Edmund Burke, a British political writer in the 1700’s, summed up the art of politics as compromise: “All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter.” The $14 trillion federal budget deficit currently staring down lawmakers didn’t get there overnight, it was born out of decades of intractable policies like spending on the military, huge and costly entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, tax cuts and expensive wars. So when President Obama and Democrats from Congress meet with House Speaker John Boehner and his Republican colleagues this weekend, in search of a grand bargain to cut the deficit and increase the debt ceiling, they will be trying to pull off the nearly impossible. And compromise will have to be the ruling mentality of the negotiators in order to pull off a deal that will be politically difficult for all sides.
Democrats are incensed that President Obama has included possible cuts in Social Security and Medicare spending; Republicans still refuse to consider any kind of tax increases, and many in the Tea Party wing of the party will never vote to raise the debt ceiling no matter what kind of spending cuts are made. Is a grand bargain possible somewhere in the middle of these seemingly intractable positions?
A new study from Harvard University has examined the individual impact of certain foods on weight gain and made some surprising discoveries: among them, that a serving of potatoes is much worse for your poundage than a serving of nuts. Researchers followed more than 120,000 people over a 20 year period, relying on detailed reports of daily food consumption provided by the participants and measured changes in diet and weight every four years. They found that an additional daily serving of potatoes—even those that were boiled, baked or mashed—caused participants to gain more than a pound every four years, while an additional serving of fruits and vegetables prevented between ¼ and ½ pound of weight gain. White bread proved as likely to make you pack on the pounds as a candy bar. An extra serving of nuts guarded against a ½ pound gain, while a serving of yogurt prevented a whopping 1 pound of fat gain. The study’s discoveries contradict the idea that eating in moderation is the key to weight loss—in fact, what really matters is what kind of calories you eat, even if they are in moderate quantities, since our bodies process various chemicals and nutrients differently. Potatoes may be so unhelpful to our slimming efforts because they contain refined carbohydrates, which cause insulin and blood sugar levels to rise, making us want to eat more. Conversely, yogurt may be so much better because of the workings of its microbes in our digestive tracts. Some hope that this new study will fuel changes in health policy, marketing practices and taxes on items integral to the production of unhealthy menu options. With more than 30% of American children estimated to be obese, many health experts are declaring a public health crisis and demanding greater resources and public awareness for the problem. Can these findings force people to pay more attention to what they put on their plates? And what sort of measures should food manufacturers take to tackle the obesity crisis head on? Finally, what dietary alterations can parents make to ensure their kids’ health?
Come on Washington, quit making it so easy. We in the world of satire like a challenge; we enjoy making fun of the subtle ironies in politics, digging out the points of ridicule amidst the complicated political policies. And what do you offer up instead: Weiner jokes?? You make it too easy Washington, we thought better of you. Sure, there are enough Republican presidential candidates to make up a March Madness bracket, those guys (and ladies) are always easy to make fun of; President Obama making jokes about the failure of his stimulus program—not quite shovel ready, eh Mr. President—has a cruel irony that’s fun to lambast. So as you make your plans to join us for Comedy Congress, where we laugh at the insanity of politics before it makes us cry, rest assured that your comedians and Patt are ready to sniff out the less-than-obvious humorous story lines. And yes, we’ll be sure to throw in a few Weiner one-liners to take advantage of the low-hanging fruit. But come on Washington, make us work for our comedy! Please come laugh with us at Comedy Congress, where the truth hurts far less when it’s told by comedians.
Patt Morrison is known for its innovative discussions of local politics and culture, as well as its presentation of the effects of national and world news on Southern California.
