Comment

I agree with my colleague in their article "gas prices" that the government is carrying out this investigation to try to please its citizens; however. I don't believe that if they truly investigated they wouldn't find foul play. Gas companies have formed a monopoly on the gas supply which is why they are able to raise gas prices so high. The government turns its back on this because it doesn't want to get its hands dirty.

All gas stations get there gas from the same place, it is simply shipped in differently labeled trucks giving the impression that it comes from other sources. It's not so much the petroleum issue going on over seas, that is simply a scapegoat for the gas stations to justify their ridiculously high prices. You are correct that hybrids and public transportation are good alternatives and absolutely ride your bike. But don't fool yourself into thinking that the government doesn't believe there is any foul play.  

Originalism?

     Our government has many differing views on political issues and how to handle said issues. In the Judicial branch of our government, in many cases when facing a problem, officials will reference the Constitution. There are different views on how to interpret the Constitution. One of the two basic ways of interpreting the Constitution is called Originalism. Originalism is where an individual believes that what the constitution meant when it was written is what it means now. Our constitution was written hundreds of years ago for a developing country. We are a dominate world power not necessarily facing the same problems as when the founding fathers were forging the Constitution; how can we expect the intended meaning back then be applicable to todays issues?
     There needs to be a universal adaptive view on the Constitution, one that will hold true for the twenty-first century. If we don't even understand the vernacular of that time period or the intended thoughts of the composers, how can we even begin to claim to be able to administer justice based on the original text. John Madison even said that he did not understand what he was writing when he was working on the constitution. Advance and move forward, in order to become a better nation we must take what the founding fathers gave us and move forward with it. Don't be lazy and just take what has been given to us, but instead take what has been given to us and improve it to the benefit of our nation.

Peer Critiqiue

Below is a comment on a peer's post.

My peer talks about the President's actions relating to recent events on his blog "Ignorance is Strength." I agree that it is America's duty to help stand up and fight for democracy. However, I question the authority on which the President is acting. Declaring war is the job delegated to Congress, not the President. This disregard for the constitution started a long time ago, the last truly declared war being WWII. If we allow Presidents to continue to call the shots that they believe are in our countries best interest or in a foreign countries best interest, then where does it stop? If we can agree that it is our job to enforce democracy then it should be easy for the President to get approval from Congress, so he should. Congress shouldn't simply ignore the fact that the President is overstepping his bounds. I also agree with your point on the need of a plan. Before we send troops to the other side of the world, we need a clear idea of our goals and what we will do when those goals are achieved.

Social Security

               Our Government raises many controversial topics. Topics such as health care, taxes and social security. Issues like health care I'm not even going to discuss, and I realize the importance of Government taxes. However, I am strongly opposed to social security. Personally I believe that if someone works, spending their time, their effort, they should be able to keep the money that they earn. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. Sure the Government needs support from its citizens in order to fulfill its duties, I am totally supportive of that; what I'm not supportive of is that my hard earned money goes to help older citizens who may have squandered their time, money, and life.

          My decision to be a responsible young man, go to school and work, should benefit me. It should not benefit people who didn't save when they were younger. Not only do I lose hundreds of dollars every couple of pay checks, but my own social security funds will be non-existent by the time I am old enough to retire. The number of elderly people retiring is growing rapidly and social security funds are being used up at a rate far greater than they are being replenished. Immigrants from other countries are often times older than I am, meaning that they will get a job and retire before I will. My money that I have been earning for the past 3-4 years and will continue to earn for the rest of my life, will go to these immigrants. There will be no social security in 50-60 years. The Government needs to reconsider this foolish idea and not take from hard working citizens who so desperately need the money that they work so hard to earn. Figure it out, but don't take my money that I earned.

Commentary on Blog by Ann Coulter

In her article “SIX-FIGURE BUS DRIVERS AND OTHER WORKING-CLASS HEROES”, Ann Coulter discusses the absurdity of some of the defensive arguments made by political figures such as the Democratic governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn. Quinn stated on MSNBC's "Hardball" last week that government workers are simply fighting to preserve their own Alex Rodriguez-like employment contracts. However, “”when Wall Street opposes financial reforms or a tobacco company opposes new cigarette taxes, no one hails them as "working men and women" who "deserve a decent pay and decent retirement." We're not told Wall Street has a "fundamental right" not to be regulated, or tobacco companies promoting their own interests are just trying to "help working people and middle-class people retain a good job in America." People on the other side of the issue aren't said to be "just trying to kick the other guy in the shin and exterminate him."”

 Americans have it in their head that the ends justify the means; even if that means that the government employees of Wisconsin got themselves terrific overtime, holiday, pension and health care deals through buying politicians with their votes and campaign money. Responsible elected officials in Wisconsin are now trying to balance the budget which is causing much dispute. Coulter raises a good point in that Americans can find abstract reasons to reproach or commend fellow Americans in their work endeavors. It’s a safe assumption that if that work endeavor threatens their own work or is publicly viewed as morally wrong then they will be less likely to support it, but if it’s simply a government worker trying to hold on to their “cushy” life style, Americans are all about supporting them. Coulter is a reliable source on political issues and is New York Times number one best selling author. She recently published a book titled "Guilty". She is aiming her post to common Americans, trying to get her point across that people are fickle and not very consistent in opinions.

Criticism

The New York Times offered a link to an article that they recommended called, Government is Good, written by Douglas J. Amy. Douglas is a Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College and feels that the government has been given a bad rap lately. She feels that there is an unfair amount of criticism on just about everything that the government does especially from the political right. Douglas says, "Ever since Ronald Reagan declared in 1981 that 'Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem,' Republicans have been waging a political war against this institution. Their core message:  the free market is good and government is bad." Douglas says this is an unfair evaluation, without our government we would not have anything that resembled the current state of freedom, wealth, or prosperity that is currently the case. I agree with Douglas in that I believe the government deserves credit for so many of the positive things about this country. Douglas goes on to say "government is not the problem; it is actually the only solution to most of the pressing problems we face as a nation – including infrastructure decay, record unemployment, global warming, and a spiraling health care costs.  If we want an America that is prosperous, healthy, secure, well-educated, just, compassionate, and unpolluted, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector." Without a central power, we as a nation would be very inadequate when it came to addressing problems and making decisions. As an uneducated country, we would do well to not mock the government we know so little about, rather accept that nothing is perfect, we live in the wealthiest nation in the world with the most freedoms, and that our government is what caused this to happen. There may be a few bumps along the way but over all we are indebted to our government.     

Mitt Romney vs. Obama

(Information pulled from The Los Angeles Times) On February 11, 2011 Mitt Romney addressed CPAC on its second day Friday, charging that Barack Obama has failed to lead on national security and the economy, calling him a "weak president." Los Angeles Times reporter James Oliphant, writes on how Romney is a potential presidential candidate for 2012 elections, who believes that Obama has failed in guiding this country through its economic hardships. Romney claims that "the president who took office on January 20th, 2009, should have had one central mission -- put Americans back to work, fight for every job because every job is a paycheck and paychecks fuel Americans' dreams." This article discusses the views Romney holds about what responsibilities the president has. Romney claims that he has unmatched experience in economic matters, given his work as a businessman, venture capitalist and organizer of the 2002 Olympics. Knowing where he stands on political issues is important because he may be running our country in about a year.