Blame the Russian Orphans

The New York Times reports that President Vladimir v. Putin signed a bill today that bans the adoption of Russian orphans by Americans. I think I heard on NPR that there are about 700,000 of them (some sources say it is likely a mere 120,000) (there are 800,000 called orphans in Russia but some have living parents according to NPR),  still not exactly a small number. He did this in retaliation to the U.S. for passing new law which punished human right abuses in Russia. The law will come into effect next Tuesday but is also an illegal law based upon past agreements between our two nations. So, who suffers, the babies of course, and the prospective American parents who are willing to pay around $50,000 to get these babies. That a go Putin, punish the babies, and politics override humanity one more time.

Of course we will rise up in righteous indignation over such stupidity. But remember the fingers always point two ways.  FE

In the name of protecting the low taxes for the rich we are perfectly willing to cut social programs that protect our children. In a nation that has no reason to have anyone living in poverty. In our country 15 million children, 21.9% of them live in poverty (2011 census). And it is getting worse and will get worse as we cut such programs to protect them.

Another case in point basic to our democracy is a well educated populace which makes a democracy work as the founding father understood. But our costs of education continue to rise and fewer of the middle and lower classes are able to go onto higher levels of education to pursue the American dream and promise that we have the right to pursue happiness. Education, particularly strong liberal arts education, is becoming the privilege of the wealthy few. Let’s cut those Pell grants etc., in the name of austerity and then limit our ability to compete as a nation.

Here’s another goody I just read about. David Koch, you know of the famous Koch brothers that spent millions in the last campaign to defeat Obama, have a new cause. His political organization, Americans for Prosperity, just sent a letter of warning to members of congress not to vote for the proposed federal aid package for victims of the storm the damaged part of New Jersey, and others; the Sandy victims. The implied threat is that if they support that measure they won’t be receiving money from them for their next election. Koch’s chief deputy, a rather nasty fellow, Steve Lonegan, who heads the local AFP state chapter called the aid package “a disgrace.” “This is not a federal government responsibility, we need to suck it up and be responsible for taking care of ourselves.” This is an easy statement for the wealthy to say, but hard on others.

Shame on Putin, shame on Koch, shame on us for our lack of brotherly care. Like in the past we always blame the bastard for being a bastard rather than those who created the bastard.

Being a bastard himself, Jesus understood and had sympathy for those in need and asks us to be the same. May it be so. Maybe we need to write our representatives and let them know how we feel.