Owatonna, MN Correspondent-If elected, Clinton will probably maintain the policies begun during the Obama administration and give us more of the same unsteady world leadership. She may surprise the world by veering off course from her script while Secretary of State, but the safe bet is she will not change dramatically from her leadership style on display since she was FLOTUS. Continue reading
Politics
Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: With the economy and jobs being two of the hottest interrelated issues of the 2016 campaign, what will be the solutions to bolstering a stagnant economy and returning Americans to work?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-The solutions to bolstering a stagnant economy and returning Americans to work lie in the reestablishment of a number of institutions and policy approaches that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work.
With the number of businesses, companies, corporations and organizations leaving America in record numbers and corporate tax rates remaining at high levels, the demand for lower waged workers, and lower priced products and services have driven significant numbers of companies and jobs overseas. In addition, jobs have disappeared or have been significantly diminished to the point that entire industrialized sectors of the American economy have been driven out of existence. Continue reading
Computer Hacking and National Security
From Our Gastonia, NC Correspondent
Do the denial of service attacks have other implications for US national and economic security?
The denial of service (DDOS) attacks last week which took down Netflix, Amazon and other large sections of the internet should be a huge wake-up call to our nation’s IT security experts. The evidence so far is that the attacks were launched not with PCs or laptops, but with millions of internet-enabled home devices such as refrigerators, baby monitors and door cameras. The “internet of things” was used against us in a scenario reminiscent of some bad dystopian sci-fi movie. Continue reading
Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: The DNC e-mail controversy would seem to suggest the DNC conspired to rig the outcome of the primary process? Should those involved be prosecuted? Is this treason? Regardless of the outcome of the election, should the DNC reform the “Super Delegate” system?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-The Super Delegate system is the most blatant attempt ever by a political party to game the system and ensure that the person hand-picked by the party elite becomes the nominee. Bernie Sanders was right to be outraged, and I’d bet my horse that without the SDs it would have been a much different race. The knowledge that the preponderance of SDs were going for Clinton influenced the race well before the convention, and sapped support and votes that Sanders would have otherwise garnered. The SD system should be done away with and the process returned to a straight vote of duly elected states’ delegates. Continue reading
Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: With indiscretions concerning voter fraud and intimidation during past elections, and with electronic voting machines, computers and hackers ready, willing and able to rig elections, what if anything can and be done to stop voter fraud that will likely occur during the 2016 election cycle? US Seeks to Protect Voting System Against Cyberattacks yet we can’t stop voter fraud at polling stations in America? What’s wrong with this picture?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-I question the validity of the assumption this question makes that voter fraud “likely will” occur. Despite the Trump campaign’s fearmongering and spreading of doubt, actual evidence of voter fraud in the U.S. is harder to find than a vegan at a barbecue cookoff. Most of the battleground states have Republican governors, and the entire process will be scrutinized at a level never before seen. Continue reading
Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: Should ALL voters be required to answer and pass the citizenship test before they pull the lever in the voting booth? Should voters be required to have some knowledge about civics, American history, politics, etc. before being able to vote?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-I’m the guy who’s in favor of intelligence tests for prospective parents, so the idea of some sort of qualifying test for voters holds great allure for me. However, I’m fairly sure it would require a constitutional amendment to make it happen. I am a native-born American citizen, and as such have the right to vote. I’m a fairly smart fellow, but I know a lot of my fellow small-town residents who probably shouldn’t be allowed to bathe without supervision, much less help decide who will be the next leader of our country. However, they have as much right as I do to vote. Continue reading
Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: Are there any realistic solutions to campaign finance reform?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-It’s easy to say campaign finance reform has gotten so far out of control that nothing can be done. When money becomes the dominant force as to who wins elections, those without many feel their votes are wasted. But underdogs still win. Candidates with more charisma than cash sometimes carry the day, so money alone can’t guarantee election results. If that were true, we wouldn’t bother holding elections since we could just as easily award the victory to the candidate in each race with the biggest bank account. Continue reading
Should felons, no matter their race or crime, be granted voting rights?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent– This is a tough one for me. I firmly believe that the right to vote is one of our most sacred. While I might secretly wish that there was an intelligence test administered before the franchise was granted, the fact is that if you reach the age of 18 with a pulse, you get to register to vote…unless you commit a felony. Among the other indignities visited upon those whose life path takes an unfortunate turn into criminality is the loss of the ability to step into a voting booth and cast a ballot for whoever they think most likely to grant them a pardon. Continue reading
Charlotte Protests
From our Gastonia, NC Correspondent- Greetings from Charlotte, North Carolina, where a city that’s previously seen incidents of police officers shooting unarmed men has NOT devolved into a hellscape of broken windows and empty tear gas canisters. Of course, during the previous incidents, we didn’t have busloads of outside agitators being brought in to gin up trouble and make sure the rabble remained appropriately roused. Continue reading
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick recently refused to stand for the national anthem before an NFL exhibition game. Should Kaepernick be asked to apologize, be fined, and asked to sit out games or be forced to leave the NFL?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Ever since the tragedy of 9/11 and its resultant knee-jerk reactions of revenge, declaration of war on terrorism, and an emphasis on patriotism, outsized attention has been given to perceived acts of disrespect to America and so-called American values. We started singing “God Bless America” at sporting events. We put an emphasis on thanking our military members for their service. Patriotic songs such as “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood gained new popularity. Celebrities seemed to fall all over themselves to show support for the wars in the Middle East. Continue reading
Thinking Outside The Boxe 