Yes We Can, One Year Later

Hi Everyone,

Well, I know I haven't written in two months now. You know how it is with the Reeder. I try to have a life of my own, which is hard to do if you have a blog. I had tests, papers, job searching to do, and I put it off one day after another, and now that I have a Friday afternoon open, I will write on a subject, which is perhaps dated, but I feel I need to be addressed nonetheless. Anyway, here we go.

Last Wednedsay, the first anniversary of last year's election was marked. Many were assessing Obama's performance and delivery on the promises in this past year. Unfortunately, many of those who supported him and wanted him to get elected had grown tired. Many were saying "I'm not happy," "he sold out," and various other complaints.

Personally, I've grown tired of cynical pessimism. I guess it's easier to complain about the state of things than to work toward a solution. It's sad that if everything is not perfectly set up, right away, some people give up and say, "He's a sellout," or "It's all the same," and all the rest. The greatest advancements did not advance because they were set up perfectly in the beginning. They advanced because the people persisted over time, and the solutions were set up through a long, persistent effort.

Presidents going back to 1912. Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, and Clinton all sought a health insurance system that truly worked for the people. Now, we are beginning to see one emerge. This bill is far from perfect, but it does do several things. Though the public option will not go into effect until 2013, there are some things that will go into effect immediately after the bill is signed.

A catastrophic risk pool will be set up in the interim for those who need it. Insurance companies will no longer be able to infinitely jack up their premiums, and suddenly drop people for "preexisting conditions." Young people, who most often are the ones who don't buy insurance, will be able to stay on their parents' plans until they turn 27, so that they'll be more savvy when it comes time to buy a plan. There are flaws in the plan, but we are closer to a breakthrough on this than we've ever been, and a constant push forward will bear more fruit in the long run than an "all or nothing" mindset.



Now, in all fairness, there are thing that are not being done by the administration that need to be done. Last Friday, new unemployment numbers came out. The national rate now stands at 10.2%. This is to underscore the importance of getting people back to work as crucial to rebuilding the economy. All gain from other spending, tax cuts, and rises in the dow are only temporary. The bad news is that historically, jobs numbers are always at the tail of every recovery.

Ironically, at the time when there are so many people out of work, there is the most work to be done. You may have heard about those electric cars that are coming out soon. I got to thinking last night that we could use a lot more charging stations, since those cars are really going to take off soon. That could give people work putting those things together, running the stations themselves, and running the infrastructure that goes with it. Now, I know I've touted the prospects of clean energy as a pathway to a strong economy, a more secure nation, and a more responsible stewardship of our natural world. I'll spare you that essay now, since you can refer back to an earlier essay I wrote for that.

What I want to emphasize here is that the scope of the task ahead of us cannot be overstated. This administration is moving in the correct direction, but it is moving very incramentally. What it must do is make the structure of the country one that favors the people over the powerful. I know that this is anything but an easy, simple or quick task, which is why I cut this administration some slack. But this is not the '90's anymore. It's almost 2010. The world is changing rapidly, and the Administration better work for this change.

This is no time to give up on them. It's time to aid them in the political battles they will have to face. Powerful and influential as the Administration is, they cannot do this all on their own. Others are needed to advertise the truth over the dogma that's disseminated every day. And we have to show that there are lots of people who want the goverment to act on what this president has talked about, and are not going to give in, and are not going to be silenced. So do whatever it is that you think will help in this effort, get the Will.I.Am album back out, and start saying "Yes We Can" again.

I wanna know now, are you Fired Up? Are you Ready To Go? So am I. Let's go change the World. I'll try to have more material up soon to do my part.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

We Need Healthcare Reform!

Hi Everyone,

Well, I'm back with a vengeance. I started slacking off, though there's been plenty to write about in the last week plus. I then took a camping trip into the Anza-Borrego desert, and a daytime visit to San Diego. Then in between my parents returning (yes, I still live with my parents), and doing some work in my garage, I kept forgetting to post, though there is plenty of material to post on. But I'm back, baby! And I've got a lot to tell you about.

Since HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius declared that the public option is "not the essential element" of reform (what is the essential element, Kathy?), political observers everywhere have been rushing to write the death certificate of the public option. First, the left wing activist base was in despair, but today, they've gotten fired up anew for the public option. This is exactly what needs to be happening right now. This is exactly the moment when we need to step up and make the people's real voices heard.

The powerful insurance lobby and right-wing lobby groups like "FreedomWorks" and "Americans for Prosperity" have been organizing and sending anti-health care protest mobs around the country. Some disagreement is legitimate, as this health care plan has flaws. The reason I and others have said "mobs" is because these crowds are shouting down all other views with disingenuous slogans, harassing congressmen, even sending out death threats. One man even showed up at a town meeting where the President was going to speak in New Hampshire with a gun in plain site. This is the only time I can recall where someone did that without being arrested on the spot.

Now we all know the reason why these anti-health care protesters are getting so much press. The media is controlled by a handful of corporations, as we detailed earlier. The health care industry is at the mercy of insurance executives. Would it be a stretch to say that the media has a vested interest in keeping the insurance industry wealthy and free of reform? I don't think so, but maybe I'm just paranoid.

This much I do know: more and more people are going bankrupt because of insurance. People are having to go without insurance. Thousands of people (18,000 the last time I checked) are dying a year because of a lack of insurance, a lack of preventative care, and all the rest. Imagine if 18,000 Americans were killed in a year because of some foreign military threat. What would the people who are now protesting health reform would be advocating. Maybe if you go to one of these town halls, you can mention to the protesters that because of the companies' extra profits, 18,000 Americans end each year in their graves.

You've probably heard all the scare tactics that so-called "teabaggers" have been using at these town halls. They have gotten all their information from Fox and Rush Limbaugh. Most of them will believe anything these sources tell them, and the voices they're hearing are about as honest as used car salesmen. They say "socialism" "communism" "fascism" and, my personal favorite, "get your government hands off my medicare!" Medicare is that goverment hand. It seems like, for all the suspicion people have about government, it works surprisingly well for them. It is hardly surprising, since most Americans still support health care reform, that the insurance lobby has had to set off this firebomb to keep reform at bay.

They have their slogans, their buzzwords, manufactured to make already scared and upset get mad at the people that are trying (however imperfectly) to fix the problem, instead of the people who are truly doing them wrong. Do I blame the people at the town halls, doing the shouting? Not particularly (unless they're making death threats and all). I blame the corporate executives and crooked politicians who will do anything, even leave people to die, to get more. More profit, more power. And I blame their well-paid cheerleaders in the media (you know who you are) who are equally hungry for wealth and fame. They bear the true responsibility in this, and they are the ones that need to answer for this.

If you've heard, or followed, President Obama for any length of time, you've probably heard him say "Change doesn't come from Washington, it comes to Washington," or some variation thereof. Ever wonder what he means by that? It means that it is not his job alone to help bring lasting reform to Washington; the rest of us must work to sway our Representatives, Senators, even the President himself, in that direction. I've noticed that, throughout our history, when movements have developed, the cry for change, justice, and the common good, eventually became so great that those in Washington had to heed the call, if they wanted to keep their jobs.

The cry for health care reform is not being broadcast in the media, but it is there. The news media is not reporting on it because it isn't convenient for the media. It's more convenient for the media to report on the mobs shouting their meaningless, hollow cries of "socialism," "communism," "marxism," and everything bad under the sun, because that makes news. People standing for real reform doesn't make news as readily. But make no mistake; the voices are there. It's up to us to make the voices calling for a healthier, more compassionate America heard.

We need our own catchphrases and slogans that make people feel good about it, instead of bad. I've got some ideas. How about "A healthy America is a safe America," or just saying "Health care for everyone is a GOOD thing." I just wish that would get home to people. The most rotten thing that opponents of reform have done have taken good things, like community organizing, leveling the economic playing field, or getting affordable health care plans to all our citizens, and made people deride them or suspect them. Well, I've got news for the far right faction in this country: community organizing, leveling the economic playing field, and getting affordable health care to all our citizens are ALL GOOD THINGS! And don't let anyone tell you differently.

Just think back to last election. The skinny kid with a funny name was promising change, first he was ignored, then he was mocked, then he was attacked, then he was elected president. All this happened because people decided they wanted to send him money, they wanted to knock on doors, to make sure the change we still need could come. The election was an important first step. But it didn't guarantee that things would change. Obama himself may need to be persuaded at some point, but, in the President's own words "This is no time to slow down, and it is certainly no time to lose heart." Call your Representative, your Senator, or the White House and tell them you support the public option (I called them today). Organize a rally or attend a town hall meeting to show your support.

If you want to correspond directly with me on how you can do any of these things, email me at ttechnician@hotmail.com for some direction. It doesn't matter what you choose to do. As long as you stand for affordable health care for as many Americans as possible (the public option being the best route toward that goal), that's the important part. Let me leave you with a quote from a British health administrator,taken from Sicko, to which I applauded, and which you can use to answer some criticisms on grounds of too much government spending, "If we can get government money to kill people, we can just as easily get it to help people." Now is the time to say, Yes We Can.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Bubba's Done It Again

Hi Everyone,

No, he hasn't done that again. Thankfully, what he did this time is much more beneficial. I have some very good news, coming back to the blog. Remember those two journalists, I believe their names were Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were taken hostage while doing a story in North Korea a few months ago? Well, they were released just this week, and they returned home and gave a tearful and heartfelt homecoming statement. In it they thanked President and Secretary Clinton, Vice President Gore, and President Obama for working to get them released. We are all obviously very happy and filled with joy that these two American journalists (who were doing a story on life in North Korea) are home safely, rather than at a North Korean work camp, where their chances of survival would have been virtually nil.

So where does good ol' Bill Clinton fit into this? Well, it turns out the women worked for a channel in San Francisco run by Former Vice President Al Gore, so he was working to get them released. Earlier this week, Former President Bill Clinton, the Secretary of State's Husband, traveled to North Korea to visit North Korean President Kim Jong-il and get the two women pardoned. CNN did an in-depth story on the event here. The point is that when we talked to the bad guys, we got our people out of there and home safely. Richard Nixon knew this when he talked to Mao, who had murdered many of his own people; even Ronald Reagan sat down with the leaders of the "Evil Empire." Imagine the result if this had happened when Bush was President. I don't even want to think about it.

One speculates that the State Department, under Secretary Hillary Clinton's and President Obama's direction, thought that this was a good idea, and okayed Bill's decision to go. Well, they certainly got it right on the money. It was a novel approach of having the current President perhaps collaborating with one of his Predecessors. Interesting how neither Clinton nor Obama was rushing to grab credit for the idea. Really well played on both their parts. As far as Clinton goes, as flawed a human being as he was, he does deserve some credit, especially for this. So, Mr. President, for what it's worth, the Daily Reeder salutes you!

Predictably, there are some critics of this approach who are sniping not only at this action, but at the very notion of getting the two journalists out of there. Dick Morris said that they should have "accepted the consequences of their decision to go into North Korea." John Bolton implied that we had somehow "rewarded" the North Korean government by doing this (don't ask me how). What? I thought we were supposed to be protecting Americans.

Isn't that the reason we've been fighting a war on terror? This is one reason it's very important not to just talk the talk of doing whatever you can to protect Americans, but to walk the walk, as President Clinton did throughout his Presidency. Now he showed that he wasn't going to stop just because of retirement. Let me close by just, again, expressing my profound joy and happiness that Laura Ling and Euna Lee are now home safely in America. Ms. Ling, Ms. Lee, the Daily Reeder salutes you, your courage, and wishes you well in your most important work.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

Hi Everyone,

Before I go, I just realized that today is President Barack Obama's birthday. I just thought I'd take a moment to wish the President of the United States a happy birthday (for what it's worth), wish him a happy and prosperous 48th year, and the same for the rest of his presidency. Since this is such a clutch moment in our history as a nation, I think this is very important to say for the President, whomever they may be. So let me just leave you, Mr. President, and you, the reeder, with this video.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

A Brief Word on Health Care.

Hi Everyone,

Did any of you see the press conference President Obama gave last night? I heard parts of it on the radio. He answered questions from various news outlets. One woman even challenged him, and he answered in a straightforward way. That part was well done, in my view.

Some are calling the conference a disappointment, perhaps because they were expecting him to go into more detail. It would have been nice if he'd went into more detail about the plan, but seeing how it is incomplete, it is perhaps forgivable that specifics were lacking.

At the end, the President even answered a question about the Harvard professor who was arrested trying to get into his own home in Cambridge after returning from China. This was most likely because the Professor, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., was black, and they were curious to hear Obama's take on it. I'll tell you, Obama has approached race from an interesting angle. But that incident, and the side of our culture it reflects, is another topic for another day.

Anyway, I'll say a few words on healthcare, because it is such an important issue here. In most of the other countries, there is some sort of public apparatus for providing health care. It varies between, like, England, France, Germany, and Canada. Each country approaches it differently. However, in all those countries, health care is seen as an important right to be provided, rather than something to be exploited.

You'll hear those who oppose reform complain about a "government takeover." You're likely to hear this term a lot over the next week. What about the insurance companies, who routinely look for reasons not to cover you? If you have a preexisting condition, you're automatically out. Even those in good health find themselves paying more and more, and people are being driven into bankruptcy by the costs.

The number currently without health insurance (and try getting any kind of quality care without it) is currently 47 million or so, about 1 in 6 Americans. There are many more who get health care, but it isn't any good. The President is attempting to attack this issue and get, as he stated, "everyone insured." So what do opponents try to do? Look at the issue seriously and come back with a different approach?

No, no, no. These guys instead oppose any sort of option that would really keep insurance companies honest. They instead want to "kill" reform, as Bill Kristol stated. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) made their intentions clear when he said he wanted to stop Obama on this so that it would be "his waterloo." He hopes to derail health care reform so that he could "break him." Nothing about addressing all the people that are hurting, nothing about giving genuine care to those who need it. Just "break him" so we can get into power.

Sure, these guys offer platitudes about "freedom solutions," and other things. The Cato Institute released an ad that "supports reform without a government takeover." But really these guys only want to kill this plan so that they can "break" their opponent, the President. This hatred of anything to do with government, which goes far beyond a healthy skepticism, has really gone too far, and it needs to be addressed.

There needs to be a way for these insurance companies to be held responsible for the influence they've exerted, often at the expense of the rest of us. It seems that the question facing lawmakers now, is not liberal or conservative, it's whether you want all of us, the people, to have our needs addressed, and to hold the powerful responsible, or whether you want the few powerful to gain still more wealth and power, even as the rest of us languish and suffer. Rarely is this question truly addressed, but it is about to be addressed now.

This is just my view on the issue. If you have any view, story about health care experience, or something else you want to tell me about, leave a comment for me below. I'll have more for you soon. See ya guys!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Listen To Mr. Obama In His Own Words

Hi everyone,

Really quickly, I'd like to share something with you. It came to my attention that President Barack Obama penned an editorial in Sunday's Washington Post. I don't subscribe to the Washington Post (LA Times all the way!), so I was only able to track down the text of the editorial today. I knew that he had penned a few editorials before; I had read one of them in the LA Times. I have both of the books he wrote; I particularly liked The Audacity of Hope, and I am currently reading Dreams From My Father. So I read the thing from Sunday, and it sounded like something he'd say. It seems he contributed personally to some of his speeches, so it wouldn't suprise me if he personally had a hand in writing it.

Here is the full text of the editorial. Enjoy!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Let's Grade Obama

Hi Everyone,

Well, I meant to write this post more than a week ago, but I had to devote more of my time to schoolwork. The good news is that I'm on Spring Break now, so hopefully I can do more posts this week. So, Barack Obama is now 69 days into his presidency. It may still be early for this, but I want to take this opportunity to assess, as best I can, how President Obama is doing.

(For another progress report on President Obama, the inspiration for this segment, click here.)

In my composition class this year, my professor has been issuing progress reports once every few weeks. I decided to do the same for the new commander-in-chief. Now, I may not be the best person for this job. I must admit I am excited about Obama being president and I do hope he can do what he set out to do. But his platform was accountability, and he asked that we hold him accountable. So now it is my turn. I will now grade how Obama is doing in his new role as President of the United States.

To simplify the process, I will break down the grades into these categories: economy, foreign policy, security, health care, environment, leadership, ethics, and vision. At the end, I will take all of the grades and then combine them into one overall grade.

Economy: C+. 78%. The economic plan so far, in the form of the stimulus and the President's upcoming budget, is a step in the right direction. Some glimmers of recovery are starting to appear in some places. Some people have been able to keep their jobs, and last week, the stock market went up again. However, the final product of the stimulus was more watered down. Some of the things that may have had the most stimulating effect were removed. As Obama noted, though, the economic recovery does not end with this stimulus. I suspect more effort will be exerted in the recovery effort. Hopefully, some of the things that could have a stimulative effect, that would help people recover, that were taken out this time will find their way in somehow.

Foreign Policy: B. 84%. Obama's attitude about foreign policy seems different from Bush's, even though some beg to differ. His move to end the Iraq War as soon as possible is a welcome shift, since it has gone on for so long. His redirection of attention to Afghanistan has raised alarms from some on the left side, but I don't think we can just give up on Afghanistan. The idea of not using solely military force, but getting diplomacy into foreign policy is a good one. The challenge in Afghanistan will be nothing small. Next, we have Pakistan. Taliban and some al-qaeda operatives have crept in and established bases in the rugged, often lawless terrain on the Afghan-Pakistani border. A spot called the Swat Valley, formerly a tourist haven in the north, is now under Taliban control. By the way, Pakistan has nuclear weapons. Iran is in a similar place, so is North Korea, with its rocket being tested. There will be many proving grounds for Obama's foreign policy prowess.

Security: B+. 87%. Using the "Bush Barometer" (the abscence of a major terrorist attack since September 11, 2001) Obama is doing fine. I feel more secure with the task of my security in the calm hands of Barack Obama than I would have in the hands of, say, John McCain. The central challenges of security for Obama will be in Iraq, Guantanamo, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Boy, all the sudden, we're starting to hear a lot about Pakistan. In Iraq, the challenge will be to ensure that the country is stable enough for the Iraqis to take over as quickly as possible. For Guantanamo, the challenge will be to decide who is a threat, who needs to be dealt with, and who does not need to be dealt with. The challenge in Afghanistan, similar to the objective in Iraq, now involves Pakistan, as I mentioned. Since Pakistan, like us, has a large military and nuclear weapons, so Pakistan is a must in the security department. Think of Pakistan being for security what Ohio is for every election. It is the must win place. Let's hope the President has as much luck here as he did in Ohio.

Health Care: B-. 82%. President Obama seems like he's serious about getting health care to as amny of us as possible. Health care is central to his paln of economic recovery, since the current system is run so inefficiently that it costs a lot, but does little for us. Obama has continually convened with experts in the department and seems to be in the process of getting ready to put out the ultimate plan. So far, this plan is in its early stages. Already we are beginning to hear talk of the plan heating up. The health care plan is sure to be the next big battleground for the president's plan. This grade will be made in the ability to shape this vision and bring it to pass.

Environment: B+. 88%. So far, Obama has been working hard for the environment and on the issue of energy. His skepticism on offshore drilling during the campaign was an example. Just today, he signed an act to help protect lots of public land. It's great to have the government finally getting serious about confronting environmental challenges, and rethinking our energy strategy. I like the idea of "green jobs". Joe Biden explained how the administration intends to use these green jobs not only to tackle environmental issues, but also to create jobs, and help to rejuvenate the middle class, as is Vice President Biden's priority. These ideas, and investing in new, cleaner energy sources, are all good ones. Let's hope we can do enough, in time.

Leadership: C+. 76%. For someone with as little executive experience as he, Obama is handling the toughest job, at the toughest time, very well. His amazingly calm demeanor has given him an edge here. As everyone else in this crisis seems to be trying to blame someone, Obama is coming up with a plan, and doing what he can to carry it out. It's a theme emerging, everyone going crazy, fuming, blaming, and Obama continues to do his thing. Like when the revelations of the disgraceful AIG bonuses surfaced, everyone was going ballistic, and he calmly took responsibility. However, the failure to secure nominees for several cabinet-level positions brought this grade down.

Ethics: A-. 90%. There have been some hiccups in the ethical aspirations of this presidency. For instance, some of the nominees and Administration members have made mistakes on their taxes to the tune of 1,000s of dollars. Also, the high number of white house councils and overseers on certain matters, like urban affairs, has raised red flags in some people's minds. I understand these concerns. However, compared to his predecessor, Obama's record is like a breath of fresh air. For one thing, when the revelations of the taxes issues came up, Obama admitted, in no uncertain terms "I made a mistake". A big step forward. According to politifact, Obama has gone back on 3 promises, kept 20, is currently working on fulfilling 48, and has yet to act on the majority of them. Since his first term has only just begun, it is to be expected that most of his promises have yet to be fulfilled. Pressure will need to be applied from us to keep him going in this right direction, and thus ensure that we all benefit.

Vision: B. 84%. This category has to do with the ability to bring one's vision to pass, to make dreams into realities. Obama, of course, has a hugely ambitious vision. He has set a high bar for himself, so executing the vision will be no easy task. So far, his vision has been watered down slightly, in the form of the stimulus, and the fact that Obama's high hopes for a bipartisan attitude has been a lot harder than he had hoped. He continues, though, to go out and work toward these goals with no less energy or determination. The best thing, in this observer's opinion, to do, would be to think about the vision, listen to some criticisms and weak points of it, and refine it if need be, but continue with this principle, because this is a great principle to start from. Thakfully, Obama's approach is not that different from the one I described.

Overall: B. 84%. Overall, Obama faces a monumental challenge rarely presented to a leader. These challenges confront us all. We are in this together, whether we like it or not. At this time, we need a person in charge who puts people before ideology, who can put aside his own gain for the good of everyone, but who can still act definitively. Barack Obama has a narrow tightrope to walk in this balancing act that is this method of leadership. However, if the campaign was any indication, Obama has the ability to tap into this yearning for something better, something we know is why America stands out. This is why I came to support him. The extraordinary weight of our challenges now is matched by the extraordinary nature of this man, Barack Obama, and how he got to where he is. Hopefully this will translate to the kind of way forward we need for this country.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Obama is here!

Hi everyone,

Well, you probably heard by now, but if you live in the So Cal area, President Barack Obama is in your midst. Yesterday, Air Force One arrived in my town of Long Beach. Lots of people crowded around Long Beach's airport to witness the arrival. I turned down an opportunity to skip out of class early to see the plane fly overhead.

However, Air Force One remained, and to the best of my knowledge still remains, on the tarmac at Long Beach Airport. Last night I took a look, and a crowd turned out just to look at the plane. Wow, all this guy has to do is park Air Force One at an airport, and a huge crowd turns out. Talk about a celebrity.

I just wanted to share this update, since it has unfolded so close to my home. During the campaign, all those candidates were in Ohio and Florida. None of them came anywhere near Long Beach, and Mr. Obama's predecessor probably wouldn't ever set foot in Long Beach. So not only seeing Air Force One in person for the first time, but having it come to my home town, was quite amazing.

That afternoon, as I was working on homework, I heard the loud rumbling of helicopters go overhead. Rushing outside, I spotted two helicopters, and a third one that could only have been the Marine One chopper that the president uses. So ultimately I did get to see the President fly overhead. I don't know where they went after yesterday's epic meeting down in Costa Mesa, but this was an exciting development, and I got some pictures I wanted to share with you guys. I'll have more material for you tonight.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.