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Thursday Musing
The World is Going to Hell … NOT!
My father, who went through the Great Depression and World War II, took a rather pessimistic overall view of the world, even though he was a wise, pleasant, wonderful man, whom I loved and greatly respected, even more now that he’s gone.
My father thought that hard times were always ahead, that economic collapse was just around the corner. That sentiment is shared by a lot of people today. And there’s plenty of bad news all around us. If we dwell on the negative, and fail to put it in perspective, it’s easy to become pessimistic, cynical, and have a negative view of the world.
Personally, I believe we have more reason for optimism than ever before. Overall, this is the best time in the history of the world to be alive. In general, we have a world with more freedom, more prosperity, more safety, better health, less pollution, and more opportunity than any time in history. When I look at my children and grandchildren, I don’t see a community, state or world on the verge of collapse. I see a world that can be an even better place than what I grew up in.
That’s not to say we don’t have plenty of problems. Clearly, some federal budget and economic practices are unsustainable and getting on track will be wrenching. I get as disgusted as anyone at politicians, especially at the federal level, who pander and who are unwilling to make the tough decisions and tackle the issues that really matter.
But I think it’s also worth pointing out the positive. A new periodic feature at UPD will be called, “The World is Going to Hell … NOT!” It will present evidence and information showing things aren’t always as bad as the cynics and naysayers would have us believe. If you see information or stories that fit this feature, please send along the links.
Epistle to Republicans
State GOP Chair Stan Lockhart has sent a lengthy letter to Republican activists about party progress and activities. Says Lockhart: “The Republican Party is more than a service organization. It is more than a social club. It is more than an opportunity to attend a convention once or twice a year. We stand for something important; our values. To the extent that we can share these values with others and persuade them of the need for government to reflect Republican principles, we will succeed in our Party mission. And most important, our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the freedom and liberty that we enjoy.” To read the entire letter, click here.
Washington Watch
Hatch Supports Disaster Relief
Sen. Orrin Hatch announces his support for "the establishment of a Permanent Disaster Program for farmers who suffer from natural disasters. The move is a reaction to the difficulty of responding to agriculture disasters individually on an almost annual basis, leading to Congressional responses that are sometimes unbalanced, and too late" (see press release).
Bennett Not Surprised By Vote
Sen. Bob Bennett says of the failure of the D.C. Voting Rights bill: "I was not surprised by the vote [Tuesday]. Many of my colleagues felt very strongly that this bill was unconstitutional, and in the end their argument prevailed. It is unfortunate that Utah will not receive a fourth seat in the House of Representatives, but with the Census coming in 2010, we are all but guaranteed at least one additional seat, if not two" (see press release).
Cannon: No Assistance for Illegals
Rep. Chris Cannon votes "in favor of legislation requiring any individual or household receiving money from the Affordable Housing Fund to present verification of legal residency by a secure identification document before being eligible to receive federal housing assistance" (see press release).
Today in Political History
Sept. 20, 1789: Congress creates the U.S. Post Office
Sept. 20, 1881: Chester Alan Arthur is sworn is as President due to the assassination of President Garfield. (Source: Perspicuity)
Sept. 20, 1962: Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett blocks black student James Meredith from enrolling at the University of Mississippi. (Source: NBC5)
Wise Words
“He who controls the money supply of a nation controls the nation”
-- James A. Garfield (Source: Think Exist)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- The Hill: "Leading Democratic presidential candidates are signaling that they will return to the thorny issue of immigration reform faster than their party colleagues on Capitol Hill would like. The campaigns of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) say their candidates will seek comprehensive reform, a phrase that sometimes implies a guest worker program, as soon as they get to the White House."
-- Wall Street Journal: "Eager to avoid being branded old-style tax-and-spend liberals," the Democratic presidential candidates are starting to roll out detailed tax cut proposals aimed at lower- and middle-income American households.
-- The Politico: "John McCain doesn't tell people he is running for president. He doesn't ask people to vote for him. And he won't take any questions about it from the crowds that gather to see what has become the stealthiest presidential campaign in America. Not that McCain is out of the race. He isn't. But McCain is doing better by getting people to forget his presidential campaign than by reminding people of it."
-- Washington Post: Columnist Michael Gerson discusses the GOP's "ruinous immigration stance."
Blog Watch
-- Rep. John Dougall says: "With the Governor's call [to turn off the lights for an hour last night], I wonder whether there will be a sharp increase in our most common natural resources -- kids. We'll have to watch for news reports in 9 months to see how many citizens took the challenge seriously. Any saving in energy may ultimately be consumed in the resultant increase in public ed spending. So, go ahead and create your posterity, while also saving the environment for them."
-- UAC Blog posts a September legislative interim recap.
-- At Out of Context, Dan Harrie says: "Over at the Deseret Morning News, LaVarr Webb is at it again. Once more he is using his Sunday column to further the interests of his lobbyist business clients without disclosing the conflict. In the most recent column ... Webb devotes the entire piece to saying why vouchers are good for public schools. ... Webb delivers a convincing, forceful argument for vouchers, coming across as an open-minded fellow who has considered all sides. Only problem -- he doesn't come clean with the fact he is a devout pro-voucher activist with business interests in the issue. Webb is listed in state corporate filings as a director of the pro-voucher group Parents for Choice in Education Inc. His Exoro lobbyist/political consulting group has in the past received thousands of dollars from the Parents for Choice political action committee. And his Utahpolicy.com web site has published paid advertorials promoting vouchers. Nothing wrong with any of that -- Except one thing. Deseret Morning News readers of the column aren't told about it." (Note from LaVarr Webb: I have absolutely no business interests in the voucher issue. The state corporate filing is apparently old and inactive. I am not a director of any voucher organization or even part of any informal strategy group, and have had nothing to do with the voucher campaign. I am doing no lobbying with any voucher group or being paid in any way and have not done so for years. Years ago I did some very limited work for Parents for Choice in Education, but I have had no organizational or financial tie with the group for several years.) (For more on the voucher issue, see Simple Utah Mormon Politics, Part of the Plan, Jeremy's Jeremiad, J.M. Bell and Friends, Woods Cross Citizen, and Davis County Watch.)
Lighter Side
Best of Late Night Humor
David Letterman: “Top Surprises in General Petraeus’s Report to Congress”: Opens with a forward from Jerry Stiller; Kurds and Sunnis are contemplating joining forces under the new name, “Kurnis”; Addressed some congressman as “Mommy”; An entire section devoted to his famous ham salad recipe; Most of his solutions were based on old episodes of “MacGyver”; Said more needs to be done about senators with wide restroom stances.
Jay Leno: General Petraeus [testified] before Congress and a number of senators accused General Petraeus of lying. You’ve gotta understand why they’re upset. If you are going to deceive the American people, you do it the right way: You run for Congress. ... Vice President Dick Cheney is very upset about the way Gen. Petraeus has been treated by the Democrats. Cheney said it’s horrible the way people mock and treat a soldier. I’ll be sure to pass that on to John Kerry when I see him. ... A New Orleans prostitute has come forward and said she has had sex with married Louisiana Senator David Vitter two or three times a week over a four-month period. This is actually good news for the Republicans. Finally a sex scandal involving a woman. ... Senator Vitter is denying this woman’s allegations. Who are you gonna believe, a U.S. senator or a hooker? I’ve gotta go with the hooker. ... Prison officials in New Jersey, this week, had to use tear gas to break up a prison riot. You know what they call tear gas in New Jersey? Air freshener. (Source: Patriot Post) |
