Help America
This morning the Binghampton “Press and Sun-Bulletin” published my Guest Viewpoint entitled: “Ten Ideas to Help America”
There has never been a relationship between a nation's quality of life and its moral standards. Those that equate criticism of one's country with a bash-America-first mentality do not understand the premises upon which democracy is based, or they have lost the capacity to reason objectively. By making our nation the issue, blame is shifted away from what is being perpetuated by the current leadership.
Americans claim they want politicians that are truthful, but politicians are fully aware that most Americans can't handle the truth.
Once upon a time, America was the most blessed and dynamic nation on the face of this planet, but that has changed and could be gone forever. We are subservient to an imperialistic military-industrial complex, which is motivated solely by corporate greed.
Comptroller General David Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office, is our nation's top accountant. He insists: "I'm trying to sound an alarm and issue a wake-up call. ... As comptroller general, I've got the ability to look long range and take on issues that others may not be in a position, to take on. ... We are a great country, but we face sustainability challenges that we are not taking seriously enough. With the looming retirement of baby boomers, spiraling healthcare costs, plummeting savings rates and increasing reliance on foreign lenders, we face enormous fiscal risks. ... Our current policy on education, energy, the environment, immigration and Iraq are unsustainable."
A statesman might offer the following solutions, but our politicians can't, because they wouldn't be re-elected:
* We're destroying our fiscal system by spending $12 billion a month in Afghanistan and Iraq, and not raising taxes.
* The commander-in-chief must issue an order to begin withdrawing our military from Iraq and turn over the military bases we have built. That would slow down the hemorrhaging by saving $8.4 billion a month. Withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan would save another $3.6 billion a month.
* We must begin to reduce the detrimental influence of the military-industrial complex by reversing federal budget priorities. We should close at least 700 of the 737 military bases we maintain in over 130 foreign countries. In order to avoid isolationism and maintain a capacity to assist peacekeeping operations, we should retain 37 of them, mostly naval and air bases.
* In order to halt our economic decline and lessen our dependence on our trading partners, we must cap our trade deficits through the perfectly legal use of tariffs in accordance with World Trade Organization rules and begin to guide our domestic market in accordance with a national industrial policy, just as the leading economies of the world do as a matter of routine.
* By eliminating the $90,000 FICA cap on Social Security deductions, we could acquire significantly more money, from the those earning over $250,000 a year, which includes more than 2 million millionaires and 482 billionaires in America.
* Incumbent members of Congress must stop bribing their constituents to reelect them with taxpayers' money. In 2006, House Republicans slipped in earmarks worth $67 billion, which was a tripling of the pork trough since the Republicans won control of the House in 1994. Members of Congress are addicted to earmarks and are getting more sophisticated in hiding their pet projects by using the phrase "congressional-directed spending."
* We must secure our borders, issue tamperproof identification cards and pass reasoned, comprehensive, immigration reform legislation, which will be stringently enforced by the executive branch.
* By stopping corporate welfare we'll help solve the immigration problem. Mexico can no longer produce enough corn to feed its population, because their farmers can't compete with the subsidized corn that comes from the United States. Consequently, they come to America in search of work and their farms dry out.
* By drastically reducing foreign aid to countries like Israel, Egypt and Pakistan, we'd curtail deficit spending and reduce the influence of war profiteers.
* We must stop employing mercenaries, because privatizing of the military is absolutely the worst possible thing for democracy and peace. It makes endless war a corporate imperative.
In the words of Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
Senior citizens may recall that Pogo was a funny, politically relevant animal comic strip, by Walt Kelly.
Comments:
On 1/24/08, Steven Capizzi of Afton, N.Y. had the following letter, entitled ‘Common-sense’ ideas, published in the 'Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin.'
What a great Guest Viewpoint by Jim O’Leary on Jan. 19. It was refreshing to hear someone say what needs to be said (the truth as open-minded thinking people see it) in a paper that has been sadly lacking in taking on issues that need to be brought out into the light.
With the passing of Molly Ivins and David Rossie writing just an occasional column, your pages are dominated by the imbecilic rantings of Bill O’Reilly and right-leaning columns of George Will and Kathleen Parker. Thanks for publishing Mr. O’Leary’s much-needed, common-sense solutions. It’s about time.
There has never been a relationship between a nation's quality of life and its moral standards. Those that equate criticism of one's country with a bash-America-first mentality do not understand the premises upon which democracy is based, or they have lost the capacity to reason objectively. By making our nation the issue, blame is shifted away from what is being perpetuated by the current leadership.
Americans claim they want politicians that are truthful, but politicians are fully aware that most Americans can't handle the truth.
Once upon a time, America was the most blessed and dynamic nation on the face of this planet, but that has changed and could be gone forever. We are subservient to an imperialistic military-industrial complex, which is motivated solely by corporate greed.
Comptroller General David Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office, is our nation's top accountant. He insists: "I'm trying to sound an alarm and issue a wake-up call. ... As comptroller general, I've got the ability to look long range and take on issues that others may not be in a position, to take on. ... We are a great country, but we face sustainability challenges that we are not taking seriously enough. With the looming retirement of baby boomers, spiraling healthcare costs, plummeting savings rates and increasing reliance on foreign lenders, we face enormous fiscal risks. ... Our current policy on education, energy, the environment, immigration and Iraq are unsustainable."
A statesman might offer the following solutions, but our politicians can't, because they wouldn't be re-elected:
* We're destroying our fiscal system by spending $12 billion a month in Afghanistan and Iraq, and not raising taxes.
* The commander-in-chief must issue an order to begin withdrawing our military from Iraq and turn over the military bases we have built. That would slow down the hemorrhaging by saving $8.4 billion a month. Withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan would save another $3.6 billion a month.
* We must begin to reduce the detrimental influence of the military-industrial complex by reversing federal budget priorities. We should close at least 700 of the 737 military bases we maintain in over 130 foreign countries. In order to avoid isolationism and maintain a capacity to assist peacekeeping operations, we should retain 37 of them, mostly naval and air bases.
* In order to halt our economic decline and lessen our dependence on our trading partners, we must cap our trade deficits through the perfectly legal use of tariffs in accordance with World Trade Organization rules and begin to guide our domestic market in accordance with a national industrial policy, just as the leading economies of the world do as a matter of routine.
* By eliminating the $90,000 FICA cap on Social Security deductions, we could acquire significantly more money, from the those earning over $250,000 a year, which includes more than 2 million millionaires and 482 billionaires in America.
* Incumbent members of Congress must stop bribing their constituents to reelect them with taxpayers' money. In 2006, House Republicans slipped in earmarks worth $67 billion, which was a tripling of the pork trough since the Republicans won control of the House in 1994. Members of Congress are addicted to earmarks and are getting more sophisticated in hiding their pet projects by using the phrase "congressional-directed spending."
* We must secure our borders, issue tamperproof identification cards and pass reasoned, comprehensive, immigration reform legislation, which will be stringently enforced by the executive branch.
* By stopping corporate welfare we'll help solve the immigration problem. Mexico can no longer produce enough corn to feed its population, because their farmers can't compete with the subsidized corn that comes from the United States. Consequently, they come to America in search of work and their farms dry out.
* By drastically reducing foreign aid to countries like Israel, Egypt and Pakistan, we'd curtail deficit spending and reduce the influence of war profiteers.
* We must stop employing mercenaries, because privatizing of the military is absolutely the worst possible thing for democracy and peace. It makes endless war a corporate imperative.
In the words of Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
Senior citizens may recall that Pogo was a funny, politically relevant animal comic strip, by Walt Kelly.
Comments:
On 1/24/08, Steven Capizzi of Afton, N.Y. had the following letter, entitled ‘Common-sense’ ideas, published in the 'Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin.'
What a great Guest Viewpoint by Jim O’Leary on Jan. 19. It was refreshing to hear someone say what needs to be said (the truth as open-minded thinking people see it) in a paper that has been sadly lacking in taking on issues that need to be brought out into the light.
With the passing of Molly Ivins and David Rossie writing just an occasional column, your pages are dominated by the imbecilic rantings of Bill O’Reilly and right-leaning columns of George Will and Kathleen Parker. Thanks for publishing Mr. O’Leary’s much-needed, common-sense solutions. It’s about time.
posted by Jim O'Leary | 12:00 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home