Good News Should Not Be Ignored

And Congress is out of session, reducing the potential for more damage. But Do-Nothing Congress is getting pretty good at doing nothing anyway.

Not ready to make nice here. Sure, any day of the week you can find evidence whereby government or governing officials is doing sensible things. They put up statues of war heroes, name courthouses, etc. It’s the other government, the behind the scenes government, the Shadow Government that has my focus. Right now I’m scared to death of what the oligarchy is cooking up while they smooze and play golf for the next 5 weeks. I’m amazed that a round of golf with ADM can result in a policy of using a major food stock for producing a very inefficient fuel. And, now, out of the blue, the world’s most powerful government, with all their resources, have just discovered that there is a lot of natural gas out there. Did you know that? Been on TV for a week now. We are looking at $65T of debt, in the middle of a recession, and there is no plan, no planning, no nothing to deal with it. Strange that any effort to tax wealth brings a cry of ‘wealth distribution’ but when corporations use taxpayer dollars to relocate overseas or to bail out their Freddies % Fannies it’s called a ‘good use of taxpayer dollars.’ I want my REVOLUTION and I want it NOW.

Doesn't seem to be much appetite for good news these days, does there? That may be just as well for the purpose of solving some really threatening problems like global climate change and global economic transition to lowest common denominator wages and labor pricing.

Yeah, pretty quite.- Too many negatives out there to deal with. The idiots burned the usury law and are now blaming much of the debt on the middle class for borrowing money. Five or six years downstream I think we could safely say the oligarchy was successful in breaking the back of the middle class. People will be glad to take a $6./hr job if they can find one. Joel’s article re ‘brain dead’ missed the target. He should have directed that article towards those flogging the keyboard on either side of us that will pull the lever for the duopoly come November.

global economic transition to lowest common denominator wages and labor pricing.

We are looking at $65T of debt, in the middle of a recession, and there is no plan, no planning, no nothing to deal with it.

That's right.

The problem with this upside-down pyramid scheme is that it will eventually collapse, but first, we will see incessant inflation that destroys the currency, and the economy. We are only now starting to see the 17+ painful consequences of these 10+ abuses of the past 30+ years.

Total Domestic Financial Sector Debt = $15.8 Trillion
Total Household Debt = $13.88 Trillion
Total Business Debt = $10.16 Trillion
Total Other Private Sector Foreign Debt = $1.8 Trillion
Total Federal Government National Debt = $9.4 Trillion
Total State and Local Government Debt = $2.2 Trillion
__________________________________________________
Total = $53.2 Trillion
Including the $12.8 Trillion borrowed and spent from Social Security, leaving it pay-as-you-go, with a 77 million baby boomer bubble approaching,
the total is $66 Trillion ! (over $216K per person).
. . . and no one can tell us where the money will come from to pay only the interest alone, much less the money to keep the principal from growing ever larger. Especially when that money does not yet exist, and 80% of all Americans own only 17% of all wealth in the U.S. Voters can not afford to continue to repeatedly reward irresponsible incumbent politicians with perpetual re-election. If they wait much longer (if it isn't too late already), a lot more of them will very likely be jobless, homeless, and hungry. And who ever the next president is, the voters would be wise not to sabotage the next president with the same corrupt, irresponsible, incompetent, arrogant do-nothing Congress.

David wrote: We need a revolution. A peaceful one at the polls. The violent kind should be a last resort of desperate peoples, by all ethical and moral measures.

The majority of voters failure to do so only proves tha the majority of voters don't see the painful consequences already in the pipeline.

Unfortunately, but the time enough voters do get it, many years of unavoidable pain and misery will already be on the way.

Still, the sooner, the better. The best way to avoid a less peaceful revolution is to not allow the deterioration to last for too long.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect.

Problems (root causes)...
Painful consequences...
Solutions...

Well, I do try to rise to the occasion. However, after a good night’s sleep and with a good pair of rose colored glasses, the world is looking better. I strongly feel that now is the prime time to be organizing for reform. The country is in the crapper, people are upset, and there are about 70M boomers heading towards retirement. That 70M has probably kept their political attitudes to themselves for years. You know, it’s not politically correct to talk politics in the work place and who knows what your boss might think or do if he found out you were his political opposite. Likewise, most people don’t talk politics with their neighbors and friends. It’s almost as taboo as discussing religion outside of Church. The Internet has changed that and most of the 70M are computer users fer shure. Also, about 35% of the voting public claim to be Independent now. Why shouldn’t we strike while the iron is hot? The Dems will work hard for a couple of years trying to take the heat off and if gas prices stay at/below $3.50/gal it’s back to the status quo.

Another thing that got me off my bar stool was a cspan presentation this morning. Anne Korin from the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security was just clairvoyant in her presentation on the energy crisis. And, of course it’s nice when somebody agrees with you. little lol. For instance, she made a beautiful point that during the Clinton era with our budget surplus Greenspan said ‘absolutely the government should not inject itself into the market place.’ Today we have communist, jihadist and other governments buying up our financial markets. Bush was able to squander the surplus and has taken it a step further trying to sell taxpayer properties to foreign entities. She allowed me to lighten up on big oil as she placed the blame on high energy cost on the Cartel. Said that as smaller opec and non-opec countries bring additional oil on line the Cartel cuts back on their production keeping production tight and prices high. Said 20 years ago the Cartel was pumping 30M barrels a day and now they are pumping 32M even though China, India demand has increased. Further, she helped me understand that using corn for ethanol is not a bad thing overall. She says food lobbyist and others are putting out false information that it took as much or more petrol to produce a gallon of ethanol. Noted that other sources of energy can replace petrol in the process and that subsidies for oil and corn are interfering with the free market price for both.

It really helps the frustration level when you (think) you have reached a better understanding of the situation at hand. Hold on..hold on.. Obama is out there trying to pump oil from the SPR.. gotta go. check my blood pressure .....by

Aw geeezzzzz! There went my crystal clear view of the world situation. As if there was any such thing. It’s a murky world out there. Agendas being pushed and pulled in every direction at all amplitudes. But, Ann really did hit the high points. It just feels good to put everything in tight perspective all tied up nice and neat once in a while. The young student from Auburn thought he had her pinned with his free market approach to the high cost of oil. He went home six inches shorter I’m sure. I would love to have her running as a presidential candidate and David Walker, ex-GAO Chief, as a vice-presidential candidate sponsored by my dream 3rd party. I’d like to hear her deliver a presentation on the world view. She was certainly against subsidies and she recognized the need for limited government intervention in extreme situations. When was the last time you heard a Statesman present a real vision for the USA?

Well, the ether was pretty quite today. May be the fact that Congress is out of town. However, Lou Dobb’s just reported that Bush and the DOT extended the Mexican trucking bill from one year to three while Congress wasn’t looking. Also, Bush and the DOJ are entertaining the world court’s attempt at meddling in our sovereignty again, trying to stop the execution of a Mexican national in Texas. Let's soldier on.

David, you sly fellow, giving me an opening I can’t refuse. My response would be longer but I have to go somewhere with my wife this morning. Obama will likely become president but I won’t have any part in it. Having witnessed the squandering of the wealth and democracy of this country there is no way I would consider perpetuating the status quo. I pay no attention to the duopoly. Never listen to an ad or read what they have to say, etc. If the media starts to debate about a duopoly ad I turn to Suze Orman or the weather channel. So, looking over the landscape of available candidates I see Ralph Nader as a candidate of choice. He has not worked to subvert our Constitution. He has not failed to enforce the laws of this country, etc. He is promoting abolishment of Corporate Personhood which imo has caused 80% of the problems of this country.
Couple of quotes from Joel’s book Delusional Democracy: From a Temple University student Nadeem Muaddi: “The last time I checked the U.S. government was created by We the People, for the people. Doesn’t that mean that the President owes his allegiance to the general public? If we swallow our pride and vote for the less un-ideal candidate, then we’re basically being forced to vote for someone that we wouldn’t want as president under any other normal circumstances. Let’s set the bar for what a president should be.”
and,
from Samuel Adams: “it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority to set rush fires in people’s minds.”

I think Ralph would do the least harm to our Constitution. Also, this would give us time to organize and plan for reform in 2012. Something else we should consider; the Latino vote represents about 10% of the vote today. If the duopoly can gain citizenship for another 20M over the next few years we will have a much harder job of undoing the duopoly whether through VOID or any other means.

let's suppose you we are able to vote out a chunk of incumbents over the next few years. The corpocracies tentacles are still embedded in the two parties. In my opinion the party echelon is the head of the snake moreso than the politician. The politician comes and goes (well 20% of the time) but the head of the snake remains waiting to strike again.

Roy, I don't see any difference between the Party and its elected officials. They are one and the same.

Hence, if incumbents observe their numbers being slaughtered in the polls in favor of successful contenders campaigning on removing corporate influence from legislation, how big a dime would it take for most of those incumbents to do a U-turn on corporate influence? 10 millimeters approximately?

(I think this post never made it. Responds to your post re your daughter's future. Remember, she is already $65T in debt) I can’t, won’t do it. I remember the Savings & Loan scandal, the arrogance of the amnesty thing and all the lobbyist surrounding both of them. I will no longer vote for the lesser of two evils. We should not let this thing go beyond this election. We need to start organizing to be ready for 2012. A clean 3rd party with built-in citizen oversight, clean, no baggage, no ex-politico’s, no divisive social issues on the agenda. Hell bent for reform. A parallel fight: FOAVC, VOID, and a new 3rd party w/built-in citizen oversight. There are millions of Independents out there looking for reform, plus all the fence setter’s and people who quit voting years ago.

Roy, I understand, and don't disagree with your position at all. It just isn't my position by a different rationale and priority list.

David Weller, a previous volunteer at VOID suggested just a week ago that VOID seek out other like minded organizations and being to form a coalition effort. Your remark about a parallel fight, reminds to pursue that course ASAP.

Thanks, Roy.

A third party would be great, if possible.
Independents outnumber Republicans or Democrats.
However, too many of those voters still pull the party-lever, because it's easy to do (as evidenced by the high re-election rates for Congress).
Why do you suppose politicians put the party-lever (or button) on the ballots?
ANSWER: So they could capitalize on the voters' laziness to examine all candidates voting records, by making it easy to vote along party-lines.

Is that working?

Regardless of who will be the next president, the voters should seriously question the bad-habit of repeatedly rewarding bad politicians with 85%-to-90% re-election rates.

At any rate, the voters have the government that the voters elect.

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW.org) named Nancy Pelosi (D-CA. Speaker of the House) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV.) Porkers of the Month for leading a do-nothing Congress into a 5-week recess.

Of the 106 bills enacted since January, 94 (89%) were to:
(1) name government buildings or lands,
(2) extend or make technical corrections to existing laws,
(3) or passed either by unanimous consent or with less than 10 dissenting votes.
(4) created “Frank Sinatra Day”
(5) created “National Plumbing Industry Week”
(6) created “National Day of the Cowboy.”
(7) ignored the October 1 deadline for passing the 12 annual appropriations bills. Only 1 of the bills has passed the House, and the House Appropriations Committee has approved only 4 others.
(8) In the Senate, the Appropriations Committee has approved 9, but none has reached the floor. The Speaker and Majority Leader appear to be awaiting the presidential election, hoping that the winner will favor higher spending and more earmarks.
(9) Also avoided was a vote on the moratorium on offshore oil drilling, which is typically renewed through the appropriations process, though they reversed course last week and said they would allow a vote.