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The first Federal Bankruptcy law was passed in 1800 as a bailout to Robert Morris, who had been part of a massive swindle in New York State which had basically defrauded patriotic American militia and Continental Soldiers of land promised them and then tried to sell it at a profit -- generating a real estate bubble which collapsed and sent him to debtors prison. The first sources I read said that he was let out of jail because of that law. Now I'm reading another one that says he died in prison in 1806. He was a scoundrel and belonged in prison for his crimes, although he also was a signer of the declaration of independence and created a giant pirate navy that fought off the British (for profit of course). The more I read about Robert Morris, Govourneur Morris, and the other scoundrels and patriots of that time the less I'm convinced that either our Constitution or our form of government are sacred documents that might not stand some tweeking.
http://wordnuggets.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/debtors-prison-robert-morris/
We Don't live in a democracy! This talk by Derrick Jensen is my favorite thus far. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2demCZHco_0&feature=related
You still believe we live in a democracy. We do not. Direct Action is needed.
There are two kinds of people. The one's who do something about it, and the ones who don't.
To Summarize what is written in my many posts above:
With about an equal number of Republican and Democrat presidents. Democrat Presidents have stared more wars than Republican Presidents (Democrats 7, Republicans 2)
Unions are not the cause of America 's demise. How are things going now for you? Here check out this artical =Interesting== http://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinions/x13292164/COLUMN-American-workers-got-what-they-deserved
Funny. They sent out the wrong blog yesterday. Now we have Global food scare from this nuclear power plant sin Japan . They are saying levels of radioactive indine in seawater just offshore is more than 1,250 times higher than normal. radioactive meterials can kill the salt in the oceans. Ocean could die...The bill for this is yet to be paid......
Thom is doing great job. Repeating his show some what , helps people to understand better and to soak in the facts.Thom explans things very well, and well rounded too, And sometimes I think thom himself is shocked and has a hard time taking it all in. Derick Jensen is saying stuff that most of us already know. The point is to get the information out there so everyone can pick up on it and understand so we can work from there and not be divided. Changes are moving so fast time is needed for people to process this kind of information and balance it out. The divid makes it so hard for many to weed out what's possible. Good job Thom. One candle lights another and another. What is a country that does not follow its own laws? Thom great job for, Just think about it , The box ( TV ) And books have another place. Books Can be much more intense. We don't need to frighten people away saying, whats he talking about he nuts. " Slowly I turn step by step. ANYWAY~ One thing that needs to be done. We need to reverse NAFTA. NAFTA is a nightmare. With NAFTA Our Living standard will continue its way down ward and the American family will continue to suffer in one way or another.. Raise the tax on the super rich! Share the wealth.. Get down here and work with real people who know what love is. Also Now ~ Shut down all nukes!
Put the Greedy people in Jail
I should first start by saying that I have been listening to Thom,'s show, religiously, since he took over for Al Franken. I am what you call a "Heavy Listener." I rarely miss a show. BUT, lately the show has become stale and redundant. I don't know the catalyst, but I'd venture a guess that Thom isn't able to do the TV & radio shows, and write books, with any consistency. As such, the radio show is suffering terribly. I'm loosing interest, and I haven't been listening much lately because I'm sick and tired of hearing Thom "push back against the right."
Bottom line is Thom's show is only as good as his guests, and his guests are right wingers or corporate toadies. I'm no longer learning anything new by listening. I love John Nichols, but that's it. The few minutes with John Nichols is the most progressive discussion I hear all show, and it's not enough.
I kindly request that you return to having Dr. Ravi Batra on for the full third hour, like you used to do with some regularity.
I would most like to hear Thom challenge his own beliefs against those who are smarter than him, (ie Chris Hedges and Noam Chomsky) rather than always challenging the right wing, whom we already know to be wrong.
Derick Jensen would be an excellent guest to have on for an hour long discussion.
Please listen to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyxvts2dQ0s&feature=related
Chris Hedges, Richard Wolff, Robert Scheer, James K. Galbraith, Peter W. Galbraith, Bill Moyers, Juan Cole, Noam Chomsky, etc, would all be people to have on frequently and/or regularly.
You're starting to sound like you're "Suckling on The Power Teet." And I'm worried for you.
Push Left!,
Making Progress
I knew you's be pulling a Clinton! I won't respond - I'll let the readers figure this one one out by themselves!
This one should be an easy one of them! Have a good day sir - and there is no nuance!
The baby boom generation is FINALLY realizeing Ronald Reagan was a F-in idiot and the republican machine that created and brainwashed us into loving the right and hating the left for the last 30 years was corporate right wing anti-american selfish propoganda horse-sh*t. Now its time to riot Wisconsin style and kicks some ass folks... I mean whats the alternative ???? LET'S GO KICK THEIR BLANKITY BLANKING BANKING ASSES !!
I'd like to chime in here. We must also keep in mind that the prison-industrial complex has blossomed and will continue to do so for as long as we allow. In CA where I currently reside, the news is that spending on prisons vs. education favors the former. Reasonable people disagree as to what the exact percentages are, but no matter.
The point is that there are those who would prefer to see prison populations rise; those people view the people living in this country not as citizens or human beings, but as a commodity with a correlative profit margin.These powerful people are going to continue to flex their economic and political muscle until somebody figures out a strategy for defeating them. I don't have a good answer.
Some ideas:
1. Ensure that those selected to enforce regulations are committed to justice at all costs. This includes especially those in the DOJ and SEC, the US Attorneys, and local prosecutors. Only when they have the guts to fight the monsters will we begin to get anywhere.
2. Use whatever tools we have as a People to punish our elected officials, such as recalls, impeachments, ethics and/or rules violations, etc. For example, many of them are attorneys and have taken professional oaths and can and should suffer the consequences of breaking those oaths. Perfect cases in point are Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas who refused to recuse themselves when it was clear that they should have, and both Clintons and any number of misdeeds committed.
3. Boycotts, uprisings, sit-ins, non-violent protests, marches, gatherings, educate-a-neighbor activities and the like can at least help us move in the right direction. But it's gonna take MILLIONS of us all together at one time. It won't be easy and not everybody will be on the same page politically, ideologically, religiously, or socially, but we'll have to set that stuff aside and come together against a common enemy in the form of plutocrats.
This stuff is just off the top of my head so feel free to jump in and support/challenge these ideas.
I also just now went and checked which Senators voted for the bailout on 10/1/2008. I don't know why I had not previously checked, but the lions share of the blame falls on Democrats: 40 'yea' votes compared to the Republican's 33 votes.
I was hopeful at the beginning of Obama's tenure. Now I occasionally find myself wishing he WOULD be impeached for any number of reasons.
When are we going to get together and march en masse on Wall Street? How many millions do we need and what is the date?
@Patricial76:
Very interesting! I checked out all those links and thank you for posting them. I knew that our prison/legal system was corrupt and had heard vaguely about how some rich people were benefitting monetarily through the prison bond system but never really understood it as I do now. It is rather complicated but then that's how they keep most of us in the dark about such things. Derivatives, tranches, slicing and dicing, repackaging, etc.
I recently had a problem with incorrect bank charges that mysteriously appeared on my bank statement...one of which, after I looked it up on the internet, realized it had something do do with a company that charges prisoners, or their families, overblown prices for phone calls that they either made or received from the outside. I have never been in prison, or jail, and don't know anyone who was, or is. And so I never made any calls to someone in prison nor received any from anyone who is. So, I was really mystified. The bank finally straightened it out after I went to them and requested an investigation. But it took a month. They credited my account for the amount that had been erroneously debited. That's why you should always check your bank statements. Debits can mysteriously show up that never was caused by POS or ATM or writing checks...or normal bank fees. I often wonder if these corporations, maybe even in collusion with the banks, are making these debits hoping you never notice. This happens with phone bills a lot as well.
Miss dnarnadem:
I'm typing this real slow hoping you can understand what nuance is. If I make a statement such as "People are Black." That statement is considerably different than "All people are Black". Do you get it? Or do you just want to argue?
You are a fool. I DENIED WRITING ALL DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS ARE WAR MONGERS. Which is what you stated I said. Go back and finish high school.
"Are Good Men in charge when eighteen year old young ladies are pole dancing their way through college..."
Did you see where a christain minister was having a "Pole Dancing Class For Christ" class for young women in his congregation??
If this can be done by fundamentalist ministers and approved by his congregation, anything is possible!!!
And you should be emabarrassed! If you don't even remember what you YOURSELF STATED or wrote, how is anyone to believe ANY of your statements you wrote maybe hours previously!!!
Hobby, I don't see anywhere in my writing that indicates I blindly follow the Democrats. Bernie Sanders is an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats. It is the philosophy I am trying to convey to you. Look at the Tea Party. In twenty years, they are going to be a blip on the screen of history.The average citizen today never heard of the "Bull Moose" party. Think Ross Perot. Think John Anderson. Here is an analogy: You don't like your car. It's not trustworthy and you keep putting money in it and not getting the dependability you want. Your solution is to build a new car from scratch. It can be done, but requires a huge number of talented people and resources. After all that, you still might not get the car you want. Wouldn't it be better to work from within and rebuild what you have to your specifications? In the Democrats you have a good foundation. Sherrod Brown, Russ Feingold, Anthony Weiner, Al Franken, Nancy Pelosi, and scores of others. That is a great foundation to begin with. If you want to start a third party, who would you begin with that have better credentials than the above? One major thing you have to consider. Real lefties are really only about 20% of the population. You need another 31% or 40% in the Senate to get programs through Congress . Even if you can build an ultra left coalition, it would be impossible to get a 50%~60% plurality. I don't know how old you are or where you are from. I'm an old Vietnam Vet and have been around a long time. If you don't like my advice now, print it out and save it. Bring it out twenty years from now and see where we are as a country. BTW: I'm sorry, your grammar and spelling make your writings difficult to read. Maybe you can type in a word processor and paste it in here.
bicyclingjroad Democrats are war
Democrats are war Mongers.
YOUR WORDS NOT MINE!!! Can't believe you don't even know what you wrote!!! Especially
when all you have to do is SCROLL UP!!!!!
Thom and all....you guys are so far "out there" with regard to a Republican/rich/white/male/anti-labor/anti-imigrant conspiracy theory...It's ridiculous! I am registered republican, (and yes, I pay more in taxes as a dollar amount AND more as a percentage than most, and I contribute to charities more than most, and I volunteer time to my community more than most), but I believe in a moderate application of philospohies that are BOTH conservative and liberal. That said, there are a LOT of people llike me...that are Republic and Democrat, that don't buy into this deamonizing mentality of EITHER side. Enough! And enough of "lumping" your generalizations on Republicans! If you are really truly committed to fixing this country, you have got to come to reality that the majority of the US population does NOT believe in your far left tactics and agenda (just like they don't believe in the far right). Get to the table, put down the rhetoric, and work on civil discourse that will move EVERYONE to the middle. It's just ridiculous....
We can start with Dick Cheney,he can be turned over to whover it is in the UN who tries people for war crimes,then the Koch brothers,the CEOS of bank of America, Chase, and Goldman Sachs,we can also arrest all the CEOs or former CEOS, of companies like Mansanto,as well as the Supreme court judges who ruled in favor of all these corporations ranging from Citzens United to giving mansanto the right to patent a living thing,oh ya, lets not forget the CEOs of AIG as well.
Start with the supreme court justices who conspired to make corporations people... "people" who can influence every election and every thought that the dumbed down populace of our nation eats up like apple pie... a la mode of course. "People" that don't pay any income tax I might add...
then I'd jail most of the previous administration for treason (see Valerie Plame), removing habeaus corpus, shielding possible terrorists (flying royal family arabs out of country following 9/11) and for fiscal irresponsibility and misuse of public funds... (see mortgaging america to pay for two wars)..
the banksters for obvious reasons and finally...
Every Moron who voted for George Bush and his band of racketeers...
Speculating ~ One has to wonder about all these going on's today ? Could it be some sort of distraction of bigger things to come? Can we see the signs? Is it going to be a full blown war in middle East? " This could Become Catastrophe? Keep an eye on animal behavior. Remember Jericho, The trumpets" Low hertz frequencies waves used. Is this possible today? Do we have this kind of advace technology today to bring about pin point earthquakes. Perhaps we always had this kind of technology. The Universe Billons of years old. Is there a unknown part of us that travels from place to place or planet to planet. Has this kind of technoly been around perhaps for billions of years? Perhaps thats why the Military deny other crafts out side of earth? Are we kept in the dark about this kind of technology.. If the middle east eventually become a all out war will add to the pollution nuclear waste, earthquakes wealther control planned earthquakes perhaps, Eruptions using a continued pressure of low hertz frquencies? around the world. (Technology?) New kinds of wars. So, What's going on? Are our leaders just going nuts? Do they have a end plan with all this nonsense? Do away with people ! What does it all mean? We can stop this if we want to ! Shut all nukes down!
We're talking about the war of the aristocracy against the peasants, aren't we?
It was amazing to watch the gathering of municipal mayors, including NYC's Bloomberg, around Charlie Rose's table. They agreed that they can't raise taxes because the largest part of tax income is paid by a small number of individuals who could move away and decimate their tax base.
While the tax bases are local (municipal or state) wealthy corporations or individuals can threaten to leave to go where the "costs of doing business" are more favorable. With Federal taxes, the choice to flee will be to Haiti or Somalia for these crooks.
After all, here they are complaining and moaning about paying the biggest share of taxes, but they've spent their campaign contributions (and bribes) to keep wage rates down so low that the rest of us don't earn enough to pay much into the taxes. The stinkin' rich want it both ways.
My real fear is that most of the folks with inherited wealth depend totally on financial advisers who are in the shoes of C. Dicken's character in David Copperfield, Uriah Heep. They are terrifying their clientele into paying them huge fees for mediocre management skills and for advice that is designed to keep them in line. Note that Buffet is not so naive about who pays the taxes and who can pay, neither is Bill Gates nor his daddy.
Jail the exploitative fund managers. (remember the punks who designed and carried out the ENRON mess?)
Thom stated in Hour 1 of Thursday's (3/24/11) show that if the Federal Governement (we) were to pay off all mortgages in America, it would amount to $1.2 Trillion which is less than the almost $9 Trillion we paid to the banks. Where can I get proof of this so I can ram this info up my local conservative radio station ass? This radio station is constantlty accusing the poor for the reasons why the housing market and our economy tanked over the last couple of years.