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Dear Recovering cons... , Bill Press' second cast in this minute complained about Twitter being "stupid". Why, if you (not you Recovering cons...) follow stupid tweeters >>BLAME YOURSELF<< cuz you get nothing but stupid tweets! I can't complain.....
Twitter is great, so thanks for your Left-On-Twitter tip, dear Recovering cons... !
You ran away from the RWNJs here?! 2950-10K now wants me to also attack them on their blogs. So, what is right??
Whatsoever, my interests are pretty much like Thom's: Solar, History, Europe, pretty much watching the German example (also German history before 1750, which is part of American history as well, as for example the Silver Dollar comes from the old German currency Thaler)..... So, why in the world would I leave here?
Well, I feel more and more I'm a Keynesian Nurse. I don't feel like attacking the right-wingers anymore -- I am going to nurse them here..... :o)
Dear illustrator5, many thanks for donating the lovely charm with "One flew over the coocoo's nest" to the needy baby on this thread! :o)
GREEK stuff
Which one? The left or right foot? Or should I ask?
…. Bet you favor right appendages for amputation …
Greece has lost its sovereignty, because it demanded its government provide endless entitlement regardless of any economic logic or consequences.
The democratic people of Greece have lost everything because they invested in government instead of themselves and responsibility.
I understand this far more than you ideologues could ever contrive.
Been There - Seen – It – Done it
Harry Kellogg
RE Good grief you sound like a
1) Actually, I am not a corporate lackey or stooge. I’m as disillusioned as you are with “some” corporations – not all - but from a different perspective.
2) Re: my #7 comment, I almost knew instinctively this one would leave the door wide open for interpretation. I should have continued on and pointed out that buying shares is risky and speculative. If the company does well, you get dividends or you can sell for a profit. If it fails you lose. You have to do your homework and invest wisely. I did not buy Solyndra stock, even though I thought the cylindrical solar panel concept was brilliant. I followed the money and it was political influenced right back to Obama’s cash bundlers. It crashed and burned so brightly I may need flash burn surgery. But the average investor in a solvent profitable company does receive dividends. People who bought Microsoft or Apple (no government interference in creation) for example when they first started are now rich beyond imagination. Investing in stocks never returns consistent results. That is why it is risky and not for everyone. Anyone can buy stocks, rich or poor. So I will rephrase – “Corporations go public to raise money which can result in great income for savvy investor/shareholders”. - Much of the rest of what you are not happy with has to do with politicians selling out to corporate lobbyists. So vote them out if you think they aren’t protecting your interests!
3) As for #8 – constitution amendments in the United States of America are not dispensed at some candy vending machine for the dissatisfied to buy carte blanc 24/7. Please try and retain some realism. Very smart people on the Supreme Court have to dig incredibly deep into their own souls when it comes to the constitution. Although I don’t like the liberal justice’s views all the time, I trust them to interpret the constitution for the sake of the constitution alone, and not their political leanings. If they misuse that, this republic is lost.
4) As for #9 – How much did SEIU give Obama as well as other entrenched special interests? And do you have an accounting of all his contributors?
Recovering conservative2
Actually, … I’m not defending Rick, I’m standing up for what he actually said, not what it was spun into by Liberal bias.
Also, … and with utmost respect, I thought I would point out that your screen name always shows up in Chrome and Firefox this way - “Recovering cons...”
When I first saw it I thought it was implying you choose the name Recovering cons AKA convicts from prison. I was trying to guess what the “cons….” Meant until I clicked on your bio and saw the name is “Recovering conservative2” Which makes a bit more sense than posting as a “recovering cons…” ?
I hope you appreciate that I always respond with your full name “Recovering conservative2”
And I’m not trying to be funny or sarcastic by telling you this in any way, I just thought I would point out that your screen name on Thom’s blog, as displayed on my monitors edits your name in that manner on my computer.
I am guessing that Thom’s blog software limits the amount of characters that it will display. As such, long screen names are compromised.
Be well
And Santorum got beat in MA and AZ so it’s a moot point. I expect Romney will be the next man to watch
The question is why fight for what is fair and just? What makes a person continue when the mountain is put before him? We are shaped by the events we observe and experience, I have been in public health for over 25 years, investigating, reading, working and trying to help people, families and communities that become ill by investigating the causes. These illnesses have been caused by a variety of things from chemical pollution in the air, water, or soil. Other illnesses from contamination of food that occurred either in the field, during processing, transport, or in preparation. In my various jobs, I have collected and analyzed data from various source to see what associations can be made between possible causes of illnesses and the illnesses themselves. So I understand who un or under regulated discharges from a chemical plant can cause a community to have a higher cancer rate than the next community. The fact that everyone doesn’t become ill is more a testament to the strength of some people constitution and good luck or you could call it survival of the fittest. Unfortunately most of these communities are poor since the rich communities can prevent the plants from being built close by or upstream as was mentioned. The rich can afford lobbyists, and can make generous donations to officials who approve the locations of such plants. To add to misfortunate that these people endure is that they can’t afford early treatment or diagnosis of their conditions. Many lawyers will take the cases since they have to work on contingency and the company lawyer who are paid more with the bought off politicians can delay and appeal so the people are forced by circumstances to settle for much less than what they deserve.
These are the people who are ground down by the wheels of uncontrolled industry, and the sad part is often if the CEO had given up one joy ride in the company jet, it would have paid for the equipment to correct the problem.
In doing the food borne investigation, I have gone to countries where produce is grown that are served on tables in America in the winter time. The processors often have three lines where the first two lines are for export to Europe and the other to the US, and third for the rejects that go into local markets. The facilities that the workers are housed in vary from decent minimal dorm room accommodations to cardboard shacks. Some provide day care and educational opportunities for the employees and their children, most do not. A thought for the 1% that fresh raspberry that you are about to eat in February may have been picked the week before by some worker in a foreign country who doesn’t know how to wash their hands and has a child with Hepatitis A but that are the conditions generated by an unregulated free market. The US federal government can’t tell another country what standards they should have for their employees. Federal agencies aren’t able to set many standards for farm workers in this country. More agricultural workers are covered by state laws.
Where is the long wondering tale going? it is provide a few examples of what my life have involved daily for over 25 years which is why I hope before my life is over I see a better place for my fellow man. It is for these people that I continue the fight against the arrogant and ignorant.
For the hope that someday the country will change and the next generation of public health professional will not find children in the United States that play on dirt floors in their homes, where children don’t have to wear sweaters and blankets to keep warm in their own homes. The only two meals that the children get to eat are the sponsored breakfast and lunch and the parents get less where these children get an opportunity to go to college or a trade school that they can dream of being more than a janitor and their grandparents can live long enough to see them achieve these goals.
I also hope to see the day where we have an honest discussion about the conditions in the country and not cherry picked talking points. Like how many people pay Federal Income and ignore all the other taxes that people pay or make an example of a few people that may game the system but they ignore the fact that 17% of children live in families below the poverty line.
In addition, when a person claims to be a Christian, they should follow the teaching and look out for and provide for their fellow man including the least of them. They should happily render under to Caesar what is Cesar’s, and through the money changers out of the temple. Hopefully these changes will happen in the next 35 years where America can become a country again that is more concerned about our fellow man than the bottom line.
Good grief you sound like a corporate lacky and stooge.
Let's just take these three...
7) Then the corporation decides to take their company public and sell shares to hundreds maybe thousands more PEOPLE so the average person can participate in the corporations success. (an opportunity to share the wealth. And it brings in global investment which enriches America). They form stock holders boards, (more people) and all the investors hire accountants, and investment consultants. ….. Now even more PEOPLE are involved. It’s a “people” domino effect”.
When a corporation goes public they do it to raise capital and not to share the wealth. The powers at be always...always make sure they control the vast majority of stock so they can decide who gets on the board, gets bonuses and picks the officers etc. This is not a democracy with one person one vote. They take the investors money and for the most part give them modest returns while at the same time the upper management takes home the lion's share in what would be defined as theft before 1980s. For the most part the average investor does not share equally in the profits. The vast majority of the profits currently come from, user fees, not paying living wages, not paying for the infrastructure, not paying taxes, building plants in foreign countries to avoid environmental laws, getting the laws changed by bribing congressman, blackmailing states for tax breaks etc. and not from sound business practices. Short term profits are the rule and the top 1% or less of the corporation reap the vast majority of the loot.
8) People, people, people, PEOPLE. Corporations are PEOPLE !! Rich and poor alike !!
Despite what the most corrupt supreme court the US as ever had ruled, corporations are not people and an amendment will fix that corrupt travesty of a ruling. It's a shame it has to come down to the time and expense spent on the amendment process when 11 out of the last 12 times a true supreme court has shot down the concept of corporate personhood. To any moral and thinking individual a person is a living breathing, biological individual and not some fictitious and artificial legal entity that didn't even exist in years gone by. The founding fathers were adamant in their distain and advocated time after time for strong controls over this invented organization. The American Revolution was not only fought against King George but against the corporation that had the government under it's control. The Tea Party was a protest against the East India Company. A multi-national corporation that controlled King George. It's beyond belief that they would have embraced corporate personhood. It's totally inconceivable except in the minds of corporate lackeys and stooges.
9) And all the PEOPLE who earn income from the corporation pay a huge GLUT in income taxes at every level of the corporate structure. Therefore American corporations are as much “We the PEOPLE” as “you the anti corporate people” Thus they have a right to contribute to elections.
We the people are limited to the amounts we can give. Why aren't corporations limited to the same amounts. GE can contribute $2500 per candidate etc. at least until the amendment is passed. If they are persons then they count as a person...ONE person. Can I give more than the law allows because I belong to different subsets? Male, blue eyed, blonde, tall, diest, right handed. Do they also get to vote? Should Romney be indicted for murder because he killed a dozen corporations/people? Is he a mass murderer? The farce of corporate personhood is so ridiculous on the face of it. The founding fathers are spinning in circles in their graves.
Reply to #4.......Clarissa, Pesky skirmishers come and go all the time on this blog, but remember, we too can attack right wing blogs in the same manner, it always inspires me...... keep fighting the good fight.
I think it could be a good rap song. I’m no musician, it has lyrical rhythm.
Nothing wrong with being creative. Go for it! Never know ...
:)
Tonights blog should be required reading for all who care about freedom and democracy. I think it's a call to action of sorts. In my opinion restoration of representative democracy is possible if enough of us get involved in the Occupy Movement. I'm sure most of you got the 99% Spring, "Training in basics of nonviolent direct action" email from The Other 98%.......sounds good, April 9th-14th. Fight on!
dowdotica
RE: OW! that one made my head
Very good points!!
You especially made me think when I started to reflect on 1040eZ or 1040.
The tax code is very complicated, and NO CPA can know the whole tax code. Its too massive and growing by the minute.
Some that specialize in 1040’s don’t do business tax, and some that do business specialize in specific types of business. Once you cross into business taxes there is NO “ez” at the end of any filing name.
If the tax code could somehow be simplified it would free up billions of hours of time for people to be creating things that contribute to economic prosperity.
New healthcare law taxes are already creating some brain hemorrhages. Fortunately, you will be covered under Obamacare for any strokes, bleeding ulcers or nervous break downs as a result of trying to decipher the new healthcare tax obligations. So in the end it should work out. Just not sure how at his point. “We have to wait to see what’s in it”
But I don’t think taxes will get less complicated, just more so.
Be well fellow human :)
You should look at Connect The Left on Twitter, I have been doing twitter for a few months moving away from Thom's site since more liberatians and RWNJ have shown up. Who are more interested in yelling their talking points than having a discussion.
OW! that one made my head hurt! corporation,smorporation! the fact is! statistically, $400-500 billion dollars of revenue goes missing each year! Go to IRS.gov. Why? because of the cheaters, weather its a corporation cooking the books or a high wage earner itemizing deductions and adding a bit here and a bit there. Meanwhile back at the ranch the good old w-2 earner who well may work for one of the cheating corporations or even a cheating sole proprietor has nothing but his workiing class wage which scarcely allows for any cheating room on a 1040eZ or for that matter a from 1040. Now mind you a really poor working stiff might just be lucky enough to get an earned income tax credit which is basically free money.
Point is America the once united states has basically evolved into a glut of selfish self serving egomanical money grubbing overwieght stuffed shirts that for a quarter would shank you in a heart beat if they thought they could have a bigger piece of pie then you! Why? just how much frikin' pie do you need to stuff yourself with before you puke!!!lolol
That was synical huh? Why would i blather so much about this and in this fashion? I work in tax compliance and have to sit around and run statistics from time to time. so for fun why don't you sit at your desk and run some mock calculations of just how much the cheaters might be cheating me out of. for every calc you do quantify it by any hypothetical number and just try to wrap your brain around the truly unethical nature created by such a screwed up tax code. People do it as a gamble, not enough auditors to audit a 150,000,000 tax returns!!!! for starters take a typical small corporate tax return and "esplane" to me why the owner of the company lives in a multi million dollar manshion, drives a benz owns a boat has a vaction home or 2 and the company never pays any income tax. moreover why does the staff live in the ghetto and come to work every day with a chip on thier shoulder....
thats some off the cuff food for thought!!!
Clarissa,
Re definition of a Liberal,
I was going to keep quiet because I know I’m giving you a migraine from all the logic, but I have to point something out;
You are defining the meaning and vernacular of the word “Liberal” of current times “Circa 2012”, from a dictionary Circa 1719.
And then attempt cobble together some bias of the definition further by implying this is a French interpretive definition? … What? !!
Do you know how stoooopid that is in terms of relevancy?
I would probably have a hard time finding the definition of a “Political Hack” in your ancient French dictionary, and even if I did, I doubt it would have the same meaning as it applies in 2012 America.
Nor would the 2012 definition in America have little if anything to do with France in the 1700’s.
If you want I can email you some aspirins as an attached file. Which reminds me, does your Circa 1700’s French dictionary have the word “email” in it?
…. If not, search carrier pigeon with note attached to leg. … “It’s all relevant in the Liberal struggle to defend the indefensible”.
… I’m just trying to help darling :)
Heck, those people were sane. It was Nurse cratchitt who should have been confined.
Reading this article and being concerned is a LIBERAL attitude. Being concerned about the poor, is generally very LIBERAL, dear Norman. A liberal is not alone a progressive. A liberal is GENEROUS and KIND. If this is "common sense", I'm alright with your "common sense". But frankly, the Nazis considered their ideas "common sense" as well. So, I don't know, Norman......
As I tweeted: You bet, John Booohner considers his ideas "common sense"....
I am quite a bit irritated by Norman Goldman, who keeps insisting on LIBERAL would be just a tag without message. This is NOT true. I sent him a mail (two times: from my account and again over the form on his website), as I was downright shelling with four tweets over to him. Today he claims he had asked the **liberals** who mailed him, to explain him what LIBERAL actually meant. But no-no-no-no-no Norman! You did NOT answer and ask me. I could explain you precisely.
I have an old dictionary, released 1719 -- there you find these forms already in French language of the early 1700. Briefly, a LIBERAL is a kind person, whereas a libertarian is nasty (more under my profile...). There's good and evil in the world and it's an old thing. This is NOT about dividing people, it's realizing reality. Funny that Norman is concerned about dividing people, for he's really a dividing spirit. I don't criticize this. Norman is doing a great job though. But I will always defend the term LIBERAL, Norman. With teeth and claws!!!
Eventually. I just don't think this generation has what it takes to actually pull democracy from the claws of corporate powers. This isn't the first time in our history that the richest few had gained such power over govt.; before, the poor and middle classes always united to push back, to the benefit of both. Not this time. Middle class America had completley turned its back on the poor, so any push against the rich lacks the strength to accomplish much. The rich are now doing to the middle class what the middle class did to the poor.
Thanks for the kind words Recovering cons... (how does it go on? I'm very nosy...), the RWNJs actually made me even more "snobbish", helping me to educate myself politically a little more and define my position more precisely. But look what Liberty-First just did here: he's driving himself nuts with his hyper-hi-strung stuff. Who will actually read this crazy opus? I don't think anybody will. He's just killing time.
I am very happy with my decision to join Twitter four days ago. Twitter is a great propaganda machine and connects you to other political fighters. Today I was followed by a guy who is followed by John Fugelsang. So this tells me, I'm on the right path -- already after four days.
The bad criminals are in jail while the good ones are in offices at high places.
It seems since history began that only the wealthy have had the time and means to influence politics and economics. Now with the internet we can change that. I suggest that the people themselves share their own ideas and provide these ideas to our legislators, literally a people’s version of ALEC.
Please join www.public-voice.org to share and vote on ideas that matter.
It is encouraging to see so much pushback at the local and state levels against Citizens United and the kind of thinking it represents. However, I still had to vote "no" above. At the federal level, government is owned by the corporations, and most Democrats have shown themselves just as locked in as nearly all Republicans. Even if, by some unimaginable miracle, Democrats ever have the White House and both houses of Congress again--a meaningless concept anyway, as the Republicans' 41% majority in the Senate has shown--Citizens United will never be overturned.
Corporations are people forever. People are people only if they're in the one percent.
All this Citizen's United bill does is create a cold war political propaganda spending race.The only beneficiaries of all this money are the media outlets.Every year, more and more money will be wasted on these campaigns.It's time for publicly financed elections.The Tories in Canada have kneecapped the competion by eliminating the per vote subsidy, while they get billions in corporate donations.
Good Grief!
Some of you sound like burned out hippies from the 60’s trying to crush the corporations, outlaw capitalism and flip America to socialism.
Socialism is nothing but a romantic concept that lures in the poets and dreamers, …. AND THEN EATS THEM.
Mostly what I see here is poorly informed socialist textbook ideologues with no business experience or real world experience. - No real understanding of America’s economics, a total lack of comprehension about what business, companies and corporations CONTRIBUTE to America.
Also many seem in denial that both left, center, and right politicians have caused many of the problems you now face. Fortunately some of you do get it. But you are in denial if you want to give more power to government and allow it to restrict more of your liberty and waste more of your money.
Once you surrender your freedoms and choices to government, they will NEVER give them back.
By the way, corporations are people. They are nothing but people, 1000’s of people in some cases
A GENERAL OUTLINE OF HOW A CORPORATION IN AMERICA IS FORMED.
1) Somebody suddenly has an idea in this free society where they have liberty to take risks and pursue their dreams. Maybe some ex-hippies like the late Steve Jobs. Or Ben and Jerry’s ice cream founders. Or Michael Moore’s film production company.
2) They all invested in their ideas (= risk) and in the above examples it paid off very handsomely. (We’re talking Gulf Stream Jet lifestyle).
3) As their success grew they hired more people
4) Then formed companies and they grew even more
5) So they hire hundreds more people and become a corporate structure
6) Every strep of the way they buy things from other companies and venders, such as office supplies, construction company services to build facilities, advertising agencies, garbage collectors, pest control companies, fleets of company cars, airline travel, hotels for business meetings … the list is almost infinite the amount of peoples lives that benefit when a corporation is successful.
7) Then the corporation decides to take their company public and sell shares to hundreds maybe thousands more PEOPLE so the average person can participate in the corporations success. (an opportunity to share the wealth. And it brings in global investment which enriches America). They form stock holders boards, (more people) and all the investors hire accountants, and investment consultants. ….. Now even more PEOPLE are involved. It’s a “people” domino effect”.
8) People, people, people, PEOPLE. Corporations are PEOPLE !! Rich and poor alike !!
9) And all the PEOPLE who earn income from the corporation pay a huge GLUT in income taxes at every level of the corporate structure. Therefore American corporations are as much “We the PEOPLE” as “you the anti corporate people” Thus they have a right to contribute to elections.
10) So when you BASH a corporation like it’s some kind one headed mythical beast, you are actually bashing “PEOPLE” who earn income from the corporation. Many of which may be your next-door neighbor, or people you pass in every day life.
11) However, a corporation like GE has managed to pay very little in “corporate taxes” but it generates mountains of tax revenue from its overall structure as outlined above. (Mostly for its domestic activities, not foreign ~ talk to Obama about the latter)
12) President Obama named General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt to head the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, an economic advisory board focused on job creation. So, I guess Obama thinks big corporations should advise you all, but in the same breath tells you corporate America is robbing the little guy. “Aren’t politicians amazing creatures”? By the way, right after being nominated to Obama’s council, CEO Jeffrey Immelt guided his company to ramp up production of florescent light bulbs in China pending the democrat legislation to outlaw the incandescent light bulb. I guess he thought hiring workers in China was more “competitive” ~ so much for American jobs !! Thanks Obama, Thanks GE CEO.
13) Corporate lobbyists have a constitutional right to lobby. AND the government politicians have an oath to protect the public’s interests. But they very often don’t. They sell out to lobbyists. Liberals want to make the government even bigger and more powerful, thus you have a greater attrition of sell-outs in charge of your lives. That doesn’t seem prudent; in fact it should be the other way round if you want to preserve the liberty of this Republic.
14) If corporations have no right to support candidates, then it would follow that organized worker unions also be prevented from buying politicians “as they so blatantly do”. And why stop there? You could say that once a business reaches a certain size, they are prohibited from contributing to elections. It will never end until no one is allowed to vote for anyone because you WILL be living in a communist country!!
15) Thanks a lot, we have been assimilated by the Borg !!
Truth will prevail, it always does. Let's hope it arrives in time to derail tyranny.
Subject: GOP Translator
http://i.imgur.com/uHVyb.jpg
Clarissa Smith, I have seen the new group on RWNJ that have come after you. It is unfortunate that rick has outlined their game plan, if you are educated you have been indocturinated by progressive college professor and you are a snob therefore should be attacked if you don't agree with the fox news talking points.
We need to stand strong because they want to stay happily ignorant, they have forgotten or are uneducated about the french and russian revolution and so many others that were response to injustices that were visited on the 99%^ by the 1%.
But Ms. Smith keep writing inspite of the RWNJ, there are many that appreciate your comments and support you.