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Funny how both Hillary & Trump contradict themselves by their actions
you can't trust either of these con artists...
And Bernie, he lied and let us down too... Kissed the media's ass and conceeded giving into their bluff that the super delegates vowed to them in a leak that some 680 of them would vote for Hillary before any of the people in any of the 50 states even cast their vote... Now they don't have to vote since he endorsed her as if she had won before they actually voted on the 25th... What a bunch of bullshit.
This country is fucked either way no matter who wins...
Admittedly off-topic, Thom's mention of musicians and music reminded me of an essay that I ran across on the back page of the August 1995 issue of Keyboard magazine (one of several publications targeted to musicians, to which I subscribed for several years.)
The author wrote:
Pigeons aren't really alive. Trust me on this; I've seen the blueprints. Every pigeon in existence is a feather-plated robot that rolled off a hidden assembly line in Parsippany, New Jersey, as part of a secret government program designed to convince the voting public that there is at least one species more useless than politicians.
Back in 1995, long before global climate change sparked widespread interest, the author (Connor Freff Cochran) went on to contemplate how we might avoid the demise of our planet. Here are the closing lines of his essay:
I suggest you be ready with your choice. The pigeons will want to know.
I have no idea from where Thom got the idea of pigeons from planet Xenu -- nor whether Cochran's idea was original -- but apparently this notion has been around for at least 20 years, and remains true to this day.
jeff k
I was very disappointed to Thom's position on covering third party candidates, which is not unlike the mainstream corporate media's coverage of Sanders this past year. While the third party candidates may not win the race, they, similar to Sanders, play an extremely important role in the election process, as they can help pull the mainstream candidates outside of their middle of the road comfort zone and force them to face important questions. It would be great to have a real presidential debate with Hillary, Donald, Jill and Gary, as it would force both Donald and Hillary out of their comfort zone. Clearly Hillary's selection of Tim Kaine just wrote off the far left/Sanders supporters and she's now moving back to the middle with her positions.
Our political system will never change as long as the democrats/republicans/media remain in bed together and third parties are not given the chance, at whatever level in the system.
The DNC ended up getting the ticket/candidates they wanted and they left the progressives at the side of the road, just as mainstream/corporate controlled media and now Thom Hartmann support. We need more political parties and more importantly, fair coverage of them to create real change. I will no longer follow Thom.
The decision to shutdown the forum without warning was harshly abrupt. Please consider archiving the site so that those of us who invested a lot of time and research can purchase it from itunes.
Hi Thom,
Thank you for your insightful understanding of the U.S. Constitution and your continued activism for Democracy. ( I wrote a paper on Jefferson when I was in secondary school, some 50 years ago, his enlightened vision for a democracy of, by and for the American people was indelibly branded in my brain, as I know you, too, have been touched by the clarity of his vision.)
Relating to the research by Dr. Charles Lamb, his findings prove the Human survival need to express ourselves and that his experiments show how creativity and free thought can lower inhibitions. This is great news for assisting the very inhibited to become less so. It also speaks to the affect of our current ethos of mass media, intolerant conformity and distractions like "pokemon O", that saturate the brain with otiose drivel aimed at increasing the action of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex which controls inhibitions and decision making.
It also may explain why the corporate and economic elite have attacked and de-funded arts programs in public education. It's difficult to control a society of citizens who have the ability to think critically and override their inhibitions when faced with a sinister ideology bent on turning humanity into "Labor Camps" as they did 80 years ago.
Music is universal and so is the quest for "Freedom of thought".
WAKE UP AND ACT OUT PROPRIOCEPTIVELY!!!!
Music is a beautiful, magical sound. I'm so surprised and disappointed that people don't react more on this subject, because most people listen to it every day.
Where are the music lovers?
Thom: I called up and spoke with you concerning the destruction of worker "tribes" in this country. It is not just Reaganomics or corporation abuses. Even secure workforces, like those in the Railroad Industry (where I worked ), have had their "tribes" destroyed by political correctness, limitations on on-property with the threat of discipline, and even on certain words that can't be used. Your father's tribe, I believe, would have been so scrutinized for speech and actions that it would not survive.
The military has effective tribes because it is a meritocracy that judges everyone by the same standards, no matter the background of the tribe's members. There was no fear that lesser qualified persons would advance in rank or get better assignments because of, or despite their race, religion, or gender. You had to make the grade; there is much less discrimination, as well as very little affirmative action. There is no "reasonable accomodations" for disabilities that force others to take on extra duties because someone else couldn't because of a disability. Tanks, trenches, and fighter jets are not wheelchair accessible, and industrially blind soldiers are not allowed to use machine guns. In the Navy Seals and Rangers, there are not separate physical standards for men and women. Don't ask-don't tell policies protected homosexual soldiers from discrimination, as long as they didn't make an issue of their identity. (We'll see what happens in our armed services now that this restriction is listen, and openly gay or even transgender soldiers become activist and make "demands".
Unfortunately, the work world is not run like the military. There are grievance groups, de facto quotas, and an attempt to get good workers out of their "tribes" and exist in a work environment that oppresses into a confirmity written by corporate lawyers and human relations specialists. Using bad words or getting into fistfights and expressing disagreements may get you KP or lose you some leave in the military, but doing the same thing in the work world today can get you fired, or sued, or both. The "microagressions" that can get you chastised at work would be ridiculed in the military. Why? Because it is run by people who, unless they get their arms twisted by politicians that have their own agendas, have no time for the tribe -killing silliness that occurs in many of todays workplaces. I know, as a union rep I fought to keep upper managerial noses out of our "tribes" business, and was relatively successful because I had alot of support. But it was not easy.
May I add to this...in that, I have always enjoyed listening to music while I work! It livens me up and makes me much more productive. Even if I'm not working, but let's say driving, I am usually in a much better frame of mind. I think music is very healthy!
George Carlin tells the truth!
http://youtu.be/kXhZyAOuyhE
Chuckles 8 I don't have any real world examples of a doubling of the minimum wage effects, because I don'rt know if any nation did it. This would also be called "wage compression" and "socialization of wahes", terms I have dealt with aas a union contract negotiator. If every minimum wage employee got a raise to $ 15.per hour, the cost of the goods everyone buys, including those making 15 per hour, would increase, as producers will always raise prices to what the market will bear.If raising to 15 per hour wouldn't be particularly inflationary, at what point above 15 per hour does an increase become inflationary? If there is no identifiable inflation point, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but wouldn't it be better to raise the minimum wage to $ 60 per hour and make the annual minimum salary $ 120,000 per year for everyone, and $ 240,000 per family with two full time workers? Don't you think we'd soon be paying $ 200,000 for a Chevy Impala and 400 a month for Cable TV? The Earned Income Tax Credit I described above would be more effective because it would be properly targeted.
It just goes to show how absurd these trade agreements really are, and how threatening they are to our own sovereignty. Americans have a right to know where their food comes from, not just the address of the company that distributes it.
In a possibly defamatory bait-and-switch, you led into the discussion of Internet harassment with a mention of Milo Yiannopoulos, yet never substantiated that reference with any evidence that he's harassed anyone. I don't follow his Twitter feed, so I wouldn't know if he's done so. What I do know is that he almost single-handedly scored an important victory for freedom of thought and expression by saving the latest project of Cassie Jaye, the award-winning feminist independent filmmaker. When she needed additional funds to complete it last year, she discovered that the progressive foundations who'd supported her work in the past were unwilling to provide any more support unless she gave up creative control -- a demand she'd never faced before. The evident reason was that, in the course of making _The Red Pill_, a documentary on the Men's Rights Movement, she'd found herself questioning some of her feminist convictions, and incorporated that into the film. This sign that it wouldn't be the one-sided hit piece her funders may have previously expected made them unwilling to leave her in charge.
Rather than give up her independence to an ideological litmus test, she decided to try and raise the rest of the needed funds through a Kickstarter campaign, which would guarantee supporters could have no influence over content. But it initially looked doubtful she could raise the necessary money in time -- until Yiannopoulos wrote a column about her plight. Then, *overnight*, a Kickstarter that was less than a third of the way to its goal was taken over the top, and then some, thanks to supporters of free speech who follow Milo and spread the word about this situation.
For this reason alone, Milo deserves to be called a hero of free speech. You owe him an apology.
I sent the below e-mail to the contact page on Hillary's site as well as the e-mail addys listed for press and events.
Hillary and Staff,
The leaks point to Kaine as your VP pick or another man. I am hoping they are wrong. After watching the RNC nut show for 4 days, I am VERY scared, not by what Trump wants everyone to be afraid of, but of him winning. If you don't pick Warren or Brown, YOU WILL LOSE. I live breathe and eat politics all day and night everyday....pretty much for the last 12 years. Bernie supporters will, very reluctantly vote for you (myself included), but will they contribute or volunteer? Not so much. A reluctant vote for you does not a donor or volunteer make. I worked hard and donated for/to him and Obama both times, I will not for you unless Warren or Brown are on the ticket. $50/month times 1,000,000 people equals $50,000,000/month. I gave $50/month. I will not donate to you unless a true progressive is on the ticket and, being in California, I may just vote Green party if you pick Kaine, and Bernie will likely not help you much either.....just saying….. Kaine's for TPP and the big banks....yada...yada...yada. This is your first big decision by which you WILL BE JUDGED. PLEASE DON'T BLOW IT HONEY.....
Lotsa Luv,
Val
Sad, but it was a deal making speech.
D.T.'s speech had sentimentality that appeals to the heart of this country. Scary! the parts about the Supreme Court, the "Wall," tax reduction, etc. Authoritarian.
The rules that determine whether a con is working or not are in evidence. Trump plays, with extremely simple language, the fears of much of the unprepared and uneducated toward his candidacy. There is no hiding from this. HRC has this election to lose by her choices. If you try to combat DJT with wonky facts you will see the DJT supporters dig in and just yell their insults louder, We have completely underestimated him.
The guy in Argentina you're trying to remember was Peron.
Listening to Thump takes me back to my NLP training so many years ago. He uses 'nominalizations' ad infinitum. Shiny words without content! Remember, 'business' is nothing like the process of governance. The President doesn't pay the people working in government, the Congress does!
HI gailruth - the prerecorded breaks are on our youtube channel http://www.thomhartmann.com/youtube/thom or http://www.youtube.com/user/thomhartmann/videos
Unfortunately, often things don't get better and people don't learn untii things have truly hit bottom for them. I sadly don't think we have hit bottom and question whether we can pull back from hitting bottom. If Democrats do not find a way of stealing Trump's thunder in the media and Twitter worlds with their own brand of populace rhetoric, most if not every day between Labor Day and Election Day, Trump will likely win this election. An interesting read about human nature is a section in Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazof called "The Grand Inquisitor".
Check it out at http://www.online-literature.com/dostoevsky/2884/
As this site summarizes in introduction to this chapter:
".... The idea is that Christ revisits earth, coming to Spain at the period of the Inquisition, and is at once arrested as a heretic by the Grand Inquisitor. One of the three brothers of the story, Ivan, a rank materialist and an atheist of the new school, is supposed to throw this conception into the form of a poem, which he describes to Alyosha--the youngest of the brothers, a young Christian mystic brought up by a "saint" in a monastery..."
Thom Hartmann,
When you make predictions, I am still looking for Republican Candidate Scott Walker. Also, waiting for the crash of 2016. Enjoy your show and agree with almost everything you say but your predictions are not very accurate. Keep that in mind when worrying about a Trump Pesidency.
Martin
I believe it was a pitch in order to secure a VP. Look, it's no secret that the job of a VP is not one of glory. Not to mention they would be sharing a ticket with Trump. All Trump did was make it more important and then those wanting power find it more attractive and willing to be considered.
This is really kind of a side note - but there is one other aspect to COOL that nobody else seems to be raising, so I'll interject a thought here :
COOL is basically saying that we feel we have (or should have) a right to know which Country originally produced the food items we're selecting at the local market, Right? Okay, but, is it not also true that whomever is doing the sending is fully aware of its destination to a US market.....?
Tons of our discussions here are centered around the incredible upsurge in Geopolitical struggles for power and control in nearly every direction we look. What that says to me is that our geopolitical environment (as we here on the site all know) is in a constant state of 'regime change' styled conflicts. We here in the US are constantly watching as some of our 'foes' become 'friends' and previously thought 'friends' become our 'Foes'.
So - it happens that there are quite a few countrys with 'good enough' relations with the US to be allowed to do business with us - like sell us food - but who's populations (and even governments) harbor huge anti-US sentiment..... but they sure as hell are not prevented from knowing where that pallet of food they're loading is headed.
The US's presense and interventions have made it so that lots of folks in different countrys simply don't like us, but we'll still take food from them as long as their 'official trade status' is acceptable to our Gov. We see "allies" become "Terrorists" seemingly overnight and if you don't think food can be "weaponized" - think again....
So remember: Now, you may not get to know where that food came from, but the sender knows the country it will be consumed within. That is absurd.
Go ahead and order a juicy steak at cafe. Next, piss off the waiter really good. You wont even need a bomb or run into his home with guns out to get this done. Next, when he or she is handing you that steak with a big grin..... ask yourself if you are really sure that there's no spit that steak.
Screw it - if the sender knows the recipient - that fact alone should trigger a right for the recipient to know who sent it, since that's who's gonna eat it. So, in a rapidly changing global political environment..... when you're reaching for that can on the shelf - it could be very important to know from where it was sent. A "one way mirror' is no substitute for transparency, since only one side can see the other one.
Queenbee said "food libel laws," like the one that Oprah violated by saying that she wasn't going to eat another hamburger after a mad cow disease outbreak in 1996. Beef prices plummeted and she was sued for "defaming the beef industry." She was eventually exonerated, though she still has not eaten another hamburger. I think that's what Queenbee meant by "food libel laws."
Soon enough all of our food will come from China and it will be a moot point---everyone will know exactly where it came from. I hear tell of YUGE container ships with steam tables that will keep the whoppers and egg-a-muffins we get from China warm until they get here.
Well Queenbee, I don't know for sure but I suspect the food labeling scandals to hit the fan were only after several successive Republican administrations stopped putting anything into safety for the people because food labeling laws have protected the health and safety of the American people very well for over a hundred years.
You're quite clearly shilling for big business and trying to get people to stop feeling entitled to being served and protected by their government and to stop demanding that they be so your big business paymasters can go unimpeded in their abuse and exploitation and can divert the government services to themselves.
There's nothing wrong with government then, is there? Not when it serves the corporations and billionaires, is there? No siree, then it's efficient and noble and good, isn't it?
Food libel laws have been in place for some time now.