Am I a terrorist?

In response to the suggestion that because I support Occupy Wall Street movements and some of those members are communists, anarchists, antisemites, and various other violence inspired nutballs... am I one of those too by association?  Am I advocating violence which has or would kill Americans?

I'm saying that degree of awful bloodshed is going to happen whether we choose to accept it or not. I'm not advocating. I do not think it is necessary. But it is *inevitable* if the small fraction of wealth holders do not recognize their obligation to police themselves in such a way as to allow the vast majority to have basic human rights which really boil down to reasonable freedom from pain, safety of your person and your family, food, shelter, and education.

I, personally, do not advocate anarchy, bloodshed, antisemitism, or any of the rest of that. I do recognize that some portion of OWS movement is made up of some of these nutballs, but that still does not change the fact that international financial agencies with no elected authority control my life, your life, and the lives of billions of people so that a handful can play dice and enjoy ridiculous indulgence. Not just gross indulgence, but ridiculous indulgence. And not "Americans can no longer afford 3 cars" hardship, but 700,000 people in a single tech factory in China are kept in a compound to slavishly produce iPads 16 hours a day kind of hardship. Wall Street has reach far outside of America--by design!

So spare me your tears for dead Americans. We've killed millions with our exploitation and ravenous demand more and more Wal-Mart crap. We've driven whole nations in to poverty. We sparked wars for profit and oil. We've bombed the fuck out of people who live in stone huts. We've backed banana republics, put dictators in to power, and face stomped on the human rights of dozens of nations. We are the god damned terrorists. And it all comes back to the unbridled greed most aptly represented by Wall Street. I wish to god it wasn't true. 

That degree of greed and exploitation will come to end... willingly or unwillingly... without bloodshed if we are smart and with unholy bloodshed if we are blind. Not because I wish it or think it is the only way. But because I know parents will not watch their children starve and die of treatable illness while blocks away other children are fed to obesity and the stores are stacked full of medicine. That parent isn't going to care if what they are doing is right or wrong. When there are thousands of grieving hate-filled parents and we've given them no other option because we find every excuse in the book to ignore them, then blind rage takes over. It is a historical lesson taught for thousands of years. This situation is dire. If *only* a few Americans die we will be lucky.

That is why I support OWS... to avoid the violence that will come.  If the message gets through and the greed is tempered with wisdom and compassion--just a little--then we have a chance to adjust and avoid any violence at all.  Make no mistake OWS *should* be 100% non-violent.  We don't require it and it actually won't solve the problems, only set us up for another round of bloodshed later.  But if we learn this time to take rational stock and step back from the edge, then there is hope that we are learning.  Hope that we can be compassionate even in the face of lesser economics.  That is what I hope for.

Corp America(tm)

This is a bit of satire that I wrote last night, but like all good satire it has a degree of truth…  But for the record I have no means to establish Corp America and it is not a real entity.

I am tired of dancing around the issue.  The current system of smoke and mirrors controlling our politics is inefficient and a bit childish.  So I’m going to call a spade a spade and design a better system.  I’m going to establish Corp America™*.

Corp America is going to have one purpose; to absolutely control American politics and policy.  I’m not going to flinch from that fact at all.  Corp America is out to buy votes, make laws, and secure our interests.  Buying stock in Corp America will allow every share holder to exercise more voting power than they have ever had at the ballot box.  Working for Corp America will put you on the front line of political influence and impact to our society.  Our agenda will be clear, published, and voted in by the share holders.

Our capital will be used in strategic investments to make profits and foster our agenda.  Our intent will be to make the USA better for Americans, a more respectful member of the global community, and an earnest proponent of profits for the middle-class.  We will have a legal department, HR, accountants, consultants, assistants, executives, project managers, and a healthy benefit package.  We will strive to be the America we want the US to become.  Our physical projects will focus on improving America’s infrastructure (transport, utilities, and resources).  Our soft products will focus on improving education and access to education.  As an employee, it will be your job to get smarter.  Corp America projects would emphasize green energy sources, technologies to reduce emissions, secondary education facilities, and projects to develop public transportation.  Corp America will participate in the stock market, investments, and a company credit union.

Our headquarters will be located as close to Congress, the Whitehouse, and Supreme Court as is financially possible.  Bonus pay will be given based on traceable influence to policy makers.  We will never be covert.  All of our salaries will be public knowledge.  We will stand out.  We will be visible, vocal, and determined.  All of our profits will be spent on gaining control of the US government—including placing our employees in to the government.  Our employees in government will continue to earn Corp America paychecks as long as they voluntarily continue to participate in Corp America policies set by the shareholders.

Corp America will not discriminate on the basis of sex, religion, orientation, race, shirt size, pet preference, or favorite color.   We will not seek to influence these areas of society other than to insure there is no discrimination in America for anyone.

We are neither Republican nor Democrat.  We seek to be neither Conservative nor Liberal.  We speak for all Americans with focus on restoring the middle-class and working to move more from poverty up and more from ultra rich down.  Equality of economics is not the goal, just a smoothing of the curve.  There will always be rich and there will always be poor.  We will endeavour to do all we can to limit the extremes.

All employees will be required to participate in all elections.  Individuals must vote to their conscience, but we would hope that conscience aligns with Corp America™ shareholder policy.  Voting is a minimal condition to receiving any bonus pay.  To be clear you can earn your bonus for any vote on any issue—you simply must vote.  Each member of your household must vote if they are legally allowed to do so.  Our corporate training will focus on getting the best information and education around our agenda issues to our employees.  We will maintain a website detailing how our corporation wishes to vote on all issues on the ballot in every district where we operate.  Again, you always vote the way you wish, but we will document what we feel is the best vote and back it up with unbiased reasoning and analysis freely available to Corp America employees and publicly posted on our web presence.

The workers of Corp America will automatically be unionized as a free benefit for the first year of employment.  After the first year, the employee will be responsible for dues to be set by the Corp America Union.  Corp America will establish a pay ratio between the highest paid and lowest paid employee regardless of where that employee sits in the organization.  

Should you gain elected office as a Corp America employee, your immediate duties will cease and you will assume your new role as a public official.  You will uphold all legal and ethical obligations to your post.  Your job at Corp America will become being an effective leader in your role.  You will gain access to our political advisors and educational resources.  Corp America will determine what actions to take should you violate the law or ethical policies—this may include termination and notification of proper legal authorities.  Corp America will not attempt to hide any of your actions and will actively seek to bring all such actions to public view.

Buy American.  Shed the illusion of democracy and embrace the real democracy of our times.  Invest in Corp America.  Recruiting today!


*A real trademark will be selected later; suggestions welcome.

World Changes

In the early 1900's the political and economic face of the Western world was radically changing.  Populations were exploding and industrialization was providing technology never before possible, but the old political scheme of monarchy was still wide-spread.  The old political scheme failed and WWI was the fire to the gasoline that ignited changes to the core of what we know as society today.

Now, 100 years later, we see again radically changing world events.  Populations are even larger, industry is massive, technology and communications have created a "Globalized" world.  Again we find ourselves in the perilous position where our style of governing is ill-suited to our environment.  Resources are strained.  Economics are being widely exploited by organizations that transcend national governments.  Critical events on the other side of the globe have massive impact on those on the other side.

We're standing in a lake of gasoline.  We better take a look at who's holding matches.

The unwritten Social Contract can not be ignored.  As the unrest around the world has graphically demonstrated, governments that fail to provide for the people fail spectacularly.  Today one could argue that often business conglomerates now function more as a government than traditional borders have in the past.  But with this change comes the new responsibility of those conglomerates to assume the burden of the Social Contract.  Wealth remains the primary power in human governing.  Those with the wealth must take a great interest in millions of people that support their vast fortunes.  Even if populations do not overtly revolt, a broken Social Contract results in broken workers without any more wealth to give. 

These are interesting times.

In the pre-WWI era, war was a viable means of political control.  Battles were limited to soldiers and the posturing was mostly a matter of pride among nobles.  "My army is better than yours."  But the huge population growth of the industrial age allowed for vast (in the time) military forces.  The weaponry they could use was a quantum leap in effectiveness compared to single-shot rifles and swords.  The monarchy system gravitated to armed conflicts, but when this finally occurred, the result was a war no one in the day could have imagined.  WWI changed forever how wars would be fought and virtually erased monarchy from the political scheme.

Today the weapons of mass destruction we face are not the deadly sort.  Our issue in 2011 isn't a nuclear war; we're all pretty aware of how that would turn out.  Our threat today is global finance.  How we earn a living today depends on workers in China who depend on cheap resources in the 3rd world and oil producing nations.  Those resources and workers are not (directly) controlled by the governments of those nations, but rather by the "private" industries that employ them.  These industries are bound to the financial sector and ultimately to the investment firms which now control our world economy.

Using the WWI analogy today applied to the financial crisis you could say WWIII has started.  It isn't being fought with nuclear weapons, it is being fought in Stock Exchange markets around the world.  The results could well alter the face of the political world as greatly as WWI.

What brings me to these thoughts today?  Well WWI started with a fairly insignificant event--the assassination of Archiduke Ferdinand of Austria.  No one could have predicted the next 4 years.  This week we have seen a potentially mortal blow to the Japanese economy.  This earthquake is already sending financial shockwaves in to the depressed global markets. 

Maybe this event is not the assassination that starts the domino effect of a financial WWIII.  But is such an event only waiting to occur?  Soon our stretched economies will reach a point where there is nothing left to give and support will end.  National governments will attempt to reign in private resources to remain functional... But will the private sector allow them?  What is to prevent a global corporation from simply stating, "Sorry, we have the resources and we'll continue to profit as we please."

What form will the conflict take?  I can't say.  It isn't too hard to imagine a worker's revolt.  That would follow the pattern of French Revolution.  But I think such a revolt would suffer from having no clear enemy to revolt against.  There is no monarchy to depose.  The rules of the Social Contract apply to the workers as much as it does to the ruling class.  Worker needs have to be met.  But we can't exist without the wealthy to fund our lives.  So workers could not just pull down the structure of the financial world.  Well... they could, but what would replace it? Communism or Socialism?  These are possible and that would change the political scheme of the Western world.  Communism doesn't have a great history of being able to fulfill the Social Contract.  So if it did occur, it would have to be a Communism we have never seen on the global scale.  It would be comical if Marx turned out to be right.

I don't think Communism will win out.  I don't think we'll see an armed workers revolt and therefore we won't see a radical dismantling of "Wall Street".  No... what will survive will have assume that Wall Street survives, but now Wall Street needs to expand its powers to the lives of the workers.  One can not exist without the other and even the most miserly of Scrooges will see the cost of doing business in the equation.  Strange to think that perhaps William Gibson (author of Neuromancer) may have guessed more accurately than Marx.

Regardless of the options.  The nut of the issue remains.  Changes are necessary.  We are not islands of sovereign nations.  We are sovereign nations 100% dependent on the barons of our financial system who now operate without borders.  They control our resources, our printed money, and our governments.  They may not have precision control yet, but it is only a matter of time.  They may not even be aware yet of their new potential role.  They probably imagine they are still just doing what wealthy people do--make money.  Sure they fundamentally grasp they have power and wealth, but it could be that the time is coming where they must acknowledge they have now acquired the third component to the ruling class in the Social Contract... power, wealth, and responsibility.

I welcome our new alien overlords. 

Student Visa: Denied

Well, I've run out of any school options in New Zealand for Chandler.  What I find particularly maddening about it all is everyone acknowledges that if the paperwork was filed correctly, and all the fees paid, then he would be allowed access to any public school in New Zealand.  The only catch is that filing all those forms will cost $3000 and 6 months of processing.  By which time, my visitation is over and he'll be on his way home.

Recall that I started filing, calling, and writing to Immigration in about June 2010 and it has taken until March 2011 to finally get clear instructions about what is required for Chandler to attend a public school.  Had I filed for a full Residency application for Chandler, I still would have run afoul of the time it takes to process.  We ran in to this problem with our own application where the time it takes immigration to respond exceeds the limit they place on the data.. For example a medical check is only good for 3 months and it takes 6 months for them to process it... forcing you to get a second set of health checks and resubmitting your application.  Medical checks are not covered by any sort of insurance as they are totally voluntary.

Here's another annoying factoid... If I were an *illegal* immigrant, the Ministry of Education would allow my children to enroll without a Student Visa.  But because I have paid all my immigration fees and taxes (a Resident), I can't enroll Chandler without a Student Visa.  If I was here on a 30-month work visa... Chandler would be allowed a Student Visa... But again, because I'm actually a Resident, I can't do this.  I was told a few times this was to prevent the NZ tax payers from being burdened with paying for this education.  Well I'm one of those tax payers and I have been for 3 years.  Meanwhile illegal immigrants (not paying taxes) and Work Visa holders (protentially not paying taxes either) get the full benefit of public schools.  Additional insanity results when you consider my youngest son (who was part of my original Residency application) is going to public school and has been since our arrival in 2008.

One other gripe.  Legislation in NZ prevents the schools from reducing the International Student fees in any way.  There are no exception cases, no flexibility for the system to handle students in any sort of special circumstance or even temporarily.  This is really the key flaw of the system.  I understand the need to have solid requirements for Residency and Visas... but to use a system without any flexibility just serves to dramatically limit anyone willing to put up with it.

So NZ Immigration has successfully protected NZ tax payers from allowing a student from culturally participating New Zealand schools.  He won't take that experience back with him to the US.  He won't get to participate in NZ school sports.  He won't get the chance to meet other NZ students to make friends or plan future Overseas Experiences... I'm sure that protection will have a pay back.

In the meantime, we'll come up with some good home-study for Chandler.  But I can't do anything to make up for the friends he won't make.  I'll try to get him in to some other activies and we'll make do.  I'm just disappointed that we've allowed forms and policies to make our lives poorer.

The Deflation

US Justice system is attacking Americans

Last year I wrote about an article from the Rolling Stone that described how Goldman Sachs was allowed to outright steal billions from the Stock Market by Naked Short Selling and still nothing has been done.  Goldman Sachs still controls our economy under the Obama administration...

Now the same reporter details how in the aftermath of the housing crisis, banks are in some cases stealing homes from owners.  The regulations around proof of lean ownership are being tossed out the window and banks are bold-faced making up documents to prove they own mortgages to foreclose on them.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/232611

Again I'll point out that while many people may have bought too much house to afford, they mostly did it on the advice of the lenders who all universally encouraged them as financial professionals that they could afford these loans.  The banks were financially motivated to make any loan to virtually anyone which they did in the most convoluted way possible and at factory speed.  Millions of home loans were created, sold, re-sold, combined, sold, and then used as investment holdings.  They lied about their value consistently for decades.  Now they blame delinquent mortgage payers as they justify fast tracking 100's of thousands of foreclosures.  What the hell is going on in America?

The Lakota

A long while ago I wrote this blog about Maori history.  I touch on the feeling that, for me, Maori history was so miraculous to read about because of the history in my own country.  I think most Americans know what has happened to our own indigenous population, but we don't dwell on it.  You couldn't... it is too much.  But I found this video last night and I thought I would re-post it.  It is not a happy TED video.  But I think it shows in stark contrast how the Lakota are treated compared to how the Maori have been treated.

They died for your right to vote

This is going around a lot today... and it's bugging me.  First things first... Vote.  Vote today and every day you're allowed.  Celebrate your right to vote and remember that indeed perhaps the best thing our Armed Forces can collectively point to as a reason to sacrifice is this all important right to vote.  But...

Let's be honest here.  US Soldier's haven't been dying for our right to vote since perhaps WWI.  They have been dying on the various missions of our Government which have been decided upon by our politicians.  Our politicians have largely been elected by their ability to secure massive campaign funding.  That funding comes from corporate contributions and wealthy donation.  Corporations and the wealthy donate that money in their own self-interest.  It is not much of a leap to say our Armed Forces go out to die for those self-interests.  Now I can't speak for how the world worked in WWI or WWII, but that's how it's working today.

I don't say this to belittle the contribution our more contemporary service men and women make today.  They are amazing, heroic, and nobel in the real definitions of each word.  But the Armed Forces are extentions of Political Will.  The Political Will of Bush to invade Iraq did not further the interests of Americans.  It did not make our right to vote more secure.  It did not foster a spirit of global unity which resulted in an improved view of the American Way of life.  I hate to characterize why those soldiers died.  I am afraid if I really understood why they died I'd be so disgusted I couldn't write about it and I'd be ashamed to call myself an American. 

So, to me, saying our soldiers (today) have died to protect my right to vote feels like an insult to soldiers.  A lie.  A convenient justification to the price of freedom.  I just can't stomach it.  Certainly (hopefully) some of what soldiers do and die for is the protection of freedom and Americans.  But sooo much is not.  It still boils down to political interest and corporate agenda.  Your right to buy cheap socks from Wal-mart might also be something our soldiers are dying for.  The right of ridiculously wealthy oil barons to remain ridiculously wealthy.  Perhaps even worse rights.

None of this is the fault of the soldiers.  None of this reduces the value of your right to vote.  Just be careful what you attribute to a soldier's sacrifice.  Be honest about what we ask them to die for.  Do not allow a politician to convince you that they are dying for your right vote, for your freedom.  Or at least realize there are other reasons far less nobel that they may also be dying for... and Vote.

Naked Short Selling

Sounds pretty sexy, eh?  Anything with "naked" and "shorts" in the title ought to involve Spring Break co-eds, but not today.  This is an update to the financial story I blasted out on Facebook a few weeks ago.  The story came from Rolling Stone and basically describes this basic scenario around short selling.

First a very basic explanation of short selling on the stock market which is 100% legal and a good thing to do.  Say you have a feeling that stocks in BobCorp are going to go down.  They've been flat for a while and the whole Bob-sector is down and you think BobCorp is likely to drop soon.  So you come to me (a big BobCorp stock owner with 10,000 shares) and you ask to borrow them for a few days and I agree.  You take the shares I gave you and promise to pay me back or return all my shares in 3 days.  The current share price is $100 and so the total value is $1,000,000.  You immediately sell all my shares for $1 mil.  The next day, the fallout you expected happens and BobCorp shares fall to $50 a share.  You then immediately buy back 10,000 shares at a cost of $500,000.  You then give me back my 10,000 shares and pocket the difference--a cool half mil for only 2-3 days work.  Again this is all legal and it work because really there are a few fees in there for me and the broker.

Now in this example I was the stock owner of real shares.  I really gave you 10,000 shares to sell and you really bought and sold 10,000 shares.  All good.  But this not what is happening *today* on the US stock market.  Today if you wanted to short sell a stock you would only have to call up your broker and tell them you wanted to short sell 10,000 shares of BobCorp.  They may not have 10,000 shares to give you, but they'll act like they do and they'll sell off 10,000 shares for you (they get a % fee on all transactions remember).  But in reality lets say they only owned 8,000 shares to lend.  But in the US you can still pretend you have 10,000 shares and so 2,000 shares are effectively "created" from nothing and sold to the market.  Some buyer got 2,000 bogus shares in the deal.  Later you buy back the shares from the market and give them back to the broker.  Maybe they are "real" maybe not... it doesn't seem to matter, the extra 2,000 shares stay on the market.  This is Naked Short Selling.  Now the broker knows those 2,000 shares are not real and they are keeping track of them.  They will pay dividends (if any) on them because they make so much money on the fees that it is still profitable for them to float these shares.

The real problem here is that there is not even a rational limit on how nuts you can go with overselling shares.  Most people realize that if you flood any market with goods the price goes down.  The same is intensely true of the stock market.  So here you have a system were you can totally artificially create more shares and then flood them on the market to drop the price--which totally *works* for you because you're more and more money the farther the price tanks.  In fact, throw in a couple of nasty rumors about impending lawsuits or the CEO sleeping with underage hookers and you get a real old fashioned hachet job on the stock price.  You make a mint.  The company you just abused? Well it will might recover or maybe it just files for bankruptcy.  Who cares? You made millions.  Other investors in that business will take the loss.

This is all legal in the US.  The current stock trade system doesn't verify that a broker really has the shares they lend and since the brokers are paying the fees and handling the transactions--no one complains.  Folks who have complained (for years) have been ignored.  It obviously makes too much money to be stopped.  Incidentally... some of the folks most likely to used this trick in the biggest ways are now financial advisors to the President and hold seats on the SEC...

Interestingly enough... this doesn't work in New Zealand.  Trades have to settle in 3 days.  That means you have to really have the shares in 3 days or the broker is busted.  I can't speak for other markets around the world, but I suspect most of them have a way to prevent this.  This corruption is obvious to the rest of the world.  But I don't see too much outrage about it in the US press... I don't think it was even reported by CNN... hmmm... wonder why?

More on Health Care

Let’s break this health care thing down in to something real rather than pound our podiums about “communism” and “Nazis”.  Wild assertions that the President really wants “death boards” or to destroy the Constitution are whacko.  The President wants no one in America to have to suffer without health care.  That’s the goal.  Address the goal.  Is this bill going to deliver this or not? Should we deliver this as a nation or not?  These are valid questions.  But let me suggest something concrete.  I will even use myself as an example—not even a “wild” example.

I am 39 years old and by the US insurance definition, I am “uninsured.”  That is, no American based insurance system has my coverage.  That means that if anything were to go wrong with my health now, the US based health care system would deny all coverage of it.

My son is 12 and covered by my ex-wives health care in the US.  He has a chronic medical condition that will require care his whole life.  But under current regulations, most insurance companies will see what it has cost to cover him over the course of his whole life.  Once an arbitrary “lifetime maximum” value is met, they can all deny him coverage.  Even if this limit were lifted, he will be forced to work for a large corporate employer who must cover him with their plan.  He will never be able to work independently or start his own business—the cost of self-coverage would be too high *and* they can deny covering pre-existing conditions.  You see the rules are different when you are a individual that when you are a member of a corporation.

These are not fictional situations.  This is me and my life.  My choices for me and my son are work as a slave to a Corporation or die an early death bankrupt.  That’s the America we live in.  Work for a corporation, give all your income to them, or go to an early grave with nothing to pass on your children.  I can not imagine a more un-American concept.

You can not apply Capitalism to this system.  “Deregulating” health care will eliminate some red-tape which will remove some costs.  This is not insignificant.  But the flaw isn’t in the government oversight.  The flaw is that economic laws can not be applied to human life.  Again I will say that when the product being sold is Life, then the demand is infinite and the supply limited.  This means you will pay any amount to get Life to exclusion of all other goods.  The “market” will be split between those that can afford to pay and those who can not.  Failure to pay will mean early death and economic ruin for your family.  Even if we could as a culture buy in to such a system, I can not imagine we would choose it.

For decades now, Americans have believed their health care system is the best; that the whole world wants to come to America for a variety of reasons including the great health care.  This belief is false.  Many around the world are appalled at how we treat the poor and visitors to our country.  Sure some of the very rich will fly in to Boston for world-class medical care.  But 99.999% of Americans will never need that care and many that need it will never get it because it will be denied by their insurance companies.

The American system can deny any treatment that proves unprofitable.  They can drop anyone who suddenly becomes gravely ill.  They can plunge any family in to a nightmare of litigation over claims in order to "save costs."  They can pay dozens of professionals to work 24x7 to keep your petitions from being actioned.  They can do this because it makes money.  Because it is good Capitalism. 

The whole point of this health care bill today is not to establish an unchangeable medical system that will cripple America.  The point of this change is to establish that Americans have a guaranteed right to health care regardless of who they chose to work for, regardless of where they live, and regardless of their income bracket.  We can work out the financials and policies as we go.  But we have to start here.  All Americans are granted the right to Live.  The Constitution doesn't officially grant us this right.  But also true is that the Constitution says *nothing* about the right to Capitalism.  Capitalism does not equal Freedom.  Capitalism in business is fabulous.  Capitalism as the judge of human life is not.

We the People have established this Consitution of the United States.  We the People entrust the government to promote the general Welfare.  We the People should be granted Life by our government.

A reposted message about Health Care Reform

    The White House, Washington


    Dear Friend,

This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.

Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.

As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let's disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that's actually been proposed.”

So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.

Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.

Thanks,
David

David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President

P.S. We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:

Health Insurance Reform Reality Check

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage

   1. Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
   2. Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
   3. Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
   4. Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
   5. Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
   6. Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
   7. Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
   8. Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

8 common myths about health insurance reform

   1. Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
   2. We can’t afford reform: It's the status quo we can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
   3. Reform would encourage "euthanasia": It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
   4. Vets' health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
   5. Reform will benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
   6. Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
   7. You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
   8. No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts.  Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose.  Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.

Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now

   1. Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
   2. Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job.  Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
   3. Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
   4. Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
   5. Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
   6. The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
   7. Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
   8. The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf

Visit WhiteHouse.gov     


This email was sent to curtis_owings@yahoo.com
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House

The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

Multiply needs an Update / Care a litte More

So Multiply has not be inspiring me to write much.  I find the site clunky and its applications dated (by Internet standards).  I suppose I shouldn’t be so unforgiving, but I guess I’m being honest.

.

However, I have far too much content on this site to consider moving it all (yet).  I also don’t have another site in mind.  Multiply does do some things I still like.  I do want to have blogs, photos, and videos all accessible from one site.  But I do wish I had better control over the layout.  I know Multiply uses CSS and that should I get “serious” about this I could dive in to it.  But I don’t want to.  I want a tool with some customizable themes.  I don’t want to code.

.

I am regularly updating Facebook, Twitter, and occasionally my game blog on blogspot.  But this remains my “main” place for general family news and personal ramblings.

.

I have also been busy resolving the issues mentioned in previous blogs and doing lots of planning for family to start arriving in June through August!

.

The weather here as turned a bit cold early.  For NZ this is full on winter weather.  For you in Kansas/Nebraska you would recognize it as blustery Fall days--windy and often rainy.  But we get a handful of sunny mild days in between.  My step-dad says the weather in NZ is always a choice between “t-shirt or jacket”.  Well it seems to always be a jacket day and often a scarf too.  It is too windy for anything other than the stoutest and most aerodynamic of head gear.  I wear sunglasses more as wind shields than sun screen.

.

Theoretically, I am supposed to travel to Christchurch tomorrow.  That’s about mid-way down on the South Island.  While it would be cool to go, it is actually supposed be dumped on with snow and I just received a notice that our offices there have lost power—probably due to high winds.  This is not promising.  But I think it has been nearly 2 years since I last saw snow.—at least Dec 2007.  I wouldn’t mind seeing NZ in the snow as long as I didn’t end up sleeping in an airport.

.

New Zealand continues to be inspirationally beautiful every day.  I sometimes pop on to Google News to check on the ol’ USA and nearly always I am so shocked and horrified that I stop and retreat back to kiwi-sized social problems.  After 18 months away, I have lost my de-sensitivity to horrific tragedies.  I actually find it painful to read sometimes—images I can not erase from my mind.  Of course tragedies happen all over the world.  But… not everywhere in the world to the same degree.  I can mentally reconcile that Somalia (for example) has horrible things happening as it is poverty stricken, war torn, and perceived to be politically “unimportant”.  Somalia in no way deserves these qualities and the violence there is not justified, but to read of tragedy in my home country where there is wealth, education, and relative security… it shakes my faith. 

.

The rest of the world must boggle at why such problems exist in America.  Americans just assume “everybody has problems.”  Well, of course, but what we fail to realize is that other countries of similar culture and education do *not* have mass high school shootings, torture, and millions of unprotected (healthcare) citizens.  These are not the “costs of freedom.”  If they were, then I say they are very poor trade.

.

What are the solutions? Well, I can’t fix America from a blog.  But I would start by suggesting we weep.  That we really look and comprehend the depth of these problems—not to punish ourselves, but rather to humble ourselves.  These are our problems.  We are responsible for them.  We can still be proud of the great things we’ve done while owning our flaws as well.  Only by accepting and acknowledging these faults can we begin to address them.  We have developed steel personalities that can look at death tolls causally with thoughts like “only 14 killed… that’s 20 less than last week…” We read stories of children dying from lack of healthcare and think, “well those parents should have had better insurance or better jobs.”  How callus we have become.  We needed to be.  How could one live in the US and not?  But we have to care again.  We can not just become harder and harder.  The answer is really the reverse.  We need to be wounded and healed, not more impervious.

.

I hope all of you are well.  I hope tragedy stays far from you all.  There is much to be hopeful for.  I am greatly looking forward to our June/July/August visitors!  Talk to y'all again soon!

.

EDIT: Sorry for the weird "." between paragraphs... one of the "clunks" I was talking about on Multiply.  Pasting from Word to a Post messes up the formats.

Internet Policy for Kids: A Warning

Young Australians find porn everywhere

AAP | Tuesday, 03 March 2009

 

Young Australians will likely see pornography before they are legally allowed because of a proliferation of easily available X-rated material, a new study says.

The Australian Institute of Criminology says there is a "very high" chance that Australian teenagers will be exposed to pornography before the age of 18 – the legal age to view and purchase explicit sexual material.

Institute analyst Colleen Bryant said there was concern that young people were being inundated with sexual information before they were capable of integrating it into a healthy sexual identity.

"The proliferation of pornographic materials and their ease of access are such that it is not a matter of whether a young person will be exposed to pornography but when," she said.

Dr Bryant said scientists were divided about the harm caused by porn as research was struggling to keep pace with changing media technologies and children's engagement with sexual material.

She said pornography might promote unhealthy sexual attitudes and behaviour by encouraging males to view females simply in terms of sexual potential.

"Protecting young people necessarily requires equipping them and their caregivers, with adequate knowledge, skills and resources," she said.

Dr Bryant said research showed males reported more positive attitudes to pornography from an early age than did females who were generally extremely negative.

But by their mid-20s, both males and females might report similarly positive attitudes.

For that reason, seeking to minimise exposure to pornography was not the whole answer.

"Though restricting exposure will remain a priority, an over-reliance on this approach to protect against the perceived harms of pornography is problematic as it fails to recognise the realities of ready availability and the high acceptance of pornography among young people," she said.

***

Porn is available on the Internet folks.  Lots of it and plenty of it is available with no age protection whatsoever.  If you have kids using your computer for the Internet while you are not actively watching what they are doing, then they are easily able to find, view, create, and send porn.  Web cams, phone cams, and digital cameras are all well within the abilities of a child to use.  They pick up these internet widgets faster than you.  Keep your family computer in view at all times... period.  Do not put computers with network access in to your kid's rooms or in rooms out of your view.  You should also talk with other parents of your kids' friends to discover what their computer use policy is.  Kids are crafty and they'll quickly discover that Tony's mom doesn't pay attention to what they do on the computer...

One other line bugged me in this article though.  "Encouraging males to view females only for their sexual potential."  This goes both ways folks... Many females want to have sex just as badly as males.  There are plenty of content sites that show some pretty "unhealthy" female to male exploits.  Of course the vast majority is designed to cater to men, but I am sure teen girls will be just as crafty at finding what they like to look at online as the teen boys.  Girls are not immune.

Warning... I'm about to toss out shocking subject lines just to hit home what is *easy* to find on the internet with *no* real age proection... You can quickly find every kind of heterosexual behavior that you might fondly remember from Playboy stories--anal, oral, both at the same time, groups, ridiculous groups, 18 yo models, etc.  But in addition to these you'll find bondage, domination, pain, sex involving urine and excrement, extreme sexual feats like inserting very large objects, and sex with dogs or other animals.  You can find *all* of these with simple web searches and in "5 clicks or less."

There is certain to be something you find offensive on the internet.  Full video clips of it will be available for free with no real age protection.  I appologise for being so graphic, but if you didn't know, you needed to know.  Again... you must monitor what your children are doing in both your home and other people's homes.

You must be ready to talk about these things with your kids too.  The reality is this stuff is there.  They will be exposed to it at some time or another and it would be better if you warned them about it before running in to it on their own.  You should also let them know that they should pay close attention to how this material makes them feel and discuss those feeling with you.  You might carefully consider how you feel about it at the same time.  The most important thing to pass on would be for your children not to feel shamed by it (my opinion, of course.)  How you deal with sex is your parental concern.

Our kids are connected to the world in dozens of ways we were not.  Aside from legitimate web sites offering content (offensive, but not predatory), there are of course real predators.  The isolated computer combined with the Internet is just too much for unmonitored access.

Credit Crisis

I linked this in facebook already... but it was so interesting I thought I'd embed it here too.

 

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Adult Content Warning

So I decided to share a piece of cyberpunky fiction with some friends who ask for it.  I wrote the whole thing on my spare time, but kept the file on my work laptop for convenience.  I haven't opened the file since before our Holiday break in December nor did I open it today.  I simply attached it and forwarded it.  About a second later I got this automated message...

Your email message RE: Cyberpunk? to "Ben Wilson" has been delivered.

However it was identified by our content filtering processes as containing language that may be considered inappropriate for business-like communication. It is possible that the recipient(s) may not have received it if they run similar filtering processes. You may want to confirm with the recipient(s) that they have received the email correctly.

A copy of this email has been redirected to an administration queue which is randomly scanned for inappropriate mail and objectionable material.

Email that fails to comply with ******* corporate policy may result in disciplinary action being taken.

The ******* corporate email policy can be found at

The content which caused this to happen was

List:Reputation Protection Keywords

Found the expression "porn*" 2 times, at 2 points each, for an expression score of 4 points.

Found the expression "bitch*" 1 times, at 3 points each, for an expression score of 3 points.

Found the expression "*fuck*" 2 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

Found the expression "Fuck" 4 times, at 9 points each, for an expression score of 36 points.

Found the expression "nasty" 1 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 1 points.

Found the expression "rape" 1 times, at 2 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

Found the expression "sex" 2 times, at 2 points each, for an expression score of 4 points.

Found the expression "shit" 2 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

Found the expression "naked" 2 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

=============================================================

Total Message Score: 56 points.

Woo! 56 points on the naughty system!

Of course, I didn't know we had a naughty word scanner on the network... I suppose that was money well spent to find all the folks who might be sending naughty words.  I mean if you sent an offensive work message, I bet the recepient would complain to their supervisor.  Then they could lookup the naughtiness point value... maybe they have a threshold where 50 points is a misdemeanor and 100 points is a felony.

Just who sat down and coded which words were naughtiest? How exactly did they accomplish this on their own network without tripping their own alarms...  What about the autoresponder itself... If I fowarded this to my boss, would it get in trouble too?

Anyway folks... The data gods are watching.  A strange irony to be detected in a cyberpunk story...

 

Adult Content Warning

So I decided to share a piece of cyberpunky fiction with some friends who ask for it.  I wrote the whole thing on my spare time, but kept the file on my work laptop for convenience.  I haven't opened the file since before our Holiday break in December nor did I open it today.  I simply attached it and forwarded it.  About a second later I got this automated message...

Your email message RE: Cyberpunk? to "Ben Wilson" has been delivered.

However it was identified by our content filtering processes as containing language that may be considered inappropriate for business-like communication. It is possible that the recipient(s) may not have received it if they run similar filtering processes. You may want to confirm with the recipient(s) that they have received the email correctly.

A copy of this email has been redirected to an administration queue which is randomly scanned for inappropriate mail and objectionable material.

Email that fails to comply with ******* corporate policy may result in disciplinary action being taken.

The ******* corporate email policy can be found at

The content which caused this to happen was

List:Reputation Protection Keywords

Found the expression "porn*" 2 times, at 2 points each, for an expression score of 4 points.

Found the expression "bitch*" 1 times, at 3 points each, for an expression score of 3 points.

Found the expression "*fuck*" 2 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

Found the expression "Fuck" 4 times, at 9 points each, for an expression score of 36 points.

Found the expression "nasty" 1 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 1 points.

Found the expression "rape" 1 times, at 2 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

Found the expression "sex" 2 times, at 2 points each, for an expression score of 4 points.

Found the expression "shit" 2 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

Found the expression "naked" 2 times, at 1 points each, for an expression score of 2 points.

=============================================================

Total Message Score: 56 points.

Woo! 56 points on the naughty system!

Of course, I didn't know we had a naughty word scanner on the network... I suppose that was money well spent to find all the folks who might be sending naughty words.  I mean if you sent an offensive work message, I bet the recepient would complain to their supervisor.  Then they could lookup the naughtiness point value... maybe they have a threshold where 50 points is a misdemeanor and 100 points is a felony.

Just who sat down and coded which words were naughtiest? How exactly did they accomplish this on their own network without tripping their own alarms...  What about the autoresponder itself... If I fowarded this to my boss, would it get in trouble too?

Anyway folks... The data gods are watching.  A strange irony to be detected in a cyberpunk story...

 

Israel is a country NOT a religion

This may seem obvioius, but in every case where I've seen folks protest what Israel is doing, the immediate response is that they are racists and anti-semitic.  I'm not saying any one is doing the right thing in Israel right now.  I'm not going to review the history or try to figure out who's the evilist bastard.  I'm just saying, if you don't like what Israel is doing, you have a problem with the political policies of a sovereign nation.  You're not a racist nor to you "hate Jews."  You're no more racist that half the world that "hates americans". 

I am personally tired of Israel always whining about anti-semitism every time it is criticisized.  It's bullshit.  Israel, do what you got to do.  Be prepared for us to complain and point out flaws.  If you really do stupid stuff, be prepared for the world to respond sternly.  The worst you can accuse us of is being "anti-idiot".

Americans have claimed to be Canadians on holiday around the world for years.  There are lots of places where they don't like us very much.  There are also many folks I know that have every right to hate America and yet they know that I am not personally responsible for the US and they don't take it out on me.  Lets all hope for some wisdom.  In the meantime, take your criticism like a real Nation and don't hide behind your religion.  Tell us to "kiss off, we'll bomb who we want to bomb" or come back and say "alright, we shouldn't have done that."  However, when they shoot back tomorrow, don't claim it was racism.  Perhaps it was at the begining of this conflict, but now you are dumping gasoline on the fire.  Blow up my family and I will hate you.  I won't care who you are.  It doesn't make me a racist.

Expatriate does not mean ex patriot.

Every once in a great while I will encounter some passionate American accusing me or other expatriates of “fleeing the US” or in some other way being less patriotic because of the decision to immigrate.  While this may be true for some of those that choose to live outside the US, but I sense this is only rarely the case.  If someone is out there thinking (perhaps only in the back of the mind) that I must not like the US or that I must like it less than other Americans, then I have some knowledge to share them.

Certainly there are lots of things I didn’t like about living in Kansas.  I won’t get in to that, but I will point out that there were also many things I loved about the Midwest.  I do love living here in New Zealand and I feel exceptionally lucky to get the chance.  I don’t for a second ever think of myself as non-American.  I still file taxes.  I still send thousands of dollars back to the US.  I still have dozens of friends, family and colleagues back in the US.  I pray for our soldiers every night.  That statement is a bit of a fudge, because I pray for all soldiers every night—and everyone dying because of violence, greed and hate.  I watched President Obama win the election live on the Internet—with pride in my country.

While I am out of the country, I will be relying on New Zealand health care and will be no burden on the US systems.  My kid won’t be taking up a seat in the under funded school systems.  My cars won’t be in rush hour or adding to pollution in the US.  My investment in air fares is propping up the airline industry.

Many of my Kiwi friends have never had an American friend to ask about the US.  Many folks I meet on the street have never talked to an American before.  Lots of younger New Zealanders only know what they see on MTV and CSI:Miami… Can you imagine what their view of America is?  I field questions on history, policy and culture almost every day.  I take this responsibility very seriously.  I know I may be the only American these folks will every really know.  I do my best to explain why the US does some of the things it does—and believe me, some things are hard to explain.

I have learned tons about New Zealand culture and in the process I have learned tons about US culture.  I see clearly now two approaches to the same problems of living life well and with respect for each other.  My time here will only serve to give me confidence of experience that things can be done differently.  I hope someday I can send back what I’ve learned.  I hope I can get more of the Kiwi good things in to America.  In my view, the US needs thousands more expats.  If we really want to be “leaders of the free world” then we better learn a lot more about the world.

The Right to bear Shoes

I have to confess I was at first highly amused at the Iraqi reporter winging a shoe at President Bush.  But as I pondered more about why he threw that shoe, I realized I was proud of that Iraqi.  Here is a man whose culture and country have been attacked.  He likely has friends or even family who have been hurt or killed.  He was given an invite to this press conference.  He knew he would be in the same room with President Bush.  *But* instead of lethal violence, he screamed his protest and threw his shoes at him.  He yelled for thousands of dead Iraqis as a result of this war. 

We could easily claim that perhaps Saddam was worse.  But that does not absolve Bush from the deaths of so many.  Bush commanded thousands to their deaths.  Maybe it was for the greater good.  Maybe it wasn’t.  They are still dead.  This Iraqi was angry.  He was outraged.  He voiced his frustration in the strongest message he could craft.  Whether he is right or wrong, he was one of the bravest men I have ever seen.

I hope they let him go.  No one was hurt.  What a message that would be!  I would begin to believe that Iraq could indeed become a free democracy if one of their loyal citizens could voice such criticism in the face of “the most powerful leader in the world.”  I hope he goes to the US.  I hope they put him on Letterman and the The Tonight Show.  There may not be a finer example of American freedom than this Iraqi.

Tread Lightly...

We have serious problems to solve.  At this moment deciding who is to blame for them is less important than deciding how to solve them.  Campaigns are built on ideals and theories.  Only when candidates confront the complexity of the real issues do we see how well the theories will hold up.  No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.  In order to proceed forward we will have to step in to the mine fields. 

Whether you are a Republican or Democrat or Other… these are only labels.  The steps we take will be as a nation—a nation that is a member of the world.  While we may have great influence on the world we do not speak for the world.  On both the domestic and the international stage we must go forward humbly.  We must be prepared to question common convention.  We must be ready to consider that an opposing view may yet lead us to the same goals.  We must not fall back on tired excuses.  We must not get hung up on differing labels.  Solutions that work while not compromising our values are correct regardless of what we call them.

The ideals of our country have not changed although I would say we have not considered them often in the last 8 years.  I refuse to believe that our nation was founded to cater to elite rich and international corporate interest while at the same time ignoring the welfare of every human being below a certain balance sheet value.  The notion that if you let the super-rich get richer, then this will make middle and lower income household better is not proving to be true.  The accusation that “lazy Americans” are to blame is only partially true.  Americans are responsible for America, but I don’t know any lazy ones.  The vast majority of Americans I know work really hard with both spouses trying to put in 40+ hour weeks. They work hard trying to afford homes, health care, day care, insurance, taxes, and retirement.  While at the same time the corporations they work for, pay less salary, reduce health care, penalize (mostly women) for child care demands, steal retirement funds, and avoid taxes at every opportunity.  The Executives that run these corporations are often paid 300% more than average employees, receive perks valued at millions of dollars, never want for health care or child care, and are often paid huge bonuses even when their employees face lay offs.  If we implement a few policies to curb unchecked greed and allow working families to establish homes, receive health care, provide for their children, and save for their own retirement, then I think we will have made some vast improvements. 

People desire to live well and do well for their children, but I think most folks would also see the same opportunities given to all people.  I think America can deliver that.  I think by doing this well we will see prosperity grow and expand naturally.  International influence will spread by example rather than by force of policy.  But know that your neighbors and fellow citizens would see you do well.