I did get the memo and it shocked me into action. I am opposed to changing our form of government to an Oligarchy. If the republicans weren’t so gung-ho to give give give to the tiny number of wealthy folks who control everything including our government we might have a chance of making this representative democracy work. So far I’ve seen no evidence that republicans are even aware of how they are being used, let alone that they’re smart enough to resist.
The republicans fear and rage seems to be ingrained and makes them easy targets for being manipulated.
One of the most insidiously deceptive ideas is that the “free market” is natural and inevitable, existing outside and beyond government — so whatever inequality or insecurity it generates is beyond our control. By this view, if some people aren’t paid enough to live on, the market has determined they aren’t worth enough. If others rake in billions, they must be worth it. If millions of Americans remain unemployed or their paychecks are shrinking or they work two or three part-time jobs with no idea what they’ll earn next month or next week, that’s too bad; it’s just the outcome of the market. According to this logic, government shouldn’t intrude on the free market — through minimum wages, high taxes on top earners, public spending to get people back to work, regulations on business, or anything else — because the “free market” knows best and government always messes things up.
In reality, the “free market” is a bunch of rules about (1) what can be owned and traded (the genome? slaves? nuclear materials? babies? votes?); (2) on what terms (equal access to the internet? the right to organize unions? corporate monopolies? the length of patent protection? ); (3) under what conditions (poisonous drugs? unsafe foods? deceptive Ponzi schemes? uninsured derivatives?) (4) what’s private and what’s public (police? roads? clean air and clean water? healthcare? good schools? parks and playgrounds?); and (5) how to pay for what (taxes, user fees, individual pricing?).
In other words, markets don’t exist in a state of nature; they’re human creations. Governments don’t intrude on free markets; governments organize and maintain markets. Markets aren’t “free” of rules; the rules define them. The rules can be designed to maximize efficiency (given the current distribution of resources), or growth (depending on what we’re willing to sacrifice to obtain that growth), or fairness (depending on our ideas about a decent society). They can even be designed to entrench and enhance the wealth of a few at the top, and keep almost everyone else comparatively poor and economically insecure.
If our democracy was working as it should, elected representatives, agency heads, and courts would be making the rules roughly according to what most of us want the rules to be. Instead, the rules are being made mainly by those with the power and resources to buy the politicians, regulatory heads, and even the courts (and the lawyers who appear before them). Not incidentally, these are the same people who want you and most others to believe in the fiction of an immutable “free market.”
Which is all to say: If we want to reduce the savage inequalities and insecurities that are now undermining our economy and democracy, we have the right to do so. But we must exert the power that is supposed to be ours.
Michelle Obama says drink water, eat healthy, and exercise, and the reichwing go insanely berserk. This joker deliberately cripples an entire city and the silence from the teapublican/evangelinuts is deafening.
“The problem is that the city’s power supply never failed.
“On September 12th, 2013, Bill Nowling casually stated that the city’s power outages were intentional. Officials and citizens working in the city were given no warning before the electricity was cut off. Law enforcement officials working in the Hall of Justice had no time to prepare. Senior citizens and disabled citizens using elevators in the city’s downtown district had no way to know what was coming. The entire criminal justice system was shut down without notice. Wayne State University Campus was just one of many sites evacuated under emergency conditions. Traffic lights across the city stopped working. 1,400 public and private locations were left without power. And the entire thing was intentional, to “send a message” to the people of Detroit. Bill Nowling works in the office of Kevin Orr, Detroit’s Emergency Manager.
I am sorry if I keep harping on it, but I can not help being reminded of the ole warning of ” Those that forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”. The industrialists looking for someone that they think they can control. empower someone that they think they can control. Enable that person to get the highest office within the country. Only to suddenly find that they create a monster that can not be controlled!”.
Looking at whom the powers that be within the Republican party, I can see that they could make the same mistake those power brokers of nineteen thirties Germany made. Fortunately for the country so far, the people have not been so stupid as to elect that person. That is such a oxymoron in that in order for them to have someone they can control. It is generally someone that can not be elected. They are stupid enough to run someone like a Palin but their candidate is so outrageous or plainly a buffoon. It is insulting and they can not be elected.
Plying the ole ME-ME’s of religious infringement and theft by Government often does not wash once people look at what is the reality. There is almost as many Churches as there is Quick trips in and around Wichita along with in most any towns.
I will admit that to me it does seem that the Local, Country and State are getting to me more seeing citizens as at their own piggy banks. (The libertarian coming out in me) imagine the day might come when you have to go get a permit to mow your own grass. Not yet but the way things are going that day may be coming.
As long as the ‘right’ people get the money – I would not be surprised at anything any government (both political parties) might do.
The one thing about our country and the wisdom of the Founding Fathers was in the beauty of a check and balance system – you know – the three separate parts of government?
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
When was the last time you heard any TeaPublican Conservative actually KNOW how our government is supposed to work?
I keep hoping for the day republicans will actually realize how many millions are given in subsidies to the corporations who enjoy all-time high profits. Maybe someday they could even realize the deck is stacked. I hear overandover about their ideas of who the ‘takers’ are and their greatly exaggerated figures about tax dollars spent on the programs for the needy. The amount of money spent on programs for the needy is teeny tiny compared to the Corporate Socialism they approve of. They never begrudge tax dollars given to those who create jobs in India and China, only those who are too poor to count on being able to eat daily even when it costs so little compared to feeding the Corpocracy. Facts just seem to be something they ignore because they’ve been convinced of lies. Ever notice how easily they ignore illegals who clean the houses and do the landscaping for their Corporate Masters? It’s kinda amazing to watch people be so gullible.
If someone asks why a person is hungry and is capable of deciding they aren’t worthy of being fed, I think they failed as a human being. Once the hungry has something in their stomach is a better time to figure out if there is a way to help them help themselves. I have a lot of confidence and faith in humans and there aren’t more than a tiny few who wouldn’t prefer to earn their own way.
Crying about high taxes and government spending is all the rage among republicans who aren’t even smart enough to know taxes are historically low and government spending is down. Fox “news” viewers don’t get accurate information, and they don’t look further so we shouldn’t expect they’ll ever be more than puppets.
Once again during a tragedy all the information is confusing. The numbers of shooters, the numbers of victims, all the facts that will come out during an investigation over the next few days aren’t available.
Just like Benghazi.
The only difference I can see between Benghazi and any other tragedy is that republicans don’t want to believe the facts the investigation after the Benghazi tragedy proved, they want to whine about the discrepancies in reports made before the investigation was completed.
When I had my fill of Evangelical Fundy Christians – that entire college experience and then when my preacher actually told me that I was marrying the Devil himself – because my husband-to-be had hair that touched the top of his ears – I vowed then and there…
I did not lose my faith in God…..I lost my faith and trust in churches.
But my view of God is totally different than what I was being taught in the Evangelical Fundy World….
To them….God was some Supreme Being sitting on some Golden throne in Heaven and throwing down fire and brimstone at all the sinners.
I envision God as a Supreme Being……but he could be a she…..
And I believe God is more like all the wonders of nature…..there is a feeling of something bigger than myself………
But….these Fundies apparently need to have some big badass God dude that is into all that torture crappola if you dare to put your toe over a certain line…
IF God is truly LOVE …..than how could he possibly enjoy torturing the folks he created?
indy, don’t confuse the Biblical representation of Jesus (later merged into God by Catholic theologians) with the vengeful Jehova of the Old Testament (the sociopath Saul of Tarsus’ favorite twist, incorporation of this Jehova into the [mostly ignored by him] teachings of Jesus) as the foundation of what became Christianity. These Fundys deify Paul for the most part while erroneously calling themselves Christians (which I understand to mean to be like Christ). /soapbox
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
But…..the GOP Americanized Capitalist Blonde, Blue-eyed Jesus wants everyone to follow in the footsteps of that CEO.
Didn’t you get that memo?
I did get the memo and it shocked me into action. I am opposed to changing our form of government to an Oligarchy. If the republicans weren’t so gung-ho to give give give to the tiny number of wealthy folks who control everything including our government we might have a chance of making this representative democracy work. So far I’ve seen no evidence that republicans are even aware of how they are being used, let alone that they’re smart enough to resist.
The republicans fear and rage seems to be ingrained and makes them easy targets for being manipulated.
Michelle Obama says drink water, eat healthy, and exercise, and the reichwing go insanely berserk. This joker deliberately cripples an entire city and the silence from the teapublican/evangelinuts is deafening.
“The problem is that the city’s power supply never failed.
“On September 12th, 2013, Bill Nowling casually stated that the city’s power outages were intentional. Officials and citizens working in the city were given no warning before the electricity was cut off. Law enforcement officials working in the Hall of Justice had no time to prepare. Senior citizens and disabled citizens using elevators in the city’s downtown district had no way to know what was coming. The entire criminal justice system was shut down without notice. Wayne State University Campus was just one of many sites evacuated under emergency conditions. Traffic lights across the city stopped working. 1,400 public and private locations were left without power. And the entire thing was intentional, to “send a message” to the people of Detroit. Bill Nowling works in the office of Kevin Orr, Detroit’s Emergency Manager.
GOP Appointed Officials Black Out Detroit During Heatwave To “Send Them A Strong Message”
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/09/14/detroit-blackout/
I am sorry if I keep harping on it, but I can not help being reminded of the ole warning of ” Those that forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”. The industrialists looking for someone that they think they can control. empower someone that they think they can control. Enable that person to get the highest office within the country. Only to suddenly find that they create a monster that can not be controlled!”.
Looking at whom the powers that be within the Republican party, I can see that they could make the same mistake those power brokers of nineteen thirties Germany made. Fortunately for the country so far, the people have not been so stupid as to elect that person. That is such a oxymoron in that in order for them to have someone they can control. It is generally someone that can not be elected. They are stupid enough to run someone like a Palin but their candidate is so outrageous or plainly a buffoon. It is insulting and they can not be elected.
Plying the ole ME-ME’s of religious infringement and theft by Government often does not wash once people look at what is the reality. There is almost as many Churches as there is Quick trips in and around Wichita along with in most any towns.
I will admit that to me it does seem that the Local, Country and State are getting to me more seeing citizens as at their own piggy banks. (The libertarian coming out in me) imagine the day might come when you have to go get a permit to mow your own grass. Not yet but the way things are going that day may be coming.
As long as the ‘right’ people get the money – I would not be surprised at anything any government (both political parties) might do.
The one thing about our country and the wisdom of the Founding Fathers was in the beauty of a check and balance system – you know – the three separate parts of government?
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
When was the last time you heard any TeaPublican Conservative actually KNOW how our government is supposed to work?
I keep hoping for the day republicans will actually realize how many millions are given in subsidies to the corporations who enjoy all-time high profits. Maybe someday they could even realize the deck is stacked. I hear overandover about their ideas of who the ‘takers’ are and their greatly exaggerated figures about tax dollars spent on the programs for the needy. The amount of money spent on programs for the needy is teeny tiny compared to the Corporate Socialism they approve of. They never begrudge tax dollars given to those who create jobs in India and China, only those who are too poor to count on being able to eat daily even when it costs so little compared to feeding the Corpocracy. Facts just seem to be something they ignore because they’ve been convinced of lies. Ever notice how easily they ignore illegals who clean the houses and do the landscaping for their Corporate Masters? It’s kinda amazing to watch people be so gullible.
If someone asks why a person is hungry and is capable of deciding they aren’t worthy of being fed, I think they failed as a human being. Once the hungry has something in their stomach is a better time to figure out if there is a way to help them help themselves. I have a lot of confidence and faith in humans and there aren’t more than a tiny few who wouldn’t prefer to earn their own way.
Crying about high taxes and government spending is all the rage among republicans who aren’t even smart enough to know taxes are historically low and government spending is down. Fox “news” viewers don’t get accurate information, and they don’t look further so we shouldn’t expect they’ll ever be more than puppets.
Preach it Tweety…….
LOL
Andy Borowitz —
With a deal on Syria, now Congress can get back to the business of attacking America.
Once again during a tragedy all the information is confusing. The numbers of shooters, the numbers of victims, all the facts that will come out during an investigation over the next few days aren’t available.
Just like Benghazi.
The only difference I can see between Benghazi and any other tragedy is that republicans don’t want to believe the facts the investigation after the Benghazi tragedy proved, they want to whine about the discrepancies in reports made before the investigation was completed.
This is great!
When I had my fill of Evangelical Fundy Christians – that entire college experience and then when my preacher actually told me that I was marrying the Devil himself – because my husband-to-be had hair that touched the top of his ears – I vowed then and there…
I did not lose my faith in God…..I lost my faith and trust in churches.
But my view of God is totally different than what I was being taught in the Evangelical Fundy World….
To them….God was some Supreme Being sitting on some Golden throne in Heaven and throwing down fire and brimstone at all the sinners.
I envision God as a Supreme Being……but he could be a she…..
And I believe God is more like all the wonders of nature…..there is a feeling of something bigger than myself………
But….these Fundies apparently need to have some big badass God dude that is into all that torture crappola if you dare to put your toe over a certain line…
IF God is truly LOVE …..than how could he possibly enjoy torturing the folks he created?
P.S.
How could a loving God sit back and look the other way and bless those robed religious men who knowingly covered up the crime of child molestation?
That is something I will NEVER understand..
indy, don’t confuse the Biblical representation of Jesus (later merged into God by Catholic theologians) with the vengeful Jehova of the Old Testament (the sociopath Saul of Tarsus’ favorite twist, incorporation of this Jehova into the [mostly ignored by him] teachings of Jesus) as the foundation of what became Christianity. These Fundys deify Paul for the most part while erroneously calling themselves Christians (which I understand to mean to be like Christ). /soapbox
6176 – I suspect we are both have a lot in common when it comes to our views on church people.
How did John Fugelsang (sp?) put it?
Don’t blame Jesus for what his unauthorized fan club members do…
Read through this list of where the most hungry reside…..
Hmmm….do you see a pattern here? Deep Southern States that profess to be such Godly Christians AND Republicans…
BTW – don’t these Deep Southern states also show up on other lists of being the worst……
lack of education
lack of accessible health care
lack of jobs with living wages
Just to name a few…
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/09/05/states-where-the-most-people-go-hungry/2/