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May 21, 2013
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 Show Us the MoneyPosted on Jul 7, 2010By Joe Conason So often are the certitudes and pronouncements of the chattering class simply mistaken that they must always be treated with deep skepticism. That is especially true when anything important is at stake—from the arguments for invading Iraq several years ago to today’s economic stagnation. Whatever the conventional wisdom tells you must be true is almost certainly false. The choral complaint emanating from every mainstream-media outlet—and the mouth of nearly every mainstream pundit—is that the federal government is spending too much and that the public will not stand for it anymore. “We must bring deficits under control!” they tell us. “The American people distrust government because spending is out of control!” they cry. Rick Santelli, the loudest mouth on the CNBC business cable channel and a revered figure in the tea party movement, put it most succinctly the other day when he screamed, “Stop spending!” Demands for the government to stop spending usually come with an asterisk and a footnote: Stop spending on everyone except me. A self-styled conservative in Congress who supposedly hates spending will vote against extending unemployment benefits, then turn around and protect federal subsidies to wealthy corporate farmers. Other conservatives will fight against increased spending on mass transit, new schools or infrastructure, while promoting bloated weapons programs that the Pentagon doesn’t even want—because the contractor has donated to their campaign or operates a manufacturing plant in their districts. Cut spending, but don’t cut spending on my priorities, no matter how wasteful. Even if hypocrisy were not so rampant, however, the demands to slash government spending at this stage in the economic recovery are profoundly in error. While one pundit after another warns of the risks of growing deficits, none of those potential risks is imminent. Instead, the nation and the world face the risk of a renewed recession, worse than the last—just as the country sank into recession again in 1937, following the first signs of growth after the Great Depression. Corporate investment and consumer confidence aren’t nearly strong enough to provide the number of new jobs needed—and only when employment begins to move sharply upward will revenues begin to grow and deficits start to shrink. Advertisement The noisy Santelli and the publicity surrounding the tea party movement have fostered the misleading notion that most Americans oppose spending to put the country back to work. In fact, as Michael Lind pointed out recently in Salon.com, the latest USA Today/Gallup Poll shows that a substantial majority favor more spending rather than less. Published last month, that survey reported 60 percent support “additional government spending to create jobs and stimulate the economy,” with fewer than 40 percent opposed. For Democrats hoping to stem their expected midterm losses in November, that poll contained an important message. Fully 83 percent of Democratic voters and 52 percent of independents said that they support a second round of stimulus spending—while 61 percent of Republicans were opposed. The Republicans who favor more spending, nearly 40 percent, are most likely to be white working-class males who have lost their jobs or fear losing them. Why are Democrats in Congress and the White House missing the opportunity to motivate their own base, while appealing to independents and disaffected Republican workers? They are listening too closely to the conventional wisdom, that’s why—and as always, it is leading them in the wrong direction. Joe Conason writes for The New York Observer. © 2010 Creators.com  TAGS:
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Lock Up Washington
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By MarthaA, July 12, 2010 at 11:10 pm Link to this comment
President Obama has done better than any Republican, as all Republicans will be led by the Far Right Conservative EXTREME.
If only the members of the populace could learn exactly what political Conservatism really is, surely they wouldn’t vote for Conservatism, but the Right-Wing’s Conservatives are so sure of their inculcation of the populace that they are assured that it doesn’t matter to the populace, even though Conservative means they are going to try to get rid of unemployment, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, sell the buildings, bridges, roads and ports in our country to other countries, stay in borrowed money war, get even more heavily into outsourcing jobs away from the populace, and borrow even more money to supposedly lower taxes to raise the National Debt even further; it doesn’t matter that the populace will be in debt and be forced to work for slave wages all their days, as this is what Conservatism does….. and all the cows say, “Yeah!” And it is not funny, although the FOX News Network thinks it is, because they are doing it —————- the populace must be educated against destroying themselves from Right-Wing political inculcation in this manner.
It is sad that renters, home mortgage payers, auto mortgage payers, Social Security participants, workers, waitresses, auto mechanics, Medicare participants, Medicaid participants, the nearly destitute and the destitute of the American populace think they are Conservative Republicans and will argue as if they had a leg to stand on, because of all the conservative political inculcation in the schools, churches and in the media—they think they must vote Conservative Republican to vote with God.
As long as the American populace members think that there is Godly and social help for the populace from the autocratic Conservative Right side of the spectrum, and that God is standing on the Right side of the spectrum, they sell themselves and the populace out to be outsourced, sidelined and marginalized. It is imperative to somehow break the populace’s conservative mindset rut of destruction inculcated by the Glenn Beck Type Conservative Revolution that continues and has continued for the past 30 years. In order for there to ever be a democratic revolution against the Conservative Revolution, somehow the inculcated conservative mindset within the liberal populace must be broken, as all these poor people thinking they are Conservatives makes it impossible to ever have anything close to a democratic republic for the populace.
Report thisBy ThomasG, July 12, 2010 at 5:05 pm Link to this comment
unfazed, July 12 at 12:28 am,
When the only choice is backlash between the political party of the American Nobility, the Republican Party, and the political party of the Professional Middle Class, the Democratic Party, for the American Populace, the 70% Majority Common Population of the United States; are we of the American Populace dumb enough to vote Republican because we are mad at the Democrats,—and vote Democrat because we are mad at the Republicans,—and NEVER even consider that as a 70% Majority Common Population of the United States that is the American Populace is not even represented by a political party???????
The issue is political representation of the 70% Majority Common Population of the United States by a legitimate institutionalized political party, so that the American Populace can participate in coalition governance and the making and enforcing of legislated law and order that will not continue to subject the American Populace to legislation without representation, and political backlash between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party as their only choice.
Political backlash that is the only choice provided to the American Populace is the choice given by political overlords to fools that do not know the difference; must the American Populace, the 70% Majority Common Population of the United States continue to accept the false choice that political overlords give to fools——political backlash between differing factions of their own constituency, rather than institutionalized political representation of the American Populace by their own political party, so that the American Populace can participate in coalition governance for the making and enforcing of legislated law and order that is in the best interest of the American Populace.
Report thisBy unfazed, July 11, 2010 at 8:28 pm Link to this comment
Obama has been an empty suit. I voted for Obama. Whatever makes people think,
Report thismuch less believe, that Obama and this administration is going to do anything at
all that substantially improves the lot of the USA utterly baffles me. He’s signed a
lot of stuff; not one bit of it will do one whit of change. We’ve been robbed.
By MarthaA, July 9, 2010 at 9:45 pm Link to this comment
Here is a post I made to Tex on an Amy Goodman thread, “If Only Information Flowed as Crudely as Oil” that disappeared after the attack, but it pertains to this thread also, so I will put it here as well:
(Tex is trying to defend Conservatism and tells MarthaA to STFU.)
Tex, July 8 at 11:20 pm,
What does the complexity of a disingenuous argument that dung is ice cream really mean?? ———— NOTHING!!!!!!! A complex argument to justify Political Conservatism without the balance of innovation has the equivalent meaning of the former argument——— DUNG by any other name cannot pass for ice cream and a complex argument to the contrary will not convince anyone other than a fool.
Here is what Conservative and Liberal innovation really are— one hoards and the other creates:
(Begin Quoting)
“The Conservative by Ralph Waldo Emerson
http://www.emersoncentral.com/conservative.htm
A Lecture delivered at the Masonic Temple,
Boston, December 9, 1841
The two parties which divide the state, the party of Conservatism and that of Innovation, are very old, and have disputed the possession of the world ever since it was made. This quarrel is the subject of civil history. The conservative party established the reverend hierarchies and monarchies of the most ancient world. The battle of patrician and plebeian, of parent state and colony, of old usage and accommodation to new facts, of the rich and the poor, reappears in all countries and times. The war rages not only in battle-fields, in national councils, and ecclesiastical synods, but agitates every man’s bosom with opposing advantages every hour. On rolls the old world meantime, and now one, now the other gets the day, and still the fight renews itself as if for the first time, under new names and hot personalities.
Such an irreconcilable antagonism, of course, must have a correspondent depth of seat in the human constitution. It is the opposition of Past and Future, of Memory and Hope, of the Understanding and the Reason. It is the primal antagonism, the appearance in trifles of the two poles of nature.
There is a fragment of old fable which seems somehow to have been dropped from the current mythologies, which may deserve attention, as it appears to relate to this subject.
(End Quoting)
You should go ahead and read the rest of the article quoted at the following website: http://www.emersoncentral.com/conservative.htm
I checked out all your urls, one is a union that is totally against anything conservative and the rest is propaganda—not practice.
Report thisBy MarthaA, July 9, 2010 at 7:24 pm Link to this comment
kalpal, July 9 at 9:06 am,
Social conservative, fiscal conservative and compassionate conservative are definitely totally subjective oxymoron’s.
If a conservative is born in America they will be be an American conservative, but the worst of all are the conservatives that are NOT born in America, but came here to push their sophist lies, inculcation, and propaganda in their media networks, as does Australian born incognito Hitleresque Rupert Murdoch, who owns and pays the salaries of all the numerous propagandists on his Fox News Network, including propagandists Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and the likes of their conservative ilk that push his conservative agenda to destroy community, unions and anything liberal, so that there will be only the haves and the have nots. Rupert Murdoch’s citizenship should be revoked, because he has used his citizenship in an untoward way; propagandizing the American Populace through his Fox News Network, the Wall Street Journal, and his other media outlets, against community, unions and anything liberal as Hitler did in Germany when he took over Germany and tried to take over the world. And, believe it or not, the sediment of the Hitler Regime settled in the United States and made a come back in America through the Bush administration http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/25/usa.secondworldwar
Report thishttp://www.brasschecktv.com/page/263.html
http://www.georgewalkerbush.net/bush-nazilinkconfirmed.htm
http://dissidentvoice.org/Articles3/Jayne_Hitler-Bush.htm
By Cousin30, July 9, 2010 at 12:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Can Obama play musical chairs with his appointments? Appoint to one department then next year transfer them across the hall.
Report thisBy ThomasG, July 9, 2010 at 6:49 am Link to this comment
Not One More!, July 9 at 3:01 am,
You and everyone else should be agitating for a Multi-Party Political System and Coalition Governance. It is a lack of representation of the populace that causes all these problems and Coalition Governance will include ALL political factions, this is what inclusive democracy is all about, rather than selective democracy, Democracy for US, maybe not YOU.
Report thisBy kalpal, July 9, 2010 at 5:06 am Link to this comment
Fascinating how many people seem to think they understand economics without having a clue.
Humanity’s inability to learn from past mistakes will sink us all if we pay attention to the conservatives.
For more that 2 years I have been asking people to point out any legislation originated by the conservatives that made life better for teh average American rather than the rich. To date not a single example has cropped up.
Having any faith in America’s conservatives is about as silly as planning to retire as soon as you win millions at the lottery. It can happen but is extremely unlikely. No conservatives have ever done what is good for the nation in opposition to what is beneficial for the ultrawealthy.
I am beginning to think that the phrase “conservative American” is an oxymoron.
Report thisBy Not One More!, July 8, 2010 at 11:01 pm Link to this comment
As long as no one is asking up to conserve our limited natural resources, and willing to spend countless money on throwaway consumer products, I will know that America hasn’t changed. Give more money to the military too.
And I’m happy about all the GMO supporting people in the Obama ruling class.
Tom Vilsack, biotech-booster and former Iowa Governor, is USDA Secretary.
Michael Taylor, former Monsanto Vice President, is the FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods.
Roger Beachy, former director of the Monsanto-funded Danforth Plant Science Center, is the director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Islam Siddiqui, Vice President of the Monsanto and Dupont-funded pesticide-promoting lobbying group, CropLife, is the Agriculture Negotiator for the US Trade Representative.
Rajiv Shah, former agricultural-development director for the explicitly pro-biotech Gates Foundation served as Obama’s USDA Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics and Chief Scientist and is now head of USAID.
Now, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, who took Monsanto’s side against organic farmers in the Roundup Ready alfalfa case, has been nominated to the Supreme Court, and Ramona Romero, corporate counsel to DuPont, has been nominated by President Obama to serve as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The sellout never stops.
I’m glad I didn’t throw away my vote by voting for a democrat. Support third parties, the green party etc.
http://www.NotOneMore.US
Report thisBy MarthaA, July 8, 2010 at 7:12 pm Link to this comment
Political conservative/moderate has nothing to do with fiscal, whatsoever, no matter what Wiki says. Political Conservatives/Moderates conserve the wealth of the nation for the Conservatives, which are the wealthy autocratic corporate Republicans on the Right-Wing of the Political Spectrum taking advantage of the populace. The Democratic Party’s conservatives are toadies to the Republicans corporations on the Right-Wing of the Political Spectrum helping the Right-Wing take advantage of the populace.
Only Left-Wing Liberals care about the nation as a whole and they are few and hard to find, but sorely needed in Congress today.
Report thisBy tropicgirl, July 8, 2010 at 1:40 pm Link to this comment
Joe, you are TOTALLY OFF THE MARK….
Cutting spending is SO important because we are borrowing money to get our
money from the banks, further enslaving ourselves to banks who steal it. WHAT
IS SO HARD ABOUT THIS FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND. Its not the stimulus, its
the INTEREST RATES, DUMMY!
Go GREEKS!
We know that Obama and Geithner trying to do the same thing here to us.
National Strikes WORK!
There is NO REASON for ANY COUNTRY to have to BORROW MONEY from
BANKS. They need to hold on to, create and protect THEIR OWN MONEY
SUPPLY!!!
Research yourself…. This is how the banks own us…
“”“The ability for America and the 50 states to create its own credit has largely
been lost to private bankers. The lion’s share of new credit creation is done by
private banks, so - instead of being able to itself create money without owing
interest - the government owes unfathomable trillions in interest to private
banks.
America may have won the Revolutionary War, but it has since lost one of the
main things it fought for: the freedom to create its own credit instead of having
to beg for credit from private banks at a usurious cost.
As economic writer and attorney Ellen Brown has tried to teach to Obama,
Schwarzenegger, and anyone else who will listen, the way out of the economic
crisis is to stop paying interest to private banks for the creation of credit, and
to return to the system of government-issued credit used by the Founding
Fathers to create prosperity for the people and to gain independence from their
oppressors.”“”
Obama is WORKING FOR THE BANK-CROOKS. ALWAYS HAS.
The utter stupidity of the pundits these days is totally astounding. Joe,
apparently you don’t know the first thing about these things.
Hell, at this point, Beck U would help you out. And that’s SAD.
Report thisBy Can O Whoopass, July 8, 2010 at 12:20 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Although she repeatedly decries “Big Government,” Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has found a way to get three sources of income fromthe very government she despises.
First, there’s a paycheck from her job as Congressional representative in Minnesota’s 6th district - remember, she hates big government but chooses to be a part of it.
Second, she collects over $200k in farm subsidies for her family’s agriculture operation - again, please remember how much she hates the way government takes care of people (she’s a big proponent of “repealing” the health care bill).
http://dumpbachmann.blogspot.com/2009/09/more-on-michele-bachmann-feeding-at.html
Third, in yet another family business - Bachmann and Associates, Inc., a Christian counseling service
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/06/07/bachmann’s-christian-counseling-clinic-receives-state-funds
- Bachmann has claimed nearly another $30k in “biggovernment” payouts.
http://minnesotaindependent.com/57982/michele-bachmann-profits-from-socialized-medicine
And never mind that annoying separation of church-and-state detail;
that doesn’t apply to the Bachmanns.
The representative’s husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann, has announced publicly on several occasions that the counseling facility is strongly Christian-centered and that “Jesus Christ is the Almighty Counselor.”
Counselors employed by the facility are also members of the clergy.
If Michele Bachmann hates government, why does she work so hard to bea part of it?
And why doesn’t she step out of the “government handout line” instead of staying in and keeping her hand out?
Report thisBy JDmysticDJ, July 8, 2010 at 9:47 am Link to this comment
Thecrow
I followed your link, and read the excellent article by Hedges, and linked to the speech by Malalai Joya, left by one of your commentors, “A Voice for a Crying Afghanistan.” Anyone who believes bringing democracy, human rights, and alleviating the suppression of women, is a rationale for continuing the war should read the speech.
Malalai Joya states that conditions for women now, are as bad as they were under the Taliban. She equates the Taliban with the Northern Alliance warlords who are currently in the Karzai government. She talks about suppression, rapes, murders, acid attacks, and self immolation. The speech is a must read for everyone concerned with U.S. policy in Afghanistan.
Malalai Joya is a staunch supporter of real democracy, not puppet democracy; she calls for an immediate withdrawal of occupying forces, and thanks U.S. anti-war activists for their moral support.
Report thisBy balkas, July 8, 2010 at 8:53 am Link to this comment
The DEMS are of THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE. So, are repubs, media, educators, judiciary, army echelons, cia, fbi, and city police.
The rest belong to cosa mias levels: ab hundred layers of them.
And guess who wins everytime? But, of course, THE PEOPLE! TNX
Report thisBy balkas, July 8, 2010 at 8:43 am Link to this comment
Drill for oil does not = drill for sanity.
All oil drilling in US or even on its planet = drilling for the funni uncle’s oil.
Folks, that’s all BP did—it did it for the masters of the warcare—the masters cannot wage wars-occupations-threats or impose sanctions on their planet w.o. it.
But the masters of warcare do not only take care of warfare—they take care of people also.
Generally, the masters of people and peoplecare sort americans [ in a triage for ‘special’ uses of ‘special’ people] into several categories.
Some will take positions in jails, others in coal mines. The youngest and the dumbest will take a spot of tea or drag on pipe in afgh’n.
Report thisStill others wld stay at home to raise ‘people’ for THE PEOPLE! tnx
By Inherit The Wind, July 8, 2010 at 8:15 am Link to this comment
JC:
Right on target.
Show me ANY Re-thug pol screaming for spending cuts and I GUARANTEE you that you will find a hypocrite, either at the political level (“not in my district”) or at the personal level (Michelle Bachmann gets farm subsidies).
Notice that GOPers who favor increased spending in general are those who LOST their jobs or think they are gonna lose em.
The problem is that in a battle between a sane, polite person and a rude, crazy person, the rude and crazy person will win out 90% of the time. The ONLY way for the sane, polite person to win is either to sink to the rude, crazy person’s level or cut him out!
In this case, the GOP is rude and crazy and the ONLY appropriate response is to stop bothering with them and kick ‘em to the curb. Yesterday, Pres. Obama made 2 recess appointments with 180 bogged down by self-serving, loony GOP Sens. He should have made 180 recess appointments!
When are the Dems finally going to grow back-bones? When are they going to realize that in the House, the Min. Leader is both lazy and a drunk? Or that in the Senate they can make the GOPers’ lives PURE HELL as they totally refuse to compromise on ANY issue?
Report thisBy balkas, July 8, 2010 at 8:13 am Link to this comment
And, then, they, THE OGRISH THEM,did s’mthing VERY STUPID,stupid! What, what was it? THE OGRISH THEM fell in love with god and ?etern hell descended upon us!!!! tnx
Report thisBy thecrow, July 8, 2010 at 6:07 am Link to this comment
Yes, “show us the money”:
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/forever-war/
Report this