Daily Topics - Friday August 27th, 2010
By shawnt56
Quote of the Day: Without free speech no search for truth is possible; without free speech, no discovery of truth is useful. -- Charles Bradlaugh
"ANYTHING GOES ON TOWNHALL FRIDAY"
Glen Beck is Not Martin Luther King Jr - sign the Petition..
The New England Salem Children’s Village provides a home and nurturing environment for neglected and emotionally disturbed children. The States are behind in making their payments to kids in care so we need your help, if you can. Even $10 or $25 is helpful. You can donate at www.salemchildrensvillage.org
Hour One: "Brunch With Bernie" - Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spends the hour with Thom discussing the issues and answering listener questions www.sanders.senate.gov
Hour Three: When we start politicizing our core values, doesn't it hurt America? Congressman Ron Paul will be here www.paul.house.gov
Comments
#2
Draining the Swamp Department.
If you can't remember what Cheney and crew did to you, Obama will be evaluated in a vacuum. Voting "NO" doesn't help under the current system - it just results in flailing and failing government. The pre-alligator mode requires significant change to the methods we use to choose our government.
As Greg Palast wrote, we have "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy."
Politicians need to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to a system that works for all of the people.
#3
We need to call the Social Security cap a tax cut for the wealthy.
I don't think most Americans really understand what we mean when we talk about the "cap" on Social Security taxes, and how outrageous that cap makes any talk of cutting benefits or raising the retirement age. We should be calling the cap a tax exemption or Social Security tax cut that goes only to high incomes.
#4
Maybe there could be more than incremental change if the conservatives didn't cry and wet their pants and throw tantrums each and every time something is suggested to help our government function better or our give our people better lives.
I guess what we need are more trillion dollar wars, more trillion dollar debt, and all manufacturing and other decent paying jobs shipped overseas.
Pablito is right about one thing, though. You can't compromise with dirty, filthy, immoral, slimy, greedy, murderous thugs. Because it never works. They do need to be utterly crushed. But then I bet people like Pablito will also complain about the President overstepping and being power mad. I wonder if Pablito remembers who was President for 8 years and what happened to our country during that time. Or pays attention to the dirty, slimeball tactics of the right and their 24-hour propaganda machine. I could go on, but won't.
#5
There isn't much difference between the Democratic and Republican policies.... but even a itty bitty difference is a difference. Its like the difference between plugging a pin hole in a dike or reaming it out.
N
#6
"Eavesdropping" in Illinois:
ACLU files suit to protect the public's right to know. Audio recording your own arrest can bring a charge that will punish anyone who tries to record a cop on duty, and in public. It's a Class 1 Felony that can lead to 30 years in jail.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-aclu-privacy-lawsuit-20100819,0,2296176.story
#7
So 70% of Americans think it's "inappropriate" for a Muslim YMCA to be built a few blocks from Ground Zero.
What percent thinks it's appropriate that Glenn Beck said he didn't think he could hate 9/11 victims as quickly and as much as he did (in the clip just played)? Why don't pollsters play Glenn Beck hatespeech and ask their opinions on that?
#8
During the run up to WWI, The Creel Commission worked out tactics to scare Americans and bring about hatred of The Hun. Howard Zinn commented that the Commission worked too well. Americans of German descent were facing the same vituperitive treatment as Muslims are today.
#9
Dave that is so against socialism and takes home $70 K did not reveal who his employer is. Could it be the RNC or some other right wing group that pays him to call progressive radio?
#10
I've heard people who own farms say that there are special laws that protect their farms. So why would farm owners pay this guy to help them if they're already protected from the Rich Brat Tax?
#11
We the People -is The Government. May I suggest that everytime we want to use the word 'government' that we substitute the phrase 'we the people?' I swear- this is the convervatives biggest threat and achilles heel. They keep trying to educate their easily duped base that the 'government' is a big scary monster. But, that big scary monster is US!
#12
The estate tax isn't a tax on the dead guy its a tax on thier next of kin who just recived free money!
#13
The estate tax is a tax break for the middle class and small business heirs - because it includes a capital gains exemption for all heirs that "steps up" the basis for capital gains on inherited property. So when they sell it they only owe CG tax on the value increase since they inherited it, not since it was acquired. In exchange the very wealthy get a small tax on very large estates.
When the shills of the very rich cry about the "deat tax" what they are really saying is they want to shift the tax burden from the billionaires to the middle class and small family businesses and farms.
#14
Hey! Jeanie people like Pablito cares more about ordinary Americans than most.
Complaining about what the GOP did for the last 8 yrs don't mean a damn thing when
under the Obama Admin......for example,their HAMP program just like all the little legislation that
the Prez has put forth....hurts ordinary Americans over Corporations....Yes I will complain when the Prez
over steps is bounds......Please remember,he has continues all of GWBush's polices,torture ,renditions & wanting to kill Americans without justice or jury...so what are you defending ?
If it was not OK under Bush why is it OK under Obama ? And like I said most Americans are worst off,what has the Prez done to help
ordinary Americans ?......not the wealthy ,ordinary Americans ? nothing....so there... and you want folks to go vote for whom ?The Prez who has done nothing to help 'em ?
#15
Hey Pablito-what's HAMP? And no, I don't think any of those things you've mentioned are ok, but I kind of doubt they are being carried out with the zeal or extent that they were under W. I do believe that Obama thinks he has to cater to the very conservative politicians in order to get anything done at all. I do think he needs to ignore them (as they ignored us) and put his fingers in his ears as they scream in protest. But he wants to be diplomatic. I wouldn't be.
#16
re:#8: same principle applies to the missionaries in Africa. They taught their flocks to hate homosexuals so much, homosexuals are murdered in some parts of Africa.
#17
is this guy for real??
Modern American Christians happily vote to force their morals on everyone else.
Quit listening to Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity etc and go talk to some Muslims.
#18
re #11: yes, we the people IS the government!
#19
Thom's right. Sharia law is very similar to Halachic law. There is an entire contiuum of interpretation of both codes. Both Islam and Judaism began as both religious and political entities. In ancient and midieval times there was no distinction between religion and politics. ALL politics were religious!
Just for the record, here's the definition of Sharia law from Wikipedia:
Sharia (شريعة Šarīʿa; [ʃaˈriːʕa], "way" or "path") is the sacred law of Islam. All Muslims believe Sharia is God's law, but they have differences among themselves as to exactly what it entails.[1] Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of Sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries and cultures have varying interpretations of Sharia as well.
#20
Pablito, you have a legitimate point about Obama's poor policies, but your conclusions and solutions are the same as being out in the middle of a desert and figuring that you have no chance of survival, and then dumping out the water in your canteen.
If you wish to give up, that's your business, but to lecture to the rest of us that that is the best way to go, well do not expect to find any takers here.
N
#21
Jeanie,you don't think they are being carried out with the same zeal as GWBush did ?
You are kidding right ?....you know we are doing more drone bombing that GWBush did,
we have killed more innocence than GWBush did in Pakistan,Afghanistan & Yemen.So please.
HAMP-Home affordable mortgage Program-The WH started it to "help" home owners who have upside down mortgage.Just last week treasury admitted that the program was designed to fail home owners who applied for the program it forces then into foreclosure....in other words the Banks win ,win, win.....
that's what you are defending.And why Thom hasn't done a segment on this fraud of a program doesn't baffle me.cuz an election is coming up & the Democrats have to be presented in a good light.
I belong to no party but the poor peoples party and so it will be until I die.
#22
Maxrot,the best way to save our democracy is for the GOP to get in power again
it will go up in smoke.....but prolonging the agony by voting for the lesser of a Corporate party(Dems) won't work.
I say die with 1 cut as opposed to death by a 1000 cuts.Both parties have sunk us.
#23
Heres a few good anagrams of "Restoring Honor" :
Terror Nigh Soon
Error Goons Hint
Herring On Roost
#24
Well Pablito, don't vote for the Democratic party, don't vote for the Republicans either. Find a party you can support and work with them. But don't expect me to stand there and take a blade to the throat. I choose to put up a shield with my left hand and strike back with the other, I may not win, but I'll rather fight on my feet. You can go ahead and get on your knees and take it if you want.
N
#25
Max voting for the lesser of the evils still gives you evil....Look at Harry Reid,he will probably get re-elected.
and so if you like the last 10 yrs under Reid's leadership...then expect the same for the next 6-10 yrs cuz Reid will likely get re-elected
and so he is going to do the same he has done for the last 10 yrs.....enable Corporate interest.
#26
Oh damn, you're too cleaver. Yes let's get a Republican Senate leader in there. Yep things will get so bad the people will just have to revolt, and we're just bound to get better government out of that, why just look at the French, Russian and Chinese revolutions of the last couple of centuries. Sure many innocent citizens of those countries died, and the resulting governments were oppresive and corrupt, but evil is evil, why bother with just the lesser one when we can have the hog. Genius!
N
#27
Quote for the day..."Speak straight, so that your words may go as sunlight into our hearts," Apache Chief Geronimo.
Mr. Hartmann, todays' show was on target, what is the American idea, this democratic experiment? "We the people" need to become active in the process. This democracy is ours to define, we do that with dialogue; respectful, honest, dialogue. With the council of ideas that promote a healthy economy, first taking care of our own problems within the borders of this nation, and the problems are very real and need specific answers and actions on the part of our elected officials, people we voted in.
It is our responsibility to communicate with them in a respectful way--to expect them to do what they promise to do, and hold them accountable by exercising our right, voting in public servants who will serve for the good of the country and us, its people.
Who has the ability to make the difference? We do--and we must.
#28
This is scary, now Americans are using Wikipedia as their number source to substantiate information instead of doing the hard work of research from properly attributed sources. But of course, if Wikipedia or someone on network news says it, its got to be the one and only truth right?
Think people, do your research and really find out what the truth of a matter is.
#29
This is scary, now Americans are using Wikipedia as their number source to substantiate information instead of doing the hard work of research from properly attributed sources. But of course, if Wikipedia or someone on network news says it, its got to be the one and only truth right?
Think people, do your research and really find out what the truth of a matter is.
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.
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So let's get this straight Thom:
You are telling millions upon millions of Americans families to go support the Democrats....
Famliies who has lost their jobs,their homes cuz of the WH's HAMP program & their dignity ?
This is the most important election in their life time cuz what ? Thom more than most have lost everything but their families.....get a grip.
The Prez 's policies would have been good if this was the 80's or late 70's but this ain't the 80's or late 70's.and so his incrementalism isn't good enough.he needs to be kicked out in 2012.So what if the GOP gets in....what are they going to do...lock all Americans up...cuz that's the only thing that can make Americans look favourably on Democrats.
The Prez has failed.These times calls for bold leadership...what has the Prez been doing.....trying to enact compromise policies.He should have known.....but his head is so far up his a.s that he missed the script.