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It doesn't look good. I'm wondering if chinese housing situation would create a disaster for North America? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPILhiTJv7E&feature=related
Daniel Ellsberg said:
Concerning Wikileaks...
"..most U.S. Government decisions to keep information secret are directed at keeping secrets not from other nations but from Congress, public courts, and citizens—“the ones who have the votes and vote the budgets, and might possibly prosecute, and the ones whose blame is to be feared.”
US involvement in Pakistan...
“We’re destabilizing a government now that could put nuclear weapons in the hands of al-Qaeda...” he said. “This is the most reckless, irresponsible policy I can imagine.” --just one step nearer to the prospect of a terrorist nuke in an American city one day---way to go Obama!
"Ellsberg warned that there now exists in the US the infrastructure of a police state, which threatens to diminish the sovereignty of the public and renders it easier to get into “irresponsible wars” like Vietnam and Iraq."
“The challenge cannot be greater. So as lawyers, I hope you will stand up for the principles of a country that didn’t make it illegal up to now to tell secrets of state that the public needed to hear.”
http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2011/03/pentagon-papers_wikileaks.html
We have a government that, on one hand, praises freedom of speech and openness for citizens in other countries like Libya, Egypt, etc. against their oppressive governments yet they consider Julian Assange and Wikileaks as a criminal or a criminal organization. That same hypocrisy can be read into everything else Obama or any politician towing the prevailing foreign policy, Republican or Democrat, says.
I hope all of those who voted for "The Ignorant Ones" get exactly what they voted for. I would have personally thrown the tea party in the sea and held them under, but not all of us are that intelligent.
But let's not forget that the masses are also being exploited by many Democrats as well. Anyone who sees the Democrats as the answer wasn't paying attention all along when Obama preached one thing then acted another. He who has the gold, rules! And they will use some of that gold to keep us stupidly choosing Republicans or Democrats to carry out the grand histrionics that keep those few with the gold in power. Republicans who brazenly shove through their gains; or, Democrats when they need a smoke and mirrors cushioning from the possibility of a complete breakdown in their power over us. They will keep us falsely believing that Democrats will fight for the little guys (mainstream American workers and retirees) in order to keep the masses of little guys hopeful and submissive. Misplaced hope and a willingness to believe that "this just can't be" or "it just can't happen here" is what makes it so easy to keep people from rising up. There is supposed to be "power in numbers" but the rich have found a way to keep those numbers in a psychological prison.
Many of us, or our loved ones, will soon die of very treatable diseases or starvation. The "death panels" that the right-wingers loved to falsely threaten us with should the government set up a single payer system, or even a public option, had already been instituted by the HealthScare insurance companies. They were, and still are, the real "death panels". They are the ones who have been, and are, deciding the fate of granny or other family members...whether they live or die...based on maximizing profit for themselves and their shareholders.
And now we have a massive nuclear catastrophe that Japan's government, also bought out by corporate greed, "assured" their people that an accident would never happen because they had learned from past failures of 3 Mile Island and Chernobyl. Does that sound a lot like what Obama said? That we will learn from the mistakes of past errors? He didn't say that we should be shelving nuclear power because it is just too dangerous and expensive and that we should be concentrating on solar, geothermal, or wind power. Fact is that when profit is involved, and when the government is bought off, greedy corporatists will cut corners on safety in order to maximize profit. Cutting safety on nuclear power plants is too dangerous and will result in eventual accidents. Governments, who have a running record of being bought off and controlled by monied interests will not keep us safe. They lie, and they are the enemy of the safety of the people.
Our major media propandists are going to great lengths to keep the horror genie in the bottle by giving demonstrations on Dr. Oz, with Michiu Kaku, showing a drop of dye in a small container of water compared to a large fish tank. See how the color is so diluted in the large fish tank? Now aren't you convinced not to worry? It doesn't take but a miniscule speck of plutonium (potassium iodine won't help you there...nothing will) in your lungs or stomach to cause cancer. There are a lot of radioactive isotopes, of course, plutonium being, probably, the most dangerous as it's half life is so much longer than generations of human's lives. So who are you going to believe? Obama, or any of the others who have a vested interest (the revolving door to a cushy corporate job after public service)? Remember the mayor in Jaws? Didn't want to freak out potential tourists or business in general. Just breath in deeply and keep drinking that radioactive strontium-90 polluted milk...it'll all be over soon. Could it be that the Aztecs were right all along? Their calender runs out in 2012. I'm not a believer in such non-sense, of course, but things like global warming spawning extremely violent hurricanes, melting of the poles, terrible oil spills (BP wasn't the first or, probably, the last), and now 4 nuclear reactors about to melt down...4 in one place...that's what I call concentration...maybe Michiu Kaku should have dumped in the whole bottle of dye. All we need now is a mile wide comet or asteroid crashing into the earth...At least we wouldn't all suffer from agonizing plutonium-caused cancer.
Sadly all Tea Party members I have spoken with, including a sister, and brother-in-law, swear their strictly a grass roots movement. Presenting the facts related to the Koch brothers, and Dick Armey, only creates cognitive dissonance for them . I can without any reservations pinpoint the source of the manipulative seeds planted in their distracted minds. It's almost exclusively Fox/ Murdoch, Becker-headed based.The deception of the cross in one hand , don't tread on me flag in the other, while the Koch's pick their pockets ,is the ugly reality here. The Tea Party's demise is that they have created a sterile political breeding ground for themselves. Thus I submit their fate will not be unlike that of the 18th century Shaker movements self -destructive celibacy.
Stupid is as stupid does...
as long as the middle (class, geographic) of our great country continues to let itself be dumbed down by billionaire "chess players" there will always be a "tea party"... until the whole country collapses and the rich "folks" move to Dubai.
Your Conversation with Mark Williams.
I like the approach you took with the Tea Party today.
I do think we have a lot of areas of agreement. I believe there are a lot of them who are Union Members for example, or were. I would also bet there are a lot of working class, middle class tea party members. And of course we share the same interests, like clean water, air, education etc.
I like conversations like this I leave happy I think this is brilliant!
Love the Show!
Had a wider shot of the Tea Party rally been provided, which ABC referred to as the group showing up en masse, one might see that there were perhaps one hundred people there. Their entire movement doesn't even deserve the 'Astro-Turf moniker ascribed it, as evinced today at their 'massive' rally in DC. A more apt metaphor for this paltry group would be outdoor 'grass' floor covering, as might be glued to one's porch at a size of no more than ten or twenty square yards. Astro-Turf implies a size akin to a football stadiium surface , and even then such venues are of a finite number.This so called 'movement' is an artifice of the propagandistic corporate media, who would have us believe their numbers are overwhelming.
Fabrications are revealed for what they are with scrutiny. True grass roots grow throughout all of America.
Spot on Thom, spot on!
one can only hope! below is my letter to our our paper on their editorial on Wisconsin
Today's editorial on the situation in Wisconsin is excellent!It IS about union-busting and giving more power to corporations. This follows on the heels of last year's Supreme court decision "Citizens United" which gave "personhood" to corporations. It is a sad time for the American worker. Recently I joked "first Tunisia, then Egypt, now Wisconsin" but it is no joke:democracy is being threatened here.Gov Walker's phone call with someone pretending to be one of the billionaire Koch brothers shows clearly whose side he is on.I wonder how "tea partiers" (especially union members) feel learning that their "grassroots" effort was funded by the Koch brothers for their own agenda and used unsuspecting, sincere individuals to further their own plans, which is not in the best interests of the average American.
Something concerns me that should concern you and your union. That is, down in San Antonio, there is an aircraft company, a big one that does a lot of major repairs for almost all airlines at some point and they have laid off 80% of the long time workers and replaced them with Hondurans and El Salvadorans that have few requirements for an A&P license in their home country and can pay them much less. They are bringing them here. To fix our planes. They dont speak or read english and so a few Americans were kept to instruct them on how to do things. Even if the union doesnt have representation there since Texas isnt a big union state, it should still be a concern for all working in that industry. Get rid of them and employ well trained Americans for a living wage should be the goal.
My opinion.
I hope they get bagged.
More light is shining on their hypocrisy and those with any working grey matter are starting to connect the dots. We need to continue to showcase the shortcomings of the extremists and their war on the working people. Now, with the latest revelations that a number of tea party congress people have been receiving government subsidies for their farms and family agricultural businesses, maybe people will realize the fraud thats being perpetrated by the t.p. and adjust their attitude toward government handouts on which rural America is heavily dependent. Perhaps, we need to take the $16.5 billion yearly in farm subsidies and scale back, a lot.(Divide it among the public schools!) When the tea partiers start to realize they are but lapdogs for the rich always there to fetch a paper or growl at a stranger, especially, that socialist postal carrier, ... well, then maybe the party will start its rapid descent into marginal status and irrelevancy. Hopefully, the backlash will get us closer to Bernie Sanders ( my personal hope.) Till then, lets keep the light on, Thom.
Never stop trying and hold on to Hope. I was unemployed for over three years, partly my fault, I went on strike against Northworst. Delta has since bought out NWA and they recognize the talent the old airlines through on the street and are slowly bringing us back to Delta. I truly thought my time as an Aircraft Mechanic was through, my old Union is the main reason myself and a few others got our seniority back. Unfortunatly, those who come back now come back as new hires, but no one is complaining. Glad to be back to work...
I'm sad that it has taken this long. As far back as I can remember it's always been the repukes claiming the Democrats were making a mockery of the Constitution, guess there is no hiding who the culprits are now! Remember; "Teabaggers: Corporate Tools American Fools"!!
You should have heard Scott Brown today on C-Span. He was clearly frustrated over the possibilty of a government shutdown due to Congress' inability to agree on cuts. He was not willing to go after Planned Parenthood, NPR and other Republican targets. As a Mass resident, he is the equivilant to Jim DeMint for us! This guy was a Tea Party darling in the special election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat. To be honest, he accepted the endorsement, but never really embraced them as Bachmann has done. A few local wacko radio hosts endorsed him, but you never hear them even mention his name now. Truth be known, his Democratic opponent was pretty bad. To confirm, this past November we returned all Congressional Democrats to the House. Even some unknown Democrat was elected over a well known Republican for state auditor. In Maine, the people are pretty much fed up with their new Tea Party Governor. I think they will be around for awhile. More prevalant the further south you go, but still diminished.
Thats me being hopeful Thom .But I know how loudly big money talks . Dick Armey & Koch are just 2 of the super powerful guys working hard to crush Obama and the Dems any way they can . I share your opinion- I never believed the GOP could sink this low They make Nixon's 'crimes ' look like childs play. Nixon robbed no one - caused no global crash gave no 700 billion to crooks on Wall St . I am so disgusted I do not know what else to do I donate -I speak -e-mail my reps - i volunteer - I stay informed and I vote .
Their favorability rating may soar again near election voting time as a republican vote. Republican middle class citizens have been shattered by the party since Geo. Bush's "eminent domain" on their home. They searched for other names to call themselves...conservative; tea party, for example. Another name for Republicans may arise.
Thom, any suggestions on how to help long term unemployed get rehired?
I agree Amen! Restore the rule of law and the constitution now! Stop serving the foreign masters , Bring back these protections of our freedoms here in America and not corporations. And to say ~ These dictatorship tea party people do need to go now if not sooner. Their demise will not come fast enough. They have all seem to come from the same charm school. They should stay out of those places and go back to a human school and learn how to work together with your fellow humans! Perhaps a national strike could be in order if this destruction of the U.S continues.
Yep the Globalists have infested it real good and it is well on its way to implosion.
When they never talked about actual ballot access like the Constitution Party does I knew right then that the end was near.
http://www.believeinamerica.com/index.php
http://www.constitutionparty.org
[Constitution Party Promotional Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_SobkISNrY
America's real Globalist-free party.
Good on ye, Thom, for the recent observation that we should call the spade that has been digging this country into a hole "The Bush Great Depression."
There may be some quibbles about the use of "Great Depression," since that may be a technical term in the dismal science of economics, not the same as an "un-great" one ... although either way, whether you get shot or beheaded, it's bad for your health.
I'd like to propose another term that you and the others I listen to on KTRC in Santa Fe (NM) might want to start using:
The term "Progressive" says more about sensible Americans trying to advabnce the country than the term "Liberal," which the Rush-ians of the world of talk radio have demonized. Fine. Now ....
Let's use the companion term, "REGRESSIVES" to describe Mitch "Dr. No" McConnell and John "Speaker No" Boehner, and the rest of the folks who are trying to drag this country down and hold it back.
The opposite of Progressive is Regressive.
-0-
That leads into another gripe that you can save for another day, but I hope you'll have time to read it someday: it's a rotten crummy shame that progressives let the regressives set the tone for our national discourse. They come up with the nasty term "Obama-care" and the progressives start using it. They make "liberal" sound like people who beat their mothers, and liberals accept that implied definition, with apologetic shame. The list goes on, and we can all add to it.
There's a reason, of course, and we all know it, so deep inside us that we don't even realize it. People with brains and sensitivity listen to what others say, and give them a fair shake. They're -- let's face it -- liberal: willing to listen to people who don't agree with them. Ah, but not the regressives, the reactionaries, the self-proclaimed conservatives. Their response, as the old joke has it, is "The answer is no, what's your question." while the intelligent human being (exemplified by Pres. Obama) iss the one who says "I'll listen to what you have to say, and consider your point of view."
If you remember the first "Indiana Jones" movie, there's a scene where a native attacking Indy goes through a showy routine twirling his sword as a ritual challenge to a duel. Indy whips out his pistol and shoots the guy dead on the spot. That is, forgive me, Dr. Jones, the "Just say No" reaction of the reactionary right-wing cabal. "My mind's made up, don't confuse me wiwth facts" seems to be their motto.
My point, Thom, is this: An intellectual dueller like Obamaa or any progressive thinking -person, is at a fatal disaaadvantage against that kind of attitude: "Yes, you may be right" is an invitation to "Of course I'm right, you wimp, you've just admitted that I am. So you've agreed to be reasonable and do it my way, So shut up and go way until I want more money from you, you stupid jerk."
Letting the bullies set the tone of the debate means they win, every time. Case in point, the right-wing move to cut benefits to the people who pay into the funds, and divert that money to the people who support the GOP campaign funds. With "Pseudo-Citizens United," giving corporatiions the right to control the mediaa wiwth stolen money, the averagely intelligent worker who watches tele-pap forty hours a week (not a confirmed statistic, but is there one?), all those regressive campagn spots elicit "You may be right" ... which pretty soon leads to "Of course they're right! Let's vote for 'em" Hey, does anybody rememeber Barry Goldwater's slogan, "In your heart, you know he's right"? As George Santayana said, we're doomed to repeat history if we don't remember and reflect on the past.
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Mark Williams occurs in the universe as an jack_hole . . . I am not saying that he is a jack_hole; it is just that every sound that spews forth from his mouth is could just as easily fall fall-out of what lives between the 'jack' and the 'hole.
In short, an adult would work to earn more and not take kids and women and the middle-class out to the woodshed. If Teabaggers were sent to bee the adults in Congress, they would be demanding to raise taxes on MNE and multi-millionaires.
Although the marked tendency of the White House is to do what the Republicans desire, the Obama Administration threatens to do the right and righteous thing instead . . .: White House Threatens To Veto Key Legislation Over Union Busting Provision
Amen, Thom, Amen
The demise can't come fast enough. We still haven't recovered from the Damage that Bush did. Someone needs to set up suggestions for 2012 President.
1) Improved the budget situations by raising revunues
2) Improved the manufactoring base of the United States
3) Institute Fair Trade, raise the tarriff barriers as needed
4) make sure everyone American has access to safety social net, so all people can achieve their full potential
5) End the Bush Wars
6) Reserve Citizens United
7) Reform election funding - move it to public funding.
8) Protect Social Security, Medicare, and Health Care reform
Perhaps folk should all realize that the United States of America in a member of the United Nations and a signatory of NATO . . . That means that we actually have a lawful reason to be involved in Libya.