Daily Topics - Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
By shawnt56
Truthout is proud to bring you an exclusive series from America's No. 1 progressive radio host, Thom Hartmann. We'll be publishing weekly installments of Hartmann's acclaimed new book, "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country." We invite Truthout readers to join us as, chapter by chapter, we explore these groundbreaking ideas for national transformation.
Quote of the Day: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams
Hour One: Don't ever fall in love with a politician
Hour Two: "The Conservative Case for WikiLeaks" - Jack Hunter, columnist for The American Conservative Magazine, will be here www.amconmag.com
Hour Three: "Judge torpedoes Obamacare, warns of 'unbridled fed police'" - Thom debates Joseph Farah author of 'The Tea Party Manifesto' and Founder/Editor/CEO of World Net Daily - www.wnd.com
Comments
#2
No one has mentioned that if this tax bill gets passed the members of congress have once again voted in their own interest. I would be out getting wacked if I was rich and had two young females staffers to carry me home. This is corruption pure and simple.
Also if anyone is treating Obama like he's a god it is Mr. Hartmann because apparently he thinks Obama is infallible as he does his misdeeds. Deeds not words make a good Human.
#3
I am soon-to-be-former subscriber ... had enough, Maybe try Young Turks.
One, the chatterboxing drives me buggy - hardly anyone gets in a word with this guy. I can't imagine holding for an hour, gettting on the line, and getting half a sentence out before Hartmann chimes in, goes off, hangs up and says thanks for calling.
Two, the Obama loyalty ... we are scolded for thinking we might know the inner mind of the man, suspecting, as Ralph Nader does, that Obama is a con man. Yet Hartmann seems to know the inner mind of the man,suspecting he's a goodfella. Why does his insight trump ours?
FInally, actual content in an hour's show time is now down to 36 minutes. It's an ad feast.
#4
Please Thom is nothing more than an appeaser. If we can't call the truth as we see it and need to make an endless stream of excuses for the presidents misdeeds we are only kidding ourselves. If anyone is going to allow fascism to take hold it is so called liberals who defend the transfer of wealth to the rich corporatist. Liberals have an open mind but not a porous mind.
And one more thing Thom, who are you preaching to about jobs and tariffs? If you haven't figured it out yet, no one is listening! We know what the right thing to do is. Making excuses when we have the house, the senate and the presidency is unacceptable..
#5
I totally agree. I'm going to turn it off again. I try to tune in everyday to see if there is anything interesting going on, but all I ever hear is why it's ok and Obama is smart and we can still hope. Someone once said that hope is ok until its all we have. Than it becomes a deterrent.
#6
Not to mention that I don't think anyone is listening to Thom anymore. No one is here today. And now I am shutting off the computer. Good luck all!
#7
I wanted to reply to your previous statement, so stay tuned.
#8
I thought the key item about the tax bill was the $250,000 tax cut limit. Since the congress salary is less than 250K how does that affect them? I know it helps those who pay to help them get re-elected, so is that what you had in mind?
I think Thom is coming from the point that no matter how bad Obama is we still want him in the White House to pick supreme court justices.
#9
Thom,
Your news report has the correct governor but the wrong state. John Kasich is the governor-elect for Ohio. He has rejected the $400 million rail funds at the projected cost of 16,000 jobs in a state with 11% unemployment.
#10
John Kasich has also rejected the current governor's "Race to the Top" education plan putting at risk another $400 million dollars in federal aid. You might remember that New Jersey lost out on these funds when Governor Christie's representatives chose to not correct errors in the states application. Ohio was the recipient of the final award due to Christie's arrogance.
#11
Thom's attitude that we can only achieve anything by working through the Democratic Party has one thing wrong with it - history. That Party exists to soak up discontent and make sure that it doesn't become viral. They absorb us, marginalize us, and then scold us when we don't like what they do.
The idea that we have to work through them presumes that electoral politics is our only avenue to change. Again, one problem: History. Outside movements is what creates change. Thom himself acknowledges that movement politics is what made FDR a man of change.
Working outside the Democrats is our only viable alternative. YES, Thom, it is fraught with difficulty, and the odds are heavily stacked against us. But given two choices, working through the Democratic Party, or movement politics, the latter offers greater possibilities. Inside the Democratic Party we are Bernie Sanders, speaking to an empty chamber.
#12
I have been unemployed and subsequently uninsured for a year now. Don't get me started on COBRA. During this time, my family has been paying out of pocket for doctor visits and prescriptions. Having a son with aspergers and a wife with lupus/hypothyroid disorder/fibromyalgia, monthly prescription costs wipes out an entire unemployment check. We have cut way back on visits and tests and relied on self-diagnosis to keep the cost sort of manageable, if you consider exhausting our savings and cashing out my 401k manageable. At least we had a savings to fall back on.
To think that people working for little more than minimum wage will (can) put aside money to pay a doctor directly is callous. It's more likely the afflicted will go to the emergency room, then claim destitution.
#13
Week of December 13, 2010 (December 14)
Americans can never really avoid intense BOHICA DAYS. I went to the doctor and he said that my rectum is totally shattered.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/We-Are-So-Screwed--So-Let-by-Rob-Kall-101213-805.html
I knew it for many years.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-is-The-American-Drea-by-Bud-Goodall-101213-5.html
Different dreams!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-s-Behind-the-War-on-W-by-Ray-McGovern-101213-776.html
The real reasons!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/THE-WARNING-HAS-BEEN-GIVEN-by-Bruce-K-Gagnon-101213-425.html
We have been warned.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Labor-s-Last-Stand-in-2011-by-shamus-cooke-101212-8.html
The last stand!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Hey-American-People-by-Sheila-Samples-101212-14.html
Hey, American people!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Sins-of-Alan-Greenspan-by-Richard-Backus-101213-829.html
He has screwed us.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/On-the-Chopping-Block-Soc-by-Stephen-Lendman-101213-984.html
It is all over but the shouting!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Bush-Tax-Cuts--Nothin-by-Jack-Blackshear-101211-199.html
Screwed again!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Why-I-m-Posting-Bail-Money-by-Michael-Moore-101214-1.html
Thank you Michael!
Notes from Thom Hartmann’s show! (December 14)
Information is power.
There are Americans who are drawn to a Adolph Hitler type of leadership. Bush Republicans are warmongers. Trade is a powerful issue. We must also end free trade. We must convince the American people that wars do not resolve problems or wars are necessary. I believe that we must learn to practice the Golden Rule in America.
Thom, I enjoy listening to rational conservatives. I consider myself a progressive, an independent, a socialist, and a conservative. The issues will direct me to the real me. I am also a Jesus liberal. The people who have tons and the people who have none are prevalent in the United States of Mortal Sin. Our judicial system is broken. White collar criminals go free and Blue collar criminals go to jail. Michael Moore’s bail money for Assange may put Michael Moore in the terrorist camp. In America Assange is considered a terrorist. Will Michael Moore be on the CIA’s “hit” list? Doing away with health insurance companies is good for America!!! I believe that it is important to know the sob stories of fellow Americans. We cannot fall in love with a politician and no one person can save the world. I am at the acceptance stage of the grieving process.
#14
#15
Hey Thom?
Wow, how come everybody is so mad at you? Actually I think it is indicative of why democrats have a problem leading without a super duper majority. Getting democrats to move in sync is worse than herding cats. They are cranky and opinionated and frequently act like little children throwing a tantrum when things don’t go exactly their way. . . and I love em for it!!! The republicans/conservatives don’t have that problem. They move in unison like storm troopers when they hear their leaders give a command. No questions, no comments, just tell me what to do. Democrats are an unruly group and while at times such an attitude can be a weakness, it is also a great strength. When it comes time they will band together and support and work for the correct cause. Then they will scatter and bitch and moan until it is time to pull together again. I am still listening Thom, and so are many others. Keep up the good work!!!
#16
<blockquote> ...when things don’t go exactly their way.</blockquote>
I hear that a lot - it's nonsense. We are confronted with two right wing parties, each having the same financiers behind them. Anything left-of-center is marginalized. Consequently, nothing goes our way, and yet we are told that the Democrats are our only option. Do you know about health care reform, as it really passed? Financial reform, as it really passed? Iraq withdrawal, as it really [didn't] happen? Closing Gitmo? Ending turture and rendition?
If not, I urge you bone up before you criticize us.
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 The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Thom is a national treasure. Read him, embrace him, learn from him, and follow him as we all work for social change."
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."
Thom, when the Great Depression started we had Hoover in office... however, more to the point you made... Germany had a leader in office at that time, and we had a representative... not only that, but America voted to change its representatives, and we were still lucky that FDR turned out to be the progressive he became, even at the time of the election there is no evidence that FDR had in mind to enact the policies he did. Germany on the other hand, had the misfortune of having a lunatic taking advantage of the situation presented to him and his party.
N