2014 State of the Union Address

President Obama gave his annual State of the Union Address to the United States earlier this week. The mandatory speech is given by every president no matter what once a year to reassure the American citizens what the United States is going through and what there is to expect in the upcoming year. This year President Obama talked a lot the initiatives of the country and how we should, in a paraphrase, take the bull by the horns and get through our legislative and economic problems.

            Barack Obama even praised his ObamaCare health law and even said that even though the congressional Republicans do not like the new health care law they would pretty much have to live with it (Washington Post). Even though there has been major problems with this law he stands behind it and I completely get why he would do such a thing. This bill has been his entire presidency. There has not been any other significant idea or law passed that has had such a huge impact like his universal health care law, ObamaCare. I do not agree with the bill itself but at least he is somewhat confident that it will run its process and work in the long run. If he does not have confidence then who will?

            Obama also discussed how he will try to find ways to get around legislation to help American families and businesses (Washington Post). Even though this might seem like a good thing at first it does not solve the bigger problem that is at hand. America has a fragmented Congress and even if President Obama tries to get around this it will never work. Also, why doesn’t he try and fix these areas of our government instead of trying to go around it? If he can solve the problem in Congress, which I don’t think he can, it will help more than beating around the bush.

            The minor things he talked about was renewable power, Iran Nuclear restrictions and equal pay for women. He says that women and men should get paid equally to men. I completely agree. If a woman is doing the same job they should get rewarded the same amount as men do in that same area of work. Iran has been a threat for nuclear weapons in the Middle East and throughout the world. New restrictions could help relieve some of the stress from Iran, Israel, and the rest of that surrounding area. If we can somewhat control Iran then we should be able to take steps forward and control other parts of the Middle East as well.

            Even though President Obama promised all of these things to the America people it does not mean that they will become true. He has promised so many other things throughout his five years as President and not too many of them have come true. It seems like Barack Obama is becoming tired and the people not be the only one giving up on him but he might even be giving up on himself. Nobody will know until next year at the next speech and nobody will know if any of this will become true within this next year (I doubt they will).

Debt Ceiling Debate

Here we go again. The United States is about to hit our debt ceiling again after heavy debates which led to the raising of the debt ceiling in late 2013.  And like always the Democrats and Republicans cannot come to terms on a long term deal that would somewhat stabilize this nation’s government and the economy. We all knew this would come up sometime but did we really think it would be this soon? I mean come on it has only maybe four months since it has been raised you would think that they would learn by now.
The House of Representatives and the Senate is like a rivalry now in our government. Both sides want to get what they want and “win” in their arguments. It seems like they are only for themselves and not for the better being of the American people. They might have come up with a new budget deal but it was only temporary and only a budget that lasted a few months. This clock is ticking and we are at a standstill once again.
The Republicans would like to cut not only millions but billions of dollars from out federal budget. This would help relieve some of our astounding debt and bring down the nations deficit. This would be a good thing for this country even if it took a decade or so to play out. The Democrats think that cutting spending would hurt the economy and would hurt the lower and middle class. But the real case is that the more money we save the better our economy will be. We can start paying back our debt some and get this nation going back in the right direction before the recession hit in 2008.
It doesn’t matter what side you are on. It should just be common sense to cut money and start paying off the $17 trillion we owe to companies and other nations. If we can start to do this we will be in good shape but until that time comes we will just be running in circles and getting nowhere.

Egypt Heating Up

It has been a long three years in the Middle Eastern country Egypt after a “revolution” started back in 2011. But after deadly attacks ravaged the country right on the anniversary of this revolution the country seems to be turning again into a rebellious regime willing to fight again. The United States has been behind Egypt for years but if this violence keeps up, how much of this can we really support over time?

                Hosni Mubarak was overthrown as President of Egypt just a little over three years ago this week. The people got what they wanted in the end but there has still been corruption in the region (like always). After the newly elected President Mohammad Morsi was taken over through a coup by a military group after pressure from the general public. This has just led to more tension between the government and its people which have led to some violence. In early January bombs were set off in the capital city in Egypt which killed fifteen people and led to uprisings throughout the city. Over two hundred people were arrested due to these uprisings which were started by Mohammed Morsi’s supporters (FOX News).

                Again the United States has showed their support for the country of Egypt. Secretary of State John Kerry assured the Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen were all supported and backed by the United States government. This goes back to our nation becoming the world’s cop and babysitting every country that has an uprising. I do not see England getting involved or France or Spain. Where are they in the predicament? They always wait to see what we do first then act off of that. I understand that the United States is the strongest military country in the world but we have to learn how and when to choose our battles. We just are starting to get out of the economic depression that has hit this country and have started to pull out of the war effort in Iraq. If we give every country help we will just drive ourselves in to a bigger and deeper hole that we cannot even get out of right now. I would like to see just once a country like Spain take a step forward and help these nations out a bit. They are closer and could even help us out after everything we have done to try to keep the Middle East safe over the past decade or so.

                Even though I know it will never happen, I think we need to stay out of international affairs. Even our first President George Washington said in his farewell speech that America should keep to themselves and out own people before interfering and helping others. It might seem bad but if this country is not stable economically and domestically how can we make another country or region a good all-around stable nation? It just can’t happen like that and it shouldn’t happen like that. Let’s just worry about ourselves before we go and worry about someone else for a change and maybe we can get back to what we do best as an entire country.  

Debate Over Guns

Gun laws have been the same way for over a hundred and fifty years here in America. It is stated in the Second Amendment that any American can bear arms and own a firearm. But after there has been a spike in shootings in schools and other recreational areas around the country politicians and other organizations have tried to get strict gun control laws to try to cut down on these shootings. But is this a good idea and are the guns even the real problem in this entire issue?

              I am going to say this one time and one time only, guns do not kill people but people kill people. I do not get how some people can say that guns are the issue. Who pulls the trigger? Who loads the gun in the first place? You guessed it! A human being does all of those things. A gun cannot pull the trigger for itself or load itself. There wouldn’t even be guns if humans would not have invented it in the first place. Saying that guns kill people is like saying spoons make people fat (it’s cliché but true). It is the person’s decision to pull the trigger and that how it has always been and it will never change.

              Some people might say that they could at least have stricter background checks on people who are trying to buy guns. Even though this might seem like a good idea it could just lead to more laws restricting the use of firearms. It is a domino effect. If one law is passed even if it is minor it will lead to more laws that restrict our freedoms as an American citizen. That is why the National Rifle Association is against any laws on gun control. With one law there could be a thousand possibilities and could just lead to more restrictions.

             There is only one solution that will lead to safer usage of guns. All we have to do as a nation is teach people how to use guns correctly. If we can do this there should at least be a decrease in incidents involving firearms. Another thing that could reduce the violence of guns is get people who are mentally ill help. If we can help them they should not have to turn to violence and maybe go on a rampage. With this we should be able to keep our friends and family safe no matter what the case may be.

              As American citizens we have to right to own and bear arms. Our Founding Fathers put it like that and it should stay like that forever. If we can just teach people to use guns safely none of this should be a problem. And we all need to remember that it is never the guns fault for shooting somebody it is the person behind the guns fault and that will never change.

Middle East Still Fighting

Over the past two or three years the United States military has started to send almost all of the deployed soldiers back here to America. This is a great for all of the military families who have to wait and worry about their loved ones overseas. The worst thing about all of this is that ever since we have pulled out of the Middle Eastern countries terrorist attacks have gone up and some politicians believe that maybe we should stay a bit longer.

                This post kind of ties in with my very first blog post about the United States being the “World’s Cop” and that we have to babysit all of the other troubled countries around the world. I am still sticking with what I said my first blog post by saying that we should just stay out of these troubled countries around the world. The United States would have to stay in that country for a million years to make sure that these areas were safe. It is not worth our time, money, and effort to help a country that, 1.) Would never help us in return, and 2.) Probably never fully pay us back for everything that we have given them. America has not only given these nations our money and supplies but we have given our own blood to protect these nations that seem like will never be in peace, EVER!

                I think the main reason that we have invested so much time in these areas is because of the major oil industry that they have established in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Without that we would have no reason to intervene in their affairs. This entire region would be the wealthiest region in the entire world if they stopped fighting. The oil is plentiful and they would make billions if not trillions on that alone.

                Again, I think we should just stay out of all the chaos that comes with these Middle Eastern countries. No matter how hard we try I do not think there is a solution to the major conflicts that arise out of this disputed region. Let us just mind our own business and worry about our own people before we decide to intervene with people from another country. 

Legalization of Marijuana: Good or Bad?

     Marijuana legalization has been a major topic in the headlines over the past year and there are millions who are advocating for the drug to be legalized so that it can be used recreationally, like cigarettes are now. But is this just idea healthy for this nation? Or could it lead to an even bigger problem than it always has been?

            

       Colorado and Washington have been the only two states to fully legalize recreational marijuana for anybody to use no matter what the case. Is this a good idea though? In my eyes I do not believe that this is such a good thing for the general public. Drinking and driving is already a huge problem in this nation that takes thousands of people’s lives a year. So you would think that smoking weed and then going out to drive would lead to the same problem. Also, a drug is a drug which means that it changes how the body works. It makes a person, “high”, which does not help how their body works and can even put themselves in dangerous situations that could get them or someone else hurt. My last point is, what good does marijuana do to a person? Yeah you might feel amazing for a little bit but after it is gone you want to go back. This could all lead to an addiction which could lead to even more harm.

                

      Now even though there are a lot of cons to the legalization of marijuana, there might actually be some pros hidden in some places. One pro would be that it might actually help boost the economy in the places where it is legalized. According to the Huffington Post, the state of Washington will get $1.9 billion in revenue over the next five years because of marijuana costs. This could lead to a huge boost in the economy and help fund other projects that might be needed throughout the state. Another positive that comes from marijuana selling is that it will cut off millions of dollars from illegal drug trafficking companies that would distribute this drug when it was illegal. This money would not go towards illegal projects or groups but all the money would go to the state and might even help the entire city as a whole.

               

        Colorado and Washington are just the experimental states that will help determine if the legalization of weed throughout more states will actually help more than hurt in the long run. It also makes sense why Colorado chose to legalize the drug, I mean they do not call Denver the “Mile High City” for nothing, right?  

Tennessee Stands Up

       With the ObamaCare health care law still under heavy debate by both Democrats and Republicans, the voice of most people haven’t been heard. What do the people want? Do they actually like the idea? Or do American citizens think that this is a waste of time? I guarantee that people have reason from both sides but all the congressmen on Capitol Hill are fighting and are not listening to the general public. Democrats have promised some things that cannot be trusted and maybe that is why some states are deciding to fight about against this federal law.

        According to FOX News, the Tennessee legislature is going to try to challenge the ObamaCare law and hopefully outlaw the health care bill that has had so many issues over the last four to five months. They Tennessean government believes that their health care plane, “TennCare”, is working for more than their 1.2 million people on the program. This really takes me back to the history books and all the way back to the late 1860’s. Southern states back in the late 19^th century passed a nullification act that would nullify or ban any federal law from being used in the state government if they decided to ban the law. What Tennessee is doing is on a lower level than back 150 years ago but it is on the same line of things. The question is, will any of this work?

        To most people this might sound like an absolutely crazy idea to try to overrule the United States government and to an extent I do agree with that statement. Even though I do not agree with ObamaCare and what it has to offer I do not believe that a state should be able to nullify a federal law whenever they please. If this does happen, it will set a precedent for future laws to come. Some people think that the Tennessee legislature is just making themselves look bad. Rep. JoAnne Favors states that, “It’s wasting a lot of energy and time. It’s just causing our state to look silly.” I do agree that this must be taking a lot of effort to keep this going I do not believe that it is making them look silly. Until this is deemed unconstitutional by the federal government they can move along with this. This is just the state of Tennessee speaking their opinion and finally someone is being heard.

         Even though I do not believe that this will ever happen, I do think that this shows that some or most people do NOT want this health care act in this country. Maybe if everybody was heard this wouldn’t even be a problem anymore.  

People Should Work for What They Get

Millions of people across the United States obtain food stamps from the government to help out with buying food for them and their families. But how many of these people actually work and earn their food stamps? That is what one Republican Congressman is trying to tackle in Congress.

                It makes sense that people should have to work for what they receive, especially when it comes from tax payers here in America. According to FOX News, Republican Congressman Steve Southerland has proposed that all able bodied citizens in the United States who receive food stamps should have to work or volunteer in some way, shape or form. This man should become the President of the United States of America. He finally gets it! No person should get anything for free. If they work hard and actually earn the food stamps then they shall receive them. If a person does not try to work hard then they should not receive anything from the government.

                This is the prime difference between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats are huge spenders who believe that everybody should have a part of the wealth. Republicans on the other hand believe that we should limit our spending and only spend our money on things that the country really needs. People who are in the lower class in the United States mostly prefer Democrats. Middle and Upper class citizens are more likely to go for Republicans. But right now we need to cut our spending as much as possible and because of that Republicans are the way to go. The reason that the Democrats are in power in the senate is because sadly a lot of people in America these days are in the lower class and they believe that they should all get some of the wealth.

                I have said it before and I will say it again. People who work deserve to be rewarded! And those who do not work don’t deserve anything from the people. This is why I believe this could be a huge step forward not only in food stamps but also for unemployment benefits and other benefits that the United States Government hands out to the people. 

Worst President Ever?

There are two things that I believe President Obama has done right in his tenure as President of the United States. The first thing is he brought down the hated leader of Al-qaeda Usama Bin Laden a few years back which kind of derailed the radical terrorist group.  The second thing is that he has brought thousands of troops home from the Middle East and pretty much ended the War on Terror for the United States. With this being said, has Barack Obama done enough to keep this country thriving? Or should he go down as the worst President that the United States has ever had?

                Even though that all of the problems that this country has faced over the years is not all President Obama’s fault, he is still to blame for all of the issues that we have had during his presidency. He has added almost $8 trillion dollars to our debt! That’s almost doubling the amount we owed in just six years of him being in office! And without higher taxes and the wasting of more money none of this high debt will get paid off. As Capitol Hill lowers taxes the more that the debt will rise. In past blog posts that I have wrote the American Government wastes billions of dollars a year on trips and experiments that we do not need to waste our money on. This is all common sense and if our Congressmen were not so stubborn and could compromise this could all get solved very quickly and maybe the United States could gain some of its credibility back from where it was before the financial crisis in 2008.

                I have also talked about the giving out of unemployment benefits and President Obama’s health care plan, ObamaCare. Unemployment is just another expense that has gone on for way too long. It started out as a six month plan to help support the people out of work and not it has turned into a two or three year plan that hasn’t really helped stabilize the economy. It also makes people lazy and makes it seem like they do not have to do anything for their income and that it will just be handed to them with no work. ObamaCare is another story. I have ranted about this topic many times about how bad it could be for this nation and it has not gotten any better for anyone. This plan has made it more expensive for people to obtain health care than it did before. It has done the complete opposite of what it was supposed to do and it has cost the government more money to obtain the bill and website than they are actually making off of it. It is a socialist ideal that will never work under our own government.

                President Obama has done more harm than good for this country. We have only gone backwards since he was elected President back in 2008. He has cost this nation more wealth than he has brought in and we may never get our credibility back. The reason most people like him is because he gives out money to people and they all like that. He might be good for the lower class of America but as a whole I believe President Obama will go down as the worst President in United States history.  

Unemployment Benefits

Congress has taken steps forward to extend unemployment benefits for people here in the United States who are currently out of work. It passed the senate with a high majority favoring the process. But will it pass the House and is it even worth it to give benefits to the 10.9 million people who are out of work?

       In my opinion I think that these benefits for people without work has gone on way to long. Unemployment benefits was only supposed to be financial support for unemployed people for six months to a year. Now it has turned into a two or three year project that keeps getting renewed every year. It shouldn’t take two to three years to find a job. A lot of this has to do with pride. A lot of people who made a lot of money at their past job won’t take a job that pays less than the one they had before. It shouldn’t matter what job you have as long as you are making some type of income to support yourself. If you have to flip burgers, flip some damn good burgers and have some dignity.

        Another reason that I disagree with unemployment benefits is because it can make certain people lazy. If there is a constant paycheck that is coming through the mail every week or month there is no motivation to get up and go find a job. That what this world has come to especially here in America. People now think that it is a privilege to live here and that they don’t need to earn their right to support the economy. That is what irritates me the most. Some people think that everything should be handed to them and that they don’t have to work to be successful. That is simply not the case but our own government is making it seem like that.

 

        No matter what job a person has it is still a job. If you are a big time lawyer or doctor, good for you, and if you are a fast food worker and might make less that is ok! A job doesn’t make one person better than the other. As long as you are putting bread on the table and supporting you and your family it shouldn’t matter because they should be the most important thing to worry about not your pride or dignity. A job is a job and no matter what job that may be make sure you make the most out of it and do what is right for yourself and for this country.