Wednesday November 11th 2009
By Louise
Hour One - Why do you want big corporations to run America and ultimately your life? Fred O'Neal, Chair of the newly registered "Tea Party" www.floridateaparty.us (not live yet though)
As predatory monopoly capitalism run amok in the post-Reagan deregulated era, as corporations are getting bigger and bigger and increasingly holding average Americans hostage in ways ranging from credit card rates to gotcha mortgages to health insurance companies that dump tens of thousands of people a day simply because they get sick, who can stand up to such massively concentrated power? The Founders of this nation, facing such overwhelming corporate power when the British East India Company monopolized the trade in tea, sought to overthrow that corporate power with the Boston Tea Party. Now, in an odd about-face, the ninth richest man in the world and some of America's largest and dirtiest industries are funding a "tea party" movement that has turned into a party to further weaken the nation our Founders started in its ability to control corporate excesses.
Hour Two - Should we put the gambling regulators in charge of our economy? Dean Baker, Economist www.cepr.org
Since Ronald Reagan, Phil Gramm, and other Republicans deregulated our banks, hedge funds, and have taken a hands-off approach to the Fed, Three Senators have come up with an unique idea. How about instead of banking regulators looking over their affairs, we turn to the Gambling regulators in the states? Senators Cantwell, Wyden, and Sanders have made the tongue-in-cheek proposal to show how absurd it is that we've let the Libertarian ideal of predatory monopoly capitalism grow so out of control. Meanwhile, as the stock market rises we hemorrhage jobs.
Hour Three - Why would right wingers stoop to calling environmentalists terrorists? Dan Gainor www.businessandmedia.org
Why would right wingers stoop to calling environmentalists terrorists? Osama Bin Laden pointed out a lot of things in his writings leading up to the 9/11 attacks. He predicted that while Bill Clinton had refused to take his bait and turn him into an international superstar, that George W. Bush would do exactly that. He predicted that Bush would so overreact to an act of terrorism that it would bankrupt America. And Bin Laden pointed out that America is the largest carbon dioxide polluter in the world yet failed to sign the Kyoto accord. Why are conservatives now quoting Bin Laden?
Comments
#2
The other night I listened to Oprah Winfrey boasting on CNN about the Leadership School for Girls she established in South Africa, which was subject of some scandal a few years ago. Winfrey opened this school in South Africa one suspects because it is a “safe” place to make a gender political statement, and not necessarily to massage her bloated ego. While it is indeed true that sub-Sahara Africa has low literacy rates for females (but only marginally worse than males, it is always failed to be pointed out by the activists), South Africa is not necessarily the best place to make her “point.” According some activist organization called the Gender Initiative Institute, South Africa has “the highest levels of female education at all levels”—in fact 99 percent of girls compared to 95 percent of boys attend primary school—as well as a high percentage of women active in the economy, and “well positioned” to take leadership roles. So why do they need Winfrey’s help--other than the graduates being shipped to U.S. colleges, as she claims to want to do, presumably on her dime?
Anderson Cooper asked Winfrey about concerns made in some circles about why she was engaged in this activity when so many children in this country were being failed by the education system, and with it, a dim future. Winfrey, utterly oblivious to the fact that her victim fantasies in this case run counter to reality, stumbled about before mumbling something or other that in America, children had a choice about whether they wanted to go to school or not, and in South Africa this was not true for girls, which, of course, is demonstrably false. The fact remains that funding limitations hurt minorities more than any other group, and there are more black males incarcerated than attending college. It always fascinates me how activists have little interest in the challenges that face this country, where doing something of actual worth requires some labor, but can always be counted on to assail cultures they don’t understand, and typically have little knowledge of the reality.
#3
Thom,
I feel like I must be totally out to lunch here, but I thought I should at least mention this, just in case. This more than likely means I need a bit more medication, but while I was meditating this evening, both a Big Foot like creature and a Belly dancer sort of goddess told me to tell you that congress is too inefficient to save us with all of their gentle woman please come to the podium etc, etc, and that you have to start using your influence with progressives to start leading a more radical non-violent revolution against corporations.
It seems to me that you are already doing this, and I do not have the political background to even begin to understand what these "spirits" mean, but I thought I should give you this wild message, just in case.
#4
Time for another hour of Hartmann bashing Reagan for every negative thing that has happened in this country for the last 30 years.........ugh
Hartmann needs to get a new shitck. It's getting very very old.
Also, why have Dan Gainor on 2 times a week just to fight with him? Point ?
#5
Big Foot & Belly Dancing - wow - there's a visual.
#6
One more thing......
Why do left-wingers like Hartmann spend 80% of their time on the air to talk about Republicans?
I thought Republicans were irrelevant?
Answer?
#7
Hi Louise, Welcome to Portland:-) There are even Big Foot meetings in St. Johns although we can't attend now because the owner of the cafe is trying to ex Sam Adams. I just needed some sleep...
#8
@ReaganRules I don't know why you listen if you're so annoyed with Thom, but if you listened closer then you would have ALL the answers to your questions.
Thom frequently takes a historical perspective, and goes to the very roots of modern day issues. Today our economic issues are largely due to the deregulation of US markets (corporate power over people power), and Reagan led that charge - plain and simple.
Clearly the concept of engaging in debate with people who hold opposing opinions is foreign to you, and is sadly the "norm" for far too many Americans today. It's tragic that in a nation built upon this principle of open debate is now looked down upon, and I'm sure our founding fathers are rolling in their graves over it.
Likewise, Thom doesn't mean Republicans are irrelevant in whole, but that they have marginalized themselves via division and narrow-minded platforms which are appreciated by a relatively small portion of the population. I agree with Thom when he says that Republicans need to revitalize their party, and we wish it would be based on the traditional platform of conservatism - not the false incarnation it has become today. We need to have (at least) two parties in our system in order for it to be functioning healthily. For ANY Americans to advocate for anything less is to advocate for dictatorship!
#9
Financial Reform in 3 Parts
1) Sen. Chris Dodd discusses specifics in his bill (video):
#10
2) Why the government can't regulate insurance companies (video):
#11
To Progressive Mews
Obviously I listen since every day I hear Hartmann spewing nonsense about Reagan EVERY SINGLE SHOW. You don't hear it because you are the typical left-winger who only listens to what they agree with. I don't listen to Rush, Hannity or Beck because they are boring and I know what they will say anyway. I listen to Press, Hartmann, Schultz, Miller and Rhodes and all I hear is them talking about Republicans ??
These left-wingers complain about lack of liberal talk, but then they spend all their "precious" time talking not about Obama and the left wing agenda? I know I'm contributing to the very minimal listenership, but I find it amusing.
Hartmann needs to study up on Ronald Reagan and not read BuzzFlash and Democratic Underground.
Why not spend some time actually talking about your left-wing President and all the great things he's doing ??
#12
3) Writer John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man) explains why Wall St. CEOs have been engaging in predatory capitalism. He sounds like he's channeling Thom (video):
#13
Thom,
Sadly, Obama is clinging to the status quo because he wants campaign donations for the 2010 and 2012 elections.
#14
Dan Gainor is a waste of human skin.
#15
In Oregon, we have a very important ballot measure to vote on in January that, if passed, will raise corporate taxes to a fairer rate.
"Measures 66 and 67 generate revenue by finally raising the $10 per year corporate minimum tax (which hasn’t been raised since the 1930’s) to $150 per year, and by slightly increasing taxes on the richest 2% of Oregonians. The measures also reduce taxes on unemployment benefits, so many people will see lower taxes if the measures pass. The new taxes are carefully targeted so more than 95% of Oregonians will see no increase, and those who do will pay only slightly more. These are the two measures that will help get Oregon through the recession without having to fire teachers, police, firefighters, and cut other essential state services."
If you have time to help work on getting this important corporate tax raised, here is the link:
#16
I volunteer to be the "Official" counter of Reagan mentions on today's left-wing Hartmann show.........what's the over / under?
I say...............15 mentions of the cursed REAGAN name.
#17
my mentor daisaku ikeda stated: Women's voices can powerfully influence society and transform the world.It was the attainment of women's suffrage, particularly, that gave women a voice in society, marking the start of a new era in human history. the first country to grant women the right to vote on a national level was New Zealand,116 years ago in 1893. One of the key campaigners for women's suffrage in New Zealand was Kate Sheppard. Mrs. Sheppard drew up 10 reasons why women should have the right to vote. Among the points she listed are: women are less liable than men to be swayed by mere party loyalty and are inclined to attach great value to uprightness and rectitude of life in a candidate; women are endowed with a more constant solicitude for the welfare of the rising generations.women tend to exercise and to feel a deeper interest in the constant preservation of peace, law and order, and especially in the supremacy of right over might. today, even more than a century later, many are sure to agree with her evaluation.
#18
Interesting Brian. Is daisaku ikeda a woman by chance? Recently, I have found a Supreme Master Ching Hai- she is teaching her followers progressive issues like human rights and environmental issues....glad all these leaders, such as Thom Hartmann too! are here with us.
#19
food facist daisaku ikeda is a man you can go to daisaku ikeda .org hes the president of the soka gakkai international which is a buddhist lay org. with 12,000000 member in 192 countries and territory's around the world
#20
Thom,
Please have more guests like Fred O'Neal on your show. It's good for us to realize how much we have in common.
#21
@ReaganRules:
Ron-Dog was the marketing device used sold America the destruction of Public Education and the broken, arse-backwards economic system that has turned America into a third-world country in the name of false deity, corporatism.
In short, he is at the root to Americans being solo dumbed-down that they venerate him for the malevolence that he embodied.
#22
Richard,
Thanks!
#23
I would have to agree with ReaganRules on one thing. Ron-Dog could not be to blame for much since he was a moron. He did have enough intelligence to be a snake oil salesman for the Greenspan ideology.
I wish ReaganRules would be more specific in what he finds wrong with Thom's criticism of Ron-Dog (or Greenspan).
Does he think that Ron-Dog did not increase the debt from 1 trillion to 3 trillion? Does he not think that nearly 50% of our deficit is due to the compounding of interest on that debt? etc.
If Thom only mentions Ron-Dog 15 times, I feel disappointed.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
From Unequal Protection, 2nd Edition:
"Hartmann combines a remarkable piece of historical research with a brilliant literary style to tell the grand story of corporate corruption and its consequences for society with the force and readability of a great novel."
From Screwed:
"If we are going to live in a Democracy, we need to have a healthy middle class. Thom Hartmann shows us how the ‘cons’ have wronged this country, and tells us what needs to be done to reclaim what it is to be American."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"In an age rife with media-inspired confusion and political cowardice, we yearn for a decent, caring, deeply human soul whose grasp of the problems confronting us provides a light by which we can make our way through the quagmire of lies, distortions, pandering, and hollow self-puffery that strips the American Dream of its promise. How lucky we are, then, to have access to the wit, wisdom, and willingness of Thom Hartmann, who shares with us here that very light, grown out of his own life experience."
Frankly, I’m tired of Joe Lieberman’s pompous, deceitful shtick, but it is clear that as long as the Democrats think they need him, they will leave him sitting on the bench. But like any disgruntled player, he tends to sound off to anyone who will listen, complaining that he isn’t getting enough playing time, or getting the ball. Now, of course, he says that his “conscious” will not allow him to vote for a public option. Lieberman is too self-obsessed to be troubled overmuch with “conscious,” so it is clear that he just wants to be a “player.” And since Lieberman doesn’t honestly care about anything or anyone but himself, one wonders what he wants in exchange for his support. Maybe he should be told that if he votes against a public option, then he’s out of the caucus. All he has done up to this point is take up space to no purpose.