I'm sort of a quasi-intellectual air-head (is that an oxymoron?) I read a lot but don't feel completely confident in my worldly and political stance. This saying that I welcome my guest's input because you are likely to know far more than I.
Anyway... There's a lot of blogging lately on the future & status of this country, most recently, Stephen Parrish & pjd . Makes for some great reading. I need to let out some political Bush piss-me-off's and formulate my take on the world.
The latest piss-me-off is the whole economic stimulation package. Why is it that people who have not even contributed to taxes this year are getting a refund? What is being refunded? How is this going to help the economy? The way I figure it, there's going to be a lot of big screen T.V.'s bought, money in the millieu for a week, and then we're back to the old news. I believe Bush tried this a few years ago? $300 or something? Did it help? No, it most likely created more debt. For me, it doesn't mean a hell of a lot. It's going towards my next year's quarterlies - hopefully it'll knock off a few hundred, but that's probably optimistic. Who knows if I'll even see anything at this rate.
Here's my priorities for the November ballet:
1.) International Affairs
2.) Environment
If we can get a start on these, I imagine the economy & the rest will follow. For instance, re-building ourselves as a country that cares about the world, not just ourselves will open up a better system of flow between countries. It'll mean we change priorities to cleaning up the world rather than fighting it. Hopefully, we can work on getting the troops back home. The environment has huge potential for new technologies, products & jobs that can fight global warming and pollution while also increasing the economy and our position in the world.
As for health care, I think it’s important, but I’m glad I’m not the one trying to figure out how to set it all up. As a small business person, I can’t imagine being mandated to cover someone else’s health care costs; but as someone with a medical condition with $400/month medications, I feel very lucky to have a private insurance plan in place or I’d be uninsured as we speak. Something’s got to give.
The way I figure it, Hillary is the one with the most experience and has a handle on what is needed to get done. I’m hoping she can move us forward into the next decade. If she doesn’t get the nomination, I hope someone will be a strong back up for Obama. We’ve got a lot of make-up work to do and not much time to do it in.
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7 comments:
Actually, the "rebate" is nothing of the kind. It'll be factored into what you owe or get back out of next year's taxes. It's in the fine print, but you have to dig for it.
I think a lot of people are going to be up in arms about this next year when they find out. It's being marketed as "free money" when it's not.
Hey, thanks for the shout-out! (I think... ?)
Anyway, some thoughts:
I find Hillary polarizing. On issues, I don't believe Hillary and Obama are very different. They disagree on minor points, but on the bigger picture of the issues they appear, essentially, to be the same candidate. But Hillary seems to be more polarizing, and I don't know if Republicans will be as willing to work with her as they may be with Obama. Given the bloodthirsty zeal with which they pursued impeachment of her husband, I worry that the moment she takes office will be the moment that the Far Right starts their siege of the White House. The Far Right, however, have already proved they can accept a black man (Colin Powell) in a position of authority.
On the issues themselves, I prioritize health care and education as the biggest issues that are fundamentally flawed in this country and need extraordinary leadership to fix. I also don't believe our government has the wherewithal to fix them. Cynical, I know, but they are such enormous and fundamentally flawed systems that fixing them from within is unlikely.
Consider demographics: Soon the largest demographics will be either retired or too young to work. A very small percentage of the population will have to support everyone else, and we all know that age increases health care costs. This scares the bejeezus out of me because health care today is run by the insurance companies. Insurance companies are not run by health care people... they're run by actuaries.
Similarly, our education system is entirely failing certain demographics. African American children and Latino children have appallingly low graduation rates. Is this entirely the education system? Not really--in many cases, language, cultural, family, or simple financial stability issues are as much to blame. Yet there are clear, scientifically generated statistics that show some amount of college results in higher earnings throughout a lifetime.
And our government spends their time outlawing gay marriage.
I do think environmental issues are important, too, and I agree with you. But I think the energy question is part of that--we need to get off of fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy. We need to reduce the disposable nature of our society (purchased a Happy Meal lately and noticed that you throw out more material than you eat?).
The road to world peace and increased stature of the USA is not through foreign wars. It is through innovation in energy, education, and technology, and through economic stability for all our citizens. It is through collaboration with other cultures, not through "crusades" (Bush' word).
Sorry for the rant on your blog, but you asked for your readers' thoughts. :-)
I think Hillary would make a good president, but too many people don't like her. The far right will vilify her in a general election. As for the "rebate," if recipients use them to pay off credit card debt, as they should, the program will have scant impact on the economy.
You guys are awesome! So much good stuff here to piece out.
Bunnygirl: I did not know this about the rebate. I can imagine people being very upset about that. I find it odd that this thing was signed but when I google it, there doesn't seem to be any black and white "for sure" details. So I appreciate your info on this.
pjd: Yes, please Rant on! You have a good take on things, and I am learning as I read through your response a couple of times. There's a lot of info in there. The demographics piece is quite disturbing. It's going to be hard to figure a way out. Part of me says, there's got to be a way, but it's going to be a lot of sacrifice and pain, and the other part says F' it, we're all toast by 2050, anyway according to Gore. It's hard to stay positive.
Stephen: if there is a rebate, I wonder how many will actually pay off debt. It seems contrary to the American way. It is most advised, but then most people have no control. That's what gets me so depressed. Everyone knows they should be recycling, but I still see aluminum cans all over the trash. We are so apathetic.
It's interesting to hear about the right wing's perception of Hillary. If it doesn't seem like she'll be able to get the vote in November, is it safer to go with Obama? Is it more important at this point who gets in the house or what party gets in the house? I don't know anymore. ???
If it doesn't seem like she'll be able to get the vote in November, is it safer to go with Obama?
PoliKat: At this point in American history, if I could be sure one would beat McCain and the other wouldn't, I'd vote for the one. But November is a long way away.
As a New Yorker I have strong feelings against Hillary--loved the Hillary of 1992.
I understand why Hillary pandered to Upstate New York, but once 9/11 happened we needed her voice and didn't get it.
If she has the power she says (sometimes) she does she should have made sure NY got the aide that it was supposed to get--Wyoming got it--apparently their terrorist threat was more serious
We were a city of wounded people, and could have, should have used free counseling to deal with a once in a life time (hopefully) situation that did change our lives
About the stimulus program. I have worked damn hard to keep my credit pristine. Personally I think Bush's doing everything he can to screw up the economy
Every time he or the Fed Reserve Chairmen open their mouths the stock market goes down--when it should go up-and whether we like to think so or not--it does affect all our lives
I don't pretend to understand the subprime market. I do know that it scared me--all the years mortgages were being given out like candy
I don't want to sound harsh but home ownership is a responsibility not a right
Now many mortgage companies are giving classes in how to manage bill paying
I want to say this whole problem is our society's problem and in many ways it is--but I knew people who would "clean up" their credit in a day, get a mortgage and a year or less default
I feel both privileged and scared to be in a position to move--I won't say how much I pay in health insurance premiums each month. It's in the four figures simply because I live in Manhattan
I wish there was someway my premiums could be transfered when I move but...it's very scary
Great post. Thanks for making me think and forgive my rant
I'm for Obama as I think this country is in dire need of healing and he might be able to.
PoliKat. I like that. :-)
Pia, Thanks for your "rant" and discussion. It's interesting to hear that side of 9/11. I just imagined you had the support other areas did, but as I think about what you are saying, there was so much more direct devastation that NY suffered, it makes sense that you would need a much stronger & sustained intervention.
The mortgage thing is very sad. The worst side of capitalism. It's one thing to make a profit, but there should be some morals, some limits.
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