Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Financial Shortfall or Deficit or Meltdown Looming for Social Security and Medicare- More Chronic Failures of the Embedded Political Parties
By
Molly the Robin
My name is Molly and I am an American robin. I learned to think by seeing myself in car door mirrors. I am a mother who has had several broods of hatchlings. A fellow wrote about my story in Animal Park. He only got half the story right as most people do. I use public school libraries which are often closed. I usually find windows or openings into schools. I only have to perch on a tree or bush or deck to watch television news where most Americans get their information is hardly worth the trouble most of the time.
On and on it goes. Newspaper articles are abuzz about the shortage of funds available for so-called entitlement programs. (Your national security is as much an entitlement program considering the trillions of dollars allocated to it for many decades.) The financial and management problems continue to mount decade after decade. National debt soaring. National deficit soaring. Yet it is services and benefits to the citizenry that are the problem that need adjustments in cost cutting and greater restrictions.
But all other government functions and spending that often produce negligible results despite their enormous costs in both the military and civilian sectors does not need to be reduced substantially or at all.
Now, it is certain that there ought to be at least two other political parties to help curtail government and focus government resources on its primary role utilizing prudence and fiscal responsibility. Unless the failure of the embedded political parties is not corrected the country will further decline, especially in government services that are essential.
Right now the government has created an empire it cannot afford but one which is often counterproductive for the maintenance of a country where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is becoming a burden caused primarily by the embedded political parties who seldom get any blame or criticism for their massive failures and ineptitude in governance.
Can't your country establish at least one or two more political parties to help solve the country's problems? When someone in our world cannot solve a problem they are either fired or others come to their assistance. But your kind dribbles and fumbles along with the same embedded parties for far too long creating more and more intractable problems in government. On issues of war and peace the fumbling and bumbling costing trillions of debt and financial waste including countless human lives continues abated signals a nation gone adrift with rulers who have become adept at pandering and misleading with a generally compliant press. The rulers are not interested in freedom, for they are constantly limiting freedom in the name of security. Your rulers are interested in retaining and enlarging their power as well as access to wealth, often using government to dole out millions of dollars to favorite groups and industries at the expense of the people.
I'll be flying off now hoping you will build upon your democracy from a minimalist one to one that is closer to maximum democracy strengthening your checks and balances, not weakening them.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
TELEVISION NEWS SHIELDS GOVERNMENT=UNSCRUTINIZED or SCANTILY SCRUTINIZED TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY AND UNEXAMINED LAWS
AND (REFORM YOUR MINIMALIST DEMOCRACY)
UNREGULATED GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT UNREPORTED OR SUBSTANTIALLY UNDER-REPORTED BY THE MAINSTREAM TELEVISION MEDIA WHICH BENEFITS FINANCIALLY FROM THE EXISTING LAWS REGARDING THE CREATION OF TELEVISION NETWORKS.
EXAMPLES OF CENSORSHIP BY THE MAINSTREAM TELEVISION NETWORKS AND CABLE NEWS PROGRAMMING:
CENSORED: THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE CIVILIANS KILLED AND MAIMED IN ANOTHER OPTIONAL WAR BEGUN WITH LIES
CENSORED: MILLIONS OF IRAQI REFUGEES WHO HAVE FLED THEIR COUNTRY
CENSORED: THE NUMBER OF IRAQI CIVILIANS KILLED AND MAIMED IN A RECENT OPTIONAL WAR BEGUN WITH LIES
CENSORED: THE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST THROUGH WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE IN MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CONTRACTS
CENSORED: THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT ON THE U.S. ECONOMY AND THE AMERICAN CITIZENRY BY THE TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES-DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
CENSORED: THE WASTE IN EDUCATIONAL SPENDING IN THE U.S.A. WITH INSUFFICIENT ACCOUNTABILITY
CENSORED: THE INCREASING FINANCIAL DISASTER OF THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM ON THE COUNTRY WITH WOEFULLY INADEQUATE OR MEANINGLESS CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THE PARTIES OR WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
CENSORED: THE NUMBER OF ELECTIONS WHERE THE INCUMBENT IS RE-ELECTED WITH OR WITHOUT AN OPPONENT AT A 95% RATE
CENSORED: THE EXTENT AND HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL-CONGRESSIONAL COMPLEX ON THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
CENSORED: THE REASONS FOR LACK OF GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT ON THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY AND THE FINANCIAL BENEFICIARIES OF SUCH A POLICY
SOLUTIONS: 24/7 ACCOUNTABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT IN FINANCIAL AND POLICY AUDITS ON EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE USING THE EXISTING AND EXPANDED STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORTING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
MORE THOROUGH AND INCISIVE REPORTING BY THE NEWS MEDIA ON GOVERNMENT FAILURES AND SUCCESSES BY MERGING THE BEST PRINT REPORTING INTO TELEVISION NEWS PROGRAMMING.
EASING RESTRICTIONS ALLOWING OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES PARTICIPATION IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS ENDING THE WINNER TAKE ALL SAND BOX SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHEN ONE PARTY DOMINATES LEGISLATION. COMPROMISE CREATED THE CONSTITUTION, NOT THE DOMINATION OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS BY ONE GROUP OR POLITICAL PARTY.
LIMITING GOVERNMENT REVENUES AND SPENDING OF GOVERNMENT UTILIZING A COST-BENEFIT COMPONENT EMPHASIZING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS
OPEN ENDED SPIGOT OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING A FISCAL DISASTER. PAY ALL GOVERNMENT SALARIES BASED ON THE MEDIAN INCOME OF AMERICANS. GOVERNMENT SERVICE MEANS BEING A SERVANT TO THE PEOPLE WITH JOB SECURITY.
BALANCE THE NATIONAL BUDGET BY ENACTING A LAW TO DO SO.
PROFESSIONAL LOBBYISTS OUGHT TO BE PROHIBITED FROM MEETING WITH ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. PERMANENTLY PROHIBIT ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES FROM WORKING AS LOBBYISTS WHEN THEY LEAVE GOVERNMENT SERVICE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH ALREADY HAS TERM LIMITS-WISELY INITIATED VOLUNTARILY BY PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON. ENACT TERM LIMITS INTO LAW FOR LEGISLATORS. FOR EXAMPLE, FIVE TERMS FOR MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THREE TERMS FOR U.S. SENATE. LONGER TERMS SUCH AS 30 TO 40 OR MORE YEARS IS MORE LIKE ROYALTY OR MONARCHICAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
DEVISE NEW AND INNOVATIVE LAWS THAT STRENGTHEN THE FREEDOMS OF THE CITIZENRY AS WELL AS GREATER OVERSIGHT OVER GOVERNMENT. THE GREATEST DANGER TO FREEDOM IS GOVERNMENT AND EVERY STEP THAT GOVERNMENT TAKES THROUGH LAWS THAT RESTRICT FREEDOM OUGHT TO HAVE COMMENSURATE RESTRICTIONS AND LAWS ON GOVERNMENT FROM OVERSTEPPING ITS AUTHORITY ON THE CITIZENRY INCLUDING CRIMINAL PENALTIES AGAINST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
MORE SOLUTIONS:
- THE UNITED STATES: JUST LEAVE THE WORLD ALONE
- USE DIPLOMACY, OBJECTIVE AND FAIR DIPLOMACY FOR ALL PARTIES
- BEFORE U.S. RESOURCES ARE UTILIZED OVERSEAS COUNTRIES OUGHT TO BE REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE IN DETAIL-ECONOMIC, HEALTH, INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND NON-PROFITS OUGHT TO BE INTEGRATED TO FULFILL THIS MISSION.
- IN CRIMINAL ACTS LIKE 9/11 LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH SPECIAL MILITARY FORCES SHOULD APPREHEND CRIMINALS, NOT INVASION OF ENTIRE COUNTRIES.
- MUSTER THE POLITICAL COURAGE TO UTILIZE IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE SO LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
- CONTINUAL LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT PROMOTES FAILURE AND CORRUPTION
- TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY MEANS REMOVAL FROM ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICE, TRY IT, IT MIGHT DO YOUR INCREASINGLY MINIMALIST DEMOCRACY A WORLD OF GOOD
- MANDATE TELEVISION NETWORKS AND STATIONS BE AUCTIONED EVERY 25 YEARS
- LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TELEVISION STATIONS OWNED BY ONE CORPORATION.
By
If we ran a railroad like you run yours, that is Amtrak, we would have been out of business long ago. And we would have had a conscience not to deceive and misrepresent our actions to the people. We do not need the guarantee of a free press because everyone in our domain is usually scrupulously honest, sincere and fair. Dishonesty and deception is a rarity for us, not a commonplace occurrence visiting us every morning and night.
My name is Molly and I am an American robin. I learned to think by seeing myself in car door mirrors. I am a mother who has had several broods of hatchlings. A fellow wrote about my story in Animal Park. He only got half the story right as most people do. I use public school libraries which are often closed. I usually find windows or openings into schools. I only have to perch on a tree or bush or deck to watch television news where most Americans get their information is hardly worth the trouble most of the time.
In your era television news has created a News Shield by minimizing and often neglecting to report on the mismanagement, mistakes and gross inefficiencies of government protecting the political establishment because it is mutually financially beneficial to do so. The incomplete coverage of news protects elected officials by removing or limiting adverse facts and information becoming an asset and benefit to elected officials. As a result, television news is often Just Junks news.
As I fly across this country it is clear that the television news does not focus much on government spending. For instance, I read something in the library written by someone who calculated that it costs about $400,000 to maintain a private in Iraq or Afghanistan. Now somebody ought to figure out how much your foes are spending to maintain their lowest level fighter in the field. That's a story and what are the implications of such a story in warfare today.
Your species may think it is superior to us, but believe me you are not superior. The death and destruction you have wrought to your own kind as well as to our environment on this planet is ultimate negligence and ignorance.
I flew over Amtrak trains and they cost a lot of money to operate at a loss while the fares across country to other states is not competitive with air travel. Slow and costly government run trains in a free market-now that doesn't make sense.
The cost overruns in the military and even in the educational system go unexamined every day while the expenses keep spiraling upward and onward. Meanwhile the educational system is good in some places and very bad in other places. You've even got an expense Department of Education that can't seem to get it right, except their budget.
On and on government department after government department never scrutinized, never criticized, never held accountable for very much, if anything from health care to education. Where are the improvements, the efficiencies and effectiveness in foreign and domestic policies?
Well, there is talk of change in every election, but the change never benefits the American people substantially, only marginally at times. Mostly, things get more expensive and worse.
The greatest asset your elected politicians have is the apathy of their constituency and the Junk News on television day after day avoiding the financial scrutiny of the national government, one might think they are partners in a great financial scheme that is very profitable for them.
You can't say you have a lawless society, but you can say you have obedient, compliant, subservient, obsequious elected members of Congress who are "wrapped around the party's little finger" and "under the party's thumb" who pass suspect laws. A country of the people, by the people and for the people has been supplanted by a country "of the party, by the party and for the party". The two monopoly parties that is. Freedom is contained in two often politically mischievous parties who have little accountability and some elected members do not even have an opponent, for they "run" unopposed called a non-election election.
I'll be flying off now, but it sure appears that your government's policies and outcomes are often expensive failures which were passed into law without the elected representatives even reading the laws. They just usually follow the orders of their party leaders and vote on laws they do not read.
