Warrior-Politics

draft

2005-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

for the third year in a row the all volunteer service has missed its recruiting goals. The army is even offering larger cahs bonuses and 15 month active duty enlistments. The projections for enlistment still remains poor. Will we fill the holes in our armed forces with drafted soldiers? This is something we should look out for in the coming year especially if American involvement around the world stays the same or increases

US news

2005-05-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

This last week US news ran an article describing situations where the Koran was being used in demoralizing ways. The article sparked riots and has led to at least 15 deaths. Should US news waited to run the article until the stories could be verified? I am always a little skeptical when news articles contain a large percentage of unidentified sources. We can write anything and chalk it up to a source that wished to remain unnamed. If these things did happen than I think it was the magazines duty to report them, but it is also their job to make sure what they are running is correct especially when the issue is as sensitive as this one

finance problems for everyone

2005-05-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

Recently tom delay has been having to answer some tough questions about finances, and now it seems republicans are waiting to see if hillary clinton will have many of the same problems. there are some concerns due to a trail involving her 2000 campaign director for the false reporting of finances. I am not at all suprised by the questions raised for both parties. In fact if you looked Im sure almost every single politician will have similiar financial gifts or tactics. I dont think it was right to go after delay and i dont think its right to go after clinton. Our election finance system needs to be reformed....but that wont happen, becuase the only people who could do that are those who stand to lose the most

will Blair be back?

2005-05-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today Tony Blair's fate will be decided by british voters. It is tough enough to be elected prime minister for three terms, but Blair has to do it amidts wide spread unpopularity among voters due to the war in Iraq. Despite this he is still expected to pull out a victory. If he does win what does this say about the voters both in America and in Britian. All of the coverage explianing the Iraq war as very unpopular might not have the correct assesment. If both Bush and Blair are re-elected history's view of the Iraq war might be a little different then the one presented to us now. If Blair is not re-elected then the coverage just very well might be right on. I guess we will find out tonight.

dick morris and condi rice

2005-05-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

I know many Dems do not think much of Dick Morris anyhow, but some might have been suprised to hear what he told the washington post about condi rice. He explianed that rice might be the only person who could keep Sen. Clinton out of the white house claiming that she would cut key demographics Dems usually depend upon. Im not sure how this will all shake out but I would love to see a clinton rice race I would watch news 24 hours a day for two years

bankruptcy bill

2005-04-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

As of today it is now harder for Americans who live under debt to wipe the slate clean. The new bill requires more people to repay medical and credit card debt. There is still consideration for people under desperate financial hardship. The bill holds that Under the new law, those with insufficient assets or income could still file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which, if approved by a judge, erases debts entirely after certain assets are forfeited. Those with income above their state’s median income who can pay at least $6,000 over five years — $100 a month — would be forced into Chapter 13, where a judge would then order a repayment plan. This doesn't sound like a bad idea. If people escape paying thier debts the rest of us pick up the tab one way or another. I do not have a problem with the bill we all just need to be a little more financially responsible. Having said that we need to make sure its not so easy for giant corporations to have thier debts forgiven as well.

wal mart

2005-04-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

I hate to be going back to the topic of Wal Mart but it seems they have made it in the news once more. Workers in a Canadian Wal Mart voted in favor of Unionization and Wal Mart responded by starting the process of shuting that store down. This is an interesting set of events no matter how you feel about wal mart. I take the unpopular stance that wal mart is ok. I feel that both the workers have a right to start a union if they feel that is the best decision for them, and at the same time wal mart has the right to shut its doors if they feel thats the best decision for wal mart. I am actually suprised more businesses have not used this tactic. I hope wal mart and these workers can come to an agreement without having to sacrafice both jobs and a tax revenue, but at this point that seems very unlikely. if anyone knows more about this case pass it on. For those of you who hate wal mart there is a bright side to this story, if you want Wal Mart out of your community as many of you do mayby all you have to do is start some union rallys outside the front doors

10,000 arrested

2005-04-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

This week our federal agencies coordinated a massive fugitive hunt and captured 10,000 wanted criminals. I am glad that these criminals are off our streets, but if we are capable of this why weren't these people captured earlier or why don't we do this all the time? Either way its good that these offenders are in custody

whats goin on in the senate??

2005-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Republicans are trying to make a precedural change where judicial nominess can no longer be filibustered in the senate, and if this happens Dems said they are going to filibuster everything else. Whats going on here? This reminds me (as the legislature often does) of playground arguments where both sides want to top each other at any extreme. I don't beleieve that the senate should block the judicial nominess, becuase of thier merrit. I also believe that the it should remain possible to block a nominee, just in case some nominees have good reason to be kept out. I dont know what to make of this, I ohnestly dont really see the precudural change taking place, and it would be a bad PR move if the Dems shut down the government. This is a case of our political parties hijacking our government

Terri Schiavo

2005-03-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is a tough case to take a position on, because I am all for protecting life, but after seven years of court battles, and removing and reinserting her feeding tube three times, I believe the federal government should stay out of this one. Her ex Husband has won legal judgments at least twice allowing him to remove Terri's Feeding tube these rulings were disregarded by the United States congress. The congress is going to forcefully deny a courts ruling, until they can pass a law that would force the court ruling to change, not exactly an even playingfield. I understand her parents position, and why they want to cling to their daughters life, but our laws recognize that those decisions are to be made by the spouse. And that is a law that we should not change. I for one would not want to live for seven years in the same manner Terri Schiavo is living. I know I can not speak for Mrs Schiavo, but it was she who married the man legally appointed to speak for her in times like these, and I have to believe that they had at least discussed this issue and he is doing what he feels is best for her. This is a tough case all around, but I don't think that it is a case the federal government should feel free to decide

Democracy in the middle east

2005-03-17T01:45:00.000-08:00

Is the situation in the middle east improving?? The elections in Iraq were a good sign, but even so many people have been fighting hard to see that come to fruition. Now it appears that because of international pressure the relations between Syria and Lebanon might be improving as well. And recently the king of Jordan I believe announced that he would be taking steps to shape his government to better serve his people. Israel also just handed control over some land back to the Palestinians. I'm not saying that the middle east does not have a long way to go, but it does show signs that the middle eastern citizens want something new. Who knows what type of system they really want, but it looks like they are not happy under their current situation. My question to you is if things in the middle east continue to improve, and this rapidly how much credit should go to our efforts in Iraq??

PETA calling an end to fishing

2005-03-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

This group has never been one of my Favorites. Not only do I not agree with their message I do not agree with their antics. I was on their website because I was sent their when I hit a link discussing the cruel practice of skinning animals alive. I am all or them fighting this practice it is a cruel prolonged death. However underneath was an article that claimed fishing was also a cruel activity. I couldn't disagree more with this assessment. For those of us who fish or hunt we know that these activities are fair, humane and fun. All you have to do is follow the regulations that are set aside for the activity you are doing. These activities are not cruel, people who participate in such activities probably care more for these animals than anyone else. They sure pay more than anyone else to ensure their existence. Regulated fishing and regulated hunting have done nothing but make animal populations stronger in recent years. I too am sad that the California Grizzly no longer exists, but those types of hunting practices no longer exist either. The same goes for fishing. Excise taxes licensing fees season dates and game limits coupled with wildlife biological study ensure both animal populations will thrive and that fisherman an hunters can continue to enjoy their hobbies.

Here's to you Johnny Joe

2005-03-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

A man I knew from my local community has passed away this week. It was very sad because he was not very old. I probably could not have disagreed more with his politics or even political tactics, but one thing I did admire was his desire to do things for his community. I can't remember a time I didn't see this man giving people a ride to church, asking for signatures, running for any open local seat or just going door to door to speak about the issues he cared about. He gave a great deal of his time and energy to other people, He will surely be missed in our community

Social Security

2005-03-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Im not exactly sure how I feel about social security, but I do think something needs to be done. The best advice I guess is to save - don't rely on the government to handle your elderly expensive. Maybe we should think of social security as additional income that we could do without if we plan accordingly. I know it is easier for some to save each month, but we can all put something away each month......What ever plan of action is taken I hope it works

Students get shafted

2005-02-24T00:19:00.000-08:00

Although Im used to it I was confused why President Bush' 06 budget called for a cut in financial aid. Its bad enough when tuition and other fees are raised but when you cut money from the students who need it the most it is much worse......The only good news is that these cuts are unlikely to pass, but it is still sad to see that someone is asking for them, I really believe that Public Schools will cost as much as private schools in the near future....So if you have young children start the piggy bank now because college is probably going to be a small fortune when they are ready

SF banning guns

2005-02-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

San Francisco city council is trying to ban any type of firearms in their city. Other cities have tried to do this with little success....D.C. Had moderate success in the beginning of their program, but after a while homicides with guns increased to where it was before the ban. I understand why some might want a ban like this, I too am tired of turning on the news only to hear about the latest shooting, but this ban wont solve that. There are simple reasons why it wont the first and foremost reason is that no matter what law you make criminals will break them. There are thousands of gun laws on the books and the only people who obey them are the citizens most likely not to shoot you. In fact all this ban would do is take guns out of the hands of citizens who might someday need to protect their families and neighbors.

Lets also not forget about the endangered species San Francisco hunter...Yes a dying breed, but what if this sportsman has a long-gun or two is he supposed to hand them over or move --- I thought that city was accepting of minority populations and lifestyles....You would think for a place so keen on protecting individual freedoms they wouldn't brush aside that portion of the bill of rights. And yes the 2nd amendment clearly states the right to bear arms and no that does not mean you can have a tank (I hate that argument) --- we have regulations on many of our freedoms...I.E. Freedom of speech, but you can not falsely yell fire in a movie theater nor can fox show porn on network television. With that being said I can't wait for the ACLU to fight for gun owners oh wait they conveniently forget...Which adds to their credibility as a defender of the constitution instead of ideals..Ha

Last but not least San Francisco should take a look at prohibition and the war on drugs....Just making things illegal will not change the reality and violence taking place in our communities. We seem to be too focused on the gun and not the person behind it. A firearm is nothing until someone decides to use it and acts. This is what we should be focusing on, and the first way we can do that is to try and fix our communities. Young people today don't have a sense of accountability to many people If we had stronger communities I believe more people would take interest in our youth and help them progress in life and also discipline them when needed. The second way we can help curb gun violence is to have very stiff sentences for anyone who uses a gun in a crime. Im not talking about giving someone 20 years and letting them out after 5 - if you use a gun you should know your sentence will carry with it at least 10 or 15 years.

So although this might sound like a good idea to many of you stop and think about how this will effect everyone in the community....You might find that the only one who this has no effect on is the criminal.

race discrimination??

2005-02-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

I was once agian inspired by an article on political moose. It deals with the passing of minorities in key positions of the current administration. I believe that if the exact same people were bieng presented as democrats and blocked by republicans....many of the Democratic Senators would be claiming racism or sexism. It is suprising to me that more minorities weren't angered by the blocking of qualified candidates. It seems as though Dems are saying to minorities on one hand, "dream big we will fix inequality, you can do anything...unless you want to be a federal judge on my watch or an attorny general or the secretary of state. I am not a huge fan of affirmative action policy especially when less qualified people are sometimes given the oppertunity instead of a more qualified candidate. In this instance 'less or unqualified is not the problem. These people should be passed. Are we supporting diversity as long as it shares our own point of view??? a little difficult. Personally I dont totally agree with Obamah but I believe him to be a very able public servant and I hope he climbs to the highest position possible. I hope others would welcome diversity on every side

A Boost in the Psychological War

2005-02-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

Well its been a few days and Im still not exactly sure what the Iraq elections will bring, but I believe it is a much needed blow in the psychological battle field. I was very impressed by the turnout despite threat of and delivered violence. I hope this sends a message to the insurgent forces. The Iraqis do not want what these extremists want. The Iraqis really do want to live under their own control, not ours nor the extreme terror organizations. I hope the desire of many Iraqis is equally felt in many other places in the world where the terror groups are currently in power. I just read about the 'suicide' bomber who lived through a blast. Apparently this Saudi national came to fight the war against the Americans and was given the assignment to park a truck of explosives somewhere much to his surprise a few of his buddies blew it up. This information could help to discourage people from coming to Iraq to be unwillingly and unknowingly sacrificed. His interrogation has already led to important arrests and intel. Well that's all for now, but I hope the situation in Iraq improves from these events.

2008

2005-01-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

Although I reluctantly feed into the premature speculations.......I feel I have to do it. Who is going to run in 2008?? For the Dems I think it is going to be someone like Even Bly or another moderate/red state Dem...and Hillary Clinton - this is her year I don't think she will make it out of the primary because too many people will feel her overall un-electibility in battle ground states. If she does make it out I think she wont gain any states that voted Republican in 2004, in fact I think she will lose some states. Also Republicans will face a similar problem if the not so gun friendly pro choice Giuliani runs. I think the Governator will make a run for it, but I think he needs to wait until at least 2012. Condi Rice might consider gone for it if Hill does, although I admire her I don't know if she can win in many of the southern states. I almost over looked John Kerry I do believe he will throw his hat in the ring but I don't think he will make it out of the primary its still possible.... I think Reagan lost to Carter before he bet him (not sure though) I don't see the Dems who seem to be looking for new answers going back to Kerry, if they do I don't think that will play out well in another national election. Another Person I think would have great odds is Obamah - This guy can give a speech second to none, but I think he too should wait until 2012 especially if Hill is goin to run...If he does I have a feeling he could be the first Black President. Well You guys can toss out complaints or things I missed -

A group of people who need to go

2005-01-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

America is a place that welcomes many ideas and values. It is a place where we can express a limitless number of ideas and live out a great number of those values. But there are some people who should not be allowed to freely organize and participate the hobby they seem fit. The group I am specifically speaking about is NAMBLA. And if you are unfamiliar with the North American Man Boy Love Association, you might be in for shock when you find out how openly they promote their actions and organization. They have functions all over the world including large gatherings in America and Canada. It is disgusting to think that a group that celebrates child rape, molested and abuse can set up a global organization and run it from our nation. I feel that we should be very careful when not allowing different points of view and when calling for the dismantling of a group of people, but I believe that any reasonable person can see that this is something we as a nation should be fighting to get rid of. We need to pay special attention to many of the children orphaned by the recent Tsunami that has hit a region that already has an established child sex trade. I support almost everyone's right to live as they choose but I will not support pedophilia or these people living they way they choose and I will not support the rights of NAMBLA celebrating and carrying out child exploitation.

Walmart on the offensive

2005-01-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

As many of you know Walmart is often being met with resistance when moving in to new areas. There are many reasons people resist new Walmart stores, but Walmart is launching a new PR campaign in order to dispute some of the miss notions that tend to represent the superstores image. I in fact will take another unpopular stance and support Walmart. I believe they are a valuable addition to communities. I can't remember going into a store that could beat Walmart's prices. Even specialty stores have trouble competing with Walmart's prices. This in fact does create a situation where Walmart does put a few mom and pops out of business, but is this Walmart's fault?? No. It maybe sad on an individual case by case basis but our system of business is based on competition. If these mom and pops cant adapt and compete in a changing market and system then maybe they have to be pushed out. So I believe on this level other businesses complain about Walmart, not cause there evil, but because they are good (at business). Furthermore Walmart came in to Porterville Ca, when Porterville was not as big and there are still mom and pops in the area. Main street is still there. In fact Porterville seems to be growing and adding business since Walmart's introduction. It also provides people with minimal skills and education a chance at a job, I know it may not be the best job in the world but is Walmart supposed to be? What I mean is that the employees of Walmart probably earn a very competitive wage as opposed to other store clerks. Today the CEO of Walmart said that Walmart donated 156 million dollars back to communities that they reside in. I don't know if that number is correct, but I do know that when our High School Band went to New York Walmart donated a few big rigs to drive across the country in order to get our equipment to us. I also know that when to of my Baseball teammates needed sponsors to play in tournaments in Australia Walmart paid the way. Sure there maybe some things Walmart does that could be improved, but I would argue that they are a good consumer and neighborhood store. I am glad that they are taking on this new PR campaign

Hair, symbol of freedom??

2005-01-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

This sort of amusing and sad at the same time. North Korea has made a law that requires all males cut their hair twice a month, and hair can not be longer than two inches. Is Hank hill running N. Korea? No, Lil Kim is worried about individuality and freedom of expression. Since The Korean government controls the means of communication and education they released a statement saying that long hair can draw energy and power away from your brain and make you a fool. On the serious side should the U.N. or the E.U. or even the U.S. start demanding the liberation of the North Korean people??

Boxer shouldnt have

2005-01-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

I was going to post a comment on a blog made on politicalmoose site (the bestest of the leftest) but I decided to write commentary on my own site for the two people who are reading these blogs (one of whom is the political moose) hahaha. I have to disapprove of boxers actions....She is doing something that hasn't been done in over a hundred years or so. Perhaps she would have had a good reason to do it in the last election. This time Im afraid this time it might just be out of bitterness. Even the news papers in Ohio and the citizens there are saying the election was done correctly....Every voting site not just precinct had a bipartisan board in charge...Does this mean that these Dems were in on the conspiracy as well?? This is just an attempt to belittle Bush. I will say Ken Star's attempt to prosecute Clinton was an even sadder and a more extreme attempt to go after a president. I disapprove of both events.

Feel free to write in disgust as well as support (most of you are probably feeling the former)

My apology

2005-01-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

I first have to apologize for not blogging in a few weeks (forgot my log in) --- second I must apologize because I would like to write critiques from a non partisan point of view, but this rant is coming from right field. I am constantly hearing that the 53 million Americans who voted for Bush Jr. Are somehow of lesser intelligence than those who did not (I have to say I didn't participate - reasons to be discussed on next blogg) It is ok to disagree with the people who do not vote the same way you might but to suggest that they are idiots shows the arrogance that is taking politics down the wrong path. The problem in American politics is that we no longer have a dialogue of opposing ideas in which rational people can come to a conclusion on what the best course of action, instead we have different groups claiming to know all the answers (all sides are guilty - even me sometimes) these groups are unwilling to concede that the opposition may in fact have a valuable idea or solution. We really need the emergence of a third party, this party does not have to be as strong as the other two, but just strong enough to offer competing ideas. That in fact is what pushes solutions people presenting ideas and then others rationally discussing those ideas and alternatives, so we can pat ourselves on the backs because here in our rants and diatribes we are sharing new and fresh ideas......We should run for office!!

My first Blog

2004-12-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

My first blog * Maybe I should begin by saying something about myself........I have always been interested in politics I grew up pretty conservative, and I still lean that way on many issues, but I consider myself to be independant and I think that both parties are often full of $#!%. I think it is very dangerous to say that you are republican or democrat or libertarian. I find that most people end up painting themselves into a coner by doing this. They argue party line on many issues they would otherwise disagree with. I think a viable third party would help our system very much it would keep the other two a bit honest if there were real alternatives. Many would argue that this is impossible becuase the other two parties make the rules etc. But there have been a number of independant governors and mayors -- they just need a better machine to advance thier parties..... well thanks for reading through this 1st post hopefully you'll be back for more
Doug