The Dems are supposed to get trounced Tuesday. Progressive economists will complain the Obama doesn’t sell his program to everyday people a’ la FDR. But what do they want Obama to sell, their own extensive delineations of the symptoms of our bizarrely out of balance labor market — where labor is the last thing to have any presence or say — OR EVEN ANY AWARENESS OF NOT HAVING ANY SAY…
…AMERICA’S GREAT MISSING MARBLES.
Since the lack of awareness of totally absent bargaining power (nor even any interest in the topic) is more a historical accident (better labor history than Europe in the nineteenth century made for less militancy) maybe the problem should really be referred to sociologists or political scientists. Maybe that is why Krugman, De Long, Baker, Rdan, etc., don’t make it their number one, ever screeching screeds!!! Maybe they are waiting for “more appropriate disciplines” to communicate these uniquely American missing marbles to the general public. Wonder who the sociological Krugman should be? (Moi? No; I’m just an over the hill cabbie.)
I expect to rant much louder on this topic after next Tuesday — tragically.
Rebups always screech about supposed crackpot results of “socialism” in Europe (hereinafter referred to by me as “Roman Catholic social democracy” — having read Tom Geoghegan’s latest book “Were You Born On The Wrong Continent?”):
English overwhelming welfare state for perpetual drunks and violent misbehavers while out of work folks are left to sleep in the street (see the book “Our Culture, What’s Left Of It”) — nothing to do with us. French “riots” from the folks who brought you the French Revolution — their labor market practice is backwards; they strike first, then negotiate! — nothing to do with us. Belgian 20% of labor force on permanent disability — nothing to do with us. Italian organized assassination of Prime Minister’s friend who merely suggested making it easier for employers to fire workers — remnant of crazed communist history — nothing to do with us.
German BEST LABOR RELATIONS IN EUROPE — German most all pervasive Roman Catholic social democracy (originated by West German Catholics, think Adenauer, in the 1950s). Also German best disciplined — along with Northern Italy and Japan — production line workers in the world.
Repubs like to cherry pick the idiosyncrasies of each and every economy and package them together as the depredations of “socialism.” Germany now says its biggest export to other European nations is (even more pervasive, Roman Catholic) social democracy — think about it America (if you ever wake up and smell a better life).
Ahhhh, Marx’s false consciousness with a middle class twist!Members of a subordinate class (workers, peasants, serfs) suffer from false consciousness in that their mental representations of the social relations around them systematically conceal or obscure the realities of subordination, exploitation, and domination those relations embody.
I’m afraid I’m not educated enough to know what Marx’s false consciousness is. 🙂 But, I maintain the Marx was too intelligent to stick to socialism once he saw it not working in the Soviet Union. I take socialism as just his “Jules Verne” guess about how to heal the race to the bottom in the “capitalist” labor market which he was swifter at identifying than anyone else. He supposedly said that America did not need socialism because America had labor unions.
Point being: I don’t know whatever why anyone would want socialism today when Marx wouldn’t want it — Repubs. The Europeans bumbled into the cure with legally mandated, sector-wide labor agreements — which were originated, along with a guaranteed welfare state, to curb labor demands so Europe could rebuild its capital after WWII. BTW, living on the dole was not socially acceptable in Europe until the oil-recession of the 1970s made in necessary for some.
Germany perfected social democracy with dual representation: local work councils along with sector-wide bargaining (which bargaining said councils have nothing to do with). The councils were originated for the purpose of weakening labor unity — worked out the other way around; the more presence labor has the stronger (the social democracy).
And so it evolves — like the growth of former Indian trails on our East Coast. But we can map out our next labor market move like the planned (boring :-]) landscape of the Mid-West.
No way on birth certificate. If the President’s is bogus, so is the BC of every citizen of the state of HI and every other state using similar digitized birth record systems. Documents are a particular area of knowledge for me because of my SS background. I know from docs from every country in this hemisphere, and some other countries elsewhere as well. So, sammy, I agree with you on your first prediction. And, disagree on the second. Can’t see the legal theory for getting there. NancyO
Votes only legitimize a fraudulent system. What are our choices. Both parties will continue America’s war adventures. Nobody even talks about the wars this election cycle. Not much as a razors difference when it comes to, trade agrements, or banking oversight. Both parties will fawn upon Jewish and corperate interests, and Joe Poup the Ragman is going to get dumped on.
We don’t even get a choice. William Crystal decided that a dumb, guilible, power hungry bimbo with nice legs (Sarah Palin) be pushed into the limelight. He and his buddies gave her good press. Crystal called his morally bankrupt war slathering buddy John McCain and advised McCain that she would help his ticket and at the same time be acceptable to Moloch. This is because she is willing to listen to the the very same advisor who help empower and advise a fool Goergian president to lauch a murderious genocidal assault on the Ossetian people.
If black people had the brains of chimpanzies they would stay home in mass. It is shamefull that Clinton “America’s first black President” is cajoling and no doubt bribing a black Floridian Democratic candidate to take dive, for the establishment candidate (Crist). This demonstrates that Clintons loyalty is to the establishment rather then his party or to the black people. What Clinton wants to do is stop a Republican attempt to pander to the hispanice vote with an attractive cuban american candidate. This means hispanics are now more important to blacks to the Democrates. One can only imagine what bribes and threats were brought to bear on Jesse Jackson Jr. in order to step aside for an Isreali soldier in the Chicago mayorial race. Black people never got a chance. Obama is not a black man in the sense that he never exprienced the African American experiance, nor does he bear the same Bantu west african genes that African Americans do. We all know the how the old time Democrates treated and viewed blacks. Chattel then Chattle now. The black man has never had a chance under the democratic party and will never again be so loyal. Obama screwed it for them. A black face with out black interests has made it very unlikely there will ever be another black man in the white house for a long time.
Obama has zero gravitas. Jon Stewart laughed at him and called him dude when Obama said that “Larry Summers did a heck of a job”. Peoples hope that he represented hope has been shattared. He is an empty suit. He gets no respect and deserves no respect.
Vote Repblican and empower the likes of Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich. No thanks!
I’m afraid I’m not educated enough to know what Marx’s false consciousness is. 🙂 But, I maintain the Marx was too intelligent to stick to socialism once he saw it not working in the Soviet Union. This statement is not only an oxymoron, but it is false. Marxism was never about improving the social order. Marxism is window treatment for the seizure of states and the expansion of state power, both in the states seized as well as states which fear seizure, who employ chicken little state craft to grow the state. In any event all power flows to the state and those who controll the states credit controll the state.
Marx was a totally phoney. He totally dismissed the possiblity of a tyranical state, and intoned that the state would some how disapear once the world became a workers paradise and just like Donald Rumsfeld refused to allow anybody to consider what to do with Iraq once Saddam was toppled, Marx refused to consider how the state was going to abolish itself.
Marx would no more say that socialism was a failure when he saw it failing then Paul Krugman would say that deficet spending is a failure. Rather both would say that the state must do more.
I just hope this kenyan usurper does not get shot.
I thought that it was interesting that the dude who crashed Obama’s party recently and got passed all the security and got right next to the President was a Palistianian. I wonder if Obama thought of Sirhan Sirhan? Obama’s closest former aid sends dead fish as messeges. Was this a message that Obama consider is mortality?
Cursed”s disgust at the lesser of evils choice is understandable. There is much to be dissatisfied with in regards to Obama’s efforts during his first two years. His choice of lieutenants was most distressing, with Summers and Emanuel being harbingers of worse to come. And there is just as much, if not more, to be dissatisfied with regarding the behavior and accomplishments (or lack thereof) of the Congress. Although the Democrats had control of both houses they refused to press their leads as a result of their own disharmony. As some have pointed out, the Democratic party is a big tent including its own reactionary contingent. What to do?
Look closely at the alternative. The party of nothing, and worse. The party of false consciousness, as Mr Shafer points out. The party that brings fealty to the forefront of political dysfunction. What single positive effort have the Republicans made in the past two years? That following eight years of destructive groveling at the feet of power and feeding at the corporate trough. Scum like McConnell are even so bold as to gloat at doiong nothing but attempting to assure the failure of a Presidency. Never even recognizing that the President’s failure only refelcts the inadequacy of the government he leads. That is the same government that is constituted by both Democrats and the Republican antagonists. There is nothing at all constructive in the failure of a government other than the self interest of those who seek personal power.
So what is the choice? Reactionary do nothing self interest? Or, a less than ideal Congress and Administration? Considering that much of the failure of the current government is the product of those reactionary forces that seek power for themselves at our expense, we can blame much of the failure on the Republican party. And look now at what they offer us. Sharron Angle? Christine O’Donnell? Rand Paul? Joe Miller? Read their individual political “platforms.” They support nothing other than regressive social concepts and offer nothing beyond their religious devotion. Not to vote is to give these pathetic malcontents the support of a disinterested electorate. I’d bet that most elections are closer than the media has led us to believe.
it’s my thesis that two major parties suck because We The People suck.
There is no fix for this. A people get the government they deserve, “good and hard” as the man said.
O’Donnell is polling 36% in DE so it should not be a surprise that Angle could be polling 49% in hard-hit NV, and Rand Paul, the self-accredited ophthalmologist, could assemble 51% support in KY.
If 36% is the base the retard right is starting from in most states, to get to 50% only requires 14 ppt of the 64 ppts remaining, or just 1 in 5.
The Republican constituency has lurched from one self -righteous, moralistic hissy fit to another since it’s inception, and in their wake they have left a milatary warfare state.
The Military industrial complex had it’s roots watered by the Abolitionist movement. In the ensueing genocidal wars against the plains indians prosecuted under the Republican watch we see big rail roads appealing to the milatary to have indians killed rather then dupped in the more traditional way by treaties. But to those anticapating the rapture indians were just heathens of little consequence. The next lurch was to prohibition, and then having learned nothing at all they lurched toward the war on drugs, and now they have launched a war on themselves, aka the war on terrorism. The dunderheads have been been wrong everytime and achieved the opposite results to which they have desired each time. The claim to want small government and individual liberties but that is not what happened.
Republicans are not necessarily bad people even though they do have the mark of the midway emblazoned plainly on there foreheads. Sadly there greatest shortcoming is thinking that there opponents all have the mark of cain, while they themselves have Jesus’s 1 800 number.
Or looking at it another way, the 36% base becomes a plurality by suppressing at least 15% of dem votes. I think this is what Rahmbo had in mind, actually.
They may not be bad people but they have sadly lost their way since they were led by the likes of Dwight Eisenhower, the last one I respected.
A decent hardworking guy from my home state of Kansas who kicked ass in Europe and was beloved by his troops for it. Then came home and tried to warn us about the evils of the military industrial complex but went unheard.
So whats up with Bonny Frank? Off the cuff he is usually right on. If we could keep his tawdry little hands out of banking he might make a decent pol. Will an upstart beat him?
Even I am sure I am not welcome – I am find myself less and less uncomfortable with democrates. It’s not that my dislike for their positions has lessoned. It’s because they have less of a knee jerk lemming like response compelling them to charge machine gun nest world wide using a credit card, based upon government stoked fellings of insecurity here at home.
I can’t find too much fault to fault with JFK or Groover Cleavland, and I good at finding fault.
There are two parties: the Know Nothings and the Know Nothing appeasers.
The Know Nothings are counter the Declaration of Independence, the appeasers are afraid to argue with the Know Nothings.
That Texas removed Jefferson from official history is symptomatic of the Tea Party credo that the US’ “indisputable principles of the founding fathers” are not founded in the “Enlightenment” and that men are not created equal, nor is his landowning, macho maleness endowed with anything like rights from the creator.
Ike slaughtered too many Germans after they surrenderd for me to have any respect for the guy, but to his credit he used his personal powerbase and devious mind to put a check on the growth and power of non democratic elements in our system. Unfortunately he seems the last president who could do so. JFK tried – then died. Nobody who is not paid to do so believes the governments version of that day long ago in Big D. Hitler was right about people’s readiness to buy the big lie. We now have weak debauched leaders, because weak debauched leaders are easier to controll, as are peoples. An unhappy ending to the enlightenment, and the American experiecne.
ENEMIES OF THE STATE – OVER 60 PERCENT OF AMERICAN CITIZENS
I am an independent voter, perhaps one of the few participating on this blog. I was the first individual on Angry Bear who openly supported Obama’s bid for the presidency. I have minimized my criticisms of President Obama since the day of his election in hopes that he would get his act together and conduct himself as a successful, mature president. But that is about to change.
On Friday, 22 October 2010, Obama taped an interview in California which was aired on Monday. Obama’s statements included the following:
Obama: “If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, we’re going to punish our enemies and we’re going to reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, and I think it’s going to be harder. And that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2nd.”
That tears it for me.
Obama does not understand what it means to be the President of the United States of America. Obama does not understand his oath of office nor his responsibilities to all American citizens. That much is clear.
Obama declared, based on recent polling data, that over 60 percent of American citizens are enemies of U.S. latino citizens and illegal aliens who support immigration reform in its present loose form. Enemies, mind you.
If you find that acceptable or agree that Obama as a sitting president should run around the nation calling the majority, minority, or any of the nation’s citizens enemies without legal justification according to the U.S. Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, regardless of political issue, then consider me your enemy as well.
I am finished supporting this president, openly or privately.
Enough already, Obama. Shut the hell up. Resign for the good of the nation.
Wow! MG has been turned. Yes, Obama is/was a mistake.
Most of us were willing to give him a chance (yes even me!), but now after well over two years of listening and watching him, we have decided. Regrettable, he has confirmed our fears, for some of us, our worst fears. Furthermore, his actions have pulled the covers off the real left wing goals of imnplementing socialism and/or communism. Until Obama those were more often hidden. Since it has been acceptable to openly espouse them. Just read Amateur Socialist’s or Robert’s commentary and those who support their views here on AB.
Obama has shown a HUGE, BRIGHT light on the liberal ideals, and most voters now recognize their them, and his legislation exposed their weaknesses. For all the MSM’s effort to convince us that Obama’s legislative successes were record breaking, most voters understand them to be misguided, really badly written and of little real value. The sum of those understandings is that there is little to no trust in the implementation of the Obama legislation.
Finally, MG’s findings of Obama’s tendency to retribution for some and unthinking support for others versus governing is troubling for many.
I see no way this man can be more than a one term president, and as MG suggests, may not actually make it to the end of that. Obama, a mistake even those who supported him now recognize.
Agree the MICC started with war profiteering and fraud ripping off the huge supply chain built to pulverize the poor southerners. Established itself in peace time when Teddy Roosevelt endorsed Mahan’s book selling a US navy to match the Royal Navy, and justify colonies for coaling stations in 1890 and took off when US industrialists made a killing selling arms to make the Brits and French almost equal logistically to the Kaisers’ Kruppe cabal.
In 1940 Wendall Wilkie, a republican isolationist advocated doing the war supplier thing but stay out of Britain’s mess with Hitler in Europe. Buff should tell me I am Wilkie rather than Buchanon!
However, I also agree with a little comment on the republicans evolution from the party of the “enlightenment” in Lincoln’s pursuit of all men being equal over states’ rights to sustain lesser people as propertry, to the Henry Luce bearingthe White man’s burden as US’ duty to the world in 1940 a huge change from enlightenment to militarists and colonizers.
Some of my ancestors are from a couple of the principalities that became Germany, I had uncles in ETO. Ike was a good manager, knew when to can a sap and had a good logistic group. Ike was a harsh disciplinarian, I have not found any histroy of an incident told to me from North Africa where Ike signed the death warrant for a soldier sleeping on guard duty, as I remeber the story, too late to ask about it. That Uncle hated Ike.
This is a funny kind of socialism where profits are private well deserved rewards of hard working honest entrepreneurs and losses are everybody’s fault. Orwell might be impressed but I doubt Dickens would be.
Indisputable principles: 1. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me. 2. The majority of people have the right to dissolve or modify the government.
2. America is good. 3. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results. 4. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion. 5. Personal responsibility trumps government actions to obtain/maintain “fairness.” Rights are bestowed to individuals by God, and defended by governments. This government believes government bestows rights and God is not involved. 6. The Constitution is the cornerstone of our beliefs. We do not chip away at the cornerwtone without weakening the whole structure. Expansive use of the “Commerce Clause” is an example of chipping away.
There is no official list. The above list is taken from several sources. I don’t know what a “real” principle is. Do you?
I can not speak for everyone’s fears only mine. 1) Obama has a fundamentally different understanding than I do about “personal freedom.” This is shown by his implementation of Government contol over everyday decisions. Healthcare is one of the areas he has shown this tendency. You of all people should understand that government does not know best in many (if not most) things.
2) Obama has a Euro-Socialist view that he wishes to emulate here. It’s not been wildly successful there and will be worse here.
3) His environmental goals pits man against nature with his government being the untimate arbiter. Refer to my above comment about government knowing what’s best.
Two actions he has taken to nationalize (as in socialize) industry is the take over of the auto manufacturers and the attempt to take over the health care industry. His administration has also taken over the student loan industry. He has placed people of extreme socialistic/communistic views in too many places of authority. For all your ranting about DOD and the military comples, the liberal commenters here complaining about the Bush attempt at taking control from Congress, Obama has used the Bush changes as a stepping stone, and has enhanced Presidential power via czars and declaration. His Presidential Order to resolve the abortion question in the Healhcare Bill negotiations is an example of one such declaration.
The core tenet that these actions represent is: ” …the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution in public or common ownership…”
Refer to my principle/fear of “individual freedom”. The basic difference between a conservative and this Prez appears to be the definition of responsibility. Conservatives vest that in the indivudual. Where do you place that responsibility.
I think MG and cursed have fallen off the deep end for this election. And it appears MG has joined Mark Perry’s rants on socialism and AB.
Lots of changes are happening and taking form, but I fail to see how O’Bama is the center of that in the hopey changey meme, nor that election year candy statements mean much in isolation.
Comments have gone way over the top in regards to pinpointing actual trends currently on the surface.
I maintain that the stated goal of allied leadership was to forever break the strength of the German people, by slaughtering as many of them as possible.
In 1933 before any Nazi atrocities were even considered, world Jewery declared war on Germany.
In 1941 Time Magazine and the New York times gave a favorable book review to Theodore Kaufmans book “Germany Must Perish” in which he called for the total genocide of the German people.
Henry Morganthau the US Secretary of the Treasury did his best to implement a plan which would have intentionally starved to death 40% of the German population.
Eisenhower and Morganthau were buddies. Eisenhower gave orders German POW’s were to be allowed no shelter, nor enough calories to sustain life.
General Lucius Clay writes in Oct 1945
undoubtedly a large number of refugees have already died of starvation, exposure and disease…. The death rate in many places has increased several fold, and infant mortality is approaching 65 percent in many places. By the spring of 1946, German observers expect that epidemics and malnutrition will claim 2.5 to 3 million victims between the Oder and Elbe.[
The bare foot boy from wall street was no isolationist. He was another manufactured candidate. He had been a Democrat who stood apart from the rest of the Republican isolationist candidates by consistantly maintaining that the US must aid Britain against Germany. In a gallop poll taken in May of 1940 Wilkie only polled 3 percent, but he got constant good press by the likes of Henry Luce aka “Baal” and the internationalist wing of the Republican Party.
Windle Wilkie went on to support Lend lease, and later wrote a book called “One World” where he calls for world government.
I think MG and cursed have fallen off the deep end for this election I fell into disgust with our sham democracy years ago. It is controlled by non democratic players who make every attempt to manufacture and control both consent and dissidence.
Probably the most egregious example how outside players are able to determine events is the election of Netanyaho. 98% of bennyboy’s monies came from outside Israel. Here we have diaspora Jews beating the drums for war more loudly then the Israelis do. This is totally unfair to Israelis, who left to there own devices would be more accomadating with Esau. It once again establishes that the guys who pull strings promote war.
From the earlier thread – just to get it all in one place!
Senate: Maintain Dem control 52-48 (Reid survives in a squeker)
House: Goes Rep – 245 -190, Dems lose around 65 seats. (Pelosi survives also but does not become minority leader)
Governors (Important since this is a redistricting year): R’s pick up 7 Governors for a total of 31 R Govs vs 19 Dems. Key states of TX, OH, PA, and FL all go/stay in R category. As do MI and WI. Brown wins handily in CA.
I also bet the cries of voter fraud/intimidation will be very heavy.
Obama will make it to the end. He will compromise and we will muddlethrough these next two years. No impeacements. No big nitiatives. Obamacare will get modified (“improved”) but not repealed. No cap and trade, no big changes in the war from teh course outlined by Bush years ago. It will be stalemate – which will be good!
Obama will continue to say more stupid stuff like MG outlined. Slowly but surely the press will turn against him and give him the same coverage it did Bush durin his tenure – instead of the pass he’s had so far. Note we are seeing the late-night comedians finally making fun of him.
We will survive and muddle-through.
And why is everyone after Roberts all of a sudden?
I have to keep wondering how long the democratic party thinks it can keep selling this “But Republicans Suck More” message. It’s failed again guys. Maybe something different next time eh?
I’m told Marx’s writings of the early 1840s are different from his writing before and after. According to David Harrington, Marx before and after the revolution of 1848 was committed to democratic socialism. (Of course the revolution of 1848 started in the 1830s, and ended in the 1850s.) But in the 1840s, largely as a disappointment of the failure of socialist uprisings is Germany, Marx and Engels adopted what the later referred to as anti-socialist socialism, by which they mean that the revolution is led by a cadre of “enlightened” revolutionaries. They abandoned this eventually, but the damage was done. The Soviet Union and all the Marxist guerilla movements in Africa and South America all used the anti-socialist socialism of Marx’s middle period, and ignored the democratic socialism of the early and later writing.
I’m not completely sold on Marx, but he’s represented very badly.
Last I saw he was 13 points up. He’s not Martha Coakley. He actually campaigns. He also doesn’t have the deep opposition Coakley has among the Dems. You may not know this, but in Mass Coakley, as assistant prosecutor to her predecessor, Tom Reilly, procecuted Louise Woodward and also the Amiraults in the Fells Acre Day Care case. In the former, it’s felt by many that the prosecutors were overzealous, and that the case was not as clearly one of murder as it was of a girl in a bad spot, not acting properly. (The judge later changed the charge from murder to manslaughter, but the prosecutors wanted her to swing, metaphorically speaking.) In the latter case, the Fells Acre Day Care case, there’s a great deal of feeling that there may have been no crime committed whatsoever, and that the facts were coerced from the children by the prosecutors. Coakley is deeply unpopular among a large number of democrats.
FWIW, the allegation that Frank is responsible for even a fraction of the housing collapse is ludicrous. He may not have seen how deep the financial service’s perfidy was, but almost nobody was. The Republican’s claim that this is what happens when you let negros own property is shameful.
The Dems are supposed to get trounced Tuesday. Progressive economists will complain the Obama doesn’t sell his program to everyday people a’ la FDR. But what do they want Obama to sell, their own extensive delineations of the symptoms of our bizarrely out of balance labor market — where labor is the last thing to have any presence or say — OR EVEN ANY AWARENESS OF NOT HAVING ANY SAY…
…AMERICA’S GREAT MISSING MARBLES.
Since the lack of awareness of totally absent bargaining power (nor even any interest in the topic) is more a historical accident (better labor history than Europe in the nineteenth century made for less militancy) maybe the problem should really be referred to sociologists or political scientists. Maybe that is why Krugman, De Long, Baker, Rdan, etc., don’t make it their number one, ever screeching screeds!!! Maybe they are waiting for “more appropriate disciplines” to communicate these uniquely American missing marbles to the general public. Wonder who the sociological Krugman should be? (Moi? No; I’m just an over the hill cabbie.)
I expect to rant much louder on this topic after next Tuesday — tragically.
Rebups always screech about supposed crackpot results of “socialism” in Europe (hereinafter referred to by me as “Roman Catholic social democracy” — having read Tom Geoghegan’s latest book “Were You Born On The Wrong Continent?”):
English overwhelming welfare state for perpetual drunks and violent misbehavers while out of work folks are left to sleep in the street (see the book “Our Culture, What’s Left Of It”) — nothing to do with us.
French “riots” from the folks who brought you the French Revolution — their labor market practice is backwards; they strike first, then negotiate! — nothing to do with us.
Belgian 20% of labor force on permanent disability — nothing to do with us.
Italian organized assassination of Prime Minister’s friend who merely suggested making it easier for employers to fire workers — remnant of crazed communist history — nothing to do with us.
German BEST LABOR RELATIONS IN EUROPE — German most all pervasive Roman Catholic social democracy (originated by West German Catholics, think Adenauer, in the 1950s). Also German best disciplined — along with Northern Italy and Japan — production line workers in the world.
Repubs like to cherry pick the idiosyncrasies of each and every economy and package them together as the depredations of “socialism.” Germany now says its biggest export to other European nations is (even more pervasive, Roman Catholic) social democracy — think about it America (if you ever wake up and smell a better life).
http://www.amazon.com/Were-You-Born-Wrong-Continent/dp/159558403X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288358513&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Culture-Whats-Left-Mandarins/dp/156663721X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288358342&sr=8-1
Ahhhh, Marx’s false consciousness with a middle class twist!Members of a subordinate class (workers, peasants, serfs) suffer from false consciousness in that their mental representations of the social relations around them systematically conceal or obscure the realities of subordination, exploitation, and domination those relations embody.
I’m afraid I’m not educated enough to know what Marx’s false consciousness is. 🙂 But, I maintain the Marx was too intelligent to stick to socialism once he saw it not working in the Soviet Union. I take socialism as just his “Jules Verne” guess about how to heal the race to the bottom in the “capitalist” labor market which he was swifter at identifying than anyone else. He supposedly said that America did not need socialism because America had labor unions.
Point being: I don’t know whatever why anyone would want socialism today when Marx wouldn’t want it — Repubs. The Europeans bumbled into the cure with legally mandated, sector-wide labor agreements — which were originated, along with a guaranteed welfare state, to curb labor demands so Europe could rebuild its capital after WWII. BTW, living on the dole was not socially acceptable in Europe until the oil-recession of the 1970s made in necessary for some.
Germany perfected social democracy with dual representation: local work councils along with sector-wide bargaining (which bargaining said councils have nothing to do with). The councils were originated for the purpose of weakening labor unity — worked out the other way around; the more presence labor has the stronger (the social democracy).
And so it evolves — like the growth of former Indian trails on our East Coast. But we can map out our next labor market move like the planned (boring :-]) landscape of the Mid-West.
Election prediction. Dems get trounced, but not as bad as their worst case scenario.
Prediction #2: >50% probability Obama doesn’t serve out his term, due to incompetence. The pretext for removal = Birth Certificate.
No way on birth certificate. If the President’s is bogus, so is the BC of every citizen of the state of HI and every other state using similar digitized birth record systems. Documents are a particular area of knowledge for me because of my SS background. I know from docs from every country in this hemisphere, and some other countries elsewhere as well. So, sammy, I agree with you on your first prediction. And, disagree on the second. Can’t see the legal theory for getting there. NancyO
The Dems motto as the disaster continues to unfold: “We are all Birthers now.”
sammy–Ummm. Phui. NancyO
I predict a low turn out, and lots of fraud.
Votes only legitimize a fraudulent system. What are our choices. Both parties will continue America’s war adventures. Nobody even talks about the wars this election cycle. Not much as a razors difference when it comes to, trade agrements, or banking oversight. Both parties will fawn upon Jewish and corperate interests, and Joe Poup the Ragman is going to get dumped on.
We don’t even get a choice. William Crystal decided that a dumb, guilible, power hungry bimbo with nice legs (Sarah Palin) be pushed into the limelight. He and his buddies gave her good press. Crystal called his morally bankrupt war slathering buddy John McCain and advised McCain that she would help his ticket and at the same time be acceptable to Moloch. This is because she is willing to listen to the the very same advisor who help empower and advise a fool Goergian president to lauch a murderious genocidal assault on the Ossetian people.
If black people had the brains of chimpanzies they would stay home in mass. It is shamefull that Clinton “America’s first black President” is cajoling and no doubt bribing a black Floridian Democratic candidate to take dive, for the establishment candidate (Crist). This demonstrates that Clintons loyalty is to the establishment rather then his party or to the black people. What Clinton wants to do is stop a Republican attempt to pander to the hispanice vote with an attractive cuban american candidate. This means hispanics are now more important to blacks to the Democrates. One can only imagine what bribes and threats were brought to bear on Jesse Jackson Jr. in order to step aside for an Isreali soldier in the Chicago mayorial race. Black people never got a chance. Obama is not a black man in the sense that he never exprienced the African American experiance, nor does he bear the same Bantu west african genes that African Americans do. We all know the how the old time Democrates treated and viewed blacks. Chattel then Chattle now. The black man has never had a chance under the democratic party and will never again be so loyal. Obama screwed it for them. A black face with out black interests has made it very unlikely there will ever be another black man in the white house for a long time.
Obama has zero gravitas. Jon Stewart laughed at him and called him dude when Obama said that “Larry Summers did a heck of a job”. Peoples hope that he represented hope has been shattared. He is an empty suit. He gets no respect and deserves no respect.
Vote Repblican and empower the likes of Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich. No thanks!
I’m staying home election day.
I’m afraid I’m not educated enough to know what Marx’s false consciousness is. 🙂 But, I maintain the Marx was too intelligent to stick to socialism once he saw it not working in the Soviet Union.
This statement is not only an oxymoron, but it is false. Marxism was never about improving the social order. Marxism is window treatment for the seizure of states and the expansion of state power, both in the states seized as well as states which fear seizure, who employ chicken little state craft to grow the state. In any event all power flows to the state and those who controll the states credit controll the state.
Marx was a totally phoney. He totally dismissed the possiblity of a tyranical state, and intoned that the state would some how disapear once the world became a workers paradise and just like Donald Rumsfeld refused to allow anybody to consider what to do with Iraq once Saddam was toppled, Marx refused to consider how the state was going to abolish itself.
Marx would no more say that socialism was a failure when he saw it failing then Paul Krugman would say that deficet spending is a failure. Rather both would say that the state must do more.
I just hope this kenyan usurper does not get shot.
I thought that it was interesting that the dude who crashed Obama’s party recently and got passed all the security and got right next to the President was a Palistianian. I wonder if Obama thought of Sirhan Sirhan? Obama’s closest former aid sends dead fish as messeges. Was this a message that Obama consider is mortality?
Cursed”s disgust at the lesser of evils choice is understandable. There is much to be dissatisfied with in regards to Obama’s efforts during his first two years. His choice of lieutenants was most distressing, with Summers and Emanuel being harbingers of worse to come. And there is just as much, if not more, to be dissatisfied with regarding the behavior and accomplishments (or lack thereof) of the Congress. Although the Democrats had control of both houses they refused to press their leads as a result of their own disharmony. As some have pointed out, the Democratic party is a big tent including its own reactionary contingent. What to do?
Look closely at the alternative. The party of nothing, and worse. The party of false consciousness, as Mr Shafer points out. The party that brings fealty to the forefront of political dysfunction. What single positive effort have the Republicans made in the past two years? That following eight years of destructive groveling at the feet of power and feeding at the corporate trough. Scum like McConnell are even so bold as to gloat at doiong nothing but attempting to assure the failure of a Presidency. Never even recognizing that the President’s failure only refelcts the inadequacy of the government he leads. That is the same government that is constituted by both Democrats and the Republican antagonists. There is nothing at all constructive in the failure of a government other than the self interest of those who seek personal power.
So what is the choice? Reactionary do nothing self interest? Or, a less than ideal Congress and Administration? Considering that much of the failure of the current government is the product of those reactionary forces that seek power for themselves at our expense, we can blame much of the failure on the Republican party. And look now at what they offer us. Sharron Angle? Christine O’Donnell? Rand Paul? Joe Miller? Read their individual political “platforms.” They support nothing other than regressive social concepts and offer nothing beyond their religious devotion. Not to vote is to give these pathetic malcontents the support of a disinterested electorate. I’d bet that most elections are closer than the media has led us to believe.
it’s my thesis that two major parties suck because We The People suck.
There is no fix for this. A people get the government they deserve, “good and hard” as the man said.
O’Donnell is polling 36% in DE so it should not be a surprise that Angle could be polling 49% in hard-hit NV, and Rand Paul, the self-accredited ophthalmologist, could assemble 51% support in KY.
If 36% is the base the retard right is starting from in most states, to get to 50% only requires 14 ppt of the 64 ppts remaining, or just 1 in 5.
Straussians FTW.
The Republican constituency has lurched from one self -righteous, moralistic hissy fit to another since it’s inception, and in their wake they have left a milatary warfare state.
The Military industrial complex had it’s roots watered by the Abolitionist movement. In the ensueing genocidal wars against the plains indians prosecuted under the Republican watch we see big rail roads appealing to the milatary to have indians killed rather then dupped in the more traditional way by treaties. But to those anticapating the rapture indians were just heathens of little consequence. The next lurch was to prohibition, and then having learned nothing at all they lurched toward the war on drugs, and now they have launched a war on themselves, aka the war on terrorism. The dunderheads have been been wrong everytime and achieved the opposite results to which they have desired each time. The claim to want small government and individual liberties but that is not what happened.
Republicans are not necessarily bad people even though they do have the mark of the midway emblazoned plainly on there foreheads. Sadly there greatest shortcoming is thinking that there opponents all have the mark of cain, while they themselves have Jesus’s 1 800 number.
Does this mean prediction 2a> John Roberts impeached for swearing in ineligible President?
It’s probably too much to hope for, but I admit after the last couple years it’s a bargain I’d think long and hard about…
Or looking at it another way, the 36% base becomes a plurality by suppressing at least 15% of dem votes. I think this is what Rahmbo had in mind, actually.
They may not be bad people but they have sadly lost their way since they were led by the likes of Dwight Eisenhower, the last one I respected.
A decent hardworking guy from my home state of Kansas who kicked ass in Europe and was beloved by his troops for it. Then came home and tried to warn us about the evils of the military industrial complex but went unheard.
So whats up with Bonny Frank? Off the cuff he is usually right on. If we could keep his tawdry little hands out of banking he might make a decent pol. Will an upstart beat him?
Even I am sure I am not welcome – I am find myself less and less uncomfortable with democrates. It’s not that my dislike for their positions has lessoned. It’s because they have less of a knee jerk lemming like response compelling them to charge machine gun nest world wide using a credit card, based upon government stoked fellings of insecurity here at home.
I can’t find too much fault to fault with JFK or Groover Cleavland, and I good at finding fault.
~50-100 R/Ci/hr/m for weeks after. JMP
There are two parties: the Know Nothings and the Know Nothing appeasers.
The Know Nothings are counter the Declaration of Independence, the appeasers are afraid to argue with the Know Nothings.
That Texas removed Jefferson from official history is symptomatic of the Tea Party credo that the US’ “indisputable principles of the founding fathers” are not founded in the “Enlightenment” and that men are not created equal, nor is his landowning, macho maleness endowed with anything like rights from the creator.
Ike slaughtered too many Germans after they surrenderd for me to have any respect for the guy, but to his credit he used his personal powerbase and devious mind to put a check on the growth and power of non democratic elements in our system. Unfortunately he seems the last president who could do so. JFK tried – then died. Nobody who is not paid to do so believes the governments version of that day long ago in Big D. Hitler was right about people’s readiness to buy the big lie. We now have weak debauched leaders, because weak debauched leaders are easier to controll, as are peoples. An unhappy ending to the enlightenment, and the American experiecne.
ENEMIES OF THE STATE – OVER 60 PERCENT OF AMERICAN CITIZENS
I am an independent voter, perhaps one of the few participating on this blog. I was the first individual on Angry Bear who openly supported Obama’s bid for the presidency. I have minimized my criticisms of President Obama since the day of his election in hopes that he would get his act together and conduct himself as a successful, mature president. But that is about to change.
On Friday, 22 October 2010, Obama taped an interview in California which was aired on Monday. Obama’s statements included the following:
Obama: “If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, we’re going to punish our enemies and we’re going to reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, and I think it’s going to be harder. And that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2nd.”
That tears it for me.
Obama does not understand what it means to be the President of the United States of America. Obama does not understand his oath of office nor his responsibilities to all American citizens. That much is clear.
Obama declared, based on recent polling data, that over 60 percent of American citizens are enemies of U.S. latino citizens and illegal aliens who support immigration reform in its present loose form. Enemies, mind you.
If you find that acceptable or agree that Obama as a sitting president should run around the nation calling the majority, minority, or any of the nation’s citizens enemies without legal justification according to the U.S. Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, regardless of political issue, then consider me your enemy as well.
I am finished supporting this president, openly or privately.
Enough already, Obama. Shut the hell up. Resign for the good of the nation.
Wow! MG has been turned. Yes, Obama is/was a mistake.
Most of us were willing to give him a chance (yes even me!), but now after well over two years of listening and watching him, we have decided. Regrettable, he has confirmed our fears, for some of us, our worst fears. Furthermore, his actions have pulled the covers off the real left wing goals of imnplementing socialism and/or communism. Until Obama those were more often hidden. Since it has been acceptable to openly espouse them. Just read Amateur Socialist’s or Robert’s commentary and those who support their views here on AB.
Obama has shown a HUGE, BRIGHT light on the liberal ideals, and most voters now recognize their them, and his legislation exposed their weaknesses. For all the MSM’s effort to convince us that Obama’s legislative successes were record breaking, most voters understand them to be misguided, really badly written and of little real value. The sum of those understandings is that there is little to no trust in the implementation of the Obama legislation.
Finally, MG’s findings of Obama’s tendency to retribution for some and unthinking support for others versus governing is troubling for many.
I see no way this man can be more than a one term president, and as MG suggests, may not actually make it to the end of that. Obama, a mistake even those who supported him now recognize.
cursed,
Agree the MICC started with war profiteering and fraud ripping off the huge supply chain built to pulverize the poor southerners. Established itself in peace time when Teddy Roosevelt endorsed Mahan’s book selling a US navy to match the Royal Navy, and justify colonies for coaling stations in 1890 and took off when US industrialists made a killing selling arms to make the Brits and French almost equal logistically to the Kaisers’ Kruppe cabal.
In 1940 Wendall Wilkie, a republican isolationist advocated doing the war supplier thing but stay out of Britain’s mess with Hitler in Europe. Buff should tell me I am Wilkie rather than Buchanon!
However, I also agree with a little comment on the republicans evolution from the party of the “enlightenment” in Lincoln’s pursuit of all men being equal over states’ rights to sustain lesser people as propertry, to the Henry Luce bearingthe White man’s burden as US’ duty to the world in 1940 a huge change from enlightenment to militarists and colonizers.
Some of my ancestors are from a couple of the principalities that became Germany, I had uncles in ETO. Ike was a good manager, knew when to can a sap and had a good logistic group. Ike was a harsh disciplinarian, I have not found any histroy of an incident told to me from North Africa where Ike signed the death warrant for a soldier sleeping on guard duty, as I remeber the story, too late to ask about it. That Uncle hated Ike.
I’ll ask again are you offering John Robert’s resignation as part of the bargain? It make the proposition more interesting than ludicrous at least.
CoRev,
And anyone else who wishes to participate in this surevy, enough responses and it could approach scientific.
Please list the tea party’s “indisputable principles of the founding father”.
Is there one official list that O’Donnell might use or are there varaints?
How do you know the list is the real set of principles?
Read the followiong statement: “Regrettable, he has confirmed our fears, for some of us, our worst fears.”
Please list two or more “fears” most bad fear first.
Please list two or more “worst fears”, most worst fear first
And then….”his actions have pulled the covers off the real left wing goals of imnplementing socialism and/or communism.”
Please list two of more of “his actions”:
For each action define an attribute or two of “socialism and/or communism.” that the action is root cause to enforce.
This is a funny kind of socialism where profits are private well deserved rewards of hard working honest entrepreneurs and losses are everybody’s fault. Orwell might be impressed but I doubt Dickens would be.
Indisputable principles: 1. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
2. The majority of people have the right to dissolve or modify the government.
2. America is good.
3. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
4. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
5. Personal responsibility trumps government actions to obtain/maintain “fairness.” Rights are bestowed to individuals by God, and defended by governments. This government believes government bestows rights and God is not involved.
6. The Constitution is the cornerstone of our beliefs. We do not chip away at the cornerwtone without weakening the whole structure. Expansive use of the “Commerce Clause” is an example of chipping away.
There is no official list. The above list is taken from several sources. I don’t know what a “real” principle is. Do you?
I can not speak for everyone’s fears only mine.
1) Obama has a fundamentally different understanding than I do about “personal freedom.” This is shown by his implementation of Government contol over everyday decisions. Healthcare is one of the areas he has shown this tendency. You of all people should understand that government does not know best in many (if not most) things.
2) Obama has a Euro-Socialist view that he wishes to emulate here. It’s not been wildly successful there and will be worse here.
3) His environmental goals pits man against nature with his government being the untimate arbiter. Refer to my above comment about government knowing what’s best.
Two actions he has taken to nationalize (as in socialize) industry is the take over of the auto manufacturers and the attempt to take over the health care industry. His administration has also taken over the student loan industry. He has placed people of extreme socialistic/communistic views in too many places of authority. For all your ranting about DOD and the military comples, the liberal commenters here complaining about the Bush attempt at taking control from Congress, Obama has used the Bush changes as a stepping stone, and has enhanced Presidential power via czars and declaration. His Presidential Order to resolve the abortion question in the Healhcare Bill negotiations is an example of one such declaration.
The core tenet that these actions represent is: ” …the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution in public or common ownership…”
Refer to my principle/fear of “individual freedom”. The basic difference between a conservative and this Prez appears to be the definition of responsibility. Conservatives vest that in the indivudual. Where do you place that responsibility.
I think MG and cursed have fallen off the deep end for this election. And it appears MG has joined Mark Perry’s rants on socialism and AB.
Lots of changes are happening and taking form, but I fail to see how O’Bama is the center of that in the hopey changey meme, nor that election year candy statements mean much in isolation.
Comments have gone way over the top in regards to pinpointing actual trends currently on the surface.
CoRev,
See last line of my reply on this.
In my consulting I am recently involved in a “cure notice” the term responsible and responsive comes to mind.
If the big socialized risk takers were held responsible the world would be different.
Outisde the individual poor folk risk is put on the government!
I feel a post coming on socialized risk for billionaires while for real people equitable result just ain’t guaranteed.
I am heading off grid until tomorrow, I look forward to being enlightened on the above dialog.
I maintain that the stated goal of allied leadership was to forever break the strength of the German people, by slaughtering as many of them as possible.
In 1933 before any Nazi atrocities were even considered, world Jewery declared war on Germany.
In 1941 Time Magazine and the New York times gave a favorable book review to Theodore Kaufmans book “Germany Must Perish” in which he called for the total genocide of the German people.
Henry Morganthau the US Secretary of the Treasury did his best to implement a plan which would have intentionally starved to death 40% of the German population.
Eisenhower and Morganthau were buddies. Eisenhower gave orders German POW’s were to be allowed no shelter, nor enough calories to sustain life.
General Lucius Clay writes in Oct 1945
undoubtedly a large number of refugees have already died of starvation, exposure and disease…. The death rate in many places has increased several fold, and infant mortality is approaching 65 percent in many places. By the spring of 1946, German observers expect that epidemics and malnutrition will claim 2.5 to 3 million victims between the Oder and Elbe.[
The bare foot boy from wall street was no isolationist. He was another manufactured candidate. He had been a Democrat who stood apart from the rest of the Republican isolationist candidates by consistantly maintaining that the US must aid Britain against Germany. In a gallop poll taken in May of 1940 Wilkie only polled 3 percent, but he got constant good press by the likes of Henry Luce aka “Baal” and the internationalist wing of the Republican Party.
Windle Wilkie went on to support Lend lease, and later wrote a book called “One World” where he calls for world government.
Stick with Pat
I think MG and cursed have fallen off the deep end for this election
I fell into disgust with our sham democracy years ago. It is controlled by non democratic players who make every attempt to manufacture and control both consent and dissidence.
Probably the most egregious example how outside players are able to determine events is the election of Netanyaho. 98% of bennyboy’s monies came from outside Israel. Here we have diaspora Jews beating the drums for war more loudly then the Israelis do. This is totally unfair to Israelis, who left to there own devices would be more accomadating with Esau. It once again establishes that the guys who pull strings promote war.
I acknowledged he kicked axis ass. I don’t think the poor german and italian soldiers fared any better with the Russian allies.
From the earlier thread – just to get it all in one place!
Senate: Maintain Dem control 52-48 (Reid survives in a squeker)
House: Goes Rep – 245 -190, Dems lose around 65 seats. (Pelosi survives also but does not become minority leader)
Governors (Important since this is a redistricting year): R’s pick up 7 Governors for a total of 31 R Govs vs 19 Dems. Key states of TX, OH, PA, and FL all go/stay in R category. As do MI and WI. Brown wins handily in CA.
I also bet the cries of voter fraud/intimidation will be very heavy.
Come on everyone – place you bets!!!
Islam will change
CoRev,
Obama will make it to the end. He will compromise and we will muddlethrough these next two years. No impeacements. No big nitiatives. Obamacare will get modified (“improved”) but not repealed. No cap and trade, no big changes in the war from teh course outlined by Bush years ago. It will be stalemate – which will be good!
Obama will continue to say more stupid stuff like MG outlined. Slowly but surely the press will turn against him and give him the same coverage it did Bush durin his tenure – instead of the pass he’s had so far. Note we are seeing the late-night comedians finally making fun of him.
We will survive and muddle-through.
And why is everyone after Roberts all of a sudden?
Islam will change
I have to keep wondering how long the democratic party thinks it can keep selling this “But Republicans Suck More” message. It’s failed again guys. Maybe something different next time eh?
Dan,
Hope you put up another open thread on Monday or Tuesday as this one is about to drop off the screen.
I’m told Marx’s writings of the early 1840s are different from his writing
before and after. According to David Harrington, Marx before and after
the revolution of 1848 was committed to democratic socialism. (Of course
the revolution of 1848 started in the 1830s, and ended in the 1850s.) But in
the 1840s, largely as a disappointment of the failure of socialist uprisings
is Germany, Marx and Engels adopted what the later referred to as
anti-socialist socialism, by which they mean that the revolution is led by
a cadre of “enlightened” revolutionaries. They abandoned this eventually,
but the damage was done. The Soviet Union and all the Marxist guerilla
movements in Africa and South America all used the anti-socialist
socialism of Marx’s middle period, and ignored the democratic socialism
of the early and later writing.
I’m not completely sold on Marx, but he’s represented very badly.
Last I saw he was 13 points up. He’s not Martha Coakley. He actually campaigns. He also doesn’t have the deep opposition Coakley has among the Dems. You may not know this, but in Mass Coakley, as assistant prosecutor to her predecessor, Tom Reilly, procecuted Louise Woodward and also the Amiraults in the Fells Acre Day Care case. In the former, it’s felt by many that the prosecutors were overzealous, and that the case was not as clearly one of murder as it was of a girl in a bad spot, not acting properly. (The judge later changed the charge from murder to manslaughter, but the prosecutors wanted her to swing, metaphorically speaking.) In the latter case, the Fells Acre Day Care case, there’s a great deal of feeling that there may have been no crime committed whatsoever, and that the facts were coerced from the children by the prosecutors. Coakley is deeply unpopular among a large number of democrats.
FWIW, the allegation that Frank is responsible for even a fraction of the housing collapse is ludicrous. He may not have seen how deep the financial service’s perfidy was, but almost nobody was. The Republican’s claim that this is what happens when you let negros own property is shameful.