Libertarian Gary Johnson has been overlooked by America, but he deserves to be heard
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| Johnson was the governor of New Mexico 1995-2003. |
Oddly enough, he was never invited to the debates even though he had 2% backing in national polls, the requirement to be invited to the CNN sponsored GOP debate in New Hampshire. The only versions of polls where he did not meet the 2% benchmark were in early polls that included candidates such as Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani, candidates that were not serious in running. It is also interesting that in the past CNN has made exceptions to this 2% rule, most notably in 2007 when allowing Mike Gravel to participate in a similar debate even without the sufficient polling criteria. This all equates to fishy activity in CNN’s headquarters. Other past presidents such as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were polling at 1-2% at the same point in their campaigns. They were also governors of small states and had low national exposure. So why had CNN so obviously prevented Gary Johnson from being invited to the debates?
Johnson is not your average politician for starters. He has very unique ideals that scare away the typical conservative. Ideals such as legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana, ending the wars overseas and taking a neutral stance on gay and lesbian rights. The truth is that the libertarian wing of the Republican Party makes up a significant portion of the party (approximately 20%), but in the two-party system that America has in place, there is no room for a candidate like Gary Johnson to be heard. He has since combated this suppression by running for president on the Libertarian Party’s ticket, seemingly the only option he had left after being shunned by the GOP.
While The LP has grown in recent years and is the third largest party in America with 146 Libertarians currently holding positions in elected office, it has nowhere near the firepower (not to mention monetary power) that either the Democrats or Republicans possess. The LP has the perspective that the government has gone crazy with spending and control over markets. Libertarians argue for freer markets that do not include tax-money being subsidized to wealthy corporations that result from political corruption. Within the last decade, McDonalds was given $1.6 million of tax payers’ money to help advertise Big Macs in Europe. Other examples of this corporate welfare scam are also seen in companies like IBM and GE who have received $1.4 billion and $671 million respectively in recent years. This proliferation of money only makes the rich richer, and wastes the money that hard-working Americans so vehemently earn. The LP also believes that American law enforcement is more or less “out to get you”, spending money that violates personal privacy instead of officers focused on protecting the population. This accompanies ending the War on Drugs that many stereotypical Republican “war hawks” disagree on in fundamental levels. Another possible reason that Johnson was not invited to debates.
To me, Johnson is a clear candidate for presidency based on his track record alone. Johnson started his own construction business to pay his way through college and has since built up that business to over 1,000 employees, and he takes that business sense with him to office. He has simplified New Mexico’s government while creating 20,000 jobs and is only one of four states that have a balanced budget. He has also vetoed 750 bills while governor, the most vetoes than all other governors combined. Johnson shows that he has the courage to stand up to corruption and put America back on track. Needless to say, I know who is getting my vote in the upcoming election.
For more information on Gary Johnson, log on to his website at www.garyjohnson2012.com
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A documentry explains how marijuana can single handily take the economy from rags to riches
Marijuana can be a touchy subject for some, and every election year the question of whether to legalize it in some way rises to conversation. Current legislation holds the substance in a grey area. According to federal law, pot is illegal and held in the same regard as drugs such as cocaine and heroin; drugs that, in my opinion, are much more “hard” and causes the public much more danger than marijuana does. Some states have taken the matter into their own hands however. California and Colorado are examples.
In these two states, weed can be purchased legally at dispensaries that look similar to head shops on the east coast. Colorado has even taken the step to enact an office dedicated to keep the weed sold in shops safe and in-line with the state’s current business procedures. A resident of Colorado and California can go to a doctor and acquire a registry identification card that grants that resident the privilege to purchase weed at a dispensary, weed that costs about half as much compared to the local market (not to mention better quality too). The reason this is allowed to happen is because the entire market and allowed to breathe, and with the government helping instead of preventing, it has allowed for tremendous growth. In a documentary by journalist Christof Putzel named The War on Weed, he clearly shows the economic benefits, among other interesting information. One example was that of a banker from Boulder, Co who was laid off from his firm when the recession hit in 2008. After staying unemployed for close to a year, the ex-banker turned to the marijuana industry and opened up a completely legal dispensary that has been making profit since conception. This Colorado resident refers to the industry as “recession-proof” and said that many people were taking refuge within this industry during the meager economic conditions.
The documentary also pointed out the difference in the handling of marijuana on the west coast compared to the east coast within the U.S. The show starts off with the Putzel actually acquiring an ID card from a licensed doctor, purchasing the “medicine”, and taking it with him through airport security, landing in Seattle, Wa. In Seattle, the view on weed is extremely relaxed and police officers will not stop (let alone arrest) people smoking weed in public places. There was even a festival called Hempfest (www.hempfest.org) that had the mayor as one of the guest speakers, endorsing marijuana! He is one of the many politicians on the west coast actively trying to legalize pot as fully as possible.
Putzel then travels to New York City where the scene could not be more opposite. Cops regularly perform Stop and Searches (primarily on African-Americans and Latinos) without warrants and without reason. Numerous videos have come to light from people such as AllThingsHarlem and NYCResistance, using pseudonyms in order to protect their identities, have broadcasted the illegal action of police officers to reach into the pockets of these people and arresting them for possession. The law of the land clearly protects this kind of action from happening. People were being forced to pay thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees for under a gram of weed in their pockets. Compared to the relaxed view of west coast officers, it really is ridiculous.
From all the benefits that weed presents, primarily its use as medicine within society and the economic positive affects it can have on a glum economy; I see reason for marijuana to be legal, or at least decriminalized to some degree. I believe the majority of society would agree. When Alcohol was placed under prohibition in the 30’s, an intense black market erupted causing tremendous more violence than if alcohol was legal, not to mention the economic strain placed on the economy (i.e. the Great Depression). Weed is in an extremely similar position currently. A huge black market is in place because of its illegality, and violence is a part of that. We are also in a recession, a recession that we could snap out of tomorrow with the appropriate legislation. This is an issue that not all Americans will ever agree on, but a significant amount of Americans do. So I urge policy makers to rethink the usual strategy of weed and do what the people want: legalize it.
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Is technology helping or hurting the development of society?
Technological advances are generally a topic that is viewed with positive light throughout the population. Some People are naïve enough to think that advancements in technology only benefit society, whether that be by increasing efficiency or just by making life generally easier. There are many cases throughout history that refute this point though. Take war as a general example. Because of it, weapons capable of incredible destruction resulted as a result. Nuclear weapons being one of them that comes to mind first and the moral use of them, not to mention the cold war which could have ended humanity as we know it.
In recent history, we see the advent of personal computers, the internet, cell phones and now, smart phones. Phones that, in my opinion, limits the need for higher education. Any information not known can be summoned practically instantaneously (depending on 3G or 4G service of course). Digital notepads, which are being designed to do everything from holding a library to starting the car in the morning, are being marketed so that every man, woman and child must have one or face being trampled in the technological stampede that soon follows.
This kind of technological advancement to the casual observer seems to bring nothing but ease and comfort to society, but I am standing from a slight different perspective. My argument is that technology seems to be moving too fast for the rest of the world to catch up on. I look to the news industry as the primary example for this hypothesis.
Since the internet has taken hold of the news industry in the past twenty years, we see a strange phenomenon that has never happened before in history: people are receiving news updated by the second on a medium that is increasingly becoming more accessible. People are also receiving news from other people rather than from credible news sources for the first time in history. This creates a problem for two main reasons. First, people are not getting the appropriate news at the appropriate time. Twitter is notorious for releasing information before it is verified and confirmed (such as the actual death of Joe Paterno for example). Credible news stations find themselves competing against rumors created by Twitter and fail to keep up. This also forces media outlets to increasingly cut personnel from their staffs because so many people are relying on Twitter and Facebook for news, slowly killing an industry in the process.
Second, since there is such a focus on receiving this “free” news from social media outlets, it consolidates the remaining media outlets into monopolies in order to stay competitive relative to other markets and to maximize shareholders profits. We see two or three people (i.e. Rupert Murdock) control all of the news being released to the public. It does not take an economics professor to see the terrible effects this has on society. It not only creates censorship, it puts tremendous power in the hands of the corporations that own these enormous media conglomerates that run the news. This also prevents journalists from executing their primary goal to our society, and that it is to act as the watchdog and prevent corruption such as this from happening.
Unfortunately for the time being, the media industry will not change their ways because the top one percent of these conglomerates are making too much money, even at the expense of their own kind as journalism jobs are far and few between in today’s market. In a time when the recession has most industries at the throat, policy makers need to let these markets breathe and operate on their own accord. That way we can let the markets regulate naturally, rather than passing another bill that adds to the gridlock.
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Why consumption spending is not the answer for the American economy
When looking for cause of the currently slowed economy, it is difficult to put blame on any one specific thing. The housing market seemed to be the cause for the start of the recession as people were buying houses they could not afford based on credit that could not be backed up, but that seems to be the trend among Americans right now.
I am guilty of it just as the next American, but the reality of the situation is that Americans have lost perspective of what a true need is from a true want. Need versus want comes up in a variety of classes especially marketing and economics; however they are viewed slightly differently from each viewpoint. Economists teach need verses want as what markets have a better shot of staying consistent in the long-run. For example, the clothing market will always be somewhat stable because clothing is viewed as a necessity, therefore making it safer to invest in. Marketers take it a step further because they view this necessity as an opportunity to sell more clothing than really necessary. Marketers who do their job well convince consumers that instead of needing to own only two pair of jeans, they really need five. Five pairs of jeans that are “designer” and cost substantially more than what jeans are normally priced at. They create a need. Take cell phones as the next example. By today’s standards, cell phones are a must for everyone from age 13-75, but that was not the case even five years ago. I am only twenty years old and remember a time where pay phones were regularly used. Recent technology development in cellular devices, coupled with strong willed marketers, has created a reality where everyone needs a smart phone. Landline service is still being offered by all major cable companies (including Time Warner who throw in a free DVR device) and is usually offered for around $20 a month, perfect too for anyone making a lot of long distance calls. When it is an additional $30 a month just for the data package provided by Verizon, on top of the regular activation plan, on top of the actual cost of the phone itself (which varies depending on how “smart” a phone wanted). This number climbs well above the standard landline service. So why does so much of society still buy costly smart phones they cannot afford and feel the need to skip out of this immense money saver in a state of recession? Because cell phones are considered more of a necessity rather than a luxury; people think they cannot live without cell phones, when really, cell phone service is not needed at all.
Let’s look at the public sector for our next example, aka the government. According to the 2010 census, local and state governments employ 14,775,679 people with full-time jobs creating a $64,833,576,895 payroll for those jobs. Add in 4,829,604 part-time employees and the $5,591,992,233 payroll that they produce, $70.4 billion of taxpayers' money go right back into the pockets of Americans. This is a staggering number to me, and represents inefficiency within our own government. Remember that this is only state and local government jobs. Curiously enough, there was no data available for the federal side of things. However in a state of history where our debt is over $56 trillion (rising by the second, check it out at usdebtclock.org) it seems we have a bit of an unbalance. The way to survive a recession is to not flood the market with government jobs. This is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. Using taxpayers’ money to create more jobs helps in the short-term, but it takes away from revenue that can be applied to long-term growth. This is one of the many reasons that the debt has raised $10 million just while I was writing this article.
Inefficiency is all around us. Just while driving to Vermont over holiday break for a ski trip, my friends and I noticed that many highways (particularly in New York) had mile markers every tenth of a mile! Even if each sign only costs $20 a pop, that adds up very quickly. Putting mile markers every five miles would save about $1000 for every five mile stretch of highway. Small potatoes I know, but every penny counts when our country seems to be bleeding money from every orifice possible.
Of the $56 trillion of debt we are in, about a third of that is student loans. I myself, along with the majority of students reading this, have some sort of student loans taken out to get through school. While I am thankful for the opportunity this presents, it seems the job market for educated jobs is bloated. Examples of this can be seen in average salaries of blue-collar jobs versus white-collar jobs. A mid-career waste disposal manager makes on average $47,900 while a mid-career high school teacher only makes an average $43,564, a 9% difference. A bricklayer will on average make 8% more than someone who has a Masters in social work, each making average salaries of $44,380 and $40,754 respectively (all statistics as of 2009 from blogs.payscale.com). These examples show that too many people are in college, and there is not enough demand for the current supply of educated jobs. In theory, the market should eventually even out, but when money is so easy to obtain to go to college, why not take advantage? Colleges also take advantage of this as they can up-charge so much for tuition because students are paying with borrowed money, thus reaping the benefits that the current system allows and paying employees essentially with government money being borrowed from the students attending the college. This cycle of using debt to create jobs again works in the short-term, but kills long-term growth.
Essentially, America is sinking because the current system in place does not allow for the markets to self-correct themselves. There are a number of reasons to why this happens, but politicians need to recognize this and start working on solutions in a timely manor.
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Down in Vegas, bookies win or lose thousands of dollars just based on how much a team wins or losses by, not to mention fantasy football which has turned into a major pastime of the American man (and woman) of the 21st century. This week’s Sunday night game featuring the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints was the perfect example of the NFL altering the natural path of the season. On three separate calls the Lions were called for personal fouls that should not have been called. These calls happened at the end of a play where the players were bickering at each other and the referees felt so inclined to pull out the yellow flag, once even when the Lions were on the doorstep to scoring. They had to settle for a field goal. Please do not take my judgment for it, look up the calls and make your own decision, because I found it obscure. This was not the first time Detroit was ostracized from a win either. Last season, week one, Lions v. Bears, Calvin Johnson makes a spectacular TD catch late in the game to win, except, upon further review, Johnson supposedly bobbled the ball to the ground ruling it an incomplete pass. Lions lose; the Bears (a popular team) go on to the NFC championship game. It is all right in front of us folks.
All articles written by the blog editor, Alec Italiano.
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Is the NFL just another exploitation of corporation control in America?
It is no secret that the NFL creates a ton of revenue, somewhere along the lines of $6 billion in just television advertisement alone. Not to mention all the apparel sales and individual endorsement to go along with that. The league has been labeled “entertainment” in numerous court cases, and I agree with this assessment. With all the halftime shows, the fireworks and half naked cheerleaders, the game sucks every last penny it can out of every season. The money is shared equally among owners (and I’m sure the media, just in much more discreet methods), and effectively everyone is made happy, except me. I and the rest of the fans of the NFL are being cheated out by one of the biggest scams ever to develop, and there are many clues to add to the notion that the NFL is fixed at least in some way.
Down in Vegas, bookies win or lose thousands of dollars just based on how much a team wins or losses by, not to mention fantasy football which has turned into a major pastime of the American man (and woman) of the 21st century. This week’s Sunday night game featuring the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints was the perfect example of the NFL altering the natural path of the season. On three separate calls the Lions were called for personal fouls that should not have been called. These calls happened at the end of a play where the players were bickering at each other and the referees felt so inclined to pull out the yellow flag, once even when the Lions were on the doorstep to scoring. They had to settle for a field goal. Please do not take my judgment for it, look up the calls and make your own decision, because I found it obscure. This was not the first time Detroit was ostracized from a win either. Last season, week one, Lions v. Bears, Calvin Johnson makes a spectacular TD catch late in the game to win, except, upon further review, Johnson supposedly bobbled the ball to the ground ruling it an incomplete pass. Lions lose; the Bears (a popular team) go on to the NFC championship game. It is all right in front of us folks.
It is no wonder the NFL altered the rules to protect quarterbacks after what happened to Peyton Manning. Some fluky neck injury happens on some fluky hit, and the best QB in the league is on the sidelines, possibly forever. This is the NFL’s worst nightmare, and what do they do? Call bogus roughing the passer calls all season long to various QB’s but fails to include Michael Vick, whose past does not exactly support the role for an NFL poster boy. That spot is reserved for Mr. Brady.
Look at the bigger picture, the media endorses the entire scam, and profits from it as well. It is entertainment fluff created by the media, for the media. ESPN’s Sportscenter is the apex this claim. They devote hours of airtime talking about drama in the NFL that could be replaced by other sports (god forbid hockey for all those puck heads out there). The most obvious example of this is Brett Favre. Just saying his name and reprinting it on three different jerseys made the NFL enough money to pay off ESPN alone. The NFL has even been compared to a reality show for the amount of drama it creates. This comparison comes from Patriots owner Robert Kraft according to the New York Times, a comparison that I would not call far from the truth.
Being a fan of the Steelers, it is difficult for me to bring up their name in this article, but it is impossible to ignore they are the franchise possibly benefiting the most from the NFL scam. Their 2005 title came conveniently as head coach Bill Cowher and hall of fame running back Jerome Bettis announced their retirement at the conclusion of the season. They beat the Seahawks that year in a very controversial game that Seattle fans have not forgotten. The Steelers are often the beneficiaries of some curious decisions by referees too. My favorite is week seven of last season against the Dolphins where Ben Roethlisberger fumbles the ball at the one yard line and Miami recovers. Except the officials ruled that since replay could not determine who recovered the ball, the Steelers were given the ball back and go on to score the game winning touchdown, even though a Miami player had the ball in his hands at the bottom of the pile. Curious.
There are plenty of other clues that support the NFL scam as well that relate to the nation’s morale. The most classic examples being New Orleans winning the super bowl the year after Katrina devastated the city. Also the Patriots winning the year after 9/11, then two more times in the next three years; coincidence or not, these facts start to make me think.
Teams like Buffalo and Detroit are the biggest victims in this unfair, corrupt system. When they start winning, the NFL losses money, or at least they do in the system currently in place. The NFL needs to let the stories, the action, and the sport occur naturally, or else the entire arrangement is set to collapse on one fatal mistake. The NBA is the next best “entertainment” show on the market, doing their best to make shareholders happy in the face of a lock out. My grandfather, a lifelong Steelers fan and ex-coach of football died believing the NFL is fixed, a claim I always questioned, but have recently began to bring in back into question. It just makes sense.
