Copyright © 1999 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: October 25, 2003 .
One line notions.
Jeb Bush’s order to feed the comatose woman is not unlike forcing a hamburger down the throat of a vegetarian.
Medical insurance is nothing but Mafia style protection money. Pay up or die.
I predict that in 2035 — a century after FDR wanted it — the Republicans will finally agree that a single payer universal medical coverage is not such a bad idea after all.
Class warfare is chat for Democrats; Republicans actually do it.
California’s strict regulation of smog control is down the tubes when Arnold insists everyone drive a macho Humvee.
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Notions
The Pledge of Allegiance Case, U.S. v. Newdow, is simply a waste of time. School children have been held hostage of this rote exercise since McCarthyism. This is not to say that children shouldn’t show symbolic patriotism on occasion, nor is it so terribly obnoxious to show an aside of religion once in a while. The flag, however, has no — implicit or explicit — reference to God; it is simply an allegiance to Stars and Stripes, as is the national anthem, and its implicit sacrifice made to keep it waving. Granted, “under God, never should have been implanted in the 50s, but we’re stuck with it now, though it should indeed be modified — if not with Jefferson’s Nature’s God — with “under a God who oversees the principles of democracy....” The atheist argument is idiotic for the simple reason that one cannot object to something that does not exist to begin with even though the very principle of democracy allows him to take umbrage.
Far more serious is the Washington state case of Locke v. Davey in which state aid is denied a student for theological studies. At a time when non-secular Muslim states are breeding contempt for peaceful transition to modernity, the U.S. taxpayer should not be billed for religious instruction of any kind.
What, in part, should be done soon in the realm of politics before our country falls apart:
Health: Five year Plan progressing toward universal Medicare or health care, including catastrophic — not insurance. Insurance companies that are willing, will only assist a government agency in the paperwork, not make decisions. Generous corporation health insurance will continue to write off its costs for five years but only if they freeze the cost to workers. Inadequate plans of other businesses will be terminated. All uninsured and their families will be covered immediately and taxed 2% per $1000 of taxable income up to $30,000; 3% for the next increments up to $50,000. Those with insurance plans may opt out in the second year and use the same guideline to compare their costs.
Foreign Policy: a new Asst. Secretary of Allies to be incorporated into the state dept. to serve as a continuous liaison to coalitions and allies. The UN ambassador shall be given cabinet level status and named during the primaries. The Commander in chief may not commit American troops to foreign soil without a declaration of war by Congress. In emergencies where tactical bombing is necessary, the defense dept must consult with, and receive approval, from the foreign relations and armed services committees. South Korea has a choice: either revitalize its defense and insure reasonable safety of the American troops there or the troops will be withdrawn. UN ambassador and the Secretary of State will work feverishly with a UN coalition to activate peace-keeping in Palestine and Israel. If Cuba extends to its citizens the right to dissent demonstrably and peacefully and frees political prisoners, together with freedom of the press, diplomatic relations will be normalized.
Urge Russia and China to take the lead in dealing, even with threat of force, with North Korea. If clearly successful the US, South Korea and Japan will a assist the beleaguered nation to rebuild in the democratization or softening of its governance. All American troops — except contingencies of UN peace-keepers — are to be withdrawn from the Mideast by attrition within three years. The US navy shall longer dominate the Mideast waters; other European navies must rotate the policing of the Suez. The US fleet shall patrol the seven seas and assist any nation that is under terrorist attacks. The armed services will be primarily geared to the war against Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. With congressional approval 75,000 marines and army personnel will be sent to Afghanistan to weaken holds by warlords and to scour the mountains bordering Pakistan to put an end to Al Qaeda’s hideouts. Finally, the US must take corrective diplomacy seriously by making inroads to Iran and all Mideast nations on the benefits of modernity and progress toward human rights.
Political Fantasy
John Nichols’ [The Nation, political magazine] “...Rural Strategy” is dead wrong for presidential candidates. On the contrary, “If they” [the farmers] ”pay serious attention” long enough to recognize their own distorted psyche, perhaps strides toward their interests will be reasserted. Nichols himself admitted that after the FDR improvement of the farmer’s status, the farmer in the 50s went back to his old rugged individualism ways and the Republican party. Of course, the same can be said for the post war middle class in general, reaping benefits from the G.I. Bill and the liberal opportunity of low cost housing loans, suddenly began thinking like Republicans.
The psyche of rural America — not all, as Kingsoiver[The Nation] alerts us to the slim plurality in some of the Red states — falls back on lame excuses to stay Republican: “Crows would devastate my cornfields if the government takes away my shotgun” to cite just one. This psyche is oblivious to the blight the Republicans have wreaked upon the family farm over the decades. The psyche outside their respective states closed its ears to the likes of Wellstone and Daschle’s cries on behalf of its own well-being. Even their own states now repaid the memory of Wellstone by abandoning his legacy, and Daschle is in deep trouble in the upcoming election.
The problem is not with the presidential candidates — it is clear cut that they support family farms, not to mention their precious environment — the solution is for small farmers to abandon their century and a half frontiersman mind-set and pay attention to the enduring battle for rural rights Democrats have heroically waged since Jennings.
Notions: Weird
Does it make any sense to rebuild Iraq’s schools when millions of kids here are stuck in obscene portable classrooms? And how about the billions for Iraq’s infrastructure when we’re stuck with pre-WWII railways and inner cities?
Why is it that Medicare is an exclusive club for the elderly when untold millions of average citizens can’t afford even basic health care, let alone major medical?
Compassionate conservative is a misnomer; rather, it is reactionary with a passion.
Nowadays liberal Democrats call themselves “progressive” — what they really mean is “regressive.”
Why are the presidential candidates who voted for the war embarrassed? In reality they trusted Bush to use the vote as a bargaining chip for UN action. After all, it cannot be construed as a vote to go to war.
Seems odd that Bob Novak the squealer has not been subjected to harsh rebuke.
If the Terminator can terminate the California deficit, then he belongs in the White House.
The only legitimate lobby is to lobby against lobbying.
Did you know in Iraq the French are more highly regarded than the US? — 55%-29%!!
After Rehab will Rush Limbaugh be kinder and gentler to the less fortunate?
How frustrating it must be for a child who is deficient in basic learning skills to be told he is in a “failing” school.
It used to be that there were too many with their heads in the TV; now cell phones are in their heads.
What if Karl Rove decided to challenge Bush for the presidency? Could anyone notice the difference?
I wonder what Tim Russert’s reaction would be to a presidential candidate who popped a Columbia U journalism quiz on him?
Now that half the country questions the validity, not to mention the integrity, of going to war does that mean the country is split down the middle in the context of patriots and traitors?
Notions: What If…
• The GOP went along with Truman’s universal health care in 1947? Would it still be the amoral money pit that private insurance and the AMA have contrived?
• George Will wrote a baseball column instead of a pseudo-intellectual conservative one? Wouldn’t the right wing be better off without the pretense that it possesses a rationale instead of its irrational, rebellious mystique?
• 3000 Palm Beach seniors took the time to read the ballot? Would Iraq be in the headlines?
• RFK had not been assassinated?…Wouldn’t there be some 30,000 veterans alive today?
• The WPA remained a permanent fixture in the building of infrastructure? Wouldn’t the nation’s schools in disrepair be negligible?
• The competitive spirit were true to form? Wouldn’t satellite and cable be much cheaper?
• The U.S. cut off imports? Wouldn’t American corporations still have to make goods affordable for the masses as they used to?
• CEOs were paid on the merit of long term gains of a corporation rather than short term gain or loss on Wall Street?
• Tenants, in lieu of security deposits, were granted part ownership in the dwelling? Would they not therefore improve, rather than degrade the property?
• So-called failing schools were bestowed the same dollars per capita as wealthy districts?
• The nation were truly united and not fragmented by ethnicity, religion, geography, gender, left and right, would we then be ready for the 21st Century?
Notions: Nonpartisanship
Let’s set aside right and left thinking and ask ourselves as citizens how we can make this a more perfect union. First of all, we are prohibited form considering what is good for us individually, without taking into account what is good for family, friends and country. If we didn’t think and act in wider terms, we would be not only very lonely but in purist terms not a citizen. For with the generous protection of the individual this nation offers, comes the sequitur that the nations is made up of other individuals with the same guarantee.
For instance, a teenage girl makes a mistake and as a result she is pregnant. If her parents follow the code of considering others as well as their own will, they will advise her accordingly, that is, what is best under the circumstances for their daughter. If the circumstance was a foolish one night stand without a semblance of love, the girl might understandably wish to terminate the fetus since she feels she has the right of choice. The parents, on the other hand, feels it is God’s choice, Who essentially is the giver of life. If they insist that the child be born, then it is their responsibility to see to it that the child is loved and cared for by them.
This might appear to be a reasonable solution, but the daughter is the one who must jeopardize her schooling and reputation and obsessed by a living symbol of her foolishness for the rest of her life. In this case, the parents might advise that the child be put up for anonymous adoption. Yet the daughter argues that it is too much to expect a minor to endure the humiliation and inconvenience, and now regrets she ever divulged her condition rather than simply visiting a clinic and be done with it.
This, then, raises the question of privacy and an individual’s right to grapple with her conscience, which can greatly be less tormenting if a decision is made early. If, on the other hand, she shares her parents’ belief, she may indeed decide to bring a child into the world, regardless, in which case she fits the mold of considering others, including the life of a child. Yet what if she rebels against her parents and terminates the pregnancy? Is she therefore less noble or is it a question of doing what is right for herself and the implications of a better life in her future without shame — that of the parents’, too — that could possibly render her incompetent in dealing with wholesome relationships, obviating the chance for a contented life and the guaranteed protection of her as an individual and an honorable member of the family?
Apparently there are no clear solutions unless either a boyfriend, a parent or state imposes an ideological will upon a another. Consequently and ultimately it is a matter of choice and by no other than the daughter even though on the surface she seems to violate the consideration of others.
The quest for individual rights can either be motivated by enlightenment or selfishness. Too often the latter prevails, yet it may often be so complicated — with the hope that common sense eventually rule — that society should refrain from value judgment except in obvious cases. The ultimate goal of society, then, is to change its priorities and implant education as truly the most important and assist in taking self-motives out of politics.
Lack of National Will
Annually I’m distressed when floods and forest fires wreak terror on our populace and properties. We get all riled up over terrorism but never make any attempt to control these catastrophes.
Because of FEMA we tend to think that floods are taken as a matter of course without an effort to begin planning a way to eliminate or at least minimize the devastation by mass projects of strategic dam-building and embankment construction. The US has lost its will to develop safety infrastructure second to none to protect its citizenry. The government seems content to dole out billions for national emergencies in lieu of getting at the causes. Even with the 9/11 lesson, we are slow in setting up precautions as though terrorism can only be enacted on airplanes.
As for forest fires, we continue to see the pathetic helicopter flying over raging fires to dump minuscule amounts of water or retardants. Where is the air force? It should send thousands of sorties to the fiery scenes and drape wide swaths of retardants to hold the rage in check. The environmental agency should be as much concerned for the weeding out of diseased trees cleaning up debris as it is for the forest’s wild life. As for residents who must live in and near the forests, they should form associations that monitor the environs all year round.
Moreover, is any research ever done about hurricanes and tornados? In this day and age can we not make serious efforts to control mother nature’s wrath? Serious think tanks should be forged to ferret out how the conditions that cause these horrendous incidents can be put to an end. Too much is expended on space and barely no funds for research on our own atmosphere. We pretty much know at least in theory how to rock an incoming meteor from its course, is it so hard to figure out a way to bomb the hell out of a tornado or steer a hurricane out to sea?
Nothing in this cockeyed environment is impossible if there is a national will.
A War?
Why is it a surprise — granted there is civilian progress taking place — that Iraq is out of control? First of all, the war itself, in spite of all the accolades, was not fought well. General Patton’s strategy might have worked in WWII because there were sufficient flanking armies to deal with the reams of resistance his rush to conquer left behind. The war in Iraq was not even a war; it simply overtook a militarily abandoned city — not unlike Napoleon’s thrust on Moscow. There was no surrender because the opposing combatants melted into the populace which was allowed to keep their weapons. There was no rear-echelon to shut down the borders and no continuance of heavily armed sorties at suspected areas of resistance. Even worse, because of the “mission accomplished” myth there is no real line of assault or defense. The troops are literally surrounded by friend and foe and vulnerable to a probable suicidal assault upon their encampments unless more troops, whoever they may be, are sent in by the tens of thousands.
Notions: Are We on Self-Destruct?
Most of us think the stock market is the sole indicator of a good or bad economy. However, with so much investment going overseas, it doesn’t tell the whole story. More important is labor statistics. Wal Mart, for instance always seems to lead the pack in job creation, but most of it is part time and roughly at minimum wage, but its greatest impact on creating jobs is abroad by importing tons of foreign made goods. There was a time when buying American was the patriotic thing to do but now in purchasing a Toyota could very well mean that the auto consists of more American made parts than a Ford!
Labor unfortunately has become a global commodity, which has forced down the value of American labor. This sounds like good news for consumers until they, too, find their own jobs devaluated. It used to said that communism makes everyone equally low life. If a Mexican worker is worth a dollar an hour, it is arrogance for the American worker to expect two dollars, let alone eight or nine.
Could it be that the US is destined to become a third world country?
Champions of Better Education
Though I am not one of them, many believe that the policy of teachers unions is to put jobs, salaries and seniority ahead of educational quality, the remains of which is incompetent teachers and the chief reasons children are so poorly educated in public schools.
This, of course, is sheer nonsense: some more powerful locals through out the nation have managed to negotiate better education at the table with their respective school boards. Only recently the teachers union in New York after years of lobbying in Albany finally was instrumental in obtaining an $82 million grant for the state’s teachers professional development of a core curriculum for pre K-3 reading.
Because of the traditional structure of primary school in which pupils have one teacher most of the day, in-service courses were designed as far back as 1916 by AFT’s inception to assist teachers in disciplines beyond their major. The reason the elementary level is not set up by subject area is that at this early stage it is imperative that there be a sense of comfort and security for the “whole child” by identification in a closely knit ambience.
Frankly, I have always believed that experts in the sundry areas be in transit — but not without themselves having training in the sensitivity of the whole child — to conduct some class instruction or assist the classroom teacher in areas of weakness. Of course, owing to the Scrooge mentality in education this is ruled out. Without strong teacher unions to hold local boards and state legislators accountable for shortchanging serious education, there would little inroads into improving the skills of teachers and students.
Notwithstanding that the vast majority of parents and students respect teachers, anti-unionism persists as a subterfuge for eliminating public education altogether. Why would anyone want to do that? This nation, regardless of its imperfections, is grounded in the pride of education for every child. The prevailing negativism concerning public education certainly doesn’t help efforts in its improvement, which, granted, is particularly in need today because of accelerated changes in society’s makeup, especially the two-income family wherein children are pretty much left to themselves to cope with the challenge of learning, resulting in even greater reliance on the teacher.
Tax Charade
We can no longer continue humiliating our low-income citizens with an assumption that they can not afford to pay taxes yet continue to subject them to the regressive taxes on Medicare, social security, and state taxes. This is a fool-proof model for alienation of many of our hard working citizens and immigrants. The approach to getting all of us to pay our share is to eliminate the shrouds of tax codes that are vulnerable to criticism and at the same time are exploited as shelters and mathematical formulae that hide the truth. Someone who thinks he makes $50,000 a year is told by IRS that in reality because of six dependents he is being taxed at the rate of 15% on $35,850 or some $5300. The one making $18,000 with six dependents is told he is useless or the government is “compassionate” and pays nothing and gets a small bundle back to boot — pure, unabashed chicanery. I propose that the increments be set aright so that everyone has a stake in this country, however small, and on the other end of the spectrum the wealthy should be grateful for their high income and welcome a higher rate than the absurd rate they, together with outrageous shelters, are assessed today.
For instance, if the citizen’s taxable income is below the poverty line he should be taxed at a fair progressive rate beginning at, say, 5% up to $10,000 plus 05% for each thousand up to $20,000, thereby obviating the need for the earned income credit and at the same time lending pride to his contributing something to his country in lieu of the charade that the government, which it is not, is giving him something for nothing.
Another Notion on the Confederate Flag
In the South there are still those who feel the flag of a tragic past should fly high rather than relegating it to museum and its image embedded in history books concerning the Civil War. There is only one appropriate place for it to be displayed and that is in a memorial cemetery honoring veterans who died for a cause that was wrong. Of course, freedom of expression cannot be deterred anymore than those who parade waving the Nazis flag, but just as the Ten Commandment monument was removed from Alabama’s courthouse, no form of government may officially recognize a provocative display.
The South has to come to terms with their past as not something to be proud of and at the same time honor those who fought for a losing cause. The nation has finally come to grips with the incompetent decision to go to war in Vietnam, but as the black wall testifies, we shall always honor those who gave their lives.
©rrk '03
A Memo to a Presidential Candidate
Andrew Levison of the American Prospect offers strong advice to Democratic presidential hopefuls in dealing with the egg-walking issue of the blue collars and their sons, daughters, husbands and wives in the armed services. With the exception of Kerry and Clark, now that the latter is running — remember Ike’s promise to go to Korea? — the others have little hope in trying to challenge the commander-in-chief syndrome that will continue to dominate the coming election. In face of “our country right or wrong” — a powerful countermeasure even in the 60s — it does no good for candidates to harp on the war, pro or con. Rather, the message should be smart defense — only Clark or Kerry can make it credible — suggested by Lawrence Korb’s article, in lieu of a spending frenzy Pentagon — and again conjuring the ghost of Ike’s warning against an uncurbed war-industrial complex. Indeed it is political wisdom to show unqualified support of our troops, and even Levison tautological factor that American troops should not be put in harm’s way unnecessarily should be avoided.
Unfortunately this argument has been indefatigably aired many times before and during this war. The fact is that those in support of our troops, and of course, the troops themselves cannot psychologically acknowledge that the war was unnecessary. Just try going before the black wall of the Vietnam Memorial and utter, “All these brave patriots died in vain.” Right up to the Iraqi war, polls showed overwhelmingly that citizens were for the war with UN approval. The next day it changed dramatically because their Commander-in chief, playing on the fears of 9/11, informed the citizens that they were in imminent danger and unilateral action essential. Even the reckless Patton-like invasion without regard to surrounding open borders and pockets of rear resistance was lauded by the media as “brilliant,” even though it could not account for the Republican Guard melt-away which has directly led to the current chaos and more casualties in Iraq. Levison is right, of course, in advising candidates on future war strategies hinging on impeccable Intelligence, enlightened diplomacy and coalition building in order to avoid “unnecessary wars.”
Iraq, however, is still with us and must be dealt with. The leading candidate must have a strategy for Iraq that motivates UN support in replacing by attrition US and UK troops and in reconstructing a new united secular Iran with freedom of worship guaranties. In the meantime NATO combat forces must be called in to secure borders and to mop up terrorist resistance. Iranian oil, after having met the needs of Iraqis, will be administered by Iraqis and contracts equally divided among the US and European nations. The new constitution shall foremost include equal rights to all sects and women regardless of their religious beliefs. The term of a duly elected president shall not exceed eight continuous years. Public education will be in the liberal arts, including comparative religion. Holy Books will be taught in the home, and/or by religious groups. A UN standing army will serve as peace-keepers and eventuate the integration of Iraqi recruits to replace it for the purpose of national integrity and defense.
The leading candidate must insist on beefing up coalition forces — including our own — in Afghanistan, and urging a richly endowed UN — including a generous contribution from us — for the nation’s reconstruction and modernization. The candidate must call on the UN to intervene in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a substantial peace-keeping force, together with a special force guided by reliable Intelligence to weed out terrorists. The candidate will promise, as president-elect, he or she will visit Iran, Syria and North Korea for the purpose of establishing new diplomacy in winding down WMD and terrorism. The candidate, as president-elect, will also visit the UN president and security council in an effort to undo current rifts with the US and reestablish alliance in combating world terrorism.
Hypocrisy of a Nation
In the McCarthyite inferno of the 50's there was as much outrage over the insertion of "under God" as there is now in the omission of the phrase in this era of religious righteousness. The irony in face of 9/11 is that religious zealots are just as militant in a political sense as Islam is in reality. For congress to lead the nation in a childish demonstration by pledging allegiance with emphasis “under God” is tantamount to Islamic adherents saying they are of a peaceful faith or the demoniac money-changers on Wall Street uttering “in God we trust.”
Except for the equally zealous humanists and atheists who demonstrate blind and ironic faith in their disbelief , the nation knows that this is a non-issue ineluctably overturned by judicial wisdom because the issue is frivolous and unworthy of serious consideration. As Melville once said "the chips of creation have been carted away" and all its imperfections stand immutable.
Nevertheless, the rage in the country is symbolic of the danger of a nation preoccupied with things that matter least. In the 50's the symbolism of God was in direct contradiction of communism under godlessness. The zealous adherents could have just as easily inserted “one nation, under the principles of democracy, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” But no, this nation ever melodramatically undivided in things that mean little while the nation burns — literally in California, Colorado and Arizona and symbolically in the Catholic stronghold of Cleveland.
Year after year we acquiesce to the terrorism of fires and floods as though unrelated to homeland security. We are most concerned over a rote phrase in school that our children say daily while the educational system stews in the nation’s neglect. Hello?
August
15, 2003
Wishing Well
Until such time as the human race aggressively strives to be humane, humanitarian intervention is a value devoutly to be wished. Although some western nations are on the road to selfless concern for other nations under brutal control, they cannot truly succeed without first showing concern for their own people who are still brutalized by poor health care, crime and poverty. In the US where is the effort to intervene in wiping out crime, poverty and indifference to health care in the inner cities and impoverished rural areas? Where is the effort in furnishing its people with decent living standards by rewarding labor from sweatshops and chamber maids to coal miners with proud working conditions? Where is the preemptive action to reduce the hideous crimes against women and children? When will the entertainment industry and mass-media face up to the prerequisite that art and information express moral and political enlightenment as well? When will the hierarchy of corporations and the oligarchy end the greed and power that weakens the nation? When will the agriculture industry offer decent wages to American citizens in lieu of the exploitation of illegal immigrants? When will retail giants give up the practice of hiring predominantly part time workers in order to escape paying fringe benefits? And so it goes — on and on.
Never mind the global indifference to the fate of Jews in the 30s; how could this nation, particularly with regard to the heralded enlightenment of the Founding Fathers, ignore the brutality of slavery, which led to a ghastly, bloody intervention and the worst example of reconstruction? And how would we have reacted if a coalition of Spain, France and England had unilaterally removed our unconscionable regime that wreaked havoc on Blacks and Indians?
Though the cold war arguably was a noble endeavor, it could not be called humanitarian intervention but rather skirmishes of political survival. Truman’s “police action,” based — though he knew Syngman Rhee was a right wing thug — on the premise that the north would not stop at Korea’s south border. In spite of the great sacrifice of that war the South Koreans did not democratize for some forty years. Johnson and Nixon beefed up American intervention at the expense of millions of lives only to realize reluctantly that there was never a clear moral cause in defending a corrupt Saigon government.
Humanitarian intervention in Iraq could easily have been justified had the UN coalition continuously pressured regime change or political reform even under Saddam through diplomacy and military threat immediately after the Gulf War. Further, the UN, with continual pressure from the western nations, give notice to all nations that total effort toward human rights would be the prerequisite for good standing UN membership and to agree to a UN grievance embassy in their respective capitals for organizations and citizens to vent injustice.
Humanitarian intervention on a global scale will never reach the pinnacle of purity of, say, the New York firefighters rushing to the scene of the Twin Towers, but it can be an uncompromising action if the UN were to appeal to an apolitical World Court founded on humanitarian principles of no uncertain terms that advocate a Kantian imperative of justice for all and making it binding on all nations to obliterate the thugs of the world, which ironically could very well mean their own systems of governance — and our own.
Legitimate Alternatives
“Yankee Go Home” doesn’t apply to South Korea where only a half year ago its citizens demonstrated against our 37,000 troops stationed there — what with the north’s incessant provocation. After fifty years the south is nevertheless more than a match against its neighbor despite its larger army but poorly equipped. Even though South Korea spends ten times what the north does in armament — $320 per capita, or 3.4 percent of its GNP — it could fortify itself independent of the US, except for a nuclear threat, if its expenditure were modestly increased per capita. North Korea, on the other hand, spends $255 per capita on military protection, or 28.6 percent of its meager gross national product (GNP). As long as the U.S. values it as a strategic base South Korea will never make an effort to defend itself.
Likewise Europe has chosen to spend less on military power and as a consequence tries to worm out of difficult world problems by peaceful means or rely on U.S. military strength. On the other hand, when delving into comparative military expense, the major nations in Europe do indeed carry their share and if ever truly united could be militarily competitive. For instance, the U.S. spends $1,056 per capita on military protection [more now I trust] or 3.8 percent of its gross national product (GNP). France, hardly an appeaser, spends a remarkable $826 per capita, or 3.1 percent of its GNP but more than Britain which is $572 per capita on military protection, or 3 percent of its gross national product (GNP).In total dollars France spends $14 billion more than Britain, and $29 billion; less than Russia which spends 11.5% of its GNP. Germany because of U.S. presence is only 1.9 percent of GNP and $496 per capita; still its total expenditure is some $41 billion compared to Spain’s $8½ billion.
Nonetheless, if one considers the NATO members all together — including Canada and Turkey — the total expenditure of over 200 billion is virtually on a par with the U.S. From this vantage point, we can hardly think of Europe as slackers. If Russia should join, NATO’s total expenditures [excluding the U.S.] will exceed our total military expenditures by approximately $50 billion.
Given that France at times is petulant as for example when De Gaulle withdrew its military from NATO because US was so dominant, it found its way back and contributed to peace-keeping in Bosnia and Kosovo. Of course, it was a strong participatory ally in the first Gulf War, and has troops in Afghanistan. Consensus — along with never forgetting their rapid surrender in WWII — confuses national pride and independence with appeasement. The French do have a point in believing that in a new millennium, perhaps there is an alternative to war.
If the US continues to flaunt its “only super power” status, it will surely lead to a united Europe with a formidable military — particularly with Russia — second to none. The United States must end its can-do-no-wrong posture and heed other nations with competing views or another arms race might ensue.
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Thanksgiving Haiku Turkey of the wild met by the roaring musket became the first feast.
Stacked hay and pumpkin companions under the skies warm the vagrant's heart.
The children from art made pilgrim hats and wore them over thankful eyes.
Mom sweetens the yams, Grandma whips the potatoes And Gramps carves the bird. In feasting too much and the tummy aches, give thanks for alka-seltzer.
A Dishonest Look at Head Start David Broder is a reasonably moderate columnist that —to a fault—painfully leans over backwards to see both sides. As a reader I can sometimes tolerate him simply because there are few columnists who take the time to fathom an issue. However, Broder is dead wrong on the tampering of Head Start, which he himself admits is a marvelous program and its shortcoming is simply a result of total commitment. He fails to see— whether or not Rep. Castle “has an exemplary record of caring for people—” it is indeed the stepping stone to wrecking what already works. Head Start suffers from the very same malaise as public education —the nation’s gross neglect of school age children in the quagmire of poverty. The ruse of the Republicans is to move vouchers in the area of Head Start as well in order to ultimately eliminate public education for the next generation. In the meantime, fall back on the cry of states rights and let governors whimsically experiment with fixing what isn’t broken. February 1, 2003
©rrk ‘03
Democratic Party Constitution
After reading in the Nation Corn’s depressing article on “wannabes,” it is clear that an a priori Democratic platform is necessary to put to rout the same old boys. Yes, the party itself , its policy, is in need of rebirth to preclude the wannabes defining for themselves what the party stands for, not off the cuff nonsense such as “a different kind of Democrat,” for “regular people,” an “international minimum wage,” and “occasional independence.” Candidates should first have to take an oath to the constitution of the Democratic Party — what should this constitution consist of?
■ Health: Five year Plan progressing toward universal Medicare or health care, including catastrophic — not insurance.
• Insurance companies that are willing, will only assist a government agency in the paperwork, not make decisions.
• Generous corporation health insurance will continue to write off its costs for five years but only if they freeze the cost to workers. Inadequate plans of other businesses will be terminated.
• All uninsured and their families will use their social security card as ID and be covered immediately and taxed 2% per $1000 of taxable income up to $30,000; 3% for the next increments up to $50,000. Those with insurance plans may opt out in the second year by using the same guideline to compare their costs.
• Those who work off the books had better register immediately for social security or be fined if given emergency treatment.
• Malpractice law suits will be defunct and replaced by the health department review of cases petitioned by a simple form of allegation. The review board, co-chaired by two respected statesmen and consisting of medical and legal experts, consumer advocates, will summon all records and determine equitable compensation, including lifetime care. All hospitals and doctors will be taxed at rates relative to their revenue.
• If HMOs wish to remain in business, only their clerical and efficiency resources will be contracted by the government. All generic prescription drugs will be free and brand specific will entail a $20 co-payment unless an equivalent is unavailable.
■ Foreign Policy: a new Asst. Secretary of Allies to be incorporated into the state department to serve as a continuous liaison to coalitions and allies. The UN ambassador shall be given cabinet level status and named during the primaries.
• The Commander in chief may not commit American troops to foreign soil without a declaration of war by Congress. In emergencies where tactical bombing is necessary, the defense dept must consult with, and receive approval, from the foreign relations and armed services committees.
• South Korea has a choice: either revitalize its defense and insure reasonable safety of the American troops there or the troops will be withdrawn.
• UN ambassador and the Secretary of State will work feverishly with a UN coalition to activate peace-keeping in Palestine and Israel.
• If Cuba extends to its citizens the right to dissent demonstrably and peacefully and frees political prisoners, together with freedom of the press, diplomatic relations will be normalized.
• If by the time of the primaries we do in fact have troops in Bagdad without the consent of the UN, then intensive corrective diplomacy is in order to forge a coalition in nation building.
• Urge Russia and China to take the lead in dealing, even if they must threaten force, with North Korea. If clearly successful the US, South Korea and Japan will a assist the beleaguered nation to rebuild in the democratization or softening of its governance.
• All American troops — except contingencies of UN peace-keepers — are to be withdrawn from the Mideast by attrition within three years. The US navy shall longer dominate the Mideast waters; other European navies must rotate the policing of the Suez.
• The US fleet, together with a combat ready marine regiment, shall patrol the seven seas and assist any nation that is under terrorist attacks.
• The armed services will be primarily geared to the war against Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. With congressional approval 75,000 marines and army personnel will be sent to Afghanistan to weaken holds by warlords and to scour the mountains bordering Pakistan to put an end to Al Qaeda’s hideouts.
• Aid to Israel will be cut off unless it rolls back expansionism.
• Finally, the US must take corrective diplomacy seriously by making inroads to Iran, all Mideast and African nations on the benefits of modernity and progress toward human rights. In so doing foreign aid to these countries will be targeted for democratization and human rights.
■ Taxes: The Bush tax cuts should be rolled back to what’s left of the original $1.3 trillion and used thusly:
• restore $250 billion to social security; $300 billion to education; $150 billion to local governments for homeland defense; $100 billion to jump start health care;
• the rest in reserve to make up for reducing the tax schedule to 5% [EIC will be abolished]; and 6-9% for those earning under $25,000; restructure in the following year — 10%-15% for those under $45,000, 16%-24% for those earning up to $80,000, above that up to millions and billions 25%-49%. 50% of unearned income will be deferred till age 55.
• Preferential tax credits and exemptions shall be terminated unless activity is directly engaged in homeland defense and public works. The government will reinstate War Bonds, yielding 6% annually at the end of fifteen years for the express purpose of home defense.
• A government sponsored mutual fund offered at $10 a share will be instituted for the purpose of national infrastructure.
• Liability insurance companies must treat premium payers as shareholders as they do with life policies and issue quarterly dividends when profitable or issue documentation of losses if rates need to be increased.
• Within five years a national sales tax will be instituted aligned with progressive rates. For too long credits and exemptions, fraud and off the books criminals have abused the system. The only withholding will be for social security, social security plus[ government pays one half], health care and pensions.
I grew up convinced that FDR’s 90+% progressive index was the nation’s salvation. I still think that the redistribution of wealth, top to bottom, is the only kind of "economic stimulus." However, with the increasing selfishness among voters, this is impossible, thus the income tax should give way to — never in my wildest dreams would I have yielded to this — a National sales tax of 2-5 % on all goods and services, together with a sharply graduated excise tax above their respective median, not to exceed, perhaps, 40% on such as gourmet foods, gas guzzlers, guns, elaborate toys, exercisers, boats, houses, buildings, vacation homes, broker transactions, say, above $3,000, all forms of entertainment and sports, including participating sports, gambling, foreign travel, ad infinitum; and possibly a surplus tariff on countries violating human rights.
Furthermore, an annual business and corporate license be levied based on the degree of activity and which cannot be passed onto the consumer. Lower license fees to be granted to environmentally sensitive activity, and those engaged in approved infrastructure public works. Under no circumstances would lobbying be permitted during the structuring of this new tax.
■ Education: There will be no consideration of “Reparation.” In lieu of this, $5 billion a year for ten years will be ear-marked for Title I. In addition, $1 billion will be held in reserve for grants and scholarships to black and native American children only.
• Affirmative Action in education will endure as follows: First and foremost is racial and gender profiling must be taken into account to reflect the changing complexion of the general population; but does not mean automatic admissions. Family background and learning facilities at the home carry weight in evaluating the difficulty level of scholastic achievement of the candidate. Location and quality of the student’s school experience should be considered for its learning and enrichment ambience. Character analysis in relation to the depth of civic orientation and sensitivity to artistic and intellectual pursuits. Willingness of candidate to undergo remediation in areas of weakness. Willingness of candidate to join a campus activity that plays to his/ her strength. Willingness of candidate to take on part time campus work to offset tuition grant. SAT score must be considered holistically in relation to the student’s entire grade and extra-curricular compilation. Community activity — including helping the household, such as minding younger siblings — helps in evaluating responsibility. Assess the extent and depth of recreational habits.
• Substantial revenue sharing in the recruitment and training of teachers and teacher aides for the purpose of reducing or alleviating class size.
• Ten year plan of $3 billion a year for rebuilding impoverished schools in disrepair. Assistance to charter schools if they follow state curricula.
• No vouchers except for severely handicapped children the public school cannot accommodate. Limited bus transportation assistance to private schools. Substantial monies for vocational training.
■ Labor: Minimum wage set at $9 for [30hrs or more] full time work, $7.50 for part time under 30 hrs per week. Employees held to under 30 hrs must be paid $9 after six months. If dismissed before; employer must show cause.
• Loyal employees — full or part time — who remain on the job for more than two years must be paid at least $10 and hour.
• Companies engaged in sweatshop products from overseas will pay an excise tax of 10% or more.
• All employees earning less than $20,000 gross must contribute at least $2 per week [government $1] to social security plus. The government will pay one half of contribution not to exceed $10 per week.
• Social security plus is available to all who have no pension and earning less than $35,000. The government will pay 25%, not to exceed $6 per week; and 10%, not to exceed $3, for earnings under $50,000. Social security plus is available to anyone with no pension but no government contribution. They will be individual accounts invested in the government mutual fund for infrastructure.
• All home defense federal employees unionization will be reinstated with bargaining rights except in a scenario of clear and present danger.
• Public works will immediately be launched in areas of dislocated employees.
• Companies that pull up stakes to do business in another country will be denied the US market unless spin-off processing is done in the states.
■ Voting: October 31st marks the end of campaigning.
• The first Monday in November to the second Monday on the west coast, Hawaii and Alaska; first Monday to the second Wednesday for the Midwest, and the first Monday and the second Thursday for the east coast will be the election span for casting ballots. Polls will be open from 5 AM to midnight.
• Locales are encouraged to put voting machines on wheels as well as polls in places such as shopping malls, schools, libraries and supermarkets in addition to regular polling districts. Election results will begin at 1 AM on the second Thursday.
■ Campaign Finance: The IRS check off box will be increased to $5 and actually deducted from refunds or if you owe tax it will be increased by like amount. The resulting half billion dollars annually will be equally divided between the two major parties for all elections, less what a viable third party might be entitled to.
• Within four years the political parties will have received some $2 billion.
• Fund-raisers shall be outlawed. Lobbyists will be imprisoned if they attempt a pay off and the officeholder will be subject to recall.
• The government will take back the air waves and demand free coverage of debates and town meetings, including local stations and channels. Thirty second sound bites at a reduced rate will be permitted only if positive.
• Organizations are permitted to raise funds to hold local meetings and to invite speakers, reimbursed only for travel. They may also raise funds for newspaper ads and radio time, provided they are not negative.
• Officers of organizations may appear on talk shows as long as they do not pay to get time.
• The government should allocate more funds to C-span and PBS in order to increase campaign coverage.
■ Privatization of social security: is off the table.
• Rather, the government should borrow from the “lock box” at a higher interest rate.
• Voters must be made to understand that social security is a safety net for many others than simply for retirees.
• Moreover, social security doomsayers do not understand that the system is a great stimulus to the economy — where would Florida be? — and has paid for itself many times over by the tremendous consumer activity it generates, creating greater taxes by its sustaining employment and businesses. That is why there should be no wariness if the government has to replenish it with general revenue.
■ Immigration: The wholesale round-up of Arab immigrants is paranoia; we must exercise greater care and adherence to constitutional rights.
• Legitimate suspects should immediately be given the right to an attorney.
• Innocent, but illegal aliens, should sign an oath of allegiance and be given time to obtain sponsorship to avoid deportation.
• If sufficient funds were available local authorities could do a better surveillance of weeding out suspects without having to throw everyone in jail.
• Also a moratorium on immigration should be put into effect until paranoia dwindles. Surely, our borders must be tightened to assuage the fear.
• Farmers and the juggernauts of agriculture must be willing to pay a living wage and begin to recruit the local unemployed.
Beyond this “constitution candidates can fill in their own details and approaches to a better America without straying from a unifying principle. The most important thing is not how they differ but how inadequate and unimaginative the Republicans are, and the boldness in which the candidates tell the long story of the GOPs pathetic inadequacies.
Black Enlightenment ©rrk 1970 To play the heavy is as a rule a more difficult task than the role of protagonist on the side of righteousness. Rhetoric and oratory rely on the underpinnings of logic and ethics to persuade the enlightened; whereas sophistry relies on gyrations of half-truths, innuendoes and prejudice — no small task if deliberate, but ironically very simple if out of ignorance. Little wonder, then, that giants like Douglass, Walker and Garvey ring out through the ages as exemplars of style and persuasion. In the 60s these giants were great historical sources for the blacks who crawled out of their insulated Harlem renaissance, along with disillusioned liberal whites in Washington willing to accept minimal responsibility for the 400 years of black oppression, though not blame precisely. The ugly war, assassinations, and Watergate, of course put a stop to the march on the path of King’s dream. The heavy character resides in all of us as individuals but from the clearer vantage of law and the higher perspective of history somehow the whispers of what should be done takes hold and haunts the social consciousness to action. What with the turmoil, Watergate creaked unnoticed until one day the foghorn went off and the ship of state was alerted. Evil forces at work, in spite of the destruction left in its wake eventually succumbs to its own symbiotic erosion. Its irrational strain breaks down because it unwittingly generates a moral resistance supported by the logic of social consciousness. Had the Confederates won, they would have collapsed from empty values and isolation. Ironically the North won and perpetuated the South’s evil institutions. Even Nixon someday will go the route of Macbeth to the pit of idiocy of sound and fury — the mirror of ourselves, of every indecent and corrupt ideologies in the sad composition of history. What use legitimate rhetoric, why articulate what’s already in the heart, why dwell on the obvious? As Douglass said, “What, then remains to be argued?’ Yet Douglass knew all too well that without argument, constant persuasion, the sleeping body politic will never waken to a sense of justice. Douglass was under no illusion that the listeners on the conclusion of his July Fourth Speech would march on Washington; but he did know that his speech would go down in history, and perhaps one day to be used as a weapon for posterity’s struggles. This is the function of great oratory: a persuasive record in history added to the slow awakening of a just nation. Moses did not invent God; poets before him did. King, Malcolm X, or Cleaver did not invent black protest; Walker, Garvey and Douglass did. It is interesting to speculate — since Walker’s son as legislator was unable to bear fruit — who the great, black legislator will be in tying these disparate forces of deeply rooted righteousness, or will the legislator, motivated by the ghost of Garvey, first lead his people from the great land of sin? [Garvey] The whites have always been an unjust, jealous, unmerciful, avaricious and blood-thirsty set of beings, always seeking after power and authority.
In the meantime there will be other black spokesmen, other John the Baptists, who find it necessary to prick the conscience of the nation and to stir “their black brethren from the lethargy so common to wearisome oppression.” The wheel of justice were lugged to the hub of freedom by Walker, a martyr, and Garvey; Douglass set it in motion on a very appropriate day.
Apr. 11, ‘03
Tautology Hello?...Locked into “creative” research, the professor has lost sight of reality. If there is a sanitation worker who loves his back-breaking work it is that he chose the outdoors and relatively on his own than he would be fixed in sorting recycles. The maid in a Manhattan hotel loves her work only because she detested working in a rodent infested motel on the outskirts of Mexico City. To suggest Eminem is creative is to exemplify the level of creativity in the nation; yet most Eminem fans would “love” a job — not necessarily love assembly work — in the “Fordist system” as opposed to working for McDonald’s at minimum wage.
Thomas Jefferson did not mean what Professor Florida interprets from the “pursuit of happiness,” but rather to be in an aristocratic position to own more slaves and thus free the lord’s time for more education and leisure and perhaps uncover genius as Jefferson himself had. To be fair to Jefferson, he also meant that if the people are well “compensated” they will have the means to pursue purposeful leisure, which, however, generates the need for even greater slave mentality of the unfortunate — “ a nanny” a food service worker.”
Union job protectionists of factory workers did not mean the end of creativity but rather the exploiters of foreign labor vitiated the industrial complex of good old USA. It was not Japanese creativity that cut into the auto industry but the energy crisis of the 70s. Japan had modernized Ford’s Model T because of the narrow streets in their country. The soaring economy of the post war years had generated a demand for bigger and better cars for almost everyone who saw in them ultimate creativity for the new Eisenhower “creative” interstate highway. To suggest that only in Japan was there creative factories is to ignore that even in the Fordist system there were suggestion boxes. Why, even the US Post Office paid $5 for any postal employer who came up with an idea to improve functions. Granted much factory work is deadening but the pay compensates for it when an employee can dream of having a first generation college grad in the family. Aye, this is history, thanks to Reaganomics and the utter disrespect for the astounding achievement of labor from the birth of this nation.
This inane professorial thinking undermines the efforts of the few liberals remaining to rectify a quarter of a century of callous laissez-faire. Did Dr. Florida ever hear of junk bond fraud and S&L scandals, not to mention the current Wall Street thievery? The professor puts the cart before the horse: there is still much work to be done in supplying “baseline requirements.” In real dollars minimum wage is regressing; health care is a joke for millions; while we liberate Iraqis from tyranny, untold thousands of children in inner-cities fear for their lives, let alone dream of creativity; Appalachia and Indian Reservations are still the forgotten no man’s lands. Until there is a brave new world of total robotics, it is obvious that common labor is essential supportive personnel to cater to the needs of the hierarchy. Nor is it particularly earth shaking that the most so-called creative communities require a greater amount of flunkeys — I assume there was a thousand to one ratio of slaves to patricians in ancient Rome — hello, again.
The tautological premise that one must love his job to be happy not only stirs contempt for laborious tasks but leads to crime and shiftlessness — the cesspool needs dredging but not by me — and not as the professor implies leading to a more enlightened society, which on the contrary, requires a kinder understanding for supportive labor and craftsmanship that hold this country together.
Here To Stay: Affirmative Action
We have not been able to close the book on the Civil War in the wake of Confederate flag waving and racism still rampant in all sections of the nation. Nor will the chapter on Affirmative Action be concluded until we finally empathize with those of color and gender. In fact, another chapter on Affirmative Action must be drafted for unskilled workers who must be given every opportunity to better their lot.
There has always been Affirmative Action for the privilege; for it is seldom what you know as whom you know. The loudest critics of giving a helping hand to those less endowed are the beneficiaries of a liberal government extending a helping hand through the G.I. Bill for education, veteran bonus points on civil service tests and VA loans for homes and businesses. Yet they see no evil in bankers lending uncollectable billions to foreign countries while denying the underwriting of mortgages at affordable rates for our young married couples, particularly those of minorities.
If it is accepted practice for universities to recruit athletes; they should be allowed to recruit minorities in order to shape their campus in the image of America’s civil rights. Of course, there are the elitists as well as the racist and the conservatives among minorities who do not believe in diversity. This trend is reaching alarming levels in the guise of school vouchers in order to preserve a monolithic consciousness in their children just as the wealthy do. Unions and corporations are notorious for subjective hiring practices to retain the old boy’s club.
Fortunately, this is precisely why there is the Constitution to safeguard against those consciously or subconsciously who take steps to undermine a commonwealth that hinges on an on-going practice to take corrective measures in behalf of justice. It is one thing to argue against compensatory awards to descendants of slaves and quite another not to acknowledge an obligation to correct the lingering damage of slavery. Nor is it justified to argue that it is sufficient that women’s rights are now accepted and therefore unnecessary to route out male-chauvinism and sexual abuse, or shortchange Title IX. Descendants of European immigrants who still believe that descendants of immigrants of color are no more disadvantaged than whites are incapable of perceiving the strata of power in education, politics, and commerce.
With American culture going down the tubes, it is more important than ever to see to it that higher education is subject to favoring the disadvantaged relative to variables that clearly impeded the intellectual potential of the candidate. There is nothing degrading about colleges offering or mandating remedial courses for the disadvantaged to follow through on admissions, what with funding for public education still but a cursory overture to the disadvantaged child, particularly in rural and urban schools. Until this nation musters up a serious commitment to public education for all. Universities, not unlike Michigan, will continue Affirmative Action as a stopgap.
However, a universal system of admissions should be adopted across the country, rather than leaving it to chance criteria of individual universities and colleges: ■ First and foremost is racial and gender profiling must be taken into account to reflect the changing complexion of the general population; but does not mean automatic admissions. ■ Family background and learning facilities at the home carry weight in evaluating the difficulty level of scholastic achievement of the candidate. ■ Location and quality of the student’s school experience should be considered for its learning and enrichment ambience. ■ Character analysis in relation to the depth of civic orientation and sensitivity to artistic and intellectual pursuits. ■ Willingness of candidate to undergo remediation in areas of weakness. ■ Willingness of candidate to join a campus activity that plays to his/ her strength. ■ Willingness of candidate to take on part time campus work to offset tuition grant. ■ SAT score must be considered holistically in relation to the student’s entire grade and extra-curricular compilation. ■ Community activity — including helping the household, such as minding younger siblings — helps in evaluating responsibility. ■ Assess the extent and depth of recreational habits.
Of course, universities always reserve the right — quotas in a sense predicated on scholarship — to limit recruitment in major fields requiring intensive advanced studies, provided there is offered a minimal contingency of probationary admissions. So, too, in the field of labor, every effort must be made to offer in-service programs on management and advanced skills for the willing employee.
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