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4A Daily News – Saturday, August 4, 2012 Opinion Important DAILYNEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. 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The number is important because it is the number that Keen and some others used as their pri- mary indicator that a problem approached. Now the exact number I have really know how to deal with that. Michael Crichton wrote a book about how he thinks academia can become bound into a belief on some issue and becomes an indoc- trinal institution instead of an edu- cational one. It ceases to allow questioning of its theories. The Global Warming issue has been criticized for becoming this kind of an issue. Where dissenters are rudely and insultingly treated. I haven't read the book. But I'm going to have to. Because I don't know if Crichton himself applied it to global warming. their own reality. Paranoids take reality and twist it into something else. The shizoid makes the clothes the Emperor is wearing. The paranoid takes a real suit and tailors it into a distorted form that looks like reality. Schizoid personalities create After WWII they started work- ing on the few things that Franklin Roosevelt had implemented and by the mid '90s had completed it enough to allow what we got. If you doubt these are the issues, remember that Newt Gingrich said he wanted to take apart everything Roosevelt ever did. That is a pretty clear state- ment of position. Whack job. By the way, that number is made by dividing the private debt of the country by its GDP. The deregulation of private debt caused problems, and business influence on government got them to pay for it and run up the public debt also. That's your world. In my opin- ion, it's a crazy one. James Bryant, Red Bluff given here comes from my figur- ing of the proper numbers in the Federal Reserve publication called the Z1. Available to anyone with Internet capability in pdf form. Perhaps it's off a little bit. But not by a lot. It's a scary number. It's very scary. From here on, it gets a bit boo- gie. It begins to look crazy. I don't self wasn't talking about global warming. Maybe the paranoid thinking of the monied people twisted his idea into an area it doesn't belong. Because I now know where it does belong. In the institutions of economic education in this country. They are no longer educational. They are indoctrinal. And the doctrine of economics they use is classical economics, that economic theory that provid- ed us the Great Depression and the current "recession." Because maybe Crichton him- Charity is socialism Editor: offense when I wrote; "Just because an individual or corpora- tion makes a buck from you doesn't necessarily mean he gives a damn about you." That statement is true, howev- er the contrary is also true. My ire wasn't with any of the business men or women in our communi- Apparently Mr. Wolfe took ty. I should have pointed that out and apologize for that failure. It struck me as interesting how Your Turn Mr. Wolfe mentioned socialist causes that business people in this community donated time and money to in order to justify capi- talism. I do not consider every- one who owns or oper- ates a business to be a heartless skinflint. When I made that statement I was refer- ring more to Douglas R. Oberhelman, chair- man and CEO of Caterpillar who, in spite of receiving a 60 percent pay increase — to $17 million — since 2010, wants his employees to accept a wage freeze and reduced health bene- fits. Polson's authority on climate change is a weathercaster and a blogger but not a scientist, mete- orology or any other kind. He works for the Heartland Institute, which gets its funding from some of the biggest polluters in this country. Willard Anthony Watts, Mr. Watts' blogs at www.wottsup- withthat.com. Real scientists debunk Mr. Since letter writers are not allotted equal space with com- mentaries, I better bring this to an end. Orval Strong, Gerber Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Which Charlie Brown are we? Commentary Many of us grew up watching Charlie Brown and his misplaced trust that Lucy would hold the foot- ball for him to kick as he rushed full steam ahead to kick it, whiffing his foot through the air and landing on his back as Lucy triumphantly holds the football above her head. He never learned, and Lucy was able to repeat her prank at least once every year. In a similar fash- ion Charlie couldn't help but fly his kite in front of the kite eating tree, which, of course captured the kite each time Charlie raced by. It is difficult to decide whether Charlie Brown is a foolish optimist or a person of perseverance. The American people have a little bit of Charlie Brown in them. obsessed culture". About the same percentage feels the media have a negative impact on them. Almost 80 percent feel too much money is being spent on political campaigns. Half of Amer- icans felt the economic system is unfair to the middle and working class; just 17 percent felt that Wall Street executives share the same values as other Americans. Interestingly, even though the A recent poll commissioned by the Aspen Institute and the Atlantic Magazine reflects the growing cynicism of the American people. It appears there is a pervasive malaise among us. (The 116 page report is available on line for download or just perusing.) For many years, in poll after poll, the American public has con- demned Congress while express- ing confidence about their own Congressional Representative. The same results are obtained when the public is asked to rate public schools. The local school inevitably receives higher marks than public education in general. These results hold true in this latest poll. Some things have changed however. above sentiments may be based on a sort of idealism, the poll showed "religion and religious life are trending down in importance in American life." This is based on decreased church attendance and a drop in the percentage who say they believe in God. (89 percent in 2012 versus 98 percent in 1967) Only 17 percent said religious val- ues were most important in their lives. In 1957, 69 percent said reli- gious influence on American life was increasing; in 2012, 24 percent said the same. In 1952 only 5 per- cent said religion was not impor- tant in their life; in 2102 it was 23 percent. Not surprisingly the younger respondents, Democrats, and inde- pendents felt the government should play a large role in correct- ing economic problems, providing employment opportuni- ties, and attending to serious social problems. While 69 percent of all surveyed said govern- ment should have a large role in assuring health insurance, only 45 per- cent of Republicans agreed. There appears to be a seemingly a schizo- phrenic sense that we cannot trust government, but then again we want government to do more for us; somehow we want it both ways…gov- ernment we can trust and government we want to do things for us. song "High Hopes:" Just what makes that little old ant tree plant Think he'll move that rubber Anyone knows an ant, cant Move a rubber tree plant But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes So any time your get- tin low Joe Harrop Approximately seventy percent of respondents said that American values have declined; the examples given are "political corruption, increased materialism, declining family values, and a celebrity There have also been some shifts in attitudes toward homosex- uality, the necessity to marry to produce children, and premarital sex, with an increase in the number who do not condemn such prac- tices. Sixty-two percent said they are more open to new ideas than their parents, and 52 percent said they are more tolerant of other peo- ple and cultures than their parents. Fifty-seven percent agreed with the statement, "It's important that there be a broad range of values repre- sented in America, because it caus- es us to reevaluate our own values and leads to societal progress." Only 20 percent of respondents agreed that people are generally altruistic. Only 17 percent said reli- gious values were most important in their lives. This is reflective of a growing sense of cynicism, "an attitude or state of mind character- ized by a general distrust of others' apparent motives, or a general lack of faith or hope in the human race." By themselves these data would lead me to be pessimistic. In spite of the general tone of anxiety and insecurity and a sense of growing unease, the majority of respondents felt that if they worked hard they could be successful. Seventy percent of respondents agreed "That with hard work I can accomplish anything." That is we still believe we are the land of opportunity. I am reminded of the ant Stead of lettin go Just remember that Oops there goes another rubber tree plant appears to be a flawed and unhealthy system, there seems to be the optimism and resolve that we live in a land where hard work can make a difference for each of us. That is encouraging. Perhaps it represents the American "can do" ethos that we take pride in. Perhaps some of that "can do" can be applied to cure our flaws. I believe there is a little of the Charlie Brown character in the American Public. On the one hand Charlie Brown may seem foolishly optimistic and trusting; while on the other hand he doesn't give up. Which Charlie Brown are we? Even with what Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net.