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Well, Mrs. Hartmann certainly but out a thought-provoking post today! Too bad she is as poor an evaluator of data as the Mr H is. One cannot lay any of the last 25yrs of economic data at the feet of Reagan for the simple reason that his policies vanished with the election of the first Bush, who never agreed with Reagan economic policies, (which is also why he was not re-elected) and the country has been in turmoil ever since.
To blast the wealthy for providing well for their families, when most work very dilligently to accumulate wealth, is both irresponsible and un-American. As if the poor, (who are mainly poor because they do not work, or do not put forth the effort to accumulate wealth, but waste their wages on trivia), are in some way more deserving of a wealthy person's income just because they are poor! One person has no claim upon the labors and efforts of another, and that there are people in this country (liberals/democrats) who believe it is the sole business of the government to take from one person some percieved excess and give it to another (who did not earn it), is contrary to the constitution, Bill of Rights and the very concept of the American dream. To say otherwise is to suggest that all men are slaves to the whim of government fancy.
Well, Mrs. Hartmann certainly but out a thought-provoking post today! Too bad she is as poor an evaluator of data as the Mr H is. One cannot lay any of the last 25yrs of economic data at the feet of Reagan for the simple reason that his policies vanished with the election of the first Bush, who never agreed with Reagan economic policies, (which is also why he was not re-elected) and the country has been in turmoil ever since.
To blast the wealthy for providing well for their families, when most work very dilligently to accumulate wealth, is both irresponsible and un-American. As if the poor, (who are mainly poor because they do not work, or do not put forth the effort to accumulate wealth, but waste their wages on trivia), are in some way more deserving of a wealthy person's income just because they are poor! One person has no claim upon the labors and efforts of another, and that there are people in this country (liberals/democrats) who believe it is the sole business of the government to take from one person some percieved excess and give it to another (who did not earn it), is contrary to the constitution, Bill of Rights and the very concept of the American dream. To say otherwise is to suggest that all men are slaves to the whim of government fancy.
Well, Mrs. Hartmann certainly but out a thought-provoking post today! Too bad she is as poor an evaluator of data as the Mr H is. One cannot lay any of the last 25yrs of economic data at the feet of Reagan for the simple reason that his policies vanished with the election of the first Bush (who never agreed with Reagan economic policies, also why he was not re-elected) and the country has been in turmoil ever since.
To blast the wealthy for providing well for their families, when most work very dilligently to accumulate wealth, is both irresponsible and un-American. As if the poor, (who are mainly poor because they do not work, or do not put forth the effort to accumulate wealth, but waste their wages on trivia), are in some way more deserving of a wealthy person's income just because they are poor! One person has no claim upon the labors and efforts of another, and that there are people in this country (liberals/democrats) who believe it is the sole business of the government to take from one person some percieved excess and give it to another (who did not earn it), is contrary to the constitution, Bill of Rights and the very concept of the American dream. To say otherwise is to suggest that all men are slaves to the whim of government fancy.
How can anyone say the red and blue are the same? Just look at the list of things that Obama did during the 11 weeks he had a veto proof senate. After that look at the 300+ bills that Nancy P passed but that were filibustered. If we have a democratically overloaded congress (no filibusters etc.), then the Nancy P bills would become law and we would be headed towards the ideas that everyone presents. Card check alone would start to solve many of our economic problems (welcome back to tariffs - we may need to override Obamas veto; high tax rates and anti-trust enforcement). All this with just a democratic overloaded congress. To attain such a congress we probably need "move to amend" to say money is not speech.
The great things that Obama did with veto proof senate:
1Chrysler Saved2GM Saved3AHCA passed (AKA Obamacare); (because of blue dogs like Max Baucus it was not a single player plan; to get Sen Baucus to sign it, Max's county got single payer.)4Middle class tax cut5Went from losing 750,000 per month to 30 straight months of job gains (in spite of Republican governors cutting 4.5 million jobs)6Education spending increased7Laws against hate crimes strengthened8CHIPS expanded (Childrens Health Insurance Program)9Forced through Child Labor Laws10consumer protestion agency formed11Credit card reform12Predatory lending to soldiers restricted13Troops paid for stop loss time14Torture stopped15VA spending increased16Women allowed to serve on subs17Equal pay for women18Nuclear arms reduction proposal19BP cleanup fund20EPA strengthened21FDA powers broadened22Healthcare for 9-11 responders funded (during Bush Term it was ignored)23DADT was repealed24
Within 24 hours of his inaugration in 2009, he ordered that the financial statistics of the top 400 families should be treated like everyone else's; that is, they should not be a classified government document.
My favorite bills that Nancy P pass included:
The bills that were filibustered would have helped our economy for both the long and short term. My favorites were the card check bill, the Disclose Act, stopping waivers for the Buy American Act of 1936 and the credits for bringing jobs back (no credits for tearing down factories to send jobs overseas.
Another Nancy P bill that would have helped our economy was a bill to establish penalities on China for currency manipulation.
Palindromedary ~ Are you surprised by this video? The Government--or those who have infiltrated it--have made a practice of making an example of their misdeeds ever since the film by Abraham Zapruder! If that is not the point you are trying to make please enlighten us. Otherwise, suggest we put the cameraman of this film under a microscope the way we should have done to Abraham Zapruder. That would make more progressive sense to me.
Gary Reber ~ I feel compelled to second your advice. It can be achieved. I personally know of examples of such successful cases. However, it takes patients and long term sacrifice--something that this generation of instant gratification consumers know nothing about. However, patients, sacrifice, and long term mutual funds can indeed make a King of a pauper.
A very good friend of mine once adviced that you need to save your money so that you can make it work for you. Essentially, you enslave your money and it works so that you don't have to. It takes decades of hard work, sacrifice and commitment; but, it pays off in the end. It sets you free!
You need to save capital to get the ball rolling; and, paying off the interest on loans is no way to do that. You get nowhere fast. You need money to make money. The model the American Government has set since the administration of President Ronald Wilson (666) Reagan has set a poor example for the nation on how to manage their economic budget. The only way to fight for your economic freedom is to sacrifice, save, and invest. There is no other way.
Ya, no, I agree.
dianhow: what the billionaires want is for us to keep voting for either Republican or Democrats and not consider the alternatives. The billionaires own both the Republicans and the Democrats.
New Michael Hastings surveillance video of his car crashing into the tree. As the camera was moving around a bit, it appeared that it was not a fixed camera. So what would someone, a resident perhaps, be doing at 4:00AM aiming a video camera in the exact position to catch the car speed by and hit the tree and exploding?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjaPHWNzTHQ
Thanks gary !
Exactly The GAME is rigged to keep the common man / worker ( middle class ) down Keep Wages down- TOP tax rate DOWN- Corp subsides / Perks WAY UP ! And Wall St Banks such as Goldman - Chase - BoA even MORE powerful ! Libs & COns must STOP bickering . Thats just what the billionaires want .. It keeps our eyes off our real enemies. Very clever indeed but people can work together Thats the ONLY WAY TO WIN OUR DEMOCRACY BACK ! www.congress.gov www.senate.gov www.whitehouse.gov PLS ignore all media political ads ! They are financed by those who want to control us aka OUR common enemies !!
Tonights blog brings to mind something Thom mentioned awhile back. He talked about a wealthy German who admitted that he didn't mind paying a high tax rate if it helped ensure that he could live without being surrounded by fellow citizens facing poverty and misery. Notice that he didn't say, I will evade taxes and lock myself away from the hauntings of a 21st century version of Bob Cratchit and his family.
In my opinion, and I've said it before, an immediate short term fix to the problem of deregulated capitalism, besides ending free trade, is to return to pre- Reagan tax rates. The long term and permanent fix is Democratic Socialism. It's a system where we the people control our economic destiny as opposed to a few billionaires controlling and bogarting everything.
DAnneMarc: You're welcome!
stecoop01: Sorry to hear you lost your email host!
Palindromedary ~ Wow! Thanks for sharing that Lavabit message with us. That was certainly shocking.
DAnneMarc: That would make a pretty great bumper sticker: "The Blue and Red are Dead--Vote Green!"
Flopot ~ I understand where youre coming from. I agree. However, please try to understand the situation from Thom's point of view. He has a syndicated program on a "liberal" network with "liberal" sponsors. These people have paid for and expect a Democratic slant on the theme of the show. This is the price Thom has to pay to provide the stage and forum that intellectuals such as yourself can be attracted to have the opportunity to mingle with like minded people. A necessary evil if you will.
Please don't feel trapped by the topic or the slant presented. If you listen to Thom's show he is willing to go anywhere callers want. The same is true on this blog. Feel free to bring up any topic or any argument you see fit. The people here will be more than happy to engage. Take Thom's take with a grain of salt. Most of the consensus here is that the blue and red are dead. Don't take party posts too seriously. Make your own thread it it bothers you. I do it all the time. At least we have this blog to interact. That's better than nothing. Thank Thom for that!
Deregulation - lack of safe guards to reign in GREED has given 90 % of our power to billionaires, to Wall ST / Goldman sachs, B 0 A Chase Citi Bank which own 85 % of US mortgages. Thats a monopoly and it IS dangerous. We saw what banks grow MUCH TOO POWERFUL - TOO big to fail and what they did to global eco0nomy & US taxpayers in 2008 .Almost nothing has changed. since then ! Powerful has and will spend unlimited funds to make sure of that . Our democracy is DYING ! , Powerful Corps - folks like the Kochs & Adelsons have immense power over US elections. . Citizens United was final nail in that coffin ! . Ending any chance of the middle class suceeding - flourishing as they once did . Billionaires have come together to get their way aka . lower wages- few if any benefits, lack of funding for public schools . . They are succeeding at busting labor unions. which assures lower wages. Fact is: Top EFFECTIVE tax rate is lowest in many years . Many Huge Corps pay NO TAX at all . We are in another ' Gilded Age ' . Google that
I am been advocating for broadened private, individual ownership of FUTURE economic growth for decades as the respect for private property solution whereby EVERY American is empowered to acquire over time a viable wealth-creating, income generating stock portfolio, without taking from those who now OWN essentially everything. This is the only feasible and practical and economic just way to prevent further greed capitalism as represented in concentrate ownership holding among the few and socialism, which puts elites at the helm of the State to dictate how and by what means the people will live. For a jolt of economic reality see "The "New Economy' Is The No Jobs Economy" at http://foreconomicjustice.org/?p=9524
See http://foreconomicjustice.org/?p=9440 for solutions.
Flopot, I agree; both sides of the isle have sold out. There are a few idealistic exceptions who are the brunt of a lot of political jokes. Ronald Reagan opened padoras box on a scale never before witnessed with full support of the Repubes. Clinton was the first openly Republican president of the Democratic party, and he followed the Reagan mantra. We now have Democratiic elected officials
who talk the party line but are obedient to Repube tradition of selling out to the highest lobby or submitting to majority opinion. One has to wonder. I personally think the liberal/conservative agenda is an extremely valuable tool of manipulation for those powerful few at the control panel. At some point in the future it will divide this nation with violence. It is happening as we speak and it has not gone unobserved by the powers that are. Our defense budget spends a great deal of it's massive budget on sophisticated devices for civil disturbance in anticipation of the inevitable.
Nature Triumphs over Nature.
AS a lavabit.com user, I'm disappointed that I wasn't given any warning that it would shut down. Now I'm missing lots of e-mail, some of it financial in nature. I do, however, support lavabit for their very difficult decision. As an American citizen, I am fed up with the Feds snooping in to everybodys private parts. (And the Feds get all huffy if anyone snoops on them!)
Sorry for the double entry. now deleted.
Flopot: Thanks, Cheers to you too!
So, so true! It is only the people who do not yet realize how crooked and illegitimate their government has become who constantly harp that Snowden should have stayed and faced the music.