There are so may reasons to welcome 2008 - My kids graduate from the terrible eights (isn't that a well known difficult year?), there is a new season of The L Word starting and our website -- www.OurChart.com -- is doing great, the Democrats in Congress will focus on election year successes and that means that they will pass more progressive legislation, I will turn 50, and the Sex and the City movie will be released.
But it all pales in comparison to the overwhelming relief that this is George Bush's final year in office. Sure lots of damage can be done in a year. But suddenly every time he lays out a frighteningly bad policy or plan that requires time and support to implement, the odds grow that he will be stalled and blocked. And the time will blessedly trickle away on his tenure.
The last time I felt this way about a President it was Ronald Reagan. And that was because he let my friends die for seven years before he would utter the words AIDS or HIV. George Bush has his head in some equal sand. His veneer of compassionate conservatism was shattered long ago. He moves through each day ignoring the plight of Americans here and our service members abroad. As Hillary Clinton says so well, people with needs in this country today are invisible to George Bush. He won't soon be forgotten though. Because he has left a lot of damage in his wake. Damage that won't be easy to clean up. Damage in the Middle East, in our Supreme Court, in the environment, in our energy policy, in our education policy, and on and on.
But 2008 is the year we get started...again.
Follow Hilary Rosen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hilaryr
As you probably know, Ms. Rosen was the longtime Chairman/CEO of the RIAA. Yes, THOSE people:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/30/riaa-says-no-to-transferr_n_78798.html
And Hillary Clinton has no intention of fixing the draconian DMCA that Ms. Rosen crafted. Moreover, HRC's solutions for technology infrastructure are bigger tax breaks for gigantic corporations (corporate welfare).
http://www.news.com/Technology-Voters-Guide-Hillary-Clinton/2100-1028_3-6224039.html?tag=item
Also, it should be pointed out that, while HRC theoretically opposes amnesty for AT&T wiretapping, her husband's administration cut deals with AT&T to place the infamous Big Brother "Clipper Chip" in their telecommunications products in exchange for lucrative government contracts.
Corporatists stick together.
With all of the shenanigans of the current administration, it's hard to imagine the country not moving to the left, but of course I could be wrong.
See wexlerwantshearings.com
Russia and China, who were both desperate to stay in American good graces, gave up and formed a military alliance against American encroachment in their 'hood.
EU counties, long dependent on American military protection are actively building their military and economic power and drifting out of American sphere of influence.
South/Central America is lost. Ortega's return to power is a primary symbol of that trend.
Ironically, those who decry American global domination should be very happy with havoc Cheney/Bush wrought on American domination of the world.
Also a fan of L-Word here.
cape and come at your beck and call? No.
If you're a bona-fide american, or Murkin,
then YOU are part of 'the government'. So,
if your primary beef is that 'the government'
is doing thus-and-such, so-and-so, or NOT
doing, as the case may be, run over and look
real real hard in the mirror to find the first
person to blame. Knee-jerk rock-throwing at
political jerks in suits is kind of satisfying,
but also counterproductive.
Middle east, you say? Ok, first reform step
THERE is to stop sending them money and
trying to influence all those countries. Let
them figure it out for themselves. There's
a war Over There because some of these policy
peeps can't well leave well enough alone.
Oh, and Billary? She wants to hand out other
people's money, pre-debt other people's kids
to apply band-aids hither and yon and give
speeches. If she was SERIOUS about helping
people, then she'd put out a book, How To Stand
Up And Help Your Dang Self, something like that,
because that's the Most Powerful help that there
is, when you teach someone to do for themselves.
At that point, they need no further assistance,
you've helped em for life for pennies on the
dollar. Philosophy. It's something we need to
work on both here at home and abroad, 'do for
yourself'. And don't just beg 'the government'
for more money, because what you're REALLY
doing is screwing someone else, taking food
out of THEIR kids' mouths to line your own
pockets or finance this or that overseas debacle
or somesuch other.
Wanna help EVERYBODY? Balance that budget.
Publish that book. Get people to stop and think
before they take that Visa card out of their
wallets. That's REAL help. The rest of it is
a RACKET. Help yourself, and you don't need
the racket. No HELPRACKET. No debt, either.
That just ROCKS. Happy new year!