Sunday, April 15, 2012

Independents - The Deciding Deciderers

Whether the Republican flag-bearer or the Democratic placard-holder wins the 2012 Presidential election, it will all depend upon and rest in the hands of the Independent voters; and probably more so in the laps of women Independents. So from now until the election we will all be privileged with experiencing the sycophantic Republicans and toadying Democrats bombarding us with their fawning promises that they and only they can save us from the ravaging catastrophic policies of the other side and restore the America to it shining ubiquitous prosperity. In other words, the politicians will be continue to use the established technique of “promise them anything” and don’t worry that they have no plans, intentions or more pointedly ability to delivery on them. So the test to the Independent will be of their own ability to assess, judge and determine what policies they see as necessary steps to implement and for accomplishing the functions and roles that our government is able to provide.

The Independents will have to decide if ‘cutting’ is a solution or just another one of the simple-minded slogans that doesn’t explain, guide or guarantee anything in specifics or reality. Cutting costs is always a good objective whether for an individual, a family, a business, a community, a state or the federal government; but except in political campaigns just cutting is hard, has consequences (not always good one) and requires some degree of intelligence to accomplish a goal aligned with the cutting. This ‘cutting’ solution applies to taxes, government spending, size of government, and the economy both local and nationally.
The Independents will have to likewise decide if making the wealthy pay their ‘fair share’ or protecting the wealthy’s role (though spuriously questionably) as the essential job creaters in the economy is to be the guiding principle in vectoring the direction forward on taxes, tax rates and tax policies. Once again the Independents will have to separate the ‘fluff’, fuzzy-math, false claims and fallacious proposals that are touted as a choice between freedom versus servititude, jobs versus unemployment, security versus armaggedon, and prosperity versus destitution. Each parties’ candidates for the numerous offices will obviously be shouting why they, and only their vision, will deliver the former and the election of their opponents distorted and evil views will portent the latter. Not an easy task given the enormous financial sums that special interest groups will be plowing into the media blitzes that will inundate everyone with the tempting ‘candies’ and ‘gifts’ offered by these strangers accosting the unwary in public square. They will need to remember to adhere to their parents’ warning to “not take candy from strangers.”
The Independents will need to recognize the manipulative use of issues that are deemed important to the Independents but which are meant as lures to hook and ensnare these voters, rather than to inform the voters about policies or to establish a principle by which they will govern. I am sure that the Democratic and Republican bases have the same or similar issues, but there are already trapped in their partisan party alignment and unable to overcome the intellectual impedance required to chose outside their affiliation’s anointed one.
What will the Independents decide? That is the question that is plaguing the Republican and Democratic leaders, strategist and media consultants. We can only hope that the Independents will ignore the parties and focus on the issues and assess them with their own critical eye. That they will decide with a view to what the nation’s interests and how both their own and their countrymen/women will be best represented and lead.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

When the “More Verbal” Sex Cannot Express Their Selves

What was the flash of illuminating brilliance? What salient and meaningful issue got surfaced by a Democratic consultant today? Well none actually! But a completely inept and addlepated issue has been thrust upon America’s political landscape because no one including evidently the spokeswoman herself may or may not have known what the significant issue should have been understood to be. Another missed opportunity to surface a real issue or several issues, all because even the more social and communicative sex is no better at comprehending the context of the situation than their bumbling and verbally challenged male counterparts.

What was the issue that surfaced? The ever significant question of ‘stay at home mom’ versus ‘super career working’ woman.  This debate issue always adds to the meaningful discussion of, well I am not actually sure what it really brings to the public discussion. It may be that women (much like men) like to view their own personal choices as the correct one and one to which they have every right to choose and will stand up and fight anyone who thinks otherwise, even when no one is or has prevented, impeded or challenged it. So let’s spend excessive hours of news cycle after news cycle, and public surveys and panel discussion on not only a completely bogus issue; but simultaneously avoiding an meaningful issue.

Forget the pretend and irrelevant issue about how necessary it is to make sure people understand that being a mother is hard work. If they don’t know that already then they are probably your political office holder or one of their savvy political advisors. The issue that Mrs. Rosen should have explained the listening audience and media representative were unable to ken is does the experience of Mrs. Romney raising her family under the daunting burden and oppressive weight of the meager financial resources that her husband was able to provide. I am sure that the vast majority of stay-at-home or working moms; married or single women with children; or women with Republican, Independent or Democratic orientations would believe that their concerns, issues and challenges were very comparable to Mrs. Romney’s. Further did the experience of raising their family under these awful circumstances not imprint an indelible appreciation of the struggles that most American mothers and fathers face on a daily basis?
Now there’s an issue! Do your political leaders really know or care about you?

Taxing the Intelligence of Politicians

Why is it that I don’t have high expectations for the “Romney Rule”, the “Buffett Rule” or any “Rule” that politicians are capable of formulating? Oh yes! It’s because politicians are only capable of thinking in a one track / rut of either cut taxes or raise taxes. If you think I meant that Republicans only think of one of these options and Democrats only the other then you are stuck in a parallel rut. The answer to taxes and fair tax treatment is not to be found in the minds or plans that our members of Congress, our President or President-in-hoping, the political parties, or well pretty much any group who harp about one point or another.

The tax issue is a challenging test for our politicians; they have an opportunity to make a difference, to create an approach and policy for taxation. Developing a solution to the tax issue would allow an intelligent politician to demonstrate his/her competence and appreciation of a crucial element of our governmental and democratic system. They could show the public how to make a far more sensible tax system than the one that has evolved, been distorted and corrupted by politicians and special-interests to the disadvantage of the general public, and that has not kept current with either the financial realities of our economic environment or with the changing impacts that the current policies have created to the detriment of the nation’s fiscal viability.

The “Romney Rule”, the “Buffett Rule”, the “Bush tax cuts”, and the plethora of quaint platitudes employed to support any given politician’s position do not demonstrate an understanding of the problem or the complexity of taxes and tax policies’ consequences within our economy and society. These catch-phrases and sound-bites demonstrate rather the true problem, burden and obstacle to Americans and their taxes. Politicians and their ilk continue to show that they do not understand, have a clue or even know enough to know they are the most significant factor that constitutes the tax problem. They may be the worst obstacle to addressing our tax problem, but they are only marginally running ahead of numerous groups who have their own ‘simple’ solutions. I will admit that their proposals are simple, but not that they are solutions.

Even though politicians can’t think of a rational tax system, they could present an alternate version of their own plan that keeps everything that they see as the solution but which adds a ‘consequences’ plan. If the results that they ‘promise’ will result from their plan don’t materialize then the ‘consequence’ portion of the plan kicks in. It’s sort of a “I didn’t know that was going to happen” safety valve.

I don’t expect politicians to do this of course. It has three problems: 1. They would have to think of a ‘consequence policy’, 2. They would have to adhere to the consequence and not ‘stand up’ and deliver, and 3. They would have to be much smarter than they are since it requires being able to understand concepts beyond ‘raise taxes’ (more) and ‘cut taxes’ (less). Consequences require you to be able to actually think.
What our Republican and Democratic leaders won’t do is find people who can lead them by the hand through the thorny issue and show them how to enter into a new tax system that benefits the whole spectrum of Americans.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Gauging America’s Scientific Mind – American Intelligence Test #14

Is America still the leader in scientific research? Questioning America’s dominance in the sciences would have been unthinkable not that long ago; but while Americans probably like to assume that we are still the world leaders in research and discovery, the question cannot and should not be casually dismissed today. This in itself is a serious indication that one of the most salient factors that has benefited America’s competitiveness and buttressed our society and economy is perhaps being indiscriminately frittered away. So whether the US is or is not the world-leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is not the direct subject of this test; but instead this test assesses the issue of who the suspects or even the responsible parties in our national decline. The term ‘science’ will be used in this test to refer to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics solely for brevity purposes.

If you’re not good at tests, don’t worry; if you fail this one it’s only because you have failed many and much more important ones already. If you’re older then you have failed your parents’ test, if you’re simply ‘mature’ then you have failed yourselves and everyone else, and if you’re younger then you are failing yourself but may have time to redeem yourselves. It’s a short test, only five questions, not much to fear.
OK, there is no reason to delay further; this is a discussion that the nation is long overdue in having. It’s test time.
Q-1: Is science a primary political issue in America’s elections?    Yes         No
Q-2: Does the Government have a principle roll in insuring the quality and competitiveness of America’s scientific standings?          Yes         No
Q-3: Are the members of Congress competent to establish national policies for science, intelligent enough to direct funding for scientific programs, and adequately suited for judging the value of the scientific worth and value derived from government funding?    Yes         No
Q-4: Which of the following are responsible for the decline in America’s scientific rankings among other nations?
A. Congress        B: Presidents     C: Media    D: Dept. of Education     E: Democrats     F: Teacher Unions G: Republicans   H: Public      I: Businesses   J: Religious orgs/groups   K: Courts    L: Lawyers
Q-5: From the list of choices given in Q-4 above, which of those entities would you trust to place your life and future, and the lives and futures of your families into based on their decisions and intelligence?
That’s it! And if you’re interested in how well you scored on the test; then the correct answers are:
Q-1 is No,  Q-2 is Yes,  Q-3 is No,   Q-4 is ‘all of them’ (you must have seen this coming), Q-5 is already answered, you have already relied upon these groups to get the nation to where it is; not only in science but also in its economic and societal conditions.
If you want confirmation of these answers, pay attention to the Presidential and other election campaigns that will illuminate the capabilities of our leaders, parties, and special-interests.
The solution is unfortunately only to be found through a scientific approach to dealing with our challenges, problems and needs. So unless you demand more of the people that you elect in these areas than you have in the past, they will continue to ‘believe’ that they are capable of handling America’s scientific paths, priorities, and purposes.
Prior tests can be found at now4yourconsideration sourced at blogspot.com.