I posted before that I thought it had to get worse before it got better. I even considered voting Republican to help crash the system quicker. I’m afraid my cynical thinking got the better of me. We don’t have time to wait. We need to occupy the Democratic party just like the Tea Party has occupied the Republican party. We need to force the President to follow our lead! The Occupy Movement has started the process. I suggest that at each Democratic precint we have the party leadership acknoledge that corporations are not people and a constitutional ammendment is needed to address this fact. This acknowledgement can occur at the city and county level as well. There should be a stark difference between the platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties. Right now the Democratic party is Republicn Light, all the corporatism with a little less fat cat. Not a good enough reason to vote.

I would hope that instead of using a public suicide as a technique, we can stop those who call for austerity (i.e., the Repunlicans) by massive, peaceful demonstrations in the streets. I think we will see those demonstrations at the political conventions later this year. However, given the country's militaristic turn toward a police state (e.g., the NDAA, the recent tear gassing and pepper spraying of students at several universities and in certain cities like Oakland, and this last Supreme Court decision on strip searches), the demonstrators will need to be careful that they do not start any violence. However, I do think these demonstrations may well cause the police to riot, so good and thorough camera work will be needed when the police and demonstrators meet in the streets. We will need proof that the police started the riot, if one occurs.

On a more hopeful note, we need a strong, tough, and smart campaign by the Democrats to show unequivocally to low-information voters what kinds of austerity Republicans are calling for. The nation needs to turn the Tea Party and their Republican enablers out of office and put true progressives in their places. Then, I hope we won't need the demonstrations.

/Fashay/? "Fasces" is pronounced /fash-eez/.

I agree with the anomy theory of suicide under conservative rule. Certainly when I contemplate suicide (don't worry, I'm far from actually doing it), it's because I feel like I haven't really been admitted to the world, so I might as well leave it. I have culture shock in my own country.

As a lawyer once told me, "there is no such thing as the Fourth Amendment for the working class any more."

I worry that the official response to police misconduct, especially in cases where indivdual officers come in with a seige mentality, may be more repression of a citizen's right to monitor police behaviour and result in more unaccountability.

The Illinois Eavesdropping law was recently declared unconstitutional in a Class 1 felony case (15 years in the joint) involving Chicago artist Chris Drew, who made an audio recording of his own arrest for peddling without a license (a city ordinance). The state wants to appeal Judge Stanley Sacks' ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court. the State's Attorney and the Attorney General involved willl spend unlimited amounts of money to assert State power over citizens. An attempt to modify the law failed in the State House recently.

The will to change the laws involving the hiring and promotion of people who may be mentally unfit for their jobs may come to the fore, but many people have suffered far too long waiting for something positive to happen.

As I've asked before, "who works for whom?".

For those who care to research this, they will find a TON of research backing up the idea that the death penalty does NOT deter crime. In fact, many of those incarcerated for murder have stated the threat of being put to death did absolutely NOTHING to deter them, and if they were to get out, they'd do it again, no question.

And do we really want to give the power over life and death to our government? Ask anyone in our military how well that's working out.

The whole idea of the "death penalty" is hypocritical. If killing is wrong, then killing someone for killing is just as wrong. Interestingly, I find that most of the people who believe in the death penalty consider themselves "pro-life." Hypocricy is apparently a lifestyle choice for some.

So when they ask who's going to pay for it? (referring to medical care, or any other government program) the left should be prepared with the answer: "the same people who are now paying more for the private option, and are going to pay even more if they don't get government relief."

Geez I can't understand how people like Luntz can go on these shows, advertise the game plan, and then pundits and politicians on the left stand there dumbfounded. HELLO YOU MORONS, THEY HAVE GIVEN YOU THE GAME PLAN, FIND A COUNTER TO IT AND USE IT!!!!! This isn't rocket science.

N

I voted for my Democrat Senator Ron Wyden, who is a co sponsor and right in there with Ryan. That's a fact.

Also a fact the reason the US patient is not allowed negotiated drug prices, is because Pres. Obama promised Big Pharma his first month in the office, he would never allow negotiations.

We have to work on our party instead of pointing fingers and putting all blame on the righties. It's not helpful to ignore the actions of the Democrat party. The party is losing it's base, and only blaming the right isn't going to change it.

This administration isn't fighting Wall Street for reforms, this administration HIRED wall street, what did any of us expect?

Shooting oneself in the head in such a public manner is hardly dignified. It does deliver a powerful message, though. I believe there will be more such protests to come if we allow these austerity measures to continue to spread. The questions are, who will report it, and will the media outlets give it the coverage it deserves?

My problem with your effort is simply that - it's not relevant because we, the people, aren't relevant in "their" equasion, period. The current revolutions around the world are the only means to bring dumb-founding change. We've a long way to go. May I suggest reading The Stand (long and dry but... life shall be come hither, too) or The Postman, Steven King. He's speaking of our immediate future. Lo'ts of pearls of wisdom if we read "between the lines".

Knowledge is freedom, Action is choice. We each decide our own future at this point. Part of the problem or part of the sollution. Who's sollution is the testy part. The many versus the few wins every time, if we are the many together.

Hi Thom, newly relocated to Edmonton from Ontario, Canada, like so many American citizens, I know first hand working for minumum wage with a good and ongoing eductaion by my own means. To be "under-emplyed" as our Conservative Government coins the phrase, I adapted to working multiple jobs since I was in high school, to make ends meet and more-so raising two boys. When my last "career" position (4 of us in total) was eliminated three yearsago as a Supervisor in a Senior Retirement and Assited Living facilicy, with no options to apply within for a differnt, lesser position, I went almsot two years with no work, grovelling for the most minimum wage positions to save self and home. Though I DID establish 3 part-time jobs, I was again, laid off for the winter due to "renovations" of the hotel I was cleaning rooms in, the second decided to close her doors of the unique deli she had oppened only months before, leaving me working as Supervisor in Concessions at the local Arena, evenings and week-end. Not enough to save my home. I sold for no loss except legal fees, stayed with a friend paying rent for 6 weeks, roomied with ex-husband for several more weeks paying half the rent and all utilties, as he too had just got laid off, wating for unemployment for 10 weeks and then packed two suitcases and came to Edmonton. In 3 moths I established a full time job at a Shell station, for $11.50 p/hr less than a week of being here and have since found a one bedroom apartment as of March 01/12, an hour's commute from work. Still under a Conservative Provincial and Federal Government, I'm doing ok for now, but of course, all subject to change, given the times we live in. A friend used to say "we're ALL just one pay-check away from being homeless". How sadly true!

I have an Education Assistant Diploma (I used to make $16.00 per hour, early Nineties, I worked in Respite for Persons with Special Needs same time, same wage, that I took night courses and such to develop skills to do more than just in the stifling school system. At 34, I put myself through College, still raising children who were 9 and 10 years of age, and also a Superintendent of a 29 unit apartment complex which reduced my rent by half to $350. per month. now pays $8.00p/hr if I want to work with persons with Special Needs in Respite Care, due to Government cuts for the same work. So, I volunteer instead. I also have 35 years in Professional Cooking. I left $18.00 p/hr that I had to work all hours, day and night, 24/7 365, that I was working for a Charitable Govt. Casino. LOL Ironic. It was costing me my health so greatly I'd ne recourse but to leave or die way too young. | at that time returned to being a Tutor of Adult Literacy, completing ten years prior to this move. I tutored children at home as well, privately, having ongoing, updated training in this marvelous Volunteer program. A good frind of mine took up my case here when she retired. She now trains the Tutors and serves on the Board of Directiors, giving her valuable knowledge and skell as an exceptional person to my "most important mission" of life. My thinking has for many years been, "if you can learn to read, you can learn about what-ever your heart desires", and SO many adults cannot read, in SO many countires, Canada included. Speaks volumes to me about the lack of interest in education the masses, but rather those who can "afford" an education. I'd have fully home-schooled my own, but I had to work so, we studied at tome in the evenings together. They'd no no success in life without such. School was essentially, putting in time with frinds and some social networking. They thank me often for such.

About to turn 54, all savings exausted during my drout of employment, no retirement plan, I continue to assist my adult, professional sons with theirs lives financially, as they are my future, so to speak. If they can't make it post myself, it's NOT for lack of effort, ability, tenacity and intelligence. It's ONLY because we don't come from a legacy of status quo. THAT correlates direcly to all that is wrong regarding SO may subjects of topic today. I high school, I told my boys revolutions were coming to change what they were living. I didn't know if I'd see it in my life-time, but here it is, full circle, round the globe. Sad but marvelous, That we're all sci-fi readers among others subjects... I am angst, but holding onto my believes that Gene Rodenbury's version of our future, via Star Trek... the world of MANY great writers of fore-sight, Robert Heinlen, on and on, I believe in the Human Spirit prevailing in a positive outcome. THAT part I won't see in my life, but knowing it's finally happening ... I smile!

The city I come from blocks channels such as yours. My long establisehed penchant of Political Scince, well, haven't I just latched on to RT and made it my place of in the know! You spare me the difficulty of researching the world, living in a silenced and forbidden community. I thank you and the whole team at RT for your enlightening presentation of world events, uncensored! I did a project on Myanmar during my College years of a certain woman who is now.... oh my goddness, on the ballot doesn't begin to describe the elation I felt seeing her, via your channel. What an exceptional person. What an example for others. A Mendalla of the female persuasion! My heart sings for her and the people of Myanmar. I was SO insulted, seeing it headlined in Canada as the Free Election of Burma. Says it all. I'm embarrased to be Canadian at times! I was to be failed in Grade Eight for refusing to retract a paper on my views of Communism. It was 1972. I didn't retract it! The Cold War lives on.....

Regards to you and all persons who share voice, ideas and much effort to make the world inhabitable and sustainable! It's a good start!

Mary Anne (C) Finnemore