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Post by krazeeboi on Oct 27, 2010 18:45:16 GMT -5
When Tea Party wants to go back, where is it to?By Harold Meyerson Wednesday, October 27, 2010 As battle cries go, the Tea Party's "Take our country back" is a pretty good one. It's short and punchy, and it addresses a very widespread sense that the nation that Americans once lived in has changed, and not for the better. When the Tea Partyers get around to identifying how America has changed and to whose benefit, however, they get it almost all wrong. In the worldview of the American right -- and the polling shows conclusively that that's who the Tea Party is -- the nation, misled by President Obama, has gone down the path to socialism. In fact, far from venturing down that road, we've been stuck on the road to hyper-capitalism for three decades now. The Tea Partyers are right to be wary of income redistribution, but if they had even the slightest openness to empiricism, they'd see that the redistribution of the past 30 years has all been upward -- radically upward. From 1950 through 1980, the share of all income in America going to the bottom 90 percent of Americans -- effectively, all but the rich -- increased from 64 percent to 65 percent, according to an analysis of tax data by economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez. Because the nation's economy was growing handsomely, that means that the average income of Americans in the bottom 90 percent was growing, too -- from $17,719 in 1950 to $30,941 in 1980 -- a 75 percent increase in income in constant 2008 dollars. Since 1980, it's been a very different story. The economy has continued to grow handsomely, but for the bottom 90 percent of Americans, it's been a time of stagnation and loss. Since 1980, the share of all income in America going to the bottom 90 percent has declined from 65 percent to 52 percent. In actual dollars, the average income of Americans in the bottom 90 percent flat-lined -- going from the $30,941 of 1980 to $31,244 in 2008. In short, the economic life and prospects for Americans since the Reagan Revolution have grown dim, while the lives of the rich -- the super-rich in particular -- have never been brighter. The share of income accruing to America's wealthiest 1 percent rose from 9 percent in 1974 to a tidy 23.5 percent in 2007. Looking at these numbers, it would be reasonable to infer that when the Tea Partyers say that they want to take the country back, they mean back to the period between 1950 and 1980, when the vast majority of Americans encountered more opportunity and security in their economic lives than they had before or since. Reasonable, but wrong. As the right sees it, America's woes are traceable to the New Deal order that Franklin Roosevelt, working in the shadow of the even more sinister Woodrow Wilson, imposed on an unsuspecting people. In fact, the New Deal order produced the only three decades in American history -- the '50s, '60s and '70s -- when economic security and opportunity were widely shared. It was the only period in the American chronicle when unions were big and powerful enough to ensure that corporate revenue actually trickled down to workers. It marked the only time in American history when, courtesy originally of the GI Bill, the number of Americans going to college surged. It was the only time when taxes on the rich were really significantly higher than taxes on the rest of us. It was the only time that the minimum wage kept pace (almost) with the cost of living. And it was the only time when most Americans felt confident enough about their economic prospects, and those of their nation, to support the taxes that built the postwar American infrastructure. Since the ascent of Ronald Reagan, though, America's claim to being a land of opportunity has become a sick joke. Unions have dwindled; colleges have become unaffordable; manufacturing has gone abroad; taxes on the rich have plummeted; our infrastructure has decayed. But the country the right wants to return to isn't the America that the Greatest Generation built. Judging by the statements of many of the Republican and Tea Party-backed candidates on next Tuesday's ballots, it's the America that antedates the New Deal -- a land without Social Security, unions or the minimum wage. It's the land that the Greatest Generation gladly left behind whey they voted for and built the New Deal order. All of us should want our country back, but that country should be the more prosperous and economically egalitarian nation that flourished at the time when America was not only the world's greatest power, but also a beacon to the world. meyersonh@washpost.com
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 27, 2010 20:31:14 GMT -5
It all begin with Reaganeconomic..... He undone everything that brough us out of the Great Depression... deregulation... tax cut to the wealthy... the rich get richer while the middle class disappeared. They made Ronald Reagan some form of hero, when he really help destroy this country.... If you track the spending and the size of the deficit during the Republican president, compare to Democrates you will see they spend much more than Dem and the deficit increased.
These Tea partiers want to go back to Reagan's years, that why they keep using him as a model, and consider him as a hero. But we all know, they really want to take the country back from a black man... they don't want a black man in the White House.
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Post by Nikkol on Oct 28, 2010 7:00:34 GMT -5
I just know that I'm personally tired of having ppl tell us to vote Democratic because that's what's best for "us"... even if one was to vote Democratic, I would HOPE it's not just because we're black and unfortunately the commercials that I've had to listen to on the radio have all seemed very "pro-black" vs "pro-America"....
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 28, 2010 8:11:54 GMT -5
I just know that I'm personally tired of having ppl tell us to vote Democratic because that's what's best for "us"... even if one was to vote Democratic, I would HOPE it's not just because we're black and unfortunately the commercials that I've had to listen to on the radio have all seemed very "pro-black" vs "pro-America".... I don't know what you have been listening to... But I know what I have been seeing on many News and Blogs .... It not so much of race being mention ... it is basically Liberal vs Conservative or "real American (tea party) vs average American... Nobody mention vote for Dem because you are black... but don't vote against your best interest... Another word the today Rep tea party is not for 95% of Americans, but really for the upper 5%... They don't care about you and your fellow Americans... The article show how thing were before Reaganomic... Today we can see the quick down fall and how he destroy this country by deregulating everything that secured this country and by rewarding corporation with tax cuts... and stepped all over the middle class. It show how it slow down economic growth over the years since Reagan came into office. Daddy and Junior Bush spend like crazy and not a penny was added to the middle class or poor.... We saw an economic growth during Carter and Clinton and now Obama. The only reason we have seen such a dangerous extreme, is because Obama is black, that is the root rather you want to be blind and deny it or not... Key Tea Partiers plan to overflow the government if they don't takeover the House and Senator... People like palin, Beck, Rush Sharron Angel, and a few other, uses key words to there followers... and send out hidden messages. All of the intelligent and decent Rep. are being push aside or force out of their party, some even changing party, because they don't want to be label as a tea party or extreme. |
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 28, 2010 12:48:25 GMT -5
Eight False Things The Public “Knows” Prior To Election Day
By Dave Johnson There are a number things the public "knows" as we head into the election that are just false. If people elect leaders based on false information, the things those leaders do in office will not be what the public expects or needs. Here are eight of the biggest myths that are out there: 1) President Obama tripled the deficit.
Reality: Bush's last budget had a $1.416 trillion deficit. Obama's first budget reduced that to $1.29 trillion.
2) President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy.
Reality: Obama cut taxes. 40% of the "stimulus" was wasted on tax cuts which only create debt, which is why it was so much less effective than it could have been.
3) President Obama bailed out the banks.
Reality: While many people conflate the "stimulus" with the bank bailouts, the bank bailouts were requested by President Bush and his Treasury Secretary, former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson. (Paulson also wanted the bailouts to be "non-reviewable by any court or any agency.") The bailouts passed and began before the 2008 election of President Obama.
4) The stimulus didn't work.
Reality: The stimulus worked, but was not enough. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus raised employment by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million jobs.
5) Businesses will hire if they get tax cuts.
Reality: A business hires the right number of employees to meet demand. Having extra cash does not cause a business to hire, but a business that has a demand for what it does will find the money to hire. Businesses want customers, not tax cuts.
6) Health care reform costs $1 trillion.
Reality: The health care reform reduces government deficits by $138 billion.
7) Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, is "going broke," people live longer, fewer workers per retiree, etc.
Reality: Social Security has run a surplus since it began, has a trust fund in the trillions, is completely sound for at least 25 more years and cannot legally borrow so cannot contribute to the deficit (compare that to the military budget!) Life expectancy is only longer because fewer babies die; people who reach 65 live about the same number of years as they used to.
8) Government spending takes money out of the economy.
Reality: Government is We, the People and the money it spends is on We, the People. Many people do not know that it is government that builds the roads, airports, ports, courts, schools and other things that are the soil in which business thrives. Many people think that all government spending is on "welfare" and "foreign aid" when that is only a small part of the government's budget.
This stuff really matters.
If the public votes in a new Congress because a majority of voters think this one tripled the deficit, and as a result the new people follow the policies that actually tripled the deficit, the country could go broke.
If the public votes in a new Congress that rejects the idea of helping to create demand in the economy because they think it didn't work, then the new Congress could do things that cause a depression.
If the public votes in a new Congress because they think the health care reform will increase the deficit when it is actually projected to reduce the deficit, then the new Congress could repeal health care reform and thereby make the deficit worse. And on it goes. |
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Post by Nikkol on Oct 28, 2010 13:55:46 GMT -5
I don't know what you have been listening to... I said: the commercials that I've had to listen to on the radio The point is I know who I'm voting for and why. And my reason has NOTHING to do with who's for/against gay marriage or abortion. And I hate that I have to listen over and over again to those types of commercials (I usually hear them played on WDAS during Steve harvey or Michael Baisden....I WISH that I could get the transciption of the commercial.. |
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 28, 2010 16:47:09 GMT -5
From Rand Paul Stomper To Allen West's Bikers: Rise In Far-Right Violence During 2010 Elections www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/28/rise-far-right-violence-elections_n_775326.htmlWASHINGTON -- This election season, a man was arrested for hitting a protester at a rally for Washington GOP Senate candidate Dino Rossi, a man stomped on the head of a woman at a campaign event for Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul, local police wrestled to the ground a Democratic man at an event for Rep. Eric Cantor (R), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) received suspicious powder to his office, biker supporters of Florida GOP congressional candidate Allen West harassed a Democratic tracker and Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller's private security force handcuffed and detained a reporter. And all that was in just the past two weeks. "It's been quite amazing over the last couple months, but really over the last two years," said Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups and extremism. "I'd date this, in many ways, to the rise to power of Obama. Many people we saw coming with AR-15s to town halls and so on, and all of that. But I do think that it's gotten even hotter out there. I think the reaction to the stomping of that woman's head has been quite amazing. The idea that the guy could say that he needed an apology and that he's not being condemned by the political class from sea to shining sea is astounding." While there has been an increased number of highly publicized incidents in recent weeks, there was also a spike in violence or threatened violence during the health care debate toward lawmakers who supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. People vandalized congressional offices and threatened to assassinate officials and their families. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) had a picture of a noose faxed to his office after he voted for health care reform. A former militia member named Mike Vanderboegh even proudly took credit for encouraging people around the country to break the windows of lawmakers' offices. There has also been a significant amount of violence-tinged rhetoric coming from politicians. Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle floated "Second Amendment remedies" as a "cure" for an out-of-control Congress. Last week, a Republican House candidate in Texas said a violent overthrow of the government is "on the table." Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has taken some flack for using gun imagery after the passage of health care reform, telling her supporters to "reload." According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, last year, hate groups stayed at record levels, and "anti-immigrant vigilante groups" soared by nearly 80 percent. The largest, jump, however, came from so-called "patriot" groups, made up of militias and other groups that distrust the federal government and believe its plotting to impose a "one-world government." Those rose 244 percent in 2009, going from 149 groups to 512. Potok attributes the rise to three factors: 1) The change in racial demographics in the country, with Obama as the apotheosis of this fact, 2) anger over the rough economy, and 3) the mainstreaming of "demonizing propaganda and conspiracy theories," encouraged by the likes of Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). Potok noted that the rise in radical right-wing activity began even before Obama was elected, pointing to multiple plots to kill him. He added that the rise in violence has basically exclusively come from the far right. "They [The far left] have burned down some things and done some various serious arson attacks, but it's tiny," he said. "There's a tiny anarchist movement, there's a small but fairly violent animal rights and radical environmental movement, but these things absolutely pale in comparison to the right. So no, I think the radical right...is large and growing, and I think that it's impossible to say that of the extreme left." At a meeting with progressive bloggers yesterday, Obama addressed the stomping of the MoveOn.org activist and the rise in violence, saying, "I think that one of the things that I've always tried to promote is civility in politics. I think we can disagree vigorously without being disagreeable. And what we saw on the video was an example of people's passions just getting out of hand in ways that are disturbing." "In fairness, I don't expect every candidate to be responsible for every single supporter's actions, but I do think that all of us have an obligation to set a tone where we say the other side is -- may be wrong but it's not evil, because when you start going down that path of demonizing folks, then these kinds of incidents are more likely to occur," he added. "And my expectation in the remainder of this campaign is that all candidates out there are a little more careful about making sure that they're framing the debate around issues and sending a clear message to their supporters that our democracy works when we disagree, we debate, we argue, it gets contentious, but that there are certain lines we don't cross." Instead of a time-out after the stomping at the Paul rally, Tim Profitt -- the stomper -- has enraged many people even further by showing no remorse for giving the young woman a concussion, saying that she should actually apologize to him. MoveOn has launched a "You Can't Stomp On Us!" page, asking people to submit photos holding signs with the phrase. "In 2010, in American women deserve better than to be assaulted and then blamed for it," the site states. "In 2010, in America, engaging in political protest is not an invite for a beating." |
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 28, 2010 17:03:28 GMT -5
I don't know what you have been listening to... I said: the commercials that I've had to listen to on the radio The point is I know who I'm voting for and why. And my reason has NOTHING to do with who's for/against gay marriage or abortion. And I hate that I have to listen over and over again to those types of commercials (I usually hear them played on WDAS during Steve harvey or Michael Baisden....I WISH that I could get the transciption of the commercial.. I don't listen to the radio... I am almost deaf, so I get information from internets and TV news.... no cables.... I try to stick with a more center (moderest) news and separates opinion from News... I also seek out facts from web like Fact Check and a few other that are not Dem or Rep, but uncover lies on both ends. I like Huffington Post, Newsvines, Daily Brest, and Polico... But I say, I separates News from Opinion. One thing I don't want to have repeated in my spirit, is someone negative opinion... so even if I could hear, I will aviod listen to certain radio show and rebuke certain commericals. like I do when watching TV. |
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Post by kitty on Oct 28, 2010 23:32:53 GMT -5
Well Nikkol,
If you listen to Michael Baisden and other "Black" radio shows don't be surpised that they don't promote republicans... The republican agenda doesn't support many of the issues that people to listen to Michael Baisden have such as... unemployment benefits, education, mininmum wages... You have different concerns than the average minority Nikkol thus Michael Baisden is just pointing out to his listners who looks out for their concerns...
Kitty
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Post by Nikkol on Oct 29, 2010 7:00:21 GMT -5
Well Nikkol, If you listen to Michael Baisden and other "Black" radio shows don't be surpised that they don't promote republicans... The republican agenda doesn't support many of the issues that people to listen to Michael Baisden have such as... unemployment benefits, education, mininmum wages... You have different concerns than the average minority Nikkol thus Michael Baisden is just pointing out to his listners who looks out for their concerns... Kitty Well for me it's just I think the commercials are a little distasteful...and of course I don't really like that they try to put ALL minorities in the same band wagon....and then they get upset when other stations say something negative about the President and talk about disrespect when for the last year or so that Bush was in office they were calling him all sorts of names....it's almost like there's no balance but instead are just going from one extreme to another..... I mean saying things like Republicans don't want health care for children.....that's just low and incorrect. I can't WAIT to vote....I'm suppose to have boot camp that evening...but depending on what times the polls close, I'll have to skip that class. |
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 29, 2010 10:23:31 GMT -5
Well Nikkol, If you listen to Michael Baisden and other "Black" radio shows don't be surpised that they don't promote republicans... The republican agenda doesn't support many of the issues that people to listen to Michael Baisden have such as... unemployment benefits, education, mininmum wages... You have different concerns than the average minority Nikkol thus Michael Baisden is just pointing out to his listners who looks out for their concerns... Kitty Well for me it's just I think the commercials are a little distasteful...and of course I don't really like that they try to put ALL minorities in the same band wagon....and then they get upset when other stations say something negative about the President and talk about disrespect when for the last year or so that Bush was in office they were calling him all sorts of names....it's almost like there's no balance but instead are just going from one extreme to another..... I mean saying things like Republicans don't want health care for children.....that's just low and incorrect. I can't WAIT to vote....I'm suppose to have boot camp that evening...but depending on what times the polls close, I'll have to skip that class. Nikkol.... Anybody fight against HCR, don't want HC for children... Do you know how many children have been denied HC before, of pre-existance medical problem or no problem, but not average, no matter how small it is... A 5 month old healthy baby denied because he is a fat baby or a 2 years old denied because she is small framed, but healthy... Do you know how many ppl was cut off in the middle of their cancer treatment or seniors prescription cut off at the end of the year because they reached a limit. It happen to my mother, she had to change Insurance Co. because the medicine she was taking was keeping her alive! it costed her 300 to 400 dollar a month at the end of the years, her income was about $1000 or less. Pres. Obama's mother went through a lot, her insurance cut her off in the middle of her cancer treatment and she had to fight to get cover while she was very sick and later die... May be it never hit close to home with you, but think about ppl who were suffering and have been paying their insurance companies on going. Every radio station has their target and their political belief... If you can listen to Fox fake opinion news... who speak lies, fear and hate.... with their extreme violent false christians view... The black radio stations should not be a problem |
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Post by Nikkol on Oct 29, 2010 14:33:38 GMT -5
Well for me it's just I think the commercials are a little distasteful...and of course I don't really like that they try to put ALL minorities in the same band wagon....and then they get upset when other stations say something negative about the President and talk about disrespect when for the last year or so that Bush was in office they were calling him all sorts of names....it's almost like there's no balance but instead are just going from one extreme to another..... I mean saying things like Republicans don't want health care for children.....that's just low and incorrect. I can't WAIT to vote....I'm suppose to have boot camp that evening...but depending on what times the polls close, I'll have to skip that class. Nikkol.... Anybody fight against HCR, don't want HC for children... Do you know how many children have been denied HC before, of pre-existance medical problem or no problem, but not average, no matter how small it is... A 5 month old healthy baby denied because he is a fat baby or a 2 years old denied because she is small framed, but healthy... Do you know how many ppl was cut off in the middle of their cancer treatment or seniors prescription cut off at the end of the year because they reached a limit. It happen to my mother, she had to change Insurance Co. because the medicine she was taking was keeping her alive! it costed her 300 to 400 dollar a month at the end of the years, her income was about $1000 or less. Pres. Obama's mother went through a lot, her insurance cut her off in the middle of her cancer treatment and she had to fight to get cover while she was very sick and later die... May be it never hit close to home with you, but think about ppl who were suffering and have been paying their insurance companies on going. Every radio station has their target and their political belief... If you can listen to Fox fake opinion news... who speak lies, fear and hate.... with their extreme violent false christians view... The black radio stations should not be a problem 1. You can't equate not liking this particular health care bill will not wanting health care for children.....that makes NO sense. That's like saying someone that doesn't like slow songs doesn't like worshipping God or someone that doesn't like storefront churches don't like Church..... that's a FAR stretch. I mean some republicans have children who want their kids to have insurance.... 2. I don't listen to Fox...... Side Note: Why do you keep jumping to conclusions with what I say on my posts? I was actually just givin an opinion on how I felt about something that I had heard....never was it my point on this post to argue or debate it. |
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Post by krazeeboi on Oct 29, 2010 15:35:02 GMT -5
These commercials are designed to appeal to the base that helped Obama get elected in 2008. Special efforts are needed here, since 1) turnout is typically lower in mid-term elections anyway and 2) there is less enthusiasm on the Dems side because Obama isn't on the ballot. In other words, it's just a political strategy.
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Post by Nikkol on Nov 1, 2010 6:10:01 GMT -5
These commercials are designed to appeal to the base that helped Obama get elected in 2008. Special efforts are needed here, since 1) turnout is typically lower in mid-term elections anyway and 2) there is less enthusiasm on the Dems side because Obama isn't on the ballot. In other words, it's just a political strategy. I know...I'll just be glad that this is the LAST day I have to hear it....I am DEFINITELY voting and hoping that my one vote really does make a difference. |
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Post by stillfocused on Nov 3, 2010 0:15:08 GMT -5
I am glad today over and done. I didn't listen to the ads..somehow they got a hold of my telephone number and bombarded my voice mail with campaign ads. I had to listen to them somewhat to delete them. I actually sat down at a table and read through the propositions.
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