The American Dream Deferred

The American Dream Deferred

“America was established not to create wealth but to realize a vision, to realize an ideal - to discover and maintain liberty among men. “-Woodrow Wilson

It has been many years since the time of American Dreams realized. It would seem, since the birth of this great nation, that we the people have forgotten to realize the vision. A vision , that sculpted the mountain of the American way and made the U.S. the pinnacle of the World. Founded on the principles of liberty, freedom, and justice for all, we have throughout history contradicted the very principles that made us who we are. We as America have been the wind that has carried democracy, natural rights, and freedom throughout the valleys of the world, yet we deny many who are our fellow the natural right for well being.

Today’s America has matured from the days of slavery, denial of women’s rights, civil rights for all Americans, and public discriminatory racism to childish bickering of democrats versus republicans, conservatives versus liberals, and patriots and terrorism. When will the debauchery in America end. When will our greed and selfishness be replaced with Americanism and selflessness. People elect their representatives for irrational views than for the commonwealth of people and our nation. Our country bled the blood of countrymen for rights of freedom of religion but dictated politicians to the code of “Christianity”. Our spite of our fellow man and self interest blind our founding principles of the American way. The American dream.

Somehow we as a people have tarnished the glorious western light of liberty with pettiness and and foreign bullying. We arrogantly borrow from countries whose governmental ideologies differ from one another and then shove democracy in to nations whose culture and religion that conflicts with our concepts. The American Dream has evolved into the nightmare from the west, who dictates and forces our religion and democratic ideologies on the very difference that we cherish as America. How have we stray so far from home. Why do we roam for fear and force instead of exploration and innovation. We have allowed our fear to distort our vision of the world and manipulated Christianity to justify the cause.

It is that clouded judgment that has somehow made Christianity a qualification to be a real American. In a country founded on the bases of freedom of religion, we have become a nation that persecutes and isolate those whose religious preference differs from our own. In today’s world, we fight the crusade against Muslim nations and label it the war on terror so we can have a clear conscience. when we go to bed at night. Subsequently. we have become the very terrorist we despise and seek out. Not to point fingers but, it seems since Conservative Republicans took office eight years ago, hate, fear, and deception has been the fuel that drove our military into the heart of Muslim nations to wage war with and idea.

From observation of this nation’s past decade, one notion is true the American dream has been lost, abandoned for hate, diminished by fear and discouraged by deception. When will she return, when lady America grace American shores with her glory. It is not certain the time nor the hour, but merely determined by the minds and hearts of the American People who dream the dream of dreams.- William R. Gilbert, Jr.

Wake Up America

Why America? Why?

What are we fighting for in Iraq?

What are we trying to win?

What are we trying to accomplish?

What are we winning?

Where is the honor in fighting in Iraq when we invaded on false pretenses?

What is the mission we are trying to accomplish?

We used the names and the lives who were lost on 9/11 in vain to validate a dishonorable war in

Iraq.

What are We doing America?

Why have we lost sight of our true American Ways?

When will America act like America and have the unity that makes us the “United” States?

We all must be able to compromise on our views,feelings, and opinions in order to do good for the Whole.

“He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it. “- Confucius

We as a Nation must grow together as one. Since the days of our founding fathers we have been

the light of the world’s horizon and to ensure that our light shines into the future collectively as

one we must resound the voices of liberty across the world.

Wake Up America.

- William Gilbert, Jr.

Dear America

Dear America,

“For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. “- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

We have come to a time in American History, where the hour of change is at hand for every American citizen. It is now apparent that we as Americans have allowed the past administration to neglect the very nation we hold so true. Under the administrations past have allowed our troops to fight for honor in a dishonorable war and our economy slip into economic peril. For far too many years we have bled our economy with two wars and as a result we have lost jobs for hard working Americans, neglected our infrastructure , and crippled our credit market. We have fed the bellies of fats cats in Washington and Wall Street to the point that the entire U.S. economy is suffering from economic starvation.

“Don’t forget what I discovered that over ninety percent of all national deficits from 1921 to 1939 were caused by payments for past, present, and future wars.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt

The war in Iraq alone has unmercifully bled our economy dry and set of a chain reaction of economic calamity across the entire globe. The Iraqi war was founded on false and dishonorable pretenses and has adversely strained our alliances across the world. Many believe that if we stay in Iraq that somehow we can win a fruitless war and leave with our dignity and honor. Yet, the reality is that we must admit and apologize for our dishonorable intrusion of Iraq ,for that is the true honorable way. The definition of Honor is as stated: honesty, fairness, or integrity in one’s beliefs and actions. A nation with honor is a nation who is honest in it’s values to be truthful to its people and the world. A nation with honor has the fairness to allow other nations to live in peace and prosperity. A nation with true honor is a nation with integrity, integrity to admit to their mistakes and take pride in correcting them. This America is Honor.

The past five years of war has severely wounded the American economy and to heal these wounds we must end our campaign in Iraq. The economic hemorrhaging of the Iraq war has crippled this great nation and strained our foreign stance in the world. We as a nation must unify under our founding principles of Liberty and Freedom to restore our glory and democracy.

“I am concerned about the whole man. I am concerned about what the people, using their government as an instrument and a tool, can do toward building the whole man, which will mean a better society and a better world. “- Lyndon B. Johnson

Together as a nation we must mature in to one and at this time in America we have lost sight of the unity that made us into a nation. For America to survive the test of time must open our minds and allow the bells of liberty ring into the 21st Century.
Sincerely,

William Gilbert, Jr.

McCain’s Michigan Pullout a Tricky Manuever

[cross posted at Michigan Youth Political Alliance]

Just several hours before the vice presidential debate, McCain withdraws his campaign troops from Michigan to redeploy them in other battleground states such as Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Clever decision? This campaign tactic could be so much more than what it appears to be at the surface.

Aside from the obvious move to minimize the media attention on his decision by announcing his decision when the media spotlight was clearly focused on the vice presidential debate, there is a lot more suspicious activity behind the scenes. On the surface, McCain’s pullout appears as a sign of weakness for his campaign. Prior to his pullout, McCain began losing traction in the polls, ceding to Obama approximately a 7 point lead. Michigan was a state that had swung blue in the past 4 presidential elections. Obama was picking up support because of his stronger economic focus and more concrete economic policy proposals in comparison with McCain–a huge issues to a state dominated by economic hardship and seeking to escape it.

In his national and state campaign, McCain was inconsistent with his economic positions: declaring the fundamentals of the economy to be sound in one moment then halting his campaign to focus on the bailout crisis in the next. Obama capitalized on this inconsistency to weaken the legitimacy of McCain’s campaign platform. Even during the vice presidential debate, Palin found such inconsistency to be hard to defend, and Biden hit this point home.

However, Michigan was not lost for McCain. In the previous two elections, Michigan could have swayed to either side. Michigan is home to the historical Reagan Democrats, a voter bloc that could easily be captured by McCain. Michigan’s Republican Party is one of the less ideologically extreme conservative factions in the nation, attracting much support from a wide array of people. Obama’s campaign was strong among the youth in Michigan and people were unsatisfied by McCain’s economic solutions, but Michigan was still a battleground state. It could be swayed, perhaps, with more powerful backing from Mitt Romney and other political figures Michigan voters could identify themselves with. Michigan was still on the edge.

The most visible effects of this consists of two parts–McCain is turning away from a focus on the economy, and Michigan Republicans are going to be significantly hindered in their own fight for seats at the state Capitol. McCain’s withdrawal is a sign of dropping attention on Michigan’s sole issue, the economy, and that might even benefit McCain, considering his weak platform on the issue. However, for the most part, McCain is revealing his cowardice in trying to avoid the elephant in the room (as if voters can’t see it). If he can’t deal with economic issues (voter’s number one issue for this election), he won’t be able to win voters back with foreign policy experience, a reform agenda, or his other pluses.

Michigan GOP is going to face an uphill battle in upcoming races–especially the most critical ones for “Joe Knollenberg’s 9th District seat in Oakland County and Tim Walberg’s 7th District seat stretching from western Washtenaw County to Battle Creek.” Plenty of GOP voters could stay home because McCain’s move hurts party mobilization and support. And since turnout is key for the GOP to win the seats on those two Congressional races, McCain’s move will directly hinder party strength on the Capitol.

Now, let’s talk about the juicy material: what is going on McCain’s head? What is his real strategy? Democrats are absolutely justified in being skeptical about his move–considering it a feint to weaken Obama’s campaign in Michigan, a key swing state for this year. McCain is definitely trying a sneaky tactic. According to the Detroit News:

The Obama campaign source expressed surprise that McCain, who had been airing a massive TV ad campaign in Michigan, abruptly decided to pull back. But the source noted that the Republican National Committee was still airing roughly $1 million worth of ads in Michigan markets, and that the National Rifle Association and other independent groups are continuing to attack Obama with TV and mailed advertising.

There is a strong possibility that McCain will return to Michigan in the few days before the general election and pummel Michigan hard with money, advertisements, events, etc. when the Obama campaign least expects him to. Such a tactic could barely shift the polls in his favor, winning him Michigan’s 17 electoral votes. Thus, I highly doubt McCain has completely pulled out of Michigan. If he still has so much money here, it is unlikely his withdrawal of his campaign staff is a sign of weakness. By appearing weak in Michigan, however, McCain could and probably will pull off an “October surprise” to pick up its votes.

[cross posted at Michigan Youth Political Alliance]

There They Go Again…Those Fools in Washington Go Off the Walls

If the noise from Washington seems like something we’ve been through already then maybe it is because it was. Remember 2002? President Bush told the American people that we faced a serious and creditable threat from Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that we have proof of their weapons of mass destruction. Then-National Security Advisor Rice said that we don’t have time to wait for a warning. That warning might be in the form of a mushroom cloud. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld issued the threat that, “There’s no question but that he does have some things that he doesn’t want inspectors to find.” Current Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee and Delaware Senator Joe Biden said if left unchecked Iraq’s “weapons of mass destruction” would pose a serious threat to America. So the Congress rushed through a “Use of Force Resolution” and started the beating drum towards an endless and costly war in Iraq that is the main cause of the current economic situation we are in. They lied on the warnings, Congress acted fast and in a hast to sell our futures down the road. However the more things change the more they stay the same.

Ten days ago President Bush sent his Treasury Secretary and Chairman of the Federal Reserve to Capital Hill for a meeting with Congressional leaders. This was after they bailed out Bear Sterns with the assurance it would help fix the economy. It was after they bailed out AIG and stated it should claim the markets. Took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with commitments that under government leadership the housing market would stabilize. So even before this meeting they had been WRONG, WRONG, and WRONG. However still at this meeting they came with another dire threat. If Congress didn’t approve $700 billion dollars to bailout big banks in New York the United States economy would fall in a matter of days. Congress acted and on Monday of this week the House of Representatives voted down the bailout bill causing the stock market to fall by almost 700 points. However it gained points Tuesday when Congress left town for the Jewish holiday. However on Wednesday when the Senate passed the very same bill the market tumbled by hundreds more. Earlier today before the House voted on the bailout bill the market was up 150 points. Seconds after the voted was certified approved the market fell by 150 points. Is this a sign that once again they are wrong? Will members of Congress or Presidential candidates in the future claim they had been mislead about this crisis when it doesn’t work? The market fell because job numbers came out today and this year alone we have lost more than 700,000 jobs. Like Afghanistan should’ve been the target of the United States following the September 11th attacks Jobs is the problem we face today not money. However despite the facts arm twisting led more than fifty members to change their votes, including my new Congresswoman Donna Edwards. What got Donna? A phone call from Barack Obama! Give me a break.

Donna Edwards defeated Congressman Al Wynn in the primary earlier this year. After he lost he resigned and she took his seat early promising to represent the people. When she voted no on Monday Donna said, “This legislation would have done little to help the hard working people in my district.” However today after flipping she said that after speaking with Senator Obama she was convinced to vote for the bill. You have got to be kidding me. She went on to say the choice was this or nothing. You know why? Because members of Congress don’t want to work on the real problem in our economy, jobs so people can actually pay their mortgages and banks will have the money needed to operate, they want to go on break. They want to come back home and campaign to keep their jobs. So instead of doing their job they want to campaign to keep their jobs. This is not the change I thought Edwards and Obama wanted to offer. It wasn’t the leadership that she promised when we ousted Wynn. Wrong is wrong and again the American people are without the right leaders in Washington who are more concerned with a falling Mr. and Mrs. Jones then a falling Dow Jones.

Tha-Kid JK

tha-kid@revkitchen.com

This is a Bad Bill and Thus Must Fail

The lies about the current state of this economic stalemate are everywhere. They are all over the media and in the halls of Congress. President Bush who avoided the cameras for days in the early stages of the stock market problems have made public addresses two mornings in a row. Congress who planned to be home telling us how good they are and why we should send them back are now stuck in DC finding a solution. The common reference line is that this crisis is the worst since 1929. What? 1929? Do we all not remember the economic crisis of the Carter and Reagan administrations?

During this current crisis less than 100 banks have failed. During the crisis of the 80’s more than 3,000 banks failed. Every single bank in the state of Texas failed and shutdown. Not only that but at the time the national interest rate was more than 21%! However that problem was resolved by two administrations, a liberal democrat and a conservative republican without a federal bailout. The FDIC and leaders in Congress and the White House worked with the markets to bring about a solution that saw the market bailout the situation. Will banks fail? Yes. Will people lose their jobs? Yes. However they deserve to. These are banks that played on the dream that we had as people and sold many Americans into deals we all knew they couldn’t afford.

Where was the bailout when home prices in states like California, Florida, Maryland Nevada, New York, and cities like DC tumbled by hundreds of dollars at the same time their interest rates and mortgages rose by double digits?

Where was the bailout when many of these companies loaned millions to unpatriotic companies to move overseas and take away good paying jobs from hardworking citizens?

Time and time again on issue after issue of this type the response was we couldn’t afford it. Guess what? We still can’t. Congress should turn down this bill again and start again with a plan that focuses on getting Americans back to work. Our problem isn’t that banks need public money but that we need people to work to get paid to pay their bills. When they pay their bills the banks will then have the money they need to lend to each other to save the market. I said it before and will say it again. No, no, and hell NO. However that comes with an extension and a promise. A promise not to vote for any candidate who does vote yes on this package without protections for the people and real help for the out of work Americans. Yes that is any candidate including a President. We have paid our share for this crisis and we need help ourselves. Where are those leaders who will stand for those who sent them to DC, remember the people on main street who don’t command around the clock media attention when our community falls? The House of Representatives took the first step and now is the time to ensure that the Old Boys Club of the Senate follows suit.

Tha-Kid JK

tha-kid@revkitchen.com

Rep. Kucinich offers a Main Street recovery plan

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several weeks, you will know that the United States economy has continued its decline. This September 15th, Wall Street suffered its greatest losses since the September 11th terrorist attacks, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping down 500 points in one day. Since then, the Dow Jones has fluctuated in between losses as large as 450 points and gains of over 100 points, and other major aspects of the Stock Market have behaved similarly. These economic problems on Wall Street has sent our leaders and those others in power scrambling for a solution. The “economic recovery plan” put forth by the Bush Administration was one offering a $700 billion bail-out to corporations on Wall Street. This economic recovery plan will use the tax-dollars of those working on Main Street to bail out those speculating on Wall Street, and it, in my view, demonstrates that the dynamic of corporate engagement is strong in Washington. Though this number may be cut slightly by Democrats in Congress, it is very likely that hundreds of billions of dollars will still be spent to bail out Wall Street. In opposing such a Wall Street recovery plan, Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich has been working on an alternative, comprehensive plan for a “Main Street economic recovery”, in which, it is stated, both the economy will be stimulated and a fair deal will be provided to the American people.

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Repeal CAFE, Save the Auto Industry

[cross-posted at Michigan Youth Political Alliance]

I stumbled upon an interesting Wall Street Journal article, “How to Save Detroit and Save $50 Billion,” and not to indulge in nostalgia over the auto industry’s golden days as I would never do that without feeling repusive, but this article (along with others I found in my research), convinced me that CAFE or Corporate Average Fuel Economy is bunk for the most part and that scrapping it could salvage whatever dignity automakers still have left.

CAFE was a policy first established in 1975 to force auto makers to meet fuel-efficiency standards (e.g. so many miles per gallon) in light of the 1973 Arab oil embargo. It’s purpose was to ween ourselves off from foreign oil dependency, to create more fuel-efficient cars, and to satisfy the American consumers. Fast forward 33 years and auto makers are begging for $50 billion from Congress to help them cover the $100 billion in costs they need to pay to meet CAFE standards.

I never considered mileage standards to be at the root of the problem, but it is awfully close. In other nations, auto makers are not forced to meet mileage standards. Instead, they make fuel-efficient cars because it is profitable. In the market, consumers have a high demand for light, compact, fuel-efficient cars. However, making fuel-efficient cars in the United States have only recently become profitable with the high gas prices. Previously, the hottest cars on the market were the SUVS, pickup trucks and minivans. I’m not saying that their gas guzzling qualities are good, but if that’s what Americans want, then let them have it. By forcing auto makers to meet mileage standards, they had to divert billions of dollars worth of capital from designing, manufacturing, services, and the likes towards researching and developing fuel efficiency, an ultimately unprofitable area for the long term.

CAFE was instituted with auto safety and reducing consumption in mind. However, it has failed on both fronts. Mileage standards have forced auto makers to develop smaller, more lightweight cars that are more suspectible to crashes. The Heritage Foundation delivers some reliable and powerful data on this issue:

More than 25 years ago, research established that drivers of larger, heavier cars have lower risks in crashes than do drivers of smaller, lighter cars. 7 A 2000 study by Leonard Evans, now the president of the Science Serving Society in Michigan, found that adding a passenger to one of two identical cars involved in a two-car frontal crash reduces the driver fatality risk by 7.5 percent. 8 If the cars differ in mass by more than a passenger’s weight, adding a passenger to the lighter car will reduce total risk. 9

The Evans findings reinforce a 1989 study by economists Robert Crandall of the Brookings Institution and John Graham of the Harvard School of Public Health, who found that the weight of the average American automobile has been reduced 23 percent since 1974, much of this reduction a result of CAFE regulations. 10 Crandall and Graham stated that “the negative relationship between weight and occupant fatality risk is one of the most secure findings in the safety literature.” 11

On the issue of consumption, consumers have obviously not reduced their gas consumption in the last 33 years since CAFE was passed in Congress. By purchasing fuel-efficient cars, the consumer mindset is thinking that it is perfectly justifiable to drive those cars more than normal. Thus, extended driving leads to a ton more gas being burned. This is the case in most instances because of something called the “rebound effect,” something that makes sense with all technology. As things get easier to do, people want to do it more. The same Heritage article highlights this as well:

Advocates of higher CAFE standards argue that increasing miles per gallon will reduce gas consumption. What they fail to mention is the well-known “rebound effect”–greater energy efficiency leads to greater energy consumption. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal noted that in the 19th century, British economist Stanley Jevons found that coal consumption initially decreased by one-third after James Watt’s new, efficient steam engine began replacing older, more energy-hungry engines. 13 But in the ensuing years (1830 to 1863), consumption increased tenfold–the engines were cheaper to run and thus were used more often than the older, less efficient models. In short, greater efficiency produced more energy use, not less.

The same principle applies to CAFE standards. A more fuel-efficient vehicle costs less to drive per mile, so vehicle mileage increases. As the author of The Wall Street Journal article notes, “[s]ince 1970, the United States has made cars almost 50% more efficient; in that period of time, the average number of miles a person drives has doubled.” 14 This increase certainly offsets a portion of the gains made in fuel efficiency from government mandated standards.

In result, our dependency on foreign oil has grown, our own auto industry has declined to the point of near failure and our consumers are, well, not doing too badly. Well, except for the fact that their tax payers are going to be paying for the auto makers struggle to meet mileage mandates. We should seriously rethink how we can pull auto makers out of their pit of despair, and abolishing CAFE standards can be a start.

[cross-posted at Michigan Youth Political Alliance]

My Answer to George Bush on Bailout…Hell NO!

Does it not amaze you like it does me that President George Bush is asking that the average American voter dig down in our pockets to bail out the big banks on Wall Street. However listen to what happened as Americans faced a number of issues:

When gas prices started to shoot up Hillary Clinton and John McCain proposed a tax holiday and the response was we can’t afford it because it would reduce the highway trust fund. Barack Obama proposed a $1,000 emergency energy stimulus check to help families pay their gas and energy bills. It would out right be too expensive.

When Americans started to be forced out of their homes because of the unfair and outright bogus loans these very banks issued and Democrats called for restructuring power for judges in bankruptcy courts the GOP called for leaving the free market alone.

Now that big bank billionaires on Wall Street are in trouble we are “days away from our very economy clasping” and must approve $700 BILLION DOLLARS in aid. To them I say not just no but HELL NO!

Congress should send this bill back to the White House and demand a billion dollar financial plan to protect and bail out the American tax payer who doesn’t have tax shelters that cut into our share of the pot for the federal coffers. We need a new stimulus package that brings jobs to the out of work and not just a shopping spree to get Americans back to work and able to pay their own debts. That is real reform and real help. This bill is just a blank check to Wall Street after a “good talking to” by the Principal and then let go out and play. These plans don’t call for the firing of the directors who got us into this mess. These plans don’t call for executive compensation reform to ensure that our hard earned dollars don’t end up in the pockets of the CEO failing banks. This is a bad plan, a bad deal, and therefore a bad bill. For the record I agree with Senator Sanders if a bank is too big to fail then it is too big to exist.

Tha-Kid JK

tha-kid@revkitchen.com

NoFX and My Sub Prime Mortgages Rant

This entry is cross-posted at my blog We’re Quite Hostile where my friend and I write mostly about music and politics.

I was just listening to one of my favorite songs by the punk band NoFX, “The Irrationality Of Rationality”, and apparently I haven’t listened to it in a year because I’m only just now realizing how perfectly it fits with the subprime mortgage crisis. It could be that NoFX traveled into the future, but I’d say it is more likely that history just repeats itself much quicker than we like to admit.

Here’s the song. Have a listen, but be warned, the lyrics could be considered explicit.

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The Conservatives Rosy View of the Economy

McCain’s most famous quote on economics probably appeared in the Wall Street Journal when he said “I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.” Apparently Wall Street knows a lot less too, at least if you believe this Reuters article declaring McCain as the “best choice” for the economy:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s tax policies have given him an edge as the better man for the economy, various Wall Street experts said at this week’s Reuters Investment Outlook Summit.

McCain plans to extend the Bush administration’s tax cuts, eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax, and slash corporate taxes. Obama, who has derided the Arizona senator’s plans, has pledged to raise taxes on the wealthy and introduce a broad range of refundable tax credits.

The truth of the matter is Wall Street was better off during the Democratic presidency of Bill Clinton, then it has under the “pro-business” administration of George Bush. The simple reason why is because Bush’s economic plan doesn’t work - because consumers, the one’s powering the economy, aren’t very high up on Bush’s or McCain’s list.

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I Am An Angry Voter

I am an angry voter. I worry that a McCain or Clinton administration will continue the same Washington politics that are destroying our nation. Like politicians getting free vacations trips to tropical destinations for signing free trade deals at the request of lobbyists.

There are many blacks like me that share this same anger, and even bitterness.  Some blue collar workers might look at some blacks as lazy, destructive people on welfare and wonder why we’re surprised Wal-Mart won’t open and bring employment opportunities in black neighborhoods. And then some blacks might look at the white male factory worker as getting what he deserves, because for past generations he had a free “white male” card.

But in the end the white father and the black father are both angry when they find it hard to place food on the table. Whether as Americans, they scrape money from the grandparents or from the federal government, the shame of not being able to provide for your own family creates anger at the system.

But the media (which is funded by corporations) and selfish politicians are seeking to divide Americans that are affected by the same failed economic policies, so that they can rake in more money and profits. They’re creating “voter outrage” of Barack Obama’s “bitter” comments.

His statement was intended to help a group of elitist California fund raisers understand what the unemployed American feels. Every election cycle presidents and senators pose against shuttered factories and promise jobs. And the January after each election cycle we see more American jobs sent to places like Asia and South America.

The Washington and corporate establishment is scared that a candidate has finally called politicians on their economic BS. The establishment is worried that blue collar America and urban America might realize our economic issues are the same. If Americans are able to look past the small differences that separate us, and exercise our right to make America a better place, corrupt politicians and companies looking at short term and selfish gains will be forced to change or leave.

Bitter is not a bad word. I am “Marked by resentment or cynicism” as the dictionary says, when it comes to politics. When watching you, your family, your community, and your country slowly dieing because of irresponsible decision making, it is no shame to be a bitter voter.

Cross posted at my personal site.

Trade

Trade is an issue which, relative to more prominent issues, many do not feel strongly about. It is an issue upon which the mainstream candidates from each of the major parties agree, so it can not be used as an issue to inflame voters with partisanship and get them to go to the polls to vote against the opposition party. Trade is quite unlike the issues of abortion, or gay marriage, or the War in Iraq, in that respect. However, I believe that Trade is a very important issue which affects all of our lives here in the United States on a daily basis. Specifically, whether the United States assumes the policies of Free Trade or of Fair Trade.

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In support of the Fair Tax

There are two main progressive systems of taxation: an income tax (which is what we have now) and a sales tax. Some people, particularly presidential candidates, are discussing which tax system would be best for the United States. With the income tax, you’re taxed on what you earn; with the sales tax, you’re taxed on what you spend. To learn more about these tax systems and to decide for myself which one is better for America at this point in time, I decided to apply, to both tax systems, the three requirements that a tax system needs to ensure fairness: total transparency, no exceptions, and simplicity. Read more

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