SodaHead - BillySteve's Answers & Comments

If a woman who dresses provocative is raped, did she have it coming to her?

2009-10-11T15:14:45Z

If a woman who dresses provocative is raped, did she have it coming to her?
(Living)

604 answers, +96 raves

I am in no way saying this is right! I have just heard many people say this so I decided too ask.

BillySteve answered

and said : Well, would you consider someone dressing sharp to be a good provocation for being mugged? Would you consider someone being tall and stocky a good provocation for someone taking a cheap shot at them? Like some dipstick with an inferiority complex "picking on the biggest guy". How about driving a nice car? Does that entitle someone else to steal it from you? Rape is a crime of violence, not of sex. If some pig decides that he's gotta "take her down a notch" he has a mental problem. Either he gets help before he does it, or he gets beat after he does it. Rape isn't sexy, it's violence.

do you think that President Obama deserves the nobel peace prize?

2009-10-11T01:32:33Z

do you think that President Obama deserves the nobel peace prize?
(US)

19 answers, +1 raves

BillySteve answered

and said : I think that a world leader ought to do something more than give speeches or make science fiction movies to get a Nobel Prize. There were some good people who were passed over this year, including two Chinese Dissidents and a Physician who build a hospital for the poor in the Congo. I think that someone who actually DOES SOMETHING deserves more than a freshman President.

Do you think obama was worthy of the nobel peace prize?

2009-10-11T01:26:04Z

Do you think obama was worthy of the nobel peace prize?
(World)

40 answers, +9 raves

BillySteve answered
no
and said : Some day President Obama MIGHT be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize. I don't know what he's going to do in the future after all. He might actually get the US out of the Empire Business, which would be a good thing. To award him a prize so soon in his administration is almost an insult to the intelligence of all thinking people.

Has the Nobel Peace Prize lost all credibility?

2009-10-11T01:24:54Z

Has the Nobel Peace Prize lost all credibility?
(US)

16 answers, +2 raves

Today (Oct 9, 2009) Barack Obama was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was NOMINATED for this just two weeks into his new administration this past February. Yet in his brief term in office, he has not accomplished peace anywhere. Indeed, on this day when he has been announced as the winner of this prize, he is contemplating the dedication of 40,000 new U.S. troops to the war in Afganistan. Has the 5 person Norwegian committee who decided amongst the 200 Nobel Peace Prize nominees merely fallen for Obama-worship over actual substantive accomplishment? Does this decision lessen the credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize or it's decision-making committee of 5?

BillySteve answered

and said : Some of the past peace prizes were very sharp people. Linus Pauling comes to mind. Psuedo-scientists like Gaia's High Priest, Al Gore, have tainted the worth of the prize. I wonder if someone bribed the Nobel Prize Committee for this year's award? Gotta wonder.

Obama to sell B-2 Bomber Plans to China to help pay off debt. Is that why Tiny Tim is in China?

2009-10-11T01:22:35Z

Obama to sell B-2 Bomber Plans to China to help pay off debt. Is that why Tiny Tim is in China?
(US)

219 answers, +38 raves

Record deficits and a crashing economy appear to be taking a toll on the young Barack Obama Administration. The Administration has been talking about hiking income taxes and perhaps instituting a VAT tax. China is also concerned with the mounting deficits in the United States budget. China is the single biggest holder of US Treasury Bonds and is one of Washington's biggest trading partners. The People's Republic has had a burgeoning economy, but is increasingly wary of the falling US dollar. While the exact amount of Chinese ownership of US treasuries is unknown, it is estimated to add up to over a trillion dollars. If China were to call in US guarantees on these bonds, economists fear it could lead to an economic collapse larger than the Great Depression. China has recently expanded its defense budget, ostensibly to keep up with its economic growth. China is reportedly working on its own version of a stealth bomber (the US has the only functioning model) but is lagged by technological defects. On April 1st, President Obama spoke to Chinese Premier Hu Jintao during the G20 Summit. During this meeting, Mr. Hu expressed interest in writing off some of the US debt in exchange for military technology. The President has since referred the matter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The Defense Department is reportedly furious with the President's proposal to sell blueprints of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to the People's Republic. Gates has flatly rejected the President's plan, but has since been asked to step down if he will not facilitate the process. According to the deal, the United States would sell the plans for the B-2, along with radar-absorbing paints and metals in exchange for $50 billion in debt relief. The B-2 cost the US government $23 billion to develop the bomber in the 1980s. According to the Administration, this proposal will help the United States resolve its debt issues. They point out their belief that the B-2 bomber is "strategically obsolete", according to a source in the White House Press Office. In addition, the source claims that the Chinese would be unable to create their own functioning stealth bomber fleet for "at least eight years." American allies Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are very wary of the proposal. Koo Syi, a geopolitical analyst from South Korea, points out that this technology could be passed to China's allies. This was the case when Chinese nuclear technology was transferred to Pakistan and North Korea. According to Koo, Obama has rendered US allies' opinions as "irrelevant." While this proposal is controversial, it is not being presented to Congress, where it could meet with stern opposition. Instead, the State Department has been informed to assisted the Defense Department with the transfer of materials. Richard Hogarty Boston Reviewer June 1, 2009 (I do not know the validity of this story, it is obviously very controversial, and only time will tell what the actual truth is.)

BillySteve answered
Undecided
and said : Why should the Chinese pay official prices for technology when they can bribe someone in the Administration for much less money to get almost the same information? The Chinese are concerned that the US Congress and our President have the fiscal restraint of an Amelda Marcos in a shoe store with a limitless credit card. They realize that the US government cannot continue to spend money on vote buying schemes while destroying wealth creatoin. They probably also realize that countries which get into jackpots sometimes do stupid stuff, like starting wars. The Chinese are definitely NOT INTERESTED in starting wars with the US. It's not that they're afraid, they realize that wars can be won in "other ways" besides direct combat.

Obama Issue #20: Technology

2009-10-11T01:18:55Z

Obama Issue #20: Technology
(US)

17 answers, +4 raves

How do you feel about the following... The Problem Barack Obama understands the immense transformative power of technology and innovation and how they can improve the lives of all Americans. He sees that technology offers the tools to create real change in America. Obama’s forward-thinking 21st century technology and innovation policy starts by recognizing that we need to connect all citizens with each other to engage them more fully and directly in solving the problems that face us. In tandem with that goal, Barack Obama understands that we must use all available technologies and methods to open up the federal government, creating a new level of transparency to change the way business is conducted in Washington and giving Americans the chance to participate in government deliberations and decision-making in ways that were not possible only a few years ago. To achieve this vision, Barack Obama will encourage the deployment of the most modern communications infrastructure. In turn, that infrastructure can be used by government and business to reduce the costs of health care, help solve our energy crisis, create new jobs, and fuel our economic growth. And an Obama administration will ensure America remains competitive in the global economy. Barack Obama's Plan Ensure the Full and Free Exchange of Information through an Open Internet and Diverse Media Outlets * Protect the Openness of the Internet: A key reason the Internet has been such a success is because it is the most open network in history. It needs to stay that way. Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet. Users must be free to access content, to use applications, and to attach personal devices. They have a right to receive accurate and honest information about service plans. But these guarantees are not enough to prevent network providers from discriminating in ways that limit the freedom of expression on the Internet. Because most Americans only have a choice of only one or two broadband carriers, carriers are tempted to impose a toll charge on content and services, discriminating against websites that are unwilling to pay for equal treatment. This could create a two-tier Internet in which websites with the best relationships with network providers can get the fastest access to consumers, while all competing websites remain in a slower lane. Such a result would threaten innovation, the open tradition and architecture of the Internet, and competition among content and backbone providers. It would also threaten the equality of speech through which the Internet has begun to transform American political and cultural discourse. Barack Obama supports the basic principle that network providers should not be allowed to charge fees to privilege the content or applications of some web sites and Internet applications over others. This principle will ensure that the new competitors, especially small or non-profit speakers, have the same opportunity as incumbents to innovate on the Internet and to reach large audiences. Obama will protect the Internet’s traditional openness to innovation and creativity and ensure that it remains a platform for free speech and innovation that will benefit consumers and our democracy. * Encourage Diversity in Media Ownership: Barack Obama believes that the nation’s rules ensuring diversity of media ownership are critical to the public interest. Unfortunately, over the past several years, the Federal Communications Commission has promoted the concept of consolidation over diversity. Barack Obama believes that providing opportunities for minority-owned businesses to own radio and television stations is fundamental to creating the diverse media environment that federal law requires and the country deserves and demands. As president, he will encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum. An Obama presidency will promote greater coverage of local issues and better responsiveness by broadcasters to the communities they serve. * Protect Our Children While Preserving the First Amendment: By making information freely available from untold numbers of sources, the Internet and more traditional media outlets have a huge influence on our children. Barack Obama believes that the openness of the new media world should be seen as an opportunity as much as some see it as a threat. We live in the most information-abundant age in history and the people who develop the skills to utilize its benefits are the people who will succeed in the 21st century. But Barack Obama also recognizes that lurking out there are the darker corners of the media world: from Internet predators to hateful messages to graphic violence and sex. Obama values our First Amendment freedoms and our right to artistic expression and does not view regulation as the answer to these concerns. Instead, an Obama administration will give parents the tools and information they need to control what their children see on television and the Internet in ways fully consistent with the First Amendment. 1. An Obama administration will encourage the creation of Public Media 2.0., the next generation of public media that will create the Sesame Street of the Digital Age and other video and interactive programming that educates and informs. Obama will support the transition of existing public broadcasting entities and help renew their founding vision in the digital world. 2. Obama will work to give parents the tools to prevent reception of programming that they find offensive on television and on digital media. Obama will encourage improvements to the existing voluntary rating system, exploiting new technologies like tagging and filtering, so that parents can better understand what content their children will see, and have the tools to respond. Private entities like Common Sense Media are pursuing a “sanity not censorship” approach, which can serve as a model for how to use technology to empower parents without offending the First Amendment. 3. Obama will encourage industry not to show inappropriate adult-oriented commercial advertising during children’s programming. 4. On the Internet, Obama will require that parents have the option of receiving parental controls software that not only blocks objectionable Internet content but also prevents children from revealing personal information through their home computer. 5. To further protect children online, Obama supports tough penalties, increased enforcement resources and forensic tools for law enforcement, and collaboration between law enforcement and the private sector to identify and prosecute people who abuse the Internet to try to exploit children. * Safeguard our Right to Privacy: The open information platforms of the 21st century can also tempt institutions to violate the privacy of citizens. Dramatic increases in computing power, decreases in storage costs and huge flows of information that characterize the digital age bring enormous benefits, but also create risk of abuse. We need sensible safeguards that protect privacy in this dynamic new world. As president, Barack Obama will strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and will harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy. 1. To ensure that powerful databases containing information on Americans that are necessary tools in the fight against terrorism are not misused for other purposes, Barack Obama supports restrictions on how information may be used and technology safeguards to verify how the information has actually been used. 2. Obama supports updating surveillance laws and ensuring that law enforcement investigations and intelligence-gathering relating to U.S. citizens are done only under the rule of law. 3. Obama will also work to provide robust protection against misuses of particularly sensitive kinds of information, such as e-health records and location data that do not fit comfortably within sector-specific privacy laws. 4. Obama will increase the Federal Trade Commission’s enforcement budget and will step up international cooperation to track down cyber-criminals so that U.S. law enforcement can better prevent and punish spam, spyware, telemarketing and phishing intrusions into the privacy of American homes and computers. Create a Transparent and Connected Democracy * Open Up Government to its Citizens: The Bush Administration has been one of the most secretive, closed administrations in American history. Our nation’s progress has been stifled by a system corrupted by millions of lobbying dollars contributed to political campaigns, the revolving door between government and industry, and privileged access to inside information-all of which have led to policies that favor the few against the public interest. An Obama presidency will use cutting-edge technologies to reverse this dynamic, creating a new level of transparency, accountability and participation for America’s citizens. Technology-enabled citizen participation has already produced ideas driving Obama’s campaign and its vision for how technology can help connect government to its citizens and engage citizens in a democracy. Barack Obama will use the most current technological tools available to make government less beholden to special interest groups and lobbyists and promote citizen participation in government decision-making. Obama will integrate citizens into the actual business of government by: 1. Making government data available online in universally accessible formats to allow citizens to make use of that data to comment, derive value, and take action in their own communities. Greater access to environmental data, for example, will help citizens learn about pollution in their communities, provide information about local conditions back to government and empower people to protect themselves. 2. Establishing pilot programs to open up government decision-making and involve the public in the work of agencies, not simply by soliciting opinions, but by tapping into the vast and distributed expertise of the American citizenry to help government make more informed decisions. 3. Requiring his appointees who lead Executive Branch departments and rulemaking agencies to conduct the significant business of the agency in public, so that any citizen can watch a live feed on the Internet as the agencies debate and deliberate the issues that affect American society. He will ensure that these proceedings are archived for all Americans to review, discuss and respond. He will require his appointees to employ all the technological tools available to allow citizens not just to observe, but also to participate and be heard in these meetings. 4. Restoring the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically-valid evidence and not on the ideological predispositions of agency officials. 5. Lifting the veil from secret deals in Washington with a web site, a search engine, and other web tools that enable citizens easily to track online federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and lobbyist contacts with government officials. 6. Giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days before signing any non-emergency legislation. 7. Bringing democracy and policy deliberations directly to the people by requiring his Cabinet officials to have periodic national online town hall meetings to answer questions and discuss issues before their agencies. 8. Employing technologies, including blogs, wikis and social networking tools, to modernize internal, cross-agency, and public communication and information sharing to improve government decision-making. * Bring Government into the 21st Century: Barack Obama will use technology to reform government and improve the exchange of information between the federal government and citizens while ensuring the security of our networks. Obama believes in the American people and in their intelligence, expertise, and ability and willingness to give and to give back to make government work better. 1. Obama will appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century. The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices. 2. The CTO will have a specific focus on transparency, by ensuring that each arm of the federal government makes its records open and accessible as the E-Government Act requires. The CTO will also focus on using new technologies to solicit and receive information back from citizens to improve the functioning of democratic government. 3. The CTO will also ensure technological interoperability of key government functions. For example, the Chief Technology Officer will oversee the development of a national, interoperable wireless network for local, state and federal first responders as the 9/11 commission recommended. This will ensure that fire officials, police officers and EMTs from different jurisdictions have the ability to communicate with each other during a crisis and we do not have a repeat of the failure to deliver critical public services that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 4. In the 21st century, our economic success will depend not only on economic analysis but also on technological sophistication and direct experience in this powerful engine of our economy. In an Obama administration, the government’s economic policy-making organizations and councils will include individuals with backgrounds in our technology industry. Deploy a Modern Communications Infrastructure To realize Barack Obama’s vision of an interconnected democracy, the nation deserves the finest and most modern communications infrastructure in the world. The technology sector has helped keep the United States at the center of innovation and the job growth and wealth creation that has accompanied it. However, while the United States once led the world in Internet deployment, the Bush administration has surrendered that leadership through its indifference to technology and its lack of understanding of the 21st century economy. By rededicating our nation to ensuring that all Americans have access to broadband and the skills to use it effectively, Barack Obama will position our citizens, particularly our young people, to compete and succeed in an increasingly technology-rich, knowledge-based economy. * Deploy Next-Generation Broadband: Barack Obama believes that America should lead the world in broadband penetration and Internet access. As a country, we have ensured that every American has access to telephone service and electricity, regardless of economic status, and Obama will do likewise for broadband Internet access. Full broadband penetration can enrich democratic discourse, enhance competition, provide economic growth, and bring significant consumer benefits. Moreover, improving our infrastructure will foster competitive markets for Internet access and services that ride on that infrastructure. Obama believes we can get true broadband to every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation’s wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives. Specifically, Obama proposes the following policies to restore America’s world leadership in this arena: 1. Redefine “broadband:” The Federal Communications Commission today defines “broadband” as an astonishingly low 200 kbps. This distorts federal policy and hamstrings efforts to broaden broadband access. Obama will define “broadband” for purposes of national policy at speeds demanded by 21st century business and communications. 2. Universal Service Reform: Obama will establish a multi-year plan with a date certain to change the Universal Service Fund program from one that supports voice communications to one that supports affordable broadband, with a specific focus on reaching previously un-served communities. 3. Unleashing the Wireless Spectrum: Obama will confront the entrenched Washington interests that have kept our public airwaves from being maximized for the public’s interest. Obama will demand a review of existing uses of our wireless spectrum. He will create incentives for smarter, more efficient and more imaginative use of government spectrum and new standards for commercial spectrum to bring affordable broadband to rural communities that previously lacked it. He will ensure that we have enough spectrum for police, ambulances and other public safety purposes. 4. Bringing Broadband to our Schools, Libraries, Households and Hospitals: Obama will recommit America to ensuring that our schools, libraries, households and hospitals have access to next generation broadband networks. He will also make sure that there are adequate training and other supplementary resources to allow every school, library and hospital to take full advantage of the broadband connectivity. 5. Encourage Public/Private Partnerships: Obama will encourage innovation at the local level through federal support of public/private partnerships that deliver real broadband to communities that currently lack it. Employ Technology and Innovation to Solve Our Nation’s Most Pressing Problems The 21st century tools of technology and telecommunications have unleashed the forces of globalization on a previously unimagined scale. They have “flattened” communications and labor markets and have contributed to a period of unprecedented innovation, making us more productive, connected global citizens. By maximizing the power of technology, we can strengthen the quality and affordability of our health care, advance climate-friendly energy development and deployment, improve education throughout the country, and ensure that America remains the world’s leader in technology. * Lower Health Care Costs by Investing in Electronic Information Technology Systems: A key feature of Barack Obama’s health care plan is the use of technology to lower the cost of health care. Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes them difficult to use to coordinate care, measure quality, or reduce medical errors. Processing paper claims also costs twice as much as processing electronic claims. Barack Obama will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records. He will also phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT and commit the necessary federal resources to make it happen. Obama will ensure that these systems are developed in coordination with providers and frontline workers, including those in rural and underserved areas. Obama will ensure that patients’ privacy is protected. A study by the Rand Corporation found that if most hospitals and doctors offices adopted electronic health records, up to $77 billion of savings would be realized each year through improvements such as reduced hospital stays, avoidance of duplicative and unnecessary testing, more appropriate drug utilization, and other efficiencies. Obama will make the Veterans Health Administration, the nation’s largest integrated health system, a model in the use of technology to modernize and improve health care delivery. To ensure that veterans get the best care possible, he will improve electronic records interoperability between the Pentagon and VA, expand effectiveness research, promote wellness programs, and use technology to improve the accountability for performance and quality. * Invest in Climate-Friendly Energy Development and Deployment: Barack Obama knows that we need to rely on technology to help solve the critical energy and environmental problems facing this country. As he announced in his energy policy, Barack Obama will invest $150 billion over the next ten years to enable American engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. This investment will transform the economy and create millions of new jobs. Obama will: 1. Double federal science and research funding for clean energy projects, relying on the resources and ability of our national laboratories, universities and land grant colleges. 2. Invest in the development of the next generation of biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol. 3. Increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies. 4. Create a Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund, funded by an annual $10 billion investment for five years, to ensure that promising technologies move beyond the lab and are commercialized in the U.S. 5. Use innovative measures to dramatically improve the energy efficiency and stability of our economy and improve our national energy intensity 50 percent by 2030. 6. Invest in a digital smart energy grid. * Upgrade Education to Meet the Needs of the 21st Century: Barack Obama will emphasize the importance of technology literacy, ensuring that all public school children are equipped with the necessary science, technology and math skills to succeed in the 21st century economy. Access to computers and broadband connections in public schools must be coupled with qualified teachers, engaging curricula, and a commitment to developing skills in the field of technology. This is central to the competitiveness of our nation’s technology sector and of our citizens. Obama also believes that we must strengthen math and science education to help develop a skilled workforce and promote innovation. He will work to increase our number of science and engineering graduates, encourage undergraduates studying math and science to pursue graduate studies, and work to increase the representation of minorities and women in the science and technology pipeline, tapping the diversity of America to meet the increasing demand for a skilled workforce. If we export our best software and engineering jobs to developing countries, it is less likely that America will benefit from the next generation innovations in nanotechnology, electronics, and biotechnology. We must have a skilled workforce so that we can retain and grow jobs requiring 21st century skills rather than forcing employers to find skilled workers abroad. * Create New Jobs: An Obama administration will foster home-grown innovation and ensure that we can retain and grow high-paying jobs in fast-growing sectors in the sciences and technology rather than exporting those jobs to lower cost labor markets abroad. As offshoring becomes more of a long-term workforce management strategy and less of a perceived short-term cost savings, it presents a significant challenge to young people growing up in America’s historically low-income and working-class communities. An Obama administration will invest in human capital to ensure that our young people have the skills to fill the growing number of information technology jobs being created globally and will also support pilot programs that provide incentives for businesses to grow their information technology workforce in inner-cities and rural communities. * Modernize Public Safety Networks: Barack Obama is committed to improving the information and communications technology used to support public safety from the antiquated 1970s and 1980s-based technology currently used by agencies around the country to a modern system that will enable us to respond to emergencies and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. In particular, Obama will: 1. Catalyze national leadership to spur the development and deployment of new technologies to promote interoperability, broadband access, and more effective communications among first responders and emergency response systems. 2. Use the authority over spectrum licenses to establish an effective public-private partnership that would facilitate the development of a next generation network for use by public safety agencies on a priority basis. Improve America’s Competitiveness * Invest in the Sciences: Barack Obama supports doubling federal funding for basic research, changing the posture of our federal government from being one of the most anti-science administrations in American history to one that embraces science and technology. This will foster home-grown innovation, help ensure the competitiveness of US technology-based businesses, and ensure that 21st century jobs can and will grow in America. As a share of the Gross Domestic Product, American federal investment in the physical sciences and engineering research has dropped by half since 1970. Yet, it often has been federally-supported basic research that has generated the innovation to create markets and drive economic growth. For example, one recent report demonstrated how federally supported research in fiber optics and lasers helped spur the telecommunications revolution. * Make the R&D Tax Credit Permanent: Barack Obama wants investments in a skilled research and development workforce and technology infrastructure to be supported here in America so that American workers and communities will benefit. Obama wants to make the Research and Development tax credit permanent so that firms can rely on it when making decisions to invest in domestic R&D over multi-year timeframes. * Reform Immigration: While highly skilled immigrants have contributed in beneficial ways to our domestic technology industry, there are plenty of Americans who could be filling those positions given the proper training. Barack Obama is committed to investing in communities and people who have not had an opportunity to work and participate in the Internet economy as anything other than consumers. Most H-1B new arrivals, for example, have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent abroad (42.5%). They are not all PhDs. We can and should produce more Americans with bachelor’s degrees that lead to jobs in technology. A report of the National Science Foundation (NSF) reveals that blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans as a whole comprise more that 25% of the population but earn, as a whole, 16% of the bachelor degrees, 11% of the master’s degrees, and 5% of the doctorate degrees in science and engineering. We can do better than that and go a long way toward meeting industry’s need for skilled workers with Americans. That being said, we do not want to shut our doors to innovators from overseas, who have traditionally helped make America strong. Barack Obama supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes improvement in our visa programs, including our legal permanent resident visa programs and temporary programs including the H-1B program, to attract some of the world’s most talented people to America. We should allow immigrants who earn their degrees in the U.S. to stay, work, and become Americans over time. And we should examine our ability to increase the number of permanent visas we issue to foreign skilled workers. Obama will work to ensure immigrant workers are less dependent on their employers for their right to stay in the country and would hold accountable employers who abuse the system and their workers. * Promote American Businesses Abroad: Trade can create wealth and drive innovation through competition. Barack Obama supports a trade policy that ensures our goods and services are treated fairly in foreign markets. At the same time, trade policy must stay consistent with our commitment to demand improved labor and environmental practices worldwide. In its first six years, the Bush Administration has filed only 16 cases to enforce its rights under WTO agreements. This compares to 68 cases filed during the first six years of the Clinton Administration. President Bush has failed to address the fact that China has engaged in ongoing currency manipulation that undercuts US exports; that China fails to enforce U.S. copyrights and trademarks and that some of our competitors create regulatory and tax barriers to the delivery and sale of technology goods and services abroad. Barack Obama will fight for fair treatment of our companies abroad. * Ensure Competitive Markets: Barack Obama believes we need a business and regulatory landscape in which entrepreneurs and small businesses can thrive, start-ups can launch, and all enterprises can compete effectively while investors and consumers are protected against bad actors that cross the line. As president, Obama will reinvigorate antitrust enforcement, which is how we ensure that capitalism works for consumers. Thus, he will step up review of merger activity and take effective action to stop or restructure those mergers that are likely to harm consumer welfare, while quickly clearing those that do not. An Obama administration will look carefully at key industries to ensure that the benefits of competition are fully realized by consumers. Obama will strengthen the antitrust authorities’ competition advocacy programs to ensure that special interests do not use regulation to insulate themselves from the competitive process. Obama will also strengthen competition advocacy in the international community as well as domestically. He will take steps to ensure that antitrust law is not used as a tool to interfere with robust competition or undermine efficiency to the detriment of U.S. consumers and businesses. He will do so by improving the administration of those laws in the U.S. and by working with foreign governments to change unsound competition laws and to avoid needless duplication and conflict in multinational enforcement of those laws. In short, an Obama administration will take seriously its responsibility to enforce the antitrust laws so that all Americans benefit from a growing and healthy competitive free-market economy. * Protect American Intellectual Property Abroad: The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that in 2005, more than nine of every 10 DVDs sold in China were illegal copies. The U.S. Trade Representative said 80 percent of all counterfeit products seized at U.S. borders still come from China. Barack Obama will work to ensure intellectual property is protected in foreign markets, and promote greater cooperation on international standards that allow our technologies to compete everywhere. * Protect Intellectual Property at Home: Intellectual property is to the digital age what physical goods were to the industrial age. Barack Obama believes we need to update and reform our copyright and patent systems to promote civic discourse, innovation and investment while ensuring that intellectual property owners are fairly treated. * Reform the Patent System: A system that produces timely, high-quality patents is essential for global competitiveness in the 21st century. By improving predictability and clarity in our patent system, we will help foster an environment that encourages innovation. Giving the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) the resources to improve patent quality and opening up the patent process to citizen review will reduce the uncertainty and wasteful litigation that is currently a significant drag on innovation. With better informational resources, the Patent and Trademark Office could offer patent applicants who know they have significant inventions the option of a rigorous and public peer review that would produce a “gold-plated” patent much less vulnerable to court challenge. Where dubious patents are being asserted, the PTO could conduct low-cost, timely administrative proceedings to determine patent validity. As president, Barack Obama will ensure that our patent laws protect legitimate rights while not stifling innovation and collaboration. Barack Obama's Record * Barack Obama is already using technology to transform presidential politics and to help unprecedented numbers of citizens take back the political process. Obama's Internet campaign is only the beginning of how Obama would harness the power of the Internet to transform government and politics. On barackobama.com, voters have connected not only with the campaign but with each other; the campaign has used technology to engage those who have not been able to participate in prior presidential campaigns. More than 280,000 people have created accounts on barackobama.com. These users have organically created over 6,500 grassroots volunteer groups and have organized more than 13,000 off-line events using the site. * Obama is also opening up the campaign and giving average Americans a chance to offer opinions and information on important policy issues and Americans have responded: over 15,000 policy ideas have been submitted through the web site. Through Obama's leadership, many of the presidential debates are freely available online for mashups, commentary, and other uses by ordinary citizens, bloggers, and others. On the fundraising front, supporters have made more than 370,000 donations online, more than half of which have been under $25. Users who have set up personal fundraising pages online have raised over $1.5 million. The campaign's technology activities demonstrate the important and positive role technology would play in an Obama administration, opening up the closed practices of governance to greater citizen engagement and participation and re-connecting Americans with their democracy in new ways.

BillySteve answered
I do not believe that the Obama / Biden ticket will make significant strides to erase the problems
and said : I don't think that the Obama/Biden ticket realizes the limits of their power and knowledge. Yet.

Is it about time for the press to quit treating Obama like a fragile china doll and start confronting the President about his frequent errors in judgment or his constant refusal to give direct answers to the questions facing his administration?

2009-10-11T01:17:49Z

Is it about time for the press to quit treating Obama like a fragile china doll and start confronting the President about his frequent errors in judgment or his constant refusal to give direct answers to the questions facing his administration?
(US)

7 answers, +3 raves

BillySteve answered
No.We don't really want to hear the truth anyway.
and said : I think eventually the Press is going to realize that they've been treating our President like he won a competition in the Special Olympics. Of course to reach this state of awareness the US media is going to have to come to grips with the idea that many of them are closeted racists who do not think that people of color can do anything on their own and require pandering, praise and encouragement when one of them "gets lucky".

How Will the Press Treat Obama?

2009-10-11T01:15:14Z

How Will the Press Treat Obama?
(US)

14 answers, +3 raves

For the last four years, the press has been calling Bush, Mr. Bush instead of President Bush. Will the press refer to President Obama as Mr. Obama or President Obama?

BillySteve answered
President Obama
and said : Eventually the Press will refer to Mr. Obama the way that Idi Amin used to refer to himself.... "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor[B] Barrack Hussein Obama, Congressional Medal of Honor, CBE, JD, BA, Master of Coolness.

Why should I treat Obama any differently than I have any other president before him?

2009-10-11T01:11:55Z

Why should I treat Obama any differently than I have any other president before him?
(US)

248 answers, +70 raves

My entire life I have referred to presidents by their last name. Perhaps that's not proper etiquette, but I have treated no other president different in that respect. Whether you like or not, it's me. (And don't forget, you are part of the party that claims to be tolerant.) And I'm not alone in the practice of calling presidents by their last name. I'm finding some in particular that like to attack for not using the word, "president" before Obama, yet they are the same people I see on other polls calling GWB, "Bush," as well as many other former presidents. Why do you attack those of us who refer to him by his last name when we have also used the same practice with every other president before him? Why should any of us treat him any differently than we have all others? BTW, I am asking this question after reading some of the responses today on another poll posted by a military person. The difference in this question from that one is that in my case (and many others btw) they've used this practice all their lives and want to know why the practice is now being attacked by SOME of those who support Obama.

BillySteve answered
None of the above
and said : People who call President Obama "Obama" aren't treating him any different than people who called President Bush "Bush". A lot of Bush supporters referred to Bush as Bush,. Seems like the only ones who were treated differently were LBJ and FDR. Since nobody ever uses Mr. Obama's middle name "Hussein" we'll just use his first and last initials. How does "BO" sound to all of you?

Nobel Peace Prize: Is the Norwegian Nobel Committee's Award Meaningful?

2009-10-11T01:03:34Z

Nobel Peace Prize: Is the Norwegian Nobel Committee's Award Meaningful?
(US)

113 answers, +28 raves

President Barrack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Congratulations to the president and America. But the Norwegian Nobel Committee has shocked everyone by giving the award to the president after just 9 months in office. I question the value of the award and how this cheapens it. Whether or not President Obama will deserve the award for his future accomplishments we don't know -- but to award it for his past 9 months? President Barack Obama himself doesn't feel like he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments...To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have been honored by this prize, men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace. The Committee described a criteria in that probably every recent American president held -- "Dialog and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts," and a world free of nuclear arms. This would apply to hawkish presidents like Ronald W Reagan, who did more to reduce nuclear arms than any president and wanted a world free of nukes -- but President Reagan did not win the award. Instead, the list of honorees includes such unworthy people. The list includes: * 1994 Yassir Arafat leader of terrorist organization PLO 1997 International Campaign to Ban Landmines despite landmines use as a defensive weapon to prevent war * 2001 United Nations and Kofi Anan despite doing nothing to end or recognize the genocide in the Sudan * 2002 President Jimmy Carter despite his anti-Semitic rhetoric and appeasing terrorist organizations * 2005 Mohamed ElBaradei who has let Iran develop a nuclear weapons program * 2007 Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for Global Warming alarmism The president does join a long list of deserving people, such as the Dali Lama, Mother Teresa, Menachem Begin, Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat, Henry A. Kissinger and others. I hope the president lives up to the awards legacy and criteria -- but honoring him this early in his term weakens the award.

BillySteve answered
No Change: The Nobel Peace Prize Already Lost its Meaning
and said : When Gore got the Prize for making a Science Fiction film I figured that the Committee had some bizarre thought processes. Now that a President in his first term, who has done some pretty provocative things to Russia and Iran, and who hasn't withdrawn from either Iraq or Afghanistan, is showing some pretty stupid thinking. I take some comfort from the fact that the average American doesn't care about Nobel Prizes but does watch what people do. So they are not going to suddenly want "Cap and Trade", "Health Care" and other Socialist claptrap because Obama got a prize.

Are You Proud Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize ?

2009-10-11T00:57:35Z

Are You Proud Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize ?
(US)

155 answers, +22 raves

Obama awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize - CNN.com

BillySteve answered
I am disapointed .
and said : No. If he had actually done something concrete to deserve it I'd be inclined to be proud. Considering that we're still involved in two wars, dicking around in Georgia, rebuilding our nuclear warheads and threatening Iran what on Earth how on Earth can the Nobel Committee's decision be taken seriously? I swear the the Nobel Committee was put up to this to make "Progressives" delusional.

Should Obama Have Won A Nobel Peace Prize?

2009-10-11T00:55:10Z

Should Obama Have Won A Nobel Peace Prize?
(US)

676 answers, +98 raves

BillySteve answered
No
and said : I think that the Committee should have least waited until the midterm elections. This "award" is tantamount to some sort of boobie prize. It's an insult to the American people, and if Obama had a dollop of decency he'd turn it down. Except that Obama lacks such restraint... He probably thinks that he's entitled to it.

Which award should Barack Obama recieve next?

2009-10-11T00:51:18Z

Which award should Barack Obama recieve next?
(US)

306 answers, +70 raves

Barack Obama (Peace Be Upon Him), The Supreme Generalissimo, Grand Excellency and Aspiring President for Life shall be referred to as the Smooth Lord And Savior, SLAS. The SLAS is a person who needs more awards for all he has accomplished. The SLAS wrote two books about himself (with help from a terrorist). The SLAS gives really good speeches . The SLAS has spent more money in one year than Kenya and Indonesia combined dream of spending in a century. The SLAS won a Nobel Peace Prize for carrying-on 2 Bush wars (and showing promise of surrender in Afghanistan.) So which award should the SLAS win next?

BillySteve answered
All of the above
and said : I think Supreme Global Commander, in recognition of his defeat of the Deathstar, Racist thought and the curing the Heartbreak of Psoriasis in his clandestine labs in the basement of the White House. Is there no limit to the Cult of Personality? Anywhere?

Why don't you see as many Anti-Obama bumper stickers on cars as compared to Pro-Obama bumper stickers?

2009-09-17T22:59:48Z

Why don't you see as many Anti-Obama bumper stickers on cars as compared to Pro-Obama bumper stickers?
(Living)

26 answers, +2 raves

I was driving through downtown Atlanta today and I noticed numerous pro-Obama bumper stickers. But I also noticed a lack of anti-Obama bumper stickers. I was wondering why this might be.

BillySteve answered
It's because conservatives are afraid of getting their car "keyed" if they put up anything critical of their god.
and said : ...free speech is for "good thought". "bad thought" is "hate" and "we cannot tolerate bad thought".

What's Your First Impulse When The Car In Front Of You Has An Obama Sticker On It?

2009-09-17T22:45:18Z

What's Your First Impulse When The Car In Front Of You Has An Obama Sticker On It?
(US)

826 answers, +131 raves

What's your immediate reaction or impulse when you pull up to a car with an Obama/Biden sticker on it? Please explain it with words, graphics or both:)

BillySteve answered
None of the above
and said : Depends.... If it's a "modest" car I figure that they were just eager for something other than neo-Con bullcrap. If it's an SUV, luxury car or an expensive import I figure that they're limousine liberals who figure that "big business" will be "taxed fairly" while "the poor" will be "helped", when in fact it's the exact opposite.

D you think that Obama is capable of creating 2.5 million new jobs the 1st year he is in office?

2009-09-16T21:40:40Z

D you think that Obama is capable of creating 2.5 million new jobs the 1st year he is in office?
(US)

2 answers, 0 raves

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081123/ap_on_bi_ge/obama_economy

BillySteve answered
No (explain please)
and said : He's the President.... unless he declares a State of Emergency and by Executive Action creates positions for 2.5 million Concentration Camp Guards he's gonna have to depend upon the Congress to appropriate the money.

Should Congressman Joe Wilson have thrown his shoes at President Obama?

2009-09-15T23:10:02Z

Should Congressman Joe Wilson have thrown his shoes at President Obama?
(US)

12 answers, +2 raves

BillySteve answered
No
and said : I'm not sure that he was close enough to have scored a hit. Besides, what if he hit Biden or Pelousy?

Would You Sign A Petition To Oppose Joe Wilson?!?

2009-09-12T19:10:29Z

Would You Sign A Petition To Oppose Joe Wilson?!?
(US)

127 answers, +20 raves

I received this request this week... Message: Hi, Last night, President Obama challenged Congress to "meet history's test" and finally fix our broken health care system. He pledged to seek common ground between Democrats and Republicans, and offered: "My door is always open." Republicans responded by heckling, booing, and hissing. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) screamed out "You lie!" as the President defended his health care plan against false right-wing attacks. We can't afford to let conservative extremists like Joe Wilson hold health care reform hostage. As Obama put it, "the time for games has passed. Now is the season for action." I just signed a petition to Congress demanding swift action to pass real health care reform. Can you join me at the link below? http://pol.moveon.org/passhealthcare Thanks! References Visible links http://pol.moveon.org/passhealthcare

BillySteve answered
No
and said : While I am annoyed at his breach of decorum Mr. Wilson speaks for many of us out here. Too much "lawyer language" in the current legislation.

Joe Wilson - Out of LIne?

2009-09-10T04:38:26Z

Joe Wilson - Out of LIne?
(US)

19 answers, +2 raves

Representative Joe Wilson, during President Obama's speech, became upset when the President claimed that "No Illegal Aliens will be covered under this plan". In response Mr. Wilson yelled, "You Lie!" Later he apologized for "Letting my feelings get the better of me"

BillySteve answered
What Representative Wilson did was in poor taste, however I agree that President Obama has been less than candid about this plan.
and said : I'm a big believer that one does things at a proper time and place. The President deserves to give a speech without any interruption. On the other hand, I think that Mr. Obama has been less than candid about his "health care", especially with the speed that he's been urging everyone in Congress to make in passing it. I suspect that, like the stimulus plan, there is some freebies for some people, to be paid for out of our hides. I cannot see with twenty million illegal immigrants how the "Plan" will avoid covering them. So I think that Mr. Obama is either being a liar in his speech or he's glossing over an aspect of the plan that has not been debated yet. In either case, a lot of us outside of the Beltway are doing a slow burn.... So, in a sense, Mr. Wilson speaks for many of us, who are tired of being conned by Republicans and Democrats who do things for our "own good" without asking us what we really want. We're not children, Mr. Obama. Quit treating us like them. We can add, subtract multiply and divide and we know that you can't "cover the uninsured" without extending this to people in the US who are not here legally. Simple logic.

What was your 1st job?

2009-09-07T19:52:58Z

What was your 1st job?
(Business)

91 answers, +11 raves

None

BillySteve answered
None of the above
and said : Scrubbed toilets, waxed floors and took people's crap. When Hillary Clinton said, "I'm going to start treating my cleaning woman as a human being" I thought to myself, "Well, it's a start".