Month: April 2010

The Know Nothing Party

Professor’s Classroom

Subject:  Politics/Government

2010/12 Elections

My recent encounter with the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in new Orleans got me to thinking about American history and political parties and the way things change….the SRLC showed me that the GOP is not ready for prime time politics…..in fact I thought about a time in our history….the year was 1852…..

Actually, it started as an anti-immigration movement in the 1840’s and morphed into the American Republican Party in 1843…..then in 1855 renamed itself as the American Party…..the “know nothing” tag came from when a member was asked about the party’s activities they would reply “I know nothing”…….by 1856 the “Know Nothings” were in decline in the North, but still active and alive in the South…these partiers were locked on to the slavery issue and the growing concern of run away Unionism…..the platform of the Know Nothings sounds kind of familiar:

  • Severe limits on immigration, especially from Catholic countries
  • Restricting political office to native-born Americans
  • Mandating a wait of 21 years before an immigrant could gain citizenship
  • Restricting public school teachers to Protestants
  • Mandating daily Bible readings in public schools
  • Restricting the sale of liquor

Okay the history lesson is over (for now) and I move on to the meat of this post……

I am comparing the GOP to the old Know Nothing Party…..because, while they are Not the same there are some similarities, since the days when the neocons took over the party it seems to be moving in the direction of the KNP…….look at the GOP’s stance on immigration, look at the religious stuff, look at the attempts to restrict cigs…look at the birthers…..look at the education position of the party…..I guess some of these stances come with the title “Republican”…….

The GOP does have some fine thinkers, though I may not agree with them, they are good……the problem is that the leadership is weak and ineffective except in misinformation…..there is the possibility that the GOP could shot itself in the foot in the next election…..it is time for the “good old boys” to step aside and allow a younger more energetic Repub to take the reins……even the Tea Partiers, who are for the most part conservative, is trying to defeat Repubs in some states and if they are successful I look for them to go national……

The popular position today is opposition to Obama…I think it is a good position for the 2010 election, but it will NOT work in the national election of 2012….they need to find new voices to represent the party….voices of logic and reason….not the hyperbole and hatred they have now…..

Please, do not misunderstand, I am not condemning all repubs or conservs, just the antiquated thinking that still prevails within the ranks of the GOP……you can do better!

The Nuke Summit

Inkwell Institute

International Group

Monday began the largest summit of nations since the creation of the UN…Obama has called the summit in an effect to handle the misuse of nuke material by countries…..

But even the most idealistic internationalists know that the number of nuclear-armed states is likely to grow rather than shrink in coming years, weakening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and increasing the production of dangerous materials around the globe.

Obama began the unprecedented two-day gathering with a series of one-on-one sessions with some of the world leaders gathered for the summit, which is aimed at preventing terrorists from gaining access to nuclear materials.

His talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao were expected to go some way toward determining whether China is prepared to join the United States, Britain, France, Russia and Germany in a new round of U.N. sanctions on Iran. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful and it does not intend to build a weapon.  (Reuters)

I think it is wonderful that all the nations are talking about the curb of nuke material…however this series of meetings is likely not to produce anything but a wealth of papers on what we need to do to protect the world from nuke terrorism….sorry there needs to be concrete decisions made, not a bunch of hot air that does little to protect the US or for that matter the world…..

Okay Iran and North Korea are problems, but the bigger problem is that of Pakistan…..a country where the unruly terrorists filled areas are no more than 60 miles from the nuclear storage area…..that needs more attention that just about any other problem…..Iran or NK want nukes but are probably bluffing in their rhetoric…..and then there is the AQ they are NOT bluffing and they will use them….so any thoughts on control should be centered on Pakistan….a country with stable nukes and an unstable government…..not a good formula no matter how you look at it…..

A Fresh START!

Inkwell Institute

International Studies Group

European Desk

Our president, Barack Obama, is in Prague to meet with the prez of Russia to sign the latest incarnation of the Start treaty……the AP is reporting:

Seeking to end years of rancor, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday signed the biggest nuclear arms pact in a generation and envisioned a day when they can compromise on the divisive issue of missile defense.

The pact will shrink the limit of nuclear warheads to 1,550 per country over seven years. That still allows for mutual destruction several times over. But it is intended to send a strong signal that Russia and the U.S. — which between them own more than 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons — are serious about disarmament.

We can all sleep better at night knowing that the START Treaty has been signed…or can we?

Before I give my analysis of the latest treaty we need to do a little history lesson…in the beginning were the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)…..meetings between the US and USSR over the amounts and elimination of nukes…..SALT I was signed in 1974 by Pres. Ford and Breshnev…it  froze the number of missile launchers at the present number and dimantle some of the ICBMs….and we slept better…

SALT II was signed in 1979 by Pres, Carter and Brezhnev….this treaty was NOT ratified by the US Congress so it was a non-player…..why?….six months after the treaty USSR invaded Afghanistan and as they say, the rest is history….

Then came the first START Treaty which was signed by Pres. Reagan and Gorbachov among others….and this treaty expired on 08 April 2010…hence the new signing ceremony……

Now for the analysis of the treaty….after almost 40 years of negotiations and there is still 5000+ nukes somewhere in the world is just plain pathetic…all this signing and all the signings were is just a political game to make the players look more statesman-like…the fact that after such a long time and countless negotiations, NO one is serious about getting rid of any nukes….why?….it is the perfect bargaining tool…..why do you think that Iran and North Korea are busting their butts tryinbg to get a nuke?  The device will give them a bargaining position that they did not have in the past….it is just that simple.

The latest signing in Prague was NOTHING more than smoke….both leaders made a speech and looked very statesman-like which, as I have said, is the sole purpose of this political exercise……it also gives the US a shield against criticism that the rest of the world has laid on it….saying that the US can have nukes but no one else can….the US can now say, “look we are doing our part to eliminate the need for nukes”….while actually doing NOTHING…..

Is This A Dumbass Plan?

Inkwell Institute

Budget Deficit Series #7

For years now I have been writing about taxation and fiscal policy….on how tax revenues are the sole source that generates money for the states and the country……and to cut taxes in times of deep economic problems is more of a give away than entitlement programs….

Allow me to qualify what I am saying….

Sales taxes on groceries would be eliminated once the state’s economic condition approves under a bill that has passed the Oklahoma Senate.

The bill would eliminate the sales tax on groceries once state revenue collections return to where they were before the economic downturn.

The bill also has a provision that would require the state to reimburse local cities and counties for sales taxes lost on groceries.

In my state there is a similar bill in the legislature but it has not yet passed……there also other forms of tax cuts being offered also….

Where I have a problem with this the fact that of reimbursement….yet another problem, even though a future problem, for local governance……the money that is being given away by cities and states just to try an lure business will not be replaced….that is why it is called a “GIVE AWAY”……..

Legislatures are looking short term and a political benefit and are ignoring the long term beast they are creating….this will come back and bite somebody in the ass!  This is just a way to gain politically for the guys in charge….yes it will save people a bit of cash….but keep in mind that the lost revenue WILL be made up as soon as they can…..so if anyone is to be bitten in the ass…..it will be YOU!

Who To Choose?

It is official!   President Obama’s search for a successor to Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced his retirement Friday, picks up where Obama left off last year.

Who will it be?  Who gets the nod?  Who?  Who?  Who?  It is time to change the complexion of the Court…and I am NOT talking about skin color….

USA Today is reporting on the leaders in this race for the seat:

Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor to fill the vacancy created when Justice David Souter retired. Three other candidates he interviewed for that vacancy remain possibilities: U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Chicago-based U.S. Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood.Among other legal figures likely in the mix, based on their credentials and backgrounds, are Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland, Attorney General Eric Holder and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who worked as an assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration.

All would most likely be good selection, but why do we need another judge?  Why not let someone who actually interprets the Constitution on a regular basis have a go?

My vote (for what it is worth) would be Jonathan Turley…..why?

He is a frequent witness before the House and Senate on constitutional and statutory issues as well as tort reform legislation. He lives in D.C. with his wife Leslie. He served as the consultant to the Florida House of Representatives on constitutional issues and also served as the consultant to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives on the impeachment of Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. Professor Turley is also a nationally recognized legal commentator. Turley was ranked as 38th in the top 100 most cited “public intellectuals” in the recent study by Judge Richard Posner. Turley was found to be the second most cited law professor in the country. He was also ranked among the nation’s top 500 lawyers in 2008. (He was previously ranked in the top ten military lawyers as well as one of the forty top lawyers under the age of forty).

His articles on legal and policy issues appear regularly in national publications with over 500 articles in such newspapers as the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal. He is on the Board of Contributors of USA Today. In 2005, Turley was given the Columnist of the Year award for Single-Issue Advocacy for his columns on civil liberties by the Aspen Institute and the Week Magazine. Professor Turley also appears regularly as a legal expert on all of the major television networks. Since the 1990s, he has worked under contract as the on-air Legal Analyst for NBC News and CBS News to cover stories that ranged from the Clinton impeachment to the presidential elections. Professor Turley is often a guest on Sunday talk shows with over two-dozen appearances on Meet the Press, ABC This Week, Face the Nation, and Fox Sunday.

(Thanx to wiki for the bio on Turley)

I think he would be the perfect addition to the Court because he is intelligent and has experience in constitutional law…that would be a first for the Court….a person who actually works with constitutional law and understands it well enough to teach it to our future leaders……plus he is well known to Congress for his numerous times testifying and he is known by academia as a well versed teacher and interpreter of the Constitution……

Obama could do a lot worse, but he could do NO better than nominating Jonathan Turley to SCOTUS…..it is time to nominate for experience and not for connections…..

The “Constitutive Will” Of The People

Professor’s Classroom

Subject:  American History/Political Theory

Paper #9

There is lots of talk these on blogs and discussion forums about the American people being sheep…..it is not a Right/Left thing….both sides feel that Americans are incapable of making a valid decision on their own….that they need the media and politicians and the rest to make the decisions for them…are they, the American voter, lazy, ignorant or just stupid?  Another question…is it true?  Are the American people sheep?

Well……thinking…..YES they ARE sheep!  But when did it happen?  When did Americans give up their reason and free choice?  An excellent question…..and deserves an answer….

Back in the days of Grad school I took a course entitled, “American Political Thought” and that was a battle from the get go between myself and the professor….we did not agree on much and the debate pretty much took the whole class up….anyway…I digress….the course was about the political thought that went into the making of the USA….especially the Constitution….it covered the many players or should I call them Founders?  Now this brings us to the title……the course was where I was introduced to “constitutive will” of the people…..

“Constitutive Will” of the people…….to have the power to institute, establish or enact……which implies that the people of the Colonies wanted establish a representative democracy when the Constitution was being debated…..now this is where my problem begins…

You know during my research I could find NO papers that showed that the people of the Colonies were ever consulted or asked what they wanted from a new government…..so when I see historians say stuff like the founders were deliberating as a people with the end of producing a new constitution that would embody their “constitutive will”……I ask where and who consulted the people?

Let us stop writing b*llshit about our beginnings!  The Constitution was argued, debated and written by wealthy landowners and merchants….the people were not consulted…..their, the Founders, only concern was to protect the rights of the wealthy and to give the rest of the Colonists the illusion that if it somehow benefited the rich then the rest of the people were in good shape……in other words the Founders decided what was best for the rest of America and it has been that way ever sense…..

And that brings us to day…..our election process is just a continuation of the first batch of guys deciding what is best for the rest of us…..nothing about the process reflects what is truly the will of the people…..issues are decided on by the parties and then taken on the road and sold to the people as in their best interests.

The “Constitutive Will” of the people is a MYTH!  The people have NEVER been the focus of government!

Thoughts Without Posts #2

Yea…that is right….even more mental masturbation……notes that I have taken and have yet to be a major posts…..

1–Sec. of Defense Robt.  Gates recently said of the allies fighting in Afghanistan:

Gates warned that Europe’s aversion to war was doing serious harm to assorted US military operations with NATO backing, and was therefore “an impediment” to the lasting peace he envisions those wars eventually creating.

So fighting a war for peace is kinda like f*cking for virginity…in my book…a real lame ass statement……

2–Meeting of the Mind(less)–Before thousands of Minnesotans, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann delivered a hard-edged message Wednesday of freedoms threatened and an overreaching liberal government that must be stopped at the polls in the fall elections.

They pitched “common-sense conservatism,” wrapped in patriotic, down-home language, and voiced a repeated call to return Bachmann to Congress.  Common sense?  So it is common sense to cook up lies, hate and violence….?

3–“HE IS A SOCIALIST!”  We have heard it all before, but wait…this is NOT about Obama….nope…Glenn Beck has called Mitt Romney a SOCIALIST!……

4–The South will do it again!  VA. governor has issued a proclamation making April Confederate History Month, returning to a ploy by Repubs governors in the past…..okay if anyone goes South they will notice the pride that Southerns have for the Civil War…even though they lost…..they will say that it is about culture not racism…..okay let us look at that…..the Civil War was a treasonous war fought by rebels in the US of A….it is that simple!

5–Stormy Daniels from Louisiana is switching parties in her bid for a senate seat…..why is this news?

Stormy Daniels, the former porn star who has been debating whether to run for Senate in Louisiana for what seems like decades, says she’ll make her decision April 15. More important, she announced Tuesday that if she does run — because apparently she hasn’t had enough time to ponder that decision — she’ll do it as a Republican.

she said.

“While this decision has not been an easy one, recent events regarding Republican National Committee fundraising at Voyeur, an L.A.-based lesbian bondage-themed nightclub, finally tipped the scales,” she said in a statement. “For me, this spirit can be summed up in the RNC’s investment of donor funds at Voyeur. As someone who has worked extensively in both the club and film side of the adult entertainment industry, I know from experience that a mere $1,900 outlay at a club with the reputation of Voyeur is a clear indication of a frugal investment with a keen eye toward maximum return.”

She has my vote and I do not live in Louisiana……she could give the definition of backroom deals a whole new perspective….wink wink

6–With the economic picture not so bright there has been an increase of men getting vasectomies…..but there has also been an increase of the procedure around major sporting events like Super bowl, March madness and the Masters…..it is because the recovery from the surgery could give them cover from a nagging wife…but wait!  the Masters?  How fucking sick is a man that would have his nuts cut on so he could relax and watch golf unmolested?

7–08 April 2010–Tiger tees off at the Masters!  Who fucking cares?  Maybe now we can get back to real news and leave the gossip for smaller minds…

Leader? Leader? Who Has The Leader?

Inkwell Institute

2010/12 Election Series

For over a year I have been bitching about the GOP and thei9r obvious lack of alternatives to a Dem plan and their lack of leadership and take every opportunity to try and find some sort of actual plan and leadership…….

Since I live less than an hour from New Orleans, I thought I would spend some time checking out the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) being held in the Big Easy.

Day one–Damn there are a lot of suits!  I saw the typical BS from conservs  and listened to the typical anti-Obama stuff…you know all the crap you hear on the tube?  I even saw Hannerity of FOX News fame hawking his latest book…….Liz Cheney was suppose to be there but I did not see her (thanx for small favors).  Then I listened to the Newt-ster ….he talked…he rattled and it boiled down to the usual….Obama sucks and tax cuts……once again there were no alternatives on how to put the country back on the right track…..just Obama Sucks!

Day two–do these people ever change suits?  More of day one…..opposition, misinformation and what appears to be more lies……the conservs were wound up tight…..Obama sucks!  And then along came Palin…..Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…….applause, applause…..talk, talk……..Our Lady Of The North……she delivered on her usual folksy rhetoric that had no base in reality…..she mock the president to the point of embarrassment…..and as usual she joined in the chorus of…Obama Sucks!  She also joined in the opposition and offered NOTHING in the way of a solution to the problems other than Obama sucks…….

The title of the this conference was Southern Republican Leadership……a misnomer…..it should have been the dance of the clowns…..if this was to offer up a leader for the GOP then it has failed miserably….it was more like an evening at the Improv than a political conference……..if this conference was put together to find a leader for the upcoming elections, then it failed horribly….all they accomplished was to give a platform to those with NO solutions, just cute little quips that does nothing to garner small applause…..this conference has nothing to do with political leadership, rather more like sour grapes….

Sorry to say that the GOP is still a rudderless ship with no captain, a circus with NO ring master…..2 days of observation was all I could stomach…this was NOT even good political theater….GOP, R.I.P.

If All Else Fails– Sue The Bastards!

Daily Agitator

We recall all the drama and theatrics of the health reform debate…all the jockeying for position…all the misinformation from both sides and of course we recall the vote….and all the crap that went with the vote….the vote came down the reconciliation came down, but not with its bit of drama either….it was signed and it is official now…we have a health reform law…..finally we can all breath easy……

And you thought it was all over but the crying….tee hee….boy were you wrong!

So sorry….but now the games begin!  By this writing about 18 of the 50 states have decided to sue the Federal government over the mandate portion of the law…they claim that it is unconstitutional and stomps on state’s rights…..they are gonna sue the bastards!

The top state lawyers in Florida, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota, Louisiana, Idaho, Washington and Colorado joined in the complaint filed immediately after the president’s signing ceremony.  Their claims are that it will bust their state’s budget….the same budgets that the reps in said states have busted long before this situation….giving away tax revenue and such has already doomed most budgets.

If you will notice most of the states that are signing in on the lawsuit are states controlled by Repubs….go figure…..this is nothing more than a continuation of the opposition and the games they played leading up to the signing of the bill.  They do NOT have a good answer for the American people so they continue the damn silliness….

These people also the ones that say the American people are overwhelmingly opposed to the bill….but NEVER say just what it is that these people are in opposition of or what parts are not good for the people…..there are NO alternatives for these low class individuals, just opposition……

This whole exercise is one of futility….it will be a waste of time, energy and money…instead of looking for solutions to their budgetary problems they instead had rather play political games….these are the morons you voted for….happy?

What Is A Progressive (Redux)

This is a re-post from about 3 years ago on Info Ink…I received the list in an email from a guy in Oregon…..

I have called myself a Progressive, but what does that mean?  Is Obama?  How about that other Clinton?  You want answers, then here is what a Progressive stands for:

Our progressive values of freedom, opportunity, and security mean that:

  1. Progressives stand for better wages and benefits for working Americans. Our economy should provide opportunities for all hard-working individuals and families to enjoy life. Therefore, we support legislation to increase the minimum wage.
  2. Progressives stand for affordable, high-quality, health care for all. The security of comprehensive health insurance should be a right, not a privilege. Therefore, we support legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs through greater access to manufacturer rebates, bulk purchasing, and re-importation.
  3. Progressives stand for building an education system that is the best in the world. Every child should have an equal opportunity to learn. Therefore, we support legislation to invest in our children’s education through smaller class sizes, more after-school initiatives, and better pre-school programs.
  4. Progressives stand for a cleaner, safer environment. We must conserve our natural resources both to secure our own health and well-being, and to fulfill our responsibility to future generations. Therefore, we support legislation to lower the level of pollutants in our air and water.
  5. Progressives stand for the elimination of discrimination. Discrimination against any American diminishes freedom for us all. Therefore, we support legislation to eliminate the practice of racial profiling.
  6. Progressives stand for real security for the most vulnerable Americans. We must protect the security of our nation’s children, elderly, disabled and disadvantaged. Therefore, we support legislation to make healthcare, child care, elder care, and housing programs more accessible, efficient and effective.
  7. Progressives stand for the protection of privacy. For Americans to be truly free, government must stay out of our private lives. Therefore, we favor legislation to keep abortion safe and legal, and ensure access to all reproductive health services.
  8. Progressives stand for a criminal justice system that focuses on security instead of retribution. Tough sentences alone don’t make us safer. We need to deter crime with more police, programs for at-risk youth, education, and rehabilitation. Therefore, we support legislation to stop the cycle of addiction by requiring rigorous treatment instead of incarceration for non-violent drug crimes.
  9. Progressives stand for fiscal responsibility. Instead of providing equal opportunity, government spending and tax policies often deliver special benefits to wealthy special interests. Therefore, we support legislation to eliminate wasteful subsidies and tax breaks that are both unfair and not worth the cost.
  10. Progressives stand for an inclusive, open government. Every American must have an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy. But average Americans are increasingly shut out by the influence of big money on politics. Therefore, we support legislation for public financing of elections.

Now do any of the Big 3 candidates sound or act like they are standing on any of these principles?  Do not hurt yourself!  None of them are true Progressives.  It is just a title to them, not a way of governing.

If one considers themselves a progressive then they will have to look elsewhere for someone who will truly represent their core values.