Comment by booklover on June 14, 2012 at 4:41pm

EXACTLY Ruth.  And isn't that sad.

Comment by Steph S. on June 14, 2012 at 5:15pm

Ruth that picture describes the problem we have in politics -- one of the problems anyway, there's just so many things wrong.

Comment by Joan Denoo on June 14, 2012 at 6:14pm

There is a reason our economy tanked and it started with the dismantling of labor protections, eliminating and weakening regulation of banks and financial institutions, and the opening up to a global market with laissez faire capitalist principles.

Where ever developing countries attempted to get into the world economy, and where they borrowed money to make it happen, the countries ended up with their resources drained and their economy collapsed. Have you read Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine". When I read it the year it was published, I though she was overstating the case and I started watching. She was correct in all her assessments. 

Then I started reading people's writings that took the risk of going outside the capitalist frame to see what they had to say. What I learned was a surprise, a disappointment, and a realization that those McCarthy hearings of the 1950s or whenever, and the fears that have been put into the minds of U.S. voters by using propaganda, prevents our nation from looking at all the options. 

I am definitely not a communist, nor am I a socialist, and I am not a capitalist, at least the way it has evolved. 

We need to think about what Joseph Stiglitz, Steeve Keen, Michael Hudson, Stephanie Kelton, William Black, and others are saying. They may not be on the track we want for our nation, but at least we need to give them time to explain their points of view. 

If you find error in what they say, I would like to know it. I have been misled before and I am sure I will be again. 

As to Obama, the people he appointed were not the kind of people who would bring about economic and political change. You know my complaint about 

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, 

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, 

President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Timothy Geithner, 

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency chief John Duggan, 

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox, 

as well as 

Alan Greenspan

Franklin Delano Raines

Jim Johnson

Rahm Emanuel

Lawrence Summers

Robert Rubin

All these men were heavily involved in Goldman Sachs, the banking institution frauds, and shady deals that have not been thoroughly investigated, none of them have been charged with a crime, and they all committed fraud, in my opinion. 

Abama could not have done what needed to be done even if he wanted to. His advisors were all out to use him to get what they wanted. They succeeded. They broke the unions, the regulation of banking, and manipulated the markets to their benefit and to the loss of pension funds, savings, education funds and home mortgages. Small business did no thrive under these men's leadership. 

Obama may be a good community developer, he may be good at getting conflicting sides to function well together. He certainly is no match for the GOP plan to obstruct all that he tried. They were just the other half of a pair of scissors that cut to the heart of our nation's political and economic systems. 

Thanks, Ruth, for your calling this to my attention. You certainly are correct ... but there is a larger background story to be acknowledged. 

Comment by Lillie on June 15, 2012 at 10:05am

Obstructionism, of course, but why don't the masses see this?

Comment by Joan Denoo on June 15, 2012 at 12:49pm

Lillie, I think the masses listen to and believe the lies told to keep working people in line and force surrender of small businesses into mega-businesses. We are not a nation of the people any more and will not be until the masses wake up. What will that take? Well, it depends on whether one is a pessimist or an optimist. 

A pessimist things there is no hope. 

An optimist says "I will try until my death to secure the kind of nation that we once dreamed it was!" 

The sad news, USA never did live up to its vision, with slavery, attempted destruction of Native American culture, exploitation of women's paid labor, manipulation of market for the benefit of the few, and education that would not allow discussion, serious discussion of alternative political systems, and a religious community that preached the success gospel to the strong and the passive gospel to the weak and vulnerable. 

Therefore, a complex situation with many opportunities to make changes.

Comment by Lillie on June 16, 2012 at 12:28pm

Thank you, Joan, I would like to think I am an optimist but I am of an age with not much longer to live.  I am afraid there will not be many changes for the better during my lifetime.  My only hope is for the Republicans to lose control for the time being.  Maybe you can see the positive changes through.

Comment by Secular Forces 2013 on June 16, 2012 at 3:54pm

ha, such parasites to peace i tell ya:

http://www.atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/so-that-s-why-kerry-mccain...

Comment by Secular Forces 2013 on June 16, 2012 at 4:38pm

propaganda's gotta be on or the fascists lose:
http://www.atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/veteran-employees-of-alaba...

Comment by Secular Forces 2013 on June 18, 2012 at 3:10pm

politi ecnomi.. and information.. hunger for...
http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/userdatarequests

Comment by Secular Forces 2013 on June 18, 2012 at 3:15pm

biz biz bizzzzz... oh that's how it works in 2012 okay!
http://upstart.bizjournals.com/resources/advice/2012/06/18/how-to-c...

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