Of Rights

            On March 22, 2011, New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg spoke at a rally supporting government funding of Planned Parenthood. The debate over the funding is a side issue, which I will leave those focused on political commentary and debate, however, there was one statement that caught my attention and presents a great opportunity to look at the Constitution, the Founding of our Nation, and the source of our Rights. Senator Lautenberg was quoted:

The Republicans in Congress claim they’re concerned about the budget balance, but it’s a disguise! It’s not true! It’s a lie! That’s not what they want. They want — they want other people not to be able to have their own opinions. They don’t deserve the freedoms that are in the Constitution! But we’ll give it to them anyway.

            As we move forward in political debates, whether they be over funding of community service organizations, regulatory laws, or the Federal Budget, it is important that we pay attention, particularly to what our elected representatives are saying. Senator Lautenberg’s words present a troubling philosophical foundation. We have to ask the question: Who decides to give Republicans Constitutional Rights?

Of Tyrants and Unions

Over the last couple of weeks, since the stalemate in Wisconsin, many people, now including a US Senator have made the claim that the very first thing that tyrants, such as Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Hosni Mubarak, is to disband the unions. Invoking National Socialism (Nazism), Soviet Socialism (Communism), and the Egyptian Dictatorship under Mubarak is an easy step to take, they make great talking points. One would hope that their invocation would beg the question of what happened?

In order to find the accuracy of these statements, on needs to examine the History of each separately. Tonight, I am going to focus on Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Both sides of the political spectrum desire to stamp their opposition to these two examples. It is the highest form of hyperbole and demeans the tragedy and suffering created by these two regimes. If we are going to move forward as a people, instead of using hyperbole we need to find a more level head in our arguments; and focus on the truth of history.

The Dangers of Food Prices

The World Bank has reported that food prices have reached dangerously high levels. They state that this could lead to political instability. The numbers are truly staggering; global Corn Futures have doubled in price since the summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted last week U.S. corn farmers will have just 675 million bushels of corn at the end of August, before next year's harvest begins. That sounds like a fairly large number, however, when calculated out, that results in an 18-day supply. These slim reserves, no matter the cause, leaves the world at risk with any event that could affect corn production.

The United States has yet to feel the crunch that many others across the globe have felt. We have a number of factors supporting our position, including the absorption of high prices by Food Distributors. The rest of the World is not so lucky. Between June and December, wheat prices climbed 54 percent in Kyrgyzstan, 45 percent in Bangladesh and 16 percent in Pakistan. These are nations who are already facing internal and external political pressures.