Why Paul Krugman is genius...

"Let’s not forget that the perpetrators of 9/11 are still at large, five years later, and that they have re-established a large safe haven."

Those were the words from Paul Krugman's op-ed piece in today's New York Times; September 11, 2006, the 5 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While we should remember the loss, pain, bewilderment, and myriad other feelings that flooded us that day, as Americans we also need not forget to be proactive.

History can teach us many things. Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. But those who merely remember are also condemned to a life of historical repetition. Has the United States learned from this terrible disaster? In some ways many Americans have, but many Americans have not. Merely wearing FDNY hats and NYPD tshirts will not bring people back, and while it may numb the pain it does not solve the major problems that 9/11 exposed. Are our ports any more secure than they were in 2001? Not really. Are planes much safer? Not really. In taking preventitive measures the United States has merely attacked "rogue states" with loose affiliations to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks. These measures have proven both unpopular and unsuccessful.

Instead, Middle America has taken to institutionalizing fear and prejudice against all ethnic Arabs, and espeically Muslims. Now we have debates over whether our fellow Americans are patriotic; depending on whether they support the war or not. These are not fruitful debates; it is time to move past them. The real debate needs to be about how best to secure ourselves from future attack. The Patriot Act, war in Iraq, among other botched plans, has not created stability. Further instability in the world exists - just look to Iran, Hezbollah, and as Krugman rightly suggests, the continued presence and resurgence of Al-Qaeda.

Terror alerts constantly moving along the bottom of our television screens on all the major news networks only reinforces fear within American society. Let us not forget, but let us also remember this: terrorism does not work as an offense when those being terrorized do not live in fear. To this day, Americans still live in fear and not until we change that mentality can we start on the path to properly memorializing and moving past 9/11.

Keeping Michigan safe

As many of my friends and colleagues know, I would not label myself as either a Republican or Democrat. In fact, I most identify with the Libertarian political philosophy. Being a pragmatist I never actually vote Libertarian, instead usually voting for the moderate candidate that most supports individualism. More and more that voting ideology has led me to vote Democrat; though I probably better identify with moderate Republicanism - the Rockefeller, Goldwater, Nixon Republican party. That party has been abdandoned for a party that supports the wrong forms of big government - religion, espianoge, public sector projects for conservative-friendly businesses. Personally if I have to choose between two parties that support large government I will always choose the party that supports aid to the poor, scientific research, education, etc. and never the party that chooses to legislate and bureaucratize morality. A party that blurs the boundaries between church and state, funds government projects to ban or intimidate people from having abortions, spies on your telephone calls and emails, and never owns up to its mistakes. This is why I choose to support the Democrats in the major and important races in Michigan this election.

The Michigan gubernatorial race seems heated, and honestly I cannot fathom why or how. Michiganders have the choice to support the governor - a candidate that has started Michigan on the path to economic diversification, understands the importance of higher education, and does not believe in legislating morality - or her opponent that does not understand or grasp these concepts. Dick DeVos's entire campaign centers around Michigan's fledgling economy, an economy left in shambles by the previous governor, who apparently felt slighted when he failed to gain any further prominent national attention (p[erhaps because he could not deliver Michigan for Bush in the 2000 Republican primary or in the national election). Governor Granholm can only do so much with what she has been left to work with. Michigan's economic infrastrutcure must change. It is not enough for Dick DeVos to lay out campaign ads that inform citizens that he will revitalize the automotive industry when clearly the "Big Three" automakers continue to backslide, with or without the state's aid.

Furthermore, let us examine Dick DeVos as a candidate and as a person. Letting alone his socially conservative stances, let's examine his economic positions. Dick DeVos owns one of the world's largest pyramid schemes - Amway, Alticor, Axcess, whatever name it now goes by to avoid federal investigation. A pyramid scheme that pulled many of its jobs from Michigan and sent them to Asia, as profits there soared and labor there remained cheaper. Would you trust a pyramid scheming salesman to handle the economy of an entire state?

Second, Dick DeVos and his business associate, Jay VanAndel, have scores of money and influence in the western part of Michigan. I am all for people with money naming museums, arenas, public spaces, after themselves- after all they did put up the money for such a project - but when did it become acceptable for these same people to run a government AND propose that the state government's economy out more of its resources into geographic regions of the state that they enjoy influence and prosperity in. Dick DeVos's plan for Michigan's economy places much more aid into the economy of Grand Rapids and away from the current economic center, Detroit. In essence Dick DeVos is saying "I give up" on Detroit, and does not care if it falls into further disrepair. Grand Rapids is a prospering city, but that should not mean we turn our backs to our largest city and financial center. Furthermore, this clearly outlines DeVos's intention to line his own pockets off the backs of the electorate, as a private businessman in public official's clothing. The State of Michigan cannot and should not let this happen.

If you want Michigan to move toward economic diversification, revitalize the automotive industry, infuse the Detroit economy while continuing to build other areas in the state, continue to avoid personal matters and not legislate morality, then keep Michigan safe and vote for the only candidate that makes logistical and pragmatic sense; vote for Jennifer Granholm.

www.granholmforgov.com