Tonight I just have three quick thoughts to offer. First off, kudos to President Obama for his commitment to increase government funding for scientific research, made in an address this past Monday to the National Academy of Sciences. President Obama is increasing the government’s role and the government’s cost quite radically, and the only way for such spending levels to be sustained without triggering a taxpayer revolt is to grow the economy. Scientific research is a good long-term investment to support such growth, something that pays for itself many times over. So, good move, Mr. Obama. I also like his proposal on developing a fast train network; that can also help meet the goal of stimulating economic growth while cutting down on energy use and carbon emissions.
Second, regarding Senator Arlen Specter’s conversions to the Democrats: that certainly was NOT a profile in political courage. Specter is pretty much just a rat jumping off a sinking ship. I’d have much more respect for the man if he had stayed in the Republican Party and had taken his lumps (i.e., getting beat in the upcoming GOP primary in Pennsylvania), and at the same time devoting himself towards moving the Republicans back towards a more centrist position. He would have done the nation more good that way.
The Republicans seem mostly interested in pursuing the niche agendas being put forth by the party’s conservative rump. That cost them dearly in the last election, and may cost them even more dearly over the next 4 or 8 years. Eventually, the moderates will win out and the GOP will start singing a different tune, a tune that admits the importance of most Democratic priorities (e.g. health care, global warming, energy independence, education, poverty) but proposes “lighter government” solutions. If Spector had the bravery and foresight to have affiliated himself with the younger Republicans who are beginning to question the failed Reagan / Bush paradigms, if he committed himself to providing mentorship and support for a new generation, I would have taken my hat off to him. But no, that just wasn’t Arlen Specter. As to the Democrats: when you bring a dog with fleas into your house, you know what happens.
Finally, just a note about Twitter, currently the rage on the Internet. I don’t pay much attention to it, but I do agree with other commentators that it reflects many of the worst things about the net and about modern life in general. I.e., extremely short attention spans and thinking horizons. Maureen Dowd of the NY Times recently took time off from her on-going love letters to Barack (and hate letters to his critics), to interview Biz Stone, the founder of Twitter. It’s a great article, where Ms. Dowd artfully and humorously shows just how wonderful it is not to be restricted to bleeps of under 140 characters. And today, I heard on the radio that around 60% of people who register with Twitter quit within one month. But hey, that’s what happens when you cultivate your customer base among people who don’t have much patience. What you planteth, you eventually soweth.
As to swine flu — let’s just hope that it turns out to be not so bad after all, at least for a relatively well-off population having the benefit of good public health measures and modern health care. Of course, the fact that increasing numbers of Americans don’t have affordable access to modern health care is not a positive factor. Let’s hope that a relevant benefit of universal health care — i.e. the ability to better control an unfolding epidemic and avoid what Mexico is already going thru with swine flu — will NOT be grimly illuminated because of this disease.
Jim,
I agree that there is a need for the gov’t to promote scientific research. But I have to admit that sometimes I wonder if at least a little more emphasis might be put on the “reading and writing” aspect of education. Too many people nowadays cannot write a coherent sentence, much less a coherent paragraph (to say nothing of spelling). Do people even know what paragraphs are any more?
And I’m also glad about the “train network.” Our infrastructure has been neglected so long that it is simply falling apart. Perhaps the best thing is to start simply replacing it with entirely new systems.
As to Arlen Spector: His “conversion” is purely and simply a political move. He himself said that he knew he could not get re-elected as a Republican, and he wanted to get re-elected–pure politics. And there is an up-side: It gives the Democratic Senate one more vote it may need.
As to the Republicans; Haven’t we played this type of game before? I remember a time when (which group was it escapes me now, but I think it may have been the Democrats?? but maybe it was the Republicans then too) the Deep South was what might be called a consolidated political party in its own right (which it is fast becoming now).
I say: This too shall pass. Give “it” some few years and the solid conservative Republicans will see the corner they are painting themselves into. Just another political blip on the screen as far as I’m concerned.
As to twitter: I must say I’m glad to hear that people “quit within one month.” I tend to think that this whole “twitter thing” is the result of people wanting very simple answers to complex questions and not wanting to have to think through the complexity of the problems the country has. Remind you of any recent prez? Another place one finds this kind of thinking is the conservative religious right–just “believe” this or that and all will be well; whatever you do, don’t ask questions about the religious beliefs propounded. And this applies to ALL religions; I do not single out any specific one. Sorry, asking questions is simply an inevitable human thing.
And lastly as to the swine flu: I am reminded of the 1940s when we kids were kept inside the house for the entire month of August (with no AC) when polio was rampant. I can still hear my mother: Oh, no, you can’t go to the show (movies); oh, no, you can’t go out; oh, no, you have to stay home because you could get polio.
I must say I do have the impression (from the politicians who held a press conference yesterday in Chicago) that the politicians are very much in the “CYA” mode. They are very much concerned that they not be perceived as not “doing enough” should there be any real spread of the flu.
As to precautions: OK, close the schools; school days can be made up and such precautions are about the same as my mother keeping us inside the house in August when polio was about. But the sky is not falling. For the most part “simple” precautions (that people should be practicing anyway–covering their face when they cough/sneeze, washing hands often, etc.) will go a long way to protect people. We are not in the Middle Ages when the plague killed whole populations; our scientific knowledge is worlds advanced from the 1300s/1400s.
MCS
Comment by MCS — April 30, 2009 @ 11:47 am
Jim,
I agree that there is a need for the gov’t to promote scientific research. But I have to admit that sometimes I wonder if at least a little more emphasis might be put on the “reading and writing” aspect of education. Too many people nowadays cannot write a coherent sentence, much less a coherent paragraph (to say nothing of spelling). Do people even know what paragraphs are any more?
And I’m also glad about the “train network.” Our infrastructure has been neglected so long that it is simply falling apart. Perhaps the best thing is to start simply replacing it with entirely new systems.
As to Arlen Spector: His “conversion” is purely and simply a political move. He himself said that he knew he could not get re-elected as a Republican, and he wanted to get re-elected–pure politics. And there is an up-side: It gives the Democratic Senate one more vote it may need.
As to the Republicans; Haven’t we played this type of game before? I remember a time when (which group was it escapes me now, but I think it may have been the Democrats?? but maybe it was the Republicans then too) the Deep South was what might be called a consolidated political party in its own right (which it is fast becoming now).
I say: This too shall pass. Give “it” some few years and the solid conservative Republicans will see the corner they are painting themselves into. Just another political blip on the screen as far as I’m concerned.
As to twitter: I must say I’m glad to hear that people “quit within one month.” I tend to think that this whole “twitter thing” is the result of people wanting very simple answers to complex questions and not wanting to have to think through the complexity of the problems the country has. Remind you of any recent prez? Another place one finds this kind of thinking is the conservative religious right–just “believe” this or that and all will be well; whatever you do, don’t ask questions about the religious beliefs propounded. And this applies to ALL religions; I do not single out any specific one. Sorry, asking questions is simply an inevitable human thing.
And lastly as to the swine flu: I am reminded of the 1940s when we kids were kept inside the house for the entire month of August (with no AC) when polio was rampant. I can still hear my mother: Oh, no, you can’t go to the show (movies); oh, no, you can’t go out; oh, no, you have to stay home because you could get polio.
I must say I do have the impression (from the politicians who held a press conference yesterday in Chicago) that the politicians are very much in the “CYA” mode. They are very much concerned that they not be perceived as not “doing enough” should there be any real spread of the flu.
As to precautions: OK, close the schools; school days can be made up and such precautions are about the same as my mother keeping us inside the house in August when polio was about. But the sky is not falling. For the most part “simple” precautions (that people should be practicing anyway–covering their face when they cough/sneeze, washing hands often, etc.) will go a long way to protect people. We are not in the Middle Ages when the plague killed whole populations; our scientific knowledge is worlds advanced from the 1300s/1400s.
MCS
Comment by MCS — April 30, 2009 @ 11:47 am