Recent comments
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World
Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
American Austerity killed the middle class so we don't buy the world's products anymore in volume that matters to wealth-hoarders, other richer-per-capita countries buy goods.
We're down in 3rd-world land with quality-of-life but how would you know anything? ... incarceration-for-profit being the base ethic of the oligarchs and their feudal trade deals crossing borders to avoid taxes, environmental regulations and score big time cheaper labor why it's just so confusing ....
So, that's the reason there's no middle class, we shipped that class of people to China where there it's is a fast-growing middle class not a dead one, after all, their pollution per capita is only about where the USA was in 1910, they have a ways to catch up to our pollution density and the money to do it now thanks to the ship-jobs-offshore push, eh?
Thom, I almost always agree with your positions, and I probably do now as well, especially when I hear how many multination corporations were involved in writing the rules. However, why do I keep hearing from President Obama and others, that we seem to be giving up much less than we are gaining in terms of reduction of tariffs? Ours are already so low, that there is little barrier to imports from these nations, but the agreement should substantially reduce the Pacific nations tariffs?
America buys about half of the worlds products. America doesn't need the world, the world needs America. I hate to admit this but Trump is the guy I would want doing the negotiations. He understands Americas position. Trump will bring a 2X4 to a toothpick fight with all the countries with devalued currency and bring manufacturing back to America. That's why all the traditional Republication big business fat cats are not donating any money to him They are scared of the new rules that will come
When a foster child turns 18 the state stops paying the foster family and the child ends up homeless. A criminal gets out of Rikers Island they get a bus ticket and $200. It is funny a lawbreaker gets that and a foster kid gets nada!
http://www.npr.org/2016/09/07/492926666/88-former-military-leaders-come-...
Listen to one of the 88 generals defend his support for Trump--and waterboarding etc. I hope we can hear from some of the other 87!
How are we going to keep foreign national money out of our elections when we can't even keep foreighn nationals from sneaking into this country and working as illegal immigrants?
Overturning Citizens United would be a good measure, although it will be a difficult one to achieve.
It all comes down to the electorate. Those who don't vote, or who only vote by emotion without careful analysis of the candidates, are just as harmful to the system as foreign money.
Too many times elections are boiled down to the candidate that promises "free stuff" to on group of voters versus the candidate that promises to drastically reduce taxes to another group.
Many times elections aren't bought; the electorate simply gave away their votes for simplistic or empty promises.
First, the system has to give rehab priority over revenge and profits.
Along with this step lots of people need to be FIRED. The ones in charge , that is.
There are no "evildoers" or "rogue individuals" when it comes to any top-down system.
As my grandpa said and still stands correct," the fish starts stinking at the head".
Let us keep this in mind- in my fifty some years on this planet this has always held true.
EDUCATION is the key. Instead of placing emphasis on revenge punishment, how about allowing prisoners to get a GED or a college degree in something they'll be able to qualify to use after being released? And another way to help them is to STOP THE RAPES! Just because they've been convicted of a crime doesn't mean they deserve to be secually abused. That's just beyond cruel and unusual punishment. (Perhaps we should look to some of the Scandanavian countries to see how their criminals are punished... Some of them live in communities without fences and with no bars. Just being removed from their cities and families is enough punishment for some of them.) Even the worst criminals should be treated with human dignity; otherwise, when they are released, they are even more damaged than they were when they committed their crimes. Education to make a decent living one day in the future at least gives them hope and dignity. Most of them are not animals, and shouldn't be treated as such. With a decent paying job, once their time is done, would keep a lot of them from being so desperate they have to commit another crime just to eat.
Queenbeethatsme,
You ought to be in prison as one of the thousands of people who should not be there and see how good you think your idea is then.
There are thousands of people who have landed in prison for marijuana use, not being able to pay bills and as an alternative to a psychiatric hospital(this is one of the biggest travesties of justice)
Heck, you can land in jail in ID for not having insurance on your car. So for people like that you want to throw away the key? What a sick puppy you are.
One of the biggest helps ex-prisoners could get would be having their citizenship fully restored except for firearm ownership if their crime involved a firearm or other restrictions that may relate to their crime. They should be able to vote and the felon box should be eliminated from job applications. If they need training and education to get a good job they should receive it in prison or have it available when they get out. The prison system should help with getting a good job and a decent place to stay when they get out. All this may sound expensive but it would cost less than taking care of them in prison over and over again for the rest of their lives. Ex-criminals should not be treated like criminals.
People should keep in mind that much of this prison industry is just that, an industry for the justice department to make money. To keep "recycling" prisoners, primarily minorities and the poor through the system, there is money to be made by attorneys and judges. The few that are really trying to help with rehabilitation are aware of this. Germany is strong on rehab but in America we apparently like the easier profit idea - crime pays - especially with the wealthier white world driving the system. Slavery post civil war and post wars in general. The poor are being used and in a have and have-not society that means more and more of us are useful.. cheap labor, war, prison system. Is this big money's idea of America's true calling?
@ Queenbee. If you are being serious, you should be commited.
The best rehabilitation is a good economy. Something America doesn't provide for its less fortunate. Get rid of the estimated 30 million illegals and instantly you have jobs for them. America is the only country in the world that doesn't secure its border. Why?
Yeah! I agree... when you've done your time or fullfilled your punishment that should be the end of it
Why does a person have to carry the stigma and associated restrictions and predjudices?
Must be hell trying to get a job!
That would drive a person back to it!
What a damned system that is damned
The thing that bothers me immensely is the fact that after a person serves their sentence they must carry it with them the rest of their lives, current law. Society needs to stop the punishment. They need to be able to vote, apply for jobs that pay a decent wage and hopefully put the mistake behind them and become a useful member of society.
Provide a COST INCENTIVE in contracts with private prisons to keep the return rate low.
In state and fed prisons use a bonus system for prison workers if they keep the return rate below a target level.
ct
Queenbethatsme - Sorry! You represent everything that is obnoxious about america and americans
You appear to be sociopathic
You advocate KILLING
Very, very, very sad!
Let me guess. These RPP programs are run by contractors. I believe we should provide continuing supervision such as halfway homes and probation or parole officers that are not overworked with large caseloads. A little advice and/or supervision given promptly could mean the difference between success and failure.
Most recidivism is not due to frustration or anger in the outside system, it is that the inside system breeds incorrigible predators who cannot help but have hatred and contempt for all of those on the outside. the rule should be once in prison, stay there and rot or kill them all, then no recidivism and most likely less people would commit crime if the punishment was death and not simply more time.
Since america has the highest prison population in the WORLD of a ~400 million population against a world population of ~6 billion there MUST be some connection there that needs to be addressed
america imprisons more people than any coutnry in the world per head of population
THE LAND OF THE FREE?
Kill them all. NO recidivism, no rehabilitation needed, no exhaustive stays or court appeals, no more drain on tax payers. Kill them all and great deterrent to all criminals. Problems both present and many future... solved.
People need considerable help adjusting to the world outside of prison. See Friends Outside in CA, a non-profit organization which has a number of programs to help both families and former inmates as they get out of prison. Ex-prisoners often need many types of assistance including anger management, job training, simple socialization to how people behave and act outside of prison, help in finding a job, finding a place to live and much more. Programs inside prison may help (I don't have any data on that), but once outside they still need a lot of help if they are to be able to function as good citizens of our society. Funding outside agencies could help the transition and reduce recidivism, which often occurs out of desperation or anger.
Pipeline Leaks: Go to Wikipedia pipeline leaks and find the truth about how many pipes have leaked and exploded in the U.S. . Wikipedia has listed leaks that have made the news for like the last 60 years.
For example: The Yellowstone pipeline which crossed Flathead Indian lands in Montana had leaked 78 time before the Flathead nation said that's enough and would not renew the lease. In the year 2000 Koch industries was fined 35 million dollars for leaks that were ongoing in six different states, which was the largest fine for an oil company at that time. In August 2000 the El Paso natural gas pipeline exploded near Carlsbad New Mexico killing 12 people. It failed due to corrosion which was not detected in a timely manner. In 2001 the Alaska pipeline leaked a whopping 6,800 barrels of oil whcih cost 13 million dollars to clean up. The leak was intially caused by an intoxicated hunter who shot a hole in the pipeline with a large caliber hunting rifle but the equipment that should have sensed changes in oil pressure failed to turn off the flow of oil.
There have been at least 412 major oil pipeline leaks/explosions since the year 2000.
Natural gas leakage( at least 4% of that produced) in general cancels out any benefit from replacing coal as electrical generation fuel.
To top off this short report the Keystone pipeline has already leaked 1,700 gallons of crude near Freeman South Dakota because of a faulty seam weld.
Petroleum product pipeline leaks are extensive and have killed many people and are causing a great deal of environment damage.
The Standing Rock people know this and we should be helping them.
Choosing your doctor There are several choices for primary care physicians in the family doctor
Thom Hart, you support Hillary Clinton. Please expand on your reasons for doing so depite her strong financial connections with Saudi Arabia. Thank you.