To start, I would just like to say that this is a rant, pure and simple. I decided to pick up a paper this morning to look up the goings on around my little island so that my wife and I could find something reasonably priced (or even free) to fill some time today and spend some much needed couple time together. Unfortunately, reading the news either depresses me or pisses me off. Today, it depressed AND pissed me off. So while my wife takes a nap, I decided to write out exactly what was pissing me off because writing is way cheaper than therapy and helps me calm down. So if you don't like reading the rantings of a 30-something white male, read no further.
The first thing that pissed me off: Christmas. What the hell happened to Thanksgiving? I realize it's this week, but I have seen Christmas decorations and such up since before Halloween! The Navy Exchange had a 30' tree up outside our local NEX/Commissary mall at the beginning of November. Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas. It's a time to relax and share with family members. Granted with the economy the way it is, I will be sharing lower priced things with my family, mostly of the aloha variety. But I read today that Santa will be making an appearance at four of the my island's six malls this weekend as opposed to the weekend after Thanksgiving (biggest shopping weekend of the year), or even the first weekend in December. Seriously? When did Christmas start overtaking Thanksgiving AND Halloween? Aside from Thanksgiving, Halloween is probably my favorite holiday as I get to dress up and act like a fool while giving candy to my neighborhoods' kids! And the sad thing is, I know that corporations are only fueled by consumers. People: stop encouraging the corporations by trying to buy Christmas themed stuff earlier and earlier every year! I want to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving in their respective months without being reminded that Christmas is in December. At the rate things are going, Christmas themed items will be displayed in stores starting in September, which is way too soon for my tastes; September is my birth month, and I like to focus on me that month, dammit!
I read two articles about troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as well this morning. One article was the amount of food that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will have for their Thanksgiving feast (244,854 lbs of turkey, 4,308 cans of cranberry sauce, 38,292 pies, etc). The next was the number of deaths for the last week in Iraq and Afghanistan (15 last week, 5,784 total for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom combined). While it warms my heart to see that our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are doing it up right for Thanksgiving, I'm saddened to see the second set of numbers I provided. Come to think of it, the first set of numbers makes me a little sad too, because I know what it's like to be eating Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner while on a deployment. Yeah, the food is great, but it sucks because you aren't with your family and friends. What makes these numbers even worse is a quote from President Obama while he was campaigning for president:
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank."
I tried to take this promise to the bank, but it got declined due to non-sufficient funds. Notice how he worded this. It's the "first" thing he will do. First as in, first. Not after he and congress bail out the banks, automakers, etc. Not after he and congress take away our right to choose what appliances we can have in our homes in the interest of of energy conservation. Not after he and congress take away out right to determine how we pay for our health care. The war on terror started as a way to get revenge on Al Qaeda for attacking our home soil. Well now there's speculation that it was in fact a U.S. led job to scare the population into compliance with measures that take away our civil liberties that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The war in Iraq started as a preventive measure to ensure that Iraq would not use stockpiled weapons of mass destruction against, well, anybody. It has been proven time and again since we invaded Iraq that aren't WMD's in Iraq, and there never were WMD's in Iraq. After that, the party line for both Republicans and Democrats during President Bush's remaining time in office, and now President Obama's time in office is that we have to help them get back on their feet. When will the government realize that we are at the point where Iraq and Afghanistan will let us provide security and money to them without end until we we go broke? And all the while, OUR military members keep dying and getting severely wounded. Presidents Obama and Bush, I ask you, "Why?"
Which leads me into the next thing I'm pissed about. I read an article this morning concerning military budget cuts. Some of the things on the table are an across the board pay freeze for military members, reduction in Tricare benefits (the military insurance provider for family members and retirees), reduction in retirement benefits, revamping retirement pay calculations, and delaying retirement benefits. I'm not even sure where to start with this. Seriously. Looking around the neighborhood where I live, I see that a lot of married service members live in a single income situation. It's not that the spouses don't want to work, it's just hard for a spouse to get and keep a decent paying job when their military member is moving every 3-5 years. What company would want to hire you for a decent amount of money if they know you will be moving on after you've been there long enough for them to train you but before they see a return on their investment in you? Therefore, the military member is the breadwinner in such a family group with the spouse often either being a homemaker or taking lower paying service industry jobs that traditionally have a high turnover rate anyway. Freezing the pay levels for three years would have disastrous consequences, as the cost of living goes up approximately 6% every year due to inflation. And I'm speaking of basic cost of living (groceries, rent/mortgage, gas, utilities, clothing, insurance payments). Throw in retirement pay calculated at less than 1/3 of the average for your last 5 years in the service and not receiving any retirement pay until you hit retirement age anyway. Who would want to stay in the service long enough to retire?
Now there are some people who will say that military members are compensated too much anyway, and a pay freeze is only right. To those of you who think that, I ask you to please spend a tour on a ship as part of the crew, or even better, a tour at one of the lovely camps we have in the middle east. Then come back and tell me that the military is overcompensated. There are studies out there that say there is now no gap between military compensation and civilian pay, and the military is in fact out pacing the civilian sector when it comes to pay increases. What those studies don't take into account are that the military member is often on call every second of every day, and that most work weeks for them are Sunday to Saturday, with 12 to 16 hours being the average length of their work day.
On to other military matters... This one saddened me. I read that the ACLU is a STAUNCH supporter of the Westboro Baptist Church. You know, the guys who protest at military funerals, holding up signs that say things like "God kills solders because America tolerates gays," and "God loves IED's." While I'm a firm supporter of the right to free speech, I do think that a measure of respect should be given to the fallen service member's family. They've lost a loved one, and they don't know what that loved one died for other than to further American interests. I know the WBC is nothing but a bunch of hate-fueled bigots, but come on ACLU. I thought you guys at least had some tact.
And finally... I promise, this is the last thing that is pissing me off. The TSA started rolling out the full body scanners last month. And naturally, Honolulu International is one of the airports that received one first. For those of you not aware, the full body scanners take some rather detailed pictures of you, which are viewed by an agent whom you aren't allowed to see. The purpose of these scanners is to show that you are not carrying anything under you clothing. They are more effective than metal detectors because they can see things that are non-ferrous as well as things that are. Now, I don't know about you, but when did it become ok for some goon to look under my wife's, my children's, and my clothes? Supposedly the images are wiped as soon as the security verification is complete, but how do we know that? We're supposed to take the word of an agency who's primary goal is to violate our civil rights? I just typed in the words "TSA saved body scans" into Google, and got back three news stories about two different occasions where they were not only saved, but leaked on the internet! Naturally, you can opt not to be scanned, but then you will have to submit to a pat down. And TSA agents have been instructed to be very aggressive with their pat downs. One news story recounts the tale of a woman who had a hand up her skirt, and another where their genitalia was firmly groped. I'd like to give you a definition:
Sexual assualt: unwanted sexual contact that stops short of rape or attempted rape. This includes sexual touching and fondling. (source: http://www.rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/was-it-rape)
Of course the TSA claims that this is not, in fact sexual assault as you are submitting to it voluntarily so that you can make it onto your plane and not have your travel plans interrupted. If only there was some word or phrase that defined the requirement of sexual favors to achieve a personal benefit... Oh. Right.
Sexual harassment: intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. (source: Paludi, Michele Antoinette; Barickman, (1991). Academic and Workplace Sexual Harassment. SUNY Press. pp. 2–5. ISBN 0791408299)
I don't know about you, but sexual assault and harrassment should not be a prerequisite in order for me to continue my travel plans. And before anyone asks, "Well why not drive?" the answer is that I live on an island more than 2500 miles from the nearest city in the continental U.S. There is no bridge, and even if there was, it would be so long that it would need gas stations and hotels built along it's length. I could feasibly take a boat, but I can't afford a cruise liner every time I want/need to go to the mainland, and considering the type of work my wife does and that I will hopefully be doing soon, we can't afford the time it would take to get back and forth.
And that, my friends, is that. If you've made it this far, thank-you for reading. I feel much better now.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
My Dream
Recently, media talking head Glenn Beck led a rally with fellow Tea Party activist Sarah Palin on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. While the event was billed as non-political, there were strong Christian-centric overtones that meshed with the stated goals of Conservative Republicans. The theme of the rally was that they wanted to restore honor to America by returning the country to God.
The message of this rally, after reading many reports, seems to have been this: America was founded by God, America is blessed by God, America became the greatest country in the world because of God, and America is declining because we are becoming Godless.
I have to congratulate the organizers of the event on masterful planning. They specifically avoided any overt political messages. There were no claims of "Obama is a racist." Attendees were specifically asked to not bring any political signs to the rally, though there were lots of "Don't Tread On Me" flags waving. This event was targeted at the Christian conservatives of the nation, and they delivered what that group wanted: lots of prayer, and lots of "go to church." No specific flavor of Christianity was being pushed, but there was no mention of any of the other major religions being practiced in our country either.
In my short life, I have witnessed too many miracles to be in doubt that there is a "God." If there isn't, then I have had a lot of coincidences happen in my life that can only be otherwise chalked up to an extraordinary amount of good luck on my part. When I was in a bad situation as a child, a person was inspired to report it to get me out of there. Instead of being stuck in the system until I was an adult because I was considered too old to adopt (at the age of 9, no less), I was adopted by the most wonderful person: the person I am proud to call mom. Instead of my mom being forced to work two jobs just to support my brother and me, she met and fell in love with the man I am proud to call my dad. I know I wasn't the easiest of teens to raise, but I was blessed with parents who were firm with me while trying to teach me why I shouldn't do certain things. I like to think that I am the man I am today because of the way I was raised. No, my problem isn't with God. It's with organized religion. In my experiences, no single religion has gotten God's message 100% right. Sure, they say they words, but then they turn around and tell you that everyone else is wrong and needs to be brought to the "right" way of thinking.
With that being said, I would like to share my dream with everyone.
I have a dream where all the people of America can celebrate our differences instead of trying to make ourselves into the same thing; where we are all American, no matter where we come from, what religion we practice or don't; where we can celebrate our individual heritage while participating in our national one.
I have a dream that Christians, Muslims, Jews, Taoists, Shintoists, and every other person who practices a religion or doesn't can celebrate the fact that we live in a country that allows us to choose how to worship, whether we want to worship, and be happy about it instead of saying that a person is wrong for not practicing a specific religion.
I have a dream where there is a true separation between church and state; where leaders are elected for their merits and not their appeal to one interest group or another; where leaders do what is right for this country without thought of lining their pockets and without increasing the national debt; where taxes are actually used to pay for programs and assets that benefit the people of this great nation instead of funding programs that only treat the symptoms and not the problem.
I have a dream where Americans are proud to be Americans; where we can work together as Americans without a common threat to band us together; where Americans can work with Europeans, Asians, Africans, and all of the countries of the world to form a more perfect world; a world where each country is able to maintain it's distinct cultural identity, and each country is respectful of the others' traditions, religions, and people.
I have a dream where racism and sexism are, once and for all, completely abolished; where programs like "affirmative action" are no longer needed; where each day is a celebration of ethnic and gender diversity instead of having a specific day or month set aside for a specific race or sex. Lord knows that I have met enough men and women of different races and religions, and the only difference between us are the physical ones. If we're created in God's image, then God is male and female and composed of all races, which means the physical differences between us do not matter.
Yes, ladies and gentleman, I have a dream. But this dream is not possible unless we all work together. This dream will not come true over night, and it cannot come true while we have people in positions of power who tell us what to think instead of encouraging us to think for ourselves. This dream will not be possible until we allow ourselves to be freed from the yoke of popularism; this dream is not possible while we feel entitled to government handouts; this dream cannot come true while we, as people, allow ourselves to be blinded by hate and ignorance and feelings of entitlement.
So I ask each of you: can you do it? Can you think for yourselves instead of being told what to think by talking heads and ad companies? Can you think of someone else before you think of yourself? Can you look at another person and be glad that they are different instead of mad that they aren't the same as you? Will you?
The message of this rally, after reading many reports, seems to have been this: America was founded by God, America is blessed by God, America became the greatest country in the world because of God, and America is declining because we are becoming Godless.
I have to congratulate the organizers of the event on masterful planning. They specifically avoided any overt political messages. There were no claims of "Obama is a racist." Attendees were specifically asked to not bring any political signs to the rally, though there were lots of "Don't Tread On Me" flags waving. This event was targeted at the Christian conservatives of the nation, and they delivered what that group wanted: lots of prayer, and lots of "go to church." No specific flavor of Christianity was being pushed, but there was no mention of any of the other major religions being practiced in our country either.
In my short life, I have witnessed too many miracles to be in doubt that there is a "God." If there isn't, then I have had a lot of coincidences happen in my life that can only be otherwise chalked up to an extraordinary amount of good luck on my part. When I was in a bad situation as a child, a person was inspired to report it to get me out of there. Instead of being stuck in the system until I was an adult because I was considered too old to adopt (at the age of 9, no less), I was adopted by the most wonderful person: the person I am proud to call mom. Instead of my mom being forced to work two jobs just to support my brother and me, she met and fell in love with the man I am proud to call my dad. I know I wasn't the easiest of teens to raise, but I was blessed with parents who were firm with me while trying to teach me why I shouldn't do certain things. I like to think that I am the man I am today because of the way I was raised. No, my problem isn't with God. It's with organized religion. In my experiences, no single religion has gotten God's message 100% right. Sure, they say they words, but then they turn around and tell you that everyone else is wrong and needs to be brought to the "right" way of thinking.
With that being said, I would like to share my dream with everyone.
I have a dream where all the people of America can celebrate our differences instead of trying to make ourselves into the same thing; where we are all American, no matter where we come from, what religion we practice or don't; where we can celebrate our individual heritage while participating in our national one.
I have a dream that Christians, Muslims, Jews, Taoists, Shintoists, and every other person who practices a religion or doesn't can celebrate the fact that we live in a country that allows us to choose how to worship, whether we want to worship, and be happy about it instead of saying that a person is wrong for not practicing a specific religion.
I have a dream where there is a true separation between church and state; where leaders are elected for their merits and not their appeal to one interest group or another; where leaders do what is right for this country without thought of lining their pockets and without increasing the national debt; where taxes are actually used to pay for programs and assets that benefit the people of this great nation instead of funding programs that only treat the symptoms and not the problem.
I have a dream where Americans are proud to be Americans; where we can work together as Americans without a common threat to band us together; where Americans can work with Europeans, Asians, Africans, and all of the countries of the world to form a more perfect world; a world where each country is able to maintain it's distinct cultural identity, and each country is respectful of the others' traditions, religions, and people.
I have a dream where racism and sexism are, once and for all, completely abolished; where programs like "affirmative action" are no longer needed; where each day is a celebration of ethnic and gender diversity instead of having a specific day or month set aside for a specific race or sex. Lord knows that I have met enough men and women of different races and religions, and the only difference between us are the physical ones. If we're created in God's image, then God is male and female and composed of all races, which means the physical differences between us do not matter.
Yes, ladies and gentleman, I have a dream. But this dream is not possible unless we all work together. This dream will not come true over night, and it cannot come true while we have people in positions of power who tell us what to think instead of encouraging us to think for ourselves. This dream will not be possible until we allow ourselves to be freed from the yoke of popularism; this dream is not possible while we feel entitled to government handouts; this dream cannot come true while we, as people, allow ourselves to be blinded by hate and ignorance and feelings of entitlement.
So I ask each of you: can you do it? Can you think for yourselves instead of being told what to think by talking heads and ad companies? Can you think of someone else before you think of yourself? Can you look at another person and be glad that they are different instead of mad that they aren't the same as you? Will you?
Friday, September 17, 2010
Violations of the U.S. Constitution
Today, I had the distinct honor of being called a liar by someone who disagreed with something I commented on in response to a friend's innocuous post about today being Constitution day. Considering the speed with which this person responded and called me a liar, I'm forced to conclude that they did not do any research to back up their claim that I am a liar, and instead were relying on their innate "superior" moral compass when responding.
The gist of what I stated was this: The Bush Administration is guilty of violating the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights of several U.S. citizens, foreign nationals legally residing on U.S. soil, and prisoners under U.S. care. Additionally, the Bush Administration is guilty of violating several civil rights of the same.
The person who accused me of lying responded by stating, "I have rarely seen such outright lies posted by libs. Of course, with demos totally distancing themselves from Obama, they have nothing left but to bash W with a bunch of lies. Memo: Bush is not running for any office." I will not be posting this person's name as I did not receive permission to quote them. I will say that they called me out on a specific point regarding posse comitatus, and they were in fact correct on that point, though they neglected to include all of the facts associated with it.
I offered this person the opportunity to carry on a private, logical, and fact-based dialog with me, however it's been a few hours since I made the offer, and they have not yet responded. I've always been a little impatient, and with this slur against my honor, I feel the need to show the research I did prior to making my statement. For those of you who are a little rusty on your U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, I will be providing links to each Amendment on www.usconstitution.net.
Bush Administration violation of the First Amendment: This violation is outlined in no less than the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, specifically Section 215. Under the USA PATRIOT Act, Sec. 215, the federal government is authorized to obtain or use ANY information to determine if you are a terrorist. This includes, but is not limited to: medical/dental records, library records, ISP logs, etc. Under this statute, the federal agent just needs to submit a request for these records to a federal judge with no more than a suspicion that you might be involved with a terrorist activity. This includes U.S. Citizens who are protected under the First Amendment for what they say and read as long as it is not a direct threat to another person. This law also violates the First Amendment by allowing for "sneak and peek" roving wiretaps that do not require a warrant. Basically, anything you say can be used against you, whether you are a threat or not. President Bush is guilty of violating the First Amendment of the Constitution by signing this bill into law, the 107th Congress is guilty for voting for it, and the Administration is guilty for not raising any red flags against it. To be fair, the entire Obama Administration and the current congress are guilty for allowing this law to continue with very little changes. (USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is available for viewing here)
Bush Administration violation of the Fourth Amendment: This one is a biggie. Legal counsel to President Bush, Alberto Gonzalez, specifically asked the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice if there was a way to get around the Fourth Amendment. In their response, they stated that if the action fell under the Department of Defense, then the Fourth Amendment did not apply. As the National Security Administration falls under the DoD, this effectively grants them the right to bypass the Fourth Amendment as long as they say they are conducting "domestic military operations." Actions that can be taken include but are not limited to: warrant-less wire-tapping, search or seizure of persons of interest without probable cause, search or seizure of property without probable cause. You may be saying to yourself, well, at least I have my Fifth Amendment rights...
Bush Administration violation of the Fifth Amendment: Whoops, hold on there. In a later memo issued by the DoJ's OLC, if you are declared to be an enemy combatant by the government, then you have no Fifth Amendment right. You can be stripped of liberty and property indefinitely and without due process as long as you are "held abroad." That is why the Bush Administration wanted to use Guantanamo Bay Navy Base, for "enemy combatants" that were "identified" domestically. The violation occurs here because according to U.S. law, a military asset located abroad (ship, base, outpost, outhouse, etc) is considered U.S. soil, and persons detained at these assets are to be treated as though they were physically in the U.S.
Bush Administration violation of the Sixth Amendment: Anyone who has seen the news knows this one. Lots of detainees being held for years without trial or the opportunity to confront their accusers. I'm not sure what the legal precedent is for alien unlawful combatants, but for American citizens, this applies whether you are guilty of a misdemeanor or high treason.
Bush Administration violation of the Eighth Amendment: Quick! How do you get away with torturing someone and doing away with human rights standards? Call it something else and don't leave any marks. This is what happened when detainees were forced to stand in stress positions, were "aggressively interrogated," were water boarded, and sleep deprived among other despicable acts. There's a very good article on Wikipedia about this, and it links to the sources they used in writing the article. Sources include DoJ memos which tell how something which would normally be considered a human rights / Eighth Amendment violation can be redefined by the President so that it's not. As for this, crap by any other name still smells bad.
Now I realize that this rant of mine may look like it is a very "leftist" view of things. If you're a hard core conservative and have made it this far, congratulations! The truth is that if the Obama Administration was serious about addressing the rightful grievances the American people have against the U.S. government, they would attempt to get the USA PATRIOT Act either repealed or rewritten so that it does not violate American civil rights. Having been in the military, I can understand a need for a certain level of security. However it does not need to come at the cost of having my personal life invaded because I "might" be associated with a terror group. If the American people would be more vigilant on their own instead of letting Big Brother watch over their every move; if the American people as a whole actually gave a damn about taking care of themselves instead of being taken care of; if the American people as a whole were just a little more proud of themselves and each other for living in a country known as a symbol of hope and freedom, then perhaps we wouldn't have to worry about losing our freedom to the government.
The gist of what I stated was this: The Bush Administration is guilty of violating the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights of several U.S. citizens, foreign nationals legally residing on U.S. soil, and prisoners under U.S. care. Additionally, the Bush Administration is guilty of violating several civil rights of the same.
The person who accused me of lying responded by stating, "I have rarely seen such outright lies posted by libs. Of course, with demos totally distancing themselves from Obama, they have nothing left but to bash W with a bunch of lies. Memo: Bush is not running for any office." I will not be posting this person's name as I did not receive permission to quote them. I will say that they called me out on a specific point regarding posse comitatus, and they were in fact correct on that point, though they neglected to include all of the facts associated with it.
I offered this person the opportunity to carry on a private, logical, and fact-based dialog with me, however it's been a few hours since I made the offer, and they have not yet responded. I've always been a little impatient, and with this slur against my honor, I feel the need to show the research I did prior to making my statement. For those of you who are a little rusty on your U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, I will be providing links to each Amendment on www.usconstitution.net.
Bush Administration violation of the First Amendment: This violation is outlined in no less than the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, specifically Section 215. Under the USA PATRIOT Act, Sec. 215, the federal government is authorized to obtain or use ANY information to determine if you are a terrorist. This includes, but is not limited to: medical/dental records, library records, ISP logs, etc. Under this statute, the federal agent just needs to submit a request for these records to a federal judge with no more than a suspicion that you might be involved with a terrorist activity. This includes U.S. Citizens who are protected under the First Amendment for what they say and read as long as it is not a direct threat to another person. This law also violates the First Amendment by allowing for "sneak and peek" roving wiretaps that do not require a warrant. Basically, anything you say can be used against you, whether you are a threat or not. President Bush is guilty of violating the First Amendment of the Constitution by signing this bill into law, the 107th Congress is guilty for voting for it, and the Administration is guilty for not raising any red flags against it. To be fair, the entire Obama Administration and the current congress are guilty for allowing this law to continue with very little changes. (USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is available for viewing here)
Bush Administration violation of the Fourth Amendment: This one is a biggie. Legal counsel to President Bush, Alberto Gonzalez, specifically asked the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice if there was a way to get around the Fourth Amendment. In their response, they stated that if the action fell under the Department of Defense, then the Fourth Amendment did not apply. As the National Security Administration falls under the DoD, this effectively grants them the right to bypass the Fourth Amendment as long as they say they are conducting "domestic military operations." Actions that can be taken include but are not limited to: warrant-less wire-tapping, search or seizure of persons of interest without probable cause, search or seizure of property without probable cause. You may be saying to yourself, well, at least I have my Fifth Amendment rights...
Bush Administration violation of the Fifth Amendment: Whoops, hold on there. In a later memo issued by the DoJ's OLC, if you are declared to be an enemy combatant by the government, then you have no Fifth Amendment right. You can be stripped of liberty and property indefinitely and without due process as long as you are "held abroad." That is why the Bush Administration wanted to use Guantanamo Bay Navy Base, for "enemy combatants" that were "identified" domestically. The violation occurs here because according to U.S. law, a military asset located abroad (ship, base, outpost, outhouse, etc) is considered U.S. soil, and persons detained at these assets are to be treated as though they were physically in the U.S.
Bush Administration violation of the Sixth Amendment: Anyone who has seen the news knows this one. Lots of detainees being held for years without trial or the opportunity to confront their accusers. I'm not sure what the legal precedent is for alien unlawful combatants, but for American citizens, this applies whether you are guilty of a misdemeanor or high treason.
Bush Administration violation of the Eighth Amendment: Quick! How do you get away with torturing someone and doing away with human rights standards? Call it something else and don't leave any marks. This is what happened when detainees were forced to stand in stress positions, were "aggressively interrogated," were water boarded, and sleep deprived among other despicable acts. There's a very good article on Wikipedia about this, and it links to the sources they used in writing the article. Sources include DoJ memos which tell how something which would normally be considered a human rights / Eighth Amendment violation can be redefined by the President so that it's not. As for this, crap by any other name still smells bad.
Now I realize that this rant of mine may look like it is a very "leftist" view of things. If you're a hard core conservative and have made it this far, congratulations! The truth is that if the Obama Administration was serious about addressing the rightful grievances the American people have against the U.S. government, they would attempt to get the USA PATRIOT Act either repealed or rewritten so that it does not violate American civil rights. Having been in the military, I can understand a need for a certain level of security. However it does not need to come at the cost of having my personal life invaded because I "might" be associated with a terror group. If the American people would be more vigilant on their own instead of letting Big Brother watch over their every move; if the American people as a whole actually gave a damn about taking care of themselves instead of being taken care of; if the American people as a whole were just a little more proud of themselves and each other for living in a country known as a symbol of hope and freedom, then perhaps we wouldn't have to worry about losing our freedom to the government.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Obamacare
I was cruising on Facebook this afternoon after waking up (for I work nights you see), and saw a lot of vitriolic statements from folks who I can only assume are very mad. I say this because a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of them were using the "CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL" rule when they typed their thoughts into the "What's on your mind" box and the comments section for each entry.
What are they mad about? They are mad about the Health Care Reform bill which passed last night.
Some of the myriad things in this bill... For the first time ever, American citizens of a certain wage class and up will be required to purchase health insurance. The dividing line is what bureaucrats call the "poverty line" which is actually defined much lower that what the opponents of this bill claim. To ensure that folks who are at the actual poverty line instead of the arbitrary one that congress sets don't go broke, the bill provides for government subsidies to health insurance costs. This bill also makes the provision that "large businesses," here defined as any business that employs 50 or more people must provide company subsidized health insurance to their employees, as well as offering the government subsidy. I'm "hoping" that this will also give hospitals the power to kick people out of the emergency room who could be seen by their regular doctors, and free up the emergency room for... well... emergencies.
For most of you reading this, you've probably already made up your mind and decided that this is a puff-piece for the Health Care Reform bill that was passed last night. For those of you, I say, no. While I do not think our current health care system works, this reform is not the answer. This reform will change the way businesses hire people. Those same "large businesses" will become the victims. One of the provisions in this bill is that if a "large business" has a single employee who qualifies for and accepts the government subsidy, the company must offset that cost. If a company decides not to offer health insurance to their employees, they must pay a $3000 per employee per year fine. If a company has a workforce where two thirds of the employees are accepting the government subsidy, then the employer will be subject to a $3000 per employee per year "fee" in addition to the costs of offering health insurance. What's to keep company's from laying off employees who would be more likely to accept the subsidy, and not hiring people who might be eligible? Or laying off everyone who is not eligible for the subsidy, so that they can just pay the fine and not worry about insurance costs?
Another one of the hidden clauses in the Health Care Reform is the "marriage clause." Say you have two, reasonably healthy, but single young to middle-aged adults that are living together. They can be expected to pay an average of around $2,200 annually for health insurance, combined. Then say these two people are madly in love and decide to get married. Immediately, their health insurance jumps to over $12,000. WHY? This wasn't explained in the article I read, but I can only assume that it's because the married couples are expected to shoulder the burden for their single counterparts. Is it because we're more solvent? Because we are better savers when we're married?
None of what I presented above was mentioned in those posts on Facebook though. There was a lot of name calling (Barack Hussein Osama, Barack Osama, Osama Obama, etc). There was a tidbit about how this is the first step towards government funded abortions, even though via executive order (that ever favorite tool that President Bush used to revoke the Posse Comitatus Act, which was thankfully restored in 2008), President Obama specifically forbade the use of government funding to pay for abortions.
What really pissed me off was a comment I read about how our duly-elected lawmakers do not have the right to pass laws like this. Ladies and gentlemen, let me give you a brief history of the United States. Our country is a republic, which by definition is a system of government where the people choose their leaders and vest in them the power to pass and enforce laws. We are not a true democracy like the Greek city-states of old, because we would never be able to get anything done for spending all of our time voting on measures. We the people decided a long time ago that we would elect our leaders by majority rule, and that those leaders would have the power and the authority to govern us by passing laws that they felt were for the public good. The fact that this bill passed means that not enough people were interested in contacting their elected leaders to get enough of those leaders to vote against it. We in America are very lucky that we have this right to talk to our leaders in this way.
So for those of you who are against "Obamacare," how many of you took the time to write, email or call your congressman to let them know that you, as a concerned citizen were against this bill? I know that I did.
What are they mad about? They are mad about the Health Care Reform bill which passed last night.
Some of the myriad things in this bill... For the first time ever, American citizens of a certain wage class and up will be required to purchase health insurance. The dividing line is what bureaucrats call the "poverty line" which is actually defined much lower that what the opponents of this bill claim. To ensure that folks who are at the actual poverty line instead of the arbitrary one that congress sets don't go broke, the bill provides for government subsidies to health insurance costs. This bill also makes the provision that "large businesses," here defined as any business that employs 50 or more people must provide company subsidized health insurance to their employees, as well as offering the government subsidy. I'm "hoping" that this will also give hospitals the power to kick people out of the emergency room who could be seen by their regular doctors, and free up the emergency room for... well... emergencies.
For most of you reading this, you've probably already made up your mind and decided that this is a puff-piece for the Health Care Reform bill that was passed last night. For those of you, I say, no. While I do not think our current health care system works, this reform is not the answer. This reform will change the way businesses hire people. Those same "large businesses" will become the victims. One of the provisions in this bill is that if a "large business" has a single employee who qualifies for and accepts the government subsidy, the company must offset that cost. If a company decides not to offer health insurance to their employees, they must pay a $3000 per employee per year fine. If a company has a workforce where two thirds of the employees are accepting the government subsidy, then the employer will be subject to a $3000 per employee per year "fee" in addition to the costs of offering health insurance. What's to keep company's from laying off employees who would be more likely to accept the subsidy, and not hiring people who might be eligible? Or laying off everyone who is not eligible for the subsidy, so that they can just pay the fine and not worry about insurance costs?
Another one of the hidden clauses in the Health Care Reform is the "marriage clause." Say you have two, reasonably healthy, but single young to middle-aged adults that are living together. They can be expected to pay an average of around $2,200 annually for health insurance, combined. Then say these two people are madly in love and decide to get married. Immediately, their health insurance jumps to over $12,000. WHY? This wasn't explained in the article I read, but I can only assume that it's because the married couples are expected to shoulder the burden for their single counterparts. Is it because we're more solvent? Because we are better savers when we're married?
None of what I presented above was mentioned in those posts on Facebook though. There was a lot of name calling (Barack Hussein Osama, Barack Osama, Osama Obama, etc). There was a tidbit about how this is the first step towards government funded abortions, even though via executive order (that ever favorite tool that President Bush used to revoke the Posse Comitatus Act, which was thankfully restored in 2008), President Obama specifically forbade the use of government funding to pay for abortions.
What really pissed me off was a comment I read about how our duly-elected lawmakers do not have the right to pass laws like this. Ladies and gentlemen, let me give you a brief history of the United States. Our country is a republic, which by definition is a system of government where the people choose their leaders and vest in them the power to pass and enforce laws. We are not a true democracy like the Greek city-states of old, because we would never be able to get anything done for spending all of our time voting on measures. We the people decided a long time ago that we would elect our leaders by majority rule, and that those leaders would have the power and the authority to govern us by passing laws that they felt were for the public good. The fact that this bill passed means that not enough people were interested in contacting their elected leaders to get enough of those leaders to vote against it. We in America are very lucky that we have this right to talk to our leaders in this way.
So for those of you who are against "Obamacare," how many of you took the time to write, email or call your congressman to let them know that you, as a concerned citizen were against this bill? I know that I did.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Hello, welcome, and how are ya?
Thank-you for stopping my my little ol' blog. With this, my initial entry, I would like to tell you what I plan on doing here.
First and foremost, I like to gripe about things I think are wrong. You may or may not agree with me. That's your right, and I won't try to take that away from you. But if you leave a disagreeing comment that isn't constructive, I will whip out the Troll Delete-O-Matic (patent pending) on you. I'm told it works pretty well on flamers too. I'm also looking into getting an industrial strength Ban-Hammer, but I'm not sure if Blogger will let me use it.
This blog is my own personal opinion. I will try to research something before I say it, so as to not look like an idjit in front of the entire interwebs community, however it still stands that my blog is an opinion, and not a credible news source. I'm also a stickler for spelling, so if something is misspelled in my blog, you can bet it's on purpose.
All that being said, this blog is for my own entertainment and stress relief value. It is NOT a credible news source, and likely will be behind the times in terms of any real news I decide to talk about anyway. But if you like it, then by all means, enjoy and tell your friends.
First and foremost, I like to gripe about things I think are wrong. You may or may not agree with me. That's your right, and I won't try to take that away from you. But if you leave a disagreeing comment that isn't constructive, I will whip out the Troll Delete-O-Matic (patent pending) on you. I'm told it works pretty well on flamers too. I'm also looking into getting an industrial strength Ban-Hammer, but I'm not sure if Blogger will let me use it.
This blog is my own personal opinion. I will try to research something before I say it, so as to not look like an idjit in front of the entire interwebs community, however it still stands that my blog is an opinion, and not a credible news source. I'm also a stickler for spelling, so if something is misspelled in my blog, you can bet it's on purpose.
All that being said, this blog is for my own entertainment and stress relief value. It is NOT a credible news source, and likely will be behind the times in terms of any real news I decide to talk about anyway. But if you like it, then by all means, enjoy and tell your friends.
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