We all suffer from habits that prevent us from being who we want to be. Or so we think. Yet, few of us realize the extent to which our bad habits are perpetuated by our fear-brains. In this brief reflection, I will identify seven brain-based principles that lie behind bad habits and how we can use these principles based in the fear-brain to overcome them.
1. Stress puts the brain in habit-mode: When we think of changing our habits, whether it is stopping smoking or having regrettable sex too often, we literally have to turn off the electric current that flows through these circuits in the brain. If not this, then we have to re-channel the current through another pathway. Extensive research has shown that stress perpetuates bad habits. When we are under stress, there is not enough "brain-energy" to make the re-channeling occur. As a result, the brain goes into "automatic" mode and only the habit brain stay online while the potentially new circuits are turned off. Trying to change a habit while stressed is like trying to put off a fire with gasoline. It is just not going to happen. The first thing to address then, when trying to change a habit, is stress reduction.
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Doesn't everyone desire happiness, joy, bliss, and peace? Then why are so many people stuck in unhealthy or unfulfilling jobs and relationships? Traditionally, we've been told that to achieve happiness, we should use our minds to figure out what would make us happy and then work hard to achieve our goal. The problem is that even the sharpest, most clever mind is limited in its ability to create opportunities and see possibilities. Without guidance from the heart, we're merely playing notes on a piano, not composing a melody. To move out of suffering and back into contentment and joy, we must listen to the music that calls to us from our hearts and go where it takes us.
Some people are able to embrace the process of transformation so easily that they evolve seemingly without effort, while others get stuck, afraid to make a move, hoping in vain that the change they desire will come about magically and painlessly. For those that get stuck their ego, or false self, often presents them with a long list of arguments for fighting the changes they long for or avoiding the changes that requires them to break out of their comfort zone -- even if the cost is their own happiness.
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By J. Adam Abram, Board member, Human Rights First
On Wednesday, I attended a military commission hearing in the case of Noor Uthman Muhammed, a forty-something year old Sudanese man who is accused of being a member of al Qaeda. He has been in U.S. custody since March of 2002 and after eight years in custody at Bagram Air Force Base and Guantánamo, his trial is just getting underway in earnest and there has not been enough evidence presented to make a judgment about his guilt or innocence. There were three other nongovernmental organization observers at the trial, each of them an attorney. I am a businessman with a keen interest in civil liberties, not an attorney. I listened with great interest to my colleagues' expert analysis of the legal issues raised by the trial. But as a non-lawyer, I was focused on two elementary questions: Are the military commissions offering defendants a fair trial and are these proceedings in the best interest of the United States?
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Via Curbed LA: This 1953 Brentwood home was built by Allen Siple, a Los Angeles-based architect who graduated from the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970 notes that Siple was a "lifelong anglophile" who played the bagpipes and sent his shoes to England for repair. That may explain the inspiration behind this Brentwood home, with an ivy-covered facade and 40-foot stone walls "reminiscent of a medieval castle."
The two bedroom, two bathroom home is almost three thousand square feet on about five-a-half acres of land. Curbed LA notes, "there's no pool at present, but certainly room for one." The listing also details the recycled and reused elements of the home: salvaged lumber from an old Venice pier and a "boxcar of burned timbers" make up the beams and hardwood flooring of the home.
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In my last post I talked about the importance of integrating social media into your small business strategy. Social media is not just changing the face of marketing, advertising, or media - it is also impacting the way small businesses qualify leads, drive revenue, even create and sell products. Today I focus on one of the key elements of this brave new world: listening. In the new vernacular it's called social media monitoring. I prefer to think of it as a technology solution to what my mother told me growing up: God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Small and large businesses alike frequently fail to comprehend how social media can be used to hear the subtle, vital nuances of the market or worse yet, the not-so-subtle screams. They get caught up in amassing huge numbers of Facebook likes, Twitter followers, and high generosity scores. They forget to actually listen to what is being said. What does this look like in the real world? Take these two infamous examples from Domino's and United Airlines.
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Divorce is always difficult for the children, but what happens when the parents about to split have a child with special needs? According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders has grown to 1 in 110 children today, while another CDC study indicates that 1 in 10 children aged 4 - 17 has been diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Combine these sobering statistics with the ever-rising divorce rates and you have a perfect storm of people navigating the very rocky waters of divorce with the added pressure of needing to effectively co-parent a child with special needs long after their marriage is over.
When my daughter was diagnosed with autism at three-years old, my husband and I joined a parents counseling group at the Julia Ann Singer Center in Los Angeles. Coming to terms with this diagnosis and coping with the needs of an autistic child puts a strain on any marriage. If the relationship doesn't have a solid foundation to begin with, the aftershocks of autism often contribute to the eventual demise of the marriage. I know this from firsthand experience: my husband and I were among the more than 50% of couples in our counseling group who later divorced.
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President Barack Hussein Obama, on June 4, 2009, gave a speech in Cairo, Egypt. This speech was widely praised both in America and abroad when Obama delivered it, as being both an overture to the Muslim world and a redefinition of some key American policies in the region (or, at the very least, a respectful explanation of continuing policies).
That was then, this is now. Things, to put it mildly, have changed a bit. President Obama should realize the opportunity this presents, and should soon give a sequel to his first Cairo speech, because the situation on the ground is moving so rapidly in the entire North African and Middle Eastern arena. It will be tough for Obama to thread the needle on what the emerging American policy is towards the uprisings spontaneously erupting in so many different countries (with so many different political situations) -- because America has always dealt with the region's various types of government on a case-by-case basis, according to our national interests (which can be largely summed up as: "oil"). Also because the current situation is so fluid. But just because it will be a hard speech to write doesn't mean Obama shouldn't make the effort, as soon as is humanly possible.
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"Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Study Finds," read the headline in the February 17, 2011 edition of The New York Times. Within a few days Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) ranked third on Yahoo's 'Trending Now' list. For the misinformed reader it's likely these headlines translated that CFS is all in your head.
Until now, I've told no one except a small inner-circle of family that my mysterious breakdown in health, vitality, and cognition that started the night of May 5, 2007 was not due to an exotic virus I picked up in the Congo while on assignment for National Geographic. The truth? I'm actually a textbook case of someone with CFS, a syndrome I sniffed at until it happened to me. For the sufferer CFS means a total health breakdown, like a plane that inexplicably begins tearing itself apart mid-flight. Together, all the various dysfunctions associated with it leave the patient in a state of health more debilitating than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, or multiple sclerosis.
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With February 14-18 being National Telework Week, now's a great time to rethink your company's approach to workplace flexibility. The way we work is increasingly becoming more dispersed and mobile, with business spanning time zones and borders. It is estimated that the number of worldwide mobile workers will reach one billion by 2011, which includes nearly 75 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to David Clemons and Michael Kroth, authors of Managing The Mobile Workforce. At the same time, workers -- particularly younger generations joining the workforce -- expect a high degree of flexibility in how, when and where they work.
These drivers are creating a fundamental shift in the way we work, (we call it "workshifting" at Citrix). This is impacting every part of the economy, with enlightened leaders recognizing that there is a golden opportunity to improve productivity while reducing costs. A timely example is provided by the recent passage of the Telework Enhancement Act, which provides a new framework for federal agencies to support virtual workers, helping to accelerate change and expand telework opportunities for most federal workers. It is calculated that this shift in working practices could save taxpayers a staggering $15 billion a year, according to data by the Telework Research Network.
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January 5, 2011, From Inside the White House Press Room -- It was a bittersweet scene as we watched Robert Gibbs try to explain why he will soon leave the White House. To some of us, it seemed he may have been pushed to go at this time. His plans for the future have not yet gelled, although he hopes to consult and lecture. He will probably be a paid political advisor to the next Obama presidential campaign, but he said, surprisingly, this is expected to be his last political candidate. He did say -- half in jest -- he would be delighted to serve as Ambassador to Italy at some point.
His departure was no surprise, and had been discussed for months. Many in the press room were unhappy with his habit of giving preferential treatment to the "star" reporters in the first two or three rows. They could get an endless amount of question time, while the rest of the reporters only got crumbs, even if they too were very important and influential. Robert Gibbs reflected the style of his boss, President Obama, and gave long answers. Often there was no actual news in those answers, and very few quotes made it into print or onto the electronic media.
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We have shopped; no one will like anything we bought; let's eat. I suspect this mantra will be repeated frequently as holiday shoppers stagger toward the food court in the mall, feet hurting, fingers pinched by the stiff handles on the shopping bags, and a mouth parched by the overheated air. Buying gifts for anyone but newborn babies can be frustrating and maddening, so it's understandable why the food court may be the most welcome space in the shopping mall. You can sit down, put the heavy bags on the ground and finally do something nice for yourself. You can eat.
The holiday season is no holiday for most people because few, if any, can give up their day job to take care of the additional burdens and obligations associated with the Christmas/New Year celebrations. Even though the computer has made it easier to buy gifts, send cards and pen the yearly letter to relatives, no computer is capable of decorating the house, cooking holiday meals and picking up relatives at the airport. The to-do list seems endless but the number of days to accomplish everything necessary are all too limited. Eating seems to be the only time you forget about your obligations and just relax.
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What do the following have in common? "Death panels", "The Party of No!", "Save Social Security," government bail outs, Sarah Palin's latest gaffe, the Birther Movement, WikiLeaks, earmarks, "Death Taxes", opinion polls, "Don't Touch My Junk!", "dropping babies", Wall Street bonuses, "socialism," and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
Despite their seeming diversity, they all share one thing: these topics and the seemingly endless coverage they get in the media distract us from things that matter much more to the long-term strength of our society. Some of the distractions have no or very little basis in truth - the health care reform package never proposed or included panels that would decide if you got life-saving medical care. Some of them are factually grounded - Wall Street bonuses are real and can be counted. Many of the distractions raise truly legitimate concerns - WikiLeaks may well do damage to our foreign affairs. But they are distractions nonetheless in that they are blips on the public policy screen which stir the emotions but do little to help us deal with more substantive, underlying problems. None of them will come close to addressing our budget deficit, long-term debt, unemployment, economic growth, educational challenges, environmental degradation, infrastructure needs and the threat of terrorism or war.
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Each week, I post the five funniest videos from the past week's Gotcha Media right here for you to enjoy. If I missed anything good, please don't hesitate to correct me in the comments below.
This past Sunday night, the comedy world descended on Washington, D.C. to bestow the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Tina Fey. Her acceptance speech was a definite highlight of the night, though it turns out PBS cut out the funniest part in which she made some scathing comments about Sarah Palin. All of Fey's famous friends and colleagues showed up including Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels and Betty White. The one conspicuously absent person was Alec Baldwin (of Wegmans Grocery fame), who instead appeared "via Satellite" as Mark Twain himself, expressing his disgust that a woman could be receiving a prize bearing his name.
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In the wake of his party's midterm elections rout, a profusion of political commentators -- including many prominent Democrats -- are urging President Obama to move to the right and focus on wooing Independent voters and Republicans. Obama appears eager to try to appease Republicans in the new Congress and chart a more centrist, Clintonian course. But, if only for reasons of political self-interest, he shouldn't discount the growing uneasiness toward his presidency among his party's base.
Nearly half of Democrats, according to a recent Associated Press poll, would like Obama to face a primary challenger in 2012. By a count of roughly two to one, Obama supporters do not believe he'll deliver on his promise to bring change to Washington. A third of Democrats do not think the president will be re-elected. Few expected the political climate to change so drastically, or for Obama to be facing a revolt within his own ranks, in just two years.
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The most important race for medical marijuana patients in California on November 2nd is for the State Attorney General's office. The Republican candidate Steve Cooley is just "Not Cool" for patients and those who support medical marijuana. In fact, Cooley's not just bad for patients, he's also bad for the environment and bad for marriage equality.
Last week, Americans for Safe Access, the country's leading medical marijuana advocacy organization, launched a website and funded satirical, yet serious, videos illustrating how Cooley would be bad for medical marijuana, the environment and marriage equality. Additional materials, like ASA's "NotCooley" posters can be downloaded here. Updates on the "NotCooley" campaign can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter.
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For the last few years, I have had a running argument with some of my progressive friends. While they all think that Jon Stewart's The Daily Show offers a great critical analysis of contemporary politics, I have argued that his type of humor undermines American politics by turning everything into a joke and a source of mockery. My argument is not that we need to respect or idealize our political officials; rather, I believe that by constantly laughing at public figures, we feed a libertarian consensus.
It is important to emphasize that libertarianism cuts across political affiliations and is defined primarily by a rejection of the need for public institutions coupled with an idealization of the individual. From this perspective, the most obvious form of libertarianism is the Tea Party with its stress on cutting taxes, shrinking government, and individual free speech. However, this anti-tax, anti-government politics has been a central tenant of both Democratic and Republican presidents. Even Barack Obama is prone to calling for reducing government's interference and cutting taxes. In fact, one could argue that the failure of most of his major policies, like healthcare reform and financial reform, stems from his desire to keep government out of the way of the free market.
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I'll be blogging all next week from JavaOne (including hopefully an interview with Larry Ellison). And the number one question I think all of us have is - what's the future of Java? There are a ton of conference sessions and that's a really good sign. While the JavaOne keynote is the day after the Oracle World keynote, it does include Larry Ellison (good sign). Oracle talks about keeping Java open (good sign), and then immediately sues Google over their use of it (bad sign).
The interesting question is what to look for to figure out what Oracle truly intends to do with Java. Sun was superb about making Java of benefit to the entire community, but that was to Sun's detriment and they're no longer in business in part because they couldn't figure out how to make Java profitable. Oracle is very good at making products profitable. And so how they handle Java will certainly change. All of us who live in the Java biosphere need to figure out how it's going to change, and how that will affect our business.
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The Row, a luxury fashion line helmed by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, has been forced to postponed its Spring 2011 show due to a delay in the delivery of its samples, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to a statement from the brand's publicists, The Row's Tuesday presentation in New York has been canceled and the line will now be shown during Paris Fashion Week, though no specific information was given as to when. In a separate statement, the Olsen sisters added that in spite of the mishap, they were "excited and looking forward to presenting [their] collection."
Both Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen have been vocal about their passion for design as while transitioning from their television success to the more behind-the-scenes role of a designer. Most recently, Mary Kate told Marie Claire that she prefers her work at The Row to cinematic pursuits. "I still read scripts, and if something great comes along, that's great...but this is my day job. The Row is where I go every day," she explained.
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A few weeks ago, my friend, the designer Jean Paul Gaultier, launched with Elle magazine a special t-shirt he has designed for the Born HIV Free campaign, included with copies of Elle magazine sold in France during August. This campaign, for the Global Fund, is about letting the world know that ending the transmission of HIV between mothers and children by 2015 is totally achievable. It also asks for people to show their support for their countries' contribution to the Global Fund, which already funds more than half of the programs around the world to help HIV-positive women prevent the virus being passed on to their children. (Although almost half of all women who need it receive treatment to prevent this transmission, still over 430,000 babies are born with HIV every year.)
On the upper right front of Jean Paul's t-shirt -- about where your heart is -- is a printed inscription in Jean Paul's handwriting that says: "Hope spreads faster than AIDS," and below it is his signature. Jean Paul's t-shirt is right on the mark -- and a brilliant example of how the artistic community can help raise awareness about causes by using their creative energies make their fans and supporters aware of these issues.
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Struggles for democracy and struggles of democracy may be different but are struggles nonetheless.
The civilian protests in the Kashmir region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir have been accompanied by a proliferation of literature on the intra-national dimension of the dispute, especially the issue of Human Rights. If you happen to read the columns by likes of Pankaj Mishra or Basharat Peer it is likely that your sympathies will lie with the people of Kashmir. Many others are of the opinion that the violent protests should stop to allow the Government to discuss the popular grievances. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed that New Delhi is open to discussing the autonomy issue. Amendment of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is also under consideration. For the protesters, Prime Minister Singh's assurance is another addition to similar pledges in the past. The Kashmiri youth demand 'aazadi' and refuse to be pacified by piecemeal political and economic packages. The Government fears that accepting the demands of the protesters at this juncture would legitimize violent protests as an instrument of popular pressure.
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Jon Stewart is clearly a bigger Star Wars fan than he lets on, which made more than a couple of people scratch their heads, wondering why he was asked to interview George Lucas on stage at the official celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida. The convention has been going on for the last two days, but today's discussion between Star Wars creator George Lucas and political comedian Jon Stewart was entertaining and hilarious, and needs to end up on a DVD somewhere. Stewart was even honored by Lucas with a one-of-a-kind action figure from "planet Stewjon." It was a figure of Stewart (with interchangeable heads) dressed as a Stromtrooper in vintage packaging.
The biggest news was that the complete Star Wars saga will be on Blu-ray next year. No date was mentioned, but it will definitely be in 2011. Lucas mentioned that he wants to make it special, but not the stuff we've seen before. It was at that point that Stewart brought Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) to the stage, where he introduced a rare clip that Star Wars fans like myself weren't even confident had been filmed.
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At the end of a recent interview I did for an article on Gen Y, the twentysomethings of today, the reporter said to me, "Out of all the people I interviewed, you are the only one who had anything positive to say about this generation." That comment inspired this post. Today's twentysomethings are often labeled as entitled, immature, needing constant validation, self-absorbed, lacking a work ethic and respect for authority. While there is some truth to those stereotypes, too much focus in being put on what's wrong with Gen Y rather than leveraging what is so great about this global generation who are evolving far beyond their labels.
At 33 I am on the cusp of being a Gen Y but fit more into the category and shared characteristics of Gen X. However in my work as an author, life coach/counselor and speaker primarily dedicated to supporting people during their twentysomething decade, I see that there is a lot more to Gen Y than they often get credit for. It's time to highlight the positives that this generation brings to our society. Hopefully these insights may change your perception of your Gen Y employee, child or colleague. And give twentysomethings encouragement to disprove some of your less desirable stereotypes.
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As the full scope of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico continues to unfold, there's another energy-related drama in California. This one threatens the Golden State's landmark law (AB 32) to limit the greenhouse gas pollution that is already harming California and to promote a host of related clean energy policies that would benefit the state. A proposition that is now certified for the November ballot, Proposition 23 -- known as the "Dirty Energy Proposition" -- would kill investments and job creation in the new energy economy already spurred by AB 32 since it was enacted in 2006. This is one of the most important environmental campaigns of 2010, with implications far beyond California.
Two of the worst polluters in California, Texas-based oil companies Valero and Tesoro, are also funding this backwards ballot measure (Proposition 23) that would effectively repeal AB 32 and the clean energy policies such as clean fuel standards, pollution controls, and energy efficiency associated with the law's implementation.
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Every child learning a sport is admonished to 'keep your eye on the ball!' This advice has worked well for generations -- witness the huge contracts for A-rod, Mark Texeria, LeBron, Amar'e Stoudamire, etc., not to mention the earnings of Tiger, Phil and their cohorts on the PGA Tour. Even one of my golfing buddies is quick to tell me after a bad (every?) shot: "You picked up your head!" If only our lawmakers and regulators were told the same!
A look around the Washington scene in recent months indicates too many 'power players' who have used up their mulligans with forays into peripheral matters which do not benefit the country, while ignoring critical matters. The endless focus on social issues -- guns, abortion, gay rights -- is a perfect example of politicians obsessing over issues that, while they prompt great interest from a few, have little or nothing to do with the masses. Not a single job has ever been created by allowing or preventing a gay marriage or DADT in the military, yet at a time of huge economic dislocation, gay rights are a hot topic at every turn, whether in the Kagan hearings or directly with respect to military policy.
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The Honorable Jerry Brown is one of those larger-than-life politicians with a smaller-than-life persona that has served as the political wallpaper in many of our mental kitchens. While I may have still been watching the later episodes of Land of the Lost on Saturday mornings when he began his ascent, the question for the youngest governor in California history and perhaps the oldest, come November 2nd is this: Can he marry his experience with the energy and will needed to win against a well-funded, fresh-faced opponent?
Brown faces the monied juggernaut of Meg Whitman, the Republican nominee who has spent almost $100 million of her own money thus far in an attempt to secure -- a few say purchase -- the brass ring of California politics: the governorship. I am mindful of what George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." In politics, we all have our 1st amendment rights but some seem to be more equal when backed by an endless stream of Benjamins.
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Remember when South Carolina KKK symp Joe Wilson screamed out that President Obama was lying during the State of the Union? Decent Americans were mortified and-- not knowing the first thing about his Democratic opponent-- chipped in over a $1,000,000-- for a campaign unlikely to make much headway. And the opponent, Rob Miller, what does he stand for? Is he a conservative? A progressive? Does he favor women's choice, the rights of working people to organize to bargain collectively, equality for all Americans? Does he want to end the war in Afghanistan? Does he want to expand the war in Afghanistan and bomb Iran to boot? No one knew-- and he sure never returned my calls-- but the money just poured in. Because he wasn't Joe Wilson.
I don't even remember what the trigger was a couple years ago when Michele Bachmann caused the same kind of hysteria and unleashed a cornucopia of cash-- almost half a million dollars in 24 hours-- on Elwyn Tinklenberg, a conservative former preacher who opposes women's choice and favors a constitutional amendment to prevent same sex couples from ever enjoying marriage equality anywhere under any circumstances. I understand this kind of tribalism, but it's idiotic.
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This week's subscriber-only Jack Myers Media Business Report explains why Turner Broadcasting inadvertently, and certainly unintentionally, personified the single most important message emerging from this season's Upfront presentations. As the business moves through another Upfront season with the inevitable trade press post mortems and detailed economic analyses, I share with subscribers my six overriding caveats that need to be recognized and understood. In my Video Media Business Report this week (view it below, at www.jackmyers.com and at Reuters Insider), I discuss the extraordinary resurgence of national television advertising and the quality television content apparent throughout this Upfront season. Visit www.jackmyers.com for subscription details and to view all Jack Myers Video Media Business Reports, including my interview last week with Optimedia's Maureen Bosetti.
It's officially less than one week until a global earthquake causes the entire world to shatter into pieces. I thought we had another year and a half, but subway signs--and sign holders have informed me that the true end of the world is not in December of 2012, but is creeping up on us quickly. According to subway posters and people raising awareness outside of City Hall earlier this week, the end of the world is really May 21, 2011! So now it's time to grab your parachute and your bungee chords and try something you've never done before! Or, in my case, eat all types of food that I'd like to smother my taste buds with before this global earthquake officially hits. Because while some people like to live like they will be dying--I'd much rather eat like I am dying.
So let's say this hypothetical earthquake does hit. What's on the final week's menu? In any ordinary situation where life didn't have an expiration date shorter than the one printed on my recently purchased gallon of skim milk, I would be exchanging out my sweets and diving into a vegetables, taking out the juices and drowning myself in water - but this week--this hypothetical last week of life - no way.
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K9 Connection is an LA-based animal rescue program that helps both animals and young members of the local community. Katherine Beattie and Pat Sinclair founded the program in 2004 after meeting as volunteers for another humane education program. Inspired by the bond they saw between at-risk youth and dogs, the two researched the few programs they could find around the country and established an animal rescue program of their own that would pair eight at-risk students with eight shelter dogs. K9 Connection now conducts seven three-week programs a year and checks in monthly with all alumni.
According to co-founder Katherine Beattie, participants "meet five days a week for two hours a day, and during the course of the program the students train the dogs in basic obedience [with training techniques developed by lead trainer and adviser Lynn Medlin] with the goal of making the dogs more adoptable. At the end of each three-week program we have a graduation celebration where the students show what the dogs have learned and then make oral presentations to the audience before receiving their diplomas." The one student, one dog ratio and the long-term follow up the founders have with their students is unique to the K9 connection.
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There seems to be a growing tide of GOP buyer's remorse sweeping the country.
Republicans campaigned in 2010 on creating jobs and cutting spending and the deficit. But once in power, both in the U.S. House of Representatives and in numerous states, all those promises went out the window. Instead, they've offered a steady stream of items from the traditional far-right wish list: union busting, blocking abortion, redefining rape, limiting voting rights, going after public radio, etc. Even their budget priorities were not in tune with their campaign promises, as unpopular tax cuts for the rich will outpace their proposed budget cuts. (Not not to mention the petty-seeming, far-right initiatives, like going after a mural supporting labor in Maine and reversing environmentally-friendly cafeteria policies in the House, while spending money to add signs to federal buildings mentioning God.)
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President Obama may simply be another President Carter if he really pushed for the middle-class and working poor. He may be a one term president without much support from the middle. The push seems to be toward reelection. The administration has long pushed for political power. After all, the arena is politics and the name of this game is power. The question is how it is maneuvered. The upper-middle, those who were included in the Bush tax cut extensions, has to be secured as well as those "Reagan Democrats" if Obama is to retain the White House. This is undoubtedly why President Clinton did not change many of the policies of President Reagan and this is probably why President Obama has done the same with regards to those of President Bush. Billy Preston's song comes to mind, "Will it Go 'Round in Circles."
Economic policies go 'round in circles, about every seven years since the push for deregulation championed by Reagan and continued by Clinton. But if they are broken down, they will probably reveal that there are no real left/right positions. There is only positions of power, the state of the economy, powered by small business but controlled by big business subsided by the government -- the people.
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