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It is depressing to know that big money and special interests have bought our democracy and the voices of the majority of citizens have been drowned out. It is unbelievable that over $30 milllion were spent on 9 state senate recall elections. We should be talking to our friends, neighbors and co-workers about the stranglehold money has on politics and have this be an issue we citizens push back on in the upcoming 2012 elections. Check out the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's (WDC) website to follow the money for yourself: http://wisdc.org/index.php?module=cms&page=17 and join the WDC small dollar democracy initiative: http://wisdc.org/index.php?module=cms&page=3272
John F. Kennedy spoke the obvious that has been ignored by the insane who think they will get a different result when implementing failed policies:
"When peaceful revolution becomes impossible, violent revolution becomes inevitable."
The corrolary is that violence must be increased to implement peace.
It'a govenment's job to see that the super-powerful don't use up all the finite resources for themselves, leaving nothing for other living beings.
Candyshad - Invest?
You have money? You are listening to the wrong radio stations! I had an ex-friend tell me once "we were all democrats in college...then we got money." Isn't that the problem here?
Thom it sounds like you're throwing your hands in the air and giving up.
You are the Only one on the air that I know of that is telling the people both the Truth about the problem and the Truth about our path to a solution. That path runs through the local Democratic Precinct Committees.
Thom Why was there no Democratic Party Officials/Lawyers in the Wakasha County Clerks Office and taking pics and video of their every move?
Another question; Where is George Sorros? Where are the Rich Hollywood Elite we hear so much about? Why are they suposedly sending Millions to President Obama so if he wins he can be a Lame Duck President who has to contend with Extortionist Filibusters in the Senate and House?
Please make a call to the people to get involved with Rebuildthedream and expanding the reach of Progressives inside the Democratic Party via Precinct Committees every day! Please keep up the great work!
Joseph
LiberalsCreatingProgress.com
Say what? There's no mystical super wealthy? Uh... they exist, just like the upper class, middle-class and poor people.
The same argument works against you. "but that they are actually holding it from the people" The bulk of the money that the wealthy receive doesn't go back into the economy as consumer spending, it goes in as speculation- which drives up commodities, oil, and drives bigger bubbles because there is less ROI in an recessed economy and hence the need for more speculation to get higher returns.
They aren't confiscating anything- they are using public funds to fund the public. It's how a modern society works. Everyone in this country except the poor (below 16k) and the super rich (100+ million) pay 16.6% effective federal tax rates. The middle class pays 22.5% because of the tax code.
That's called changing the laws to suit yourself - that's unpatriotic.
Democracy died? Drama. I'm so tired of this defeatist perspective. I am totally with you in terms of the seriousness and the urgency, but ... Democracy died? How about pushing a perspective like your first guest has -- that Democracy achieved winning two Republican seats in heavily Republican territory, against all odds? This is a beginning. I really, really REALLY don't understand why progressives continue to adopt this fatalistic victim role. It's a heavily divided country, we're up against a lot, and we should be using our victories to foment more cohesiveness in our ranks, and to pump up the volume on how well we can do when we fight. Yeah, things are screwed right now but please explain to me how the idea that "Democracy Died" will inspire us? The best thing you can do right now is inspire us to keep doing better, not deflate us with this kind of rhetoric.
I think it is possible they decided to add votes at intervals -- not at the end -- but I am a bit paranoid due to previous elections. Until we have actual verification, I don't think I will totally trust any election counts again.
Get the commercials synchronized! Twice today the commercial interrupted your interview. Not cool.
@tim-mccoy "And for the Ayn Randers...There is another name for their form of "Liberty".... Its called Fasicsm. "
We stand for freedom - freedom of speech, however you want to exercise it. Freedom to succeed to the limit of your ability. Freedom to create, design and build what we and our customers want. Your confusion about where to place Objectivists and Fascists is understandable because there is no place on the outdated 1 dimensional spectrum for those of us who want government out of our bedrooms and out of our wallets. Jerry Pournelle is widely credited with inventing a much better way of mapping out political positions: http://www.baen.com/chapters/axes.htm.
@LeMoyne " I really don't care what the sophistry of the majority opinion in Citizen's United was. The fact remains that false idea of corporate personhood has repeatedly been the justification for the SCOTUS striking down restrictions on corporate involvement in politics."
Perhaps the constituition needs to be amended, but the language in the 1st amendment is the strongest of all of the amendments. Congress is flatly prohibited from having any say at all regarding the issue of free speech. It is arguable that the existence of the FEC itself is in violation of the 1st amendment. That's why the Supreme Court didn't address the myth of corporate "personhood", it wasn't sophistry, the issue was completely irrelevant.
list of signers
http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/072911-federalpledgesigners.pdf
there is a major flaw in your premise...
the "super-rich" have paid for laws that move money from the people to their pockets (ie free trade, tax breaks to move jobs from this country, etc) that is theft and it is the right of the victims to get their money back
Maybe Bill can fix it from the kitchen while he washes the dishes. I like that!lol
...not being real impressed anymore with the change that has come what say we hit Hillary up to, well, uh you know...uh, hmmmm give Mr. Change a run for his money?
@Philip Henderson, Ethical Magician
They are walking in the footsteps of Arthur Anderson, once the conscience of the accounting profession, then they sold out to ENRON. Their fathers and grandfathers would writhe with shame.
There isn't much left of this great nation, and there's the proof — in a cameo.
It's funny Thom mentioned "a guy named Vito" visiting the renegade Republican state senator in Wisconsin. I've long wanted to see a movie about a mobster becoming President just for the pun--it would be titled "The Power of Vito". Now I'm thinking that movie could be an allegory of Republican rule.
@palindromedary
One lump or two? House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). "I will vote for this bill because I don't want to see middle-income working people in America get a tax increase, because I think that will be a depressant on an economy that needs to be lifted up."
It wasn't quite that cut & dried. In order to save the middle class tax cuts, Dems would have had to have 60 votes in the Senate, or give this ransom money to the hostage takers.
Something to keep us all wide-eyed awake at night with the lights on: http://www.alternet.org/story/151960/michele_bachmann_was_inspired_by_my_dad_and_his_christian_reconstructionist_friends_--_here%27s_why_that%27s_terrifying?akid=7385.230386.vgVy4t&rd=1&t=5
So Republicans lose 2 seats that they won in the last election and this this is supposed to be a defeat for Liberal democracy? Every form of government in history has done nothing but concentrate wealth. Fighting this will never be easy. We will never be as organized or as well funded as them.
And for the Ayn Randers...There is another name for their form of "Liberty".... Its called Fasicsm. Let me know when your Objectivst ethics compel you to return stolen land from the Native Americans or compensate the decedents of enslaved Africans for building this country.
40 Million spent and they lost 2 of 6 in a local election.
We have the power!!!! let's target their companies. Getting 10 to 12 percent of liberals and progressives to cooperate should be easy.....and will be noticed.
To your "um" I say "huh?"
>>our revised base case fiscal scenario
>>[which is] consistent with [ie., our justification for a change to] a 'AA+' long-term rating and a negative outlook
>>[indicates that] debt would rise from an estimated 74% of GDP by the end of 2011 to 79% in 2015 and 85% by 2021.
>>We have changed our assumption on this because &c.
Direct unbroken causal chain. The debt would rise, and this is why.
Here's the whole section:
_____________________________________
"Under our revised base case fiscal scenario--which we consider to be consistent with a 'AA+' long-term rating and a negative outlook--we now project that net general government debt would rise from an estimated 74% of GDP by the end of 2011 to 79% in 2015 and 85% by 2021. Even the projected 2015 ratio of sovereign indebtedness is high in relation to those of peer credits and, as noted, would continue to rise under the act's revised policy settings.
Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act. Key macroeconomic assumptions in the base case scenario include trend real GDP growth of 3% and consumer price inflation near 2% annually over the decade."
_____________________________________
The previous projections continued to warrant AAA. The revised projection does not. The revised projection is of debt rising as stated. What changed? The change, the difference, the new thing (not the failure to change, but the change) the nova res is this refusal to let the Bush tax cuts meet their appointed end.
The spending levels are as before.
That's not a change. The change that conflicts with previous calculations is that S&P presumed — LOL — that the GOP would allow their past promises to be fulfilled! Ah, youth — so gullible.
P.S.: " a contentious and fitful process.” (Italics mine)"
It's now the fourth day since this was posted. Mr. Hartmann, where are the italics?
The firehose of corporate cash has been turned on the uprising of the people in Wisconsin. The crowd was beaten back, but just barely. John Nichols (on Democracy Now!) and Ben Manski (on TH) point out the silver lining here. In six Republican districts two Senate seats were taken. Alberta Darling lost everywhere in her district except in the now notorious Waukesha county which reported last and swung the entire district to Darling. Combined with the fact that Dale Schultz is still in the Senate, the Fitzwalkerstan regime may have actually lost their grip on the WI Senate (as long as the Democratic Senators hold their seats next week).
The basic point here remains as Thom stated in the OP: With the unknown total upwards of $30 million dollars on 6 state senate seats the rate of spending is up about 100 fold in Wisconsin. A tiny fraction of transnational corporate profits can deluge our political system in one-sided attack ads. Look for a nationwide big money deluge in the continuing campaign for corporatism. Corporatism currently creates government policy to produce guaranteed corporate profits through the Federal Reserve, bank bailouts (QEIII), permanent war, for-profit health care and continuing privatization of the prisons, schools, roads, public lands and the rest of the commons.
@Martin Sandberg: I really don't care what the sophistry of the majority opinion in Citizen's United was. The fact remains that false idea of corporate personhood has repeatedly been the justification for the SCOTUS striking down restrictions on corporate involvement in politics. The dissenting opinion has the advantage of being correct: it points directly to this result where massive amounts of money influence politics in a way that is not available to >95% of the people. Democracy can not thrive in this environment and is not likely to survive long with a government that only represents the rich and powerful. In debate after debate, issue after issue, crisis after crisis, real, possible and effective solutions preferred by the majority of the people are not discussed by rich politicians and the corporate media.
Thanks for getting on and staying on the central issue of Restoring Democracy Thom. Thank you as well for the repeated mention of MoveToAmend.org Although Lincoln's fears are coming to pass, it is not too late to Heed Lincoln's Warning.
I reiterate my bumper sticker:
A corporation is a person in the same sense that a flamethrower is a firefly.
We'd probably need larger bumpers for this.
We shouldn't be apathetic. I hate to use an old crusty cliche' but it's always darkest before the dawn!
Sometimes wisdom comes to monkeys but rarely does wisdom come to monkeys.