The Plutocracy Continues in the USA

Below is my email reply to an organic farmer friend regarding his comment (in an email) on my last post here on this site.  He & I agree on the Plutocracy, but differ as to the contributions to that by Repubs and Dems.  He thinks the former are much more responsible than the latter.  My reply below is edited somewhat.

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I mostly agree with your comments.  But, even though FDR's Populism was significant, he was not ideal.  Even he admitted that sometimes he had to side with Big Biz.  Plus, I agree with Chomsky's thoughts on Nixon---because Tricky Dick was an opportunist, and because he sensed the mood of the people in the early '70s (except for the Vietnam issue), he became---for the wrong reasons--- the last of the New Deal politicians (in a way).  

I know it sounds outrageous, but think about it.  Nixon signed into Law (he could have vetoed these):  OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Act/Administration, 1970), NEPA (Nat'l Environmental Policy Act, 1970), the precursor to the Clean Water Act (the Fed Water Pollution Control Act of 1972), the Clean Air Act (1970), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972), the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974---proposed by Nixon, signed into Law by Ford), the Endangered Species Act (1973), and he created the EPA in 1970, after signing NEPA.

Repub actions aren't all bad.  Plus, though they do it less than Repubs, Dems gerrymander voting districts, too...and Dems manipulate Primaries, too... and Dems suppress Populist candidates, too.  And until a few years ago, Dems in Congress also practiced Insider Trading on Wall Street.  Dems also have an interventionist Foreign Policy, and Dems also often are warmongers and Empire Builders.  And Dems also support questionable regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Honduras (never mind corrupt Netanyahu's Israel).

The whole system is rotten, not just the Repub side of the overall Plutocracy.  Those who keep blaming "the other side" are not helping to correct the situation.  All they're doing is prolonging the squabble and distracting from the overall problem, which is Plutocracy/Oligarchy/ Empire Building.  It's not about Republicans or Democrats; it's about Plutocrats...and they're found in both major Parties.

It all continues with the ultimate Plutocrats, Trump & His Crew.  What few crumbs he has thrown to everyday people are vastly outweighed by his favoring of the Oligarchy.  Plus, the deregulation blitz ultimately will harm us both financially and physically.  The Don continues with his blatant lies, and apparently, some people believe every word he says.  On the Dem side, Schumer & His Crew continue to pretend to be Populists...when in fact, they are Plutocrats and/or puppets of the Plutocracy.

Then, too, we now have the Mega Banks and Mega Hedge Funds more empowered than ever before.  A number of fairly well known & reputable people have stated in the past that if the public ever discovered how the Big Banks really operate, then there would be a revolution in the streets tomorrow.  By the way, keep in mind that a revolution does NOT have to be violent.  A massive, national boycott of Mega Banks would do wonders toward restoring the Financial Sector to sanity.  We don't do it essentially for only one reason--- convenience.  Shame on all of us.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

What Our Tweety-Bird President & His Administration Don't Seem to Grasp

During his Address to Congress at least, King Donald did almost zero whining.  Thank Heaven for that.  I'm guessing the primary reason for that blessing was the fact that the speech was 100% scripted, and Trump pretty much read it word for word.  The content (and other statements), however, revealed some genuine flaws in the thinking of this Corporatist Administration.  Here's what they don't appear to grasp...or they do and they're simply presenting a fraud.  It's hard to know which one.

1.  Trump and some of his staff claim that the budget increases for the Defense Dept. (which should go back to its original name, War Dept.) and for Homeland Security will be offset by cuts in other Depts./Agencies.  Since they claim that, they must already have the numbers.  Let's see those numbers.  I very seriously doubt their claim to be true.  My guess is that all the cuts won't amount to even 10% of the billions in increases.  Furthermore, the proposed cuts undoubtedly will be in social programs and environmental/health/safety (EHS) programs... you know, those programs that improve the lives of common people.  The combined budgets of all those programs already are dwarfed by the Defense Dept. budget before the increase (never mind Homeland Security's budget).  In addition, our "Defense" Budget already is larger than the next seven largest in the world COMBINED.

2.  Along those same lines, Trump & staff are proposing a TRILLION Dollar infrastructure re-building program.  At the same time, they're proposing a massive tax cut.  Supposedly, the economy will boom so greatly that the trillion dollar expenditure will be covered by tax revenue generated by all the unemployed we have now, those who soon will have full-time permanent jobs.  The Don appears to believe that tax cuts and regulation reduction will result in Mega & Mid-Size Corporations making capital investments and thus creating many new jobs.  Fairly recent history suggests otherwise.  In this sorry Age of Financialization, mega & mid-size companies no longer need to hire more people in order to increase company profits.  Instead, they downsize, or ship facilities overseas (cheaper labor there), or invest in Hedge Funds, or become a bank (General Motors makes just as much money on car loans as it does on car production), or invest in foreign factories or real estate, or invest in foreign currencies or bonds, or become corporate raiders buying up companies and then downsizing or dismantling them, or simply bank the extra cash...usually offshore.

3.  As David Stockman (formerly of the Reagan Administration) wisely points out, a crucial date is looming--- March 15, 2017.  That's the day when the Debt Ceiling "Holiday" (developed by Obama & Boehner) ends.  After that, the National Debt by law cannot exceed $20 trillion unless a Republican Congress raises that Ceiling and thus kicks the can down the road again.  By summer, the Fed Gov't will be out of cash for everything but absolutely essential services.  According to Stockman, tax cuts will not yet be in place, ObamaCare will not yet be replaced, and any job-producing Infrastructure activities will have to be postponed.  As of tonight, the National Debt is $19.981 trillion dollars and increasing at a phenomenal rate.  It won't be long at all before it hits $20 trillion.

4.  To avoid the Mother of all Fiscal Crises, it seems to me the Congress will be forced to raise the Debt Ceiling yet again.  [They always do.]  Most likely, that will result in foreign governments and banks dumping the Dollar even faster than they are now.  That will bring the demise of the Dollar ever closer.  The Petro-Dollar already is on its last legs.  These events will hasten the culmination of the worldwide economic crisis already in progress... and will render Trump's vague economic plan useless.

5.  Trump's proposed slashing of the EPA will freeze the SuperFund Toxic Waste Cleanup Program (that's already happened), the Radon Program, the Brownfields Redevelopment Program, and several other programs that greatly contribute to clean air, clean water, and unpolluted land.  The result will be a poorer quality of life for everyone.  Trump mistakenly believes that any money saved by companies being able to avoid EHS regulatory compliance will be used to create jobs.  That's the great myth.  See the second half of number 2. above for the reality.

6.  Except for bashing immigrants & refugees and beating the Perpetual War drums, Trump & Crew seem to have no focus.  Rarely resolving anything, they jump from one item to the next.  That's especially true of the Don.  Yes, it's early yet in his Kingship; however, if the first forty or so days are any indication, the man won't accomplish much at all that's positive and good for We the People.  On top of that, the Executive staff slots still aren't all filled.  Plus, with seemingly sincere & consistent---but incompetent & narrow-minded---people like Jefferson Beauregard Sessions in place, the whole Reality Show of an Administration becomes a circus.
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Finally, a few closing observations (and reminders)---
1.  During the Golden Age of American Capitalism (from the end of WW II through the 1950's & into the early 1960's), the greatest economic expansion in our history as a nation, with few exceptions corporations were taxed at a 90% rate.  They now pay (if at all) 35%.
2.  Politically speaking, I'm not Red or Blue; I prefer Purple.  So do 41% of American adults.  25% are Red and 31% are Blue.  3% don't give a damn, and given our recent history (30-40 years), can't say that I blame them much for that view.  :)
3.  Trump & Company are either incompetent, ignorant, or devious fraudsters... or some combination of those.  In any case, they are wrong for this country and the world.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

King Donald the First---the Lunatic King

Trump beats out even Dubya Bush and Obama for the title, Lunatic King.  I didn't think that was possible....especially so soon after the election.  Naturally, I'm exaggerating with the title of this essay; however, exaggeration often drives home a valid point.  Here are just a few of Trump's "lunacies"---

1.  He's acting like an idiot with Iran.  Trump claims that Iran is the greatest generator of terrorism in the world.  In reality, that title belongs to either Saudi Arabia---with its spreading of Wahhabism (a fundamentalist form of Sunni Islam)---or to the USA, with its weaponized drones and American Empire view of world relations.  For about forty years, the Iranian Gov't has tried to turn its own people against the USA.  It failed to do so.  Trump has done it in ten days.

2.  In a really dumb/lunatic move, King Donald not only placed a Gag Order on the EPA & other Gov't agencies, but he placed a freeze on any new contracts for the cleanup of SuperFund toxic/hazardous waste sites.  There are over 1,800 such sites in our Land.  This means that hazardous wastes will not only continue to leach into our groundwater and/or flow into our surface water, but overall will accelerate.  Some of these sites are military installations with pollution dating back to the '50s and '60s.  [As a HazMat Specialist with Sacramento County about 15 years ago, I conducted regulatory compliance inspections of one of those sites, McClellan Air Force Base.  These pollution problems are real, and need to be addressed.]

SIDE NOTE:  The pollution going back decades is a direct result of an almost total lack of environmental regulations and/or enforcement in the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's.  Even today, enforcement of environmental regs is lacking to one degree or another in some areas of our country.  It's a fairly safe bet that Trump & his Administration will worsen the situation.

3.  The blanket ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries is making enemies around the world.  Even many in Israel condemn it.  Fortunately, the judicial section of the Deep State here is fighting Trump on this one, and for the moment at least, is winning.

4.  Trump's (for the most part) Corporate Cabinet is beyond ridiculous.  These people will favor Mega Banks, other Mega Corporations, and the Super-Rich over Main Street in a heartbeat.  It all shows where Trump's true loyalties exist.  In terms of the Oligarchy v. the rest of us, it's SSDD.  On second thought, this time it will be on triple steroids.

5.  King Donald's views (and already, actions) on Climate Change display an exponential amount of ignorance.  He's not a stupid man, but he's quintessentially ignorant on too many crucial issues.  Either that, or he's propagandized beyond the pale... or both.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Comic-Tragic SOTU Address and GOP Response

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw_AAzS-dZI

I find this very funny...and tragic... at the same time.

It's my critique of Obama's State of the Union Address and the response by Senator Ernst.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Shifting Gears: Paying Homage to Gonzo, Part 1

The U.N. announced today that it's sending a Peace Keeping force to Texas.  This action was prompted primarily by the following.  A portion of the mini-series documentary (produced by Ken Burns), The West, describes how Mexicans and American Indians were mistreated and their lands stolen by Texans in the 1800s.  In a cameo appearance in the film, the former Texas Governor, Ann Richards, had this to say (paraphrased) in her sickenly sweet, Texas drawl:  "It is very unfortunate when things like that happen, but [when people say "but", nothing is important except whatever follows] that's what happens whenever people are conquered.".  Such a statement, of course, begs for an answer to this:  is that what supposedly honorable, God-fearing people do to others?  And this:  is conquering people something that Americans should have done?

In a related story, the U.N. (made into a totally anachronistic body by the Corporatocracy) further announced that after it was done in Texas, it would proceed to each of the other forty-nine States in order to seek redress on behalf of the American Indians.  The Secretary-General, Kofi Obama (no relation), intimated to this reporter that he feared the whole exercise would be to no avail.  "Basically, we've been castrated by Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, CitiGroup, Bank of America, and AIG [part of the Oligarchy].", he said.  "How so?", I asked.  "Well," he replied, "their wholly-owned subsidiary, your Fed Gov't, is---at their direction---way behind on U.N. dues payments.  That puts us in a financial bind."

In another related story, the State of Texas (which generally believes itself to be a separate country, not subject to most U.S. laws) is preparing for the U.N. invasion by constructing a 15-feet-high, electrified fence around its entire border.  I spoke with the Head of the Texas Dept. of Public Safety and asked, "What about U.N. helicopters and/or paratroopers?".  He replied, "Oh, they can't afford those.".  He went on, "Besides, even if they get in, we'll do them like we do the Fed EPA:  just ignore them.  There's not a damned thing they can do about it.".

I recalled the brief time that I had lived in Texas, and thought, yes, that's pretty much what Texas does---if it doesn't like something from a higher authority, it simply ignores it.  The municipal water in the small town in which I lived did not meet EPA water quality standards (according to the town's own report).  The explanation given in the Annual Water Quality Report was this (paraphrased):  all water is contaminated to some degree.  The report went on:  we're working to correct the situation, but your water is safe by State Standards.  The report was exactly the same a year later.  Meanwhile, just to be safe, I drank bottled water.

Just my opinion.
Dr. Gonzo