Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Dems are Doomed on HCR

Whichever way the final Health Care Reform bill shapes up to be, the Democrats are doomed.

If it has a full scale public option, it cannot get 60 votes to end debate in The Senate due to a few moderates. If it does not have the public option, the conference bill won’t pass the House due to a few dozen liberals.

Now let’s move to politics: if the bill passes, the Republicans will campaign the next twelve months that starting in ‘10, the legislation cuts too much from Medicare, raises too much tax despite that the HCR benefits start only a few years later. If President Obama does not sign the bill, the base on the Left will be mad like hell, and this likely translate into trouble for the Dems come November.

All this is directly the fault of Obama, Ried and Pelosi who did zero-to-nothing to have real bipartisan support on this issue. Now it is time that they eat their own.

[Via http://yossigestetner.com]

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!

Just a few hours ago Boulder’s Unity Church hosted a talk given by Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! and author of Standing Up to the Madness. I was turned on to the website and this book (she has others) a couple of months ago by my friend Jeff and have since checked the website everyday as one of my sources of news. The site contains videos and transcripts from their daily newscasts that are also available on radio stations and television stations across the US.

Goodman talked a decent amount about the importance of independent media in her talk. Because of the corporate media’s agenda and desire to maintain the status quo, people need sources that don’t warping the truth or lie for the sake of profiting from higher ratings. Much of the large news organizations are dominated by pundits and commentators that, as has often put it, “know so little about so much, explain the world to us, and get it so wrong.”

Other topics were covered as well. Apparently, Senator Obama was a supporter of single-payer health insurance, but clearly this is not what President Obama now advocates. Health care companies use their millions of dollars to influence his policies to ensure that they continue to make ridiculous profits, and he probably has other less than satisfactory reasons as well. Meanwhile, 45,000 people die each year because they don’t have health insurance – 123 a day.

When Goodman asks large media outlets why they don’t really cover anything about single-payer, they say it takes too long and cannot fit it in to their 8-second soundbites. Well, saying “It’s Medicare, but for everyone” probably only takes half that. Obviously, something fishy is going on there. Just another reason to avoid the corporate media. (Hey, weird fact: did you know Keifer Sutherland’s grandfather, Tommy Douglas, was the man who introduced universal health care in Canada?)

Is it not ironic that just as Obama is expected to announce an escalation in the war in Afghanistan, he will also be receiving the Nobel Peace Prize? Goodman pointed this out to the audience, which BTW was quite large. Among other issues addressed in this talk were climate change and the importance of dissent in democracy.

As far as speakers go, her voice isn’t the most incredible. But listening to her was quite the experience. She is surprisingly funny while also being informative, engaging, and inspiring. No better way to spend a Saturday night.

[Via http://joelgillin.wordpress.com]

Saturday, November 28, 2009

President Obama's Strategic Miscalculations

Fred Barnes, a Conservative political commentator for Fox News and the editor of the “Weekly Standard” magazine, wrote a straight factual piece in the Wall Street Journal that details Why Obama Isn’t Changing Washington.

To start with, Barnes reviews the president’s statements when campaigning for office:

“Change must come to Washington,” Mr. Obama said in a June 2008 speech. “I have consistently said when it comes to solving problems,” he told Jake Tapper of ABC News that same month, “I don’t approach this from a partisan or ideological perspective.”

Mr. Obama also decried the prominent role played by lobbyists. “Lobbyists aren’t just a part of the system in Washington, they’re part of the problem,” Mr. Obama said in a May 2008 campaign speech.

What happened? Obama and his Democratic majority have gone so far as to change the locks on doors so that Republicans couldn’t get into sessions when the Healthcare Legislation was being drafted. Hardly partisan politics.

As for lobbyists, Barnes points out:

“The bigger the role of government, the more lobbyists flock to town. By pushing for his policies, the president effectively put up a welcome sign to lobbyists. Despite promising to keep them out of his administration, he has even hired a few.”

To answer his own question: “Why Obama Isn’t Changing Washington”, Barnes says that:

“. . . the president made three strategic mistakes (or, really, misreadings of the political landscape) and they’ve come back to haunt him and his party.

“First, Mr. Obama misread the meaning of the 2008 election. It wasn’t a mandate for a liberal revolution. His victory was a personal one, not an ideological triumph of liberalism.

“Second, Mr. Obama misread his own ability to sway the public. . . . The president spent much of the summer and early fall touting his health-care initiative. He spoke at town halls, appeared on five Sunday talk shows the same day (Sept. 20), turned up on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and on “60 Minutes.” All the while, support for ObamaCare fell. His address to Congress on health care on Sept. 9 is now remembered only for Republican Rep. Joe Wilson’s shouted accusation, “You lie!”

“Third, Mr. Obama misread Republicans. They felt weak and vulnerable after losing two straight congressional elections and watching John McCain’s presidential bid fall flat. They were afraid to criticize the newly elected president. If he had offered them minimal concessions, many of them would have jumped aboard his policies. If that had happened, the president could have boasted of achieving bipartisan compromise on the stimulus and other policies. He let the chance slip away.”

I would add that Obama’s worst mistake was his assumption that Americans are willing to give up the America they know and love for an America with a government that overwhelms their lives with taxes and with rules and regulations that take away their ability to make their own decisions.

[Via http://webcentrist.wordpress.com]

Is The GOP Ready To Step Up?

Does The Republican Leadership Have Conservative Values?

The largest voting bloc in America today is the Independents. America today doesn’t want Democrat light or RINO’s. Over 40% of Americans consider themselves conservative. Does the republican leadership have conservative values?continued…

Also join us at MomsAndDadsBeHeard.org a new forum for you to express your views and concerns.

[Via http://conservativeamerica2009.wordpress.com]

Thursday, November 26, 2009

My Newfound Pet Peeve

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Just felt like dropping a line. Or more like venting my annoyance. Do you want to know what really annoys me? Probably not, but I will say it anyway. What really annoys me is when people criticize Barack Obama for receiving a nobel peace prize. I have head lots of insults float in his direction on how he has done very little to deserve the prestigious award.

I am a HUGE Obama fan and am extremely irritated by all of this resentment. Did he deserve the prize? In my opinion, no, he did not. I think he received it far too early before he even had a chance to prove his diplomatic skills. But you know what? TAKE IT UP WITH THE NORWEGIANS! I am not entirely sure, but I can hypothesize that Obama did not sit at his desk and craft a plea to the prize committee begging them to award him the honor. He didn’t ask for this, a collective group of people GAVE it to him. So when I see people who direct spiteful comments towards the president, my blood boils. Personally, I think Obama deserves an award for inheriting the cess pool that was America as George W. Bush left it, but I seem to be in the minority regarding that manner.

Seriously, though, lay off. And if it really bugs you, pen a nice note to some Norwegians, not the President of the United States whose peace prowess, or supposed lack thereof, had no influence on this decision.

[Via http://starrynight58.wordpress.com]

Denigrating Obamas in Internet

Search engines are becoming ultimate engines for development and crime. One can google other’s vital details, locate remote people through maps, find out the tastes of people, political views and many more sensitive information. What is considered to be the best aid for knowledge sharing and communication sans frontiers turning out to be a strong commercial proposition and global terror aider. This cannot be averted just by simply saddening over the issue. It needs a strong commitment and vigilance by Netizens and Engine operators like google. Without the proactive participation of these two partners it is impossible to curb the violence through Internet. The immediate need is software to track the culprits and fixing them tooth and nail. The earliest it is done is the better for the world. In the latest venom spiller Google image search brings a caricature of Michelle Obama as monkey at the top of search on her name. As Google had clarified in its communication that it cannot do much about it the ball is in the court of Internet criminals who manage to malign Obamas. It is sad that Internet played a pivotal role in bringing Obama as the president of the United States and the same Internet is devastating his happiness as the president. The Times of India writes on 26 November 2009 Google has apologized for a racist caricature of Michelle Obama that became the top result for users searching for images of the US First Anyone typing “Michelle Obama” into Google Images this morning, was presented with an altered photo depicting the US president’s wife with animal features. However, the California-based Internet giant distanced itself from this by posting a message above the offensive photo. The note, which states “Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree” directs users to a page explaining the technology giant’s policy on “disturbing” search results, The Telegraph reported. The message makes it clear that the Michelle Obama image is not endorsed by Google, but indicates that the company will take no action to have it removed. “Google views the integrity of our search results as an extremely important priority,” it states. “Accordingly, we do not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it.” “We apologise if you’ve had an upsetting experience using Google. We hope you understand our position regarding offensive results,” it ends.

[Via http://prabaharan.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Obama Finally Makes Decison on Afghanistan Troop Levels

Today it leaked out that President Obama has finally decided to send more troops to Afghanistan after months of dithering on the subject.

Obama has decided to send 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan months after the request was made by his top commander in Afghanistan.

However, Obama is delaying the official announcement until he gets a chance to talk with leaders in congress to explain his decision.  There are several prominent Democrats in congress that are against sending more troops.

The president needs to decide if he is in this war to win it or not.  Our troops deserve more support than months of hand wringing over the political implication of sending more troops.  Let us hope that the president will enact the right strategies to allow our troops to defeat our enemies and return safely home.

[Via http://likeiwassayin.wordpress.com]

More On Planned U.S. Wars Of Terror In Latin America

“The United States is massively building up its potential for nuclear and non-nuclear strikes in Latin America and the Caribbean by acquiring unprecedented freedom of action in seven new military, naval and air bases in Colombia. The development – and the reaction of Latin American leaders to it – is further exacerbating America’s already fractured relationship with much of the continent.”

The current U.S. administration, which is a violent right wing capitalistic administration, are looking to continue their war against the peace movements of the world. And the reason is more obvious than the nose on your face. The greedy U.S. economy lives of the blood of humanity and feeds off it like a vicious vampire.

We all know this now – thanks to Bush who made the more cunning manipulators like Obama and Clinton even more obvious so that even severely stupid people won’t buy the bullshit story that we are sold buy the corporate controlled media.

Just to make my point further on how intensely the media lies to us – watch TV or Print news and see if you can find the above story anywhere. You’d think that a threat of war against several countries would be newsworthy right?

So, if you are one of these people who believed that Obama was a soldier of change… well, ok, who am I kidding – you probably can’t read anyway and are more concerned that the sun is about to hit us.

Latin America will only survive if it unites peacefully against U.S. corporate sadistic aggression.

 

 

[Via http://marcelo717.wordpress.com]

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Firearms Freedom Act Introduced in Ohio

Introduced in the Ohio  House on October 16, 2009, the “Firearms Freedom Act” (HB-315)  seeks “To enact section 2923.26 of the Revised Code to provide that ammunition, firearms, and firearm accessories that are manufactured and remain in Ohio are not subject to federal laws and regulations derived under Congress’ authority to regulate interstate commerce and to require the words “Made in Ohio” be stamped on a central metallic part of any firearm manufactured and sold in Ohio.”

The bill was authored by State Representatives Morgan and Martin, and currently has 15 other co-sponsors.  (h/t BuckeyeFirearms.org and OhioFreedom.com)

While the HB315’s title focuses on federal gun regulations, it has far more to do with the 10th Amendment’s limit on the power of the federal government.  It specifically states:

The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, particularly if not expressly preempted by federal law. The congress of the United States has not expressly preempted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition.

Some supporters of the legislation say that a successful application of such a state-law would set a strong precedent and open the door for states to take their own positions on a wide range of activities that they see as not being authorized to the Federal Government by the Constitution.

Firearms Freedom Acts have already passed in both Montana and Tennessee, and have been introduced in a number of other states around the country. There’s been no lack of controversy surrounding them, either.

To read the entire story go to http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2009/10/21/nullification-firearms-freedom-act-introduced-in-ohio/

[Via http://onemansthoughts.wordpress.com]

L'ombrellaio abbronzato

 

Nobel inventò la dinamite ma poi si inventò il Premio Nobel che, dato a Barck Obama per la pace “a venire”, riporta il vecchio Nobel alle sue origini …esplosive.  Obama, fresco premiato, va in giro per l’Oriente, e a Seul santifica il premio ricevuto con delle dichiarazioni degne appunto di un Nobel. Il paladino della pace dice alla Corea del Nord che se loro hanno la bomba atomica anche la Corea del Sud  può contare sulla bomba atomica come deterrente per la pace nella regione. La pace fondata sull’equilibrio del numero di ordigni nucleari! Anche per l’Iran ha avuto parole di conforto e pacifiste…”Se non la smettono di rompere, convoco gli alleati per decidere sulle conseguenze dell’ostinazione iraniana”. In parole povere: occhio che un altro Iraq non ci spaventa. Gli alleati si sono dati una grattata e già studiano piani strategici. Per una invasione in nome della pace? Ma no! Piani strategici per svicolare dall’appuntamento del tipo…”Cavolo! Stasera ho un impegno urgente al quale non posso mancare!”. L’abbronzato pacificatore va in giro come un rappresentante di commercio e dentro la valigetta del campionario ha un catalogo di “ombrelli nucleari” per ogni esigenza. Ma non aveva altre idee prima di insediarsi alla Casa Bianca?

Einstein disse “Non so come sarà la terza guerra mondiale ma so come sarà combattuta la quarta: con pietre e bastoni”  Si  dimenticò di metterci anche gli “ombrelli”…

Claudio Pompi

[Via http://chicchediriso.wordpress.com]

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Senator Mary "I can be Bribed" Landrieu

BRIBE [brahyb] noun, verb, bribed, brib-ing

-noun

  1. money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, esp. in that person’s performance as an athlete, public official, etc.: The president offered the senator a $100 million bribe she could use to buy votes in her state if she would vote for the health care bill.
  2. anything given or serving to persuade or induce: The senator was given $100 million as a bribe to vote for the health care bill.

Senator Landrieu,

You may not realize that at this point in history you can’t continue the corrupt liberal and democrat way of playing politics without severe consequences to the country and to yourself.

America is on the edge of the abyss.  Our financial system is in ruin, our dollar is worthless, nations around the world are dumping the dollar, and the nations to which we are debtors are beginning to balk at buying more of our debt.

We simply do not have the money to spend on this health care bill.  Should it pass, it will seal our fate, and nail the coffin shut on America.  We will be in a depression.

Anarchy and chaos will result, and no one, including you, will be unaffected.

Americans know what you are doing to them, and they will remember.

When enough Americans have their freedom, liberty, and way of life stripped from them, don’t think for a moment they won’t remember who stripped it from them, and don’t think for a moment they’ll allow you to continue to live in the crystal palace on the hill while they suffer.

Will you serve yourself and the democrats, or will you serve America and your constituents?

Choose now whom you will serve.

[Via http://texan2driver.wordpress.com]

Islamabad under pressure over Blackwater presence

PressTv

Islamabad is under pressure to meet a deadline to explain the alleged sanctioning of the presence of a notorious US security contractor, formerly known as Blackwater, on the Pakistani soil.

At the request of the Lahore High Court (LHC), the government is supposed to file an explanation by Friday, November 20, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The court started to press the authorities on the matter, acting on a petition filed by Pakistan’s Wattan Party, the Pakistani daily The News International had reported earlier in the month.

Urging the across-the-board disarmament of the Pakistan-based US officials and military personnel as well as prosecution of alleged subversive elements, the party’s Punjab President, Hashim Shaukat Khan said the Interior Ministry let 200 Blackwater staffers enter Pakistan without clearing the customs “under American pressure,” the newspaper added.

Blackwater, now known as Xe Services LLC, attracted international condemnation for killing 17 civilians in Iraq in 2007. The State Department, however, has refused to waive the company’s permission to carry arms there.

It also continues to be extensively involved in Afghanistan where nearly 70,000 US-commissioned contractors almost doubly outnumber the US troops.

Washington has been exceedingly deputizing the companies, which are infamous for misusing their State Department-issued gun licenses. The move has been denounced as an effort at putting a non-military face on the US pursuits overseas

Thursday, November 19, 2009

IT IS TIME TO ADMIT WE HAVE A LIAR IN CHIEF AS POTUS

Thursday, November 19, 2009

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” .GEORGE ORWELL

We expect and receive grandiose statements, promises that the person making them never can make during political campaigns. The truth is lost in the quest to win the votes of the electorate.
But once the campaign is over, we expect our elected representatives to talk straight to us. No lies are accepted. Except it appears from president Obama and his very large “inner circle”.

The following are direct quotes from the President within the last 18 months. Some I have commented on, the others, as they say at Harvard Law, res ipso loquitur.

1) ”…not because I believe in bigger government — I don’t — not because I’m not mindful of the massive debt we’ve inherited — I am.” Speech to Congress, February 24, 2009

2) “And that is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists…” Speech to Congress, February 24, 2009

3) “My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs.” I wonder if the President knows he doesn’t have a line item veto.

4) “My immediate task is making sure that the second half of that money, $350 billion, is spent properly. That’s my first job.” Press conference February 9, 2009, talking about TARP money.

5) ”It also contains an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability, so that every American will be able to go online and see where and how we’re spending every dime. What it does not contain, however, is a single pet project, not a single earmark, and it has been stripped of the projects members of both parties found most objectionable.” Press conference February 9, 2009 talking about his own economic bill.

6) “Second is recognition of the limits of the judicial role, an understanding that a judge’s job is to interpret, not make law, to approach decisions without any particular ideology or agenda, but rather a commitment to impartial justice…” I thought about putting this first because he was introducing Sotomayor who is on tape saying judges make policy, among other things.

7) “It’s not just enough to change the players. We’ve gotta change the game.” He has appointed over 150 recycled Clintionistas

”I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying.” Either this is a lie or his later position where he opposes gay marriage, take your pick for number eight.

9) “I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.” In reference to Rev. Wright 42 days before he disowned him.

10) “To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn: I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President, too.”

Here’s a stimulus success story: In Arizona’s 15th congressional district, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending. At least that’s what the Web site set up by the Obama administration to track the $787 billion stimulus says. The only problem is that there is no 15th district!

There are only eight (8) Congressional districts in the state of Arizona!
.
Rep. David Obey, D-Wisc, who chairs the powerful House appropriations Committee, issued a paper statement demanding that the recovery.gov Web site be updated.

“The inaccuracies on recovery.gov that have come to light are outrageous and the Administration owes itself, the Congress, and every American a commitment to work night and day to correct the ludicrous mistakes.”

Obama and Democratic leaders say that wiping out waste and fraud in Medicare, including the elimination of more than $100 billion in government subsidies for the Medicare Advantage program in which private insurers supplement standard Medicare coverage, will reduce government health care costs by several hundred billion dollars.

HOW CAN WE BELIEVE OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED CONGRESS WHEN THEY SAY THE HEALTH CARE BILL WILL SAVE MONEY. However, the The federal government made $98 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2009, and we still have six weeks to go in 2009!
The 2009 total up to date for improper payments — from outright fraud to misdirected reimbursements due to factors such as an illegible doctor’s signature — was a 37.5 percent increase over the $72 billion in 2008, according to figures provided by Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
 Yet anotther one of Obama’s campaign promises was he would cut waste and fraud to balance the budget and eliminate the deficit he inherited from Bush. Well It’s another record-high for the U.S. National Debt which today topped the $12-trillion mark. Divided evenly among the U.S. population, it amounts to $38,974.34 for every man, woman and child.

Technically, the debt hit the new high yesterday, but it was posted on the Treasury Department website just after 3:00 p.m. ET today. The exact calculation of the debt is a 16-digit tongue-twister and red-ink tsunami:.
The increase in the deficit and debt is attributed to government spending outpacing revenue – both exacerbated by the recession and the government response to it – including hundreds of billions in bailouts and stimulus spending and tax cuts along with decreased tax revenues due to rising unemployment
And there is another promise that Obama made that was broken. He promised that if the Stimulus bill was passed the unemployment would not exceed 8.5%. It is 10.2%!.

 Mr. Obama has said he hopes the health care plan pending in Congress will serve to curb the growth in the debt by reducing the amount government spends on health care. But it’s a claim disputed by critics who say it will have the opposite effect.

Remember when the president, as a candidate, promised to post all bills online so we could read them first?

Remember when he promised transparency in all legislation? No more closed-door deals?

Remember when he promised to put government meetings with lobbyists online for everyone to see?

Did you remember he made all those broken promises — and more — in less than two minutes of the same speech? (And, actually, if they hadn’t applauded so much, he could have done it in under a minute flat.)

Peter Andrew the author of “Soda Head” lists 14 lies that Obama told when he had a press conference on his Health Care proposal.
President Barack Obama told no fewer than 14 healthcare lies during his press conference on the “ObamaCare nightmare.” From the Official Obama Administration Scandals List…

1.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 1 7/22/9 – Twice during his press conference, Obama lied saying he inherited from President Bush a $1.3-trillion federal budget deficit. Not true. On July 13th, we reported the deficit had just topped $1-trillion for the first time ever. That is Obama’s deficit. Bush never had a deficit anywhere near $1.3-trillion. Does Obama mean instead that the budget plan would have maybe created such a deficit for him in his own term? He’s certainly not wording it that way! For Obama to say so is an outright lie. Even the Associated Press noted: “Obama is…proposing a budget that assumes a jaw-dropping deficit of $1.75 trillion this year, a quadruple increase from the year before.” – More fuzzy math from this socialist administration.

2.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 2 7/22/9 Obama makes the outrageous claim that the USA is “no healthier than any other nation” despite the money we spend on healthcare. Clearly an unsubstantiated claim.

3.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 3 7/22/9 Obama says the “biggest driving force behind the federal deficit is the skyrocketing costs of Medicare and Medicaid.” Not True. Fox News reported on July 13th the real causes for Obama’s huge deficit: “the huge deficit is caused by, “the huge sum the government has spent to combat the recession and financial crisis, combined with a sharp decline in tax revenues. Paying for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also is a major factor.”

4.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 4 7/22/9 Obama repeated his pledge that his health care plan “won’t add to the deficit. And I mean it!” Later he even added his plan is “designed to lower it!” – So what of the Congressional Budget Office’s conclusion that the House bill does add to the deficit? Democrats and the Obama administration argue that the $245 billion included for doctors — the approximate 10-year cost of adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates so physicians don’t face big annual pay cuts — does not have to be counted in the overall cost of the health care bill. Their only in Washington reasoning is that they already decided to exempt it from congressional “pay-as-you-go” rules that require new programs to be paid for. In other words, it doesn’t have to be paid for because they decided it doesn’t have to be paid for“!!!!!

5.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 5 7/22/9 Obama says his plan “lowers healthcare expenses.” The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says that’s not true. How long until he starts firing the CBO guys just like the inspectors generals he has canned?

6.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 6 7/22/9 Obama says his plan will, “slow the growth of healthcare expenses.” What growth?! You just said it is going to lower the expenses! Apparently there will be growth in expenses just like the CBO said this plan would do.

7.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 7 7/22/9 Obama says the Obama care plan will “improve health care for seniors.” Not true. Rationing care means some get it and some don’t. Those with better chances (younger people) will get the care, the seniors won’t. Also, Obama says he’ll save money by getting rid of “things that don’t make you healthier.” HE gets to decide what those things are, not seniors or geriatric doctors!

8.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 8 7/22/9 Obama lies (David Axelrod repeated the lie on 7/23/9) saying his healthcare proposal “promotes choice.” wrong. The plan eliminates choice by 2013. Those seeking new health insurance will have no choice at all in 2013. They will HAVE TO go with the government-run, socialist healthcare plan. See the 7/21/9 scandal on the list where he said he’s “not familiar” with that part of the plan!!

9.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 9 7/22/9 Obama has the audacity to claim that he’ll pay for 2/3rds of his $1.5-Trillion healthcare plan by realizing “savings” from the fact the government will run healthcare!!! Has the government ever saved us a dime running anything?! What makes him think he can do so now? $600 hammer anyone?

10.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 10 7/22/9 Obama was dishonest with the american people when he claimed the “debt and deficit are deep concerns of mine.” We have demonstrated his deficit deception here. Democrats no longer care about deficits. Even the Associated Press noted: “Obama is not simply proposing a budget that assumes a jaw-dropping deficit of $1.75 trillion this year, a quadruple increase from the year before. He’s trying to redirect strong currents in American society.”

11.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 11 7/22/9 Obama used his own “new math” to claim he reduced the deficit! He said doing nothing would mean a budget deficit of $9.3-Trillion over ten years, something he can’t possibly know. But, he said with his changes it will only be $7.1 trillion in ten years. He is already up to $1-trillion in the first year (and climbing rapidly). So, how does he claim that it will go down so dramatically while he increases healthcare spending? CBS News Chip Reed asked him about it at an earlier press conference (click here to see the video) basically “asking what about years 6, 7, 8 and 9 of his budget when the deficits keep going up, up, up. The president said “we’ll make new budgets by then,” and basically not to worry about it since it is so far away!!” – So, the President is using fictitious future budget cuts from a time when he may not even be president to claim that he is reducing the budget deficit! More blazing deficit hypocrisy. We have been Leading the way Right on this story. Check out what we said on 3/21/9.

12.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 12 7/22/9 Obama again used his own “new math” to make the bizarre claim that he has “cut spending.” It’s more of the “Obama Gap” we reported on April 21st: “addressing congress he promised to get rid of government programs that don’t work and cut out that spending, then he proposes the biggest increase in government spending ever, now he asks his cabinet to cut $100-million in spending. He wants to increase the size of government to $4-Trillion a year, and asked for a cut FROM HIS HUGE BUDGET REQUEST of 1/35,000th of the amount he wants to spend.” – And that is how he claims he has “cut” spending…he cut the size of his gigantic increase.

13.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 13 7/22/9 Answering a reporter question from a very hot news babe (who was that lady?), Obama said he wasn’t actually lying about having health care meetings on C-Span. He had said in the past these types of meetings were held in secret but in his new era of transparency, he would put them on C-Span. The reporter babe saw right through that. Obama says it wasn’t a lie though because he put the first meeting about healthcare on C-Span. The rest were all held in secret. Uhmmmmmmmmm….As O’Reilly said, “I have a master’s degree from Harvard and I don’t understand what the president is trying to say.”

14.ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 14 – THE BIG ONE 7/22/9 Obama repeated his anti-Jim DeMint lie that the health care debate is “Not about me.” The Fox News Ticker earlier reported that U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley told them the president told a group of democrats, “You’re trying to destroy my Presidency!” The hot-headed response came after the president learned a “large number” of centrist democrats are against his socialist healthcare plan. It really is all about him.

OTHER SOURCES: CALVIN WOODWARD OF THE  AP

Contracting "US Companies" in Afghanistan

 

US Contract Companies are hiring 15 to 20 Third Country Nationals (Indians, Filipinos, etc) for every one American in Afghanistan. 10% of Americans out of work and DynCorps, Fluor, CACI, AECOM, KBR and all of these other “American” International Contract companies aren’t interested in hiring any of them.  Maybe they’ll hire some illegal immigrants as well.

They are keeping their bottom line in check with these moves.  Making millions of dollars in profit by stiffing the American worker.  DynCorps, KBR and Fluor can hire 20 Indians for the cost of hiring one US Citizen.  The US Government is awarding these multi-million dollar contracts to these “American” companies and they here 80-90 percent foreign employees.

What I think is even more humorous is that the US Government is making this concerted effort to break up large contracts such as the KBR LOGCAP II contract as well as others.  There are very few companies that can handle the logistics of these operations.  What ends up happening is that Company A wins the contract from the US government.  Company A then subcontracts to KBR (or whatever company) or a subsidiary of KBR.  The same company winds up with all of the contracts that they had before.  The difference is that there is now a middle man.  It’s all a shell game.  I guess Congress and the average American out there are idiots and are fooled by all of this muddling of facts and actions.

Another thing that Company B (KBR) does is form another company/corporation.  It looks like a separate company on paper but it’s indirectly owned by the same people.  They even hire the same folks from earlier contracts to run them.  Same PM, same DPM, same cast and crew.  On the surface, a new company is in business and winning contracts.  In reality, it’s the same group of folks making the same money.

And it’s easy to see.  Easy to investigate, but, the US government is too lazy or incompetent to see the obvious.  I’ve been laughing for 5 years.  Same crooks winning the same contracts and the same Congress and DOD/DOS getting scammed for more and more tax dollars.

Fools!

It’s been the same story since at least World War II.  I bet that some of these companies can be traced back to the War between the States.  The US Government never learns.  They just open that check book and sign more checks.

 

 

 

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Press Release From the American Grand Jury - Charge "Treason"

The charge of “Treason” filed against President Obama in US District Court, Washington (09-346-RCL)

PRESS RELEASE: November 17th, 2009 by American Grand Jury

Lt. Commander Walter Fitzpatrick III levels charge in an effort to avert what he described as a pending civil war.

American Grand Jury has incorporated the Fitzpatrick criminal complaint within its Presentments. The Presentments were served on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on July 2nd, 2009. The Presentments are still pending before Chief Judge Royce Lamberth. Two Orders, a Motion to Reconsider, and a Response have been issued. The American Grand Jury Response to the Court’s 2nd Order was filed in late October. The Response is currently pending before the Court.

If acted upon, the Grand Jury Presentments would require that Obama be criminally indicted for fraud as to “Eligibility” and “Treason” per the Fitzpatrick complaint.

American Grand Jury is actively pursuing the serving of Presentments in a number of United States District Courts in different States.

Please visit http://ProsecuteObama.org for further details.

Stop lying about those stimulus jobs | Washington Examiner

Stop lying about those stimulus jobs

Examiner Editorial

November 17, 2009

Give the mainstream news media some credit: They have diligently dug into President Obama's fanciful boasts of job creation. When Obama claimed earlier this month that his $787 billion economic stimulus package had “saved or created” 640,000 jobs, a dozen news organizations pounced. They soon highlighted some of the most egregious cases of sketchy job creation in about 20 states.

From their reports, The Examiner has created an http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/maps/Bogus-jobs-created-or-saved-by-the-Stimulus.html online interactive map for tracking exaggerated stimulus claims. So far, more than 75,000 jobs — exceeding 10 percent of the total — are either highly doubtful or clearly imaginary. In the coming weeks, we expect to add many thousands more to that total as other media organizations scrutinize stimulus grants in their areas.

Obama and his senior aides have sought to downplay the importance of exact numbers, but they invited close scrutiny earlier this year by setting dramatic expectations for the effect the stimulus program would have on employment. If his stimulus program was approved, Obama promised, unemployment would not go above 8 percent this year. The reality is that it passed 10.3 percent in October. So now the stimulus books are being cooked to mollify an anxious public worried that real-world jobs continue to disappear and angry that Obama has thrown almost $1 trillion down the stimulus rathole.

via Stop lying about those stimulus jobs | Washington Examiner.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Mike Huckabee, Huckabee book tour, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Fox show, A Simple Christmas, Huckabee 2008 presidential run, Huckabee running in 2012?, Citizen comments for Huckabee, Republican candidate

Mike Huckabee is on a 60 city tour to promote his new book, “  A Simple Christmas.”  Friday, November 13, 2009, Governor Huckabee was at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Charlotte, NC to sign copies of his book. I shook hands with Mr. Huckabee and shared a few brief comments with him about this blog.

To Governor Mike Huckabee from the Citizen Wells blog, concerned Americans across the nation.

Mr. Huckabee, you do seem to be a very nice man, there is a consenus of agreement on that, but you have offended many concerned Americans with your uninformed opinion on Obama’s eligibility issues and your stance on illegal aliens and other issues. Upholding the US Constitution and rule of law is the highest priority of the good people reading this blog as well as millions of other Americans. These are hard working, sincere Americans that do not fit neetly into compartments of birthers and right wing conservatives. This blog, like the tea party movement, represents Americans of all political parties, economic strata and religious persuasions. Your Pelosi like insults of those questioning Obama and his natural born citizen status were not taken lightly. I suggest you do some homework and listen. Even Lou Dobbs of CNN, the Communist News Network, acknowledged that the suspicious COLB presented by the Obama camp was just a piece of paper that referred to another piece of paper.

Last year Fox was the only network presenting any realistic coverage of issues surrounding Barack Obama. Sean Hannity and then Glenn Beck asked probing questions that the MSM ignored or glossed over. However, I critized Fox then for not covering controversial issues surrounding Obama. Some of those issues have now been addressed and still Fox has been hands off on the eligibility issue. Bill O’Reilly has bragged about grilling Obama in an interview last year, and perhaps, compared to the MSM, he did. However, many well informed Americans, including myself, belive O’Reilly gave Obama a free ride.

So Governor Huckabee, it is somewhat understandable why you were ill informed regarding Obama’s eligibility. However, ultimately, you should not have insulted well informed, concerned Americans who rightfully believe that Obama is not a natural born citizen. It is not too late. Below are comments from the good Americans of this blog. Some retired military, some with legal educations, but all genuinely care about this country.

Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 3:08pm   Pixel Patriot

“Huckabee might be a nice man but he is still a hypocrite. You can’t condone ILLEGAL immigration and open borders during a time of war while there are laws on the books going unfunded and unenforced. I would have more respect for him if he advocated compassionately deporting the ILLEGAL immigrants ASAP and hitting the employers with hefty fines while simultaneously changing the immigration laws so that more are allowed to enter every year but from the back of the line. If the families don’t want to be separated, the families go too until they get back in. No more anchor babies. Also, the radical Islamic jihadists are the first to go and it is just fine if the door hits them in the butt on the way out!

Oh, don’t forget that Huckabee is on record saying Obama is a citizen and born in Hawaii. Huckabee is either complicit in covering for Obama’s crimes via silence or too incomprehensibly negligent to be a candidate for the office of the POTUS and not have a legal research team to definitively determine his opponents’ eligibility when in question as obvious as it was. Remember, the BC is not the issue; it is the dual nationalities which Obama publicly admitted to before the election.”

Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 3:30pm   Maddie

“Great points, Pixel Patriot. Although there are
plusses with Huckabee, I did hear him go down
the complacent trail of citizen and Hawaii. I’m not hitching my wagon to anyone who does that.
Ba-bye Huck.”

Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 3:45pm   citizenwells

“Huckabee was not my candidate in 2008 and I do not know if I could ever
vote for him.
However, he is intelligent and articulate and is not going away.
He appears to have opened his eyes on the Obama Camp and
he may be trainable.
Does he have the scruples he appears to have?
We will find out.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 4:06pm   c.n.d.e. ville II

“At the moment, my litmus test for the salvageableness of any office holder is the eligibility issue. If Huckabee today starts asking questions about o’s background and eligibility for office, I MIGHT move him from my “I want you our of our government immediately” list to my “okay, maybe not immediately, but you had REALLY better mean this” list.

Realistically, since, at the moment, no potential candidates seem to pass my test, I may have to revise my standards. Sigh. lol Story of my life.

I dunno, if we keep settling for the lesser of evils, will we ever get the good (with warts and all, of course)?”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 4:53pm   Don

“Huckabee isn’t my first choice. I would vote for him as the lesser of two evils, like I did McCain.

I did NOT like his stance on illegal aliens.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 5:06pm   Maddie
“ARMY DAV—That’s exactly when I took him off the list—we are not right wing loonies.

Mr. Huckabee has now joined the ostriches
with their heads stuck in the sand—
hear no evil, see no evil little “cozy clan!””

Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 5:08pm   Magna Carta

“I do not trust Huckabee.There was a rape case or something in his home state and he let the guy out or something that really got some people worked up…THEY DID NOT WANT HIM TO ADVANCE.
Then,he did the Wal-Mart thing with illegals..pushing for DREAM ACT…etc…
Snake-oil salesman in my book.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 5:10pm   Linda from NY

“Huckabee is a likable guy; soft-spoken and not apt to “go off the deep end,” but not POTUS material IMHO.

If he is complicit in the eligibility issue as many of you have said, then I cannot trust him to lead.

The “lesser of two evils” vote never appealed to me…that expression just irks me.

I am looking for the man/woman who is a proponent of the “greater good.”

They have to be more than willing to “talk the talk;” they will have to demonstrate to me they can “walk the walk.”

We need to vote in those who are willing to “fight” for the Constitution to be upheld, and the Declaration of Independence to be respected.
I am certain that will be easy to determine from what we already know.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 5:13pm   Buraq ‘08

“I’m not interested in Mike Huckabee in any way, shape, or form.

Firstly, he is much too soft spoken. He sounds like a therapist. A person either has leadership qualities, or he doesn’t. Mike doesn’t.

Secondly, he is a typical republican.

Thirdly, he looks like Gomer Pyle.

Fourthly, I support Sarah Palin.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 6:27pm   Buraq ‘08

“@ Citizenwells:

Heh, sorry. Sometimes I can get carried away.

Since the 2008 elections. I find that my patience is very thin for certain republicans. What really bugs me the most is that the GOP seems incapable of producing conservative leaders. I am very bothered by what seems to be the GOP’s intention to run the exact same failed candidates from 2008 as if they have learned nothing at all.

If they try to nominate McCain, Romney, or Huckabee again, I think my head may explode.

From my standpoint, Sarah Palin was the only bright spot from 2008.

Ideally, what I would like to see in a candidate is a true conservative fighter, and I really mean a fighter. Mike just comes across as too passive to me. Perhaps I am wrong.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 6:47pm   ARMY D.A.V.

“Romney vs Huckabee or RINO vs RINO”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 7:00pm   Prairie

“My take on Huckabee. When the country is being taken over by marxists, his show has not tackled one controversial topic outside of abortion. He is the really nice boy in school- that no girl would date. He doesn’t have what it takes to lead.”
Submitted on 2009/11/13 at 8:04pm   live oak

“Never Huckabee!!!”

Submitted on 2009/11/14 at 4:04am   usapatriots-shout.blogspot.com

“Huckabee is likable but disingenous to me. What specifically turned me against him was his denial about Obama’s ineligibility to be president.

The man or woman who would be our next president will do so if He/she runs on the platform of restoring America to the republic under the Constitution, promising to challenge Obama’s sealed documents, tightening the borders, repealing the health care plan –if Senate passes it and redefining America as a Christian/Judeo country. In my observations I think Palin has the guts to do this. It also may well depend upon who runs with her and if she stays with the Republicans or creates a third party.”

Submitted on 2009/11/14 at 8:46am   Portuguese Revolutionary War Hero – Peter Francisco

“COUNT me as a NOOOOOOOOOOO.
We will Not settle for an appeaser and softy. We will not settle for a coneiver and one that conspired with McAmensty during teh election to SCREW Romeny and teh Republicans therefore getting us STUCK with a RINO who hushed, handcuffed and sabotaged his VP candidate and his own candidacy by sticking up MORE for BO than Palin. After the disaster of an INSURGENCY PRESIDENCY we need a STRONG CANDIDATE that we all can support and unite behind someone fromthe Reagan Wing of the Repuke Party otherwise lets start a new party.
Palin and DeMint or Bachmann are my Top Choices and we shoudl start organizing for them strating NOW.
Forget the DISRUPTERS which is what The Huckster is right along with his running mate McCain.

We need someone with Strong Conservative Principles that clearly has the character and the guts to Stand Firm, communicate clearly and take decisive actions. Someone that we will follow without doubts or REGRETS.

Palin, DeMint, Bachmann NO BODY ELSE right now. Even Romney is too weak as a Conservative even though I like him economically, but he has disappeared and that isn’t good.
Romney should run for Kennedy’s Senate seat and maybe in 2020 run for President”

Mike Huckabee, are you going to be a Statesman or a Politician?

 
We want our representatives to be nice and exercise protocol to the extent that it protects the American public.

 
John McCain was polite last year but he did not look after the interests of the public. We fault him for that.

 
Governor Huckabee, are you listening?


Governor Huckabee, will you do the right thing?

Este lunes comienza la campaña de vacunación contra la gripe A

 

Este lunes comenzará en toda España la campaña de vacunación frente al virus H1N1 causante de la gripe A con la que se prevé inmunizar a entre un 15 y un 20 por ciento de la población, todos aquellos considerados como grupos de riesgo por el Ministerio de Sanidad y Política Social y las comunidades autónomas: mujeres embarazadas, enfermos crónicos de más de 6 meses de edad, trabajadores sociosanitarios y personal de los servicios públicos esenciales (Fuerzas y cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado, bomberos y personal de Protección Civil e instituciones penitenciarias).

Actualmente, más del 97 por ciento de los cuadros gripales detectados en España están provocados por este nuevo virus, que desde que se detectaran los primeros casos en el mes de abril ya ha provocado 88 fallecimientos en España. Además, la tasa de nuevos contagios sigue aumentando y en la última semana fue de 327,92 casos por cada 100.000 habitantes, después de haber detectado 145.113 nuevos contagios.

En principio está previsto que la campaña de vacunación dure un mes o mes y medio aunque se prorrogará “según las necesidades”, y se realizará “de forma simultánea” para todos los grupos de riesgo de todas las comunidades. La forma de organizar estas campañas será decidida por cada autonomía y serán los médicos y enfermeras de los centros de salud los encargados de resolver las dudas de la población y de decidir, analizando cada caso, si un paciente fuera de los grupos de riesgo necesita recibir la vacuna.

Entre los grupos de riesgo que a partir de mañana podrán vacunarse se encuentran ciudadanos con patologías crónicos de tipo cardiovascular (excluyendo la hipertensión); respiratorio (incluyendo displasia bronco-pulmonar, fibrosis quística y asma moderada-grave persistente); diabetes mellitus tipo I y tipo II con tratamiento farmacológico; insuficiencia renal moderada-grave; hemoglobinopatías y anemias moderadas-graves, y asplenia.

Del mismo modo, también deberán vacunarse aquellos ciudadanos que presenten obesidad mórbida (con un índice de masa corporal igual o superior a 40); enfermos hepáticos crónicos en estado avanzado; enfermos neuromusculares graves; pacientes con inmunosupresión (incluida la originada por infección por VIH o por fármacos o en los receptores de trasplantes); y niños y adolescentes, menores de 18 años, que reciben tratamiento prolongado con ácido acetilsalicílico, por la posibilidad de desarrollar un síndrome de Reye.

Dentro del personal sociosanitario se incluye tanto a todos los trabajadores de los centros sanitarios, de Atención Primaria y hospitalaria, pública y privada; como al personal empleado en residencias de la tercera edad y en centros de atención a enfermos crónicos que tengan contacto continúo con personas vulnerables.

TRES VACUNAS DIFERENTES

Para todas estas vacunaciones, el Gobierno ha comprado más de 37 millones de vacunas pertenecientes a tres laboratorios farmacéuticos (22 millones de dosis de ‘Focetria’, de Novartis; 14,7 millones de ‘Pandemrix’, de GlaxoSmithKline (GSK); y 400.000 de ‘Panenza’, de Sanofi Pasteur) con las que se podría vacunar hasta un 60 por ciento de la población, aunque para proteger a los citados grupos de riesgo sólo se necesitarán 10 millones de dosis.

En el caso de las embarazadas, la vacunación podría retrasarse unos días, según reconoció esta misma semana la titular del ramo, Trinidad Jiménez, ya que la vacuna que se les debe administrar a este grupo de riesgo, ‘Panenza’, todavía no está aprobada por las autoridades europeas y españolas del medicamento. Según explicó la ministra, esta vacuna “aporta un plus de seguridad” ya que no tiene adyuvante –una sustancia que potencia el antígeno– pero, para aquellas que no quieran esperar “pueden usar las otras dos vacunas”, que son también “seguras y eficaces” en embarazadas.

La vacuna de Novartis, ‘Focetria’, está preferentemente indicada en personas menores de 17 años y mayores de 60 años, mientras que para el resto se recomienda el uso de ‘Pandemrix’. En cuanto al número de dosis, será suficiente con un único pinchazo por persona salvo en los niños de entre 6 meses y 2 años, quienes “probablemente necesitarán dos dosis”, reconoció la ministra este pasado miércoles.

Los cerca de 27 millones de dosis de vacuna compradas por el Gobierno y que no será necesario utilizar irán, bien destinadas al canal privado para ser adquiridas con receta –algo que podría ocurrir “a finales de diciembre principios de enero, aunque no es definitivo”, según la ministra–, bien se guardarán para la vacunación del próximo año o se enviarán a países pobres en el marco de la Iniciativa Obama, que apuesta por donar a estas zonas las vacunas sobrantes del primer mundo.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

PELOSI AND HEALTH CARE

Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama agree that jail time might be appropriate for those who can afford, but refuse to purchase health insurance.  Let’s take a quick look at their twisted logic.

  1. Currently, every person in America has access to emergency health care.  It doesn’t matter if you are a citizen, illegal alien, felon or philanthropist. Emergency care can be accomplished in a number of ways.  You can go to the nearest hospital emergency room, Redi-Care or other private clinic or any open doctor’s office.  Doctors and nurses are obligated to care for your emergency needs.   You can also dial 911 on any phone and paramedics will come to you, treat you and transport you to the hospital emergency room if necessary.  You need no cash and you don’t even need to identify yourself correctly.
  2. Low income families eligible for welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, SSI or any other government program may walk into any clinic that accepts these programs and be treated for any malady expressed.  The clinic will bill the government. Medications are available upon request.  A minimal co-pay may be required, but you can ask to be billed.

So the new health bill (I hesitate to call it health care because little health or care will result), as currently written includes a clause to fine non-participants and if they refuse to pay the fine they can be jailed.  Okay!

  1. Once you are in jail you are not only entitled to, but mandated to receive care for any health concern.  Bladder cancer, no problem, you will receive chemo, radiation treatment or surgery – whichever is most appropriate.  Toothache – still no problem.  You might get a filling, root canal or extraction depending on the severity and cause of the pain.  Dentures are also available if you need them in order to enjoy the food.  Eyeglasses, etc. same no cost plan.  Pre-existing conditions regardless of their severity are of no concern.  All will be treated.
  2. You have no taxpayer obligations as long as you are incarcerated.  So if you choose not to purchase into a government mandated health plan you can receive the services free of charge and also save the taxes that would otherwise pay for them.  How cool is that?

So to recap, if you don’t buy into the government’s plan you will become a prisoner of the government and no longer have to concern yourself with where you’ll sleep, what you’ll eat, how to get over any illness, how to allay any pain and you won’t have to pay any taxes.  It’s all free.

You will be completely dependent on the government to provide all your needs.  They won’t be lavishly or luxuriously presented, but they will be provided.  This is exactly the direction we are being led right now.  Tax the rich until they’re poor and everyone is dependent on the government to provide their basic needs.

But there is a problem.  The more people there are dependent on the government, the fewer there are free to earn and pay the taxes necessary to pay for the dependents.  It can only come down to the controlled doling of the goods and services available.  That’s also known by the evil word RATIONING.

It is true that our government doesn’t get all the money they spend from the citizens and businesses.  Some of it comes from goods and services purchased by other countries.  But wait!  If there are little or no goods and services, or if they are of poor quality, produced because all the citizens are subservient to the government and unwilling to give 100% there will be little to sell to other countries.

So the government wants to take over every aspect of our lives, but doesn’t have a plan to address the long term consequences. Vote the crazy, debauched and power hungry elite out of office and replace them with reasonable, rational men and women that can and will restore our greed based free market system.  It may have its ups and downs, but then all of life does.  People must take back some personal responsibility.  We can live like that and live free.

S&P 500 lên cao nhất trong gần 1 năm

(GiaVang.com.vn – Giá vàng Việt Nam và Thế Giới) – Cổ phiếu nhóm ngành công nghiệp, tài chính tăng điểm mạnh kéo thị trường lên điểm.

Chỉ số S&P 500 tăng 0,6% lên 1.049,34 điểm tại thị trường New York, mức đóng cửa cao nhất từ ngày 06/10.

Chỉ số công nghiệp Dow Jones tăng 21,39 điểm tương đương 0,2% lên mức 9.626,8 điểm.

Vào đầu phiên thị trường giảm điểm bởi căng thẳng thương mại Trung – Mỹ gây ảnh hưởng tiêu cực đến thị trường chứng khoán.

Vào đầu phiên, thị trường Mỹ hòa nhịp giảm điểm cùng các thị trường khác trên thế giới, chỉ số MSCI của TTCK thế giới hạ lần đầu tiên trong 8 phiên do lo ngại cổ phiếu đã trở nên quá đắt.

Chỉ số S&P 500 đã hồi phục được 55% từ mức thấp nhất trong 12 năm thiết lập ngày 09/03 trước dấu hiệu cho thấy suy thoái kinh tế toàn cầu đang dịu bớt và các công ty công bố lợi nhuận vượt dự báo của các chuyên gia.

Xét đến bất đồng xung quanh vấn đề thương mại Mỹ – Trung, phía Trung Quốc cho biết đang cân nhắc thanh tra các sản phẩm thịt gà và linh kiện ô tô hai ngày sau khi Mỹ áp đặt hạn ngạch đối với lốp xe của Trung Quốc.

Giá cao su giao kỳ hạn hạ mạnh nhất trong 9 tháng sau khi Tổng thống Obama tuyên bố áp dụng hạn ngạch đối với khoảng 35% trong tổng số lốp xe Trung Quốc trị giá 1,8 tỷ USD nhập vào Mỹ. Giá cao su giao tháng 2/2010 tại thị trường Tokyo đóng cửa hạ 9,2%.

Ông Joseph Stiglitz, kinh tế gia đoạt giải Nobel, cho rằng nước Mỹ đã thất bại trong việc giải quyết những vấn đề còn tồn đọng của hệ thống ngân hàng sau thời kỳ tín dụng thắt chặt và ngân hàng Lehman Brothers sụp đổ cách đây 1 năm.

Diễn biến 3 chỉ số chính trên TTCK Mỹ phiên giao dịch ngày 14/09 (Nguồn: Google Finance)

Source: S&P 500 lên cao nhất trong gần 1 năm

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Tax Credit

With the nation’s unemployment rate busting through the 10% (11% for South Carolina) mark in October, President Obama on Friday signed legislation extending the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and giving additional tax breaks to certain homeowners trading up. Passed overwhelmingly by Congress, the bill will provide a $6,500 tax credit to homeowners who are buying a new primary residence beginning Dec. 1.

The language mandates that to get the credit the homeowner must have owned their home for five consecutive years of the previous eight. But there are caps on the tax credits. They only apply to individual buyers who make no more than $125,000 and $250,000 for couples. There is also an anti-flipping provision: Any homeowner who collects the credit and sells within three years must return the money. The FTHB was extended to cover consumers signing a contract by April 30 and closing by June 30.

Healthcare in America

Healthcare in America

When one can point to 60% of all bankruptcies in the United States of America and attribute them to medical expenses and the rising cost of healthcare outrage should not be the reaction, action should be the response. With countless numbers of American families finding themselves homeless and dying each day it is clear that something needs to be done now or more than half of the citizens of this country will find themselves trapped in the grip of medical depth and poverty. As Americans you must ask yourselves what we can do. How can we effect change in a system that seems bent on breaking every person that lives under?
Theses questions have come across the minds of many in the last decade, and for those with half a heart, and others that have had to suffer thought the lost of a loved one to sickness have decided to take steps to break the system that seeks to be breaking this country. Healthcare reform is the answer to the beast that calls itself Healthcare in America, and reform in needed now not later.
The healthcare system in this country is a joke at best, providing little to no coverage to people at very high premiums. People pay millions only to tell them in their moment of need that they cannot be covered for the sickness or injury that has befallen them. Where is the justice in that? How can a company in good faith ask a person to pay $500 to $1000 per month for the assurance of health coverage only to find out that the insurance company will not pay in their time of need?
Some would say that the system is broken, but others would say that is it working just find; the problem is it is working for the wrong people. The Ceo’s and presidents of the major insurance companies are doing just find, they are taking in the hard earned money that is paid out each month, and reaping the reward of never have to look a sick person in the face. So the system is working great for them, but what about the little people? The people that build the wealth of these cash kings, the people that need to help the most.
Let’s face facts most people that have health insurance can’t really afford it, and the only reason they have it is because their jobs are covering part of the cost. But if the owner of their company decides that he or she will not pay for that coverage anymore, or the rates go up and the company passes that cost to the employee, then what shall they do? What then, people will drop their health care coverage, and pray that they never need to go to the hospital that is what they will do.
God forbid that person does get sick; the hospitals will not provide the best care if they are not sure they will be paid. People are dying in this country everyday because they don’t receive the kind of health care they need. Healthcare providers are wrong, Hospitals are wrong, Doctors are wrong. It needs to be changed and changed right now.
The current White House administration has pushed for the passing to healthcare reform which would provide the American citizens National Healthcare coverage. This bill has been thought many revisions, and reprints, as the lawmakers try to work it out people are still dying and losing their homes. Matters are not helped any by the town hall meetings that have succeeded in building fear in the hearts of people all of the country.
Newsweek.com report that there are five main untruths that are being told in these meetings they are. 1. You’ll have no choice in what health benefits you receive. 2. No chemo for older Medicare patients. 3. Illegal immigrants will get free health insurance. (This question even sparked an outburst on the floor of the House as one lawmaker shouted “you Lie” at President Obama). 4. Death panels will decide who lives. (This one was coined by Sarah Palin) 5. The government will set doctors’ wages. http://www.newsweek.com/id/214254/page/1 all of which have been proven to be lies at http://www.healthreform.gov/
However these outbursts in mid America has not stopped that facts from rolling in, and that is that some lawmakers are looking more at the counties bottom-line then they are looking at the wellbeing of the people that live here. But the is hope, because the country was built by the people for the people, you have rights, rights to make a change and rights to demand a difference in how business is done.
What can the everyday American citizen do to help bring this change? Are you like the hundreds if not thousands of people in this country that have had to watch a loved one die for a sickness that could have been death with is that loved one had good healthcare? There are many options’ that can be employed that have been proven to made change.
First this country needs to move into a national healthcare system, providing good medical coverage for its people. The cost will be high for the country but after all that has been collected via tax dollars, and other government programs the return with healthcare coverage should be seen as a small investment. Countries like Japan have had national healthcare for years, and it has not broken their economy.
The debate over national healthcare has gone on for many years, Now that the House has passed the bill it must now move into the senate, this could be the place where the bill dies. But that does not have to be the case; you can call your local senator person and request they pass the bill. Law makers work for the people, the people do not work for them, and the people that voted them in office has a right to make request, it is your right so use it.
Secondly a person can look into supplemental insurance. This is the kind of insurance that pays the policy holder in the event of a sickness or injury. These kinds of policies are low in cost, and pay big for persons with coverage. Companies like Aflac, have made a big name for themselves in this area.
They currently offer supplemental coverage in areas of sickness, accident, cancer, dental, vision, life, ICU, and even specified health events. This policy will pay the policy hold cash if they suffer any of the listed problems. Aflac is not major medical, and cannot be used at a medical card, but once it pays out the user will be thankful that the bought the coverage.
Lastly a person can look into self insuring. This is a hard road but it will allow a person to pay themselves with their own money, and earn money via the investments, companies like Primarica can help in that area. The down side of self investment and self insurance is that the person will have to manage their monies very carefully.
With option available the people of this county become more empowered, and better able to stand up for what is right. Knowledge is the key to understand where this country is and where it will be going. The healthcare bill is a good bill, but it must be understood. Ready parts of it for understanding http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-nbin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.pdf, get educated on the areas of health care. The Michael Moor move Sicko is a good place to stop if one wants and understanding.
The thing that makes this country great is the fact that is has always been able to provide protection and safety for its people. Opening its borders and shores as a beacon of hope for all that wanted a better life. The country has gotten away from that original mission and move to something that most people do not recognize. But her people, those that live off the fat of this land must stand up and cry no more!
No more rich getting richer, and the poor getting nothing, no more Washington fat cats in bed with insurance companies allow people the die just because it puts more money in their pocket. This country was founded to take care of those that live within her borders, the statue of liberty still reads part of a most wonderful song.
Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breath free;
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless,
Tempest-tossed to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning,
And her name, Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome;
Her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor
That twin cities frame.
“Keep, Ancient Lands, your storied pomp!”
Cries she with silent lips.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breath free;
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless,
Tempest-tossed to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
Can this call be renewed, can healthcare reform be the glue that brings this country together for the cause of helping others. Will this country live up to its billing, and be true to what it once put on paper? That all men has the right to life liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, let’s not let a little thing like healthcare get in the way of this great creed.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Video: Obama's Epic Failure At Transparency [MUST WATCH]

Epic failure.

Wonder what you would find if you frisked Obama and his loyal group of liberals?

Answer: Broken promises and shady back room deals.

First of all, I give major props to Americans for Prosperity and Patients First for coming up with this advertisement.

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

This advertisement portrays President Obama’s broken promises/lies wonderfully. I don’t think anyone watching this advertisement could defend Obama based on his transparency promises – plain and simple. The man has simply done a 180 on what he preached during his campaign… You know, the ‘hope and change’ that was soon to come. Yeah, that was definitely a crock of something stinky.

Side-Note: I think this might be my favorite political advertisement since President Obama’s election simply because it shows Obama’s true self: Another politician all about partisan politics and back to ‘politics as usual’… The same exact thing he campaigned AGAINST.

Starting to feel bad for those that voted for him now. I would pat them on the back and tell them it will be okay, but it might not be…

Obama: Berlin Wall Came Down, Whatevs. More Historical? ME

(Excerpted: Read the Full Post at iowntheworld.com)

[snip]

Obama on the Fall of Berlin Wall: No One Could Have Forseen on That Day That German Ally, America, Would Be Led By A Man of African Descent

Oh, yes, Obama. THAT is what is most important! You see, every single thing in the World — EVER — is all about The One ™. All of history, everything, has occurred soley for Obama’s glory!  Aren’t we blessed? The hubris is astounding.

Read the rest and see video Here.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended & Expanded

President Obama has signed the bill to extend and expand the Hombuyer Tax Credit . The first-time homebuyer tax credit was to expire on December 1, 2009 but will now be extended to April 30, 2010. This time around, it will also include current homebuyers. The current homebuyers must have used the home sold or being sold as a principal residence consecutively for five of the previous eight years to be eligible. Read more on the details of the Homebuyers Tax Credit on our website at TeamConnectOrlando.com.

Health Care Reform Bill Passes! $1 Trillion Adds to $12 million deficit to Cover over Majority of US Citizens

 

HEALTH CARE REFORM

What:  Health Care Reform Bill, debated for months, Faced Major Resistence especially by Republicans

When:  Saturday, Nov 7  Obama boosts efforts to gain health care reform bill supporters

Who:  Obama, Pelosi,  and majority Democrats rally with enough votes to win

How:  passed 220 to 215 with 218 declared victory

Extended Coverage: Voice of America - MiamiHerald.com - Kansas City Star - Reuters

MORE NEWS SOURCES:

  • House passes health care reform bill CNN International
  • House passes health care reform bill; Vote garners only one Republican New York Daily News
  • Senate, House Health-Care Legislation: Side-by-Side Comparison Bloomberg
  • House passes health insurance reform bill on close vote Kansas City Star
  • Health care reform passes in the House 220 – 215 with 1 Republican vote San Francisco Chronicle

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Obama's Frightening Disconnect Following Ft. Hood Massacre

This is something.  And, for the record, it’s not the evil Fox News, but the evil NBC telling us that something is seriously wrong with our president:

Obama’s Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting
A bad week for Democrats compounded by an awful moment for Barack Obama.
By ROBERT A. GEORGE
Updated 9:18 AM CST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

Updated 9:18 AM CST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

Getty Images

President Obama didn’t wait long after Tuesday’s devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a “shout-out” to “Dr. Joe Medicine Crow — that Congressional Medal of Honor winner.”  Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That’s the least that should occur.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.

Did the president’s team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on — and the initial words coming out of their president’s mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.

[Continue reading]

The NBC article concludes by saying:

“Democrats across the country have real reason to panic.”

Well, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have any reason to panic.  But then again, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have any reason.  Period.

When Obama was elected, unemployment was at 6.6%.  His adminstration promised that his stimulus would prevent unemployment from reaching 8%.  And now it’s 10.2%.  That’s a huge problem.  And their only answer seems to be 1) blame Bush – as though the American people wanted a demagogue rather than a president who would man-up and start actually taking responsibility for the country’s problems – and 2) present a ton of false statistics to “prove” the unprovable (that his stimulus “saved” jobs).

Last Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” David Gregory pointed out that little fact during his interview with Turbo Tax Tim Geithner:

GREGORY:  OK.  What is a saved job?  How do you measure that?

SEC’Y GEITHNER:  A, a saved–well…

GREGORY:  It’s not something an economist recognizes as an actual fact.

Note to Gregory: “Actual facts don’t matter to the Obama administration.”

David Gregory had previously put up a quote from an economist at Carnegie Mellon University:

“One can search economic textbooks forever without finding a concept called `jobs saved.’ It doesn’t exist for good reason:  how can anyone know that his or her job has been saved?”

Reality isn’t important to the Obama administration, and neither is history.  What matters is rhetoric, demagoguery, and propaganda.

The giant $3.27 trillion porkulus was every bit the abject failure that conservatives predicted it would be.

And analyst Meredith Whitney – who was one of the few voices predicting the catastrophe we suffered last year – is saying that our joblessness is nowhere NEAR over.  She is predicting that unemployment will rise to 13% OR HIGHER.  Because NOTHING Obama has done has even come close to dealing with the REAL problems that are dragging down our economy.

Get behind that, America.  Obama’s “solution” for Afghanistan is his solution for America: namely, dithering is “change.”

But let us get back to Obama’s bizarre behavior.  First he chose to ignore what was going on in the country, how the people were expressing their mood and their views, and instead narcissistically decided to spend election night watching HIMSELF.

The Obama White House can’t acknowledge the obvious fact that we just suffered the second successful jihadist terrorist attack on our soil since he became our commander-in-chief.  And if even our soldiers on their secure base aren’t safe from these people, just who the hell is?

And now he’s just plain whackjob inappropriate giving “shout outs” only a short time after a dozen of our soldiers are murdered and over 30 more are wounded in that aforementioned terrorist attack.

Obama’s behavior seems to continue the trend with other socialist demagogues: seize power, showing a rare level of understanding of popular demagoguery, and then sink into bizarre behavior as his incompetence to lead becomes increasingly apparent.

The tragic thing is that it isn’t just Democrats who have cause to worry.  Americans have cause to worry that this inexperienced radical is nowhere even CLOSE to being the person we needed to lead us back to prosperity.

President Obama’s Saturday Youtube Address 11/07/09


WhiteHouse.gov—In this week’s address, President Barack Obama expressed his sadness for the tragedy at Fort Hood and praised the selfless valor of those who came to the aid of the wounded. While we mourn the heartbreaking violence, we should honor the heroism of the soldiers and civilians who rushed to help their comrades. That is the heroism which makes the U.S. military the finest in the world. .”

more about "Weekly Address: Tragedy at Fort Hood …", posted with vodpod

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
November 7, 2009

I’d like to speak with you for a few minutes today about the tragedy that took place at Ft. Hood. This past Thursday, on a clear Texas afternoon, an Army psychiatrist walked into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, and began shooting his fellow soldiers.

It is an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred anyplace in America. It is a crime that would have horrified us had its victims been Americans of any background. But it’s all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims.

The SRP is where our men and women in uniform go before getting deployed. It’s where they get their teeth checked and their medical records updated and make sure everything is in order before getting shipped out. It was in this place, on a base where our soldiers ought to feel most safe, where those brave Americans who are preparing to risk their lives in defense of our nation, lost their lives in a crime against our nation.

Soldiers stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world called and emailed loved ones at Ft. Hood, all expressing the same stunned reaction: I’m supposed to be the one in harm’s way, not you.

Thursday’s shooting was one of the most devastating ever committed on an American military base. And yet, even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America. We saw soldiers and civilians alike rushing to aid fallen comrades; tearing off bullet-riddled clothes to treat the injured; using blouses as tourniquets; taking down the shooter even as they bore wounds themselves.

We saw soldiers bringing to bear on our own soil the skills they had been trained to use abroad; skills that been honed through years of determined effort for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect and defend the United States of America.

We saw the valor, selflessness, and unity of purpose that make our servicemen and women the finest fighting force on Earth; that make the United States military the best the world has ever known; and that make all of us proud to be Americans.

On Friday, I met with FBI Director Mueller, Defense Secretary Gates, and representatives of the relevant agencies to discuss their ongoing investigation into what led to this terrible crime. And I’ll continue to be in close contact with them as new information comes in.

We cannot fully know what leads a man to do such a thing. But what we do know is that our thoughts are with every single one of the men and women who were injured at Ft. Hood. Our thoughts are with all the families who’ve lost a loved one in this national tragedy. And our thoughts are with all the Americans who wear – or who’ve worn – the proud uniform of the United States of America; our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and coast guardsmen, and the military families who love and support them.

In tribute to those who fell at Ft. Hood, I’ve ordered flags flying over the White House, and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff from now until Veterans Day next Wednesday. Veterans Day is our chance to honor those Americans who’ve served on battlefields from Lexington to Antietam, Normandy to Manila, Inchon to Khe Sanh, Ramadi to Kandahar.

They are Americans of every race, faith, and station. They are Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and nonbelievers. They are descendents of immigrants and immigrants themselves. They reflect the diversity that makes this America. But what they share is a patriotism like no other. What they share is a commitment to country that has been tested and proved worthy. What they share is the same unflinching courage, unblinking compassion, and uncommon camaraderie that the soldiers and civilians of Ft. Hood showed America and showed the world.

These are the men and women we honor today. These are the men and women we’ll honor on Veterans Day. And these are the men and women we shall honor every day, in times of war and times of peace, so long as our nation endures.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Obey Wallpaper

The artist Shepard Fairey, otherwise known as OBEY (the giant), is most well known for his Obama print which was the iconic image of the current president of the United States’ election campaign. Some of his more decorative work feature very intricate wallpaper style patterns. Above is his “Flower Vine” print and a wallpaper print from The Grapes coloured the same way.

Beautiful.

OBAMA DOES THRILLER

I have to agree! Fox is One Sided! Plus they dont add everything to the story~ Only includes stuff that incriminates Obama and his Administration~ I do not Watch Fox~ They are a bunch of Dirty Bastards~ They arent even news its like watching a boring Jerry Springer show! Bunch of Put on Bull shit~ Anyways this Parody is The best I have seen from anyone anywhere~ Your parodies seem to have a lot of truth to them IMO~~

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Center for Immigration Studies report explains how the Sierra Club justifies more immigration

If you follow immigration issues generally, one of the most perplexing questions is how did it come about that the major environmental organizations (especially the Sierra Club) in the US don’t want to work to slow immigration when it is clear that more people means more environmental degradation.  Jerry Kammer has written a very detailed piece for the Center for Immigration Studies entitled, “Strategic Negligence: How the Sierra Club’s Distortions on Border and Immigration Policy Are Undermining its Environmental Legacy” that seeks to explain how this happened and tells us that some true conservationists are trying to turn that around.   Please read the report.

Mr. Kammer is just missing one key element in my opinion.

That key element is that Carl Pope, the Sierra Club’s long-time Executive Director, is more a Marxist than an environmentalist.   The new communist movement in this country has coalesced around the Apollo Alliance (Pope sits on its board of directors).   Pope is more comfortable with the far left labor unions, leftwing foundations, the big corporations and the likes of revolutionary Van Jones (be sure to watch the Pope/Jones interview linked in here) then he would be with David Brower.    The powerful alliance that helped elect Obama must have poor demanding immigrants to “change” our government—the goals of the ”social justice movement” are more important to Pope and Jones than saving a little biodiversity.   

I only wonder that it took so long for people truly concerned about the environment to organize against open borders communists.  No, I don’t really, because they are mostly on the political left too and couldn’t begin to grasp that Far Left (communists!) had taken over the environmental movement that they began.

P.S. to all the environmentalists concerned with population growth generally, well-educated Americans have been having fewer children while the Somalis, Bosnians and other Muslims pouring into the US have no such concern—six kids and up is what they are aiming for—because they don’t give a damn about the environment!

The Afghanistan Institute of Management

The Afghanistan situation clearly doesn’t seem very pleasant. The war seems to heading to a dead end and increasingly, we are hearing voices from certain sections within the USA and elsewhere of an American pull-out from Afghanistan too. Their arguments include the fact that even 9/11 was planned and carried out from Western cities. This is fallacious as none of this would have been possible but for the ideological backing that the Arab and Middle Eastern radical fringe groups give. Pulling out, it goes without saying, would be disastrous both for the region and the world.

The new American administration realizes that this war cannot be won by military means alone. This, in spite of the all the news reports we read about increasing military action in Islamic-extremist infested regions. Drone attacks, for example, have increased. And, consecutively, so have civilian causalities.

Taliban and other outfits will continue to enjoy support from a ‘fair’ proportion of people in the region for several reasons. These include the ingrained idea of sovereignty, where certain people continue to see the USA as an outsider and they hence wrongly assume that the Taliban are the local heroes fighting the foreign evil.  Such sections prefer the devil they know to the devil they don’t. At the margin, however, there exists another section that finds itself an easy prey for Afghan warlords to hire, a section that would probably not have tended to such a direction had they had they been safely employed elsewhere. (Note that this is not a generalization for all militia, but only a reference to a section at the margin)

 

Bottom-up and Top-down strategies of Education

Increasing of peaceful employment might pull such a section out of the local militias and into meaningful contribution. Education is an enabling factor that helps in this regard. However, everyone recognizes the shortcomings of an impractical goal of establishing a strong primary and secondary schooling system in a short span of time. Even if this was done, by the time a sizeable proportion of people got educated, a good 10-15 years would have passed, surely passing the political sell-by date of the war to the American public. Also, schools become easy target of militants, as to them, they represent symbols of American occupation.

An education policy which seems more practicable is the top-down strategy, as opposed to the bottom-up strategy of primary school setting discussed above. Specifically, I propose the setting up of the Afghanistan Institute of Management (I’ll refer it as AIM henceforth), in the lines of the infamous Indian Institutes of Technology. The nuances and advantages are discussed below:

1.  It is easier to build one big institution and secure it from militant strikes, rather than building several small schools in every district with relatively lesser or no security.

2. The AIM would be completely residential and anonymity of students will be maintained so that they and their families aren’t targeted by militants.

3. Finding able and excellent teachers might seem to be a big problem. However, in today’s day, it shouldn’t be. English speaking professors can be hired from universities around the world and be asked to teach as little as 2-4 hours every week from the comforts and safety of their universities in, say, New Delhi, Singapore or London, via videoconferencing facilities.

4. To compensate for the lack of quality education in their schools, an extra semester or two of basic education and English training can be imparted.

5. AIM can be funded by many countries that have a stake in a stable Afghanistan.

6. The students studying here (at least initially) shouldn’t have to pay anything, and must be selected by a merit test.

7. There would be a small and important condition for admission: After completing their education, they will be required to stay and work in Afghanistan, and hence contribute to their economy, for at least 5-7 years. If they want to leave, they’ll have to pay up, say, 150% of the cost of their education.

8. On successfully completing their education, those who wish to be entrepreneurs will be given a capital grant of, say, Rs. 1-2 crore ($210k-420k), on submitting a project report of their intended firm/industry. This ‘loan’ will not need to be paid back if certain goals are met. These could include conditions such as: the enterprise should be employing ~20 workers at the end of year 1, ~50 at the end of year 2, ~100 at the end of year 3, and so on. Of course, profitability is important. If for various reasons profits cannot be maintained, they can submit reports to governing councils of these loans for restructuring of conditions and terms.

9. Since this project is of international interest, at least temporarily, these firms should be allowed to trade without barriers with these nations. Hence even if their own markets saturate, which I presume they will, they can produce for or serve foreign markets.

10. Worker training will be important, of course, given our unstated assumption that people are unskilled because of a lack of good, or any, education. Worker training should be subsidized by the international community, where the workers pay should be paid in part until they are fit to productably begin work.

 

What could potentially be achieved

Every year, hundreds of students from Afghanistan come to India to study in various universities. Clearly, there are several more who don’t qualify for the scholarships. This shows that there is more than a handful of students looking forward to quality education. Let us assume 100 students are taken in each year. Of these, only 10% end up as successful entrepreneurs at the end of their courses. Going by the conditions of worker employability given above, this would mean that there would be 700 workers working at the end of year 2, 1700 at the end of year 3, 3200 at the end of year 4, 5200 at the end of year 5, and so on and so forth. The rise in workers in such stable jobs is exponential.

The governing council will have to be careful to promote only such industries that do not cause harm on already existing local industry, or at least protect the workers if they are harmed. If they don’t do so, this can actually be counterproductive to the security scenario.

Over a period of time, worker supply would saturate (markets might not as free trade between these firms and other markets in assumed). This might raise demands for quality lower levels of education, for which the local government will have to respond, and will be more able to respond, given the growing economy.

I do not imply, not by a long shot, that these workers will be people who gave up on their fundamentalist groups to join work. However, eventually over years, this might begin to happen. I also understand that there already exist foreign universities in Afghanistan. But the model of the AIM clearly different from what already exists.

And why stop here? There can be such Institutes of Medicine, Technology, Economics, you name it.

Of course, I understand, and it is important to realize that this will not solve the problem. Hardly. Development measures such as these only contribute marginally to a direction that might eventually lead to stability. But it is important, as with such increments in peaceful development might eventually help Afghanistan reach its tipping point towards stability.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Stiglitz sticking to his guns

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a1GMxUFBOhrY&pos=5

“We have this very strange situation today in America where we have given banks hundreds of billions of dollars and the president has to beg the banks to lend and they refuse,” Stiglitz said yesterday. “What we did was the wrong thing. It has weakened the economy and has increased our deficit, making it more difficult for the future.”

While the U.S. economy grew at a 3.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the first expansion in more than a year, the economist said the recession is “nowhere near” its end, citing rising unemployment and weak demand.

Me:  We can not bitch an moan about bonuses paid and shitty bank lending when there was an option available earlier this year to seize crappy, insolvent banks.  Risky pieces could have been sold off, lenders could be told to lend as we would own that bank.

We do have a surreal situation where we own pieces of banks but we have no say, they pay their yuppie employees what they want, they give the taxpayers the finger.  It’s total crap.

Bergson, Badiou, and "The Problem of Language": Fragment 12934ff.

“The Bergsonian denigration of language, as the synchronistic counterpart of pure, dynamic, diachronicity, inaugurated the postmodern stance on language as a medium at odds with phenomenal experience. Language’s quantificational (mathematical) structure seems to oppose it to what is originary or purely qualitative; however, given a brief consideration of the structure of language, this proves to be an untenable position. Language is a network of expressions which consist of free variables that become constant only when set in relation to a verificational double. This means, then, that expressions, in the form of n+x, a constant n, infintely predicable by x, a free variable, are not closed, cold, and lifeless symbols, as Bergson state in Freewill and Time, but, rather, are dynamic embodiments of qualitative multiplicity, situationally closed and temporally open.
Foundational to Bergson’s critique of language is a misunderstanding of numbers as static synthetic bodies, a notion that Badiou’s Being and Event is at pains to correct. Badiou’s correction consists in disproving the existence of the One, replacing the One with a function of consciousness he calls “the count-as-One structure,” which upon appropriation of a pure multiplicity creates the virtual “one.” However updated it may be, Badiou’s concept of the “count-as-One” structure of consciousness is merely a nuanced, slightly revised version of Bergson’s theory of consciousness. Consciousness is set in opposition to noumenality, insisting upon Postcantorian Set Theory’s implicity superiority in forming an ontology that breaks free from traditional identity theories, what Badiou bases his ontology upon, also fails to account to explain how the “one” comes into being; instead, it merely reduplicates Bergson’s mistaken ideas about number by insisting upon the ex nihilo origination of the “one” by means of an inexplicable function of consciousness. And what is at stake is nothing trivial; the affirmation or negation of the existence of the one is perhaps the only remnant of philosophical antiquity that still bears significant consequences for identity theory, irrespective of the theologico-platonic overtones of the primary “one.”"