Happy New Year! My thoughts on what brought about change in 2009…

In November 2008, Americans came- out to vote for the 44th President of the United States of America who began his term in late January 2009.  The American people elected Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President and first African- American to achieve that position in America’s history. Regardless, it is my opinion that the President America needed and still needs is a President who is realistic, hopeful, confident and more conservative. I’m not attempting to be completely partisan here but with America in such a fiscal crisis and with such a great deficit we need a leader who can focus on addressing our greatest issues… resolve them and then begin bringing in new ideas and reform where need be.  As you cannot reform a government that is not strong and united- nor can you reform a government that is not standing. The latter would be called forming a government that has ceased to exist.

Understand that I do not carry any hatred towards President Obama, but I believe he does not fully understand the severity of our situation.  And quite frankly, I’m more concerned with having a President who can actually lead a country- and lead the industrialized and post- industrialized nations through both exemplary leadership example and genuine assistance (need be it) than the man who is the first African- American President. It is unfortunate that in the midst of excitement and perhaps some degree of carelessness many Americans voted for President Obama solely based on his race. Sure, he may have made history, but if he ruins the country what trail would he leave behind? Failure.  Not only for African- Americans but for ALL Americans. Were in this country together. We’re in this recession together along with the world and we are in this battle to keep America as the poster- country for all nations- as the land of the free and home of the brave. Together.

Now, regardless of what I may feel about President Obama, other GOP members or any other citizen it is our duty as Americans to do whatever it is we can in the midst of these crises we’re facing.  Its useless to continue complaining about our recently elected POTUS unless we have incriminating evidence, e.g. a scandal, proof that he is not a natural- born US citizen or something else that could have him impeached and tried.  I wouldn’t keep my hopes up for that. Instead I’d be looking for a solution- a way we can all work together cooperatively expressing our partisan ideas and finding ways to compromise and “deal with it” for the next few years and find a worthy GOP candidate for the Presidential candidacy and find suitable members for Congress.

I believe that we can take a lot from 2009, in particular the inauguration of our new president. Republicans should know that we need improvement. Improvement not only in our selections for candidacy, but in our presentation. Liberals appear to be more united than we’ve seen in quite some time… The Republican party needs to “reform” its image. We need to rid of the stereotype that comes along with our right- wing title. Hopefully we can learn from this and move on. We do not currently have a republican administration. Nor do we have a highly populated republican Congress. But we can change that. How? We change that by learning from our mistakes, acting mature, discussing issues relevant to politics (not irrelevant personal issues) and through togetherness. I can’t reiterate enough how important it is that we “fight” together, united.

A few topics that came to my mind just a few hour before the balled dropped in Times Square and we entered 2010 are the following:

2009: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

-Barack Hussein Obama was elected as the  44th President of the United States
-Plans to close Guantanamo Bay are issued by the administration.
-Nancy Pelosi & Friends introduce the Health Care Reform bill
-We slowly see the Executive Office of the President finding it’s way into Capitol Hill- where it does not belong.  Thus, the Executive Branch extending its duties into those of the Legislative branch.
-Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, finds a way to attack conservatives and compare them to the terrorists we are now at war with. (Not to mention we see that she can’t clear because according to Napolitano, terrorists came from the Canadian borders…despite what a 2002 US report discusses.) Democrats join Republicans in calling for her resignation.
-Twitter booms becoming a new medium for Congressmen/women, news, authors, doctors, writers and ordinary and extraordinary people alike to communicate with the world.
-Recession rates spike and decline, including unemployment rates.
-Economic stimulus plans show very small rates of improvement.
-Global Climate Change is discussed by world leaders at the conference in Coopenhagen.

Special thanks to those who continue to read Investigating Politics. I wish you all a Happy New Year!

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Thanks for reading. Please post any comments, suggestions, etc. Also, feel free to send any emails to investigatingpolitics@gmail.com!

Where Did Medicare Go?

Two thousand nine is reaching an abrupt close just a few short days away. I am urging all of my fellow citizens to reach out to their Congressman and Congresswoman to fight back on this ridiculous health care reform bill.

First, I’d like to point out one crucial and unfortunate event this bill will bring upon America- the elderly in America to be exact. Medicare will take some drastic cuts. Its already sad enough that we see the elderly having enough issues getting health care, but with this bill in particular we will be taking away money that they paid for to put in! It’s almost like filling a piggy bank from the working age of 14 and then having seeing it mysteriously disappear when you’re 65 right into Nancy Pelosi’s back pocket!

I ask you to place yourself into the shoes of your grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, whomever in your family that may be over 65 and imagine their faces when the US government tells them that any funding they would have received via Medicare would be taken aback from them if this bill is brought into legislation. I can imagine that you’d be stunned and upset after this plan you essentially paid for is slowly ripped into shreds.

Medicare was created to support Americans over the age of 65 for medical expenses. Today, although we have a significantly large average life expectancy we must realize how we got there. Answer: through modernized medicine paid via private funds, medicare and other governmental aid. People’s lives have been prolonged because we have been able to grant them the funds (they paid for) to assist them in extending their lives and living longer more comfortably. You tell me that you’d feel A- okay when this happens to you or your family member and I will re-evaluate my own objections to this bill.

Also, on the White House’s web page I happened to come across one of President Obama’s few videos where Americans (real or not- who knows) express how important universal healthcare is to them. I saw one in particular where a family expressed how costly it was for their son who had a life- altering condition and required a very expensive drug. Honestly, I was taken aback and I truly, deeply felt compassion for what this family must go through on a daily basis. However, at the conclusion of the short “commentary” the mother of the child stated something along the lines that eluded in one way or another that the government was there for her family’s medical support. Mistakenly, it is quite the contrary. I will not waste my time explaining what the government is there to do because quite frankly, that is what our Constitution explains very well. Our Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that our government was decentralized, federal and kept tyranny away from the US system.

Please note that I still have compassion for this woman and her child as many of us encounter unfortunate issues whether present at birth or acquired through our lives. Whether or not the government is there to take responsibility for it is another question. I believe you all know where I stand on that. As per the woman’s child, I do think that there should be alternatives for family’s in that specific situation- as she expressed that he was removed from the family’s insurance because the insurance companies could no longer profit from his illness. Sure, maybe there should be a government program assisting families in that similar situation… whether the assistance be permanent or temporary is something I ponder about my self. All I know is that a family in that situation does need help and it would be “un- American” not to provide them with any.

If we can aid poor nations I see no reason why we can’t set a positive example by helping the needy individuals on our own land. We are only as strong as our weakest link- and I refuse to allow one unfortunate and ill child be America’s weakest link.

We’re approaching 2010. We do not need to generate a new health care system as much as we need to address the current issues we have with our current system. Let’s not leave America with more unfinished business at the close of 2009 than it can handle. And let us not leave our seniors behind and cheat them of what they paid for. Let’s not be careless bureaucrats.

Happy New Year!

Let’s Be Frank Issue 1, No. 1

This week our nation entered code orange for airspace due to extremists attempts in attacking the United States. Fortunately, they failed. However as a result, airlines (both in and out of the US) have enforced stricter guidelines. This means, their eyes are wide- open once again in fear of another attack similar to that of 9/11.

This issue should be one of our priorities. NOT Tiger Wood’s affair. The last time I checked, Woods was not an American official- nor any official abroad. He is an American pro- golfer. Pro- golfers have no influence in public policy nor do they have any militia that might protect the US from any extremist threats. Another point I’d like to make is: if you were in his shoes, would you want your neighbors and fans rumbling through your personal life? No. You would not. Let’s give the man some space. Sure, nothing wrong with acknowledging the situation. But to continue making it one of our primary discussion pieces is absolutely petty. He is an unimportant character in American sports and he does not influences the livelihood of society as we know it.

It is unfortunate that we care so very much about the lives of celebrities, while they care such little about us in return. Sure we watch them on the television and invite them into our homes (if you’d like to say that), but celebrities have little to no influence on our public policy, livelihood, nature of the US political system and no influence in our economy. If anyone’s out there complaining about money, its the celebrities seeking cash from the middle- class so that their films and merchandise can be purchased. They say ignorance in bliss, but in a case where ignorance develops into stupidity I say that ignorance is distasteful.

If you’d like to find a great topic to discuss at the gossip table why not discuss why POTUS, Obama, is nestled away in Hawaii on Christmas vacation instead of somewhere out of the spotlight. If that makes any sense… [sarcasm]. Sure, with the White House being a possible target it may be best for him to stay elsewhere… but would elsewhere not include state of the art facilities such as Mount Weather and other places with superior bunker- like functions?

—-Let’s Be Frank, is a new segment I’ve added to the InvestigatingPolitics family. It will be a more frequent update than InvestigatingPolitics and of course MORE opinionated. Examine it as an op- ed column piece. —-
As usual, comments and emails are appreciated. Feel free to email investigatingpolitics@gmail.com should you have any comments/ suggestions.

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