Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The GOP is so punk rock

This pretty much sums up the opening salvo of the GOP primaries in Iowa last night.

Pretty Vacant - The Sex Pistols

Friday, June 10, 2011

What Goes Unsaid...

While our alleged media wastes endless hours and days over Palin's Revere revisionism and Anthony Wiener's wiener, important shit keeps being ignored. Among those things that shall not be discussed by the chattering classes is the fact that, thanks to Bush and Obama, it is now totally and completely legal for the executive branch to do the things that got Nixon into trouble. Thanks to Bush and Obama there is absolutely no check on the power the President wields. We now live in a defacto fascist state. Daniel Ellsberg had legal recourse - Bradley Manning does not.
There is no "freedom' anymore in the "Land of the 'Free'"

The Great Insurrection - Linton Kwesi Johnson

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Ever-Repeating Circle of History

Andrew Mellon was the Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 through 1932. With hindsight being 20/20 and all, we know that he was, in fact and deed, one of the worst, most inept and corrupt people to ever hold the post. He is the man, after all, who wrote the prescription that brought about the great depression. He was also deeply Calvinist, and advised Herbert Hoover to
"liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate farmers, liquidate real estate… it will purge the rottenness out of the system. High costs of living and high living will come down. People will work harder, live a more moral life. Values will be adjusted, and enterprising people will pick up from less competent people."
Also high on his list of priorities was reducing taxes on the wealthy and draconian deficit hawkery.
We know how that story ended.
Today, via Americablog, we learn that the Obama administration is quite perturbed to learn that some Democratic members of the Senate are suggesting that perhaps, just maybe, there should be some attention paid to job creation.
The Obama administration on Tuesday night might have thrown a wrench into Senate Democratic plans to pass what they see as a jobs bill — by implying the bill spends too much money.

In a Statement of Administration Policy, the White House said it supports the broad goals of the bill.

"However, the bill would authorize spending levels higher than those requested by the president’s Budget, and the administration believes that the need for smart investments that help America win the future must be balanced with the need to control spending and reduce the deficit," the administration said.

Hindsight being 20/20 and all, we also know how the current round of deficit hawkery will end - with The Great Depression 2.0.

Assholes.

Anyway, here is a song.
W-4 - dead prez

Thursday, June 2, 2011

What middle class? Where?

From one of my favorite little bogs, mockpaperscissors, comes this little tidbit: Madison Ave. Declares ‘Mass Affluence’ Over Yes, Madison Ave. has read the writing on the wall and declared that only the ultra-rich have enough money to purchase things, so henceforth advertising directed at the average (former) consumer is a waste.

Also in today's media perusals I ran across this article from Forbes magazine:
How Our Largest Corporations Made $170 Billion During Great Recession And Paid No Taxes

Today, and not a moment too soon, the non-profit Citizens For Tax Justice (CTJ) has put out their findings revealing that twelve of the nations largest Fortune 500 companies, while making $170 billion in profits during the period of The Great Recession, paid an effective tax rate of negative 1.5%.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Which brings us around to today's musical selection:

Gang of Four - To Hell With Poverty

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Unreported rage sweeping Europe...

Protests are building across Europe as people become more and more disillusioned with the status quo. Not that you would hear about such things in the American 'media'.
In Spain:
Dubbed "los indignados" (the indignant), tens of thousands of demonstrators packed squares across Spain in a wave of outrage over high unemployment and government austerity measures in the runup to local and regional elections on May 22.
In Greece:

On Monday about 30 tents were laid out in Athens' central square, as part of a daily gathering that kicked off last Wednesday and which is seen less politically motivated than traditional protest rallies called on by labour unions.
"Finally, it was time we woke up from the lethargy. We feel the need to step forward, to state our disappointment, our disgust, our anger and end any kind of tolerance against all those who bear the responsibility," a movement called "The Indignant Citizens" wrote on a blog.
In France:
...riot police cleared out the Place de la Bastille on Sunday evening after hundreds of protesters gathered on the steps of a popular opera house there. Protesters estimated the turnout at over 1,000 and cited several arrests as well as some injured. Police said around 500 people had shown up.
"We started these spontaneous gatherings around 10 days ago and they are growing," said one protester, who asked not to be named. "At first we were just a few and now hundreds are showing up every day, with big spikes on the weekend.

Rebellion is good. Rebellion is necessary.  When do we rebel here? Let's hit the streets, people!

Rise - Flobots