Day: July 11, 2010

Are We On The Way To A Third Depression? The 2010 Midterm Elections Are The Key! :(

Ronald Leave a comment

Nobel Prize Winning Economist Paul Krugman, a NY Times columnist, has stated recently that the United States is in danger of falling into a “Third Depression” that will last for many years! 🙁

This is not the first time the suggestion has been made, mostly out of fear, that the economic downturn that began in December, 2007, may slip further into a long range deterioration in employment, housing, corporate growth, state and local government services, and sustainability of the government “safety net”! 🙁

Krugman describes what he calls the “Long” Depression of 1873-1879, begun by the Panic of 1873 on Wall Street, but causing economic instability for two decades after the formal end of the event, lasting until the turn of the 20th century!

Of course, the later “Great” Depression of 1929-1939, which saw a revival from 1933-37, but then a further decline in 1937-38, was the worst economic times this nation has ever seen! 🙁

The problem in Krugman’s estimation is that MORE economic stimulus is needed, rather than less, and this debate about spending versus the deficit is raging in Washington, DC, and will determine the future of this economic downturn we are living through, which is called by many others besides Krugman, as the “Great Recession!” 🙁

IF the Republicans, with their lack of ideas on the economy other than more tax cuts for the rich, somehow regain control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections, then it seems quite clear that we are doomed to a further decline and total social disintegration, as if conditions do not improve, the danger of a breakdown of law and order is a real threat! 🙁

As the author stated in an earlier entry, we cannot afford to let 2010 and after become 1937-38, when Franklin D. Roosevelt gave in to criticism of government spending, cut government programs, and triggered a new economic collapse only turned around by World War II!

So the midterm elections are the key to our economic future, and will determine much of the next decade of economic history for all Americans!

What The Republican Party Can Learn From The British Conservative Party!

Ronald Leave a comment

Great Britain’s new government, led by Conservative David Cameron, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats under Nick Klegg as Deputy Prime Minister, is an example of how conservatism has modified in Great Britain, to the advantage of the country’s future!

At a time when partisanship and division in the United States party system is at its peak in the past century, the British government has managed to act responsibly on its many economic problems by allying in a coalition designed to resolve the serious problems the British face!

The austerity plan that the British government has enacted is seen by some as unwise, but at this point, the British government is at least moving ahead on resolving issues, rather than just promoting party bickering and looking to win points against the opposition!

In an interview on CNN with Fareed Zakaria, David Cameron suggested that a measure of social justice and open mindedness is a wise strategy for his party, getting away from the old Margaret Thatcher model!

In the same way, it is time for the GOP to “bury” finally the image of Ronald Reagan, which is much fantasized, and face the future with the understanding that being the party of NO, and only being concerned with foreign military interventions, and corporate alliances, and government intrusion in people’s private lives allied with religious forces, is a prescription for ultimate downfall of the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt!

The Republican party must move back to the middle of American politics, and reject the extremism of radio and tv talk show hosts who only enrich themselves by dividing the American people! 🙁

A Detailed Response To My Critics On Illegal Immigration!

Ronald 17 Comments

The author of this blog has been writing and presenting his viewpoints on all kinds of political and historical issues for almost two years now, but never has there been the kind of reaction that occurred yesterday after I published an entry on the Arizona immigration legislation and Governor Jan Brewer!

The reaction was so “thick and fast” that I have to believe that someone saw it, was angered by it, and spread the word to a whole group with similar sentiments! Honestly, I never thought that my blog was spreading that “far and wide”, and that reactions could be so numerous in such a short span of time!

I had a couple of people who responded who seemed to think that I was refusing to publish what they said, which was certainly NOT TRUE! 🙂 I just wanted to wait till the fury calmed down and everyone had had their chance to vent, and that is why I am now responding!

I never realized that those two words , NOT TRUE, would infuriate and irritate so many people, and please understand it was NOT my intention to anger and alienate people by use of that term, but my point is that there is much evidence from sources such as CNN, the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Arizona Republic, and public officials in Arizona itself that show that there have been exaggerations in reports of what is going on in that state!

Let me make it clear: I have not been in Arizona, and obviously, I do NOT have first hand evidence on what is going on, but am relying on media sources which MAY be manipulating the reality there! I do NOT claim that any media source is absolute truth, and I have been struck by the personal stories that many of the critics presented, and it does not make me happy to see that at least some people are experiencing “hell” from the Mexican drug cartels and the constant flow of illegal immigrants into the Southwest!

Understand that I do not support the continuation of illegal immigration, and feel that the US government MUST DO MUCH MORE to deal with the crisis, including thousands more National Guardsmen, and insisting that the Mexican government do more to deal with the crisis on the border!

Mexico has become a national security problem of the highest order, the most since the Mexican Revolution period of 1910-1920, and we MUST do more to crack down on the crime problem and the drug crisis!

But at the same time, to believe, somehow, that our country can literally deport maybe 12 million people is unrealistic, so a path to eventual citizenship after paying fines, paying back taxes, learning English, proving ability to hold down a job, and waiting in line for years for citizenship, is essential, and is basically the “old” McCain-Bush-Kennedy immigration reform bill of 2007!

And to say that because illegal immigrants have children in this country, that therefore those children should be denied citizenship, defies the 14th Amendment! It is frustrating, but should the “sins” of the parents be visited on their children? I do not think that is just, and is against the American way!

Let me also say that I have no intention of resigning as a commentator on this blog, or leaving my teaching positions, as I have had a great impact on generations of students and teach a balanced curriculum based on facts and information, not propaganda as we hear and see on talk radio and Fox News Channel! I make history and politics come alive, and have had hundreds of students over the years tell me that I had a great positive effect on them!

Let me also say that I am NOT a Marxist, a Communist, a Socialist, and am not that derogatory term used by one of the respondents (a spic), a term that sickens me!

Why is it that people have to use racist and derogatory terms about people they do not understand or know? 🙁 Why can’t people accept that we are all “God’s Children”, and treat all people of all nationalities and ethnicities and religions as being as “good” as we are? Particularly disturbing are those who would say they are religious people, but have no problem in trashing others who are different from them! 🙁

Also, let me make it clear that I am not connected to the Obama Administration; do not have my job due to them; and that I do not have favored tax treatment, and never had had such! 🙂

I am also disturbed that personal attacks are seen as necessary by some of the respondents, calling me a “dumbass”, a “jerk”, an “a___h___”, an “idiot”, and using the F word and S word as well! All this does is make the person saying or writing this lose all legitimacy!

Why can’t people who disagree do so in an agreeable way? And why do some see it as essential to use capital letters, which means they are shouting and yelling, instead of being civil?

I want to thank the more civil respondents who gave me other sources or ideas to investigate this topic! I also am saddened by the difficulties that people on the border are apparently suffering, and I hope this whole crisis can be resolved by legislation in Congress this year or next year, but to do so, the Republicans have to be willing to contribute, rather than be obstructionist, as they have constantly been throughout the 18 months of the Obama Administration!

Finally, even if you are not happy with President Obama, we should all hope for his success and wish him well, rather than ill, as this is our country, for all of us on all sides of the political spectrum!

We need to unite and deal with the problems facing our country, rather than snipe at each other! We need civil discourse, and I hope to contribute to that as I have attempted to do all along on this blog!

Yes, I am a progressive and a liberal, but that is not anti American! I have the right to my views, and again, I welcome your responses, all of you who read this blog, but please be respectful and civil as I aim to do! I wish to promote discussion and debate, but not anger and fury!

Oh, by the way, I am also NOT a traitor; am NOT an illegal immigrant and have no relatives who are illegal immigrants; don’t wish to live in Mexico, Iraq, or Russia; and feel that while English is our major language, all Americans need to learn Spanish as part of the reality in this nation, with Hispanics now the largest minority in America! In Canada, there are dual languages (English and French), and elsewhere most people learn English as well as their native language! We need to stop hating the world and realize we are a very small part of this world, about FIVE PERCENT, and we have to be part of the world, not isolate ourselves in bitterness!

I have said what I needed to say, and I hope this entry will clarify matters for all who read my blog! 🙂