* Republican pride ~ an historical phrase – As I waited to enter the voting booth this past week the man behind me was checking in at the registration desk. I heard him ask the clerk if he was registered as a Democrat. When told he was registered Republican I saw his shoulders slump. He then asked if he could vote for the Democratic candidates in this primary and his shoulders slumped even further as he was told not until next year if he subsequently changed his party affiliation. This was a man about 60 years old and I began thinking what it must be like to have been a Republican for decades and realize where this political party is today. The Republican Party of small government, low taxes and a balanced budget has been hijacked by special interests, war fever and a unitary executive. It advocates torture, the demise of the working class, huge deficits, attacking and divisive politics and the integration of church and state. The Grand Old Party (GOP) is no longer Grand, the philosophy and principles it once stood for are an Old memory and aPart would best describe its connection to the ideas and ideals that once made America a great country and a world leader. The GOP never entered the 21st Century
* Does a woman count? ~ not to Republicans – The Supreme Court, in a recent 5 to 4 decision, ruled that Lilly Ledbetter could not sue Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. for wage discrimination because she had not sued within 180 days of the discrimination. After working for Goodyear for 20 years she retired and subsequently learned that “while she earned $3,727 a month the lowest-paid male working in the same position earned $4,286 and the highest-paid earned $5,236. Ledbetter proved that this disparity was because of her sex, and a federal district court in Alabama found Goodyear liable for sex discrimination.” The less than Supremes overruled the decision. In response to an inadequate law and a lame ruling by the court the House passed a measure to improve workers’ rights in this area and the Senate was about to do the same. There was one obstruction, and it goes by the name “Republicans”. It is worthwhile noting that John McCain wants to appoint more Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia, Roberts and Thomas. The Republicans and this court have set back workers rights and unions decades while enabling corporate America to operate with impunity. The next president and the next congress will have a huge impact on whether this shameful trend continues. If John McCain is elected president do not expect any help on sex discrimination in the work place. McCain said that “he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits.” This is reasoning I would expect from a rutabaga. His solution to gender-based pay discrimination is that women “need more education and training”. My solution for McCain is to have his Bush brain transplant reversed.
* Does your vote count? ~ not to Republicans – Much has been written about the unreliability of electronic voting machines and the ease with which they can be hacked (manipulated). Unless there is a paper trail of a voter’s decision, uncertainty remains. This is not a good development for the democratic process. Voting rights activists hoped that the federal government would help local governments pay for paper trails and audits for electronic voting machines. Their disappointment is palpable. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced legislation, Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act, intended to help ensure that elections are as secure and reliable as possible. The legislation was blocked by Republican congressmen. Holt said, “The bill’s failure will mean that millions of voters will leave the 2008 election questioning the process and whether their vote means anything.” Today all eyes are focused on the presidential election hoping for better leadership in the White House. That will be step one but America’s leadership problems also extend deeply through the House and the Senate. America is beyond a quick fix. If you would like to stay informed about bad election management, questionable voting machines and partisan tricks to influence elections the news organization AlterNet offers a free subscription to the weekly newsletter Democracy and Elections.
* More illusions from Iraq – The Bush administration continually tells us that it will draw down American troops as the Iraqi forces stand up. This has been the mantra for several years in this interminable war. An audit by the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, Stuart Bowen, found “Iraq's government has kept thousands of dead, injured or absent policemen and soldiers on the payroll as a way to compensate or care for their families.” I have no problem with families being cared for out of the $20 billion the U.S. is spending to train Iraqi forces. I do have a problem with the U.S. and Iraqi governments’ accountability, including phantom troop levels that belie the reality of conditions in Iraq. Additionally, the Iraqi troops that are in place leave much to be desired. When the Iraqi government recently moved militarily against the forces of radical cleric Sadeq al-Sadr we were told how admirably they performed. This Time magazine article discusses how 1300 of the Iraqi troops refused to fight as well as other examples of poor performance that subsequently required US troops to be called in. The eventuality of US troops being able to stand down is no closer now than it was one or two or three years ago. From day one of this war the American people have been lied to or misled and that is the constant in Bush and Cheney’s Iraq war.
* More illusions from the nation’s capitol ~ meet the Pentagon – For quite some time we have known how the Bush administration sold us the Iraq war in a similar way that a pharmaceutical company sells the next miracle drug to cure male erectile dysfunction. And like a drug company the sales pitch continues. This week the NY Times exposed a Pentagon program designed to manipulate the news. It is known as the Pentagon military analyst program. Basically, the program recruited retired high-level military officers, in most cases now employed by defense contractors, and indoctrinated them as to what to say as “experts” when appearing on TV and radio networks such as CNN. Hidden behind the appearance of military analysts, “It is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance.” The program “has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.” So the next time you see the likes of Col. Ken Allard, Gen. Wayne Downing, Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney, Maj. Gen. Bob Scales, Gen. Montgomery Meigs and Maj. Gen. Don Sheppard pontificating about the war and policy and covering the Pentagon’s ass, think of Michael Jordan selling you a line of underwear that covers your ass.
* Blood from a stone – An ironic smile occurred when I received an email from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). She was requesting that I sign a petition to President Bush “taking him to task for his failure to lead on global warming and urging him to step up.” For seven years Bush has ignored overwhelming scientific evidence about mankind's impact on global climate change and the Bush Administration has done everything it could to block, delay, and rebuff efforts to stop global warming. In a major speech last week Bush’s solution for global warming was to end the growth of greenhouse gases by 2025. Bush did not attempt to cut emissions or to develop a multi dimensional approach. Unlike the rush to invade Iraq our leader wants to wait another 17 years to help the environment! I would characterize his approach as spitting a chaw in the ocean to raise sea levels. Does Sen. Boxer really think that Bush cares about 25 thousand or 25 million people signing a petition? Does anyone really believe that anything positive on any issue will be achieved in this country before January 20, 2009?
* Blood from a migrant worker ~ Burger King has it their way - Wages for Florida tomato pickers have stayed the same for nearly 20 years. In 1980, the going piece rate was 40 cents per bucket. Today, twenty eight years later, workers are paid an average of only 45 cents per bucket. They work 10 to 12 hour days with no overtime pay. They earn about $50 per day and much of this money goes toward paying for trailers where 8 to 10 workers live together. There is evidence of physical abuse and wage fraud by crew leaders, supervisors, and growers. The workers have asked for a one penny more per pound but Burger King and their lobbyists have fought this request. The insensitivity and inhumanity on the part of BK goes way beyond bottom line concerns and is contrary to what I believe was once a fundamental American value. I have added Burger King to the list of companies I will not patronize that includes Exxon/Mobil and Wal-Mart. I also signed a petition available at TrueMajority.org that “calls on Burger King to end exploitation in the fields and modern-day slavery in the 21st century”.
* “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Thomas Jefferson (1743 to 1826), 3rd President of the United States of America
Showing posts with label Rush Holt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rush Holt. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
1/19/08
PRESIDENT BUSH VISITS THE MIDDLE EAST – Oy Vey
>Quintessential symbolism – One of Bush’s stops on his Middle-East tour was the wealthy country of Abu Dhabi. Upon his arrival “Bush was given a large necklace encrusted with hundreds of rubies, emeralds and diamonds and a medallion with a hand-painted enamel American flag.” The necklace is a fitting gewgaw for the man whose presidency enabled Arab oil-producing pals and wealthy American business and defense industry titans to become even wealthier. Let’s hope that Laura has a good chiropractor.
>Quintessential Bush – While visiting United Arab Emirates Bush described this country as a model society. As pointed out by smintheus at dailykos.com “the UAE is an oligarchy that appoints government officials... 80% of residents, immigrants who make up nearly the entire workforce in the U.A.E., have few rights, no chance to become citizens, and virtually no opportunity for improving their lot.” The U.S. State Department in June 2007 reported “the UAE remains a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purpose of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation... Some foreign women were reportedly recruited to work as secretaries, but were trafficked into forced prostitution or domestic servitude. The U.A.E. may also serve as a transit country for women trafficked into forced labor in Oman and Sudan, and men deceived into working involuntarily in Iraq.” With my stomach turning I will only provide a link to the part about kidnapped children. A model society from perdition!
>Never mind ~ again – Recall how our president kept telling us how he was listening to the generals for their advice on Iraq – although it turned out it was only those generals who told him what he wanted to hear. Bush is treating the combined opinion of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies in a similar fashion – yes, the agencies that cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year. The agencies opined “with high confidence” in the National Intelligence Estimate that Iran had ceased building a nuclear weapons program. Speaking to the Israelis last week Bush “told the Israelis that he can't control what the intelligence community says, but that [the NIE's] conclusions don't reflect his own views about Iran's nuclear-weapons program.” Billions of dollars is being spent on intelligence but GWB concludes he is better informed consulting with his dog Barney and a Ouija board.
>Just what the Middle East needs ~ more weapons – In Saudi Arabia “Bush is promising them 20 billion dollars in sophisticated weapons—including 121 million dollars worth of precision guided bombs.” Aside from being an oil pal of Bush the country would never permit democracy, is home to some of the most radical Muslim clerics in the world and treats their camels better than their women (they recently sentenced a woman to be whipped because it was determined that her rape by about 10 men was her fault). Arming Neanderthals while on a fools errand. I suggest that George W. Bush be on the no-fly list.
>Casting a long shadow ~ where the sun does not shine – While in the Middle East President Bush is making a long-term strategic agreement with the Iraqi government, ostensibly obligating the U.S. government well beyond Bush’s term of office. I would like to see the Democratic presidential candidates and especially the Congress publicly state that any commitment made by the U.S. government must be approved by Congress – since approving treaties is one of their responsibilities.
Update – on Wednesday Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008, which would require the administration to consult with Congress on the agreement and withhold funds for the agreement if it did not come in the form of a formal treaty. It remains to be seen if Congress can pass this bill as well as override a probable Bush veto. As pointed out at TPMmuckraker.com a similar bill was introduced by Sen. Hillary Clinton last month but it faces considerable Republican obstructionism. At least there is an attempt at some reasonable governance, which may be the best we can hope for before January 2009.
*Questions about the media:
~Where in our Constitution does it say that television executives can determine which of the legitimate presidential candidates can participate in a debate? NBC and FOX are abbreviations for “idiot”.
~Why is Chris Mathews so obsessed with the Clintons, especially Hillary? He even interrupts himself when ranting on the subject. I wonder if “Hillary” was the name of a powerful female figure in his youth.
~Why do conservatives dominate the political radio talk shows? It cannot be entertainment value.
~Why do Sunday morning political/news shows feature Republicans over Democrats? This past week the 5 major shows had 9 featured guests, 7 of whom were Republican. This is not atypical. Is it due to media ownership?
~Why does John Edwards receive so little press coverage compared to Clinton and Obama? He has been running a strong third. It is likely that even if he does not get the nomination many of his positions will influence the Democratic platform at the nominating convention.
~Why does Fred Thompson continue to receive so much press coverage even though he is running a weak fourth or fifth? Both he and his campaign are on Ambien.
~Why are reality shows so popular? Each morning that we wake up we experience a reality show. Perhaps it is a reflection of the paucity of quality programming.
~Why is the media not asking the candidates about the environment? According to the Sierra Club, in 2007 national reporters asked the candidates 2275 questions. Three of those questions involved global warming.
*Love at first sight ~ who knew? – In Britain “Twins adopted by separate parents soon after birth later fell in love and married, unaware they were related.” The marriage has been annulled. Their plight sparked debate over the rights of children to know the identity of their birth parents. Also being discussed is the broader issue of whether birth certificates should be changed to include information on both of the genetic parents as well as whether or not the child was conceived by a sperm donor. Life does in fact become more complicated with issues we never anticipated. Would you want to know or want it known that you were conceived from donated sperm?
*Kumbaya – This word is currently used in a sarcastic context to connote a blandly pious and naively optimistic view of the world and human nature. In today’s world we certainly could use a bit more optimism and a pinch of naiveté. It is also curious that expressing an optimistic view is too often demeaned. I wondered about the derivation of the word and interestingly it is the title of a spiritual folk song that has been recorded by the likes of Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. It is also associated with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. What song can we associate with the renewal of America when we regain our footing from the Bush years? “Let the Sun Shine In” would be one of my selections. If you have a suggestion please email it to me: stephenviewsthenews@comcast.net.
*Holy crap! – Mike Huckabee wants to amend the U.S. Constitution “so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view”. I must have been worshipping a graven idol while contemporary society was attempting to change God’s standards. But I do have sinful thoughts when a holier-than-thou pulpit proselytizer soars in on a wing and a prayer and wants to change the standards of my democracy and my country. The separation of church and state provided in our very basic law lead me to say to Preacher Huckabee, “Shut the perdition up”!
*Voting machines ~ controvertible confidence – Last week I noted that many are petitioning Congress to require a paper trail for electronic voting machines to ensure the accuracy of elections. I subsequently received an email from Brad Friedman (The Brad Blog), a leading authority on the unreliability and susceptibility to hacker manipulation of voting apparatus. Brad offered the following pointed observation: “We don't need paper trails. We need paper BALLOTS and ones that are actually counted at that!”
~You can help ensure that your vote counts. On Thursday Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced a bill in Congress that will ensure all states' voting machines are backed up by a paper record. The citizen advocate group Common Cause offers a petition to Congress enabling you to be a citizen co-sponsor of this bill.
*The War on Terror ~ meet The War on Drugs – “The cultivation of opium poppies whose product is turned into heroin is spreading rapidly across Iraq as farmers find they can no longer make a living through growing traditional crops.” I find it interesting and ironic that the Iraqi farmers are being assisted by Afghanis, who have considerable experience with this crop. As reported by The Independent (UK), “The move of local warlords, both Sunni and Shia, into opium farming is a menacing development in Iraq, where local political leaders are often allied to gangsters. The theft of fuel, smuggling and control of government facilities such as ports means that gangs are often very rich. It is they, rather than impoverished farmers, who have taken the lead in financing and organising opium production in Iraq.” America is abetting quite a mess. Consequences!
*Electile Dysfunction – A reader notified me of a serious condition that he is experiencing: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year. I am guessing that he is a Republican. I prescribed Votagra.
*Urinal Economics 101 – Republicans continue to push for additional tax cuts for the wealthy as a method to boost the economy. This would be in addition to the windfall granted the “have” class in the early years of Bush’s rule. The theory is that the wealthy will invest these tax savings and the investments will eventually trickle down to benefit the entire economy. We are currently experiencing rising unemployment, crashing house sales and slumping retail sales and an almost universal prediction of a recession. Based on its “success” the “trickle down theory” should be flushed.
*Cloned meats ~ an unappetizing prospect – On January 15th the Food and Drug Administration stated that cloned meats are safe AND it is not necessary to label products as “cloned”. At the same time “evidence surfaced suggesting that Americans and others are probably already eating meat from the offspring of clones... Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency's safety report.” Self-policing and adherence to regulations by many in America’s corporate world is a laughingstock. Government acquiescence to and oversight of business is a joke. Last week I noted that Pennsylvania is barring milk producers who do not use growth hormones on their cows from labeling their products accordingly. Recall that it took decades before it was realized that asbestos and formaldehyde were extremely injurious to humans. Government by the people and for the people has transmuted into government by and for the special interests. Some may say it has always been that way. I would argue that it does not have to be.
~The organization True Majority Action is providing a petition to Congress asking that cloned meat products be labeled.
~Update – Late this week, as a result of strong opposition by consumer advocates and consumers, the state of Pennsylvania reversed its position on milk labeling. I find this encouraging and a verification that our voices can be heard.
* “There are four chief obstacles in grasping truth, namely, submission to faulty and un-worthy authority, influence of custom, popular prejudice, and the concealment of our own ignorance accompanied by an ostentatious display of our knowledge.” Roger Bacon (1214 – 1292) English philosopher
>Quintessential symbolism – One of Bush’s stops on his Middle-East tour was the wealthy country of Abu Dhabi. Upon his arrival “Bush was given a large necklace encrusted with hundreds of rubies, emeralds and diamonds and a medallion with a hand-painted enamel American flag.” The necklace is a fitting gewgaw for the man whose presidency enabled Arab oil-producing pals and wealthy American business and defense industry titans to become even wealthier. Let’s hope that Laura has a good chiropractor.
>Quintessential Bush – While visiting United Arab Emirates Bush described this country as a model society. As pointed out by smintheus at dailykos.com “the UAE is an oligarchy that appoints government officials... 80% of residents, immigrants who make up nearly the entire workforce in the U.A.E., have few rights, no chance to become citizens, and virtually no opportunity for improving their lot.” The U.S. State Department in June 2007 reported “the UAE remains a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purpose of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation... Some foreign women were reportedly recruited to work as secretaries, but were trafficked into forced prostitution or domestic servitude. The U.A.E. may also serve as a transit country for women trafficked into forced labor in Oman and Sudan, and men deceived into working involuntarily in Iraq.” With my stomach turning I will only provide a link to the part about kidnapped children. A model society from perdition!
>Never mind ~ again – Recall how our president kept telling us how he was listening to the generals for their advice on Iraq – although it turned out it was only those generals who told him what he wanted to hear. Bush is treating the combined opinion of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies in a similar fashion – yes, the agencies that cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year. The agencies opined “with high confidence” in the National Intelligence Estimate that Iran had ceased building a nuclear weapons program. Speaking to the Israelis last week Bush “told the Israelis that he can't control what the intelligence community says, but that [the NIE's] conclusions don't reflect his own views about Iran's nuclear-weapons program.” Billions of dollars is being spent on intelligence but GWB concludes he is better informed consulting with his dog Barney and a Ouija board.
>Just what the Middle East needs ~ more weapons – In Saudi Arabia “Bush is promising them 20 billion dollars in sophisticated weapons—including 121 million dollars worth of precision guided bombs.” Aside from being an oil pal of Bush the country would never permit democracy, is home to some of the most radical Muslim clerics in the world and treats their camels better than their women (they recently sentenced a woman to be whipped because it was determined that her rape by about 10 men was her fault). Arming Neanderthals while on a fools errand. I suggest that George W. Bush be on the no-fly list.
>Casting a long shadow ~ where the sun does not shine – While in the Middle East President Bush is making a long-term strategic agreement with the Iraqi government, ostensibly obligating the U.S. government well beyond Bush’s term of office. I would like to see the Democratic presidential candidates and especially the Congress publicly state that any commitment made by the U.S. government must be approved by Congress – since approving treaties is one of their responsibilities.
Update – on Wednesday Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008, which would require the administration to consult with Congress on the agreement and withhold funds for the agreement if it did not come in the form of a formal treaty. It remains to be seen if Congress can pass this bill as well as override a probable Bush veto. As pointed out at TPMmuckraker.com a similar bill was introduced by Sen. Hillary Clinton last month but it faces considerable Republican obstructionism. At least there is an attempt at some reasonable governance, which may be the best we can hope for before January 2009.
*Questions about the media:
~Where in our Constitution does it say that television executives can determine which of the legitimate presidential candidates can participate in a debate? NBC and FOX are abbreviations for “idiot”.
~Why is Chris Mathews so obsessed with the Clintons, especially Hillary? He even interrupts himself when ranting on the subject. I wonder if “Hillary” was the name of a powerful female figure in his youth.
~Why do conservatives dominate the political radio talk shows? It cannot be entertainment value.
~Why do Sunday morning political/news shows feature Republicans over Democrats? This past week the 5 major shows had 9 featured guests, 7 of whom were Republican. This is not atypical. Is it due to media ownership?
~Why does John Edwards receive so little press coverage compared to Clinton and Obama? He has been running a strong third. It is likely that even if he does not get the nomination many of his positions will influence the Democratic platform at the nominating convention.
~Why does Fred Thompson continue to receive so much press coverage even though he is running a weak fourth or fifth? Both he and his campaign are on Ambien.
~Why are reality shows so popular? Each morning that we wake up we experience a reality show. Perhaps it is a reflection of the paucity of quality programming.
~Why is the media not asking the candidates about the environment? According to the Sierra Club, in 2007 national reporters asked the candidates 2275 questions. Three of those questions involved global warming.
*Love at first sight ~ who knew? – In Britain “Twins adopted by separate parents soon after birth later fell in love and married, unaware they were related.” The marriage has been annulled. Their plight sparked debate over the rights of children to know the identity of their birth parents. Also being discussed is the broader issue of whether birth certificates should be changed to include information on both of the genetic parents as well as whether or not the child was conceived by a sperm donor. Life does in fact become more complicated with issues we never anticipated. Would you want to know or want it known that you were conceived from donated sperm?
*Kumbaya – This word is currently used in a sarcastic context to connote a blandly pious and naively optimistic view of the world and human nature. In today’s world we certainly could use a bit more optimism and a pinch of naiveté. It is also curious that expressing an optimistic view is too often demeaned. I wondered about the derivation of the word and interestingly it is the title of a spiritual folk song that has been recorded by the likes of Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. It is also associated with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. What song can we associate with the renewal of America when we regain our footing from the Bush years? “Let the Sun Shine In” would be one of my selections. If you have a suggestion please email it to me: stephenviewsthenews@comcast.net.
*Holy crap! – Mike Huckabee wants to amend the U.S. Constitution “so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view”. I must have been worshipping a graven idol while contemporary society was attempting to change God’s standards. But I do have sinful thoughts when a holier-than-thou pulpit proselytizer soars in on a wing and a prayer and wants to change the standards of my democracy and my country. The separation of church and state provided in our very basic law lead me to say to Preacher Huckabee, “Shut the perdition up”!
*Voting machines ~ controvertible confidence – Last week I noted that many are petitioning Congress to require a paper trail for electronic voting machines to ensure the accuracy of elections. I subsequently received an email from Brad Friedman (The Brad Blog), a leading authority on the unreliability and susceptibility to hacker manipulation of voting apparatus. Brad offered the following pointed observation: “We don't need paper trails. We need paper BALLOTS and ones that are actually counted at that!”
~You can help ensure that your vote counts. On Thursday Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced a bill in Congress that will ensure all states' voting machines are backed up by a paper record. The citizen advocate group Common Cause offers a petition to Congress enabling you to be a citizen co-sponsor of this bill.
*The War on Terror ~ meet The War on Drugs – “The cultivation of opium poppies whose product is turned into heroin is spreading rapidly across Iraq as farmers find they can no longer make a living through growing traditional crops.” I find it interesting and ironic that the Iraqi farmers are being assisted by Afghanis, who have considerable experience with this crop. As reported by The Independent (UK), “The move of local warlords, both Sunni and Shia, into opium farming is a menacing development in Iraq, where local political leaders are often allied to gangsters. The theft of fuel, smuggling and control of government facilities such as ports means that gangs are often very rich. It is they, rather than impoverished farmers, who have taken the lead in financing and organising opium production in Iraq.” America is abetting quite a mess. Consequences!
*Electile Dysfunction – A reader notified me of a serious condition that he is experiencing: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year. I am guessing that he is a Republican. I prescribed Votagra.
*Urinal Economics 101 – Republicans continue to push for additional tax cuts for the wealthy as a method to boost the economy. This would be in addition to the windfall granted the “have” class in the early years of Bush’s rule. The theory is that the wealthy will invest these tax savings and the investments will eventually trickle down to benefit the entire economy. We are currently experiencing rising unemployment, crashing house sales and slumping retail sales and an almost universal prediction of a recession. Based on its “success” the “trickle down theory” should be flushed.
*Cloned meats ~ an unappetizing prospect – On January 15th the Food and Drug Administration stated that cloned meats are safe AND it is not necessary to label products as “cloned”. At the same time “evidence surfaced suggesting that Americans and others are probably already eating meat from the offspring of clones... Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency's safety report.” Self-policing and adherence to regulations by many in America’s corporate world is a laughingstock. Government acquiescence to and oversight of business is a joke. Last week I noted that Pennsylvania is barring milk producers who do not use growth hormones on their cows from labeling their products accordingly. Recall that it took decades before it was realized that asbestos and formaldehyde were extremely injurious to humans. Government by the people and for the people has transmuted into government by and for the special interests. Some may say it has always been that way. I would argue that it does not have to be.
~The organization True Majority Action is providing a petition to Congress asking that cloned meat products be labeled.
~Update – Late this week, as a result of strong opposition by consumer advocates and consumers, the state of Pennsylvania reversed its position on milk labeling. I find this encouraging and a verification that our voices can be heard.
* “There are four chief obstacles in grasping truth, namely, submission to faulty and un-worthy authority, influence of custom, popular prejudice, and the concealment of our own ignorance accompanied by an ostentatious display of our knowledge.” Roger Bacon (1214 – 1292) English philosopher
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