Republican Hostage Crisis is in the Works
By louisehartmann
Our economy is screwed. Top Republicans have come forward to say they are more than willing to crash our economy by pushing back a vote on raising the debt ceiling until July. On May 16th – our nation is expected to reach its debt limit – and if no action is taken we could be facing a Greek-style implosion of our economy.
But Republicans feel that if they can push the vote back until July – after we’ve hit that ceiling – they can have more leverage to negotiate away spending that they don’t like – primarily spending that benefits working class people – seniors – women – and children. Treasury officials have come forward to say that any delay in the debt-ceiling vote could have “highly disruptive” effects on our markets.
Looks like another Republican hostage crisis is in the works – They're saying that if we don’t let them throw women – children – and poor people out on the streets – then they’ll blow the economy up.”
Comments
#2
I've never understood why we have this debt ceiling in the first place. In my lifetime -- 54 yrs -- no republicorp president hes put forward a legally balanced budget. Nixon had a short lived small surplus he created by impounding funds, but other than that, any balanced budgets were propsed by "tax and spend" democrats. Anyway, with that in mind, a debt ceiling is as meaningless as a Consttitutional amendment for a balanced budget. I guess as long as we argue over what they never intend to do, they have an excuse to not do what they never intend to do.
#3
The False Debate on the Debt
By Robert Scheer
http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/the_false_debate_on_the_debt_20110412/
Get Robert Scheer and Chris Hedges on regularly. You're too moderate, Thom...
#4
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the non-profit which owns and runs Monticello, decided to invite Peter Peterson as the keynote speaker as part of Jefferson's birthday festivities. Unfortunately, Peterson took the opportunity to keep spreading the falsehood that Medicare and Social Security are the main problems for our so called debt crisis. Follow the link below for the text of the speech..
By the way, We can no longer listen to you on the radio here in Charlottesville, the AM station AM1450, abruptly changed the format two weeks ago and is now broadcasting ESPN radio all day...
#5
U.S Cut anything but not funding for Israeli Missiles. Take a look > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG50BxwMSdk&feature=player_embedded#at=39
#6
We need to stop all these polluting wars, raise taxes on imports so this way it would be cheaper to make products here in the U.S Also tax the wealthy a higher percentage 74%
#7
I'm starting to think, as much as this sounds like a "crazy alert", that the Republican extremists want to crash the world economy to either: 1-Create world chaos etc. and hasten their "Rapture" or, 2-Create world chaos to make way for total corporate-marshal law and facism. Thank you Thom for jumping on the wealth inequality statistics band-wagon.
Please go to http://konteml8.wordpress.com/...help stop us from becoming the United States of Plutocracy. Lets drown them in e-mails!
#8
I don't see why anyone is the least bit concerned about the debt ceiling. It will be raised, let there be no doubt. How do I know this?
Three questions:
1) If the United States of America defaults on its debts, what happens to the stock market?
2) Who stands to lose the most?
3) Who owns Congress? By that, I mean who are most Republicans (and some Democrats) beholden to?
As I understand it, playing politics with the debt ceiling can lead to nothing less than the permanent destruction of the American Way of Life. Who honestly believes that the USA's "Board of Directors" would actually allow that to happen?
#9
Chris Agreed This is the long time GOP scheme -scam . To Cause another Gilded Age when Robber barons controlled ALL. We are almost there. From 1981 Reaganomics 1981 deregulation, 1986 total amnesty, huge debt, Bush Cheney 2008 crash- with help from our Goldman run Fed Reserve. Those wealth favoring policies, con courts, con laws, unfunded wars and 3 huge tax cuts ..left us with a global crash / edge of depression / 700 Billion TARP with NO safe guards to protect taxpayers Paulson drew up the 4 page ' robbery ' bill that way . Worst part : Bush Cheney Paulson just walked away Unscathed- as if they did nothing wrong. NO apology NADA DISGRACEFUL
#10
Thom Re Obama speech BRAVO I Love it when he talks ' that way' lol Lets keep them honest www.whitehouse.gov 202 456 1111 M-F to 5 pm www.congress.gov
SPEAK OUT FOLKS BE ACTIVE PUSH YOUR REPS HARD TO DO RIGHT THING
NO EXCUSES NONE
#11
Thom - I say it's time for CW2 - Class War - revolution - that's the only language these people will understand. They want war - I say let's give it to them!! We need to take to the streets in numbers the media cannot avoid.
#12
The Republican point of view is really hard to understand. Ultimately they are whittling away at something that eventually will be themselves. It's an insane pyramid scam that everyone will become vulnerable of eventually depending on how severe the cuts get. It will affect friends and relatives as well as public figures negatively. They have to be careful because they just may not realize what their asking for in the long run. Their ardent supporters are in fact the biggest whiners and once they've
accomplished their goal of trashing the economy vivid reality will come calling on them.
As someone who has seen it all in my sixty two years I can attest to the dog chasing it's tail economic strategy. Growing up in the agricultural environment I was raised with a work ethic where money
was not the issue but the well being of friends and neighbors was. Money was just the lubricant for taking care of one another. The same goes for soldiers in combat. The well being of your buddies comes first above the mission. We have made heros of those like Ronald Reagon, who's philosophy
had to do with the rights of huge corporations at the risk of individual citizen. We put our agenda of getting ours first and keeping it, above common decency and the American tradition of helping our neighbor. In this nation we have a slim chance to resurrect ethical compassion for the good of all.
To educate, care for widows, single mothers, and victims of crime, abuse, and neglect. We have a slim chance to shine a brighter light for the rest of the world. Economic solvency I believe is three dimensional. It has to do with what we have done in the past , where we are in the present, and where we are headed in the future. If the republicans are afraid that compassion may be subject to
fraud, then that validates they just approve of selective fraud from their favorite campaign contributors.
#13
Isn't this exactly what the US Chamber of Commerce wants? USA workers are the most productive and qualified. Will this not give them what they have always wanted?
Cheap, productive and qualified labor.
#14
A person would have to be absolutely blind to not see that the Republicans were chosen (by the Puppet Masters) to be the bad guys in this game to usher in the New World Order. The Democrats have a roll in this game also that is equally important. The Democrats are supposed to portray themselves as the good guys who are on the other end of this huge tug of war. Both sides have a different job to do to get to the same goal, so, as the Republicans pull on one end of the rope with little to no strength needed, the Democrats act like they are giving every bit of strength that they have on the other end while slowly giving way to the other side. This is the only way the game could be played without showing the public the honest truth, and that truth is that our government as well as justice system here in America is completely corrupt and cannot be fixed. The object of this game is to destroy America and kill as many people as they can along the way. I personally believe it's time for a R E V O L U T I O N!__But, I think Americans are true sheep and just can't be bothered with saving themselves. They haven't shown anyone anything different because if they had. . . we would be taking back our country from these liars, theives, murderers, and destroyers of all that is fair, honest, just, and humane. I'm sorry to have taken up so much of all of your time. You are free to return to your god. . . Television.
#15
Regarding Republican/Tea Party threats to blow up our economy. "It matters little now what they either say or do. They have wickedly broken through every moral and human obligation, trampled nature and conscience beneath their feet,and by a steady spirit of insolence and cruelty, have procured for themselves a universal hatred." Thomas Paine
The question I have is, when do we declare our independence from the Tea Party Tories and their Corporate Kings, who have occupied our Democracy?
Given the right wing monopolization of mass media dianhow #11 is right on we all must SPEAK OUT AND BE ACTIVE , it truly may be our only hope to reverse the TYRANNY!
#16
MONETARY REFORM
No one is talking about the real problem. No one is addressing the root cause.
We deal with our diseased country the way the medical community has come to handle our health problems; medicate the symptoms rather than confront the cause of the illness.
This country and the world face innumerable crises, which require solutions, not inexpedient stop-gap measures. These crises are all symptoms, not the disease. Unless we take the necessary steps to treat the cause of the sickness, the symptoms will never be extirpated.
At the root of our critical condition, the obstacle to the resolution of the crises we face, is a debt-based monetary system. Nobody can pay off a debt by borrowing more money. That only serves to create more debt. It's not unlike throwing gas on a fire to extinguish it.
Few people realise that the monetary system of america and most of the world is based on money which is issued as debt. Whether paper currency or electronic data, it is all loaned into circulation with interest due.
There is another significant fact about which most are unaware; no money, paper or electronic is ever created to pay the interest. Only the principal is entered into circulation. The result of this process is the endless accumulation of debt, which can never be paid off as long as the system remains unchanged.
Money is a fiat of law, not a commodity.
“If congress has the right under the Constitution to issue paper money, it was given them to use themselves, not to be delegated to individuals or corporations.” - Andrew Jackson
“The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity.” - Abraham Lincoln
Unless and until the creation and regulation of money is restored to the government of the people, as the constitution stipulates, it is simply physically and mathematically impossible to pay off our debt, balance our books and carry on commerce in a truly free market. Our currency must be issued as debt-free government notes and only in the proportions necessary to conduct commerce freely.
Thomas Jefferson knew this and warned us;
“If the American people ever allow banks to issue their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations which will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property, until their children wake homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” - Thomas Jefferson
Andrew Jackson knew it and became the only president to ever pay off the national debt. He did it by kicking out the privatised central bank.
Abraham Lincoln knew it and was murdered for his intention to keep the country's money under national control and away from the private sector.
Representative Dennis Kucinich introduced monetary reform legislation, H.R. 6550, The National Emergency Employment Defense Act, to the 111th Congress, in the house of representatives, December 17, 2010.
Why has no one even heard of it?
Why is the general public kept in ignorance regarding the nature of our monetary system?
Without the passage and implementation of H.R. 6550, we will never be able to effectively address any of the critical problems we face. The issues of healthcare, climate change, renewable energy, infrastructure, the national debt, the economic monstrosity of Wall Street and the international banking cartel can never be resolved; nor can the programs required to promote the general welfare be maintained sustainably as long as the debt-based monetary system remains in place.
Please write, fax, call and email your representatives, now and repeatedly, demanding that they sponsor and pass H.R. 6550 as soon as humanly possible, if not sooner.
"Once a nation parts with the control of its currency and credit, it matters not who makes the nations laws. Usury, once in control, will wreck any nation. Until the control of the issue of currency and credit is restored to government and recognized as its most sacred responsibility, all talk of the sovereignty of parliament and of democracy is idle and futile." - William Lyon Mackenzie King, the tenth Prime Minister of Canada
#17
I say let them do it! There is no way we are going to convince these zealots that they will be responsible for a world economic havoc if they do vote on a debt-ceiling. So let them do it. That way, when and if the world economic machine does grind to a halt, we will know exactly who to blame.
History is a one-way process - at any one second, say, history can be any of billions of future possibilities. It can never be re-wound. And you can never prove a negative, or argue that if only we would of done this, we could of avoided that. Post hoc ergo propter hoc.
This is exactly the case when President Obama was elected. We pretty much state that the election of McCain/Palin would have proved disastrous for America. We state that bailing out the Big Banks and the mortgage mess saved our economy. The Republicans continuously state that Obama's Stimulus Plans will never work. But yet we cannot prove that any of it would logically follow from the premises - we can only see and observe what has HAPPENED based on what has actually transpired. We really do not know if the election of McCain/Palin would have proved disastrous. We really do not know that the bank bailouts saved our economy – but we know that the banks are still making tons of $$$ and are still open. As to Obamas' stimulus, we do know that it saved the car companies, and there were some job creation, and the economy did not go into free-fall.
To really know for sure what the real cause and effect is, you need controls. You need to have one premise as a control and then you play a number of different premises against the control to see which one works the best. Unfortunately, with the historical process one does not have that luxury! You would have had to have concurrently both the McCain/Palin and the Obama presidency to draw a conclusion as to which one was more successful – but we all know that this is not possible! So we all play that “prove a negative game”. After all is said and done, we still do not, and will never know, what would have happened with a McCain/Palin presidency.
What would have happened if Bush had not stolen the Presidency in 2000? For sure America would be very different place than it is today. How different? We will never know.
So let the neo-cons vote on a debt limit! Reasonable people know pretty much what will happen just based on logic and the laws of economics. But for the zealots, it will always be an open sore always ready to be scratched – what if only we would have voted on that debt limit? How different the world would be! Well, you’ll never know for sure until you do it. Go for it zealots – throw the dice!
#18
Let them eat Tennyson-
Then the bells rang loud and deep,
"God is not dead nor doth he sleep."
The Wrong shall fail and Right prevail
With Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men.
XXXXX
#19
The Dems should cut the military and take us out of both wars-no wars until we can afford them.The cuts should be so deep that Boehner starts crying and shouting, "Hell no you can't!"Just heard on the HORN that the Cdn govt has awarded $745 billion in corporate tax cuts since 1991 and only $600 million of that money was reinvested in bldgs and equipment.A decade of consecutive corporate tax cuts while Canada's national debt is over $560 billion, which works out to over $16,000 per person.Imagine having a $185 billion dollar surplus or putting that money into social programs, disaster prepardeness (we've had hurricanes, floods, fires and tornados), the smart grid or free post secondary education.
#20
You are so right. We need to stop listening to the babble in the media that creates these class warfare battles and start seeing and listening through the static. We need to wake up and understand that we are a free and soverign country not just a pin in the world map.
#21
TIME TO KICK SOME RIGHT WING ASSES !!!!
#22
It is certainly great to hear President Obama say the things he did. He sounded tough, bold, resolute, and historically correct in his pre-election campaign too...and then proceeded to take it in the a$$ from the Republicans after being elected. Actions, not words, is what we need. Talk is cheap! I wouldn't get too excited that he berated Reaganism Voodoo economics because his actions has shown that he is owned by Wall Street bubble economics. It is nice that Thom Hartmann had on his show today, 4/14/11, an economics professor Max Wolff, but it would be really great if he had on the economics professor from Kansas City, Michael Hudson. By the way, I certainly agreed with that last caller on his show today that commented on Obama's position on economic policy. Since he said that he couldn't even afford to be on the internet, I hope he finds the means (public libraries?) to continue to express his views. He sounded quite intelligent and I think even Thom Hartmann thought so until the caller slipped in at the last moment his view of what he thought of Obama's true economic position.
I think the Democratic party, with the exception of a few, is being used by the rich to be the pressure release valve, the false hope, in order to keep the masses from ripping them to shreds while they continue their plans to kill off the peons, the riff-raff, the masses who don't deserve, in their eyes, to exist except to serve their masters. Whenever the rich have pushed too hard, as in Voodoo and bubble economics, and people are dying and starving in the streets, they will try to convince us that the great savior party, the Democratic party, gives us hope and will save us. But their actions betray them as traitors and liars who are just as much owned by the rich as the Republicans are. I think that Americans are finally realizing this and that the traditional two party system needs to be replaced. Whether that will come about through massive violence is yet to be seen. I sure hope it will never come to that but signs that this may happen may be manifested by random acts of violence..unless certain rich people who have been the beneficiaries of their criminal Wall Street and bankster actions suffer the consequences of their actions and their booty restored to the people. Should that be through a long awaited prosecutorial action and they become some prison-mate's butt buddy, or through some other act of lynch mob mentality..time will tell.
#23
It all depends on what Mitch the (un)Majestic says. The day he let it be known that Repubicorp was going to oppose Obama stimulus bill in lock step, was the day Obama abdicated his position under the guise of choosing "governance over gridlock." Call me a cynic, call me whatever you want, but the bottom line is that everything that Obama has "accomplished" has been done because McConnell allowed it. And do you really expect me to believe McConnell didn't get something in return for each and every thing he let through? If you believe it, you're as naive as Obama was to believe that he could "gather everyone around the table, the insurance people, the pharmaceucal people, Congressional leaders, blah blah blah and come up with what's best for America."
Obama made a good speech. Obama's good at making good speeches. He made good speeches about health care; he made good speeches about letting Bush's tax cuts expire; he made good speeches about protecting the environment. and many other good speeches. He's also good at having excuses for each promise he breaks, like preserving middle class tax cuts so he can preserve the Bush Bailout for Billionaires. For TWO years, while conceding to unemployment financing for ONE year. And beginning to defund SS through his "payroll tax holiday' which will also be extended. Again.
Let's hope Obama backs up this speech as he has not done with so many others. I though, am not going to hold my breath.
#24
selfish politicians/banksters/corporations are destroying america. it's time those untouchables get mauled by justice.
#25
Clearly failing to increase the Debt Limit would have a significant impact on Wall Street and the Banksters. The Administration has given them (W.S. and Banksters) a lot. It's time to collect on OUR investment. The Administration should "draft" the Wallstreeters and Banksters to reign in their stooges on the Republican side of the aisle and set them straight about whether they should oppose the increased debt ceiling.
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