Rat thoughts

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Nebraska makes it very difficult to make an informed choice at the polls.  They provide no voter information pamphlet, no sample ballot, no information on propositions, nothing.  Heck, aside from the little confirmation card they send back after you register to vote, the state doesn't provide anything at all!  You're basically left to fend for yourself if you want to find information on candidates.  How are the masses, who barely understand how to use the Google, supposed to learn anything about who they're voting for except deceptive commercials?  (And I didn't see that many political ads this year.)

I managed to find a website that claimed to be nonpartisan, though the information clearly had a conservative bent to it (like asking pro-life attorneys their opinions about a judge, but not asking any pro-choice attorneys), and a lot of the candidates never bothered to respond.  In the end I wound up voting a mostly Democratic ticket, with a single Libertarian, since their candidates seemed to be more sane than the Republicans.  I left a lot of positions blank because I didn't know anything about the individuals and/or didn't care about the position (County Weed Board?  That's a thing?)

California does a great job at providing election information.  The state sends out an voters guide containing candidate statements, and more importantly, extremely thorough info on the propositions.  The guide book lists the text of the new law, a summary, an impartial analysis, and statements and rebuttals from the proponents and opponents.  They also provide a sample ballot that you can mark with your selections so that when you get to the polls, you can mark your ballot quickly and accurately.  If only more states provided this level of information, the nation as a whole would have much better government.

A demonstrator holds up a sign behind US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson(L) and Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke(R) as they address a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill. Bernanke and Paulson urged Congress to swiftly pass a 700-billion-dollar Wall Street bailout, warning the entire US economy was at risk.

(AFP/Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)

Chart of the Day, a web site which has various financial charts, had an interesting one today. It's the Dow Jones Industrial Average compared to the price of gold. Although the Dow reached a record high in the summer of last year, in US Dollars, when you try to "buy the Dow" using gold, a totally different picture emerges.



When priced in gold, the Dow reached its apex in 2000 and has been sliding ever since.

2000... Let's see... that was the year Bush was elected! Coincidence?  I think not.

Even Reaganomics was better for the economy than Bushwhackonomics.

"What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength of our gallant and disciplined army. These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of them may be turned against our liberties, without making us stronger or weaker for the struggle. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, every where. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors."

-- Abraham Lincoln


"The policy decisions for a president in dealing with an avian flu outbreak are difficult. One example: If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you then enforce a quarantine? It's one thing to shut down your airplanes; it's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who is best able to affect a quarantine? One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move."

-- George W. Bush

2,594,000 US soldiers served in Vietnam. 211,512 total casualties, 8.1% of all who served. 153,303 (5.9%) were wounded, 58,209 (2.2%) were killed, with 47,424 (1.8%) deaths from enemy action. 81.5% of deaths were from combat, 72.5% of casualties survived.

1,789,000 US soldiers served in Korea. 139,858 total casualties, 7.8% of all who served 103,284 (5.8%) were wounded, 36,574 (2.0%) were killed, with 33,741 (1.9%) deaths from enemy action. 92.3% of deaths were from combat, 73.8% of casualties survived.

16,112,566 US soldiers served in WWII. 1,077,245 total casualties, 6.7% of all who served. 671,846 (4.2%) were wounded, 405,399 (2.5%) were killed, with 291,557 (1.8%) deaths from enemy action. 71.9% of deaths were from combat, 62.4% of casualties survived


Approximately 130,000 US soldiers have been deployed in Iraqi since Bush declared "victory". Since then, there have been 13,845 total casualties, or 10.7% of all who served. 12,319 (9.5%) have been wounded, 1,526 (1.2%) have been killed, with 1,161 (0.8%) deaths from enemy action. 76.1% of deaths are from combat, 89.0% of casualties survive.


So the actual death rate is lower, but the wounded rate is MUCH higher than the past 3 wars. The main reason the death rate is lower is probably because of improvements in medicine and patient transport, as evidenced by the 89% survival rate vs. 73% in Vietnam and 62% in WWII.

Like a lot of you, I was disappointed and angry that Bush was reelected.  But I decided to do something about it!

I joined the ACLU.    With Bush as President, and a Republican controlled Congress, our Civil Rights are going to need all the protection they can get!

And while you're at it, why not join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and help protect free speech?  I did!