31 October 2008

Dance of the Knights

Finding the website iftheworldcouldvote.com (henceforth ITWCV) has brought more questions to mind about the polling process than I was previously willing to consider. If this website gives us a truly accurate representation of the United States' voting mentality then we should be worried about what the other polls are telling us. Obama holds the favor of nearly 80% of America while McCain has a mighty 20% going by the figures provided by ITWCV. How could our general concensus as portrayed by RealClearPolitics (A, B, C), Gallup, Pollster, and other reputable polling organizations be so far away from the consensus seen on an unbiased website (whose polling process is much simpler) created by three Icelandic men? Perhaps their website is indeed biased in some manner, but the percentages it gives us for other countries seem to agree with MSNBC, the BBC, Reader's Digest, and Gallup. I have honestly been hard pressed to find a world poll that gets close to agreeing with ITWCV's results for America.

What does this mean to us? Perhaps the polling techniques used for the current election are a bit off. This election season has seen us inundated with figures from "registered voters", "likely voters", election "markets", and a whole slew of nifty categories and techniques that keep us on our toes believing that they have managed to accurately predict the election results. One more technique that must be taken into account is sensationalism. Why would people (in this case those who only take an interest in the media when a big issue arises, such as an election) continue to be as interested in the newspapers and polling organizations if they were to predict a landslide victory for one candidate? Personal stake is involved to a degree unseen since...wait...don't news organizations always compete for the chance at a better profit? That seems like quite a personal stake right there.

Finally, just to clear this up: I am not suggesting that poll results are being purposefully manipulated (conspiracy theories may be fun, but they are not my way of life). I merely raise an issue that has arisen through a sizable discrepancy between different polling methods. Perhaps the polls are as close as the media tells us, perhaps they are far from it. The fact that I now have to question the honesty of one side or the other worries me the most. The media was protected by the First Amendment to allow us a good dose of, if not a right to, common, mass distributed honesty. What are we then left to believe if that honesty were to disappear in the stead of sensationalism or outright manipulation?

I will leave you on a good note: I just returned from the future and know exactly who will win the 2008 presidential election...that part is unimportant, though. The good note is that your lives will continue going on even after the initial rejoycing or disappointment. Have a safe, happy, and well informed November fourth! Remember to set your clocks back. Wash behind your ears. Tell those near and dear to you just how much you really care about them. Tip your servers well. Most importantly, vote.

09 October 2008

Open Letter to the United States Congress

To whom it may concern in the United States Congress,

You were our last hope against this unnecessary bailout plan, yet you were swayed not by your constituents (for a reminder: the people who vote for you to represent their collective ideals), but by completely unrelated incentives tacked onto the bill like flies on road kill. Yes, this whole issue stinks to high heaven of everything we have feared most from our government – our elected representatives ignoring the clear opinions of a large majority of their constituents, flaunting their independence from the general populace, falling hard for scare tactics from their fellow politicians, and being gullible enough to believe that such hastily added on goodies will actually make up for the tax burden that rests on all of our shoulders. Not to forget, but this bill is asking for unprecedented abuse by the Treasury Department along with the companies who will be using this money despite the oversights tacked on at the last minute.

Why am I raising such a fuss? This money must come from somewhere, whether it be through more taxes, more loans from foreign nations, or the printing of more money. No one option is best, and I shall explain why. Raising taxes is not a viable solution when our economy is so unstable, especially since the burden would likely be placed upon the backs of those who are already having trouble affording food, fuel, and other basic necessities. The middle class cannot support more taxes, especially with an unprecedented amount of household debt. The rich could afford to pay more taxes, but let’s consider who you, our Congress, pander to most often. Moving onto loans… Surely you are aware of our mounting national debt; if not then I kindly ask that you read my first post. Our annual interest payments on the national debt make it seem unlikely that our financial credit will continue to stand in any sort of esteem among the lenders in the international community.

Two options down, one more to go: printing more money. There is a very common problem with faith-backed currencies, and that problem is that they are faith-backed. The value of a currency falls when people (predominately investors) lose faith in said currency. Printing more money is a surefire way to lose said faith. Take a look at Zimbabwe or Germany’s early Weimar Republic for a couple examples of what happens when a currency is sent to the hell of hyperinflation. The last thing that any of us wants to do is pay for a loaf of bread with a wheelbarrow full of worthless cash. So now you see that there are no good options to actually pay for this bailout package, and yes, you have placed our nation into an even worse monetary conundrum than we were in to begin with.

My irritation with this is far from finished. The dust has yet to settle from your “historic bailout” yet stocks around the world continue to fall. Inflation continues to rise. Americans are losing their pensions, 401Ks, and the guarantees of Social Security at an unprecedented rate, yet you line the pockets of failed companies rather than aid your own citizens directly. The Trickle-down theory does not work in any other than the theoretical realm; three decades of its failures should have taught you that. It’s time for you to get a grip on reality and bailout those who really need it – the ordinary citizens: the families who are spending an arm and a leg to raise children, or struggling to keep their homes, or terrified that retirement is right around the corner but there will be no money left to support them in their old age.

You have failed us, Congress. You have been disconnected from the American public for so long that you don’t even know how to help those you were supposed to represent. Luckily for those ordinary folks such as myself the election is right around the corner. Do not expect to keep your office if you have the gall to slap us in the face like you did. Hopefully the future will bring in a brighter crowd of Congressmen who actually possess enough of a spine to stand up against scare tactics and truly aid the general public.

Sincerely,
An Unhappy Citizen