Political Dreams and Conference Prep

Apologies are due for not posting more political points on the blog. My mind has been occupied with many other things including work challenges. Oh, yeah, and I'll have to update on the medical situation. I'm going my first PT (physical therapy) session on Monday.

The President most everyone loves to hate is to be congratulated for getting the ACA off the ground. Who would have thought that a law to provide more access to private health care would be so controversial? I don't think it actually is. I still think it's more the presidential proponent who is controversial as a symbol for significant change in America most of which, doesn't give me much of a problem.

Also, I caught a news blip somewhere that March 2014 was the first month since 2003 in which there were no US military deaths in Afghanistan or Iraq. Since that was my main reason for supporting the candidacy of Barack Obama, I can say "Dreams fulfilled." Unfortunately, our soldiers are still dying in Texas and not getting the services and treatment they need from our two wars, one of which was absolutely and totally the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons, etc.

Live-Blogging SOTU 2014

President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2013.
 (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

It's close to time! Keep checking back as I try to update this as we go along. Although I am using my new notebook with a different keyboard that sometimes trips me up and Windows 8.1 which I haven't gotten used to yet and sometimes the strangest things happen if I accidentally touch the screen.

But I wanted to give you a little preview before the Prez starts. The country is down. Congress is a disaster. The Prez is polling terribly (although much better than Congress!) The Prez is not going controversial tonight. No socialism (as if) and not much liberalism even except for what the Beckheads and Teapots will find regardless of what he says. It will be all the things that he knows John ("Are-You-Kiddin'-Me?") Boehner will at least want to talk about:

Terrorists!!! Or, "Que Manhã Quemada" - Gospel Doctrine Lesson 36

There was a call late last night that one of our Gospel Doctrine teachers had fallen off a ladder and needed a substitute. He told his wife to call me as I'm in the new Sunday School Presidency (and we don't even get to ring the bell anymore!) I love teaching Sunday School and don't mind the last minute calls. In fact, the later the better as it forces me to rely more on the Spirit. But as we have late church until January, I had several hours to prepare.

My fist reaction when I realized it was Lesson 36 was a bit of a nervous shudder. I believe that we should liken the scriptures unto us which I have done, loving this portion of the Book of Mormon because there is so much there I "likened" to lead me to my personal political views and philosophy. But I knew I had to be respectful to keep my personal views in check. On the blog I feel I can express myself more fully because while clearly influenced by gospel teachings, I am not an official spokesman for the church as I am when I am fulfilling an assignment at church. That's just the way I see it.

Respect the Troops. Don't Spread False Information.

For several weeks now I've seen a Facebook post shared by various people about "31 Troops" lost in Afghanistan in the previous day and how they are forgotten and disrespected. With all due respect to the those who sacrifice on our behalf, it seems odd that 31 Troops keep dying every day or so with or without our respect. I never see any source cited for this information.

If I were serving, I would not be happy about false information about my fellow servicemen and women spread for some sort of agenda, even with well-intended patriotism or whatever. I'm not happy to see false information as a patriotic U.S. Citizen in the civil service with great respect for all who serve our country.

I can't personally vouch for it, but this site appears to be more accurate: http://icasualties.org/OEF/Index.aspx. It seems to match up fairly well with a Congressional Research Service Report current up to May 2012 found at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41084.pdf. It also seems to complement the comprehensive information gathered by the Washington Post at: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/national/fallen/. Casualty lists have historically been difficult to keep accurate. Negligently spreading questionable information does not help at all -- especially when much more reliable information is so readily at hand.

The World Has No Need for our Drones

Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic's resident Libertarian, has a series of articles here, here, and here on the President's drone attacks in his War on Terror (even if this President doesn't call it that). This is an area where I sort of agree with the Libertarians. The drone attacks appear to be an unconstitutional extension of the President's war power and violate principles of due process with regard to the essential human right of life regardless of citizenship. I hesitate to join with the Libertarians for a lot of other reasons and while my criticism of President Obama is justified, I see no alternative in Governor Romney as he would likely be worse in his continued attempts to out neo-con the neo-cons.

Live-Blogging the President in Afghanistan

[No banners, no flight suit, no spiking the football.]

New agreement with Afghanistan

Why we came to Afghanistan - it was here that Al Qaeda operated to attack us on 9/11.

Bin Laden escaped in 2002. We spent 8 years fighting a different war in Iraq. Over the last three years the tide has turned here. Taking out Al Qaeda leadership, including Bin Laden. Goal within our reach.

Transition to Afghan responsibility for security.

Huntsman Humanistically Explains Mormon History; Hatch Panders with Palin; and Libya Is Nearly Liberated

So, Jon Huntsman makes national news announcing he actually believes in science and local news in response to a national press question saying the LDS practice of banning African-Americans from the priesthood was "wrong." I suppose it is easy for some to be offended by a sense of lack of loyalty, but here's an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:

Forget everything that I have said, or what . . .  Brigham Young . . . . or whomsoever has said . . . that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world. 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie. I dunno, but that sounds like it was "wrong" to me. That's why the Lord had to reveal a new course and "all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past" are gone. Don't let semantics offend so easily especially when outweighed by much bigger offenses. Let's move on, people.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory!

One of the odd things that is hard to get used to living in Utah, although in sort of a good way, is that with Independence Day early in July and Pioneer Day near the end (the 24th to commemorate the entry into to the Valley of the first Mormon Pioneers), there is a three-week, patriotic extravaganza. The two holidays are celebrated essentially the same with parades, fireworks, picnics, patriotic and religious pageants, etc.

Leader of Al Qaeda Dead

That was the big news tonight as my boy told us and we switched on CNN. They must be pretty sure of it before they would announce it like that. It would be an absolute disaster in so many ways if he is still alive and this is some elaborate fraud. President Carter's failed rescue of the hostages in Tehran with helicopters crashing in the desert sand was such a heartbreak for the nation and certainly didn't help that President's legacy much.

Live-Blogging the State of the Union

[Now that I have a little more experience in managing my blogging, I am consolidating these posts on my live-blogging the State of the Union, Tuesday, January 25, 2011.]

I'm already 3 points up.  Justice Alito won't be there, Dems and Repubs are sitting together, and Daniel Hernandez will be sitting with the First Lady!

We're going to give live-blogging a try.  No one may care, but here goes!

SOTU Update II - Iraq & Afghanistan (Hitler watch on the side)

Oh yeah, Iraq and Afghanistan - getting us out of Iraq first, one of the main reasons we elected the President.  And hopefully out of Afghanistan.  He will modestly declare a victory in Iraq and announce our departure (which "Mr. Modest Foreign Policy President" should have done in 2003 - or better yet, never got us in the wrong war at the wrong time in the wrong place for the wrong reasons - but I digress).

He will also talk about being on schedule to start removing troops in Afghanistan.  He was right that Afghanistan was abandoned in favor of Iraq for all the wrong (well, see above).  It appears to be too late.  It probably already was when he surged there to help justify getting us out of Iraq.  But after two more long years, he has given the US military and the Afghan government every chance to make it and having not made it, the President will again have to put the best interpretation on the horrible situation at the same time recognizing the amazing service and sacrifice of our heroic troops and get us the heck out of there.

He very craftily (and I mean that in a good way) did not get ahead of the American people.  We have sadly put the wars out of our front pages.  But this allows us to withdraw without too much screaming from the right.  Both Iraq and Afghanistan may fail,  but it doesn't seem to make any difference if we stay or leave.  In fact, it may be worse if we stay and it's our guys (and gals) dieing right now!  So let's leave.  The helicopters on the top of the US Embassy in Saigon were even tolerated without us going back into that one we probably should have never been in to begin.

HITLER ISSUES-
In between errands and house duties Saturday, I happened to watch a lot of Hitler on the History and Military Channels (There's always something WWII on).  The thing that struck me is how no major characters in our modern US politics are anything like Hitler - not Bush, Palin, Limbaugh, Newt and certainly not Our President or Pelosi (well, maybe Glenn Beck, just a little bit).  I mean Hitler was a class all his own.  Even in the early years with the Beer Hall Putsch, etc., it was all ludicrous and I don't see anything like that in current America.  Now, I still don't understand it and certainly don't understand how Germany went with him.  And I do not ascribe to the "it can't ever happen here" because the only explanation for Germany going with him was the horrible economic situation and humiliation of WWI (which was sort of their fault anyway, but I digress).  And horrible things could come out of economic and political collapse in our country.  FDR clearly saved us from the extremes of right or left when we could have easily gone one or the other as most of the rest of the world did.  And we certainly can NEVER FORGET the Holocaust and what the Nazis did to the Jews of Europe with a lot of complicity of those that stood by.

But having said all that, look at all the free and easy criticism all over the place of what ever crazy or even sane current US politician or figure you can think of.  I will concede that even the tea party has some value to let people vent and hopefully more rationally step back and think a little about the issues.  We still have a free press (as corrupt and inadequate as the MSM is) and we have a free and open internet as I'm evidencing now (even if nobody ever reads me).  So, we're a ways from seeing a Hitler in our current situation.  (Just let me know if Beck's friends all start wearing the same color shirt).