There is a lot of talk about the American voters being angry.  They should be angry.  The last two years have shown them that they have a government unresponsive to their values.  Yes, it can be argued that this has been coming for a long time, and that it is really all “Bush’s” or even “Clinton’s” fault!  Okay.  This writer does not believe that for one minute, in either Clinton’s or Bush’s case.  Rather, our government has grown too big.  It is so big that President Obama could say to a Latino audience that they must see the Republicans and the Tea Party movement as their “enemies.”  Further, he said that the Latino audience should punish their enemies.  It scares me when a President can call the opposition his “enemies.”  I do not agree with President Obama and definitely not with his policies, therefore, I must be his enemy.    I am not.  I am an American.  I am free to agree or disagree as I see fit to do.  And I have a right to the political expression of my views both at the rally, on the street corner, at the march and in  the voters booth.  Additionally, I am not happy that the President of the USA see’s himself as leader of only a part of the nation and the enemy of the rest of the nation.   As a candidate Senator Obama said that he would not visit West Virginia because it was a “red” state; Remembeer?  Seems he had already formed his concept that he would be President of only 49 states.  The voters who vote against the Democrats today are not haters of President Obama.  They are not racists.  They are not irrational, running scared or acting stupidly.  They are lovers of America, tolerant, fair minded people who are acting intelligently to vote out of office congress persons and senators who have proven themselves to be unresponsive to the values of their constituents.    Rather, was it not the President himself who stated that the police in Cambridge had acted stupidly?  As a campaigner, did he not say that frightened Americans blindly cling to their guns and their religion?  As a speaker to a Latino audience did he not identify himself with them and by blatant inference tell them that as Americans it is okay to regard other Americans as the “enemy” who must be profiled  and punished?   No, Mr. President, the American voters are not angry.  They are awake.  The are not racist and haters.  They are people who are civically responsible who by the ballot today send their respresentatives a message.  It is this:  We are awake  and we well remain awake and alert for a long time. And if you think we will go back to sleep tomorrow, you are mistaken.

This peace prize should mean that President Obama ends the wars.  He should pull all troops out of foreign countries, end aggressive action against Moslems and the Taliban, stop fighting Islamic fundamentalists, leave South Korea to defend itself, stop the military standoff with North Korea, stand down United States troops in Europe and sharply reduce the amount of money the United States spends on weapons of aggression and war.  Peace is peace and a peace maker is supposed to support peace.  What’s the difference between the increase to US trops  in “kabul” by 24000 and now maybe another 40000 and the “surge” in Iraq.   If the President wants to be true to the “peace” of the prize, let him stand forth now against the hawks in his own party, against the multi national arms dealers, against the continued use of US forces as so called “peace keepers/makers.”  Words are nice and encouragement and inspiration are nice too.  But we gets words from the Vatican, and words from the United Nations, and words from all kinds of “peace” organizations, yet, the world is at war, nuclear armament increases, genocide occurs daily, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  I do not think you can talk,” peace! peace!” and still wage war and more war.

Watching the Republican national convention last year I was introduced to a new public person, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.  Since then I have been amazed at the stereotypical and prejudicial comments that have been aimed at her.  Significant to me was the attacks of women and women’s groups on Gov. Palin. ( By the way, people are normally allowed to retain the title of the last highest job they held.  So, it is proper to call Mrs. Palin, Gov. Palin, just like we call Mr. Clinton, Pres. Clinton.)  Anyway, I  thought that when people started to attack the glasses she wore, the clothes she wore, her hair style, and her methods of speech communication, well, I thought  it was petty and that many women and women’s advocates would object.  The silence was remarkable.  Now that Gov. Palin has seen fit to resign as Governor and save the people of Alaska a lot of needless grief because of the frivolous lawsuits her haters continually filed against her, I am still amazed at how many people on network television deride her and treat her with unveiled male chauvinism, and with overt sexual voyeurism and trash talk.  One (happened to be a democrat) told Laura Ingram that in two years “Palin will be on Flame and then I will watch her.”  Well, I didn’t know what Flame was but Ms. Ingram did and she strenously objected to his sexist male pig talk and indicated that the reference was to the effect that Governor Palin’s future was pornography and not politics.  As a father and grandfather of girls I find the continuing sexual allusions to Mrs. Sarah Palin  indicative of dirty minded attackers who constantly watch her and cannot get enough of watching her and constantlyand obsessively  talk about her  because they are frustrated hags whose own life is sterile or are adolescent men whose virility requires the taking of viagra.  I think it was a shame that women only got to vote in the 20th century.  I think it is equally a shame that so many people in the 21stcentury want to subjugate women of achievement to a pornographic role.

I believe in listening to people.  I not only want to hear with my ears but to comprehend with my mind.  I call this active listening.  Often I will say to a person who is talking to me, “So, what you are saying is ‘this or that.'”  I do not always do it because such a response is interpreted as “pycho-bable” and people get upset.  So I went to a town hall meeting in my town and listened to the Congressman and the people he was engaging in “so called” conversation.  Let me summarize what I heard and comprehended.  First, the congress person was there to give the audience a message and he delivered it clearly.  The message was that he was going to support the proposed health care legislation because he believed in it as a good bill and he thought the audience should agree.  But a large part of the audience did not agree and they stood up ( I dare to say this was a very polite crowd) and told the congress person that they did not agree that this was good legislation.  The speakers gave various reasons for their opinions and they asked questions which the congress person responded to politely.  However, there was a dis connect because the congres person repeatedly told the audience that he was going to vote for the legislation “no matter what” anyone in the audience or anywhere (my opinion) was going to say about it.  Why did he feel this way?   He said that it was because he knew what was best, he knew what was real, and he understood the issues much better than anyone in the audience.  My comprehension of this was that the congress person felt that he was right and that although he was required to be polite and listen to his constituants, none the less, they were wrong.  Well, no body wants to be wrong and even less, to be told in many subtle and not so subtle ways that they are wrong.  And no body wants to be told that they are wrong about something and that “something” is going to cost them increased taxes or reduced Social Security benefits.  So the people’s responses increased in anger as a direct result of repeatedly being told they were wrong and the congress person was right and then told to (in effect) be prepared to see increased taxes, or reduced SS benefits because the congress person was right.  What do I think?  Well, firstly, if you are going to talk TO me please be ready to LISTEN to what I have to say.  Secondly, I do resent it when someone says that they know what is best for me and for my pocketbook.  Thirdly, I also resent it when people tell me that legislation like this is too complicated for my (PH.D) mind and therefore I should just agree and go along.  Fourthly, I don’t like the rush.  If you want to have meaningful legislation then take the proposed bills (there are several  up for consideration) and break them down into parts that can be read, comprehended, reflected upon, discussed and then in revised and considered form be put forward for passage.  Lastly, I do not appreciate my elected officials “ruling” me.  This in sum is why I think US citizens are angry at their congress.

Is the President Elect OBama the Savior and
are the X Presidents the devil or is all of this
hype actually a form of Idol worship for Obama
and name calling for the others?

Reading the various blogs today I am amazed at the following:
1. The number of Bush haters on the web who constantly name call and accuse but do not back up with reliable data to prove their point.
2.The shouting on the web. The web is not really an audible medium, yet the comments, especially anti Bush, are always in a shout mode.
3.The name calling. I read peoples comments about this stupid person, or that crazy person, or this SOB or that bastard. Really, in a civilized society such inane name calling is sheer bullying.
4.I should like to think that the world of blogs can be a place for the sharing of information and the conduct of written conversation that communicates more than just hatred, disapproval, name calling and other behaviors commonly associated with ill disciplined and rude children.
So, my question is the following: “Do you think or more importantly, do you want the world of blogs to be a place of rant or the place of conversation?

A place to start…what do you think is the significance, if any of the large number of former Clinton Adminstration officials in the President Elects cabinet?

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