Kansas Watch @ LJWorld
Our Incredibly Shrinking Earth!
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The Earth is shrinking.
Ok, not literally. But figuratively it is. Globalization, population growth, and other factors have brought us "together" as a world in some ways.
And globalization is not just a recent phenomena. It's been going on probably at least since the Age of Discovery in the 1600s to 1800s but it has accelerated since the turn of the last century.
Here, in pretty pictures from the UN, is a nifty chart about the trends.
Source: Our Shrinking Earth. (2009). In UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. Retrieved 16:16, January 18, 2010 from http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/our-shrinking-earth.
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Is The USA Haiti And The World’s Social Worker
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... I don't mean to be mean. But what is the United States' responsibility to help Haiti and Haitians? What is your and my responsibility to help Haiti and Haitians?
I don't know if Haiti can be listed as a "failed state" like Sudan or Somalia. Our nation and many of our citizens have done much to help bring at least some amount of democracy to Haiti and to provide humanitarian and economic assistance to the nation prior to last week's earthquake.
But let's face it, Haiti is not exactly humming along like Canada or Norway. It has lots of problems--grinding poverty and what appears to me to be a barely functioning government in the best of times.
As I've watched some of the news coverage, primarily on CNN, there seems to be an anger on the part of the Anderson Coopers that aid has not arrived quickly enough. That is probably true. Aid in these situations never arrives as quickly as it is needed.
But also underlying this anger is that it is somehow the United States' fault that it is not getting to where it needs to go.
Again, not to be mean, but last time I checked, Haiti is not an American state, district, territory, commonwealth, dependency, or protectorate. It is a sovereign nation that doesn't have strong cultural, social, economic, or political ties to the USA. Just one example of those differences--they speak French and we speak English.
While we have interests and interest in Haiti, it is not a place that is a vital American interest. That doesn't mean folks there aren't suffering. They are, horribly. But it's not like an earthquake in San Franciso, which is our soil and our brothers and sisters.
Even on a good day, Haiti doesn't have much infrastructure like roads, ports, airports, hospitals, and other such services. Tear most of that down in an earthquake and the ability to get people and supplies into the country is daunting.
Remember Hurricane Katrina here in the USA? Frankly, the Bush Administration did a terrible job handling the situation. But on the same token, even the most powerful nation in the world with all sorts of emergency management people, services and training, pre-positioned emergency supplies, and good infrastructure struggled. Lots of people, even most people in the Bush Administration, tried mightily and tirelessly to help victims in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. We are still trying to recover and help people years later.
One of the greatest attributes of America and Americans is that when disaster hits elsewhere, we put ideology aside and try to help. We usually lead the charge, a sort of humanitarian cavalry.
I think America should do what it can do to help Haiti. And we Americans definitely should do what we can, like donate money and support our friends and neighbors who are going to Haiti to try and help.
Honestly though, Haitian relief is not primarily America's burden. I understand that the Haitians don't necessarily have the wherewithal to help themselves right now in this terrible disaster. America can't do it alone. Haiti needs the world community, not just the United States. And then the Haitians need to figure out a way be a more self-sufficient nation, not just to take care of themselves during the next emergency, but so they have a prosperous, free, and safe country in the future.
While the USA has an interest in those goals, they are not our goals. They are Haiti and Haitians' goals and dreams. America is a good neighbor, not the world's social worker.
Barack Obama: Promises Made, Promises Kept
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... My Man Crush, President Barack Obama, has not only had one of the fullest agendas since President Lyndon Johnson, he's also kept or on the path to keeping an extraordinary number of his 500+ campaign promises in his first year in office.
My national political reporter buddy Lou Jacobson at PolitiFact alerted me to a project he and other journalists have been working on to document Obama's first year in office and to measure what Obama promised and what he's delivered.
An excerpt from the Polifact story:
"Of 502 campaign promises, a PolitiFact analysis finds Obama has fulfilled 91 and achieved at least partial success with another 33. More than half of his promises have had enough progress to be rated In the Works.
He's put much of his foreign policy agenda into action, taken steps to reduce the American presence in Iraq and send more troops to Afghanistan, and his sweeping health care reform plan is on the brink of passage. The giant economic stimulus bill that passed in February made good on a host of promises on green energy, education and transportation."
Some things have been put on a back burner and the move toward transparency has been a disappointment.
But all in all, we have a President who is doing what he said he would do.
Scott Roeder Complains Like A Big Baby
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Convicted would-be mad bomber and accused murderer Scott Roeder bitches that he's being treated like a criminal.
Boo. Hoo.
I guess he forgot about that conviction for "criminal use of explosives" in 1996. Then there's that whole accusation that he killed Dr. George Tiller in front of a whole church full of witnesses, er, parishioners, last Sunday in Wichita.
Scott, instead of calling the AP when you feel down, maybe give Leslee Unruh a call and she can cheer you up with one of her "more babies more babies" talks.
(Hat tip Plog.)
To read other Kansas related news and views (and other stuff), go to the Middle Border Sun at http://www.middlebordersun.com.
Palin: Not Quite a Hail Mary But a Flea Flicker
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e..., my fellow young progressive fellow babies. We've had our fun with Gov. Sarah Palin.Yes, she's awful. She might even be a kook. But she's catching on. Must be those sweet spectacles she sports.But we also need to give some props to Grumpy Old John McCain. He swiped Barack Obama's message of "change" and "now for something completely different" and turned it on its head.While Barack played it safe with Joe Biden, McCain called an audible at the line (Called play: Gov. Tim Pawlenty off tackle) and instead called up Palin from the Arena Football League and put her in for a flea flicker razzle dazzle play.(Yes, I love football metaphors, even as a godless liberal.)So, while not only the Hillaryites but much of the country was thinking that Barack should pick Sen. Clinton or at least another woman like my Older Woman Crush Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (or heck, even my favorite Rancher/Dog Lover, Gov. Brian Schweitzer), Grumpy Old John did what the Man Crush should have done-picked a woman.Grumpy Old John might be a lot of things but stupid ain't one of them.So, what do we do to get the Man Crush back on top where he should be?Hammer the issues.The economy. The war. Energy. The mortgage mess. Eight years of dismantling the Bill of Rights and the middle class.Bush, Bush, Bush.We're right on the issues. We win on the issues. Easily. Are we better off than we were four or eight years ago? Most of us? No.We can't be too smug about Pitbull Palin. It's time to blitz Team McCain/Bush and keep knocking down Grumpy Old John and the Republican's failed policies and running of the government on each and every play, er day.Otherwise, Barack Obama will be the New England Patriots of the 2008 election. A brilliant regular season but a loss where it counts-the Super Bowl, er, Election Day.Coach Todd EppKansas Watch http://kswatch.squarespace.com
Who Wants A Pit Bull for a Neighbor—or Vice President?
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e...'ve all heard Gov. Sarah Palin's joke at the RNC about the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull being lip stick.Do we really want a woman who claims to be a pit bull as President?The statistics about pit bulls say no. * The dog most responsible for killing humans in the United States is the pit bull. Sources: Dog Bite Law and CDC * Pit bulls attack adults nearly as often as they attack children, a characteristic not found in any other breed. Source: Dogsbite.org * The American Kennel Association, the largest purebred dog registry in the world, does not recognize the pit bull as a breed though it does recognize the American Staffardshire Terrier. There is a dispute whether a "Staffy" is also a pit bull as some say the breeds diverged. Source: Pit Bull Rescue Center and Bulldogbreeds.com * Because of their dangerous propensities, in England, one of the first nations to breed the dogs, pit bulls are regulated under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. They can only be owned if the owner gets a specific exemption and must be muzzled. Source: Wikipedia * A number of American communities ban or restrict pit bull ownership, including in such red states as Utah, Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Source: Wikipedia * Pit Bulls are one of several breed of dogs that if a homeowner owns one, it will deny homeowner's insurance. Source: Insurance JournalIf Sarah Palin were truly trying to persuade moderate to conservative men and women who, as Gov. Palin, enjoy the outdoors, she would have been better served to compare herself to a hunting dog.Most hunters I know who have hunting dogs are crazy about their dogs. And, their dogs-often labradors, golden retrievers, spaniels, and the like-are typically well trained, intelligent, loyal, hard working, friendly, and useful.I think I'd rather be like a chocolate lab than a pit bull any day. And so would most of the people I know who care for and train their dogs, hunting and otherwise.Palin's joke makes for a good laughline but a brutish society. Todd EppKansas Watchhttp://kswatch.squarespace.com
Boris and Natasha Come to Aid of John and Sarah
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... wonderfully wacky cartoon comes from Bonny Fleming and Matthew Scholz and is used with their permission. Bonny is from Rapid City, SD and Matthew is from Knoxville, TN.And, we can thank (or blame) the internets for their inspired humor. This note from Bonny: Occasionally we use yahoo to chat back and forth: somehow in the conversation yesterday talking about Palin, I mentioned being scared of her: he said "as long as your not a moose you have nothing to worry about" then we both went off on the tangent together and the idea was born.Great stuff and thanks!Todd Epp Kansas Watchhttp://kswatch.squarespace.com
Len Dawson, QB and Broadcasting Legend
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... Line Communications (http://bottomlinecom.com/currentnews/mooredawsonmilestone.html) has a nice story today about Len Dawson and Larry Moore being together at KMBC-TV in Kansas City since 1968.Len Dawson is one of my childhood idols. He was cool under pressure at the helm of the Chiefs. The guy could play.But what is also remarkable about Len is that is he probably as good or better of a broadcaster as he was an NFL Hall of Fame QB. He is unflappable on TV with great presence. As a radio broadcaster doing Chiefs games, he is knowledgeable, direct, and honest.Congratulations Len Dawson! You're still my idol!Todd EppKansas Watch http://kswatch.squarespace.com
The GOP’s New Math
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Even Leading GOP Experts Agree: Palin Is a Gimmicky Pick
http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e..., my young Republican friends, you've given me a lot of grief about "picking" on Gov. Sarah Palin.Well, some of the stalwarts of your own party aren't so big on her selection either.Here's a transcript of an off camera discussion today about Palin's selection as Veep from venerable GOP heavyweight Peggy Noonan, Republican strategist Mike Murphy, and MSNBC's Chuck Todd. Go to the Huffington Post to watch the actual video (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/peggy-noonan-mike-murphy_n_123647.html).Here's the pertinent part of the transcript: Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush.I mean, these guys - this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And - PN: It's over.MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too. PN: Saw Kay this morning. CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this - MM: They're all bummed out. CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to? PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this - excuse me- political blht about narratives - CT: Yeah they went to a narrative. MM: I totally agree. PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it. MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical. CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky. MM: Yeah.Yup, those rabid liberals, Noonan and Murphy, dissin' the Alaskan mom. Disgusting.Todd EppKansas Watch http://kswatch.squarespace.com
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