Samson—do you have names of any people running for office in 2010 that might be worth voting for? Maybe you could put it on your website and direct people there?

Just a suggestion..

Foreclosures. 

Despite the claims of the right-wing, the reason for the increase in foreclosures is not primarily the fault of poor people who “fooled” Banks into loaning them money.  The reason we have so many foreclosures is that Alan Greenspan artificially held down interest rates for years to cover-up the Tech-bubble and economic collapse he caused, to divert the public from the sucking sound of jobs leaving the U.S. under the Clinton/Bush Regimes and the consequent slashing of wages, benefits, pensions, and asset values of average Americans. 

One direct result of holding down interest rates for so long is that it allows residential real estate to become artificially inflated.  Here’s how it works. 

When someone buys a home, they don’t ask “What is the sale price of the home?”  They instead ask “How much will it cost me every month.”  That is how people determine whether they can afford it. 

If interest is 6%, for example, let’s say people will pay $600 per $100,000 borrowed, so they can borrow $250,000 and pay $1500/month.  If interest is hacked down to 3%, then they will pay around $300 per $100,000, which means that for the same $1500/month they can borrow $500,000.  Real estate developers know that, and they hiked the price of housing specifically because Greenspan held down interest rates for so long.

Of course the only way buyers can borrow so much is because Clinton and Rubin eliminated the restrictions on the lenders which used to cap the amount people could borrow at 3 times gross income, and no more than 80% of the value of the home.  After Clinton and Rubin, people could borrow 100% of the purchase price, and there was no limit on the amount related to the borrower’s gross income.

Back in 1960, an average new tract home was about 3 to 3.5 x the average family’s gross income.  By 2000, that had increased to 10 to 12 times gross in many areas.  So in 1960, assuming current dollars, an average family earning $60,000/year could have bought a new home for $180,000 - $200,000.  By 2000, the average family earning $60,000/year had to pay $600,000, 10 times gross, for new tract homes in many parts of the country.

When the cost of housing skyrockets, the average worker has no choice but to pay exorbitant amounts—in many cases over 50% of take-home—for shelter, so of course they are enticed by lenders promising a “fix” to the unaffordable housing crisis.  To blame the borrowers is absurd.  Go get Greenspan, Clinton and Rubin, if you want to blame someone.

How to fix the problem?  Let’s say somebody bought a home within the past 10 years for $600,000.  It has dropped 30%, so is now worth $420,000, and many experts predict it will drop further.  To “fight” for the borrower to stay in the home, maybe extend the mortgage to 40 years, makes no economic sense.  Why should they continue paying on a $600,000 loan for a piece of property worth dramatically less?

People should walk away.  Try to negotiate with the lender to do a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, but walk away.  Go rent.  Buy again in 3 years.  With the unemployment and depression, housing will probably drop by 50% before this is over and they can go get the same house for $300,000 in a few years.

save yourself the trouble - just left forever

ardee .... thank you very much for the helpful tip.

I hadn’t dug much in those settings, so its good to know.  Don’t have it working yet, but I can play with it.  I haven’t tried shutting down my browser and restarting since I’m dealing with my state’s terminally slow system for filing unemployment claims in another window. 

Thanks!

An easy rule for how to vote in elections…..

NEVER vote for any candidate with millions of dollars in their campaign accounts.  This can basically be translated to NEVER vote for the candidates who run ads on TV.  A corollary is to NEVER vote for the candidates who get lots of favorable coverage from the corporate media.

These people are not on our side.  It doesn’t matter if they are Democrats or Republicans. They are not on our side.

The candidate we want is the broke citizens running a low-budget campaign.  If such a campaign is successful, it will also be ridiculed and attacked viciously by the corporate media. That’s another good sign on who’s on our side and worthy of our support.

Another thing to remember.  When a TV network has to constantly say they are ‘fair and balanced’, they probably aren’t.  When a politician has to constantly say they support ‘change’, they probably don’t.

When you see a real politician who supports real change, and who has a career and a record of their doing so, they won’t have to tell you about it. You’ll know it.  They won’t have to put a sign that says ‘Change’ on the front of their podium, or a banner behind them.  You’ll know them by their actions.

Samson, June 29 at 5:51 pm #

There is such a venue available here. Click on your name in the upper right hand corner, then click on control panel, look for the “manage ignore list” option lower left….

Note to Truthdig.

A technical feature that allows a reader to block specific usernames could be useful.  For instance, I’d love to be able to put ‘blogdog’ and ‘outraged’ onto that setting.  This comment thread would become much more readable were I able to just turn these two fools off.  That way, if a reader is actually interested in their nonsense, they could read it.  But the rest of us could block them and read and talk without them dominating the space with long nonsense no one else cares about.

The congressional elections are in 2010.  We need to be organizing right now.  The sorts of grassroots campaigns that we need to run against Wall Street and insurance company money take longer to organize and to get momentum rolling.

So, while these two fools below me are holding a long, meaningless argument about nothing that makes any sense, the real question is what are we going to do to change this. We have a government that screws us over to make their rich friends even richer.  Even the tiniest little steps that might improve things for everyone else are subject to foot-dragging and are done with only the greatest reluctance. 

Meanwhile, the back of the vault is wide open and the Wall Street bankers are loading trillions of our money into their trucks.  The ‘health care’ debate is mainly designed to make sure insurance company profits are untouchable and protected. We can’t even get a simple little change like ‘card check’ to make workers organizing into unions a little fairer and less subject to employer intimidation.  The wars continue and expand.  We are working to overthrow other people’s governments in both Iran and Honduras.

So, ignore the arguing fools who fill this comments section up with unreadable nonsense. Instead, the question is, how do we come together to take back our country in the 2010 elections?  We have to do it.  And we know both parties lie to us, so we can’t try to do it by voting for one set of Wall Street’s corrupt politicians over another set of Wall Street’s corrupt politicians.

We have to build this ourselves.  We have to organize our own political force to take back our country.  The corporate parties won’t do it for you.  And the corporate tv-set won’t tell you about it.  We have to do it ourselves.

Fascinating how the comments section of a good article on what’s happening to us gets hijacked by two arguing fools who seem to be doing a very good job of making sure no other conversation can take place in this space.  Are we just inflicted with fools, or is that no accident?

Organize now.  Take back our country in 2010!

You are talkin’ out of your ass.” I couldn’t find it on this thread, is in another thread

As for me - I admit - I lost it with Robert over this article and I am ashamed - I apologize to anyone who took offense, though the only really offensive term in the post is generally not known in the US - but matters not, it was not called for - and I do sincerely apologize -  I doubt Robert’s reading any of this - I met him on book tour several years back - he’s a charming man - has been around a lot, knows a lot and writes well

put more fairly, I should simply have asked him: “Robert, why on Earth do you cut these obvious financial crooks so much slack - incompetence? common, they need to be prosecuted - you know Nader would do it - why didn’t you encourage people to vote for Nader?”

Having said all that, I’ll retrench and offer you what you really want: a virulent polemic - you seem determined to stake a claim to some sort of meaningless little conquest - as you wish - no point denying anyone’s inner child - you may deride me in any way you wish or choose to totally ignore me - do I give a rats ass?  - there, is that vulgar enough for you?  - of course I don’t - and from here forward I dub thee: RAGED OUT

- 30 -

Re: blogdog

My earlier comment:  “I don’t know what type of “performing artist” you are, you hadn’t said, or what type of writer you might be since, you also have those “kind editors”, it does appear you certainly “dabble” in fiction.  You must be an extraodinary person, “performing artist”, “writer”, “helper to a parapalegic” yet STILL somehow (will wonders never cease), find the time to consistently lob innuendo and invective my way.  And post quite frequently otherwise as well.

Your recent comment: “All things considered, I hope it starts going better for you - you’re returning to these sessions, I think, shows that you want to work on it.”

Well, increasingly I’m impressed a shrink too!  Amazing, truly amazing.

Your comment: “targeting almost anyone, with whose posting you might take exception - the tactic being not to address the posting, but to insult the author”

blogdog, directed toward others:

* “So, Robert,  when are you going to show enough guts to commission an article from Webster Tarpley?

You throw up chicken shits like Bill Maher regularly. Common, get some guts, you bleedin’ sod!”

* “get a clue”

* “Dream on… the POTUS’ marching orders come from the Trilateralists, CFR and the Bilderbergers. Sorry, you’ve been duped.

And after that of course, you started on me…..but here’s how YOU see yourself

“I’m never indecent in this forum”

“nothing cited of mine is “invective”

Ahem…...not according to you anyway.  But that’s not surprising either coming from one so enamored with oneself that reality has lost his hold.  According to you:  “I can’t help seeing at least half of what goes on in the “real” world as theatre while at least half of what goes on the stage as “real…...”

As to your premise that I said the comment below, (which I do recall saying here recently, don’t recall if it was directed toward you though….could’ve been, but seeing that you like to skew facts…..maybe not)

“If wishes were fuckin’ HORSES, then beggars would ride.  You are talkin’ out of your ass.”

I couldn’t find it on this thread, where is it?  But this comment, spoken like a true spin-meister, takes the cake:

The hypothetical paraplegic I offered up as a “for instance” is only that. There is in it no implication that mixed-ability persons are mentally “weak,” or incapable of achieving great things.

Let no one from this day forward accuse blogdog of not knowing how to invent, skew and otherwise get his/her ass out of a jam (well…kinda) You gotta admit, that was definitely an entertaining attempt. lol..

Of course…. SUDDENLY it’s an “example” for me, wow that was sweet.  It must be 7-0 by now….. whatever you say from here on in, I’m done…. simply done.  See ya’ round.

RE: Could you direct me to that quote and prove your story…

By Outraged, June 25 at 4:13 am #
Well…. blogdog.  If wishes were fuckin’ HORSES, then beggars would ride.  You are talkin’ out of your ass.

The hypothetical paraplegic I offered up as a “for instance” is only that. There is in it no implication that mixed-ability persons are mentally “weak,” or incapable of achieving great things. I work closely with some who do just that. They’re individuals like everyone else. However, many face obstacles totally out of mind to most people. So, whereas we can shoot off one of these missives in a matter of minutes, to many of mixed abilities it can take hours. I only offered it to suggest that you might improve upon your civic virtue by considering the work that others my have invested in postings, some of whom might be the very authors you so lightly dismiss as “idiots.”

As for who I am and what I do - I shared a pertinent link in that last thread, cited above - it’s still there - you can look it up - I don’t care if you do or don’t and care even less about your opinion if you do.

It’s you I’m concerned about - I have little difficulty envisioning you exploding at a deaf person for failing to heed your call to get out of the way in some public circumstance - maybe trivial, maybe life threatening- indeed a call that might save their life - the same one you might very likely later identify as a moron for not having jumped at your warning. Or, I imagine you on the phone with a non-native speaker, lambasting their stupidity, when it’s only their weak English that gives you cause to do so.

All things considered, I hope it starts going better for you - you’re returning to these sessions, I think, shows that you want to work on it.

Another sad, sad story by blogdog.  Could you direct me to that quote and prove your story of the, (lol) “a paraplegic, who interfaces with a computer through an extraordinarily complex mechanism, finds and joins this forum, and through great effort manages to contribute, then you reply to his first posting that the moronic idiot “talks out the ass” - what a rewarding experience”

I don’t know what type of “performing artist” you are, you hadn’t said, or what type of writer you might be since, you also have those “kind editors”, it does appear you certainly “dabble” in fiction.  You must be an extraodinary person, “performing artist”, “writer”, “helper to a parapalegic” yet STILL somehow (will wonders never cease), find the time to consistently lob innuendo and invective my way.  And post quite frequently otherwise as well.

I’m amazed, simply amazed….. how do you do it all…blogdog?  My premise would be that more than just I would be curious, why you’re simply AMAZING, no doubt about it.

One thing though, you shouldn’t NECESSARILY imply weakness in those with disabilities. This skewed mentality, while often accepted - is not necessarily the case.

I doubt I could debate Stephen Hawkings, and arise the victor.  I highly doubt it.

RE,What was that about invective…?  It seems you’ve been remiss…

nothing cited of mine is “invective” - merely comments on the numerous insults I’ve read under your handle, targeting almost anyone, with whose posting you might take exception - the tactic being not to address the posting, but to insult the author - my evidence of an unwillingness to engage in civil philosophical polemic and evidence also that you are probably unhappy and lonely in your personal life - nobody to insult at home, so you do it here

consider this: a paraplegic, who interfaces with a computer through an extraordinarily complex mechanism, finds and joins this forum, and through great effort manages to contribute, then you reply to his first posting that the moronic idiot “talks out the ass” (I think is the way you put it) - what a rewarding experience

for whatever reason, in this forum you so consistently insult people you don’t even know, I can’t imaging - best guess: you suffer a lot - I hope you find a more generous outlet for it

Again blogdog,

Your comment: “you won’t believe this, but I’m sorry for you -  really, you probably deserve to be left alone, but still it’s a sad thing to be alone - sorry for your pain, really - beat me up as much as you like - I’m still sorry for you”

You… feel sorry for me…?  Yes, your right….I don’t believe that.  If I’m wrong, I have to tell ya’ you have a very strange way of showing it.  Your other comments:

“but sadly, you seem to relish kicking, purely for the joy of kicking, a joy in demeaning, a joy in diminishing… every post proves and reproves: a lack of capacity for philosophical polemic - civil discourse displaced by pernicious invective”

there is no game, just the sorrowful detritus of what you must be missing - again, take another wack if it feels any better”

My personal favorite: “a lack of capacity for philosophical polemic - civil discourse displaced by pernicious invective”,. LOL.  Poor, poor illiterate, struggling blogdog…...

Your more recent comment:
“yes, I’ve struggled with dyslexia all my life - editors always welcome - usually they’re kind “

That is good news blogdog, do they also edit the comments you post on blogs….?  Or has “your struggle” paid off, you definitely “camouflage” it well, very well in fact.  How wonderful that must be for you.

What was that about invective…?  It seems you’ve been remiss in rereading your comments, I reposted some of them for you, above.

RE: LOL.  Poor, poor illiterate, struggling blogdog… yes, I’ve struggled with dyslexia all my life - editors always welcome - usually they’re kind -  from the tens of thousands of the world’s spoken, written and musically rendered languages, most of us are literate in a handful at best -  “illiteracy” as invective is spiteful and cruel - kindness toward those who struggle with any sort of disability you might find rewarding - depending on your age, you might find it in your lifetime - for your sake and all you encounter, I hope so

Re: garth

Your comment: “Neuter the Corporations, I say.  Take back the government before we are entirely a third world country.”

I agree.  Matt Taibbi has a good article @ Alternet regarding Goldman-Sach’s apology non-apology:

“Really, Lloyd? You “participated” in the market euphoria? You didn’t, I don’t know, cause the market euphoria? By almost any measurement, Goldman was a central, leading player in the subprime housing bubble story….”(emphasis mine)

....”Let’s be clear about what that meant. These crap/sham mortgages, a lot of them adjustable-rate deals with teaser rates that featured sudden rate hikes two or three years after closing, they would never have been possible had not someone devised a method for selling them off to secondary buyers. No local bank is going to keep millions of dollars worth of Alt-A mortgages on its books, because no sensible company lends out money to very risky customers and actually keeps those loans on its balance sheet.

So this system depended almost entirely on banks like Goldman finding ways to securitize these instruments, ie chop the mortgages up into little bits, repackage them as mortgage-backed securities like CDOs and CMOs, and sell them to unsuspecting customers on the secondary market, most of them large institutional buyers like pensions and insurance companies and workers’ unions, many of them foreigners.”

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/140806/“suck_on_our_yachts”:_goldman_sachs_issues_non-apology_for_destroying_the_world_economy/

Re: blogdog

“well, kick away if you’re really a phonics nazi - like many, I was screwed by phonics from age 7 on, so badly it haunts me forever”

That’s a sad story blogdog, real sad.  You seem to have a fine grasp of the english language, evidenced by your comments here:

“typos, grammar, orthography, malapropisms, non sequiturs, oxymorons, even polemical dissonance”

Of course, that’s technically vocabulary skills.  But you understood that too by claiming a problem with phonics, very specifically.

There you go… whining again.  A whiner, what does that tell me?

Your comment: “you won’t believe this, but I’m sorry for you -  really, you probably deserve to be left alone, but still it’s a sad thing to be alone - sorry for your pain, really - beat me up as much as you like - I’m still sorry for you”

You… feel sorry for me…?  Yes, your right….I don’t believe that.  If I’m wrong, I have to tell ya’ you have a very strange way of showing it.  Your other comments:

“but sadly, you seem to relish kicking, purely for the joy of kicking, a joy in demeaning, a joy in diminishing… every post proves and reproves: a lack of capacity for philosophical polemic - civil discourse displaced by pernicious invective”

there is no game, just the sorrowful detritus of what you must be missing - again, take another wack if it feels any better”

My personal favorite: “a lack of capacity for philosophical polemic - civil discourse displaced by pernicious invective”,. LOL.  Poor, poor illiterate, struggling blogdog…...

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!
“... the United States [the Government, Corporations and banking interests]has given frequent and enthusiastic support to the overthrow of democracy in favor of “investor friendly” regimes. The World Bank, IMF, and private banks have consistently lavished huge sums on terror regimes, following their displacement of democratic governments, and a number of quantitative studies have shown a systematic positive relationship between U.S. and IMF / World Bank aid to countries and their violations of human rights.”—Edward S. Herman, economist, author, and US media and foreign policy critic

+++

And now, they are doing it us.  They drove the economy over a cliff and now the Government, the multi-national corporations and the banks are staying busy trying to turn this country into a banana republic by keeping it in the ditch.

“I say, FIGHT FOR THE END OF CORPORATE PERSONHOOD.  If you, or anyone else does what you suppose, there may be “individual” consequences, we don’t want that.”

+++
I am not sure what the fight is all about, but I can certainly join in the fight cited above.

With the left siding with the financiers and the republicans hugging the right and siding with any corporation that will give them money, there is hardly anyone remaining in government outside of Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich who is voicing the concerns of the people.  The Democrats have become Republicans and the Republicans have become the lunatic fringe.

A viable third party with serious, winnable candidates seems to be the simplest, law abiding option.

Neuter the Corporations, I say.  Take back the government before we are entirely a third world country.

As a voter and a taxpayer, I get sick when I consider the amount given to corporate welfare and how little is given to what is known to be the tried and true methods to right this economy.
Nigel Benn, a member of British Parliament is speaking out about how these empirialistic wars are draining the economy, so when I say economy, I include the wars as well.

Geithner said the other day at a hearing that we can’t go back to the way we were.  Then he explained how we were going to move ahead by going back to way we were.

thanks, I’m always in need of an editor, but an ass kicking for an orthographic oversight? well, kick away if you’re really a phonics nazi - like many, I was screwed by phonics from age 7 on, so badly it haunts me forever - but so what, others suffer from far worse - at least my parents didn’t beat me up too much and I’ve managed to avoid the horrors of war and debilitating disease or disability, so this is entertaining by comparison - some comparison: a verbal joust with Outraged is better than a case of MS

but sadly, you seem to relish kicking, purely for the joy of kicking, a joy in demeaning, a joy in diminishing… every post proves and reproves: a lack of capacity for philosophical polemic - civil discourse displaced by pernicious invective

recall: that’s how this began - it must have struck a nerve - what’s the problem? everyone left? - not even a dog to kick? - in this forum there’s plenty of ass to kick - to be kicked for anything you like: typos, grammar, orthography, malapropisms, non sequiturs, oxymorons, even polemical dissonance - endless excuses for kicking ass  

you won’t believe this, but I’m sorry for you -  really, you probably deserve to be left alone, but still it’s a sad thing to be alone - sorry for your pain, really - beat me up as much as you like - I’m still sorry for you

indeed, game misunderstood - actually there is no game, just the sorrowful detritus of what you must be missing - again, take another wack if it feels any better - certainly it’s no worse than getting MS… touch wood

My mistake blogdog, it’s 5-0, but really…. IT IS the server’s premise to “call” the score, why do you not play by the rules.  THEN, I can refute, if perhaps I see it as inaccurate….. c’mon, play the game or “get out of the kitchen”.

Re: blogdog

Your comment: “so that point is mute - moreover, this isn’t politics”

It isn’t a mute point…. it’s a MOOT point….. ouch, I am so TOTALLY kickin’ ass, but keep going… it’s 5-0…. my favor.  Get your game on… so hard to get “good” help these days…  Giver’, “ping pong politics”/volleyball… hey, whatever.  It’s 5-0, my favor, your serve.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/immigration/140814/priceless:_’english-only’_supporters_hold_conference,_can’t_spell_’conference’/

Good grief! Do anything you like. I’m never indecent in this forum, so that point is mute - moreover, this isn’t politics - that’s when you’re trying to get something - this is polemics, until it becomes trivial, ad hominem invective, clearly something you relish - again, do anything you like, who cares?

Re: blogdog

Your comment: “don’t forget your ball”

Thanks… did I detect a sliver of decency…?  You’re slipping.  That makes it 4-0.  7-0 is “whitewash” at least that’s how it works around here anyway, what’s valid in ping-pong is valid in politics, only DOUBLY so…..so technically, I’m spotting you points, but I’m not going to quibble.

...gotta go home now, my mom’s calling me. - don’t forget your ball

Re: blogdog

Why… I don’t see how “moi” (as a mere mortal), while you the PERFORMING ARTIST (no less) could be “hoodwinked” regarding the issue.

You attempted to “show me down” (using John Wayne no less….ouch), you lost…. lol, It was quite enjoyable, btw.  Is it that…, you cheat, jump to conclusions AND are a sore loser…?.

It appears such, that’s 3-0.  Yep, you lose.  But I gotta go home now, my mom’s calling me.

trivia becomes you

Re: blogdog

YOU lose.  I wasn’t quoting John Wayne’s character.  Oh…. something tells me you c-h-e-a-t-e-d, but also “jumped to conclusions”.  Yep,  that’s what I say, CHECK AGAIN.

How Incredibly precipitous a descent from challenging us all to FIGHT for ownership of our DEMOCRACY to contriving a trivia quiz… incredible in the purest sense of the word… theatre you can’t script, even if you think you’re writing for John Wayne.

Re: blogdog

“I call that bold talk from a one-eyed fat man.”

So… tell me, my ostentatious “performing artist” (would you like that in caps)....“PERFORMING ARTIST”, who said that, in what movie….....no c-h-e-a-t-i-n-g…..(off the top of your head, c’mon..)

I’ll give you another hint….“I never busted a cap on a woman or anybody much under sixteen. But it’s enough that you know that I’ll do what I have to do.”

Yep, we don’t like your kind around these here parts, “just try and knock this battery off my shoulder”.....

stcfarms—I can only be insulted by someone I respect.

It is obvious you are an isolationist who doesnt give a damn about anyone else, so why do you care what I think?

I always wonder why people, who claim to be so “self-sufficnet” give a dman enough to even discuss such things.

I am not “city folk”—you know nothing about me. I have lived without any grid and I can do it again. How do y’all get on the ‘net out dare in da boonies??

But I am also “social”—ie a mammal.

I think that you should go, as quickly possible , to your island and preach to people from there, by “green blog” or something.

You would never get close enough to me to step on my toes…Navy squid…

If you live in a city you might not live long enough to see if I have it made. Your food, water and energy are delivered to you, if the delivery system breaks down you will die. If it is arrogant to try to help you city folks see the truth then I am arrogant. Mea maxima culpa if I have stepped on your overly sensitive toes with the truth.

By KDelphi, June 26 at 3:33 pm #

stcfarms—

You would seem to “have it made”...we will see.

You are one arrogant person.

stcfarms—

You would seem to “have it made”...we will see.

If yu werent referring to the type of “homesteads” i was talking about, then I wasnt talking about you , was I? Hell, I wasnt even talking about “superior performance artists”.

You are one arrogant person. Good luck to your wife of so many years.

pretend one…?

pretentious one... best fit: World Wrestling Entertainment 2009 - smackdown!

So blogdog, are whining at the real outraged or the pretend one…?

RE: why has this not come to my attention before!?

obviously: everyone’s finally gotten so fed up getting smacked down, they’ve left you all alone to figure it out for yourself, but success has eluded you

RE:  is there some overriding premise which suggests the IDIOTS will attack me…..

one thing beyond axiomatic: hang out long enough on Truthdig and one is certain to be blessed with gratuitous invective - common, take another wack

Re: stcfarms (notice folks… apparently superimposing itself, as “the family farmer”)

stcfarms comment: “Before you condemn us to democracy”

Really idiot…..get your game on!  Dare “I”, condemn us to democracy” I really don’t mean to be crude, I don’t…. it’s simply not my style.  But hey, sometimes, if you need a “slap to the head” here it is….. Fuck off stc"farm”. (what do ya’ got there “big boy”, a thousand suffering chickens…. yeah, you da’ man…. Headline America: Tough guy tortures chickens)

Re: blogdog

Your comment: “Outraged, you seem to lack the capacity for philosophical polemic, taking every citation of notions floated or tried as ones gospel. As an artist in the world of performance, I can’t help seeing at least half of what goes on in the “real” world as theatre while at least half of what goes on the stage as “real.”

I do….?  Wow,, why has this not come to my attention before!?  Thank GOD, we have “blogdog” to enlighten us/me, otherwise we simply wouldn’t know what the fuck we’re doing, or who the hell we are….. and as an aside, is there some overriding premise which suggests the IDIOTS will attack me….. really… explain, America…..explain.  I’ll LISTEN…. I promise…help

Since “blogdog”, “according to blogdog anyway”, “can’t help seeing at least half of what goes on in the “real” world as theatre while at least half of what goes on the stage as “real.”
HA..HA…HA… (sorry, forgive me father, for I have sinned)

Hey…. like my ex-husband’s gramma used to say, “you make your bed, you lie in it”.  LOL, sure…. according to you, HALF OF WHAT GOES ON THE STAGE AS “REAL””  Sure man….., we be good.  Was there a problem….?  Whoa Bessie, grab hold of them reins….!

And remember, according to “blogdog” himself….“I can’t help seeing at least half of what goes on in the “real” world as theatre while at least half of what goes on the stage as “real......lmao, sure…sure… I love ya’ man… do you need a bud light?

Outraged, you seem to lack the capacity for philosophical polemic, taking every citation of notions floated or tried as ones gospel. As an artist in the world of performance, I can’t help seeing at least half of what goes on in the “real” world as theatre while at least half of what goes on the stage as “real.”

I know plenty of artist, with no stomach for serious polemic, while I know even more political activists, utterly lacking in artistic sensitivity - why I can’t join street demonstrations: the music is always so bad.

Buddhist monks self-immolating on the steps of the Pentagon (at least for me), outlast every other iconic horror of the Vietnam saga. We know their theatrically polemic martyrdom didn’t stop the war, but they defined it forever. In time, “show me the note,” may better define the current financial breakdown than any DC shenanigans, the citizenry seems to be so dutifully choking down, or at least according to the wholly owned corporate media.

If there become enough repossessions of the homes of Buddhists, maybe we’ll witness whole-family immolations in their homes, rather than allowing greedy bankers to force them out - perhaps better to demand they show them the note? You see, mature polemic artists don’t conjure to get anything. That’s too petty. Think of Homer. What would we know of Troy had it not been for Homer?

By Outraged, June 26 at 1:23 am #

WE WANT A SAFE, CONCENTRATED AND EFFECTIVE PROCESS…., FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO UNITE AND REGAIN THEIR RIGHTS, AS THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS OF THIS DEMOCRACY.

Before you condemn us to democracy perhaps you should read this.

Benjamin Franklin: When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.

John Adams: Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

Thomas Jefferson: A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%.

James Madison: Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death.

John Quincy Adams: The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived.

Thomas Jefferson: The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

Benjamin Franklin: Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

John Adams: That the desires of the majority of the people are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority, is demonstrated by every page of the history of the world.

John Witherspoon: Pure democracy cannot subsist long nor be carried far into the departments of state - it is very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.

John Marshall: Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos.

Oscar Wilde: Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

Winston Churchill: The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.

George Bernard Shaw: Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.

Alan Coren: Democracy consists of choosing your dictators after they’ve told you what you think it is you want to hear.

“Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone.”—Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)

Re: blogdog

Your comment: “simply do not pay, demand to be prosecuted”

I disagree.  I say, FIGHT FOR THE END OF CORPORATE PERSONHOOD.  If you, or anyone else does what you suppose, there may be “individual” consequences, we don’t want that.

WE WANT A SAFE, CONCENTRATED AND EFFECTIVE PROCESS…., FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO UNITE AND REGAIN THEIR RIGHTS, AS THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS OF THIS DEMOCRACY.

End Corporate Personhood.  Do not be misled, use your head.

We are still the RIGHTFUL OWNERS of The Constitution of the United States of America.  Don’t let them fool ya’, we OWN it, they do not.

RE: the mortgage was sold - and in the end sold innumerable times and to persons or firms all across the globe.

the groundwork for the “show me the note” movement - not so unlike the tax resister movement - “show me the law”

if lawless financiers and moniterists persist in bending and abusing the law to their purpose, it may be the only way to fight them is in kind

simply do not pay, demand to be prosecuted, then drag you feet every inch of the way - might end up impoverished, only difference is how you get their - make them work to put you there and show them your contempt

The underlying problem here is corporate personhood, this is also the underlying problem with attaining healthcare, or getting any legislation passed which in the interests of The American People.

Ralph Nader:

“Here is how bankruptcy attorney Laurence H. Kallen described the process in his book, Corporate Welfare: “…in chapter 11 the megacorporations almost all succeed famously. They dominate the committees and bully the judges. They stay ten steps ahead of any feeble attempts at supervision. They use the bankruptcy laws to force plans of reorganization down creditors’ throats. And then the executives of those corporations laugh all the way to the bank.”

What Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis feared in an opinion he wrote during the nineteen thirties is happening. These megacorporations have become Frankensteins—moving to own our genes, the plant seeds of life and taking control of computerized artificial intelligence. Their final conquest is far along—the control of government which is then turned against its own people.”

http://www.nader.org/index.php?/archives/2121-Avoiding-Corporate-Liability.html#extended

He’s right, and we’ve seen this in other countries as well.  In fact we wouldn’t even BE in the wars in the Middle East if not for the interests of these mega-corporations.  This is not against business, this is against business running our government, initiating wars, killing people through denial of healthcare, ruining our economy and disintegrating the rights of “WE THE PEOPLE”.  Small business can hardly stay afloat because of the actions of these huge entities.  Taken as a whole these interests are a THREAT to America, and this needs to be addressed.

From Citizen Works:
“End Corporate Personhood

Pass a constitutional amendment to define only human beings (and not corporations) as persons entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizenship.”

http://www.citizenworks.org/admin/press/corpreforms.php#endcorp

This is what happens when someone who has never even held a job makes policy decisions for the US financial community. At this point my 9 year old has a better sense with his allowance than this moron has with a nickle.

I can see it all now.  Another tsunami and a floating Banda Aceh or another Katrina and a floating New Orleans.  Or better yet, they break loose from their mooring and pull a Magellan, and no one hears from them for another ten or 20 years.

Storms and tsunamis in the deep ocean are not to be feared, a tsunami passes harmlessly underneath with barely a ripple. When a tsunami reaches shallow water it is forced upward creating the destructive wave. At sea hurricanes do not carry the debris load that they pick up from the land. Proper design removes the threat of wind damage and the fresh water is always welcome. Oceans have currents just like the atmosphere and these currents can be exploited to take you anywhere that you want to go. Patri and his plastic girlfriend may be in danger on the ocean but real sailors just enjoy the adrenaline rush.

In no way am I excusing the actors in this mess but it should be pointed out that the possible delay in refinancing etc. might be understandable given that even before the ink had dried on the sub-prime mortgage contract the mortgage was sold - and in the end sold innumerable times and to persons or firms all across the globe.

To issue a new mortgage (lower interest rate over more years, say) the owner of the mortgage (toxic asset) has to be found and paid off.  That has proven to be a monumental and time-consuming task.

In future, a simple but probably pie-in-the-sky regulation disallowing the multiple sales of mortgages or toxic assets, period, would prevent a repeat of what was a prime cause of this mess.  Simply, if you make a bad loan you can’t pass it off, in other words you’ll have to eat it when the party defaults.

KDelphi,

That’s a great shot of him and his mermaid.  Fitting.

I hope they do it.  One thing that motivates these people is the notion that everyone is envious of them.  I can see it all now.  Another tsunami and a floating Banda Aceh or another Katrina and a floating New Orleans.  Or better yet, they break loose from their mooring and pull a Magellan, and no one hears from them for another ten or 20 years.

stcfarms—I am sure youre aware that Milton Friedman’s grandson (Patri)is part of a group “building” those floating islands, (“Sesteading”)which wil be funded by prostitution aand legalizing some drugs. Petri’s site shows Friedman with a plastic mermaid, probably his new “wife” on the “island”, as women will not be granted the vote. “teach fellow Americans to live within their means” indeeed. They have been robbed.

KDelphi—My island is nothing like Patri’s island, it will float. I designed my island to ride the waves rather than fight them and the low profile will not catch the wind. The thousands of plastic barrels of the flotation layer will each be a water tight compartment making the island virtually unsinkable. The island will be segmented to use the wave energy and prevent strain. The woman on my island has been my girlfriend for 39 years and is an equal partner in all decisions. I will not have investors as I am the sole designer, builder and investor. Too many engineers designed the Titanic with only 4 water tight compartments and too many investors forced the builder to use unhardened rivets. My island will be about 4 acres (all that I can afford) so it will not be open to the public, it is just our retirement home.

I feel that my island will work just fine, 12 years on a US Navy destroyer and 45 years as a jack of all trades has taught me what I need to survive on the ocean. My grandparents taught me about the ‘great depression’ and how self sufficient people thrived in spite of the government or Wall Street. Old Ben Franklin tried to warn the morons about bankers “Neither a borrower nor lender be” went largely ignored and now the bankers own the morons. The people have been robbed by the public fool system that taught them to be obedient corporate slaves. Milton Friedman was one of the causes of the monetary collapse, will you follow his grandson? Like his grandfather Patri is a dreamer that does not understand conceptual thought.

The island will give me the freedom to experiment with solar furnaces, windmills and wave energy devices without interference from local officials or red tape. The gardens will free me from tainted food supplied by Monsanto and the rainwater collected will not contain Progesterone like water from civil water supplies. My carbon footprint will be nonexistent and the air will be clean. If I am wrong about the Malthusian correction and climate change then I guess that I will be stuck with a self sufficient, tropical island 250 miles off the coast of Belem Brazil. We will tough it out somehow…

thanks, garth—aint it cool?? lol

Did you go look at his mermaid??

Someone shouldve told him that, using a plastic doll is generally something you dont broadcast, but, maybe he’s gaming for a reality show,“Petri and the Mermaid”.....

Great post KDelphi.  I heard about the “seasteading” but thought it was just some crackpot idea.  S’wonderful that Friedman’s son is involved.  Just a typical, sybaritic, slob-son of a ne’er-do-well who had a few harebrained economic ideas. 
On the other hand, Nomi Prins on the Laura Flanders show mentioned that one of the things that could’ve been done with part of the 12 to 13 trillion dollars that Bernanke gave to his friends, and won’t divulge how much and to whom, is to pay off all the mortgages and fund health care.
I noticed the Spokesman for the Ruling Elite, Barack Obama, deigned to act interested in the give and take of the Health Insurance bills being marked up in Congress by telling one of fake-news reporters that the argument that a Public option would drive the private monoplies out of business is not logical.  He seemed a little unsure of himself.  Stumbling in the wording of the sentence he was trying to construct with a few hems and haws, as if he couldn’t wait to get to the word “logical.”  For a lawyer, he does not seem to be at home thinking on his feet and arguing.  He seems to prefer well rehearsed, professionally written, boilerplate, neo-liberal jive talk that soars in the minds of his protracted-neo-natal listeners.
He is a tituar head, but with sovereign powers fit for a king, but he chooses to exercise his powers by decree.  The days of the politician, the likes of Lyndon B. Johnson, a “Master of the Senate”, are over.  I think from here on we’ll suffer through a series of dilletantes, speechifiers, and possibly, if the conditions move like a pendulum or a carousel, we’ll end up with another George W. Bush.

Scheer…my guess is that people didnt see it sooner because 1) they hated Bush and 2) they didnt want to and 3) maybe because many assumed that an Af Am would be concerned with the needs of the poor??

stcfarms—I am sure youre aware that Milton Friedman’s grandson (Patri)is part of a group “building” those floating islands, (“Sesteading”)which wil be funded by prostitution aand legalizing some drugs. Petri’s site shows Friedman with a plastic mermaid, probably his new “wife” on the “island”, as women will not be granted the vote. “teach fellow Americans to live within their means” indeeed. They have been robbed.

One is opening next year of of San Francisco.

http://seasteading.org/

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90664406

Here he is with his mermaid—-“priceless”

http://patrifriedman.com/

Libertarian Free Marketeers paradise!

Here is a “poem” to the romantic “privy at sea” (for “families”) and an ode to “free enterprise”! (wait, “rolling ocean seas” and “free enterprise”??)

http://seasteading.org/blogs/main/2009/06/01/poem-the-city-in-the-sea

The city in the sea

By Jens Tandstad

“And so it is reborn
the city in the sea
another sunburned father
throws his shackles to be free

?A clean slate for a new life
was towed into alignment
the crankshafts dipping slowly
but with promise of abridgement….

...“A privy base was what he built
the first, our city hall to be
he named it Leviathan
and released it to the sea

Trailed by ice and shrugged by waves
It lay there, breathing, in the sun
with the humming windflow and whittle of steam
its breath was hydrogen and dreams…

And suddenly, a flock of men
concerned with wealth and size
commissioned a great enterprise
to replenish dwindling gas-supplies..”

Enterprise rhymes with gas supplies rhymes with wealth and size, thats true. I could not make this stuff up.

It is not the entire poem—it is at the website…

Okay….okay,

I’ve heard too MUCH, “if Obama this”... or “if Obama that”.  Really, really.  I very seriously voted for Nader, which should be beside the point, but it isn’t.  What are you thinking?

CALL OBAMA ON THE CARPET FOR THAT WHICH HE HAS ABSOLUTE CONTROL.

For everything else, look elsewhere.  Sometimes I think there are those who WANT a dictator.  Where is your head AT…?

Do some of you understand what you are asking for?  You’re nuts, crazy…... flippin’ outright MAD!

Re: Spiritgirl:

“NOW WE NEED TO GO AND MAKE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING” - no more trickle down!!!

I’ve got a pitchfork & tar, who will be with me!!!”

I’m in.

I would try to give Obama some benefit of the doubt here and say that he inherited most of these problems, but you know what, he has been ion office for over five months and he has not delivered any PROFOUND change. In fact I see quite the opposite. For all of his cabinet positions he has chosen to fill them with Republicans or Capitalists who say they are democrats, and we all know that is not possible.
The democrats have been sending out all those solitation letters, saying how they have to have money to beat of the RNC. I’ve been writing back to Begala and Carville and Clark and told them the legislators should not have any trouble filling their coffers thru BIG PHARMA and the INSURANCE companies for which they all work.

RE: Obama tried to add on restrictions to it.

Please, as Presidential front-runner and perceived leader of his party, he was called in off the campaign trail to rally Congress and reign in the recalcitrant mavericks to pass the TARP - right then and right there he proved for whom he works - sorry, you’ve been duped.

We are being set up for another fall.  If Obama wanted to help homeowners he would have done so.  The Bankers have fourteen trillion and the people have one half trillion, or so we are told.  Bankers will personally live through the next collapse just fine.  Will you?

Les Leopold appearing on the Laura Flanders Show on FreeSpeechtv said the income of the top 300,000 is more than the bottom 150 million.  If you stop and think about that, it is staggering.

More and more of these once capitalists’ growth businesses like Health Insurance, auto manufacturing, and financials are albatrosses.  Instead of being left to fail, they are being foisted on the working public.  More and more, working Americans from the lower 150 million are being left with one more expense to pay to keep this sordid carcass afloat.

First, we need to hang the politicians and bankers for treason. Second, we need to learn that $20,000 worth of lumber on $2,000 worth of land is not worth $250,000, it is worth $22,000. Third, we need to learn that wealth is not pretty pictures printed on linen, it is food, water and energy. Finally, we need to become self sufficient so the greedy pigs cannot get their hooks in us.

Since I cannot teach my fellow Americans to live within their means I intend to build a floating, self sufficient island and go live on the ocean. Since I did not borrow the trillions of dollars to create the national debt, and I did not profit from it, I hereby refuse to pay my “fair share” of it.

Hopefully humans will someday learn that bankers, politicians, lawyers, clergy and other bottom feeding scum produce nothing and take everything. The cure is simple (albeit painful), quit using their fiat money, produce your own food, water and energy and do not fight their wars for them.

The lack of government supervision over what the banks did with the money they were handed indicates to me the intention was just to bailout the big bankers.

RE: progressives need to force Obama to step up and do what we thought we elected him for

Dream on… the POTUS’ marching orders come from the Trilateralists, CFR and the Bilderbergers. Sorry, you’ve been duped. There was fair warning but it was widely dismissed:

“Obama: The Postmodern Coup - Making of a Manchurian Candidate”
http://www.amazon.com/Obama-Postmodern-Making-Manchurian-Candidate/dp/0930852885
Publisher: Progressive Press; 1st edition (June 2008)

I feel much of the frustration of the author, and many of the people that have commented.  Now, having said that I think it is time that as FDR is said to have to some one - NOW WE NEED TO GO AND MAKE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING” - no more trickle down!!!

I’ve got a pitchfork & tar, who will be with me!!!

When I campaigned for Obama I expected him to be the Democratic version of Teddy Roosevelt and an updated version of FDR. So far we aren’t getting much of either. although Obama has been far better than Bush to date. Obama has the country behind him in being more agressive not only with Wall Street but with health care and other progressive issues. Even the Democratic Congress seems to be getting “cold feet” on health care reform. We progressives need to force Obama to step up and do what we thought we elected him for. If our economy doesn’t start improving soon, Obama could be a one term president although I would be loath to vote for any of the current Republican leadership - they are God awful. Obama wanted more grass root effort and we need to start giving him a push in the right direction.

I understand, Bob.  I was also duped to a certain extent by “The Obama King” and the rest of his War Criminal Administration/and or supporters! Why?  Because I wanted to believe - a huge mistake - whew that was an understatement!  But you know, Bob, I can honestly claim that I will NEVER, EVER, be fooled by these lying scumbag Democrats or even the discusting, evil Republicans again!!  F**l then all!  I will NEVER vote for anyone in either of these criminal, cartel organizations again…and that’s the bottom line…

It was Bush….and Goldman Sach’s Paulsen who threw the money.  Obama tried to add on restrictions to it.

Bush gave them a free pass.  LEt’s not confuse who’s on first here.  It makes it much more clear which direction our nation needs to move toward if we get the ones who destroyed this nation correctly.  There are plenty of democrats to blame…just not Obama now.

ProTester, June 24 at 10:08 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Just a brief observation about the below comments:
What if the collective consciousness of the population has become so self-righteously cynical that the power of attraction actually creates the political reality we find ourselves in today?
Perhaps it is our cynicism that has tipped the scales
......................

An interesting comment indeed, but I think cynicism plays a smallish part when compared to indulgence. We are so sated with our cheap and easy credit ( now a bit past)and access to crappy plastic toys that we fear to rock the boat.

Of course, the boat has sprung a serious leak and is taking water rapidly.

“Why was I so naive as to have expected this Democratic president to not do the bidding of the banks when the last president from that party joined the Republicans in giving the moguls everything they wanted? Please, Obama, prove me wrong.”

Why are you whining? He has ALREADY PROVEN YOU RIGHT. Chump Change is what we got. He can’t look us libs in the eye, have you noticed? That’s why I don’t join my fellow liberals in criticizing the Tea Parties. It makes perfect sense to me. And that’s about the only thing that the Racketeers in Congress are scared of. I say, bring ‘em on. No need for the democrats to get in a hissy. THEY certainly aren’t helping Main Street. We need a general strike on the same day.

RE: it is only the free market that will solve the problem

As if there were ever a Free Market since Hunters and Gatherers started trading - get a clue - markets are manipulated by anyone who can get away with it - the Austrian and Chicago Schools of so-called Free-Marketeers are fraudulent theories based on false premises.

Demanding transparent government market regulation is the only way - the Wall Street Mafia is no different from any other mafia - you want them to regulate your markets? If you insist on a so-called Free Market, that’s what you get - and there ain’t enough petroleum jelly in the world to relieve the pain they are capable of inflicting.

For those that run this country, the corporations.

The bailout makes perfect sense, because now they can keep selling debt, to China and elsewhere, and their liablities are practiclly nothing.

Because the people who are going under, are responsible for their liablities. It’s a win, win.

The too little to save, you and me and our children, and possibly our children’s children, are going to have to see a huge increase in taxes, to pay for all those corporate screw ups.

I’m sure the corporate elite, can sleep well now, knowing that we’ve got their backs….and also that their ability to lie, cheat and steal, will continue despite the high falutin notions of reform of this current crop of corporate stooges in charge.

Somewhere, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves are smiling…

This downturn is the best thing that could happen to my generation “generation Disco sucks” Buy food, a gun, a high milage car,a big dog, medicine, learn to grow food….....

Bottom line - size does make a difference!

Instead of saying these banks and institutions were too big to fail, we should have been demanding they are too big to bail.

The real difference between the so called two parties is where the payoff lands. The source is the same. The bailout of the financial institution means we will continue to have a bubble-based economy (until complete failure.)  This is the same reason we will not have single-payer health care - only wealth fare.

If Sheer is surprised it is as ardee suggests, he has blinders on.  When Obushma named his dream economic team, everyone should have known that it was more of the same, a free ride for those who paid to play and a kick in the ass for the rest of us. Maybe Sheer is surprised, I am not…nothing surprises me when it is more of the same. Disappointed yes - surprised no.

This is why we need to elect MO’BETTA DEMOCRATS!  Comeon, Bob!  Where’s that cheerleading Obot we’ve all grown to know and loath?  Maybe some mindless chanting of DNC slogans will help.  ANYBODY BUT BUSH!  ANYBODY BUT BUSH!

Jobs being sent overseas; unemployment in America
growing; increase in people losing their homes;
states losing millions of dollars for which to pay
retirees; who is going to pay the trillions of
dollars given to the banks and wall street?  It sure
isn’t going to be the unemployed and underemployed
homeless Americans!

So, an average American with an average education understands that, when a business in her neighborhood cheats the customer, you do not do any more business with that firm.

But, when highly educated guys in $3000 suits and $1200 shoes see a company cheat the consumer their response is to throw boxcar loads of money at them with little or no strings attached, Bob Scheer expresses amazement and hope for their future decisions?

Further, as these guys were once high level executives at the firms on the receiving end of our childrens future, as all their business degrees from all those top notch schools seemingly were wasted, Mr. Scheer hopes that the Commander in Thief will suddenly experience a pang of conscience and rescue the nation from the very folks he himself appointed.

Bob, Bob, Bob, sooner or later you will have to open those firmly closed eyes, remove your hands from your ears and come to the understanding that your nation is in the hands of crooks and liars.

Is it not a bit ironic that that bastion of democracy, Iran, sees tens of thousands in the streets protesting a suspicious election result yet our own country, supposedly a birthplace of modern democracy, remains quiet and uninvolved while a small minority steal everyone’s share of the bounty?

It is working! “The Bush-Obama strategy of throwing trillions at the banks to solve the mortgage crisis is a huge bust. The financial moguls, while tickled pink to have $1.25 trillion in toxic assets covered by the feds, along with hundreds of billions in direct handouts, are not using that money to turn around the free fall in housing foreclosures” - they’re using it to line their own pockets just as intended, after having lined billion-dollar Barack’s election coffers last year. “Why was I so naive as to have expected this Democratic president to not do the bidding of the banks when the last president from that party joined the Republicans in giving the moguls everything they wanted?” That’s what we’d all like to know! Anyone who’s been through more than two election cycles in this country with their eyes open knows how the Democrat/Republican shell game is played and should have seen right through the Obama-scamma’. So there’s really no excuse for such lame mea culpa’s now - especially not after having voted for the prick “with enthusiam” as you put it then, and urging others to do likewise. To be forlornly whining to your erstwhile savior and fat-cats’ buddy Barack, “Please, Obama, prove me wrong” is redundant. He already has proved your errant election advice wrong many times over. More than his pathetic picture deserves to be hanging in Guantanamo. The new terror president’s drones blew up more than fifty more victims in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan yesterday. “The new resident of the White House has not brought a dramatically new approach to the foreclosure crisis” - or to the foreign policy crisis either. Only the pictures and party labels change, the rest remains distressingly constant. So if you can dream up an excuse for why you were so naive at your age, good luck! (But hey, at least you got a chance to get another plug in for your untarnished heroine, Born of Arc.).

RE: Please, Obama, prove me wrong.

Jeez, Robert, so late to the game - glance at a few pages and ask yourself, “How did I miss this?”  “Obama: The Postmodern Coup - Making of a Manchurian Candidate - http://www.amazon.com/Obama-Postmodern-Making-Manchurian-Candidate/dp/0930852885 - Publisher: Progressive Press; 1st edition (June 2008)

So, Robert,  when are you going to show enough guts to commission an article from Webster Tarpley?

You throw up chicken shits like Bill Maher regularly. Common, get some guts, you bleedin’ sod!