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Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
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Thom's Blog Is On the Move
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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.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
I usually don't watch news program or newspaper, but I do surf internet and get all the important news I want. I usually surf through sitecheat.com for any kind of technologies problems like I phone application, software. I do agree that we should be more concerned about health care then warfare. Wish I could attend the program, you should also be concerned about your lifestyle lift once you get old or when the aging process starts.
Hi Thom,
I haven't read or heard Romney's whole speech, but what I heard on NPR was that he was going to cut taxes on interest for savings & eliminate the Captital Gains Tax for......the middle class. I don't know if this was a clever ruse for giving the plutocrats more money, but NPR usually doesn't let the politicos manipulate them.
Speaking about manipulated, I was unhappy with your reporting about the supposed Republican shutdown of airport construction & cessation of airline taxes bytheir refusal to pass the Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2011, Part IV. I was extremly disappointed & disillusioned whe I found out that the TRUTH of why these aspects of the Federal Govt were frozen was NOT due to short-sided Republican refusal to approve unions (yes, the Republican dominated HR's language didn't reaffirm unions, but it didn't overtly prevent them either), rather it was the Democratic dominated Senate that froze these govt operation because of a pique about some restrictions, which turned out to be OPTIONAL, as SECTrans LaHood could ignore the Republican directive. The House never came back into session, as you repeatably demanded in your show, because it was the Senate DEMOCRATS that shot themselves in the foot. That was one reason Lahood & Obama could never "shame the Republicans" to return to Washington. After the Democratic dominated Senate had an adult moment, it simply past the legislation & everything went back to normal.
I am a Progressive. In fact, I believe in many socialist ideas & I am an activist. But I didn't watch your show after your presentation of this misinformation, for over a month because I felt you violated a trust with your viewers; to report accurately & truthfully about the news & make honest commentary. I like you Thom. I believe in almost all the same ideals & visions you do. I belive in the good work you & your wife is doing with abused children, especially those with ADD/ADHD. I have helped to raise children that have had disabilities due to abuses to infants. The propaganda of the right-wing media & how so milions of Main Street Americans believe that shit sickens me. However, if you believe in a idea so strongly that you'll bend the truth to match your views & manipulate your watchers, you're no better than Fox or Limbaugh. I promise you if you EVER blatently misrepresent the truth, I will never give you another chance. You've been warned (& you should thank me & apologize to your viewers!).
An Alternative to Capitalism (if the people knew about it, they would demand it)
Several decades ago, Margaret Thatcher claimed: "There is no alternative". She was referring to capitalism. Today, this negative attitude still persists.
I would like to offer an alternative to capitalism for the American people to consider. Please click on the following link. It will take you to an essay titled: "Home of the Brave?" which was published by the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:
http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/steinsvold.htm
John SteinsvoldPerhaps in time the so-called dark ages will be thought of as including our own.--Georg C. Lichtenberg
You know, Reagan was right: big government IS the problem. And here's the solution: our government should stop paying all of the republicans in congress- AND all of the democrats who vote republican, which is almost all of them. No paychecks, no benefits, no retirement, no health care, no paid parking, no vacations and junkets, no free phone service, no free mailing service, no paid staffers, no free meals, no free water, no free gym. In fact they should be charged $15,000 every time they pray in the Congressional Chapel. And free air to breath while they are in session? No ____ing way! They can pay for that air, to prove how much they hate big government. In fact, in our friendly willingness to bend over backwards for the republicans, let's confiscate all of the their back pay, too. That way they can undeniably claim the moral highground: "I have not accepted even one penny from big government. (Nearer my God, to Thee.)"
I swear the Republicans will cling to their trickle down madness until the top 1% have 99.9% of everything. I'm gonna find a clay pot and bury some coins in my back yard, the self-serving economic barbarians like Romney are getting to close for comfort.
Any assault on the EPA is an assault on our FREEDOM.....by FREEDOM KILLERS. The Republicans have already proven their ability in killing our jobs, might as well go after the FREEDOM to breath clean air and eat safe food, after all if the Koch's wallets buldge a little more....mission accomplished.
Bit by bit and inch by inch, more and more people are realizing that businessmen have too many conflicts of interest to be trusted running the government. When given a choice to cater to profits or do what is best for the government, they'll consistently flip for business. The only conversations the leash holders have allowed their politco minion to conduct involve disparaging change or offering us "Heads I win - Tails you lose" solutions that are designed to make some well positioned, well conected business a bundle more of our cash.
What we most need to hear is about adopting a single-rate/across-the-board import tariff on all goods and services that is comparable to pre-Reagan era import tariffs. We need to scrap the FTAs and cull the pro-business tax codes addopted from Reagan on. Then comes the cat fight over the Glass-Steagle Act, the Sherman Act, the Wagner Act, and boatloads of legislation to bolster the voice of labor. We've ignored the economic axion of "Wages = Demand" for far too long.
We live in a country rich with natural resources, hard working people, and an established infrastructure. We're faltering now because banks and multi-national corporations steadfastly refuse to ante up and pay their share. They're too fixated on fleecing the lot of us. We need to change things around so that they'll make better profits by bringing production back to the states. That's when they'll invest here and we'll see us rise as a self-sustaining economy.
The GOP's plans have consistently been about shooting more holes in the bottom of our jobs boat. The Democrats were right to patch the hole with borrowed funds yet that alone is unsustainable. Paying businesses to repatriate their monies is idiotic. They'd set up a peanut shell game to pick up some cash and still not invest in local production. We need to tighten up on imports and make domestic production look more attractive. That costs Uncle Sam nothing and actually generates revenues through both imports and the resulting domestically produced products.
Businessmen who boastfully say, "Forget about those jobs. They aren't coming back. They're gone forever!" are economic terrorists and should be regarded as such. Look at the items on our shelves. Even if we're bringing robotic lines back to the states, at least we'd be producing some of the stuff we use while stimulating our own economy. Against common belief, Americans can actually be trained to run automated lines as well as the guys in Guam, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.
I just don't get it, why are you complaining about there not being jobs, when there's jobs all over the place? I mean, kids can join the military and help it wage illegal wars on innocent people all around the world. I mean, what's wrong with that? They give you free ammunition for crying out loud, how cool is that? And they spray insecticides on you that might deform your unborn children, thus creating high-paying jobs for doctors. You do want to create high-paying jobs, don't you? But if the military isn't your thing, you could get a job working in the porn movie business that Texas Governor Rick Perry put his money into. He's a Christian, so it must be a Christian porn business and that can't be bad. But if you're just too holier-than-thou to work at Governor Perry's Porn business, you can work in the fracking industry, poisoning people's groundwater. Don't like the oil and gas industry? I don't see why, but fine, no problem, you can get a job posting republican and tea party talking points on liberal web sites and blogs. Not into politics? Still no problem, you can be gainfully employed working as a greeter at WalMart. Not into cheap plastic crap made by slave and prisoner labor in China? That's fine, you can be a civilian contract employee of the military in one of the sunny paradises where we wage war, such as Iraq. But if you are too good to make $500,000 a year plundering foreign countries and killing more innocent people, you can get a job for Halliburton- they have cheated and defrauded our government out of so much money that even if they don't get one more contract they will be solvent for a thousand years. Don't want to work for Halliburton because you're afraid Dick Cheney will ask you to go duck hunting? I don't blame you, I'd be afraid of that, too, especially now that he's gone so senile that he's published a book bragging about all of the crimes he has committed. Not smart. Anyway, I tell you what, you can get a job with Monsanto, cheating poor people around the world out of the simplest of all rights- forcing them to pay a huge corporation every time they drink the water that falls on their roof when it rains. Afraid the little people will get mad and riot the way they did in South America? Chicken. But I suppose there is a case to be made for that. Ok fine, you can get a job for Archer Daniels Midland creating genetically altered foods. Don't want to raise your kids in a world where a few huge corporations own the rights to all food and all of the food is toxic? Fine, you can get a job with Phizer, creating asthma medications that help asthmatics in the short term but make asthma worse in the long term. What, a few of your relatives have asthma and you resent the fact that the inhalers they use are purposely designed to be addictive and unsafe to get off of? Well, I really don't get why that's a problem, but ok, I'm very easy to work with even though I don't see what you're complaining about. Let's get you a job somewhere else. You could work for the government, snooping into everyone's emails to make sure they're not terrorists. Don't like the internet? No problem, neither do I, I never use the internet. How's about this, you could work for one of the private contractors with the American government, shipping innocent prisoners all over the world to be tortured or killed just for the fun of it. What's that, you don't think torture is all that much fun? I have to tell you, the way you're complaining and finding fault, I'm beginning to wonder whether you want a job. But I'll keep trying to help you out, because I'm a fair and balanced republican. Ok, how's this: you can get a job for any huge corporation, firing and laying off people and offshoring their jobs. What's that, you say the reason you're out of work is because some republican laid you off and offshored your job? Careful there, bubba, you're treading on very thin ice: you don't want to criticize the job creaters. I could get you a job in a lawyers office, running fake signature machines to help banks illegally reposses houses to which they have no legal right. What's that, the reason you're homeless is because your house was illegally foreclosed? Ok, now you're just flat irritating me with all your whiney complaining. But I want you to know that I am not prejudiced against homeless people and other lazy, shiftless, morally bankrupt people like all of your relatives. I will still try to help you find work. How's about a job supplying hookers, drugs, and underage girls to democrat congressmen so we republicans can blackmail them into voting our way? No, don't tell me, you don't want that job because you have made up some phony moral reason why you think blackmail is wrong. Ok, that's it, I just realized that Karl Rove was right: you don't want to work.
@ scarrino,
Actually some things are as simple as a yes or a no. How is my comment full of self-serving arrogance??? You said: “the ignorant always attack those with different points of view.” The implication being that I attacked someone, but as you can clearly see there was no such attack just an honest question to someone I believe contributes to the status quo and to someone I believe is not as interested in solutions as he is his own Ideology . You seem to be the one doing the attacking.
And actually my question was about Thom. But it's good to see your acknowledgement of the failure of government and the media.
In my opinion Thom pretty much only believes in what he says if it benefits himself or his ideology, which I think is just fine, people are free to express what they believe. What do I believe in besides vindictive divineness??? LOL! The “vindictive divisiveness” is funny. Anyway, I thought it was pretty clear what I believe in, but not clear enough for you apparently, I believe in freedom to life, liberty and property. What about you?
Reply to Madbeats. Nothing is so simple as just a yes or no. Your comment is full of sarcasm and self-serving arrogance. It serves no useful purpose, except to you. The ignorant always attack those with different points of view. That attack dog mentality only leads to fanaticism and delusional reasoning. It's not about Mr. Hartmann. It's about America which has been betrayed by all three branches of government as well as the fourth estate. At least Mr. Hartmann believes in what he says. What do you believe in besides vindicitive divisiveness?
Isn't it funny how we as a society use polling results to tell us anything at all about how the country should govern itself, especially when one considers that a poll involving a bunch of sleeping Americans reveals only their dream world.
That has been the Republican plan for more than 30 years. The only difference is that there is no longer anyone to oppose them. The man we elected to mitigate their publicy stated plans to destroy America just up and disappeared on his country. That man's name is Barack Obama. Has anyone seen him since the Inaguration?
I'm hoping the Whitehouse will build a Mangrove Exhibit so we can sell our $7200 crop before our teeth fall out.
XXXXX
Mitt Romney said something about President Obama trying to put a nickel in a pay phone and it's the smart phone age, or something of the sort. He said the Presidents plan doesn't work. How would he know? The Republicans keep proposing the same old plan that was in effect under GW Bush and we can all see where that's gotten us. If we had a "free and truthful press" the majority of Americans would know that. As it is, at least they've learned enough to want most of Congress out of office next year, so that's a start. Now, we just have to Keep Obama in and to do that he will have to be really clear when he speaks to the people about what his proposals are, what they will accomplish and also why the Republican's plans won't work. As far as I can tell, the Republicans haven't laid out anything that would "create" jobs, just more tax cuts for their wealthy buddies, but they are very sly and mainly bash President obama vs saying anything of value and then they applaud them. For what?
We all know that the rich are very afraid of losing their money. We also know that rich people have ways to make more money easily. They have friends who have friends and they all stick together when it comes to money.
This guy is one more of the bunch who definitely wants to make sure that his $$$$ are going to be kept safe for a long, long time.
I can’t see anything in this person or the promises that he makes that might benefit the working class Americans who struggle to make ends meet.
No good, no good!
Greetje
OK, I noticed that today on my tv in AR via Dish Network/Free Speech. Was wondering if someone was trying to block Thom's signal.
Hi Thom. I find ourselves in a very bad way especially when all the Republicans want to give tax breaks to the millionaires and decrease regulation! Didn't work when Bush was in office so what makes them think it will work now? Of course the average person listens to Limbaugh or watches Fox News which makes every idea sound like it would work. By the way, did you know about the Oakland Bay Bridge being outsourced to China where 3,000 workers worked on it for months and has just now been shipped back to Oakland on a voyage of about 6500 miles! Everyone is talking about jobs and here is an in your face story about jobs being shipped overseas.
I would love to see you interview an economist by the name of Manfred Max Neef, author of Economics unmasked, from power and greed to compassion and the common good.
Another suggestion is William R Catton's: Overshoot, the ecolgical bases of revolutionary change.
Thanks Betsy Shipley
I
Way to keep the left vs right false paradigm going Thom. Oh wow, the neo-con Romney is similar to the neo-con Bush, never mind that your boy Obama is pretty much just like them too. I know that freedom is scary to some of you, but if you're not talking about Ron Paul as the only viable person that has effective solutions to actually DO something to change the dire state that the US is in then you're a fraud, or openly anti freedom. Which one are you Thom, a fraud or anti freedom?
Mathboy, Martin Luther King Jr. talked about the "Paralysis of Analysis" which I understand to mean some folks, who are smart as all getout, tend to analyaze and reanalyaze every situation. Until no stone is missed, every hair in place, but they can't make a decision or put their plan into action. It is my belief, that too much intelligence makes one pensive. Look at Obama, gifted with intelligence, but pretty much ineffective. Also look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, both of these fellows dropped out of college to follow their dream, and by most standards we use to measure success, blow the standards off the page. I'm a teacher, and I think it is much more important for students to get along with others. Intelligence is important, but a person who can draw all the collective intelligence from a group of people and than use what he or she collected will be succesful.
Sorry about the problem with the new Ustream upgrade, we are working on it.
There are some changes that need to be made in the Postal Service. Absolutely no bonus for any employee, none nada zip. Companies should have to pay more for the magazines, papers, any bulk mail. Should limit the number of stamps made. Now that there are forever stamps, people should use them. Up until 2006 (when I retired) they were destroying unused stamps every quarter, which is a huge expense, and quite unnecessary. Also, when I worked there a lot of overtime was being paid on a nightly basis...The work schedules should be evaluated to ensure that they have appropriate coverage, and don't have to pay overtime. They are top heavy with supervisors...positions should be eliminated. The Postal Service pays a lot of money on greviences, and management continues to do the same things again and agin against the employees. Maybe the Post Office shops should be closed, not sure how much money they bring in. There are many things that can be done to save money, without cutting out Saturday delivery, or closing Post Offices. They continue to process a lot of mail, so I think all the propaganda is bull. GOP won't be satisfied until the whole country is completely ruined.
Thom said today that people respond more to emotion than logic.
Society runs on charisma, not intelligence. Our political system, in which people are allowed (in fact, required) to nominate themselves for high office and must campaign publicly (shaking hand and kissing babies), requires great skill in socializing but not great skill in forming public policy. It leads to people voting for whoever they'd like to have a beer with, because that's all they have to go on. Our employment system is similar, with job interviews substituting for campaigning. The abilities to write (and pad) a résumé and talk your way through an interview don't relate to doing the job.
oh you can't scare me i'm sticking to the union
i'm sticking to the union
i'm sticking to the union
till the day i die
whats with the feed, keep getting ustream producer comment, not on local tv.
I am having that annoying u-stream thing happening too.. what gives???