Simple Solutions

American businesses are sitting on $2 trillion in cash. Republicans say that if we cut taxes, particularly on what they refer to as "job creators" and slash regulations, businesses will magically be willing to put this capital at risk. The problem is, no amount of tax or regulatory cutting will incentivize a business to hire an additional worker when there is no additional demand for their product. That would be stupid, and American businesses are not stupid. It seems most likely that the result of cutting taxes on "job creators" is that American businesses will be sitting on $3 trillion in cash. The first step is to identify the problem. The problem right now, at this moment, is lack of demand caused by the consumers in this country simply not having money to spend. They don't have money because: 1) they don't have jobs; 2) they are underemployed; 3) they are being paid less than they used to be paid. In order to address this, several steps should be taken immediately: 1) cut taxes on the middle class; 2) institute real infrastucture spending. Additionally, the tax code should be reformed to accomplish several major policy goals: 1) stop rewarding businesses for moving jobs "offshore;" 2) reward businesses for hiring more employees. Simple solutions...things all Americans should agree on.

When Did We Stop Abiding by "The Rule of Law"

Okay, let's see, we just survived the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression...and yet, for the first time in modern history when an economic meltdown has occurred, no one was charged with a crime...even though millions of Americans lost trillions of dollars due, in part, to lies by financial folks. We just went through a period of time when our friends and neighbors know that some of us tortured prisoners in the "War on Terror." In fact, Jose Rodriguez, former head of the CIA's clandestine services, who destroyed the videotapes of some of the torture said, "I was concerned that the distinction between a legally authorized program as our enhanced interrogation program was, and illegal activity by a bunch of psychopaths, would not be made." Yet no one was charged with a crime. We claim to be a country guided by "The Rule of Law." My question is, was that ever true, and if it was, when did it stop being true? Was it true when President Clinton was impeached by Republicans in the House of Representatives for lying in a deposition about an extra-marital affair that obviously had nothing to do with his role as President? Or was it true when President Nixon was pardoned by a Republican for his role in a criminal conspiracy to undermine our democracy through the coverup of political crimes that had everything to do with his role as President? Finally, is it true when young inner-city men get life sentences for a few ounces of cocaine, yet many financial thugs who commit billion dollar crimes do not face prosecution, from Republicans or Democrats? It seems we have abided by "The Rule of Law" by making corruption legal.

Why I am Sad...

It seems like white men over 50 are becoming more mean, hateful and bitter day by day. Why is this so? Maybe it is because they feel their power and dominance slipping away. Maybe it is just as simple as they are mean, hateful, bitter human beings. Go to any right-wing (I prefer to call them wrong-wing) blog or website and the hatred is unbelievable. I think they were always hateful, it is just easier to see in this techo-world. Why am I sad? Because they think I am one of them. I hear comments all the time from other old white men who think, because I look like them, that I am like them. I asked a new liberal African-American friend who had seen me for months, what he thought my politics were. He replied "let's see, old white guy with short hair from the south who used to be in law enforcement - yeah, conservative." I am not like them.

Sam Donaldson - My New Hero!

Neil Munro of the Daily Caller interrupted President Obama's speech yesterday, an act of rudeness and disrespect for a President I have not witnessed in my 50 years of political observation. Munro's boss, Tucker Carlson, defended his reporter's actions by comparing it to Sam Donaldson's tough questioning of previous Presidents. Donaldson took exception to this by pointing out that he never interrupted a President's speech and only asked questions during the appropriate time for questions. Donaldson's response follows: "Never once did I interrupt a president in any way while he was making a formal statement, a speech, honoring awardees or in any other way holding the floor. Yes, almost always when he was finished in the Rose Garden or in the Briefing Room or at a photo opportunity with other world leaders I tried to question him (only rarely was it a shout on the rope line, more often a more normal tone of voice) and other reporters of course did the same thing along with me. What this man did yesterday is something new, to me wrong and unusual. I think it is probably the result of the growing incivility of the times, the competition among reporters and news organizations to be noticed not only for the work product but for the theatrics of the gathering…and there is one more factor, let’s face it: Many on the political right believe this president ought not to be there – they oppose him not for his polices and political view but for who he is, an African American! These people and perhaps even certain news organizations (certainly the right wing talkers like Limbaugh) encourage disrespect for this president. That is both regrettable and adds, in this case, to the general dislike of the press on the part of the general public. For Tucker Carlson to say that he would if he can give this man a raise for this rude attempt to interrupt the president is reflective of what I’ve said above and, to me, lowers my opinion of Tucker." Sam Donaldson had the guts to challenge the conservative lie - they can't stand having a black President. Let's face it, they treated President Carter terribly, then they treated President Clinton even worse, but nothing comes close to the disrespect they have shown President Obama. They should all be ashamed of themselves.