As we might have guessed, now that there is a real candidate that threatens the business as usual nature of our corporate welfare/military industrial complex, the media are thoroughly ignoring him. As much as anyone, I want to vote for a female (Not Hillary) candidate for President, but that is something that I have already done. Back when Jesse Jackson sold out the Rainbow Coalition, I voted proudly for Doctor Lenora Fulani. We the People are supposed to have freedom of choice over our representatives, but the oligarchs are right to feel threatened by Mr. Sanders and the hope that he is inspiring across this great land. Shutting him up will be more difficult today than it had been to ignore the Rainbow Coalition. First, because we now have the internet which allows us to continuously share information and photos of Presidential candidates speaking to overflow crowds, or just one of two people, which recently happened to a few Rethuglican candidates. While the major "frontrunners" step up to the microphone to embarrass themselves, or parrot back the platitudes that have been deemed "safe" but their corporate henchmen, Bernie continues to hammer away on issues that affect the entire world economy, the pocketbooks of the vast majority of Americans, the rampant pollution of our sacred air and waters, and fossil fuel procurement practices that render vast swaths of land useless for generations while exacerbating global climate instability. The oligarchs have done everything in their power to dumb us down, but with a bit of luck, we are not yet too far gone. I continue to do my level best to bring up issues that can gain traction in the public conversation. Please take the time to have it!
Many have said that we need to get money out of politics, the Sanders Campaign will have the opportunity to prove it. Our difficulty has been that the oligarchs, seeing the writing on the wall, have armored themselves so thoroughly against reproach that they have kept any limits on campaign contributions and all meaningful limits on lobbying off the table. If you want a real eye-opener, check out the recently coined term "anticipatory bribery", that concept more than any other explains how bereft our democracy has become under the current broken system. The top .002% exert their stranglehold on media outlets but their strength is waning because of the information sharing that is possible through the internet. What is needed is a candidate like Bernie Sanders. We need someone so thoroughly above their diabolic scheme that their candidacy rises to the top like cream on undisturbed milk. Every word I have heard Bernie Sanders speak has been motivated by a true love for America and Americans. Perhaps when the current slate of representatives learn that moral values and humanitarian approaches to government have traction amongst the electorate, we will finally show the well-heeled that their money cannot buy the necessary amount of favor required to give their diabolic schemes and decrepit "just business" claims any validity. We may face the most important election in our history.
We the People must re-invigorate the concept of one person one vote and castigate any and all political thinkers who make excuses for corporate power being the sole arbiter of public opinion. If we pay any attention to the news at all, we quickly see distraction after distraction thrown up into the public eye for scorn, ridicule and summary judgement. Again, like having a main course of righteous indignation with a side of I don't give a (expletive). By not asking our brothers and sisters what is important, we can only be led, like lambs to the slaughter. We the People are supposed to steer the ship of state whilst the laws our representatives craft are supposed to act as sails, unfurled to the winds of change.
Do not despair. There will be many who try to humiliate you for thinking that Bernie has a chance. There may even arise an awkward moment where you don't have to choose the lesser of two evils, but be aware. I said this before Obama was elected to the Presidency the first time, we may even get him in the White house, but the next day and the day after that, and for the following four to eight years, we have to be willing to "go to the mat" for what he is a stand for. What he offers cannot be given by an all powerful government, but only by us getting involved passionately in the causes which he is not afraid to talk about. We can see how far our current administration has been able to come under the stranglehold of the big banks, insurance companies and investment firms. We need to become a nation that does not abandon our leaders and them blame them for our shortcomings. We shall overcome!
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Friday, October 29, 2010
Stand Together To Overcome The Divide And Conquer Strategy
We have been through the worst of our latest economic downturn. The numbers have stopped their drastic decline and slight improvements are reported almost daily. Just yesterday the word came out that Real Estate sales figures were up 6% from last year at this time, although it still languishes at 80% less than four years ago. I hope that we have not forgotten how we got to where we are now. I also wish that the majority of people take time to sift through the lies that are told in defense of business as usual for the wealthiest among us. I'm sick and tired of being called names and abused because I want to help others. Our greed inspired, capitalist system is on the ropes as surely as the "communist" system that focused on a strong central government controlling all aspects of daily life. If we do not begin to treat one another better and find ways to help each other, there is little hope of turning the corner on this terrible tragedy that was the logical outcome of Reagan's "Trickle-down Economics".
The big money is still riding on the old way that business has been done in the past. This male dominated, good old boys network survives by beating down others, keeping them at odds with one another and a plethora of lies perpetrated by mass media. One of the biggest lies perpetrated by the rich is that of race. It seems to me that the only reason that racism continues is to facilitate the divide and conquer method of command and control. Calvinism too is a veiled attempt to blame the victims of capitalism. People who love to consider themselves enlightened have no problem blaming those whose blood sweat and tears make their way of life possible, for all manner of ills. This election cycle, the "conservatives" have outspent "liberals" by a factor of five to one. Considering that their cohorts helped bring our economy to it's knees, perhaps it is like a tithe, designed to placate their troubled conscience.
When we look critically at the varied and diverse populations around the world, we find that we are much more similar than different. There are those who I personally see as different, but that is mostly because I don't really know them. No matter who I take the time to get to know, I find their struggles, feelings and ideas are more and more similar to my own. I'm not saying that there are no differences, but that they are far fewer and less important than the ideas, beliefs and understandings that are similar between us. I have lost track of the number of bullies that I have become "friends" with after I fought back. Somehow, my own weakness mirrored their own. It seems that by showing them that I too could be driven to hate made them respect me.
It is high time that we the people stand together with one voice to say that we won't be lied to any longer. It is time that most of the most wealthy among us stop pitting one group against another. It is time for a maximum wage, and the people need to express their desires clearly. Not one of us is "worth" more than 100 times what someone else might be. Say that you could meet your needs with ten dollars per hour, if someone made one thousand dollars for the same hour, that would seem excessive. The most influential people are not the movie stars or sports heroes that command millions per performance, but those who make these excessive sums as corporate executives, eclipsing the rates of pay of even the most enduring stars. Together, the non-financial S&P 500 companies (forgive me this rant once more before the election) hold enough cash on hand and short term debt owed them to create a second stimulus plan, that's right, 764 Billion! (or so) Now why would the wealth builders just hold pat? It isn't hard to see, they have enough capital to create the second dip in our economy, strangling even more folks out of their wealth and leaving themselves sitting pretty to swoop in and absorb even more rices resources for cheaper prices and eventually luring ever more desperate workers for ever lower salaries. Don't be naive, there is good reason that people make a distinction between old and new money. While there has been a recent flush of folks entering the billionaire category, they are still a pitiful minority amongst their peers.
Big money has gotten used to getting everything that they want, Don't give them Congress too! This has been what has fought Obama at every turn, the moneyed interests. We need so many things right now, that to put any of them off will only inspire chaos. Our babies, especially those born in hospital, are not born gracefully into our families any longer.Instead, doctors intervene more often and achieve poorer outcomes than in many other nations. The care that we give at any age is more expensive and of poorer quality here than in most industrialized nations. By the time we send our children to school, in The U.S., many of them have already been diagnosed with environmentally caused illnesses, or in some cases, inability to utilize the resource that is school. Many of our schools are failing our children. The Black Market Economy swallows up many of our young people and we put some of them in prison. Every step of the way, the largest corporations are given welfare, and all the while our infrastructure is looking more and more like a tattered old quilt. With so many crises to attend to is it any wonder that our presidents always go gray?
We all know the same things to be true. The lying bastards who want your vote will stop at nothing to regain control even if the ship is sinking from their weight. The bloated corporations need to live like the rest of us and pay their way entirely. I hate seeing people who live off the sweat of my labors, but have not a care about paying me a living wage with at least a few days off to relish with my loved ones, the security of knowing that if I get sick, I won't lose my house and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that my air and water are clean and that my food won't make me sick or die. You don't have to answer, but I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing. I just had to say it.
The big money is still riding on the old way that business has been done in the past. This male dominated, good old boys network survives by beating down others, keeping them at odds with one another and a plethora of lies perpetrated by mass media. One of the biggest lies perpetrated by the rich is that of race. It seems to me that the only reason that racism continues is to facilitate the divide and conquer method of command and control. Calvinism too is a veiled attempt to blame the victims of capitalism. People who love to consider themselves enlightened have no problem blaming those whose blood sweat and tears make their way of life possible, for all manner of ills. This election cycle, the "conservatives" have outspent "liberals" by a factor of five to one. Considering that their cohorts helped bring our economy to it's knees, perhaps it is like a tithe, designed to placate their troubled conscience.
When we look critically at the varied and diverse populations around the world, we find that we are much more similar than different. There are those who I personally see as different, but that is mostly because I don't really know them. No matter who I take the time to get to know, I find their struggles, feelings and ideas are more and more similar to my own. I'm not saying that there are no differences, but that they are far fewer and less important than the ideas, beliefs and understandings that are similar between us. I have lost track of the number of bullies that I have become "friends" with after I fought back. Somehow, my own weakness mirrored their own. It seems that by showing them that I too could be driven to hate made them respect me.
It is high time that we the people stand together with one voice to say that we won't be lied to any longer. It is time that most of the most wealthy among us stop pitting one group against another. It is time for a maximum wage, and the people need to express their desires clearly. Not one of us is "worth" more than 100 times what someone else might be. Say that you could meet your needs with ten dollars per hour, if someone made one thousand dollars for the same hour, that would seem excessive. The most influential people are not the movie stars or sports heroes that command millions per performance, but those who make these excessive sums as corporate executives, eclipsing the rates of pay of even the most enduring stars. Together, the non-financial S&P 500 companies (forgive me this rant once more before the election) hold enough cash on hand and short term debt owed them to create a second stimulus plan, that's right, 764 Billion! (or so) Now why would the wealth builders just hold pat? It isn't hard to see, they have enough capital to create the second dip in our economy, strangling even more folks out of their wealth and leaving themselves sitting pretty to swoop in and absorb even more rices resources for cheaper prices and eventually luring ever more desperate workers for ever lower salaries. Don't be naive, there is good reason that people make a distinction between old and new money. While there has been a recent flush of folks entering the billionaire category, they are still a pitiful minority amongst their peers.
Big money has gotten used to getting everything that they want, Don't give them Congress too! This has been what has fought Obama at every turn, the moneyed interests. We need so many things right now, that to put any of them off will only inspire chaos. Our babies, especially those born in hospital, are not born gracefully into our families any longer.Instead, doctors intervene more often and achieve poorer outcomes than in many other nations. The care that we give at any age is more expensive and of poorer quality here than in most industrialized nations. By the time we send our children to school, in The U.S., many of them have already been diagnosed with environmentally caused illnesses, or in some cases, inability to utilize the resource that is school. Many of our schools are failing our children. The Black Market Economy swallows up many of our young people and we put some of them in prison. Every step of the way, the largest corporations are given welfare, and all the while our infrastructure is looking more and more like a tattered old quilt. With so many crises to attend to is it any wonder that our presidents always go gray?
We all know the same things to be true. The lying bastards who want your vote will stop at nothing to regain control even if the ship is sinking from their weight. The bloated corporations need to live like the rest of us and pay their way entirely. I hate seeing people who live off the sweat of my labors, but have not a care about paying me a living wage with at least a few days off to relish with my loved ones, the security of knowing that if I get sick, I won't lose my house and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that my air and water are clean and that my food won't make me sick or die. You don't have to answer, but I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing. I just had to say it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Elections Less Than Two Weeks Away
Being a poll worker for over two decades and paying attention to politics since childhood, I have never seen the money that has been spent on this mid term election. Nation-wide, "conservatives" are outspending "liberals" by five-to-one. No matter what the Supreme Court allows, it is immoral and anti-democratic to let money translate into votes. One accusation that has come up in this election cycle is that the "US Chamber of Commerce", a private corporation, accepts money from overseas to influence elections with so-called "issue ads". If a foreign national is prohibited from helping me in the voting booth, why should they be allowed to produce ads telling me who to vote for?
The public is entitled to have presented to them, the true costs to society of the "business as usual" model. There are too many ways to cloak tax breaks for the biggest businesses in a mantle of economic impact, to list here. But for the name it is always just one thing, corporate welfare. We all pay for it. We have not had free markets since at least 1906. Before that, snake oil salesmen abounded; much like today, we still have our charlatans and carpetbaggers. The most stark difference is that snake oil salesmen would get away with twenty dollars and leave behind bamboozled hang-over sufferers, but today's sharks hawk people's life savings and retirement funds. More, not less government regulation could have prevented market crashes many dozens of times. The most powerful forces in America today want us to vote a certain way. That is obvious from what is on the TV. Most of the biggest money is being spent to ravage the few who had the guts to stand up against politics as usual.
Here in Wisconsin, Russ Feingold, co-author of Mcain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation, took on directly the power of large corporate players to guide policy. His opposition in this election has the audacity to claim the Russ is a yes-man, big spender and Washington insider. What is really needed is some sort of truth commission to guard against outright lies and deception, especially in the ads funded by agents from outside the campaigns. If you went to a doctor, would it be a dirty word to call him a career, doctor? What about your mechanic, a career mechanic. One would expect that experience in the halls of Congress, would enhance aplomb and aid in diplomacy. Are we to stand by as excellent representatives are discarded in favor of unimaginably moneyed interests hijacking our representative democracy?
The non-financial S&P 500 companies have enough cash on hand and short term loans to fund a second stimulus of the American economy, but they are holding those funds out of the economy until workers are even more desperate and prices fall again, allowing them to pick up even better deals. These are the same folks who touted trickle down economics and world trade agreements. Why they should have any say at all in politics is beyond me. Our Constitution talks about people, not corporations. Sadly, in economic ways, lack of food availability, ecological damage, dismal health care and woeful educational institutions, we all pay when the rich are allowed to play, elsewhere. The vast majority of the extremely wealthy are also extremely un-famous. They live in the shadows of anonymity, but let their wishes be known through funding politics as usual. We need to know that they are an incredibly strong force in politics, able to contribute vast sums through "issue ads" that do no more than slander an opponent.
When the American Way becomes justification of lies as striving for truth, ignoring the writing on the wall, forsaking our own history, or lying to ourselves about what constitutes freedom, justice or liberty, it will be a way that I want no part of. I wonder why there has been no class action suit against the banks, their appraisers and Wall street for colluding in the massive housing run up. American homeowners lost 30-50% of their home's value and bear no responsibility for the rapidly falling prices. Being taxed on the former valuation, when the market has suffered this much is like stealing 30-50% more in tax.
A friend said it best, there needs to be a nationwide strike. All workers stand firm and offer terms. We will work the same number of hours, for twice the pay, or we will work half as many hours for the same pay. The benefit for corporate America is that they could choose which it would be. For all those who got cut to half time, it would open up the possibility of getting more education, staying home with the kids, starting a new business or enjoying partial retirement. Those who doubled their pay would win also, because they could afford to spend more, save more and live better, supporting their community, the many new businesses and beyond that, one another.
Another solution that I came up with was to break America down into thirteen climate-based colonies, encompassing several states, or parts of states but with similar ecological concerns. These would function as states do now. In one fell swoop we would cut the number of U.S. Senators to 26, from 100. States would remain for Congressional purposes only and allow that chamber to be cut from 435 to just 100, two from each state. This alone would make it harder for corporations to exert their influence on the representatives because of their relatively small number, they could be held accountable much more easily. In addition, we would save on general operations, offices and aides. The total number of representatives would drop from 535 down to 126. The cost of Congress then might conceivably be 25% of what it is now. Any one who has served on a board knows that when groups become too big, bad things happen or worse yet, nothing happens! We voted for change two years ago and the Democrats who fought tooth and nail against any change should go, in essence they were voted out two years ago. A way forward will never be found until someone sticks their neck out.
The third interesting idea that I have heard talked about has been the theory of a maximum wage. Unions worked to bring us a minimum wage, but the idea of a maximum one seems to have never been considered. No one is capable of being ten times as valuable as I, nor am I ten times more valuable than anyone else. If I'm average, then a total swing of maybe twenty times would be close to adequate. That puts us in the realm of income range being from about 16,500 for a minimum wage earner to twenty times that, 330,000 our hypothetical maximum wage. I'm sure that most folks you meet would be thrilled to have an income even half that. What we must not be afraid to do is to talk about the many ways that we could improve our American Experiment, to meet the needs of the largest number of people for the least damage to the planet, as well as one another. I am not the only one who thinks everything needs to be on the table in our search for solutions to our pressing problems. If there are cheaper and better ways of doing anything, institute it. There is no reason that our health care should be worse that dozens of other countries when we pay the largest amount of our earnings for it, more than any other country!
We need to reaffirm our commitment to create positive change in the face of entrenched corporate interests that pursued greed to it's obvious conclusion threatening our entire economy. We deserve to have clean air, conservatives don't stand for that any more. We should be able to eat the fish out of every lake and stream in the US without consuming toxic compounds. Small government folks most often side with the regulated community to be honest in their reporting. Before you vote, remember that Abe Lincoln, the first American Republican President would roll over in his grave if he heard what Republicans are proposing today. We must not succumb to the angry mob mentality that screams "Throw them all out!" Reformers must stay and become more powerful. Those well-heeled friends of the corporate elite are the ones that must fall away to reclaim our democracy. Vote for public servants, not corporate mouthpieces. In the words of Honest Abe, "Though passion strains, it must not break the bonds of our affection."
The public is entitled to have presented to them, the true costs to society of the "business as usual" model. There are too many ways to cloak tax breaks for the biggest businesses in a mantle of economic impact, to list here. But for the name it is always just one thing, corporate welfare. We all pay for it. We have not had free markets since at least 1906. Before that, snake oil salesmen abounded; much like today, we still have our charlatans and carpetbaggers. The most stark difference is that snake oil salesmen would get away with twenty dollars and leave behind bamboozled hang-over sufferers, but today's sharks hawk people's life savings and retirement funds. More, not less government regulation could have prevented market crashes many dozens of times. The most powerful forces in America today want us to vote a certain way. That is obvious from what is on the TV. Most of the biggest money is being spent to ravage the few who had the guts to stand up against politics as usual.
Here in Wisconsin, Russ Feingold, co-author of Mcain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation, took on directly the power of large corporate players to guide policy. His opposition in this election has the audacity to claim the Russ is a yes-man, big spender and Washington insider. What is really needed is some sort of truth commission to guard against outright lies and deception, especially in the ads funded by agents from outside the campaigns. If you went to a doctor, would it be a dirty word to call him a career, doctor? What about your mechanic, a career mechanic. One would expect that experience in the halls of Congress, would enhance aplomb and aid in diplomacy. Are we to stand by as excellent representatives are discarded in favor of unimaginably moneyed interests hijacking our representative democracy?
The non-financial S&P 500 companies have enough cash on hand and short term loans to fund a second stimulus of the American economy, but they are holding those funds out of the economy until workers are even more desperate and prices fall again, allowing them to pick up even better deals. These are the same folks who touted trickle down economics and world trade agreements. Why they should have any say at all in politics is beyond me. Our Constitution talks about people, not corporations. Sadly, in economic ways, lack of food availability, ecological damage, dismal health care and woeful educational institutions, we all pay when the rich are allowed to play, elsewhere. The vast majority of the extremely wealthy are also extremely un-famous. They live in the shadows of anonymity, but let their wishes be known through funding politics as usual. We need to know that they are an incredibly strong force in politics, able to contribute vast sums through "issue ads" that do no more than slander an opponent.
When the American Way becomes justification of lies as striving for truth, ignoring the writing on the wall, forsaking our own history, or lying to ourselves about what constitutes freedom, justice or liberty, it will be a way that I want no part of. I wonder why there has been no class action suit against the banks, their appraisers and Wall street for colluding in the massive housing run up. American homeowners lost 30-50% of their home's value and bear no responsibility for the rapidly falling prices. Being taxed on the former valuation, when the market has suffered this much is like stealing 30-50% more in tax.
A friend said it best, there needs to be a nationwide strike. All workers stand firm and offer terms. We will work the same number of hours, for twice the pay, or we will work half as many hours for the same pay. The benefit for corporate America is that they could choose which it would be. For all those who got cut to half time, it would open up the possibility of getting more education, staying home with the kids, starting a new business or enjoying partial retirement. Those who doubled their pay would win also, because they could afford to spend more, save more and live better, supporting their community, the many new businesses and beyond that, one another.
Another solution that I came up with was to break America down into thirteen climate-based colonies, encompassing several states, or parts of states but with similar ecological concerns. These would function as states do now. In one fell swoop we would cut the number of U.S. Senators to 26, from 100. States would remain for Congressional purposes only and allow that chamber to be cut from 435 to just 100, two from each state. This alone would make it harder for corporations to exert their influence on the representatives because of their relatively small number, they could be held accountable much more easily. In addition, we would save on general operations, offices and aides. The total number of representatives would drop from 535 down to 126. The cost of Congress then might conceivably be 25% of what it is now. Any one who has served on a board knows that when groups become too big, bad things happen or worse yet, nothing happens! We voted for change two years ago and the Democrats who fought tooth and nail against any change should go, in essence they were voted out two years ago. A way forward will never be found until someone sticks their neck out.
The third interesting idea that I have heard talked about has been the theory of a maximum wage. Unions worked to bring us a minimum wage, but the idea of a maximum one seems to have never been considered. No one is capable of being ten times as valuable as I, nor am I ten times more valuable than anyone else. If I'm average, then a total swing of maybe twenty times would be close to adequate. That puts us in the realm of income range being from about 16,500 for a minimum wage earner to twenty times that, 330,000 our hypothetical maximum wage. I'm sure that most folks you meet would be thrilled to have an income even half that. What we must not be afraid to do is to talk about the many ways that we could improve our American Experiment, to meet the needs of the largest number of people for the least damage to the planet, as well as one another. I am not the only one who thinks everything needs to be on the table in our search for solutions to our pressing problems. If there are cheaper and better ways of doing anything, institute it. There is no reason that our health care should be worse that dozens of other countries when we pay the largest amount of our earnings for it, more than any other country!
We need to reaffirm our commitment to create positive change in the face of entrenched corporate interests that pursued greed to it's obvious conclusion threatening our entire economy. We deserve to have clean air, conservatives don't stand for that any more. We should be able to eat the fish out of every lake and stream in the US without consuming toxic compounds. Small government folks most often side with the regulated community to be honest in their reporting. Before you vote, remember that Abe Lincoln, the first American Republican President would roll over in his grave if he heard what Republicans are proposing today. We must not succumb to the angry mob mentality that screams "Throw them all out!" Reformers must stay and become more powerful. Those well-heeled friends of the corporate elite are the ones that must fall away to reclaim our democracy. Vote for public servants, not corporate mouthpieces. In the words of Honest Abe, "Though passion strains, it must not break the bonds of our affection."
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Two Victories for Tea Partiers
When the news said that the Tea Party had achieved two victories in the Primary Election, I was very confused. These people have been portrayed by the Fox News types as the hottest thing going in the political realm these days. I had been certain that the dumbing down of America had led us to the brink of total collapse. For now, at least, we can continue to see them as just another fringe group, making token attempts to change our nation into a gun-loving, bible thumping, shout down. Although many of us might empathize with the direction the United States has taken since the advent of the "Reaganomics", the "Moral Majority", the "Drug War", economic "Free Trade" policies and "No Child Left Behind", we are not yet ready to take up the banner of the Tea Party rabble. I'm glad that they have chosen to stand up and voice their opinions, but now we can see that the sum total of their disorganized approach and inflammatory rhetoric was only able to win them two "victories".
As we have seen before in politics, hindsight is rarely twenty-twenty. These two elections may have gone their way without any effort on their part. We may never know. As we have seen, a resounding victory in the Primary Election has little bearing on the general election. sometimes those folks go on to achieve the office for which they are running, and sometimes they don't. In my experience, crossover voters frequently vote in the opponent's Primary just to meddle with the results. The first time I heard of this effect was when a pagan friend of mine, someone who shall remain nameless, voted for Pat Robertson in the Primary only to cast their vote for Lorna Fulani in the General Election. for those too young, or too mainstream to know who that is, she took up the banner of the Rainbow Coalition after Jesse Jackson sold them out and threw his support behind Democrat, Jimmy Carter. In that election, a small minority of Americans cast their vote for Reagan, but they called it a "revolution" when he was voted in. Just 52% of eligible voters showed up for that General Election, but all the news was about a "landslide victory". Many, who had thronged to hear about the Rainbow Coalition, were inspired by their platform and anxious for our country to come together into a more compassionate and equitable place were frozen out of the process when their figurehead leader copped out and went with a proven leader. Carter had certainly proven that he was more compassionate, intelligent and capable than Reagan, but that couldn't inspire people to get to the polls that November.
During the next month and a half, let's take a look at who has helped us get to a better place and who has not. If your representatives have really taken our country down the wrong path, I say, get rid of them. Just remember that when a new guy comes to office, it can take half of his first term to learn the ropes and become effective. We need change, but that change that we need is not to be set adrift in a sea of ineffective opinionated newbies. The ship of state runs most efficiently when held on an even keel. Just as a sailboat loses momentum each time it tacks, our country looses a great deal by constantly vacillating between extremes.
If we look carefully, the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, they did not lead us to a better place, nor did the hands off approach advocated by economic pundits. The American public has the right to demand equitable ways of funding their government as well as effective limits that protect the health and welfare of our population. The wealthiest among us have shouted down any attempt to slow the effects of global climate change. They are making a case for never having to pay for the "right" to play in our economy and they have a dismal track record when it comes to investing to spur the economy. Sure there are ways of tweaking our laws and regulations to achieve a better country. I'm all for that, but throwing everyone out just to start over seems unreasonable. Luckily, only two hot-headed rabble-rousers made the cut for November. With a bit of luck the public will see how dangerous it is to be a reactionary. Crisis management hasn't worked for business or industry, why would it work for government and politics? We should all write to Fox News for pointing out and bringing into sharp focus what we should all be ignoring.
As we have seen before in politics, hindsight is rarely twenty-twenty. These two elections may have gone their way without any effort on their part. We may never know. As we have seen, a resounding victory in the Primary Election has little bearing on the general election. sometimes those folks go on to achieve the office for which they are running, and sometimes they don't. In my experience, crossover voters frequently vote in the opponent's Primary just to meddle with the results. The first time I heard of this effect was when a pagan friend of mine, someone who shall remain nameless, voted for Pat Robertson in the Primary only to cast their vote for Lorna Fulani in the General Election. for those too young, or too mainstream to know who that is, she took up the banner of the Rainbow Coalition after Jesse Jackson sold them out and threw his support behind Democrat, Jimmy Carter. In that election, a small minority of Americans cast their vote for Reagan, but they called it a "revolution" when he was voted in. Just 52% of eligible voters showed up for that General Election, but all the news was about a "landslide victory". Many, who had thronged to hear about the Rainbow Coalition, were inspired by their platform and anxious for our country to come together into a more compassionate and equitable place were frozen out of the process when their figurehead leader copped out and went with a proven leader. Carter had certainly proven that he was more compassionate, intelligent and capable than Reagan, but that couldn't inspire people to get to the polls that November.
During the next month and a half, let's take a look at who has helped us get to a better place and who has not. If your representatives have really taken our country down the wrong path, I say, get rid of them. Just remember that when a new guy comes to office, it can take half of his first term to learn the ropes and become effective. We need change, but that change that we need is not to be set adrift in a sea of ineffective opinionated newbies. The ship of state runs most efficiently when held on an even keel. Just as a sailboat loses momentum each time it tacks, our country looses a great deal by constantly vacillating between extremes.
If we look carefully, the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, they did not lead us to a better place, nor did the hands off approach advocated by economic pundits. The American public has the right to demand equitable ways of funding their government as well as effective limits that protect the health and welfare of our population. The wealthiest among us have shouted down any attempt to slow the effects of global climate change. They are making a case for never having to pay for the "right" to play in our economy and they have a dismal track record when it comes to investing to spur the economy. Sure there are ways of tweaking our laws and regulations to achieve a better country. I'm all for that, but throwing everyone out just to start over seems unreasonable. Luckily, only two hot-headed rabble-rousers made the cut for November. With a bit of luck the public will see how dangerous it is to be a reactionary. Crisis management hasn't worked for business or industry, why would it work for government and politics? We should all write to Fox News for pointing out and bringing into sharp focus what we should all be ignoring.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The End of Education
From the time I was young, I wondered what the heck was going on in school. Bullies seemed to either be ignored or to get off scott free. This issue raises it's head from time to time, but I guarantee it is still a part of every school day for a certain segment of each school's population. I know from experience that when simply going to a specific place that represents for you a clear and present danger, it causes enough stress that learning cannot occur.
As teachers have been required to "do" more and more in the classroom, their ability to do anything well has been diminished. One of my best teachers ever, happened to teach American History. He started training us on the very first day. He said, "I'm only going to say this once, each of you will be expected to be here on time and in your seats. I don't have a seating chart, but if you become disruptive, you will be moved. You need to come to class with a plain yellow spiral bound notebook and two sharpened pencils. If you break your pencil a lot, bring more, because I will not allow you to get out of your seats once the door closes and class begins. If you come to class and the door is closed, you will not be given a note or hall pass, nor will I honor any note from another teacher. If you are late, you must report to the Principal. Anything you miss is your responsibility, not mine. If you have any questions, I will answer them as best I can, but no one will be allowed to slow down the group. You will only be responsible for two dates this year, they are..."
He continued to treat us as sponges, whose sole task was to soak up the knowledge that he had to impart. The two dates that he had us write down that day were March, 22, 1765, When the British passed the Stamp Act. As he explained, this was the beginning of the course content and the other date was December 15, 1791, the addition to the U.S. Constitution of the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments, would be the effective end of our coursework. The Alpha and Omega as it were of the period that we covered. One might ask, "How could you teach a mere twenty-five years for an entire year?" Well, it was interesting, colorful and detailed to the point of ridiculousness. We learned the truth behind most of the legends that were passed down over the years and found out that our country has a long history of guile and misrepresentation. We are, and have always been a country where a small minority of loud and poorly behaved people can make enough waves to get their way. The majority of Americans didn't want to fight the Revolutionary War, but were left no choice in the end. The majority wanted nothing to do with a Federal Government, but found that State Sovereignty was unworkable, and were eventually shamed into taking their place under one flag.
Similarly today, a small group of individuals who are on the Texas Board of Education dictate effectively the books used in most schools in our fine country. They have the power to question the validity of the scientific method, rewrite history regarding unionism and the New Deal, and call into question the very nature of our democracy. The need for women in the workplace virtually assures that little change will come to required attendance. The few who benefit from our current system have a vested interest in getting future employees who can follow instructions without asking too many questions. Ironically, that teacher I spoke of was from Denver. When I lived there they had but two truant officers for the entire city. If you didn't want to go, you were encouraged to stay home. This allowed schools to function far more effectively and for those who thought that they had a better plan for the day to pursue it.
As we prepare to "send" our children off to school for another year, it seems that the economists are trying to factor in the effect this has on corporate earnings, as if notepads and erasers float the boat of our flagging economy. Rest assured that a small clique will have formed by the end of the first day, whose fashion sense will allow them to feel entitled to all the perks. If your child is lucky, they will accept him or her and things will go on swimmingly. If not, they will be in for a difficult year. Perhaps they can take refuge in the theater or band geek community like I often did. Regardless of whether they "fit in" or not, we need to be aware that they will learn less and less about the most important things and more and more about things that don't matter one whit. Homeschooling may be considered difficult by some who have not tried it, but imagine a school without the dramas of who is "going with" who, the weekly sporting news, whether you are wearing the right names on your clothes, or what teacher has the easiest classes. By the time everyone gets on the same page now-a-days, the first class period is 1/3 gone. If a teacher is lucky and good at their job, they get about one third of the class period to teach. The other third is most likely devoted to working with the special cases and distracted folks in the group. More likely than not, some were coming to class unprepared, so they never really got on the same page as everyone else in the first place. factor in a few bathroom breaks, interruptions and outbursts and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. Is it any wonder that each evening when I ask my son and daughter what they learned in school each day, they look at me as if I'm from another planet? They know that they are being warehoused, why can't we see it?
Troubled by this, I asked my wife, Why? Why don't they teach our children? With the hundreds of thousands of educational research projects that we have done, with the profusion of Doctorates of Education being collected by educators across the country, why can't they seem to teach? I didn't like her answer. It was perhaps, a bit more truth than I wanted to hear right then.
"An uneducated public allows politicians to craft knee-jerk reactions amongst them that can get candidates elected without having to deal with any real issues." Ouch! I always discount conspiracy theories, but this one seemed to gain a bit of traction, especially since the Primaries are under way and the content of most political commercials prove the point. Have we gotten so dumbed-down that all we can deal in is euphemisms? My least favorite ad so far is the one that says "A faith- filled family man", as if single people are not worthy of office, or that any religious belief is preferable to none. This flies in the face of the fact that the most happy people in the world, based on objective measures, are also self-reportedly the least religious. To assure that we are gullible, those who seek to rule by deception must first be sure that we have difficulty thinking for ourselves, that many of us associate comfort with others telling us what to think and the ability to overlook actual facts when we are told something else is happening. Most of these have been accomplished by the time we leave school. Sadly, those who are least likely to fall for this trickery tend to stay in the system longer, allowing the university system to convince them that their own discipline is based on valid claims while virtually all others are based on fiction. Interesting malaise that provides fertile ground for conspiracy theories, misinterpretations of data and the buying in to talking heads politics and bourgeois values, social norms and beliefs.
I saw a great bumper sticker today that referred to "Obama Care" in a negative way. It made me want to follow the guy home and explain to him that our current health care law was based on a Repuplican bill that is already in place and working in New England. This classic trick is often used in politics. You find something that looks a little like what you want, that has been supported by your opposition, then you co-opt it, make it your own and then break the back of your opposition by showing them that this was their idea in the first place. The recent proliferation of fictitious stories about our commander in chief just prove that many Americans don't understand either the Constitution or election law. All I hope for is for all those trash talking folks to turn their energy into productive work. That alone would do more to affect a recovery than all the billions that we have spent on political solutions to our pressing problems.
When I was young, there were t-shirts, bumper stickers, jewelery and posters that said,"It will be a great day when our schools are fully funded and the army has to hold a bake sale to buy it's next bomber."
In this one respect, nothing has changed.
As teachers have been required to "do" more and more in the classroom, their ability to do anything well has been diminished. One of my best teachers ever, happened to teach American History. He started training us on the very first day. He said, "I'm only going to say this once, each of you will be expected to be here on time and in your seats. I don't have a seating chart, but if you become disruptive, you will be moved. You need to come to class with a plain yellow spiral bound notebook and two sharpened pencils. If you break your pencil a lot, bring more, because I will not allow you to get out of your seats once the door closes and class begins. If you come to class and the door is closed, you will not be given a note or hall pass, nor will I honor any note from another teacher. If you are late, you must report to the Principal. Anything you miss is your responsibility, not mine. If you have any questions, I will answer them as best I can, but no one will be allowed to slow down the group. You will only be responsible for two dates this year, they are..."
He continued to treat us as sponges, whose sole task was to soak up the knowledge that he had to impart. The two dates that he had us write down that day were March, 22, 1765, When the British passed the Stamp Act. As he explained, this was the beginning of the course content and the other date was December 15, 1791, the addition to the U.S. Constitution of the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments, would be the effective end of our coursework. The Alpha and Omega as it were of the period that we covered. One might ask, "How could you teach a mere twenty-five years for an entire year?" Well, it was interesting, colorful and detailed to the point of ridiculousness. We learned the truth behind most of the legends that were passed down over the years and found out that our country has a long history of guile and misrepresentation. We are, and have always been a country where a small minority of loud and poorly behaved people can make enough waves to get their way. The majority of Americans didn't want to fight the Revolutionary War, but were left no choice in the end. The majority wanted nothing to do with a Federal Government, but found that State Sovereignty was unworkable, and were eventually shamed into taking their place under one flag.
Similarly today, a small group of individuals who are on the Texas Board of Education dictate effectively the books used in most schools in our fine country. They have the power to question the validity of the scientific method, rewrite history regarding unionism and the New Deal, and call into question the very nature of our democracy. The need for women in the workplace virtually assures that little change will come to required attendance. The few who benefit from our current system have a vested interest in getting future employees who can follow instructions without asking too many questions. Ironically, that teacher I spoke of was from Denver. When I lived there they had but two truant officers for the entire city. If you didn't want to go, you were encouraged to stay home. This allowed schools to function far more effectively and for those who thought that they had a better plan for the day to pursue it.
As we prepare to "send" our children off to school for another year, it seems that the economists are trying to factor in the effect this has on corporate earnings, as if notepads and erasers float the boat of our flagging economy. Rest assured that a small clique will have formed by the end of the first day, whose fashion sense will allow them to feel entitled to all the perks. If your child is lucky, they will accept him or her and things will go on swimmingly. If not, they will be in for a difficult year. Perhaps they can take refuge in the theater or band geek community like I often did. Regardless of whether they "fit in" or not, we need to be aware that they will learn less and less about the most important things and more and more about things that don't matter one whit. Homeschooling may be considered difficult by some who have not tried it, but imagine a school without the dramas of who is "going with" who, the weekly sporting news, whether you are wearing the right names on your clothes, or what teacher has the easiest classes. By the time everyone gets on the same page now-a-days, the first class period is 1/3 gone. If a teacher is lucky and good at their job, they get about one third of the class period to teach. The other third is most likely devoted to working with the special cases and distracted folks in the group. More likely than not, some were coming to class unprepared, so they never really got on the same page as everyone else in the first place. factor in a few bathroom breaks, interruptions and outbursts and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. Is it any wonder that each evening when I ask my son and daughter what they learned in school each day, they look at me as if I'm from another planet? They know that they are being warehoused, why can't we see it?
Troubled by this, I asked my wife, Why? Why don't they teach our children? With the hundreds of thousands of educational research projects that we have done, with the profusion of Doctorates of Education being collected by educators across the country, why can't they seem to teach? I didn't like her answer. It was perhaps, a bit more truth than I wanted to hear right then.
"An uneducated public allows politicians to craft knee-jerk reactions amongst them that can get candidates elected without having to deal with any real issues." Ouch! I always discount conspiracy theories, but this one seemed to gain a bit of traction, especially since the Primaries are under way and the content of most political commercials prove the point. Have we gotten so dumbed-down that all we can deal in is euphemisms? My least favorite ad so far is the one that says "A faith- filled family man", as if single people are not worthy of office, or that any religious belief is preferable to none. This flies in the face of the fact that the most happy people in the world, based on objective measures, are also self-reportedly the least religious. To assure that we are gullible, those who seek to rule by deception must first be sure that we have difficulty thinking for ourselves, that many of us associate comfort with others telling us what to think and the ability to overlook actual facts when we are told something else is happening. Most of these have been accomplished by the time we leave school. Sadly, those who are least likely to fall for this trickery tend to stay in the system longer, allowing the university system to convince them that their own discipline is based on valid claims while virtually all others are based on fiction. Interesting malaise that provides fertile ground for conspiracy theories, misinterpretations of data and the buying in to talking heads politics and bourgeois values, social norms and beliefs.
I saw a great bumper sticker today that referred to "Obama Care" in a negative way. It made me want to follow the guy home and explain to him that our current health care law was based on a Repuplican bill that is already in place and working in New England. This classic trick is often used in politics. You find something that looks a little like what you want, that has been supported by your opposition, then you co-opt it, make it your own and then break the back of your opposition by showing them that this was their idea in the first place. The recent proliferation of fictitious stories about our commander in chief just prove that many Americans don't understand either the Constitution or election law. All I hope for is for all those trash talking folks to turn their energy into productive work. That alone would do more to affect a recovery than all the billions that we have spent on political solutions to our pressing problems.
When I was young, there were t-shirts, bumper stickers, jewelery and posters that said,"It will be a great day when our schools are fully funded and the army has to hold a bake sale to buy it's next bomber."
In this one respect, nothing has changed.
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