Arguments From Within

Debates and arguments are a large part of politics however, it seems that as time goes on these debates morph into all out wars with words.  Politics inspire and cause a passion that is infectious and can spread like wild fire as is well portrayed in elections and by the media.  Passion is key but more and more often it is leading to anger and hate which are not democratic emotions.  I was recently involved in a discussion with a friend and several of his family members that were frustrated with people on the Fourth of July that were making comments about the disappointment they felt in the Obama administration.  I made a point that this is a country that allows freedom of speech and this frustration towards these people was unfounded and selfish.  Obviously this was not taken well because no one enjoys hearing that they are being narrow-minded and the war with words began.  I was shocked at the immaturity that ensued and backed out of the conversation as it was turning into a juvenile name calling contest.  I realized this all began with a few words.  Words are powerful and can stir emotions that cause us to act in a way that is beneath us.  The family members were self-proclaimed moderates in their political beliefs but refused to be logical or reasonable and I could not help but laugh at the hilarity of the situation.  This is what America is coming to.  These are the types of people that are voting for leaders that are incapable of leading and yet will stand to blame others for the problems that they voted for.  There will always be anger and frustration in politics but with a healthy dose of logic, many of these outbursts would never happen.  PLEASE be reasonable if a conversation turns sour.  Sometimes the best action is to walk away as difficult as it may be.

2012 GOP Candidates

There have been many people that have stated their dislike of the options for the GOP nomination for the 2012 Presidential election however, these candidates are some of the best this party has had since Reagan.  These people love this country and they love the freedoms that we as a nation enjoy.  They all have various levels of experience in public office and most have succeeded in other fields such as business and media as well.  Some may have some extremist views but they will slowly be dropped from the race as they represent viewer citizens.  The front runners are obviously Mitt Romney, Michelle, Bachmann, and Herman Cain and they as a whole are representative of the Republican Party.  Each offer a very different promise as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world and each have a shot at winning the seat from the current administration.  Why would these not be considered the best the GOP has to offer?  Some mention religion, extremism, and lack of political suave are the major reasons however in reality, none except extremism could deter an individual from being a true leader.  A true leader is humble, passionate, and able to admit when they are wrong.  A true leader also surrounds themselves with advisers that posses differing opinions and backgrounds in order to better represent a larger group of those being represented.
A leader that actually connects with the people of this country will be a wonderful change from President Obama.  We need someone that stands up for the people instead of standing against them with an audible air of pride.  In turn, we need voters that educate themselves on those running.  There will be more trust in the government and the elected individual will be held to a higher standard with more accountability to those they represent.  Really learn for yourself about these candidates instead of trusting wholly a media source... that is the key to true learning.

Middle Eastern Political Climate

I think it is safe to say that the year 2011 has come with a flurry of political and military activity in the Middle East.  Egypt began to protest their government on January 25, 2011 in the city of Cairo and it wasn't until February 11, 2011 that President Mubarak decided to step down.  this revolution began a string of events that took place in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and most recently in Libya.  This is a very strange turn of events that will have powerful effects on the world.  Many have already felt the hit to their finances as gas price rose up to $.40 in one day in some areas and food prices have spiked in most areas.  The worry that I have is the power vacuum that will take place as these governments in the Middle East fall... who will step in?  The Muslim Brotherhood, the United States, Europe?, a terrorist group?  Who knows, one thing we can be sure of is the candidate hopefuls for the upcoming 2012 election in the United States will be watched and scrutinized very carefully over the course of these events and their actions could determine who will be running for president against the current administration.  Only time will tell but please be aware of false promises being made and lies being told by those running and those already in office.  Search it out for yourself and make an educated vote.  That is the soul of Democracy right?

CPAC 2011

I went, I saw, I learned... Although the Republican party had a great comeback in the 2010 election it is now the time to rally behind a single candidate to hopefully remove President Obama from office.  These splits within the party will not increase the chances of a Republican win in 2012.  The straw poll showed Ron Paul as winning 30% of the votes but it is common knowledge especially to those that attended the conference that the polls were packed and dozens of people voted up to 7 times for Ron Paul.  Mitt Romney was a close second with 23% of the vote and he was a much more viable candidate.  His speech calling for the Obama administration to focus not on healthcare, but on the failing economy and high unemployment rate was spectacular created massive support as round after round of applause from the thousands present echoed from the walls of the auditorium.  There were many other speeches given that were incredible that asked why this nation has not seen the change that was promised.  They asked this country to stand together and not not fall apart no matter the leader.  The United States is the most powerful nation in the world in so many aspects and we need to challenge ourselves and live up to that standard.  We can change the course that this country is headed and we can do this by participating.  Vote, petition, call your representatives, run for office, etc... These are all avenues that we are able to use and we need to.  God bless America.

Florida Judge Deems Obamacare UNCONSTITUTIONAL

It is common knowledge that the health care plan proposed by President Barack Obama has brought in a torrent of fear and anger nationwide.  President Obama claims that everyone should have health care whether they want it or not.  The main problem with the plan is the fact that although it brings health care to each and everyone of us, it lacks hugely in quality.  This exchange for quantity versus quality is by nature against what the United States of America stands for.
Justice Roger Vinson of Florida made a bold ruling that pointed out some unconstitutional flaws within the health care bill.  He points out that because of the bill forcing citizens to purchase health care and violates the Commerce Clause, it becomes unconstitutional thereby making the bill void.
There is of course many who claim this was an unfair ruling and this decision will be taken to the Supreme Court but I have high hopes that the highest court of the land will take note that the Congress who passed this law overstepped the bounds of their authority and also refused to take into account the many constituents that they represent DID NOT want the bill passed.  Time will tell what will come of this Obamacare but for the sake of quality health care, I hope the law dies.

Veterans Day of Honor

This is a day on which we celebrate those who serve and have served in our military.  These brave men and women who fight for the rights and liberties of this glorious nation are an important and incredibly special part of our country.  The comprise of about 1,455,000 men and women on active duty and 833,616 on reserve.  This means that this country has the second largest military in the world, second only the People's Republic of China.
This is a time of great unrest in the world with wars, natural disasters, disease, and a new issue that has become more prevalent and that is hate.  There has become a widespread feeling of distrust and ill-feeling for this within our own nation and those who are elsewhere but this horrible feeling must end.  We just had another election and we celebrate the opportunities that we have to vote freely and speak our minds freely.  This is a right that is protected by these phenomenal men and women of the United States Military.  Let us honor them by doing our part to add to the feelings of unity and trust in this country.  Let us stand together lest we fall apart from within.  Happy Veterans Day to all.

All is Fair in Love and War... and Politics?

The American Government has problems... There is no doubt about it and there is no small amount of literature spouting ideas and reasons why this travesty came to pass.  One such book is written by Sunil Ahuja and although the book has an obvious bias (Liberal) there are some truths listed within.  The 1950's and 60's were a time of great changes happening within policies and congress was working together (bipartisanship) to create a greater good for the country.  The were able to work on health care, education, and welfare together because as former congressman Bob Michel (R) puts it "they respected the institution".  It seems that today the opposing sides demonize the other and have become exceptional blame game players.  As Fred Greenstein states in his incredible book "The Presidential Difference", oftentimes what it takes to run for and be elected president are not the same characteristics to be a great president.  There are few men that have been truly remarkable presidents although they did run a great campaign filled with promises and pledges to the American people to create "change" and "hope".  Why do we keep voting for people that have proven they will never change.  The goal is to become safe in a position and get re-elected which means they are because less bipartisan.  There are less and less bills that go through congress and the house that are bipartisan which means that no matter what, a large group of people will be feeling very unrepresented and there will be consequences.  After the Newt Gingrich revolution in 1994 the Republicans were in control of both houses until 2006 and here we have again, less than 4 years later the Democrats lost the House because they were not doing their jobs.  They were not representing their constituents and it has come down to the Republican party to help change the path this country has taken over the past 4 years.  Let us hope that congress will work together to ensure a safe and economically stable future for this nation.  The greatest nation in the world: The United States of America.  Congratulations to those who were elected in this intense mid-term election.  Serve the country well.    

Red November

Congrats to the Republican and Tea Party members for this phenomenal win in the elections.  The map was a lovely shade of red when I awoke this morning and I could not be happier except if the country was united in this happiness.  I am proud to say that I voted yesterday along with an incredibly high number of voters hitting the polls yesterday especially for a midterm election.  What inspiration!  This country CAN vote and the people have spoken.  No more mis-representing.  No more policies that few people support.  No more!  What a lesson for the upcoming generation that voting makes a difference.  It is the most clear our voices as one, are heard by the federal government and you can bet that things will be changing.  Not over night but changes will occur and I can only hope that the Republicans live up to their promise to America.  God Bless this glorious nation!

Some "Fun Facts" About Elections in the United States

• A majority of the voting-age population does not vote in most
elections in the United States?
• Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, when first elected president,
each received the votes of only about one quarter of those eligible
to vote in his sizable electoral victory, Barack Obama received the
votes of 33 percent of those eligible and 30 percent of voting-age
adults?
• most members of Congress have no effective opposition in running
for renomination, and some have no opponents in the general
election?
• More than 90 percent of members of the House of Representatives
and 80 percent of senators were re-elected in the period from 1960
through 2008.
• No third-party presidential candidate has received any electoral
votes since 1972?
• There were more ballots discarded or under-counted in New York
City and Chicago in the 2000 election than there were disputed
ballots in the controversial Florida presidential vote that year.
• About $5 billion was spent on federal elections in 2008? .
• Information about how elections are conducted in the United
States is so fragmentary that the government does not know how
many people were turned away at the polls, how long people stood
in lines waiting to vote, how many ballots were voided.or simply
not counted, and how many voting machines malfunctioned.
• It took more than seven months in 200S for officials and the courts
to determine the winner of the election in Minnesota for a seat in the
U.S. Senate?
• The average length of time that presidential candidates appeared
on the evening news shows of the major broadcast networks in the
last three elections was about seven seconds?
• More than 50 percent of candidate advertising in recent federal
elections contained some negative reference to an opponents
character or policy positions?

• More than $200 million was spent on advertising during the 2008
nomination process, with the Democrats spending more than
twice as much as the Republicans? (BUT REMEMBER, Liberals are supposed to be the savior of this nation... Obviously it is not working)
• Only about one-third of the people can name the member of
Congress who represents them during nonelectoral periods?


These statements were pulled from the Stephen Wayne's book "Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Election?".

Facts About Healthcare Today... and the Future

It is a common notion that wars are expensive.  Keeping up with the economy is expensive.  Healthcare is expensive.  LIFE is expensive.  Just because we are American does not mean that the federal government should pay for everything and give us "discounts".  People moan and groan about the costs of healthcare and blame the federal government for hiking up prices but if the government were to turn to a socialized healthcare system the country would collapse from the sheer weight of pressure.  I was recently speaking to a good friend of mine from South Korea who happens to be a huge supporter for socialized healthcare.  South Korea is a country of around 50 million while the United States population sits at about 310 million.  To support a country that is small compared to our population, yes I would say that most South Koreans are probably quite satisfied with their system because it is adequate to fit their needs however when looking at this country and the size versus the number of doctors and hospitals, the numbers do not add up.  Doctors would make less money which would give them less incentive to do their best or even become doctors because they would be overloaded with patients with symptoms ranging from minor colds or cuts to cancer and MS.  This is not a rational process for this nation.  People declare that only the elitists of the country can afford decent healthcare but I myself am living proof that this is false.  I pay under $100 dollars a month for health and dental and I am well taken care of.  I rest easy at night knowing that I am in good hands instead of fearing that one day I might contract a fatal virus and will be left on my own because the cost to save me would not be worth the effort as it would be in a socialized healthcare system.  We really need to, as citizens of this great nation find a happy medium.  Entitlement is not going to help this country but it will certainly hinder it and with the international and domestic issues running rampant today, healthcare is one things we should not have to worry about.  Lets get the GOP back into office to hopefully save the country from the lethal bandwagon fallacy shall we?