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Thom,
I have written this post a couple of times and sent it to my Senators. This will work if the represenatives will represent us and not the big money interests. Otherwise the death of the middle class is a certainty!
Easy Fix!
In order to fix our economic problem we only have to impose a 1% transaction fee on the derivative trades. There are 400 Trillion dollars of derivatives traded annually. If we impose this fee, then we will generate 4 Trillion dollars of revenue—split it equally between the states and the federal government and the problem is solved. Since the derivatives were at the cause of the economic collapse, then this is a great place to create the solution.
Aww Thom, can't stand to hear you apologize for yourself repeatedly. You ARE the standard of civil discourse for the democratic, liberal and progressive media. Why is it that we the democrats, libs, progs are moved to embarrassement or shame in realizing our own limitations!? ...And isn't this as self-defeating as it is a tool of the oppressors, isn't it!? We have limits, and by god (and I do mean ALL the gods) it is past time the oppressors meet it!
To me it is one thing to strive to be the best we can be, including in discourse, decorum etc... etc... etc... but at some point it seems it may be more ego or complex to assume that embarrassment or shame pre-empts the actual event that moves us to realize our own limits, such as the taking over of one's country.
We are humans, yes you too, we are not perfect nor will we achieve perfection and pretty sure your listeners do not expect perfection of you (probably quite the contrary- after all we're watching genocide by politics against the middle class, working class and impoverished- in other words ... human beings).
Please stop apologizing. We know your standards and even kids in the back seats probably rate you even higher for showing signs of imperfection so long as they were not too busy watching dvd, playing video game or sticking gum in each others hair.
...as always, thank you and Louise for all your hard work!
-zjas
Hooray for David Sirota! I loved his show. I would like to hear more from him. I read his article every week and he is spot on in most of his arguments. I dare say he was better than Thom because he didn't pussy-foot around and hide behind the so-called 'circular firing squad' shield. He told it like it is and didn't pull any punches. Thom.....
A government that does not put the well being of its citizens as its first objective is a tyranny. A government whose policies benefit the few over the many is a sham. A government that does not protect its elections makes itself a fraud. War is the failure of politics and a government whose politics are war is unholy and unclean. So then revolution begins not with a brick, or a shout, or a gun but with a realization. A realization that the responsibility for life falls on our shoulders and we are in the breech.
It begins in the beating of our hearts and in an unwillingness to accept fraud, sham or tyranny as a way of life.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable"
John F. Kennedy
http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Game-Of-The-Rich-by-Mark-Sashine-110410-424.html
Water, precious water!
http://www.salon.com/news/env/environment/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2011/04/10/the_big_thirst_excerpt&source=newsletter&utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Salon_Daily%20Newsletter%20%28Not%20Premium%29_7_30_110
Thom -- You have nothing to apologize for; your outrage is appropriate. We have been in the middle of slow coup that began after WWII -- as displaced fascists and war machine created industrialists looked for a new field to plow.
It crested with the theft of a Presidential election. The Theft of a Presidential Election in and of itself Constitutes a Coup. It went unchallenged astoundingly. And then came the theft of our national treasure and the creation of private armies and private surveillance services with that money. Mitt will run (paper ballots anyone?) and he has ties to both branches.
We are all outraged --- as GE's designed and co-built Fukushima spills death upon the world -- we are outraged.
As greed parades in the costume of designer suits and carefully chosen ties (less obvious then uniforms -- but lock-step all the same). Your outrage is legitimate. The crime is real.
And have hope -- so is the Awakening. The People cannot be defeated -- not here, not globally. The Spiritual evolution is well underway and cannot be turned back................
Anger is a sane response -- and we know you love Life and that is why you are angry... we need more People to get up off the couch and get angry -- and translate that energy into creative energy.
Thom, for our sake, let us know that you're ok with being angry. Not all of us are perfect, and you're making those of us who are angry with this BS from the right, feel guilty about being angry. No, we have a right to be angry, and we absolutely need to direct it towards constructive action. It takes a lot of energy and distraction to calm ourselves down, energy that is better spent on action... think about it.
N
I live in the NW and while the recent events in Japan are tragic, I find myself getting pissed off that due to Japan's lack of common sense, we here are getting radiation drops! Not to mention the Pacific Ocean's being crapped on. Thanks alot....
A financial martial law is in effect for the state of Michigan. Why is this martial law avoiding increased taxes to corporations and the rich? No more local control is part of the conservative crazies’ agenda. The jobs budget is to cut corporate taxes and to cut programs for working Americans. How will these cuts create jobs for Americans? American corporations and the American rich must be willing to share in the sacrifices that will be needed from all our citizens for our economic recovery. The conservative crazies are clueless in the creation of jobs for Americans because they are unwilling to make the needed sacrifices that will be necessary for job creation epiphany.
Conservative crazies think short-term and the honorable progressive think long-term. Problems need to be solved for the long-haul. Short-term thinking creates long-term crises for Americans. Since Americans are into immediate gratification, they will experience short-term resolve but ongoing crises with serious problems and hardships for average, middle, and working class Americans will require both short and long-term resolutions .
Average Americans are cannon fodder, mushrooms, and turnips for the American rich. I am not a member of the lucky sperm club. Most Americans live in the right to work for less state. The right to work for less life is the goal of the conservative crazies. The rich are blaming poor and average Americans for America’s problems. The rich are vilifying poor and average Americans.
The Fascist-Nazi Party claims to be the Party for family values. The governor in Maine seeks to eliminate child labor laws. The U.S. Congress gears up to pass a bill to eliminate nutrition programs for twenty percent of American children. How can these laws be for family values? What the Fascist-Nazi Party is doing to family values is a total disgrace for humanity.
I was watching “Good Bye, My Fancy” with Joan Crawford and Robert Young. Joan said that if you want to destroy freedom you put a blanket over education. We need to take a good look at what the fascist-Nazis are doing to education from our fascist-Nazi governors to the Texas publishing companies. Keeping Americans ignorant and stupid is an ongoing process for the fascist-Nazis.
Thank you, Thom, from the depth of my soul, for cutting off the robotic spewing of garbage that your "guest" was engaging in. I understand your desire to help us "win the water cooler wars" by debating these right wing tools but let's face it - they show up with their own facts, trained in talking over anyone who challenges them, never respond to a question, and are simply spewing propoganda. There were loud cheers erupting from the various corners of our house/place of business when you ended that "interview." Those of us who live in the "reality world" and see what happening in this country need to feel like we've won a small victory occasionally. Thanks for that - and thanks for being willing to get as angry and in as much of a "bad mood" as you've been today. It's about time we all got in a bad mood - maybe there will be enough of us to get out there and do something about it all. If that's even still possible.
Hey Thom, I really appreciate your daily example on how to have a dialogue with conservatives, but I must say todays outburst was a refreshing change. Good on you for being human. If he was trying to make a valid point, fine, Have a dialogue. But we don't need to hear his kind of right wing propaganda blather on your air time.
Here are four articles worth reading. One article discusses the U.S. Dollar; another article informs us of the reality of rigged elections; a third article mentions concerns of GMO’s; and the last article has Americans as hostages to right-wing bullies.
This article discusses the U.S. Dollar.
http://theinternationalforecaster.com/International_Forecaster_Weekly/The_Financial_System_Designed_To_Self_Destruct
This article discusses the reality of our rigged elections.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/To-The-American-Media-Tim-by-Jonathan-Simon-110408-959.html
This article discusses GMO’s.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/02/dr-philip-bereano-on-gmos.aspx
The ring-wing bullies will hold America hostage again and again.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Why-the-Right-Wing-Bullies-by-Robert-Reich-110410-427.html
In graduate school I had two courses – American Foreign Policy and United States Constitutional Law. These courses were completed about forty-five years ago and these courses have continued to interest me. In the Constitutional Law class the word, precedent, was a key word. Decisions from the Supreme Court would set a precedent. Today, with the Catholic Mafia in control the word, precedent, does not matter. The Catholic Mafia is a politically active group. You can distinguish the Catholic Mafia from other groups by their brown shirts and jackboots. In the Foreign Policy course I learned that our policy has been a disaster since the days of George Washington. We are complete fools in our foreign policy. Greed and selfishness is at the core of American Foreign Policy. We embrace and sleep with dictators. Our American Foreign Policy is totally an evil policy.
Thom your anger is not misplaced, not unjustified and not unappreciated. Many of us know exactly how you feel, in fact many of us have been far more angry for far longer. Your patience with the right wing nuts has been more than superhuman.
I'm sure even Jesus felt bad after he turned over the money changer tables in the temple, but sometimes anger is the only reasonable reaction. Its the only way to keep our reason at times.
N
Why is there always talk about tax cuts and not about tax increases for American corporations and the American rich. The American rich have the most to lose so they should be taxed the most in order to protect their lifestyles. The American rich and American corporations are not making the sacrifices that are necessary for a better America. Until the American rich and American corporations pay more in taxes, America will remain a hell-hole and a rat-hole.
Rachel Maddow was great on her March 29, 2011 show. She had a segment that discussed authoritarian conservatism and libertarian conservatism. The Fascist-Nazi Party talks about small, leave me alone government but they really embrace big, intrusive government. We have liars in fascist-Nazis. With these conservative crazies in power we are not a democracy. As Americans we are enslaved and impoverished by fascist-Nazis. We are their personal slaves. Rachel mentioned that her email is flagged by the American government. She must really be bugging the conservative crazies.
These are my perceptual opinions and everyone is entitled to their opinions. Americans get what they deserve!!! Evil is short for devil. The United States of Mortal Sin’s policies and practices are the work of the devil. Satan’s disciples control the United States of Mortal Sin.
Got on you, Thom! Don't give bullshit a platform! You did the right thing.
Thank you Thom for cutting off a conservative crazy guest!!!!!
Slimy crap, from the right, you got that right. Don't worry about 10 year olds in the back seat Thom, as far as I'm concerned, I think its appropriate for my 10 year old to hear all that your saying. I'd much rather him hear you, than to be exposed to all the commercial tripe on TV. You're far more educational, and if you're using language that is allowed by the FCC, don't worry about it, you may actually be getting peoples attention.
N
Here is what the world will look like in 2036. There will not be enough food for the almost nine billion people. The future of our food supply must have governments, retailers, and consumers working together. These three groups have never worked together and so the future of food is very bleak. As our population grows in numbers we will need to return to God for His guidance. With less grain we will have more pain. The food prices will dramatically increase and there will be less money for the monthly bills.
In a true democracy the elite serve the masses. The debate about inequality is an old debate. The bailout for the banks and financial institutions will hit average Americans hard. Countries need to help the bottom and middle classes.
Do you recall my prediction on one of Thom’s blogs? I have predicted a nuclear holocaust through wars and America’s demise by 2065. But, a nuclear holocaust from nuclear energy and a tsunami earthquake may also be considered a nuclear holocaust for America’s demise. Let me also remind you that the westerly winds come from China and Japan. What would happen if our country had a catastrophic earthquake in California and the nuclear reactors are greatly damaged and release radiation in the air and this radiation will cover our entire country? We must prepare for the end that appears closer than we know.
Yes, Thom is right and there is no safe level of radiation. Each American has different degrees of tolerance from various outside the body sources.
Our future is in God’s hands. We will be relying more and more on Hail Mary’s for our survival.
I was away from my computer but a pen and paper were handy and I kept notes from Thom’s shows and from MSNBC. Listening and viewing these shows have made me disheartened by American corporations and the American rich’s hatred for our poor, average, middle, and working classes. America has always had class warfare and a class system. With India’s growing influence over the United States of Mortal Sin, America is now embedded with India’s caste system and the American blue-blood rich will do all it can to protect their wealth, possessions, and profits. The American blue-blood rich will also seek to pay less in taxes and to hoard more and more wealth, possessions, and profits because that is the American way. The American hatred for other Americans will never end.
Here is a note that I will be sending to family and friends.
While I was away from the computer for almost four weeks, I kept notes with pen and paper. We also had a chance to listen to Thom Hartmann. On one particular day we heard Thom talk about the documentary film, “I Am.” We went to see the film with our son. “I Am” is truly a great documentary film that is written and directed by Tom Shadyac. The film probed the exploration of our world; what is wrong with it; and what we can do to make it better. After surviving a horrific cycling accident Tom Shadyac emerges a changed man by abandoning his life of glamour and possessions and he moves into a mobile home to begin life anew.
“I Am” is a film that is not playing in major movie theaters and it is not viewed in all the major cities. In the film we are asked to be part of a better world by cooperation, sympathy, love, and connection. We are connected to every human being whether we like it or not. Are you a person who can love? Are you a person who can see with your heart? God said to you and me, “I am who I am.” We need to be like God and be “I am.” Seeing God in all His creations is very important.
Let me say that this documentary film is not for everyone. If two questions can be answered with a yes, you are eligible to see the film. I need to caution you that your viewing of the film will shake you from your comfort zone. It is my understanding that whenever people are shaken from their comfort zone, they can become very upset.
Here are the two questions. Are you a person who can love God’s children? Are you a person who can see with your heart? We do see with our eyes but the eyes can be deceiving in what we need to see.
Sincerely, Jerry
P.S. I was unable to locate movie theaters in the Detroit area that are or would be showing the film, “I Am.” I tried – iam, iam.com, iamdoc.com, and iamthedoc.com with no luck. You may have better luck.
Yet another case of a conservative responding to historical facts (higher taxes in US lead to lower debt/deficit, and vice versa) with rhetoric and ideology; the exploding debt of the 80's was due to Reagan's "World War" (huh?), and the budget surplus of the 90's had nothing to do with higher taxes on the rich, it was "years of peace" and the "dot com era bogus money that crashed on Bush". In addition the obvious hypocrisy of that last statement - think subprime loan bogus money that crashed on Obama, something Gainor never wants to acknowledge because it will get in the way of his ideology - Dan Gainor never answers Thom's challenge to name one Republican proposal that is going to ask for sacrifice from millionaires and billionaires. And that's because conservatives want no sacrifice from the rich; the middle and lower classes should pay for the past, present, and future excesses and irresponsibility of the uber-rich.
I voted NO. It does seem like they are winning, however they are making themselves look so bad that even the staunch Republican I work with is thoroughly disgusted. I think they will only succeed in alienating their own party members.
A Justification for Taxing the Super Rich:
A brief encounter with right-wing radio, while driving home from work, got me so mad I almost broke the steering wheel. In essence, one of Murdoch’s well paid and under taxed propagandists was repeating the same old hare-brained republican talking point. The one that says taxing the rich is a job killer. I wondered, in anger, what trickle down planet this guy lives on, apparently not earth.
Let’s take a look at job killing reality for a moment. It wasn’t long ago, Republican Mitch McConnell, showed his big-money-interest true colors by thwarting a democratic attempt to repeal tax laws that encourage corporations to keep exporting jobs overseas. Now connect the dots: tax breaks for the rich, slave labor, US job losses, obeying corporate masters, republican politicians, all in one sentence. What a surprise! This total disrespect for the working class barely caused a stir in corporate media. Had the average citizen been aware of this, with unemployment nearing 20%, I suspect there would have been riots in the streets.
The Republican/Tea Party agenda is pretty obvious. Besides doing everything they can to make President Obama look bad, a central thrust is the maintenance of tax codes and labor practices favorable to the creation of ill-gotten wealth. This form of parasitical enrichment comes in many forms. I’ll mention a few good ones: repeal of Glass-Steagall- making it possible for banksters to loot the working class 401Ks, no bid military contracts, continuation of the Bush II temporary tax cuts for the super rich; US CEOs making in 8 hours the amount it takes their average worker a year to make. On top of this, the Tea Party is convinced this CEO needs tax relief. Another good example is where Thurston III makes huge profits from his oil commodities trading thanks to working class people driving to work. This is fine until the people enriching him find out his unearned income is taxed less than their earned income. He might do well to thank the people who had to drive to work to earn a living for making it possible for him to not.
In a functional democracy, it’s just common sense that a fair and moral tax code should prevail. With this currently lacking, the massive redistribution of wealth from the working class hands that created it, into the hands that did not, will continue. It seems the best tool to legislate against such greed is taxation of the super rich. By this method it’s possible to redirect ill-gotten wealth back into the working class society that created it. This is our best chance of prosperity for all, instead of just for an elite few.