Monday, May 4, 2009

So far, Obama is actually a great president

I didn't jump aboard the Obama bandwagon until it was between him and Hillary. I wasn't a fan of Hillary, so I kept my fingers crossed for Obama in the primary and the general election. He promised widespread change in America during his campaign. so what is that change, exactly?

The right-wing media has been grappling around for every kind of criticism they can throw at the president, from bashing him for (gasp) saying we aren't a Christian nation, to (gasp) shaking the hand of Hugo Chavez, or (gasp) bowing as a sign of respect to a Saudi leader. The greatest amount of criticism has been thrown at Obama for his spending plan and the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act. Glenn Beck and the rest of the FOX crew have done a very good job at distorting and spinning the truth for the convenience of their audience.

What with the contrived populist anger drummed by right-wing talk radio and conservative blogs, I think the outspoken ignorant masses drown out the other 60% of Americans who actually approve of what our president has done in his past 100 days or so. I'm going to point out a few positive things Obama has done, seeing as that news rarely gets heard in the midst of all the nonsense.

In 100 days, our president has-

~Repealed restrictions on federal funding of stem cell research.

~Decriminalized marijuana.

Lifted a ban on federal funding for planned parenthood facilities.

~Approved continued funding for NASA's moon/mars habitat program, 'Project Constellation.

~climbed in bed with America's largest nuclear power company.


~Appointed nobel prize winning physicist Steven Chu as energy secretary.


~Appointed Harvard professor John Holdren as environmental advisor.

~Confirmed the construction of highspeed rail between major cities.

He's also been accused of diverting federal tax dollars to those dreaded "special interests" with his "pork-laden" stimulus bill. While the "pork" republicans talk about amounts to less than 2% of the bill's language, I'd like to show all of you who those "special interest" groups are who are benefiting from Obama's spending plan.

$86.6 billion for Medicaid
Special interest group: the sick

$40 billion to provide extended unemployment benefits through Dec. 31, and increase them by $25 a week
Special interest group: the unemployed

$19.9 billion for the Food Stamp Program
Special interest group: the poor & hungry

$13 billion for low-income public schoolchildren
Special interest group: poor children

$6 billion for the cleanup of radioactive waste (mostly nuclear power plant sites)
Special interest group: the irradiated

$2 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (drinking water infrastructure improvements)
Special interest group: humans

Obama isn't taking your land, or your gun, or your bible, or your bible's gun's land. He isn't making us ripe for terror attacks, and he isn't a muslim socialist tyrant trying to rend the constitution apart. Give the man a chance, and let him continue to right the wrongs of the previous administration.

5 comments:

  1. Sounds like we have a good president there sir. I wasn't aware of the reform on the drinking water infrastructure, or that he'd passed anything solid on the tram system.. but really for both of those it's about time. I'm hungover and drinking a bottle of tap water right now, both bottled and tap water are things I consider poison at this current juncture... but neccesary to be rid this damn slouchiness that comes with too much drinking and not enough hydration before I slept, I'd like it if it was actually a healthier alternative than the hair of the dog what bit me.

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  2. woot woot!

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  3. Sean Penn recently accepted his award for best actor on "Milk" by giving a speech on gay rights. In his speech, he spoke of the "great shame in the eyes of our grandchildren" and further stated that "we got to have equal rights for everyone."

    Enter Obama and the (majority) of the Democratic Party in relation to the unborn. Support for Planned Parenthood, embryonic stem cells and several affronts to the unborn with the selection of so many anti-lifers makes this first 100 days sad ones for those who support the voiceless unborn.

    The "great shame" that so many supporters of "pro-choice" (anti-life) measures will have to face someday is the reality that when a sperm and egg meet, life is created. Human life, in embryonic state. Try to twist and spin that any way you can, but it is completely true, verifiable even by science.

    When you accept this to be true, you also then realize that destruction of said embryo is the destruction of human life. In that way, we are denying someone the right to life as proclaimed in our declaration of independence.

    I know you will not agree with me, Carl, but I just had to respond to you stating that funding Planned Parenthood and (Embryonic) Stem Cell research is some kind of wonderful thing. While Obama is doing much good with other spending, he is unfortunately contributing to the approximately 3,700 citizens a day, which is roughly 9\11 and a third, who are denied the right even to live in our country that is supposedly a beacon of freedom again now that Obama is president.

    As an ardent non-supporter of Democrats or Republicans, I urge you to ask yourself why our freedom is retracted from our youngest citizens, and how we can justify it any longer.

    Peace,
    Ryan

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  4. Ryan,

    With all due respect, that's a very asinine and selfish point of view. The earth is expected to have a global population of 8-10 billion people by 2050. The earth cannot provide enough resources for 8-10 billion people without global crisis. The population rate is exploding, and needs to be quelled if we want our planet to survive.

    If the government stepped in and told women they had to have every single child, no matter the circumstances (rape, incest) then you would soon see the population skyrocket, thus expediting the depletion of our precious and few resources, which we still continue to consume unsustainably at a disastrous rate.

    If, as you put it, those 3700 citizens being killed daily were forced into existence against the will of their mothers, America would soon become like China. Excessive breeding (i.e. Octomom) needs to stop being idolized and adored by culture, and responsible breeding needs to be encouraged.

    Also, stem cell research has been proven to cure dozens of conditions and save lives. If you'd like sources on that claim, I'll provide them. But you and I both know that science and medical research has improved leaps and bounds by embryonic stem cell research. Ending that program would effectively slow scientific advancement to a crawl. Not to mention aborted fetuses and embryos would just go to waste, instead of serve the purpose of saving a life or curing a disease.

    I know you're a proud father and feel differently about this than I do, but sometimes, it's better for fetuses to never be born than to be brought into a dysfunctional, broken household to be a cumbersome burden on those who would normally be unwilling to care for them. And if the government outlawed abortion, it would still take place, just in bathrooms wioth coathangers instead of hospitals with sterilized medical equipment.

    It's beyond me to see why anyone would want to force all embryos to be born, let alone end stem cell research.

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  5. I'm not sure how you can call somebody asinine and selfish with any respect, but whateva. I have (recently) tried to treat you respectfully, even when we disagree.

    As far as overpopulation is concerned-anybody with the ability to use Google can find examples that defend and debunk overpopulation:

    http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0500overpopulation.htm

    http://www.jefflindsay.com/Overpop.shtml (some good links at the bottom of this article as well)

    We then have to ask ourselves how ethical it is to destroy human beings in development over a situation that is hypothetical. I know that "John and Kate Plus Eight" makes "Octomom" appear idolized, but in the real world, most people do not view this to be an ideal situation. If you don't believe me, go out shopping, eating, Krogering and see how many families have two or less kids. Finding more can be pretty challenging.

    As far as embryonic stem cells are concerned, I think we need to look at the possibility of other, more ethical types (and safer) of stem cells being used, such as adult stem cells. A short fact sheet:

    http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.com/pros_cons.html

    Furthermore, since when does being born in a broken home take away your right to live? If anything, as citizens, when we notice these abuses (I call the hotline as a teacher on average about 3-4 times a year) we need to inform the proper authorities. Human beings actually helping each other, not killing each other, is an answer I think most reading this could agree upon.

    Finally, something occurring illegally is not a good reason to legalize it. Certainly, there are questionable laws (marijuana usage, speed limits etc.) but laws that are in place for good reason, such as murder being illegal. The probable existence of back alley clinics if abortion is ever made illegal does not justify abortions legality. That make as much sense as gaining a permit to lawfully murder someone. There's a reason such a thing doesn't exist... yet. The way our world is going, it would not shock me.

    -Ryan

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