Thursday, June 30, 2011

Debt Ceiling Legislation

Sometimes what I don’t realize astounds me.  I have taught Constitutional Law, lectured on the 14th Amendment, and read it many times.  I always concentrated on Section I.  That’s the part that deals with “privileges and immunities” and “due process” and citizenship and has been used by the Supreme Court to apply most of the Bill of Rights to the states.  (If you want a 50 minute lecture on this, contact me.)
I always thought the rest of it was Civil War stuff and not all that relevant.  Now I have become aware that Section 4 contains this language:  “The validity of the public debt of United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”
Debt ceiling legislation?  We don’t need no stinking debt ceiling legislation.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Least Dangerous Branch?

In 1962 a book on the U.S. Supreme Court was published under the title The Least Dangerous Branch.  (You can still purchase it on Amazon.)  The title was taken from Federalist Paper #78 written by Hamilton, who said the judiciary was the branch least likely to undermine constitutional rights.
I wonder if Hamilton would hold that opinion today.  In “Citizens United,” the Court ruled that corporations or other organizations could not be limited in their spending on campaigns.  Now the Court has ruled 5-4 that an Arizona law that tried to redress inequalities in election spending violated free speech.  
The Arizona law said that if a candidate accepted public funding and his or her opponent spent more private money on the campaign, the state would increase the amount of public funding up to triple the initial amount.  The privately-financed candidate could still spend more money, but at least the playing field would be somewhat leveled.  It was this law that the Supreme Court said limited free speech.  
I know the Court has made some reprehensible rulings in our past.  “Dred Scott v. Sandford” and “Plessy v. Ferguson” come to mind.  What the Supreme Court has done with these campaign finance cases, however, undermines the very heart of the democratic process. Five justices have allowed money, not votes, to determine elections.  The whole electoral process is skewed. There is a word for a government dominated by the rich. It is called an oligarchy.  

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Ballot Access News

The best source for the latest developments at the state level for all issues related to voting and ballot access is the Ballot Access News.  It is edited by Richard Winger, and it is an excellent compilation of all the laws and court cases related to third party and independent voting.  Richard is a friend of mine and the most knowledgeable person I know on election law and ballot access.  Go to < http://www.ballot-access.org>.  Check it out.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Me and Michelle

As some of you may know, my wife and I own a small farm. We have 25 chickens, two goats, and a too-large truckpatch in which we raise hot peppers and other vegetables.  Most of our 23 acres is farmed by a neighbor, who pays us $90 a year in rent.  We get no price supports or subsidies from the federal government.  Zilch.  Nada.  Zip.
Michelle Bachman, Tea Party presidential candidate, right-wing anti-government activist,  and proud capitalist, receives thousands and thousands of federal dollars for her farm.  She says she doesn’t get the money personally.  The farmworkers she hires are the recipients.  Really.  She said that.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Hands-on executive

A front-page article in the New York Times today details how Roman Catholic governor Andrew Cuomo pushed the same-sex marriage bill through the New York legislature.  Cuomo was involved from the very beginning, working with Republican party donors, gay rights activists, and individual legislators to garner support for the bill. 
What a concept. A chief executive taking a hands-on approach on a bill he thinks is important and getting it through a legislature initially opposed to his efforts.  Amazing.

Same Sex Marriage

In some countries a couple wishing to marry must go through a civil ceremony in addition to the religious rites.  The rationale is that since marriage is recognized by the state, the state should make it official.
In the U.S. we have a different arrangement.  It is not necessary for a couple who marries in a church, temple, or mosque to repeat the ceremony.  The state recognizes the religious service as binding.  On the other hand, the couple may have a civil ceremony without involvement by any religious authority.
What New York did was legalize marriage between two people of the same sex.  It did not say that religious leaders will be forced to do this, although the Unitarians probably will and the UCC and certain liberal rabbis may also. I’m also pretty sure that you won’t see these ceremonies performed in mosques, Catholic churches, or Mormon temples--at least not for a few years.
So why the opposition?  Nobody is forced to do anything.  Religious leaders may still refuse to perform same sex marriage ceremonies.  I fail to see why those same religious leaders should feel any need to oppose a civil ceremony in which two gay people marry.  Like so many things in this country, I don’t get it.

Friday, June 24, 2011

All those years

Tonight I was collecting Devonian fossils on a bank near my house and thought about how when I cracked open a rock, I was exposing a brachiopod that had been encased in mud and then stone for hundreds of million years.  For every specimen I found and saved, thousands will be crushed and hauled away for a road project.
I thought about oil, the result of organic deposits millions of years ago, pumped out and processed so somebody with a weed whacker could cut down wild flowers.  I thought about coal, millions of years in the making, burned in a power plant so somebody could run his air conditioner to keep his bedroom cool while the planet heats up.  I thought about starlight, arriving on earth after traveling millions of light years, only to be snuffed out by lights from street lamps in our cities.
We are fouling our nest.  We are supposed to be the intelligent species, able to reason and plan for the future.  I don't think so.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Wal-Mart

Earlier this week the Supreme Court turned down a class action suit by female Wal-Mart employees.  The decision was based on the finding that the women suing did not actually constitute a single “class.”  The majority ruled that Wal-Mart did not have a national policy of discriminating against females, and while individual stores or regions might be sued, there was no national Wal-Mart corporate standard to discriminate against women.
I would have ruled otherwise.  Wal-Mart managers are mostly male; Wal-Mart workers are mostly female.  If the national corporate culture at Wal-Mart emphasized the importance of female workers, they would be treated better and promoted more often.
Some shoppers at Wal-Mart were interviewed by a New York Times reporter after the decision.  The replies were along the lines of “I know Wal-Mart is a terrible employer, but  they have such great bargains.”  Of course they do--no unions, workers treated like peons, an abysmal health care plan, automatic dismissal of anyone who complains.
Folks, remember that you are not required to shop at Wal-Mart.  You might pay more at another store, but you will rest easier that night.  I am 68 years old and have never bought anything at a Wal-Mart store. Ever.  If that is the only place you can buy a product, you really don’t need it.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

War Powers Act

In 1970 American troops invaded Cambodia.  Congress was never told.  One of the five articles of impeachment brought against President Nixon involved the Cambodian invasion, but it was not adopted.  The argument against adoption was that Nixon had done what all Presidents do.

In response to this arbitrary Presidential policy-making, Congress adopted the War Powers Act.  The Act, recognizing modern realities, said a President could send troops but he or she had to inform Congress.  If Congress did not approve, the troops had to be withdrawn in three months.

President Obama now argues that the U.S. action in Libya doesn't fall under the War Powers Act provisions because no troops are involved--just billions of dollars worth of weaponry.  This is the kind of argument that a lawyer would make.  The intent of the law was to rein in presidential power.  President Obama should obey the spirit of the law.  I happen to agree with our policy in Libya, but the intent of the War Powers Act should be followed.  President Obama is very wrong on this.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Communist/Atheist/Homosexual

Some guy named Dan from New Jersey called my home phone to ask why I would support President Obama even though he had lied about being born in America and was a communist.  I had talked to Dan before--he trolls Organizing for America websites and harasses people.  My phone number is on one of the sites.
I had a shot of rum just before he called and was feeling mellow.  I told him that communists were everywhere, and I myself was a communist atheist homosexual.  (Ok, that was wrong of me, but it wasn’t a complete lie.)  Dan decided at that point to hang up.  
The Supreme Court is against us, the House is against us, the Senate Republicans are blocking every Obama appointee, the unemployment rate remains high, Republicans state legislators are doing their best to suppress voting, Syria is a disaster area, and violence has broken out in the Southern Sudan.  The good news is that today is the first day of summer and the fireflies are out in force.  I’m on my way out to the porch to watch them.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Carbon County Labor Chapter

This evening I attended a meeting of the newly-formed Carbon County Labor Chapter at the Amvets in Lansford.  We had teachers, electricians, communications workers, a steel worker, a college professor, a member of the Teamsters Union, and many more discussing ways to strengthen the labor movement.  
In case you are curious, I qualified for the organization because I am a retired member of the Teamsters, the California Faculty Association, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.  
Every person in the room was aware that union members and the middle class are under attack by the Republicans.  This is not something happening only in Wisconsin or Arizona--anti-union legislation is in the pipeline in Pennsylvania as well.  What was impressive to me was the solidarity.  I know that “solidarity” is an overused word, but the people in the basement of the Amvets really understand that the Republican Party is out to destroy the right of American workers to join together and bargain as a group with their employers.  If we are not organized, we have no power.  The Republicans understand that.  We also understand that.
If you are an active or a retired union member, join us.  Our next meeting will be at the Lansford Amvets on July 18.  Check it out.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

U.S. Economy explained

My friend Janette sent me a link to a YouTube film of Robert Reich explaining the economy in 2 minutes and 15 seconds.  Some of you have already seen it, but if you have not, please take a look.  Go to <http://www.moveon.org/r?r=209212&id=28085-3994507-o9OfS8x&t=1>  

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Unbelievable hypocrisy

On June 14 I posted a letter I wrote to Pennsylvania state representative Doyle Heffley in which I pointed out that many state legislators were using “preventing fraud” as an excuse to pass bills to discourage voting.  The voters most affected by these bills were obviously more likely to be Democrats.
Rep. Heffley’s reply arrived today.  I’ll quote the entire letter:
Thank you for your recent letter where you voiced your objections to House Bill No. 934, which requires voters in the Commonwealth to provide identification at the polls.  I appreciate you taking the time to contact me about the subject.
I believe it is a very important piece of legislation.  Residents of Pennsylvania must have identification for driving, for purchasing insurance, and for many other day to day acts.  It is not my intention to inhibit voting or infringe on anyone’s right to vote, but to preserve the integrity of the voting process.  
With so many illegal immigrants entering Pennsylvania, I feel this is a step in preserving our tradition of legally casting our votes.
This is a dishonest letter.  First of all, there is no evidence of a problem of undocumented immigrants trying to vote in Pennsylvania.  Second, if you are in this country without papers, about the last thing you will do is register to vote.  Third, if you do vote illegally, penalties are already in place if you are caught.  
I can go for months without showing picture identification.  I don’t need it to buy insurance.  I don’t need it to drive to Kresgeville.  I don’t need it for “day-to-day acts.”  And I certainly haven’t needed it to vote; all the poll workers know who I am. 
When New Orleans was evacuated, the emergency response officials were surprised that many people did not have cars.  Guess who doesn’t have cars?  Poor people.  Guess who doesn’t have picture identification cards.  Poor people.  Guess who doesn’t have insurance.  Poor people.  Guess who votes Democratic.  Poor people.  
Let’s not confuse the issue.  House Bill 934 has one purpose and one purpose only.  It is to discourage Democratic voting.  What a bunch of hypocrites.

Friday, June 17, 2011

The latest Republican congressional travesty

First, some background.  The Clean Water Act of 1972 had as its intent the protection of “all the waters of the United States.”  Richard Nixon was the president who signed the Act.  The actual job of protection was assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Given the dismal record of the Corps, many environmentalists found this rather ironic.  Nevertheless, the Corps did a reasonably good job, delineating and protecting wetlands and streams from developers.
In the past five years, however, Supreme Court decisions and the George W. Bush administration limited the Corps’ protective umbrella to navigable lakes and rivers.  Wetlands, streams, and small rivers were no longer included.
Two months ago the Obama administration issued new guidelines reaffirming the original language of the Clean Water Act to include “all the waters.”
Now, according to an editorial in the New York Times (6/17/11, p. A34), the House Appropriations Committee Republicans added a provision to the Army Corps spending bill that prohibits the Corps from using any of its appropriations to “develop, adopt, implement, administer or enforce” the administration guidelines.
When I was a little kid, my mom wouldn’t let me say I hated anyone.  She said that hate was too strong a word.  Out of respect to her, let me just say that I strongly dislike the House Republicans.  They are despicable weasels.  I shouldn’t even say that.   It’s unfair to weasels.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Honeybees and the E.P.A.

I have not seen one honeybee all spring.  You may be aware that honeybee hives have been suffering from a syndrome known as “colony collapse” in which entire hives are wiped out in a short period of time.  Over 90% of the honeybee population has died off in some areas.  The reason is unclear; cell phones have even been considered as a culprit.
The latest issue (July/August 2011) of Sierra, published by the Sierra Club, discusses a more likely cause for the decline, a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, and no, I don’t know how to pronounce it.  The pesticide kills insects by disrupting their nervous systems.  Most pesticides are applied to the leaves of plants, but this one is applied to the seeds and becomes infused throughout the entire plant, including its nectar and pollen. 
France banned this type of pesticide in 1999, followed by Germany and Italy.  Sierra reports that Italy had its first healthy bee season in ten years after the pesticide was banned.  
The E.P.A. has refused to ban the pesticide in the U.S.  The director of the pesticide program says he is unaware of any data that demonstrates that the pesticide is a problem for honeybees.  And they continue to die.
Things are always darkest just before they go pitch black.
--Kelly Robinson

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

New FBI rules

According to a front page article in the June 13th issue of the New York Times, the FBI plans to issue a new edition of its manual known as the Domestic Investigations and Operations guide.  The new guide will give agents more powers in their search for criminal or terrorist activity.  
Among the proposed changes, most of which would have been applauded by J. Edgar Hoover, is one which “clarifies the definition of who qualifies for extra protection as a legitimate member of the news media in the Internet era:  prominent bloggers would count, but not people who have low-profile blogs.”
Uh oh.  I’m fairly certain Sajeonogi qualifies as a “low-profile blog.” 
There are times I long for a liberal administration.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

My letter to Rep. Heffley

One of my readers said I should not only post messages about voter suppression, but I should also write to my representative.  Good point.  Here is the text of a letter I wrote to Representative Heffley:
Under the guise of “preventing fraud,” some state legislators are taking steps to discourage voting.  What those legislators should be doing is making it easier to vote.  In the primary in Carbon County in May, the average turnout was just about one-third of the registered voters.  That is a sad state of affairs.  
A number of steps could be taken to boost the turnout.  North Dakota, for example, has election day registration, and that state’s turnout is always impressive.  Oregon has mail-in ballots, and Oregon also has a high turnout.  Pennsylvania has one of the most restrictive polices for absentee ballots; that could be reformed.  
The last thing we need is a requirement that you must show a picture ID to vote.  Most of the voters in my precinct in Towamensing Township are known by sight by the poll workers, and there is no reason to require a picture ID unless it is an attempt to keep people from voting.  I hope that is not the case, and I hope you are a supporter of every citizen participating in the election process.
It goes out in the mail tomorrow.  I think it will turn the tide.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Illegal alien?

Ernesto Galarza was born in New Jersey.  He is of Puerto Rican descent and lives in Allentown.  In November 2008 he was swept up in a series of drug arrests by Allentown police.  A target of the police was the construction contractor for whom Galarza worked.  Mr. Galarza had nothing to do with the crimes of his employer, but he was held anyway, even though he was able to post bail.
Mr. Galarza had his social security card and his driver’s license.  Didn’t matter.  He looked like an “illegal,” and he was held for almost three days. 
This happened in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  Lou Barletta must be proud.

By the way, ACLU is suing.  I'm not a lawyer, but I think they have a case.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Graffiti

Somebody painted “Obama Sucks” on a truck body used for advertising to the east of Route 248 just north of Bowmanstown.  I called the borough of Bowmanstown on Friday to complain, and the secretary referred me to the owner of the truck, Mr. Schleicher.  I then called Mr. Schleicher, who was very nice, although irritated that somebody had put graffiti on his truck.  This has evidently happened before.  He said that he would try to get some employees out to paint it over, but if I wanted to paint it out, he certainly had no objection.
Today I trudged up from the Bowmanstown Diner along the railroad tracks and painted over the graffiti.  
In the Seventies I worked in an auto parts warehouse in West Oakland.  Almost every surface in West Oakland was covered with graffiti except our warehouse.  We were sometimes hit, but when we came to work, our manager had us paint it over.  This might go on for two or three days, but if you are a tagger or graffiti “artist” and you know that by 8:15 the next morning your efforts will be gone, you quit.  Months would go by with the warehouse free of graffiti.  The way to eliminate graffiti is to paint it over as quickly as possible and as often as you need to. 

If “Obama sucks” appears again, let me know.  I have gallons of white paint.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Summit Hill, First Ward

In the primary election last month turnout in Carbon County ranged from 56.67% in Summit Hill’s first ward to 9.14% in Penn Forest Township east.  The average turnout was 33.46%.
We really ought to improve that.  Easier absentee balloting would help.  A scanner system that allowed people to bubble in their choices would help.  Election day registration and early balloting would help.  Unfortunately, with Republicans in charge of Pennsylvania government, chances are that even more roadblocks will be placed in the way of voters.  
Given the existing laws, though, we could do better than a turnout of approximately one-third of the voters.  Perhaps the Democratic and Republican county parties could announce that they will pay five dollars to each of their voters in the precinct with the highest turnout, although we would need to check into the legality of that.
In the meantime, we ought to give some recognition to those Summit Hill voters in the first ward.  Could we send them some sort of certificate or bake them chocolate chip cookies?  Any ideas?  

Friday, June 10, 2011

No arsenic in our eggs

A number of my readers buy eggs from us.  We have 22 chickens, two guinea hens, and one rooster.  Be reassured--not one of them is fed arsenic.
I didn’t know this, but some chicken farmers have been feeding their chickens a drug  known as 3-Nitro, or roxarsone, for years.  The drug, which contains arsenic, kills intestinal parasites in chickens and makes the meat more pink.
Unfortunately roxarsone remains in the chicken poop, which is often used for fertilizer.  From there the arsenic leaches into the water supply.  
The F.D.A. recently did a study and also found roxarsone in chickens livers.  (Arsenic, by the way, is a known carcinogen.)   On the basis of that study, the drug company Pfizer has decided to stop the sale of roxarsone.
It is doubtful that the F.D.A. will be doing more studies like the one on roxarsone.  The agency asked for $183 million in additional funds for food safety studies for next year.  The House Republicans have proposed cuts of $87 million.  

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Myth of Sisyphus

Many many years ago college students were quite taken with Albert Camus.  His philosophy of the absurd appealed to them.  (I should say us.)  There is no god.  There is no purpose to life.  We are like Sisyphus, condemned to push the boulder up the hill, only to watch it roll down again and start over.  
I thought about the myth of Sisyphus the other night when our daughter called.  She had been reading a review of a book about the attorney Clarence Darrow and pointed out that a century ago Darrow was facing many of the same issues we face today--intolerance of immigrants, racial bigotry, religious stupidity, the dominance of big business.  Here we are, a century later, and nothing has changed.  This is absurd.
Camus asked if the only answer to absurdity is suicide.  He said it wasn’t.  The answer was to revolt.   Like Sisyphus, we must roll the boulder back up the hill.  To quote Camus, “the struggle itself...is enough to fill a man’s heart.  One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”  When I read that, it was hard to imagine Sisyphus happy.  “Resigned” is the word I would have chosen.  Nevertheless, we need to continue to roll that boulder up the hill.  As liberals we are condemned to do it over and over and over.  And we must not give up.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The German example

Conservatives often tout Germany as an example for the U.S. to follow.  The German government is said to practice austerity, and this policy resulted in a strong German economy and lower unemployment.  
Today the New York Times business columnist David Leonhardt examined Germany’s policies and found the reality complicated.  He notes that the Germans have done better in the latest recession partly because their growth has been spread across the population, not just concentrated at the top like in the U.S. The German average hourly pay has risen almost 30% since 1985.  In the U.S. the increase for the same period was 6%.  
Leonhardt points out that the German government did enforce certain efficiencies, changing unemployment benefits to encourage employment and reducing incentives to retire early.  Leonhardt suggests two areas for the U.S. to consider are changes in the Social Security disability program and public sector pensions that encourage people to retire at 55 or 60.
Germany has other policies that we could also emulate.  It has improved its educational system; its math scores are higher than those of our highest state (Massachusetts).  It regulates the financial sector more closely; as a consequence Germany had no housing bubble. According to Leonhardt, Germany also has strong labor unions.  To quote:  “The clout of German unions, at individual companies and in the political system, is one reason the middle class there has fared decently in recent decades.”
Germany is the original welfare state.  So why does it have a proportionately smaller deficit?  A big reason is that Germany is not afraid to tax.  
I believe that Democrats in Congress are willing to make certain cuts or changes to reduce spending.  President Obama has proposed a number of reforms in Medicare, for example.  What the Republicans in Congress are not willing to consider, however, is any increase in taxes.  If we are going to tout the German example, let’s look at the entire picture.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Lobbying in Harrisburg

A group of five Carbon County residents drove to Harrisburg today to lobby our county’s legislators, urging them to impose a severance tax on the natural gas extracted from Marcellus Shale.  They met with Rep. Heffley and Senator Argall and a representative from Sen. Yudichak’s office.  
This does not mean that tomorrow a severance tax will be passed, but it is an example of what ordinary citizens can and should do.  You don’t have to be a professional or a campaign contributor to “lobby.”   Every time you send a state or federal representative a letter or an email or visit the office or make a phone call you are lobbying.  
I worked as a field representative for California state SenatorJerry Smith in the 1980s. Smith represented a portion of Santa Clara County.  I can guarantee you that either the Senator or a staff member read every piece of mail and answered every phone call.  That was before email, but I am certain legislative offices read email as well.
Here’s a few quick pointers.  
  • Know your subject.  The Carbon County lobbying group had done their homework on the effects of drilling in Pennsylvania.  
  • Be polite.  I believe all five of the lobbyists were liberal Democrats and environmentalists, but they were respectful when they spoke to Rep. Heffley.  
  • Lobby your own representatives.  You are much more effective when you are a constituent.
  • Don’t threaten to withhold your vote at the next election.  Threats don’t work with legislators anymore than with other people.
In case you are curious, I was not one of the five.  I stayed home to make rhubarb-strawberry jam.  I’ll be the first to admit that my priorities are totally screwed up, and I am sorry I was not in Harrisburg today where I belonged.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Double Standard

I read somewhere--probably in The Nation--that a long-time African-American Democratic activist from Houston was invited to the Clinton White House for a function shortly after the Monica Lewinsky affair became public.   She was in the line to shake the President’s hand.  When he got to her, she looked him in the eye and said, “You dumb son-of-a-bitch.”  
Some of the topics I’ve considered for tonight’s post were the jobs issue, Syria, Bosnia, the immigration law in Alabama, the renewed efforts to restrict voting, or China’s growing concern with the environment, and here I am, writing about Representative Weiner, that dumb son-of-a-bitch.
It hurts when I read about a labor leader taking kickbacks, or a professor harassing a student, or a U.S. soldier mistreating a civilian.  I expect more of certain people and hold them to a higher standard.  I don’t care what others do--my side should be honest and kind and clean and intelligent.
Anthony Weiner was able to articulate the left position with passion and clarity.  Now he will be forever branded as a liar, a boor, and a cad.  It hurts.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Dr. Jack Kevorkian

Dr. Kevorkian died on Friday.  I’m sure jokes were made about whether or not his death was “assisted,” but let me say that if you ever had a relative who died a lingering and painful death, Dr. Kevorkian was a man you respected and admired.
He spent eight years in prison for the crime of helping terminally ill people die more quickly.  I’ve often thought about how we treat our animals better than our relatives.  When we deal with our animals, we “put them down.”  We “put them to sleep.”  We “end their suffering.”  And yet people we love and cherish are made to experience agonies that we would never inflict on a horse or a cat or a dog.
In Oregon, where assisted suicide is legal, far more people request information on the program than actually use it.  What the law gives them is peace of mind.  They are secure in the knowledge that if they do need help in dying, it is available to them.
While Dr. Kevorkian may not have completely succeeded in his efforts, he did help to make the medical profession aware of the problems of the terminally ill.  Hospice care has improved, and living wills that specify what efforts shall be made are more common.    We owe him.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Preventing slave revolts

I’ve been listening to a Teaching Company course entitled “History of the British Empire.”   In the lecture on early British Jamaica, the professor explained that one of the ways planters kept the slaves divided was by ensuring that their slaves came from different African tribes.  Because the slaves were divided by language and culture, they had a difficult time organizing meaningful resistance.
I thought about that when I read Mr. Wargo’s recent column in the Times News.  Don’t bother to look it up--the whole column was a screed against Mexican immigrants and how they are a threat to the American way of life.
Think about this.  If you had to assign responsibility for the current economic crisis in the U.S., how would you apportion the blame?  What percent do you think was caused by Mexican immigrants, and what percent was caused by Wall Street cowboys, mortgage companies, stock traders, insurance firms, bankers, financiers, white guys in suits and ties?  
So why do people attack those who have little?  Because they are different.  Because they speak a different language.  Because it is easier to kiss the butt of those above and give the boot to those below.

Friday, June 3, 2011

How amazing is this?

In an earlier posting I noted that people who hadn’t read any Kafka instinctively understood the term “Kafkaesque.”  
Here’s an example.  After 9/11 the feds registered thousands of Muslim men to uncover links to terrorism.  Of the 85,000 registered, 11 were found to have possible links to terrorists.  The program was not ended until last month.
Among the people who registered was Mohammed G. Azam, who immigrated to the U.S. with his parents when he was nine.  The parents overstayed their visa, and he was here illegally.  His father applied for permanent residency in 2001 when Mr. Azam was 16.  The father paid the applicable $1000 fine in a program to clear visa violations for the entire family, including his wife, son, and daughter.  Unfortunately for Mr. Azam, the application wasn’t finally approved until 2007 because of backlog.  By that time Mr. Azam was 22, no longer a minor, and therefore no longer eligible.  Immigration authorities are now trying to deport him. 
An immigration judge ruled that a law passed in 2002 designed to keep families together should overrule the deportation.  Immigration authorities are attempting to overturn that ruling.
Mr. Azam graduated from Monroe College and manages a Haagen Dazs store.
You can read the full article in the on-line archives of the New York Times dated May 31. The author is Sam Dolnick.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Patriot Act extension

Earlier this week the “Patriot Act” extension passed the House 250-153 and the Senate 72-23.  President Obama signed it from France using an autopen.  Senators Mark Udall and Ron Wyden said the powers of the Patriot Act are being used in ways that would stun most Americans, but they can’t disclose what they know because the information is classified.
Udall and Wyden voted against the extension.  Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky also voted no, but it passed overwhelmingly.  Why did Republicans who say they fear big government vote for this bill?  Why did Democrats who say they worry about the erosion of civil liberties vote for this bill?  Why did a President who taught a course in constitutional law and ought to know better sign it? 
Here is the kind of country we live in now.  Will this post be recorded somewhere?  Am I now considered a potential subversive or supporter of terrorism?  What do Udall and Wyden know that they can’t share?  How did we get here?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Theories of Representation

Earlier this evening a township supervisor told me, “I really don’t care about the next election--I vote the way my gut feeling tells me is right.”  This morning I received a letter, at taxpayers’ expense, from Congressman Lou Barletta explaining why he really wasn’t gutting Medicare, although that is what he voted to do when he supported the Ryan budget proposal.
Time for a political science lesson.  Sit down and learn this.  It will be on the quiz.  
Most of American democracy is representative democracy.  We don’t govern ourselves directly; we elect people to carry on the work of government.  How those representatives should behave is subject to interpretation.
The delegate theory of representation says an elected official should do what his or her constituents want him or her to do.  If 60% of the constituents oppose the war in Afghanistan, the representative should also oppose the war in Afghanistan.  Some problems do arise.  A minority may favor the war with great intensity while the majority may favor it, but not with much passion.  On many issues the majority of voters won’t have an informed opinion, or the constituents may be split down the middle.  Nevertheless, a delegate tries to do what constituents desire.
The trustee theory was first enunciated by Edmund Burke in the late 1700s.  A member of the British parliament, Burke voted against his constituents’ wishes and wrote a letter to them explaining why.  He told them they elected him to use his best judgment, that he was their “trustee,” and that he would vote the way he believed was right.  The township supervisor I spoke to earlier was obviously a follower of Burke.
A more recent role for representatives is that of politico.  The politico does whatever he or she needs to do get reelected.  If the oil industry will give large campaign donations for a vote to continue tax breaks and subsidies, vote with the oil industry even if you think it is wrong and even if your constituents oppose it.  Politicos are often noted for “bringing home the bacon,” i.e., getting grants for bridges, community centers, and other projects in the home district.  They are not great leaders.  I’ll bet you can think of an example.
We need another category, and that is the hack.  This is the representative who does not think for himself or herself, does not care about the constituents, and does not have the clout to bring home the bacon, but does owe his or her election to the party.  This representative is usually not very bright but will do whatever the legislative leadership demands.  You can probably think of one or two of these as well.