Category: USA

The American ‘left’ to cut spending?

Again, showing that neo-cons have no economic knowledge, Obama has announced that to try to afford these giant bailouts, he will be instituting a series of spending cuts across the board.

Want something that doesn’t really need funding in the USA?

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives eats a whopping $2 billion for prostylization of the disadvantaged.

It’s not on the order of the $1 trillion dollar deficit he’s faced with, but every little bit counts.

Actually, my serious hope is that research, education, and health care don’t feel any pressure in the USA (except perhaps the school voucher scam). It’s not easy to inherit the worst economic situation the US has seen in decades, but hopefully the right action is taken.

A sceptical White House?

Here’s an interesting bit from a recent interview with president-elect Barack Obama:

JIM ANGLE: He was asked what he’s been doing to get ready for office and whether he talked to any previous Presidents.

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: I have spoken to all of them, that are living, obviously, President Clinton — I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any séances. [emphasis added]

Obama later apologized for apparently mocking the supernatural belief system, but that doesn’t remove two facts:

  1. It was Hilary Clinton who did séances, Reagan used astrology, either way, superstition. (I imagine Laura and George just used good ol’ fashioned prayers).
  2. Obama is willing to make fun of superstitions. People who generally buy this stuff don’t do that. This means there is potentially a sceptic in the White House. Imagine the ratifications of that – a president who consults knowledgeable advisers before acting. It’s the most promising thing I’ve heard about him so far.

Exciting times.

Obligatory US election post

So if you go back, the only thing I have mentioned about the US election is to Vote No on Prop 8 in California (so that gay marriage can remain legal).

Obviously I’m happy Obama has beaten McCain/Palin. But let’s not assume that the US is suddenly socialist utopia. It’s not.

Depending how the results turn in, up to 49% of Americans still voted for McCain/Palin. Granted, many would vote for a Libertarian candidate, if the two big parties hadn’t strangleholded democracy years ago and declared a vote for a third party is a wasted vote (they’ve even convinced the third parties that it is), but that’s till a lot of right-wingers.

Let’s look at some of the other things being decided today.

Many states are having ballot propositions on gay marriage (including state constitutional amendments) and abortion rights. Here’s some preliminary results:
Continue reading Obligatory US election post