Hearing the Falconer #38 ~ 3-May-2019 ~ Elizabeth Warren's Announcement Speech

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world....
from The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats, 1919

The middle of the road is all of the usable surface.
The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

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3-May-2019: Elizabeth Warren Announces She is Running for President
Senator Warren's Announcement Speech
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As a moderate Democrat myself, I get the impression that Elizabeth Warren is too far to the left for me, but let's start with her announcement speech on February 9, 2019, and get to know her.

Senator Warren starts and ends her speech by talking about the Lawrence, Massachusetts textile workers strike in 1912. The message is that we need to fight against oppression now, just as the textile workers fought and won more than 100 years ago.

Warren groups her major points into three main themes:

1. Root out corruption.
The Senator wants to:

• Require candidates to put their tax information online.
• Stop people in Congress from trading stocks.
• Slow down the “revolving door” between Wall St. and Washington.

2. Return economic power to the people.
The Senator promises to:

• Make it easier for workers to join unions and get worker representatives into corporate board rooms.
• Break up monopolies.
• Make sure bad corporate behavior gets prosecuted and punished. (She mentions that if you get caught with drugs you go to jail but if you are a banker and launder billions of dollars for a drug cartel, you get a bonus.)

3. Strengthen democracy
Elizabeth Warren also wants to:

• Overturn all voter suppression rules.
• Overturn Citizens United.
• Outlaw gerrymandering.

She also pledged not to accept any PAC money during her campaign.

Warren's overarching theme in this speech is captured by this quote: “Today millions and millions and millions of American families are also struggling to survive in a system that has been rigged; rigged by the wealthy and well connected. Hardworking people are up against a small group that holds far too much power, not just in our economy, but also in our democracy. ”

I agree with most of what Warren says in her announcement speech but a couple of times she takes it a step too far. As I moderate I cannot agree with quotes like: “We can't afford to just tinker around the edges” and we need “big, structural change.”

As a moderate I still believe in slow, small, incremental changes that will make our country better. Still, Warren has a lot of good ideas so I will keep listening.

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The "Hearing the Falconer" Library

Books for Independent Thinkers

Truman

Moderates: The Vital Center of American Politics, from the Founding to Today

The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made It

Unapologetically Moderate: My Search for the Rational Center in American Politics

The Deliberate Moderate: Influencing From the Middle

Eisenhower: The White House Years

The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison

Lincoln

Reflections of a Radical Moderate

Washington: A Life

The Reluctant Republican: My Fight for the Moderate Majority

Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party

Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life

Theodore Roosevelt: A Life

The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides

Beyond Red and Blue: How Twelve Political Philosophies Shape American Debates

***

Copyright © 2019 by Joseph Wayne Gadway

Hearing the Falconer #37 ~ 29-Apr-2019 ~ Moderate Environmental Regulations

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world....
from The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats, 1919

The middle of the road is all of the usable surface.
The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

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29-April-2019: Being Moderate with Environmental Regulations
In Defense of Environmental Regulations
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For a moderate, the position that we should have NO environmental regulations at all is too extreme in one direction. On the other hand, having regulations that are too costly, limit freedoms too much, and don't really do any good anyway, would be too extreme in the other direction.

The moderate approach to environmental regulations is to:

1. Define the problem that needs to be solved.
2. Propose a policy that might solve the problem, or at least reduce the problem.
3. Evaluate how effective the proposed solution will be.
4. Consider the cost of the solution in actual dollars, lost economic growth, and restrictions on personal freedom.
5. Do a cost – benefit analysis.
6. Decide whether or not to implement the plan.

This might seem obvious but to many partisans it must not be. Because I still hear some conservatives opposing ALL environmental regulations and some liberals supporting ALL environmental regulations.

If you are always in favor of environmental regulations or always opposed to them, you are probably not a moderate.

The attached article discusses regulations in Pennsylvania and reminds us of the terrible Donora disaster where air pollution on a foggy day killed 19 people in one little town.

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The "Hearing the Falconer" Library

Books for Independent Thinkers

Truman

Moderates: The Vital Center of American Politics, from the Founding to Today

The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made It

Unapologetically Moderate: My Search for the Rational Center in American Politics

The Deliberate Moderate: Influencing From the Middle

Eisenhower: The White House Years

The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison

Lincoln

Reflections of a Radical Moderate

Washington: A Life

The Reluctant Republican: My Fight for the Moderate Majority

Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party

Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life

Theodore Roosevelt: A Life

The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides

Beyond Red and Blue: How Twelve Political Philosophies Shape American Debates

***

Copyright © 2019 by Joseph Wayne Gadway

Hearing the Falconer #36 ~ 26-Apr-2019 ~ Julian Castro Running for President

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world....
from The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats, 1919

The middle of the road is all of the usable surface.
The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

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26-April-2019: A Blueprint for 21st Century Opportunity
Julian Castro Announces His Run for the White House
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On January 12, 2019, under a bright San Antonio sun, Julian Castro, the former mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban development under Barack Obama announced that he is running for President.

Julian started his speech by praising and thanking the press and calling them a "friend of the truth." Kind of a refreshing change from the way we hear the free press maligned and bullied by the current occupant of the White House!

When he actually announces that he is running, Julian repeats the key lines in Spanish. It is also kind of nice to hear someone running for the highest office in the land who is knowledgeable enough to speak two languages well. This is another contrast to the current president who ALMOST speaks one language!

He holds out San Antonio, Texas as representative of America: diverse, fast-growing, optimistic.

The organizing THEME of Julian's speech comes when he calls for the United States to be the "smartest, healthiest, fairest, and the most prosperous nation on earth."

To make our country the SMARTEST Julian says we can't afford to waste a single person. He promises to launch a nationwide Pre-K program to get children off to a good start and also to make two year colleges more affordable.

To make our country the HEALTHIEST Julian calls for Medicare for all.

To make our country the FAIREST Julian spoke in praise of Black Lives Matter and also says "We have to have border security but there is a smart and a humane way to do it." He also promises to protect the Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.

To make our country the most PROSPEROUS Julian calls for raising the minimum wage, work for more affordable housing, and pass a New Green Deal that will protect the planet AND create great jobs.

Julian also stressed that he will work to overturn Citizens United and get big money out of politics.

One of his especially good lines I thought was "The American dream wasn't supposed to be JUST a dream."

Julian seems like a good candidate to me. In the crowded Democrat field he is one of my "Top 5." He is young and energetic, lays out a good program for America, and seems reasonably moderate.

Let's see how he does!

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The "Hearing the Falconer" Library

Books for Independent Thinkers

Truman

Moderates: The Vital Center of American Politics, from the Founding to Today

The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made It

Unapologetically Moderate: My Search for the Rational Center in American Politics

The Deliberate Moderate: Influencing From the Middle

Eisenhower: The White House Years

The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison

Lincoln

Reflections of a Radical Moderate

Washington: A Life

The Reluctant Republican: My Fight for the Moderate Majority

Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party

Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life

Theodore Roosevelt: A Life

The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides

Beyond Red and Blue: How Twelve Political Philosophies Shape American Debates

***

Copyright © 2019 by Joseph Wayne Gadway

Hearing the Falconer #35 ~ 22-Apr-2019 ~ The Green New Deal: Part 8

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world....
from The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats, 1919

The middle of the road is all of the usable surface.
The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

**********
22-April-2019: The Green New Deal, Part 8
House Resolution 109: The Green New Deal
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From news reports I have gotten the impression the Green New Deal is too extreme. Let's take a look at it and find out for ourselves.

House Resolution 109 has the title “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.”

This resolution starts with 7 “Whereas's” and then moves into 4 “Resolved's.” Recently we looked at the second "Resolved." Now let's look at the third and fourth "Resolved's."

The third “Resolved” calls for the Green New Deal to be developed transparently and in partnership with many groups such as “frontline and vulnerable communities,” businesses, labor unions, and academia. I certainly agree with this. The more groups we involve in this initiative the more likely we will be to get the best ideas and the more likely we will be to succeed.

In the fourth resolved we get into some more details of the Green New Deal. For example: “ensuring that the Federal Government takes into account the complete environmental and social costs and impacts of emissions....”

This is important because it addresses a serious market failure that can threaten our society. If companies can produce profits in some way that results in dangerous emissions BUT the costs of dealing with the results of those emissions falls on someone else in society, or on the government, then the free market is not really working like it is supposed to. Free markets should select those activities that result in profits after ALL costs are accounted for. If profits are taken by one entity while losses are paid by another then we could end up rewarding people for doing things that are actually a net loss for society.

Here is another detail in the fourth “Resolved:” “providing resources, training, and high-quality education, including higher education, to all people of the United States....” This one will be a tough challenge but I think it is a worthy goal. We will have to figure out how to pay for providing higher education to everyone in the United States. This might be a case where we need to start slow and focus first on increasing opportunities rather than providing them to everyone overnight.

The fourth “Resolved” also calls for “making public investments in the research and development of new clean and renewable energy technologies and industries” and “directing investments to spur economic development....” I am a big believer in public investments and in encouraging investments that will drive growth. The devil is always in the details but I am in full agreement with the principle expressed here.

The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides

Here is another “Resolved” that might be tough: “guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security to all people of the United States....” This one might be tough, but, in a way, are we already doing part of this. When I was a boy my father was disabled and got a monthly check from the government through Social Security. We were poor but we had enough to live. So, if the government is already supplying the MONEY to people who need help why would it be impossible to also supply a JOB along with that money? I think we might be able to figure out a way to do that.

The last “Resolved” we will consider is “providing all people of the United States with - high-quality health care; affordable, safe, and adequate housing; economic security; and clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and access to nature.” This is a beautiful dream. I would not promise the American people we can achieve this tomorrow, or next year, or even in the next decade, but I have no problem with it as a long term goal to keep us moving in the right direction.

In conclusion, as a political moderate, I think the Green New Deal sometimes goes too far where it seems to be promising things in the short term that we are unlikely to achieve. If we can change those promises to statements of the direction we want to move in over time then I find myself pretty much in agreement with the Green New Deal as, partly an expression of immediate goals, and partly an expression of long-range vision.

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The "Hearing the Falconer" Library

Books for Independent Thinkers

Truman

Moderates: The Vital Center of American Politics, from the Founding to Today

The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made It

Unapologetically Moderate: My Search for the Rational Center in American Politics

The Deliberate Moderate: Influencing From the Middle

Eisenhower: The White House Years

The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison

Lincoln

Reflections of a Radical Moderate

Washington: A Life

The Reluctant Republican: My Fight for the Moderate Majority

Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, From Eisenhower to the Tea Party

Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life

Theodore Roosevelt: A Life

The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides

Beyond Red and Blue: How Twelve Political Philosophies Shape American Debates

***

Copyright © 2019 by Joseph Wayne Gadway

The Blue Zones: Secrets to Living a Long and Healthy Life

Wouldn't it be great to live a long and healthy life? I mean REALLY long! And REALLY healthy!

There are certain places in the world where lots of people live to 100 and beyond, and even better, many of those people remain healthy, and active, and independent, to the age of 100 and even beyond.

This great book identifies five of these wonderful places and tries to uncover their secrets.

Some of the keys seem to be plant-based diets, close families and communities, and plenty of outdoor exercise.

The five blue zones discussed in this book are:

• The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica,
• The island of Sardinia, Italy
• The island of Okinawa, Japan,
• The island of Ikaria, Greece
• Loma Linda, California

Most of these places I had not heard of before but I had heard about Loma Linda. Recently I was reminded of it by this Prudential ad on TV.
Long Lives in Loma Linda, California

People in Loma Linda, California live almost 10 years longer than other Americans, on average.

The ad does not say exactly WHY people live longer in Loma Linda, but here is what I heard years ago:

There is a big Seventh-day Adventist college, and hospital, and medical school in Loma Linda. Because of that there are LOTS of Seventh-day Adventists living in Loma Linda. And Seventh-day Adventists don't smoke, and don't drink, and, most of them, don't eat meat. That's the reason I heard WHY people in Loma Linda live longer!

I also remember an interview with a medical researcher I read years ago. The interviewer said "When will we have a cure for cancer." The scientist irritably said "We ALREADY have a cure for cancer. Don't smoke, don't drink, don't eat meat!"

Now if you love wine, don't despair. Loma Linda residents may not drink wine but apparently it is popular in the Blue Zones of Sardinia and Ikaria.

This should be a fascinating book about different places and people and cultures. And if it can also help us to live a longer and healthier life.... I'm buying my copy today.

And if you want to get started right away here is what one the subjects of this book has to say, “Eat your vegetables, have a positive outlook, be kind to people, and smile.”

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[If you want to learn how to live a long and healthy life that could help you stay active and independent to 100 and beyond, this is the book for you!]

[If you want to support "Anything Smart" just click on book links like the one below and the other ones throughout this blog to buy your books. "Anything Smart" will receive a commission. Thanks!]

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Copyright © 2019 by Joseph Wayne Gadway