Someone just called into the Ed Schultz radio show a minute ago with that idea – and I was blown away with how much it would mean to U.S. based workers. It would be a party that is about pushing for fair wages, protected labor rights, health care, and all about rebuilding the middle class. The Democratic Party sold out to corporations, along with the Republican Party. Both parties allowed workers to be steamrolled by corporations.
With the passage of the unlawful gift given to corporations to fund any pro-corporate candidate they want (which will further drive down wages, jobs and living standards), the left will need to push unions to fight fire with fire. They have been deemed the same right as corporations to fund candidates with unlimited amounts of cash. We need to be doing some serious push-back in our country – against the powers that be.
Pushing back is exactly what the Fox News created, corporate-owned astro-turfers over at the Tea Party have been doing – and have made fools of themselves by showing off their racist, hatred, pro-violent agenda. They are nothing less than offensive – and the corporate-owned media has given them nothing less than the royal carpet treatment in showing off their disdain for health care and public services.
It’s time to fight back by creating a third part on the left. It’s not enough to have the Green Party today. It needs to be about more than the environment right now. It needs to be about protecting the middle class – and rebuilding it. Rebuilding the middle class will rebuild our country. Trickle-down economics destroyed the middle class, by exporting jobs and rewarding the rich by taking away from the poor. The Reaganomics proponents have argued that helping the rich helps the poor – by allowing money to flow downward. The truth, as has been proven over the past 40-years, is that it doesn’t flow downward – it flows sideways – by flowing to other countries, bleeding jobs and the economy dry of its once wealthy middle class.
The truth is, that’s exactly what the neocons WANT – to see very few with an excessive amount of capital. In other words, they want to see a return to a monarch-like class system – where you are literally born into wealth, and only those with the proper bloodlines (i.e. white), can have a chance at fighting for what might be left to gain from.
We are well on our way to becoming such a nation. And the Republicans are only interested in “playing the system” in order to make wealth happen – instead of “playing by the rules” (which they deem is “only for pussies”). There needs to be a stronger fight for the middle class. The Democrats are too disconnected, even though their intentions are still more honorable than those on the right. It’s simply not enough.
So, let me get this straight. It’s not the fact that there are no jobs out there. It’s that I’m somehow not motivated enough because I’m being coddled and spoiled with my incredibly generous unemployment benefits package. Unemployment benefits only pay about 20-50% of what you were making in your last job – which is barely enough to cover rent or mortgage payments, alone. And of course, there’s the cost of gas and food. I am somehow living high on the hog? Even when I’m collecting unemployment benefits??? So they’re saying I’m a “welfare queen” now??
Wow.
I used to make a couple of grand per paycheck. Now it’s 200 a week. Oooooh, ya got me there….I’m sooo livin’ it up on my big fat weekly check!!
I can always…ALWAYS…count on Republicans to come up with the biggest doozies to offend the thinking-class in this country.
Another favorite past talking point was “if you help the homeless and the poor, you’re helping to keep pan handlers, drug dealers and scam artists in business – they’ll never learn how to make a living on their own”. As if being homeless and poor wasn’t bad enough – you have to worry about being labeled a “scam artist” when you ask for help.
And, I especially love hearing them say “I don’t want my tax dollars going toward some bum who is gonna buy drugs with my money”.
So they’re totally fine with paying for wars based on lies and massive fraud and abuse by military contractors. But helping the poor? That just makes their blood boil with rage.
I really hate saying this, but…Republicans have ice water running in their veins. That’s all there is to it. How can these people be so g-damned mean and evil when they are asked to help others? And then they are so blissfully happy when they are told about people across the globe dying from our bombs and military strikes? Especially when it was all based on lies? Why on earth is that sooo okay with them??
They talk about post-9/11 moments as if they were golden and beautiful. The only thing honestly beautiful that I can remember about it, which only lasted a month or so, was how everyone was united as a nation and as a global entity. Color and gender, nationality and language, race, stature, class, etc – none of that mattered. Everyone had their flags flying.
However, during that time – and ever since then – it’s been nothing but a paranoid freaky fear festival among Republicans — and we have all suffered ever since. It’s all about keeping people divided – and making sure no one trusts “the other” among us.
Republicans don’t love “unity” when it comes down to who we are as a nation or global force — they only love it when people are united against “the other”. When people are pitted against eachother, treated as if they must view eachother with suspicion and fear, it brings out the worst in all of us.
Republicans don’t want us united – they want us divided. Their motto really is “divide and conquer” – not “united we fall”.
So, going back to my original point…
Instead of helping eachother out, it’s all about fearing the poor, the foreigner, the unfamiliar cultures and lifestyles.
Being unemployed sucks. But I guess that’s not what they want to believe or try to understand. They want to view 10-20% of the country as “the other” – and still call themselves “compassionate conservatives” at the same time.
Oh, and one more thing…
If you’re wondering about why conservatives are all for giving tons of money to foreign countries. They’re not doing it out of love or compassion. They are doing for the exact same reasons a loan shark would do it: to kick you down when you can’t pay it back. Republicans and crisis are like insurance agents turned ambulance chasers. They want you to call them the hero – but you realize they are the bad guy when they demand 30% interest on that 90-day million dollar loan. Read “Confessions of an Econonmic Hitman” if you don’t believe this. If you’d like to read excerpts of the book, read it here. Here’s a Wikipedia summary on it.
Oh, and one more thing. The most frightening thing to a Republican is an educated public. This is why they’re rather have a bunch of uneducated goons filled with hate fighting their battles, instead of a civilized and educated public that will more than likely vote for a Democrat instead of a Republican. If you haven’t heard yet, Kansas City just voted to shut down half their schools due to budget issues. Instead of trying to cut corners on waste, they shut the schools down instead. That should help them create more impoverished, uneducated goons to fight their battles.
Up until yesterday, I didn’t really know much on what this was all about…until now… Originally, I heard about it somehow being tied to health care votes, which concerned me.
But now, it’s just plain ol’ hilarious to see rightwingers getting punked on this issue. They thought they had captured disgruntled lefty insider who would spill all the juicy stories on their time. But instead, they got nothing but stories about tickle-fests and gropings. Heeelarrious!!! Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
I will agree with Dan Rather on one point in this piece: Journalism was definitely different – better – back in his day. There’s a reason why the media was labeled “the liberal media” – because it was based on very high journalism standards – it was based on FACTS. Today, it is sadly considered the “norm” to see news anchors blissfully showing off their ignorance, pretending to seem as dumb as they believe their viewers to be.
It’s nothing less than insulting to listen to a self-proclaimed journalist or news anchor treat his readers or viewers like a bunch of Fox News watchers, who know absolutely nothing about what is going on in the world.
Take a lesson from today’s most admired journalists – like Rachel Maddow, for starters – try to be as well read, accurate and informed about the topic you are covering. It is the highest form of respect you can give your audience. Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Lawrence O’Donnell sat in tonight for Keith Olbermann and made a complete ass of himself, trying to shame Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich into believing that he might be sorry for having voted against the first House version of the Health Care Reform bill. Kucinich clearly explained his reasons – which were extremely admirable. For starters, it was because the bill did not include a robust, liberal public option, and that it did not contain cost controls that would prevent health insurance companies from continuing their excessive rate increases. Obama refused to listen to allow Single Payer proponents to come to the table – and Sen. Max Baucus even had them arrested when they showed up to protest.
O’Donnell kept claiming that Kucinich was alone in his vigilant fight, and that no one will be willing to vote for him, or stand alongside him if he votes against this bill.
OMG!! So, it’s all about vilifying those who speak out against what’s wrong – and praise those who go along with you??
So, O’Donnell thinks it’s completely reasonable to throw him under the bus even though Kucinich is right to vote against this bill??
Kucinich needed to be praised – not scolded – for being so bold. If he had been praised, more than likely, others would feel the need to stand alongside him.
I felt like I was watching Fox News or Rush Limbaugh. Villifying a man who was the only one to *repeatedly* push for a single payer system. He’s the only guy who isn’t a sell-out to the health insurance companies. He’s the only one who has ever *repeatedly* pushed to have Cheney impeached. Who else can you ever claim to have come close to acting so bravely for the public good??
What about those other heroic senators who voted from the heart and head – who were brave enough to “go it alone” — like Sen. Byron Dorgan who voted against repealing the Glass Steagal Act, which would’ve kept our economy in tact and banks in check. If the other senators had listened and taken his lead, he wouldn’t have been the only one, and we might have ended up without the bank bailouts we got from Bush (and Obama).
And remember former Georgia Senator McKinney? If only we had listened to her instead of the rightwing pundits who shouted her down. She was the only one was brave enough to say that 9/11 was an inside a job. I have since always believed that it was, and have seen very, very little to prove otherwise. I used to work in the WTC South Tower, 104th Floor, back in the 90’s. I knew people who died that day. I don’t believe what I’ve seen or heard from the so-called “investigations”, which Bush refused to allow for too long.
And what about the stolen Florida and Ohio elections? What about the lies pushed onto the American people about WMD’s in Iraq? What about the outing of a CIA agent by a sitting President and Vice President? What about the illegal firings of 18 U.S. attorneys? What about the illegal wire-tappings?
Where were those Senators when we needed them? We NEED them to be brave – to go up against Fox News, Rush Limbauh, and the Lawrence O’Donnell-ish pundits!
How can we rely on a representative who refuses to put people in jail?? It’s like trying to put your faith in a police force that simply refuses to do its job and protect you.
I mean, seriously.
A massive number of crimes were committed under Bush, and no one wants to talk about it.
We had the most wreckless administration in the history of this country – and no one on either side of the aisle wants to prosecute anyone!??!
Oh, wait, I forgot. Yes, you’ll be kicked out of office if you’re caught cheating on your wife with an intern, a hooker, or with a gay guy. And if you’re a coward, you’ll simply resign on your own the moment someone hints at your wrongdoing.
It’s more than likely you’ll enjoy job security if you agree to shut up about any other kind of criminal activity. Lie about a war or steal an election, you get voted back into office. Expose corporate crimes? Get kicked out of office.
It’s so sickening.
All we have in congress is a bunch of corporate-loving lobbyist-licking Dems, and a handful of unspeakably evil Republicans. Every single one of them – on both sides of the aisle seem way too interested in putting the goal of bigger profits for CEO’s *BEFORE* the goal of helping fellow Americans, who are jobless, homeless, and sick, unable to pay for any kind of medical care.
On a side note — This morning, Thom Hartmann talked about a visit he had to the White House a few weeks ago. He had a discussion with someone there (my guess is it was Press Secretary Robert Gibbs), explaining the urgent need to stop practicing the economic policies of Milton and Thomas Friedman – the economic politics of “flat earthers” who simply refuse to accept putting reality before ideology (an ideology of trickle down economics – where the wealthiest are worshipped, and the poor are kicked down even lower). When Hartmann fully explained how much damage Reaganomics has done to us, the only response he got was: “We’re not interested in protectionism“.
I was stunned when I heard this.
Protectionism isn’t something the White House is interested in?
OMG!
Protectionism is the ONLY thing that will protect our country’s jobs right now!!
You’d think Hartmann had just proposed some rightwinger’s wackjob idea, like “close down the borders” or “get rid of all these illegals”.
But that wasn’t it all. He simply explained that we are heading for another horrible economic bubble – that we need to be building jobs in the U.S. – RIGHT NOW — and that too little is being done to fix what’s wrong with our economy.
Stimulus jobs are being created **outside** of our country — with export of major contracts – like the new bullet trains, and the contracts to build green energy products, etc, we have basically given our tax dollars to China, instead of insisting on keeping stimulus projects within our borders.
It’s nothing less than insulting – a slap in the face to all unemployed U.S. workers – that the White House has chosen to reward other countries with job-creation instead of keeping those dollars inside our country.
I don’t think a single person cares one bit what U.S. corporations do with non-U.S. based jobs — but we sure as hell care when it’s our tax dollars that are being used to create jobs somewhere else.
**WE** ARE THE ONES WHO NEED PROTECTIONISM — NOT THE COROPORATIONS.
Anyway, it all simply infuriates me.
I think we all expect to get screwed by our elected officials and even employers…but not by our own political pundits.
I still love Obama…but I feel like he’s like one of those parents that lets their kid(s) terrorize others, running through the aisles at Wal Mart and Target, pulling merchandise off the shelves, etc, while the parent pretends not to know what’s going on – and is actually too frightened to punish these monsters for their bad behavior. Someone who is literally so afraid of being called a poor leader, that they in turn become exactly what they’re afraid of. The bad behavior continues, while the frightened parent continues to offer candies and bribes to make the little monster shut the hell up.
The Republicans scream and yell the most dishonest, offensive, and outrageous statements, repeating them ad nauseum, even going as far as calling the mainstream media “liberal” whenever it tries to correct them on their lies. (The media is in fact right wing and extremely corporate-owned, which is why their lies constantly go unchallenged). Obama and the Democrats seem to simply ignore these screaming imbeciles as if they were nothing more than white noise, while the rest of us in the real world have to put up with the result of their lies. The results usually turn up in casual conversation with neighbors and friends repeating the lies as if it were doctrine.
Obama needs to take the Republicans in the back room and let the beatings begin. There is absolutely NO excuse for allowing such unforgivable behavior from the right wing to continue.
On a side note…
The Dems need to cull the herd in their own party and start demanding real progressive action.
The Blue Dogs keep putting up with the lies from the right… and then they won’t take action until the damage has been done and corrective actions become laughably ineffective.
I don’t mean to be so rough on my beloved Dems.
Afterall, the Dems don’t have the power of a mainstream media to support their statements. The Republicans scrubbed all of the FCC regulations which once required news media organizations to actually tell the truth. Clinton helped the Republicans when he allowed giant media conglomerates to take over smaller media outlets – thus creating the stronghold that Fox News has today. We went from having tons and tons of independent media news outlets – like newspapers, radio stations, etc that were privately owned – to media outlets that are all owned by less than a handful of different organizations — ABC, NBC, Fox, etc. In the end, you end up with a vacuum where facts go to die – and info-tainment is the norm.
But back to my point… The Dems need to grow a set and help Obama find a spine…because you certainly can’t expect anything good to come from a screaming eight year old monster child Republican.
It turns out that he didn’t come to the U.S. for it’s “world class” health care, but instead for the sunny Florida weather where he could recuperate after his mitral valve surgery, at his luxury winter vacation condo.
The surgery he needed to have done is typically done in an open-heart method (where they have to crack your chest open to get to the heart), but he wanted a riskier, less popular method, which few doctors perform. He was concerned about scar tissue, and chose to have a laprascopic method, instead. While it might not be the best method for what he wanted done, it would indeed leave the least amount of damage in order to access the surgically sensitive area.
Canada’s Newfoundland Premier came to the U.S. to have mitral valve surgery on his heart. But the procedure he wanted is also available in Canada, where some of the best mitral valve heart surgeons exist. He defended his decision by saying that he preferred to come to the U.S. to have it done.
So, why the U.S.?? It turns out that he had access to a very nice condo not far from the doctor’s office, and would’ve been far happier recuperating in a sunny location like South Florida, instead of a cold, wintery location like Quebec or New Foundland.
Poor baby. I hope the right-wingers who tout this guy include this interesting bit of detail in their mantra of “we’ve got the best health care in the world”. Yes, we do…but only if you’re a billionaire or foreign dignitary.
Most states by now have “At-Will” employment laws, versus “Right to Work” laws. “At will” laws prevent you from suing your employer for what might be considered an unlawful termination (discrimination, whistleblower, etc). In the old days, “Right to Work” laws meant you could not be fired by your employer on a whim. Proof of incompetence along with documented warnings is usually required to show your termination was justified. You were usually given a week or two notice (like a pink slip in your paycheck envelope). But now, most employers (depending on the laws in your state), your boss can get rid of At Will, without any reason or warning.
But under Reagan and both Bushes, because companies were generously rewarded with huge tax breaks if they sent jobs outside the U.S., At Will employment rules became the new tool to help destroy unions and fair labor standards.
One of the things the Obama administration needs to push forward is an agenda that requires or rewards states that recognize “Right to Work” rules or laws.
It basically gives an employer the right to fire anyone he wants for no legal reason, without being liable for any potential lawsuit. For example, if someone is discovered to be gay or Muslim, or refuses the unwanted advances of a boss who is sexually aggressive, that employee can be fired without any explanation. An employer is given unlimited rights to fire someone, regardless of the quality of job performance or contractual obligations. The only thing that employer is liable for is outstanding unpaid wages. And for some reason, this is still not enough for many employers.
Nowadays, you keep your product on the shelves for as long as possible (and maybe even throw in a discount, thus preventing a potential refund/return). I’ve worked for a number of companies that did this all the time. They kept up an appearance of feigned innocence and ignorance, swearing they didn’t know that there was a reoccurring problem. One place I knew of even re-sold the rejected products at a steep discount, regardless of the number of times it had been returned.
In the good old days – back in the 60’s and 70’s – drug companies and such were so concerned about bad press about their products (like the Bayer and Tylenol scares over poisonings and tamperings), that they would immediately pull items off the shelves to prevent any kind of accidental death or injury from their product. Sales would literally plummet the moment anyone worried about an irresponsible manufacturer’s product on the market. But now, people seem to shrug it off, because the media tends to blow things out of proportion too often – thus numbing your senses into oblivion.
In the movie, The Insider, Russell Crowe, who plays a whistle blower for a cigarette company, expresses his disgust at how his bosses actually manufacture addictive poisons to be put into cigarettes. He then goes on to express how impressed he was with his former employer’s immediate response to news reports of deaths from tainted aspirin tablets, back in the 70’s. Back then, some companies actually went out of their way to make sure their products were 100% safe for consumption. Now, you’re lucky if they even tell you what’s in it.
I **LOVE** this!!! We need more Democrats like this! Representative Anthony Weiner (from New York) tells it exactly like it is. And the House tries to say that he’s being offensive. It’s such a shame that telling the truth is deemed “offensive” by the House. Ugh.
