Earlier today President Barack Obama called for the renewal of Bush-era tax cuts for Americans who make under $250,000.
Here’s the video:
While I certainly support an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for middle class Americans, I’m not holding my breath that he’ll have any success of getting an extension of the middle class tax cut through the Republican-controlled House without capitulating on some sort of handout for the one-percenters Republicans are looking out for.
I’m so incredibly sick of corporate democrats and ALL republicans! OBAMA is a politician he’s simply following orders from corporate america and of course who gets screwed?? you got it, the damn near dead middle class and the poor!! This country was founded by rich white males and 135 yrs later it’s basically the same old sh*t. The usa isn’t a democracy! it’s a plutocracy!! it’s amazing how this country was founded by people who wanted to escape Englands oppressive taxes and not wanting a king to rule them have basically turned into what they fought against! THE RULING CLASS! Big business is god in this country! this empire is dying!!
Knight444,
You’re absorbing Conservative falsehoods. Yes, many of the founding fathers were wealthy rich white males. You draw incorrect conclusions, however, about practice and intent. True, very true it is that women and African Americans were excluded from suffrage and societal benefits, but not entirely from public life or management of affairs. That assessment is quite wrong. Judge them by the standards of for their own time, but do so accurately.
It is “not the same old sh*t” perpetuating itself; it is something much worse. What we see now is far from what the designers of our government had in mind. Nor did they intend for their time to be frozen in the words of the Constitution, but for the Constitution to adapt to changing needs. Thomas Jefferson, in particular, is very clear on this point. “A more perfect union” means just that – a government that can respond to changing conditions.
That many of the founders were wealthy did not preclude an awareness of the dangers of plutocratic governance. It is what they sought to avoid. When you say “it’s amazing how this country was founded by people who wanted to escape England’s oppressive taxes and not wanting a king to rule them…” is an incorrect, simplistic narrative that obscures a complex struggle. First, compared to other English holdings taxes on the colonies were quite low. The colonists knew that.
Colonial agents (proto-lobbyists) like Benjamin Franklin did petition the British government structure with colonial grievances, not solely nor specifically the king. But it was the king who was ultimately supreme head of state so in whose name their grievances were manifested. The objection to taxation was a matter of representative voice, exacerbated by British imperialism seeking to exert more control over the American colonies – which they implemented with a series of taxation maneuvers. Those maneuvers were largely parliamentary and decided upon by members whose own private financial interests were at stake. Foreign affairs and taxation were not matters taken up primarily by the king by the time of George III but largely by parliament and the ministerial structure. George III was actually a very weak monarch. At any rate, to assert a demonization onto the very concept of taxation is quite wrong in viewing the colonies. They did levy taxes on their own, internally and indirectly, and some did not exempt religious institutions from taxes either. They did most certainly have a developing concept of public finance by the time they codified our principles of governance.
The Constitution was not written to protect incorporated, conglomerated or monopolized interests nor was it designed to privatize the interest of the people – the public good. Creation of the public interest was the great break from British society, government, and politics. The designers of our government knew quite well how the ruling class ruled. The democracy of the founding fathers is gone. You are right in that. We do have a plutocracy now. We are long past the moment of warning against a threat to our democracy. Our democracy is gone. Our democratic institutions are polluted with corporate filth, as is our culture, as is our water, soil, and the very air we breathe.
I do agree with you about the complicity of corporatized Democratic-Republican governance. Until that alliance is broken we will never have anything but the plutocracy we have now. When Obama claims our nation’s struggle has “two very different views about which direction we should go in as a country” he speaks to your point. That he would feel differently, as he says, if we were in a time of surplus also speaks to your point. Republicans and Democrats are on the same path, they’re simply taking slightly different roads. Taxation is only one method for reasserting the primacy of the public interest. The crushing, extortionist control corporations have over our lives and our economy is the issue that needs to be addressed. Republicans embrace that juggernaut and are at its helm. Dancing around the juggernaut as Democrats do only allows it to thrive.
PJ first off my points are all correct second, I could have made my points much more detailed but unlike you I’m not trying to write an essay on the internet. And believe me I could if I choose to. You apparently have quite a bit of time on your hands to peck out WAR AND PEACE size novels via a blog. Let me help you Leo Tolstoy, this country is a plutocracy, two it was wealthy white men who formed this country, not wealthy africans, not wealth western indians, not wealthy latins WHITE MEN. The powers to be have been controlling manipulating this country since day one. I could go into great detail professor but your fux news education has put you in a bad place and I don’t suffer fools for very long.
Knight, I do agree with you. This country is a plutocracy. And this country was formed by wealthy white men. But not solely by them nor did they design it specifically to benefit only them. How you could possibly conclude that my views are derived from Fox and the right wing propaganda machine is incomprehensible. Our Constitution was designed to thwart plutocracy not to codify it. It is you who are buying into the false narrative of our nation when you simplify Revolutionary Era events. Your points are not correct. Go ahead and write a few paragraphs – call it an essay if you will- it doesn’t take so much time to do it. Expand the dialogue. That is precisely what we need in our discourse. If you disagree with me, please do. Discuss in detail history of our nation as you understand it. I never claimed the founding fathers were saints. I indicated they should be judged by the standards of their own time. Apparently you have no conception of colonial culture and society. Perhaps you need to read some more essays.
PJ I use to write very precise comments and your under the misconception that most people are actually going to read a long drawn out detailed book by someone they don’t know on the internet. I respect your thoughtful opinions ok? I said your fux news slant because you made a foolish statement saying YOU”RE ABSORBING CONVERSATIVE FALSEHOODS, why don’t you tell me what conservative falsehoods have I said, in 10,000 words or less. Both political parties are incredibly corrupt, what do you want me to say??? there are NO moderates in the gop there are very few liberals in the democratic party, it’s hilarious the democratic party was the pro slave trade party from the mid 1800’s basically till 1960. The gop was the anti slave trade during that same time, today’s the democrats are the party of embracing minorities and the republican party is fundamentally for white southern or southwestern males! The republican party is 89% WHITE! theres a reason for that!! A- LBJ’s discussion to embrace civil rights totally destroyed the dixicrat vote and many racist southern whites jumped ship to the republican party! B- a little thing called the ”southern strategy” the republican party filled the void of the typical red neck racist hick and using the ”us against them” scare tactic worked for decades! C- the recruiting of your typical ignorant so called southern christian, you know those fools right? the so called christian that goes to church and supposedly worships JESUS but can’t wait to called minorities ugly filthy racist slurs or like the typical WHITE PRIDE christian go burn a cross on some black persons lawn! good ole nathan bedford type southern christians! The republican party is far more destructive than the dems!! far more! over 50% of republicans claim to be “BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS” LOL JESUS I’m sure is fooled by these pharises! Now professor how do you think our founding fathers would feel about your rick santorum politician?? you know those separation of church and state fore fathers.
Your Conservative falsehood is distilling colonial concerns into tax hatred and simple rejection of monarchy. You may not want to read my “essay” but in it I did address that falsehood with concision. By simply relegating revolutionary impetus to white men you obscure Crispus Attucks and the abolitionists who commemorated his role. Not all of them were white and not all of them were men: you dismiss the African American and mixed race experience in the colonies and during the Revolutionary Era. No, they were not equal, no their contribution was not equal, but to simply contend they contributed nothing to the period is just incorrect. Likewise you overlook the role of women. No, they were not feminists, but to disregard Abigail Adams or Eliza Louis Pinckney, Mercy Otis Warren or Patience Wright does not lend to a good understanding of the period.
I have no conception whatsoever of what people are going to read or what they are not going to read. I do know that we are in a period of severe disinformation perpetuated, in part, by simplicity. Simple quips and attestations are not helpful for critical thinking. I do know I prefer to read commentary consisting of more than unreasoned remarks without pith or content. If I choose to write 10,000 or more words I will. If you do not want to read them, that is your choice. Does it really take you that long to read 10,000 words? I guess you wouldn’t be interested in reading the actual writings of the founding fathers. If you are impatient with me I highly doubt you’d have the patience for their letters to one another and to their families. I’m reading the letters of Thomas Jefferson now. He is far more verbose than I, and he wrote more than 50,000 letters.
My comments did not extend past the Revolutionary Period. What posterity did with the founding principles is another story altogether, and which is deserving of attention as well. Your post-revolutionary comments are of great interest and I concur with the bulk of your analyses. We’re on the same page, Knight. You are a valuable asset to our public discourse. If you were to write “essays” I would read them eagerly. To answer your question about Rick Santorum: I think the founding fathers would be appalled by him on several counts.
I reiterate, again, I’d be eager to read more of your perspective if you choose to share it.
PJ I’ve been personally attacked plenty of times on the internet because of my lengthy detailed opinions so I’ve been consciously trying not to bore people, your points are well taken now that I sense you have something intelligent to say. Anyway I consider myself a liberal independent person I understood both parties are playing us for fools but I truly believe you get the government you deserve, most americans are so mind numbingly ignorant to politics and history it’s pathetic! I know some of Jefferson’s biography he was a interesting man indeed. I admired Ben franklin myself, now lets take a peek at our founders many of them were humanist or deist and were intelligent to know that separation of church was crucial!! See I believe they remember their history! the conflict between the catholic church and in particular king Henry VIII. See this is one of many reasons I despise the republican party!! their relentless pursuit of wanting to somehow magical turn this country into a theocracy is madness!! pure insanity! See I look at republicans for the naive fools they are! Republican love to call countries like Iran for having a religious leader but just can’t see how idiot they are wanted the same exact thing here A THEOCRACY!! pure hypocrisy! why? let’s see why first off which religion would run the show? christianity ??? ok well which denomination of christianity?? catholicism, methodist, baptist, southern baptist, pentecostal, ect ect??? insanity! and do you really believe non christian groups are going to bow to another god?!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the jehovas witness would have a problem with the republicans form of government! this is the madness rick santorum, michelle bachmann, sarah palin, bill o’reilly want!! these people are insane! and their followers are incredibly ignorant!! contrary to many uneducated christians are wrong DEAD WRONG! I studies many of our founding fathers and they knew better! I’m a christian myself but honesty is paramount to me. Many people calling themselves christians are some of the worst people you’ll ever meet! so republicans stop trying to usher in this ridiculous nonsense, but I digrese sometimes typing, the printed word and easily be misinterpreted so I’ll try to be more precise with my post. PJ, Question for you how did Jefferson reconcile having slaves and then fathering a child with one of them?
Knight,
Feel free to go on attack for my lengthy posts. I guarantee it will have no effect on what I will or will not post in future. 🙂 I’m not concerned about boring people. People are bored by their own level of interest more so than anything specifically that they read. For me, I may not be interested in something I read, but I will still scour it nonetheless if I believe there might be a kernel of something in it.
How did Jefferson reconcile owning slaves and fathering a child with one of them? You mean Sally Hemings? That’s a good question. He probably had more than one child with her, and Sally may have been one of the half-siblings of his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton. Sally certainly seems to have been close to and trusted by the Jefferson family and from a very young age. At 14 she was the sole companion of Jefferson’s daughter Mary who, I believe, was only 9 at the time, during her cross-Atlantic journey to France.
Some of Jefferson’s slaves were eventually freed, either officially or by allowing them to escape, including Sally, her brothers, and Sally’s children with Jefferson. Some during Jefferson’s lifetime, some per his wishes after his death. The majority, though were probably sold after his death during the dispensation of his near bankrupt estate.
Jefferson doesn’t seem to have been staunchly pro-slavery, though I’d be hesitant to call him a staunch abolitionist, despite his close association with abolitionists and his support for abolitionist/emancipation legislation. His early legislative career wouldn’t suggest it, but his later career advocates the abolition of slavery. I’m certain his conscience was stirred by his station as a slaveholder and by his actions with Sally. Here’s some advice given to his daughter, Martha; one can only speculate as to how he reconciled his own conscience if he had taken his own advice:
“”I hope you will have good sense enough to disregard those foolish predictions that the world is to be at an end soon. The almighty has never made known to any body at what time he created it, nor will he tell any body when he means to put an end to it, if he ever he means to do it. As to preparations for that event, the best way is for you to be always prepared for it. The only way to be so is never to do nor say a bad thing. If ever you are about to say any thing amiss or to do any thing wrong, consider before hand. You will feel something within you which will tell you it is wrong and ought not to be said or done: this is your conscience, and be sure to obey it. Our maker has given us all, this faithful internal Monitor, and if you always obey it, you will always be prepared for the end of the world: or for a much more certain event which is death. This must happen to all: it puts an end to the world as to us, and the way to be ready for it is never to do a wrong act.”
Good advice that stands the test of time. Unless your time is saturated with unconscionable distortions and conscience-killing propaganda. If only we had more of this careful attitude in our political discourse and in our policy making.
No no you misunderstood my post PJ, lol I wasn’t saying you’re boring I said other bloggers have said I’m boring because of my lengthy post, any who I actually complemented you maybe you missed it, I completely enjoyed you post on Jefferson and his relationship with Sally and what his daughter Martha told him! that was stellar thank you very much for that, I’m going to dig deeper and explore Jefferson a little closer now. Question what do you think of my take on republicans trying to usher in theocracy? where do you see the usa in 20 yrs from now super power or not? will the republican party go the way of the whigs? lol
Thank you for the compliment, Knight. If ever anyone tells you your posts are too lengthy or boring, ignore them. Do your thing. Sock it to ‘em!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sv3sMYEzAA
Back later to answer your questions. 🙂
Knight,
I suspect in 20 years we will no longer be a world power, but Americans will believe we are. The very notions of “super power” and “sovereign nation” will be obsolete. Our government as a Constitutional engine will be crippled and removed from its foundational role: to regulate, tax, and spend in order to protect individual rights and to secure the public interest. But Americans won’t grasp that. Our Constitutionally protected rights will be de facto luxuries afforded by only a few Americans. For the most part we are already there. But Americans don’t grasp that. Yes, I agree with you regarding the creation of a theocracy, and I think that effort will succeed. But, I also think doing so is a matter of expediency. Eventually religious extremism will have to confront Libertarian-Meritocratic extremism because although they are allied, they are not quite aligned.
PJ I absolutely agree with you on america not being the SUPER POWER it once was post ww2. Let’s be honest the only reason america is somewhat viewed as a SUPER POWER now is because of wall street bankers controlingenuity wealth and our military industrial complex, you know that little thing Eisenhower warned us about. Well america is the worlds no.1 arms dealers, I wonder if that’s why america has been some kind of military conflict since the 50’s?!! anyway the usa is in my opinion a paper tiger! we were a top notice manufacturer before we entered ww2 our economy was strong but times has are a changing! Our ”you can rent me” politicians along with big business decided to cripple the american labor market by devastating it by out souring jobs to foreign counties thus leaving too many worker not enough jobs! No country can be a substitutable worlds power without a strong manufacturing base! Anyway, So business can’t drive down wages make record profit all based on destroying american workers! Regan and the conservatives focus was to destroy the middle class! WHY? in the mid 60’s the middle class had power they was political and fairly intelligent but mostly were seeking civil rights responsive government! Those were threats to the powers to be, conservatives were scared sh*tless that after the 68 riots, the 69 democratic convention riot the hatred over the vietnam war people were getting ready to revolt!! So if anyone wants the layman’s view on why america will lose it SUPER POWER status and why the middle class had been slaughtered there you have it.
Indeed. Indeed. All too true, Knight. I”d add a few of things to your insights.
The Military-Industrial-Complex is obsolete. America’s middle class was built upon the manufacturing arm of the Military-Industrial-Complex, but as you rightly point out, manufacturing is dead in the water in America. Even if American manufacturing were to revive itself, the fortunes of average Americans would not improve because global economic foundations have so dramatically shifted from the concrete world to the illusory world to now the world of patent deception. The Knowledge Economy always was illusory – the idea that individuals could and should compete or that individual states could and should compete on a global scale was an insane dictum from the start. The global economy is not knowledge based and it never was – it was, and is, financially based. This is an oligarchical economy not a Democratic economy.
A small government, like the one Conservatives envision cannot be a super power. Conservatives are stripping America of our grandeur, civic decency, dignity, and position of trusted leadership in the world.
The pace with which Conservatives are dismantling government cannot be staved. We are now in exponential decline. Small government will be our undoing. Although not in the driver’s seat of that descent, Democrats are navigating from the passenger’s side. Democrats will continue as they have done thus far – embracing selective elements of Conservatism and in so doing they will be complicit in this nation’s decline. Anti-government Conservative Extremists will prevent the government from doing anything at all by crippling its ability to function properly. This will be, and is currently being achieved through a series of over-regulation/deregulation measures which will starve the “public beast,” gluttonize the “private beast,” and prevent individuals from making any decisions about any aspect of their personal lives or how and by whom their interests will be represented in government. America is in decline because America’s government is in decline – it is shrinking, shriveling into oblivion.
The role of American government is to regulate, tax, and spend in order to protect and secure individual rights and the public interest. The role of the government is not to create a favorable climate for business. The role of government is not to enhance the “free” market. The role of the government is not to secure the advantage of corporate control over the economy. But, that is what government does now and the situation will never be reversed because the global economy is quite out of any nation’s control. Individuals no longer have the liberty of controlling their economic success or failure nor any aspect of their economic existences. I realize average Americans like to believe they do, but that control is illusory. The toxic competitive culture advanced by “free” market capitalism necessitated by small government has undone this nation individual by individual and will undo us as a whole, disunited nation – we are divided and conquered.
We are past the point of no return in several areas, most notably public health, public safety, climate change, and the subsumption of our sovereign nation by supranational interests. We are not leading the world in climate change. On the contrary, we are obstructing global progress in climate change. We are not leading the world in public health. On the contrary Conservative policy is chipping it away at the local level with non-science based health legislation, constricting it by keeping national health contained within the sphere of the “free” market, and deteriorating it through deregulation at the EPA and FDA – to name a just a few examples. Despite the excellence in public safety we enjoy thanks to the DHS and all its big, lovely tentacles – at the local level, public safety is largely at risk due to privatization, decentralization, and emaciation of state and municipal coffers. The impact of these actions/inactions are already coalescing, but that impact is entirely ignored.
America cannot be a superpower when it relies on hate and theocratic desire to drive its policies. Watch the contours of the Conservative Anti-Islamic crusade with its paranoia of sharia law; its mosque banning; its retrenchment from public funding for parochial education; watch the foreign character of the lobbying industry; the sources for Conservative campaign finance (those sources that can be gleaned given the entrenched level of secrecy therein); and the direction of foreign policy to better gauge how theocracy plays out. If we end up in another war in the Middle East – the Military-Industrial-Complex built during the Cold War will have no impact. If wars with Afghanistan and Iraq combined with the “war on terror” hasn’t taught Conservatives anything then it never will. And all of us will suffer for their hateful ignorance.
The only tangible goals we have as a nation are Conservative goals: theocratic governance, deactivating all government functions, and corporatizing the economy. All are subversions of the Constitution and the principles of liberty, freedom, and equality. All further the Global Investor Economy at the expense of our domestic interest; none will do anything but weaken America until we are too small to matter. But if we are too small to matter won’t matter to those at the helm of the Global Investor Economy – they will remain safely perched and insulated.
Only when the Democratic Establishment reinvents itself, only when it actively rejects corporatized, globalized foundations for our economy will this nation have an alternative set of humane, visionary goals to compete with the regressive vision that perpetuates the oligarchical economy we have now.
Indeed. Indeed. All too true, Knight. I”d add a few of things to your insights.
The Military-Industrial-Complex is obsolete. America’s middle class was built upon the manufacturing arm of the Military-Industrial-Complex, but as you rightly point out, manufacturing is dead in the water in America. Even if American manufacturing were to revive itself, the fortunes of average Americans would not improve because global economic foundations have so dramatically shifted from the concrete world to the illusory world to now the world of patent deception. The Knowledge Economy always was illusory – the idea that individuals could and should compete or that individual states could and should compete on a global scale was an insane dictum from the start. The global economy is not knowledge based and it never was – it was, and is, financially based. This is an oligarchical economy not a Democratic economy.
A small government, like the one Conservatives envision cannot be a super power. Conservatives are stripping America of our grandeur, civic decency, dignity, and position of trusted leadership in the world.
The pace with which Conservatives are dismantling government cannot be staved. We are now in exponential decline. Small government will be our undoing. Although not in the driver’s seat of that descent, Democrats are navigating from the passenger’s side. Democrats will continue as they have done thus far – embracing selective elements of Conservatism and in so doing they will be complicit in this nation’s decline. Anti-government Conservative Extremists will prevent the government from doing anything at all by crippling its ability to function properly. This will be, and is currently being achieved through a series of over-regulation/deregulation measures which will starve the “public beast,” gluttonize the “private beast,” and prevent individuals from making any decisions about any aspect of their personal lives or how and by whom their interests will be represented in government. America is in decline because America’s government is in decline – it is shrinking, shriveling into oblivion.
The role of American government is to regulate, tax, and spend in order to protect and secure individual rights and the public interest. The role of the government is not to create a favorable climate for business. The role of government is not to enhance the “free” market. The role of the government is not to secure the advantage of corporate control over the economy. But, that is what government does now and the situation will never be reversed because the global economy is quite out of any nation’s control. Individuals no longer have the liberty of controlling their economic success or failure nor any aspect of their economic existences. I realize average Americans like to believe they do, but that control is illusory. The toxic competitive culture advanced by “free” market capitalism necessitated by small government has undone this nation individual by individual and will undo us as a whole, disunited nation – we are divided and conquered.
We are past the point of no return in several areas, most notably public health, public safety, climate change, and the subsumption of our sovereign nation by supranational interests. We are not leading the world in climate change. On the contrary, we are obstructing global progress in climate change. We are not leading the world in public health. On the contrary Conservative policy is chipping it away at the local level with non-science based health legislation, constricting it by keeping national health contained within the sphere of the “free” market, and deteriorating it through deregulation at the EPA and FDA – to name a just a few examples. Despite the excellence in public safety we enjoy thanks to the DHS and all its big, lovely tentacles – at the local level, public safety is largely at risk due to privatization, decentralization, and emaciation of state and municipal coffers. The impact of these actions/inactions are already coalescing, but that impact is entirely ignored.
America cannot be a superpower when it relies on hate and theocratic desire to drive its policies. Watch the contours of the Conservative Anti-Islamic crusade with its paranoia of sharia law; its mosque banning; its retrenchment from public funding for parochial education; watch the foreign character of the lobbying industry; the sources for Conservative campaign finance (those sources that can be gleaned given the entrenched level of secrecy therein); and the direction of foreign policy to better gauge how theocracy plays out. If we end up in another war in the Middle East – the Military-Industrial-Complex built during the Cold War will have no impact. If wars with Afghanistan and Iraq combined with the “war on terror” hasn’t taught Conservatives anything then it never will. And all of us will suffer for their hateful ignorance.
The only tangible goals we have as a nation are Conservative goals: theocratic governance, deactivating all government functions, and corporatizing the economy. All are subversions of the Constitution and the principles of liberty, freedom, and equality. All further the Global Investor Economy at the expense of our domestic interest; none will do anything but weaken America until we are too small to matter. But if we are too small to matter won’t matter to those at the helm of the Global Investor Economy – they will remain safely perched and insulated.
Only when the Democratic Establishment reinvents itself, only when it actively rejects corporatized, globalized foundations for our economy will this nation have an alternative set of humane, visionary goals to compete with the regressive vision that perpetuates the oligarchical economy we have now.
Indeed. Indeed. All too true, Knight. I”d add a few of things to your insights.
The Military-Industrial-Complex is obsolete. America’s middle class was built upon the manufacturing arm of the Military-Industrial-Complex, but as you rightly point out, manufacturing is dead in the water in America. Even if American manufacturing were to revive itself, the fortunes of average Americans would not improve because global economic foundations have so dramatically shifted from the concrete world to the illusory world to now the world of patent deception. The Knowledge Economy always was illusory – the idea that individuals could and should compete or that individual states could and should compete on a global scale was an insane dictum from the start. The global economy is not knowledge based and it never was – it was, and is, financially based. This is an oligarchical economy not a Democratic economy.
A small government, like the one Conservatives envision cannot be a super power. Conservatives are stripping America of our grandeur, civic decency, dignity, and position of trusted leadership in the world.
The pace with which Conservatives are dismantling government cannot be staved. We are now in exponential decline. Small government will be our undoing. Although not in the driver’s seat of that descent, Democrats are navigating from the passenger’s side. Democrats will continue as they have done thus far – embracing selective elements of Conservatism and in so doing they will be complicit in this nation’s decline. Anti-government Conservative Extremists will prevent the government from doing anything at all by crippling its ability to function properly. This will be, and is currently being achieved through a series of over-regulation/deregulation measures which will starve the “public beast,” gluttonize the “private beast,” and prevent individuals from making any decisions about any aspect of their personal lives or how and by whom their interests will be represented in government. America is in decline because America’s government is in decline – it is shrinking, shriveling into oblivion.
The role of American government is to regulate, tax, and spend in order to protect and secure individual rights and the public interest. The role of the government is not to create a favorable climate for business. The role of government is not to enhance the “free” market. The role of the government is not to secure the advantage of corporate control over the economy. But, that is what government does now and the situation will never be reversed because the global economy is quite out of any nation’s control. Individuals no longer have the liberty of controlling their economic success or failure nor any aspect of their economic existences. I realize average Americans like to believe they do, but that control is illusory. The toxic competitive culture advanced by “free” market capitalism necessitated by small government has undone this nation individual by individual and will undo us as a whole, disunited nation – we are divided and conquered.
We are past the point of no return in several areas, most notably public health, public safety, climate change, and the subsumption of our sovereign nation by supranational interests. We are not leading the world in climate change. On the contrary, we are obstructing global progress in climate change. We are not leading the world in public health. On the contrary Conservative policy is chipping it away at the local level with non-science based health legislation, constricting it by keeping national health contained within the sphere of the “free” market, and deteriorating it through deregulation at the EPA and FDA – to name a just a few examples. Despite the excellence in public safety we enjoy thanks to the DHS and all its big, lovely tentacles – at the local level, public safety is largely at risk due to privatization, decentralization, and emaciation of state and municipal coffers. The impact of these actions/inactions are already coalescing, but that impact is entirely ignored.
America cannot be a superpower when it relies on hate and theocratic desire to drive its policies. Watch the contours of the Conservative Anti-Islamic crusade with its paranoia of sharia law; its mosque banning; its retrenchment from public funding for parochial education; watch the foreign character of the lobbying industry; the sources for Conservative campaign finance (those sources that can be gleaned given the entrenched level of secrecy therein); and the direction of foreign policy to better gauge how theocracy plays out. If we end up in another war in the Middle East – the Military-Industrial-Complex built during the Cold War will have no impact. If wars with Afghanistan and Iraq combined with the “war on terror” hasn’t taught Conservatives anything then it never will. And all of us will suffer for their hateful ignorance.
The only tangible goals we have as a nation are Conservative goals: theocratic governance, deactivating all government functions, and corporatizing the economy. All are subversions of the Constitution and the principles of liberty, freedom, and equality. All further the Global Investor Economy at the expense of our domestic interest; none will do anything but weaken America until we are too small to matter. But if we are too small to matter won’t matter to those at the helm of the Global Investor Economy – they will remain safely perched and insulated.
Only when the Democratic Establishment reinvents itself, only when it actively rejects corporatized, globalized foundations for our economy will this nation have an alternative set of humane, visionary goals to compete with the regressive vision that perpetuates the oligarchical economy we have now.
Indeed. Indeed. All too true, Knight. I’d add a few things to your insights:
The Military Industrial Complex is itself obsolete. America’s middle class was partially built upon the manufacturing arm of the Military-Industrial Complex, but as you rightly point out, manufacturing is dead in America. Even if American manufacturing were to revive itself, the fortunes of average Americans would not improve because our economic foundations have so dramatically shifted from the concrete world to the illusory world to the now the world of patent deceit. The Knowledge Economy always was illusory – the idea that individuals could and should compete or that individual states should and could compete on a global scale was an insane dictum from the start. The global economy is not knowledge based and it never was – it was, and is, speculatively, financially based. This is an oligarchical economy not a Democratic economy.
A small government like the one Conservatives envision cannot be a super power. Conservatives are stripping us of our grandeur, civic decency, dignity, and position of trusted leadership in the world.
The pace with which Conservatives are dismantling our government cannot be staved. We are now in exponential decline. Small government will be our undoing. Although not in the driver’s seat of that descent, Democrats are navigating from the passenger’s side. Democrats will continue as they have done thus far – embracing selective elements of Conservatism, and in so doing they will be complicit in this nation’s decline.
Anti-Government Conservative Extremists will prevent our government from doing anything at all by crippling its ability to function properly. This will be, and currently is being achieved through a series of over-regulation/deregulation measures which will starve the public beast in order to gluttonize the private beast. Privatizing the public sphere prevents individuals from making any decisions about any aspects of their personal lives or how and by whom their interests will be represented in government. America is in decline because America’s government is in decline. It is shrinking, shriveling into oblivion.
The role of American government is to regulate, tax, and spend in order to protect and secure individual rights and the public interest. The role of the government is not to create a favorable climate for business. The role of government is not to enhance the “free” market. The role of government is not to secure the advantage of corporate/investment control over the economy. But that is what government is doing now, and the situation will never be reversed because the global economy is quite out of any nation’s control.
Individuals no longer have the liberty of controlling their success or failure nor any aspect of their economic existences. I realize rank and file Conservatives like to think they do, but that control is illusory. The toxic competitive culture advanced by “free” market capitalism necessitated by small government has undone this nation individual by individual and will undo us as a whole – a nation united in our disunity – we are divided and conquered.
We are past the point of no return in several areas, most notably public health, public safety, climate change, and the subsumption of our sovereign nation by supranational interests. We are not leading the world in combating climate change. On the contrary, we are obstructing global progress in every area of climate change. We are not leading the world in public health. On the contrary, Conservative policy is chipping it away at the local level with non-science based health legislation, constricting it by keeping national health contained within the sphere of the “free” market, and deteriorating it through deregulation at the EPA and FDA – to name just a few examples. Despite the excellence in public safety we enjoy thanks to the DHS and its big, lovely tentacles – at the local level public safety is at risk due to privatization and emaciation of state and municipal coffers. The impact of these actions/inactions are already coalescing, but the impact is entirely ignored.
America cannot be a superpower when it relies on hate, ignorance, and theocratic ambition to drive its policies. Watch the contours of the Conservative Anti-Islamic crusade: its paranoia of sharia law, its mosque banning, its retrenchment from public funding from parochial education; watch the character of the lobbying industry, the sources of Conservative campaign finance (those sources that can be gleaned given the entrenched level of secrecy therein), and the direction of foreign policy to better gauge how theocracy plays out. If we end up in another war in the Middle East, the Military-Industrial-Complex built during the Cold War will have little impact. If wars with Iraq and Afghanistan combined with the “war on terror” haven’t taught Conservatives anything then it never will. And we will all suffer for their hateful ignorance.
The only tangible goals we have as a nation are Conservative goals: theocratic governance, deactivating all government functions, and corporatizing the economy. All are subversions of the Constitution and the principles of liberty, freedom, and equality. All further the Global Investor Economy at the expense of our domestic interest. None will do anything but weaken America until we are too small to matter in any global context. When we are too small to matter, that won’t matter to those at the helm of the Global Investor Economy – they will remain safely perched and insulated from the decline.
Only when the Democratic Establishment reinvents itself, only when it actively rejects solely corporatized, globalized foundations for our economy will this nation have an alternative set of humane, visionary goals to compete with the regressive vision that perpetuates the oligarchical economy we have now. Trouble is, Democrats show no evidence of that necessary transformation.
forgive my typos please
Oops. I’m having some technical difficulties with my keyboard and my computer, and it’s making for a difficult day altogether! Sorry about that extra, edited version added to the end there… no use in trying to explain my cut and paste and then retyping the whole thing disaster. I give up. But, Knight, I think you get the idea. 🙂
My friend if you don’t mind me saying that, was the best blog post (NON PROFESSIONAL) I’ve ever read!! bravo, my jaw is on the floor hold on lol
I guess this last post wasn’t a model of professionalism, but rather my own confusion when confronted with wacky techie stuff. I tried using keyboard shortcuts and I think I short circuited my keyboard in the process – I dunno. I’m better off just sticking with dusty libraries than with bloggy computery stuff. I plod along in my own way, though. Thank you for bearing with me as I plod, and thank you for the compliment. Again, I’m sorry you received it goodness knows how many times – like I said, I’m having technical difficulties to the umpteenth degree. Doesn’t help to be too exhausted to think, either. Ah well.
At any rate, I don’t want to be so negative and fatalistic about political matters, but isn’t it time we seriously ask ourselves -When? When, for crying out loud, when??? Democrats need to do an about face and right quick if they want my support. I’m not going for the lesser of two evils anymore. The bottom line is governance. Democrats need to govern differently if they are to win the political war. Otherwise they’re just battling on Conservative turf. They do that and they lose the battle and the war.
You get it, you understand! you see the writing on the wall too! don’t laugh but when you study history, religion, politics, sociology like I have the more you study the more you get the impression, that nagging pain in your brain that this existence, this life we live is like the MATRIX. Now come on don’t laugh I’m serious . This is the world pulled over our eyes!! PJ we live in a world where the ultra weathy the bankers, the catholic church have the power, money to manipulate peoples minds (WEAK MINDED INDIVIDUALS) into believe up is down and north is south! HELL we still have classified documents sealed about the Kennedy assassination! 50 yrs ago! PJ I’ve always tried to quest for the truth and the more I searched the more I discovered that the things thought in high school to college are vastly incomplete or out and out falsehoods. This is the MATRIX! this really is the illusion of truth, justice, critical thinking!! Hell critical thinking is an absolute in clear, rational, unbiased conclusions! I’ve made many many general statements here but allow me clarify one, I don’t think the average american is for lack of a better term STUPID. I believe many americans have been mislead! which makes the ignorant! See critical thinking will like common sense can help one ask the question WHY??? is the story logical? does it have rhyme or reason? is there motivative, opportunity, what’s the logical conclusion! My favorite all time entertainer was George Carlin, he got it! he studied history, religion and like myself found incongruities , holes, flawed premises! PJ it’s been said over and over again ”those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. When I look at the insane, mentality disturb things that we say in this GREAT nation it blows the top of my head off. EXAMPLE George bush jr. saying mission accomplished in 2003! or WMD’S in Iraq!! ANYBODY with ANY basic history would know Saddam hussein was our boy for about two decades! WE gave him money and arms, if Saddam had WMD’S we would have found them 10 yrs ago!! This is evidence of republican stupidity! they claim Saddam got the WMD’S out right before the usa and NATO invaded!!! and where did go?? republicans say he snuck them off toooooooooooooo IRAN!! IRAN!!!!!!!!?? IRAN AND IRAQ aren’t on good terms last time I checked!!! didn’t they have a WAR with each other in the early 90’s??? chemical weapons were used!! See why history is important to know? with a huge dose of critical thinking? or at least COMMON SENSE!!
LOL my friend I am a liberal and loving it!!! I’m not what typical republicans visualize as a liberal, some skinny, nerdy burned out california surfer dude, I’m a fairly polished extremely adept critical thinker and combine that with being 6’2” and 250lbs I don’t get intimated at all!! NEVER! Now saying that my some what opinion is to support 3rd party candidates, if Bernie Sanders ever runs for president I’ll be there with bells on. Ralph nader is a very good man but nobody seems to take him seriously. The problem is both parties have a strangle hold on american politics, who was the last independent president? Washington?? lol dude I’m pulling my hair out I hate voting for the lesser of two douchebags myself, OBAMA fooled me wow he completely suckered my A*S! LOL he seemed so genuine so ready to take this nation to former glory!!! yes!!!! and then bang!! he bailed out the wall street arson bankers and fired Van jones let joe wilson just piss in his ear with the ”YOU LIE MR PRESIDENT” I couldn’t believe it! OBAMA looked like a stunned dear with a car wrapped around it hind quarters!! OBAMA fooled incredibly stupid and hopelessly weak!! OBAMA has basically been George bush sr with a very dark tan. Screw it!! I don’t have a clear cut answer Screw it! let China play super power for a generation or two!! the usa is doing pretty much what Brittain did after ww2 they just said Screw it! we abdicate! seriously that’s what they did. look it up
Tax breaks for people making 250,000 ??? how about tax breaks for people making 25.000 a year??? This bulls*it making wealthy people richer is at the expense of poor people the middle class needs to stop!!!! This country has to be one of the heaviest populated places on earth for raw unadulturated knee slamming stupidity! When in god’s name are we going to figure out Regan con game, that 3rd grade button button who’s got the button trickle down economics is WRONG!! it’s trickle down alright, if you consider a pregnant elephant propped up on a ladder and YOU under it trickle down!! during the republican presidential debate bush called Regan trickle down economics “VOODOO ECONOMICS”” damn George way to go you were soooooooooooooooooooooooo right!! Is China gonna take chanrge?????
Oh yeah. Where’s the conversation about the cost of existence? Just to maintain subsistence level is insane. I’d like to see the most recent research on cost of living compared to, say, 1970. Adjusted for inflation. I haven’t looked at that data in a while. Last time I looked – nonsense. Milk? Gas? Utilities? The cost of a house? Come on. Wasn’t technology and competition supposed to drive all these prices down? Why does it cost $100.00 a month for a phone? The biggest con game ever in the history of the world is happening right now. And it’s not such an innocuous grift – people’s lives are at the end of that grift. It’s unconscionable.
When will our society value the lives of other people above the profits of other people? All this Conservative nonsense talk about “other people’s money” – when will our American ethic prioritize other people’s lives? Other people’s very existence?
You said it. I keep thinking that I’m not going to be shocked to my socks over Republican insanity and Democratic hypocrisy, but somehow I always do get just gobsmacked by both. I’ve always tried to learn from the past and think ahead. Anticipating contemporary Conservatism isn’t rocket science, but Democratic reticence and hesitation – that’s what stymies me. Democrats seem so close to “getting it” but then they just don’t do what needs to be done if actually they ever “got it.” I don’t get it. You’re spot on. A few of them do – Bernie Sanders, but he only caucases with the Dems. He’s independent – a Democratic Socialist. Alan Grayson is another. I sure hope he gets reelected. Dennis Kucinich is another. And yes, Ralph Nader rocks the earth. He’s been spot on for decades. Jill Stein from the Greens is pretty ok, but I’m still sorting out the Green agenda and Stein. Not sure where I stand there. Still, Stein and the Greens are probably the most reasonable and realistic and sane.
Don’t get me wrong. In many respects I think Obama has been a fantastic president, probably one of the best we’ve had in a century. But, he’s still on the wrong path. If we’re going to be lead down the wrong path, I’d prefer the wrong path be an anchor around GOP necks. I have to vote my conscience. My conscience tells me we need a quick turn around of the kind that isn’t fussing about feather ruffling. Sure, it may mean losing some elections and maybe even the majority, but ideas will win out in the end. If the Matrix can’t last forever then there’s no sense in prolonging it. If the Matrix is our lot, then so be it, but I’ll not be a part of perpetuating it.
Not to run this in the ground but when I tell people that the average american particularly republicans (YEAH HERE I GO AGAIN BEATING AGAIN DUMB ANIMAL AGAIN) aren’t very bright well heres some clever pearls of wisdom from our friendly god loving conservatives Craig t nelson on psychopath glenn becks show bitching about welfare said ” yeah I was on welfare when I was much younger! but nobody helped me out! wow! see this is your classic fool! This brain dead neanderthal actually said that with a straight face! how in the name of CHRIST can you be a republican and not be FU*KING embarrassed!!!!?????????? how? now lets be fair, brain dead idiots aren’t just all old washed up republican WHITE GUYS!! Heres a diddy from my homey (NOT) supreme court justice Clarence thomas, on affirmative action and minorities getting financial aid for college, thomas said people need to pull themselves up by their own boot straps! REALLY? MR THOMAS tell everybody how your BLACK rear end got into college?? oh it was with affirmative action!! classic republican hypocrisy! Heres one more rip roaring piece of republican hypocrisy pie, sarah THE MILF palin touting christian values and damning to hell anyone who disagreed with her! This B*TCH is beyond words! she’s preaching her precious religious values and using her 17 year old UNWED pregnant daughter as a prop on the presidential campaign!!?? I guess in palins alternate dimension JESUS CHRIST really thinks it’s GODLY showing off your hypocrisy of morals! and knowing that your 16 year old daughter is getting jiggy with her boyfriend in your own home! can I vomit now? This is beyond ridiculous it’s insane! and the religious right those worthless pigs always find time to judge, damn and condemn everybody on earth excluded their screwball psycho klan!! Where was pat robertsons judgmental puss during the palin circus????? robertson can always open his wrinkled up OLD PUSS with judgements on Japan’s tsunami being GODS judgement on them for not worshipping JESUS! But not one blessed peep on sarah palin and crew!!