February 4, 2012
1:36 pm
by: admin

Democrats hatch new plan to force troops withdrawal from Iraq

The Democrats have never been in favour of the war in Iraq. Time and again they have been deciphered cropping up with new plans and reports that have lambasted the Bush administration. And now the Democrats have once more hatched a strategy to force the withdrawal of troop from Iraq sooner rather than later. Majority of the American were in favour of a retaliation to the 9/11 attacks and that’s what they got. But 6 years down the line and support for the war in Iraq has decimated to less than 50%. Yet the war goes on and the cost of maintaining the thousands of US troops stationed in the Middle East country goes on mounting. The Democrats now want to shift the burden of the cost of war from the federal reserves onto the Americans themselves. Advocated by the House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey and supported by Rep. Jack Murtha and Jim McGovern, the proposed measure plans to add 2% to the tax bills of low- and middle-income American taxpayers and 12-15% additional tax to higher-income taxpayers. It is still to be decided whether this additional tax is shaped into a draft or is structured as surtax. The Democrats say that this move is to let all Americans share the burden of the ongoing war in Iraq so as not to make the country slip deeper into debts. They say that such a move would secure the future generations from paying off the debts. But scratch the surface and you would come up with another angle. What the Democrats scheme to do with this proposed measure is to force the Bush administration to start pulling out of American troops from a constantly disintegrating Iraq. It is clear to them that the public would become ferocious should the measure be adopted and the Iraqi situation would become even more unpopular. Such a shrewd tactic is quite admirable indeed but could Mr. George W Bush come up with a counter-plan? Image Source: Visiting DC Source: CNN

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February 4, 2012
1:35 pm
by: admin

President Bush vetoes a critical children insurance bill

He knows that he is in the wan months of his Presidency and knows better than anyone else that he has to increase his attention to the domestic issues. Since the 9/11 attacks, US President George W Bush has been ridiculously busy in paying attention to offshore issues such as the Iraq war. But now with the increasing unpopularity both of the post-Saddam Hussein occurrences in the Middle Eastern country and Mr. Bush’s ignorance of the Americans themselves, the President is gradually diverting his focus towards sensitive matters at home. And one such overly sensitive matter in the US is healthcare. Medicare, the nationwide healthcare programme that aspires to provide health service at minimum costs to the poor and needy who cannot afford the otherwise hefty expenses of meeting with the healthcare demands, has often been censured for not properly fulfilling its objective. A good fraction of the scheme provides financial care for the children in the country and it is this particular programme that has been at the heart of yet another debate on Medicare. On Tuesday, President Bush decided to use his veto for only the fourth time in his Presidential rule when he nullified a bill to expand a children’s healthcare insurance scheme. The scheme proposes to increase the tax rates on tobacco to generate $35 billion to secure insurance for some 10 million children. Passed by a large majority of the US Senate, the vetoed bill proposed to help lift those families of the gloom who might be rich enough to cover the expenses of their children’s healthcare but cannot afford their insurance. President Bush argued the scheme was too costly and would hit the already shrinking federal reserves hard. Moreover, this scheme would allow a small window of opportunity to open for private sector users to switch sides to the government sector which would be additional burden for the government. The State Children’s Health Insurance Programme (SCHIP) is a hugely popular scheme among the Americans and Mr.Bush’s refusal to allow the Bill to pass through could easily trigger one more grievance to the public. Image Source: Visiting DC Source: BBC

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February 4, 2012
1:34 pm
by: admin

Anti-war block sets troops’ withdrawal deadline for Bush

Just two months and not a day more. Talks of pulling out of American troops from Iraq have been gaining momentum since last year and now the anti-war bandwagon has run out of patience. US President George W Bush has long been advocating the increasingly failing war in Iraq to be gradually proceeding towards success but, if anyone needs telling, the truth is far from what the President tells it is. Mr. Bush now has just two months to come up with a strategy to withdraw troops from Iraq. On Tuesday, the House emphatically voted to allow the Bush administration only two months to present the US Congress its plan for the withdrawal of US troops from the war-ravaged nation in the Middle East. 377 votes were in favour of the draft to just 77 against the motion. The passing of the motion by such an overwhelming majority doesn’t only demonstrate that the President and his Republican party have already lost the plot and the support of the US house but it also reveals how strong the House Democrats have become since last year. According to this newly drafted bill, the US Defense Secretary would now have just 60 days to deliver to the Congress the scheme to be adopted for the withdrawal f troops from Iraq. He would also need to sketch an outline on how to make a transition from the military mission to a counter-terrorism assignment. Although the measure adopted by the House appear to be a hard blow to the Bush administration which has consistently upheld its decision to go on fighting in Iraq, the fact is that this measure doesn’t guarantee the immediate pullout of troops. It doesn’t set a definite deadline for the withdrawal process o begn and doesn’t even force the Bush administration to implement the plan. So Mr. Bush is still apparently safe at the moment but the question is for how long. Image Source: Chris Abraham Source: Washington Post

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February 3, 2012
1:29 pm
by: admin

A Republican, A Democrat and a target: New wine in new bottle

How often do you find a Republican and a Democrat in the US openly exhibiting their friendship, let alone campaigning for an election? The question is of course a rhetorical one and the answer is pretty much obvious. It would be startling then to know that two professors at Concordia University, just north of Milwaukeehave paired up together to run for elections. Republican Jim Burkee teaches history and Democrat Jeff Walz teaches political science at the same University. The red-blue difference must have been the source of a plethora of debates and arguments between the two intellectuals and it would indeed be a lie to deny that there haven’t been any. But instead of fighting in public and demonstrating that they are a couple of old fools following the paths of politicians, Burkee and Walz have had their discussions in churches and university halls. But those discussions were mostly tied by common objectives. And what better way to explore ways to fulfill those common objectives than pair up together and get into politics? The pair is now busy joint campaigning to unseat Republican F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (Wis.). The entire concept of a Republican-Democrat joint campaign is so novel that the phenomenon has hit the national headlines in the US. Burkee and Walz are promising a campaign purified of negative advertisements, personal attack on any politicians and 100 debates in 300 days before the September 2008 party primaries. The dynamic duo’s philosophy leans toward conservatism. Both are firmly against abortion, embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage. Burkee and Walz feel that a long awaited wave of change is needed for the state and are confident of their capabilities to bring about that change. They might not have the nuance of hard core politicians but being two respected intellectuals and university professor, the duo do have the intelligence and common sense, elements which are unfortunately discerned lacking in most politicians. Image Source: CCD.EDU Source: Washington Post

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February 2, 2012
1:29 pm
by: admin

Romney accuses Giuliani as a spendthrift, war of words begins within Republicans

The forthcoming US presidential elections are heading for a showdown, with the leading candidates leaving no opportunity to splash dirt not only on their opposition but also their own party candidates. As the countdown to the election begins, Republican candidate, Mitt Romney fired salvo at his own party’s front-runner Rudy Giuliani, who is gaining momentum as the strongest Republican candidate, opposite Democrat main lead, Hillary Clinton. Romney accusing Giuliani as a spendthrift, who being New York Mayor is squandering a lot of money into his campaign, pledged to oppose attempts to raise taxes on Americans. Mr Giuliani, too, backfiring accused Mr Romney as taxachusetts hypocrisy. The war of words has begun and it is not just the Republicans versus the Democrats, but Republicans versus Republicans. The differences between the candidates from the same political party seem to be rupturing as the countdown to the poll begins. In this blame-game inside the party ranks, the candidates are not doing any kind of favor to their party, the opposition seems to be benefiting from it instead. Mrs Hillary Clinton has emerged as the strongest Presidential candidate and any move of the candidates of both parties to malign each other is not going to offset her campaign. Two successive terms for the Republicans as George Bush as the President and the 9/11 calamity, and the war on terror are enough to spring a change in the political leadership in the country. Time is ripe for a change and, yes, may be it is time for Democrats to come in power. Image Source: Reuters

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February 2, 2012
1:27 pm
by: admin

Democrats hope for a greater say after increased majority in Senate

At present the Democrats have a simple majority in the US Senate. They are looking forward to the 2008 Senate elections. 34 seats will be up for grabs. Democrats have 12 of them and are confident of retaining them. The Republicans have 22 seats of the 34; 5 Republican senators have announced they will not stand again. The rest of the Republican seats could go either way. Republicans are disheartened by the following factors- 1– The Iraq war is unpopular. Bush’s unpopularity will sink them too. 2– Senate Democrats have managed to rake in more campaign money by way of contributions. They have reasons to cheer up too. Only 25% of Americans approve of the way the democrats have used their majority in the Congress for the country’s good. There is a lack of confidence in Democrats about their ability to lead the country. The Democrats are quite confident of their chances of a bigger majority in Senate but are not trumpeting about it as they fear this would push Republicans into closing ranks. What will a bigger Democratic majority in Senate mean? The aim would be to reach the magic figure of 60. This will prevent Republicans from filibustering any Democratic proposal. For instance Democrats will be able to pass bills calling for a pull-out from Iraq. Of course Bush will be at the death of his term and a Democratic Senate will not be able to push him around much. Although Bush or the new incumbent will always have the liberty of using his veto to outplay the Congress, any bill passed by the Legislature will have tremendous effect on US policy. Reuters Image credit

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February 2, 2012
1:25 pm
by: admin

Bush kissing pets kicking children

Well, a general question to you all my friends. Who will you care more, pets or children? And the answer is crystal clear. Am I right? But you know what, Bush thinks otherwise. He kisses pets and kicks children. Yes, I might be little too hard while saying that, but can’t help it. What should I call it when Bush passed a bill for the protection, care, and to make pet-friendly shelters for them while catering federal money to pets’ essential needs and to their masters as well? Whereas, Bush denied a similar bill aimed to make ‘Nations Commission for the Children and Disasters’. The idea was propelled mainly to help the ill fated children in planning for, responding to and recovering from disasters. Pets will have all these facilities for them while enjoying shelter, care, and everything but how about children? Is there anything more ironic than this in the land of dreams where pets are more adored than children? Think… Image

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February 1, 2012
1:26 pm
by: admin

US cathedrals embrace technology to magnetize younger generation

The number of youngsters attending the Church in the US has been decreasing steadily since the middle of last century. In an age where science is rapidly replacing religion as the means to satisfy oneself, adolescents and young adults are drifting farther and farther away from religion. And to combat this drift and reach out to the younger generation, the age-old Church has now come up a modern solution. Halo 3 is an ultra-violent video game that centers on a space epic in which aliens are obstinate in destroying the Earth and the major fraction of the galaxy. The game has already made a sale of more than $300 million since its launch two weeks ago but the ‘M’ rated video game, that is meant only for those above 17years, is hardly a tool that a Church would employ for its own purpose. Instead of rebuking technology and the manufacturers for once again releasing a video game that depicts killing and violence, churches across the United States, and even some evangelical ones, have started to embrace this video game. The priests and the pastors are allowing sessions to be held when young boys even under the age of 17 years come and play Microsoft’s new game. They defend their policy by saying that after the playing session is over, these kids are given lectures on stopping violence and accepting religion as a source of moral salvation and spiritual fulfillment. But whether those preaching penetrate the mind of the youngsters remains to be judged. The Church says that the policy to allow children play the video game is actually a way to reach out to the younger generation who grow up devoid of any religious attachment. The policy is indeed hard to grasp since the violence illustrated in the video game is in direct contradiction to the peace that the Church advocates and those against the policy have raised this particular concern. That the younger generation is shunning the importance of the Church is a vital issue, the Church needs to address, but the approach towards the objective has to change. The connection between faith and video games is something that escapes the intellect of the sensible. There are several better ways to inspire the young people to attend Church services than dangling the carrot of video games in front of them. Image Source: Geethink Source: The Telegraph, UK

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February 1, 2012
1:23 pm
by: admin

Republican Presidential candidates stage heated debate

The Presidential race in the United States is gathering pace and energy. The Republican candidates for the most difficult job in the nation know that they have their work cut out against the more popular Democrat counterparts but they are leaving no stone unturned to convince voters of their credentials. The Republicans staged a highly entertaining televised debate in Michigan on Tuesday and the two principle characters were Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. The former is the ex-New York mayor and the latter is a former Massachusetts governor and both are committed to lower taxes. But even on this common point the duo is at loggerhead with each other. Mr. Giuliani has always remained firm in his policy of tax cuts and cut tax 23 times during his term as Mayor of New York city. He leads in national polls and is considered as the favourite among the Republicans to challenge top Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton for the President’s job. But Mr. Romney isn’t running for the Presidential office for nothing. He dismissed Mr. Guiliani’s accusations that he had let tax rates increase and retorted by stating that he had actually trimmed them. While Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Romney were sharing the limelight between them, the other Republican candidate for the presidency, Mr. Fred Thompson, was quietly watching from the sidelines. The former character actor, who is best known for his role in the television series Law & Order, was asked the first question during the televised debate but couldn’t keep the ball in his court. Soon the attention turned towards Mr. Guiliani and Mr. Romney and Mr. Thompson faded away. Mr. Thompson threw his bid to run for the Presidency only in September and has been criticized for making the announcement so late. He has yet to convince the people of his ideas and policies and probably wouldn’t be able to compete even with his republican competitors. Image Source: The Young Turks Source: BBC

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February 1, 2012
1:07 pm
by: admin

Another shooting spree in school rocks US

The US might be the most powerful as well as the richest nation in the world but it also hold the dubious record of a high gun crime rate. Acquiring guns with or without license is pretty much easy and dissident teenagers have now discerned holes in laws too. In the last three years, teenage gun crime has risen by a large proportion. Angry and frustrated teenagers going on a free shooting spree in school compounds have been arriving from all corners of the US. In the US, due to a huge degree of freedom bestowed ion the individual states, there’s no universal law on gun acquisition. In some states, guns can be procured even over the counter. The latest incident of a shooting spree in a US school occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the SuccessTech Academy near downtown Cleveland. The perpetrator was a 14-year student, Asa Coon, who incidentally studied at the same school. Police forces believe that the young boy was angry over some discilinary action that his teachers might have taken against him. Coon walked down the halls firing a 22- caliber revolver in one hand and a .38-caliber revolver in the other. 5 people were shot, including two teachers, and the tragedy is that Coon shot himself in the classroom. Students getting angry with their schools or teachers are not uncommon but what is bizarre is the way the US school students are responding. The US is already suffering from a high crime rate and with teenagers also getting into the act, the situation is rapidly spiraling out of control. Gun control in the States is almost non-existence and this is leading to immature and underaged kids gaining access to such weaponry. Image Source: Kissonline Source: CNN

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