Why Republicans Ignore the Interests of Voters!
By Thom Hartmann A...
Having a scientist who worked for the chemical industry now shaping policy on hazardous chemicals at the EPA I think is a huge big deal.
But it's also emblematic of a much larger big deal which is that the interests and needs of average Americans are by and large ignored by this administration and by the Republican Party as a whole, because the Republican Party in this administration are the wholly owned shills of some very dirty industries: the chemical industry, the fossil fuel industry, the banking industry, on and on it goes.
And they're not gonna get called out by the media industry, because the media industry has a symbiotic relationship with the Republican Party.
For example, the whole NFL thing.
Colin Kaepernick first sat for the national anthem a year ago, and then he met with a group of veterans and they suggested that it would be respectful to take a knee during the national anthem whereas sitting was considered disrespectful, so he did that - he changed it to taking a knee.
But the most shocking thing to me when I started learning about this story a year ago was that up until 2008 NFL players were never on the field during the national anthem at all - they were back in the in the locker room, and only after the national anthem had played did they come out onto the field and everybody would cheer and all this kind of stuff and a game start.
And the reason that they started going on field for the national anthem was because the Pentagon started giving the NFL team owners money.
I mean, everything is corrupted by money in this country.
We have become a country that only looks at money, first, center and last.
And in my opinion that is a culture, a society that is corrupted, is collapsing, is - rotten to the core sounds like an exaggeration, but you get what I'm saying.
This is the old biblical saying that "the love of money is the root of all evil". It's not money itself, it's the love of money.
And that was the greed is good thing. This was Reagan's shtick, right? This was the shtick of the entire Reagan administration. Michael Douglas summarized it really well in "Wall Street", in the movie: "Greed Is Good".
Well no, greed is not good. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. Greed destroys people. It destroys countries. It destroys businesses.
Yes, wanting more or wanting enough, that's a reasonable thing. You know, wanting to have a good paycheck, wanting to get a raise, I mean those are those are all good things.
But greed, greed is a whole different thing and greed is virtually the definition of not only Donald Trump's life but of this administration.
Comments
#2
There everywhere, everywhere....!
#3
When I think about greed, the convergence of Ayn Rand, and The Art of War come to mind. It's hard to say exactly when greed actually got a foothold in humanity. I can't help but wonder if it has been there all along, or is it some kind of Manchurian Candidate that only manifests at certain times under certain conditions? I was watching a B&W the other night (which I highly recommend to prompt a new perspective on our current quagmire,) on YT. It's called, The President's Mystery (1936) Mystery. Watch this and then tell me what you think.
#4
ErinRose: Regarding your statement "It's hard to say exactly when greed actually got a foothold in humanity" I can highly recomment two great books that shed a lot of light on that very question. One is "Heirarchy in the Forest" by Christopher Boehm. The other is "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. You can get an overview by googling the titles on Amazon. Great reads if you haven't read them.
#5
For Decades they have always favored scientists that sold themselves to the corporations and hated the ones who told the truth. Now they have the absolute power to do so. There's not money in the truth.
#6
Leave it to a troll that uses a misogynist, sexually demeaning to women icon for his site ID, to nit-pick about 2008 or 2009, when had he read Thom's link, he would have seen that the dates referred to in the article, were all well within the Obama presidency.
But of course, that is not the question. Does he presume that Obama had time or even the inclination to take a fine tooth comb to every detail of the massive Pentagon budget. Aren't we supposed to at least think that those that have risen to the highest levels of the military should have earned some degree of trust? True they abused this trust, to peruse a nationalistic, fascist agenda counter to the spirit of our constitution. But it was their duty to preserve that trust rather than Obama to second guess every minute detail.
And to be honest, Obama may well have approved it anyway, considering the extreme patriotic fervor that had swept the country after 911. But we are not seeking to forgive Obama, Bush, Trump or any president that approved or went along with this Pentagon policy. We are pointing it out to highlight the dangerous direction that out nation has moved toward to implement a militaristic, propagandized, unconstitutional, oligarchy that favors money and power above all.
#7
Great points being made on this thread.
Runaway greed, runaway war, runaway fascism is the zeitgeist of the new era, same as the old era. Human nature has not advanced, only time -- and now we're running out of it.
Here's a link to The President's Mystery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFEBexihBGk
Thanks, Erin.
#8
And; I was glad that other ones are referring to these people as Fascist! Call them what they are......... Good Job! Big omission here... The Rebel "stars and bars battle flag was usually the biggest". Guess they didn't know there was another that represented the true confederacy..... Usually I would say "but; bless their hearts". Done with that. This is so critical for humanity now. The bastard got the ball!
#9
This column will change your life
Don’t get caught in the monkey trap
‘The monkey is trapped not by anything physical, but by an idea, unable to see that a principle that served him well has become lethal’
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/14/how-to-avoid-monkey-trap-oliver-burkeman
#10
Ou812 I brought the vintage Victorian door knobs including Windsor pattern mortise lock set secured in a fine velvet drawstring sack in case you want to see them.
Here is Aunt Clara
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6c/c3/7b/6cc37bc8deee73cf595dc908737c7e5a.jpg
#11
Without a draft the military has to do something to recruit. They have marketing departments and do marketing research. The academies supply most of the officers. They provide excellent education for free and pay you while you get it, for 4 to 6 years of paid service. The recruits are mostly from the poor that have few other options. Recently Trumped signed an executive order to bring back 1500 retired Air Force pilots. This order also left it open to bring back more retirees in all branches as needed.
#12
The administration is not ignoring our wants and needs. They are always studying them. Analyzing the best way to convey their concerns for us convincingly. Making it sound fresh. Outright lying, but leaving enough wiggle room to walk it back a little here and there. It's become a science. Favorite lines? "We will be looking into that," and "thank you."
#13
To say "are the wholly owned shills of some very dirty industries" is only about the Republicans is very unfair. The Democrats are just as bad. The whole system is corrupt. The Clinton's are at the top of the list. Hiding behind a foundation that helps the poor, which is a very good cause, only to take massive amounts of money out and fly around in private jets on the foundation's dime. It is brilliant. Who would ever question a worthy charity well besides kend. They even made back door deals with Russia and Iran to funnel cash into the foundation. Look at Chelsea Clinton's net worth now that is greed
$15 million. Chelsea Clinton earned her net worth through her career at the consulting firm of McKinsey & Company, as well as Avenue Capital Group and she is also on the board of the School for American Ballet.
Really consulting? Where is the media on this one. Sanders will be next.
#14
I wonder where Jared and "Barbie" are? I have been told that Muller is a honorable man, (although still a Republican), by some who really should know that went to Ivy League schools and in the know of souls they may have been associated with. Jury still out on that for me. I think that the charges being "sealed" and releasing that on a Friday night... (No; sorry, not releasing, but CNN says they were charges, yet sealed last I checked not confirmed by MSNBC). Sharpening pitchforks yet? I say, they gonna be a couple of sleepless nights for a bunch of traitors! If "Jared and Barbie are in Dubai", I dare say they will cast shaddow on "Merican soil" ever again! (not a misspelling, an attempt to communicate with those I saw with "merican and christian flags" mounted in the beds of pickup trucks parading all around the South before they elected these fascist!
#15
This is like Reagan, Bush, and Bush wrapped up in one monster.
#16
Maybe what most of you do not understand, President Trump is right on track with what the people who voted for him want him to do. He fights the democrats, republicans, media, the constantly whining malcontent leftie/socialists that spend their entire day being bitter, and he is still getting things done. The rest of us just sit back and enjoy another Christmas morning.
Those little things my friends will start to move the country away from the direction Obama pushed us toward. Like it, who cares? Come up with a candidate that is electable or start spending your money on a life support system for Ginsburg.
BTW pigeon brain, Michelle Bachmann eating a corn dog is classic but I can see to your puritan upbringing it may be offensive. You forgot racist in your tirade as it is a "brown" corndog. Gotta get on that important shit ya know!
Maybe Michelle just spent too much time in the oval office in the 1990's. My God you people are snowflakes.
#17
Trumpie, yer doin' a heckuva job!
#18
Au contrarie mon chéri, Dianereynolds, We are fully aware that about 1/3 third of the American populous are hopelessly addicted poodles of the fascist rich, incapable of shaking off their evangelical adoration of their dear leader D. J. Trump, which some express by cramming their heads fully up their dear leader's rancid, evil, rotten, pathological lying, fascist, treasonous, sexist, conman ass and coming on this site with a face full of shit, expecting to be taken seriously.
#19
Merry Christmas Diane, you hit it out of the park again:)
Note to Pigeon brain....I'm thankful every day, that a bunch of "washed up lefties" don't take me seriously.....means I'm still correct in my thinking.:))
http://www.bookwormroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Socialism-for-Dummies.jpg
#20
I see the trolls are out for recess, "are too! bird brain!"
Please don't tell you're daddy one me.
#21
Look what the cat dragged in.
#22
Catherine Austin Fitts: Real Danger Of The Deep State
She (Catherine Austin Fitts) has said that before George W Bush became President she decided to meet clandestinely with a man who also managed large funds. Catherine Austin Fitts had been the Managing Partner at Dillon Read Investment Bank before she became Housing Commissioner in the first Bush administration. She had concluded that so much money had been stolen from pension funds that TPTB must be planning genocide rather than to make restitution for the retirement funds of tens of millions of Americans they had pilfered. She met a friend who had a similar financial background to discuss these disturbing facts. He agreed with her interpretation of events. Genocide of Americans was definitely on the agenda.
Background on the large family fortunes that run the world which Catherine referred to in her above interview with Stacy Herbert.
The New World Order means One Bank One Vote will replace One Man One Vote.
David Rothkopf was the CEO of Kissinger Associates. He wrote the book Superclass in which he said that the world was run by 30 Families and their 6,000 Minions. The NWO merely replaces their authority within dozens of separate nations with their Absolute Power wielded through One World government while removing the facade of democracy.
The trade treaties TPP and TTIP take authority away from sovereign nations and turn it over to corporations. A Swiss study found that 147 corporations controlled 20% of world trade. The 30 Families and their 6,000 Minions allow these companies to be above the law and to exploit consumers in all nations. These treaties are stepping stones to a One World government.
American government as a criminal enterprise. Catherine Austin Fitts has long campaigned to expose the theft of taxpayer funds which is stolen by the trillions. Recently, Professor Mark Skidmore and his graduate students had determined that at least $21 trillion had gone missing since 1988 from just two federal departments – HUD and the Pentagon. The lack of discussion by the media and both political parties tells you all you need to know. There is precious little resistance to massive and systematic corruption from inside Washington.
References: The reference to the coming genocide of Americans was quoted from this:
Catherine Austin Fitts: Greed And Incompetent Leadership Will Soon Crash The Economy
#23
Hot Coffee, thanks for the warning about Catherine Austin Fitts. Another rightwing demagogue to be wary of…Wallstreeter…Bushie…investment advisor? Nothing in your post about verified facts or verified specifics. Statements like 21trillion stolen from the Pentagon and HUD, for all I know, could mean 20 trillion, 999billion, 999million, 999thousand, 999dollars stolen from the Pentagon and one dollar stolen from HUD. Need specifics.
And why do they need to steal money covertly when they are quite adept at doing it legally, right in front of our faces? They just amend the laws to accommodate the theft. And conservatives are more than willing to give them all the support they need.
#24
Oh, and by the way, what does this report about Catherine Austin Fitts have to do with the topic here regarding "Why Republicans Ignore The Interests of Voters?"
#25
Stopgap,
The difference between your thinking and mine is I think the Bushes, Clintons, Obamas,
Soros, Kissinger....etc. are really on the same side...and the people are on the other side.
#26
And that's exactly your problem. You taste a dish of vanilla ice-cream and a dish of chocolate ice-cream, but only taste one flavor. Therefore, to you, they are both the same…both have sugar and cream, so what does it matter which one you eat. Humans have two eyes, two arms, two legs and one mouth, therefore: males and females are the same. I have a bank account, retirement funds and part of my taxes go to fund the military, therefore: I'm a warmongering greedy fascist.
Never mind that "your thinking" is exactly what fascists oligarchs want you to think. "Divide and conquerer." And they are more than eager to supply the internet and book stores with distorted, quasi-factual studies, propaganda and spurious articles to promote the thinking of those that are most inclined to believe what they want to believe. It's really the easiest form of marketing in the world.
That is not to say that there are not far too many commonalities between Democratic and Republican politicians. But thinking that having some hero who will ride in on a white horse and solve all of the problems of the world or that only some perfect ideal is the only solution, is naive at best.
The one thing the Tea Party has proven is, that you can work within the system and affect change. Now its time for liberals and progressives to do the same.
#27
In my opinion the whole point of Democacy is to have tools with which, "We the People," can legislate against greed. Obviously the Fascists had their Supreme Court put those tools up for sale to the highest Fascist bidder.
The Kochpublican Party, what a bunch of sweaty tools...! LOL
#28
Sg,
That is an interesting take on your thought process, Projecting your thoughts as though they were mine doesn't work.
Looking at the World over the last few years if you can't see that "they" are trying to start a "American Spring" like the "Arab Spring" then I guess you will keep a narrow foucus.
Remember the saying United We Stand Divided We Fall?
You objected to my post because you didn't see how it fit with Thoms post, yet all I've read of your posts are nasty replies to other posts. Nothing regarding the subject.
Republicans ignore the voters for the same reasons the Democrates do. They talk the talk and then walk away and do whats best for themselves.
#29
My friends stopgap, and 2950-10K,
Why are you so angry? I don't understand I thought you were the good guys.
#30
Actually, the politicians do what the voters compel them to do. They are the very personification of the voters just as the Nazi party was the personification of the voters in Germany. This is exemplified by Trump's grasp on the Republican voters and only those Republicans that choose not to run again such as Corker and Flake are willing to stand up to him. All of Trump's power is derived from the voters that put him into office and unconditionally support his fascist, bigoted, line of bullshit as the true American way.
Still, Trump lost the election of the voters, but won on the technicality of the electoral college. But enough Trump voters have the Republican party by the balls to enforce Trump's will because the rest are to cowardly to face the wrath of his supporters.
This bullshit that the people are superior thinkers to the politicians and have the perfect solutions is pure nonsense. The politicians are nothing more than the will of the people they represent. No better, no worse. Politicians will always be what the voters make them to be.
#31
@#19 Christmas has been ruduced to express a single moment of selfish pleasure resulting in blasphemy. Sad!
#32
So it looks the accusation of one being "angry" is the current passive aggressive strategy being used by the Foxmerized trolls. #29 Worn out Knob: Patriotic Citizen descibes me much better than angry.
Suppression and manipulation of truth by extreme money and power via the mass media always leads to collapse of Democracy and a very ugly ending for the 99%.
#33
stopgap: I've long thought that a very important consideration often overlooked in politics is what I call the propaganda warp. To truly represent the will of the constituents, one first must calibrate the amount of twisting and damage that has been done to truth.
Two geat recent examples are Trumpcare "make health insurance affordable" and Crooked Donny's tax reform, "the supossed tax break for the middle class." You and I are both aware of the lies. Because of brainwashing, Door Knob is not aware of the truth. Thus as a politician I would simply take that into consideration and do what is best for Door Knob....vote NO on both items and be able to sleep at night knowing I did my patriotic duty in fighting Fascism.
#34
HotCoffee: Most Democratic public employees do in fact represent the will of the people...but they get filibustered by the Koch machine, by guys like McConnell, a truly self serving dweeb. Kentucky has blocked radio free America in favor of only fascist speak. Economic truth is non-existent there.
#35
This is a good article on why the right wing trolls Watch Fox and like Trump. Because it comforts them.
http://crooksandliars.com/2017/10/it-possible-de-program-trump-voter-truth
#36
2950-10K,
My friend, why do you say mean words to me? I wouldn't say them to you. I think you are very angry.
#37
Good videos showing the malcontent leftie/socialists suffering post election TURD syndrome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVogLdbfOfQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6VfcvMVig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FliGdEGBoIw&t=254s
#38
LOL Door knobs.....show me the angry words you speak of. BTW: I realize I'm just playing your game. Do one thing for me, tell me how you think Trump is making America Great again. Try to contribute something we all can respond to for real.
#39
No doubt 10K, Republicans love to be lied to. When perennial loser Nixon initiated the "Southern Strategy," truth became the first casualty because that was what rightwing voters wanted to hear from them. And these bigots have been eating it up ever since.
What other group of voters would turn their backs on an administration that was able to turn around an economy that was losing 850 thousand jobs a month, save the American auto industry that was on its deathbed, turn around the worst housing collapse ever and a foreclosure debacle that was in free-fall, turn around a stock market that had lost half its value under Bush, then lead the country into the longest era of economic and job growth ever. All the while dealing with the worst foreign policy decision that any president ever inherited because Bush and Cheney couldn't resist opening Pandora's box by lying us into the never ending Iraq war thus opening the door for Isis and every other militant extremist Middle Eastern group.
By the time Bush was done, everyone but the most hard headed bigoted rightwing extremists were screaming for anyone but Bush. No doubt they will screaming for anyone but Trump before this despicable lying, sexual abusing, piece of dumb-ass, greedy shit is done.
But even then, they will never admit being wrong. So, again they will seek comfort for their bruised egos by running to their rightwing corporatist propagandists that will be standing by ready to shovel up the lies that they can never get enough of while the billionaires are laughing their way to the bank. And of course, they will believe that the answer to their problems was that they weren't greedy or bigoted enough and find someone even more extreme and crazy than Trump. Who knows, maybe it will be another Hitler next time?
#40
I agree with everything you say about the republicans. The republicans are not the reason Trump won in my opinion. There are not enough republicans to elect a republican president.
Trump won because the alternative was Hillary. All my friends are democrats and I know many of them voted for Trump. Not because they are bigots...etc. but because Hillary is every bit the war mongering, greedy,...etc. you say the republicans are.
Most of them voted for Bernnie before they voted for Trump. As bad as that is we would be no better off with Hillary...let us not forget Lybia...Mr.Bill shaking his finger in our face...I did not have sex etc...Hillary laughing about getting the a**hole off that raped that young girl, and on and on. Queen Bee smart as a whip when she wants to be pres...can't remember her own name when being questioned about her server.
They didn't believe Trump would make MAGA, they wanted both Dems and Repubs to know they are fed up with both parties. It was the only shock they could send to TPTB.
They didn't see Trump as a repub...just like Berrnie wasn't really a dem.
When the dems keeping screaming that everyone who voted for Trump is a bigot they know it's a lie that their own party is telling on them...not a way to bring them back to the party.
The Dems just won't take any responsibility for putting up the worst of all canidates they could find.
So now with the pay to play we will see who goes down in flames Hillary or Trump.
#41
To add to the point I'm trying to make...I just saw this...
MORGAN FREEMAN: ‘ JAIL HILLARY CLINTON TO RESTORE TRUST IN GOVERNMENT…TRUMP MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN’
Now I find it hard to believe that Morgan is a bigot or that he would be fond of the KKK.
So being in Hollywood where the Clintons like to hang out their money shingle...he might just have good instincts.
#42
First of all, I don't know why you keep dredging up Hillary. She is not going to be running again. That is now history.
But again, again and again, how many times do you have to be told that Hillary actually won the popular vote by 3 million votes. She lost on the technicality of the electoral college. And maybe you want to argue with Ari Berman about the rigging of the Wisconsin vote or maybe you want argue with Greg Palast about the effects of "Operation Crosscheck."
Do you really think that the Republicans wouldn't have used every Jew-hating, commie/socialist-hating dirty trick in the book if Bernie was the candidate.
But you are right about one thing, there are not enough Republicans to elect a president by themselves. Just as there are not enough Democrats to elect a president by themselves. Presidential elections are generally won by cross-voting independents that are more likely to be susceptible to propaganda and emotion, as they are to knowing the issues, because most of them could care less about politics and just vote their feelings.
If you and your Clinton hating buddies think that Hillary would be just as bad as Trump, then go ahead and leave the Democratic party and start your own. That thinking worked out so well with Nader and the Green party which is probably why we are in this mess in the first place.
Incidentally, Mueller will be handing out his first indictments this week. No one is expecting Hillary's name to be among them.
#43
Mueller was told to poop or get off the pot...so he's going to push a pawn...that's hardly checkmate.
#44
Nobody answered the original question, egad.
Worn out door knobs, don't squeeze the Charmin, oops I mean put the door knobs back where you found them.
The next thing you know, in this backwards revolution to 1880, the trolls will be selling us Tobacco again.
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Actually it was 2009. The first year of the Obama presidency. If the Pentagon starting giving the owners money, it was the Democrats and the Obama administration, not Republicans....better have your facts straight before you speak.
http://dailysnark.com/nfl-teams-didnt-stand-national-anthem-2009/