Author: coastcontact

I am a somewhat cranky but mostly optimistic 65 plus who refuses to give up on this maddening world. The purpose of this BLOG is to express my feelings, thoughts.

On The Lighter Side

Thanks to my father we moved to Southern California when I was 10 years old.  Before that it was the life of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  That meant hot and humid in the summer and cold and damp in the winter.  Since moving here I have been to the California’s snowy mountains four times and back to the Eastern winters twice.

 

Long time friends of mine invited us to their son’s wedding in La Jolla at the Torrey Pines Hilton this past weekend.  We have visited San Diego about 100 times so the trip to La Jolla (a suburb of San Diego) is nothing new to us.  The temperature will be 760 today.  It was within one to two degrees of that temperature while we were there.

 

La Jolla Hilton
La Jolla Hilton

 

 

If you are looking for a place to live on the mainland with the most moderate climate Southern California is the place to live.  Of course the cost of housing is any where from three to ten times the cost anywhere else in the country except Manhattan, Boston, and Hawaii.

 

You could spend many days just visiting the museums in San Diego.  The displays are all spectacular.  We spent about three hours in the Natural History museum and only saw about half of the displays.  Another two hours was spent at Seaport Village.  The rest of the time consisted of a nap and two evenings with the wedding party. 

 

Well it was a Jewish wedding.  Do I have to tell you any more than that?  For those of you who don’t know, a Jewish wedding is always spectacular.  There is a dinner followed by a night of dancing and singing.  At the Hilton it could not have been better.  I didn’t even talk about politics!  Yes, I missed Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on SNL.

What Are the Element of a Growing National Economy?

Once again the United States is facing another economic down turn.  It is not a new phenomenon.  According to a report by CNBC there have been 21 recessions since 1900.  However there were recessions in the 1800s too.  They called them “panics.”

 

The one part of all successful economies has been their ability to provide a product not a service.  The products have been mined, grown, or manufactured.  The United States has been blessed with resources to produce products from all three of these sources.  Somehow the United States lost its way and no longer is the leader in any of these categories.

 

This country has become a “service” economy.  While manufacturing still exists here it is no longer a major part of our gross domestic product.  More than 40% of GDP are services.  Autos (3.6%) and furniture (3%) are part of an 8% manufacturing sector of GDP.  What is making matters worse is that those service jobs are going overseas along with manufacturing jobs.

 

An additional issue is that the remaining jobs do not pay as well as manufacturing jobs.  The nearby General Motors assembly plant was shut down about 20 years ago.  It was replaced by a shopping center that provided sales clerk jobs that offer pay of less than one half of those at the GM facility.  Where have all those jobs gone?  Look in Mexico, China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, etc.  The clothes you wear and most of the other commodities you use were made elsewhere.  Walmart, Costco, Target, and others buy most of the items they sell from another country.

   

I do not expect that Barack Obama or John McCain personally know how to resolve this very significant issue.  They need wise economic advisors who should step forward now with the way forward.  John McCain saying that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” is no answer.

 

Herbert Hoover said the economy is fundamentally strong.  Is McCain really Herbert Hoover reincarnated?

Fact: Bush has lost jobs every year
Fact: Bush doubled the size of the debt
Fact: The worst banking problems since the great depression have occurred in 2008

Where is George W. Bush now?  It appears this is one more item to add to his record as the worst president in history.  Ben and Hank, you’re both doing “a heck of a job!”

John McCain Could Easily Win The Election

Barack Obama’s resume is thin compared to John McCain.  He is a qualified for the presidency based upon his education, his comprehension of all matters in government, and his ability to make wise decisions.  However, he seems to lack the ability to attack John McCain.  To put it another way, he is too gentle in his campaign style.

 

Obama reminds me of another Illinoian who ran for the presidency twice and lost both times.  Adlai Stevenson was noted for his intellectual demeanor and advocacy of liberal causes in the Democratic Party. He served one term as governor of Illinois and ran, unsuccessfully, for president against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956.

 

Campaigning for the presidency requires an aggressive style.  The public looks for a leader who is like them but is stronger in views and attitude.  They want someone who has no hesitancy in taking a position.  Barack Obama is a thoughtful person who speaks slowly and thinks through his views before speaking.  This aspect of his personality does not lend itself to the rough and tumble life of a winning candidate.

 

John McCain has fought long and hard for his nomination.  He was viscously beaten by GWB in 2000 with the use of innuendo.  He was considered out of the running in the primaries this year by most pundits and most people.  He is a tough hard fighter who appeals to the mid-section and the South of America.  Unless Barack Obama changes his campaign style he will lose the election.

War With Iran Before January 20?

The question of an Israeli air strike on Iran was posed by Fareed Zakaria on his GPS program this past Sunday.  If you have not seen his interview show it appears on CNN at 1 p.m. EST every week.  Many of his guests are rarely seen on American television.

The topics this past Sunday included a discussion on the possibility of an Israeli air strike on Iran before the next U.S. president takes office.  The theory being that neither McCain nor Obama would take kindly to this action during their presidency without a more definitive threat.

Today’s news includes an item from the AP that the U.S. plans to sell 1,000 bunker-buster bombs to Israel.  The information reported is too sketchy to draw any conclusions about U.S. or Israeli intentions.

I found this quote on israelinsider.com, “Israel will have to reconcile itself with the nuclearization of Iran.”  Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joseph Biden, quoted by Israel Army Radio Monday Sept. 1, 2008.  Is this another signal that Israel will attack Iran before Jan. 20?  My opinion is that Israel will attack Iran if the leadership is convinced tha their nation is subject to attack.  It’s the Bush Doctrine which is the same as Israel’s Doctrine of Survival.  It’s not new there.  The first shots in the Six-Day War in 1967 were given by Israel to Egypt.  The justification was the marshalling of troops by its Arab neighbors on all borders.

Joe Biden should be prepared to take a stronger stand against Iran for the sake of the United States.  Israel would be a first step by Iran.  A nuclear Iran would be a threat to a much wider area than Israel.  Iran is already receiving help from Russia.  What must Obama and Biden be thinking?  Will this issue be discussed at the upcoming foreign affairs debate between Obama and McCain?  I hope so.

Honest Abe Was a Techie

It’s hard to believe but true.  Abraham Lincoln was the techie of those times.  He used and promoted telegraph.  It’s all about looking forward to the next event.  John McCain is a nice man with a background of service to his country.  The problem is he is part of the past.  If ever a nation was looking for a leader into the future it is now.

 

John McCain dwells on his service in Vietnam.  I have 35 year old son who couldn’t care less about a war before his birth that was a total failure.  John McCain says, “drill, drill, drill” in a world that is concerned with global warming.  John McCain supports tax policies that benefit the rich.  John McCain thinks that more free trade benefiting the wealthiest companies is good for America.  John McCain opposes any form of universal health care. John McCain needs help in using a computer even as terrorists have laptops in their hideouts.

Sarah “Barracuda” Is John McCain’s Soulmate

I have asked this question before.  Is the United States prepared to go to war to defend all of the NATO nations against an attack from Russia or any other nation?  Sarah Palin says “Yes”.  Does anyone who heard her responses to Charlie Gibson not think that the response was based upon the views of John McCain?      

 

Governor Palin is a pugnacious individual who thinks like John McCain.  In that same interview with Charlie Gibson she equated oil drilling as a part of foreign policy.  That was a repeat of comments previously made by McCain about energy independence.

 

The question is, do Americans want warrior types to lead this country?  I am not prepared to confront Russia on its borders in areas that it views as part of its sphere of influence. Georgia, Ukraine, Poland and other nations all border Russia.  John McCain, by his own admission, is a fighter.  He even liked fighting with others in school.  What will he do if Russia invades and occupies any of its weak neighbors?  More to the question, what will America do if McCain is president? 

 

What America need now is a peace maker.  We need someone who will negotiate with the most difficult adversary.  I doubt that John McCain is that person.  Barack Obama is the alternative to a warrior.  He says war is an option but that he is prepared to negotiate with everyone.  Obama is correct.

Another Popularity Contest

The unfortunate reality of selecting our president is that it is more of a popularity contest than a contest of issues. This is not a new phenomenon. The United States has a history of electing successful war generals to the presidency. This dates back to George Washington. The last general elected was Dwight D. Eisenhower, the leading general in WWII in Europe. His official WWII title was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe.

Today we have John S. McCain, who is a war hero from the Vietnam War running for president. He has promoted his biography very extensively. He was not a general but he was a POW for five years. Although the Vietnam War was very unpopular it was and still is viewed by many people as a very worthwhile endeavor.

Barack Obama does not have a military background. He has never served in the military. He does have an interesting and a gripping biography. He was smart enough to put himself through Harvard Law School despite being the Black child of a single White parent.

The election campaign has deteriorated to a smear and name calling contest. Calling Governor Palin a “cocky wacko” is an excellent example of this behavior. The discussion of issues is no where in sight. Perhaps the debates will help to refocus our attention on real issues. However there is no guarantee that this will happen. An ABC Network debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was primarily focused on the bickering between the candidates and on smear and name calling. If that will be the tone of the planned debates they will serve no purpose.

Perhaps the founding fathers of this nation were wiser than I thought when they created the Electoral College. Those people might be wiser than the general public and not vote for the most popular candidate.

Slanted Reporting Isn’t “Fair and Balanced”

I like Chris Matthews because he asks lots of worthwhile questions and has many excellent guests on Hard Ball and The Chris Matthews Show.  He is obviously in favor of Barack Obama for president.  He obviously  favored Obama throughout the primaries.  Keith Olbermann is even more tilted towards Obama to the point of being obnoxious.  The antics of these two men in their reporting and interviewing at the conventions were so obviously slanted that I thought I was watching the anti-Fox News network.

 

David Gregory, who has been the host on Meet the Press twice since the passing of Tim Russert, really is the balanced interviewer.  MSNBC executives were wise in making Gregory the anchor for the debates and voting day coverage.  People will notice the difference and their ratings will go up.  I hope David Gregory becomes the long term host of MTP.      

LO MEJOR EN CINE DE USA Y LATINOAMÉRICA

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival is coming to my city.  The above title is part of the scanned full page ad in the Los Angeles Times.  What’s wrong with this picture?  It’s the destruction of the United States culture.

You may think I am a bigot but you are wrong.  The United States is all about hamburgers, hot dogs, baseball, football, and Thanksgiving.  We are a melting pot and ought to stay that way.  Canada says it’s a patch work or a quilt.  What’s the difference?  Americans are unified because we all understand that different cultures improve the stew.  A Latino film festival and similar cultural events define separation.  When the Los Angeles Times prints this advertising they are promoting separation not unity. 

 

China and Japan will be more successful because they are homogeneous societies.  America’s roots were homogeneous too.  To sustain America’s greatness we need to stand for mixing not separation.

John McCain Has Some Worthwhile Positions

Remember, I am an Independent.  The reason is that I am listening to the man not the party.  My choice of Barack Obama over John McCain is because I am more in agreement with him than McCain.  However John McCain has some views that I think are correct.  The list is short.

 

SCHOOL VOUCHERS

Teacher’s unions have long opposed vouchers but the reasons are vague.  Apparently the unions feel threatened by the idea of choice.  Competition is the part of capitalism that provides consumers with the best products at the lowest prices.  Perhaps that is the issue for unions.  After all if there are less students in a school someone will have to be laid off even if that someone is incompetent as a teacher.  So McCain’s statement that the least effective teachers may have to find another form of work is correct in a competitive world.

 

I believe that parents should have the choice to enroll their children in the school of their choice and that includes parochial schools.  Parochial schools are providing a service to the community by rescuing over crowding in the public schools.  That being the case, they too should receive public support.

 

NUCLEAR GENERATED ELECTRIC POWER

The New York Times reported an astounding 77% of France’s electricity comes from its 58 nuclear power plants.  T. Boone Pickens has pointed out in his TV ads that Iran is converting to nuclear power so that they can sell more oil.  What’s stopping the United States from building nuclear powered plants?  Stupid fear.

 

DRILL, DRILL, DRILL

T. Boone Pickens says it won’t solve the issue of energy but every little bit helps our energy independence.  The fear of oil spills in ocean areas may limit our off shore drilling but where ever the oil is on land we ought to drill it out.  The United States has enormous natural gas reserves that can help bridge the gap until new sources of energy can be developed.  Pickens’ ideas should be taken seriously by both Obama and McCain.