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.