Until the early hours of Thursday morning I had not watched a full speech by Senator Hilary Clinton so I have nothing to compare with what she had to say to the Democratic Convention. Both the content and the manner of delivery was exhilarating and for the first time I understood why she had command such fanatical support for her candidature to become a Presidential nominee. My first reaction was that her performance, despite its commitment to the cause of Senator Obama, only underlined the loss of someone capable of becoming a great President. Senator Obama would have to give an exceptional performance for this thought not to linger. Having said this I also understood why it was necessary to have a vice presidential candidate with the experience and middle ground involvement which might keep on board the right of centre and reactionary supporters of the Democratic Party.
We may never know if he considered or offered Mrs Clinton the Vice Presidency but she was wise not to take it being available if he loses the election, to be the candidate in four year
's time or in eight years if he wins, and decides to attempt a second term. Everyone will have the memory of her overall performance over the past two years, and for her increasing statute as a New York Senator, representing a state which is not her home or former power base.
Several of the carefully picked and groomed speakers talked of problems, issues to be tackled and policies and legislation proposals which word for word could have been made by Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Politicians here. The economy with job security was an major issue with concern about exporting job abroad; the problems of home ownership and mortgage foreclosures. A major issue is Health Care and the need for a comprehensives system where the costs do not cripple families to the extent that they cannot afford to pay and rely on charitable assistance. Then there is the cost of energy and the dependence on energy provided by other nations, not always friendly. Another key issue is the Iraq war where the policy appears to be one of bringing the troops out as quickly and as effectively as possible and switching them to Afghanistan and where the border country with Pakistan had become the base for the international terrorists of the twins towers and the London. Food costs was also raised but I did not hear the same emphasise on crime prevention and punishment and on homeland security, something which all the major political parties in Britain appear united is treating as a key issue. The one issue of difference was the emphasise on tax breaks for the middle and lower classes effectively 95% of the USA population and the intention to put the squeeze of international corporation especially the energy corporations to play their part.
The main difference in the respective political systems is that the US President is powerless to effect change through legislation unless there is command in the two House and even then one has never to forget that the US is a Federal Nation with individual States have their own range of powers, tax raising powers and budgets more akin to the Scottish parliament and local authorities, and in some instances States have far greater powers such as the adoption of the death penalty for capital crimes. The British Political head of State has to first command a majority of seats in the House of Commons, or if this is not so reach an agreement with one ore more other parties on a coalition or function as a minority government with the risk of defeat and a General Election on any and every issue.
It is in this context that the selection of Senator Joe Biden was brilliant Relatively unknown outside the USA and to some extent within the USA. The Senator is just three years young than me which places him in perspective of experience. He had been a long time member and current Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and also demonstrated a liberal approach as a member of the Judiciary Committee on issues such as drugs, crime prevention and civil liberties. His family background is English and Irish. His father was a car salesman and he graduated in history and political science and was admitted to the bar in 1969.
His wife and infant daughter died in a car accident shortly after he was first admitted to the Senate and his first reaction was to resign to devote himself to his two surviving sons who were both seriously injured but who survived. He was sworn into office at their bedside and commenced the practice of commuting by train into the Capitol so to be available to his sons morning and night which he continues to do to this day. He remarried five years later with one daughter who are Roman Catholics. In 1988 he suffered brain aneurisms requiring life saving operations and which kept him from duty for seven months It is this combination as a strong family man, having overcome great personal tragedy and his respected work in the Senate he has continued to re-elected without difficulty becoming the longest surviving Senator for Delaware. I have mentioned disliking the practice of involving family members in eulogising their parents or children. At this convention Senator Biden was introduced by his son Beau, who in addition to being elected the Delaware Attorney General is a Captain in the Delaware national guard and is due to undertake a mission in Iraq this Autumn. There was no doubt about the sincerity, the pride and the love which his son Beau introduced him to the Convention. I had the impression that he was thrilled to have been invited to become the Vice Presidential candidate that he understood his role and what his function would be as the Vice President and that he genuinely supported and shared the belief and in the vision of Senator Obama. This was only to become fully apparent when I stayed up to watch the acceptance speech and when it occurred that the Senator Biden was likely to provide the supportive and guiding father figure that Barack Obama never experienced.
Thursday turned out to being a long day falling asleep during the day twice and then staying up until after 4.30am to watch the last day of the Democratic Party Convention.
I also watched one film, Where the sidewalk ends with Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, an excellent worth seeing Otto Preminger9150 film noir. Dana Andrews play a tough fist first cop, single and dominated by the memory of his gangster father. He gets into one situation too many during which he accidentally kills a suspect, falls in love with the man's estranged wife and has to deal with a situation where his boss played by Karl Madden believes that the evidence points to the man's father as the cause of the murder and attempted disappearance of the body. The ending is a good one even with its Hollywood ending.
Durham continued to do well at the cricket match with Hampshire by I was not confident as some that the win was inevitable.
It was a pleasant day with warm sunshine so I went for a walk after depositing letters in the post box, deciding to view the progress in the South Marine park where several million pounds is being spent on returning to the original Victorian design with 28000 plants, shrubs and trees. I was disappointed to find major work still underway although there was no activity when I arrived after five pm. I also could not go for a circular walk within the park having to leave by one exist at the top corner and then could not get round the lake having to retrace steps. I hen ha a sit in the sun by the former lifeboat before going through North Marine Park and the hill climb home. I enjoyed the pizza for lunch and the last available fish salad for evening meal. There were two helpings of cheese and biscuits, the first with wine during the evening and then in the early hours before bed. Originally the cheese comprised eight slices of Leerdammer which I had taken with me on the previous trip to Hampshire and Nottingham and which ad become fused through heat and required cutting again Together with two lots of cereal, toast and a cuppa soup, banana and custard and a pear I ruined the good work of the walk and some exercise in the house. But I was up and about for the greater part of twenty hours with only two naps although one of these was for nearly an hour.
Over the two days I had completed seventy five Artman glitter cards and around twenty five new sets of 101.75 cards.. I wrote, rewrote and reflected and also research aspects of the USA Presidential Election.
My first intention was to wait until waking on Friday to catch up on the acceptance speech of Senator Obama and then the historic nature of occasion hit me. It was forty five years to the day since the I have a dream speech of Martin Luther Kind II and one of the two major Political Parties was about to formally have a Black man with a single parent white mother and absentee African father as their leader with a good chance of being the next president of the United States of America.
We may never know if he considered or offered Mrs Clinton the Vice Presidency but she was wise not to take it being available if he loses the election, to be the candidate in four year
's time or in eight years if he wins, and decides to attempt a second term. Everyone will have the memory of her overall performance over the past two years, and for her increasing statute as a New York Senator, representing a state which is not her home or former power base.
Several of the carefully picked and groomed speakers talked of problems, issues to be tackled and policies and legislation proposals which word for word could have been made by Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Politicians here. The economy with job security was an major issue with concern about exporting job abroad; the problems of home ownership and mortgage foreclosures. A major issue is Health Care and the need for a comprehensives system where the costs do not cripple families to the extent that they cannot afford to pay and rely on charitable assistance. Then there is the cost of energy and the dependence on energy provided by other nations, not always friendly. Another key issue is the Iraq war where the policy appears to be one of bringing the troops out as quickly and as effectively as possible and switching them to Afghanistan and where the border country with Pakistan had become the base for the international terrorists of the twins towers and the London. Food costs was also raised but I did not hear the same emphasise on crime prevention and punishment and on homeland security, something which all the major political parties in Britain appear united is treating as a key issue. The one issue of difference was the emphasise on tax breaks for the middle and lower classes effectively 95% of the USA population and the intention to put the squeeze of international corporation especially the energy corporations to play their part.
The main difference in the respective political systems is that the US President is powerless to effect change through legislation unless there is command in the two House and even then one has never to forget that the US is a Federal Nation with individual States have their own range of powers, tax raising powers and budgets more akin to the Scottish parliament and local authorities, and in some instances States have far greater powers such as the adoption of the death penalty for capital crimes. The British Political head of State has to first command a majority of seats in the House of Commons, or if this is not so reach an agreement with one ore more other parties on a coalition or function as a minority government with the risk of defeat and a General Election on any and every issue.
It is in this context that the selection of Senator Joe Biden was brilliant Relatively unknown outside the USA and to some extent within the USA. The Senator is just three years young than me which places him in perspective of experience. He had been a long time member and current Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and also demonstrated a liberal approach as a member of the Judiciary Committee on issues such as drugs, crime prevention and civil liberties. His family background is English and Irish. His father was a car salesman and he graduated in history and political science and was admitted to the bar in 1969.
His wife and infant daughter died in a car accident shortly after he was first admitted to the Senate and his first reaction was to resign to devote himself to his two surviving sons who were both seriously injured but who survived. He was sworn into office at their bedside and commenced the practice of commuting by train into the Capitol so to be available to his sons morning and night which he continues to do to this day. He remarried five years later with one daughter who are Roman Catholics. In 1988 he suffered brain aneurisms requiring life saving operations and which kept him from duty for seven months It is this combination as a strong family man, having overcome great personal tragedy and his respected work in the Senate he has continued to re-elected without difficulty becoming the longest surviving Senator for Delaware. I have mentioned disliking the practice of involving family members in eulogising their parents or children. At this convention Senator Biden was introduced by his son Beau, who in addition to being elected the Delaware Attorney General is a Captain in the Delaware national guard and is due to undertake a mission in Iraq this Autumn. There was no doubt about the sincerity, the pride and the love which his son Beau introduced him to the Convention. I had the impression that he was thrilled to have been invited to become the Vice Presidential candidate that he understood his role and what his function would be as the Vice President and that he genuinely supported and shared the belief and in the vision of Senator Obama. This was only to become fully apparent when I stayed up to watch the acceptance speech and when it occurred that the Senator Biden was likely to provide the supportive and guiding father figure that Barack Obama never experienced.
Thursday turned out to being a long day falling asleep during the day twice and then staying up until after 4.30am to watch the last day of the Democratic Party Convention.
I also watched one film, Where the sidewalk ends with Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, an excellent worth seeing Otto Preminger9150 film noir. Dana Andrews play a tough fist first cop, single and dominated by the memory of his gangster father. He gets into one situation too many during which he accidentally kills a suspect, falls in love with the man's estranged wife and has to deal with a situation where his boss played by Karl Madden believes that the evidence points to the man's father as the cause of the murder and attempted disappearance of the body. The ending is a good one even with its Hollywood ending.
Durham continued to do well at the cricket match with Hampshire by I was not confident as some that the win was inevitable.
It was a pleasant day with warm sunshine so I went for a walk after depositing letters in the post box, deciding to view the progress in the South Marine park where several million pounds is being spent on returning to the original Victorian design with 28000 plants, shrubs and trees. I was disappointed to find major work still underway although there was no activity when I arrived after five pm. I also could not go for a circular walk within the park having to leave by one exist at the top corner and then could not get round the lake having to retrace steps. I hen ha a sit in the sun by the former lifeboat before going through North Marine Park and the hill climb home. I enjoyed the pizza for lunch and the last available fish salad for evening meal. There were two helpings of cheese and biscuits, the first with wine during the evening and then in the early hours before bed. Originally the cheese comprised eight slices of Leerdammer which I had taken with me on the previous trip to Hampshire and Nottingham and which ad become fused through heat and required cutting again Together with two lots of cereal, toast and a cuppa soup, banana and custard and a pear I ruined the good work of the walk and some exercise in the house. But I was up and about for the greater part of twenty hours with only two naps although one of these was for nearly an hour.
Over the two days I had completed seventy five Artman glitter cards and around twenty five new sets of 101.75 cards.. I wrote, rewrote and reflected and also research aspects of the USA Presidential Election.
My first intention was to wait until waking on Friday to catch up on the acceptance speech of Senator Obama and then the historic nature of occasion hit me. It was forty five years to the day since the I have a dream speech of Martin Luther Kind II and one of the two major Political Parties was about to formally have a Black man with a single parent white mother and absentee African father as their leader with a good chance of being the next president of the United States of America.
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ReplyDeleteCredit is Like Nostalgia:
It is prone to lead to procrastination and prevent us to go forward!
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Our economy is slowly dying, your job, lifestyle are dominated by anxiety.
No one is proposing a solution because no one has the slightest idea of why it is happening and many have vested interest in the present system.
However an objective observation of the phenomenon can help us understand it and provide us with an innovative solution.
Of course we can't solve the problem with the tools that brought us there in the first place and we need a new ideology.
- Do you feel that your ideology pushed you to make decisions that you wish you had not made?
- Well, remember that what an ideology is, is a conceptual framework with the way people deal with reality. Everyone has one. You have to -- to exist, you need an ideology. The question is whether it is accurate or not. And what I'm saying to you is, yes, I found a flaw. I don't know how significant or permanent it is, but I've been very distressed by that fact.
- You found a flaw in the reality...(!!!???)
- Flaw in the model that I perceived is the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works, so to speak.
- In other words, you found that your view of the world, your ideology, was not right, it was not working?
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In order to alleviate those economic woes wee need to create, as fast as possible, a new credit free currency that will solve the credit crunch and bring incremental jobs, consumption and investments to the present system.
An Innovative Credit Free, Free Market, Post Crash Economy
Tract on Monetary Reform
It is urgent if we want to limit social, political and military chaos.
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Is the fulfilment of these ideas a visionary hope? Have they insufficient roots in the motives which govern the evolution of political society? Are the interests which they will thwart stronger and more obvious than those which they will serve?
I do not attempt an answer in this place. It would need a volume of a different character from this one to indicate even in outline the practical measures in which they might be gradually clothed. But if the ideas are correct — an hypothesis on which the author himself must necessarily base what he writes — it would be a mistake, I predict, to dispute their potency over a period of time. At the present moment people are unusually expectant of a more fundamental diagnosis; more particularly ready to receive it; eager to try it out, if it should be even plausible.
But apart from this contemporary mood, the ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.
Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. I am sure that the power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas.
Not, indeed, immediately, but after a certain interval; for in the field of economic and political philosophy there are not many who are influenced by new theories after they are twenty-five or thirty years of age, so that the ideas which civil servants and politicians and even agitators apply to current events are not likely to be the newest. But, soon or late, it is ideas, not vested interests, which are dangerous for good or evil.
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Credit Free Economy
More Jobs, No Debt, No Fear.
Prosperous, Fair and Stable.
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