Email from my US Representative

Rep Shuler had this to say in an email on 10-15-10:

“Chile did not successfully complete this rescue operation on its own.  Other countries, private businesses and non-profit groups contributed aid, manpower, technology and know-how to make sure those miners survived.  The chances of those miners getting out alive would have been much slimmer without the all of those parties working together to reach a common goal.

All too often, we fail to work together to accomplish the things that would in fact benefit us all.  How often do we see good legislation fail in Congress and never see the light of day because it is stopped by either the far right or the far left?  However, when we work in a bipartisan way, we often come up with better solutions to the problems facing our country.”

My response:

Our economy is in terrible shape, with no end in sight.  This mess started with the Reagan administration undermining unions and giving excessive tax breaks to the rich.  It continued under Clinton with NAFTA, and his repeal of Glass-Steagall Act.  It really took off under Bush, with rampant fraud.  Those policies continued under Obama.

Our government is occupying two countries, and bombing several more.  This is immoral - very immoral.  It is also counter-productive, if the goal is to stop terrorism from coming to our shores.  Bush started these wars and occupations and drone bombings, and Obama is escalating them.

The US government tortures, imprisons people without any regard to rule of law, allows rape by contractors and the US military, kidnaps people and transports them to black sites not under the review of the ICRC, and holds them without charges.  This is immoral too - we are engaging in horrendous human rights abuses.  This really got started under Bush, and Obama continues it and also does not call for any arrests of the torture enablers.

I think I have had about all the bipartisanship I can stand.

I guess I failed to point out that it was the socialist government of Chile who made sure those miners were rescued.   

Yeah, working together is good - as long as you are working for something good.