Tag: Political Opinion

Let’s Go To The Polls

Closing Thought–28Nov19

Polls that magical trick that pundits use to help the MSM drive the news cycle. Some polls are the heart beat of the nation and then others are fake news and some sort of “witch hunt”…..just depends what you WANT to believe….not what is accurate or truthful.

Now that I stepped off that soap box I recently saw a poll that as an antiwar and anti-interventionist I like the numbers…..

A new poll conducted by the Eurasia Group Foundation shows Americans are losing their belief in American exceptionalism, and tend to favor a more non-interventionist foreign policy. The participants were asked a range of foreign policy questions.

Over 1,200 people across the country were surveyed for the Eurasia Group poll. Here are some of its findings:

Most of the participants believe that America is an exceptional nation. 42.4 percent believe America is exceptional for what it represents, and 18.2 percent believe the nation is exceptional for what it has done in the world. 39.5 percent of the participants believe America is not exceptional, just another country acting on behalf of its own interests. That number is up 6.1 percent from the previous year.

Looking at the different age groups shows younger people do not think America is anything special. In the 18-29-year age bracket, just 45.1 percent find America to be exceptional. Those who are 60 and over find America to be the most exceptional, at 75.2 percent.

…

This poll from the Eurasia Group Foundation reflects a poll released by the Pew Research Center back in July. The Pew poll found most veterans they surveyed do not believe the wars they fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria were worth fighting. A shocking 64 percent found the war in Iraq was not worth it, 58 percent for the war in Afghanistan, and 55 percent for Syria.

The Costs of War project at Brown University released a study this November that found the so-called War on Terror has killed over 800,000 people, and cost the US $6.4 trillion. The death toll only takes into account those killed in direct violence, not including those killed by disease, malnutrition, or other indirect causes. It’s no mystery as to why Americans, even those who fought the wars, are starting to favor a more noninterventionist approach.

New Poll Shows Americans Favor Non-Intervention

How nice!

I do not believe any of it for a  moment.

The American people allow this sort of BS to continue….war that is….intervention that is…..regime change that is…..if they are so against this crap they need to grow a spine and speak up.

Cash trumps sentiment….

Thanx for spending some time on IST on this busy shopping day….your visits are appreciated.

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Gulf South Free Press

Many years ago I started a blog to write about my state and my region, Gulf South Free Press,….it got to be a bit much trying to keep up with my primary blog, In Saner Thought, my food blog, Food Nazi and my regional blog so I let it go dormant for awhile.

And now I have decide to resurrect GSFP but I will change the format a bit….it will be a Op-Ed blog….I will give my opinions on a wide array of subjects from politics to society….I bill myself as “an opinionated SOB” so I might as well take advantage of that, right?

If you would be interested then the link below will get you there……

https://gulfsouthfreepress.wordpress.com/

There will be no rigid schedule for posting…..For now it will not be a daily post but rather a weekly and will expand from there if the participation is there.

I hope that my regulars here on IST will check it out and participate in the discussion/debate…

It will be good to see GSFP return from the dust bin.

Thanx for your time.  chuq

2016: Things Turn Ugly

Ugliness is not new in a political year but this time around it has brought out all the hate, prejudice and other such ugly terms to the forefront…..the ugliness has become infectious…..people are going after each other’s  throat….name calling, insults and attacks…..even to the point of lost friendships……

This election is tearing friendships apart. Politico reports that a poll released Wednesday by Monmouth University found that 7% of the 802 people surveyed say they’ve lost at least one friendship due to the election. Clinton supporters were the most susceptible to this, with 9% saying the election has cost them a friendship compared to 6% of Trump supporters, according to CBS News.

Perhaps that’s due to the “harsh language” being used during the campaign. The poll found 65% of people think the election’s harsh language is unjustified. But 47% of Trump supporters think it’s justified compared to just 17% of Clinton supporters. More people (37%) believe the harsh language starts with Trump supporters than believe it starts with Clinton supporters (11%). Overall, 70% of respondents say the election has brought out the worst in people. Just 4% say it’s brought out the best.

It is a shame that a country that prides itself on its democratic beliefs could allow a political campaign destroy friendships and even families….sorry but I think it is silly to lose a friend that does not agree with your politics……personally I do not let politics determine my friendships.  What others do is up to them….but if a deference in opinion can destroy a friendship….was it really a friendship?

It was bound to happen….with all the hate being instilled in those phobic pricks on the internet (both sides have phobic a/holes)………they are the ones when blame is assigned to shoulder the results of all the fracturing of the American society.

Not that any one of them would be smart enough to recognize the damage they are doing.

It has become a waiting game to see if all this hatred and vile statements will have any lasting effect on society….my guess that it will for a decade maybe longer.

Could It Be Term Limits? (Again)

I am old enough, and believe me that is OLD, to remember back in the mid 90’s when the Congress was fighting Clinton tooth and nail……there was a call for our elected representatives to be put on term limits….but after things starting working well, as well as could be expected, then the calls grew more quiet……that is until this Congress starting acting like the bunch of spoiled kids with few adults.

Okay, what do I mean by term limits?

“Homesteading” in Congress, made possible by reelection rates that approached 100% by the end of the 20th century, brought about a popular insurgency known as the “term-limits movement”. The elections of 1990-94 saw the adoption of term limits for state legislatures in almost every state where citizens had the power of the initiative. In addition 23 states limited service in their delegation to Congress, with the general formula being three terms [six years] in the U.S. House and two terms [twelve years] in the U.S. Senate.

As they pertain to Congress, these laws are no longer enforceable, however, as a result of lawsuits filed by term limits foes including ousted Speaker of the House, Tom Foley. In 1995 the U.S. Supreme Court overturned congressional term limits.

Where rotation in the legislative branch has withstood court challenges, term limits continue to garner popular support. As of 2002 “U.S. Term Limits” found that in the 17 states where state legislators served in rotation, public support for term limits ranged from 60 to 78 percent.

As you read, it has been defeated and bad mouthed by anyone who is elected…..the reason should be obvious…..but with the shenanigans going on in Washington there is a renewed interest in the issue……polls show, not just one but as many as 19, say that the American people are sick of the political games being played…..Congress’ approval rating is running about 18%….now is the time for the American people to demand and get term limits from their elected officials….the Tea Party as well as the GOP and the Dems should support this issue….it will will make the slugs we elect more willing to work on something good and while we are at it….why not demand that no retired official be allowed to work as a lobbyist or even in a lobbying firm for 10 years after they leave Congress……

These people are getting rich on your dime….and how has that benefited you?  It is time for change in our system of exploitation and term limits would be a great place to start….But how?

The only way to get term limits for our elected people is through a Constitutional amendment….that is NO easy feat to accomplish…..and here is why…..

The authority to amend the Constitution of the United States is derived from Article V of the Constitution. After Congress proposes an amendment, the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is charged with responsibility for administering the ratification process under the provisions of 1 U.S.C. 106b. The Archivist has delegated many of the ministerial duties associated with this function to the Director of the Federal Register. Neither Article V of the Constitution nor section 106b describe the ratification process in detail. The Archivist and the Director of the Federal Register follow procedures and customs established by the Secretary of State, who performed these duties until 1950, and the Administrator of General Services, who served in this capacity until NARA assumed responsibility as an independent agency in 1985.

The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. None of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by constitutional convention. The Congress proposes an amendment in the form of a joint resolution. Since the President does not have a constitutional role in the amendment process, the joint resolution does not go to the White House for signature or approval. The original document is forwarded directly to NARA’s Office of the Federal Register (OFR) for processing and publication. The OFR adds legislative history notes to the joint resolution and publishes it in slip law format. The OFR also assembles an information package for the States which includes formal “red-line” copies of the joint resolution, copies of the joint resolution in slip law format, and the statutory procedure for ratification under 1 U.S.C. 106b.

The Archivist submits the proposed amendment to the States for their consideration by sending a letter of notification to each Governor along with the informational material prepared by the OFR. The Governors then formally submit the amendment to their State legislatures. In the past, some State legislatures have not waited to receive official notice before taking action on a proposed amendment. When a State ratifies a proposed amendment, it sends the Archivist an original or certified copy of the State action, which is immediately conveyed to the Director of the Federal Register. The OFR examines ratification documents for facial legal sufficiency and an authenticating signature. If the documents are found to be in good order, the Director acknowledges receipt and maintains custody of them. The OFR retains these documents until an amendment is adopted or fails, and then transfers the records to the National Archives for preservation.

Yes, a lengthy process and  we know how well the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) did, huh?  Another big problem is that it will be up to politicians to cut their own throats and we know what a cowardly bunch they really are, right?

The only thing that could possibly work in the favor of such a move could be the ineffectiveness of the elected officials to get anything accomplished, other than some minor legislation like the naming of Post Offices….ineffectiveness, partisanship, corruption, bribery and blackmail run rampant in the US Congress….if we cannot give them term limits….then I say arrest them all and employ temps to do the country’s business until we get a new batch of lawmakers (and that is the key word)…..but all that is a post for another day……

No Taxation Without Representation

College of Political Knowledge

Subject:  American Government

Do you remember from American history class the slogan or the rallying cry or the war chat or……”No Taxation Without Representation”?  What does it really mean?

A situation in which a government imposes taxes on a particular group of its citizens, despite the citizens not consenting or having an actual representative deliver their views when the taxation decision was made. This situation was one of the triggering events that spurred the original thirteen American colonies to revolt against the British Empire.

In the 1750 and 1760’s it was a cry against the British Empire by the American colonists….in essence the colones were pissed that they had to pay taxes to the realm and had NO representation in Parliament……that they were denied their rights under English law….well it pretty much lead to the American Revolution….and we all know how that ended……even is used today…most notably by the Tea Party when they were protesting taxes that they did not want to see raised…..even though those taxes were NEVER intended to go up……..

We could make the same argument today…places like Puerto Rico, Guam and others are basically colonies of the US, but we had rather call them “territories”….they pay taxes and have NO representation in Congress….oh, they have observers but NO power to vote for laws and such…..that is disgusting in itself (that may well be another post….later)

But I want to talk about another miscarriage of justice, if you will……Washington D.C…..the capital of the US….the people living within the confines of the Federal district…..do NOT have representation in the Congress…..oh, they also have an observer but they have NO right to vote on legislation even when it applies the them directly……

The US Constitution grants congressional voting representation to the states, which the District is not. The District is a federal territory ultimately under the complete authority of Congress. The lack of voting representation in Congress for residents of the U.S. capital has been an issue since the foundation of the federal district. Numerous proposals have been introduced to change this situation including legislation and constitutional amendments to grant D.C. residents voting representation, returning the district to the state of Maryland, and making the District of Columbia into a new state. All proposals have been met with political or constitutional challenges; therefore, there has been no change in the District’s representation in the Congress.

Basically, it is that American citizens, who pay their taxes that support the state, have NO representation, voting representation, in the legislative body of the country……so it is easy……give them representation or let them be tax exempt…..an easy solution, well, two solutions…..there should be NO American citizen without voting representation in Congress…these citizens do not have the same rights as you do….and that is a travesty!

Finally, A Conserv With Cajones!

It is my ALL Palin Day!

Sarah Palin has been making the news a lot…..she is a master at making everything about her and nothing about real issues….there has been speculation that she may throw her wig into the fray for the GOP nomination….there are many in Washington that are afraid of Palin…not the person but the persona and what her loyal following would do if they were to speak out on her shortcomings…..most think that it would be disastrous in 2012….and we know how they are drooling at the possibility that they could win the White house…..and so, they remain silent on Palin…..

But finally there is a conserv that has nothing to lose by speaking up and out….that conserv is Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s Morning Joe…..and boy has he spoke out!  Read his opinion piece in the Politico…..

politico.com/news/stories/1…

I give Joe two thumbs up for being a concerned conserv and that he is willing to speak out, something his counterparts in Congress are too yellow to do…..Kudos!

Rational Ignorance Effect–Revisited

College of Political Knowledge

Subject:  Voting/American Government/Political Philosophy

Paper #34
“Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason, and the mind becomes a wreck.” –Thomas Jefferson to James Smith, 1822.
I like that quote!  Pretty much sums up the political discourse unfolding in the Capitol…..
“Ignorance and bigotry, like other insanities, are incapable of self-government.” –Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1817

Anyone that has ever read my stuff knows that I am not a big fan of Jefferson….personally, I think he was a pragmatist and NOT an idealist that many portray him as in the past….but has made some excellent points….

Ever since the election in November 0f 2008, many people, bloggers and journalists have been trying to explain the actions of the GOP.  We have heard that they are a dying party or that they are not in touch with the feelings of the voter.  No matter which or what you think is happening to the GOP there is one thing to keep in mind….they are professionals and they are pretty good at the game of politics.

So what is the reason that the GOP is appearing so weak?

First of all, the American people on an individual basis, realizes that their single vote is unlikely to determine the outcome of anything.  For this reason they do not spend too much time researching to get the reliable information they need.  The voter relies heavily on the media for their information and in these days of cable they look for those channels and reports that will reinforce their beliefs in the world view.

The voter lacks incentive to cast an informed vote.  Therefore FOX and MSNBC form their knowledge of any given situation.  Most voters will be rationally uninformed on many issues.  They will depend on political information suppliers like the mass media to the issues that are of personal importance.

This situation has a name….it is called the “Rational Ignorance Effect”

Wiki has a pretty good definition of RIE:
“Ignorance” about an issue is said to be “rational” when the cost of educating oneself about the issue sufficiently to make an informed decision can outweigh any potential benefit one could reasonably expect to gain from that decision, and so it would be irrational to waste time doing so. This has consequences for the quality of decisions made by large numbers of people, such asgeneral elections, where the probability of any one vote changing the outcome is very small.

In my opinion this is what the GOP is employing in their attacks on Obama.  They use buzzwords that have no real place in the conversation with the hope that political ignorance will play in their favor.

The classical theory of democracy states that individuals have a definite political will and that individuals have an ability to observe and interpret the facts and that these individuals will make a rational choice based on their knowledge that their reps will implement their will…..personally I do not agree with that definition….why….people do NOT have a precise concept of what they want the state to do.  Most are incapable of  objectively assessing and interpreting facts and that most are irrational in their expectations of what their reps are to do….which in turn makes them impatient and illogical in their choices when voting is necessary.

If one needs an illustration then I say just take a long hard look at the last “Tea Party” protests…..they were billed about the outrage in Obama tax increases….but if anyone bothered to check there were few if any tax increases.  Basically it was just a ploy to get people lathered up and go out and bash the president.  It was NEVER about raising taxes.

Some will say that the “Rational Ignorance Effect” is losing some of its validity…..because to the popularity of the internet……I say that is not completely accurate……voters will use the internet like they use the media….they will find information that supports their world view.  For that reason, Rational Ignorance Effect is still as valid as it ever was.

Thank You For Making My Point!

Daily Agitator

We are bombarded daily but this poll or that poll….the Prez popularity is falling or rising or ………More people are conserv…the country is going in the wrong direction….are a few of the polls that the media is SO addicted to these days…a minute by minute look at how Americans view Washington and its players……these figures are used to drive the political debate or drive the story of the day….but how accurate are these figures?

From the Newser website:

Yeah, it’s expensive, but pollsters need to start calling cellphones. According to the latest CDC data, 23% of US adults, or 25% of US households are cellphone-only, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. Add in “cellphone-mostly” households and that jumps to 40%—and it could be even higher by November, never mind 2012. These people are just being ignored, even though they are very different from their landline counterparts. Cellphone-only users are more likely to be young, urban, poor, and technologically savvy than their peers. “All of these characteristics are correlated with political viewpoints and voting behavior,” Silver argues. Pollsters try to compensate by “upweighting” the few young people they do reach, but that’s a lousy solution, and a recent Pew study proves it. Pew pitted a weighted landline-only poll against one that called cells and discovered that the latter swung six points in Democrats’ favor—a statistically significant result.

I have been preaching this all the way back to the 2008 election when daily polls were all the news…..during the election I asked why the people with cels were not part of the poll…..and that any poll that did not include these people was NOT accurate in any way and should be ignored completely….I said that then and it is MORE important now.