An Important Redux re: The Don

At the beginning of Spring this year, I posted the essay below.  It's being posted again because:  it still applies; and recently, Trump has started (just barely) to pretend he is some sort of reasonable Moderate... rather than the unstable nutcake that he really is.

Points For and Against the Current Oval Office Occupier

For---
1.  He kept us out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  I've covered the disastrous downside of that Trade Pact elsewhere on this venue, so won't go into it again in this piece.  Talks related to joining the TPP were started under Dubya Bush, and accelerated under Obama.  Trump killed it his first day in office.

If interested in why the TPP is the worst Trade Treaty in history, use this blog's Search function to locate my assessment of it.  Or even better, Google/Bing/etc. :  Lori Wallach and the TPP.

2.  There is no number 2.  I was tempted to list his meetings with North Korea, but decided against it because he's the one who provoked that country with virtually insane threats of nuclear annihilation.  The person really responsible for averting (for now, at least) catastrophe is the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in.

Against---
1.  He's a serial liar; he, himself, has proven that over, and over, and over.  In terms of frequency of lying, Trump beats out both Dubya Bush and Obama... which I didn't think was possible by anyone.

2.  He's mentally unstable, and thus emotionally unfit to be in any political office, much less the Presidency.  He, himself, has proven that over, and over, and over.  Now admittedly, I've had only a couple university pysch courses; however, you don't have to be a master carpenter to recognize a shack.  😊  Plus, there's a long list of psychologists and psychiatrists who have stated that he needs to be professionally examined.

3.  Based on his words and actions, he doesn't have a broad understanding of anything that a President should know.  His understanding of key issues, world affairs, diplomacy, statesmanship, war, the economy, the environment, fiscal and monetary matters, cultural matters, science, genuine capitalism, the Law, health matters, etc. is so limited as to be nothing short of comical.

4.  He promotes divisiveness in our country and in the world.  Plus, such promotion is not inadvertent.  He does it on purpose.

5.  While in office (never mind previous to that), he has violated Laws of the Land.  Here's only one example---
https://individualsovereignty.blogspot.com/2017/07/trumps-violation-of-nepa-sepa-laws-rules.html
Read it carefully.  The acronyms and other abbreviations used are not as confusing as they first appear.

6.  He doesn't have even a rudimentary understanding of the United States Constitution.  Many times, he has violated his Oath of Office by failing to "preserve, protect, and defend" the Constitution.  For example, he (like many other Presidents) has violated the War Clause of Article I, Section 8.  Another example--- the Executive Branch (of which he's in charge) violates the Fourth Amendment on an almost daily basis.  Another example--- it's crystal clear that Trump is violating the Emoluments portion of Article I, Section 9 (the Nobility Clause).

7.  As President, his conflicts of interest truly are beyond the pale.

8.  Similar to numbers 1 & 2 above, Trump is the King of Public Gaslighters.  Nothing he says can be trusted.

9.  He cares not at all for the common people of this country.  He's merely manipulating & using some of us in order to further enrich himself.  This is so obvious that it's painful.  Some of his supporters finally have realized it.

10.  He is both an embarrassment and a danger to this country.  I've detailed all that in previous posts, so enough said.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  For any new readers, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.  Ironically, neither is The Don.

Points For and Against the Current Oval Office Occupier

For---
1.  He kept us out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  I've covered the disastrous downside of that Trade Pact elsewhere on this venue, so won't go into it again in this piece.  Talks related to joining the TPP were started under Dubya Bush, and accelerated under Obama.  Trump killed it his first day in office.

If interested in why the TPP is the worst Trade Treaty in history, use this blog's Search function to locate my assessment of it.  Or even better, Google/Bing/etc. :  Lori Wallach and the TPP.

2.  There is no number 2.  I was tempted to list his meetings with North Korea, but decided against it because he's the one who provoked that country with virtually insane threats of nuclear annihilation.  The person really responsible for averting (for now, at least) catastrophe is the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in.

Against---
1.  He's a serial liar; he, himself, has proven that over, and over, and over.  In terms of frequency of lying, Trump beats out both Dubya Bush and Obama... which I didn't think was possible by anyone.

2.  He's mentally unstable, and thus emotionally unfit to be in any political office, much less the Presidency.  He, himself, has proven that over, and over, and over.  Now admittedly, I've had only a couple university pysch courses; however, you don't have to be a master carpenter to recognize a shack.  😊  Plus, there's a long list of psychologists and psychiatrists who have stated that he needs to be professionally examined.

3.  Based on his words and actions, he doesn't have a broad understanding of anything that a President should know.  His understanding of key issues, world affairs, diplomacy, statesmanship, war, the economy, the environment, fiscal and monetary matters, cultural matters, science, genuine capitalism, the Law, health matters, etc. is so limited as to be nothing short of comical.

4.  He promotes divisiveness in our country and in the world.  Plus, such promotion is not inadvertent.  He does it on purpose.

5.  While in office (never mind previous to that), he has violated Laws of the Land.  Here's only one example---
https://individualsovereignty.blogspot.com/2017/07/trumps-violation-of-nepa-sepa-laws-rules.html
Read it carefully.  The acronyms and other abbreviations used are not as confusing as they first appear.

6.  He doesn't have even a rudimentary understanding of the United States Constitution.  Many times, he has violated his Oath of Office by failing to "preserve, protect, and defend" the Constitution.  For example, he (like many other Presidents) has violated the War Clause of Article I, Section 8.  Another example--- the Executive Branch (of which he's in charge) violates the Fourth Amendment on an almost daily basis.  Another example--- it's crystal clear that Trump is violating the Emoluments portion of Article I, Section 9 (the Nobility Clause).

7.  As President, his conflicts of interest truly are beyond the pale.

8.  Similar to numbers 1 & 2 above, Trump is the King of Public Gaslighters.  Nothing he says can be trusted.

9.  He cares not at all for the common people of this country.  He's merely manipulating & using some of us in order to further enrich himself.  This is so obvious that it's painful.  Some of his supporters finally have realized it.

10.  He is both an embarrassment and a danger to this country.  I've detailed all that in previous posts, so enough said.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  For any new readers, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.  Ironically, neither is The Don.

The Deep State Will Marginalize Trump...Maybe Completely

A couple of years ago, Moyers & Company had as a guest Mike Lofgren, who had been a Congressional Staffer for 28 years.  During his long stint in Congress, he became aware of the Deep State (Shadow Gov't)...which is a conglomeration of like-minded public & private individuals.  If you're not familiar with that group, simply Google/Bing the term.

As Lofgren pointed out, the Deep State doesn't care whether Repubs or Dems are in power at the national level... those labels are meaningless to the true Powers-That-Be.  Genuine Repubs and genuine Dems don't exist anymore at the very top echelon of the Fed Gov't.  Mostly Neoliberals exist there.  That's Lofgren's conclusion after working 28 years in Congress.

Jump forward to today.

Trump will be squashed and/or completely marginalized by the Deep State, mostly because he has no ideology.  He's nothing but an opportunist, and they won't abide that.  Either that will happen, or he'll simply self-destruct.​

One would think that the Deep State might favor a guy like Corporatist Trump.  They favored Corporatist Clinton instead because she represented the status quo.  Although Trump adheres to Corporatism, he also appears to be:  against Globalization; too unreliable; too volatile; anti-status-quo; too thin-skinned; and too egotistical.  None of that (if true) would bode well for Neoliberalism and Corporatist Globalization... the darlings of the Deep State.

Don't get me wrong---Trump will not be good for Main Street or the USA in general.  He's not a Populist.  He's a dangerous opportunist who says anything he thinks his audience wants to hear.  He's a billionaire Corporatist, a Crony Capitalist, and an ego-maniacal flip-flopper.  [I just watched a clip of his speech at the CIA.  Despite all his previous denigrations (often vicious) of the intelligence community, he says he's their biggest fan.  Typical Trump--- he says whatever his current audience wants to hear.  In this case, I doubt that the audience believed him.]

Apparently, Trump has little to no idea what he's up against.  The main point here is this:  the Deep State runs this country.  Elected puppets have very little to do with it.  They primarily are figureheads.  They give the illusion of a democracy.  In addition, Trump now has an approval rating of 32%.  Not only that, but he lost the popular vote by about three million.  He has no "mandate".  Finally, never mind the entire Fed Gov't, even only the Executive Branch is so huge that it's essentially unmanageable.  It's nowhere near a monolithic institution overseen by one person.  Half the time (I'm guessing), the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.  Getting around bombastic Trump won't be especially difficult.

I'll give Trump this much--- he did get us out of the TPP.  That's significant... and it's one of the reasons that the Deep State will utterly marginalize the guy.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  For those who may not know:  the Deep State is NOT a "conspiracy theory"; it's a well-accepted concept.  Plus, for the most part, it's in plain sight and operates right out in the open.  [Example:  shortly after Trump issued memos suggesting that the DAPL (pipeline) and the Keystone XL Pipeline both should be restarted, an Administrator at the Badlands National Park tweeted scientific facts supporting the concept of Climate Change.]

Here's the REAL Clinton...and Obama

The piece (at the link) below is from Bill Moyers and the publisher of Harper's, John R. MacArthur.  It's almost two years old, so it gives insight into the fact that the Dem Party higher-ups promoted the Corporatists and marginalized the Populists regarding this current election.

Once Madam Pres gets elected, she'll again change her mind about the TPP & be in favor of it...more jobs will evaporate, & more factories will move overseas (most likely to Malaysia and Vietnam).  Count on it.  Low-paying service jobs and part-time and/or temp. positions here will expand.

"Free Trade" Agreements are not primarily about Trade; instead, they're about investments and proprietary agreements.  They enable the hollowing out of the Middle Class in our country.  They overwhelmingly benefit the Oligarchy, not Main Street.  They evaporate American manufacturing and jobs.  Clinton, Obama, Schumer, McConnell, McCain, and many other Corporatist national politicians promote and support them.

This all reminds me of Ross Perot & Al Gore discussing NAFTA---Perot was right on the mark ("All you'll hear is the loud sucking sound of jobs rushing to Mexico..."), and Gore was dead wrong ("NAFTA will create more jobs here").  As predicted by Perot, one million jobs were lost here because of NAFTA.  The TPP will be much worse.

Trump (for other reasons) AND Clinton = disaster for the Lower & Middle Classes in this country.  Boycott the election, or vote for a worthy alternative candidate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0rA1oCp4_g&list=WL&index=38

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Powers-That-Be are Lying

The Oligarchs don't lie about everything, but there are several crucial subjects about which they do lie often.  Following are some of those.

1.  Price inflation is stagnant.  The State-Corporate Complex can say this with a straight face because when they figure how much prices have increased, here's what's not included:  the costs of food, housing, and energy.  Those items are not part of what's called "core inflation".  To give credit where it's due, the Powers-That-Be are correct regarding energy costs...even though those are not counted.  Oil has tanked, no pun intended; that's good, but a guy like me drives only about 20 miles per week.  "Low" gas prices don't make up for the constant increases in food and sundry grocery store items.  Manufacturers of those goods either are raising prices outwardly or doing it surreptitiously by shrinking the size of product packages.  Plus, rent for housing in the USA (with a few exceptions) is skyrocketing.  An old dog like me cannot believe how high rental costs are nowadays.

2.  Unemployment in the USA is now 5.X%.  This lie is so egregious as to make one physically sick.  Reputable, credible economists and former Fed Gov't officials all across the political spectrum estimate that the true unemployment rate is somewhere between 20% and 43%.

3.  The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement will be good for everyday Americans.  The details of that abomination now are finally public; some were released earlier by WikiLeaks, but now we have the entire disaster available for scrutiny.  The critics (such as Lori Wallach of TradeWatch) are saying, "It's worse than we expected.", and they were harsh critics before the full text was released.  I've written about this before, so I won't repeat myself.  The details of this miserable Treaty can be found in lots of places, not the least of which is Citizen.org/TPP.  Promotion of the TPP by many in Gov't, the Corporate Media, and various other Mega Corporations is proof positive that Oligarchs don't give a damn about us.

4.  We are not at War...it's "counter-terrorism"; therefore, Geneva Conventions, Due Process, the Constitution in general, Ethics, and even Morality do not limit us when dealing with "enemy combatants".  That lie is so outrageous and defies Logic so much that I'm beginning to think that George Orwell was the greatest political prophet in all of History...bar none.  The Powers-That-Be are trying to sell us on the concept that the people we're fighting are neither soldiers nor criminals.  Sorry, Oligarchs, they have to be one or the other.  The term, "enemy combatant" is a fiction.  Due Process applies to everyone, even soldiers or criminals.  If it doesn't, we no longer are civilized, ethical beings.

5.  It is necessary to monitor everyone in the National Surveillance State.  Good grief, that is pure, unadulterated Propaganda...it's bullshit to the Nth Degree.  Why people are buying into that is beyond my comprehension.  Have mercy.

6.  We are in an Economic Recovery.  That statement is so blatantly ridiculous it defies not only Logic, but the imagination as well.  All one has to do to see it's not true is take a little time to do a serious, critical study of our economic condition...utilizing a wide variety of credible sources while ignoring Propaganda from the State-Corporate Complex.  The USA, and most of the world, is in a deep Recession and heading for a Depression that very well may be worse than the one in the 1930's.
........................................................................................
It's important to keep in mind that when it's "crunch time", when Institutions are in a bind, any Institution will protect itself rather than individuals or Individual Rights.  Natural Rights, possessed by all people, will be sacrificed by any Oligarchy upon the altar of expediency.  It is Institutions that constantly must be monitored...by us.  Remember the words of an Eastern philosopher:  we be many; they be few.  That is precisely why we are inundated totally with Propaganda from the State-Corporate Complex.  It's important to us and future generations that we think critically, speak out, deny unwarranted power to Institutions run amok, boycott those entities that trash Natural Rights, and do it all peacefully.  Violent actions beget more violence and complete suppression of the individual.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Truth is Being Sidestepped, Omitted by Politicians & the Corporate Media

Those at the highest levels in politics, along with the Corporate Media, are avoiding talking about the Economic Crisis in this great Land.  For most people here, the American Dream has turned into the Nightmare of the Working Poor.

Fifty percent of working households in the USA now are economically insecure.  They are just getting by... barely.  Many of them have two part-time jobs because they can't find a decent-paying, full-time gig.  Many companies nowadays prefer part-time workers...fewer employee benefits to cut into corporate profits.  Ask the Great Wall of Mart...the largest private employer in the world.  Because these workers are only scraping by, they can't save for emergencies...or anything else.

Many college graduates now are working as bartenders, or waiting tables in restaurants, or working as CSRs in "call centers", or as security guards (the minimum wage type), or as part-time cashiers in retail stores.  Not only have wages across the board stagnated for the last thirty years, but adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage in this country is the same as it was in the 1960's.  Meanwhile, those few in the Upper Crust here have seen their incomes go up by 700% in the same time period.

Ever since NAFTA and other "Free Trade" Agreements were approved, millions of jobs have evaporated from our economic landscape.  Since the year 2000, about 60,000 factories have closed or been moved out of the country.  The TPP will exacerbate the problem.  The jobs replacing those generally good-paying manufacturing positions are mostly, to be blunt, shite...crap...bullshit.  For the most part, they are low-paying, often part-time, and sometimes temporary.  They rarely match the jobs lost in terms of pay & benefits.

The 2008 Crisis resulted in the loss of eight million jobs.  It's clear by now that the cause of that Crisis was not only "greed".  Massive fraud was involved...by Mega Banks, by stock-rating agencies, by real estate brokers, by due diligence companies, etc.  On top of all that, the highest levels of the Fed Gov't were not paying attention to the developing Crisis.  Worse yet, at the beginning of the meltdown and in between the times when TARP was voted down by the Congress and when it finally was passed, the Fed Reserve made between $12 trillion and $13 trillion (estimates vary) available to several Mega Banks in loans at point two-five percent (.25%) interest.  That amount of money is equal to all Fed Gov't expenditures from the Revolutionary War to the beginning of 2008.  Think about that.  It turns out that the overwhelming bulk of those loans was not converted into loans for businesses or consumers.  The Mega Banks either hung onto it or used it for more stock market casino gambling.  Neither action created any jobs.  The Fed saved the Mega Banks instead of the economy of our Land.

What should have happened is QE for the People instead of the Mega Banks.  All those trillions of dollars did not "trickle down" to the economy of We the People; those dollars stayed in the Big Banks.  QE for the People would have saved the economy.  About 70% of our economy is driven by consumer spending.  It isn't driven by Mega Banks or the Stock Market...and especially, not by the Casino Gambling done by Wall Street ever since the invention of bizarre financial derivatives.  Those derivatives now infect almost all commodities and stock transactions to the tune of $1.25 quadrillion (best estimate by experts).

Estimates of the real unemployment rate are at about 20%.  Some people have given up looking.  I remember looking in 1997 for what turned out to be my last wage-slave job...the last before I retired in 2004.  I sent out 88 inquiries & resumes, had 16 different interviews, and finally secured a job after about five months of effort.  I was getting fairly discouraged just prior to being hired.  Some people today have been looking for two years; imagine how they feel.

Despite what the highest levels of the Gov't and the Corporate Media tell us, there is no Recovery going on in the U.S.  Any honest evaluation of our economic condition shows that.  In addition, the world economy and financial situation appear to be imploding.  The whole scenario, according to many reputable analysts, is so fragile that we are a hair's breadth away from another Great Depression.  Unfortunately, too many people in Power seem to have their heads in the sand.  Either that, or they don't want to risk putting us into a panic.  Or, worst case, they are keeping us in the dark until they and their Big Business Cronies can suck as much wealth as possible out of the economy before the Crash.  [The last choice probably is unlikely...but I would never say that it's impossible.]

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Small Business, Workers, Industry, and the Public Lose Again

It looks as though the Oligarchs Obama and McConnell are going to get their NAFTA-on-steroids-deal, otherwise known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  Our House of Lords (i.e., the U.S. Senate) finally managed to ram through so-called Fast-Track Authority for our King.  That means there will be no debate when the latest Free Trade Abomination comes up for a final vote in both Houses of Congress.
Here's what Citizen.org/TPP had to say about the Agreement:
"In one fell swoop, this secretive deal could:

offshore American jobs and increase income inequality, jack up the cost of medicines, sneak in SOPA-like threats to Internet freedom, empower corporations to attack our environmental and health safeguards, expose the U.S. to unsafe food and products, roll back Wall Street reforms, ban Buy American policies needed to create green jobs. "                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Every indication I've seen is that the overwhelming majority of the U.S. public are not in favor of the TPP.  And so it goes...more evidence that we have a non-representative Gov't.  When the choices at the voting booth consist only of Oligarchs or the puppets of Oligarchs, how could it be any other way?                                                                                       Not just my opinion.          Be Well

P.S. to "The Consummate Liar..."

About two minutes ago, I watched (on DemocracyNow.org) a replay of Obama on a News commentary show roundtable discussion---on Hardball on MSNBC---in which the President stated, "Everything I do has been focused on how do we make sure the Middle Class is getting a fair deal.  I would not be doing this Trade deal [the TPP] if I didn't think it was good for the Middle Class...".  Maybe he actually believes his own Propaganda; either that or he's lying again.  Obama's economic, monetary, fiscal, war, and Trade policies work largely against both the Middle Class and Industry.  He protects Wall Street at the expense of the Middle Class and Industry.  He's a big believer in Globalization and Financialization, both of which are destroying the Middle Class AND American Industry.

After the news clip, Democracy Now! went back to Lori Wallach, the premier expert on TPP at Trade Watch and in my view, a genuine American hero.  Obama says Elizabeth Warren is "wrong" on the TPP.  In great detail, Ms. Wallach laid out precisely why it's Obama who is wrong...dead wrong.  See the Democracy Now newscast for Wednesday, May 13, 2015.  The Corporatist Obama again is trying to sell the American People a load of crap.

The MSNBC video clip wound up with Obama saying, "If you look at the facts, they [the TPP critics] are wrong.".  Fine, Mr. President... why don't you show us the facts?  We can depend only on WikiLeaks to see any of the TPP Agreement.  What are you trying to hide?  And don't give us the weak cop-out that releasing the content will compromise negotiations.  That's BS... besides, even if it's true, we don't care.  Furthermore, we don't want the TPP in any shape or form.

Fairly recent History has revealed that every single "Free Trade" Agreement since the early '90s (including the WTO abomination) has been a disaster for Industry and the Middle Class in this country.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

The Consummate Liar Strikes Again

Obama's lies have become so blatant that even a person who is totally apathetic and ignorant of politics must be able to detect them... at least, I would think so.  Following are just a few of his latest attempts at deception.  Feel free to laugh, cry, or sigh... or cuss.

1.  Regarding the Obama-Osama story, the Administration claims there are too many assertions by Hersh to respond to any of them.  What a cop-out.  So much for accountability.  Obama, through spokesmen, claims the whole Hersh story is false; we are supposed to simply accept their word.  Personally, given the President's record, I would believe Sy Hersh over Barack Obama any day of the century.

2.  Regarding his support for the TPP---
Obama claims he fought hard for banking regulations after the 2008 Crisis, so "Why would I sign something that rolls back those protections?".  His implication is that parts of the TPP do not roll back protections against crooked mega bankers.  That's a bald-faced lie.  In addition, the regulations he supported back when were nothing but window-dressing.  Finally, he signed the fairly recent omnibus spending bill that included an Amendment written by Citi-Group lobbyists which did roll back the paltry protections of Dodd-Frank.  Obama must believe that we have the shortest memories in the history of Humanity... or, he simply doesn't give a damn about what we think... or???

3.  Obama continues to claim that NSA dragnet, bulk collection of our records (phone, email, other internet use, credit cards) is legal.  Just the other day, a Fed Appeals Court vigorously disagreed and called the bulk collection "unprecedented and unwarranted".  The Court went on to say that the Executive Branch doesn't even pretend that such collection is related to any "specific, defined inquiry".  All that makes the whole business a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment.  Given his Constitutional Law education, Obama must know that.

4.  Obama lies by omission.  Not long ago, he stated that "No one is listening to your phone calls.".  He left out this:  one of the Snowden documents revealed that calls are being recorded automatically, and that the NSA has the technology to enable a key-word search and then generate a transcript of the conversation.  All of this is done by high-speed computers because of the billions of calls involved.  So, the end result is the same as if someone were listening to your calls.  Even if there were no key-word searches or transcripts, simply recording the numbers of whom we call (without a specific reason or specific warrant to do so) is plainly unconstitutional.  Read the Fourth Amendment:  the word "effects" surely includes our records.  Obama must know that.
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Yes, other Presidents have lied and violated the Constitution.  That's no legitimate excuse for the current President to do the same.  Democrats and Republicans (at the highest levels) both appear to believe that the U.S. Constitution is a Menu... just pick out what you like and discard the rest.  These same Democrats and Republicans appear to believe in Legislative Absolutism, a term coined by a Supreme Court Justice, Harlan, in 1901.  The term means passing laws that violate the Supreme Law of the Land... such as the misnamed PATRIOT Act.  This will all continue until We the People peacefully put a stop to it.

Not just my opinion.  Happy Trails

So, How Do We Fix Our Government?

In my opinion, there is no magic bullet to fix things, but...

if we don't vote, much more can be done than just waiting for the collapse.  Even if people do vote, much more can be done.  There's a huge obstacle, though...

PROPAGANDA from Neoliberals (in general, the highest levels of Repubs & Dems).

Unfortunately, Americans seem to have forgotten that this country was founded due to 

the efforts of Activism.  Violent activism is not an option nowadays, but peaceful activism is 

always possible... one issue at a time.  It's a long haul.  The trouble is, due to Propaganda, 

the ~ 25% of adults who are on the "Right" think that demonstrations, protests, boycotts, etc. 

are "Leftist", or "Socialist", or "UnAmerican".  Nothing could be more American.

So, what could be done?  Well, about a gazillion things could be done... IF Americans had the 

will and weren't so distracted & propagandized.  Here's one tiny thing that could be done:  as 

much as possible, boycott all Mega Banks.  Destroy their credit card biz with boycotts.  Is it 

inconvenient for people?... of course.  You can't change who finances your mortgage, but you 

can have an impact in other areas such as credit cards.

By the way, most politicians voted in by most Americans (Repubs & Dems) just recently gave 

the Corporatist Obama so-called Fast-Track Authority on the TPP.  That means one man 

(Big Biz Obama, not Congress) will do the negotiations for that abomination.  When it comes 

up for a vote in Congress, there will be no debate, no amendments, just a yea or nea.  If it's 

approved, we lose.  Big Biz likes the TPP 1000%; so does Obama, so does McConnell.  If 

Congress votes it in, there will be a downward pressure on wages (because of greed, not 

a lack of choice for biz owners), a decrease in food, toy (& other goods), & pet safety, the 

elimination of Buy American in Gov't procurement contracts, more offshoring of jobs,

& the ability of any corporation to sue our Gov't (or any gov't) for infringement on their profits 

caused by EHS regulatory compliance***.  Way to go, you Gravy Train, Fat-Cat Congress 

people!  [EHS: Environmental/Health/Safety]
***The "court" will be a private, corporate tribunal.  It will have the capability of allowing corporations to "legally" raid the U.S. Treasury.

Everyone in Congress who voted for Fast-Track should be inundated with phone calls, 

emails, or letters berating them for such stupidity.  But that won't happen... because of 

Propaganda, distraction, apathy, or ignorance.  The Neoliberals win again. 

So, what am I getting at here?  Simply, I think the very first step in "fixing" our Gov't and 

overcoming the coup of Neoliberalism is this:  somehow we have to destroy and/or expose 

Edward Bernays style Propaganda.  That propaganda has deceived and immobilized the 

American people.  It has misinformed and distracted them.  They are, for the most part, lost 

in the charade of Right v. Left.  The whole thing is a Rigged Game.  The Main Street "true 

believers" in politics have been duped... completely.  [None of this is a "conspiracy".]  Can this 

"first step" be accomplished?  I doubt it, but maybe.  In any case, it's worth the effort to try.  

NeoFeudalism in America is fast approaching.  Doing nothing is not a good choice.  The 

solution to the problem is not to be found in the current major political parties... they 

are a major part of the problem.

Not just my opinion.  Happy Trails

Iceland & Greece Have it Right

Iceland is well on its way to a complete economic recovery.  Greece has just started, but is on the right path.  How are economies saved or returned to a healthy state?  The answer to that has several facets; the solution to the problem must be based on History, Logic, and plain common sense...as follows.

1.  Mega Banks are not the Holy Grail of Economics.  If they run their businesses into the ground by making bad investments, they should be allowed to fail.  Bailing out casino-type banks is a horrible idea... it saves the rich & powerful, not the economy.  The "too big to fail (and jail)" banks here in the USA became 38% larger than they were before the 2008 Crisis.  Most of them took their bailout money AND the trillions of dollars loaned to them at POINT 25 percent interest by the Fed Reserve and used it to:  give huge bonuses to top management; engage in more casino capitalism; loan money back to the Fed Gov't; increase their lobbying efforts in DC; and buy up other banks.  Did they create any jobs?  Almost none.  In general, Financialization does not create jobs or benefit the economy in the long term.

2.  Whether owed by consumers or governments, in a crisis debts either should be written down to amounts that feasibly can be paid back, or totally forgiven.  Selling off public infrastructure to private companies and/or instituting or coercing "austerity" will not benefit the economy or the People.  About 70% of our economy here in America is driven by consumer spending; I'm guessing it's a similar figure in most other developed countries.  For an economy to be saved or to recover, people have to have money to spend.  Saving a bank that can afford to pay a $30 billion civil fine for FRAUD is not going to save the economy.  Such a bank should be left to die, and the top management (where appropriate) should be sent to prison.

3.  Stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid put out by Gov't elites and the Corporate Media saying that the sky will fall and the world economy will crash if speculative mega banks are not saved.  That's a complete fairy tale... at best, it's ignorance... at worst, it's blatant deceit.  Many economists agree that no such thing would have happened.

4.  Never get involved with the IMF.  It's nothing more than an oligarchical racket.  If you're already involved, never accept their "structural adjustments".  Years ago, several countries in South America learned that lesson the hard way.

5.  Understand that Neoliberals in both the public & private spheres are creating economic structures that are rushing countries into NeoFeudalism.  Very few politicians are opposing them.

6.  In a very real sense, banks should be a public utility.  They should be loaning money to encourage manufacturing on home soil, rather than gambling on derivatives, foreign currencies, and other insider scams that create no jobs.  In terms of the economy, the bane of the last 30-40 years has been Financialization... paper shuffling for the benefit of the Super-Rich.  We need public banks.  Private, casino-capitalism type banks could still exist, but should not be allowed to use depositor funds for speculation OR to get beyond a certain size.  Reinstate Glass-Steagall.

7.  Understand that agreements such as the proposed TPP are a disaster for economies and the People.  They benefit the Oligarchs at the expense of the rest of us.  Don't believe politicians like Obama or McConnell, who both lie about the TPP.  Even our new Secretary of Defense either is ignorant about the TPP or lying about it.  See citizen.org/tpp

8.  Stop being partisan in politics.  Using America as an example, at the highest levels the politicians are almost ALL on the Neoliberal Team... the Team benefitting Oligarchs at our expense.  Consider this:  80% of us are in favor of raising the minimum wage; 90% of us want the Mega Banks broken up; 80% believe our agreements regarding NAFTA and the WTO should be revised or dumped; and, a vast majority (I forget the %) of us want corporate criminals to be sent to prison...which usually does not happen here.  So, what are our so-called "representatives" doing about all that... not much at all.  42% of Americans now are neither Republicans or Democrats; rather, they are Independents.  The strategy of the Oligarchy, which is using hot-button social/cultural issues to Distract-Divide-Conquer us, is beginning to fail.  Many, perhaps most people, are seeing that the economy is the number one issue in this country.  They are fed up to the gills with stagnant wages while the Rich & Powerful have seen a 700% increase in their incomes in the last couple of decades.

9.  Finally, this next statement is obvious, so consider it simply a reminder.  To determine those responsible for any economic or financial crisis---and to get a clue as to how to reverse that crisis---just follow the money.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

KUDOS to the New Leader of Greece!

Congratulations, Greece!  Your new leader is a guy who is telling the Neoliberals to go to hell.  Every country, including the USA, needs just such a person.

Via the IMF, and/or central banks, and/or other mega banks, Neoliberals at the highest levels (including the Democrats and Republicans here) through deceptive practices entice countries to take on massive debt.  Then, when the debt is unsustainable, these same mega banks and the IMF coerce countries to undergo austerity or in some cases sell off their public infrastructure to private, mega corporations.  It boils down to this:  Neoliberals save the mega banks, not the economy...Wall Street, not Main Street.  All for Globalization and privatization.  The ultimate Goal is the world as one giant Business...and none of it is a "conspiracy".  For the most part, it's in plain sight.

As David Rockefeller stated publicly in 1991:  "Surely it is preferable to have the world run by unelected elites than by the corrupt politicians of today."... that's pretty plain.  Despite that, Neoliberals often are deceptive.  For example, here in the USA they go by the labels of "Democrat", "Republican", "Liberal", and "Conservative".  They use Edward Bernays style Propaganda to dupe people into accepting things such as N.A.F.T.A., T.A.R.P., T.P.P., and T.A.F.T.A., all of which serve the Oligarchy, not Main Street.

The Neoliberal Congress and Fed Reserve in this country have given us an eighteen trillion dollar debt... and it's still growing.  There is however, no visible austerity here.  Instead, it's just under the facade of "the economy is recovering" Propaganda.  Here's how it's "recovering":
1.  with continued Financialization, which transfers wealth from the Middle Class to the Upper Crust;
2.  with continued sale of bizarre Financial Derivatives, which create no jobs;
3.  with continued debasement of the dollar;
4.  with a massive Trade Deficit;
5.  with continued off-shoring of factories and jobs;
6.  with the creation of lower-paying permanent jobs, temporary jobs, and part-time jobs;
7.  with continued deficit spending;
8.  with an estimated one quadrillion dollars of Financial Derivatives still out in the Market... many bubbles just waiting to burst;
9.  with QE-4 waiting in the wings;
10.  with Gov't promoting another housing bubble;
11.  with someone or some institution (or a combination) manipulating the crude oil market; and,
12.  with rolling back regulations on the mega banks that caused the 2008 Crisis.
This is not what I would call a recovery.

[NOTE:    The 2008 Crisis was not caused by sub-prime mortgages; they were simply the trigger.  The underlying cause was the fact that mega, Neoliberal banks sold trillions of dollars worth of essentially worthless Derivatives.  Many (or perhaps most) of them were credit default swaps which were supposed to "insure" investors against losses... but didn't.  The mega banks knew they couldn't possibly serve that function when they sold them to pension funds, cities, counties, countries, and other investors.  It was a massive fraud.  Under the Corporatist Obama here, almost no one has been held criminally liable.  Plus, things are now set up for the whole scam to happen again... I'm guessing within five years...easily.]

Neoliberals and Neoliberalism must be confronted and resisted.  In order to do that, we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.  First Iceland, and now Greece are showing us the way.  Heartiest congratulations to both.  There is no reason whatsoever that Globalization must take the form that is espoused by Neoliberals.  There are other options.

Not just 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

OBAMA SHOULD BE IMPEACHED...ASAP

Not long ago, the NYT Editorial Board came to the conclusion that Obama's ISIS War is unconstitutional. They are correct; there is no question whatsoever about that.  Violating the U.S. Constitution is an impeachable offense.  Unfortunately and most likely, impeachment will not happen.

Even though the Republicans now hold a majority in both Houses of Congress, they will not represent the People and pursue impeachment of Obama.  Why?  For a few reasons, not the least of which is that they too have been guilty of unconstitutional wars... and they want to retain for Presidents that illegal war-making power.  In other words, they won't rock the boat because they want all future Presidents to be able to go to war illegally.  That benefits their primary constituency--- the rich and powerful.

All of this demonstrates fairly clearly that, at the highest political levels, the old labels---Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal---essentially are meaningless.  The highest echelon in politics consists of Neoliberals.  The old, anachronistic labels now merely are Distract-Divide-Conquer Propaganda.  It continually amazes me that many people don't see that.

Although politically we're in a Rigged Game, I'm convinced that it's NOT a "conspiracy".  Neoliberals are all about global BIG Business.  They may have similar interests and mutual goals, and they may keep their plans private, but that doesn't mean the whole thing is any sort of conspiring.  It's no more a conspiracy than is that of AT&T attempting to maximize profits.  Besides, the whole Neoliberal agenda mostly is in plain sight.

As have many Republicans, Obama has violated the Supreme Law of the Land in other ways as well.  Most likely, he will not be impeached for those reasons either.  We the People are asleep at the political wheel; we need to wake up.  At the highest levels, the Neoliberals in the Fed Gov't are all on the same Team.  That's so obvious that it's downright painful.  Example:  both Obama AND McConnell are working fiercely to get the TPP implemented in this Land.  That Agreement primarily benefits the Oligarchy, not commoners.  The same is true of TAFTA... and most so-called Republicans and so-called Democrats support that as well.  For the low-down on the TPP, see this:  http://www.citizen.org/TPP .

Long story short, in the USA we have (at the highest levels) an outlaw Fed Government.  There is absolutely no question about that.  [Take it from someone who has been observing American politics keenly since 1956...well over half a century.]

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Lori Wallach is a Genuine American Hero for Exposing Globalization

She works for Trade Watch at Public Citizen.org, and has a complete grasp of the abomination known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a so-called "Free Trade Agreement".  Go to the link below to see why this Agreement never should be approved by our country.
http://www.citizen.org/TPP

About 500 to 600 attorneys from mega corporations essentially have created the 29 or so Agreements that form the core of the TPP.  Only five of those Agreements/Chapters have anything to do with traditional Trade.  The rest will benefit the Super-Rich at the expense of common people.  The only reason we know this is because a whistleblower leaked the documents not long ago.  Prior to that, it was the most secret Agreement in the Trade arena.  Not even the U.S. Congress had access to it.

Very shortly, Obama and McConnell will be working together to get the TPP approved here as quickly as possible.  They've said so publicly.  This Agreement, if approved, will offshore millions more jobs from the USA, threaten the safety of our food, further threaten the environment, boost the cost of medicines, and protect mega bankers from prosecution to an even larger degree than presently.  That's only a few of the detriments we'll experience as a result of this bonanza for mega transnational corporations.

The TPP also will allow ANY corporation that believes its profits have been diminished by any U.S. law to sue the Gov't in a quasi-private international tribunal in order to get compensation.  In other words, corporations will be able to raid the U.S. Treasury if, for example, some safety law forces them to spend any money in order to comply.  [Any judgments can be enforced by Trade sanctions against the USA.]  Obama and McConnell certainly won't tell you, but that's one of the things they're working to get approved in our country.

Our puppet politicians and the Corporate (Mainstream) Media for years have propagandized us into accepting the falsehood that there are no alternatives to "Globalization".  Lori Wallach and others have shown that is a bald-faced lie.  For dozens of informative Video Clips on the subject, do a YouTube Search for her name.  She has been exposing the whole phony business for twenty years.  Kudos to you, Lori Wallach.  We all owe you a great debt.  With the aid of the work you've done, we peacefully can dethrone the Oligarchs.

STEP ONE:  stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well    p.s. The upcoming TAFTA, the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, is even worse than the TPP.

Could the Gall of Oligarchs be Any More Brazen?

The following is largely based on the broadcasts of Democracy Now! yesterday and today.
Here are just a few examples of the unmitigated gall of Oligarchs and their puppets---

1.  In regard to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the deceit of Mitch McConnell and President Obama is appalling.  Mitch announced that the President was "willing to work together" with him on the issue of Trade.  Presently, that means the TPP.  The implication was that they don't agree on the subject.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Oligarchs and their puppets are about the only people in the entire world who are wildly in favor of the TPP and all other so-called Free Trade Agreements.  For the reason why, do a search for TradeWatch.org/TPP; that Agreement especially is little about Trade, but a whole bunch about making Mega Transnational Corporations the economic rulers of the world.  [The TPP is anti-Free-Market-Capitalism, and pro-Crony-Capitalism.  The difference between the two is crucial.]  If it becomes a U.S. Treaty, its rules will trump all U.S. laws (all Treaties do that), including those in the area of Environmental-Health-Safety.  It will allow any corporation that feels its profits have been impinged upon by a U.S. law to sue in an international tribunal...to potentially get tax dollars from you & me in court.  Any judgement is enforceable by Trade sanctions against the U.S.

Obama has been trying to get so-called "fast-track authority" for approval of the TPP for some time now.  Of course he's willing to work with Mitch on Trade; they both want the same thing.  One of the reasons that Mitch wants it is because he married into a wealthy family that has an international shipping business.  He's both an Oligarch and a puppet of other Oligarchs.  Obama wants it because, as I've said over & over, he's a Corporatist, a Crony Capitalist.  His record clearly shows that... no question about it.

After they "work together" for the TPP, Obama and McConnell probably will tout the whole thing as a bipartisanship victory... and breaking the DC gridlock.  What a farce.

2.  Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone reporter & long-time investigator of the Financial Sector, and Alayne Fleischmann, JP Morgan Chase whistleblower, have shown that Chase knowingly sold faulty mortgage securities to investors such as pension funds.  Not too long ago, the Bank and the Gov't reached a multi-billion dollar settlement in the case of this civil fraud.  No criminal charges.  Other mega banks also have settled for a large fine.  No criminal charges.  The Gov't claims the cases are too complex to prove criminality.  Alayne Fleischmann, an attorney, says that the securitization of mortgage loans may be complex, but proving criminal fraud regarding the sale of those faulty securities---at least in the Chase case---could have been a slam-dunk.  It's fairly clear that Obama and his Crew protect mega bankers from criminal prosecution.  Eric Holder came from a private practice law firm that defends corporations from prosecution; in my view, that automatically should have disqualified him from consideration as Attorney General.  Now we know why it didn't.

3.  Shortly after the Chase Bank was fined billions of dollars for fraud, the bank's Board of Directors gave Jamie Dimon (Chase's CEO) a 75% salary increase.  Any reasonable person would think they would have fired him.  Investors in the bank should have demanded it...those billions to pay the fine come from their pockets.  The same scenario has been repeated with other mega banks and their CEOs.  It's truly incredible.  Chase Bank alone has weathered about $30 billion in fines in only 4-5 years.  I can't believe that any business could survive that kind of financial hit unless that business is ripping off its customers in big and small ways.
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In general, the super rich and their puppets consider the rest of us to be the "little people"... of consequence only as wage slaves, a source of money, and spectators in the Rigged System.  We're viewed pretty much as one would view livestock...a means to an end.  Their Institutions, and for the most part the highest levels of the Fed Gov't, support that view.  Essentially, the Fed Gov't is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the super-rich and their mega corporations.

Yesterday, Obama announced (as a conversational "aside") that two-thirds of U.S. eligible voters did NOT vote in Tuesday's election.  I say, great!  Too bad it wasn't three-thirds.  That would have been a powerful message.  The Rigged System, the Dystopian Machine, the Oligarchy... they all need to be shaken up, but peacefully.  Not voting is the easiest protest there is... and there's no criminal penalty.  Who knows what it would accomplish if many, many more didn't vote, but one thing is certain--- it would get the attention of the Establishment's Rotten System, and the Oligarchs would be shaken up.

In this day & age, in this country, violence is no solution... that would be both stupid and suicidal.  Just as importantly, it would increase the severity of the U.S. Police State exponentially.  We don't need that.  On the other hand, there are many ways to peacefully and effectively protest the current 1984.  If we continue to drink the Propaganda Kool Aid, though, nothing effective will take place.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Elections, the Oligarchy, and Pointlessness in the USA

For decades and decades, "voting" in national elections in the USA has been largely pointless.  Here's why.

1.  Most all national candidates are selected, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchy...regardless of political party.  Should some other candidate (by some miracle) manage to get elected, that person is fairly quickly marginalized, rendered ineffective, and/or smeared by the Political System.  He/she is relegated to being little more than the butt of jokes and not taken seriously.

2.  Because of restrictive ballot-access laws created by Democrats & Republicans, any third party rarely is able to get on the ballot in all 50 States.  Even if an alternative party does manage to do so, the Corporate Media Machine pretty much ignores them.

3.  The approximately 50% of eligible voters here who do actually vote get the bulk of their information regarding candidates from political ads written by advertising agencies...in other words, from bald-faced propaganda.

4.  Whoever runs the most ads usually wins.  As a result, one election cycle at the national level can involve the expenditure of over a billion dollars.  That's insanity...and no way to select someone to represent We the People.  Why?  Because it fosters more & more reliance on money & propaganda...and results in more & more corruption.

5.  The major political parties merely are two branches of the only political party in America of any significance:  the un-named Mega Transnational Corporatist Party.

6.  No matter who gets elected at the national level, Republican or Democrat, they will promote, support, or at least not effectively oppose the following:  institutionalized deficit spending; the Fed Reserve System of privately owned banks;  the current, anti-American, Fed China Trade Policy; the current, unconstitutional activities of the FBI relative to conducting searches without a proper warrant; other violations of the First and Fourth Amendments by the NSA, FBI, & CIA; protecting mega bank CEOs from criminal prosecution; the Fed Govt's exemption of itself from International Law; so-called "Free Trade" Agreements, such as the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which has little to do with Trade, but a lot to do with Neoliberal policies favoring Mega Transnational Corporations; the greatest shift of wealth in History from the Middle Class to the upper one percent of adult Americans; unconstitutional wars; unconstitutional "Executive Orders"; the shipping of manufacturing overseas; corporate welfare; and on & on.

7.  At the highest levels, Republicans-Democrats or NeoConservatives-Liberals do their very best to keep the general public from truly participating in government.  Most all of them firmly believe in a Plutocracy, Oligarchy, or Meritocracy.  They are "True Believers" and convinced that unlike the "ignorant masses", they know best how to "run" the country.

8.  Once elected, a politician's first priority is to get re-elected.  Bellying up to The Federal Trough is too sweet to risk losing.  [That's one reason we desperately need Term Limits, something opposed by them all.]
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Not much will change if we keep doing nothing but "voting"; we've been doing so for well over 200 years.  Things are only sliding downhill.  "Voting" has accomplished very little for We the People...especially in the area of the Economy.  We're gradually moving to a Neo-feudal Society.  The Working Poor is the fastest growing economic class in this country.

Before voting can make a significant difference, ballot-access laws must be changed.  Campaign finance laws must be changed...or better yet, a Constitutional Amendment is needed relative to financing campaigns.  None of this will happen without immense pressure put on politicians; it is not in their best interests to change any of the current corruption.  In my opinion, the chances of it happening are very slim to none.

Step One:  stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.
Step Two:  vehemently insist that the Constitution be obeyed.
Step Three:  organize.
Step Four:  peacefully resist, protest, and/or boycott.
[Imagine if at the next Oligarchical election, no one voted.  Now that is a message which could not be ignored.  Unfortunately, it won't happen...because of "True Believers" and Propaganda Kool Aid drinkers.]

Politics in America---and probably most of the developed world---has been co-opted by mega transnational corporations.  The Democrat and Republican Parties are totally irrelevant.  Third Parties are as well, because the System is rigged against them.  Without changes to ballot-access and campaign finance laws, that will continue.  In terms of formal politics, sorry to say, but the Oligarchy has won...they have completely conquered us by Distraction and Division.  That's only in terms of formal politics, though.  There are other peaceful means to do battle.  It pains me greatly to see people still stuck in formal politics, thinking they'll change things from the inside.  Sorry, it can't be done anymore; the Oligarchs are in complete control of formal politics.  The Fraud of Obama proves that beyond any shadow of doubt.

"Voting" is the opium of the masses in this country.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

Neoliberalism, the Class War, and the Silent Coup

I just now finished watching long excerpts of Obama's State of the Union Address and discussion of same on Democracy Now.  While realizing that all such speeches basically are little but propaganda, I have to say that the current President's effort was over the top in that regard.  It was the most disgusting display of half-truths and unadulterated propaganda that I've seen in quite awhile...actually, since Bush.  Obama:  "All our troops are out of Iraq"... that's not even a half-truth; it's a blatant lie.  Not only do we still have a few thousand combat troops as "trainers" there, the para-military arm of the CIA also has people there.  Obama:  "Our economy has been growing steadily for four years"...maybe, but only with low-paying jobs for the majority of working Americans and billions for Oligarchs.

The worst thing that Obama touted and promoted was Neoliberalism.  Of course, he didn't use that term.  Instead, he talked about Trade Agreements and how they would benefit "small business"; the implication was that jobs would be created.  This is exactly the same unnamed Neoliberalism concocted, promoted, and implemented by Reagan, Thatcher, and later, Clinton in the '80s and '90s.  It's global in nature.  It's all for the benefit of mega corporations, and involves the oligarchical tools of the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, and so-called "Free Trade Agreements".  Rules are written which trump national laws, implement a totally non-democratic economic policy, benefit Big Business, and screw over Third World countries.  It's backed by economic and military threats from the USA and the UK.

Most all educated people in the developed nations of the world, except the USA, are familiar with Neoliberalism to one degree or another.  At a fundamental level, it means the privatization of government services and the creation of a worldwide economic structure run by unelected business elites.  It's David Rockefeller's wet dream.  Here in this country, it's rarely ever even mentioned.  That's because both branches of the Big Business Party, meaning the Democrats and the Republicans, completely support the whole concept.  They appear to believe that it's a good thing... it is... for the Oligarchy.  I've discussed it in some depth elsewhere in this blog.  If interested, use the Search function at the upper left corner of this page and look for:  Globalization (Parts I, II, and III).

Obama didn't mention them by name, but it was crystal clear that he was promoting both the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade Agreement (TATA).  Either one absolutely dwarfs NAFTA and CAFTA...think how they affected our economy.  Jobs and manufacturing went South of the border.  Our President wants so-called "fast-track" authority to approve TPP and later, TATA.  Both will accelerate the transfer of wealth from the Middle Class to the Upper One Percent.  The only jobs that will be created most likely will be low-paying and menial, and even more manufacturing will shift to offshore locations.  Don't buy the propaganda.  If the TPP and TATA are adopted---or worse, approved and signed as Treaties---our grandchildren will be adults in a USA that will be even more of a Feudal Society than it is today...much, much more.

So, are you beginning to see how propaganda from the Oligarchy operates in this country?  Ask yourself why it is that most folks in the developed world know about Neoliberalism, but it's rarely ever mentioned here.  It's despised by most commoners (for good reason), but we know nothing of that...unless we broaden our sources of information.  Jeremy Scahill, whose film Dirty Wars has been nominated for an Oscar, discussed it in some depth on the 1-29-14 broadcast of Democracy Now...but how many viewers of Fox News or CBS News ever take in an alternative point of view?  Not many, I would venture to guess.  Scahill is of the opinion that, in a very real sense, mega corporations have launched a silent coup in this land.  I agree, and they've done it with their Cronies in DC...from both so-called "Parties".

Again, both Democrats and Republicans promote Neoliberalism.  Obama helped to prove that in his State of the Union Address.  So-called "Conservatives", who really are NeoConservatives, help to prove it on an almost daily basis.  This concept is the most important political issue of our times, but it's rarely ever discussed because "voters"  purposely are distracted by hot-button issues that have nothing to do with jobs and the economy.  Wake up, America...please.

Just my opinion.

This, That, and the Other--- The Arrogance of the Oligarchs

1.  Hopefully you've heard of the TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  It's another so-called "Free Trade" agreement...that has almost nothing to do with trade, but almost everything to do with the Corporate Oligarchy re-writing the laws of individual countries, creating extra-judicial, binding tribunals, and allowing foreign corporations to sue countries for perceived economic losses due to the laws & policies of those same countries.  [I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.]  That means a European corporation, for example, could sue the US (to get some of your tax money) claiming that some health & safety law of ours caused them economic loss.  The "case" would be heard in a "tribunal" outside of this country...and would be binding.

As we speak, Obama is attempting to get Congress to vote him "fast-track authority" to approve this obscene treaty.  For more detailed info on the whole shabby affair, go to the "Democracy Now" news website, search for the 11/21/13 webcast, & look for a sidebar piece entitled "TPP Exposed..." (under "Most Popular"); there's also a sidebar entitled "A Corporate Trojan Horse".  I'll put the link immediately below, but I don't believe that Google allows embedded links on Blogspot anymore...I may be wrong about that---
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/14/tpp_exposed_wikileaks_publishes_secret_trade

2.  TAFTA, the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement...ditto number 1 above.  Details are at citizen.org slash documents slash TAFTA-top-ten-factsheet.pdf ...the factsheet describes the top ten threats of this agreement to Americans' daily lives.  Again, I'll attempt to place the link immediately below---
http://www.citizen.org/documents/TAFTA-top-ten-factsheet.pdf

3.  Henry Kissinger once stated, " 'Illegal' we [the Fed Gov't] can do immediately; 'unconstitutional' takes a bit longer.".  Various laws (or portions thereof) are being used by the Fed Gov't to accomplish things that are violations of the U.S. Constitution, especially the Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments; never mind the Ninth & Tenth Amendments... for all practical purposes, they no longer even exist.  Those laws include, but are not limited to, the PATRIOT Act (what a misnomer), The War Powers Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act.  Especially those three need to be [if we are to protect our Freedom] either fixed or repealed.

I cannot emphasize this more strongly:  no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution; only Treaties can do that.  If a law contradicts/violates the Constitution, it is automatically null and void under our system of government.  The Oligarchs don't want us to remember that...just my opinion.