He can't lead on health care, the economy, taxes, jobs or ecology.
Saying he's for change is a contradiction to his upbringing, age, and nature.
He is true to his roots when he repeats his single constant message: more glory on the battlefield, more fighting, more war, any war.
I
like the patriotism and the majesty of a good Fourth of July parade as
much as anyone but votes are about so many more here-at-home issues.
Votes are questionable if cast only to advance the non diplomatic goal
of having the U.S. attacking more foreign countries to enforce
capitalism and old time vainglory.
The issues John McCain, in
his one-note campaign, and by his nature finds less attractive and
uplifting are good jobs, fairness in wages, equitable health care and
returning Washington to a bi-partisan, non lobbyiest controlled can-do
status.
So far the voters have proved Obama's respect for them to be well placed. They have showed their common sense by ignoring mindless spin battles and continuing to vote increases in Obama's winning lead primary numbers.
Hillary has made
herself into the politician's worst nightmare, a caricature of the
pandering politician. This week I am against trade deals says she as
she enters a post-industrial state. This week I am a bird hunter she
advertises. Last week I was a policy wonk and before that Mrs.
Experience and whoops I find myself in rural hinterlands so fetch me a
shot and a beer.
Obama was thoughtful, honest and a bit perhaps too cerebral last week. He was thoughtful, honest and trusting of the electorate and a bit perhaps too cerebral the week before. He said his white Gramma distrusted black people and that she said bigoted things, which was honest, thoughtful, respectful of his listener's intelligence and a bit too cerebral the week before that. Pennsylvania's rural voters in the majority accept that there is bitterness and a penchant to be angry over race, guns and religion but Barack's delivery would have been better couched in more palatable down to earth terms.
It must be agony for Barack and Michelle to watch and listen to twaddle gossip cast as news, waiting and waiting to see if common folks respond with common sense to not particularly revelatory truisms, that widespread unemployment encourages bitterness and that racism at varying levels is part of America's culture.
I'd
like to think that the Obama family is actually in a "win-win"
situation. They will continue to rise above pandering political
showmanship and tell truths, although perhaps in a voice a bit too
cerebral. They will ask and tell the electorate that their
understanding is required to define and tackle America's open sore
problems in health care, job creation, a dollar driven Washington
culture and the USA's international posture. If Americans in a majority
can actually "handle the truth" we/they will stand with the Obamas when
they inherit the White House and begin a brutal slog to "change." If,
on the other hand, voters revert to distraction over race, religion,
sexuality and Annie Oakley panderings then Barack's quest for truthful
definitions to guide America will be seen as a bridge too far of an
endeavor; a bit perhaps too cerebral.
.
As the big boys say in Alcoholics Anonymous, "I've spilled more booze than you've even thought of drinking." Likewise the shear waste and uneconomic spillage in US capitalistic practice is an unseen, mind boggling sum of money.
Having personally inked $$ billions of loan deals and met folks destined for both the White House and for jail the most important thing I would like each voter (and economist) to know is:
"The gross dollar value of the rank waste and economic inefficiencies in 'big boy' capitalism is more than sufficient to many times fund both Social Security and Medicare shortfalls."
When the corporate and financial types declaim that there isn't enough money to pay reasonable taxes and/or to provide a broad safety net for the disenfranchised folks in our society tell them to shut their greedy yaps. Offer them the following deal.
"You make sure the poor can eat and get medical necessities and we'll let you continue to take a small bite out of all the capital flows that wash around financial centers, including embezzlement like bonuses and commissions for your daily toil and for your latest bubble-like ponzi-smacking get-rich fiasco(s). But, be aware of our recognition that the Pound Sterling and the Euro, currency representatives for the full-out 'Socialism' of Europe, are hands down taking the Dollar to the cleaners. Significant change is needed and the broom is in your hands."
"For the moment!"
]]>.
Bill Clinton nakedly lied to the nation and the fact that the Democrats are not discussing it in no way means that it has gone away.
His national standing was then so hemorrhaged that he became quasi toxic in the 2000 election thus single handedly denying Gore his Presidential due. It somehow seems dead wrong that a process has begun, the culmination of which will be to again place this once disgraced man in the White House. We live in the era where stardom supersedes values for the masses, a la American Idol and the "Brittany" effect, but primary voters and the Democratic Party should think long and hard before they offer philandering Bill the first spouse position.
I could vote for the Clinton him/her or her/him combo but there is a "Fairy Tale" being told in the Clinton electioneering speeches.
The fairy tale is that Hillary can remotely match Barack Obama's ability to affect change in Washington. She/he can claim more experience in the legislative process, etc. but the fact that so many people despise her/him will end up with the legislative process being hallmarked by brutal antagonism. Look for the first ever Republican congressperson to perform self immolation rather than give Bill and Hillary passage of any historic legislation. Sadly, they simply have too much negative baggage to approach Senator Obama's potential for a massive November turn out leading to systemic change and some modicum of national healing.
Labels: Barrack, change, Clinton, fairy tale, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Published Letters to Editor The Eagle
]]>Presumably this has come about in part because of the modern ability with computers to instantly reallocate costs, profit centers and scheme like deductions on a global scale.
It has also come about as the hordes from K Street each win a tax break here and a tax break there from their future brethren now sitting in the legislatures.
My proposal is a variable corporate tax rate.
First, set the percentage of total USA taxes required from the corporate sector (for example let’s say 12%). Then on a past year or past quarter rolling basis inform the corporate tax payers what their tax rate is; the rate necessary to meet the 12% goal.
Doesn’t this seem a fair way (as a citizen) to establish a countervailing power to the hold Corporate America has over the taxing powers, i.e. all legislatures?
If you’re economically geeky you may also appreciate a beautifully humorous scenario unfolding from this plan.
If the total amount of taxes to be paid is a set sum per period, then, when one company or one industry negotiates a large tax reduction this will cause the other corporations and industries to pay additional taxes to meet the set goal. Tax boondoggles become a competitive endeavor with each lobbyist’s gain a loss to a competing K Streeter.
Not only is there a smiley thought in envisioning members of the Armani suit cross my palm with lucre K Streeters being at each others throats as they compete to buy favors but tax cuts would have to pass a rigorous economic cost benefit analysis to meet approval.
Well, gee, that’s kinda funny too and somewhat novel.
(Next week: "Squeals drown out proposal to cap Pork in Congress")
]]>What you espouse seems so right; so logically straight forward. It, however, for the most part is simply dead wrong and off target.
Forget entirely who made the loans, both the borrower and the initial lender. Trillions of dollars of mortgage loans were made and having been made these promises to pay became assets; account receivables to the hedge funds and institutions that subsequently purchased them.
Any middling good economist knew that excesses were going on and that with a rise in interest rates a ton of these CMO assets would default or otherwise decline in value.
So,and nevertheless, the pros, the hedge funds and their mega wealthy clients and other financial institutions still gobbled up these assets.
There was indication aplenty that the ratings were hyped on CMOs and that the financiers were buying some portion of junk assets. Caveat emptor.
In summary, the big boys bought crap assets and being leveraged their entire equity is exposed. As and if the free market was nakedly allowed to operate the big boys equity and concomitant lending resources would evaporate.
Hence the government steps in and says, "You know, the two hundred billion in mortgages that are shaky? Well, we're going to going to say that they are okay for the next cycle at least."
And you say, "Oh, they're now okay and no one needs to write off their equity and go out of business. How swell is that?"
Bottom line. The government cares not a whit that Jane, Joe, Dick or Harry will default and lose homes. They care that the big boys will tank due to their stupidity and that the credit resources of America will then hemorrhage.
Unfortunately, allowing the free market to work in this instance could be a mega disaster for all so the big money guys will of necessity be bailed out.
Jane and Joe, not so much.!
]]>
(Opening thoughts on the US Executive Branch signing an agreement for a major long term military presence in Iraq.)
As Malaki accepts the Honorary post of Shah of Iraq once promised to Chalabi, the Iraqi nationalists and the Iraqi fundamentalists are sold down the river.
Who said that two wrongs could not make a right or that a continuous pattern of incompetence as in BushCo arming proscribed elements..."other terrorist groups, as well as all other outlaw groups, such as criminal remnants of the former regime;"....(the Sunnis) could not make the Shia holler Uncle ("Sam").
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, you just gotta love it.
Wait until the coming Democrat executive cum majority tells our Iraqi co-signors that they have to inaugurate women's rights to keep our support.
Have I just been transmigrated to Doonesbury World? Hello! Hello!
]]>Camel Thongs Don’t Cut the Mustard
(A Western fable)
“Lookee here Mister Chief Native, I’ll trade you guns and firewater for the land you call “Gusher Canyon”. You know which area I mean, where we put up those oil derricks years ago.”
“Sorry, today is a Sacred Day, ’all praise to Mother Bear‘.”
“Look, screw a bunch of Sacred Days, we’ll throw in fifty aisles worth of jeans. Your daughters will love em, especially the low hippers so’s their little belly buttons can get some air.”
“Not possible, today is sacred day, ‘bless brother antelope.’”
“All right, for Christ sake, you’re killing us. We’ll give you guns, firewater, three Wal Mart’s of enticing jeans, a gross of Estee Bauder nipple and labia piercing Pierce-o-matic Pro Guns, ten tattoo parlors fully equipped and an era’s long subscription to Rap music from both the “Dysfunction Is Me’ and “Misogyny Rocks” labels. And you get bison and camel thongs. Camel thongs from “Allah’s Little Secret” label in every color under the sun. Now do we have a deal?”
“Today is Sacred. All praise our ancestors.”
“Praise your arse. I’ll be back tomorrow. We’re not going away, you know that.”
“Tomorrow is a sacred day.”
“Up your sacred days.”
“Everyday is a sacred day, kneel and bow to the East.”
“Bullshit on your every day is a sacred day horse pucky. You can stick Mother Bear you know where. There’s something you guys want and I’m gonna find out what.”
“Everyday is a sacred day. However.....”
“Yes, yes sacred, totally sacred, but ‘however’ what? You son of a sacred snake, ‘however’ what? What is it you’re considering?”
“Well, remember that line of fissionable material you showed me.... maybe just one more little peek.”
“Tex’, help, we done got us a problem. We’re gonna be here til the cows come home and listen to me for once, jeans and camel thongs are not cuttin’ the mustard.”
"Bubba, shut your trap with the mustard bullshit. These fucks don't eat hot dogs. Even I know that."
“
Labels: fear is politics, kill the savages, mideast oil, nuclear aspirations
]]>Iraqi leaders argue that sectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government. Instead of reconciliation, they now stress alternative and perhaps more attainable goals: streamlining the government bureaucracy, placing experienced technocrats in positions of authority and improving the dismal record of providing basic services.
"I don't think there is something called reconciliation, and there will be no reconciliation as such," said Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, a Kurd. "To me, it is a very inaccurate term. This is a struggle about power."
Humam Hamoudi, a prominent Shiite cleric and parliament member, said any future reconciliation would emerge naturally from an efficient, fair government, not through short-term political engineering among Sunnis and Shiites.
Such as it is, I interpret from the Iraqis, in the above discussions, that they in a gestalt manner have declared that a government exists.
If you can noodle what gestalt means and apply a little logic here a consensus government now exists in Iraq.
One clarion hint is that all of the squabbling Iraqi interests have now pretty much agreed on the defining elements of the problem. Unity in defining the problem was a necessary milestone which is finally allowing prospective solutions from a 'government' to be aired or implemented. Lo that it took four years and all the dimwittery of Bushco but kicking five million Sunnis down the steps and considering strategies to invite them to return does take a while.
Does this gestalt of a government make a difference. I hate to tell you.
As the idea that a gestaltian Iraqi government has formed progresses from intellectual argument to recognizing that demonstrable progress toward Iraqi peace is inevitable the GOP and Bush favorables are going to go up.
Somebody, or everybody, in the Democrat camp had better plan on ideas, opinions and strategies that include winning in '08 with the situation in Iraq markedly improving.
(Co-opt the GOP, give credit to Murtha and the Democratic Party's relentless drive to bring the troops home if nothing else comes to mind.)
Gestalt: -A physical or symbolic configuration, pattern, or organized field having specific properties that cannot be derived from the summation of its component parts; a unified whole.
Labels: Bush uptick possible, election strategy needed, Iraq government appears, merde, this is bad news!
]]>My Mother often tells the story how, some 60 years ago, a local small town official, to explain politics to her said, "When it comes to politics, its like this. Spit in one hand and put money in the other and see which way their head starts tilting."
Think of the upturned palms in Washington. Think of the K Street money machinery. Think of the billions we hand out to dictators and despots worldwide wide who align with us or at least give good lip service.
The proper term for this form of government is a "Palm-ocracy."
The goal in Iraq was to form a 'palmocracy' with Chalabi as the bursar in chief. It's the American way. Why then does everybody from Rep. Waxman, the Nation magazine and its liberal sisterhood and the blogosphere go ape because a few billion $$ are missing in Iraq? It makes no sense to me. The $$ failure in Iraq is not that a truck load or two of $$$ are missing but that BushCo failed to to find a home for this moola which had any sustainable political or military weight to it. If it's ten billion a week to fight the war and accrue dead troops, what is the fuss that a few days cash flow went missing in a hemorrhaged buyout?
This thinking gives rise to the following timeless lessons encapsulated in "Palmocracies, Foreign & Domestic" the remorsefully edited edition, 'Wolfowitz Cheney Press.'
Never invade a country to promote aligning interests unless you can, with certainty, determine who you can effectively bribe.
Also, never attempt to occupy a country with two Popes.
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