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Thom's blog
Wikileaks: the Agenda At Play
You need to know this. Julian Assange was arrested today in London. The wikileaks founder turned himself in to London authorities this morning in relation to a sex crimes investigation in Sweden. Assange is accused of having consensual – but unprotected sex in that country – which is illegal. His accuser is a woman who works for an anti-Castro group funded by the CIA. Unclear what happens next – Assange is likely to challenge extradition to Sweden which means he will stay in custody in the UK or be released on bail pending another hearing. Yesterday – his legal defense fund – 31,000 pounds - was frozen by a Swedish bank – affecting his chances to receive a fair trail should it come to that. A spokesperson for wikileaks – claimed Assange’s arrest will not impair the site – and the release of more sensitive documents will continue. Also – the site has no intention yet of dispatching the “doomsday” files that Assange warned would be released in case he was arrested or killed. However – should the United States – which has also launched an investigation against the whistleblower for unknown crimes – succeed in having Assange extradited here – the release of those files is highly likely.
-Thom
(What do you think ought to happen to Assange and Wikileaks? Tell us here.) |
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Today on the Big Picture... Wikileaks: the Agenda At Play... 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: Wikileaks: the Agenda At Play... Julian Assange Arrested: WikiLeaks Founder Taken Into Custody In London On Swedish Warrant. With Vince Warren, Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR).
Screwed: Obama compromised on tax cuts-what does it really mean? Obama Caves on Tax Cuts for Wealthy, Capitulating to 'Bush-McCain Philosophy'. With Felix Salmon, Reporter/Blogger - Reuters.
Immigration, Dream Act The White House Pushes the DREAM ACT. With Tom Tancredo, Former US Congressman & Republican Presidential candidate (R-CO).
Best of the Rest: Organ vampires? Organ Wagons to make house calls. With Wesley Smith, Senior Fellow in Human Rights and Bioethics at the Discovery Institute; author of 11 books, most recently "A Rat is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement".
Debate: Capitalism vs Socialism...which is the real life "Wonderful Life?" Capra and Rand on the Wonderful Life or Beck's Distortions of 'It's A Wonderful Life' Mirror His Distortions of Current Events. With Yaron Brook, president and executive director-Ayn Rand Institute; regular contributor to Forbes.com.
Crazy Alert! A Festivus for the rest of us! Incoming Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is borrowing an idea from the hit TV show Seinfeld and plans on holding a Festivus fundraiser.Just as Frank Constanza envisioned it – Cantor’s Festivus reception - where tickets are $500 – will include the “feats of strength” and the “airing of grievances.” I’m sure there will be no shortage of grievances to be aired at a Republicans fundraiser – in fact – they could be there all night!
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Daily Take: Homeland Security asks Walmart Shoppers to report Suspicious Behavior. Welcome to the United States of FEAR...
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The Daily Stack 
Quote: "It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach." -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Hour One: Why did Obama sell out his progressive base to make a deal with Republicans?
Hour Two: Is Big Brother is coming to a Wal Mart near you? with Jamie Weinstein of the Daily Caller.
Hour Three: "Time to Think the Unthinkable: A Democratic Primary Challenge To Obama's Reelection?" Professor Clarence B. Jones, former speechwriter and counsel to Dr. Martin Luther King, joins Thom.
Quote: "On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right." — Martin Luther King Jr.
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Coming up Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program
Hour Two: Why the mainstream media black out on the Cancun media summit? So much for global warming? Really?! I'll have a rumble with Dan Gainor of the Business and Media Institute...
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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Watch & Listen to Thom
Crazy Alert! Does the TSA have a secret homosexual agenda?
Daily Take: Is Obama a Nixonian Republican?
President Obama failed in convincing Spain not to prosecute Bush for war crimes?
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Tighten the workforce
Here’s another way to tighten up our labor market and thus raise wages and our standard of living: lower the current Social Security retirement age from the current 65-67 to 55, and increase the benefits back to where they were in inflation-adjusted 1960s dollars by raising them between 10 to 20 percent (so people could actually live, albeit modestly, on Social Security).
The right-wing reaction to this, of course, will be to say that with fewer people working and more people drawing benefits, it would bankrupt Social Security and destroy the economy.
But history shows the exact reverse. It would instead eliminate the problem of unemployment in the United States. All those Boomers retiring would make room in the labor market for all the recent high school and college graduates who are now finding it so hard to find a job.
Thus a tightened labor market would increase wages. And as wages go up, tax revenues – which are paying for Social Security (among other things) – would increase.
Additionally, these new-into-the-workforce people can then pay off student loans, buy new houses and cars, and otherwise drive the economy from the bottom up (which is the only way that actually works). Which will further increase tax revenues, further strengthening the Social Security system.
What all of the above measures – cracking down on illegal employers, standardizing citizenship procedures for all non-refugee applicants, banning any government services for illegal immigrants other than urgent medical care, lowering the retirement age to 55 – will do is ultimately tighten our labor market.
And a tighter labor market will improve wages and once again result in a stable middle class.
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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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