I stopped trusting CNN long ago when their headline the morning after Bernie had beat Hillary in a primary was, “Hillary Clinton is still in the lead.” I remember the anchor just about choking on his words, as there was not one word about Bernie’s victory. And the Post and NYT have consistently spread misinformation about health care in Europe. I go to the Guardian if I want balanced news.
Thank you for that enlightened comment, especially the "growing a pair" part.
Since the 1980's and the creation of the Tea Party in 1985 in particular, I have watched one major party in the US metaphorically tie American Democracy to the railroad tracks time and time again. All the while gleefully twisting it's villainous moustache and putting a hand to one ear and grinning while listening to the whistle of an approaching train that spells disaster for the average American Citizen and our Democracy in the USA. Meanwhile, the other major party in American Government metaphorically "clutches it's pearls" as if we don't already have a Rule of Law in existence to prevent such politically motivated threats. Average American Citizens must depend upon THIS government which is DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF by dark money bribery to intervene in an unbalanced and unfair war waged by UNTAXED ultra-wealthy oligarchs whose intentions are to turn America into just another low-cost labor pool to increase their OWN profits as they continue to push for autocracy and "one world order". Our world under THEIR orders???? No thanks.
Just Me, I have heard that the best way to reach ordinary people is to tell stories. Maybe the Democratic party does not have stories that are sufficiently compelling to grab the white evangelical working-class scared people the way Trump's hatred and fearmongering stories do. The rosy vision of all kinds of people living together and working for the good of all just doesn't work anymore if it ever did. Tossing around stories of the people white folks should fear and easy letters like CRT and LGBTQ can easily be wielded like prods to get people foaming at the mouth, screaming at Trump rallies while he spews nonsense he can't even remember later. They don't even listen to Trump anymore, knowing who he is and what he has said in the past. He has dementia but no one notices because they don't actually listen. If he says Democrats are against everything they stand for, they believe it even though Trump and Kump gave them nothing. Trump's handlers will be giving him some stuff to say about the debt ceiling and his faithful puppies will jump up and down and make a lot of noise with no understanding or need to check it out, as usual.
There IS one thing that occurs to me that I wish I could convey to "other' people because it DOES have a rather selfish motive that might appeal to them. (wink) I live in this community. I pay taxes in this community. Therefore, it is in my OWN best interest that I support fire and police and fund public education, etc. and send my kids to school and get vaccinations, etc. Why? Because my OWN safety and security depends upon it. It is in MY best interest that I support the Common Good for All Americans because "A high tide raises all boats". Not just the luxury yachts.
:) It's a simple song lyric, but it seems to illuminate exactly why this problem occurs in so many people from different walks of life, different levels of success and different points of view - "People hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest". Personally, I miss the Fairness Doctrine.
Considering that the right wing of the Republican Party operates out of a shared set of psychological dysfunctions as the result of traumas inflicted on them by the families, churches, and communities in which they grew up, dysfunctions which warp their ability to discern reality and leave them unable to allow anything that would challenge or call into question their alternate reality to even enter their awareness (which is why you can't convince them of what's actually true through offering factual evidence - that evidence never even reaches their awareness because their dysfunctions force them to viscerally reject it without consideration and grow angry at the threat), no story which ran counter to their warped reality would ever get through to them. They would not see in such stories what normal, healthy people see, but only whatever they can warp to fit their alternate reality: clearly blameless people in legitimate need become the "worthless, lazy poor" who need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, etc. In their reality, anyone who is in need of help from others or the government clearly does not deserve such help by virtue of the fact that they have already not helped themselves (unless it is one of these "conservatives" him or herself. Their needs should always be met because THEY are ALWAYS deserving. They live in a warped reality bubble which your stories would never pierce.
Nah. They just dig on being naughty boys and girls, 50’s style juvenile delinquents, Rebels without a Cause. Losers. The first step of revolution is to recruit loser volunteers to “smash the Dark State!”
The dysfunction is due to manipulation! Not necessarily by the institutions- Churches, families, government, community, etc., but by the selfish/greedy/self-serving leaders they, and those before them, have followed and continue to follow. The church should be the foundation of a unity message- loving thy neighbor as thyself, but the bad leaders- teaching division and that 'their sin is forgivable, but yours is not' are elevated rather than those teaching love/selflessness/coalition. Selfish, greedy, crooked, plutocrats (person whose power derives from their wealth) and politicians are worshiped, as they exploit their flock. Hard to crack, but we have to keep trying from a place of compassion- treating them as we would want to be treated in the same situation. Retaining the moral ground.
Greg, it does seem that Republicans would make zombies as candidates as long as they didn't go after their brains (OK, they wouldn't do that because there wouldn't be enough brain there), as long as they would ignore the truth, lie at every turn, say McCarthy (I almost wrote "Joe") was a worthy Speaker, and they are attractive enough in the eyes of "red" America to be acceptable, and have a loud boasting falsely prideful mouth. It will be interesting to see who is the next near-zombie they will choose. It will have to be a clone of Greene or Boebert (I have heard they are somewhat attractive), and as dumb as Santos, Gosar, Gomert, and McCarthy. I think some are in training and will audition at the next school board elections.
YES! The want to seize control over government controlled money (Difficult for Government to cheat its employees- we the people) so they can put profit over people, and cripple the agencies that are supposed to regulate them. Acquire more power and profits from the privatization of traditional government functions- giving them the power to set unfair salaries and eliminate the completion of Government employment (better salaries, better benefits and employment protections). Allowing them to limit employee power, pay, and benefits, by implement 'employment at will' policies and deterring employee organizing (Unions), while simultaneously putting more money into their coffers. If they end the "safety net", they OWN us- without 'safety net', if you don't work, you can't eat. THEY create deficits by cutting tax revenue (to give back to their donors/owners). Then THEY use the deficits, they have created, to give themselves a 'justification' to go after cuts in the social 'safety net' programs. THEY claim that 'safety net' cuts must be cut because they are needed to fight the problem/deficits THEY have created. THEY can't cut the bloated Defense budget because of rules THEY implemented (and could end), while THEY further bloat the Defense budget- creating even more deficit... and sadly, many of us fall for it hook, line, and sinker. :(
FYI, you are so right about Republican plans. They want to cause all the destruction but assume they and their families will be above it all. They probably will be for a while because they have hoarded so much money and cheated paying taxes for so long, but the challenge, global warming will ultimately get them too, and their "lovely" plans of making everyone slaves to themselves will be irrelevant as they just try to survive without the products they need and want (one can get pretty bored of canned and freeze-dried food and K-rations when used to the best cuts and desserts). Another problem for us is that we have permitted Congress to have a special health insurance program and a forever pension when they ought to have only ACA, Social Security, and a 401K or 403B like everyone else. I suspect more Republicans would quit Congress if those things were in place. Also, they might come to appreciate those programs, especially if the stock market crashes which is what they are hoping it will do later this year. Where will their money be then? They care nothing about the debt ceiling because they think it won't impact them and clearly Republicans care nothing for their constituents beyond getting their votes. OK, Manchin is there too. However, with the twin fools of McConnell and McCarthy, it is unlikely we will be able to stop Republican bad behavior. I can't think of 6 Republicans in the House and 10 in the Senate who give a damn about the debt ceiling or anything else that impacts the American people. They are so addicted to power and money, they have nothing left over for anyone else.
Sad, but true! I often wonder, what they think will be different for them if the Oligarchy they serve gets complete control/power? Will they be content with being 'house slaves' while we 'work the fields'? They certainly won't own the 'plantation' and they can't all be 'overseers'. When we are depleted, they will be next! We definitely need to either demand the GOVERNMENT benefits that they have, or demand that they be limited to what the rest of us are offered.
We feel threatened,enough to make anyone angry,but who says it's going to happen?Nothing is written in stone yet.The Supreme Court needs to be dealt with too,they're not for the people.
"We the people" are supposed to be the governments' (local, state, and federal) employers. some of us are also government employees. Most of us do NOT want the governments to be the only employers. However, for governments to work "for the people" we employers need to put restrictions on the non-government employers OR decide the governments will provide basic necessities for ALL the people rather than allowing many, if not most, of the people in private employment to be at the whims of their employers. I could not agree more with your points about the politicians who create these problems could change them. However, today's party of the plutocrats shows no interest in working for the interests of the remaining people.
A great book that has been around for a decade or so, but which I came across recently is The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen. She was born in Finland and came to the U.S. as an adult. She likes both countries but feels they can each offer improvements to the other. She is most emphatic that the Nordic countries are NOT socialist! Rather they are capitalist countries that believe in supporting every person's search for a better life. She also points out that the Nordic countries have had to fight the "socialist" countries three times in the last century. Partanen has a good writing style and I believe she offers those of us looking at today's situation in this county some valuable points. Perhaps more people suggesting such ideas will eventually get through to some of those people who vote Republican out of a lack of options they find acceptable. And perhaps those who tend to vote Democrat will come to realize that many or most of today's "progressive" Democrats are those remaining truest to the party's twentieth century legacy.
Perfect description: Plutocrat- a person whose power derives from their wealth. Money=Power and the small number of the wealthiest form the oligarchy that seek to satisfy an insatiable thirst for more wealth/power. Also know has selfishness and greed. To the detriment of ALL. I believe learning from each other i.e. helping each other is the key to prosperity in all relationships- individuals, groups, cities, states, nations, countries, ... No one person/thing has ALL the answers! It is division, caused by selfishness/greed, that leads to destruction. I don't know that Republicans, who often vote against their own self-interst, lack options. I think they are voting against the success of others, voting for a misguided self-interest, voting based on tradition and/or being lead astray (willingly and otherwise)... hoodwinked and bamboozled! I agree, those seeking MORE for ALL, are truest to what the country aspires to be, or what we claim we aspire to be.
Michael, good clarification of debt and deficit. Democrats have been working all along to cut deficits, but have to mop up after every Republican administration, get no credit for it, and are still blamed for something related to debt or deficit by people who have no clue about the difference. How do Dems "grow a pair" when they can't even be heard without the media having to pull out their false equivalencies. Consider the past few weeks' stupid whining over the few "classified" documents that were found among Biden's possessions. It took the FBI 13 hours to find 6 and we are not even sure what is in any of them and how old they are. The media constantly implies that this is the same as what Trump did when he stole a couple of dozen full boxes of secret documents and kept them in places anyone at his home could have had access to. When the media is that desperate to prove Democrats and Republicans are the same, it is hard to even get the word out that these are not the same and that Republicans have proven over and over that they are OK with bringing down our government. I can't help but wonder if the media is hoping for another January 6th so they can do some more hyped up coverage not admitting that they had a role in pumping up Republican insanity.
I agree, Ruth. But Trump stole more than 100 BOXES of documents with classifications from Classified, to Top Secret, to Security Risk. So, far in the reports I've read about Biden's cache, they have found about 20 papers - that would fit into ONE file folder. Biden instigated the search - trump variously denied having any documents, claimed they were his, claimed they were declassified because he "thought" about it, and in general refused to return them to National Archive even when subpoenaed. What is worse, several file folders marked Top Secret were empty - the contents sold? destroyed? used to wrap garbage? This is equivalency? in what language?
Fay, it appears we are going to have to deal with this false equivalency until someone the media respects calls them out on their BS. It is disgusting that it took 13 hours to go through Biden's house and found 6 things that we don't even know the level of classification, the dates, or why it took 13 hours to find 6 pages and a couple of "supporting materials." That is a total waste of our time and money as a nation, but Republicans just had to be able to say "See, Biden did it too!" That is nonsense, but the media loves a controversy even when there is none, except the one they created, and this Biden document find is crap. We know they have been sitting around at least since Biden left the Vice Presidency which is now 6 years and the Senate, at least 14 years. How can that be as important as Trump's stolen boxes filled with secret documents and folders marked "secret" that are empty that he had on leaving the White House? It's just not as important. McCarthy et al, as ignorant as they are, know their barking up this tree is not going to be good for their Baby Donnie. So, beyond feeding their rabid base, what's the deal?
Agreed, Ruth. For the media, the deal is MONEY more listeners, more ads, more profit. For the retrumplicans it is distraction. The fewer people who realize their main goal, to disembowel the News Deal and any other help for regular folk the better. Also they don't want us to recognize their push toward authoritarianism. Personally I think they'd rather the trumpster be their dictator than 'De Satan' - the trumpster is much dumber and easier to control. Not that desantis has a great brain, he's just smarter than trump (:-)
And why isn’t Pence mentioned referring to having classified documents? To me this is much more serious given he was recently the VP. Biden hadn’t been the VP for several years.
Ruth: CNN does mention - from time to time - that Republicans have no problem raising the debt ceiling when there is a Republican president. But CNN is not not forceful about this, and there is never any follow-up. And, I agree that there is much more in the way of promoting bothsiderisms - which have the effect of sowing confusion.
As for debt and deficit, these are the same for households, but very different for nations, and this is confusing. I bet there are very few citizens who know this. Look, most people are just too damn busy with making a living and raising children to pay attention.
Democrats need charismatic people on TV. Bernie is great, but comes across as a grumpy old man - which he probably is.
I want you to explain why I should avoid too much debt but Govenment should not.
When government prints money it devalues all money. That is a hidden tax that gets even worse with today's high interest rates. Adding insult to injury, the high interest rates have killed the dream of home ownership for young Americans.
How can anyone be supporting more debt for government while restricting it for young Americans wanting a home?
I notice you didn't whine about the very rich not paying their share of taxes and Congress pumping more and more money into the military when our soldiers have not been paid well and their families often live in poor conditions. I also note you didn't mention the corporations claiming high often very high profits while raising prices quite a bit above what is needed to cover increased costs, in short, cheating customers. Personal debt/deficit are not the same thing as national debt and deficit. I want folks to be able to buy homes if they want to, but our federal reserve has only one tool they choose to use to "fix" inflation, raising interest rates which means individuals will have higher interest rates for everything they borrow. That's what happens when conservatives are in charge of money. They are OK with everyone's suffering but their own. They assume their wealth will carry them through, and I guess it does because they keep doing it. Did you study economics at all? Do you just grab headlines and put them out as though that's the whole story? It looks like that.
For you, and individual citizens, debt and deficit are the same thing. As I understand it, the national debt includes all indebtedness, so it includes a lot of good indebtedness such as investment in infrastructure and in production. It also includes inflation, which is present in every economy in the world, and that alone means that the national debt is always rising (i.e., it takes more dollars to buy a car now than it did a century ago). This is not a bad thing. A LOT of inflation is a bad thing, but this is temporary. Governments print money when the economy goes into a recession, in order to re-ignite the economy. As you say, this leads to inflation and an increase in the national debt. But as Keynes put it, the time to pay that part of the debt down is when the economy is booming again. In the meantime, you are right - interest rates are high, but they too will decline when the economy has re-ignited.
So, let the debt ceiling be raised once again. It's almost irrelevant, and the concept should probably be sidelined. For Republicans, whether they know it or not, the national debt is a straw man they use to frighten people, when their real aim is to reduce the DEFICIT by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, rather than do what Adam Smith would have recommended, which is to raise revenue by increasing taxes on the wealthy.
Surely Debt on infrastructure is a good thing. Infrastructure is a solid investment which pays for itself.
Bailing out rich people and sending bombs to other countries will never pay for itself. It only brings more of the same woes upon us.
We have been a failure at nation building. We have encouraged bad behavior by forgiving loans and rebuilding homes in sketchy areas.
If we don't reduce spending there will be nothing left to repay our debt to veterans and to seniors invested in Social Security and Medicare.
Also, you are assuming much about when interest rates will fall, if ever. No one knows this. When I borrow I assume that the rate I sign for will never change. It has to fit my budget. Same applies to National Debt.
Michael, very astute comments about the lack of follow-up on comments about the debt ceiling, and lack of explanation of the difference between deficit and debt when it comes to government money. It is not that complex, but it might take an extra 30 seconds to explain. They have done a pretty good job on MSNBC with that, but not on the 3 regular networks nightly news reports. You are also right about people being caught up in all the business of living. It is too bad We the People haven't included taking care of our democracy as part of that business of living. I am glad my family was so political from the time I was a kid. Knowing what is going on has always been part of my life as it has for 3 out of 4 of my sisters. That has helped me to be more aware of what is happening with other people around the nation and world, and to appreciate them.
Republicans are masters at using false equivalencies. And the media, trying its hardest to balance any story, gives equal weight to each side of the false equivalency.
That, of course, cannot be done because the false equivalency is, in and of itself, flawed (false).
Why are some of the comments stating “the Dems need to grow a pair”? Biden is absolutely refusing to budge on this! I’ve said this before, but the more we bash our own party, the less unified we are.
Michael, now all we need to do, is design a public education program around your points that people will actually listen to and learn from. Any ideas how to do that? or even where to start?
Just off the top of my head, why not start with CNN (and even FOX) by giving them soundbites? BREAKING NEWS! Anyone know a producer of the Jake Tapper and Erin Burnett shows?
Absolutely agree, Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, State Disability Insurance are all deducted from our paychecks, They are hidden under FICA to make it appear as though we are getting government handouts when most workers have paid into these funds for a minimum 10 years and for most 20 to 50 years. they are entitlements in the sense that just as the wealthy are entitled to dividends on the stock and bond shares, so, too, are we entitled to Social Security and Medicare for which we and our employer as part of our benefit package (which we receive in lieu of cash) for all our working lives. Which for many of us is a very long time. Many people now in their 60's to 90's slung hamburgers in McDonald's or other fast foods. had paper routes, and baby sat. So, you're doggoned right we're entitled to our share of what we paid for.
The media “both sides” and bending over backward to avoid accusations of liberal bias have made them culpable in the destruction of our democracy. The debt ceiling threats by Republicans are absurd; the far right have the sound bites and air time, while the news media say that Biden is in more trouble every day because of the documents - even though it has been pointed out that the Biden and Trump situations are completely different and experts have said the Biden administration has handled this by the book.
Billboards are great - driver's see them often. It needs to be a multi-faceted information campaign, in as many places as we can think of.
How about a financial literacy program for K-12 classrooms? The kids can help inform and educate their parents. We devised alternative energy programs, projects, contests, etc, that met curriculum standards and parents were thrilled.
Media companies are for-profit businesses and are influenced by money. That is why there are complicit. If we had enough unity we could put resources together to control one, or collectively stop supporting (boycott) those that we oppose. Social Media is one of the better options. It is the least expensive way to reach the masses. We need to use social media the same way 3rd world countries have used it to challenge the status quo. A diversified approach would be ideal.
Nothing wrong with some debt. Excessive debt is the problem. With rising interest rates the debt service is unmanageable. The deficits cannot continue unabated. This is the job of Congress. Let them do their job.
Thank you Michael Hutchinson. Clearly stated and informative. I do not blame citizens for the natural impulse of avoiding taxes .... I blame the IRS for poorly defining and enforcing tax laws that are fair. I find worthwhile news on PBS, Margaret Hoover Firing Line, Global Public Square with Farheed Zacharia and Lester Holt at 6:30 pm. News opinion shows do not work for me. Ignoring truth to gain TV ratings is destroying our country. I have three Masters Degrees and learned in professional life that facts in various disciplines have different meaning for people. Private business and education are different worlds with different beliefs. Let's all grow up as voters and face the facts by recognizing bias where it exists. Institutions of higher learning must lead the way.
Regarding your comment about the IRS -- remember congress writes all tax laws, not the IRS. And the IRS has been seriously undercut due to underfunding.
I was a partner in a CPA firm for many years. I believe Congress is the problem, not the IRS. Congress writes incomprehensible, unenforcable tax law to provide cover for tax avoidance (NOT tax evasion) by the rich and powerful. If you study it, you have to admit that is the only thing that explains why it is the way it is.
I played for the other team, but I came to pity IRS agents. Underpaid, on a fool's errand, just trying to do a thankless job.
Thank you Stacy B. I believe Biden has requested more funding of the IRS to enable enforcement of existing tax laws. Is that a solution to strengthen tax compliance?
Robert, I would love to see higher ed. lead the way toward understanding of how our government works and truth in media, and more, but lately, again, there is a serious attack on colleges and universities and their wanting to be more diverse (sometimes), but not being conservative enough. I don't want to see colleges helping students to be more conservative. They have not lived long enough to have anything to conserve, and everyone is being told that college is not for everyone which really means, not for poor, Black, or other people of color. How can we change this narrative to something more positive while we fight the ignorance now related to the debt ceiling, (something that should not even exist)?
I chose to attend college to find choices I never imagined were possible. USMC duty in VN was followed by world travel then teaching, coaching, (surfing) in a wealthy Southern California community. Following a profitable business venture designed to supplement a deficient teaching salary, I chose to teach young people at an Industrial Arts High School. I was surprised to learn of the high demand for working professionals in trades. Some of the highest paying jobs for Industrial Arts graduates were in Cosmetology and females who studied automotive technology were quickly hired by Honda and Toyota in PR jobs. As I reflect on many life experiences, the greatest need I found in education, by far, was to teach students with language based learning disabilities who were often diagnosed as behavior disordered. (20 of my special education students later graduated from college). When children are denied the core foundations for learning math, language arts, science AND CIVICS, they lose self esteem. Some politicians also want to deny instruction in LGBTQ, birth control, and black history. Why? When I taught inner city gang youth the strongest "cultural" influence on black AND white kids was black culture. (The NFL and sports teams are the best examples of de facto culture in the USA). I wish I had confidence in our flawed judiciary to combat the damage done by misinformation and lying elected officials. I am 80 years old now and feel the need is greater than ever to teach skills that build character and unselfish behavior. Early childhood education should become a new national purpose as an investment in a future competitive America. Did I mention, I am married to an oriental woman of humble childhood origin who has a medical doctoral degree? If her character and drive are typical of the Asian culture, Americans would be advised to stop squandering our democracy. China is watching.
Robert, thank you so much for your testimony. I have found what you described about education to be true. I taught in a community of high poverty, mostly Black and Hispanic Americans. I taught Gifted Support and found those students to be wonderful, but often without belief in their own abilities. Our classroom teachers are really good, so I spent most of my time introducing my students to new ideas outside the curriculum and cheerleading for them. They have mostly found success in whatever area they have chosen, sometimes not through college. They also encountered the health devastations that our community brought them which took the lives of 6 of my students early, two to violence, the others to illness. We do need early childhood and kindergarten education opportunities for every child as well as experiences to broaden the lives of every child: field trips, career days, libraries, all things my students had few or none of. Again thanks.
America's news companies, answer to, and respond to, FoxNews. For some reason, they've lost their ability to stand alone and answer to themselves. If they were sincere, they would refuse to read or listen to anything from FoxNews and report information provided by credible journalists only.
I like the Guardian too. In my opinion, the Singapore Straits Times is just as good, if not better.
Yes I am quite aware how corporate media and others railroaded Bernie Sanders out of what he was absolutely winning and the dirty tricks that were played!
👍🏼 Better him than me. When I was about 19 I swore a solemn oath never to set foot in TX. So far so good.
If you like labor history be sure to catch his YT video on the Battle of Blair Mountain. Something Rhonda Santis would never allow in a FL school book.
Good reference! I'll look into that video. Thanks! I'm quite familiar with the Blair Mountain Uprising. Are you aware that's the origin of the word "redneck?" Those union strikers that got machine gunned by - was it the Pinkertons? - wore red bandanas around their necks as a sort of makeshift uniform. I think I posted several links to that uprising in this forum many months ago. Glad you know about it, too! 💪
Sadly, even Al-Jazeera is often more balanced on international news than our domestic rags.
The only realistic answer is to follow multiple sources from across the spectrum. Plus, it is entertaining to see just how far apart, say, the WSJ and the Guardian, are on the same topic; often it is hard to tell if it even is the same topic.
...yeah the media stacked things against Sanders from the get go, projecting superdelegate votes (that don't come into play until the convention) and adding them to the live vote after each primary to make it appear that Sanders was way behind. For voters "on the fence", who wanted to be on the "winning side", that could have had a significant influence.
What I found interesting in 2016 was that Sanders handily won the state of WIsconsin winning in every county (many of them rural) except the most populous one, Milwaukee (though he didn't lose that one by much. He not only handily defeated Mrs. Clinton, but also Ted Cruz (who won on the (R) side and the Orange Menace who came in second.
Sadly in November the Orange Menace won the state by around 23,000 votes giving him the 270 electoral votes needed to win the Oval Office. Prior to the election Clinton didn't bother campaigning there even though it was one of the main battleground states.
It would have been interesting had Sanders been the nominee in that state as he quite possibly would have defeated the Orange One as there were and are more (D) than (R) voters statewide,
On the other hand, had he won, consider the Congress. He'd have been lucky to have made it out alive! I think Bernie is >exactly< where and who he should be: a gadfly speaking for what there is of the virtually nonexistent Left. (Don't believe the lunatic fringe, for whom the moderate right looks like communists!)
...one of hte strikes I had against Biden for years was his support of cutting Social Security benefits both as a Senator and Vice President.
His new chief of staff, Jeff Zientz, was a member of the Obama administration and defended the White House’s so-called “chained CPI” plan back then that would have resulted in cuts to Social Security benefits. I've known of the (R)s desire to gut or eliminate the programme ever since it first began, but to have a member of FDR's party consider doing the same seemed somewhat incongruous, but there was Biden and Obama who both had plans to do so.
I've been a slightly (not extreme) left leaning progressive independent for a number of decades. and have been voting for over a half century. Since the 90s, the neoliberal policies of the (D) party establishment has done little to move this nation in a positive direction and make life better for the nation's citizens. We still have stagnant low wages while costs, particularly healthcare, housing, and college, have been skyrocketing. This was happening well before the Orange Faced One was put into the Oval Office by the Electoral College.
The party needs to change, it needs to move back to a slightly left of centre stance and listen to the people instead of it's corporate donors (yes the (D)s also drink from the same corporate big money spigot the (R)s do). I used to be a member of the (D) party, but after the bills that Mr. Clinton signed into law I said enough as they were more harmful than helpful for the average citizen. I had wondered what happened to the (D) party I once knew that worked for the people and against the big money interests.
Then you >completely< understand what I mean when I say "nonexistent political Left!" I hear ya'! I was one of Bernie's Boys, too, in the primary. I simply >don't< vote Republican. Ever! I suffer Democrats because voting 3rd party elects Re-friggin'- publicans - the political >reality< of it all! Nevertheless, I still think Bernie's just where he needs to be and doing what he does best.
..I agree about Sanders now primarily because of age. He's one of the few to hold onto progressive views throughout his life whole I've seen many others lose that vision as they got older.
We need new and younger minds in government. to carry us forward. (and I'm saying that pushing 70). We also don't need millionaires,but people who still can identify with having to get by month to month.
I've taken to saying we basically have a "House of Lords" and no "House of Commons" given all the wealth on both sides of the aisle. I always wonder how can these people claim to be in touch with a mom who works a job that barely pays above minimum wage trying to keep a roof over hers and her kids' heads along with food on the table and necessary utilities? Or a senior no longer able to work barely making it by on just Social Security and one medical emergency or rent increase away from ending up on the street?
The (D) party still refers to itself as "The Party of The People", but I have lately been wondering which "people" as wages remained stagnant while living costs keep rising and many feel both helpless and hopeless..
Just today, I was toying with the notion of cutting pay in half, at least for the representatives, and >requiring< them all to take jobs as cashiers in dollar-stores. Never happening! But it did give me a chuckle! Another notion was making them take jobs as toilet attendants in the posh restaurants they frequent! LOL!
You know how Bunkerboy insults news channels and newspapers with names like, "fake news" or "failing?" Yeah, CNN isn't going to last much longer just like OAN.
Get the people who produced the live broadcasts of the J6 hearings. Those were very well done. They would have had more of an impact in prime time, though.
The Squad or the Congressional Progressive Caucus should start a daily YouTube broadcast.
Gavin Newsom killed CA Proposition 30 with a tsunami of ads. (Proposition 30 was a California ballot proposition that appeared in the general election on November 8, 2022. The measure was defeated. The initiative would have raised taxes on the wealthy to fund wildfire management and electric vehicle incentives and infrastructure. Every major CA environmental group worked very hard to pass Prop. 30.) Gavin Newsom protected the monied interests which would have been taxed to fund this. Newsom has a lot of rhetoric down, but I do not trust him with transformational change like educating the populous about federal government spending. The best suggestion here, I think, is for a nightly newscast on YouTube featuring many intelligent & articulate progressives. Broadcasts should help people wake up from the intentional hypnosis and brain fog inflicted by the mainstream news outlets: CNN and even MSNBC (With its endless pharmaceutical ads, we know who the real master and commander is.)
Marian: Didn't know this (live in NYC) but, from the internet, I did get this quote from Newsom:
"Prop. 30 is a special interest carve-out — a cynical scheme devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax revenue to their company. … Californians should know that just this year our state committed $10 billion for electric vehicles and their infrastructure."
Agree. They should also loudly and relentlessly criticize the news media as biased against liberals and Democrats. Republicans criticize the "lamestream" news media as biased against conservatives and Republicans, and what Prof. Reich describes may in part be an effort to prove they are not biased against conservatives.
Carolyn Herz ; The concept of 'fair and balanced' is not new, and unfortunately, has been used to confuse media consumers for a long time. 'The demise of the 'fairness doctrine' was, at least partly the result of the 'both sides ism' phenomenon, along with actors like Ronald Reagan and his embrace of Rupert Murdoch.
EXACTLY. Who do you think owns ALL of these news entities? The plutocratic ruling class owns them, ALL of them. News is going to be distilled down to what THEY want you to think. The GOP wants a one party political system and they're achieving it. A little aside; I was watching Bill Maher last Friday night and was taken aback at how democracy and Biden are seen by the two Republicans on the show, Nancy Mace and Bill Barr. Both speak of democracy in terms I couldn't even fathom, as something so dysfunctional, utterly awful, so evil that they would vote for Trump over Biden. The way they spoke about "the left" was truly scary. People REALLY BELIEVE this Qanaon talk! Democrats and the left have been so brutally demonized, but that talk is taking hold. Terrible the way Bill Barr talks, but Nancy Mace is a believer too. The present debt ceiling con is terrifying. Yes, it is economic political terrorism.
I stopped trusting CNN long ago when their headline the morning after Bernie had beat Hillary in a primary was, “Hillary Clinton is still in the lead.” I remember the anchor just about choking on his words, as there was not one word about Bernie’s victory. And the Post and NYT have consistently spread misinformation about health care in Europe. I go to the Guardian if I want balanced news.
Agree on CNN and the Guardian. CNN is driven by soundbites and ratings, the Guardian is not.
1) People confuse debt and deficit. Many think they're the same thing. They are not.
2) Deficit is the difference between what a government takes in (taxes) and what it spends.
3) Debt is far more nebulous, and includes good things like economic activity.
4) If I borrow money from a US bank to build a factory, the debt goes up.
5) In the 19th Century, Victorian Britain ran a debt of 150% of GDP throughout the century.
6) The Victorians would have been horrified by a deficit, but not, apparently, by national debt.
7) Deficits contribute to debt but do not define it.
8) Just about every rich country has a national debt. It is NOT a big deal.
9) The deficit goes up in Republican administrations, because they cut taxes on the wealthy.
10) Not raising the debt ceiling is a violation of the 14th Amendment.
When will Democrats grow a pair?
Thank you for that enlightened comment, especially the "growing a pair" part.
Since the 1980's and the creation of the Tea Party in 1985 in particular, I have watched one major party in the US metaphorically tie American Democracy to the railroad tracks time and time again. All the while gleefully twisting it's villainous moustache and putting a hand to one ear and grinning while listening to the whistle of an approaching train that spells disaster for the average American Citizen and our Democracy in the USA. Meanwhile, the other major party in American Government metaphorically "clutches it's pearls" as if we don't already have a Rule of Law in existence to prevent such politically motivated threats. Average American Citizens must depend upon THIS government which is DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF by dark money bribery to intervene in an unbalanced and unfair war waged by UNTAXED ultra-wealthy oligarchs whose intentions are to turn America into just another low-cost labor pool to increase their OWN profits as they continue to push for autocracy and "one world order". Our world under THEIR orders???? No thanks.
Just Me, I have heard that the best way to reach ordinary people is to tell stories. Maybe the Democratic party does not have stories that are sufficiently compelling to grab the white evangelical working-class scared people the way Trump's hatred and fearmongering stories do. The rosy vision of all kinds of people living together and working for the good of all just doesn't work anymore if it ever did. Tossing around stories of the people white folks should fear and easy letters like CRT and LGBTQ can easily be wielded like prods to get people foaming at the mouth, screaming at Trump rallies while he spews nonsense he can't even remember later. They don't even listen to Trump anymore, knowing who he is and what he has said in the past. He has dementia but no one notices because they don't actually listen. If he says Democrats are against everything they stand for, they believe it even though Trump and Kump gave them nothing. Trump's handlers will be giving him some stuff to say about the debt ceiling and his faithful puppies will jump up and down and make a lot of noise with no understanding or need to check it out, as usual.
There IS one thing that occurs to me that I wish I could convey to "other' people because it DOES have a rather selfish motive that might appeal to them. (wink) I live in this community. I pay taxes in this community. Therefore, it is in my OWN best interest that I support fire and police and fund public education, etc. and send my kids to school and get vaccinations, etc. Why? Because my OWN safety and security depends upon it. It is in MY best interest that I support the Common Good for All Americans because "A high tide raises all boats". Not just the luxury yachts.
Well said Just Me
:) It's a simple song lyric, but it seems to illuminate exactly why this problem occurs in so many people from different walks of life, different levels of success and different points of view - "People hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest". Personally, I miss the Fairness Doctrine.
Absolutely! Retraction of the Fairness Doctrine has done the same amount of damage to our democracy that "Citizens" (Corporations) United has done.
Considering that the right wing of the Republican Party operates out of a shared set of psychological dysfunctions as the result of traumas inflicted on them by the families, churches, and communities in which they grew up, dysfunctions which warp their ability to discern reality and leave them unable to allow anything that would challenge or call into question their alternate reality to even enter their awareness (which is why you can't convince them of what's actually true through offering factual evidence - that evidence never even reaches their awareness because their dysfunctions force them to viscerally reject it without consideration and grow angry at the threat), no story which ran counter to their warped reality would ever get through to them. They would not see in such stories what normal, healthy people see, but only whatever they can warp to fit their alternate reality: clearly blameless people in legitimate need become the "worthless, lazy poor" who need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, etc. In their reality, anyone who is in need of help from others or the government clearly does not deserve such help by virtue of the fact that they have already not helped themselves (unless it is one of these "conservatives" him or herself. Their needs should always be met because THEY are ALWAYS deserving. They live in a warped reality bubble which your stories would never pierce.
Nah. They just dig on being naughty boys and girls, 50’s style juvenile delinquents, Rebels without a Cause. Losers. The first step of revolution is to recruit loser volunteers to “smash the Dark State!”
They just do it because they can
The dysfunction is due to manipulation! Not necessarily by the institutions- Churches, families, government, community, etc., but by the selfish/greedy/self-serving leaders they, and those before them, have followed and continue to follow. The church should be the foundation of a unity message- loving thy neighbor as thyself, but the bad leaders- teaching division and that 'their sin is forgivable, but yours is not' are elevated rather than those teaching love/selflessness/coalition. Selfish, greedy, crooked, plutocrats (person whose power derives from their wealth) and politicians are worshiped, as they exploit their flock. Hard to crack, but we have to keep trying from a place of compassion- treating them as we would want to be treated in the same situation. Retaining the moral ground.
You might be right. Look at how successful George Kitara LaVache DeVious DeVolder Santos has been: he/she/they tells lots of stories.
IDK why that strategy didn’t work for Herschel Wanker….
Greg, it does seem that Republicans would make zombies as candidates as long as they didn't go after their brains (OK, they wouldn't do that because there wouldn't be enough brain there), as long as they would ignore the truth, lie at every turn, say McCarthy (I almost wrote "Joe") was a worthy Speaker, and they are attractive enough in the eyes of "red" America to be acceptable, and have a loud boasting falsely prideful mouth. It will be interesting to see who is the next near-zombie they will choose. It will have to be a clone of Greene or Boebert (I have heard they are somewhat attractive), and as dumb as Santos, Gosar, Gomert, and McCarthy. I think some are in training and will audition at the next school board elections.
YES! The want to seize control over government controlled money (Difficult for Government to cheat its employees- we the people) so they can put profit over people, and cripple the agencies that are supposed to regulate them. Acquire more power and profits from the privatization of traditional government functions- giving them the power to set unfair salaries and eliminate the completion of Government employment (better salaries, better benefits and employment protections). Allowing them to limit employee power, pay, and benefits, by implement 'employment at will' policies and deterring employee organizing (Unions), while simultaneously putting more money into their coffers. If they end the "safety net", they OWN us- without 'safety net', if you don't work, you can't eat. THEY create deficits by cutting tax revenue (to give back to their donors/owners). Then THEY use the deficits, they have created, to give themselves a 'justification' to go after cuts in the social 'safety net' programs. THEY claim that 'safety net' cuts must be cut because they are needed to fight the problem/deficits THEY have created. THEY can't cut the bloated Defense budget because of rules THEY implemented (and could end), while THEY further bloat the Defense budget- creating even more deficit... and sadly, many of us fall for it hook, line, and sinker. :(
FYI, you are so right about Republican plans. They want to cause all the destruction but assume they and their families will be above it all. They probably will be for a while because they have hoarded so much money and cheated paying taxes for so long, but the challenge, global warming will ultimately get them too, and their "lovely" plans of making everyone slaves to themselves will be irrelevant as they just try to survive without the products they need and want (one can get pretty bored of canned and freeze-dried food and K-rations when used to the best cuts and desserts). Another problem for us is that we have permitted Congress to have a special health insurance program and a forever pension when they ought to have only ACA, Social Security, and a 401K or 403B like everyone else. I suspect more Republicans would quit Congress if those things were in place. Also, they might come to appreciate those programs, especially if the stock market crashes which is what they are hoping it will do later this year. Where will their money be then? They care nothing about the debt ceiling because they think it won't impact them and clearly Republicans care nothing for their constituents beyond getting their votes. OK, Manchin is there too. However, with the twin fools of McConnell and McCarthy, it is unlikely we will be able to stop Republican bad behavior. I can't think of 6 Republicans in the House and 10 in the Senate who give a damn about the debt ceiling or anything else that impacts the American people. They are so addicted to power and money, they have nothing left over for anyone else.
Sad, but true! I often wonder, what they think will be different for them if the Oligarchy they serve gets complete control/power? Will they be content with being 'house slaves' while we 'work the fields'? They certainly won't own the 'plantation' and they can't all be 'overseers'. When we are depleted, they will be next! We definitely need to either demand the GOVERNMENT benefits that they have, or demand that they be limited to what the rest of us are offered.
We feel threatened,enough to make anyone angry,but who says it's going to happen?Nothing is written in stone yet.The Supreme Court needs to be dealt with too,they're not for the people.
I like that,'twin fools of McConnell and McCarthy,they're both lily livered cowards!
"We the people" are supposed to be the governments' (local, state, and federal) employers. some of us are also government employees. Most of us do NOT want the governments to be the only employers. However, for governments to work "for the people" we employers need to put restrictions on the non-government employers OR decide the governments will provide basic necessities for ALL the people rather than allowing many, if not most, of the people in private employment to be at the whims of their employers. I could not agree more with your points about the politicians who create these problems could change them. However, today's party of the plutocrats shows no interest in working for the interests of the remaining people.
A great book that has been around for a decade or so, but which I came across recently is The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen. She was born in Finland and came to the U.S. as an adult. She likes both countries but feels they can each offer improvements to the other. She is most emphatic that the Nordic countries are NOT socialist! Rather they are capitalist countries that believe in supporting every person's search for a better life. She also points out that the Nordic countries have had to fight the "socialist" countries three times in the last century. Partanen has a good writing style and I believe she offers those of us looking at today's situation in this county some valuable points. Perhaps more people suggesting such ideas will eventually get through to some of those people who vote Republican out of a lack of options they find acceptable. And perhaps those who tend to vote Democrat will come to realize that many or most of today's "progressive" Democrats are those remaining truest to the party's twentieth century legacy.
Just sayin'...
Perfect description: Plutocrat- a person whose power derives from their wealth. Money=Power and the small number of the wealthiest form the oligarchy that seek to satisfy an insatiable thirst for more wealth/power. Also know has selfishness and greed. To the detriment of ALL. I believe learning from each other i.e. helping each other is the key to prosperity in all relationships- individuals, groups, cities, states, nations, countries, ... No one person/thing has ALL the answers! It is division, caused by selfishness/greed, that leads to destruction. I don't know that Republicans, who often vote against their own self-interst, lack options. I think they are voting against the success of others, voting for a misguided self-interest, voting based on tradition and/or being lead astray (willingly and otherwise)... hoodwinked and bamboozled! I agree, those seeking MORE for ALL, are truest to what the country aspires to be, or what we claim we aspire to be.
Bravo!
Michael, good clarification of debt and deficit. Democrats have been working all along to cut deficits, but have to mop up after every Republican administration, get no credit for it, and are still blamed for something related to debt or deficit by people who have no clue about the difference. How do Dems "grow a pair" when they can't even be heard without the media having to pull out their false equivalencies. Consider the past few weeks' stupid whining over the few "classified" documents that were found among Biden's possessions. It took the FBI 13 hours to find 6 and we are not even sure what is in any of them and how old they are. The media constantly implies that this is the same as what Trump did when he stole a couple of dozen full boxes of secret documents and kept them in places anyone at his home could have had access to. When the media is that desperate to prove Democrats and Republicans are the same, it is hard to even get the word out that these are not the same and that Republicans have proven over and over that they are OK with bringing down our government. I can't help but wonder if the media is hoping for another January 6th so they can do some more hyped up coverage not admitting that they had a role in pumping up Republican insanity.
I agree, Ruth. But Trump stole more than 100 BOXES of documents with classifications from Classified, to Top Secret, to Security Risk. So, far in the reports I've read about Biden's cache, they have found about 20 papers - that would fit into ONE file folder. Biden instigated the search - trump variously denied having any documents, claimed they were his, claimed they were declassified because he "thought" about it, and in general refused to return them to National Archive even when subpoenaed. What is worse, several file folders marked Top Secret were empty - the contents sold? destroyed? used to wrap garbage? This is equivalency? in what language?
Fay, it appears we are going to have to deal with this false equivalency until someone the media respects calls them out on their BS. It is disgusting that it took 13 hours to go through Biden's house and found 6 things that we don't even know the level of classification, the dates, or why it took 13 hours to find 6 pages and a couple of "supporting materials." That is a total waste of our time and money as a nation, but Republicans just had to be able to say "See, Biden did it too!" That is nonsense, but the media loves a controversy even when there is none, except the one they created, and this Biden document find is crap. We know they have been sitting around at least since Biden left the Vice Presidency which is now 6 years and the Senate, at least 14 years. How can that be as important as Trump's stolen boxes filled with secret documents and folders marked "secret" that are empty that he had on leaving the White House? It's just not as important. McCarthy et al, as ignorant as they are, know their barking up this tree is not going to be good for their Baby Donnie. So, beyond feeding their rabid base, what's the deal?
Agreed, Ruth. For the media, the deal is MONEY more listeners, more ads, more profit. For the retrumplicans it is distraction. The fewer people who realize their main goal, to disembowel the News Deal and any other help for regular folk the better. Also they don't want us to recognize their push toward authoritarianism. Personally I think they'd rather the trumpster be their dictator than 'De Satan' - the trumpster is much dumber and easier to control. Not that desantis has a great brain, he's just smarter than trump (:-)
And why isn’t Pence mentioned referring to having classified documents? To me this is much more serious given he was recently the VP. Biden hadn’t been the VP for several years.
Ruth: CNN does mention - from time to time - that Republicans have no problem raising the debt ceiling when there is a Republican president. But CNN is not not forceful about this, and there is never any follow-up. And, I agree that there is much more in the way of promoting bothsiderisms - which have the effect of sowing confusion.
As for debt and deficit, these are the same for households, but very different for nations, and this is confusing. I bet there are very few citizens who know this. Look, most people are just too damn busy with making a living and raising children to pay attention.
Democrats need charismatic people on TV. Bernie is great, but comes across as a grumpy old man - which he probably is.
I want you to explain why I should avoid too much debt but Govenment should not.
When government prints money it devalues all money. That is a hidden tax that gets even worse with today's high interest rates. Adding insult to injury, the high interest rates have killed the dream of home ownership for young Americans.
How can anyone be supporting more debt for government while restricting it for young Americans wanting a home?
I notice you didn't whine about the very rich not paying their share of taxes and Congress pumping more and more money into the military when our soldiers have not been paid well and their families often live in poor conditions. I also note you didn't mention the corporations claiming high often very high profits while raising prices quite a bit above what is needed to cover increased costs, in short, cheating customers. Personal debt/deficit are not the same thing as national debt and deficit. I want folks to be able to buy homes if they want to, but our federal reserve has only one tool they choose to use to "fix" inflation, raising interest rates which means individuals will have higher interest rates for everything they borrow. That's what happens when conservatives are in charge of money. They are OK with everyone's suffering but their own. They assume their wealth will carry them through, and I guess it does because they keep doing it. Did you study economics at all? Do you just grab headlines and put them out as though that's the whole story? It looks like that.
We have a double whammy of inflation and high interest rates. All started when Democrats won the House 4 years ago.
But yes, long term Republicans bear the lame as well for kicking the debt to our children.
For you, and individual citizens, debt and deficit are the same thing. As I understand it, the national debt includes all indebtedness, so it includes a lot of good indebtedness such as investment in infrastructure and in production. It also includes inflation, which is present in every economy in the world, and that alone means that the national debt is always rising (i.e., it takes more dollars to buy a car now than it did a century ago). This is not a bad thing. A LOT of inflation is a bad thing, but this is temporary. Governments print money when the economy goes into a recession, in order to re-ignite the economy. As you say, this leads to inflation and an increase in the national debt. But as Keynes put it, the time to pay that part of the debt down is when the economy is booming again. In the meantime, you are right - interest rates are high, but they too will decline when the economy has re-ignited.
So, let the debt ceiling be raised once again. It's almost irrelevant, and the concept should probably be sidelined. For Republicans, whether they know it or not, the national debt is a straw man they use to frighten people, when their real aim is to reduce the DEFICIT by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, rather than do what Adam Smith would have recommended, which is to raise revenue by increasing taxes on the wealthy.
Surely Debt on infrastructure is a good thing. Infrastructure is a solid investment which pays for itself.
Bailing out rich people and sending bombs to other countries will never pay for itself. It only brings more of the same woes upon us.
We have been a failure at nation building. We have encouraged bad behavior by forgiving loans and rebuilding homes in sketchy areas.
If we don't reduce spending there will be nothing left to repay our debt to veterans and to seniors invested in Social Security and Medicare.
Also, you are assuming much about when interest rates will fall, if ever. No one knows this. When I borrow I assume that the rate I sign for will never change. It has to fit my budget. Same applies to National Debt.
Don't borrow if you cannot even pay the interest.
Michael, very astute comments about the lack of follow-up on comments about the debt ceiling, and lack of explanation of the difference between deficit and debt when it comes to government money. It is not that complex, but it might take an extra 30 seconds to explain. They have done a pretty good job on MSNBC with that, but not on the 3 regular networks nightly news reports. You are also right about people being caught up in all the business of living. It is too bad We the People haven't included taking care of our democracy as part of that business of living. I am glad my family was so political from the time I was a kid. Knowing what is going on has always been part of my life as it has for 3 out of 4 of my sisters. That has helped me to be more aware of what is happening with other people around the nation and world, and to appreciate them.
Republicans are masters at using false equivalencies. And the media, trying its hardest to balance any story, gives equal weight to each side of the false equivalency.
That, of course, cannot be done because the false equivalency is, in and of itself, flawed (false).
Where the money goes. The repugnician
The mainstream media eggs it on and is largely responsible for people not knowing how government works; that it’s not the budget but whete
Why are some of the comments stating “the Dems need to grow a pair”? Biden is absolutely refusing to budge on this! I’ve said this before, but the more we bash our own party, the less unified we are.
Michael, now all we need to do, is design a public education program around your points that people will actually listen to and learn from. Any ideas how to do that? or even where to start?
Just off the top of my head, why not start with CNN (and even FOX) by giving them soundbites? BREAKING NEWS! Anyone know a producer of the Jake Tapper and Erin Burnett shows?
Good ideas, Michael. What we need is to explain to Americans the threat to THEIR Social Security and Medicare - that they can understand.
They need to stop being called 'entitlements' by the media,they are earned benefits.
Absolutely agree, Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, State Disability Insurance are all deducted from our paychecks, They are hidden under FICA to make it appear as though we are getting government handouts when most workers have paid into these funds for a minimum 10 years and for most 20 to 50 years. they are entitlements in the sense that just as the wealthy are entitled to dividends on the stock and bond shares, so, too, are we entitled to Social Security and Medicare for which we and our employer as part of our benefit package (which we receive in lieu of cash) for all our working lives. Which for many of us is a very long time. Many people now in their 60's to 90's slung hamburgers in McDonald's or other fast foods. had paper routes, and baby sat. So, you're doggoned right we're entitled to our share of what we paid for.
Bernie supposedly had an op-ed on Faux News. IDK if anyone watched it there.
IDK Erin Burnett, but Carol Burnett would be great. Too bad Tim Conway has passed.
The media “both sides” and bending over backward to avoid accusations of liberal bias have made them culpable in the destruction of our democracy. The debt ceiling threats by Republicans are absurd; the far right have the sound bites and air time, while the news media say that Biden is in more trouble every day because of the documents - even though it has been pointed out that the Biden and Trump situations are completely different and experts have said the Biden administration has handled this by the book.
My first thought was billboards, but that’s showing my age. What’s the social media equivalent?
Billboards are great - driver's see them often. It needs to be a multi-faceted information campaign, in as many places as we can think of.
How about a financial literacy program for K-12 classrooms? The kids can help inform and educate their parents. We devised alternative energy programs, projects, contests, etc, that met curriculum standards and parents were thrilled.
Media companies are for-profit businesses and are influenced by money. That is why there are complicit. If we had enough unity we could put resources together to control one, or collectively stop supporting (boycott) those that we oppose. Social Media is one of the better options. It is the least expensive way to reach the masses. We need to use social media the same way 3rd world countries have used it to challenge the status quo. A diversified approach would be ideal.
Without a house mortgage (debt) and a car mortgage (debt), how many of us could function as participants in the economy?
Nothing wrong with some debt. Excessive debt is the problem. With rising interest rates the debt service is unmanageable. The deficits cannot continue unabated. This is the job of Congress. Let them do their job.
Thank you Michael Hutchinson. Clearly stated and informative. I do not blame citizens for the natural impulse of avoiding taxes .... I blame the IRS for poorly defining and enforcing tax laws that are fair. I find worthwhile news on PBS, Margaret Hoover Firing Line, Global Public Square with Farheed Zacharia and Lester Holt at 6:30 pm. News opinion shows do not work for me. Ignoring truth to gain TV ratings is destroying our country. I have three Masters Degrees and learned in professional life that facts in various disciplines have different meaning for people. Private business and education are different worlds with different beliefs. Let's all grow up as voters and face the facts by recognizing bias where it exists. Institutions of higher learning must lead the way.
Regarding your comment about the IRS -- remember congress writes all tax laws, not the IRS. And the IRS has been seriously undercut due to underfunding.
I was a partner in a CPA firm for many years. I believe Congress is the problem, not the IRS. Congress writes incomprehensible, unenforcable tax law to provide cover for tax avoidance (NOT tax evasion) by the rich and powerful. If you study it, you have to admit that is the only thing that explains why it is the way it is.
I played for the other team, but I came to pity IRS agents. Underpaid, on a fool's errand, just trying to do a thankless job.
Thank you Stacy B. I believe Biden has requested more funding of the IRS to enable enforcement of existing tax laws. Is that a solution to strengthen tax compliance?
Robert, I would love to see higher ed. lead the way toward understanding of how our government works and truth in media, and more, but lately, again, there is a serious attack on colleges and universities and their wanting to be more diverse (sometimes), but not being conservative enough. I don't want to see colleges helping students to be more conservative. They have not lived long enough to have anything to conserve, and everyone is being told that college is not for everyone which really means, not for poor, Black, or other people of color. How can we change this narrative to something more positive while we fight the ignorance now related to the debt ceiling, (something that should not even exist)?
I chose to attend college to find choices I never imagined were possible. USMC duty in VN was followed by world travel then teaching, coaching, (surfing) in a wealthy Southern California community. Following a profitable business venture designed to supplement a deficient teaching salary, I chose to teach young people at an Industrial Arts High School. I was surprised to learn of the high demand for working professionals in trades. Some of the highest paying jobs for Industrial Arts graduates were in Cosmetology and females who studied automotive technology were quickly hired by Honda and Toyota in PR jobs. As I reflect on many life experiences, the greatest need I found in education, by far, was to teach students with language based learning disabilities who were often diagnosed as behavior disordered. (20 of my special education students later graduated from college). When children are denied the core foundations for learning math, language arts, science AND CIVICS, they lose self esteem. Some politicians also want to deny instruction in LGBTQ, birth control, and black history. Why? When I taught inner city gang youth the strongest "cultural" influence on black AND white kids was black culture. (The NFL and sports teams are the best examples of de facto culture in the USA). I wish I had confidence in our flawed judiciary to combat the damage done by misinformation and lying elected officials. I am 80 years old now and feel the need is greater than ever to teach skills that build character and unselfish behavior. Early childhood education should become a new national purpose as an investment in a future competitive America. Did I mention, I am married to an oriental woman of humble childhood origin who has a medical doctoral degree? If her character and drive are typical of the Asian culture, Americans would be advised to stop squandering our democracy. China is watching.
Robert, thank you so much for your testimony. I have found what you described about education to be true. I taught in a community of high poverty, mostly Black and Hispanic Americans. I taught Gifted Support and found those students to be wonderful, but often without belief in their own abilities. Our classroom teachers are really good, so I spent most of my time introducing my students to new ideas outside the curriculum and cheerleading for them. They have mostly found success in whatever area they have chosen, sometimes not through college. They also encountered the health devastations that our community brought them which took the lives of 6 of my students early, two to violence, the others to illness. We do need early childhood and kindergarten education opportunities for every child as well as experiences to broaden the lives of every child: field trips, career days, libraries, all things my students had few or none of. Again thanks.
Sounds like what we lack is something that might be called a “national culture.”
Stan, I think your one short sentence describes toxic American individualism, which is very near the core of the problem.
Personally, I miss the Fairness Doctrine. 1949-1987.
I agree on all points.
Required reading: "The Deficit Myth" by Stephanie Kelton. June 2020.
Grow a pair? Cojones not needed. Male metaphor? Brains and strength are needed
That is a much needed explanation which should be the job of journalists to explain. Thank you
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Judy - I'm with you.
America's news companies, answer to, and respond to, FoxNews. For some reason, they've lost their ability to stand alone and answer to themselves. If they were sincere, they would refuse to read or listen to anything from FoxNews and report information provided by credible journalists only.
I like the Guardian too. In my opinion, the Singapore Straits Times is just as good, if not better.
Yes I am quite aware how corporate media and others railroaded Bernie Sanders out of what he was absolutely winning and the dirty tricks that were played!
OFF TOPIC - but worth the 5 minutes if you're unaware of this: https://youtu.be/xKfEV45KmKM
From one of his earlier videos, he lives in TX "deep in the heart" of Tweety-land! "Guts" is a good call! I salute him!
👍🏼 Better him than me. When I was about 19 I swore a solemn oath never to set foot in TX. So far so good.
If you like labor history be sure to catch his YT video on the Battle of Blair Mountain. Something Rhonda Santis would never allow in a FL school book.
Good reference! I'll look into that video. Thanks! I'm quite familiar with the Blair Mountain Uprising. Are you aware that's the origin of the word "redneck?" Those union strikers that got machine gunned by - was it the Pinkertons? - wore red bandanas around their necks as a sort of makeshift uniform. I think I posted several links to that uprising in this forum many months ago. Glad you know about it, too! 💪
Sadly, even Al-Jazeera is often more balanced on international news than our domestic rags.
The only realistic answer is to follow multiple sources from across the spectrum. Plus, it is entertaining to see just how far apart, say, the WSJ and the Guardian, are on the same topic; often it is hard to tell if it even is the same topic.
Entertaining - but horrifying. Even CNN US can have a completely different angle on a story than CNN Europe.
...yeah the media stacked things against Sanders from the get go, projecting superdelegate votes (that don't come into play until the convention) and adding them to the live vote after each primary to make it appear that Sanders was way behind. For voters "on the fence", who wanted to be on the "winning side", that could have had a significant influence.
What I found interesting in 2016 was that Sanders handily won the state of WIsconsin winning in every county (many of them rural) except the most populous one, Milwaukee (though he didn't lose that one by much. He not only handily defeated Mrs. Clinton, but also Ted Cruz (who won on the (R) side and the Orange Menace who came in second.
Sadly in November the Orange Menace won the state by around 23,000 votes giving him the 270 electoral votes needed to win the Oval Office. Prior to the election Clinton didn't bother campaigning there even though it was one of the main battleground states.
It would have been interesting had Sanders been the nominee in that state as he quite possibly would have defeated the Orange One as there were and are more (D) than (R) voters statewide,
On the other hand, had he won, consider the Congress. He'd have been lucky to have made it out alive! I think Bernie is >exactly< where and who he should be: a gadfly speaking for what there is of the virtually nonexistent Left. (Don't believe the lunatic fringe, for whom the moderate right looks like communists!)
...one of hte strikes I had against Biden for years was his support of cutting Social Security benefits both as a Senator and Vice President.
His new chief of staff, Jeff Zientz, was a member of the Obama administration and defended the White House’s so-called “chained CPI” plan back then that would have resulted in cuts to Social Security benefits. I've known of the (R)s desire to gut or eliminate the programme ever since it first began, but to have a member of FDR's party consider doing the same seemed somewhat incongruous, but there was Biden and Obama who both had plans to do so.
I've been a slightly (not extreme) left leaning progressive independent for a number of decades. and have been voting for over a half century. Since the 90s, the neoliberal policies of the (D) party establishment has done little to move this nation in a positive direction and make life better for the nation's citizens. We still have stagnant low wages while costs, particularly healthcare, housing, and college, have been skyrocketing. This was happening well before the Orange Faced One was put into the Oval Office by the Electoral College.
The party needs to change, it needs to move back to a slightly left of centre stance and listen to the people instead of it's corporate donors (yes the (D)s also drink from the same corporate big money spigot the (R)s do). I used to be a member of the (D) party, but after the bills that Mr. Clinton signed into law I said enough as they were more harmful than helpful for the average citizen. I had wondered what happened to the (D) party I once knew that worked for the people and against the big money interests.
Then you >completely< understand what I mean when I say "nonexistent political Left!" I hear ya'! I was one of Bernie's Boys, too, in the primary. I simply >don't< vote Republican. Ever! I suffer Democrats because voting 3rd party elects Re-friggin'- publicans - the political >reality< of it all! Nevertheless, I still think Bernie's just where he needs to be and doing what he does best.
..I agree about Sanders now primarily because of age. He's one of the few to hold onto progressive views throughout his life whole I've seen many others lose that vision as they got older.
We need new and younger minds in government. to carry us forward. (and I'm saying that pushing 70). We also don't need millionaires,but people who still can identify with having to get by month to month.
I've taken to saying we basically have a "House of Lords" and no "House of Commons" given all the wealth on both sides of the aisle. I always wonder how can these people claim to be in touch with a mom who works a job that barely pays above minimum wage trying to keep a roof over hers and her kids' heads along with food on the table and necessary utilities? Or a senior no longer able to work barely making it by on just Social Security and one medical emergency or rent increase away from ending up on the street?
The (D) party still refers to itself as "The Party of The People", but I have lately been wondering which "people" as wages remained stagnant while living costs keep rising and many feel both helpless and hopeless..
Just today, I was toying with the notion of cutting pay in half, at least for the representatives, and >requiring< them all to take jobs as cashiers in dollar-stores. Never happening! But it did give me a chuckle! Another notion was making them take jobs as toilet attendants in the posh restaurants they frequent! LOL!
Me, too.I was furious.
You know how Bunkerboy insults news channels and newspapers with names like, "fake news" or "failing?" Yeah, CNN isn't going to last much longer just like OAN.
The real issue: Why Democrats do not go on mainstream media to hammer down the five points outlined by Mr. Reich?
Amen to that! Spot on right. They should start by hiring Mr. Reich as a marketing/ messaging consultant.
Get the people who produced the live broadcasts of the J6 hearings. Those were very well done. They would have had more of an impact in prime time, though.
The Squad or the Congressional Progressive Caucus should start a daily YouTube broadcast.
Hmmmm...... "who" decided that they appear outside of prime time? The four or five people/corporations that OWN all of mainstream media?
Philippe ; They would get in one sentence and there would be a 'break' then the next 'guest', before any message gets out.
Not necessarily, but you need someone charismatic. Krugman is brilliant but sheepish. Scott Galloway perhaps?
Gavin Newsom could do the job.
Gavin for Prez!
Another lukewarm liberal with delusions of grandeur... definitely presidential material.
Gavin Newsom killed CA Proposition 30 with a tsunami of ads. (Proposition 30 was a California ballot proposition that appeared in the general election on November 8, 2022. The measure was defeated. The initiative would have raised taxes on the wealthy to fund wildfire management and electric vehicle incentives and infrastructure. Every major CA environmental group worked very hard to pass Prop. 30.) Gavin Newsom protected the monied interests which would have been taxed to fund this. Newsom has a lot of rhetoric down, but I do not trust him with transformational change like educating the populous about federal government spending. The best suggestion here, I think, is for a nightly newscast on YouTube featuring many intelligent & articulate progressives. Broadcasts should help people wake up from the intentional hypnosis and brain fog inflicted by the mainstream news outlets: CNN and even MSNBC (With its endless pharmaceutical ads, we know who the real master and commander is.)
Marian: Didn't know this (live in NYC) but, from the internet, I did get this quote from Newsom:
"Prop. 30 is a special interest carve-out — a cynical scheme devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax revenue to their company. … Californians should know that just this year our state committed $10 billion for electric vehicles and their infrastructure."
What say you?
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias. Or maybe Eddie Izzard.
And how could I forget Randy Rainbow, who almost singlehandedly beat tRump in 2020?
I rest my case! This just in...
Take 3 minutes and watch this… it will make your day: my favorite “Les Mis” song and character:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/23/2148875/-Randy-Rainbow-takes-on-the-Speaker-of-the-House?detail=emaildkre&pm_source=DKRE&pm_medium=email
Agree. They should also loudly and relentlessly criticize the news media as biased against liberals and Democrats. Republicans criticize the "lamestream" news media as biased against conservatives and Republicans, and what Prof. Reich describes may in part be an effort to prove they are not biased against conservatives.
Carolyn Herz ; The concept of 'fair and balanced' is not new, and unfortunately, has been used to confuse media consumers for a long time. 'The demise of the 'fairness doctrine' was, at least partly the result of the 'both sides ism' phenomenon, along with actors like Ronald Reagan and his embrace of Rupert Murdoch.
Yep!
There's an image I can't unsee.
Follow the money!
EXACTLY. Who do you think owns ALL of these news entities? The plutocratic ruling class owns them, ALL of them. News is going to be distilled down to what THEY want you to think. The GOP wants a one party political system and they're achieving it. A little aside; I was watching Bill Maher last Friday night and was taken aback at how democracy and Biden are seen by the two Republicans on the show, Nancy Mace and Bill Barr. Both speak of democracy in terms I couldn't even fathom, as something so dysfunctional, utterly awful, so evil that they would vote for Trump over Biden. The way they spoke about "the left" was truly scary. People REALLY BELIEVE this Qanaon talk! Democrats and the left have been so brutally demonized, but that talk is taking hold. Terrible the way Bill Barr talks, but Nancy Mace is a believer too. The present debt ceiling con is terrifying. Yes, it is economic political terrorism.
Bill Barr of former attorney General infamy? Or just a wanna be?