Benghazi
Presidential approval polls routinely fluctuate, seemingly tied to emotional moments or ideals. Patriotism, social support, times of crisis, even just spelling out an aggressive agenda (the fact that it may never be executed appears to be irrelevant) can improve our collective opinion of the president. Campaign promises, those sound bites which grab small and large segments of us, too, give us hope and reason to favor our executive branch.
What then, when those promises are not kept? Are we really to believe that one party blocked the other from accomplishing their objectives? Is it possible they were not attainable in the first place (this, of course, has other implications)? Or could it be as simple as the leadership just not being capable of navigating the challenges? The fact is, the polls do not necessarily drop in relation to broken promises or failed objectives. The "spin" which we hear on the heels of these events deflects the responsibility for failure to someone or something else. Since we, the general public, are relegated to the biased scraps of closed door meetings thrown out for our consumption, in a manner to support one position or another, I am not sure we could ever know the real reasons behind these failures.
“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
But what about the promises of integrity? The promises which do not require new laws or even bipartisan agreement to implement. Not policy or ideology, but communicating openly and honestly with America. Like government transparency. Honesty.
It has been seven months since the attack on our consulate which resulted in the deaths of four Americans and injuries to many others. As of the date of this posting, we have not yet heard from those surviving the attack, that is, except, for some of them to say they have been told not to speak. Who would be harmed by their statements?
Thirty seven months - yes 37 - have passed since then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told us we had to pass the bill in order to know what was in it. We still don't! But we do know that while the administration has failed to manage the funds at the Department of Homeland Security, due to sequestration, which has resulted in flight disruptions worldwide, they were able to prevent any cuts from occurring at the office implementing Obama's healthcare law.
Sometime in the last year the use of the label 'enemy combatant' was changed to 'unpriveliged belligerent'. Really? What's behind the legal-ease changes our leadership is conducting behind our backs?
This week the surviving terrorist responsible for the bombing at the Boston Marathon, was Mirandized, giving him the right to remain silent. After just 16 hours of interrogation by the FBI resulting in several confessions, he immediately stopped talking when a magistrate judge and representative from the US Attorney's office read him his Miranda rights. As evidenced by the public debate over whether he should be processed through the criminal justice system or the military, as an enemy combatant, this choice did not have to be made so quickly. The FBI could still be working to gather additional critical information. Oops, I meant to say an unprivileged belligerent. Someone made the decision to do this, prematurely in my opinion, and the FBI's; in their words, they were stunned by the sudden development, stating they were not consulted on the decision nor had they given their consent.
So who made the call? If Benghazi is any indicator, it may be a while before we even have confirmation of who actually knew what was going on let alone who made the decision. But with 'standard procedure', we are able to backtrack the possibilities.
Usual suspects... follow the money.
We know that the prosecutor in charge, the Assistant US Attorney, is typically the one to make the call. Considering this is currently the most important case in the US, are we to believe the AUSA would make that decision on his own? Almost certainly he would council with his boss, the US Attorney in Boston who, again, knowing full well the magnitude of the situation as well as the raging public debate, would in all probability look to his boss for direction. We are now at the door of the Department of Justice, run, of course, by Eric Holder. Considering he labeled the Fort Hood massacre "workplace violence", things are starting to look suspicious. And we know Holder reports to President Obama, who, was quick to insinuate racism in the Trayvon Martin shooting but has yet to act on behalf of the 70,000+ Syrians killed in their civil war - despite recent evidence of Assad's use of chemical weapons and Obama's, now invisible, "red line" on the use of those weapons.
Will we see transparency in these events? Time will tell. But if history is any indicator, this administration is banking on the next crisis and our short attention spans to distract from their inability to live up to the Obama campaign promise of being the most transparent administration. Hoping we will not recognize their actions for what they are - an unwillingness to provide the American public with even the simplest value, one we go to great lengths to instill in our children. Honesty.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Of course "Faith" is the motive
Warriors of God?
The book by this title, written by James Reston Jr., details a thrilling narrative and vivid reassessment of the major players in the Third Crusade. The Christian Crusades, 1095 - 1291, were initiated in the name of a religion. Christianity. By no less than the Pope, Urban II. The history of the worlds two major religions is soaked with blood and there seems to be no end in sight. We are long past the chivalry of Saladin who is said to have sent a horse to King Richard I when he lost his mount during a Crusade battle and yet today's savagery might seem benign when compared to the atrocities committed in the past. By both sides. Still, the thirst for blood continues.
“Study the past if you would define the future.”
― Confucius
A 1300 year battle
Having the opportunity to coach youth sports for a few years, I was instructed by the powers of the league administrators that for the 4 and 5 year old groups, we were not to keep score to prevent the kids from losing interest or experiencing feelings which may lead to low self esteem. Interestingly, despite our best efforts to say there was no winner and to congratulate the young athletes on their efforts, every one of them knew the score and proudly proclaimed themselves winners or sadly stated they were losers. It was futile to avoid the truth and we quickly adapted our approach to a short acknowledgement of the outcome and a longer and sincere focus on each of their individual accomplishments and team opportunities for the next game. Deflection.
What benefit then, you might ask, is there in either avoiding or denying a religious connection to the terror being perpetrated against Americans? For that matter, the same can be asked about the terrorist acts committed against Israelis. It is futile. As individual thinkers (this appears to be a slowly diminishing segment of our population) we can make the connection. Let me be perfectly clear - this is not an indictment of the beliefs of either Islam or Christianity. Rather, I am pointing to the elephant in the room: The fight to be number 1. To be the winner. And yes, though we try to hide it, everyone is keeping score.
As a politically correct society, it is increasingly rare to see a criminal faulted for their actions. Rather, we hear about the deficiencies of their upbringing or worse yet, how they were boxed into their actions by the current or past behavior of the rest of us. Where does this deflection of responsibility end? Has the belief that criminals are made and can be rehabilitated decreased the activity in our courtrooms? Has it decreased the population in our prisons ? And has our continued support to Muslim nations, without tying that support to their public interference of extremists violence, reduced the attacks against Americans and our interests?
Obama's outreach to Muslim countries and faithful Islamist's worldwide is the right approach. His inability to call a jihad a jihad is a mistake recognized both by faithful Christians and Muslims alike. The great majority of each religion is peaceful and both contain extremists. The sooner that is recognized and we are able to get our arms around it - up front, in sight and out loud - the sooner we will realize progress in reducing the violence associated with the extremists. America was founded on religious tolerance. Not on religious ignorance.
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
― Winston Churchill
The book by this title, written by James Reston Jr., details a thrilling narrative and vivid reassessment of the major players in the Third Crusade. The Christian Crusades, 1095 - 1291, were initiated in the name of a religion. Christianity. By no less than the Pope, Urban II. The history of the worlds two major religions is soaked with blood and there seems to be no end in sight. We are long past the chivalry of Saladin who is said to have sent a horse to King Richard I when he lost his mount during a Crusade battle and yet today's savagery might seem benign when compared to the atrocities committed in the past. By both sides. Still, the thirst for blood continues.
“Study the past if you would define the future.”
― Confucius
A 1300 year battle
Having the opportunity to coach youth sports for a few years, I was instructed by the powers of the league administrators that for the 4 and 5 year old groups, we were not to keep score to prevent the kids from losing interest or experiencing feelings which may lead to low self esteem. Interestingly, despite our best efforts to say there was no winner and to congratulate the young athletes on their efforts, every one of them knew the score and proudly proclaimed themselves winners or sadly stated they were losers. It was futile to avoid the truth and we quickly adapted our approach to a short acknowledgement of the outcome and a longer and sincere focus on each of their individual accomplishments and team opportunities for the next game. Deflection.
What benefit then, you might ask, is there in either avoiding or denying a religious connection to the terror being perpetrated against Americans? For that matter, the same can be asked about the terrorist acts committed against Israelis. It is futile. As individual thinkers (this appears to be a slowly diminishing segment of our population) we can make the connection. Let me be perfectly clear - this is not an indictment of the beliefs of either Islam or Christianity. Rather, I am pointing to the elephant in the room: The fight to be number 1. To be the winner. And yes, though we try to hide it, everyone is keeping score.
As a politically correct society, it is increasingly rare to see a criminal faulted for their actions. Rather, we hear about the deficiencies of their upbringing or worse yet, how they were boxed into their actions by the current or past behavior of the rest of us. Where does this deflection of responsibility end? Has the belief that criminals are made and can be rehabilitated decreased the activity in our courtrooms? Has it decreased the population in our prisons ? And has our continued support to Muslim nations, without tying that support to their public interference of extremists violence, reduced the attacks against Americans and our interests?
Obama's outreach to Muslim countries and faithful Islamist's worldwide is the right approach. His inability to call a jihad a jihad is a mistake recognized both by faithful Christians and Muslims alike. The great majority of each religion is peaceful and both contain extremists. The sooner that is recognized and we are able to get our arms around it - up front, in sight and out loud - the sooner we will realize progress in reducing the violence associated with the extremists. America was founded on religious tolerance. Not on religious ignorance.
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
― Winston Churchill
Geography determines most people's religion - not some divine revelation. | ||||||
ReligionMillions of Adherents
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13 |
1,955 |
1,126 |
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Origination
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When
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Prophets
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Adherent
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Founder
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God
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Devil
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This Life's Purpose
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Afterlife
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Redemption
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Repentance |
Pray 5 times/ day |
Eliminate passions |
Eliminate passions | ||
Place of Worship
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Holy Book
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Talmud |
Sunna (sayings) |
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Seeks Converts?
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Main Sects(worldwide est.)
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8% Orthodox 34% Conservative 23% Reformed 35% Secular |
52% Catholic 17% Protestant 19% Orthodox 2% Anglican |
83% Sunni 16% Shiite |
70% Vaishnaites 25% Shiavites 2% neo-Hindu |
56% Mahayana 38% Hinayana 6% Tantrayana | |
Labels - Criticism
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| Characteristics | Buddhism | |||||
Circumcision
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Capitol Punishment
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Kill for God
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Race Equality
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Original Sin
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Alcohol
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Women's Status
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Tuesday, April 16, 2013
My thoughts and prayers for the families who have lost loved ones and suffered injuries in this terrible crime!
President Obama finally got it right. Well, almost. Today during his press conference he acknowledged that this was indeed a terrorist attack and appropriately stated that we do not yet know if it was domestic or foreign based and whether it was committed by an individual or a terrorist organization. He added that the individual(s) responsible would feel the full weight of justice. Thank you Mr. President for overcoming your aversion to the "T" word and speaking to the whole country, not just the left. I know you stated during your press conference that today we are not republicans or democrats, we are Americans. Today we are families who have lost loved ones, others who are clinging to life with terrible injuries and many beginning a life changing journey due to the loss of limb. And are American or happen to be in America. Yes, there are international citizens running in the Boston Marathon and they too are wondering what kind of person(s) would perpetrate such an heinous and cowardly attack.
I want to steer clear of politicizing this crime. I must, however, question the President as to why it took a full day for him to acknowledge it as a terrorist act. And while doing so, ask why after 4 years the Fort Hood Massacre remains labeled "workplace violence"?
Fort Hood Jihad
Were we really to believe the attack in Boston was anything but terrorism? What else can we call it when two explosions occur within moments and just yards apart, a third detonating (nearby) shortly afterwards, at a major international event, staged on American soil, all while the White House is being cordoned off?
And what else are we to believe about the attack at Fort Hood, especially considering the extensive evidence that: Hasan was in communication with al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki prior to the attack, was wearing the garb of the shaheed the morning of his jihad, was giving out qurans the morning of his jihad, his business card read "soldier of allah" and he was ululating allahu akbar as he slaughtered our soldiers in cold blood? We cannot believe anything, other than, that religious savage is a terrorist.
It has taken President Obama 5 years to be able to call terrorists what they are - terrorists. Now I am calling on him to correct his past mistakes. Mr. President, it is long past time to call the crime at Fort Hood what it is. Label the attack terrorism.
The military has denied the victims a Purple Heart and is treating the incident as "workplace violence" instead of "combat related" or terrorism. This is Obama's Pentagon - killer over victim. Jihadi murderer over infidel victim.
Awlaki is dead, but Hasan is still on the army payroll. Please people, write your congressional representative today!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Do you want 2+2 to equal 5?
I enjoy re-reading a good book, whether to immerse myself in a well developed plot with colorful characters or bone up on historical facts, even the second time around it is an enjoyable experience. George Orwell's 1984 was required reading in high school and at the time I loved it, it was great science fiction. Not any more, fiction, that is. I am now sure I will never re-read it. I am living it. We all are.
Recently a New York resident was informed by authorities that his firearm license had been suspended and was directed to immediately surrender all of his guns. Turns out that his was a case of mistaken identity - they notified the wrong guy! But, of course, it gets worse. This individual had his private medical records reviewed under a misinterpretation of a provision in Mental Health Law 9.46.
In fact, this appears to be a violation of HIPAA and Health Information Privacy policies at HHS.gov. If it is declared a violation, this becomes a civil rights issue. However, a broad interpretation of this statement from HIPAA just might allow the government to have instant access to the medical records and gun ownership records of anyone who is prescribed psychotropic drugs. Maybe not a bad idea but lets tread lightly here. There are roughly 40 million Americans using some form of anti-depressant and this in and of itself does not make them violent, nor by itself does it make them dangerous.
OK - lets get back on track.
We also learned this week that the IRS is monitoring social network sites and may be perusing your emails for signs that you have inappropriately avoided paying your "fair share". My feeling is this, social networks sites - if you post the information - you are giving it away; emails - they are private between the parties involved and should not be accessible without a court order. The IRS disagrees, citing current law which allows them to access opened or stored emails over 180 days old. This law was written in 1986.
And finally, as if we didn't have enough comparisons between The Fed and Big Brother, we are getting our first tidbits of new information on the Area 51 of government surveillance.
The Country's Biggest Spy Center
The NSA has become the largest, most covert, and potentially most intrusive intelligence agency ever.
The NSA has turned its surveillance apparatus on us, United States citizens. It has established listening posts throughout the nation to collect and sift through billions of email messages and phone calls, whether they originate within the country or overseas. It has created a supercomputer of almost unimaginable speed to look for patterns and unscramble codes. Finally, the agency has begun building a place to store all the trillions of words and thoughts and whispers captured in its electronic net. And, of course, it’s all being done in secret. To those on the inside, the old adage that NSA stands for Never Say Anything applies more than ever.
How much of our freedom will be governed away? Were our votes cast with the knowledge that our elected officials were going to restrain more of our freedom? Do we even care?
Do you believe our government would never secretly do anything that could harm us?
In the span of 60 years, 1984 which is currently classified as science fiction, must now be reclassified as history. No, don't think I ever want to read 1984 again.
gov·ern verb
ərn
gov·ern·ment noun
1. the political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; direction of the affairs of a state, community, etc.; political administration: Government is necessary to the existence of civilized society.
2. the form or system of rule by which a state, community, etc., is governed: monarchical government; episcopal government.
3. the governing body of persons in a state, community, etc.; administration.
Recently a New York resident was informed by authorities that his firearm license had been suspended and was directed to immediately surrender all of his guns. Turns out that his was a case of mistaken identity - they notified the wrong guy! But, of course, it gets worse. This individual had his private medical records reviewed under a misinterpretation of a provision in Mental Health Law 9.46.
In fact, this appears to be a violation of HIPAA and Health Information Privacy policies at HHS.gov. If it is declared a violation, this becomes a civil rights issue. However, a broad interpretation of this statement from HIPAA just might allow the government to have instant access to the medical records and gun ownership records of anyone who is prescribed psychotropic drugs. Maybe not a bad idea but lets tread lightly here. There are roughly 40 million Americans using some form of anti-depressant and this in and of itself does not make them violent, nor by itself does it make them dangerous.
The man who was directed to turn over his guns reportedly did not exhibit any signs of violent or dangerous behavior. According to his attorney, the man’s doctor did not report any danger to the authorities. So, who did report it? Right now, we don't know.
Winston's neighbor Parsons could clearly empathize with this development (1984 character list)!
Winston's neighbor Parsons could clearly empathize with this development (1984 character list)!
So what's next? Rewards for turning in gun owners? Wait. What? That's already in place?
OK - lets get back on track.
We also learned this week that the IRS is monitoring social network sites and may be perusing your emails for signs that you have inappropriately avoided paying your "fair share". My feeling is this, social networks sites - if you post the information - you are giving it away; emails - they are private between the parties involved and should not be accessible without a court order. The IRS disagrees, citing current law which allows them to access opened or stored emails over 180 days old. This law was written in 1986.
And finally, as if we didn't have enough comparisons between The Fed and Big Brother, we are getting our first tidbits of new information on the Area 51 of government surveillance.
The Country's Biggest Spy Center
The NSA has become the largest, most covert, and potentially most intrusive intelligence agency ever.
The NSA has turned its surveillance apparatus on us, United States citizens. It has established listening posts throughout the nation to collect and sift through billions of email messages and phone calls, whether they originate within the country or overseas. It has created a supercomputer of almost unimaginable speed to look for patterns and unscramble codes. Finally, the agency has begun building a place to store all the trillions of words and thoughts and whispers captured in its electronic net. And, of course, it’s all being done in secret. To those on the inside, the old adage that NSA stands for Never Say Anything applies more than ever.
How much of our freedom will be governed away? Were our votes cast with the knowledge that our elected officials were going to restrain more of our freedom? Do we even care?
Do you believe our government would never secretly do anything that could harm us?
In the span of 60 years, 1984 which is currently classified as science fiction, must now be reclassified as history. No, don't think I ever want to read 1984 again.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
What, exactly, do we expect from our political leadership?
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Proverbs 29:18
Considering himself a serious musician and in fact playing a cithara, that Nero may actually have fiddled while Rome burned is not possible, considering the violin or fiddle would not be invented for another 15 centuries give or take a hundred years. However if we interpret fiddling as spending time on something useless or misguided, well then we have something to debate. And, it appears today's politicians are still fiddling with, well, something.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/10/ex-rep-anthony-weiner-eyes-comeback-nyc-mayor/
My question is, how can this disgraced Twitter sharing Weiner have enough support to even consider running for office again? I suspect the truth lies somewhere between "I never heard the story" and "It depends on what your definition of 'is' is". It seems as if we are not paying attention to current events or are so caught up in pop culture that we find humor in the misbehavior of our politicians rather than the contempt with which they deserve. And while I do not believe that our long term memories are actually diminishing, I do wonder why we seem not to be taking advantage of them. After all, it's not as if we need to rely on our memory of early American history:
David Matthews, Mayor of New York City, plot to kidnap and poison then General George Washington in 1776
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Matthews_%28mayor%29
Daniel Sickles, New York State Assembly, shot and killed Phillip Barton Key (son of Francis Scott Key) in 1859
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000402
No - we need only go back to recent history - 2012:
LITTLETON, Colo. (AP)–Convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich entered a federal prison in Colorado on Thursday to begin a 14-year sentence for corruption, including an attempt to sell or trade President Obama's vacated Senate seat.
Or, of course 2011, when Twitter exposed the former Representative from New York. Literally.
So, what, exactly, do we expect from our political leadership? Perfection? Of course not. But - Honesty? Integrity? Sound Judgement? Leadership? Adherence to the law? Considering that neither Matthews or Sickles (the first successful plea of temporary insanity) was convicted, our tolerance of political leaders bad behavior seems not to have changed. Without question, that behavior will not change until we decide, with our votes, informed votes, that we want something better. How about starting with the truth? I know it can be painful but isn't the first step in correcting a problem admitting that one exists? Maybe it would be easier to do this if we realized, really accepted the truth, that the collective voice we express today, serves, or detracts from, the generations to come. Our children. Their children.
“We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
David Brower
Proverbs 29:18
Considering himself a serious musician and in fact playing a cithara, that Nero may actually have fiddled while Rome burned is not possible, considering the violin or fiddle would not be invented for another 15 centuries give or take a hundred years. However if we interpret fiddling as spending time on something useless or misguided, well then we have something to debate. And, it appears today's politicians are still fiddling with, well, something.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/10/ex-rep-anthony-weiner-eyes-comeback-nyc-mayor/
My question is, how can this disgraced Twitter sharing Weiner have enough support to even consider running for office again? I suspect the truth lies somewhere between "I never heard the story" and "It depends on what your definition of 'is' is". It seems as if we are not paying attention to current events or are so caught up in pop culture that we find humor in the misbehavior of our politicians rather than the contempt with which they deserve. And while I do not believe that our long term memories are actually diminishing, I do wonder why we seem not to be taking advantage of them. After all, it's not as if we need to rely on our memory of early American history:
David Matthews, Mayor of New York City, plot to kidnap and poison then General George Washington in 1776
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Matthews_%28mayor%29
Daniel Sickles, New York State Assembly, shot and killed Phillip Barton Key (son of Francis Scott Key) in 1859
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000402
No - we need only go back to recent history - 2012:
LITTLETON, Colo. (AP)–Convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich entered a federal prison in Colorado on Thursday to begin a 14-year sentence for corruption, including an attempt to sell or trade President Obama's vacated Senate seat.
Or, of course 2011, when Twitter exposed the former Representative from New York. Literally.
So, what, exactly, do we expect from our political leadership? Perfection? Of course not. But - Honesty? Integrity? Sound Judgement? Leadership? Adherence to the law? Considering that neither Matthews or Sickles (the first successful plea of temporary insanity) was convicted, our tolerance of political leaders bad behavior seems not to have changed. Without question, that behavior will not change until we decide, with our votes, informed votes, that we want something better. How about starting with the truth? I know it can be painful but isn't the first step in correcting a problem admitting that one exists? Maybe it would be easier to do this if we realized, really accepted the truth, that the collective voice we express today, serves, or detracts from, the generations to come. Our children. Their children.
“We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
David Brower
Monday, April 8, 2013
Thank you Mrs. Thatcher!
As we share our thoughts and respect of Margaret Thatcher and reflect upon her contributions to the improvements in British society and in fact our world today, it is fitting for us to compare her struggles in the 80's with the challenges now facing America. We have tough choices ahead and only an informed public can make the right decisions. As the Education Minister, Margret Thatcher surely understood how best to teach students. With the facts. When she became Prime Minister, unemployment was over 13%, when she left office it was under 6%. That is a fact. Are you listening to sound bites or digging into the truth of the story? Do you blindly support party lines or weigh each issue on its individual merits?
According to a report by Pew Research, online and digital news consumption continues to increase, with many more people now getting news on cell phones, tablets or other mobile platforms. And perhaps the most dramatic change in the news environment has been the rise of social networking sites. The percentage of Americans saying they saw news or news headlines on a social networking site yesterday has doubled – from 9% to 19% – since 2010. Among adults younger than age 30, as many saw news on a social networking site the previous day (33%) as saw any television news (34%), with just 13% having read a newspaper either in print or digital form. This begs the question - is your news really news at all or rather the opinion of those sharing your social network?
Additionally, older Americans still get their news on a regular schedule while younger ones graze. 37% of Americans get their news at regular times while 57% get it from time to time - startlingly those who get their news from time to time goes to 79% for those 18-29. Just how well informed is this age group? Moreover, weather is by far the most closely watched news. 52% of Americans say they watch the weather very closely while only 17% say the same for political or Washington news. Are these signs that Americans are casting informed votes?
Understandably, our ever changing culture and constant revision of just what is considered a societal norm, creates confusion for many and increasingly we are all so busy that we often make decisions with limited information or, even worse, based entirely upon emotion. We have all heard the saying that history repeats itself. And for those in denial of that fact you have just to read history - the un-edited version that is, which, unfortunately, is increasingly more difficult to obtain... but that is another blog.
So take a moment now to review an exceptional period in British history and yes, in fact, in the world. Then ask yourself, what can America learn from it?
For me, I say thank you Mrs. Thatcher!
“The trouble with you, John, is that your spine does not reach your brain.”
-- Margaret Thatcher, as former prime minister speaking to a member of her party who supported Britain’s entry into the European Union in 1992, as reported by The Times of London.
http://www.margaretthatcher.org/essential/biography.asp
According to a report by Pew Research, online and digital news consumption continues to increase, with many more people now getting news on cell phones, tablets or other mobile platforms. And perhaps the most dramatic change in the news environment has been the rise of social networking sites. The percentage of Americans saying they saw news or news headlines on a social networking site yesterday has doubled – from 9% to 19% – since 2010. Among adults younger than age 30, as many saw news on a social networking site the previous day (33%) as saw any television news (34%), with just 13% having read a newspaper either in print or digital form. This begs the question - is your news really news at all or rather the opinion of those sharing your social network?
Additionally, older Americans still get their news on a regular schedule while younger ones graze. 37% of Americans get their news at regular times while 57% get it from time to time - startlingly those who get their news from time to time goes to 79% for those 18-29. Just how well informed is this age group? Moreover, weather is by far the most closely watched news. 52% of Americans say they watch the weather very closely while only 17% say the same for political or Washington news. Are these signs that Americans are casting informed votes?
Understandably, our ever changing culture and constant revision of just what is considered a societal norm, creates confusion for many and increasingly we are all so busy that we often make decisions with limited information or, even worse, based entirely upon emotion. We have all heard the saying that history repeats itself. And for those in denial of that fact you have just to read history - the un-edited version that is, which, unfortunately, is increasingly more difficult to obtain... but that is another blog.
So take a moment now to review an exceptional period in British history and yes, in fact, in the world. Then ask yourself, what can America learn from it?
For me, I say thank you Mrs. Thatcher!
“The trouble with you, John, is that your spine does not reach your brain.”
-- Margaret Thatcher, as former prime minister speaking to a member of her party who supported Britain’s entry into the European Union in 1992, as reported by The Times of London.
http://www.margaretthatcher.org/essential/biography.asp
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