Recent comments

  • Politifact left the house without their pants on   10 years 31 weeks ago

    Well said Mahesh. According to the constitution, the supreme court's citizen united ruling is unconstitutional because it goes against one of the purposes of the constitution, "to promote the general welfare", because citizens united only promotes the welfare of the wealthy and does not promote the welfare of the general population. This ruling is from is from those who are supposed to be the supreme interpreters of the constitution?

  • Wednesday 19 November '14 show notes   10 years 31 weeks ago

    If a government regulation limits a corporation's ability to screw me, am I less free or is the corporation less free?

  • Should Pres. Obama issue an executive order on immigration?   10 years 31 weeks ago

    The executive actions President Obama will announce will give millions of people the ability to apply for deferred action status, granting them three years of protection from deportation along with the authorization to work to work legally in the United States. This plan will NOT include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants or access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

  • Politifact left the house without their pants on   10 years 31 weeks ago

    Just wanted to ans your Q re DebWaSch.

    She should send an open card+email to all the voters she knows that says: "Please, Ask your friends, neighbors family & college students: did you know the 26th–29th words of our Constitution “promote the general welfare" all your elected officials took an oath to do?

  • Daily Topics - Thursday November 20th, 2014   10 years 31 weeks ago

    I think the caller from Portland was right. It's like how freedom of speech is the primary right, because if you can't speak out, you can't maintain any of your other rights.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 31 weeks ago

    glen'synapse, the term is "operate in the black", from the fact that accountants use black ink for positive numbers, and red ink for negative numbers.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 31 weeks ago

    I have never understood why the constitutional mandate of the USPS was not carried forward as communications technology advanced. Sure, it progressed from horseback to rail, then to airplanes...but where is the USPS cellular phone network? how about the USPS Internet service?

    Its all about communications, after all.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 31 weeks ago

    It's a perfect target for the new conservatism. It's undefended and unaware, that it's an enemy of the new conservative (corpo-fascism) ideology. The United States Postal Service is a cheap option for the public to ship and receive their mail and packages. And last but not least, Postal workers are protected by democratic institutions, the enemy of state capitalism, unions.

    The best way to protect the Post Office is through consumer unions allying with US Postal Serve employees and finding strategies to combat state capitalist aggression. Or Obama could always reverse what Little George did, but that's highly unlikely, because he's shares Little George's vision of a corporatized government, with autocratic public control by the political class that acts as managers for the corporate dominated government.

    The simple fact is where doomed to corporate domination without doing something outside the political system. The United States and Europe has been under creeping fascist coup for the past 60 years. The answer is an organized citizenry but the direction is the question.

    Without fundamentally changing the Constitution to a popular democracy, all changes that a political movement will inspire, if possible, will be temporary. There has to be true counter to state capitalism, and I can only see one way. Using consumer spending, along with all other civil actions, to strategically fight the system.

    If the US Postal Services, had an organized citizenry appeal too, when under attack by state capitalist forces. The fight would become a democratic struggle not a David and Goliath story without the romantic biblical ending. There has to be system in place where the American citizenry can affect the system with speed and financial penalty when democratic ideas are attacked by corporate board room members using their proxy political advocates that dominate congress and the senate.

    The problems as I see it. Nobody wants to sacrifice anything to get something better in return. That includes most people that share my democratic notions, if only in sentiment. We have become sedentary society that expect instantaneous results. We’ve allowed ourselves to rely heavily upon the convenience of modern society and the idea of facing truly hard times scares most Americans, rightfully so. A lot of people are already experiencing hard times all over the US and around world. People that want democratic change in American society must be willing to give up something (material). They must be patient, vigilant and measured in their actions.

    Now a government institution that benefits almost all Americans is under attack and US Postal Services only option is seek help from the government that’s loaded with corporate owned politicians with the state capitalist mandate to destroy public institutions that support socialized public benefit. This is not an honest or fair fight in the interest of people, but it’s a war of ideology waged against democracy for the sake of corporate control over all aspect of human life.

    I do not advocate for communism, socialism, or any other ism. I advocate for democracy and democratic institution with popular control. If we could find a way to come together as a society, and not pull each other apart by designed superficial constructs set against us, to divide and control us, using emotionally driven manipulation to keep society focused away from the real problems that face the US and the world.

    The questions are hard but answer is simple. Democratic struggle against corporate domination. The attack against the US Postal Service is a perfect example of corporate political action. Politicians are acting on the will of their true constituent’s corporate board room members and their acting on behalf of the one percent. How to fight against a system dominated by corporate interest that fight against democratic institution. I advocate for using consumer consent (buying power), along with all other forms of civil action with the exception of violence.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    My father was a postman for many years following his time in the U.S. Army during WWII. I remember that he had to pay for his retirement out of his small earnings during the 50s and 60s. Retirement was not given to him. He worked six days a week and Sundays when he could get the work. The Post Office can be a tremendous help to our people, especially if we allow it to provide "banking" services similar to those already provided by European postal services.

  • Should Pres. Obama issue an executive order on immigration?   10 years 32 weeks ago

    Absolutely not. No amnesty for illegal immigrates. We have a legal process for those who want to come here. Not only are these individuals breaking the laws, but by granting them amnesty its telling them and others that it's ok to ignore US laws; nothing bad is going to happen if you simply wait long enough. Besides "rewarding" these individals, it's hardly fair to those who have waited patiently in line to do it the legal way. It tells them to just simply "do it" and forget about the legal consequences.

    As an aside, would Americans be allowed to do the same thing if the went to Mexico, or Hondorus, or for that matter, pretty much anywhere in Latin America? Nope. they're laws regarding illegal immigrants is far far stricter than anything we've ever had.

    Amnesty is wrong, and the way Obama is attempting it, likely illegal too.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    Five billion a year into a savings account? I think it's going to fill up with IOUs just like Social Security. If restructuring comes to pass, that money will pay for the transition and bonuses for the new owners. Wal Mart mentality will rule. No retirement plan left. No good paying jobs. Union busting on a grand scale.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    The Dirty Tricks from Republicans are getting old! Tired of their gaming every aspect of our daily lives. This crap of the Liberals being tied in knots for decades trying to undo Republican crimes is past criminal! Time to lock these traitors to our nation behind bars--maybe their "For Profit" bars-----------

  • Why the MSM Is Gung-Ho On War & Silencing Anti-War Voices   10 years 32 weeks ago

    Many peoples thinks that war is the only solution for anything. But this is not, their is always a other way which goes for peaceful solution of any matter. The intervention of America in Iraq issue is good, but this will not hurt the citizens of Iraq. Baghdadi have to killed but not on behalf of innocent citizens. Just make a plan like Osama-bin laden killing, in which not even neighbor knows that osama is killed. Just make a plan like that. He is powerful but not so.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    florencev ~ Thanks for that petition. Consider it signed and shared. At last count you only needed 25 more signatures. Hopefully, by the time you read this you will have them. Good luck!

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    I wonder what is going to happen to that sweet 75 year trust fund if the USPS gets privatized. I don't imagine we're all going to get fat tax refunds.

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    This is the "maddening" part about politics. The Righties will say: "The Post office is a ward of the state that cannot pay it's own way" but leave out "because we have placed an absurd burden on it to pay it's pensions 75 years in advance unlike any private business would ever do, and we also prevented it from adding any services to enhance it's profitability. We made sure it would be impossible for it to operate in the green to force privatization of the postal service so our billionare buddies can drop service from many rural areas and concentrate only on those offices that make a profit individually." Essentially doing a "corporate raid" on the Postal Service. Shameful!

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    Please sign my Sen. Bernie Sanders supported petition to the President. Asking the President to appoint people who actually support the Post Office to its Board, rather than the current Bush appointees who are determined to ruin it. See Bernie's YouTube video about it from the Thom Hartmann show, on the petition page. https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-please-appoint-p...

  • We Need to Act Now to Save the Post Office   10 years 32 weeks ago

    Hi Thom,

    You couldn't have made the Postal Service issue any more clearer than what you did.

    One of the most richest politicians in congress our nemisiss Issa for CA., is our main obstacle that we have to deal with sooner than later. He no doubt wants to enrich all of his political cronies with the breakup of the Postal Service. It disgusts me to even think of what has transpired these past few weeks with all the political gains of the Right. I certainly hope that the American public realizes whats at stake with the potential demise of the oldest government agency US Postal Service.

  • Why aren't we doing more to save our planet?   10 years 32 weeks ago

    A well done documentary showing the changes in the artic region and the oil spills damages shown on a popular TV channel would go a long ways.

    A picture can say a thousand words.

    Pictures of past oil spills would go a long ways in preventing future oil spills.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday November 18th, 2014   10 years 32 weeks ago

    A caller brought up something interesting. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to say, but he mentioned the requirements for impeachment and removal of the President, and for overriding a veto.

    It is odd that the requirement for removing the President from office is only 1/2 of the House and 2/3 of the Senate, while merely overriding a veto requires 2/3 of both houses. I'll have to think about that one.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday November 18th, 2014   10 years 32 weeks ago

    Thanks to your influence, Thom, I just fixed the Wikipedia article on Alexander Hamilton to refer to the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans as parties, rather than as factions.

  • Should the corporate media have more anti-war guests on?   10 years 32 weeks ago

    The "poll" is BS with both choices a 'yes' vote.

    Here is a vote for just ONCE addressing the GENOCIDE in Syria by Bashar Assad - but of course Thom won't. 187,000 unarmed civilians killed by Assad, 99% Sunni.
    So entrenched in his sheer HATRED for the great U.S. Military that any suggestion of an effort against this monster is reacted to with "Impeachment Time" by Thom, preferring instead to just ignore the horrors under Assad that have caused 11 MILLION Syrians to flee for their lives, 4 Million+ reaching other countries.

    Note that RUSSIA not paying its share as a world power, instead BLOCKING a PEACEFUL RESOLUTION via the United Nations, even after it can be blamed for propping up Assad, an Assad welcoming incoming Terrorists ISIS and al=Queeda, "can't get rid of me now" he often brays.
    Time for Thom to CONDEMN warmongering Vladimir Putin on his RT network!!!

  • Why aren't we doing more to save our planet?   10 years 32 weeks ago

    I have been a vegetarian for 14 years but 2 months ago after watching a film "Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret" I have become a vegan. This is an amazing, eye-opening film about how animal agriculture is destroying our planet and if we don't make immediate changes, everything else we do will be futile. It is such an important tool to awake the public on our road to destruction and the powers that don't want anyone to address it. I hope that every person on this planet will see this film.

    www.cowspiracy.com

  • Why aren't we doing more to save our planet?   10 years 32 weeks ago

    buckhorn4, maybe they should show what the last ten years (or more) were like on the same day, so people can see a trend. XKCD did a cartoon about how as snow and ice become rarer, people notice them more, due to rarity, so they think they're seeing evidence against global warming: http://xkcd.com/1321/.

  • Should the corporate media have more anti-war guests on?   10 years 32 weeks ago

    They trot out the same tired warhawks from the Right all the time. They are never asked hard questions. Never are these Conservatives called out on their hypocrisy and out right lies. Do we need some version of the Fairness Doctrine or something to balance out the halftruths that are spoken. They current situation with our media means many of us are never getting the full story. Are things being decided by the political ads that invade our homes via the TV, internet, etc.

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