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Bernie Sanders did a great job of answering excellent questions from Thom’s callers. I have been listening to Thom for about four years. Thom has had great radio shows in those four years but this week was Thom’s greatest week. He focused on tax loans for the American rich and he defended social security and the program’s solvency. Obama’s problem is that he is a corporatist and an elitist.
If you listen carefully to Thom, he is trying very hard to maintain an upper stiff lip about America’s future. His comments on taxes and social security have been great. These comments are truly great. The problem is that the United States of Mortal Sin does not have a future. Here is my reason – the American psyche is totally embedded with hatred, corruption, and lies. This psyche will NEVER diminish. It is an everlasting psyche.
Thom reminds me of a drowning person. It is said that a drowning person will surface three times before he drowns. Thom is currently between his second and third surfacing but he will eventually surface a third time and drown. Thom’s voice will be lost. He seems to be losing some of his beliefs in America’s future and that Obama will be re-elected in 2012. What Thom won’t say but I will say it. The United States is damned and doomed. Ninety percent of our citizens will be enslaved to ten percent of the American population.
Please remember these words from time to time. “WHAT WE HAVE IN JESUS IS AN AMAZING FRIEND!!!” Please, let us never forget that Jesus is truly an amazing friend.
It is always better when we are together!
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/11/12/amazing-rescued-baby-hummingbird.aspx
If GM is "Government Motors" as the "TEABAGGERS" like to call it: considering that GM is now making huge profits, doesn't this prove that the government actually can run a business better than the corporation that took GM into bankruptcy.
And if Jon Stewart thinks that calling George Bush a "war criminal" cuts off the debate; I've got news for him. Republican Debate is an oxymoron. They ended the debate 30 years ago. You cannot debate with a party that refuses to acknowledge facts and creates their own definitions.
@rladlof, in answer to your questions in comment #13....
They're offshore.
N
Thom, why are you doing the Republicans' work for them?
You started off the show noting that two NPR "reporters", on two different NPR shows this AM, in their interviews, repeated the egregiously false lying Frank Luntz talking point that supposedly "most Americans are concerned" about whether "all Americans" will get their tax cuts extended. Yet you stated explicitly WOULDN'T NAME THE SHOWS. Well, Sweet Jeebus, why the $#@%! not??? What ethics rules would it violate? What would be wrong with it? Seriously. All that mentioning the show's names on-air would do would be to EMPOWER YOUR LISTENERS to visit the NPR website and hear for ourselves... and then get in NPR's face and COMPLAIN the way the reichwingers do whenever something goes up they don't like. Instead you decided to remain silent and disempower your listeners. Why? Why are you doing the Republicans' work for them?
If deficit-enhancements/welfare-for-the-wealthy work . . . Where are the farging jobs?
The moneyed interests have had happy-ending hand-outs for eight years or so now . . . Where are the farging jobs?
If the wealthy hire folk when they have more money . . . Where are the farging jobs?
Come now rladlof, what choice did the American people have in doing this to themselves. What was the other choice, Clinton, she wouldn't have been much (if any) different in policy. Do we ever get to chose worthy candidates for President? Heck even FDR was a mistake by corporate America, they expected him to act in their favor.
I just can't agree with the statement that its our fault that we chose this, when there was never any choice to begin with. Its like saying I decided to wear gray slacks instead of blue slacks to work today, as though that is some major decision, its not like I'll consider if I should wear blue jeans, shorts, speedos or slacks. The powers that be don't allow me those types of decisions at work, or in the voting box.
I understand your frustration with the DLC, and share it, truely I do, but blaming the victims isn't resolving anything. Somehow, someway changing the underlying functionality of our political system needs to be done, otherwise we will continually be given the choice of a 'Giant Douche' or a 'Turd Sandwhich', sponsored by 'Johnson & Johnson' and 'McDonalds' respectively.
N
The derivitive traders add nothing but price.They are parasites,who kill,and cause suffering .They trade in our necessities.No government will take them on.There are no regulations, it's the only economic sector like this,the Wild West of investments,low or no taxes too.TARP money is flooding into it, causing food fuel and other prices way up.
We got in on the end of Thom speaking of a U.S. government offical telling a foreign offical his intent tod get rid of President Obama. Who was the official? Thanks
A great comment on the Bush comic book: "I'll read it after he reads it."
My senator, George Voinivich, who is retiring at the end of the year is recommending a 25 cent increase in the gasoline tax. How about suspending tax subsidies to oil companies? Either way the price of of gasoline will go up, but at least the taxes I currently pay can be used for something more worthwhile like alternative energy.
It seems that Hillary Clinton was correct when she posited that Obama had to offer only a speech he gave in 2002.
NO!!!! President Obama is and always has been a wishy-washy, mediocre, just-right-of-the-center-of-the-road, pro-corporatist/proto-capitalist. His Senate voting record amply pointed this out and America failed to realistically consider the documented facts about him.
WE did this to ourselves.
I heard that the reason longevity is increasing is because of the decreasing death rate of children which boosts the whole population longevity rate.
So where do we focus our efforts to take back our country from corporate domination? Where are they week, where can we stick the lever to pry them out of their position? When are these questions going to be asked, let alone answered on a national scale?
N
Rants of an average middle class American.
I, like most middle class Americans, want to throw out the incumbent. I want to throw out the incumbent economic system. It’s time to throw out Supply Side Economics and return to Demand Side (Keynesian) Economics. Let’s compare the two economic systems. This is best done in terms the average American is familiar with. Let’s start with “trickle down”.
With Supply Side Economics taxes are cut largely for the wealthiest Americans. The theory is the wealthiest Americans will do things that will trickle down this wealth back through the economy to the rest of us. But what actually happens? If you give the wealthy more money they don’t spend it, THEY KEEP IT!!! There’s a surprise, that’s why they’re wealthy.
Now trickle down in Demand Side Economics. In Demand Side Economics the majority of taxes are paid those who can most afford it. The Government takes this wealth and they trickle down the money to middle class. When the government gets money they don’t keep it, THEY SPEND IT!!!
Let’s compare the last thirty years of Supply Side Economics with the thirty plus years of Demand Side Economics from 1946 to the start of Reaganomics.
During the thirty years of Demand Side Economics we grew the largest most successful middle class the world has ever seen. Good paying private sector jobs wore created. Our bridges, roads and dams were as good as any in the world. Family incomes grew virtually at the same rate in all sections of the population. It was a truly American system, equal economic opportunity for everyone.
After thirty years of trickle down economics the middle class is shrinking. Job creation is anemic and the jobs that are created are mostly lower paying jobs. Bridges, roads and dams are falling apart. Our airports and railways are outdated. The average workers pay has stayed flat while CEO pay has increased 300%. There has been a 3 trillion dollar redistribution of wealth from the middle class to wealthiest Americans. Where’s the trickle?
Demand Side Economics benefits everyone. Government Trickle Down, when done well, results in creation of more-skilled workers and more small businesses. In the 50’s hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs were created by the government investment in Eisenhower's Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. In the 60’s millions of great private sector jobs resulted from the government investment in John F. Kennedy’s Apollo Space Program. This nation lived off the technological and scientific advancements of the Apollo program investment for more than 20 years.
With Demand Side Economics, Government Trickle Down spending can be sent where each dollar will have a high impact on moving America forward. Things like infrastructure, R&D and Education. In contrast, it is hard to see how Supply Side Trickle Down Economics sends the money anywhere. It simply makes the rich richer.
It makes me crazy when Democrats propose letting the Bush tax cuts expire for wealthiest Americans and the Republicans respond that the Democrats are engaging in class warfare and redistribution of wealth. Supply Side Economics is class warfare and over 3 trillion dollars of wealth has already been redistributed. Where’s the outrage with Republican class warfare on the middle class and a massive redistribution of wealth to the richest Americans. It’s time to end class warfare and redistribution of wealth by returning to Demand Side Economics
Demand Side Economics taxes those who can most afford it and invests in America. It gives everybody an equal economic opportunity at the American dream. No matter what the arguments are against returning to demand side economics one thing is for sure. America was better in every way economically before Trickle Down. It’s time to “Restore Sanity” to the U.S. economy.
Chip Travis
Thom, your use of the pause is very competent.
Just checking in ... anyone there?
I'm shocked that the Obama administration is preparing to cave into everything the con's want, and masking their actions as compromise.
Make no mistake, I'm shocked, not surprised that Obama is doing this though. You would think he would at least wait until the lame duck portion of this congress is over before talking about capitulation. Yet once again Obama is acting deluded and noble, conciliatory prior to walking onto the political battleground. What shocks me is that obviously he thinks he's representing the left, and that his base shares this belief. It shocks me that he's that out of touch.
N
Internet Freedom
In the game of Texas two step they will want us hopping wherever they point, which will be immigration (riles the fearful), DADT (riles the hateful), taxes (easy to manipulate that word) -- they will NOT want us to look over our shoulder as Internet Freedom disappears. Those seeking absolute control are absolutely aware that control of internet speeds is control of the people. If they can lock down the internet, the coup is complete.
Support Bernie in his work to prevent this immediately.
@Show Personnel,
Its almost 10:00am (Pacific Time), Friday the 12th, and the daily blog for today is still not up (that's why I'm making this comment here). What's going on with the daily blog, its becoming the norm that its not up until the last hour of the show? Any plans to recify this in the near future?
N
May it be agreed that we all contact Attorney General Holder's office:
By Mail
Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
By Phone
Office of the Attorney General Public Comment Line - 202-353-1555
I grow as much of my own as possible. This year, I'm trying some winter wheat. It may not be much, but every home grown side dish is less money to Archer Daniels Midland and
Beatrice, not to mention a smaller carbon footprint. If I could only get away with plowing under my lawn and growing grain in my entire yard....
Thom:
I know the phrase "A rising tide lifts all boats" may or may not apply to this policy of the so-called free trade agreements w/other countries. If it is "fair trade" then we will kick any countries ass! The good thing is we need more allies, i.e., India, Indonesia, etc, to counter China and Obama really showed he had cahonas when he blasted the Chinese on their unfair trade policy- he really surprised me! The real problem is the environment. Without a planet to make goods and sell them nothing else matters. I believe this planet is worn out and there is no time left to squabble about anything else. We need to continue to make this our no. #1 priority and not stop until we get the planet headed back in the right direction (if there is time). Of all people you know that! Sadly though It may be too late.
Sincerely:
Robert Fields
Clayton, Ga
No problem here....as I've invested in companies (stock market) who's main commodity is food. And oh yea, let not forget those companies who produce toilet paper too......The 2 basic needs of mankind..... As I now can easily affored whatever.. Thus, as the price of food goes up & up..so does the industry's Co's stocks...it's a no brainer
Shopping at farmers markets, planting a garden, and avoiding the factory farm products (corn, beef, chicken, non-organic soy products) can give you a bit of a hedge on a speculative food bubble...