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I agree. Clinton was not only a problem where American labor is concerned, but he was also a problem where Marijuana legalization is concerned. In my opinion, he was just another passenger on the fascist band wagon, along with all the Neo-cons. The only credit Clinton deserves would be that he knew how to manipulate the economy so that it worked better than when the conservatives were in control of the presidential office. Being that he is from the red state of Arkansas didn't help him much where progressives are concerned. He was part of the problems Americans face, not any cure for the problems by a long shot. What Democratic members need to do is clean out all the bad Democratic members and continue to replace them with good progressive Democratic members. There is no hope for the Republican party, most of them are bad for the country, but for the Democratic party, there is still some hope.
Orwell said best in 1984 - We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.
Yeah CK, I get it. One set of rules for us real people, another for fictitious "people". Ain't it a bitch. - AIW
The most profoundly destructive political power is based on the willingness of people to willingly surrender their rights to liberty and even their lives to a contrived deception of faith that their loss of dignity is pre-ordained and die in the streets, broken and neglected by messages of greed and the mass marketed message of of the self actualized achiever. The modern day heroes and lifestyles of billionaires and celebrities fill our lives with like heroin of the soul, reminding those who proliferate jobs of mindless, low paying jobs competing with warehoused, industrial overseas slaves. I grew up in the era of one income households, low cost educational opportunities, and walked into labor force that has all but disengaged into a handful of incredibly huge corporations whose only goal is to, at any cost, reduce costs and convince you and me to give them our blind loyalty. The political machine followed accordingly. What is truly amazing isn't how companies and politicians take advantage of people, rather than Americans have fully and willingly capitulated to the 24/7 marketing amnesia - without but the slightest whimper. They outsourced our jobs and we said nothing. They dissolved our right to unionized and we said nothing. They destroyed our economy and we said nothing. They monetized our healthcare system and we said nothing. Nothing. Not even a whimper.
During the 1960's we had 4 of our most effective progressive leaders murdered w/in a span of 5 years. Unless you believe in the Easter Bunny, the "lone gunman" and Santa Claus you likely have some sense that the elimination of 4 of our progressive leaders, while still in their 30's and 40's was somehow not just the result of random occurance. They would have been our leading statesman for the progressive point of view over the past 40 - 50 years.
Certaintly the argument could be posited that the absence of these extremely able liberal and progressive voices has no doubt enabeled those on the right and far right to advocate for and enact their desired policies with greater ease than would have otherwise been the case.
I am reminded of the years immeaditly preceeding the rise the Third Reich in Germany, when over 400 persons were disapeared. They were the most progressive, intellectually enlightened and politically active voices, which one can imagine would have been the most vocal in opposing Hitlers rule.
Is it any wonder we are now talking about Fascism in America, that we are no longer a democratic republic, but now officially an "Oligarcy"; Is this not the logical outcome of removing 4 of our most effective progressive political leaders?
So true. Clinton really did sell us out and got away with it because of his rhetoric and personal charm. Similarly, Obama gets a pass though his administration has prosecuted more whistle blowers than the previous 75 years' administrations combined. (not to mention the indiscriminate drone warfare).
When are we going to look at what they DO and not what they say?
The real war on working people in America is allowing tens of millions of illegals enter your county driving wages down and taxing your schools and hospitals. That only happens in America and no where else in the world. Can anyone give me one good reason why you allow this.
RichardofJeffer... ~ Well said! Very well said!
How do we end the GOP/Fascist war on the 99% when most of our elected officials including the President choose to ignore this economic genocide. FDR was anything but silent about the Economic Royalists...he called them out and spoke truth to power. He wasn't intimidated by money and power like Obama has been. A planned event has shook him up. There will be no more speeches supporting unions and working people from our President. He knows the truth..... he knows a handful of Fascists like the Kochs and the Corpse media run the show now.
Why else won't Obama pull a FDR and speak out about, Citizens United, Senate minority rule, the shrink and shut down government House Teabaggers, free trade agreements for the billionaires. We the workers are paying an awful price thanks to GOP trickle down economics, and austerity madness, yet the same austerity hawks have no problem spending trillions on wars to protect the best interests of the Carbon Barons. It's obvious to me, Obama has been stopped by a Fascist threat.....on the domestic economic front anyway. Of course he'll continue to be involved in the killing/bombing/drones for profit madness.....with this the Oligarchs profit. In addition the Terrorists win in many ways by destroying our economy. One of which is the reduction of available revenue to pay for our decaying infrastructure.....no need for the Saudi's to fly planes into us anymore.
The Fascists own Obama just like they own the GOP and 3/4 of the Dems. Sadly they snuffed out Occupy as well.....!! In my opinion, what's coming is way not peaceful.
I don't know if speaking out like I am is right. What do you think? I would love to be on your show to speak about court reform and banking. Please sign my petition at respondtob293121.com.
See my blog on Tom's member page under Cheryl Kelmar
Republicans have argued for years that reducing taxes for business is necessary to drive our economy. Lowering taxes will allow companies to invest more into their businesses. Burger King's move to Canada, and the resulting tax savings will show all the non believers just how much such a windfall can benefit the company and it's employees. More money, more employees to lighten the load, and more benefts all around. A great day for the Burger King worker, and all happening just as Republicans said it would. This day belongs to them. Not to just say they were right, but be able to prove it. Can't wait to see it all.
Medicare for all Eliminate the greedy profiteers ( Ins Co CEO's )
NON profit health care makes economic sense
Just as Blue Cross Blue Shield used to be NON profit
We can do this. IF US gets any more far right Supreme court judges We are SOL
Citizens United is a disgrace It Gives Corps & billionaires too much power & control . Thats not democracy Its another 'Gilded Age '
US Run by Robber Barons
2 yes votes? YES or YES? Hmmm
We need a new game This country has increased inequality for the average working American for the past 30 years. The Downward fall started with Pres. Ronald Wilson Reagan tax cuts that he gave to the 1%, the Aristocrats, of this country that gave an advantage over the working American family. We need a new game in this country, a new game that gives back to the American working family dignity as they once had before. The Aristocrats has seized control of our government to give the power to a limited group of people. We no longer have a Government of the people, by the people and for the people as Abraham Lincoln stated in the Gettysburg Address. In his opening statement, Abraham Lincoln said.
We are now engaged in a great civil war once again, not of armies, but instead of the power of great wealth over the average working American families. I call this great wealth the Aristocrats, which they do believe because of the wealth that they have, they should have control over our government and over you. They believe that the average working American family is not the more than peasants, only to serve the aristocrats for their pleasure, and that there are not created as equals.there's more read my blog site
Silent Dogood
I’m far from being a conservative, but Thom’s argument is one sided and irresponsible. He is making the argument that the war on the working class has been waged solely by the conservatives (Republican Party). The fact that war against the majority of the population has been a collective effort of both political parties. John Adams was not alone is his contempt for working class people, this view was shared by most our founding fathers, the term used for equality during Adam’s time was “leveling spirit”, Washington to Madison used this term to describe their contempt for the under classes that wanted to create a more equal and fair society. Jefferson maybe a champion for democratic values but he has a whole host of contradiction to go along with his rhetoric on equality.
One of the worst enemies of the working class, if you go by policy not by rhetoric, has been William Jefferson Clinton. NAFTA, on its own, was a devastating blow to the working class. Clinton’s welfare reform, with ominously libertarian sounding name of Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, was a direct attack on the working poor, especially single mothers that have to work to get benefits, because we don’t value raising a child. Clinton also dealt a massive blow to banking regulation that help speculators turn working class people’s savings and retirement money into vanishing act into the void of the grand casino economy.
That is just a superficial look at one democratic presidency. Carter done his damage against the working class. Obama has not been a friend to labor. Both of the major labor leaders of their time, Hoffa and Debs, were imprisoned during the democratic presidencies of Kennedy and Wilson respectively. The idea that Democratic Party has not played a major role in the decline of the working class is dishonest. The Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the rich, but the Democratic Party, with few exception like Bernie Sanders, are completely dominated by special interest. And that interest aint the working class or any class that doesn’t pay thousands of dollars at the fundraiser dinners.
Considering the fact that there is a small percentage of black Republicans, it is noteworthy that you have so many on your program. All of these people are well educated and take views against liberal views about why black people are poor and whether they are discriminated against, etc, I don't know if it is possible, but it would be interesting to know the early background of these regular guests that you include in your show. Did they pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get out of the ghetto or as I am thinking, have most of them been raised in a mostly white middle class neighborhood? Perhaps it is not something that you can actually talk about, but maybe it would be possible to find out the percentage of black Republican Americans who grew up in a poor neighborhood. I know that there are exceptions, but I just find that it is a problem with many people of any race to have empathy for those who struggle when they have never seen poverty up close and personal.
Re: The latest ISIS debotchery & how the parade people out in guantanimo orange jumpsuits, have been waterboarding prisoners. Another thing I have noticed is they constantly remind us of our support of Israel & Israel's treatment of the Palestine people. I recall the morning after 9-11, I asked myself, 'What have we been doing around the world that could have caused people to hate us to this extent?' Except for maybe Charlie Rose, just after 9-11, did I ever hear anyone in the MSM deal w/this question. How long can we continue to be the only country voting w/Israel in the UN aghainst ALL other countries? Just statistically speaking, how long can we continue to make enemies out of everyone except zionist Israelis??
As Rabbi Henry Siedman opined on Democracy Now recently, Israel does not wish to exist in a world where the united states doesn't have it's back; so our politicians are perpepuating the status que > the two state lie. As Rabbi Siedman clearly states, Israel simply wants ALL of palestine.
Thom needs to reread his US Constitution. There's nothing there permitting states to petition for Congress to adopt a single amendment. The language is, "Upon petition by two-thirds of the states, Congress shall call a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to this constitution," [my emphases] which is followed by reiterating the same procedures for ratification by three-fourths of the states as apply if the amendment had been passed by Congress. The scaremongering about an Article V convention is, therefore, totally unwarranted. Nothing it proposes will become law unless a supermajority of states ratify it, and it would be an open platform on which all kinds of changes could be proposed, including progressive ones. In fact, if not for bogus arguments about petitions in connection with different amendments being "non-additive" (see Friends of the Article Five Convention, www.foavc.org) -- or perhaps sheer negligence -- Congress should have called a convention in 1911, when the two-thirds threshold was passed.
There was an article in USA Today recently (July 4, 2014) that indicated a fifties middle class lifestyle would cost $130,000 in today's dollars. When new police, firemen and teachers, for example, make around forty percent of that salary do they understand that they have just volunteered for a near poverty lifestyle?
Caller Steve seems to think free speech means he's the only one that gets to speak.
Has the official Libertarian platform changed since 1980?
New Deal Economics lead us into our nation's greatest economic and social gains in our history. History now has demonstrated how the deregulation and the dismantaling of the New Deal by the Corporate Facsists have lead us and the rest of the world down the road of economic doom for the majority of our citizens. History notes the greatest economic inequality in world history! The richest 845 people in the world own more wealth than the bottom half o the world's population combined. The corporatists support an economic model the goes back to the turn of the 19th cetury. These corporatists support an economy where the people serve the economy, rather than the economy serving the people. In other words, the people serve the corporations, where the corporations have become the government. Exactly why our Constitution is being undermined daily. The people are the treat of this system.
In my opinion, what is a better subject to debate and inform the American people about is, "Inverted Totalitarianism." Our economic and political systems are failed because of corporate domination and the big $$ from the wealthy elite. Inverted Totalitarianism explains the political game plan that the corporations have used and continue to impliment to maintain control over the American people. Libertarianism is just a distraction away from what the real issues are.
Think Progress posted an article today about a Ty Turner of Charlotte, NC who was taken into custody for distributing political leaflets. The leaflets had political speech printed on them. U.S. Money does not have political speech printed on it but, according to The Supreme Court's fundamentalist five, it is intrinsicly political speech protected by the First Amendment. One modality has corrupted our political process while the other has not. Can you guess which is which? I'll bet if Ty was pushing money under those windshield wipers he would have been OK.
"We The People," need a kill switch! A few billionaires have over -thrown our democracy. I challenge anyone who disagrees. Obama is just fnnnn his time away until his independent wealth kicks in....it's very clear the Fascists threatened his family....remember the dude that got past security at an official function a couple years ago? Well, that shut him down...he won't even speak out now.....! I'm not making this up... Anyway we need to re-OCCUPY NOW....... FFF the POWER...arbitrary power in the hands of a few nut jobs will lead to global disaster.