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-- In order to find out who had won the Republican primary in Florida yesterday, I had to sift through three news wires before I got to the BBC and its straightforward report: Mitt Romney won, taking 46% of the vote. Newt Gingrich took 32%. All the other newswires were so busy expounding their opinions after the primary that they seemed to forget to mention the bedrock statistics. I am interested in who won, but am up-to-here with thoughtful and basically-useless analyses.
-- A report suggests that the Taliban -- a grouping of people which the West loves to excoriate and has made the premise of an 11-year war -- is poised to retake Afghanistan when NATO and other forces depart. Based on the high-minded criticisms of the past (and the Taliban is truly a scary persuasion), the West is looking at a major policy black eye if the report comes true.
-- A study has made some progress in decoding the 'internal voices' represented by human brain waves. Researchers point out that there is a lot more work to do, but the very notion of being able to tell what someone is thinking without their enunciating it is pretty exciting/frightening.
-- The 'Occupy' movement is largely out of the headlines these days, but pops up every now and again as police and other officials lose patience and find excuses for breaking up various demonstration points. Some 400 were arrested in Oakland last Saturday. And then, today, there is the report of another sweep in Miami on Tuesday. The Occupy movement does us all a kindness by asserting that the rule of democracy is NOT that "the people should be seen but not heard." It may be messy and unfocused, but considering the alternative, the Occupy folks are doing a good thing.
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What we need at this time are analyses of issues by those who might have some expertise in the issues.
ReplyDeleteFor example the AARP weighed in the the candidates views regarding Social Security here:
http://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/
The way I read their views, here's not one Republican candidate who will help those who have retire or who will soon retire.
Young one better get themselves together and consult with some financial advisors and set up your own retirement package -- annuity, IRA, Keogh whatever.
More than ever middle class retirees and soon-to-bes need their own PAC, lobbyists and most importantly a grass-roots movement. Be your own light but remember the usefulness of multiple bulbs.
BTW -- The AARP is keeping track of the delegates won by the candidates.
The Onion's proposal for Social Security seems less and less farfetched: http://youtu.be/9QuFnOYcy4E
ReplyDeleteSaw already. Funny? Not so much. Possible? Sure. If the country ever gets a Republican president, house and senate a softer version of the onion video is likely; it'll be couched in terms like "deregulation," "personal responsibility," etc.
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