Letters on TVs watching us, DeVos, Obamacare, Karla Burns

TV (and China) may be watching you

My wife would joke about it happening, but we weren’t laughing when we read about TVs spying on their owners (Feb. 7 Eagle). Yes, while we were watching TV, the TV was watching us.

But I don’t think this was about “targeted marketing.” Vizio was recently purchased by a Chinese firm. Because there is no truly private industry in the People’s Republic, this looks like espionage: the communist Chinese government spying on American citizens in their own homes.

And the $2 million fine? Pocket change. How come no one is in jail?

And was it only TVs? Talk about erosion of trust. Now we can’t trust any appliance hooked up to the web, whether it’s your computer or your movie-streaming device. How do you know that your smartphone’s mic is ever off?

Sound like a crazy conspiracy theory? That’s what they said about your TV watching you, and now that’s established fact.

Fooled again

So now the Republican Congress, with Vice President Mike Pence as tiebreaker, have voted in the cold, incompetent Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. Yet there were two Republicans who did not join the mindless pack – Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Each listened to her inner conscience and voted “no.”

Let that anomaly be noted when history condemns these indifferent Republicans who so casually abandoned the interests of our most vulnerable, the children of the middle class and poor.

It was a sad day for the democracy – and a win for our aristocracy. More wealth, more power for the affluent; less and less for the 99 percent.

And what about those naive people who voted in this president? He stokes their prejudices. He promises to resurrect the rusting factories and to revive the dying coal industry. And while his supporters blindly celebrate, he moves rapidly to hand more and more power and control to the uber-wealthy.

Ah, little people, you are fooled again.

Promoted insurance

Does anyone find it strange that President Trump’s adviser, Kellyanne Conway, was severely reprimanded for suggesting people should go out and buy Ivanka Trump’s clothing items?

Apparently there is a rule that no government employee should ever promote or suggest buying any product.

I wonder if the Obama White House had heard of that rule when it commanded every man, woman and child in the country to buy health insurance or suffer a penalty.

A Wichita treasure

Thank you to Roxy’s Downtown for a wonderful Valentine dinner and show. Karla Burns was spunky, entertaining and engaging – just as we have come to know her through the years. She never disappoints.

Besides Burns’ amazing talent and showmanship, her ability to connect with the audience gives an extra quality to her performance and leaves the audience wanting more from this lovely lady. She is a Wichita treasure.

This story was originally published February 18, 2017 at 5:04 AM with the headline "Letters on TVs watching us, DeVos, Obamacare, Karla Burns."