Thursday, August 30, 2007

News to think about

I'm so tired of China it's not even funny. MORE toys are being recalled because of lead paint - made in China of course. I'm so glad I'm not trying to raise kids in this day and age. I'd be taking away any toy with ANY paint on it! Now I know why my Mom wasn't so big on disposable diapers! Needless to say, I won't be buying any more electronics anytime soon. I really want a bigger CF card eventually, but finding one NOT made in China is liable to be next to impossible, and I'm not willing to gamble what's on the thing that shouldn't be there at all.
I'm just glad I'm not a health food junkie. Twice now there's been spinach recalls, first for e coli, now for salmonella contamination! It makes me want to scream and not buy any food grown in California as much as I don't want to buy anything made in China! Unfortunately, a lot of my favorite foods aren't often grown here, especially bananas. But with all the recent crap going on I'm wondering what anyone can do anymore. Our food isn't safe, our kids' toys and possibly more isn't safe, but yet what are we going to do? Most electronics and toys are made in China. I wonder if the products from Korea, Japan, or Hong Kong are any safer. One would assume the Japanese ones are as they are quite more high-tech than China and therefore have the knowledge to produce things safer at a reasonable price. I must wonder also why many western countries, especially the US, are still doing business in China, especially considering we have a major labor pool just south of us in Mexico. They'll work for dirt cheap, and maybe if we pump money into their economy down there, they'll quit trying to come up here! Let them assemble our electronics. It's got to be cheaper than sending them all the way across the ocean from China! I'm not sure what's left to be done, I just got the sneaky feeling our best solution lies on our own continent. Imagine if Sony pulled out of China and built plants in Mexico. I'm sure the wages they're paying the Chinese would probably be middle-class like wages in Mexico, so many of them would be working there, which means they wouldn't be so anxious to come up here illegally to work. They'd be paying taxes down there, which means there'd be more government money available for infrastructure. Plus the people would be able to spend more money which would help create jobs at grocery stores etc. And if they're eating more, maybe they'd be buying more of our food, evening the trade deficit. And in return we'd be getting safer products as we'd be showing them how to do it, and they'd still be cheap just like we prefer it to be! I don't know what the solution is, I just know SOMETHING has to be done, I' just don't know WHAT.
So, my fellow Americans, what do you think our politicians should do about Sen. Craig, the Republican caught supposedly soliciting anonymous same-gender sex in a bathroom stall at Minneapolis airport from an undercover cop? Mind you, he pled guilty to one count of disorderly conduct, even though now he says that it was a "mistake" to plead, that it was a "misunderstanding" of some sorts. So apparently SOMETHING happened. The thing is, he didn't come right out and admit that anything had happened; reports have it that he didn't even tell his own WIFE of the arrest. (Ok if that was MY husband getting arrested and not telling me, I think there'd be some words exchanged at LEAST. That's one of those things the significant other needs to know, much less your boss!) He's already "temporarily" resigned all his committee posts, so he's ONLY a Senator now. Should the party heads force him to resign? Or should they just reprimand him and prohibit him from holding any more committee posts? Or do you believe him, that it was all a big misunderstanding?
Another one for (at least mainly) my American readers. Why do you think the Gulf Coast is still (at least in many areas) in bad condition two YEARS after Hurricane Katrina? Do you think race has a part in it? Is it just proof of the government's inability to make anything that's critical happen? Is it because the insurance companies and others in the area refuse to take responsibility and are taking advantage of the people by charging outrageous rates to live there? Or is it a combination of them?
And why is the presidential field so awful? Why is it that the best hope I see isn't on the side I tend to lean? Why do I see more hope in the side that I do NOT want to see in power for another 4 years? Even the ones that look promising have parts of them I cannot stand. But God knows I cannot support Clinton, Obama, or McCain. Giulliani has issues, but at least he seems to be a LITTLE more open-minded. No one seems to know for sure where Thompson stands on the issues. And then you got laughing stocks like Kucinnich who, just by speaking, either make you sick or laugh. And the talk of pushing Gore to run again makes me sick. He's probably the best candidate just solely based on policies, but no one would take him serious based on his global warming stance (as the science isn't even conclusive and many know that). And on that note, Edwards ruined it for me when he said recently if elected, he'd ask all of us Americans to cough up our SUV's just because they're gas guzzlers. How about all the families that bought them to transport their children around because they're safer and more spacious than a tiny little Prius? Let's grow up people! Let's just SUPPOSE man is at least contributing to the "warming" of this planet (which I can believe). We as Americans - and I believe advanced nations as a hole - do not sacrifice ourselves out of situations. In the words of Glenn Beck last night, we "invent ourselves out" of the crises of our time. Instead of banning or overtaxing SUV's, let's focus on making them more fuel efficient. If a Prius can get 40mpg, why can't an SUV get at least 30? I understand they're bigger. But I think we can do it.
So there's my rant for today. I hope I made everyone think, and I invite everyone to comment, even if you usually only read. I really want to know what everyone thinks, both here in the US and across the world. Peace folks!

2 comments:

Shimmy said...

In his recent broadcast on Katrina, Glen Beck threatened to violate Federal Law: U.S. Code Title 18, Chapter 44, Section 922 (b) (3).

Cheryl said...

I agree with you! Great post, great rant. Great idea about Mexico. Here's another one. I just read an article in the New Yorker about olive oil. That's an industry that is so corrupt. Turns out a very large portion of olive oil is really doctored hazelnut or canola oil, shipped on tankers from other countries, processed in Italy, and sold as extra-virgin Italian olive oil. It just seems like everything is fake these days, from polices to politics, to products.