Category Archives: politics

Afghan killings, the poor, bankers, etc.

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Common dreams has this link up on yet another killing of innocent Afghanis’ who were minding their own business. Meanwhile, support for the war from the people who are paying for it, is at a new low.  Where’s my representation, again…?

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Meanwhile, the repubs continue their “Eat Shit” campaign against the poor, elderly, and disabled in this country…because, you know, we have to be over in Afghanistan or whatever country has our oil in it, and we can’t be bothered with either creating jobs or feeding people if there are no decent paying jobs available so they can feed themselves….

The comments section brings up the involuntary servitude of the Prisons for Fun and Profit scheme.

The most telling paragraph is this one in the Reuters clip:

The Ryan bill also takes aim at financial reforms, eliminating the government’s powers to shut down large financial institutions, as well as cutting funding for the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A tort reform plan to end frivolous lawsuits included in the measure would lead to lower health care costs, according the CBO.

There is the heart of this, folks.  I’m reading The Indebted Society by James Medoff and Andrew Harless in which they assert that the economy of this country has been manipulated by the bankers/financial institutions for their own benefit.  Bankers need low wages so that people will borrow.  The book stated that wages have remained stagnant (which we already knew) and that people were borrowing just to maintain their lifestyles as far back as the eighties.  However, those things they were borrowing money for–luxury items–were not necessary for life and if they had to let them go back to the bank for lack of payment it wasn’t a big hardship.  However, with this current economic situation, the borrowing was not for luxury items, but just to survive–they refinanced their homes, or borrowed on credit cards to buy groceries and needed items…that sort of thing.  And that is why we saw so many folks “hit the wall”.  Their wages were no longer able to meet the very basics of life.

Medoff and Harless are blaming the Federal Reserve for not wanting inflation to rise–bankers don’t like inflation because it hurts their bottom line.  And they heavily influence the Fed, as much as the Fed would like to deny it.    Medoff and Harless say that there has been too much emphasis on consumption, and not enough on investment.

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And, just to shed light on the media campaign by the sociopaths–I was flipping through the radio the other night, and there was Sean Hannity.

Hannity actually made the claim that “socialist spending has gotten us into this economy.”   Say whaaat?  No, it’s not taxing the top 1% at a fair tax rate, and even reducing their taxes while starting not one, not two, but three military conflicts and/or wars, it’s feeding the poor and the elderly!  God these people drive me crazy.

Oh, and they’re quick to bring God into the conversation to justify their un-Jesus-like selfishness:

Overheard on a rightwing station here in FW (they’re pretty much all rightwing, just some to a lesser degree)–

“Be obedient to God–get out and vote.  Be obedient to God–politically you’re either conservative or liberal.  You have to decide which way is obedient to God. ”

Yeah, so wouldn’t following  “Thou Shalt Not Kill” and “Thou Shalt Not Covet thy neighbors’ stuff” (this includes oil, folks) be obedient to God?   How about “Do unto others as you would have done unto you?”

 

 

 

Elizabeth Warren

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…has stirred up controversy with her claims of Native American ancestry.  The rightwingers are all over this—trying to find that one thing that will allow them to tarnish her.

I went over to Indian Country to see their take on this.

So…it is true that Warren does have Cherokee ancestry.  Perhaps she didn’t *know* in the traditional sense, but perhaps intuitively, she knew of her heritage.

The way that the rightwingers are playing this out was that she is dishonest and by somehow claiming Native American ancestry, she was chosen over *white* candidates….while not providing any proof that this occurred.   These are the same people who have claimed “reverse discrimination” whenever a woman or minority has gotten a good position–it *must* be because she/he was a minority and not because they were more qualified (or even over-qualified).

 

Stephen King on the one-percenters

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….is also Mad as Hell…so refreshing to read a one-percenter going off on his own…

“I’ve known rich people, and why not, since I’m one of them? The majority would rather douse their dicks with lighter fluid, strike a match, and dance around singing “Disco Inferno” than pay one more cent in taxes to Uncle Sugar”

Hilarious.  And really, not too far from the truth-that’s the scary part.

From the article, it appears that King was stating that Mitt Romney had pulled himself up by his bootstraps. Perhaps I’m reading it wrong, but that’s the way that it reads to me.  Romney was never poor, as his father, George Romney, made $$$ by cheating the poor while he was head of HUD.  (See reference to Barlett and Steele’s investigative reporting on the subject.Interestingly, a quick scan doesn’t mention George Romney’s having properties deeded in his name after the poor abandoned the properties.)  Romney was born rich and couldn’t care less about the poor.

….and Mitt would like to abolish HUD altogether.  Great.  Toss more folks into the streets.  A glaring omission in the article below is the fact that HUD provides monies to Housing Authorities for them to provide decent housing to folks who cannot afford to pay the high rents nor could they afford mortgages.

Link here:http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbarro/2012/04/16/romney-is-right-abolish-hud/

 

ALEC, jobs, and decent pay

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Center for Media and Democracy has posted this article on the next target of ALEC:  fair wages, jobs, and workers compensation.

The article notes ALEC’s support of the for-profit prison industry– link here.  I have to wonder if Dick Cheney is in on this….and whatever happened to that indictment…?  If you read the entire article, Scott Walker is knee deep in this–sponsoring bills that required inmates to serve their entire sentences, regardless of good behavior or counseling.

From the link on allowing employers’ access to medical records:

Section 3. Employers’ shall be allowed access to all relevant medical information,
without the express authorization or consent, of the employee in all cases in which an
employee files a claim under employer provided workers’ compensation insurance or any
other employer provided entitlement . The insurance carriers or administrator shall
provide and discuss relevant documents of the claim file that shall affect the employer’s
premium with the employer, and shall supply copies of the documents that affect the
premium.

(Italics mine)

Big Brother, anyone?  Good Grief.  An employer could use this personal information in any number of ways to discredit an employee.

Here’s a page “explaining” why employees might file false claims:

http://www.insurancefraud.org/workers_comp_scams.htm

If you click on the “About Us” link, it is full of insurance companies’ sponsorship.  Hmmm….no bias there, eh?

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On to other matters–

ALEC is also trying to interfere with the EPA’s regulation of coal ash, a serious health hazard.  I followed the CNN link about the devastating effects on homeowners’s health and exposure to Uranium, which is believed to be coming from the coal ash ponds.  These unfortunate individuals have suffered terribly, while their houses are secretly bought and the evidence (house) is destroyed.

Unbelievable.

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And if poisoning your home, denying your valid worker compensation claim aren’t enough, we’ll put the nail in the coffin by feeding you Mad Cow.  Warning: don’t read this if you’re eating your lunch/dinner…might make you toss your waffles.

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Lastly,  here’s a story on the 7.5 million, er, 200,000 tab on the damage done by the protestors in the Wisconsin uprising…while ignoring the damage done by the staff.  I think they ought to send the bill to Scott Walker and his ALEC supporters, whom, it would seem, have plenty of money to throw around…

Autism and the Amish

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I discovered a book among my mother’s things about Amish methods of healing.  They are a culture that pretty much wants to be left alone, so they seek natural remedies to cure ailments, only using medical doctors when absolutely necessary, such as broken bones.

While reading the book, I came upon the tidbit that they don’t value vaccination.  I was curious about this, and found this blog on their very low autism rates.  It’s absolutely stunning that their rates are 1 in 10,000, while the general population has climbed with the pressure of a vaccinated society.  They also employ mostly organic methods of growing food. Here’s another blog on the Amish.

According to this article, the rate of autism for the general population is 60 in 10,000.  Sixty!  And it’s rather telling that so many parents are home-schooling their children to avoid having them vaccinated…if what this article states is true.

…and the CDC and medical profession continue to ignore the overwhelming evidence…

 

They’ve taken notice, folks…

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Center for Media and Democracy has been criticized by the Wall Street Journal for its exposure of the behind-the-scenes manipulations of ALEC.

Link here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304432704577347763603932288.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

I can’t get access because I don’t have a subscription, so I can’t offer any more.  It’s interesting, though, that this is behind the “fire wall”, so to speak.  And don’t forget that Rupert Murdoch owns WSJ.

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More on ALEC and State Farm here.

And here.

The big question is with all the corporate pull-outs…why were they there in the first place…?  Is the sunlight too much for them?

Republicans to the poor:

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Eat Shit.  Because we’re going to cut food stamps by 11 percent.  Never mind that you can’t afford to buy food for an entire month on what you’re given right now–you’ll have to resort to eating shit to survive….

One of the commenters mentions the Titanic.  I watched it over the weekend on the anniversary of the ship’s sinking.  I couldn’t help but picture Mitt Romney as Billy Zane’s despicable character, a wealthy sociopath…

…and how much today’s economic times reflect those of that period.  And people talk as if those times were permanently relegated to history….ignoring what is happening all around them.

And I don’t believe for a second all the glowing reports of a recovery.  I don’t see it where I sit.  And I find it a little too convenient now that we are in an election year–that suddenly we’re in an upswing of jobs?  And jobs alone aren’t the total answer–GOOD PAYING jobs are the answer.  Martin Luther King was promoting the idea of a guaranteed income before he was murdered…everyone would have a minimum income.  Of course, he preferred that everyone have a decent-paying job.

I found this living wage calculator from Pennsylvania State.  I went to Allen County, Indiana, and found their low allowance for food: $236 per month for a single adult appalling.  Only if you eat unhealthy food: processed meat like bologna, hot dogs, etc., and if you stay away from organic and fresh vegetables can you afford that piddly amount.  Indiana only allows $200 per month in food stamps as it is…if the republicans get their way, it will be $178.

People just wanna be free…

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John Brennan is apparently mad as hell and isn’t going to take it anymore….

…so he obliged the TSA and removed all doubt that he had any bombs on him…along with his clothes. 

The local radio station morning team had announced the news.  After commercials, the radio jock came back on and chided the newswoman for failing to note the music that was playing in the background as John Brennan removed his clothes.   The next thing you hear are the beginning notes of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”…only someone has made  it say “Let’s Check for Bombs…” with the lyrics changed to TSA screenings.  I tried to find it on youtube, but alas…

I find the charge of indecent exposure hilarious….apparently, he should have waited until being *asked* by TSA personnel before disrobing.  See, it’s all in the viewpoint.  They can visually rape you and expose your body to who-knows-what radiation levels.

More here.

…but they have to ask you first…