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.

The Cause Of, And Solution To, All Of Life's Problem's

Hi Everyone,

We all know that Barack Obama is big on unity. He has taken on a multitude of approaches. Know what the most recent one is? Bipartisanship? Meeting without preconditions? No. His approach utilized an age-old weapon in every man's arsenal. Homer Simpson called it "The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problem." I am talking, of course, of beer.

Remember how the last President was "the guy who you could have a beer with?" This was no doubt part of his appeal. Well, his successor has taken it to a whole new level. While the last President only used this as a hypothetical, this President has literally taken that approach to solving the latest controversy.

You may have heard about the Gates incident ("Gates-gate" is what it's being called now), where Henry Louis Gates returned to his home, to discover he had to jimmy his way into the door. A neighbor called the police, and after Gates produced proof of his residence there and his tenure at Harvard, backup was present, Gates got agitated, so they took him to the police department.

How did Barack Obama get involved in this? Well, as I reported last Thursday, the last question in his primetime press conference was about his take on the incident, since he had apparently known Gates well. Obama said that the Cambridge police officer in question, Sergeant Jim Crowley, had "acted stupidly" in the incident. The Cambridge police department and the union of police officers took offense at this, demanding an apology on behalf of all the nation's police officers.

So on Friday, Obama made a surprise appearance at the White House Press Briefing, with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, to clear up the mess. He said in effect that he had talked to the officer in question, and that he had a lot of respect for Sergeant Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department. He said that he had made a poor choice of words, and that he thought this situation was a matter of two guys caught in a bad situation who acted wrongly. Then he mentioned that he invited Sergeant Crowley and Professor Gates to the White House for a beer some time this week.

It seems like that's what this was, a misunderstanding, a case of two guys trying to live their lives getting bent out of shape and handling a situation poorly. Gates had just returned from a two-week trip to China to discover that he couldn't get back into his home. Imagine getting back from a long trip, you're tired, and then you can't get back into your home. Wouldn't you be annoyed?

Crowley was responding to a 911 call. If you're a cop (and for anyone reading who works in the law enforcement business, you probably know what I mean) and you're responding to a 911 call, you've gotta be ready for anything. The guy could draw a shotgun or charge the officers. Cops are trained to be ready for any situation when they respond to a 911 call.

So anyway, on to this beer. There are times when a good cold beer can really be what you need. There are plenty of things you could use to ease tensions and resolve a situation. However, there are times, like when you come home from a long week of hard work (of which the President has ahd plenty and will have many more), when you just need a nice cold brewski. now that I'm done with this post, I think I'll grab one. Cheers!

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.

An Update on President Obama's Mideast Visit

Hi everyone,

Thanks for sticking with me after that last post. It's always hairy dealing with subjects like that. You never know who will agree with you and who will react violently. These issues often lend themselves to fiery arguments that make great fodder for the news, rather than the kind of thoughtful talk that these issues deserve. But thanks for sticking with me. Anyway, today's matter will be a little more promising.

To start off, though, there some alarming news. In North Korea, two journalists from San Francisco, I think, were captured. They were charged with illegal entry into the country, and with an "unspecified grave crime" (don't know what that means, although in North Korea, just calling Kim Jong-il a "loser" would constitute a grave crime).

The Obama administration has said it will do whatever it has to not only to get the two journalists free, but also to keep North Korea from exporting missiles and other nuclear weaponry to other places. The North Korean government has said that any attempt to board their cargo ships and search would be considered "an act of war." Luckily, when it comes to the hostages, that American journalist that was captured in Iran has now been released and is back in the US. But this missile situation is eerily similar to the Missile Crisis of 1962. So stick with me here.

Anyway, on to some more heartening news. I presume you have all seen at least part of President Obama's speech on Middle East peace in Cairo. If you have not seen the speech, you can watch the whole thing here. So I will give an overview of the visit, and the speech.

This may not have been his best speech, but this is Barack Obama. It's nearly impossible to pick the best of his speeches. But I thought this was among the best. I thought he touched on all the notes that need to be touched on when it comes to the Mideast peace process. Addressing the Invasion of Iraq, laying out the new strategy for success in Afghanistan, addressing the plight of the Palestinian people, countering stereotypes of Arabs, Jews and Americans. Also, and these are the issues that need to be addressed in the Middle East, curbing extremism, advocating democracy, and promoting women's rights. These are all things which, in my outsider's view, are a crucial part to establishing peace.

The President started out by noting the significant, but largely unnoticed, contribution to America's history. He noted that tere are about 7,000,000 Muslims living in the United States. According to the speech, there is at least one mosque in every state in the Union(even Wyoming and Alaska?). He also noted that, following a Treaty from Morocco recognizing the US as a country, Thomas Jefferson kept a Qu'ran in his library. It was with this same Qur'an that the first Muslim to become a Congressman, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, was sworn in to his office. When I first watched it, I wasn't quite sure of it. Next day, when I was at Borders, I picked up a history book, and, sure enough, Jefferson had obtained a copy of the Qur'an, and kept it in his library.

Iwas very pleased to see that the President had gone into depth as much as he did on this. If you've been a reeder here with me, you'll know that I believe that this issue is one of great complexity. I noted in my post about the 2008-2009 Conflict in Gaza that I believe that both sides will have to make some concessions if we are to come together. This was the tone that I got from the speech in Cairo. The speech took place, first off, in a University in Cairo. This is indicative of Obama's emphasis on the younger generation as the best hope for peace.

This speech was similar in tone to the famous "A More Perfect Union" speech during last year's primary. When Jeremiah Wright's infamous "God Damn America" remarks inflamed tempers on both sides, then-Senator Obama gave an extensive speech addressing the sensitive issue of race, at the same time condemning Wright's remarks while not disowning Wright himself. Looking back, it was probably just the right tone to strike. I think we can all figure out if the speech worked for him.

So can this same tone, one that acknowledges rights and faults on both sides, and seeks unity over division, work when applied to an international context. Well, it's been a few days since the speech, so let's look at the reaction. The visit and the speech was received pretty well in the Muslim World. In Lebanon, there was an election the day after the speech. The polls indicated for weeks before that the hard-line, pro-Hezbollah faction would win. The day after, the more moderate, pro-US party won in an unexpected upset.

Joe Scarborough, a fomer Republican congressman from Florida and the host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, said, "Barack Obama could be the biggest challenge to Osama Bin Laden since he was being chased out of Torah Borah. This is a real threat to the continued expansion of Al-Qaeda." Scarborough is a key conservative voice at the moment.

Tellingly, at the same time that President Obama was speaking in Cairo, Osama Bin Laden and his lieutenant, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, each released audiotapes attacking the President and urging Muslims everywhere to battle the infidels and their allies. This is because Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other such groups offer no future to the people of the affected areas. They have only an extremist ideology and they use the despair of the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond to build their membership, and forward this hateful ideology that leads nowhere.

If the United States offered to help build a stable future, which is what President Obama, and a key general (I forget what his name was) say needs to be done to succeed in Afghanistan, Al-Qeada would lose all their recruiting tools, they would lose their base, their mission would collapse. Hearteningly, in the Pakistani tribal areas, villagers have started to kick out Taliban warlords. Interestingly enough, most people in the Muslim world were listening, except for in Iran. It seems that the Iranian government jammed the communication lines so that people of Iran could not hear the speech, or the part that was addressed directly to Iran.

The next day, President Obama stopped in Germany. in the speech, Obama had repudiated those who denied the Holocaust, plainly stating it was wrong to do so (interestingly enough, some criticized him for denying the Holocaust). So, this day, last Friday, President Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust and the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1986, visited Buchenwald Concentration Camp (the video is available in three parts 1,2,3). The appearance was extremely moving. I was unable to watch it, or even read the remarks, without getting tears in my eyes. Listen to the remarks, or read them, and tell me if you were as moved by them as I was.

In conclusion, I would like to again offer my hope that the process of peace can begin now. I believe that people here in America, overin Germany, and in the Middle East, are increasingly tired of the other option and are ready. It feels profane to offer a quote from the orchestrator of that most evil thing in our history, Hermann Goering, whose ideas and methods are wholeheartedly detestable. But he did say something that is worth noting here.

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country and it is a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

This perpetrator of the greatest evil in human history understood that people are not born or given to violence and evil. It must be driven into them. Driven by cold, dark minds. Minds that are angry, alienated, and ultimately afraid. As Goering said, it is only when people believe that the other group is attacking that the leaders can move in, dehumanize the other group, and work their violence on the other. This has been seen everywhere from Germany to Kosovo to Rwanda to Sudan.

It is this that the President was trying to avoid with this visit to Cairo. It was appropriate that he, along with a man who survived that infinite nightmare and went on to become among the best advocates for peace, and with the current leader of Germany, now a peaceful and prosperous ally of the US, returned to pay tribute to this. Too few world leaders, in my mind, have taken this lesson to heart. One leader in particular, President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran, denies that the event even happened. Mr. Ahmedinejad continues to promote such an inhuman attitude that builds walls between peoples and can ultimately leads to this pain. As we commemorate six words that shook the world 22 years ago this week, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," we all must again quote President Ronald Reagan and say, "Mr. Ahmedinejad, tear down these walls."

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Around the Clock with Barack: Updates from the White House

Hi everyone,

Well, I've got big news for you guys today. At the White House's website, they are now offering email updates. You can now get updates on key issues like health care and economic news directly from the White House. It's sorta like twitter, only without the twit part. Click here if you want to get updates from the Administration. Man, I'll tell you, this just keeps getting better and better.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Last Night's Post, Extended

Hi everyone,

Well, you may have noticed, but last night's post is somewhat incomplete. At the end, as I wrote it, I knew I was forgetting something, I just didn't know what. Well, I got so lost I forgot to issue the final grade for President Obama's first 100 days in the Oval Office. As I was reading it over, I just realized it and figured that I had to do a follow up. So here we are again. This is the first time in a while that I've done posts tow days in a row.

So, what grade will I give the President on his beginning? Well, my grade for him is this:B. 85%. He has gotten off to a tremendous start. No recent president, certainly none in my lifetime, has ahd to get the country moving in a certain direction again, at least in the way that Barack Obama has had to do. However, his effort has not been perfect, there have been flaws, and there are supreme challenges that lie ahead. From Pakistan to Mexico, our neighbor, which has not only been the site of the Drug War, but also this Swine Flu breakout, tests are sure to arrive from many corners of the world.

Significant progress has been made. This span of 100 days that concluded on wednesday was not the change of course in this country; it was only the beginning of that change. With a new ally in the senate, Arlen Specter, a former republican who is now working for the "d" (whom Stephen Colbert referred to as a "democrat in republican wig and heels"), this change will be that much closer. There is still much work to be done, but we are heading in the right direction. Keep up the good work, Barack! See you all later.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

Day 101: How Far We've Come, How Far We Can Go

Hi everyone,

Well, you probably heard that it was either yesterday, or, by my count, today, that Barack Obama passed the hallowed 100-day milestone as president. This litmus test of a new president's progress began with Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, when, in his first 100 days, he got moving immediately to take on the Great Depression.

Similarly, given the weight of the current economic crisis, it has come as no surprise that Obama and his administration have had to hit the ground sprinting on this. This is why, while it may not be applicable for other cases, I believe that in this case, this litmus test is a good way to go in measuring how we're doing. Whether you agree or disagree with, like or dislike Obama, you have to agree that he has had to get moving very quickly.

So, with this in mind, let us review what progress has been made since the 20th of January, look at where we have come up short, look at the challenges that lie ahead for this administration and this country, and then I will issue one overall grade, as opposed to my first grade report, where I broke it down into several areas.

So, what have we gotten done? An epic economic recovery act was passed, a tax cut for most of us, instead of those at the top (though some non-rich folk continue to insist that their taxes are going up, don't ask me why). A new strategy to end the Iraq War, and to revamp the strategy in Afghanistan, was announced. Just a week into his tenure, the President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay act, which makes it easier for women to sue for discrimination. Later, a White House Council on Women and Girls was created.

Even as President Obama took massive spending measures to counter the economy, he has made moves to curb spending in unnecessary places, putting forth a plan that would help the economy, but also bring the deficit down (I don't know how that's even possible). We are starting to see some signs of progress on the economic front, in the sotck market, for instance. And, when it comes time to go overseas, it's nice to have someone in charge about whom I don't have to give an exasperated sigh, instead listening to thoughtfully, yet with a touch of pride.

Another small example of the progress that has been made. You remember the inexcusable response to Hurricane Katrina, right? Well, a much smaller episode occurred recently to provide some contrast to an actual, functioning government. Back in March, the Red River that borders North and South Dakota and Minnesota began a tremendous flood. It was said that the city of Fargo, right on its banks, would become "the next New Orleans."

Well, the Federal authorities and the National Guard headed there, and a legion of volunteers, young people who gave up their spring break, headed for Fargo. Everyone put down sandbags and shipped in supplies, and now that the floodwaters have come down, the town of Fargo is still standing. A wonderful little testament indeed to what good the government can do if done right. Indeed, far from being the problem, government can actually be quite helpful in these situations.

Wonderful, indeed, but all is not well. What do we still need to do? Unemployment remains high. I suppose the initiatives, particularly of the "green" variety, would take time to kick in. Still, the issue of the banks needs to be resolved. We cannot continue to pour government money into this indefinitely. There must be some action to stabilize the banks and the financial market. Similarly, I believe that the situation with chrysler could have been handled differently. They were given 30 days before they were to go into bankruptcy. It seems they could have used a tad more time to make the difficult merger with Fiat. The whole of the financial world remains very precarious. Stabilizing and fixing the economy will be no easy task.

Then, there's the foreign front. I mentioned earlier North Korea's defiant F-U! to the world's rules. Recently, the Taliban has established the toxic sharia system of law in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Taliban territory has been creeping forward, and now looms just 60 miles from Islamabad. Pakistan's unstable government and its nuclear arsenal are what make Pakistan such a pivotal place on a world stage. In case you're wondering, the Israel-Palestine conflict isn't going anywhere. Time magazine this week quoted a Carter-era adviser as criticizing Obama's lack of a move on that front. Given that Israel's newly-elected leader is much more hawkish, the Obama administration will have to take the lead soon in that area if it wants to set the tone there, and establish a two-state peace. Given President Obama's standing around the world, if he talks, people will listen.

Okay, this was just the first 100 days of the Obama administration, but what lies ahead? After all, a four-year span of time has 1,460 days, an eight-year span has 2,920. So this is still a small fraction of the duration of the Administration. Ahead, there are the caveats I mentioned with North Korea and Pakistan. Bringing the War in Iraq to a stable end will not be a simple task. The challenge of building a stable Afghan government is even less inviting. Finding methods to get off of foreign oil and finally declare energy independence will take some considerable investiment.

Which brings me to the environment. Reports on global warming develpoments are quite alarming. Scientists have calculated that the polar ice could disappear in just 30 YEARS. Most of our current energy sources, petroleum, coal, feed into the vicious spectre of global warming. So not just any old new energy will do. No, it seems our whole paradigm needs to be thought through again, and reinvented. This is something we will all have to do, not just the folks who live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As one cartoonist put it, "Back in 1932, we had an abundance of fossil fuels...now we have to grow our economy by investing in human capital."

And this is the central paradox of our task: grow the economy, but shrink our footprint on the Earth. This environmental front is an entirely new historic frontier indeed. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt had their tests, but they never had to worry about global warming or nuclear weapons. But then, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the payoff, if you're an optimist, and I actually am an optimist. I think that we can get through these tough times. I believe that the country can overcome the environmental mess, renovate our society, and spread peace to these volatile pockets of the world in Afghanistan, Somalia, and such.

This isn't the first time the nation was in peril. We have weathered Civil War, Depression, World Wars. Though it took time, we rose above slavery, segregation. Each time, our character has been revealed, built up, even, and we as a people have emerged stronger for it. I don't wanna get cliche, but I believe we as a people and a country are just as capable as anyone of overcoming these challenges. National security, the economy, the environment, these three areas promise the most development in the next few years. So now that day 101 has arrived, don't go anywhere. The story has just begun. And I, your (sort of) correspondent will be here to report it to you every step of the way. So stay tuned! Well, in the future, but for now, that's all, folks.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

War on Terror? That's so 2001!

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm back to reviewing current events now. Today's post will be all about national security. I've gotten behind again, so I will have to cover a mutitude of recent events, and break them down in a way that only I, as a true Washington outsider, can. Later, I will explain the meaning of the title, and elaborate on why I chose it. So bear with me, and let's get to it.

By now, you've probably heard about the episode with the pirates and our navy personnel in Somalia last week. This was the first test of President Obama's ability to handle international crises. Thankfully, the order was given for the SEALs to fire on the pirates, a few were killed, another surrendered, and the American hostage was rescued. This first test was a success, but it was a small test, and there are sure to be more tests for our young president.

Some detractors, like Fox's Sean Hannity, are claiming that Obama is now trying to "hog all the credit". I've seen no indication of this. I've heard no statement from Obama on the subject, and I've searched the white house's website religiously, and nowhere have I found anything pertaining to the incident. The order for the SEALs to attack had to come straight from the Presidnet himself, so his decision making is being evaluated along with the skills of our SEALs. Thankfully, he passed this test, but there are surely more to come, and I don't think Somalia is going away soon, so stay tuned.

In other, less-encouraging news, North Korea recently announced it was going to continue its nuclear rocket program. The North Koreans threw out everyone who was looking around at the programs, and announced they would not participate in any talks. This a week after yet another botched rocket launch. Kim Jong-il was giving the finger to the rest of the world, and now a challenge is being posed to Obama's ambitious plan to get rid of nuclear weapons around the world. This, coupled with a slew of suicide bombings in Pakistan, could well be that next test of Obama's skills in international crisis management.

Anyway, on the domestic front, a recent report from the Department of Homeland Security has triggered another firestorm from our fellow travelers on the right. The report, by Janet Napolitano, head of the DHS, warned of domestic extreme-right-wing, anti-government militias being a possible threat. These would be groups similar to those that sprung up in the early- and mid-90's, like the Timothy McVeighs, Eric Rudolfs, and other such groups. The report noted that the election of a left-leaning President, like Bill Clinton in the early 90's, infuriated these groups. The fact that this President is also black can only aggravate it, since many in these groups aren't very fond of black people either. The report went on to warn that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to a desolate economy, low job prospects, and no training in any specialized skills, except for killing and attack, would be likely targets for recruitment into these groups.

Conservative commentators like Michelle Malkin and Rush Limbaugh have chosen to interpret the report as an attempt at censoring all conservatives. Wow, the irony is palpable. Look who is now concerned with having their dissent trampled. Look who is now shouting "Dissent is Patriotic!". How interesting to hear this from those who, not long ago, were declaring that anyone who did not support the President's actions was a traitor. The irony is delicious. They also claim that this is an attack on our veterans. This would be like claiming that a report warning children to be on the lookout for drug dealers was accusing children of being drug addicts.

Anyway, I never thought I would be saying this, but the DHS is working to protect you guys on the right, protecting you so that you can go out and complain about the government. I just thought I'd bring this up since it is delightfully ironic. I also enjoyed being able to finally say that. By the way, the report also talked about threats posed by extreme-left-wing groups seeking to use cyberterrorism. So it isn't about ideology, it is about genuine security.

Moving on, we now come to the meaning of the title. It is now known that the phrase "war on terror" is being phased out. Using the phrase "War on Terror" will now be like saying "Don't go there!". You can use the phrase, but it's just so stale and outdated that who would want to use it?There is, of course, no formal order making this so.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just directed that the term will no longer be used officially. And we all know what happens if you don't do what Hillary tells you to.

Just kidding. But in all seriousness, this was a wise move on Secretary Clinton's part. Not because there is no threat posed by terrorists; there is. Not because we will not seek to defeat them and their hateful ideology wherever it festers; we will. But this struggle needs to be redefined. I am all for battling terrorists and keeping innocent people safe, but how can you win a war on terror? A war on terror would be like fighting a "war on anger" or a "war on hatred". No matter how hard you fight, how much victory you achieve, you can never definitively "win". War could work against a country, which could formally surrender, and then you would win. But how can you really beat an idea, an irrational action, or series of actions, which constitute terrorism?

Furthermore, since the concept of a "war on terror" would go on indefinitely, it would be easy to claim again and again, perhaps forever, that there's a big, bad enemy out there, and we gotta do "whatever it takes" to "beat them". Such a nebulous war against such a loosely-defined opponent would easily allow abuse from power-hungry hands seeking Orwellian benefits here at home. It would easily allow a leader to, say, shift the battlefield to wherever he chooses, regardless of the actual value of that battlefield in the larger struggle to defeat terrorists.

Also, the term "terrorist" has been blurred and abused in recent years. It used to refer to actual assailants who attacked large numbers of people to further an ideological goal, often a hateful, extremist one. Now it has been stretched by many in this country, particularly in this country, to mean anyone in the Middle East, any Muslim, regardless of whether they actually participate in or even espouse extremism, and any person of Middle Eastern descent.

"Get the terrorists!" Well, who are the terrorists, first of all? In this effort, it will be critical to differentiate between real terrorists, the violent extremists, and law-abiding people, or those just caught up in the whole thing, who turn to extremist groups like the Taliban, because they have no one else to turn to. Force will have to be used against dangerous extremists. However, as someone once pointed out, "We shouldn't be torturing these people. This isn't Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia or Red China. There are other ways of interrogating these people." Who said this? A veteran from the marines who was a devout republican. He said this when calling in to Rush Limbaugh's show, as he called Limbaugh on his extremism. Kudos!

These values that the man espoused are what separates us from the terrorists. We do not use sadism and torture for our ends as the terrorists and those rogue, despotic states do. Our government was founded on principles, strong ones, and what makes us strong is when we stick to them in hard times.We have, collectively, the character to rise above these darker instincts that constitute the terrorist's only guiding force. Our country is not driven by hatred and mindless violence the way the terrorist groups are. At the CIA headquarters, President Obama noted that we the terrorists would be defeated because they were on the wrong side of the battle. Utilizing not only "the examples of our strength, but the strength of our example" is what will guide us in combating the insanity of terrorism and spreading the light of stability and peace. That's how you could win a war on terror, if you wanna put it that way.

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.

President Obama, or, A Landmark Day in History: January 20, 2009

Hi everyone,

Okay, I've been unable to access a computer at any time since last tuesday. This is because I've been on the road since then, and now I'm finally back home in Long Beach. So, in order to give my input on the historic festivities, I'm gonna have to get out of sequence, which feels unnatural. But since it worked for Star Wars, it might work for me. So, at last, I give you my report on the inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

I bring this up because I was there. Firsthand. Yes, I was looking at the thing on a jumbo screen a half a mile away on the mall, but I was present nevertheless. I got up at 5 in the morning on a friend of my dad's farm on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, having gone to bed at midnight the night before, and drove down to the furthest-out metro stop in Maryland with my affiliate blogger. I marched out to the Mall with the record-breaking crowds. My brother and I were squished in the mass of people closer to the capital, and had to move back to get a better view (of the screen) with more breathing room.

I saw and heard all of the prayers, musical ensembles, and the poem, the fourth in history (the only other presidents to include poems at their inaugurations were John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton at both his inaugurations) to do so. I heard Chief Justice John Roberts and President Obama fumble the oath, saying "execute the office of president of the United States faithfully" instead of "faithfully execute the office", and then instead of saying "so help me God" as if expecting the president to naturally follow along, asked Obama, "So help you God?" (perhaps in light of the Atheist lawsuit), and Obama answered "So help me God".

Then came the much-anticipated inaugural address. The first thing he said was "I stand here humbled by the task ahead of us." Rare words to hear from a political figure. He then thanked Bush for his service to the country (Seriously? Well, I guess he had to). Anyway, then he began rebuking the things that have dragged us down over the years. A lot of the things he talked about seemed like just the right things to me.

The pronouncement that "The argument is not whether government is too big or too small, but whether government works". Ever since the days of Reagan, government has been filed down to prevent waste. However, movement in this direction has gone to the other extreme, leaving us with a government too weak and underfunded to do any good for anyone. I don't mean to blame solely the republicans for this. During his presidency, Bill Clinton proclaimed "The era of big government is over" and was far too willing to throw aside his and Hillary's health care reform agenda when it was politically convenient to do so.

The prevailing attitude for all these years has been "Government is bad. Destroy it." Government can indeed be greedy, wasteful and corrupt. I know this all too well. I've seen it happen. But I also believe that government can be a force for good in the world. I've seen this recently with the law that Obama passed just the next day establishing more rules of the road for lobbyists. I hope the notion that government can be good will become more of a reality in the Obama presidency, and for the first time, I am realistically confident of it happening.

Another thing was foreign policy, of course. I heard on the radio later that some thought he was talking tough. He said "We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we hesitate to defend it". I've never had any tolerance for jerks who oppress their women, kill people in ways that would make Charles Manson cringe for listening to music, and then have the gall to gripe about how immoral the west is. I want insane criminals dealt with as much as anyone else.

But it was also heartening to hear that "We reject as false the choice between our security and our liberty". While you cannot ignore extremism and despotism abroad, you can be just as much threatened by extremism and despotism in your own homeland. While defense is a vital part of any country, in recent years this instinct of defense has been exploited to achieve an extremely militaristic agenda.

After the infamous 9/11 attack, we were all united behind one purpose. "Mr. President, do whatever you must to bring those responsible to justice," was what everyone could agree on. Sadly, this unity was cynically exploited by those in Mr. Bush's employ for political gain. Those sought to associate any who dared call them on their antics with enemies of the country, but in doing so, they forgot what the country they said they were defending stood for. It stands, rather, for liberty, the most important of which is the freedom to say, "This sucks!", if necessary. After all, the refusal to stand for any criticism at all is a hallmark of the aforementioned jerks. Extremism of any ideology, right- or left-wing, political, religious, is dangerous to our ideals and indeed to the common good all people share.

Anyway, this post is turning out to be a lot longer than I thought, so let's continue on. Overall, I thought Obama was trying a new approach out in his inaugural address. Before, he used soaring lingo and exuded an air of unbridled optimism. This one was no less optimistic, but this time he outlined in a concise, down-to-earth way. He went through what will be changed now that he is in charge. He called on all Americans to get involved, echoing Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you..." line in his 1961 inaugural address. He mentioned Washington at one point, not as much emphasis on Lincoln as I expected. About the many emotions of this day, I will have to do a separate post, as this one went on longer than I intended. And I am proud to have seen this in person. So as I whistle "Hail to the Chief" once again (I promised myself I would wait till January 20 to start singing it again), I proudly ask, "Mr. President, what can I do for my country?"

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.