Recent comments
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World
Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
If Ryan gets that deal passed the people of the state he hails from should initiate a recall. maybe they should now anyway. I and most Americans are fed up with both parties. Which is why i started the
American Peoples Liberty Party see our videos www.youtube.com/billyandtherockets
Hey THOM even though you say you are a Progressive Democrat would yoou like to be in our administration if this party wins the white house?
If this is the case as you describe Thom/Louise, and such a rule is approved we may as well just pack up any idea of a democratic U.S. government! There is no way that any one in these United States can agree to such a usurpation of such monumental power to any one congressman. That the republicant's could even propose such a process proves fully how deluded & truly megalomaniacal they are. Keep shouting the truth Thom!
I love Pete DeFazio! His blunt honesty is much like mine. He doesn't intend to be funny, but the tone of his voice, and the way he points out the folly in our politics with such candidness, makes me laugh out loud. Plus, he would know. It's hard to believe he's Roman Catholic.
Alan Grayson considers the political right to be intolerable. He called the Republicans 'a hopeless sellout party that will never do anything constructive for ordinary people in this country...I don't have to speculate about it anymore,' he said. 'I worked with them for two years.' But hanging over the interview was a lingering frustration with the Democratic Party. He bemoaned what he said was President Obama's reversal on a campaign pledge to let the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy expire. 'I try to keep my promises,' he said, adding that Mr. Obama's evolving views on the matter 'will not help his credibility.'
American Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is America’s national symbol. Part of the Bald Eagle’s nature is thievery. I will also say that thievery is part of America and of an American’s nature. Yes, stealing from other countries and people is embedded in the American psyche.
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2011/01/02/predictions-2011/
Justin’s predictions for 2011
http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/unthinking-right165.html
The right suffers from excessive brain farts.
Lets start refering to republicans as " corporate republicans" lets brand them with that label. Its what frank lunce would do!
"Either we begin to practice a fierce moral autonomy and rise up in multiple acts of physical defiance that have no discernable short-term benefit, or we accept the inevitability of corporate slavery. The choice is that grim. The age of the practical is over." - Chris Hedges
‘The Left Has Nowhere to Go’ - by Chris Hedges - posted on 1/3/2011 http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/the_left_has_nowhere_to_go_20110102/
“The more outrageous the Republicans become, the weaker the left becomes.” “The more outrageous they become, the more the left has to accept the slightly less outrageous corporate Democrats.” - Ralph Nader
“The black swan question is whether something will erupt that is rare, extreme and unpredictable,” Nader said. “It is amazing that it hasn’t happened in any pockets of the country. How much more can the oppressed take before they revolt? And can they revolt without organizers? These are the two important questions. You have got to have organizers, and as of now we don’t.”
Flag is not backwards.
The Masonic conspiracy guy at the end of the last hour is wrong..... The flag on the right shoulder of a uniform with the star field in the upper right corner rather than the much more common upper left corner IS NOT BACKWARDS. When the military started putting US flags on both shoulders they realized that the left shoulder showed a flag flying in the wind towards the right but the left flag appeared to be flying against the wind. Too much starch perhaps. Thus they authorized placing a reversed flag sticker or patch on the right or on the right side of a vehicle so that when the soldier moved forward (because we know that American soldiers don't go backwards).
Re: Government mandated health care
It seems to me that it is pretty much the same as government mandated auto insurance, which also has a penalty levied for not having auto insurance.
The problem I have with "Obamacare" is that it does little to nothing to lower the cost of healthcare, and is instead a boon to the insurance companies.
‘The Left Has Nowhere to Go’ - by Chris Hedges - posted on 1/3/2011
http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/the_left_has_nowhere_to_go_20110102/
"Either we begin to practice a fierce moral autonomy and rise up in multiple acts of physical defiance that have no discernable short-term benefit, or we accept the inevitability of corporate slavery. The choice is that grim. The age of the practical is over." - Chris Hedges
“The more outrageous the Republicans become, the weaker the left becomes.” “The more outrageous they become, the more the left has to accept the slightly less outrageous corporate Democrats.” - Ralph Nader
“The black swan question is whether something will erupt that is rare, extreme and unpredictable,” Nader said. “It is amazing that it hasn’t happened in any pockets of the country. How much more can the oppressed take before they revolt? And can they revolt without organizers? These are the two important questions. You have got to have organizers, and as of now we don’t.”
Of course Vonnegut's Player Piano was another wonderful tome on the future of Post War life under corporate control, perhaps even more applicable. The worst thing you could be accused of was being a saboteur. I also like Stand On Zanzibar, another tale of government control, in which "Muckers" are people who for some strange reason are people who just go berzerk and start killing people around them... sound familiar?
N
Thom you were talking about Chris Hedges' Dec. 27th Column "2011: A Brave New Dystopia." Give credit where credit is due. It was not Truthout.org. It was Truthdig.com. Chris Hedges' columns should be discussed weekly.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/2011_a_brave_new_dystopia_20101227/
"We are moving from a society where we are skillfully manipulated by lies and illusions to one where we are overtly controlled." - Chris Hedges
Oh and don't forget Orwells' other classic... Animal Farm.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Now all people are equal, but artifical persons are more equal... thanks to the SCOTUS and Citizens United. Well and all the lead up foundations made by Railroad corporations starting back in the 19th Century.
N
Its a Brave New Facist World. Its a little of both.
Winston was the name of the protaganist in 1984.
N
Perhaps the reason President Obama supports Michael Vic it he wished to continue treating the middle class just like Vic treated dogs . . . http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/27/barack-obama-michael-vick-eagles_n_801476.html.
It seems that whether or not the Republican'ts are in power, the question is always what they want to do, or are going to do, and if the Democratic party is going to do anything to stop them or not. Frankly I'm not interested in what the Republican'ts want, I already know what they formulate and put forth is only for the fortunate few in the oligarchy. What the hell can the Democrats do, when can the do it, do they have a plan? As far as I can see, the Democratic Party still has the Senate and the Presidency, why are we fretting over the lunatics in the Republican Party? They will show all of America where they stand soon enough, and I look forward to it, for it I believe it will be a catalyst to swell progressive grass root movements.
N
RAVI BATRA! It's 2011 and it's time to hear what Dr. Batra foretells our future to be. I thought we'd be into our "New Golden Age" by now? What Gives? I’ve been saying for two years that the stock market will crash and people are starting to call me an alarmist. Wouldn’t it be prudent for people to start closing their 401k’s? Lastly, when will we OFFICIALLY be in a “Depression?” Where is our New Golden Age?
"When we cheer for WikiLeaks' demise, we are cheering for our own." - Paul Craig Roberts
Are we witnessing the demise of our freedoms and rights so that we will forever be enslaved under the American rich and American corporations?
I am deeply saddened by the behavior and atrocities of my country. Why is it a joy for Americans to see and to hear of our killing of God's children?
Why is it so difficult to practice the Golden Rule in our lives? Practicing the Golden Rule will bring us closer to a peaceful world.
Birds and animals bring joy to our lives. We have two bird baths on the railings of our porch. Watching the birds splash and bathe is uplifting to see. Any loss in the bird population is difficult to accept.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110102/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_dead_birds_arkansas
Here is the last sentence in the above article, "The Height of Hypocrisy."
Well Pakistan may be indulging in and carrying out its own atrocities. It pales in comparison to our own despicable behavior committed all over the world.
I think that any group that wants to do business in this country should pay taxes to it. I would go further and say that any business group that wants to support political candidates must do so only in the state or district where they are headquartered and not wherever they may sell their product and services. The quickest way to end our politically corrupt system is not to curtail the activity but to curtail its scope.
A corporation headquartered outside of the United States is a foreign enterprise and cannot be part of our system. A corporation not paying its share of taxes is like any other tax evader: a felon. Felons are not allowed to be part of the political system until they make amends for their behavior and pay the fines attached to their criminal activity.
We need to start using the right words for any and all political players. Tax evasion is much harsher than any other meme now used. Foreign enterprise would help more people understand than off-shore enterprise.
It will be Jon Huntsman (former Utah governor and President Obama's ambassador to China), not Mitt Romney. Ah ha! So that's why his father (a great businessman and philanthropist) appeared on The Yecch Beck show last week. And sure enough, today's news includes Jon's overt leanings to run for President, and, for the first time, criticism of the Administration. Hmmm. Mr. Romney must be fit to be tied over this. Jon will "know how to deal with China" and doesn't have the president's health-plan necklace around his neck! So, my fellow Americans, there you have it. Unless you want facism and corporate control of the Supreme Court, be afraid.
I am an American, live in America and own a company here. In the last two years I have interviewed 20 Americans and 20 foreigners for positions. I can honestly say that all of the Americans had lower work ethics (including the two I hired and fired) than most of the foreigners, the Americans had bad attitudes, they tended to want to preach Jesus or their philosophy in the workplace, and their skills were far less than that of foreigners, and the expectations of American employees are very high, American workers have a "sense of entitlement" that is not fair to the employer, and the worst thing of all is that I cannot instruct an American and be firm about it, or be firm in my directions - Americans get easily offended because Americans have been spoiled and have forgotten what "work ethic" and "chain of authority" mean in a business, whereas foreigners say "yes sir" and then do their job.
I spend most of my profits in my local American community, so what is the problem? I pay my taxes and I support Obama, so really, this kind of poll shows that Americans are generally clueless about how a business works and the meaning of "profit", as well as how to solve America's problems. I definitely know that Republicans are clueless, but when I see that progressives are also clueless then it does discourage me about the future of our country.
The best advice I can give is to stop complaining and get more education. I work 100 hours a week sometimes, and my $2 an hour employees overseas are happy to work for me, they have master's degrees, and they say "yes sir" which is something that I cannot seem to find among Americans.
Hiring foreign workers is good for making a profit and ultimately that productivity comes back to benefit all Americans when our businesses do well.