What may the next 2 years look like? - 11.8.2006.1

So the Democrats have won the mid-term elections. Yea for them. Now what? I mean this seriously. What exactly is the Democratic platform on Iraq. No longer can the statement “we need a change” be the answer. The fact is we need a detailed description of what that change is. And it will be the Democratic Party that must be held accountable for what they define as needed change.

If taxes go back up in the next 2 years, don’t be surprised. If we exit Iraq and a massive civil war breaks out, leading to Iran and fanatical religious groups taking over sections of that country, don’t be surprised. If due to the above Iraq ceases to exist, oil prices rise dramatically and the Middle East becomes even more unstable, well you know.

I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be a re-evaluation in our current plans. I am saying that walking away with things unsettled because the political advantage was to do that, is not the best plan. I do believe that various fanatical groups find comfort in the current push by Democrats to hide at home [my opinion of the ‘plan’ implied by many of the winners of the elections]. It may be an over-simplification, or perhaps a misstatement of the goals; but based on the lack of an actual platform it’s hard not to make assumptions.

I also will ask something of both parties. What are you doing for Black Americans? In the last several Presidential Administrations I’ve seen nothing. I’ve heard about so called reforms in welfare, yet I haven’t seen a change in the families supported solely by the program. I’m not talking about those who need help temporarily, I mean the grandmother, mother, and kids all living on welfare for the last decade (or more). Fathers and sons are in this too there are just less fathers, living with their kids, for this to apply to. Where is the inner city improvements in education? I’m not talking about making a stupid list of things for kids to rote memorize, I mean actual improvements in class size, age of books, retaining creative programs [football is a gym activity not a creative program. I mean art, music and such] and reducing the number of kids dropping out.

Looking forward, what are we going to do about our soldiers that come home and become veterans? Assuming that within the next year our troops are home (most of them) they need to be re-integrated into society and retrained to join the work force. And where will we get the new military forces we will need if we are out of Iraq (maybe Afghanistan too) in the next year and the region isn’t stable? The people will be in turmoil and such instability fuels fanatics and those nations that hate us. And that means attacks on America.

I would also remind people that the markets may soon be hit. If the minimum wage is increased, lay-offs and slower hiring will ensue. Unemployment will go up. Why? It’s economics that should be apparent from high school classes; small businesses can’t afford the increase. Yes those living on minimum wages will have more money, there will just be fewer of them for a while. Net result in my opinion is that unemployment will increase, as will welfare, and the economy will slow as fewer people will be spending the extra cash. That is no gain for many, at least for 3 years after the increase. Oh, did I leave out that there will be fewer small businesses, some closed due to the increase and others unable to start because the increase creates a ceiling of minimum cost that they can’t cross.

In addition it seems that there is a desire to remove the tax cuts currently in place, so expect higher taxes. That doesn’t help spending and thus slow the economy and increase small business closings. And the healthcare move to lower drug costs. [I kind of agree with this, on generally needed life-saving drugs. Beyond that, if you want a cost cut on Viagra or an allergy medication you are out of your mind, in my opinion.] Of course that means pharmaceutical profits are down, and a slow down in new drug research to try to balance the lower profits so shareholders will be happy. So a major sector of the market will be hit.

Overall the economy may not improve, if all the initiatives wanted by Democrats are passed. And the nation will not be safer, I think, if we cut and run as many are hinting at. Hinting because they want to look strong on security, yet many wouldn’t stand up and say any plan before the elections. I see nothing that will keep African American kids in school, or give them a job if they leave. I see no plan that will remove the ease of letting the Democrats take care of Black Americans, with welfare and such programs, in the potentially difficult time ahead.

So the Democratic Party won the House, and may hold sway in the Senate. Yea for them.

This is what I think, what do you think?