Somewhere between Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, our political system lost its respect for the truth. It got much worse under George W. and has now gone to H in a hand basket when the Republicans lost in 2008. I am reading books by several of Barack's critics in an effort to answer their criticisms. I am finding a mix of fact and fiction that is very hard to separate. It is so much easier to mix the two than it is to separate the truth from the fiction. It reminds me of the marble cakes my mother made when I was a child. She had a ring mold cake pan into which she put alternating rings of vanilla and chocolate batter. Then she removed the rings and swirled the batter before baking the cake.
Even if I do succeed in separating fact from fiction, Barack's critics probably won't listen. Some just want to criticize for any reason or no reason at all. Truth is taking a back seat in current political discussion.
From time to time for fun, I like to pretend that I have a magic power that allows me to grant wishes. I limit each recipient to one wish and state that I will fill the wish if I can, but that I cannot fill all wishes. I listen to my co-workers talking, and if I hear a wish, I try to fill it. One co-worker wished for a pack of gum, and I immediately purchased a pack from a vending machine. She was grateful until she learned that she could have wished for a million dollars instead. She wanted to trade, but no deal. Many people ask for money. I am not rich enough to fill their wishes directly, but I do supply a copy of the book, Automatic Millionaire. That book advocates saving by payroll deduction where the employer matches funds going into a 401K. It takes time and effort, but the saver can accumulate a sizable nest egg. Granting wishes takes thought and some resources but it is very satisfying. Try it, you'll enjoy it.
Barack is called upon from all sides to grant all kinds of wishes, some very contradictory. That is why I limit my recipients to only one wish each. It would be hard to grant two wishes that are directly opposite each other. Barack must deal with citizens who want stimulus for jobs at the same time the deficit is reduced. Logically, deficit reduction comes after job stimulus. Barack has the much tougher job of satisfying so many conflicting demands. I wish him luck for his sake and for ours.
If I lived in New York City, I too would be nervous about the upcoming 9-11 terrorists trial. But then I have been nervous about another al-Qaeda attack since 9-12-01. I live in a small town in Utah and I don't fear an al-Qaeda attack here. I think that they will attack again when they are ready with WMD's. Al-Qaeda has vowed revenge for the Muslims whose death we have caused, at least in their opinion. They blame us for more than 10 million Muslim deaths in Iraq and around the world. Thus I expect that they will attack large population centers to cause the maximum number of deaths. New York would be a target whether the 9-11 trial is held there or not.
Some opponents of the trial say that we will provide the terrorists with a propaganda platform. However, we will be affirming our commitment to justice for all, not justice for all except Muslims. The advantage that the terrorists receive will be more than offset, in my opinion, by our demonstration to the world that we practice what we preach. Hopefully our example will make recruiting for al-Qaeda more difficult.
As a service project, I collect trash from nearby BLM land and I have been doing that since January 19 when Barack asked all Americans for a day of service. I have found all of the following: a large tree stump, palm fronds, construction material, aluminum awnings, a dead dog wrapped in a hospital blanket, paper and plastic cups, auto parts, broken glass galore, empty cartridges, both printer and gun, cans and today currency. I now know that the favorite beverage of the litterer is Bud Lite. Like dogs, some litterers try to bury their trash but most don't bother.
How to prevent this mess? I have two suggestions. Prohibit the sale of beer in bottles. Cans are much easier to pick up and less glass means fewer flat tires and cuts. Secondly, make trash pickup free. I believe that some dumping is an effort to save money. Make trash pickup at home more convenient by responding to phone calls for special pickups.
Utahns want to have more of Utah under state control, rather than Federal control that now exists over much of the state. Will Utah control of our undeveloped lands lead to better care of those lands?
Like dogs, empty beer bottles travel in groups called packs, usually six in number, sometimes more. When I find an empty bottle, I usually can expect to find five more. Does someone drink six bottles at one place in the road? I think not. They just unload by throwing the empties from the window of a moving vehicle. If I am lucky, the bottle has had a soft landing. Otherwise, there are dozens of pieces that can cause potential harm. If the penalty for throwing bottles from a car were greater than for having them in the car, people would think twice before dumping their trash.
I support a living wage, which varies depending on where you live, and is approximately double the minimum wage. The living wage is defined as the amount needed to bring a family of four up to the federal poverty line. Why do I support it? If the minimum wage were increased to a living wage, all other wages would be increased and all of us would enjoy a higher standard of living. Detractors point out that some entry level jobs would disappear. That is true. I would train those lacking jobs to fill higher paying skilled jobs.
The question that needs to be asked and no one is asking is: who is willing, are you or are we, to be associated with an economy that forces millions to work for near starvation wages? I am NOT. This nation has the resources to provide a dignified life for all who work. If a job is worth doing, it is worth paying a living wage for its performance.
Joe the Plumber, aka Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacker, paid a visit to St. George yesterday. He addressed a small audience at a local college and I attended. Dress was casual. Joe says exactly what he thinks and he asked for our support for politicians who do the same. I applaud his words.
It was interesting to hear his side of his encounter with Barack during the campaign. Barack was in Joe's neighborhood and Joe was curious to see what was happening. Joe had recently discussed with his boss the purchase of the small business where Joe worked. That was on his mind when he encountered Barack. Barack made the now famous statement that he wanted to spread the wealth around. I think that Barack wanted to say that he favored a more equitable distribution of the nation's income.
Joe talked at length about everyone taking responsibility for the results of our politics. I agree wholeheartedly with his ideas although I disagree with other positions he endorses. I believe that to make democracy work requires three steps: vote, express your opinions frequently, and donate/time money to a cause of your choice. Joe talked about the second item and I believe that he would support all three if questioned, which I did not do.
Joe also complained about the taxes a small business must pay. I might or might not agree with him if I knew more about how small businesses are classified, either as business or individual taxpayers. After WW2, individuals provided 65% of federal revenue while businesses paid 35%. Gradually over time with the advent of more and more loopholes, businesses now pay 10% of federal taxes while individuals pay 90%. Businesses should pay their fair share. If big businesses can pay their top officers millions or tens or hundreds of millions of dollars per year, they are not paying enough in taxes.
Some prefer unbridled capitalism. I prefer capitalism with a bridle. Opponents call capitalism with a bridle socialism. I prefer to think of it as compassionate conservatism.
Michael Moore's new movie called Capitalism: a Love Story is an uneven treatment of the recent financial meltdown. There were two parts of the movie I found particularly interesting. He had extensive film of the recent, December 2008, sit-in in Chicago of the terminated workers at a factory that made windows until it could no longer get financing from Bank of America. The workers were not paid what they were owed and were thrown out of work just prior to Christmas. I grew up in Chicago and the film showed how close to the Loop the factory was. The Loop is Chicago's center of political and financial power. During the sit-in, a Catholic Bishop visited the strikers to voice support. He told how his life was shaped by growing up on the South side of Chicago where abandoned steel mills sit empty and the lost jobs they represent. His experience was similar to Barack's when he was a community organizer in the same area.
The other part of the movie that impressed me was a much shorter segment that showed FDR making a radio address just before his death. FDR thought that the voters should see that part of his speech so he invited movie cameras into the office where he was broadcasting. FDR proposed another bill of rights for the US in which certain rights would be guaranteed: adequate affordable healthcare, a living wage, decent housing and affordable higher education. He died before these rights could be enacted, but the US imposed these rights on the constitutions of our defeated enemies in WW2, Germany and Japan. Isn't it ironic that our defeated enemies enjoy those rights now and after more than 60 years, US citizens are still denied them?
