Year: 2010

Don’t Ask a Lawyer about Terrorists!

Criminals or enemies of the State?

I’ve just about had it with the media interviewing lawyers and judges about the courtroom developments in the case against the “underwear” bomber.   They all, without exception, end up circling around to the apparently “happy” fact that this individual will be found guilty of the charges against him (none of which includes any reference to terrorism, by the way), and will spend the rest of his life in jail.

My reaction?  SO WHAT???? The mere fact that the likely verdict is a topic of discussion is insanity!  Finding him guilty is not the point; it is precisely beside the point!  He is not a criminal — he is an enemy combatant, a willing participant in an on-going war with the United States.  And he should be treated as such.   There is a reason we don’t fight wars in courtrooms.

EVEN Obama had to finally admit that fact when he used the word “war” for the first time in discussing this issue.

By Sherry Jarrell

The Troubling U.S. Unemployment Rate

Grim news continues

This isn't funny!

The U.S. unemployment rate remains at a 26-year high.  This is troubling for two reasons. One, the struggle and suffering of the unemployed (and underemployed) and the impact on the world economy.

Two, the mixed signal it gives policy makers.  I worry that the White House will think that it needs to do “more” of what it’s been doing, and dismiss any negative comments about its economic policies as a knee-jerk reaction to the unemployment figure when I, in fact, would be saying the same things if the unemployment figures had improved.  It would be a harder sell, true, but that doesn’t change the facts.

The reason?  Because I believe we would be in a better position today, with lower unemployment — no matter what the current unemployment rate — and higher growth, had the stimulus program never been initiated.  I base this on my understanding of the fundamentals of how the economy works, how businesses create value, and how labor makes itself indispensable to industry.

And none of these areas were helped or improved by the economic policies of this President.

By Sherry Jarrell