What can we do?

America, a country that has led the worlds of science and innovation for nearly a century is now reversing course! Excerpts from the Policy Forum, Science, VOL 341, 16 Aug 2013, follow.

Item: The National Science Foundation, NSF, now cannot fund political science unless it promotes national security or the economic interests of the U.S.

Item: A bill is now proposed in Congress to exclude funding for health economics research by the National Institute of Science.

Fascism, Communism, or what? Hopefully neither can happen, nor any other type of dictatorship, such as monetary. But if our present course continues, we will be flirting with a dictatorship with all its downsides as a method of government. Of course we are different; our form of government has been successful for over 200 years and that of Britain has been in the making ever since the Magna Carta dating from 1215.

The content of what follows is based on the works and experience of David Stockman as reported by Newsweek, 22 Oct 2012 issue; THINK PROGRESS website [], and The Daily Beast. Stockman’s book will be published in Mar 2013 and will bear the title: How Capitalism Corrupts Free Markets and Democracy. It could also be called The Romney modus operandi. It is all about Bain Capital. Stockman was Reagan’s director of the Office of Management and Budget and as such was the prime mover of Reagan’s fiscal policy. Stockman also comes with experience in private equity, the niche also occupied by Bain Capital. If there is an inside/outside expert around on how capitalism really works, Stockman is that person. As a Republican renegade, he could have an ax to grind, but in searching for what it might be, we cannot fault his historical accuracy, and that is what counts.

Because the next president may be able to take advantage of the congressional gridlock to further erode our liberty, we feel it is necessary to post our view of the coming election. The next eight years could just be the most critical period our nation has faced since the Civil War. It may take that long to turn around a Supreme Court that has wreaked havoc by changing citizenship into dollars. We see glimmerings of hope now that Roberts resisted the ideological right. If he continues such high statesmanship, he could go down as the Washington/Jefferson Johnny-come-lately in American history. He has many doubters, but we have hope that Roberts cares more about democracy, government and the Court than he does about the radical views of Alito, Scalia and Thomas now sitting on the court. What are Obama’s chances? Quite good at the moment—if nothing political, economic, or war-like, drastically upsets the next 40-odd days. Now that Romney has shown a tendency to shoot himself in the foot, his chances seem even better.

We did not take personalities into account here, we looked only at the swing states and what they are likely to vote from a purely statistical view. Giving odds can be dangerous indeed, but such as they are given several assumptions, the odds in Obama’s favor seem to be at least 20:1, or even twice that—just from the numbers.

Yes democratic governance has stood the test of time. However, in its very attractiveness it can be dangerous. While that is understandable (people everywhere want the quick fix), it is easy to forget that in Britain democracy, as the Brits now know it, was some 1200 years in birthing and developing. American style democracy has had some two and a half centuries to define itself while becoming the new empire with an economic twist. Both of those political events rode the backs of innovation and development of infrastructure. Along with those achievements, democratic ideals became institutionalized. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand followed the same template, but with governance of the parliamentary type instead of the American tri-partite style. After WWII, Western Europe embraced democracy as did India and other remnants of the British empire.

This great man, revered for his military prowess, was also a statesman of first order. His vision was centuries ahead of its time. He expressly feared the grid lock we face today and gave us a prescription for the better ways:What is good for America as a whole should outweigh special interests of any kind, from any quarter or any age.

Friends and Citizens:

The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made.

Why do we have to put up with them? Because they work that's why. McCain accuses Obama of supporting sex-ed for kindergarten children. In truth, he did vote for sex-ed in K-12 at an appropriate age, like most people would. And like we ourselves experienced in school decades ago, as a matter of fact.

See Low Blows for the real story and McClatchy Story more of the same.

The sad and serious part of this is that dirty politics is the American way, and has been for quite some time. What has happened to America? When those who campaign with integrity lose, we get what we deserve--self-serving direction from on high. How can we blame others for their systems of government, when our leaders-designate set such poor examples.

The drama McCain managed when he selected a bright woman and 20-month governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, virtually unknown elsewhere, had us all in thrall--for a short time. Brilliant politics, one blogger reported: Palin offsets Obama’s youth, activism and vigor, as well as Michelle’s aura, while appealing to Hillary’s women and conservatives everywhere—we now have a real horse race. He spoke too soon.

As the bloom comes off the rose, thorns began to rip the curtain of anonymity from this enterprising woman, mother of five, forceful speaker, and strong campaigner. Most importantly, she holds a key credential: acceptability by the religious and political right wings.

Her biggest zinger came in her convention speech, she claimed to have told Congress "thanks but no thanks" when, in fact, she strongly supported federal money for the Bridge to nowhere. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieuA7nAOBXQ to hear it in her own words. Her support came after Republican Congressmen decided against the bridge because it had become a political albatross. Palin did not give up. See New York Times for that. There is more:

Extended Review of an article by an authority on world affairs.

Mastering a Daunting Agenda (Excerpts reformatted)

Richard Holbrooke: Foreign Affairs, September/October 2008 (A premier journal)

The next U.S. president will inherit challenges unimaginable even eight short years ago. Richard Holbrooke gives us some of the reasons.

Since the written word falls short of the oral charisma of this great man, we furnish the link to his speech distinguishing Republican from Democratic Politics in a most insightful way. The issue matters because the Republicans have figured out how people think and this enables them to use metaphors that we voters grab onto and identify with, never mind that they usually intend the opposite of the way we take them. To be sure, all politicians tend to misrepresent. The point of this page is that the Republicans do it better than the Democrats.

9 May 2008; Updated 3 Sept 2008

Read carefully, compare, and take your pick:

Candidate web sites listed alphabetically:

John McCain | Barack Obama

“A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.” Lord Acton

Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win
By Shelby Steele

Extended Book Review

This is a book that probably had to be written for it illustrates certain facets of our history of blatant and violent bigotry. It is also a book after its time--it misses or misreads important and historic events. We do not see things as being bad as Steele paints them. He slots American black people as being either bargainers or challengers. In fact, that is not true. There are other varieties and Barack Obama is one of them. He neither challenges nor bargains. He is a black man by his own definition, but most of all he is a human being. He looks at humanity with equality, transcending differences of which color is only one. More importantly, Obama lives equality in all the good meanings of the word. Steele seems to begrudge that fact.