Politics Archives - Page 21 of 38

2014/05/212014/05/21

Another Teddy Roosevelt quote for our times

“These men demanded for themselves an immunity from governmental control which, if granted, would have been as wicked and as foolish as immunity to the barons of the twelfth century. Many of them were evil men. Many others were just as good men as were some of these same barons; but they were as utterly unable as any medieval castle-owner to understand what the public interest really was. There have been aristocracies which have played a great and beneficent part at stages in the growth of mankind; but we had come to the stage where for our people what was needed was a real democracy; and of all forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth, the tyranny of a plutocracy.“

and bonus one… funny how little progress we have made, or perhaps have reverted back to those times of Robber Barons.

“Men who understand and practice the deep underlying philosophy of the Lincoln school of American political thought are necessarily Hamiltonian in their belief in a strong and efficient National Government Continue reading “Another Teddy Roosevelt quote for our times”

2014/05/162022/09/19

Paul Krugman on Climate Change Deniers

A famous Carl Sagan quote definitely applies to Paul Krugman’s editorial in today’s New York Times.

“In science it often happens that scientists say, ‘You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,’ and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn’t happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.”

Mr. Krugman’s editorial, Points of No Return, describes how if you are not a climate change denier it will get you excommunicated from the Republican Party.

From the editorial:

“Think of it this way: Once upon a time it was possible to take climate change seriously while remaining a Republican in good standing. Today, listening to climate scientists gets you excommunicated — Continue reading “Paul Krugman on Climate Change Deniers”

2014/05/152014/05/15

A quote from Theodore Roosevelt for our times

We of the great modern democracies must strive unceasingly to make our several countries lands in which a poor man who works hard can live comfortably and honestly, and in which a rich man cannot live dishonestly nor in slothful avoidance of duty; and yet we must judge rich man and poor man alike by a standard which rests on conduct and not on caste, and we must frown with the same stern severity on the mean and vicious envy which hates and would plunder a man because he is well off and on the brutal and selfish arrogance which looks down on and exploits the man with whom life has gone hard.

2014/05/14

Repeal the Second Amendment Bumper Sticker

The 2nd Amendment is a disaster and should be repealed. The NRA and gun lobby are doing a huge disservice to our country. IMHO, their actions and positions are immoral. For the various reasons that I think this way please read:
Hey Ted Nugent…Guns are not toys

I briefly considered making a bumper sticker that read, “Repeal the 2^nd Amendment”.

I do not have any doubt that it would be the end of my vehicle, or at least the end of my vehicle looking nice. The gun “rights” nuts would not respect my right to free speech.

And yes I am an agnostic, but the Jesus that I read about in the New Testament was a socialist and anti-establishmentarian. The likelihood of Jesus being a Republican matches the likelihood of Ayn Rand voting Democrat. I personally believe that Jesus would throw the NRA out of Congress along with the money changers aka lobbyist.

So it goes.

2014/04/172014/04/19

Bad for business… Good for business…

Bad for business… Good for business… Two terms that one hears quite often. We apparently need business to some extent to meet our daily needs. The unfortunate aspect of business is that to a large extent it is based on the profit motive which often translates into unbridled greed. The way businesses and corporations are structured in this country it tends to shield individuals from most responsibility for less than desirable actions. A familiar buzz phrase is “corporate citizen” which in my mind is the paradigm for explaining what an oxymoron is.

When I hear something is bad for business it generally grates on my nerves. It frequently is a case of the tail wagging the dog. In this country, businesses and corporations have garnered more than their fair share of wealth. This wealth has bought politicians and who knows whom else. This wealth has managed to change the laws to shield and benefit these legal fictions. It has reached the point that if Lincoln was giving the Gettysburg Address today, his closing would read “and that government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations, shall not perish from the Congress.”

What started me down this well trodden path again was a news story this morning on NPR. It was reported that “Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at the rate of about a football field an hour. Since the 1930s, the Gulf of Mexico has swallowed up an area the size of Delaware.”

Many folks allege that this erosion of the wetlands that provide a buffer between hurricanes and New Orleans is the responsibility of the various oil companies operating in the area. For mysterious reason some of these folks feel that the entities that caused the erosion due to their business activities should pay to restore the land. It is costing Continue reading “Bad for business… Good for business…”

2014/04/032014/11/09

Change Needed in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District

I wrote this blog post a while ago. Since then I have attempted to contact Mr. Lieber via his website some 2 or 3 weeks ago. So far there has been no response.

If I was trying to run a grass roots campaign by not accepting money, I would be responding to every possible citizen interest that came my way.

What I concluded by this is the Democratic machine does not feel that they have a breathe of a chance to win against Ann “Climate Change Denier” Wagner. Therefore they are not putting any resources into the race and Mr. Lieber is, for lack of a better phrase, the sacrificial lamb.

There is a reason that I do not claim to be a Democrat, but an anti-Republican. How sad it is that our politics and our future in the hands of these two corporate owned parties. If the Democrats were truly a party of the people they would be putting up a fight against the horrendous legislator that is Ann Wagner.

Missouri’s 2^nd Congressional District is in the part of St. Louis County known as West County. It is 90% white and 60% Republican. The average household income ($71,141) is approximately 35% higher than the national average of $52,762. Home ownership is 78% with a median home value of $209,200 versus the Missouri wide median value of $138,900.

To call this district conservative is an understatement. They sent Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akins to Congress 6 times. They followed that up with Ann “Climate Change Denier” Wagner. Continue reading “Change Needed in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District”

2014/03/162014/03/16

Sitting Bull’s Speech Still Rings True

I was raised a military brat. I was born the year that Eisenhower started his presidency, and thus my early education was in the 50s and 60s. The result of the two was a deep pride of country, and an admiration of our history. As I grew older, as I studied more and as I read more I retained an admiration for our founding fathers. They were remarkable men alive at a pivotal point of history, but they were still men. Many things that happened then were the sausage of compromise. So much of our history after that point was colored by the institution of slavery and the genocide of the native populations. Those two, in my mind, make the history of the United States less than glorious. So much of our history from Vietnam onward is less than efflugent. We have a sense of global empire that bothers me deeply. Our government has basically been hijacked by the corporations and the mega-wealthy. I would love to have a sense of pride and admiration in my country again, but it does not seem to be in the cards.

In my work commute of 54 miles round trip in big city traffic this week, I have been listening to the audio book, Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains by Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa). In this book he included a speech by Sitting Bull that rings true even today for our society. I have included it here with Eastman’s introductory paragraph:

His bitter and at the same time well-grounded and philosophical dislike of the conquering race is well expressed in a speech made before the purely Indian council before referred to, upon the Powder River. I will give it in brief as it has been several times repeated to me by men who were present.

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! Every seed is Continue reading “Sitting Bull’s Speech Still Rings True”

2014/02/01

And John Kerry called it…

Speaking at an international security conference in Munich, Germany, Kerry said:

“The aspirations of citizens are once again being trampled beneath corrupt, oligarchic interests – interests that use money to stifle political opposition and dissent, to buy politicians and media outlets, and to weaken judicial independence and the rights of non-governmental organizations.”

Most folks thought he was talking about Ukraine, but sounds a lot like what is going on the good old USA.