Issues, Issues, Issues

  1. Freedom and Democracy On the Internet - This is an issue which is being given a lot of attention online. Should the Internet be given the clear 1st Amendment protection that books and newspapers now have or should it be "dumbed down" to TV standards with government regulation and censorship?

    Hate and Freedom of Speech on the Internet - 3 points for the Judiciary, dunce caps for the "Justice" Department, Bill Clinton and the Congresspeople who voted for the CDA. What about the intelligence of Terry R. Lord, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the American Family Association? How does this all relate to creeping Fascism in the United States?

  2. Crime in America - Perhaps there are already too many people in prision in the United States and just building jails is not the answer. Hillary Clinton's comment that "We will never build enough prisons to end our crime problem". seems like one of the most sensible assesments of the situation. Bill, why don't you listen to your wife? It might be useful to realize that selling drugs is a logical economic decision in many poor areas. Continuing to deal with the problem by locking up more and more Black men seems like a failing strategy. Government policies which encourage legal entrepreneurial ventures might be more constructive than simply building more prisons. The Police_Abuse Archive provides much evidence that the current "Justice" system in the United States has serious flaws.

  3. Drugs - Is the increasing criminalization working? The people who came up with the Resolution For A Federal Commission On Drug Policy might have a better approach. See A Guided Tour of the War on Drugs from the Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet). It is refreshing to hear General Brian McCaffrey (the new "drug czar") take a stand against the terminology of "war on drugs" and say that drug abuse is more like cancer and needs to be dealt with in ways that go to the root causes. It remains to be seen how effectively he can deal with deep issues in the society which may go much farther than drug use.

  4. Moral Integrity of Politicians - Is there any harm in a President lying? In his November 27, 1995 presidents-statement-on-bosnian-peace-keeping-mission Bill Clinton says, "America has always been freedom's greatest champion". Is this the truth? Or is there more truth here?. Was the Vietnam War and example of America being "freedom's greatest champion"? Bill, are you really speaking the truth?

  5. Ethnic and Religious Tolerance in America - The United States is not a country based only on European Christian traditions. Accepting and embracing this could create more harmony. African Americans and immigrants from all over the world have significantly affected the culture of this country. The majority of people who consider themselves Christian are perhaps less tolerant of other belief systems than the founding fathers would have hoped. Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam perhaps has something to say about American imperialism that the United States State Department would not like to hear. Both the media and politicians seem to see benefit in fanning the flames of ethnic hatred. Is the phrase "In God We Trust" and "One nation under God" in official government functions and publications supportive of free expression of religion in America? Why not "One nation under Tao"?

  6. Government Abuse of the Rights of Citizens - Do federal and state asset forfeiture laws violate due process? See F.E.A.R.. The Declaration of Independence speaks of citizens "unalienable Rights" to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ...". How is government of the United States doing in this area? The Fascist New World Order Homepage has a lot more info.

  7. Education - Is an educated population important to Democracy in America? Should the population be encouraged to "vote" for politicians like purchasing toothpaste or breakfast cereal? When young people see athletes make 1000 times more money than a teacher there may be a natural tendency to not see educational achievement as particularly rewarding. What is the desired role of education in American society? For a country that has educated many of the world's leaders, it seems almost paradoxical that there should be so little value placed on it in popular culture. Are the educational institutions being held hostage by an unholy alliance of teachers unions, school administrators and special interests bent on convincing others of the correctness of their views?

  8. School Prayer - "Sources close to the White House bedroom report that the Republican electoral victory has meant much more to Bill than your typical wake-up call. He woke up, all right, screaming and with sweat pouring down his face, from a dream in which leading Republican ..." - from On Prayer by Barbara Ehrenreich

  9. Economic Policy - The opportunity for a stable and adequate source of income is important to most people. Changing world conditions has created fear and insecurity in the United States. What is the appropriate role of government in affecting the economic well-being of citizens? From a walk down the street in any major US city it is clear that something is clearly not working. In San Francisco, while Bill Clinton is raising money in $50,000 a plate dinners homeless people are asking for quarters. One wonders the last time someone asked Bill for a quarter. Does a person get more than dinner for their $50,000? Do we want a world where a few people make 9 million dollars per year while the rest (who are lucky enough to get a job) try to get by on $4.25 an hour. Wasn't technology supposed to make our lives easier? Seems like people work harder today just to survive and feed the government's ever growing appetite for revenue. See The Economic Security Project

  10. Foreign Policy

    The basic theme of US foreign policy seems to be short term expediency over actions which support the principles under which the United States was founded - perhaps this is the legacy of Henry Kissinger. Noam Chomsky (Hope for the Future) and Michael Parenti both provide an articulate perspective on US Foreign Policy which seems to be missed in most daily newspapers.

    Strategic Assessment: The Internet - provides a look at actual and potential impact of the Internet on domestic and foreign politics and international conflict from the point of view of a U.S. Department of Defense analyst.

  11. Human Rights - How is the US doing? Human Rights Watch USA Gopher - Perhaps it might be better to check these out before criticizing other governments. Are there political prisoners in the US? See Political Prisoners and POW's in the US or California prison labor.

  12. Abortion - This is the issue which may kill the Republican Party. Newt Gindrich had the foresight not to make this part of the "Contract with America". Presently, the majority of Americans continue to believe that it is a woman's right to have control over her body and that neither the government nor the Church should be given authority. Not all people in the country see things this way and want the government to get more involved. Mother Teresa of Calcutta has called abortion the "greatest destroyer of peace today". It is ironic that a politician like Bob Dole has been able to ride this issue to his current position - yet he seems to realize that this position could sink any chances he has of defeating Bill Clinton in November. See Abortion at Politics Now

  13. The Federal Budget - Can it be done better? Here are some budget simulators. How Would You Spend The National Budget and Federal Budget Simulator A database called CIVIX - contains a compilation of all agency budget requests submitted to Congress.

  14. Public Access to Government Records - The Internet offers a unique opportunity to make taxpayer financed information freely available to all at no cost. Will this happen? Many government agencies are already using the Internet creatively to make information accessible to the public. But there is some resistance. Will WestLaw get an exclusive on court records and be able to charge large fees which only Lawyers can afford? See Clinton Administration Blockades Public Access to Computerized Court Decisions - December 22, 1995 - TAP asks Clinton Administration to release to public an Air Force database (FLITE) that contains the full text of all U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1937. The database does not include copyrighted materials, and was developed at taxpayer expense.

The "UNOFFICIAL" Bill Clinton
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