Who elected ALEC?

I mean, really - have you ever seen a ballot that looks like this? You know, Barack Obama, Newt Gingrich, ALEC?

I haven't.

This is a representative democratic republic - here, the United States - or at least it's supposed to be - it's a government where we the people elect legislators to represent OUR interests.

You know, if you were outdoors at night in the forest naked, cold and hungry, I think it would be reasonable to say that you're unhappy. We all know that. And if somebody came out and said, 'hey, come on inside. You know, we're going to bring you in, make you warm, give you some clothing, you can sit in front of a comfortable fire, have a meal', you'd be full and happier.

When it comes to a single-payer health care system - we have to look toward Canada.

The Canadian government didn't just one day say, "it's time for a single-payer system" - and then poof - everyone was covered.

Instead - it was a process.

It was a process that started locally.

There's one industry - just one industry - that's specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution - and that's the press.

That's because the founders knew how important a free, open, and diligent press is to keeping a too-powerful government in check and for a population informed enough to make a democratic vote.

As Thomas Jefferson said:

Right-wing politicians and their bankster buddies have dealt the same terrible hand to Michigan as they have to Greece.

When it comes to economic troubles - the United States hasn't quite reached the disaster scenario that Greece finds itself in.

The Greek economy is contracting - while the U.S. economy is growing.

The unemployment rate in Greece is 18.8% - in the US it's officially 8.5%.

Right now - at this very moment - odds are, someone is getting on a plane some place with a condom full of heroin or cocaine shoved up some hole in their body.

In all probability it's happening right now - as we speak and 24/7.

And TSA security has no chance of finding it - none at all...unless they want to bust out the KY jelly and latex gloves.

President Obama said the state of our union is “getting stronger”.

Unfortunately for our neighbors across the pond - the same can’t be said about the United Kingdom - and a half-dozen or so other European countries as well.

The man who is delivering the Republican response to the President's State of the Union address is this guy - Republican Governor from Indiana - Mitch Daniels.

And the thing all Americans should know as they listen to his speech - is that he's a great multi-tasker. Because not only can he give a partisan response to the State of the Union - but he can also wage a war on working people at the same time.

In 1936 - Franklin Roosevelt was president - and he spoke to the nation about a war.

So what have we learned today?

Thom Hartmann: Welcome back, Thom Hartmann here with you live from Reykjavik, Iceland. And we’ve been having some, I think fascinating and in some cases arcane in the minutia. But on the other hand, I just find it all amazing what’s going on here. And with me, I’m very, very pleased to have with me, Paul Fontaine. He’s a journalist with the Reykjavik Grapevine. And that website is Grapevine.is, ".is" is the domain here in Iceland.