Update on "Mourning the Wrong Person"

Update on Earlier Blog Post: "Mourning the Wrong Person"

A few weeks ago I wrote about how so many North Koreans are openly sobbing in the streets after the demise of their so-called "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il . Jong-Il is the despicable despot who lived in extravagant wealth and built up his countries nuclear and conventional weapons arsenal while allowing his people to practically starve. According to a radio program I had on, there may be an explanation why so many of these hapless, beleaguered, and beaten down peasants are sobbing so openly and mourning the death of such a ruthless and despicable bully: It appears that any North Korean peasant who doesn't openly mourn the loss of the ironically described "Dear Leader" are subject to "six months of hard labor" for failure to openly and convinceably mourn the death of their leader/tormentor. North Korea is an even worse of a place to live than I expected. I'm fortunate to live in a free country, even if those who govern and run for the privilege to govern here are often complete self-serving a-holes.

Essay: "THe U.S. Governernment and Public Transsportation"

Essay: "The U.S. Government and Public Transportation"

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (the MBTA) just announced substantial fare increases across the board and simultaneous draconian service cuts due to an immense debt. I know that times are tough for everyone, but public transportation is important, even vital for some riders. Not only that, but the use of mass transit results in less traffic congestion on our roads and highways plus less air pollution. Therefore, regardless of the indebtedness of the MBTA and other public transportation agencies across the US the government should step in and fully fund public transportation. It really is a win-win situation if mass transit is funded. After all, there are some things that only government can fund, like roads, bridges and infrastructure. Since so many people rely on the T, doesn't it make sense to fund it? Also, if mass transit is funded, more people from elsewhere are more likely to spend their money when they do travel by bus, train or subway. THe MBTA plans to eliminate weekend train services. The weekend is a time when a lot of people have the time to attend cultural and similar events in the city.

Essay: "Mitt Romney: The Lesser of Eight Evils"

Essay: "Mitt Romney: The Lesser of Eight Evils"

Today (Tuesday Jan. 3, 2012) is the Republican caucus in Iowa to help determine who will face off against sitting President Barack Obama in the near future. If I were a Republican I would be more than a little bit worried. All eight of the candidates either have some kind of baggage or are too extreme ("radcons" or "Radical Conservatives") as former Clinton cabinet member Robert Rich would call them.

The eight Republican candidates are: Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Rick Santorum, and Herman Cain (if he is still running). "Crazy Eyes" Michelle Bachmann is a Tea Party extremist, and anti-choice religious fanatic, who I would no sooner vote for dog catcher, never mind President. She is as bad as, if not worse than the much reviled Sarah Palin.

Ron Paul is popular among his supporters, but his agenda is way too extreme for the rest of us. He wants to eliminate a lot of programs which will hurt a lot of people.

Newt Gingrich seems like a very intelligent man. He is erudite and has written a number of books. However, he has a lot of baggage. He is notorious for leaving his wife when she was boing treated for cancer, he was busy philandering at the same time he pushed for ex-President Clinton's impeachment for lying about an extramarital affair. This makes Gingrich a hypocrite and it calls his character into question. He is also very arrogant. He is very partisan, and while Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives he allowed the government to shut down out of stubbornness. Newt has been compared to a Neutron Bomb. He destroys people while leaving buildings intact.

Jon Huntsman is too conservative to be President, in my opinion.

Rick Perry is a religious extremist who is too willing to cut benefits for the poor and less-fortunate. He has also executed a lot of people, some of which were probably innocent of their crimes.

Rick Santorum supports "the Iraq War" and the "War on Terror", he supports the cockamamie idea of making "Social Security privatized" (from Wikipedia). That alone, in my opinion, should disqulaify him as a potential nominee.

I don't know much about Buddy Roemer, but in his on-line biography I learned he once had a triple bypass operation, which should disqualify him.

Herman Cain is a former pizza magnate who has a lot of women complaining about his behavior toward them. Overlooking that, his disdain for the Occupy Wall Street/America movement, and his anti-poor and extreme anti-choice views disqualify him as a potential nominee.

Last but not least is Mitt Romney, the former governor of my home state. Personally I would go with none of the above, but if I had to hold my nose and pick one candidate I would choose Romney because he accomplished near Universal Health Care in Massachusetts and he is the least conservative of the rogue's gallery of nominees. (tbc?)