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Thom's blog
Big banks bending the rules again
You need to know what the big banks are up to. After Democrats passed Wall Street reform legislation earlier this year – big banksters are now trying to soften many of the new rules put in place to prevent another financial crisis. At a conference yesterday – Wall Street lobbyists and big bank CEO’s met to discuss ways to “reshape” new rules. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman railed against what he called anti-Wall Street sentiments coming out of Washington and urged, “The financial system nearly shut down. It's only two years on. You need a little bit of patience to rebuild, to accumulate the capital you need.” Boo-hoo. Right...the consumers need patience – yet, the CEOs can’t wait another second to collect their fat bonus checks. This year, executive bonuses are expected to be higher than last year – seems like they’re doing ok to me. Of course these CEOs have a new ally in Congress as Republicans – like incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor - have vowed to soften parts of the Wall Street Reform bill. Do they not remember what got us into this mess 2 years ago?! However - one place big banks don’t have an ally is in the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – temporarily headed by Elizabeth Warren. Appearing on MSNBC last night, Warren said this about the big banks’ efforts to kill consumer protections, “"The Wall Street lobbyists said they would kill it before it was ever born. They lost. And they lost because this is an agency that really is there for middle class families." Finally – after 2 years – It looks like someone in the Obama Administration is looking out for the little guy.
-Thom
Do you think the banks will succeed? Tell us here.) |
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Read Thom's Book for Free!
Now you can read all of Thom Hartmann's "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country" for free online. Truthout is publishing weekly installments over the next 12 weeks.
The introduction is already up, and each week we will be publishing another of the proven 11 steps to restoring America. |
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 9pm and 11pm... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT, and catch past shows on Youtube)
Need to Know: After Democrats passed Wall Street reform legislation earlier this year – big banksters are now trying to soften many of the new rules put in place to prevent another financial crisis. Joining me in the studio is Alex J. Pollock, Resident Scholar at The American Enterprise Institute.
Screwed: Is it the end of the internet as we know it? I'm meeting face to face on TV with Seton Motley, President of Less Government.
Plus, Why are conservatives afraid to let gays serve openly in the military? I confront Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association.
... Phone spying...sounds funny, but the bigger picture is frightening...stalkers, government...? With Marc Rudov, "The No Nonsense Man", host of "The Marc Rudov Show" (radio), author, speaker, paradigm-shifter, relationship coach, and radio/TV personality.
Green Report: Weird weather...a sign of global warming? Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, UCS climate scientist, presents the evidence
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The Daily Stack 
Quote: "Liberalism, above all, means emancipation - emancipation from one's fears, his inadequacies, from prejudice, from discrimination, from poverty." -- Hubert H. Humphrey.
Hour One: "W's" new book...truth or spin? Politicial commentator and fellow talk show host Bill Press, host of The Bill Press Show and author of the new book "Toxic Talk", gives his opinion.
If you use the Internet - you could be screwed.
Hour Two: Will the Republicans kill health care? Health Insurance industry whistle blower Wendell Potter, author of the new book "Deadly Spin", joins Thom.
Article: " Geneva / US Human Rights Review" by UN. Harold Koh: " A number have expressed concern about the legality of our uses of force in Afghanistan and elsewhere. With respect to use of force and targeting light detentions, the United States is committed to ensuring that all of our actions fully comply with the rule of law. It is the considered view of this administration that U.S. targeting practices, including lethal operations conducted with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, comply with all applicable law, including international humanitarian law."
Hour Three: Have we witnessed the 'Death of the Liberal Class'? Thom challenges reporter/author and fellow liberal Chris Hedges, Senior Fellow at the Nation Institute, Reporter/Foreign Correspondent, about his new book " Death of the Liberal Class".
Book: " Money" by Emile Zola. |
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Coming up Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program
Hour Two: Financial Crisis Thom is joined in the studio by Christopher Whalen, cofounder of Institutional Risk Analytics, the Torrance, CA, provider of bank and company ratings, custom analytics and consulting services for auditors, regulators and financial professionals. Author of the new book "Inflated: How Money and Debt Built the American Dream."
And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program... your media support group for we the people.
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OUT NOW!
Medicare “part E” – For Everybody
"Medicare “Part E” – For Everybody" would be totally consistent with what President Lyndon B. Johnson and the folks in his administration and Congress had in mind when they created Medicare in July of 1965.
Medicare got passed because old people were not profitable for the health insurance companies, so they were happy to get them off their rolls’ and onto the government’s. “[The elderly] used, on average, more than twice as many hospital days as younger persons used but had, on average, only about half as much income. Private insurers, who set premiums to cover current costs, had to charge the elderly much more, and the elderly could not afford the charges,” wrote Robert M. Ball, who was the Commissioner of Social Security at the time.
It’s been over 45 years since Medicare was legislated into existence, and it was established with the idea that one day it would be just slightly tweaked to become the national single-payer health insurance program for the United States of America. Let’s fulfill the intended promise of Medicare now!
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Watch & Listen to Thom
Economic expectations hit rock bottom
"A recent poll shows US illegal immigration fell nearly 65 percent in recent years. But anti-immigrant hysteria is still on the rise in America. The report was released by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. Radio host Thom Hartmann argued that some in America fear immigrants and others use that fear as a political tool, scapegoating immigrants as the cause for American woes. Hartmann said the past 30 years of economic policy have lead to today’s economic crisis, but the anti-immigration movement is blaming immigrants instead."
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Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow urgently. Please help if you can. |
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