The Politics of American Government
It
seems as if the last couple of decades have brought in some extremism
to our fine country. I don't mean it in a derogatory way, just that we
have moved past the central type thinking, which is why Wisconsin is
considered a swing state in the first place.
Yes, I'm talking the Republicans and the Democrats, mainly, though other political parties have done some of this as well. Really. Seriously.
Once upon a time, the Republican Party, or the GOP, could be reasoned with. Look at Wisconsin's former Governor Tommy Thompson(R). Who else can be known just by a first name, like "Tommy", and everyone knows who you are talking about? Anyway, back around 20 years ago (I think) Tommy came up with a program called Wisconsin Works (W2, affectionately). What it was, is that to cut down on fraud, because once upon a time, anyone could walk into Wisconsin and get on Welfare, or that what everyone was talking about. So, Tommy came in and decided to reach across the political isle, shake hands with some democrats too, and come up with this plan.
The plan was, now you had to have at least a certain amount of time IN Wisconsin, say around 30 days, to establish a stronger residency rule to even be able to apply for any welfare benefits. Which is good, because as Wisconsin tax payers, we pay in, and I'd like it to stay with our own, rather than allowing anybody to walk in and collect. Another part was to ensure that rather than making a career out of being on welfare, that one would have to apply for a job, and not just any job... A high school drop out who wants to try to apply for upper management positions may end up getting cut off, because that position is out of reach. So, they had to go and apply for jobs that they would be able to get. Not too bad of an idea.
Mind you, the program wasn't perfect. W2 encouraged higher education. But, especially if you're a non-traditional student, meaning you either have kids yourself, or you're an older student, not the standard 18-23 year old, single w/ no dependent student, and so you had other responsibilities to attend to, you were able to get help being funded via loans, grants and other aid for 3 years if you went to a 4 year college or university, 1.5 years at a technical or associate's degree, etc... That is about 75%, and to add in that rarely does anyone graduate from a 4 year university in the actual 4 years because of a number of factors, it did seem cruel that one would get cut off in their home stretch. I'm not sure, but, I think that did get extended to graduate. I seem to remember that some of the aid would be considered a grant if you finished and graduated, and if you landed in your field, could get a bonus, but if you dropped out, it was a loan that needed to be paid back, at least in part. That's if you were in that program... Not for those of us who were lucky enough NOT to have to get into that program. Let's face it, a better education helps us in the long run.
But, unfortunately, it's not like Tommy stayed the innovative guy he used to be... He used to be pro-life, but, didn't want the government to stand in. Now he decided to join the Tea Party, whom are even more conservative than the standard GOP, and wants to ban abortion, period. He moved further to the right. That is a bit depressing. Not just for the issue, but over all in the scheme of things. Will he reach across the isle to make a good and acceptable compromise, or will he play the conservative hardball and want it his party way, or the high way?
It's the same on the Democratic end as well, with many of the voters stating that they support abortion until the day before a baby is to be born. Now, while I AM pro-choice, this irks me, because after 23 weeks, the more viable the unborn becomes. While I hold no magic power to say when is life a real life, to me, the more viable the life is, the more it ought to be revered, not looked upon as a symbiotic form. yet, some of them say if one is born at 23 weeks gestation, that is a person in need of protection, but, another still in the womb at 40 weeks and counting (maybe late) is still a symbiote and would allow for the abortion. To me it makes no sense, because the 23 week old is 50/50% likely to live or die, and the 40 week one has a 99.9% to live. It bugs me that the line is so blurred that legal and ethical often are the same thing, no matter what.
Not just this, but, remember, we were all from immigrants at some time or another, yet we chose to come in and practically decimate the Native Americans. On the other hand, does this mean we should just let any immigrant just walk into the country? There has to be some kind of middle ground here. Yes, everyone is protected by the innocent until proven guilty, and needs probable cause to be arrested. On the other hand, if an illegal alien commit a crime, it should be dealt with harshly, not just be deported. Immigrants do help us a lot, but, lets face it, this isn't an all or nothing deal either.
Yes, I'm talking the Republicans and the Democrats, mainly, though other political parties have done some of this as well. Really. Seriously.
Once upon a time, the Republican Party, or the GOP, could be reasoned with. Look at Wisconsin's former Governor Tommy Thompson(R). Who else can be known just by a first name, like "Tommy", and everyone knows who you are talking about? Anyway, back around 20 years ago (I think) Tommy came up with a program called Wisconsin Works (W2, affectionately). What it was, is that to cut down on fraud, because once upon a time, anyone could walk into Wisconsin and get on Welfare, or that what everyone was talking about. So, Tommy came in and decided to reach across the political isle, shake hands with some democrats too, and come up with this plan.
The plan was, now you had to have at least a certain amount of time IN Wisconsin, say around 30 days, to establish a stronger residency rule to even be able to apply for any welfare benefits. Which is good, because as Wisconsin tax payers, we pay in, and I'd like it to stay with our own, rather than allowing anybody to walk in and collect. Another part was to ensure that rather than making a career out of being on welfare, that one would have to apply for a job, and not just any job... A high school drop out who wants to try to apply for upper management positions may end up getting cut off, because that position is out of reach. So, they had to go and apply for jobs that they would be able to get. Not too bad of an idea.
Mind you, the program wasn't perfect. W2 encouraged higher education. But, especially if you're a non-traditional student, meaning you either have kids yourself, or you're an older student, not the standard 18-23 year old, single w/ no dependent student, and so you had other responsibilities to attend to, you were able to get help being funded via loans, grants and other aid for 3 years if you went to a 4 year college or university, 1.5 years at a technical or associate's degree, etc... That is about 75%, and to add in that rarely does anyone graduate from a 4 year university in the actual 4 years because of a number of factors, it did seem cruel that one would get cut off in their home stretch. I'm not sure, but, I think that did get extended to graduate. I seem to remember that some of the aid would be considered a grant if you finished and graduated, and if you landed in your field, could get a bonus, but if you dropped out, it was a loan that needed to be paid back, at least in part. That's if you were in that program... Not for those of us who were lucky enough NOT to have to get into that program. Let's face it, a better education helps us in the long run.
But, unfortunately, it's not like Tommy stayed the innovative guy he used to be... He used to be pro-life, but, didn't want the government to stand in. Now he decided to join the Tea Party, whom are even more conservative than the standard GOP, and wants to ban abortion, period. He moved further to the right. That is a bit depressing. Not just for the issue, but over all in the scheme of things. Will he reach across the isle to make a good and acceptable compromise, or will he play the conservative hardball and want it his party way, or the high way?
It's the same on the Democratic end as well, with many of the voters stating that they support abortion until the day before a baby is to be born. Now, while I AM pro-choice, this irks me, because after 23 weeks, the more viable the unborn becomes. While I hold no magic power to say when is life a real life, to me, the more viable the life is, the more it ought to be revered, not looked upon as a symbiotic form. yet, some of them say if one is born at 23 weeks gestation, that is a person in need of protection, but, another still in the womb at 40 weeks and counting (maybe late) is still a symbiote and would allow for the abortion. To me it makes no sense, because the 23 week old is 50/50% likely to live or die, and the 40 week one has a 99.9% to live. It bugs me that the line is so blurred that legal and ethical often are the same thing, no matter what.
Not just this, but, remember, we were all from immigrants at some time or another, yet we chose to come in and practically decimate the Native Americans. On the other hand, does this mean we should just let any immigrant just walk into the country? There has to be some kind of middle ground here. Yes, everyone is protected by the innocent until proven guilty, and needs probable cause to be arrested. On the other hand, if an illegal alien commit a crime, it should be dealt with harshly, not just be deported. Immigrants do help us a lot, but, lets face it, this isn't an all or nothing deal either.
Who is correct?
Mind
you, this game of blaming is also getting VERY old. The right wants to
accuse the left of wanting to take away our 2nd Amendment, when it
simply is NOT true, in any way, shape or form. Speaking as a liberal
myself, it's NOT about taking away gun rights for those of us who are
upstanding citizens. A good militia is one thing. And remember, this
group would be working with or for the military, and once upon a time,
one could be deputized by the sheriff as a regular citizen, and the
badge gave you power. This does NOT mean that the militia has the right
to be a group of vigilantes.
For example; anyone who knows me understands that I HATE pedophiles and those who sexually abuse our children. These are the worst type of people, in my book, much worse than those who physically abuse, though emotional abuse can be almost just as bad. Does this mean, that because I support the military, and I'm an honest citizen, that I can shoot the sex offender who gets placed in my neighborhood? No. As much as I'd like to send them elsewhere, doesn't mean I can just do what I want.
To the ultra liberals, sometimes you bug me with your kumbaya. No, we can't always just turn the other cheek. Sometimes war is a necessary evil. Sure, we should NOT be the world police force, but, we HAVE to be able to defend our shores. And while there may be a possibility that a situational sex offender may be able to correct bad behaviors through the right treatment, just like alcoholics and drug addicts, they have to want to change, or, they won't want to change their situations. Most other sex offenders, such as classic pedophilia, there is no cure, so please, stop bombarding the rest of us that people need help. The children they assault need the help. Don't believe me? Look at the young men who were victimized by Sandusky, or somewhere in the Church. Just remember, abuse and rape are NOT about sex, it's about power & control. When used for power and control, sex is a weapon, not a celebratory act. Some of these people have happy marriages and are solid citizens otherwise. So no, it's not about a priest not being able to marry. While it's the Church that may say to give life to God, God also commands not to abuse our children. The lack of sex is an excuse to abuse the children they're supposed to help protect.
For those who say that Obama doesn't have leadership, please take another look. In the Middle East, rather than choosing to strong arm the area, Obama and Hilary chose to act as diplomats, and bring about an allied force, rather than say do it my way or the high way. So Obama hasn't quite won over the U.N. Bush turned the U.N. away when he went in against U.N. orders. Strong arming the U.N. won't solve anything, and by being diplomats, it's helping to bring in money from else where to fund the democracy of Persia, so we can keep more of our funds here to help fellow Americans.
FYI: No, Obama is NOT a registered Muslim, who is bound by Sharia Law. He was born in the U.S.A. and is American, and Sharia law does NOT apply here in America, and none the less, here we have the freedom to practice what ever faith we like - so, those of you who keep touting this need to get over yourselves.
For those of you who want to tout Obama as the Messiah, please stop. It's this very attitude that encourages the far right to make crazy accusations like Obama is a Kenyan Muslim, when he was born in Hawaii to an American, and has publicly announced he is Christian. So, let him be, he's not perfect, and makes mistakes like the rest of us. The more Obama gets touted as the liberal Messiah, the harsher twists and lies the far right want to make. You want him to win? Lets do it by treating him as a candidate, not the Holy Grail.
So, both sides have points, and both sides can be wrong. Thing is, I could go on and on, about a ton of other things. Even the libertarians are getting so much to the point that if they advocated any smaller government, either we would have to resort to vigilantes for support, or the military would be chopped in half to ensure that the coast guard and reserves would have to step it up to be true militia to police us.
My opinion? We need to practice common sense, NOT party politics, and move forward to real progress, rather than going backwards like the ultra conservative TEA Party or down the rabbit hole to trying to save everyone like the tree hugging ultra liberals. You can't save the whole planet via social aid, nor can you save by being the world dictator with the Might = Right mentality. Common sense will put you some where in the middle, and that each case would have to be looked at individually. While most will fit into a same or similar category, there will be exceptions to the rule, most of the time, though NOT all the time.
For example; anyone who knows me understands that I HATE pedophiles and those who sexually abuse our children. These are the worst type of people, in my book, much worse than those who physically abuse, though emotional abuse can be almost just as bad. Does this mean, that because I support the military, and I'm an honest citizen, that I can shoot the sex offender who gets placed in my neighborhood? No. As much as I'd like to send them elsewhere, doesn't mean I can just do what I want.
To the ultra liberals, sometimes you bug me with your kumbaya. No, we can't always just turn the other cheek. Sometimes war is a necessary evil. Sure, we should NOT be the world police force, but, we HAVE to be able to defend our shores. And while there may be a possibility that a situational sex offender may be able to correct bad behaviors through the right treatment, just like alcoholics and drug addicts, they have to want to change, or, they won't want to change their situations. Most other sex offenders, such as classic pedophilia, there is no cure, so please, stop bombarding the rest of us that people need help. The children they assault need the help. Don't believe me? Look at the young men who were victimized by Sandusky, or somewhere in the Church. Just remember, abuse and rape are NOT about sex, it's about power & control. When used for power and control, sex is a weapon, not a celebratory act. Some of these people have happy marriages and are solid citizens otherwise. So no, it's not about a priest not being able to marry. While it's the Church that may say to give life to God, God also commands not to abuse our children. The lack of sex is an excuse to abuse the children they're supposed to help protect.
For those who say that Obama doesn't have leadership, please take another look. In the Middle East, rather than choosing to strong arm the area, Obama and Hilary chose to act as diplomats, and bring about an allied force, rather than say do it my way or the high way. So Obama hasn't quite won over the U.N. Bush turned the U.N. away when he went in against U.N. orders. Strong arming the U.N. won't solve anything, and by being diplomats, it's helping to bring in money from else where to fund the democracy of Persia, so we can keep more of our funds here to help fellow Americans.
FYI: No, Obama is NOT a registered Muslim, who is bound by Sharia Law. He was born in the U.S.A. and is American, and Sharia law does NOT apply here in America, and none the less, here we have the freedom to practice what ever faith we like - so, those of you who keep touting this need to get over yourselves.
For those of you who want to tout Obama as the Messiah, please stop. It's this very attitude that encourages the far right to make crazy accusations like Obama is a Kenyan Muslim, when he was born in Hawaii to an American, and has publicly announced he is Christian. So, let him be, he's not perfect, and makes mistakes like the rest of us. The more Obama gets touted as the liberal Messiah, the harsher twists and lies the far right want to make. You want him to win? Lets do it by treating him as a candidate, not the Holy Grail.
So, both sides have points, and both sides can be wrong. Thing is, I could go on and on, about a ton of other things. Even the libertarians are getting so much to the point that if they advocated any smaller government, either we would have to resort to vigilantes for support, or the military would be chopped in half to ensure that the coast guard and reserves would have to step it up to be true militia to police us.
My opinion? We need to practice common sense, NOT party politics, and move forward to real progress, rather than going backwards like the ultra conservative TEA Party or down the rabbit hole to trying to save everyone like the tree hugging ultra liberals. You can't save the whole planet via social aid, nor can you save by being the world dictator with the Might = Right mentality. Common sense will put you some where in the middle, and that each case would have to be looked at individually. While most will fit into a same or similar category, there will be exceptions to the rule, most of the time, though NOT all the time.
