The Opinionated Liberal

Jon Stewart Rips Fox for Hyping Benghazi Part 2

2013-05-14T11:18:00.001-04:00

After ignoring 54 attacks and 13 deaths against U.S. diplomatic targets under the Bush Administration, the Right are pushing Benghazi as bigger than Watergate. What does that make Bush? Jon Stewart takes them to task for their insanity.

See Part 1 here.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Bill O'Reilly Gets Mean

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Daily Show Full Episodes

Indecision Political Humor

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Jon Stewart Rips Fox for Hyping Benghazi Hearings

2013-05-09T19:40:00.002-04:00

(Watergate + Iran-Contra) x 10 = Benghazi? Not so, according to Jon Stewart. He takes on the needless speculation which the right-wing media have been hyping for months with nothing behind it. Watch the clip below.

See Part 2 here.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Big Benghazi Theory

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Daily Show Full Episodes

Indecision Political Humor

The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Big Benghazi Theory - "If"

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Indecision Political Humor

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Happy New Year! (Or Perhaps Not So Much)

2013-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

News broke last night of a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. With just 3 hours to go, Congress finally got their job done. Not that the bill was voted on, but the first is a federal holiday, and no markets are open to trade. So the sequester will not happen and the markets won't have to react to bad news when they resume later this week. Congress will return and (hopefully) pass the bill to avoid this all happening. Millions won't see a tax rise, and millions won't go without their unemployment benefits (which they have paid into all their careers, by the way).

Which is all fine and dandy. Except in a couple of months, we'll face another fight to raise the debt ceiling. In any sane universe, it wouldn't even be a question (especially after we've defaulted once and the GOP have seen the consequences): we pay our bills. The debt ceiling isn't a penny of new spending, it is paying for what we've already bought. We'll face a fight. We will wait to the last second, and maybe even go over the cliff again. This is the new normal in Washington: we'll keep setting up these scenarios where we'll keep risking self-inflicted wounds, whether it is defaulting by not raising the debt ceiling or bombing the economy by budget sequestering.

Cliff-diving is the new normal. I hope you like the adrenaline, and I hope you brought a parachute. Happy New Year, folks.

I Am the 51 Percent

2012-11-27T16:20:00.000-05:00

Many of you reading this are my Facebook fans. I try to keep an anonymous, low profile because of the career field in which I work. But here are some things you should know about me.

I am a college student, studying music education.

I am underemployed, working in a minimum wage job.

I want to be a teacher because I love working with children, I believe their successful education is the key to our future as a nation, and because I am passionate about music and the life skills it teaches.

My minimum wage job is as an office temp work-study position on campus.

I believe that teachers should have the right to collectively bargain, and that they should have the resources to allow their students to blossom. I believe the government should invest in education, as it is doing for me through Pell Grants, student loans, and through the work study program. The future of our country is dependent on a well-educated work force.

To Wall Street, I am the 99%. To the GOP, I'm the 47%. But I am actually 51%. The 51% of Americans who believe in change. Who believe government can give a leg up to people like me. Who believe that social programs like Social Security have done their job in keeping the elderly out of crushing poverty. Who believe everyone should have access to health care. Who believe in workers' rights, collective bargaining and living wages. Who believe that education is they way to prosperity. And who believe we need to reach prosperity responsibly, without damaging the environment or risking the entire economy. I am the 51%, the 332 electoral votes which reelected Barack Obama in a landslide victory. And I believe in America.

Let the War on Christmas Commence!

2012-11-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, it's that time of year again, when right-wing fears of creeping secularism and a war against all that is good and baby Jesus and Santa Claus.

That's right folks. The annual War on Christmas we liberal atheist socialist communist agnostics wage every year, like Black Friday sales, Christmas music on the radio, and Christmas decorations for sale in stores, has come even earlier this year.

Yep. The War on Christmas has started even before *gasp* Thanksgiving. The ~~crazies~~ patriots at Fox News have started the ~~fear mongering~~ brave campaign against Christian persecution. Here's the story:

Oh wait. Christians are in the greatest majority in history and are just mad because we secular liberals are making the government obey the laws! Silly me. How they forget Separation of Church when it's convenient for them, but God forbid a Muslim group builds a community center in New York!

Is Jesus the real reason for the season? That's up to you to decide, but not our government to enforce. It's up to Christians to put the Christ in Christmas, if they so choose. But when it comes to city property, either all decorations must be allowed, or none. And given the limited resources cities have, they should stick with the latter to avoid unnecessary and costly lawsuits by religious watchdog groups like the ACLU and FFRF. The War on Christmas is only a problem for the batshit crazy right wing who made it up in the first place.

I'm going to leave you with this video on the pagan origins of Christmas, and let the War on Christmas commence!

We Did It! Now What?

2012-11-17T22:09:00.003-05:00

So, we did it folks! Obama won. In a landslide, in fact. Shocked many on the left and on the right (sorry Karl!). So, what's our next move? It looks like Obama is using his momentum in his favor. He has quite a bit of leverage in the fiscal cliff debate. If he gets what he wants, the economy is cool. If he lets the country go over the cliff, he gets what he wants on taxes AND it makes the do-nothing Congress look bad. And Harry Reid promised the Senate will reform the filibuster for the next session. Since it only requires 51 votes to pass, and the Democrats picked up a couple seats in the Senate, it's as good as done, if Reid keeps his word.

So in the short term, we're fine. Obama will get his way on taxing and deficit reduction, and the ability of Senate Republicans to anonymously block bills will be gone. Good. But that leaves us with the Teabaggers in the House.

Progressivism needs your help. People tend to only turn out during Presidential elections. Lack of turnout is what gave Congress back to the GOP. Will you pledge to vote in the midterm for your Liberal candidates for Congress? A third of the seats in the Senate are up, and all of the House are up for reelection.

If you agree, check out my new Facebook page, called "Taking Congress Forward in 2014." Because we on the left don't want to "take our country back." We want to take it forward!

Romney Booed At NAACP For Saying He'll Repeal 'ObamaCare'

2012-07-11T11:23:00.002-04:00

This is too beautiful! The NAACP doesn't appreciate Mitt Romney vowing to repeal Obamacare!

Obama Calls for Bush Tax Cuts on Wealthy to Expire

2012-07-09T12:27:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, President Obama held a press conference to announce his support ending the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year, citing support in polls and from some wealthy business owners. He did call for the tax cuts to be extended for another year for those making less than $250,000 a year. According to Pres. Obama, it will save these middle class families $2,200 a year.

He dismissed detractors because small business owners have received 18 tax cuts under his administration. He said the Bush tax cuts would still apply to 97% of small businesses. So will "job creators" be affected? Most likely not. He also pointed out that if we are serious about deficits, we should be realistic about tax cuts for the rich. The rich get richer, and we get stuck with the deficit. He said we have tried top-down economics, and it has failed. He called on Congress to do what they agree on (not raising taxes on the middle class) and pass the tax cuts for the middle class. He has promised to sign the middle class tax cuts. He stated that whether the tax cuts for the rich get extended should be decided later.

Well done, Mr. President! It completely boggles my mind that in a recession, we are talking about austerity and giving billionaires tax breaks. We tried austerity under the Hoover Administration. It led to 25% unemployment. Then FDR came in and spent like crazy, and along with the economic stimulus of WWII, led us back to prosperity. It made him kinda popular: he was elected to 4 terms.

See my post on the Bush tax cuts for more on the economic impact of taxing the rich!

Tax The Rich!

2012-07-08T13:15:00.001-04:00

It completely boggles my mind that in a recession, we are talking about austerity and giving billionaires tax breaks (even though they are paying the lowest rates in history already). Republicans, you can't have your cake and eat it too! You can't put Medicare Part D, two wars, bailouts, TARP, and tax cuts for billionaires on the credit card and expect to make money. It just defies logic. It also defies good economic policy. We tried austerity under the Hoover Administration. It led to 25% unemployment. Then FDR came in and spent like crazy, and along with the economic stimulus of WWII, led us back to prosperity. It made him kinda popular: he was elected to 4 terms.

Spending and tax cuts are the cornerstone of Keynesian economics, which is the policy pursued by the FDR Administration. It was NOT the theory behind the Bush tax cuts, however. His tax cuts for the obscenely wealthy go to people who do not need more money to spend. They will save it and call themselves "job creators" to get more tax breaks. And then they'll ship jobs overseas and store their money in offshore accounts, never to enter the US economy.

What makes Keynesian economics work is getting money to people who will use it. This is how the government can increase demand in a weak economy. By giving middle class people a job in something like construction or conservation, or by giving them a tax break, it gives them money that they will spend on food and clothes and all sorts of things. This makes more money actually flow back into the government through taxes on those goods, and causes businesses to grow and hire. It's a no-brainer.

Why didn't the Obama stimulus work as promised then? For one, it didn't go nearly far enough. As a response to the greatest recession since the Depression, more money needed to flow into people's hands. More jobs were needed so people could hold onto their homes. And the money was spent too slowly. Stimulus construction projects didn't get started for months (or years) after the stimulus was signed into law.

I'm not calling for a new stimulus, and I'm not trying to say taxing the rich will be a cure-all. I'm trying to say that the rich need to pay their fair share if we're talking about austerity. And I'm saying we could use that money in much better ways, such as putting people back to work and really building the economy again.

Tell me what you think in the comments section below!

Heat Wave: Proof of Global Warming?

2012-07-07T11:28:00.002-04:00

Thousands of temperature records (even some all-time records) were broken this week across the country as a massive heat wave parked itself over much of the eastern United States. Much of the area is plagued by drought. Many states suffered massive storms that took out power for millions who then suffered in record temperatures. We're already on the 3rd hurricane of the season, which started earlier than normal again this year. These are certainly the side effects of global climate change predicted by the mainstream of climate scientists. While it is statistically hard to tie the effects of climate change to any specific weather event, these are certainly the hallmarks of climate change. And Congress isn't doing a thing. The people in charge of U.S. energy policy say global warming cannot be happening because Jesus promised Noah it wouldn't happen again. You really can't make this stuff up, folks! And it's happening whether or not the religious right put their fingers in their ears and say "LA-LA-LA can't hear you!"

If we want Congress to take this seriously, we have to raise it in this election.We need to elect pro-science Congresspeople and a pro-science President. We have to raise consciousness. We need to listen to the science and recognize its real impact on the world and our future. And we need to recognize how energy independence can save us money (through efficiency and not relying on the volatile oil market) and make us safer (by not starting wars over oil). Who's with me?

People Don't Like Obamacare, But Like Most Parts of It

2012-07-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

So it turns out that when you poll people about Obamacare, the questions you ask matter. For example, polls are about 50/50 on whether people like Obamacare as a package. But if you ask them about any provisions in it, with the exception of the individual mandate (a conservative idea, by the way), they are overwhelmingly in favor of them. Check out these charts below!

Source here

What Romney Will Take Away From You on Day One

2012-06-29T10:14:00.002-04:00

After the narrow victory for Obama in the Supreme Court ruling that upheld Obamacare (AKA Romneycare), Republicans doubled down on their vow to "repeal and replace" (with what, might I ask?) the historic bill. They're always on the wrong side of history, aren't they? Anyhow, here's a few things that you will lose if Romney becomes President.

1. Coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions. You're a woman? That's a pre-existing condition. You've got cancer? Pre-existing condition! You're a child with a pre-existing condition? Denied! But not under Obamacare.

2. Equal health care for equal premiums, regardless of health or gender.

3. Young people can stay on their parent's plan until age 26. You graduated and can't find a job? NO HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOU!

4. Medicare expansion for the extremely poor.

5. Tax breaks to help you pay for insurance.

6. Requiring employers to offer health insurance (despite what the GOP would have you believe, this is a requirement businesses cannot opt out of).

7. Ban on annual coverage caps (limits). This is great because some medical conditions are very expensive to treat, so caps could be reached quickly, causing financial strain on families.

8. No lifetime coverage caps. Same idea as number 7.

9. The "loss of jobs" you hear about? It's because people who would have retired now can because they can get insurance!

10. Your premiums actually going toward health costs rather than overhead (AKA the CEO's pockets).

11. Preventative care coverage, including birth control.

These are just a few highlights of what Romney has vowed to take away from you on day one of his Presidency. The choice ought to be obvious to you, America!

What Ever Happened to Respect?

2012-06-23T15:35:00.000-04:00

President Obama has been subjected to unprecedented disrespect throughout his administration. Whether he's been interrupted in his speeches (remember "you lie" and the recent immigration speech?), or getting fingers in his face, there is something wrong with the culture surrounding this president. Is it racism? It's hard to say. But something needs to change! Watch MSNBC's Martin Bashir discuss this subject:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

12 Reasons To Vote for Romney

2012-06-22T23:17:00.000-04:00

I'm a liberal blogger, no bones about it. But in the interest of being fair and balanced, I've decided to play devil's advocate and give you all a few good reasons you ought to vote for Mitt Romney*.

1. "Corporations are people, my friend." You know, they can be held accountable for their crimes by going to jail, or being executed, right?

2. Obama is not "one of us." All those birth certificates and news clippings? Clearly Photoshopped.

3. Speaking of scary brown people, immigration is bad. Kids who were brought here by their parents are hardened criminals, doncha know? So no socialist DREAM Act!

4. Speaking of immigration, he won't give you details of his plan to solve it, not because he doesn't have any ideas or he's trying to hide them! That's for sure!

5. Same goes for how helping rich people magically makes the economy better. But we all know that's true. After a decade of trickle-down economics, we're literally drowning in jobs! (Nope, that's not student loan/credit card/mortgage debt! We promise!)

6. His wife's dressage horse qualified for the Olympics. How cool is that!

7. As a business man, he made his wealth by ~~shipping jobs overseas~~...erm, creating jobs! That's it! Which the government doesn't do, which is why you should vote him into office, so he can create jobs!

8. Obama will take away your guns. Mitt Romney knows that that's not what Jesus would want!

9. Healthcare is for socialists. Free healthcare for all is definitely NOT something Jesus would do. Totally.

10. Did I mention tax cuts for the wealthy? That's...wealth trickling down, yeah, that's what it is.

11. You can tell he's a real family man by the way he treats his dog. His dog loved being strapped to the roof so much he became incontinent with joy!

12. Obama didn't magic the economy better instantly! Therefore, you should do everything in your power to restore the party that caused the mess in the first place! And you can't blame ~~the obstructionists in~~ Congress! They only blocked every jobs bill that socialist came up with!

*Please note that this entire list is satirical. Side effects of voting for Mitt Romney include loss of jobs, welfare, health insurance, and freedoms (unless you're super rich!), as well as possible deportation. Voting for Romney is discouraged.

5 Victories for Progressives from the Walker Recall Effort

2012-06-05T22:51:00.002-04:00

Despite the fact that money won in Wisconsin tonight (thanks a lot, Supreme Court!), we can take a few victories for the Progressive side.

1. It was almost unprecedented. Recalls aren't that common, much less having several state seats open, and the governor and lieutenant governor up for recall.

2. Voter turnout was high! Despite the dirty tricks, millions of Wisconsinites showed up.

3. We showed them that the government is still accountable to the people. Do something we don't like, and we'll boot you out!

4. We've given the left more ammo against Citizens United. Money isn't speech, and corporations aren't people. This election may end up being a catalyst for our movement.

5. Exit polls suggest the state is still leaning heavily toward Obama. Maybe this defeat won't have much effect in November.

All of these show that while the GOP can win with money, the people will still hold accountable, and that techniques are in place to hold them accountable for their actions. Democracy is still working (though barely!). Although it wasn't in our favor, it is still a sign that the people rule.

6 Reasons to Vote Obama in 2012

2012-04-28T12:21:00.004-04:00

I know Obama isn't perfect. I'm the first person to admit that. Many of his policies capitulate to the extreme right, and I hate it. But he's sure a hell of a lot better than the alternative! But in case that alone isn't good enough for you, here are a few good reasons for you.

1. Healthcare reform. It's hardly perfect. It basically capitulates to the health insurance companies. But it is a start, and a step in the right direction. And Obama's opponents have promised to repeal it.

2. He got Osama. Bush spent 8 years and started two wars, only to miss him several times and ignore him while he lived in luxury inside Pakistan.

3. Ended the Iraq War. And has a plan to end the Afghanistan War. His opponents have talked about re-starting the wars, while somehow still paying for tax cuts for billionaires and the war,

4. The economy is improving. Yeah, it's slow and painful, but this is the best he can do with the obstructionist GOP/Tea Party in Congress. We have gone from hemorrhaging thousands of jobs every month to over 24 months of straight gains in jobs.

5. You can't undo what Bush did over 8 years in just 4. Tax cuts for billionaires were supposed to pay off the debt by 2010. Instead, they have caused the debt to skyrocket. And his opponents want to keep those tax cuts, and pay for corporate welfare on the backs of the poor and middle class. Deregulation was supposed to help the economy, but it led to the housing collapse and the need for expensive bailouts. And two unpaid quagmires in the Middle East won't solve themselves overnight.

Buy it here

6. Social issues. The President's opponents, instead of focusing on jobs, the economy, or the middle class, are trying to distract us all from the fact that they are just corporate puppets by reigniting the culture wars. Obama has made great strides toward LGBT rights, including ending Don't Ask Don't Tell, and by having his Administration stop defending DOMA in court.

I hope you can see Obama is a lot better than the alternative, and we cannot let the GOP roll back his progress. As they say, you put your car in R to go backward, and D to go foward! Thanks for reading.

The Media's Role in Ignorance and Anti-Intellectualism

2012-04-22T13:34:00.000-04:00

I recently wrote a rant about how I am tired of the anti-intellectual tendencies in many parts of America, and I didn't mention the role of the media. So I will be addressing that here.

The anti-intellectual tendency of Americans is fueled in part by the media. Media moguls own gigantic news conglomerates that put out a consistent message. They package talking head radio hosts as factual news reporters, and their stories reach millions. Because it gets packaged as fact, it gets taken as fact, and suddenly anything said on T.V. news networks and radio shows becomes factual news. It's how Obama, the man plagued by a scandal with his Christian minister, became a Muslim and a communist/socialist/fascist (all completely different ideologies: click here to learn more) from Kenya. It's how the healthcare bill became government takeover of health care and death panels. It's how we became a Christian Nation founded on the Ten Commandments. Repeating the lie makes it seem like a fact. And we silly people on the left who so often (but not always) deal with actual empirical facts just don't get it! Don't we watch the news?

And because this misinformation consistently comes from one side, it's no surprise that puppet movements like the Tea Party spring up. And the moderate conservatives are kicked out of office in favor of hard-right would-be Christian fascists. And President Obama is suddenly forced to capitulate to the extreme right, a minority that only seems like a majority because the media gives it legitimacy. The media in the center/left aren't innocent either. They cover the Tea Party, a small movement of hard-right Christians, but not the Occupy/99-percent movement.

And so, the media in this country will continue to move to the right. The right-wing networks will get more extreme, and in response, the center/left media will move right to capitulate to potential viewers. The right-wing agenda will get further pushed, and America will become dumber.

News organizations will no longer be bothered with silly things like journalistic rigor and ethics or facts! And without fact-checking, or at least healthy skepticism, the problem will get worse. We will simply eat up what the rich media moguls decide is the political message of the season. We won't think for ourselves, or use critical thinking. We won't question their authority and look for their biases. We'll become dumber and not even realize it. The smart will become elitists, colleges will become liberal indoctrination facilities, and we'll be ignorant and anti-intellectuals.

Oh wait, that has already happened! Wake up, America.

I'm Tired, America

2012-04-20T23:46:00.003-04:00

The amount of ignorance in this country is staggering. Not just ignorance, but willful ignorance. Not only ignorance, but distrust of those who aren't. AKA anti-intellectualism.

It boggles the mind. I don't know what the cause is, but I know it is a problem. People like Barack Obama, with a law degree from Harvard, are seen as elitist, and unfit for the Presidency. People want someone who they could have a beer with as President. Not to speak for anyone else, but I want someone who is qualified for the job in office. And someone with a law degree is more qualified than some redneck governor. Look where it got us in 2000! Two endless unpaid wars, an unpaid Medicare Part D, unpaid tax cuts for billionaires, dangerous de-regulation of the markets, No Child Left Behind, and a huge surplus turned into an enormous deficit that our grandkids will have to pay for.

Not only are people anti-intellectual, they are PROUD OF IT TOO! Look at the Tea Party...people that blatantly ignorant of history (and grammar) and they are winning governor-ships and state governments nationwide. It doesn't help that our schools are being dumbed down and are getting less and less funding because of the economy and our money going to wars and corporate welfare. And less students are going to college because of cuts to financial aid, because college is for elitists and liberals and we need money for corporate welfare instead. And Citizen's United made corporations people, so companies are buying politicians that will help them over people. So education gets defunded, and people vote Republican (numerous studies link lower education level to conservatism), and so on. It's a spiraling cycle.

And so the reasonable must pretend to dumb themselves down to appeal to the average. It boggles my mind, folks, and I bet it makes us the laughingstock of the world. There's got to be a structural problem here somewhere. Maybe corporations shouldn't be considered people. Maybe we should be electing smart, qualified people to office. Maybe we should care about our future, and fund health care and education. I want Americans to get patents for the cure to cancer and the technology of tomorrow and the vehicle that gets us to Mars and beyond. I want America to be the envy of the world, and respected abroad for good things, not feared for ignorance and military might. I want a better, brighter future, not a world doomed by nuclear disaster or global warming.

I'm just tired, America. Tired of the ignorance. Tired of the people who are PROUD and parrot their ignorance. And I'm tired of having to defend reason in the face of ignorance. And you should be too.

Am I crazy here, folks? Tell me in the comments below or on Facebook. Thanks for reading.

Jesus Was A Liberal!

2012-04-07T23:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter, Opinionated Liberals!

I know you all know this, but given the political climate and the religious right (not naming any names, Santorum), I think it is important to be reminded of this fact: Jesus would have been a liberal.

The inimitable Stephen Colbert says it best!

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Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat

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“Obama is not a brown-skinned anti-war socialist who gives away free healthcare. You’re thinking of Jesus.”— John Fugelsang

For more, check out this website: http://www.jesusisaliberal.org/

Are You Proud to Be A Liberal?

2012-03-31T02:06:00.000-04:00

I'm proud to be a liberal.

I'm proud to support the rights of all people, regardless of race, gender, religion (or lack thereof), or sexual orientation. We're all people!

I'm proud to stand up to would-be theocrats, because Separation of Church and State is what keeps us from becoming like Iran.

I'm proud to stand up to corporations, because money isn't free speech, and corporations aren't people. And I kind of like having a livable atmosphere and environment.

I'm proud to stand up for women, because the government should be limited in many areas, including the womb. A woman's body is hers, not the government's.

I'm proud to stand up for contraception and comprehensive sex education, because they are the best methods for lowering poverty, and reducing unwanted pregnancies and abortions.

I'm proud to stand up for marriage equality, because consenting adults should have the right to marry, and the government can stay out of the bedroom.

I'm proud to stand up for teachers, because a good education will keep us as the leaders in science and technology.

I'm proud to stand up for unions, who brought us the 5-day/40-hour work week, benefits, vacation, child labor laws, safe working conditions, and more.

I'm proud to stand up for logic and reason, over dogma and fear.

Are you proud to be a liberal?

Don't let people tell you that being a liberal is a bad thing.
Check out the new Facebook cover photo I made by clicking here.

UPDATE: 26 Troubling Stats About The United States

2012-02-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

Since my post from September 2010, called "26 Troubling Stats About The United States" has become very popular, I think it is time for me to do an update on the numbers. You can view the original post here, as not all of the stats have updated numbers. To learn more about the numbers, check out the links I cite as sources.

1. Since then, because of the European debt crises, we have moved down from the 7th largest to the 10th largest debt as a percent of GDP. (source)

2. The US is now tied for 20th place in the world in literacy. (source)

3. No new information on world health rankings. "The U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds."

4. Student reading scores dropped 2 spots to 14th. (source)

5. Student math scores dropped one spot to 25th place. (source)

6. Student science scores jumped two spots to 17th place. (source)

7. The United States is tied 36th in life expectancy at 78.3 years, down from spot #29 in 2005. (source)

8. Because of the crackdown on Occupy Protesters, the US dropped 27 places in press freedom to a dismal 47th place. (source)

9. Now the US ranks 24th in "perceived political corruption." This is a drop of 7 places from 2005. (source)

10. While "The Economist" has not updated their numbers, "International Living" ranks the US in first place (though the article suggests the number may be misleading), up from 7th in 2010. (source)

11. The US dropped 4 spots to a dismal 49th place in environmental sustainability. (source)

12. The US dropped 14 spots to 46th in infant mortality. (source)

13. In terms of the Human Development Index, the US jumped 6 spots to 4th. (source)

14. The unemployment rate has dropped to 8.3% since my last post. (source) This means the US is in 94th place in terms of unemployment, up from 110th. (source)

15. We rank 7th in per capita GDP, up from 10th. (source)

16. The CIA ranks the US 32nd in poverty, with 15.1 percent of people living in poverty, up from 12 percent (or 22nd place). (source)

17. The US still has the world's largest external debt. (source)

18. The US still vastly outspends the world in military spending. (source)

19. The US ranks 9th in terms of percentage of overweight adults. (source)

I don't know about you, America, but I dream of a country where our children can excel, and live long, healthy lives. We can do better. And I'll reiterate what I said before, given that we are now worse off in many categories than before: "We need progressives in office to fix these things. Conservatives have shown they want to block all meaningful reform, and make Obama a one-term president. But we can change that. We can be active, and vote. If anything is your motivation to vote, let it be this list."

While the GOP Revives The Culture Wars: It's The Economy, Stupid!

2012-02-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

While the national unemployment rate has dropped to 8.3% (which has the GOP furious!), there are still 12.8 million Americans out of work. So what do the GOP do? Block unemployment benefits, block a tax cut to help middle class families stay alive, and reignite the culture wars to divide and distract us. Boy, they must think we're stupid!

Across the nation, bill after bill is going through state legislatures controlled by the GOP. From the anti-choice bills and those designed to make abortion more difficult (by adding unnecessary procedures to the task), the GOP have restarted the War on Women. Anti-labor laws have passed in states like Wisconsin and Ohio. Other states are passing anti-immigration laws, or laws to make it harder for poor or elderly people to vote. Because the GOP knows what's on the mind of Americans this coming election cycle: never letting gay people get married! Am I right, America?

It's no surprise to me that they're ignoring the job numbers which continue to improve under Obama's policies. But where are the Democrats on this issue? Where are the people talking about infrastructure investment, education reforms, reducing the cost of college, and other things to get our economy regoing? Where's the new "New Deal?" Instead, Congress is cutting education funding, cutting Pell Grants, ignoring infrastructure spending, and talking about the culture wars.

When will Obama return to 2008, and get us motivated again? While the 99 Percent movement has done much, we need to fundamentally change the discussion in America. I think it's time for Obama to take a page out of Clinton's playbook. It's not about the culture wars, it's the economy, stupid!

The GOP War on Women

2012-02-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

You can't turn on the news these days without hearing more of the same crap from the right. While some 98% of Catholics use contraception, they have to accuse Obama of waging a "war on religion" because he is making religious institutions obey the law. If you want federal dollars, you're going to cover contraception under your insurance. It's that easy. You don't get to use tax dollars to oppress women, and force your 13th century morals on everyone.

In a secular society, we recognize Freedom of Religion (you know, the First Amendment you like to scream about all the time when you try to persecute women and gays?). We also recognize that women ought to have some control over their reproductive systems. This means contraception, and yes, some abortions, should be legal, regardless of how you believe. For example, a woman should not be forced to carry her rapist's baby, die because the fetus' rights trump hers, or watch her baby die slowly and painfully because of a condition that makes the baby not viable.

Christopher Hitchens had this to say on the issue:

Yes, abortion is a touchy subject, but it has an obviously correct answer. And it is not to oppress women. And if you don't like that, go live somewhere where they DO oppress women legally. You know, like Iran? And not being allowed to oppress women with tax dollars IS NOT religious persecution. You get to live your life normally, but the woman who is forced to carry her rapists baby is stuck with that decision for the rest of her life. Calling that oppression of your religion diminishes REAL oppression, where in Iran people get killed for converting to Christianity. So I think you're doing just fine here.

And if I didn't make my point crystal clear here, I'll leave you with a clip from George Carlin (Warning: NSFW language).

Romney Gets "Santorumed"

2012-02-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

Remember Rick Santorum's Google bomb? If not, go Google "Santorum" (Warning: NSFW). It's not pleasant.

Mitt Romney now has his OWN Google search problem. As of this morning, just under Romney's campaign website and his "the Wikipedia" page, is this little gem:

In conclusion, have YOU Googled "Romney" (and "Santorum") today?

10 Reasons Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized

2012-02-04T02:26:00.003-05:00

1. Economic stimulus. People will be having weddings, buying houses together, you name it.

2. Marriage is a contract between people and government that opens up over 1400 legal rights for couples.

3. Having civil unions instead of marriage is no different than having separate schools for people of different races. And "Separate but Equal" is inherently unequal.

4. Adults should be able to consent to marry each other. It is not a slippery slope, because children and animals, etc. cannot consent.

5. We don't live in a theocracy, and the majority should not be able to force its ancient ideas of morality on everyone.

6. "All men are created equal." It's in that document Republicans like to scream about. So is the Pursuit of Happiness. It doesn't only apply to straight people, just like it doesn't apply only to white people, or only men. See also: The Fourteenth Amendment.

7. "Traditional marriage" is a useless and outdated label. Slavery used to be a tradition, and the pro-slavery movement in the South once claimed abolishing slavery would destroy the American economy.

8. The "sanctity of marriage" is also a sham. See also: Newt Gingrich, Britney Spears, Larry King, Ted Haggard, and so many more.

9. Gay marriage wouldn't discourage reproduction. Why would straight couples stop having children? And who is to say gay couples wouldn't use surrogacy/artificial insemination or adoption?

10. Marriage has substantial financial, psychological, and physical health benefits for those who partake. It leads to stronger families.