What's Wrong with America's Economy?

It's no secret at all that America's economy is, and has been for recent years, falling. The majority of American's think that Obama and Congress are not doing a good job in handling the economy, and that we, as a nation, are on the wrong path to recovery. One of the reasons people may feel this way towards Obama is because he states the problem as a need for competitiveness with China. As much as that could help, it is not the main issue and we should not soley be focusing on that. Another big issue, is the job market. The current unemployment rate is 9%, and about 40% of those people have been out of work for longer than 6 months. This is because jobs are not available to them unless they have a college degree. Reform needs to be made for lesser skilled men in the job market if there should be any hope for reform. College prices are continuously rising, and the amount of Americans that can afford it is declining. Having a job market where only college graduates can receive jobs is a huge issue that needs to be looked at and reformed. Another problem is, workers see this, and they get discouraged. A lot of out-of-work men have simply given up on the job search simply because it offers no hope for a stable future. The percent of "prime-age" males in work has dropped 15% this decade, but the lack of oppurtunity will keep the percentage there, unless reform is made. And even if these low skilled men did get jobs, a lot will be taken out of their pay, like money toward EITC, or Child Support (if valid to them). Kids in high school are becoming more likely to drop out because the amount of hope that they will be able to find a job with a high school degree only is not very high at all. Some are suggesting trade-barriers for jobs, and others to improve skills. Whichever is the better, I don't know, but I do know that something needs to be done soon, or else the unemployment rate will rise, and the economy will fall.

The People's Will: California's Direct Democracy

In almost all of the states in America, there is a representative democracy that is put into place. This means that although people do not have a direct say in what goes on in government, they elect representives that they feel will best go along with their opinions. In California, however, there is a direct democracy. The people vote for certain propositions on ballots, and their vote directly effects the decision in the end. This makes California one of the most, if not the most, democratic states in the entire country. But the question has to be asked: are they right?
In my opinion, no. The reason why we have representitives in our government is because not everybody is qualified, so these people pass on their opinions to their representitives, and these representitives make decisions based on their professional opinion. It is important to have this because we cannot count on the everyday person to make crucial decisions for our state. The reason we have this is because it works. Massachusetts is a state with a good economy, but is California? Absolutely not. California is known to have areas, such as South Central, Haight and Ashbury, etc., where educated enough people to make crucial, law making decisions are just as hard to come by as a non-white student at Medfield High School. They let the people have direct impact, and it has failed them. We can still let the people have a voice, and that voice is picking their representitives. But until the majority of the population proves that they are educated enough to have such an impact, then maybe things can be reconsidered. But as of now, the majority of the population cannot be trusted with that power.

Gadhafi accepts terms of agreement

It was announced today that Gadhafi is in agreement with the African Union in a plan to end the conflict in Libya. The specifications of these terms are unknown, but it is guessed that a ceasefire would be put in place in Libya that would end the attacks on Libyan rebels made by Gadhafi's forces. South African President Jacob Zuma also mentioned that the agreement would put an end to NATO's no-fly zone. As African Union delegation members are set to meet with opposition leaders this week, they remain skeptical that the African Union will be aimed towards benefiting the oposition in a large enough way, after Gadhafi has been so beneficial to the Union. As the issue continues on without any resolve officially made, people are still dying across the country. NATO's airstrikes appear to be making some impact, killing a good amount of pro-Gadhafi fighters, while rebels are being killed by these supporters on the ground.

I think that it's about time that something be done with this issue in Libya, it has clearly stretched out for long enough. The dillusions of Gadhafi are surprising, but what is even more surprising is that it looks like he might be ready to end the fighting and make resolve. However, you never know with someone as crazy as this. The opposition leaders may be right in that any agreements made by Ghadhafi with the African Union will not help both parties. But I think it is time for Gadhafi to step down, and understand a losing battle; with the UN against him, it would hard to hold them off for much longer. If it is just another set back, it's going to be frustrating to watch this go on for any longer.

Burning of the Koran

There was an article in the Boston Globe today about a priest in Florida who burned the Koran, and the reaction of the Afghani people on American troops. Unsurprisingly, they did not react to the news well, and have so far killed over 20 people. The question raised is whether or not the government needs to step in and take action to arrest him, or does his first amendmnet right of freedom of speech protect him in this instance. In my opinion, I do not believe that the man should be arrested. Yes, I completely disagree with his actions, but there is a bigger issue. We cannot allow Afghanistan, a poor, corrupt, backwards country to control our actions and our misuse of the Constitution. America has prided itself on always adhering to these rights, and if we start to put them aside now, it will create a downward spiral that would lead to these rights not being protected. On another note, it is not this one action for which Afghanis hate us. Sure, it was just adding more fuel to the fire, but the fire was started by many of the actions of America, most importantly the war we began in Afghanistan. We cannot blame this one man for these murders, but the actions taken by this nation as a whole, and the bias that it fed through the media by the government in Afghanistan to the Afghani people.

Germany Shuts Down Reactors as Europe Plans Safety Test

In light of recent events involving the earthquake and tsunami that took place in Japan last week, countries are taking note and acting accordingly. Germany announced recently that they are shutting down 7 of the plants that went online before 1980, while the European Union stated that they will be testing all of their 147 power plants. Chancellor Markel of Germany is taking heat for this decision, being accused of acting on fear and not rationality. The European Union will be testing the plants for anything from a flood or tsunami to a terrorist attack. With what happened in Japan, countries are taking note so they do not make the same mistake. It comes at a bad time, because countries, like the US, were planning to expand their nuclear energy, but now have to act cautiously on this. President Sarkozy is holding a summit for the Group of 20 so that European nations can discuss this issue of nuclear safety. It will be difficult to make decisions involving nuclear energy safety, cause most nations use this as their primary source of energy. France gets about 70% of their electricity from nuclear energy. But regardless, no other nation can afford to have the same issue that happened to Japan happen to them. Other nations, including the US, has been given the opportunity to learn from the mistakes, or misfortunes, of Japan. It would be ridiculous to take this chance and run with it.

Security Forces Attack Protesters and Doctors in Bahrain

According to witnesses yesterday, security officials in Bahrain attack a local hospital, beating both protesters and doctors, with these officials even going as far as to using ammunition. Bahrain officials deny the account, claiming the extent to their weaponry was using tear gas, and it being because they were first attacked by protesters. The only reported fatalities were 2 police officers who were run over by protesters, who now face charges. Doctors claim that officials formed a "ring" around the hospital, and then stormed in and beat anyone in their path. While most doctors were able to hide, many other staff members were attacked. The most confusing part of the situation was that this all happened in a government hospital, which is weird because its government attacking government, not protesters. With doctors in hiding and unable to work, 2 patients reportedly died. A similar incident also happened in Salmany Hospital. In light of recent events, the UK has closed their embassy in Bahrain for the time being, and troops from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have moved in to protect the citizens.

I think its terrible what government officials are doing. Attacking unarmed protesters is severely unfair, and I can't see all of this working in the long run. I think Bahrain will lose the trust of other nations if they continue to act this violently and irrationally. At some point, I see other nations stepping in to help these unarmed citizens and overthrowing the government. This just simply cannot go on any longer.

Answering the Public, Egypt Names New Cabinet

The current interim Prime Minister of Egypt listened to the people, and announced a new political cabinet who were, in no way, tied to Hosni Mubarak. Even still, protesters rampaged into a state security officeand Interior Ministry after catching wind that they were burning incriminating documents that could be used as evidence against Mubarak, or just simply confidential information about other government leaders. These protesters were warded off within hours using sticks, knives, and gunshots. It was the first time since February 11th that the military, who is now running the country, had used force on the people, and their most recent outburst is not a sign of change in the way they plan to act in the future. After all of this mess, it was revealed who would be filling the government positions. UN Ambassador Nabil Elaraby will be taking over the position as foreign minister (he already has many ideas, including pursuing Israel for not holding up obligations, to put into effect); Mansour el-Essaway will be Minister of the Interior; and Mohamed el-Gendy will become the new justice.
It is nice to see that the Egyptian government is going to become less and less corrupt, and is filling up it's cabinet with fresh, relatively new faces as leaders. What does worry me is the recent outburst by the people. To me, it's a sign that the people will get violent for any small issue that is brought up, and not just complain and let it die down. But hopefully with a new cabinet, the people will feel more comfortable, less corrupt, and overall, more content, to keep them from needing to act this way again. It will definately be interesting to see how this all pans out.

Egypt: Forming a Democracy?

Yesterday, the Egyptian Vice President, Omar Suleiman, met with the leaders of key opposition groups to discuss changes to be enacted in Egypt, in hopes of ending this massive, nearly two-week protest. Among these groups were the Muslim Brotherhood, Ahrar, and Wafd. The main ingrediant to the plans was for Egypt to become more of a democracy. Along with aboloshing the military emergancy law, the opposition asked for "free media and... a representative government." While some Egyptians, and people across the world, are happy to see Egypt making strides in a positive directions, some protesters are even more mad than before. Some are shocked to hear that these people think that they can represent an entire revolution. Others find it to be a trick, hoping to end the protests, then keep Mubarak in office once forces have been strengthened enough so that it could not happen again. March 1st appears to be the date that all of this will take place. President Obama has also said in an interview that he believes Egypt can move towards this new government, but still seems concered about the prospect of the Brotherhood ruling Egypt. I am too, considering how some of the radicals speak out against "evil America."

I am very happy to see that Egypt is making some progress. It is very impressive to see how nearly an entire nation came together to stand up for what they believe in, and now, it is looking like they are getting almost everything they set out to get, like get Muburak out and form a new Democratic government. Like Obama, I am very concerned that the Brotherhood will become the new leader of Egypt. They have expressed much discontent towards America, and it is very likely our ties could end almost overnight. But Obama seems to think that they do not hold a majority. I just hope he's right, and Egypt remains peaceful, for our sake as well as theirs.

Arizona Shooting

The recent shooting in Arizona that left a congressman in fatal condition after being shot in the head point blank has made the rounds across the media. It would be difficult to not hear someone talking about it on the news. But one thing that most people seem to be forgetting to discuss is what kind of red flag this event has raised for the future of our nation. For years, the tension between democrats and republicans has been growing and growing, getting to the point where people stop making opinions based on what THEY believe, and instead what their PARTY believes, but now, it has it an all time low: violence. Violence has not ensued over a division in the country's beliefs since the civil war, and this could just be the start of more violence to come that could potentially lead to a second civil war. As extreme as this sounds, if we as a nation can not establish unity, we have an ill fated future waiting for us.

Illegal Immigration

The topic of illegal immigration is one that is somewhat conflincting for me. On one hand, when I hear the word illegal immigration, I think of a bunch of Mexicans crossing the border into the US and taking advantage of what America has to offer, like jobs and hospitals, which really does not sit well in my stomach. However, I also think of this guy I work with, Henry, who moved to America after leaving a dangerous Columbia, where his brother was shot and killed, and for a bit lived here as an illegal immigrant, but became a citizen once he had kids so that he could give them a little life. And thinking of that story does sit well in my stomach.

I guess if I am going to try to make a rational opinion on this, it is that we need to continue our efforts against illegal immigrants. They do absolutely nothing to benefit society, all they do is hurt it. They come here, they take jobs away from American citizens that a) need the money because of the recession and b) will pay income taxes when getting paid from this job. Also, our tax money that goes to hospitals, do they only help American citizens? Yes and no. Although immigrants do not get some of the nice hospitals that citizens have, they cannot be denied in an emergency room.

Now, I do not have the type of information that says how much money is put towards the efforts against illegal immigration, and how much money is lost from the American citizens and government because of the illegal immigration, but something tells me the numbers could be close. Now, if the efforts against it exceed the amount that we are losing to illegal immigration, then our efforts do seem useless and worth the money. But like I said, I do not have the exact numbers, but just thought I would mention it since I do not hear that type of fact said in the news.

Facebook Wrestles with Free Speech

With Facebook quickly becoming one of the most visited sites in the entire web, right behind Google, it is expected that there may be some controversy around it. For a while, there have been a lot of complaints about Facebook and it violating privacy issues, like sharing information on one's profile to companies wishing to advertise. But there has recently been a new issue lately that Facebook has to deal with, and that's Freedom of Speech.
A new user introduced to Facebook is met with a Terms Of Service, which indicates that anything violent, harmful, pornographic, or illegal will be taken down, and only if it falls in any of those categories. But a lot of countries are having to block Facebook because, assuming that it does not fall into any of those categories, people can post whatever they want, even if that means an opinion bashing another country or religion, since it is a "public image." These countries do not like that Facebook is allowing some of these messages to be posted. But most importantly, many people, countries, and organizations do not like how Facebook is making final calls on Freedom Of Speech.
It is kind of a tricky issue for me on this one, for which side I agree with. On one hand, people should be respectful of what they post, but on the other, this is an American-based website, so people should be allowed to say whatever they please, as long as it does not violate the terms of service. I know that people calling Facebook "an arbiter of Freedom of Speech" only enhances their superpower image, they were doing that before when people were spending hours a day on this site. With it being Facebook's site, I think they should hold the disgretion as to what is posted, and if someone does not like it, then they can simply delete their account.

Obama's Continuation on Bush's Tax Cuts

Everywhere on the news, one will find someone talking about the new agreement Obama made with Republicans regarding an extension of the Bush tax cuts. What is mostly being discussed is how most Democrats are strongly against this proposal that Obama has made with the Republicans. One of their reasonings behind this is that part of the bill keeps the wealthiest 2% from being burdened with high taxes. Like most Democrats, Obama is not in favor of this, however, unlike most Democrats, Obama feels that it is worth it if it means helping middle class families "sending their kids to college" and "put food on the table while looking for a job" (part of the bill also extends unemployment insurance).
I think what most Democrats are overlooking, and almost all media, is the fact that a bipartisan decision has finally been made, something everyone in government claims they wish to have. I think that that in its self is a huge positive, cause this bipartisan agreement is a big step for the country for something that will continue to grow. Obama has stated that both parties will have to accept things that they don't want for things that they do, and I completely agree. It is just common sense that if you are negociating with someone that has different views than you on almost everything, you may have to compramise somethings to receive somethings back. Even Mayor Bloomberg of New York, and independent, told "Meet the Press" today in an interview that Democrats need to "suck it up," which, again, I agree with. Normally, I lean more towards Democrats, but I am not happy with the way that they have been acting, which is like a little three year old whose mom didn't buy them the new toy at the store.
Another thing that is troubling to me is the fact that Bill Clinton's backing of the Tax Cut Bill had no effect on the democrats. When Clinton was President, the economy was booming. Personally, even as a Democrat who feels Obama does not have enough experience to make a decision like this, I would change my mind after seeing Clinton defend it. Clinton is not an amateur, and I would trust what he is saying, as he proved in his eight years that he knows what he is talking about.

Bernanke on 60 Minutes: Grim Outlook for Jobs

Ben Bernanke, one of the top economists in the nation and chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, appeared for an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" this past sunday. After the government had just released reports of the unemployment rate raising to 9.8%, many viewers were tuning in to hear some good, possibly behind the scenes information to balanced out the previous news. These viewers were to be both excited yet dissapointed.
Bernanke told Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes" that he believes it could take anywhere up to four or five years to get the unemployment rate normal again. Bernanke began discussing, and most importantly defending, the recent $600 billion bonding bill, called QE2, in effort to get consumers and employers more proactive. While a lot of press have been saying a lot of things against QE2, like saying it will cause inflation, Bernanke says that not acting on this issue is a much greater risk than QE2. In addition, he does not see inflation as an issue.
It's good to see government officials going out and talking to the media and the public, but like all politicians, it seems scripted. The line "encourage consumers to buy and companies to create jobs" is a line I have heard all too often, and every time I hear it, it's value lessens for me. As far as QE2, it seems like almost another thing the government is doing to look more effective to the public, but if it is being defended by one of the nation's top economists, than I have a little more faith. Hopefully this is one of the last big spending bills the government will have to create to stimulate the economy.