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.
Well, there are many stupid people out there. If they can be swayed by the $10 million the GOP'ers are willing to spend, more sorrow for the Democratic party. I think we need to have boots on the ground continuously to show people the FACTS and compare them with the LIES the RepubliCON party uses all the time.
Like it on not, we are in a World economy. We must export as will as import, We will import as long as we need oil. We must be competitive with third world countries. Raising the mimimum wage will only drive more jobs to computers, heavy machinery, and forign workers. Only with extreme inflation and a cheap Dollar, can a high mimimum wage work. This, of course, means higher prices which the workers as well everyone else must pay, thus canceling out any net benefits.
Agree that Republicans cheated in 2010... When will democrats fight back..... President Obamas biggest mistake IMO once he won election was not investigation the Bush administration over Iraq and holding them responsible
Good Morning,
I want to ask why (unless I missed it) no one has mentioned what this "sequester" has done to our Military regarding their continuing education? My daughter has been in the Coast Guard 6 years and has been going to school with the help of the Military tuition assistance program and now has been told no one(all branches of the Military) will be getting tuition assistance going forward. Classes they are currently in will be covered but not after.Additionally no one is able to transfer their GI Bill to their kids unless they have 6 years in and after July 1 that option will be gone.
Didn't our government sign a contract including tuition assistance for these brave and hardworking young people? I have been telling her to stay calm and that this is temporary but what if it isn't? This is wrong on so many levels!
Thank you for listening and I hope you bring this up in your show and with Bernie.
Ro
The problem that I have with minimum wage is that the poverty level, or the point that you get off welfare and become a tax payer once again or for the first time is $23,460.00. This takes a 40 hr. per week job and $11.28 per hr. and that will take you to just $2.40 above the poverty level. So you start at a $11.28 minimum wage and add a cola raise per year to just keep ahead of the poverty levels. By doing so and enforcing the law from Clintons years that is, you must have a job in order to draw any welfare, will lower the amount of welfare precipitation. Now we begin to once again have a lower to middle class tax base, add that to the 60 billion dollars from the expired Bush welfare for the wealthy/corporations and now we once again also have a upper class tax base.
Now if like our President is asking for, we (eliminate all loop holes, Stop all pork barrel spanding, put big fines on all off shore accounts, stop products coming to our shores from any USA company that has moved work and jobs off shore, use 1/2 of the money saved to begin rebuilding our infrastructure and the other 1/2 to begin paying off our debt.) can begin to right the ship/USA that the right has almost sunk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBoP3bIMjCI
Kend ~ Very well! You've given me food for thought. Something to sleep on. I'll agree to research coorporate taxes in the US as compared to the rest of the world before I respond again. You may have a good point; and, I hate to be wrong. Good night, Kend.
DAnne. You have the highest corperate tax rates in the world. As a Canadian I love it you chase corperations right into my country. I know it doesn't seem right but it is a fact. You can't throw them in jail they are doing nothing wrong. You have to change the tax law to make it illegal first to throw them in jail.
They don't owe there success to the government for the infrastructure, they helped pay for it. Try replacing the word government with tax payer Because thats who pays. Corperations are tax payers just like you and I. The government doesn't make any money, tax payers do.
Dont give up on the business thing it can be very rewarding.
The first annual Thom Hartmann blog party is getting closer.
Kend ~ I agree with everything you've said except lowering corporate taxes and the Government not being a good job creator. Prevent the corps. form going to the Cayman's with jail time and then tax them. After all, they owe their success to the Government's infrastructure. They need to pay their fair share to maintain it. Take the tax revenue and hire maintenance and construction workers. Simple cause and effect.
Aside from that you make some really great points. Especially about starting a new business. I drew up a business plan once and drowned in the Red Tape. Starting a business just was too much. I really do admire your ability to successfully do so. You must know a couple of great lawyers and accountants. Permits, licenses, legal fees, insurance, in addition to the simple operating costs and responsibilities were incredibly discouraging. Too much. Maybe I was just too young at the time. Maybe I'll give it another shot someday.
Ending the wars and free trade are also great suggestions. I have mixed feelings about deporting people; especially, ones that may have family here. Immigration is a sensitive subject that should be dealt with humanely. Splitting up a family to create one job is too high of a price to pay in my book.
Finally, you're best idea yet, getting together for beers. Now you're talking! Cheers!
2950-10K ~ Like Thom says, "Everything you know is wrong!" I wouldn't be surprised if the entire Military budget is increased. I know that's not what we were told sequester is about; but, do you really trust these morons to tell the truth.
I haven't read the Sequester bill; but, Loren Bliss has. According to his web site Sequester is going to target Medicare for horrible cuts. I know that's supposed to be off the table, but according to Bliss it's another deception--one that will directly result in the deaths of thousands. Supposedly, part of the bill will bump poor seniors from Medicare to Medicaid at a certain age. They will be responsible for massive co-pays and will have their homes and assets seized after they die. I sincerely hope he's wrong!
Most of us simply will not go to that other PLANET they live on and no matter what they do from now on more folks than ever are watching all their NONSENSE. They're content to pushing people to the edge,coming to them and throwing out some bones. This time however I hope you folks bite back that phoney handout in the END. THEY CAN CHANGE AS SOON AS THEY WANT. They say they're gonna do grassroot. What tricks do think do you think they have in your MIND!
10k and DAnne i dont beleive the Government is a good job creator because like I said before sooner or later you run out of other people's money. Look at Greece. But I will say I like the thinking of demand for workers drivers up wages. How is the hard part. First of all deport all illegals. there is 30 or 40 million more job vacancies. Put import taxes on countries like China who are cheating with a artificially low dollar. Become energy self sufficient in North America and get us the hell of the Middle East and bring all of those jobs back home. Not to mention the brave men and Women who are serving there. Reduce all of the red tape to get a business started, I have done this in both Canada and the US and it is enough to drive you insane. Reduce corporate taxes yours are the highest in the world you are driving companies to the Caymens. I could go on and on but think I said enough so make Simone swear at me already.
So 10K you where calling my ideas a "prick" not me. I feel so much better. You hurt my one only feeling. LOL. Don't worry about it Buddy I know.
I have always said it would be fun to get a bunch of us together and have a few beers it would a fun and interesting time.
DAnneMarc: I'm not convinced defense spending will be cut as a result of the sequester. I've got a feeling that Cantor is spinning his webs as I type. His Virginians stand to lose a big chunk of this out of control govt. spending. It's the kind of out of control socialist spending that Cantor embraces. Just don't tell the Tea Party!
In Reply to jmanstro post #35 yesterday: Not sure you will see this but feel the need to reply anyway.
You my friend did a fine job in reply to my blunt oversimplification of a very complex socioeconomic problem. So the question I'm left with after your thought provoking reply is, how do we reach and sustain proper humanitarian economic balance in a world where money is the real power? We all know much of this power is currently in the hands of an immoral few who can't seem to get enough of that same medium which equates to even more power.
I submit to you that in 1980 the pendulum swung so hard to the right that it actually split and got stuck in the mahogoney. How do we pry it out just to get it to swing again?
One thing in your reply that I've thought a lot about in relation to Democratic Socialism is the statement about reasonable reward for achievement. We need laws that cap the profits made off the backs of workers. No man is worth in one hour what his employee spends an entire year working his butt off for.
Yes, my post yesterday was an emotional response, but I still consider myself a proud socialist, just add democratic back to it. Thanks for your balanced, knowledgeable, and sensible reply.
2950-10K ~ Absolutely! I'm totally for the Govt. creating as many jobs as possible; but, useful, productive jobs. Construction, maintenance, essential services are fine, however, prison gaurds, solders, and members of the DHS, FBI, and CIA are not.
2950-10K ~ Good point! Reducing production is as important as raising wages in Dr. Batra's theory. I don't think he's rignt about changing trade policys not being that much of a factor. I think generating local revenue is essential to any financial recovery plan along with raising wages and reducing production. People need to pay more for quality and own less as well. I don't think pay raises alone will do anything but increase unemployment. In the long run, however, it might work if it can be sustained.
DAnneMarc: What about the Govt. as job creator of last resort? It's a time tested remedy. Remember, when demand for workers goes up so do wages. High unemployment is what the so called job creators love. They can get away with just about anything, including justification for low minimum wages. Don't fall for it. Close the loopholes and reinvest in America. Patty Murray's budget is the answer.
~ cont ~ I should elaborate. He achieved this conclusion with an analysis that productivity and wage must raise simultaneously so that demand equals production. When production goes up and wages go down national debt increases to consume the extra production and prevent unemployment. Of course, national debt cannot increase for ever so the system needs serious restructuring. Dr. Batra believes raising wages alone could help reverse this trend. Don't get me wrong. I think his theory is sound. I just wonder about his solution.
"Those who produce should have, but we know that those who produce the most- that is, those who work the hardest, and at the most difficult and most menial tasks, have the least." ...Eugene Debs
Remember what I suggested a few days ago, if they won't pay you what your worth.."SLOW DOWN..The hours are long the pay is small, so take your time and buck them all."
"4 hours work for 8 hours pay puts more workers on the job everyday."
Does $7.25 an hour even cover the cost of a car and gas to get to work?
In my opinion taxation is the only way, at the moment anyway, to recoup and recycle some of this stolen money back into the economy and hands of the rightful owners.
Well it would appear that Professor Ravi Batra disagrees with my criticism. Perhaps he is right. On his site he theoretically states:
"This numerical example uses fictional values, but makes it clear that raising the minimum wage to catch up with hugely enhanced productivity over several decades is the only way to create full employment, when the economy can no longer generate more debt, or when extra debt is politically unfeasible. Closing the trade gap will also help, but may be inadequate to recall all laid off workers."
If you can show me where the money comes from to pay the additional wages without laying off workers I might agree. I'm still holding my ground. I hope I'm wrong!
Kend if your out there somewhere, I would like to clarify my feelings regarding a comment you made. You wrote that, "I am not very well liked on this blog so I get picked on a lot." Listen, my own sister idolizes Glenn Beck. I don't agree with her politics but I still love her. You are not disliked as a person, it's your ideas that are disliked by some of us.
We need two other choices in the poll: "I don't know", and "It doesn't matter" (which would be my selection).
Republicans will offer reasonable -- and possibly even liberal -- proposals for immigration reform, and CPAC will be forgotten by next month, and certainly by the time the 2014 primaries get here.
Prominent Republicans back major immigration reforms -- March 19, 2013
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-immigration-republicansbre92i0om-20130319,0,7767458.story
When that's done, Democrats won't be able to sit on their asses and hope that voters continue to think they're more liberal than Republicans. They'll have to start actually being more liberal than Republicans. However, even if Republicans don't do that, when voters remember that it was Democrats who voted to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and that it was Democrats who refused to vote on background checks for gun purchases, there will be no enthusiasm to vote for Democrats in 2014. This is the same scenario that led to Democrats' defeat in 2010. Republicans didn't win that election; Democrats lost it.
Besides, the vast majority of voters don't care about CPAC anyway. They don't care much what Republicans do. What matters is what Democrats do, and -- right now -- they're playing into Republican hands.
Yet again.
Russia banned the Church because it was another authoritarian power, and the Fascists in control, (who called themselves 'Communists'), wanted complete control over the people. If you read the history of Russia, the Church wielded immense control over the kulaks, in conjunction with the Monarchy; one supported the other. A great many abuses resulted. I don't acknowledge the name of Communism being the social and legislative government of the Soviet Union, anymore than what we practice in America can be called 'Capitalism'. It's Fascism. Compare the tenets of Capitalism, Communism and Fascism, and decide for yourself under which system we operate. Just because we call it Capitalism, doesn't make it so. The use of money demands a morality not seen in the world, except in rare instances. But as much good as money could do if used properly, because of its scarcity and control of it by pro-war profiteers, it constricts humanity, it constrains us, holding us back, forcing employees, even societies, to work against their own interests in ways designed to insulate and benefit politicians and the wealthy. Follow any crime to its source, and you'll find money and fear as the primary motivators. At present, being free to act in our own interests, in ways that genuinely enhance our life, family and friends, is possible only to those with sufficient funds, less than 1% of humanity. Only by abolishing money can we actualize freedom for the rest of mankind to live free from fear, from want, from injustice, from so much more that daily we must suffer and endure. I don't know if we're allowed to mention it, but more can found in my book, "Ultimate Poverty, Unlimited Wealth".<antigoldrush.com>
Why should they change. The majority of americans my think one way, but as long as the gop is in charge they do not have to change. As they take over more states and make voting something that they can give to people who feel the way they do they will stay in charge.
And the majority of democrats think that they country feels the way the gop does, so they will not stand up for what is right because they want to get relected.
I am begining to wonder if the gop is not right.
The GOP will never ever ever change. They've been the same old party from day one. As long as there is an elite class there will be the GOP.