Dennis Kucinich accuses the US government of creating a manufactured crisis

[Ian62]

Last edited Tue Jan 1, 2013, 08:40 PM - Edit history (2)

to get the American people to accept a deal they would otherwise not accept.

Dennis Kucinich speaks truth to Congress during the Fiscal Cliff debate today.

Americans are living on the cliff edge of insecurity - financial insecurity, joblessness, homelessness, in pensions and in healthcare ......

"..in a manufactured crisis to manufacture consent for a deal that would otherwise be unacceptable."

The cliff dwellers ..... died.

[djean111]

1. Dennis is right.

[kardonb]

38. dennis

Little Denny has not been in the news lately , so he had do do something about that .

[CranialRectaLoopback]

53. Nothing like denigrating those who speak the truth to power.

It makes one feel powerful in the face of truth.

[rhett o rick]

73. Are you just trying to stir up trouble or do you have something to say? nm

[Cleita]

47. I have been saying so to anyone who will listen as well.

Most don't disagree with me. Happy that Dennis still reflects the real world and isn't afraid to say so.

[hfojvt]

68. so why then, did he vote FOR the deal, instead of against it?

[freshwest]

95. Good question

[Rockyj]

82. I agree Dennis is right.

I grow so tired of watching Dems moving more & more towards the right and being told that its a good deal. I am tired of these corporate sell out Dems & I just hope we can vote more REAL Progressives in like Dennis in 2014 & 16.

[octoberlib]

2. Wow. K&R!

[lamp_shade]

3. Our Louie Gohmert.

[Cha]

7. Yeah, I'm so glad the Dem, Marcy Kaptur, WON..

and being Dennis.. he accused her of cheating.

[starroute]

21. So you think Kucinich is not a Democrat?

Wow, that's pretty harsh.

[Cha]

22. Did I say that? No. I said glad Marcy WON and

that she's a Dem. Lest, anyone think she was anything else.

[starroute]

23. Then you should watch your syntax

Calling a candidate "the Dem" implies their opponent is something else. You could have said "I'm so glad Marcy Kaptur beat him in the Democratic primary." Then there would have been no doubt about your meaning.

[Cha]

28. Okay, you're right.. the next time I will. Dennis still accused Marcy

of cheating and I'm glad she WON.

[Gman]

78. You should quit looking for ways to read something

that can be taken out of context. She beat a Republican.

[sabrina 1]

32. Kucinich is one of the best Dems we have had over the past decade. He

has been consistently right on almost all of the issues. They wanted him gone, along with any other real Democrat which only proves how frightened they are of those who do not play the game and continue to tell the truth.

He'll be back, just like Grayson, another one they spend a fortune trying to get rid of.

I trust those who have proven to be right over time. Dennis Kucinich is one of those few.

[valerief]

45. +1

[Matariki]

67. +11

[donheld]

61. What is your issue with Dennis?

If I may ask.

[rhett o rick]

79. If I may. There is a faction in the Democratic Party that dont like speaking

truth to power. They fear that power will smite us. They accept the Patriot Act, domestic spying, and indefinite detention, and call it being pragmatic.

[ReRe]

83. "They"

...are DLCers.

[rhett o rick]

94. They have a lot of names they dont admit to. nm

[The Wielding Truth]

96. Was DK's district gerrymandered out?

[We People]

56. Worst.False.Equivalency.Ever.

Care to elaborate/explain that "comparison"?

[MNBrewer]

77. I doubt they will, and expect that it was a drive-by smearing.

[woo me with science]

4. Thank you, Dennis. We need the truth spoken now.

Nothing will change until Americans look clearly at how the game is rigged from the start in every single negotiation, how the possible options are artificially narrowed from the start, and how every negotiation moves us rightward.

Every. Single. One.

[A Simple Game]

8. Of course it's just a coincidence that every negotiation

has to go right up to the last second. We have no time to think about any of it, then we are told by both sides that they got us the best deal they could. But it seems funny that the bottom 98% seem to get the short stick every time.

This is either planned or they are incompetent.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. or it is planned incompetency . . .

[RKP5637]

36. It's disaster government. When $$$$$ is worshiped and the economic system by default

puts most at the bottom. Doesn't anyone get how this is all going to play out ... history is full of lessons. ... but now, we'll walk down the same fucken road, because humans are humans, eons past, and now, same fuck-ups. ... in the big picture not much has changed.

[gringo43]

92. x1

Yep

[AndyTiedye]

9. The Pendulum Only Moves in One Direction

[CrawlingChaos]

70. Absofreakinlutely

Woo me with science, IIRC, you coined the perfect term to describe this "crisis" in a recent post: stagecraft.

[cadaverdog]

91. Sorry to disagree with you, but

the perfect term was coined be Naomi Klein in her book Shock Doctrine: "disaster capitalism." In simple economic terms it can be explained as never let a disaster go to waste when there is money to be made.

Or, in politics:

This unique hybrid of political economics relies on creating the illusion that if a given approach is not taken, the consequences will often be dire for the generations to come.

Sound familiar? Fiscal Cliff? Social Security? Entitlements? Spending cuts?

http://m.wisegeek.com/what-is-disaster-capitalism.htm

[brentspeak]

5. The only people who dislike Kucinich are Freepers and

Corporate New Democrats who walk around with lattes up their privileged behinds.

[msanthrope]

10. I suspect Marcy Kaptur does not like him, and I would not speculate as to what is up her

behind, if anything.

[In Truth We Trust]

12. Undoubtedly!

[sabrina 1]

35. Exactly! We have always known that to be true.

He has been right for the past ten years and any honest person would admit that. The truth is not convenient when it collides with the plans of the rich and their bought and paid for members of Congress.

Dennis is an honest politician, a really rare thing in DC.

[dotymed]

89. I agree

Dennis, Bernie Sanders, Alan Grayson and a very few others seem to be our only chance against corporatism.

[ReRe]

84. Yeah...

...like the DLCers!

[roody]

85. Please no smearing of lattes.

Coffee and milk are yummy.

[serbbral]

93. Not necessarily.

There's nothing wrong with NOT liking him even if you're a democrat. That doesn't mean something's wrong with you.

[ReallyIAmAnOptimist]

6. ...it's called the "Shock Doctrine"...

...you get the people so afraid of the unthinkable that they begin to believe they've been "saved" by a "deal" that's a little less unthinkable.

If you haven't read The Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein) it's well worth the read. In a nutshell it's a tactic of predatory capitalism, that those working for real democracy need to be aware of. Here's the wiki synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shock_Doctrine

[RC]

18. And that is how we got to where we are now.

FEAR! FEAR! Oh, look over there! Shiny!

[tex-wyo-dem]

19. I was about ready to point out the same thing...

It's The Shock Doctrine applied in American politics. Make the situation sound so dire that it instills fear in people, then rob the house when everyone's hiding under the bed.

[woo me with science]

57. Thank you. nt

[Egalitarian Thug]

11. And as usual, he's absolutely right. n/t

[a2liberal]

14. K&R (n/t)

[Redfairen]

15. and it work too. most people accept the raw deal. *

[quakerboy]

16. Pointing out the obvious

Not accusing. Slightly, but importantly different, in my opinion.

[SoapBox]

20. The only panic, is that of the filthy rich.

It gets my goat, when the blathering media talks about the big "HIT" that we will all take on the 2% increase in the SS withholding.

Let me tell ya folks, it NEEDS to go back up.

You may not think it now but it may end up being your only safety net, when you get old (it sure is for my Mom!)

[Sherman A1]

24. I will miss DK

That was short and to the point.

[lib2DaBone]

25. Quick..DU Moderators better kill this thread quick...

Can't let any truth get out.....

[fascisthunter]

30. no kidding

[SunSeeker]

26. Sure the "Cliff" is a manufactured crisis, but the crisis of Repukes in our government is very real.

Until we recapture the House, we're going to have to cut deals or let government grind to a halt, let 2 million unemployed Americans' unemployment checks stop, etc. Dennis was always great at stating the painfully obvious. But coming up with ways to work with Repukes to get what we need? No so much.

[Skittles]

27. look how many DUers are falling for it

it is truly pathetic

[fascisthunter]

29. it is pathetic

[mike_c]

34. it's the team sports model of civic engagement....

Our team and anything it does = good. Rah, rah, rah!

[Jim Warren]

37. Yes

I use that same analogy all the time in conversation but note like sports, it's those who are pretty comfortable already with the way things are not those without much of a "cushion" should they fall.

[Skittles]

46. oh yeah

we expect such behavior from the freak republic but to see it on a Democratic board - sometimes the gushing is so over the top I think it HAS to be trolls - it is an embarrassment to DU

[UnrepentantLiberal]

48. Anything less than 100% obedience will place you on the far left list.

[Egalitarian Thug]

51. That's strange, because I find your consistent lack of substance to be an embarrassment.

DU's de facto enforcer rarely as anything to contribute but ad hominem and fact free hyperbole.

Surely we believe that Democratic liberals are capable of much more than the same strategy the teapublicans live on.

[Skittles]

54. thug?

you got it

[Egalitarian Thug]

66. I think I owe you an apology. n/t

[hughee99]

31. 100% correct.

The whole strategy around passing any legislation these days is to foster insecurity.

[Poll_Blind]

33. "..in a manufactured crisis to manufacture consent for a deal that would otherwise be unacceptable."

Sad, but incredibly true.

PB

[Ian62]

44. Thanks for reminding me

I have put that telling comment in the header

[JEB]

39. Perfectly told Truth.

The House is going to be diminished without his voice. I know DK will continue to for the Truth and for Working People whatever he chooses to do next.

[TheKentuckian]

40. That is 100% correct. If you're denying you're lying.

The situation was literally legislated into existence, nuff said.

[MuseRider]

41. Always the truth

and never popular for it. Shows you what the dems are like these days.

Go Dennis Kucinich. I will miss knowing you are there in the House but I am guessing once you are unencumbered by a party trying to exclude and hush you up you might be able to make some real important noise. At least I hope so.

[whatchamacallit]

42. K&R

[Prometheus Bound]

43. That was a pretty powerful 60 seconds.

Every single person in that house knows it's the truth.

[bvar22]

49. Dennis IS a Truth Teller.

That is WHY he is despised by conservatives,
even those masquerading as Democrats.

[LWolf]

88. As I recall,

that's what polling results looked like on DU right up until the first caucus.


It's pretty easy to identify the 3rd way "new" Democrats, just by browsing the responses in this thread.

[KoKo]

50. K&R........

[wildbilln864]

52. k&r! nt

[Puregonzo1188]

55. I can't believe we are losing him in the House.

[sabrina 1]

58. He was a victim of gerrymandering. But I think he will be back.

Dennis is a real fighter. He has actual courage, as demonstrated throughout his life. While many of our other so-called Reps are too scared or too greedy to speak the truth the way he does.

[libodem]

59. No Doubt

Moves the news cycle, sells advertising.

[99Forever]

60. You rock DK...

... keep talking truth to power to the assholes. WE know what's real and we've had our fill.

[G_j]

62. and it should be obvious to anyone

[TXDem72]

63. Kucinich is right

[Michigan-Arizona]

64. K&R n/t

[SHRED]

65. and then proceeds to vote to lower incomes of working Americans...

...by $1,000 per year via the "tax holiday" expiration in the bill .

[DCKit]

69. Yeah, $1K is, in fact 2% of a $50K income.

Do you honestly think that the SS tax holiday was a good idea?

As far as I'm concerned, it was another setup for (yet another) manufactured crisis - the insolvency of SS. I was howling when it passed.

[Ian62]

71. There was nothing to stop them from

letting the Payroll Tax break expire and lowering income taxes by 2% for those earning under a certain amount. E.G $50k.

That would have prevented the significant tax hike we are going to see on lower paid workers.

There is a recession coming to America in 2013 from the fall out in Europe.

The tax hike on marginal taxpayers is going to make it far worse.

There hasn't been any real economic recovery - it is just an illusion. Pumped up with $2tn of Fed money printing. It is another bubble - just like the housing bubble.

The Fed's balance sheet has increased by $2tn since the housing bubble burst in late 2007.
But the total money supply is lower now than it was in 2007 despite this Fed pumping - it has not gone into the real economy.
It is being used by the big banks for speculation.
Part of the money supply decrease is due to loan defaults (mostly foreclosures).
The default rate on student loans has just had a huge jump in late 2012.

Real Household incomes and Real median wages have fallen for 4 straight years.
High paying jobs are being swapped for part time, low paid and minimum wage.
The only growth

[serbbral]

72. I'm sorry, but he needs to go somewhere and sit down.

Truth or not, if he felt that way, then he shouldn't have voted YAY.

[Flybywire]

74. I'm still waiting for the Republican's plan to PAY FOR those trillion dollar wars they wanted.

still waiting.....
waiting...
waiting...
waiting...
waiting...
waiting...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

75. Thank you for the Truth, Dennis --

and you will be greatly missed.

[Laelth]

76. k&r for the Great Dennis Kucinich. n/t

-Laelth

[Eddie Haskell]

80. Only truth teller left ...

and poof, he's gone.

[JDPriestly]

81. Kucinich -- right as usual.

[Fire Walk With Me]

86. Remember one year ago when the national narrative was upon income inequality, jobs, and The People?

The powers that be have stolen back that narrative with pageantry designed to remind us WE NEED THEM! It's really quite a lot like that speech in V for Vendetta. If we realize we don't need them, we can get on with creating a better world. If they can put us into fear and thus dependence, they can do whatever they want.

[serbbral]

87. Just seems like a waste of time to complain now ....

should have voted nay, if he felt that way.

[ReRe]

90. I bet that threw them for a loop!

K&R

That's right...what will happen when they kill off all the industrious, artistic, worker bee, infrastructure-building, tax-paying, citizen cliff dwellers? What will happen when the Republicons join up with the DLCers in one great big giant party? We are on a cliff, folks, and we can't go any further. This right wing drive has to stop here and now, or this isn't going to be America as we know it. And guess what? I think the drive stopped last night. Thank you Dennis, and thank you Ian62 for posting his powerful one-minute speech.