10 February, 2009

Same old, same old

During this last week, I find that I am very frustrated reading articles about the haves-or-have-nots of the US stimulus bill.

Actually, I am sure that just three weeks ago, plus one day, on the eve of Obama's inaugural ceremony, in an obvious collective rush of jubilation, studies stated that Americans (including the small folk and the big brass) were willing to "give" Obama a six-month honeymoon to start working out some of the major kinks in the system. Now, three weeks later, to heck with the six months! Let's pout, pose, and position every bloody Republican congressperson, probably every Republican senator (not holding my breath on those three yes-no-maybe-so votes), and a newly voted-in Republican chairperson against the bill.



All the talk seems to be about the imperfections of the bill and the question whether the spending will produce the right results. Well, you know what, at this late point in time, they might just have to give it a try anyways. If hindsight were really as good a predictor as Dr. Phil says, then we (the whole world!) wouldn't be in the present pickle.

What makes this whole bickering back-and-forth so frustrating, is hearing the politicians speak as if they think they know what they are talking about when it is so obvious they don't, as if the outcome of this stimulus spending is predicable, as if they are voting on principle instead of what they should be doing: voting out of desperation in a fleeting attempt of stem the tides of some very bad wrongs.

I don't know about you, but the American recession isn't coming, it has already arrived. At least in my very humble circle of friends it has. Two friends in New Zealand have lost their jobs because their companies' main offices are in America and the first thing the American companies did was close down their foreign offices, even though these foreign offices both were bringing in money. Two other friends have lost their homes in the States. Five friends in the States were made redundant in the last two weeks. One friend, who was working at the company for the last 18 years, was given one week's severance pay. These facts I have just taken off the top of my head. Give me some time to actually think or research the situation; I'd probably come up with a lot more examples.

So, here is my plea to all you Republican and Democrats politicians out there in Washington, just vote yes. I do not care why you are voting no, so save your breath and explanations. But, if you vote yes, I will read every single article or interview you put out there for me to consume. I’ll even promise to remember your name.

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