Bush Giveth, Obama Taketh Away

George Bush has been blamed for so much that is currently wrong with our country you'd think the President could give credit when credit is due. None, however, has been forthcoming.

We know Obama has made the first ever presidential visit to Burma, a long oppressive country.  It should be known that it was  Bush foreign policy that paved the way by emphasizing human rights, placing and maintaining sanctions and providing humanitarian assistance. It was also the Bush administration that began senior level talks that brought in opposition groups and ethnic minority groups to further the cause of reform.

Upon review after Obama took office, it was decided to leave well enough alone.  After the Burmese version of the Arab spring, the generals fearing the loss of their power began a gradual transition in return for a reliable partner. Are we?  What was begun by Bush is now left to Obama to continue.  Push reform.  It is still sorely needed especially in the area of repression of minorities and drug as well as human trafficking. Leading from behind won't get it done nor will empty platitudes.

The idea of visiting Burma to encourage reforms is commendable.  Before Obama undertakes these missions, however, it would be nice if he did his homework so as not to embarrass himself and our country.  Getting a protocol officer wouldn't be a bad idea either. Or a new one if indeed one exists.

Standing next to the icon of human rights activists, Aung San Suu Kyi, Obama mispronounced her name repeatedly. Just as Queen Elizabeth did when touched by Michelle, she was gracious enough not to correct him.  This continued as he spoke to reporters after their meeting.

He also addressed the new President incorrectly by not using his full name as protocol would have it.

The final gaffe was referring to the country as Myanmar, the favored name of the authoritarian regime. It was considered an appeasement.  Burma is the name the U.S. uses after all, as well as being the name preferred  by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Had Bush made these gaffes the medias would have screamed.  All I hear are the sounds of silence

I don't know if our President is lazy, sloppy, doesn't care or what but it seems like he tries to play all sides which results in the appearance of placating the unsavory.

He only has four more years to fly around on that big fancy jet, but if he's going to continue to compromise us and embarrass us around the world I wish he'd just stay home.

Some choice.

Look For The Union Label - Twinkies Or Devil Dogs

Both actually.  Made by the now kaput Hostess brands.

How many times when you read about mass lay offs or company closures do you find union contracts a part of the problem?  I don't know why the rank and file, nor union leaders especially, don't understand in these days of economic woes there is a limit to money available to appease them.

I especially don't understand why one union would refuse concessions while their brother unions have agreed to them resulting in the loss of jobs for everyone.

If it's just plain selfishness it backfired.  Hostess closed it's doors.  Should someone buy them and assume their debt you can bet the union employees who brought them down won't be rehired by the new owners.  So where will they go? How many jobs for bakers are begging to be filled?

So what's to be done?  A petition has gone up on the White House web site calling for the nationalization of the company.  Is this a joke?  Who knows.  So far there are over 2000 signatures.  Twinkie lovers unite!  Right. Michelle Obama would never allow the government to nationalize a junk food company! Or even give them a Solyndra type infusion of cash.  How hypocritical would that be?

In all seriousness, I can't help but wonder about the thought process of union bosses.  For instance, union rules require two different trucks to deliver bread products and cake products to the same retail outlet.  That requires two drivers, double the fuel and two vehicles.  Drivers couldn't load their own vehicles either.  Separate crews loaded the bread on one truck and the cakes on the other. So two crews rather than one.  It's ridiculous and costly.

'Make work' rules like these are why many companies have moved their operations off shore. It's more cost effective, period.   Rich benefits and high salaries only add to the financial burden.  You can get into greedy corporate leaders and greedy venture capital firms if you want to and in some cases it's justified.  I'd just like to see along with the criticisms of management, a fair assessment of union contribution to the financial strain.

In the case of Twinkies, Hostess, the blame game is playing out as it has so many times before.  The company could not recover from outlandish financial demands.  Twinkies, Devil Dogs, Ho Hos and Wonder Bread are gone.  So are 18,500 jobs that didn't have to be.





  

Being Relevant

Our country in in flux.  Morals, character, integrity such as I knew them growing up now seem to be ignored with abandon.  We're in attack and blame mode yet there is no satisfying end.

I'm in the same mode.  I told a reader today to, literally, take a hike.  I was tired of what I perceived as  being put down.  Thin skinned?  Maybe, but there are ways to disagree without being patronizing and like with so many things today I just got tired of the tone. Will I regret it? At the moment I have no idea.  It's not the way to encourage readers, that's for sure.  But suffice it to say this has been going on for a good while.  It has always been civil which has always been my criteria, I'm just tired of the contentiousness.

Flux?  I'm in that mode too.  In one post I'm encouraging our citizens to look for younger leadership yet quick to find fault with those chosen.  I expect too much I guess.  I expect more common sense and less sense of self than many seem to have.

Still, I think there comes a time when we who have lived and experienced much should perhaps spend our energies mentoring rather than being activists.  Not that we need to be couch potatoes, but don't need to run marathons to prove our worth either.  We have much to offer, we just need listeners.

So how does this work?  Imagine this.  A college football team from a school nicknamed 'Silo Tech'.  It reminds me of my college days at 'Moo U'.  They have one set of uniforms for away games and one for home games.  Not multiples of each. "No earrings or hats in the football complex, no dreadlocks hanging out of helmets ", no missing classes or team meetings.  Players, some good, some not so, came to the program none-the-less and they're winning.  The players have risen to excellence in their positions and function as a team rather than an amalgam of super stars. It is possible they will reach the BCS championship against Oregon, a team that is their antithesis.

What I hope these young man take away from their football experience is that team work is more important than showboating. Education is important and attending classes is how to get one.  Commitments are to be kept and team meetings are commitments. Substance is more important than dazzle.

Just who is responsible for this phenomenon in the world of college football, of all venues? The coach of course.  One Bill Snyder.  73-year old Bill Synder.  This is being relevant!

Republicans And The Vision Thing

Ah, the blame game among Republicans is alive and well.  Some are actually getting the reasons for their loss right.  It makes me wonder why they didn't see it before the election.  A lot of us did!

Romney has come up with a reason Bobby Jindal totally rejects.  Romney, displaying a classic case of tunnel vision, says it's because of the 'gifts' promised to special groups - everything from cell phones to interest on student loan forgiveness.  He is right.  Throwing those bones to certain groups did  buy votes. It is, however, not even close to the whole reason.

That's what Jindal is telling us.  He thinks the terminology is divisive.  Well, so was the action.  He goes on to point out, however, it as far more the writing off of the 'takers' rather than trying to embrace them  and present them with a path to escape having to 'take'. That would be a real vision and was totally missing from both the Republican and Democratic campaigns.

There are takers, real ones.  They make up no majority other than getting the bulk of slanted news coverage.  America did not get to be the most powerful nation in the world on the back of takers.  Doers.  Now that's a different story.

It's not the doers fault he lost.  They're too busy trying to keep it together.  Trying not to lose their jobs or businesses or homes.  Trying to put food on their tables and gas in their cars.  And a lot of them didn't vote.  They're tired of voting against a candidate rather than for one.

Those who did vote were the Democratic base under the direction of a superb 'get out the vote' strategy.  The Republicans left it to chance and failed.

I hope Jindal is representative of a new breed of Republican who realizes connecting with the people is important.  Articulating the problems and solutions to them is important. And in line with what Romney has said, rather than 'gifting' those with explicit needs, embrace them, listen to them and work with them to fulfill those needs. Not pitting one group against another.

I'm no longer an Obama fan.  I think he's obstinate and short sighted. He had no vision nor accomplishments on which to run, which is why he ran the dirty campaign he did. The irony of it is it wasn't really necessary.

Romney too was obstinate and short sighted.  The Republicans were arrogant and divisive and often condescending.  We talk a lot about the need for compromise in Congress.  The Republicans could use a bit within their own party.

In order to win they are actually going to have to find common ground with the Democrats when it comes to issues.  Their job then will be to convince the voters their solutions are better and more encompassing than the Democrats.  What's so hard about that?

The Democrats face the same problem not far down the road.  They too could use new leadership. In four years Hillary will be 69.  Biden, who also wants to run, along with Reid and Pelosi will be into their 70s.

Compare them with the up and coming Republicans.  They're a younger lot and capable of being nearly as 'cool' as Obama. Certainly as politically capable and in many case far more so. Hopefully their ideas and abilities will be as fresh as their faces.

One Step At A Time

Where there's life there's hope.  I hope.  Amid all the ugliness going on in the administration, Congress has it's own share.  First, Nancy Pelosi has decided not to retire.  Second, Harry Reid has declared he will not bring Social Security to the table. Swell.

Nothing new here.  I don't know about you, but I don't think the Democrats received any sort of mandate, especially for obstinance.

Perhaps, however, there is a faint light flickering at the end of the tunnel.  One lonely Democrat has said he will oppose Nancy Pelosi's bid to remain  minority leader.  He tried before and failed when he backed Heath Shuler who did not seek re-election this cycle.

But he's trying again.  Even though he expects to lose again, at least he is making a statement that all Democrats should heed.  He told The Salt Lake Tribune  that Pelosi contributed to the polarization by squeezing out moderates and that the Democrats need leadership that will work in a more constructive way.  Wow! Three cheers for Mr. Matheson! He is a brave man because it means he will be a target of Ms. Pelosi.

He won, narrowly, an interesting campaign against Mia Love.  Black. Female. Mormon. Republican.

I liked what I saw of her and had high hopes she would win.  She was the victim of some pretty nasty threats but I think not from the Matheson camp. He was a six term incumbent and she was - well, who she was.

I hope she will re-emerge somewhere along the way.  She's an inspirational story.  But for now Mr. Matheson holds the seat and has the courage to do what is right.  Oppose an obstructive leadership.  If only someone would do the same in the Senate!

Of course, if the Republicans had gotten their at act together, it would probably not have  been an issue in the first place. But it was and is. It's nice to see that a Democrat here and there also realize their party needs a push in a more productive direction. That it's not just the Republicans fault nothing gets done. One step at a time may be agonizingly slow, but it's a start.