Lincoln's Grave Warning Realized

...a letter from President Abraham Lincoln to William F Elkins on 21 November 1864:

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country...corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

Our American Objectives

"Our national goals must be to rejuvenate the domestic economy; transfer the economic basis of our nation from consumptive to productive; recapitalize education and the technologies industries; achieve complete energy independence; move towards renewable energy sources;
restore public confidence in the government's ability to undertake large national infrastructure projects, and re-assert its right to set goals and policies to ensure those projects proceed smoothly; define the overarching standards for a reconstructed America including a federal review of the building and planning codes now in use, and probably the writing of new mandates that set out 21st-century standards and priorities for energy use, urban and transportation planning, and environmental design, which once put into law and accepted into general use, will be very difficult to change; commit funding for a massive 10- or 20-year program that will upgrade or replace failing components of America's infrastructure as the nation is broke (as it was in FDR's day) and this kind of spending needs to be seen as the long-term investment in our economic future that it is; restore a fair, honest, broad-based system of public contracting that will put large numbers of Americans to work on these new projects (and write the new rules in a way that ensures that the firms doing the most innovative work don't have to compete with unfair behemoth corporations like Halliburton and Lockheed for the lion's share of the funding) so that once there is a healthy, competitive construction industry that knows how to build sustainable projects—and is relying on the government to keep it in business—we will get a political constituency that will fight to ensure that the rebuilding will continue for the next several decades, regardless of what political party is in power; use the forces of globalization and information to strengthen and expand existing democratic alliances and created new ones; employ these alliances to destroy terrorist networks and establish new international security structures; lead, through our historic principles, on international cooperative efforts in spreading economic opportunity and democratic liberties, nation building, counter-prolification, and optimum environmental protection and safeguards; and cherish, honor, and protect our history and traditions of liberty and freedoms domestically particularly with respect to the Bill of Rights."

"The renewed social contract for America with its middle class and poor must:
  • Raise the minimum wage still higher and on a regular basis. It has fallen far behind increases in inflation since the 1970s, and that affects higher level wages as well.
  • Encourage living-wage programs by local governments. Governments can demand that their contractors and suppliers pay well above the minimum wage. There is substantial evidence that this does not result in an undue loss of jobs.
  • Enforce the labor laws vigilantly. Minimum-wage and maximum-hour laws are violated to a stunning degree. American workers shouldn't be forced by their employers to understate the number of hours worked or be locked in the warehouse so they can't leave on time. Workers often make only $2 and $3 an hour.
  • Unions are not seeking a free pass to organize secretly when they advocate for open check-offs on cards to approve of a union vote. They are seeking to organize without persistent and often illegal management interference. Penalties for illegally deterring such organizing are so light, it makes little sense for management not to pursue strategies to stop organizing even at the cost of prosecution.
  • Request that trading partners develop serious environmental standards and worker-protection laws. This is good for them, bringing a progressive revolution and a robust domestic market to their countries. It is good for America, which will be able to compete on a more level playing field.
  • Demand that the president, governors and mayors speak up about unconscionable executive salaries and low wages. The influence from the top cannot be underestimated. A president who looks the other way sends a strong signal to business. A president who demands responsible treatment of workers will get a response. Business does not like such attention.
  • These measures should be accompanied by serious investment in modernized infrastructure and energy alternatives, which can create millions of domestic jobs that pay good salaries. It should also be accompanied by a policy that supports a lower dollar -- contrary to Rubinomics -- in order to stimulate manufacturing exports again. Accomplishing this may require a new system of semi-fixed currencies across the globe. The unabashed high-dollar policy of the past twenty years has led to imbalances around the world that have contributed fundamentally to US overindebtedness.
  • And finally, the nation needs more balance on the part of the Federal Reserve between subduing inflation and creating jobs. Americans can live with inflation above 2 percent a year. There is no academic evidence to support a 2 percent annual target, although the Fed has made this its informal target."

Monetary Cost of Iraq War

27 October 2008

Latest Election '08 Outlook

The 2008 General Elections are now but a little more than a week away. Trends that have been in place since mid - September continue as all polling and analysis show a clear and convincing Barack Obama victory over John McCain next Tuesday night. The Electoral College will likely go to Obama by a better than 2 - 1 margin, and a 3-1 margin with an excess of 400 electoral votes for Obama is now more than a possibility.
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It now is certain all nineteen states (and the District of Columbia) that were in the John Kerry column in 2004 will even more strongly support Senator Obama. But quite a few states that supported George Bush in '04 will be switching to Obama. These states that are now viewed as switching are VA, NC, FL, OH, IA, MO, CO, NM, and NV. Other states that may switch to Democratic this election include IN, WV, GA, MS, AR, MT, ND, and SD. In addition, states like TX, LA, and even Senator McCain's home state of AZ are not totally out of the question of switching over to the Democrat side. McCain will win the states of ID, UT, WY, NE, KS, OK, AL, SC, TN, and KY without question. Worst case scenario for McCain would be an electoral landslide defeat by 469 - 69, but it is strongly likely he will still receive over 100 electoral votes.
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There still remains scenarios where McCain does pull the upset with the ugly specter of racism that may reveal itself when people get down to the final moment and have to make a decision. If enough of these disgusting voters emerge in the key states of NV, CO, IN, OH, MO, VA, NC, and FL to keep these states in the red for Republicans, McCain would squeak out a narrow victory by a 274 - 264 margin. Lose even one of those states and the victory goes to Obama.
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The US Senate races are also strongly trending Democratic. It strongly appears to analysts the Democrats will pick up a minimum of eight seats (AK. OR, CO, NM, NH, VA, NC, and MN) for a vastly expanded 59 - 41 margin which includes the two independents in VT and CT that caucus with the Democrats. Contests for Senate seats are also strongly in play in four other states (MS, GA, KY, and TX), but the GOP incumbent is likely to retain the seat in each case. And upsets, although strongly improbable, are still possible in ME and NE. But the overall direction is strongly Democratic across the nation and history shows once unimaginable and still improbable upsets are likely to occur in at least a few of these six states. In 1980, in a similar sea change election like this one is going to be, twelve Democratic incumbents were ousted from the US Senate. 1920, 1932, and 1948 were similar elections. A Senate with 60 - 62 Democrats would not be surprising.
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The US House appears to be on track for a gain of 25 seats for the Democrats with estimates ranging from the low 20s on the bottom side to perhaps as many as 33 seats on the top end of analysis. Once again, history shows upsets will happen as the trends are working strongly against Republicans this election; a gain for the Democrats that exceeds 35 and even nears 40 would not be a shock. In 1980 the GOP picked up 34 seats in the House. 1904, 1912, 1920, 1932, 1948, and 1964 were also elections with long presidential coattails. A US House of Representatives that is seated in 2009 that nears a 2 - 1 margin for Democrats is a distinct possibility.
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There will be eleven states that are holding elections for a governor next Tuesday. Six of the seats are currently held by Democrats and five by Republicans. The Republicans figure to hold on to seats in ND, UT, VT, and IN. Democrats are viewed as keeping seats in WA, NC, DE, MT, NH, and WV. There looks to be a switch in MO with the retirement of Republican Matt Blunt to a Democrat with Jay Nixon, the former Missouri Attorney General, viewed as likely to win the guberanatorial race in The Show Me State. Upsets are possible for Democrats in VT and IN, but unlikely. The GOP is hoping for upsets in WA and NC.
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There are many ballot issues on a number of states across the nation in this election. Some are of great controversy, such as the homosexual marriage issues in California, Florida, and Arizona; and labor and worker issues in Colorado. Setting limitations on abortion are on the ballot in CA, CO, and SD. Anti-affirmative action measures are on ballots in CO and NE; immigration questions are up for consideration in MO, KS, and OR; and ballot choices concerning campaign finance reform are to be made in AR, CO, OR, and SD. A database of all ballot measures can be found here.
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There are a large number of state legislative seats up for election, as there are 7.382 state legislators across the US, although many will not be up for election at this time. Local elections on the county, local, and municipal level are also being held, although they are not as numerous during a federal election. Included in these elections will be various officials in executive, legislative, judicial, and administrative positions.
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Eight days until Election Day. Many citizens have already voted using absentee ballots and early voter options, including this writer. We should have many results starting in about 210 hours from the time this posted is being completed (1:15am MDT, Monday 27 October).
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Posted by "The Cowboy Professor" or "THE Big J !" at 00:21

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