It's A What?

Sometimes when I get to talking politics at work, I wish I would have left it alone. But sometimes, like today, it has its rewards.
I was talking with Stephen about president-elect Obama's tax increase on the wealthy (which, for these purposes anyway, I am not). Stephen's argument was that it is not a tax increase, since Obama is only restoring the top rates to where they were before president Bush's tax cuts took effect. Calling it a tax increase? That's your right-wing propaganda, there.

I asked, "So if my taxes are more next year than they were this year, that's not a tax increase?" He said, "No - It's a tax decrease revocation!

When my laughter slowed to where I could speak again, I said "There's your left-wing propaganda right there." Even he had to laugh at himself then.

I love the smell of victory in the morning. It smells like.... Victory!

Racism Plays A Part

Is Barack Obama black?
Who should care if he is? Reading this Newsweek article, you would think that it was written in the 1960's if you judge it only by the amount of racism in it. Set aside the fact that a black man is running for president and has a good chance of winning. That wouldn't have happened in the 60's.

When someone starts singing the praises of one race over another (any race), MLK's "Dream" speech comes immediately to my mind: "...judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Some might think that he only meant that in the context of black skin being a liability. But if you're judging Barack Obama to be the best candidate for president based on the color of his skin and not on the content of his character, then you are promoting racism as surely as those you would call racist. This post is no rip on Obama, he seems to be a man of some character. But whatever happened to our goal of a color-blind society? Is Barack Obama a black man? Or is he just a man? Your answer to that question might reveal something to you about yourself.