Recent comments

  • Daily Topics - Monday October 27th, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    IDs.

    I'm an election worker (Judge) in Texas. I did not have to show any ID to attend training or get my writ. I doubt that I will have to show it at anytime (I don't remember them doing it before).

    For other things, I rarely use my photo-id. My debit card does not require it. My online-banking doesn't require it. I think it has been 5-10 years since I have been asked for an ID to get a beer (I'm 54). I think I had to use it to get some pseudophed (stupid state law), but I don't remember using it for prescreptions. I do show it at the blood center.

  • Daily Topics - Tuesday October 28th, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    So is greed to selfishness as anger is to hatred--that is to say, in each pair is the former an action, and the latter an attitude?

    A certain amount of selfishness is good. Even Mother Theresa had to make sure to have food, clothing and shelter for herself, or she wouldn't have been able to help anyone else.

    Excessive selfishness, or greed, on the other hand, is practically the definition of evil. Greed is a lack of egalitarianism, a habit of unfairness in one's own favor.

    So we have a difference between fair selfishness and unfair selfishness. Greed is the unfair sort.

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Kudos for a terrific new book. Every single adult in this nation should read it and every high-schooler taught it.

    As to the bubble: I've been thining it could be a derivatives bubble. I've seen estimates that the derivatives cloud is $1.2 quadrillion or 20X the global GDP. That's not just a bubble; it's a balloon ready to pop.

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Not many notice the few making billions in wealth without work, but they sure as hell notice the many getting food stamps because of low income with work. The billionaire sponsored Teabag lie is loud with progressive truth barely audible.

    Everyone will remember with disgust the Obama bailout of the too big to fail, in fact I'm sure when it happens Fox will pin the 2008 bailout on him too, but he still won't make a peep.

  • Should electronic voting machines be banned?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Where is the "no" vote?

    I disagree! If banks have ATMS that are accurate and never miscount a penny, there is definetly a way OUR government can make electronic voting just as accurate.

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Howard you are bang on. They are all ready blowing a trillion a year.

    How is it when the stock market soars only the rich do well. What about everyone's 401 k's that I keep hearing about down there . Isn't that where all the unions, government pensions etc invest.

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Raising a progressive tax on the Rich would give the politicians more pork to play with.

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    How come Credit Suisse knows so much about what's going on?

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Worst case scenario ' Bruce Rauner ( billionaire- former 'Boss -major stock holder of Chicago Sun Times' News Paper that endorsed him after NOT endorsing any candadate for 3 yrs ! Conflict of interest YES Chgo Tribune endoersed him too but they have endorsed GOP candidates for 100 yrs- Except 2008 Obama when McCain Palen team was a major joke ) If Rauner wins as Gov of Ilinois & GOP wins senate It will be a disaster for any one EXCEPT the powerful - wealthy - corps . Expect More blocking- more gov't shutdowns that cost taxpayers billions- Expect more privatizing of SS - whatever else GOP can get their hands on . Expect more right wing laws passed by far right judges like Citizens United- Money is Speech

    Corps are People FIGHT BAck before we have another 'GILDED AGE '

    GOP will keep refusing to take votes- more cutting of necessary services , allowing more pollution, cutting funding for education, teachers, head start , disabled. Dems have faults but not as dangerous as Rauner & his ilk GOP poses a threat to the dying middle class - to decent wages- to womens right to family planning . GOP candidates like Bruce Rauner push same old failed trickle down economcs - and more deregulation of Greedy C orps - GOP wants more corp tax cuts- loopholes- subsides . Rauner has made millions off nursing homes- without hiring enough care takers for sick old folks. Rauner has bought - fired workers & run Co's into bankrupsy . Rauner warned a lady executive at his CO 'I will bury you if you do NOT do as I say ! Bruce Rauner makes 25 K AN HOUR but says $ 10 an hour min wage is too high !! VOTE EARLY Take a Informed friend or two

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Yes, I believe that we are and I also believe that the bubble will burst by 2016.

  • Are we in another bubble?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    We are in a deflating bubble.

  • Should electronic voting machines be banned?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    I agree, exit polls seem to be a bit squishy.

  • Should electronic voting machines be banned?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Election results should not be announced, until all the polls are closed.

  • End. Fracking. Now!   10 years 37 weeks ago

    What we are up against is a desperate economy. As a poor laborer talking to other poor laborers I was told by one, "Go to South Dakota! You know why? 'Cause they got fracking there! Everybody's got a job and is making money there! Walmart workers there are making ten bucks an hour!".

    They get what they want by keeping us desperate. That increases their power in relation to ours exponentially. Out of desperation, for short term employment we accept long term disaster.

    It's like that Gary Cooper movie where he, Rita Hayworth and a few other soldiers were dying of thirst in the desert and they casme upon alkaly tainted water. Gary Cooper, their commander, couldn't tell them not to drink it.

  • Who Should an Economy Serve?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Doug999 -- Where did you here about the virus? You need to read the time article about the Obamacare website (Code Red). Why on earth would one need to implant a virus. A lack of money for development accomplished more than any virus could.

  • Daily Topics - Monday October 27th, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    I still think someone could make a case for invoking section 2 of the 14th Amendment, which says that a states representation in Congress (and also therefore its electoral votes) will be proportionately reduced if they keep some people from voting. Even in the big days of Jim Crow, I don't think it was ever used, but I believe it's time.

    A reduction in a small state's representation may not really be possible, but Texas is a ripe for picking; if it's keeping even 1/36 of it's males over 21 from voting, then it could lose a representative.

  • Daily Topics - Friday October 24th, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Fear/anxiety short-circuits our rational thinking capacity. (See amygdala) Rational appeals by Democrats fail because rationality doesn't work when the potential voters are terrorized by Republican tactics. (See illegal alien, illegal voter, liberal, commie, socialist, Muslim, Obamacare, Ebola, etc., etc., etc.

  • Daily Topics - Friday October 24th, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    I don't think the recommendation of posting on the message boards is going to work to get awareness for something. With multiple topics under multiple categories, it can be difficult to find something even if you're looking for it. I gave up on message boards years ago at Randi Rhodes' website. Thom's message boards look a little better, but I wouldn't expect to get noticed there.

  • Time to Rethink the War on Terror   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Yes indeed i agree with your point of view against war on terror especially Pakistan is great victom of that as per resident here in pak i have noticed how much we have lost aginst it and got nothing. We have lost lives economy trust destroyed. Now its time to rethink against this.

  • Should the US aim to be number one in everything?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    "If we diverted just a fraction of our massive military spending to other programs, we could be exceptional in so many meaningful ways."

    And therein lies the rub: "meaningful".

    The current batch of Rethuglicons have shown a complete and utter lack of interest in having anything to do with "meaningful".

    They seek not to lead.

    They seek not to govern.

    They seek merely to rule.

    Traitors all.

  • Who Should an Economy Serve?   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Thom I called in just before the 2012 election to say is our democracy being taken away regarding MSNBC being taken off Comcast just before the election, You said No way..

    Now CNN has just been taken off the air again just before our mid-term National election, excuse me Sir, Conspiracy Theory. Our elections being taken over just another way, Tell Thom is this apart of Koch Brothers money or something else?

    I watch your show all the time, and by the way I cancelled my Comcast in 2012 and Now will cancel my Dish. What can an American Liberal do? if they take off even moderate television programming. I have contacted my Senators, Bernie Sanders, and Patrick Leahy. Oh and by the way I am the same person who called into your show when Bernie was on, and made the point that my daugther told me about my X wife brother who was apart of the company who made up the O'Bama Care Connect website, and their Parents joking about him being apart of it. Both you and Bernie said No, they doubt, that Koch brothers or some conspiracy theory were behind the terrible web-site, yet now I find out that there was a virus that was planted in the initial web-site. Man I am relying on you and Bernie now...yet you don't see these to be backed by Republican influence..Why are not you asking these questions and not just me?

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday October 22nd, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    Regarding the person not understanding that not-taxing is the same as a tax subsidy. The caller clearly did not grock what you meant by the cost of community services.

    The community provides services to everyone and to all property. The church receives some of those services, directly or indirectly. For example, not only do they get police coverage directly, but they get the benefit of there being a police force protecting the neighborhood. What if the city did not provide police, fire, sewer, water, etc. services to a church that did not pay taxes, they would still get benefit of their neighbors having those services.

    I wonder if he would be okay with the state not taxing gay couples, or left handed people, or rich people, or everyone without his last name? Perhaps he would reconsider the fairness of not taxing some people or entitites. The same is true if you own a business. If you are taxed more because you are a good business citizen and employ American workers, etc. you are taxed at a higher rate than a slimy company who offshores their operations and taxes.

  • Time to Rethink the War on Terror   10 years 37 weeks ago

    It's been thirteen years since 9/11 and I can still remember President Bush saying to the American people, "We must not allow terrorists to change who we are!"

    Ironically, that's exactly what he did.

  • Daily Topics - Thursday October 23rd, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    The Congress was modeled on the British Parliament. The House of Lords was the more powerful house of Parliament at the time, and the U.S. Senate was given stronger powers than the House of Representatives. The Federalist Papers explain that the House was expected to accrue power over the course of centuries, just as the Commons had.

    The House of Lords lost influence by a threat in 1832 of increasing the size of its membership enough to change the outcome of a vote. The Lords knew from then on that they had better not deviate too much from what the Commons wanted. The Lords' official power was severely reduced by a law passed in 1911.

  • Daily Topics - Thursday October 23rd, 2014   10 years 37 weeks ago

    I'm not very surprised by Michael "Savage" Weiner. It's not like we all thought he was a kind, understanding person. The only reason to be surprised is that we expect him to carry water for the Republican rhetoric of supporting the troops. But, of course, we on the left know that they don't really support our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in the first place.

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