|
|
May 22, 2013
|
|
|
|
 Jim Hightower and Rick Perry’s Army of GodPosted on Aug 18, 2011
This week on Truthdig Radio in collaboration with KPFK: Texan populist Jim Hightower and Robert Scheer discuss Rick Perry’s entry into the presidential race while Texas Observer Editor David Mann tells us about Perry’s “army of God.” Listen to the full episode, play individual interviews or continue reading the full transcript below. Subscribe to Truthdig PodcastsSubscribe directly: Listen to the show: Segments: Advertisement Texas Observer Editor David Mann Transcript:Peter Scheer: This is Truthdig Radio from KPFK Los Angeles. I’m Truthdig.com managing editor Peter Scheer. Brace yourselves for a double-barrel blast of Rick Perry, who turned the campaign for presidency upside down this weekend when he announced his candidacy. “Governor good hair,” as he is known in Texas, has the ultraconservative Christian credentials of Michele Bachmann and the executive experience of Mitt Romney, but without all that health care baggage. Today our two expert Texans probe the life and times of this polarizing figure. Later in the show, Texas Observer editor David Mann reveals Rick Perry’s Army of God; and America’s favorite populist, Jim Hightower, dishes Perry with Truthdig editor Robert Scheer. Stay with us. Peter Scheer: You probably recognize Jim Hightower from his column and radio show, but the Texan populist was also once that state’s agricultural commissioner, a job he lost to—guess who?—Rick Perry. Earlier today he spoke with Truthdig Editor-in-Chief Robert Scheer. Robert Scheer: So, hi, it’s Robert Scheer with Jim Hightower. And the reason I want to talk to you, obviously, is that you know more about Texas, certainly, than any progressive, maybe any human being. You have even held elected office in Texas. And you know, we got the governor, another Texas governor, looks like he might become president; I think he’s going to jump to the head of the pack here. And so I just wanted to start with a couple of questions that I had, and then you can throw in anything you want. But I’ve been reading up on Texas, and it seems to me that this “Texas miracle” that’s been described, in some ways is a tribute to an early history of Texas populism, going back to the Texas Constitution, which made it more difficult to cheat homeowners on their mortgages. And as a result, [in] Texas you couldn’t get one of these liar’s loans, and you couldn’t be swindled quite as easily by the banks that told you to take all your equity out, and that you had to have 20 percent down; and that you couldn’t pocket the money, it had to actually be for the improvement of the house; and so forth. Does this go back to the mid-19th century? Jim Hightower: Yes. In fact, the first Texas state constitution outlawed banks; you were not allowed to form a bank. And to create a corporation, you had to get a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate. So … because Texas was settled by debtors and mavericks and mutts. People who didn’t like banks, didn’t like the railroad towers that were squeezing the farmers out. So the original constitution and the original laws were very pro regular people, and very anti the amalgamation of power by corporate and financial interests. Robert Scheer: But that was true of a number of states. For instance, Iowa also banned banks; California had a restriction on interest rates, as did many banks; but it got watered down, or it got overruled by federal power. How did Texas manage to largely avoid this housing meltdown by retaining its laws? Regulation? Jim Hightower: Yes, regulation. And also a political culture that says that the home is sacrosanct, and that it should not be easy to take that away from families. Now, let me be clear: We have become a thoroughly corporatized state. After years of governors—and particularly Perry, but before him George W.—turning over the regulatory powers; turning them into mush, really, and letting corporations regulate themselves. The whole Enron thing, for example, came out of Kenneth Lay and the relationship with George W. And we were among the first states to deregulate this energy speculation that is really what Enron was involved in, that led to disasters in California and ultimately to Enron itself and Lay. But having said that … Robert Scheer: Let me just throw in as a footnote … Jim Hightower: … continue to have protections. Robert Scheer: … yeah, but as a footnote, you also gave us Phil Gramm, the Texas senator who … Jim Hightower: When he ran for president, however many years ago, some Republicans said, ‘Well, sometimes Phil’s his own worst enemy.’ And I said, ‘Not while I’m alive, he’s not.’ [laughter] Robert Scheer: But Phil Gramm, just to remind listeners, was the guy who teamed up with Bill Clinton to get the Financial Services Modernization Act and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, the two pieces of legislation that reversed the restraints of the New Deal on the greed of Wall Street. But I want to stick to this housing thing, because again, the thing that’s really hobbled California—this is going to be a lot, talked about a lot during the campaign, you know, the “Texas miracle.” And they’re going to say, oh, it’s because we have the free market and we have deregulation. And I want … the housing meltdown is at the root of our whole economic problem, and it’s what’s hurt people in California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada. And Texas was able to avoid the worst part of that kind of meltdown, again, because—and I don’t want to overstate it—but it seems to me that despite these Republican governors, they did hold on to enough of that protection of the homeowners so that the banks could not swindle them with these, you know, loans—if you take out more than it’s worth, and we’ll give you a different appraisal, and that you actually had to have a 20 percent stake in it. And I just wonder how come Texas was able to keep its common sense as far as home ownership? Jim Hightower: Well, I think we had some independent bankers who are very conservative in the classic sense of conservatism. That you should not, as a matter of business or public policy, put people in a situation to fail, and that’s going to cost them their home and their money, and maybe the family itself. So that kind of ethic was in the banking community; it’s—you know, again, I don’t want to overstate it, because there is—we’ve got the same banks; Bank of America is huge here. And so the same kind of conglomerates that’ve got speculation in their blood, rather than selling loans, are loose in Texas. But we still have those laws in place that, in this case, does protect middle-class folks. Robert Scheer: Looking at these comparisons—again, because the “Texas miracle” is going to be much examined, and the claim is going to be made that Texas produced, what, 35 percent of the new jobs in the last few years. And the counter argument of people like Paul Krugman is yeah, but what kind of jobs? And first of all, Texas has had a lot of growth in population, but it’s in part an immigrant population; people come from other states needing jobs, but can’t do that nationally. And that also your rate of poverty is very high, and that you and Mississippi, as I understand it, are the two tied for absolute bottom, of the most people who receive the minimum wage or less in their income. So you have a great deal of poverty there in Texas. Jim Hightower: Well, yes. And that is not by accident. It is because the kind of jobs that have been created here in Texas—for quite some time, but certainly during Perry’s 10-year tenure—are really job-ettes. They’re low-wage, no benefit, no upper mobility, no job security attached to them at all. In fact, here’s a stat for you: In the 10 years Perry’s been in office, Texas has created more minimum-wage jobs than all other states combined. So I don’t think that’s a model for America that most Americans would want to have brought to them. And you know, the result, we also have the highest number of families and of children without health coverage of any state in the union. We have one of the highest rates of the gap between the rich and the poor; we have the most regressive tax system, the fifth most regressive tax system, in the country. You know, right on down the line, it’s not a pretty picture. Yeah, this “Texas miracle” is fine if you’re rich, but if you’re just middle class or poor, then it’s not good at all; in fact, this is a very hardscrabble economy for most people. I’ll give you an example: The big Perry-Palooza that Perry had down in Houston a couple of weeks ago, when he got 30,000 people, evangelicals and Republicans, to turn out to a thing—that was a very low turnout; it was held in a 72,000-seat football stadium, so it didn’t look all that good. But nonetheless, on that same day the reporters who were covering Perry could have gone out to the convention center in Houston, where there were 100,000 people gathered. Now, those 100,000 were among the many poor people in Houston who were attending a back-to-school event that the school district put on to give away backpacks and give away immunizations, to do immunizations, to give haircut vouchers, and that sort of thing. That is a measure of the real economy in Texas. While Perry was over there praying, including praying for people who don’t have jobs, there were 100,000 families who stood in line, some of them camped out from the wee hours of that day, to be able to get access to these basics, these essentials for their children. And by the way, they had to shut down at 10 a.m. in the morning because everything had been given away. Robert Scheer: That’s amazing.
1
2
3
4
NEXT PAGE >>>
TAGS:
Related EntriesPrevious item: Obama ‘Disappointmints’ Stir Up a Controversy Next item: ‘Left, Right & Center’: Investor Anxiety, Syrian Instability, Perry Scrutinized New and Improved CommentsIf you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy. |
Glaciers Are Melting Slowly but Surely
Email 
Print
Share
Email to a friend
Newsletter 
Like Us
Follow Us
Get Our Feed
Tags|Bazaar|Podcast|About Us|Contact Us|User Agreement|Privacy Policy|FAQ: Comments and Moderation | Google+
© 2013 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.
By Night-Gaunt, August 22, 2011 at 4:53 pm Link to this comment
I do appreciate perennial protector of the Right Ozark Michael but usually you do diligence instead of simple invective and innuendo you display here. Why not actually go after those on detail and fact about the theocratic elements that have invaded both parties, our military and gov’t. They want a theocracy here of some kind. Implicit or explicit they do. Something you should be against unless you want it. The Left isn’t without totalitarian elements but they are not a factor here. In fact the Left has been out of politics and the NAR/Dominionist/Christian Reconstructinists came in to fill it back in the 1970’s.
That Prayer Rally was an open sign of it. (It bothers me that they think things are in such a state they can be so open about it.) Not surprisingly it was poorly attended because most people don’t want a theocracy here nor a Plutocracy or fascist (corporate governance) type gov’t running things here. [Hint: it will be an admixture of all them into one toxic stew.] Democrat or Republican or Green or Liberterian or Dem-Soc are against it. I certainly am. Just a few most at the top and their adherents and wannabes want it. By hook or by crook they want it here. Why do you think the Tea Party types want to bring down our economy? It’s called “Disaster Capitalism” and Naomi Klein chronicled some of its hidden history in the book of the same name.
Obama is good at playing the passive-aggressive game. Be passive for us and aggressive to help the Reich wing which he is part of as are many top level Democrats. When we question him for giving away the farm before even ‘negotiating’ he get’s hot under the collar at us, not at the Republicans. He isn’t weak, he is a mole. Not a patsy but an agent for the side of the oligarchs who want our gov’t to fall so that they can come in and ‘help’ us to rebuild. But in their fashion of corporate freedoms of economy and Bible based laws to rule us. Forget about the ACLU and Bill of Rights, they don’t have truck with such “un-Christian” kinds of things. We may have 21st century technology of war and surveillance, but the mind set not too different from the Massachusetts Bay Colony of 1610. They aren’t Luddites, just anti-Modernists socially.
JC how do you run a radio station on a part time basis? Most of them already have just a few who are on staff the rest are volunteers. It takes $150 an hour to run such a station. Fund raisers are necessary because they don’t take on corporate funding. You aren’t buying the DVD, that is just a small token for your support. You can give them whatever you want but they need it or if they go down we lose it forever. Just remember that.
The Fraternity, as Charles Higham called them were very busy to take over our country in 1933-1934. They literally barely failed because they chose the wrong military man for their commanding general of their army to be, armed by ITT, to occupy Washington, DC. If it hadn’t been for Major-General Smedly Darlent “Gimlet Eye” Butler we would have either been a Fascist nation joining the Axis or had a second Civil War during the backdrop of a growing world war breaking us up. Because FDR was afraid to punish with treason the richest families and dissolve important corporations like ITT, Chase Bank, the Bush‘s and Ford Motor company among others—-they were just spoken to and no more. Many in the Fraternity made money dealing with both sides of the war. At the end of the war they got off scott free. I say they still want domination. Only they will be the Axis leader of a new American Century. The corporate empire way coupled with a new zeal at missionary work for Dominion theology.
Report thisBy Marian Griffith, August 21, 2011 at 1:42 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@OzarkMichael
—But oh noes!...then he turns around and makes an accusation that Perry is gonna “force a Bible into everyone’s hands” What sort of accusation is that?—
In your writings here you have not shown great capacity, or willingness, to recognise a metaphor but ... that is just what that remark you quoted is.
And in case the word metaphor has too many syllables:
1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another.
2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.
In other words, it refered to the thinly veiled intention of Perry to base his rule, policies and laws on the bible (and on his own narrow subset of interpretations of that book).
Report thisBy Morri Creech, August 20, 2011 at 9:04 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This morning God told me Himself that Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann should not be nominated or elected to office; and since, apparently, anyone who piously evokes His name immediately becomes vested with His unerring authority, that should resolve the matter once and for all. Amen.
Report thisBy EmileZ, August 20, 2011 at 6:40 am Link to this comment
RE: David Mann
If a group of radical left-wing hippies tried to exorcise masonic temples or say levitate the pentagon, how many of us would object???
If this same group made the same claim about the democratic party being run by voices from ????
I dunno.
Maybe there is a new “right-wing” hippie revolution going on.
Stop hey what’s that sound ev’rybody look what’s goin’ round.
Report thisBy bogi666, August 20, 2011 at 4:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Rick Parry fits the definition of the Anti Christ and the timing coincides with the Beast of Revelations, which is the One World System, or Globalization which is the Beast, system. The Anti Christ is not opposed to Christ but pretend to be Christ which is what Parry is doing, pretending that his false doctrines are Christ’s. Rick has made god in his own image and violates,disobeys the definition that The Christ made clear. No public displays of piety, embracing usury,such are the hypocrites, to name a few.These are meant to provide forewarning of the tactics of the Anti Christ and 90% of christians will embrace the false doctrines of the Anti Christ as the teaching of Christ. The Anti Christ, Parry, arrival coincides with the establishment of the One World Globalization System
Report thisBy SteveL, August 19, 2011 at 9:42 pm Link to this comment
Ricky discussed on local NPR station today. They say he does not care what his
Report thispolitical opponents think. He only cares what his supporters think. Obama and
Democrats take note of that!
By OzarkMichael, August 19, 2011 at 9:28 pm Link to this comment
“It’s time to separate the bullshit from reality. This idiot and his compatriots are ready and willing to put bibles in the hands of all Americans—-whether they want ‘em or not.”
anaman51 wants to separate bullshit from reality, that sounds like a good idea.
But oh noes!...then he turns around and makes an accusation that Perry is gonna “force a Bible into everyone’s hands” What sort of accusation is that?
Its bullshit, completely divorced from reality.
Sheer’s articles always have the same effect, it makes his monkeys go crazy.
Report thisBy OzarkMichael, August 19, 2011 at 9:13 pm Link to this comment
“Then the Governor Mission had a big fire. Mr. Perry made every single document on this fire Top Secret. Why? It was just a fire. Their are members of a certain group that when they are betrayed they go basaltic. Could that been the case. Some believe that it is.”
their are members of another group that go basaltic even if it isnt. Could that been the case. Maybe not.
And then…“Rick Perry’s Army of God” (trademark registered. its a real thing. Truthdig said so.)
That was just too cute,and several fell for it. omop, that was great, you are a true believer! keep up the good work.
Some Leftists are dumber than a bag full of hammers. Sheer makes cute hints which entices you to elaborate on his smear as if its a fact. And others read your elaboration of Sheers hint and they believe that and expand upon it. An entire Leftist universe of opinion which becomes fact… based on a little smear. Sheer gets so much mileage out of you guys.
Report thisBy vicente carranza, August 19, 2011 at 4:26 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I am a local radio talk show host and the first station I work for was sold to Clear Channel. I was almost fired by Clear Channel for a comment I made on the radio Feb. 20 2004. I got a phone call from Austin from someone which was a tip for me. This happen February 17, 2004. Later I got the same info from 3 other persons, one being a Texas State Representative. Mrs. Perry caught David Perry in the Jacuzzi with someone else doing something and she was going to expose him the next day. What save my job was that the whole national media was out side the Governor Mission the next morning. The next morning Mrs. Perry did not come out. The whole national media left by noon. Some feel that Mrs. Perry was paid off to keep quite. Then the Governor Mission had a big fire. Mr. Perry made every single document on this fire Top Secret. Why? It was just a fire. Their are members of a certain group that when they are betrayed they go basaltic. Could that been the case. Some believe that it is. Mr. Perry also does not want any of his travel documents made public. It is not where he went but who he went with that we believe he is trying to hide. Many in the National Media know all this but they would rather be politically correct with this one group of individual males and let Perry take this country deeper in to hell.. WHY IS EVERYONE SCARE TO MENTION ANY OF THIS.
Report thisBy Napolean DoneHisPart, August 18, 2011 at 2:02 pm Link to this comment
Too bad Scheer the Shill missed this one about the moral Rick Perry’s investment into pornography:
WARNING:
I just tried to post the link from politicususa.com and a ‘blacklisted’ page showed up. Thanks TruthDig, further digging the truth into a ditch so no one will know.
CENSORSHIP on this rag of the hegemony!
Look for it yourselves.
Or put the rest of url in the address after getting to the site, here it is:
http://www.politicususa.com/
/en/rick-perry-investment-porn
Report thisBy anaman51, August 18, 2011 at 1:32 pm Link to this comment
Great. Just what America needs in the White House—-another grinning fool who thinks god is giving the directions. It’s time to separate the bullshit from reality. This idiot and his compatriots are ready and willing to put bibles in the hands of all Americans—-whether they want ‘em or not. It’s time for the separation of church and state to take place, and not electing this cheesebrain would be a good start.
Report thisBy omop, August 18, 2011 at 9:13 am Link to this comment
News reports in Texas report that Douglas Feith whom Gen. Tommy
Franks once referred to Feith as the “the f***ing stupidest guy on the face
of the earth,” and who at one time was an aide to Rumsfeld is advising
Mr. Perry on foreign policy strategies.
Forecasting the return of the chickenhawk neocons if Perry becomes Pres.
Report thisBy prisnersdilema, August 18, 2011 at 7:26 am Link to this comment
It’s Jim Jones time again in America…
Only this rime it’s not just Jonestown who will be drinking the cool aide but the whole
Report thisGod Dam country…
By prisnersdilema, August 18, 2011 at 7:21 am Link to this comment
Convert or die…...
Warren Jeff’‘s light…...With faith you don’t need anything but to believe…
Report thisBy CJ, August 18, 2011 at 6:52 am Link to this comment
What I heard Hightower say re the “Texas miracle” is in accord with what Bob
Moser was saying to Amy Goodman yesterday—creation of a lot of low-paying
jobs (which reminds of the ones Clinton created). And yes, more uninsured in
Texas than anywhere else, etc. etc. Moser said Perry is governor for the rich,
which alone doesn’t make him unusual, since aren’t most governors?
Hightower called Perry a plutocrat (but dumber than Bush) while Perry is also a
Dominionist, which was mentioned by Mann. Moser noted that both Perry and
Bachmann are at the fringe of the fringe. And otherwise that Perry’s given to
shooting his mouth off—obviously.
Sounds to me like a recipe for a winner of the presidency, particularly taking
into account the “goodhair,” which is what Ivins’ dubbed Perry. (We could sure
use Molly now!)
Here in the political culture of the lightweight and the pretty, and supposedly
straight-talking, Perry might be a shoe-in. Big media is in a tizzy over the
“treasonous” remark but has said nothing of the phoniness of the Texas
miracle. Nor will it ever, but instead and far more likely will take that to be true,
as though it were one of Perry’s great achievements.
Perry is on the surface so much more appealing than Bachmann, and better-
looking too, certainly, as Hightower noted, with better hair than Bachmann. And
Perry’s prettier than Romney too. (Sadly, all this chauvinist stuff still matters.)
Hightower also said something interesting about the Democratic Party in
Texas—in connection with the fact Perry’s not really all that popular in Texas.
But according to Hightower, the Dems had about disappeared, though he said
they’re making something of a comeback. He later noted, however and rightly,
that Obama’s not acted like a Democrat, indicating that Hightower well knows
of whom the Dems are supposed to be and to represent. Alas, something the
Dems haven’t been and haven’t done in decades. A fact that hasn’t been bringing
out Democratic voters over the years. At least not until Obama looked like the
real deal.
Why has Obama turned out so damn stupid? For such a smart guy and a smart
politician? Partly, I think he gives the public more credit than it deserves. He
thinks we get all the difficulties of trying to work with an opposition party,
though Obama’s still much to blame for not showing much backbone. Causing
even his base to wonder if ever meant what he said prior to his election.
If Obama doesn’t start paying attention, we could well be looking at a President
Perry come next November, mostly due to low turn-out. This thing of
constantly having to choose between two evils seems to get worse and worse
with every passing term.
And since, as Nader proved when he couldn’t get into debates or even on
ballots, there’ll never be a third alternative able to get the necessary money and
media attention… Which is one reason so much that’s gone wrong can rightly
be laid at the feet of big, enormously irresponsible media, which in another
decade or so will anyway all be owned by Murdock, either the old man or the
wife and the kid.
After talks with Hightower and Mann, KPFK entered into it’s “Summer Fund
Report thisDrive.” Seems to me they have about three for every season. How much money
is required? And who can afford $100 in exchange for one DVD? I’m starting to
think commercials might be more tolerable, so long as selective. Hearing one-
third of a talk only to have the rest held hostage gets to be seriously irritating.
I’ve taken to giving up and switching stations. (I’ve given my share in the past,
but can’t do it anymore, and I think Pacifica is spending too much money. I
won’t say exactly on and for whom in particular, but those in the know already
know, and that needs to end, among other excessive expenses. Some people
could get other jobs and do their KPFK thing voluntarily, like a lot of the rest of
us do.)
By SarcastiCanuck, August 18, 2011 at 6:19 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
If Rick becomes Prez and a neo-religous cult figure,then how much different will America be from Iran’s theocracy….Army of God or Army of Bullshit.Doesn’t anyone in America read Thomas Jefferson any more.Remember him,the guy who penned the constitution that all these bible thumpers love to quote out of context.Tom keeps warning you from the grave,but is anyone listening…
Report thisBy omop, August 18, 2011 at 5:43 am Link to this comment
Given the “miltary” emphasis ....“perry’s army of god” could not one
conclude that its one decibel lower than the Nazis taking over Germany
and proclaiming its “Uber Alles”?
A diquiting prospect to say the least.
Report thisBy Big B, August 18, 2011 at 5:01 am Link to this comment
Ranger Rick is just what the GOP has been hoping for, a CHRSTIAN WACKO MAN to run for president. Lets face it, the rpugs are never going to go balls to the wall to support a (gasp)Mormon! And a lesser woman? not gonna happen. Nope, guvner Rick is their godsend, a friend of big business, and a bible humping, flag sucker. Praise Jebus and pass the ammo.
Report thisBy ardee, August 18, 2011 at 4:38 am Link to this comment
Both Jefferson and Madison were greatly influenced by the Anabaptists, a sect which devolved into the modern day Mennonites and Amish. The key to this influence was the belief that separation of church and state were essential to the well being of BOTH church and state.
The greatest peril in this extremist religious attempt to force the views of the few upon the many seems obvious enough to me. I am of the conviction that these people, while represented all out of proportion to their numbers in our media, are but a passing phase in the perilous journey of our democracy.
Report this