We're subsidizing the group that wants more GOP obstruction.
By louisehartmann
For over a week, Republicans have refused to focus on anything but so-called scandal. And, it turns out, that's exactly the way they want it. On Thursday, the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, sent a letter to GOP leaders, and told them to avoid working on any legislation that could take the focus off of the Obama Administration.
Michael Needham, the CEO of Heritage Action for America, wrote, “Legislation such as the Internet sales tax, or the FARRM Act, which contains nearly $800 billion in food stamp spending, would give the press a reason to shift their attention away from the failures of the Obama administration to write another 'circular firing squad' article.” In other words, they want Republicans to use the media's scandal obsession to keep the focus off of in-fighting within the Party, and to avoid getting any real work done.
It's also important to note that Heritage Action is a registered 501(c)(4) organization. That means you and me are subsidizing the very organization that's telling our lawmakers not to do their job. As if Republicans in Congress ever needed an excuse to do nothing. The fact is, while the GOP obsesses about so-called scandal, the pressing issues facing our nation are being ignored.
Instead of trying to score political points, Republicans could be working to help our economy, create jobs, or to fix our broken immigration system. They were not elected to do the bidding of conservative think tanks. It's time to listen to the American people, put aside political witch-hunts, and start working on the issues that people actually care about.
Comments
#2
Do not forget the agenda that the GOP will come up with. This agenda consists of the policies that Mitt delineated. A tax holiday for the money made overseas, the elimination of the estate tax, and a lowering of the capital gains tax are the three I remember. I think Obama said there were 5.
#3
This may be a bit off topic; but not by much. It is a response to a very good question posed by MMmmNACHOS on last fridays blog. It is about our "American Culture."
Quote MMmmNACHOS:"American Culture" thats an interesting topic. Can you or anyone else explain it's roots?
Yes, MMmmNACHOS, thanks for asking! The modern "American Culture" is perhaps the most unique culture in the history of the world. It has evolved over the last half century and is based solely on the fantasy world of commercial media. Unlike any other culture in history, the "American Culture"--and I use "quotes" to indicate that it is more of a myth than a reality--has no right to claim any natural ability to function in the real world. You see, our beloved culture is based on commercial sponsorship of scripted, 'fictional' accounts of people interacting in various public media intended soley to sell consumer products, services, and move merchandise. In fact, it is our commercial "American Culture" that is one of the biggest contributing factors to our national debt; as well as, all our other serious social problems--such as violence, drug addiction, sex addiction, eating disorders, juvenile delinquency, domestic abuse, crime, and poor education just to name a few.
The pure definition of culture is the total lifeways of a people. Cultures develop over long periods of time--usually many generations--where the successes and failures of the previous generation are the main factors that sculpt the cultures of the following generations. Cultures continually evolve over time. The "American Culture" has never had an opportunity to develop naturally. It is thoroughly corrupted by the commercial influences of modern media; which, poison the minds of the members of the society. For instance, the narcissistic tendencies Global previously attributed to Roe vs Wade, are actually the direct result of these commercial influences on our society.
Quote "I Can't Get No Satisfaction:" by, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones; who:When I'm watchin' my TV
And that man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarrettes as me
Since the 1950's anything this country ever had based on a real developing culture has been erased by the corporate media through an artificial, scripted commercial culture that by design is intended only to move goods and sell services. This is the real reason that our culture is in decay--it was artificially designed for commercial purposes and never allowed to develop naturally for real life purposes. Successful natural cultures like the American Indians, or almost any other societies in the world function because they have developed naturally and have passed the test of time. However, they too are in danger of being erased and replaced with the artificial commercial culture we call the "American Culture." This would be a shame because one's real culture is indeed the most valuable thing they possess. It is priceless! A terrible thing to sacrifice for greed.
Immigrants are another example. Most immigrants to the US don't realize the sacrifice they are making when they come here and trade their culture for a quick profit. In most cases they won't realize what they sacrificed until their grandchildren are in high school. That is when the true results of a lack of culture is revealed. Though the immigrant grandparents may realize there is a problem, they may never be able to accurately identify it. They simply accept it and wonder why their grandchildren can't understand them, have so many petty problems, don't have their ambition, and can't work as hard as they did. I wouldn't be surprised if they too blamed their problems on the "liberal agenda", or "the conservative agenda," or Roe vs Wade, or anything other than the real problem--our severely defective, commercialized "American Culture." The commercial media is very effective at misdirecting blame for the problems they create.
In short, there is no one ideology or point of view that is completely to blame for this phenomenon. All share some blame--some a bit more than others. However, the real entity to blame is the Corporate Industrial Marketplace. Since this is run mostly by rich, right-wing "Conservatives," who love to profit and hate to contribute, they can take most of the credit. However, it does take two to tango! Perhaps a little education might help us all out of this cultural abyss we've allowed to be dug for us--before it's too late and real cultures are extinct in the world. Oh, what evils has "Idolatry" wrought upon humanity!? Money should be used to serve a culture, not to replace it.
Some resources:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-does-the-media-affect-our-culture.html
http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/5832_Chapter_6_Croteau_Page_Proofs_3.pdf
#4
"Criminalize The Reckless Operation Of Corporations"
Note the comments after the photo of the Donner Party Dinner Table of Corporate Psychopaths at
https://plus.google.com/u/0/111485701979929741583/posts/RySn3bCZXvf
"It isn't just the corporations.
It is more of a cumulative manifestation of our individual greed
A censored fact: The now retired district attorney Michael McCann
that convicted Jeffrey Dahmer had also charged ten corporations
with reckless homicide. And won every case. (Reference 162)
How Michael McCann dd that is now included and linked in at
a work in progress titled; red collar crime american roulette | toxicrevelations
#5
Next election, dont vote for anyone beholden to special interest groups. In other words, dont vote for anyone. They should ALL be executed for treason.
#6
Thom, you convinced me to send another donation to the Heritage Foundation.
#7
What u need to remember about food stamps, is that food stamps are a retail value kickback to the corporate republicans. Poor people get food, rich corporations get money. Now if Obama was smart and god knows he is not he would do this; He would force companies that do not want their products sold to the poor to make them uneligible for food stamps. The corporation of course will refuse to do this. If they whine again he tells them "ok here is the new deal, poor people get food but the federal government will only reimburse super markets for 50% of the wholesale value of the food. This would reduce the cost of food stamps by 60% for the federal government. Meaning that corporations will no longer get a dollar for dollar reimbursement for their products Including their profits. Remember that is the fair market value that is included in the retail price. Cut the imbursement amount in half of the whole sale price and u will here them cry to a direct tune.
#8
US system has a flaw unforeseen by founders.
While our checks and balances prevent tyrants, they can not handle
two large extremely polarized parties.
While other democracies have their own problems, Europe, Japan, and Israel
are at least able to govern despite such divergent parties.
Look to local governments to solve problems as our federal system
is now in permanent paralysis.
ct
#9
When it comes to congress,
I want to start a website that says "reelect no one,until congress works for you!!""
Just sayin
#10
Thom points out how Heritage Action wants Teapublicans to use the corp media to keep the focus off getting any real work done, in other words keep our democracy dysfunctional. This dysfunction reminds me of Battered Woman Syndrome. The Teapublican Party has used the media as a weapon to beat the crap out of the Democrats so many times that this exposure to abuse has turned into a form of learned helplessness. There's now a perceived inability on the part of the Democrats to go on offense and take the fight to the real battlefields of social injustice where it belongs.
A great example of this learned helplessness is the democrats buying into the spin and hype about the IRS targeting so called conservative social welfare groups...what the hell, there's no such thing, conservative political groups yes, but conservative social welfare groups...give me a freaking break. ? First of all it's pretty god damn obvious that this group called Heritage Action is committing tax fraud, just as are all of the other Teabagger groups that were granted this tax exempt status. They all lied on their applications, there is no way in hell they PRIMARILY promote social welfare and everyone knows it. I want an investigation of all these groups and I want someone to go to jail. If they can put Chuck Berry in jail for tax problems, they can sure as hell lock up these guys for tax fraud, Rove included.
#11
DAnneMarc, Hey speaking of the Stones, somewhere there's a youtube of Keith Richards recording with Chuck Berry and the bass player is NRBQ's Joey Spampinato. I'll see if I can find it.
Found it ....it's called "Chuck Berry vs Keith Richards-hilarious -youtube"...check it out my friend....the music is great the last couple minutes!
#12
ArizonaMike thinks our Prez is a king? If he was able to do what Mike proposes, he would be savaged by the right for thinking he's a king. Not a cogent argument.
#13
Thank you DANNEMARC, I found your editorial on "American Culture" to be insightfull. For years...many years, I have felt strange about how commercialized this country is...Even more troubleing is how Homoginized the American way of life has become. It's really getting harder and harder to find anything original, natural, and unique about America/American
The only thing unique about America is its War Machine and bloated Prison Population. Oh and more Americans believe Unicorns than any other culture of people. Welcome to America, now obey!!!
I like the Stones reference...Here's one from my favorite thrash metal band No Fraud;
Whenever I'm feel'in down
I've lost my place, lost in space, just fallen down.
I take a ride to the biggest store in town [these days that store is Wal Mart]
I walk around and look at the faces so empty
Consumer crap won't fill that gap
Did tv do this to me?
Who's behind those commercials?
Will I ever get enough money
To buy the things they make me want?
I'm out on loan I'm out on loan
And when the bills come I'm all alone
Alone out on loan All alone out on loan.
Fascinated by the stereotype
You buy you try to live up to the hype
That plastic will devour everything that is you
That is if you believe in materialism too
Consumer crap ain't where its at!
So you ask what's the answer
Isay there isn't one
Except maybe some laughter and a whole lot of fun
The sex is great so lets have some.
Enjoy this day. ;)
#14
MMmmNACHOS ~ Thanks! That No Fraud song is spot on. You enjoy this day too.
2950-10K ~ Thanks for the Richards/Berry tip. I'll check it out when I get home tonight.
#15
The other afternoon I was watching Rand Paul make a presentation to the Republican Party in New Hampshire. Anyway his presentation was bitter sweet, with his dark sided shifty rhetoric always peeling off character flaws about the Democrats or President Obama or Liberals in general. In what I think poets call “Caesurae” or a pause. A caesura is a strong pause within a line, and is often found alongside enjambment. That is the change of pace in the poetry or music. Rand Paul developed the way to hypnotize his audience using poetic geometry.
Now for my Archimedes eureka moment that I would like to share with all of you on this blog and perhaps many would agree that the Republican Party is the Tea Party not only of tax issues, but audio mixing rhetorical paranoia laced with subtle notions in stone walling through hate. But really the core message is of the simple Lewis Carroll model Alice in wonderland.
The Republican Party is a pseudo tea party, not of the Boston type, scripted from that weird story old English or better explained as medieval Jabberwocky, all examples of the genre of literary nonsense.
Every bit of the very reason our forefathers ran away from in old Europe. The Republicans lie with the rhetoric of cheap nonsense. They are Jabberwocky. It must be a thing rather than the science of words maybe both. Louis Carol definitely points out; "Beware the Jabberwocky, my son!
Few people understand what the poem is about. "...Somebody killed something: that's clear, much to relate to old government operation in old English style, at any rate--," Alice continues after all, what is a Jabberwocky anyway?”
How is it that a poem can be full of nonsense, and seemingly devoid of meaning, but still sound like proper English? The answer to these questions lies in Carroll's unique ability to manipulate language.
Here is where I am in total agreement that our American Commercial time especially in cable that is selling a culture. If we had enough startup money to compete with the Geico lizard to sell insurance following that culture by saving fifteen percent by taking fifteen minutes out to talk to a Geico representative; we could easily transform the purple trex Barney types for baby insurance saving eight five percent. Huhoo, yikes too many ideas now time for oversight.
Here the Republicans pick up on the Alice in wonderland tea party of nonsensical rhetoric. Limbaugh is master at jabberwocky, as are major new media. It could be from Rachael Maddow’s bull pucky to O’reilly jabberwocky America is getting punked by both media and party. My conclusion is that the Republican Party is of old medieval Anglo-Saxon Poetry, red states.
The masters of tyranny.
#16
I disagree, Thom. The Republicans were indeed elected to do the bidding of conservative think tanks. If not, then why did VP nominee rush off to meet Sheldon Adelson immediately after mittwitt chose him? Adelson reportedly offered 10 million reasons for Ryan to do his bidding. Or was Ryan chosen for the ticket at the "secret" BBQ held at one of the Rmoney family palaces in Massachusettes where Charles Koch allegedly offered another $10 million to the campaign if their lapdog Ryan was chosen? Was the party of obstruction driven by their own personal agendas to vote 37 times to repeal the ACA or was it driven by their desires to please their corporate masters? 80 percent of the country demands gun control legislation to include background checks but the NRA throws a fit and guess who wins? The New Republican Authority gets their way, not the people. And it happens that way every damn time something boils down to corporate profits vs. the good of the country - the GOP sides with the corporations.
#17
#18
I ackowledge that Thom is a veritable genius and an admirable scholar and author. So, how did this English usage peccadillo get past him? Paragraph 2: "that means you and me are subsidizing...". Ouch! "And" is NOT a preposition! Change "me" to "I" to keep your subject in the nominative case! I know you took Latin!
I am a former Latin teacher who needs to learn tolerance. For content, however, you earn another A.
Magister David
#19
Now who will pounce upon me for foolishly switching from 3rd to 2nd person in mid-stream?
#20
Dj, he doesn't write his own blogs. That's the consensus at least.
#21
Palindromedary ~ Welcome back! That was quite an interesting article. Motivating yet not very helpful. It's one thing to call a shot and quite another thing to make it; and, even quite another thing to tell someone else how to make it. Pool was never my game. However, it is nice to know we're all doomed. I already kind of assumed that anyway! LOL Keep up the "good" work, buddy.
By the way, if you haven't already, you might want to check out the movie, "Idiocracy." It's a brilliant comedy satire about what the future will probably look like if the Corporations get their way. Its funny, sad, and sobering all at the same time.
http://www.11points.com/Movies/11_Hidden_Secrets_in_Idiocracy
As far as that article you recommended is concerned, I tend to side with the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas who said that only an act that has the support of the vast multitude can succeed. If the state of affairs continues to deteriorate as described in the article--and it certainly seems like it will--that support will not be a long time coming. Till then, the best we can do is to watch, learn, and educate each other. Unfortunately, anything more than that would be futile.
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Apparently the only way to get anything of any value done is to elect a GOP exec and a GOP legislature and allow a GOP judiciary. Apparently all other efforts Other wise are to be regarded as Other ------- not---------- Wise unless the GOP is in full control of and takes credit for all effort toward the Other Wise, beneficial or not. Amazing ! Add $$$$ into to the picture and all thats left is to attempt to survive and witness what the < if > they come up with next ?