The Systematic Destruction Of The US Middle Class

Max Keiser interviews David Degraw about the concentration of wealth and power at the top in the United States.



Part two of the interview:

I'm Not Loving It

One more reason not to eat at McDonald's. As if we didn't have enough already.

Ohio McDonald’s tells employees to vote Republican if they want to continue receiving raises and benefits.

Apparently this Ohio McDonald's franchise operator also may have violated Ohio's law against political intimidation of employees.

The Awful Truth About Halloween Candy

Hand me that snickers bar...

 

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via: flowing data

What Republican And Democratic Tax Cuts Look Like

Here's a graph from the Washington Post on what the Republican and Democratic tax cuts may look like. Of course, much of what actually is enacted will depend on the outcome of the election.

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Crowd Sourcing Johnny Cash Video

Individual frame drawings submitted by people around the world make up this video. Courtesy of The Johnny Cash Project.

 

How People Get Hurt At Burning Man

This is a chart of the injuries and incidents at burning man from 2007 through 2009. For better resolution you can click here.

via: GOOD

Visualizing NFL Statistics

This is a unique way for NFL fans to look at team and individual statistics. The search by name feature is fun too.

My Beef With Meat

I used to love a good hamburger or beefsteak like just about every other American. I ate beef, pork or chicken pretty much on a daily basis. But I started to learn that my consumption of these foods in large amounts actually was damaging my health, and also the environment. Some of this information came from my doctor. I had a successful outcome in a bout with prostate cancer, high cholesterol, weight gain that, although not excessive, was leading to other health problems. These issues started to get me to seriously look at what I was putting in my body. Then I saw the documentary film Food Inc. on cable television. I saw that food production methods in this country not only made meat unhealthy for human consumption, but also had profound effect on animals and the overall environment.

I had misgivings about what I considered at the time to be rather moralistically sounding pronouncements about the negative effects of eating beef, but I had a funny feeling that they certainly made sense. So about a year ago I stopped eating red meat. I also stopped eating chicken and pork for what it’s worth because I understood that these foods also used questionable production methods that could effect consuming humans negatively. Like beef, pork and poultry mass production methods effect the environment profoundly. Bacon, of course, seemed to be one of he hardest meats I had to give up.

The results of eliminating these foods a year later? I’ve lost 25 pounds. My digestive system works better and I get some benefit in knowing I’m not supporting a broken corporate meat production system while I also help to improve the environment. I’m not one of the people who stopped eating meat because I was necessarily concerned about the cruelty to animals. That is a noble consideration, but eliminating meat from my diet just seemed to make sense. I felt I didn’t want to support the broken system given the common sense arguments about the negative effects it has on humans, the environment and animals.

I think that those of you who eat beef and other meats still should be able to consume it. But I think it’s important that you know that if you choose to eat these meats you can help the environment by reducing your consumption and by buying from a producer or market that raises meat from animals in a natural way. The video entitled The Secret Life Of Beef helps make my point.

Be Careful What You Buy That's Made In China

First it was baby food, then toys, and counterfeit drugs, now this....

Guns God And The Black Panthers Are Coming

This is the same sort of bullshit I ran into almost on a daily basis in East Texas and Montana when I was working for the Obama campaign during the presidential race. God and Guns, that's all they talk about. "They're going to take my gun away, or he's really a Muslim terrorist Antichrist..... and it wasn't a Saturday Night Live skit. Then of course. there's also a deep seated fear of anyone who's not white gaining power. Rather un-fucking believable how ignorant large groups of people are in this country.

Obama's campaign had a handout that addressed his position on guns quite clearly, since it was always coming up. If you got a chance to discuss the handout or give them a copy they'd say it's a lie. "Cus my uncle Joe told me he read it on the internet and heard it on FOX News"

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

WANTED POSTER Tea Party Woman Beating Bully

Click to enlarge poster to enlarge

This angry thug and defenseless woman beater (pictured in the wanted poster) should be brought to justice. We have a video of the crime from the KYPost.com and also another angle here. We should demand that the police take action. Every effort should be made to stop this type of political activity by the Tea Party or anyone else, whenever and wherever it takes place.

Kentucky US Senate candidate Rand Paul should denounce the thugs who participated in the beat down of this woman. The victim Lauren Valle of the political action group Republicorp has apparently filed a complaint with Lexington, KY police.

Tea Party Thugs Beat Defenseless Woman Counter Protester

I think this should be one of the top news stories in the country. Rand Paul's Tea Party supporters beat on a defenseless and outnumbered woman protester. The woman was attempting to deliver a "employee of the month" award from the political action group MoveOn. to Paul before the Kentucky Senate candidates debate last night. Outrageous would be putting it mildly. Could this be a glimpse into the future should these angry white guy tea party "men" actually gain political power?

Keep Pushing Till It's Understood

We Will Own You

I thought I was already owned. This Republicorp video features talented local actor Steffon Moody. Republicorp is a website that lampoons Republican ideals. Another way Democrats deal with the crisis using humor instead of brickbats.

Headline: California Is Broke Maybe Time To Leave - Could It Happen Here?

"California Is Broke: 19 Reasons It May Be Time For Everyone To Leave The State For Good"

Business Insider has the above story which points out that California is basically broke. They go on to recommend that it's time for you to get the hell out if you live there.

But what Washingtonians should garner from headlines such as these is that the government gridlock instead of dealing with problems that need fixing, that the sunshine state is now become famous for, could also happen here if Tim Eyman's sponsored Initiative 1053 is approved by voters.

"Tim Eyman's proposal to create California-style political gridlock in Washington. Backed by BP, Tesoro, and Wall Street banks, Initiative 1053 would allow just 17 legislators to prevent a majority from taking action on a responsible, balanced approach to the budget. This minority veto is undemocratic and makes it easier for big corporations to influence legislation. California has the same two-thirds rule and it has caused such a mess of partisan gridlock there's an initiative to repeal it on the California ballot. Conservative special interests like BP and Bank of America are funding I-1053 because they want to keep their tax loopholes and giveaways." progressive voters guide

The budget crises in California have been brought about starting when conservatives got together a few years back and sold a "pleasant sounding" but radical bill of goods ballot initiative to voters that required the California State Assembly to have at least a two-thirds majority in order to pass any budget or tax increase. This is basically the same BS that Eyman's initiative 1053 proposes. The effect of the law in California is to restrict the party in the majority, which in California, as of late, has historically been the Democrats.

Instead of voters deciding tax and budget policy by supporting like minded politicians to create a majority who then create and implement tax and budget policy, the California laws have created a de facto tyranny of the minority. Democrats now control a majority in both chambers of the California assembly, but not enough of a majority to reach two thirds. You'd think a few moderate Republicans would be willing to join with the democrats to reach the required two-thirds majority to pass budgets and needed taxes. But instead it turns out that Republican assembly members in California are so conservative that they simply refuse to cooperation. They then attack the left for doing nothing and use the crisis as political fodder at election time. (also see US Congress, Republicans, filibuster)

Turns Out First Republican President Would Of Probably Loved Glee

Andrew Sullivan makes the case that we've probably already had a gay president.

Republicans Announce Number One Objective If They Gain Control Of Congress

Let’s see what could it be? Create jobs, end the wars, tax cuts for the rich, repeal heathcare reform, get rid of social security, cut spending, end the so called bailouts, stop same sex marriages, make sure everyone has access to guns, keep DADT, stop regulating banks and financial institutions, country first, wrap everyone in the flag, well not quite.

Senator Mitch "the bitch" McConnell quoted in a interview with the National Journal stated that:

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

Doesn’t this show that the Republicans only real disingenuous objective is to gain and maintaining political power and not doing what is necessary to improve the standard of life for average Americans. Republican house minority leader John Beohner, when asked recently about the Republican's position on so called pro family and traditional values issues, stated that if Republicans gain control of congress they will “not be any different then we’ve been”. Okay that means LGBT rights will be denied. The religious right will have a strong influence over legislation affecting families. More tax cuts for the rich instead of the middle class. On and on it goes. In other words, a return to the Bush era political culture. Boy what fun, a return to the failed angry old white guy politics of yesteryear.

The 8 Biggest Republican Lies That Conservative Voters Believe

Have a relative that's a Republican or Tea Party supporter. You may want to send them this post. These are the 8 biggest lies Republicans have been regurgitating this election cycle.

The Democratic Party did not do a good job of blowing its own horn when it actually managed to accomplish some remarkable things during the first two years of the Obama administration. The Democrats passed a healthcare reform package that will eventually save tax payers money and bring healthcare coverage to nearly everyone. They saved the economic system from total collapse. They created millions of jobs with the stimulus package. The started the process for getting the US military out of Iraq. They actually reduced the deficit. They passed the legislation that regulates the financial industry.They lowered taxes for 95% of working families. They saved the American auto industry from total collapse.

If a Republican's lips are moving their probably saying something like this:

1) President Obama tripled the deficit:

Reality: Bush's last budget had a $1.416 trillion deficit. Obama's first budget reduced that to $1.29 trillion.

2) President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy:

Reality: Obama cut taxes. 40% of the "stimulus" was wasted on tax cuts, which only create debt, which is why it was so much less effective than it could have been. The tax cuts actually lowered taxes for 95% of working families.

3) President Obama bailed out the banks

Reality: While many people conflate the "stimulus" with the bank bailouts, the bank bailouts were requested by President Bush and his Treasury Secretary, former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson. (Paulson also wanted the bailouts to be "non-reviewable by any court or any agency.") The bailouts passed and began before the 2008 election of President Obama. 700 billion dollars was authorized by congress to bail out the banks, the program was known as TARP. Most of it will be repaid, estimates now predict that all but about 50 billion dollars will be repaid by the banks. Some experts predict the government could even make a profit on the money they loaned to banks and financial institutions.

4) The stimulus didn't work:

Reality: The stimulus worked, but was not enough. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus raised employment by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million jobs.

5) Businesses will hire if they get tax cuts:

Reality: A business hires the right number of employees to meet demand. Having extra cash does not cause a business to hire, but a business that has a demand for what it does will find the money to hire. Businesses want customers, not tax cuts.

6) Health care reform costs $1 trillion:

Reality: The health care reform reduces government deficits by $138 billion.

7) Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, is "going broke," people live longer, fewer workers per retiree, etc.

Reality: Social Security has run a surplus since it began, has a trust fund in the trillions, is completely sound for at least 25 more years and cannot legally borrow so cannot contribute to the deficit (compare that to the military budget!) Life expectancy is only longer because fewer babies die; people who reach 65 live about the same number of years as they used to.

8) Government spending takes money out of the economy:

Reality: Government is We, the People and the money it spends is on We, the People. Many people do not know that it is government that builds the roads, airports, ports, courts, schools and other things that are the soil in which business thrives. Many people think that all government spending is on "welfare" and "foreign aid" when that is only a small part of the government's budget.

via: Campaign For America's Future (see original story with reference links here)

NYT Frank Rich Nails It

Frank Rich at the NYT has a great column this week titled "what happened to the change we can believe in". It's a gem.

Green Goddess Shills For General Electric

This video appears to be going viral. I like the woman's intention, acting and enthusiasm. It seems all sweet fun and so now. She very good at trying to get us all to be green by helping her win the big GE sponsored contest. But, I have that funny feeling in my stomach that general electric really isn't that interested in greenness.

They are more interested in the time honored public relations ploy that makes us think they actually care about the environment when it probably is really an afterthought. The video got that BP oil spill smelling stink about it. Alone on it's face the green goddess makes a compelling argument to join in the fun. I guess by posting the video I'm actually helping her with her shilling. It's a great example of how we all get co-opted no matter how much we try to avoid it.