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Make Your Mark
May
24
Polarizing issues
Filed Under Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Democrats, Iraq, Politics, Presidential Debates, get informed!, john mccain, life, live green, presidential candidates, recycle, republicans, soldiers, taxes, war | Leave a Comment
Pro Choice or Pro Life? Gay Marriage? New taxes? Welfare reform?
I recently had a very long conversation with my friend regarding abortion. She has long voted for Republicans simply because she’s pro life, and in line with the leaders of her church, she votes for extreme conservatives. She also took advantage of programs available to her when she had her children such as no cost health care for her delivery (provided by the government) as well as WIC and food stamps. Her husband owned a small business and they had a few very lean years. The fact that the people she was voting for were basically against those programs intended for low income families never really dawned on her or mattered to her.
So here’s my real question? Do the real, daily-life issues matter to voters? Or only the big, sensational issues?
For example, the cost of health care really effects my family. We have high deductibles for our PPO, and end up spending a lot out of pocket. We pay into Social Security every month weeks, and yet, there’s about 100% possibility that we’ll never see that money again. Same with Medicare. We have a young son, and we’d like for there to be quality public education for him and some natural resources available for his grandchildren. Likewise, we pay a lot in taxes and we’d like to see that used more wisely - if not, then give it back. We could use it to save for our retirement, since we won’t have Social Security.
What I’m saying is that I’m glad to know where the candidates stand on issues like abortion. It helps me to understand what kinds of Supreme Court Justices they would appoint, the kind of legislation they might pass/veto. However, I wish less time was spent during the debates on these polarizing topics. I want to know what these people are going to do about issues that effect our everyday lives.
One last topic…Bring the troops home or stay the course? Some candidates (Obama, Dodd) say that they’re going to bring the troops home immediately, while some are sticking to the “stay the course” doctrine (McCain)…do you think this will be a deciding factor in the election? Personally, I want the troops home yesterday - three years ago, even. But what I’d rather hear them talk about is how they’re going to repair the US’s reputation and standing in the world. How we exit Iraq will be a part of that, but I’d like to hear more specific plans for diplomacy.
May
20
The Oil Law and other benchmarks
Filed Under Christian Science Monitor, Council on Foreign Relations, Democrats, George W. Bush, Iraq, MSNBC, Politics, deployment, military, oil, republicans, soldiers, war | Leave a Comment
Before you get started here, I highly recommend this backgrounder by Lionel Beehner, Staff Writer for the Council on Foreign Relations.
It’s all very confusing. Why are we trying to dictate what Iraq does with their national resources? I can’t wrap my head around why our government thinks they have any say in what Iraq does with their oil. Passing a bill in congress that dictates what Iraq must do might sound good to Americans - then if it fails, it’s the Iraqi’s fault - but this seems to be terrible logic to me. Here’s a good article outlining the issues with the first “benchmark” - the oil law.
Hasan Jum’a Awwad, Head of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions, recently sent an open letter to the US Congress pleading that the acceptance of an oil law not be linked to the withdrawal of US troops.
From the Council on Foreign Relations website, here’s a sort of breakdown of the current benchmarks, (prepared by Lionel Beehner) :
In President Bush’s January 2007 speech outlining his latest strategy for Iraq, he listed a series of benchmarks on security, economic performance, and governance for the Iraqi government to meet. They include passing an oil revenue-sharing bill, reversing the draconian de-Baathification laws his administration previously forced on Iraq, and holding new provincial elections. He also demanded progress in the spending of billions of dollars in reconstruction money and revisions to the constitutional amendment process. “America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced,†Bush proclaimed.
How can we hold another government to benchmarks we make up? Without clear guidelines of what defines both success and failure, how can we say we’re winning or losing?
I really feel like it’s not a win/loss situation. It’s a disaster that shouldn’t go on needlessly. Let Iraq govern themselves. The US has no business dictating how their constitution is worded, how much of their oil goes to foreign investors or how their government is divided up between the peoples of Iraq. If anything, the US should pull out all contractors, let the Iraqi’s offer contracts for rebuilding worldwide. The current contractors can pool the billions in profits they’re making to finance actual reconstruction WITH oversight.
Are we obligated to offer some sort of security force? I don’t know. I believe that the US presence fuels the insurgency, and that all progress will continue to be undone by bombs and shooting while we remain there.
So finally, here’s my assessment. The Democrats tried to put together a bill that included the President’s benchmarks and a time line for troop withdrawal. The time line was denied, but the benchmarks remain. It seems very convenient for our Congress and and Executive Branch to approve of something that the US has no way to enforce and no control over.
I hope others will comment on this entry. I’m always looking for new viewpoints, and the more we all understand the situation, the better we can PARTICIPATE in our government.
May
18
2nd Republican Debate, Pt. 1
Filed Under Duncan Hunter, Fox News, Iraq, Jim Gilmore, MSNBC, Marine Corps, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Politics, Presidential Debates, Republican Debate, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, john mccain, marines, presidential candidates, republicans, taxes, war | 6 Comments
Paid for, presented by and moderated by Fox News. That alone was troubling to me. But as they went through the many Republican candidates, I was struck by amount of public service - both in state and federal government. Impressive amount of government experience.
I’m typing these notes as I watch the debates on msnbc.com, so bear with me if it’s a little incoherent or long winded. You can skip around to the different headings if you’re not interested in the topics. Also, these are just my opinions as I watch this 2nd debate. I encourage everyone to watch the debates, and form their own opinions!
Read more
May
4
May - Military Appreciation Month
Filed Under America Supports You, Military Appreciation Month, Support the Troops | 3 Comments
Looking for ways to show your support for our Military? Click here for options.
From the America Supports You website:
A declaration in 1999 encouraged U.S. citizens to observe May as Military Appreciation Month “in a symbol of unity - to honor the current and former members of the armed forces - including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.â€
A quote from Senator Barbara Boxer:
“When service members are discharged, we should express our gratitude for their profound personal sacrifice, not hand them a bill for their hospital food.“
May
4
New Army study released: deployments vs. mental health
Filed Under APA, Army, Army Reserve, Iraq, Marine Corps, NPR, National Guard, Operation Tribute to Freedom, Time Magazine, afghanistan, deployment, marines, mental health, soldiers, war | Leave a Comment
Recent Study…
I was listening to the daily news brief on NPR today, and they read a story about how an Army Task Force conducted a study and found that the length of deployment is related to instances of mental health problems. This story is on the heels of another story I read online at Time Magazine speaking to how the mental-health needs of the military and their families aren’t met, according to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association.
Right now, Soldiers are supposed to be deployed for 15-months (recently increased from 12 months) and then be home for 12 months. Marines are deployed for 7-8 months, then come home for 7-8 months.
More after the jump… Read more
Mar
27
I hate how I am able to compartmentalize the war…even able to forget it’s even happening at times. The last two years are some of the few in my life that I didn’t live either on a military base or very near one. I’m amazed at how I’ve distanced my mind from all that being a military family entails.
Here’s a good reminder:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17773294/site/newsweek/
I would apologize for being a downer, but I’m not sorry. I’m only sorry that I don’t make more of an effort know what’s happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once my brother-in-law returned from his second tour, and the last of my good friends came home, and I stopped working as a contractor - planning military blood drives, I kind of checked out.
But the reality is that the rotations go on. The number of wounded and dead continue to grow. The sacrifice amazes me, and humbles me. It’s sad and exhausting to think about. For me, anyway. There so much guilt tied into gathering information - how lucky I am that I was never deployed, that my husband was never deployed. But even now, as other friends prepare to deploy on their third and fourth tours, I’m so grateful to be so lucky. And I feel bad about that. I don’t know what I’m saying here. It’s a little rambly.
Sorry about that. I’ll come back and edit this later.
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