I am often accused of being a black and white thinker always leaving out the grey that the rest of the world sees on most every issue. Most of the time that's true because I frankly have very definite views on a variety of subjects, one area of policy where this is not true is Egypt. There are so many schools of thought about Egypt that all I will do here is give you the arguments as they appear and then give you a brief synopsis of what I think will happen.
The first school of thought shared by many liberals and conservatives is Wow this is wonderful a tyrant is gone, we all love this moment, this is just like when Saddam was deposed with people dancing in the street. There is another faction of primarily conservatives people along with some liberals that say that Mubarak was the best we could hope for and now we in trouble because odds are the Muslim brotherhood which if true would make an enemy out of an ally. There are also some on both sides who say get out of there no money no aid it's none of our concern. My opinion is that if we use our soft power to give financial backing to the candidates that are pro western and try to keep Egypt a one of our best Allies in the middle east. Whoever assumes power we can not let Egypt disintegrate into a place that is ripe for government sponsered terrorism de facto or otherwise.
President Obama did o.k although he did vacillate between encouraging the protesters and sticking with president muberick. The state department did not do him any favors there are people employed by our government that are payed to anticipate every outcome of any international incident that may arise, they must have been on vacation. The president looked foolish one day sending signals that he supported the protesters then pulling back then telling him to leave. It's hard to fault him totally because the situation was rapidly changing, however a President who was more experienced with foreign policy would handled it better (George h. walker Bush) former head of the CIA comes to mind).
No one knows how this will turn out this is the President's first international test his grade is in- complete lets hope it turns out that the new President of Egypt keep a real commitment to peace with Israel his grade will be at least a B .
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
it's sad what the shooting has become
In reaction to the shooting and frustration of the coverage of it I refused to watch the president's speech from last week. I frankly needed a break from it. so hare's my comments based on what I heard from various news/entertainment sources.
The first thing it was a necessary speech and the president did what he had to do. The tribute to the victims individually was nice and needed after all most of the coverage was about the one injured congressmen Mrs. Gifford's and not the people that actually died. That understandable of coarse but still sad. The call to tamp down the rhetoric was all right but a little self serving, whenever a President says lets be calmer nicer in our discourse it seems a little like a lecture. Maybe it's needed but that's still something that's a personal decision. The president certainly gets a passing grade for mentioning that nobody on either side of the political spectrum caused the shootings but he could have went further but did not, saying to try and make hay from a shooting by blaming Rush and Sarah is sick.
The other thing is the atmosphere in the hall was not quiet enough for a memorial and I wish it had been done at a church and not at a university which gave it a carnival atmosphere. The president can't do anything about that but I wish the office could help him rise above the personal celebrity he has attained.
The speech came a little to late to do much good for him and the country, because when one side accuses the other of creating the atmosphere that perpetuated the shooting Republicans rightly see that as trampling down on political speech and we fight back they fight back and it's a political food fight. Bill Mahr's call to use the shooting to look as an opportunity to re-examine Glen beck and Rush Limbaugh'is personal to me because they clearly did not cause this and for the media to cast assperitions on them first and then get the story later is a little scary because if Rush and Glenn were ever to be totally discredited they would be the only providers of information and nobody would keep them honest. Everything is political now everyone has an agenda it's sad that the left and the Puma sheriff blamed politics for this once he did that the media ran with the story and everybody went to their rhetorical battle stations no one likes to be called to murder one that happens the President's speech just fades into the background like snow on the TV set. It's then that it's not just politics to us it's then that it becomes libelous and people get irrational and the Media creates the anger and frustration they are said to despise. It's a shame nothing rises above politics anymore not even a shooting!
The first thing it was a necessary speech and the president did what he had to do. The tribute to the victims individually was nice and needed after all most of the coverage was about the one injured congressmen Mrs. Gifford's and not the people that actually died. That understandable of coarse but still sad. The call to tamp down the rhetoric was all right but a little self serving, whenever a President says lets be calmer nicer in our discourse it seems a little like a lecture. Maybe it's needed but that's still something that's a personal decision. The president certainly gets a passing grade for mentioning that nobody on either side of the political spectrum caused the shootings but he could have went further but did not, saying to try and make hay from a shooting by blaming Rush and Sarah is sick.
The other thing is the atmosphere in the hall was not quiet enough for a memorial and I wish it had been done at a church and not at a university which gave it a carnival atmosphere. The president can't do anything about that but I wish the office could help him rise above the personal celebrity he has attained.
The speech came a little to late to do much good for him and the country, because when one side accuses the other of creating the atmosphere that perpetuated the shooting Republicans rightly see that as trampling down on political speech and we fight back they fight back and it's a political food fight. Bill Mahr's call to use the shooting to look as an opportunity to re-examine Glen beck and Rush Limbaugh'is personal to me because they clearly did not cause this and for the media to cast assperitions on them first and then get the story later is a little scary because if Rush and Glenn were ever to be totally discredited they would be the only providers of information and nobody would keep them honest. Everything is political now everyone has an agenda it's sad that the left and the Puma sheriff blamed politics for this once he did that the media ran with the story and everybody went to their rhetorical battle stations no one likes to be called to murder one that happens the President's speech just fades into the background like snow on the TV set. It's then that it's not just politics to us it's then that it becomes libelous and people get irrational and the Media creates the anger and frustration they are said to despise. It's a shame nothing rises above politics anymore not even a shooting!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
just a sicko
Happy new year to the few people that read this: The gaberalle Giffords tragedy is just another example of how the mainstream still has very powerful fangs. The shoot and killing of 6 people and the wounding of many others like the Rebbecca Shaffer killing of 1987 was the act of a lone nut with satanic leanings. This killings had nothing to due with immigration Health Care reform Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh. He was stalking the congresswomen since 2003 and members of her staff had logged into his Utube Account which suggests you they were worried about him for a while . He was a troubled men who told to leave Uama community college after they called the police on him several times. This is all information compiled through listening to several hours of talk radio and I believe can be be checked online. Please e But of coarse the media will have you believe he was frustrated at the way this country was being run hurt talk radio and flipped. The truth is he more then likely was truly obsessed with Mrs Gifferod's could not have her and was tolled be the voices in his own head to shoot her. That's my opinion of coarse but it definitely is more accurate then blaming Rush.
45 percent the country is worried that the opposition to he president will become violent, why is that because they have been told that the majority of the tea Party is Racist and therefore will be more likely to harm the President. The shooting as horrible as it was is not political in any way and should not be used as a political football to harm either side. The media speculated on a motive before they new the facts and by doing so they make there own story which is the same reason why Sarah Palin most likely won't run for President the media has made her a joke, she contributed to it of coarse but she is such a polarizing figure she won't run now.
The point is that the shooting like everything is political now and that's a shame. The media should know better we all should everybody needs to chill out and think for ourselves, and quit reading listen to people who want to more of the shooting then it is just a horrible act of a sick nut.
45 percent the country is worried that the opposition to he president will become violent, why is that because they have been told that the majority of the tea Party is Racist and therefore will be more likely to harm the President. The shooting as horrible as it was is not political in any way and should not be used as a political football to harm either side. The media speculated on a motive before they new the facts and by doing so they make there own story which is the same reason why Sarah Palin most likely won't run for President the media has made her a joke, she contributed to it of coarse but she is such a polarizing figure she won't run now.
The point is that the shooting like everything is political now and that's a shame. The media should know better we all should everybody needs to chill out and think for ourselves, and quit reading listen to people who want to more of the shooting then it is just a horrible act of a sick nut.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
a good deal
The tax deal negotiated between the President and Republican leaders is a great agreement for the country and for Conservatives. The president realised that to raise anyones taxes in this fragile economy would amount to at the very least more stagnate economic growth more then likely a double dip recession. The republicans made him do what we would not have done extend the tax cuts to everyone including the wealthy who by paying more to the government deserve the highest tax breaks. By making the president to sign the deal conservatives have won the debate that over tax cuts manly that taking money out of people's pockets and redistributing to social programs handicaps economic growth.
Many conservatives have complained about the deal saying that the extension of unemployment benefits perpetuate the welfare state. They of coarse are correct but nobody wants to deal with the reality of their benefits running out during the Christmas season. Deficit hawks on all sides have complained that this deal will add to the deficit and that the voters didn't elect them to do that. While this is correct any short term deficit this causes is like a truckle of water in the Niagara Falls and since this is an extension it doesn't add any new money to the deficit. The spending increases are tough but the public really doesn't want a confrontation with the president and the new Congress before they actually become the New Congress. The president always wins a fight with congress he has the media and with it a big megaphone. Tempera deficits are acceptable in recession and War and we are in both.
Oh and one more thing no President would ever run for reelection taking tax cuts away so this extension of the Bush tax cuts itself is likely to be extended maybe for a decade.
We got most of what we wanted and this economy will stabilise because of it. A good deal indeed not just for us but for the country!
Many conservatives have complained about the deal saying that the extension of unemployment benefits perpetuate the welfare state. They of coarse are correct but nobody wants to deal with the reality of their benefits running out during the Christmas season. Deficit hawks on all sides have complained that this deal will add to the deficit and that the voters didn't elect them to do that. While this is correct any short term deficit this causes is like a truckle of water in the Niagara Falls and since this is an extension it doesn't add any new money to the deficit. The spending increases are tough but the public really doesn't want a confrontation with the president and the new Congress before they actually become the New Congress. The president always wins a fight with congress he has the media and with it a big megaphone. Tempera deficits are acceptable in recession and War and we are in both.
Oh and one more thing no President would ever run for reelection taking tax cuts away so this extension of the Bush tax cuts itself is likely to be extended maybe for a decade.
We got most of what we wanted and this economy will stabilise because of it. A good deal indeed not just for us but for the country!
Monday, November 1, 2010
my perdictions
O.K here they are my midterm predictions, First since all politics is local, Louisville gets a new mayor a Republican one Hal Hiner for the first time since who knows when. Andy Barr wins in Lexington, Unfortunately John Yarmith wins his final term in congress, He doesn't run again because the district gets more conservative due to 2011 redistricting and he retires in 2012.
Also the House goes Republican with a net 55 seat gain, Pelosi retires from congress not wanting to be in the minority.
The Senate is 50-50 after this election with West Virgina going democratic along with California to offset the republican surprising victory in Washington state. That leaves Joe Lieberman as the swing vote, he starts out casting his vote with the Democrats eventually switches to the republicans in the summer because of foreign policy and the senate switches eventually probably in the summer of 2011. Republicans gain a vast majority of governorships which helps Republicans in the keep the house for ten years. We will have more bipartisanship which helps the President at least for a while offset the horrid economy but he still loses to Mitt Romney in 2012!
Also the House goes Republican with a net 55 seat gain, Pelosi retires from congress not wanting to be in the minority.
The Senate is 50-50 after this election with West Virgina going democratic along with California to offset the republican surprising victory in Washington state. That leaves Joe Lieberman as the swing vote, he starts out casting his vote with the Democrats eventually switches to the republicans in the summer because of foreign policy and the senate switches eventually probably in the summer of 2011. Republicans gain a vast majority of governorships which helps Republicans in the keep the house for ten years. We will have more bipartisanship which helps the President at least for a while offset the horrid economy but he still loses to Mitt Romney in 2012!
Monday, October 25, 2010
More of the same
2008 was a frustrating year for Conservatives! So many people were in love with then canidate Obama that it was hard for them to focus on the issues. My Liberal friend kept marveling about how clean a campaign it was and as much as I wanted to counter her the general election campaign he ran was pretty clean(of coarse it did not hurt that the mainstream media had a crush on him the entire campaign but that's another story.
I relized that the rhetoric being used was so inspiring it caused young people that were inexperienced with politics to ignore whatever good sense they had and believe that the president would actually usher in the new kind of politics that he campaigned on
Now, two short years later people are waking up to the fact that politics have not changed and this president lies just like all the the rest The latest example a few weeks ago during a campaign the President alluded to the possibility that foreign money is influencing our elections, What he was referring to was the chamber of Congress which has been very critical of this administration and it's policy's spending money to defeat Democrats. Now any huge organization has overseas affiliates and they do pay dues. However organizations are required to separate the money they receive from overseas from money raised from overseas. These comapany's are not allowed to use any raised from overseas on the election. The President raised the possibility that the Chamber of Congress was acting illegally. When asked to provide proof of this alligation the President's spokesmen said, "Can you prove there not. So it's up to your opponents to disprove a negative! that's the definition of negative campaigning. The president's spokesmen then desperate to regain the high ground said well they should provide a list of who is giving from overseas, that's a debate worth having but can we have the lists from the overseas unions that contribute to you too, after all what's good for the President is good for his opponents too.
The interviewer even said the president's original comments were peanuts and other members of the mainstream media know that the charge of foreign money influencing our elections from the US Chamber of Congress was a baseless charge.
When the President said this some got mad not me upon reflection it made me happy because he proved he's no longer above the frey, no longer just about hope. The President proved in some ways he like every other politician and represents more of the same.
The president may be a good man but his comment represent something that more and more people are realizing his day to day reality no longer lives up to his lofty campaign speeches.
I relized that the rhetoric being used was so inspiring it caused young people that were inexperienced with politics to ignore whatever good sense they had and believe that the president would actually usher in the new kind of politics that he campaigned on
Now, two short years later people are waking up to the fact that politics have not changed and this president lies just like all the the rest The latest example a few weeks ago during a campaign the President alluded to the possibility that foreign money is influencing our elections, What he was referring to was the chamber of Congress which has been very critical of this administration and it's policy's spending money to defeat Democrats. Now any huge organization has overseas affiliates and they do pay dues. However organizations are required to separate the money they receive from overseas from money raised from overseas. These comapany's are not allowed to use any raised from overseas on the election. The President raised the possibility that the Chamber of Congress was acting illegally. When asked to provide proof of this alligation the President's spokesmen said, "Can you prove there not. So it's up to your opponents to disprove a negative! that's the definition of negative campaigning. The president's spokesmen then desperate to regain the high ground said well they should provide a list of who is giving from overseas, that's a debate worth having but can we have the lists from the overseas unions that contribute to you too, after all what's good for the President is good for his opponents too.
The interviewer even said the president's original comments were peanuts and other members of the mainstream media know that the charge of foreign money influencing our elections from the US Chamber of Congress was a baseless charge.
When the President said this some got mad not me upon reflection it made me happy because he proved he's no longer above the frey, no longer just about hope. The President proved in some ways he like every other politician and represents more of the same.
The president may be a good man but his comment represent something that more and more people are realizing his day to day reality no longer lives up to his lofty campaign speeches.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Tea party thoughts
Politics is an art not a science but it does have some scientific principles that everyone agrees with one is when you lose you must either weight for the other side to mess up or your side has to get more voters.
What happens in wave elections is the Party in power does enough to make people mad that the American public comes out passionately to support the party out of power. It happened it 2008 people that had never voted or rarely vote voted for the new President with the funny name It also happened in 2006 and 2004 because a new majority disliked President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. In 2004 new people voted for President Bush because they approved of his handling of the War on Terror and disliked the democratic platform on the social issues of the day such as gay marriage and Partial birth Abortion. People vote when they are frustrated and angry about the country.
The tea party started started do to anger over the bailout of the banks something that started in the Bush administration and had nothing what so ever with race. It continued with the bailout of Gm and Chrysler. The Tea Party then came to a full boil over the Health Care reform because they felt that the President was ignoring the will of the people.
Now I'm no expert but wasn't that the same way most Liberals felt about President Bush in 2008. Now to be fair some people in the Tea party are bigoted against the President because of his race, is that the reason for the tea party, No way because the same people that were against Bill Clinton's Health Care plan were and are against this current incarnation. Nobody suggested racism as the primary reason for opposition in 1994. Why mention it now Well we know why the President is black, and it's easier for people to demagogue the opposition by calling it names then to actually engage in dialogue about the issue. To his credit the President isn't doing this but his friends are and that by it's very nature is also racist.
Are there some racists in the tea Party yes is that the majority of tea party sentiment, no because the Tea Party is frustrated at all government excesses and not just those committed by the current President. Are there bad people in every organization yes, but that doesn't mean that the tea party itself is bad because it causes people to think about the Constitution and the excess of government as a whole. That like it or not is what political activism is all about!
What happens in wave elections is the Party in power does enough to make people mad that the American public comes out passionately to support the party out of power. It happened it 2008 people that had never voted or rarely vote voted for the new President with the funny name It also happened in 2006 and 2004 because a new majority disliked President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. In 2004 new people voted for President Bush because they approved of his handling of the War on Terror and disliked the democratic platform on the social issues of the day such as gay marriage and Partial birth Abortion. People vote when they are frustrated and angry about the country.
The tea party started started do to anger over the bailout of the banks something that started in the Bush administration and had nothing what so ever with race. It continued with the bailout of Gm and Chrysler. The Tea Party then came to a full boil over the Health Care reform because they felt that the President was ignoring the will of the people.
Now I'm no expert but wasn't that the same way most Liberals felt about President Bush in 2008. Now to be fair some people in the Tea party are bigoted against the President because of his race, is that the reason for the tea party, No way because the same people that were against Bill Clinton's Health Care plan were and are against this current incarnation. Nobody suggested racism as the primary reason for opposition in 1994. Why mention it now Well we know why the President is black, and it's easier for people to demagogue the opposition by calling it names then to actually engage in dialogue about the issue. To his credit the President isn't doing this but his friends are and that by it's very nature is also racist.
Are there some racists in the tea Party yes is that the majority of tea party sentiment, no because the Tea Party is frustrated at all government excesses and not just those committed by the current President. Are there bad people in every organization yes, but that doesn't mean that the tea party itself is bad because it causes people to think about the Constitution and the excess of government as a whole. That like it or not is what political activism is all about!
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