ABC News: ‘This Week’s Powerhouse Roundtable’

ABC News: 'This Week' Powerhouse Roundtable (9-22-2013)Source:ABC News talking about the incoming Federal Government shutdown.

“Newt Gingrich, Robert Reich, Gwen Ifill, and Jeff Zeleny on the week in politics.”

From ABC News

From what I’ve already said about this:

“I wouldn’t say that the Tea Party House government shutdown is a political suicide mission, because this plan (if you want to call it that) doesn’t even seem to have a mission, or even a pilot. It’s more like drunk people at a pool with a group of them going up on the high dive, blindfolded, and one of them falls off and never makes it to the water. And that’s assuming that House Republicans are politically suicidal to go through with this. Or, are they just doing this for their right-wing-populist base and trying to tell them that they’re doing whatever they can to try to end the Affordable Care Act. (Also known as ObamaCare)”

From FRS FreeState

Just to correct Speaker New Gingrich on something first:

He said that President Obama is not willing to negotiate with House Republicans on anything, to prevent the government shutdown. Not true. The White House and Senate Democrats, as well as Senate Republicans, are all on board to go with the House’s numbers, on all the appropriations bills and the Federal budget. Which is how government funding negotiations between The White House and Congress are supposed to work, both sides work together, especially with not just a divided government, but a divided Congress, with a Republican House and Democratic Senate.

Tea Party Republicans in the House got their vote on so-called ObamaCare and that is as far as that goes, because it is dead in the Senate. And if House Republicans say shut down ObamaCare or they’ll shut the government down, they’ll get blamed for that and pay a heavy price for it. And Republican leaders in the House and Senate both know that.

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Thomas Pangle: Liberal Education & Liberal Democracy

University of Texas: Thomas Pangle: Liberal Education & Liberal DemocracySource:University of Texas– Professor Thomas Pangle.

“Video recording of a lecture given at Furman University on March 23, 2011 as part of their Tocqueville Lecture Series.
Keywords

political science, liberal education, liberal democracy, democracy”

From The University of Texas

Liberal education to me at least is about teaching people how to think, not what to think. Separating fact from fiction as well as opinion. And once people are educated and able to do these things for themselves, they tend to do well and are able to make the right decisions and inform intelligent opinions and views based on the best available evidence.

Liberal democracy is about rights and freedom. Not just voting and voting to take away people’s rights. And freedom and somehow calling that democracy. But in liberal democracy, voting is of course part of that but more importantly (I would argue) individual rights and freedom are paramount. And that all individuals have that until we infringe on others rights and freedom. And ability for them to live their own lives.

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The White House: ‘Weekly Address: Congress Must Act Now to Pass a Budget and Raise The Debt Ceiling’

The White House: Weekly Address: Congress Must Act Now to Pass a Budget and Raise the Debt CeilingSource:The White House– President Barack H. Obama (Democrat, Illinois)

“In his weekly address, President Obama says the economy is making progress five years after the worst recession since the Great Depression, but to avoid another crisis, Congress must meet two deadlines in the coming weeks: pass a budget by the end of the month to keep the government open, and raise the debt ceiling so America can pay its bills. Congress should vote to do these now, so that we can keep creating new jobs and expanding opportunity for the middle class.”

From The White House

As I’ve already written about this:

“I wouldn’t say that the Tea Party House government shutdown is a political suicide mission, because this plan (if you want to call it that) doesn’t even seem to have a mission, or even a pilot. It’s more like drunk people at a pool with a group of them going up on the high dive, blindfolded, and one of them falls off and never makes it to the water. And that’s assuming that House Republicans are politically suicidal to go through with this. Or, are they just doing this for their right-wing-populist base and trying to tell them that they’re doing whatever they can to try to end the Affordable Care Act. (Also known as ObamaCare)”

From FRS FreeState

I like it. Running against Congress, mainly the Tea Party faction in the House Republican Conference. Because there are even Senate Republicans who disagree with the Tea Party strategy. (If you want to call it that)

The Tea Party today, is basically praying for a miracle that somehow Senate Democrats and President Obama would repeal their own healthcare reform bill. But, running against the Tea Party to try to get Congress to do their basic fundamental number one job. Which is to pass a federal budget and avoid a government shutdown.

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Yale University: Nicholas Wolterstorff- On Faith in Liberal Democracy

Nicholas Wolterstorff

Source:Yale University– Professor Nicholas Wolterstorff

“Miroslav Volf interviews Nicholas Wolterstorff of Yale University about the place of faith in liberal democracy. Wolterstorff discusses the strengths and weaknesses of various secular and faith-based conceptions of justice and the public sphere, making a case for the relevance of religiously shaped discourses in deliberative democracies.”

Source:Yale University

Faith in liberal democracy is about the freedom of and from religion. But that they are separate from the state and that all of these things come from the Constitution.

People have the right to practice, or not practice religion and that we have separation of church and state based on the Constitution. And that even though we have the freedom to believe what we believe. But we do not have the right to force our views on others especially through law. The right to be heard, but not the right to harass people with your views who disagree with you.

Liberals, get stereotyped as being anti-religion and that if anything we would want to see religion eliminated if not outlawed in society. Even though Liberals created the Freedom of Religion when we wrote the U.S. Constitution and created the United States. As well as the Bill of Rights that gives us all of these individual rights and freedom of choice to make these decisions for ourselves. Not the right to force our views on people who disagree with us. Which is much different and fascist even. But the fact is liberalism is built around individual freedom, rights and choices. And not statist, or fascist at all.

Now, I do believe that Liberals tend to be more secular than let’s say Christian Conservatives, or Islamists. That goes without saying, because a big part of liberalism has to do with reason and evidence. That you go where the best available facts and evidence are. And take your positions and make your views based on that. Instead of using faith to make those decisions for yourself.

But this is much different from saying that just because I or someone else is secular, that everyone else should be, or they have to be as well even through law. But again, liberalism is about individual freedom, choice and rights. That the individual can make these decisions for themselves.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

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Senate Democrats: ‘Reasonable Republicans Reject Extremist Republicans Shutdown Agenda’

Senate Democrats: Reasonable Republicans Reject Extremist Republicans' Shutdown AgendaSource:Senate Democrats– U.S. Senator John McCain (Republican, Arizona) talking to CNN about the government shutdown.

“Republicans fight each other over the irrational plan to shutdown the government over Obamacare.”

From the Senate Democrats

I wouldn’t say that the Tea Party House government shutdown is a political suicide mission, because this plan (if you want to call it that) doesn’t even seem to have a mission, or even a pilot. It’s more like drunk people at a pool with a group of them going up on the high dive, blindfolded, and one of them falls off and never makes it to the water. And that’s assuming that House Republicans are politically suicidal to go through with this. Or, are they just doing this for their right-wing-populist base and trying to tell them that they’re doing whatever they can to try to end the Affordable Care Act. (Also known as ObamaCare)

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The New America Foundation: Peter Beinart: ‘On The Rise of The New Left’

Peter Beinart

Source:New America Foundation– political commentator Peter Beinart about about the New-Left in America, the Millennial version.

“In a recent piece for The Daily Beast, New America Senior Fellow Peter Beinart wrote that the Democratic Party is making its next left turn—and driving away from the center.”

From the New America Foundation

The New-Left came alive in the late 1960s as part of the Baby Boom Generation to oppose the Vietnam War and who weren’t fans of capitalism and perhaps private enterprise all together. And wanted to see the rich be forced to give up a lot of their money to take care of the poor. As well as the environmental movement and what is called the gay rights movement.

What happened to the Boomer version of the New-Left, they essentially formed what we know as the Green Party today: a left-wing, social democratic party, that is anti-war if not anti-military all together, want tough laws when it comes to protecting the environment.Greens, are anti-American capitalism and would like to see a new American economic system that is based around a welfare state.

The Green Socialists (as I call them) also represents part of the Far-Left in the Democratic Party, who are only Democrats in a lot of cases so they can be part of a major political party, that at least shares their values and in some cases their ideas as well, who do not want to go the third-party route.

My point being that this movement on the Left that the Democratic Leadership needs to listen to a certain extent, that they are not big enough or posses the resources to seriously cause a revolution in the Democratic Party and force them to change. They are only big enough to cost Democrats elections when they do not show up and vote.

The Republican Party has their fringe, obviously that gets talked a lot on this blog. But the Democratic Party has there’s that looks and is outside of the American mainstream on a lot of issues as well. Not saying they’re bad people, but most Americans like the American military and support our veterans and soldiers and everything else.

The New-Left (on the other hand) sees our military as part of the problem when it comes to world peace and even as the bad guys.

The New-Left in America is made up for three relevant political factions:

Closeted Socialists in and outside of the Democrat Party, who are Liberals, Progressives, and Democrats (in name only)

As well as self-described Socialists or Democratic Socialists, people like Senator Bernie Sanders (the only self-described Socialist in Congress, but not the only one)

People who I at least would call Neo-Communists, people who aren’t self-described as Communists and perhaps aren’t looking to completely overthrow our democratic form of government, but want a real political revolution in America.

And thanks to the American economy not being as strong as dominant as it was 15 years ago, radical movements like this can emerge, because you have a lot of people who are looking for real changes to our system.

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New America Foundation: Daniel Deudney- Liberal Democracy vs. Autocracy

New America Foundation_ Daniel Deudney - Liberal Democracy vs_ AutocracySource:New America Foundation hosting a discussion about liberal democracy.

“G. John Ikenberry and Daniel Deudney discusses their article, “The Myth of the Autocratic Revival: Why Liberal Democracy Will Prevail”. Dimitri Simes concludes the discussion.”

From the New America Foundation

I love the word liberalization as a Liberal, because it means opening things up and freeing people to live their lives. Which is what happened to Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 90s, as well as some of the former Slavic Russian republics that were part of the Soviet Union of Russia. And to the Southeastern Slavic states in the Balkans as well in the 1990s. And that is exactly what liberalism is.

Liberalization, freeing people up and allowing them to live in freedom, which seriously goes against the liberal stereotypes that liberalism is about big government and not:

“the state that the state knows best and that freedom is essentially dangerous because it just gives people freedom to make mistakes. So you need a superstate to take care of people and limit freedom to only things that do not harm society.”

You can also see this post on Blogger.

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Ragma Loka: Killing John F. Kennedy (2013) Starring Rob Low

Ragma Loka_ Killing John F_ Kennedy (2013) Starring Rob Lowe _ The Daily PressSource:Ragma Loka– Rob Lowe as President John F. Kennedy, during his last days alive.

Source:The Daily Press

“Recounting the chaotic events that occurred in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, PARKLAND weaves together the perspectives of a handful of ordinary individuals suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances: the young doctors and nurses at Parkland Hospital, Dallas’ chief of the Secret Service, an unwitting cameraman who captured what became the most watched and examined film in history.”

From Ragma Loka

I saw bits and pieces of this movie and I didn’t think it was very good. Which is probably why I only saw bits and pieces of it. I’ve caught a little more of it when it has come back on with its repeats.

The movie about Kennedy from Reelz in 2011, I thought was much better and perhaps that is why they covered the entire Kennedy presidency, at least his years as President. And I thought Greg Kinnear did a much better job playing Jack Kennedy than Rob Lowe.

In 2013, there will be several movies about JFK because of the fiftieth anniversary of the JFK assassination. Including a film from PBS about the life of JFK, which I believe will be the best film.

Killing Kennedy is fairly interesting, but it really just about the last year or so JFK, including the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1962 and the Cuban missile crisis. And this movie doesn’t go into great detail about John F. Kennedy as President.

What you see in this movie, is the stuff that is better suited for tabloid news and tabloid news fans. The women of JFK including his wife Jackie and of course all the affairs that President Kennedy had, including in the White House and including with women with dangerous organized connections. Including Judy Exner and Lee Oswald’s last year or so leading up to him assassinating President Kennedy. This movie I would give a 7.5 or 8, but it’s not a great movie.

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VOA News: Donors Pledge $2.7 Billion in ‘New Deal’ for Somalia

VOA News: Donors Pledge $2.7 Billion in 'New Deal' for SomaliaSource:VOA News reporting from Somalia.

“International donors meeting in Brussels Monday pledged $2.7 billion as part of a ‘New Deal’ to help rebuild Somalia. As Henry Ridgwell reports for VOA from London, Somalia’s president said his country is undergoing a ‘remarkable transformation’ after two decades of civil war and lawlessness.”

From VOA News

“Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest of the U.S.-funded international broadcasters.[4][5][6] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 49 languages, which it distributes to affiliate stations around the world.[7] Its targeted and primary audience is non-American. As of November 2022, its reporting reached 326 million adults per week across all platforms.[8]

VOA was established in 1942, and the VOA charter was signed into law in 1976 by U.S. President Gerald Ford.[9][10] It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent agency of the U.S. government.[11] Funds are appropriated annually under the budget for embassies and consulates. As of 2022, VOA had a weekly worldwide audience of approximately 326 million (up from 237 million in 2016) and employed 961 staff with an annual budget of $267.5 million.[2][12][13]

Voice of America is seen by some listeners as having a positive impact while others like lecturer Faizullah Jan of Pakistan’s University of Peshawar see it as both that and in addition as American propaganda; it also serves US diplomacy.”

From Wikipedia

There will never be real development in Somalia until they have a real national government that can govern the whole country. Somalia is a  pretty good size country, physically, but with only roughly ten-million people. And they also need state and local government’s that can govern their areas as well.

You can’t have economic development without security and you need a functioning constitution, that provides human rights that are enforced by government as well as a clean government, where corruption doesn’t run the show, where the people elected and the people who work for these officials are there to serve the people.

When you establish good, responsible, but limited government, then money will flow into the country both from the public and private sectors, as well as the international community.

Creating this New Deal in Somalia that comes with modern roads, bridges, airports. schools, hospitals, buildings, business’s all things that countries need to be successful where economic and job growth can be sustained for years to come.

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Associated Press: ‘Shooting Rampage at Washington’s Navy Yard’

Associated Press: Shooting Rampage at DC's Navy YardSource:Associated Press– Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

“At least one gunman opened fire Monday inside one of the Navy’s oldest buildings, attacking office workers at a heavily guarded military facility in the heart of the nation’s capital. Police say at least 12 people were killed.”

From the Associated Press

Another example of too many mentally unbalanced people with access to firearms in America. Which is why I’m in favor of common sense gun control to prevent mentally unhealthy people from having access to firearms. As well as criminals who know what they are doing but do bad things anyway. Rather than being in favor of people control, which is how I would describe efforts to ban firearms in the hands of all private citizens in America.

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