Bill Moyer: TRUTH on Plutocracy (Just in case you missed it the first time around)
Month: January 2012
“SAME AS IT EVER WAS…”
“SAME AS IT EVER WAS…”
You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shitty jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money. They want your retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street, and you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all from you sooner or later cause they own this fucking place! Its a big club, and you ain’t in it! You, and I, are not in the big club. (READ MORE)
Senate Aims to Bypass Obama on Keystone Pipeline …
Political one-upmanship is on the rise in Washington DC. Congressional Republicans are planning an attempt to circumvent President Obama to hasten the approval of TransCanada’s controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
Republicans last month used Keystone XL as leverage to pass economic stimulus, which President Obama signed into law. Obama is now compelled to make a decision on the pipeline, which crosses international boundaries, by February 21. The State Department was expected to spend several years deliberating its approval.
The stage is set for a showdown. The Administration has questioned whether Congress’s 60-day deadline could run afoul of environmental laws, and the GOP is drafting legislation that would exert Congress’s authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations if the White House denies TransCanada a permit (READ ON…)
Rectal Exam ADDED Amendment To Anti-Abortion Bill … (APPLAUSE!)
To protest a bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion, Virginia State Sen. Janet Howell (D-Fairfax) on Monday attached an amendment that would require men to have a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test before obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication.
“We need some gender equity here,” she told HuffPost.
GOP AIMS TO commit political suicide by opposing the Buffet Rule …
The reality is that Whitehouse’s bill stands next to no chance of becoming law. Republicans overwhelmingly oppose it and Senate Democratic aides said privately they don’t expect GOP support for it.
And, my response to all of this…. to quote the great philosopher David Byrne, “Same as it ever was…”
Cross Posted on All Things Democrat
WE GET IT; YOU DON’T LIKE ANYONE (whose skin is darker than Edgar Winter’s).
WE GET IT; YOU DON’T LIKE ANYONE (whose skin is darker than Edgar Winter’s).
J.D. Rourke on the site Could Everyone STOP PISSING ME OFF, wrote the following open letter to Jan Brewer:
Dear Governor Brewer,
Look, we get it. You really don’t like brown people. Or black people. Or anyone whose skin is darker than Edgar Winter’s.
That’s fine. Obviously, you’re into that “pure white” look made famous by those creepy kids in Village of the Damned. But what’s with your deep-seeded loathing for the Office of the President? Sure, the current President happens to be African-American, but regardless of his color, the man still represents these United States. For you to trash-talk the President in your memoir and then to also point your bony finger at him for all the world to see, well, it shows a consistent disrespect for both the President and all that he represents (namely, our country).
Are you that hateful of anyone who doesn’t require a sunscreen with a SPF of 600 or higher? Is your bigotry so entrenched that it eclipses your love of the good ol U.S. of A? Have you simply received too much sun and eaten too many tacos by living in the desert? We understand that “crazy” runs in your family, but perhaps it’s finally time for you to publicly admit that you cannot stomach being around anyone who doesn’t look like you; in which case staying on as governor of a border state may not be the brightest idea. And clearly, Gov. Brewer, you’re a big, big fan of all things bright (and not dark).
So why not step out of the political light and simply let someone who is just a wee-bit less racist run Arizona for a while? Then you can finally kick-back, relax and avoid anyone you don’t like to be around altogether (like that fossil, McCain). Put your feet up, Jan, enjoy a White Russian, and leave the politicking to those who might be a bit more tolerant of all types of people – say, someone like Pat Buchanan, or David Duke.
With purest intentions,
.
The Melting Pot
Ref: (http://jdrourke.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/dear-governor-jan-brewer/ )
Read more of JD ROURKE’S open letters HERE: http://jdrourke.wordpress.com/
Related STORIES: Huffington Post: Brewer vs. Obama
FOX NEWS EXIT POLL..Perhaps the only truth they’ve told all year…
FOX NEWS EXIT POLL..Perhaps the only truth they’ve told all year…Or,maybe not.. check the math.
Courtesy of The People’s Boycott
‘Nuff Said…
GET UP OFF OF YOUR ASSES (AND VOTE!)…
GET UP OFF OF YOUR ASSES (AND VOTE!)…
In 2008 we voted for Change… and, we would have gotten that change had everyone followed up in 2010, by voting in the congressional elections…
Do you wonder why the same radical leaders continue to hold their positions of power? It’s because people do not take voting seriously; while those of us who do vote grow weary at the complacency of Americans who do not vote.
Hello America. Are you tired of the way our country is being held hostage by corrupt politicians? Are you tired of corporate money influencing politics?
The American people are being dismissed. The leaders elected by the majority of the voting public are not doing what is best for the citizens they represent.
Let’s face it; Lobbyists (not the American people) have the most influence in Washington. Do you want to do something about it?
Then get up off your asses and VOTE!
Americans continuously wonder why things aren’t getting any better-yet, the power to change all of this lies within their own reach: the ballot box…
National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: 1960–2010
This page provides information about voter statistics, including age of voting population, voter registration, turnout, and more.
| Year | Voting-age population |
Voter registration |
Voter turnout | Percentage Voter Turnout |
| 2010** | 235,809,266 | NA | 90,682,968 | 37.8% |
| 2008* | 231,229,580 | NA | 132,618,580* | 56.8 |
| 2006 | 220,600,000 | 135,889,600 | 80,588,000 | 37.1 |
| 2004 | 221,256,931 | 174,800,000 | 122,294,978 | 55.3 |
| 2002 | 215,473,000 | 150,990,598 | 79,830,119 | 37.0 |
| 2000 | 205,815,000 | 156,421,311 | 105,586,274 | 51.3 |
| 1998 | 200,929,000 | 141,850,558 | 73,117,022 | 36.4 |
| 1996 | 196,511,000 | 146,211,960 | 96,456,345 | 49.1 |
| 1994 | 193,650,000 | 130,292,822 | 75,105,860 | 38.8 |
| 1992 | 189,529,000 | 133,821,178 | 104,405,155 | 55.1 |
| 1990 | 185,812,000 | 121,105,630 | 67,859,189 | 36.5 |
| 1988 | 182,778,000 | 126,379,628 | 91,594,693 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 178,566,000 | 118,399,984 | 64,991,128 | 36.4 |
| 1984 | 174,466,000 | 124,150,614 | 92,652,680 | 53.1 |
| 1982 | 169,938,000 | 110,671,225 | 67,615,576 | 39.8 |
| 1980 | 164,597,000 | 113,043,734 | 86,515,221 | 52.6 |
| 1978 | 158,373,000 | 103,291,265 | 58,917,938 | 37.2 |
| 1976 | 152,309,190 | 105,037,986 | 81,555,789 | 53.6 |
| 1974 | 146,336,000 | 96,199,0201 | 55,943,834 | 38.2 |
| 1972 | 140,776,000 | 97,328,541 | 77,718,554 | 55.2 |
| 1970 | 124,498,000 | 82,496,7472 | 58,014,338 | 46.6 |
| 1968 | 120,328,186 | 81,658,180 | 73,211,875 | 60.8 |
| 1966 | 116,132,000 | 76,288,2833 | 56,188,046 | 48.4 |
| 1964 | 114,090,000 | 73,715,818 | 70,644,592 | 61.9 |
| 1962 | 112,423,000 | 65,393,7514 | 53,141,227 | 47.3 |
| 1960 | 109,159,000 | 64,833,0965 | 68,838,204 | 63.1 |
Read more: National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: 1960–2010 — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html#ixzz1kF2Sjcpr
Source: Federal Election Commission. Data drawn from Congressional Research Service reports, Election Data Services Inc., and State Election Offices.
GOT THE PICTURE, YET?
http://progressivebumpersticker.com/democraticbumperstickers.html
Adios Mofos…
Photo “doctored” by Randal Hanna…
SOCIALIST-AND, PROUD OF IT!
SOCIALIST-Why, yes, yes I am…
I recently had the pleasure of carrying on a one sided conversation with one of the more colorful, lunatic fringe in my county. One sided in that this overbearing imbecile did all the talking and I was forced to listen. Forced to listen only because this village idiot, with his “don’t tread on me” t-shirt and his rebel flag bandana would not stop talking long enough to take a breath, let alone allow me to reply.
And, as I was listening, I kept hearing Abe Lincoln’s words in my head… “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” I wanted to blurt this out so this blundering troglodyte would get the memo. And, then I thought to myself, what the hell, if this guy wants to make a complete ass of himself, who am I to deny him the illustrious privilege.
After what seemed like an eternity, he wrapped up his diatribe with one word; One word spoken in a tone so loathsome that it shook me to the core—“SOCIALIST!” Since I have been involved in politics/activism that advocates fair & just treatment of society, I’ve been stalked, I’ve had death threats, I’ve had my personal information posted on open threads , and I’ve received harassing telephone calls on my personal cell phone.
This, my friends, is the terrifying reality of the radical right wing world we live in. Corporations are people, War is thought to be the only solution to a failing economy, and there are only two classes of people: rich and poor. Women do not have the final say over their bodies, yet the death penalty is promoted (even cheered); millions of people go without food, water, shelter, and life sustaining health care, while millions of dollars are being wasted on WARS, Political campaigns, and materialistic gluttony.
And, you have the nerve to call me a socialist- you, evil bastard…
Warren J. Blumenfeld, summed it up quite nicely in his December Huffington Post article:
…..As destructive and as freedom-killing as the Right would have us believe, according to the World English Dictionary, Socialism involves “a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole,” where each of us has a stake and advances in the success of our collective economy.
I, therefore, would say to those who thrust the term “Socialist” as an epithet, if a Socialist is one who advocates for a governmental single-payer quality universal health care system, which includes safe and reasonably-priced prescription and over-the-counter drug therapies, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who demands that our country protects and enhances our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid safety nets, then I am a proud Socialist!If a Socialist is one who advocates for the further nationalization of our parks, forests, mountains, rivers, streams, shores, and off-shore waters, rather than allocating increased corporate mining, drilling, and timber rights, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who advocates for free and quality education, not only through grade 12, but throughout higher education and after for everyone who desires and works to achieve their fullest potential, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who advocates for a government-sponsored program that guarantees our seniors a retirement system that ensures a high quality of life free from economic burdens, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who advocates for the rights of workers to organize and to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who battles to eliminate workplace and larger societal inequalities based on race, nationality, citizenship status, age, sex, sexual identity, gender expression, disability, socioeconomic standing, religion, and other social identities, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who works to ensure that everyone is guaranteed a comfortable and secure place to live, and one who fights against a banking system that forecloses people’s homes through scurrilous business practices, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who supports effective governmental regulations on food producers to safeguard our food supply and protect against the maltreatment of animals, and on corporations, companies, and individuals to defend our environment, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who supports severe restrictions on the political process to prevent mammoth contributions by individuals and corporations to buy and own politicians to influence public policy, while locking out individuals and groups unable to amass large political funds, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who challenges a military industrial complex that marches to the beat of industry, and a prison industrial complex that perpetuates the racial and socioeconomic class inequities pervasive throughout the society, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who contests and advocates for effective restrictions on the so-called “free market” economic system that enables the creation and enhancement of mega monopolies, outsourcing of jobs, manufacture of defective products, and inhibition in the development of clean renewable energy technologies, then I am a proud Socialist!
If a Socialist is one who demands a true progressive tax structure where everyone pays their fair share, one that inhibits massive inequities in the overwhelming accumulation of wealth by the top one percent of the nation as is currently the case, then I am a VERY proud Socialist!
So, I will never again allow those who wish to continue the economic and social status quo to use the term “Socialist” as a means of intimidation flung as an epithet, but, rather, I welcome and embrace the term as a declaration of empowerment, pride, and hope for a better social structure in a better tomorrow.
Read the entire AWESOME story by Warren j. Blumenfeld, here
Cross posted on www.definedontdefend.com and www.allthingsdemocrat.com
And, for grins and giggles… a Little Socialism Song by Roy Zimmerman:
Beware the Bullshit Peddlers
Beware the Snake Oil Salesman, Pundits, and Bullshit Peddlers
‘Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth’ (Wilde) If it were only that simple, Oscar.
It’s that time again. The time when politicking becomes a free-for-all where the richest and (perceived) most powerful deviants reign supreme. This election cycle (not unlike years past) resembles a traveling, three-ring circus, where the clowns are plentiful, the ringmasters unrelenting, and the crowds often leave the arenas demanding a refund. Consequently, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine which group is the greater threat: the Snake Oil Salesmen (candidates) or the self-proclaimed pundits who make a living by reducing the snake oil muck into digestible (30 second) sound bites.
The bullshit peddlers are not alone atop the totem pole of madness. Radicals are capitalizing on the residual effect/disgusting consequence of the sanctimonious bullshit of corporate personhood. Campaign messages (and I use that term very loosely) litter our airwaves with the best (more like the worst) sound bites money can buy (Thank you, SCOTUS ala Citizen’s United for making this possible.)
Corporations can now make it rain on their preferred candidates like lonely billionaires at a pole dance extravaganza. The campaign messages, although well rehearsed, often lead to retractions/clarifications depending on which deep pocketed donor groups the candidates manage to piss off.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of the blindfold of fear.”
Do not fear the truth. It is our moral imperative as socially conscious, politically active, wisdom seekers hold fast to ferreting out the truth. We may not be able to match corporate campaign contributions but we can challenge every lie big money buys.
Truth hides in obscurity to the point where it becomes paralyzed by fear. Truth is lost in the dark, wilderness of rhetoric waiting to be liberated. So I call upon the masses to raise your voices, less the unsuspecting sheeple be influenced by lethal propaganda. Seek the truth, find it, and expose it.Humanity depends on it.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered—the point is to discover them.” – Galileo
Define. Don't Defend. 