Going beyond transition

Tag Archives: McCain

Uh.. Hello? Anybody home in Casa de Palin?

Posted on by Posted in Politics .

I know that many of you prefer to hear my tales of transitioning but I couldn’t ignore this. I did the fatal mistake of checking out CNN and got the shock of my life. If you thought that McCain was bad, he’s nothing compared to Palin and the many Republican supporters that seem to blindly believe in anything that they can blame on someone else. This nation is built on the belief of someone else is always at fault and we must always blame someone else. While I still need to read the details, ideally from multiple sources, as the factual nature of the departure of the Puritans from England I wonder how much of it wasn’t because they were chased out but rather because no one agreed with them and thus, they left England.

Eventually, they found a land where people were willing to give what they had with no question and with true honesty but rather than accept and be part of it, they used their religion to justify to attempt to control and slaughter them (genocide). As Zinn references in his book A People’s History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.), the Puritans, based on the comments by John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, took the belief that while the local aboriginals had a “natural right” to the land, they did not have a “legal right”. I have no doubts that “legal right” meant only white males. So thus began the nation of the “free” based on Psalms 2:8 (“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” — King James version, which was likely the version used at the time) and Romans 13:2 (“Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” — King James version).

No where does it say “Go forth and commit genocide”.

No where does it say “Only the whiteth of men are of value to Me”.

This belief that only the rich, white have rights and no one else does is appalling. And the fact that it continues to this day is even worse. What I’m finding most problematic about Palin is that continues to fan FUD while totally ignoring the issues that matter. She continues to harp on a misbelief that Obama “pals” around with terrorist (apparently those that have done bad things in the past can never have redemption and learn from their mistakes). When McCain tried to get members of his own party to stop booing whenever he mentioned his opponent and be respectful, they booed him. I was amazed at this. I will credit McCain for trying to take the high road but Palin needs to be seriously admonished for continuing to push the low road.

Her recent “stump” in Philadelphia continues this with a rant about abortion and how Obama is an “extremist” when it comes to abortion views. Really? Because he supports the idea of a woman having the right to chose and to have healthy, medically supervised alternatives he’s an extremist? Weird. I’m quite sure he wasn’t the first and he’s certainly not the most extreme in their view (remember the doctor shootings in the 1990s?). I think her glass house is full of broken windows. You know, I had thought that McCain was a maverick and a right-wing nut until the real Palin began to show through. I do wonder, however, something that I saw elsewhere and I would love to ask her: If you knew the child that you were going to give birth would be gay, would you feel the same way about abortion? I wonder what she’d say if the child was transsexual and gay?

Quick morning political post

Posted on by Posted in Politics .

It’s interesting to watch CNN in the morning when I’m on the road. Sometimes, I get a “huh” factor at some of the stuff but it really does amuse me in many ways. The lead story, besides the economy, is whether Republican actors will get work if they are open about their politican choices. While I may not like their choice of politics, I certainly don’t think that will stop them from getting work. As one person put it “great actors will always be great actors and will get work” (I’m paraphrasing). There is only a few exceptions to this and for me, those that support Scientology and/or the likes of Mel Gibson (racist, extreme far right and ultra-Christian) are the two kinds that I wouldn’t go and see. Consider it a breaking point, so to speak.

Last night I had a bit of an epiphany. I remember being in Toronto and constantly seeing ads for McCain and Obama (long before either had their parties nomination). Today, living in NYC and visiting various cities that I do I rarely see ads. This is a stark contrast to Canadian politics where ads are regularly run throughout the campaign. Granted the campaign is shorter, it is more intense and often more focused on facts and platforms.

Oh, and speaking of facts, I’ve noticed more and more the use of “fact checking” by various outlets (most notably CNN and NY Times). What I find interesting is that McCain’s campaign is more often cited for have false, misleading or blatantly lying about their claims about Obama compared to Obama’s claims about McCain. Most politicians “stretch” the truth to get as much buy-in as possible. It’s a sad acceptance that many of us have come to but that doesn’t mean we should have come to that.

Anyways, gotta run. More on this later.

Pondering the life of transitioning and politics

Posted on by Posted in Daily life, LGBTQ, Life, Politics, transgender, Traveling/Work .

So lots of things rattling around in my head this week. To start off with, I distinctly overheard some of my students comment on my “beard” (it’s barely a goatee but definitely visible and I’m still not fully passing). It was unnerving. But I do think they figured out quickly that I know my shit so beard or not they learned lots. This is a concern of mine. I kinda wished the company could keep me on online stuff for a while since that would make it easier to transition but I’ll have quite a few jaunts over to our NYC facility and at some point, will have to address it with them as the physical changes become more and more prominent. In fact, K commented recently about how much facial hair (mostly under my chin and below) is growing. It almost feels like it appeared overnight.

This is one of the bigger challenges to transitioning while on the job, particularly one that has a work visa hanging over. It introduces whole new challenges into the mix. I’d rather wait until I have my green card to change my name but I think I may have to do it in the new year as the changes are coming far faster than I had anticipated. It must be a gene thing that all the guys in my family, particularly on my mom’s side, be hairy everywhere but on top (male-patterned baldness is very evident but it’s ironic how hairy we are everywhere else — go figure, eh?). It isn’t going to stop me from being open about my choices but sometimes you have to know when to wage the battle. This past week was the first time that I felt I was in a hugely conservative room. It was rather surprising but it has to do with the environment I was in (major, major Fortune 500 company that has huge inter-office politics and maintains an “old boys network” it seems).

Anyways, I am glad the week is over and I get a chance to relax some. I’ve been working on a few blogs, writing more to get myself used to writing lots (I want to participate in the “Write a Novel in a Month” contest/writing thingy — it’s good practise and since writing is something I enjoy, it’ll be fun). I’ve been reading and watching the US political system and it’s still an interesting thing. Last night was the debate and I nearly laughed my ass off when I read the following from the NY Times:

But Mr. McCain’s talk of experience too often made him sound like a tinny echo of the 20th century. At one point, he talked about how Ronald Reagan’s “S.D.I.” helped end the cold war.

Bullshit. The Cold War, as someone who lived through it, was ended because communism, specifically USSR communism, ended. It wasn’t fear of SDI but economic woes and a changing climate. Let’s face it: they knew the economy that they had created wasn’t helping, there were more calls by citizens for free votes and they wanted to do what 99% of all people want to do: just live life, raise their family and enjoy it. Is it that hard to imagine? The US does many great things but it isn’t nor has it been the saviour of the rest of the world. If anything, it’s almost like that over-helpful relative that doesn’t know when to stop. Yes, it’s nice to receive that help but sometimes ya gotta let the rest of us do our own thing. I find it rather ironic that the US Republicans discourage big government at home and it’s involvement in day-to-day life of the average citizen but have no qualms of sticking it’s governmental nose into the activities of the day-to-day lives elsewhere.

Kettle meet pot.

Pot meet kettle.

Exciting, no?

They baffle me at times. I just want to shake them and go, “Uh.. hello?? Anyone home?” In my web searching this morning, I bounced around a variety of sites and hit upon “Lipstick of a Wing Nut” from The Nation. They have posted an op-ed piece about 10 questions they’d want to ask Palin. The last one is one I’ve always wanted to ask those that are on the far right. But I have to say, the 10 questions are certainly ones I’d love to hear answers to. Not the fluffy answers that the handlers will have her say but honest, concrete with substance answers. Novel concept I know. I leave you with the questions to ponder. Maybe God will show up and offer His insight one day. Now that’d be neat.

§ Suppose your 14-year-old daughter Willow is brutally raped in her bedroom by an intruder. She becomes pregnant and wants an abortion. Could you tell the parents of America why you think your child and their children should be forced by law to have their rapists’ babies?

§ You say you don’t believe global warming is man-made. Could you tell us what scientists you’ve spoken with or read who have led you to that conclusion? What do you think the 2,500 scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are getting wrong?

§ If you didn’t try to fire Wasilla librarian Mary Ellen Baker over her refusal to consider censoring books, why did you try to fire her?

§ What is the European Union, and how does it function?

§ Forty-seven million Americans lack health insurance. John Goodman, who has advised McCain on healthcare, has proposed redefining them as covered because, he says, anyone can get care at an ER. Do you agree with him?

§ What is the function of the Federal Reserve?

§ Cindy and John McCain say you have experience in foreign affairs because Alaska is next to Russia. When did you last speak with Prime Minister Putin, and what did you talk about?

§ Approximately how old is the earth? Five thousand years? 10,000? 5 billion?

§ You are a big fan of President Bush, so why didn’t you mention him even once in your convention speech?

§ McCain says cutting earmarks and waste will make up for revenues lost by making the tax cuts permanent. Experts say that won’t wash. Balancing the Bush tax cuts plus new ones proposed by McCain would most likely mean cutting Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Which would you cut?

§ You’re suing the federal government to have polar bears removed from the endangered species list, even as Alaska’s northern coastal ice is melting and falling into the sea. Can you explain the science behind your decision?

§ You’ve suggested that God approves of the Iraq War and the Alaska pipeline. How do you know?

Politics: Bailout?? Is this a rowboat?

Posted on by Posted in Politics .

It’s not surprising that I woke up to hear that the bailout may not quite go as planned. Yesterday I saw protesters near Wall Street chanting “No to the Bailout”, in reference to businesses getting the bailout and not the average consumer. What caught my eye this morning were two lines of reference in this NY Times article:

Point 1:

Mr. Boehner pressed an alternative that involved a smaller role for the government, and Mr. McCain, whose support of the deal is critical if fellow Republicans are to sign on, declined to take a stand.

And Point 2:

The aide, Kevin Smith, said Republicans revolted, in part, because they were chafing at what they saw as an attempt by Democrats to jam through an agreement on the bailout early Thursday and deny Mr. McCain an opportunity to participate in the agreement.

So before any serious discussions about the bailout had started, McCain put his campaign on hold and went to Washington because it seems impossible for him to do two things at once. I say this because my eyes were pleasantly impressed with the following:

Mr. McCain was at one end of the long conference table, Mr. Obama at the other, with the president and senior Congressional leaders between them. Participants said Mr. Obama peppered Mr. Paulson with questions, while Mr. McCain said little.

So while Obama didn’t put his campaign on hold he was able to also attend the discussions and even answer questions. The so-called “leader of the Free World” faces thousands of decisions a day and must be able to multi-task. Heck, even Reagan was able to do that and I’m not sure he was really there that often if it wasn’t for Nancy.

I’m also beginning to wonder who is really running for president: Palin or McCain. Since he refuses to talk or “take a stand” one way or another (i.e., lead his party as a presidential candidate should, right?!) then how can he be considered to lead a whole nation like the US. I don’t get it. I watched a few of the “townhall meeting”
videos and noticed that Palin talks over him (she’s taller than him I think) and is more eloquent than him.  Some of the political commentary suggests that the Republicans are having more of these because he is less likely to have foot-in-mouth-itis than when she’s not there.

But politics aside, the Bailout failed. At least, thus far it has. So the question remains as to whether the bailout would work or will work? Politicians really don’t have to worry right now because, well, they’ll likely be re-elected to the jobs they already have or get some board position. The average citizen, people like you and me, who earn a wage of some kind trying to eke out a living with massive debt (mortgage or credit card), are the ones who suffer under this. You want to fix the system try this: force banks to be responsible, reduce service fees for things that are extraneous, reduce credit card annual percentage points, reduce CEO salaries and keep the average workers — the ones that actually produce the product that others will buy — employed.

Let’s face it. Those that are wealthy only buy wealthy, extra things. These people make up 2-5% of the market.

Those that are middle-to-lower class buy things to help with day-to-day living (e.g., groceries, clothing, mass transit, etc.) make up the rest of the market.

The ones suffering are the ones that make up the rest of the market. It’s stuff like this that makes me want to chuck it all, grab K and become some raving mountain man. I’m beginning to see the appeal.

US Politics: Say what?!

Posted on by Posted in Politics .

You know, I wonder sometimes when politicians (or their handlers) make claims that they don’t think about. My eyes went wide-eyed as I read the following from CNN:

Pressed to provide an example of what McCain had accomplished on that committee, Holtz-Eakin said the senator did not have jurisdiction over financial markets, then he held up his Blackberry, telling reporters: “He did this.”

“Telecommunications of the United States, the premiere innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce Committee. So you’re looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create,” Holtz-Eakin said. “And that’s what he did. He both regulated and deregulated the industry.” — Sourced: CNN.com

Uh-huh.

Say what?! To make it even more incredulous, McCain can barely use a computer. I almost split a gut laughing so hard at how ridiculous all this was. If he was at least some computer geek, it’d make some sense but no, he was chair of Commerce Committee and thus, this apparently is how he created the Blackberry. I wonder if that is also how he figured that giving tax breaks of $5000 would improve health care? So I get to go broke first dealing with health issues and then perhaps, maybe, get a tax break. I probably wouldn’t need it since I’d be on welfare or worse at that point.

Anyways, the last time something like this happened was when Gore claimed he invented the internet. While McCain might have been part of the committee that made it easier for Blackberry to become persuasive in the US, he sure didn’t invent it. It is no wonder that people cannot trust politicians because they don’t seem able to be clear about the message they want to get across to their constituents. I mean, seriously, how hard is it?

As a Canadian I’m particularly irked about this since RIM (Research in Motion) is the company that actually created and invented the Blackberry. To me, this all smacks of the arrogance of McCain et al. Listening to him this morning, saying how taxing those with incomes over $200,000 isn’t necessary and that “40% of Americans aren’t paying taxes”. Really?! Then what’s coming off my paycheck, Mr. McCain??

Further, McCain went on to say that Obama’s plan would result in greater spending given his health plan and others. So, all that military spending isn’t hurting at over a trillion a year?! And this supports the middle-class and low-income workers? Taxing them more by McCain. Yes, Obama would be doing “income redistrubtion” but is that really bad? Why should only the rich have the right to buy food, health care and dream “the American dream”?

To me, McCain sounds no different than Bush. In fact, I had CNN on this morning while in the shower and as I walked out in the living room I thought it was Bush on TV (I couldn’t see who was on at the time). Quite honestly, McCain still seems to be promoting what Bush has been doing thus far and expanding it even further. To me, that will just destroy the lives of the average person and the average family. Blaming Wall Street for the recent stock market activities isn’t the answer. Helping teh average user out of this situation and given them a safety net to bet on that will be there so they won’t have to take risks let “betting” on the stock market, loans, credit cards and gambling at Hold ‘Em Poker Tournaments would be far better.

The best answer would be to remove the lies of who the average American is and who the average American isn’t. Then perhaps both candidates can really present and institute plans that’d work for all.

Now how’s that for a novel concept?