The Liberal Media

So taking into account the recent events in Iran, do Americans still see a strong bias in the media to be "liberal"?

In this case what is a liberal media? It is one that reports with due diligence in its stories? Is it one that brings the unfiltered truth no matter how gruesome?

Or is it a media that does not question a Democratic President's opinion on the American situation during an international time of crisis?

Or is it one that goes against that Democrat, to be truly liberal, and air the grievances of the opposition party?

Perhaps a liberal media is one that is truly out to undermine the powers of the federal government? (Or keep hammering home one ideological slant over another for their readers/viewing base?)

Or maybe just maybe, a real liberal media is one that just calls it down the middle, and sees that truth in reporting huge moral, political, and economic issues, isn't about who you know is reading your news....but how you want your news to be read.

All you need is love

I stumbled across this article today in the NY Times, and my reaction went something like this:

Silly---Newsworthy?---Awww---Social evolution?

And then I realized this article is really about love. Its about how "hugging" has become the social acceptable greeting amongst the younger generation in a way it was never before. Indeed, as I would agree with the noted professor in the article, that we as a society have changed in our ways of greetings. Things have become less formal as we adapt more and more various cultural aspects of contact in each subsequent generation. Maybe we have come to realize that despite the social awkwardness of "touching" people in public, a little respectable human contact does more for us than putting on a show of superiority over your fellow man/woman.

In my opinion, I feel it is that we have have let just a little more compassion into our hectic lives. Perhaps all we need is love indeed.

An American Dictatorship

If you have not heard by now, word has been breaking in small circles that during the entire Bush Administration, we as a country we're most likely one terrorist attack away from "Jericho" like insanity.

Okay not nation wide destruction of infrastructure and loss of life. But loss of liberty, there is no doubt.

There is not much to harp on after I post these links and quotes, because it will only take a little imagination to see what I would have to say about it all.

It seems that the George W. Bush Administration had deep plans to extend the powers of the President into those only held by a select few republic leaders, like Senator Palpatine, until they descended into anarchic dictatorships.

"In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Justice Department secretly gave the green light for the U.S. military to attack apartment buildings and office complexes inside the United States, deploy high-tech surveillance against U.S. citizens and potentially suspend First Amendment freedom-of-the-press rights in order to combat the terror threat, according to a memo released Monday."

"...the Oct. 23, 2001, memo suggested the president could even suspend press freedoms if he concluded it was necessary to wage the war on terror."

"This claim was viewed as so extreme that it was essentially (and secretly) revoked—but not until October of last year..."

-Newsweek

"“The law has recognized that force (including deadly force) may be legitimately used in self-defense,” Mr. Yoo and Mr. Delahunty wrote to Mr. Gonzales. Therefore any objections based on the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches are swept away, they said, since any possible privacy offense resulting from such a search is a lesser matter than any injury from deadly force."

"Mr. Yoo and Mr. Delahunty said that in addition, the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars the military from domestic law enforcement operations, would pose no obstacle to the use of troops in a domestic fight against terrorism suspects. They reasoned that the troops would be acting in a national security function, not as law enforcers."

"Mr. Yoo, now a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is widely known as the principal author of a 2002 memorandum, separate from those made public Monday, that critics have characterized as authorizing torture."

-NY Times

To sum it all up, Mr. Scott Horton from Harper's Magazine:

"We may not have realized it at the time, but in the period from late 2001-January 19, 2009, this country was a dictatorship. The constitutional rights we learned about in high school civics were suspended. That was thanks to secret memos crafted deep inside the Justice Department that effectively trashed the Constitution. What we know now is likely the least of it."

While the rights were NOT suspended, it seems all it would have taken would have been one more terrorist attack.

And then we'd get to work on destroying our Republic, our democratic way of life, our liberties, and most importantly...ourselves.

This is how democracy dies...sitting on one person's desk.

Do not interfere

There are no words.

I'm totally blown away by what Secretary of State Clinton said the other day, regarding China.  She essentially said that China's vast human rights violations will not interfere with America doing business with them.

Are you kidding?  

Seriously?

We'll not bother trying to keep human dignity a priority any more?  ESPECIALLY with the countries we have a priority to deal with?

And what's up with America getting itself so indebted to China anyway?  Why are we allowing our government to borrow money from China (and not to mention, from our own future generations)?  It's so not gonna work out well in the end.

I understand the need for a global effort nowadays.  And with economies all over the globe faltering, I guess it's only right for other counties to lend a hand when they can.  But the business between China and the US has been going on for a while.  China keeps buying up American debt...government debt.  All those bail outs.  All these stimulus packages.  It's not our money.  We're going on faith that China's not gonna pull out the rug and call in our payment.  What would happen then?

All news that focuses on the economy makes it seem like the world is going to implode at any second.  No wonder consumers don't have any confidence.  No wonder everyone is so worried.

It's a self fulfilling prophecy.

If we allow all this money doom and gloom to cloud our judgements...to be the only thing we focus on, we'll end up ignoring what's really important.

Other people.  People that truly need others to stand up for them.  

Right, Secretary Clinton? 

must read news articles:

Clinton's China Agenda Disturbs Rights Advocates on NPR

Clinton:  Chinese human rights can't interfere with other crises on CNN

American debt and the Great Chinese Mind-Bender

In Yuan We Trust (from 2005!)

2008 Annual Report for China from Amnesty International

China and Human Rights

Burma you say?

Looks like Sec of State Clinton is really enjoying her new role as America's face to the world on her Asian continent tour.

In a recent discussion with reporters about Burma, she has hinted at a possible sanction change coming down the pipe for this oppressed nation.

Obviously something has to be changed. Because at it stands our economic sanctions are not that effective any where (see Cuba, Iran).

And this comes on the heels of her recent trip to Japan where she started the tour (if I recall) which prompted strong rhetoric from North Korea on what they think they are going to do if we push them.

Do they not know Barack Obama is President!? He likes to play basketball for goodness sakes!!! Come on NK, lighten up!

4 GOP Votes Cuts Stimulus' Power to Help Economy

But that would be what Republicans want, is it not? To see the stimulus fail, no?

Only 5 years removed from accusing Democrats of being anti-American for former President Bush's $1.3 Trillion tax cuts, in order to get 4 GOP votes in the Senate, Democrats were willing to cut some of their values away.

Now while its not overwhelming much, I do worry that what they did cut is what mattered in creating some new skilled and professional jobs. Which, in effect, weaken the overall power of the stimulus President Obama has been touting since Day 1. While a liberal analyst proposes my sentiment it does not mean its moot. "It reduces a number of highly stimulative items like state fiscal relief ... and largely substitute for it some large tax cuts that are highly ineffective as stimulus," said Bob Greenstein, founder of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "So your net result is a bill that gets significantly less bang for the buck."

I currently cannot find any conservative sentiment, as this is breaking today, but I am sure Sunday morning will bring about a lot.

Here is what was cut, with bold expressed for my emphasis.

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)

• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)

Fully eliminated

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters

• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization

• $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation

• $100 million for distance learning

• $98 million for school nutrition

• $50 million for aquaculture

• $2 billion for broadband

• $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology

• $50 million for detention trustee

• $25 million for Marshalls Construction

• $300 million for federal prisons

• $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program

• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program

• $10 million state and local law enforcement

• $50 million for NASA

• $50 million for aeronautics

• $50 million for exploration

• $50 million for Cross Agency Support

• $200 million for National Science Foundation

• $100 million for science

• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees

• $4.5 billion for General Services Administration

• $89 million General Services Administration operations

• $50 million from Department of Homeland Security

• $200 million Transportation Security Administration

• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use

• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $20 million for working capital fund

• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement

• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management

• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity

• $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants

• $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)

• $16 billion for school construction

• $3.5 billion for higher education construction

• $1.25 billion for project based rental

• $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization

• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

• $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)


Also large text for more emphasis. If that was proper Old English.

Honestly, how much do Republicans hate public education? I get how you cannot throw money at the situation. Oh wait I can. I live in Mississippi.

(Side note-F*** A-Roids. No Hall of Fame for you sir. Now you get booed.)

How many jobs lost?

So while people are throwing around anti-stimulus and pro-stimulus arguments, have we even stopped to think about the sheer numbers of jobs lost in the past 2 months alone?

659,000 jobs lost in December
522,000 jobs lost in January

For a total of 1,181,000 jobs lost in a 2 month time span.

The chairman of the group that complied these numbers says that all a stimulus will do is limit unemployment to 8% this year, and allow only 3 million jobs to be lost.

Think we don't need a stimulus? Okay give me some other options than just "let the market handle it". Or is that all the Republicans are proposing?

And you know what, I am pretty sick of this b.s. found in the WaPo's The Fix this morning.

Sen. John McCain -- apparently not ready to become Obama's favorite Senator -- sent out an email via his Country First political action committee urging his supporters to sign a petition stating their opposition to the current stimulus plan. "The proposal on the table is big on the giveaways for the special interests and corporate high rollers, yet short on help for ordinary working Americans," McCain wrote.

Bipartisan for the lose. No offense on McCain, but his PAC doesn't even have a website yet, its just a email newsletter link. So what is the Maverick's plan for economic recovery then? Well its tax cuts. Repeated, redone, re-funded Reagan and Bush Jr. tax cuts. But then he says we need more military spending. And across the board spending cuts after 2 quarters of growth.

Is this all the minority party has to offer? They screamed at Democrats about obstuctism in the Bush 2nd term, but when they have the chance to offer meaningful moderate progressive ideas, they go back to their old standbys?

And Obama is the nailed for "special interest stimulus" in promoting those ideas?

Not to mention:

"If, on the other hand, Obama's plan is not perceived to move the economy in the right direction or is seen as yet another big spending bill with limited real-world effect, then Republicans will be well positioned heading into the 2010 midterm elections.

The not knowing is what makes politics so unpredictable -- and so great."


GREAT!? This is GREAT!?

I am beyond sick of this partisan bickering coming from Fox News and Republicans.

And then Arrinna Huffington was on MSNBC this morning saying the stimulus is not progressive enough. More needs to be done in teacher merit pay standards, environmental jobs, and is "not bold enough".

So progressive liberals want more. Conservatives want nothing.

All this while atleast 3 million more jobs will be lost before 2010.

Vote No to $3 Billion for Mississippi?

I often tell people, all Mississippi needs is the monetary capital to promote new progress to achieve a new business revolution to revitalize this state. However the almighty Governor Haley Barbour is considering NOT accepting the $3 billion from the stimulus package based on...ideological lines? Strings attached?

"Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a former member of the House, said he would accept the stimulus money but would have voted against the bill if he were still in Congress. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he wasn't sure whether he would accept the approximately $3 billion his state would be in line for.

"Yes, we need some help and we appreciate the help," Barbour said in an interview. "But I don't know about the details and the strings attached to tell you if I'll take all of it or not."

Here is a link to the article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_gop_governors

This is why I hate politics. Because people would rather stand around and do nothing just to see the other party fail. Obviously by Mississippi's awesome high school graduation rates and the thousands of new catfish farming jobs being created, Mississippi does not need any financial help. Meanwhile they could potentially file for bankruptcy if they were a business.

I can see the Republican reasoning behind voting no. Of course its a government bailout of all of society. Sure it smacks against your conservative fiscal beliefs.

But these are arbitrary beliefs in the grand scheme of things. Look at the MILLIONS of jobs America is losing. And you want to just let the body die in order to stop from bleeding from the lost of a proverbial leg just to PROVE A IDEOLOGICAL POINT?!

The fact that both Governors from MS and LA both would potentially say No to receiving money their states more than desperately need is tantamount to a dereliction of duty. Instead the states will stop giving money to non-profits, limit health care access, or close a university. Because that makes all the sense. As long as the Governors stand by principle while others suffer, we find them heroes.

Or if only Republicans had power and proposed this. Then it would have been the best thing since sliced bread. See: Bush tax rebates.

Sportsmanship Imitates Life

Recently there was a high school women's basketball game that ended in a lopsided 100-0 score. It was that even after The Covenant School had the Dallas Academy dead to rights by half time, they only stopped putting full court pressure when they went up 100-0 with four minutes left in the game.

The head coach of the Covenant School is now looking for ways to get their win forfeit, because they did not win "with honor". And the head coach of the Dallas Academy hopes that his ladies "learned a lesson in sportsmanship that will last them a lifetime."

I told this to a close person of mine and they replied "They shouldn't try to forfeit. That's unfair just because they won against a bad team who could not play, they should dumb down their game?"

Of course why would anyone forfeit games when they win? Its survival of the fittest right?

And then it hit me. Right there in middle Christian America, even the righteous can be damned by our personal quest for glory. We forget that we are all in this together, this game of life. It should come as no surprise that a girls' basketball team runs up the score against a far inferior team, since that is what we have conditioned ourselves to be.

Look at the exploitation of worker's in China or Jamaica. Look at how we whisper about people paying top dollar for fair trade food. Listen to the talk radio hosts mock minimum wage increases as an "afront to capitalism".

It should come as no shock that little girls can fall prey to the tempations of near sighted glory. For that is what most of us have been subconsiously acting on for the better part of our collective history. While it is not the best way, nor the only way, to conduct ourselves, we choose to lead by it.

Maybe these young ladies gave us a small wake up call in the middle of a basketball game. I know it did me.

**Update**

Apparently the Coach of the winning team refuses to apologize for his team's win and "for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

My man. You won 100-0. You continued to have your team go on a full court press even after being up 59-0 at halftime. You issued orders to continue to shoot 3 pointers and score until you hit 100. The game was over when it was 88-0 at the end of 3 quarters, yet you still played as if the game was close.

You're right. You shouldn't apologize for your team, nor should they.

You should apologize for yourself as a coach. Sure I'm damning you, casting the stone, etc. But I can not imagine continuing to run the game like it was close up 59-0. Have you never seen the outrage by teams that have done this before? Do you NOT watch SportsCenter!?

Sigh. Ah well. At least it wasn't an European soccer match. Hi oh!

Dissent or Sore Losers?

Obviously my blogs are all about freedom of speech, dissenting opinions, and general rabble rousing against the injustices of the world.

However, as the internet makes us closer, it also allows people to show their true agendas.

As I peruse the Facebook statuses, I see a lot of powerful loving comments, excited people, and genuine hopeful acts of faith. Yet still, months later, there are underlining tones of bitterness. These people know who they are. They are the ones first in line to call liberals anti-Americans for questioning George W. Bush the last 8 years, the first to believe now President Barack Hussein Obama was a closet terrorist, and to ignore the blatant historical significance of having a black President.

To these my friends and colleagues, I have this to say:

Your historical apathy and tongue in cheek hope for political failure, not success, is how we ended up losing our way towards accomplishing the dreams of a species. While you will have your day to say "Ah ha!" because every man/woman is human, and mistakes will be made, enjoy this day. For today we are all jubilant Americans, and do not let our petty differences divide us on a day our Founders died for.

What a Day

These are all the words I can muster right now for this historic event in our nation's, and the world's, history.

So many dreams have come to pass. So much hope can be inspired.

Let us all cherish the fortunes we have to live to see such a day.

America the beautiful indeed.