Before we become too confused about why younger Whites, as well as many Blacks, voted for Obama, keep in mind that people under 40 have no memory of segregation. In our area, the ones in the suburbs went to school with the Metco students, black children bussed in from the inner city by court decree. Parents may have minded, but the children, for the most part, accepted then as friends with a different skin color. Difference is noted, bias is not cultivated.
This election is, for this younger generation, what WWII was to those pulling together as a nation, keeping our hopes up by patriotic songs and supportive pep talks. They have pulled together in our country the way this election helped them to do. The thought of change energized them, while the distrusting, slippery-slope elders reacted with resistance to those ideas. This election introduced them to hope and empowered them in a way the previous administration had blinded them with fear and divisiveness only. Prior to the current economic crisis, they have not lived intimately with war, death, poverty, excessively high tuitions and unavailability of jobs. They were quick to respond to the difference in the campaigns between Obama and McCain. They believed that Obama heard them and wanted to make them a part of the solution to the country's problems. Because of the technological advantages, they are better briefed on what is going on in the world around them. They are more comfortable talking to their elders and can discuss on a more knowledgeable level than their parents and grandparents could with their elders. They understand more and can look up anything that is not clear to them without having to ask anyone else or wait to find the answer.
The world has gotten smaller during this generation. Whether our ambassadors speak to other nations or not, we can read their newspapers and know what they think of us and what they are all about. This generation also fears emotions less and values talk and negotiation more. While it may have been said to them, I doubt they realize the significance of 'they are the hope of the future of the USA'.
Obama has already demonstrated the natural way he treats all people with respect. The Republicans, when they eventually pull themselves back together as a semblance of a party that really stands for something useful, will have to realize that the Neocons and Fundamentalists no longer dictate to the majority of the US citizens. The contradiction of their position of less government but more laws limiting people's choice in their lives will no longer fool the majority.
We can share in the hope of a long and arduous road in the next few years to undo the disaster of the past eight years but we shall not travel the road feeling lonely. We are now Generation X and their children who are voting age or close to it.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
THE SLIPPERY SLOPERS REMAIN AT IT
It has never bothered me to discuss politics with intelligent people who see things differently than I. I often learn a great deal from those discussions. However, what drives me to distraction are those who automatically go into a slippery slope discourse. They may go simply like this:
Other: "What did you think of the election?"
I: "I think the outcome couldn't have been better for America."
other: "But now all our money will be going to Kenya."
At this point I wish there were a hook to get this person off the stage of my life!
Another: "I like my current medical plan. It is working for my wife and me. Now it will be ruined. We won't be able to go to whichever doctor we wish. We will not be able to get a doctor other than on the government's list for us. We will have to wait for emergency rooms for longer than six hours. We'll not get emergency help and will die before we get to see a doctor. Our taxes will go up."
I: "From what are you getting all this?"
Another: "Obama promised the first thing he is going to do is put in Universal Health Care."
I: "Do you remember when the Clinton's tried to make a plan? It's not so easy. You will probably die of old age before your health plan changes.
Another: "Oh no. he said he is going to do that right away."
I: " And you think that the current insurance companies aren't going to block it happening too fast? Do you think such programs get set up over night?"
Another: "He is going to screw up our medical insurance right away...just you wait and see...that is what he promised to do."
Need I bother to mention here that both Other and Another voted for McCain?
I truly believe many Republicans are unable to tolerate change. Despite what Bush and company has done to us and much like him McCain has sounded while running, they still want more of the medicine which is killing them. Since the blue collar comedian said, "There is no cure for stupid.", I was worried about the number in the country who do not think for themselves. For the last few years the country had been believing it is bad to be intelligent (the hated intelligentsia) who were also often the second dirty word, 'liberals'. I have yet to find anyone critical of liberals who can accurately define one.
Most gratifying today was the realization that most of the world is happy that America is demonstrating the democracy we are trying to proselytize seems to be working at home. The one exception, of no surprise to anyone, is the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev. Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Muslim World...all seem to be very happy with our choice.
Whether the average IQ level has gone up in the last few years or whether some of the non-intelligent have infiltrated the ranks of the intelligentsia, the vote came through with exit polls and whatever else gets measured showing that intelligent people didn't wear 'shame' tags and were not afraid to say that they are in favor of taking care of problems in the United States. They will care about Conservation, animals, fuel sources and alternative energy, poor people before the extremely and entitled wealthy, and uphold the values Bush promised falsely and faulted for eight years.
Other: "What did you think of the election?"
I: "I think the outcome couldn't have been better for America."
other: "But now all our money will be going to Kenya."
At this point I wish there were a hook to get this person off the stage of my life!
Another: "I like my current medical plan. It is working for my wife and me. Now it will be ruined. We won't be able to go to whichever doctor we wish. We will not be able to get a doctor other than on the government's list for us. We will have to wait for emergency rooms for longer than six hours. We'll not get emergency help and will die before we get to see a doctor. Our taxes will go up."
I: "From what are you getting all this?"
Another: "Obama promised the first thing he is going to do is put in Universal Health Care."
I: "Do you remember when the Clinton's tried to make a plan? It's not so easy. You will probably die of old age before your health plan changes.
Another: "Oh no. he said he is going to do that right away."
I: " And you think that the current insurance companies aren't going to block it happening too fast? Do you think such programs get set up over night?"
Another: "He is going to screw up our medical insurance right away...just you wait and see...that is what he promised to do."
Need I bother to mention here that both Other and Another voted for McCain?
I truly believe many Republicans are unable to tolerate change. Despite what Bush and company has done to us and much like him McCain has sounded while running, they still want more of the medicine which is killing them. Since the blue collar comedian said, "There is no cure for stupid.", I was worried about the number in the country who do not think for themselves. For the last few years the country had been believing it is bad to be intelligent (the hated intelligentsia) who were also often the second dirty word, 'liberals'. I have yet to find anyone critical of liberals who can accurately define one.
Most gratifying today was the realization that most of the world is happy that America is demonstrating the democracy we are trying to proselytize seems to be working at home. The one exception, of no surprise to anyone, is the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev. Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Muslim World...all seem to be very happy with our choice.
Whether the average IQ level has gone up in the last few years or whether some of the non-intelligent have infiltrated the ranks of the intelligentsia, the vote came through with exit polls and whatever else gets measured showing that intelligent people didn't wear 'shame' tags and were not afraid to say that they are in favor of taking care of problems in the United States. They will care about Conservation, animals, fuel sources and alternative energy, poor people before the extremely and entitled wealthy, and uphold the values Bush promised falsely and faulted for eight years.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
THE ANTI-CLIMAX OF THE ELECTION
At last, that which we have felt angst about for so long has finally resolved. We have a President Elect who is thinking about the country, not only about his own win. We have 'reality thinking' back in the White House, though the previous administration trashed our economy, our reputation in the world, our military, and almost (but not quite) our spirit and patriotism.
It was wonderful to see the racial mix on the stage as President-Elect Obama delivered his victory speech. What the Civil War failed to do, a majority of the country did. Finally, the good guys outnumber the haters, the splitters, the divisive ones, the sore losers, the greedy politicians, the liars who have raped our country!
A large per cent of the country will be unhappy by the results of the election. They may feel as some of us felt when "W" 'stole' the last two elections. Perhaps we can all now work towards unity and compassion for the country that is left so in debt, so picked clean of educational opportunities, infrastructure, so loaded with debt, full of joblessness and hopelessness for so many, left so ashamed of our government by its violation of the Geneva Convention and our Constitution. It will take a long time for all of us to heal, but if we look carefully, there is now a light to be seen at the end of a very long tunnel. We need only to suffer through a couple more months in which 'W' may continue to do damage, since he knows so little else.
It was wonderful to see the racial mix on the stage as President-Elect Obama delivered his victory speech. What the Civil War failed to do, a majority of the country did. Finally, the good guys outnumber the haters, the splitters, the divisive ones, the sore losers, the greedy politicians, the liars who have raped our country!
A large per cent of the country will be unhappy by the results of the election. They may feel as some of us felt when "W" 'stole' the last two elections. Perhaps we can all now work towards unity and compassion for the country that is left so in debt, so picked clean of educational opportunities, infrastructure, so loaded with debt, full of joblessness and hopelessness for so many, left so ashamed of our government by its violation of the Geneva Convention and our Constitution. It will take a long time for all of us to heal, but if we look carefully, there is now a light to be seen at the end of a very long tunnel. We need only to suffer through a couple more months in which 'W' may continue to do damage, since he knows so little else.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
CURRENT US GOVERNMENT: LORD OF THE FLIES
Jim, Hightower writes a revealing article as to whom we can blame for the current state of our distressing economic affairs. He lists them as Phil Gramm,Alan Greenspan, Chris Cox, William Donaldson,and Henry Paulson. Those who have been carefully following this economic crisis will be little surprised. Those who are overwhelmed with the plethora of pundits claiming expertise, but succeeding only in pushing their own biases and confusing the issues, may realize they have been lied to and, if they plan to vote for McCain will live to regret it as much as the country has regretted Bush 43.
Each of the five has been given too free a rein to commit the economic atrocities that have been dropped onto the unsuspecting and trusting citizens. Starting with Phil Gramm, currently chief economic adviser to McCain, he pushed through a bill to dissolve the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act, a New Deal reform that prohibited banks, investment houses, and insurance companies from combining into one corporation. Quopting Hightower, he wrote: "In literally the dead of night, just before Congress's Christmas break in 2000, Chairman Gramm snuck a short provision into an 11,000-page appropriations bill. The item, which only a few lobbyists and lawmakers knew had been inserted, became law when the larger bill was signed by then-President Bill Clinton. Gramm's little legislative sticky note decreed that a relatively new, exotic, and inherently risky form of investments called "derivatives" were not to be regulated--or even monitored--by the government." Both some Democrats and Republicans tagged onto the train pulling this out of the station.
Next, Alan Greenspan who had the grace to take on his responsibility for this crisis by admitting he was wrong. Now that is a nice move but lacks credibility in face of the many voices trying for years to show him why he was wrong, all of which he ignored to the complete disaster resulting to the individual taxpayer in America who will have to pay it all off. Seen as an oracle, Hightower describes further: "As Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006, he held the regulatory power to prevent the irrational inflation of the huge derivatives bubble that has now burst-- yet he fought fiercely through four presidencies to prevent even the meekest oversight by the Fed or any other agency."
Chris Cox succeeded William Donaldson as SWEC Chair when Bush chose him in 2005. "He weakened the ability of the enforcement staff even to investigate securities violations by Wall Street firms, much less prosecute them. Also, in an act of pure ideological folly, he eliminated an office that had been set up specifically to watch out for future problems with such high-risk investments as derivatives."
Walter Donaldson headed the SEC (Securityu and Exchange Commisssion) which supposedly regulates investment banks. He was a Wall Street investment banker, a fox guarding the chicken coop as so much of the Bush administration was permitted to do.
Henry Paulson was "considered one of Wall Street's "smart guys" who had figured out how to make billions in brokerage fees by packaging and selling these wondrous pieces of wizardry called derivatives, and he came into government as an unquestioning believer in deregulatory doctrine."
If you feel like reading the details of this elucidating article, go to this site.
Each of the five has been given too free a rein to commit the economic atrocities that have been dropped onto the unsuspecting and trusting citizens. Starting with Phil Gramm, currently chief economic adviser to McCain, he pushed through a bill to dissolve the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act, a New Deal reform that prohibited banks, investment houses, and insurance companies from combining into one corporation. Quopting Hightower, he wrote: "In literally the dead of night, just before Congress's Christmas break in 2000, Chairman Gramm snuck a short provision into an 11,000-page appropriations bill. The item, which only a few lobbyists and lawmakers knew had been inserted, became law when the larger bill was signed by then-President Bill Clinton. Gramm's little legislative sticky note decreed that a relatively new, exotic, and inherently risky form of investments called "derivatives" were not to be regulated--or even monitored--by the government." Both some Democrats and Republicans tagged onto the train pulling this out of the station.
Next, Alan Greenspan who had the grace to take on his responsibility for this crisis by admitting he was wrong. Now that is a nice move but lacks credibility in face of the many voices trying for years to show him why he was wrong, all of which he ignored to the complete disaster resulting to the individual taxpayer in America who will have to pay it all off. Seen as an oracle, Hightower describes further: "As Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006, he held the regulatory power to prevent the irrational inflation of the huge derivatives bubble that has now burst-- yet he fought fiercely through four presidencies to prevent even the meekest oversight by the Fed or any other agency."
Chris Cox succeeded William Donaldson as SWEC Chair when Bush chose him in 2005. "He weakened the ability of the enforcement staff even to investigate securities violations by Wall Street firms, much less prosecute them. Also, in an act of pure ideological folly, he eliminated an office that had been set up specifically to watch out for future problems with such high-risk investments as derivatives."
Walter Donaldson headed the SEC (Securityu and Exchange Commisssion) which supposedly regulates investment banks. He was a Wall Street investment banker, a fox guarding the chicken coop as so much of the Bush administration was permitted to do.
Henry Paulson was "considered one of Wall Street's "smart guys" who had figured out how to make billions in brokerage fees by packaging and selling these wondrous pieces of wizardry called derivatives, and he came into government as an unquestioning believer in deregulatory doctrine."
If you feel like reading the details of this elucidating article, go to this site.
Monday, November 3, 2008
A DISTANT VIEW ON US POLITICS
From Deutsche Welle, a German newspaper. It is always confirming to see newspapers outside this country seeing what I have been seeing here, but attempts are being made by the politicians and media in the USA to convince me that I do not see what I have seen. quoting from the paper, "The economy, taxes and America's image are hot-button issues for US expats in Germany. But even Republicans are now going Democrat for a far more compelling reason: Fear that Sarah Palin could become president."
There is reason why I question how people in other countries seem to form beliefs that our own Americans fail to see.
Watching a retrospective of the campaign, I hear Gov. Patterson of MY say, "If McCain is the answer, the question must be ridiculous," As my Archie Bunker relative phoned to 'check in' and try to engage me in a political discussion where he could shout profanities at me for not agreeing to vote for his candidate, I thought "It will be over in two more days!", with much relief! How frightening that Cheney (The Lord of the Dark Night) has finally given his open blessing. It is comforting to know I am not alone in my concerns. The Rogue, Palin, must really have upset the Republican party. What? the nerve of Palin! She dared assert herself when not even Bush dared to fight the Dark Lord in the eight years he was in office! Might that be why Cheney finally stepped in to make sure McCain doesn't let her into Washington?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
1984 REVISITED
In George Orwell's book, 1984, it is the government which holds all the spying cameras and has taken control of the country. The book was written, in 1949, in England. At that time our technology was seriously lacking the potential, which we have reached today, for average citizens to report police abuse and many other pictures of much that many wish to deny.
Be a Hero: Protect the Vote With Just Your Camera Phone,Posted by Staff, The Uptake at 5:35 PM on October 31, 2008 discusses how it might be difficult (though probably not impossible) for the government to grab that kind of power. This administration, as noted through its low approval rates, is a testimonial to how close we came during the last eight years to having little or no voice since accountability was totally refused by those in highest power. Secrecy, divisiveness, and telling the people only what you want them to believe, has been the politics of fear that has made this country an abject disaster.
On Tuesday we will find out whether the USA will once again be working towards raising the respect of the world instead of its derision.
Be a Hero: Protect the Vote With Just Your Camera Phone,Posted by Staff, The Uptake at 5:35 PM on October 31, 2008 discusses how it might be difficult (though probably not impossible) for the government to grab that kind of power. This administration, as noted through its low approval rates, is a testimonial to how close we came during the last eight years to having little or no voice since accountability was totally refused by those in highest power. Secrecy, divisiveness, and telling the people only what you want them to believe, has been the politics of fear that has made this country an abject disaster.
On Tuesday we will find out whether the USA will once again be working towards raising the respect of the world instead of its derision.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
ANNUAL FLU SHOT
Yesterday my neighbor, J, and I went to CVS and stood in line for quite a while to get our flu shots. It is the first time I'd had one not in my doctor's office. Like all long lines, it is a challenge to me to interact with people and stir up some friendliness and fun. A very heavy, though short, woman was in line in front of me, holding onto a shopping cart. She had a clip board from the front desk which she was using to fill in the Medicare form. When I realized I was struggling to fill my form without something to rest it on, I asked her if she was through with hers. She was and handed it to me graciously, starting a conversation about her health, her daughter the nurse, The little lady announced she was 85 years old and a survivor of both breast and colon cancer. We began chatting and the people around us had no way to avoid hearing what we talked about.
After i had filled in my form I gave the clipboard to J who used it, then gave it back to me. I looked down the line, saw a man struggling as I had been and asked if he would like the board. He thanked me with a pleasant smile. who needed one. When I realized the shopping cart helped the lady in front of me but she really needed a chair, I flagged down a clerk and told her that there should be come chairs for some of the elderly in line, especially the lady in front of me. She immediately agreed and came back with a chair. Once again, I noticed people in the line looking at me with what seemed to me a bit of surprise.
I said, not too softly to J, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." This brought some more smiles from people nearby, though they tried to be tactful and not blatant. When the little lady decided to give up the chair, J asked for it as she is in great pain from standing too long, herself.
Shortly, the manager came and moved us all away from the prescription desk where we were making it difficult for people to get to the pharmacists. Now a display of books was beside me. One of them was titled: How to Deal with Impossible People
I laughed and told my friend I didn't need a book for that. It was easy, I just got them out of my life. There were a lot of How-To books and some religious ones. As I was feeling good and talking a running commentary to my friend, she and I seemed to be the only ones doing much talking and I realized I was being viewed as a source of entertainment. No one likes standing in a boring line just waiting...certainly not I, and apparently not lots of others. Shyness has never been a part of my nature and I didn't mind if other people listened to the conversation between J and me. We have known each other a long time. She was an only child and said she doesn't really like people and loved solitude. I told her I had never been alone for any length of time until my husband passed away many years after all the children had grown up and gone away. Even then, my front door was somewhat like the entrance to Grand Central Station. We chatted about the self-help books about how to be to our inane conversation, I can understand why we had so many direct looks from people though none seemed disapproving. It felt as comfortable. Happiness and relaxation seems to rub off on others who allow themselves to feel.
The forms filled out, Medicare card shown, then finally seated as the nurse told me my long white pony tail was really lovely, as i was removing layers to offer my bare left shoulder. I made my usual comment, "Thanks, I'm too cheap to go to a hairdresser so I usually where it in a bun when I want to look grown-up." By now people seemed more relaxed behind us and more open with their obvious attention to the dialogues my friend and I were having with each other and others around us.
The nurse was kind and wished us a happy, healthy year after the shot that hurt about as much as a mosquito bite might have, we left. I was so pleased at the number of smiles at us as we walked away. I thought to myself, "How easy it is to be happy about just being alive and, especially when realizing how much better off I am than so many people I see." I know that being relaxed and carrying a running dialogue of observations, jokes, and anecdotes made the time pass more quickly for us and the direct looks and smiles from the others in line was gratifying. We had made the time pass for others as well.
After i had filled in my form I gave the clipboard to J who used it, then gave it back to me. I looked down the line, saw a man struggling as I had been and asked if he would like the board. He thanked me with a pleasant smile. who needed one. When I realized the shopping cart helped the lady in front of me but she really needed a chair, I flagged down a clerk and told her that there should be come chairs for some of the elderly in line, especially the lady in front of me. She immediately agreed and came back with a chair. Once again, I noticed people in the line looking at me with what seemed to me a bit of surprise.
I said, not too softly to J, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." This brought some more smiles from people nearby, though they tried to be tactful and not blatant. When the little lady decided to give up the chair, J asked for it as she is in great pain from standing too long, herself.
Shortly, the manager came and moved us all away from the prescription desk where we were making it difficult for people to get to the pharmacists. Now a display of books was beside me. One of them was titled: How to Deal with Impossible People
I laughed and told my friend I didn't need a book for that. It was easy, I just got them out of my life. There were a lot of How-To books and some religious ones. As I was feeling good and talking a running commentary to my friend, she and I seemed to be the only ones doing much talking and I realized I was being viewed as a source of entertainment. No one likes standing in a boring line just waiting...certainly not I, and apparently not lots of others. Shyness has never been a part of my nature and I didn't mind if other people listened to the conversation between J and me. We have known each other a long time. She was an only child and said she doesn't really like people and loved solitude. I told her I had never been alone for any length of time until my husband passed away many years after all the children had grown up and gone away. Even then, my front door was somewhat like the entrance to Grand Central Station. We chatted about the self-help books about how to be to our inane conversation, I can understand why we had so many direct looks from people though none seemed disapproving. It felt as comfortable. Happiness and relaxation seems to rub off on others who allow themselves to feel.
The forms filled out, Medicare card shown, then finally seated as the nurse told me my long white pony tail was really lovely, as i was removing layers to offer my bare left shoulder. I made my usual comment, "Thanks, I'm too cheap to go to a hairdresser so I usually where it in a bun when I want to look grown-up." By now people seemed more relaxed behind us and more open with their obvious attention to the dialogues my friend and I were having with each other and others around us.
The nurse was kind and wished us a happy, healthy year after the shot that hurt about as much as a mosquito bite might have, we left. I was so pleased at the number of smiles at us as we walked away. I thought to myself, "How easy it is to be happy about just being alive and, especially when realizing how much better off I am than so many people I see." I know that being relaxed and carrying a running dialogue of observations, jokes, and anecdotes made the time pass more quickly for us and the direct looks and smiles from the others in line was gratifying. We had made the time pass for others as well.
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