Daily Topics - Monday December 6th, 2010
By shawnt56
Quote of the Day: "All that serves labor serves the nation. All that harms is treason. If a man tells you he trusts America, yet fears labor, he is a fool. There is no America without labor, and to fleece the one is to rob the other." -- Abraham Lincoln
Hour One: What does the weekend's lack of Presidential leadership say about Obama's chances in 2012?
Hour Two: "Catfood Commission Dead-Thank God" - Jonathan Tasini, labor activist & President of the Labor Research Association, will be here - www.workinglife.org
Hour Three: Why do conservatives object to returning the Clinton era tax rates that produced 20 million jobs and a balanced budget? Thom mixes it up with Carrie Lukas of the Independent Womens Forum - www.iwf.org
Comments
#2
Sent to Rep. Don Manzullo of IL-16: If you choose to fight against the middle class by supporting the Bush tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, you are not representing your constituents - the voters of IL-16. If you choose to ignore good public policy to secure campaign loot for your own reelection, you are not representing your constituents.
#3
THOM!!
Are you saying that we should let all tax cuts expire even if that means Republicans will vote against (filibuster) extending unemployment payments?
If so, is there another way Congress or President Obama can get unemployment extended without the Republicans?
#4
On the State of the Union Address, will someone on the left side of the aisle stand and yell "You lie"?
#5
That would be a really stupid thing to do, I can't believe you're suggesting that Democrats act like Republicans.
#6
Sent to Sen. Dick Durbin of IL: If you are willing to cave in to the wants of the political donor class, you are turning your back on your constituents. It is disgusting that money drives the conversation to the needs of those who lust for power and against the needs of those who truly need your help.
#7
@ podunkhick - I assume you are referring to my comment. I am not suggesting anyone act like a Republican and disrupt the president's address. I merely posed the question if there are liberals in Congress that feel the President has abondoned his campaign promises and turned his back on his supporters.
#8
On Friday and Sunday Speaker Pelosi and Senator Kerry spoke strongly about extending unemployment. Pelosi:
"But yesterday, the unemployment insurance expired. That means that unless we do something about it, by December 31, 2 million Americans will lose their unemployment insurance. The word is insurance - they paid into it.
"This is something that is not only good for these families; it's the right thing to do in a downturn in our economy. But it's also the right thing to do to grow our economy. Economists tell us that unemployment insurance - the non-partisan Urban Institute estimated that unemployment insurance returns $2 to the economy for every $1 spent. This is money that is needed by families to buy necessities, to heat their homes as Edrie said, and immediately injects demand into the economy - creating jobs.
and:
You hear talk about extending tax cuts to the wealthiest people in America. And those tax cuts we are told, should not be paid for. $700 billion in tax cuts to the top 2 percent in our country and our Republican colleagues say we should do that and we should not pay for it, we should add that $700 billion to the deficit. But when it comes to unemployment insurance and just the renewal we want to have, it costs $18 billion - $700 billion vs. $18 billion - they're saying that has to be paid for. Have to pay for unemployment insurance, we don't have to pay for tax cuts for the rich. Tax cuts for the rich do not create jobs. They haven't throughout the Bush Administration. Unemployment insurance creates jobs; does not add to the deficit. And the Republicans insist that that be paid for.
#9
WikiLeaks links that work
The WikiLeaks site is still up. The "Domain Name" of WikiLeaks.org was compromised but the IP address that it points to is still operating.
Here is the WikiLeaks IP address that was still up at the time of this posting:
http://213.251.145.96.nyud.net
This domain name is still working as well:
http://mirror.wikileaks.info
You can also visit their Facebook and Twitter pages here:
http://www.facebook.com/wikileaks
http://twitter.com/wikileaks
#10
If McCain had been elected president, I suspect that the progressives would have taken to the streets by now, making much louder, more effective noises than the tea party, remiscient of the 60's. Obama is the opium of the progressive masses. Well, not really that extreme but you get the idea.
I'd vote for Palin. Obama is just a place holder until it's safe for the criminals to openly run the White House again. So my only hope is bringing about the angry activist passion of the people in the 60's which a Republican president would bring about.
#11
Why shouldn't Democrats prepare to cave to Republicans? They have had lots of experience, are are very comfortable doing so. Let the hand-wringing begin!
#12
Oh, let's just extend the tax cuts for 2 years so the same arguments can be used in the next election cycle.
#13
Why would Snowe and Collins risk upsetting the Republican money machine voting to repeal DADT before getting tax cuts for the rich? Were they not pledge signers?
#14
Playing poker and messaging
It has been suggested that Pres. Obama is playing chess; the reality is the game is poker and he is a TERRIBLE poker player; he keeps showing his hand and falling for bluffs. Unfortunately the Dems in Congress aren't much better; they are attempting to force the GOP's hands in a lame duck session, they should have been doing that all along, certainly beginning in 2007 when the GOP began filibustering everything.
The other big problem Obama and the Dems have is messaging, they keep letting the GOP frame the issues. For instance, they allowed the GOP to frame as "tax cut" vs. "tax increase" when the issue was whether to extend current "tax rates." Interestingly, on Face The Nation yesterday, John Kyl used exactly that terminology, i.e. "tax rate" instead of "tax cut," It appears that the GOP changing the messaging now that they are in the driver's seat. The Dems also let the GOP frame the issue as "permanent tax cut;" that is a meaningless term, permanent tax cuts are no more meaningful than permanent tax increase; tax rates have always fluctuated as required.
Going forward, the Dems should do a couple of things on the messaging front; the changes to Social Security, and the elimination of the mortgage interest tax deduction (proposed by the Deficit Commission,) should be messaged as tax increases --- which is essentially what they are.
#15
@charell WoW, two wikileaxlinx that actually work, and from a post all of a half hour old! Thankx charell!
#16
Thom, we are headed for disaster whether Obama wins or not! Obama will not be elected in 2012 unless he runs as a Republican. I BELIEVE THAT I POSTED SOME GOOD INFORMATION OVER THE WEEK END ON THOM'S BLOG, DECEMBER 3, 2010. I will recycle some of the week end posts.
#18
THIS IS A MUST READ ARTICLE!!!
http://original.antiwar.com/engelhardt/2010/12/05/taking-down-america/
#19
Sen. Sanders is a perfect candidate for President. Anybody who wants the office should be disqualified. Sanders is among the few in Congress who explicitly does not want the office, therefore he is infinitely qualified over the rest of the crowd.
#20
I turned off the show during Kerry's (sp?) segment - she has no compassion and is hard headed with no concern for truth or fact...
but, I was planning on commenting anyway
Why has the President or any member of the Democratic party not come froth with a plan to CUT taxes for all earnings below $250,00 to the total savings of $100 billion while allowing the Bush cuts to expire. They could claim to give an additional tax break to all Americans while still reducing the deficit by over $600 billion.
The Rebublican plan requires us to borrow, over the next 10 yrs, aprox $23,000 from China for every person earning under $250,000 so we can give that money to the top 2% of earners in the country.
simple messaging would solve the Democratic dilemma!
#21
Perceptual Powers
I have from time to time shared with you the fact that Divine Providence has given me perceptual powers around my mid-twenties. I have often wondered why me? It became clear to me after I had my massive heart attack and I beat the odds. I have mentioned to my doctors that I would like to live as long as I could so information can be gathered on me and my beating the odds. Maybe this information will be of help for other heart attack patients. My heart attack experience may be of benefit to my brothers and sisters in the world. In retirement God has also opened my eyes to my duty of sharing information on America’s future through His giving me the perceptual powers that I have.
America’s future is ongoing damnation. We will always be number one as a military power with our nuclear weaponry but morally the United States of Mortal Sin is decaying and rotting in the abyss of a natural hell. We are no longer at the edge of hell or sliding into hell. We are currently wallowing in hell.
Pride and fear will lead our sinful nation toward a nuclear holocaust through the Bush Doctrine of preemptive wars. The United States of Mortal Sin will never accept number two in any category and so a nuclear holocaust will commence through America’s pride and fear. We will win the nuclear holocaust war and there will be rejoicing in the streets but in time the winds filled with deadly radiation will reach our shores and Americans will slowly die. As Americans lay dying in the street, a dump truck will scope up the corpses and dump these corpses in a communal grave. As the American population slowly dies, there will be no dump trucks to scope up the bodies. The communal graves will be the streets of our nation where ants, flies, and rats will feast on American corpses.
These are my perceptions of America’s future.
#22
WINS broadcast theme again bleeding thru WDTW traffic control; see http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/n8chz/~3/RaJlLmQSPKA/latest-trend-in-audio-engineering-at.html
#23
THERE IS NO PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT!!! The perfect candidate for president left us His words in the New Testament of the Holy Bible.
#24
One Who Comes in Justice
How can we accomplish peace? Hard work, change, repentance, restoring order, and healing wounds!!! In this time of violence throughout the world, it is a great tragedy that Americans have strayed from God, justice, and peace. There is less violence when people are fed and feel safe. Preemptive wars will not make Americans feel safe.
Why is it that we have not built budgets around food instead of war? Why is it that we have one hundred times more money spent on weapons of mass destruction and so little spent on education, health care, medical research, and food subsidies? Does it not seem strange that we fail to follow the wisdom of God and study war no more? Why are our children so poorly educated?
We have to change our attitudes since conversion is the only way to welcome Christ. Our lives are judged by our actions. We need to look at why the children and people of the world are dying from starvation even though they work 12-hour days and 7 days a week. I WOULD NOT WANT TO MEET THE LORD AND TELL HIM THAT I DID NOT READ HIS WORDS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT OF THE HOLY BIBLE.
#25
@newtrev, add me to the list who turns off the show when Carrie Lucas is on. I do the same thing when Dan Gainor is on.
#26
It's time for progressives to behave that way.
#27
TV Ontario
I had a chance to listen to TV Ontario. It is a Canadian television station. The station offers excellent information. Here are some examples that Americans will never see on American television stations.
Planet Inc.
Corporations and people make money during crises, such as war, corporate corruption, etc. Corporations are benefiting themselves against the common good. Privatization takes from the public trust and gives to corporations and influential people. Our lives will be at the mercy of these corporations and the powerful money people. The powerbrokers are interested in private ownership for everything on this planet, such as water, air, land, forests, etc. You will have to pay the corporation for everything.
Corporations want mindless consumers and advertising attempts to control the mindless consumer. Corporations are not good apostles. They are predators. Shareholders want money and not corporate apostles. Corporations advertise a way of life and not a product.
Corporations encourage tax cuts, tax havens, and avoidance of taxes. Every part of our planet will be parceled to corporations.
You cannot patent life and yet, the Supreme Court ruled that you can patent life. Life, today, is a utility to be patented by corporations and research companies, such as cloning and gene alterations. Moral issues are of no concern to corporations.
The Federal Drug Administration goes along with corporations regardless of the research findings. Corporate ownership will broadcast anything and everything they want whether or not the information or research is factual for people and their health. Corporations want profits and not health.
The Battle
Television Ontario (TVO) had a series on television entitled, “The battle for the world economy”. Globalization is tying the world together. Trade is an issue. Foreign governments want free trade because it means jobs for the foreign worker and fewer jobs for the America worker. Thirty percent of the information engineers are from India. There are two hundred thousand Indian engineers in Silicon Valley. Economic reforms lifted three hundred million Chinese out of poverty. America needs economic reforms to bring our citizens out of poverty. Why can’t we lift millions of Americans out of poverty? Why do Americans refuse to help other Americans? Why can’t America have economic reforms?
The second part of the battle for the world economy discusses the question, “Is terrorism the dark side of globalization?” The global economy has problems that ripple across all countries. Quick economic reforms are necessary to avoid a crisis. Cheap labor overseas causes problems in America. World trade has many problems. Trade markets need to be fair. It seems that poverty is worse today. Terrorism will be the new Nazism and the new Communism in the poor countries. People need to prosper in order to prevent terrorism from growing throughout the world. It is no accident that Nazism grew in Germany.
Peace is important in an interconnected world. Poverty opens the doors to terrorists. The gap must narrow between the rich and the poor nations in order to deter the spread of terrorism. Trade markets work best in times of peace. Terrorists create instability and they will continue to work for instability of trade markets. Terrorists promise dissenters a better life. Globalization has created less Nazism and less Communism but it has opened more doors for terrorism. Leaders in a global economy cannot have the diabolical characteristics of Bush and Cheney. World leaders do not trust Bush and Cheney. Both men are perceived as hateful and vengeful and we must remember that hatred begets hatred.
The Reckoning
The final program in a three part series on corporations discusses the question, “Should corporations be socially responsible?” The truth is that profits trump social responsibility. In 1989, corporations met to control the entire planet and its resources. Fifteen corporations want to control the entire planet. Corporations are privatizing the resources and selling it back to the people for whatever price it desires. For example one corporation privatized the water in an emerging country and the corporation demanded twenty-five percent of a person’s daily wages for each day he wanted water.
Sixty-seven percent of the planet will not have fresh drinking water by 2025. Governments are powerless against corporations. In fact, corporations can overthrow governments.
Governments work with corporations to suppress dissenters. Dissenters are idealistic and corporations are realistic and the corporations are winning. Governments and corporations want to take away the people’s freedoms and rights. Corporations with the help of governments are gaining more and more control over our lives. Three billion people are living in poverty. More children are being exploited as slave laborers by corporations in the emerging countries. Slavery continues in the world and in the United States of America.
Epilogue
In previous posts I have tried to share information on Shalom, corporations, and the world economy. I hear people asking, “What does God want from our world?” As the Creator of the Universe, He wants all of us to share in what He has given us on this planet. He wants for us to embrace Shalom in our practices and policies that includes everyone and excludes no one.
Corporations and governments must understand that we are all in it together. People are part of the equation to improve our world. Together we stand or together we will fall.
Fear keeps the masses under control. Corporations and governments keep the fear level high so that people will focus on each other and not the main problems that corporations and governments create to control the people. The people will be divided by the corporations and the governments and they will be too fearful to unite in order to have some influence over the decisions that are made by corporations and governments.
I cannot remember who said that when a person is down, you keep the person down and you can do whatever you want with the person who is down. People will be at the mercy of corporations and governments. When the Americans are DOWN, all the other citizens of the world WILL FALL INTO PLACE.
#28
Thom may be putting the cart in front of the horse worrying or wondering how anything will affect Obama's bid for reelection in 2012. Well, now that he has been outed as what may amount to a co-conspiracy with Bush, Cheney, et al in Spain over the issue of war crimes and crimes against humanity, he has handed the Republicans a bona fide reason to impeach him; malfeasance in office in the form of a treaty violation. Obama, and the US Gov't are treaty-bound to try those accused and indicted for such crimes. It isn't a matter of choice. It's the law that the US obey the treaty and it's the law that Obama follow his Constitutional duties. He is in violation of at least two aspects of the law, domestic and international. How long will it take for the overwrought tea party-ers to try to make the case? And, if they do, which side are YOU going to come down on, the letter of the law side, or the Republican-esque side of "my Obama, right or wrong"?...
Obama 2012?...maybe to optimistic?..
#29
Gerald,
I agree with you. It's over. If Congress gets away with cutting Social Security and raising the age to qualify, it's obvious. The destruction of the middle class is intentional.
When I watched and heard Obama say, at a town hall meeting, that we need to make cuts. "We need to make cuts on Social Security and Medicare." I saw him for what he is--a traitor, to the party and all Americans who voted for him. (I've been a very active Democrat; member of central committee, ran local campaign, etc. etc. I'm done.)
Please, everyone, read THE SHOCK DOCTRINE by NAOMI KLEIN. It's long and a bit tedious in the beginning, but it's all there. It's our turn to be raped by the international corporations, financial institutions, and our own government. The very rich have been doing this to countries since the 1940's. The objective is to kill the unions, grow the poverty rate, and pay low wages. They will take it all and then move on.
As for Jesse Ventura, Conspiracy Theory, catch the one about the Infusion Centers and Family Residential Faculties (with playgrounds)—double-fenced with razor wire. All under Homeland Security—started by Bush and Cheney. They aren’t looking for Al-Qaida. They are prepared to control the American masses when things get out of hand—it’s all in place. They have been way ahead of us for decades.
#30
Perhaps someone can explain to me how we avoid a violent confrontation. How is it that the lower and middle classes can experience this many slaps in the face and not resort to violence...or at least demonstrations of millions standing torches and pitchforks standing outside the gates of the New York Stock Exchange, the White House and the Capitol? When those we elect sell us out, what else is there?
#31
We need Howard Dean to run in the primary against Obama. That huge "base" that put Obama in office are the Howard Dean base. First rule in a republic--if the guy does a lousy job, get him out!
#32
The last time this country made big strides in human rights, i.e., women's rights, minority rights, the Vietnam War, etc., was in the 1960's when people were out in the street and were violent. (This was also the most educated time in the country—they’ve put an end to that!)
The government isn’t going to hand us anything. They have to be “scared” into doing the right thing. They aren’t. Watch British TV. Others ARE out in the streets. They may be in trouble, as we are—but at least they don’t take it sitting down!
#33
I agree. The magnitude of Obama's passive aggressive betrayal is the elephant in the room. I think the left can usefully confront Obama, can call him out, call him to account. This should have been done long ago, during the Health Care sellout for instance. And Afghanistan. And all the rest.
#34
I think Thom spent the first hour apologizing for Obama. He should be outraged instead!
Wait for another year." he said?! How much more evidence do We the People need!
What about the 2% payroll tax decease? The first attack on Social Security funding by the Republican Conservatives!! (PSY-'CHOP-ATY = the control of all institutions by psychopaths, whether CEOs, the Secretary of the Navy (formerly Cheney; involved in psycho-sadistic marine mammal bursting of eyes, bursting of ears, bursting of lungs by utilization of sonar), or dictators of countries.
The Left is NOT irrational. PSYCHOPATHS are irrational. Earth-destroying Capitalists are irrational.
Mr. Hartmann repeated himself, somewhat like a windbag today. And Thom never criticizes Israel, or displays empathy for the Palestinians, I think --- but I am not positive.
IDEA: Obama gets on his bully pulpit, and demonstrates some principled backbone for once.
HE DRAWS A LINE IN THE SAND, AS SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS SAID HE WOULD DO ON THOM'S SHOW!
Let the Bush tax cuts expire.
Let the Republicans shut down the governemnt, as they did during the Clinton administration.
They then have to change and give in, as they did then, and will be excoriated.
Then make the Unemployment Insurance extension retroactive.
QED [Theorem proved.]
Thom is just too confident and STUBBORN about his views today, and lacks principled backbone.
"Go down to the local Democratic office! Remember, you're it!"
Sure, that's a good idea, Thom. But We the People have tried that.
We got Obama elected, after all, didn't We!
THAT IS OBVIOUSLY, HISTORICALLY, NOT A NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CONDITION FOR RESOLUTION OF THE PSYCHOPATHIC MATTER!!
With all due respect, Mr. Hartmann, you are wasting time today, and spinning your wheels!
Respectfully yours,
Signed,
Amy Goodman
Zager and Evans
asb2525
PS::--- What did Obama get for freezing Federal employees' salaries? NOTHING, that I see! He gave away the store again --- without a fight.
PSP [POSTSCRIPT PLUS]::--- Stop criticizing Weiner, Grayson, et. al.
Signed,
Ravi Batra
Aldous Huxley
Julian Assange
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 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."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Thom Hartmann channels the best of the American Founders with voice and pen. His deep attachment to a democratic civil society is just the medicine America needs."
From Screwed:
"Thom Hartmann’s book explains in simple language and with concrete research the details of the Neo-con’s war against the American middle class. It proves what many have intuited and serves to remind us that without a healthy, employed, and vital middle class, America is no more than the richest Third World country on the planet."
Thom a very interesting article is on Michael Moore's website today. The Decline and Fall of the American Empire. The author argues with evidence cited from the U.S. National Intelligence Council that America's global power was indeed on a declining trajectory. It seems to me that our government's failure to address our basic challenges such as having an energy, manufacturing, and trade policy will bring on this crisis.