What’s interesting in the news today?
1. Most transparent ever? No.
From TheAP “The Obama administration has a way to go to fulfill its promises from Day 1 to become the most transparent administration in history.
More often than ever, the administration censored government files or outright denied access to them last year under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, cited more legal exceptions it said justified withholding materials and refused a record number of times to turn over files quickly that might be especially newsworthy, according to a new analysis of federal data by The Associated Press.”
“The government’s own figures from 99 federal agencies covering six years show that halfway through its second term, the administration has made few meaningful improvements in the way it releases records. In category after category – except for reducing numbers of old requests and a slight increase in how often it waived copying fees – the government’s efforts to be more open about its activities last year were their worst since President Barack Obama took office.
In a year of intense public interest over the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs, the government cited national security to withhold information a record 8,496 times – a 57 percent increase over a year earlier and more than double Obama’s first year, when it cited that reason 3,658 times. The Defense Department, including the NSA, and the CIA accounted for nearly all those. The Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency cited national security six times, the Environmental Protection Agency did twice and the National Park Service once.”
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2. More on a story from the other day, and a back door way to push thru an international tax?
From Politico “The Obama administration’s decision to relinquish oversight over the group that manages the Internet’s architecture has raised an early red flag with Republicans, who blast the move as a threat to free speech.”
“The United States has always played a leading role in overseeing the management of .com and other domain names, but the administration announced Friday night that it will give up its oversight when the current contract expires in fall 2015. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, last month proposed establishing “a clear timeline” for globalizing ICANN and the duties it performs under the U.S. contract.”
““While I certainly agree our nation must stridently review our procedures regarding surveillance in light of the NSA controversy, to put ourselves in a situation where censorship-laden governments like China or Russia could take a firm hold on the Internet itself is truly a scary thought,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee and with the Commerce Department on this, because — to be blunt — the ‘global internet community’ this would empower has no First Amendment.””
“Congress needs to prevent the Obama administration from giving away U.S. control over the Internet to any international body,” Americans for Limited Government said in a statement. “Perhaps this latest egregious action by the Obama administration in their quest to deconstruct the United States will finally wake Congress up to their power of the purse responsibility as a co-equal partner in government.”
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3. Thoughts?
From Stars and Stripes “The Marine Corps will open new combat jobs to women, allow women to volunteer for combat specialty training previously closed to them and create a co-ed experimental task force to evaluate how female Marines perform as part of a ground combat unit, Marine officials said.
The task force will be made up of about 460 Marines, and about one quarter will be women, said Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokeswoman. The task force will look like a small battalion landing team with attachments such as artillery, tanks and amphibious assault vehicles — similar to the ground combat portion of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, but about half the size.
The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based unit will replicate the predeployment training cycle that other ground combat units go through, and will help the Marine Corps evaluate whether women are capable of doing the jobs and physically demanding tasks inherent in the training, Krebs said.”
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4. Affordable Care Act? No, not really.
From TheWashingtonExaminer “Americans buying health insurance outside the new Obamacare exchanges are being forced to swallow premiums up to 56 percent higher than before the health law took effect because insurers have jumped the cost to cover all the added features of the new Affordable Care Act.
According to a cost report from eHealthInsurance, a nationwide online private insurance exchange, families are paying an average of $663 a month and singles $274 a month, far more than before Obamacare kicked in. What’s more, to save money, most buyers are choosing the lowest level of coverage, the so-called “bronze” plans.”
“Premiums are increasing primarily because of the new required provisions for 2014 Affordable Care Act compliant plans, including guaranteed issue, essential health benefits, modified community rating and minimum actuarial values,” said Brian Mast, spokesman for eHealthInsurance. “It is also likely that health insurance companies expected additional risk in the risk pool, because people with pre-existing conditions could no longer be denied coverage, and may have priced their plans higher to accommodate for this risk,” said Mast.
His firm’s price index also gives an average age for singles buying plans, and the results are worrying for insurers and the Obama administration. That’s because the average age is 36, older than the administration had hoped for.”
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Wandering Views 
Here is a group I can respect:
http://worldcongress.org/WCF/wcf_principles.htm
Meanwhile, Obama has imposed sanctions on the Russian legislator who drafted the law banning the promotion of perversion to minors. What else would you expect from the Perverted States of America?
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If you oppose the expansion of perversion, that makes you a “perversionist”.
I don’t understand what kind of contract, and with whom, the contract expires in 2015. That is prior to the next election.
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Ricky,
Barry needs to realize that Putin can play that game too. And he is, and it seems to me Putin’s winning.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/17/russia-will-sanction-u-s-officials.html
“Putin is set to respond to Obama’s sanctions of Russian officials with his own list. Several U.S. Senators and officials will be banned from visiting Russia, including Sen. Dick Durbin.
U.S. senators, congressmen and top Obama administration officials are sure to be on Vladimir Putin’s sanctions list; a response to the Obama Administration’s announcement on Monday that 7 Russian officials and 4 Ukrainian officials would be barred from holding assets or traveling to the United States.
Putin is expected to release his retaliation list as early as Tuesday and while the final list is still being crafted, it will include top Obama administration officials and high profile U.S. senators, in an effort to roughly mirror the U.S. sanctions against Russian officials and lawmakers, according to diplomatic sources. At the top of the list in Congress is Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who recently co-authored a resolution criticizing Russia’s invasion of Crimea.
Durbin’s inclusion on Putin’s list would mirror Obama’s naming of Valentina Matvienko, the head of the upper chamber of the Russian Duma. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are not expected to be on the Russian sanctions list.”
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Reports are coming in that a Ukraine military base is under attack in Crimea.
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Rush points out that Putin’s imposition of banning American officials is to mock Obama.
Makes sense.
One of the persons Obama banned is a Russian woman who opposes homosexuality.
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The Tatars were right to fear the referendum:
‘Many in the ethnic Tatar minority in Crimea were wary of the referendum, fearing that Crimea’s break-off from Ukraine would set off violence against them.
Crimean Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev seemed to confirm those fears, saying in remarks carried by the RIA Novosti news agency that the government would ask Tatars to “vacate” some of the lands they “illegally” occupy so authorities can use them for “social needs.”‘ From: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/vladimir-putin-defends-crimea-vote-in-moscow-speech-1.2576631
Obama is simply doing what the other G7 countries are doing. This has nothing to do with Putin’s anti-homosexual laws – Canadian Prime Minister Harper is Conservative and in 2005 opposed the gay marriage law as leader of the opposition. This has everything to do with concern for the continued independence of Ukraine: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/russian-ukrainian-officials-face-more-sanctions-from-canada-1.2575822
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Roscuro, If this has nothing to do with Russian opposition to spreading perversion to minors, why did Obama sanction the Russian female legislator who has opposed abortion and drafted the law making it illegal to promote perversion to minors. She isn’t one of Putin’s inner circle. She isn’t active in Ukraine. The answer is clear: The thing that Obama, the Democrats and the Perverted States of America value the most is perversion.
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I don’t take Limbaugh’s word for anything as he has shot off his mouth before verifying facts before. Besides, the case of the lone legislator is a distraction from the very real issue of the Ukraine. To base one’s support or condemnation of Putin’s actions there, on the morality laws in Russia is clouding the issue. One could, by the same token, have commended the Taliban’s violent government because of their opposition to homosexuals.
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At some point between 1933 and 1945, most German Christians should have figured out that their country had become an enemy of God. We shouldn’t take this lightly. Those people were taught German patriotism even as they were taught Christian beliefs.
At some point American Christians need to figure out that their country has become an enemy of God. Once this is done, you are able to see world events from more of a neutral perspective.
My wife is convinced that God is in the process of destroying the US, largely by allowing us to suffer the consequences of our own idolatry, greed, stupidity, etc. I find it extremely difficult to argue against her position.
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AJ, Speaking of playing that game, I am hopeful Governor Perry will issue sanctions against Obama, Holder, Reid and Pelosi.
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Ricky, I don’t dispute your assessment of the character of the US – I would even extend it to cover the rest of West, nay, the rest of the world. The average inhabitant, citizen, soldier, politician or ruler of any country is, by his fallen nature, an enemy of God, and a country is made up of its inhabitants. Christians should never place their faith in the temporal country in which they live.
However, they must still operate as citizens within it, seeking “the peace of the city” where they live, praying “for kings and for all who are in authority”, and submitting “to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (Jeremiah 29:7, I Timothy 2:1, I Peter 2:13). I have lived in a far more oppressive political climate than the US has, and I know it is possible to still do the things I just listed in a society that is completely anti-Christian. The early Church lived in one of most decadent societies on record, yet they did not rush to embrace the barbarian invaders as a better alternative. Be realistic about your country’s direction, by all means; but remember, it is the place where God has placed you to be salt and light. Christians like Martin Niemoller, Sophie Scholl and Admiral Canaris laid down their freedom and their lives for what was right against the Nazis, but they did so out of a concern, not a hatred, for Germany.
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Finally, an explanation that actually makes sense. Where was this guy 10 days ago?
http://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-plane-fire-2014-3
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ricky — roscuro is right. For Rush et al to question the list developed by the EU and NATO on the basis of domestic politics should lead one to question what side of the dispute they are on. In all likelihood the legislator in question has ties to either the political or economic elite. Many Russian (and pro-Russian Ukrainians) leaders and legislators have money and assets stored in western banks. The idea is to target the personal wealth of the oligarchs and political elites in order to create division within the ruling class. Its not a bad idea and was used to peel off support for the pro-Russian Yanukovych gov’t. Once the economic elites realized their personal assets were at risk they switched support. Putin’s retaliation is an empty gesture since very few political elites in the west have assets in Russia.
Personally, I think the west opened the Pandora’s box when they helped the Kosovars separate. Putin’s is following the same policy as the west — power politics and moving pieces on the international chessboard. The US, EU and NATO response is hypocritical but targeting the assets of key players is a smart move.
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2. A group called Americans for Limited Government are criticizing Obama for not regulating or controlling internet domains. Rather strange — I would think they would advocate the internet govern itself. Or perhaps they should admit they are wrong and gov’t intervention is sometimes appropriate because their current position is contradictory.
3. Canada has had an integrated military for decades with no change in battleground effectiveness. As long as they can do the job, gender should not be an issue.
4. In order to have reforms such as no pre-existing conditions, one must pay. And the nature of insurance is shared risk. In addition the ACA eliminated marginal plans that provided very little in the way of benefits and in the end forced the state to pay for medical costs. By eliminating marginal plans, insurers are forced to cover more and the state less — hence increased shared risks. In the end, this should lower the gov’ts cost.
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Is there a double standard for Christians? Some thoughts on the “unfairness” of it all:
“For starters, we were promised that double standards, misrepresentation of our views, and discriminatory treatment would be our lot. If you need to be reminded, read the Gospel of John and the Book of Acts.
“What’s more, complaining about double standards reflects a failure to understand the witness of the Church to the larger, disbelieving culture. …”
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/24724
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Roscuro, I am not “embracing the Barbarian invader”. However, I have cast aside the illusion that the West is morally superior to Russia. Ukraine is a very complex situation. HRW has done an excellent job of explaining the history and issues over the last couple of weeks. I refuse to see the US as the good guy and Russia as the bad guy.
The healthcare situation is interesting. Our biggest problem is that we are spending 18% of GDP (2/3 of which is coming from government), many don’t have coverage and others are going broke paying for coverage for themselves or their employees. Reagan and Paul Ryan both proposed market reforms to the Medicare and Medicaid systems largely responsible for our mess. Both were savagely attacked. The AARP, the Democrats, and the docs, hospitals and drug companies are an unbeatable alliance. In hindsight, whoever proposed changes was going to fail. The ACA was passed based on lies and distortions. Its opponents were also guilty of lies and distortions. Eventually the mess the ACA has become may lead to a discussion of the real problems, but I don’t think our citizens can handle the truth.
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By the way, I never listen to Rush as I am at work when he is on the air. I think a number of conservatives, including also Pat Buchanan, have come to similar conclusions on Ukraine.
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I don’t know, Michelle. Did you read the pilots’ response to that theory from your link? They don’t think it fits. Still an unsolved mystery as far as I can tell.
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I didn’t see them when I read the article, Ree. My scientist husband is skeptical, too.
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Of interest, Putin told the Russian parliament he has not interest in annexing any other part of the Ukraine. That’s not to say he doesn’t have an interest in the so-called near-abroad where many ethnic Russians live. But that interest is no different than other nations who have an interest in their citizens abroad. France, the UK and the USA have all undergone military interventions to protect their citizens abroad
ricky – The US spends more money than any other OECD country on health care but doesn’t cover everyone and has poorer results. The difference is its the only one reliant on private insurers for the majority of its health care. The rest use some form of single payer or universal health care. This is ideology but simple comparison and best practices.
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HRW, Holland and many others are reliant on private insurance. US Government spending on healthcare is 12% of GDP. Private insurance and patient charges are only half that. If you are correct that we rely on private insurers for “the majority of our healthcare”, it just shows how inefficient government is. That means private insurance is doing more with 6% of GDP than government is doing with 12%.
No other nation was stupid enough to write their health care providers blank checks as the US did with Medicare and Medicaid.
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Tonight they’re saying that the final “good night” from the co-pilot was made AFTER the plane had already turned and changed course, so that doesn’t jive with what would have been a mechanical disaster in play.
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This whole event is quite perplexing.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/18/malaysia-airlines-search-cockpit-checked-in-12-minutes-after-course-was/
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