Do we now have three co-equal branches of government – each owned by big oil?

People who care about the environment are screwed. Republicans are handing our Gulf of Mexico over to oil corporations. A new bill entitled the “Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act” passed out of the House of Representatives on Wednesday ending the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf and giving his oil corporations free reign to explore for new wells as if the BP oil spill last year never happened. But a sneaky little provision in the bill makes sure oil corporations will have a favorable audience in the courtroom if they should screw up again.

The bill says that any lawsuits against oil corporations in the Gulf MUST be brought in front of the Fifth Circuit court. Why the fifth circuit court? Because it’s bought off by big oil! Ten of the sixteen judges on the court have stakes in oil – including the Chief Judge who owns over $300,000 in oil investments. Other judges on that court have attended legal junkets sponsored by big oil companies.

Looks like we now have in America – three co-equal branches of government – each owned by big oil.

Comments

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#1

SUBSIDIES ARE SOCIALISM IN ACTION!!!

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#2

Thom, I believe you mean well but I disagree with you on our future. The Anti-Christ does not have a future. We have dug a hole so deep that we can never get out of this hole.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#3

The Republican Party’s DNA matches perfectly with Germany’s Nazi Party’s DNA. The Nazis infiltrated the universities with crazy college professors. The Anti-Christ is modeling herself after Nazi Germany. Now, our local police are being militarized to kill Americans who speak out in a non-violent way. We are the new Nazis. America is definitely The Anti-Christ that is seeking to ruin human souls all over our planet. The Anti-Christ has made a great start in ruining American souls first and now seeks other souls on our planet. The Anti-Christ embraces money, nuclear weaponry, and false prophets.

American brains function closely like Numb Nuts. When a person has a Numb Nut brain, there is no way a person can assess and think clearly on important issues. Stupid does as stupid is. Satan’s disciples are more commonly known as KKKhristians.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#4

The conservative crazies will never again lose a national election. With rigged electronic voting machines and with the mysteriously finding of lost voting ballots there is no way the conservative crazies will ever lose an election.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#5

The Democrats lack the courage to take a stand. The Republicans are crazy and Democrats are gutless and spineless freaks.

I must send a repeat copy of why Obama will not be reelected.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#6

If Barack Obama is on the ticket, I will vote for him. I cannot vote for a fascist or a Nazi.

Election of 2012

Barack Obama will not be re-elected in 2012!!!

Here is some information for my prediction.

I believe that at least ten million plus voters will be removed from the voting rolls in 2012 and beyond. The lines for voting in urban areas will be long with fewer voting machines in urban precincts. The electronic voting machines are rigged to include more Republicans receiving the majority of votes.

Our electronic voting machines are rigged to keep Satan’s disciples in the majority forever. Florida’s law will also keep Satan’s disciples in the majority forever.

Florida has passed into law the ability to curtail voter registrations and making it next to impossible for low-income persons, students, and racial minorities from voting. Florida is definitely a Nazi-controlled state where Satan’s disciples prevail over the citizens. There should be minimal doubt that Nazi America has more disciples wearing brown shirts and jackboots. These devils are truly Nazis who prowl the fifty states seeking the ruin of souls.

My wife has a knitting class one day per week. In the class is a woman whose aunt is approaching ninety. She lives in Florida. Her driver’s license needs to be renewed. Plus, she needs to re-register to vote. The aunt needs the original birth certificate, the original marriage license, her husband’s death certificate to prove she is a widow, and proof of permanent residency for Florida, such as a home, townhouse, or condominium. I do not know if an apartment, senior citizen home, or trailer qualifies for permanent residency. Florida is harassing the elderly, taking away their freedoms and rights, and removing them from the voting booth and polls. The conservatives seek to always be in the majority. Our Supreme Court really runs Nazi America and the Court will vote in Florida’s favor that its law is constitutionally sound. The Catholic Mafia on the Supreme Court is anti-poor and anti-working class. The U.S. Supreme Court is an extension of our Anti-Christ nation.

I believe that most people who make comments on Thom’s blog will admit that they have learned much from listening to his radio show. We know that Thom is intelligent and in his early school years he was placed in a gifted program. Gifted students can learn more quickly than average students. Thom was able to learn quickly. He is a progressive person and he believes that America has a future. I am twelve years older than Thom and no way close to his gifted intelligence. Age does have some value. I must disagree with Thom and say that the United States of Mortal Sin does not have a future.

Even Einstein is no way near as intelligent as Satan’s disciples, the conservative crazies, the GOP, the Republicans, the Libertarians, the Tea Baggers, the Lobbyists, the rich, and American corporations. These groups are brilliant.

You have only to know and read Florida’s law to see other states following and modeling their laws to be similar to Florida’s law.

I am not a psychiatrist. I am only an average person who can offer an opinion. I would have to say that the United States of Mortal Sin, aka an Anti-Christ nation, is certifiably crazy where most Americans are psychotic. People may disagree with me but there can be no doubt that most Americans are sociopaths, the lunatic fringe. Believe it or not!!!

Progressives are grasping to be excited at anything. Here is an example. The polls reveal that Nazi governors’ numbers are low in the polls. Polls do not excite me because the Nazis will always remain in the majority. Here are my reasons. Our electronic voting machines are rigged. Factual! The Nazis will eliminate from voting – low income people, students, and racial minorities. Factual! In heavy Democratic districts voting booths will be scarce so that the voting lines are long. Factual! The lobbyist party with the money will pay off politicians to vote a certain way. Factual!

I was asked what I would do if I had the power to improve our election process, such as having our citizens being able to vote. Here are some of my words.

I would like to see ACORN return to have citizens register to vote. Since I am over 60, I can vote by an absentee ballot. Voting by mail may require more scrutiny of qualified voters but voting by mail should be part of the voting process. I believe that the voting booths should open on a Tuesday at the scheduled time and date, such as 7:00 AM and the voting booths will close at 11:00 PM on Wednesday. That would mean the polls would be open for forty hours. More voting machines in urban areas! A treasonous act for rigged electronic voting machines must be definite! Companies rigging the election or any state and federal person as well as American citizens who rig or elections will need to be prosecuted as traitors against the United States. We must welcome into the voting process more low income voters, the aged population voters, and racial minority voters! We need to be a true democracy in our country before we preach, kill, and maim human populations in other countries to embrace our democracy! I am definitely for having all AMERICANS vote and all AMERICANS should be encouraged to vote by making all AMERICANS feel like they are AMERICANS!!!

Power Corrupts 12 years 3 weeks ago
#7

Thom, why don't you Hope in one hand and crap in the other, see which one fills up first.
Obama is smart enough to know how the game is played and his biggest donors are Corporate America. So, of course he didn't do The People's bidding. There is also Nothing to suggest Obama will Magically do it in his second term.
You've got to stop this Cognitive Dissidence that you have because of the importance of SCOTUS. You are essentially telling people that ‘Obama will save us in his next term of office.’ In doing so you are creating magical thinking that allows people to be passive. You are, in fact, defeating your own argument for “Getting out there and getting active.” All, we have to do is re-elect Obama and everything will be alright.
MOVEMENTS and RESISTANCE are HISTORICALLY the ONLY WAY. Not Elections. As a historian, you know that. So, please stop saying "Let's Hope Obama figures that out" etc. etc....

mslowie's picture
mslowie 12 years 3 weeks ago
#8

6 ppm sulphur AKA Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel is one reason the price is so high. The refiners call it "Boutique Blend" I think. US now requires ULSD across the country (not just Ca) Refiners probably drug their feet increasing the sulphur reducing equipment to cause scarcity. Peak Oil Is The Elephant in the Room

msimamaji's picture
msimamaji 12 years 3 weeks ago
#9

During the show today, I heard Thom Hartmann ask for sources about the price gouging by oil companies. I'd urge everyone to read the lead article of the Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2011 by Ron White. According to this article, oil refineries are lowering the amount of gasoline and diesel they produce. They are exporting from 10 to 20 % of the diesel and gasoline that they do produce. This is done to jack up the price of oil

So, you do have a source of information proving the statements about diesel fuel made on today's show.

Again read the article. Perhaps Thom Hartmann could interview Tom White. I'd urge everyone reading this to do the following. First of all write to your Congressional representatives and let them know. Secondly, write to WhiteHouse.gov. Urge Eric Holder to begin investigations. Obama needs to know that we want action done. He also needs to know that we've got his back.

msimamaji's picture
msimamaji 12 years 3 weeks ago
#10

Additional thoughts. (I knew I'd forget something.) If you check out Center for Political Responsivenes, you will know that almost all Republicans get generous campaign contributions from big oil. You'll get the same information on the Lowdown by Jim Hightower. The Koch Brothers are funding the Tea Party. In addition, if you've been following MoveOn, you know that the Koch Brothers held a secret meeting at Rancho Cucamonga last January with various CEO's, the US Chamber of Commerce, and Republican Congressmen.

The prices you are paying at the pump are the result of this secret meeting. People need to spread the word, and keep on spreading the word.

dianhow 12 years 3 weeks ago
#11

They all take corp cash Big deal All that counts is who Obama works for - who he tries to help -that he cares- and is yes flawed but decent Obama did not start 2 long wars - lie about Iraq- killing- maiming- wasting trillions or give 3 huge corp / billionaire unfunded tax cuts - giant subsides - even to CO's that sent jobs overseas- Obama did not lead us to global crash TARP he got it all dumped on him when Bush did not know how to deal with any of it. Obama had to accomplish the Missison That Bush Cheny Rice Rummy could- would not . Bush gave up looking for Bin laden as he admiited on TV in 2002 Bush Dismantled CIA unit looking for Bin Laden in 2005 thats when Bin laden built his ' mansion ' Obama has proven his mettle and guts That counts for a whole lot

John Defalque's picture
John Defalque 12 years 3 weeks ago
#12

There is a moratorium on drilling off the coast of British Columbia, but Thievein' Harper is Bush's best living buddy.Calgary oil companies Enbridge and Encana would love to build a pipeline accross 1,300 rivers , streams and tributaries to a planned refinery at Kitimat.I dn't want such a risk to our salmon, recreation and tourism.

2010 On Monday, July 26, the pipeline company, Enbridge Energy Partners LLP (Enbridge), reported that a 30-inch (760 mm) pipeline belonging to Enbridge burst in Marshall, Michigan. The company estimates over 800,000 gallons of crude oil leaked into Talmadge Creek, a waterway that feeds the Kalamazoo River,[516][517][518] whereas EPA believes over 1 million gallons of oil may have leaked into the river.[519] On July 27, 2010, an Administrative Order was issued by U.S. EPA requiring the performance of removal actions in connection with the facility. The Order requires Enbridge to immediately conduct removal of a discharge or to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of a discharge of oil and to submit a Work Plan for the cleanup activities that was to include a Health and Safety Plan,[520] as required by 29 CFR 1910.120 (HAZWOPER). An oil spill cleanup contractor from Texas, Hallmark, bussed numerous undocumented workers to Battle Creek to work on the cleanup of oil spill and had them work in unsafe conditions.

richsapf's picture
richsapf 12 years 3 weeks ago
#13

Who did Thom mention about a video made about the profit of wars? I can't remember his name. I thought it was Thomas Franklin, but I have looked everywhere and that is not correct. He mentioned the video had a part about showing the mansions in washington DC. thats all i can remember about it. It was mentioned at the end of his last hour today. Any help would be great.. Thank you!! You are great Thom!!

SWBarraza's picture
SWBarraza 12 years 3 weeks ago
#14

I believe his name is Thomas Frank (s). He wrote What's the Matter with Kansas?

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#15

A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hero.html#ixzz1MINTChoV

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#16

The Anti-Christ and Human Rights

Hillary is spewing about China’s poor human rights’ record. How wonderful? She fails to see The Anti-Christ’s poor record on human rights. Let us look at The Anti-Christ’s record on human rights. I am not in the loop so I will only share a part of our poor record on human rights – our attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan, torture, the wanton killing of God’s children, the drone attacks on civilians in other countries, the sale of weaponry to other countries, and the sale of roadside cluster bombs to other countries. The Anti-Christ’s record on human rights is the worst record in the history of our Universe.

Hillary should be ashamed of herself. She is living in a constant state of denial regarding our poor human right’s record. You need to remember that The Anti-Christ is not a good, holy, and saintly nation.

The professors at The Catholic University of America are right in their letter that the Republican Party is an Anti-Life Party. Yes, our record on human rights is a horrible record and yes, the majority of Americans are Satan’s disciples, aka KKKhristians.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 3 weeks ago
#17

What the young are watching/listening to....very enlightening, hopeful, and funny. Although I have a hard time, myself, understanding every word...it would be nice if there were transcripts available.
http://www.thejuicemedia.com

SueN's picture
SueN 12 years 3 weeks ago
#18

Hi richsapf,

If you sign up for the free newsletter you will get the links from the show every day.

It was Thomas Frank. http://www.tcfrank.com/

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 12 years 3 weeks ago
#19

It looks like climate change facts are not a priority when it comes to the God almighty dollar! How many more coastal mansions have to wash away before BIG OIL goes down in the history books as a BIG MISTAKE?

I find it very depressing that our system of govt. - "by and for the people", is only - "by and for" those who can afford to buy it!

Power Corrupts 12 years 3 weeks ago
#20

"Why We Fight" 2005 Documentary by Eugene Jarecki http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436971/

This tells it all, richsapf

See Trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2uAc4HkIAM

Power Corrupts 12 years 3 weeks ago
#21

"The Corporation" - This documentary changed my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa3wyaEe9vE&NR=1
Made in 2003 it's more pressient today than ever. A Brilliant documentary of the effects of the Corporate State.

eric7195673@yahoo.com's picture
eric7195673@yah... 12 years 3 weeks ago
#22

Ironic a brilliant revelation of brought off Supreme Court Justices then an assertion of faith in the justice system controlled by said Justices.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 3 weeks ago
#23

Beware the Sock puppet trolls paid by the Pentagon and Wealthy Ultra Right Wing entities like the Koch-roaches and evil banksters. I have not seen many of these on this Thom Hartmann blog site but you sure do hear from a lot of them in response to Max Keiser's YouTube programs. They also tend to infest Salon.com and thenation.com as well. Max Keiser must be really ticking off a lot of wealthy and powerful people and if you have ever watched his shows you'd know why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zMv4Offm_8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

leighmf's picture
leighmf 12 years 3 weeks ago
#24

Big Oil is just BO- cousin of Big Opium. They are wedded to BS- Big Steel and Big Sugar, and BP British Petroleum and Pharmaceuticals, owned by the Queen and Eli Lilly c/o G.H. Walker & Co. Also they own TRANSPORTATION, weaponry, and the food supply. They have been known to hoard gold and dabble in mind control experiments, involuntary sterilization of humans, and germ warfare.

No, there should be no Gulf drilling, nor dumping effluents into waters of the public domain, nor treating with poison. All unnecessary pleasure craft and casino boats should get out of the water now, before it's too late.

XXXXX

Barliman's picture
Barliman 12 years 3 weeks ago
#25

More information on the question of the profits of war can be found at www.wanttoknow.info

Barliman's picture
Barliman 12 years 3 weeks ago
#26

The emphasis of many activists is on electoral politics, but the elite have a huge advantage in this battlefield, where money controls the US electoral process. By focusing exclusively on electoral politics at the expense of everything else, we: (1) give away power when we focus only on getting leaders elected and become dependent on them; (2) buy into the elite notion that democracy is all about elections; (3) lose sight of the fact that democracy means having influence over all aspects of our lives; and (4) forget that if we have no power in our workplace, in our education and in all our institutions, then there will never be democracy worthy of the name. Thus, we should focus our fight more on the daily institutions we experience. As Wendell Berry said, "If you can control a people's economy, you don't need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant."The emphasis of many activists is on electoral politics, but the elite have a huge advantage in this battlefield, where money controls the US electoral process. By focusing exclusively on electoral politics at the expense of everything else, we: (1) give away power when we focus only on getting leaders elected and become dependent on them; (2) buy into the elite notion that democracy is all about elections; (3) lose sight of the fact that democracy means having influence over all aspects of our lives; and (4) forget that if we have no power in our workplace, in our education and in all our institutions, then there will never be democracy worthy of the name. Thus, we should focus our fight more on the daily institutions we experience. As Wendell Berry said, "If you can control a people's economy, you don't need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant."The emphasis of many activists is on electoral politics, but the elite have a huge advantage in this battlefield, where money controls the US electoral process. By focusing exclusively on electoral politics at the expense of everything else, we: (1) give away power when we focus only on getting leaders elected and become dependent on them; (2) buy into the elite notion that democracy is all about elections; (3) lose sight of the fact that democracy means having influence over all aspects of our lives; and (4) forget that if we have no power in our workplace, in our education and in all our institutions, then there will never be democracy worthy of the name. Thus, we should focus our fight more on the daily institutions we experience. As Wendell Berry said, "If you can control a people's economy, you don't need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant."

Barliman's picture
Barliman 12 years 3 weeks ago
#27

Hmm- I don't know why that happened- but this text was meant to accompany the above, and I can't figure out why I have 3 copies of that excerpt- or why I can't delete them.

The focus of this battle needs to be drawn away from electoral politics.

The deck in this game is stacked so efficiently that there is little chance of an independent politician getting elected or retaining his independence once elected.

Take a look at this article:

http://www.truthout.org/tenfold-path-guts-solidarity-and-defeat-corporat...

Note especially point 6 in this regard.

miike's picture
miike 12 years 3 weeks ago
#28

I cant believe that there isnt a thing called ethics anymore or what about conflict of interest! Look I am a carpenter,veteran, single father and even I know this kinda of thing is unfair.How on Gods green earth does this kind of thing get past kindergarten let alone the senate or congress or whoever passes this crap!!!!! Its getting to the point I can't stand the truth its to flippin hard to believe!!!

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 3 weeks ago
#29

Barliman: Great web site..(www.wanttoknow.info)..thanks! I've known about most of these things and it is great to have lots of references to videos and other web sites that your web site recommends.

I had watched a YouTube video of Jessie Ventura interviewed on, I think it was, a recent Max Keiser show...anyway...Jessie Ventura wrote a book called "63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You To Read". I haven't read it yet and look forward to it.

You know I think about the only thing that really changed things in the history of the world is when groups of people have actively struck out and targeted their enemies. The faux democracy that the ruling lords want you to believe in is a bust and a fraud. Even the Democrat Party is full of sell-outs and with such a corrupt Republican/Democrat bad-cop/good-cop, smoke-and-mirrors, system the people only have one alternative. The question is... will the people continue to have yet more false "hope you can believe in" disappointments from the slick talking politicians who have already proven, by their actions( or inactions), who they are? One thing, aside from violence, that just might shake things up to scare some sense into these criminal elite who have hijacked the system....is for us all to overwhelmingly elect a non-Republican and a non-Democrat this next time around...at least kick out those bought-off politicians who obviously don't work for the people. The Republican/Democrat juggernaut believe they are so well entrenched that we will always vote either Republican or Democrat. We need to shake that up a bit. I'd love to see Bernie Sanders or as our next President. Although Dennis Kucinich is a Democrat, I'd vote for him for President as well. There are some good Democrats that have worked for the people. But, the bottom line is that some of the Democrats currently in office are no longer worthy of the name. They need to be "laid off".

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 3 weeks ago
#30

"More than 20,000 protesters descended upon Wall Street Thursday to demand an end to Mayor Bloomberg’s draconian education cuts and his soft touch approach to billion-dollar companies."

'UAW member, Gibb Surette, who said the country’s resources are being wasted on military spending and tax giveaways for the rich. “Then we’re being told there’s nothing left in the cupboard for children, poor people, sick people, job development, or just about anything else we need,” he said.'

"Powerful interests are siphoning the wealth for themselves during a time of financial crisis, he added. 'It reminds you of hyenas. When hyenas go out and look for resources, they prey on the very young, they prey on the very old, they prey on the sick and those who can’t defend themselves.' ”

http://www.thenation.com/blog/160653/massive-wall-street-protest-draws-o...

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#31

I sent this letter to a college profesor at The Catholic University of America.

Stephen F. Schneck

Director for Policy Research and Catholic Studies

The Catholic University of America

Washington, D.C.

May 13, 2011

Dear Mr. Schneck:

Let me first say that I write you as a Catholic who is quite concerned about our country’s direction in not practicing the Golden Rule and the Eleventh Commandment that Jesus gave us at the Last Supper – “Love one another as I have loved you.”

I want to commend the professors for signing a letter to John Boehner. My concern is the Catholic Church’s hierarchy and their silence on the Republican Party’s anti-life agenda. The hierarchy functions more like politicians and less as religious leaders. Unless the hierarchy reveals more courage, Catholic membership will continue to diminish dramatically.

Please thank the professors for their courage in signing this letter! The signing of this letter is Sacramental Moments (good deeds) in action.

Sincerely,

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#32

Who Are the Real Terrorists?

The Anti-Christ is the real terrorist! The Anti-Christ is comprised of our fascist-Nazi government, the American transnational corporations, the American rich, and the Anti-Life Party, aka Republican Party. These terrorist groups play on people’s fears, such as terrorism, immigration, college students, race, and non-Christian religions.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 3 weeks ago
#36

The Anti-Christ and Satan's disciples' souls are blood stained from the killing of innocent people in foreign countries. Committing of mortal sin by The Anti-Christ is common place.

The Anti-Christ’s history of her 236 years of incessant wars reveals our lust in the killing of God’s children.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 2 weeks ago
#38

The College Conspiracy

I was able to watch a video on the fact that college education is a scam or a Ponzi scheme. High schools are programming students to believe a college education is important. Our grade and high schools are programming students to think a certain way. The average cost per year for college is $27,000. Tuition is rising 5 to 15% per year. A college education is out of reach for most students and so they receive a government loan. Government loans are being made with taxpayers’ money. The taxpayer is being scammed to pay for someone else’s college education. College education loans in 2009-2010 were $106 billion. Completion of an education today places a person in debt and they will live as indentured servants for the rest of their lives. College loan laws are very vague. We have too many colleges in America. College coaches are overpaid and of no use for a good college education. College salaries for coaches are a waste of money. Twenty percent of colleges are projected to close by 2020 and the faculty will be reduced by 25 to 40% that same year. College degrees are worthless pieces of paper. All a college graduate receives from a college education is debt. The value of a college degree is declining and college standards have fallen dramatically. We have pharmacists, teachers, and lawyers who are unemployed. Lawyers add little value to a better world. Goldman Sachs has never created one job for the economy. Food inflation has dramatically increased in the past two years. The U.S. dollar is fiat currency. The dollar is worthless. The U.S. economy is a Ponzi scheme. The U.S. economy is on life support. We are dying daily from the real depression that is with us. The U.S. dollar has collapsed.

An internet education offers a quality education. This is one reason why the government and businesses will clamped down on an internet education. There are 500,000 Indians who have received engineering training over the internet. We have hyperinflation problems in our country. We are continually making the same mistakes. We have fourteen percent of our population living on food stamps. We need to study the U.S economy and think for yourself. “By their deeds you shall know them.” We can see this truism by studying the Anti-Life Party.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 2 weeks ago
#39

Max Keiser interviews John Perkins from Iranian television. I must now learn from Iranian television because the American media feeds us nonsense. Corporations run our country and they dictate to presidents, Supreme Court justices, the U.S Congress, and college administrators and professors what will be the course of action and behavior. Americans need to learn and vote with their pocket books. The American media manipulates how Americans will think and behave. We must avoid Nike products because they have too many sweat shops. We need a consumer revolution with our pocket books. We have cheap labor in the U.S. American workers are working for slave wages. Americans are not better off than most of the world. We are worse off than European countries and their citizens. The CIA dictates and works overtime to place puppet dictators in foreign countries. Americans are currently in a non-shooting revolution with the government, the CIA, and homeland security. Americans will be more enslaved through false prophets and false prophecies.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 2 weeks ago
#40

John Perkins is one of my favorites and so is Max Keiser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmU9R-BaFIQ (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI3Vk2AkC2U& feature=related (part 2)

Just wanted to point out that about the last thing that Matt Taibi said in Thom's interview of him on RT was that Goldman Sachs was the largest contributor to Obama's campaign just after saying that Goldman Sachs has more political pull (because of it's buy off of politicians) than any other company.

And that was said just after saying that there are 5 other law enforcement groups in our government that should have, but did not, clamped down and brought Goldman Sachs, and others, to justice. Matt also said that the same incentives for a continuation of what happened in 2008 continues today. So while the justice department found a small time scape goat in arresting that $60 million Hedge Fund criminal, Raj Rajaratnam, it has shied away from going after Goldman Sachs and other big time criminals. Matt Taibi had said in a Rolling Stone article: that Goldman Sachs is a "...great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells of money." And at least one of Obama's orifices is/was wide open and was injected with bribery right up to his eye brows.

There are a couple of new books out on Goldman Sachs one of which the author William D. Cohan, author of "Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World", was interviewed on Cspan BookTV yesterday, Saturday...and will most likely be repeated today. He talked a lot about Henry Paulson and how he made it to the top of Goldman Sachs and how these and other financial institutions screwed us over. Very interesting.

Coming up May 23, 2011 is an HBO movie called "Too Big To Fail" which is about the economic scandals surrounding the investment bankers.

Matt Taibbi has some really good and hard-hitting articles on the more recent Goldman Sachs activities at his Rolling Stone web site at http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog with headlines like: "Goldman steals tips from beer servers" and "Testimony, Golman-style; A Tour Through the Levin Report" and "Video: Talking Welfare for the Rich with Max Keiser"

dnarnadem 12 years 2 weeks ago
#41

MOVEMENTS and RESISTANCE are HISTORICALLY the ONLY WAY. Not Elections

Really! How about 1932 - that was an election. How about 1860 - that was an election. Now this works both ways of course. 1980 - that was an election. 2000 - that was an election (Stolen but still an election)! Except for our first Revoultion in 1976, I for the life of me do not know of any Movements and Resistance that has happened in our Nation that displaced Elections! Give me an example!

Oh 2009 was another election - guess who won that one? And of course the other way the elections of 2010.

And I would also like to see te "Biggest Corporate Donors" list you are talking about and the amount of money Supplied to Obama - versus the Republican "Biggest Corporate Donors" and the amount of Money they supplied! Of couse you'll never see the total amount for the Republicans due to their having bought off Supreme Court justices who gave them Citizens' United!

And as to that bit in your first sentence - looks like the Crap won out in your case!

dnarnadem 12 years 2 weeks ago
#42

Interesting. I was reading "The Progressive Populist (April 15, 2011)" before I came to Tomm's blog. The Article is "Persistence Of Fascism And The Fight To stop It" By Randolph T. Holhut. Very intersting indeed! Holhut quotes VP Heny Wallace, who in 1944 stated this: "A Fascist is one whose Lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerrance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends"! This in 1944 when America was fighting the Nazi's.

How did Hitler and Mussolini get into power? Henry Ford for one supported Hitler and lent him Money until the Start of WWII! The House of Morgan (Big Bank!) and other banks fronted Mussolini to the tune of $100 Million to prop up his failing government. William Randolph Hearst did a deal to publish byline stories by Goebbels himself and other top Nazis in his publications! (I wonder if R. Murdoch and Fox Noise are not a modern version of this?)

Standard Oil ( Once Esso - Exxonmobile now) and Texaco - sold gas and other petroleum products to Fanco's Spain and to German & Italian millitary up to and after Pearl Harbor! Esso was part of the cartel as I.G. Farben and shared patents with the Germans for aviation fuel and synthetic rubber.

Alcoa, General Electric, General Motors, and du Pont were all American corporations that were members of the Nazi cartels. GMs opel plant in Germany built planes and tanks for the Pnazer divisions. Pratt & Whitney, Curtiss-Wright and Douglas aircraft all sold plane parts to Hitler!

You don't read that in our History Books! George Seldes documented this in his book of 1943 "Facts And Fascism".

Holhut then asks, "So why did the biggest corporations in America embrace Hitler, Franco and Mussolini?" His Anwser - "Because it was Profitable. As long as there was good money to be made, the moral ramifications of their various dealings were of little concern."

"That's why fascism is less about thugs in jackboots, and more about a system that Mussolini called "Coporate Control of the State". And you can draw a straight line between the industrialists who supported Hitler and Mussolini, and today's industrilists" (And Bankers!) "who support anti-democratic policies to fatten their wallets." Holhut

Holhut again - " in a globalizedworld where corporations bow to no government," (we witnessed this the other day when the big oil CEOs blamed Americans for high gas prices!) "money goes where the highest return can be gained, Dictators are propped up. Human rights are a merelegal technicality to be ignored. Genocide gets winked at. As long as there is profit to be made, it's all good."

This is a must read! What is happening today is blatant Fascism and the takeover of our Democracy to Create a Corporate State. Anyone who does not see this is asleep at the Wheel of ignorance!

The Corporate cartels and the modern robber Bankers of our day are out to destroy Democracy. It has to be stopped and soon!

dnarnadem 12 years 2 weeks ago
#43

"Matt Taibi said in Thom's interview of him on RT was that Goldman Sachs was the largest contributor to Obama's campaign"

Largest contributor overall? Largest contributor to Obama over everyone else? How much did Goldman Sachs give to the Republicans? How much in secret?

This is a mis-leading statement. GS may very well have contributed to Obama, but they may very well have contributed 20-30 times more to the Republicans!

dnarnadem 12 years 2 weeks ago
#44

"And at least one of Obama's orifices is/was wide open and was injected with bribery right up to his eye brows."

Nice ploy, like as if Matt Taibbi said this! But you did, didn't you? I would like you to prove this, as this is a load of bs that smacks of ignorance! And which orafice would you be talking about here? I also really do not like the allusion - it's sick really! And shameless! Where is YOUR moral compass?

And when you state that Obama was "Bribed", that can be construed as defamation, as Bribery is a crime one can go to prison for.

So which is it?

dnarnadem 12 years 2 weeks ago
#45

"I must now learn from Iranian television because the American media feeds us nonsense. Corporations run our country and they dictate to presidents, Supreme Court justices, the U.S Congress, and college administrators and professors what will be the course of action and behavior."

I learned from Rachael Maddow of MSNBC on Friday that the morning news programs this Sunday morning would have 9 REPUBLICANs and 1 DEMOCRAT! Last week they had 8 Republicans and 2 Democrats! Wouldn't any reasonable thinking person think that this was stacking the deck a bit!

Of course our Corporate Media is broke! Only one I watch is MSNBC, only the nightly ones, as the daily ones are a bit boring. Then there is Thomm's cable show. Other than that there is NOTHING of worth on our Corporate News networks, absolutely nothing! No wonder the American people are brainwashed! Or only see one side of things.

It's a pretty depressing picture of our times and also very dangerous for our Democracy!

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 2 weeks ago
#46

@dnarnadem, yes the push is on early to elect an Anti-Life Party candidate by our 95% conservative media. I also learn from Rachel Maddow.

Here are some great articles to read.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/In-America-Being-Poor-is-by-Rania-Khalek-110514-839.html

Being poor is a crime!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/change-change-change--by-Craig-Coogan-110512-646.html

Nothing really changes!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Where-Is-The-Beef-Against-by-Curt-Day-110511-348.html

Socialism is the answer for a better world!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/DON-T-LET-THE-RICH-AND-POW-by-Brian-Enright-110515-6.html

Be proud of your progressive label!!!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Actually--the-Rich-Don-t-by-Dave-Johnson-110514-274.html

We create the jobs!!!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Horray-for-government--It-by-Don-Smith-110514-510.html

Hooray for government!!!

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 2 weeks ago
#47

@Palindromedary, I would say that I was first introduced to John Perkins from his interview with Amy Goodman and our son introduced me to Max Keiser. Both offered me some learning experiences.

wesleynemes's picture
wesleynemes 12 years 2 weeks ago
#48

Subsidies are corportate greed in action and sign of corruption. We are a socialist contry, like it or not. If you took all the social programs out, what will you have? Think before you blast BS out.

wesleynemes's picture
wesleynemes 12 years 2 weeks ago
#49

Stop being unrealistic. Think for a moment in your life. If there really was god as you believe, why would he or she allow for the huge inequalities exist in the world, or why would he or she make us so full of bad qualities that makes us exploit each other? why? why? why? Start with questioning, then you will find revelation. Don't look for it in some set of legends and fairy-tails.

gerald's picture
gerald 12 years 2 weeks ago
#50

God works in mysterious ways. Our time on earth is a test. We either pass it or we fail it!!!

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