Issue #1: All Things Being Unequal

In the past years, there have been conflict between upper and middle class wage earners pertaining to what they should be paying for taxes. It isn't known whether we should stay with the system we have or change it. The reason some feel that it shouldn't be changed is because it has been shown that some inequalities help the economy by creating motivation for lower class wage earners to work harder. However, some proponents feel that there should be increased taxes for the wealthy. Others feel that the problem could be solved by creating more job retraining programs or increasing unemployment benefits to aid the lower class.

I feel that our government should tax the wealthy moreso than the lower classes. How much you earn should determine how much you pay in taxes. The people who make more money have more things with they need to protect: consumer items, larger savings, etc. When you pay taxes you're paying largely for the government to aid or protect you and what you have, because taxes pay for systems like the police and fire departments. If you have more which needs to be protected, your taxes should be increased in order help yourself through the government's aid.

A political activist with a similiar view would be Ivan Lewis.

Issue #2

Issue #3

Russian Train Wreck "an Act of Terror"

A recent derailment of a train in Moscow, Russia has been claimed to have been caused by a terrorist attack. Investigators have claimed to have found "elements of an explosive device" near the site of the crash, although no details have been told as to what the "elements" may in fact be. There was a crater found beneath the track about 1 meter wide which could help to support this idea.

This does sound rather clearly to me to be a terrorist attack, but the only thing of which I'm skeptical is why no details have been released about these so called "elements of an explosive device." Terrorist attacks just seem to be the biggest fear of the world so blaming this on a terrorist attack could in some form be an easy way out, but then again, who am I to tell.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/28/russia.train.crash/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Issue #3: Safe to Eat?

Back in 2006 there was a very publicized outbreak of E. coli from bagged spinach produced in California. People came to belive that the outbreak was caused due to the fact that the FDA had not properly regulated the release of the food and that the problem could have been avoided if the FDA processed more adequately. Some belive that there should be one agency in charge of the safety of American food, that agency could properly set regulations and standards for the release food. Some belive that one organization could threaten businesses, so some fight that the industry can be more able to address issues than one federal organization.

I feel that putting one agency in charge or regulation food distribution in America would be a good idea. This way, there could be dedicated officials of under the contract of the government focussing on the well-being of the food in we eat. If it were left in the hand of the distributors, they may get wishy-washy about the being completely sanitary about their food and they may cut corners if it means that they could make more profit or get their food on the shelves faster. An agency in charge would be a lot safer.

A write with a similiar idea is Byron J. Richards

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Sarah's Blog

Social Insecurity

Social Security is a very large and very complex federal system that gives benefits to many people who are in different forms of need. Beneficiaries of Social Security can include retirees, disabled workers and families of deceased workers. Medicare is a branch of the Social Security system that helps with things like paying for nursing care and medical services to the elderly and disabled. But as of recently, extra money from Social Security has been used to for other programs and has not been paid back. As well as the number of people becoming eligible for Social Security benefits are increasing faster than the number of people joining into the workforce. For the benefits of Social Security to be continually eligible to everyone, the government would have to repay all the borrowed money.



Social Security is a socialist concept that in its current state is very likely not to succeed. It was originally intended for the benefit of retired Americans, but with the significantly larger amount of workers from the baby-boomer generation now becoming eligible, there is no way that the rate of birth for this generations new workers to compete with the rate of oncoming retirees. It is with this that is evidently clear that Social Security is very vulnerable to failing.

One political figure with a similar view: Rush Limbaugh

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Kayla's Blog

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has recently stated that the closing of Guantanamo Bay Prison will take longer than originally expected. Guantanamo Bay, which has been set to be shut down since the first week of office for President Obama , has proven much more complicated to close by the January 2010 deadline than expected. The terrorist prisoners held within Guantanamo Bay are planned to be sent to other maximum security prisoners throughout the country. Officials claim that as long as the maximum security prisoners are set to accomodate the prisoners, then there is nothing about which to worry with the moving of the prisoners.



I've never thought very highly of Guantanamo Bay, I feel it brings a piece of negative attention to America as the way it is seen that they treat prisoners within. Be that they may not do such things as it is believed they do, it still attracts those negative presumptions. The closing of it seems like quite a good idea, and I understand completely why it would be so difficult to do so. Its a very sensitive thing, moving terrorists. But I do think they shouldn't all be detained into the same area, it just seems like cramming a whole bunch of explosives into a barrel. Not a very good idea. Therefore, I do believe the closing of Guantamo Bay is a very good idea.

Re: Why are Some Politicians Forgiven in Sex Scandals?

CNN brings us a new look upon political sex scandals and claims that when politicians are caught within them, they generally get off on easy street. They bring to play John Edward's former extramarital affair he had with a campaign worker in the 2008 election. It's thought that it is the American way that when a politician is caught in such a scandal that if they apologize, pay a punishment and suffer along the way they can then be forgiven for their "mistakes."

I've never believed very strongly in forgiveness for those who perform such sexual deviances. Most these politicians caught in sexual scandals have a spouse on whom they must be cheating, and that has always been a very large no-no for me. Cheating is one of the most god awful things you can do to a person in my eyes. And for this writer to say it is the American way to forgive someone for such a thing is clearly mistaken. I'm an American and I hate it!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/21/politicians.sex.scandals/index.html?eref=rss_politics

Re: Obama Accepts Apology for Wilson Outburst

President Obama recently accepted an apology after South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" during one of his speeches to Congress. Many people were very upset with Wilson after his outburst, leading to his website to crumble and being attacked on Twitter from angered Republicans and Democrats alike. It was considered to have the four-term congressman sanctioned, but the idea was passed upon. Wilson was able to contact the White House to deliver an apology to President Obama.

I completely agree that Senator Wilson shouldn't have disrupted the president's speech the way he did but I thought some of the proposed punishments were a bit overboard. The sanctioning really stuck out to me. What he did was totally disrespectful, but we do have the right to free speech in this country and Wilson pretty much just used it to the full extent.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32767813/ns/politics-health_care_reform/