Ken Blackwell Interview with Jon Stewart

I just watched the April 28, 2010 interview of Ken Blackwell (former Republican Ohio Secretary of State) by Jon Stewart. It was for Mr. Blackwell's book; THE BLUEPRINT: Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency. Does this sound much like propaganda to anyone?

From the content of that interview, I find the responses of Ken Blackwell evasive, not to-the-point, lacking in reasonable (factual) support of his assertions and ultimately holding a double standard between the Obama and Bush administration.

Here are what I understand his arguments are. Firstly Obama is trying to organize a power grab where there is more centralized power by the Obama administration. This is carried out by legislation such as 'Obamacare'. This is not good because such universal healthcare would  'level out' healthcare. The same principles would also be applied to the economy. And as such the economy would turn into an economy driven by government through legislation and not the will of the free market. This in addition to all other legislation of the same vein would concentrate power in a centralized government. This would be achieved by Obama when all the legislation are in place, he has the power of appointing judges of the supreme court and as such would appoint people who agree with him, and so he would in this case would create a branch of government which ultimately would be authoritarian and dictatorial, it would be ran unchecked by the branches of government that are currently in place.

And Jon Stewart speaks of the following. Firstly, most of the claims put forward by Mr Blackwell, is not supported by fact, to the point of the extremity he is saying things are headed. Secondly, Obama has been elected to lead the country and so drafting legislation and what Obama believes serves best the interest of the country should be done, and that is what he is elected for. And during the last bit of the interview, Mr Blackwell says what Obama is doing is much more severe than what Bush did when in office. Which as Jon Stewart pointed out, this claim is not supported by fact.

These previous points raised by Jon Stewart are valid and cover the claims made by Mr. Blackwell. But here is the point. Mr Blackwell is claiming the Obama administration is moving into a leadership that is ultimately going to be unconstitutional and an imperialistic presidency.

I totally disagree with this point (and support Jon Stewart on his following points). Everything Obama has done is well within the democratic process and can be overturned when the people has spoken and the next election comes around. To say something is unconstitutional, would mean to say, the moves Obama are making are NOT open to negotiation and canNOT be repealed. This is absolutely not the case. There is no concentration of power, as much as Bush did when he was in office. And the main point is, when you are losing do not mistake that with tyranny, when you do not agree with the policies and decision of the current administration, that does not mean it is unconstitutional. What you do not agree with does not make it unAmerican.

Side note: I believe American politics right now, it is moving not in a bad direction, but in an absolutely ridiculous direction. This discussion between Blackwell and Stewart could have been more meaningful if Blackwell would just speak of facts. I found it extremely frustrating listening to him speak, as he sidesteps all the questions pointed at him and just goes on speaking of things to make his point. And when Stewart takes up on points that Blackwell made that are not reasonable, he then pushes on with his point and possibly move in a totally different direction. Where is the credibility when there is no fact to back up what is said. I understand from what I hear the values of both Republicans and Democrats. And I believe these parties exist for a reason,. I feel there is an increase demonization of 1 party if you support the other. And I think that is ridiculous. The debate at the level they are being done now is not honest and too much like show business. This is not show business. At the end of the day what appeals to people is honesty and transparency, and initiative to deliver what you said you would do. I do not care if it is Republican or Democrat. For the Democratic process to work better, serious, credible and focused discussions have to happen, not political angling for votes.

Sick Again

I'm sick again. I think it's from stress and feeling I am not doing enough. So need to declutter my life and focus on one thing at a time, and not run around like a headless chicken. Seriously, when I try to rest and sort of in delirium, I'm like dreaming of working on my stuff. Even solving mathematical equations in my sleep. Then I wake up I think, what the hell was all that, working which is actually not work, and I'm still tired all the same. Need to learn to switch off my brain sometimes.

Or maybe I caught something from some other people at the gym. Damn you, anonymous person with flu. 

Anywho, yes, less stress and no more thinking over too many things at once. One thing at a time, get it done and move on. No more stressed attached to work. Well, I always feel if I don't stress over it then I don't care that much about it, then in that I'm not really passionate about my work, and then what's the point of doing it in the first place. But no, now I think I should just get it done. And I can be happy about it when it's done. I mean what has this "passion" brought me. Already got sick like 2 or 3 times already and it's only April. So yes. Get it done. Move on. Stop stressing over things that are too much extrapolated into the future. I'll just write down a to-do list and extract all this clutter from my brain.

Music for The Soul

Music is expression, it is emotion, it is life. Music has gotten me through tough times and also been there in good times. I get deliriously happy over some song that I really love, if it comes on the radio. There are song for any mood I could name, even for particular situations. Say you're feeling pissed at someone, something like I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace is quite suitable. Life pulling the shit on you? Ironic by Alanis is good, if the shit is ironic that is. And some song make you feel a place, say John Mayer's album and Norah Jones always makes me feel bluesy, and imagine having a big cup of hot tea or coffee, and sitting by the window of a New York apartment and reading a good book. Feeling a bit crazy, then stuff like Wolfmother or The Hives or The Vines is good. Feeling contemplative of life or a bit emotional, something like Lifehouse is good. How about saccharin sweet, or cheesy love? What fits is any 90s love ballad. Feeling murderous in some sorta angry gangster kinda way? Gangster rap will do fine. A bit more psychotic? Well, some of Eminem's earlier stuff fits nicely. What else, oh, how about feeling just plain out of whack, well I get that from Mirah's music. Just a few sample of things, and I haven't even begun to mention all the musicians I love. And the list just keeps on expanding. Don't know what I'd do without music. They are the soundtracks to life.

Penguin Race Game

I looked in the window in the kitchen just now and saw my reflection. And somehow (don't ask me how) I recalled the Penguin Race Game, the thing you played with when you were little.

And I remembered a thought I had when I was a kid. Gosh, this must be the most depressing and miserable toy ever. The specific thought I had was the penguin climbing up to heaven and falling down to hell. and he needs to climb up again. Oh my God, look at that penguin going, over and over again. What a stupid penguin, does not learn, no matter how many times it fails, it still does the same freaking thing. I heard a song by The Hives, it says the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. I blame this toy for my partial insanity. Not very smart toy makers, teaching kids to be so depressed.

Correlation of Dreams

Ok, so. I know saying prayers are good. I was baptized at birth and have never really been a devout Christian much. I think when I was little I only sort of enjoyed it cause I like the songs they sing, and musky old smell of churches in the UK. In Malaysia, I did not like it as much because it was hot and sticky and there was a hell lot of mosquitoes in evening mass. Ok, anyways my relationship with God . I do basically say my prayers every night and all, but these days I'm stepping up the ante and saying the rosary. Well, devout Catholics probably say that's a basic thing, but me I haven't been to church much since primary school, so that is really a lot for me.

Well anyways the thing is this. Is there a correlation between me saying the rosary and what happens in my day? I don't know what the correlation is but the days following the nights I have said the rosary has been quite crappy. One may say that all crappy things happening have their reasons and it may be a lesson in there somewhere. But still, a crappy day is a crappy day. And I decided to not say the rosary 1 night and just the normal (shorter) prayers. And that day turned out lovely. AND I still get to learn things on good days.

And just last night having said the rosary again, I had the most crazy ass dream. It was religious dream, sort of. To do with Hinduism or Buddhism or something. And basically there's this prophecy where these two people have destinies that would alter the course of the world (these two are my friends in real life, but in the dream they turn into uber awesome Jesus-like people, or some prophet at the very least). Anywho, I'm in the mix somehow, and my destiny is intertwined with which of them would be the one that would bring the path of the world. And so at the end of the road, my choice would be to kill one of them two, either way it's not a good decision to make, killing people. What's with religion and the killings? Ain't Buddishm the most peaceful religion or something. Okay so, all through that dream followers from both of those guys are trying to kill me. Oh, so in this dream I know martial arts and shit, so I kick lots of ass. And at the end of dream, well I forgot. I don't know who I picked to kill, or if I managed to go that far. Anyways, the point is the dream was absolute load of crap! Seeing that story, it sounds epic and all, but in actual fact, it was like a 3rd rate movie, where the action was crap and the script was corny as hell. So what is this? Rosary=crappy dreams? Oh, hold on a sec. I don't think I said the rosary last night. Okay forget about my theory. I just had a crappy dream.

This Blog

This blog is for everything else that does not fit on DooDiDooDa (yes, surprisingly there is crap that does not fit there). I'm not going to limit myself, I have stuff to say about everything, be it informed thoughts or not, I feel I need to waste some oxygen and expel some carbon dioxide. But here are some stuff I like to talk about. Obviously current issues, eg the environment, religion, politics, social standards etc. And my opinion may or may not reflect what I think, or it may be what I think at the time and not 5 seconds later. So go on, bash ahead if you disagree, I too may bash myself at a later time. I will also discuss my thoughts and rant endelessly about pointless things, just because I can and if you're reading my rants, good for you, you have just wasted a couple of minutes of your precious time that you will never get back. But let's be serious, when you get back to whatever you're doing, you're probably reading my blog in the first place because you do not want to do whatever the hell you were doing. Anyways, I digress, and indeed this I will do a lot. because this is my 'dump everything and have very little care of the end product' blog. So feel free to sniff around my trash can.

Gay Discrimination

Just watched the Colbert Report, interview with New York Times columnist Jon Mooallem. The topic of discussion was gay animals, that it recent research into animal behavior have shown lots of species of animals have same sex sexual activities. And that brought about the discussion of whether discrimination against gay people because one popular argument is that being gay is unnatural. So if animals are doing it, that throws that argument out the window.

Jon Mooallem then says that talking point could easily be altered given that the proof that animals do have same sex behavior. The argument can then be that surely humans are intelligent creatures and wild animals are not. So what gay people are doing is an abomination, behaving like animals.

With regards to both these arguments, we should not be looking for validation from animals whether gay right or wrong. Humans indeed are more intelligent being and we do things that animals cannot. So if it is how people are, why is it wrong to be straight or gay? I guess it could be argued that gay people cannot reproduce by conventional means. And I have no argument for that, it seems unnatural in that sense. This is the only physiological aspect I can think of that would support that argument.

I myself believe being gay is natural in that you cannot choose to be gay or straight, it is who you are. Being straight does not mean you are a better person than a gay person. Neither does it mean if you are gay you are any better than a straight person. It is certainly part of your identity but it is no measure of morality. If a gay person cheats, it is still cheating.

If say one child was raised by caring loving gay parents, and another by abusive a conventional (1 father 1 mother) family, which is better? Or vice versa? I believe the only important words in that question is caring loving, and abusive. Generalizing and discriminating on sexual orientation is ridiculous.

wikileaks: Collateral Murder

I just watched the Colbert Report interview with Julian Assange and decided to have a look at the video of the killing of 2 Reuter reporters in Iraq. And that left me deeply affected and angry. It is not just that they made an error, but the way the soldiers reacted whilst doing their job, like having a lack of regard for Iraqi lives. I absolutely understand in war decisiveness and immediate action is crucial and can be the difference between life and death. But the soldiers seemed to be too much willing to open fire at the people below. At one point, after it was over and they realized they wounded two Iraqi children, they said, "They should not have brought their children into battle." I am totally speechless.

Speaking of transparency, I feel most of the American news channels are unreliable and deeply biased. The only reliable one would probably be CNN. But I rely more on the BBC for news, and even al-Jazeera at times. See, at least the Daily Show and the Colbert Report (although it's fake news), knows what is bullshit and what is not and points this out. Journalism is in a very bad way.

Television would show a whole lot of crap but not this stuff? On the war on Iraq, and Afghanistan, I believe there should be less censorship. Show all the horrible graphic things that happen there, people think war is all great and about defending the nation's safety and all, but people die on both sides. A lot of people die, and their way of life gets destroyed. Where is that shown explicitly nowadays? People should not be shown as a statistic. Is one life in Iraq valued less than anywhere else. They should be given equal weight and so equal (if not even more) coverage.

I commend wikileaks for what they stand for and the great job they have done in bringing this to light, producing an edited version of the video, and then also providing the objective unedited version for people to decide for themselves. I would definitely support your cause for transparency. So everyone, have a look at the video and donate to support this cause.

http://wikileaks.org/

For the specific video on that incident in Iraq (and the full unedited video torrent) go to

http://www.collateralmurder.com/