30 billion dollars worth of cuts on the table. Republicans need to take the deal. After we get past this, we can start to fix the long-term issues, the ones that are important.
But until Boehner finds it within himself to stand up to the idiots in his caucus, we're going to find ourselves looking over the edge of a cliff. And we won't even be looking over the edge of the cliff for much longer, soon, we'll just fall in. Any significant shutdown will stifle economic growth and cause America to suffer, ironically this will happen in the name of economic growth.
So no matter who benefits, we know who is to blame and more importantly, we know will suffer...the people in the mirror. For the sake of our country, John Boehner, unshackle yourself from the Tea Party and make the right choice.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
"This isn't a budget. This is a cause."
So said Representative Paul Ryan as he unveiled his budget plan today. Ryan's budget will cut nearly six trillion dollars in spending over the next decade. It's a bold proposition, and one that I do not feel qualified to comment on just yet as I have not had time to read over and analyze all of Ryan's ideas.
Having said that, Ryan's comment today struck a chord and it wasn't a good one. Who announces their budget with this line, "This isn't a budget. This is a cause." The answer is someone (or in the case many someones) who is not concerned with a better America or at the very least does not understand how to make America better. Those someones constitute a group called the Tea Party. It is ironic now that in November there were questions about whether Tea Party politicians would arrive in Washington and become co-opted into the Republican establishment. Far from it, the Republican establishment has become co-opted into the Tea Party.
And this is bad, very bad for our nation. From what I've read about Paul Ryan's budget, there are actually a lot of good ideas within it. Again, I'm not ready to pass judgement on that budget one way or another at this time. But in the face of a looming federal shutdown, it has to be pointed out that the Tea Party is playing politics with the welfare of our country. There is a government shutdown looming over the Tea Party's unwillingness to compromise on minor cuts in discretionary spending that would not put even a dent in our deficit. This isn't a budget. This is a cause.
Reality doesn't matter to these people. A government shutdown means millions of people will not receive essential services. It also means government employees won't get their paychecks, which of course also means they won't spend their paychecks, which is bad for the economy. This is a cause.
By allowing itself to become beholden to the campaign promise of the Tea Party, the Republican Party has sold out America. Forget compromise, forget sense. Cutting 100 billion from this year's budget does nothing to fix our long term deficit. It achieves nothing except to deny needy Americans benefits and fulfill a campaign pledge. It doesn't address long term issues, which Paul Ryan is attempting to do. A government shutdown benefits NO ONE. This is a cause.
The problem with causes it that they can consume one's focus and become so important that they obscure evidence and impair judgement. What we're dealing with isn't a budget, it's a cause, and this particular cause is threatening to derail America's economy by refusing to acknowledge that the fight to be fought is one over rising healthcare costs, the insolvency of Social Security and defense spending on things like amphibious landing vehicles. The fight is not to be fought over the budget for a fiscal year that is half gone. But this is a cause, so the fight is going to happen, and unless moderate, sensible Republicans realize that they've cowered before the Tea Party and come to a compromise with Democrats (a compromise that would cut 30 billion from this year's budget and is on the table for the taking), all of America is going to suffer.
Having said that, Ryan's comment today struck a chord and it wasn't a good one. Who announces their budget with this line, "This isn't a budget. This is a cause." The answer is someone (or in the case many someones) who is not concerned with a better America or at the very least does not understand how to make America better. Those someones constitute a group called the Tea Party. It is ironic now that in November there were questions about whether Tea Party politicians would arrive in Washington and become co-opted into the Republican establishment. Far from it, the Republican establishment has become co-opted into the Tea Party.
And this is bad, very bad for our nation. From what I've read about Paul Ryan's budget, there are actually a lot of good ideas within it. Again, I'm not ready to pass judgement on that budget one way or another at this time. But in the face of a looming federal shutdown, it has to be pointed out that the Tea Party is playing politics with the welfare of our country. There is a government shutdown looming over the Tea Party's unwillingness to compromise on minor cuts in discretionary spending that would not put even a dent in our deficit. This isn't a budget. This is a cause.
Reality doesn't matter to these people. A government shutdown means millions of people will not receive essential services. It also means government employees won't get their paychecks, which of course also means they won't spend their paychecks, which is bad for the economy. This is a cause.
By allowing itself to become beholden to the campaign promise of the Tea Party, the Republican Party has sold out America. Forget compromise, forget sense. Cutting 100 billion from this year's budget does nothing to fix our long term deficit. It achieves nothing except to deny needy Americans benefits and fulfill a campaign pledge. It doesn't address long term issues, which Paul Ryan is attempting to do. A government shutdown benefits NO ONE. This is a cause.
The problem with causes it that they can consume one's focus and become so important that they obscure evidence and impair judgement. What we're dealing with isn't a budget, it's a cause, and this particular cause is threatening to derail America's economy by refusing to acknowledge that the fight to be fought is one over rising healthcare costs, the insolvency of Social Security and defense spending on things like amphibious landing vehicles. The fight is not to be fought over the budget for a fiscal year that is half gone. But this is a cause, so the fight is going to happen, and unless moderate, sensible Republicans realize that they've cowered before the Tea Party and come to a compromise with Democrats (a compromise that would cut 30 billion from this year's budget and is on the table for the taking), all of America is going to suffer.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Bad Ideas and Worse Reactions
Perhaps you remember Terry Jones, but in case you don't let me remind you. Terry Jones is the Florida pastor who was going to burn the Qur'an last year on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Under pressure from everyone, including the President and General David Petraeus, Terry backed down. It was a good decision; there wasn't any reason to burn the Qur'an except to provoke outrage among the Muslim community. Similarly, there is no good reason for me to punch a random guy in the face except to piss that person off, so despite having a really bad and bigoted idea, Jones made the right choice.
Until two weeks ago. With little fanfare, Jones and his congregation (all 30 of them) put the Qur'an on trial (for something), found it guilty (of something), and carried out sentencing - execution by fire. It was a bad idea.
Unfortunately, it provoked a far worse reaction, probably the reaction that Jones wanted. On Friday, a mob in Afghanistan poured out of a mosque and attacked the UN compound in Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan and killed 12 people. The burning was a bad idea; the response is unacceptable.
Here's the thing, in America it's acceptable to have bad ideas. It's even acceptable to carry out bad ideas so long as they don't hurt anyone. Burning a Qur'an hurts no one. In my opinion, Terry Jones is a complete jackass, but this is America, he's allowed to be a complete jackass and he's allowed to burn the Qur'an. In fact, he can burn as many of them as he can afford to buy.
Killing people is never acceptable. Muslims have every right to be offended. They're allowed to call Terry Jones a jackass and say bad things about him. They're not allowed to kill UN workers. Pro-democracy movements are sweeping through the Middle East and the United States is spending money and lives to build a democracy in Afghanistan. This is not the kind of behavior that happens in a democracy. This is not the kind of behavior America should support. Sadly, the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as Muslim clerics in Afghanistan did not condone the killings, they condoned the burning.
Terry Jones said after the burning that Islam is not a religion of peace. Apparently neither is his version of Christianity since it was his actions that led to the violence. Nevertheless, idiot though he may be, Terry Jones was within his rights, the murders in Afghanistan were not.
It is important for Muslims to condemn this behavior, and more importantly, it is important for people in would be democracies to understand how democracy works. It's acceptable to disagree and it's even acceptable to be offensive; it's also acceptable to be offended. It's never acceptable to use violence when you're upset. If Muslims in Afghanistan aren't ready for democracy, if they are going to kill UN workers because of some idiot in Florida, then the United States has no business spending money and committing troops to that country.
Christians in America are offended when Jesus is mocked on South Park. They are offended when people tell them that creationism is a myth believed by silly people. They don't kill. Similarly, most Muslims don't kill when a Danish newspaper publishes a cartoon depicting Mohammed. Unfortunately, some Muslims do. That's not okay, and it's time for moderate and sane Muslims - the vast majority of Muslims - to stand up for morality and sanity against violence. Democracy means learning to live with people you don't agree with, perhaps people you don't even like. As democracy comes to the Middle East, Muslims have to hold themselves accountable for these types of questions. They have to work hard to develop a culture of tolerance and understanding. Part of this will come with democracy; Arabs have been oppressed for decades and this oppression leads to intolerance. A more open society - a democracy - will lead to more tolerance, but Arab Muslims (and Afghan Muslims) have some soul-searching to do. Nothing is more important than human life, no book nor drawing nor television show.
I expect the leaders of Muslim democracies to make this clear and to punish the offenders. It's fine for them to condemn Terry Jones, but they must condemn violence even more strongly and they must hold those responsible accountable. If they are unwilling to do that, then America must be unwilling to support them.
Until two weeks ago. With little fanfare, Jones and his congregation (all 30 of them) put the Qur'an on trial (for something), found it guilty (of something), and carried out sentencing - execution by fire. It was a bad idea.
Unfortunately, it provoked a far worse reaction, probably the reaction that Jones wanted. On Friday, a mob in Afghanistan poured out of a mosque and attacked the UN compound in Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan and killed 12 people. The burning was a bad idea; the response is unacceptable.
Here's the thing, in America it's acceptable to have bad ideas. It's even acceptable to carry out bad ideas so long as they don't hurt anyone. Burning a Qur'an hurts no one. In my opinion, Terry Jones is a complete jackass, but this is America, he's allowed to be a complete jackass and he's allowed to burn the Qur'an. In fact, he can burn as many of them as he can afford to buy.
Killing people is never acceptable. Muslims have every right to be offended. They're allowed to call Terry Jones a jackass and say bad things about him. They're not allowed to kill UN workers. Pro-democracy movements are sweeping through the Middle East and the United States is spending money and lives to build a democracy in Afghanistan. This is not the kind of behavior that happens in a democracy. This is not the kind of behavior America should support. Sadly, the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as Muslim clerics in Afghanistan did not condone the killings, they condoned the burning.
Terry Jones said after the burning that Islam is not a religion of peace. Apparently neither is his version of Christianity since it was his actions that led to the violence. Nevertheless, idiot though he may be, Terry Jones was within his rights, the murders in Afghanistan were not.
It is important for Muslims to condemn this behavior, and more importantly, it is important for people in would be democracies to understand how democracy works. It's acceptable to disagree and it's even acceptable to be offensive; it's also acceptable to be offended. It's never acceptable to use violence when you're upset. If Muslims in Afghanistan aren't ready for democracy, if they are going to kill UN workers because of some idiot in Florida, then the United States has no business spending money and committing troops to that country.
Christians in America are offended when Jesus is mocked on South Park. They are offended when people tell them that creationism is a myth believed by silly people. They don't kill. Similarly, most Muslims don't kill when a Danish newspaper publishes a cartoon depicting Mohammed. Unfortunately, some Muslims do. That's not okay, and it's time for moderate and sane Muslims - the vast majority of Muslims - to stand up for morality and sanity against violence. Democracy means learning to live with people you don't agree with, perhaps people you don't even like. As democracy comes to the Middle East, Muslims have to hold themselves accountable for these types of questions. They have to work hard to develop a culture of tolerance and understanding. Part of this will come with democracy; Arabs have been oppressed for decades and this oppression leads to intolerance. A more open society - a democracy - will lead to more tolerance, but Arab Muslims (and Afghan Muslims) have some soul-searching to do. Nothing is more important than human life, no book nor drawing nor television show.
I expect the leaders of Muslim democracies to make this clear and to punish the offenders. It's fine for them to condemn Terry Jones, but they must condemn violence even more strongly and they must hold those responsible accountable. If they are unwilling to do that, then America must be unwilling to support them.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Economic uptick?
Not an April Fool's joke! According to reports, the economy added over 200,000 jobs in March. More good news, the Tea Party is rallying in Washington. That's only half of an April Fool's joke. Let me explain.
We're still in the middle of this fierce and increasingly silly budget debate. It's become so heated that the Tea Party has been holding rallies in Washington to threaten Republicans who compromise on a budget with primary challenges. Some of these people are even advocating a government shutdown. We know, of course, that if America would just do what the Tea Party wants and stop spending money then all our economic woes will...poof...disappear. We know this because the Tea Party is loud about it, not because all the evidence shows otherwise.
On the one hand, consider that Britain, whose government imposed strict austerity nearly a year ago, has seen its economic prospects darken. On the other hand, consider that America's economy has begun to recover - albeit slowly - without any cuts being made. The private sector is creating jobs. Making the budget cuts the Tea Party wants, or worse shutting down the government would set America back economically. Since the fortunes of the Tea Party are probably inversely linked to the fortune of the economy, this makes sense. These people may have policy ideas that are toxic for America's future, but they know a thing or two about self-preservation.
The best part about all this is that the Tea Party is holding a rally in Washington right now prophesying the doom that will be brought both to our nation and to non-Tea Party Republicans if we don't pass budget cuts that will destroy our economy. The fact that the economy added over 200,000 job while these people rant about job-killing budget cuts is just too sweet.
Our recovery has been slow and the effects of the recession are still painful. But the mythology that cutting 100 billion from this year's budget will somehow solve our nation's economic problems is ludicrous. We would be wise to remember that it is far more important to get our long term fiscal house in order than to wantonly chop away at programs whose existence do far more good for Americans than harm to our deficit. Maybe John Boehner - I do love seeing him squirm - will be able to convince his caucus that the real issue - and one that DOES need to be addressed - is long-term spending.
There are ways the Tea Party's super austerity might be useful. Democrats are unwilling to tackle entitlement reform, and Republicans pretend to care about Medicare and Social Security in election years. The Tea Party certainly wants entitlement reform and probably won't shy away from the issue as election day nears, in fact they will probably embrace it. If so, their energy and passion for budget reduction could be put to productive use rather than being aimed at derailing our economy.
In the meantime, Americans will continue to be bombarded by the Tea Party and the media with foolishness about how nothing less than 100 billion worth of cuts will lead to armageddon or a communist takeover or perhaps an infestation of locusts. The Tea Party has really said what will happen if we don't make these cuts, but with every passing month and every new job created, the tea gets a bit less tasty and the rhetoric makes even less sense.
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