Where have you been? These "Gordon Gekko's" have been working to take over the nation for decades. We've not had anything resembling a democracy since Reagan was president. It's a plutocracy. Remember "Occupy Wall Street"? It did absolutely nothing to change the status quo. This nation is ruled by special interest.
or it's Ayn Rand companion mantra of "enlightened self-interest", or Buddhist concept of a "hungry ghost" who gorge themselves but are always hungry, can never can get full. Seriously, how much is enough?
Bill you said a very simple and comprehendible statement, when it comes to money (and I add power) it is never enough. Greedflation is the problem. They could all be doing just fine if they were paying their fair share of taxes. Someone needs to remind them they can’t take it with them.
Exactly, Chris. When it gets to the point when a megabillionaire has more money than he/she or his/her family can possobly spend in several lifetimes, it's way too much. We need stricter controls and higher taxes on great wealth, and not just salaries, but all sources of income. But expecting any Congress to vote in such controls, when so much money circulates in politics....not holding my breath.
I agree, there are people in this world who will never believe they have “enough” money. They actually hoard money compulsively—like people who hoard anything. But I think there’s something else going
on in addition to a hoarding instinct. It’s as if some
wealthy people compulsively make it a competition.
For example, if so and so has a private jet, their competitive spirit kicks in and they have to get a private jet too. I think they lose perspective.
I’m not trying to make excuses for them—I’m trying to understand.
The game they play is who has the most money when they die? It doesn't matter that once they are dead they don't get to know if they won or lost -- the game just requires them to try.
That's been my question. If you can't spend what you've got in your lifetime or even in your children's lifetime, why do you need more??? It's all about power because we have decided money = power.
And likely a plagiarist. Her novella Anthem has striking resemblances to We, by Evgeny Zamyatin, whose typed manuscript was handed around in the St. Petersburg of Rand’s youth. Zamyatin’s book is a pioneer in science fiction, taught in world literature courses, and a good read, according to me. Rand’s Anthem is her usual stuff, but benefits from being shorter.
I wrote a sci-fi novel to counter Ayn Rand in which corporations and billionaires receive a comeuppance. (Diana's Epoch). Have a fictional work, but slide in the politics by demonstrating a narrative.
Agree, the first step is to remove every single Republican from every single office in the United States of America because they only work for the 1% wealthiest which are consolidating everything for their benefit alone. Who knew so many voters would fall for their BS and still vote for these same Republicans. It's simply remarkable
I have two thoughts. One, how do you plan to accomplish this? The Republican Party is dominant in some southern and rural states. That's not going to change in the near future. Two, we need an effective opposition party. The United States depends on having two functioning parties presenting different solutions and reaching *compromise *. Having one party controlling everything is an invitation to disaster.
Maybe free higher education. The Southern states are at the bottom of the education totem pole. They also are heavily protestant christian, which is more about controlling them than sprituality and the masses are extremely brainwashed by them. These "churches" then go against their nonprofit status by telling them who to vote for. Start taxing the churches unless they stay out of politics. All this equals to a group of easily led and brainwashed victims for the republicans.
But there is Georgia, which has evolved into an important commercial hub, primarily in and around Atlanta. Georgia can, and sometimes does, vote Democratic in national elections. But go across the Savannah River into South Carolina and it's all conservative Republican conservative.
Unfortunately, capitalism feeds into the "greed is good" mentality. Capitalism is just as evil as America has deemed communism to be. A combination of both might just be the best bet.
You must be referring to democracy, in which the goal of society is supposed to be increased prosperity for EVERYONE, not just the select few who already have more than a fair share of prosperity.
Marc, I think the only way to put the needs of the people first is to remove money from our elections.
The GOP has gone all-in for money and they’re
trying very hard to make it permanent. Republicans
have become the party of greed. They give corps.big tax breaks in return for big campaign contributions and gifts.(See Justice Thomas’ disclosure form)
Corporations have way too much power over all of
us because republicans have rigged it that way. The
only elected politicians representing the people are
democrats, but sooner or later they’ll be forced to
cater to corporations just like republicans do because they need a truckload of money just to compete.
I don’t see any way to stop America from being completely taken over by big money, unless we remove its importance in elections. In fact I’m writing this because I need a break from writing checks to democrats running for office. The reality
is, we’re being forced to purchase democracy.
The only way to change the trajectory is to pass
legislation that makes ALL private donations illegal.
If every candidate is given the same amount of public money, they don’t owe corporations anything
and can then represent their constituents instead of lying to them and manipulating them. As things stand now , every greedy asshole no-nothing with no
skills who wants to be a big shot runs for office on the republican ticket.
When the biggest oil oligarch in Russia did not do whatever Putin wanted, he quickly found that Putin stole his company and put him in jail. The oligarch lost his wealth, his prestige, and his freedom. The Gordon Gekko's should pay attention.
People who work for Trump often find the same thing. Manafort, Flynn. They go from rich and powerful, to people with little or no money, no reputation, and no freedom. That is the future for a Gekko who supports Trump. No money, no freedom, and no reputation. No honor. Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it (Santayana).
Yes, Terry. Some of these besotted billionaires are gambling with their safety and freedom, and some of them, like Musk, are gamblers by nature. They have been lucky in the past are are overconfident now.
Yes, we are certainly ruled by ‘ special ‘ interests now, but if anyone pays attention to the cycles of history, it is becoming clear that if the Trump gang is elected, they will proceed to confiscate the Robber Baron’s hoards to prove their loyalty to the new regime, while demanding unfettered obedience to their dictator.
If Trump is elected we end up with a Christian nationalist authoritarian government. All bets are off. The CEO's who went to that meeting with Trump have already proved they can't be trusted. One thing Dr. Reich failed to mention was that some of the CEO's came away from that meeting with doubts as apparently Trump could not hold a coherent thought for more than a few minutes or less.
Trump and the Heritage Foundation, the author's of Project 2025, are not interested in what these CEO's think. AS you stated Trump want's them to pledge fealty to him and in return he will grant them tax breaks and deregulation. Of course what these so called smart CEO's don't get is he will turn on them as fast as they can say MAGA.
We are basically screwed and much of this is out of our control. The Republicans are at least telling everyone what they want to do and have shown what they will do in red states they control. The Democrats talk a good game but they kowtow to the very same CEO's and corporations. That said, they are at least willing to regulate and raise taxes to run the nation. If they were really serious they would raise the Social Security cap to $200 million or more. That won't happen though.
I think the Democrats have screwed the nation by letting Biden run for a second term. He's most likely going to lose. One possible outcome is that the Democrats do manage to somehow keep control of the Senate and take back the House. if Trump wins that might be enough of a wedge to stop him. That remains to be seen. Either way I think we are witnessing the downfall of what's left of our democratic republic. In my view that downward slide started under Reagan and continued under both Bush's and Clinton. At least Bill Clinton and the Democrats in Congress were able to prove you can raise taxes and lower the debt and deficit.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Jeff. I agree that our country is morally and politically in a very bad place. While I admire and respect Joe Biden‘s‘ common good’ efforts during his term, I hope he will be reelected to continue that work. Although neither he nor Trump are physically able to weather the challenges of governing this country In the long-term, if Trump is elected, he will end up being a puppet of his backers until he feels confident enough to proclaim himself ‘Fuhrer’. Then all hell will break loose. The MAGAheads Are playing a dangerous game of Russian Roulette.
We need someone younger and charismatic who can get a wide swath of people to vote for Democrats. That's not a progressive unless they are a populist like Bernie Sanders.
Unfortunately, neither party has presented a decent candidate in the recent past. I typically vote for who I consider the best candidate, regardless of party affiliation. Sadly, my last three or four presidential votes have been a choice between the lesser of two evils.
IIlene, the billionaires will regret choosing more tax breaks over keeping the country civilized. The capitalist would make more money keeping the masses civilized then they will paying less taxes! Especially when the only way the right wingers know how to keep a society civilized is to exterminate all the people they despise!
Biden is a paradox: Biden is presiding over the best economy. Ever. There is so much prosperity that a little of it is even trickling down to people who don't normally get a piece.
But our chattering class has us convinced that Biden is a doddering old fool who won't last another four years. So we need a strong vigorous leader like Trump to take over and run things. Yep, that sounds like a good idea. What could possibly go wrong?
Biden may be old, but he is morally, spiritually, and intellectually heads above Trump. May he live to 120. And speaking of heads, Trump’s fat, ugly body is rotting from inside out; it is just a tool to hold up the stinking swamp he calls his head.
Thanks to Citizens United these greed driven corporations now own most of our government. If we take away their ability to buy politicians and Supreme Court judges, we can save Democracy. Until then, you're correct, Jeff, we are ruled by special interests.
I’d say we haven’t had any equity in pay or property since the early days of Reagan’s presidency, before he was able to privatize everything which was the serious in jump for corporations gobble up control of government. Now the deed is done and their power is a blob that keeps growing. I believe that’s what you meant to say.
Perhaps the most memorable lecture in my MBA program was one delivered by my Economics professor, who said, "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - the number one objective of any company is to maximize shareholder wealth." I don't recall any qualifiers or other details, but it's stuck with me for 40 years.
As I've observed and participated in business decisions over the years, I've developed my own nuanced perspective on that premise:
1) Maximizing shareholder wealth doesn't preclude "doing the right thing." Indeed, "goodwill" has value, and environmental and social responsibility are significant determinants of goodwill.
2) Stock buybacks concentrate stock ownership, particularly among the morbidly rich "robber barons" who run major companies.
3) Corporate compensation plans are skewed toward stock ownership and short term performance (although some companies have tried to protect against cooking the books with clawback provisions and longer term objectives). The first thing I look at when I look at a proxy statement is the executive compensation info.
4) Regulations often have unintended consequences or outlive their usefulness, and thus become convenient foils for the "robber barons."
So what can we do?
1) Support businesses that realize that environmental and social responsibility is good business.
2) Support penalties for companies that buy back stock.
3) Review corporate pay packages and CEO pay ratios and vote your shares accordingly.
4) Encourage and support the government's review of regulations and revision or retirement as appropriate. Such a review is something the Biden administration can and should do, quickly and visibly, to take some of the winds of disingenuity out of the sails of the greedmeisters.
When I took Business Conditions from Paul McCracken, shortly after he ended his term as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors for Nixon, he preached the benefit of government spending as providing the highest multiplier of economic benefit, as the money spent by the government was almost always put to reasonably immediate use. His approach, like even GOP economists prior to Reagan's voodoo economics, was totally opposed to the trickle-down concepts.
Bob - I would add to your list tax law changes to encourage or at least level the playing field tax-wise for the individual investor. Right now the tax advantage for deducting investment management fees lies with the investment institutions, i.e., management fees paid by the individual investor on his own portfolio are not generally deductible. I think our economy would be healthier with more small guy investors doing the things you suggest on your list. Bj
Bob you wrote he number one objective of any company is to maximize shareholder wealth." I don't recall any qualifiers or other details, but it's stuck with me for 40 years.
"America’s corporate elite is even greedier than you might have assumed.”
If this is the case, Why do we wish to “Save Capitalism?” We need to plan for a more humane and egalitarian system of economics rather than one that asserts greed is the only way to motivate innovation and care for the needs of the world’s population? If capitalism were to implode like it did after the last “gilded age” isn’t there a better system to replace it with?
I think capitalism is merely the system where private funds are used to control industry. And the ownership is in the hands of those with the capital.
It's not inherently evil, but has to be regulated. Social democracies do a better job of it than we do. Regulate how much the top of a company can siphon from it and it's a fix. But for whom there is never enough, this financial hoarder pathology, theft is the way out.
That's what we have in this country. Theft.
This is an excellent podcast with a lot to think about
Jen, Exactly correct. The population has been brainwashed to think; Capitalism=good, anything else=bad. But there are many of us who don’t agree with this. Change will be slow but I would love to see us move on to something else.
I'm having to rethink my perspective, listening to Pitchfork Economics this morning. With Brian Judge. Author of Democracy in Default: Finance and the Rise of Neoliberalism in America. Second time through as it's a complex and I think valuable insight into the history of our economic dysfunction.
You are right on the money. Unfortunately, the unending greed of the wealthy make it impossible for true democracy to exist in a democratic society when unbridled capitalism is allowed to run amok.
Biden should also have gone to the Business Roundtable. We should not concede the business group to the Republican. All the points that Prof Reich gives on the profitability under Biden need to be made to the CEOs.
Ask, what do you prefer more profits or lower taxes? Remind CEOs that Donald intends to start tariff wars and ask if that will be good for them.
Instead of fighting directly against the business CEOs by calling them greedy, use a kind of Judo approach and promise to build on their desire for more profits.
Exactly right, DK! Also, Dems need to learn to speak their language, and appeal to their business sense. Instead of talking about how much programs will cost or how much we're giving folks to improve their situations (e.g., college loan forgiveness), we should be talking about the return on investment. Talking price or magnitude just plays into the GOP's narrative.
Yes and illustrate what happens in what I call the “bubble up economy”. The money gets spent and it rises up to the wealthy.
I am not an economist so I can’t do the calculations and projections, but I do like to take bets. I will bet that a dollar that is in the hands of someone in the bottom of the economic class will lead to greater wealth than a dollar put in the top end because it will get spent rather than put into a fund.
(No, I’m not giving odds).
Henry Ford (the fascist sympathizer) knew he will do well by paying his workers enough to be able to buy his cars and give the money back to him. In that way he kind of got the work for nothing.
Please note that I haven’t said we should “give” the money to the bottom folk, but have policies that put the money there.
It will be an interesting analysis to make of what will be the result of “giving” the bottom people money to spend. My guess is that nkt only will they spend it but it will have a snowball effect as they are able to be stronger, better educated, more involved members of society. (They might even become so successful that they forget what got them there and vote Republican. How is that for a winning argument? )
DK, Your model has legs, except for the education part. Here is where Education is heading in the US. sufficient to read instructions, to read ballots, sufficient to read the Bible. The Betsy DeVos. Rahm Emanuel model.
You are correct, but reading ballots and education are connected. Citizens who can read a ballot may vote in school board elections and improve education.
All a ballot has on it is names. People vote for the name that they hear most,or against a name which has received unfavorable mention.
As regards School Boards,. starting in the 1970's with the Powell Memo, Republicans, particularly the religious right, became interested in local politics and build their movement from the ground up. one of their first moves was to take over school boards, and we see the result of that today in book banning, curriculum. and hiring and firing of principals and teachers.
The sad truth is that the Democratic party, and liberals in general, have been remiss, we claim to be democrats but in our elections we act like autocrats and throw all of our money and energy into the top, be it Governor or President, and neglect the power base. where decisions that really affect the country are made, school boards, city council, county election staff, state legislatures where gerrymandering takes place, and judges are appointed and laws are made.
Kathleen, you are right on. I have felt this ever since Reagan was in office. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. If the rich had an ounce of compassion/empathy for the American workers that made them rich, they would pay them very well, give them excellent healthcare, and reward them with bonuses and/or pensions. Keep the people happy! Give them that turkey at Holiday Time, for goodness sake!
Here in Missouri it's retired investor Rex Sinquefield who pours money into Missouri Republican candidates. It doesn't take that much money to swing state House races. Citizens United decision: the Supreme Court has poisoned the well and it makes us all sick.
The fastest, easiest way to take control of financial power in America is to stop allowing corporations and rich individuals to bribe members of Congress with campaign contributions and gifts.
At this point the republican party is set to remove our right to vote. When that happens we’re sunk.
The next republican president, whomever it is, will
attempt to put the final nail in the coffin of representative democracy. So, it’s vital to elect as
many democrats as possible in order to have a democratic majority in both chambers. Then we can
remove corporate power from our government by
removing their ability to control how members of Congress vote, by making campaign contributions
illegal and allowing only public money for campaign
purposes. That’s where the breakdown occurs.
Our members of Congress are bought, but blaming
and admonishing them doesn’t change the fact that they must gather as much money as possible in order to get elected. We put them in an untenable situation by making it impossible for them to get elected without gobs of money and then complain when they cater to corporations that gave them money.
They can take your life, but they have no power against your soul unless you give it to them. Continue doing good for the love of others. Teach your children well. Love God with all your might. The body is temporal; the soul is eternal .
And that Shaf is the undelying message that the wealthy Romans imparted into Christianity, don't resent or challenge the upper class, your reward is in heaven.
That bit about rich men camels and needles was propaganda for the poor to be content, because they will go to heaven and the rich won't.
Except there is no heaven. Heaven is another word for sky, in Latin and Spanish it is cielo , Our father who is in the sky. only there is nothing in the sky but gases, oxygen, hydrogen, helium,nitrogen, methsne. carbon dioxide, no gods, no spirits, no souls on water vapor.
As soon as a political candidate is advertised as being a "successful businessperson," I know I won't vote for them. To be successful in business today requires knowing how to exploit and underpay your workers, buy materials on the cheap, and sell your product for far more than it's worth.
Consider that the voters are both the government's employees and their consumers; why vote for someone who knows how to cheat you in both capacities?
@ Maureen. If you were a trader, you'd want to know which business magnate got to see for themselves how Trump has deteriorated mentally and emotionally at the Business RoundTable and invest accordingly. Knowing he's nutsy koo koo is reason to short any company that supports him.
@Daniel Solomon Of course you are probably right about those shorts being sold. Now, we need to do our part registering and GOTV of course, along with building the next gen of leaders so we NEVER find ourselves in this position again. Last night, I watched the Social Security and Medicare Solvency hearings of the House Budget Committee. Fascinating. Our team was spot on. They’ve got a fair way to cut 2/3 of the problem TODAY. The Chief Actuaries testified. The Republicans want to cut the H out of it all…IF COURSE…and to H with any consideration of future generations. They want to destroy BOTH Social Security and Medicare! One fool from Oklahoma called it a “poverty” program, as he sat there in ignorance and a fancy suit that had that sheen of oil money. Our intelligent Congress members were amazing. Expand these CSpan2 programs so everyone can see what they intend to do! Cuts to BOTH Social Security and Medicare and no concern for FUTURE GENERATIONS getting anything.
Those of us who are retired have to rely of benefits and the market if we had a 401 K or equivalent. Incredibly many MAGATs are willing to euphemistically slit their own throats letting Social Security, Medicare and other benefit programs like VA, Black Lung, food stamps, get "sunsetted" as proposed by Republicans.
Actually, we have less to lose than folks with longer life expectancies.
But the MAGAts and unpersuadables are visceral. "Trump hates dogs" is more effective than logic. https://rvat.org/
"They are coming after your benefits," Republicans are telling voters, referring to immigrants. The Border is the ace in their deck, and we must challenge it. Actually, immigration could be the key to saving our benefits, because it would increase the number of taxpayers. So, yes! there is a rational argument.
Richard, if you are talking about the Business Roundtable Session, Camera's were not allowed, and the only info we have is attendees talking out of turn.
I've heard America described as "a Third World country with money", and that was 20 years ago. To my surprise, a relation who was a US citizen agreed! For health services, maybe the US is a "developing" country. Maybe the Democrats need an ad explicitly saying that the wealthiest people shall have their wealth taxed to pay for setting up a national health service. Income tax could be raised to maintain it afterwards. Maybe it's time to be "outrageous" in a good sense!
We need to stop automatically referring to an income tax and begin to demand a WEALTH tax. An income tax won't reduce the horrible inequality of wealth we are suffering from.
Yes. Also, since a significant amount of super wealth in this country is obtained by inheritance, we need an estate tax of 100% for all estate assets that exceed 10 million dollars.
A highly progressive income tax exempting the first $50K in income & taxing at 90% any income exceeding $1 million would, although I have nothing against wealth taxes, too.
That and Social security payments (FICA) are retirement insurance premiums, however employers consider them a payroll tax, and when you hear that word, know that it is the employers they are talking about.
I learned plenty, including what defines an arrogant prick; one who denies reality by using logical fallacy, and whose empathy deficit manifests itself in rationalization.
We could improve that with education and better media "news" guardrails. Eg just the facts, and tell all that is important for consumers to know. Having said that: look at the last 7 elections; presidential, mid term and a few special elections in specific states.: All won by the Blue votes!
The midterm was not a Democratic win. We lost the House to the most dysfunctional House leadership ever while the Senate stayed about the same. This was after the attempt by Trump to illegally & violently stay in power with help from many GOP legislators by trying to overturn a legitimate election, & plan, organize & incite an insurrection & assassination attempts on the VP & SOTH, treachery unprecedented in the history of the US. Furthermore, Trump had just been caught with many boxes of confiscated top secret US government documents.
I can't understand how Democrats can crow about those results, which they have done repeatedly. Yes, not quite as bad as midterms tend to be for the party in power, but failing to win in a landslide based on what had transpired since the last election was an unmitigated disaster in my opinion.
Losers try to find something to brag about Jaime. Polls predicted a blue wave, it was only an incoming low tide, so the Democrats interpret that as a win.
It as if instead of having the shit beat out of you, ribs broken, arms broken, spleen rupture, all you get is a couple of black eyes, and knocked won for the count. That is considered a win.
Jaime Ramirez ; The Democrats , Independents and possible former Republicans who voted for President Biden are not responsible for the tRUMP appointees who violated their oaths of office by first overturning Roe, and then ignoring the Constitution's 14th amendment section 3 disqualification clause! If they observed it, they , too would have been disqualified. The traitors in Congress would have been removed first if they. (justice), were doing their jobs. . The DOJ was complicit seemingly, too. The colossal, criminal failure is not the fault of those who voted Blue! The open and shut case that "judge" loose Cannon sat on and delayed for her boss, was not the voter's fault either and the interference of MAGAs in the state of Georgia ; messing with the RICO case there, was not either! Most of these MAGA operatives should have lost their seats on government, if the law was followed, long ago after the Insurrection / attack on the Capitol. Media was not helpful either! It is a fact that Supreme Court Justices have no lifetime tenure, as has been repeatedly stated even on "liberal" MSNBC. they can remain on the Court having "good Behavior" is the somewhat vague statement. (paraphrasing). Stop beating an already abused donkey!
Jaime ; nobody's crowing. just stating a FACT. President Biden won the election! the MAGAs don't need help from you, do they? Which side are you on!?!? the election deniers?
Biden did win, and managed to get some infrastructure work done. I disagree that it is/was an "unmitigated disaster". tRump has been prosecuted as the convicted felon he is. The "Unmitigated Disaster" will be if tRump and the MAGAs "win" ! The criminals are testing our Electoral system and legal systems to the Max. The Rule of Law is being challenged as never before since the Civil War. And the traitors on the Supreme Court have ignored our Constitution to keep themselves on the bench. It would be truly great if our President could use Executive powers to stop the ongoing coup! If MAGAs can use an old anti porn law to ban contraception pills, why couldn't President Biden use the insurrection Act, as tRump has repeatedly threatened to do once in office again (if he wins). ?
What's more important, popularity and who wins elections are the health of the country? If the country is healthy and people could afford homes and live well as they did in the 1960's and 1970's.
What you are saying is that the money powers, would throw billions into unseating Republicans and installing puppets.
Well they have already done that, haven't they? Jan.
Yes when the tax rates were more sane. And exec to worker compensation was 30:1
But let's face it, the corporations have been seeking personhood legally from the start, and the founding documents are in disagreement. Rights v property.
Chuck, It seems any move Democrats do is attacked by the right. I think the buy-out of the media by the right wing billionaire class has endangered us as much as the orange monster himself. They are just an echo machine for the right.
Much of the US South and mid-west constitutes a third world country even today. Reliance on agribusiness and the extractive industries, as well as the dismal legacy of slavery, make it so.
The US is first in gun violence and ranks middle to last in all other indicators including women's health, child deaths, health care, insurance. We do rank no.1 in consumption, but consumption is a disease, in the 19th and early 20th Century T.B. was called consumption.
We had our chance in the primary of 3016, but the Center Right put it's thumb on the scale for the wife of the man who sold out his base, and (economically) his country, for silver. He did good, for himself, left the office broke and now is the head of a non profit that his billionaire friends set up for him, The Clinton Global Initiative.
We need to do what we can to make sure that tax levels on the rich are brought back to levels in the early 1960s. They want things like they used to be, start by giving them this!
Under Dubya, the eligibility age for Medicare was changed from 65 to 67. It could easily be changed from 67 to "at birth", and that would provide Medicare for all, and we could find it by raising the tax rate.
Bu that would piss off AHIP (Association of Health Insurance Providers) and the billionaires who finance politics and they would flood the zone with lying ads, and the somnolent, gullible and dullard public would fall in line like lemmings.
The politicians sitting at their desk and giving a sound bite here and there don’t realize that not everyone can wait until they’re 67 or more years old. In manual labor like factory work for example that I did for thirty straight year takes a toll on your body, does irreparable harm and ages your skeletal structure much faster, I worked out every day to keep strong but I still have several tears in my rotator cuffs, osteoarthritis, hands/fingers barely useable. I only saw two people in a big plant make it to 62 years old, they left and took less for retiring early. It will always be that way, they judge all workers on the same scale.
Totally agree, that is why Nancy in the House and Obama in the White House should have simply changed the eligibility from 65 to at birth, a one page bill, instead of the 600 page gift to the insurance industry with that asshole Rahm saying "Don't let the perfect become he enemy of the good" Now that phrase is trotted out every time there is a betrayal and a sell out.
Under Dubya, the eligibility age for Medicare was changed from 65 to 67. I
============
This is the post I replied to. This is false.
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig's disease
You are correct, It is Social Security that was changed from 65 to 67, my bad, I misspoke, that doesn't change the fact that Congress could have changed the eligibility to "at birth".
In order to do that you need new laws, if the rich people are funding politicians. Who’s is going to propose a law against the people that funded his campaign?
I’ve been screening that, that his true power, his ability to stay in do much power isn’t his red hat followers buying bibles and spray painted sneakers, it’s the wealthiest Americans such as the ones he met with recently in Silicon Valley, these people do not want to be known but they putting up the big money and they own Trump. They want those tax breaks, cheating back.
Billionaires and corporate/conglomerate leaders will prop Trump up as they did Reagan so many years ago in order for him to come through with all the promises and the deals he’s made to corporate America to guarantee them $ 0 taxes, less and less regulation, more and more roadblocks to unionize, and finally, water down the FTC and the Department of Justice to ensure unscrutinized mergers that virtually end competition.
This is the corporate/conglomerate and billionaire wish list and the leaders and instigators of such legislation could care less if Trump utters a coherent sentence ever again or even if he appoints himself the new savior as long as he fulfills these promises.
I'm hoping that there will be shareholder rebellion in some key industries. Transportation companies are at the mercy of energy companies. Retail is at the mercy of trade regulation. Etc. The markets have thrived under Biden.
The “shareholders” did not rebel against Elon Musk’s compensation package. And that was a voluntary vote. Given the opportunity we vote for our own demise. Or in the Musk case to reward an egomaniac libertarian who has crushed X, fathered 11 children with a penchant for eugenics , spread a host of private satellites in space partnering with NASA, is tinkering with “AI etc.etc. Capitalism in spades !!!
Musk's shareholders are institutions, they are of the same mentality and mind as Musk.
Dominance. It isn't money, it is power, taking over industries and markets.
What do you think Musk intends to do with his 45 Billion buy a fleet of yachts, islands, Maybach's? Nope he intends to take over industries, become King of the world.
You are correct Tarheel, It isn't the base that wins votes. The base is committed, it is those in the middle, the uninformed, those that waiver and those are the target of advertisement, just like toilet paper, drugs and toothpaste.
Which doesn't say much for the Average American does it. easily influenced, shallow of mind, asleep at the switch.
Yes and it’s sad. I’d rather it be as in my younger days when I was oblivious to the ignorance and shallowness of thought of most Americans, their disinterest in history, not many who can tell you about the American Revolution was about or the the role of Thomas Paine and this disinterest in how this country came into being the democracy experiment has left people thinking of only today, repeating the same mistakes, believing America as we know it has always been here knowing nothing of the sufferings and hardship of people who literally fought for the American way of life, not perfect but still a young country and working on it. I hate that not many women can tell you about the suffrage movement and what women suffered to have the right to vote, they take it for granted, they take everything for granted and that’s why they’re so easily persuaded to give it all away, to fall in step behind a boisterous bullying embarrassment who “says what he wants to say,” and to know that appeals to them is the most telling.
T J I catch myself thinking that the species is not worth saving, that Gaia would be better off without the lice running around her head and digging holes in it, while they oppress and slaughter each other over occupancy of the holes.
It isn't just women who take for granted their status and liberty, it is people of all colors and ideologies.
For instance Muslims are pissed at Biden because he is not supporting HAMAS, even some banners they put up say as much. They say that they are going to give him the finger in November, students join with proud Boys in a Fuck Biden chant.
The fools actually believe that with a Trump presidency the US will continue as usual, and that after teaching Biden and the Dems a lesson, that they will change their tune in 2028.
Nov 2024 will be the Political battle of Tours (in 732 CE) and instead of Charles Martel beating Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi[ and evicting the Muslims from France, it will be Trump evicting them (and others) from the U.S.A.
They don't get it Muslims unlike westerners, have long memories and grudges.
The average westerner has no inkling of the significance of 732 AD (144 in Islamic Calendar) but Muslims do.
In the same token males ask "What do women want", they don't know because they think that they are superior and superiors don't consider inferiors. Just as the Romans and southern Planters considered slaves, essentially furniture, and talked freely in their presence, the arrogance of "superiority" neglects the sentience and intelligence of the inferior.
Men don't study women, but women study men to manipulate them, genitalia is the weapon of choice, works every time.
Whites don't study blacks, but blacks study whites
Straights don't have an inkling of LGBT culture, but LGBT culture is expert as to straight culture.
Westerners don't study Muslims, and know jack shit about the culture, but Muslims study Westerners, and know how to manipulate them.
Right wing women have hitched their wagons to the patriarchy because that is where they see their bread is buttered.
Many people of color, black, Hispanic, Asian and Indian, have hitched their wagons to the MAGA cause because that is where they see financial and social advantage, because they have never had to endure life under apartheid.So long as they live in the masters house, play by the masters rules, they can drink from the brandy decanter
In Rome slaves even taught and raised their masters children. Phaedo, Diogenes and Epictetus , philosophers all, Were Slaves, and you can bet they didn't rebel against,but rather defended their masters and the system, unlike the slaves who labored in mines, tunnels or built the coliseum, aqueducts Nero;s palace or the Pantheon.
Which end of the stick one is on, depends on cui bono and qui patitur.
Those who I would identify as Quislings are those that perceive that they are the beneficiaries of the status quo. Should fortunes shift 180 degrees, they will as well.
I recognize my comment is pure speculation. Still, having understood that Trump appeared unhinged and was advocating for policy, though initially inducing a sugar high, that ultimately would surge inflation and interest rates, I do wonder if at least some corporates seemingly are backing Trump due to concerns over retribution were he to win. I would note my comment is not meant as justification; it’s merely an observation.
The big company frauds/CEOs don't care dumoty is mentally incompetent. He's for sale, and they have our money, that's the appeal of drumpf. He's for sale.
Jen, While I don’t disagree, when Trump, for example, proposes to replace all income tax with a tariff on imported goods, which one early estimate said would amount to a 150% tax increase on most families, business leaders understand, aside from substantial short-term benefits for the Uber- wealthy, the economy ultimately would tank along with the rest of us.
Since these corporations for the most part don't pay any taxes, they are more concerned about controlling regulations and limiting corporate liability for errant, deadly and egregious behavior.
Imagine if Boeing after years of manufacturing defects were to have airplanes suddenly dropping out of the sky on a regular basis. The lawsuits would take the company and subsidiaries to the cleaners. Now imagine that they (corporations) controlled the government and the courts...threat averted, CEO's, investors, and associates protected.
The East Palestine train disaster. Somewhat costly to the RR industry. Could have been avoided had the industry adopted the regs. that the government had originally legislated, but lobbyists killed those. Towns and towns people and RR workers suffer. Common sense to most anyone would have dictated that those safety regs were needed and necessary...but that would cut into profits and created more costs for the RR's. They would have had to take on more employee costs and bureaucracy vs the overall cost of the fallout of the disaster (a projected disaster) and the cleanup costs.
A vast number of the American public has little concern for others suffering from these disasters and a very short memory...there's tomorrow's news cycle to distract them...a bridge disaster in Baltimore because of an electrical issue on an out of country registered cargo vessel...probably caused by a $20,000 or perhaps, 200,000. cost savings... of corporate dictate.
"Between $1.7bn and $1.9bn
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US. The cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore — which collapsed in March after a container ship smashed into one of its support pillars — will be between $1.7bn and $1.9bn.May 3, 2024." Some lives were lost also, in case anyone forgets, the families of those lost haven't forgotten. But it all balances out in the end, right? Wrong. We the people, pay for all their products, services and calculated mistakes...they pay little to nothing vs their profits, (reported/unreported, realized and unrealized).
What has happened to the Sackler family?
Sackler Family: Where Are They Now, Who Went to Jail ...
At the time of writing, none of the Sackler family members are facing criminal charges for their involvement with Purdue Pharma and OxyContin, though eight of them were also named defendants in a 2019 suit filed by the state of New York against Purdue Pharma.Dec 5, 2023.
Once the wealthy have total control over the judiciary through Republican support? How much have they cost the country vs the measly billions they gained?
oday, in Recognition of National recovery Month, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC)—led by Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA)—released a new analysis that finds the opioid epidemic cost the United States a record of nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020. This is up 37% from 2017, when the CDC last measured the cost.Sep 28, 2022
The reality is... a few at the top want to dictate the terms of life for the rest of us at any cost. They believe that the end justifies the means in relationship to their own needs.
The best way they can protect their way of life is to control the government, garner as much control over the majority of their financial options, reduce all their liabilities, and always have the funds to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Keeping it simple. Money talks and BS walks, Staying out of jail and accepting no serious liability for their actions that cause serious harm to others.
And these companies are only going to pay a fair share.They can still be very rich and yet support the common good…our social contract that is the secret sauce via Democracy!
Big business is SUBSIDIZED by taxpayers. They don't pay their fair share of taxes AND they get subsidies and sometimes they are bailed out, being 'too big to fail'.
And the extremely i enlightened like Crow are excited about destroying Medicare, of course Medicaid (let them die…kids too…) and Social Security. They are attempting to put our children and grandchildren against us by promising them the free market can do better. That’s been proven wrong!
We’ve been subsidizing farms for several decades and churches & other religious institutions. Needs to end. Now you tell us about “keeping their money”
They're subsidized through corporate welfare and tax loopholes (which they get as payback for mega-campaign donations to grease the skids of their constant lobbying - and which they get by threatening to fund an opponent if the legislator etc doesn't vote 'their way') and making the middle and lower classes bear the burden of tax revenue for governance. Meanwhile those mega/MAGA-corp CEOs/billionaires made "their" money while refusing to pay their share for the roads, bridges, safety protections (police and fire), health and education of employees, communication and transportation systems and safeguarding.
The deregulation they lobby for as part of "keeping their money" is in fact a fools' errand aka shooting themselves in the foot at public expense as well. Take one case alone: the East Palestine, OH train derailment that contaminated air and water up the wazoo and for immeasurable time to come, plausibly cancers killing locals as happens with these foreseeable catastrophes to land, air, water, animals and people.
Norfolk Southern lobbied (with campaign finance donation leverage for sure) to get brake regulations deregulated and push through their employee-lay-off money-saving double-up of trains to be TWICE as long (like 1-1/2 mi as I recall) causing all kinds of problems for cross traffic in the towns they passed through but also allowing them to get away with only one engineer on a train twice as long … Just (like all the big corporations exploiting the pandemic and more) so their greed for mega-profit could be greedier, jacking up inflation to the public so shareholders and CEOs made money.
And now what? Norfolk Southern at last count was up to $2Billion in costs for the kind of calamity their cavalier exploitive approach to “capitalism” results in. Their own short-sighted sabotaging of capitalism themselves because all they come to see from it is quarterly bottom lines and getting grubby hands on more bucks they do little or nothing productive with, mostly stock buy-backs and layoffs and treating labor force like expendable overworked slaves without even paid medical leave, etc. That’s what you think serves even them, not to mention the public, as to how they make and spend money? And they (you) think taxation is their problem?
“The Russian Oligarchs” may be rich and living high off the hog, but they are also living AFRAID of.Vladimir Putin, concerned that getting on his wrong side in any way could mean their literal demise! Mmmmm. How many people has he had removed? Poisoned. Jailed and driven to their deaths. Dropped from the sky.
Similar fears abound in countries like China and North Korea {the head of NK actually executed individuals he wanted gone with … anti-aircraft guns!}. Oy, yes. The threat of autocracy is real, and very frightening … And in the US, its name is “Trump.’’
During Covid, several adult Chinese students told me how afraid they and their people were. It seems a bus was loaded with sick-with-Covid people. They were told they were being taken to a place to heal. On the way to that place, the bus had an accident; everyone on board was killed. Today, no student speaks of this or of fear. Just because it isn't spoken of doesn't mean it isn't happening. My students are adult learners of English speaking skills.
Pat : I read in Malcolm Nance's book that some of the Oligarchs actually selected and approached Vladimir Putin for the position he has had now for years. Since leaving St Petersburg. They were looking for a Pinochet type. I would have to look up the title. Am at work now, but I can get it later, if you are interested.
Yes, for sure. I’d love to know more. They needed someone THEY could work with, but now he’s somene who has power over them!
Especially for those who are in his country, that’s about the only way to BE a very wealthy person — find favor now with Vlad. AND THEN, make sure you stay on his good side forever, or you’re dead.
One of the reasons that Putin wants Trump in place is related to that meeting his lawyer friend held at Trump Tower before the 2016 election — the one that was criticized so badly, after Trump’s minions welcomed the lawyer there and had their little confab — the meeting that Trump’s kid said was a nothing burger, all about “Russian adoptions.“
THAT meeting was actually about the Magnitsky Acts, laws in US and related acts in Europe. The laws tie up Russian funds as sanctions against Putin’s treatment of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian attorney, and Bill Browder, a western financial manager who reported illegal financial shenanigans of some very wealthy Russian individuals close to Putin. Putin accused the whistleblowers of being the actual crooks, put Magnitsky in jail, had him tortured there, and Magnitsky eventually died.
Putin chased Browder around the world for a while, put out a charge against him at Interpol {which is no longer treated as legitimate, I think}, and Browder has taken up refuge in Great Britain, where he’s reportedly been knighted for his work against the Russian autocrat.
Browder championed Magnitisky Acts in the US and elsewhere that tie up Russian funds. The reason that is so critical to how oligarchy works in Russia — Vladimir Putin maintains tight control of OLIGARCH’S funds, as a way to control them. If he does not have access to so much of that money invested outside of Russia, then neither do the Oligarch’s have access to it. And Putin’s power based is hurt, since a good measure of Putin’s power over the oligarchy in Russia is connected to his control of their money. That and his power over having them killed. {On the flip side, a TON of Putin’s personal money comes from squeezing these Oligarchs, too.}
To get even with the US for passing the Magnitsky Act, Putin had put a stop on US adoptions of Russian children {which affected MANY families and children looking for homes!!} So, the Trump people, who were being approached to put an end to sanctions against Putin said the meeting was about adoption. Oy, vey!
At present —even this week, actually — we’ve been hearing that Biden is using Russian funds that have been held back as sanctions {some from the Magnitsky act?? One hopes…} as collateral for loans to help Ukraine in their struggle against Russian invasion …
Russia has been sanctioned for a few things. I hope the Magnitsky funds are included in the ones helping Ukraine. I love that it’s frozen Russian funds … for sure!!!
Pat ; Malcom Nance "The Plot to Destroy Democracy". He is the Author of the New York Times bestseller "The Plot to Hack America". He is a globally recognized intelligence community member and a national security and counterterrorism analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.
As a self employed worker, I at least have some control over my workplace. I can tune into the radio station I prefer, and have discussions I wouldn't be able to have if working in a corporate owned setting. I can choose my days off, and hours, but I also take all the risk ; oh well ; no guts, no glory! ( or money). As a seventy something, I'm well within the range of retirement, If Social security is not "sunset"! (I better keep my business licenses!).
Laurie, how sad that so many feel that work is slavery. I have had a few crummy jobs, but mostly at least a good part of what I did was interesting. Maybe instead of pushing the idea of work as pure drudgery, we should make jobs better, more interesting, earn workers more, and monitor better to see that workers are treated well on jobs that are as safe as can be managed. The truth, though is that CEOs and their minions in the main office do not work in any way harder than their employees , so their compensation should never be where it is now. Than, they should pay high taxes on everything personal and corporate over a certain profit with maybe some incentives for research and development, not stock buy backs. Those all should be heavily taxed. Something could be worked out if We the People had the will to do it and if the American people were actually informed of what corporate America is doing to all of us.
Ruth: Let's just say that "WE" are being squeezed by high costs and higher taxes , in proportion to our earnings. (Or means), than they, the billionaires, are,! They buy US out, and it is NOT a good deal at all! They rob US!
Victor ; actually I have a very good idea of what slavery is. As a minor child I was raped in a foster home. I gave birth to a boy, all alone, The state told me that I was an unfit mother, because I was a minor child and had no means to take care of my self and a child. No kidding. I knew that. I also knew that I was not ready to be a parent; and did not plan to be a single unmarried parent. I wanted my son to have a father and a mother, and a faith. the social worker said that if I did not sign the papers, they would just take the child. they did not even hear what I said, preferring not to give me any credit or empathy, just grinding my face in my helplessness and pain. Laying the "superior law" down with the cruelty that comes from someone who blames the victim and prefers to denigrate a wronged, already abandoned child. No. as a white girl, I did not experience the condition of a Black, 'legally' owned slave. But even though I could walk away from that tyranny, It still hurt. The worst thing is that I actually internalized the judgement and disrespect. It took years for me to heal and value myself and have a healthy relationship. I had my twins at 44, and am a grandmother (for the first time that I know of), in my 70's. Have I "gone overboard?" I know where I have been, and am doing as well as anyone can under the crazy circumstances of our present world. Am grateful for what I have for family and friends. I still think of the son I had against my will, He is 55 years old, and I'm not sure whether he is even alive. I think of him every Memorial day, his birthday.
Laurie, what a sad story! I am so sorry. You went to hell and came back. What an achievement! You should write and publish about your experience. And congratulations on being a grandmother!
Let's face it, corporate leaders, at least those who attend the "round tables" are greedy yes, but also desperately addicted to accumulating more and more wealth and the power they believe it will continue to give them. It is a drug far more powerful then any schedule I drug because it does not only do harm to the individual as heroine does, it does harm to whole segments of the population and that is a real high for those guys and it is nearly all men in the throes of this addiction. They believe they are somehow more brilliant than anyone else and that they made their bucks because of that brilliance. In general, they might be bright, but that is not how or why they got their wealth. They inherited money or the business, or they happened to enter a particular industry at just the right time (luck), or they figured out how to rig the system in their favor. In any case, that allowed them to accumulate far more wealth than any human being should have and they prove over and over they are not using it well, just as "drug" users often don't live their lives well due to the addiction, the corporate addicts don't use their lives and wealth well. They want more tax cuts while they use all the services of this nation, often in far greater amounts than ordinary folks, but don't want to have to pay their fair share for the maintenence and development. They are powerful addicts who are doing little to benefit the nation that is letting them live out their fantasy of huge wealth. That makes them bigger takers than anyone on welfare or SNAP. It makes them thieves, stealing from the American people, which is probably why they are so interested in getting a dictatorship going here. In addition to being addicts, they are toddler-men who want what they want and will make life miserable for everyone around them if they don't get it. Truly disgusting!
The way I see it, all these “billionaire corporate titan” guys are the guys that couldn’t get a date in high school, so it’s been “ Revenge of the Nerds” ever since! The planes, the boats, the arm-candy, the fortunes, it’s never enough to fill that gaping maw of neediness.
Didn’t Henry Ford end up in a fortress surrounded by 200 guards with machine guns because he feared the public so much?
Every one of these guys will tumble eventually, this financial craziness is not sustainable. And nobody lives forever. In the meantime, don’t buy their stuff, don’t put them on the covers of magazines, don’t party on their boats. Reject them socially, that’s something we can all do. Read up on how the last time this all happened in the early 20th century, how it all turned out for those guys.
FDR wasn’t popular with the corporate titans then, either, but all those programs got passed anyway. It’s what the people wanted.
This just makes me want to vomit, to throw up my hands in despair that other "humans" can be so cold-heartedly cruel and selfish. To have a heart this cold, one must live in an igloo! Find a pretty tree, go lie under it, offer yourself as nurturance for the longevity of that tree . . . Sometimes that sounds better to me than having to constantly worry about how the oligarchs, plutocrats and kleptocrats treat the rest of the population of this world. (If only I were God . . . I would have a field day with all the thugs implicated in this column and beyond.)
I've been arguing endlessly with a friend over the high costs of healthcare and insurance . . . just think how EASILY all the rich bastards' money could pay for everyone's healthcare! NO one would ever have to do without! No child or family would ever go hungry again. The selfishness is just mind-boggling! Mind-boggling, mind-boggling, mind-boggling!!!!
Don't worry, Klare! You are not alone with those feelings!! There are so many of us that are just plain tired, sick of, and worried. We must make sure Democrats win this November down the ballot! Vote Blue, America!!
Thank you for your kind words. What I need is a go-getter partner to hook up with. Somebody who just needs a good worker bee to pair up with and get things done! Perhaps in August.. .
What's good for business is definitely not good or healthy for the average American or the country as a whole.
The sheer self-interest and extraordinary greed of these corporate robber barons is beyond belief.
From Chiquita Banana hiring hit squads and fossil fuel companies poisoning our environment and lying about climate change, the list of corporate malfeasance is inexhaustible in its crimes against humanity.
Therefore, it's not very surprising that these corporate titans would embrace someone as unconcerned about the health and well-being of average Americans as crime boss Trump and his enablers, the republican party.
But as I recall in Greek mythology, the titans were eventually defeated.
I hope Trump and his enablers suffer the same fate.
The level of entitled self-serving delusion it takes to think Dems threaten capitalism (they don't) more than wannabe dictator trump threatens democracy, is flying pretty close malignant narcissism.
"Republican billionaires have told her “the threat to capitalism from the Democrats is more concerning than the threat to democracy from Trump.”
My degree is Poli Sci & dad was in finance. Your unconscious projection of embarrassing yourself is hysterical. Feel free to keep entertaining us, clown.
You wrote this: ‘… democracy is supposed to balance capitalism’.
Stick to your narcissism studies. You clearly skated through to get that degree, and if daddy influenced your thinking about what ‘democracy is supposed to do’, he did you no favors.
Just to prove how dense you are, narcissists like you project unconsciously, you're told you're doing it & yet keep projecting. What a sad clown you are.
The threat to democracy from the Democrats is worse than Trump. They have established a censorship regime, interfered with ballot access and tried to jail and bankrupt their political opponents.
It's ok. Everyone here except you see your unconscious projection onto me. We understand you are trying defend yourself against you own unpleasant impulses by denying their existence while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude. It can take the form of blame shifting.
There is a lot of denial, and blame shifting, going on these days.
“But the strategic hollowness of these self-styled liberals could produce far-reaching consequences—all the way to the November presidential and congressional elections, and beyond. In a campaign where Democrats seek to contrast their values with those of Trump and his neofascist supporters, supposedly liberal Democrats are alienating a significant proportion of the electorate—not only young students of conscience and of color but also Black churches and elderly white Midwesterners horrified by the images coming out of Gaza. As the stakes rise, the distinctions are blurring, and the liberals have only themselves to blame.”
Bill, you do know that is BS! I do get it that some folks on this thread like to throw out complete lies to see what the response will be. Well, gotcha! It's a big lie! Have fun!
Hey Ruth, Believe it or not. There are various forms of trolls who throw out all forms of nonsense to disrupt conversations & trigger reactions so to feel big. If someone comes to Robert Reich's page spouting extremist nonsense, they are a troll. https://samray.substack.com/p/dark-trolls-a-psychological-profile
The resurgence of robber barons is a serious concern. And scary as hell.
Where have you been? These "Gordon Gekko's" have been working to take over the nation for decades. We've not had anything resembling a democracy since Reagan was president. It's a plutocracy. Remember "Occupy Wall Street"? It did absolutely nothing to change the status quo. This nation is ruled by special interest.
We need a better system that puts the needs of the population first, and not the belief that “greed is good."
or it's Ayn Rand companion mantra of "enlightened self-interest", or Buddhist concept of a "hungry ghost" who gorge themselves but are always hungry, can never can get full. Seriously, how much is enough?
Money, in and of itself, doesn't satisfy *any* true need - therefore it's never enough. (That's why the "ghosts" are always hungry)
Bill you said a very simple and comprehendible statement, when it comes to money (and I add power) it is never enough. Greedflation is the problem. They could all be doing just fine if they were paying their fair share of taxes. Someone needs to remind them they can’t take it with them.
Exactly, Chris. When it gets to the point when a megabillionaire has more money than he/she or his/her family can possobly spend in several lifetimes, it's way too much. We need stricter controls and higher taxes on great wealth, and not just salaries, but all sources of income. But expecting any Congress to vote in such controls, when so much money circulates in politics....not holding my breath.
They. Don't. Care. They like it when people grovel at their feet because they're rich.
I agree, there are people in this world who will never believe they have “enough” money. They actually hoard money compulsively—like people who hoard anything. But I think there’s something else going
on in addition to a hoarding instinct. It’s as if some
wealthy people compulsively make it a competition.
For example, if so and so has a private jet, their competitive spirit kicks in and they have to get a private jet too. I think they lose perspective.
I’m not trying to make excuses for them—I’m trying to understand.
The game they play is who has the most money when they die? It doesn't matter that once they are dead they don't get to know if they won or lost -- the game just requires them to try.
If you don't play, you can't win!
They don't take it with them they pass it down to their heirs.
That's been my question. If you can't spend what you've got in your lifetime or even in your children's lifetime, why do you need more??? It's all about power because we have decided money = power.
It was a very good work of FICTION. "FICTION" meaning it could not possibly work in real life!
Yes, I always like to remind people that Ayn Rand was a novelist, not the infallible divine oracle that the true believers tend to make of her.
And likely a plagiarist. Her novella Anthem has striking resemblances to We, by Evgeny Zamyatin, whose typed manuscript was handed around in the St. Petersburg of Rand’s youth. Zamyatin’s book is a pioneer in science fiction, taught in world literature courses, and a good read, according to me. Rand’s Anthem is her usual stuff, but benefits from being shorter.
I wrote a sci-fi novel to counter Ayn Rand in which corporations and billionaires receive a comeuppance. (Diana's Epoch). Have a fictional work, but slide in the politics by demonstrating a narrative.
O how about ancient Roman rape gods that enslave and murder for fun AND to take others items ....plus offer a post mortem reward for " service".
Agree, the first step is to remove every single Republican from every single office in the United States of America because they only work for the 1% wealthiest which are consolidating everything for their benefit alone. Who knew so many voters would fall for their BS and still vote for these same Republicans. It's simply remarkable
I have two thoughts. One, how do you plan to accomplish this? The Republican Party is dominant in some southern and rural states. That's not going to change in the near future. Two, we need an effective opposition party. The United States depends on having two functioning parties presenting different solutions and reaching *compromise *. Having one party controlling everything is an invitation to disaster.
Maybe free higher education. The Southern states are at the bottom of the education totem pole. They also are heavily protestant christian, which is more about controlling them than sprituality and the masses are extremely brainwashed by them. These "churches" then go against their nonprofit status by telling them who to vote for. Start taxing the churches unless they stay out of politics. All this equals to a group of easily led and brainwashed victims for the republicans.
Sounds like a good idea.
Yes having only one party to make decisions for the country would take us back to pre-1776.
Pre-1776: when tories enforced law and order with military force.
But there is Georgia, which has evolved into an important commercial hub, primarily in and around Atlanta. Georgia can, and sometimes does, vote Democratic in national elections. But go across the Savannah River into South Carolina and it's all conservative Republican conservative.
Let's come up w/ a plan.
Unfortunately, capitalism feeds into the "greed is good" mentality. Capitalism is just as evil as America has deemed communism to be. A combination of both might just be the best bet.
Each of those two systems you described, has good and bad components.
What is interesting, that in both systems those who get to money and power, are invariably succumbing to greed while loosing their humanity.
You must be referring to democracy, in which the goal of society is supposed to be increased prosperity for EVERYONE, not just the select few who already have more than a fair share of prosperity.
Marc, I think the only way to put the needs of the people first is to remove money from our elections.
The GOP has gone all-in for money and they’re
trying very hard to make it permanent. Republicans
have become the party of greed. They give corps.big tax breaks in return for big campaign contributions and gifts.(See Justice Thomas’ disclosure form)
Corporations have way too much power over all of
us because republicans have rigged it that way. The
only elected politicians representing the people are
democrats, but sooner or later they’ll be forced to
cater to corporations just like republicans do because they need a truckload of money just to compete.
I don’t see any way to stop America from being completely taken over by big money, unless we remove its importance in elections. In fact I’m writing this because I need a break from writing checks to democrats running for office. The reality
is, we’re being forced to purchase democracy.
The only way to change the trajectory is to pass
legislation that makes ALL private donations illegal.
If every candidate is given the same amount of public money, they don’t owe corporations anything
and can then represent their constituents instead of lying to them and manipulating them. As things stand now , every greedy asshole no-nothing with no
skills who wants to be a big shot runs for office on the republican ticket.
When the biggest oil oligarch in Russia did not do whatever Putin wanted, he quickly found that Putin stole his company and put him in jail. The oligarch lost his wealth, his prestige, and his freedom. The Gordon Gekko's should pay attention.
People who work for Trump often find the same thing. Manafort, Flynn. They go from rich and powerful, to people with little or no money, no reputation, and no freedom. That is the future for a Gekko who supports Trump. No money, no freedom, and no reputation. No honor. Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it (Santayana).
Yes, Terry. Some of these besotted billionaires are gambling with their safety and freedom, and some of them, like Musk, are gamblers by nature. They have been lucky in the past are are overconfident now.
Yes, we are certainly ruled by ‘ special ‘ interests now, but if anyone pays attention to the cycles of history, it is becoming clear that if the Trump gang is elected, they will proceed to confiscate the Robber Baron’s hoards to prove their loyalty to the new regime, while demanding unfettered obedience to their dictator.
If Trump is elected we end up with a Christian nationalist authoritarian government. All bets are off. The CEO's who went to that meeting with Trump have already proved they can't be trusted. One thing Dr. Reich failed to mention was that some of the CEO's came away from that meeting with doubts as apparently Trump could not hold a coherent thought for more than a few minutes or less.
Trump and the Heritage Foundation, the author's of Project 2025, are not interested in what these CEO's think. AS you stated Trump want's them to pledge fealty to him and in return he will grant them tax breaks and deregulation. Of course what these so called smart CEO's don't get is he will turn on them as fast as they can say MAGA.
We are basically screwed and much of this is out of our control. The Republicans are at least telling everyone what they want to do and have shown what they will do in red states they control. The Democrats talk a good game but they kowtow to the very same CEO's and corporations. That said, they are at least willing to regulate and raise taxes to run the nation. If they were really serious they would raise the Social Security cap to $200 million or more. That won't happen though.
I think the Democrats have screwed the nation by letting Biden run for a second term. He's most likely going to lose. One possible outcome is that the Democrats do manage to somehow keep control of the Senate and take back the House. if Trump wins that might be enough of a wedge to stop him. That remains to be seen. Either way I think we are witnessing the downfall of what's left of our democratic republic. In my view that downward slide started under Reagan and continued under both Bush's and Clinton. At least Bill Clinton and the Democrats in Congress were able to prove you can raise taxes and lower the debt and deficit.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Jeff. I agree that our country is morally and politically in a very bad place. While I admire and respect Joe Biden‘s‘ common good’ efforts during his term, I hope he will be reelected to continue that work. Although neither he nor Trump are physically able to weather the challenges of governing this country In the long-term, if Trump is elected, he will end up being a puppet of his backers until he feels confident enough to proclaim himself ‘Fuhrer’. Then all hell will break loose. The MAGAheads Are playing a dangerous game of Russian Roulette.
Yes, but instead of putting the gun to their own heads, they've put it to the entire country's.
all the more reason to clean out and clean up the Supreme Court now!
I don't dislike Biden, but I think he is not what we need at this point. We need someone more progressive and less right of center.
We need someone younger and charismatic who can get a wide swath of people to vote for Democrats. That's not a progressive unless they are a populist like Bernie Sanders.
Unfortunately, neither party has presented a decent candidate in the recent past. I typically vote for who I consider the best candidate, regardless of party affiliation. Sadly, my last three or four presidential votes have been a choice between the lesser of two evils.
IIlene, the billionaires will regret choosing more tax breaks over keeping the country civilized. The capitalist would make more money keeping the masses civilized then they will paying less taxes! Especially when the only way the right wingers know how to keep a society civilized is to exterminate all the people they despise!
Biden is a paradox: Biden is presiding over the best economy. Ever. There is so much prosperity that a little of it is even trickling down to people who don't normally get a piece.
But our chattering class has us convinced that Biden is a doddering old fool who won't last another four years. So we need a strong vigorous leader like Trump to take over and run things. Yep, that sounds like a good idea. What could possibly go wrong?
Except trump is neither strong nor vigorous.
Biden may be old, but he is morally, spiritually, and intellectually heads above Trump. May he live to 120. And speaking of heads, Trump’s fat, ugly body is rotting from inside out; it is just a tool to hold up the stinking swamp he calls his head.
You mean WHAT could possibly GO RIGHT!!!
Thanks to Citizens United these greed driven corporations now own most of our government. If we take away their ability to buy politicians and Supreme Court judges, we can save Democracy. Until then, you're correct, Jeff, we are ruled by special interests.
I’d say we haven’t had any equity in pay or property since the early days of Reagan’s presidency, before he was able to privatize everything which was the serious in jump for corporations gobble up control of government. Now the deed is done and their power is a blob that keeps growing. I believe that’s what you meant to say.
Take a look at a good graph of America's wealth inequality from about 1925 until today. It's pretty self-explanatory.
Too true
Kathleen, I’m so glad you used the term “Robber Barons” because I don’t think that’s a term that a lot of people are familiar with today: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/donating-to-a-good-cause-how-billionaires
Robber Barons were taught in my high school literature and civics classes, 1964. Gosh, so many people today are just . . .young.
Perhaps the most memorable lecture in my MBA program was one delivered by my Economics professor, who said, "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - the number one objective of any company is to maximize shareholder wealth." I don't recall any qualifiers or other details, but it's stuck with me for 40 years.
As I've observed and participated in business decisions over the years, I've developed my own nuanced perspective on that premise:
1) Maximizing shareholder wealth doesn't preclude "doing the right thing." Indeed, "goodwill" has value, and environmental and social responsibility are significant determinants of goodwill.
2) Stock buybacks concentrate stock ownership, particularly among the morbidly rich "robber barons" who run major companies.
3) Corporate compensation plans are skewed toward stock ownership and short term performance (although some companies have tried to protect against cooking the books with clawback provisions and longer term objectives). The first thing I look at when I look at a proxy statement is the executive compensation info.
4) Regulations often have unintended consequences or outlive their usefulness, and thus become convenient foils for the "robber barons."
So what can we do?
1) Support businesses that realize that environmental and social responsibility is good business.
2) Support penalties for companies that buy back stock.
3) Review corporate pay packages and CEO pay ratios and vote your shares accordingly.
4) Encourage and support the government's review of regulations and revision or retirement as appropriate. Such a review is something the Biden administration can and should do, quickly and visibly, to take some of the winds of disingenuity out of the sails of the greedmeisters.
When I took Business Conditions from Paul McCracken, shortly after he ended his term as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors for Nixon, he preached the benefit of government spending as providing the highest multiplier of economic benefit, as the money spent by the government was almost always put to reasonably immediate use. His approach, like even GOP economists prior to Reagan's voodoo economics, was totally opposed to the trickle-down concepts.
Jack, McCraken was a Keynesian. Republicans in power are Keynesians, out of power they are "anti socialist anti Keynesians".
The Jude Wassinski Two Santa Claus theory https://www.salon.com/2018/02/12/thom-hartmann-how-the-gop-used-a-two-santa-clauses-tactic-to-con-america-for-nearly-40-years_partner/
Wanniski?
You are right,
Bob - I would add to your list tax law changes to encourage or at least level the playing field tax-wise for the individual investor. Right now the tax advantage for deducting investment management fees lies with the investment institutions, i.e., management fees paid by the individual investor on his own portfolio are not generally deductible. I think our economy would be healthier with more small guy investors doing the things you suggest on your list. Bj
Bob you wrote he number one objective of any company is to maximize shareholder wealth." I don't recall any qualifiers or other details, but it's stuck with me for 40 years.
Formalized into law by Dodge v Ford Motor Co 1919 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_v._Ford_Motor_Co.
Very well said!
"America’s corporate elite is even greedier than you might have assumed.”
If this is the case, Why do we wish to “Save Capitalism?” We need to plan for a more humane and egalitarian system of economics rather than one that asserts greed is the only way to motivate innovation and care for the needs of the world’s population? If capitalism were to implode like it did after the last “gilded age” isn’t there a better system to replace it with?
I think capitalism is merely the system where private funds are used to control industry. And the ownership is in the hands of those with the capital.
It's not inherently evil, but has to be regulated. Social democracies do a better job of it than we do. Regulate how much the top of a company can siphon from it and it's a fix. But for whom there is never enough, this financial hoarder pathology, theft is the way out.
That's what we have in this country. Theft.
This is an excellent podcast with a lot to think about
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pitchfork-economics-with-nick-hanauer/id1445901378?i=1000659363190
Jen, Exactly correct. The population has been brainwashed to think; Capitalism=good, anything else=bad. But there are many of us who don’t agree with this. Change will be slow but I would love to see us move on to something else.
Here's the link to this edition of Pitchfork economics. Lots to think about
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pitchfork-economics-with-nick-hanauer/id1445901378?i=1000659363190
Thank you Jen
I'm having to rethink my perspective, listening to Pitchfork Economics this morning. With Brian Judge. Author of Democracy in Default: Finance and the Rise of Neoliberalism in America. Second time through as it's a complex and I think valuable insight into the history of our economic dysfunction.
Highly recommend Nick Hanaouers podcast.
You are right on the money. Unfortunately, the unending greed of the wealthy make it impossible for true democracy to exist in a democratic society when unbridled capitalism is allowed to run amok.
@ Kathleen Hayden. Register Democrats to diminish robber barons.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Biden should also have gone to the Business Roundtable. We should not concede the business group to the Republican. All the points that Prof Reich gives on the profitability under Biden need to be made to the CEOs.
Ask, what do you prefer more profits or lower taxes? Remind CEOs that Donald intends to start tariff wars and ask if that will be good for them.
Instead of fighting directly against the business CEOs by calling them greedy, use a kind of Judo approach and promise to build on their desire for more profits.
Exactly right, DK! Also, Dems need to learn to speak their language, and appeal to their business sense. Instead of talking about how much programs will cost or how much we're giving folks to improve their situations (e.g., college loan forgiveness), we should be talking about the return on investment. Talking price or magnitude just plays into the GOP's narrative.
Yes and illustrate what happens in what I call the “bubble up economy”. The money gets spent and it rises up to the wealthy.
I am not an economist so I can’t do the calculations and projections, but I do like to take bets. I will bet that a dollar that is in the hands of someone in the bottom of the economic class will lead to greater wealth than a dollar put in the top end because it will get spent rather than put into a fund.
(No, I’m not giving odds).
Henry Ford (the fascist sympathizer) knew he will do well by paying his workers enough to be able to buy his cars and give the money back to him. In that way he kind of got the work for nothing.
Please note that I haven’t said we should “give” the money to the bottom folk, but have policies that put the money there.
It will be an interesting analysis to make of what will be the result of “giving” the bottom people money to spend. My guess is that nkt only will they spend it but it will have a snowball effect as they are able to be stronger, better educated, more involved members of society. (They might even become so successful that they forget what got them there and vote Republican. How is that for a winning argument? )
DK, Your model has legs, except for the education part. Here is where Education is heading in the US. sufficient to read instructions, to read ballots, sufficient to read the Bible. The Betsy DeVos. Rahm Emanuel model.
You are correct, but reading ballots and education are connected. Citizens who can read a ballot may vote in school board elections and improve education.
All a ballot has on it is names. People vote for the name that they hear most,or against a name which has received unfavorable mention.
As regards School Boards,. starting in the 1970's with the Powell Memo, Republicans, particularly the religious right, became interested in local politics and build their movement from the ground up. one of their first moves was to take over school boards, and we see the result of that today in book banning, curriculum. and hiring and firing of principals and teachers.
The sad truth is that the Democratic party, and liberals in general, have been remiss, we claim to be democrats but in our elections we act like autocrats and throw all of our money and energy into the top, be it Governor or President, and neglect the power base. where decisions that really affect the country are made, school boards, city council, county election staff, state legislatures where gerrymandering takes place, and judges are appointed and laws are made.
Reading the Bible and comprehending it is not simple.
Carol, this is quite true, but I wonder how many Evangelicals and Catholics even read the Bible.
Kathleen, you are right on. I have felt this ever since Reagan was in office. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. If the rich had an ounce of compassion/empathy for the American workers that made them rich, they would pay them very well, give them excellent healthcare, and reward them with bonuses and/or pensions. Keep the people happy! Give them that turkey at Holiday Time, for goodness sake!
Here in Missouri it's retired investor Rex Sinquefield who pours money into Missouri Republican candidates. It doesn't take that much money to swing state House races. Citizens United decision: the Supreme Court has poisoned the well and it makes us all sick.
https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/17/rex-sinquefield-drops-big-donations-into-gop-governor-ag-primaries/
The fastest, easiest way to take control of financial power in America is to stop allowing corporations and rich individuals to bribe members of Congress with campaign contributions and gifts.
At this point the republican party is set to remove our right to vote. When that happens we’re sunk.
The next republican president, whomever it is, will
attempt to put the final nail in the coffin of representative democracy. So, it’s vital to elect as
many democrats as possible in order to have a democratic majority in both chambers. Then we can
remove corporate power from our government by
removing their ability to control how members of Congress vote, by making campaign contributions
illegal and allowing only public money for campaign
purposes. That’s where the breakdown occurs.
Our members of Congress are bought, but blaming
and admonishing them doesn’t change the fact that they must gather as much money as possible in order to get elected. We put them in an untenable situation by making it impossible for them to get elected without gobs of money and then complain when they cater to corporations that gave them money.
True.
They can take your life, but they have no power against your soul unless you give it to them. Continue doing good for the love of others. Teach your children well. Love God with all your might. The body is temporal; the soul is eternal .
And that Shaf is the undelying message that the wealthy Romans imparted into Christianity, don't resent or challenge the upper class, your reward is in heaven.
That bit about rich men camels and needles was propaganda for the poor to be content, because they will go to heaven and the rich won't.
Except there is no heaven. Heaven is another word for sky, in Latin and Spanish it is cielo , Our father who is in the sky. only there is nothing in the sky but gases, oxygen, hydrogen, helium,nitrogen, methsne. carbon dioxide, no gods, no spirits, no souls on water vapor.
As soon as a political candidate is advertised as being a "successful businessperson," I know I won't vote for them. To be successful in business today requires knowing how to exploit and underpay your workers, buy materials on the cheap, and sell your product for far more than it's worth.
Consider that the voters are both the government's employees and their consumers; why vote for someone who knows how to cheat you in both capacities?
@ Maureen. If you were a trader, you'd want to know which business magnate got to see for themselves how Trump has deteriorated mentally and emotionally at the Business RoundTable and invest accordingly. Knowing he's nutsy koo koo is reason to short any company that supports him.
If you were a business journalist, you'd interview everyone who attended that meeting and report accordingly. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/14/ceos-at-trump-meeting-not-impressed.html
I don't know it as a fact, but I bet a lot of shorts were sold based on that info.
@Daniel Solomon Of course you are probably right about those shorts being sold. Now, we need to do our part registering and GOTV of course, along with building the next gen of leaders so we NEVER find ourselves in this position again. Last night, I watched the Social Security and Medicare Solvency hearings of the House Budget Committee. Fascinating. Our team was spot on. They’ve got a fair way to cut 2/3 of the problem TODAY. The Chief Actuaries testified. The Republicans want to cut the H out of it all…IF COURSE…and to H with any consideration of future generations. They want to destroy BOTH Social Security and Medicare! One fool from Oklahoma called it a “poverty” program, as he sat there in ignorance and a fancy suit that had that sheen of oil money. Our intelligent Congress members were amazing. Expand these CSpan2 programs so everyone can see what they intend to do! Cuts to BOTH Social Security and Medicare and no concern for FUTURE GENERATIONS getting anything.
OMG!!
Those of us who are retired have to rely of benefits and the market if we had a 401 K or equivalent. Incredibly many MAGATs are willing to euphemistically slit their own throats letting Social Security, Medicare and other benefit programs like VA, Black Lung, food stamps, get "sunsetted" as proposed by Republicans.
Actually, we have less to lose than folks with longer life expectancies.
But the MAGAts and unpersuadables are visceral. "Trump hates dogs" is more effective than logic. https://rvat.org/
"They are coming after your benefits," Republicans are telling voters, referring to immigrants. The Border is the ace in their deck, and we must challenge it. Actually, immigration could be the key to saving our benefits, because it would increase the number of taxpayers. So, yes! there is a rational argument.
Have you a link to this session? And thank you for the information.
Richard, if you are talking about the Business Roundtable Session, Camera's were not allowed, and the only info we have is attendees talking out of turn.
Oh wow! Nicely said!
Thank you. I just wish I were wrong.
I've heard America described as "a Third World country with money", and that was 20 years ago. To my surprise, a relation who was a US citizen agreed! For health services, maybe the US is a "developing" country. Maybe the Democrats need an ad explicitly saying that the wealthiest people shall have their wealth taxed to pay for setting up a national health service. Income tax could be raised to maintain it afterwards. Maybe it's time to be "outrageous" in a good sense!
We need to stop automatically referring to an income tax and begin to demand a WEALTH tax. An income tax won't reduce the horrible inequality of wealth we are suffering from.
Yes. Also, since a significant amount of super wealth in this country is obtained by inheritance, we need an estate tax of 100% for all estate assets that exceed 10 million dollars.
A highly progressive income tax exempting the first $50K in income & taxing at 90% any income exceeding $1 million would, although I have nothing against wealth taxes, too.
That and Social security payments (FICA) are retirement insurance premiums, however employers consider them a payroll tax, and when you hear that word, know that it is the employers they are talking about.
Um our health services are not what they used to be, Big Business is ruining this.
You should check out a real third world country and get back to us.
Tell that to a hungry kid or homeless vet and get back to us.
You need to travel sometime.
I’ve traveled plenty. You need to get a clue, ‘subsidy’ boy.
Then you didn't learn anything. What do you mean by “subsidy boy”?
I learned plenty, including what defines an arrogant prick; one who denies reality by using logical fallacy, and whose empathy deficit manifests itself in rationalization.
Figure it out, genius.
If democrats did anything remotely similar to your proposal they wouldn’t be getting their ass kicked in elections
Democrats aren't getting their asses kicked in elections, JACK ASS! Crawl back in your cave and STFU!!!
He's not wrong. Too many are purely ignorant.
We could improve that with education and better media "news" guardrails. Eg just the facts, and tell all that is important for consumers to know. Having said that: look at the last 7 elections; presidential, mid term and a few special elections in specific states.: All won by the Blue votes!
The midterm was not a Democratic win. We lost the House to the most dysfunctional House leadership ever while the Senate stayed about the same. This was after the attempt by Trump to illegally & violently stay in power with help from many GOP legislators by trying to overturn a legitimate election, & plan, organize & incite an insurrection & assassination attempts on the VP & SOTH, treachery unprecedented in the history of the US. Furthermore, Trump had just been caught with many boxes of confiscated top secret US government documents.
I can't understand how Democrats can crow about those results, which they have done repeatedly. Yes, not quite as bad as midterms tend to be for the party in power, but failing to win in a landslide based on what had transpired since the last election was an unmitigated disaster in my opinion.
Losers try to find something to brag about Jaime. Polls predicted a blue wave, it was only an incoming low tide, so the Democrats interpret that as a win.
It as if instead of having the shit beat out of you, ribs broken, arms broken, spleen rupture, all you get is a couple of black eyes, and knocked won for the count. That is considered a win.
Gut feelings disconnect the brain. The frustration over the pandemic played a role in 2020.
Jaime Ramirez ; The Democrats , Independents and possible former Republicans who voted for President Biden are not responsible for the tRUMP appointees who violated their oaths of office by first overturning Roe, and then ignoring the Constitution's 14th amendment section 3 disqualification clause! If they observed it, they , too would have been disqualified. The traitors in Congress would have been removed first if they. (justice), were doing their jobs. . The DOJ was complicit seemingly, too. The colossal, criminal failure is not the fault of those who voted Blue! The open and shut case that "judge" loose Cannon sat on and delayed for her boss, was not the voter's fault either and the interference of MAGAs in the state of Georgia ; messing with the RICO case there, was not either! Most of these MAGA operatives should have lost their seats on government, if the law was followed, long ago after the Insurrection / attack on the Capitol. Media was not helpful either! It is a fact that Supreme Court Justices have no lifetime tenure, as has been repeatedly stated even on "liberal" MSNBC. they can remain on the Court having "good Behavior" is the somewhat vague statement. (paraphrasing). Stop beating an already abused donkey!
Jaime ; nobody's crowing. just stating a FACT. President Biden won the election! the MAGAs don't need help from you, do they? Which side are you on!?!? the election deniers?
Biden did win, and managed to get some infrastructure work done. I disagree that it is/was an "unmitigated disaster". tRump has been prosecuted as the convicted felon he is. The "Unmitigated Disaster" will be if tRump and the MAGAs "win" ! The criminals are testing our Electoral system and legal systems to the Max. The Rule of Law is being challenged as never before since the Civil War. And the traitors on the Supreme Court have ignored our Constitution to keep themselves on the bench. It would be truly great if our President could use Executive powers to stop the ongoing coup! If MAGAs can use an old anti porn law to ban contraception pills, why couldn't President Biden use the insurrection Act, as tRump has repeatedly threatened to do once in office again (if he wins). ?
What's more important, popularity and who wins elections are the health of the country? If the country is healthy and people could afford homes and live well as they did in the 1960's and 1970's.
What you are saying is that the money powers, would throw billions into unseating Republicans and installing puppets.
Well they have already done that, haven't they? Jan.
Yes when the tax rates were more sane. And exec to worker compensation was 30:1
But let's face it, the corporations have been seeking personhood legally from the start, and the founding documents are in disagreement. Rights v property.
Property wins.
Jen : As Tom Hartmann points out https://hartmannreport.com/p/what-happens-when-corporations-are-804 and https://hartmannreport.com/p/why-the-corporate-tax-bracket-should-467 when tax rates are high corporations reinvest their profits in their companies and grow them,when low they use the profits to buy back stock.
The income tax rate when Republican Eisenhower was in office was 91% for the top bracket.
Chuck, It seems any move Democrats do is attacked by the right. I think the buy-out of the media by the right wing billionaire class has endangered us as much as the orange monster himself. They are just an echo machine for the right.
Which elections, specifically?
That's a great idea, Miland!
Much of the US South and mid-west constitutes a third world country even today. Reliance on agribusiness and the extractive industries, as well as the dismal legacy of slavery, make it so.
The US is first in gun violence and ranks middle to last in all other indicators including women's health, child deaths, health care, insurance. We do rank no.1 in consumption, but consumption is a disease, in the 19th and early 20th Century T.B. was called consumption.
The Democratic Party has to get away from the center right
We had our chance in the primary of 3016, but the Center Right put it's thumb on the scale for the wife of the man who sold out his base, and (economically) his country, for silver. He did good, for himself, left the office broke and now is the head of a non profit that his billionaire friends set up for him, The Clinton Global Initiative.
Biden said as much in his State of the Union address. All it did was put the CEOs on alert.
Yes- Biden should be bold with popular proposals, including health care though there are problems with your proposal.
We need to do what we can to make sure that tax levels on the rich are brought back to levels in the early 1960s. They want things like they used to be, start by giving them this!
#EatTheRich
And scrap the Social Security cap!!!!
Under Dubya, the eligibility age for Medicare was changed from 65 to 67. It could easily be changed from 67 to "at birth", and that would provide Medicare for all, and we could find it by raising the tax rate.
Bu that would piss off AHIP (Association of Health Insurance Providers) and the billionaires who finance politics and they would flood the zone with lying ads, and the somnolent, gullible and dullard public would fall in line like lemmings.
The politicians sitting at their desk and giving a sound bite here and there don’t realize that not everyone can wait until they’re 67 or more years old. In manual labor like factory work for example that I did for thirty straight year takes a toll on your body, does irreparable harm and ages your skeletal structure much faster, I worked out every day to keep strong but I still have several tears in my rotator cuffs, osteoarthritis, hands/fingers barely useable. I only saw two people in a big plant make it to 62 years old, they left and took less for retiring early. It will always be that way, they judge all workers on the same scale.
Totally agree, that is why Nancy in the House and Obama in the White House should have simply changed the eligibility from 65 to at birth, a one page bill, instead of the 600 page gift to the insurance industry with that asshole Rahm saying "Don't let the perfect become he enemy of the good" Now that phrase is trotted out every time there is a betrayal and a sell out.
Medicare is still at 65.
Dumb ass, that's social security, shit heads like you don't the difference.
Under Dubya, the eligibility age for Medicare was changed from 65 to 67. I
============
This is the post I replied to. This is false.
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig's disease
https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare#:~:text=Medicare%20is%20health%20insurance%20for,also%20called%20Lou%20Gehrig's%20disease).
You are correct, It is Social Security that was changed from 65 to 67, my bad, I misspoke, that doesn't change the fact that Congress could have changed the eligibility to "at birth".
In order to do that you need new laws, if the rich people are funding politicians. Who’s is going to propose a law against the people that funded his campaign?
Pompeo Benitez : Hopefully the politicians who are working for the billionaires, instead of the voters, will be voted out.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rocco, Yes! Give them the “good ‘ol days” in taxes! 👍🏼
That's when America was great, after all.
Why?
Because business eaters are going to wreck the economy by destabilizing it. Shortsighted.
They are not going to wreck the economy.
They are going to take it all for themselves
How?
Eaters = LEADERS. (Sorry…)
The antics of the Business Round Table remind me of the Monty Python skit with Mr. Creosote: obscene.
They can afford it
Are you paying your fair share?
I’ve been screening that, that his true power, his ability to stay in do much power isn’t his red hat followers buying bibles and spray painted sneakers, it’s the wealthiest Americans such as the ones he met with recently in Silicon Valley, these people do not want to be known but they putting up the big money and they own Trump. They want those tax breaks, cheating back.
Billionaires and corporate/conglomerate leaders will prop Trump up as they did Reagan so many years ago in order for him to come through with all the promises and the deals he’s made to corporate America to guarantee them $ 0 taxes, less and less regulation, more and more roadblocks to unionize, and finally, water down the FTC and the Department of Justice to ensure unscrutinized mergers that virtually end competition.
This is the corporate/conglomerate and billionaire wish list and the leaders and instigators of such legislation could care less if Trump utters a coherent sentence ever again or even if he appoints himself the new savior as long as he fulfills these promises.
I'm hoping that there will be shareholder rebellion in some key industries. Transportation companies are at the mercy of energy companies. Retail is at the mercy of trade regulation. Etc. The markets have thrived under Biden.
The “shareholders” did not rebel against Elon Musk’s compensation package. And that was a voluntary vote. Given the opportunity we vote for our own demise. Or in the Musk case to reward an egomaniac libertarian who has crushed X, fathered 11 children with a penchant for eugenics , spread a host of private satellites in space partnering with NASA, is tinkering with “AI etc.etc. Capitalism in spades !!!
Musk's shareholders are institutions, they are of the same mentality and mind as Musk.
Dominance. It isn't money, it is power, taking over industries and markets.
What do you think Musk intends to do with his 45 Billion buy a fleet of yachts, islands, Maybach's? Nope he intends to take over industries, become King of the world.
Sounds like a
bad movie !
What seems like fiction, becomes fact.
Not over. https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/column-tesla-shareholders-bid-6-bln-legal-fees-over-musk-pay-could-fan-flames-2024-03-04/
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/musks-xai-is-taking-value-from-tesla-shareholder-suit-says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur-yMil88fU
You are correct Tarheel, It isn't the base that wins votes. The base is committed, it is those in the middle, the uninformed, those that waiver and those are the target of advertisement, just like toilet paper, drugs and toothpaste.
Which doesn't say much for the Average American does it. easily influenced, shallow of mind, asleep at the switch.
Yes and it’s sad. I’d rather it be as in my younger days when I was oblivious to the ignorance and shallowness of thought of most Americans, their disinterest in history, not many who can tell you about the American Revolution was about or the the role of Thomas Paine and this disinterest in how this country came into being the democracy experiment has left people thinking of only today, repeating the same mistakes, believing America as we know it has always been here knowing nothing of the sufferings and hardship of people who literally fought for the American way of life, not perfect but still a young country and working on it. I hate that not many women can tell you about the suffrage movement and what women suffered to have the right to vote, they take it for granted, they take everything for granted and that’s why they’re so easily persuaded to give it all away, to fall in step behind a boisterous bullying embarrassment who “says what he wants to say,” and to know that appeals to them is the most telling.
T J I catch myself thinking that the species is not worth saving, that Gaia would be better off without the lice running around her head and digging holes in it, while they oppress and slaughter each other over occupancy of the holes.
It isn't just women who take for granted their status and liberty, it is people of all colors and ideologies.
For instance Muslims are pissed at Biden because he is not supporting HAMAS, even some banners they put up say as much. They say that they are going to give him the finger in November, students join with proud Boys in a Fuck Biden chant.
The fools actually believe that with a Trump presidency the US will continue as usual, and that after teaching Biden and the Dems a lesson, that they will change their tune in 2028.
Nov 2024 will be the Political battle of Tours (in 732 CE) and instead of Charles Martel beating Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi[ and evicting the Muslims from France, it will be Trump evicting them (and others) from the U.S.A.
They don't get it Muslims unlike westerners, have long memories and grudges.
The average westerner has no inkling of the significance of 732 AD (144 in Islamic Calendar) but Muslims do.
In the same token males ask "What do women want", they don't know because they think that they are superior and superiors don't consider inferiors. Just as the Romans and southern Planters considered slaves, essentially furniture, and talked freely in their presence, the arrogance of "superiority" neglects the sentience and intelligence of the inferior.
Men don't study women, but women study men to manipulate them, genitalia is the weapon of choice, works every time.
Whites don't study blacks, but blacks study whites
Straights don't have an inkling of LGBT culture, but LGBT culture is expert as to straight culture.
Westerners don't study Muslims, and know jack shit about the culture, but Muslims study Westerners, and know how to manipulate them.
Right wing women have hitched their wagons to the patriarchy because that is where they see their bread is buttered.
Many people of color, black, Hispanic, Asian and Indian, have hitched their wagons to the MAGA cause because that is where they see financial and social advantage, because they have never had to endure life under apartheid.So long as they live in the masters house, play by the masters rules, they can drink from the brandy decanter
In Rome slaves even taught and raised their masters children. Phaedo, Diogenes and Epictetus , philosophers all, Were Slaves, and you can bet they didn't rebel against,but rather defended their masters and the system, unlike the slaves who labored in mines, tunnels or built the coliseum, aqueducts Nero;s palace or the Pantheon.
Which end of the stick one is on, depends on cui bono and qui patitur.
Those who I would identify as Quislings are those that perceive that they are the beneficiaries of the status quo. Should fortunes shift 180 degrees, they will as well.
I recognize my comment is pure speculation. Still, having understood that Trump appeared unhinged and was advocating for policy, though initially inducing a sugar high, that ultimately would surge inflation and interest rates, I do wonder if at least some corporates seemingly are backing Trump due to concerns over retribution were he to win. I would note my comment is not meant as justification; it’s merely an observation.
The big company frauds/CEOs don't care dumoty is mentally incompetent. He's for sale, and they have our money, that's the appeal of drumpf. He's for sale.
Jen : yes. And he is selling "our" government and treasury.
Jen, While I don’t disagree, when Trump, for example, proposes to replace all income tax with a tariff on imported goods, which one early estimate said would amount to a 150% tax increase on most families, business leaders understand, aside from substantial short-term benefits for the Uber- wealthy, the economy ultimately would tank along with the rest of us.
Since these corporations for the most part don't pay any taxes, they are more concerned about controlling regulations and limiting corporate liability for errant, deadly and egregious behavior.
Imagine if Boeing after years of manufacturing defects were to have airplanes suddenly dropping out of the sky on a regular basis. The lawsuits would take the company and subsidiaries to the cleaners. Now imagine that they (corporations) controlled the government and the courts...threat averted, CEO's, investors, and associates protected.
The East Palestine train disaster. Somewhat costly to the RR industry. Could have been avoided had the industry adopted the regs. that the government had originally legislated, but lobbyists killed those. Towns and towns people and RR workers suffer. Common sense to most anyone would have dictated that those safety regs were needed and necessary...but that would cut into profits and created more costs for the RR's. They would have had to take on more employee costs and bureaucracy vs the overall cost of the fallout of the disaster (a projected disaster) and the cleanup costs.
A vast number of the American public has little concern for others suffering from these disasters and a very short memory...there's tomorrow's news cycle to distract them...a bridge disaster in Baltimore because of an electrical issue on an out of country registered cargo vessel...probably caused by a $20,000 or perhaps, 200,000. cost savings... of corporate dictate.
"Between $1.7bn and $1.9bn
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US. The cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore — which collapsed in March after a container ship smashed into one of its support pillars — will be between $1.7bn and $1.9bn.May 3, 2024." Some lives were lost also, in case anyone forgets, the families of those lost haven't forgotten. But it all balances out in the end, right? Wrong. We the people, pay for all their products, services and calculated mistakes...they pay little to nothing vs their profits, (reported/unreported, realized and unrealized).
What has happened to the Sackler family?
Sackler Family: Where Are They Now, Who Went to Jail ...
At the time of writing, none of the Sackler family members are facing criminal charges for their involvement with Purdue Pharma and OxyContin, though eight of them were also named defendants in a 2019 suit filed by the state of New York against Purdue Pharma.Dec 5, 2023.
Once the wealthy have total control over the judiciary through Republican support? How much have they cost the country vs the measly billions they gained?
oday, in Recognition of National recovery Month, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC)—led by Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA)—released a new analysis that finds the opioid epidemic cost the United States a record of nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020. This is up 37% from 2017, when the CDC last measured the cost.Sep 28, 2022
The reality is... a few at the top want to dictate the terms of life for the rest of us at any cost. They believe that the end justifies the means in relationship to their own needs.
The best way they can protect their way of life is to control the government, garner as much control over the majority of their financial options, reduce all their liabilities, and always have the funds to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Keeping it simple. Money talks and BS walks, Staying out of jail and accepting no serious liability for their actions that cause serious harm to others.
"Since these corporations for the most part don't pay any taxes," is no longer true. Biden ended that!
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/11/fact-sheet-the-presidents-budget-cuts-taxes-for-working-families-and-makes-big-corporations-and-the-wealthy-pay-their-fair-share/
And these companies are only going to pay a fair share.They can still be very rich and yet support the common good…our social contract that is the secret sauce via Democracy!
Big business is SUBSIDIZED by taxpayers. They don't pay their fair share of taxes AND they get subsidies and sometimes they are bailed out, being 'too big to fail'.
Vote BLUE!
REGISTER DEMOCRATS
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
And the extremely i enlightened like Crow are excited about destroying Medicare, of course Medicaid (let them die…kids too…) and Social Security. They are attempting to put our children and grandchildren against us by promising them the free market can do better. That’s been proven wrong!
How is Medicare being destroyed?
How is keeping one’s money a subsidy?
Many programs are welfare for the rich. We subsidize stuff like the OIL CARTEL!!!!! BIG PHARMA!!! BIG AG! We pay BIG AG not to produce!!!!!!
Tell me about this subsidy.
We’ve been subsidizing farms for several decades and churches & other religious institutions. Needs to end. Now you tell us about “keeping their money”
Thank FRD for the farm subsidies.
Why should churches pay taxes?
This is just one program. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/29/usda-farmers-conservation-program-507028
USDA has an entire price support system to the benefit of BIG AG. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/price-support/Index
They're subsidized through corporate welfare and tax loopholes (which they get as payback for mega-campaign donations to grease the skids of their constant lobbying - and which they get by threatening to fund an opponent if the legislator etc doesn't vote 'their way') and making the middle and lower classes bear the burden of tax revenue for governance. Meanwhile those mega/MAGA-corp CEOs/billionaires made "their" money while refusing to pay their share for the roads, bridges, safety protections (police and fire), health and education of employees, communication and transportation systems and safeguarding.
The deregulation they lobby for as part of "keeping their money" is in fact a fools' errand aka shooting themselves in the foot at public expense as well. Take one case alone: the East Palestine, OH train derailment that contaminated air and water up the wazoo and for immeasurable time to come, plausibly cancers killing locals as happens with these foreseeable catastrophes to land, air, water, animals and people.
Norfolk Southern lobbied (with campaign finance donation leverage for sure) to get brake regulations deregulated and push through their employee-lay-off money-saving double-up of trains to be TWICE as long (like 1-1/2 mi as I recall) causing all kinds of problems for cross traffic in the towns they passed through but also allowing them to get away with only one engineer on a train twice as long … Just (like all the big corporations exploiting the pandemic and more) so their greed for mega-profit could be greedier, jacking up inflation to the public so shareholders and CEOs made money.
And now what? Norfolk Southern at last count was up to $2Billion in costs for the kind of calamity their cavalier exploitive approach to “capitalism” results in. Their own short-sighted sabotaging of capitalism themselves because all they come to see from it is quarterly bottom lines and getting grubby hands on more bucks they do little or nothing productive with, mostly stock buy-backs and layoffs and treating labor force like expendable overworked slaves without even paid medical leave, etc. That’s what you think serves even them, not to mention the public, as to how they make and spend money? And they (you) think taxation is their problem?
Are talking about the CHIPS act?
non sequitur? or just non-reading? or AI? or just a troll bot?
all possibilities.
Its not their money
Whose money is it?
Contact me one more time and I will report and block you.
Report me for what?
You are being purposefully controversial. Please, stop.
Answer the question.
The threat to capitalism is worse than the threat to democracy? Go tell the Russian oligarchs that.
“The Russian Oligarchs” may be rich and living high off the hog, but they are also living AFRAID of.Vladimir Putin, concerned that getting on his wrong side in any way could mean their literal demise! Mmmmm. How many people has he had removed? Poisoned. Jailed and driven to their deaths. Dropped from the sky.
Similar fears abound in countries like China and North Korea {the head of NK actually executed individuals he wanted gone with … anti-aircraft guns!}. Oy, yes. The threat of autocracy is real, and very frightening … And in the US, its name is “Trump.’’
During Covid, several adult Chinese students told me how afraid they and their people were. It seems a bus was loaded with sick-with-Covid people. They were told they were being taken to a place to heal. On the way to that place, the bus had an accident; everyone on board was killed. Today, no student speaks of this or of fear. Just because it isn't spoken of doesn't mean it isn't happening. My students are adult learners of English speaking skills.
has the sound of an urban legend
Wow.
It can happen here.
Perfectly put!
Pat : I read in Malcolm Nance's book that some of the Oligarchs actually selected and approached Vladimir Putin for the position he has had now for years. Since leaving St Petersburg. They were looking for a Pinochet type. I would have to look up the title. Am at work now, but I can get it later, if you are interested.
Yes, for sure. I’d love to know more. They needed someone THEY could work with, but now he’s somene who has power over them!
Especially for those who are in his country, that’s about the only way to BE a very wealthy person — find favor now with Vlad. AND THEN, make sure you stay on his good side forever, or you’re dead.
One of the reasons that Putin wants Trump in place is related to that meeting his lawyer friend held at Trump Tower before the 2016 election — the one that was criticized so badly, after Trump’s minions welcomed the lawyer there and had their little confab — the meeting that Trump’s kid said was a nothing burger, all about “Russian adoptions.“
THAT meeting was actually about the Magnitsky Acts, laws in US and related acts in Europe. The laws tie up Russian funds as sanctions against Putin’s treatment of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian attorney, and Bill Browder, a western financial manager who reported illegal financial shenanigans of some very wealthy Russian individuals close to Putin. Putin accused the whistleblowers of being the actual crooks, put Magnitsky in jail, had him tortured there, and Magnitsky eventually died.
Putin chased Browder around the world for a while, put out a charge against him at Interpol {which is no longer treated as legitimate, I think}, and Browder has taken up refuge in Great Britain, where he’s reportedly been knighted for his work against the Russian autocrat.
Browder championed Magnitisky Acts in the US and elsewhere that tie up Russian funds. The reason that is so critical to how oligarchy works in Russia — Vladimir Putin maintains tight control of OLIGARCH’S funds, as a way to control them. If he does not have access to so much of that money invested outside of Russia, then neither do the Oligarch’s have access to it. And Putin’s power based is hurt, since a good measure of Putin’s power over the oligarchy in Russia is connected to his control of their money. That and his power over having them killed. {On the flip side, a TON of Putin’s personal money comes from squeezing these Oligarchs, too.}
To get even with the US for passing the Magnitsky Act, Putin had put a stop on US adoptions of Russian children {which affected MANY families and children looking for homes!!} So, the Trump people, who were being approached to put an end to sanctions against Putin said the meeting was about adoption. Oy, vey!
At present —even this week, actually — we’ve been hearing that Biden is using Russian funds that have been held back as sanctions {some from the Magnitsky act?? One hopes…} as collateral for loans to help Ukraine in their struggle against Russian invasion …
What a world … !
Pat : so those are the "Frozen Russian Assets" used to help Ukraine. Kind of a justice there. actually "just desserts".
Russia has been sanctioned for a few things. I hope the Magnitsky funds are included in the ones helping Ukraine. I love that it’s frozen Russian funds … for sure!!!
Pat ; Malcom Nance "The Plot to Destroy Democracy". He is the Author of the New York Times bestseller "The Plot to Hack America". He is a globally recognized intelligence community member and a national security and counterterrorism analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.
But I bet they wouldn't part with a rouble to have more fair wealth distribution.
Our government is for sale ; lock stock and barrel. We are well on our way to being slaves.
We already are slaves. Everyone who has to work for someone or to sell something, in order to survive is a slave. A slave to the system.
As a self employed worker, I at least have some control over my workplace. I can tune into the radio station I prefer, and have discussions I wouldn't be able to have if working in a corporate owned setting. I can choose my days off, and hours, but I also take all the risk ; oh well ; no guts, no glory! ( or money). As a seventy something, I'm well within the range of retirement, If Social security is not "sunset"! (I better keep my business licenses!).
We all must work ; as the old song goes "hi ho- hi ho-, It's off to work I go"! Unless you enjoy dynastic wealth.
Laurie, how sad that so many feel that work is slavery. I have had a few crummy jobs, but mostly at least a good part of what I did was interesting. Maybe instead of pushing the idea of work as pure drudgery, we should make jobs better, more interesting, earn workers more, and monitor better to see that workers are treated well on jobs that are as safe as can be managed. The truth, though is that CEOs and their minions in the main office do not work in any way harder than their employees , so their compensation should never be where it is now. Than, they should pay high taxes on everything personal and corporate over a certain profit with maybe some incentives for research and development, not stock buy backs. Those all should be heavily taxed. Something could be worked out if We the People had the will to do it and if the American people were actually informed of what corporate America is doing to all of us.
Ruth: Let's just say that "WE" are being squeezed by high costs and higher taxes , in proportion to our earnings. (Or means), than they, the billionaires, are,! They buy US out, and it is NOT a good deal at all! They rob US!
Just not until we drop like I’ve seen in China. Zero safety nets there.
The safety nets in the US are rapidly crumbling. People cannot survive on Social Security alone.
Rocco, perhaps you should consider emigrating to some place like Somalia or North Korea.
Thank you John Roberts. If anyone every expected anything from this very slimy "correct whore they're delusional.
Laurie, don't go overboard! Surely you know what true slavery is.
Victor ; actually I have a very good idea of what slavery is. As a minor child I was raped in a foster home. I gave birth to a boy, all alone, The state told me that I was an unfit mother, because I was a minor child and had no means to take care of my self and a child. No kidding. I knew that. I also knew that I was not ready to be a parent; and did not plan to be a single unmarried parent. I wanted my son to have a father and a mother, and a faith. the social worker said that if I did not sign the papers, they would just take the child. they did not even hear what I said, preferring not to give me any credit or empathy, just grinding my face in my helplessness and pain. Laying the "superior law" down with the cruelty that comes from someone who blames the victim and prefers to denigrate a wronged, already abandoned child. No. as a white girl, I did not experience the condition of a Black, 'legally' owned slave. But even though I could walk away from that tyranny, It still hurt. The worst thing is that I actually internalized the judgement and disrespect. It took years for me to heal and value myself and have a healthy relationship. I had my twins at 44, and am a grandmother (for the first time that I know of), in my 70's. Have I "gone overboard?" I know where I have been, and am doing as well as anyone can under the crazy circumstances of our present world. Am grateful for what I have for family and friends. I still think of the son I had against my will, He is 55 years old, and I'm not sure whether he is even alive. I think of him every Memorial day, his birthday.
Laurie, what a sad story! I am so sorry. You went to hell and came back. What an achievement! You should write and publish about your experience. And congratulations on being a grandmother!
Let's face it, corporate leaders, at least those who attend the "round tables" are greedy yes, but also desperately addicted to accumulating more and more wealth and the power they believe it will continue to give them. It is a drug far more powerful then any schedule I drug because it does not only do harm to the individual as heroine does, it does harm to whole segments of the population and that is a real high for those guys and it is nearly all men in the throes of this addiction. They believe they are somehow more brilliant than anyone else and that they made their bucks because of that brilliance. In general, they might be bright, but that is not how or why they got their wealth. They inherited money or the business, or they happened to enter a particular industry at just the right time (luck), or they figured out how to rig the system in their favor. In any case, that allowed them to accumulate far more wealth than any human being should have and they prove over and over they are not using it well, just as "drug" users often don't live their lives well due to the addiction, the corporate addicts don't use their lives and wealth well. They want more tax cuts while they use all the services of this nation, often in far greater amounts than ordinary folks, but don't want to have to pay their fair share for the maintenence and development. They are powerful addicts who are doing little to benefit the nation that is letting them live out their fantasy of huge wealth. That makes them bigger takers than anyone on welfare or SNAP. It makes them thieves, stealing from the American people, which is probably why they are so interested in getting a dictatorship going here. In addition to being addicts, they are toddler-men who want what they want and will make life miserable for everyone around them if they don't get it. Truly disgusting!
Why is lunch always free for the rich?
The way I see it, all these “billionaire corporate titan” guys are the guys that couldn’t get a date in high school, so it’s been “ Revenge of the Nerds” ever since! The planes, the boats, the arm-candy, the fortunes, it’s never enough to fill that gaping maw of neediness.
Didn’t Henry Ford end up in a fortress surrounded by 200 guards with machine guns because he feared the public so much?
Every one of these guys will tumble eventually, this financial craziness is not sustainable. And nobody lives forever. In the meantime, don’t buy their stuff, don’t put them on the covers of magazines, don’t party on their boats. Reject them socially, that’s something we can all do. Read up on how the last time this all happened in the early 20th century, how it all turned out for those guys.
FDR wasn’t popular with the corporate titans then, either, but all those programs got passed anyway. It’s what the people wanted.
This just makes me want to vomit, to throw up my hands in despair that other "humans" can be so cold-heartedly cruel and selfish. To have a heart this cold, one must live in an igloo! Find a pretty tree, go lie under it, offer yourself as nurturance for the longevity of that tree . . . Sometimes that sounds better to me than having to constantly worry about how the oligarchs, plutocrats and kleptocrats treat the rest of the population of this world. (If only I were God . . . I would have a field day with all the thugs implicated in this column and beyond.)
I've been arguing endlessly with a friend over the high costs of healthcare and insurance . . . just think how EASILY all the rich bastards' money could pay for everyone's healthcare! NO one would ever have to do without! No child or family would ever go hungry again. The selfishness is just mind-boggling! Mind-boggling, mind-boggling, mind-boggling!!!!
Don't worry, Klare! You are not alone with those feelings!! There are so many of us that are just plain tired, sick of, and worried. We must make sure Democrats win this November down the ballot! Vote Blue, America!!
Don't think too much about it just work against it Klare. and yes you have plenty of company with those feelings.
There does seem to be a sickness in the land. But also the news media on both sides is selling fear fear fear and not all of it is justified.
Thank you for your kind words. What I need is a go-getter partner to hook up with. Somebody who just needs a good worker bee to pair up with and get things done! Perhaps in August.. .
Don’t despair, get more involved!
"I was a stranger and you took me into your home. I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me."
"Sell all you have and give to the poor."
--Jesus of Nazareth, a Samaritan immigrant
Yes.
Still not a Samaritan. BS.
What's good for business is definitely not good or healthy for the average American or the country as a whole.
The sheer self-interest and extraordinary greed of these corporate robber barons is beyond belief.
From Chiquita Banana hiring hit squads and fossil fuel companies poisoning our environment and lying about climate change, the list of corporate malfeasance is inexhaustible in its crimes against humanity.
Therefore, it's not very surprising that these corporate titans would embrace someone as unconcerned about the health and well-being of average Americans as crime boss Trump and his enablers, the republican party.
But as I recall in Greek mythology, the titans were eventually defeated.
I hope Trump and his enablers suffer the same fate.
There’s no better time than low unemployment for workers to unionise and start fighting back.
The level of entitled self-serving delusion it takes to think Dems threaten capitalism (they don't) more than wannabe dictator trump threatens democracy, is flying pretty close malignant narcissism.
"Republican billionaires have told her “the threat to capitalism from the Democrats is more concerning than the threat to democracy from Trump.”
Sick, isn’t it? They’re not supporting “capitalism.” They are heading back to Kings and Serfs.
Idk. Some Kings cared about their people. All these clowns care about are themselves.
That’s the problem in a nutshell; the Dems don’t threaten capitalism.
The problem in a nutshell is you don't get democracy is supposed to balance capitalism.
There’s a lot you don’t get, about political science, and economics. Stop embarrassing yourself.
My degree is Poli Sci & dad was in finance. Your unconscious projection of embarrassing yourself is hysterical. Feel free to keep entertaining us, clown.
Not projecting anything, clown.
You wrote this: ‘… democracy is supposed to balance capitalism’.
Stick to your narcissism studies. You clearly skated through to get that degree, and if daddy influenced your thinking about what ‘democracy is supposed to do’, he did you no favors.
Just to prove how dense you are, narcissists like you project unconsciously, you're told you're doing it & yet keep projecting. What a sad clown you are.
The threat to democracy from the Democrats is worse than Trump. They have established a censorship regime, interfered with ballot access and tried to jail and bankrupt their political opponents.
They only way you can believe that is if you were groomed to serve narcissists.
The only way you can disbelieve it is to deny objective reality
It's ok. Everyone here except you see your unconscious projection onto me. We understand you are trying defend yourself against you own unpleasant impulses by denying their existence while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude. It can take the form of blame shifting.
There is a lot of denial, and blame shifting, going on these days.
“But the strategic hollowness of these self-styled liberals could produce far-reaching consequences—all the way to the November presidential and congressional elections, and beyond. In a campaign where Democrats seek to contrast their values with those of Trump and his neofascist supporters, supposedly liberal Democrats are alienating a significant proportion of the electorate—not only young students of conscience and of color but also Black churches and elderly white Midwesterners horrified by the images coming out of Gaza. As the stakes rise, the distinctions are blurring, and the liberals have only themselves to blame.”
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/liberal-police-state-campus-protests/
Huh??? What on earth are you talking about? Liberals are not happy to see thousands of Palestinian women and children murdered.
Bill, OMG, it's a bott! It has the one-liners we have come to expect of the botts/trolls! gotcha again!
Bill, you do know that is BS! I do get it that some folks on this thread like to throw out complete lies to see what the response will be. Well, gotcha! It's a big lie! Have fun!
Hey Ruth, Believe it or not. There are various forms of trolls who throw out all forms of nonsense to disrupt conversations & trigger reactions so to feel big. If someone comes to Robert Reich's page spouting extremist nonsense, they are a troll. https://samray.substack.com/p/dark-trolls-a-psychological-profile
Like Karl Marx 🔝
He knows and doesnt care
Do shut up boris
Are you on the Drump paid staff.
Pure BS...
Spoken like a true MAGAt