The editorial board of the highly respected scienctific journal Nature have made public their endorsement of the junior senator from Illinois. It appears this is the first time Nature has officially endorsed any political candidate.
The crux of this anomaly came in this resounding bit of text.
"The core values of science are those of open debate within a free society that have come down to us from the Enlightenment in many forms, not the least of which is the constitution of the United States."
In light of Governor Sarah Palin's recent vocalizations regarding constitutional interpretation I can understand why these editor's have chosen to endorse her opponent.
Palin on amendment 1
"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told AM talk radio host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."
By this interpretation of the constitution all political candidates should be immune to media criticism? How do we keep discussions about Sarah Palin objective when objectivity itself is what is at stake?
I felt embarrassed for the Governor when I heard this today.
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Voting by Mail Changes the Game in Colorado
Every fall in Fort Collins, CO the city holds the "New West Fest," a celebration of local music, art, and business. Here we see the "new west" emerge as a crucial factor in the 2008 presidential election. While many rural areas in the east (like my hometown - Boomertown, NY) have experienced a brain-drain for decades, places like Fort Collins, CO are on the receiving end of that flowing gray matter. I am pleased to see that this demographic, the 20 something college educated "New Wester," is being realized as a genuine political tour de-force.
Folks born between 1978-2000 have been dubbed "millennials" and we number around 95 million. Compare this to the roughly 73 million "baby-boomers" that have held sway over American politics since the mid 1960's. Our political weight is finally being felt. Whether our youth or our apathy held us back in 2004, it does not matter, we have now in 2008 united behind certain shared values that have grown up with us, and it is apparent in this election. We are the generation that grew up watching "Captain Planet" on Saturday mornings, and remember movies like Fern Gully and Land Before Time. The ghost of Jim Henson still whispers the moral of the story in our ears at night. We like thinking and planning green.
Millennials have also been called "Generation We" for our unprecedented cooperativity enabled by the internet. The world has grown a nervous system and we are the neurons. Our blog posts, our Facebook pokes, our text messages, our i-reports are the electro-chemical bursts giving life to a new global organism. The financial firestorm is manifestation of the mental breakdown of this organism while it reconciles the differences so exaggerated during the last eight years. The Markos Moulitsas' and the Bill O'Reilly's of the world have stretched the rubber-band of the polis so far to either side that it is crashing back to center and we are having to redefine and reassign value. May the millennials deliver on their promises and bring conscious evolution to the halls of Washington.
Folks born between 1978-2000 have been dubbed "millennials" and we number around 95 million. Compare this to the roughly 73 million "baby-boomers" that have held sway over American politics since the mid 1960's. Our political weight is finally being felt. Whether our youth or our apathy held us back in 2004, it does not matter, we have now in 2008 united behind certain shared values that have grown up with us, and it is apparent in this election. We are the generation that grew up watching "Captain Planet" on Saturday mornings, and remember movies like Fern Gully and Land Before Time. The ghost of Jim Henson still whispers the moral of the story in our ears at night. We like thinking and planning green.
Millennials have also been called "Generation We" for our unprecedented cooperativity enabled by the internet. The world has grown a nervous system and we are the neurons. Our blog posts, our Facebook pokes, our text messages, our i-reports are the electro-chemical bursts giving life to a new global organism. The financial firestorm is manifestation of the mental breakdown of this organism while it reconciles the differences so exaggerated during the last eight years. The Markos Moulitsas' and the Bill O'Reilly's of the world have stretched the rubber-band of the polis so far to either side that it is crashing back to center and we are having to redefine and reassign value. May the millennials deliver on their promises and bring conscious evolution to the halls of Washington.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
My God?
When I first saw a clip from the video below on Countdown with Keith Olbermann I thought it was a joke. I thought this video actually came from an extremest religious group backing McCain. I was dumbfounded when I saw that this was the bona fide invocation delivered at a McCain rally in Davenport, Iowa last Saturday.
Reverend Arnold Conrad here spreads the notion of the "other." The idea that "he's not like us, so he must appeal to the other." This is unabashed ignorance. I would think that the pious of this nation would condemn his blasphemy when he tells god what to do. I bet God didn't know his "reputation" was riding on this election. Reverend Conrad what exactly are the "various reasons" that the "other" religions of the world would want an Obama victory? Desire for peace over war? Energy policies that actually emphasize renewable resources? A leader who will listen to them?
This instance of misguided self-righteousness is a symptom of the certainty that plagues the American Evangelical movement. This certainty is what lead the United States into preemptive war, and is the same type of malicious certainty suicide bombers have in their minds at the moment of detonation. The certainty that "my God" is better that yours.
In the fall of 2004 I was in my senior year at college in New York State. I would drive every weekend back and fourth across the 200 mile stretch of interstate 86 between Fredonia and Ithaca, the part of the state known as the southern tier. I would often leave Ithaca before the sun came up on Monday morning to return to Fredonia for my 9 A.M. instrumental chemistry class. During the three weeks leading up to the presidential election that year I noticed something that I hadn't in all my drives along that beautifully bucolic stretch. Loping through the Allegheny hills, an ear-grating malice oozed from the radio stations. I could swear that some FCC authority had increased power to these provincial stations to spread lies about John Kerry. Over and over on these otherwise benign stations I heard graphic descriptions about how John Kerry was a baby-killer and hated America. Stern voices came over the airwaves warning people of the impending doom of a Kerry victory.
After the election I was not able to pick up some of the stations that broadcast during that time. My hope is that the inter-connectivity of society has grown past the point of no return and that the internet will act as the disinfectant that makes the fear promulgated by the Arnold Conrads of the world powerless.
Reverend Arnold Conrad here spreads the notion of the "other." The idea that "he's not like us, so he must appeal to the other." This is unabashed ignorance. I would think that the pious of this nation would condemn his blasphemy when he tells god what to do. I bet God didn't know his "reputation" was riding on this election. Reverend Conrad what exactly are the "various reasons" that the "other" religions of the world would want an Obama victory? Desire for peace over war? Energy policies that actually emphasize renewable resources? A leader who will listen to them?
This instance of misguided self-righteousness is a symptom of the certainty that plagues the American Evangelical movement. This certainty is what lead the United States into preemptive war, and is the same type of malicious certainty suicide bombers have in their minds at the moment of detonation. The certainty that "my God" is better that yours.
In the fall of 2004 I was in my senior year at college in New York State. I would drive every weekend back and fourth across the 200 mile stretch of interstate 86 between Fredonia and Ithaca, the part of the state known as the southern tier. I would often leave Ithaca before the sun came up on Monday morning to return to Fredonia for my 9 A.M. instrumental chemistry class. During the three weeks leading up to the presidential election that year I noticed something that I hadn't in all my drives along that beautifully bucolic stretch. Loping through the Allegheny hills, an ear-grating malice oozed from the radio stations. I could swear that some FCC authority had increased power to these provincial stations to spread lies about John Kerry. Over and over on these otherwise benign stations I heard graphic descriptions about how John Kerry was a baby-killer and hated America. Stern voices came over the airwaves warning people of the impending doom of a Kerry victory.
After the election I was not able to pick up some of the stations that broadcast during that time. My hope is that the inter-connectivity of society has grown past the point of no return and that the internet will act as the disinfectant that makes the fear promulgated by the Arnold Conrads of the world powerless.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Obama and McCain on higher education
Barack Obama proposes an excellent plan for higher education, the American Opportunity Tax Credit. This plan would allow students to exchange 100 hours of community service for a $4,000 Tax credit. Any student that has ever looked for a part time job to fund their college education knows that it is impossible to compete with this rate of $40/hour! This would pay for 2/3 of the average annual tuition at a 4 year public college and would completely cover community college tuition. This plan would be an addition to existing government funding opportunities. The greatest part of this plan is the increased integration of students into the community for mutual benefit. Community internships add considerable value to a student's education. Providing this opportunity to more students is a truly nobel and excellent policy for strengthening students and communities.
McCain's plan for higher education, is focused on simplifying tax credits and financial aid application by "consolidating programs." However, Obama trumps McCain in simplification reform by eliminating the financial aid application process altogether, allowing parents to simply check a box on their income tax forms.
McCain's education policy includes a 250 million dollar program that will increase post-secondary opportunities for high school students by providing tax credits for online college preparatory courses (SAT/ACT).
Obama's education policy supports an infrastructure for preparing high school students with college outreach programs (GEAR UP, TRIO and Upward Bound). Obama also proposes a "Make College a Reality" policy that would actively encourage enrollment in AP classes and provide grants to high school students seeking resources at community colleges not available at their high schools.
McCain proposes 250 million so that "States can use these funds to build virtual math and science academies to help expand the availability of AP Math, Science, and Computer Sciences courses, online tutoring support for students in traditional schools, and foreign language courses." This program would provide important resources for many under-privileged schools and students. Although not specifically listed under McCain's higher education policy, McCain proposes to "target $500 million in current federal funds to build new virtual schools and support the development of online course offerings for students. These courses may be for regular coursework, for enhancement, or for dual enrollment into college." I am in support of increasing and developing online tools that enhance traditional education and provide students with more options. However, I am concerned that this would be seen or encouraged as an alternative to traditional post-secondary education instead of enhancing it, especially for students with funding issues. Student/mentor relationships and the vast support networks for students are critical in the retention of students and in their growth! Why the online-centric approach?
In short, Obama's higher education policy includes support programs for high school students and an element integrating college students within the community, adding value to a students education and benefiting the community. In stark contrast, McCain's policy involves an online education approach that would be great in enhancing education but is not a viable policy to supplant broad reform for student support programs.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Obama/McCain Income Tax Proposals Compared
Here are the Obama and McCain income tax policy proposals side by side, according to the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, as published in the Washington Post. Check out the striking differences between the two proposals!
Notice that the bottom 3 tax classifications represent 60% of all taxpayers. While the top 2 classifications represent 1.1% of all taxpayers. Under John McCain's tax plan, the citizens who are in dire need of income tax breaks and would benefit the most from them, would not receive significant income tax reductions.
Notice that the bottom 3 tax classifications represent 60% of all taxpayers. While the top 2 classifications represent 1.1% of all taxpayers. Under John McCain's tax plan, the citizens who are in dire need of income tax breaks and would benefit the most from them, would not receive significant income tax reductions.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Debate Simulcast
Highlights -
As an example of "wasteful" government spending McCain cites Obama's request for federal money to repair a Chicago planetarium's overhead projector. In other words he thinks talking about about this --->
is important enough to mention when the economy is "cratering." This speaks to how out of touch McCain is with the world outside the bubble of his 7 houses. Also, I see it as ironically metaphorical that he talks about a science museum's overhead projector with disdain. This is a tool of education - a light - an instrument of understanding. You know, the type of thing Bush and McCain fear the most. If McCain and Palin are elected we might have it taught in public schools that the earth is 6,000 years old. Kids don't need planetariums, because if they knew how many light-years wide our galaxy is their brains would explode from confusion.
McCain on Obama's nuclear policy - "He said it had to be safe... or somethin like that."
(I'm paraphrasing in all quotes below )
On Science...
McCain - "Government research projects should be turned over to the private sector."
Obama - "The computer was invented within a government research project."
On Health Care...
McCain - "If Obama's health care plan passes he will fine struggling single moms struggling to insure their kids."
again using fear to take a jab at Obama's character.
"I don't know but I may need hair plugs."
yeah I'm sure the people at serious health risk because of the state of
health care in the US were rolling around on the floor at that one.
On Foreign Policy...
McCain - Trying to quote Teddy Roosevelt - "Talk softly and carry a big stick"
Obama - Softly correcting him "SPEAK Softly" - This is the actual verb Teddy used.
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