In these difficult times in which we currently find ourselves living, it amazes me that people haven't been taking to the streets demanding economic justice. The gradual upward redistribution of wealth. which is leaving ordinary Americans behind, is slowly leading us to become worse than a third world nation in income inequality. Wages for middle class workers have stagnated, which has led to record unemployment since none of us can afford to buy anything. And without our purchasing power, we can't create jobs because we can't create demand for anything to be made. Massive budget cuts are only going to exacerbate the situation because it will lead to higher unemployment, even less demand for goods and services and a steady downward spiraling of our economy. While I agree that our government should live within its means, in the past decade we've broken the bank fighting three unfunded wars. Even were those wars to end tomorrow, our country is still going to need to occupy those nations for decades to come both to help maintain political stability (if that's even possible in nations that have been, for far too long now, broken by corruption) and to help rebuild the damage we inflicted by blowing so many things up. High unemployment and frustration among the populace of those nations is only going to continue to make terrorism look like an attractive alternative, so it is incumbent on our country to help rebuild and stabilize these places where for so long we've been waging these unfunded and disastrous wars. The trouble is that these are places where American style democracy is far too foreign and would never take root. They are ancient tribal cultures where things like bribery and corruption are the accepted norm. It's not for nothing that Afghanistan, in particular, has long been called "The Graveyard of Empires". The Soviet Union spent 10 years trying to conquer that nation and it bankrupted them and caused their downfall. Now we've been there for 10 years, accomplished nothing and we're tryingn desperately to prop up an American supported leader there who is as corrupt as anyone who has ever come along. The neighboring nation, Pakistan, is suspect because of the fact that Osama bin Laden was hiding there in plain sight. It calls into question just how legitimately they are trying to help us in this so-called "Global War on Terrorism", which in effect could rightfully be called "World War III". Only this time, we aren't fighting nations, we are fighting shadowy groups of terrorists who have no real nation states. It's not a war that can ever be won, unfortunately. It appears we will be fighting this war until well past my lifetime, and cost in human lives and treasure could well lead our country down the road toward bankruptcy, which is the ultimate goal of these terrorists. They want to bring down our country by any means possible and so far, they are winning that battle handsd-down.
I must admit, I am deeply disappointed in President Obama. He hasn't been the "change we can believe in" that I hoped for. He seems totally tone deaf to what the American people want. They don't want compromise, they want action. They don't want "No We Can't", or "Maybe We Can But Not Now", they want "YES WE CAN". That is what we campaigned for, that is what we voted for, but so far, this Presidency has turned out to be a serious disappointment for many of us. Poverty is worsening among African-Americans and they are disillusioned after voting for one of their own and seeing him win a historic victory. I'm frustrated by his constant capitulation to Republican demands. He hasn't shown an ounce of spine, hasn't criticized the GOP and has basically gone along with all their demands. He seems more like a moderate Republican instead of a Progressive Democrat. I find myself wondering if he can even try to win a second term when people like Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann, TEA Party favorites, are gathering huge numbers of supporters and making wild promises like gas below $2 a gallon. Obama has lost crucial support among women and independents, constituencies he needs to win the election next year, and barring any real bold action on his part, he can pretty much kiss his job goodbye and count on living under President Perry, another Texas cowboy President who is blustering his way to huge numbers and is the current GOP front runner. His Presidency will be Bush III, another swaggering Texan who will rule by cowboy justice. People like that in a leader and Obama hasn't shown a trace of boldness in the entire time he's been in the White House. I suspect that he thinks that by becoming a moderate Republican that he will win GOP support, but so far, they have done everything in their power to stymie and block anything he's tried to accomplish, even when he had HUGE majorities in both Houses. Obama failed to take advantage of that to do some things that might have broken the back of this long, dark and painful recession, but the health care law wasn't exactly well received or well timed. That's something that could have waited and anyway, taking single payer off the table when it has been shown that many Americans favor it was a huge mistake. Now the battle for single payer has gone to a statewide level and with most states controlled by the GOP, the chances of getting it passed in any of the states is pretty much dead for the time being. I see no future for single payer but a lofty dream that so many of us hold. Corporations basically control our country via the politicians that they own lock, stock and barrel, and as long as they hold the power and the money, the rest of us are screwed. They will buy this next Presidential election and they intend to buy Perry as their man, and chances are almost a sure shot deal that he will win. Gawd, another four years of having a swaggering, sneering cowboy in the White House is more than I can stand. Had Obama been bolder, he might have stood a chance, but with a divided government and the GOP lined up firmly against him and determined to destroy him at all cost, it looks like his days in the White House are numbered. Too bad people have such short memories of what happened the last time we had a cowboy in the White House. They'll learn soon enough when Perry is elected our next President. Look out, world, you've got nukes falling on you if you don't step into line. More wars, more death, more destruction, and more attempts at creating a theocracy where only Christianity is the accepted religion. Good grief, it's enough to make me want to move out of this country. Good thing I'm retiring soon......
In these difficult times in which we currently find ourselves living, it amazes me that people haven't been taking to the streets demanding economic justice. The gradual upward redistribution of wealth. which is leaving ordinary Americans behind, is slowly leading us to become worse than a third world nation in income inequality. Wages for middle class workers have stagnated, which has led to record unemployment since none of us can afford to buy anything. And without our purchasing power, we can't create jobs because we can't create demand for anything to be made. Massive budget cuts are only going to exacerbate the situation because it will lead to higher unemployment, even less demand for goods and services and a steady downward spiraling of our economy. While I agree that our government should live within its means, in the past decade we've broken the bank fighting three unfunded wars. Even were those wars to end tomorrow, our country is still going to need to occupy those nations for decades to come both to help maintain political stability (if that's even possible in nations that have been, for far too long now, broken by corruption) and to help rebuild the damage we inflicted by blowing so many things up. High unemployment and frustration among the populace of those nations is only going to continue to make terrorism look like an attractive alternative, so it is incumbent on our country to help rebuild and stabilize these places where for so long we've been waging these unfunded and disastrous wars. The trouble is that these are places where American style democracy is far too foreign and would never take root. They are ancient tribal cultures where things like bribery and corruption are the accepted norm. It's not for nothing that Afghanistan, in particular, has long been called "The Graveyard of Empires". The Soviet Union spent 10 years trying to conquer that nation and it bankrupted them and caused their downfall. Now we've been there for 10 years, accomplished nothing and we're tryingn desperately to prop up an American supported leader there who is as corrupt as anyone who has ever come along. The neighboring nation, Pakistan, is suspect because of the fact that Osama bin Laden was hiding there in plain sight. It calls into question just how legitimately they are trying to help us in this so-called "Global War on Terrorism", which in effect could rightfully be called "World War III". Only this time, we aren't fighting nations, we are fighting shadowy groups of terrorists who have no real nation states. It's not a war that can ever be won, unfortunately. It appears we will be fighting this war until well past my lifetime, and cost in human lives and treasure could well lead our country down the road toward bankruptcy, which is the ultimate goal of these terrorists. They want to bring down our country by any means possible and so far, they are winning that battle handsd-down.
I must admit, I am deeply disappointed in President Obama. He hasn't been the "change we can believe in" that I hoped for. He seems totally tone deaf to what the American people want. They don't want compromise, they want action. They don't want "No We Can't", or "Maybe We Can But Not Now", they want "YES WE CAN". That is what we campaigned for, that is what we voted for, but so far, this Presidency has turned out to be a serious disappointment for many of us. Poverty is worsening among African-Americans and they are disillusioned after voting for one of their own and seeing him win a historic victory. I'm frustrated by his constant capitulation to Republican demands. He hasn't shown an ounce of spine, hasn't criticized the GOP and has basically gone along with all their demands. He seems more like a moderate Republican instead of a Progressive Democrat. I find myself wondering if he can even try to win a second term when people like Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann, TEA Party favorites, are gathering huge numbers of supporters and making wild promises like gas below $2 a gallon. Obama has lost crucial support among women and independents, constituencies he needs to win the election next year, and barring any real bold action on his part, he can pretty much kiss his job goodbye and count on living under President Perry, another Texas cowboy President who is blustering his way to huge numbers and is the current GOP front runner. His Presidency will be Bush III, another swaggering Texan who will rule by cowboy justice. People like that in a leader and Obama hasn't shown a trace of boldness in the entire time he's been in the White House. I suspect that he thinks that by becoming a moderate Republican that he will win GOP support, but so far, they have done everything in their power to stymie and block anything he's tried to accomplish, even when he had HUGE majorities in both Houses. Obama failed to take advantage of that to do some things that might have broken the back of this long, dark and painful recession, but the health care law wasn't exactly well received or well timed. That's something that could have waited and anyway, taking single payer off the table when it has been shown that many Americans favor it was a huge mistake. Now the battle for single payer has gone to a statewide level and with most states controlled by the GOP, the chances of getting it passed in any of the states is pretty much dead for the time being. I see no future for single payer but a lofty dream that so many of us hold. Corporations basically control our country via the politicians that they own lock, stock and barrel, and as long as they hold the power and the money, the rest of us are screwed. They will buy this next Presidential election and they intend to buy Perry as their man, and chances are almost a sure shot deal that he will win. Gawd, another four years of having a swaggering, sneering cowboy in the White House is more than I can stand. Had Obama been bolder, he might have stood a chance, but with a divided government and the GOP lined up firmly against him and determined to destroy him at all cost, it looks like his days in the White House are numbered. Too bad people have such short memories of what happened the last time we had a cowboy in the White House. They'll learn soon enough when Perry is elected our next President. Look out, world, you've got nukes falling on you if you don't step into line. More wars, more death, more destruction, and more attempts at creating a theocracy where only Christianity is the accepted religion. Good grief, it's enough to make me want to move out of this country. Good thing I'm retiring soon......
1 comment:
Sally, I wonder what the President will say in 2012. "Hey, folks, I really mean it this time." He may be "fired up and ready to go" but most of his supporters are increasingly burned out and ready to go somewhere else. I'll follow your blog. Drop by when you can. No ads. Here's a surprising revelation. http://thebookofcletis.blogspot.com/2011/02/workers-of-world-dig-in.html
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