education

Paul Ryan Self Destructs Any Chance To Run For President!

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, who this blogger spent a lot of time working to undermine his Vice Presidential candidacy in 2012, and got blasted for it by right wing websites and bloggers, has again shown further evidence of what a terrible choice Mitt Romney made in his Presidential race, in selecting Ryan to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency!

Ryan, who knows nothing about budgets, except that the poor, the elderly, the disabled, veterans, and the young should see cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other social programs; and there should be no extension of unemployment compensation for desperately unemployed people; and there should be no rise in the minimum wage, now has gone off the “deep end” with his assertion that those who live in the “inner cities” have no sense of the importance of work, and have not worked for generations!

This is a direct and racist assault on African Americans in particular, but also on Hispanics and Latinos, who are a majority of the poor in the urban areas of our nation.

But Ryan acts as if it is only minorities who are poor, and are unemployed, and in some cases, have not worked in a long time. From this statement, one would think that whites are not poor, that they all work, that they all have a heritage of understanding the point of work, and nothing could be further from the truth!

It is a fact, and always has been, that the vast majority of the poor do not live in cities, and are not minorities, although one would think so from a stereotype!

The fact is that there are millions of whites who live in the rural and suburban areas of the nation, and many are them do not work, have no hope of work, and live in depressed conditions often worse than urban slums. Many of these people are living in “Red” states, where Republicans vote to hurt their own constituents, while making it seem as if only minorities do not work, or have no work ethic. They live in Appalachia, the Great Plains, the Rockies, in comparatively sparsely populated areas, as compared to the urban areas on the East and West Coasts.

More whites receive food stamps, and the level of poverty percentage wise is higher in such places as Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alaska.

It is the lack of education; the tendency to have large families which are also dysfunctional; the reality of drugs and alcohol; the refusal of these state governments to give a damn about their white poor, along with minority poor; and the tendency to turn poor whites against poor minorities so that the GOP can keep power in the House and in the state legislatures, which is destroying generation after generation of deprived people of all races!

Only when there is a REAL war on poverty, instead of exploiting the issue based upon race, as Paul Ryan has now done, will we ever be able to guarantee a good future for millions of whites, as well as African Americans and Latinos!

And Paul Ryan, your potential Presidential candidacy is dead in the water, and while you might run, you have forfeited any realistic chance to be President of the United States, but that was clear, anyway, in 2012!

Cutting Military Spending A Good Step, Since We Have As Much Spending as Next Twelve Nations Combined!

The world is an unsafe place, and yes, we have to be prepared for any eventuality, but does that mean that we need to spend as much as the next twelve nations combined?

Can we possibly match the two nations with bigger armies, China and India, when they both have3-4 times our population?

Do we really need so many aircraft carriers, and more nuclear weapons, and more bombers than we have now, which cost billions upon billions, while the ranks of the poor and the near poor continue to grow?

Can we intervene in every international crisis, even if the cause is good and moral, or do we have to pick our battles, and only engage militarily when the urgency of intervention is clear cut?

The plan, announced this week by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, to scale down the military to the smallest number of troops since before World War II engagement, in a world where technology, including drones, is going to be used more and more, makes total sense, as future wars will not be fought like World War II or even the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

We will still be number one, but have extra funds available to help promote the “American Dream” for future generations, emphasizing health care, education, housing, and the revival of the flagging middle class!

The Republican Party will have a “knee jerk” reaction to any proposal to scale down the military, but it can and must be done in a sensible, rational way, or else the national debt increase, much fueled by defense spending out of all control in the past decade, doubling over that time, will suffocate American democracy!

The Founding Fathers did not wish a defense behemoth as the Pentagon has become since World War II, and the Cold War is over, and the whole strategy of defense can be modified safely, and save trillions of dollars over time!

The Economy Improving Greatly, But Obama Gets Little Credit For It!

The American economy is rapidly growing and improving, and the future is bright, except for the problem of unemployment. The auto industry is booming, as Obama saved the industry by giving them assistance in 2009-2010, and the expansion of the economy has also been benefited by three to four percent growth in the past two economic quarters. But one would get the impression that Barack Obama deserves no credit, when he deserves most of the credit for the improvements!

There is still the issue of refusal of the GOP House of Representatives to promote infrastructure spending, to raise the minimum wage to the level of inflation over the years, to continue the assistance to long term unemployed to avoid starvation and homelessness, and the need to push for education, as the future for the young, with proof that the more educated one is, the much lower the unemployment rate really is, and will continue to be. Also, lowering the debt for college students and graduates, as much as there are subsidies for corporations, would be a massive move in the right direction.

That is why it is essential for an end to the deadlock in the nation’s capital, and for action to be taken, but if not, the urgency of a Democratic Congress majority in both houses in November’s midterm elections is apparent!

The Gap Between Rich And Poor Greatest It Has Ever Been!

President Barack Obama yesterday drew attention to the massive and growing gap between rich and poor., which has reached its greatest extent in American history, more than in many European democracies, Canada and Australia.

The middle class reached its greatest prosperity in 1973 during the administration of Richard Nixon, after the years of the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson, the fruition of the expansion of the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Since then, with the rise of conservatism under Ronald Reagan, and reaching its greatest abuses under George W. Bush, we have seen a stagnation in the economy which is shocking, to such a point that the top one percent now owns about 40 percent of all wealth, and the pay for CEOs of corporations has risen 725 percent, compared to workers and 5.7 percent growth in wages in the past four decades.

And yet, the Republican Party and conservatives are out to cut Food Stamps further; refuse to renew unemployment compensation; reject any increase in the minimum wage, which is down 35 percent in inflation adjusted value since 1968; and refuse to consider any increase in taxes on the wealthy at any time in the future!

At the same time, any thought of caring about the millions of people who had no health care, but are covered under ObamaCare , does not cross the minds of the right wing!

If people are forced into bankruptcy by medical bills, so be it is the attitude, and of course, the bankruptcy laws were made more difficult in recent years after the Great Recession of 2008 hit the nation!

And education, the major way for people to have social mobility, has been made more difficult too, and students are burdened with such debt from attending college that there is no hope ever to advance in economic status, while banks and corporations and their stockholders always know that they will be taken care of by Republicans, as they fight any regulation or accountability for bad behavior and reckless actions.

The future is extremely gloomy, unless one is from the top ten percent of the population, and the threat to democracy and social order is massive, if this situation of total deprivation of such a large portion of the population continues without any action or concern by Congress and the courts!

Reality Of Life For Millions Harmed By Great Recession Of 2008: The End Of Unemployment Compensation And Cutting Of Food Stamps!

It has been more than five years since the collapse of the American economy, and the onset of the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Millions of Americans have been unable to obtain new employment, many of them being past the “desired” age of under 50, and many others, who are much younger, who are unable to obtain substantial employment and a living wage.

The agreement to expand unemployment compensation and food stamps for these millions came only after bitter fights with the Republican Party, who would not have done so without pressure, and the reality that the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress in 2009-2010.

But the control of the House of Representatives by the GOP since January 2011 has led to a Scrooge like mentality on unemployment compensation and food stamps. And there has been no desire to raise the minimum wage to promote the concept of a living wage. The Republican Party refuses to help create jobs, promote educational investments, and to create infrastructure jobs, although the country is desperate for improvement and repair of public works all over the nation, which would also create employment for many desperate Americans.

We are arriving at the reality that 2014 will see increased poverty and suffering, as the GOP will fight to prevent extension of aid to millions who have no lifeline. And they will do this while professing to believe in “Christian values”, a mockery of the teachings of the faith.

So the economic emergency of five years ago is about to become far worse, with no “safety net” for millions of victims who have nowhere to turn to, as concern about them is ignored, and instead, we see the government unable to do anything to advance the lives of millions of victims of the Great Recession, brought about by Republican policies under George W. Bush!

Tea Party On The Defensive, And The Civil War In The Republican Party Begins!

The results of the off year election yesterday in New Jersey and Virginia demonstrate a defeat for the Tea Party Movement, and the beginning of the civil war in the Republican Party for its soul!

Chris Christie became the front runner for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2016, as a result of his smashing victory over Barbara Buono, the Democratic nominee, for Governor. Christie attracted Democrats, Independents, and Latinos, something no Tea Party advocate could accomplish, and he has become, clearly, the “establishment” choice for now in the Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who appealed to the Tea Party Movement, and came out with outrageous stands on interference with sexual privacy, abortion, and global warming, and was also involved in a financial scandal that also undermined Governor Bob McDonnell, lost to Terry McAuliffe, backed by Bill and Hillary Clinton, who he had raised money for in the 1990s. Cuccinelli’s “Puritan” and anti science views caused women, in particular, to vote against him, making clear that if the GOP continues its “war on women” and their rights, they will be slaughtered in Congressional races in 2014 and the Presidential race in 2016.

Before anyone gets too excited about Christie, though, one must realize that the New Jersey Governor is a definite conservative on the issues–health care, education, labor unions, abortion—and he gained most of his support from his reaction to Superstorm Sandy a year ago, including his willingness to work with President Obama directly.

That will be his Achilles heel, however, in GOP primaries and caucuses, as he competes against right wingers such as Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan, and there is no guarantee that Christie will survive bruising, bloody primary and caucus fights.

But even if, somehow, he does make it through to the nomination, do not forget that Chris Christie has a short fuse; is highly temperamental when he does not like what one is saying, or opposes him; is still what this author said in the past (a bully); a man who could cause war with his bluntness, as he lacks all diplomacy and tact; and there are hints of corruption and inappropriate actions in his past record, and even some supposed connections to the Mafia.

One can be sure that ALL leads will be followed, and that Christie, who caused “red flags’ for Mitt Romney, making the 2012 GOP nominee pass Christie by for Vice President, will be fully vetted, and it could destroy any hopes he has for the Presidency.

To believe that Chris Christie will be the next President still means one has to be delusional. By comparison, he might be seen as “better” than Cruz, Paul, Rubio, Ryan and others, but ONLY by comparison, nothing more than that!

Republican House Districts Worse Off Economically, But Vote GOP Anyway Due To Racism, Fear, And Religion!

Statistics demonstrate that hard line Republican House districts, who have supported Tea Party candidates, and are vehemently anti Barack Obama, have a higher unemployment rate than the average House district.

The rate in the Tea Party districts is around ten percent, while the rate in other Congressional districts is 7.5 to 8 percent, a substantial difference.

One would think that the Republicans who represent these districts would wish to do anything and everything to encourage job growth, and to avoid the disarray of confrontations that undermine economic development, but instead it is the opposite,

When Barack Obama has promoted the need for infrastructure projects and educational investments, that has been enough to convince Tea Party types, plus the GOP leadership in both houses, to sit on their hands and refuse to cooperate in any fashion!

One would imagine that the voters of these districts, who elected these representatives, would begin to realize that they are playing politics, refusing to allow Barack Obama to have any ability to claim any progress economically, but at the expense of their constituents, who would benefit from such economic progress.

But instead, the emphasis is on fear of the “black” President from “Kenya”, obvious racism, and instead invoking religion, which should have no place in the public sphere, so we see emphasis on abortion and gay marriage to scare these constituents into voting for representatives who do not give a damn about them, and are even willing to cut food stamps, which benefit many of their own population, especially considering that the majority on food stamps nationally are white!

The ignorance and prejudice of so many people in these Tea Party districts, and other Republican districts, is absolutely mind boggling!

The Republican Party Assault On The Institution Of The American Presidency: Battle For The Past And The Future!

The Republican Party brought about the evils of the Imperial Presidency under Richard Nixon.

The Republican Party expanded the American Presidency further under Ronald Reagan after weakening the office with their conservative attacks on Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter in the White House.

Under Reagan, and the two Bush Presidencies, they expanded their power and influence over the Courts, particularly the Supreme Court, but also lower federal courts.

In the process, however, they forgot the middle class; alienated women; attacked the environment; undermined education; utilized racism and hate against African Americans and Hispanics and Latinos, and even Asian Americans; showed less concern than ever before for children, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor (often including these precise groups); leagued themselves with hate mongers on talk radio, and allied with powerful elite wealthy people to promote right wing propaganda that influenced many who were hurt by their policies and views, but did not realize it. And they set out to destroy Bill Clinton first , and now Barack Obama, including the boldness to attack a federal program (ObamaCare) that was backed by a majority in Congress, the Supreme Court majority, and the second term victory of Barack Obama!

The decision was to bring down the government by promoting economic chaos and anarchy, doing whatever had to be done!

And today, the Republican Party has 70 percent of the American people alienated by their tactics, aims, and practices, and sees the only way to survive is to assault the American Presidency, an office they have not won in the popular vote for five of the past six national elections, and have little hope of winning anytime soon in future Presidential elections!

So their goal is to continue to win state legislatures and congressional districts through gerrymandering, and weaken the Presidency, and stalemate the US Senate, which they also have little hope of winning in the future, with their agenda exposed for all to see through coverage provided by major national newspapers and liberal and progressive media that keep us informed as to the truth of what is going on!

The ultimate goal of the modern Republican Party is to wipe out, eliminate, destroy the great advancements under Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, even Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama!

This is a war for the future and the past of the American Presidency, and we cannot allow the systematic destruction of that office which has made for so much good in America in the past century!

New York City May Be Going Through Renaissance For Next Four Years With Bill De Blasio As Mayor!

New York City looks ready to elect a progressive Mayor who really cares about the poor and the middle class, unlike Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former Mayors Rudy Guiliani, Edward Koch, and Abraham Beame!

Bill De Blasio has, apparently, won slightly more than 40 percent of the Democratic Primary vote, and should be able, therefore, to avoid a runoff with the second place finisher, 2009 Mayoral nominee Bill Thompson, who lost the election to Bloomberg.

De Blasio has talked about the “Tale of Two Cities”, with 46 percent of the city being very poor, and the wealthy being so super wealthy that it is actually obscene, a result, partially, of the Great Recession of 2008, but also the result of billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who basically “bought” his three terms of office, being the wealthiest politician in America, but has shown no interest in the plight of the poor in the biggest city in America!

And the fact that De Blasio, who is white, has an African American wife, and two dark skinned, mixed race children, who are inspiring on their own, gives hope that something really significant will be done about education, health care, crime, and quality of life, taking into consideration the need to change the Bloomberg era policies!

This is a great moment, having now gone from a black President, whose mother was white, to a potential Mayor married to a black woman, and having mixed race son and daughter, who all form a loving family, just like the family of Barack Obama!

This is the future of America, as the nation moves from majority white to a majority minority population by 2040 or so, as it is already in New York City!

De Blasio has the potential to be the most inspiring Mayor of New York City since the great Fiorello La Guardia, who served three terms from 1934-1945!

Five Years Since Financial Collapse, And What Has Been Learned? NOTHING!

Five years ago this week, the financial markets on Wall Street collapsed, and America fell into the Great Recession, which many might consider the Second Great Depression, now five years long, despite claims the Great Recession is over.

Lack of proper regulation of Wall Street and the banking industry, a result of GOP control of Congress for 12 years, and a Republican President, George W. Bush for 8 years, along with some manipulation by leading Democrats, led to the worst economic outlook since 1941, and even now, five years later, with the improved economic conditions, employment will not return to pre 2008 levels until 2020 at the rate of job creation now existing!

A lot of this reality is due to refusal of the Republican Party to cooperate on legislation to create and encourage jobs, including infrastructure jobs and promotion of education training, and working to return overseas jobs to America.

But also, the Obama Presidency has not worked adequately to reform the banking structure and Wall Street, and the possibility of Larry Summers being Federal Reserve Board Chairman is precisely the WRONG thing to do, as he is part of the problem that led to 2008, and is an arrogant, overbearing, obnoxious individual who should be told to “take a hike”, with Janet Yellen the far better candidate to be the head of the Fed!

So if it going to take a grand total of TWELVE years from beginning to end for this Great Recession to be over, how is that different from the Great Depression which lasted from 1929 to 1941?

Meanwhile, a whole generation of people are suffering in terms of employment, something that will scar their future, and that of the American economy!

This is a very sad, troubling situation that must not be allowed to happen again, but it seems as if NOTHING has been learned!