Redistribution – Why a Problem?

I wonder why this has become the horrible concept that it is. After all, in the past 8 years, we have seen a redistribution of massive proportions – some of which is voluntary, some of which isn’t.

Lets look at the most extreme redistribution – health care. One can go along nicely and then, one day, have an accident or be struck by a disease. All of a sudden, the retirement is gone, the house is gone, and the family is broke. Even with good insurance. Is this not redistributive?

The recent financial crisis is another redistribution. Money was carefully saved, put into corporate pension plans, and otherwise responsibly stewarded. Then, one day, out of the blue, a “credit crisis” ensues and those who acted perfectly responsibly – with care and prudence – find their wealth redistributed or evaporated.

Trickle down has proven a failure. The wealthy haven’t recently invested in productive means, they have invested (particularly recently) in financial instruments that have little effect (or a detrimental effect) on productivity. This isn’t the days of old – where investment was made into a company that produced goods and services for the population. It is, instead, a day of investment in “financial instruments” who’s primary goal is to profit from the losses or risks of others.

Perhaps a little redistribution to the middle class would make more sense. After all, another $1,000,000 to a wealthy person is not likely to enter the commercial marketplace – instead it will be parked in a financial instrument that makes money on the margins. However, $10,000 given to a family that makes $100,000 will, in all likelihood, find itself back in the retail marketplace, buying clothes, cars, and other items that they need or want – and that keep our economy alive.

This isn’t a centrally-controlled economy – which was the real crime of communism. Instead, it is a recognition that putting money in the hands of people who will spend it will do more to bootstrap our economy than putting it in the hands of people who will invest in non-productive means.

If Buckley can’t support McCain, who can?

In an article written by Christopher Buckley (William F. Buckley conservative writer son), he explains why he cannot support McCain – and is supporting Obama.

Add this to George F. Will, Kathleen Parker and others who are abandoning the McCain campaign and one sees a trend among thoughtful conservatives – and yes, there are thoughtful conservatives – and one can see the cost of the McCain campaign’s pandering to the basest parts of his party and our country.

No doubt, the love fest will end after the election, but it’s nice to see these intelligent, educated public figures recognize, ultimately, that our brainpower will be the engine that gets through this crisis, not our base reactionary nature.

McCain’s Service Record – Does it Qualify Him for Leadership?

McCain’s service record – particularly his status as a prisoner – is irrelevant when it comes his ability to lead.

Comparing two Republican war heroes, McCain and Eisenhower, one can see significant differences. McCain was a bomber jock who got shot down and spent time in Hanoi. While perhaps heroic, that experience did little to prepare him for the need to balance issues and deal with nuance as president.

McCain’s quickness to jingoism and brashness highlight this trait. For example, the claim that we will bring our troops home “in victory” has one small problem. But McCain has not defined what victory is. These are the words of a fighter jock who views the world – and the state of affairs – as a battle, not a war.

Eisenhower, not a POW, had substantial experience in managing a large bureaucracy – the US Military in World War II. That experience was quite useful in governing a country. While I may not agree with much of Ike’s record, he did some important stuff – like turn a recession around (1958) by creating a vision for the future (the Interstate highway system). McCain hasn’t suggested anything like that to help us dig ourselves out of our hole. Instead, McCain is spending (like Bush) without a plan or a clear vision.

Both were Republicans. Both were war heros. But only one had the experience to be president on day one – and it isn’t McCain.

Uppity…

Am I the only one who thinks that McCain/Palin treat Obama like he was an “uppity n***er?” When I was growing up in the South, that was the extremely derogatory remark used to describe African-Americans who thought that they had a place in white society. That, along with “oreo,” seemed to sum up most of the white establishment’s view of people who were ambitious enough to work hard to cross the old, vile racial barrier.

Certainly, the many comments about Obama not “being one of us,” or “sharing your background,” or being “that one” are calculated to play that racist chord. McCain’s disdain for Obama also seems to be based, in part, in this vile attitude. Unfortunately, although many in our society are past that, the racism still lives – and prospers – in the hearts of people like McCain.

And why did Cindy McCain not shake the hand of Michelle Obama? Racist?

McCain once referred to Vietnamese as “gooks,” voted against MLK day in Arizona, and has done little to dispel any evidence of a racist past (and present).

Since McCain’s wealth comes from Anheuser-Busch, we should all boycott A-B products – lets put our money where our mouth is!

Boycott Anheuser-Busch

It is time to boycott Anheuser-Busch products. A-B (the makers of Budweiser, etc.) makes the products that are sold by Cindy McCain’s family (the person responsible for the 7 houses and 12 cars).

The McCain’s treatment of the Obamas in last night’s debate was shameful. The “that one” comment, the snub by Cindy of Michelle – these are signs of the racist white establishment of the past.

Everyone who cares should, immediately, boycott all Anheuser-Busch products – and their racist distributor!

McCain is a Lying Sack of Poop

McCain is now saying he’s going to “buy up the mortgages.” Where is he going to get the money? Particularly since there will be a spending freeze on anything that isn’t military (ok, that’s only the great majority of our budget).

Now McCain (live) is saying he’s going to balance the budget? How? With an endless war at $10b/month? Buying up TRILLIONS in bad debt? McCain’s numbers are so far from reality that they are RIDICULOUS! He’s either lying or simply cannot add.

McCain needs to be tried for perjury – he’s lying to the American people!

False Patriotism/False Patriot

The GOP has a public face that stands for economic growth, solid energy policy and peace. They took a surplus from Clinton, turned it into the biggest deficit on record – while keeping everyone looking the other way with a financial shell game; took a legitimate threat and turned it into a failed imperial war – all while ignoring the real underlying threat; and had an energy policy that encouraged – and basically rewarded – over-consumption and irresponsible energy use – and when the quails came home to roost – tried to blame that on the “market.”

The Bush/Cheney years have now cost us more – in lives, money, confidence and our standing in the world – as the 9/11 attack has. McCain was basically a cheerleader for this policy. This wasn’t Reagan’s principled approach (whether or not I agreed with the principle), but instead a financial grab on the American people hiding behind jingoism and false patriotism.

The problem is that real patriots died in Iraq because of these falsehoods; real patriots are losing their life savings because of these falsehood; and real patriots cannot find jobs because of these falsehoods. But as long as the GOP (or Party of God – wait, isn’t that what Hezbollah means?) waives the flag in our faces, they seem to get carte blanch when screwing us from the other end.

Angry? You bet. I’m angry because of the false patriotism offered by McCain/Palin (note that I am not refuting McCain’s war hero status – but instead his “Country First” falsehood – the only apparent thing is that the country will be screwed first). I’m angry because people seem to be drinking this like Jim Jones’ Kool-Aid. And I’m angry because it’s my country, too, and I hate seeing it torn apart by these folks.

The Teflon Party

I realized this morning that the Republicans are doing their best to become the “teflon party,” blaming all of the country’s woes on the Democrats. While in normal times, this can be viewed as normal politics, this time around, with the two crises that we’ve seen this year – oil and the economy – this really needs to stop.

George W. Bush was a man who was supposed to understand oil. The Republicans were a party that was supposed to bring economic security and stability to our land. Both failed miserably.

During the recent oil run-up, with a President and Vice President who are supposedly expert in natural resources, we were blindsided by a near 100% run up in the price of crude oil. The culprit according to them? The “market.”

During the even more recent economic crisis, with a President and Vice President who are supposed to be of the party of economic growth, we were blindsided by what is beginning to look like a depression. The culprit according to them? Two years of a non-Republican majority in congress. What about the prior six years? The years that turned a surplus into a record deficit? Where is the mea culpa?

Lately, they’ve been quiet about Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? Because the party of security has clearly screwed that up, too. Peace? Hah. Afghanistan is in flames – and if anyone convinces you that Iraq’s thousand-year old conflict will be resolved by a few more months of the surge – I’ve got a bridge to nowhere to sell you. Again, abject failure.

And where has John McCain been on this? Oil? The answer is “drill baby drill” – maybe we can put off the crisis for our kids. The economy? Nowhere – with nothing – a hollow call for more regulation. And Iraq? Well – please define “victory” to me – and how we’re going to get there – and don’t forget Afghanistan!

How Hitler Came to Power… And Why Sarah Palin is so Dangerous

As I watched Sarah Palin in the debate, it struck me that I might, once again, be watching history repeat itself.  Where many saw a blank stare, I saw a calculating, devious and ultimately dangerous person.  As someone with a Jewish heritage (and who is a child of a holocaust survivor), I did a little more research.  The result was chilling…

Hitler came to power through parliamentary maneuvering.  He was the leader of an ideologically pure, conservative group (the National Socialists or Nazi Party) who strove to appeal to farmers, war veterans and the middle class.  They promised a better life while maintaining a hard-core, lock-step ideology.  He ascended to the chancellor’s role (a high-level, but not top-level, political office) and then quickly consolidated power with his core followers.

Sarah Palin appears on a similar path.  Her core supporters are ideologues – fundamentalists who use what they must to get to their heaven – including the Jews.  She has had at least one too many Freudian slips about being in charge (the Palin-McCain ticket, the “Cheney” Vice-Presidential comment and several other comments that have been occasionally mocked).

This is a politician, supported by a core, motivated group of extremists – a group who has proven its ability to use whatever it can to reach its goals.  This is a politician with a dangerous world view – myopic, uninterested, uneducated, and militaristic.  This is a politician whose core support comes from people who have learned to hate – and have no problem with the mental gymnastics required to call that hate “love.”  Folks, please read between the lines!

Hitler didn’t start at the top – he just positioned himself close enough to the top to consolidated power.  Palin is looking to do the same thing – supported by her group of fundamentalist extremists.  She puts forth an image that is sugary sweet, but hides a viper’s bite.  Palin – who will probably become president if elected VP – has the potential and desire to be the next Hitler – don’t let that happen.

In the 30’s, I’m sure even plenty of Jews voted for Hitler.  He was young, dynamic, attractive and inspirational.  He also killed 6,000,000 of us and millions of others – all because of his ideology of purity and national salvation.  Under her folksy facade, Sarah Palin understands that she will need the support of people who don’t scratch the surface – be they Christians, Jews, Muslims, African Americans, Asians or Hispanics, to put herself in the very same position, with respect to our government, that Hitler did with respect to his.

Folks, please look beneath the surface.  For people from a similar tradition, don’t be blinded by her “support for Israel.”  The evangelical movement has long supported Israel – they need our backs to climb on to reach their heaven.  The real question is whether these people, so convinced that the End Times are upon us, will use the tools of true political power to speed our way to them.  In that event, Israel – and the rest of the world, free or not, will burn.  This is why she is so very dangerous.

We, as free people, need to stop this train BEFORE it leaves the station.  Had Hitler not ascended to the Chancellory, he could have been stopped – well before millions had to perish at his hand.  History teaches us lessons – but it is our job to hear them.  Learn the lesson – and don’t let Sarah Palin ascend to the Vice Presidency.