Callie,

You’ve apparently had a good outcome on both sides of the employee-employer side of a business.  You are one of the lucky ones.  There are many who have not been so lucky. 

Callie,

People harp on it because it’s true.  Everyone can cite examples in their own lives and others they know, of calling a customers service line regarding products and services they subscribe to, where the answering party is in India, Pakistan, Mexico, etc. ande often can barely speak the English language or help with your problem.  Many, myself included, finally give up in frustration and anger.  I know those countries are in worse financial shape than we are, but don’t tell me those American Companies who use these practices of shipping jobs overseas, or out of America are not motivated by Greed.  They were making profits before and now they are making Bigger profits at the expense of the American worker and also the foreign workers they currently employ. 

The Unions aren’t that helpful anymore. Where they once were about fairness and protecting the members against powerful corporations, they now collect their membership dues and do little else.

If I owned a business, I don’t know what I would do, but I’d like to think I wouldn’t put profit over the welfare of my employees.  It’s the employees that are a company’s major asset.  Do right by them and you will not only succeed and profit, but you will progress.  There are examples that is a true statement, too. 

Maggie W.,

All of your comments  (Dr. Zwelling)  regarding Congress are valid and mirror my thoughts, too.

F. P. is right on so many points, and again, I’d like to point out, this is a blog of personal opinions only.  Everybody has a right to state their own opinion on these topics.  Isn’t it interesting how many seem to think President Obama should have been able to correct all the wrongs in less than a year in office?  Nothing changes quickly in Washington.  All of the President’s good intentions and plans to make things better for America has a massive number of those working to see that his efforts turn into failures, for their own personal gains.  As many of those of us, who read this blog, why aren’t we "brainstorming" with ideas that might help instead of criticisms of someone who is trying to help us out of these messes that have been developing since the last President and his puppeteers took office?

It is also my belief that we need to keep American jobs in America instead of farming them out to other countries.  That’s GREED in it’s most simple form on the part of companies and corporations who disregard the well being of American people over their own profits.

Did you see the videos that were displayed with the contesting countries for the Olympics?  The Chicago video was mediocre at best and wouldn’t have convinced anyone that Chicago had any merit over the other countries.  America has hosted the Olympics on many occasions and Rio has never hosted, so there’s no shame in losing to Rio.  Certainly no blame or shame to President Obama in the loss.  He was hoping it could provide needed jobs and it certainly wasn’t wasted time for the short period he spent there.  He tried to present a good showing to the world and what’s wrong with that?

If Congress would stop the backbiting, maybe they could do something useful and constructive. Their grandstanding and  preening for the media and camera is worthless. 

I blame Congress for the lack of progress.  Election time is coming.

And our options are? Republicans vs. Democrats?  Both parties have a stranglehold on America and they have no plans to give that up.  Term limits would help and they would fight that tooth and nail.  Not being allowed to arbitrarily vote themselves a raise whenever they like and for however much the like would be another power that should be taken away from them-salaries would have to be voted and approved by the American public and then take effect only months to years after approval, much like their new laws they pass.  They would have to put in a honest day’s work, even 9-5, Monday through Friday like most of us.  No more freebie trips to the tropics for golfing and fun in the sun and wining and dining on the tax payers dime.

It hasn’t been that many centuries ago that it was the Christians that were the hated religion and then who ever worshiped differently than we do.  More hate, harm and persecution has been caused by religion than paractically anything else in history.  Religion should be separate from State-it causes dissent and intolerance and separates man.  Democrats do not have the upper hand on ignorance and selfishness.  It’s equally spread between both parties.  The only ones who have more power to change the status quo are the American citizens and they don’t seem to know it.  When we do get someone in office that will listen to us and perhaps fight to change the standing order, then both parties will work together to thwart any change that might diminish their power.  Ha! You think the Republicans have the ability to reason and understand?  Both parties are all cows in the same pen.  They’ll throw up any kind of denial that we can have Universal Health Care, Free Public College Education for those that want it, Childcare for working parents, Technical training for those who don’t want college.  So we don’t think other countries have those benefits exactly the way we would want it, then we can make our own systems better based on what we see in other countries.  We were one the richest country but not anymore.  We’re co-owned by almost every country we’ve borrowed from.  I could go on, but I wont-Obama is the best thing that has happened to us in years, but Washington power brokers could ruin that, if we let them.

O.E.

Well, Thank you very much-I sure didn’t say "I know so much", but if you think I do, well, then it must be true, in your eyes anyway.  I know I wanted Universal Health Care and while the plan isn’t what I had hoped for, it will be better than it was. I didn’t see any Republicans scrambling to get that for us.  I want the War to be over and Gitmo Prison closed, hasn’t happened yet, but at least Obama is listening to what the majority of the people want and it may happen yet.  It isn’t the President who carries the power in Washington, it’s the Congress and the Senate and they’re jockeying for as much power as they can get, both parties.  I want the Lobbiests out of Washington and anyone who accepts money from them prosecuted like any other fficial accepting bribery.Both Houses need to be weeded out.  I want the rich to stop profiteering off the poor and working class.  The contrast is, that for the first time in many years, Americans seem to be able to have a voice, instead of throwing up their hands and saying, what’s the use?  No one’s listening to us.  Name something worthwhile that the past 8 years has given us and don’t give me that old standby that we’re safer-we’re not and we’ve spent 8 years building enemies by our actions.  Why not try something new like reasoning and talking rather than bullying?  You tell me what Steele had to offer that’s worth a  bucket of warm spit?

I listened to Michael Steele’s "speech"-just a bunch of sound-bytes strung together.  Nothing of consequence or substance.  Empty threats.  So juvenile.  The Republicans are going to have to come up with something better than that and better than him.  They’ve offered nothing but their clarioned tax-cuts and that’s not going to get it.  Americans need a hell of a lot more than that from this Governement and so far, President Obama is the only one who seems to have a clue.