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Chris Hedges is not part of the GOP world. He's a longtime newspaper writer and columnist whose most recent book is "The Death of the Liberal Class." He wrote a best=selling book called "War is the force that gives life meaning." He's been a national correspondent for a couple of decades, at least. He is highly respected--but I don't always agree with him. I recommend you start looking up some of his columns and books to get a more insightful view. I'm sure he doesn't need anyone to try to educate him on the facts.
He's always an interesting--and often provocative--writer and I recommend you look at his biography and read some of his books. You don't have to agree with his beliefs--but before you criticize him, understand his background and accomplishments.
So.... The anti-big government governor, Snyder, who beleives in personal liberty and self-responsibility, is taking away the personal liberty and self-responsibility of self-government of those in city of Benton Harbor, people who voted for their own local government, the only really valid kind of government, they like to say, because it supports personal liberty and self-responsibility, to put in place bigger government, in the person of one individual, a government beaurocrat, the very antithesis personal liberty and self-responibility, a move that will obviously, because Snyder is such a great defender of personal liberty and self-responsibility, enable the people of city of Benton Harbor to live to their highest ideals of personal liberty and self-responsibility.
Just in the nick of time.The communist party was about to take over up there, I heard - after all, they had unions!
My husband and I lived in West Michigan, to be precise Grand Junction for 14 years before, we came back to the Detroit area 5 years ago. Where we lived we had 3 and more directions to go when we needed things,from groceries to services like the hospital in St. Joseph. We would go to Benton Harbor regularly because we missed the diversity of living in Detroit. As elections rolled around it was hard to take that there seemed to be so very little interest on that side of the state to participate. We tried a couple of times to get involved in what there was of a Democratic party. Our take was that if someone ran as a Democrat out there they did it so they could get thier name on the ballot. We only voted for a Republican one time in our entire lives and that was because the person who we wanted and felt would do the most for out township was running on the Republcan ballot against the Democrat who had a reputation of being corrupt. Politcally we ended up making more enemies than friends while we lived out there because of where we stood on the issues. In Holland for one election we saw plenty of signs on lawns for the Democrat for President, I don't remember if it was Clinton, Kerryor Gore. But even Kalamazoo didn't seem to take much interest in the elections. Benton Harbor was so sad when we were there, although they did try to bring the area up with a greater expanse of the shopping area, But we saw no hint of interest in the elections. On one positive note we did attend a rally in Muskegon when Gore was running and there was a great turnout, and we were in a restaurant in Benton Harbor when the Supreme Court ruling came down. That image is burned on my brain. We are 66 and 71, I will be 67 shortly.
Chris You are so far off base that I will not even try to educate you on the facts Enjoy your GOP world
Thom We can all thank 2010 Wis voters for the dictator Gov Walker They got what they voted for or thought they did, ince Walker never said he was going to bust unions or take away workers right to bargain. A greedy phony Repub like most of them ..the moderate GOP no longer exists.Now we have Tea Bagger Repubs who look human...but when we sleep they come and take our souls. Vote them out Recall them what ever it takes. Whatever Obama's faults..he is decent, he works hard against the daily Fox GOP Rush hate fest , lies, 12/ truths..vile name calling. GOP is a disgrace to our country and I used to vote GOP most of my life Me bad .
We need to get our country back. So many people are unaware about what's happening. Corporations are not people. Millionaires and billionaires need to pay their fair share of taxes -- the cap MUST be lifted from Social Security and corporations HAVE to pay taxes. This country is going down the tubes. I makes me sad.
A government in which the people are the ultimate authorityis what this country was founded on. Of the people,by the people and for the people. Nowhere in any founding document do I see the words corporation rule or corporations are people.
The libertarians are not interested in solving problems. They are only interested in externalizing problems. It is about exploiting their own good fortune and ignoring those less fortunate. Objectivism is an elaborate scheme for rationalizing conceit as "enlightened self interest". I happen to believe enlightened self interest, the problem is that objectists are not even close to being enlightened, having rejected all philosophy and large swaths of science that came after Aristotle. What I want to know is what planet do they intend to move to after they have run this one into the ground?
There is "No Difference between all of the major the policies of the Obama administration and the policies that would've been put in place by John McCain." - Chris Hedges
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J170OwHzHQw&NR=1
Learn it, Know it, Live it! You're way behind the curve, Thom.... :-(
Yes, I can accept the scientist's claim.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110418/wl_uk_afp/britainreligionchristianseaster
Here is a video to lighten our day!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/18/twin-babies-in-a-conversation.aspx
Unless America can be America again, the words below will come to fruition. We are asked to be part of a better world through cooperation, sympathy, love, and connection. We are connected to every human being on this planet whether we like it or not.
Here is a major problem that liberals, progressives, socialists, and working Americans face in the United States of Mortal Sin.
We can no longer rely on a party and/or a person for the work to be accomplished. Change can only come from the ground up and the work will have to be accomplished by you and me.
Currently, we are a damned nation because we have turned our backs on God and by 2065 the United States of Mortal Sin will die. It is truly over for our fascist-Nazi country.
The above words are my predictions that are presently upon us and our future awaits us in 2065.
The poem below by Langston Hughes reveals his feelings and thoughts and his feelings and thoughts are similar to my personal feelings and thoughts.
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15609
Thank you Thom for everything you do for Humanity you are a man of wisdom not just Knowlege. your life time quest of bringing peace, happiness and prosperity to humanity.
If the "best minds" went on strike ala John Galt, I suspect that it would look like this in some ways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovered_factory#South_America
Good guess- they've been taken over by JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Columbus, Ohio (FDIC Cert: 628)
1889
Standard Oil, Inc. reorganized; Pennzoil Company (eventually ZAPATA OIL) ARTICLES 05/27/1889
Norfolk Western 100 yr. gold bonds issued to Harriman; when due, North American Van Lines was sold to CDR by NS
Washington Mutual Savings Bank established 9/21/1889
1989
(12/1988 Failure of Silverado Banking Savings and Loan, Neil Bush director.
1989 G. H. W. Bush U.S. President
XXXXX
Sounds like Whirlpool used its size to secure tax breaks that drained the coffers of Benton Harbor. This is going on across the country as corporations pit cities and towns against one another to secure the lowest or nonexistant tax burden.
Just heard the interviews about Benton Harbor, MI and thought I'd post this link about Jean Klock Park, which is a nature preserve gifted to Benton Harber in 1917. The Whirlpool corp and their buddies would love to convert this park into a golf course and private gated community. Read more of the story on the website.
http://www.savejeanklockpark.org/
Of course it is a good speach, very clever man, very seductive. But what really matters is not so much who pay the most taxes but who cashes them or WHO CREATES MONNEY? : monney is created from debts (when it is borrowed). This ability to create monney from nothing (based on trust and only on trust) is now in (a few) bankers hands - this agreement was signed, for the US, by president Wilson - and every dollar created is subjected to an interest rate, but in order to pay this interest you need to create it from another loan or take it from a bankruptcy, this interest monney is also generating an interest which all goes (and stay) in the top 10 wealthiest's pocket,. This is a dead end spirale certainly not constitutional!
xcuse my french
Best...
Sad that I have been unemployed since November, 2009 and still paid more federal taxes than some corporations.
Contrary to what the Planet Zenu Party believes, a functional democracy absolutely requires regulatory systems that attend to the best interests of the vast majority. In particular, the suits operating the shell game tables on Wall Street need special attention. “We the people” all realize these guys are not walking around obsessing about “What would Mother Teresa do?”
The repeal of Glass-Steagall makes it apparent we are the United States of Amnesia. After all, its origins were related to bankster behaviors, such as, executives enriching themselves by deeds such as short-selling and packaging failed loans into securities and then unloading them on unsuspecting investors. Why does behavior from over 70 years ago sound so familiar again? Could it be Robert Rudin taking a position with Citibank soon after Glass-Steagall was repealed, with an annual compensation of 40 million, even while Citigroup incurred 24 billion in subprime losses? Maybe it was hedge fund manager, John Paulson, betting against the real estate bubble and making 15 billion of ill-gotten wealth in a single year. Let’s see, how did he do that? Maybe by paying Goldman to create securities and then hand picking out mortgage related assets that would go into, ultimately doomed, CDOs and then short the bonds to make billions as the housing market collapses.
The repeal of Glass-Steagall has to be the most outrageous example ever of ugly history repeating its ugly self. I take that back. I can think of another example, Teddy’s Tillman Act versus Citizens United, which is an equal example of ugly history repeating itself.
Come on, how many times can people like Mitt Romney convince us to buy ocean front property in Utah?! The history of greed and evil remains a constant, doomed to be repeated, with absence of democratic regulatory interventions.
As long as corporations are considered human people, they will be able to hide behind the laws they have corrupted.
It's all about money and profits!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Libya-All-About-Oil-or-A-by-Ellen-Brown-110414-179.html
I am proud to be a socialist!!!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/How-Socialists-Built-Ameri-by-John-Nichols-110416-959.html
This report is public, I'm assuming. Who has picked it up? No mainstream media, I'm sure. It needs a lot more visibility.
Ginny
Mr. Hartmann,
I thank you for your input. My own personal economic/political paradigm has evolved a lot from listening to you. While I would like for everyone's taxes to be at a minimum, I fully concede that that such a minimum must be made higher than it is now and must be kept higher permanently in order to provide for essential government services with out having to go into debt. When it comes to military spending I must also concede that significant cuts have to be made. We are no longer in the cold war and the military budget must reflect that fact. One thing that can be done to reflect this is to cancel all orders currently and being considered for aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. Also, any aircraft carriers still in service that are conventionally fueled can be decomissioned. I know that there are people out there who have said this already, and I give them credit. Thank you for your time.