http://www.kyle-brady.com coherent thoughts on diverse topics Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:07:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/03/14/political-change-may-be-coming/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/03/14/political-change-may-be-coming/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:34:46 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5500
After almost a year and a half of political wrangling, fake debates, fingerpointing, namecalling, and almost no obvious or momentous progress, President Obama’s campaign slogan appears to have taken Washington D.C. by storm in just a few short days.  With a final vote looming on healthcare reform, despite its status as actual reform now being questionable, some members of Congress have taken advantage of the Democratic momentum to propose, or put the finishing touches, on other legislation necessary for not only progress, but also stability, within America.

Depending on the individual, agency, or group counting, the Great Recession began somewhere around two years ago, and, until recently, regulation to address the very problems that caused the financial and economic crash has been sorely lacking.  Senator Dodd had expressed interest in passing legislation through the Senate Banking Committee, but his dedication came into question when he announced not running for reelection – it is, therefore, surprising that Dodd announced an upcoming regulatory bill.  Some of the details are still murky, but it has intentions to revitalize banking regulation, provide greater watchdog capabilities to both bank shareholders and government, create a “Consumer Financial Protection Agency”, and more.  This bill has not yet been introduced, much less voted on, but if even half of it is passed into law, the battle will be well fought.

In addition to the political surprise by Senator Dodd, the FCC has revealed that they are highly interested in regulating the telecommunication industry, with a great focus on the Internet, as well as opening it up to true competition – Net Neutrality would inevitably be a part of such regulation.  This action isn’t a surprise to those that have been paying attention to the political climate surrounding ISPs since President Obama entered Office, but it will no doubt surprise, frustrate, and anger Republicans that devoutly oppose what they perceive as unnecessary intervention in the private sector, such as John McCain, despite the multitude of failures by the market to regulate itself.

From Congress itself comes an interest in reforming tax regulation to simplify the tax code to close loopholes, remove deductions, and make understanding it easier – potentially reducing taxes for certain income brackets while increasing tax income from those that weasel out of paying what is simply due to the Federal Government.  This move, while potentially politically painful, would satisfy both Republican interests in cutting taxes and the Democratic wish to have corporations play fairly with others, bringing about a rare moment for bipartisan legislation in an era of extreme partisanship.  Ironically, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has just produced stern words for the selfsame Republicans that have been stalling any and all attempts at forward progress, a well-timed jab likely intended to scare up legislative support.

What does this signify as a whole?  The underlying message of this may be that the Democratic majority have grown tired of the obstructionist tactics of the minority party full of bravado, not brains, and is preparing to move forward with or without them.  An important part of this decision may include not only the abject legislative failure of 2009, but also the upcoming midterm elections in November:  if Democrats can show that they passed significant and meaningful legislation almost entirely on their own, they have a greater political advantage than if they were to lay claim to thin bipartisanship.  The central strategy of Republicans has been to “break” both President Obama and his Congress by preventing progress, in order to retake the majority come election time – a prospect that seems bleaker for them by the day.

Whether or not these specific instances of Democratic showmanship turn into actual legislation is an entirely different matter, but the words themselves have signified a change from even just a few weeks ago – a change that is more than welcome.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/03/14/political-change-may-be-coming/feed/ 0 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/03/02/the-lie-of-bipartisan-politics/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/03/02/the-lie-of-bipartisan-politics/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:05:07 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5479 Bipartisanship, in modern politics, is a lie - a falsehood, a hopeless dream, a fantasy based on nothing.  And yet this doesn’t prevent either side of the political divide from using the idea of it as a tool for derision, division, and justification, even when those employing it know it to be nothing but empty words.

In the purest sense of the word, bipartisanship is a meeting of groups or individuals with opposing views, while sharing some common points of interest, that results in a healthy compromise between the disparate positions for the overall better.  American politics has not seen this kind of bipartisanship in the last few decades, if not longer, and the roots of partisan voting, including its vitriol, can be traced all the way back to the Declaration of Independence, with 2010 Washington doing their very best to continue this unhealthy state ad infinitem.

Recently, bipartisanship, or a lack thereof, has been used by Republicans in attempts to kill legislation of any kind, but their cries of partisanship avoid a certain fundamental truth:  President Obama’s Administration, and its Congress, have not been bipartisan for the simple fact that the Republicans have refused to participate.  The lack of a desire to govern is not at all comparable to a lack of bipartisan efforts, the latter of which has not been in short supply over the last fourteen months.  This is not so much a battle of diametrically opposing ideologies as it is a distinct dislike for President Obama and his efforts and goals, not to mention the striking characteristics of the GOP’s childlike political tantrum.

It’s time to give up, at least for the remainder of the Obama Administration, the idea of bipartisanship – on everything.  If the opposing party, in this case the Republicans, wish to participate with the President and his Congressional majority in the process of running the nation, they may do so, but concessions should not be made to a group of corrupt individuals that have absolutely no intention of being part of the legislative process except for their own personal gain.  While this applies to Washington at present, the same criticisms can be made for Administrations past, on both sides of the party line, and will no doubt continue into the future.

Until politics reaches a state of enlightenment that includes the ability to have reasoned, unemotional debates, bipartisanship is a lie.  Once the American people realize that the idea of bipartisanship is merely a tool used to garner votes for the party out of favor at election time, the country will have a chance at finally moving forward, as those within Congress will recognize the farce as being over.  Applied immediately, great benefits could be had within a very short period of time.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/03/02/the-lie-of-bipartisan-politics/feed/ 0 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/25/real-healthcare-reform-now-not-later/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/25/real-healthcare-reform-now-not-later/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:05:50 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5471 what he expects from a healthcare overhaul bill and while his direct intervention, however late, is welcome, it is not without problems.  The two glaring omissions of this entire process, President Obama’s efforts included, are that this reform process is not healthcare reform, but rather insurance reform, and that there is sill no public option or extension of Medicare.

President Obama’s outlines for a bill include a requirement for all citizens to purchase insurance plans, or receive a penalty – this is, to bastardize a phrase, feeding the hand that bites you.  One of the very reasons that the United States is in its current position of poor healthcare is the insurance companies that are more interested in profit than they are fulfilling the sole reason for their existence.  Besides argument of reactive vs. preventative care, insurance companies have continued to raise the financial bar for individuals to simply be able to see a doctor, have a broken bone addressed, or even visit a hospital in an emergency.  More importantly, in the event that an individual or family can afford to pay the absurd amounts demanded of them, their coverage is denied for a variety of obscure and self-serving reasons.

The entire process has focused almost solely on insurance, but from the substantially wrong perspective:  to provide insurance for the whole country, not to remove or, at minimum, fix the insurance system itself.  Rather than provide a Medicare-for-all package, public option, or the easy answer that would be socialized medicine, it has been deemed better to force some small, token amount of regulation on the insurance companies and require that their services be purchased.  Quite honestly, rewarding such abhorrent behavior with millions of new, coerced customers is not the rebuke of business and ethics practices that the insurance industry deserves, but is instead a twisted validation.

There is surprising growth of Congressional support for the public option, when it has been thought dead for months, that could be accomplished during the process of reconciliation between the House and Senate bills.  No matter that a public option, defined as the ability to purchase into a government-run healthcare plan, is not even close to socialized medicine does not seem to phase the screaming masses that can be found both inside and outside of the halls of Congress.  One of the typical arguments is that while Americans may go to Canada or Mexico for medicine, the citizens of those countries come to America for surgical procedures, but, like most of these talking points, it is a false and invalid comparison:  America has the best doctors not because of a better healthcare system or medical law, neither of which are true, but rather the simple truth that American doctors have substantially higher incomes and public visibility than any other nation in the world.

While a public option would not solve all the needs of true healthcare reform, where the system would be tightly regulated and converted into that of preventative medicine, it would be a substantial start.  A public option, essentially no different than paid-for Medicare, would provide the competition to the insurance industry that is sorely needed in order to stop their disturbing behaviors and insane price hikes.  Furthermore, the public option, if proven successful, could eventually be a gateway to a true nationalized healthcare system – one of the few talking points that the reform bill’s detractors have gotten correct.

If healthcare reform is to happen, it must happen now, in the immediate present – but healthcare reform without a public option, tighter industry regulation, or any substantial action against the predatory practices of those who latch on to the pockets of all Americans is not reform and should not, in any fashion, be passed into law.  For Congress, and ultimately President Obama, to approve such toothless and ineffective legislation is nothing less than political theater that will inevitably produce results only worse than those that currently exist – especially if the process takes another six months under the guise of false bipartisanship, consideration of a public option, or various other carrots to the American people that are truly just billyclubs.

Real healthcare reform must be passed now, not later, in order for both the American people’s faith to be restored in the political process and their health retained before another medicine, procedure, or facet of care is denied to them under false pretenses.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/25/real-healthcare-reform-now-not-later/feed/ 0 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/08/big-government-is-absolutely-necessary/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/08/big-government-is-absolutely-necessary/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:05:36 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5440 was no exception to such cries of foul against the spending of money by the federal government; however, those who proclaim government spending to have such attributes have missed the central point that such spending is not only not evil, but necessary.

While it may be understandable that significant protests will rise out of announcing a federal budget for a year that numbers in the trillions of dollars in the midst of the Great Recession and record deficit spending, those with complaints should not only remember that President Obama inherited many of the reasons to spend such exorbitant amounts, but that federal spending is the tool that has kept America moving forward.  More importantly, federal financial support is the sword that many Republicans/conservatives have fallen upon by proclaiming its evil and then accepting, or even demanding, kickbacks as motivation to pass legislation – Senator Ben Nelson’s recent healthcare reform behavior is a prime example.

Federal spending is what launched American astronauts to the Moon, saw the success of World Wars I and II, built the national highway/interstate system, partially funds the ever-popular Medicare and Social Security programs, subsidizes public education, defends the nation, finances longterm scientific research programs, and considerably more – the federal government is arguably responsible for America being one of the leaders of the world in technology and innovation, as well as allowing the nation to remain a singular entity.  For those that believe the intervention, or simple existence, of the federal government is intrusive and unnecessary, a question looms large:  would America still be an independent entity encompassing the majority of a continent as a federation of states into a large nation?  Or would states have long ago imposed their own border restrictions, broken from the union, or been conquered by other nations?  The latter is the likely answer, especially during the earlier years of republic.

NASA has received a budget expansion, so long as the Constellation and its associated endeavors program is terminated, and this has caused an outcry from Congress on both sides of the ideological dividing line – especially from those representing states with substantial interest in the funding of space, irrespective of the definition of “expansion”.  Many of these selfsame Congressmen are those that eschew government spending and federal involvement in a state’s business, in which there is substantial irony, or, perhaps, a revelation of corruption and two-faced behavior.

It is absolutely necessary for the federal government to spend money on a large scale, lest they lose control and let the United States degenerate into a chaotic mishmash of nation-states that have no interest in each other.  In an era where states are essentially broke and choose to cut funding to education and other important programs, rather than pet projects or their own salaries, federal intervention is more important than ever, and the Obama Administration realizes this.

The most important point, however, is that federal spending is managed intelligently and delivered on an as-needed basis – there is no room, both now or in the future, for wasteful spending and pet projects that should be funded by other means, including the military industrial complex.  For the nation to climb out of the massive hole of debt, taxes must be raised on those that can afford it, such as investment bankers, and spending must be trimmed to the minimum amount necessary to continue to exist as a nation and advance its interests.  The cycle of tax cuts, corporate loopholes, and increasing debt must be stopped before it’s too late, but not at the expense of the people, their health, their livelihood, or their safety – Big Government is absolutely necessary, but it must be guided by individuals with the requisite knowledge to steer it in the proper direction.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/08/big-government-is-absolutely-necessary/feed/ 2 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/01/an-open-letter-to-president-obama/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/01/an-open-letter-to-president-obama/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:05:47 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5420
I’m writing to you as a 22-yr. old Democrat that not only helped vote you into the Presidency, but as an individual politically changed by your campaign and ascendancy.  I’m writing to you as a so-called young adult that’s heavily interested in politics, thanks in no small part to you, and is concerned about the current political climate.  I’m writing to you because your State of the Union, in combination with your Address to the GOP, gave me hope – one of your overriding political principles.

I was impressed with your campaign because you seemed interested in returning intelligence, self-respect, and poise to American politics, all of which were sorely diminished after your predecessor’s disastrous Terms of Office.  And, to be fair, you have done all you can to return these values to our way of life, most especially with respect to the foreign view of our nation.  The actions you have taken to give science, math, and education their rightful places in American society are extremely respectable, as are many of the other changes you have wrought either via Executive Order or a forceful wrangling of Congress.

While I don’t support your decisions unilaterally, such as the various bailouts of corrupt and broken institutions, I do support your overall message of change.  Healthcare reform, in its truest sense, is widely recognized by the American people, in an overwhelming majority, as necessary to both our continued healthy and profitable existence, just as are the reforms of financial institutions and legitimately addressing climate change.  However, your supporters are beginning to lose faith because of your insistence on fair politics.

Your interest in bipartisan politics is highly respectable, especially given that you’ve chosen to tackle a historically disastrous issue in a political climate that is far less than favorable, and no-one will ever deny you this fact.  But the attempts over the last year to have bipartisan involvement in federal-level politics have proven to be mostly fruitless, exempting the few special cases such as Defense spending – why should this offer of cooperation continue to be extended?  The GOP’s response to the State of the Union, and the not-so-subtle hostility that you received when addressing them at their own invitation, should be evidence enough that not only do they not wish to cooperate, on any level, but that they will also take great steps to slight you in any manner possible.

What you likely already realize, but bears repeating regardless, is that the Congressional Republicans unequivocally do not represent the American people, just as the Teabagger movement does not represent the majority of the Republicans within the United States of America.  Healthcare reform, even if a public option must be temporarily forgotten, is too important to relinquish due to a subset of the population that is either completely corrupt or do not fully understand what they are protesting.  Even if the result is a Republican rancor like never before seen, this legislation must be pushed through.

The myriad other issues at hand must also be quickly addressed, possibly at the expense of your own political career, because I have no great faith that your successor will have the same strength of will or interest in carrying out necessary reforms that are not politically favorable.  You have the chance to be the modern generation’s FDR, and I hope you take that chance – even if you only have a single Term of Office, instead of three.  The nation’s infrastructure began crumbling long before the banks or the people did, and ensuring their survival is every bit as important as healthcare reform, alongside other longview policy decisions that will ultimately not produce a visible result for years into the future.

I believe that you realize the hostile political climate may very well mean you won’t be re-elected in 2012, but this does not seem to matter greatly to you, as some of your more recent comments have indicated.  It is for this reason that I, on behalf of Democrats, Republicans, and thinking persons throughout the country, beg you to make good on your intentions to be a great one-term President instead of simply a mediocre two-term one:  finish healthcare reform, and move on to the other issues – there is a long list, and it is only getting longer.

We are a year into your Presidency, and you have accomplished much – but you have three years and far to go.  Don’t let a wish for bipartisanship, or a fear of misperception, tarnish your good intentions and strong ideals, as the nation will ultimately suffer for those actions.  It’s important that you continue to make the well informed, careful decisions that you have been, but with a more apolitical eye towards popularity and likability in the future; history smiles on those who affect great change and produce significant contributions, not those who wish to be liked and popular.

The American people are behind you, even if the media often states otherwise, and we will likely continue to support you through the bitter end, barring some inconceivable political change of course.  As a young, intelligent, and possibly idealistic citizen of the United States, I’m proud to say that you’re my President and that you have given me hope for the future of our political system, even as Congress appears to be more and more broken by the day.

Here’s hoping you choose the path of FDR over that of Coolidge.

Sincerely,

Kyle Brady]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/02/01/an-open-letter-to-president-obama/feed/ 0 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/25/destroying-america-with-corporate-funds/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/25/destroying-america-with-corporate-funds/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:05:20 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5363 United States Supreme Court made a decision, on a 5-4 vote, that corporations are entities with corporate personhood, and, as such, are allowed the rights of Free Speech.  This essentially reverses decades, if not a century, of precedence that understood fictional creations do not have even a close resemblance to people, and do not deserve the same freedoms, rights, and considerations.  However, the ideological, and tangentially financial, interests of a bitterly divided Court are apparently more important than the structure and sanity of the nation or its people.  Corporations are now permitted to essentially spend their funds, in a political context, as they see fit – inevitably leading to even greater corruption than already exists within the American government.

It should come as no surprise that the current Court, a body of nine individuals, holds six members that were appointed by a Republican President, and all but one of them voted in favor of this decision.  Republicans have, in the last three decades, lauded the ideals of Big Business, the free market, and deregulation, and this ruling is nothing less than a major victory for their party’s ideology and financial backers.  As evidenced by the last year of political nonsense, the process of passing legislation within America is nothing less than selling out to the highest bidder, and, since Republicans consider Big Business to be their greatest supporter, they have sold out at an even greater cost than ever before:  the ultimate vitality and stability of the nation.

Much has been said about how this is going to destroy American politics, especially by President Obama and the ever-bold Representative Alan Grayson, as nearly every thinking citizen realizes that allowing oil companies, Wall Street, the insurance cartel, and other corporate interests with large bank accounts the ability to influence politicians, or those voting politicians into office, will lead to nothing but utter disaster – there was a reason why corporate interests were divested from the political process in the first place.  Even those Republicans/conservatives without a political career understand what a terrible moment for Democracy this decision is.  Healthcare legislation has been difficult enough to pass without the direct intervention of the very industry that wants so desperately for it fail, but what will happen when they are allowed an even greater influence?

It is sad, disappointing, and, above all, embarrassing that the Republicans of the Supreme Court would place party interests over intelligent decisions on cases, essentially eschewing the very job they are paid to do.  Even more worrisome, however, is that these Justices are of the very same party that shouted in self-righteous anger, during the Justice Sotomayor confirmation process, about using the Court to make policy and allowing personal politics to become embroiled in the judicial process – a deeply ironic moment for the Republican party.  One of the prevailing rules of the American judicial system is that precedent counts heavily in case decisions, with the weight increasing relative to its age and strength, but this no longer seems to matter.  The case that resulted in the outrageous decision to allow corporate personhood was not one that was brought to the Supreme Court for this purpose, but rather was reformed for this purpose to allow a bully pulpit for the conservative Justices to shape American politics through their substantial influence that is entirely independent of an election process or term limits.  If ever there was an example of using the Court to make policy, placing personal politics before the judicial process, and abusing power, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is it.

If Congress has become so corrupt and politically divided as to become almost impotent, and the Supreme Court is willing to overturn laws, regulation, and precedent at ideological whims, who is left to defend the people of the United States of America?  In a three-tiered government meant to produce the best possible outcome, not the worst, only the President is left to stand up for what is right, ethical, and noble.  But while the Office of the President has gained power since the foundation of the nation, President Obama can only produce so much either by himself or through sheer political strength of will.  He has many grand ideas based on what has historically produced the best results, such as industry regulation, and the successful policy decisions of other nations, such as a progressive overhaul of healthcare; however, none of this can be accomplished on his own, or by any lone President, because of the very structure of America’s government.

This dire political state will only further collapse if corporate interests and personal greed are continued to allow free reign within the political system of the United States.  For a great nation that has accomplished so much and influenced the world in such a large and beneficial fashion, the devolution into a non-functioning Democratic Republic that does not represent its people has apparently arrived to the great sadness of thinking persons worldwide.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/25/destroying-america-with-corporate-funds/feed/ 2 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/11/peace-at-home-comes-before-peace-abroad/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/11/peace-at-home-comes-before-peace-abroad/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:05:53 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5335 the “Yemen situation”, it’s sometimes difficult to take American politicians at face-value, or even seriously – there may have been an attempted terrorist attack within United States’ territory, but the political infighting, deceit, lies, and general democratic failure continue without abatement.  How can the values and ideals of democracy be promoted throughout the world as the solution to unwelcome regimes when it has proven itself so inept during the course of recent history?

Unbridled racism, childlike behavior within Congress, fingerpointing, a year-long debacle to better citizens’ health – these are only the issues that come quickest to mind when pondering the state of American politics within the last year, and there are many more on the list of embarrassments, difficulties, and outright failures.  At a time when Americans needed their government the most, in the midst of the Great Recession, billions were handed out to the very financial institutions that are at the heart of the economic collapse, only to have these funds repaid so that outrageous compensation can be given as rewards to the employees that failed to do their job.  Even more worrisome, Congress does not wish to spend exorbitant sums on the health and stability of the people they represent, but are willing to finance corporations, line their own pockets, and bicker over unintelligent legislative minutiae that is ultimately of no consequence.

Does this sound like a government that works?  Would a nation that is struggling to stay on its feet look to the United States as a shining example of a beautiful democracy that is their single light in the darkness?  Even with a highly capable, charismatic, and intelligent President, it would seem that the principles on which a democratic republic were founded - intelligence, integrity, freedom, and rationality - can no longer be expected to apply.

In the case of almost all legislation since President Obama’s Inauguration, the House of Representatives has successfully proposed, debated, and voted on legislation many times over, while the Senate becomes mired in neverending debate in all but a few, rare cases – the simple reason for this is that the House has different procedural regulations than the Senate, wherein the Senate follows a higher level of decorum and allows endless speeches.  More importantly, these procedural differences are exacerbated by the most rancorous and vitriolic partisanship, not to mention systemic corruption, that the nation has seen since its birth.

Perhaps before America decides to preach the values of democracy or push for the ideals of peace, the United States should first address these issues at home.  Whether the answer lies in reforming some of the rules of Congress, the entire political system, or simply forcing out those representatives that refuse to abide by principles of intelligence and rationality, it would seem that America needs to quickly solve its own political and domestic problems, lest the entire system become a parody of democracy – only then can failed states and hopeful peoples look to the American example of democracy in action.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/11/peace-at-home-comes-before-peace-abroad/feed/ 1 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/01/wishes-for-2010-american-politics/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/01/wishes-for-2010-american-politics/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:05:16 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5315
1.  Real Healthcare Reform w/ Public Option

The process of attempting to pass healthcare reform in America has taken a full year, and isn’t even complete yet – this needs to be completed in the early weeks of the new year, with a public option included.  Since this isn’t healthcare reform, but instead health insurance reform, any measures that do less than fully regulate the industry, provide cost containment, and include a government-sponsored alternative is unacceptably weak.

2.  Reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act

The Glass-Steagall Act separated investment institutions from savings banks in 1933 in order to better control the financial industry, and was repealed in 1999.  This deregulation of financial institutions paved the way for the Great Recession of late – the only way to curb the behaviors of highly corrupt and self-interested “fatcats” is through regulation, and a reinstatement of this wonderfully foresighted piece of legislation would be a suitable start.

3.  Reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine

In 1949, the FCC instituted a policy that governed media’s balance between opinion and facts, as well as biases; however, in 1987 it was repealed.  Since its demise, FOX “News” and Rush Limbaugh have taken advantage of their ability to present opinions and/or lies as fact to the general public, much to the detriment of the nation.  This degradation continues steadily with News Corp. exerting influence on their publications to present information only in certain lights, usually with a highly pro-business, anti-Obama, anti-people slant.  With a reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine, the behaviors of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and their ilk would not only be illegal but land them in a world of trouble with consequences for their abhorrent behavior.

4.  Less Partisanship, Grandstanding, and Generic Opposition

2009 was “The Year of ‘No’”, thanks to Congressional Republicans and the sheep-in-wolf’s-clothing known as Blue Dog Democrats – this default opposition to any progressive, liberal, or intelligent ideas resulted in gridlock and extreme partisanship where the two sides were so divided that compromise, at any level, was all but impossible.  Shouting during a President’s speech, vitriolic name-calling, and grandstanding for self-interested purposes were all seen throughout the year and must not continue in 2010.  It’s highly unlikely that such a corrupt and two-faced group of people, known as Congressional Republicans, can make such a turn around so quickly, but it would be welcomed with open arms.

5.  A Return to Intelligence

The election of President Obama was meant to return intelligence to its rightful place within politics and government, but it’s taken the better part of a year to achieve this goal.  Within the last few months of the year, the EPA has taken a stance, for the better, on climate change policy, the FCC is investigating the regulation of ISP’s, science is once again valued over generic halftruths – all wonderful in and of themselves.  But the larger picture of intelligence within government is taking significantly longer to reappear, and it’s hard to believe change is happening behind the scenes when Congressmen are shouting at each other on national television over minute points – this trickles down to the people, resulting in teabaggers, Sarah Palin, climate change deniers, and Creationists.

6.  Anti-Trust Prosecution

Promises have been made by the Obama Administration that Anti-Trust Law will be treated more respectfully than the previous Administration chose to, but the only results thus far have been initial investigations into Intel.  If anti-trust immunity for insurance providers were removed, they would be ripe for prosecution, but until that happens there are far more candidates than could be addressed before the end of President Obama’s first Term of Office.  Comcast, AT&T, and oil companies could be the start of a long list of companies and industries that come under fire for illegal actions in the realms of competition and collusion.

7.  Legitimate News Coverage

American news media has been in a slow decline for at least a decade, and the Great Recession has only hastened the process – more entertainment topics, irrelevant issues, and pseudo-politicians are now covered than actual news, let alone politics.  CNN, FOX “News”, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, and the rest of the networks, not to mention print publications, choose to exchange discussing real issues and their details for the latest celebrity gossip, 20-minute arguments over some embarrassing topic, and the highly questionable opinions of people formerly in the political arena.  This lack of news and political coverage has lead to a decline in American understanding of the nation’s issues, as well as the world at large, and contributed to the rise of partisanship and irrational screaming.  If some of the news outlets return, once again, to doing their jobs rather than seeking advertising money, the nation will be better off for it.

8.  Climate Change Legislation

Since the recent climate change conference in Copenhagen was such an unmitigated disaster, thanks in large part to both America’s inaction and China’s grandstanding, the United States needs to do its part before the world decides the greatest nation in the world is now irrelevant.  Rather than arguing over what has long been scientific fact, Congress must pass nationwide restrictions on emissions levels for all relevant gases, without loopholes, and forcefully emphasize the use of green, or at least partially green, energy over current favorites such as coal.  Nuclear power is not the perfect long-term solution, but if the federal government chooses to immediately reinvigorate the near-dead industry, it will serve as an effective and efficient intermediary until the nation can become a fully environmentally friendly energy economy.

9.  Collapse of the GOP By Their Own Hands

There are many in America that believe the GOP has been committing ritualistic suicide over the last year and a half, due to their abhorrent behavior, and the off-year election in a small, highly conservative, New York District proved exactly what many had predicted:  the teabagger sect of the Republican Party passes arbitrary judgment on those within the party, and often finds individuals to be “not conservative enough”.  The result in NY was that the conservative vote was split between a Republican candidate and a Conservative candidate, with the Democrat winning – this same behavior is likely to be seen in the midterm elections, essentially removing the GOP from power and allowing a more rational and viable conservative party to rise from the ashes.

10.  Handling Rogue Countries

North Korea and Iran have been problematic for years, but 2009 was one of the most politically challenging with these two rogue countries, as Iran had fake Presidential elections that resulted in government assassinations of protestors (among other provocative behaviors and incidents), and North Korea inched ever-closer to actually launching an attack on a nearby Asian nation.  Sanctions by both the UN and the United States for these two countries have failed, and a more drastic approach needs to be taken that does not involve American soldiers “on the ground”.  Whether this action is in the form of strategic drone strikes within these countries, a corralling of their neighbors into an anti-state coalition, or some other method, Iran and North Korea must be dealt with, effectively, before the end of 2010, lest the problems continue and become something entirely more dramatic and deadly than the last decade has seen.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2010/01/01/wishes-for-2010-american-politics/feed/ 0 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2009/12/21/there-is-no-debate-on-climate-change/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2009/12/21/there-is-no-debate-on-climate-change/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:05:02 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5259 has been the talk of the last two weeks, where countries argue over what limited emissions targets will be agreed to and how it will be financed, not to mention on what baseline the changes are calculated.  But this entire argument between nations has underlined a point that needs to be made, and has been largely ignored by most parties worldwide:  while the world’s leaders and their representatives decide how to respond to the growing problem of climate change, the United State is still arguing amongst itself about whether it’s real or fabricated.

To say that there are skeptics in terms of climate change would be a severe understatement, since those that find the evolving, global ecological problem to be questionable do not so much as question its premises as deny its very existence – this is why the label “climate change deniers” has developed.  These arguments range from the facts being falsified or manipulated as part of a mass global conspiracy run by scientists (seen in the recent dustup) to the variations in climate being part of normal earthly cycles, with deities occasionally used in the defense of hazardous activities such as burning coal.

Much like the current struggle to wrangle any sort of reform or progress for healthcare in the United States, climate change has become a highly politicized issue that Congressmen are using to grandstanding and appeal to constituents, rather than doing what is so obviously necessary for the betterment of not only the nation, but the world.  A majority of the media, however, is not making the situation any more amicable, as they give equal attention to legitimate scientists and bought-and-paid-for individuals that practice pseudo-science at best.  Even worse are headlines like “Snow?  What about global warming?”.

The point, it appears, has been lost on Congress and a worrisome number of American citizens:  climate change is not about temperatures rising across the board for all time, but rather a disruption of normal weather patterns that results in swings to extremes at both ends of the spectrum.  Snow, cold temperatures, and other events that are not considered “warm” do not invalidate the existence of climate change as an issue, and yet they are championed as evidence for venerable scientists worldwide to be the ultimate of liars.

It is embarrassing, to say the least, that the United States government, at least on a federal level, has not only been ignoring the pressing issues of climate change and its effects for the last eight years, but have also participated in denying its existence.  This behavior has led to the present situation:  America is in talks with the world’s nations about a topic that a significant portion of its legislators do not believe is important or relevant and, as a consequence, cannot sign any binding treaties.  The rest of the planet has recognized the threat for what it is, and seems to be interested in taking initial measures as soon as possible, and the leader that they expected to set the tone for the negotiations is the very country that cannot participate heavily or credibly.

The time is nigh for politicians to leave science, along with scientific reasoning and judgment, to actual scientists and stick to acting on the credible interpretations of data given to them – this is, ironically, what lobbyists claim as the purpose for their existence.  The scientific data behind climate change is real and legitimate, no matter how much those without the education or disposition to say otherwise claim that it is not, and the media would do well to realize this.  If the media and politicians do their job correctly, defined as reporting and acting on facts rather than attempting to fabricate them, America can regain its lost credibility within the realm of climate change, and the same principles of rationality apply to what some see as a debate over evolution as well.

There is no debate on climate change, and the arguments need to stop.  The only valid debate is on what actions need to be taken, how quickly, and at what cost - all in terms of the continued, hopefully healthy, existence of humanity.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2009/12/21/there-is-no-debate-on-climate-change/feed/ 0 http://www.kyle-brady.com/2009/12/18/the-disappointing-behavior-of-congress/ http://www.kyle-brady.com/2009/12/18/the-disappointing-behavior-of-congress/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:23:16 +0000 Kyle Brady http://www.kyle-brady.com/?p=5261
Even with staunch Republican opposition to any legislation not borne as their own, the House of Representatives passed their version of a healthcare reform bill that stood as a decent start for the legislative process, public option included.  While the bill had its flaws, such as a lack of support for abortions within the public option, victory appeared within grasp for the majority of Americans that have been clamoring for such legislation since President Obama proposed this action during his campaign.  However promising the bill may have been, the Senatorial half of Congress has proven this so-called reform to be an exercise in futility.

The status of true healthcare reform, the public option, and regulation of insurance companies is quite simple:  dead.  For all intents and purposes, Democrats, Harry Reid especially, have shown a surprising lack of tactical brilliance by negotiating away any legitimate benefits to the American people almost before it started, all while insisting on a 60-vote passage of the bill, rather than the 51 votes needed for a reconciliation between the House and Senate versions.  To many following the issue, the process of reconciliation seemed what the majority party was aiming for after the passage of the House bill, where the bills in each half of Congress could have flaws that would be fixed at a later date with a higher chance of success.

But recent behavior has shown otherwise, as the insistence on 60 votes continues:  numerous Democrats have refused to vote for the bill for various reasons that range from the petty to the easily disproved, which has weakened the majority.  Furthermore, those in power within the Democratic party have attempted to include Republicans on the making of the bill, despite the last eleven months proving they have no interest in cooperation, only obstruction – this has resulted in the stagnation of the bill and whittling away of any value it once had.

The public option is now considered to be dead, but insurance mandates still exist that would require the purchasing of private insurance by all citizens.  There are little to no regulations left to place on the insurance companies.  Medicare may be extended to those starting at the age of 55.  Insurance companies will still have antitrust protection.  How does any of this solve the problem that the legislation was created to address?  As it stands, the only real outcome of the Senate’s version of what is decidedly not healthcare reform is a requirement to purchase insurance, and severe penalties for those that do not.

This is as much the Republicans’ fault as it is the Democrats’ – Republican obstructionism forced concessions almost immediately, and the Democrats have shown a considerable lack of spine.  It is entirely unacceptable that passing legislation would take an entire year and yet have no tangible, let alone beneficial, results once passed, but this appears to be what Congress prefers.  Special interest groups, lobbyists, and corporate pockets have all but prevented progress within the borders of America, and it didn't even require outside influence by nefarious forces.

When Congress’ finances are at stake, they seem to be willing to take quick and decisive action, no matter how much populist anger it may raise:  TARP, the auto-industry, and various other situations have proven this since President Obama’s Inauguration.  But when those financial interests do not wish to be disturbed, most Congressional politicians take it upon themselves to make sure nothing gets done within their supposedly venerable halls – Joe Lieberman is a prime example of such shamefully unabashed sellout behavior.

The House moved considerably quicker than the Senate, to much greater success, and for this they should be applauded, but one of the key reasons for this was that the methods by which the House operates allow certain voices to be ignored or limited if necessary.  The Senate does not have these restrictions, and therefore the debate drags on endlessly to the great frustration of the American people, all while Senators pretend to be making great progress, participate in showboating, and taking extraordinarily necessary means to make a point that has been made many times over.

Unless there is a grand scheme, such as Senate Democrats secretly organizing a 51-vote reconciliation process that President Obama would be clandestinely involved with, true healthcare reform appears dead in the water and will exist as a shameful black mark on the American record for years to come.  If there is no public option, no extension of Medicare to all citizens who wish it, and no regulation of insurance companies, then it is not healthcare reform – it's corporate expansion masquerading as social progress.

This is not the time to give up, however.  The need is now greater than ever for Americans to attempt to make their voices heard by Congress, the Senate especially – the vocal and irrational minority that has hijacked such an important issue must be drowned out with the proclamation that citizens of the United States of America will not suffer being lied to, manipulated, and deceived.  If healthcare reform cannot pass because of sabotage from within the Democratic Party by those that masquerade as liberals, progressives, or even moderates, for them there must be a reckoning.

Congress should be aware, Democrats and Republicans both, that many political careers currently hang in the balance due to their disappointing behavior surrounding the healthcare reform process, and that their party affiliation will not save them from being voted out of office in the next election – from this, President Obama is not excluded.  In what was to be one of the defining moments of his Presidency, President Obama appears to be willing to accept any sort of legislation so it can be labeled as groundbreaking progress, and this is unacceptable to many of his greatest supporters that range from young to old, progressive to moderate.

Both 2010 and 2012 may end up being more of a race than incumbent Democrats had imagined.]]> http://www.kyle-brady.com/2009/12/18/the-disappointing-behavior-of-congress/feed/ 3