The presidential guard in the United States of America has changed parties.  Are we any better off?  We are still soundly United as a Collection of States on the North American continent.  So we've got that going for us. 

A couple of weeks ago, I looked at the Farewell Address of 43rd President George W. Bush.  My piece got long-winded, as I'm prone to do, therefore I wrote I'd look at President Barack

Obama's Inaugural Address later.  Later is today!  But first...

The United States of America has a new president who seems to have been in office for years, because the primary process took so long and momentum for Barack Obama reached such a fever pitch.  It's important to remember he's only been in office for roughly three weeks.  In three weeks, President Obama has pushed a massive spending package through the Halls of Congress with prior hopes of 'bi-partisanship' squashed and "the system" working as it always seems to have worked (or not) in the past.  Other than Senate Republicans Olympia Snow, Susan Collins and Arlen Specter, no other Republican in Congress (House and Senate) voted for President Obama's stimulus package. 

Democrats and Republicans have aligned as if they are the extremes of the debate that can take place regarding our economy in the United States of America.

Republicans act as if appropriating money for "economic stimulation" is the stupidest idea they've ever heard even though many Republicans supported $700 billion for "economic stimulus" in October of last year (1st Stimulus bill passed Senate Oct. 1st 2008 <74 to 25>, then passed the House Oct. 3rd 2008 <263 to 171>.) 

Democrats and Republicans are back in their proper position of providing you options, so you don't have to think too much but you can still feel like you live in a democracy.  Democrats say 'yes.'  Republicans say 'no.'  And now you can decide who you want to vote for...in two to six years.  Nevermind that 'yes' and 'no' don't really take into account positions expressing something like: 'maybe,' 'yes and no' or 'what the hell are you all talking about?  Maybe we should try something else entirely!'

Republican to Democrat (as ways of thinking about and responding to the world) does not express the full scale of American thought in the United States, but with Republicans on one side and Democrats on the other we get entertainment from their posturing and hypocrisy disguised as high moral fiber and thoughtfulness.

Michael Steele makes some interesting points which should be considered but he is still talking around the truly compromising economic issues we currently face in this country.  Pay special attention to the 5:35 mark in his talk with George Stephanopoulos. 

Inflation is a tax folks! 

When the government gives out money, prices go up and inflation being a tax links directly back to how money comes into existence in this country.  According to Ron Paul, the U.S. Federal Reserve's role in this process does not help many American citizens.

There are numerous ways (I'm sure) inflation happens, but I'll provide two examples here.  The first example is an anecdote written by Bob Woodward in his book Plan of Attack.  Describing U.S. spying efforts before the invasion of Iraq, Woodward tells the story of CIA operatives—in Iraq—offering large sums of money to Iraqi's in the Hussein government for secrets to enable the United States of America to invade Iraq successfully.

"Tim was also doling out millions to the PUK [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan] to keep them happy and for the intelligence and security they provided.  One day the PUK leader, Jalal Talabani, came to see him.  'Tim, I will need if you can bring me ones and fives and tens because now everything in Sulaymaniyah costs $100.'  The $100 bills had caused extreme inflation.  It seemed even a cup of coffee was going for $100 because no one could make small change.  Tim promised he would try.  A million dollars in  $100 bills weighed about 44 pounds, so in all tens it would hundreds of pounds, and in dollar bills thousands of pounds."  (Plan of Attack, 303.)

This example of inflation is pretty simple to understand.  A small, poor community suddenly has several members of the community given pounds of $100 bills.  Nobody else has change for the $100 bills.  By necessity, if that's all the person has to spend, a cup of coffee becomes valued at $100 because the person values the coffee more than the bills.

A second perspective on inflation is a bit more complicated and seems to be a repercussion of the U.S. dollar being removed from the gold standard in the 1970's.  Ron Paul does the best job, I've seen, of explaining it; although, I don't know if he is 100% correct.  He does, however, offer an opinion not widely seen.

Regardless of philosophy and ideology, President Obama has a $787 billion stimulus bill waiting on his desk for his signature to make that bill law.  $308 billion will then go to appropriation spending which includes public-works projects (e.g. fixing roads, building bridges, etc..)  $267 billion goes into unemployment-like services including foods stamps and $212 billion goes to tax cuts.

The guiding question for the next year should be: 'Can $787 billion buy Americans hope?  If not, what is the price tag for the American variety of hope?'  However, it is unlikely the question will be posed to the American people in such a fashion.  We are inundated with predictions and calculations to assure us the future is going to be good or grim.  After a while it becomes difficult to understand words outside of the situation the words are used in.

Who's right? 
Who's wrong? 

It doesn't matter because we're all focused on "economic stimulus" and that means absolutely zero outside of the context of our current political environment.  Media contributes to our marginalization in this process as well as politicians who refuse to challenge and redefine debates into less clear cut statements. 

Life is not clear cut. 
Words are seldom cut and dry when you use more than two syllables.
Life is full of mystery. 
No matter how much anxiety mystery produces in you and me:
Life is anxiety and uncertainty at all levels of the debate!

One level of uncertainty in the U.S. today is whether there is a concerted effort to make fools of the American people.  Some will call this conspiracy-theory thinking.  Some will argue that 'such and such' network is more biased in the other direction than 'this' network.  It is fairly clear though that Fox's 'Fair and Balanced Reporting' can only be judged fair and balanced from a particular perspective.

The documentary "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" does a fine job of demonstrating how one person/network can have a tremendous influence on what American citizens see and think on a daily basis.  Below is an excerpt of the first 9 mins of the film.

The full film is just over one hour long, but well worth the watching.  "Outfoxed..." can be viewed on the internet for free here.  There is a need in America for citizens to ask questions.  Don't take up arms.  Just ask questions.  Ask the questions that seem stupid. 

Express yourself! 

When we stop asking: Is this as good as it gets? 

Then this is as good as it got!