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The 1% are not happy even with their untold millions. So they have to try to make everyone else unhappy to justify what they lost to get where they are. The worst thing that can happen to a 1% is to see a happy singing 99% person who tells that 1%er that they will be prayed for.
Hurray for Bernie Sanders!!! And pox on Bill Clinton who I once tended to defend against his detractors. But then again, I was dumb enough to vote for Obama. Now that we know that voting Democrat won't buy us anything and the only thing that will.....is a truly massive revolution against the entrenched corrupt system....maybe we need to get on with it!!
I find it so difficult to understand why the Millionaires and Billionaires want to destroy the Middle Class? Is it a comparison of their importance that they enjoy their wealth more in proportion to the less that the Middle Class have?
To be a Republican today, one must be Rich, Cruel, or Ignorant, i.e. a low information voter, and they are not mutually exclusive. If the Republicans can confuse, the Republicans can deceive; this obviously is their agenda.
Its a catch 22 Lower wages & benefits means less cash to pay bills which in turn leads to using credit . Big Credit card Co like Chase Citi - Cap one have lots of folks by the short hairs Add lays offs and job loss and we see why this 'recovery' is S L O W .This has beeb the grand GO scheme ..pushing hard to l bust unions ..and vowing to make more states ' Right to work ' states aka WORK for less' states> Bush sent millions of good jobs overseas with big tax cuts. to boot.
One GOP Gov just passed a bill taking away womens right to equal pay ! Hard to believe but true GOP has passed seberal anti womens - anti workers rights bills as well Cittizens United unlimited cash may keep Wis Gov Walker in power .That will give other GOP Govs even more power to crush the working middle class . Ignorance is NOT blisss in p olitics Its very dangerous
Target!? That's disappointing. Maybe not surprising. If they ask inappropriate questions, give them appropriate answers whether they're true or not.
Or drop out of the pool and tell them why.
What amazes me is the number of people who are still ignorant of the continuing global financial crisis and are happily using their credit cards to go greater into debt. The regulations that oversaw the gambling of the banks and investment institutions are ignored, the recent Chase/JPMorgan "loss" on paper was acceptable to the stockholders who continue to keep Jamie Dimon as their CEO. Eventually, this house of cards will fall because we are not alone and the rules of the Free Market have led to greed over morality and concern for humanity. Eventually, inflation will be the result of the devaluation of our dollar, we are already seeing the rise in our grocery bills which have been influenced by the rise in gas prices. The credit card holders will be financially underwater and the purchase of cheap goods from outsourcing will cause the continuing downward spiral. Then the BRIC consortium will be ready to replace our dollar. The few nations that have remained fairly solvent are those that have kept their natural resources for their citizens, the Scandinavian nations, as examples. Thomas Jefferson was correct that the banks are more injurious to our nation than marching armies.
Curiosity Question: If they managed to cancel Social Security, Medicare, and the foodstamp program tomorrow, how much of a dent would that actually put in the National Debt? I have a feeling it might cut it by 15 or 20%. Does anybody actually know what the result would be?
Rich
the global economy is in the process of a full-scale collapse... unfortunately, it's moving much too slow for me... i'd much rather we'd just get on with it, hit the wall and then figure out how to build a system designed for human beings based on the common good rather than the soulless, greed-based, social darwinian crap we have now...
http://takeitpersonally.blogspot.com/
Maybe numnutz should be a little more socially productive and try to get 7,000,000 people back to work in the US! Then maybe some money would be going back into the fund, DUH! WS journal today mentioned some 6,000,000 jobs shed to over seas since 2000 or so. Also I wonder if this dolt paid any tax on that half billion! I know he didn't pay any social security on it, which by my calcs should be approx. $31,000,000. The rich are raping America and what can we do about it? Me? I'm one of the broke jokes working for one of the rich. Open my pie hole and i get fired! thats just the way it has become...soooooooooooo saaaaaaaaaaaaad!!
and on another note in respect to the unemplyed and trying to find a job? I've been looking for a part time job to make a little extra cash to send the kids to college. most minion jobs you apply for on line now! huh! the scary part? is the questionares that you have to answer and some of the questions they ask which should not be allowed to be asked, ie: How proud would your parents be of you today? Do you think politicians are dishonest? What % of people do you think cheat on thier tax returns?
All of which require an answer in degrees and must be answered. shit its no wonder some people have quit looking for jobs! those are pretty personl questions and have absolutelt nothing with the way a person may or may not perform in a minion job. I'm going to throw the company name out there just for kicks, Target. Go apply and check it out, seriously! something kind of spooky about it!
The Eurozone is already in a recession. However, U.S. is not going into a major recession unless we stop on going secret war with Iran. If an all out open war with Iran occurs that war could cause massive deflation within the U.S. economy, and we would need another FDR like fix for the nation.
Love your emphasizing the positive, even about the Koch Brothers. I will put them on my prayer list too. (BTW, it drives the rightists nuts at rallies when I TELL them I will pray for them. But sometimes when the spirit moves me I do and then I do. I pray that they and more people will wake up.) But as for Cory Booker, there is more to him then a progressive pretty face who made one error. He is BAD on education. Please speak to Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report. Glen spoke at All Souls Church here in NYC recently re the corporate assault on public education and Cory figured in the talk. Joe Friendly (love that name!) taped it and it is at his JoeFriendly channel on YouTube -- perhaps someone in your team can review the tape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdPACwRgw04&feature=plcp Glen is pretty radical but very articulate and could be a good guest.
Another reason to be positive: People are living longer so maybe we will break the 80-year cycle.
Healing hugs to Louise!
Kate Anne
New York City
Tom - You are right about PE firms and how they operate - though PE firms do ask partners to participate in investment funds they manage so its not as clean as you present. More importantly ONLY Angel investors match your description of a good investor risking just their own money. VC firms raise investment funds just like PE firms and also invest their own money in them. VC's don't use leverage BUT they do encourage portfolio companies to spend their money as fast as possible, then invest again taking more equity and gaining control. With that control VC's screw the low level employees of these companies by maximizing the value of VC shares and minimizing the value of employee stock options - through dilution and other structures. So VCs are not these saintly job creators and it pains me to hear them described as the opposite of PE guys. Excepting Angles they really are all the same - its just different flavors of the same thing.
More importantly the companies Romney most frequently lists in his stump speeches as example of his job creation prowess are:
Staples: Forced to repay $42 million in illegally underpaid wages to its assistant store managers. http://www.nelp.org/page/-/Justice/2011/WinningWageJustice2011.pdf?nocdn=1 (page 127 footnote lists 2010 Boston Herald Article).
Domino's Pizza: Recently hit with a lawsuit by 22,000 delivery drivers claiming stolen tips and unpaid wages http://gregspages.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=474
Sports Authority: Through its contracted warehousing operation outside of Chicago was part of a University of Chicago study that concluded workers face temporary work and poverty wages http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-chicago/chicago-area-warehouse-workers-face-temporay-jobs-and-poverty-wages-new-u-of-i-chicago-study-shows
and Steel Dynamics: Which in recent years was subject to OSHA fines of $240,000 fine in connection with the death of a worker - largest fine since BP in 2006 up to that point. http://www.manufacturing.net/news/2009/10/steel-dynamics-fined-240000-after-worker-dies?menuid=284
Also - As a direct result of Governor Romney's September 2006 pocket veto of Bill # 4663 which would have reinstated the long standing ability of wage earners to be paid treble damages for stolen wages, the recent judgment against Starbucks Baristas dated January 31, 2012 cost the cheated Baristas $8.3 million. The veto has also cost countless workers the ability to pursue smaller claims allowing Mass employers to abuse workers with no real fear of reprisal.
Mitt also vetoed an increase to the minimum wage after calling for an increase during his Gubernatorial campaign.
So much to work with here ...
"Follow the money/power --"
“Bain led a consortium, together with The Carlyle Group ...”
“Bain, along with partners Carlyle Group ...”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bain_Capital
—
“... the Bin Laden and Bush families were both connected to the Group; that following the attacks on September 11, the bin Laden family’s investments in the Carlyle Group became an embarrassment to the Carlyle Group and the family was forced to liquidate their assets with the firm; that the Carlyle group was, in essence, the 11th largest defense contractor in the United States.”
“Defense investments represent about 50% of the group's current portfolio ...”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group
Bain is where Mitt learned how to get all of the money out and then trash business if it can no longer pay it's bills. Sounds like what the Republicans are doing to the US. They have nominated the person in the USA who has been best at that to become President and liquidate the USA sending the money to the 1%. we will then be left with a third world economy and millions of people willing to work for the lowest wages we have seen in decades. THE US is about to get Bained by the head high head chopper. I have to admit a secret admiration of how they have pulled off the ruination of this nation and kept the conversation on birth certificates, deficits, immigration, womens rights, etc, etc, etc.
Romney's assignment is finish this deal and bankrupt the nation and the great majority of the citizens. If he gets in the White House-we The People are TOAST. Ed
One other point: Seldom are governments, even the more benign, eager to relinquish powers once conferred. (This is one of the truths we should be grateful to real conservatives for insisting on.) And specific to this discussion, a surveillance state once established is not easily dismantled.
The So-Called War on Drugs (SCWOD) has enabled governments at all levels, federal to local, to nullify the 4th Amendment without the long, uncertain process of a new amendment; with no effective political opposition or audible public outcry; with no objection in the corporate media; and with little effort beyond a few easily won court cases. The So-Called War on Terror (SCWOT) has of course advanced that cause enormously, but had the advantage of a foundation decades in the building. And of course corporations have been quick to seize on the fact that "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" effectively no longer exists.
Up to 74% of Americans (going with the poll Thom cites), including growing numbers of conservatives and law-enforcement personnel, and even some legislators, realize that the SCWOD has been a disastrous failure in terms of its ostensible goals. If those were its real goals, it would have been deep-sixed years ago. But its real goals are different. Those, it has served and continues to serve with great success, and consequently, it will never end.
Just wanted to say that I read your blog quite frequently and I’m always amazed at some of the stuff people post here. But keep up the good work, it’s always interesting.
insurance medical short term
Thom, I was born 5/7/62. I have now known 5 other people born on this day and If I didnt believe in Astrology I would. Science Geek, ADHD, Same RELIGION-YA THINK- only. Please look at my JESUS SAYS WELFARE PROMOTES LAZINESS blog. I think it deserves more than 1 "DISGUSTING!" You will get IT
this was a really quality post. i wasn’t aware of the many ripples and depth to this story until i surfed here through google! great job. things to do chapel hill
@ Administration and blog owners:
5/18/2012
This man is belittling the Holocaust, the administrators have to block him. I could attack him hard, I am tough enough -- but I principally don't discuss with Nazis. Belittling Holocaust is too much, a blog that makes that possible is harmful -- even if it's a liberal blog!
If you go on letting him abuse this blog for his anti-Semitic garbage I won't be able to go on as commentator. At times this blog does more harm than good, if right-wingers totally dominate the discussion. Why are so many liberals such suckers and unable to fight back? It really reminds me of Hitler laughing about the "feigen und schlappen Demokraten": This guy here, Joseph L. is already mocking, because my flagging him offensive doesn't have consequences.
----------------------------------------
Update 5/22/2012: "Jew banksters" is still a terrible anti-Semitic stereotype. The stuff he wrote later and thanks God is deleted was even worse, but this here is still awful.
The MORONIC decision to charge some stupid kids with TERRORISM will cost the CITY OF CHICAGO MILLIONS of $$$$. We have seen this movie before. PATHETIC - some late night B.S . Session turned into CONSPIRACY! OOH! Thanks for Protecting Me.
Nothing, The media just tells us about how the protests might slow our commute. There is NO discussion about ISSUES. All they talk about is how Businesses are being hurt by the SECURITY or the PROTESTERS.
Not ONE story about the FUNCTION of NATO or why these SMELLY UNEMPLOYED WEIRD FREAKS are clogging up our streets. We have enough HOMELESS MENTALLY ILL Beggars. What news is in a PEACEFUL PROTEST anyway. "Nothing happening here."
"Wait, a 16 yr old DRUNK KID who is a WELL KNOWN ANARCHIST just puked on a COP and started a RIOT."
The Police Chief was quoted " The Anarchist Puker didn't get a PERMIT TO PUKE" He will be charged as a Terrorist and the case will be DISMISSED after a beating.
Cynical Enough?
So... you're enlightened because you'd anti-Semitic.
Does insanity run in your family or were you exposed to Mercury as a child ?
It's not that people don't understand the Constitution. It's that the Libertarians are trying to re-interpret the Constitution as a "Mother, May I" document.
The Constitution says what the Government may NOT do. And leaves latitude to create new laws, because the Founders knew there would be circumstances they couldn't foresee or plan for.
The Libertarians and anti-government lunatics HATE the idea of a "Living Constitution" so they pretend the Constitution says things it doesn't.
And enough people are easily fooled that this argument confuses them.
I watched the NRC on C-span one time last year and the only rational person was the chairman, so I am extremely unhappy that he was forced out. For that is what it is. Where do these corporate interests think they'll hide if nukes go off all over the planet from these toxic nuclear reactors? We have no business even using this stuff when we haven't even figured out how to safely dispose of the waste material. Just as in Japan, they have no means to deal with their disaster either. I remember watching these 12 and 13 year olds last year in front of the UN asking these supposedly wise leaders why they would use something that they didn't know how to fix? Good question. Building these nuclear power plants without knowing how to deal with the waste, was like putting the cart before the horse, but profit seems to win out every time and to hell with people's safety. After decades of working in a corporate environment I lelarned that nothing ever changed except the name of the company. And I've worked for them since the 60's in the accounting area. Their only interests were short sighted gains, like daily, weekly, monthly. No long term visions or plans.
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