I think oil was part of the reason we picked Iraq as our middle east country to "democratize"...but I think that the administration decided to take advantage of the 9/11 moment and get a foothold in a middle eastern country. If all went well, Iraq would be perfect. Because of its oil reserves, it could be very strong economically, which would automatically help a democracy stay afloat. Their dictator was brutal and hated, so the citizens would support the US, Iraq has a history of education and culture which would get quickly up to speed in the modern world. A democracy and economic strength in Iraq would help spread democracy--and by extension the power and influence of the US--throughout the region. And there would be a natural connection to the US via oil.
Oops. Except that Sunnis, Shia & Kurds don't like each other and have religious and political differences. Except many religious leaders don't want democracy, they want Islamic rule. Except Osama couldn't have been made happier than to show pictures of Americans fighting Islamic people in Iraq to budding terrorists. Except the corruption in Iraq is rampant. Except they didn't actually have WMD, so boy did we look dumb. Except we disbanded their military and let them run off with weapons to reform as insurgents. Except countries like Iran want nothing better than to support their own factions in Iraq and control the country. Except we destroyed the infrastructure and the country was horribly looted.
Well, as my mom used to say, the road to hell is paved with "good" intentions.
Hmmm Tomcat-Did you read the piece in the NYTimes about McCain's advisor (rick davis?) who has been on the payroll for Freddie Mac for years as a "consultant"--and continues to bring in 15Gs/year? Pretty interesting stuff.
Well, I think there are some people who are going to have trouble voting for a black man, no matter how much his policies will help them. Are they openly racist? Maybe yes, maybe no. I think this is a good time for people to be introspective--if you aren't going to vote for Obama b/c he's black, or you "don't know him", or "he's different", or "you have no idea what he stands for" (all euphemisms for problems with his race) then it is time for some 21st-Century soul-searching. You know yourself how you feel about this issue--it's time for everyone to realize that if we do not take part in the modern world, it is going to chew us up and leave us behind.
Woody- I've been reading American history!! Americans have always believed that education and innovation (and respect for the rule of law) are what separate us from other countries. (Tho you are right, Marx pointed out that capitalism can create a pretty defined class structure.) But the great thing about America is that we have created a system that does not force people to become entrenched in the class into which they were born. If they work hard, they can do whatever they want. But if we cut off the avenues for opportunity--like education--then our country will definitely become what Marx envisioned. I don't think that the gov't should hold our hands in all aspects of life--the fewer the better, but we have to keep routes open for all people to move up in the world.
Wow luvVB-Do you really not understand how our society works? We are supposedly classless and upwardly mobile--meaning that if your parents work hard, they provide more opportunity for you to get a leg up on life. Our society supports this by providing the "ladder" to achievement such as education. Good public education is 100% American.
The reason that it is right that rich people pay a tiny bit more (% wise) is because in a capitalist society, low-wage earners and those with no health insurance must be present in order for the rich to exist at all. We need people to wash dishes, pick vegetables, etc. Our economy depends upon us having a breadth of incomes and earners. We need people to do jobs in all sectors. And in theory, the people at the bottom should have the opportunity (if they want to, and work hard), to move up. So, in theory if being rich requires that poor and low-income people exist, then it is part of the price they pay for their riches to insure that the "ladders" for low-income people are in good condition.
Look at it another way, if the rich have no obligation to society whatsoever, then society would look like the aristocratic and early-industrial societies of 19-century England. Huge class differences with no opportunity to move out of one's class.
In the end, we aren't asking them for much--they should be happy to pay back the country that has supported them so well with such a strong capitalist infrastructure. Here's another way to look at it--what could possibly be wrong with having the best system of education on the planet?
As for healthcare-that system is broken for everyone, rich and poor. It really needs to be fixed. Housing? Our public housing system is bad--it needs to be overhauled and rethought entirely.
The poor and the middle class uses those services, and the rich use the poor and the middle class. We are all in this together.
This is an edited version of a comment I made earlier--but I think it holds true here as well.
Stock market fell another 300 points today.
McCain and Palin keep talking about reform--but reform is a new issue for their campaign tht they brought up to distract from difficult problems that the Republicans have not been able to solve, and in fact have made worse. Such as: International Terrorism, Healthcare costs, a lack of investment in new industries to create new jobs to replace jobs that have been shipped overseas FOREVER. If you look at what McCain and Palin are proposing to do about these things, they are almost exactly the same as what Bush is already doing--or what Bush has already proposed. Yes, we certainly need reform--lobbyists have way too much control of our government--but Obama is the candidate that has talked about this from the beginning and McCain is the one whose staff is stocked with lobbyists.
And let's not forget the Keating 5 scandal. McCain was not found guilty--but it was found that he used bad judgement in giving preferrential treatment to lobbyists. We can hope that he learned from this miserable experience--but he has not stopped his association with lobbyists. McCain & Palin are talking about superficial change--we have to be smarter, we have read more in-depth, we have to look beyond candidates clever one-liners and ask what they really stand for.
If folks don't vote for Obama,it is because McCain and Palin have whipped up a sense of nationalism and emotional connection that is causing voters to overlook their rational choice--Obama. Obama is not a believer in "trickle down" economics, meaning he doesn't think that big tax breaks should go the rich while we sit around and wait for their spending to "trickle down" to us lowly folk. Obama believes in "trickle up" -- give money back to middle class people and they will spend it wisely, invest in their homes, retirement or education for their kids. The money will work its way into the economy.
Obama also thinks we have to invest in a new industry--energy. China and India are huge markets just waiting for some country to develop alternative clean energy sources that are marketable. If we don't do it, someone else will. I think actually the Dutch are ahead of us now. We need to make NEW jobs for this country and develop NEW industries. The old ones area GONE for good.
McCain wants to drill for oil that won't even come to market for 10 years. Do you think McCain is going to be around 10 years from now to find out if his idea worked? Right.
If you think Obama has no legislative record, look at this link:http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/02/obama-actually.html
It is a pro-Obama blog, but it lays out what he has done in the Senate, and what other people in the Senate think of his work. I think you can look for other online sources to verify.
It is a pro-Obama blog, but it lays out what he has done in the Senate, and what other people in the Senate think of his work. I think you can look for other online sources to verify.
If folks don't vote for Obama, it isn't because they are racist (tho some are) it is because McCain and Palin have whipped up a sense of nationalism and emotional connection that is causing voters to overlook their rational choice--Obama. Obama is not a believer in "trickle down" economics, meaning he doesn't think that big tax breaks should go the rich while we sit around and wait for their spending to "trickle down" to us lowly folk. Obama believes in "trickle up" -- give money back to middle class people and they will spend it wisely, invest in their homes, retirement or education for their kids. The money will work its way into the economy.
Obama also thinks we have to invest in a new industry--energy. China and India are huge markets just waiting for some country to develop alternative clean energy sources that are marketable. If we don't do it, someone else will. I think actually the Dutch are ahead of us now. We need to make NEW jobs for this country and develop NEW industries. The old ones area GONE for good.
McCain wants to drill for oil that won't even come to market for 10 years. Do you think McCain is going to be around 10 years from now to find out if his idea worked? Right.
What insanity. The Republicans are going to stop greed on Wall Street? John McCain is making this up as he goes along--the Hedge Fund managers and investment bankers have been making millions-billions of dollars for the last 6 or 7 years and I haven't heard John McCain talk about greed--but rather "hard work". And when are he and Palin going to stop telling us that Obama is going to raise our taxes? Obama is going to lower taxes for anyone making less than $200,000. (me) John McCain believes in "trickle down"--give big tax breaks to the rich, and when they spend their money it will "trickle down" to the lowly folks. Well I'm for "trickle up". Give me some tax money back and see how I invest in my retirement, do some work on my house, or put it in an education account for my kid. I'm sick of "trickle down".
Biden assails GOP at Youngstown rally
I think oil was part of the reason we picked Iraq as our middle east country to "democratize"...but I think that the administration decided to take advantage of the 9/11 moment and get a foothold in a middle eastern country. If all went well, Iraq would be perfect. Because of its oil reserves, it could be very strong economically, which would automatically help a democracy stay afloat. Their dictator was brutal and hated, so the citizens would support the US, Iraq has a history of education and culture which would get quickly up to speed in the modern world. A democracy and economic strength in Iraq would help spread democracy--and by extension the power and influence of the US--throughout the region. And there would be a natural connection to the US via oil.
Oops. Except that Sunnis, Shia & Kurds don't like each other and have religious and political differences. Except many religious leaders don't want democracy, they want Islamic rule. Except Osama couldn't have been made happier than to show pictures of Americans fighting Islamic people in Iraq to budding terrorists. Except the corruption in Iraq is rampant. Except they didn't actually have WMD, so boy did we look dumb. Except we disbanded their military and let them run off with weapons to reform as insurgents. Except countries like Iran want nothing better than to support their own factions in Iraq and control the country. Except we destroyed the infrastructure and the country was horribly looted.
Well, as my mom used to say, the road to hell is paved with "good" intentions.
September 28, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. permalink suggest removal
McCain and Palin ready to fight for Ohio
Hmmm Tomcat-Did you read the piece in the NYTimes about McCain's advisor (rick davis?) who has been on the payroll for Freddie Mac for years as a "consultant"--and continues to bring in 15Gs/year? Pretty interesting stuff.
September 24, 2008 at 10:41 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Letson, Hagan say some Valley McCain supporters are racists
Check out this short column on Obama and race. I think this is a really clear articulation of how racism pervades a system in indirect forms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opi...
If the link doesn't work, go to www.nytimes.com and look for Nicholas Kristof's article in Op-Ed from Sunday--"The Push to Otherize Obama.
September 22, 2008 at 12:58 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Letson, Hagan say some Valley McCain supporters are racists
Well, I think there are some people who are going to have trouble voting for a black man, no matter how much his policies will help them. Are they openly racist? Maybe yes, maybe no. I think this is a good time for people to be introspective--if you aren't going to vote for Obama b/c he's black, or you "don't know him", or "he's different", or "you have no idea what he stands for" (all euphemisms for problems with his race) then it is time for some 21st-Century soul-searching. You know yourself how you feel about this issue--it's time for everyone to realize that if we do not take part in the modern world, it is going to chew us up and leave us behind.
September 18, 2008 at 11:36 p.m. permalink suggest removal
McCain and Palin ready to fight for Ohio
Woody-
I've been reading American history!! Americans have always believed that education and innovation (and respect for the rule of law) are what separate us from other countries. (Tho you are right, Marx pointed out that capitalism can create a pretty defined class structure.) But the great thing about America is that we have created a system that does not force people to become entrenched in the class into which they were born. If they work hard, they can do whatever they want. But if we cut off the avenues for opportunity--like education--then our country will definitely become what Marx envisioned. I don't think that the gov't should hold our hands in all aspects of life--the fewer the better, but we have to keep routes open for all people to move up in the world.
September 17, 2008 at 8:06 p.m. permalink suggest removal
McCain and Palin ready to fight for Ohio
Wow luvVB-Do you really not understand how our society works? We are supposedly classless and upwardly mobile--meaning that if your parents work hard, they provide more opportunity for you to get a leg up on life. Our society supports this by providing the "ladder" to achievement such as education. Good public education is 100% American.
The reason that it is right that rich people pay a tiny bit more (% wise) is because in a capitalist society, low-wage earners and those with no health insurance must be present in order for the rich to exist at all. We need people to wash dishes, pick vegetables, etc. Our economy depends upon us having a breadth of incomes and earners. We need people to do jobs in all sectors. And in theory, the people at the bottom should have the opportunity (if they want to, and work hard), to move up. So, in theory if being rich requires that poor and low-income people exist, then it is part of the price they pay for their riches to insure that the "ladders" for low-income people are in good condition.
Look at it another way, if the rich have no obligation to society whatsoever, then society would look like the aristocratic and early-industrial societies of 19-century England. Huge class differences with no opportunity to move out of one's class.
In the end, we aren't asking them for much--they should be happy to pay back the country that has supported them so well with such a strong capitalist infrastructure. Here's another way to look at it--what could possibly be wrong with having the best system of education on the planet?
As for healthcare-that system is broken for everyone, rich and poor. It really needs to be fixed. Housing? Our public housing system is bad--it needs to be overhauled and rethought entirely.
The poor and the middle class uses those services, and the rich use the poor and the middle class. We are all in this together.
September 17, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. permalink suggest removal
McCain and Palin ready to fight for Ohio
This is an edited version of a comment I made earlier--but I think it holds true here as well.
Stock market fell another 300 points today.
McCain and Palin keep talking about reform--but reform is a new issue for their campaign tht they brought up to distract from difficult problems that the Republicans have not been able to solve, and in fact have made worse. Such as: International Terrorism, Healthcare costs, a lack of investment in new industries to create new jobs to replace jobs that have been shipped overseas FOREVER. If you look at what McCain and Palin are proposing to do about these things, they are almost exactly the same as what Bush is already doing--or what Bush has already proposed. Yes, we certainly need reform--lobbyists have way too much control of our government--but Obama is the candidate that has talked about this from the beginning and McCain is the one whose staff is stocked with lobbyists.
And let's not forget the Keating 5 scandal. McCain was not found guilty--but it was found that he used bad judgement in giving preferrential treatment to lobbyists. We can hope that he learned from this miserable experience--but he has not stopped his association with lobbyists. McCain & Palin are talking about superficial change--we have to be smarter, we have read more in-depth, we have to look beyond candidates clever one-liners and ask what they really stand for.
If folks don't vote for Obama,it is because McCain and Palin have whipped up a sense of nationalism and emotional connection that is causing voters to overlook their rational choice--Obama. Obama is not a believer in "trickle down" economics, meaning he doesn't think that big tax breaks should go the rich while we sit around and wait for their spending to "trickle down" to us lowly folk. Obama believes in "trickle up" -- give money back to middle class people and they will spend it wisely, invest in their homes, retirement or education for their kids. The money will work its way into the economy.
Obama also thinks we have to invest in a new industry--energy. China and India are huge markets just waiting for some country to develop alternative clean energy sources that are marketable. If we don't do it, someone else will. I think actually the Dutch are ahead of us now. We need to make NEW jobs for this country and develop NEW industries. The old ones area GONE for good.
McCain wants to drill for oil that won't even come to market for 10 years. Do you think McCain is going to be around 10 years from now to find out if his idea worked? Right.
If you think Obama has no legislative record, look at this link:http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/02/obama-actually.html
It is a pro-Obama blog, but it lays out what he has done in the Senate, and what other people in the Senate think of his work. I think you can look for other online sources to verify.
September 17, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Democrats accuse locals of being racist toward Obama
If you think Obama has no legislative record, look at this link: http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidi...
It is a pro-Obama blog, but it lays out what he has done in the Senate, and what other people in the Senate think of his work. I think you can look for other online sources to verify.
If folks don't vote for Obama, it isn't because they are racist (tho some are) it is because McCain and Palin have whipped up a sense of nationalism and emotional connection that is causing voters to overlook their rational choice--Obama. Obama is not a believer in "trickle down" economics, meaning he doesn't think that big tax breaks should go the rich while we sit around and wait for their spending to "trickle down" to us lowly folk. Obama believes in "trickle up" -- give money back to middle class people and they will spend it wisely, invest in their homes, retirement or education for their kids. The money will work its way into the economy.
Obama also thinks we have to invest in a new industry--energy. China and India are huge markets just waiting for some country to develop alternative clean energy sources that are marketable. If we don't do it, someone else will. I think actually the Dutch are ahead of us now. We need to make NEW jobs for this country and develop NEW industries. The old ones area GONE for good.
McCain wants to drill for oil that won't even come to market for 10 years. Do you think McCain is going to be around 10 years from now to find out if his idea worked? Right.
September 17, 2008 at 12:29 a.m. permalink suggest removal
McCAIN LIVE | McCain blasts Wall Street greed
What insanity. The Republicans are going to stop greed on Wall Street? John McCain is making this up as he goes along--the Hedge Fund managers and investment bankers have been making millions-billions of dollars for the last 6 or 7 years and I haven't heard John McCain talk about greed--but rather "hard work". And when are he and Palin going to stop telling us that Obama is going to raise our taxes? Obama is going to lower taxes for anyone making less than $200,000. (me) John McCain believes in "trickle down"--give big tax breaks to the rich, and when they spend their money it will "trickle down" to the lowly folks. Well I'm for "trickle up". Give me some tax money back and see how I invest in my retirement, do some work on my house, or put it in an education account for my kid. I'm sick of "trickle down".
September 16, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. permalink suggest removal