We saw this a while back when it first surfaced and now it's starting to come to light what went on.
I don't know if the exact details are known yet but what it comes down to is regular working class citizens are again getting the shaft via government and business. In the worst of ways.
I am so sick of all the slime balls in government and business. I wish they would all just fucking die.
For lack of something better to call this I'll just call it abandonment. There are no excuses for a congress that is unable or unwilling to really solve this. Of course it's intimately connected to the housing crisis. Republicans, along with certain Democrats, are responsible for this. How in the hell in the richest country in the world are they letting this happen? Whoever loses in November deserves it.
There is a contradiction in all of this which has escaped me until a bit ago when I considered it more thoughtfully. My understanding is mother grizzlies would much rather avoid confrontations with others and are seldom overtly agressive except when they sense a threat. In seeking confrontation they expose their cubs to a greater peril than if they sought to avoid it.
I think the mother grizzly characterization fails the test as I understand it. What we really have is something quite different than that which is being portrayed. This is misdirection at its most deceptive.
We've been misled by this same deception for quite some time and it continues unabated. In the wake of the republican thrashing of November 2008 our expectations were raised and then dashed upon the jagged rocks of corruption that has been with us for decades now. Any fundamental change has been nominal at best and a complete lie at worst. Most all of what has occurred since has been so watered down as to be mostly indistinguishable from what we had before. At a minimum congress and the SC have conducted themselves in ways that have done nothing to halt or even slow down the rightward shift that has us teetering on the edge of collapse. Even the WH has left us with an uncertain feeling that championing the cause of the majority is at all what we envisioned.
Our disillusionment is being celebrated by the republican rank and file and by tea partiers (are they really different?). However, what they fail to appreciate is they'll be subjected to the exact same misdirection and lies which have produced the very mess which they are railing against. Just as we did. The sleight of hand which is being practiced will not have changed one bit after November 2. Only the audience it is focused upon will have changed. Behind the scenes it'll be business as usual with the continued undermining of the middle class as job #1. Just as its been for decades.
The entire middle class has been duped into thinking the political labels have meaning and somehow differentiate us. As it turns out that is totally false. Dems and reps are just two clubs comprised of two groups of elites seeking to dominate one another. Neither has any intention of producing anything nominally different for the masses. We know that because neither has done so for decades. Some might say Clinton did. Except Clinton presided over the dismantling of the most significant and important controls ever on the financial industry. This dismantling brought us back to 1920 and that is where we remain right now.
In a historical time warp of stupidity.
Speaking of which. Rank and file dems and reps, the middle class, take turns blaming each other for all the mess without understanding neither has a thing to do with it. Nor do we appreciate we have everything in common with one another and nothing in common with the elites in Washington. The mother grizzly, uncharacteristically, is not the least bit interested in protecting her cubs. Of that you can be certain.
Here we have a perfect meeting of the minds. The State of Virginia and Northrop Grumman teamed up to provide computer services for the state. As you might expect with such a marriage things haven't gone too well. A failure of the system left state agencies without services for a whole week! Yikes!!!
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/769958
Given the legendary screwups of the defense contracting industry I'd have to pass on letting them provide crucial IT services. With their mindset to blowing shit up I'd be wary of letting them anywhere near anything important.
If this posts it'll be my last until whenever.
I've inserted a couple of paragraphs from the article.
This article is a very apt description of what has happened to this country.
Between 1973 and 2006, the U.S. economy tripled in size. In 1973, the incomes of the bottom 90 percent averaged $32,135 dollars per year (adjusted to 2007 dollars). But despite that trebling of the economy, by 2006 the bottom 90 percent had taken a cut, pulling down an average income of $31,528. Despite thirty-three years of healthy growth in the economy, the vast majority of Americans earned a bit less than they had in 1973. This was an era in which we saw also saw a steep rise in the number of Americans who lack health-care, and the virtual end of fixed-benefit pensions
Checking the Logic of Downward Competition: International Trade Unionis
Regrettably, most trade union leaders in the US and Europe are actively collaborating with the Neoliberal austerity policies of their capitalist rulers against their own class interests. This disgraceful policy of labor bureaucracy follows from a self-defeating philosophy that is called "business unionism," or more accurately, "national business unionism." National business unionism accepts capital's needs for profitability as a precondition for labor's need for survival and, therefore, advocates collaboration with the capitalist class on a national basis and shoulders the burden of onerous economic sacrifices to maintain corporate profitability.
Growth and/or circulation of nationalist sentiments in the labor ranks (and the resulting international labor rivalry) is of, course, a boon for the ruling kleptocracy that loves to pit workers against their class brothers and sisters internationally. It is not surprising that as the grueling economic conditions continue unabated and the high rates of unemployment remain unrelenting, many politicians and policy makers are increasingly trying to whip up xenophobia and nationalist sentiments among workers. This includes not only the unabashedly right-wing or conservative politicians, but also the purportedly liberal Democratic President of the United State, Barack Obama, who has recently been promoting his new, nationalist approach--"made in America"--to comforting the jobless Americans. "So the message I want to deliver to our competitors . . . is that we are going to rebuild this economy stronger than before. And at the heart of it are going to be three powerful words: Made in America. (Applause.) Made in America," stated the President in a recent address to the AFL-CIO Executive Council.
Note that, once again, Mr. Obama is careful not to use the bluntly nationalist/protectionist "buy American" slogan. Instead, he uses a more subtle, Orwellian version of it: "made in America." While prima facie reasonable, and may be pleasing to populist sentiments, the "buy American" or "made in America" policy suffers from a number of weaknesses. While the policy may save some jobs in import-competing industries, it would hurt employment in export industries, as it is bound to create protectionist retaliation among international trading partners. Furthermore, since the policy accepts the primacy of the needs of (national) capital, it heightens international labor rivalry, thereby making labor hostage to the profitability imperatives of national capital.
Of course, destructive effects of international capital's blackmailing policy (of plant relocation or capital flight) reach beyond the curtailment or elimination of jobs and wages--vital as these are to the working class. This pernicious policy has become a weapon in the hands of the footloose and fancy-free multinational capital when it opposes any humane social program, or essential social needs: science, technology, education, health care, use of natural and/or environmental resources, and so on. Attempts to place environmental standards on firms are met with the threat of moving production elsewhere. Higher taxes to improve the schools? Again, the same threat. Better health and safety standards? The same response, or blackmailing strategy.
What can the working people and other grassroots do to protect their jobs, their sources of livelihood, their communities and their environment? Is there a defense against these threats? Are there alternatives to the global corporate agenda? What can communities do to undermine the strategies of multinational corporations that block progressive social and economic reforms?
There is far more in the article describing the political distractions that seriously mislead voters. I don't know how this is ever going to get fixed. It looks very grim to me. This is without a doubt the greatest challenge this nation has ever and likely will ever face. That we aren't up to the task is abundantly clear. The change that Obama has spoken of has been going on for at least half a century and the response has yet to make itself known. Unfortunately a big portion of voters might read an analysis like this and their eyes would simply glaze over. It just wouldn't register because the majority is sadly uninformed. I hope Americans get a whole lot smarter one of these days. That is our only hope.
If this posts it'll be my last until whenever.
I've inserted a couple of paragraphs from the article.
It is a very apt description of what has happened to this country.
Between 1973 and 2006, the U.S. economy tripled in size. In 1973, the incomes of the bottom 90 percent averaged $32,135 dollars per year (adjusted to 2007 dollars). But despite that trebling of the economy, by 2006 the bottom 90 percent had taken a cut, pulling down an average income of $31,528. Despite thirty-three years of healthy growth in the economy, the vast majority of Americans earned a bit less than they had in 1973. This was an era in which we saw also saw a steep rise in the number of Americans who lack health-care, and the virtual end of fixed-benefit pensions
Checking the Logic of Downward Competition: International Trade Unionis
Regrettably, most trade union leaders in the US and Europe are actively collaborating with the Neoliberal austerity policies of their capitalist rulers against their own class interests. This disgraceful policy of labor bureaucracy follows from a self-defeating philosophy that is called "business unionism," or more accurately, "national business unionism." National business unionism accepts capital's needs for profitability as a precondition for labor's need for survival and, therefore, advocates collaboration with the capitalist class on a national basis and shoulders the burden of onerous economic sacrifices to maintain corporate profitability.
Growth and/or circulation of nationalist sentiments in the labor ranks (and the resulting international labor rivalry) is of, course, a boon for the ruling kleptocracy that loves to pit workers against their class brothers and sisters internationally. It is not surprising that as the grueling economic conditions continue unabated and the high rates of unemployment remain unrelenting, many politicians and policy makers are increasingly trying to whip up xenophobia and nationalist sentiments among workers. This includes not only the unabashedly right-wing or conservative politicians, but also the purportedly liberal Democratic President of the United State, Barack Obama, who has recently been promoting his new, nationalist approach--"made in America"--to comforting the jobless Americans. "So the message I want to deliver to our competitors . . . is that we are going to rebuild this economy stronger than before. And at the heart of it are going to be three powerful words: Made in America. (Applause.) Made in America," stated the President in a recent address to the AFL-CIO Executive Council.
Note that, once again, Mr. Obama is careful not to use the bluntly nationalist/protectionist "buy American" slogan. Instead, he uses a more subtle, Orwellian version of it: "made in America." While prima facie reasonable, and may be pleasing to populist sentiments, the "buy American" or "made in America" policy suffers from a number of weaknesses. While the policy may save some jobs in import-competing industries, it would hurt employment in export industries, as it is bound to create protectionist retaliation among international trading partners. Furthermore, since the policy accepts the primacy of the needs of (national) capital, it heightens international labor rivalry, thereby making labor hostage to the profitability imperatives of national capital.
Of course, destructive effects of international capital's blackmailing policy (of plant relocation or capital flight) reach beyond the curtailment or elimination of jobs and wages--vital as these are to the working class. This pernicious policy has become a weapon in the hands of the footloose and fancy-free multinational capital when it opposes any humane social program, or essential social needs: science, technology, education, health care, use of natural and/or environmental resources, and so on. Attempts to place environmental standards on firms are met with the threat of moving production elsewhere. Higher taxes to improve the schools? Again, the same threat. Better health and safety standards? The same response, or blackmailing strategy.
What can the working people and other grassroots do to protect their jobs, their sources of livelihood, their communities and their environment? Is there a defense against these threats? Are there alternatives to the global corporate agenda? What can communities do to undermine the strategies of multinational corporations that block progressive social and economic reforms?
There is far more in the article describing the political distractions that seriously mislead voters. I don't know how this is ever going to get fixed. It looks very grim to me. This is without a doubt the greatest challenge this nation has ever and likely will ever face. That we aren't up to the task is abundantly clear. The change that Obama has spoken of has been going on for at least half a century and the response has yet to make itself known. Unfortunately a big portion of voters might read an analysis like this and their eyes would simply glaze over. It just wouldn't register because the majority is sadly uninformed. I hope Americans get a whole lot smarter one of these days. That is our only hope.
During the second quarter, for the first time ever, the Pay TV industry lost subscribers. There are several reasons cited for this but the leading one is shrinking incomes in a dwindling job market.
You can't make a stronger case for how tough things are getting out there than this.
It isn't helpful that programming costs are rising for cable providers or that competition is having an effect on the numbers of subscribers.
No matter how you slice it people have fewer dollars in their pockets. Between government and business they have nobody to blame for this but themselves. They'll be pointing fingers as is their custom but it isn't possible to have a different outcome than this when you just keep hammering the middle class in the way that has been happening for so long. My cable (Internet) rate goes up another $5 on 1 September. That's the second $5 increase inside 12 months and represents a total 20% increase across that period. Bullshit.
Here is a list of states which graduate the highest percentage of college grads. The notable absence of red state representation is striking. Actually, I was surprised this was so one sided. Given the career earnings potential of college graduates vs non-college graduates this explains why a lot of red states are net beneficiaries of federal dollars while the states in this list are more on the losing end of the proposition. You don't hear red state folks complaining about this arrangement too much. The northern more bluish states are pulling the load and paying for the red states who are complaining about everything and want to change it all. Maybe we should just change the distribution arrangement to reward the states doing all the work and see what the red state tea partiers have to say then.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/16/states-with-the-highest-c_n_682195.html
Here we have a religion performing a religious rite inside the fucking Pentagon.
Cut this shit out. There is no way this can be allowed because of the direct constitutional conflict which very obviously smacks you upside the head with a 2x4.
I don't care if christians, muslims, jews or any other wants to do this. It can't be allowed. Because you can't avoid the conflict.
What dumb sons of bitches we have running this country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/06/ground-zero-mosque-oppone_n_673459.html
Here's the crazy part. The HP CEO, Mark Hurd, will still get a $40 - $50 million severance package. WTF???? Consumers ultimately pay for that. Over my dead rotting carcass. Never will I buy an HP product again. They can sell their corrupt ethics to someone else. This is blantant sociopathic behavior. This mirrors exactly how corporate America routinely does business.
Write and complain to HP Investor Relations.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/investor/contactus.html
This one is for HP Diversity & Inclusion
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/diversity/contactus.html
It's a sad day when people see everything taken from them and are left with no sense of fairness or justice.
This happened in Manchester Connecticut the other day.
Omar Thornton took the lives of eight people and then his own life.
This is tragic in so many ways. Despair is a terrible thing.
I wish I knew how we've come to this. The open racism of late is awful to watch.
How is it the least of us are left wanting by a system that offers so much isn't something I can understand.
I had thought we were making progress on social issues. It turns out I was very wrong on that count.
That really hurts. To know my country is so much less than I thought is horrible to comtemplate.
But there it is for all the world to see.
God don't impress me all that much but if there is one this is a time for us to pray.
This is despicable but very much in keeping with how insurance companies operate.
I could go on about this but I'd just get more upset so I'll just let you read it and let you get upset just as I am.
There is a familiar statement at the end of this article. It says that insurance regulators have not done their job. Why am I not surprised at this assessment of this situation.
And here Eric Cantor says Obama is unfriendly to the finance industry. I wonder if Cantor has ever voiced the opinion that the finance industry is hostile to citizens. I'd try a google search for that but it'd probably crash the google servers.
It's been noted over time how reporting in the US varies from what can be read in Europe and other places.
I find it interesting then, that in the US we have a corporate media establishment which now is essentially under attack from the Internet to fill the void of shortcomings in reporting.
It's difficult not to connect the corporate boardrooms running everything in this country with how their divisions who run our major media outlets report what Americans get on their TVs every night. To say that there is a transition underway regarding how Americans obtain information is to seriously understate what is happening. Without noticing and even now barely appreciating what is happening here we have the old guard still clinging to the idea that they might be able to keep a lid on all of this and hopefully maintain their grip on power. It doesn't appear that this will be the case. Those persons over 40 or 50 might think this will stay the same but the generations below get their information in a completely different way and will never rely on the old conduits of distribution or trust the corporate media one bit.
Leaders in this country along with leaders from around the world and the governments they command cannot hide from their actions. I think it fair to say they are presently getting a rude awakening to this reality. They are left to accept it and possibly change their ways or just shut it down. Secret isn't so easy anymore. In a world where every word and every act is beamed instantly across the globe individuals are going to draw obvious conclusions from what they see and know in real time on live video.
Here we have our friendly neighborhood former US Attorney General suggesting there wasn't an unseemingly tone and perhaps an illegal one to playing political musical chairs with US Attorneys.
You can bet the country is going to be treated to this all summer and fall as if to suggest the Bush administration got everything right and whatever we have now has nothing at all to do with the eight years before Obama took office.
Once a liar always a liar is all I can say.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/23/alberto-gonzales-attorney-angry_n_657965.html
Citing examples of the creeping extremism that has become commonplace nowadays is stretching the patience of a wary populace who are growing ever more fearful of the indiscriminate bias being injected into the mainstream social dialog. There was a time when this was held in check when our national leaders were respectful of our national diversity and held their individual beliefs more or less apart from the nation they swore to serve.
That we have departed, more than a little, from the very necessary neutral aspect of governance is impossible not to see registered all across the social and political landscape. This is more that a little prevalent in our military where extremism has taken a strong hold and threatens to completely derail how we deploy military power and how it manifests itself across the globe.
I offer this link from Alternet to express my concern how this creeping extremism continues to make itself increasingly felt and has been doing so for quite some time.
As one of our bedrock institutions our military has established unspoken policies which are detrimental to the mission of the military and also creates a condition which elevates the threat to our country. We simply cannot have a military which has been injected with any flavor of religious fervor without suffering some dire consequences for having done so. There are already strong indicators of this which so far our national leadership has largely chosen to ignore.
Just as congress and our president have been reluctant to try and tamp down the political extremism which so divides us they've done the same within the ranks of our military.
It's one thing to overlook this in the political but it's very different in a military unit where that defined task must absolutely remain unblemished by bias in any form. Militarily speaking, if we allow the notion of a religious affiliation to become a core aspect of our defense, we're dead. This leads to the exact never ending battle that has been proposed and seems, at present, to be locked in to our future. The world cannot survive the religious contest that is evolving. Our president and our congress better do something to change this. And soon.
