Day: July 8, 2010

Glenn Beck University: Propaganda For Fools And The Gullible! :(

It is not a new concept to have online education, and online universities!

There are plenty of them, what are called “for profit” universities, and they have come under a lot of suspicion for promising more than they can deliver, charging tremendous levels of tuition and fees, and saddling gullible students into tremendous financial burdens they can ill afford to repay, without being able to open up job opportunities for those who have been promised what cannot be accomplished! ๐Ÿ™

But now, a new idea has developed, a new manner of “making money” by exploiting gullible and foolish people! Glenn Beck, the radio and Fox News talk show host, has started “Beck University”!

Realize that Glenn Beck never attended college, although he received an honorary doctorate from Liberty University, and can now, therefore, call himself Dr. Beck! He has described himself as primarily an entertainer!

He is, however, also a conspiracy theorist and propagandist par excellence, and he has spread the belief that Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt were dangerous progressives who undermined the United States, both in domestic and foreign policy! He has promoted a very distorted view of American history, and now will have the opportunity to spread the propaganda further, with large amounts of money being gained in the process! ๐Ÿ™

What qualifies Glenn Beck to start a university? Is this the trend of the future, to have propagandists start online universities and take advantage of gullible, foolish people who will believe that everything taught by the so called “professors” who teach online is accurate and reliable? ๐Ÿ™

Face the facts: What Glenn Beck is doing is no different than what led to the financial crisis in 2008, that has caused this Great Recession we are living through right now! He is a manipulative, deceitful man, no better than any of the Wall Street crowd who had no shame as they went about their business of enriching themselves, without giving a damn for the effects on average citizens! ๐Ÿ™

Don’t be surprised if one sees sometime soon a “Sean Hannity University”, a “Rush Limbaugh University”, a “Michelle Bachmann University”, or even a “Sarah Palin University”!

Realize this is all entertainment, pleasing a fawning audience which has no rational thought, but just BELIEVES! ๐Ÿ™

Will 2010 Be Another 1934? More Likely Than Imagined Today!

Only twice has the party in the White House won seats in the midterm elections–1934 and 2002!

2002 was right after the attacks of September 11 the year before, and there was still great support for George W. Bush, so the GOP gained a few seats in 2002–four in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate!

In 1934, the Democrats under Franklin D. Roosevelt gained nine seats in the House and nine in the Senate, an amazing reality considering the unemployment rate was 21.7 percent, down from 24.9, but still unbelievably high!

In 1936, when FDR ran for reelection and swept all but Maine and Vermont, the unemployment rate was still 17.0 percent; and in 1940, it was still 14.6 percent!

FDR was constantly attacked by the Republican opposition, and by demagogues on radio, called a socialist and a communist by many! But still, the American people saw that the President was concerned about them, and was doing everything possible to work on the economic mess, while the opposition was only negative and critical, and had no real alternative to what the Democrats offered!

So while there is a 9.5 percent unemployment rate in early July, 2010, it has not risen to the Reagan high of 10.8 in 1982, having peaked at 10.2 percent months ago!

No one is saying that anyone is happy about the economic situation that exists, but don’t be so sure that the Republican and conservative attacks are really going to have the effect that many believe!

The more the GOP candidates for office speak and comment, and the more research that is done by the Democrats on their backgrounds and records, the more the chance grows that the Democrats will have only small losses in Congress, and with some luck, maybe even some slight gains in one or both houses of Congress!

It is not time in July, 2010, to give up on the Democratic party, which has brought about fundamental change under President Obama, similar to what happened under President Roosevelt almost eighty years ago!

A New Rush Limbaugh Outrage: When Will Republicans Condemn Him? :(

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is infamous for his outrageous statements and signs of prejudice and racism, but now he is, even for him, beyond the pale, in his latest accusation against the Obama Administration!

Rush claims on his radio show that President Obama has purposely put America into an economic downturn because he is black, and wants to wreak revenge on America for the institution of slavery! ๐Ÿ™

So the President put us into an economic downturn, heh? Apparently, Rush has conveniently forgotten that the economic collapse began under Republican President George W. Bush and Republican Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson!

And does Rush really believe that Obama could imagine that putting us into a deep recession is an appropriate “payback” that he could win support on, and keep his party in control?

Is the President capable of political suicide, willing to self destruct because of resentment over discrimination and racism? Is this really a conspiracy of minorities against the white majority?

If one believes what Rush believes on this issue, then he or she is as paranoid and delusional as Rush is!

But the question is does Rush really believe this, or is this just a way to get attention and make money and divide people?

Face the facts: Rush Limbaugh is a demagogue, who cares for no one except himself, and enriches himself on the stupidity and loony nature of his followers, who in many cases are certifiable!

It is time for Republican leaders to denounce him, as he harms the image of their party with his ranting and raving! ๐Ÿ™

Delusions Of Grandeur: Michael Steele And Sarah Palin! :(

Two of the best known faces in the Republican party are Michael Steele, the controversial and embattled Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the GOP Vice Presidential nominee in 2008!

Michael Steele has been under constant scrutiny for his outrageous and controversial statements as RNC Chair, including his most recent comment which called Afghanistan “Obama”s War”, said it was unwinnable, and that history was the guide of why the war was a lost cause! For that comment, Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Liz Cheney (daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney), and Bill Kristol (publisher of The Weekly Standard), called for his resignation, even though the last two points Steele made were absolutely correct!

Despite all the controversy surrounding Steele, he has ignored requests to resign, and will apparently survive to finish his two year term to next winter. But now the rumors are that he plans to utilize the news coverage he has gained as RNC Chairman to seek the GOP Presidential nomination in 2012! Is this not delusions of grandeur? It is argued that he has charisma, but the question is does he have the intelligence, the capabilities, to run for President?

Sure, Steele was Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and ran a losing race for Senator from that state. But what makes this man think he is qualified to be what some have said is the “Republican Barack Obama”?

At the same time, there are rumors flying that Sarah Palin may seek to become RNC Chair to succeed Steele! But why would she want to do this?

Supposedly, it would give her more publicity (as if she needed it), having received plenty of such, plus an estimated $12 million for her memoirs and speeches. But IF she was RNC Chair, she would not have the freedom to make the kind of income she has made, and she would not be free, in the way she is now, to use Twitter freely and back and campaign for selected candidates, and on specific issues!

More importantly, how could she become RNC Chair in the beginning of 2011 and also be able, if she desired, to be a GOP candidate for President of the United States in 2012?

Beyond all this, Palin has the tendency to be controversial, even more so than Steele! Is this what the Republican Party needs: Palin as RNC Chair, and Steele as a candidate for President?

Would either development advance the GOP cause for 2012? To the author, that seems highly doubtful! ๐Ÿ™

The Economy And The Republicans: Do They Have The Answers? NO! :(

President Obama and the Democratic Party are on the defensive, with the economy in such bad shape four months before the midterm elections for Congress, and the governorships in most states!

The unemployment rate is still 9.5 percent; the stock market has seen a new decline since its high in April; consumer spending is still inadequate; housing sales are in a deep decline; the federal deficit is continuing to explode; millions of Americans are losing their unemployment benefits, due to failure to extend it in the Senate before the holiday break; state and local governments are in financial crisis unseen on this level since the Great Depression; and the imbalance of foreign exports as compared to imports is still out of control!

In these circumstances, President Obama is out making speeches and campaigning for endangered Democrats, arguing that the economic stimulus is starting to work, and that economic conditions will start to improve!

But for many voters, their patience and willingness to be calm about their situations is wearing down, and who can blame them?

So the question arises: the Republican party should see major gains in both houses, and the possibility exists that they could win control of both Houses of Congress in November! To do that, they would have to accomplish a net gain of 39 seats in the House, and 10 in the Senate, a tall order, but possible!

Never before, when there has been a party turnover in Congress, has one house switched without the other one also changing! That could happen this fall, however, as to accomplish ten seats gain in the Senate seems extremely unlikely, while the 39 seat gain in the House is more possible!

But let’s even assume that the GOP gains control in one or both Houses of Congress. The question is what do they do with the newly gained power? It is interesting that John Boehner, the Minority Leader in the House, who would become Speaker if his party won the House, has made clear that any plans are still in process of being formulated!

So do the Republicans have a solution or program to deal with the high unemployment rate; the decline in the stock market; the weak consumer spending; the housing crisis; the expanding federal deficit; the millions who will have no income, due to failure to expand unemployment compensation; the loss of services on the state and local level, including police, fire, education, libraries and other areas taken for granted; and the imbalance of foreign trade?

The answer is NO on all counts, as the Republicans have not come up with any alternatives, but obviously do not seem to be concerned with the crisis in the states and local governments, or the growing spread of poverty and homelessness due to long term unemployment!

Instead, they still talk about expanding defense and war spending as if there are no limits; condemn the economic stimulus and have no further plans on how to boost the economy; plan to try to repeal the health care reform before it really gets a chance to succeed; have no desire to restrain Wall Street through regulatory reform; continue to promote the oil industry, and work against energy and environmental reforms; and allow themselves to be hijacked by the Tea Party Movement, which sees cutting of spending and lower taxes as somehow the magical answer to the problems we face! ๐Ÿ™

It is clear that many people, not terribly knowledgeable about issues and problems in detail, have an oversimplified view of reality! Only when the GOP would get their chance to show that they have no solutions to the series of problems we face, and only when people remember that the GOP controlled Congress for twelve years (1994-2006) and created most of the problems that led to the present mess, will they come to realize that the Democrats have better ideas and solutions!

But again, nothing happens overnight, and patience is required! Will the American people have that willingness to wait and not expect miracles overnight?

That is the big question of the upcoming midterm Congressional elections of 2010!