Day: November 26, 2013

Is UK Really United?

At one point in history the Untied Kingdom could say that “the sun never sets on the empire”……but sadly those days are GONE!  Ever since the end of WW2 the UK has been in decline…..it lost Malaysia, India, and slowly Canada and most recently Hong Kong…….but now it seems that the island nation is losing its grip on yet another country that it has under its control for centuries…..

Prof., what country would that be…there are not many left….so which one is it?

A long time possession…..Scotland.  Say what?  For years there has been a concerted effort to gain independence for Scotland….sometimes not so friendly or orderly…..but after all those years there seems to be a light at the end of the independence tunnel for Scotland……..

Newser) – Scotland has no decision yet, but it does have a date. If citizens vote in favor of exiting the UK, the country could become an independent nation on March 24, 2016. The BBC reports that the date is presented in a government White Paper to be published on Tuesday; the 670-page document is being described as an extremely “detailed blueprint” for an independent Scotland. (The Guardian reports on the secrecy surrounding the printing: Even the White Paper’s typeface has been kept under wraps.) The chain of events: The independence referendum is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2014; if the “yeas” win, Scottish Parliament will be dissolved at midnight on March 23, 2016, with Independence Day coming the day after.

A rep for the Scotland Office (a UK government department helmed by the country’s secretary of state) encouraged people to read the White Paper, but expressed displeasure at the inclusion of an independence date in it, saying it will make it more difficult to negotiate in the event of a yes vote: “The 28 members of the EU, NATO, and the rest of the UK … all know that for the Scottish government the date is more important than the deal.” The Scotsman reports that a poll taken this week shows the No vote has the lead, 47% to 38%, with 15% undecided. Click for more on the vote.

In a way it is sad to see an international icon slowly wither away…..but as all say…..all things must change”….

Japan is showing the world that stimulus works | Al Jazeera America

Just thought I would share this for all my friends that think the answer to all our problems is austerity……personally, I think that type of solution is just pure BS……the economy must be stimulated and austerity does nothing but hurt middle class and the poor……and making the wealthy richer…..

But let us look at other countries that have tried the unthinkable…….

Japan is showing the world that stimulus works | Al Jazeera America.

Going Nuke!

Well we could talk about the deal, tentative deal, that has been seemingly agreed to between the world and Iran on the nuke thingy……but I did that yesterday and redundancy has not been my thing lately….nope today’s nuke post is about the Dems going “nuclear” on the Senate filibuster rule, the 60 vote super majority…….is this worthy of labeling it a success?

(Newser) – Today’s vote in the Senate to curb the use of the filibuster has turned what was shaping up to be an “inconsequential” Congress into exactly the opposite, writes Ezra Klein at the Washington Post. “Indeed, this might prove to be one of the most significant congresses in modern times,” he argues. “Today, the political system changed its rules to work more smoothly in an age of sharply polarized parties.” If our political system is to avoid “complete dysfunction,” we’ll need more changes like it. Speaking of polarized parties, the move is generally getting rave reviews on the left and slams on the right:

  • Boo: “If Republicans went nuclear first in order to ‘ram through right-wing judges,’ how would breaking the rules have played in the media?” tweeted Matt Lewis.
  • Blame Mitch: “Any claim that the Senate’s current minority is simply following past practices is not credible,” writes Ian Millhiser at ThinkProgress. “The filibuster existed before the Age of McConnell, but McConnell made them commonplace.” (He’s got a chart to make the point.)
  • Risky precedent: Democrats allowed the filibuster to remain in effect for legislation and Supreme Court nominees, notes Allahpundit at Hot Air. “The possibility of a Republican president and a Republican Senate pushing through pro-life justices is too horrifying to the left for them to risk changing the rules on SCOTUS appointments too.” Of course, now that the precedent of weakening the filibuster has been set, that might change, too.
  • Good move: “There is ample precedent for this kind of change, though it should be used judiciously,” write the editors at the New York Times. “Today’s vote was an appropriate use of that power, and it was necessary to turn the Senate back into a functioning legislative body.”

And now the Dems are celebrating quietly….HA…I lied….they are walking around like the cat that ate the mouse…..so the question now is….is this a good thing?

Best answer is yes and no…..a bit of a cop out I know but we have to look at bother sides of this thing…….it is good for Obama and his nominating process…..but keep in mind that eventually the GOP will return to prominence in the Senate and this will come back to bite the Dems in the ass……but for now they, the Dems, can strut around like they have accomplished something…..but personally, I think it will be more harmful than good…..but we shall see…..right?

I am positive that some of my readers will have an opinion….voice it!