Economy disappoints voters

The stock market is at record highs and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent last month, but exit polls from the recent mid-term election indicate voters have a negative view of the condition of the economy and the direction of the country.  Nearly half think life will be worse for the next generation.

The dichotomy can be explained, at least in part, by the need for more anti-poverty entitlements, a decline in labor participation (those who have given up looking for work), the predominance of part-time work in the jobs that have been created since the Great Recession, and by a growing income gap and more pronounced wealth gap that began opening in 1989 and continues to the present.

Mid-Term Election Opportunties

Republicans won federal and state elections last evening in a landslide.   Control of the U.S. Senate will shift to the Republicans in January.  The Republican majority in the House of Representatives will expand by at least a dozen.  Thirty-one of fifty states will have Republican governors.

Even Massachusetts elected a Republican, Charlie Baker, as its governor. Though the bluest of blue states retained a 100% Democrat congressional delegation that will have little influence in the 114th Congress.

Vote for "Balance of Power"

In the next few weeks ballots will be cast to elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.  This election is vitally important to the “balance of power” principle established at the founding of the nation.  This may seem alarmist to some, but there is clear and convincing evidence of a shift in power to the executive branch of the federal government in recent decades that has accelerated and broadened with each successive administration.

Executive power expansion is enabled by the failure of congress to assert its authority.  A modern shift in congressional loyalty from the institutions of the House of Representatives and Senate to political party has permitted an uncontested expansion of executive power.  In the past, the congress, in a bipartisan manner, rabidly defended its constitutional authority and prerogatives from encroachment by the executive branch.

Moonbats and haters no more

Most people over the age of 30 get nostalgic for a time gone by – more so with increasing age. Human beings tend to remember the good and forget the bad.   But is the longing for a time gone by just nostalgic sentiment and affection for happier times or were things really better?  Like most things the answer is mixed.  Much in our lives has improved in the last half century.  But it is clear that a major shift in social relationships is underway that is decreasing civic engagement and negatively influencing political discourse.

In 2000 Robert D. Putnam provided an excellent description of the decline of “social capital” in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.  Bowling Alone documents the decline of social engagement and civic life in traditional community groups such as churches, Elks Clubs, PTAs, and bowling leagues.  The precise cause of the decline is not clear, but it appears generational shifts, social upheaval, and increasingly technology, are major contributors.

The president and his family are not safe

I took the time today to watch the full 3.5 hour House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the failure of the Secret Service to stop Omar Gonzalez from entering the White House on September 19, 2014.  Secret Service Director Julia Pierson was the primary witness.

The take away from this hearing is that the Secret Service is not prepared to protect the President of the United States and his family.

It was clear that the Secret Service is headed by a bureaucrat. It needs a hard nose field agent who will take whatever action is necessary to protect the president and his family and suffer no fools in the pursuit of duty.  Director Pierson should be immediately fired.

Muslims must defeat the jihadi ideology

President Obama last week outlined his plan to “degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.”  Obama contends ISIL poses a threat to U.S. citizens and interests in the Middle East.   If left unchecked he said the group could pose a threat outside the region, including the U.S., but ISIL does not yet pose a clear and present danger.  Under the doctrine of preemption established by President G.W. Bush, and followed by President Obama, the U.S. will take limited action against ISIL to prevent its further development as a threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East and the U.S. homeland.

The details of Obama’s plan and the participation levels of coalition members will be sorted out in the coming days and weeks.  The announced total complement of U.S. military personnel in Iraq will immediately rise to about 1,500.  No U.S. ground maneuver units (e.g. combat brigades and divisions) will deploy.  The plan calls for Iraqi forces and Syrian rebels to take the ground battle to ISIL under an air umbrella provided by the U.S.  The ground component requires much greater clarification as it is fraught with complexity and risk.

Remember those who fight and die

On Wednesday evening President Barack Obama presented his plan to address the growing strength of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).   The President was under considerable pressure to do something about ISIL.  Public opinion polling following the beheadings of two Americans by ISIL indicated growing public support for action.  Congressional leaders appear to support the effort.

An additional 475 military personnel will join over 1100 personnel already in Iraq.  If the past is any indicator that number will grow.  Navy F/A-18 and Air Force F-15 and F-16 aircrews have conducted 154 missions against ISIL thus far.  U.S. special-forces are deployed with Iraqi and Kurdish forces to provide intelligence, coordination, and targeting assistance according to press reports. 

   

There is a great divide between the men and women serving in our military and those who make decisions about placing them in harm’s way.  The President met with congressional leaders on Tuesday to seek their support for his actions against ISIL.  Neither the President nor the congressional leaders are veterans.