Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Detroit Bailout
I heard a lot of headlines over the weekend about bailing out Detroit to the tune of 25 billion. This is apparently being pushed by the President Elect and the Democrats. I kept waiting for the part about what reforms and concessions the Automakers would make in return, improved gas mileage, better design, business practices revamped. I never heard any thing about these, and that scared me. See Thomas Friedman NYtimes: How to Fix a Flat http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/opinion/12friedman.html?ref=opinion
Monday, November 10, 2008
Confidence and Competence
I'm really impressed with the number of really smart and knowledgeable economic scholars and writers who have expressed confidence in Barack Obama's ability to tackle the economic and other crises.
There was also talk by the Sunday morning pundits about him bringing together the best and the brightest people to work on his team. They suggested that the need to reward political supporters or the need to be overly racially sensitive may take a back seat as well. This is so refreshing after 8 years of cronyism, corruption and imcompetence.
Obama's emphasis on working for all of America and not being overly influenced by special interest groups is encouraging as well.
There was also talk by the Sunday morning pundits about him bringing together the best and the brightest people to work on his team. They suggested that the need to reward political supporters or the need to be overly racially sensitive may take a back seat as well. This is so refreshing after 8 years of cronyism, corruption and imcompetence.
Obama's emphasis on working for all of America and not being overly influenced by special interest groups is encouraging as well.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A New Beginning
I will use this blog to post my personal comments and other information that I find interesting about the new Obama administration.
As I drove into work this morning after the historic election, I heard Bill Moyers, who was being interviewed by Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" say that he thought that the country was prepared to "move on." Prepared to move on, I hope, from a movement that started with the elitism of the Reagan years and progressed through the power hungry years of Newt Gingrich, and culminated with the incredible hubris of the Bush/Cheney years.
As former republican congressman Mickey Edwards said in the same radio show, the republican party has become willing to set aside its principles and what is right for the country in order to win elections and maintain power.
One of these gentlemen, I think it was Moyers, talked about "winning by destroying people and ruling by villifying." I'm still traumatized by how the republican party was willing to set aside the important business of the country in the 90s in order to seek to personally discredit and destroy Bill Clinton.
I truly hope that as a country we are indeed ready to move on from the greed that has brought us to the verge of financial collapse, and the arrogance that has turned the rest of the civilized world against us. Ready to move on from the discredited ideology that has dominated our political lives for nearly 30 years. Ready to move away from the misinformation, and the fear and hatred preached by Rush Limbaugh and others like him. I truly hope that this election is a new beginning, and that it's not too late.
As I drove into work this morning after the historic election, I heard Bill Moyers, who was being interviewed by Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" say that he thought that the country was prepared to "move on." Prepared to move on, I hope, from a movement that started with the elitism of the Reagan years and progressed through the power hungry years of Newt Gingrich, and culminated with the incredible hubris of the Bush/Cheney years.
As former republican congressman Mickey Edwards said in the same radio show, the republican party has become willing to set aside its principles and what is right for the country in order to win elections and maintain power.
One of these gentlemen, I think it was Moyers, talked about "winning by destroying people and ruling by villifying." I'm still traumatized by how the republican party was willing to set aside the important business of the country in the 90s in order to seek to personally discredit and destroy Bill Clinton.
I truly hope that as a country we are indeed ready to move on from the greed that has brought us to the verge of financial collapse, and the arrogance that has turned the rest of the civilized world against us. Ready to move on from the discredited ideology that has dominated our political lives for nearly 30 years. Ready to move away from the misinformation, and the fear and hatred preached by Rush Limbaugh and others like him. I truly hope that this election is a new beginning, and that it's not too late.
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