Governer Palin - An Overview

Sarah Palin is the current Governor of Alaska and was recently picked to be the Vice Presidential Candidate of John McCain. Her nomination has proved one of the most lampooned, controversial, unexpected, and applauded moves of this presidential race. Going from absolutely unknown, Sarah Palin has been on TV, Newspaper front pages, and blogs for about three continuous weeks. By writing this article, I know that I'm not just beating this story to death, but I'm exhuming its corpse and giving it a few extra whacks just to be sure. However, I do think that a "fact sheet" about who she is and what she stands for can be somewhat justified.

Education*: After graduating from Wasilla high school, Palin attended Hawaii Pacific College for a semester beginning in 1982, then went to North Idaho College. She then went to the University of Idaho, then to Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska for a term and the graduated from the University of Idaho with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Communications
Career**: After a short time as a sports caster in Anchorage, Palin successfully ran for Wasilla city council 1992. Shortly after being re-elected to the position, Palin then conquered the mayor's office in 1996. After term limits brought an end to her mayoral stint, she ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor of Alaska, but she then chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Commissioner. Nonetheless, she left the position in 2004 citing a lack of ethics in the office. Two years later, she defeated the incumbent in the governor's race who had originally appointed her to the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission in 2002. She has currently served around 20 months in that position.
Political Affiliation: She is a registered Republican and is generally referred to as a gun-toting, and anti-abortion, Christian Mother, which bodes well for the Religious Right. Still, she has been known to scold the lack of ethics of fellow Republicans and has defied them often in her political tenure.
Her Experience vs. Obama's: While Obama's lack of experience had been decried by Republicans, the tables turned when Palin was nominated. Since then, a huge debate has erupted over who's more experienced. Nevertheless, as Obama has served only six years on the Senate, one must remember that he graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude and Columbia University and that the state he represents, Illinois, is one of the most populous, diverse, and economically important regions in America. Conversely, Palin has served only 20 months as governor of one of the least populous and independent states in America and graduated from generally unknown colleges. My personal opinion is that there obviously flaws in the argument that Palin is more qualified, but both politicians possess significantly different experiences, and one's appreciation of these experiences depends on what concerns that person.
President Palin? Yet what's the point of really discussing Palin if she's only going to hold the number two spot? What's the chance of McCain dying in office? Well, of the 44 presidents, eight have died, only four from natural causes, and the last one who died from natural causes was Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. So while McCain would be the oldest president, I expect him to make it at least four years.
Palin and women: Obviously, Palin's gender positively impacted the probability of her nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate. Because of the importance of women voters this year and because Hilary Clinton's historic race for Democratic nominee still buzzes in our minds, Palin's reference to the "glass ceiling" illustrate the Republican attempts to attract female support. However, the only thing similar between Palin and Clinton is anatomy. While the nomination of Palin has certainly bolstered previous female McCain supporters, it has not attracted the Clinton supporters as would have been hoped for. In addition, NOW, or the National Organization for Women, endorses Obama and Biden.

Sources
*"Palin education took her to five colleges", Associated Press via Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2008-09-04. Via wikipedia.org
**^ Yardley, William (August 29, 2008). "Sarah Heath Palin, an Outsider Who Charms", = The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-09-12. & "Palin steps down from commission", Associated Press (January 20, 2004). Via Wikipedia.org

Does Blinky the 3-Eyed Fish Exist?

"Seemingly perfect, Nuclear Energy uses the naturally radioactive Uranium and
merely exploits its energy to make harmless steam which powers a generator." That sounds pretty nice. It feels nice saying it. Doesn't it?

Unfortunately, "Seemingly" is the word that allows me to overlook two powerful words concerning this power source - "Nuclear Waste." While both presidential Candidates agree that the good achieved from Nuclear Fission outweighs the bad, environmental groups and many Americans do not agree. While Nuclear Power has been in use in America for decades, the constantly accumulated nuclear waste is constantly becoming an imminent issue. But what is nuclear waste and how bad is it?

Nuclear Waste is the term used to describe mops used to clean the floors in a Nuclear Power Plant to the spent rods of Uranium themselves. It takes upwards of hundreds of years for these materials to fully lose their radioactivity, depending on how radioactive they are. Earlier in the summer, the WDET radio program, "Detroit Today", looked at argument currently engaging Northern Michiganders and some Canadians about the storage of Nuclear waste for the duration of its decay. In this scenario, a Canadian Power Plant planned to drill around 2,000 feet down in the ground, at a location less than a mile north of one the Great Lakes, and store some moderate nuclear waste, like sanitation equipment. None the less, this proposition soon met opposition from Michiganders who feared the effect on the lake. However, while the nuclear waste might still be decaying when the power plant is gone, this waste is much less harmful (hence "moderate waste") than the actual Uranium and other actively used materials. Personally, it appears to me that the issue had already been carefully reviewed. Still, this argument illuminates the public concern for the proper disposal of actual highly radioactive materials and also the difficulty looming in convincing the public that highly radioactive waste can ever be deemed safe. Suggestions for the disposal of this decades old waste, like burying it under the Ocean, have been tossed around. Never the less, it's hard to believe that the disposal would ever be close to its portrayal on "The Simpsons", where Mr. Burns often tries to hide this radioactive material in city parks.

All in all, while the memory of Chernobyl may sting more than the slightly higher temperature of the world, people should put Nuclear Energy in perspective to Fossil Fuels. While the final destination of Nuclear Waste is contested, I find it hard to believe that Nuclear Energy's one fault can outweigh foreign oil dependence, high gas prices, pollution, global warming, and the environmental disturbances caused by offshore drilling and oil spills.

Offshore Drilling - Is It Worth It?

Off-Shore Drilling is the process of extracting petroleum from beneath the ocean's floor. Recently, President Bush removed the executive moratorium on this procedure in hopes that offshore drilling will expand. Currently, an estimated 18 billion barrels of oil, "enough to satisfy U.S. energy needs for two and half years" is located below America's East and West Coast, as stated by "The Week."* Bush wants offshore drilling to expand and to ease our dependance on foreign oil and ultimately lower gas prices. This premise is outlined in John McCain's Lexington plan and also receives some approval from Barack Obama.

The first concern of citizens is that the oil rigs are prone to spills. The Exxon-Valdez spill and others all make citizens wary. Oil companies argue that techniques in Offshore drilling have vastly improved and oil spills that hurt tourism and are detrimental to wildlife are far less likely. Nonetheless, environmentalists counter that these rigs also emit trace chemicals from the drilling process and that these chemicals have altered the surrounding environment. According to Mineral Management Services via Enviroment Oregon*, Offshore drilling causes "erosion of wetlands, air pollution, contamination by toxic chemicals, dumping of industrial waste and debris, and the decline of fish populations."* In addition, new drilling wouldn't begin today and could take several years (although the date that oil can be extracted from newly built rigs is highly contested). Conversely, proponents cite that it doesn't matter that oil isn't being pumped tomorrow, only that Oil Speculators know that it will be pumped in a few years. This is because the price of gasoline is set by Speculators based upon the amount of oil that will be available in the future. Therefore, it is widely accepted that offshore drilling would lower gas prices. In the end, the major issues are the neccesity of lower gas prices and the trade-offs of achieving it in addition to reducing foreign oil dependance.

I personally think that this is one of the most messed up and gray area issues currently in American Politics. While I may live in a more centralized area where everything I need is close-by, many Americans are forced to commute and gas prices are going to cost them. Not to mention, industries such as trucking and airplane-travel will suffer. Nonetheless, we need to keep focused on improving public transportation, emphasizing the development of more fuel efficient engines, and expanding our use of renewable and alternative fuel thus lowering our dependance on foreign oil while we resolve this issue. Who knows, maybe we won't need the fuel in the future.

* "Offshore Drilling and the Environment". "The Week". August 22, 2008. pg. 13
** "Stop Offshore Drilling". Environment Oregon http://environmentoregon.org/issues/ocean/stop-offshore-drilling

Putin the Puppeteer and Medvedev the Marionette

While the elections were a while ago, it doesn't mean that Russia's leaders still don't raise eyebrows. While Putin experienced very high approval ratings as Russia has advanced further in modernization, many Westerners have concern for the "democracy" in Russia. As Putin's term limit came in 2008, his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev was elected and soon made Putin the Prime Minister. After an election where accusations of voters being bribed and threatened to vote for Medvedev, many still question who's running the show. But if you like a good puppet show, maybe it isn't a bad thing.

Moreover, with the Forum's first cartoon, I would like to announce that a cartoonist has joined the staff (obviously) and cartoons will now be coming and going.

Happy One Year Anniversary

Technically it's tommorow, but I don't think the four people who read this blog really care. It's been fun for me and I feel it's a great way to stay invovled in what's going on and I hope to continue and really start posting more often to make this blog more of a weekly editorial and analyzation of what's going on. So, to anyone who reads this - I'm just getting started.

Guns and the Second Amendment

In my last article I discussed the root of Gun Violence, as opposed to constitutionality of a gun ban. However, I would like to explain why we shouldn't use the second amendment to argue that Americans can own handguns -

1. The Firearms that we have today are much more advanced than the muskets and other guns around during Washington's time. I doubt the phrase "concealed weapon" meant anything to a colonist. Handguns are smaller, more powerful, easier to reload, and more accurate than anything that was available back then. Simply put, it's wrong to use second amendment against anti-gun lobbyists when the definition of what a gun is and what capabilities it possesses have completely changed in the more than two centuries between the present day and the day the Bill of Rights was signed.
2. In addition, the Political situation following the Revolution and the one existing nowadays are completely different. The idea of everyone having a gun was found acceptable partly because the Government wanted the American people ready for a possible second war with the British, which did in fact happen. Moreover, the Revolution was fought mainly with ordinary militia men and therefore the government deemed it acceptable that regular folk keep their guns and not take away the nation's primary defense.

One cannot impose laws on a technology that has been constantly evolving since its invention several hundred years ago and expect that the current conditions existing in America would be similar to the conditions present more than 200 years ago. Nevertheless, I do not write this article to declare partiality in this gun rights battle, but to instead point out a fallacy in the arguments of our politicians. While Americans must remember to attack the cause of this gun problem(poverty and a lack of education), we must also keep these false arguments from appearing in our politics.

The Relationship Between Guns and Poverty

In light of the Supreme Court's recent decision to declare Washington DC's handgun ban unconstitutional, I've done some research on the issue. As opposed to arguing the effectiveness of ineffectiveness of such bans, I decided to take a more proactive approach and went looking for the cause of gun-related homicides in my home state (Michigan) at the local library. Here's what I found -

According to the "2001 Uniform Crime Report" compiled by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, in Michigan, among a population of 10,079,985, there were:

-661 murder offenses committed(with estimates)

• 32 offenses using a rifle
• 28 with a shotgun
• 346 with handguns
• 69 with unknown gun type

Therefore, 71.9% of homicides in Michigan were caused by firearms. However, to truly analyze this data I compared these statistics to a particular region. And so, I examined the city of Detroit, which is unfortunately known for its violence. After reading through the same Crime Report and also statistics from the US Census Bureau spanning 1999, 2000, and 2003, I found that 59% of the homicides of 2001* were committed in a city with only 9.4% of the state's population**.
Nevertheless, Detroit is also known its "other" characteristics." In addition to its gun-related infamy, Detroit often brings the image of poverty to mind as these statistics show**-

• 69.6% of Detroiters, age 25+, have a high school degree and only 11.0% have Bachelor's degrees or higher, compared to 83.4% and 21.8% of Michiganders
• Detroit's homeowner rate is 54.9% compared to the state's 73.8%
• The Median Household income is $29,526 to the state's $44,667
• The Median Value of owner-occupied housing units is $63,600 to the state's $115,600
• The percent of persons below poverty was 26.1% compared to the state's 10.5%

After reviewing all of this data, it's reasonable to say that Poverty, a lack of Education, and Gun Violence are intertwined. While the effectiveness of gun bans is still under scrutiny, the causes of most Gun Violence is known. America needs to look at their poor and uneducated intercity areas and identify the reasons behind them. For Detroit we must regain a solid base of taxpayers by getting jobs for Detroiters. Due to the mass exodus from this city following the riots and the recent recession, many remaining people are destitute. Moreover, fewer people can contribute much tax money, leaving the education system underfunded. Thus, Detroit has become a horrible cycle that entails problems like Gun Violence.

In closing - fellow Americans, we must turn our troubled inner cities into strong economic areas. Then we can see the decline of gun violence.

*"2001 Uniform Crime Report", Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.

**1999, 2000, 2003 housing, demographic, income, and population estimates from U.S. Census Bureau ,(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/2622000.html).

Keeping Our Heads Above Water: A Second Appraisal

Earlier in the year in the midst of the Republican Primaries I evaluated Mitt Romney's plan for the economy and then gave my own two cents. In the article, I outlined a plan centered on raising tariffs. While I still believe that in this situation, it would be advisable to increase these taxes on imports, I've realized that too much taxation would result in a crippling surge of prices and inflation. In addition, raising tariffs would also hurt foreign countries that have brought jobs and invested money in America, such as the several American Toyota factories. And so instead, the taxes of American businesses, particularly industrial businesses, businesses associated with IT, and other kinds that outsource, should be partially based on the percent of Americans they employ and their production assets, such as factories, in America compared to those world-wide. Providing a smoother transition to a more economically stable and independent nation, this revised plan would encourage the growth of strong, industrial-based jobs for Americans, while still allowing the government to increase their "income", without increasing the income tax.

Why Hillary Stayed in the Race

As Hillary Clinton's bid for the White House ended two days ago when Barack Obama collected the needed delegates, many still wondered why she had even campaigned that long. Let me begin by saying that Hillary Rodham-Clinton is not dumb. She did not stay in this race to deplete the Democratic Party's funds or create a rift in the party. However, people continue to comment on how futile and just plain bad Hilary's long campaign was. Nevertheless, these people look only at the present for an explanation of Hilary's persistence. When she runs for the nomination again (which is what I strongly believe), she will be remembered as the candidate who won the delegates of California, Massuchusetts, and even Puerto Rico.
Simply put - Hilary is campaigning for 2012. She's building a base of support and a strong reputation.

Talking with Iran

This past week, Obama has received criticism from McCain for his willingness to talk to countries with leaders such as Iran with Ahmadinejad. However, there are two advantages that can derived from speaking with such tyrants:

1. As the wise Sun-tzu said, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Ahmadinejad may be some horrible man, but the last we thing should do is to leave him alone and come to find out that he's been making an Atomic bomb. Also, by negotiating for peace with and even giving foreign aid to Iran, we would not only be keeping tabs on Iran, but also improving our image as a country to the people of Iran.
2. In addition, no matter how crazy, rascist, or prejudice something a man like Ahmadinejad might say, we should always listen. While people may be rascist or prejudice, many times what they say and believe can linked to problems they have. Hitler, for instance, is considered one the worst human beings in history, but America should have seen that his horrible rants against Judaisim were due to the absolutely horrible economy that Germany was experiencing. If America had given more support to Germany following WWI and the economy improved, it's doubtful Hitler could have even come to power.

In conclusion, while negotiating with tyrants and dictators isn't nearly as easy as speaking to the prime minister of Canada, it is a proactive action that maintains our intelligence on foreign countries and that helps us understand the situation in countries.

...

I hate the nba.

Instability in Iraq

Prior to the invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein kept sectarian and terrorist like fighting to a minimum by some morally questionable matters. According to Elisabeth Bumiller*, he used several techniques in suppressing these outbreaks that are unemployable(or should be) by the US. He would, for instance, put displaced or upset people into his regime or use force to quiet them. Making ample use of the paramilitary, police, and the People's Army(which was commanded by a close associate of Saddam), he also employed the Department of General Intelligence, which was known for its use of torture and not surprisingly, was led by Saddam's half brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti. Thus, violence was low, but only because of Saddam's repressive measures. While America has been successful in removing this tyrant, we have overlooked the many effects of his absence. Sectarian violence, for instance, is a large problem. So what exactly is being done about this? Two things stick in my mind: the Sunni awakening and the formation of an Iraqi police force.

Completely separate from the government, the Sunni Awakening is an American supported movement consisting of an astonishing 80,000 strong force. Paid by the Pentagon, these men are driving out Al Qaeda of their home-towns and taking pride in ridding their country of crime and terrorism. In addition, this Militia also takes proactive measures as it keeps men from joining insurgent groups. Subsequently, the new American-trained(as well as other countries trained) Iraqi police force also accomplishes many of the same aims of the Sunni Awakening. Building up pride in defending one's own country and giving jobs to many Iraqis makes becoming, wanting to become, or even needing to become part of an insurgency group less likely. Also, by training a proper police force, America is slowly shifting control of the government to the Iraqis. Lastly, neither of these programs puts our troops on the battlefield.

So now the matter of question is how long will these programs be employed before stability is achieved. This war has already shown us that you can conquer some land and some buildings, but big guns and an army can't conquer the hearts of people as easily. From here comes many of our problems. A few weeks ago, a master Sargent who specialized in training Iraqi police visited my school and gave a talk on the state of Iraq. According to an approximation by him, one third of men entering the police force wanted to help their country, one third of these men swayed with the general opinion, and the last third were aiding and abetting insurgents. In addition, Religious violence between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims deeply splits the country.

So all in all, the instability caused by the absence of a repressive dictator must quelled through non-violent programs that focus on uniting the people of Iraq. However, due to the delicate situation there, America must realize that we will be in Iraq for a long time, but through the proper actions and programs, we can shift the power to Iraqi people peacefully while instilling friendly relations between the United States and Iraq.

* Elisabeth Bumiller (2004-05-15). Was a Tyrant Prefigured by Baby Saddam?. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-01-02.

NBA Playoffs - Finishing up my Picks

Just finishing up my NBA picks
Eastern Conference Finals-
Pistons vs. Boston
Regular Season: Boston leads 2 - 1
My Pick: Pistons - Before I defend this pick, I just want to say that regardless of who wins this series, the Eastern Conference Champion will defeat the Western Conference Champion. Now, back to the hard part. These are two great teams that match up very well. Both are considered the best defensive teams in the league with veteran players that know how to get the job done. However, I think that Pistons will have drive this year after a disheartening loss to Cleveland this year. In addition, I think they will need to play the nastiest-grittiest, hard nosed basketball ever, like they did when they beat the Celtics in Boston(Great Game). While Boston is a great team, I think that being the underdogs will help the Pistons overcome their playoff funk and go to the Finals.

The NBA Finals-
Pistons vs. Spurs
My Pick: Pistons - The Pistons are a little bit younger with a strong second line that should be able to contain the explosive Manu. In addition, the Spurs aren't used to playing defense in the West so the Pistons should be able to control the tempo and run the show.

A closing note: This is going one really awesome postseason

NBA Playoffs

Well it's that time again. The east was fairly predictable, but the west was a bit of conundrum. here it goes -

Western Conference - First Round
Lakers vs. Nuggets
Regular Season: Lakers beat Denver 3-0
My pick: Lakers - While both are very offensive teams, Kobe is still Kobe and Andrew Bynum's strong presence alongside their steal of deal for Gasol presents and all around solid team. Denver is somewhat similar to the Lakers, but just not as good over all.

Jazz vs. Rockets
Regular season: Jazz beat Rockets 2 -1(Yao not present for one game)
My Pick: Rockets - After an impressive streak during the season, the Rocket's seasoned team is still cranking. While the Jazz won the regular season match-up, you have to remember that Yao wasn't present for a game.

Suns vs Spurs
Regular season: Suns beat Spurs 3-1
My Pick: Spurs - Defense always beats offense in the playoffs. Remember last year when the Spurs beat the suns? That's because the Spurs are battle-hardened gritty defensive team that knows what they have to do. While the suns now have Shaq, they are really no better. Besides, by trading away for an old man like Shaq, they're shooting themselves in the foot for next season(Does anyone recall the Miami Heat?)

Hornets vs. Mavericks
Regular season: Hornets tie with Mavs 2-2
My Pick: Hornets - Jason Kidd didn't make them much better and the Mavericks always seem to falter in the playoffs. On the other hand, New Orleans is well oiled machine with Chris Paul pulling the strings(and who wouldn't want Peja as their string?) Mavericks are in for another frustrating post-season

Eastern Conference - First Round
Celtics vs. Hawks
Regular season: Celtics 3 -0 against Hawks
My Pick: Celtics - Sorry Hawks fans, but I don't even have to explain this pick

Cavaliers vs. Wizards
Regular Season: Cavs and wizards tied 2 -2
My Pick: Cavaliers - As shown last year, the Cavaliers are a good play-off team with a lot of energy. The Wizards have some great players (Jamison, Butler, and Agent Zero), but Gilbert Arenas isn't doing so well. This will be a hard series. In this series, Gilbert Arenas is the key.

Magic vs. Raptors
Regular Season: Magic beat Toronto 2-1
My Pick: Magic - Improving upon last year, the Magic will just keep getting better. However, the Raptors have done well in building a strong team around Chris Bosh. These two young teams will give us a good series, but the Presence of Dwight Howard is pretty immovable.

Pistons vs. Sixers
Regular Season: Pistons split with Sixers 2-2
My Pick: Pistons - A good defensive team, Detroit is hungry and motivated for a championship. They'll be taking no prisoners. However, the Sixers can look up - they're a team with some raw talent. Tighten down their play and they could go farther next year.

Now it's time for round two -
Western Conference - Second Round
Lakers vs. Rockets
My Pick: Lakers - The Rockets are just not good enough to hang around with the Lakers. This will just allow the Lakers to pick up momentum coming into the West Finals.

Spurs vs. Hornets
My Pick: Spurs - Defense and experience is what'll crush the Hornets. The Hornets are a good team and will most likely make it to this match-up, but they have little experience in situation like this. The hornets are similar to last years Suns by their style of play and it will be an interesting season.

Eastern Conference - Second Round
Celtics vs. Cavaliers
My Pick: Celtics - Come on already! Why can't we just skip to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics, a strong defensive team, are unlikely to suffer the same fate as the Pistons last year. They're a team of veterans who know what they want. As long as they keep their focus, it won't be too much of a competition.

Pistons vs. Magic
My Pick: Pistons - Swept by the Pistons last year, the Magic are looking for a good fight, but with the Pistons' defense it's unlikely to happen. Let's just hope the Pistons' confidence isn't their downfall again.

Western Conference - Finals
Lakers vs. Spurs
My Pick: (this is where it gets tough) Spurs - I just don't see how a team that averages more than 100 points a game can beat a team that gives up only 90. The Spurs will control the tempo, Duncan will outplay Bynum, and Manu will harass Kobe.

I'll finish the rest up later.

Hillary's Mistake: He's Rubber and She's Glue

As discussed in my previous article, Hillary made the mistake of accusing Barack Obama of plagiarizing in a recent debate. Illustrated by the chorus of 'boo''s that confronted her after, she has dug herself into a deeper hole and exacerbated her appearance as a cold emotionless hag.
Desperate to win back votes, Hillary has been taking personal shots at her opponent. While this works for some candidates, it obviously doesn't work for everyone. Generally, remarks similar to Hillary's have hurt their opponent's campaign at the small cost of looking a little mean. Unfortunately in Hillary's case, her appearance as a genuine person is her weakest point, making her aggressive accusations backfire. When she pulled a victory out of the bag in New Hampshire, it only came after shedding some tears. People finally saw some humanity in her. However, these latest actions only make Obama look more like a suffering saint, which has a been very useful for him. While Hillary holds slim margins in some states she must attack Obama's politics and not talk about anything outside of the political ring. She must distance herself from her weakest point - her personality. If she truly is a calculating villain, we will probably never know, but because of the nation's focus on this idea, she has to change gears to win the primary.

To make a side note - The media is really not helping out Hillary's cause. Pre-primary polls between only Obama and McCain makes Hillary look like she's already lost. The media has much sway in what they present, how they present it, and why they present it.

Some Thoughts on the Direction of our Nation

In their last democratic primary debate, Hilary Clinton accused Obama of plagiarizing his speech - It's time like these when I begin to question the true character of a candidate. How could one of our politicians do this? How are we supposed to look up to this person? If you think I'm appalled at Obama, you're wrong.
In a few articles, I've touted the phrase "novus ordo seculorum" as one the cornerstones of this nation. I have reminded the reader of its importance and wisdom, even in today's world. While 'secular' refers to religion, the saying encompasses the idea that politics is separate from everything -that politics must not be interfered with from outside sources. Bickering over side-issues is a waste of our time and detracts from the reasons we should be electing a candidate - such as their foreign policy, immigration ideas, economic remedies, and so forth. Trying to win a vote with charisma or charm is wrong. Winning a vote with facts, plans, and ideas is how this nation was meant to be. However, upon seeing incidents like this, I wonder if Americans have their heads on straight and their eyes focused on what they should be focused on. America, YOU have to return this nation to its rightful place - don't look at charm, wit, gender, race or so forth to choose your candidate. Those attributes don't mean they are capable leaders. Do not be hoodwinked. Be informed, watch the debates, do some research - As citizens of the United States of America, it is our job to be informed. So if ever you think our nation is in turmoil, look at yourself. The power is in the people, but it's up to you to use it.

Drawing the Line for Waterboarding - Torture or Interrogation?

According to US Code, Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 113C,

• (1) "torture" means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control;
  
• (2) "severe mental pain or suffering" means the prolonged mental harm caused by or resulting from -
  
• (A) the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering;
  
• (B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality;


• (C) the threat of imminent death; or
  
• (D) the threat that another person will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering, or the administration or application of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality;*

The US Code continues, explaining that a jail sentence can be up to 20 years for the offense and possibly life if the victim is killed during the event. So now that we know what torture is, what is waterboarding? Waterboarding is an interrogation method used to simulate drowning that has roots into the inquisition. It is also known to side-effects like brain trauma. However, it has been the subject of debate lately if it qualifies as torture. While particulars over the action are under scrutiny, I have a few reasons why we shouldn't perform this act -

1. Waterboarding meets all of the requirements of torture as defined by the US Code.
2. We would not use waterboarding on our own citizens, so why would we use the technique on anyone else? Does our citizenship make us any different than the rest of humanity? Even though we might refer to ourselves as American, we are still human like the rest of the world and shouldn't be treated differently. In addition, would we want other countries waterboarding our citizens?
3. It puts the US in a bad light as many human rights groups have condemned the technique. As a country that prides itself in freedom and justice, we should be a leader to other countries.
4. While Citizens have the Freedom of Speech they also can remain silent if they so choose, just so long as they do not obstruct of justice or something similar. Let the guilty party get busted for the latter instead of using waterboarding.
5. Those undergoing waterboarding are prone to give false information just to end the interrogation process.
6. After World War II, Japanese Military officer Yukio Asano had to serve 15 years for Waterboarding an American citizen showing that waterboarding has been considered a crime by the US.

* Find Law, 19 January 2004 ,http://lp.findlaw.com/%2001/19/04, http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/18/parts/i/chapters/113c/sections/section_2340a.html

**Pincus, Walter, "Waterboarding Historically Controversial; In 1947, the U.S. Called It a War Crime; in 1968, It Reportedly Caused an Investigation" Washington Post, October 5, 2006, pg. A17.

NBA Update

With the All-Star Games fast approaching, this NBA season is past the halfway marker meaning it's time for an update.

1. Spurs, Suns, Detroit, and Celtics - what more do I need to say. The four best teams in the NBA (I'm not so sure about New Orleans just yet) all have something to prove. The Spurs want to have a Dynasty, the Suns want to finally win it after years of trying, Detroit wants to show they weren't a one hit wonder, and the Celtics want to return to Glory. The Suns might have just sold their souls with Shaq, however. Does anyone remember how Shaq completed the heat when they won their championship but two years later they're the worst team in the league? In light of them trading Shawn Marion (idiots), this is short-term thinking from the Suns (especially because Shaq isn't doing so well) will come back to haunt them. Good trade by the Heat though. To change gears, the pistons are doing well, a streak here a streak there. Nonetheless, they need a good center. Sheed needs to go for more paint points and they need to defend the paint more. Big Ben has left a gaping hole for the Pistons to fill and their failure will be his fault. All of these teams have the potential, but here's my pick - Pistons over Spurs in Finals. Any ways, I have to get back to talking about teams that don't matter; I mean ..., you get the idea.
2. New Orleans - Hedo, Chris Paul, and Peja - magic in the air? Could these underdogs break the mold and upset the major contenders resulting in huge losses for gamblers yet again (Go Giants!)???? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
3. Lakers - They're looking pretty good with Gasol now - a nice trade for team that's starting to flex its might. They could cause some havoc too.
4. Cavaliers - With Lebron’s return, they're getting back into a groove. Energy and determination led them to the Finals last year.
5. Mavericks - With breaking news of Kidd coming to Dallas, some people are looking up. I'm not. This Suns look-alike has flopped before and they'll do it again.

All in all, all four of the teams I mentioned first should make it to conference finals, but the four I mentioned after that are crafty so you never know.

Republican Primaries: The Aftermath

Mitt Romney - The inevitable has finally come crashing down on Romney. Considered by many the perfect candidate with his good looks, business suave, and persuasive speeches, his one fatal flaw - his track record - took him out of the clouds. Since the beginning of race, people have doubted his intentions. Romney, who was trying to appear as a Reagan-like candidate with classic Republican views, couldn't convince voters. Even if Huckabee, whom many devout Conservatives supported, wasn't in the race, it is doubtful that these voters would come to Romney's camp due to his views while the Massachusetts Governor. Romney learned that while you can change your views, it's hard to change your past.

John McCain - The Republican Nominee (almost) went through hard times, but was able to win over voters. His unchanging views stood out against Romney as well as his appearance as a middle of the road politician stood out against Huckabee. In addition, people recognized that McCain would be the Republican Candidate most likely to win against a Democrat in the general election, as he often receives a large portion of independant voters.

Mike Huckabee - While some saw his Iowa victory as the beginning of the road to the White House, people have forgotten that Iowa is a singular place. Quoting from a previous article on this blog "an Associated Press estimate said 30 to 50 percent of repubilicans going to the caucus were Evangelical Christians."* Huckabee hoped to win the primaries by being the true 'Conservative Candidate.' Following Conservative doctrine and the religous right-wing was a good strategy for places like Iowa and the South, but he forgot about the rest of the nation. In addition, because of his strict Conservative doctrine, he would have easily polarized the nation, giving reason that he would not make a good candidate in the general election. All in all, hoping that in this hotly contested primary he could get a large enough chunk of voters was long-shot, but he sure gave us a run for our money.

*http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071221/30589_Iowa_Republicans_Rank_Abortion_as_Top_Issue.htm

Why the Churches Can't Keep the Pews Full

Ever since Vatican II, church attendance has been visibly decreasing. Fewer men and women are becoming ordained, Christian schools are closing or merging, and less and less people come to regular service. While participation in these organizations has been fading in modern countries like the US, 3rd world countries have been filled with religious zeal. As these occurrences are examined, Marx's ideas on the sedative characteristics of religion stick out: Religion gives hope to the man without a chance. In America and other countries with high standards of living, many people live comfortably with hope. However, loyal attendees of local services show us that there's more to Church than escaping 'fire and brimstone'.
During the Middle ages when most people were serfs on a fief, they had little to look forward to in life, except the afterlife. Today, 3rd world countries are hotbeds of the Christian faith. It's easy to see that throughout the ages, people experiencing a low standard of living have flocked to the Church for hope. Karl Marx called religion the "opium of the masses,"* indicating how hope of the afterlife allows one to accept the unfairness of life. It's obvious that whenever humanity has needed hope, humanity has clinged to the church to escape their pains in life. In addition, people have often looked to God when we need help. For instance, whenever we need something - whether it be strength, patience, or a steady job - do not we not immediately look to God?
So in a society where man consistently needs less and lives in a much more optimistic world, is religion practical? Your neighbors who attend mass regularly say yes. While the traditional tangible thoughts of hell and bad times once played a central role in people's faith, nowadays people attend for spiritual, not physical, enrichment. People need to remember that Church is not just a way to escape hell, but to better their lives.
The Church teaches that morality is necessary for salvation. I know that morality is necessary for true happiness.
* BrainyQuote.com; 2007 BrainyMedia.com; http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/k/karl_marx.html

The Possibility of a Palestinian State?

As President Bush toured the Middle East, a main issue has been Israeli-Palestinian Relations. Ever since the creation of Israel on May 14 1948, tensions between the Arab and Israeli states have been high, marked by many wars, such as the Arab-Israeli War. To ease these problems, President Bush and other World leaders want to create a completely autocratic Palestinian state. However, many cities in Israel are considered holy by Arabs, but are controlled by Jews. Jerusalem, for instance, is considered holy by both peoples, but it is controlled by the Jews. Due to the bad relationships caused by these territorial claims, necessary imports coming into Palestine, like medications, have been slowed by Israel. Separating these people is unfair and spurs on violence. However, a friend of mine commented that if grouped together the two peoples would kill each other, but what are they doing right now? If you look back in American History, there have always been tensions between blacks and whites, but through perseverance, racism is no longer a major problem.
The bottom line: integration of these two people might cause initial violence. However, there would be no purpose in fighting over holy sites, where most violence is derived. While Extremists may still exist, we cannot let these two separate to simply grow in hatred of each other.
Sources: Wikipedia.org keyword "Israel"

Keeping Our Head Above Water - Why We Need Change & Why It Isn't Coming

In my previous article I outlined a plan to help America become more independent and secure and our government more profitable. Now I am going to discuss why we can't be in competition with China and why we still will be.

According to the General Administration of Customs, last year, Chinese exports to America increased from "25.7 percent to US$1.2 trillion, while imports rose 20.8 percent to US$955.8 billion."* In addition the US has a "$232.5 billion trade deficit"* with China. Their ability to produce cheaper products has caused most companies abandon the US. America, once known for exporting to around the world has been overpowered. Unfortunately, no tax breaks or innovation incentives like Mitt Romney has suggested will be able to equalize the playing field. While these things help, an American would never work for the amount of money that most Chinese factory workers receive. The China Daily reported in 2005 that the minimum wage in Shanghai and Shenzhen, for instance, was $77 and $83 a month**. That's $924 and $996 a year along with the fact that the number of hours worked in that month isn't dictated. In America, it would be illegal to pay a factory worker that much. Regardless of lowered costs, China's workforce is purely more economical than ours.
However, using the plan outlined in my previous article would result in not just gains, but also losses. Many people, for instance, would lose their jobs and that scares the nation, even though more manufacturing jobs would be opened. In addition, most businesses in or partially operating in China and similar countries would be upset at these taxes. Due to this change and the urgings of major companies, it is unlikely the country would ever be able to make this jump to easily. Just remember, be wary of candidate's promises on trade and make sure they explore the possible effects of their ideas.

* Tapei Times; Saturday, January 12 2008, page 10 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2008/01/12/2003396840

**China Daily; June 1, 2005; http://www.china.org.cn/english/2005/Jun/130709.htm

Keeping Our Head Above Water - Our Economy and Romney's Plan

With the Presidential Primaries in Michigan on Tuesday and Mitt Romney desperate for a win, he has been running television ads aimed at economic issues, a major topic due to economic woes in the State. Once known for its worldwide manufacturing prowess, the state home to the Motor City has not been faring well. The Big Three - GM, Ford, and Chrysler - have nearly bowed out to Toyota, a Japanese Auto Manufacturer. Because many towns were centered around production plants, the entire economy of many cities has gone awry. Coupled with oursourcing IT and other jobs, Michigan needs help. Romney calls for lowered taxes on big business and more incentives for innovation in order to compete in the global market. However, lowering taxes does not help a government plagued by War debt and may cause a reverse Tax War, where countries in Asia and US lower taxes continually in order to keep our businesses going overseas. Instead we should increase taxes on imports coming in.
While this may be bad for companies with plants in foreign countries, this will not only help our government, but also our economy.
First, it's obvious to see that raising taxes helps replenish government funds and that the only businesses taxed are those working out of cheaper countries. This would be a good way to make up for War debt as opposed to raising the income tax. In addition, if income taxes are raised to pay off debt, this could cause a decrease in spending and consequently hurt the economy.
However, this could cause a tax war, where the countries that export to America also raise taxes on imports coming to their country, causing some mixed effects. Because American demand needs to be filled, the loss of the foreign market would force consumers to buy American. An American company that sells steel to Japan for building Cars, for instance, would lose profits because increased taxes on Japanese Cars has lost them business. Conversely, the company would gain business from the increasing Auto industry in America, creating only more jobs in the American auto industry. Unfortunately, if countries whose goods we have raised taxes on, raise taxes on us, then American businesses, like agriculture, whose field of demand lies in those countries would suffer.
There would be ups and downs, but this would make American more independent, stop Asia and other countries from taking over our market, and ensure our government gets its fair share. While some businesses may be upset over the loss of the dirt cheap labor, this keeps the US market from competing with China's juggernaut labor force. Romney's plan would aid in this competition, but there is no security and our government would not be getting the funds it needs to repay its debts.
Note: I am hoping to write a small follow up on the possible effects of this plan on other countries.

New Hampshire Primaries - Duh

How could I have so silly. I totally forgot about McCain in New Hampshire when I wrote about my prediction. Now it's the night of and here I am realizing that my previous article has nothing about him. As seen in the poll's and after his comments about Romney in the Republican Debate, McCain is a deadlock for the conservative New Hampshire. In addition, after Romney was torn apart by McCain on the debate, I expect an even worse finish from him. I even made the mistake of saying Giuliani would win when he has not been campaigning. I must have mixed them up. Once again, I am very sorry I wrote an article with so little thought or research.

Huckabee for President?

While Huckabee beat out his closest competitor by 9% at the Iowa caucus, his followers shouldn't get too excited. An Associated Press estimate said 30 to 50 percent of repubilicans going to the caucus were Evangelical Christians*. Huckabee's success in this state came from his religous beliefs. In addition, he also leads the polls in South Carolina which has a large evangelical population. However, since Giuliani did not actively campaign in Iowa, he was not accounted for how much he will split the votes of candidates like Romney in the next caucuses. On the other hand, with not so good finishes from candidates like Thompson, it can be expected that some candidates will drop out of the race which will most likely add more votes to candidates like Romney or Giuliani. My prediction for New Hampshire: Giuliani with Romney in a spacious second and Huckabee trailing Romney.
*http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071221/30589_Iowa_Republicans_Rank_Abortion_as_Top_Issue.htm