What if Israel Surrounded Your Neighborhood?

I just came across this website by the Anti-Defamation League (a pro-Israel organization here in the States) which asks the question, "What if Hamas was in your neighborhood?" They even provide posters on this theme to raise support for Israel's current military action in the Gaza Strip.

The answer to that question is that if Hamas was in my neighborhood, there would be IDF tanks rolling down my street- but I don't think that's what they're going for.

Anyway, I have a question of my own- What if Israel surrounded your neighborhood? What if you could not get adequate supplies of food, water and medical care because Israel closed its borders to your neighborhood?

I'm NOT saying that what either side is doing is correct, just incredibly stupid. Technology cannot defeat ideologies, and rocket attacks will only strengthen Israel's resolve. Fighting won't get either side anywhere. Talk is what is needed now.

Rhode Island's Woes

I'm applying for an internship this summer in RI's state government. I'm hoping to get placed with the legislature and work on policy development. I'm sure that one of the biggest things that they'll be working on is the state of Rhode Island's economy.

Governor Carcieri gave a speech last night on a new budget designed to avoid a $357.4-million current year budget deficit. The plan is basically designed to cut spending, not raise revenue (apart from a hike in cigarette taxes). Short term, the plan will probably make sure the state stays afloat, but many communities will have to cut back on everything from garbage collection to schools.

But what about the long term? Rhode Island had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country (second behind Michigan) in November. The Corporation for Enterprise Development released a report for 2007 that gave Rhode Island Cs in the categories of economic performance, business vitality and development capacity. Anyone who has driven in RI will agree with the report's findings that the state has the worst bridges in the country. Will the governor's budget help alleviate these long term issues?

The answer is unclear. It may be that if the state can weather the current storm, its economy will get back on track. CFED also rated Rhode Island in the top 20 most diverse state economies in 2006. It may also be that it will face an exodus of residents as they leave to find jobs in Massachusetts or Connecticut.

The CFED report is available here, but be warned, as it opens an Excel file.

Moral Hazard

Talk about Moral Hazard

Revisiting Corporatocracy

I should be looking for internships right now, but I feel like writing instead.

I had a discussion with one of my friends the other day about corporatocracy. He was upset about campaign finance and how it was affecting our political system. Afterward, I thought about my previous post on the subject.

At the time, I was thinking more about getting corporations directly involved in politics, basically giving them a vote. What if we gave them more than that. What if, corporations formed the third house of Congress.

Some pros...
-focus their lobbying efforts in something more constructive
-reduce corruption in regular politicians
-encourage transparency- certain standards could be set in order for corporations to run for office, in such areas as accounting
-ability to hold corporations directly accountable for their actions
-integrate corporate and human interests

Some cons...
-more complicated political process would slow Congress down
-could create unseen mischief in Washington

I kinda like this idea. I would like to see more people's thoughts on this.