The candidacy of Barack Obama offers a chance for intrinsic change, not that any redirection from the current administration wouldn’t be welcome. Obama has plans for universal medical insurance starting with children, bottom to top economic relief, and an end to all but the most necessary war, operating with— not in spite of— the world.

All taxes and government spending are a redistribution of wealth. It’s not a question of whether or not we are redistributing wealth but how fair the taxes and redistributions are. When the rich are given breaks there are some trickle-down benefits for the rest, but more efficient to start with the rest and let some of it trickle up.

Some say they are worried about a legislative and executive branch in the hands of a single party, that our country was built on the principle of checks and balances, yet those same people then complain that government is inherently ineffective and that change is impossible. There is another check, the ballot box— the election after this one.

Based on the signs at his rallies, McCain’s slogan is “Country First.” In these dangerous times shouldn’t it be “World First.” Just as in antebellum days it was state first, after which we progressed to country, it’s time now to further expand our concept of the human community and advance to world. Obama is the man with that kind of vision.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008
Heather Ryan on KET

Last night Heather Ryan, Democratic candidate for the First District of Congress, appeared on KET to debate her Republican opponent, incumbent Ed Whitfield, who declined the invitation, submitting a short prepared statement instead.

Via digital receiver the audio for the entire program was weak and of poor quality. Despite this technical problem and Heather’s relative lack of experience campaigning and debating, she came off as enthusiastic and upbeat about the future of the nation and her ability to represent Western Kentucky and make a difference in Congress.

Other than her stance on a couple issues, such as refusal to consider some form of nuclear energy (which even Barack Obama does not rule out) if needed in addition to solar, wind, etc. for national self-sufficiency, her program— especially for improved health care— is forward-thinking and a better choice in this difficult period.

Whitfield’s statement included a list of accomplishments, a surprisingly modest set considering the length of time served. In fairness the audio was poor on his portion as well.

Heather is considered a long shot against an entrenched incumbent. Yet it is interesting what KET filled the rest of the hour with— a Revolutionary War documentary about Washington at Trenton and Princeton, ten of the most important days in world history.

It was perhaps the lowest point in the Revolutionary effort. Washington was down to 10% of his army, about 3,000 men, and even he doubted his own ability to succeed. In other words he had no better chance than Heather has of winning. Yet she can take some heart in that when we look out our windows we see American not British flags.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
Panic of ‘08

Financial panics were relatively common in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century. In at least one case J. P. Morgan himself cobbled together a rescue program. The present situation seems beyond the capabilities of a single individual or even a single corporation, though Morgan-Chase did pitch in and buy up the ailing Washington Mutual.

Today’s failure of the compromise bail-out package in the House came as a surprise, having been quite an improvement over the original plan. Positive contributions were made by leaders of both parties— Democrats insisted on salary caps for the execs of the troubled companies; Republicans added safeguards to help protect the taxpayers’ investment.

Not long ago President Bush tried to assure everyone by saying that the fundamentals of the economy were strong. Guess he was thinking about productivity. Problem was that two other fundamentals, the national deficit and the trade deficit, were tanking.

The government as a whole had been doing what individuals know not to do, continually spend more than is coming in. Some deficit spending can get money in the system and stimulate growth, but this has been done so long now that any benefits are more than offset by the effects of massive debt and the interest it carries, as well as the weakened dollar.

Then there is poorflation— disproportionate inflation for the low end of the economic scale, where a greater proportion of income is required for energy, food, health care, and debt service— things that are going up much faster than wages. Until this is relieved foreclosures will continue despite credit relief, at least at the low to moderate levels.