"There's not much hope for America's future", Paul Krugman writes

Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times about health care terror by big-money interest with a stake in the present system:

The only things standing in the way of universal health care are the fear-mongering and influence-buying of interest groups. If we can't overcome those forces here, there's not much hope for America's future.

Source: truthout.org

Well, I don't see Americans ever overcoming those forces. Ergo, am I wrong to give up hope for America's future??

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Tags: Care | fear-mongering | Heath | influence buying | New York Times | terror | Universal Health Care

"There's not much hope for America's future", Paul Krugman writes

Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times about health care terror by big-money interest with a stake in the present system:

The only things standing in the way of universal health care are the fear-mongering and influence-buying of interest groups. If we can't overcome those forces here, there's not much hope for America's future.

Source: truthout.org

Well, I don't see Americans ever overcoming those forces. Ergo, am I wrong to give up hope for America's future??

NowPublic

Tags: Care | fear-mongering | Heath | influence buying | New York Times | terror | Universal Health Care

Beautiful Man-Made Britain, Beautiful Natural America: Comments by Bill Bryson

In a speech made by best-selling American-born writer, Bill Bryson says:

Where I come from [USA], when the landscape is stunning it's because nature made it that way. In Britain when it's stunning, it is, more often than not, because people made it that way. Of Britain's 27 World Heritage sites, only four are natural formations. The rest are monuments and landscapes built by humans.

Source: environment.guardian.co.uk

I agree. The natural beauty of the US is unparalleled in the world. So why is it, whenever anything is touched by the hand of man in the US, it instantly becomes an eyesore? Strip malls, McMansions, box superstores, Las Vegas, suburban housing tracts, urban decay and blight, fast-food outlets, etc., etc. No wonder national parks in the US are overrun, they are some of the few places one can go to to avoid hurting one's eyes.

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Tags: America | best-selling writer | Bill Bryson | campaign | Dales | england | glorious | keeping | president | rural | TRICK

US$7.65 a Gallon for Gasoline

I am frankly tired of hearing complaining Americans moaning about the price of gasoline. What do you pay? $3...maybe at most $4 dollars a gallon. How about $7.65 a gallon? Now that is expensive. That is what British motorists are to pay when petrol breaks through one pound a litre.

The start of the summer holiday season will see petrol break through

the £1 a litre barrier after oil prices surged to their highest level

in almost a year, petrol retailers warned tonight.

As the

global cost of crude came within striking distance of last year's

record high of $78.65 amid fears of a disruptive US hurricane season,

the AA said motorists could see petrol prices rising steadily over the

next two or three weeks.

Source: business.guardian.co.uk

There are $2.02 a pound and 3.7854 litres in a US gallon = $7.65. So the next time you Yanks moan, think about your cousins in the UK paying twice what you pay.

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Tags: Business | guardian | litre | PETROL | prices | unlimited

What's the Best Thing About America, ABC News Asks

ABC News asked people what's the best thing about America. Well, the usual platitudes about freedoms and free speech (as if other countries don't have freedom of speech) came out of course. But if they were to ask me, I would say that without a doubt the best thing about America is its natural beauty. There cannot be a more ecologically diverse or beautiful county in the world to rival the natural wonders of the US. UNFORTUNATELY, they are masked and marred by the horrendously ugly man-made environment of strip malls and McMansions. It's horrible what humans have done to a once beautiful land. But the visual pollution doesn't stop at the built environment, it exits in the slovenly nature of much too casual dress among the natives. Outside a few blocks of Manhattan, the US is made up of some of worst dressed people around. I remember Tracy Ullman was on the Tonight Show in the 80s and asked, 'What is it about Americans? They are the richest people in the world, yet they dress like Czechoslovakians (this was at the height of the Cold War and Communism in that once unified country). I think she was being much much too unfair -- to the Czechoslovakians!

And I don't even want to get started with the Fiat 500-sized wide asses. I'll leave that for another time.

Too bad the best thing about American is obscured by so much visual pollution.
-----------------------------
**I love Tracy Ullman**

The United States of Africa

In a BBC story, Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi says there is no future for individual African states and is pressing ahead with plans for a single African
government.

I think it is an idea that's time has come.

The nay-sayers may say that Africa is so different with so many
cultures and languages. But the same can be said about India and China.
But as India and China both have over a billion people, they hold a
lot of sway on the international scene.

Some may say there are more than 50 individual states in Africa-- how can they get along? But the US has 50 states and each state has its own laws and culture. Think how
different people are in Texas versus Vermont!

A federation of Africa states, with a population of 600 million people
would be hard to ignore on the world stage. It would make the United
States of Africa the world's third largest country.

A single market of the USA would bring down many inefficient tariffs
and bring on the benefits of a large market and economies of scale.

And with a federal government lording over local governments, civil wars and genocide would be more unlikely to happen.

Finally, many if not most African states today are artificial creations
anyway. Local cultures would be no more diluted under a huge superstate
than they are now. In fact, they may better preserved.

There is certainly room for more than one USA in this world. It is an idea that's time has come.

The Dominion of America: Why the US Needs a Non-Executive Head of State

Now I know from the get-go this is not going to be very popular
among the 'Mericans' out there but I truly believe our system of
government to be too antiquated to work properly.

To celebrate Independence Day, I came across a column written in the Guardian by Ian Williams titled: George III or George W?.

Basically, Williams makes the case that many of the things the founding
father's complained about in regard to King George III, are the same
things that George W is guilty of. Not much has changed.

This comes as no suprise to me as the founding fathers modeled the
office of president of the US on the 18th century British monarchy. While
the UK, Canada, NZ, Australia and Ireland are modeled on the powerless
role of the British crown from the 19th century -- where the power of
the executive is vested in the leader of the majority party of the
lower house -- a far more democratic -- and I may add -- accountable
form of government.

A head of state should be a likable unifier with no real powers. The
problem with the US system is that the head of government (the one with
the power) is combined with the head of state to create an aura of
deference that does not exist with prime ministers -- who are seen as
servants of the people.

I will never forget some people I saw interviewed on TV before the Iraq
invasion saying: "Well, I am not sure if I agree with Bush but he is MY
president, so he has my support." That kind of deference was also seen
among the media when you compare the way they treated Bush versus how they
treated Blair before the invasion.

That deference of the US president extends to the lack of real questioning any head of government needs to justify policy to the country. Imagine Mr. Bush being questioned once a week like the PMs of most parliamentary systems. He couldn't do it.

A parliamentary system is more accountable as heads of departments are
members of parliament not cronies to the head of state -- having all
been voted in by the people.

If the US was a parliamentary system, George Bush would be long gone -- kicked out by his party. Like Blair, and Thatcher before him, leaders go when they are too unpopular to keep around.

Most industrialised countries are run on parliamentary principles where
the power of the executive is separate from the position of head of
state. Some examples: UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Canada,
NZ, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Denmark, Israel, Sweden, and Norway.
They are all prosperous free countries with accountable heads of
government and flowing democracy.

Thomas Jefferson thought the constitution should be rewritten every generation...maybe that time has come?

American Taliban at it again.

Well, the Odessa Texas school board unanimously passed an elective Bible course for 2006. The kids in these schools can't get sex education, are taught creationism is the "truth" and are taught the theory of evolution should be looked at skeptically "because it is just theory" (um, so is the theory of gravity folks -- "just a theory". WOTEVA!) Again, this is the American evangelical Taliban trying to convert the heathens to finally make us a real theocracy. In one teaching unit, students are told, "Throughout most of the last 2,000 years, the majority of men living in the Western world have accepted the statements of the Scriptures as genuine." The course also teaches supposed NASA findings to suggest that the earth stopped twice in its orbit, in support of the literal truth of the biblical text that the sun stood still in Joshua and II Kings. There is also so-called "scientific" evidence of "the flood" and they also teach that the Bible was the blueprint for the US constitution. If that is the case, why isn't the word "God" ever once mentioned in the Constitution??? What really scares me is if the good people of Texas were to vote on a referendum supporting the teaching of this class, I am sure it would pass with great support. Too bad it would be unconstitutional (or at least until they rig the courts with their reactionaries). Ho hum...La de da...

A plague on all your houses.

I saw this little 'gem' on Neil Cavuto on Faux 'News'. This wacko, Bo Dietl, was promoting more hate, violence and prejudice when he said:
"You got a bunch of people over there (Saudi Arabia) about 9000 what they call royal family. They're all inbreds they marry each other..."
"This is how we have to interfere, they can't police their own if they can't stop the terrorism that they are exporting we have to go in there..."
"They are not doing any of that at all and I tell you the honest truth, they got oil, we need oil, we should go over there and take the oil. Everyone hates us anyway in these Muslim countries and for some reason it's not working the holy site of Mecca there."
"Everyone laughs at me about dipping blood uh pig's blood on the bullets because if they get shot with it and they get killed they can't go to this never never land with the seventy two virgins. Well I say to the troops out there: buy a couple of pigs put your bullets in there and start letting the word be known that you're going to shoot em and when you shoot em they are not going to make never never land and get the seventy two virgins or whatever they think they are going to get."
This all brings home to me how all this stuff and so much strife in the world is infighting among the bullies. This Dietl guy and the insurgents are two sides of the SAME coin. The same goes with Saddam and Rumsfeld: two sides, same coin. Look at Israel/Palestine: the ones causing the trouble are essentially the same regardless of what side they are on. I say: a plague on all your houses. We need to stand up to all the bullies whether they be Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, black, white, whatever. No nationality nor religion has a monopoly on the truth. We forget that at our peril.

I saw this at a site called The Rational Radical. I have to agree that those on the left should be careful not to get caught up in political dogma and fighting because that is what the Bushies want -- to distract us from the real goal of what they are about.

Which brings me to a recent email I received from my friend, D. I think he puts American politics into perspective. In it he writes ( I hope he doesn't mind me quoting him): Politics in this country is really decided by who can best persuade the stupid people. I think that is what really defines us from other developed nations, is that we have a large uneducated populace, and it is in the best interests of whichever elite group is in power, to a) manipulate opinion to best suit their agenda, and b) ensure they stay uneducated so that they continue to be easily manipulated. Probably a bit of an exaggeration, but not much.

Yeah, D. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but unfortunately, not much.

I heard 'first lady of the press', Helen Thomas, being interviewed on Fresh Air. She was talking about the timid White House press corps in comparison to the way the BBC deals with British politicians. She said the American press was in a coma leading up to the war and not asking Bush the tough questions. "We (the American press) shouldn't worship at anybody's shrine. They (Bush and Co.) are OUR public servants." That is EXACTLY right! I have been saying that for years. Politicians are just PUBLIC SERVANTS. They deserve no deference in any way. Again, back to my views about the weakness of the American system where one has a politician as chief of state which in turn causes the press and others to give undue deference to a public servant who should be questioned vigorously. But anyway, good on her for sticking to her principles and for sticking it to this lie-filled White House.

I keep thinking about John Stewart on The Daily Show asking Newt Gingrich if in fact the South has actually 'won' the Civil War. I think Stewart had a genuine point. I mean their values and politics run this country now (and have for some time). I have been of the opinion that perhaps the Blue States should either merge with Canada (which we have FAR more in common with) or let the Red States once again form the Confederate States of America where 'states rights' and Jesus rule supreme. Sometimes I even muse that it is too bad the South didn't prevail and create their own country afterall. There is enough room in N. America for four countries -- Canada, The United States of America, The Confederate States of America and Mexico. Oh well, too late. Then again, the way things are going now, it could still happen.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wants a theocracy for America because he can read the founding fathers' minds.

"With respect to public acknowledgment of religious belief," Scalia wrote, "it is entirely clear from our nation's historical practices that the Establishment Clause permits this disregard of polytheists and believers in unconcerned deities, just as it permits the disregard of devout atheists."

Has Scalia ever READ the US Constitution?? Not once, NOT ONCE is the word GOD EVER written in the document. NOT ONCE! Plus most of the founding fathers were either deists or unitarians -- not christians. This country was founded as a secular order in contrast to all the religious crap happening in Europe. Looking back today, it is ironic that Europe is so secular and the Klepto-Theocrary of America is certainly not. How did this happen?

Today I was at the gym doing cardio, and as always, I was compelled to see what kind of crap they were spouting on Faux 'News'. I usually just listen to my trance music but it is like a train wreck, sometimes you just cannot help but look. Anyway, there was this indignant story about this painting displayed in the state of the California attorney general's office. The reporter said that it was 'un-American' and how could such marginal speech be protected in a public office. I am sorry but when did being critical of a president become 'un-American'? If that were the case, all those right-wingers would have been un-American during the 90s because that is all they did.

As President Theodore Roosevelt once said: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

Let us not forget that Bush is only a politician -- that is it and we have the right to disagree with his politics ALL WE WANT. Again, this goes back to my view of the weakness of the US political system is when a politician is chief of state -- it causes people to believe that it is sacrilege to say anything is wrong with him (especially in this 'time of war').

What I did not understand about this correspondent from Faux 'News' was why she was so indignant about people expressing their political views on public property but somehow it is ok for people to display their religious views (i.e.: ten commandment displays) on the same public land. Woteva. What I dislike most about the right in the US today is their complete and total hypocrisy.

OK, here is an example of some of the sh*t forwarded to me in my mailbox. Who wrote this? Yosemite Sam? The level of ignorance one needs to agree with something like this is more than I can take. There are so many problems with this, I don't even know where to begin. Let me know what you think.

++++++++++++++++++++++

DARN TOOTIN'
WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY UNITED STATES PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, OR INDEPENDENT, GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed. Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete. This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days.
It is now to begin the reckoning. Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.
The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that second list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.
Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.
Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France. In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe China.
I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis.
I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.
A special note to our neighbors. Canada, you are on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change. Mexico, you are also on List 2. President Fox, you and your entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will soon have a few extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something with your oil. Oh, by the way, the U.S. is abrogating the NAFTA treaty -- starting now.
We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care.
It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "Darn Tootin."
Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. And for good measure, I think it is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America, too. While we're at it, let's bring Lance Armstrong home from the Tour de France, and host our on Tour de USA. (The French have run out of ways to try to cheat him, anyway.)
To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. We owe you and we won't forget. To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic. God bless America. Thank you and good night.