Salem-News.com Op Ed articles Page 10

Op Ed: WHY Economics
Is No Longer
`The Dismal Science`

"Assunptions" account for astounding aspirations.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - One famous truism long enjoyed within what was once termed “the dismal science” is: “If all economists were laid end-to-end, they still would never reach a conclusion.”

Far too many crucial world-events have evented, with accurate predictions by those “non-conclusive” economists, for “dismal” to prevail any longer. They’ve called the turn and the totals; then the consequences, too.

They work with “how”, “what”, and “to whom” as key components for all they do. That may seem relentless but it is all too true. Rerredictive analysis, computer-produced, gives us answers-in-advance for many multiplexed situations and scenarios.

Op Ed: Strong Democracy
Demands Strong
Citizen-Action

“Feudalists” first fear is full participation by all.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - From the first page of The Federalist Papers right on until the Constitution and Bill of Rights was finally achieved, the most potent prescience of all from our Founders was their emphasis on citizen participation.

They definitely intended pragmatic participation to be built on a foundation of fully-detailed information.

They knew what was required to guide wise decision and guarantee broad support for the new commonweal. That’s WHY their First Amendment was most cannily constructed to present, preserve and protect free, open and honest speech on any matter of common concern.

Op-Ed: Fascism Feeds
On Fear, Failure
To Democratize

Angry feudalists still seek reversal of progress.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - WHY is it we continue to face unreasonable and irrational, sometimes even threatening, reaction to all forward progress worldwide by those determined to “reverse-the-world back to the Middle Ages”? ARE there, even today, those who would prefer the social, cultural and --for sure-- the predominant ruling class economy/culture then in place?

You better believe it: Check out Comments received whenever any statement of “progressive” --much less “radical”-- political philosophy appears, anywhere.

You’ll recall that Middle Age image of castle-on the-hill --occupied by you-know-who-- and that bitter/cottage village-below for you, me and all others.

Op Ed: Why Willing Workers,
Dedicated Teachers,
Became Neocon Targets

“Easy-Hit” role hides unavoidable economic truths.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Ever wonder why millions of hardworking Americans and faithful school teachers are constant targets of neocon attack, always accused of strong union-stance vs “honest taxpayers”?

These continued charges “falsely vilify working people” and “stem from a superficial understanding” of the realities involved, a number of national authorities now contend.

Simple reason: those two groups have always been among the most dedicated, solidly-contributing, child-rearing/occupied; and, always, most cooperative; of ALL American citizens.

Op Ed: Attack On Unionism
Hurts Worker Right
For Free Association

Bush Auto Pay/Rate Pressure Defies U.S. Tradition.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Nothing Bush has perpetrated so far flings dirty sand into the face of the American worker more than his open attack embedded in crisis-forced cooperation to rescue the auto industry.

His projected “rescue” of carmaker corporations profanely proposes politically-motivated wage-bleeding by auto-workers already closely equated with non-unionists at foreign-brand factories in the U.S.

That perpetuates, promotes and extends one of the most damaging, dismaying, and deeply offensive actions ever taken vs honest, open American worker association in unions.

Op Ed: `Pragmatic` Fury
Needs Channeling
For Realistic Impacts

True Democratic process demands time & effort.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - For decades, in our nation, many informed sources have been reporting rapid growth of widespread fury by many, many citizens against policies forced upon them by “the powers-that-be” --however defined now. Patience is not a virtue of democracies.

Formation of new democratic-pattern governance worldwide, ever since our own, has demonstrated that without doubt, those pragmatic, always-massive movements are birthed in revolution, and that fury is retained. That invariably means rapid-upset approach to unbearable oppressions, of any kind: cultural, social or economic --even though, in any established democratic pattern, it may take considerable time.

Op Ed: `Pragmatic Action`
On Education System
Demands Internet Access

"Knowledge Superhighway" is 21st Century necessity.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - History records few more “formative moments” than Ike Eisenhower’s most shaping/directing decision to seek for us all benefits of a then-awesome, now nation-spanning superhighway system.

American life has never been the same since that prescient action.

We in America need to guarantee our own formative moment --Obama’s potent opportunity-- will include economical Internet access for all Americans, regardless of geography.

Op Ed: `Legal Fiction`
Futilizes Voting,
Damages Democracy

Corporate contributions rest on court reporter error.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Corporate “campaign contributions” now count for constant power-seeking impacts to control government everywhere, at every level from precinct to Congress. Even the Presidency is policy-affected, not only in “choice via election” but on every action-shaping decisionthen following.

Congress itself is irredeemably surrounded -- and too often then prevailed-upon-- by overwhelming troops of lobbyist-tribesmen, by recent count 100-to-ONE. They carry, not shields bearing visible corporate logos, but many carefully-wrapped forms of rapid elected-representative support.

But somehow --you can count on it-- no matter how wrapped, that support never arrives except for sure-and-solid action, always ostensibly taken solely for commonweal interests. K Street in D.C. is pulsing and heavily profiting from what has become the Capital City’s leading industry by far.

Op Ed: IMPEACHMENT:
NOW, or Later,
OR NOT EVER?

National honor, debt to past & future, demand action.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Two words capsulize our Constitutional crisis, now recognized as the root-and-many/limbs of our current economic collapse. One is APATHY, an American characteristic far too often encountered in recent decades.

Blame that on our “pursuit of happiness” --but such distortion of real meaning reflects its own values. The other word is IMPEACHMENT. That one is too often avoided now --in deadly-sharp contrast to another word too frequently heard in recent irresponsible campaign-crowd rantings.

Without realistic action for impeachment, triggered by citizen demand, we dishonor this nation and our long, continuing “experiment in democracy”.

Op Ed: Point-of-Attack
Now Preparation
For Policy-Change

Same seductive saboteurs seek simplistic situations.

(EUGENE, Ore.) - President Barack Obama was elected by universal recognition that change MUST come in an America now driven towards an historic New Depression.

His ascendance demonstrates clearly and most intriguingly-- what empowers our Constitution and its encompassing Bill of Rights. But already the same slippery-seductive set of those determined to shape for themselves --thus seduce or even sabotage-- whatever President Obama is able to produce are right back at work.

With their lushly-nurtured lobbyists darkly lurking wherever they can find contact, you can bet. They hope to perpetuate “what has been”, as their best way to kill off what MUST be, now.