Miscellaneous Reflexions Incisive thoughts on government, society, and some deeper thoughts. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 25 3828

Articles from Miscellaneous Reflexions

The Extreme Center 2007-09-30 18:48:14 I believe most people in America fall in the middle on most issues.  The extreme left and extreme right have  been pulling people from the center for too long. This has left our nation in a highly divided state. To be clear, I believe anyone who expects everyone to adopt his or her beliefs to be an extremist. Unfortunately, it has been the extremists on both sides that are making all the noise. They seem more concerned about winning than doing what's right for America. The extremists are doing harm to our country and this continued trend can only bring serious consequences. The way I see it there are only four things that can happen.* Those on the left see the light, drop to their knees and adopt the beliefs of those on the right.* Those on the right see the light, drop to their knees and adopt the beliefs of those on the left.* Keep doing what we are doing and face the consequences.* Try something new that will make a better America.I believe it is impo ...

Wake Up Everybody 2007-09-27 19:18:21 This will be the first entry in a new category called "From the Lyrics". I listen to all types of music and sometimes  find myself in deep thought over a line, chorus, or sometimes a whole song. Sometimes lyrics can be as inspirational as a good quote or an entire speech. Many songs have meaning, but sometimes we just enjoy the music and never reflect on the words. There are some lyrics I may disagree with, but reflecting on them helps shape my beliefs. By taking time to listen and give thought there is something to be gained from the lyrics.For my first entry in this category I have to go with a classic and all time favorite of mine, Wake Up Everybody by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. When I hear this song I can't help but reflect on how awesome it would be if we created a world far better than what we see today. This song is from the year 1975; ironically, it still has meaning for the present. No more backward thinkin' time for thinkin' ahead and there is s ...

America's National Defense 2007-09-26 19:36:30 What is the state of our national defense? There have been many reports that suggest our military is stretched thin and nearing a breaking point. I haven't seen or heard anything that would refute this claim. There have also been reports on how the military has lowered its standards to help meet recruiting goals, allowing people with criminal records to enlist that previously would have been unable to do so. On top of that we are using a private military company that some refer to as mercenaries. No matter what you call them, I believe most are there for money or because they like war. I doubt many people in these organizations are about serving their country, otherwise they would have enlisted in the American military. All this leaves me with a great concern of the state of our national defense.Before the war I thought we had a military big enough to fight four or five wars like this. I wonder how much consideration was given to the effect on our national defense before invadin ... America

Great Americans 2007-09-25 19:17:03 I find myself troubled lately with the liberal use of the words "great American". This is ironic since it was a conservative radio talk show host that got me thinking about it. On this show, the host and his callers regularly tell each other, "you're a great American". Great Americans are people who make a difference; without their existence our country would be in much worse shape. Great Americans inspire courage and change. They have vision and imagination that go beyond even a good American. Most times these people are not recognized as great Americans until later in life or after they are gone. The men in the picture above are great Americans; I can't see how a radio talk show host and his callers can compare themselves to men like this. Especially those who engage in polarization tactics that are tearing our nation apart. If people like this are great Americans, then we need a new name for the true great American.As I pondered this further I found myself w ...

Not Hot For Hillary 2007-09-24 19:31:36 I certainly would like to see us elect our first female President, but I don't want it to be Hillary Clinton. Although she is capable of being an adequate President, that is about the best I would expect, and adequate isn't good enough for what we need. I can't see how Hillary would be able to unite this country. We could argue the point of her being divisive or not, but she is definitely a polarizing figure. The animosity that remains from the 1990's is just too much to overcome. Even if Hillary could lay out a good plan that would make America a better nation, it would be immediately rejected by the opposition just because it was her plan. Half of the people she needs to unite are already unwilling to consider what Hillary may suggest. I don't believe she is capable of overcoming this. It may not be her fault, but that is the reality of the situation.Hillary speaks of representing change, but at the same time refers back to her husband's Presidency. Ev ...

A Rant On Rudy 2007-09-23 19:05:10 Being an independent I am looking at all the candidates for the 2008 election. I will be voting in my first primary; although I have not decided who I will support, I know who will not get my support. First on the list is Rudy Giuliani. He would get my vote for most likely to further divide our nation. We desperately need someone who will be able to pull our nation together, especially our government. He is already hurling insults and attacks at the people he will need to unite. He sounds just like President Bush, if you don't agree with his policies, you're weak or stupid. This only alienates the people you need to unite. I believe if Rudy is elected we will see an already divided nation become further divided.Rudy Giuliani is also guilty of playing the fear card. I was appalled when he said if we elect a democrat that we will again be attacked by the terrorists. Those who are unable to inspire courage can only induce fear. We need a President who will make us feel strong, not one ...

Where Was Al When the Electric Car Died 2007-09-21 12:52:37 This year I saw the movie "Who killed the electric car?", it is definitely a must see. The electric car actually has quite a history. In the late 1990's there was an EV model that many people seemed to like. I have to say I can't recall ever hearing about it until this year. But I got to thinking that Al Gore was in the White House  during this time. There was very little if any support from the federal government, so why didn't Al Gore speak out back then? Maybe if he would have supported the electric car back then we would have less pollution today. With this support who knows what advancements we might have seen. The actual death of the electric car didn't happen until he was out of office. Again why wasn't he speaking out at this time? Was he too busy sulking over his loss in the Presidential election? Al Gore talks about reducing emissions but failed to back something that could have great impact. After watching this movie I can't help but ...

Iraq: A Conditional Timetable 2007-09-21 12:52:01 As I watch the hearings on Iraq only one conclusion can be drawn, we are screwed no matter what we do. If we pull out there is the risk of major turmoil in the Middle East; if we stay there will be many more Americans killed and a heavy burden will remain on our public treasure. I subscribe to the "we broke it we bought it" line of thinking. We are at least obligated to provide military support, but we have reached a point where we should no longer foot the bill. It is time for a conditional timetable, a schedule should be set for a phased withdrawal. As each phase is reached the Iraqi's can decide if they want to pay or we pull out. I believe President Bush did say that Iraqi oil will pay for the war, well that time has come.We may find if the Iraqi's have to pay for our services they may be more motivated to do things themselves. I have to believe some of the progress being made is not just from the surge itself, but the pressure coming from those who are dissatisfied with th ...

National Debt Now 9 Trillion and Growing 2007-09-21 12:51:21 On September 5, 2007, our national debt crossed the 9 trillion dollar mark. I waited a week to write this to see what kind of coverage this event would receive. I waited for the endless coverage, the expert opinion, and the in depth analysis, but it never came. I didn't even catch one of those weak stories that amount to a sound bite. I do flick around a lot so maybe I missed it. If this event would have received the same coverage as Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears I'm sure I would have seen it. So how is it that something so important received little or no attention? I would at least like to see a story on how being 9 trillion dollars in debt is no big deal. I would also like to know at what point it does become a big deal.Continually spending more than you earn can only lead to one thing, bankruptcy. When this happens to a person or business we can declare bankruptcy and receive protection under the law. What happens when a nation becomes bankrup ...

A Troubling Work Ethic Experience 2007-09-21 12:50:40 One morning I headed to McDonald's to pick up some breakfast; the drive-thru was backed up so I parked my car and went inside. It wasn't overly crowded; I decided to jump in line. As I watched the slow pace of the workers it was apparent this would become a long wait, so I decided to head to Dunkin Donuts. Of course when I arrived it was crowded, but I decided to accept my fate and headed inside. Much to my surprise the workers at Dunkin Donuts were moving at a fast pace and working as a team. Much faster than I expected my order was taken and filled and I was on my way.On the drive home I couldn't help but reflect on this whole experience. Both establishments were staffed with mostly younger people. However, the McDonald's employees were mostly white Americans while the Dunkin Donuts employees were of Middle Eastern descent. At McDonald's the workers seemed to mope around and lacked team effort; at Dunkin Donuts  it was the exact opposite.  I hope this was a rare occur ...

The President's Speech - Return On Success 2007-09-21 12:48:09 It is strange to watch a speech that has already been critiqued before it was given. Before the speech, it was reported that the President would talk about bringing troops home, but it was also reported that these troops would have to come home anyway due to proper rotation. I didn't hear the President deny this point so I'll have to assume it is true. Not that he had much credibility anyway, but it is hard to believe anything he says. If President Bush manipulated this information, how can we be sure all of it wasn't manipulated. All the talk of how well things are going may have been deceptively presented. In the speech, President Bush said he made it clear to the Iraqi's they must meet the benchmarks that have been set. Does this mean in the last 4 1/2 years he has never made it clear? It seems to me the only way to make things clear is to tell the Iraqis to meet the benchmarks or we are pulling out. Of course the President didn't miss a chance to mention Al-Qaeda, 12 tim ... President

Breaking News? 2007-09-21 12:47:25 How in the world is the arrest of OJ Simpson breaking news? This story deserves nothing more than a mention at the top or bottom of the hour. I have become thoroughly disgusted with the cable TV news media. I feel like I am watching Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood with some news thrown in. How come the national debt passing the 9 trillion dollar mark wasn't breaking news? Some on these news channels say they are looking out for us, but it seems they are looking out for their ratings. This has become a problem with all news media; it has become all about viewers, listeners, and readers. It is no longer about reporting the news, but presenting it in a way that keeps people tuned in.The news media defends their celebrity coverage by saying we want to watch it. This only proves the fact that ratings are more important than covering actual news. I don't have a problem with them reporting it, but virtually all of these celebrity stories are unworthy of the endless ...

Solving the Health Care Crisis 2007-09-21 12:10:48 Hillary Clinton has unveiled her solution to the health care crisis. Like all the other politician's plans, it amounts to nothing more than problem management. Everybody talks about making health insurance more affordable from a cost standpoint, but nobody talks about making it affordable from an income standpoint. Health care costs are definitely out of control in America, but part of the reason it is hard to afford is because people and businesses aren't earning enough money. If we can raise the income of those who can't afford health insurance and at the same time reduce costs we have a much better chance of solving this problem. Even if the health care industry was made non-profit there would still be many businesses and millions of people unable to afford it.As long as this is the case the financial burden will fall on our government. Part of solving this health care crisis must include reducing the cost to government, or more appropriately put, reduce the cost ... Health

The Hidden Danger of Cheap Stuff 2007-09-21 12:09:39 We know about the effects on the American worker from moving manufacturing jobs out of the country. We know of the risk to our health from the products we are importing. But what about the threat from being dependent on these imports. Many of the things we used to provide for ourselves are now relied upon through imports. What happens if there is a major war or a huge catastrophe that causes the price of gas to double or triple? The price of these imports would skyrocket and have a devastating effect on our economy. Dealing with the gas prices would be bad enough, add to that  skyrocketing prices on the things we need and it would break many Americans.What if some event caused a shortage in the materials needed to make the cheap stuff that we import? I have to believe if there isn't enough of something to go around the foreign countries making the cheap stuff will keep it for themselves. This would leave us with a limited supply of things we might need. The law of supply an ...

The Jena Six Demonstration 2007-09-21 12:08:38 It is always nice to see Americans come together for a common cause. Again we are faced with a demonstration involving racial intolerance. I have read that this demonstration was about justice and not race, but if there was injustice it seems to me it has everything to do with race. Although I feel these types of demonstrations are justified, I think we need to do more to improve race relations and eliminate racial intolerance. This event will get people talking about the problem, but like the Imus situation it will fade away with time and there will be little if any improvement in the racial tension that exists in America today. And like the Imus situation it will produce winners and losers, leaving those on the losing side with a feeling of bitterness and resentment.What we should do is have a racial unity rally. All the bi-racial couples, bi-racial friendships, and anyone who is for racial unity should come together on one day to show we stand together ...