(Answering question from the Internet.) I think Rand Paul and Ron Paul are threatening because they are serious and consistent, even though I personally think they are wrong. But I think it is difficult for the mass media, which seeks to avoid the main issues, to deal with issues that involve people that can make principal decisions. It is difficult for the media to take ideas seriously.
3:29 Comment From Jason
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:29:59 GMT
Comment: The more I read about how Bill Clinton should get some blame for our financial and social mess (NAFTA, welfare reform, deregulation), I’m a bit of a disillusioned liberal now. I’m also not convinced Obama or our current Congress is doing any better. Who or what are we supposed to believe in now?
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3:30 Robert Scheer
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:30:27 GMT
Comment:
Good question.
3:33 Robert Scheer
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:33:00 GMT
Comment:
(Answering Jason.) I think there are people on the Democratic side who have shown a principled position in dealing with our economic situation. Kucinich, Bernie Sanders, Henry Waxman, Congressman Grayson—there are people there who have watched out for the interest of average Americans. And what we need to do is back them; Kantwell has been good. Back in Clinton [the Clinton administration], we had Brooksley Born, who was great, but Clinton didn’t back her. In charge of the commodities trading commission, she was great, but was silenced. We have to look for the honest people and provide support for them; they exist.
3:33 Truthdig
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:33:06 GMT
Comment:
Last question.
3:33 Comment From haroldbeu
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:33:10 GMT
Comment: One reason people get turned off with politics is that they want the good to always triumph. And politics, like life, rarely gives us pure righteousness. But what we are supposed to believe is that we are the ones who are responsible to speak out, organize and not depend on politicians to do our bidding. And every now and then people do organize and something good happens, as in the case of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
3:33 Robert Scheer
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:33:56 GMT
Comment:
I agree.
3:34 celebtown via twitter
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:34:02 GMT
Comment:
Why is RandPaul trying to split the people of the United States? Tell Me.
3:35 Robert Scheer
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:35:28 GMT
Comment:
First of all, let me not be too pessimistic. There are good things coming out of Congress in financial regulation; I would give them a B- or B+. Health care was a move in the right direction. Unfortunately they’ve dropped the ball on getting out of Afghanistan. We’ll see about Iraq, but it is not looking good. ... The main and the big disappointment here is that we have been betrayed by Wall Street. We saved Wall Street and Wall Street has not saved us. That is the beginning and end of the story.
3:35 Truthdig
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:35:37 GMT
Comment:
That’s all, folks.
3:35 billdamon via twitter
Thu, 27 May 2010 23:35:39 GMT
Comment:
RandPaul’s favorables with Republicans went way up in Kentucky AFTER he came out against the Civil Rights Act. WOW.
Click here to check out Robert Scheer’s new book, “The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street.”
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By alibrarian, May 29, 2010 at 2:34 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Obama “smarter than FDR.” Don’t make me throw up. I have read that Ob watches ESPN but doesn’t even watch the News. (Alter confirms that he does watch ESPN—while autographing photographs??? Does he think he’s a movie star?) You know what, he’s President—WATCH THE DAMN NEWS. And it’s cute that he takes time to go to Malia and Sasha’s sporting events, but I think we need a full time President. (Frankly, as a working mother, I almost never was able to attend my daughter’s games.) If ever we needed a full-time President, it’s NOW! The economy, the oil-spill, wars—and we are stuck with an amateur.
I felt, during the campaign, that Ob was just NOT ready, to be President—even though I voted for him. His performance as President has confirmed that feeling over and over. As a life-long Democrat, this makes me so sad because it may be many years before we get another Democrat elected, and despite flaws, I sincerely believe that the majority of us (WE the people) have better life-chances with a Democratic President.
I will not be bothering to buy or read Mr. Alter’s Obama-BROMANCE. And somebody tell him he needs a new anecdote—we’ve all heard about Ob’s lecturing the generals—for his interviews.
Many thanks for providing needed perspectives Mr. Scheer. Your comments help considerably especially in noting Paul and Palin as “sideshows” that distract from ending “unconstitutional war”. Many thanks.
Has anyone thought about the housing market crash
as a deliberate policy decision to reduce the cost
of housing employers must factor into pay and thus
make the U.S. more competitive? I know that for
years various business policy groups here in
California bemoaned how much they had to pay to
attract people to Silicon Valley and other burgeoning
areas. Certainly it would be typical that addressing
the problem would involve dumping the costs on the
little guy and putting money in the pockets of the
usual suspects. Don’t reject this notion out of
hand because it sounds like a conspiracy theory.
Wake up, folks! I can testify from personal experience that our society is governed by conspiracies. Call them trade associations, chambers of commerce, or law firms lobbying in
capitols. They are how things get done in the USA.
The Path of Hubris and War
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By alibrarian, May 29, 2010 at 2:34 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Obama “smarter than FDR.” Don’t make me throw up. I have read that Ob watches ESPN but doesn’t even watch the News. (Alter confirms that he does watch ESPN—while autographing photographs??? Does he think he’s a movie star?) You know what, he’s President—WATCH THE DAMN NEWS. And it’s cute that he takes time to go to Malia and Sasha’s sporting events, but I think we need a full time President. (Frankly, as a working mother, I almost never was able to attend my daughter’s games.) If ever we needed a full-time President, it’s NOW! The economy, the oil-spill, wars—and we are stuck with an amateur.
I felt, during the campaign, that Ob was just NOT ready, to be President—even though I voted for him. His performance as President has confirmed that feeling over and over. As a life-long Democrat, this makes me so sad because it may be many years before we get another Democrat elected, and despite flaws, I sincerely believe that the majority of us (WE the people) have better life-chances with a Democratic President.
I will not be bothering to buy or read Mr. Alter’s Obama-BROMANCE. And somebody tell him he needs a new anecdote—we’ve all heard about Ob’s lecturing the generals—for his interviews.
Report thisBy 10hawks, May 29, 2010 at 9:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I like Rand Paul too.
Report thisBy T. A. Madison, May 28, 2010 at 11:31 am Link to this comment
Many thanks for providing needed perspectives Mr. Scheer. Your comments help considerably especially in noting Paul and Palin as “sideshows” that distract from ending “unconstitutional war”. Many thanks.
Report thisBy 1212, May 28, 2010 at 10:23 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Has anyone thought about the housing market crash
Report thisas a deliberate policy decision to reduce the cost
of housing employers must factor into pay and thus
make the U.S. more competitive? I know that for
years various business policy groups here in
California bemoaned how much they had to pay to
attract people to Silicon Valley and other burgeoning
areas. Certainly it would be typical that addressing
the problem would involve dumping the costs on the
little guy and putting money in the pockets of the
usual suspects. Don’t reject this notion out of
hand because it sounds like a conspiracy theory.
Wake up, folks! I can testify from personal experience that our society is governed by conspiracies. Call them trade associations, chambers of commerce, or law firms lobbying in
capitols. They are how things get done in the USA.
By Virginia777, May 27, 2010 at 11:30 pm Link to this comment
“I do believe there is a need for public education and I do support that.”
Awesome, Robert Scheer!
Report this