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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.
I've already begun the process of moving my money out of BOA to a credit union that is affiliated with 670 credit unions nationwide enabling me to use ATM's, make deposits, etc. all over the U.S. I have all the same perks I had with BOA and none of the fees. Need time to switch direct deposits such as SS, pensions, etc. so can't do it in a day, but should be out next month.
It's going to be a very rough road ahead...but one that has proven time and time again throughout history...that those who have become adept at accumulating wealth and power...and displaying obvious signs of malevolence against those they left behind [continued reduction in compensation for labor, squeezing out benefits..especially health benefits, shipping our jobs overseas, contrivances to further whittle down the ability of people to provide for one's family through marketing forces especially in the F.I.R.E. (finance, insurance, and real estate) industry which hound you for participation in their detrimental schemes...and pushing the tax burden onto those least able to pay them.]..will eventually fall... through the rebellion of the masses.
The wealthy have realized that if they could use psychology to make the masses all believe that they too would one day be wealthy that they would all side with the wealthy and offset a rebellion. They've used the media...movies, tv, and PR firms to psyche out the people and squeeze them for all they could. But, even though there is still some resistance..old lies and illusions die hard for some people...it looks like it is finally happening and we may have a real revolution in our near future...or in the making. How about those French with their guillotines lopping off heads of the aristocracy who wouldn't pay their fair share of taxes either..and expected the poor to pay it all!
But, of course, revolutions, although proven to be necessary when you have an obstreperous and incorrigibly corrupt and criminal ruling class, are not without some amount of violence and struggle afterwards as the many factions struggle for supremacy. First there is the seeds of revolution...the discontent of the people and formation of anti-ruling elite groups. Then, the infiltration of undercover agents into these groups to undermine them. Then the masses rally and demonstrate. Then the masses begin to get violent to react to the continued violence that is done on them by the police as the demonstrators peacefully demonstrate.Then the military is used to restore order but also commit violence against the demonstrators. Then the various militia through the US get involved and members of the military rebel against their orders to commit crimes of violence against their own families who are demonstrating.
Then if the people succeed at overthrowing the corrupt ruling elite, the various factions struggle for supremacy. Power swings back and forth until things finally settle out. It's a struggle and the most persistent will win out.
We are seeing this in Egypt, and Libya. There is always a danger of the Miltary taking over the country and not wanting to cede power to a civilian form of government. There is a danger of a really nasty dictator...perhaps even in the form of a theocrat who will mandate that everyone attend his brand of church and say their prayers before they go to sleep...or you will be sent to a re-education camp for more brain washing. Then there are those of us who want Michael Moore or Thom Hartmann to be President. Others will want ...oh, well, you get the picture.
i don't know what it's going to take to finalize the slow-motion train wreck we've been witnessing since at least 2008... we all know the current electoral and economic systems are fundamentally broken, both in the u.s. and globally, but our super-rich elites seem obsessive about continuing to prop it up, no doubt because they have managed to rig it entirely for their benefit...
ah, well...
tomorrow, the occupy movement here in reno will participate in national bank transfer day... i moved my money over a year ago, closing my wells fargo and hsbc offshore accounts and transferring all my cash to the credit union that i have patronized since 1995...
if a critical mass of people really do move their money - and given reports so far, that may well be the case - it will send a serious message that our bankster lords and masters may be living on borrowed time... let's hope (not the barack obama kind of hope) that's the case...
And, yes, I DO take it personally
I also would like to say that, as a form of protest against the big banks and the government that let this corruption all go unchallenged (including mostly the Republican regimes and some of the Democrat regimes for the past 30 years), this is probably much better than trying to change things through a corrupt form of democracy in the corrupt election system.
Quote by Eiloflight:
"I don't think we can accomplish change here without violence as long as money has the greatest voice in our society and there are those willing to lick those finely made boots to keep that power in place. Citizen's United tells our leaders that the voice of the voting public does not matter. The 2000 and 2004 presidential elections have shown us that the voice of the people does not matter--voting/elections are just as corrupt here as in any place on the planet. The American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the French Revolution, etc. are examples. In the Middle East, currently, the corrupt leaders would not step down until they were FORCED, hunted down with violence.
Those who feel they deserve ALL and are entitled to ALL will not give it up unless FORCED to. Currently the logic that "we do better when we ALL do well" has not made an impact. The bare-assed fact that money cannot keep stopping with the 1% does not register in their minds. The economy is a circle; they have broken that circle.
THEY are destroying the economy. THEY are destroying the United States. They claim they are smart. I don't see anything smart in keeping all the capital for themselves and starving the rest of us. We outnumber them. They are just ASKING FOR IT, to be dragged into the streets for justice. They DO NOT LOVE the United States. They are driving it toward destruction for profit.
I abhor violence, but I don't see any other way. The wealthy must fall on their sword of arrogance and selfishness so that the rest of us may live."
Eiloflight, you understand perfectly. Excellent post. While the people outnumber the 1% physically, the 1% still hold the power of money and the power of the Military. That power of the Military is now beginning to dissolve in their hands, and when that dissolution is completed, then the 1% and their worker eyes will no longer have the guns with which to fight the peoples of these United States of America. But the Peoples of these United States of America will then have the guns to fight them effectively.
The power of the Military will have then shifted from the 1% back to the Peoples of these United States of America. A rounding-up of all the 1% and their worker eyes may then take place by the Military, and those criminals will then be taken to one or more of the 800 concentration camps throughout these United States of America, and placed there, in place of the people whom they, the 1%, built these camps for (the dissenters and the people on welfare assistance). - Cygnus1
But, Consider this!
As tomorrow, Nov 5th, is supposed to be some kind of proclaimed "run on the banks?"...a day when everyone is supposed to transfer their bank savings to Credit Unions..as a sign of protest against the big banks.....just what do you know about Credit Unions? Is your money safe? Are all credit unions the same? Have any of them evolved (or some say...devolved) into entities more like large banks? Are credit unions regulated the same as banks?
The non-profit status of credit unions means that they don't pay taxes. No wonder they can give slightly higher interest rates to the savers. But then again if they don't pay taxes then that means that it puts more of a burden on everyone else having to pay more taxes. Credit unions were originally given that status because they ostensibly didn't make a "profit" and made loans largely to workers and employees....individuals.... for smaller, more essential things like car loans and such. But one wonders how "creative" these credit unions (and any pressure and influence they may buy in congress) have been in defining "profit"..how well off are the CEOs and other executives in credit unions...especially the large credit unions whose assets are in excess of $1 billion each? I'll bet many of those big wigs are not exactly driving around in beat up Toyotas or living in average cracker-box homes.
It is often touted that credit unions are more level-headed and conservative about their business dealings and don't make wild speculative bets like the commercial banks did when they were allowed to place their bets with the investment banks in Wall Street. Of course, people once believed that the Savings and Loans and the commercial banks were a safe bet too!
One wonders how long it will be before, like the Savings and Loans... and now the Commercial Banks, something will be revealed about the credit unions that we will all be scurrying about to move our money yet again to, say, our mattresses or a hole in the ground?
There is a difference between the large banks and the small banks just as there is a difference between the large credit unions and the smaller ones. The transactions and business dealings of credit unions are more in the shadows and not as open for scrutiny as most commercial banks...which could be fodder for some very bad mojo in the future....once everyone transfers their money.
Read this to get a better, or at least a more "balanced?" view of credit unions. I say balanced because most of what you hear or read about credit unions is in a very good light...this web site gives a different view...something people should at least be aware of.
http://www.creditunionruse.com/
People of these United States of America, tranferring your accounts out of your banks to Credit Unions, is, in my a good step. It tells the big banks just how dissatisfied you, the people, are with their system. When the big Bank of America abandoned the idea of charging a $5.00 fee for the people's bank cards, they sacrificed nothing, for when these big banks find themselves in a situation of any kind of shortfall of funds, they merely open up one or more bank accounts under their own name and keystroke funds from a computer terminal into those accounts to cover the shortfall. That is the business they are in, and the five dollar fee was only instituted for the purpose of sending another BIG BANKING LIE into the minds of the people, to cover up the facts of how they really work.
I was part of the mist going all the way back into the 60's!
Whatever the issues that bring people out to vote to save this country the will be of no use if the voting machines are rigged. Attention must be paid toward fixing this or the rebublicans have no scrupples about stealing another election. Not only the national races!
Great news!!! Another example of how Revolutions don't need to be violent to be effective. Keep starving the real beast by refusing to buy foreign, investing in local and occupying something.
I don't think we can accomplish change here without violence as long as money has the greatest voice in our society and there are those willing to lick those finely made boots to keep that power in place. Citizen's United tells our leaders that the voice of the voting public does not matter. The 2000 and 2004 presidential elections have shown us that the voice of the people does not matter--voting/elections are just as corrupt here as in any place on the planet. The American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the French Revolution, etc. are examples. In the Middle East, currently, the corrupt leaders would not step down until they were FORCED, hunted down with violence.
Those who feel they deserve ALL and are entitled to ALL will not give it up unless FORCED to. Currently the logic that "we do better when we ALL do well" has not made an impact. The bare-assed fact that money cannot keep stopping with the 1% does not register in their minds. The economy is a circle; they have broken that circle.
THEY are destroying the economy. THEY are destroying the United States. They claim they are smart. I don't see anything smart in keeping all the capital for themselves and starving the rest of us. We outnumber them. They are just ASKING FOR IT, to be dragged into the streets for justice. They DO NOT LOVE the United States. They are driving it toward destruction for profit.
I abhor violence, but I don't see any other way. The wealthy must fall on their sword of arrogance and selfishness so that the rest of us may live.
Until the mischief be grown general, and the evil designs of the rulers become VISIBLE, the people, who are more disposed to suffer than to right themselves by resistance, are not apt to stir. (Locke)
In my opinion the key to nonviolent change is widespread VISIBILITY of plain political truth. The Occupy Movement is the perfect vehicle for this, it's especially needed to counter the right wing echo chamber and it's many weapons of mass deception. The Movement seems to be an ever expanding shout out to those not apt to stir.
Attention seeking violence is not needed! To those 1%ers drunk with wealth and power, I think the message is quite clear, "We The People," demand real change.
REVOLUTION!
What a perfect shutdown. Now the people will know who is on the side of the Occupation. I would say a fire lit in the street to keep warm after the Occupiers had dispersed was not necessary, as the shutdown had already been effective. Many such shutdowns countrywide, worldwide, would continue in being effective.
Now, some of you believe that the Marines and branches of the Military are far and few between, so to speak, but I tell you, this is not so. It takes time to organize but you need to know how extremely dedicated these men and women are from the U.S. forces, so I am going to play a video which Thom and Louise had linked up to one of their other sites. Please watch the video until you have heard the two Military men speak on an interview with freespeach.org.
http://www.freespeech.org/category/tags/scott-olsen
People of these United States of America! Do not rise up with guns against your government. This is what THE PEOPLE'S MILITARY, YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, ARE TRAINED TO DO. They are trained in warfare. They are outfitted for warfare. Most of you, the people, are not.
It is important, therefore to understand that the People themselves, without their Military ON THEIR SIDE, would never succeed in winning against the force of the 1%, if it comes to that. The 1% are not going to hand you, the people, anything of much worth without an all out fight.
This is where your Military comes into play, and with the Military in favor of the People of these United States of America, and in favor of upholding the Constitution as they are sworn to do, the 1% and all police forces WILL HAVE TO BACK DOWN.
When this happens, the corrupt ones can be removed out of their high and semi-high positions over the people, put in one of the 800 secret concentration camps which they have built for you, the people, and in a domino effect the old system will collapse, clearing the way for the new system FOR THE PEOPLE! The new system will be then put into effect.
Let the Marines guide you, the people, then, for they abhor anybody getting hurt when it can be avoided.
You have the shutdowns you can do. You have the coordination of collecting material goods for the protesters among you, as well as names, places, dates, and details, of the 1% criminals and their worker eyes.
Those who cannot attend the Occupations for one reason or another, there is something of importance for each and every one of you to participate in for this is an Occupation, world wide where the secret of the "ONENESS OF UNITY" is what the 1% hoped you would never learn.
This will be the downfall of the 1% and their worker eyes, for we turn the strategy of oneness right back upon them.
Speak therefore, to your sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, wives, nieces, nephews, husbands and perhaps even grandparents who are in the Military and tell them you NEED THEIR HELP, THEIR PROTECTION, SO YOU, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS DO NOT BECOME HURT.
Tell them you need the Constitution protected and the rights of each citizen of these United States and you will have succeeded in BRINGING YOUR MILITARY OF THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BACK WHERE THEY BELONG, DOING WHAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO - AND THAT IS TO PROTECT THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FROM TYRANNY, TERRORISM (911 inside job) WITHIN THE HOME BOUNDARIES FROM WITHIN THEIR OWN PENTAGON, BLACKWATER, ETC, , AND TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION OF THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND .........
THEY WILL BE THERE!
WELL thank you GEORGE!
MAYBE THOM will mention it on his programs??
THIS month businesses of all sorts are gearing up for the after THANKSGIVING CHRISTMAS sales.
LETS consider a CHRISTMAS strike against big business. CHRISTMAS for kids only.
GIVE yourself a CHRISTMAS present by using the money normally spent on CHRISTMAS presents toward an extra credit card or car payment.
BUSINESSES will be overstocked and after CHRISTMAS will have major markdowns.
HIT THEM IN THE POCKET BOOK!
The bangsters, the WSR (wall street rapists) they are all about the bottom line. That is it. Get enough people to boycott where ever their imprint intersects with our lives and sustain the boycott until they have to fold because their line has hit bottom...
NO banks... credit unions. boycot something they (Bangsters and WSR etc) hold dear for a week. Sacrifice a little, their bottom line will drop. Pick a corporation, find out their best seller, their highest profit maker and stop using it. etc, etc etc...
The corporate media claims the 99% are not specific enough... LET'S BE SPECIFIC! Imagine if this simple 4 word sign was shown by ALL the occupied cities ALL AT ONCE!
TAX TRADES
FIX INFRASTRUCTURE
I believe you explained (on your radio show) that there was once a .025% tax on every trade made on Wall St... Well, what we need is to concentrate our efforts and make government know exactly what we want:
TAX TRADES
FIX INFRASTRUCTURE
This will slow down the computer gambling on Wall St. and raise millions of dollars (possibly Billions) that could be directed IMMEDIATELY to fixing our infrastructure and instantly creating MILLIONS OF JOBS!
Plus, I'd also put people to work putting free solar charging stations in every public street (in front of local small businesses) so people would be more inclined to buy electric vehicles and shop at local independent businesses!
Also, I just read that they fixed the problem with solar-thermal towers (the fact that they can't produce electricity at night) - They now have found a way so heat builds up during the day and keeps the generators producing electricity for 24hrs! So, we can build these in the deserts (and vertical windmills on every Gov building) and be 100% energy independent (at least from mid-east oil).
I'm trying to do my part by organizing all the electric vehicle owners with websites I'm setting up such as: http://NeighborhoodElectricVehicles.org, http://CityElectricVehicles.com and http://Greenscioius.com (where I've written a new article on the 99%)
Let's all get behind the 99% PATRIOTS!
George Lewis
I like your subscriber jkh6148's suggestion of Christmas for Kids Only. The message will be felt in the purse of the One Percent'ers and all the way back to China!
Things aren't getting better so we must stand together. I've kept up on most things for over 50 years and never thought I would see the USA self destruct. We cannot allow this to happen. Pay attention to all the little things, think, use street smarts and act in what ever way you can.
Beautifully said, Tarry. I am part of the mist, are you?
Speaking of soldiers ... Tomorrow is the Blog Blast For Peace. You might want to check out http://mimiwrites.blogspot.com tonight to see how it all started and tomorrow as bloggers, tweeters, and Facebook people from 55 countries sign in with all of the peace globes they have uploaded to the internet.
YES /& not 'soldiers', Leonard! The Occupy people are just o r d i n a r y citizens. They're us!
And, certainly, the let's-filibuster, drag-the-feet, unimaginative & irrespons-ABLE actions of the GOP do strengthen and 'grow' the Occupy movement. Lovely, isn't it?!
I recently re-read Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer" about movements. I was inspired to read it again because of the Tea Party. He talks about the dynamics of movements and one of those features is that they can attract disparate groups and individuals. People come into agreement on one thing, but they can come from many disparate paths, of course.
I seriously doubt that these are agents provocateurs, because lighting a fire in the middle of a street or throwing something at a cop just seems dumb. Unless you wanted to pay someone to do something to discredit the movement. I like Thom's attitude. The main movement has peaceful aims. Any body provoking violence or mayhem is not with the program.
heres one for all y'all to smoke for a minute. did you catch the one about how congrees has become 25% richer in the last to years? thier personal wealth grows as ours sinks, that stinks. I'd say its time to accupy congress!!!!! ONe has to wonder how a congress person can acrue 25% more wealth in 2 years to my wopping 3-4% on my retirement acount. oops wait the loss of 3-4%!!!!!!!
Looks like 20 million soliders.
It is obvious "WE" must keep up the Occupy Movement, it IS making an impact. We must also get Citizens United overturned. I watched your show this morning where someone had brought up the Bill proposed by Senator Tom Udall to amend the Constituion to overturn Citizens United, this is what I have posted on Sen. Udall's Facebook page concerning his Bill;
I have read Senator Tom Udall's and the other Senators' proposed Bill. In my opinion, having read the proposal, it is nothing more than a band-aid, a farce!
Democratic/Republican/Independent Party, it matters not. WE the PEOPLE cannot continue to allow OUR elected officials to play with campaign finance reform. And to keep favoring their bank accounts! This proposed Bill does not go nearly far enough. To leave it up to the elected officals in OUR State and Federal government to say how much can be given by corporations in election campaigns is insane, does "Fox In The Henhouse" ring a bell? The problem with campaigns is the amount of money that IS involved, which goes to the media and the candidates accounts. How many legislators would vote to cut their throat to serve the 99%?
Unless this Amendment has language serving the true spirit of the US Constitution it can do more damage, than good!
Read the two page Bill for yourself here; Constitutional Amendment Bill: http://www.scribd.com/doc/71154073/A-Constitutional-Amendment-to-Reform-...
I and the majority of natural people believe, in order to represent the VOICE OF THE 99% over the Corporations' undue influences, the proposed Constitutional Amendment MUST read; CORPORATIONS ARE NOT PEOPLE AND MONEY IS NOT SPEECH!
If you would like to share your opinion or ask questions of Senator Tom Udall, you can do so here; https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150364525292870&set=a.10150115...
Here is the Amendment language;
MCG11359 S.L.C.
112TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION
S. J. RES. ll
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to contributions and expenditures intended to affect elections.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
llllllllll
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico (for himself, Mr. BENNET, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. WHITEHOUSE) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on llllllllll
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the UnitedStates relating to contributions and expenditures in-tended to affect elections.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission by the Congress: 82 MCG11359 S.L.C.
‘‘ARTICLE —
‘‘SECTION 1. Congress shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in kind equivalents with respect to Federal elections, including through setting limits on —
‘‘(1) the amount of contributions to candidates for nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office; and ‘‘(2) the amount of expenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to such candidates.
‘‘SECTION 2. A State shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in kind equivalents with respect to State elections, including through setting limits on —
‘‘(1) the amount of contributions to candidates for nomination for election to, or for election to, State office; and ‘‘(2) the amount of expenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to such candidates.
‘‘SECTION 3. Congress shall have power to implement and enforce this article by appropriate legislation.’’.
I totally agree with you Thom, this is NOT what is needed to serve the natural PEOPLE's interest.
Danny Williams
www.thebridgetonowhere.org