To begin with, there are 'tones' to every state and federal administration. I think of all the states the two extremes might be measured in California and New Hampshire, however, for the working class of the USA, the best state to look toward in the area of 'recovery' is Michigan.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (Click title to entry - thank you) The New Hampshire budget will be balanced if the state wins two lawsuits over disputed funding sources, but state residents and visitors face a slew of tax and fee increases. Some campers will pay a 9 percent tax.
The problems we face today are profoundly defined within the past administrations of thirty years +, gone by. I cannot imagine a more healthy conversation to have at this point, but, one of 'frank facts' and the etiologies of the current crisis the global communities face. So, this would include stability of every venue of sovereignty, including the sovereign rights of the States within the boundaries of countries.
No different than the issues of the federal government in the USA, a crisis of equal measure is occurring within the States.
The current issues did not START until the reality of the gross misconduct of the past EXTREMIST administration came to roost, so let's stop kidding ourselves about how we got to this point.
The eight years of the Bush/Cheney White House brought to bear every Republican venue of extremist policy directives known to human recorded history. There was tax cut after tax cut, SUPPOSEDLY, to fuel the economy. There was Pork Project after Pork Project and every legislative directive during their adminisration was a jobs bill. There were no constructive democratic principles passed as pure legislation addressing the rights of Americans. The past extremist USA administration was oppressive with designs on 'forever wars' to faciliate a militaristic construction of the country.
Anyone denying that is a liar.
The Republican Party is one of 'ideals' and not REALITY. They adhere to them because they are draconian in their priorities on wealth as facilitated by relying on power playing government regardless of the benefits to the populous of the country. They regularly 'plot' their course of wealth management by exploiting the naivety of the electorate fueled by populous myths regarding economic realities and their possibilities.
The election of Barak Obama in November of 2008 resulted because Americans wanted their country back from the ravages of Republican exploitation. The 'final shot' in the American flag came when the economic exploitation of the financial sector revealed itself and a $700 TRILLION COST was placed at the doorstep of every American taxpayer. The reality as to 'what they were upto' was devastating and for the first time in recent political history Americans discovered The Truth was a better place to assign loyalty than party affiliation.
President Obama represented then and continues to represent all that is possible. An America that cares for itself, its poor and strives to capture a future generations are promised by the deaths of our military from centuries past. He mentioned our first Revolutionary War President in both his acceptance speech and inaugural speech.
(As a side note, I hope President Obama consolidates the Washington Crossing Parks on both sides of the Delaware River as a National Park. It should be. It would be an honor long overdue.)
But, in realizing how exploitive the past administrations have been of the American people and how neglectful their focus, it is time to call on the TRUE moral character of the American people in setting priorities for the country and its STABILITY and not 'flash in the pan' promises.
There are many reasons why the American economy appears a bit lethagic. For one, the priorities of the country has changed. The priorities of the USA as reflected in the Obama Presidency have always been there. They have been neglected. They cannot be neglected any further and it may be the future of Americans will come with a price. It is a price we have to pay for the sins of being neglectful. It is just that simple and at the core of all this I believe we know it.
President Obama continually states, as the country changes there is job creation. Not empty job creation, but, sustainable and PURPOSEFUL job creation.
Where do governments of any kind find the monies and fiscal infrastruture to exist and conduct itself? Through taxes. There has to be taxes, otherwise, there is no government. One cannot support a military on will alone. Right? Can and will every American citizen become a survivalist culture, arm themselves and be a civilian military? Will the civilized world within the USA become a wilderness of conflict and self protectionism? Scary thought. Is that whom we are?
I think an example of whom we are as people in the USA can best be reflected in the civilized society of New York City as it resulted after September 11th. We rose to the challenge of caring for ourselves. We found compassion to others a better way of life. That is whom we are as Americans.
There is that expression, "Except of the grace of God, There go I." Americans have that focus when it comes to realizing how tenuous life is. Our lives in many instances hang in the balance of 'connectedness' and 'possibility.' To believe we each have the power within ourselves to survive modern society alone is a hideous idea.
Much of what we face as Americans today, is due to coming to terms with policy change. In realizing our strength is best served as a collective rather than an individual. We realize how exploitive the private sector has been when TRUST has been misplaced. We need to and want to stop the exploitation of our populous and place our children in the hands of a benevolent entity while securing happiness in life. Other societies have made that transition and we can as well.
When a country has to bail out its banks there is something profoundly wrong with the way 'trust' is doled out. When millions of its populous struggle to achieve affordable health care there exists a profound reality that cannot be ignored. Without healthy people there is no viable sovereinty to any country. We have witnessed that. There are countries on Earth that do not have viable soveriegnty and their populous are struggling with survival. Tell me that should exist. I want to hear how that should exist in the world of 2009.
Americans allowed 'exspanionist' ideal to remove the very jobs that supported our government and all that is possible to be exported in the name of 'compassion' and peace. That was not a good idea and today the USA is paying the price of placing 'trust' in the hands of people that would rob us blind and leave the future of our children to 'luck.' We have to learn from these mistakes. Unfortunately, that reality is placed firmly on the shoulders of our new President and he honors that 'trust' everyday.We are finding our way out of a severe economic recession. Actually, it can be considered as severe as the depression of the '20s and '30s in the USA. This is not an overnight recovery. It is laced with change in venues of government and how Americans are cared for including the care of the future for the USA and its children. We need to address issues that do not automatically engage high income possibilities. They are huge infrastructure changes that are going to result in debt. Americans very well may see services cut while facing challenges in financing their governments. Blame the Republicans. That is exactly whom the most responsible parties are, because, if trust was better placed and these changes occurred over decades instead of years we won't have these issues today.
I sincerely believe we have the Best of the Best in the Oval Office in the White House.
In the case of health care, I want to hear how expanding the consumer base for the industry will cost more money. Because right now the cost of a new MRI is carried by a narrower set of consumers that 'can pay.' When the cost of health care infrastructure is expanded over a wider base of consumers there will be less cost to everyone.I don't want to hear how government subsidies were never before a venue for receiving care. In the 1950s before hospitals were built in communities there was funding from the federal government that was to translate into care for those that could not afford it. So, just knock it off. You are all a bunch of liars grabbing for wealth rather than what is best for our people.
In the case of the USA military? We aren't going to be the world's liberator. That is up to the people within their countries and they need to have the conversations that will faciliate their own liberation. The USA has been an example of a democratic government with a comfortable quality of life for those that WORK for that quality of life. If working is a way to a better quality of life then we are an inspiration. We aren't going to apologize for it.
The wars the USA will be involved will grossly shrink.
The war into Iraq was facilitated by fear of terrorists and their potential to 'startle' the public by causing limited deaths in spectalar attacks. Stop to think about that. We were attacked on September 11, 2001 by our own weaknesses in National Security to allow a private industry to proceed with business without securing their passenger lists. That weakness was profound in its naivety. It was going to happen. It was asking to happen.
What is more astounding is the reality we were lied to at the highest levels of government to call our military off the 'sincere' war front, which was supported by the international community, to conduct a war for oil and revenge by the President for a once verbalized threat to his father.
There is nothing profoundly proud about the war into Iraq. It resulted out of wealth, fear, as well as misdirected ego.
There won't be anymore wars.
Terrorist attacks are not wars, nor reason for them.
Terrorist attacks are failures in infrastruture.
Those are astounding statements, but, previous to the Iraq War there were shrinking threats to national defense by any country. We were attempting a peaceful world that addressed global concerns such as poverty, human rights and threats to our planet. The Bush/Cheney White House along with the Republican Party disregarded the progess the global community was making to 'disarm' from mutual enemy status to work together to find harmony and change through progressive initiatives.
The Bush/Cheney Administration completely derailed an entire global community for its purpose. It destabilized 'the sense' of well being of the international community through their hostile attacks into countries that were not a threat to the USA and by verbalizing the 'hostile' nature of the USA.
Are we that hostile a country?
Are we actually a country that attacks for any reason we choose?
Of course we aren't.
We now have to RESECURE the global community from 'the fear of the unreliable USA.' Ain't an easy task, but, one of consistency and legislative initiative based in profoundly stable CONSTITUTIONAL values. In other words, we have to prove the USA is stable, unflappable and 'coup' resistant.
There is absolutely no reason for any military escalation of any country, yet every nation is on 'fast forward' to mutual nuclear annhilation and where that won't work, we'll use neutron blasts. How screwed up is that? On one hand we are supporting an INTERNATIONAL Space Station while escalating mutual nuclear annihilation. There is something grossly "W"rong with this picture.
Realizing the worst enemy any country has are 'individuals' out of control in religious fervor, there won't be need for national military invasions or otherwise. We do have to come to terms with the current reality that is North Korea and Iran. Their nuclear programs have proven to be dangerous to the international community and that can't be ignored. Other nations that face the threats of these two countries can never be well secured in mutual ability on a timeline that is reasonable. These dangers have to be addressed. In doing so, the international security can honestly take a breather to step back from the precipice.
We have to finish Afghanistan to RETURN the balance of democracy to the REGION. Under Bush/Cheney the Musharraf admnistration did little to nothing to stop the growing threat of The Taliban. We cannot ignore what occurred in Pakistan while our military was rerouted into Iraq. The injustice of the actions of the Bush/Cheney administration didn't begin and end with the Paulson Bailout, it occurred during the entire administration that reigned 'fear' over the USA electorate.
At any rate, Afghanistan and securing the Karzai government is vital to stability in the region. We have to ask both China and Russia to achieve stability in these regions by eliminiating existing networks of 'powerful' groups that seek influence through violence. I have confidence both China and Russia will act in any measure necessary to stop these groups.
I have confidence the Obama administration will find friends in both these communist nations through willingness in mutual peace rather than brinkmanship toward conventional or nuclear wars. The 'nature' of the species of human being has to include 'reason' that is based in mutual peace and well being rather than violence to military dominance.
We also have to prove we can 'live within the unchangable physics' that is Earth. All is possible with willingness to achieve it. That has value as well. Intangible value that secures Earth to future generations.
This Fourth of July, let Americans recapture their 'purpose' rather than their only understanding of 'wealth.' Recovery is on the way, but, the timeline does not allow for 'immediate gratification.' Get real, okay?
