How Sequester Shows That Washington Doesn’t Give a Dam!

The media reported that as of April 1rst cancer clinics began turning away thousands of Medicare patients because of budget ‘sequestration’ spending cuts. Budget sequestration is a procedure in United States law that limits the size of the federal budget. Sequestration involves setting a hard cap on the amount of government spending within broadly-defined categories. If Congress enacts annual appropriations legislation that exceeds these caps, an across-the-board spending cut is automatically imposed on these categories, affecting all departments and programs by an equal percentage (e.g. 10%). As a result of sequestration and the inability of the Democrats and Republicans to resolve the nation’s current budget problems, Americans are suffering. For example, the recent flight delays of up to three hours or more resulted from the furloughing of air traffic controllers to the point where a reported 15,000 controllers were off the job at the same time at many of the largest U.S. airports. It’s as if Washington doesn’t give a dam about how much harm is being inflicted on Americans for blatant political gain. The situation with the cancer patients is just the latest and most alarming example of how sequestration has started to harm important government functions. Even as billions of dollars in taxpayer money are still being spent on hundreds of wasteful government programs – many of which have been documented by the Government Accountability Office.

What’s most galling about all this is that despite the real harm the sequestration cuts are causing, wasteful government spending has continued unabated. Yes, monies are being wasted outrageously on such important studies as to why fruit flies fall in love, the sex life of snails, recepies for foods which astronauts could prepare while visiting Mars, the improvement of golfers’ putting by imagining the hole is bigger, how to get your pet’s fur to smell better through the better use of pet toiletries, etc. etc.

As Washington continues to show disdain for its citizens and taxpayers, Americans increasingly are demonstrating disdain and cynicism towards Capital Hill. Surely, Congress and the President can work out their differences before something really bad happens, especially in areas related to public health and safety! It’s time to stop this farce and insanity and get on with running the country in some rational and reasonable manner. I am certain that the majority of Americans would support all sides working together at this important time in their history.

Terrorism and the Culture of Fear – Where Do We Go From Here?

Once again, the recent horrific bombings during the Boston marathon and the latest arrests of two suspected terrorists in Canada have raised the spectre of terrorism in North America. To be certain, since 9/11, both the American and Canadian authorities have performed reasonably well in containing possible terrorist attacks – whether home grown or internationally driven. However, there has also been an unfortunate side-effect. A culture of fear surfaced and was deliberately or inadvertently promoted by both governments post 9/11. Remember the constant yellow, orange and red alerts!!! Entire communities were subjected to greater public scrutiny and prejudicial activities based solely on their ethnicity or religious beliefs. No one can condone what any terrorists have done or will do, but we must not let the politicians make hay at the expense of our civil liberties. Let’s not be too hasty at throwing people into jails simply on the basis of suspicion.

Bill S-7, referred to as the Combatting Terrorism Act, is currently before the Canadian Parliament. While similar legislation was around since 9/11, this bill if enacted allows the authorities to throw someone in jail for up to 12 months without the usual benefits of due process of law, simply on the basis of “suspicious” activity. Yes, the Government claims that there are supposedly checks and balances in place, but are they sufficient? Will the authorities respect them during a perceived crisis? Surely, panic in the moment must not be the governing factor. Clearly, without undue political interference, normal evidence building and case development procedures must be first followed to avoid wrongful accusations and imprisonment. This means ensuring that the authorities have the necessary resources to carry out adequate investigations and in turn can effectively and impartially prosecute to the full extent of the law.

However, both American and Canadian agencies responsible for such scrutiny and investigations are currently suffering from budgetary and resource restraints as part and parcel of government cutbacks. On the one hand, while it appears that one has adequate legislation and policies to deal with terrorist threats, it is less certain that sufficient resources are available to realistically tackle the problem in a timely and fair fashion. On the other hand, recent events have demonstrated that the general public is still very resilient and important in the face of such threats. Indeed, wide-spread and continuing citizen vigilance may be our best weapon to prevent and respond to terrorism. Furthermore, as citizens, we must go about our daily business in our usual way, without creating an environment of constant fear and helplessness. As in the aftermath of 9/11, we cannot and must not allow the terrorists to win by halting all normal activity, be it travelling, parenting, working, entertaining, socializing, etc., etc. At the same time, I want to be able to go about my normal business without the fear of unwarranted breaches of my privacy and rights to independent political thought and free speech. Failure to do so also means that the terrorists have won.

Politicians and Illicit Drugs Don’t Mix

For decades now, governments in the U.S. and Canada have called it the “war on drugs”.  During that time, North American societies have been steadily loosing the war.  Oh, once and awhile the authorities will declare publicly that they have won a battle or two with splashy media announcements about some large drug bust — all the while privately admitting that such seizures realistically represent only the tip of the iceberg.  Still, politicians ramble on that putting all the illicit drug pushers in jail will resolve everything.  Last fall, the Canadian Government’s new drug laws came into force. The measures, part of the so-called Safe Streets and Communities Act, provide for a mandatory six-month jail term for growing as few as six marijuana plants.  Hell, I knew a guy in college who would use this amount alone as his personal stash just to help keep away the heebie-jeebies while in school. 

We all can agree that the many consequences of substance abuse are tragic, including those leading to incidences of violence, including child abuse, spousal abuse, homicides, rape, suicide, and close to 100% of date rapes.  Indeed, if you compare the illegal drugs to prescription drugs and alcohol, a lot more people die today from prescription drug and alcohol abuse.  Our crowded prisons are already full of persons incarcerated for crimes committed while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.  Some have estimated that eighty percent of kids in the juvenile justice system are there because of problems related to substance abuse.  Yet politicians, in their usual myopic way of short-term thinking, still turn to the ineffectual use of mandatory sentencing. 

On the other hand, some might argue that substance abuse and addiction are symptomatic of an increasingly sick society; one in which such factors as poverty, inequality of opportunity, illiteracy, high unemployment, homelessness, etc., etc., are pervasive.  As in other areas of social policy, some would see a greater need to tackle many of the underlying causes by applying our limited resources and commitments to seriously addressing these socio-economic issues.  There is also a desperate need for more treatment facilities, particularly those designed to treat juveniles and assist affected families.  An estimated 9 out of 10 drug addicts start substance abuse before the age of 18.  Addiction is a disease, it is both preventable and treatable.  If only we could get the politicians, national and local, to recognize this fact.  We just might then begin the long process required to get a real handle on this important issue.

Why Has The US Media Forgotten About Iraq?

It’s April 15, 2013, and Forbes is reporting that bombs hit several cities across Iraq, killing at least 20 people. In a recent survey (Washington Post, March 18, 2013), Iraqis said they felt better about their security but worse about economic and political stability since the U.S. military left in late 2011. The Iraq decade-long war is reported to have cost the U.S. the loss of 4,400 U.S. service personnel and 32,000 wounded, as well as a couple of trillion dollars of taxpayers money. Not to mention the deaths of an estimated 120,000 Iraqi civilians over the same period. Today, religious and ethic divisions continue to pervade much of Iraq, threatening to set the country back again. Current Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s political muscle will be severely tested against Shi’ite and Sunni rivals in a scheduled parliamentary election in 2014. While the U.S. continues to pour millions into the strengthening of security forces and the restoration of the country’s infrastructure, the mainstream American media have for the most part chosen to virtually ignore recent developments in Iraq. Perhaps this is because all the attention is being given to Syria and the rise of terrorists’ factions in Africa. Indeed, the Iraqi government very likely prefers it this way. Whatever the reason, one can only hope that more media attention will be paid to the seriousness of the Iraqi situation — even though some Americans may rather choose to forget the unfortunate history and outcomes surrounding this decade-old conflict.

Let’s Not Play Politics With Tragic Suicides Like that of Rehtach Parsons

Once again, I’m astounded that Canadian politicians would politicize such tragic events as that of 17-year-old Rehtach Parsons.  Allegedly, her suicide was driven by repeated bullying stemming from an apparent sexual assault by several young boys in 2011.  Allegedly, pictures were taken during the incident and subsequently posted on the Internet.  This in turn led to her becoming a victim of bullying at school and elsewhere in her Nova Scotia community.  Following an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of the alleged sexual assault, the prosecution determined that there was insufficient evidence to lay charges against the attackers.  Needless-to-say, while this case is indeed sadly another symptomatic example of cyber and other forms of bullying leading to a tragic ending, we need once more to take a hard look at surrounding causes.  We need to look at possible prevention and assistance elements in such cases.  However, once again we have politicians who are singling out one unfortunate case to promote some kind of a political agenda.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper should have stopped his media comments at his words of condolences for the family and friends of Rehtach Parsons.  Recognizing it for its tragic circumstances.  Instead, he continued on to frame certain alleged events in the context of criminal acts, stating that the very word “bullying” cannot be used in cases where a criminal act has taken place.  Yet, we have in place a justice system that is based on evidence and the principle that persons are innocent until proven guilty.  The system is driven by adherence to the Canadian Criminal Code, and is meant to be impartial and without undue political interference.  Yes there was a public outcry in this case and even the threat of vigilante actions both from within and outside the aggrieved community.  Interestingly, the investigation into the original assault has since been reopened by the RCMP, apparently based on new-founded information.  My point however is simple.  On the one hand, the justice system has to be allowed to function independent of any outside pressures, political or otherwise.  On the other hand, the whole matter of “bullying” in this country has to be approached in a much broader social context in order to develop good proactive prevention strategies and effective assistance programs and campaigns.  Let’s not confuse the two.  The suicide rate among young people in Canada is far too high as it is.  Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 24. According to Statistics Canada, 25 people in Canada aged 10 to 14 committed suicide in 2008.  Bullying may be one contributing factor, but not the only one.  However tragic each youth suicide is, each is one too many.  Let’s not play political games when real solutions need to be continuously examined.

Justin Trudeau is More than Just a Pretty Face

Oh pooh ho, I’m getting a little tired of media gibes and media hype surrounding young Justin Trudeau and the Trudeau legacy.  Of course, a majority of Canadians when polled would associate his family name with that of his father, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.  This is just a natural as Americans recognizing the Kennedy or Bush names.  After ten years of Steve, oh excuse me Stephen Harper, why wouldn’t a young dynamic individual stir up some excitement.  Let’s face it, under control freak Harper and the blah ‘Conservatives’, politics has become as dull as sitting on a nest of Canadian geese eggs and hoping that  they’ll eventually hatch.  Come on folks, let’s recognize at least what Obama did for the States!  He galvanized a whole generation of American youth to actually become interested in the political electoral process.  After all, Canadians and Americans under forty represent their country’s future and should now take a leadership role.  Justin Trudeau, at forty-one, has shown that at a minimum he can relate to the emerging common values of young Canadians: including those related to sexual orientation, new technologies, the environment, marriage, work-life balance, the legalization of marijuana, etc.  The message appears to be one of hope and change and not of fear and retrogressive social policy thinking.  Sure, there will be comparisons made to his father, both his famous and infamous traits.  However, it’s been 45 years since his father won the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, inspiring a whole country.  A hell of a lot has changed since then and Justin Trudeau may just be the person to reflect many of those changes on his own terms — hopefully once again motivating a whole new generation of voters.

NRA Report Sees Guns as Path to Safety in Schools

Wow!  Here we go again.  The National Rifle Association, or as I prefer to title them “Nuts Running Amok”, has come out with a self-serving proposal to arm kindergarden teachers and janitors in American schools.  Hehaw, if you already have far too many guns in the neighborhood, why not introduce even more lethal weapons?  Indeed, little Johnny and Emma will eventually get the idea that carrying around loaded weapons is simply a part of ordinary everyday life in town.  If the NRA had their way and that of their million or so members, every American citizen would be armed to the teeth, shoulders and waistline.  Why amicably settle a dispute with one’s neighbor when a good old shootout would suffice.  The scary point is that these people are actually dead serious, and I do mean dead.  All the shooting range and safe gun handling instruction will never overcome the natural tendencies for humans to panic.  Furthermore, such courses of action will never be able to prevent premeditated and preplanned attacks by deranged persons armed with semi-automated or automated assault weapons.  As in the case of banks, the first ones to be taken out would be any armed security personnel.  Again, the NRA is dealing only with a symptom of what obviously is a much greater problem – too many easily accessible weapons and not enough control over who possesses them.  Let’s hope that the vast majority of sensible Americans choose an alternative route for the sake of their children’s futures.