I'm watching and listening to our first black President Barack Obama speak at the 50th anniversaary of the March on Washington - just after the bells rang out to commemorate the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech on this day in 1963. As the President included himself as evidence of the progress made since then -- and challenged new generations to fight for the racial equality still not won -- I wondered if he was totally "in the moment".
I certainly wasn't.
Because marring this day of both celebration and rededication to King's dream was the specter of Syria almost visable over Mr. Obama's shoulder. Was he thinking about King and The Dream and his own place in that dream? Or was he thinking about cruise missile strikes on strategic Syrian government military targets?
We heard alot today from various pundits and analysts about how the White House has gone too far down the road of those missile strikes -- of a one time slap on the wrist for the Assad regime's apparent use of chemical weopons -- to stop now. But some analysts acknowledge the danger. That once again the US will take the lead in military involvement in a Middle East nation, running the risk of another ever-escalating involvement.
Since we can't risk hitting the chemical weopons storehouses themselves, what happens when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- backed by his allies Iran and Russia -- decides to loose them again on his rebelling people? Do we strike again? And again? What does Israel do? And Iran?
Today UN chief Ban Ki-moon appealed for a diplomatic solution, pleaded with the US and other Western powers to go first to the Security Council (where of course Russia would veto any threat of military response). But the US -- talking vaguely about another Bush-era "coalition of the willing" -- seems hell-bent on pushing ahead into the land of unintended consequences.
Why is it our job to strike Assad? If every civilized nation has outlawed the use of chemical weopons, why isn't there a unified outcry backed by the UN? Isn't a failed war in Iraq, a failed war in Afghanistan and at least two failed revolutionary states -- Lybia and Egypt -- enough for the US???
There are many reasoned, well-written assessments of President Obama's Syrian dilemma. Among them the one which sparked this blog post by veteran writer and reporter Christopher Dickey. If only the President and his advisors would read it!
I haven't heard any ordinary American enthusiastically backing this so-called one time strike in Syria. My European friends are horrified that this out-of-control involvement in an unstable region seems to be happening again.
Is the White House just going to jump in with its missiles blazing before or over the Labor Day weekend -- while many Americans are distracted by what's left of summer?
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Can’t Anyone Fix Anything?
Did you ever wake up in the 5AM dark and say with a snarl, “Why can’t ANYONE fix ANYTHING when so much is wrong?”
No, I didn’t just wake up on the wrong side of the bed (does any mother still say that to her kid?).
First there was the business news. You’ll pardon me for starting there; I work in business news. I have to pay attention. So this morning – when we still have 14 million people officially unemployed – and probably 14 million or so more who’ve given up or are underemployed or in the black or underground economy – all anyone on the business cable channels wanted to talk about was whether the Federal Reserve would announce “Operation Twist” when its 2 day meeting ended this afternoon. Which sure enough – since I am writing this toward the end of the day – the Fed did. (It didn’t help to give Wall Street what it wanted; the market tanked big time anyhow).
And what is Operation Twist? Well – you can be sure it’s not the Fed’s name for a rather complex monetary policy. In very simple terms (which is all I understand anyhow) the central bank will sell some of its short term treasury holdings – and buy more long term ones. Which should push long term interest rates down even more than they already are. Which supposedly would make mortgages and other longer term loans more attractive. Thus magically resuscitating the moribund housing market – without doing anything to change bank policies which have made it almost impossible for normal people to qualify for mortgages. Or, in many cases, restructure old ones.
Nor is Operation Twist likely to improve consumers’ sour attitudes about the economy. So they will buy more stuff again. So small businesses can start hiring again. Even with lower interest rates, how many small business people do you know who will go running out to their local bank for a loan now – so they can hire the additional workers they don’t need to keep up with the non-existent growth in demand for their products?
Which brings me to the next issue – also part of the morning’s business news set up. Companies like Oracle –which makes software – are doing just fine, thank you, because big businesses are continuing to increase productivity by buying more complex software --- so they won’t have to hire any more people. Maybe ever. And maybe can even lay off a few more employees.
Which sent me out into the fog – wondering how all those jobless Americans can EVER find decent paying work again. And how the 90 percent of Americans who do have jobs can ever again feel confident about keeping them.
Then came the real downer. My customary early morning walk around a section of northern New Jersey which was badly flooded by Irene and then a week later - flooded again by Lee. Darling little houses with proudly tended flower gardens. Now stripped of all personal goods. Stripped, actually, down to the studs because plasterboard tends to crumble and dissolve in 5, 6, 8 feet of dirty river water.
Whole streets in normally vibrant neighborhoods are just dead now. No one living in the stripped-down houses. No kids biking to school. No one going off to work. Just – nothing.
One big cardboard sign scrawled in red saying it all – “FEMA – BUY ME OUT”.
How I wish I were still reporting local news. There’s a follow up story at every ruined house. Maybe even a business story in local contractors suddenly “flooded” with new work. But the microwave trucks are long gone now – on to the next big – or small -- story. My blue funk turns black.
Then on a pile of newspapers waiting for pickup I see a photo of Texas Governor Rick Perry – now a GOP Presidential candidate -- wearing a suit and tie and a big grin – and brandishing a pistol for no apparent reason. And later, on the car radio, some analyst opining once again that all those tax increases President Obama put in his debt reduction plan are just red meat for the Democratic base, not a prayer of passing the GOP-controlled House in gridlocked Washington as 24/7 electioneering takes over. Welcome to Greece.
I drive 10 miles out of my way – again - because Morris County is waiting for federal funds and design approval to rebuild a tiny bridge on a heavily travelled road that got washed out by an Irene-swollen, raging stream. More than 3 weeks ago. On a regular basis - multiplied by hundreds of car trips -- how much extra greenhouse gas does that add up to?
Why can’t ANYONE fix ANYTHING?? Does it seem to you that anyone – anyone at all with a name you can recognize – is living in the real world? Or even living???
No wonder I’m peevish.
No, I didn’t just wake up on the wrong side of the bed (does any mother still say that to her kid?).
First there was the business news. You’ll pardon me for starting there; I work in business news. I have to pay attention. So this morning – when we still have 14 million people officially unemployed – and probably 14 million or so more who’ve given up or are underemployed or in the black or underground economy – all anyone on the business cable channels wanted to talk about was whether the Federal Reserve would announce “Operation Twist” when its 2 day meeting ended this afternoon. Which sure enough – since I am writing this toward the end of the day – the Fed did. (It didn’t help to give Wall Street what it wanted; the market tanked big time anyhow).
And what is Operation Twist? Well – you can be sure it’s not the Fed’s name for a rather complex monetary policy. In very simple terms (which is all I understand anyhow) the central bank will sell some of its short term treasury holdings – and buy more long term ones. Which should push long term interest rates down even more than they already are. Which supposedly would make mortgages and other longer term loans more attractive. Thus magically resuscitating the moribund housing market – without doing anything to change bank policies which have made it almost impossible for normal people to qualify for mortgages. Or, in many cases, restructure old ones.
Nor is Operation Twist likely to improve consumers’ sour attitudes about the economy. So they will buy more stuff again. So small businesses can start hiring again. Even with lower interest rates, how many small business people do you know who will go running out to their local bank for a loan now – so they can hire the additional workers they don’t need to keep up with the non-existent growth in demand for their products?
Which brings me to the next issue – also part of the morning’s business news set up. Companies like Oracle –which makes software – are doing just fine, thank you, because big businesses are continuing to increase productivity by buying more complex software --- so they won’t have to hire any more people. Maybe ever. And maybe can even lay off a few more employees.
Which sent me out into the fog – wondering how all those jobless Americans can EVER find decent paying work again. And how the 90 percent of Americans who do have jobs can ever again feel confident about keeping them.
Then came the real downer. My customary early morning walk around a section of northern New Jersey which was badly flooded by Irene and then a week later - flooded again by Lee. Darling little houses with proudly tended flower gardens. Now stripped of all personal goods. Stripped, actually, down to the studs because plasterboard tends to crumble and dissolve in 5, 6, 8 feet of dirty river water.
Whole streets in normally vibrant neighborhoods are just dead now. No one living in the stripped-down houses. No kids biking to school. No one going off to work. Just – nothing.
One big cardboard sign scrawled in red saying it all – “FEMA – BUY ME OUT”.
How I wish I were still reporting local news. There’s a follow up story at every ruined house. Maybe even a business story in local contractors suddenly “flooded” with new work. But the microwave trucks are long gone now – on to the next big – or small -- story. My blue funk turns black.
Then on a pile of newspapers waiting for pickup I see a photo of Texas Governor Rick Perry – now a GOP Presidential candidate -- wearing a suit and tie and a big grin – and brandishing a pistol for no apparent reason. And later, on the car radio, some analyst opining once again that all those tax increases President Obama put in his debt reduction plan are just red meat for the Democratic base, not a prayer of passing the GOP-controlled House in gridlocked Washington as 24/7 electioneering takes over. Welcome to Greece.
I drive 10 miles out of my way – again - because Morris County is waiting for federal funds and design approval to rebuild a tiny bridge on a heavily travelled road that got washed out by an Irene-swollen, raging stream. More than 3 weeks ago. On a regular basis - multiplied by hundreds of car trips -- how much extra greenhouse gas does that add up to?
Why can’t ANYONE fix ANYTHING?? Does it seem to you that anyone – anyone at all with a name you can recognize – is living in the real world? Or even living???
No wonder I’m peevish.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
The Silly Season
I am listening as I write this to President Obama giving a campaign speech in Parma, Ohio. Talking about the America he believes in. The America which allowed both him and Michelle to rise from their humble beginnings to become rich lawyers and ultimately, the First Family.
But this isn’t 2008. And he isn’t a candidate. Trouble is his Democratic party – and all the Congressmen and one third of the Senators and a bunch of Governors – ARE candidates. And the Republicans are tasting blood. And a huge victory.
The latest polls show a huge dissatisfaction with the current administration. President Obama’s approval ratings are in the 45-46% range. Two thirds of those asked think the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Going political at this point may be too little too late for the President and his party. Mr. Obama has been so busy since he took office trying to bring Republicans and Democrats together (an admirable concept) that perhaps he hasn’t really looked at America recently. We’re a country so dangerously polarized in all ways – politics, religion, social issues and yes – wealth – that it would take news that a huge meteorite was about to hit Toledo to pull Americans out of their funk. It would HAVE to be Toledo. If it were heading toward Washington – or even New York City --- I think it would still be business as usual around the Fox News Network’s TV hearth.
Now -- we have these Bush tax cuts --- which will expire at the end of this year. AFTER the midterm election. President Obama and the most liberal Democrats are determined to let them expire on the richest Americans making over $250,000 a year. Problem is --- if those tax cuts just expire --- they will expire for the middle class as well. And everyone but the very poor will be hit with higher Federal taxes.
Standard economic theory says you don’t raise taxes during a recession. So there have been ideas floated by some economists to extend the tax cut for – say – a year. Or keep it alive –but just for the middle class.
Ah – but that could help the Democrats in November. So even if the Republicans think it’s a good idea ---- don’t look for any cooperation of any kind from them.
Tyler Mathisen said it best on CNBC’s Power Lunch today. I’m paraphrasing but as he put it – the Senate Republicans will block anything the Democrats propose before the election – or in the lame duck session after it. Which means – pure and simple - a tax increase for the middle class. Tyler is an honest, intelligent reporter. He’s also human. His frustration spoke for all thinking Americans.
This political gridlock in Washington benefits no one – except maybe a few politicians. And it hits exactly the folks who are most fearful about their jobs if they have them or least able to get new jobs if they don’t. Exactly the folks who have pulled back on spending recently. Exactly the folks who desperately want to see solutions from their government – whether Republican or Democratic – which can give us all back the America we believe in.
But this isn’t 2008. And he isn’t a candidate. Trouble is his Democratic party – and all the Congressmen and one third of the Senators and a bunch of Governors – ARE candidates. And the Republicans are tasting blood. And a huge victory.
The latest polls show a huge dissatisfaction with the current administration. President Obama’s approval ratings are in the 45-46% range. Two thirds of those asked think the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Going political at this point may be too little too late for the President and his party. Mr. Obama has been so busy since he took office trying to bring Republicans and Democrats together (an admirable concept) that perhaps he hasn’t really looked at America recently. We’re a country so dangerously polarized in all ways – politics, religion, social issues and yes – wealth – that it would take news that a huge meteorite was about to hit Toledo to pull Americans out of their funk. It would HAVE to be Toledo. If it were heading toward Washington – or even New York City --- I think it would still be business as usual around the Fox News Network’s TV hearth.
Now -- we have these Bush tax cuts --- which will expire at the end of this year. AFTER the midterm election. President Obama and the most liberal Democrats are determined to let them expire on the richest Americans making over $250,000 a year. Problem is --- if those tax cuts just expire --- they will expire for the middle class as well. And everyone but the very poor will be hit with higher Federal taxes.
Standard economic theory says you don’t raise taxes during a recession. So there have been ideas floated by some economists to extend the tax cut for – say – a year. Or keep it alive –but just for the middle class.
Ah – but that could help the Democrats in November. So even if the Republicans think it’s a good idea ---- don’t look for any cooperation of any kind from them.
Tyler Mathisen said it best on CNBC’s Power Lunch today. I’m paraphrasing but as he put it – the Senate Republicans will block anything the Democrats propose before the election – or in the lame duck session after it. Which means – pure and simple - a tax increase for the middle class. Tyler is an honest, intelligent reporter. He’s also human. His frustration spoke for all thinking Americans.
This political gridlock in Washington benefits no one – except maybe a few politicians. And it hits exactly the folks who are most fearful about their jobs if they have them or least able to get new jobs if they don’t. Exactly the folks who have pulled back on spending recently. Exactly the folks who desperately want to see solutions from their government – whether Republican or Democratic – which can give us all back the America we believe in.
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