Reality Bytes is a blog that addresses national and local politics. It will also include commentary about other non-political issues such as social commentary, religious commentary, food, and music.
They are happy because Santorum, Romney, and Gingrich are driving the conversation. This Republican primary and election season SHOULD be talking about a few things. The conversation SHOULD be revolving around...
- The corporate destruction of the economy
- The corporate destruction of the environment
- Corporate theft of our tax dollars and jobs
- How to fix the economy, and get the money and power influence out of our government.
Instead, we seem to be talking almost entirely about...
- Ending a woman's right to a legal abortion - Ending a woman's right to legal contraception
- Obama's faith
Republican's know they can't win on the economy. And since they're gigantic tool bags of the super wealthy and the 1% in America, they definitely know they can't win the conversation on the economy either. So what do they do?
Change the topic of conversation and hope that people don't notice.
I thought we were done with this shit when Turd Blossom was advising the president.
I only wish Occupy had kept the conversation around their message.
Every single decision a politician or political representative makes is representative of a value they hold true. If they don't state it, it must be remembered that still their policy is reflective of their values.
We can't forget that. Voters can't forget it, especially when deciding between two very different candidates (i.e. President).
Mitt Romney’s economic plan is of, by, and for the wealthiest 1 Percent of Americans. Millionaire Mitt Romney would give himself a $4 MILLION tax cut, while raising taxes on the middle class and cutting the programs tens of millions of Americans depend on each day.
So we know who his policies affect, but what values are he promoting? That one is tougher to see. I think...
(1) Taxes, the funds that are needed to support the government, are unnecessarily high. Wealthy people are paying too much and middle and lower class aren't paying their share. Because...
(2) The middle class and poor are getting too much help from the government without paying their fair share of taxes. And...
(3) The government should not be in the business of helping out the American people and providing for the common good.
(4) "I [Mitt Romney] don't have enough money. I should pay less taxes so that I can be richer."
I don't think he'll ever come out and say it explicitly (although he did slip up recently). But do you want a candidate who thinks the government shouldn't provide for the common good? That the wealthy should pay a lower share than the rest? That the super wealthy should get even more wealthy at the expense of the rest?
Do you believe in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people? One that provides for the general welfare of its people?
Or do you believe in a government which values the wealthy over the rest?
VALUES are important.
It's how we should vote, and what we should think of every time we hear some policy from these candidates.
Remember...
Mitt Romney’s economic plan is of, by, and for the wealthiest 1 Percent of Americans.
PEACE
p.s. Bonus points if you can name what famous document the phrase "general welfare" appears in without clicking on the link.
In the last couple of days, and especially after watching last night's presidential State of the Union address, the purpose of this blog has been made clearer to me. And I think this will also make blogging easier and more enjoyable.
It is two parts:
(1) Continue the Occupy discussion - While Occupy may not be making much news anymore, and while people may not be hearing about what theyarestilldoing, the movement is still alive and thriving, although winter is setting it back some. The corporate owned media does not want you to know about the Occupy movement, because it challenges the status quo of the rich getting richer off the backs of everyone else. And in a time when people are struggling beyond their comprehension, their actions must be challenged and real change must be demanded. In the same vein, that leads me to the second purpose of my blog.
(2) Ensure that Barack Obama gets elected - After watching last night's state of the union, its clear where each presidential candidate falls. It is also clear which candidate's rhetoric and actions side with the people versus siding with the cruelty of the 1% or even the .1%. As Occupy continues, and the division between the two sides has been made clearer to me, it seems imperative that the candidate becomes president who will support policies that will benefit the most people of this country rather than the fewest at the top. I will embrace the candidacy of Barack Obama for reelection, even as he has disappointed me in many ways since he took office in 2009. Voting Republican, not voting, or voting for a third party candidate out of frustration with Obama will be destructive to this country. I will debate and challenge anybody who disagrees with me on this blog, respectfully of course.
Ultimately, what it really comes down to is this front page article from Arizona.
TAMPA, Fla. — GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney isn’t just in the top 1 percent of Americans with income — he’s in at least the top 0.006 percent, tax returns he released Tuesday show.
The 2010 adjusted gross income of Romney and his wife, Ann, totaled $21.7 million, according to their tax return. That means they ranked high even among the top 8,274 tax returns.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and private-equity executive, made more than half of his income from capital gains and dividends. They are taxed at a top rate of 15 percent, rather than the top rate of 35 percent for ordinary income.
Mr. "Corporations-are-people"? Freddie Mac "historian"? Or community organizer?
If you want to see what your Republican nominee will do to the future of our economy, watch the following video on his history with Bain Capital; the jobs he destroyed, the communities he sank, and the people's lives he ruined.
This is the "Capitalism" that Mitt Romney and Republicans equate with Americanism, Democracy, and Patriotism. Lives ruined in the name of greed and profit.
Who will you vote for in 2012?
The 1%?
OR...
The community organizer?
These are 28 minutes of your life you wont regret. I promise you. If you disagree after watching this, sorry.
PEACE
note: I realize that "Winning our Future" is Newt Gingrich's PAC. In no way am I saying go vote for Newt as he is just as destructive as Mitt. HOWEVER, the point of this video and blog post is to show Mitt Romney's stance clearly. He is the inevitable nominee for president of the Republican party. And his background as part of the 1% needs to be viewed. If you object to it coming from Newt, I understand.
No, there's no topless drunk chicks in this post. That would be clean compared to the shit that the 1% has pulled off in these three stories. Here we go!
Number THREE story...
Mortgage lender GMAC pulls ashit move on the people of Massachusetts (why can I never spell this state correctly on my first try? sigh):
GMAC Mortgage, the mortgage lender of Ally Financial Inc., is exiting the vast majority of its lending in Massachusetts a day after the state sued it and other lenders over its allegedly improper foreclosure practices, a decision the state's attorney general called an admission.
The nation's fifth-largest mortgage originator said it "has taken this action because recent developments have led mortgage lending in Massachusetts to no longer be viable."
So it must be something pretty bad to make Massachusetts "no longer viable" as a market to help people get homes. It's got to be something really, really bad to destroy the mortgage market for GMAC to the point where there's just ZERO business for them anymore.
Actually, what happened was the state Attorney General filed a lawsuit against GMAC for illegal mortgage practices. You know, the same practices that led to thousands of foreclosures and contributed to the crash of the economy. So the state tries to hold this company accountable (which the taxpayers have a 74% stake in thanks to the bailout) for their crimes, and instead they retaliate. Its very mafia of them... "You try and hold us responsible, and we'll blow up your house."
In case you were wondering whether or not Republicans are just stooges of the 1%, here's what they do when they have power in the house:
The House on Thursday approved a bill ending the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) that was set up to ensure states meet certain standards at the voting booth, and ending the public financing of presidential campaigns. The bill passed in a mostly partisan 235-190 vote...
"There is no doubt that a voter suppression effort is underway in this nation," Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) charged on the House floor. "Abolishing the Election Assistance Commission, an agency charged with ensuring that the vote of each American counts, is just another step in the voter suppression effort and would completely remove oversight of the most important process in our democracy."
Republicans have said ending the EAC would save $33 million over the next five years. The GOP says the EAC has already served its purpose, and that any work it still does offering guidance to states can be transferred to the Federal Election Commission.
Really? REALLY?!? WTF? Suddenly you're concerned about $33 million over FIVE YEARS? *ugh* Makes me so stabby*. What's more important to a democracy? Saving chump change, or oversight of the voting process?
The only reason the Republicans want to end oversight of the voting process is so they continue with their voting suppression efforts without any obstacle. And while they do this, they scream about voter fraud, ACORN, etc. All that is really just code for them to suppress the votes of minorities, the poor, women, and youth. Don't want power to be taken away from the stooges of the 1% now.
Maybe they want to get rid of this commission because they're afraid their CRIMINAL actions might be found out. Just saying...
***********************************************
And the Number ONE story...
In a move of dickishness that may rival the levels of Newt Gingrich, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the following:
In a speech at MIT last night to discuss the packed sweepstakes to build a tech campus in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg said he prefers City Hall to the White House. Almost immediately after Mayor Bloomberg dampened recent speculation he’s eyeing a White House bid, he added fuel to the fire by explaining why a mayor would be the best person for the job.
“I have my own army in the NYPD, which is the seventh biggest army in the world. I have my own State Department, much to Foggy Bottom’s annoyance. We have the United Nations in New York, and so we have an entree into the diplomatic world that Washington does not have,” Mayor Bloomberg said.
"Whatchu talkin 'bout Bloomy?!?"
Uh, so let's get one thing straight Mr. Bloomberg. The New York Police Department is NOT and will never be your own personal army. The Police Department won't ever be an army. I don't know what its like to live in your reality or your world, but I'm pretty sure I know what the police is all about.
The police, for example, are separate from the military. The police are paid for by our tax dollars. The police are there to protect our neighborhoods and communities. The police are there to enforce the law and protect the citizens that pay for them from abuse. The power of the police is limited, including in matters of arrest, search and seizure, and use of force.
What they are NOT is your own personal army.
For a view into Mr. Bloomberg's world where he has his own army, let's consider an interesting fact. Bloomberg is the 12-richest person in the United States with a worth of $19.5 billion. What can you do with that much money? Own 88% of your own media company. What else can you do with that much money? Oh I don't know, maybe buy your own army... *sigh*
But all this makes me wonder, does $19.5 billion put the mayor of NYC in the 1% that the Occupy movement is protesting against? Tough question...
PEACE
*((the "stabby" reference was from a wonderful podcast I listen to called the LiberalOasis. Please check out their blog and weekly podcast, both very good))
Try to watch this without vomiting in disgust or sheer anger at his words. And this is the current leader of the Republican primary field for president.
Transcript (with my commentary):
"Jefferson said that the people who want to be both free and ignorant are asking for something that has never been and will never be. Captain John Smith said in 1607 in the first English speaking permanent colony to the aristocrats who paid their way and didn't want to work, if you don't work you don't eat. There was a deep sense of responsibility.
This disgusts me. This so called expert on moral values is saying that if you're not working you don't have a deep sense of responsibility. Unemployed? Go get a job you dirty hippie. Laid off or fired? You obviously didn't work hard enough to keep your job.
"Let me now take that and for a brief moment describe Occupy Wall St."
Oh please do, since you apparently understand it so well...
"All of the Occupy movement starts with the premise that we owe them everything."
No fuck face. Have you even paid an iota of attention to the protests? Have you even dedicated one brain cell of what's left in that skull of yours to what the protesters have been demanding? And by the way, when you say "we", sounds like you are saying that you are a part of the 1%, you know, that corrupt, crime riddled, corporate interest that the Occupy movement simply wants to pay their fair share. That same 1% that the Occupy movement wants to pay for their crimes.
"They take over a public park they didn't pay for. To go nearby to bathrooms they didn't pay for..."
Hey moron, if its PUBLIC it belongs to the PEOPLE. Those same PEOPLE that are protesting PAID for it with their taxes. Unless poor and middle class Americans don't count to you Newt...
"...to beg for food from places they they don’t want to pay for. To obstruct those that are going to work to pay the taxes to sustain the bathrooms and to sustain the park so that they can self-righteously explain that they are the paragons of virtue to which we owe everything."
I've been to the protest and Chicago and fellow protesters are actually bringing food to the protest so people don't have to beg. Bet you didn't know that Newt, but I guess you also didn't go down to the protest yourself. And isn't one of the POINTS of the protest to Occupy Wall St; to obstruct those that are criminally destroying our country and stealing its wealth? Oh I forgot, in your world, only the 1% (there's that "we" again) pay taxes that really count.
“Now, that is a pretty good symptom of how much the left has collapsed as a moral system in this country and why you need to reassert something as simple as saying to them, ‘Go get a job right after you take a bath.”
Let's talk about YOUR moral values Newt (no, you don't get the respect from me to call you "Mr.").
And on, and on, and on. Not to mention that you belong to the party of death, of torture, of war, of corporate crime, of greed, of environmental poisoning, of the death penalty, of secret prisons, of racism, of sexism, and on, and on, and on.
Take a look in the mirror Newt before you tell me the "left has collapsed as a moral system."
***
I'm not going try argue with his point about what he says Occupy Wall St. is about. To truly know what the protest is about, go down to the protest yourself. There are numerous protests occurring in hundreds of cities across all fifty states. Turn off the fucking propaganda which is the corporate owned media and open your eyes for yourself. Get to the ground, get your brain a little dirty, get your feet a little worn, and make a fucking decision for yourself.
If you can't agree to try turning off Fox News, then you're lost to me.
As governments around the world and in the United States cut back programs for the lower and middle classes while cutting taxes and bailing out the super wealthy, the word "austerity" is being used to describe the situation.
Here is the definition of "austerity" from dictionary.com:
Is this really "austerity"? Sure, the governments are cutting, cutting, cutting. But is it more than that? Can cutting to the 99% and giving to the 1% really be called "austerity"? What's a better word for it?
I'm leaning towards thievery. What do you think? Share your thoughts!
Seriously, that's all it takes sometimes. One person using logic, facts, and knowledge can make a difference in the internet age. See what happens when Joe Walsh (R-IL) has a meeting with his constituents and is confronted with a solid argument about the banks role in the economic crash. Meltdown anyone?
Amazing, its like turning over a bright shiny rock on the forest floor and finding a mud-caked, turd crusted, maggot infestation on the bottom.
With the protests happening around the country and the lines being drawn pretty obviously, I think its time to challenge those who haven't picked a side yet. Especially those who belong to the so called "middle" or the few remaining "independents". Whose side are you on?
The lines seem pretty clearly drawn. On one side you have the 99%, "We the People". The people who are getting screwed by the system. The poor, the elderly, the youth, the middle class, the small business owner, the student, so on, and so on and so on.
On the other side, you have the 1%. The Wall St. Bankers, the corporate interests, and the super-wealthy. These are the ones who have committed fraud, lobbied our government representatives to the point of controlling them, received bailouts when they have fucked up, and stolen money from the people.
What side will YOU be on?
Will you stand with the 99% when you see that 49 million Americans live in poverty?
Will you stand with the 99% after you find out that the top 1% earning Americans saw their income increase by 275%?
Will you stand with the 99% after you find out that America ranks in the bottom third of how equitably family income is distributed within each nation?
Will you stand with the 99% after you hear this story and this story and this story?
Or will you stand with the 1% and their tax cuts, their bailouts, their crooks, and their destruction?
No standing in the middle.
No saying "I don't want to talk about Politics."
No more saying, "I need more time to make my decision."
This isn't about politics.
This is isn't about Republicans or Democrats.
This is about HUMANITY.
Humanity is suffering, in this country and around the world. And the 1% continues to make off like kings.
Will you stand on the side of humanity? Or will you stand on the side of wealth?
I know which side I stand on. I challenge everyone to pick a side.
This morning I found an article which discusses the record "wealth gap" between the young and the old in this country. I have no problem with older Americans having wealth. I have a problem with the youth of this country suffering like this.
"WASHINGTON (AP) — The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt.
The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday.
While people typically accumulate assets as they age, this gap is now more than double what it was in 2005 and nearly five times the 10-to-1 disparity a quarter-century ago, after adjusting for inflation."
First of all, lets not call it a "wealth gap". Young people in this country are poor. I have no shame saying it.
It's the kind of poor where you can barely get a minimum wage job that forces you to live paycheck to paycheck.
It's the kind of poor where you have to get two, maybe three jobs just so that you can pay rent, bills, and buy food because you don't want the internal shame of being on public assistance.
It's the kind of poor where you can't save for your future, because every cent is going to student loans that got you that college education that you were told would make your future.
It's the kind of poor that doesn't allow you to have any health insurance. Hospital visits are out of the question.
It's the kind of poor that forces a young couple with a new kid to sell their home, thinking they were secure in their jobs until Wall St. destroyed the economy and any sense of your future with it.
Meanwhile, the old are being forced to stay in their jobs longer just so that they can keep their health insurance while politicians talk of raising the social security and medicare ages. They are forced to delay a well deserved retirement just so they can remain in their homes for fear of foreclosure.
***
The current state of affairs is no good. High unemployment is crippling young people. Student loans are making them slaves to the system. Poverty is creeping in to their lives across the board at an alarming rate. Meanwhile the government cuts education programs, public assistance programs, food stamps, child health insurance, and more. They are coming for social security and medicare as well. People are suffering and their suffering is increasing. If you are young and experiencing this, it is frustrating, angering, but often just damn depressing. If you are old, you are watching your life's work whittled away at while your children and grandchildren suffer needlessly.
We're not leeches. We don't expect much. We just want a fair chance at achieving our dreams (you know, that "American Dream"). We want to have that chance without being saddled by crippling debt, whether student or medical. We want to have that chance without having the corporate owned government putting obstacles in our way. We want to have that chance without the corporate owned media belittling us at every turn.
We want a FAIR chance. We deserve the same opportunity as the 1% is given. The same opportunity to try, to succeed, and to fail without fear of death. The same fair playing ground for everybody, not just the 1% or even just the 99%, but for ALL.
Isn't that what we used to say everyday to start the school day? "Liberty and Justice for All"!
In the red corner, the leader of the Galactic Empire, the master of the dark side of the force, and general all around evil-doer, Darth Vader!
What is Darth Vader's leadership style like? He rules through fear. He achieves his goal through either terrifying his enemies or terrifying his team members. People will follow his orders because they are afraid of how he will react, either belittling them, insulting them, hurting them emotionally, or even hurting them physically. At worst, a mistake or failure with Darth Vader as your leader means you're often fired (or force choked to death). More often than not he gets what he want, but his failures are massive, like when the Death Star was destroyed. He is cunning, intelligent, and ruthless. Often his expectations were so high they were unachievable. There is nothing he won't do to achieve his goals, no matter how destructive they are.
In the Blue Corner! The captain of the infamous Starship Enterprise, the master of diplomacy, and near-admiral of the Federation of Planets. Captain Jean-Luc Picard!
Captain Picard commands through his respect. He is highly moral, logical, and intelligent. He makes his decisions with input from all of his trusted advisers and closest crew. He considers their inputs and helps them to shape his opinions to make his ultimate decision. People will follow his orders because they respect him and he respects them. Picard will use his crew's mistakes as a learning experience and chance to improve. More often than not Picard gets what he wants through diplomacy and debate, rather than war and violence. He acknowledges good performance, builds confidence, and has high expectations for his crew. He is cunning, intelligent, and extremely patient.
***
So why am I blogging about this? I have had bosses of both styles. My last boss was a Darth Vader type. She watched you constantly so that she could catch you making a mistake and harm you mentally for your mistakes. People would get afraid when she was around. She always got her way and never truly considered anybody's input. She truly was ruthless and yet the failure of the organization is becoming steadily and painfully more obvious (a.k.a. the first Death Star). She was Darth Vader unmasked (minus the killing people part).
I've also had a Picard like Boss. My first boss after graduating college was extremely patient, intelligent, and considered everybody's input, even if he did disagree with them. His decisions were patiently made, calm, and rational. I respected him, he respected me, and as a result we achieved great things. He let me take the initiative and take on projects of my own idea, but if they were truly bad ideas and I didn't see it, he wouldn't hesitate to tell me. He had high, achievable expectations for me, and would acknowledge my good performance, building up my confidence as a result.
Who are these people?
The first (Vader Boss) was the principal of a public school. I was one of her teachers.
The second (Picard Boss) was the Manager of an AmeriCorps volunteer program. I was one of his team members.
I find that most of the Vader bosses are driven by profit, money, and data driven results. The principal? All of her decisions were essentially, "How will MY decision increase test scores?", and "How can I save and make more money for this school.?" Oh, and I almost forgot, but "How do I get more publicity for this school?".
I find the most of the Picard bosses are driven by their ideals, morals, and value driven results. The volunteer manager? All of his decisions were essentially, "How will OUR actions affect the recipients of our volunteer work?" and "How can WE stay true to our values?" and "How will the TEAM give these kids what it is they need?".
I would like to know (and if you are willing to share your profession as well), what type of boss do you have now? What type of boss have you had more often? If you are your own boss, what type of leader are you?
Discuss!
note: Lets think of the 1% for a moment. What type of leaders do you think they are? Yea...
After my last post, I received a comment on another blog.
"The problem with numbers is that everybody's got some, and almost nobody knows what they add up to. The system is intentionally obscure. If you use numbers, you are just going to get buried with other people's numbers. Better to stick with visceral evidence. Who is suffering? Who is dying? How? Why?"
That is fair. My last point addressed the unfairness of the current political system in numbers. But what does this do to people? How does it affect them? And BLAM! This morning I find this article about what happens when a Michigan City can't pay the electric bill.
"HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (AP) -- As the sun dips below the rooftops each evening, parts of this Detroit enclave turn to pitch black, the only illumination coming from a few streetlights at the end of the block or from glowing yellow yard globes.
It wasn't always this way. But when the debt-ridden community could no longer afford its monthly electric bill, elected officials not only turned off 1,000 streetlights. They had them ripped out -- bulbs, poles and all. Now nightfall cloaks most neighborhoods in inky darkness.
"How can you darken any city?" asked Victoria Dowdell, standing in the halo of a light in her front yard. "I think that was a disgrace. She said the decision endangers everyone, especially people who have to walk around at night or catch the bus."
THIS is how the greed of the 1% affects the people of this country. This is a neighborhood deep in poverty and has had a debt crisis. It has more people than jobs, burnt out lots, vacant houses, and unused buildings. Population levels have steadily decreased and the community is in decay. Most of these local debt problems arise from the banking, housing, and other criminal corporate behaviors.
And yet, the same corporation that is holding Highland Park, MI to its debt, is DTE energy. DTE energy had a negative tax rate this year, meaning they made billions in profit AND received money from the government. They hold this community hostage to what is essentially chump change for them!
They have torn out two-thirds of this city's lights.
Torn out. Nice short term solution. Lets not think of the long term needs.
Would you like to walk home through the city in the dark?
Would you like to worry about your kids coming home safely?
Would you like to fear every dark space where your home is?
All for what? Because DTE demands that this city immediately pay off their debt?
The only numbers that are ultimately important here are 99%... and 1%. The 1% steals our money, and takes money from the government that they control through their lobbying. The 99% have to suffer as a result of their greed, criminality, and inhumanity. Are you going to stand for that? Are you going to watch as the communities of the masses are destroyed?
I look again at the comment the other person left me. Who is suffering because of the 1%? How are they suffering? Why?
Don't let the corporations destroy the social contract that the government has with its people. It's "We the People" not "We the 1%."
