For The Sake of Argument

The Rhetoric of Obama

2011-12-18T03:00:00.000-05:00

Rhetoric is a poor substitute for action, and we have trusted only to rhetoric. If we are really to be a great nation, we must not merely talk; we must act big. – Theodore Roosevelt

Tonight, I read two pieces from the political blogosphere from Arianna Huffington and Joe Klein regarding Obama’s Osawatomie speech last week, with Huffington taking the negative position and Klein a more positive one. The main issue within Obama’s speech was the middle class in America. The speech is below:

Although job creation in this country has slightly decreased and then there’s the fact that the current administration can claim victory for killing two widely-known terrorists, I tend to side with Huffington on this issue. I admit that Obama is a great speech-maker, worthy of Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. However, as Huffington alluded to, rhetoric is a tool of persuasion for folks who don’t focus carefully on issues and this is a factor Klein never weighed in on.

Yes, Obama is a democrat, but he is a rich man’s democrat. It is almost a joke for tea-party conservatives to imply that Obama is a “Marxist-Socialist progressive.” Instead, his track record is the opposite and it should upset the liberal/progressives:

He has not condemned the actions of those responsible for the mess at Wall Street, one of the primary reasons why there are the Occupy Wall Street protests; instead of calling the actions of the financial institutions outright wrong and illegal, he has called them immoral. He extended the Bush tax cuts which only benefit the rich. His health care legislation, while being a working step towards universal health care, is not adequate enough and still there are those in this country who don’t have health insurance. The unemployment rate could also increase with the arrival of the troops from Iraq, who come home after a war fought for oil and with contractors still in the war-torn country. He has failed to address sufficiently his stance on Bradley Manning and his treatment in prison.

Although Obama invoked Ted Roosevelt in his speech, his years as president only prove the above quote: he has great rhetoric, but, when it comes to helping progressive causes such as ending military action in the Middle East and fighting for the middle class in America, he and his administration have done little action; a catastrophe which I wonder why Republicans get upset over other than dogmatic politics.

I do not see a Republican winning the election this coming year and there really is no reason to. When making a speech, Obama is very swaying and does seem to care for the American people. However, is making a speech more important than fighting for causes in office and to his political peers?

Obama’s populism tone during that speech did seem to get the audience rallied, but if he really means what he says when he evokes Roosevelt, then he should utilize his office as a platform to actually make change, something he rode on when he was elected in 2008. John F Kennedy stated that “change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Perhaps Obama could use this advice if he really does care for the middle class.

The Libya Situation...at the moment (among other topics)

2011-06-15T23:41:00.000-04:00

So there have been a few topics in the news which I want to discuss, mainly on politics. All links will be referenced here.

Libya - So the republicans have finally realized that war is not worth fighting for. House Speaker John Boehner, who is a questionable politician, is challenging Obama on the intervention in Libya. Boehner is just one of a few republicans who are speaking out against conflict in Libya: Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are some of the few republicans who have spoken out against the war. This is leading to a court challenge by House Representative Dennis Kucinich in the form of a suit "against President Barack Obama to challenge the commitment of the United States to war in Libya absent the required constitutional legal authority." - http://www.thenation.com/blog/161444/boehner-slams-obama-war-libya
The Republican Debate - Speaking of Romney and Paul, as much as I am disappointed with Obama's performance as President (aside from killing Osama Bin Laden and handling the Arizona shooting), after watching the recent Republican debate, I have to say: I don't see a favorite who could challenge Obama in 2012. Sure, Romney is the front-runner (although I could see Paul getting the nomination), but I am not sure whether the Republicans should give up and let Obama win, seeing as how Sarah Palin was a no-show in the debate. - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/us/14repubs.html
Youtube News: I have seen some great videos from ZJemptv, Pat Condell, Thunderf00t. The videos are below:

That is all for tonight. Enjoy :-)
Mike ("bubbamickmac")

Angry Atheists: (Catholic TV)

2010-08-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,

Sorry I have been away for SO LONG from this blog. I think during the fall when I am not making as many youtube videos as I am now, I will use this blog more frequently during my downtime.

So a Youtuber named askegg posted a video this week which was a mirror of a video done by a channel called RealCatholicTV. If you do bother to watch their videos, you'll probably be just as sickened as I am. Here below is a video done by them this week which is laughable. Enjoy facepalming;)

Long Time No Post...

2010-05-13T15:50:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys,

I will be writing a bit more here, since my semester is over, regarding my opinions on important, political matters. Sorry about the hiatus:( My next blog post will be regarding a drama between Thunderf00t and DawahFilms, along with my criticisms, my video on the subject, and more thoughts surrounding this Youtube stir. Expect more writings! ;)

Mike...

Episode 1 of "So You Think Missing Links Don't Exist?"

2010-01-24T06:22:00.001-05:00

donexodus2 pwns Discovery Institute

2010-01-02T22:22:00.000-05:00

This is a video by a scientist by Whitney, who goes by the username donexodus2. In it, he exposes the hypocrisy of the Discovery Institute's illegal tactics involving the DMCA.

Responding to Lee Doren's Christmas Video

2009-12-28T00:49:00.002-05:00

Writing With The Cold...

2009-12-09T18:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, the Rhinovirus 14 seems nasty, but at least it is not the swine flu (I was fortunate to get the Flu Mist for both flu viruses).

Anyway, for those who've come to this page and have noticed inactivity, I apologize. I have just be a) busy with college work and b) working on my Youtube channel, which you could check out here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/bubbamickmac

I think I'll write a little bit more in the future, but for now, I have a new YouTube series coming out that is aimed at adults and children that will explore fossils in the fossil record, so hang tight.

As always, you can check out my "Welcome to Jesusland" series here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4BCC4DCB880591A7

Enjoy your night and cheers;)
king mike

Something Not Right in the South

2009-09-12T02:28:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am talking about Jesusland, home to the creationists. We here in the “United States of Canada” (so properly called because of the map below. I know, it’s America, thank you, it’s a joke.) are feeling just fine, that is, if you don’t count the amount of coverage that Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina (R) received yesterday and today.

Many people, I guess, just wanted to say, “Shame on you,” for rudely interrupting President Barack Obama’s speech to Congress Wednesday regarding health reform. I don’t blame them; I happened to be one of those people who don’t affiliate with any party who felt anger when Wilson shouted, “You Lie!” while Obama was addressing how H.R. 3200 (the bill that would be put to place) would not give illegal immigrants any health care.

Unfortunately, Wilson, like many wacky Republicans who don’t understand what Obama is saying, isn’t the only one who is rather taking it one step forward.

In Louisiana, home to the New Orleans Saints, the headline isn’t Reggie Bush going out with any reality superstar, but it is Senator David Vitter whose been making some heat.

He is, of course, the favorite to be reelected to the Senate in 2010, even with the summer of 2007 prostitution ring which he didn’t fully address to the public. Louisiana is a hotbed for Republicans and Obama hating, having voted John McCain by a long shot last election.

It is also home to Governor Bobby Jindal, another really Political Conservative, pro-life, anti-same sex marriage, and this is the best part, the signer of the “Academic Freedom Bill.” That’s right, the law that allowed Intelligent Design to be taught in Louisiana. And Vitter had some sort of connection to getting I.D. taught (I need to look up more on that so it could be confirmed).
What upsets me about this part of the Bible Rodeo Buckle of America is not I.D. (that’s a different story which I could go on for hours). Rather, it’s the harsh beef with the former Senator from Illinois in the Oval Office.
Here is a Republican Flyer that shows such a stereotypical way to think of liberals:

So apparently, backing the president hurts two democrats, Damon J. Baldone and Norby Chabert. And this is how they attack opponents.

22% of Louisiana’s population has no health insurance, yet they are siding with politicians who are missing the point of Obama’s health plan. Senator Vitter basically is riding the back of uninformed citizens, and it is extremely unfortunate, because many people, especially after Hurricane Katrina, should be able to have the best health insurance possible.
Part 2 of this will come tomorrow. Here is the article I quoted:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/us/11vitter.html?_r=1&sq=david%20vitter&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=2&adxnnlx=1252735268-F8Tp07AbF48ZrO2qZVuoMA

A Moment to Remember...

2009-09-11T00:33:00.002-04:00

September 11th, 2001, I was only 12 years old then. Three years before, I lost my godfather, Uncle John. Both have impacted my life completely, especially the calm, peaceful morning in my classroom three years later, only to find the horrors that would forever impact my being, among millions of Americans. Though my father was able to get out before the towers fell, three thousand Americans lost there lives to this terrible blow to our country. Remember this day. Remember that Patriot Day is a day to remember those who lost their lives, and to the familes who we keep dearly in our hearts. We will never forget.

bubbamickmac

September 11th, 2009

The Rainless Condition of Kenya

2009-09-08T23:51:00.000-04:00

I was going to write something on the speech that President Obama was going to make tomorrow in front of congress about health care, but I thought I might bring this up for those who don't read the New York Times.

Right now, there is a devastating drought going on in the country of Kenya in Africa. The results have been nothing but sad; crops, livestock, and children are dying, and the people are extremely hungry and thirsty, but too weak or too sick to feed themselves. The economy, agriculture, and tourism there are imperiled and animals are kneeling over from hunger.

Many people would assume that something like this would be happening in a country like Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Niger, and/or Chad. However, in a Nation like Kenya, where the United Nations basically lives there with offices all over and aid workers, why isn't the relief good enough?

Right now, the United Nations has announced that 4 millions Kenyans, about a tenth of the population, urgently need food. Donor Nations, however, have been slow. Plus, the politicians in the country are more occupied with the election in 2012, and the cloud of the 2007 election, which claimed the lives of 1,000 Kenyans.

I personally think that it was essential for the New York Times to release this article on the front page of today's paper. Foreign Aid needs to be address in Washington, and America should pay attention to our friends in Kenya, who could also suffer from floods as a result of an El Nino storm. We shouldn't intervene the country, but we should at least lend a helping hand by giving money for food and water to aid groups in the country so that people can get better.

In the coming week or two, I think President Obama should address this issue, because world hunger shouldn't go unnoticed.

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/africa/08kenya.html?_r=2&ref=global-home

Deja Vu in Afghan Elections

2009-09-08T18:44:00.000-04:00

Like I was ever surprised.

It was announced that the United Nations-backed Commission serving as the arbiter of the Afghan Elections has found "clear and convincing evidence of fraud," and ordered a partial recount. Here is what the New York Times reported:

With 91.6 percent of the polling stations counted, the officials said, Mr. Karzai had won 54.1 percent of the vote, and his main challenger, the former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, won 28.3 percent. The tally, if certified, would mean that Mr. Karzai would be declared the victor without the need for a runoff because he would won more than 50 percent of the vote..

But international election officials and observers immediately cast those figures in doubt. They said the tallies included hundreds of thousands of suspect votes that would have been excluded if Afghan election officials had correctly used safeguards built into the computerized counting system.

One Western official said Mr. Karzai would not have made the 50 per cent mark if the triggers built into the computer counting system were enforced as planned.

“He was below 50 per cent when you exclude the obviously fraudulent votes,” the diplomat said of Mr. Karzai.

Obviously, just like the Iran Election, I wasn't surprised at all.

I don't know how it is turning up to be the same outcome, but I have an assumption that the United Nations isn't always reliable when coming to a conclusion. I do think one possibility of why we need a recount is because of the technology Afghanistan has compared to Americas': if the computing counting system was enforced, then why do we have another situation like this again?

I'll have more on this and other news later. Here's the link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/world/asia/09afghan.html?ref=global-home

Some Weekend Things in Iran, Indonesia and the Cult of Scientology

2009-09-06T23:02:00.008-04:00

If you haven't seen my video on the Cult of Scientology, here's a clip below. It is a preview of a book I'm writing. I am doing another video on my youtube account
So I'm starting to do some college work real soon, so I want to write on a couple of things before I go study:

Iran apparently isn't going away and the "Islamic Theocracy" is still deliberately trying to silence anyone who protests the elections. Iranian Universities are punishing students who took part in protests very harshly, some getting two years of suspension.

The presidential panel is also questioning the humanities curriculum, because of the fear of the material being "un-Islamic." Ayatollah Khameni said last week that liberal arts "lead to the loss of belief in godly and Islamic knowledge."I guess that quote is the opinion of a country that has been retarded because of it's theocracy.

I've said many things about the unfortunate state of Iran, but I seriously hope that the country tries to have more democratic values without the need of religion to be in place.

Speaking of foreign countries, I read something that made me a little curious. In Indonesia, during the holiday of Ramadan, beggars come from every corner in Jakarta to beg for money. Begging is a crime in the country and was made a law, I guess, a few years ago, but what's amusing bizzare about it is that people who give beggars money can also be fined. The article is down below if you're curious.

Look, I understand beggars. I hate to see homeless people because it can be utterly depressing. However, what I sympathize along with the government is that beggars could very well be part of gangs and try to fool a lot of people, which could be a threat to security. If the poor want to celebrate a holiday there in the capital, that's fine. As long as the people and city are safe as well. I could imagine it looks like a scene from "Dawn of the Dead."

Oddly enough, this sort of thing reminds me of a South Park episode called "Night of the Living Homeless"; "Change, spare some Change!!!"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/world/middleeast/06iran.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/world/asia/06jakarta.html?ref=todayspaper

Why mtvU makes no sense

2009-09-03T01:57:00.005-04:00

This is a cultural piece and I'm going to say some questions, be extremely critical, and make some points. You could follow along if you please:

To start, I am enjoying my first few days at Ramapo as a sophomore transfer. I have my own room, I'm driving distance from home, I could pretty much go where-ever I please, and such. As I was exploring the campus, I came across the Gym where it is a massive building. When I went to the weight room to go on the treadmill and ride the bike. The best part about it, however, was not the luxury of the place; I could finally watch the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) right in front of me. How convenient! All the bikes and treadmills there have mini-TVs where you could watch anything. I must say, comparing Ramapo to Rutgers-Newark, besides the obvious urban-suburban differences, Ramapo College is it's own little town. Seriously, it's that magnificent to one's eye.

Now, why am I talking about college life? Well, because I want to talk about college entertainment, particularly news and Music Television (MTV).

In order to dissect into this discussion, what is the purpose of MTV? Just like flowers in one's garden makes the owner of the lawn feel satisfied, young people, especially in college, are pretty much the market for the music channel. Speaking for myself, I used to watch MTV just to watch music videos. However, as Aristotle said, "Change in all things is sweet," as I sort of grew out of it because watching MTV was becoming too repetitive.

But Viacom, the company that owns MTV, somehow knows how to expand on their young market, and it has never made me happy.

When I was at Rutgers-Newark, I would go to that rotten, filth of a gym and work out there. I would probably get 20-40 minutes of treadmill jogging. Although I had my I-Pod on, I could hear the booming music coming from the televisions there. And guess what? They weren't just playing MTV. No, they were playing MTVU.

Wow, colleges have there own music channel now! As if MTV, MTV2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, and VH1 wasn't enough!

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once said that, "The more things change, the more they remain the same." Indeed, MTV shows a lot more reality TV targeted at a relatively young market, but it still started in the 1980s as a music channel. It is still the same ideology, but just a different name. There really is no logical rationale to it. It is utterly ceaseless to really not notice it. There is not a shred of difference. MTV is supposed to target young people. mtvU is just plain piffle, unworthy of any student's time.

Apple must be profiting a lot from music listeners who rather listen to their I-Pods while working out, because Viacom apparently knows how to create new shows, just like when Coca-Cola releases "Coca-Cola Zero", or Pepsi Co. releasing "Pepsi Vanilla." They're all drinks, cola drinks, if you must. They satisfy thirst, if that's possible. However, the name is different. So what? You dare me to call coke products figurative cousins? Because that is exactly what mtvU is: A cousin of MTV! Of course, this should be very obvious.

So why does this had to be on the televisions at the Rutgers Gym everyday when I would rather watch something more newsworthy, like say, ESPN, because, for very good reason, I'm working out already and I want to watch baseball, no matter what game. Or, even more educational for college students especially, how about MSNBC or FOX News? Forget the biased views of both channels, but I'd rather watch some critique that I could carry on into everyday conversation.

There is one similarity, however, and this I must say I'm happy to see, between MTVu and MSNBC. Rachel Maddow, host of the "Rachel Maddow Show" and Kim Stolz, pretty much the butch face of the college-oriented channel, are both lesbians. So what, you ask? Well, I do think that allowing diversity is actually quite intriguing for me. It is superb when companies decide to allow LGBTQ men/women to host programs. I think it is more welcoming and sort of heartwarming. However, if I was to choose who was better at their job, I say Maddow, because, not because Stolz is sort of a punky pale ginger-like model-reject, but because on "The Rachel Maddow Show," I actually could learn something while I'm working out on the treadmill. Plus she sort of looks like my older sister.

I remember I used to watch Sesame Street or Barney when I was young and I would learn something. Today, I'm reading from Newspapers and News Television instead of the bitter poppycock of mtvU, which should just be pulled and removed; MTV is already targeted at the same market as MTVu. I think our culture may get less informed if all they watch is MTV or any of its "cousins."

Of course, that doesn't mean I get entertainment when I watch Yankee Games: "See Ya!"

Whoa, you can edit the God Damn Bible?

2009-09-02T01:52:00.006-04:00

While I was moving into an apartment at Ramapo College for the Fall Semester, it wasn't going away to college (well, I do go home all the time during the weekend) that was making me very amused, but a rather interesting headline.

Some of you may remember how I debated Michael Ray Garvin from the Arizona Cardinals on how he relied solely on the Damn Bible for answers in life. It's fair to say that I listen to him how he (wrongfully) tells how God created man and how I need to be saved and become, I guess, an Evangelical Baptist, because, as he put it, I "believe" in evolution.

It is my firm conscience that leads to point out that, as a scientist, there is no such thing as "believing" in evolution. You either know it as a scientific fact or you're just plain ignorant of science.

Which leads me to a small variation. No, I'm not talking about a species, but I'm talking about the Damn book that Christians hold on tightly.

The New International Version of the Damn book is getting some small changes (see there Evangelicals, there is such thing as "microevolution" after all!). These changes are very small though. Biblica, who holds the NIV copyright (I thought God was the holder), wants to make gender-specific changes that address men and women, including from "sons of God" to "children of God."

Of course, some Christians aren't too fine with the idea of political correctness. Yet, it terms of correctness, it's funny how critics, mostly men, will contain that America is "one nation under God," or "In God we trust." America is not a country under God; it's a country of citizens. People are elected and the judicial, legislative, and the executive branches of government make up the checks and balances of what is morally right for people. The founding fathers were secularists. Not all of them were Christians. Why can't this be one nation under Krishna?

Which leads me to compare changes in law under government with changes in one Damn book. For the sake of argument, why can't you just leave the Damn text as it was when it was "supposedly" given to us by a deity (even though men tell the stories)? This is utterly absurd. This is just like if Muslims were to rewrite their beliefs on how Islam is "the total solution to all problems," and not try to terrorize us with their beliefs. This is exactly what Christianity has done for thousands of years. One set of Christians want to be humane, and the other sects want to push fundamentalism, just like creationists try to push creationism into the classroom. The Damn Bible, The Torah, The Book of Moron, and the Koran, to name a few, are all clearly edited by men (I think "edit" is an understatement).

Now I want some decent sleep. By the way, on my Youtube channel, I announced that I was in works on a Book about the cult of Scientology on my latest video. More info on that later.

Here's the link to the Damn Bible article:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/01/us/AP-US-REL-Bible-Translation.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=bible&st=cse

Ted Kennedy: The Last Man Standing in Massachusetts

2009-08-31T00:45:00.005-04:00

"We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch"

-President John F. Kennedy

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

William Shakespeare, As You like It

It’s is rather bizarre for a musician like Billy Joel to come up with a song called “Only the Good Die Young.” It sounds like a promotion for entering an early grave. Actually, it’s one of tragedy. It’s fair to say that I rarely have seen many of my peers pass before I have. The one thing I can not withhold any of my frustration is the ideology that people anticipate eternity while wasting years of this precious life. No one, not even scientists, knows what happens after we cease to be. It may not even be known to us. Whether a God or Gods or other deities behold a castle of a spirit world is not vital to current research and really shouldn’t be. However, as we grow older, we should keep the possibility (without invoking dogma or Pascal’s Wager), of life after passing.

The Great Philosopher David Hume once said that “A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.” Since life after death isn’t as crucial of a study as it was years before, provoking dogma to size up your blind faith and using it as proof will get you in the middle of crossroads, lost in obscurity with the absurdity of knowledge without evidence.

However, while proof of life after passing is petite, I would like to take a moment to reflect on a brilliant story, one that is literally a rag to riches story that, myself a deist who sympathizes with the culture but not the religion of Roman Catholicism, left me with some grief but plenty of buoyancy and hope for the future when I get old.

Indeed, the story of the last lion is one to stand in American Political history for all time.

Edward Moore Kennedy, known as Ted Kennedy, passed away, as I wrote on my blog earlier this week. The chills of shock in my head were the grief of losing a true American who fought for all people. No matter whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, and other affiliation, you have to appreciate the life of the Senator from Massachusetts.

The brother of John F. and Robert Kennedy, Teddy was widely regarded to be the last lion for very good reasons. Jack was the first Irish-Roman Catholic President in the White House, which not only sort of brings joy to my parents (on being Irish, they too aren’t religious), but rings a bell today that the significance of the Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, the current Head of State. Robert was committed to civil rights as the Attorney General, and then was a New York Senator (I suppose not as much of a suck-up as Chuck Schumer) who was looking to follow Jack’s shoes in the Oval Office.

The Brothers Kennedy

As eerie as it is difficult to know that a song is titled “Only the Good Die Young,” death can be murky, especially when a pair of good-willed politicians was assassinated before they could fulfill their careers. I am actually offended when people say that both of their deaths were conspiracies, as if people didn’t like young Americans who had bold faces for change. It utterly sickens me that this still goes on.

However, this dreadful clamor of fear-mongers (Alex Jones, for example, a fundamentalist Christian who lives on this sort of nonsense on radio) is not what’s most important right now. The life of a man who had to take the steps of his brothers and carry the load after the grief is what is most important today.

The two deaths of his brothers, the Chappaquiddick incident which resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, the U.S. Democrat Presidential primary campaign loss to Jimmy Carter in 1980, and a struggle with alcoholism, were bumps down his life. However, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives, by a long shot.

He was the heart and soul of the U.S. Senate for many years and did much more and sacrificed many hours dedicating to the American people. With 300 Bills written, a proud liberal, always working with members of both political parties, and passing laws addressing immigration, cancer research, health insurance, apartheid, disability discrimination, AIDS care, civil rights, mental health benefits, children’s health insurance, education, and volunteering, the list can go on and on. Of course, everybody is familiar with the “cause of my life”: the enactment of Universal Health Care, which he continued to work until he passed.

I believe President Obama said it best during the eulogy this week:

Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and suffering of others - the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier sent to battle without armor; the citizen denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from. The landmark laws that he championed - the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children's health care, the Family and Medical Leave Act - all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy's life's work was not to champion the causes of those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow.

We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber, face reddened, fist pounding the podium, a veritable force of nature, in support of health care or workers' rights or civil rights. And yet, as has been noted, while his causes became deeply personal, his disagreements never did. While he was seen by his fiercest critics as a partisan lightning rod, that is not the prism through which Ted Kennedy saw the world, nor was it the prism through which his colleagues saw Ted Kennedy. He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and platform and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect - a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots.

And that's how Ted Kennedy became the greatest legislator of our time. He did it by hewing to principle, but also by seeking compromise and common cause - not through deal-making and horse-trading alone, but through friendship, and kindness, and humor. There was the time he courted Orrin Hatch for his support for the Children's Health Insurance Program by having his Chief of Staff serenade the Senator with a song Orrin had written himself; the time he delivered shamrock cookies on a china plate to sweeten up a crusty Republican colleague; and the famous story of how he won the support of a Texas Committee Chairman on an immigration bill. Teddy walked into a meeting with a plain manila envelope, and showed only the Chairman that it was filled with the Texan's favorite cigars. When the negotiations were going well, he would inch the envelope closer to the Chairman. When they weren't, he would pull it back. Before long, the deal was done.

Of course, his booming voice was very present during the 2008 Democratic National Convention, even with brain cancer being a setback:

“It is so wonderful to be here. Nothing – nothing – is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight…this November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans. So, with Barack Obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.”

I apologize for saying this, but God Bless him; seriously, I should be in happy tears because Senator Kennedy lived long enough to see change come again to America, just like when John F. Kennedy was elected in the 1960’s. Although I don’t think that we’ll ever have such a charismatic politician as Kennedy, it is no secret that dreams live on. In closing, I would like to quote a line when he conceded to Jimmy Carter in 1980, because, as true as it was then, it is brilliantly demonstrated now:

"For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."

More Trouble for Iran and terrorism

2009-08-28T03:03:00.002-04:00

As if things weren’t already piling on for out friends in the Middle East.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, which will never go away in the news, is in hot water again. The Country’s dictator, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, nominated his choice of defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, who could possibly be wanted by Interpol for heading a covert operation part of the “Revolutionary Guards” to bomb a Jewish community’s cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which led to 85 deaths and hundreds of injuries in 1994.

The “Revolutionary Guards”, or the “Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution”, basically takes control of every aspect of Iranian society. Its part in the 2009 presidential election and suppression of protest makes people wonder whether its political power is too much (by the way, the current president, no surprise, was a member of the group during the 1980’s).

I had previously read something in the New York Times recently about this appointment and the connection to the bombing. Christopher Hitchens wrote an excellent article which is about the history of the Revolutionary Guards and its corruption in the theocracy of Iran. A must read from Slate Magazine.

Why aren’t rational leaders in other countries taking notice? Those 85 people lost their lives due to racial terrorism against Jews. What if, theoretically, Evangelical Christians in America decided to fire-bomb a Roman Catholic Church in Italy because of its views toward evolution? This sort of incident is also like the babyish Animal Liberation Front (ALF)’s firebombing of medical facilities and PETA’s neutrality (as well as donating money to the ALF) towards their violence toward real beneficial research for humans.

This just adds more to the injustice of the leadership of the country. It is vital to understand that, whatever you believe, it is abundantly clear that no God or Deity is in full control of a theocratic state; it is the religious politicians who impose beliefs onto people.

In the case of Iran, it is the belief that Islam is “the total solution to all problems.” A religious utopia is what is being defined. That of course means explaining that Israel must be wiped off the Earth, building a nuclear weapon, raping of young people, bulling and murder of women, suppressing freedom of expression, and, this is the humorous and hypocritical part, calling the Danish Cartoons of the prophet Muhammad “part of a Zionist Plot,” while its President is a Holocaust denier. If Islam is the total solution, what is the humane benefit? Who are the benefactors if people followed an absurd governmental ideology? And when will the people be able to enjoy the pursuit of happiness that America receives?

As I’ve said, theocracy fails where democracy succeeds. America shouldn’t expect Iran to join the so-called “family of nations” anytime soon, as the current situation with the appointed Defense Minister only adds to the many concerns for the country. Although the country somehow allows a mockery of an ideology like a theocratic system, I sympathize with the people who are being oppressed from full freedom.

Tomorrow, I will write a piece reflecting the life of Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and his role shaping America today.

Here are the articles if you are interested:

http://www.slate.com/id/2226110/?from=rss
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/world/middleeast/22iran.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Ahmad%20Vahidi&st=cse

Ted Kennedy: Rest in Peace

2009-08-26T02:31:00.003-04:00

"The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share; it also protects those with whose views we disagree"

-Senator of Massachusetts Ted Kennedy, Rest in Peace.

Lessons in Leadership: Why Obama Needs to Brush Up on His FDR

2009-08-24T23:58:00.003-04:00

Arianna,

Thank you for your insight. In reading this piece, I believe President Obama needs to put emphasis on the millions of people who don't have a health plan and/or can't afford one now. In the system of checks of balances, I think it would be very nice if President Obama would be willing to meet with Congress regarding health reform instead of staying out of it.

Whatever happens, I believe now is the right time to reform health care for the better of the American People.

Best,

Mike
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Afghanistan Elections and a few other thoughts

2009-08-22T23:08:00.003-04:00

In the New York Times today, I was reading an article called "Afghan Election Poses New Tests For Washington" while I was eating at the Allendale Bar and Grill for Lunch. Even though I was getting distracted from the commotion of the television booming the Little League World Series on ESPN, I was glaring my eyes at the words on the pages for one obvious reason:

Is this going to be deja vu again in the Middle East?

What I am referring to is the controversy surrounding the Iran Elections that were supposely hacked. Yes, there is still violence and stirring about that election, but is this election any different?

The Two Candidates, President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, claimed to be winners Friday, but there may be more challenges if the election goes to a runoff, including the possiblity of a north-south civil war. And now there are cries of fraud being heard throughout the country.

In another article from the Miami Herald, although the election has not been considered a success, observers want to figure out all the facts before they declare it one.

America should really pay attention to the full details of this election, just like the one in Iran. President Obama declared on Friday that the election was "an important step forward in the Afghan people's effort to take control of their future."

So why is it that I had sort of a "Matrix-Neo" moment in a Bar?

Well, if you had not watched the news within the past few months, you probably never saw the violent revolt in Iran and the supression of protesters. It is not fair for me to say how the election actually resulted, but the impression I have of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is just like many Americans. I'm utterly shocked that someone who denies the Holocaust, who stated that Israel should be wiped off the map, and has called the United States a satanic power, would be leading a Islamic Theoracy (which fails where as Democracy succeeds). Yet Iran is his country, and America is mine and my personal view of non-interventionism should be implemented in a peaceful manner.

As for Afghanistan, a Civil War because of a similar failed election would be adding up to the foreign problems already. We have been in the country for many years since 9/11 after getting rid of the Taliban. Yet terrorism still rocks the Islamic Republic. Hamid Karzai seems like a peaceful politican from what I understand. He helped the United States overthrow the Taliban and he is not the happiest camper when it comes to terrorism in his own country.

The Obama Administration and American Citizens should cross their fingers and hope that this election is considered a success.

Here are the articles for my research:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1198263.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/world/asia/22kabul.html?_r=1

And here are a few thoughts that I'll share for the Weekend

I have yet to read Jeremy Scahill's "Blackwater", an account about Blackwater USA (now known as Xe). From what I've heard, it is a good read for anyone who wants to know about the shadow army.
I honestly can't wait for next week when Penn and Teller do their "Bullshit!" finale on The Vatican. As a cultural Roman Catholic (I'm agnostic and a deist in actuality), I'm expecting some funny rants on the Inquistions, the crusades, the child molestation situation, Mother Teresa, and the "douchebag" (as Penn Jillette put it) that is Bill Donahue, who really isn't the head of anything (forget the "President of the Catholic League" Title).
For Sports Illustrated Fan Nation, I will be writing a blog piece on Brett Farve and his "return from retirement." One thing I will say that I'll put in the article is that by the end of his career (whenever that is), he'll have played for every NFL team. Expect more Frank Caliendo jokes this fall.
If you haven't seen my Youtube page, click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/bubbamickmac

A "Healthy" Plea for Common Sense

2009-08-21T23:08:00.004-04:00

…And the Debate about Death Panels (boy, Republicans can be very ingenious and try use scare tactics), err, health care, continues.

Once again, I will make the point that, as a person of no political party, I believe in limited government. However, we live in a country where millions are uninsured and at a time where Senator Ted Kennedy is pleading for change in the health care system, I think I would let this slip for the sake of millions of people, because I admit I am very selfless and I really care for others.

Paul Krugman made another argument in the New York Times on Monday which I want to discuss. He mentioned in the first few paragraphs about Professor Stephen Hawking and how he has been taken care of by the National Health Service, while basically ripping on Investor’s Business Daily for how the National Health Service would be worthless on Hawking.

Krugman also makes valid points in the same article by pointing to foreign countries that run pretty much the same system we would be living in, such as Switzerland, France, and our neighbors in Canada.

I was reading in Slate Magazine a very intriguing piece to show the foolishness of some of the people who have misconceptions about what would be put in place. Here’s a quote:

“Some people may really not know that Medicare is taxpayer-funded health care. That's ignorance. Many more people know it—and know the degree to which taxpayers are already funding lots of health care for them and their loved ones—and argue otherwise. That's mendacity… if you add the failure of employer-linked health care with Medicare, Medicaid, government employment, and the military, a huge chunk of Americans already have taxpayer-funded health care. It's a diverse lot. Rich old people and poor kids, university professors, congressmen, teachers, DMV clerks and their families. Pretty much everybody you see on CNBC yelling about socialism? Their parents and grandparents (if they're still living) get taxpayer-funded health insurance.”

The root of the problem is how much people don’t understand taxpayer-funded health care. Everybody in America pretty much relies on taxes for necessities. Calling it socialism and saying it is wrong to put a system into government because it makes people poorer is saying you’re missing the point. People do not run out of money in the end. Sure, we might as well pay huge sums of taxes, but who wouldn’t want the best health care possible, especially at a time where medical science is at its highest?

We live in a time where stem-cell research is more beneficial than ever and where we might have new medical advances on diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Why not treat the sick with the best now? I say, for the sake of argument, let’s implement a plan and help millions. I’ll write another piece on health care later.

Here are some of the articles I read and did research if you’re interested:

http://www.slate.com/id/2225664/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/opinion/17krugman.html?_r=2
http://www.slate.com/id/2224350/

Check out My Youtube Channel!

2009-08-17T22:50:00.002-04:00

Good News:

Now I got my Youtube Channel up and running. You can check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/bubbamickmac

Here is one of my first videos, which is an introduction to Evolution:

Health Care is not a Death Panel

2009-08-16T00:16:00.008-04:00

What is the Big Deal about "Death Panels"? I testify this is the first time I am even discussing about it.

Yes friends, there is no end to the propaganda that Sarah Palin and the rest of the uninformed politicians want to spit to millions of people. I'm pretty neutral about this issue at hand. First of all, big government that takes matters into its control (just like the economic crisis) is not something I am fond of. Limited Government and Free Markets are what I believe have sort of been the best because big government means higher taxes for small businesses that bring in, a rough estimate, over $250,000. Basically, the middle class, which in years has gotten smaller because the high and low classes, whatever you want to put it, have gotten bigger. In short, the rich have gotten richer and the poor have become poorer.

But what does it mean for health care?

For start, it is difficult to write something about the topic because in our country we have 46 million people without proper health insurance. In an attempt to alleviate concerns, Barack Obama laid out four points in an article in the New York Times:

First, if you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of high-quality, affordable coverage for yourself and your family — coverage that will stay with you whether you move, change your job or lose your job.

Second, reform will finally bring skyrocketing health care costs under control, which will mean real savings for families, businesses and our government. We’ll cut hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and inefficiency in federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid and in unwarranted subsidies to insurance companies that do nothing to improve care and everything to improve their profits.

Third, by making Medicare more efficient, we’ll be able to ensure that more tax dollars go directly to caring for seniors instead of enriching insurance companies. This will not only help provide today’s seniors with the benefits they’ve been promised; it will also ensure the long-term health of Medicare for tomorrow’s seniors. And our reforms will also reduce the amount our seniors pay for their prescription drugs.

Lastly, reform will provide every American with some basic consumer protections that will finally hold insurance companies accountable. A 2007 national survey actually shows that insurance companies discriminated against more than 12 million Americans in the previous three years because they had a pre-existing illness or condition. The companies either refused to cover the person, refused to cover a specific illness or condition or charged a higher premium.

Basically, I sort of agree in a way. Everybody should be able to have health care. However, tax issues could be a concern in the long run (where is the money coming from?). Also, higher taxes would have to be put into place so that we would be paying for senior health and millions of people who aren't already covered. So when people say "Do you agree that everybody in America should have health care?", I say I'm for it, but if you can afford health insurance, it is your right to get a plan. If you can't get health insurance and you have to rely on the government to reform, it is a lost for people. Millions of people do not have proper health care, and while I do sympathize, it only goes so far when government wants to push limits and take control of independent groups like Medicare. What could also happen is the dissolving of the gap of the high and low classes in an economical sense, which probably is not a concern right now.

However, from the looks of things, it looks like health care reform might happen. I'm trying to look at it from a realistic point of view and see it in terms of the economy. I don't like when channels like FOX News get republican only politicians and spew babble about the negatives. It would be nice to see millions of people be medically safe.

For the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16obama.html?_r=2

I never want Hillary Clinton to yell at me!

2009-08-11T23:36:00.005-04:00

Boy, I think the title of this says it all. I would never want Hillary Clinton to yell at me for a misunderstanding.

It is also sort of like why I am still uncomfortable with a Secretary of State whose attributes I am pretty skeptical toward.

Look, I honestly will not go into the scandal because that is irrelevant now. I believe that in a equal country like America, a person shouldn't be discriminated over whatever diverse qualities he or she has. However, if you're in the cabinet of an Administration and you hold a high-ranking position, when you are expected to be in front of dozen of media outlets, composure is crucial. I think a person within the government should be able to speak with emotion, but should try not to let emotions be transparent.

So in the case of the wife of President Bill Clinton, it really is not surprising when she got into sort of a fit over a mistranslation while she was in Congo. The media has seen emotion from her before. Whatever tears she shed in the past largely is the product of getting sympathy. It is predisposed to a naive audience that she has to cry on demand because we're supposed to feel sorry because she is a working woman who has gone so far in politics.

Well, as a person who doesn't affiliate with any party, she never got sympathy from me.

Which is even more prevailed today during a Q&A session, when she exploded. Sure, she should be angry, regardless of the mistranslation. Her husband is not the Secretary of State. The one you're looking for is sitting at centerstage.

However, from the video (see below to view), she was utterly shabby and overreacting, despite the mistranslation. She looked very tired, her hair was undone, she looked very fat, and she was disgustingly cruel. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think she's in a position to overreact. What would have been the ideal solution is answering the question while ignoring the part about what President Clinton thinks. No, instead, I think she tried to pull the gender card again, because she wanted sympathy.

Although this will probably be in the back of my mind, it made me think how I was watching another video during a town hall meeting that was going through health care and immigration, (Boy, town hall meetings have been in the news lately. Remember the supposed birth certificate from Obama? That incident was utter nonsense, though. Obama is an American) Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA.) kept his composure while an angry citizen was yelling at him, I guess, over questioning time. Wow, even when angry folks are flipping over issues, I applaud Senator Spector for keeping the meeting under control even when eruptions broke.

Perhaps Lady Clinton could learn a lesson.

How the Republicans will win in 2012 (NO religious right necessary)

2009-08-11T01:10:00.003-04:00

“I love the man that can smile in trouble that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections.”- Thomas Paine

I don’t associate myself with any political party at all. I try to see what is fair on both sides. That means looking and choosing the best possible liberal or conservative views. In addition to being sort of republican and democratic, I’m a libertarian in some ways.

However, over the last couple of months, I have been trying to figure out how the republicans lost a lot of momentum when the Democrats took a large majority of the seats after the election, ending perhaps one of the most controversial Presidency’s in American History (we don’t need to get into Iraq/WMD, the U.S. Attorneys Scandal, Guatemala Bay, etc.) I guess people are getting used to the idea that change has come to America and perhaps President Obama has been pretty positive, especially when the spotlight is on him to fix the economy.

It is pretty much a given that Obama will run for the Democratic Party in 2012 and, unless some scandal happens, he might as well win the nomination. There really isn’t going to be much competition.

But who is to say that we should count out the party of elephants?

Indeed, it will be a heavy burden in order to win the Presidential Election. Obama’s popularity can be found all over our country, besides the significant factors involved. But many Americans are worried about increasing taxes and small businesses being the victims. Don’t forget the increasingly worry of health care and where is the money coming from.

Obviously it would probably take a miracle like the 1992 Presidential Election to get Republicans back in the spotlight. However, there really is no need for the babble of the Religious Right, including Jerry Falwell (“If you gave Falwell an enema, he’d be buried in a matchbox”- Christopher Hitchens), Pat Robertson, and way too many extremists to count, some of them getting their “PhD’s” at Liberty University.

Luckily, Sarah Palin didn’t go to the school where you only need one book to explain life. However, I truly believe once she stepped down as Governor of Alaska, she was leaving for good. Goodbye. Your couple months of fame are done.

What the Republican Party needs to do is to have candidates that are right-winged, but have some moderate views on social issues. The problem with this Administration that just passed is that we allowed conservative values to swallow Constitutional Values. From the hypocrisy of comments from President Bush mixing his religion with his politics to possible unawareness of how informed the American Public was about the reality of the War in Iraq (though I thought it was necessary because of the seriousness of Islam in the Middle East), we survived an era that could very well be murky.

I actually did think that Senator John McCain was the right pick for the Republican Nomination during the 2008 campaign. If I was older in 2000, I would definitely vote McCain for the Republican Nomination over Bush because of better policy and combat in Vietnam. His moderate views seemed to me very fair; he was one of the seven Republican candidates during a debate who believes in evolution, which is one of the main problems that the Republican Party can’t shake off. They need to be more socially liberal towards other people instead of using their belief systems to judge their politics on abortion and gay rights.

This is, to me, why Rudy Giuliani, the Mayor of the World, is the right choice to lead the Republican Party to a probable victory in 2012. Though Vice President Joe Biden called him out on his experience during a debate last year, it would seem very plausible to have someone who led a city to one of its worst disasters out of disaster into recovery. From a social point of view, throughout being a Mayor and his Presidential Run, he has been pro-choice for abortion, despite personal views, because a woman’s right to choose is very important. He has very reasonable views on LGBT rights. He believes in evolution (a sarcastic “amen”!). In a Foreign perspective, he is well aware that Iran is much more than just a theocracy that has nuclear capability and has spoken to the United Nations that terrorism should be opposed. Economically, universal health care provided by the Government would be “socialization” (although this issue will take too long to figure out) and the need for free markets without the government to intervene.

I also left the most important part; as President, he would let the New York Yankees come to the White House if they win a World Series in his term.

Most of these views are primarily from the 2008 campaign and might have changed. I am not all for Giuliani yet though; I believe Barack Obama has done very well up to this point and, although the Gates Arrest was a distraction of media coverage and sort of reverse racism, I applaud him for electing Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court (although during the Senate Hearings, I couldn’t stand the suck-up for the Democrats, Senator Charles Schumer.)

As Paul Krugman wrote in an Opinion Piece in the New York Times, we don’t know where we’d be with McCain-Palin when Obama-Biden has basically utilized big government to stop the worst possible scenario. However, no one can predict the future, so while I still think Giuliani is probable to be a good candidate, I’m focusing on the current Administration.

So in closing, I leave a quote that should be employed to the Republican Party and its leaders.

“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”- Thomas Paine