Why we need to help Haiti

The disaster is Haiti has elicited all kinds of response from outpouring of donations and support to moronic drivel such as (actual quotes, with spelling and grammar mistakes left in):

“HELP Hiati!!!!! What about helping Americans who have lost everything due to the poor economy?”

“Why should we help the people of Haiti. All they want is America to help them. They are nasty, lazy people who dell in evil and voodoo. God didn’t like there nasty ways and all the evil and voodoo they perform in the world.”

It is a sad commentary on our society that ignorant people choose to display their stupidity and ignorance so openly. Before you open your mouth and insert your foot you might want to do a little research and try using that brain of yours. Most things are not as black and white as you think they are.

To blame all their problems on corruption is easy and fits into a nice little box most simpletons can comprehend. Is there corruption in Haiti? Yes. Is there corruption in the United States? Yes, and I would argue that corruption in the United States is more pervasive and overt.

To claim some stupid notion that voodoo had something to do with it just reinforces how small minded you really are. Facts cited by other comments show that Haiti is a very Christian nation. There are many Catholic, Episcopal, and Baptist groups from cities across the United States that sponsor churches, schools, and orphanages in Haiti. The fact that Haiti retains some of its history and voodoo culture in no way means that god is cursing them - it enriches their own culture.

Haiti is a victim of history. Part of that history involves the United States and mistakes our country has made in Haiti. Ever hear of the Iowa pigs that our country tried to bring to Haiti because we thought that the native pigs were bad? Well, that was a stupid idea – the Iowa pigs could not acclimate and died – there was never anything wrong with Haitian pigs. Our policies impact countries like Haiti. For example, you can buy imported rice cheaper than locally grown rice.

Whatever our own situation may be (and it is bad, I do not discount that) we have a duty to help Haiti. Whether you like it or not, we should be willing to help our neighbor. A superpower’s power is not dictated by how many missiles or guns one has, but the ability to have compassion and to mobilize and help those most in need. Any idiot can make war. It takes a smart person to build something productive and positive. Would you rather have a country known for destroying things or one known for lending a helping hand in crisis? I prefer the later.

I have been to Haiti several times over the last year and a half. The last time I was in Haiti (November 2009) I thought that some improvements had been made. The roads were in better condition. The people seemed to me to be more optimistic. There was a peaceful transition of government. Some debt had just been forgiven. I think Haiti was really getting it and moving forward; small steps, but steps in the right direction. This earthquake has really set them back. I am very sad for the country and I will be doing whatever I can to help them get back on track.

It is easy to discount Haiti. When I was traveling back one time, a security bag checker saw my biography of Einstein I had been reading. He said that he was a physics student at University and loved Einstein. I gave him the book figuring that he might be inspired by Einstein. The sad thing is that there are many stories like that in Haiti; smart young people with education but no outlet for that education because the opportunities are not there. They want to succeed. We need to give them the opportunity to do so.

My wife has a theory: Somewhere in some village in some developing country is a child that may end up finding the cure to cancer or unlocking the mysteries of the universe or making some other awesome discovery. We should be striving to help people in need and not turning our backs because it may be inconvenient for us.

Undecided; Leaning Towards Ambivalence

I can’t take it anymore. Listening to the presidential debate makes my head want to explode. First, McCain needs to shut his pie hole and stop sounding like a broken record. He used the same washed up arguments from the other debates tonight. Can’t you come up with anything new and better, McCain? One thing is for certain, and that is that McCain lost the election tonight.

Those of us in the undecided category were listening tonight to maybe help us make up our minds on which of these morons would be the lesser of two evils. I bet Obama sounds like a good choice to many undecided voters after tonight’s performance. He even sounded reasonable to me at times.

Before you utter your disbelief that there are people that actually have not made up their minds yet in this election, let me tell you that those of us that are undecided are probably more thoughtful about our vote than the rest of you. There is a lot riding on this election. We won’t just vote for someone that has a D or R behind their name and we won’t just support a candidate based on one favorite hot-button issue. I personally have been weighing the issues and pluses and minuses of the candidates. Even right now, after McCain’s mind numbing performance I am sitting here with absolutely no clue on how to vote. If Obama gets in and has Pelosi and Reid and democratic house and senate there is no telling what will happen – look how bad it got when the republicans controlled everything for six years. If McCain gets in there is no telling what he will do because I am not sure what the guy stands for – look who we will have waiting to take the reigns if he kicks the bucket. My third option is a write-in candidate by the name of Mr. None of the Above. That third option is looking better and better the closer we get to the election.

Please, Mr. Obama, instead of using the word “fair” just say what you mean – “redistribution”. Obama says that the Buffets of the world can afford a tax increase. Of course the Buffets of the world can afford a tax increase, but there are less than 500 billionaires in this country (500 out of 300 million – do the math). Tax those guys all you want; they probably won’t miss it (By the way, do you ever wonder why they just don’t “donate” their money to the government? Instead they set up their own charities. Seems to me they know how inefficient and ineffective the government is). He says that he will increase taxes on the top 5% - the income split for the top 5% is $153,542. The top 5% pay 60% of the income taxes in this country. The top 10% pay 70% of the income taxes – the income split at that level is $108,904. What is fair in that? I am going to be punished for working hard because you feel the need to fund worthless, bloated government programs and have a vastly different idea of what “fair” means. If someone makes $150,000 they likely have a mortgage and expenses that reflects that $150,000. You take money out of their pockets you take money out of the economy and especially from charities. And believe me charities do a whole lot more than any government program has done or will ever do.

Instead of increasing our taxes (and asking us to be “patriotic”) or borrowing money from our children and grandchildren start by shrinking government spending first. You could get me on board with a tax increase if you cut spending and produced a balanced budget (how about a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution) and then you came back to me and said that now we need to increase taxes and that tax increase will solely go to pay down the debt in 10 years, for example, and make sure that social security and Medicare are solvent. Once that 10-year plan is accomplished we will remove the tax increase. But you can’t promise me anything like that because you have such disdain for the taxpayer and quite frankly I can’t trust you. You say one thing one week and then something else the next. You move to one end of the spectrum to placate some moronic voting block and then just as fast swing the other way. I simply cannot take your word. Once we start giving to you, you take and take and take. Plain and simple; you, Mr. Obama, and you, Mr. McCain have lost my trust. I did not hear anything tonight that makes me think I can trust either of you with the top job. Where is the talk of balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, and solving the unsexy problems of Medicare and Social Security? By not talking about the really vexing issues I tend to think that you 1) don't care, 2) don't know, or 3) know but don't want to tarnish your precious political backside by making the necessary but unpopular reforms. I know AARP votes and children don't.

VOTE
NONE OF THE ABOVE

FOR PRESIDENT 2008

Photo by KCThinker, Beach near La Romana, Dominican Republic - a little tranquility in an otherwise turbulent and uncertain world.

We the People or We the Lobbyists or We the Professional Politician?

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

We the people, my ass. This country is being run by self-serving bull shit artists who pimp themselves to every Tom, Dick, and Harry lobby group with some cash to stuff in their g-strings. Most of these politicians fall somewhere between a lawyer and a prostitute - pretty far down the evolutionary ladder.

Every election cycle billions of dollars are spent. For what? Opponents of campaign finance reform declare that their freedom of speech is violated by enforcing spending restrictions. Seems to me candidates get a good amount of free air time on various news and talk shows (how much do you think that bit Obama had on Oprah was worth?). They get to debate other candidates on free air time. They are oft-quoted in any number of newspapers, magazines and internet news sites. The only thing I see the money being spent on are slick PR spin people and attack ads that provide NO knowledge of a candidates ideas or their solutions to problems. And real, substantial, implementable ideas and solutions are what we crave (well, at least I do). Any moron can put together an attack ad or a feel-good ad presenting the candidate as a saint. It still will not tell me how he or she will accomplish anything of substance if we elect them.

How do you get an elected official to willingly cut off the gravy train? McCain-Feingold is an absolute joke. Any meaningful campaign finance reform is watered down to the point of being ineffective. We need serious campaign-finance reform coupled with term limits for our representatives and senators. We need to limit spending on campaigns to only those dollars from the federal government. No option of using matching donations or private donor money – that way no candidate is beholden to a special interest other than the American people as a whole. I would recommend six terms for representatives and two terms for senators. We need to get away from the professional politician mentality that has permeated Congress. The longer they are in Congress, the longer they lose touch with reality.

I would recommend an overhaul of the primary and caucus system. The whole election cycle from the first primary to the November election should be a maximum of 6 months. No campaigning for a November election before January 1 of the same year. The primaries and caucuses would have 4 to 5 months to finish and then 1 to 2 months for the parties' candidates to campaign before the November election. Enough of this ridiculous state maneuvering to become the first state to hold a primary. If a candidate cannot get their message across in 6 months then their message is not very good to begin with. How much does a candidate's message really change over the course of 6 months anyway, let alone two years? Don’t we have access to all their position papers through the internet or their campaign offices?

I suppose I am an idealist when I think how much more we can do to alleviate the suffering of people here and abroad with those billions of dollars being spent by a bunch of blowhards in the name of free speech. I think we are heading down a dangerous road when someone reports that the entry fee for the 2008 presidential race is $100 million. It is a message that should give us pause and it is also NOT a message we should be broadcasting to the world as an example of "democracy".

Photo by KCThinker, Batey 50, La Romana, Dominican Republic

Where are our leaders?

Is it sad that I wish for some incredible event to make us see that our differences are imagined? Yes, we have differences of race, class, religion, and gender. But why can we not put those behind us and look forward, use our potential, and harness our energy to do good works instead of destructive ones. When I walk through an international airport I witness first hand the slow mixture of the societies of the world. We have thousands of years of history at our disposal. Yet, we seem to make the same mistakes over and over and over. We learn nothing from those who came before us.

Being a parent I often think what this world will be like for my children. Will they have the same opportunities that my wife and I have had? Will they know a world at war with itself or will they know a world at peace? Will they know a world barely surviving with rampant famine and disease or a world that has figured out how to supply the needs of an ever growing population?
I think part of the pessimism that people feel is that there are so few real leaders out there. There are not enough people that will stand up and shout “Enough!” The few people willing to go against the grain are either marginalized because they are not politically or media savvy or they quietly go about their work, making a difference, but only reaching and inspiring a few people at a time (I realize that even a small number of people can make a difference, but I fear that the situation is slowly spiraling out of control and real leadership on a large scale is needed immediately).

Many of our “leaders” are in my opinion not leading; rather they are leaches. They suck the goodness out of everything for their own gain whether that is monetary, political, or both. This world has become one that rewards greed and selfishness. The concept of sacrifice does not go beyond the cross that Jesus bore. It seems most people find excuses for not doing their share. The concept of selflessness is outdated. Real leaders are not nurtured in such an environment; only greedy CEOs and unscrupulous politicians are.

I am disappointed in our government’s inability to properly lead as the world’s only willing “superpower”. The United States seems willing to do what is in its own best interest. The United States has meddled in a number of countries only to fail miserably because it refuses to listen and learn. The United States fails to recognize its lack of true leadership. The United States is divided because of our “leaders” inability to find common ground and realize that is not about the “me”, it is about the “we”.

I am disappointed in the United Nations and its inability to lead. This august organization has the potential to help bring about the societal change needed to address the concerns of 21st century; however, they care more for crafting resolutions and being word smiths than a body that actually does what it says it will do. A resolution is only works if you intend to go through with it. The United Nations has been absent in the Balkans, Rwanda, and now in the Sudan. There is no will to put the hammer down on Iran and North Korea. Words and more words is the only thing the United Nations is good for. We learned nothing from the Nazi concentration camps and the end game of fascists. Not much leadership is present in that organization when it counts.

You can say what you will but I do not see a true leader in any of our elected officials at the national level. I cannot say I really see one person in particular willing to make the hard decisions and explain to the American people or even the world why those hard decisions need to be made. Every decision and every sound bite is crafted for political purposes.

People from all walks of life are clamoring for real leadership. Are we coming up on a new revolution? Is there a ground swell forming of people willing and ready to shout “Enough!”? I know I am ready. I am tired of the “me first” attitude. I am tired of our attitude towards poverty and crime (the two go hand in hand). I am tired of our society's cavalier attitude towards morality. I am tired of the Hollywood elite telling me what to think (they are actors - what makes their opinion more valid than mine?). I am tired of the posturing. I am tired of useless rhetoric. I am tired of the politicians. I am tired of the leaches running our countries. I know have had ENOUGH!

It is every generation’s responsibility to leave the world a little better for the next. The generation with the power today is definitely asleep at the wheel and heading towards a cliff. Please take a moment and thank them for their ignorance.

Photo by KCThinker, Dominican Republic, Batey 50

The Unfortunate, All Too Binding, Iraq Situation…

The United States of America is in Iraq. That is the cold, hard fact. No matter how you feel about how we got into this mess, the fact remains that we are there now. And no amount of hindsight will alter that fact (even if you are running for president). It does not matter if you are a democrat or a republican. It does not matter how you voted. It does not matter if you are a liberal, conservative, green, libertarian, or independent. It does not matter if you were for or against the war in Iraq. It does not matter what the reason for going into Iraq was. WE, as AMERICANS, are solely responsible for success or defeat in Iraq. The world does not care if you are pacifist, an atheist, a born again Christian, a vegetarian, or a redneck. You are seen as an American, and Americans have the responsibility to see that we leave Iraq better than before we went into Iraq.

Many mistakes have been made by foolish men who had little understanding of that region. That said, we need to look at the big picture of the region as it stands now and not just the blood and treasure that America is losing everyday. We need to realize that there are many people out there counting on America to get Iraq done and get it done right. My problem with the democrats is the problem I have with the republicans. Every thing boils down to the least common denominator - how it impacts the re-election efforts of the politicians and how much damage they can inflict on the opposing party. They could care less what really matters to the future of this country (if they did we would not have these ill-conceived social programs that we cannot afford or an education system that leaves our children ill-equipped to compete in the global economy – other topics for another day). We are there and we need to figure out how we can best help to provide a stable Iraq - if that is even possible, I am not sure. We also need to get Iran and Syria to stop meddling in Iraq as well. Iran and Syria are adding gasoline to the fire because it suits their interests in making America look weak. The democrats (and some republicans) and the media are doing their part by fanning the flames of discontent here. Discontent spread here adds fuel to the insurgent engine by making them think they are succeeding. Cutting and running (call it redeployment if you want) allows Syria and Iran to win and makes us look very weak in the eyes of the Arabs. But politicians rarely care about the over reaching impacts of their decisions or sound bites. All they care is doing what is best for their re-election efforts, presidential bids, and lobbyists.

Has the war been grossly mismanaged? YES. Is the situation becoming worse? In some parts of Iraq it is. Does the dissent in the United States undermine our efforts? Definitely. Think about in terms of the hype before a big football game. If the other team says something about their opponent it may get posted in the opponent’s locker room as a motivator. When senators like Harry Reid spout off at the blow hole you can be damn sure it gets posted in an insurgent locker room in Iraq.

The editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report, Mortimer B Zucherman, stated in a 22 January 2007 editorial that “American forces … cannot stop this sectarian war. The Iraqis must do it.” But “nothing good can happen without security, which is the sine qua non for success.” “We cannot just turn our backs on Iraq and hope for the best.”

A story on NPR the morning of 8 February 2007 was about the sectarian violence. The NPR correspondent interviewed a Shiite. The Shiite spoke of militias and their efforts to wipe out Sunnis (I am sure that some of that is also going on against the Shiites). But this Shiite was protecting other Sunnis. The interview ended with the Shiite stating that he wanted Baghdad flooded with American troops to provide peace and stability.

Now we have two options. We pack up and leave and watch Iraq spiral out of control into chaos, or we provide security until that indeterminate time at which the Iraqis can find peace among themselves. The situation is not going to miraculously be solved in the time it takes to make a bag of popcorn in the microwave or in the span of a 60 minute TV show or 90 days or 9 months. Despite what President Bush claimed at the beginning, anyone with real common sense knew this would take years or decades. I knew it. Could we bring Iraq back from the brink of all out collapse? Maybe or maybe not; but we owe to it the Iraqis, to the world, and to future generations of Americans to try with ALL our will and not a fraction less.

Winston Churchill once said “Once you are so unfortunate as to be drawn into a war, no price is too great to pay for an early and victorious peace.”

What exactly does a non-binding resolution accomplish? Does it not mean anything to these democrats and few republicans when General Patreous says a congressional resolution against a troop build up in Iraq essentially emboldens the enemy? They say they support the troops, but a vote for the non-binding resolution is a vote against the troops in my opinion. A vote to defund the war effort is a vote against the troops. We did not learn a damn thing from Vietnam. We did not learn that when it comes to war, we should not let the politicians make operational decisions. The only thing we learned from Vietnam was to not call our troops “baby killers” and to not spit on them when they come back to America. It is amazing that we learned anything.

Disgust

I am completely disgusted with our "leaders" - and I use that term loosely - in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. Here are some examples of my disgust:

1. Taking more than 3 years to realize that you really f---ed up Iraq because you refused to listen and think about the consequences of your actions in an area with THOUSANDS of years of history. Then still not listening to what the real solution should consist of.

2. Being asked to guard our border but not being allowed to shoot back when shot at by criminals.

3. Kicking off your presidential election campaign in New Orleans by complaining about two Americas and then returning to your 28,000 square foot house (supposedly "connected space") on 100 acres across from a trailer park.

4. Spending more than $300,000 for a ONE-WAY trip across the country arguing that because you are the first woman speaker of house you have security issues and you do not want to stop to refuel a plane. A ROUND TRIP first class ticket from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco costs $1,937 (an equivalent coach ticket costs $283.80). To top it off, complaining about global warming while flying on these planes that emit more carbon dioxide in one trip than I do in a year driving around in my VW Jetta diesel.

5. Providing immunity from prosecution to a known drug smuggler who later on sues the United States for $5 million because he was shot in the ass while smuggling drugs into the country (last I checked I thought it was illegal to smuggle illicit drugs into the country). Sending the border agents who “covered up” shooting the smuggler in the ass to jail for 11 to 12 years because they really did not think they hit him.

6. Claiming that you need 5 years to balance the budget when you have a $9 trillion "credit card" bill.

7. Lying to (sorry, "misleading") United States representatives during a congressional inquiry into the shooting in the ass of the drug smuggler mentioned above essentially throwing the border patrol agents under the bus.

8. Providing social security benefits to illegal aliens who worked in the United States for 18 MONTHS as long as they provide their paycheck stubs that have their illegal identities on them. A United States citizen must work at least 10 YEARS before being eligible for social security benefits.

9. Black listing scientists and lay people who disagree with your self-righteous slide show while flying around in your personal jet to tell us how bad carbon dioxide emissions are screwing up this planet. This coming from a man whose father made millions in the oil industry. Al Gore is the modern day Joseph McCarthy.

10. Worthless politicians doing what they do they best – NOTHING. Debating a non-binding resolution ad nausea. I think we know where they stand on the Iraq issue. When can we finally move on and tackle other issues that this country is also facing. How about tackling that balanced budget thing? Let’s come up with a real plan and decide the best course of action? And no, pulling out is not an answer. It is time we became accountable for the messes we create. And the United States has made some really big ones.

11. Studying the No Child Left Behind Act and determining that only minor changes need to be made to the act while turning a blind eye to a broken system. Teaching for a test does not provide the tools necessary for our children to learn and prosper and ensure they can compete in a GLOBAL economy. It only creates a generation of morons that cannot think for themselves – I suppose that is what the democrats and republicans really want.

12. Allowing a former Clinton cabinet official to get away with stealing official documents. Wow.

13. More or less giving a pass to a democrat who made some stupid remarks about Obama when a republican would have been asked to resign under the same circumstances. Hypocrites.

14. You and me sitting on our asses and letting the idiots in Washington and in the media run our country into the ground. Nice.

"The past does not repeat itself, but it rhymes." ~Mark Twain

Photo by KCThinker, Door in German castle