Why don't they tell us?

There has been a steady Stream of Bad News from Washington lately, having to do with Surveillance, Privacy and related Issues.

There was the Associated Press Reporters Story.

Then there were the IRS Stories, involving, of all People, some Tea Party Groups seeking Tax Exempt Status.

Overnight, last Night, the Story regarding the Gathering of Telephone Call Logs by the National Security Agency from Verizon broke out.  Quickly rumours spread that other Carriers, notably A T & T are involved also.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/06/18796204-nsa-snooping-has-foiled-multiple-terror-plots-feinstein?lite

Now it further appears that an enormous Amount of Internet Traffic, eMails, Web Site Visits, we don't know exactly the Extent of it, is under Surveillance also.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/us/nsa-verizon-calls.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130607&_r=0

http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/06/18809021-sources-us-intelligence-agencies-tap-servers-of-top-internet-companies?lite

There is Legal Precedent, for those of us who have studied Law for having serious Concerns regarding something called „Overreach.”  The Reason the Government has given for obtaining Secret Court Orders for such extraordinary Surveillance, unprecedented in American History is Terrorism.  And, Terrorism is a serious Issue, witness the recent Events in Boston, not to mention 9/11 and everything else that has happened in between.  Nonetheless, many are beginning to look at whether the War against Terrorism can be achieved without resorting to Secrecy when undertaking such extraordinary Measures which many also view, correctly, as Invasions of Privacy; something which the American Constitution and American Tradition have fiercely guarded for over Two Centuries and something which has become a Model, an Ideal, a Beacon for the Rest of the World.  In other Words, the War against Terrorism can be used to justify many Government Actions but not all of them in this Context.

To be sure, the Roots of these Kinds of Actions go back to the (George W.) Bush Administration.  But President's Obama's Administration has to shoulder the Responsibility and, right now, it appears more and more likely that Attorney General Eric Holder will be asked to fall on his own Sword.  But that may only be a Stop Gap Measure unless President Obama confronts the Issue and also establishes a Model, a Policy for successive Administrations to follow.

The simple Question is this:  why don't they tell us beforehand?

Senator Lindsey Graham (R., North Carolina) stated today that he is himself a Verizon Customer and if the Government was keeping track on his Calls to Waziristan, we think he said Waziristan, he would not have a Problem with it.  Neither would we or anyone else, we don't think, but would it not be appropriate to tell Senator Graham and everyone else that the National Security Agency would be doing this?  Then everybody knows and understands that Telephone Calls, Internet Traffic, whatever, is being subjected to some Sort of Surveillance and that can be the End of that, rather than the Facts coming out Slice by Slice in what one might refer to as a „Salami Tactic.”

Likewise, it may all be well and good that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., California) states that all this was cleared and approved in Advance Years ago but, the Issue seems to be of sufficient Magnitude to where one has the Right to ask, why were the American People not informed this was going on?  It is difficult, we believe, to formulate an Argument that Secrecy adds Value to the Program; Carrier Pigeons and other antiquated Methods are not alternatives which Terrorists and Enemies of the United States could use with much Success.

 

Ask and Tell

Germany’s Junior Coalition Partner (Conservative, at that), is headed by Guido Westerwelle, a Homosexual (‘Gay’ in current 'Modern' or 'Politically Correct' Parlance) who has also recently gotten ‘married.’  Mr. Westerwelle is also, by German Political Tradition, Germany's Foreign Minister.  Although a Number of salacious Rumours and Episodes have surfaced from Time to Time about Mr. Westerwelle, he has managed to fend off most of them and has survived.

Westerwelles Zukunft Die Partei hat das Sagen
Redakteur Jens Kiffmeier, Berlin

Artikel vom 29.03.2011

Nach dem Wahldesaster richten die Medien über die politische Zukunft des FDP-Vorsitzenden – und degradieren die Parteimitglieder zum belanglosen Stimmvieh. Das ist nicht gut. Denn warum sollte man sich dann noch engagieren?

Well, the Junior Coalition Partner (FDP), which is an illustrious and highly intellectual Political Party with a long Tradition has gone down the Toilet in recent German local and regional Elections and, in the most recent ones, deeper down the Toilet than previously.  Mr. Westerwelle's Leadership of the FDP has been questioned before with a fairly high level of Intensity but this Time, the Criticism is relentless and furious; after all, the very survival of the Party is at stake.  Whether Mr. Westerwelle has to go, is no longer an 'if' Question but has become a 'when' Question.  Whether the Damage which the FDP has suffered, Mr. Westerwelle or not, is fatal is another Question which only the Future can and will answer.  Worse yet, this Morass might possibly draw the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel (i. e., Prime Minister, equivalent to U. S. President: Germany like a Number of other Countries has a ‘Ceremonial’ President), a highly respected Figure internationally, down the Toilet along with it.

It is, therefore, a legitimate Question, it would appear, to ask if some People in the Democratic Party of the United States are not paving the Way for the Republicans and the Tea Party Goers, with what some may describe as the Appeasement of Homosexuals that is going on, on Issues such as 'Repeal of Don't Ask, don't Tell,' or the furious Debate on the Issue of 'Homosexual Marriages' whatever that is supposed to mean.

Regrettably, it would seem, little is being written in the Press in the United States about what is going on in Germany with Mr. Westerwelle and the FDP.  It should be noted, there is a Constitutional Doctrine on 'Chilling Effect' which advances the Theory that sometimes Speech or Advocacy becomes supressed.  People are simply too scared to write about Things like this.

Equally regrettable, it would seem, is the Lack of Debate on some Issues, such as, for Example, the Theory that the State recognises Marriage and accords certain Benefits to Married Individuals, because, in Theory at least, Married Individuals have the Potential to provide a Benefit to the State.  'Married Individuals' of the same Sex are, by Biological Imperative, incapable of overcoming that Obstacle.

More important, perhaps, could be the Fact that the Progressive and forward thinking Objectives, Goals and Aspirations of the Democratic Party of the United States are being endangered and imperiled not just with the Preoccupation with this Issue, but also by the Fear of those who would want to look at the Issue from a critical Perspective, that they would be ostracised or castigated.

The Fundamentals of Voodoo Economics

The Financial Crisis continues to play out in Wisconsin and other Mid-Western States. The Standoff between Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and the Teacher's Union continues with no End in Sight. In Ohio, Governor John Kasich is also preparing for Battle with the Public Sector Unions. Iowa and other States appear to be ready to follow suit in not too long a Time. In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie has already implemented major Financial Changes and Reforms and now has his Hands full denying that he would consider a Presidential Bid. Governor Christie has not yet invoked the Statement made by General William Tecumseh Sherman well over a Century Ago, 'I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected,' but we shall see.

It must also be said that with non Higher Education Student Performance Levels in a Dismal State throughout the Nation (see, 'Universities' elsewhere in this Forum) Teacher Salaries and Benefits should come under Scrutiny. Many Surveys indicate that Public Sector Workers are not only paid better but also have infinitely better Job Security when compared to Private Sector Workers. This Fact corrupts the Standing of Public Sector Workers as 'Civil Servants,' i. e., performing out of Dedication rather than Financial Benefits and Gain.

However, the Argument that balancing State Budgets can be done simply by this, without imposing an additional Tax Burden on Higher Income Brackets or, indeed, as done by Governor Walker, cutting Higher Income Taxes, qualifies for what Two Decades earlier President George Herbert W. Bush described as 'Vodoo Economics.'

At the Federal Level, we see a Course not all that different. 'Tea Party-ers' and many Republicans in the House are clamoring for various Cuts, much of it directed at Federal 'Entitlement' Programs and, some, attempting to reduce waste. However, all this cutting, if combined with continued uncontrolled Expenditures in Afghanistan and Iraq is totally useless. The Federal Budget consists of 3 Major Line Items: Social Programs, Military Expenditures and Interest on the Federal Debt, which add up to about 90% of what the Federal Government spends. So, even if everything else were to be eliminated completely, which, realistically it cannot, that would only add up to 10%.

In this Context, the Republican Argument that the Federal Budget can be brought under control, with these enormous Burdens, while reducing Higher Income Personal Tax Levels is, again, nothing less than what President Bush described as 'Voodoo Economics.'

Where the Republican Counter Argument that cutting Higher Income Tax Brackets 'creates Jobs' has germinated from is, to this Writer, a Mystery. There is no Evidence to show that the Billions doled out to Banks and Financial Institutions, or the 'Quantitative Easing' Cash have created any significant Number of Jobs, actually, rather, the Contrary Argument seems to be more persuasive, that they have not. To use a Cliché, the Obscene Bonuses on Wall Street have not created any Jobs.

The Challenges to balancing the Federal Budget (and, by Implication, States need to follow a similar Course in their Affairs) are:

If the War in Afghanistan (or in Iraq, or anywhere else) is necessary, fund first, fight later. Do not do what President George W. Bush did, fight first and let somebody else worry about the Funding by kicking the Can forward.

If the Social Programs have merit, fund and do not divert Funds to other Expenditures, as it was done previously with Social Security.

To cover the Federal Debt Interest Payments, one of the largest Items in the Federal Budget, obtain Funding, not by increasing the Debt Ceiling and cutting Taxes which are Voodoo Economics at its most sublime, but by assuring a Progressive Level of Taxation which covers them and, at the same Time, pray and pray hard, that somehow Mr. Bernancke will be succesful in keeping the Interest Rates low because, if he fails doing that, the Interest Payment Portion of the Federal Budget would explode.

And the Fundamentals of Voodoo Economics would not apply, should that happen.