Politics

I am elated, ecstatic, thankful, and reflective on this great moment in our country's history. I couldn't help but weep for joy when I saw him take the stage and show us the firm, strong, steady leader that this country deserves. I firmly believe that while we now have an immense challenge ahead of us, that we have made the right decision as a country to elect this incredible figure to lead us. While I'm a little surprised that so many people still didn't quite understand why Obama was the only logical choice, I believe that a greater collective intelligence has finally surfaced.

H. L. Mencken once said "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." Perhaps, after 8 years of this nation essentially corroborating that statement, we may yet prove him wrong. Good job America - your best times are ahead of you once more, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this upcoming era of growth and change for the better.

I think this article in the NYT captures the heart of what this election is about. Take a read and see what you think. And yes, it's from the New York Times, but honestly, despite being a "liberal" publication, they have so much more integrity and credibility than any right-leaning publication or media outlet, combined.

Alright. I've heard a lot recently about the "evil socialism" lurking around the corner. Republicans out there, I'm gonna take you on about this one. I've let a lot slide, and I've kept my silence on most of this. Let's talk about socialism. What is it that republicans want? That's right, small government. Capitalistic society, big business and states' rights. Something along those lines, anyway. So, by those lines, let's take a look at what our system of governance would look like if we removed all this "evil socialism."

Republicans, I'm going to take away your police and fire stations, paramedics, and interstate highways. Wha? Yes. Those are socially-funded programs. They work for your benefit because of taxpayer dollars. Go hire your own protective services and fire control. Oh, and go make some roads. Pave 'em well, because most of the trucks that your demographic buys tend not to run that well unless the pavement's smooth. Yeah, you're going to need to fix them every winter. So start shelling out, or pick up a shovel. Go on, I'm waiting. What's that? Too expensive? Big business charging you too much to protect and serve you? We're not done yet. School systems. So many southern republicans are opposed to the department of education. Fine. Go ahead and teach your children at home. Teach them "intelligent design" and that global warming is a myth. We'll see how your kids are the laughing stock of the world in 15 years when they try to enter a globalized market. Oh wait. WE ALREADY ARE A LAUGHING STOCK. Forgot about that one.

Let's keep taking away social programs. Medicare, social security, MILITARY! You republicans want to invade Iraq and other middle-eastern countries in search for oil? Well, tough luck, because you don't have a federal military anymore. Not that I personally wouldn't mind taking our military out of the middle east, but we're going on principle here. So, please, by all means, go hire Blackwater to do your military contract work for you; or go do it yourself. What? Blackwater is too expensive? Well too bad. Hard to be patriotic when you don't have a force to defend your country anymore, isn't it.

But wait a minute, you cry, that's not fair. Well, neither is the republican ideological raping of the term socialism. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not advocating getting rid of capitalism. It's the one thing in our country that allows us to grow not only economically, but that also gives us more opportunities as a country than any other place on earth. But we need certain key socialistic aspects. It's what makes our form of government unique. I hear so many people bitch about taxes, and about raising taxes on businesses. Well, you've had your shot, and you've done a marvelous job of showing us the result of giving money to inherently self-serving organizations that only squander that money for their own purposes. It doesn't make jobs. It makes a small percentage of the population unbelievably rich. The point is, we can't possibly afford the individual costs of the services that we ALL take for granted, every day. Yes, there is bureaucracy and rampant wasteful spending. But you can't deny that a police station or a fire station operates with an inherent efficiency. If we didn't have representatives negotiating taxes for us and demanding efficiency (admittedly, they could do some more demanding...), could we even afford one of those basic SOCIAL services? Think about it.

Yes, I'm ANGRY at republicans that vilify vital components of our culture and society. The right is supposedly religious, correct? What then, pray, would Jesus say about taking care of your fellow man? Would He say "work hard and then keep it?" Or would it be something along the lines of helping those that don't have the same fortune as you? This is perhaps the most hypocritical element of the religious right-wing philosophy. It wants no government intervention, everything for themselves, and then expects "charity" to fill in the rest. Yeah. Really good f*cking job that's doing. Wake up and practice what you preach. Or what is preached to you. However you want to look at it. Look at the Bible from time to time - so many people claim to read it, but I suppose reading and understanding are two completely different things. The Beatitudes, for goodness' sake. Feel a little conflicted now? Nobody should die because a healthcare system leaves them in the dust. But under the "minimal government" philosophy, that happens. PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE OF GREED. Yes, all of us are greedy. But we can make a difference. I personally would have no objection to paying higher taxes if it meant that it will save the lives of people that can barely survive; even if it means that I've never met them before.

Last point I'll make. Sarah Palin? REALLY? That's the best the right can come up with? It shows such a fundamental lack of judgment that I'm half expecting someone to yell "JUST KIDDING!" right before election day; or at least come up with a good fart joke. I am aghast that someone should be nominated that can't name one significant landmark US Supreme Court decision; someone that is supposed to be able to make DECISIONS based on their knowledge of these things. Other than good looks and a demeanor that some people inexplicably fall for, what the hell is this?! How could you possibly wish this on your kids?! I have no issues with a woman VP candidate, but at least pick one that knows what the fudge government is about! Have any of the republicans actually listened to the words she says when she's not reading a script or speech written by a Bush spinmeister? For goodness' sake, I'm scared sh!tless!

Alright. I've spoken a bit of my mind. The usual disclaimer, please don't take my writing personally, especially if you're a republican. I know it's hard with a passionate argument like that. But I am unable to comprehend what on earth that party is thinking. It's obviously NOT in the interest of the men and women, of all walks of life, that live in this great country of ours. But lastly, don't slam socialism. The Democratic philosophy clearly shows us that capitalism NEEDS elements of socialism. It's part of what makes our country a great nation. Disagree with me? Leave it in the comments.

Early voting started today in Tennessee. I went today at around noon - to a relatively full polling place.

The lines were out the door. Despite this, the process didn't take more than 15-20 minutes. So, all you Nashville readers, there's no excuse not to vote. You have 17 days to get it done!

For those of you interested, and curious as to where you can vote early, please check out the Tennessee Early Voting Schedule online. Most places are open from 8AM to 8PM, though it may not be the same place as you voted in the primary (if you did.)

Be sure to bring your driver's license and another signature, such as that on a credit card. Otherwise, just bring your voter registration form, though I'd bring your license as well. Keep in mind that you CANNOT wear any politically-oriented or campaign-related clothing within 100' of the polling place. Now go and do your civic duty!

This blog is less than a day old, and I already have two mid-sized postings on politics. Why? Because it is imperative that we make informed decisions this time around. I know that what I write will piss off some people - that's to be expected. I'm a liberal, and a Democrat (for now, anyway), and I have no problem being known as such. Afterall, opinions are to be shared. If you're a conservative, please don't be offended by what I write; it is designed to stimulate thought, to expose real issues and problems that our electorate is facing.

If you agree with me, disagree with me, or aren't quite sure, put it in the comments! Or challenge me back in your own blog! Dialog is what informs, it's what brings discussions forward. Readers, the future of America is really at stake. Be informed, make choices that maybe aren't so comfortable for you, but will guarantee the success of our country, and the livelihoods of the generations to come.

Voting machines are an oft-debated subject, especially when we think about the fact that our votes are directly in the hands of a small subset of companies who at best have profit on their minds.

As a member of the TRUST research group (click here for more info), I have received information from fellow security research colleagues about how terribly insecure the codebase behind these machines is. I've personally looked through algorithms that the machines are running, and seen mistakes that even a highschool 10th grader shouldn't make.

Despite this, most of the buzz about voting machines seems to be theoretical - most people have never seen what a defeated machine looks like; nobody sees the actual effects. This site at UCSB has some pretty solid demonstrations, that while slightly boring, bring a sense of reality to the danger that awaits us at the polling booth.

I have always been an advocate of electronic voting. I believe it satisfies the need for a simplified voting process, one that is naturally less prone to errors and standardized so that all citizens can vote properly, and one that wastes less of our natural resources. What I cannot support is an oligarchy of companies that design the systems that uphold one of our most important constitutional rights. They design closed-source, for-profit systems. Nothing about an election should be for profit. That's why an open-source model would be greatly preferable, in my opinion.

So, when you go to vote, check your paper trails, be aware of what's at stake, and understand that this system needs to change. Fast.

For many of us, the choice in this next election is crystal clear. We choose not to be cowed by a politics of fear, and instead turn our eyes towards a future that offers progress, the advancement of a nation of people, prosperity, harmony, and global interdependence. Historically, Democratic administrations have always offered significant gains when it comes to asserting the United States' position as a partner on the world stage. Yet, inexplicably, there remains a group of people staunchly opposed to the continued development and evolution of our government in America.

Why would such a large percentage of the population be inclined to support republicans? I see three answers:

• Scared into voting for them due to lack of information or understanding of how the world works


• People exhibiting a selfishness so extremely fundamental and shortsighted that they don't care about the future of this country as a beacon of hope, enlightenment, and direction for the world.


• A fundamental lack of understanding about what an election is: You make political decisions, not moral decisions. The republicans have figured out how to pander to "values" voters, and then do nothing about said values.

There is a plethora of reasons why the next president should be a Democrat, from funding of science, to taking care of our environment, promoting REAL diplomacy, to providing a real education, the single-most important tool that a government can provide its citizens! To raise a point, let's choose to ignore reasons from both sides: Abortion and religious views from the right, and social services and intellectual development on the left.

We can't have discussions about morality, spending, taxation (McCain's campaign has somehow smeared Obama's tax plan - if you think you're going to be taxed under Obama, read his tax code and become informed before you give in to fearmongering that the republicans are so gleefully instigating), or any other aspect about life if we don't fundamentally understand the most important concept that drives our country, our civilization, our world, and life and the universe as we know it. I speak of course, about ENERGY.

Energy is so important to life, that no process can exist without it. Indeed, if we take a look at Einstien's most popular equation, e=mc^2, we see that everything itself is energy. Energy is vital to everything that is ordered, including our society. Whether you speak of fuel for transportation, heating during the winter, electricity, or calories for human consumption, you're dealing with energy. And it is this vital concept that demonstrates the republicans' fundamental misunderstanding of the way things work. Their energy policy is so incredibly short-sighted, and so immensely influenced by accumulation of wealth from oil companies that import crude, that they are blinded to perhaps what is one of the biggest reasons why our economy isn't just in jeopardy - it's at the ER. We IMPORT the vast majority of our energy. Because of this, a vast amount of our country's wealth must leave our hands and go to those that have the energy. A nation that imports most of its energy cannot be profitable. It cannot sustain the needs of its citizens. Our current model is incompatible with the basic principles on which this country was founded.

The republicans are eager to complain about government programs - some even advocate cutting the department of education, effectively cutting off a vital supply to the single most important resource there is: knowledge! They are eager to give, give, give to large companies. But at what cost? Let's look at another scenario.

What if we had control of our own energy, and produced it within the United States? Fuel prices would be negligibly low; we'd either be charging our electric cars, or filling our hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. MILLIONS of people would have jobs in generating energy domestically, which would provide a huge stimulus to our country's national budget. Families can afford to heat their homes. Techologies develop at rates never before seen, because we can find newer and faster ways to exploit our own energy. THIS is a model for economic prosperity. And this is what the republicans fail to understand, and what the Democrats have been pushing for a long time. Maybe not all of them, and maybe not effectively, but I can guarantee you this: If voters had educated themselves about what was really at stake 8 years ago? Our country would be in much better standing with the world, and at home.