Current Political Issues

BP pays $20 Billion in Oil Relief

I recently was reading an article about BP's move to pay $20 billion dollars towards the oil spill. This is definitely a step in the right direction. I'm happy to see that, for the first time, the company is taking more responsibility for this disaster. Even though $20 billion dollars is a lot of money, that is only a small fraction of what it is going to take to mend this situation. It's easy to through money at a problem when you're a large corporation, but the actions they take with these funds will truly define the company's ability to eventually fix the mess they created.

Hair, Sex, and Politics

Hair, Sex, and Politics

A good head of hair is a basic requirement for holding political office today. Some 75% of men lose their hair as they age, but the last time we had a bald president was over half a century ago. It's no coincidence that as TV came onto the American scene, being an old bald politician went out of style. Ike, a.k.a President Eisenhower, may very well be the last badass bald guy that gets to be president. But why is this? Are we really that shallow as a nation?

The Government Needs to Further Inspire the Public to Act on the Oil Spill

With the major environmental disaster that our country is facing, it would be nice to see some further ambition by the Federal government to motivate the public. After seeing Obama's positive rhetoric during his campaign, I wonder what happened to that enthusiasm to motivate the people in the country around a common cause.

The English House of Commons is Hysterical

Watch from 12 min to 14 min:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/217662

Fort Hood Shootings. What's your take?

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the incident at Fort Hood, and I was curious what people's thoughts are. There are a lot of factors at play including his ethnic background, military rank, position as base psychiatrist, and his impending deployment overseas. Also, the mass media frenzy complicates the issue further by diminishing the possibility of a fair trial. Additionally, since this incident took place on a military base, should this case not be a matter of military justice? What punishment would be fitting of this crime?

What to do in Afghanistan

As the War in Afghanistan continues to drag on, I wonder what we should be doing to bring it to an end. There is talk for a surge in troops, which was pretty effective in Iraq, but will that same strategy work in Afghanistan? I've heard in recent reports that the Taliban has been expanding and actually recruiting more members. For an average Afghan it's actually is a pretty good option to join the Taliban, because in many cases it's either that or die. Since the US has not been able to push down the Taliban's influence it may be beneficial to bring in more troops.

Afghanistan + Iran = Draft

They are calling for more troops in Afghanistan, and the likelihood of a military conflict with Iran continues to increase. It is my understanding that our military is already stretched to the max. With the potential of tens of thousands of troops going to Afghanistan, and the likelihood of diplomacy breaking down with Iran as they near a nuclear weapon, where are they going to get the troops to carry these new burdens?

If our foreign affairs continue down this path, I don't see how the government can avoid a draft. And this time I'm pretty sure they might be drafting women too :(

Abortion

I am not in favor of abortion, but there are some circumstances where it is okay. I know it is currently legal, but when people argue and say it shouldn't be legal are wrong.

Gay Marriage

Gay marriage should not be legal, because marriage should not be legal... In this country there is a mandate for separation of church and state. So why then is marriage, a religious institution, also a legal one? It cannot legally be both.

Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in

Sonia Sotomayor was recently sworn in without having to deal with united Republican opposition.