"It's been a long, long time now."

In response to "Reform or Bust" by Paul Krugman of The New York Times: Monday, 21 September.


Change is important; it helps us grow, succeed, advance past previous mistakes. But when change is right around the corner and isn't acknowledged, there can be consequences.
The banking reform that has been promised over and over for the past year needs to happen soon. As the American people slip further into joblessness and disrepair, we see that Wall Street yet again regurgitates the same selfishness upon the market. And all the while, the President, who promised so sincerely to bring the American people out of the recession, with a massive tax-payer funded bailout no less, as Krugman points out, still retains the old position of not checking the horrendously large rewards of the banking industry.
When will these banking executives no longer be rewarded for their overly risky decisions? If our government doesn't step in and make some much-needed progress, it's logical to expect another recession (if not another depression) in the coming years. It's obvious that the financial industry needs to be regulated closely to sustain our economy, but how long does it take our government to realize this simple truth? The president's recent comments on the regulation of banking executives is alarming. This industry is connected to our economy, a life-force of this country; when it fails, so are the American people subjected to hardship and struggle. Prevention of failure is apparent in regulation.
We paid for these banks to stay alive. Our children paid these banks to stay alive. And we need the administration to shell out some of the promises made in the past; we need the reforms so adamantly requested by the current state of the economy.

In-House Demogogue

In response to "Even Glenn Beck is Right Twice a Day" by Frank Rich of The New York Times: Sunday, 20 September.


     Frank Rich addresses one of the biggest threats to our political system: demagogues. In this case, one particular demagogue, who shall remain nameless (unless you read the title of the article which my post references), has been creating quite a stir, using scare tactics to substantiate an anti-government movement among the American people.
     This alarmist frequently backbites the President and the current elected officials, comparing the American government to Nazis, Russian communists, etc, etc. This misinformation is becoming very detrimental to such issues as the current health care debate. Through fearmongoring, he and other such demagogues, halt important progresses to be made to the health care system, as those individuals who belief their words as truth will not even be a part of the debate of current politics.
     What should prove more alarming than all of this slander is the amount of credibility it receives in our political system. How often do we hear about rallies and protests which blatantly call our President and government “fascists,” “socialists,” or even “Nazis”? This proves for me to be the most saddening truth of today’s America. How can we let someone else tell us how to think? Did we really elect a Nazi to the presidential office? No. Is the government really going to wipe out the elderly via death panels? No.

     It is our job as the American people to properly represent ourselves in our government. It is our job to educate ourselves, to make our own decisions, and, currently, we’re letting propaganda and blatant slander get to our core.

Who is included in "General Welfare"?

In response to "The Body Count at Home" by Nicholas D. Kristof: 13 September, New York Times.

This health care business is tricky. It invokes anger and accusations of almost every kind. Even the President's speech on Wednesday did not escape this sort of debate, as Representative Joe Wilson so showed both houses of Congress, as well as the American people. But will we let this health care debate ruin the very principles this nation was founded upon?

Kristof gives the example of a young woman in the US who is diagnosed with lupus in her early 20s and by the age of 32, dead due to a lack of health insurance, a consequence of job-loss and a pre-existing condition. She was middle-class, college educated, and by no means lazy; she fought to be insured, but to no avail.

The question is: will we let this ideological debate cloud any sense of duty we should have for our country? Should we not have an obligation to uphold the principles of our once-great nation by promoting the "General Welfare" of all citizens, regardless of the size of their wallets and health condition?

Hypothetically, I would give the same advice as Kristof to anyone who cannot get insured: go to prison and get medical treatment, with no financial cost afforded to you. In an environment where felons get free medical services, why not?

We need a change in our willingness and policy to realize the United States as a great country once again. Let's not let our citizens "slip through the cracks." Be critical thinkers- don't be dissuaded to trust in rumors and falsehoods, but rather believe in this nation's ability to uphold its principles.

Afghanistan in trouble

"NATO Airstrike Magnifies Political Divide Over the War in Afghanistan" by Stephen Farrall and Richard A. Oppel Jr. from the "New York Times," Sept. 5.

While Afghanistan's government is accused of "state-engineered fraud" in the presidential elections, on Friday a NATO airstrike on two supposed "insurgent" oil-tankers, which killed many civilians, has caused an investigation.

This war is obviously unpopular throughout the world, and events such as this only strengthen its demise. The American commander of NATO in Afghanistan recently restricted the use of strikes because the war may be lost if civilian casualties are not reduced. However, these sorts of attacks are still an occurrence. Afghanistan is often compared to Vietnam, and with good reason: this is the same brand of combat, and although the motives of the war in Afghanistan are still legitimate, so then were those in Vietnam for years until the Pentagon Papers made the front page. I can't help but link these two wars through events such as these, and it seems to me only a matter of time before the rest of the world abandons the United States in this international war on the Taliban, leaving this country to fight a futile, expensive, destructive, and questionable war, and leaving Afghanistan's government and society between tyranny and utter destruction.

There needs to be a different strategy in Afghanistan if the efforts to counter terrorism in the region are to continue. Maybe the strategy should not be black and white, Al-Qaeda and civilian, because it leaves out the grey area that so often happens to be apart of life. In this case, grey area would have saved those civilians, and in the case of the war, it may leave room for more success with the Afghani government and, more importantly, its people.