Politics

Barack Obama's victory as the next president of the United States has led many to conclude that a lot of areas will soon be facing significant change. The challenge to keep to what already works well and to transform those that need improvement could be a staple within the new administration, especially since we are facing troubled times. They key factor is proper management, of course, and with Obama's entry, everyone's eyes are focused on how his goals would mesh with the realm of project management. Let's have a look at five priority areas. Here is my take on how they might influence project and program management: 1. Health care reform. Reform in health care is aimed at controlling costs and making health care more available and more affordable to many more people in the United States. On the cost control side, it would seem that we can expect companies and organizations of all sorts will put an increasing emphasis on accelerating cost-containment in their organizat...

America's economy took a turn for the worst. What's next for the American people? With the three top Auto Dealers in the United States, namely: General Motors (GM), Chrysler, and Ford almost at the brink of bankruptcy, the working class is at the mercy of the federal government like patients in intensive care unit awaiting word from their doctors with respect to their prognosis. Let me be candid and blunt. The federal government will have to step in and use the American taxpayers' money to bail them out. If these three Auto Dealers go "belly up" or bankrupt, the American economy will sink into a depression and worsen. Therefore, federal intervention is a must. However, since these Auto Dealers cannot manage themselves, the federal government will have to install an oversight Board or Trustee to oversee the operation of each Auto Dealer. The United States government must regulate them in a matter where transparency and accountability paramount. The department of Tr...

Is Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. the man to steer the United States out of its multiple economic, financial, and military crises? Not since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's (FDR) first mandate in the 1930s have the stakes been so high. Armed with the broadest victory since President Ronald Reagan's 1984 landslide, Obama must bring meaningful change and restore hope to a cynical and apprehensive population. Failure is not an option... Reaching out to 'Red' America. Obama earned the largest Democratic victory since 1964; it was the first time since President Johnson's win that a Democrat received over 51% of the national vote. Muted Republican disappointment reflects the final result, as does the burden of "Bush fatigue" in what was widely acknowledged to be a Democratic year. If immediate post-election commentary is to be believed, President-elect Obama has earned a "honeymoon period" from political adversaries and ardent supporters alike. Recall...

This year the election may seriously be one of the most important elections in our time. With the United States in a state of complete financial stress and near total ruin, we need to choose the right party to turn this mess around fast! Your voice should be heard no matter which party you support, democrat or republican. First of all you must be registered! The voter registration deadline usually falls close to a month before the official election. If you missed it you need to register right away to avoid missing out next time! We tend to forget that voting was not always fair. Remember that it was only after the Civil War ended in 1865 that black males were allowed to vote. Amendments 14 and 15 were passed to guarantee black men the right to vote. All women had to fight for years to get the right to vote! This right was not granted until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. The right to vote is a hard won gift, one that you should not take for granted. Once you're regi...

Revolutionary War political cartoons are the very first American cartoons. These appeared in both mainstream and subversive newspapers that were circulated as the tension between England and what would be America built up. They were made by statesmen as famous as Benjamin Franklin as well as by anonymous authors. Usually made from woodblock prints, these pieces of artwork usually fall into one of a handful of themes. A Need for Unity Many of these cartoons focused on the need for the colonies to unite together to fight a common evil: the oppressive government of Great Britain. Most famous in this category is the well known "Join or Die" picture which shows a snake divided into pieces, each named for one of the American colonies. While many people supported the Revolutionary War, just as many people were reluctant because of the danger to their lives and property. Papers and political cartoons helped round up support for this necessary revolution. Criticism of Britain Many Rev...

An October 25, 2008 Newsweek article by Jeffrey E. Garten is titled, "We Need a Bank Of the World." What I need is some sort of keystroke to represent spluttering astonishment. There can only be a few things on the list of what we need less than a World Central Bank (a planet busting asteroid might be a tie-- other than that I can't think of much). Central Banks have been error making machines. They never have and never will accomplish anything else, because they've been given (or have taken) an impossible task-- money and credit expansion in a fiat currency system along with (rather laughably), maintaining economic stability. A Global Central Bank's most likely accomplishment would be to ensure that any nation that ever has second thoughts and wants to leave the fiat currency and credit creation rat race, is instead trapped. From there the World Central Bank can move on to booming and busting us all, with no escape in any global nook or cranny, until every person...

Here we go. We're days away from determining what the rest of our lives will be like, and what the next generations will have to deal with. There comes a moment where making a seemingly small decision, will change your trajectory so much so, that your end result is night and day from your starting point. Now I don't want to come off as some fanatic "Obama is Messiah" parader. The truth is I don't think he is Messiah at all. He is charismatic, he is intelligent - though not perfect, much like the rest of us, he seems to be the one with the clear understanding of where we are, and where the solutions may lie to change our lives. Before he was just another politician, actually, a pretty darn good one, but a politician nonetheless. But I see his vision. The truth is, I believe that vision will affect the entire world. So without sounding like I'm brainwashed by a campaign, let me tell you the one thing, that told me he is above most, in his understanding and focus...

With less then one month to go the surge Barack Obama and the Democrats are pushing is taking the GOP ticket to the brink of total annihilation in the electorate. Analyzing the current polls shows that all of the battleground states in traditional Republican territories are showing consistent trends of likely blowouts for the Obama campaign. The early October surprise, the struggling economy and failing financial sector, has reared its head and the consequence of it is paying dividends for Obama. It is in turn making this campaign more about the issues and less about anything else that presidential candidates may try to use to sway voters. So in order for the McCain campaign to win they have to focus on the issues that matter to voters? If only it were that easy! The problem for McCain is that the core of his campaign, the hardcore conservative Republican, is generally in stark contrast to what Democratic, Independent and even moderate Republican Voters are looking for in this election...

The United States is in dire peril and not from the financial shakedown, but from the two Senators vying for what may well be the final Presidency of the country. The problem is that neither man has what is going to be required to stop the world's greatest power from being brought to its knees. And when the mighty are fallen everybody comes to the party and take a swipe and a kick. Sen. John McCain has selected a running mate who will give him a better chance of winning the Presidential election, and that kind of decision-making can destroy a country purely by its short-term advantage. You may win a pawn or two with such finesse, but it is the kind of strategy that often loses the game. Sen. Barack Obama selected the best possible potential Vice-President, but his overall immaturity, as demonstrated in his past decisions and his future proposals for the country, can only spell total disaster. His youth and inexperience together with his propensity to be easily led are not leadershi...

During this year's presidential election, economic policies are at the forefront. In the midst of a financial crisis, the world economy appears headed for a long-term recession. At the same time, we are entering a new era in American electoral politics with the 2008 election. Both candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, offer a diverse set of economic policies that aim to address the issue. This guide will break down their primary financial and economic plans to help you understand the candidates better. Housing and Credit Markets Both candidates supported the most recent Economic Stabilization bill which aims to help improve conditions in the financial markets. Historically, McCain has been a stronger supporter of deregulation although he recently proposed that the federal government would buy mortgages from banks in order to provide home owners with better terms, helping them to stay in their homes. The plan seeks to shift home owners from adjustable to fix ...