A global power shift is occurring underneath all of us. With the United States economy still struggling through the muck – and the European economy in complete free fall – new economic powers around the world are seeing this as an opportunity to gain more power in the global marketplace.

In a direct affront to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – the BRIC nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – are floating the idea of setting up their own multilateral bank – funded by these developing nations to help finance projects within their own nations. According to IMF projections – BRIC nations are set to see strong economic growth this year – while most of the Western World stagnates. For example – the US economy is expected to grow by less than 2% in 2012 - while the austerity-driven Eurozone is expected to actually contract by a half-percent. On the other hand – BRIC nations like India and China are looking at growth rates of 7% and 8% respectively.

The world economy is changing – and the banksters and corporate CEOs can see it – which is why they’re looting America of whatever wealth she still has left – and taking their business overseas to the developing world. As for the rest of us – if we don’t take back our government and economy soon – then we’re headed for one long slide backwards.

-Thom

(Do you think the slide will be reversed? Tell us here.)

The Daily Stack

Quote: "Destiny is not a matter of chance, It’s a matter of choice; It’s not a thing to be waited for, It’s a thing to be achieved." -- William Jennings Bryan.

Article: "India Said to Propose BRICS Development Bank to Finance Emerging Nations" by Unni Krishnan and Arnaldo Galvao.

Book: "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Revised and Updated: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "U.S. Postal Service Slashing 35,000 Jobs" by InvestorPlace.

Article: "New Annie E. Casey Foundation Report Shows Surge in Children Living in High-Poverty Communities" by PRWeb.

Article: "War, neglect leave 500,000 Afghans homeless: Amnesty" by Emal Haidary.

Article: "Romney’s Stadium Speech Today Dwarfed By Obama Stadium Speech In 2008" by Alex Seitz-Wald.

Video: "Concord Project GOTV - the importance of precinct committee members ".

Video: "Concord Project GOTV - how you become a precinct committee member".

Site: "Concord Project".

Site: "The Concord Coalition'".

Movie: "Inside Job".

Documentary: "Heist - Who Stole the American Dream?".

Law: "Taft-Hartley Labor Act", 1947.

Article: "Teacher Quality In Finland" by Matthew Yglesias.

The good: "Arlen Specter: Santorum Is Too Anti-Gay To Be President" by Igor Volsky.

The bad: "Gov. McDonnell Says Marriage Equality Should Be Left To The States, But Claims Gays Make Inferior Parents" by Igor Volsky.

The very, very ugly: "Romney’s New Tax Plan Gives The Richest 0.1 Percent A $264,000 Tax Cut" by Pat Garofalo.

Book: "Cracking the Code: How to Win Hearts, Change Minds, and Restore America's Original Vision" by Thom Hartmann.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Victoria Jones, White House Correspondent

Article: "'Friends of Syria' Begin Talks in Tunisia" by VoA.

Article: "‘Friends of Syrian People’ kicks off in Tunis; Saudi delegation pulls out citing ‘inactivity’" by Al Arabiya.

Article: "US not pursuing military option in Syria: White House".

Article: "More Quran protests leave 7 dead in Afghanistan" by Patrick Quinn.

Article: "Mitt Romney: wife Ann drives ‘a couple of Cadillacs’" by Felicia Sonmez.

Article: "Santorum Swings Hard At Romney, Says His Team Is 'All Democrats' " by Jon Ward.

Article: "Arlen Specter: Rick Santorum ‘so far to the right’" by Tim Mak.

Book: "Self Empowerment: Nine Things the 19th Century Can Teach us About Living in the 21st " by B. Anne Gehman and Ellen Ratner.

Hour Three: If it's Friday, it's "Brunch With Bernie"... the honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joins Thom with all the news from our nation's capitol and as always he'll be spending the hour taking your calls and answering your questions too...
Follow Bernie: campaign site.

Article: "A Petition to Support the Saving American Democracy Amendment" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Senators call on GAO to study impact of new voter laws" by Eric W. Dolan.

Article: "Romney Taps Bush Hands to Shape Economic Policies" by Sara Murray.

Bill: "H.R. 2309: Postal Reform Act of 2011" by Rep Issa, Darrell E.

Bill: "H.R.1351 -- United States Postal Service Pension Obligation Recalculation and Restoration Act of 2011" by Rep Lynch, Stephen F.

Article: "Senate Dems hit back against Lieberman's postal reform bill" by Alexander Bolton.

Article: "Texas Keystone opponents argue eminent domain claims" by Houston Business Journal.

Article: "Board of Education OKs shake-ups for 17 schools" by Rosalind Rossi.

Article: "Virginia State Senate backs away from 'personhood' bill" by Kim Geiger.

Article: "Maryland Poised to Permit Gay Marriage as Senate Sends Bill to O’Malley" by William Selway.

Free excerpt, read book for free at Truthout, buy the book!

Hour One: "The Occupation Party" emerges from Occupy Clifton (Ohio)
- Tyrone Givens, The Occupation Party

Hour Three: The latest "complete Social Security Reform plan"
- Phil Kerpen, Americans For Prosperity / Author "Democracy Denied"

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...TAG, YOU'RE IT!!!!!!!!! (OCCUPY SOMETHING!!!!!)