Airplanes, Russia, and Separatist Rebels
As you should all know by now, Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine recently, killing nearly 300 people. Conspiracy theory abounds as to what actually happened to this plane. The best I can gather, it appears as if Russian-backed separatist rebels had possession of a missile launcher and used it to bring down the plane. It's possible they thought they were bringing down a Ukrainian military plane. Reportedly, intelligence agencies intercepted telephone communications from a Russian separatist claiming that they shot down a plane, though they later backtracked on that statement.
However, Russian troops were relatively close to the area, and it looks like they, along with some of the separatist rebels were able to gain control of the crash site before the Ukraine could. Per international law, the Ukraine has priority rights to the site, and should lead the investigation. If Russia took control first, knowing that rebels backed by their government were the ones who brought the plane down, then the site is fully compromised, and likely the black boxes have been confiscated and destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Russian government is basically thumbing its nose at the rest of the world. As a friend of mine wrote on Facebook the other day: Vladimir Putin is the best James Bond villain since Dr. No.
Elizabeth Warren: Progressive Beacon
Please note, for my liberal readers, what you are about to read contains satire, cynicism, sarcasm, and blatant attempts at humor. It is also a serious opinion about Elizabeth Warren's socio-political positions.
It looks as though Elizabeth Warren is positioning herself for a presidential run in 2016. This is the same woman whose claim to a mixed racial heritage including Native American came down to stories her grandmother told and her own high cheekbones. But I digress...
Warren recently published her "11 Commandments of Progressivism." Eleven. Just like a dyed-in-the-wool progressive to have to try and upstage the Lord. More on that in a moment. I thought it would be nice to copy Ms. Warren's 'commandments' here, and offer a conservative-libertarian rebuttal. These are basically my thoughts from initially reading the list.
1. We believe that Wall Street needs stronger rules and tougher enforcement, and we're willing to fight for it.
It is a well known ideology of those who believe statism to be effective that, in order to either disprove or deconstruct capitalism, it is necessary to tie the hands of an industry through regulation to the point that the marketplace of the industry cannot effectively solve its own problems, and then claim that freedom of the marketplace has failed, and thus stronger regulations and stronger means of enforcement are needed. Wrapping more and more regulations on the economy will not help. If anything, you stifle the opportunities for future growth. Is a type of regulation required? Yes, I don't doubt that. But when Reagan inherited a poor economy from Carter, he deregulated and the economy began growing. Find a happy balance between Reagan and this liberal desire to hyper-regulate, and we can probably start improving the economy. The federal government is not the only entity strong enough to stimulate the economy. The American people are stronger, so long as that same government leaves them alone.
2. We believe in science, and that means that we have a responsibility to protect this Earth.
Of course we have a responsibility to protect the Earth. Even those who "don't believe in science" [read: those crazy, backwards theists, especially the Christians] know that, from our own holy scriptures, God set up man to be a steward of the Earth. And, just as man feel from grace, we also failed at taking care of our planet. But we have a chance to work toward making things better, unless you buy the hysteria that says the ice caps are mere minutes from total collapse, the earth will be flooded to the top of Mt. Everest and we'll all have to live on boats and drink our own urine from a Mr. Coffee.
The answers to environmental issues tend to trip up the conservative side of the aisle because, more often than not, they involve some means of tearing down developed economies at the expense of their people. There is no overnight solution to oil usage. Ethanol is, at best, a stop-gap measure. The future of energy production is obviously in renewable source. But right now the methods of renewable production are still a bit cost-prohibitive to the average person. And it scares us when our own president is on record saying his policies would necessarily make energy rates skyrocket, and his own Energy Secretary (at the time) stated that the US had to get gasoline prices to European levels.
We'll work with you to make energy production better and to conserve the planet. But we don't have to destroy countries to do it.
3. We believe that the Internet shouldn't be rigged to benefit big corporations, and that means real net neutrality.
I struggle with internet issues, mainly because I'm not sure that the internet is a right. By that logic, television is a right. Having a set of encyclopedias is a right. Is it? I wasn't handed those books when I was born. According to the United Nations (and we all know how effective and important the UN is), having access to the internet is a basic human right.
That said, if the internet is a human right, then I completely agree that it should not be controlled by massive corporations. Nor should it be controlled by governments (the world is looking at you North Korea, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Libya!). It might just be me, but I trust the government less than I trust corporations.
4. We believe that no one should work full-time and still live in poverty, and that means raising the minimum wage.
My biggest issue with this philosophy is the threat of escalation. Where does it stop? The whole point of a minimum wage job was for low-skilled workers and teenagers just entering the workforce. No one is meant to try to raise a family on a minimum wage job. Now, if you absolutely want to get the government involved in this one, then try instituting some entitlement programs that will actually get people off the government dole and into a level of personal responsibility. Create some government sponsored classes to train workers for new skills.
This is also where churches, synagogues, and mosques should be stepping up and helping those in need instead of the government doing it. Try all you want to justify it, but using the police power of government to take wealth from one person in order to supply it to another is not charity.
5. We believe that fast-food workers deserve a livable wage, and that means that when they take to the picket line, we are proud to fight alongside them.
See the response above. Regardless what some of these companies think, you really shouldn't be making a career with McDonald's. I know what it's like. I was looking for a part time job a few years back and went to a local restaurant. I won't say the name, but let's just say there were lots of crackers in a barrel. I asked for an application and actually met the manager right then and had an impromptu interview. I told her that I was needing a part time job for some extra cash to make ends meet. She told me that they were only hiring career-oriented individuals.
I am career-oriented, just not with a restaurant. And that's the deal. People no longer seem to have the drive or the desire to better themselves, but rather seem to fall into this trap of waiting for someone in a position of authority to come by and save their day. Jacking up the minimum wage won't help them. Better training and getting a generation of young people to give two craps about their education might actually make a difference.
6. We believe that students are entitled to get an education without being crushed by debt.
Okay, that's fair. But that begs a question: is an education beyond high school a right, or a privilege? If it were a right, then everyone would go, but college deny students all the time. I've yet to be denied my right to free speech, because it is a right. I was privileged to go to college. I can understand the argument against collegiate debt, but at the same time, how do you solve this issue?
7. We believe that after a lifetime of work, people are entitled to retire with dignity, and that means protecting Social Security, Medicare, and pensions.
I have a right to retirement!? Really? So I don't really have to work for it. Yay, government will help me.
Sorry, this is dumb. You have a right to retire so long as you properly plan for it. If you think retiring from McDonald's is going to last you through your golden years then go own a gobble down the Big Macs so you head out early and get to enjoy that money for the six months that it lasts.
(See, kids, angry sarcasm!)
8. We believe—I can't believe I have to say this in 2014—we believe in equal pay for equal work.
Sure. Define "equal." Is "equal" working the same number of hours? Is "equal" accomplishing the same tasks? Look, I'm all for equality in the workplace, sure. But if we want equality then let's look at what this blog is best at: sports. If men and women should have equality in the workplace then why do female tennis players only have to play three sets while male tennis players have to play five? Why are the tees for female golfers so much closer to the hole than the tees for male golfers?
I'm not saying this to be a jerk. Just pointing out a stark inconsistency in the drive for equality. If two people of opposite sexes can perform the same task, then yes, they should be equally paid...assuming you remove all caveats for seniority, levels of prior training, and field experience. And assuming the tasks can be accomplished within a reasonably-same amount of time.
I would love to discuss this one...
9. We believe that equal means equal, and that's true in marriage, it's true in the workplace, it's true in all of America.
I'll just cut to the core here, this is a statement about gay marriage. And here's the thing: from a theological perspective, I don't agree with gay marriage. But theology is not politics. If we were a Christian nation, meaning if the Christian religion ran the government, then that would give the right to Muslim governments, Hindu governments, and Jewish governments could be formed in this nation. And truthfully, I know a lot of Christians that I would not want to see running the government.
From a political point of view, I don't understand what the government has to do with marriage. I don't understand why your marital status should have any bearing on your tax status. I can see it for benefits when it comes to insurance, which used to be an issue between you and your employer. If the government is overseeing insurance, then the government has, by default, made this a political issue.
10. We believe that immigration has made this country strong and vibrant, and that means reform.
...and that means amnesty...and it just so happens that those being amnestied tend to vote Democrat. Convenient. I don't understand this mentality that wants to amnesty people who broke our laws by sneaking into the country, and continue to break our laws by being here and not being productive members of the government's war chest, I mean, tax base. It would be like me moving onto my neighbor's property, and instead of being charged with trespassing or breaking & entering, I was given a free pass, and basically allowed to stay on his land.
Yes, immigration built this country. And yes, immigration can be a boon for this nation. But if there is anything that needs close monitoring and regulation, it's immigration. Instead, the current administration is basically turning a blind eye to the issue and forcing border patrol to cease enforcing the laws of the country because they're too busy issuing humanitarian aid. All the while, a criminal element is encroaching. The immigration issue is couched as this overflow of children into the nation. Children should be helped, no doubt. But children make up only about 15-20% of the influx of immigrants at the moment.
This is where government should be stepping up, instead of trying to cater to criminals. Sorry, but that's just how I feel about it. What good are our laws if they are not enforced?
11. And we believe that corporations are not people, that women have a right to their bodies. We will overturn Hobby Lobby and we will fight for it. We will fight for it!
Ahh, abortion. Yes, that's what this is about. "Women have a right to their bodies" is progressive codespeak for "abortion" and typically for "abortion on demand." I'll be honest with you; I don't like abortion. I think it's wrong. It definitely should not be used as a means of birth control simply because someone is inconvenienced by a pregnancy. I read a liberal blogger opine that he was glad his girlfriend got an abortion because a child would've been a huge inconvenience in his life. That made me sick.
But I also understand that outlawing abortion will do nothing but push the practice underground and lead to unsafe conditions in non-sterile environments. I suppose, then, that something would have to be done to stem the tide of abortions.
Invoking the name Hobby Lobby is just a means of enraging a base. The fact is, of 20 forms of contraceptive offered under the ObamaCare legislation, Hobby Lobby provides 16 of them. Only four forms of contraceptive are not covered by Hobby Lobby. To hear liberal pundits talk, you would think Hobby Lobby has placed an executive in every female employee's bedroom to monitor their...ummm..."activities." You would think a Hobby Lobby executive follows each female employee to the doctor to make sure they don't get these contraceptives.
No, female employee's of Hobby Lobby can still get these contraceptives, they just can't count on their boss to pay for it.
The American LannistersLook at this poster! Look at it! It's the Clintons photoshopped as the Lannisters from Game of Thrones.
Ha!
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