Brookings Institution: Bruce Katz & Mark Muro: 'Brookings Podcast: Remaking Federalism and Renewing the Economy'

Source:Brooking Institution- Mark Muro.

"In this post-election season and with a fiscal cliff looming, states and metros have begun the work of meeting their many challenges. They're implementing game-changing initiatives to create jobs and restructure their economies for the long haul. The federal government needs to take notice and get on board, note Metropolitan Program policy experts Bruce Katz and Mark Muro as they urge a move for remaking our federalism and renewing the economy. Katz and Muro explain in this episode of @ Brookings.

Read their paper at:Brookings." 

From the Brookings Institution

Just to start off with: it's a great to hear a center-left institution like Brookings or any other center-left institution, making the case and arguing in favor of federalism. 

Progressives (who are center-left) always get stereotyped as big government, national government, do-gooder, know-it-alls, who think that there's a national government solution for everything in America. And that if anything, there's too much power with the states and localities, and even individuals, and that we need a bigger, more centralized government in this country. And for good reason, because people who call themselves Progressives (who are actually closeted Socialists or Social Democrats) are always arguing in favor of a bigger Federal Government, more Federal taxation, more Federal spending, more Federal regulations and prohibitions. 

But what Brice Katz and Mark Muro from Brookings are arguing here, is that there are real economic and fiscal challenges that America faces and the Federal Government can't simply solve all these problems itself, especially being buried in debt and deficits that it currently is. That we need to look at what the states and localities are doing, be more creative in how we try to deal with these economic issues. And if anything, get more power out of Washington and down to the states and localities.

Nancy Pelosi: 'Why I'm Running Again For House Democratic Leader'

Source:Nancy Pelosi- U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announcing why she's running for Minority Leader again.

"House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi announces she will run again" 

From Nancy Pelosi

So let's see I have this straight: Nancy Pelosi is running for reelection as House Minority Leader because she believes that women need to continue to be empowered in America, in government and everywhere else. And somehow Leader Pelosi being a woman herself, (obviously) that her keeping this role as the highest ranking women in Congress (House or Senate) and in either party, would make it easier for this to happen. So what Leader Pelosi is essentially doing is making her candidacy for reelection about her gender. And thats hopefully not her best case for her being reelected, 

"Reelect me because I'm a woman" is not much of campaign theme and vision for the future of the House Democratic Caucus.  I could just see radical feminists freaking out about men (especially Caucasian men) running for office based on their gender. 

Gender, race, ethnicity, should never be any driving force for why someone should be elected or reelected to anything. It should always be about the individual and their qualifications, period. Because we're all individuals and we're all our own people, regardless of our gender, race, or ethnicity.

The New Republic: Chuck Thompson- ‘Go Ahead and Secede, Texas. I Dare You.’

Source: The New Republic- don’t mess with Texas. We’re armed and dangerous. We also ain’t too bright and don’t always know what we’re doing. LOL

“In the wake of news that more than 80,000 people have signed an online White House petition asking permission for Texas to leave the Union, a single grave concern has united the minds of Americans of all political colors: If the state secedes, where are we going to get our NFL-caliber wide receivers?

As a recent student not just of secession, but the traditionally Southern mindset that drives it in this country (similar petitions for Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina have all topped 20,000 signatures), let me be the first to say to the aggrieved liberal community: relax. No one is talking about building a Berlin Wall around the upside-down pistol grip part of Texas.

Texans may be stubborn, but they ain’t stupid. In the event of secession, mutually beneficial treaties would be drawn up between the United States and newly formed Texas Republic, ensuring both sides get what they need.” 

From The New Republic 

“Rick Perry on Texas’s right to secede from the US” 

Source:The Centrist Word- Hardball With Chris Matthews?

From The Centrist Word 

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas even seceding from the United States, who the hell needs them. (From my point of view) They need us so they can fund their own roads and for all that welfare insurance they get from taxpayers in wealthy states. So their people don’t starve and so their kids can go to school and so-forth.

I mean do we really need a Alabama and a Mississippi in the union, couldn’t we get by with just one of them, or how about they combine and become one state. And we would have on less ignorant state in the union.

And do we really need to Carolinas and two Virginia’s? I’m not looking for Virginia to leave the union, but do we need a Virginia and a West Virginia.

West Virginia, is not seceding. Even they know like the rest of the country that they need America more than America needs them. But South Carolina might be a different story and the idea of an African-American, not only being elected, but reelected President of the United States, is appalling to a certain percentage of South Carolinians. And they may leave the country, some of the nuts in that state.

My whole point about this is that the people in these states that are considering leaving the United States, good riddance, as far as I’m concern. And maybe they can move somewhere and start some new Confederate Republic like they tried in the 1860s. And even if these states were to secede, which will never happen because even these states have enough intelligent people in them to know better. People who were perhaps educated outside of these states, to understand that they need America more than we need them.

As much as Southern Neo-Confederates may bash the U.S. Government and public assistance, a lot of their people still need that just to get by. Which makes this whole discussion a little ridiculous, because this will never happen.

Texas, won’t leave the United States, they have the most uninsured people in the country per-capita. They need us again for the public assistance that they collect. America, needs Texas to become energy independent and get off of foreign oil. Which would be a boom for both our economy and foreign policy. But if these third-world American states in the Southeast want to take a hike, I’ll help them pack. And see how well they can do on their own. 

You can also see this post on WordPress.  

You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on WordPress.

You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on Blogger.

Associated Press: 'Nancy Pelosi to Announce Plans Wednesday'

Source:Associated Press- U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) and her Democratic Leadership team.

"Speaking at a press conference to introduce new elected House Democrats, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she'll announce Wednesday whether she'll continue in her current position or step down." 

From the Associated Press

Even though Nancy Pelosi is 72 now, it's not her fault that Democrats lost the House in 2010. You can blame that on the bad economy, Democratic President, ObamaCare being very unpopular, etc. 

Could Democrats have picked up more than 7-8 seats that they did in 2012 to just put them back over 200, probably. But it was a very close presidential election and an election where the Republican Party should've not have only held the House, but probably won back the Senate as well. Had they not have ran some really bad candidates statewide in some swing states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Missouri, they probably would've won back the Senate, even with President Obama being reelected. 

For people who think that Nancy Pelosi is getting old and House Democrats need new leadership, I would ask you who would you replace her with. Who in the Democratic Caucus is as good and as effective leader, that can deal with a caucus that's ideologically as diverse, as Nancy Pelosi and who has accomplished as much as Leader Pelosi.

VOA News: 'Despite Political Divides, Syria's Kurds Want Autonomy'

Source:VOA News- with a piece about Syrian Kurdistan.

"Afrin is an old city of some 80,000 inhabitants nestled in the hills of northwestern Syria.

Henry Ridgwell reports for VOA that instead of showing the Syrian national flag, checkpoints in and around the city fly the yellow, red and green flag of Syria's Kurds." 

From VOA News

"Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest[3] and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster.[4][5] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 48 languages,[6] which it distributes to affiliate stations around the world. It is targeted and primary audience is non-American.

VOA was established in 1942,[7] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103–415)[8] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

VOA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent agency of the U.S. government.[9] Funds are appropriated annually under the budget for embassies and consulates. As of 2022, VOA has a weekly worldwide audience of approximately 326 million (up from 236.6 million in 2016) and employs 961 staff with annual budget of $252 million.[10][11]

Voice of America is seen by many listeners as having a positive impact while others see it as American propaganda; it also serves US diplomacy." 

From VOA News

The future for the Kurdish people maybe a United Kurdistan, which would include parts of Iraq, Syria and Turkey.

Minister Malcolm X: Project History

Source:Teaching History- Nation of Islam Minister Malcolm X, perhaps meeting with a fellow minister.

Source:The Daily Press

“This site is dedicated to the study of the life and legacy of Malcolm X. Only one of three “initiatives” is publicly available (Columbia faculty, staff, and students may also access the site’s “multi-media study environment” section). “Oral histories,” “outreach,” and “Malcolm X biography project” are under construction. A chronology traces Malcolm’s life from his birth in May 1925 to his assassination in February 1965, with short entries on major events. “Government Documents” offers FBI files on Malcolm X—4,000 pages of surveillance reports—covering the period 1954 to 1964. A brief summary accompanies each report and the files can be searched by keyword. The site’s project journal, focusing on particular themes and issues, has seven articles on Malcolm X and eight weblog postings. Additionally, the site offers an e-seminar “Life after Death: Malcolm X and American Culture” by Columbia professor Dr. Manning Marble for a fee (available free to Columbia faculty, staff, and students). When this site is completed, it will be a good starting point for researching the ideas and life of Malcolm X.” 

From Teaching History 

“Malcolm X Video Project (history)”

Source: Bria Parks- I can't say that I disagree with this photo. I mean I could, but then I would be lying and I don't think you want that.

From Bria Parks

I don’t believe Malcolm X was a racist at least at the point when he died. And I don’t believe he was a segregationist, meaning that people of different races should never interact with each other. But he was a separatist. Someone who did believe that integration wasn’t the magic bullet to the problems of African-Americans. He believed that this community should be empowered and even empowered themselves to be able to handle their own problems and issues and stand up for their rights. And not be put down by racist Caucasians, or anyone else.

And the African-Americans should stand up for their constitutional rights and not expect that others will give them to them or give them anything else. As well as treating people as people and not members of groups. But that he believed in empowering African-Americans to be able to handle their own affairs. Because this was his community, and not expecting others to empower them, or be dependent on government and others who are already independent to take care of them for them. Malcolm X’s message was truly about African-American freedom. Not some violent revolution.

Unlike Fidel Castro, who was a Marxist and someone who believed the central state should be in complete control and that the state should be responsible for everyone’s well-being, Malcolm X was a true freedom fighter. Someone who wanted to empower an entire community of Americans to take charge and complete responsibility over their own lives. Today’s Conservatives and Libertarians, should actually at least respect Minister Malcolm and not put him down as some racist thug. Because he was someone who truly believed in individual freedom and not government dependence for his community.

ABC News: This Week: 'Patty Murray, Saxby Chambliss 'This Week' Interview: David Petraeus Scandal, Barack Obama's Budget Battle'

Source:ABC News- left to right: U.S. Senator Patty Murray (Democrat, Washington State) & U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (Republican, Georgia) 

"Two key senators on David Petraeus' resignation and the upcoming "fiscal cliff" negotiations." 

From ABC News

Here's a solution for the fiscal cliff and the economy: savings in defense, entitlements, tax reform. But done in a way that doesn't hurt anyone who can't afford it. Which means putting in something like a millionaires tax where anyone making a million dollars or more, would pay the same tax rate that they are paying today, but every dollar over a million dollars, their taxes would go up and those savings would go towards deficit reduction. should be part of this.