Republivention

In light of this tax bill compromise, I had a thought.  I was trying to figure out why the democrats aren't putting up a fight or why they let the republicans walk all over them.  I know that they have good intentions, some of them anyways.  So I think the reason for all of this is that they just don't know what else to do and ultimately they are enabling the Republicans. 

For example, have you ever seen that show, Intervention?  You've got the crazy crack head in the middle of the whole thing just running around like a chicken with their head cut off, ruining everyone's lives, and they don't care because they have what they want.  And then you have the poor mom or sister on the side who says, "I just want them to do the right thing" and gives them rides, money, and places to crash and do their drugs. Hmmm, sound familiar?

So what do the democrats need to do?  As that douchebag interventionist Jeff VanVonderan always says, we have to create their rock bottom.  You know what that means?  PUT UP A FUCKING FIGHT!  Create a rock bottom by telling them they can't have their way anymore.  Do something that doesn't involve rolling over and giving them all the power they want.  Because you know what's more addictive than heroin?  Money and Power.   And really, they do need a 'stupid' intervention anyway, why can't we just throw that in too?  

Grand Old Party of Hypocrisy

Allen West: Government 'Should Be Censoring The American News Agencies' That Collaborated With WikiLeaks
Seriously, what the is the GOP's problem with the first amendment?  They seem to have no problem with the second one.  Several candidates during the elections cited 'second amendment remedies' if they weren't elected, so we know that they've read at least PART of the constitution.  So, what, you only remember the parts you like?  Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, and Freedom of Religion seem to escape you but that's okay with this electorate.  They were too stupid to make it past the anger and fear mongering.  Just check out one of Alan West's staffers: Joyce Kaufman

The other thing they don't seem to have a problem with is hypocrisy.  They want small government but they seem to be okay with it controlling the press, the only thing that really has the ability to administer truth anymore.  That being said, with the press becoming increasingly more biased it is not nearly as effective as it used to be.  That is why I am so grateful to WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.  He has stood up to the powers that be just to bring us the truth.  And now he's being punished for it.  Are we really surprised?  And who's next?

Dear President Obama

Dear President Obama,

 I'd like to preface this open letter by saying that I am still pulling for you.  However, do not expect me to get through the rest of your administration sober.   Like Julian Assange, I issue to you a poison pill threat.  If you don't get your shit together, I will become a full blown alcoholic.  Please find a way to save the middle class and my liver while not catering to the rich and corporations.  If you don't, much of your voting base may be too drunk to come vote for you in 2012.  

Still Hoping, 

Jill

They’re Just Not That Worried About You

Really, they’re not.  You think that super rich republicans are worried about regular people getting tax cuts?  They don’t want to extend the cuts for the rich to do what’s right for America or to create jobs.  They’re doing it for themselves and to cushion the people who already have enough cushioning.   If they really cared about what happened to regular people, they would have voted to extend unemployment benefits and voted for Obama’s stimulus.  That stimulus bill created a very large tax cut for the middle class and guess what?  No republican voted.  You think they’re going to just change their mind now?  Especially now that they won the house, what incentive do they have?  

The tired old republican talking point of ‘tax cuts create jobs’ is just not true.  First, corporations are far more likely to give out bonuses at the top and squeeze the bottom with their profits rather than create jobs.   History shows us that.  Second, individual tax cuts to individuals does not create jobs because those people do not use their own money to hire people.   Small businesses do but Obama is working to cut their taxes, not raise them.

Amanda Terkel from the Huffington Post writes, “Chamber Watch  points to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which identified tax cuts as the least effective of the measures currently on the table to create jobs.”

CTJ (Citizens for Tax Justice) director Robert McIntyre says, "In the case here, where we're looking at executives of big companies, they're not hiring people with their own money, they're hiring people with the companies' money," he told The Huffington Post. "Are they saying that if they don't get paid -- if their after-tax income goes down a little bit -- that their company won't hire people?"

If you voted for a republican this November, you voted against your own interest.  If you’re still not convinced, Warren Buffett put out a call to all other billionaires to sign up to support the rise in taxes.  Out of 300 something billionaires in America, forty signed up.  Forty, that’s it.  You know what that tells me?  They’re greedy, you’re fooling yourself if you think differently, and that’s the bottom line. 

A Brief Look Into My Thought Process

So after a brief moment of self reflection this evening, I decided to write a little bit about why I think the way that I do.  Where did my questioning, critical thinking mind come from?  While I've always questioned authority and never tried to hide that fact, I distinctly remember one instance in college that literally changed the way I think.

Dennis Hoffman was my college professor for three classes.  Criminal Justice 101, Terrorism, and Organized Crime.  My first class with him was obviously 101.  I was very ‘Crime Control’ and you could even say a tad conservative at this time.  I'm not sure why, it was before 9/11 and as I said, I have a problem with authority.  Anyhow, Dr. Hoffman asked this question. “If a grown man who has severe mental illness and has an IQ of an 8 year old commits murder, do we convict him?” 

Out of probably 300 students, he picks me to answer.  I said, “Yes.”   

As if expecting my answer, he immediately answered, “Why?”  

I sheepishly said, “Because he committed the crime?”  

Right on the ball he said, “If we define the crime of murder as the act itself along with malicious intent and the suspect does not hold the capacity to create intent, legally, there is no crime.”  

I felt SO stupid in front of all of those people but that started getting me to look at things in a whole new way.  I started questioning things and not just taking them at face value.  You take that kind of critical thinking to other parts of your life and things just start to make more sense.  Things aren't black and white and there's room for the gray.  You can think of new possibilities and new solutions to problems.  You don't have to shove yourself in a box in order to make other people happy.  And when you use that kind of critical thinking to Religion, all of a sudden this whole, because God said so line wasn’t really enough for me anymore.  Let's just leave it at that.  

I hope the things I say make a little more sense to you now.  And if not, then maybe your eyes haven't been opened wide enough yet. 

My Economic Proposal

Obviously the biggest thing happening in this election right now is the debate over the economy.  What spending should we cut, what spending is okay, and should we raise taxes?  Well I had a thought the other day, it’s kind of rambly and it may or may not be an old idea of FDR…but give it a chance.

So in general I believe the spending we should cut is defense and the war on drugs and I think we should put money into infrastructure and green jobs.  But defense will never be cut because that will eliminate jobs and we really don’t have the extra money to put into building.  So this is my proposal:

Bring home the way too many National Guard troops we have overseas and put them to work here, as they should be anyway.  Have them work with engineers and construction workers to rebuild our sewers, roads, electrical grids, and to retrofit buildings for green energy.  They could physically work in construction, they can learn on the job with architects and engineers setting them up for jobs later, or they could work security for constructions sites.

This will do several things for the economy.  It will pull defense spending and our troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and put it back into a country that desperately needs it.  Not only will the troops be safer, they will be creating new jobs here at home, building up the supporting industries like steel, concrete, and architectural firms.  This will put us on more of a competitive level with countries like China.  There are American companies who have green technologies but because there is not a demand for it here, they go overseas to other countries who are on board.  This is robbing us of a potential booming industry.  

Not only will this help the economy by creating jobs, it will also make us SAFER!  An example of this is the tragedy in New Orleans when Katrina hit.  Those levees should have been stronger and the government knew that beforehand.  But because they didn’t have the money, hundreds of people died when they didn’t have to.   What if we have another black out?  Would that leave us vulnerable to attack?  What if a dam fails and that deprives a city with drinking water?   Something similar happened recently in Ames, Iowa.  A water main burst and people were without water for days.

So to wrap this up, troops leave Iraq and Afghanistan.  That should make people happy.  Money is being put into our country and jobs are being created.   That should make people happy.  We would be moving into cleaner energy.  That should make people really happy.  I’m not an economist by any means, but doesn’t this sound like it might work?

The Pro-Life/Choice debate

I just got a letter trying to convince me to vote for our local republican by addressing me as, Dear Pro Life Voter. You clearly don't know your audience honey. "Democrats disrespect the innocence of human life and promote abortions as it were an elixir of the gods." WTF!?! You should have addressed it to Dear, Pro Life (but WAR is okay) voter. I'm pro choice and that does NOT mean Pro Death. 

This issue really gets under my skin as a progressive because it ties in to so many issues.  First, what I do with my body, who I sleep with, and who I want to marry, is MY choice.  And when politicians like Carl Paladino and Christine O'Donnell say that these things are wrong and should be against the law it is a personal attack on a someone who just wants to make a decision for themselves. 

I think that one of the big arguments during the health care debates was 'don't get in between me and my doctor!'  Well what if my doctor thinks the right thing to do is terminate a pregnancy or even smoke pot for my well being?  Because you're trying to put the government in the middle of that decision.

Secondly, the war does not only effect the decision maker.  It effects everyone in this country and many more around the world.  Civilians are killed, our troops are killed (over 50% from friendly fire!), and our nation's reputation is severely damaged.  If you really want to talk about innocent lives, just look at the wars in Vietnam and Korea and the bombings in Cambodia.  That will just about break your heart.

The argument that abortion is worse than war does not hold up if you look at the facts.  My last comment on this pro life issue is that for liberals, it has much more to do with 'what right do you have to tell me what to do with my body' rather than 'yes, I would like to kill more babies please'.  The republicans are all about 'liberty' and 'freedom'.  Well you telling me what to do with my own body is just the opposite of freedom.  Just let that sink in and then tell me if we think 'abortion is the elixir of the gods.'

The Progressive Project

You think 'Family Values' are under attack?  Well it's not easy being Progressive either.  Do you ever notice that you're constantly defending yourself for being tolerant and accepting?   Don't worry, you're not the only one!

The following entries will be about the world seen through the eyes of a Progressive in a not so Progressive state.   If you're an open minded critical thinker, stick around!