Republicans & Democrats - Time to Cowboy-Up

Preface---
Trump is not the problem; he's merely a symptom of the problem.  More accurately, he's a symptom of a plethora of problems, most of which revolve around Corporatism and Propaganda.  Below I suggest only a couple of things that the highest levels of the Repubs and Dems can do toward making our country a better place, and our standing in the world more favorable.
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Democrats---
This is a no-brainer:  stop harping on Trump's foibles and misdeeds.  They are obvious to almost everyone.  Instead, give us a vision of your program for improvement...a comprehensive vision, rather than a one-or-two-issue vision.  You've managed to essentially kill the "Green New Deal", I've seen little to no efforts/plans on your part to get Corporate money out of politics, or break up the egregious Mega Banks, or put a stop to gerrymandering of House Districts, or stop antagonizing the world with military adventurism, or any significant plan to fix our crumbling public infrastructure, or any plan to encourage manufacturing in this great land, and on & on.  Mostly what I see are high level politicos bellying up to the public trough and private wealth.  I also see that over the years you've managed to pretty much marginalize any person in your Party who favors the "common people".  You give a lot of lip service to genuine Populism, but little else.  Most of you now seem to believe in Neoliberalism, not Liberalism.  It's time for a sea change.

Republicans---
You're just as bad as the Dems.  Over many years, and especially lately, you have squandered and ruined the reputation of a once ethical Party.  In the distant past, your Party stood for:  honor, ethics, We the People, and small business (which employed 80% of American workers).  Now you support what is basically a cabal of super-rich, monopolistic, anti-democracy NeoFascists.  You favor Mega Biz over Small Biz.  You favor Crony Capitalism over genuine Capitalism.  In the past you recognized the folly and danger of policing the world; now you jump at every chance to get into another war.  You once knew the difference between patriotism and nationalism; now you don't seem to have a clue.  In the past, one sect of your Party was Conservative; that's now gone.  Instead, NeoConservatives now dominate a pathetic excuse for what's called the Republican Party.  Even worse, most of you now kowtow to a man who has little to no ethics, morality, or even mental stability.  Shame on you.

Given all that, here's another no-brainer:  stop backing Trump.  History will not treat him well.  He's not even a Republican...and certainly not a Conservative.  In addition, divest yourselves of NeoConservatism.  Re-discover the roots of your Party.  Our country will be better off for it.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

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

The Oligarchy Handbook

To my knowledge, no such Handbook exists; if it did, however, this would be a good outline or condensed version.  NOTE---  Certainly not all of it, but much of the information below comes from Noam Chomsky's superb book and documentary titled, Requiem for the American Dream.  The editors of the documentary came up with this subtitle:  "The Ten Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power".  I would call it "The Ten Steps for Instituting Corporatism in a Society".  These concepts are evident not only in the USA today, but also in all industrialized countries of the world...some more than others.

1.  Reduce democracy---
Reduce or eliminate the input and influence of commoners in the formation of public policy.  The "little people" should be treated as "spectators" when it comes to government because they are incapable of comprehending complex matters.  They should be distracted with consumer consumption and kept apathetic.

2.  Shape ideology---
This begins with indoctrination in education.  Critical thinking and any challenging of Authority should be suppressed.  Except for basic skills such as reading and math, the minds of students should be molded to always accept Authority, wage slavery, war, the hierarchy of society, and a belief in the wisdom of opulence and luxury.

3.  Redesign the economy---
Complete the move (started in the 1970's) to Neoliberalism, Financialization, and Globalization.  In part, that means privatization of gov't infrastructure & services and the promotion of worker insecurity.  Separate worker productivity from wage increases.  Keep wages stagnant.  One way to do that is to promote the moving of manufacturing to emerging economies with low wages and sweatshop conditions.  Reduce or eliminate regulations applying to the Financial Sector so that income can be made without producing any goods or services...as with the use of bizarre financial derivatives and other financial instruments.

4.  Shift the burden carried by Oligarchs---
Make the Rich and Powerful less responsible for funding gov't, and for their own mistakes.  Reduce their taxes, and promote "Too Big to Fail", "Too Big to Jail", "Bail-Outs", and "Bail-Ins".  Increase gov't subsidies to mega corporations.  Let the "little people" foot the bill.

5.  Attack solidarity---
Reduce (through Edward Bernays style "molding of the public mind" Propaganda) the caring by individuals for the fate of others.  Destroy unions.  Clamp down on freedom of assembly, nonviolent protest, and any group that challenges the status quo.

6.  Run the regulators---
Promote and encourage a revolving door between BIG Business and high-level Gov't service...especially in the Financial Sector.  Poo-poo the concept of "conflict of interest".  Promise and provide high-paying, cushy, corporate jobs to regulators when they "retire" from gov't service.  Strive for "Government-Sachs".

7.  Engineer elections---
Continue the practice of having high-level political candidates selected, groomed, and financed by the Rich and Powerful.  Continue to encourage gerrymandering and voter suppression/manipulation.  In Primaries, continue to encourage the Corporate Media to slight or ignore any candidate not approved by the Oligarchy.  Promote and encourage the discussion of personalities rather than issues.  Continue to have debates run by a private corporation, thus making certain that no Populist candidates are allowed to participate.  Make sure that corporations continue to be "persons", and thus are able to contribute to our political candidates (via "free speech" money) in a virtually unlimited fashion.

8.  Keep the rabble in line---
Inundate the public with Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid all year, every year.  Attack Organized Labor.  Attack any Populist group.  Promote nationalism rather than patriotism.  Talk jobs, not profits.  Never reveal that while the wages of the "little people" have remained relatively flat (after adjustment for price inflation) for 30+ years, our incomes have increased 700%.

9.  Manufacture consent---
Mold the public mind to our benefit.  Keep the Propaganda flowing--- Trickle-Down Economics really works, there's no conflict of interest in having a Mega Bank CEO run a Gov't financial department, Big Biz should have a Stay-Out-of-Jail card, the Boogie-Man is coming so we have to go to war, the type of Globalization we're promoting really is good for the public, the commoners can have either privacy or safety (but not both), etc.  They've bought it all so far, and they will continue to buy it.

10.  Marginalize the population---
Make society an amorphous mass.  Attack and destroy groups critical of Power and Oligarchy.  Discourage the linking of individuals into effective political action organizations.  Denigrate them whenever possible.  Encourage the belief that commoners cannot understand the complexity of the issues facing the world today.  This all creates an unfocused anger which makes people more susceptible to our control.  Gain control of the internet, which is the greatest democratizing force in existence today.  Oppose net neutrality whenever possible.
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And so it goes.
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Big Problem is Not Immigrants, or Black People, or...

Poor People, or Any Minority, or Even "Terrorists".  Our biggest problem is Oligarchs and/or Plutocrats.  They promote and practice the politics of War, the economics of NeoFeudalism, and the governing of Fascism.  If you want to send them a peaceful, legal, and effective message, don't vote at the national level in November.  That's the most powerful message you can send.  If you simply must vote, then vote for a worthy second Party; Republicans + Democrats are the first Party.  At the highest levels, they are Neoliberal Corporatists.  They're on the same Team...and it's not yours.

On a somewhat different note, notice how the Corporate Media are straining to connect the mass murdering, mentally ill guy in Nice, France to extremist Muslim "terrorism".  Here's the definition of that word from Webster's Dictionary:  "the unlawful use or threat of violence especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion."  In the case of extremist "jihadists" (a tiny minority of Muslims), I suppose we should throw in "religiously motivated" as well as "politically motivated".  From what has been in the news thus far (& I haven't yet seen tonight's news), it's an incredible stretch to believe that the depressed, violent, crazy guy---those terms are from his family---driving that truck was either politically or religiously motivated.  But you see, the Oligarchy needs that connection.  Without it, the War Propaganda doesn't work as well.

On another different note, and using the reasoning of those who favor stricter "gun control" laws, I propose a ban on "Assault Trucks".  Obviously, they can be used for mass murder...and it's fairly easy to gain access to one.  At the very least, we should institute stricter "background checks" for those wanting a truck driving license...and maybe even strict checks for people who buy gasoline, which could be considered the "ammunition" or "gun powder" of a truck.  While we're at it, perhaps we should ban knives, swords, baseball bats, dynamite, short clubs of any type, chemical acid, rat poison, smaller trucks, cars, chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide (found in drain cleaners), gun powder, denatured alcohol, etc.  They all are fairly easy to obtain...and could be used to wreak havoc on the public.  [Criminals of any kind don't care, or worry, about bans or background checks.  They'll find a way around them.  Also, keep this in mind:  there are lots of guns in Canada, but those folks don't have the gun violence problem to any degree close to that in the USA.  An important question is:  why is that the case?]

On a more serious note, sincere condolences to the people in Nice...and everywhere there are innocent victims, whether they are victims of unconstitutional drone attacks, or of temporarily insane mass murderers, or of medieval, backward, indoctrinated terrorists.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Addendum to: "Corporatism Wins Again..."

According to the Wall Street Journal, Wall Street as a whole has raised $23 million for Hillary Clinton's campaign thus far.  I ask you, why would the Financial Sector do that for a supposed Populist?  [Likely answer:  because she's not any kind of Populist.]

Oligarchs Are Trembling on Several Fronts

Open to anyone who knows how to do "library" research, public sources are revealing at a rapid rate how/why the Oligarchs (public & private) are getting extremely worried.  I don't have the time or energy to delineate all their areas of concern, but here are a few.

1.  Guatemala---
There is a peaceful, popular uprising going on there right now.  For the time being, its focus is on corruption in the Gov't, a gov't backed by the highest levels of the USA Gov't.  The worry is that if the Guatemalan Gov't topples, focus then may shift to the dark deeds of the current President back when he was a CIA operative, a Colonel & later a General in the Guatemalan Army & Intelligence Service, and led Death Squads which slaughtered Mayan people in Guatemala.  The pretense for the slaughter was that the Mayans were the Boogie-Men of Choice back then, communists.  This was all fully backed by the U.S. Gov't. & Reagan.

The Fed Gov't here has had Guatemala as a pet project ever since the early 1950's, when Edward Bernays was hired to develop & implement his unique style of propaganda falsely showing that the democratically elected President of Guatemala was a Communist.  The guy wasn't a Communist, but he was overthrown.  The old United Fruit Company then essentially ran Guatemala for years & years.  Now we have the corrupt President of Guatemala, the Oligarch Molina (the former Death Squad Colonel), being propped up by the Obama Administration.  Public and private Oligarchs always are concerned when it looks as though some Populist movement may be successful in installing a genuinely democratic government.  I say "genuinely" because simply having elections doesn't guarantee a democracy.

2.  Black Monday---
 Monday, August 24, 2015 the Wall Street Market opened and lost 1,000 points in short order.  It recovered about half of that by day's end, but Wall Streeters and the Fed Gov't were shaken to the core.  The President's Working Group on Markets (or some similar title, can't remember), the so-called "Plunge Protection Team", made valiant efforts to help...largely to no avail.  The Fed Reserve, part of the Team, did what it could but with little effect.  The Corporate Media presently are claiming that the situation is now essentially back to normal...but that the Market remains "volatile".

Volatile, indeed.  According to several reputable analysts (e.g., Paul Craig Roberts and James Rickards), the Stock Market has been enjoying an "Asset Bubble" that is propped up by the Fed Reserve...and the Ponzi Party is almost over.  What the Oligarchs are worried about is as follows:  1. the elephant in the room--- the Bubble of the $1.25 quadrillion worth of bizarre financial derivatives floating around out in the marketplace,  2. the gargantuan amounts of currency being pumped into the world monetary system, and 3. loss of confidence in the dollar.  The number one priority of any U.S. Administration is to preserve the perception that the dollar is strong.

3.  The Exposure of Gold Price Manipulation---
Revelations of this manipulation have become more numerous recently.  Not only are central banks, mega commercial banks, and mega Hedge Funds manipulating the price of gold (keeping it from rising), but now (according to James Rickards & others) the evidence strongly suggests that the highest levels of governments---including the USA---also are involved.  [This is not news to those intimately involved in the gold market.]  The demand for physical gold is through the roof, so much so that the available supply is almost completely dry.  That means the price should be through the roof as well, but (given today's inflated dollar), it's not.  Hmmm.  Oligarchs need to keep the price of gold relatively low because a high price indicates that the dollar is weak.  That's the very last perception the Oligarchy wants out in the world.

Along with the idea above, the Oligarchs are worried that their "Recovery" Propaganda is failing.  It's becoming more obvious every day that we still are in a recession...and that a depression may be close at hand.  Some analysts claim that the coming economic collapse will make the 1930's look like a picnic.  I don't believe that any prognosticator can say such a thing with any degree of certainty; nevertheless, even I can see that things are not looking good.  Despite what our Gov't reports, unemployment is relatively high, quality jobs are evaporating while inferior jobs proliferate, the prices of goods & services steadily are creeping up, Wall Street remains a giant casino, wages essentially continue their 30-year stagnation, the 700% rise in income (over 30 yrs) for the upper crust continues, "Free Trade" Agreements on steroids (which offshore manufacturing & jobs) are being pursued by Repubs & Dems, and many of the WORKING poor still qualify for public assistance programs.  The Corporate Media say that the "Recovery" still is "fragile".  It should be obvious that there is no Recovery.  We're still in a recession...and sliding rapidly into a depression.  Of course, that only applies to the Poor and Middle Classes.  The Oligarchs (the top 1%, or some say, the top one-tenth of 1%) are doing just fine.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well