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Loren Bliss and AliceinWonderland ~ How about a Warren/Kucinich ticket? Last I looked Dennis wasn't too busy. I've been praying for Dennis to be in the white house since 2004. I'm sure his presence on the ticket would discourage any underhanded mischief. Besides, it would be a nice way to promote him from a mere Rep. in the House to President of the Senate. That's much more of the title that he deserves anyway--if not the Presidency itself.
Be careful in your thinking. Monied special interests that control both Democrats AND Republicans are using Detriot as a testing ground. It is not just Republicans.
Loren- Like you, I decided to check ze blog before hittin' the hay. I'm a night owl, perhaps more than is good for me... but old habits die hard. And like you, I'm not sure whether I agree with your friend either, altho it does sound like an educated opinion at the least. Anyway in the event that she does run for the oval office, I'd be very surprised if she didn't welcome your support. But in the meantime, I'm delighted to have her in the senate.
By the way... I find your outspoken "left-ness" (and passion!) more than a little refreshing.
I can't say whether Bernie Sanders is a real socialist. But I am certain the guy is for real. He (along with Ms. Warren) is among those rare politicians who I actually trust. In my opinion, he is one of the greatest senators this lame-ass country has ever had. You're damned right he's the plutocrats' worst nightmare! Bernie fights so hard for us that occasionally, I worry about him having a heart attack from all the stress. The man is a jewel among rat turds, and a lifeline to sanity. We can't afford to lose him. - Aliceinwonderland
P.S. I'll check out Kshama's speech tomorrow. Can't wait to hear it!
Alice...Checked back just as I was shutting off the computer, and glad I did. Two points: My earliest post of the evening contains a link to Kshama's victory speech, which will enable you to hear with a real socialist sounds like and also give you a sense of what a powerful speaker she is. Notice how she gets the crowd going. Google for her other speeches, especially at labor rallies, and you'll get an even clearer picture. She's already won over the Seattle union rank-and-file, which means that for the first time since the 30s, we've got unionized workers thinking about class struggle, which could well be the first step for a nationwide resurrection of the kind of labor militancy that makes the Ruling Class tremble in fear.
Apropos Bernie Sanders, if indeed he's a real socialist -- not just talking the talk but ready to walk the walk -- the thought of him in the White House has got to be the One Percent's worst nightmare, not the least because he could use the bully pulpit to agitate a nationwide socialist party into being.
As to Ms. Warren in the Senate, my friend thinks that seat gives her far more disruptive power because she can focus specifically on the class struggle and use her position as she is already using it, to call attention to the fact the USian Working Class -- that is, all of us in the 99 Percent -- is by far the most savagely oppressed Working Class in the industrial world. In the White House, or so my friend reasons, Ms. Warren's options would be far more restricted by the demands of the office as well as by protocol. As for me, I haven't decided whether I agree or not...it's something I am thinking about. But if she runs, I'll work my butt off for her, if she'll have me, which I say because many Democrats would fear an association with me because of my outspoken Left-ness.
LB
Loren- the older I get, and the longer I witness the evils of capitalism in technicolor, the more I hunger for socialism. I'm with you on that. And I would have loved to hear Kshama's speech. If it brought tears to your eyes, it must have been pretty darn good.
As to your concern that a Warren presidency might be terminated the same way JFK's was, I share that concern. But I don't think this would be unique to her, necessarily. Anyone in that position who poses a threat to the almighty plutocrats had better be careful, employing the most airtight security measures 21 Century innovation can muster.
How do you think Ms. Warren's safety would be more secure if she had Bernie Sanders for vice-president? And why does your friend think she'd be more effective in the Senate than the White House? Just curious... - AIW
I would vote for warren too, without holding my nose., I fear Hillary will be just another cookie cutter moderate conservative that talks like a liberal to get elected, like both Clinton and Obama did).
Can we get those """WARREN FOR PRES""" Things on FB., Like the ones I keep seeing for Clinton?
NOW IS THE TIME,
to try and upprta people's choice for president., wait until the primaries, and we will get candidates chosen by corporate money (to be our only choices).
Apropos males and multi-tasking, it's true so there's no shame in admitting it. Apropos females and multi-tasking, I had a secretary years ago in Manhattan who could type dictation -- flawlessly -- and carry on a completely unrelated conversation at the same time. From my perspective, "awesome" doesn't even begin to cover her multi-tasking abilities. Dunno whether the male-female difference in this ability is conditioned or innate, but over the years I've seen so many examples of it, I don't question of its reality.
Apropos Elizabeth Warren, were she to win the White House, I fear her presidency would be terminated in the same way JFK's was, though if her vice-president were Bernie Sanders, the fact he's a declared socialist might offer her some real protection. However as a politically astute friend of mine has pointed out, Warren can actually do more good in the Senate.
The real question is how to keep Hillary out of the presidency. But at least a lot of people are awakening to the fact Hillary is even more of a fascist than Obama. See for example http://truth-out.org/news/item/20381-does-hillarys-silence-on-iran-deal-...
In this same context I have suspected for years the so-called "Hillarycare" health-reform plan was intended to fail. Note for example the public outrage deliberately provoked by secret hearings, an outrage underscored by the "leak" Hillarycare was to be tied to a massive campaign for forcible civilian disarmament. But the smoking gun, as it were, was the huge sum of contributions Slick Willie then got from the health insurors for his 1996 presidential campaign.
Apropos presidential dishonesty, LBJ comes close to Obama in the sense that he ran as the peace candidate -- this while he and his henchmen were scheming to escalate Vietnam into a major war.
But LBJ kept all his other promises, and in this domestic-policy sense -- the War on Poverty et al -- he was seemingly the most radical president in U.S. history. (I say "seemingly" because, as those of us who covered it or worked in it [I did both] soon discovered to our fury, much of it was not just eyewash but was actually designed to fail -- perhaps even to give the Right the ammunition they subsequently used to turn it into a war against the poor. ) (Yes, the USian One Percent is indeed that diabolically far-sighted. The worst mistake the Left has ever made is to underestimate its capacity for evil.)
Meanwhile, Obama is the only USian president I know of, now or ever, who not only broke all of his significant campaign promises but did a 180-degree turnabout in his approach to governance as well, for which note his "transparency" pledges in contrast to the secret-police/total-surveillance state he has imposed.
(Gotta say good night as I've about four hours worth of chores to do yet tonight...and tomorrow comes way too early. 'Night all.)
He's said a lot of things, talk is cheap!
Aliceinwonderland: Me too!
chuckle8: I'd venture to say that it is not only Walmart who hides their money in offshore accounts.
"A study by James S. Henry, former chief economist at McKinsey & Company, estimates that wealthy individuals have $21 trillion to $32 trillion in private financial wealth tucked away in offshore havens — roughly equivalent to the size of the U.S. and Japanese economies combined."
http://www.icij.org/offshore/secret-files-expose-offshores-global-impact
A lot of businesses and wealthy Americans are also doing it. And since it is well known that most of the money that the lowly worker earns is immediately put back into the economy rather than sitting in offshore accounts...and that since Walmart is the world's largest employer...then they must also be funneling money back into the economy through their employees. All those other employers are cutting back and also trying to skimp on employee's wages and benefits, as well as offshoring jobs. I don't see Walmart doing anything that all the other businesses are trying to do themselves..it is just that Walmart is beating them at their own game. So, their Ayn Randian religion is now biting them all in their backsides now. Karl Marx knew that Capitalists will eventually destroy themselves. Capitalism has to ever expand their markets and constantly squeeze the workers until there is nothing left to expand or squeeze. We're all beginning to claw our way, trampling on our fellow human beings, in order to get that last source of fresh air coming through the Zyklon B porthole at the top of the gas chamber. It will get much worse as massive bank failures happen here in the US. There will come a day when many people will beg for a job at Walmart. And that will be very sad, indeed!
Loren Bliss ~ Yes! That's for sure. It is also why they are so short-sided and stupid. I guess that is why history, logic, and Marx seem to suggest they are a short lived bunch. Current events would be hard pressed to argue with that contention. Perhaps fear of the future is what compels their desperate and hasty agenda--in the same way rats scatter frantically to leave a sinking ship.
As far as your corrections are concerned Aliceinwonderland is right. You have already shown what you are made of. A few minor typos isn't going to change that. I too like to proof my writings excessively and have run into the lock-out phenomenon on more than one occasion. I know it can be quite frustrating. As far as it is concerned and why it happens I don't have solid explanation other then ...it happens. Apparently this time it happened at the same time I was responding to you. That might have something to do with it. If you notice my reply is to post #17 and your post got bumped up to #19 before I posted my reply. That is why the reply in my post has the wrong number on it. It could have been a computer/server/internet glitch that was partially my fault. I'm sure it had no nefarious reason behind it because in the past it has happened to me at random without rhyme or reason. It probably has more to do with interaction between posters and unperfected software than anything else. Nevertheless, it is most annoying that we cannot regain access to edit some of our posts and others we can. Why that is so is a very good question for the monitor or webmaster.
Thank you, Alice. First time I heard Kshama speak, the things she was saying -- indictments of capitalism I never imagined I would hear an USian candidate have the courage to say -- it literally brought tears to my eyes, the sort of tears one associates with liberation and people dancing in the street. While I had long recognized the intellectual intensity of my commitment to socialism, I don't think I quite realized the magnitude of its emotional component until that moment.
Loren, not to worry. You've already proven yourself among the best writers ever to grace this blog. And your comment about males and multi-tasking cracks me up.
Hello, Marc, and thank you. My locked-out grumble was NOT a response to your comment, which didn't come up on my screen until after I posted the growl.
Apropos ulterior motives, one of the first things you learn as a political reporter is that -- with a few very notable exceptions -- most USian politicians whether Republican (overt fascist) or Democrat (closet fascist) are the personification of hidden agendas and, yes, ulterior motives as well. The most common example of the former is doing whatever is necessary to please the One Percent; the most common example of the latter is doing whatever will make the most money in the shortest time. With either of the two major parties, the unspoken reality is "run for office; become an oppressor; get rich beyond imagination." When you reflect on that reality, it leaps into sharp focus why most of our politicians have the mindsets of banana-republic tyrants.
Loren- as always, your post is spot-on. I don't know enough about past presidents (those in office prior to 1965) to have an opinion as to whether Obama is the biggest liar of them all. But you've no problem convincing me of the liar that he is. I never take his speeches seriously; not since the beginning of his first term. But on a lighter note, Kshama's Sawant's victory in Seattle sounds like something to rejoice about!
I've heard some murmerings that Elizabeth Warren could run against Hillary Clinton on the Democratic ticket in 2016. I think I love Warren even more than I hate Clinton, which is saying a helluva lot. In fact, Elizabeth Warren's candidacy would compel me to vote Democratic again, without a moment's hesitation! I would even go door-to-door for Warren, something I've never been willing to do for any other candidate.
Mr. 10K, great posts! You're on a roll tonight, buddy. Keep up the good work! (Trickle-down tyranny... Ha-Hah! Bull's eye.) - Aliceinwonderland
Surprising to hear Obama talk like a democrat, when there is no upcoming election. Liberals everywhere feel betrayed by obama talking like a liberal to get elected, then governing as a moderate conservative.. Surely its obvious by now, big moneys controlling effect on politics (fascism) has pushed both parties to the right of the people.
But Obama has pinpointed probably the single worst problem today (the trickle up economicis embraced by both parties since Reagan (conservative economics sending American jobs over seas for the enrichment of the 1-percent.. Which is not surprising since this same big money is puppet master over both parties)..
So this same income disparity has enabled a very few today, to buy congress out from under the people. After 30 years of trickle-up economics, we have billionaires, and one billionaire could divvy up to create a thousand millionaires.. Allowing Individuals the power to buy congress, because they got lucky by the whim of the market (or by being born into money), defeats the constitutional separation of powers that the founders went thru great pains to install into the foundation of our government (all this for naught, when a few rich guys can bypass The election process and simply buy congress). A seat in congress goes for a little over a million dollars, and the best funded candidate won 9:10 times, proving that although people still vote, money controls the outcome Of the election process.
Obama said the right words today. But excuse me for being skeptical, I want to see some action..
Of course it makes sense to return to pre-reagan economics. Back then big business paid 70-90-percent taxes.. Taxes were dramatically lowered the next 30years until today they pay 10-percent (with the loop holes).. If conservative economics had any merit (lower taxes equal jobs), America would be bursting at the seams full of jobs.. Liberals, have been correct all along of course, and not at all surprised that we have the lowest taxes in a generation, and there is only 1-job for every 5-looking for work.
Workers unions built the middle class, and made America's economy strong (lots f people with money to spend). So called free trade NAFTA/CRAFTA, etc, is a euphemism for abandoning the american worker, and sending our jobs overseas basically to sweat shop countries).
Damnit, I made some drooling-moron errors -- trying to post here and cook my dinner at the same time (yet another classic example of a male's utter inability to multi-task) -- and am now locked out of the post, thus prohibited from making corrections. Is there a new time limit on editing here? (Never ran into this before, and now because of dropped connectives and fumble-fingered misspellings ["hopefull," "formertly." etc. ad nauseam], I look like the idiot some of my critics claim I am. Grrrrrr...)
Loren Bliss ~ Thanks for that most insightful perspective. I must say that every time I hear Washington do or say anything right the thought of ulterior motive crosses my mind. (The same could easily be said of the Holy See. But that's another topic.) Your suggestion makes a lot of sense; and, I certainly hope you are right. One thing that the Reich Wing of fascists always seem to forget is that in times of great oppression are great opportunity for the oppressed to seize on. Hoisted by their own petard so to speak. Let us hope this is the case.
No matter what President Obama might be saying today, it should be viewed in the context of his proven penchant for deceptive rhetoric.
Never forget how Obama the Orator promised us "change we can believe in," which included public-option/single-payer health care, enactment of the Employee Free Choice Act to restore the union movement and -- most of all -- the restoration of our constitutional rights. Then, exactly as he had promised his One Percent masters, he shape-shifted into Barack the Betrayer, wantonly breaking more campaign promises than any U.S. president, thereby proving himself the most brazen liar in our nation's history.
Moreover, by his methodical and escalating assault on what little remains of our constitutional rights, he has proven himself the most tyrannical president in U.S. history -- infinitely worse than Richard Milhous Nixon.
Therefore anyone who is idiotic enough believe any seemingly progressive remarks Barack Obama might utter today is not only the most gullible of marks but utterly deserving of whatever political victimization results.
Indeed this attempt by Barack the Betrayer to again con us by assuming a progressive disguise is tantamount to publicly declaring the entire USian citizenry is stupid -- in truth the most insulting attempt at political deception I have witnessed in this lifetime of nearly 74 years.
The obvious question is what diabolical motive prompts this newest attempt at deception.
My guess is that Obama's ploy is the opening gun of a One Percent offensive to counter the growing demand for a viable Third Party, perhaps even one that is avowedly socialist. Its significance, particularly in the wake of Socialist Alternative City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant's victory in Seattle, is that the USian Ruling Class is now at last genuinely frightened -- all the more so since Kshama's party affiliation defines her as not merely a socialist but a Marxist of the Leon Trotsky (pro-democracy/anti-Stalinist/anti-Maoist) faction.
Despite the outrageousness of Barack the Betrayer's most recent Big Lie performance, we should nevertheless perhaps celebrate it for what it represents: a capitalist aristocracy grown so terrified of the rising tide of Working Class anger, the Wall Street barons have commanded their most notorious liar to attempt yet another con job.
Hopefully we the people have been burned enough times we will recognize it for the deception it is -- and seize the never-more-opportune time to build party powerful enough to take back the government from the obscenely wealthy thieves who have stolen it.
Yes, it is true, I am again just a tiny bit hopefull, the formerlty extinguished candle of my optimism re-lit by Kshama Sawant, who could indeed become our latter-day La Pasionaria, inspiring us to recognize our Working Class identity and stand together in an unprecedented solidarity of resistance and achievement.
(A link to Kshama's victory speech, in which she urges worker whose jobs are being outsourced to take over their factories, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxmWhRiP8Zs . It seems I have waited all this lifetime to hear such words. La Pasionaria indeed!)
If only the truth could set us free. Between the recent speeches by the Pope, President Obama, and todays 20 second recording of Ted Kennedy, we'd all certainly be free from trickle down tyranny....if only!
Prerequisite to restoration of the American Dream is restoration of Representative Government. Rule by and for only the rich violates the good government contract /agreement between we the people and our lawmakers.
In a true democracy authority comes from the people, not from smart ALEC billionaires manipulating alcoholic and crazed religious House members. Until we rid ourselves of these self serving public servants the American Dream will remain the nightmare it currently has become.
They only call it class warfare when we fight back.
Thom, it is a rare moment when I disagree with you on anything. But having read your opening post of the day, there's one little thing you've said that doesn't quite ring true for me. It's in that last paragraph where you mention policies of a bygone era which, you say, gave everyone an "equal chance at success". I don't believe there was ever a time in this country when everyone had an equal chance. It just happens to be a whole lot worse now than it was when we were growing up. (And by the way Thom, you and I are exactly the same age.) - Aliceinwonderland
Just in case those fascists are listening in, I've got a nice little message for them:
KISS MY ROYAL ASS!!
Thank you "chuckle". You brought an important point into this discussion. And if it makes you feel any better, it is very clearly stated and easy to understand.
Palin, we are on the same page most of the time. That's more than good enough for me. - AIW