Category Archives: Politics

Should PBS be defunded?

Posted on by renmiked

As the House Republicans roll out their budget cuts there has been some consternation over the Corporation for Public Broadcasting being on that list.  While this cut would be essentially meaningless in a budgetary sense, it is a great sacrificial lamb for their bloodthirsty supporters.  Most of the vitriol comes from the notion that Public Broadcasting is biased against the Right.  Anyone who has actually listened to the news programs will find this far from true.

Unlike broadcast and cable networks, I find that PBS and NPR offer the most balanced view of issues and discuss these issues with THOUGHTFUL people on either side of an issue.  No you don’t get the Anthony Wieners of the world, or a Beckian nut-fest, but you do get an actual adult conversation and exchange of thoughts during most programming.  I’m sure most of the people who work in Public Broadcasting lean left, but they do a commendable job of balancing their news and interview shows.

Another concern of those on the Right is the inclusionary children’s programming.  How dare anyone teach children to accept people for who they are?  What kind of sick people would do that?  We all know how dangerous Snuffaluffagus is and that damn Sid the Science kid teaching kids how to think logically, this dangerous indoctrination must be stopped.

All that said, I really do not think the government should be funding public broadcasting.  From what I understand, only a small portion of Public Broadcasting money comes from the government.  If this is the case then it should be relatively easy to find other sources of funding, especially with the popularity of the children’s and documentary programming.

American Conservatives Do Not Have The Balls…

Posted on by renmiked

Conservatives, especially Tea Party activists, claim to want the nation to live within its means and to reduce the size of government as a whole.  ”Evil big brother government”  has been a rallying cry for conservatives since the Ronald Reagan days.  Yet they have never followed through on this promise, even when they had full control of the federal government.  Actually, they did the exact opposite when they had full control.  Right now in Great Britian they are preparing to cut government spending by 19% over four years.  Oh wait it gets better, they are also going to raise some taxes in order to get back into balance.  Its amazing to actually to see what a REAL fiscally conservative agenda looks like.

Not everything is going to be cut at the same rate.  Defense is only taking an 8% hit.  Could you imagine trying to cut into our own massively bloated wasteful defense spending at all, let alone 8%?  It would never happen.  The only people calling for that are true Libertarians, not the circus clowns of the GOP and Tea Party.  If a person touting themselves as a fiscal conservative does not even mention reigning in defense spending, then I assume they are not serious or truly interested in fiscal sanity.  In general they just want to target “waste and fraud” which do not account for nearly enough to lower costs.  Should we reduce waste, yes, but that doesn’t make it a feasible answer to balancing a budget.

Two of the departments being spared cuts are education and science.  Actually, the education department is being asked to reduced by around 1% a year while the science budget will increase around a half of a percent a year.  Wait, do you mean the UK conservatives aren’t going after education spending as one of the biggest issues?  How odd.  How odd of them to invest in the future of their nation by supporting health, science and education.  They should be making it as hard as possible for teachers to do their jobs and touting pseudo-science as  reality.

There are other spending cut but the list is too long for me here, so I will link to one BBC story about it that gives a good overview.  I don’t know if these cuts will actually work, but it will be very interesting to watch over the next few years. I can’t wait to contrast it to the nonsense we are going to see in D.C. over the next few years, where basically nothing will get done.  I will take all of this back if ONE, just one, prominent GOP figure calls for real cuts to defense and Social Security.  I will not hold my breath for that to happen, however.  I am not hopeful for where we, as a nation, are heading long term but I hope I am proven wrong.

GOP Promises Investigations – Just What We Need (venting)

Posted on by renmiked

I read this article this morning on Politico , where GOP leaders in the House and Senate are promising “waves” of White House investigations.  Everything from ACORN to The New Black Panther Party is on the table.  Basically, what they are promising is the same bullshit grandstanding that went on during the Clinton administration.  Remember how offended all of the liars and adulterers were when Clinton lied about his adultery?  I wonder if they will get around to investigating where tens  of billions of dollars have gone in Iraq… oh wait thats a real issue.

This is exactly what I don’t want.  I didn’t want massive investigations into Bush from the Dems, although looking into lying us into war would have been nice, and I don’t want massive petty investigations into Obama.  With the current economic situation and a war going on, why the fuck are they going to waste time on The New Black Panther Party pseudo-scandal?  Well the reason is simple, they don’t give a shit about making things better for the nation as a whole they only care about winning an election in 2012.  I realize that almost all politicians care about elections first.  I am not naive to that reality.  But the lengths the GOP will go to in order to regain full power is sickening.

I question whether these politicians care about Americans at all or if we are just pawns to be used.  Sorry for the venting, but this story really pissed me off and is exactly the reason I have NEVER voted for either party.  Especially the un-American pieces of shit that are the Republican Party.

Target: A Test Case

Posted on by renmiked

Target became the first corporation to feel the sting of the newly granted freedom to donate without limits to political campaigns.  Target contributed $150,000 to a group supporting the gubernatorial campaign of Tom Emmer, a conservative and gay rights opponent.  Since it has become public there has been a strong backlash from supporters of gay marriage and LGBT rights in general.  I’m sure corporations were jumping for joy when the activist conservative Supreme Court justices removed any limits on corporate political spending, but they failed to see the downside.

In an age of information and the explosion of social networking there is a serious consequence for alienating your customer base as well as your employees.  I’m guessing Target really didn’t care one way or another about Emmer’s social agenda and like  all corporations just wanted to support a candidate that they assume would lower there tax bill.  Unfortunately for Target, people, real people not corporations deemed people by the Supreme Court, care about more than just how much money they can make.  The decision to support a candidate that according to his website believes:

I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman. As a legislator, I have consistently supported the constitutional marriage amendment that protects traditional marriage.

has proved dubious for the target Corporation.  If you as a “person” want to use you influence and money to sway elections you should and hopefully will be held accountable for every dime you give.  I hope the boycotts do hurt Target and serve as a warning that while corporations may have the right to give, it may not be the best business decision.

Here is a link to Target’s statement on the issue:

http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/civic/default.aspx

After reading this statement something stands out to me, it is this quote:

And later this fall, Target will take a leadership role in bringing together a group of companies and partner organizations for a dialogue focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including GLBT issues.

To me, this is troubling and a way to just push the issue aside until after the elections and hope it dies down over the winter.  If Target is seriously concerned about the reaction and the issues and not just concerned about the bottom line it would rectify this immediately.  If the corporate heads feel as though the contribution was appropriate they should have the balls to stand up and say so.  Don’t hide behind a promised dialogue in the future just because the heat is on now.  If you as a CEO feel that corporate tax breaks are more important than equal rights for all citizens then just say that.  I hate cowards and this is cowardly.  Freedom of Speech does not provide freedom from criticism.

Now that corporations are citizens they must take into account more than just the balance sheet when the dip into political waters, because if they cross the wrong groups the consequences could be fiscally damaging.  I hope this will be a way to limit corporations by fear of reprisal.  There are many groups and causes left and right that could easily be the catalyst for massive boycotts, and if by supporting a candidate for his fiscal policies you cause a shift in a key social policy the blame could easily be placed on the shoulders of the corporations.  I hope Target continues to have its feet held to the fire and is made a harsh example of for the sake of our political system.

Who’s Fault?

Posted on by renmiked

For what seems like an eternity at this point, BP has been allowing the spewing of millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf with seemingly no real idea of how to stop it.  From the early days, pundits were out in force on both sides spewing their ignorance across the land.  ”This is Obama’s Katrina!” , “Bush weakened the MMS” and blah blah blah.  Thats all BS.  Regulation is not to blame, Bush is not to blame, Obama is not to blame, and the free market will NOT solve this.  BP is 100% culpable for the negligent deaths of eleven people, the destruction of wildlife, massive pollution of the Gulf and adjacent wetlands, the destruction of countless small businesses, and the failure to stop and or clean up THEIR mess.  All other arguments are just giving BP cover.  They should be in the cross-hares of EVERY politician, EVERY news organization and EVERY citizen.  Was there a lax attitude by regulators at the MMS? Yes.  Was the government response as fast and harsh as it should have been? No.  But, neither of these things caused what is happening.  People lost their lives, health, and livelihoods because of the greed of one corporation.  By cutting corners BP has put money above safety and human life.  It was worse for them to lose money than to protect the lives of their employees.

In the end, I doubt anyone will pay for their negligence.  We will most likely see no one go to jail, or pay any significant price for their actions.  The pols and pundits will continue to squabble and defend, while completely losing sight of the real villains.  How can this corporation be allowed to do business in America again?  Why does the government not have its foot on the throat of the perpetrators of this crime?  These are questions that should be answered and hopefully will but until then let’s keep our eyes on BP.

White Folks Can Be Terrorists Too

Posted on by renmiked

Last week Joe Stack flew a plane into an IRS office killing himself and one IRS employee. He did this in response to a tax dispute and left a long suicide note explaining his actions. This is text-book terrorism. He had a political agenda and used a suicide attack to force his beliefs to be taken seriously and as retribution for perceived wrongs. There has been a hesitation in some circles to call this terrorism, because in my opinion, it stains the current anti-government movements that many media members support. I in no way blame anyone other than the murderer himself but people need to realize that rhetoric can have consequences. We’ve strayed so far from civil debate at this point that I don’t see a way back to normal discourse.

For the past twenty years ,we as a nation, have allowed our political institutions to become like a kindergarten school yard full of cliques and childish behavior.  We accept lying and extreme exaggeration as long as it backs our views.  We watch stations like FOX and MSNBC that do nothing but stoke the fires of ignorance and add almost nothing to the political discourse.  People like Limbaugh, Olberman, and Beck have thrived in this enviroment  of stupidity.  Rational commentators are almost never seen on TV anymore and it has become way to easy to pick the “news” that fits you beliefs instead allowing ourselves to be challenged by the truth.

The constant stream of bullshit has let the conspiracy theorists to run wild.  If you believe 9/11 was an inside job there is news for you.  If you think President Obama is an African Muslim Communist there is a news source for you.  Joe Stack is a terrorist but he is also a symptom of our ignorance and lack of curiosity.  Stop being afraid to hear things that challenge your beliefs.  Stop seeking out shows that only express one point of view no matter the evidence.   Most of all, America, grow the fuck up and expect more from politicians and news sources and don’t seek out what you want to hear. Seek out what you are afraid to hear.

Pre-State of the Union Thoughts

Posted on by renmiked

So, tonight is the State of the Union address and if have t say I find it to be one of the most disgusting political displays of the year.  I’m not just talking about this year, I am talking about the event as it is currently constituted.  First of all the POTUS walking into the halls of Congress as if he were a king is just plain nauseating. Hey, Congress, you are a separate and equal branch of government who is meant to check the power of the POTUS, so stop fawning and clapping.  I am sick of standing ovations every three seconds for the most innocuous comments or decrees, and I certainly cannot take all of the post speech grandstanding from both sides.  I think Obama is a very thoughtful man, and my hope is that in the first few lines of the speech he says ” Ladies and gentleman, I am here not for your applause or approval; I am here to give a true and sobering view of our nation.  This is not a time for grandstanding or back-patting; it is a time to get our hands dirty and fight for the reforms that are needed.  If we cannot work as one through compromise, then we are failing the citizens of this country…”

Of course the more likely outcome is “Ladies (standing ovation)… and (standing ovation)… gent (smattering of applause)lemen(standing ovation)…”

2009 The Ridiculous…

Posted on by renmiked

Here are a few things I found ridiculous and embarrassing during this year.

The Jon and Kate Obsession:

Really, were these folks important enough to be reported on by legitimate news organizations?  They had a bunch of kids, so what?  Also, to expect a couple of people from central PA to be media savvy enough to deal with the paparazzo coverage and the gossip sites is just silly.  Yes they came off poorly but that this story captivated so many is sad.

Tea Baggers… err I mean Partiers

There will always be people who inherently do not trust government, and no matter who is in power they will argue for less government.  That however seems to be only a fraction of these folks.  The vial racism that is displayed and not addressed by the politicians that attend these rallies is the most disturbing part to me.  I can understand the lies that people like Palin, Beck and Armey throw out there, they just want to rile people up for their own gain.  That is part of the system no matter how seedy it may be.  I know there is know way to reason with this group, I just hope you don’t see anyone take their vitriol to the next level.

NBC and Jay Leno

Has it ever been more apparent that a company was looking to strip costs in order to be sold?  They gave up the entire week at 10pm in order to save cash and ultimately be bought up by Comcast.  What comes from the Comcast deal who knows, but I don’t hold out high hopes.  I assume their best hopes for the Leno move were that a group of viewers who do not want to stay up late would tune in to see Jay at ten but that doesn’t seem to have materialized.

Twilight

I saw the first movie with my wife and it was like watching a mediocre CW show on the big screen.  Pathetic.

Roman Polanski Supporters

Plain and simple anyone who supported or signed a petition in support of this child rapist is a piece of shit.

The Beatification of Teddy Kennedy

Great, he was in The Senate forever.  I just don’t get how you make up for being responsible for someone’s death and NEVER paying the price.  Note: Not being able to rune for President is not paying a price.

That’s a few of the things that rubbed me the wrong way this year.

up next: Things that inspired me in 2009


Patrick Kennedy Gets No Stale Bread

Posted on by renmiked

Patrick Kennedy revealed this week that Bishop Thomas Tobin has asked him to not receive communion, back in 2007, due to his support for abortion rights. Kennedy felt the need to make this public because the Catholic Bishops have recently taken a stance against health care reform based on the fear that federal dollars will pay for abortions. To me this is a typical grandstand move by a politician and comes as no great shock. If Kennedy’s beliefs do not line up with the RC Church then leave the church, it is pretty simple. If you are pro-choice you cannot pretend that your faith and politics do not collide, they do. If this was a private request Kennedy could have easily kept it so while still questioning the political stand being taken by the hypocrites that are the Catholic Bishops. Him not getting a host is completely irrelevant to the health care debate. Yes it does show willy nilly stances that the Catholic Church takes, but that is no surprise to anyone. As far as this bishop is concerned, I wonder if he will be denying communion to any involved in aiding and abetting child rapists or those who committed the horrific acts, any supporting aggressive wars, and any supporters of the death penalty. I doubt he will. As far as the Catholic Bishops making a political stance against health care, I find it sickening that a group of people who spit on the laws of this country at every turn feel they have the right to push their politics through religion. Pay all the taxes the rest of us do, then you can participate politically, until then spread your faith not your politics, that goes for all churches left and right.

Reporters Need Better Questions.

Posted on by renmiked

I was just watching CNN and there was a promo for an interview with President Obama by Ed Henry. In the promo, one of the questions featured was about Sarah Palin’s book. I immediately stopped watching. Why should we care about what Obama thinks of this book? Everything is going so well in the nation that there is nothing else for Henry to ask about? It’s bad enough that FOX makes the news it reports and MSNBC has followed the FOX lead and lost it’s credibility as well but I was hopeful CNN was going to be the “real” news channel. Sadly inane questions, like the one Henry posed, do nothing to help the standing of the network. That was a question that an ET reporter and not a serious journalist would have asked. If this is the type of info the masses want, then leave the masses behind and target people who want honest thoughtful reporting and not tabloid schlock.