I read in the May issue of Newsmax that Vicente Fox, president of Mexico, is critical of the Obama administration for failing to assist them in their "war" with drug cartels.
From the article:
"Obama is thoroughly mixed up with all these things he's got," Fox says. "He's got to solve Libya. He's got to solve Afghanistan. He's everywhere. And this nation, I don't know why it's not showing the leadership and capacity to attend to different issues at the same time."
Thats a strange kind of criticism, considering the source.
Mr. Fox can't seem to solve anything in his own country where drug cartels and members of the army and police force are entangled in a war for power that is tearing Mexico apart.
But it's really not his fault. Mr. Fox has called on the United States to legalize and decriminalize drugs, which he believes would throttle the demand for narcotics -- the root cause of Mexico's civil unrest. "I think the best move is to take away business from criminals and put it in the hands of businessmen and producers, farmers, distributors," he says.
Right -- if you take the criminal part out of criminal activity -- let's make it, say, commercial activity instead -- then all the bad stuff associated with it goes away...You don't have crime any more! Okay, you have the same activities going on, but they are no longer bad. Problem solved!!
Can't you just picture the army and policia getting together with the drug cartels and sharing power, no longer clashing over who has control...because nobody wants drugs any more, or maybe everybody wants drugs but, hey, it's no big deal...none of them are making money on it...Yes, all they've ever wanted was to share and share alike...
The path to peace: rename war.
Great idea, Mr. Presidente.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I beg to differ, Sir...
The other day at his convo with Facebook founder and workers, President Obama said the following about how the Republicans want to "change our social compact":
"No matter how successful I am, no matter how much I've taken from this country...{he lists numerous ways his family received aid from the government}Their notion is, despite the fact that I've benefited from all these investments, that somehow I now have no obligation to people who are less fortunate than me; and I have no real obligation to future generations to make investments so that they have a better future."
A lot of people took offense at his implication that those who don't want to pay more taxes are not generous or caring toward those who have less than they...and yes, that offends me too. But even more, I am offended that many of us who provide jobs directly through our businesses, and indirectly through the purchases we make in our community, are not considered to be making "investments" in our country.
Apparently, in the President's value system, you are a taker if you become successful -- no matter that you never took a dime of government help, and instead provided employment that allowed people to invest in their own success.
Apparently, in the President's value system, you can only invest in your country by paying taxes...If paying our taxes is such a good "investment" -- implied that a dividend, or gain will be enjoyed -- why are we constantly paying more and more taxes? Good investments pay the investor back...
That isn't happening with any of the taxes we've paid...Too much money is going to reward people for being inactive and unproductive. Wouldn't it be better for businesses to be able to use their own money to expand and hire more and produce more, passing on the benefit of that investment to the individual to use as they see fit?
It's not about equality of outcomes; it's about equality of opportunity, Sir! I beg to differ with your definition of investing in our country.
PS...I didn't sign up for the "social compact" you say the Republicans are trying to change...and I dare to be there are a lot more out there like me...
"No matter how successful I am, no matter how much I've taken from this country...{he lists numerous ways his family received aid from the government}Their notion is, despite the fact that I've benefited from all these investments, that somehow I now have no obligation to people who are less fortunate than me; and I have no real obligation to future generations to make investments so that they have a better future."
A lot of people took offense at his implication that those who don't want to pay more taxes are not generous or caring toward those who have less than they...and yes, that offends me too. But even more, I am offended that many of us who provide jobs directly through our businesses, and indirectly through the purchases we make in our community, are not considered to be making "investments" in our country.
Apparently, in the President's value system, you are a taker if you become successful -- no matter that you never took a dime of government help, and instead provided employment that allowed people to invest in their own success.
Apparently, in the President's value system, you can only invest in your country by paying taxes...If paying our taxes is such a good "investment" -- implied that a dividend, or gain will be enjoyed -- why are we constantly paying more and more taxes? Good investments pay the investor back...
That isn't happening with any of the taxes we've paid...Too much money is going to reward people for being inactive and unproductive. Wouldn't it be better for businesses to be able to use their own money to expand and hire more and produce more, passing on the benefit of that investment to the individual to use as they see fit?
It's not about equality of outcomes; it's about equality of opportunity, Sir! I beg to differ with your definition of investing in our country.
PS...I didn't sign up for the "social compact" you say the Republicans are trying to change...and I dare to be there are a lot more out there like me...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Fundraisers of the World: Please take note...
It started out reasonably enough...
Occasionally, we received a nice package of address labels, usually with a patriotic theme, from an organization whose goals we appreciated. Occasionally, we responded with some funds for their activities.
Apparently, that was a mistake...
Soon, we were receiving not just labels, but greeting cards and notepads and pens...Patriotic designs gave way to more variety, including flowery stationery that said "Mr. Randy Honcoop" on the top line -- not exactly his style.
They must have known that we now possessed labels by the thousands, and cards by the hundreds, so they began to send us other, larger more valuable items, though a fleece throw you can send in an envelope I would consider of dubious value. But then there were the shirts, the hats, the tote bags...
But last week came the WORST item of them all: a single sock.
I was so unhappy to find a fat envelope in my mail that I didn't even read the explanation of their gimmick...I stared disbelieving at the single, perfectly whole and white sock.
They just have no idea how problematic a single sock is to a Dutch girl...
In a fit of pique, I threw it to the floor for the dogs to play with, hoping that they would soon tear large holes in it, making it plausible for me to throw it away. They weren't interested.
I ignored the sock and left it on the floor, only to find later that Randy had carefully put it in the laundry...I gave it back to the dogs...He later returned it to the laundry room, hanging it over my chair so I would see his charitable action with my irresponsibility, goodness -- leaving a perfectly good sock lying around!
Apparently, Dutch boys have the same trouble...
What to do with a perfectly good item? Throwing it away is so wasteful...Keeping it around is so troublesome...Sometimes you do need a single sock, but where shall I keep this one so I can find it then? Can I bring it to the Thrift Store? Would someone buy a single sock? It's perfectly good...Maybe I should ask the kids if any of them are short of a sock...It's in mint condition...Somebody take the {mumble, mumble} sock!!
Fundraisers of the world: Please consider the possible torture that may ensue when you send us stuff ...Oh, the burden of perfectly good but useless items!! Nobody wants them, but nobody will throw them away, so they go from pillar to post, thrift store to thrift store, and eventually end up in some hoarder's...uh, hoard...cluttering up the already cluttered earth.
I would like to say right now "DON'T SEND ME ANY MORE STUFF!!!"
But I can't do that until you send me the other sock and put me out of my misery.
Occasionally, we received a nice package of address labels, usually with a patriotic theme, from an organization whose goals we appreciated. Occasionally, we responded with some funds for their activities.
Apparently, that was a mistake...
Soon, we were receiving not just labels, but greeting cards and notepads and pens...Patriotic designs gave way to more variety, including flowery stationery that said "Mr. Randy Honcoop" on the top line -- not exactly his style.
They must have known that we now possessed labels by the thousands, and cards by the hundreds, so they began to send us other, larger more valuable items, though a fleece throw you can send in an envelope I would consider of dubious value. But then there were the shirts, the hats, the tote bags...
But last week came the WORST item of them all: a single sock.
I was so unhappy to find a fat envelope in my mail that I didn't even read the explanation of their gimmick...I stared disbelieving at the single, perfectly whole and white sock.
They just have no idea how problematic a single sock is to a Dutch girl...
In a fit of pique, I threw it to the floor for the dogs to play with, hoping that they would soon tear large holes in it, making it plausible for me to throw it away. They weren't interested.
I ignored the sock and left it on the floor, only to find later that Randy had carefully put it in the laundry...I gave it back to the dogs...He later returned it to the laundry room, hanging it over my chair so I would see his charitable action with my irresponsibility, goodness -- leaving a perfectly good sock lying around!
Apparently, Dutch boys have the same trouble...
What to do with a perfectly good item? Throwing it away is so wasteful...Keeping it around is so troublesome...Sometimes you do need a single sock, but where shall I keep this one so I can find it then? Can I bring it to the Thrift Store? Would someone buy a single sock? It's perfectly good...Maybe I should ask the kids if any of them are short of a sock...It's in mint condition...Somebody take the {mumble, mumble} sock!!
Fundraisers of the world: Please consider the possible torture that may ensue when you send us stuff ...Oh, the burden of perfectly good but useless items!! Nobody wants them, but nobody will throw them away, so they go from pillar to post, thrift store to thrift store, and eventually end up in some hoarder's...uh, hoard...cluttering up the already cluttered earth.
I would like to say right now "DON'T SEND ME ANY MORE STUFF!!!"
But I can't do that until you send me the other sock and put me out of my misery.
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