Daily Topics - February 23, 2010
By Louise
Quote: "An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics." -- Plutarch
Hour One - Does the economy suck so bad that people are dying at yellow lights and walking away from their mortgages?
Hour Two - "It Could Happen Here" (Thom's Buzzflash book of the month) Bruce Judson www.itcouldhappenhere.com
Plus....Rep. Jan Schakowsky www.schakowsky.house.gov
Hour Three - Could China provoke a worldwide great depression? with....Marshall Auerback www.newdeal20.org & Eamonn Fingleton, author, In the Jaws of the Dragon: America's Fate in the Coming Era of Chinese Hegemony www.unsustainable.org
Comments
#2
Perhaps because it is people like me who have to deal with the reality of the extremist, paranoid, xenophobic and scapegoating tendencies of the self-pitying pallid egocentric on an everyday basis, and Thom doesn’t, explains why I am far less sanguine about the Timothy McVeighs and Joe Stacks of the world than he is. I think it is horrifying that anyone can justify their actions on any level—even when you cherry-pick the few things that made “sense” in Stark’s statement. Anyone who read the entire tract (like me) can plainly see that this was just something he tossed in “justify” himself and give people the impression of a “higher cause.” The rest reads like man who can only be described as a fanatical, runaway conspiracy theorist, and probably borderline insane.
Let’s recap what Stark insinuated in his statement, and what has been reported in the media thus far. Stark first burned down the house he, his wife and stepdaughter were living in. The wife and stepdaughter lost everything they owned. Stark then got into his airplane. If he was so broke, how could he afford to have an airplane? I’ll get into that later. Then he crashed the plane into that North Austin office building. The man he killed was a black Vietnam veteran named Vernon Hunter. If anyone deserves to be called a “hero,” it is Hunter.
What drove Stark to this homicidal terrorist act? Consider: In the early 1980s, Stark was involved with a band of tax resisters who apparently advised him on how to avoid paying taxes, and according him not very good advice. Stark’s claim that he paid his “fair share” of taxes is a patent, self-serving lie. He didn’t “follow the rules” of civil society; he did everything he could to avoid paying taxes that every other citizen paid to maintain a civil society. He all but confessed to be a serial tax cheat, and under-reported his income. Thus even his complaint about the 1987 tax amendment is pure self-serving shibboleth.
Two start-up companies he founded in California foundered—and not because of high taxes, but because he didn’t pay any taxes. The state Franchise Tax Board suspended the licenses of those companies for failure to meet even his minimal responsibilities. His first wife apparently didn’t believe in paying taxes either. At the time of their divorce, Ginger Stark was filing for bankruptcy, owing over a $125,000 in back taxes. Since then Stark all but admitted he continued to fail to report income, and seemed to have no clue that early retirement distributions were subject not only to income taxes like any other income, but penalties as well. All of which, of course, could explain why he had plenty of cash to buy a private plane.
Stark brought all of his problems upon himself. All the rest is his puny effort to rationalize his terrorist act. “Violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer," Stack wrote. Thom should be ashamed to suggest that this guy in any way, shape or form is a “brother in arms.” I couldn’t help but observe last week that Thom had Obama’s disease, trying to make “nice” with all those right-wingers. It never ceases to amaze me how many areas of “agreement” he has with these people, even though they would never make that claim themselves.
#3
Why is it that if a corporation, as defined by the recent Supreme Court decision, is a collection of individuals, it is not subject the same political contribution restrictions as individuals? Short of a constitutional amendment, should not Congress pass a law that requires those contributions be paid by individuals out of their own pockets instead of out of a kitty controlled by a few people who decide where the money is applied? Should not those individuals be named and subject to the individual limit for contributions? And should those people be allowed to make that contribution to the candidate or cause of their choice? Or not make a contribution at all? Or am I completely bonkers on this?
#4
thom you mentioned once before about how mitt romney created his wealth. can you tell us again i feel its important for us to know. did romney create jobs or did he just buy up failling companies for a quick buck ?
#5
Hey there everyone, If you want to see a good example of the disconnect... here it is. on Sunday I called into the Bill Cunningham show and I argued with him over the 16% income tax that the wealthiest Americans pay. He began yelling at me, calling me a liar and fool. Even hung up on me. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHTbqjGskf4
BTW: I tried posting this to the daily topics yesterday, but it would not show up for some reason?
#6
@brian re: romney: I thought he inherited it from George Romney.
#7
I'm so glad you are covering this (red light cameras) - In Georgia, they passed a law that if a light has a camera, the yellow timing must be 1 second longer than the minimum time standard ... guess what? Tickets went down 80%! 80% of tickets "generated" by these cameras occur within the first second of the red light ... people trying to make the yellow.
In fact, the revenue went south so fast, some municipalities are removing them, because they now cost more than they generate!
#8
The banks don't want to refi because TARP guantees the full value of the loan.
#9
To U.S. Presidential Voters: Be Afraid, Be very Afraid
'Want MORE of the Bush economic disaster? Then support MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty for president. This, in today's Star Tribune, explains why:
http://www.startribune.com/business/85005147.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO...
"With state revenue cratering, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's call for major corporate tax cuts represents a doubling down on the concept of supply-side economics. Would the tax cuts bring the payoff he promises? Hard to say. But what is certain is that his latest proposals do not go nearly as far as those of a commission he empowered more than a year ago to recommend ways to overhaul business taxes in Minnesota.
This year, Pawlenty wants the Minnesota Legislature to cut the Minnesota corporate income tax by 20 percent from 9.8 percent of adjusted net profits to 7.8 percent, cut income taxes for small businesses by 20 percent, and exempt local investors from capital gains taxes made on certain local investments."
#10
Thanks for talking about this mortgage disaster Thom. Too many are glossing over that its still happening. Rent prices are outrageous in my region (Los Angeles) too. I can't see how people can afford shelter these day unless they make well over the median income.
#11
@Quark;
" Pawlenty wants the Minnesota Legislature to cut the Minnesota corporate income tax by 20 percent from 9.8 percent of adjusted net profits to 7.8 percent, cut income taxes for small businesses by 20 percent, and exempt local investors from capital gains taxes made on certain local investments.”
Dick Cheney's heart monitor just had an orgasm.
"I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." -George W. Bush
#12
Hey Thom - look into "The Stop Outsourcing Security Act"
"...., which will be introduced in the Senate by Vermont's Bernie Sanders, recognizes that the U.S. needs to end its reliance on private security contractors, and it would prohibit the use of private contractors for military, security, law enforcement, intelligence, and armed rescue functions. It would also increase transparency over any remaining contracts by increasing reporting requirements and Congressional oversight.
I'm launching an online campaign to gather citizen-co-sponsors for this legislation that has just been introduced on Capitol Hill. I need your help to restore those functions traditionally performed by the military, back to the military where they belong. "
THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE COMMON SENSE !
http://janschakowsky.org/blog/become-citizen-co-sponsor-stop-outsourcing...
#13
Quark - The design of Reagonomics was to shift the cost of governance to the states. So many "con" state officials have adopted the same phylosophy, pushing it down to the city/county level.
#14
@rewinn - Who could have thought Bernie to be pro-military?
#15
harry ashburn and Charles in OH,
MN's disastrous economic decline can be traced directly to the Pawlenty gubenatorial terms. It's a very sad story for such a previously progressive state (which was why I moved here!)
#16
@Charles. That's right. And at all levels, they're using the favorite neocon trick of outsourcing. subcontracts are a great way of diffusing the blame.
"You know that look women get when they want sex? Me neither!" - drew carey
#17
What was that URL about walking away from foreclosures? Something with "small" in the URL I think. Thanks.
#18
Quark - Seems to me that Pawlenty's efforts to wipe the smear of liberialism off MN is progressing nicely.
#19
Some of these Toyota problems are really gaining momentum.
#20
"Privatization" out of control:
Pa. judges accused of jailing kids for cash
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29142654/
Judges Plead Guilty in Scheme to Jail Youths for Profit
#21
@toddtemp - thinkbigactsmall.org
#22
@Douglas: lol. But I'm going to put my foot down.
"So, where's the Cannes Film Festival being held this year? "- Christina Aguilera
#23
Concerning the "Red Light Cameras"... After falling victim to one in a strangely secluded intersection, I wanted to point out a glaring deception. IF a municipality truly wanted to DECREASE ACCIDENTS, then they would make the signage alerting drivers to a Red Light intersection VERY LARGE AND OBVIOUS. Drivers would know it's a dangerous intersection and would be very careful, or they would realize there would be a financial penalty and be more careful at that intersection. As it stands, the signage is small, sometimes blocked by vegetation, and traps motorists simply for financial gain.
#24
Thom may be right about at least ONE of the Toyota problems being more about software than hardware. I read in an engineering magazine that the Prius brakes are electrically controlled, not mechanically, and the problem seems to occur when switching from gas power to battery power. I suspect that when the power switches, something forces the software into a strange state from which it can't recover.
#25
Robert Gates:
"The thing to remember is that we’re at war. We are doing everything possible. General McChrystal is doing everything humanly possible to avoid civilian casualties. But it is also a fact that the Taliban mingle with civilians, they use them for cover, which obviously complicates any decision process by a commander on the ground in knowing whether he’s dealing with the Taliban or innocent civilians, or a combination of the two. I’m not defending it at all. I’m just saying that these kinds of things, in many respects, are inherent in a war. It’s what makes war so ugly."
Wrong Mr. Gates. It is what makes war so ILLEGAL. It is why we need to prosecute those who lead us into battle, whithout so much as a real forensic investigation into 9/11.
Gates, Bush, Cheney et al., and now Obama are all war criminals.
#26
Anybody espousing dirty bomb threats should be labeled a terrorist. Transportable dirty bombs will result in zero deaths from the nuclear material. The bomb blast could kill.
#27
@mstaggerlee: Yeah. Occasionally, a vehicle with a 2-way radio raises my garage door. There's all kinds of electromagnetic energy zipping around that could, theoretically, interfere with electronics.
#28
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, it is well and good to cut off the mercenaries. It would be better still to cut off the wars.
ps - What about Sibel Edmonds?
#29
@Zero G.re Sibel Edmonds: Don't worry.I'll take care of her.
#30
1/100th of the American economy in 2009 was pay and bonusses to investment bankers.
$14T economy
$0.16T pay and bonuses (more commonly written $160B)
You don't have to be a genius to see this is a problem.
#31
@harry,
I don't get it.
#32
Americans have hidden behind the mask of their countries good intentions for
so long their faces have grown into it.
#33
Americans have hidden behind the mask of their countries good intentions for
so long their faces have grown into it.
#34
@rewinn - if we're gonna talk about problems vs. percentages, consider that right now, 1 in every 6 dollars spent in the USA is directed towards health care. Back when I went to school, 1/6 was substantially bigger than 1/100! - Bigger percentage, bigger problem, no?
#35
The reason there is no class war here in America is because people feel they are in the "Club". They buy their $4 cups of coffee, they carry a $500 hand bags and lease luxury cars. They feel that they are part of the upper class. Many people cashed out the equity in there homes to keep the illusion alive. The resent down turn has cause a few people to wake up but many still are in denial. We need to realize how close we all are to losing everything. Until we do the ultra elite will continue to write all the rules.
#36
@ZeroG, re: harry - I suspect that you do get it, ZG - it just wasn't all that funny.
#37
Taking on a mighty military.
George Washington did it. As did Toussaint L’Overture. As did Ho Chi Minh.
Not advocating, just observing.
#38
@Zero G: You don't get it that I'll take care of Sibel Edmonds? Have you seen her?
#39
@D.Silva - You have hit the proverbial nail directly on the head! As long as the corporate elite can use their slave media to convince the majority of DIMWITS out there that the interests of the masters are identical to those of the masses, we're all SCREWED (to borrow Thom's book title)!
#40
@ Harry,
She is a very attractive woman. She has also testified under oath. I am concerned with the fact that Ms. Schakowski has tried to undermine her credibility.
I couldn't care less about the issues Ms. Edmonds brought out about Ms. Schakowski. I care considerably about the rest of her testimony.
#41
My recollection of what Thom said Mitt Romney did was the usual corporate raider thing. He would buy a company and lay off a bunch of workers. This would give the appearance in the bookkeeping world that productivity was high. With this metric he was able to sell the company at a high profit. A key component of this approach is that the quality of the products of the company is based on a full workforce that no longer exist when he sells it. It takes consumers some time to realize the quality of the product of the company has fallen. During this time period is a good time to sell it.
#42
I agree with Bruce Judson -- although the one point not mentioned that I see as salient is that it is the middle class that is suffering. Poor people don't usually rise up and "revolt" because they don't have high expectations. But the middle class does have expectations and that's why they've been able to move up and/or maintain their middle classness. But the combination of their economic stability being taken away and the anger and disillusionment at government (in its complicity with corporations) as cause is why I do see this as a ripe time for a [non-violent] revolution.
#43
Just wondering if the economy does tank as suggested during today's program what will happen to social security as we know it. I plan on retiring end of this year and am eligible for ss next June. Even though I have retirement funds at my credit union, ss will be a major part of my budget.
#44
'Sibel Edmonds: The Traitors Among Us' in March Issue of Hustler (Now on Newsstands)
Also, Mike Connell story still on stands in February's Maxim...
You're welcome. My 2000+ word article on former FBI translator-turned-whistleblower Sibel Edmonds is now featured in the March 2010 edition of Hustler. Sorry, she's wearing all her clothes. Go buy it anyway.
The article brings the story of Edmonds, who was twice-gagged by the Bush Administration's outrageous use/abuse of the "States Secrets Privilege," fully up to date following her naming of names, finally, under oath, in remarkable testimony last summer. (Some of those names: Hastert, Burton, Blunt, Lantos, Schakowsky, Wolfowitz, Perle, Grossman, etc.)
from Brad Blog http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7688
#45
If we focus on fear, we attract what we fear.If we focus on peace and justice, we attract them.Put aside the negative and re-focus on positive outcomes, then fight like hell with the power we gain from them.
#46
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention warned us way back when, but he had to go to the BBC to broadcast what he couldn't perform in the US:
"Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Washington, D.C.
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in the suburbs!
(No no no no no no no no no no,Man you guys are really safe
Everything's cool)
And they thought it couldn't happen here
They knew it couldn't happen here
They were so sure it couldn't happen here
.....Help, I'm a Rock...Help, I'm a Rock...Help, I'm a Rock"
#47
Marja Offensive Aimed to Shape US Opinion on War
by Gareth Porter
WASHINGTON - Senior military officials decided to launch the current U.S.-British military campaign to seize Marja in large part to influence domestic U.S. opinion on the war in Afghanistan, the Washington Post reported Monday.
The Post report, by Greg Jaffe and Craig Whitlock, both of whom cover military affairs, said the town of Marja would not have been chosen as a target for a U.S. military operation had the criterion been military significance instead of impact on domestic public opinion.
The primary goal of the offensive, they write, is to "convince Americans that a new era has arrived in the eight-year long war...." U.S. military officials in Afghanistan "hope a large and loud victory in Marja will convince the American public that they deserve more time to demonstrate that extra troops and new tactics can yield better results on the battlefield," according to Jaffe and Whitlock.
A second aim is said to be to demonstrate to Afghans that U.S. forces can protect them from the Taliban.
More at: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/02/23-8
*********************
So who can protect the Afghans from the US military? How many deaths for a PR campaign? US death toll tops 1000.
Robert Gates complains to NATO countries that they don't spend enough on military hardware. No Mr. Gates, we spend way too much. And use it far too often. Illegally.
"We must make clear to the Germans that the wrong for which their fallen leaders are on trial is not that they lost the war, but that they started it. And we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into a trial of the causes of the war, for our position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy." - Robert Jackson at Nuremburg
#48
The terms of the revolution are simple - QUIT PAYING FOR THEM TO INSLAVE YOU!!!!
Quit paying mortgagues, rents, credit cards, car payments and especially insurance policies (any and all insurance policies).
Require the ER's to become the portals of primary care! Every American should call a financial institution at least once a day and just screw around with the menu system. Out of work? Take 1 or 2 days a week and go down to your local B of A and just stand in line - over and over and over.
Increase the number of dependents on your federal taxes to withhold zero. And make sure you convert your paycheck to cash immediately. Hold only cash!
When dthe sheriff comes to evict you, just keep moving the stuff back in as they walk it to the side walk, SQUAT!!! Pick out any old repo and just move in.
The only way we are going to change the nation is by withholding from the haves what they desire the most - MONEY!!!
The jails can only hold so many of us and if yours are anything like ours they're already full.
No, it won't be bloodless. Only because they will hire the Blackwaters, et al, to gun us down. But if you (or I) are not willing to die for our country - than we only deserve the one we have now,
#49
It amazes me just how much America just gave away its manufacturing and financial infrastructure to Asia and Latin America and other countries. Thank you Mr Reagan (and every Pres. after you), now we don't have jobs to go to, and everything else is being flushed away.
#50
Why is it so difficult to accomplish anything in this country? First Marshall Auerback tells us that if we change our trade policy, then that will cause unemployment in this country. Then he and Thom complain how we need to change our trade policies. Huh? Anyways, I'm not entirely certain why it would hurt this country that greatly if China's currency changed either way. First off, they are not buying anything from us anyways; our import to export ratio with China is 5 to 1. Secondly, more expensive Chinese goods hurts us in the short-term only because we have lost so much manufacturing (and assembly) infrastructure, and we would need to build it back-up rapidly, and creating jobs. Is that such a bad thing?
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I think that we need a strategy change in regards to talking about the Citizen's United case. People that defend the decision say that we have free speech rights and that is why the decision is correct. However, where does the Constitution declare money as speech? I think that we should be true Constitutionalists and only defend the free speech as speech, and state that the government has always restricted our use of money. Therefore it should also be able to restrict it in the political sense.
PS: I do know that the Supreme Court declared money as speech, but that decision was wrong and that needs to be pointed out every chance we get.