Today is Election Day. My political leanings are as transparent as a clean windshield: I’m liberal, and I’m voting Obama. No surprise there. It’s also not surprising that after a month of horror entertainment, I think the scariest thing of all would be a Palin administration.
Like most angsty, apathetic people, I didn’t care about politics until they got bad. I was raised by democratic parents, so by the time I became aware that there is a president, good ol’ Bill was in office, and I had nothing to worry about. In 2000, when Bush was elected, all I really knew was that if I could vote, I would have voted for Gore, but I couldn’t tell you why. That was my junior year of high school, and my US History teacher couldn’t have been happier that we were witnessing an historic undecided election, but this was history that, admittedly, I only cared about peripherally.
Sadly, it wasn’t until Bush did things I really disapproved of that I started caring: Invading Iraq on false pretenses, putting us into a ridiculous monetary deficit, violating most of our civil rights, citing his religion for decisions he makes—just to name a few. In 2004, I was able to vote in my first presidential election, and I proudly drove home and voted for that guy that wasn’t Bush. John Somethingorother.
Oh, that’s right, John Kerry. Obviously I knew that, but I don’t care. The fact of the matter is that I, and so many people that I know, simply voted for not Bush. And then Bush won, and continued to alienate me. Today, November 4, 2008, there’s so much talk about replacing Bush. For me, I’m happy to be able to vote for someone I actually believe in, rather than voting for the lesser of two evils. But the truth is, as I said before, that I didn’t care about politics until it got bad, and that just makes me wish I still didn’t have to care.
Will the world change today? It just might. But I can't help but think about how much better it would have been if it never reached the point where we needed it to.
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lending a Helping Hand
I just donated money to the Obama campain. It's my first time donating to a political cause, but frankly, I'm scared. I've never donated to a campaign before--and I didn't donate much--but I'm too afraid to lose in November. I keep reading all of these articals about how Obama is sexist, and Biden is taking shots at Palin, and all this BS and I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! People believe this crap. They really do. Women will vote for McCain because he picked a woman VP. I don't buy it, but since I know so many do, I decided that I need to do SOMETHING to help. So I did. I don't know if it will help in the end.
I hate double standards. It's more than apparent that Obama can't talk without it being thrown back in his face, regardless of the issue. When Biden said that people with disabled children should support stem-cell research, the GOP blew up and said he was attacking Palin. Well guess what: Parents of disabled children SHOULD support stem cell research. If it happens that Palin doesn't, well then she's not the advocate she said she'd be for disabled children! How come McCain can use the "lipstick on a pig" comparison while Hillary is still in the race, but now that Palin's in it, Obama can't?
The sad thing is that all these crap responses from the GOP are changing people's minds. Well not mine. And I hope not yours. I found a way I can try to help. Maybe you can help too....
I hate double standards. It's more than apparent that Obama can't talk without it being thrown back in his face, regardless of the issue. When Biden said that people with disabled children should support stem-cell research, the GOP blew up and said he was attacking Palin. Well guess what: Parents of disabled children SHOULD support stem cell research. If it happens that Palin doesn't, well then she's not the advocate she said she'd be for disabled children! How come McCain can use the "lipstick on a pig" comparison while Hillary is still in the race, but now that Palin's in it, Obama can't?
The sad thing is that all these crap responses from the GOP are changing people's minds. Well not mine. And I hope not yours. I found a way I can try to help. Maybe you can help too....
Monday, July 7, 2008
A Beautiful Film, An Ugly World
[May Contain Spoilers]
On July 4th, after returning rather burned out from a long conference in California, I enjoyed a calm day of sleeping until noon, and seeing “Wall-E.” Little did I know how un-American that decision truly was...
“Wall-E” is a movie about a lonely and in love robot that’s also really curious and adorable. He follows the girlbot he loves into outer space, meets some devolving humans, and helps bring humankind back to Earth, which had been barren of any organic life for 700 or so years. This story, combined with the wonderful score, amazing animation, and lack of dialogue (ok, and the fact that “Wall-E” is so freakin adorable) made it a unique movie going experience. After the movie, I shared with Pauly (of 822 fame) my feelings of the movie, to which he replied, “It’s a really beautiful film.” For the first time, I could really tell the difference between a great movie and a beautiful film.
Not that it’s a surprise, but this plot was grabbed on by both sides of the political aisle and analyzed and then over-analyzed. As The Village Voice’s “Runnin’ Scared” reports, there is a large backlash against the movie coming from the right-wing, claiming, “‘The plot was something only Al Gore could love,’ wrote Say Anything. ‘And your average soy latte-sipping, Obama-voting, Che-flat-waving liberal.’” Of course, also according to “Runnin’ Scared*,” there wasn’t only hatred from that side, but a love: “Crunchy Conservative Rod Dreher said Wall-E ‘argues that rampant consumerism, technopoly and the exaltation of comfort is causing us to weaken our souls and bodies, and sell out our birthright of political freedom.’” Inject your politics as you will I suppose.
I’m not naïve enough to think that there would be no political backlash, but I’m certainly not happy about it. After the movie, Erin (also of 822 fame) said, “well, if that was the one movie that Earth beamed out and the aliens saw, it would make humans look terrible.” True. But it wouldn’t make conservatives or liberals look terrible—just humans—a group that conservatives and liberals alike cannot deny being a part of.
At this point in 2008, there’s a thick black line separating the right from the left, so there’s no surprise to see politics injected where it doesn’t belong. Kyle Smith, a columnist for the New York Post and self-proclaimed film critic had a negative review of the movie. Responses to his review ranged from agreement about the movie’s pacing (“what a yawnarama”) to the political (“Is this movie as blatantly liberal as ‘Happy Feat?’) to of course the backlash (“I’m quite ashamed with your review of ‘Wall-E’”). The biggest political issue seems to be with the environmentalist “message” of the movie, but thankfully Kyle tries to push that to the curb: “Well, I loved ‘Happy Feet,’ but if anything ‘Wall-E’ is even more of an environmental parable. (Not that I concede that to want a clean environment is a liberal idea. I hope we all want that)."
I may disagree with Smith’s review of the movie, but I think his sentiment about the environment is accurate. Hate the movie for it’s lack of dialogue, but leave the politics (or the politics you inject) out of it.
*This is a link to a different “Runnin’ Scared” post, so please click both.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Tatooine: A Post-Empire Economic Forecast
The Organa administration of the New Republic faces many economic challenges in the coming years as it attempts to repair the economic damage done by the recently-collapsed Galactic Empire of Emperor Palpatine. Despite being able to combine resource wealth from a wide range of planets, the Empire was rife with economic malfeasance: massive weapons systems (two planet-sized battlestations), military contracters (bounty hunters and payments to local militias to fight the Rebels) and high-priced consultants (Darth Vader, the Emperor's "fixer"). It remains true that the Empire made investments in territories under their control, but the vast majority of these funds went to planets in the Galactic Core, located near the Empire's capitol on Coruscant. Located in the Outer Rim, Tatooine was not the beneficiary of any of this government largesse; while some planets joined the Empire for the collective economic benefits, it is clear that this planet was one of the many who joined under duress from threat of invasion.
Here, I will examine the various problems and possible solutions for the desert planet of Tatooine. First, extraplanetary investment is necessary to revive the economy due to the lack of local capital and expertise. Second, bantha farming is due for a boom in coming years. Third, tariffs must be elminiated throughout the Republic in order to allow Tatooinese markets to become more competitive. If this three-part formula is followed, while it is unlikely that Tatooine will ever become a tourist mecca or major population center, it will be possible to significantly raise the standard of living here within a decade.
Let me begin by conveying some of the basics. Tatooine, as noted, is a desert planet located in the Outer Rim Territories. It is populated by three principle indigenous groups: humans & related humanoid bipeds, though most of the current population of this group are settlers from other planets; jawas, who possess technical expertise and carry on trade with other groups, but generally prefer to remain within their own enclaves; and finally, tuskens or sand people, nomadic peoples with a somewhat antagonistic relationship to the other two groups. Its official language is a local dialect of Basic, but anyone doing business on this planet would be well-advised to learn Huttese, the lingua franca of commerce here. Like most former members of the Galactic Empire, local currency has been phased out almost entirely and they deal in credits. However, bartering remains significant in day-to-day affairs.
The outlook for extraplanetary investment in coming years is relatively good. During the Empire years, not only was Tatooine neglected due to its location, it also was affected by xenophobia; it is well-known that non-humanoids rarely achieved positions of significant power in the Galactic hierarchy and planets with large non-humanoid populations were regularly discriminated against. The Organa administration, in contrast, promises a much better inter-species relationship. Going back even before the Empire, the principle players in this government have had friendly dealings with a wide range of non-humanoids: Gungans, Wookies, Ewoks, Mon Calamari and others. Luke Skywalker, brother to Madam President and a hero of the Rebellion, was raised on a moisture farm here. Captain Han Solo, allegedly Madam President's lover, is reputed to have done business on the planet many times in the past. (The exact details remain classified and the government has denied multiple requests to look further into the matter.) The only possible reason to worry on this front is the blantant cronyism behind the appointment of the new head of GEMA (Galactic Economic Management Association), Jar Jar Binks, who lacks any prior experience as an economist. Investors have in the past been scared off by frequent raids by tuskens, who have been known to attack outsiders without provocation. In any case, domestic industry on Tatooine is scarce and they simply do not have the resources required to fully develop their economy themselves. Extraplanetary investment will be absolutely necessary in order to accomplish any significant economic progress.
The most promising domestic industry on Tatooine is bantha farming. However, there are some problems of supply and infrastructure which must be confronted before they can proceed to exploit this resource. Banthas are primarily cultivated by the tuskens and attempts by outsiders to work with these reclusive peoples in order to develop greater stocks have thus far been unsuccessful. Jawas have made some progress in better relations with the tuskens, but tuskens tend to be fickle and not hold to their agreements. Thus, the supply is essentially static and will be unable to meet a rise in demand for the meat. Some enterprising pied noir moisture farmers have turned to raising bantha stocks in an industrial setting, but tusken organically-raised bantha meat is clearly preferred within the market. It is difficult to pinpoint the reason for this, but most sources indicate that older segments of the galactic population are wary of industrial agriculture bioengineering following the debacle of the Clone Wars. There are also reports of health risks from eating meat from banthas raised on a diet of blue milk, rather than their natural diet. As to infrastructure, Tatooine lacks airstrips to accommodate the larger cargo ships (generally, Mon Calamari Cruisers or Corellian Corvettes retrofitted with refrigeration units). Currently, smaller ships must ferry the meat from the ground to the ships in geosynchronous orbit around the planet but insurance costs act as an impediment to further development. (When it was revealed that the second Death Star was blown up due to a disruption of the shield system located on Endor, galactic insurance agencies mandated that policies would be required on the ship in orbit, the systems on the ground, as well as a third policy to cover them together.) Extraplanetary investment in new, larger airstrips as well as better relations with the tusken population would be a boon to Tatooine's economy.
Finally, the galactic economy must be "flattened" and tariffs eliminated in order that Outer Rim planets can compete on equal terms with planets in the Galactic Core. This is a long-term policy which does not relate solely to Tatooine, but here there are some problems to be confronted before it will be admitted into any future Galactic Free Trade Zone. Illegal activity continues to dominate the major commerce centers of Tatooine, Bestine and Mos Eisly, which largely resemble the military outposts in a desert wasteland that they began as. Even the death of Jabba the Hutt has not mitigated the black market on this planet; immediately following his demise, other unsavory creatures rushed to fill the power vacuum and there is significant evidence that the Hutts are once again exerting influence. While it is obviously preferable that the New Republic not prop-up corrupt regimes like the Hutts, Han Solo is rumored to have had business dealings with them in the past so perhaps some negotiations are possible. In time, the black market could be supplanted by legal commerce and the Hutts given some stake in the new system so that it will survive in the long-term. After all, Coruscant remains the capitol of government and in remote locations such as Tatooine, cooperation with local power brokers will be absolutely necessary in order to exert effective control. The Hutts are shrewd businessslugs and the correct combination of carrots and sticks could lead to them to recognize the benefits of cooperation with the Organa administration's policies.
In summation, the economic forecast for Tatooine looks good. If the planet remains an underdeveloped backwater, it will be because the New Republic has perpetuated the Empire's neglect.
Next: Have Ewoks Jumped the Shark?
Here, I will examine the various problems and possible solutions for the desert planet of Tatooine. First, extraplanetary investment is necessary to revive the economy due to the lack of local capital and expertise. Second, bantha farming is due for a boom in coming years. Third, tariffs must be elminiated throughout the Republic in order to allow Tatooinese markets to become more competitive. If this three-part formula is followed, while it is unlikely that Tatooine will ever become a tourist mecca or major population center, it will be possible to significantly raise the standard of living here within a decade.
Let me begin by conveying some of the basics. Tatooine, as noted, is a desert planet located in the Outer Rim Territories. It is populated by three principle indigenous groups: humans & related humanoid bipeds, though most of the current population of this group are settlers from other planets; jawas, who possess technical expertise and carry on trade with other groups, but generally prefer to remain within their own enclaves; and finally, tuskens or sand people, nomadic peoples with a somewhat antagonistic relationship to the other two groups. Its official language is a local dialect of Basic, but anyone doing business on this planet would be well-advised to learn Huttese, the lingua franca of commerce here. Like most former members of the Galactic Empire, local currency has been phased out almost entirely and they deal in credits. However, bartering remains significant in day-to-day affairs.
The outlook for extraplanetary investment in coming years is relatively good. During the Empire years, not only was Tatooine neglected due to its location, it also was affected by xenophobia; it is well-known that non-humanoids rarely achieved positions of significant power in the Galactic hierarchy and planets with large non-humanoid populations were regularly discriminated against. The Organa administration, in contrast, promises a much better inter-species relationship. Going back even before the Empire, the principle players in this government have had friendly dealings with a wide range of non-humanoids: Gungans, Wookies, Ewoks, Mon Calamari and others. Luke Skywalker, brother to Madam President and a hero of the Rebellion, was raised on a moisture farm here. Captain Han Solo, allegedly Madam President's lover, is reputed to have done business on the planet many times in the past. (The exact details remain classified and the government has denied multiple requests to look further into the matter.) The only possible reason to worry on this front is the blantant cronyism behind the appointment of the new head of GEMA (Galactic Economic Management Association), Jar Jar Binks, who lacks any prior experience as an economist. Investors have in the past been scared off by frequent raids by tuskens, who have been known to attack outsiders without provocation. In any case, domestic industry on Tatooine is scarce and they simply do not have the resources required to fully develop their economy themselves. Extraplanetary investment will be absolutely necessary in order to accomplish any significant economic progress.
The most promising domestic industry on Tatooine is bantha farming. However, there are some problems of supply and infrastructure which must be confronted before they can proceed to exploit this resource. Banthas are primarily cultivated by the tuskens and attempts by outsiders to work with these reclusive peoples in order to develop greater stocks have thus far been unsuccessful. Jawas have made some progress in better relations with the tuskens, but tuskens tend to be fickle and not hold to their agreements. Thus, the supply is essentially static and will be unable to meet a rise in demand for the meat. Some enterprising pied noir moisture farmers have turned to raising bantha stocks in an industrial setting, but tusken organically-raised bantha meat is clearly preferred within the market. It is difficult to pinpoint the reason for this, but most sources indicate that older segments of the galactic population are wary of industrial agriculture bioengineering following the debacle of the Clone Wars. There are also reports of health risks from eating meat from banthas raised on a diet of blue milk, rather than their natural diet. As to infrastructure, Tatooine lacks airstrips to accommodate the larger cargo ships (generally, Mon Calamari Cruisers or Corellian Corvettes retrofitted with refrigeration units). Currently, smaller ships must ferry the meat from the ground to the ships in geosynchronous orbit around the planet but insurance costs act as an impediment to further development. (When it was revealed that the second Death Star was blown up due to a disruption of the shield system located on Endor, galactic insurance agencies mandated that policies would be required on the ship in orbit, the systems on the ground, as well as a third policy to cover them together.) Extraplanetary investment in new, larger airstrips as well as better relations with the tusken population would be a boon to Tatooine's economy.
Finally, the galactic economy must be "flattened" and tariffs eliminated in order that Outer Rim planets can compete on equal terms with planets in the Galactic Core. This is a long-term policy which does not relate solely to Tatooine, but here there are some problems to be confronted before it will be admitted into any future Galactic Free Trade Zone. Illegal activity continues to dominate the major commerce centers of Tatooine, Bestine and Mos Eisly, which largely resemble the military outposts in a desert wasteland that they began as. Even the death of Jabba the Hutt has not mitigated the black market on this planet; immediately following his demise, other unsavory creatures rushed to fill the power vacuum and there is significant evidence that the Hutts are once again exerting influence. While it is obviously preferable that the New Republic not prop-up corrupt regimes like the Hutts, Han Solo is rumored to have had business dealings with them in the past so perhaps some negotiations are possible. In time, the black market could be supplanted by legal commerce and the Hutts given some stake in the new system so that it will survive in the long-term. After all, Coruscant remains the capitol of government and in remote locations such as Tatooine, cooperation with local power brokers will be absolutely necessary in order to exert effective control. The Hutts are shrewd businessslugs and the correct combination of carrots and sticks could lead to them to recognize the benefits of cooperation with the Organa administration's policies.
In summation, the economic forecast for Tatooine looks good. If the planet remains an underdeveloped backwater, it will be because the New Republic has perpetuated the Empire's neglect.
Next: Have Ewoks Jumped the Shark?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)