Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pixilated Math and Values

Mr. Ho Bang (aka David Vitter) is saying he will stay in public office. Not only will he deny his own advice to others that immorality is grounds for resignation, , his wife flip-flopped on her statement that she would "Loreena Bobbit" instead of forgive David is he ever did anything immoral. I guess she likes that national health care she gets too much to let it go. Her and her husband will of course deny anyone else that benefit, so long as they get it. Fuzzy conservative values at their best!

And the fuzzy math? Ah yes, the evidence the military is growing. People just can't wait to get in. Take for example the HUGE re-enlistment ceremony that occurred in Baghdad on July 4. See? There's your proof, and of course the righties are all over that news in their continued efforts to promote this continued occupation. What they don't tell you is that re-enlistments were put off for months so they could stage this ceremony. And if there is such growth in the military, how is it that service terms are extended in length by 25%, and that several units are returning to Iraq for their fourth and fifth rotations? Mostly with the same soldiers. And what of the stories of wounded being shipped back to Iraq? And what of the whispers now of another troop escaltion? This is a fine example of conservative fuzzy math.

Another example of fuzzy math exploited by politicians is that of the stock market. It's running wild. See how well everyone in America is doing? Yet they fail to tell you that 75% of the stock market, well, actually almost that much of all the assets in America, are owned by less than 10% of the people. Which means that roughly 297,000,000 people, yes that's 297 million, split the remaining 25% of the wealth in America. Remember this scenario: 10 guys in a bar after work on Friday enjoying a cool one. Two laborers, 6 journeymen of various professions and length of service in their fields, and two office collars. Their wages when averaged out, is roughly the median wage in America which can be found at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In walks Bill Gates, and suddenly the median wage in the room jumps into the stratosphere. See how well everyone is doing? They haven't finished their beer, and they are suddenly all multi-millionaires. That's how economic numbers are being dished around the news. It ignores the realities of lack or loss of health care, either stagnant or declining wages, definitely loss of manufacturing jobs, the slowing housing market, the huge rise in foreclosures in places like Newark, Detroit, and Las Vegas, and the continued flood of immigrants that take low paying, no benefit jobs which are then added into the totals to show how well everyone is doing because look! Jobs are being created! They love to count them in as proof of a growing economy yet love to pound the pulpit about the rule of law these illegals ignore, and for six years under President Bush's careful commitment to national security, they didn't even address the southern border until last year.

Of course, if you read the speeches and testimony of Alan Greenspan before the Federal Reserve Board and the Senate, you'd see that making the labor pool grow is what was being promoted. And the basic tenet of capitalism that benefits the few at the expense of the many, according to Adam Smith, is low wages. Problem solved!

Maybe fuzzy isn't the right word. Fuzzy could be construed as cuddly and cute, like a bunny. maybe pixilated is a better idea. You know when a video shot wants to protect an identity, they pixilate the face of the person? That's what we have here.

A political party that loves to self righteously proclaim itself champions of traditional family values and prosperity has an identity crisis. They are discovering that they can't pixilate the picture despite what words emanate from their mouths.

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