yurbud
yurbud's JournalTOON: Tea Party Sue--a life without taking a cent from the government
The only part I would disagree with is that it applies to ALL Republicans not just Tea Baggers.
What would a world without international bankers as our masters look like & how do we get there?
Reading about austerity measures in Greece, and the resistance in our own Congress to spend on what history has shown works to break us out of this severe recession right after giving more in bailouts to Wall Street than the Iraq & Afghanistan wars had cost so far, and the Federal Reserve giving tens of trillions in bailouts to the same assholes with no accountability to the public makes it clear that the large international banks give politicians their marching orders, and the decisions we can influence democratically are how we divide the scraps bankers and the very wealthy decide to toss us.
Do we share this bit of half eaten quiche with gays and illegal immigrants, or do we let the starve so whites and people who have been here longer can get a slightly larger share?
But the scraps are getting thinner.
The real question for the Occupy Movement and progressives is not just how do we alleviate the current damage the sociopaths at the top have done lately, but how do we change the structure of things so that they are at best MEMBERS of society NOT the MASTERS as they envision themselves and are in reality.
How can we get to a democracy where politicians cannot ignore the majority on decisions like:
- massive bailouts for banks that most of the public opposed,
- trade deals that most of the public opposed and that killed jobs here,
- wars that we lied into consenting to and when we realized the truth and the vast majority of us opposed them, politicians felt free to continue until those countries made it impossible for us to stay?
- higher taxes for people who go to work everyday than for those who speculate with part of their monthly trust fund check.
- billions in subsidies for the most profitable corporations in history while elementary and high school classes close.
- Wall Street banks getting loans from the Federal Reserve with near zero interest while interest on student loan debt can cripple recent college graduates, and those same banks can charge interest on credit cards that would make a loan shark blush.
On some of these, Obama and Congress make the right noises and take some steps in those directions, but say that change must be incremental, evolutionary, and involve deep compromises with those who caused the problems (and no question of criminal prosecutions of those who caused the problems).
But when the bankers, Wall Street, and fifth generation trust fund babies snap their fingers, legislators fall into line like lemmings regardless of the damage their masters have done or that the action they are ordering will do.
That is a far deeper problem than can be fixed by getting more Democrats in Congress and the White House.
What would a world without wealthy sociopaths as our masters look like & how do we get there?
THIS MODERN WORLD TOON: Romney's gaffes & how to lose even with them
This sounds eerily accurate.
By accurate, I meant Obama's reaction.
Romney's business practices are sociopathic beyond the reach of satire.
Lieberman: Arm the Syrian Opposition
When Joe Lieberman says something is a good idea, you have to wonder if we really know who the good guys and bad guys are in Syria.
On "State of the Union," Homeland Security Committee topper says he would give support to "help the brave Syrian freedom fighters."
Lieberman: "Medical help first, and then I'd give them training. I'd give them communications equipment, and then ultimately, I'd give them weapons."
http://thepage.time.com/2012/02/12/lieberman-arm-the-syrian-opposition/#ixzz1mD5FlwAk
Sort of like we trained, equipped, and armed the Iraqis and Afghans after we overthrew their governments?
What could go wrong?
Israel vs. Iran: The Truth Slips Out
This article points out a basic truth that American as well as Israeli politicians leave out of foreign policy discussions that drive me nuts: even if every nation we are worried about gets nukes, it would be suicidal for them to use them against us or even Israel since Israel has the capacity to nuke every major city in every Muslim country, and we have the capacity to nuke every country off the map several times over.
It is an embarrassing cartoonish lie than anyone old enough to remember the Cold War should be too embarrassed to tell: then we faced an enemy with as many and sometimes more nukes than us, but neither side pulled the trigger for fear of the devastating retaliation.
I doubt they really think Arabs and Iranians are like the villains in action movies who live to be killed by us.
Even if the Iranians did manage to make a handful of nuclear weapons, why should we believe they would ever use them against Israel? They know that Israel already has 100 to 200 nukes of its own, enough to destroy every major city in Iran, and is perfectly prepared to use them. Iranian leaders have not given any evidence that they’re interested in committing national suicide.
And why should we believe Israel was better off before the Arab Spring, when its neighbors were all dictatorships, breeding grounds for popular anger that could easily turn (or be manipulated) against outside enemies? Governments that better reflect public sentiment are more stable and reliable for their neighbors to deal with. In fact, the Arab Spring movement is having a moderating effect on Islamist politics, as both the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas are now demonstrating.
***
Since Israel brought nukes into the Middle East decades ago, its concern about a “regional nuclear arms race” is code for other Mideast nations getting nuclear capability. “Strategic position” is code for Israel’s current absolute military domination of the greater Middle East, symbolized by its sole possession of nukes. It’s that symbolic as well as very real domination, not its national existence, that Israel is at risk of losing.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/09-1
Help CA get last two votes for single payer health care!
Single Payer 2 Votes Short in Senate
by David Gorn
The idea of a single-payer health care system in California stalled on the Senate floor yesterday, falling two votes short of passage.
Reconsideration of the bill was granted, though, so proponents of SB 810 by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) have until Tuesday to reintroduce the bill. First they will have to come up with two big votes. The bill failed on a 19-15 vote.
The idea of universal coverage has been passed by the Legislature before. In 2007 and 2009, both houses approved the idea, only to have it vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Last year, it passed the Senate and stalled when it was not brought to the floor in the Assembly.
FULL TEXT
Single payer for California has made it to the governor's desk twice before, but Arnold vetoed it both times.
Now we have a Democratic governor who is a lot more likely to sign it than our former Austrian Autocrat.
Five Democratic state senators abstained from voting, but if two of them vote yes by the 31st, the bill will go to the Assembly.
I have a personal stake in this: I taught community college for ten years before any of my employers offered me health insurance--and that's just for me, it won't cover my wife or child.
My wife's dad lost his health insurance with his job, but is too young for Medicare, so he drives to Tijuana every month or so for cheaper out of pocket medical care.
That's a disgrace in the richest, most powerful nation on Earth. We have a right to the same kind of universal healthcare people in Europe and every other advanced democracy enjoy.
As I said in my letter to the five holdouts:
It's critical that you call, fax, or email these five abstainers and tell them to support Mark Leno's SB 810 single payer bill or expect a progressive primary opponent in their next election.
Alex Padilla (Pacoima/LA area)
Capitol – 916-651-4020
Fax: 916-324-6645
District – 818-901-5588
Fax: 818-901-5562
online contact form
Rod Wright (Los Angeles area)
(916) 651-4025
Fax: 916-445-3712
(310) 412-0393
online contact form
Juan Vargas (San Diego area)
Sac: (916) 651-4040
Fax: (916) 327-3522
Dist: (619) 409-7690
(619) 409-7688
online contact form
Michael Rubio (Fresno/Bakersfield area)
Sac: (916) 651-4016
Fax: (916) 327-5989
Dist: (661) 395-2620
Fax: (661) 395-2622
online contact form
Ron Calderon (Los Angeles area)
Sac: (916) 651-4030
Fax: (916) 327-8755
Dist: (323) 890-2790
Fax: (323) 890-2795
online contact form
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Member since: Sun Jul 11, 2004, 07:58 PMNumber of posts: 39,405
