Obama wins a Nobel Peace Prize…?
The news was announced that Barack Obama has been selected by the Norweigian Nobel Committee as a winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
My first reaction is congratulations as this is a nice honor for our Prez to win, on the other hand I am concerned. First let me declare that I am a fan of Obama and I voted for him. Funny coming from someone who has voted the Republican ticket since I was eligible to vote, but something was different this year.
I liked the message of change, I had hope in the messages of health care reform, improvement of foreign relations, and an overall changing of the guard per se. The stance on the wars seemed to be a stand still, troops dying in large numbers and seemingly no direction of our executive leadership to change the course.
I’m just at odds with him actually winning the award right now, almost as if the committee felt bad that his bid for the Chicago 2016 Summer games bombed. Granted, Obama is a true statesman of what is just and right, but so are a lot of other Presidents, the problem is convincing Washington lawmakers to get on board with your thinking.
Yes, he is an advocate of sweeping reform and change, but that is the stance of all politicians and only a few economically viable programs actually see the light of day.
Yes, he is making great strides to reach out to other nations and mend wounds that were seen caused by the last admin. However, the differences in cultures, values, and religion go back thousands of years and it’s not like other administrations weren’t trying to win over the Middle East.
I guess my issue is that I want to see Obama hit hard times and I want to see him tested. I don’t want purely the flash of fancy speeches, the well crafted delivery to world leaders, or the public view that words equate to action, they don’t.
The Peace prize is not only an accolade but now might become a burden. A burden to perform. The award places him in a position which requires even more expectation to lead but also to achieve. Not all goals in politics are reachable, there are accommodations, backdoors, and alternative approaches.
My fear is that too much God like treatment will tarnish the underlying truth, the truth being that Obama is at a very critical crossroads of his tenure and the moment of truth is starting to peak. The world will inevitably be watching now.
Something I’ve Observed: Health care reform is a two headed snake
I am very confused and troubled by all the backlash and analysis of the health care reform proposals. 
Health care is broken…or is it? The current system employs millions of Americans in good paying, secure jobs in the private sector. Those jobs could potentially be lost if more Americans were given “non-private” options at a cheaper price.
Most insured Americans obtain their insurance from an employer based plan…so if you were to lose that plan are you obligated to now enroll in the government backed plan even if the provisions or coverage was not as good as your employer based plan? However, if the portability option comes into play, you take the plan with you…but you don’t have your job anymore, so do you now pay the actual premium for the plan that your emplorer paid or does it adjust to a more affordable price while you search for a new employer plan? I am hearing that many private based plans could disappear with these changes.
I am all for dissemination of medical techniques and procedures. We should all be granted much more freedoms when it comes to how we are medically treated and what medicinal approaches we are most comfortable with. If a “panel” of experts is assigned to a specific medical discipline and given the task of deciding best courses of treatments for people, does that sever the relationships people already have with their doctor when it comes to health choices? Are we placing too much medical decision making in the best interest of the “whole” or the “individual”?
It’s not that I think the plan reformation will be a complete move to a Socialist plan, I am not that definitive in my thinking. I just want to be sure that our leaders do not sway so far from the private sector that it has a negative impact on the good things the system currently provides.
Which leads my thoughts in a completely different direction? The current system is a market based health system in which individual, stock driven companies call most of the shots. As much as I would like to believe there are regulatory forces in place, my gut tells me otherwise. Multi billion dollar organizations have a lot of influence on health legislation and legislators. Many ask the questions so why with all this market freedom, capital, and research funds…do we not have the magic number on treating societies major ills? (obesity, heart disease, cancer, etc)
With all the focus on health, exercise, and wellness…why is 90% of our country still fat? Does the balance swing back towards the food industry’s interest as well? I think so….actually I don’t understand any of the statistics, the trends, the habits, the demographics, or why nothing ever seems to level out in the long run. Does anybody know, please help me.
“You are a friend of Saudi Arabia”…
I give you this gold medallion as a token of my thanks for buying so much gas...you silly American!
Obama was greeted like a king today as he arrived for his visit to Saudi Arabia. Well, when you’re head of the free, gas guzzling world, you would be too!
Although, the premier of China and the leader of India also received box seats to the Lakers/Magic series. Hypothetically speaking if Saudis’ were basketball fans and if those leaders actually visited the country.
Now listen kids, there are “good touches” and “bad touches”
The G20 summit is under way in London this week and already The Obama’s have been accused of groping her majesty. Michelle Obama gently placed her hand on the Queen’s back during their initial greeting and whaaaaaaatever you do….dooooooo not lay your grubby paws on the Queen unless she does so before you!!
Silly Americans can never get this right. Let me get this straight, so the Queen bends over, no wait, if the Queen slaps you a high-five you have to, no..if the Queen does the churn the butter dance then you can join in, no that’s not it. Oh brother, all this monarchy etiquette is just soooo hard to remember.
Once again, it’s stupid, yeah she’s the Queen of England and there are centuries of tradition, history, and regal etiquette but enough already. Americans and anyone not ruled by the British monarchy will simply not understand and will, from time to time, accidentally slip up. Even our own Prez’ and first lady are subject to it. All heads of state are briefed on how to approach the Queen but they’re only human. Americans are handsy, we like to pat, rub, grope, squeeze, nudge, and it becomes an instinctual motion when we greet others. The Queen is a pretty hip lady and she’ll get over it, trust me.
Thanks to TIME writer Simon Robinson, here is a quick history lesson about the whole not putting your hands on the Queen thing.
“The sovereigns of England and France at some point in their nations’ long histories claimed a divine right to rule, a right often amplified by titles bestowed by the Pope in Rome. (The Queen, in fact, still has the title Defender of the Faith, an honor given to Henry VIII before he broke with the Catholic Church and established the Church of England.) That touch of holiness once gave the occupant of the throne the supposed ability to cure certain diseases – most famously, scrofula, a terrible skin ailment that was called “the king’s evil.” Thus, the miraculous contact had to be conserved. And so, whether a touch or a nod or a gaze, royal favor, like that of God, is not a subject’s on demand; it is dispensed by kingly prerogative.”
Obama apparently gave her an IPod as a gift when he arrived. Hmmm…what would have been on Henry the VIII’s play list. “Cuts Like a Knife”?…”Head over Heels”?…
Obama already turning the page on stem cell research
Obama’s personal views are evident on this subject- he supports it. His Liberal backers will love him and social conservatives that Obama is trying to win over – probably won’t.
I think science is leading the charge on this one – not moral implications.
Obama is essentially overturning Bush’s stance on Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The issue is debatable among Evangelical Christians and Left-Wing radicals but I’m not getting into it.
It’s too early in the morning and the “science vs right to life” drama doesn’t settle too well with me.
Science has always intrigued me especially medical science. Do I want labs creating humans from other humans? Probably not- the idea of identical humans walking around seems to serve no purpose to me and seems very 1984′ ish eery spooky.
Do I support medical research of stem cells to possibly cure spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s, and other conditions? You bet.
In a nut shell here is the issue…when researchers harvest stem cells from these embryos, they are destroyed in the process. That’s the basis of the controversy- pretty simple – but not simple in the eyes of those who approve funding for the medical firms who perform such research and human trials.
Ya see, it all begins to generate the heated discussions of when does life actually begin and does this research cross the ethical line of medical science.
Ask the quadrapalegic or ask the man on the church pulpit- you’ll probably get two very different responses. Either way you perceive the issue – the President just put his stamp of approval on moving forward…with the science…as he sees it.
A very basic breakdown of stimulus plan – part deux
No one is going to lead their local economics club in a lecture about the stimulus after reading this breakdown, but in the spirit of bar talk it will at least make you sound like you know what you are talking about. So read it, yawn, read it and yawn. I believe it is a two yawn breakdown, but for fast readers it may only be a one.
Here you go -
Taxes:
The recovery package has tax breaks for families that send a child to college, purchase a new car, buy a first home or make the ones they own more energy efficient.
Millions of workers can expect to see about $13 extra in their weekly paychecks, starting around June, from a new $400 tax credit to be doled out through the rest of the year. Couples would get up to $800. In 2010, the credit would be about $7.70 a week, if it is spread over the entire year.
The $1,000 child tax credit would be extended to more low-income families that don’t make enough money to pay income taxes, and poor families with three or more children will get an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.
Middle-income and wealthy taxpayers will be spared from paying the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was designed 40 years ago to make sure wealthy taxpayers pay at least some tax, but was never indexed for inflation. Congress fixes it each year, usually in the fall.
First-time homebuyers who purchase their homes before Dec. 1 would be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit, and people who buy new cars before the end of the year can write off the sales taxes.
Homeowners who add energy-efficient windows, furnaces and air conditioners can get a tax credit to cover 30 percent of the costs, up to a total of $1,500. College students — or their parents — are eligible for tax credits of up to $2,500 to help pay tuition and related expenses in 2009 and 2010.
Those receiving unemployment benefits this year wouldn’t pay any federal income taxes on the first $2,400 they receive.
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Health insurance:
Many workers who lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs will find it cheaper to keep that coverage while they look for work.
Right now, most people working for medium and large employers can continue their coverage for 18 months under the COBRA program when they lose their job. It’s expensive, often over $1,000 a month, because they pay the share of premiums once covered by their employer as well as their own share from the old group plan.
Under the stimulus package, the government will pick up 65 percent of the total cost of that premium for the first nine months.
Lawmakers initially proposed to help workers from small companies, too, who don’t generally qualify for COBRA coverage. But that fell through. The idea was to have Washington pay to extend Medicaid to them.
COBRA applies to group plans at companies employing at least 20 people. The subsidies will be offered to those who lost their jobs from Sept. 1 to the end of this year.
Those who were put out of work after September but didn’t elect to have COBRA coverage at the time will have 60 days to sign up.
The plan offers $87 billion to help states administer Medicaid. That could slow or reverse some of the steps states have taken to cut the program.
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Infrastructure:
Highways repaved for the first time in decades. Century-old waterlines dug up and replaced with new pipes. Aging bridges, stressed under the weight of today’s SUVs, reinforced with fresh steel and concrete.
But the $90 billion is a mere down payment on what’s needed to repair and improve the country’s physical backbone. And not all economists agree it’s an effective way to add jobs in the long term, or stimulate the economy.
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Energy:
Homeowners looking to save energy, makers of solar panels and wind turbines and companies hoping to bring the electric grid into the computer age all stand to reap major benefits.
The package contains more than $42 billion in energy-related investments from tax credits to homeowners to loan guarantees for renewable energy projects and direct government grants for makers of wind turbines and next-generation batteries.
There’s a 30 percent tax credit of up to $1,500 for the purchase of a highly efficient residential air conditioners, heat pumps or furnaces. The credit also can be used by homeowners to replace leaky windows or put more insulation into the attic. About $300 million would go for rebates to get people to buy efficient appliances.
The package includes $20 billion aimed at “green” jobs to make wind turbines, solar panels and improve energy efficiency in schools and federal buildings. It includes $6 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects as well as tax breaks or direct grants covering 30 percent of wind and solar energy investments. Another $5 billion is marked to help low-income homeowners make energy improvements.
About $11 billion goes to modernize and expand the nation’s electric power grid and $2 billion to spur research into batteries for future electric cars.
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Schools:
A main goal of education spending in the stimulus bill is to help keep teachers on the job.
Nearly 600,000 jobs in elementary and secondary schools could be eliminated by state budget cuts over the next three years, according to a study released this past week by the University of Washington. Fewer teachers means higher class sizes, something that districts are scrambling to prevent.
The stimulus sets up a $54 billion fund to help prevent or restore state budget cuts, of which $39 billion must go toward kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education. In addition, about $8 billion of the fund could be used for other priorities, including modernization and renovation of schools and colleges, though how much is unclear, because Congress decided not to specify a dollar figure.
The Education Department will distribute the money as quickly as it can over the next couple of years.
And it adds $25 billion extra to No Child Left Behind and special education programs, which help pay teacher salaries, among other things.
This money may go out much more slowly; states have five years to spend the dollars, and they have a history of spending them slowly. In fact, states don’t spend all the money; they return nearly $100 million to the federal treasury every year.
The stimulus bill also includes more than $4 billion for the Head Start and Early Head Start early education programs and for child care programs.
___
National debt:
One thing about the president’s $790 billion stimulus package is certain: It will jack up the federal debt.
Whether or not it succeeds in producing jobs and taming the recession, tomorrow’s taxpayers will end up footing the bill.
Forecasters expect the 2009 deficit — for the budget year that began last Oct 1 — to hit $1.6 trillion including new stimulus and bank-bailout spending. That’s about three times last year’s shortfall.
The torrents of red ink are being fed by rising federal spending and falling tax revenues from hard-hit businesses and individuals.
The national debt — the sum of all annual budget deficits — stands at $10.7 trillion. Or about $36,000 for every man, woman and child in the U.S.
Interest payments alone on the national debt will near $500 billion this year. It’s already the fourth-largest federal expenditure, after Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense.
This will affect us all directly for years, as well as our children and possibly grandchildren, in higher taxes and probably reduced government services. It will also force continued government borrowing, increasingly from China, Japan, Britain, Saudi Arabia and other foreign creditors.
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Environment:
The package includes $9.2 billion for environmental projects at the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The money would be used to shutter abandoned mines on public lands, to help local governments protect drinking water supplies, and to erect energy-efficient visitor centers at wildlife refuges and national parks.
The Interior Department estimates that its portion of the work would generate about 100,000 jobs over the next two years.
Yet the plan will only make a dent in the backlog of cleanups facing the EPA and the long list of chores at the country’s national parks, refuges and other public lands. It would be more like a down payment.
When it comes to national parks, the plan sets aside $735 million for road repairs and maintenance. But that’s a fraction of the $9 billion worth of work waiting for funding.
At EPA, the payout is $7.2 billion. The bulk of the money will help local communities and states repair and improve drinking water systems and fund projects that protect bays, rivers and other waterways used as sources of drinking water.
The rest of EPA’s cut — $800 million — will be used to clean up leaky gasoline storage tanks and the nation’s hazardous waste sites.
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Police:
The stimulus bill includes plenty of green for those wearing blue.
The compromise bill doles out more than $3.7 billion for police programs, much of which is set aside for hiring new officers.
The law allocates $2 billion for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, a program that has funded drug task forces and things such as prisoner rehabilitation and after-school programs.
An additional $1 billion is set aside to hire local police under the Community Oriented Policing Services program. The program, known as COPS grants, paid the salaries of many local police officers and was a “modest contributor” to the decline in crime in the 1990s, according to a 2005 government oversight report.
Both programs had all been eliminated during the Bush administration.
The bill also includes $225 million for general criminal justice grants for things such as youth mentoring programs, $225 million for Indian tribe law enforcement, $125 million for police in rural areas, $100 million for victims of crimes, $50 million to fight Internet crimes against children and $40 million in grants for law enforcement along the Mexican border.
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Higher Education:
The maximum Pell Grant, which helps the lowest-income students attend college, would increase from $4,731 currently to $5,350 starting July 1 and $5,550 in 2010-2011. That would cover three-quarters of the average cost of a four-year college. An extra 800,000 students, or about 7 million, would now get Pell funding.
The stimulus also increases the tuition tax credit to $2,500 and makes it 40 percent refundable, so families who don’t earn enough to pay income tax could still get up to $1,000 in extra tuition help.
Computer expenses will now be an allowable expense for 529 college savings plans.
The final package cut $6 billion the House wanted to spend to kick-start building projects on college campuses. But parts of the $54 billion state stabilization fund — with $39 billion set aside for education — can be used for modernizing facilities.
There’s also an estimated $15 billion for scientific research, much of which will go to universities. Funding for the National Institutes of Health includes $1.5 billion set aside for university research facilities.
Altogether, the package spends an estimated $32 billion on higher education.
___
The Poor:
More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline.
People who get food stamps — 30 million and growing — will get more. People drawing unemployment checks — nearly 5 million and growing — would get an extra $25, and keep those checks coming longer. People who get Supplemental Security Income — 7 million poor Americans who are elderly, blind or disabled — would get one-time extra payments of $250.
Many low-income Americans also are likely to benefit from a trifecta of tax credits: expansions to the existing Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and a new refundable tax credit for workers. Taken together, the three credits are expected to keep more than 2 million Americans from falling into poverty, including more than 800,000 children, according to the private Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The package also includes a $3 billion emergency fund to provide temporary assistance to needy families. In addition, cash-strapped states will get an infusion of $87 billion for Medicaid, the government health program for poor people, and that should help them avoid cutting off benefits to the needy.
Debunking a “theoretical” criticism of the Obama Stimulus
January 20, 2009 - President Barack Obama Oath of Office
OK, I am probably diving in over my head on this one. So here goes. The Wall Street Journal online ran an opinion piece (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123292987008414041.html?mod=googlenews_wsj) which cites a study that claims to de-bunk the theory behind a Keynesian-style stimulus plan as a cure (partial or otherwise) for an ailing economy.
The basis of the argument is that when a government spends a dollar, it takes a dollar from some other pocket which washes the impact of the spending.
The claim is that because the government would have to (in this case) sell a bond, the investor that buys the bond would otherwise have invested the money somewhere that would have had much the same effect as the stimulus package would have on the greater economy.
I accept that this may be true in an otherwise healthy economy. But in the current economy it must be kept in mind that the propensity of savers to invest in riskier assets – let alone in job creating businesses is sharply lower than what it would be in an otherwise healthy economy. Thus it is likely that those funds, if not used to purchase the government bond used to finance the stimulus, would have stayed in some ultra secure savings vehicle, a bank account (and we know how eager banks are to lend these days) or some other asset which is ultra secure and would not in fact be deployed somewhere that would get the economy moving.
It is exactly in situations like the one we are in where a Keynesian stimulus package will work. No, it will not cure all the economy’s problems. Will it make them less severe than they otherwise might be. I truly believe it will.
You can find a PhD or study to say just about anything you want. The key is to understand the assumptions underlying the theory or study. I have not reviewed the study referenced in the opinion piece. But you do not need a PhD to know that Keynesian stimulus proposals – whose impact may very well be muted by less private spending in a healthy economy – are made to order for an environment where the propensity of consumers and investors is to be risk averse to an extreme degree.
Further, the psychological shift in confidence that may result in increasing private economy risk appetites (and is probably impossible to quantify in an economic study) over time from the knowledge that the government is stepping up to the plate is a key component in the effectiveness of any stimulus plan.
The article makes some good points about the first version of the stimulus package and its apparent lack of timeliness (when the money will be spent). But this Congress and Administration have been in place less than a week (together). Let’s give them a few weeks.
In ordinary times I am very much opposed to Keynesian policy for reasons consistent with the position laid out in the article. But, like the great man himself once said, “when the facts change, I change my mind….what do you do sir?”
Obama and Justice Roberts hit a few snags…but they got it done
I will...I will faith'...I faith'...damn it
It was a historic moment as our 44th President was sworn into office, however, it wasn’t the most smooth of exchanges between Obama and Justice Roberts. Dick Clark and Ed McMahon would have loved this moment.
From the very beginning, the two of them were out of sync and off time.
Flub #1: Roberts begins the first line of the oath “I Barack Hussein Obama”…then he pauses before he says “do solemnly swear” however Obama jumped in a little too quickly after the pause which forces him to stop and repeat it.
Flub #2: The very next line is completely butchered by Roberts. Not only does he butcher the oath but then he adds his own word into the mix. Roberts must not have rehearsed this or it’s been a while since he’s sworn a President in (actually never).
Here is how the Oath reads:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Here’s how NBC news actually transcribed the exchange and where Roberts fouls up:
ROBERTS: I, Barack Hussein Obama…
OBAMA: I, Barack… (Pause ooops!)
ROBERTS: … do solemnly swear…
OBAMA: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear…
ROBERTS: … that I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully…
OBAMA: … that I will execute… (Looks at Roberts like “Come again dude?”)
ROBERTS: … faithfully the office of president of the United States…
OBAMA: … the office of president of the United States faithfully…
ROBERTS: … and will to the best of my ability…
OBAMA: … and will to the best of my ability…
ROBERTS: … preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: … preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
Cheers, cannons blasting, and more military brass music. A serious moment which turned light hearted – we’re only human.
President Barack Obama Inauguration Speech January 20, 2009
January 20, 2009 - President Barack Obama Oath of Office
Placing his hand on the Bible once used by Lincoln, Barack Obama took the Oath of Office at 12:05 p.m. on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Immediately following, he delivered his Inaugural Address to a sea of flag-waving Americans stretching down the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial and beyond. The full text of his address is below. Full transcript as prepared for delivery of President Barack Obama’s inaugural remarks on Jan. 20, 2009, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Health Care and capitalism a match made in heaven
Some people think this is the future - Unfortunately it is the present and it must change
Health Care and capitalism a match made in heaven – seriously if you believe that you are more likely to go to heaven sooner rather than later.
There are truly intelligent people out there who say things like “Our rights were correctly identified by the founders of the United States: we are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If we study these rights, we can see that they are negative rights. Essentially, we are granted the right not to have our lives, freedom, or property taken away. These are our moral rights. Period. The proper (and original) role of our government is to protect the rights, or true entitlements, of its citizens.”
They then follow up that logic with beauties like this “We are not entitled to the materials or services (labor) of another person without that person’s consent. In a free society, those providing a good or service are compensated for it by receiving fair market value. This is the value set by free exchanges in the open market place. To quote Leonard Peikoff in “Health Care is Not a Right,” http://www.bdt.com/pages/Peikoff.html “Health care in the modern world is a complex, scientific, technological service. How can anybody be born with a right to such a thing?” “You have the right to work, not to rob others of the fruits of their work, not to turn others into sacrificial, rightless animals laboring to fulfill your needs.”
So let’s take a minute and think outside of the wacko box. Let’s imagine a world where the government is not involved in health care at all. In this imaginary world government does not participate in research, grants, medicaid or medicare, city or state or county run health programs and each person and corporation is totally responsible for funding their health care.
Now almost no one can afford to have a hospital in their home. How often do even the super wealthy use a CAT scan machine? Not often enough to purchase their own in most cases, and to have a surgery center on hold just for you is also not logical, because how often do you actually need surgery. Additionally, not many people would want to go through the rigors of becoming a physician when so few people could actually afford to use their services. There would simply not be enough job openings to make the field attractive to the masses. The reduction in doctors would just be the start of the trickle down. Obviously there would be fewer medical devices built, so fewer people would be employed in these industries, and with no grant money available there would be very few research facilities at our universities and colleges.
Essentially with no government involvement in health care the industry would be virtually unsustainable. My guess is it would revert back to the early 20th century and 19th century type of service. Where your local doctor would work in your town and provide house calls. They would be able to tell you in large part what actually ailed you, but they would have to send you to a centralized hospital in order to receive “traditional” services, because local hospitals would be nothing more than doctors offices with very limited technology.
In this world no research would be done into drugs or treatments that do not effect large portion of the population, because any discoveries would not be profitable and pure capitalism will not support philanthropy just for the sake of philanthropy. Additionally, the truly wealthy would be the only ones who could afford most long-term care services.
Now this is all doom and gloom, and to some people this world will sound horrific, but here is the really scary point of this story.
For 40 million Americans this ridiculous scenario would probably offer better health care than they currently receive. The local doctor would probably be affordable, and the billing process would more than likely be reasonable, so you could pay a reasonable fee for the services you receive. Additionally, if the doctor gives you grave news, and informs you that you will need to pay for centralized medical care you can just thank them and die. This option is not much different for many people today.
Some people seem to believe those without health care are demanding health care services as a right, or an inherent right as a U.S. citizen. I the vast majority of cases this is not true. People do not believe health care is a right, just as they do not believe fire departments, police stations, libraries or city halls are built and staffed because it is a right. People believe these services are provided for the betterment of society, and to protect the people who can not afford to purchase and staff these facilities on their own. The truly ironic part, is no one is claiming we should stop funding these core services, because they just make since. Virtually no one can afford to purchase a fire engine, and most people do not want every Tom, Dick and Harry running around with a firearm keeping the peace.
As an educated society we have determined that “some” things are better handled by the People for the People, and it is time we add health care to that equation. We need to work on systematic reform. We need to address not only the process of dispensing health care, but the foundation must be rocked. We need centralized health care goals in research, infrastructure, personnel, disbursement and education. These goals should be centralized one four levels. There should be a national plan, a state plan, a county plan and a city plan. Individual citizens should have a say in the elected officials who oversee their health care priorities, and be able to help their local officials help prioritize health care issues that most effect them.
If someone is sick or needs counseling they should be able to go to their local health care facility and visit their local physician who will assist them in the next steps required in their health care process. Health care needs to be handled locally, but it must have the power of a nation behind it when that power is required. Such as with epidemics, natural disasters and other unforeseen major events that would overwhelm local communities and in some cases even states.
This goal, nay this requirement is not some belief or desire that one man is dreaming. This is something that a nation of great people must demand. We can not watch people suffer. We can not watch friends and neighbors go without treatment when treatments are available. This is not what made us who we are today. We are a great nation, and it is time we stopped putting dollars, and selfishness ahead of the common good.
I hope to readdress this issue in the near future, and I believe there are sound financial reasons for making these changes as well. I believe once these changes are implemented it will have a positive affect on the economy, and if the entire process is implemented it will save money for the vast majority of businesses and people, as well as generating great strides forward with major health care issues.
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 11, 2010Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right. It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type! It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription [...] […]kansasview
- Internet fun for the weekend… March 11, 2010By far one of my favorite websites of late is called GraphJam.com. Essentially, the website attempts to break down the world and how we interact with it in a series of graphs. It is hilarious when you see how the world around us can be so easily summed up in a pie or bar chart. [...] […]kansasview
- So why are more companies not yet hiring? March 11, 2010U.S. Workers are still filing a large amount of unemployment claims and this is after five weeks of declines in this area. Where are the culprits and which industries are still hurting? It’s apparent as we have seen over the last year is that a gradual stabilization of the economy does not naturally translate to a increase [...] […]kansasview
- Facebook is down…Facebook is down…5:42 (cst) March 11, 2010This website is not a help desk for Facebook but it’s a civic duty to keep the American public aware of all possible natural disasters!! Facebook is down! Facebook is down! Don’t toss your Iphone in the river or hurl it at your wife and complain that it doesn’t work worth a s***. Here is the current [...] […]kansasview
- Hot new golfer to challenge Tiger’s limelight March 11, 2010It’s tough not to hear Tiger Woods’ name in the media of late with all this marital infedelity hoopla and now text messages coming out from his brood of women across the country. Frankly, it’s getting old and let’s focus our attention on those athletes who don’t get all the attention. Especially those golfers who shy away [... […]kansasview
- Eight years of success turns into one year of demise for Kansas coach Mark Mangino March 11, 2010The story and the jokes can finally come to an end. Sports fans throughout the midwest have been following the fate of KU head football coach Mark Mangino and allegations that he verbally and physically abused his players. Well fans, now that he has resigned and the weeks of rumors and headlines about his coaching future [...] […]kansasview
- Tiger’s “cat” is almost out of the bag March 11, 2010Of course we couldn’t wait too long before throwing in our own two cents about the Woods story, it wouldn’t be American! I’m getting to the point where I’m getting angry because this is now a public issue. It’s private until Tiger hopped behind the wheel and crashed his vehicle. It’s private until the police are called a […]kansasview
- Come on ABC…Lambert only kissed another guy, big deal March 11, 2010What’s wrong ABC? You can’t allow a very flamboyant and talented singer on GMA? However, you have prime time shows that openly display homosexual men/women and sometimes they kiss! Brothers and Sisters, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, they all have gay characters who quite frequently engaged in PDA. Granted, these are actors but there is […]kansasview
- Wow! Those facebook pics sure got some attention! March 11, 2010Interesting story out of Quebec, if you haven’t read the article, do so. Once again, a story comes along that just sends my editorial neurons out of whack. So, you go to the doctor and are diagnosed with severe depression…so severe that she is forced to go on short term disability for a year from her [...] […]kansasview
- Palin…go away! March 11, 2010Seriously, I don’t care that you have a new book….I don’t care that you have a tattered relationship with your daughter’s “baby daddy“…and I find absolutely nothing of this fascinating in the least. It’s all over TV, she’s been on every talk show on earth….all for what? To increase exposure for a […]kansasview
- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 11, 2010
