Gov Scott warns 'Don't laugh...you're next!

Our new governor is doing more to unite Republicans and Democrats than he ever imagined. His latest impulse decision was to reject $2.3 billion of a 90% federal stimulus grant for establishing high speed rail service on Florida's east coast that would create up to 100,000 jobs over the next ten years. It's admirable that he stands up for his political principles, but couldn't he do that AFTER he accepts the $2.3 billion? He did, after all, promise to create 700,000 jobs if elected and this would be 15% of that promise handed to him on a silver platter (actually nickel-plated copper since it is from the federal government).

Governor Scott, after proposing to gut the education budget (after all, why bother funding education when Florida's school system is already ranked as one of the nation's worst), eliminating Enterprise Florida, whose sole purpose is to bring more jobs to Florida (no point in trying to bring jobs when the biggest complaint of prospective companies is our poor education system) and now rejecting billions in stimulus money that will only go to other states, reminds me of an old joke. 

It's about the simple-minded fellow who comes home to catch his wife in bed with another man. He pulls out a gun and aims it at his own head, causing the two in bed to break out in peals of laughter. His angry response was, 'Shut up - you're next!'

Governor Scott has put the gun to his head in an attempt to scare away any future contenders for his job, but it is only resulting in peals of laughter and groans of dismay from fellow Republicans who must now push his suicidal agenda through the legislature. 

True, there are the questions of whether Florida is ready for high speed rail and where to find the $230 million matching state funds with a budget swimming in red ink. But my take on it is with traffic already out of control in South Florida, the rising price of gas and airfares going through the terminal roof, maybe it's time for an alternate mode of transportation. I can remember when the auto industry said no one wants small, fuel efficient cars to replace their gas guzzlers. Now, when you see a 60s or 70s era car on the road it looks sadly out of place. As far as where to find the $230 million of matching funds, just forget the tax cut. We need the jobs.

I'm a fiscal conservative, but isn't this rejection of high speed rail funds kind of like buying a winning lottery ticket and refusing to take the money because it is funded by taxpayers? If that's the way you feel, please send me your winning ticket.

Global warming -- fact or fiction?

Two harsh winters in a row would seem to give global warming deniers plenty of ammunition to rebut the work of scientists on the subject. What is it about science that fosters so much distrust and debate? I don't even want to get into the argument because I know that when people believe something to be true, no amount of factual information can ever sway them.

Without getting into the argument, let's just say the rash of cold weather we have endured in this country and in Europe can be explained by a weather phenomenon more to do with ocean currents than global warming. It's called La Nina (Neenya) and originates in the Pacific Ocean. La Nina doesn't affect weather around the globe whereas global warming does. To put it simply, let's say it's 90 degrees outside and you have no air conditioning inside your home. La Nina is like opening the refrigerator door and sticking your head in the meat department. Global warming deniers are inclined to say, 'hey, there's no heat wave in here!' It's kind of like sticking your head in the sand so you don't have to worry about the world around you.

Egypt update Feb. 12

When you think about it, 18 days of protesting is all it took to rid Egypt of a 30-year dictator. I have been going to Egypt since 1992 listening to complaints about 'the regime' and nothing happened. I guess it's because Facebook had not been invented!

Now comes the hard part -- creating a multi-party system when all opposition has been systematically crushed for those same 30 years. This neonatal democracy will depend for its existence on the military, not a typical standard bearer of democratic ideals. The Egyptian military has produced all three of the country's ex-presidents as well as many of its appointed and 'elected' officials. The top military brass own at least 20% of the country's major private companies. How they shepherd the country through this period is anyone's guess at this point.

The primary concern of average working class Egyptians is having good paying jobs and a future for their children. Whatever it takes to make that happen is acceptable to them, even if the military runs the show. For young adults however, college educated with no jobs, democracy means having a say in how government operates and having leaders who think the same way. The average age in Egypt, and for that matter in the Middle East as a whole, is late teens or early 20s.That is who started this revolution and they are intent on seeing it through.

Egypt's more serious problem is...

Regardless of how the situation in Egypt turns out, unless the country addresses it's most serious problem, things are bound to get worse. That problem is overpopulation. In 1961, Egypt had 10 million hectares of arable land and 15 million people. They were a net exporter of foodstuffs. (Egypt had been the breadbasket of the Roman Empire and its successors.) Today, Egypt has 11 million hectares of arable land and 80 million people! That number continues to grow at the rate of about a million every nine months. And where are those people going to live? There are laws preventing construction on farmland (unless you have the money to bribe a government official), so the only option is for people to build on their existing homes. Keep in mind that 95% of Egypt is the Sahara Desert and 95% of the population lives on 5% of the land. The country is now a net importer of grain and other staples, so much of their cash goes to feeding its people. Not only that, the bread Egyptian bakeries bake from that grain is government subsidized so the people pay about a penny a loaf.

History has shown that the only way to slow population growth is to provide education and good paying jobs. Having a large family was acceptable, even necessary when farmers needed plenty of help growing and harvesting crops. You don't need a large family cramped up in a small apartment in a Cairo slum with one wage earner bringing home enough money each day so the family can eat that day.

'Be fruitful and multiply' might be a Bible directive (and yes, Muslims have the same Bible), but back when the Bible was written, world population of humans amounted to about 100 million. Now it's seven billion. Let's not be so fruitful.

On  the positive side, the Egyptian people have a great deal of national pride. They are the only nation in the Middle East intact for 6,000 years while most other nations were created by the British or French in the 20th century. They love American culture and people (not so much the American government), they are industrious (I have rarely run into people looking for handouts) and highly family oriented. But deep in Cairo's morbidly overcrowded slums, where poverty and hopelessness abound, the promises of religious fundamentalism can override any sense of pride. The question to ask there is what kind of economic miracle in this desert country could generate the jobs these million new residents need every nine months.

Where is Egypt now?

A lot has happened since my last entry, or possibly nothing at all. First, let me set the stage. Egypt is and has been for more than 50 years a military dictatorship. The three presidents who have ruled Egypt since 1952 (when Gamal Nassar kicked out King Farouk) were all generals. The cabinet positions today are at least half filled with former generals.Of the country's 17 governates (like states in the US), 80% of the governors are ex-generals. While that may sound ominous when compared to our civilian government, each president has done good things for Egypt and as I have said before, if they simply retired after two terms like here, things would be much better for Egyptians today. Unfortunately, any government official in office more than 8-10 years ends up making decisions designed to keep him in power. That usually includes bribery, patronage, intimidation, etc.

So here's the situation now. Former general Suleiman, named vice president by former general Mubarak, is taking the lead to come up with a package of reforms designed to satisfy the Egyptian people - free and fair elections (as long as it keeps the military in control), free press (except for those who disagree with the military), multi-party dialogue (without any strong opposition it is just that -- talk), etc.

Of course, Suleiman (and by extension, Mubarak) is now aided and abetted by the western powers (US, Britain, France, Germany), who agree with Suleiman that the Mubarak regime must be gradually replaced so as not to cause chaos (like the chaos already created by the regime). That takes away the significant pressure for change brought on by the protestors, who have in some cases sacrificed life and limb to achieve their one goal, getting rid of Mubarak immediately. We have not created many friends in the protest movement by supporting the status quo.  Time will tell if anything new and different occurs between now and the September elections. Keep in mind that the people are not looking for an American style democracy. They are quite satisfied with the military government IF it can deliver on jobs, a better standard of living, better education and opportunity for those who are educated. There is another, more serious problem, that will ultimately determine Egypt's future.

The world according to Milt Thomas

I just googled my blog and discovered there is another 'The world according to Milt.' So, I've changed the title of my blog to 'The world according to Milt THOMAS.'  In the scheme of things, this has little significance when compared to the world's problems, but it is MY name and these are MY thoughts and opinions, not the thoughts and opinions of some other Milt.

Uh oh. I just googled 'Milt Thomas' and sure enough, there are other Milt Thomas's too! That doesn't surprise me because I am actually Milt Thomas JR, named after my father. I didn't appreciate being named Milton, especially since that wasn't my father's real name.

His mother (my grandmother) decided to call him Milton because of some dispute with HER mother-in-law. Thomas wasn't his real name, either. It was the last name of her second husband (she had four husbands altogether). She changed it because of the same mother-in-law dispute.

Now, my great-grandmother Leah, the source of all this confusion affecting my blog, was probably a decent person. I know her daughter-in-law, my grandmother, wasn't. She had a wide array of skeletons in her closet, and had disputes with many different people, including my father.

You know, I am beginning to feel like I'm in that Microsoft Bing commercial where everyone goes into a mindless stupor quoting information from Google searches. So, on that note I will leave Milt enough alone.