The leader of the Republican Party called it a "fraud on the working man" and "a cruel hoax." The New York Times, in an editorial, said it was "ill-considered" and "very questionable." The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, warned that it would result in "more unemployment in the future, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."
A Republican Congressman from New York proclaimed that "Never in the history of the world has any measure been brought here so insidiously designed as to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers and to prevent any possibility of the employers providing work for the people." His GOP New York colleague warned that if it passed "the lash of the dictator will be felt." The American Medical Association denounced it as a "compulsory socialistic tax." The former president of both the American Bar Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce described it as "economically preposterous and legally indefensible." It was, he said, part of [the President’s] attempt to "Sovietize the country."
Holy crap! What IS this horrendous threat to American prosperity, freedom, and democracy?
Social Security – signed into law by FDR 75 years ago on August 14, 1935.
Baseballs are as live as ever, bats & gloves are more sophisticatedly designed, and athletes are bigger, stronger and faster. Yet the dimensions of the field and scores have remained constant producing the same game as in the earliest days of professional baseball. Why? Chalk it up to the design of the playing field and the game itself. Baseball has remained virtually unchanged – fitting today’s athletes as well as it did players at the turn of the 20th century.
Snail Mail
Why anyone would use snail mail to send a letter these days is beyond me. I figure it’s either to show a more personal touch or for impact, like “see the effort I made by snail mailing”. Snail mail is also a retronym as there had never been a reason to distinguish among types of mail with the USPS cornering the market. The US Post Office is experiencing a huge drop off (no pun intended) on mail volume. Ya’ think?
Amending the 14th Amendment
If this isn’t an overreaction to the immigration issue, I don’t know what is.
Amendment XIV
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Yes the original purpose of drafting that language was to guarantee the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 granting the same rights of citizenship to Black people. Nowhere in the Amendment’s language, though, is this constitutional provision limited to Black citizens. It has always applied to any person born in the United States no matter the mother’s nationality. How should the Amendment be amended? “Oh, and no drop babies, terrorist babies, Mexicans, Muslims …” Well see there’s the rest of section 1 of the 14th Amendment which guarantees equal protection under the law.
This exercise in rhetoric by members of Congress is just that.
As some commentators have been mentioning, the release of the Afghan War memos is reminiscent of the Pentagon Papers leak. All along I’ve been praying that the Afghan War doesn’t turn into Obama’s Vietnam which brought down LBJ. The Iraq War, short-sightedness and other ineptitude during the Bush years set us back in Afghanistan by many years. The Pakistanis can’t be trusted. The government in Afghanistan is a corrupt joke. I don’t know what victory looks like in Afghanistan. I mean last time we wiped out the Taliban they just fled into Pakistan. And now we’re back to maybe square 2 with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The nature of Afghan society is such that they will always be nearly immune from formal, lasting conquest. It will always be the tribal leaders that run the country under some, if any, guise. Then there’s that troublesome border mountain area in Pakistan supposedly hiding Bin-Laden which no one will touch. I’d guess that’s where the Taliban went after being pushed out of Afghanistan the first time.
At some point NATO has to get out. Obama has set summer 2011 for some sort of an initial withdrawal. Once we’re out of there the country will revert to where it’s always been. Maybe the Taliban will gain control; maybe another group equally as nuts. It’s Al-Qaeda we’re after and they move around at will. If this is to be a global war on terror then civilized nations must agree to attack Al-Qaeda wherever they have strongholds. Invading a country is pointless as once eradicated there, they will move elsewhere. The only quick solution is to grab all their money. That’s what it comes down to – money & power.
Self-Help Books
Radio, TV – everywhere – you hear commercials for self-help books to conquer drug addiction and depression/anxiety. Well, how ridiculous is that?!
You’re a longtime drug addict? Read a book. Depressed & anxious? Read a book. Lemme tell ya’ – I’ve been both places and reading a book is about the last thing I wanted or even could do. Neither condition is conducive to curling up with a book. Trust me – it’s not.
The people getting better with books are their authors and publishers. Those who buy them are left holding their dicks with a book.
Blame Obama
We want everything now. I mean everything! It didn’t take 2 years to create the economic situation we’re dealing with in this country and around the world. It won’t take just 2 years to fix it. Sure people are angry – being unemployed for years will do that. President Obama is a convenient target for anger. While he’s been far from perfect, he is not the one who is responsible for the mess he took on January 20, 2009. The economic collapse is a unique problem, obviously without a clear answer. The best economic minds in the world don’t agree on "THE" solution. The president is responsible for fixing it but he’s not prescient. Patience, folks – that’s what it takes. Sadly, the citizenry is short on patience. Makes me wonder how FDR would have been viewed in today’s age of instant information and communication.
BP
Why is everyone so surprised by BP having cut so many corners in safety? It’s not profitable to put safety as a #1 (or 2, or 3) priority. End of discussion.
