Here’s why liberals don’t like Glenn Beck. It’s not that he’s the most truly conservative commentator on TV, it has nothing to do with his views. What it has to do with is his purely condescending attitude towards anyone who thinks differently than him. His new book, Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government is a prime example that the right wing conspiracy is alive and well, doing what it does best: degrading other people and their ideas to prop up their own. It’s been said before on this blog, but the reason I have no legitimate appreciation or respect for his views is because irregardless of how valid a point he will make, he breaks the cardinal rule of debating by following it up or even leading up to it with ad hominem attacks on a person or group of people.
The liberal mind, while grounded in its own views is open enough to consider the views of others - this is a major cornerstone of classical liberal thought, of which modern liberalism and modern conservatism have their roots. As long as Glenn Beck continues to attack the person for what they believe rather than attacking the belief itself, it is no exaggeration that I will never agree with him.
Today the White House posted the full text of President Obama’s Back to School Speech set for tomorrow. I’ve read through it and I must say, this president is running a mighty fine propaganda machine. That is, if you consider him making a speech that motivational speakers all across the country have done for decades to encourage students to study and stay in school, then yes, what President Obama is going to say amounts nothing more than unbridled political propaganda.
People have argued, and as an Obama supporter I concede that yes, President Obama will be pushing his agenda onto students. That agenda is personal responsibility, like doing homework, respecting teachers, and staying in school so that they can make a positive and lasting contribution to society. It’s a familiar agenda that has been supported by every single president and the last time I checked personal responsibility is a cornerstone of conservative ideology. What baffles me is that when the President does something that everyone should agree on, pure and unbridled party-line politics get in the way. Parents are concerned that Obama will indoctrinate their children with his “dirty” liberal political agenda.
Staying in school and studying hard on the student’s behalf is not a political viewpoint, and I fear that if this country has reached the point where parents will pull their children out of school when the President echoes these sentiments, then all hope is lost for America’s future, which depends on bright educated minds to create the new ideas that will drive America into a better future. Without education, America will quickly stagnate and decline. Studying is not a political ideal, it is a cultural necessity for a society with its eyes to the future.
Put the partisan politics away for 30 minutes and maybe the President will inspire the next Bill Gates or Albert Einstein to drop the doobie and open a text book. You just never know…
The entire text of the president’s speech can be found here.
Here’s yet another futile attempt by the right to find a way to demonize President Obama in any way that they can. For those who don’t know yet, President Obama is set to give a speech next week on the state of the education system in this country, fulfilling a campaign promise to address the subject. Critics are attempting to undermine his speech as nothing short of indoctrination, so much so that parents are threatening to pull their children out of school if teachers require that their students watch it.
President Obama has always had a very reliable stance on education, and it was one of the most striking things I heard during a speech he made earlier this year that, heaven forbid, parents should take some responsibility and be the ones to turn off the TV or video games when a student should be doing homework, or that maybe the student should take ownership of their education and that maybe it isn’t entirely a state problem that schools are failing.
Yep, that smells like some dirty indoctrination to me. Heck, could we be headed down the road to socialism with regards to education too?
As the Augustine Committee readies itself to present their options for NASA’s course to President Obama, a new player in the race to the Moon is emerging to the public spotlight, though their plans have been around for some time. Nigeria, along with South Africa, have robust plans for their space programs in the years ahead. Most importantly though, beyond expanding satellite infrastructure, Nigeria has plans on the book to launch it’s first citizen into space by 2016 (one year after Orion would enter service) and plan to land humans on the Moon by 2030. We can add them to a growing list of countries that could land humans on the Moon before the United States if NASA doesn’t recieve the adequate funding it needs. That list, which includes countries with plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030 are China, Russia, Japan, and Nigeria.
I was listening to the radio today when I heard Jordin Sparks’ newest single, “Battlefield” come on and couldn’t help but notice it sounded very similar to another song I had heard recently, but couldn’t place my finger on it. After a quick Google search, I realized my suspicions were true and the chorus in her song is nearly, if not exactly, the same as the chorus to “My God is an Awesome God.” If you don’t believe me, listen for yourself.
This is the most recent in a trend where musicians are coming across the same chord combinations for their chorus lines, whether intentionally or not. Coldplay has been in hot water for the numerous similarties their song “Viva La Vida” has with at least 3 other songs, including an uncanny similarity to “If I Could Fly” by Joe Satriani.
Either musicians are taking the risk of being cheap because they can’t use their own creativity or, as I once wondered years ago, maybe we’re reaching the point where all possible 3 or 4 chord combinations have been used and that maybe musicians will have to resort to (gasp) actually writing music like they did in the old days with distinct movements and melodies that weren’t confined to a pop driven beat or a 3 chord combo that will for sure rocket to popularity since it can be remembered so easily.