In comparison, Hillary would like to also do away with some of the influence lobbyist have on Washington and additionally has introduced common sense policy to make this happen, its incremental, progressive and more importantly it is realistic. I'm looking for real changes not broad, spectacular goals that will not happen but will sound great on the campaign trail.
I don't believe that lobbyist should be completely done away with because they are actually are the power players behind getting important legislation that's been passed.
And yes, I believe that not only does she have an awareness of the details and specifics of the problems but can provide detailed plans on how she would fix things. I thought she did a really good job at this additionally. In the NV debate, Hillary was the only candidate that altogether addressed the economy, broke it down to illustrate what is going on with the economy, truly introduced specific ideas on how to fix the problem and explain what would actually happen if these policies went into effect.
She does this better than Barack and John.
KEVIN
4:31pm Jan 17th
One last thing and then I wish you good luck on the campaign trail...
Why should lobbyists have more influence than the people? Or rather, why should they have so much power to dictate what legislation is passed?
Just because that's how Washington works?
I didn't go through seven years of Bush to just settle for "that's the way things are." I appreciate being realistic but the reality is that with a set of goals supported by truly remarkable vision along with her excellent manager skills for operating such a sweeping reform, she could do anything she wanted in America really. She has the power and connections while Edwards and Obama do not.
I'll vote for her if she is really going to make Washington turn 180 degrees once she gets in office. And right now, I write to you because I am wondering if she really wants to change how things are going. I'm wondering if she thinks making people settle for just a little change and not a lot is good enough given the fact that she could change things so greatly if she had some imagination.
CANDY
6:17pm Jan 17th
I don't think they should have more power, neither do i believe they should stay the same, as they say I don't believe in "that's the way things are". I think their power can be lessoned but not taken away completely. Lobbyist have done good things, it has not all been bad.
As I said before, some of the many big lobbyist have been responsible for legislation that has benefited the American people. The thing is when people say lobbyist you automatically think of drug companies and big oil companies, but there are other lobbyist groups that represent working people, for example their is the Teachers union lobbyist and Emily's list.
I think when it comes to whether you believe she will bring change, you should look at her record. Since being a staffed lawyer working in the Children's Health Fund, then as First Lady in Arkansas working on the Board of Arkansas Hospital helping it expand to the 7th largest in the nation, to when she was First Lady and creating the Women and Violence office and help creating SCHIP the single legislation that has provided 7 million children with Healthcare up to this date. I think that with confidence you can conclude that she hasn;t just sat around and talked about change she has made it happened.
Kevin Gosztola goes to Columbia College in Chicago where he is studying film. He hopes to become a documentary filmmaker. He is currently working as a production assistant on a documentary called "Seriously Green" which traces the development of the Green Party throughout the 2008 election. He has a passion for journalism and writes articles or press releases in his spare time. Kevin Gosztola is also a student activist who believes in questioning the way America's systems work(its electoral system, its military-industrial complex, its foreign policy of American exceptionalism, its media which has become the Fourth Branch of government,etc.)
His ambitions have him currently organizing and raising money for a Chicago Conference for Media Reform in April or May of 2009. It will be organized by college students to promote youth involvement in media reform and justice. Those interested in attending or helping with the organization of the program should contact him.
No sadness or empathy about Waco, Serbian war, war in Iraq and Afghanistan. No rage towards murder of innocents. No passion really.
Kevin, I do not want to sound patronising though but many young adults here seem to be 'undeveloped' in the area of good, solid human emotions. They are indeed 'poor spirits'. I am not insisting all of them are but there is surely a tendency. Otherwise they would understand how clisheed they sounded.
This is from a grumpy man:)
by
Mark Sashine (47 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3360 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 8:57:52 AM
Part of that is a mission to try to uncover the why for voting for either of the candidates who are called "leading candidates" or "frontrunners" now. Why are young people drawn to any of these candidates?
What worries me is these are people who will be the future leaders of America. This is the next generation of politicians and policymakers in America. These people who are volunteers and campaign organizers working on chapters of the campaigns will decide what America does twenty or thirty years from now.
I cannot allow them to be so impassionate, discompassionate, uneducated, and misled. I also cannot allow them to have zero imagination for what could be changed here in America. All of their visions for change are so stunted by reality, a reality that each of their candidates (in this case Hillary) could change or shape because as president they could be that powerful or inspirational.
by
Kevin Gosztola (194 articles, 103 quicklinks, 63 diaries, 777 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 9:15:10 AM
No arts- no development. The role of arts in the humans development is enormous- arts develop personality. How many of them had seen the Goya's ' Horrors of war'? How many had seen ballet? How many had discused great artists like Renoir or Monet? How many read ' The confessions of Nat Turner' Ok, how many of them read ' Common Sense' on their own?
Without this, without the cultural foundation you get a Zombie.
You have your hands full, Kevin, I have to say. I have a son and he is in Peace Corps and I see how very good basically young people suffer because they just... have not ever been introduced to humanity through arts.
by
Mark Sashine (47 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3360 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 9:25:29 AM
Great reading and comments. I'd like to add that I have always equated the Arts with not just personality, but with human dignity. Expression allows people to build and voice their self-worth.
The young are like young of past genreations. They too are duped like adults. 59 million got Bush elected, only a fraction were the young. The building of social capital in our young is lacking. I believe this stems from technology(which decreases social interaction), lack of parental guidance, and education vs. indoctrination.
If schools don't have your children reading great literature like "common sense", "the rights of man," the age of reason," "peoples history of the united states" then it's the job of parents to see they do. however, it pleases me to read more and more highschools are using Howard zinn's "peoples history of the united states" as their history texts.
by
william eldridge (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 10 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 12:38:48 PM
In this Red State I went to school in (Indiana), we used good ol' McGraw-Hill textbooks.
Corporatized learning to make your mind go numb.
And if that wasn't enough to make you dumb in the brain, teacher wouldn't talk about history but instead ask us to fill in worksheets by copying and pasting the words or phrases that needed to be filled in onto a piece of paper.
We called it "busy work." And it does nothing for the mind. You don't learn---you memorize. And you don't critically think---you end up hating thinking.
"Busy work" didn't beat me. But it sure has beaten others.
by
Kevin Gosztola (194 articles, 103 quicklinks, 63 diaries, 777 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 1:50:56 PM
I was amazed by the low level of the ' cutural awareness' of the teachers here in the area of liberal arts. English teachers did not know other books by Jack London but Call of the Wild. Paintings, the whole are of those were never discussed. Ballet- oh, boy. Opera- not a chance. The so- called diversity classes teaching about other people were a joke. I always laugh when they mention Dostoevsky as a most popular Russian writer here: he is one of the most tough writers to read even in Russian, not to mention English. Hey, how about ' Moby Dick', had anyone ever read this one in original. I recently discovered a magnificent work by Charles Upham about Salem Witches trials and I ran like crazy to the High School and hollered that that book was to be studied by everyone. Not a chance.
Of course, arts develop a sense of dignity, sure. Where the Hell is this sense when our current Pres does not know even English language?Maybe we all wait for Harry Potter to solve our problems?
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Mark Sashine (47 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3360 comments)
on Friday, January 18, 2008 at 2:05:28 PM
Actually, Kevin, her supporters sound pretty savvy to me. Your comments did nothing to diminish their points. And as for being antagonistic, you were. That's the whole point of your exercise as you stated in the beginning. Though not in so many words.
You do seem to be one of those haters. It's a pity.
by
fou (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 88 comments)
on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 10:16:08 AM
