Sputnik Bupkis

First let's get this out of the way, Sputnik 1 was a satellite built by the former Soviet Union and was the first of its type in 1957. The U.S. did not see this technological marvel coming and did not like being in second place in what was being called the "space race." So the U.S. put up satellites of its own and the Russians countered and it went back and forth like that, until it reached earth orbit by men in actual space capsules.

Then President John F. Kennedy threw down the gauntlet, saying the U.S.would fly men to the actual surface of the moon - just eleven years following the first appearance of the Sputnik. This it did in 1969. And it is believed the Russians lost many men trying to duplicate it. But they couldn't do it. They still can't do it.

So what is the lesson in all of this, especially since Pres. Barack Obama said this was our "Sputnik moment" the other day. The lesson is that no matter what, you have to win. The bad guys might begin out front, but you have to catch up and eventually pass them to reach the finish line first. And to think that only 30 percent of the people living in the U.S. today even remember Sputnik? Is there something to be learned from Obama's resurrection of this earliest piece of space junk that probably burned up entering the atmosphere a half-century ago?

I would have to say that the president was speaking to my generation, that he was conjuring up this "Sputnik moment" in history when we actually came from behind to "win." And he was saying we can do this again.

Well first of all, we are not a strong middle class industrial nation, as we were in 1958, so he's already talking apples and oranges. And second, this isn't a "race for space;" this is a race for our very survival. So cram the "Sputnik moment." It has absolutely nothing to do with current events, and let's get to the things Obama didn't talk about in his State of the Union Address last night - the only things that will turn the economy of this nation around.

Financial regulation. This satellite is going nowhere without it, and a lot of it. We need our banks and our investment institutions to stop stealing from the Fed, to stop trading in junk bonds and infecting every pension and retirement fund in the U.S. with worthless investments that have been - with criminal intent - misidentified as AAA, when in reality they are bad mortgages and other investments that won't work out. How can we allow our banks to "invest" in this junk paper for worker's 401ks? This is a criminal enterprise and must be stopped immediately.

We have to legislate our way out of this campaign finance mess created by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing corporations and wealthy individuals to give as much money as they want to their favorite candidate under the guise of "free speech." This is another crime. It is called graft, i.e. you pay me, I do favors for you. This is a democracy, not a jewelry store where the customer with the most money emerges with the largest diamond. In this representative democracy, all of us have a say, not just those who can fill the campaign chest with cash.

The rigged trade system must be abolished and started over with fairness on all sides. Both Bushes and Clinton cut some trade deals that today are merely embarrassing. They gave away the house. Well, we want the house back, and we want to hold trade meetings in it.

Last night Barack Obama reminded us that he can talk about nothing better than any orator on earth. It all sounds so monumental, but it means nothing. For example, last night he said the "recession had ended." For him, I am sure it has. But for hundreds of thousands of people who will lose their homes to foreclosure this year, the recession is still here. It is still here for the 50 million people living in poverty in the United States,

It is still here for the nine percent unemployed and the nearly 20 percent underemployed or just not looking anymore. All of Obama's words with no real plans, and every year the percentage of people living in poverty in the U.S. just grows. He didn't have much to say about those people in his State of the Union, but he did mention that we needed a more fair system in which to tax corporations, many of which already don't pay a penny in taxes. He said medical malpractice was out of hand. Too many lawsuits. Which is code for "We're going to protect these insurance companies from the medical malpractice penalties incurred by every lousy physician who has a policy with them."

He even talked about more deregulation and a shrinking of the entire federal government. Well, to even think about further deregulation in this "Dodge City" that was once the United States, is irresponsible. To talk about shrinking the federal government might make sense. It just depends on what you want to shrink. We know what the republicans would like to eliminate, i.e. any government agency with the power to issue regulations on business. Is that Obama's goal, too?

After all some commentators last night were calling this his "Reagan speech."

For me it will always be remembered as his "Sputnik Bupkis" address.