If you have not been following this case closely, then take up the cause... ask yourself honestly, how much do I know about it.
We should all be absolute awe of the undaunted spirit of this young American.
What he has had to endure NO one should ever have to be subjected to... and to think it comes at the hands of one's own government is beyond comprehension.
If this is what our country has become and now stands for, then I'm in fact ashamed to say this is my country.
Justice demands Bradley Manning's release.
Free Bradley Manning | Truthout
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Corporate Stock Repurchases Manipulate Stock Prices
The video had originally been labeled as 'private', and this was the first time I had ever seen that... anyway, it did finally get posted... here it is:
Interview with Paul Jay from The Real News and William Lazonick
William Lazonick: SEC allows corporate executives to make fortunes exercising stock options after large buybacks boost prices.
Bio
William Lazonick is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell where he directs the Center for Industrial Competitiveness, and co-founder and president of The Academic-Industry Research Network (theAIRnet). He is also affiliated with the University of Bordeaux and the University of Ljubljana, and collaborates extensively on research in Europe. Previously, Lazonick was Assistant and Associate Professor of Economics at Harvard University, Professor of Economics at Barnard College of Columbia University, and Visiting Scholar and then Distinguished Research Professor at INSEAD. Lazonick holds a B.Com degree from the University of Toronto (1968), a M.Sc. degree in economics from the London School of Economics (1969), and a Ph.D. degree in economics from Harvard University (1975). In 1991 Uppsala University awarded him an honorary doctorate for his work on the theory and history of economic development. He is the author or editor of twelve books, including Competitive Advantage of the Shop Floor (Harvard University Press, 1990) and Business Organization and the Myth of the Market Economy (Cambridge University Press, 1991), and more than 100 academic articles. His latest book, Sustainable Prosperity in the New Economy? Business Organization and High-Tech Employment in the United States (Upjohn Institute for Employment Research 2009) has been awarded the 2010 Schumpeter Prize by the International Schumpeter Society. Currently Lazonick is directing an international project on financial institutions for innovation and development, funded by the Ford Foundation, and a project on the stock market and innovative enterprise funded by the Institute of New Economic Thinking.
Interview with Paul Jay from The Real News and William Lazonick
William Lazonick: SEC allows corporate executives to make fortunes exercising stock options after large buybacks boost prices.
Corporate Stock Repurchases Manipulate Stock Prices
Bio
William Lazonick is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell where he directs the Center for Industrial Competitiveness, and co-founder and president of The Academic-Industry Research Network (theAIRnet). He is also affiliated with the University of Bordeaux and the University of Ljubljana, and collaborates extensively on research in Europe. Previously, Lazonick was Assistant and Associate Professor of Economics at Harvard University, Professor of Economics at Barnard College of Columbia University, and Visiting Scholar and then Distinguished Research Professor at INSEAD. Lazonick holds a B.Com degree from the University of Toronto (1968), a M.Sc. degree in economics from the London School of Economics (1969), and a Ph.D. degree in economics from Harvard University (1975). In 1991 Uppsala University awarded him an honorary doctorate for his work on the theory and history of economic development. He is the author or editor of twelve books, including Competitive Advantage of the Shop Floor (Harvard University Press, 1990) and Business Organization and the Myth of the Market Economy (Cambridge University Press, 1991), and more than 100 academic articles. His latest book, Sustainable Prosperity in the New Economy? Business Organization and High-Tech Employment in the United States (Upjohn Institute for Employment Research 2009) has been awarded the 2010 Schumpeter Prize by the International Schumpeter Society. Currently Lazonick is directing an international project on financial institutions for innovation and development, funded by the Ford Foundation, and a project on the stock market and innovative enterprise funded by the Institute of New Economic Thinking.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Warped Tax System: Taxpayers Subsidize Own Destruction
Blackmail, bribery, quasi-legal 'subsidies'... glories of the free market...another 'shining' business model...
... rush to tell and show your kids how this is the way to large a portion of our biggest and best US corporations function today... business as usual, in our 'corporate welfare system.'...
... where are we going to wind up?
The Warped US Tax System: Taxpayers Subsidize Their Own Destruction
... rush to tell and show your kids how this is the way to large a portion of our biggest and best US corporations function today... business as usual, in our 'corporate welfare system.'...
... where are we going to wind up?
The Warped US Tax System: Taxpayers Subsidize Their Own Destruction
Monday, April 25, 2011
Only Hope: You
Remember the old TV show... 'Who Do You Trust?'...
...we'll in today's hidden agenda world... ya gotta say... precious few...
....the Corporate State Always Wins...
".... see how you are manipulated? The Fed/TBTF/Govt/Media Complex is desperately clinging to power. Again, anyone with a brain knows that oil is rising because its denominated in dollars. Its the reason corn is rising. Its the reason gold is rising. Its the reason the stock market is rising.
The world is awash in dollars, willfully printed by the Federal Reserve, to fund the U.S. government ponzi scheme. If you want to control inflation and bring the cost of crude oil down, you stop printing money and make the U.S. government function on revenues alone.
But that’s not going to happen, now is it? Nope. No way. So long as the politicians and their willing accomplices in the media can construct straw men upon whom you can vent your anger, change will never come.
Your politicians will distract your neighbors from focusing on the real problem (them) by encouraging them to chase dead ends, instead."
We live in a fragmented society.... ignorant of what is being done to us.... diverted by the absurd and political theater....
....so again... who do you trust... ya gotta figure, you're pretty much on your own!!
Our Only Hope: You | The Matrix Sentry
...we'll in today's hidden agenda world... ya gotta say... precious few...
....the Corporate State Always Wins...
".... see how you are manipulated? The Fed/TBTF/Govt/Media Complex is desperately clinging to power. Again, anyone with a brain knows that oil is rising because its denominated in dollars. Its the reason corn is rising. Its the reason gold is rising. Its the reason the stock market is rising.
The world is awash in dollars, willfully printed by the Federal Reserve, to fund the U.S. government ponzi scheme. If you want to control inflation and bring the cost of crude oil down, you stop printing money and make the U.S. government function on revenues alone.
But that’s not going to happen, now is it? Nope. No way. So long as the politicians and their willing accomplices in the media can construct straw men upon whom you can vent your anger, change will never come.
Your politicians will distract your neighbors from focusing on the real problem (them) by encouraging them to chase dead ends, instead."
We live in a fragmented society.... ignorant of what is being done to us.... diverted by the absurd and political theater....
....so again... who do you trust... ya gotta figure, you're pretty much on your own!!
Our Only Hope: You | The Matrix Sentry
... a step away from recession...
... one shock away from a full-blown crisis...
... approaching national debt on par with the total GDP of the country.... is very serious because most economic research suggests countries tend to decelerate in their growth and have more and more severe economic problems, once their debt-to-GDP ratio gets above about 90 per cent.... we’re about to go through that level...
... with its own backyard in disarray, the US is hardly in a position to hand out financial advice to others....
America’s financial management can be best defined by a non-stop borrowing binge...
... problem is so bad the US president cannot ignore it, and the government seems not to know how to solve it....
... changes will come gradually... Turkey, Iran, Russia, China are increasing the irrelevance of Washington.
Note:
Bank of China is now allowing American firms to trade in renminbi, another step in China’s effort to position the currency on the world stage.
Promoting the renminbi to Americans at a time when loose monetary policy on the part of the US Federal Reserve has some concerned the dollar’s value will continue to decline.
America only one step away from recession — RT
... approaching national debt on par with the total GDP of the country.... is very serious because most economic research suggests countries tend to decelerate in their growth and have more and more severe economic problems, once their debt-to-GDP ratio gets above about 90 per cent.... we’re about to go through that level...
... with its own backyard in disarray, the US is hardly in a position to hand out financial advice to others....
America’s financial management can be best defined by a non-stop borrowing binge...
... problem is so bad the US president cannot ignore it, and the government seems not to know how to solve it....
... changes will come gradually... Turkey, Iran, Russia, China are increasing the irrelevance of Washington.
Note:
Bank of China is now allowing American firms to trade in renminbi, another step in China’s effort to position the currency on the world stage.
Promoting the renminbi to Americans at a time when loose monetary policy on the part of the US Federal Reserve has some concerned the dollar’s value will continue to decline.
America only one step away from recession — RT
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Evil of Monsanto
Monsanto's Legal Battles against Farmers
Monsanto's 'Terminator Gene' is a gene put into a seed, when the seed becomes a plant, that plant will not seed again it will be terminated. Basically this accomplishes sterility in plants.
Monsanto will make this a law so that any farmer has to buy only GMO seeds from Monsanto over and over again and they will again dominate the world.
Another modification Monsanto has in store is called the 'Cheater Gene' which appears to be a normal plant but with the addition of more chemicals it becomes another terminator gene and the plant will not be able to seed or be reproduced through it’s own seeds.
Monsanto will kill any seeds that are organic, they will produce low quality chemicals put into seeds that will require an increasing amount of chemicals to maintain and only Monsanto chemicals like Round Up will be used.
The control will be with this corporation only and they want to control all farms and your food supply.
This is a very powerful corporation with 21,000+ employees and over $10 billion in annual revenues.
Harboring a pretty insane and evil philosophy, with some grand ideas of world domination.
There is a very good documentary about the food industry in America today... you should make it a point to look it up and watch it... (it's on Watch Instantly on Netflix).
It has a major segment dealing with Monsanto... absolutely infuriating to say the least.
'FOOD INC.'
...there may be more time... but how much is anyone's guess...
...the real problem for America may well be that it does not face a short-term crisis... cost of servicing America's debt today is actually lower than it was in 1998, at the height of the Clinton boom....
... why? ... even though the US debt now is much greater, interest rates are much lower... result is a lower bill...
... the real problem is that this short-term good news means Washington isn't really acting as if it faces a crisis, no matter the rhetoric....
people are still pushing their ideologies rather than fixing the problem...
... great danger is that once again, the American economy will momentarily outperform expectations and relieve politicians from having to make hard choices about entitlements and taxes...
...but it will only postpone the day of reckoning and make the crash that much more painful.... (be wise... take the time and prepare).
For U.S. Economy, Short-Term Good News Is Bad News -- TIME
... why? ... even though the US debt now is much greater, interest rates are much lower... result is a lower bill...
... the real problem is that this short-term good news means Washington isn't really acting as if it faces a crisis, no matter the rhetoric....
people are still pushing their ideologies rather than fixing the problem...
... great danger is that once again, the American economy will momentarily outperform expectations and relieve politicians from having to make hard choices about entitlements and taxes...
...but it will only postpone the day of reckoning and make the crash that much more painful.... (be wise... take the time and prepare).
For U.S. Economy, Short-Term Good News Is Bad News -- TIME
Noam Chomsky - Who Owns the World?
Many are the authors who may wonder if anyone is paying attention to what they write.
Professor Noam Chomsky, MIT's preeminent linguistics authority, doesn't have that problem.
Recent research on citations in three different citation indices show that Professor Chomsky is one of the most cited individuals in works published in the past 20 years.
In fact, his 3,874 citations in the Arts and Humanities Citation Index between 1980 and 1992 make him the most cited living person in that period and the eighth most cited source overall -- just behind famed psychiatrist Sigmund Freud and just ahead of philosopher Georg Hegel.
Indeed, Professor Chomsky is in illustrious company. The top ten cited sources during the period were: Marx, Lenin, Shakespeare, Aristotle, the Bible, Plato, Freud, Chomsky, Hegel and Cicero.
But that isn't all.
From 1972 to 1992, Professor Chomsky was cited 7,449 times in the Social Science Citation Index-likely the greatest number of times for a living person there as well, although the research into those numbers isn't complete. In addition, from 1974 to 1992 he was cited 1,619 times in the Science Citation Index.
"What it means is that he is very widely read across disciplines and that his work is used by researchers across disciplines," said Theresa A. Tobin, the Humanities Librarian who checked the numbers.
"In fact," she added, "it seems that you can't write a paper without citing Noam Chomsky.
Chomsky is a 'huge deal'... what he says we all should be mindful of, and listen to very carefully. This lengthy article is a must read (at least a couple times to grab all its' message) for anyone interested in the state of the world today.
And search out and watch his YouTube interviews... he's very easy to listen to and understand, and what he says is crucial to all of us in today's world.
Note: The list of url's for his speeches & interviews has been moved up top to the 'Home' bar on the blog... (ChomskyTalks).
Tomgram: Noam Chomsky, Who Owns the World? | TomDispatch
Professor Noam Chomsky, MIT's preeminent linguistics authority, doesn't have that problem.
Recent research on citations in three different citation indices show that Professor Chomsky is one of the most cited individuals in works published in the past 20 years.
In fact, his 3,874 citations in the Arts and Humanities Citation Index between 1980 and 1992 make him the most cited living person in that period and the eighth most cited source overall -- just behind famed psychiatrist Sigmund Freud and just ahead of philosopher Georg Hegel.
Indeed, Professor Chomsky is in illustrious company. The top ten cited sources during the period were: Marx, Lenin, Shakespeare, Aristotle, the Bible, Plato, Freud, Chomsky, Hegel and Cicero.
But that isn't all.
From 1972 to 1992, Professor Chomsky was cited 7,449 times in the Social Science Citation Index-likely the greatest number of times for a living person there as well, although the research into those numbers isn't complete. In addition, from 1974 to 1992 he was cited 1,619 times in the Science Citation Index.
"What it means is that he is very widely read across disciplines and that his work is used by researchers across disciplines," said Theresa A. Tobin, the Humanities Librarian who checked the numbers.
"In fact," she added, "it seems that you can't write a paper without citing Noam Chomsky.
Chomsky is a 'huge deal'... what he says we all should be mindful of, and listen to very carefully. This lengthy article is a must read (at least a couple times to grab all its' message) for anyone interested in the state of the world today.
And search out and watch his YouTube interviews... he's very easy to listen to and understand, and what he says is crucial to all of us in today's world.
Note: The list of url's for his speeches & interviews has been moved up top to the 'Home' bar on the blog... (ChomskyTalks).
Tomgram: Noam Chomsky, Who Owns the World? | TomDispatch
The Cost of Oil
From the get-go oil should have been looked at as a transition resource... and with a better vision, it could have been with us for possibly thousands of years.
Instead it was treated as the end all of all end-all's, and as such 95% of all the stuff in our present day world in one way or another relates to oil... and so it incredibly might not last 100 years.
The real fault is at the doorstep of all the leaders that had time but for one reason or another, no inclination to make the changes necessary to lead us in another direction.
We're even really not trying hard to do it now, when we all know how little time we have left with oil still somewhat available.
It's going to be very uncomfortable the day peak-oil arrives... our lives will change measurably.
Another big gamble, that no one really has an answer to... will the drop come quickly, or will it be gradual.
There's a huge difference from one to the other... smart thing would be to plan for the worst.
But sad reality is that we just can't seem to do the right thing on a consistent basis... get ready.
New. Clear. Vision. | The Cost of Oil
Instead it was treated as the end all of all end-all's, and as such 95% of all the stuff in our present day world in one way or another relates to oil... and so it incredibly might not last 100 years.
The real fault is at the doorstep of all the leaders that had time but for one reason or another, no inclination to make the changes necessary to lead us in another direction.
We're even really not trying hard to do it now, when we all know how little time we have left with oil still somewhat available.
It's going to be very uncomfortable the day peak-oil arrives... our lives will change measurably.
Another big gamble, that no one really has an answer to... will the drop come quickly, or will it be gradual.
There's a huge difference from one to the other... smart thing would be to plan for the worst.
But sad reality is that we just can't seem to do the right thing on a consistent basis... get ready.
New. Clear. Vision. | The Cost of Oil
... skin in the game.
There's no doubt in my mind, doing away with the draft was one of the costliest decisions this country has made.
For there is no way it would be so easy to get involved and stay involved in conflict for so many years if not for the absence of conscript service.
The American people are far too removed from wars being fought... having friends and relatives in service would have stopped them in their tracks by now...
... with only 0.5 percent of Americans in the military (compared with 8.6 percent during World War II), we have relatively few witnesses to the butchery of soldiers and civilians who can come home to tell their stories.... we don’t know war up close....
...'skin in the game.'
America in the Hands of a Professional Military | Truthout
For there is no way it would be so easy to get involved and stay involved in conflict for so many years if not for the absence of conscript service.
The American people are far too removed from wars being fought... having friends and relatives in service would have stopped them in their tracks by now...
... with only 0.5 percent of Americans in the military (compared with 8.6 percent during World War II), we have relatively few witnesses to the butchery of soldiers and civilians who can come home to tell their stories.... we don’t know war up close....
...'skin in the game.'
America in the Hands of a Professional Military | Truthout
A Morally Untenable Corporate System
No question.. there is no 'morality' when it comes to top executive remuneration.
It's glom whatever you can get your hands on... whatever way you can do it....
... from 2000 to 2008, the people running the top 14 US financial institutions received cash compensation (salary, bonus, and the value of stock sold) of around $2.6 BILLION!!
Not every one, but most of these characters are very bright guys. And they just might be reacting to the realization that the ship is sinking, and they are going to grab as much as possible for themselves before it goes under.
And it goes without saying that they know in today's world there is not much that is going to stop them... they might get slowed down a bit, but the system is on their side for whatever they want to get away with.
As suggested by the labor uprising in Wisconsin—now spreading to other states—working people have not only lost faith in corporations' ability to show any concern for fairness.... workers are increasingly moving from outrage to action.
A Morally Untenable Corporate System | Truthout
It's glom whatever you can get your hands on... whatever way you can do it....
... from 2000 to 2008, the people running the top 14 US financial institutions received cash compensation (salary, bonus, and the value of stock sold) of around $2.6 BILLION!!
Not every one, but most of these characters are very bright guys. And they just might be reacting to the realization that the ship is sinking, and they are going to grab as much as possible for themselves before it goes under.
And it goes without saying that they know in today's world there is not much that is going to stop them... they might get slowed down a bit, but the system is on their side for whatever they want to get away with.
As suggested by the labor uprising in Wisconsin—now spreading to other states—working people have not only lost faith in corporations' ability to show any concern for fairness.... workers are increasingly moving from outrage to action.
A Morally Untenable Corporate System | Truthout
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fracking Chemicals Stay Underground
This is our new way to solve our energy crisis.
In 2005, Congress exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. That law allows the EPA to regulate the injection of hazardous fluids into underground wells, a practice widely used to dispose of drilling wastewater.
Personally, I would not trust one of these characters as far I could toss them... yet we are relying on them to be honest and moral in protecting our drinking water from poisons.
Yea right... that's gonna work!!
In the next 10 years, the United States will use the fracturing technology to drill hundreds of thousands of wells in cities, rivers and watersheds. The problem is scientists and regulators have not answered crucial questions about the risks.... 29 chemicals that are known or possible carcinogens.
In the United States regulating the industry is going to be tough, because the federal government does not regulate hydraulic fracturing. Oversight is left to states where regulations vary widely.
Again we're rolling the dice that all will turn out right.
Another enormous bet... with quality of life for millions at stake.
Fracking Chemicals Cited in Congressional Report Stay Underground - ProPublica
In 2005, Congress exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. That law allows the EPA to regulate the injection of hazardous fluids into underground wells, a practice widely used to dispose of drilling wastewater.
Personally, I would not trust one of these characters as far I could toss them... yet we are relying on them to be honest and moral in protecting our drinking water from poisons.
Yea right... that's gonna work!!
In the next 10 years, the United States will use the fracturing technology to drill hundreds of thousands of wells in cities, rivers and watersheds. The problem is scientists and regulators have not answered crucial questions about the risks.... 29 chemicals that are known or possible carcinogens.
In the United States regulating the industry is going to be tough, because the federal government does not regulate hydraulic fracturing. Oversight is left to states where regulations vary widely.
Again we're rolling the dice that all will turn out right.
Another enormous bet... with quality of life for millions at stake.
Fracking Chemicals Cited in Congressional Report Stay Underground - ProPublica
Saturday, April 16, 2011
"... free lunch that never ends."
... that last line of the article is for the most part the only one that's entirely incorrect.
It cannot continue on forever, it IS going to end, ... and it's going to end very badly for huge numbers of the population, and not only those in this country... the world will suffer greatly as well, nowhere will be immune.
It's a terrible indictment of what this country (and the world in general) has evolved into... what is being described here should be leading to charges and jail time, but instead they are able to continue on with their 'no holds barred' to hell with the world philosophy.
The system has been deliberately set up to proceed the way it is.. an ultimate con, and we're all the suckers just letting it go on and on... until it brings us all to our knees.
"The problem will come when the dollar starts to seriously erode against other currencies because too much of the currency has been put into circulation. When that happens, there may be a shift away from the dollar as the world’s “reserve currency.” Looking further, one could then imagine the US being unable to issue debt to foreign investors, because they would no longer want to be left holding dollars, and the US would have to either drastically reduce its debt, or borrow in foreign-denominated debt--say Yen or Euros or Renminbi."
"... the world is starting to protect, and perhaps ultimately free, itself from America's weak dollar standard.... the bill is coming due in a weak dollar, food and energy inflation, and the decline of U.S. economic credibility."
That day might not be much longer, and all I can say is that we should all use the time to get ourselves ready for what is undoubtedly going to be one of the most unbelievably difficult periods in our history.
The Real Housewives of Wall Street | Rolling Stone Politics
It cannot continue on forever, it IS going to end, ... and it's going to end very badly for huge numbers of the population, and not only those in this country... the world will suffer greatly as well, nowhere will be immune.
It's a terrible indictment of what this country (and the world in general) has evolved into... what is being described here should be leading to charges and jail time, but instead they are able to continue on with their 'no holds barred' to hell with the world philosophy.
The system has been deliberately set up to proceed the way it is.. an ultimate con, and we're all the suckers just letting it go on and on... until it brings us all to our knees.
"The problem will come when the dollar starts to seriously erode against other currencies because too much of the currency has been put into circulation. When that happens, there may be a shift away from the dollar as the world’s “reserve currency.” Looking further, one could then imagine the US being unable to issue debt to foreign investors, because they would no longer want to be left holding dollars, and the US would have to either drastically reduce its debt, or borrow in foreign-denominated debt--say Yen or Euros or Renminbi."
"... the world is starting to protect, and perhaps ultimately free, itself from America's weak dollar standard.... the bill is coming due in a weak dollar, food and energy inflation, and the decline of U.S. economic credibility."
That day might not be much longer, and all I can say is that we should all use the time to get ourselves ready for what is undoubtedly going to be one of the most unbelievably difficult periods in our history.
The Real Housewives of Wall Street | Rolling Stone Politics
Thursday, April 14, 2011
False Debate on the Debt
Be sure and read carefully Robert Scheer's article... and stay on top of this issue.. it's life or death for our democracy.
"Consumer confidence is down, the housing market is expected to decline an additional 10 percent over the next year, and the job market is predicted by most of the experts to stagnate for years to come.
Continued tax breaks for the 1 percent of the population that controls 40 percent of the nation’s wealth will do nothing to restore the confidence of the other 99 percent of consumers who are suffering"
"This at least Obama seems to understand, but count on him to betray his instincts by once again following the advice of his treasury secretary and the Wall Street crowd that contributed so lavishly to his first presidential campaign and whose support he seeks once again."
If we are to climb out from this enormous hole we're in... this must end. This never ending cycle of corrupt money being poured into our political system must be brought under control. If not, our whole way of life is surely to be consumed by the self-serving elite with the money and power to overwhelm our political system.
And contact your local pols... and force the issue with them.. they should her how strongly you feel.
Dear _________,
Take Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefit cuts completely off the table.
The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose cuts to these programs...
...but will support taxing the rich, ending corporate welfare, and heavily reducing military spending.
That, plus investment in jobs, should be the plan. Be the leader all HOPED you would be.
Regards,
Robert Scheer: The False Debate on the Debt - Robert Scheer's Columns - Truthdig
"Consumer confidence is down, the housing market is expected to decline an additional 10 percent over the next year, and the job market is predicted by most of the experts to stagnate for years to come.
Continued tax breaks for the 1 percent of the population that controls 40 percent of the nation’s wealth will do nothing to restore the confidence of the other 99 percent of consumers who are suffering"
"This at least Obama seems to understand, but count on him to betray his instincts by once again following the advice of his treasury secretary and the Wall Street crowd that contributed so lavishly to his first presidential campaign and whose support he seeks once again."
If we are to climb out from this enormous hole we're in... this must end. This never ending cycle of corrupt money being poured into our political system must be brought under control. If not, our whole way of life is surely to be consumed by the self-serving elite with the money and power to overwhelm our political system.
And contact your local pols... and force the issue with them.. they should her how strongly you feel.
Dear _________,
Take Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefit cuts completely off the table.
The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose cuts to these programs...
...but will support taxing the rich, ending corporate welfare, and heavily reducing military spending.
That, plus investment in jobs, should be the plan. Be the leader all HOPED you would be.
Regards,
Robert Scheer: The False Debate on the Debt - Robert Scheer's Columns - Truthdig
Monday, April 11, 2011
Hard to believe...
Statistics about U.S. economy almost too crazy to believe:
- Obama administration projects federal budget deficit will be $1,650,000,000,000 this year. Republicans and Democrats fight over budget cuts. Republicans proposing to cut the deficit by 1.59%. Democrats want it cut 0.86%.
- Estimated total U.S. government debt will grow by 42% by 2015
- U.S. economy actually grew more from 1930 to 1940 than during the past decade..
- Over last decade, number of Americans without health insurance rose from 38 million to 52 million.
- Agricultural commodities are soaring, price of corn has more than doubled over last 12 months. Corn is in thousands of our food products, this is a VERY frightening statistic. Rising food prices are an extremely serious issue throughout the entire world.
- Between 1999 and 2009, real median household income in the United States declined by 5.0%.
- Average American spends nearly a quarter of their income on food and gas... other parts of the world, it's almost, if not all of their income going for food.
- Average U.S. household will spend $700 more on gasoline in 2011 than 2010.
- Almost 25% of U.S. households now have zero net worth or negative net worth. In 2007, it was just 18.6%.As this figure grows, as it most surely will, more and more people have NOTHING to fall back on as times get even tougher.
- Cost of the first week of attacks on Libya was 600 million dollars.
- For the first time ever, OPEC will bring in over a trillion dollars from exporting oil this year, biggest customer is the United States.
- China produced 19.8% of all goods consumed in the world last year. US only 19.4%.
- US lost 50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the WTO in 2001.
- U.S. trade deficit with China in 2010 was 27 times larger than it was back in 1990.
- U.S. home values have fallen 6.3 trillion dollars since the peak of the real estate market in 2005... as hard as it is to believe, it will probably get even worse, as values fall even further.
- One out of every 45 U.S. households was hit with a foreclosure filing in 2010.
- Number of homes actually repossessed reached the 1 million mark for the first time ever in 2010.
- New home sales set a brand new all-time record low in the month of February.
- Home sales in the US are down 80% from the peak in July 2005.
- American families financial condition continues to deteriorate rapidly. In 2010, one out of every eight families had at least one family member that was unemployed, highest since Labor Department began keeping track back in 1994.
- More than 6 million have given up looking for work completely.
- Average length of unemployment in the U.S. is now an all-time record 39 weeks.
- Americans now owe $900 billion in student loans, also an all-time high.
- Average household debt in the US is 136% of average household income.
- Between 2007 and 2009 median household net worth in the US fell by 23%.
- Median household debt in the US has risen to $75,600.
- Purchasing power of dollar declined from $1.00 in 1913 to 4.6 cents in 2009...(unreal). Sadly, the Federal Reserve is working very hard to get rid of the little bit of purchasing power that the U.S. dollar has left.
- From 2000 to 2008, the people running the top 14 US financial institutions received cash compensation... (salary, bonus, and the value of stock sold)... of approx. $2.6 BILLION DOLLARS!! "Of this amount, around $2 billion was received by the five best-paid individuals, who were also central to creating the highly risky asset structures that brought the financial system to the edge of the abyss: Sandy Weil (built Citigroup, which blew up shortly after he left); Hank Paulson (greatly expanded Goldman Sachs, lobbied for allowing more leverage in investment banks, then moved to the US Treasury and helped save them); Angelo Mozilo (built Countrywide, a central player in irresponsible mortgage lending); Dick Fuld (ran Lehman Brothers into the ground); and Jimmy Cayne (ran Bear Stearns into the ground)."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Profit and the Disposable Planet
One great article... lays it out clear and simply stared.
More of these summary scenarios are beginning to appear.. eventually we might all be on the same page, fully understanding what is happening... question is, will there be time enough left for meaningful action.
For the blog bio, mention I never thought I'd be seeing these things that are now happening occur in my lifetime, Parenti mentions this exact same theme in his very well thought out and well written piece.
It could come to pass, that more of these guys that have the power to do something might eventually change their stripes and switch sides. But will they have that mindset or the will to act.
Bottom line is: profit & greed are enormous motivators.
Most all of us cannot really imagine what it's like to have that kind of temptation. .. just glad I don't have to make that choice.
Profit Pathology and the Disposable Planet | Truthout
More of these summary scenarios are beginning to appear.. eventually we might all be on the same page, fully understanding what is happening... question is, will there be time enough left for meaningful action.
For the blog bio, mention I never thought I'd be seeing these things that are now happening occur in my lifetime, Parenti mentions this exact same theme in his very well thought out and well written piece.
It could come to pass, that more of these guys that have the power to do something might eventually change their stripes and switch sides. But will they have that mindset or the will to act.
Bottom line is: profit & greed are enormous motivators.
Most all of us cannot really imagine what it's like to have that kind of temptation. .. just glad I don't have to make that choice.
Profit Pathology and the Disposable Planet | Truthout
... of the 1%... by the 1%... for the 1%
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, addresses the growing class divide taking place in the United States and inequality in an article... "Of the 1, by the 1, for the 1%."
Stiglitz is a professor at Columbia University and author of numerous books, most recently Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.
"It’s not just that the people at the top are getting richer," Stiglitz says. "Actually, they’re gaining, and everybody else is decreasing... And right now, we are worse than old Europe."
Wealth begets power, which begets more wealth.
The top 1 percent have the best of most everything, but there is one thing that money doesn’t seem to buy them: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live.
Through history, something the top 1 percent eventually learn.... but too late.
Good piece... take the time to read it.
************************************************************
... some relative stats came across recently...
... of the 400 U.S. taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income, the effective federal income tax rate, what they actually pay, fell from almost 30% in 1995 to just under 17% in 2007, according to the IRS.
... for the approximately 1.4 million people who make up the top 1% of taxpayers, the effective federal income tax rate dropped from 29% to 23% in 2008. It may seem too fantastic to be true, but the top 400 end up paying a lower rate than the next 1,399,600.
---- between 1948 and 1979, the richest 10% of families in the US claimed 33% of average income growth.... between 2000 and 2007, the richest 10% claimed a full 100% of average income growth in the US.
---- business taxes were cut from 46 to 34% 25 years ago... but today 115 of the big 500 companies listed on Standard and Poor’s paid federal and other taxes of less than 20% over the last 5 years... GE's rate last yer was 7%.
---- top 5% US households claim 63% of the entire country’s wealth.... bottom 80% hold just 13% of the growth.
---- last year, John Paulson, a hedge fund manager “earned” $4.9 billion (that's in ONE year folks!!)... ten years ago it took 25 such managers to collectively earn that much.
... last year the top 25 hedge fund managers pocketed a total of $22 billion.... it would take over 440,000 people each earning $50,000 a year to match that amount.
---- there are now more people living in poverty in the US than at any time in the last 50 years.... foreclosure filings were nearly 4 million in 2010, up 23% since 2008.
Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% | Society | Vanity Fair
Stiglitz is a professor at Columbia University and author of numerous books, most recently Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.
"It’s not just that the people at the top are getting richer," Stiglitz says. "Actually, they’re gaining, and everybody else is decreasing... And right now, we are worse than old Europe."
Wealth begets power, which begets more wealth.
The top 1 percent have the best of most everything, but there is one thing that money doesn’t seem to buy them: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live.
Through history, something the top 1 percent eventually learn.... but too late.
Good piece... take the time to read it.
************************************************************
... some relative stats came across recently...
... of the 400 U.S. taxpayers with the highest adjusted gross income, the effective federal income tax rate, what they actually pay, fell from almost 30% in 1995 to just under 17% in 2007, according to the IRS.
... for the approximately 1.4 million people who make up the top 1% of taxpayers, the effective federal income tax rate dropped from 29% to 23% in 2008. It may seem too fantastic to be true, but the top 400 end up paying a lower rate than the next 1,399,600.
---- between 1948 and 1979, the richest 10% of families in the US claimed 33% of average income growth.... between 2000 and 2007, the richest 10% claimed a full 100% of average income growth in the US.
---- business taxes were cut from 46 to 34% 25 years ago... but today 115 of the big 500 companies listed on Standard and Poor’s paid federal and other taxes of less than 20% over the last 5 years... GE's rate last yer was 7%.
---- top 5% US households claim 63% of the entire country’s wealth.... bottom 80% hold just 13% of the growth.
---- last year, John Paulson, a hedge fund manager “earned” $4.9 billion (that's in ONE year folks!!)... ten years ago it took 25 such managers to collectively earn that much.
... last year the top 25 hedge fund managers pocketed a total of $22 billion.... it would take over 440,000 people each earning $50,000 a year to match that amount.
---- there are now more people living in poverty in the US than at any time in the last 50 years.... foreclosure filings were nearly 4 million in 2010, up 23% since 2008.
Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% | Society | Vanity Fair
Friday, April 8, 2011
Endless cycle of hellish violence.. global armament.
Finally.. someone talking about the world's insane appetite for conflict and the direct relationship with weapons sales.
This is what it's ALL about... nothin else, plain and simple... money, big money... billions and billions of dollars.
Those espousing different, they're really avoiding the situation, or lying through their teeth... like most every recent and present politician and media mouthpiece worldwide (not all in either group, but close to it).
It is:
... why we have an 'unknown' number (THOUSANDS) of military bases in most every country on the planet...
... why we constantly keep getting involved in the most insane and ridiculous wars that never end...
... why we spend more than half our dollars on the MIC...
... and why we are flat out half a heartbeat from national (and ultimately worldwide) bankruptcy.
... serving in today's military.. high-class muscle-men for Big Business, for Wall Street and bankers.
All this back and forth name calling nonsense between politicians is just plain BS... deliberate obfuscation, to deflect attention from the real issues of who actually controls government through all the piles of cash flowing into their pockets... and the hard choices that must be made.
What politico do you constantly heard swearing, they ain't doing anything till that Citizens United decision gets fixed, and the country's insane military spending drastically gets cut. The power elite backing them prevent and will not allow even for them to hint at these real issues.
It's one (if not) 'the' main reason our government is so money corrupt. 'Untouchable' budget items... all in the name of getting outrageously rich.
Like Koehler states straightforward in his article... the oligarchs here in this country maintain, if they ain't gonna do it... someone, somewhere else will. So, with that logic, their gloming as much as they can, as fast as they can, and to hell with any of the consequences, no matter how harmful to the country (or the planet) that mantra may be.
They've created the perfect situation for themselves... they are in full control, and know exactly how they wish to proceed. But it's an arrogant doomsday scenario, taking us to a place where the world as we now know it cannot survive for much longer... the world just does not have resources to continue on with this madness indefinitely. They're all just burying their heads, expecting, hoping and praying it all crashes on someone else's watch...(and we should not delude ourselves, most realize it's gonna)... timing is their only real concern, not the unthinkable consequences of their inaction and dereliction.
John Stewart says in one of his recent bits... "we're now firing teaches and missiles simultaneously"... that's the life we've put together for our 'brave new world.'
We'd need divine intervention (or some other kind, not of this planet) to get this corrected... these guys just ain't givin it up any other way. It's said Obama will be the first billion dollar President... yep, you betcha... they'll be throwin millions (and billions ) more out there to stop their ponzi scheme from being dismantled.
If you're not a spiritual person, would suggest conversion rather soon... the world needs every prayer it can get right now.
A Vortex of Death and Wealth | Common Dreams
This is what it's ALL about... nothin else, plain and simple... money, big money... billions and billions of dollars.
Those espousing different, they're really avoiding the situation, or lying through their teeth... like most every recent and present politician and media mouthpiece worldwide (not all in either group, but close to it).
... why we have an 'unknown' number (THOUSANDS) of military bases in most every country on the planet...
... why we constantly keep getting involved in the most insane and ridiculous wars that never end...
... why we spend more than half our dollars on the MIC...
... and why we are flat out half a heartbeat from national (and ultimately worldwide) bankruptcy.
... serving in today's military.. high-class muscle-men for Big Business, for Wall Street and bankers.
All this back and forth name calling nonsense between politicians is just plain BS... deliberate obfuscation, to deflect attention from the real issues of who actually controls government through all the piles of cash flowing into their pockets... and the hard choices that must be made.
What politico do you constantly heard swearing, they ain't doing anything till that Citizens United decision gets fixed, and the country's insane military spending drastically gets cut. The power elite backing them prevent and will not allow even for them to hint at these real issues.
It's one (if not) 'the' main reason our government is so money corrupt. 'Untouchable' budget items... all in the name of getting outrageously rich.
Like Koehler states straightforward in his article... the oligarchs here in this country maintain, if they ain't gonna do it... someone, somewhere else will. So, with that logic, their gloming as much as they can, as fast as they can, and to hell with any of the consequences, no matter how harmful to the country (or the planet) that mantra may be.
They've created the perfect situation for themselves... they are in full control, and know exactly how they wish to proceed. But it's an arrogant doomsday scenario, taking us to a place where the world as we now know it cannot survive for much longer... the world just does not have resources to continue on with this madness indefinitely. They're all just burying their heads, expecting, hoping and praying it all crashes on someone else's watch...(and we should not delude ourselves, most realize it's gonna)... timing is their only real concern, not the unthinkable consequences of their inaction and dereliction.
John Stewart says in one of his recent bits... "we're now firing teaches and missiles simultaneously"... that's the life we've put together for our 'brave new world.'
We'd need divine intervention (or some other kind, not of this planet) to get this corrected... these guys just ain't givin it up any other way. It's said Obama will be the first billion dollar President... yep, you betcha... they'll be throwin millions (and billions ) more out there to stop their ponzi scheme from being dismantled.
If you're not a spiritual person, would suggest conversion rather soon... the world needs every prayer it can get right now.
Business of War: Federal & Private Military Contractors Profit Off War
A Vortex of Death and Wealth | Common Dreams
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Nowhere Man
Here we go again...
this coming Presidential election is going to seem to go on and on forever... but what's it really gonna matter... what's it going to change.
The structural problem we now have with government is going to continue. Why... cause no one's even talking about doing anything about it... so how for the love of money is it gonna get changed.
The delusion of a classless America in which opportunity is equally distributed is the most effective deception perpetrated by the moneyed elite that controls all the key levers of power in what passes for our democracy.The wrong folks rule... they have the power, and ain't gonna give it up... they'll die first... and spend every last penny of their vast fortunes doing battle.
Obama wins... even if he does a 180, he's still facing the same bunch and would have them to confront and deal with... same old... same old.
Pick someone who's got a chance of winning besides Bama-man, combined with the skill-set to make this enormous redirection happen... please, give the world that name...
... Bachmann... OMG!! ... should it EVER become possible... we deserve what we would get!!
... Donald Trump... he wants the limelight, but not employment.
God help us.... bout the only one that can.
Obama The Nowhere Man | Scoop News
this coming Presidential election is going to seem to go on and on forever... but what's it really gonna matter... what's it going to change.
The structural problem we now have with government is going to continue. Why... cause no one's even talking about doing anything about it... so how for the love of money is it gonna get changed.
The delusion of a classless America in which opportunity is equally distributed is the most effective deception perpetrated by the moneyed elite that controls all the key levers of power in what passes for our democracy.The wrong folks rule... they have the power, and ain't gonna give it up... they'll die first... and spend every last penny of their vast fortunes doing battle.
Obama wins... even if he does a 180, he's still facing the same bunch and would have them to confront and deal with... same old... same old.
Pick someone who's got a chance of winning besides Bama-man, combined with the skill-set to make this enormous redirection happen... please, give the world that name...
... Bachmann... OMG!! ... should it EVER become possible... we deserve what we would get!!
... Donald Trump... he wants the limelight, but not employment.
God help us.... bout the only one that can.
Obama The Nowhere Man | Scoop News
Our military spending is just absolute insanity!!
... 662 overseas bases but fails to include the 411 bases in Afghanistan, 88 remaining bases in Iraq, or sites in Qatar and other countries where military personnel are stationed
... maintaining and constructing all U.S. bases cost American taxpayers $41.6 billion in 2010
... Washington is responsible for nearly half of all global military expenditures, which totaled over $1.5 trillion in 2009
... demand the world dial back the military madness and devote resources to the real threats facing the planet: climate change, global poverty, nuclear proliferation.
... until Democrats agree to rein in entitlement spending, and Republicans back off the blank checks to the military industrial complex, all puffery in government amounts to political gamesmanship.
... in spite of all the rhetoric, we will go deeper in debt, the Fed will print more money, and the value of the dollar will continue to plummet. How long will it be before foreigners stop buying our debt, and hyperinflation arrives?
... throughout history, empires have always overextended themselves through conquests and wealth transfers leading to eventual collapse, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union. We are headed in the same direction and it seems only the chaos of the collapse of the dollar will stop the spending spree.
... arguing over funding for Planned Parenthood and NPR, though important, only shows that leadership in Washington either won't face reality, or don't understand how serious the problem is.
... no one in Washington has the will to tell the population the nanny state has to come to an end.
The Geopolitics of Stupid | FPIF
... maintaining and constructing all U.S. bases cost American taxpayers $41.6 billion in 2010
... Washington is responsible for nearly half of all global military expenditures, which totaled over $1.5 trillion in 2009
... demand the world dial back the military madness and devote resources to the real threats facing the planet: climate change, global poverty, nuclear proliferation.
... until Democrats agree to rein in entitlement spending, and Republicans back off the blank checks to the military industrial complex, all puffery in government amounts to political gamesmanship.
... in spite of all the rhetoric, we will go deeper in debt, the Fed will print more money, and the value of the dollar will continue to plummet. How long will it be before foreigners stop buying our debt, and hyperinflation arrives?
... throughout history, empires have always overextended themselves through conquests and wealth transfers leading to eventual collapse, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union. We are headed in the same direction and it seems only the chaos of the collapse of the dollar will stop the spending spree.
... arguing over funding for Planned Parenthood and NPR, though important, only shows that leadership in Washington either won't face reality, or don't understand how serious the problem is.
... no one in Washington has the will to tell the population the nanny state has to come to an end.
The Geopolitics of Stupid | FPIF
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