When you have a major political party, one of only two in our "free and democratic system", whose major goal is the complete dismantling of government so that the "people" can rule, you have a major, major systemic flaw: in other words, we are all screwed.
The republican drive since the rise of the lunatic McCarthy which was followed by the more intelligent but just as dangerous Goldwater, and whose disciple went on to become president (Reagan), has been to empower the so-called "patriots" of America so they can fight for the "real freedom" of America. When they say "patriots" they mean people like Mr. "give me liberty or give me death" (Patrick Henry); or, they are referring to people like Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams (certainly not John Adams); Paul Revere and so many other rebels against the tyranny of the state; at the time, an English king who mocked our desire to be independent.
The lunatics who today are attacking both physically and verbally the democrats who voted for health care reform are jokes; they are hooligans; they are losers; they are in no way shape or form patriotic; yet, they are armed to the teeth thanks to the craziest and stupidest gun laws in the world's history. They are empowered by a "God" who truthfully wouldn't shake their filthy, murderous, hate-filled hands for fear He would be swayed to their heathen ways.
The GOP loves it when these nuts blow up abortion clinics; they love seeing the attacks which are going on now--isn't it nice to have the crazy on your side, right--for they are not condemning them but rather implicitly saying: "yes, we understand your anger." And so, the crazies continue their threats like the one a representative from New York received: "we will launch sniper attacks against your family." Sniper attacks!!!?? Why does this person have a sniper rifle to begin with? And, why does this white, bald loser feel so empowered to do say such a thing?
Because the modern day GOP is nothing more than a mob. An out of control bunch of America-haters whose sole raison d'etre (which sounds really funny using such a fine term like that for Neandrothals) is to ensure that soon, very soon there will be no government remaining. And, my question, and warning to those lily-white, "God fearing", sexually perverted and non-Christian Christians, is what do you plan to do when you mob turns on you? The day will come when that mob, having rid itself of the dems, of the institutions which regulate fair play and protect us from the murderous and greed-driven missions of big business are all gone, then those tooth-less, moonpie-eating, "my sister is my mother", white, losers with bad knees from their years of fatness and immobility, pose the question: "ok, congressmen from the GOP, now it's your turn to go."
Will they go? No, they won't go but by then they will have ensured that the courts, the military, the armed-to-the-teeth mobs and the "laws" will all guarantee their continued existence so as to protect the nation from "invading forces." All of the emotions needed for a fascist takeover of our nation are in place: xenophobia ("Golly, it's so hard being an American nowadays, er'one hates us."); anti-immigrant; non-stop propaganda by the likes of Limbaugh and Beck and so, so many others. One of our greatest freedoms, freedom of the press, is the one that will ultimately be seen from the mantle of the future as having been the one that destroyed us most soundly. Just like in Weimar Germany, freedom was granted to all to prostelytize their views and legally run for office and by 1929, the Nazis were a legally elected and powerful force in a democratic Germany.
Why are we so sure that cannot happen in America? If I walk into a town in Arkansas, Michigan and Ohio even, with a t-shirt saying "Thank God for Health Care Reform", I stand a good chance of being beaten up or even murdered. Is this normal?
In the way that big business threw its support behind Adolf Hitler from 1932 onward, they were certain that they could control the "raging little Austrian" and they knew his "revolution" would be great for business, so too is big business firmly backing the GOP and the mobs. With the Supreme Court's decision to permit corporations to become "people" and to contribute whatever they want to their causes, yet another seed of our destruction takes hold.
When the elections role around and the best advertising companies in the world are tasked with making creative and convincing ads--these are the same ones that make us think Coca-Cola is good for us and all-American--that say something like "fight for your freedom from Socalist take-over. Fight against the heatlh spending bill on November 4th." A lot of underemployed, uneducated white guys with guns are going fully understand the meaning of that word "fight" and blood will be shed.
The GOP is officially and completely against America. When, when, when, will this become as screamingly obvious to others as it is to me?
Time for us to fight, my friends!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Love it or Leave It
As the glitter from celebration settles over our nation's capital, let's take a rational look at what has transpired.
Emotional Propagandizing
Yesterday, as I read about how the Grand Old Party would now devote all its energies to repealing this great health care reform bill for all of America, for the first time I asked myself the question. Putting aside all the emotions and rhetoric, I mumbled in the crowded tram: why are "they" so against this bill? The woman next to me thought I was nuts and this is what I think of those against it. But, I stray...
A recent study showed that people of the conservative affliction tend to be less evolved. This group of people, usually the majority, tend to be the ones not responsible for carrying humankind through to the next evolutionary stage; they prefer the status quo; they prefer to energize as opposed to dissipate social prejudices/injustices:
"Racial and homophobic epithets met the Democratic lawmakers as they entered the House on Sunday." (New York Times. "GOP faces drawbacks..." 23 March 2010.)
Congressman Randy Neugebauer, Republican of Texas, called Bart Stupak--a former priest--a "baby killer" on the floor of the House. It was another GOP congressman who called our president a liar during his State of the Union address; and, in 1859, Congressman Preston Brooks, a southern Democrat--the Party would effectively become the Republican Party after 1876--put Congressman Charles Sumner into a coma by beating him so severely with his walking stick.
Brooks supported slavery; Brooks would have been againt the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and he would have been against Health Care Reform on Sunday March 21, 2010. If the "Republicans" had had their way--please look up the historical switch that occurred in 1876--forget about health care reform, we would still be trading negroes today!
Evolution
Other fun and lies-filled terms put forth and manipulated by the GOP were ominous-sounding ones like "death panels", "government takeover", "socialism." It is here, on socialism, that I must stop. Honestly, most of the unevolved have simply no idea what socialism is. It's like when people say "irregardless." This word does not exist and socialism, what it truly is, is nowhere to be seen on the American horizon. Socialist nations, real ones, put the welfare of its citizens first. It looks at its people as being the greatest resource and it does all it can to protect them from injustice.
Granted, in deep socialist systems, there are problems (not the point of this article). The American government is not a socialist nation. The welfare of its people is not concern number one. Concern number one is the welfare of the super rich; and, more importantly, big business (corporations); and, its military might.
Everything our great nation originally stood for has been manipulated and prostituted to push forth an ever more canabalizing big business agenda. Protecting our nations environment became "communist." If you are against the invasion of Iraq, you are a traitor; if you are against the "right to bear arms," you are a traitor; if you want to reform the predatory lending of credit card companies and banks, you are a socialist; if you want to give a woman the right to choose, you are a "baby killer." In all instances, big business benefits each time the lumpen, unevolved right goes to the mattresses for these causes. Board rooms are giggling with delight at the "impassioned pleas" of the Stepford armies chanting and even murdering dems and blowing up abortion clinics.
Middle Class Loses
The final big lie which had been and will continue to be manipulated for years to come is how the health care reform will bankrupt our nation. All I have to say to this, and I really don't know where these nuts on the right get their balls from, largest unpaid for tax cuts in the history of the world--$1.6 trillion; two wars and both were launched when taxes were being cut; $500 billion and more for the prescription drug reform and completely unpaid for. That was the largest gift to corporate America in US history: real life, not lies or rhetoric, wealth redistribution.
Comments by the hysterical yesterday in the aftermath March 21, 2010 often revolved around how the middle class would be forced to carry this burden. Obama was a "true socialist" because he was stealing from the middle class so as to help the "poor and wetbacks Mexicans." The reform bill is for the middle class! Secondly, there is a little, seldom heard term in all of these debates and it is called "opportunity cost." When Bush chose to cut taxes, invade two nations and reward big pharma with $500 billion, who is footing that bill? Not the rich, their taxes were just cut! Yes, the middle class and this reform will save the middle class $131 billion over the first 10 years and over a trillion dollars in the second ten years. (Where was the republican proposal? How much did they want to save?)
Thanks to the above acts of treachery against our nation, many US states are on the brink of bankruptcy: who is to blame for this, according the hysterical and their drug-addicted demigods? Yes, President Obama caused this pain. Thanks to their incompetence New Orleans is still barely a second world city. The city that had the most effect on the culture of the world over the past 150 years, was left to drown and rot because the President at the time saw no political or commercial gains to be had. Is this normal?
Thanks to their "government is the problem" mumbo-jumbo, our banking system collapsed and the world economy nearly went with it. President Obama saved this banking system and now he will reform it and guess who is against this? Yes, the unevolved GOP. And why, because it is not in the interests of big business; but, it is certainly good for the American people.
Where does this all take us? It takes us to today, March 23, 2010. Despite their best and most treacherous efforts health care reform has been passed; the government-backed college loan program has been passed (it will save us $51 billion over the first 10 years, and what is wrong with that?) and of course they were against it because their big biz buddies would lose profits; banking reform will be passed and perhaps we can avoid future economic meltdowns; and, we will fight with China to protect American business--again, they are against the American worker, also, but they will hide behind some outdated precepts of "open and free trade."
The rhetoric and violence will only increase between now and November. The neo-fascist revolution the Tea Party freaks are trying to ignite is more against the principles of our nation than anything I have seen in my life time; and, sadly many of those people are getting violent and for the first time in our lives we may see actual bloodshed; the unevolved are taking things too far and this cannot be good for our nation.
I will now borrow a conservative mantra of the late '60's: love it or leave it! Got it?
Emotional Propagandizing
Yesterday, as I read about how the Grand Old Party would now devote all its energies to repealing this great health care reform bill for all of America, for the first time I asked myself the question. Putting aside all the emotions and rhetoric, I mumbled in the crowded tram: why are "they" so against this bill? The woman next to me thought I was nuts and this is what I think of those against it. But, I stray...
A recent study showed that people of the conservative affliction tend to be less evolved. This group of people, usually the majority, tend to be the ones not responsible for carrying humankind through to the next evolutionary stage; they prefer the status quo; they prefer to energize as opposed to dissipate social prejudices/injustices:
"Racial and homophobic epithets met the Democratic lawmakers as they entered the House on Sunday." (New York Times. "GOP faces drawbacks..." 23 March 2010.)
Congressman Randy Neugebauer, Republican of Texas, called Bart Stupak--a former priest--a "baby killer" on the floor of the House. It was another GOP congressman who called our president a liar during his State of the Union address; and, in 1859, Congressman Preston Brooks, a southern Democrat--the Party would effectively become the Republican Party after 1876--put Congressman Charles Sumner into a coma by beating him so severely with his walking stick.
Brooks supported slavery; Brooks would have been againt the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and he would have been against Health Care Reform on Sunday March 21, 2010. If the "Republicans" had had their way--please look up the historical switch that occurred in 1876--forget about health care reform, we would still be trading negroes today!
Evolution
Other fun and lies-filled terms put forth and manipulated by the GOP were ominous-sounding ones like "death panels", "government takeover", "socialism." It is here, on socialism, that I must stop. Honestly, most of the unevolved have simply no idea what socialism is. It's like when people say "irregardless." This word does not exist and socialism, what it truly is, is nowhere to be seen on the American horizon. Socialist nations, real ones, put the welfare of its citizens first. It looks at its people as being the greatest resource and it does all it can to protect them from injustice.
Granted, in deep socialist systems, there are problems (not the point of this article). The American government is not a socialist nation. The welfare of its people is not concern number one. Concern number one is the welfare of the super rich; and, more importantly, big business (corporations); and, its military might.
Everything our great nation originally stood for has been manipulated and prostituted to push forth an ever more canabalizing big business agenda. Protecting our nations environment became "communist." If you are against the invasion of Iraq, you are a traitor; if you are against the "right to bear arms," you are a traitor; if you want to reform the predatory lending of credit card companies and banks, you are a socialist; if you want to give a woman the right to choose, you are a "baby killer." In all instances, big business benefits each time the lumpen, unevolved right goes to the mattresses for these causes. Board rooms are giggling with delight at the "impassioned pleas" of the Stepford armies chanting and even murdering dems and blowing up abortion clinics.
Middle Class Loses
The final big lie which had been and will continue to be manipulated for years to come is how the health care reform will bankrupt our nation. All I have to say to this, and I really don't know where these nuts on the right get their balls from, largest unpaid for tax cuts in the history of the world--$1.6 trillion; two wars and both were launched when taxes were being cut; $500 billion and more for the prescription drug reform and completely unpaid for. That was the largest gift to corporate America in US history: real life, not lies or rhetoric, wealth redistribution.
Comments by the hysterical yesterday in the aftermath March 21, 2010 often revolved around how the middle class would be forced to carry this burden. Obama was a "true socialist" because he was stealing from the middle class so as to help the "poor and wetbacks Mexicans." The reform bill is for the middle class! Secondly, there is a little, seldom heard term in all of these debates and it is called "opportunity cost." When Bush chose to cut taxes, invade two nations and reward big pharma with $500 billion, who is footing that bill? Not the rich, their taxes were just cut! Yes, the middle class and this reform will save the middle class $131 billion over the first 10 years and over a trillion dollars in the second ten years. (Where was the republican proposal? How much did they want to save?)
Thanks to the above acts of treachery against our nation, many US states are on the brink of bankruptcy: who is to blame for this, according the hysterical and their drug-addicted demigods? Yes, President Obama caused this pain. Thanks to their incompetence New Orleans is still barely a second world city. The city that had the most effect on the culture of the world over the past 150 years, was left to drown and rot because the President at the time saw no political or commercial gains to be had. Is this normal?
Thanks to their "government is the problem" mumbo-jumbo, our banking system collapsed and the world economy nearly went with it. President Obama saved this banking system and now he will reform it and guess who is against this? Yes, the unevolved GOP. And why, because it is not in the interests of big business; but, it is certainly good for the American people.
Where does this all take us? It takes us to today, March 23, 2010. Despite their best and most treacherous efforts health care reform has been passed; the government-backed college loan program has been passed (it will save us $51 billion over the first 10 years, and what is wrong with that?) and of course they were against it because their big biz buddies would lose profits; banking reform will be passed and perhaps we can avoid future economic meltdowns; and, we will fight with China to protect American business--again, they are against the American worker, also, but they will hide behind some outdated precepts of "open and free trade."
The rhetoric and violence will only increase between now and November. The neo-fascist revolution the Tea Party freaks are trying to ignite is more against the principles of our nation than anything I have seen in my life time; and, sadly many of those people are getting violent and for the first time in our lives we may see actual bloodshed; the unevolved are taking things too far and this cannot be good for our nation.
I will now borrow a conservative mantra of the late '60's: love it or leave it! Got it?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Enough Already
China's announcement yesterday that their currency was not undervalued was stated with the same feigned sincerity--and faux shock--with which the Republicans so passionately claim that they are "for America."
Both lies.
The "Renminbi"
Most economists believe that the Chinese currency, we will call it the "ren" for short--renminbi---is undervalued by 20% to 40%. In very simple economic terms this means that when they produce something, it comes onto free and open markets, like the US, at least 20% to 40% less expensive.
When we take into account that the average Chinese factory worker is little more than an indentured servant--he receives a small wage, is fed in the company cafeteria and lives in company dormitories--the costs for the imported, say, hair dryer, are yet another 20% to 40% less than the average US worker's cost.
Conservatives cry that the unions have priced US labor so high that we are not able to compete with countries like, China, India and Brazil. Conservatives are all for these amazingly open markets which guarantee the lowest possible price for the shit sold at Walmart, Target and other box-stores. Their claim is that these artificially low prices are actually better for the American consumer: the lower the price for that hair dryer, the better.
So, the cost of materials for the hair dryer is $4. The cost of labor is $.75; the devalued "ren" makes the overall price actually about $3.75, in real terms. So, when we add the transportation costs to the hair dryer, Walmart receives the hair dryer for about $4.05. They then add their cut, say, 30% to 50% and the final price is $5 to $6 before tax.
An American made hair dryer--if you could find one--would cost around $9 to $11. Or, the difference between the devalued "ren" and the "indentured servant labor wages" paid at the Chinese factories. In addition, when anything is exported to China from the US, the Chinese regularly manipulate Western laws by filing fictitious complaints to the WTO about American price-fixing; devalued Western currencies; or, they cry that they are a "developing" nation and should be permitted to develop the way they see fit.
The Chinese rulers bend reality, manipulate process and the good will of a more democratic nation--remember China is a communist nation in the true sense of the word--in ways very similar to how we see the GOP manipulating facts about health care reform ("government takeover of 1/4 the economy"), Global Warming ("see the snow, what warming?") and so many other issues they are not in agreement with the Democrats on; and, on issues that most intelligent and educated people agree are real and need fixing.
Lower Prices are Good
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing bad about lower prices. But, our sole and most important role as Americans is not to consume shit from Walmart. Sundays are not supposed to be spent trolling about malls and shopping centers looking for more variations of cheaply made shit that we threw away 3 months ago only to buy again today for $.50 cents cheaper--just because there is nothing else to do.
We, as a nation, should not want to be in competition with Brazil, India or China. In all honesty, I wouldn't want to live in either one of those nations. They are poverty stricken, filthy in many respects and despite rich and amazing cultures--and booming economies--they are solidly Second World nations; if not Third World, even. China's ecological disaster kills hundreds of thousands each year. And, all of that is done to make sure that a) the Chinese have work and b) the West's stores are filled to bursting with cheap and unnecessary shit; guaranting point "a."
In addition, as the world tries to pull itself out of this recession, the surplus of manufactured shit that China has created simply denies any efforts small or mid-sized American businesses might try to hire and employ Americans.
For example, Joe's small shoe company plans to hire 20 artisans to make great shoes. Joe makes the shoes but in the time that he spent crafting amazing and high-quality boots, let's say, Chinese marketers saw that niche and filled it in 2 months with similar boots--the Chinese ones retail for $30 and last 3 months; the American ones cost $120 and last for 3 years.
But, we will never buy the American ones because Joe cannot find a market/retailer willing to stock them. Twenty Americans are not hired; and, those twenty Americans, who would have been paid a solid middle-class wage won't be able to spend in their communities. Yet, they will be able to get jobs in those retailers selling Chinese-made shit and buy that shit for a quarter of the price. Three months later, they again buy those boots and three months after that they buy another pair of boots because they keep wearing out.
When is enough, enough? When do we stop catering to the Big Business/GOP and say to China, basta? When do we stop looking at Americans as mere consumers, as bottom-lines for the whims of Big Business?
I know when.
On April 15th the US Treasury is required by law to report to Congress about what countries may be manipulating their currencies to the harm of our own economy.
On April 15th, if the US Treasury, guided by the Obama Administration, tells the US Congress, fortunately still in the hands of Americans for America (and not solely for Big Business) that Americans are unemployed and starving (but they can buy blow dryers for $5!) because of China's malfeasance, then there is hope for our economic recovery.
My proposal (and that of some Nobel Prize winning economists): temporary surcharges (25%) on all items imported from China. When they value their currency correctly, then we remove the surcharges.
April 15th is right around the corner. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Both lies.
The "Renminbi"
Most economists believe that the Chinese currency, we will call it the "ren" for short--renminbi---is undervalued by 20% to 40%. In very simple economic terms this means that when they produce something, it comes onto free and open markets, like the US, at least 20% to 40% less expensive.
When we take into account that the average Chinese factory worker is little more than an indentured servant--he receives a small wage, is fed in the company cafeteria and lives in company dormitories--the costs for the imported, say, hair dryer, are yet another 20% to 40% less than the average US worker's cost.
Conservatives cry that the unions have priced US labor so high that we are not able to compete with countries like, China, India and Brazil. Conservatives are all for these amazingly open markets which guarantee the lowest possible price for the shit sold at Walmart, Target and other box-stores. Their claim is that these artificially low prices are actually better for the American consumer: the lower the price for that hair dryer, the better.
So, the cost of materials for the hair dryer is $4. The cost of labor is $.75; the devalued "ren" makes the overall price actually about $3.75, in real terms. So, when we add the transportation costs to the hair dryer, Walmart receives the hair dryer for about $4.05. They then add their cut, say, 30% to 50% and the final price is $5 to $6 before tax.
An American made hair dryer--if you could find one--would cost around $9 to $11. Or, the difference between the devalued "ren" and the "indentured servant labor wages" paid at the Chinese factories. In addition, when anything is exported to China from the US, the Chinese regularly manipulate Western laws by filing fictitious complaints to the WTO about American price-fixing; devalued Western currencies; or, they cry that they are a "developing" nation and should be permitted to develop the way they see fit.
The Chinese rulers bend reality, manipulate process and the good will of a more democratic nation--remember China is a communist nation in the true sense of the word--in ways very similar to how we see the GOP manipulating facts about health care reform ("government takeover of 1/4 the economy"), Global Warming ("see the snow, what warming?") and so many other issues they are not in agreement with the Democrats on; and, on issues that most intelligent and educated people agree are real and need fixing.
Lower Prices are Good
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing bad about lower prices. But, our sole and most important role as Americans is not to consume shit from Walmart. Sundays are not supposed to be spent trolling about malls and shopping centers looking for more variations of cheaply made shit that we threw away 3 months ago only to buy again today for $.50 cents cheaper--just because there is nothing else to do.
We, as a nation, should not want to be in competition with Brazil, India or China. In all honesty, I wouldn't want to live in either one of those nations. They are poverty stricken, filthy in many respects and despite rich and amazing cultures--and booming economies--they are solidly Second World nations; if not Third World, even. China's ecological disaster kills hundreds of thousands each year. And, all of that is done to make sure that a) the Chinese have work and b) the West's stores are filled to bursting with cheap and unnecessary shit; guaranting point "a."
In addition, as the world tries to pull itself out of this recession, the surplus of manufactured shit that China has created simply denies any efforts small or mid-sized American businesses might try to hire and employ Americans.
For example, Joe's small shoe company plans to hire 20 artisans to make great shoes. Joe makes the shoes but in the time that he spent crafting amazing and high-quality boots, let's say, Chinese marketers saw that niche and filled it in 2 months with similar boots--the Chinese ones retail for $30 and last 3 months; the American ones cost $120 and last for 3 years.
But, we will never buy the American ones because Joe cannot find a market/retailer willing to stock them. Twenty Americans are not hired; and, those twenty Americans, who would have been paid a solid middle-class wage won't be able to spend in their communities. Yet, they will be able to get jobs in those retailers selling Chinese-made shit and buy that shit for a quarter of the price. Three months later, they again buy those boots and three months after that they buy another pair of boots because they keep wearing out.
When is enough, enough? When do we stop catering to the Big Business/GOP and say to China, basta? When do we stop looking at Americans as mere consumers, as bottom-lines for the whims of Big Business?
I know when.
On April 15th the US Treasury is required by law to report to Congress about what countries may be manipulating their currencies to the harm of our own economy.
On April 15th, if the US Treasury, guided by the Obama Administration, tells the US Congress, fortunately still in the hands of Americans for America (and not solely for Big Business) that Americans are unemployed and starving (but they can buy blow dryers for $5!) because of China's malfeasance, then there is hope for our economic recovery.
My proposal (and that of some Nobel Prize winning economists): temporary surcharges (25%) on all items imported from China. When they value their currency correctly, then we remove the surcharges.
April 15th is right around the corner. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
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