katesthoughts

In response to Sarah

2007-10-21T19:09:36+02:00

So you found me out! I am an American! Not one of the pot-smoking varities from Duluth (which is a beautiful city), but yes "Sarah", you smart arse (that's my fake British coming out again). What kind of a Brit would be writing about Social security and medicare? They have the NHS! Free medical care, well I never. Perhaps if we invested the amount of money we did in Los Alamos, New Mexico to build the A bomb (have a camp with the brightest minds like they did in the days of Oppenheimer) to solve our impending issues, I wouldn't be blogging my American woes on a topic secret British blog. Maybe their teeth aren't pretty, but they are functional.

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title-3172791

2007-10-21T19:03:52+02:00

An item for discussion: Whether humans are meant to explore every part of the world as so many of us enjoy, or whether we are exploiting resources and going places people were not meant to be? I love SCUBA, hiking etc and my good friend just argued with me about my swim next to this little guy in the Atlantic off the Mexican coast. He raises a legitimate concern, but I think those of us that experience nature in the raw are more inclined to realize its value and protect it.

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Alan Greenspan's new book

2007-10-15T20:33:33+02:00

Last night I went out with a few friends, two are Mexican citizens here on worker visas. We saw some Blues, and talked about the shortcomings of the Mexican government. I asked them to explain to me why so many Mexican people want to come to the US. Mauricio said it was because the Mexican government taxes so much on certain goods. I asked if he thought that was because instead of having a totally free-market economy, government intervenes with price controls and VATs like Europe and keeps things from actually reaching a medium between supply and demand curves. He thought it was pure capitalism, but it seemed to me to be more socialistic. I've just started Greenspan's new book.
It seems to ethically advocate for capitalism and free markets as a solution to raising the standard of living for everyone. I go back and forth on how to solve poverty, lack of effective insurance and education.
Some of my friends and I were talking about how little Americans know of their history and world history. I don't think as many Americans our age would be such hardcore socialist advocates if they seriously considered the 23-50 million starved to death under Stalin, or similar executions and starvation under Mao.
That said, some state intervention policies have worked, even in the US, like those from FDR's new deal. I don't know the solutions to the problems our generation will face with Social Security and Medicare, but I'm looking forward to reading Greenspan's proposals of what looks to be ethical capitalism.
I think Americans live in a very polarizing society currently. I studied there 2 years. You are conservative, you must love Bush and all that is evil. You are liberal, you must be pro-choice vegan.
Plenty of liberals care more about the working class than testing rabbits with shampoo. Plenty of conservatives actually can't stand Bush and his liberal like policies of state controlled education standards and spending money like a rock star. I agree with Greenspan that ultimately, the majority of human beings have underlying ethical rationales for why they choose their dogmas. Maybe focusing on what underlying beliefs bring us together as a global community will provide a respectful dialogue to solve future problems.

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