Humanitarian Assistance

America is a very rich country.

In the past most of our representatives, from both parties, accepted that gives us a responsibility to help areas ravaged by war or natural disasters.  We also provide foreign aid to undeveloped countries to help them improve their condition.

Now that have been many motivations for this sort of aid including preventing the spread of communism but most Americans and their representatives understood we had something of an obligation to share with those less fortunate.

There are some legitimate concerns about whether this is actually a function of Government but nevertheless it has been generally supported on a bipartisan level.

Recently, for political reasons, some people are trying to get us to deny aid to people clearly in need of it.  Among other things they argue we can't afford it or we should help our own people instead.

Now, without going into the detail of what we do for our veterans, homeless and disaster victims, the help we provide to the world really doesn't impact it.

There has always been a vein of selfishness in the country, but it seems to be rising to the surface.  The amount of money involve in these type of efforts is not enough to make much difference in taxes or the national debt.

It is in fact a bit shameful and sad that this desperate people are being used for political purposes.

Debate Issues

There are things that can be criticized about Hillary Clinton, as there most likely are about anyone.  However, blaming her for Benghazi when she was Secretary of State is only valid if you blame the Secretary of Defense for the death of every soldier.  Its a really ludicrous thing.

Similarly, the use of a private server caused no real issues to anyone.  Had she used two blackberries, we would have had no access to any of those 30,000 private e-mails anyways.  Its all smoke and mirrors because there are no real issues to bring up.  Even if you believe she potentially jeopardized security, there's no evidence that the risk materialized.

Now the rest of the allegations are generally ludicrous and not worth even discussing.

Now we live in an age where baseless rumors can be spread by certain networks and social media.  The ease of spreading false stories creates a certain sense among many people that if there'es so much smoke there must be some fire.

Its also clear that this puts a heavier responsibility on the average voter to seek out the truth.

Now in the recent debate a lot of Trump supporters thought he should have pressed the two issues above.  Maybe he was reticent but maybe he was actually smart enough to know they get more traction in forums where they can't be easily rebutted.

Were he to press them he would have had to explain what Hillary did wrong, which is not a good position for him.  Simply saying at rallies that she should go to jail for it is more his style than having to defend a position.

Now, the trouble is he has supporters who actually think there is meat on those bones.  Well there isn't and he knows it, and he doesn't want them to find out.

Where's the coordination

Another unarmed black man got shot yesterday by police who said he assumed a "shooting stance".

Now in this case his sister called the police to get her maentally disturbed brother some help.  Not sure how you define help, but her call was unsuccessful in my opinion.

Now, a lot of details still need to come out, but they responded, approached the disturbed individual at which point he took something (not a gun) from his pocket and pointed it.   Now this could be perceived as a threat and one cop fired a taser while another one fired five bullets.

The effectiveness of the taser can't be determined but the bullets did work.

Now, at the moment of confrontation, split second reactions are hard to control, especially if the very sight of a young black man is terrifying to you.

However, and maybe I'm spoiled by television, where was the plan and coordination?

You respond to a call about a mentally challenged individual acting erratically and decide to provoke a confrontation?

Where is the negotiator or the person with the bullhorn trying to talk him down?

Yes guess it would take some time and cost some money, but isn't a persons life worth something?

I'm waiting for the justified shooting report.

Debate thoughts

When one of the big arguments by Trump supporters on social media concerns Hillary's looks, they should read up on misogyny.  BTW the good she has done in this world makes her trully a beautiful person.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mysteries-love/201502/12-ways-spot-misogynist

Wonder how the NRA feels about Trump considering gun control for people on watch lists?

Stop and frisk is racial profiling the way it is done. In addition it is unreasonable search and seizure.  Stopping people and demanding their papers was fairly effective in Nazi Germany but we aren't in favor of it.

Creating jobs in America has a chance at success.  Bringing back jobs is highly unlikely.  NAFTA doesn't explain all the jobs that went to Asia.  It's economics.

Practicing discrimatory housing in the 70s because others were doing it, doesn't seem like a grreat excuse.

Think Donald regrets trying to be presidential, next time we will see the real bigot.

Wonder what kind of rare disease was causing those sniffles?

Hillery Clinton has been proposing solutions to issues her entire adult life.  Donald has been cheating investors, vendore and consumers.

Trump pushes a bobble head doll of Hillery in prison gear but her ads are unfair to him because they cite his actual positions?

When you appeal to the lowest type of emotions, you need to stay in groups of like minded people, or the rot starts to show.

Immigrants

There is a theme about how immigrants come to this country to lie around and collect benefits.  This is something that has been pushed by certain media outlets who have specific agendas

Now, first, most countries where immigrants come from have better social programs than the United States does, health care, pensions, etc.  Many Americans live in some delusional state concerning that until the have a serious medical condition and face the bills and deductibles of the American health system.  BTW, this isn't because of the Affordable Care Act, it predates it and was incorporated into it to promote private health care.

In addition pension benefits, child care, unemployment, educaton, around the world are often as good or better than what we offer here.

I'll provide some links about this, but information is widely available on the web from reputable sources.

Now the one thing America is is a place where business is able to make huge profits.

Many businesses complain about regulations and taxes but the environment in this country has always been among the friendliest.

So why do immigrants come here?

For the same reason they always have, to make money or escape opprssion.

This goes back to our earliest settlers.

The idea that some have that an immigrant who makes it to this country is treated royally is simply delusional.

Yes, as in every group, some figure out how to play the system, or engage in criminal activity, so do our native born people.

But most work hard, try to improve themselves and raise a family.

Illegals have the constant fear of being found out and deported.

They come to pursue the American dream where they can work hard in relative safety, practice their religion freely and improve their economic status for themselves and more importantly to most for their children.

Same as alway.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/03/which-best-countries-grow-old-in-pensions-benefits-happiness

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=858

Football's a Game, Politics is Real

Most Americans like football and the fall and football go together.  Its a bit of a dangerous game with the health consequences becoming more known, but it still provides a game with strategy, raw strength but also plays that require split second timing and tremendous talent to execute.

If you ever played the game on any level on a crisp autumn afternoon, the lessons it teaches include a lot of things we use, from wearing down your opponent to tricking them.

It contrasts with baseball in that it rewards size and strength and direct confrontations in a way that baseball doesn't.  Baseball has more of an intellectual aspect to it while football is controlled by the people in the trenches.  While these positions have a lot of skill involve and techniques, they look pretty much like big guys trying to knock each other down.  They enable the skill players to excel or fail by how well they do their job.

At the end of a football game, both sides can shake hands and go about their business preparing for the next opponent.  The crowd has victory or defeat to discuss and goes home generally unscathed.

Politics on the other hand is serious business.

The result can have a profound impact on peoples lives.

When the Nazis won in 1933 Germany, not many would have predicted the consequences.

That is a bit of an extreme example, but each election impacts us, and in our case the world we live in.

Presidents and congress send young men off to fight, they determine how to spend our tax money, they have a profound influence on the stock market.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where I see many people treating politics as a game, thinking nothing is going to change anyway so I'll vote for this outrageous candidate because I can.

Well things do change.

Wars happen.

Young men die.

Economies collapse.

You may not think your vote matters, but it does and you should really make sure you use it wisely.

It is the greatest benefit of being part of a free society we have.

Use it wisely, it will impact your future.

Saturday Ramblings

I do support the police, they get paid with my taxmoney.

I also expect them to do their job to the best of their abilities.

When they shoot someone, it is always a serious matter.

If they are too afraid to do their job properly they need to move on.

Its a tough and dangerous job that needs to have our best doing it.

I'm also not aware that they can decide to not do their job if they don't agree with someone's protest.

They need to be there to protect all citizens and residents, not just some of them.