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I know what you mean about the privatization of the prison phone system, Thom. A friend of mine was jailed for a few weeks, and he TRIED to call me from the jail; the operator said I would have to pay $25.00 for 4 minutes of service! I hung up. When my friend got out, he told me he was calling to see if I could put some money on his FOOD account! That's right! Prisoners have to pay for thier food. They don't let prisoners go hungry, but the ones who can't 'pay as they go', end up with a, sometimes, large bill when they're released. And do I have to tell you what happens if they don't pay the bill in a timely fashion??? Yep, right back in prison!
Privatization should be a crime, but than so should a lot of things our corpratocracy does.
I too do not have a problem with a nativity scene per se; the issue is that it was ON CITY PROPERTY, and they would not allow icons/scenes for other religions to be displayed along with the nativity scene. Clearly the objective was to show support for ONE religion, implying that the CITY government supported only ONE religion.
Do you remember the incident a year or two back when a congress woman from Alabama or Louisiana (one of those southern states) had a virtual melt down when she learned that school vouchers were being used for Muslim and Jewish schools? Again, an attempt at government support for only one religion - Christianity.
The short answer is "yes". If Americans truly believe that the US is becoming "socialist" because of the actions by Obama, then there's obviously a disconnent somewhere. If they failed to react to the news last year that we were no longer a democratic republic , but an oligarchy (which many did), then the American Public simply doesn't grasp the basics (either that or they've bought the propaganda hook line and sinker from the corporate media or they are simply content to to play they vedio games and watch so-called "reality TV"). The powers that be are quite content for the public to remain oblivious to what's happening to them. The simple fact is, America is well on its way to becoming Fascist.
You said today that the mainstream press was pretty much ignoring the Republican budget and Senator Sanders. The following stories appeared on pages 4 and 6, respectively, of the front section of our local paper (San Jose Mercury News) today:
http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150505/NEWS/150509612/1994/NEWS
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/analysis/editorial-analysis-how-...
(The stories don't seem to be on the Merc's web page but the same Bloomberg and AP articles can be found in many other places. They're not perfect presentations but they do put the issues in front of the public.)
The truth to matter is "B". No one really thinks Obama is going to use a military drill as a pretext to take over Texas. Obama is too incompetent for something that complicated. Besides, who in their right mind would ever challenge Texas? However, this does go to demonstrate just how much the Right distrusts the Left and is prepared to go if threatened (like the cattle rancher awhile back).
The issue here is that there is a very serious and widespread distrust or downright hatred of the federal government, which is coming not just from the far Right, Tea Party, former middle class conservatives, the military, the Religious Right, or even the GOP. This is a distain which is coming from all of middle Amercia. At the same time, there is a near equal dislike of Washington from the poor, working poor (what's left of the liberals in the fomer middle class), Gen X, Gen Y, and at least the second wave of the babyboomers. Even minorities, which have been up to recently the backbone of Obama's base, are increasingly distrustful of Washington.
This is one reason--a key one---that so many have left both the GOP and the Democrats, thus making Indies the largest political "party" in America. All those in "fly over" country blame Washington, regardless of their supposed party. Most Americans are aware that we are an oligarchy; gone is our democratic republic, perhaps for good. I think we all know, regardless of whether we lean Right or Left, that we are hopelessly beyond the point of "reform". It's now time to decide how serious we are about taking the government out of the hands of corporations and returning the government to the people or simply accepting our new fascist Amercia.
The "left"? You mean the right. They're the ones that want an Aligarcy.
excellent piece Thom.
well said 4,6,10,11
Adam Curtis documentary "The Mayfair Set" and article "Financial Markets Now Control Everything"
Links to these I mentioned on your program today. Both are time well spent and very enlightening.
The Financial Markets Now Control Everything
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-29/financial-markets-now-control-everything
The Mayfair Set episode 1- Who Pays Wins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=234H8X1-JiA
JanPal, the NFL just voluntarily gave up its tax-exempt status.
Thom was asking why, if there are good cops, they don't testify against the bad cops. The answer is, the police have their own "don't be a snitch" meme in their culture, and it's just as detrimental as the one prevalent in high-crime neighborhoods.
I've seen on Facebook a graphic (the sort of thing people think is a meme) that says, "I'll believe in good cops when they start turning in the bad ones." I have to agree.
Discussion on Big Picture about unions - how come the nfl and the police unions weren't mentioned? Those folks seem well represented and happy with a union. I'd love to have a union represent me. I'm a contractor and have a rep but if there's an issue, she'd pick the company over me every day of the week. In AZ, the state isn't even on my side. If unions are a problem, maybe republicans should start with the nfl union to set a good example. While we're on it, the nfl moochers could pay taxes too :)
Alan, I think we as progressives in Brownbackistan should have biweekly support group meetings to cope with the emotional and psychology abuse inflicted by living amongst the Brownbackistanis. I personally feel in need of conversations with like-minded kansans for my mental health! I havent met any of the Republicans you reference. We observe daily the devastation inflicted by the new brand of "anti-government" politics which wants freedom from government only for corporations and the wealthy. The Koch Bros. now own all of Kansas and a substantial portion of the rest of the country.
I think the fear-mongering is going the way of religious doomsday predictions and ancient sacrificial practices. When the predicted Obama dictatorship, or any aspect thereof, fails to materialize, the Republicans will just say they managed to fight it off rather than admit that it was never going to happen in the first place.
I always say, if you think your kids aren't getting enough religion, complain about their church, not their school (or government). It's not the school's or government's job.
@ DHBranski; The American Left sold out to the Capitalist thirty years ago and progressive Democrats have became a permanent minority !
Excellent piece Thom ! As you mentioned, those who initially immigrated here from Britain, and Europe in general, had historical knowledge and quite possibly deceased family members who paid the ultimate price for many of the religious based crusades that left millions dead in Europe. Certainly those from Britain were quite familiar with the oppressive actions of the Church of England that strictly enforced church doctrine including mandatory church attendance. Unfortunately, the best that Jefferson and other secular members attending the convention to write the Constitution could do was to include a provision that no state sponsored religion shall exist. This was done to break through an impasse set up by the theists and sign the Constitution into existence, something that many felt had been intentionally delayed by Anglo factions for far too long ! Yet future efforts to slowly chip away at this provision have gone forward with all Religious groups being granted tax free status and, in the 1950s, a collection of subtle changes like mandatory prayer in public school, inclusion of the word GOD in the pledge of allegiance, and religious doctrine permanently etched on government buildings and printed on our currency ! All this was accomplished in an era of manufactured Cold War paranoia where various systems of economy such as Socialism and Communism were demonized as they sought to challenge the ongoing failures of Capitalism to equitably distribute the wealth of this country among the working population.
DHBranski: You cannot understand the left, of which I proudly identify, which is NOT a fan of the corporate state nor an enemy of poverty relief (that's the conservatives--the people from the right who are NOT right/correct)--you must get your info from the shadow corporate blow-hards of your own kind who are paid MILLIONS (Rush and his ilk) to MISLEAD you about what the left is about. It's propaganda and you fall for it hook-line-and-stinker. They divide US so THEY can conquer. Wake the hell up! We ALL basically want the SAME things: to have a job that pays living wages, to have a safe place to live, to have access to safe food....
How are these christian yo-yos any different from Isis or the taliban or any other "be like us or die" group? Were these people asleep in civics, social studies, history classes? America is a DEMOCRACY, not a theocracy, but is a hair's breadth from plutocracy.
Reply to #15: Hey Mark, maybe the American billionaires and the Chinese billionaires can duke it out 'til they all kill each other off, so the rest of us can live happily ever after.
I can dream, can't I?!
I'm having a hard enough time trying to figure out the American "left," which so strongly believes in the corporate state that they think everyone can work, there are jobs for all, therefore no need for poverty relief.
Now that's just silly. Can you imagine how profoundly it would change America if the government based policies on Christ's teachings? My gosh, just think of what Christ said about our duties to legitimately aid the poor and to turn away from war! Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That's downright unAmerican. We revere our rich, and despise our poor. How about "welcoming the stranger," forsaking arrogance/elitism, etc., etc.? No, there is no room for Christianity in a corporate state.
stecoop1 -- What would you consider real discussion? Wherever women are empowered the birthrate becomes negative. The world bank is enabling this process via micro-banks.
At least the population growth is now linear vice exponential. Of course, this condition indicates the end of the species.
stecoop01 ~ Although I agree about separation of church and state as well as the hateful arrogance of the councilwoman in question, I disagree about the inappropriateness of the nativity scene during Christmas; and, this is why. Regardless of it being based on a "superstitious fairy tale" it is still the reason we celebrate the holiday. Thanksgiving is about turkeys and pilgrims, Halloween is about spooks and pumpkins, the 4th of July is about flags and fireworks, and Christmas is about Jesus and the Nativity. (Henceforth the name "Christ" + "Mass")
Would you prefer a corporate sponsored stranger dressed in white beard and a fat red suit with elves and flying reindeer who caters to commercial materialistic wants and lets your kid sit on his lap and tell him his secrets; or, a story with some kind of non-sponsored, moralistic meaning? For that matter, bring in all the religious 'excuses' for the holiday and make room for everyone. People have drawn from religion and history, for eons, excuses to take time off and party and I personally support every one of those excuses. If you outlaw the excuse, you have to either cancel the holiday or make up some other excuse.
These holiday celebrations are healthy not harmful. No one complains about Halloween. I don't' see a bunch of children growing up wanting to be ghosts, monsters, and fairytale princesses. At that age, everything the kids do is just a game for fun.
We bull shit kids for entertainment and educational value traditionally for centuries. We tell them about three little pigs who built their own houses; an old lady who lived in a shoe; a little girl who inadvertently burglarized a house owned by bears; a story about a puppet that came to life; superheros who can fly; talking dinosaurs; invisible fairies that magically turn baby teeth into money while you sleep; etc, etc, etc... Now, were going to get our panties all ruffled over a nativity scene on school property during Christmas. Seriously???
This is a free country. If you don't want your kid to celebrate Christmas just don't buy a tree or give them any presents. If you are going to take advantage of the opportunity you might as well acknowledge the legend that it is based on, whether or not you like it, approve of it, or believe it. If you really believe it's just a fairytale, well guess what, it's just one of many. Nobody is holding a gun to your kids head to pray to anything. It's just a prop for a holiday story. To them it's just a fun game with little meaning beyond what they are going to get under the tree. No harm done!
The real problem with these religious fanatics--where real harm really is done--is when they try to blatantly violate the Constitution by influencing lawmakers to pass laws that favor their beliefs instead of the public good. Let's stick with attacking that and leave the benign traditions for the children's enjoyment intact. Hell, at that age, that is all they have to look forward to.
ronaldluck -- Could you add a few more words? What do some take as a tradition?
gmanz -- The democrats are in no way like the republicans. Every democrat voted for "card check". Every repug voted against it. Labor unions have provided the best economy for the working class citizens of this nation in the history of the world.