We are about to have a election where we have the
possibility of putting back into power the very people who created the problems
that we are trying to fix. We let these same people dig us into this hole over
a period of about 14 years (their so-called “Contract With America” which was
really a contract ON America). What was their finished product? It was a
recession that almost collapsed our nation’s economy and almost drove the
entire world into collapse as well.
We voted and asked Democrats to fix the problems created by
14 years of failed conservative philosophy and when they weren’t able to fix
the entire mess in less than two years,
we are considering letting the same people who created the mess back into
power………to do what??????? Do we think
they will fix the mess they created in 14 years of failed so-called “free
market economics” which let corporations run rampant in pursuit of profits; which
led to the housing market collapse and the Wall Street collapse? To the BP oil
disaster? To the out-sourcing of millions of American jobs to China
and other low-wage countries? To the greatest accumulation of wealth into the
hands of the fewest Americans in our nation’s history? To the greatest increase
in children living in poverty since the Great Depression (which was caused by
another Republican named Herbert Hoover)?
Conservatives scream about “less government” (except when
they are telling us that we can’t control our own reproductive decisions), that
we should ignore science and go back to 19th century beliefs about
evolution and the planet while ignoring fossil fuel’s impact on our climate. And
what are their solutions? Nothing but
the same old, same old. Less taxes, more freedom, less government. Wow!
Look what that has led to:
The rich are getting richer and spending less and less on
building the infrastructure and on the education the next generations will need
if they hope to have the same chances of success that our generation has had.
It has led to the continued out-sourcing of jobs to countries that put lead and
toxins in the products we then receive back from them. It has led to oil
companies growing and exploring without any checks on whether they’re
recklessly endangering our resources, food supplies, home-grown jobs – like BP
and God-only knows which of the other oil companies that take no responsibility
for the pollution and degradation they create in pursuit of their profit and
CEO’s embarrassing compensation.
Is this what we really want? Do we really want leaders who
are so wacky that they talk about masturbation as adultery, dabble in
witchcraft, want to destroy social security and Medicare and take away all the
consumer protections from dangerous product creation and food distribution?
I think not. So what is the answer???? Don’t put the inmates
in charge of the asylum. Give the Democrats a little more time to fix the
problems the Republicans have created and if they have the chance—meaning
they don’t get stonewalled at every turn by the “Just say NO” politics of the
disloyal opposition, then try another approach.
Let’s give this president a chance to turn the country
around and give our representatives the backbone to do the right thing. They
need to know that we’ve got their backs and if anything, want them to be MORE
daring, MORE creative, MORE visionary in their thinking and their policies! We
shouldn’t and can’t afford to go backwards. Remember when the people lead, the
leaders will follow. Time to vote! It is time for Americans to wake up and try
to move forward, not backward.
It’s not about the taxes, it’s about the future. It’s about the economy, education and the
environment. Based upon what we’ve seen over the past decade, who do you think
has the better ideas to protect those?
Since you were so polite to me last time, I will attempt to give you a polite response to this entry. Calling someone names does not advance anything. Rather, I want to look at the various charges that you make and see if they make sense in the light of reality.
The housing market collapse was not a “republican” plot or even failure. The housing market collapse was the inevitable result of government policies that began with the community redevelopment act under passed under Jimmy Carter and up to the 2007 – 2009 timeframe in which Barney Frank as head of the Financial Services committee encouraged Fannie & Freddie to continue to purchase mortgages. He was informed of the risk and he said that Fannie & Freddie were doing well and he was going to “let the dice role.” I am not blaming Barney Frank anymore than any other politician in the 1975 – 2009 time period. Quite simply, all of the politicians wanted home ownership and drove policies to make banks and credit unions make loans to even the weakest borrowers. The failure in the banking sector was not one of too little regulation. Rather, it was one of too much. All of this is available on the internet and I invite you to do some research on this issue if you disagree with my conclusions.
As far as the BP Oil disaster, I believe it was the result of BP cutting too many corners. We should wait until the review of the blowout prevention valve assembly is complete. However, if the review supports this conclusion, then BP should enjoy the wrath of the legal system. If it is of any consolation to you, BP has already taken a $50 billion hit in its equity position and discontinued its dividend. This is a disaster to the legions of retirees who depend upon it for their income. I am pretty sure that this will change BP’s culture.
In reviewing the use of fossil fuels and the alleged global warming that is said to cause, I have a couple of comments. First, we use fossil fuels because they are the most efficient form of energy that we know of for many applications but mostly transportation. To not use them by policy will simply make the US power and less efficient then other countries. We would, therefore, just fall further behind in terms of employment and income. I really don’t want to sacrifice the American worker on a “green” altar. Secondly, I am both an engineer and a scientist. I have looked at the data that is available on global warming. It is not a convincing argument. The statistical correlations are poor. I am very hesitant to destroy the American economy on such an unproven theory.
You somehow link CEOs to spending less on infrastructures. I don’t get that one since infrastructure is normally a function of the government. I believe that the US has made a decision to spend more money on income transfers then infrastructure. California being the perfect example of that. If you want more infrastructure than spend less on transfer payments and more on building infrastructure. But, the state cannot really have both. There is simply not enough money to do both.
As far as Wicca, masturbation, etc. Yeah, there are weird politicians. However, don’t restrict yourself to republicans. Jerry Brown was not called “moonbeam” for nothing.
As far as politicians wanting to eliminate social security or medicare, you must know this is nothing more than a democratic talking point. Republicans, like all politicians, have learned that these two programs are the “third” rail. Touch the third rail and you are dead. This is, actually, quite unfortunate. There have been a lot of really good ideas shot down over the years through this kind of demagoguery. Consider this, for example, President Reagan wanted to convert much of social security to an investment program in 1982. He suggested specifically index funds. This was used to kill republicans in 1982. However, the Dow was around 750 at the time. It is now over 10,800 this morning. It was the investment opportunity of a lifetime and it was drowned in demagoguery. Had we done this then none of the financial problems that social security has today would exist. Instead the social security trust fund is full of treasury bond IOUs. The truth is this: both social security and medicare are, inevitably, facing bankruptcy. Furthermore, it does not matter what any politician does. We have to reduce the payouts in those programs. To continue to use this as a club to beat over the heads of republicans simply puts off that day and makes the reductions more draconian.
The above is simply reality. If you disagree with me, then do your own research and point out my errors.
PLEASE PLEASE vote … and get out the vote this November!!
1. Obama has made many changes
2. The alternative to Obama is NOT “more of what we want”, it is the “tea party”!!
1. Obama changes appear in many ways. True: Not everything has changed, but some changes have occurred, and others are on the horizon.
*FDA acts to protect our food and health
*funding for prevention (did you know that Bush appointees forbid spending prevention dollars in communities with ‘too small a percentage’ of food stamp recipients (heaven forbid someone not on food stamps should learn about eating healthy food)
*health insurance changes (not all we wanted, but some, at least)
*many strong appointments, including two strong Supreme Court appointments (just compare them with Clarence Thomas!)
*some financial reforms (not all we wanted, but some)
*exit from Iraq, and rumblings of exit from Afghanastan
2. Republicans are NOT the “opposition” in this election. Remember when Nixon and Goldwater seemed “far right”?
Tea party candidates want to get rid of all abortions, minimum wage, insurance reforms, homosexuality, you name it.
This is an opportunity for fascism, not reform. Take a moment to VOTE for a Democrat, and to call your friend or cousin and ask them to do the same.
IT MATTERS, even if you didn’t get everything you wanted from Obama, so far.