A program for real change

First, one of the criticisms leveled against me especially in my critique of Ron Paul, is that I call for more regulation because deregulation was the primary cause of the financial meltdown.  Let me address this issue completely.  The Ron Paul supporters would have us believe two things.  The crushing burden of regulation limits the "free market" (which I contend is a fiction since there is always advantage, sometimes structural, sometimes absolute) and prevents businesses from doing their best to hire people and expand.  They also contend that the big businesses own the government and then write the laws and regulations that they then have to follow.  This is really strange.  They write the laws but then they are under a burden of the laws they write.  Oh, you might say, this is the big boys keeping others out, thus if we get rid of regulation and or the departments that make them then we can have competition.  This is fantasy.  Removing the agencies of control and or the regulations just guarantees that the largest and wealthiest corporations will continue to dominate the market and actually expand and keep others out by virtue of their size and market position.
When I say that we need new regulation it presupposes the removal of corporate influence from government policy.  Remove the corporations from the government.  No revolving door in either direction.  No corporate lobbyists.  No money or any gifts of any kind from corporations to elected officials.  If elected officials cannot gain favor and money from corporations they have no incentive to do what they want.  Also if they have no ability to go into private business if they lose their elected office, which I would ban for elected officials that would move into private sector jobs that benefited by legislation that they were involved with while in office they have nowhere to go after they are booted from office so they have a direct incentive to listen to the PEOPLE they represent.
Here is a real plan for immediate growth and for private sector jobs as well.  In World War II the US government had a program called GOCO, government owned corporate operated.  My proposal is similar.  The government actually starts new businesses, builds factories or supplies equipment for construction companies, or builds new power plants and staffs them with workers and start working to repair necessary infrastructure programs in this country.  This could be expanded to any productive purpose, making products, building things, etc. The jobs will be living wage jobs with benefits.  Now instead of having corporations run this government owned business like World War II GOCO facilities the government will actually run these businesses.  However what will happen is this.  If a corporation or business wants to take over the running of this business they can do so by meeting certain criteria.  They have to keep the current level of employment or higher, they have to keep the living wage and benefits programs and this has to be contractual between the government and the business.  If they meet economic criteria, having enough capital to continue the business and allow for growth the company will be given the business free.  If they fail to fulfill the contractual obligations they forfeit the business and they pay the full amount of what the business would cost at market value.  That would be paid back to the Treasury of the US, and the business will be offered to another company that wants to step in.  This has many advantages since companies that want to get started can do so without the start up costs and assume the business that is fully running.  Thus the businesses will become private sector jobs and expand the economy into production and construction.  This would be a win win situation.  More later...

The Bankruptcy of Austrian Economics

Many people feel that Ron Paul is the answer for all of the problems faced by this nation, and I use the term "nation" loosely.

Since this is an economics blog I am going to tell you why his economic policies are horrendous.  But it should be noted that his position on foreign policy and wars is great and he should be given credit for that.
First is the idea of free markets which Paul is a champion of, as is Austrian economics.  The basic fact is that there is no such thing as a free market and deregulation will no make the market freer.  There will still be countries, companies, and individuals that have advantages, some of which are absolute, which will ensure that these entities profit while others flounder.
In a labor market this is the ultimate horror as it is a race to the bottom in wages and benefits.
Austrians and Ayn Randians actually believe the garbage that they spew and call it good policy.  Here is a sample of their lunacy in their own words.
The fact is that if the policies of Austrians were enacted as is envisioned by Ron Paul then we will be back to feudal times where workers are, at best, sharecroppers on the land of the local lord.
Additional problems with Ron Paul can be found in this well done piece which illustrates that Paul is at heart a far right supporter of the John Birch Society and a Christian Reconstructionist.  There are far too many problems with Ron Paul that outweigh his anti-war stance, even though I laud him mightily for that position.

Wisconsin bodes ill for progressives

Once again we see that the minds of many are still stuck in their old mindset of beliefs that have no basis in reality.  Progressive and populist ideas are long overdue in this country and it was to Wisconsin that many have put a lot of hope that some of these ideas could gain a foot hold. Now it seems the best result could be a 50/50 split in the recall elections.  In light of the tremendous assault on unions, workers, working families, and just plain decent governance and a decent life for many it would seem that many are still buying the rhetoric of genocide and austerity.
It's a sad day indeed that this could occur but we should not be surprised either. We are living in very interesting times.

Unbelievable

Is there ANY sane or rational reason to conduct debt ceiling talks in secret?  Well obviously the answer to that question is YES!  And that is because you want to HIDE what it is you are doing.  And that is exactly what we are seeing here.  I have made a prediction that the legislation that raises the debt ceiling will be the beginning of the end for ALL social programs.  I stand by this.  Remember well that it was the wolf in sheep's clothing Obama that handed over Social Security and Medicare with no counter-offer from the lunatic fringe of the surreal Republi-WHORES.  Not that the fake left wing or Demo-SHILLS are any better.  Don't ever forget that all of these sides and people are exactly the same and serve the same masters.

Matt Taibbi illustrates a lot of the lunacy of what is going on in all of this.  Also you might want to check out David Sirota and his outstanding piece entitled "The New Let Them Eat Cake!" 

We will all pay and lose benefits and things we have paid for with blood and sweat while the elitist rich and corporations continue to rape and pillage in the fashion of the most vicious Viking.

This is the endgame in USA the corporate plantation.

Koch Brothers war on seniors and the middle class

The Koch Brothers have spent millions of dollars to fund think tanks and supposedly "independent" foundations to present policy papers which purport to show that Social Security and Medicare are "unsustainable" and thus usher in austerity for the USA as is being done with Greece.  This video is a parody of course but it might as well be a direct transmission from the Koch Brothers and the others on the radical fringes that want to further subject us to less regulation and more wealth accumulation to the super rich like the Koch Brothers.  Don't be fooled by these foundations and institutes and the obvious propaganda they spew.

Hello seniors are you listening?

Come on seniors.  You are and have been under attack for a long time now.  I've warned you about it:

And here:

Now we have the AARP once again blatantly selling you out completely.  They have now dropped their opposition to any cuts to Social Security as seen here.

They have sold you out on Medicare already not opposing and even endorsing Obama's cutting of 500 billion dollars from Medicare in the Healthcare Reform known as "Obamacare".  Do you know why they supported cuts to Medicare?
Because they are an INSURANCE COMPANY and they don't give a damn about you, only your money.  The cuts to Medicare mean that you will need more supplemental insurance to bridge the gap and they "just happen to" sell such things.
Now please answer this question.  You actually have to PAY to belong to this organization right?  Now please answer this question.  WHY?
I am going to go out on a limb here and make a prediction that AARP will soon have, if they do not already have, some kind of supplemental income plan that they will want to SELL TO YOU because you will need it after they cut your Social Security benefits.
Sadly we cannot have much affect on politics in this country because corporations and insurance companies like AARP pay off the politicians.  But you can have a great impact on THEIR influence by dropping out of the AARP and stop paying them money to sell you stuff and sell you out. 

Once again, rich get richer on backs of middle class

It can't be emphasized enough.
http://www.mybudget360.com/brittle-financial-american-middle-class-50-percent-of-americans-no-savings-2000-bankrupt-202-trillion-in-wealth-deloitte-finds-rich-get-richers-by-2020/

Wendell Potter on Vermont's Health Care Law: The Single-Payer Train Has Left the Station

Wendell Potter on Vermont's Health Care Law: The Single-Payer Train Has Left the Station

Police State, corporate owned and corporate run

Hey Amerikans no touching, dancing, or silently protesting.

http://www.activistpost.com/2011/05/peace-activist-and-vet-adam-kokesh.html

Corporate rule, government not the problem

The government, per se, is NOT the problem.  What we have is a complete usurpation of the government by corporations and Wall Street.  A government that actually represent the people is the only answer to this state of affairs.

Mad rant over what's going on

If anyone wants to do some digging please try and find out for me what the parties are.  Are the Democratic party and Republican party corporations?; clubs?; non profit organizations?; etc...

Pawlenty jumps in for 2012

Anti-union, Medicare bashing, Social Security busting, war-mongering, fascist corporate shill.  Since Obama is all of these things and the entire field of idiots, asses, and fools in the republican camp are too we once again have no real choice in 2012.  WOW!  Is anyone surprised??

Concerted Effort

There is a large concerted effort being made by all parties that is attempting to rationalize the dismantling of the Medicare program.  Now they are trying to push a "reform" of Social Security too as they try to convince us with polls that people actually want this.  It is obvious through poll after poll, when conducted without political agendas and without massaging of the data that people overwhelmingly support the retention of these programs and the strengthening of them.  Meanwhile we have a real solution to health care reform introduced into the Senate which is not covered by the news media (wholly owned subsidiaries of the corporate controllers of the nation).  That solution is single payer, strengthened and expanded Medicare for all.
Don't believe the lies, these programs are effective and they need to be saved and strengthened not cut and gutted.  Remember my prediction that Obama will be the driving force in the attempt to deconstruct these programs, unless something really big happens in the way of massive opposition.

Big Oil

These companies rake in billions in profits AND they get huge tax breaks and incentives that amount to billions of dollars.  Recently as anger over Paul Ryan's budget has forced Republishills to back away from Medicare cutting even they have talked about cutting subsidies to oil giants (when standing in the same room with angry constituents).  As soon as they got back to DC and took a vote all of the Tea Party, and "free market" types all voted in lock step to keep the subsidies.  Hey "free market" guys!  What the hell is wrong with you?  Some of us are not so brain dead that we see that you are corporate shills and SAY one thing to our face and stab us in the back when we turn away.  It's comical.  Now there is a great sadness here too and that is that there actually are real honest to goodness people that believe that "free market" bullshit.  They believe it so much they can't be made to see what is blatantly before their eyes.  Sad

War for greed

Santorum the lunatic running for President

Well he has been in the news for a "scathing" attack on Obama and reveals himself for what he is a "true" war-monger.  Apparently Obama's war-mongering and murderous death from the skies in numerous countries is not enough for Santorum.  In his speech at the National Press Club he clearly outlines all of the reasons that any sane person should see him as a LUNATIC.
Paul Ryan suddenly thinks the big oil companies should not get any federal subsidies and says he is in favor of ending corporate welfare in a town hall meeting.  Hollow words from a corporate shill.  My prediction is that any change seen will be cosmetic, if there is any change at all AND the ongoing attack on social programs will continue apace.
Meanwhile Obama continues his money raising efforts to keep killing people and destroying the country for an additional four years even as hundreds die in killer storms in the South.
Typical of the GOP they completely dismiss the voter outrage for the Ryan "Passport to the poorhouse and death" budget attack on Medicare.  They are claiming it's not REAL anger but phony anger.  This sounds suspiciously like the Democrats talking up the sham health reform bill that passed, saying that the opposition would "learn to like it."
More examples of the complete ownership of our government by corporate and rich interests.  Remember people there is no difference between the Republicans and the Democrats.  They both serve the same master.  If there was any kind of opposition there would be solid proposals for a national single payer health plan.  There would be solid proposals for making the tax code progressive, but in the end the tax cuts to the rich and corporations will go through as slick as grease with no opposition.

Some Backlash

Well it does seem as though there is some backlash developing over the Republican attack on Medicare in the name of "fixing the deficit".  In town hall meetings some are coming under criticism for the action.  It should be noted that many are also asking the obvious question as to why the Ryan "Passport to an early grave" budget also gives tax cuts to the wealthy, even causing the congressman in the story to pretend like he is unaware of the tax cuts!  This is shades of Nancy Pelosi's assertion that we have to pass the bill to see what's in it, like a Christmas present of death!  Woopee!
Meanwhile the Obamabot continues on a relentless fund raising campaign even as storms ravage across the country.  One needs to remember that the Android In Chief is no friend of seniors already approving a massive cut to the program.  That proposal eventually approved as much as 500 Billion in cuts.  His new proposed budget also addresses more cuts and talks about the old canard of "fraud".  It is a fallacy to think that fraud makes up any significant amount of spending in social programs, this tactic is just another way to deny benefits.
For a comprehensive reform of health care in this country we need a strong single payer system which can be operated through Medicare as out lined in the the Physician's for a National Health Program plan, and in my platform for economic and political change.
The overhead of private health insurance is the single biggest area that costs could be trimmed from any proposed health care overhaul.
Don't believe the rhetoric that seeks to compare us with other countries that have nationalIZED health care like the UK.  In a system we develop the providers would and should remain private institutions, whereas in places like the UK the hospitals and doctors are employees of the state.  Our plan would be much better.  The idea of giving everyone access to an affordable plan through a single payer under Medicare AND using that leverage to negotiate payments to doctors, hospitals, and most importantly drugs would greatly reduce costs.  It's simple.

9 things the rich don't want you to know about taxes

A wonderful article that smashes the idea that reducing taxes on the rich and corporations increases revenue and creates jobs recently appeared.  Please read it.  It is quite apparent that we have been engaged in Austrian economics that have deregulated the business environment.  We have also been engaged in the Supply Side economic swindle.  The fact is that the tax burden falls on the poor and the middle class.  The rich do not pay the top tax rate, they pay less than half of the rate they are supposed to pay because of tax loopholes.  Corporations are in a similar position, paying significantly less than the amount they should because of loopholes and off-shoring the money they earn.
Hedge fund managers like Paulson make 9 BILLION dollars a year and pay no taxes.  Theoretically he may never have to pay taxes on that money even in the deferred tax scheme he is "entitled" to.
Raising revenue is essential to government solvency.  Cutting taxes on the rich and corporations does not raise revenue.  Tax breaks and loopholes for corporations do not increase jobs, and, in fact in many cases results in job losses.  Read the article for more information.
Time to take it to another level.  Protesting commerce and it's connection to your politicians, and the war machine.  Block entrances to local branches of banks that have been bailed out.  Protest outside businesses that have paid little in taxes and are sitting on huge amounts of money and not investing it in jobs.  Highlight the political angle by showing who they fund and for how much.