The interesting fact is that these social programs of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are FOR THE PEOPLE, whereas the billions and billions spent on the war, forget defense as that is a necessary evil, but the f***ng war, is FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FEW CORPORATISTS.  Make no mistake about it. One of the reasons for the ballooning of the social safety net programs is that they have been ignored low these many seven years and no workable effort agreeable has been made by the houses of government. 

The criticism levied by Cocco is well taken and we, the voters must do something at our local government level and election level to put a stop to kiss-ass Democrats.

As far as the candidates are concerned, we have what we have and we have to fact that reality.  A Democrat is ten-thousand times better than any Republican and as watchers, we will control the Congress if we get off our fat-asses and put in office those who will watch out for US.

P.T.  There are other jobs that would be available if the revenue were cut from military and put into the “normal” economy.  F the military!  We have had enough of a drain of our money to them.

Lefty, may not misguided in terms of their plan, but wholly evil in terms of mine!

Great Post...purple girl..

You’re so right you know…

Let’s start from the beginning- who are the common factors in not only Ronny’s day, but Tricky Dickies and pinnicle to W’s....Cheney,Rumsfeld.
These Corporationists have been slowly infiltrating our Gov’t . they are not Public Sevants they are Lobbists for the Corps and their Foreign Sponsors. How many died while Ronny ignored AIDS, What really moved ‘Down’- sh*t Rolls down hill.
They skim th ecream off the top and we get what ever they decide to throw our way.
The foundation of this country was not ‘Trickle Down’ it was building from the ground UP. why is our economy in the hole- because we have been forced to pay the top half off before the foundaiton is reenforced. Labor, Production, Innovation and a solid work ethic are the corner stones to any strong economy. Not investments and hedgeing bets on Futures.
Also consider our Founding Principles of the Free Market- we have No such economy base. Any attempts by the common citizen to start their own business is thwarted by bankers or gobbled up (or destroyed) by the industry ‘giants’. Why do we not hav ecars using alternative fuels- becasue the Big 3 and their oil buddies killed the innovations decades ago. The examples are lengthy- suffice to say we have lost our Free Market. Given away along with our Free Speech and Free Press for the Pocketing by these UNAmerican entities.The same ones who’s business practices and stratedgies brought the events of 9/11 to our door. The build up to that day started decades ago (lest we forget the ‘70’s - gas shortages, terrorist Highjackings....). Look ast th eTargets that were hit (or attempted) the MIlitary Industrial Complex. they put our citizens in Harms way- RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT! I have little concern about ‘Terrorist’ attacks on ‘soft target’ I am far more concerns on th eattacks on our Democracy- Right and Freedoms- from the every present Corp Lobbists who have TAKEN positions in our Gov’t . Seperation of Church & State //Separation of Corps and State is our first order of business, once we break through theri blockades. Brick and Mortar Works For US in this Country- not the other way around. like th eold Bill Cosby line’WE brought you into this World and WE can take you OUT!”

whyzowl1

You sure did hit this dead on, as has Chalmers Johnson.

Specifically, (and to semi-paraphrase)..I will end with the inevitable consequence of bankruptcy.

And, I have to say that it’s here. I’m not sure if
‘they’...the grand larceny team of Bush the Younger, thought they they would escape the actual falling of the debris, to get out just in the nick of time. If so, they’re timing it awfully, awfully, close.

I hope they don’t get away in all the chaos, because I really think we’ll manage to focus more of our energy on our neglected homeland if we can do a bit of justice healing at the same time.

If we can’t find a way to force them to give us back all the stuff they stole, at least we can try them at the Hague and imprison them for life. We can even use the facility at Guantanamo. No need to build any extra prisons.

First of all to the pile of crap that we call Republican Presidents in the modern era the republicans are right.Reagan smells sweeter than pure crap.Secondly to you point about the democrats not challenging the military spending you are wrong.Itr is a loser because the current crop of republicns have scared the shit out of the baby American public.We hide under the bed they steal.When the American public finally crawls out from under the bed and realizes that all this fear mongering was a cover for outright theft. I hope they realize how badly they have been taken.To badly quote Shakespeare,"the fault dear Cassius lies not in the stars but in ourselves.”

^ correct.  Real estate: Because the pipeline will go across Afganistan.  We’re so bad and everyone else is screwed.

^ you have a point.  I’ve never thought about that before.  Shit.....we did it twice!  Our bad!!!!!

^ thank you so much.  The inmates are running the asylum.  With your post I don’t have to.

I think militarism is the proper term for the bipartisan madness in whose iron grip we find ourselves today, and it hardly started with Reagan. I agree with Chalmers Johnson that we are too far gone to turn away from it voluntarily. It will only end when its inevitable consequence: bankruptcy, forces us to dismantle our overseas empire of military bases and refocus our attention on our sorely neglected homeland. The defeat of our forces in Bush the Younger’s overt colonialist wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will seal the Empire’s fate, and the Reaganite debauchment of our economy will deliver the coup d’grace. Good riddance to the American Imperium.

Democrats in general have been played for dopes by neo-con forces. All appear too self-centered, too compassion-less to do what is right, rather than worry about re-election, intimidation by Republicans, or new policies to help average Americans who have been totally forgotten by Bush Republicans.

Conservative leadership has spouted family values, while advocating greed and materialism. It speaks private charity while vilifying the poor. It speaks war with peace and freedom euphemisms, a double-speak that leaves you logically and rhetorically aghast.

Sensitivity to the interests of others is effete, bleeding-heart liberalism, and everyday concern for the interests of the vulnerable is tiresomely politically correct – qualities neocons raucously ridicule.

Because of the bunker mentality of Republicans, Democrats are timid, even squeamish, about mentioning reforms that are sorely needed, like a one-payer health care system, a more fair tax burden, homelessness, poverty, and rising wages for workers.

They actually fear the ridicule and cringe from defending the interests of their base.

Clinton and Obama sound like moderate Republicans in their approach to help average Americans. Where is the reform of the Medicare prescription bill that forbids bargaining for lower drug prices (it is a disgrace)? Where are the tax changes needed: AMT rapes moderate income people now, the rich pay little proportionally in taxes, payroll taxes rob the poor, etc. Where is health care for kids? Why is it taking so long for the Democrat Congress to deal with global warming? Why does Congress allow the Bush regime to continue to break the law? What about reductions in troops?

Military spending means profits and jobs (as well as campaign contributions) in every congressional district in the country.  (The Cold War had nothing to do with it.) President Eisenhower predicted this would happen.

“After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Bush started one necessary war in Afghanistan and a tragically misguided one in Iraq, two conflicts that many Americans believe are responsible for a run-up in defense spending for which future generations shall pay.”

You do a public disservice by referring to the Bush/Cheney war in Iraq as misguided!  There is nothing misguided about it.  It was well planned before Bush/Cheney stole the election in 2000, and it has gone exactly as planned, without any interference from the Sissycrats, since it began.

* * *

There’s a more descriptive word for “Reagan Democrats” - I-D-I-O-T-S!

In many ways our current economic meltdown was sown by Reaganomics. Deregulation, gave business what it wanted, staggering interest on credit cards, changes in banking regulations, and the gutting of federal regulatory insitutions.

He made the wealthy a lot of money. And for that he’s become the patron saint of the Republican party.

But Reagans elimination of government “interference” in business, reminds me of the book, Never Cry Wolf. In it Farley Mowat, talks about the Ranchers who wanted to get rid of the Wolf, to increase the profit they made in Ranching. However once the Wolf populations were decimated, the herd populations crashed also and Ranching went from boon to bust. Why? Because the Wolf culled the herds keeping the weak, and Biologically unfit from reproducing.

Goverment regulation did the same thing, the Wolves are government agencies, designed to weed out business practises that put the public at risk. Without them Corporate America was able to bundle and sell it’s risk, and take on liabilities it could not cover.

Yes Reagans destruction of Federal regulatory agencies, and regulations allowed American business record profits, but it also, allowed corporations to take on very risky monetary policies. 

Now the wolfs at the door. And the Ranchers don’t know what to do.

Remember the Reagan/Bush recessions.  Remember how the economy had bellied up after the Reagan Bush economic
tom foolery.  Supply side and laffter curve economics don’t work.  Look at this economy.  Living on borrowed money is not a conservative economic stance, It is economic anarchy.

^ their campaign, the dems still run scared.  A campaign of fear; how special.  It’s possible we have entered an era of permanent war; permanent crisis.  I agree with Marie’s statement about “the overdose of Reagan nostalgia”.  This is a further indictment of our citizenry and their critical thinking skills.  Reagan was in fact an unremarkable president who acted his way through his job.  My question is: When will we stop settleing for second best?