What Is Up With Politics Today?

What is the race card?  If Obama pointing out the obvious is ‘the race card’ then what was it when Hillary pointed out she was a chick?  The sex card?  How about if we call it the American public is too stupid to notice the obvious so I’ll bring it up again and again card?  Because really, before any of this latest finger pointing I knew Obama was black and H. Clinton was a chick.  Big freaking deal!  What color you are (or what sex you are for that matter) doesn’t change anything.  You either have good ideas or you don’t.  Frankly, the little spat is making me think less of both candidates.  Obama for feeling the need to point out he is black and McCain for pointing out that Obama pointed it out.  I feel insulted.  What do you think about the race card debacle?

P.S.

I’m feeling a little bitter towards CNN for this bit of journalistic trash as well.   An inflammatory headline with a few disjointed quotes.  Bah. Is it me, or does a nice isolated cave sound good to anyone else?

A friend of mine sent me a link to receive a free Obama button and suggested I share it with all of you.  I thought that was a great idea but didn’t want anyone to get the idea that I was supporting Obama (mind you, I still haven’t decided).  So in order to be fair I went out and found free stuff for the Republicans and Libertarians too.  I looked for free Green Party goodies but they aren’t showing the freebie love, or if they are I couldn’t find it.  If you know of any cool political freebies throw the link in the comment section to share the love!  I hope you like at least one of the freebies I (and my sweet friend) found. 

Bob Barr was on NPR tonight which is just another reason that I love NPR (they talk to everyone in what I think is the closest thing to a nonpartisan way out there).  It was on Talk of the Nation and you can listen to the show here.  Ok so the entire thing is interesting and all but you don’t need me to run it down for you because I’m sure you are capable of clicking the link and listening to it for yourself.  *side note to all those folks at NPR who read and love my blog, an embed feature would be nice*

Here is what I want to talk about.  I really do like the Libertarian party,  I even like what I’ve read about Barr….but listening to him makes me want to play with explosives.  I don’t know why but I really, really, really, really, hate listening to that man.  His voice is the vocal equivalent to nails on a chalk board…a screeching cat…an out of tune piano.  I can’t get past it.  He makes W sound like an accomplished orator.  Someone talk me down before I stop considering him just because of his voice.  I know it’s irrational, I know it isn’t a measure of his character, and I even know it has nothing to do with his platform.  But geesh if he wins I’d have to listen to him for four years and I’m not sure everyone would make it out of that time period unscathed.  HELP!

Let’s be clear,  I think the practice of slavery is wrong.  The thing I’m a bit miffed over is that today the House passed a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for the practice of slavery (over a hundred years ago) and the Jim Crow laws (admittedly more recent).  Both things completely suck but I didn’t do it.  I’m fine with the bit of the resolution that pledges to stop human rights violations from now on.  Yay equality and freedom!  And it doesn’t say anything about reparations, but that is what a lot of people want the next step to be.  Specifically, a payment to the descendants of slaves, likened to the reparations given to those Japanese-Americans held in detention camps during WWII.  Hmm…ok but the difference there is that the payments from WWII were paid to people who had actually suffered. 

I really, really don’t get why tax payer money (i.e. MY money) should be given to people whose great great great relatives MIGHT have been brought to America against their will as slaves.  So many problems with this I hardly know where to begin.  Hmm..well first, most of my family were sharecroppers and some were in the north and none (that I know about) ever owned slaves.  Therefore, taking MY money and giving it away would piss me off.  Next, slave owners didn’t really keep track of what child belonged to what parent etc.  Heck, most slaves didn’t have a last name until after the war when many of them took the last name of either their former owners or one of their liberators.  So,  it would be incredibly difficult to say who actually had slaves as ancestors and what about people who had a lot of slaves as ancestors, should they get more money? If so, how are you going to prove who should get what?  Of course that all supposes that the people who did NOT suffer the indignity of slavery should benefit from the pain and suffering of those who came before them. 

My next problem ~ Have you looked at the quality of life that would be had by those same descendents had their ancestors been left in their home country?  Look, if you will, at the infant mortality rates, average life expectancy, economy, governments, and general living conditions of Africa.  Where would you rather live?  I am NOT saying that bringing slaves to America was good for the slaves.  It was wrong and their quality of life was worse.  Nothing, at all, ever is going to excuse that period of enslavement.   BUT, honestly, it worked out pretty good for their descendents.  While America is all kinds of screwed up in various respects it is still one of the best places to live on the planet.  Anyone want to argue that point with me? 

So…to recap.  I think an apology to African-Americans alive today is stupid.  Nothing was done to them.  Additionally, it isn’t our place to apologize because no one alive today did anything wrong (in respect to slavery, Jim Crow laws is a different story).  I would be like my grandson coming home and apologizing because my husband cheated on me.  Would it change what my husband did? No.  Is it my grandsons responsibility to apologize for his idiot grandfather? No.  Same difference. 

The article that set me off can be found here.  Let me have it :)  Do you think I’m totally wrong?  Am I just not getting it?  Or is our collective apologetic need beginning to get a bit overwhelming?

First for the serious bit.  The company Tigereye Design made a button with Barack Obama and Larry Craig side by side with the slogan “Change you can believe in”.  Unfortunately for Obama and Larry LaRocco (who is the democrat running for the Senate from Idaho) the picture is of Craig…you remember the guy that was arrested for ‘allegedly” soliciting sex in an airport bathroom.  More on that here.

Now for the funny bit.  I hardly know where to begin there are so many reasons this is funny.  First, Craig is a Republican.  Way to go Obama!  Reach across the aisle and make friendly with the Pubs.  Funnier is the sex scandal guy with Obama and that logo over their pics.  OMG change you can believe in. I’m still cracking up…Obama’s new platform to now include better sex service in airports. *stopping here b/c I really can be offensive when I don’t watch it – nah….instead if you are easily offended go away for now and come back later, check that, if you are easily offended you probably shouldn’t come back ;)* other platform additions to include, how to come out of the closet with a splash, as Obama declares his love for Craig…gay rights for Republicans…Obama opposes don’t ask don’t tell…I could do this for hours. OR on the other side of the fence…Republicans attack Obama through pictures! (they aren’t capable of a thought provoking verbal attack so they drew it out *just in case you didn’t catch the funny*) 

Funniest bit.  People getting worked up thinking this is a Republican attack on Obama.  I mean really, if it is an attack, it is on Larry LaRocco who now has his name now associated with someone arrested in a sex scandal.   Did you know what Craig looked like?  Don’t answer that if you did, because it would disturb me…I’d rather think you are memorizing the faces of someone more attractive.  I’m guessing the majority of the population of the planet don’t remember what Craig looks like from his fifteen minutes of infamy.  He was a  low level politician, if it weren’t for the sex scandal the people he represents probably wouldn’t know what he looked like.   Back to my original point, if someone from the media hadn’t noticed, people who would have seen this button probably would have just thought that is how LaRocco looks.  How stupid.  If this button would make you think less of Obama you probably aren’t the type of person who would have voted for him anyway. 

Bottom line is it was hopefully a stupid mistake by one of the many incompetent people in the workforce that got some national play because of how freaking funny it is.  If it wasn’t a mistake than I doubt it was by a high level McCain fan(which is what the conspiracy theorists are all banging their drums about now) because it really would make them look stupid too…might as well have drawn little horns on the Obama picture, ya know?

John McCain said recently that he was for banning affirmative action.  People are all upset because a decade ago he said messing with affirmative action was divisive.  (Again, heaven forbid you are open minded and capable of examining facts and then changing your mind – we wouldn’t want that…no no… we want mule headed jerks in office) 

But back to affirmative action.  So…I’m actually ok with affirmative action going bye bye.  I don’t want a job because some company needs to hit their chick quota.  If I’m not good enough to get the job on my own then I don’t want it.  I like being the best.  THE BEST.  Not the best chick.  I don’t want discrimination, obviously, but really…affirmative action has always rubbed me as being discriminatory.  I mean if the only reason I didn’t get a job was because I was a white guy I would feel discriminated against, wouldn’t you?

So it is a slow news day and I’m actually feeling a little irritated with the passing of the new homeowners rescue bill.  I swear it sometimes seems like personal accountability is a thing of my imagination.  I lot of freaking good it does me to teach kids that their actions have consequences when the government is doing its best to prove me wrong.  Bought more house than you had money?  No problem, let the tax payers take care of it for you.  Can’t read fine print and are too incompetent to know that an interest only loan is a bad idea?  Don’t worry about it, Uncle Sam has your back.  Whooa horsey, I wasn’t going to post about this, dang it. 

Ok so I went looking for a little fun and found a way to rule the world the way I want to.  Nation States allows you to pick the kind of government you want (I went with a monarchy because I’m feeling the need for some total control) and your currency and all kinds of cool stuff.  You even get make decisions about issues daily and can turn your world into anything you want.  So here comes the world according to the Bird, baby.  I’m not sure exactly what it’s going to look like but at least it’s fun Here is the link to the game so you can play for yourself.  Here is the link to my brand new baby Queendom (my students would get a total kick out of that because I had little queen stuff all over my classroom…running gag this isn’t a democracy, it’s a monarchy).  So if politics today is making your blood pressure go up….go create your own nation and do with it as you please without having to worry about stupid people voting in stupider people.  Long live the Queen!

PS

It’s free!!!!!!

PPS

I guess this post turned into a twofer.  First bit about the new bill and the second bit about the game, I do tend to get random, don’t I?

I am completely in love with the game Budget Hero that is on the Marketplace portion of the American Public Media site.  So basically you get to make the choices the government is faced with like raising the tax on gas/alcohol/tobacco raising the age of eligibility for social security, helping more endangered animals and the like (tons of cool options).  You then get to see how your choices effect the economy and how long it would be before your plan would bankrupt the government.  Nifty, huh?  Oh and at the beginning you get to pick what you think are the three most important goals of ‘your’ government some of the options are national security, green,  and health.  That means if you want to turn our government into a socialist utopia you can see how that would work, or if you want a military state you can see how that would work etc. 

So how did I do?  Turns out I’m a downsizer…I shrank the size of government from 20% to 18% and I reduced the national debt from 37.7% of GDP (or 8.4 Trillion if you want a money figure) to 4.1% of GDP within ten years (.9 trillion)  Not too shabby.  I’ve played the game off and on for the last couple of months and it looks like there are occasionally new cards added as world events change, or I could just be forgetful and not remember seeing them before (ya never know about my memory).  At any  rate it is crazy fun and it helps you get an idea of how all of the things the political bigwigs are talking about can have long term consequences on our economy.  Fun and function, ya gotta love it. 

Try it out and tell me how you did Did you like it? Hate it? Think it was pointless?  OR were you totally addicted and encouraged to find out more about the state of our economy and how political hot topics will effect the economy down the road?

PS

Yes some people dislike aspects of the game but overall I think it is informative and fun.

So…there is and has been this big to do about torturing enemies of the state.  People are calling waterboarding torture.  To me..not so much.  I mean it’s not electrocution or toenail removal.  Seriously, if there isn’t lasting bodily harm what’s the problem?  If there is bodily harm what’s the problem?  Do you really think someone who is planning to blow up portions of the United States is just going to tell you everything you want to know because you ask nicely?  Do you?!!?  Sure, sure, civil liberties blah blah Constitution blah blah EXCEPT these weren’t citizens of the United States and the Constitution and civil liberties don’t apply to them.   So there.  Get your pitchforks and bring it ;)  Are you wondering if I’m being serious or snarky?  A little bit of both.  The total warfare me (and if you are going to go to war you might as well do it right …look up total warfare if you really want to hate me) says you do what you need to if you want to win.  The humanitarian pacifist in me says it’s wrong to hurt others so war and of course torture is wrong.  So I’m torn.  BUT my point is why don’t I ever hear anyone say yeah, it might be torture but so freaking what? If they are going to be all about it then damn it, be all about it.  Tell the American people it is in the interest of national security and don’t quibble about semantics.  Did everyone get all weepy when we bombed Hiroshima?  NO.  (see and part of me feels bad about that too…I’m either very complex or I have multiple personalities) If everyone wants to call it torture then call it torture, justify it and move on.  I’m ranting.   Point..there is a  point here somewhere.  Ok.    So regardless of if I think it is right or wrong  (because I could obviously argue either side here) the government should make up its collective mind and then stop denying it and BSing about it and just put it out there and say YUP.  It needed to be done, we did it, we’re gonna keep doing it, and you are going to be safer because of it. OR they need to say YUP. We did it, you don’t want us to do it, we’ll stop.  But this technicality stuff is starting to irk me.

What do you think?  Torture good/necessary or bad/pointless?  Do you think the government should man up and just call a spade a spade or do you think they should continue tap dancing?

CNN has this virtual political market.  They give you ‘currency’ to buy and sell political possibilities.  For example you can buy ‘shares’ of who the Republican Vice Presidential nominee is going to be.  When I bought Huckabee he was trading at a little over $5 a share meaning according to the market there is a 5% chance he’ll be the nominee.  Pretty freaking cool, huh?  I also bought some shares of Crist while I was at it.  Ok so you can also buy stocks on who Obama will pick, who will win in November, who will win specific states and a few other nifty things.  Also, if you are familiar at all with the stock market you even get a little ticker and chart that shows how your stocks are doing AND there is a list of top traders so you can see how other people are doing.    

This is just the most fun thing ever in the form of political games…actually there is one more that I really like….might just have to tip you on it tomorrow For now here is the link so you can join the political market fun.

Am I a total geek or what?  …uhm don’t answer that.  Do  you have any cool political or economic games you like to play?  Great ways to run the universe from your computer?  Did you check out the political market? How are your stocks doing?  Alrighty…I’m off to be more of a geek