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I think Thom is really bringing up the central question of moral corruption. The ancient Greeks used to say that " if you walk with lame men you too will develope a limp". I am reminded of Hannah Arendts statement about Adolph Eichmann. In her description she used the term "banality of evil". Eichmann was not a natural born or spontaneous monster but rather a bureaucrat that accepted the behaviors the prevaled inside the iron cage of bureaucracy. He was slowly conditioned to participate in what most of us would consider crimes against humanity. He slowly parceled out what was left of his soul to be "something and be somebody" inside the bureacratic institution.
There are many bureacracies in America. Bureaucracy does not just exist in the government. There are also religious bureaucracies and corporate business bureaucracies. For example Mitt Romney belongs to the Morman church which has a huge hierarchical bureacracy and has massed the most physical wealth of any church on earth. The distinction between church and business is very unclear. Should we really be surprised that a person from this kind of social environment would help the Monsanto corporation glaze over its flawed public image which sent them on their way to be one of the most damaging entities on earth. Monsanto was essentially condemed for dealing in death (pesticides, dangerous chemicals etc) by got new "life" when Mitt's public relations outfit worked its miracle of propaganda.
There is an unsung hero that has written some very important works reguarding the social problems inherent in bureaucracy. His name is Ralph P. Hummel. In a nutshell he noted that depending on personality types, the bureaucratic organization tends to bring out the pathological tendencies of human behavior. This is what we have been witnessing recently. So rather than make this comment too much longer, I would recommend that readers find a copy of Ralphs book-The Bureaucratic Experience. Sociology may be a challanging read-but remember we probably have only about one generation of what we could call "normal" life left.
In closing I wanted to say that I heard Thom say that if one votes for an "outside" or "third" party that the vote is essentially wasted. I hope Thom rethinks what he said.
I will not vote for what people so often call the "least of two evils" when speaking of candidates. The lesson here is not to vote for any evil. Do not compromise your soul. Find the person that has not given up their soul to big money or hierarchical authority. Figure out a way to vote for them-even if its not conveniet or popular with you buddies-- always remember what Chris Hedges recently said- "I fight Fascists because they are fascists not because I think I'll win".
This generation rejects FDR's New Deal. For example, what came to be called AFDC was actually first included in FDR's Social Security Act, later separated to focus on services specific to impoverished families. We got rid of that, and have taken several steps to similarly "reform" Social Security, targeting the disabled. Even liberals seem to have been fine with this.
What left? If there were a left in the US, they would be shining a spotlight on our poverty crisis as proof of the significant shortcomings of our deregulated capitalism. We don't see that. Since at least the 1990s, liberals have maintained that our current system is so successful that everyone is able to work, there are jobs for all, therefore no need for poverty relief -- a repudiation of the former left.
The politician(s) who inserted that Monsanto-protecting paragraph into that legislation should be exposed and voted out of office this November!
Kend/ Kend's wife! : My solution has already been time tested for success in this country.....go back to the pre Reagan tax rates, increase unionization, and end free trade. That's my short answer.
You missed my point about the CEO. Continued concentration of wealth will both destroy our economy and country. As the vast majority becomes low income, who will be left to purchase homes and cars? Feudalism has already proved to be a dismal economic and social failure.
Please read The Grapes of Wrath and get back to me.
Selling candy to bollweevils was not cooperation. Get ready for much higher taxes on the rich. Regan's tax cuts (and especially Bush's) will be under attack.
I only hope whoever wins the Democratic nomination keeps it "under hat" so that it gets done as FDR did. Sneak up on you Robin Hood-in-reverse types, OU812.
Maybe we'll ressurect the middle class.
Raising the minimum wage is essential just to keep up with inflation. That's why I say raise it to 11 dollars or so WITH INDEXING. Otherwise we keep fighting this throughout the future. Not keeping up with inflation means you're constantly losing value so that you don't effectively have one at all.
Why do Republicans always want to cut the wages of the poorest of hard workers?
Seems kinda Anti-Christian to me.
Ignoring the bombastic commentary, let's just look at the facts. I did a study some years ago that found the average high tech worker (I just looked at that industry), produced over $100,000 in revenue per year for their employers, but were paid an average of $50,000. The extra $50K in revenue that they produced went to company owners in the form of profit. That's how capitalism works. The system is based on exploiting labor to make capitalist owners rich. Without a government of, by and for the people to regulate this system of exploitation, you get the income inequality that we have today. Social democratic governments in Europe provide a basic safety net for their most vulnerable citizens and invest in their people through free education and job training. In America, we are becoming a nation of wage slaves with no power to control our own destiny. Over half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. When government and business collude to exploit working people, you get fascism.
So long Hartmann, you've blocked my response for the last time. Just another example of a deminished Democrat establishment that long ago sold their soul for larger campaign contributions from the Right's wealthy supporters ! The American People continue to be the biggest losers because those who speak out are quickly thrown off the stage !
Cruz Resurrects
{… a series of rhyme-verses …}
I awaken from dreams benign,
from dreams of a pleasant kind, -
- then I hear on the news
about perps like Ted Cruz.
May his horoscope’s stars mis-align.
… …
What?
Saved from Trump by Ted?
To be ruined by Cruz instead?
Yikes!!
Both of the sides of the Republicans’ bread
are buttered by sludge which America should dread.
… …
Cruz’s resurrection
worsens the infection
which festers in this election.
=================================
In otherwords, "how can what worked in the fifties, sixties and seventies and produced the strongest middle class the world ever knew not work now?" What happened? Reagan came along, that's what happened. He unleashed the greed and irresponsiblity we see involved in our economy, and most of us remember who started it all, they are the same people that want to carry on the same failed economic policies that have turned America into a third world country.
I dont think so, but its not impossible either, everyone laughed at Reagan, and said he would never be president.
Having lived many years in Minnesota before Colorado, I follow Minnesota news. Here is a piece comparing Minnesota and neighbor Wisconsin. Business is booming in more liberal Minnesota, a state with a Democratic Governor Dayton and a divided by party legislature. (See: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/10/scott-walker-gets-schooled-by-his-neighbor.html) I remember well, growing up there, the effort of business and government to work together for the common good...business and cutlure together...yield quality life. Thank you for listening.
In Tanner's way of thinking anyone that's anti-slavery is anti-bisiness. In his way of thinking businesses should only pay their workers the bare minimum that they can get away with so the CEOs can take in maximum profits. Tanner's just trying to drum up business for the republican party, the party that cares nothing about the welfare of workers. and the party that puts more money in the hands of the already wealthy. He's blinded by the greed that will not let him see that when workers are doing well so are businesses. His theories don't hold water any better than a spagetti strainer.
Please! Look!
American is a fascist, corrupted political system
And, the uk Is in there with you
It will end in tears!
Of course the left isn't anti-business. Who wants to keep all of the illegal aliens in the country to supply business with cheap labor and keep wages supressed?
As many as he wants 10k. It's her or his money not yours. If the shareholders are stupid enough to allow that shame on them, it's their money. So should all students get the same grades? No more As or Fs just B to D. . Should actors make the same as the lighting guy? Athletes the same as the ball guy. The only way to wages up is demand. By taxing the shit out of guys like you will never get there. If you took all the money away from the whole 1% it wouldn't run the country for a year. You seriously want to take money from private business and give it to the government to spend and this is your solution. Government to pick wnners and losers instead of free enterprise. Please tell me 10k this isn't really what you think the solution is.
When I first became aware of the minimum wage, it was 90 cents per hour. Since then, it has gone up by, what, about 800%?? 800%!!! There shouldn't be a business left standing. And yet, here we are. Going to 15 dollars an hour is just playing catch up. Stifling raises for all those years has caught up with the elite who continue to try to manipulate the evolution of a growing economy to feed their greed. The rich, who have ignored trickle down economics for so many years, should get with the program. Show a little respect for Mr Trickle Down Regan.
The steep erosion in the value of minimum wage since the Reagan era is a well documented fact......it's not even arguable. This has added to the extreme concentration of wealth the Republican Party is so proud of.
In fact: "The United States has such an unequal distribution of wealth it's now in the league of corrupt underdeveloped countries, no longer in the league of the developed nations according to the latest edition of the world's most thorough study of wealth-distribution." Eric Zuesse Huffpost ....Suissee Global Wealth Data Book....and that was 2014!
How many cars and homes can one CEO purchase making 400 times more than his employees Kend? .......400????
Sweden with a well educated population of 10 million is quite a different
business environment than an unevenly educated US of 320 million.
Boosting wages in selected productive areas of the US is clear.
Mandating it for the whole country is not so clear.
Lets implement Bernie ideas state by state.
ct
Hate to bring this up, but the fates of the Declaration of Independance signers that Thom read from 'What Would Jefferson Do?" have largely been discredited--http://www.snopes.com/history/american/pricepaid.asp
However his point about showing up to vote because of the sacrifices of those who went before us certainly stands.
The left isn't anti-trade either, but we are anti-fascism.
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-fascistic-character-of-the-obamatrad...
As a business owner I can tell you personally it's true having a liberal government does hurt business. Just the uncertainty alone stunts business growth. In Canada I just had a massive change in both state and federal politics, both went far left, and in both cases it has been a disaster to business. My provincal (state) taxes went up 20%, my gas bill went up 14% because of a carbon tax. Min age went up 20%. The new taxes from the fed are not here yet. The scariest thing is I don't know what's next. I didn't budget for this. As a result, no new investment, we have implemented a wage and hiring freeze. Put off any new trucks, forklifts, furniture a total purchase freeze. Over 100,000 workers in a province lost their jobs in the private sector of a 4 million population and the government hired 8,000. Who in their right mind invests anything when stupid decisions are made like that.
What this lady is missing, among many, The Republicans have been hell bent on Obstruction of anything Obama presents before he presents it. A good example is when Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader, made the outrageous comment during Mr. Obama's first term in office: "my only goal is to see mr Obama is a one term President"
This is ignorance, obstruction, smacks of bigotry and a lost sense of his elected office. These misfits are running our country, or should I say trying to run our country and falling short.
Ou812
Well you should also remember that the Democratic Congress always showed a willingness to compromise with Ronald Reagan and the Republicans. This is something that the Republicans have not done for President Obama. There have been more filibusters during the Obama Presidency than during any other prior Presidency.
Frankly, I believe that the business problem in the US is at least in part due to the expansion of the huge business to the extent that small businesses can't compete. Example, when I was young in the 1960s and 1970s small retail businesses flourished in neighborhoods in cities, suburbs and in small towns. The large businesses and growth of the mega malls with stores like Gap, American Eagle, etc. have killed those small businesses due to an inability to compete (volume discounts etc.).
Does anyone know where I can find Phil Proctor's newsletter that Thom quoted from today about all the good things government does for us?