Reply #75: Wow friend, where have you been? [View All]

[MadHound]

If you honestly think that we were headed in the right direction for the past thirty years, and then Bush just trashed the place, especially if you think that Clinton was the nadir of Americas' progress, well, just damn. All I can say is that I think you haven't been paying attention.

Clinton is the one who really got outsourcing rolling with his support and signing of NAFTA. He also supported and signed the '96 Telecom Act, which gave a huge boost to the corporate media that you so decry. Then there was his shredding of civil liberties with the '98 Terrorist Act, his shredding of the social safety net with welfare "reform", hell friend, the list is endless. Forty years ago, Clinton would have been considered a moderate Republican. It is a sad sign of the times that he ran and won as a Democrat.

And I find it funny that you rule out acceptance of corporate donations as a reason for labeling Kerry a corporate whore. That is, after all, the very essence of the definition. An exchange of money for something of value. Well, let us see what things of value Kerry gave to his corporate backers. How about his continued support of outsourcing? Or his vote(or lack thereof) on the Medicare prescription drug bill? Or his favorable vote on the Patriot Act(and yes, corporations do benefit from that, homeland security being THE growth industry of the new century)? Or that he voted for the '96 Telecom Act? Pro corporate actions all, and he recieved money in exchange. To think otherwise is to be either very naive or willfully ignorant.

And I'm sorry, but I also have to include the IWR. If nothing else, this is a great example of the man putting his own personal needs ahead of his job. For despite whatever explanation he comes up with, despite the morality of the IWR, it really boils down to one concrete point: The man failed to do his primary job, which is to represent the will of his constituents. With messages to both the House and Senate running 280-1 against the IWR, with the major polls showing that the American people didn't want to do anything, including vote on the IWR, until the inspectors were done, the message to all of our represenatives was clear, no on the IWR. Kerry failed in that, his most basic of jobs, representing his constituents. He once again put the interests of the few ahead of the wishes of his employers, we the people. Sounds like a sell out to me friend.

And your grasp of the economics of outsourcing and the solutions to it are both simplistic and illogical. It isn't something that could be done all at once, but a start is better than nothing at all. And employment and productivity would both go up if we started shipping jobs back home. The golden economic years of last century, from the end of WWII-through the early seventies were accomplished without outsourcing, why don't you think they can be achieved again?

As far as enviromental law goes, actually that would be a good thing for the economy. Massive amounts of money are starting to be made in the "green" economy, with a large potential for growth. Sure, some plants and industries would have to change, but most could be managed with minimal capital outlay,and little retooling. One big one to think of is biodiesel. A green technology that could ween us off of our dependence on fossil fuels, with minimal impact on the economy. And as the gas and coal sectors diminish, the new biodiesel sector would pick up the slack, employing new workers, and bolstering the energy production, along with helping the family farmer. Wow, what a concept eh?

I would suggest some reading for you, some Palast, Hightower and Kevin Phillips among others. You come across as simply throwing your hands up in the air, declaring "Oh woe is me, there is nothing to be done", and that is an attitude that guarantees no progress. Instead of fretting over what can't be done, get out and educate yourself, both on the problems and solutions. The old adage of "If you're not a part of the solution, then you're a part of the problem" still holds true in this day and age. Which part do you want to be? It is up to you friend.