A Post Election Commentary

Okay; the elections are over. Bravo and congratulations to the Republicans for running one of the first coherent strategies in their history. For Democrats, you deserved the whipping put on you, especially those incumbent representatives who suffer from a lack of integrity. These are the cowards who chose to tuck their tales and run away from the president into the darkness of political incoherence. The Republican strategy of nationalizing the election by making the election about the president and his policies; the Democratic losers, instead of capitalizing on the accomplishments of the president, chose to run and hide from them. That Floriduh reelected Rick Scott, the Medical Health insurance fraud, and Georgia elected Perdue, who bragged about shipping jobs offshore speaks volumes about the importance of so-called "morality, truth, and integrity as those values that they (Republicans) have claimed Democrats lack. So, now, like the Republicans, after a gigantic electoral ass-whipping, will slink off into a corner and lament and debate the failures associated with this election failure. For Democrats, you have 2 years to realize that you cannot continue to ignore the Latino population, the Colorado elections speaks volumes about the Udall candidacy and its lack of sensitivity to Latino interests. What does this loss say about the Southern states that are seriously populated with black voters? It is time that political leadership, both Republican and Democratic open their eyes to the demographic changes underway, i.e. the darkening of America and that you embrace this reality and practice the inclusivity that you brag about because the longer you resist the changes the more difficult the changes are going to be. Democrats and the President dropped the ball especially where Latinos and the immigration issue is concerned. Even now, Latino leadership is warning the President about the importance of the immigration issue is to their community. And insofar as the black vote is concerned, the message to them was muddled at best. Combined, Latino and African American absence from the polls make up the greater proportion of the 2/3 electorate that just did not find it in their best interests to go to the polls. Finally, for the victorious Republicans, you now have the levers, and you will now have to act between now and 2016; you can no longer blame POTUS for this, that and the other. I look forward to hearing Boehner and McConnell's commentaries on the next two years.

Ebola, Ignorance and the Failure of American Federalism

Ignorance prevails. Not just where "misconceptions about Ebola" are concerned. But, once again, this disease demonstrates; 1) the failure of U.S. federalism and, 2) public ignorance of U.S. federalism. As is typical of our federal system, it is ready made for finger pointing. Notice how the GOP is quick to lay the blame for the mishandling of the Ebola thing on the Federal administration and POTUS. But as the knuckle draggers are wont to ask, "where in the Constitution does it say anything about such responsibility." Where is the knuckle draggers promotion of State's rights, i.e., return to federalism where there are 50 states, each with its direct control over such institutions and policies as medical and educational systems and, you wonder why they are failing. Yes, folks, the flagrant mishandling of the initial case of Ebola, in this country, must be laid at the feet of the State of Texas and its preparation, or the lack thereof, to handle this problem. The reports by nurses working in the Texas hospital are deplorable but, the failure is conveniently (for political/electoral purposes) laid at the feet of POTUS. And as if, this is not enough, the President is charged with failure and mishandling things in West Africa. Again, "where in the Constitution....."

It is a sad state of affairs especially when watching so-called Congressional hearings where, what should be inquiry into problems associated with the failure at the Texas hospital and possible readiness conditions (etc.) it turned into nothing political theatrics, "gotcha" and the need to find the head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) be offered up on a silver platter. And, as is typical, and consistent with the pervasive ignorance of who and what the CDC can do, and does in the current Ebola situation. FYI, the CDC, like many executive agencies, does not have the authority to order state health agencies to do this or that. All they can do is make recommendations that the states may or may not take. For those of you who are looking for something and/or someone to blame for not being ready to handle a case of Ebola, take the time to check on your local hospitals and controlling state health and medical agencies for readiness to manage a possible case of Ebola. Wake up America, "Rome is burning" while your pervasive ignorance fans the flames.

And now, in the wake of demands that POTUS appoint a "Czar" to handle "Ebola" in America. And, after some consideration, (allegations of foot dragging by some) POTUS has appointed an "Ebola Czar" and before POTUS could make his choice of Czar, America immediately demonstrated its continual state of ignorance. "This man does not ....... he has an agenda........ why did he not appoint a medical person......?" Well once again, the person appointed is a competent manager. It is a manager that is needed to lend coherence to the mess that is federalism. He is going to have to sort out and assign, if given such authority, federal and state responsibilities for managing the incipient health/medical crises. The point here is simply that, a good manager and organizer is what is necessary to meet the current need. One may of may not need be a medical professional. A medical professional(s) need be the right/left arms of the Czar.

Race and Representative Paul Ryan

"We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work, and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with."
These are the remarks of House of Representatives Paul Ryan (R Wisconsin). Defending himself and the above remarks, Ryan states:

"This has nothing to do whatsoever with race. It was a long talk and he asked about the culture and I just went off of that. This has nothing to do whatsoever with race. It never even occurred to me. This has nothing to do with race whatsoever. This isn’t a race based comment it’s a breakdown of families, it’s rural poverty in rural areas, and talking about where poverty exists — there are no jobs and we have a breakdown of the family.  This has nothing to do with race."

Then there is rancher Clivan Bundy (an authority on the "Negro") who asserts:
 “I want to tell you one more thing I know about the 'Negro,'” ... “[B]ecause they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do? They abort their young children; they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”
Bundy" remarks demonstrate pure and simple ignorance that is often associated with a dumb white farmer (excuse me, rancher) who grew up under the misguided assumption of "white superiority" which is the definition for the white "racist" who is of the "culture" of white racists who may or ay not know that he is one in the same.
Poor Ryan tries to walk back from his incendiary race centered remarks. In his case, we have the ignorant, but educated, prejudiced white political elite who sets about disgracing himself by the use of what might be termed, "implicative language."  This clown's thinly veiled  reference to African Americans, in particular, and people of color in general is intended to excuse direct reference to both populations that are "imprisoned" within the urban environments of America's run-down, economically depressed, crime-ridden urban centers. Now, unless one has been residing under a rock at the bottom of one of the oceans, he/she is fully aware that urbana America is populated by Americans of African descent and other people of color.

What makes Ryan's referencing and indictments of the "culture" so maddening is that he tries to give validity to his race baited comments by citing the studies of one Charles Murray. Murray can be truly classified as a "racist" of the first magnitude. He is one of a group of eugenists who crawl into the light every generation of so to to scholarly research designed to empirically prove the superiority of Caucasians and their brains over that of persons of the Negroid race. Murray's study entitled "The Bell Curve" upon publication was received with general disgust. Among the academic community, Murray's work was soundly castigated and denounced as invalid due to faulty methodology. This speaks volumes about Mr. Ryan who grabbed the first academic work he found in an effort to validate his claim that there is a problem of "culture" in the center cities of America.

And finally, there is the Donald Sterling, National Basketball scandal. What more can be said in response to questions about racism in America. The truth is, and should be understood, that race, racism and racial prejudice is just as much a part of America as is mom, baseball, and apple pie.

Detroit Bankruptcy & the Absence of Urban Policy

Detroit, Michigan, once the thriving city is said to have entered bankruptcy. Why is this happening, and what are the implications of this event for the future of other American cities, the United States of America, and human relations?

The failure of Detroit is the failure of a seriously studied and implemented urban policy. When America's rural/agricultural community was on the brink of failure, the Congress intervened with subsidies and economic programs that kept this community from failure and rampant policy.The absence of urban policy is directly correlated with the black crime, profiling and the like that is fallout of the Travon Martin case. And I do not mean "welfare."

Senator Levin boasts about the new, wonderful things happening in Detroit. "Young people are moving back into Downtown Detroit (gentrification) Condos are at a premium, and economic development is returning." Yet there remains thousands of "blighted" homes that the Governor says will be torn down." Of course, these are the black areas of Detroit poverty.

As we have seen in the past, the urban poor, black, white, or otherwise, are displaced to a suburban ring around the new gentrified center of Detroit. Examples abound, my hometown of San Bernardino, California clearly exemplifies the incipient direction leading to the ultimate decline and fall of America from world leadership and the realization of assertions from those on the right declaring the U.S. a "banana republic." I am afraid that their assertions need be heeded. And, while a do nothing Congress sits on its collective ass, preoccupied with petty partisan squabbles and politically motivated investigations, the country's cities and their infrastructures are falling apart. Just this week found citizens of suburban Georgetown filling bathtubs, children's wading pools and, anything that will hold water--an aged water main burst. 

It is not to far off in the distant future that those effected by growing poverty, homelessness, absences of health policy will discover that their conditions are not exclusive to people of color and that poverty is an equal opportunity condition. At that point the likelihood of unity will be realized and widespread unrest becomes a possibility. "A little revolution is good for the preservation of democracy," Thomas Jefferson.

Wayne LaPiere & Misinformation

One day last while watching the NRA convention I watched Wayne LaPiere preaching a sermon to his audience. During his oration he advised his listeners that the Pentagon was preventing its military men and women from sharing their (Christian) religion with other members. LaPiere concluded this segment with emphasis, "ladies and gentlemen, you can't make stuff like this up." Well as might be expected, LaPiere is guilty of disseminating false information. After reading the USA TODAY article my memory was jolted. As far back as the 1960- 1970s, we experienced the rise of what seemed like a Christian Evangelical movement that saw soldiers carrying Bibles and responding with biblical scripture to lawful orders from superior officers and noncoms. These soldiers gathered as many of their contemporaries as would listen for short "sermons." These sermons were conducted during the active periods where military operations were conducted. It was disruptive and seriously hampered the days work goals. It was particularly disconcerting during my Viet Nam experience as many of these individuals would not carry their assigned weapons. LaPiere's charge is first, phony and clearly intended to indict the President and his Military establishment. Second, LaPiere's indictment clearly indicates that this clown has yet to serve in the military; had he served in any branch of the military, especially in a superior supervisory position, he would realize that the behavior I describe above is detrimental to the lives of those around them and runs contrary to military order and discipline. I had one young soldier (with eyes widely stretched and Bible waving) advise me that 'God had called him to Texas' (I was assigned to Ft. Riley, Kansas at the time) upon being returned by military police after being Absent Without Leave (AWOL) for two weeks. Anyway, I thought the article below @ the link below will provide information contrary to the unsubstantiated gibberish of Wayne LaPiere.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/02/...of.../2130583/

A More Equitable Distribution of the Wealth?

Last week, I noticed a Gallup Poll that stated that "More Americans Want a More Equal Distribution of the Wealth" I have been ruminating over this poll and finally I felt that something must be said in reference to what American's want. First, wishes for a more equitable distribution of the wealth will continue to be just that until America's shrinking middle class wake the hell up and stop buying that bullshit cool aid that says, "work hard, play the game right, stay out of trouble, and you can make it" Yeah right, just what the hell is "it"? Moreover; America's middle classes and below are currently in self-destruct mode, that is; notice the growth of so-called "right-to-work" law states. This is the destruction of American unions which, as history informs, is mainly responsible for the rise of America's middle class, from the early days of violent demonstrations and protests for wages, benefits and the like into the 1970s when the wages of middle class America begin the long decline. America's middle and lower classes have begun to realize that they are, and have been, getting royally screwed, BUT folks, guess what, there is little they can do about it. They are at the mercy at the owners of the means of production, which, in the name of lowering costs, and increasing profits, they have sent most of the former middle and lower class jobs--off shore. America should have seen this coming when former Rust Belt employers decided to move their plants into the "right-to-work states of America's south. And no, stop crying about the various trade agreements. Employers, for you capitalists, made the decisions to off shore your jobs because in the "cost-effective" calculus, LABOR is the greatest costs of doing business, even with the invasion of low waged immigrants doing America's labor. Moreover; here's a news flash for America's currently unemployed middle class

Homeschooling or Your Basic Version of American Indoctrination

http://www.dailypaul.com/280896/announcing-the-ron-paul-homeschool-curriculum-email-from-tom-woods

Oh my, the article at the above URS caught my attention and, as a professor emeritus of American government and public policy, the fur on the back of my neck instantly stood up. Reading through the cited curriculum is like reading some of the indoctrinations of some country’s recent past. What is most disturbing is that it gets youngsters at their most critical stages in their young lives. Notice that the 9th & 12th graders can spread their learning to whomever will listen. Somehow, I was under the impression that “Homeschool” was about parents who would undertake the education of their offspring. Under the Ron Paul thing, some “bestselling author” will be “teaching”?? or indoctrinating student participants. I would really like to see the course content materials. I thought this country had long since gotten beyond the old “Americanism vs. Communism”But apparently we haven’t in some corners. Some of you might wonder at what “Austrian economics” is. It is a school of theoretical thought that is used to support arguments in opposition to the existence of the Federal Reserve, and government spending, (etc); consistent with Ron Paul’s public political rantings. It rejects Keynesian economic theory. I won’t get into the weeds on specifics of the Austrian school of economics. All I ask is that you read the article and give it some thought. It is one thing to emphasize a particular school of thought in a course that includes economics, it is another when a single school of thought is provided without reference to other schools. That is the difference between inoctrination and education. Good luck.