I believe this message wins, because it is the truth. Quoting President Obama:
“It’s a simple theory — one that speaks to our rugged individualism and healthy skepticism of too much government. It fits well on a bumper sticker. Here’s the problem: It doesn’t work,” Obama said of supply-side economics, drawing extended applause. “It’s never worked.”
He repeatedly conjured the image of a country that is becoming more divided by inequality. He linked the Tea Party to the Occupy Wall Street protesters, saying it is little wonder that the “breathtaking greed of a few” who caused the financial crisis has generated a “raging debate over the best way to restore growth and prosperity, balance and fairness.”
“This isn’t just another political debate. This is the defining issue of our time,” he said. “This is a make or break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class.
“At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, and secure their retirement.”
Buy Ayn Rand Hates Tuscaloosa, And You Too, Joplin!
What have been the big applause lines in these debates? Well, a statement that the governor of Texas is responsible for killing 234 people on death row. Or that we favor torture. Or that we’re creating a fence on the Mexican border that electrocutes people when they try to cross it. Or when people show up at the emergency room at hospitals and they’re not insured don’t treat them. And that, I mean these are the big applause lines, people just hoop and holler when they hear all that. [...]
It doesn’t have anything to do with the Republican party that I was a part of. This is just totally different. And all of these people who are saying this, y’know, and claiming that, y’know, they’re for all this stuff, they also sort of ostentatiously say, “Oh, we’re very religious people. We really, we’re just very pious, Christian people.” They were for torture, and electrocution of the people on along the border and all of that. That doesn’t have anything to do with, is contrary to the Christianity that I understand.
Nor the Christianity I understand. It's pretty close to its opposite.
"My wife did not know about it, and that was the revelation. My wife found out about it when she went public with it," Cain said, according to the newspaper. "My wife now knows. My wife and I have talked about it and I have explained it to her. My wife understands that I'm a soft-hearted, giving person." http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-cain-interview-20111201,0,5753490....
It's popular these days to blame and vilify the government. No one really considers the necessary services that the government provides, as we all take them for granted. But when tragedy strikes, as it did in Tuscaloosa, Al and Joplin, Mo, the need for government becomes too painfully obvious to the decent Americans who suffered massive losses at the hands of nature. What is not obvious to these good people, who are all our neighbors, is the intent of the politicians and the party that they vote into power and support. The very politicians that draw their support from main street America such as Tuscaloosa and Joplin, conspire to destroy the necessary functions that allow neighbors to help neighbors, and the downfallen an opportunity to rise again. The values of America are being attacked, distorted, and morphed into a perverted worldview by these people. To these people, it is no longer our duty to help our neighbor. To these people, there is no reason to respect anyone but the wealthy. To these people, there is no respect for the working men and women. To these people, there is no world but this one, and the new goal of society is to maximize selfishness above all other values. These values are of Ayn Rand and she lives thirty years after her death in the policies of the once great Republican Party. Ayn Rand preaches no need to love your neighbor and demanded the individual live only for himself. Ayn Rand hates Tuscaloosa and Joplin too; for here there exists no valid reason to sacrifice for those who need. Ayn Rand is worshipped by those in the highest levels of influence as a founder of a new morality. It's time to realize who Ayn Rand was, what she believed, and how those thoughts corrupt our country, to the detriment of those who vote into power her disciples. Ayn Rand hates America. America would be better off hating her back. http://www.amazon.com/Rand-Hates-Tuscaloosa-Joplin-ebook/dp/B006CC1CNE/ref=zg...
t's popular these days to blame and vilify the government. No one really considers the necessary services that the government provides, as we all take them for granted.But when tragedy strikes, as it did in Tuscaloosa, Al and Joplin, Mo, the need for government becomes too painfully obvious to the decent Americans who suffered massive losses at the hands of nature.What is not obvious to these good people, who are all our neighbors, is the intent of the politicians and the party that they vote into power and support. The very politicians that draw their support from main street America such as Tuscaloosa and Joplin, conspire to destroy the necessary functions that allow neighbors to help neighbors, and the downfallen an opportunity to rise again.The values of America are being attacked, distorted, and morphed into a perverted worldview by these people. To these people, it is no longer our duty to help our neighbor. To these people, there is no reason to respect anyone but the wealthy. To these people, there is no respect for the working men and women. To these people, there is no world but this one, and the new goal of society is to maximize selfishness above all other values.These values are of Ayn Rand and she lives thirty years after her death in the policies of the once great Republican Party. Ayn Rand preaches no need to love your neighbor and demanded the individual live only for himself.Ayn Rand hates Tuscaloosa and Joplin too; for here there exists no valid reason to sacrifice for those who need. Ayn Rand is worshipped by those in the highest levels of influence as a founder of a new morality.It's time to realize who Ayn Rand was, what she believed, and how those thoughts corrupt our country, to the detriment of those who vote into power her disciples.Ayn Rand hates America. America would be better off hating her back.
David Frum has been consistently honest with his criticisms of the right wing. He accused it of having "epistemic closure", that is only willing to get its information from an echo chamber. He blasted the Republicans all or nothing strategy against health care reform, and was promptly fired from the Koch brothers financed AEI.
Now this. Quoting:
Conservative pundit David Frum contends that he was blacklisted from Fox News after criticizing Rush Limbaugh in 2009. (h/t Inside Cable News)
Frum made the charge in a piece for New York magazine. Back in 2009, he authored an article forNewsweek "arguing that Republicans would regret conceding so much power to Rush Limbaugh." According to Frum, he had been a frequent contributor on Fox News but "some kind of fatwa was laid down" on him following his Newsweek article.
Frum wrote that producers would call to book him on a segment. He then described the "embarrassed second call" he would receive, in which those same producers would call him back to say they had decided to go "'in a different direction.'"
Frum has since become a fierce critic of Fox News. Most famously, he said in 2010 that "Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox."
If you haven't seen it, do so. It will provide context for a lot of today's political rhetoric (not to mention historical context)
The documentary explores the extraordinary contribution Atwater made to the Republican Party, specifically to Reagan and the first Bush. It also effectively shows the dichotomy between the charming Atwater and his dirty tricks.
A few points stick in my mind after watching it.
* Atwater did not invent dirty politics, but he did introduce this style to the Republicans. They were on the ropes after the great depression, Nixon brought back a resurgence, but almost lost it after Watergate. Incidentally, I think the film neglects another influence on today's political process, Richard Nixon. You can read about his (mostly poisonous) contributions to our current political debate in Rick Perlstein's excellent book Nixonland.
* Michael Dukakis is a good man, a bright man, and an honorable one. I do not know if he is fit to be president though. The documentary shows clearly his disgust at being smeared, and he was certainly smeared. But it also showed to me his reluctance to address these smears, which became a tacit admission in the eyes of the public. It's a shame this is the way it is, but it is reality. President Obama too often sits silently while he is being smeared with blatant accusations. And it has hurt him. Look at the healthcare reform. The Atwater clones today know how to inflame and scare the masses. We can not make our case on mere facts alone. Facts are for the history book, and relying on facts alone in campaigns will make you merely a footnote in the history books. See Dukakis, Michael.
*The most fascinating and honest admission came from the late Robert Novak in the film. Novak was as partisan right wing as anyone, that's beyond dispute. He admitted on camera that Republicans only care about winning, the Democrats are idealistic..although he chuckled and said he thought their ideas were wrong. But still, this is the core issue. Republicans want to win, and will do any thing possible to do so. The ideas are the most important driver in the Democratic Party, and we sit back and think ideas will carry the day by themselves. Bill Clinton knew better, and his results are self evident. We need more willingness to bareknuckle street fight- which the common man can relate to-, instead of being strictly fact based and professorial -which persuades only the elite.
The movie gives great insight as to why the 99% vote against their interest. They embrace abstracts such as the pledge of allegiance and distrust others outside their world. The Republicans divide and conquer.
But we have an opportunity to do the same. We need active class warfare -philosophically, lest some right winger lies and accuses me of calling for violence. Play up the excesses and callousness of the wealthy. In these times, there will be many that bristle at this.
And consider this, by throwing their lot behind Ayn Rand, they are not offering up any statistics to show their method works (and I realize statistics DO NOT in any way suggest they do), but they are using the morality position, as Ayn did. They are saying they are rich because they deserve to be. That one can be easily defeated by showing how undeserving they are.
Rent this movie. It will anger you, but hopefully it will enlighten you.
Thousands of angry protestors from all over the country assembled to “occupy” public spaces; all with a common goal to demand government payments that had been promised to them. Although the occupiers had assembled peacefully, there was a fear of violence, as government officials believed unscrupulous radicals with sinister agendas were manipulating the naive protestors into promoting their will.
Pamphlets distributed with titles such as “Don’t Let the Bankers Fool You” expressed anger and discontent at the disproportional influence of Wall Street and the wealthy upon the government.The previous Republican administration dismissed the budding movement as a group of moochers who weren’t willing to sacrifice.The extremely wealthy Republican Secretary of Treasury flat out refused any idea of government aid while stating tax cuts for the wealthiest job creators would provide a greater boost for the protestors, as they would create jobs and a booming economy.
Does this sound like anything you’ve seen or heard recently?It’s actually history from 1932.The occupiers in this instance were veterans of World War One.They were impoverished and starving.They had been promised a bonus for their service in the Great War to supplement their dollar-a-day salary for going overseas, but few in Washington wanted to pay it. Congress in the 1920’s finally promised to pay the bonuses, but not until 1945. The country couldn’t afford to pay both bonuses for poor veterans and have tax cuts for the wealthiest according to the President.
So in 1932, around twenty-thousand protestors occupied Washington, until President Herbert Hoover ordered General McArthur to disperse the crowd.He did with extreme enthusiasm and even more extreme force and cruelty. He ordered his men to burn their shacks and to march upon the masses with tanks, machine guns and tear gas.One spectator gasped in horror at such brutal treatment for people merely shouting for food.
The critics tried to justify their refusal to address the “Bonus Army”-as it came to be known- by asserting that Communists and radicals were behind it; even though the fringe element was never really a factor, and it really wasn’t a major part of the mob.
Compare this with today’s Occupy Wall Street movement.They for the most part are peaceful, but angry and disturbed at the state of the country.Student loan debt is saddling poor and middle class kids with lifelong servitude, while the wealthiest kids get the best jobs as they went to the best schools on dad’s dime.Healthcare becomes more and more scarce as they face the real world, as nine buck per hour fast food jobs do not offer it.The disparity of wealth is never more evident than on Wall Street, where billionaires scoff at the poor in a manner that would embarrass Marie Antoinette.
One can understand why Wall Street hates the protestors, as they are being called out for their excesses by the rabble.But why does mainstream America mock them? Because of their dress, their looks, and non-conformity?Not all protestors fit this radical “hippie” model.One protestor, Scott Olsen, was a former Marine who served two tours in Iraq.Videos clearly show him standing in place silently protesting when some modern day Douglas McArthur in the Oakland Police Department shot him at point blank range in the face with a bean-bag gun.Olsen suffered a fractured skull and required brain surgery.All for the crime of peacefully expressing his First Amendment rights.
Most Americans ought to be sympathetic to the complaints of the protestors.The Occupy (fill in the blank here with any city, including Nashville) movement is just the first wave of what is sure to follow.It is pure denial to suggest that only communists have anger at the system, much as it was in 1932.Wages have dropped consistently for the working class in America for the past thirty years, more so in the last ten.Meanwhile the rich get richer and complain about the lowest tax rates in generations. Even the thought of 1999 tax rates induces fainting among the highest earners.
The radicals and revolutionaries may not be the drivers behind this but they certainly have the most to gain if it is continually ignored.If the authorities resort to more brutal suppression and abuse of the protesters, the radicals can rally their troops even faster.See Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya for recent examples.
After World War Two, we didn’t have riots, and it wasn’t merely because we had a booming economy.We learned the lesson of the Bonus Army and preempted the social unrest with one of the largest government redistributions of wealth in U.S. history.We called it the G.I. Bill.With it, we killed discontent amongst the lower class by giving them hope, and we allowed the economy to grow because of a well thought out government spending program.Too bad we aren’t that smart today.
All sources for facts about the Bonus Army are from the book The Bonus Army: An American Epic by Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen, Walker & Company, New York, 2010.