If only I were a real blogger

I have a better understanding now of just how hard being a real blogger can be. I work full time and do this whenever I’m not too tired and the mood strikes me. In between those times so much happens. I intended to write about oil because last weekend I saw several oil reps on Meet the Press. I also watched Addicted to Oil and a segment on NOW about the death of the electric car. Our use of oil is a national security issue (as first mentioned by Pres. Carter), it’s a health care issue, it’s a human survival issue. I feel pretty strongly about it.

Then other issues came up. The House delayed the renewal the 1965 Voting Rights Act. As far as I can tell, from the AP article I read, the objections of the House Republicans were that the act allowed too many American citizens the right to vote. I’m only half kidding.

Also, the Senate defeated the Democrats’ proposed minimum wage increase. In what can only be described as a complete logical disconnect the Senate voted NO to raising the minimum wage while the house said YES to giving themselves a raise. So let me get this straight: The poorest Americans don’t deserve a cost of living increase, but the House does. In fact, lawmakers have seen a pay increase of over $30,000 since 1997, the last time minimum wage was increased. We sometimes forget that the salaries of all our governmental officials come from us. We should remember that EVERY November come election time.

But there was also good news. Warren Buffett donated $30.7 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with another $6.4 BILLION going to other charitable foundations. BILLION PEOPLE! The two richest men in the world doing what they can to make the world a better place.

Buffett went even further to say that the estate tax shouldn’t be repealed. "It's a very equitable tax," Buffett said. "It's in keeping with the idea of equality of opportunity in this country, not giving incredible head starts to certain people who were very selective about the womb from which they emerged." I couldn’t have said it better myself.

So much happened. So many opinions to share. I don’t know where to start. And now it’s time to end. I didn’t even get to mention that the government is now spying on your bank records. You real bloggers are a hardworking lot.

j.r.

Is anyone else scared?

Is anyone else scared? W. talking about the “Iranian regime”. Discussion of shooting down the missile test by North Korea. Granted the article that mentioned shooting down the missile said it was a remote possibility, you know ‘cause it might spark a war, but isn’t the fact the idea was ENTERTAINED not scary? We saw what they did to a “regime” they thought had the precursors to nuclear weapons. What will they do to a nation that actually has them.

Luckily the Bush administration is not bothered by consistency or the need to follow logically what your own rhetoric dictates. They never suffer from cognitive dissonance. So we’re going to go all diplomatic on their asses. It makes sense if you use the right analogy. If we think they may have a gun, we shoot them to protect ourselves. If they are pointing a gun at us, we talk to them. NOW doesn’t that make sense. If you know for a fact they have a gun, cause it’s pointed right at you, you could get yourself killed trying to shoot them first. On the other hand, if you think they have a gun, (because fifteen years ago you saw them play with one, though for the last fifteen years they haven’t been allowed near guns or bullets and anytime they get near guns or bullets they get beaten up. But still you believe in your heart of hearts they have a gun in their possession. No one else thinks this. You don’t care, though. You would swear he’s hiding the gun in his backpack. In fact, you have several people swear they’ve seen it.) you kill them. Of course, it turns out they didn’t have a gun, but how could anyone know. What was I talking about? Oh yeah. Iran and North Korea.

Diplomacy is how we’re handling Iran and North Korea. Saddam was in a nutshell declaring himself the king of infinite space and we invaded him. Two nations hostile to the U.S. developing WMDs, one with a missile that has a range that can reach California, and we tell them “stop or we’ll say stop again.” Where is the rhetoric about the mushroom cloud that Iraq couldn’t, but Iran and N.K. most certainly could, bring us.

If only there were people in Congress to point out that this is far more important than flag burning and gay marriage. If only.

j.r.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

I watched Mr. Smith goes to Washington today. I love that movie. If it were released today it would be condemned by Fox News and the right as more of that Hollywood Liberal-Michael Moore-Hate-America-First-George Clooney tripe. Corruption in the Senate, destroying a man using the media, and disdain for the filibuster. The movie highlights more than anything that the more things change the more they stay the same. Insert Jack Abramoff for Taylor, insert (and I know this will piss people off) John Kerry or Al Gore for Smith. O.K. I know I'm way to liberal to be open minded but it's there. Kerry vs. The Swift Boat Veterans. The Media painting Al Gore as a constant fabricator. And while I doubt that the Republican party would stoop to running little kids off the street, I wouldn't put it past them. They profess a love for our military and our troops, but that didn't stop them from spreading rumors about John McCain when they ran against him in the primaries. This is a man who served our country with distinction. He gave years of his life for us in that POW camp and they used that to suggest (with just the slightest hint) that he betrayed us. Despicable. They questioned former Senator Max Cleland's patriotism. He gave both his legs and his right arm for this country. What did Bush or Cheney ever give.

It's sad in a way. We've made so much progress, yet not really. Congress is still under the control of special interests. The media can still be bought and paid for. And you can still present evidence before a Senate committee that is full of lies and falsified information. Were there ever really any "good old days"

j.r.