June 22 2009 Monday
By Louise
Our Comment line - Concerns? Suggestions? Kudos? - 202-536-5306
Hour Two: "Skirting the board...how does the 'old girls club' stack up against the 'old boys club?'" Thom mixes it up with Carrie Lukas of the Independent Women's Forum www.iwf.org
Hour Three: "Of Mule and Man" Actor/Activist/Author Mike Farrell joins Thom to talk about his new book www.mikefarrell.org
Comments
#2
thom mentioned if the united states could become a police state. i recomend to everyone to read naomi wolfs' the end of america. ms. wolf explains the structure for a police state has been set up in the united states. there is also a video of the end of america.
#3
Contact Melaine Sloane of Citizens for Responsiblity and Ethics in Washington . . . About the the conflict of interest suit about taxpayer paid healthcare for Representitves and Senators.
#4
If the existing heavily subsidized industrial farm system is allowed to continue, diet and environment related diseases - including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, influenza, and cancer - will likely bankrupt the entire health care system within a decade. While in 1970, US health care spending totaled $75 billion, or $356 per person, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project that by 2016 health care spending will soar to over $4.1 trillion, or $12,782 per resident, representing a crushing 19.6% of GDP.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/newsletter/ov09spring.cfm
Last estimate I read, we pay 2 Trillion a year, and the Republicans were bitching about 1 trillion the other day and CBS took the trillion dollar figure without stating the current or projected figures.
#5
Fixing health care is probably the most important issue at the moment. With this in mind I recommend others to do what I have done. I have written to all my legislators, (house and senate), and stressed to them the importance of passing a GOOD health care bill that at MINIMUM must include a public option. I included that not only do they have to support a public option included bill, they have to fight for one. I have told them all that this is so important, that if a good health care bill is not passed, with a public option, they will not get my vote in the next election. EVEN if they voted yes on a bill that did not include a public option.
#6
Anyone here watch the McLaughlin Group on Sunday Morning? Yesterdays edition ticked me off BIG TIME! Even after Pat Robertsom stateed that Obama's public statements on the Iran elections and subsequenrt unrest have been nearly perfect, Monica Crowley took the positon that he was MORALLY OBLIGATED to take a position more in favor of the protesters. When she was asked "what, exactly, would you have had him say?" she babbled the usual talking points for a few moments, but completely avoided answering the question. As we all know, she'd have come out against WHATEVER statement he made.
Later, whan they were "discussing" (really, spreading more misinformation about) the Health Care issue, Crowley once again lied through her teeth about the plan that the CBO reported on, which did NOT include a public option, but she said it proved that the public option would bankrupt the nation - and McL. allowed that to be the last word on the topic!
How do we combat this nonsense??
#7
Thom,
This opinion piece appeared in Saturday's (June 20, 2009) op-ed pages of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. The writer, Jay Walljasper,( a fellow and editor at www.OnTheCommons.org) is working on a book about the concept of the commons. Are you familiar with him?
Here is an excerpt from the opinion piece:
More than just an activist cause, the commons is becoming a model for thinking differently about how we make decisions, manage resources and think about responsibilities. Some people now envision a commons-based society where shared wealth compounds our individual assets in "the pursuit of happiness."
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/48629832.html?elr=KArksUUU...
#8
Thom,
This opinion piece appeared in Saturday’s (June 20, 2009) op-ed pages of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. The writer, Jay Walljasper, a fellow and editor at OnTheCommons.org, is working on a book about the concept of the commons. Are you familiar with him?
Here is an excerpt from the opinion piece:
More than just an activist cause, the commons is becoming a model for thinking differently about how we make decisions, manage resources and think about responsibilities. Some people now envision a commons-based society where shared wealth compounds our individual assets in “the pursuit of happiness.”
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/48629832.html?elr=KArksUUU...
#9
Test
#10
I need an explanation of the idea that "rising health care costs will bankrupt the health care system". I ask for this because the other thing said about the health care system is that the corporations in it are making huge profits. Therefore the "bankrupting" can't refer to them. Is it rather the populace that will be bankrupted?
#11
Oh, and where can I see that misspelled banner over the people making fun of Sotomayor learning English as a second language?
#12
Thom, I love you but you are driving me nuts. Day after frustrating day you reiterate the problems facing the country. Each time somebody suggests what to do about it, you knock it down by pointing out the difficulties. Today, it was the cost of getting to DC for a mass rally. I'm thinking: did the cost of getting to DC deter the veterans who camped out in the nation's capitol, in the middle of the Great Depression, protesting their unpaid benefit? How did all those poor black Americans make it to the Dr. King Rally, or the Million Man March? What ever is suggested, you say no to all of it, all except your favorite mantra, take the democratic party from the characters who currently run it. I know a group who has tried to do this for 30 years and still hasn't managed to bring it off! It is my belief that control of the democratic party is passed along from father to son, it's an inherited thing. This makes more sense to me when you consider that the US has a live class war going and the wealthy class is winning. If there are statistics on this sort of thing, I think it can be found that the widest inequality and injustice of any developed country in the world is found here. A class war needs to be fought with organization, a well-thought out strategy and a clear objective, seize power from the elite class who are trying to destroy us. How about lending a hand?
#13
Thom, we no longer wish to work through the system or vote for our bought-off politicians who can never give us what we need or want and never will. They could, at any time, pass a public campaign finance law, but they prefer to take the money. They don't mind being slaves and those who love slavery seem to will it upon others. I don't expect the working class or the middle-class will ever recover from this recession or depression; the wealthy will not allow it. They like things just the way they are.
#14
I hope nobody believes Carrie Lucas of the "Independent Women's Council" is a feminist. She is about as far removed from a feminist as you can get. Why does Thom always give so much of our precious air time to the enemies of the progressives?
#15
Thom, I am reluctant to bring up this subject because I think you are the most intelligent -- at least the best informed -- talk show host around, and the progressive community depends on you to help frame the community dialogue. It's for the latter reason, though, that I do bring it up:
Your English is abominable. I assure you that there are many listeners who actually care about this, and those who don't are apparently not offended by hearing correct speech -- they seem not to notice.
Your most common error is to switch singular and plural references to the same subject in the same sentence. I listened to a couple hours of your show today and heard you say "There is a lot of" followed by a plural object. At one point you even said "There's lots of" and then referred to something plural.
This is certainly not an uncommon error, although it has reached pandemic status only in the past few years. Even our U.S. Senators, who are generally more grammatical than their House counterparts (the reason I watch CSpan2 instead of CSpan1), make frequent errors, the most common being, "Is there any senator wishing to vote or change their vote?" Only a handful get that one right.
"There is" is the start of a sentence that intends to refer to a singular subject. "There are" expects a plural one. With just a bit of forethought one can avoid making this common mistake.
Why does it matter? Because our language is the method we use to convey thought. If we can't even make the distinction between singular and plural, how can we speak clearly about matters of great importance?
I make this comment with the greatest respect for your important place in our national conversation. Any attempt to make our words more precise will help us express our thoughts more clearly. It will also enhance our credibility.
#16
On the topic of spending on mass rallies, let me relate an experience I had with a progressive group I belong to in Michigan, which spent several thousand dollars to take a weekend trip to a D.C. peace rally back in Sept., 2005, sponsored by United for Peace and Justice among others. There was a significant crowd of 300,000 to half a million or more, as estimated by various entities. Many celebrities, including musicians, activists, congress people, etc., were part of the program, and it was an enjoyable time, other than a lack of sleep or rest of any kind. We listened, we chanted, we marched. But when we got home, nobody even knew there had been a march in Washington, other than our friends and relatives. It had been almost totally kept out of the news by the corporate media. There was also a problem with hurricanes at the moment, but nonetheless, you would have thought such a large rally, filled with anti-war passion and energy, creative signs and costumes would have gotten some notice from the media, at least for a second page or a back section of a newspaper. The only television cameras were there from C-SPAN and they were there almost exclusively for the speakers, which seemed to me to be a small part of the story. If the event can't get publicity and we all know how controlled the media are, I now believe this whole effort is a waste of money. We would have been much better off to spend the money getting others to write and call congress. Thom is absolutely right. One person who will quietly apply political pressure directly is worth 100 at a rally shouting to the winds.
#17
Bob McGuire is the ONE who will pay up to $7500.00 of a $65,000 to $75,000 operation that Dave needs. Bob gets 1.6 billion. Dave gets pain pills.
#18
On the topic of our current system bankrupting states, Pennsylvania is going through a rough time. Like you said yesterday about Illinois, Gov. Rendell wants to heavily slash funding for public assistance programs in Pennsylvania. Luckily, the legislature said no to his proposal. The problem is that a change to Pennsylvania's constitution requires a budget be passed before anything can be paid for, including wages. This means that as of July 1, 2009, Pennsylvania state employees will be working without compensation. They are promised back pay once the budget is passed, but this definitely puts a large strain on the work force. They are expected to continue to work, but wilthout timely payment of wages. I know people that are directly affected by this and thought if enough public attension is brought to bare, it will provide the pressure to get it resolved faster.
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From Cracking the Code:
"No one communicates more thoughtfully or effectively on the radio airwaves than Thom Hartmann. He gets inside the arguments and helps people to think them through—to understand how to respond when they’re talking about public issues with coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This book explores some of the key perspectives behind his approach, teaching us not just how to find the facts, but to talk about what they mean in a way that people will hear."
Thom;
The Congress and the Senate both need to be told thaat they will get the same Health Care Program that they give to everyone else. With the exact same coverage as the least of thier constituents.