Archive for August, 2009

Earlier this week, Glenn Beck outlined on his show, his belief that America is slowly turning into Nazi Germany. To help illustrate his point, Beck shows Nazi propaganda that was once used to create an feeling of apathy towards the disabled. Now, maybe I am confused as to the definition of propaganda, but isn’t Beck using Nazi propaganda to push forward his agenda, to scare his audience into believing that if you are not a member of the dissenting party then you are no better than a German living during the days of the Third Reich?

As support for his outrageous claims, Beck cites that the weakness of the Dollar is reminiscent of the collapse of the Mark, which ultimately ushered Germany into the Great Depression. While it is true that the Dollar is at its weakest in generations, I ask you who was the party of power during its collapse? And does Beck not comprehend the perfect storm of circumstance that allowed the Nazi party to assume power? The hyperinflation of the Mark ceased in 1923, yet the Nazi party did not assume power over the country for another ten years. The collapse of the Mark was not the sole reason behind the Nazi’s rise to power.
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While not officially construed as law, the preamble of the Constitution, was meant by the Founding Fathers, as an outline to the role of the government in its most ideal state.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

When the Supreme Court heard the case of Ellis v. City of Grand Rapids, the court cited the phrase “promote the general welfare” as evidence that “the health of the people was in the minds of our forefathers.” It is in the vein, the issue of health care in America needs to be address. Many Americans are without medical coverage and as a nation, we owe it to those without coverage, to provide a solution. The current bickering in Washington and town hall meetings across the country need to stop and intelligent debated needs to follow. Conservatives need to quit the filibustering and reach a compromise.

However, we should not stop there because we Americans are flawed as well. We need to look at ourselves to improve the health care system in this country. When compared to the rest of the the world, Americans live unhealthy life styles, which only drives up medical cost. If we all vowed to live healthier life styles, then health care may not be as big of a problem. We are a society that wants to have our cake and eat it too… Rather then look exclusively to Washington for a solution, as we do way too often, it might be time to look at ourselves and just put down the cake.

On my walk to the subway, I always pass by the store front for a psychic. The little room is attached to an apartment where I can only assume that the psychic and her family lives. Sometimes, I see the woman, sitting by her glowing plastic crystal ball, along side a deck of Tarot cards and a bust of Queen Nefertiti, alone. In the eighteen months that I have walked by her store, I have only once seen anyone get their future told by this woman. Clearly, business is booming.

The first problem I have with the store are the hours they are open. “8am – 12pm”. I am going to surmise that she meant 12am. Call it a hunch… but when I see her sitting at her desk, late at night, I wonder if she knows that the sign on the outside of the store says that she closed at noon.

Right under the sign for the hours, reads another sign in big, bold letters: CLAIRVOYANT. Now maybe I am assuming too much, but if she is able to see the future, why is there a sign next to the doorbell that says “ring doorbell for psychic”? Shouldn’t she be able to sense that someone wants their palm read? If I were to go to a psychic, I fully expect the person to look at me while I enter their store and say “Welcome… I was expecting you.” Is that too much to ask?