Race Dialogue

There is confusion about Barack Obama's message about talking to your enemies, to those you disagree with, to those who do not look like you and to those who have a different viewpoint from, yours. Because Obama happens to be black this has turned into a dialogue about race.

Cheney Pushes the Boundaries - Again

Cheney is now arguing that "Congress has no authority over the Vice President."

Obama's Supporters Think Highly of Him. His Rivals Say, Make It Stop!

As an Obama supporter, not a day goes by when I don't hear someone speak of the necessity to take Obama down a notch. They claim his follower think he walks on water. They claim these people are robots, or cult members, or trying to assuage some cultural guilt. I mean, how else do you explain the fact that people don't consider him mediocre? There are no extraordinary people in politics, just people who haven't been vetted enough to drag their image down into the mud with the rest of the mediocre politicians.

The Free Market for Agribusiness

I remember when farmers boasted of being self-reliant, taking care of themselves withhout any handouts, rigorous individualists and believers in the free market. What do we have now? Farmers being paid for not producing and not selling. We don't call them handouts any more, they are subsidies.

Are We Gullible Enough?

I was widely criticized when I suggested that the "surge" was not working for the American people in my article titled: The Surge is Working.

Initiatives in our Republic & Dignity in Death

Citizens' Initiatives have become a regular feature on our ballots in many states. When our republic was established, the founders took a dim view of this or any form of direct democracy. Mandating the rights of dying patients to manage their own demise may best exemplify an appropriate use of this tool of democracy.

Just Say No: Boycott the media

The economy is in the crapper. More American soldiers are dying in Iraq (link). Fuel costs have skyrocketed (link). People doing bizarre things to get health-care (link). Housing prices are dropping (link). Foreclosures are rising (link) and what are we hearing in the media? Jeremiah Wright said some stupid things.

Wright Boosts Obama

I know the conventional wisdom is that Rev. Jeremiah Wright has damaged Obama as a candidate for the presidency. The outrageous statements of Wright can be found by anyone merely by turning on the TV - any station, day or night! As the saying goes, Wright threw Obama under the bus. How can Wright's actions do anything but hurt Obama?

Opposition to Tyranny

Ideologues of all varieties often think of themselves as opposed to tyranny. And so they ascribe to opposing ideologies a tendency to produce tyranny. On this point they may be largely correct, while remaining blind to the tendencies of their own ideology to do the same.

I'm For It and Against It

Remember how the Republicans attacked Kerry during the last presidential campaign after he said, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it”? They called him a flip-flopper. Well, John McCain beats him when he in essence says, "I am for it and against it at the same time." What would you call him?

Food Carbon Footprints

Technologists and other geeks have been talking about carbon footprints for a long time. Now the rest of us are getting into the act. If we want to reduce global warning it's up to each of us to calculate our carbon footprint, or how much carbon we are responsible for during a year. A very important part of a person's carbon footprint is the carbon footprint of each of the foods he buys.

A League of Democracies

John McCain, whom I do not favor, has come up with a good idea: Let's have all the democracies in the world join forces in a League of Democracies. This way we'll be able to fight authoritarianism and terrorism.

Conflict of Interest: Contractors and Lobbyists Sent to Sell the War to the Public.

This, friends and neighbors, is truly disgusting. But what's more disgusting, the former generals making money off the war they're selling to the public, or the American government executing an psyops campaign to sell a war to the public? The breathtaking cynicism of this speaks for itself.

Gotcha Politics

Yesterday there was a "debate" between Obama and Clinton with Gibson and Stephanopolous as moderators - or should I say gotcha catchers. For at least 1 hour out of the 2-hour program, both moderators kept throwing inconsequentilal questions primarily at Obama. Very little of what could be called "issues" were asked about.

Motor Voter Act: How voters are bureaucratically disenfranchised

When the Motor Voter act was signed into law in 1993, the idea was simple: make the electorate larger, more diverse and more reflective of the American public by reducing the barriers for American citizens to vote.

How to Get Universal Health Care

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they believe in giving Americans universal health care. I don’t believe them. Anyone who takes the time to understand universal health care should conclude that only a simple single payer system will reform the current outrageous system that benefits the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

Your Articles Could Appear Here.

Would you like to write articles for this Column? Good writing skills, a word processor to spell and grammar check, and a blog of your own or, another web site where your writing can be reviewed, will get you reviewed for the position of WB writer. Send email to drremer [at] gvtc.com if you are interested in volunteering political perspectives, philosophy, and news, from a 3rd Party or Independent position.

Credit Cards: Democrats Eying Shylocks

And its about time the green flush credit card industry got a mowing by our government. Deregulation of the credit card industries in the late 1970's has seen an ever increasing, out of control, spiral of higher interest rates, higher debt limits, higher tolerance for high risk card holders, followed by higher interest rates. And this spiral culminated in a bankruptcy reform law passed by Republicans to better protect the credit card issuers in the event of consumer bankruptcy filing.

Super Delegate Calculus

Until a week ago, the calculus for Democratic Party super delegates was complex, convoluted, and dependent upon changing states and primary futures. All that changed last week. As of this week, the calculus has become very simple for super delegates provided two conditions remain the same: Obama's lead, and the absence of any obvious disqualifying revelations about Obama. Obama wins the nomination. Here's why.

Stimulus Check: 17 Year Olds Don't Qualify

Congress decided 17 year old junior and senior high school students don't qualify as children or dependents. At least as far as the stimulus rebate checks are concerned. They decided there would be no stimulus refund for children who achieved the age of 17 prior to Dec. 31, 2007. My daughter born Dec. 23, 1990, and a junior in high school (also a result of her birthday causing a delay in her Kindergarten enrollment by one semester), does not qualify for the $300 rebate.

Suffrage: Not what we expected.

Rational, thoughtful, educated, informed, and with a vested interest; these were the hopes of many of America's founders for the integral characteristics of those who vote and participate in the democracy portion of our Republic. Universal suffrage wasn't even close to being considered desirable at the founding of our nation.

How Hillary Can Knock-Out Obama

Now is the time for Hilary Clinton to take a bold position that in one brilliant, courageous stroke shows the nation that she is more willing to pursue true reforms of the two-party plutocratic political system than Obama is.

The Pope Loves America

I have been listening to the Pope.
I am not Catholic. I don't have a church that I belong to.
How many people around the world have actually listened to what he had to say this week?

Janus McCain

Sen. John McCain is the most conflicted candidate I have seen since Richard Nixon. It is as if the left mouth Of Janus McCain doesn't know what the right mouth is saying, thus they contradict each other before the same public. Let's look at some examples.

Green Energy Future?

It is possible and doable for America to achieve both a sustainable and affordable energy policy, and the ability to produce an even healthier environment. Such a convergence is not on track at this time and threatens America's future.

The M Word

It seems a recent event in Illinois has caused a racial stir and has the Obama campaign asking for one of his delegates to step down. Has a new banned word entered our vocabulary? And further, is the understanding and inclusive Obama doing the right thing by asking this delegate to give up her position?

Error, Foul, Penalty

Hillary Clinton's campaign wins the most errors, fouls, and penalties for the last week. The other two candidates aren't maintaining a perfect game either, but they are doing much better than Hillary. McCain's only major error this week was in vowing to deal with severe economic crisis.

The DHS Backdown

This week marks an important, but not very publicized, admission by the Department of Homeland Security that the attempts to institute a National ID card may well be out of their reach. What happens in the next phase of this fight is anyone's guess.

Mike Gravel - Libertarian

Yes, this is no April Fool's joke. This past week, in another example of how even long time party politicians are walking away from what their parties, Mike Gravel officially became a member of the Libertarian Party. And his reasons for joining are much like those I hear from people still reluctantly holding on both sides of the aisle.

Ignorance: Powerful Political Tool

A few months ago, I called one of my sisters who asked: "How can a Muslim think he can be president after 9/11?" I did my best to inform her that none of the prominent candidates for president are Muslim. My hope was to get her to understand that in the land of freedom of religion, there is nothing wrong with a Muslim running for president, but, that was a bridge too far.

The End of American Super Hegemony

America will remain the world’s most important country during all our lifetimes, but our position as THE important country is weakening for some reasons that we should welcome. The rest of the world is adopting many of the things that made America prosperous and special.

Too Happy to be Liberal

A report by LiveScience senior reporter Jeanna Bryner shows, as many earlier surveys have, that conservatives tend to be happier than liberals.

Stupid

When you vote for president, you choose a package. Packages contain some things you like, some you don’t; some contents are bad, others good. We don’t have a cafeteria option. Political choices are always limited and zero sum at best. My preferred package – John McCain – has his downside too. He is still my choice, but the gas tax holiday he and Hillary advocate is just stupid and should be dropped.

Obama & the Reagan Legacy

I keep hearing from some people that Obama will reverse the effects of the Reagan revolution. It doesn’t make sense. I know that some extremists are still irked at Reagan, but most Americans do not agree. I don't even think Obama does. We have come too far ever to “reverse” the progress of the Reagan legacy. But I wonder if my liberal friends really think it would be possible or even desirable.

Obama Kicks Wright to the Curb

It is about time Obama had his Sister Souljah moment. I am glad he rejected that kind of hatred and stupidity spread by Wright and his ilk. Now all Obama supporters can give up defending that BS. The smart ones never believed in it anyway.

A Winning Strategy, Redux

Today’s Problems are Yesterday’s Solutions

Since we cannot always be right, we must be flexible and robust. As new information becomes available or conditions change, even the best decisions must be revisited and sometimes overturned. The ethanol debacle is a good example of both this idea and the pernicious effects government intervention in fouling up and calcifying the change and innovation mechanism.

Disinterested Pragmatism

Lots of our troubles result from getting involved in other people's business and/or trying to involve other people in ours. You can have a good long term relationship with someone and not know a thing about his/her personal life and this is often best. Why look under rocks if you don’t care what is there? This occurred to me as I listened to an NPR story with a transgendered person talking about his tribulations.

Things Get Better

Politics, unfortunately, is too often about bad news. Politicians attack each other because the threat of loss is more compelling than the promise of gain. It is in the interests of challengers to paint a horrible picture of the current situation. Yes, there is trouble in River City. But when you look closer, you see some important things are getting better.

Hilary Unites Pennsylvania – Against Obama

Obama has the money and the media give him the momentum. Nevertheless, Hilary kicked his butt by 9%+. This calls into question assumptions about Obama (and Hilary). Obama’s supporters claim that he is a uniter & the inevitable winner. But facts are stubborn things and the facts are that Hilary beat Obama by a big margin AMONG DEMOCRATS even though Obama spent three times as much money. Who united? Who won? What gives?

Don't Fear A Nation at Risk

Twenty-five years ago, the seminal report on American education, A Nation at Risk, was issued by the National Commission on Excellence in Education. With the silver anniversary of that report coming on April 26, there will be much hand wringing and worries that we are not doing enough to change education. While I have, on regular occasion voiced such concerns, as I have delved deeper into the American Education system, I have abundant faith that we can make American Education great--greater than ever before.

Divisive Politics

Politics is divisive. It is either/or - with no alternative choices & no synergy - a zero, or negative, sum proposition. Even the most popular politicians, leaders like Ronald Reagan, win only around 60% of the vote; 40%+ oppose. Usually it is worse. Three of four recent presidential elections produced no majority winner. Politics is also coercive. Winners impose; losers can't opt out. That is why we should use politics sparingly.

Polygamist Hoax

Authorities in Colorado are reporting that 33 year-old Rosita Swinton has been arrested for filing a false report in connection with the raid on a Texas Polygamist compound.

Supreme Court Rules on Kentucky Death Penalty Case

In an opinion notable for a diffusion of consenting opinions the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Kentucky's method of lethal injection did not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment".

Desperately Clinging to Guns & God

The little brick houses in my neighborhood are disappearing. People who want to live here but dislike the current housing options tear them down and build bigger and more luxurious homes. These nice homes are very different from those they displace. The people who live in them are different too. In driveways next to old houses, you find Chevy pickups holding the tools of McCain supporters. In the multicar garages of the new homes are Prius with Obama bumper stickers.