Ungovernable

It is the essence of a constitutional democracy that all viewpoints are invited and considered. Representing hundreds of millions of individuals, it is expected, indeed required, that those persons elected to represent, consider not only their insular interests, but the interests of the population as a whole. Compromise, in this context, is a virtue and a requirement of a successful democracy, not a sign of weakness. Somewhere along the way, this concept not only lost it's central role but became anathema to the role government is to play in our lives. Indeed, in many Congressional districts, the word itself has become tantamount to a four-letter word to be hurled with the same vile contempt that many (often in these same districts) use to describe those ascribing to a progressive political view. Indeed, in many of these districts and the States in which they are situated, even the mention of a willingness to listen and consider an opposing view has garnered threats of political retaliation that all but guarantees months of abuse ultimately culminating in an electoral loss to someone more "pure" in his/her thinking.

Such is the world we now live in, brought to you by those who created the Tea Party and by their followers. So long as this extremist world view continues to dominate our political landscape (and there is no sign that this political terrorism will cease anytime soon) there is simply no chance that the principles underlying the Constitution...a vigorous democracy where all viewpoints are invited in order to arrive at a governing decision that provides for the well-being of the entire population...can and will be realized.

Bin Laden Getting the Last Laugh?

Say what you will about Bill Clinton's presidency, he managed to leave us with a budget surplus so flush that it was expected that by 2009 we would have no debt whatsoever. Since then, and more particularly as a result of George Bush' election and the attacks of September 11, 2001, that surplus has not only been squandered, but we have been driven to a multiple-trillion dollar deficit that has left us virtually unable to pay to run the government without help from the Chinese and Saudis. It is a popular notion, driven by Tea Party extremists (and their lackies in the more mainstream Republican party) that our current economic and political morass is the result of unrestrained spending by Barack Obama. Nothing could be further from the truth. Putting aside recriminations about Bush' negligence in committing us to an unnecessary war in Iraq, that venture, waged in purported response to the attacks of September 11th, started us on this inexorable march toward economic and political ruin that now consumes the nation. Viewing the surplus as a blank check, the Bush administration poured trillions of dollars into the Iraq war leaving virtually nothing left of the Clinton surplus. Compounding the erosion of our national savings, Bush, riding an early wave of popularity resulting from his "mission accomplished" proclamation, cut off revenues that would have offset the economic erosion he unleashed by enacting severe tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and the largest corporations and then, of course, doing away with whatever modicum of regulation of the financial markets remained.

The current conflagration, unleashed by Tea Party Republicans, promises to dominate the discussion for months to come. It's roots, however, can clearly be traced to Bin Laden's vision of a smoldering World Trade Center. Congratulations to the Tea Party and it's followers. Even in death, you continue to give life to Bin Laden's goal of bringing the west, and in particular, the United States, to economic ruin. Osama Bin Laden would proud.

Osama Bin Laden is dead

This is becoming rather unseemly, don't you think? It's one thing for the President to announce that a Special Ops mission successfully - and finally - located Bin Laden and killed him. It's a whole other matter to be dancing in the streets, wildly celebrating a death no matter how vile the decedent. Not even the guardsmen protecting the Wicked Witch of the West continued to celebrate after handing Dorothy the witch's broom. Are we not better than this? Should we not to be measured as a society by how we respond to the killing of another human being? Is not the out-pouring taking place throughout the country precisely the type of public rejoicing often seen in the Arab world in response to a successful attack on western or Israeli interests that we are so quick to condemn? On some levels, I suppose, the nation's exuberance may be the result of a perceived unburdening of the chains thrust about our collective souls as a result of the events of September 11, but even were that the case, that exuberance has to be tempered with some degree of understanding that gaining revenge for a despicable act does not give license to relieving us of our moral imperatives.

Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate Released - NYTimes.com

Why on God's green earth would Barack Obama accede to the utter stupidity surrounding his birth by releasing his birth certificate? Does he really believe that anyone who is stupid enough to buy into the conspiracy theories surrounding his birth would be satisfied by his releasing this information? The only thing that the release of this document has done is make Donald Trump actually look important. Instead of keeping Trump and the lunatic fringe at arm's length and simply paint them as detached from reality and not interested in the Country's well-being and the difficult issues we are facing. the release of the document actually legitimizes the discussion. To see the Times' coverage of the release click on the link that follows. Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate Released - NYTimes.com.

This is a real head scratcher. Nothing gained but much lost.

Today's Commentary

The Middle East

While the uprisings which have swept across the region suggest a yearning by the populace for a real voice in their governance I can't help but wonder who or what is at the root of the discontent. One of the major failings of the war in Iraq was its having created an open invitation to Islamists to spread fundamentalism from Pakistan to Iran; that by removing Hussain we remove es the most viable obstacle to the spread of fundamentalist Islam through the region That invitation continues to be accepted wear speak.

Certainly a yearning for true democracy in the affected countries can only be a good thing for the region and our national interests. If, however, the movement which has swept across the region, swept Mubarek out office and threatens Assad in Syria and Abdullah in Jordan is simply a cover for a radical Muslim agenda then we are looking at a major shift of power that threatens our interests and, of course, threatens the very existence of Israel. Indeed even those espousing democratic ideals have already expressed their intention to dismantle whatever peace has been negotiated by the current government.

Case in point is the current engagement in Lybia. While ground forces have not been committed we and the rest of NATO have committed to suppressing Gaddafi's forces for supposed humanitarian reasons and while that cause may be well-intentioned the real and most direct beneficiaries are the so-called "rebels" who have been offering organized resistance to government forces. The problem, of course, threatens is that no one seems to know precisely who the revelation are or what their ultimate intentions are. Given that the bulk of the fighting has taken place in the region which produced the largest number of foreign fighters at work in Iraq it is likely that these rebels are fervently anti-US and anti-west.

It is a delicate balance facing Obama but through supposedly good intentions we may be very well be aiding the very cause which continues to threaten our interests.

Japan

As the Japanese people continue to struggle to recover from the earthquake and its aftermath, the response of this country to the disaster cannot go without comment. No, I'm not talking about the usual out-pouring of support, the donations to the often-suspect Red Cross, the albums cut so proceeds can be donated...Rather, I'm the the fact that so many people, famous or not, have seen fit to use this evolving disaster as the butt of their jokes. Whether its the idiot valley girl from UCLA who thought this the perfect time to unload her racist anger toward the Asian population and, in particular, the Japanese population in Los Angeles to Gilbert Gottfried to other twitter celebrities who have crawled out of the wood-work, like someone named, "50 Cent" to a Haley Barbour staffer to a writer for "Family Guy". What is it about dead Japanese bodies that spurs one to comic commentary or racist rant? None of these morons was alive in 1941 and, I dare say, knows anything about the Japanese role in World War II so what is it? I don't recall jokes about the disaster in Thailand and certainly not an unkind word was said about the Haitians who suffered through a disaster which continues to consume their lives. Certainly we can do better. Certainly we can aspire to a higher standard than that espoused by bottom feeders like Rush Limbaugh who takes joy in mocking the pain of others.