The Supremes, Obmacare, and the Politics of Public Ignorance

I will be the first one to tell you that I really have no clue how well the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will work when the whole thing is is finally in place (if it ever actually gets there).  In fact, I'll admit, I don't understand much of it at all.  I'm pretty sure that the folks who wrote the damn thing don't have a complete understanding of how it's supposed to work.  That said, there are some things I want to say about the issue. First, I believe Chief Justice Roberts did the right thing, not because he saved Obamacare, but because he, for the time being at least, nipped the politicization of the Supreme Court in the bud. Second, based on what I've seen in the comments sections attached to various articles and op-ed pieces (not to mention the weirdness coming out of the columnists and reporters themselves), there is an appalling lack of critical thinking skills among the "interested" public.


THE SUPREMES


“Those decisions [creating and passing legislation] are entrusted to our nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them.  It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”  - Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.


In other words, the Supreme Court is not about the politics of a given piece of legislation, it is about the legality or constitutionality of said legislation and , therefore, should limit its commentary to the law. This, I believe, has been in part by recent forays into the politics of cases before the court by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who, from the bench, had this to say following the court's decision to strike down most of Arizona's anti-immigration law SB 1070:

“After this case was argued and while it was under consideration, the secretary of homeland security announced a program exempting from immigration enforcement some 1.4 million illegal immigrants. The president has said that the new program is ‘the right thing to do’ in light of Congress’s failure to pass the administration’s proposed revision of the immigration laws. Perhaps it is, though Arizona may not think so. But to say, as the court does, that Arizona contradicts federal law by enforcing applications of federal immigration law that the president declines to enforce boggles the mind.”


“Arizona bears the brunt of the country’s illegal immigration problem. Its citizens feel themselves under siege by large numbers of illegal immigrants who invade their property, strain their social services, and even place their lives in jeopardy. Federal officials have been unable to remedy the problem, and indeed have recently shown that they are simply unwilling to do so.  Arizona has moved to protect its sovereignty — not in contradiction of federal law, but in complete compliance with it.” 

If you ask me, this is taking a rather big leap off of the judicial reservation.  I'm not saying that Justice Scalia is the only "activist" judge on the court, but he is certainly the most obvious.  The Tea Partiers and other extreme conservatives are already out there calling Roberts a traitor, but I believe, by reaching a judicial middle ground in this case, he did what was right.

THE PUBLIC

First of all, the lack of command of basic English grammar by an appalling number of people who comment on news stories is simply astonishing.  I understand typos, but this is downright distressing.

Second, I will be generous when I say that people who comment on politics or other issues (Obamacare is one, along with immigration, that draws a particular brand of vitriol), fall in to three basic categories:

1. The 5% (again I'm being generous) who seem to have actually given some serious thought to the issue and regardless of their political view seem to value civilized discourse.

2. The 5% who read the comments section  primarily to make sarcastic or humorous comments and non-sequiturs (I admit to joining this particular group from time to time).

3. The 90% who are simply talking out of their ass.

In this modern world, where an absolute mountain of information is available at the click of a button, it constantly amazes me that people aren't more informed.  But the mob likes the rush of juicy oratory and bumper-sticker sloganeering. Yes, I am left of center politically, and it would be very easy for me to rail against the conservative demigogs, knee-jerk nazis and all of that.  The problem is that the left is just as bad. Trolls dominate the comment sections with not-so-clever nicknames for their political demons: Comrade Obama, Republinazis, Osama Bin Obama, etc. Those are, of course, accompanied by the printable insults like, socialists, whackos, scum, communists, LIBERAL, right wing-nuts, fascists. and so on (my favorite clever response is, "You're an idiot!" Nothing else).

I try to read the news reports and then read the op-eds from both sides of the issue. I try to be as informed about the issues as I can.  Sometimes it works, sometimes I just go to the sports section. That said, I never comment on a story unless I feel I have a decent grasp of the subject (my blog is for making an ass of myself).  The US, and I imagine every other country that has a free press, would be a much better place if its citizenry stopped reacting emotionally to an issue and started thinking critically about that issue.  But then that is probably like asking ice cream not to melt in July.

And so it goes...

Baseball Been Very Very Good To Me

Harper Takes Over the World

Bryce Harper, baseball's 19 year-old wunderkind, has taken over the world.  Called up ahead of schedule in April to fill an injury spot on the Nationals roster. "The Kid", "Bam-Bam", "Charlie Hustle, Jr." has exceeded all expectations. Every one knew he was good, but this good?  In just 155 at bats, Harper has 41 hits including 4 triples and 7 home runs (one a monster 502 ft. shot off the Blackberry sign in Toronto's Rogers Centre).  That translates to an astounding .303 batting average.  He plays with a recklessness that has captivated the baseball world and has handled his celebrity with a maturity that has surprised, well, everyone. 

A response to a reporter after the final game of the Toronto series set off the latest Harpermania frenzy.  Asked if he had been sampling the fine Canadian beer on his trip north, Harper rolled his eyes and said, "That's a clown question, dude."  The comment immediately went viral. 72 hours later, there are already t-shirts with the quote available on the web. It's incredible. 

How 'Bout Them Nats!

Meanwhile, in the midst of all the Harper craziness are the Nationals themselves.  The team has a record of 38-23, a solid hold on first place in the NL East, and widely regarded as one of the best teams in baseball.  The lion's share of the credit for the current success lies squarely on the starting rotation.  Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzales, and Jordan Zimmermann are the unquestioned stars and have been lights out.  Edwin Jackson has quietly become a very effective inning eating monster.  Chien Min Wang fills the fifth spot in the rotation and, while being effective in his past couple of starts, is still showing some of the rust from being on the DL for an extended period of time.  If CMW gets his sinker back, this rotation may turn out to be one of the best in baseball history. To back up the pitching staff, the Nats also boast incredible defense.  The infield of Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinoza, and Adam LaRoche offer highlight reel action every game.

The weak link all season (although it appears to be coming around) has been offense.  Early in the season, the Nats struggled mightily hitting with runners in scoring position. If it wasn't for the pitching staff and late game heroics at the plate, The Cardiac Nats would have a far less impressive record.  Lately, however; there have been signs of a turn around.  Despite a badly slumping R. Zimm and Michael Morse, who is still finding his swing after a prolonged stint on the DL, the Nats are scoring early and often.  Led by Harper, Steve Lombardozzi, Desmond, and a resurgent Danny Espinoza, the boys are kickin' ass and takin' names.  If the big bats in the middle (Zimmerman, Morse) heat up, this is going to be a team to be reckoned with.

The best thing about this team is the fact that they have been simply fun to watch.  I jumped on the Nats bandwagon from the first day they set foot in D.C. in 2005, and it's been a wild ride to say the least.  The Nats started out fast and quickly took a head first dive to the bottom of consecutive 100+ loss seasons (2009-2010).  A change in management and the addition of some phenomenal young talent helped improve the team to a record of 80-81 in 2011.  Now the sky's the limit.

Regardless of what happens, this is going to be a season to remember.

GO NATS! GO NUTS!

The Wisconsin recall.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won a convincing victory against Mayor Tom Barrett in the Wisconsin recall election.  The fall out from this election over the power of organized labor, the influence of outside donors due the Citizens United, and a plethora of other issues will continue for months to come.  Both Republicans and Democrats will spin this to the nth degree. However, how this effects the national elections or future political battles will be difficult to predict for one main reason: the Wisconsin voter's attitude towards the recall itself.

Going through the dozen or so op-ed columns in the Washington Post dealing with the election, there was one thing that was consistent regardless of the political bent of the columnist: the majority of the voters in Wisconsin seemed to think the recall was simply a bad idea.  According to both conservative and liberal columnists, it seems that approximately 60% of Wisconsin voters feel that a recall vote should only happen in the case of gross misconduct on the part of the elected official not because people disagree with said official's policies.  It begs the question whether voters in Wisconsin voted for or against the men running in the election or for or against the election itself.

Walters and the Republicans will crow for a while and the Dems will spin like crazy, but we'll see how this plays out in the coming elections around the country.

For Rebecca

Johnny Clegg & Savuka
Dela (I Know Why the Dog Howls at the Moon)

One day I looked up and there you were,
like a simple question looking for an answer.
Now I am the whale listening to some inner call,
swimming blindly to throw myself upon your shore.

 What if I don't find you when I have landed?
Will you leave me here to die on your shore stranded?

I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.
I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.

 I sing dela, dela ngyanya dela when I'm with you,
dela, sondela mama sondela, I burn for you.

I've been waiting for you all my life hoping for a miracle,
I've been waiting day and night, day and night.
I've been waiting for you all my life waiting for redemption,
I've been wating day and night, I burn for you.

A blind bird sings inside the cage that is my heart,
the image of your face comes to me when I am alone in the dark.
If I could give a shape to this ache that I have for you,
If I could find the voice that says the words to capture you.

I think I know, I think I know, I think I know,
I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.
I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.

I sing dela, dela ngyanya dela when I'm with you,
dela, sondela mama sondela, I burn for you.

I've been waiting for you all my life hoping for a miracle,
I've been waiting day and night, day and night.
I've been waiting for you all my life waiting for redemption,
I've been wating day and night, I burn for you.

Sondela, sondela, mama sondela, I burn for you.

I've been waiting for you all my life hoping for a miracle,
I've been waiting day and night, day and night.
I've been waiting for you all my life waiting for redemption,
I've been wating day and night, I burn for you.

Burn for you, I burn for you...

Korea is a great place...most of the time

I've lived in Korea for 12 years now.  Without a doubt it has been a great experience.  For the most part, Koreans are wonderfully warm, generous people.  But then something like this comes along, and you have to wonder.  This, after all, was broadcast as national news.  This is what apparently passes for journalism at MBC News.

I'm not saying that the foreigners who come to Korea are all angels, far from it.  However, the great majority of "us" are decent folks who respect Korea and it's culture, and are simply trying to make a living.  There are things that have made me angry in Korea over the years which have been responded to by Korean co-workers  who say, "You must understand Korea. Be patient."  Ok.  I can deal with that.  How do they respond to something like this?

I wonder how the Korean community in the States would respond to Fox News airing something like this about Koreans. Can you say "lawsuit"?  I thought you could.

I could go on about how hypocritical it is for MBC to report this without a small discussion of the Korean sex industry, which doesn't support itself on dollars, if you catch my drift.  That's a topic for another post.

And so it goes...