Is America's Love Affair with Stupidity Finally Over? | | AlterNet

Is America's Love Affair with Stupidity Finally Over? | | AlterNet

I don't know... but the article certainly makes some good points, but misses it's target.

As long as the current media landscape maintains it's hold, STUPIDITY will continue to reign supreme. Witness TV game shows like: "I survived a Japanese Game Show", "Wipeout" and other things of this nature.

Are there people who are trying to raise our collective IQ. Sure. But not if we raise them to the level of a cult of personality. That won't work either.

So what's to be done. Frankly, the if people continue to be in love with what's available by the current media, there won't be much change, regardless of who is in the White House. That's why, ultimately, I disagree with the article writer.

Still, the chance exists, for a smarter tomorrow. Who knows. Even Sarah Palin has exited stage left. Maybe things are "turning up"...

Why is the USA Screwed -- Maybe Forever?

The historical precedent here is apt. The true comparison is the Roman Empire. We're more like them than people realize. I wrote about it in my blog post titled "Distractions" back before the 2004 election touching on many on the same themes that Frank shares with us here. Indeed, it is and has been my belief that this cultural warfare whether waged from the left or from the right is what distracts us from being a great nation like we used to be.



Are we an empire in decline? All the signs certainly point that way, and more and more commentators are starting to believe in what has been proposed in books and articles for some years now. I wonder if even with Obama's leadership this course we're one can be corrected. In other words, I am not as optimistic as Mr. Schaeffer appears to be.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

China baffles world with mystery bomber

Don't think for a minute that we're not in another 'Cold War' this time with China.

Am I afraid of China? Yes, yes, I am.

Do I hate China? No. They are an old, old civilization. What they have accomplished in the last 4,000 years has not been matched by very many cultures.

But keep these facts in mind before you read this article: 'China baffles world with mystery bomber'

1) Most of the companies I used to work for, have been sold to Chinese companies, with the attendant manufacturing transferred to China. Does that mean, they stole my job? Am I mad at the Chinese worker? No, but I am mad at the "Wealth" and "Power" hungry American CEO who sold out.

2) Most of the stuff you buy at Wal-Mart is made in China a lot cheaper that it can be made in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. People flock to Wal-Mart for these discounted prices. Hell! I am one of them, BECAUSE, I can't afford higher prices. BUT, is that a good thing for America (US)? If we build NOTHING, and we only consume the world's resources, don't we become dependant on the World at Large.

3) 'Marketplace' from American Public Media, did a whole two week series from China a couple of years back, touting all the economic improvements and jumps forward of the Chinese miracle. Yeah, Chinese miracle performed on American middle class dollars. And once the miracle is finished, and the dollar is worthless, What will China do?

4) China still has the world's largest population, even if Indian IS catching up. And what does a country like that need? RESOURCES! What has the competition for resources caused in the past? Wars!!! In a way of course, I am oversimplifying. There a lot more complicated factors involved. The optimist in the American side likes to propose that there is a rise of a middle-class in China, and the Middle-Class has always been the instigator of transformations in countries, either through revolutions or other means. But the pessimist sees over 800,000,000 working Chinese that have to have resources and food... AND THAT has to come from somewhere.

5) Throughout this 'Chinese miracle' one thing has remained a constant: China's inappropriately bad human rights record, it's abuses in Tibet (do I really need to provide you with a link to what is happening there today?) and it's political system. It's all connected. China's political system, is old style, Stalinist communist. My grandfather and my uncles fought against it. My aunt and my cousin were in communist prisons. Years of an ingrained system do not fade from power overnight. The new money of the 'Chinese Miracle' and the new technologies being procured legally and illegally are being funnelled straight into China's defense programs.

So, how long before China overcomes the USA in terms of technological superiority in the battlefield? Remember, America is no longer the World's # 1 economic power, and doesn't have the world's strongest currency. That currency is called the Euro. And the technological advantage that America enjoys comes from employing engineers who want to work in the defense industry or associated industries. But when those industries or jobs end-up going to China, where will these people work? How will the US maintain it's technology advantage?

One last point. The US is rapidly becoming a service oriented economy. Can such an economy generate enough research and development funds to keep us ahead of the Chinese? Even if we had enough available, trained engineers?

So, read the article, and ponder this:

We are in a Cold War with China. One we are rapidly losing. How long before they get ahead of us?

2010?
2020?
2030?

You make the call.....

Another good article....on Hillary's "BIG" Wins

Dr. James Zogby, had another very good argument about what Hillary's big wins means in the context of the democratic primary race. In effect and in summation, Hillary is expecting to go the National nominating convention and come from behind to overturn the WILL of the PEOPLE.

Does that sound right to you? It doesn't sound right to me either.

Another View on Hillary's unelectability

Although this is more of a problem about math, Jonathan Alter of Newsweek discusses how Hillary simply can not catch Barack Obama based on current delegate projections.

Is he right?

I will let you read the article and make your own determination, but I personally think that we're heading for an unfortunate showdown between a political "Machine" (the Hillary Clinton political Machine) and a novice Presidential Candidate who has the right ideas and the right solutions, but maybe can not overcome twenty years of two families running our country.

So, what to do? Suggestions?