This morning I watched Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC. She questioned using the word "war", to describe any situation which can be described as a conflict. She sighted that war involves, death and destruction, use of powerful ordinances like bombs and guns. Which is very true. But. Any actions or laws that harm and deprive a segment of a society needs attention brought to it, especially in a Democracy. Thank God for the First Amendment and the Free Press.
Word combinations like War on Women, the Poor, Gays, Latinos, Voter Rights, are headlines that are needed to draw in the average citizens who do not follow politics like political geeks like myself. I studied journalism and any teacher I had, would have a big conflict on Ms. Harris-Perry's advice. The principle ethic in journalism is reporting the truth, not how you spice it up or get people to pay attention to what you are reporting. I believe that sometimes headlines may be over the top, but it did do it's intended purpose, grab a readers attention and inform them.
I love Ms. Harris-Perry's show and I appreciate that she is a very smart and intelligent College Professor. But she is on Television, not in a class room. Her job is to inform not educate. Political correctness is relative. It depends on your audience, your platform and how serious the situation is.
If my house is full of dark smoke, I'm not going to yell, "Smoke" to get attention to everyone in my house, I'm gonna yell Fire, whether I see flames or not.
What the GOP is doing to women in this country is atrocious, and how I would really describe what I see, I couldn't use on TV. What's happening to women in this country, voter rights, the poor, and Gays needs to be shouted from the highest mountain, with the most attention getting words that are decent.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The McDonald States of America
Many years ago my when I became a teenager and I wanted to go and party with my friends, my Mother did something very interesting. She would agree, if I read articles from various magazines and newspapers that were of Social-Political nature. At 14 I was reading Time, News Week, Life along with Ebony and Jet, plus all the local newspapers. I then had to answer questions and give her a review of what I read, (of course she had read them already) to prove that I had read what she assigned. Eventually she did not have to coerce me to read the articles, for I became interested and started reading them on my own. I will be for ever indebted to my Mother for the clever way she got me interested in the world around me.
In the mist of my informal education, my Mother was reading a book called the "Rich and The Super Rich" by Ferdinand Lumberg. When you open the book it there was a quote, "Behind Every Success lies a Crime". Of course at 15 years old I was hooked.
But what it brings to mind, it was the first time I read the word Privatization. I even understood at that age what it meant. What if America was ran by Corporations instead of a Government Bureaucracy?
It has been more than 40 years since I read that book and except for the chapters that discussed business and organized crime I don't remember much. But I have kept an eye out for that tidbit I read that stuck in my head all these years, and now see it coming to fusion.
I first noticed in the 80's when I worked for the VA and eventually the Post Office. In discussions regarding revenue and future of the Post Office, talk of attempts to privatize came up. The only protection from this happening was the the United States Constitution. At the time the privatization the Post Office was overwhelming supported by the GOP.
Now in 2012 I see forces that are in play that not only seek to privatize the Post Office but the entire U.S. Government itself. With the Supreme Court's judgement in favor of Citizens United it has open the door and the have the perfect candidate in play right now in Mitt Romney, a professional Corporate Raider. Who made millions taking over companies, driving up high debt the force them into bankruptcy. A practice first devised by organized crime in fact. Only now the target is not a weak company it is the United States Government. The United States of America will cease to be a democracy as we know it. America you had better wise up.The only motive is to make the Rich, Super Rich.
In the mist of my informal education, my Mother was reading a book called the "Rich and The Super Rich" by Ferdinand Lumberg. When you open the book it there was a quote, "Behind Every Success lies a Crime". Of course at 15 years old I was hooked.
But what it brings to mind, it was the first time I read the word Privatization. I even understood at that age what it meant. What if America was ran by Corporations instead of a Government Bureaucracy?
It has been more than 40 years since I read that book and except for the chapters that discussed business and organized crime I don't remember much. But I have kept an eye out for that tidbit I read that stuck in my head all these years, and now see it coming to fusion.
I first noticed in the 80's when I worked for the VA and eventually the Post Office. In discussions regarding revenue and future of the Post Office, talk of attempts to privatize came up. The only protection from this happening was the the United States Constitution. At the time the privatization the Post Office was overwhelming supported by the GOP.
Now in 2012 I see forces that are in play that not only seek to privatize the Post Office but the entire U.S. Government itself. With the Supreme Court's judgement in favor of Citizens United it has open the door and the have the perfect candidate in play right now in Mitt Romney, a professional Corporate Raider. Who made millions taking over companies, driving up high debt the force them into bankruptcy. A practice first devised by organized crime in fact. Only now the target is not a weak company it is the United States Government. The United States of America will cease to be a democracy as we know it. America you had better wise up.The only motive is to make the Rich, Super Rich.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Did Keeping a Promise Hurt Obama?
There are many critics of the Affordable Healthcare Act, also known as Obamacare, I am one of them. I agree with Dan Rather, when he said that Obama's first, second and third priorities should have been Jobs. Now Obamacare has become a political nagging injury of the Obama administration. It is unpopular among many according to the popular polls, for various reasons. It may become a huge hindrance to a second term for Brother O.
So why did Obama make Healthcare such a big priority in his first term? Especially since he campaigned on ending the War in Iraq and Income fairness as major issues. In fact it was Hilary Clinton who had Health care in 2008 as a major issue, as well as being a major force on Bill Clinton's failed attempt to get Universal Health care during his administration.
In my opinion the Obama 2008 campaign needed immediate support from the Clintons to bring the Democratic Party together. There had been some talk of Hilary running as a third party candidate and of course there was the White female voters who made up Clinton's base. It would not be a far stretch of the imagination to realize that since Obama was really not concerned about Health care as a priority, he was made to promise that he would make it his number one priority if he were elected.
If this is the case he could have changed his mind and focused on what he felt was important. But that would have been very difficult since the person you made the promise to, is now your Secretary of State.
Then there is the question of honor. I was raised to believe that it was dishonorable to make a promise and then break it for selfish reasons.
Whether it was honor, a misguided political decision, or complete naivety, if Obama made that promise to Clinton, he stood behind it. Maybe he actually came to believe in it's necessity. Either way I see Obama as a man of high character, brave, a person who believes in the power of keeping one's word.
So why did Obama make Healthcare such a big priority in his first term? Especially since he campaigned on ending the War in Iraq and Income fairness as major issues. In fact it was Hilary Clinton who had Health care in 2008 as a major issue, as well as being a major force on Bill Clinton's failed attempt to get Universal Health care during his administration.
In my opinion the Obama 2008 campaign needed immediate support from the Clintons to bring the Democratic Party together. There had been some talk of Hilary running as a third party candidate and of course there was the White female voters who made up Clinton's base. It would not be a far stretch of the imagination to realize that since Obama was really not concerned about Health care as a priority, he was made to promise that he would make it his number one priority if he were elected.
If this is the case he could have changed his mind and focused on what he felt was important. But that would have been very difficult since the person you made the promise to, is now your Secretary of State.
Then there is the question of honor. I was raised to believe that it was dishonorable to make a promise and then break it for selfish reasons.
Whether it was honor, a misguided political decision, or complete naivety, if Obama made that promise to Clinton, he stood behind it. Maybe he actually came to believe in it's necessity. Either way I see Obama as a man of high character, brave, a person who believes in the power of keeping one's word.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
What Planet Does The GOP live on?
To day is Earth day. To many, especially if you live on this planet that should be something to celebrate. Unless you happen to be a Republican. To them caring about the planet seems to be a Left Wing Liberal Conspiracy. They deny Global warming, even in spite of record warming and tornadoes in the mid west. They jumped all over poor Obama regarding the oil spill on the Gulf Coast, yet the decry him for not building more drilling platforms, so I guess they can leak more oil? They label anyone who is concerned about clean water, trees, animal rights as communist, and if you are worried about your water catching fire, you are a scary cat. Auto emissions, are good for agriculture. It's as if the Earth is an expendable resource which can be sacrificed and God will just make another one. Hopefully He will do it in 3 days not 6. Just leave out Blacks, Gays, Non Christians, Feminist, all the poor. That should speed things up.Good Ol GOP Thinking..smh
The way I see it, this is only the planet is all we got. I mean I did learn in school that no other body in the Solar System, including our own Moon would have us, or they would have at least air.
I say if we are concerned about Mother Earth, (Oh Oh another woman issue), Mother Earth will take care of us. The Earth is a Home we all own. If my mother were alive, may she rest in peace, if a doctor told me she need attention too, I wouldn't stop and say, "I will need to see other evidence that what you are saying is true Doc." No I would make sure she has what ever she needs to stay healthy.
There are a lot more things I find strange about the GOP and how most seem to think, but denying that we have a global environmental problems beats all. This is one time we all should error on the side of caution. I would ask a Dinosaur if I was right, but they are all extinct. I wonder why?
Happy Earth Day
The way I see it, this is only the planet is all we got. I mean I did learn in school that no other body in the Solar System, including our own Moon would have us, or they would have at least air.
I say if we are concerned about Mother Earth, (Oh Oh another woman issue), Mother Earth will take care of us. The Earth is a Home we all own. If my mother were alive, may she rest in peace, if a doctor told me she need attention too, I wouldn't stop and say, "I will need to see other evidence that what you are saying is true Doc." No I would make sure she has what ever she needs to stay healthy.
There are a lot more things I find strange about the GOP and how most seem to think, but denying that we have a global environmental problems beats all. This is one time we all should error on the side of caution. I would ask a Dinosaur if I was right, but they are all extinct. I wonder why?
Happy Earth Day
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