Dealing With the Mad Tea Party

[still.trucking]

Pretty good column this I thought

Losing Our Way
By BOB HERBERT
Published: March 25, 2011


So here we are pouring shiploads of cash into yet another war, this time in Libya, while simultaneously demolishing school budgets, closing libraries, laying off teachers and police officers, and generally letting the bottom fall out of the quality of life here at home.


Welcome to America in the second decade of the 21st century. An army of long-term unemployed workers is spread across the land, the human fallout from the Great Recession and long years of misguided economic policies. Optimism is in short supply. The few jobs now being created too often pay a pittance, not nearly enough to pry open the doors to a middle-class standard of living.
Arthur Miller, echoing the poet Archibald MacLeish, liked to say that the essence of America was its promises. That was a long time ago. Limitless greed, unrestrained corporate power and a ferocious addiction to foreign oil have led us to an era of perpetual war and economic decline. Young people today are staring at a future in which they will be less well off than their elders, a reversal of fortune that should send a shudder through everyone.
The U.S. has not just misplaced its priorities. When the most powerful country ever to inhabit the earth finds it so easy to plunge into the horror of warfare but almost impossible to find adequate work for its people or to properly educate its young, it has lost its way entirely.
Nearly 14 million Americans are jobless and the outlook for many of them is grim. Since there is just one job available for every five individuals looking for work, four of the five are out of luck. Instead of a land of opportunity, the U.S. is increasingly becoming a place of limited expectations. A college professor in Washington told me this week that graduates from his program were finding jobs, but they were not making very much money, certainly not enough to think about raising a family.
There is plenty of economic activity in the U.S., and plenty of wealth. But like greedy children, the folks at the top are seizing virtually all the marbles. Income and wealth inequality in the U.S. have reached stages that would make the third world blush. As the Economic Policy Institute has reported, the richest 10 percent of Americans received an unconscionable 100 percent of the average income growth in the years 2000 to 2007, the most recent extended period of economic expansion.
Americans behave as if this is somehow normal or acceptable. It shouldn’t be, and didn’t used to be. Through much of the post-World War II era, income distribution was far more equitable, with the top 10 percent of families accounting for just a third of average income growth, and the bottom 90 percent receiving two-thirds. That seems like ancient history now.
The current maldistribution of wealth is also scandalous. In 2009, the richest 5 percent claimed 63.5 percent of the nation’s wealth. The overwhelming majority, the bottom 80 percent, collectively held just 12.8 percent.
This inequality, in which an enormous segment of the population struggles while the fortunate few ride the gravy train, is a world-class recipe for social unrest. Downward mobility is an ever-shortening fuse leading to profound consequences.
A stark example of the fundamental unfairness that is now so widespread was in The New York Times on Friday under the headline: “G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether.” Despite profits of $14.2 billion — $5.1 billion from its operations in the United States — General Electric did not have to pay any U.S. taxes last year.
As The Times’s David Kocieniewski reported, “Its extraordinary success is based on an aggressive strategy that mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits offshore.”
G.E. is the nation’s largest corporation. Its chief executive, Jeffrey Immelt, is the leader of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. You can understand how ordinary workers might look at this cozy corporate-government arrangement and conclude that it is not fully committed to the best interests of working people.
Overwhelming imbalances in wealth and income inevitably result in enormous imbalances of political power. So the corporations and the very wealthy continue to do well. The employment crisis never gets addressed. The wars never end. And nation-building never gets a foothold here at home.
New ideas and new leadership have seldom been more urgently needed.
•
This is my last column for The New York Times after an exhilarating, nearly 18-year run. I’m off to write a book and expand my efforts on behalf of working people, the poor and others who are struggling in our society. My thanks to all the readers who have been so kind to me over the years. I can be reached going forward at bobherbert88@gmail.com.

[Steve Plonk]

Bob Herbert is a great man and an excellent columnist. I value what he has to say. He will be missed...The tea party is just a lackey of the main republican party and just is farther to the right wing than the "old guard republicans". I always wondered what it was in the tea that they were smoking...Ha. The ownership society is alive and well; but, Obama has sounded
the clarion call of changes to come. We are a government of the people and taxes are good for the economy. We must continue to pay as we go...
Without paying as we go, we will indeed lose our way...In my view, all is not lost.

The wealthy are not always on the side of the less socially aware members of their class. Plenty of help has come to Democrats to head us toward the day of a societal equalization of wealth & health. Unemployment insurance is part of that. So is the increase of the minimum wage. So is Medicare and Medicaid...
We are not really "losing our way", we are in the process of "cleaning house" and
heading in the right direction. Last year's elections were a setback for progress,
but we will eventually get on course toward a brighter future. We continue
to be concerned over the economic recovery. The Democrats have the best changes in mind to combat the inflation, fuel costs, and so on. (Now, if the weather would just cooperate!)

[Steve Plonk]

Well, it appears that Cain & Bachman have dropped out of the republican
primaries race...Good riddance...Less tea party fools to deal with.

[Steve Plonk]

Then, suddenly, two more folks drop out of the GOP primaries after the above
folks & lo, & behold: Only four folks remain in the GOP primaries, Romney,
Gingrich, Paul, & Santorum. May they all eat each other up and give
us plenty of Democrat ammunition to throw back at them in November. HooHah!

[Steve Plonk]

Why in the world are republicans voting for "Prig Sanitorium"? I don't have a
clue... Is that the best that republican voters have in mind? In my view, Rick Santorum, alias Prig Sanitorium, is the "teabagger" of all lame
teabaggers... It's old lame B.S. from the '80s recycled in a shiny old Dubya retread... I can't help but laugh, if this character is the nominee.

[mtmynd]

Re: "Why in the world are republicans voting for 'Prig Sanitorium'?"

Lil' Ricky is the final candidate, I reckon, and their last hope. He really is a tasteless joke given what little I know about his history.

... and as far as Rick's wife, well, one should read this -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... octor.html

Santo Rum, another of Republican's great white hypocrites. Amazing!

[Steve Plonk]

Thanks for your comments...Santorum is coming to our metro area this saturday, Feb. 25th. I have "half -a- mind" to go down to the courthouse & hold up a "Santorum Go Home" sign... Gingrich is coming around 40 miles away in Dalton, GA. I voted in the Democratic primary in early voting...Tennessee is a red state, as you might know. Hopefully, in a few years, folks will see the error in their ways and this state will go Democratic again.

[mtmynd]

We have the same problem in Texas... Republican stronghold except for Austin and Phar Lepht (ELP), which are mostly Dems. I'd love to see that change this coming election, with Congressional and Presidential having their votes together.

[Steve Plonk]

Well, it appears that Santorum & the tea sipping party have swept a few
more southern states; however, Romney has counteracted that by winning
territories & Illinois. Let's see how Romney does in Wisconsin...
'
Imagine trying to market "contraception" as the next "moral issue". What a
crock of fifty year old script that is!...What is the republican tea party sipping
within its tea? Then they want to float social security on the stock market &
sell TVA. All old worn issues from decades ago which are thrust into the vogue
by spinmasters who aren't old enough to remember that these are side issues
which failed fifty years ago. Is the American public so stupid that they'd
latch onto failed ideas of our grandfather's time?

If I may say so, let's realize that, yes, there are some folks who are so stupid, if
they are going to vote for people with these bankrupt views. I don't think
catholics are that stupid as a whole...But it remains to be seen...There are
plenty of baptists or should I say "baatists" who are against contraception &
evolution. The american taliban is just as crazy & dangerous as the ones in
Afghanistan & Saudi Arabia.

These folks are positively medieval in their sensiblities. Who is to say how long God's day is? I'll say...God's day is about
a billion and a half years...There's no way that God created the world in seven
human recorded days...That is just allegory and meant to show what God
may have done if God had wanted...God set the wheels in motion, liked what
was done and said we should be stewards of his creation on earth. All creation
ultimately in God's hands. We live on a used earth on borrowed time.

Then there is health care...The Affordable Healthcare Act, or whatever the terminology, is just an extension of medicare & medicaid. Healthcare is a right
in this country--as is social security--and is an integral part of social security.
The constitution's preamble speaks of "promoting the public welfare"... What
better way to promote public welfare than to make sure social security is solvent & to extend healthcare to all people like it is extended to members of Congress? Folks should have health insurance like folks should have car insurance.

It's not like Scalia or "Onion Boy's" ludicrous statement that
"it is like the government requiring us to buy brocolli"... A paraphrase of
a statement from a supreme court justice & "idiot bag of wind" who needs to
be impeached & removed from the court. Thing is, one can't be removed from
the court for using bad metaphors & being a right wing gun nut.

Health insurance should be required and should be subsized by the government
to a larger extent even than granted in the Healthcare Law. That's my take on
it... I think it would be a crime if the supreme court threw that law out before sections of it have even been used! Is that the cart before the horse or what?
Well, let's wait until the end of June & see what happens...In the meantime,
I may throw in a few more words or two...

[mtmynd]

i'm quite sure it's all a fear of the inevitable reality that the wealthy are indeed a rare breed (1%) and their hunger for more is endangered. these same people are paying off politicians and want the vote in return to allow them to continue robbing from the poor even more and more until we're completely enslaved by them.

these scoundrels began buying off mayors of major cities, then bought off governors of major states, then filtered down to the lesser states then they aimed their fear at the house pols then the senate and now they virtual own the voice of the lop-sided SCOTUS, with their so-called 'conservative' majority as their mouthpiece.

it's not looking good... not at all. their deception have fooled a large group that loves guns and hates minorities. it's not a healthy situation, if you ask me.

(enough, before i scare myself... )

[Steve Plonk]

Kind folks & gentle people, it appears that Santorum has dropped out of the
republican primaries race. Someone said that Mr. Santorum was fearful that
he'd lose the primary to Romney in his home state of Pennsylvania.
I don't know if that is true or not. Someone else said that his handicapped
daughter had some severe health problems and that is another reason why
he'd dropped out.

I think it is ironic that Santorum, who is opposed to universal health care legislation, had to quit primaries because of a daughter's health difficulties. Think of all the poorer folks in the country who've had family members with hughmongus health problems & had to take leave from work, etc. and used up their leave time...Even under the Family Leave Act...Another great Democratic piece of legislation...

Santorum's quitting leaves Romney, Gingrich, & Paul in the republican primary
races...The "mean spirited" infighting of the republican party gives the Democrats plenty of barbs to sling back at them during the fall elections.
I agree with President Obama that Reagan couldn't have won the nomination
in today's republican political climate. All the candidates are to the right of Reagan...

To recap, I think that SCOTUS may or may not find the Affordable Health Care Act constitutional. I believe, as others, that Associate Justice Kennedy will
be the swing vote in the rulings. Once again, we'll have to wait & see until the
end of June... I think the above law is a fine piece of legislation...

I currently avidly support President Obama and the Democrats in their quest to
win the elections in the fall. I'd hate to contemplate a totally right wing
congress along with Romney as president. Who knows who Romney will name
as vice president?!

[gypsyjoker]

I feel like it is 1916 and woodrow wilson is asking for my vote because he kept us out of the war so far . . .

I guess I will always be a democrat. But I seem to remember when there were republicans I would have voted for but not anymore. That's too bad, from what I read in the newspapers moderate republicans are almost extinct.

sure is an interesting election
i think it is still his to lose
but don't think i could feel any worse about the outcome as the election of 2004.

When Kerry sleepwalked through the campaign.

[Steve Plonk]

The way the "theocrats" & "repugnacins" are selling
our folks out in droves to the fatcat megacorporations makes me sick.
Whatever happened to universal health care, workers bargaining rights &
filling up the potholes in the roads?

But instead of vomiting, I am sending the GOP a message, win or not, at the
poll booth.Hurray for the Democratic Revolution in OUR country.
To hell, with "Arab Spring"... Let's declare victory and get out over there...

What about America!? Time to race to the poll booths in
our fire trucks, jump off, and vote for DEMOCRATIC PARTY candidates...

See similar posting on revolution rabbit’s “Little Big Porn” poem, on April 16, 2012, in the Poetry forum.

[Steve Plonk]

It irks me what the republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, said at a recent tea party gathering, that: 47% of voters are freeloaders & that he'd not pay attention to "those people". In addition, his bumptious long-winded verbiage in the first presidential debate also gave me pause to think.

What kind of man ignores the moderator during a debate? Obama tried not to
go over & was apologetic & some critics faulted him on that...Some of the
"monday morning quarterbacks" have very obnoxious views of how a debate
should be run. Did the moderator need to turn off Romney's mic, or what,
to get him to shut it? I believe a moderator ought to have that option, criticism or no...

[Steve Plonk]

...Common sense tells me that Biden romped over Ryan in the Veep
debates. Ryan was on the defensive the whole time, while Biden played good offense...He told Ryan at the end
that it would be okay...& did everything but pat the young man on the head... So, score one for the Obama
team...Obama, as I've said elsewhere, was "too polite" during the first debate, & was suffering from a bit of "altitude illness". However, Obama made some major points...My hope is that the President aces the last two debates & puts Romney squarely back in his place: as a republican doubletalker...

Similar posting on Demerara Lady’s thread, in "Algonquin's Table", on Oct. 13, 2012, in the "In the Trenches" forum... (Also see Algonquin's Table for other posts, in this Category.) I felt the need to get this similar post out in the net.