Recent comments
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World
Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
So what is wrong about committing suicide with guns? Aside from it being very messy for someone else to have to clean up...especially if done in the home...or one's car...it is just as effective as overdosing on aspirin...and a lot quicker! Maybe we should ban all prescription and non-prescription medicines that people could take to commit suicide. Ban knives, ban access to all bridges and tall building's exits to the roofs. Ban gasoline or any other flammable liquids.
A poison letter, will not succeed and is an act of a terrorist.
The right to bear arms is a big issue today, that the people they are afraid that they might lose their right to keep and bear arms. In so much they are attacking the government, will with literally poison letters laced by using the poison ricin. This is definitely not the way to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, peaceably, but act of terrorism, domestic terrorism. We do have a process in this country, that you as an individual can change the government, register to vote, get involved with your community by volunteering at your local precinct. Just because you’re in the minority does not mean that you can pick up arms and overthrow the government. This country is a Republic that practices democracy and that the majority rules by elected officials by Americans.
Information below is from Britannica Encyclopedia.
Shays’s Rebellion, (August 1786–February 1787), uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions. Armed bands forced the closing of several courts to prevent execution of foreclosures and debt processes. In September 1786 Daniel Shays and other local leaders led several hundred men in forcing the Supreme Court in Springfield to adjourn. Shays led a force of about 1,200 men in an attack (January 1787) on the federal arsenal at Springfield, which was repulsed. Pursued by the militia, on February 4 he was decisively defeated at Petersham and fled to Vermont. As a result of the rebellion, the Massachusetts legislature enacted laws easing the economic condition of debtors. Though small in scale and easily repressed, Shays’s action became, for some, a persuasive argument for a stronger and conservative national government, thereby contributing to the movement for the Constitutional Convention.
This is my Take.
This country has tried rebellions before, the most famous is the Civil War and the outcome was not in favor the ones who attacked United States of America, which is something to think about, but truth, justice and freedom will always succeed. The powers is in this country literally lies in your voice and at the ballot box, more than the right to bear arms.
“Travels with Charley: In Search of America”
By John Steinbeck an interesting read, it motivates me to mix the literary and math together. Start your tickle switch now, and hold on for ride in the Steinbeck tradition.
Sometime ago traveling through a town perhaps forty thousand as a population, was interesting in a different way. It was at night while looking for a certain street, noticing lighted business, those corporate franchises all up and down the main street on both sides. However several towns in this area where tightly connected, many persons moving though could wonder which town one might be traveling in. Where one town begins and ends, especially don’t take the side streets. Then its real fatigue, especially if you have a mission that is late, and your corporate do rights are cracking the whip.
The welcome signs for each town easily missed, but the curiosity about the modern business corporate marquees jumped out in lighted glitziness began to make me think. At first a lot looked unusual like they’re very few to no Dodge City saloon signs. Like the Dodge House, or the Dodge City groceries. Most of the business signs independent franchise logo. The towns are corporate clusters of the one percenters. The one percenters are working the local economy and the politics.
Anyone could guess the telling marquee of the yellow radiance in the McDonalds arc of the convenient store. But to my surprise in entering viewing the menu in the familiar huge picture presentations with delicious Angus burgers, buns with trimmings, salty fries and a large fructose sweetened drink had an elliptical addition pasted over saying; Products Discontinued. Yikes, no more Angus burger? At Hinsdale and Lombard Illinois. Where’s the beef?
Wow, as if it reminds me of the reasoning students look at in logic courses while they study Venn diagrams, Markov chains, the least square methods in calculus. Yes my derivative passions exploded to beg the question for the “WTF” moment. Yikes what’s happening, hey the mainstream media is leaning out the drive by window barfing or what!! Tainted meat, or is the Public Relations, that are loaded with good pay checks, preparing to turn righteous or just plain honest, repent for the animals that roam chew and ingest carcinogens like anhydrous ammonia.
From my view there is a deep plain obvious compilation of evidence that is clearly public acceptable. Ladies and Gentleman of America there is a widely held mix definition of terms that are conspiracy theories, but there is no conspiracy, it is a wall, a field of people, a tsunami, of just plain tyranny injustice and pure corporative methods in a well “oiled” circles of families, buddies, gangsters, rotary club types, or even not for profit.
Especially not for profit seemed to define the churchy types, or social do gooders. Or especially, Allah Allah Allahu La types that have a printing press or silk screen machines in the Masque basement to make “save our troop stickers” while taking the funds to Iraq radicals. Definitely needs to be reviewed by the IRS and the justice system.
DAnneMarc: It seems to me that folks like the Waltons could have a much more rewarding life if they followed Sam's example. Why not just get up and go to work each day, maybe manage one of their stores? In fact if they took this advice I think there would be a good chance of them having an awakening not unlike Charles Dicken's Ebenezer Scrooge. Maximum money happiness occurs at about $75 grand. The obsession for money and power, is a pathetic way to throw ones life away, not to mention ruining the lives of others along the way.
Speaking of doing something rewarding, in my opinion the Hartmann's contribution to work with troubled youth is the kind of example we all need to follow. I've always respected them most for their efforts related to this endeavor.
I agree. It is time to undo the chains and bring back competition. And it's time to say FU to Franchises and overpriced student loans which train people for servant positions. The excuse to perpetuate the cartel/syndicate/consortium because they dominate us is re-enforcing slave conditions everywhere.
Russ said: This reaction would not negatively impact the minimum wage people who work at Walmart because they can't get a better job.
Think about this. Maybe they cannot get a better job becasue there are no longer any other choices. WalMart has forcedt the closing of so many local businesses AND manufacturing facilities in the United States.
A proper fine would be to do unto them as we did to Ma Bell and the A&P. Bring back Main Street USA and the manufacturing that went overseas, and break up the too big to fail.
DANNEMARC...Did you read post 19 from Tuesday? I thought you may want to expand or comment on it...or maybe not.
cheers!
TRANSPARENCY...eh???
I've asked that very question KEND. So do you have any thoughts on what WE consumers can do to demand transparencey? As well, Do you (or your wife) have any suggestions on leveling the "two teared justice system" that allows companies like Wal-Mart to break laws and get off with a financle slap on the wrist?
To answer your question (or your wifes question) from Tuesday; "What did Monsantos do wrong?"
Over the last few years there has been an increase of consumer awareness regarding GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) that is used to make and or grow our food. Now I don't think I need to point out to you all that is wrong with this, meddleing with Mother Nature is never a good idea...especially when it effects - in this case - the food we eat. You and/or your wife can do some reaserch and fact checking on GMO's yourself...Heck start with Monsantos, Dupont, ConAg, (read what they have to say about GMO's) and then research independent reports from those that reveal the adverse effects of GMOs, as well medical reports which indicate that more and more health issues are being connected to diets (food), especially that contain GMOs.
Now what Monsantos, along with a slew of other corporate food manufactuers - is doing wrong is by trying to hide what they do from the public. They have spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying Washington for assurance that they will not have to by law lable their products as containing GMOs.
I'm not sure if your a conscience consumer when it comes to what you eat, but I am. I not only pay attention to ingredients, but also look for companies that support Fair Trade & Wages, as well as lable their products as being NonGMO; unfortunatly I have found it difficult to find in a wide variety of food.
However, if the Food Manufacturing Industry has it their way...Our rights as consumers will be caste aside.
Bottom line is Monsantos, and many of the bigger corporate Food Manufacturing Companies, are no different than Wal-Mart in that there only concern is keeping their investors pockets stuffed...They opperate under a "by any means necessary" ideology, and have no regard for the Rights and wellbeing of you and I.
No wiser words were ever spoken. That "spiritual' emptiness inside is never filled by wealth of any kind. Only, the more wealthy one grows the greater the void of "spiritual" emptiness that is open. There is no greater example of that than the 1%'ers around us who covet everything yet are grateful for nothing. Nothing will ever quench their hunger for "spiritual" fulfillment; therefore, it is Nothing that we should give them!
Walmart's fine reminds me of the recent 10 million dollar NASDAQ fine. The Banksters are treated the same way, always just an obligitory financial slap on the wrist. Nobody ever goes to jail anymore.
I can't think of a monopoly capitalst corp. in more need of a union than Walmart. I also can't think of a group of owners who epitomize the ugliness and senselessness of greed more than the Waltons, which in turn reminds me of Steinbeck's, Grapes of Wrath.
"If he needs a million acres to make him feel rich, seems to me he feels awful poor inside hisself, and if he's poor in hisself, there ain't no million acres gonna make him feel rich, an' maybe he's dissapointed that nothing he can do 'll make him feel rich."............... John Steinbeck
The Republicans and the corporate media are outraged by the ap investigation "scandal" as if the hard core Republicans care about freedom of the press. It seems to me that it was a minor infringement of the freedom of the press in an atmosphere of stopping national security leaks called for by the same people who are now holding hearings to make the Obama administration look bad. Meanwhile as you point out the press is shirking its duty to the public in favor of their corporate masters.
I agree, Thom. Maybe, a schedule of violations and fines, and then, they must be closed when they exceed this. No more license or permits or contracts, no more legal use of the entity "Walmart" and all assets liquidated to pay for costs of their violations, destruction of life and environment, and costs to health issues caused by Walmart. I never shop there to protest. I'd rather support local businesses, pay more, and buy less!
How about violators, like Walmart, have to pay TARIFFS on everything they bring into the US to sell if they have been found guilty of polluting, dumping wastes, and violating responsible business operations in the United States. Then, they will be treated like a foreign company if they have been destructive to our country and our people.
If a corporation has been found guilty of harm and destruction to people or environment, they pay fines, and if violations continue, the punishment is to PAY TARIFFS on everything, all produce, all products they bring into the US. Maybe, this would make a change in the financial consideration of Walmart, eh?
It all 5 members of the family would go to prison it will not effect any of the Wal-mart store employees, at all. it will be business as usual. Point in case John Joseph Gotti, Jr. was an Italian-American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City, and he got life in federal prison. Some thug took his place and Gambino crime family business went on. Their will be somebody in charge of the Wal-mart store exchange to run the business probably as usual.
We pay a hidden tax on almost all products we buy like tires, batteries, chemicals, etc to cover the disposal of all of this. Where does all that money go. In the Walmarts of the worlds pockets I guess. The sad truth is I pay for a garbage service for my company. They come dump the container ino the truck and leave. No one checks or cares what I put in there. Same at home, we have a plastic container that a automated truck picks up and dumps and driver never gets out of the truck. He has no idea what's in the container. So when I pay the extra $15.00 when I buy that battery where does that $15.00 go? It stinks
Russ, with all do respect 10 X isn't enough. 30 X will do the trick. Trust me. If, after that initial fine is rendered and the company repeats the offense, then it is jail time for the executives in charge. 4 years the second offense, 25 years the third offense; unless, human life was in danger the during the first or second offense in which case these would entail and automatic minimal 25 year sentences for all executives involved as well.
Sure this would cause Walmart to have to pass the expense onto their consumers but anything less is giving Walmart an unfair advantage in pricing their products below what any other law abiding company can do. Are we to help Walmart maintain it's monopoly; or, to force it to play on a level playing field?
I once knew someone who got a ticket for fishing without a fishing license. At the time the fishing license cost $25.00. The fine handed out was $750.00. That person no longer fishes without a license.
Someone in the Attorney General's office should have calculated exactly what would have been the full legal cost of disposing this waste. Permits, licenses, insurance, disposal fees, workers pay, workers comp insurance..everything. Once the full amount is calculated, multiply that by thirty (X 30) and use that as a fine.
Unless the fine drastically exceeds the legal cost there will be no incentive to not repeat the crime. Anything less is a bribe!
It would be better if fines were much larger - A different perspective: With so many corporatons skipping out on taxes, catching them in illegal activities and fining them may be the only way the federal and state governments will get any coin out of them. I say go after them case by case, so the more investigations and cases won = the bigger the winfall. Hit them where it counts, in the pocketbook. I'm not sure where it all goes, but in the long run, fining their crookedness, is probably less costly to the feds and states than paying for imprisonment. They want to push for privitization of commons, play games, destroy unions, wages and screw the economy and the governments, let them pay for it in court, and pay big, funneling the money back to the very institutions they want to destroy.
As has often been said, "If it bleeds, it leads".
Remember that fines, particularly in WalMart's case are paid by the customer as are all costs of doing business. One of the prime reasons for forming a corporation instead of a sole proprietorship or partnership is that executives/employees are protected from liability. I agree that it's time that concept be abolished and all salaried exempt employees and elected executives be held personally responsible for their actions and punished accordingly through personal asset seizure and imprisonment. Non-exempt hourly and piece work employees should not be held responsible for the actions of the decision makers.
What's wrong with the EPA? The fines are written and on the books to suit the crime- even without corporate prisons, why aren't they paying the maximum for deliberate criminal violations, taking it out of the stockholders' pockets. Then is when heads would fly. There is nothing worse to Officers of a corporation than an angry mob of stockholders who did not get their dividends. Stockholders can force a corporation to close in one day.
The stockholders, and consumers, who benefit from the crime and the insignificant fines, should bear a penalty for supporting bad eggs with their money.
Until we put LAWYERS back in their place in society, which is at 1/3 the income and status of a medical doctor, the way it used to be, their chains will increase and weigh the earth down till we fall out of the solar system.
The JUST action here is for the EPA to appeal the fine- all the law is on their side.
This will not happen because LAWYERS for Walmart can pay off anybody, even the Department of Justice.
Seems corporations deal out the death penalty to American citizens everyday. Corruption is inheritly widespread. Live are ruined for greed, and not serving the common good. Penalties need to be massively more servere, and voters need to just wake up at the vote booths.
They are definitely lazy. They are also arrogant POS.
Right on, Thom!
I work as an engineer in a small city in New Mexico. In 2001 we were threatened with a $250,000 a day fine if we did not repair our sanitary sewer system.
How do these F' kers get away with this crap. Oh, I forgot they are a "right to work" state in the south and can do any F'king thing they want according to the retardicans. I have had it with these people. I
agree with you Thom. The Walmart Corporation should be dissolved and the Federal Government should take everything they have including their stores.
Why stop at Walmart. I know people who work for Homedepot, and Loews, and they throw out nationwide, millions of tons of chemicals, metals, plastics in there trash every year, and suspect, they get a tax break for all of this throwing out. Most of which coulds be used for recycling, Habitat for Humanity, etc.
They are lazy, and need to be severley slapped. for their incrediable trash party.