When I was a kid I got the measles. It seemed like a natural part of life; just about everybody got the "childhood diseases" like measles and chicken pox. It was considered unavoidable. My mother actually told me years later that she intentionally exposed me to chicken pox when I was a toddler under the reasoning that everybody got these viruses sooner or later, and it was better to get it over with as a child than catch them when you were older when they might affect you worse. I never considered something like measles serious; as far as I knew it was discomforting for about a week and that was it.
Little did I know the truth. The World Health Organization reports that "before widespread vaccination began in 1980, 2.6 million people a year died from measles. About 400 people a day still do." That's about 145,000 a year. Dead from measles. I had no idea.
The last known native case of measles, according to the US Center for Disease Control, happened in the year 2000. Other cases since were always of unvaccinated foreigners. Humans are the only host for the measles virus and the vaccine is 100% effective. There was genuine hope of eradicating this sometimes lethal disease that is known as probably the most contagious of all viruses, so communicable that a single sneeze can leave pathogens in the air that will linger for up to two hours.
We now have a resurgence of measles in America that started at Disneyland in Anaheim and has, as of yesterday, spread to 84 victims in 14 states. This was completely preventable and is completely outrageous. It can only be happening because "anti-vax" parents are purposely keeping their kids from getting protected from a potentially lethal disease. There is absolutely no evidence to substantiate any of the imagined claims of a link between vaccinations and autism or any other negative health condition. As PhD microbiologist Alex Berezow wrote today, such parents have "blood on their hands" and should "go to jail." I agree. Reckless endangerment is reckless endangerment, whether it entails leaving a kid in a hot car or leaving them exposed to germs that want to kill them. As Berezow says, "It is time to end this insanity."
Friday, January 30, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Obama Makes Strong State of the Union Speech
I enjoyed President Obama's sixth State of the Union Address tonight. He began by making a convincing case that we've turned the economic corner as a nation and are definitely in strong recovery. He wasn't bashful about taking credit for the improvement despite constant predictions of doom from the Republicans. The U.S has produced more jobs, over 11 million, the past five years that Europe, Japan and the rest of the advanced world combined. We add more solar capacity every three weeks than existed in the U.S. in 2008, are less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in the past 30 years, and the low price of oil is a windfall to the American consumer. Millions have health care who didn't and health cost growth is the lowest in decades. It was a strong vindication of his course.
He had a long list of policy plans, almost all of them liberal: affordable child care, equal pay for women, sick leave for all workers, free community college, generous student loan refinancing, massive infrastructure construction, medical research, net neutrality, tax reform to close loopholes and incentives to offshore jobs, increased tax child credits for the middle class, and minimum wage hikes, to name a few.
In foreign affairs he spoke often of using a range of techniques beyond military, though he wanted a use of force authorization from congress vs. ISIS, or ISIL. He pointed out the effectiveness of diplomacy and sanctions against Iran and Russia, whose economies are "in tatters." Our former policy of Cuba was "long past its expiration date." "When you've been doin' the same thing for fifty years and it's not working it's time to make a change," he explained.
The President evoked the speech and appeal that brought him to the attention of the nation, saying he still believes we are not a red and blue America but one United States of America. He pledged his commitment to work together with Republicans on everything upon which they can can find common ground. "I still believe we are one people, that together we can do great things," he said. Of partisan bickering, he remarked, "Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns."
But he made clear he's through sitting around waiting for them to act. On Cuba, Iran, immigration, climate change and Guantanamo, for instance, he made it quite clear he will act where he can himself if congress won't work with him to craft bills he can sign. Not having to run another campaign has liberated Obama to take actions he feels are right regardless of politics. A humorous moment came when he began one paragraph, "I've run my last campaign..." At that, Republicans began to applaud. He shot them a bemused look, and continued, "I know because I won them both." The GOP fell silent as the Democrats roared.
He had a long list of policy plans, almost all of them liberal: affordable child care, equal pay for women, sick leave for all workers, free community college, generous student loan refinancing, massive infrastructure construction, medical research, net neutrality, tax reform to close loopholes and incentives to offshore jobs, increased tax child credits for the middle class, and minimum wage hikes, to name a few.
In foreign affairs he spoke often of using a range of techniques beyond military, though he wanted a use of force authorization from congress vs. ISIS, or ISIL. He pointed out the effectiveness of diplomacy and sanctions against Iran and Russia, whose economies are "in tatters." Our former policy of Cuba was "long past its expiration date." "When you've been doin' the same thing for fifty years and it's not working it's time to make a change," he explained.
The President evoked the speech and appeal that brought him to the attention of the nation, saying he still believes we are not a red and blue America but one United States of America. He pledged his commitment to work together with Republicans on everything upon which they can can find common ground. "I still believe we are one people, that together we can do great things," he said. Of partisan bickering, he remarked, "Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns."
But he made clear he's through sitting around waiting for them to act. On Cuba, Iran, immigration, climate change and Guantanamo, for instance, he made it quite clear he will act where he can himself if congress won't work with him to craft bills he can sign. Not having to run another campaign has liberated Obama to take actions he feels are right regardless of politics. A humorous moment came when he began one paragraph, "I've run my last campaign..." At that, Republicans began to applaud. He shot them a bemused look, and continued, "I know because I won them both." The GOP fell silent as the Democrats roared.
Friday, January 16, 2015
GOP Represents 1995 America, Dems Represent 2045 America
Democrats often like to say that their party is the party of the future and the Republican Party is the party of the past. An interesting statistical analysis in the Wall Street Journal shows that the adage is pretty close to being literally true. In the newly-elected 114th Congress the population profile of the typical Republican-represented House district mirrors the American ethnic profile of 1995, while the typical district represented by a Democrat looks very much like what the Census Bureau anticipates the American population will be in 2045.
See the graphs below. Click here to go to the original. Blue is the white share of the population, gray is African-Americans, green Latinos and purple Asians. Today's GOP district averages 74% white, 8% black, 12% Latino and 3% Asian. For the Dems it's 49% white, 17% African-American, 23% Latino and 7% Asian.
1995 America was 74% white, 12% black, 10% Latino and 4% Asian, remarkably close to the present average makeup of the typical Republican district. 2045 America, as the Census Bureau projects current population trends, will be 49% white, 13% black, 25% Latino and 8% Asian. That's close to spot-on for how the typical Democratic district shakes out right now.
The good news for Democrats is that these population changes promise to swamp the Republican Party in a demographic tidal wave. The good news for Republicans is that they may have some time to change their policy approaches before this effect fully sets in. As it is now, their strategy appears to be to double down on pleasing their white conservative base no matter how much it antagonizes minority citizens.
Wall Street Journal Washington Wire
Democrats and Republicans in the 114th
Congress represent two very different Americas that show a 50-year gap.
Republicans represent a group of voters that look like the country in
1995. Democrats represent a group of voters that look like the country
as it is projected to look in 2045.
White non-Hisp.
Black non-Hisp.
Hispanic
Asian
2045 America
50
Asian
100
114th House GOP
114th House Dems
1995 America
2045 America
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Taking Flak for What's Right
Who deserves an award for political courage for the year just past? Columnist Joe Klein has an on-the-mark commentary in Time Magazine this week. He gives what he calls "Teddy Awards" annually, named for Teddy Roosevelt, author of the famous quote, "It is not the critic that counts..." but "the man who is actually in the arena...who spends himself in a worthy cause" and who knows either "the triumph of high achievement" or "if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."
Klein justifiably gives highest Teddy plaudits to President Barack Obama. While inflexible opposition and hyperbole surrounds him, Obama merits the Teddy because "his policies remain moderate, sane and humane. And by and large, they've worked." His stimulus prevented a depression and laid the foundation for the present recovery, his executive action on immigration is realistic and "surpassingly moral," as was his decision to send 3,000 troops to West Africa to build facilities to help head off the Ebola epidemic. His health care plan "quietly brought coverage to millions," and the continuing negotiations with Iran are perhaps the only chance to head off a general war in the Middle East. He does what's right regardless of fanatical criticism at every turn. In an apt reference to contemporary American politics, Klein characterizes the president's approach as "stubborn sanity."
Klein awarded Teddies to Democratic candidates Michelle Nunn (lost running for Senator from
Georgia) and Seth Moulton (won a congressional seat in Massachusetts) for spending time during their campaigns actually doing public service, something ironically rather unusual among those asking for our votes as public servants. Paul Rieckhoff of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America got a Teddy for his persistence in taking on the VA, which ultimately led to revelations of incompetence and corruption, the dismissal of the Secretary and a major housecleaning at the Department.
Three potential 2016 presidential candidates make Klein's list. Democrat Elizabeth Warren earns a "lifetime" Teddy "for her work against the depredations of the financial sector and her ability to explain complex problems in a manner comprehensible to average humans." Republicans are not left out. Jeb Bush gets a Teddy for "challenge (ing) his party on immigration and education"and Rand Paul for doing the same on foreign warmongering and "prison reform."
Three longtime public servants now retiring make the list too. Klein gives former Defense Secretary Robert Gates a Teddy for standing up to ideologues of both parties and his own department's bureaucracy. Ambassadors Christopher Hill and William Burns get Teddies for decades of often-dangerous service around the world on behalf of their fellow Americans. And finally, posthumous awards go to the courageous journalists who died "in pursuit of the story this year, especially those beheaded by ISIS."
It was a welcome column and a sobering reminder that right and justice are not always easily achieved. There are always prices to be paid, and all progress in life depends on the willingness of the dedicated to pay them.
Klein justifiably gives highest Teddy plaudits to President Barack Obama. While inflexible opposition and hyperbole surrounds him, Obama merits the Teddy because "his policies remain moderate, sane and humane. And by and large, they've worked." His stimulus prevented a depression and laid the foundation for the present recovery, his executive action on immigration is realistic and "surpassingly moral," as was his decision to send 3,000 troops to West Africa to build facilities to help head off the Ebola epidemic. His health care plan "quietly brought coverage to millions," and the continuing negotiations with Iran are perhaps the only chance to head off a general war in the Middle East. He does what's right regardless of fanatical criticism at every turn. In an apt reference to contemporary American politics, Klein characterizes the president's approach as "stubborn sanity."
Klein awarded Teddies to Democratic candidates Michelle Nunn (lost running for Senator from
Georgia) and Seth Moulton (won a congressional seat in Massachusetts) for spending time during their campaigns actually doing public service, something ironically rather unusual among those asking for our votes as public servants. Paul Rieckhoff of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America got a Teddy for his persistence in taking on the VA, which ultimately led to revelations of incompetence and corruption, the dismissal of the Secretary and a major housecleaning at the Department.
Three potential 2016 presidential candidates make Klein's list. Democrat Elizabeth Warren earns a "lifetime" Teddy "for her work against the depredations of the financial sector and her ability to explain complex problems in a manner comprehensible to average humans." Republicans are not left out. Jeb Bush gets a Teddy for "challenge (ing) his party on immigration and education"and Rand Paul for doing the same on foreign warmongering and "prison reform."
Three longtime public servants now retiring make the list too. Klein gives former Defense Secretary Robert Gates a Teddy for standing up to ideologues of both parties and his own department's bureaucracy. Ambassadors Christopher Hill and William Burns get Teddies for decades of often-dangerous service around the world on behalf of their fellow Americans. And finally, posthumous awards go to the courageous journalists who died "in pursuit of the story this year, especially those beheaded by ISIS."
It was a welcome column and a sobering reminder that right and justice are not always easily achieved. There are always prices to be paid, and all progress in life depends on the willingness of the dedicated to pay them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)