A New Appreciation for the "Rally to Restore Sanity"

Not totally sure about the issues in the article but no plea for sanity, peace or decency is ever too bad in my book. There is always need for that calm voice to try and make us sober up. Humans have a tendency to get carried away, and decisions made emotionally are rarely objective and good. It's a good read, all things considered, a sort of tension breaker.



Partisanship makes us too self-centred and non-objective. The Greek thinker Socrates astutely observed that, A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." To echo Mohandas K. Gandhi, "Be the difference you want to see in the world." This might just be a start that can snowball like Rosa Parks' refusal to vacate her seat in Montgomery, Alabama.
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U.S. Government Witness Testifies Gitmo Prisoner's Religiosity Makes Him Dangerous

Is Dr. Welner really a scientist? In a nutshell, Khadr is a danger because of a theory he hadn't read (Dr. Sennels), relative lack of westernization or personal remorse, access to information provided by the very people who captured Khadr and labelled him a terrorist! Hmmm.



John Stuart Mill defined truth as what's left when all possibilities have been eliminated. Is that what Welner really got here?



Continued detention of people like Khadr has merely reinforced their martyr complex and created heroes from nothing. It must have also unwittingly added numbers to the jihadists cause. Quite the opposite of what the "war on terror" set out to achieve. Hounding a religious grouping is of course a key rouser of sympathy for their cause. Majority love the underdog, of which Islam is here.



Like the various wars being fought in Afghanistan and Iraq today, and predecessors like Vietnam and Korea, it is all pointless. All it has done is irreparably created enemies to the US interest, and that hostility is likely to keep fueling the very problems shown by the Khadr's of this world.



Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results each time. If this clearly hasn't worked, why can't the US just try different tactics, e.g. dialogue? Assuming all Muslims are jihadists misses the point even before anything has began.
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The Tea Party and the Republican Party Are the Same

Factions have always existed, whether it's Hamas or within the PLO, or all manner of socialist leaning factions like the Baader Meinhoff and Japanese Red Army. I'm not linking terrorists with the "radical" Tea Party, but some similarities are also present.



The Tea Party seems bent on "redeeming" the Republican party's image, which, according to TP rhetoric, seems to have become soft. That might explain the ultra-conservative agendas currently being fronted by this party of traditional GOP members.



If you keep moving right of right, does it ultimately matter who is more on the right? A radical is just a modification of a more normal, mainstream supporter. I just think there's no deception, the Teas' are merely a variant of the GOP, but with a far more radical agenda. In a sense, their beliefs are retrogressive, not the values they stand for, but odd views about American purity, sovereignty and possibly immigration.



This Tea grouping goes back to early 2009, and was formed primarily to protest recent increases in government spending, particularly in President Obama's budget and economic stimulus package. That makes them non-Dems in principle, and coupled with their values, more right-wing. This duck certainly walks, quacks, and just looks like a duck.



I think by now the cat left the bag quite a while ago.
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Offense? Insult? The Firing of Juan Williams

We live in an age of increased sensitivity, mostly imagined. We see slights in just about anything fellow humans do, we hear it in what they say, and simply live life either being a victim or benefiting from such a state.



Do comedians know something about liberty that most of us sensitives don't? Comics routinely make fun of selves, their communities, leaders, and all manner of relatable topics, helping us confront such and be more aware of our immediate environments.



Again, I'm not saying Juan Williams firing wasn't in order, just wondering if his sentiments regarding Muslims isn't a storm in a tea cup.



While not condoning making racist statements or simply distasteful utterances in bad taste, there is still a case for us not taking ourselves too seriously and learning to keep open minds in all things. Someone observed that an open mind lends itself to infection, but it also plays a massive part in avoiding knee-jerk reactions that emanate from simple misunderstandings. A middle ground should be found.



After all, it was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who spoke of truth being found, not in the thesis nor the antithesis, but in an emergent synthesis that reconciles the two. There is still a place for wit, banter, stereotypical jokes, all within an environment of maturity and reason.
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Digital Democracy in Doubt

The piece is a good expose, informing the reader of very real dangers of electoral fraud. However, some detail is lacking, e.g. what kind of software runs the said e-ballot boxes. It would be good to know if they make use of a Windows-like, hackable system or UNIX-like, more solid one.



Secondly, why can't measures be taken to rectify such problems, if the weaknesses are already well known? No one system is utterly foolproof, and I come from regions of the world where vote rigging, sometimes very crudely indeed, is rife.



There will never be excuse for lack of supervision to any system, whether labor- or machine-intensive. Human supervision must always be a key factor. All systems are as strong and as weak as their creators, and indeed, the chief weakness of all systems is the human.



The article is a good start but the problems so identified are rectifiable. At least a significant number of weaknesses have already been exposed.
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Foreclose on the Foreclosure Fraudsters, Part 2: Spurious Arguments Against Holding the Fraudsters Accountable

If the whole process of borrowing to buy houses is half as complicated as this article, then is it any wonder the ordinary homeowner failed to fully understand their transaction? I would assume this article makes the best possible attempt at simplifying the issue for the reader, yet it still ends up as is written.



Complex situations like what has been outlined end up creating the need for brokers, middlemen of sorts who act as the interface between the gritty unpleasants and the more sweet story sold to the end user.



In reforming this system, why not start with greatly simplifying all that's entailed in it. Make it crystal clear, in as few steps as possible, with increased emphasis on eliminating the need for all these players - rating agencies, agents, etc.



Part of the said simplification is what the individual actors stand to gain and lose should they either do what's required of fail to do the same. I feel it will go a long way towards assisting in what looks, from my perspective, an uphill task cleaning up.
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Harry Reid, Sharron Angle, and the Role of Government in America

This is a gem, "...Reid, however, is in real trouble. Reid's opponent is Sharron Angle, another incurious, cookie-cutter, late-model neocon who demonizes that part of the federal budget that does not stimulate the Dow with every other word out of her mouth."



The beauty of democracy and the rich debates it fosters. The true winner here is still the citizen, the ultimate maker or breaker of this contest. A good read as usual.
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What on Earth Are America's Friends to Say?

At the point of redundancy, all wars in whatever forms are needless and rather juvenile - whatever pretext is used. What is the difference, other than cost, between a "simple" bar brawl and the "war against terror"? Hard to say.



It started out as a war against terror but is now more a means to "teach" western democracy to an "oppressed" people. Please! Regardless of who began it, and it's well known it isn't the Obama admin, just eat humble pie like in Vietnam, withdraw, and help the nations rebuild. Continued debate about this war is pointless. Soldiers on the frontline are human, they get tired and disillusioned and do things they'd ordinarily never do.



It's no justification for wrong acts, but only God knows what these young people have undergone. The scars from war will haunt their lives forever, just like all war vets today. This is just one more opportunity for bloodletting. End the whole nonsense and now!
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Chilean Transcendence

To start with, I'm really happy for the miners. Their situation kept us all on edge and I'm glad it turned out for the better. I can certainly relate to the Chilean situation with the trapped miners, during the 8th August 1998 bomb blast in downtown Nairobi. A national tragedy made us all forget our petty differences and unite as citizens of one nation. Unfortunately, such moments are few and far between and in no time at all the nation will descend into its routine pettyisms.



Just like the Jewish nation and the Holocaust, I pray Chile experiences a never again moment that makes all Chileans find more commonness than differences. I don't harbor much hopes of these, but even fleeting moments from time to time will go a long way towards helping out in this regard.
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Without Young People, Barack Obama Might Still Be a Senator

A good post with little anyone can add. Michael Jackson actually captured it best when he said the future is not ours to play with, but is borrowed from our children. They are the link between the now and the will be. Enough said I guess.
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Owning Our Identity

I believe all truly independent republics feature some variation of the right to self-determination. Israel is not exempt here. Does that word "Jewish" occupy the same emotional place as the word "Arab" or "Muslim," words that make reference to a people's characteristic or religion?



Is Netanyahu pro-ultra nationalists? I base that on this: "...Instituting a loyalty oath and demanding external recognition of a "Jewish state" is the next dangerous step in allowing the ruling coalition of ultra-nationalists and ultra-Orthodox to define who is Jewish, who is Israeli, and who is 'loyal.' " I haven't got that distinction clearly.



If Bibi is on the side of the radicals (ultra-nationalists and suchlike), then there is indeed a case for the electorate (citizenry) reminding him that he doesn't always speak for them. It is also good for Israeli citizens to guard against the continued international isolation such negative acts can cause to their already battered image.



However, the right to define themselves as they feel they ought to remains squarely with Israelis.
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Alec Baldwin, the Internet, and Me

The entertainment industry offers individuals a chance at greatness. It provides a popular platform to be seen and heard in a fresh, inspiring way. Few take it. One reason I really like Alec is his intelligence and outspokenness. He's refreshing in that seemingly brash, intelligent, full-of-sarcastic-wit way, a rarity in a life full of pretense. He is to me John McEnroe, with a little of that borderline maniac behavior, but with actual intelligence in speaking out. Class act.
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The Success and the Failures of the Religious Right

I'm with Ipanemagirl on this one. To add, I am a Christian, and unapologetically so, but I'll NEVER once defend underhand tactics, even from my own. The likes of Beck and Palin constantly negate the very message and standpoint they purport to represent, all with collusion of sympathetic media outlets like Fox. That is well documented.



Holding a dissenting view, or speaking outright against wrongs by people you respect and follow does not make someone bigoted. It only makes them different. If you'd take a look at many of the posts you feel are bigoted towards Christians you'd be pleasantly surprised at their refreshing honesty. No enmity here at all, nothing personal, just honesty and disappointed about lies and suchlike.
About Christianity
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Obama Sure Could Have Used Josiah Bartlett's Staff

A difficult call for the president here. It might be difficult to know what people really think in their innermost selves so blaming Obama here might be a bit too much. It might be to the president's credit that he took such sentiments in stride and has not made much of a fuss about it. Difficult call in my opinion.
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The Success and the Failures of the Religious Right

Past achievement can easily make us lose focus of present reality. You cannot take anything away from any religious movement, not even Islam with its uniting of disparate pagan Arab tribal groupings together. However, all in this life should have disclaimers; that pinch of salt, through which they should be judged.



The likes of Beck and Palin, and all those alarmist conservatives do represent the religious right, yet their use of lies of either induce fear or plainly libel individuals is well documented. It's arguable that their very actions have also led to erosion of beliefs among the populace. These cannot be justified on the basis of past achievement. It's factual that the founding fathers possessed religious beliefs, and that abolitionists and anti-slavery crusaders, the likes of Sir William Wilberforce too, but there are clear failings by this group in society.



Who practices intolerance more in America than the religious right? Who falsifies birth records of prominent figures like Obama if not this group? Who does the colloquialism "WASP" in Ameripolitics refer to? Who does the Fox network speak for? Who opposes immigrants and persecutes them in the guise of purifying the nation?



If the right is keen on judging anyone deemed different from them, why shouldn't they be subjected to similar treatment and standards?
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Palin, Beck, the Tea Party and the Big Lie About Saving "Children and Grandchildren"

One of the core things I find distasteful about the so-called Tea Party is use of alarmist tactics to either woo or keep their members. For a group basing its values and principles on the faith, isn't this clear manipulation? What would you call preying on the fears of others and selective use of facts - even distortion of the same? Right there, the movement is clearly bankrupt of integrity and that should inform any subsequent treatment of their message.



If a thing is wrong at the start, how does it end up being right inside and as it goes along? Just logical questioning.
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The Next Glass Ceiling

I love the name "Krystal Ball." I think you share your father's latent humor, "...Fortunately or unfortunately, my mother allowed him to name me and so he chose the name Krystal Ball."



Today's whore is eminently qualified to be tomorrow's trailblazer and ceiling-breaker. Take heart. I wish you the best in your endeavors.
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If You Like the Recession, You'd Love "Speaker Boehner"

Certainly not an economist but can fault those four elixirs (love the word). The obvious, spending is what moves economies and the money supply. Money as an organic commodity grows stronger when in economic motion. I stand to be corrected.



Cutting the wealthy group's taxes is downright weird. How about taxing all less to make them spend more of the extra income they find themselves with? All incentives should lead to less savings. Again I stand corrected. One more note about the rich. In which country do the monied form the larger part of any community or society? Why then would you reward a clear minority?



Who can outspend a government? Even I would like to know. Government spending has created towns from nothing. A good example is towns that are set up around military bases and educational institutions. How would cutting back on this help the greater economy?



Building on my previous arguments, fiscal policy over monetary policy becomes a no brainer. However, in my own mitigation, I clearly am nobody's economist.
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A Muslim's Defense of Geert Wilders

True democracy will always be an ass, rewarding and providing platforms to demagogues like Wilders, France's Jean Marie Le Pen and the British Nationalist Party. However, even such provide outlets for certain groupings in society, the disgruntled (and disillusioned), pessimistic, social illiterate paranoids. It merely proves that they too have a voice, as should anyone else for that matter.



Society as structured today, especially in an urban setting, provides the biggest ever test on tolerance and suchlike. We unconsciously hold our ways of doing things superior to any other offerings, creating ground for bigotry and the kind of xenophobia as Wilders and company seem intent on. Yet all this boils down to insecurities that humans are incessantly plagued with.



Jailing him makes him a martyr to his core constiuency, thus creating an undeserving hero. What is the alternative viewpoint on this one from his immediate society and what does the administration of the day think? Such views could have provided some different slant to this piece and allowed for better debate.



Democracy in summary is all about either having your cake or opting to eat the same.
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Obama Calls the Question on Geithner

Wow to the analysis. Sounds, from the article, that all the Obama administration was doing is apply band aid to severe wounds. Was it damage control or some attempt at finding solutions. Instead of apportioning blame as suggested by some, why not solve it first then discuss options when the whole mess is getting cleaned up? At this precise moment, who started the fire isn't as important as putting it out.



As pointed out, the US economy is in more trouble than 90s Japan, in the sense of massive debts and deficits especially from a trade point of view. Seems to me like Obama's regime is making an attempt to resolve this, beginning with an honest audit of what banks are really up to. Will the financial sector reforms eventually reach the privileged and seemingly untouchable Wall Street? That coupled with this veto might prove quite a blow to Geithner, a product (and beneficiary) of WS.
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<em>Shadow Elite</em>: The Small Government Lie - How <em>Both</em> Parties Stood By as Our Government Burned

Interesting area of debate. What should form government priority? The people from whom it gets its funding, yeah even the Gene Cranick's, or should it walk around with some list of taxpayers who will receive first priority in services? Is Cranick any less of a citizen as others who pay up their required fees? Should the ordinary citizen give up on the government altogether and seek own solutions to problems? Who is the government anyway? Isn't it the very Cranick whose house the fire department allowed to burn?



Government would ordinarily arrest Cranick for non-payment of tax, right? Why then should his house be allowed to burn just because he's not paid up the requisite fees? I don't envy the government in this one.



The citizen must come first and this is one area politics is totally incapable of dealing with. Thomas Browne: Government is too big and important to be left to politicians.
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Lou Dobbs, Hypocrisy and Corporate Power

Even hypocrites like Dobbs reveal some truths about the human condition. We are all beneficiaries of roads, bridges we never built, nor wells we never dug, but forgetting is a human speciality. It is even more so once we've benefited, and then the railing begins. Dobbs, like the political types in Congress and elsewhere might just be a reflection of larger society or even ourselves.



The US is one of the economies that have benefited from other cultures, mostly foreign, but it's not unique. All major empires did, at macro level, just like all of us do at micro level. Can any economy, leave alone the US, function minus such illegal workers? Even here, one might not employ a foreign national, but we do employ child labor. Isn't that just a variation of this theme?



Hypocrisy is so deeply ingrained in the human condition that it would be near impossible to start highlighting specific cases. If the question of what you're doing about it was posed back to you, how would you go about answering it?
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Glenn Beck Mocks Fire Victims, Reaches New Depths of Awfulness

I'm currently watching the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies, and keep connecting something to this seemingly ubiquitous Glenn Beck. Is Beck like Freddie Kruger, in the sense that once unmentioned he'll fade away? Maybe it's time this guy was given a media blackout. He's despicable and a lowlife.
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Religious People Must Rally to Restore Sanity

You're right Mikdow. Crusades weren't about religion, that was the pretext. Jerusalem, subject of interest by christianity and the Saracens, was a figurehead, point of reference, a bragging point. Whoever won it first would be able to call out checkmate and thus "win" over the loser.



People of similar religion in Ireland, used the divide into catholic and protestant was a justification to either support England (the colonizer and predominantly protestant) or stand on the other side (catholic).



Relgion in ancient Egypt was used to create a master ruling class, who would in turn enslave others (the ruled), a model replicated by Hinduism in India, with Brahmins (priest caste), over everyone else, and in particular the lower castes from where much of labor and taxes emanate.



I still call this unfortunate and totally lacking in genuineness. Humans always seem to desire fights, and it's double sad when the deity's name is used as one more excuse.
About Jon Stewart
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What Is Femininity?

For once a feminist article that is relatively non-threatening and sober. No offense.



Humans, let alone males and females, are different, period. Not superior or inferior, just different. We were created alike, born only with spit in the mouth, and all other accidents of birth notwithstanding, what works in us is more or less the same. We do possess different personalities, and that's valid, but human history shows the race getting carried away by differences rather than focusing on similarities.



It's never a competition, and the earlier we can ever figure that out the better for all concerned. What we lack most of all is honesty in dialogue. An interesting read to me.
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Religious People Must Rally to Restore Sanity

I'd be willing to bet more people have been killed under religion than any other single cause of human mortality.



It's sad that religion, which is the one thing that ought to unite humans is the chief divisor of society. The Latin word, "religare," means "to bind." That might serve to explain the ills wrought by religion. Religion often creates bondage - to dogma, rules and suchlike - as opposed to liberating the practitioner. Religious bigotry created segregation and apartheid, in the latter's case, the Dutch Reformed Church's own twisted theology claimed an African was only "five-eighths human," thus paving the way for justification of whatever would be done to them.



Maybe Dostoevsky was right in postulating that with the deity dead, all was justifiable. This is a pity. Let religion and education unite, not separate. This I'm afraid though is a bridge too far. You and I though can be the difference we want to see in the world (Mohandas K. Gandhi). It starts with each of us.
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The Force That Fights Deep-Pocketed Polluters and Wins

Power to the people should always precede all else. Heroes like Adams, a man I've never heard off, are the vanishing breed of idealists all societies need. Lonely callings like these need disciplined, intelligent and vastly informed practitioners and activists, with a burning vision that guides them.



Disappointing but unsurprised to learn about politics getting cozy with money to defeat bills of environmental concern like in California. In my own nation we have an instance where a tobacco company allegedly flew legislators to a luxury hotel and footed their bills. Result? Defeat of an anti-tobacco bill, and heavy watering down of its original contents.



Kudos to John Adams. Aluta continua!
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Why We Shouldn't Blame the Bullies for the Recent String of LGBT Suicides

I like the general thrust of the article but feel bullies must be blamed. All of us are culpable of something, even if it's the very adult tendency to plant such subtle thoughts in the younger generations minds.



Kids, as someone observed, are poor listeners, but extremely astute copiers. Much of their failings are traceable to actions committed or not. There are many a time when the adults who should know better are directly guilty. We say bad words in kids' presence, we stereotype people, use crude jokes that give them negative education about others, etc. There are however times we step back and do nothing. Just as bad as scenario one.



Apportioning blame is akin to pointing fingers. That is only step one. The next level is to apply the Golden Rule, and as Mahatma Gandhi observed, "be the difference you seek to see in the world."
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I, Sanchez

The chief problem with handling such a story is that "accidents of birth" (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr), race, religion (not purely one), culture and so on often cloud stories. The world needs more hip-shooters to call things as they are. An organization could well be staffed by seniors fitting a certain profile, but sometimes someone is needed to identify the Emperor as naked. Could be what Sanchez meant to say. I would much rather hear such honesty than be lied to by hypocrites.



We're in a temporal dispensation where truth is rationed out like other resources, and the honest are punished for speaking truths out loud.



The little I know could be summed up by these words said by Rick Sanchez (about Jon Stewart on 01 October 2010): "...I’ll take the word bigot back; I’ll say prejudicial (sic) — uninformed...CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart."



I still feel there's too much sensitivity on matters of race. How about acknowledging that they do exist - we all knew that already - and embracing the next (and harder) step, learning from anyone who appears different. All have something to say, and it cannot be dismissed merely because of differences in melanin (skin pigmentation), or regions where we all hail.



In future, sack the Rick Sanchez's for professional misconduct or incompetence, not speaking out truths.
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US Bases Abroad Trigger Suicide Terrorism: Are There Other Options?

There are two principle things the US needs to critically revisit. One, the world has changed drastically since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and two, cultures are vastly different, with the Occidental (western) way of thought vastly differing from the Middle Eastern orientation.



Each of these is unique, not inferior or superior, and unless the local worldview's fully understood, such challenges as protests and feelings of occupation will justifiably persist. I am not once arguing that targeting bases for bombings is justified, but neither is occupation of a free and proud people.



To lose that tag of perceived arrogance, and that's what it is, perceived, the US should work more on partnerships and ensure win-win situations for all involved. Listening to local sentiments is the surest way to earn respect, with minimal imposition of American foreign policy. We all need all the allies we can muster, as they are the ones who come to our aid when we're down.



In this globalization environment, no one person or nation has solutions to all that afflicts people. Each offers something different, all of which together can be harnessed. The easiest step for the US to take would be withdrawal.
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Mormon Prophecy Behind Glenn Beck's Message

I'd be more worried about the fact that older Mormon prophecy, before the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, was pro-slavery and thus anti-abolitionism. In fact, the darker skinned negro was said to have been descended from the biblical nephilim (offspring of angels and human females, and fathers of giants like Goliath).



If it's from such history that this megalomaniac is borrowing his lessons from, there is all-round danger from more than just the White House and political goings on. Why can't Beck be stopped once and for all, the tenets of American democracy notwithstanding? Is there justification for continued character assassination and paranoid-driven and unfounded conspiracy theories? He's an insult to American thinking; a blot on the whole concept of Americanness, premised on liberty, freedom and universal brotherhood.
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Restoring the Balance

[Entirely from the viewpoint of an outsider to American politics] is it a Dem thing to lean more on Wall Street's help in the country's economic affairs? I see the article linking Carter, Clinton and now Obama to such a trend.



That said, I like this statement, "The old economic models are broken, and a little entrepreneurial populism is exactly what is needed now..." What I see as comprising the National Economic Council is lack of mavericks on board. There are lots of established politicians, especially Obama's kitchen cabinet, but less of mavericks like Lee Iacocca.



Iacocca managed to turn around a relatively small economy (in comparison to US's), Chrysler, and he no doubt used radical methods not necessarily taught in MBA classes. Aren't those the kind of ideas an economy like that of the US needs to jumpstart?



Does this Council feature non-Dems on board? This is not the time for partisan politics as economic meltdown is a reality for all Americans, not just from one political leaning.



What might be needed here is a radical group of true thinkers, unafraid to try. The world does need a fresh infusion of ideas in all spheres, politics, education, social relations, etc.



To quote Art Williams: "Before you are the best, you've got to be good. Before you're good you've got to be bad. But before you're bad you've got to try." Why not?
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Superman Does Not Exist and Teachers' Unions are Not the Villains

I generally love the ideas you've postulated, especially support for schools nationwide and parents, plus continual development. Ideas are dynamic and teachers should indeed keep up.



Just a side note, even Superman does have sidekicks to aid him. Cartoon buffs would link the man in a red cape to Batman and teams like the Justice League. He might have to shoulder much of the physical burden, but he does need skills from other super heroes.



I believe that is the article's underlying focus. If governments the world over were to turn inwards and obsessively think about their people first, funding devoted to the military and other expensive consumables would be massively reinvested in education, health and other social welfare initiatives. Therein lies much of the public funds needed to implement proposed point four above.



Of course it won't happen. The public wage bill is big, military conquest creates opportunities for political elites and contractors (jobs abroad) and bankers (who never lose anyway). Meanwhile an annual school dropout rate of about 364,000 goes unnoticed, all the while people wondering why the prison population keeps rising (check out Bill Gates' comment on Oprah last week in the article). Priorities.
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A Few Words About Barbara Boxer

Just one main Q, is Fiorina serious? Doesn't sound like it at all. For someone aspiring to such a seat, she's destructively honest (e.g. not having voted over half the time). There's also that element of patronizing the voter, as if they're stupid.



Fiorina's approach is lot like the "yellow journalism" era of the 1890s, when newspaper battles between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal were at their peak, and all manner of discrediting tactics and misinformation was peddled about the other camp.



Why aspire to win by discrediting one's opponent? Of course, such an approach is right at the heart of most of debate. It doesn't make the practice right, but luckilytoo, the Californian voter is smart enough to make an informed choice on their preferred candidate.



I'm sure it must be about the track record, stupid.
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Why It's Foolish to Weaken the Dollar to Create Jobs

The world has become so interconnected that it's basically impossible to initiate an action, such as devaluing one's currency, without severe implications elsewhere. It might be high time the Fed realized such - assuming they don't know already.



With globalization, might it be time for jobs to be either exported or imported? I know, in the short-term it might create nightmare scenarios for Immigration and law enforcement, but it might be reflective of such international trends. Local economies might even benefit from other cultures and people's ideas.



While all such interventions as keeping interest rates low are going on, American companies, forced by their global uncompetitiveness, are being forced to export jobs abroad to lower production overheads.



It seems the US administration under the Obama administration is more conciliatory than previous regimes. Why not target strategic partnerships abroad, with win-win economic interests being the aim, in order to get more markets abroad and create jobs both in the US and in such partner countries?



Ceasar Augustus established the Pax Romana (historian Edward Gibbons' term), spanning 27 BC to 180 AD, where relative peace replaced military expansion and full time war. It might be time for such an approach, involving more consultancy. After all, the failure of military solutions (Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanistan-Iraq-Pakistan), has antagonized former allies. A different approach is called for when it comes to economic matters such as trade.
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The Broken Global Banking System

Classic definition of a banker: "One who lends you a brolly when the sun is shining and wants it back immediately it begins raining."



Banking's description here is differs very little from the practice of shylocks and gambling. The latter is especially true because of using risk to create lending profiles and interest rates. Of course, the two practices mentioned have lots of unethical practices in them, notably extortion (and related blackmail), harassment of clients, illegal disposal of assets, etc. Is this much different from today's banking system?



How about collapse of much of America's banking sector, yet bonuses were still paid out to top managers! Was this a reward for work well done or even hard work? Is this article surprising in content?



Banking has changed, with poorer economies like Bangladesh and Kenya pointing out the way with their micro-economic models.The latter features mobile banking (M-Pesa in conjunction with trade sites like Kalahari and banks like Equity). Concepts like PayPal can help people who've not been using banks in the past to save when buying products.



Mobile banking is easily accessible, especially to younger generations, and is far more fun when marketing. These trends will eventually phase out anything resembling the banking of old.
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Trade War Is Here -- and We've Disarmed

This article sounds a bit like a coach accusing a rival coach of not playing by his own rules.



China (PRC) might be a WTO member but has a long history of failure to adhere to accepted norms elsewhere. This applies to human rights violations, but is there a reason it cannot extend to trade malpractices?



The mental orientation of the Chinese economy, ceteris pleribus, is socialism, with the people foremost in State planning of activities. All the nation's resources are shared out among the Chinese, as opposed to a more free market oriented, capitalistic economy like the US. Like the sports illustration, it is two vastly differing playing formations at work here.



A lesson for Congress and the US administrations, as China rightly focused on her interests, bipartisan wrangles allowed the "enemy" to sneak into the party and bond with guests, all the while unseen. Political chicken have come to roost and there's nothing the US can do to compel China to abandon her own interests.
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Tiger Woods Sex Video Sold, Alleged Mistress Claims

I can only admire her relationship with hubby. He's the tape's seller? And then her mom doubts James's story! Hilarious. :-)
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Why Companies Should Insist That Employees Take Naps

There's a similarity between societal attitude to sleep and the Victorian perception of sex. In both cases, the activities are underrated and misinterpreted. The former is seen as evidence of laziness while the latter is seen as evil, not for enjoyment and strictly for procreation only.



There's truth in the saying that more sleep means less conflict, war and most vices. Blessed too is the man who's too busy to worry in the daytime and too tired to worry at night, the latter because he's probably asleep.



The benefits here are endless, with better body growth, more relaxation, renewal of energy, and improved visual imagination (through the medium of dreams) and memory, included.



The Spaniards might just end up having the last laugh in this debate, their siestas an integral part of their cultural idiosyncracy and uniqueness.
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