Tuesday, August 19, 2008

What does President McCain mean for us?

If I were to just list the anticipated result of a McCain victory in November, it would look like a bullet list of talking points from a liberal blogster or commentator. But the facts are hard to ignore. I anticipate an even harder turn to the right on the Supreme Court as the retirement of some liberal justices will occur during this next four years. I'm sure that no one in the one million five hundred thousand of the US wealthiest people, currently threatened by an Obama proposed tax policy, should anticipate any tax increase. The world will wait, but not for long, I'm sure, to see what McCain will do about the mess in the middle east. Look for more troops and more saber rattling as a solution to world terrorism. In general, look for a continuation of republican policies that have gotten us where we are today, in deep trouble.

The labels on these mini-movements have feel good sounding words like trickle down economics, faith based initiatives, education vouchers, patriot act and family values. We are regaled with flag waving, bible touting, and apple pie laden images of happy folks who feel better with less civil rights and economic clout as long as they can buy things cheaper at Wal Mart.

As far as an National economic policy, I would expect it to be the same "free market Friedman policy of Regan and Bush. Slowly over the last thirty years we've been fed a line of reasoning that goes like this. If you'll just trust the rich people to run things you will be fine. After all, they are rich because they are smart and know how to run big complicated things like government. Smaller things, such as Enron, the Banking business and Restoration efforts in New Orleans, they don't do so well.

What we have is less. We have less and more expensive health care costs. We have less money to spend because the average income for most Americans is falling. We have less Government because the Republicans in particular think that government is bad for us. The results is we have less enforcement of rules that might help us such as banking regulations, healthy food inspections and corrupt business practices. We make less investment in public infrastructure.We have less enforcement of labor laws. We have less standing in the world, as our allies have turned against our go it alone foreign policy.

We do have more of some things. We have more government corruption, more national debt, and more of our young solders in VA hospitals recovering from wounds. We have more people without meaningful employment and more people without health coverage. We have more roads, bridges, levies and other infrastructure in bad need of repair or replacement.

We need more National policy on things that count, such as transportation, energy, health care, and the environment. Recent Republican efforts in this area have represented the best interests of the business entities that profit from these issues. The consumer was not invited to comment. They basically have thrown the consumer to the wolves. What has resulted is bad loans, bad food, bad health care and higher costs on everything. (Oh yeah and the stock market ain't doing os well lately either if you're looking at your 401k.)

McCain will owe his victory in November, not to the people of the country so much as the corporate America and the people that serve those corporations. It is no wonder that Wal Mart practically ordered it's employees to vote Republican. A vigorous enforcement of existing labor laws would be uncomfortable for them, much less what might come with a Democratic take over of the White House.

No matter how nice of a person John McCain is and no matter how much he might have opposed the worst of Bush policy, he is at heart a conservative republican and they, my friends. have not proven to be good leaders of our country. Yes government can be a problem. It appears that even a govenment run by people who vowed to restrict the size and pwoer of government. But be aware that the problems government might bring effect some people more than others. A conservative republcan government seems to serve only those who have much and want more.

Friday, August 08, 2008

Is Obama the Answer?

As I have articulated my disappointment and suspicion with John McCain, I have failed to look at the candidacy of Barak Obama. I do not think Obama is a Messiah. I do not think he is "the answer, the heir of the Kennedy mantle or the better version of Bill Clinton. Senator Obama is the man the Democrat votors were looking for when they realized that it wasn't the Republicans that were preventing our country for progressing into the twentieth century, but the lack of leadership and ability to engage the electorate in the idea's that matter. While I respect Al Gore and John Kerry, neither one of them were able to articulate a campaign that could get the liberal voters to the polls. (Where was the Al Gore we love to see expounding on the inconvenient truth?)

Obama does excite people in a conceptual way. He represents change, not only from the failed policies of the talentless leadership of Bush and Company, but the uninspired resistance of the Democrats. Consider the current debate on energy. The old guard Republican approach of drilling our way out of the oil shortage has little or no chance of solving the problem, but the Democrats have not come up with a compelling case for why we should build a thousand windmills either. what is needed is Obama's comprehensive plan of a national energy policy, which is going to have to include increments of transportation, pollution abatement, and just generally telling people what they don't want to hear. We need to change the way we live.

Obama, in a typical don't show your cards until all of the bets are in, has hinted his approach will be more comprehensive and I'm sure it will be or he will be a one term President. What Obama is doing is talking about issues that matter to people and he is not promising an easy time of implementation. For instance, when you talk about a sea change in foreign policy, you're talking about changing the opinion of our country in the minds of millions of people across the globe, friend and foe alike, that remember that in spite of evidence in abundance to his incompetency, we reelected George Bush. That was not a miscalculation of George Bush's, it was a colossal mistake on the part of the citizens of this country. Like it or not, voted for him or you didn't, we brought the world a incompetent leader. The power that the US has in the world makes that choice a issue for every citizen of the world and now they are deeply suspicious of our judgment.

Furthermore, if we are going to finally tackle the health care problems in this country, you only have to remember what happened the last time anyone had the nerve to take on the establishment. it is not going to be any easier this time and probably worse.

The infrastructure of this country is rotting like a ninth ward New Orleans abandon home. Bridges, roads, affordable housing stock and many other necessities, that we require to keep our life style and offer similar prosperity for our kids, is suffering from neglect and overuse. The anti-tax movement has stopped the progress of this country for almost thirty years. Even if they gave up and went away, it will take a major infusion of cash to bring our situation into anything that's reasonable and trust this, the anti-tax guys are not going to just go away.

Obama would be the first President that will have to answer for his environmental policy. prior to the recognition that we are experiencing climate change and that it's driven by human activity, everyone else got a free ride as long as gas was cheap and the road builders were happy. Now, even though we are exporting jobs and pollution to China, a drop of fifty cents a gallon my revive the Humvee industry and resume the accelerating rate and huge contribution the American automobile makes to world climate change.

Here's my point. Obama has the right idea's and has shown some competence in surrounding himself with the right people to get things done. If the stars align properly and we do elect him, and that is a big if, he will be powerless unless we persist. He has been campaigning for this job for almost two years. Those that believed in him from the beginning and those who have come around to supporting him need to understand one thing. If he wins it's not over.

In order to affect meaningful change, it will take a concerted campaign of persistent pressure on the congress and press to hold them and him accountable for the promise of change. If we elect him and than go home to watch TV sitcoms than I can assure you the effort will fail. The rich and powerful will not go away and they will be influencing every congressperson they can to hold to the status quo or even make things worse.

No one speaks for the average person in this country after the election. We are like the crowd at the NFL football game. We pay a lot of money to get in, they use us as necessary atmosphere for the broadcast and while millions get to watch commercials for everything from cars to cardiac cures, the fan in the stands freezes during the TV timeout , forgotten and awaiting the resumption of game. In the case of the country, after the election, if we let them, the politicians will forget us.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

The Paris Hilton Vote Block

Even by writing about this latest fiasco, I am contributing to the thing I dislike so much about American Media. In one of his attack ad's, straight talking John McCain (Whatever happened to that man?), likened Obama to a person who is famous only for being famous, Paris Hilton. The implication is that there is no substance to Obama, he's all about the latest cult of personality. The genius here is that it doesn't make any difference if you accept the premise or not, the ad still works in McCains favor. McCain was so far off the press radar, his handlers had to do something. This ad got them the attention they so desperately needed. Talk about doing anything you need to do to get elected President, this one is going to be discussed regardless of the outcome.

Here's the sad part. This is non starter as an issue. Hillary Clinton beat this issue to death and it got her nothing. But the Paris Hilton ad gives the thing legs with the press. First Hilton's mother, a McCain contributor, whines to the press. The only thing this produces is a truly pathetic confrontation by the press with McCain. He looks absolutely silly trying to chuckle and bush off the ad as, "we were just trying to have a little fun". I think McCain shows us how desperate he is to allow his name to be attached to this nonsense, but on it goes. Now Hilton, don't get between her and a camera or you'll be risking your life, comes out with her spin on the thing. It gives her a chance to get some spot light and keeps McCain in there with her. And
what burning question does this million dollar TV exposure answer? Lest we forget, Obama is not experienced enough to be President.

The outcome of this event is not certain. My guess is it will effect how some people think about the campaign and may cause some vote shift. However, I think more than likely what it will do is what all of this trash campaigning does is direct the focus on issues that have no substance and no gravitas for us the citizens for whom one of these guys is going to be President. I would hope that McCain supporters would let their candidate know that this is silly and embarrassing to them as they try to convince others to support him. I would hope that Obama manages to keep his head and stay above this type of campaigning. I would also hope that undecided voters would discount this effort and look for substance in John McCain's plan for the future of this country instead of his silly grab for headlines and TV time. But OMG didn't you think Paris's new look is just FABULOUS!

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

The Constructive Use of F words

It's a three letter word used to describe a homosexual. It begins with the letter F and it goes with all of the other divisive F words that conservatives will roll out once more this summer to vilify the progressives, as they try to hold onto their power in Washington and their command of the national agenda.

As some one once said, you have to hand it to them they are the masters of legerdemain. While we are arguing about what to do about fetuses, flags, firearms and ..well that other three letter word for homosexuals, the conservative minority is, in the name of democracy, taking away our civil rights, securing the fortunes of major corporations, and serving the needs of the few, while abandoning the masses.

The enactment of change, being the watch word of this years presidential election has come down the choice between two men, John McCain and Barak Obama. If you're talking about regime change, you have to think that McCain is going to be a better version of Bush, before you'd ever define his election as change.

McCain is still going to advocate for armed conflict over negotiation. You have to understand that to these people, Democracy is not evolving form of governance, it is a set in stone almost religious belief that we must force on people if they won't accept it. He will decide for unilateral preemptive war versus building a consensus amongst our neighbors. He is still going to advocate for Friedman's free market or trickle down economics. He will submit tax breaks for the rich. McCain will owe it to his base to appoint judges that will vote for limiting the rights of individuals versus the perception of security of the many.

His policy will be the same as Bush, his delivery will be more nuanced and far more articulate, but than the standard set by Bush is so low that exceeding it has to be, excuse me, "a slam dunk". I would expect many of the same people who surrounded Bush to have influence in a McCain administration. And why not, these people succeeded in bringing us into a playground atmosphere with regard to foreign policy. Starting with the "he looked at me funny and called my dad names" reasons for the Iraq war, that resulted all time low world opinion ratings a huge deficit in our budget and not to mention loss of life and limb.

We are in the worst economic situation in decades. Please don't tell me how nice it is for many of the people. Average income in Wisconsin is down for seven years in a row. The dollar is at a record low against other world currencies. This is allowing American corporations to be bought at wholesale prices by foreign interests. Oil is selling at record high prices. World environmental polluters have had an eight year vacation. God forbid, lest I sound like a conservative, The stock market is in a mess and has lost considerable value in the last six months. Health care costs keep going up and all the conservatives have to say is that we have to install more market based solutions.

Please imagine yourself laying on a gurney, after you've suffered a heart attack, receiving quotes from various vendors trying to bargain down the cost of your need for immediate care. Or better yet, let some one whose interest lie in saving money for the insurance provider not your health, make the decision for you.

And why do things like the failure to respond to Katrina and the lack of action in regulating the banking sector, the contaminated food outbreaks and problems with prescription drugs happen and are happening more frequently. Because the conservatives believe these government agencies are the problem and they continue to fund them at lower and lower levels so that any effect they might have is hampered by their inability to respond.

If government wasn't the problem when Ronald Reagan said it was in the early eighties, it certainly has become the problem under the control of the conservatives. If you don't fund and support your regulatory agencies you get Enron, Katrina aftermath, a Housing mortgage bubble and lack of proper food inspection. Clearly Government has become a problem, because the folks running it don't believe in it and have down everything politically possible to destroy it.

If we want to continue feeling safe from the threat posed by those F words, we can continue down the road we are on. If we think our nations infrastructure, economy, general populations access to health care and the basic rights of our people are more important than the F words than we have to vote for real change.