"More than 20,000 protesters descended upon Wall Street Thursday to demand an end to Mayor Bloomberg’s draconian education cuts and his soft touch approach to billion-dollar companies."

'UAW member, Gibb Surette, who said the country’s resources are being wasted on military spending and tax giveaways for the rich. “Then we’re being told there’s nothing left in the cupboard for children, poor people, sick people, job development, or just about anything else we need,” he said.'

"Powerful interests are siphoning the wealth for themselves during a time of financial crisis, he added. 'It reminds you of hyenas. When hyenas go out and look for resources, they prey on the very young, they prey on the very old, they prey on the sick and those who can’t defend themselves.' ”

http://www.thenation.com/blog/160653/massive-wall-street-protest-draws-o...

I cant believe that there isnt a thing called ethics anymore or what about conflict of interest! Look I am a carpenter,veteran, single father and even I know this kinda of thing is unfair.How on Gods green earth does this kind of thing get past kindergarten let alone the senate or congress or whoever passes this crap!!!!! Its getting to the point I can't stand the truth its to flippin hard to believe!!!

The emphasis of many activists is on electoral politics, but the elite have a huge advantage in this battlefield, where money controls the US electoral process. By focusing exclusively on electoral politics at the expense of everything else, we: (1) give away power when we focus only on getting leaders elected and become dependent on them; (2) buy into the elite notion that democracy is all about elections; (3) lose sight of the fact that democracy means having influence over all aspects of our lives; and (4) forget that if we have no power in our workplace, in our education and in all our institutions, then there will never be democracy worthy of the name. Thus, we should focus our fight more on the daily institutions we experience. As Wendell Berry said, "If you can control a people's economy, you don't need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant."The emphasis of many activists is on electoral politics, but the elite have a huge advantage in this battlefield, where money controls the US electoral process. By focusing exclusively on electoral politics at the expense of everything else, we: (1) give away power when we focus only on getting leaders elected and become dependent on them; (2) buy into the elite notion that democracy is all about elections; (3) lose sight of the fact that democracy means having influence over all aspects of our lives; and (4) forget that if we have no power in our workplace, in our education and in all our institutions, then there will never be democracy worthy of the name. Thus, we should focus our fight more on the daily institutions we experience. As Wendell Berry said, "If you can control a people's economy, you don't need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant."The emphasis of many activists is on electoral politics, but the elite have a huge advantage in this battlefield, where money controls the US electoral process. By focusing exclusively on electoral politics at the expense of everything else, we: (1) give away power when we focus only on getting leaders elected and become dependent on them; (2) buy into the elite notion that democracy is all about elections; (3) lose sight of the fact that democracy means having influence over all aspects of our lives; and (4) forget that if we have no power in our workplace, in our education and in all our institutions, then there will never be democracy worthy of the name. Thus, we should focus our fight more on the daily institutions we experience. As Wendell Berry said, "If you can control a people's economy, you don't need to worry about its politics; its politics have become irrelevant."

The universities should be presenting all sides of Our Issues, (with equal enthusiasim and skill). If they don't they don't deserve to be called universities. Propaganda schools would be a better term.

No. What people like the Koch's are doing is nothing but wrong.

Beware the Sock puppet trolls paid by the Pentagon and Wealthy Ultra Right Wing entities like the Koch-roaches and evil banksters. I have not seen many of these on this Thom Hartmann blog site but you sure do hear from a lot of them in response to Max Keiser's YouTube programs. They also tend to infest Salon.com and thenation.com as well. Max Keiser must be really ticking off a lot of wealthy and powerful people and if you have ever watched his shows you'd know why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zMv4Offm_8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

"The Corporation" - This documentary changed my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa3wyaEe9vE&NR=1
Made in 2003 it's more pressient today than ever. A Brilliant documentary of the effects of the Corporate State.

It looks like climate change facts are not a priority when it comes to the God almighty dollar! How many more coastal mansions have to wash away before BIG OIL goes down in the history books as a BIG MISTAKE?

I find it very depressing that our system of govt. - "by and for the people", is only - "by and for" those who can afford to buy it!

Hi richsapf,

If you sign up for the free newsletter you will get the links from the show every day.

It was Thomas Frank. http://www.tcfrank.com/

The Anti-Christ and Human Rights

Hillary is spewing about China’s poor human rights’ record. How wonderful? She fails to see The Anti-Christ’s poor record on human rights. Let us look at The Anti-Christ’s record on human rights. I am not in the loop so I will only share a part of our poor record on human rights – our attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan, torture, the wanton killing of God’s children, the drone attacks on civilians in other countries, the sale of weaponry to other countries, and the sale of roadside cluster bombs to other countries. The Anti-Christ’s record on human rights is the worst record in the history of our Universe.

Hillary should be ashamed of herself. She is living in a constant state of denial regarding our poor human right’s record. You need to remember that The Anti-Christ is not a good, holy, and saintly nation.

The professors at The Catholic University of America are right in their letter that the Republican Party is an Anti-Life Party. Yes, our record on human rights is a horrible record and yes, the majority of Americans are Satan’s disciples, aka KKKhristians.

Thom and Ian are statists who would claim to be anti gun and pro peace humanitarians but who need well armed phederal getstapo goons, state force and gulags (prisons) to make sure that whatever laws they dream up are enforced and that people pay "their fair share." They are clearly hostile to the idea of states rights, nullification and the 10th amendment. This interpretation of the commerce clause, the general welfare clause, the necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause are a surefire recipe for tyranny. We've already seen it argued that blatantly unconstitutional laws like the the Patriot Act are "necessary and proper" and in the interest of "promoting the general welfare." This is far beyond the spirit ever intended by the founders. This "liberal" interpretation of the Constitution can easily lead to unlimited federal power and control. If the origianl intention behind the supremacy clause were as they claim it to be the founders could have simplified the Constitution to one simple statement: the federal government can do whatever it wants.

I believe his name is Thomas Frank (s). He wrote What's the Matter with Kansas?

There is a moratorium on drilling off the coast of British Columbia, but Thievein' Harper is Bush's best living buddy.Calgary oil companies Enbridge and Encana would love to build a pipeline accross 1,300 rivers , streams and tributaries to a planned refinery at Kitimat.I dn't want such a risk to our salmon, recreation and tourism.

2010 On Monday, July 26, the pipeline company, Enbridge Energy Partners LLP (Enbridge), reported that a 30-inch (760 mm) pipeline belonging to Enbridge burst in Marshall, Michigan. The company estimates over 800,000 gallons of crude oil leaked into Talmadge Creek, a waterway that feeds the Kalamazoo River,[516][517][518] whereas EPA believes over 1 million gallons of oil may have leaked into the river.[519] On July 27, 2010, an Administrative Order was issued by U.S. EPA requiring the performance of removal actions in connection with the facility. The Order requires Enbridge to immediately conduct removal of a discharge or to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of a discharge of oil and to submit a Work Plan for the cleanup activities that was to include a Health and Safety Plan,[520] as required by 29 CFR 1910.120 (HAZWOPER). An oil spill cleanup contractor from Texas, Hallmark, bussed numerous undocumented workers to Battle Creek to work on the cleanup of oil spill and had them work in unsafe conditions.