American Morning
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May 27th, 2009
04:00 PM ET
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Wednesday’s American Morning audience was highly skeptical about the positive economic news about the recession, asking “what planet” CNN was living on and noting that six million people are still out of work.
- Sharrion: Please tell me what planet you are living on! I am the owner of a large hair salon in Long Beach, California. Every day my clients are losing their homes, retirement and jobs. Maybe your jobs are secure but that's not true for the rest of us. Strip malls are losing their small business each day. Many people have lost 1/2 their retirement! People in the car industry are losing their jobs which trickles down to everyone. The housing problem has created major job loss. I was talking to and employee yesterday. Her husband is in construction they cannot pay their house payment. Hello! I watch your station every morning and disappointed in your recent comments. I cannot believe a news station is so out of touch! The fear you talk about has turned into reality! Maybe not yours but the rest of us are living it daily. As far as recovering in 2009 and the fear is gone. Tell it to the people that have lost their businesses, jobs, homes, retirement etc. It will take years to undo what has happen and many people will never recover.
- Don: I cannot believe what I just heard about the economic outlook. Where do they interview, I want to be there to see who these people really are. Did anyone speak to the 6million or so that are currently out of work, or had to take jobs that are part time because there are no full time jobs around? Yes, things will be getting better, but I happen to think that we are a long way from that. If this was supposed to be a "make the masses feel good story," it did not work for me.
- R: We may be gaining "consumer confidence" right now but watch the economy tank again if Exxon-Mobil and friends continue their upward spiral in prices. I know their profits were off a bit last quarter but you know what? So was one huge segment of Americans as they adjusted from paycheck to unemployment checks.
- Chris: The oil companies at it again, gas prices just went up in north central Ohio by $ .26 per gallon. That puts us at $2.65 a gallon for regular gas. When is the president going to focus on the gouging of the american people by the oil companies. I can remember when a barrel of oil was at $60 and we were paying less then $1.50 a gallon for gas. What is up with this??
How do you feel about the economic news that the recession will subside by year-end? What positive changes have you noticed in the area where you live?
President Obama’s choice for the new Supreme Court justice, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, was positively received by most; others questioned the new nominee’s personal agenda because of her ruling in the New Haven Firefighters’ lawsuit and the “activist judge” image presented by those opposed to her.
- Wayne: I am a 66 year old white american and I am glad to have lived long enough to see the "skull and crossbone" good old boy network fall to the ground. Viva Obama And Sonya
- Susan: The republicans are always complaining. They gripe all the time. Ms. Sotomayor was a good choice. The republicans are always so negative and speaking bad of people if they are republicans. Enough is enough. They really make themselves look bad. Obama felt she would be good, and I do too.
- Alexis: I'm disappointed in Pres. Obama's choice for Supreme Court Justice. While Sotomayor may 'sit' on many boards and has collected titles... this does not mean she has common sense or that she lacks being myopic. Madoff, Kim Jong II, Chavez, Castro, etc., also sit on boards, some have Degrees. I'm not impressed. Sotomayor's decision to choose minority advancement for Black firemen, having total disregard for the obviously higher test scores of other candidates, proves my point. For the sake of 'affirmative action', Sotomayor chose to put at risk the people being served by firefighters. What she has said is that 'being the best' is not a criteria for firemen working to save lives. However, being a top candidate meant something when she was being 'vetted' for the Supreme Court. I hope she doesn't continue making decisions based on affirmative action vs. test scores when it comes to pilots and police officers. Altruism is not a good barometer of a decision maker. Sotomayor clearly bears this out.
What is your opinion of President Obama’s choice? How do you feel about the issue mentioned by the viewer above who equates Judge Sotomayor with Bernie Madoff and other more nefarious and infamous public figures? What questions would you have for the nominee?
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Before I express my humble analysis and opinion, let me express the difficult situations that we face in our domestic, and foreign policy. Every man likes a challenge, because it gives him a chance to shine and show what he is really made of in heart, soul, and spirit. Having said that...our situation in domestic and foreign issues is like a quote from Mother Theresa. She was- at one point in her beautiful, amazing life- alleged to have said: "Lord, I know that you don't give me any more than I can handle, but I wish that you did not trust me so much". Loll. I'm trying to bring levity to this thought about all we face as humans, and Americans now.
It is true that hindsight is 20/20, and that leaders and nations made bad choices in difficult times, with the best of intentions. We must remember this wisdom now. We have much on our plate, and I hope that we have the intelligence and wisdom to make the correct choices in these troubled times in our country, and indeed the world. I am a conservative/ libertarian when it comes to fiscal policy. This means, I don't like big government, and big, reckless spending programs, because I know the government is inefficient. We are becoming like the Spanish Empire...who went bankrupt by their corruption, excessive spending, and inefficient government. The concept of "needs of state" to protect us as Americans, and as a nation economically, and politically is very relevant now. This means a lean, smart government. Not a bloated, inefficient, self-serving government. It is all coming to an apex now.
Having said that... let me give my thinking about North Korea.
First, we must not be rash in our talk and military posture. Yes, we need to be prepared in our military, and civilian posture here and in Asia. Sure, they are doing incredibly dumb, confounding things now, but only God knows the reason why they are doing it now ( Probably they are starving to death-literally- on many levels as a nation on many cultural, and economic levels, and have a need to re-assert their sovereignty as a dictatorship as they make a new succession in a leader. ). So, we must apply "pressure, with release". This is to say that we must not back them into a corner. Because, to use an analogy...they ( The leaders of North Korea ) are like a hungry- in fact starving- dog who feels cornered by their own making, and have a need to keep power in the face of certain collapse by their own making. They see well how their own selfish needs for power have created their situation, but like many dictators, and autocratic governments in human
history...they cannot bring themselves to a new resolve. They are lost and obsessed in this power, and cannot see straight in vision. So, they are indeed dangerous, because they will die and take others with them in their demise. That includes South Korea, Japan, and all our troops stationed in those countries. It is possible that they will use what limited nuclear weapons against us in South Korea, and Japan, and the fallout will drift around the world, and still affect all of us. We must be wise, careful, and deliberate in our decisions. Hopefully, we can defuse the situation by clever means. Below are my points for diffusing the situation.
Defusing by clever means, implies using China to get them to "back off" in their insanity. The reality is that 80% of North Korea's trade is with China. China can convince them to "stand down" by this alone, and by their economic and military power. China is worried about a flood of millions of refugees if the North Korean situation deteroriates- as they have worried about this scenario in the past for many reasons-, but if they stabilize the situation, then they won't have this problem.
Second, is that we need China to quit using North Korea as their political "pawn", as they have done for the last 56 years. China uses many "surrogates" to promote chaos in the world- in terms of civil war and economic war- in the countries that they invest in, and do business with in developing countries. The Chinese play chess...we play checkers. The goal of their policy is to make many "fires" for us Americans to put out, while they seek their economic and political needs . This keeps us diverted, and diversified in our political, and military ventures. This weakens us economically, and politically. Eventually , it will destroy us as a nation state, and leave them to take the "board" in the "Great game".
If the Chinese are smart- and they are indeed very smart- then they will convince Noth Korea to temper their rethoric and start to open real diplomatic relations with the West and the world. The situation in North Korea is not sustanable anymore and this is North Korea's last gasp. Because the next dictator of North Korea ( Kim Jong-il's son Kim Jong Il ) will inherent a starving bankrupt nation. And you cannot eat weapons- not very good for your health- loll.
6 million out of work. 12 million illegal's in the country. Sounds like an easy solution that even a cave man could figure out.
I think that CNN's coverage is not at all amazing, considering that they have developed Money and Business sections in their newsroom and on their websites, but they erase Labor! Labor does not exist except through the lens of business. "Oh, thank you, sir, for this great job. You're too generous. Can I work harder for you for less? Oh, sure, we're all in this together! Thank you, kind sir. Thank you."
Where have you people been for the last 20 years. Our economy has been a mess since the late 80's?
Obama promised to get us out of NAFTA, which is the primary cause of this mess. This is just another one of his broken promises that he refuses to fix because he is being paid by the same crooks that paid those in power before him.
Yeah right! What a mouthful of rubbish!!! You really don't have to look around to see that this country is just plain failing, but they think that the American people are just plain stupid! GM is about to move off to China after "WE THE PEOPLE" bailed them out! They were not even to go bankrupt, but it looks like they will. This administration is going to fully bankrupt our country, and they will all act ignorant as if they didn't see it coming!! We are all being had! There are just way to many issues that we as Americans are having to deal with every day, while being lied to and seriously misled! Sorry that I have to rush off so quickly this morning though. I have to file for unemployment today! But, it's all getting better!! (note the sarcasm??)
It is amazing how out of touch the rich and the government, one in the same many say, are with the average American. There is not going to be an economic recovery anytime soon like in the past. The difference between past recoveries and now is that there were jobs to recover into. Many of the U.S. industrial/manufacturing jobs are now overseas. It is time to tell U.S. companies to either bring back the jobs or don't sell here. Someone will pick up where they left off. Why is it when the U.S. institutes a little protectionism the world scorns us...yet they are all about protecting themselves (note the huge trade deficits). Oh, and stop telling us you have to ship the jobs overseas or prices go up...they went up, right along with your profits, even though you did ship out the jobs.
I think that it is time to take back America. Our elected non-representatives do not have a clue. A vote of the people is needed to say that if you want to sell here, you need to manufacture at least 75% of it here. If not, no sale.
I think the one thing that hasn't been mentioned lately is commercial real estate. Bank are going to be hanging on to these very pricey buildings because of businesses failing.