- Guests:
- Sallie James, policy analyst with the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies.
- Mark Finkelstein, columnist for Newsbusters.org; host of "Right Angle," an award-winning local political talk show in Ithaca, NY; writer of food and wine stories for the Ithaca Times.
- Wayne Root, American entrepreneur, television producer, author of "The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution With God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts", 2008 US Libertarian Party Vice Presidential nominee; currently considered the 2012 front runner for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination.
- Topics:
- Do we sacrifice the future of a middle class in America - and the planet's health - so that we can keep buying cheap goods from China?
- Is America at risk of turning into Venezuela due to Fox News?
- Hate crimes...why do conservatives and libertarians love terrorism?
- Bumper Music:
- Learning to Fly, Tom Petty.
- High Cost Of Living, Jamey Johnson.
- Sympathy for the Devil, Rolling Stones.
- Some Kind Of Trouble, Tanya Tucker.
- Radio, Radio, Elvis Costello.
- Peace, Love & Understanding, Elvis Costello.
- World Hold On, Bob Sinclar (video).
- Democracy, Leonard Cohen.
- Today's newsletter has details of today's guests and links to the major stories and alerts that Thom covered in the show, plus lots more. If you haven't signed up for the free newsletter yet, please do. If you missed today's newsletter, it is in the archive.
- Quote: Quote: "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson.
- Article: "Free Trade Is a Boon to the Environment" by Sallie James.
"On trade, the G-20 will no doubt pledge to work hard to complete the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations by 2010, and to keep trade open in the meantime. Unfortunately,its record in this area is not great.
The governing body has consistently, if hypocritically in view of its subsequent actions, issued statements emphasizing the importance of avoiding protectionism amid a global financial crisis, only to have its members do the opposite. Too often the temptation among G-20 countries to subsidize and protect their own has proven too great to resist."
- Article: "Seattle company selling lots in Hell" by Jamie Griswold.".
"Seattle-based Pandemonium Real Estate was started a few months not to sell condos or building lots. It offers clients deeds in hell. Owner David Cook says business is good so if you have a difficult boss or a friend who crossed the line, you can gift them a deed from $49.99 to $3,000 - there's now a place in hell for anyone...for a price."
- Article: "At rescued banks, perks keep rolling: Bosses benefit after bailout : Fringe compensation rose 4 percent last year" by Tomoeh Murakami Tse.
"Even as the nation's biggest financial firms were struggling and the federal government was spending hundreds of billions of dollars to save many of them, the companies as a group were boosting the perks and benefits they pay their chief executives.
The firms, accounting for more $350 billion in federal bailout funds, increased these perks and benefits 4 percent on average last year, according to an analysis of corporate disclosures filed in recent months.
Some chief executives, such as Kenneth D. Lewis of Bank of America and Jeffrey M. Peek of CIT Group, the major small-business lender now on the brink of bankruptcy, each received about $100,000 more than a year earlier for personal use of corporate jets. Others saw an increase in the value of chauffeured services, parking or personal security.
Ralph W. Babb Jr., chief executive of Dallas-based lender Comerica, was compensated for a new country club membership, with an initiation fee and dues of more than $200,000. GMAC Financial Services chief executive Alvaro de Molina benefited from a $2.5 million payment from his company to help cover his personal tax bill."
