Why we should invest in government

I hear a lot of talk from the do-nothing cynics in my former party of choice. They talk about ideologies and complain about "big government". They call for more tax cuts for the wealthy and seem not to care about the way that the rich have exploited their wealth to oppress the poor.

I hear a lot of talk. I don't see real solutions.

Let me tell you something - there is nothing wrong with the ethical use of power. And a democratically elected government has the right to act on behalf of the people who elected them.

This is not "socialism". This is government of, by, and for the people. It's Democracy 101. And at this point, it's the only way to protect our capitalistic system from crumbling.

Government serves a purpose. That purpose is to protect the people and to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all.

I saw a note today from someone that said, "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich." (Turns out that was a quote from Napoleon, of all people...) Why is it that we reward people in our American culture for acting without a conscience and without concern for the common welfare of our fellow citizens?

That's why I think we should invest in government. As Hobbes said 400 years ago:

During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man.

To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues.

No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.

"Inaction is not an option"

President Obama spoke today at the US Department of Energy regarding needed reforms and government leadership that's way overdue.

"This isn’t some abstract debate. Last week, we learned that many of America’s largest corporations are planning to layoff tens off tens of thousands of workers. Today we learned that last week, the number of new unemployment claims jumped to 626,000. And tomorrow, we’re expecting another dismal jobs report on top of the 2.6 million jobs we lost last year..."

"The time for talk is over. The time for action is now. Because we know that if we don’t act, a bad situation will become dramatically worse. Crisis could turn into catastrophe for families and businesses across our country. I refuse to let that happen. We can’t delay and we can’t go back to the same worn ideas that led us here in the first place."

Contact Sen. Alexander.

Contact Sen. Corker.

Faith in Action

"But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know. " - President Barack Obama, National Prayer Breakfast, Washington, DC, February 5, 2009

White House releases info on job creation

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/jobs_in_all_fifty_states/

Key note:

"Just a couple of weeks ago, the American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card for America's Infrastructure issued an overall grade of D. From Katrina to the Minnesota bridge collapse, our nation's failure to take this infrastructure crisis seriously is blatant, and unacceptable. By making long overdue investments in our roads, bridges, transit, ports, and air security, this plan will put
people back to work while making our nation safer and more prosperous in the future."

I'd question the validity of a professional trade organization's claims about the need to spend money on their profession, but it's probably accurate.

One thing I know for sure: the TVA spill in December proves to all of us that there are huge consequences to doing nothing. You can also remember the Minneapolis bridge collapse of I-35 and the burst levees in Iowa and Missouri. And of course, there's always New Orleans...

Mark Halperin on Journalism

I have no idea how much money Mark Halperin makes.

But I do know this: paid journalists are paid by somebody. And in most cases, the way that newspapers, TV, radio, and magazines make money is through ad buys.

And the ads don't have to be journalistically valid or accurate. Ads can lie. Ads can intentionally mislead or stretch the truth.

When we're honest, we know that every decision to put something into writing is a decision NOT to say something else. And it's often what's left unsaid - what's denied, distorted, or hidden - that is most important.

This makes it easier for absolutists or fundamentalists or ideologues to refuse to hear anything that refutes their viewpoint. The problem with Americans' decision making isn't a lack of information - the truth is out there and the information is available.

We have American military and CIA committing acts of torture - but then covering it up. We have pundits and PR firms working for millions of dollars, who spend every day telling Americans that they shouldn't believe their "lying eyes" - and that evidence of injustice is inaccurate.

When paid journalists are paid to distort, or to create a "preferred reality", our politics suffer. The willingness of our media to "go along" with distortions is a problem.

And while I agree that Mark Halperin and other paid journalists provide valuable services, I also think that the group Halperin derisively refers to as "kids with Cheetos" provide a valuable service. People who don't get paid are helping to document their experience and enrich our lives. They're not paid by Time Magazine or Fox News or NBC, but they are valuable.

A group of progressive bloggers in Tennessee are running laps around the paid media these days. They're committed because they believe in empowering people with the truth. And they're committed to confronting the broken-down empty promises of both sides of the political aisle, in order to help our nation grow stronger.

They're committed to Democracy. They're committed to equal protection under the law. They're committed to fighting injustice and inequality that keeps the poor poor. They're committed to telling the truth which is covered over by power brokers.

And that's what freedom of the press is all about. The guy eating Cheetos has just as much validity and just as much right to share his experience as the guy on national television. (In fact, I would suggest more validity than the guy on national television, because Cheeto-guy isn't getting paid by advertisers.)

Jim Cooper Explains Bailout, Oversight, and Stimulus Plan

http://www.liberadio.com/audio/liberadio20090202part2jimcooper.mp3

TN Progressive Bloggers Announce "Chip In" for the TNDP

Learn more here:

http://actblue.com/page/chipin