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Better fat than fascist

~ Considerations into the failures of over goverance & the successes of freedom

Monthly Archives: September 2014

Society Should Have Zero Tolerance for Zero Tolerance

21 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by BetterFatThanFascist.com in Zero Tolerance

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Zero Tolerance

By Greg Smith

My previous blog post castigated the politicians pressuring the National Football League for a zero-tolerance policy on domestic abuse by its players. No-tolerance policies are feel-good notions that in reality remove the human brain which can interpret considerations like context, intent and outcome and in its place uses a written statement that cannot take all future possibilities into deliberation.

One example used was “first-graders suspended for saying ‘bang bang’.”

In Mississippi last week a seven-year-old was disciplined for bringing to school an empty shell casing given to him while with his Cub Scout pack at a 9/11 ceremony hosted by a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. A shell casing is a brass tube that holds the gunpowder and bullet together, forming a round of ammunition to be fired in a gun. When the round is fired, the gunpowder burns away and the bullet is fired down the barrel, leaving just a brass container called a shell casing.

Depending on the ammunition, a shell casing generally weighs a little more than a half dollar. Neither has gunpowder nor a bullet, so bringing an empty shell casing to school is as dangerous as bringing milk money.

The child was told he could have been suspended for two weeks for bringing in the shell casing. His punishment was a silent lunch and loss of two recess periods.

It would have been appropriate and effective to question the child and parents about where the child got the casing, did he have access to live ammunition or firearms, and whether he would ever bring such items to school. Instead, the administration decided it had to mete out a punishment that sent the boy home in tears.

Granted, school administrators have good reason to examine these types of cases. In this case the school’s policy did not ban the item in question, the casing was not dangerous yet the school punished the child anyway. This is the essence of zero-tolerance policies. Bureaucracy: The natural enemy of common sense. ©

Greg Smith is a freelance writer and political consultant who lives in Bantam, CT. His blog is found at www.betterfatthanfascist.com.

http://fox4kc.com/2014/09/17/seven-year-old-punished-at-school-for-bringing-in-souvenir-shell-casing/

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Barbara Boxer Didn’t Get A “Harumph” Outta That Guy!

15 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by BetterFatThanFascist.com in Gillibrand, NFL, Ray Rice, Roger Goodell

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Gillibrand, NFL, Ray Rice, Roger Goodell

By Greg Smith

Unless the head of a privately owned professional sports league should be held to a higher standard than the country’s president and legislators, President Obama and New York’s junior senator need to resign immediately.

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell stands accused of lying about if he, before handing former Baltimore Raven star running back Ray Rice a two-game suspension on July 24, was privy to the now infamous video of Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious. Goodell denies it but an unnamed law enforcement official said the NFL received the video in April. The NFL states it was unaware of the video until it was released on a web site on Sep. 8.

Senator Kristin Gillibrand, D-N.Y. over the weekend said that if Goodell lied about not seeing the video, he must quit. “If he lied, then he has to step down. You can’t lie to the American people about the facts,” Said Gillibrand on the podcast “Capital Games” on Sep. 12.

NFL commissioner must be such an important position that lies cannot be tolerated as they can be with relatively unimportant positions like U.S. senator or president. President Obama told the nation in 2009 his health care law would allow anyone who so desired to keep their health plans. Not only was that patently dishonest, Gillibrand admitted she – and most likely the rest of her colleagues who supported the law – knew it wasn’t true.

When Martha Raddatz asked Gillibrand on ABC News Nov. 13, 2013 whether she was misled by Obama’s statement, the senator responded, “No, we all knew. The whole point of the plan is to cover things people need, like preventive care, birth control, pregnancy. . .”

So the president lied, you and your colleagues knew he lied, and you did nothing about it? That is acceptable behavior from a sitting senator, but not an NFL commissioner? Gillibrand was one of 16 female senators who recently sent a letter to the NFL asking it establish a no-tolerance policy on domestic violence.

“It is long past time for the NFL to institute a real zero-tolerance policy and send a strong message that the league will not tolerate violence against women by its players, who are role models for children across America,” read the letter drafted by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA. “We hope the NFL will seize this opportunity to lead by example and demonstrate its commitment to the safety of women and families (italics added).”

Isn’t the president a role model? Of the 16 senators who signed the letter, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) were in office in 1999. All five voted not to remove President Clinton from office in 1999. Clinton lied to the public as well as separately under oath. But football players must be held to a higher standard!

“Harumph, harumph, harumph!”

Notice also, the letter covers only female victims. To hell with men, even though the large number of domestic violence incidents in which the woman is the perp should be common knowledge.

And why are elected leaders who pass laws governing the nation pushing for a zero-tolerance policy against a miniscule portion of society? Senators pass the laws that govern the nation. If zero-tolerance is good for the NFL, isn’t it good for the rest of society?

Of course it isn’t. Zero-tolerance policies are foolish, feel-good ideas that get first-graders suspended for saying “bang bang” or black men locked up for 10 years for having an ounce of pot. A zero-tolerance policy on domestic abuse in the NFL would mean a 22-year-old player’s girlfriend could slap him in a bar and suffer almost no consequences, but if he gave her an equal or lesser slap in return his career would be destroyed. That may not be fair, but when your political party is facing a drubbing at the polls, changing the subject is a useful tactic.

This is certainly not a defense of the NFL, Ray Rice or Roger Goodell. It is just an attack on the sexist, double-dealing hypocrites who have taken over the Democratic Party. I hope they will, as they wrote, “seize this opportunity to lead by example” and resign. ©

Greg Smith is a freelance writer and political consultant who lives in Bantam, CT. His blog is found at www.betterfatthanfascist.com.

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NFL, Goodell Still Look Good Compared to Politicians

15 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by BetterFatThanFascist.com in Gillibrand

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Gillibrand, Goodell, NFL, Ray Rice

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” President Clinton, Jan. 26, 1998.

“If you like the plan you have, you can keep it.  If you like the doctor you have, you can keep your doctor, too.” President Obama, June 6, 2009 weekly address.

“No, we all knew.” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Nov. 13, 2013, ABC News on whether she was misled by President Obama’s statement that under Obamacare citizens could keep their health plans if they chose.

“If he lied, then he has to step down. You can’t lie to the American people about the facts.” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sep. 12, 2014, ESPN-ABC News podcast “Capital Games” on whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saw the tape of Ray Rice punching his girlfriend before or after deciding Rice’s initial punishment of a two-game suspension.

“If he lied to the American people, then he (Goodell) has to step down because he won’t have the force of authority to change how they address these issues.” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sep. 14, 2014 on “Face the Nation”.

. . .

Barbara Boxer Didn’t Get A “Harumph” Outta That Guy!

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Striking Syria: Tobacco Politics Gets Militarized

09 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by BetterFatThanFascist.com in Russia, Syria

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Strikes against ISIS and Assad

By Greg Smith

A hint government has grown too large is when it spends billions to keep tobacco cheap and growers in business while simultaneously spending billions to get people to not use tobacco products. Only such a bloated colossus could contemplate attacking both sides in someone else’s civil war.

Since the 1930s the federal government has provided various types of assistance to agricultural interests. It became apparent just over 50 years ago that smoking was bad for one’s health – causing direct government expense with the inception of Medicare and Medicaid. In just the past decade the federal government paid $1 billion a year to tobacco farmers.

We want to keep farmers in business, but we don’t want anyone to actually use their product. And a bridge to nowhere surprised you.

The government side of the Syrian civil war features a rather brutal dictator named Assad who the United Nations believes used chemical weapons in the war. The rebel side has a wide assortment of groups, including the rather brutal Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which as its name indicates is active in both countries. An ISIS army recently rumbled across the border into Iraq, appeared headed to Baghdad leaving a blood bath in its wake.

President Obama wants to launch air strikes against the Assad regime, and is preparing to authorize strikes against ISIS in Syria.

Both ISIS and the Assad regime merit some well-placed high explosives, but from a strategic standpoint attacks against both the Assad regime and ISIS in Syria will only cancel each other out unless the U.S. – the only nation with the military capacity – is willing to make a major commitment, including putting at least some troops on the ground toward a decisive event ousting Assad and leaving forces in place to assist the non-jihadist rebels.

Even if that level of involvement came to pass the U.S. doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to micromanaging other peoples’ conflicts by providing assistance to “moderate” groups. Ask the Kurds about our history of backing the right horse. Obviously, the Obama administration will not pursue that level of involvement so getting drawn in against both sides is a waste of money and potentially the lives of American service members.

The U.S. has a vested interest in keeping Iraq stable and in one piece to give elected government the chance to survive. Any ISIS fighters that wander into Iraq are fair game. But competing interests in Syria make it wise, at least for now, to leave any engagement to keeping rebels supplied and able to maintain the field.

Iran wants to cooperate with the U.S. against ISIS. Strike one! The Assad government in Syria has offered to coordinate with attacks on ISIS. Strike two! ISIS has recently made noise about attacking Russia. Strike three.

So U.S. attacks on ISIS in Syria will benefit Russia, Iran and the Assad government in Damascus. Winston Churchill said “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” ISIS is not our friend, but they are the enemy of several of our enemies. Military forces not used in Syria can just as well be used to defend Iraq and allow ISIS to continue attacking our enemies.

Waiting to act against ISIS in Syria until the pros and cons are less ambiguous is, for now, the best policy. From an American strategic perspective, ISIS is clearly the least of the four evils involved.   ©

Greg Smith is a freelance writer and political consultant who lives in Bantam, CT. His blog is found at www.betterfatthanfascist.com.

http://southeastfarmpress.com/tobacco/what-does-end-tobacco-buyout-mean

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/22/world/middleeast/isis-believed-to-have-as-many-as-17000-fighters.html

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Vladimir Putin is No Richard Nixon

03 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by BetterFatThanFascist.com in China, Russia

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$400 billion gas deal, bubble, China, NATO, Russia

By Greg Smith

In 1972 President Richard Nixon taught the world the power of political strategy, greatly increasing U.S. leverage on the Soviet Union by opening relations with its bitter rival the Peoples Republic of China. Vladimir Putin recently tried a similar maneuver against the West, instantly proving he is no Richard Nixon.

Putin’s gambit, brokering a long-term $400 billion natural gas deal between Russia and China, was taken after Western nations placed sanctions on Russia in response to the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. Europe has grown dependent on Russian gas, and Russia on European money. Putin wants NATO capitals to shiver at the thought of its source of heat going east instead of west. In the future this example of Russia’s use of energy to gain influence will likely be looked upon as a poorly timed snub of a dull but reliable customer in favor of a Lamborghini-driving, Rolex-wearing, faux Gucci-clad garment mogul who lives with his mother, steals cable and is two months in arrears to his manicurist.

European leaders cannot help but now realize they can either dance to the Kremlin’s tune, freeze in winter or diversify their energy supply. Considering the burgeoning world gas trade, the latter will become easier as time wears on. Since Russia’s economy is nearly as dependent on energy exports as a Persian Gulf monarchy, Russia driving customers to find other suppliers is possibly the most short-term thinking seen outside Washington, DC in decades.

Were China to become a reliable long-term customer the net effect on the Russian economy would be negated. That is a Siberian sized ‘if.’

The dominant opinion that China’s economy will continue to expand as it has for over three decades is flawed. For the past five years China’s expansion of GDP has relied on massive use of borrowed money, which is being called China’s debt crisis or credit bubble, similar to that which brought on the Great Recession in the West.

The problem for Beijing is less that is has a credit bubble on its hands and more that its economy can no longer, without massive state stimulus, expand at nearly the double-digit numbers that has given it the moxie to swagger around the Pacific as the supposed next hyperpower. China’s debt-to-GDP ratio has grown from 130% in 2008 to over 250%. A healthy economy doesn’t require borrowing at a rate that is as rapid as it is massive. According to The Times of India, six years ago in China a borrowed dollar created nearly a dollar in economic growth. It now takes four borrowed dollars to create a dollar of growth, an unsustainable level even given China’s currency reserves.

History shows that no economy that allows credit to flow at such a rate escapes unscathed. Brazil, so recently a darling of the emerging markets, faced its credit bubble in 2013 and is now in recession. China’s credit increase has been much larger both in real and percentage terms.

Add in China’s rapidly aging population brought on by the One Child Policy and Beijing’s economic future is dim. The emerging market slowdown may act like the waves that swamped the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, dragging China’s highly leveraged economy into a decades-long funk. Putin has now voluntarily made this his problem, too.

If geopolitical push comes to shove, with ease the U.S. could choke the life out of China’s export-driven economy. Chinese demand for Russian gas would plummet, putting a huge dent in the Kremlin’s ability to compete with the West economically or militarily. While such a conflict is unlikely, natural economic forces are going to do slowly what the U.S. military could do quickly.

In 1972 China and the Soviet Union were bitter ideological foes that had fought a brief border war. Nixon’s rapprochement with communist China opened a new Cold War front, forcing Russia to adopt a more cooperative tone toward both the U.S. and China. In contrast Russia’s gas deal with China will alienate Europe, freeing the next U.S. president to lead NATO aggressively against Russia. China, not known for respecting its obligations to fellow nations, knows any dependency on Russian oil will come at a steep price when, inevitably, there is another Sino-Russo tussle. Beijing is the likeliest candidate to run up huge debts to Russia and hold off paying them as leverage.

Vladimir Putin just went long on a Chinese economic expansion living on borrowed time and money. Russian economic, political and military well being now relies on the success or failure of a sovereign version of Pets.com.   ©

Greg Smith is a freelance writer and political consultant who lives in Bantam, CT. His blog is found at www.betterfatthanfascist.com.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/edit-page/Chinas-debt-crisis-suggests-an-India-like-crash-round-the-corner/articleshow/29512055.cms

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