Drain The Swamp

News of regulation rollbacks meant to save the average Americans about 17 billion in unnecessary fees to Wallstreet might make you think that the POTUS has a weird way of following through on his campaign promises to "drain the swamp" when it comes to Wall Street.

But if you think about what a swamp actually is, you'll see his promise makes sense.

A swamp is the very definition of a wetland. And you know what wetlands, do, right?

Wetlands "mitigate the impacts from storm damage and flooding, maintain good water quality in rivers, recharge groundwater, store carbon, help stabilize climatic conditions and control pests."

So yeah, the POTUS is draining the swamp alright, as he promised. Yay?

Artificial Left-Right Divide

This year GE had a profit of $14.2 billion. Of which exactly nothing is being collected for taxes (reference), even while all us honest workers fork over a significant percentage of our wages to improve the country we're all part of.

Our elected officials could have tackled the deficit by imposing a fair share of the load on these corporations. Instead they cut billions from programs that do "wasteful" things like create new jobs, drive economic growth, and help the needy and our nation's children.

Is there any clearer evidence of the artificial nature of left-right divide that has been foisted on us (or that we've allowed ourselves to fall victim to), blaring from every major news outlet? We squabble over crumbs while corporations secure their hold on power.

Monied Interests Vs. Humanity

Monied corporate interests are demanding their puppet politicians sabotage the EPA's authority to regulate CO2 as a pollutant. This hasn't yet happened, but some are trying to give DOT authority over fuel economy – which would also strip EPA of authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions that the Supreme Court recently declared was within the EPA's purview.

"It is a poison pill that, in the dark of night, would reverse the landmark decision by the US Supreme Court affirming EPA's power to regulate global-warming pollution," says Ms. Patton of Environmental Defense.

Read all about the unfolding battle here in this excellent Christian Science Monitor article.

US Still Puts Profits over Climate Change

I guess we need a few more shocking disasters to hit our shores before politicians in the US will wake up. It seems the upcoming CAFE standards will continue to allow the SUV loophole where cars and light trucks are categorized separately.

Actually, as long as politicians are allowed to take money from corporations whose profit motives push aside moral considerations, I question whether we really have the ability to respond to real, actual pressing needs in this country anymore. Sure, we can respond to fabricated needs, needs fabricated by those few set to make big bucks on cost-plus contracts. I suppose if Haliburton were in the business of wind, solar, and biomass energy production we'd see more of an Apollo-project-like fervor on this topic, as opposed to what we've currently got, which essentially amounts to lip service.

Ok, here's something positive about to balance the negative points of the previous 2 paragraphs: it looks like the professionals may have taken about enough from their commander and chief--the CIA downgraded Iran's nuclear threat, throwing cold water in the administration's latest drumbeat for a new war in the mideast. Apparently, Bush only found out last week.

Should Writers Be Paid for Online Content?

This is how a striking Daily Show writer answers this question . . .