Recent comments
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World
Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.
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.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/leighmf/blog/2011/07/why-its-all-due-822011
Especially have the patience to see the annexed history of the $14 million and simple calculations showing the debt of the UPRR, or "Congress."
The Reichstagg fire was this method of turning a crisis into an opportunity. It's amazing to see the GOP stooping to these tactics, like sending 6 fake Democrats to the recall in Wisconsin. We have such a corrupt money culture in Wall Street Washington that it is indeed disheartening. But this is also a tea party thing. They are willing to completely sink the government and turn it over to aristocrats. That's called "patriotism." Unreal.
The Boston Tea Party threw the monopoly tea in the harbor. The tea party is selling the monopoly tea and drinking it. That's the difference. They are duped. I talk to a lot of them. It's like a hypnosis they're under: Roger Ailes says, "Do this" and it turns into a zillion echoes.
Obama, like all of them, is in the money-politic culture -- a system of legalized bribery. This turns reps into schizos. If the Tea Party should be protesting anything, it should be "taxation without representation." We pay taxes to be represented but the reps are only giving us lip service while these corporations -- some of them paying no taxes and getting refunds because they have armies of tax lawyers -- influence them through campaign money and cushy jobs when they get out of their "public service." Today, most of them are doing "private service" and then saying publicly that they are doing "the will of the people." What b.s..
For instance, the GOP said it was doing the "will of the people" while filibustering the public option like mad. 3/4 of Americans polled WANTED the public option. That's called "doing the people's will" in post-Reagan Revolution America. And the hoodwink continues.
Break them all up and then break the pieces.
Thom, It's not the republicans. When ARE you going to realize it's Obama who keeps insisting on destroying the social safety net. Inf act, today the democratic caucus challenged him on whether he "shares their bedrock values as Liberals" It was sort of jailbreak
Frankly, I think Obama is going to destroy the Democratic party if he cuts these programs and throws them at the fake deficit problem that HE created with his "Deficit Commission" packed with neocons. And today, I called my Rep and told him so.
Obama's trying to blame the Republicans and I've found out that Reid and McConnell are offering him a "clean debt ceiling raise, but he keeps throwing SS/Medicare/ Medicaid back on the table. He's on the tube right now pretending it's them not him. These programs are NOT his to gamble with, They belong to US, we paid for them.
This guy is a corporatist. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. And his threat about not sending our SS checks is not even legal. He's got old people and the disabled terrified all over thsi country.
I'm really sick of the man
The Great Unraveling: Congressional Democrats Question Obama’s Core Values, Don’t Trust Him
http://firedoglake.com/2011/07/22/the-great-unraveling-congressional-dem...
Thank you, Lore, for bringing this up! I guess we could be using the term, epithetically of course, the "Republic Party" to get back at them....I don't know...they might like that
http://www.opednews.com/articles/President-Obama-s-Obscenit-by-Richard-Clark-110722-272.html
Obama conned the American people to get to the WH!
Lore: I was once chastised for using the term Democratic Party instead of Democrat Party. I really don't know if it was a Republican chastizing me or what. And I figured that maybe I had been misusing the term so I started using Democrat Party...sounds kinda weird...
But then consider...Republicanic Party? Republicans are Republican and Democrats are Democratic...but then then Communists who were called Dirty Reds one time, maybe still, mostly by Republicans can smirk in defiance that the Republican states are the Red States. Some people might still find it apt to call them Dirty Reds still even though they are not actually labelled Communists. What was/is it about the Dirty Reds (Communists...now Republicans) that is so hated by all freedom loving people? They keep everyone poor and oppressed. Spy on them. The Soviet Union had their omnisient, omnipotent, and vengeful god of state and the US has its counterpart in either the mythical God or the ones you can see and feel and worship...the idols of American Capitalism...the dollar. The citizens were always highly suspect and their movements were monitored and watched. Doors were broken down in the middle of the night and citizens were hauled off and perhaps tortured and thrown into some Gulag (Gitmo? or others).
The US has moved much further toward what a communist state used to be in everything except governmental central planning. It has been replaced by corporate central planning (CCP--add one more C to be CCCP for Corrupt Corporate Central Planning). Our country is controled and ruled by a kind of Corporate Politbureau in collusion with bought off politicians to be the artificial interface for a public relations show and manipulation of the masses. The political system of Senators, Representatives, Presidents, etc are all smoke-and-mirrors way of selling hope and an illusion that the people control their country...the illusion of democracy. It's kind of like the Church selling you the illusion that you can control your well-being and the illusion of life after death..and to believe..then telling you should pray to the God that the Priest, Reverend, Imam, Rabbi tells you to because God hears you and cares about you and will take care of you..but don't look too much into facts or other ideas because you will just get confused. And that's where the other mythical being comes into play when they try to frighten you, threatening that the devil will deceive you unless you stick to strick imprisonment of the mind by adhering to only their dogma. You'll go to hell!! They cry! The boogie man will get you! So while we mince pronunciations of Democrat Party or Democratic Party...it probably is not really important...as long as the meaning is conveyed....that's what is important.
"Democrat Party" is a political epithet used in the United States instead of "Democratic Party" when talking about the Democratic Party.[1] The term has been used in negative or hostile fashion by conservative commentators and members of the Republican Party in party platforms, partisan speeches and press releases since 1940.[2]
from Wikipedia
There, I looked it up...and it seems I've been duped...probably by a Republican. Of course, Wikipedia is sometimes believed by some people to lean in a direction that is not considered very democratic...even though, ostensibly, it is because anyone can change what it says...until it is caught and moderated to say what is politically correct and that has, it is alleged, to be away from progressive ideals anyway and slanted toward a more Republican or conservative view. I tried to add on to a Wikipedia subject once and it didn't stay added for very long. Tried to add the very relevant discovery of nano-thermite in the 911 dust samples in the subject of 911.
Maybe we should be calling the Republican Party the Republicanista Party...ista..as in eeeesta....or maybe the Republican't Party.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/An-Economy-Destroyed--Th-by-paul-craig-roberts-110722-981.html
Washington will not represent the American people!
Mr. Ymhotep,
Where the hell do you have your brain these days? Curious, do you support the "Republican Agenda?" Check your facts!
Are you hearing anything Thom Hartmann is stating? The Progressive Radio station that Mr. Hartmann represents provides
most interesting facts about what is going on in our "political world!!!!"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Fed-Audit-by-paul-craig-roberts-110722-18.html
Please either screw me or hose me but don't do both to me at the same time!!!
I have not yet read "Shock Doctrine" so I'll keep my yap shut on that one, but....
No but, just one thing I'd like to see end. Not only would it be a tax-cut, it would be a tax-elimination of a tax we the middle class got stuck with by the Right's hero, Ronnie Ray-Gun and makes no sense in the first place.
I'm talking about repealing the law that stopped tax write-offs of credit card interest. As a small business owner, I felt that pain. Not only did the elimination of credit card interest on income tax forms cost the consumer real money on tax day, we were forced to litterally pay a tax on the bankster's income. Interest is after all proffit the banksters make, and yes, 19 percent and more does make them banksters! And that of course does the opposite of the "consumer theory" as it limits the consumer of money to consume with.
Good one Gipper, you really sc~~~ed the pooch with that one!
Mr. Ymhotep,
The Republicans are "vehement" when talking about reducing the spending by the Federal Gov. During George W. Bush's
first go at being President for his first term, he inherited a balance budget and surplus funds besides!!! If my recollection is
correct, he also had a Republican majority in both legislative groups. Republicans talk about the importance of job creation
with the large corporations and those persons who are wealthy. They say there can be no tax increase on these groups.
Hmmmmm, from my perception, wouldn't this group of folks be better prepared to pay more taxes compared to that of the
middle and poor classes of citizens. Republicans say they are following a "Voters mandate" in regards to the 2010 elections.
I am confused!! Would the citizens of these United States support not taxing the rich, reduce funding for education, health
programs, reduction of Social Security and Medicare? To be very candid, I don't beleive the public support such kinds of things,
especially with our society having a growing population in those folks 50+ and older. I can recollect Humbert Humphrey making
a comment as follows: "You can judge a country by how well they are doing by the quality of programs, funding, etc. for the
young people in our population and also the ederly." Hmmmmm, now what kind of grade does our nation deserve in regards to
the previous subjects? I think I am being kind by giving our nation a grade of a "D!" The agenda the Republicans are following
truly "scares" me!!!! Are they concerned for you and I? I really don't think so!!!! The gap is widening between the different
classes and I believe it is fair to say the Republicans are in "ecstasy!" because of this occurence!!
Your comment about President Obama being a "Republican" is totally inappropriate!!! Have you attempted to walk in his
shoes? Perhaps you should! The Republicans want the "White House" for 2012 and I think it is fair to say they will do whatever it
takes to try to accomplish their unrealistic goal!!! We are in this mess economically because of what the Republicans have done
under President Reagan, Father President Bush, and good ole Son George W. Bush!! It's about time the citizens of our nation
hold the Republicans accountable for their "mess-up!!!""
PRAY: Prayer for Nuclear Disarmament
By Education for Justice , the Center of Concern
You have given us life, intelligence and the beauty of Creation, O Lord. Your good gifts were given so we might be stewards of all that is alive. In our arrogance, we have unleashed fearful forces that destroy. We have brought down fierce fire from the sky.
Your children have been burned, your gentle green earth scorched. Fear rules us now, not Love; we have given in to evils, lesser and greater. In your mercy, help us turn from destruction, from the bombs and barricades.
Lead us to Life again, to affirmation of all goodness and to international disarmament. With your grace, may we begin to dismantle the bombs, beat the swords into plowshares, and so transform the nuclear nightmare into the peace you have proposed. Hear our prayer, Lord, and guide us in your ways. Amen.
I am happy to hear that upper ranking Democrats are getting so upset with Obama. He is dragging the whole Democrat party into the dirt. More people need to raise their voices to let Obama, or any other faux Democrats, know that they have to go. The Democrat Party needs to do what the Republican Party does...make everyone, every single Democrat in the party, tow the progressive line or else he/she is out of the party. The Democrat Party needs to get rid of Obama and put a real progressive in his place. No one is going to vote for Obama anyway...he's a flunky turncoat. Get rid of those damn Blue Dogs too. If the Democrat Party wants to survive, and there are a lot of good progressive Democrats, who work hard for the people, then they need to do some "House cleaning" and "Senate" and "Presidential" and "Supreme Court" cleaning too!. I am all for a Primary Challenge...Obama needs to go. Maybe we Democrats need a Grover Norquist and get them all to sign a pledge of allegiance to a progressive Democrat voting pattern.
I realize that Obama inherited the mess from Bush but Obama has continued to act an awful lot like Bush in continuation of his policies and constantly acceding to the Republicans or their policies. Obama doesn't act like a Democrat and he shouldn't be allowed to hold office as one.
The only ones really "sucking up the programs", that have their capitalist proboscis' burried deeply into the economy, that is destroying America, is the filthy blood-sucking ticks at the top. Those big fat ticks will soon kill it's host. And many of those smaller ticks, who voted Republican, or who still support Obama, will be starved of it's food source.
Apathy = how to kill democracy.
So why does the newscaster say the Democrat Party instead of Democratic Party. He didn't say the Democrats. Is it now acceptable to use Republican cheap shots? Or do I have my verbiage incorrect?
The metaphor of Obama working with the Cons as being that he's willing to negotiate with hostage takers seems accurate to me. The problem with these hostage takers is this, they're twisted serial killers, they want to kill the hostages but they don't want the negotiator to know that, so they keep asking for more and more ludicris pay off goals in the hope that the can make the negotiator say he can't do that and they can then kill a hostage and put some blame on the negotiator. Then they ask for even more, end up killing another hostage, and the negotiator is blamed again. On and on it goes until finally the last hostage is up, and they ask for the negotiator to exchange places with the last hostage. Now will Obama fall for this, I don't know, but his track record with this type of negotiation has been poor. The unfortunate part is, they'll take the negotiator as a hostage replacement, kill him and then kill the last hostage that hasn't got completely to safety.
FDR said he had saved Capitalism from itself with the New Deal, I think all he did was postpone the inevitable decline and fall of it.
I'm not looking forward to the next decade, I don't have high hopes for social stability under these conditions.
N
I am through with Obama. It is true that I define myself as a Social Democrat, however I am fiscally conservative, with several viewpoints that are center and even right of center. In other words, I am well educated, thoughtful, well informed and I verify my facts unlike many from the other side.
That being said from the very beginning I have been cautious and concerned regarding Obama due to early remarks he made when he was running back in 2007 like that he greatly admired Ronald Reagan; specifically he admired his framework for cutting the government that had grown too large and unaccountable. Of course for progressives and liberals and most real economists around the world we all know that Ronald Reagan's approach which has been carried out now for about 30 years has been a disaster for the majority of the population of this country and the world. This is not the first time we (and many others), have tried this ridiculous theory, (this theory was responsible for the Panic of 1896 to name just one), and all real economists and businessmen know that to make profits one has to have customers with MONEY TO BUY YOUR PRODUCTS. Unfortunately every society, once mature, gets an upper class that is both greedy and incompetent and ultimately either becomes responsible for the societies destruction or for civil war/revolution. This was exactly the case with our country and England and now we are right back in the same situation again.
Obama has said most of the right things in this debt ceiling farce like the Bush tax cuts need to expire as was promised by the Republicans when they originally passed them (a vow incidentally they made to the American people but they have no problem breaking as opposed to the vow the made to one man, Norquest, who they hold MORE IMPORTANT and above ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS COMBINED evidentally). But Obama has (like his "Idol" Reagan wanted to cut the social safety net which as I stated above is the WRONG thing to do in this and any economy since if people have less money they cannot buy products from business and business fails. Econ 101. But cutting the safety net in not what the population, the majority wants. We are a Democracy and therefore even more than other governmental systems the politicians are supposed to do what the majority wants or at least what is best for the majority. But both parties are no longer nor have they been for some time serving the interests of the people. They are instead serving the corporations and their Board Members which is the true & original definition of Fascism. This government, judicial branch, media giants, corporate giants, law enforcement, attorney generals, insurance companies, banking systems etc., are unbelievably corrupt. We the people have no voice. Our leaders do not listen to us. Our leaders do not prosecute themselves nor their corporate counter-parts for their many crimes. Our media consistently misleads or outright lies. The corporations do not pay taxes but consistently tell us they're paying "too much." The rich keep telling us they need to pay less and get more so they can give us more jobs and pay and benefits when all those things have been consistently decreasing for 30 years for us (98%) but increasing for them.
Obama promised to but hasn't: stopped the Iraq & Afganistan wars; closed Guantanamo Bay; stopped the Bush Tax Cuts: Stopped CIA Rendition; protected Social Security, Medicare, Medicade; got us Single Payer; Protected low medical insurance costs; stopped the highly illegal Patriot Act; protected Insurance payments (ERISA legislation has been rendered completely lame by new legislation that allows insurance companies to stop any payments for any reason and even a jury or a judges decision is not enough to override the Insurance Companies decisions); has not prosecuted ANY bankers, mortgage companies, politicians, oil companies, coal companies, media companies, politicians, judges, just to name a few of the many clearly corrupt, criminal "entities" that have surfaced over the last 3 years.
Obama is no better, in fact, I argue he may be worse than Bush due to the fact that many think he his fighting for them he just always somehow fails to deliver at the last minute. It is time for thoughtful Progressives to organize a third party. The Democrats are only Republican "lite." They are just as corrupt as the other party just not as obvious. This country needs to be completely overhauled NOW. In a decade or two the infrastructure of this country will be that of a third world country and is already there in some cases. But the Republicans, Democrats & Corporate Leadership are intent on ensuring that 85% -90% of this country are impoverished which means there will be zero funds to rebuild the infrastructure which is what we should be doing NOW. Do you think these greedy, incompetent, rich, upper class "non-leaders" who are stealing us blind now and raking in record profits but refusing to pay a single dollar in taxes are going to start magically paying in ten or twenty years when our bridges, roads, and electrical systems are failing? No. they will simply move their business' to a more profitable country.
I wonder if Thom could respond to this right-wing attack piece on Democrats and their record concerning Social Security. It has been copy & pasted into forums a lot lately.
Every election time for the last 50 years the Democrats threaten the elderly & disabled by saying the Republicans are going to take away their social security when the truth is that it is the Democrats who have been stealing YOUR social security.
.
Q: Which Party denied a Social Security cost of living expense raise to the elderly & disabled 2 years in a row?
A: It was the Democrat party under Barrack Obama in 2010 & 2011.
.
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent ‘Trust Fund’ and put it into the general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Leftist Progressive Democrat controlled House and Senate.
.
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Leftist Progressive Democrat Party.
.
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?
A: The Leftist Progressive Democrat Party, with Al Gore casting the ‘tie-breaking’ deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US
.
Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?
A: That’s right! Jimmy Carter & the Leftist Progressive Democrat Party. Beginning at age 65, immigrants began to receive Social Security payments even if they never worked! The Leftist Progressive Democrat Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!
.
Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Leftist Progressive Democrats turn around & tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
I wish Thom was on cable news more often to explain why the "job creators", the rich, are not doing so. Most people need the fact and figures on how the tax rates encourage investment in business when they are higher and how they encourage profit taking when they are low for the wealthy. I haven't heard anyone explain it as well as Thom.
I'd like to hear that on Rachel Maddow...she takes time for those lessons.. or on the Ed Show. Countdown?
What really slays me is the persistence with which some conservatives demand cutting spending while we are mired in two wars their guy got us into. The prosecutions are costing us trillions of dollars. And yet, along with the demand that we cut spending which in my mind is just a continuance of even more war on the poor, the disabled, the elderly, and the unemployed and underemployed, they provide no evidence whatsoever that they even acknowledge that it was precisely because of their enthusiastic willingness to squander a surplus and then spend money that we didn't have on the military industrial complex to support "their" wars that put us in this position in the first place. No, they blame Obama for not fixing the problems they created and for which they have no other solution than to cut spending, as if they had nothing whatsoever to do with the circumstances we face. Balderdash!!
I missed the town hall meeting news with Obama today. I wonder if he took any hard questions from progressives and if he reassured anyone that isn't rich?
I read Naomi Klein's shock doctrine book and I believe that everything she said is very true. Now what we need to do is to create a shock big enough to bring those capitalist exploiters to their knees begging us for mercy.
I had been thinking about a massive boycott by using reverse psychology (for not only the Republicans but for us as well). We hate the idea of feeding the beast that eats our lunch. Walmart is the biggest of the chain stores..and many people say bad things about them (many, or most, perhaps are true)...liberals say...that Walmart is the epitome of exploitative move-in, take-over, and wipe out the competition...but many still buy their goods because they are cheaper than the other local stores. Many people believe that Walmart exploits their workers...paying them paltry wages...not giving them decent health care or other benefits. But many will continue to buy from Walmart...because they are cheaper..and many of the products are the exact same things that the locals sell. Everything comes from China now anyway. The local businesses may have a mixture of liberals and conservatives but I'd venture to say that most, by far, are conservatives.
My idea was to do business solely with either known local progressive stores (preferable) or Walmart (biggest individual store chain but still very, very, small compared to the collection or total of all other local stores...or businesses) effectively boycotting all of the local stores. It would be hurting the majority of conservatives by doing business solely with the one chain...making the larger numbers of Republicans/Conservatives pay for their political choices. We would be using their system against them. Of course, Walmart would love it...but they are really very tiny compared to the rest.
But then maybe this will be the natural outcome anyway, even if an active boycott was not proclaimed. It might actually amount to a kind of Capitalist Darwinism...survival of the fittest...which will result in the same thing as a Boycott. The natural progression of the Conservative/Republican/Laissez faire capitalism will be to weed out all of those little Republican businesses anyway over time.
We make fun of the hapless peon who is being played the useful idiot, voting against his best financial interests by voting Republican...who watches Fox news and is convinced that the progressives are communists trying to turn us all away from Jesus. How many off-shore bank accounts would Jesus have? But the reality is that even many of the well to do business people are going to be put out of business because of the very ideology they practice. They are committing business-suicide for voting and believing in a political system that will eat them for lunch.
It won't even take an active purpose-driven act of organizing or advocating a boycott. It will come naturally as people will be forced to buy the cheapest...because that is all they can now afford...since all of those retired people will not be able to shop locally...even if once in a while.
Not only are they going to reduce social security and the other social programs that help keep people alive and participating as a consumer of necessary goods but they do this after they pass a bill that will force us to make huge monthly payments to the healthScare businesses.
Local Republican business people need to wise up...and I think many are not happy with what their party has become. The Republican, and the faux Democrats are shills for the Uber Corporate state and Small Businesses will continue to suffer greatly as long as something is not done to change this system back toward left of center ideology....progressive taxes (take more of the profits back out of the pockets of the ultra rich) and put the money back into the pockets of those who will spend it on your products.
I drive through the cities and neighborhoods and see store after store boarded up. Many shopping malls and shopping centers are starting to look like ghost towns.
Talk about shock...have you heard about the two explosions in Oslo's Prime Ministers building? Terrorism?
Couldnt guest worker and duration of visas be tied to the unemployment rate?
This would direct the interest of bussiness more in the direction of lower unemployment.
GOP has fought & hated unions, fair pay, worked to lower our wages, middle class , sent good jobs overseas with big Bush cuts, protected corp - giant loopholes & OIL subisdes, waged 2 long failed wars . Iraq based on lies, brought us to 2008 global crash -Paulson's 700 billion TARP Gift horse to Robber Barons, chose con judges that screw us. GOP / Baggers has duped us into believing Obama did all this since Jan 2009 How dumb & gullible are voters to be so easily manipulated ? Recall Waterloo ? GOP vowed from day 1 to make Obama fail and deny him a 2nd term Thats what they are doing as we speak. I will not fall for GOP scams lies greed ever again !