Right-Wing Rage

There has been a rise in right-wing anger in the United States over the past few months. I give a rundown of this scary phenomenon in my first audioblog:

Download: Right-Wing Rage

Watch:

Filed under: Uncategorized , drugs, Glenn Beck, Guantanamo, guns, hate groups, Latino immigration, Mexico, Rick Santelli, Southern Poverty Law Center, super-max prisons, Tea Party

Imprisoned Not More Than Five Years

Lying to Congress. Perjury.

President citizen George W. Bush:

“I have also determined that the use of armed force against Iraq is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.”

In this letter to Congress:

Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on the Commencement of
Military Operations Against Iraq

March 21, 2003

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)

On March 18, 2003, I made available to you, consistent with section
3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq
Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), my determination that further
diplomatic and other peaceful means alone will neither adequately
protect the national security of the United States against the
continuing threat posed by Iraq, nor lead to enforcement of all relevant
United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.
I have reluctantly concluded, along with other coalition leaders,
that only the use of armed force will accomplish these objectives and
restore international peace and security in the area. I have also
determined that the use of armed force against Iraq is consistent with
the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary
actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations,
including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned,
authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on
September 11, 2001. United States objectives also support a transition
to democracy in Iraq, as contemplated by the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998
(Public Law 105-338).
Consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), I now
inform you that pursuant to my authority as Commander in Chief and
consistent with the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq
Resolution (Public Law 102-1) and the Authorization for Use of Military
Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), I directed
U.S. Armed Forces, operating with other coalition forces, to commence
combat operations on March 19, 2003, against Iraq.

[[Page 349]]

These military operations have been carefully planned to accomplish
our goals with the minimum loss of life among coalition military forces
and to innocent civilians. It is not possible to know at this time
either the duration of active combat operations or the scope or duration
of the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces necessary to accomplish our goals
fully.
As we continue our united efforts to disarm Iraq in pursuit of
peace, stability, and security both in the Gulf region and in the United
States, I look forward to our continued consultation and cooperation.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush

Filed under: Uncategorized , 2001, 9/11, Bush, Congress, George W. Bush, impeachment, Iraq, perjury, September 11th

How Obama Gains From The AIG Bonuses

The AIG Bonuses Scandal has the potential to strengthen the Obama Administration.

Criticism was starting to mount over the policies the Democratic-controlled Congress and the Obama Administration had been pursuing; reducing the proportion of populist anger at the corporate elite and big business. Then the story about the bonuses being given to AIG and, specifically, those in the AIG Financial Products division who caused so much of AIG and the overall financial system’s problems broke in the national media. Populist outrage — exemplified apparently by pitchforks? — has been the big buzz; outrage at AIG, at corporate executive compensation, at Treasury Secretary Geithner, at President Obama. If handled and channeled properly, however, the Obama Administration might come out of the AIG Bonuses Scandal with less antipathy directed at them and more momentum for their policies.

To do this, the Obama Administration will need to change its political and policy strategy. If the goal is to reduce the proportion of the populist anger directed at them, the Obama Administration needs to increase the proportion of that anger directed at someone else. While Liddy (not to be confused with Scooter Libby), the Bonees, and the rest of AIG are obvious targets at the moment, the next burst of outrage will come eventually after the current one and there is no telling where it will be directed. There needs to be a longer-term bogeyman, but Rush Limbaugh and the Republican Cabal are so marginalized that a wider net has to be cast than the partisan one.

A good example of what an attack at such a target might sound like was actually offered by President Obama himself today. He said “Well, I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry. I’m angry…Now, keep in mind — I think it’s very important to remind ourselves that there are a whole bunch of folks now who are feigning outrage about these bonuses that a year ago, or two years ago, or three years ago, said, well, we should never meddle in these compensation plans.” Who might he be talking about? Well, one epithet for them is Free Market Fundamentalists. They are also known as laissez faire capitalists (and include almost every Republican in the US government). Now, there is a bigger punching bag than what’s left of the Republican Rump.

To properly pivot against this adversary, the Obama Administration would need to modify its policy strategy. Laissez faire capitalism is based on the belief that any government interference in the market is a bad thing. Policies that counter this belief are ones in which the government acts to temper the recklessness of the market. While the Obama Administration has obviously already pursued some such policies, they need to more fully embrace them as a political tactic if they want to deflect the populist outrage that gets more intense with each day. A strategy involving persecuting AIG corporate executives for economic fraud, putting serious caps on all corporate executive compensation, taking over control of the firms which the US government already owns controlling amounts of (AIG, Citigroup, etc.), declaring a complete foreclosure moratorium, implementing significant investments in infrastructure and “green” technology, empowering workers through the Employee Free Choice Act, and launching employment programs would begin to boost the popularity and strength of the Obama Administration as the ally of working Americans against the greed, corruption, failure, and exorbitant power of the corporate elite and big business.

Filed under: Uncategorized , AIG, AIG bonuses, AIG Bonuses Scandal, AIGFP, bailouts, banksters, bonuses, capitalism, economic crisis, economic depression, economy, Edward Liddy, employment, executive compensation, financial crisis, Financial Products, Free Market Fundamentalism, media, Obama, outrage, populist, Republicans, stimulus, Timothy Geithner

The Ides Of March

This week in history:

2,053 years ago on March 15 – the Ides of March – Gaius Julius Caesar was murdered in the Roman Senate.

2,190 days ago in the late night of March 19, George W. Bush ordered the unprovoked bombing and invasion of Iraq.

And now for something completely different, a mixtape! There are four parts and around 60 songs…

The Ides Of March – 1

The Ides Of March – 2

The Ides Of March – 3

The Ides Of March – 4

Have a nice week.

Filed under: Uncategorized , Bush, Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar, George W. Bush, Ides of March, Iraq, mixtape, Music, music sharing, Roman Empire, Rome

Darth Vader

Former Vice President War Criminal Dick Cheney did an interview with CNN. If you listen carefully, especially in the later parts of the interview, he takes breaths between statements and… well… he sounds like Darth Vader. Seriously. And by seriously, I don’t mean the right-wingers, they are by no means serious, at all.

“I AM YOUR FATHER.”

Normally, a member of the past Administration (especially one so extremely unpopular) would not be publicly critical of the newly inaugurated Administration.”Normally.”

As someone said recently, “I think it happened over the last eight years, watching helplessly as everything that we thought could never happen in America suddenly started happening.”

He actually says Obama – in only 57 days in office – has made the US less safe; meaning he thinks Obama has made it more likely the US will suffer a terrorist attack inside its borders. That is not something one suggests very lightly in public. Cheney must know that if another terrorist attack does occur inside the US, he will have been on record blaming it on Obama. Of course, in 2002 and subsequently, the Republicans had no qualms blaming the deaths of USAmericans on their political rivals; see Cleland, Kerry, Clinton.

Cheney didn’t end the blame train there. If the preemptive (they like that kind of thing) blame for the repeat of the most traumatic event to happen to USAmericans in my lifetime wasn’t enough to put on someone else, Darth then went on to say “There’s no question that what the economic circumstances that he [That One Obama] inherited are difficult ones. You know, we said that before we left. I don’t think you can blame the Bush Administration for the creation of those circumstances. It’s a global financial problem. We had, in fact, tried to deal with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac problem some years before with major reforms and were blocked by Democrats. [DEEP MECHANICAL BREATHING]” What!?! Wait, I understand wanting to say it’s not your fault but to then blame it on the Democrats, to say that it was only the Democrats who were at fault? If W. had choked to death on the pretzel, Cheney could have been President and had his finger on the button that could annihilate all life on Earth?…

Here’s the transcript.

And here are the rest of the videos:

Part 4 is the one above.

Filed under: Uncategorized , 9/11, Bush, CNN, Darth Vader, Dick Cheney, economic depression, economy, John King, terrorism, video, war criminal

Outrage

$165 million. Of taxpayer money (or, more accurately, grandchildren money). To the people who caused the economic crisis. As bonuses which are a reward for a job well done. In addition to the salary that they should not be getting either. When instead they should be going to jail. They should have been there already.

That is how we respond to this. Send them to prison.

You steal because you are poor, you go to jail. You steal because you own the government, you steal some more…

This is up to us. When are we going to do something about what they are doing to us?

Here’s a good start: http://takebacktheeconomy.org/



They can’t ignore us anymore:

Filed under: Uncategorized , AIG, bailouts, banksters, bonuses, capitalism, economic depression, economy, Federal Reserve, jail, justice, media, Obama, prison, revolution, uprising

The Double Bubble Depression

The collapse of the housing market precipitated a seizing of the financial system that we are still in the throes of. Could it be that a second attack might occur originating in the commercial credit (credit card) market? With increasing job loss will come lowered incomes which may outweigh the gains from the personal savings rate increase and the tax rebates and plunge whole scores of households into bankruptcy. Apart from the terrible toll this will take on individuals and families, the strain of these defaults will break the back of the commercial banking corporations; everyone will be on the ground. If we can’t stomach nationalization (even temporary, as is apparently so urgently needed to be pointed out) now, perhaps we will when half this country is – what is the popular phrase? – underwater.

Filed under: Uncategorized , bailouts, bankruptcy, banksters, capitalism, commercial credit, credit cards, debt, economic depression, economy, employment, hyperinflation, inflation, nationalization, stimulus, unemployment

This Is Not Okay

I can’t believe something like this is even considered as a possibility.

And yet, it will probably happen with no real reaction or impediment.

Spread that link around. We need to start getting serious here.

UPDATE (3/15):

AIG Chairman Edward M. Liddy

From the above article comes this from the government-appointed chairman of A.I.G., Edward M. Liddy, in a note to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner:

“We cannot attract and retain the best and the brightest talent to lead and staff the A.I.G. businesses — which are now being operated principally on behalf of American taxpayers — if employees believe their compensation is subject to continued and arbitrary adjustment by the U.S. Treasury.”

“The best and the brightest”… see the Vietnam War for original reference.

(via Todd Gitlin)

Filed under: Uncategorized , AIG, bailouts, banksters, Bush, capitalism, economic depression, economy, Obama, revolution, uprising

Propaganda

I haven’t posted music in a while. I might post an archived mix soon.

Enjoy this:

Kimya Dawson – Fire

I was going to make a second entry for this, but I figured it could fit here.

I’m not sure how I feel about posting this. (Nothing conspiratorial included.)

Filed under: Uncategorized , Fire, Kimya Dawson, mp3, Music, music sharing, propaganda

AIG – Check Me On This, Please

A friend recently asked me if their insurance policy with AIG was safe with all of the turmoil in the financial system. Below is my response. Please let me know how inaccurate it may be.

“Hi,

First, I wouldn’t worry too much.

Second, I will explain what the deal is with AIG. AIG is at the very center of the financial crisis (which is what caused/is causing the economic crisis). Basically, crappy, subprime mortgages were given out, investment banks (which is every bank these days) put a bunch of them together and sold these as a kind of investment. AIG then (and this is where everything gets especially bad) sold insurance on those investments (“if this investment on this bundle of really crappy mortgages goes bad, we will pay for it!”). Now, those investments have gone bad and AIG is in the hole or in danger of being in the whole hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars. This all happened in one small department of the gigantic corporation that is AIG; but it still happened in the same corporation.

Now I will explain why I don’t think you need to worry. Back in September, these insurances policies started to go bad and threatened to take down all of AIG; at that point, you would have been in trouble. However, the federal government stepped in and prevented it (the federal government/taxpayers basically took all of this risk that those insurance policies covered… yay, we all get screwed because rich people made a bunch of really risky bets that made them REALLY rich, but i digress). Since then, the federal government has controlled an owning stake in AIG (so, basically, your insurance is covered by the government now). So unless the government, inexplicably, were to say that they were dropping AIG, you will be fine. And, the government will never do that because if AIG has to pay out those bad policies, it will go bankrupt and then all the banks will have to take losses on the subprime investments (these are the “toxic assets”) and they will all go bankrupt and the ENTIRE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM WILL COLLAPSE which will cause the entire economy to collapse and we will be in WORSE shape than the Great Depression. But, the government knows this, which is why they prevented it back in September and will continue to prevent it.

So, I hope that makes you feel better about your policy. I doubt it makes you feel better about the overall economy, but you really shouldn’t feel good about that… le sigh.”

Filed under: Uncategorized , AIG, bailouts, banksters, capitalism, economic depression, economy, Great Depression, nationalization