Afghans Plan to Stop Recruiting Children as Police – NYTimes.com

Just read the first few paragraphs in this article to get a sense of what we are up against in Afghanistan. Wow. And we thought Chris Hansen of NBC was the only one exposing pedophiles….

Afghans Plan to Stop Recruiting Children as Police – NYTimes.com.

While the U.S. Plays Chess, China Go(es)?

When someone places Fareed Zakaria and Henry Kissinger in the same room and turns on the video recorder, you are bound to hear something unique and intriguing. Anyone paying attention to the news lately heard that China’s President Hu Jintao recently visited the United States, making stops in Washington, DC, and the great City of Chicago.

With all of the news coverage (and endless comments about Michelle Obama’s striking red dress) we heard much about the strained relations between both countries. China has grown increasingly active in their neck-of-the-woods, and has been more vocal about their criticisms towards the United States. This more assertive posture has caught many a diplomat’s attention, and has certainly raised a few eyebrows over at the Pentagon. Making news with a fighter jet with purported stealth capabilities will do that, especially when our defense chief is visiting. Although we know very little about its technical specifications, China merely exposing the potential for stealth warfare gets everyone excited. Coupled with their actions across Asia, many are worried and concerned about China’s intentions.

On top of that, of course, are the never-ending stories about how much smarter the Chinese students supposedly are when compared to the American educated class. No doubt, with 1.1+ billion humans in China, there are going to be quite a few smart people. It should be noted that many of those Chinese students still travel to the United States for higher education.

Now, let’s not even get started on the economy – with the U.S. suffering its worst economic downturn in 70 years, and China continuing to outperform many countries, some commentators would have you believe that we will soon be speaking Chinese and buying our Starbucks lattes in yuans.

But really, this post is not about the strained relations, the economic comparisons, and the educational demise of anyone. It’s about a step towards possibly understanding the Chinese, rather than thinking that they are out to get you at every turn.

So, what about Kissinger? And what about chess? When asked by Mr. Zakaria if the Chinese were decidedly “better” than the United States, Mr. Kissinger simply said they are “different.” How so?

In the United States, we favor chess; in China they favor an ancient game called Go. Huh? According to Mr. Kissinger – an esteemed China scholar and someone who has studied China most of his adult life – it comes down to board games?

Of course, not exactly just about board games, but he raises an interesting perspective. It’s one opinion for sure, but Mr. Kissinger’s comparison does give you something to think about, and potentially to better understand the Chinese when it comes to foreign affairs. He is not suggesting that Go is better than chess, or that Go players are smarter than chess players. He is just simply saying that they are different games, and those differences help elucidate an aspect of Chinese relations.

Both games are clearly higher-level thinking games (unlike, say, beer-pong), and rely on some specific rules for game play, but there are some stark differences to which Mr. Kissinger refers when using Go to explain Chinese diplomacy.

Chess: mainly tactical game, with fixed set of pieces defined by specific rules of movement. Object of the game is to beat down your opponent and destroy all of his (or her) pieces. You win by taking over and destroying.

Go: more strategic in nature, with thousands of more variations than a game of chess because the number of pieces is not fixed, and each turn introduces more pieces to the game board. Also, the object of the game is not to destroy, but to encircle your opponent and capture more territory. There is still a winner and a loser, but it is a more subtle and complex end-game.

In terms of complexity and mathematical possibilities for each move, Go far surpasses chess. It is one of the primary reasons that a computer system has been able to beat arguably the greatest chess player in the world , whereas computer programs have a much more difficult hill to climb against Go players.

Mr. Kissinger’s comparison gives some food for thought.

For some additional thoughts, albeit a little more dramatic in a History Channel sort-of-way, this video positions an interesting contrast between chess and Go in the context of the Vietnam War:

A bit ironic since it was Mr. Kissinger who – seeing no hope for the U.S. in Vietnam – negotiated the end-game with his Asian counterparts. Just some things to think about when eating your next batch of Chinese food!

Bachmann Overdrive

So, let’s ask Ms. Bachmann how much she is spending of the government’s money to deliver this speech. The fact that the Republican majority in the House is allowing this to happen speaks to their complete and utter subservience to this fringe movement. This is just pathetic, and a complete show of disrespect to our President and her own party. Maybe Sarah Palin can write a rebuttal to Ms. Bachmann’s rebuttal?

Bachmann’s Response Will Push Tea Party Goals – NYTimes.com.

Some next-day reflections on Ms. Bachmann’s speech:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/tv-watch-michele-bachmanns-rogue-rebuttal-defies-unity-theme/?hp

Despite searching for ten minutes I could not locate any commentary on Ms. Bachmann’s speech on Fox News website (www.foxnews.com), only the video of the speech itself. Hmmm.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41262130/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/24/michele-bachmann-state-of-the-union_n_813362.html

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2011/1/23/bachmann-state-of-the-union-response-shows-gop-message-problem.html?s_cid=rss:robert-schlesinger:bachmann-state-of-the-union-response-shows-gop-message-problem

Chicago Politics – The Song Remains the Same

Ok, so I only live in the suburbs of one of the greatest cities on the planet. I do not pay city taxes – not even Cook County taxes (DuPage and Will Counties), and I have not ridden the El train regularly since 1991. However, I grew up in the Chicagoland area, live there now, and did live in the City of Chicago at one point earlier in my life. Even as a teacher back in the 1990s I assigned my high school students a project to locate a statue somewhere in the city and to write a short report about it. I compelled them to go into the city because so few of the suburban kids had ever been. Wow, did I ever get flak from some parents on that (you mean I need to drive my kid into the city?!?)!

So, needless to say, I do feel that I have the right to comment on issues around the Chicago mayoral race. After all, my evening news is full of Chicago political news, so I should have an interest in who is mayor. So it is clear, my interest lies with having Rahm Emanuel take the helm after the Daley reign. His chief opponents, Carol Moseley Braun and Gary Chico label Mr. Emanuel as “an outsider.” Precisely, and that is why he should lead. While Mr. Emanuel is hardly the “Washington outsider” that Moseley Braun labels him, Mr. Emanuel will bring a cosmopolitan style with him that is backed by significant experience in Washington DC. The last thing we need is some entrenched politico who lives and breathes the ethos of Chicago two-bit politics.

The most lively conspiracy theorists will see today’s appellate court decision as a dark-handed attempt to influence the outcome of the mayoral race and to prevent democracy from working. They may not be far off the mark, but that would be giving too much credit to those who are working to undermine the system. Those seeking to have Emanuel removed from the ballot are not capable enough to engineer such a surprising and arrogant decision as handed down by two of three appellate judges. The dissenting judge’s comments speak volumes (see link, pp. 25 on): “The majority’s new standard is ill-reasoned and unfair to the candidate, voters and those of us who are charged with applying the law [and] disenfranchises not just this particular candidate but every voter in Chicago who would consider voting for him.” Even those seeking Emanuel’s removal from the ballot were surprised by the decision. Bad judicial decisions generally are surprising. Both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times agree.

The good news is that Mr. Emanuel is not quitting. He still plans on participating in an upcoming debate, and he has asked the Illinois Supreme Court for an emergency stay to prevent the printing of ballots without his name. He will fight unfairness with his bare knuckles if he has to. Frankly, that is why he should be mayor.  Hopefully his ongoing efforts will upend the sleazy tactics of those around him. Maybe one day we will get the full story behind this challenge to Mr. Emanuel’s candidacy. In short, it is democratic cowardice, brought upon those who can muster neither the votes not the money to win fairly. Certainly, it was not simply a lawyer and his two clients labeled as “concerned citizens.” Chicago politics are too rough-and-tumble to believe that.

Good Riddance?

To be sure, Keith Olbermann will be back.

Where? Who knows. Who will take him? Would you?

There are likely multiple reasons why MSNBC unceremoniously dumped Mr. Olbermann so suddenly: disagreements with management; Olbermann’s suspension late last year over his political contributions to Democratic candidates; the imminent take-over of NBC Universal by Comcast; even, possibly, that Olbermann’s ratings were in danger of upset by his own popular MSNBC colleagues, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell.

The list could probably go on. Officially, Comcast denies that Mr. Olbermann was dumped due to any of its influence, but it seems too much of a coincidence that the firing occurred so close to the announcement of the US government approval of the merger.

Maybe Mr. Olbermann’s ungracious fall is all related to the recent criticism of the pugilistic and rhetoric-driven nature of “opinion TV,” a negative light brought about by – among other events – Jon Stewart’s recent Rally to Restore Sanity and the horrific events in Tucson. Not likely, but one could hope. Other than the few moments when the hot rhetoric cooled off a bit after Tucson, we fully expect the negativity on the airways to continue and to generate high ratings on network and cable television. In an interesting twist, it was a political contribution to Ms. Giffords that resulted in Mr. Olbermann’s suspension last year.

So, we are left to ruminate and speculate about what happened at MSNBC and what is next for the TV personality. Mr. Olbermann has been prevented from speaking publicly about the ouster, and he has some restrictions as to what he can do next (ala Conan O’Brien deal with NBC).

Despite the tone of my earlier post about MSNBC, there was value to having Mr. Olbermann spouting his view on television every night. My whole point was that MSNBC should not pretend that they are too much different from Fox News. Just as the conservatives, Tea Partiers and other assorted characters need their daily dose of Hannity, Beck and Palin, it is important for the Left to have its own fighters and opinion-hawkers. MSNBC provided a strong balance. While CNN is often accused of being in service to the Left, their valiant – but unsuccessful – attempt to claim the Middle is very clear when you place the three networks together. Just look at the MSNBC line-up – Schultz, Olbermann, Maddow and O’Donnell. Talking about the “Lefty” assault brigade! But that was the whole point, right (or Left)? MSNBC ratings sky-rocketed the more opinionated its programs became. No surprise, reports are that Lawrence O’Donnell will take over the “Countdown” slot for MSNBC with his own program, “The Last Word.” No word yet of any other changes at MSNBC.

So what about Mr. Olbermann? Although he was a necessary defender of all things liberal, he too often came across as arrogant, spiteful and obsessed. Like too many other TV opinion-makers, he focused too many assaults on his competitors in the media. Sometimes it sounded like no more than a fearful rant against people with higher ratings. Every week that went by seemed to have Mr. Olbermann carrying on-and-on about Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity or one of the other Fox News commentators. That turned really old, really quickly. Viewers of Mr. Olbermann’s show already knew the deficiencies of the Fox News line-up; they did not need the constant reminders. True liberal commentary is much better spent on addressing topics of policy, politics and human rights. We want to hear about what the government is or is not doing for the people of this country; not who over at Fox was the most senseless of the bunch. Maybe it helped his ratings, but Mr. Olbermann did a disservice to the liberal agenda by focusing on the people rather than the policies.

Good riddance, yes – but come on back when you are ready to fight the good fight.

Update (1/23/2011): another article on what lead to the divorce from MSNBC…he was apparently a pain in the tuches…what a surprise!

Update (1/24/2011): a blog post that really tries to differentiate MSNBC, specifically Mr. Olbermann, from Fox, specifically Glenn Beck. Even though the post is full of way too many parenthetical comments (really), the blog post is a good one. However, the poster still gives too much credence to the concept that Mr. Olbermann’s were always based on facts and Mr. Beck’s never are based on reality. Both commentators mix truth and opinion too closely together. That said, I would absolutely agree that Mr. Olbermann is no Glenn Beck.

Illinois Wakes Up?? – Part 2

Well, Illinois continues to be at the forefront of the news, albeit the part of the news that you want to avoid. Budget deficit. Crushing debt. Crumbling pension system. Bankruptcy?? The Land of Lincoln, home of the Daleys, the City of Big Shoulders and Caterpillar? Say it ain’t so!

Sadly, it is so.

Two recent articles highlight Illinois’s ongoing issues, as related to my original post:

The deficits will continue, despite the ongoing embarrassment. Granted, the current governor in Illinois is hobbled by years of mismanagement not of his making, but Mr. Quinn will need to continue to look for a long-term solution to our issues. Of course, making that “temporary” tax increase will be the first step. 🙂 It is somewhat relaxing to see that Illinois has had some of the lowest income taxes across the country (see graphic below), so it is about time we caught up?

With a more frightening prospect, we now hear about a movement by which states might be able to claim bankruptcy. Huh? Just so that a state can avoid pension obligations? This would be bringing the worst of corporate culture to an institution (state government) that has long prided itself on being different from a corporation. Any person in the state that is tied to a public pension should begin to worry. Those pensions, while maybe overly generous, have always been a source of stability for state workers. Keep in mind that state pensioners (like teachers) were never obligated to contribute to Social Security precisely because the pension was their retirement nest-egg. If the pension must be adjusted, it should be for state employees entering the system today, not 20 years ago.

[following was posted on Jan 18]

According to a recent editorial in the New York Times, the State of Illinois has “awoken” to its fiscal mess. How so? By raising state income taxes by 66%, and passing a significant increase in the corporate tax. According to the editorial,  Illinois has finally come up with a plan to help reduce its deficits and to close the budget gap. The deficit has been projected to be about $15 billion in the next fiscal year, but the “temporary” tax increase will reduce that deficit by only about $7 billion. Across the nation, Illinois is held up as a major financial basket-case, so something needed to be done. Yes, something needed to be done. Of course, how are we going to close the budget gap even further? More taxes?

Citizens – both private and corporate – are outraged for sure, but the  investors who track the fiscal stability of states see this move as very positive, and trumpet it as a signal of the creditworthiness of Illinois. Wow, how different can be the perspectives of those paying the taxes and those making money by lending even more money to the State?

Of course, nobody believes that this tax increase will be “temporary.” The last time Illinois raised income taxes, in 1989, the increase was supposedly temporary – until 1993 when all was made permanent. So, let’s call a spade a spade...it will be permanent. Granted, taxes had not been raised since the late 1980s, and our taxes remain below some of the states that have criticized our tax increase (New Jersey and Wisconsin). Nevertheless, such an abrupt and large tax raise gets one pretty excited. After all, the lack of tax increases has been easily rectified by the raising of every fee imaginable (multiple times) in Illinois. So, the State has received its fair share even without the income tax. But, what has the Land of Lincoln done with my taxes and fees?

Now, I am the first to support taxation and reasonable state and federal use of those taxes. In fact, I am likely a more strident proponent of taxation than your average American. Aside from all of the inevitable government waste that worries me about the destination of my taxes, I believe strongly that our governments in the United States need sufficient taxation to support the services that we all require. While some need unemployment support and welfare, I need roads, fire, police, schools and the military.

In an effort to make us feel better, the Democrats in the Illinois legislature passed a restriction that will potentially eliminate the tax increase if the state surpasses its self-imposed spending caps. If the budget rises more than 2% per year over the next few years, the State may rescind the tax increase. Sorry, but how come I do not believe this will happen?

But when are the true budget cuts going to happen, and from where are they coming?  The Democrats in the legislature claim that they will make the budget cuts necessary, but can we really expect Michael Madigan to faithfully make that happen? He has been there for too long, and he has overseen this mess as much as the two disgraced former Governors Ryan and Blagojevich.

This State needs leadership. Quinn is not it, and the Republicans have been unable to field a true leader. What will Illinois do?

Goldman Limits Facebook Investment to Foreign Clients – NYTimes.com

I am all for people making a buck, but this was simply a scam to provide the already-wealthy with yet another advantage over everyone else. Good thing the SEC took a look at it…happy my taxes are hard at work at least this time! Of course, now we have to wonder who will represent all of the foreign money that capitalizes on FB’s uber marketing machine….

Goldman Limits Facebook Investment to Foreign Clients – NYTimes.com.

More Nonsense and Non-Sequitors

I almost felt as if it was not worth my time to post anything about the latest news around the Arizona shootings. As stated in a previous post, I made the case that rather than hammering each side about the cause of the event, we ought to be tracking the progress and challenges of Rep. Giffords’s recovery from traumatic brain injury. After all, her recovery will mirror the challenges associated with the recovery of the war wounds of our soldiers. However, as expected, the uncontrollable need for politicians to open their mouths on any issue has inevitably lead to more intellectual nonsense and non-sequitor arguments. The political commentary on the Right and the Left has been quick to show us how shallow is that commentary, and Sarah Palin’s reaction to it was again a reminder about how unprepared she is to be our leader in any sense.

Ms. Palin’s comments are well-known by now, and her use of the term “blood libel” has been roundly criticized. However, a sensible review of the situation leads us to believe that, while her use of the term was ill-advised, Ms. Palin did not commit an outright act of anti-Semitism. Of course, she does not deserve to lead this country, or even a congressional district within it, but she does have the right to voice her opinion. We may not like it, but does she like what we say??  Let the voters decide her fate, and let common sense eventually rule the day. Until then, let’s mourn the dead and hope for a speedy recovery of the wounded.

The less we pay attention to Ms. Palin, the faster she will fade into the ether with her shallow banter and one-track commentary. American history has had plenty of Palins, but they have never been named Jefferson, Lincoln, Grant, Roosevelt, Truman, Reagan or Clinton. She will go away. SO will her bulls-eyes.

Giffords, War, Skiing and Trauma

 

 

This may be a stretch, but sometimes there are connections that can be made across what seem to be pretty disparate situations. While the Left embarrasses itself by immediately pointing fingers at Sarah Palin (they should wait until later), and the Right yet again proves itself unworthy to lead by holding to the belief that conceal/carry laws make us all safer, a woman lies in an Arizona hospital fighting for her life. The fact that she is alive is amazing enough, but the reported story that she was responsive to questions shortly after her surgery is doubly amazing. Or is it? Granted, the injury to Rep. Giffords (D-AZ) was not as devastating as originally thought (early reports had her dead), but her position as a semi-conscious patient speaks to the heroism of many and the hard work of even many more. It also speaks to what our medical community has learned when it comes to such injuries to the head and brain.

That is what needs to be the focus. Medical recovery and rehabilitation. Then, let the politics come back – as indeed they must because there are truly some issues to address in this country’s political debates.  In the meantime, Rep. Giffords’s condition and her road ahead should be an ongoing story so that everyone can better understand what is means to sustain a brain injury, what the medical community can do to address the trauma, and what it will take her to recover. We have a good start here.

That road will not be easy. Recently, a family member of mine was involved in a skiing accident, and he ended up in the trauma center. Upon short order he was then sent to a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehabilitation center. I recently visited this family member at the rehab center, and for those who have seen others in similar circumstances, you will understand that my initial experience was rather disconcerting. Trauma units and rehabilitation hospitals have a way of putting us all in check about what can happen to people when misfortune strikes – whether by accident or human evil. Clearly, even though his injuries were not life threatening, my brother has a long road ahead on the way to some form of recovery. As our family understands more about what will heal our brother, and what challenges he may face, we have learned more and more about the impact of TBI and, to a lesser degree, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

While those terms are a bit scary to hear (it was just a skiing accident, right?), the reality is that these terms are being used more and more in our society to identify the varying afflictions that may arise from traumatic events. We have and will continue to hear about these afflictions related to the shootings in Tucson this past weekend. More often than not, of course, we are hearing this terminology because of the increasing reports about wounded veterans coming home from Iraq or Afghanistan who are having trouble re-integrating with society. That re-integration is made difficult due to either physical or mental wounds, or a combination of both. Typically, our soldiers’ challenges relate to either TBI or PTSD, or both.

To be clear, my brother is pretty lucky. His injuries, while significant, are “minor” compared to what hospitals encounter on a regular basis. While his road will be challenging, he should recover largely to his earlier state. How will Rep. Giffords do? Only time will tell…and it will require her perseverance, strong will, medical care and therapists.

Why all of this? My own experience, and the reports coming out of Tucson, provide an excellent and eye-opening opportunity to reflect on those veterans returning from war. It is not the first time our military has encountered such issues, as the term “shell-shocked” traces its lineage to at least the First World War. However, as the military becomes better at saving wounded soldiers in the field, they are more and more confronted with having to better understand the effects of TBI and PTSD and how to combat them. We have a long way to go before we know how to fully address these issues, but the military has taken great strides to understand the issues and to look for successful remedies and methods to prevent. This effort will help the broader medical community’s to respond to and care for injured patients in these circumstances.

As you hear the stories of medical advances and human resiliency from Tucson and other places, keep in mind what our military families are having to confront on a regular basis. We need to better understand, and we should – if circumstances permit – take an opportunity to reach out and help.

The following program, ABC News’s This Week with Christiane Amanpour, was aired on December 26^th. It provides some good insight into what these soldiers have encountered, and it outlines some of the steps being taken by the military.

While the full program covers many bases, take a few moments to review these two segments (which begin after the annoying ad at the beginning):

• Report by Bob Woodruff on homeless veterans (Woodruff was himself seriously wounded by a road-side bomb in Iraq): segment in video 2:36 – 13:48
• Interview of Army Vice Chief of Staff, Peter Chiarelli: segment 13:49 – 25:00

http://abcnews.go.com/watch/this-week/SH559082/VD55103596/this-week-1226-homeless-veterans

For more information on TBI and its impact, see:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/tbi.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/

[Video below posted on July 27, 2011]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#41302668

Hey Boehner, Change and Evolution are Good

I have to hand it to the wonderful leaders of our newly elected House of Representatives, members of the 112th Congress. In an attempt to somehow remind people of the importance of the Constitution, and seemingly to suggest that earlier Congresses were ignoring it, John Boehner and the Tea Party cabal decided to spend more money and time to read the entire document aloud on the floor of the House. Did anyone listen?

There are many aspects of this charade that were amusing, but what was downright eye-opening was that some of the original Constitution had to be skipped because words had been literally changed due to amendments offered across the years. So, Boehner and his team had to spend the time (and, again, the money) determining specifically which parts of the original text would be ignored so as not to confuse anyone. Could you imagine Representative John Lewis (D-GA), an African-American, reading about “3/5 of a person?”

The irony of this whole mockery is that the very people who most wanted it read aloud – Republicans and Tea Party representatives – would generally be the same people who would argue that we need to stay close to the “original intent” of the Framers of the Constitution. In this way, by reading the Constitution more literally, we could determine the “right thing to do” because the meaning was supposedly fixed and unchanging. “Original intent?” What was the original intent of the 3/5 of a person? Why 3/5?

Note to John Boehner….such was the design of the Founders – amendments could be offered precisely because they could not get it all correct. Since the Framers knew they could not predict everything, and they realized that people change their views, the writers of the Constitution allowed for change and interpretation to occur. So do not make it seem as though reading the document on the floor will somehow inspire your team to do something “right.” You will do what you want…at least the Senate and the President are still awake.

By the way, Mr. Boehner, how much have you spent so far in the 112th Congress?

The “Death Panel” Saga Continues…..

What is so refreshing about all of this is that those who want to have the discussions will….and it is interesting to note that a very similar provision was passed in 2008 with Republican support…..as the world turns……

The Many Lives Of The ‘Death Panel’: http://www.npr.org/132680683

With New Heart Pump, Cheney Slowly Resumes Old Life – NYTimes.com

So, this is just another great story. A thinner Dick Cheney out hunting and rousing up the Republican stalwarts to defeat all-things Obama. Although I do not wish any significant ill-will towards Mr. Cheney, maybe someone can regulate his blood flow with his heart pump so that he gets tired more easily and does not open his mouth as much. Just what we need – Dick Cheney – blathering about what is wrong with the current administration while trying to remind everyone what great things he (and Dubya) did all of those years. But of course, how easily we have forgotten those great things! Interestingly, he will soon visit Texas to enjoy a party hosted by the emir of Kuwait – a party that will celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein from the oil-rich emirate. That ousting was rather spectacular, but what did it gain the world?

Oh, and I would LOVE to hear about expansive insurance coverage that Mr. Cheney receives for all of this medical care – although I do realize that his great service to this nation affords him that more than others. Right?

With New Heart Pump, Cheney Slowly Resumes Old Life – NYTimes.com.