I have long admitted that, as an academic dweeb, I have long been confused by events after the eighteenth century. However, this story has me entirely perplexed. The University of Missouri at Kansas City has opened a women’s Hall of Fame and was looking for a female leader to open the event. Their choice among the millions of women in this country from generals to jurists to CEOs to governors to journalists to writers? Chelsea Clinton. Not only that, but the university paid $65,000 for Chelsea Clinton to speak only ten minutes under highly abridged appearance restrictions set by her handlers (in addition to other restrictions from a brief period for photos and water specifications).
The money goes to the Clinton Foundation, though critics have charged that the Foundation has served as a surrogate campaign platform for the Clintons (with the hiring of controversial politicos like Sidney Blumenthal) and have funded luxury travel for the Clintons.
The university actually started with Chelsea as the primary goal, but initially was told that she would not do the speech. They then tried for Hillary Clinton but was told that she would cost $275,000. They then considered “other” women besides Chelsea. That list was impressive, including obvious choices like feminist icon Gloria Steinem ($30,000) and journalists Cokie Roberts ($40,000), Tina Brown ($50,000) and Lesley Stahl ($50,000). You know, women who have made huge contributions not just to their gender but to the country. And they were substantially cheaper. What did Missouri decided? Pay more to get Chelsea for a ten-minute speech to tell people about what it is to be a female leader.
For a university to engage in such low-grade celebrity shopping is a disgrace not just to this new hall and the University of Missouri but the academic as a whole. There are literally thousands of women who inspire both men and women with their lives and accomplishments. The University of Missouri reduced the history of female struggle to a cheap photo op with the daughter of a famous couple. They might as well have gone with a Kardashian and left it at that.
Mary Kay McPhee, UMKC Starr Education Committee chair, was thrilled by the choice and the opening ceremony even as many scratched their heads at the choice of Chelsea Clinton.
Of course UMKC is not alone. NBC was subject to withering criticism from journalists around the country for hiring Chelsea Clinton with a lucrative contract to do feel-good stories. The hire was criticized as something pushed by Clinton supporters inside the network; alienating real journalists, and producing dreadful television pieces.
Universities are supposed to be places of substance and intellectual honesty. While UMKC is not the first to take celebrity appeal over substance, this is not some Friday night concert or sports celebration. This is supposed to be a new university component honoring women who struggled and made real contributions to this world. UMKC reduced that moment to a ten-minute celebrity photo op.
Source: Washington Post
“I’d suggest getting rid of her horse/ horses first. They’re not cheap to keep.”
Just like a true progressive. You go fuc* up a system to make everyone’s life ‘better’ and when it fuc*’s up something else you MUST go fix that too! Please stop before you improve our lives to the point we have nothing left.
“Without collective freedom democracy is doomed.”
ninianpeckitt,
How does that work exactly? One person’s voice is lost against the collective if they step outside of it? Yep, sounds like democracy to me. I believe the founders knew exactly what they were talking about.
To Olly
And that’s precisely the point…. How does it work exactly? Well it doesn’t…..
The American System as it stands doesn’t work because the Founding Fathers had no idea what they were doing or more precisely the consequences for the electorate of what they were doing.
What’s more it can never work. Just look at the blogs on this website if you want confirmation. The whole thing is a Mess.
The Constitution was designed to protect THEIR (Elite) interests and not YOUR (Collective) interests.
Most Americans know it – but admitting it is another matter.
With any luck a real democracy will develop in the end.
But you aren’t there yet.
To Olly:
One Final thing before I sign off on this blog, as I have no further points to make….
When the debate starts to degenerate expletive language, that’s when the truth is finally revealed – and the argument is lost usually for the side that loses control first.
But although I have angered some of you, some of what I have said will strike a chord, if not a dys-chord in some. But the effect will still be the same. It will get people thinking.
And that is how progress is made. Through dialogue…. a living democracy.
Karen doesn’t care if anyone else has health insurance, as long as her class of people have cheap health insurance. She whines about it every time health insurance comes up. I’d suggest getting rid of her horse/ horses first. They’re not cheap to keep.
That maybe….
But I am trying to explain why Americans think this way…..
It’s all about PERSONAL freedom rather than collective democratic freedom.
That’s the point I am trying to make. Without collective freedom democracy is doomed.
The founding fathers never understood this point.
“Natural Born Citizen”
I did not raise this point. I just posted a legitimate comment explaining that you have a real problem with this concept that will probably be challenged. It what comes of the founding fathers trying to be too clever for their own good.
Unalienable rights such as “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” remain delusions unless you are a member of the new American Aristocracy, which is the real Power Base.
In order to do something about this you first have to admit it.
The dichotomy of individual freedom vs. collective freedom remains and is ireconcilable.
Freedom of the individual does not equate with democratic collective freedom and the United States at a stage where this is causing problems.
Hi Happypappies!!!
Where have you been lately?
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Chelsea looks like her Mommy in that picture
Sanders is nothing more than a channel marker for Clinton to know where to politically navigate.
ninianpeckitt, did you say: “Natural Born Citizen”
Yet another case of insurrection, treason and corruption as “High crimes and misdemeanors” committed by the SCOTUS.
*********************
The Founders established a restricted-vote republic fearing a vote of the working masses as one-man one-vote democracy.
Ben Franklin, “…a republic if you can keep it.”
“the people are nothing but a great beast…
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value.”
-Alexander Hamilton
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the people discover they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy–to be followed by a dictatorship.”
― Alexander Fraser Tytler
*********************
Rubio, Cruz and Obama are not eligible to be President.
“Natural born citizen” is the requirement for President.
“Citizen” is the requirement for Congress and Senate.
“Natural born citizen” is born in the U.S. of parents who are citizens.
“Citizen” is born in the U.S. of one parent or naturalized.
The Washington/Jay Letter, 1786, raised the requirement for the presidency to
“natural born citizen” from “citizen” as a “strong check” against foreign
allegiances by the “Commander In Chief.”
************************************************************************************************
Section
1, Article II, U.S. Constitution
“No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States,
at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the
Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who
shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years
a Resident within the United
States.”
***********************************************************************************************
“Law of Nations,” Vattel, 1760
“…born in the country, of parents who are citizens.”
“The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by
certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in its
advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the
country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate
itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally
follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights.”
***********************************************************************************************
Benjamin Franklin in 1775 thanks Charles Dumas of the Netherlands for sending
him 3 more copies of the newest 1775 edition of Vattel’s Law of Nations
Another founder of our nation and framer of our Constitution, Benjamin
Franklin, was also quite familiar and well versed with the writings of Vattel.
He had his own personal copy prior to the advent of the Revolution. And in 1775
he wrote to Charles Dumas an editor and journalist in the Netherlands and
thanked him for sending Franklin 3 copies of the newest edition of Vattel
(published in French). Franklin commented to Dumas that his personal copy was in
heavy demand by the other delegates to the Continental Congress meeting in 1775.
Dumas was the Editor for the newly published 1775 edition of Vattel’s Law of
Nations (in the original French) in the Netherlands. Franklin and most of the
founders were fluent in French which was the diplomatic language of that time.
Dumas also made comments in his writings to Franklin about Vattel’s enlightened
writings and vision for a new form of government for a nation where the people
were sovereign and the unique opportunity for its application to the affairs in
America in the colonies splitting from Great Britain. The words found in our
Declaration of Independence mentioning the “Laws of Nature” and the phrase
mentioning unalienable rights such as “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”
are right out of Volume 1 of Vattel. As are the words of seeking a more perfect
union in the Preamble of our Constitution were also inspired by the teachings
and writings of Vattel who wrote that government should always be striving to
perfect itself to better serve the people. Thus it is quite evident that the
founders read and used Vattel extensively. Here is a reprint of the letter from
Franklin to Dumas thanking him for sending the books.
“Assurant” not “Assuring.” Auto correct. Sigh.
DBQ:
“Still no answer to my question….name some accomplishment that Chelsea Clinton has done to qualify her over many other women to speak at this event.”
I’ve got nothing.
We have so many women role models who really make a difference in the world. Her selection was completely inappropriate and disappointing.
Another one bites the dust. Assuring Health folds after a single year in Obamacare markets:
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150428/NEWS/150429887
“The insurer attracted sicker-than-average people, saying in February that their ACA policyholders “had worse morbidity characteristics than we had assumed,” and it consequently had to pay out more in medical claims. Its medical-loss ratio in 2014 was 104.3%.”
Assurant Health also blamed losses on low recoveries from the ACA’s insurance risk programs and the policy shift that allowed people to stay in plans that are not compliant with ACA standards.
Further, the company didn’t have the same leverage as other large payers to build a provider network. In 2012, Assurant Health signed a multiyear deal with Aetna to use its national provider network for its members.
Executives were hopeful in February that raising premiums by upwards of 20% on average and lowering commission fees for brokers would boost Assurant Health’s profitability. “We believe the actions we are taking, along with ongoing expense discipline, should improve results in 2015,” Colberg said.”
Once again, we see how Obamacare drove premiums up rather than down for the non-subsidized middle class (just as Gruber predicted). It also drives out smaller insurers, consolidating the insurance market into a few mega companies. Many insurance companies have fled the state of CA since it set up its exchange. This produces less competition and an effective monopoly.
To offset these losses, Obamacare offered a few gems to insurance companies, such as bundling pediatric dental insurance in with medical insurance. This gave excellent talking points to politicians, such as this would get better dental care access to kids. However, bundling the plans ties the dental plan to the enormous medical deductible. My own deductible increased by 1100%, as I’ve said before. That means that only kids who are in catastrophic accidents or have other major medical bills get to have their dental services covered. The parents could buy a private policy on the side, but that mandatory pediatric dental premium still comes out of their paycheck. This effectively doubles their dental premiums – they pay one set of premiums for benefits they cannot access under normal circumstances, and then they have to pay for real dental insurance they can actually use.
This is what comes of politicians “helping” people.
Reagan was right. The 9 most terrifying words in the English language are, “We’re from the government and we’re here to help.”
I would vote for a trained ferret before I would vote for a Democrat in the upcoming election. I never felt this strongly against the Democratic Party. Sure, I felt the ultra Left couldn’t add, but the entire Democratic Party cost my family our affordable health insurance. I won’t forgive that. And then they broke the law and delayed the employer mandate until after the election to soften the blow, because it would have been political suicide to do to everyone what they’ve done to me, a small business owner. We’ll have to see if people are so naive that they ignore the warnings about what will happen in 2016 and continue to vote this party into power.
You do not try to help one group of people get access to health insurance by taking it away from another group.
Delaying such a “wonderful” law until after the next presidential election should be a red flag to anyone of the meanest intelligence.
Have i mentioned lately that I despise Obamacare and every politician who voted for it?
To Karen: Obama care
So what would you do?
Freedom of the individual taking precedence democratic freedom of the masses always produces self centred arguments.
It’s all hipocracy
bam, LOL! I particularly enjoy the spittle that is first liquid, then solidifies into a gum like consistency in the corner of his aged mouth.
Actually the crowd could’ve been as large as 13,000. No other candidates are getting anywhere near this amount of people at their speeches.
There’s something compelling about watching a senile old Commie make speeches. He’s going nowhere. The crowds were there for the entertainment value. Nothing else.
Bernie Sanders spoke in Madisonin front of a crowd of almost 10,000. The audience was on fire. Watch out for Bernie.
Look what I found….
http://godfatherpolitics.com/9532/if-you-were-born-via-caesarian-section-you-cant-be-president/
Maybe Jay and Washington weren’t so smart as they thought they were.
A good lawyer could wreck their intentions and this could just be a matter of time.
Maybe Chelsea can sort it out?
They could have paid for one of those Royal Bimbos from across the pond. It wouldn’t be any more stupid than Chelsea what the Heck. Somehow the American three ring circus permeates everything: politics, higher education, anything meaningful. No wonder this country can be run by a handful of oligarchs.
“Now for some really knowing words of wisdom from someone who has struggled all her life to get to the top, someone who has had to overcome the bias against women, someone who can relate to you students, Chelsea What The Heck.”
“Natural Born Citizen”
So a U.S. citizen cannot run for President if they are born by Caesarian Section, Forceps, Ventouse Extraction, maybe epidural, episiotomy and even induction of labour.
Why hasn’t this been challenged in the Supreme Court?
Could this be a basis for impeachment?
J22,
Bill Clinton was the “first black President.”
Obama was the first female president (ineligible, hapless, self-absorbed, ineffectual, hysterical).
Hillary will be the first homosexual president.
These folks are always one step ahead.
DBQ,
“Just being born a Clinton, is not an accomplishment.”
Exactly what world do you live in? Have you ever heard of the famous mobster, rum runner and market manipulator, Joseph Kennedy. He carried such a chip for being an “inferior” Irishman that he had to overachieve in making crime pay and buy a Presidency for his hapless son, through the Chicagoland mob.
In that case, just being a Kennedy “accomplished” the White House.
Have you ever heard of Affirmative Action?
Makes you wonder what sinister forces ensconced the current laughably incompetent ineligible imposter.
Jay and Washington were inordinately prescient when they raised the requirement for President from “citizen” to “natural born citizen.” Damn, those Founders were smart.
“A republic, if you can keep it”
Oops!
Paying Chelsea $65,000 for her to appear helps to sustain the illusion that she has value beyond reality, that she is credible, that she has something useful to say. This leads to Chelsea having delusions about her worth to society. Better for UMKC to have hired an assistant professor in the STEM disciplines. Would have cost about the same.