Americans Losing Rights?

 Since the days of President Ronald Regan Americans have been losing rights. In 1981 Regan fired over 13,000 air traffic controller's and destroyed their union. Soon after that President Regan pushed for lower wages for youth, eased the child labor and anti-sweatshop laws, and cut back job training programs for the unemployed. He tried to replace thousands of federal employees with temporary workers who would not have civil service or union protections. Regan also allowed employers  to permanently replace workers who dared exercise their legal right to strike. He also closed down one-third of OSHA offices and slashed its staff by more than one-fourth and decreased the number of penalties assessed against employers by almost three-fourths. So why all the praise for this man? Cooperate media influence!

 Ronald Regan set the example for Presidents to come.

Since his administration we've seen programs like NAFTA, tax cuts for the rich, corporations receiving government subsidies, bailouts on an unprecedented scale., And now Corporate Person hood, a Supreme Court decision giving corporations even more power to influence the outcome of elections by giving corporations the same rights, if not more rights, than the citizens of this country.    

 The time to say NO to all of this is NOW. We must get out and vote, take to the streets and take back America before we have no rights and nothing left to fight for.

Capitalism Great For America!

  Capitalism! We were taught that capitalism makes America great, but does it? Maybe if you're an heir or a major shareholder in a large conglomerate. Here's the definition of it.
 "Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit; decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investments are not made by the government; Profit is distributed to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers employed by businesses."


Here's how capitalism it's not so great for America


  Capitalism is a tool or a spring board for the the top 1% to become wealthier.. and the rest of us poorer and deeper in debt. Capitalism has no loyalty to any country. And exploits everyone.  Corporation's lobby government officials,give large campaign contributions, and have their former heads run for office.

I'll give you a few good examples of how capitalist's make this work..

 William Randolf Hearst, DuPont chemical company and several pharmaceutical companies ran smear campaigns against marijuana, and enlisted the help of Harry J. Anslinger, the director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to help get it outlawed. Hurst owned several newspapers and invested heavily in the timber industry to support his newspaper chain and didn’t want to see the development of hemp paper in competition.  DuPont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, and besides, with cannabis, folks could grow their own medicine and not have to purchase it from large companies. Anslinger brought his plan to Congress.... Hearst editorials and stories of crime, and horrible murders committed by people who had supposedly smoked marijuana.

  Then there's Dick Cheney. He was the CEO of Halliburton before being elected to office. Guess what company got the big contract in during the Iraq war? Halliburton over charged the US, and received upwards of $80 billion of our tax dollars in forms of bonus..

 And my last example of how big business and capitalism are destroying America...  the ease of tariffs on good brought into this country made it easier for big business to outsource American jobs to foreign countries where they could pay a lower wage, then bring the product back to sell here. Capitalism isn't loyal to any country, just their profits.

 We need to get involved, and question or elected officials, and those who seek being elected.

We have to use or votes wisely. We need to let the government know that the days to catering to Big Banks and Big Business with our tax dollars need to end.

"The Rich Get Richer, And the Poor Get Poorer"

"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" Everyone has heard that quote before, but what does it really mean, and how does it work? Bailouts, subsides and regulations, and tax cuts for the rich.
 Here's three examples of how its done.


 Government Bailouts.TARP ..The big Wall Street bailout, paid for by middle class America. The banks have been bailed out, and they are again receiving their big fat bonus's. This is the most blatant example there is.


Government Subsides..Its silently been going on for years though, through government subsidies and regulations to take your tax money and give to big business. Walmart.. Every time a walmart goes up it is financed in part by taxpayers through economic development subsidies from state and local governments. Taking money from schools and programs that help the middle class.


 Tax Cuts for the rich. The Bush Tax Cuts. Families in the middle who had average incomes of $56,200 in 2004, saw their average effective tax rate edge down to 2.9 percent in 2004 from 5 percent in 2000. That translated to an average tax cut of $1,180 per household, but the tax rate actually increased slightly from 2003. Tax cuts were much deeper, and affected far more money, for families in the highest income categories. Households in the top 1 percent of earnings, which had an average income of $1.25 million, saw their effective individual tax rates drop to 19.6 percent in 2004 from 24.2 percent in 2000. The rate cut was twice as deep as for middle-income families, and it translated to an average tax cut of almost $58,000..


 Put the three together.. Your rich own major stocks in banks and big business(which is deregulated.. I'll cover this topic soon) and went buck wild plundering the middle class with sub prime loans and bad investments...then got the life raft by Bush called TARP (our tax dollars) while all along receiving government blessed subsidies (our tax dollars again) every time they open a new store (walmart the Walton family) or we go to war (Halliburton Dick Cheney). Throw in the Bush tax cuts, where the top 1% pay less tax dollars and receive more of yours and you have how the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.

We can put a stop to all this insanity. We Vote. Each and everyone of us. There's far more of us than them. Why should we allow our country to be ran for just them? We use our voices to demand change. We cannot depend on one man to do this for us.. This is bigger than him. This will require all of us to stand up, say NO to the top 1% and the politicians they own.

PLUTONOMY... WHAT IS IT, AND WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED?

  In 2005 a Citigroup Internal memo was leaked., In that memo the banking powerhouse bragged about how the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom were no longer democracies, but plutonomies..
I've brought this to light because it is tremendously significant to what is taking place these days.

What is a Plutonomy?


  Economic growth that is powered and consumed by the wealthiest upper class of society, and is government allowed. (Top 1%)  Plutonomy refers to a society where the majority of the wealth is controlled by an ever-shrinking minority; as such, the economic growth of that society becomes dependent on the fortunes of that same wealthy minority. There is no "average consumer" in a plutonomy.
example: The GOP will never support anything to help the middle class. They only sever the top upper crust.. even demanding deficit spending for the huge tax cuts for the top 2% , while middle class America starves in the streets.
 
   I thought America was a democracy? For the people, by the people? A supreme power given to the people, and exercised by the people or by means of elected officals?
 
 A Democracy, thats what America was, and must be.. Look at the changes in the govenment. Politicians being bought by corporations, Wall Street bailouts at the cost of the people,and jobs being outsourced to foreign countries for maximum profit.  Middle class Americans are losing their jobs, homes and life savings, slipping from middle class to lower class. The top 1% call the shots now. They've infiltrated every branch of government, making the USA a plutonomy.
 
 All hope is not lost, Let's reclaim our nation for what it once was! Here's how we do it.We VOTE. We all have this right. Rich or poor we all share the equal right to vote, they are way out numbered!  We start labeling the action of outsourcing as "unpatriotic". We take to the streets, educate others, unite and make our voices heard.
 

Here's a link to see the leaked memo from Citigroup ... it boasts how America is turning into a plutonomy, it lays out goals and their fears of how it can be defeated.  
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674234/Citigroup-Oct-16-2005-Plutonomy-Report-Part-1
 
 
 


 
 
 

Who Are The 99ers? And How Can We Help?

  Who are the 99ers? We've all probally heard of them by now, but do we really know who these people are? The 99ers are workers that have been displaced in the recession and have yet to find employment..  This group is mainly composed of older workers that have never been unemployed until now. They come from all different walks of life and career paths. Many hold college degrees. They are the victims of age discrimination. Many employers pass these people by for younger less skilled workers that will be in the workforce longer.

  99 weeks! You hear alot of people say that is more than enough time to find a job! Well, in a NORMAL economy I would agree. Today we're faced with the highest unemployment rates since The Great Depression. There are 6 people applying for every 1 job. Some places this number is higher, depending on where you live.

 Then you have your haters out there, Your Glenn Becks, Ben Steins and Sharon Angles of the world. They say that the unemployed and the 99ers are lazy, bad workers, and to go to McDonalds and get a job! Truth to that is they have not done their homework! I challange each of them to use an alius and apply and see how far they get! Practice what you preach is how I was rasied!

 Jobs in the fast food industry are becoming harder if not impossible to come by. Many older workers are not desirable employees to fast food establishments for reasons that they are over experienced, and will leave for a better job if and when the economy improves.

 How can we help? We can start holding our government leaders accountable for starters! Everytime a politician spouts off that YOU should take a paycut to get a job, WE should respond with  hand written letters, emails, phone calls, signs at labor rallies telling them that they need to set the example, you take a paycut first!. (Mr. Rand Paul let us know how that works out for ya!)

We need to push for legislation that will extend unemployment benefits, address age discrimination, and create jobs! We need to do this by exercising our voices and our votes! We must be persistant with our demands and make these lawmakers know we're not going to settle for anything less!

LETS TAKE AMERICA BACK FOR THE PEOPLE

America! For The People, By The People! Right? I was raised to believe this to be a true statement... But anymore it seems that America is a Coporate Machine used to control the people, and fuel their own political agendas. I say this because I feel the interests of the America People have been pushed aside to allow corporations to take over. Our Federal offices are held by people on Corporate payrolls...

These representatives only support what is good for business! Look into any large Corporation... You will see this is true. Corporations lobby congress to get what they want. Congressional Votes are for sale and Americans should not let that happen! Research Nafta, free trade so our jobs can be outsourced and the products brought back into this country for free...



Theres been alot of damage done, but there's still hope left. We can make a difference if we act now! We need to organize, and take our voices to the streets, taking back this country we call home.