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(Crossroads GPS AD that I saw around 1540 on ESPN in the Philadelphia Market)
Four billion more debt everyday, the new majority agenda needs to be supported. Tell President Obama to stop the job killing environment.
Yes my friends, our conservative friends are right that the debt is out of control. However, their budget that even the US Council of Catholic Bishops have come stating is not only unjust, but abandons principles of the Christian faith that many of those on the other side of the aisle claim to hold true. Seems the so-called moral majority have forsaken God for a militant atheist fiction writer named Ayn Rand. Let us not forget what Paul stated about following false philosophies and abandoning our Christian duty to one another.
The new majority agenda? the Ryan plan is not new. Same plan that fell apart last year that would make cool Cal look liberal. The business of America is no longer business. The business of Congressman Ryan’s plan is two America’s; the haves (who have no social or moral responsibility to their fellow Americans) and the your on your own guys.
Then we go to the job killing environment. The same job killing environment that has seen 26 straight months of private sector job growth, hundred of thousand jobs saved in the auto industry and billions upon billions of profit for American corporations. The problem is they want more.
They want environmental regulations that protect where we fish, hunt, grow our food, get our water and take our families removed.
They want our wages to be lowered so they can not only maintain lavishing themselves with millions upon millions of dollars from our hard work, but our health and retirement benefits need to go as well.
The Republican House Majority Agenda supports those who flood their super pacs mistaken belief that they can take their wealth with them when they reach the pearly gates. I could not disagree more. I believe a plan that thrives off injustice and greed could only come from a people who abandoned the faith of their fathers and founding principles.
Our dignity is no longer enough, now they attack our intelligence. If you believe the American dream is an exclusive offer to the few Americans who learn how to best exploit their brothers and sisters, then yes, call the President and tell him to support this plan.
However, if you are like me and believe that the version of the American dream that the Republican Agenda pushes will create an American nightmare than stand up with the President. Stand up for your fellow Americans by standing against the Republican House Majorities race to the bottom.
YOU PEOPLE ARE SCARED SILLY! COMPETITION IS APPARENTLY NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA. THE DAYS IF WHITE SUPREMACY ARE OVER. READ YIUR BIBLE AND GET ON BOARD WITH GOD’S WAY OF DOING THINGS OR CONTINUE LIVING IN YOUR FEAR AND HATRED. BLAME THE BUSH PRESIDENTS, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO PUT US HERE, NOT OBAMA. YOU COULD ALSO GROW UP!
If only they were crazy. However it’s not that simple. They are highly motivated, very deceitful and have unlimited funds to flood the media with all their half truths. America is changing every day and Karl Rove is terrified. He only has so much time left for his nonsense. Being on the wrong side of history is never a good thing.
why don’t you asses stop the lies you dumb shits.
I hope people’s reading comprehension skills aren’t so bad that they believe I am supporting this Conservative rabble. Hence why I call the ad comical.
screw you people. Obama did not cause the debt. Bush caused it by not paying for 3 wars and giving the 1 % tax breaks that you and I can’t get. He also gave businesses tax breakes to move manufacturing jobs overseas.
Just wondering but you are aware that I am criticizing the Rove ad and not supporting it…Just checking.
You are stupid if you really think a President “gave” tax breaks to move jobs overseas. Jobs, especially low skilled manufacturing jobs, aka the only jobs an uneducated moron, aka a union stooge, could actually get hired for, have been driven overseas because American workers and their unions have priced themselves out of the market. Stop playing the victim and stop blaming successful people for being successful. Increasing taxes on successful people and the small businesses they own who by the way are the largest source of jobs in our country is a recipe for continued mediocrity. Jobs going overseas, has much more to do with U.S. corporate tax rates being the highest in the world. ckets and stop believing that forcing wealthy
If you really have to start your argument off with “you are stupid” you are telling more of yourself than addressing the issue at hand.
My apologies and I promise to refrain from additional bombastic tone. My frustration spewed forth in reaction to what I perceive to be an overwhelming misunderstanding of how our domestic economy has shifted from a manufacturing economy to a service based economy and the unwarranted pattern of blame on some amorphous “elite”, whether they be crooked politicians, greedy fatcats, the 1%….or whatever term the “victim” wants to use. In my opinion we are all responsible for our own place in life. If one is not hapr place, my suggestion is to a look in the mirror give yourself a pep talk and then take action to create positive change. Crying about some political ad that doesn’t suit your beliefs is just perpetuating the polarization of this great nation.
Funnily enough, my first response on seeing the ad (the basketball one) was “What an idiotic bunch of jokers!” -they actually are expecting folks to fall for that snazzily presented drivel. The really sad thing is that many will…
They are not only expecting it, they are banking on it. I see it everyday as fellow members of my union and others that not only accept the conservative narrative but it is gospel to them….then they ask what can the union do for them, why does it seem no one looks out for us. The reason is simple…they voted their rights away because they would rather fear a them then stand up and fight for an us.
You obviously think the american people are stupid!!! How could any independent thinker trust Carl Rove? Gov. Romey wants to be president so badly he will do , say, promise or agree with anything or anybody to get to the whitehouse. The man is not trustworthy.
You obviously didn’t read my article…I couldn’t be more against Karl Rove, the Conservative narrative and the entire myth of the free market that the right has melded into the discourse. They want free markets but for investors and a silent obedient workforce terrifed to be fired if they exercise any freedom on the shop floor. They offer many people’s, ideas and all to be terrifed of and yes they think the American people are that stupid. Not only does Karl Rove and his buddiEs think we are stupid they are trying to keep it that way by attacking education. Mitt Romney is not only untrustworthy, hE is quite dangerous. Anyone who would auction his soul for power has no character. He is just the latest Faust for Right Wing America.
Interesting…you have bashed the ad but have not come up with any solutions….
You mention that health and retirement benefits going away. Talk to employers who will be shutting down if Obamacare is not struck down by the Supreme Court. Check out the bills in Congress to take over the 401k plans. You mention that the ‘rich get richer and the poor pay the way’. What will our senior citizens do if the Bush tax cuts are not kept in place. Any senior citizen that has worked hard all their life and saved for retirement will see their tax rate set at roughly 50% on all that hard earned money. That sounds more like the senior citizens paying for the social programs rather than the rich paying for the programs. This is the path we are on now with our current leadership. I don’t think you understand the founding fathers and founding principles. The principle is not that the government owes the people, but that the government is here to protect the people from tyranny. Our founding fathers were Godly people and when we no longer have God as our focus, the government thinks and acts like a god. The American Dream is alive and well if you are willing to work for it. There are plenty of ‘help wanted’ signs in our town but no one wants to work as long as the government is willing to hand out my hard earned cash!
You mention the job growth over the past 26 months but don’t mention the unemployment rate (including those that have stopped looking). Why hasn’t the unemployment rate changed in the 26 months? You mention environmental regulations. You obviously don’t own any prorperty. Ask a property owner about the regulations. We have had the EPA on our property (farm land for over 150 years) tell us THEY own the land! I guess they are tax exempt!!
Unemployment isn’t being helped by Massive cuts in public sector jobs….apparently Republicans don’t believe the Government doesn’t owe people anything, unless they incorporate…I have God on my focus at all times, however, according o our founding principles there is to be a wall of separation between church and state…I don’t need Government to justify my faith, my faith is justified by my faith….no I don’t own a farm so I don’t know first hand on dealing with the EPA as a farmer, I do know of the EPA did their job the water in the northern part of my state wouldn’t be flammable in many places..
.no one wants to work for low wages and no benefits so they can be exploited by someone whose only belief in freedom is their own. This country needs more of a workfare…unfortunately we have a two party system with one party hijacked by extremist who believe the founders wanted a country like a theocracy with everyone free to follow one worldview. The democrats on te other hand have dropped the ball and played the role of the scared opposition party for so long that they are jus finding their way again. And the banks a
own them both. So is there really such an easy solution out there?
Unfortunately, the thinking that issues are segregated by Republican vs Democratic is what is splitting this country. We should be thinking right from wrong. We cannot pit the 2 parties against each other and cause division. Neither party is 100% wrong or 100% right. It would be best to take the issues as they come and not look at the party affiliations. Think in terms of the golden rule. If a person is living by the golden rule, would they want to take from someone who has earned their wealth? I think not.
Our founding principles did not say anything about separation of church and state. Please feel free to prove me wrong with a quote from the Constitution or Bill of Rights (actual quote not an ad lib please).
The EPA is not a god that can cure all environmental problems. When they think they are, then we have bigger problems. The tests on the wells in the northern part of PA were done only after drilling occurred. Does anyone have water tests that prove the methane was not there? There are a lot of natural occurrences of methane in water. Especially where methane is concentrated underground.
The founders came to this country with a Bible and prayer in hopes to have a place to worship God and allow Him to be their ruler. The Declaration of Independence is based on that premise. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” The key in this statement is that the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is endowed by God not the government. For many in this country they feel that the government owes them happiness and that the pursuit is how many government programs they can sign up for!
As for a theocracy, if you read 1 Samuel 8:6-9 you will see that it was God’s desire for Him to be King or Ruler over man but since about 930 BC man has chosen otherwise. I don’t think a theocracy is either Republican or Democrat.
Both parties have been so beholden to the banks and wall street for so long that their main issue is keeping those who fund elections happy…Republicans are tending to appeal to the ugliest parts of American Populism, Democrats are trying to shy away from the special interest out of survival but with no third parties, even if we had them what would the chance be maybe 5 seats in the house….many founders did come with a bible, they also came to escape from being persecuted because they didn’t follow the official state religion…hence the reason the wall of separation was so important.
Read the charter for Rhode Island. Roger Williams escaped the puritans in Massachusetts Bay Colony showed intolerance…Roger Williams was so adamant on Religious liberty in Rhode Island that the hypocritical Puritans who escaped England for religious freedom considered invading Rhode Island….
I have no statistics for you…I know people though who fight with their employers because they always want to seem to keep them under 37.5 hours a week so they can make sure they are part time and not have to provide benefits…or my wife’s uncle who pays about 1000 a month to provide his family with health care…because Walmart needs the money to bribe Mexican officials instead of health care….theyve been trying to take our pensions for years, so their friends can have more money to play with on the stock market…there could always be a graduated rate for capital gains tax but that might be fair and we couldn’t have that….it’s not a free market, or free access it’s all fixed.
The health care industry is out of control…can’t have a public option, can’t force people to have insurance, can’t force employers to care…guess health care is just another everyone for themselves enterprise….
And liberty and justice for all means ALL, not a few, not most but all. ALL…. And when we see All Americans have that access That will be a beautiful day, until then it’s just rhetoric.
The EPA is not God on earth…they are supposed to protect the environment from the invisible hand that cares not about it…it’s not perfect, but for all it’s flaws I’ll take all the protections…just look at what our wonderful corporations do in countries that don’t at least try to protect the environment.
I guess by your response you were unable to find anything in the Constitution or Bill of Rights regarding a separation of church and state. I didn’t think you would.
What would that gain us? Punishment for choosing a company that makes money? Shame on those people that chose Apple! Once again, there goes the retirement 401k. Most people will argue that gains from the stock market are bad but just ask them how their retirement grows.
It was not unusual for invasions across borders because of religious reasons. If you read the Old Testament and even European history you will find invasions that were due to religious reasons. Williams was only one of the many that fled Massachusetts at the time (1636). Rhode Island was eventually divided into 4 segments until the government was formed in ~1647. The charter of 1663 only guaranteed that no one would be persecuted for their religious beliefs. “That our royal will and pleasure is, that no person within the said colony, at any time hereafter, shall be anyway molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion in matters of religion” (Rhode Island Charter, July 8, 1663) This is not a separation of church and state as defined in our modern times.
As for a graduated capital gains rate, based on your other comments, you are implying that the more capital gains, the more taxes??? Woe be to the person who chooses a stock that might make money!
One of the big reasons the health insurance is out of control is the lack of choices in some states. Here in PA we have a couple but not many. I don’t know where your uncle lives or how big his family is but even the large corporation plans are in that same ball park ($1,000/month). If people would look at their pay check once in a while to see where all the money is going! Automatic deduction has fooled everyone.
I agree that liberty and justice for all means ALL. But that does NOT mean that I have to hand over my hard earned cash to someone who does not want to work for anything! There ARE jobs out there. The unemployed do not have to be unemployed. All Americans do have access to these jobs but choose to reject them. If you don’t think there is liberty and justice for all, then give an example! I am expecting you to say healthcare is an example but that has nothing to do with liberty or justice.
If the founders wanted out nation only to be run on a faith basis I doubt this would be in the constitution
Article 6 section 3 The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
The very first words of the first amendment…notice how it says Congress can’t respect an establishment or prohibit.
Our founders knew the horror they witnessed in Europe over wars of religion.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
Just look how many were up in arms because Rep Keith Ellison ( D-MN) wanted to take his oath of office on the book that represents the faith he holds dear. What use is it to make a Muslim swear on a bible? About as much use to make Allan West swear on the Koran.
I do find a great irony in the choices of president for those who think many of those who first came to the American shores were religiously tolerant..,.One they would have wanted to burn at the stake for rejecting the trinity, the other wasn’t even considered a human being until 1863 or able to vote in a part of the country until 1964.
As for our environmental friendly business
http://brainz.org/15-deadliest-us-corporations/ (mixture of environmental and human rights violations) (from contaminating water, using products known to be harmful to people and the environment…
http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell?cat=world&type=article (the invisible hand not protecting the Nigerians from Shell and Exxon)
BigPharmas great behavior here and abroad
http://www.naturalnews.com/029314_waterways_contamination.html
You know as well as I do that regulatory fines are part of risk management assessments. If you profits still soar even though you have to pay for violations it is more cost effective to pay the fine.
I will never understand how money making money deserves more dignity at work then those who work to make those investments pay off. I love how when markets crash it is always you and I who suffer, but those who are complicit in it are to be protected. There seems to be little risk for some of these titans of the Earth. I mean when you bankrupt companies, squeeze every cent out you can, and leave the taxpayers on the hook for the workers pensions all in the name of free markets and good business something is wrong. My Christian morals and ideals of what this nation should be just doesn’t play in well to that kind of morality. We have a corporate socialism at the top, and a free market for the bottom. Subsidizing the sugar, corn, oil industries to name a few is good, however, food stamps and unemployment promote dependency and laziness.
You are right though that their are jobs for those who want them, but how are you supposed to support your families on the wages they want to pay…And God forbid you try to unionize to defend your family and dignity in the workplace. The dignity of work has been replaced long ago and it’s not due to dependency of public assistance, it’s due to the callous nature of globalization. One of the reasons people like David Barton and others who practice Americanity have tied religion to everything. You can compromise on many things, but not your faith.
Big Business has left the Government on the hook for providing the benefits to those who work. Government has accepted to float that bill while lowering Big Businesses contribution. It fascinates me that someone can work two minimum or near wage jobs full time in many states and still require public assistance….
Liberty and justice is not for all….I could spend all day on that one….but we all know the reality on that….look at how the education system is slated against those in economically depressed areas. Education is the most important tool to make it in a representative republic…if you can’t understand what is going on, what those you vote for stand for how the hell can they represent your interests? But with our voter turnout rate I guess it doesn’t matter.
And yes I believe the health care industry in this country is an unjust to many. You’d have to be a fool not too.
I can’t believe I forgot…could you point me to the article, or amendment that states any church, or faith should be the official religion? Or does it maybe leave religion to the individuals.
There was no big hooplah over kosherite laws, or rabbinical courts in orthodox communities, but then again Muslims are so them and not us right?
Also I forgot how Liberty or Justice doesn’t apply to those many believe have a different lifestyle then them…lifestyle, I love the ignorance that word protects. George Orwell was so right on how the English language became a tool to justify the unjustifiable.
On the EPA, you are right, they are not God on earth but the problem is they think they are. They do some good but I wonder if the harm they are doing is out weighing the good. I am curious, what corporations are you referring to that harm the other countries and what environment issues are there in the other countries? Facts please?
Mr. Bergen: “My Christian morals and ideals of what this nation should be… ”
Can you expand on this? Based on some of your comments, it seems that you want the government to help the poor? One of your other comments: “how are you supposed to support your families on the wages they want to pay” surprises me too. I would appriciate your morals and ideals explained.
my belief is we are one, yes we all come from different faiths, different backgrounds and different cultures but here we work together. No man or woman is prince or princess, no one nobler than the next. While one might make millions in trucking for example, someone else built those roads, maintained them, patrol them, build the trucks that roll freight, maintain the running of the trucks, pack the freight , unload the freight (could go on and on but I think the point has been made). No one is an island on themselves. We are all a part of the body of the nation as citizens, as Christians are all a part of the body of Christ.
I have no problem with those who make money selling pieces of paper called stocks, I have a problem when they forget that those pieces of paper make up more than just their personal fortune. They represent those laboring to put the product together as well, those purchasing the product and so on. I don’t understand how a person in a board room risks more than one on the shop floor, but we aren’t meant to agree on everything.
I know that God works in mysterious ways, but I never have found an argument where greed and exploitation puts my restless spirit to rest. Conservatives say Liberals replace God with Government, Liberals believe Conservatives replaced God with the Market…There is something inherently wrong with a people, or a Government that would stand idly by while they allow those who comprise the body to be taken advantage of for the betterment of a few. I don’t think people should be dependent on the Government, but when everything is about greed and self serving exploits those who are left behind aren’t lazy or undeserving…even the Council of Catholic Bishops pushed back as the plan that Paul Ryan touts abandons Christians principles….
.it doesn’t take a labor economist to see where the wealth concentration has come from…by driving down wages, cutting benefits, skimping on workplace and even consumer safety profits soar….your wages used to be higher, benefits and all to improve productivity and like Henry Ford discovered by paying the workers more you create a worker who can also consume your product…
Instead of that principle we have the explosion of pay at the top and depression or stagnation through out the rest…of course they don’t want to pay better wages it cuts into the millions upon millions they lavish themselves with..:not all companies are like that, quite a few believe they have a responsibility to more than another summer home.
As for the inheritance tax….you can’t take it with you and being born into the Kennedy, Romney, Rockefeller family or so on isn’t hard work, or something you earned through struggle and perseverance
.
The major difference I see in the narratives from both sides is Conservatives say your on your own, and Liberals say we are in it together…I know the self made man and all makes good rhetoric and noble fables but my faith teaches me that there is more to this world then just me, and if I am wrong I will answer for it in due time..
Also…what are you supposed to tell to the 14 million now covered who have been rejected in the past or couldn’t afford it .companies who employ 50 care only about your labor, not your access to affordable health care? We are all in this together…unfortunately, it looks like divide and conquer already worked on ya though….
I have worked for many of the small companies you mention and worked for larger ones too. If you can back up you claims with valid statistics then you might sway me but from my experiences over 40+ years, there are lots of options.
Oh and the bush tax cuts on the middle class and seniors aren’t the ones that need to expire…even the holiest of holies Reagan realized he had to bump the upper rates back up after he cut them…its all about lower capital gains so they can pay lower rates making money of your labor…when people make money it’s free game, when money makes money hands off.
Many of the seniors are living on capital gains. It is not just the rich. It is the capital gains taxes that will harm our economy and employment situation. Without the investments of your 401k what would companies do? What would your retirement look like? Remember the tax on capital gains is cutting your retirement in half!
Jean,
Capital Gains taxes are not and were never taken out of 401k plans.
That is the point of 401k plans. Once money is withdrawn during retirement, it is taxed as normal income. This is why there are significant limits on what and when contributions can be made and withdrawn without penalties.
The reintroduction of capital gains taxes will only tax those who trade stocks for non retirement income.
Thank you for the help in clarifying that issue part of the issue….hopefully, that will help dispel the partial lies of that narrative. I refuse to use the term half truth anymore….the term half truths implies they don’t know they are lying or trying to pull a fast one.
Thanks Rick for your clarification. You are right.
Capital gains would affect sale of stock in non retirement accounts but also sale of property. I would think you would agree that the housing market would be negatively affected? Prior to 1980 when the 401k plans started to become popular, the only retirement was stock investment, savings, and your home.
I have 2 questions on this subject; 1) why is it sooooo wrong to want to make a profit selling stock and making money and 2) why should someone be punished by paying more taxes for taking a chance and helping a company monitarily?
If it is wrong to make money than why is it okay to have personal profit for the extras that families enjoy such as vacations, a second car, boats, RVs, motorcycles, books, cell phones, pets, etc.
Then there is the issue of inheritance tax. That would be a good topic for discussion too. The government thinks that once you die, most of what you have should be taxed at a higher rate! (Rick- comments?)
Nonetheless, good discussions.
Jean,
Taxing income gained from monetary investments at a lesser rate than normal income disproportionally benefits the wealthy. This falls under the same argument of a progressive tax system vs. a flat tax. We in this country have a progressive tax system for normal income tax but a regressive tax for payroll deductions and investment income.
Many executives at firms are paid with stock options that they only need to pay capital gains tax on when they sell. Why should an executive only pay 15% income tax?
A common argument against capital gains taxes is that there is risk involved with investments. Yes, there is risk, however if an investment goes sour the party who lost money is able to deduct this loss vs. their other capital gains when paying taxes. This important point is rarely made.
I would argue that all income should be taxed using the same progressive system of income tax.
Inheritance tax falls under a different category of someone earning income vs. being born to the right person. This issue is a different beast entirely.
I think this is a plant. I do not believe this is a real person. I live in Michigan were the GOP is ripping apart the state. GM has had a record year. So has Ford and the rest. We have one of the only products still made in this country. Along with Toyota and Honda, they are hiring. No business are closing because of Obama care. It will not effect any of the current health insurances. People without insurance will be able to purchace affordable insurance. The insurance companies are not happy. That is all. Doctors are not happy because they now have to make you better or they will not get paid. If congress wants to take over anything it is the GOP majority that runs the congress right now. You do know that they are the majority, right. The Bush tax cuts only helped the people over 250,000 a year. Is that what the senoir has. I only make 48,000 working and my taxes never went down. They went up. I don’t believe the EPA thinks it owns the land. I think they are trying to tell you there is no Horizontal Fracking allowed in your state, I am correct right. There is a universal God that has many names to many US citizens. It is not right that you claim to be the only ones who should be recognized. Those are the people who love this country the most because they have seen the worst from other governments, and the biggots are persicuting them. Our country is a melting pot of wonderful cultures and religions. It is the best country because we allow this banter. Social programs like meals on wheels are important and need to be supported. I am sorry that you are angry that in our life time, a black man is president. He is right, everyone has the right to AFFORDABLE MEDICAL CARE. That is the real title of Obama care. The affordable health care act. I would cry if Carl Rove and Cheney were granted another chance to rape this country and it’s people. With one more thought, our founding fathers came to this country to get away from the government telling them what religion they could practice, how many kids to have, not to use birth control(Spanish law) and if they were poor it was just to bad for them. Roosevelt had the right idea. Give the poor a chance and they will surprise you. They didn’t choose to be poor. They choose to take care of their own. Read some of the social programs that he started, welfare, medicare, unemployment, food stamps. This was a great man. Or are you trying to say he was a socialist and just lioke Obama. I thinks President Obama is proud to be compared to President Roosevelt
I don’t know, but I know from my debate at work that conservatives wont buy the GM is successful comment…all I get in return is they got a stimulus….Barack Obama is the president who will always be known as fucked if he do, fucked if he don’t. The GOP is not only killing us, they are killing themselves…they need the culture war like we need oxygen for life.
Sorry to disappoint you but, as once said “there is a person behind the pixels”! I am real. I agree that the auto industry is on a huge comeback. (http://www.areadevelopment.com/Automotive/November2011/auto-industry-backshoring-sparks-manufacturing-0003211.shtml) The small businesses that will be forced to provide health insurance to their employees will be closing if Obamacare goes into effect. I challenge you to ask your doctor what will happen if Obamacare goes into effect (especially to Medicare patients) then report back to this forum. I can tell you from experience that our personal health insurance has already changed. We have already seen increase in premiums to be able to pay for those who do not have or want insurance. Do you think it is right to force health insurance down everyone’s throat? GOP does not have the majority in Congress right now, only in the House. The Senate is still Democrat. I don’t know where the figure $250,000 came from but if we draw that line in the sand, when does it change. One thing that you can count on is change. As Mr. Bergen indicates, what about equality for ALL? You are wrong about the fracking. We wanted to give our daughter a plot of land next to us to build a house. I believe that there is one God. If you believe in the Bible then I would also expect you to be concerned about the new law that Congress is voting on to allow abortions based on sex of the baby. I came from the very poor. I have been hungry, slept in a room where the snow came in the windows and shoveled coal into the furnace. We usually got one gift for Christmas and cherished it for a long time. Please have some compassion for the people you write to and consider that there is a story behind every life. My parents (second generation immigrants) taught us to work hard to get ahead and that is exactly what I did. It is more of the thinking of hard work to get ahead that this country needs. You can’t make the poor rich by making the rich poor.
As for Mr. Bergen, your language is uncalled for. As a writer I would have expected you to use better words to express your feelings.
The language is not uncalled for…with all the dog whistling out there please….no one is targeting fetus’ based on sex. Keep pushing the wedge to create jobs (the GOP real campaign slogan)
Btw I do believe you a real person, hence why I am debating back and forth. Not gonna talk to a robot
H.R. 3541
I know the bill is there, it’s I meant its not an issue…it’s a wedge issue used to divide an conquer people away from other interests…I am personally against abortion, however there are exceptions….And that bill is a fear tactic…not a real issue.
Also what does that bill have to do with the economic situation, and dishonest nonsense (according to politifact) that this ad contains….those social issues do not need to be attached to an economic thought.
Good post Jean. Anyone can be successful. I don’t envy those who have achieved success and I don’t believe they should be penalized for their success with higher, progressive tax rates that redistributes their wealth to a growing mass of multi-generation career entitlement recipients who contribute nothing to our nation. Extending unemployment benefits for people who have lost their jobs discourages them from regaining employment and creates dependency and perpetuates the polarization of the have and havenots and the class warfare that the Democratic party desperately needs to perpetuate itself.
Anyone can be successful…And I don’t envy those who are successful…Especially those whose success comes from bankrupting companies, extracting every last cent they can and leaving the tax payers on the hook for the workers pensions. As for the class warfare, lets not cast stones…Where would Conservatives be without the Cultural wedges. Don’t worry about the speck in my eye, I’ll be fine.
We are so far apart ideologically that it makes no sense to me to keep engaging each other in this manner. I wish you well, nevertheless. Interesting to me you seem to wish for a more centrist political situation in this country but your views place you deeply in the heart of the Democratic party. I wonder if you even realize it.
It’s not crying about an ad when you point out dishonesty in them. If you read my other blog, or saw the actual report by Politicheck you would see my point on this. They found parts of the ad “completely dishonest”.
I would like to see a more centrist atmosphere. I have voted for Republicans before, I followed my Union and voted for Tom Corbett. And yes I definitely have buyers remorse on that one.
The only reason I would place myself in the center left of the spectrum is I disagree agree with Democrats on several issues, however I just can’t stomach the sheer lunacy(for lack of a better term) of what has become mainstream conservatism.
I believe in checks and balances, I believe in the right of workers to organize, I believe that my faith is my faith and needs not be pushed on others, I do not believe greed or selfishness is a virtue. I believe when everyone works together things can be accomplished. I wish we had several parties in this country that actually had power to break the death grip that the two parties have. Until then, nothing inside me can ever vote for a Republican so by necessity I am forced to vote Democrat. And as far as I can tell there is nothing remotely centrist about The Right these days.
I don’t think Government is the fix all to everything, and God knows I have little faith in the market to fix everything. What I would like is more of a middle approach, but with one side saying any compromise is a 50% move to socialism how can there be any compromise.
I’m sorry that is so ideologically apart from your stance. However, I can’t, nor will I apologize for the views. Thanks for taking part in the discussion.
stop the smear campaign!
It’s all they got
What are you people talking about? I don’t trust either the Democrats or Republicans – most of them are self serving and fabricators, along with being legal thieves! Added is the amoral attitude of the ‘alternative lifestyle’ who seem bent on shoving what THEY want down the rest of our throats! It gets pretty dam bad when my 6 year old grandchild thinks automatically that I am ‘a lesbian’ simply because I said I was going to check on my girlfriend who is very ill! Now I had to explain to her that girlfriend doesn’t mean lesbian, just a female friend! That is disgusting to me – that ‘they’ polluted our children’s minds! Gay used to mean ‘happy’, ‘joyous’, and the ‘Gay Nineties’ meant a historic time in America that was euphoric! Not anymore! Alternative lifestyles is a lie!
It’s not an alternative lifestyle…if ou want to look at it that way they could consider your lifestyle alternative…just because someone is Gay doesn’t mean they don’t deserve every protection under the law that I receive. It gets pretty bad when we let our politicians and so called social morals set us against each other do to differences…
The so-called “Republican” party has died. Now is a collection of racist, greedy bastards who have never accepted that a black could actually be elected President. The day he was inaugurated they decided to oppose anything he proposed. Unfortunately, enough Dems joined the Repubs in Congress (particularly the Senate) to defeat many of his proposals. But look at all the threats from Republicans – voting purges, birthers, attacks on women’s rights, worker and union rights, and so many more. You know what the real question to me is? How has our country and citizenry become soooo G-D STUPID to elect these a**holes and even more, continue to allow all this? Our country is being taken over – it is far from the country in which I was born or want to die in.
WHERE IS ANY OUTRAGE?
The outrage is there…I am personally outraged by my faith being hijacked by people bent on using it to control society, the banks who own the senate and a two party system that cares more about power then solutions…I can’t vote Republican because their agenda not only offends me, but is trying to go back to a time we have fought hard to overcome. If I don’t vote Democrat I’m throwing my vote away…our nation has hit a fork in the road and I just pray we don’t …
Karl Rove’s Crossroad is bombarding northern Virginia with these ads. Although they are heavy with Conservative talking points and half-truths, they are not as vicious as I thought they would be.
However, again, they keep coming and apparently there is no ending to them. I am just wondering, with 5 months left to the elections, I am wondering why they are spending like crazy? Is it because they are trying to condition people to view Obama a certain way?
I’ve counted it from 6-8 PM, they played it 6 times on a single channel. Multiple it by dozens of channels, and you can imagine how much they’re spending, and God knows how much more they have in their arsenal.
America is paid and bought by a few.
They do want you to view Obama in a certain light…Karl Roves genius is he uses Mitt Romneys weakness and puts it on Obama. He knows Mitt Romney is one of the untrustworthy, phoniest, most ill suited candidates any party has had since Dukakis. So they are hoping Turn that narrative on Obama…Mitt will say anything and adjust any of his views to fit the crowd; so they must make Obama look the same. Mitt uses half truths and loaded words, so must Obama. They must make Obama look as untrustworthy as they know Mitt is…it’s the same thing they did to Kerry. George Bush was a draft dodging chicken hawk so they had to swift boat Kerry….I have a feeling the dirtier and more ridiculous ads are soon to come….Karl Rove and friends have more money behind them than they know what to do with and they’d rather use it to flood the airwaves with partial lies, worn out talking points and just plain old tom foolery than pay it in taxes (which is their biggest fear
)
These ads are all over Ohio channels. If they are indeed the work of Karl Rove then we know the Koch Brothers are in this somewhere. Citizens United must be repealed or at least watered down so that the middle class can retain some voice in government.
Hi Richard,
Just wanted to say I really enjoyed your article and I could not agree more with your perspective. It worries me that the rhetoric I read in the New Majority Agenda is phrased in such a way that it sounds like the the EPA, unions and other measures put into place to protect our citizens are the problem. I look back at all of the horrible situations in our countries not-so-distant past and wonder how loosing these protections could benefit us as citizens. I feel the elimination of these regulations could only feed the greed of a few at the top (note I said few… not all) who want to make it exponentially better for themselves and a bunch of their friends, while setting the rest of the country back about 50 years. And yet they accuse Obama of cronyism? Wasn’t the point of government to do what works best for the MAJORITY of people?
If the republicans were really looking to restore American Capitalism they would be running on some idea like eliminating monopolies in industry. I recently spent some time in India and was speaking to a young man about his I-phone. He told me he pays 300 rupees ($6) a month for 3G service including data. He said he had over 70 providers to choose from, and that kept the prices low. I pay $130 and have 3 choices (only 2 of which work well where I live). Which sounds more capitalist to you?
Thanks for taking the time to write your article. Its good to know other people are concerned.
The reason the cell phones are so cheap and that there are many more carriers in India is that there is no FCC to govern the industry.
Hi Richard,
Just wanted to say I really enjoyed your article and I could not agree more with your perspective. It worries me that the rhetoric I read in the New Majority Agenda is phrased in such a way that it sounds like the the EPA, unions and other measures put into place to protect our citizens are the problem. I look back at all of the horrible situations in our countries not-so-distant past and wonder how loosing these protections could benefit us as citizens. I feel the elimination of these regulations could only feed the greed of a few at the top (note I said few… not all) who want to make it exponentially better for themselves and a bunch of their friends, while setting the rest of the country back about 50 years. And yet they accuse Obama of cronyism? Wasn’t the point of government to do what works best for the MAJORITY of people?
If the republicans were really looking to restore American Capitalism they would be running on some idea like eliminating monopolies in industry. I recently spent some time in India and was speaking to a young man about his I-phone. He told me he pays 300 rupees ($6) a month for 3G service including data. He said he had over 70 providers to choose from, and that kept the prices low. I pay $130 and have 3 choices (only 2 of which work well where I live). Which sounds more capitalist to you?
Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful opinion piece. Its good to know other people are concerned.
It’s not about American Capitalism, it’s about greed and power…
…EPA is supposed to protect the enviornment from those who would ignore the invisible hand they so highly tout…same reason they opposed the consumer protections and want to limit any law that holds corporations accountable.
Unions give workers a voice…it’s a hard pill for those who view workers as just another production cost to swallow…I mean could you imagine arguing with a piece of copper that you need to make copper wire…organized money good, organized labor bad
The whole model can be summed up like this…
Food stamps make you lazy, Food subsidies make you profitable.
For Jean – some of those specifics and facts you were asking for about the value of the EPA and what companies not held accountable leads to.
http://www.npr.org/series/142000896/poisoned-places-toxic-air-neglected-communities
http://www.crudethemovie.com/
http://semperfialwaysfaithful.com/
http://www.oklahomalovesgreen.com/page.html
http://thelastmountainmovie.com/film/
http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/
http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking/affirming-gasland (check out the PDF at the bottom of the page)
http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/04/01/under-pressure—q-a-with-epa-head-lisa-jackson/
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/gallery-why-nixon-created-the-epa/67351/ ( great article on why Richard Nixon, a republican, started the EPA. Spend a few weeks in India, China or Japan and see if you still want to argue their importance)
Thanks for all the links…I’m gonna check them out as well..I’m not too quick on my feet when it comes to the environment, so I’m looking forward to checking the links to better formulate my opinions.
Thanks for the links. My question on the movies you referenced here… are they being produced by non-profit agencies or is it okay to make money attempt to prove a point? Isn’t that a little like Al Gore flying in his jet? BTW…I do have first hand knowledge on India, China, Japan, and other foreign countries…
Crossroads, think tanks and other pacs on both sides of the aisle make money every day trying to prove a point
…they don’t want us thinking for ourselves 
Hey Jean. While I am sure there are many films that are corporately sponsored, I can attest to the fact that the films I listed above were made by individuals who were concerned about issues that are specific to them and their own experiences (Except maybe Gasland, since I don’t know as much about that film). I have met the filmmakers for half of them, and the projects were started on their own because they saw something they thought was wrong and wanted to help fix it. I understand how its easy to be jaded by political climates, but ignoring real documentation of peoples suffering and the crippling effects of pollution and poor business practices in our country is hardly the way to deal with it. Its only the media propaganda machine that could convince someone to look at suffering people and call it “propaganda.” I don’t know about all doc makers, but none of these people are “getting rich” off their films. Most of them screen in festivals which make hardly any money, and they might get a distribution deal of they are lucky. Many of them give funds back to the causes they are supporting. Hopefully some make enough to keep doing what they are doing as a living, which I am grateful for because otherwise no one would know about these stories if they didn’t take an interest. (BTW If you have a problem with people making a living by conveying this kind of information, I don’t think you should be listening to anything funded by Crossroads GPS… they make billions with their organization. )
If you have spent time in all the countries referenced above, as I have, you must have noticed the appalling air quality in China – so grey and polluted that it hurts your lungs to breathe – and the air in large Indian cities is growing just as bad. You can thank the EPA clean air act for that. You know that they have water systems that are incredibly polluted and you can see the effects in illnesses acquired from the drinking water or when you stand by a toxic cesspool that used to be a lake. You can thank the EPA clean water act for that. You can look at the toxins in Chinese and Japanese food, paints, kids toys, etc and thank the EPA for regulating our business to keep our people safe. And there is still a long way to go, don’t get me wrong… but how would getting rid of the safety’s we do have help? I think the fact that people have convinced us that this is a partisan issue is ludicrous. Its to no one’s advantage other than corporations who want to get out of spending money to clean up their messes.
And I do agree with Richard that there is a difference between profiting and profiteering.
My point with the phone prices (and the insurance prices, the utility prices, the internet prices, the hospital bill prices and the education prices) is that theoretically India is priced at a point where people don’t go broke to have these types of “basic” services. As a young professional I can categorically say that things in the US are not priced where people can afford them. They are priced where they will keep people in debt constantly. If in India they can be turning a profit on $6 3G phone service (and you know they are or there would not be so many sucessful companies in the game) why is our service priced the way it is? Why did I go to a ER in Thailand complete with IV and 8 medicines ( the same medicines I would get in America- I know, I was a nurse) and pay $75 dollars when I am still repaying one Dr’s appointment (non-emergency) in America for nearly $2,000? And I HAVE INSURANCE!! Thats not acceptable. Not by a long shot.
But you are saying their profits are okay?
Ummm yeah,..I’m not some insane collectivist anarchist….but there is profits and profiteering…vast vast difference…I’m sure the fact tha they couldn’t charge 60 bucks a month in a country with a per capita income of around 1200 dollars (its 1219 but still)…I pay more for my family plan than most families make in a year in India…I’m sure that doesn’t help either
…
Hey Jean. While I am sure there are many films that are corporately sponsored, I can attest to the fact that the films I listed above were made by individuals who were concerned about issues that are specific to them and their own experiences (Except maybe Gasland, since I don’t know as much about that film). I have met the filmmakers for half of them, and the projects were started on their own because they saw something they thought was wrong and wanted to help fix it. I understand how its easy to be jaded by political climates, but ignoring real documentation of peoples suffering and the crippling effects of pollution and poor business practices in our country is hardly the way to deal with it. Its only the media propaganda machine that could convince someone to look at suffering people and call it “propaganda.” I don’t know about all doc makers, but none of these people are “getting rich” off their films. Most of them screen in festivals which make hardly any money, and they might get a distribution deal of they are lucky. Many of them give funds back to the causes they are supporting. Hopefully some make enough to keep doing what they are doing as a living, which I am grateful for because otherwise no one would know about these stories if they didn’t take an interest. (BTW If you have a problem with people making a living by conveying this kind of information, I don’t think you should be listening to anything funded by Crossroads GPS… they make billions with their organization. )
If you have spent time in all the countries referenced above, as I have, you must have noticed the appalling air quality in China – so grey and polluted that it hurts your lungs to breathe – and the air in large Indian cities is growing just as bad. You can thank the EPA clean air act for that. You know that they have water systems that are incredibly polluted and you can see the effects in illnesses acquired from the drinking water or when you stand by a toxic cesspool that used to be a lake. You can thank the EPA clean water act for that. You can look at the toxins in Chinese and Japanese food, paints, kids toys, etc and thank the EPA for regulating our business to keep our people safe. And there is still a long way to go, don’t get me wrong… but how would getting rid of the safety’s we do have help? I think the fact that people have convinced us that this is a partisan issue is ludicrous. Its to no one’s advantage other than corporations who want to get out of spending money to clean up their messes.
And I do agree with Richard that there is a difference between profiting and profiteering.
My point with the phone prices (and the insurance prices, the utility prices, the internet prices, the hospital bill prices and the education prices) is that theoretically India is priced at a point where people don’t go broke to have these types of “basic” services. As a young professional I can categorically say that things in the US are not priced where people can afford them. They are priced where they will keep people in debt constantly. If in India they can be turning a profit on $6 3G phone service (and you know they are or there would not be so many sucessful companies in the game) why is our service priced the way it is? Prices selected by the private companies who buy out all of their competition to make it impossible not to pay high fees.
Why did I go to a ER in Thailand complete with IV and 8 medicines ( the same medicines I would get in America- I know, I was a nurse) and pay $75 dollars when I am still repaying one Dr’s appointment (non-emergency) in America for nearly $2,000? And I HAVE INSURANCE!! Thats not acceptable. Not by a long shot. So no, I am sorry I can’t support the idea that non-regulation helps us. I can only say that, from my experience, non-regulated private businesses, when allowed to grow too strong, seem to loose sight of the people they are “serving”. And I use that term laughingly.
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