mother earth
mother earth's Journal'Urban' vs 'Rural' Gun Control - Debunking Hillary Clinton's Attack on Bernie Sanders
Published on Nov 6, 2015
Secretary Hillary Clinton recently went on the offensive, and tried to imply that Bernie Sanders's statements on 'rural vs urban gun legislation' was somehow racist.
Oddly enough, Secretary Clinton said the very same thing in 2008, when discussing gun control policies in New York City and in the rural parts of New York State.
When Collapse Is Cheaper and More Effective Than Reform, Charles Hugh Smith
November 5, 2015
Collapse begins when real reform becomes impossible.
We all know why reforms fail: everyone whose share of the power and money is being crimped by reforms fights back with everything they've got.
Reforms that can't be stopped by the outright purchase of politicos are watered down in committee, and loopholes wide enough for jumbo-jets of cash to fly through are inserted.
The reform quickly becomes "reform"--a simulacrum that maintains the facade of fixing what's broken while maintaining the Status Quo. Another layer of costly bureaucracy is added, along with hundreds or thousands of pages of additional regulations, all of which add cost and friction without actually solving what was broken.
The added friction increases the system's operating costs at multiple levels. Practitioners must stop doing actual work to fill out forms that are filed and forgotten; lobbyists milk the system to eradicate any tiny reductions in the flow of swag; attorneys probe the new regulations for weaknesses with lawsuits, and the enforcing agencies add staff to issue fines.
None of this actually fixes what was broken; all these fake-reforms add costs and reduce whatever efficiencies kept the system afloat. Recent examples include the banking regulations passed in the wake of the 2008 meltdown and the ObamaCare Afforable Care Act (ACA).
More:
http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html
It's a bit disconcerting to say the least, but I fear, collapse is going to become another "normal" since what we have on way too many levels and in way too many cornerstones of our lives is in dire need of reform. When huge corporations and banks can play the system, knowingly disregard law, knowing all too well, what they will face at worst will be fines, nothing more. I'd have to say I'm very much in agreement that it may be cheaper to build anew. Collapse, a word that we may come to appreciate rather than fear. I don't ever remember a time so volatile. The mere thought that collapse might be the better of two possibilities, with two roads before us, this blog "Of Two Minds" becomes almost prophetic. Read the article and see if you agree. Is real reform impossible?
Richard Wolff - Economic Justice, Sustainability and Transition Beyond Capitalism (Talking StickTV)
Published on Oct 28, 2015
Talk by Richard D. Wolff on "Economic Justice, Sustainability and Transition Beyond Capitalism" recorded October 27, 2015 at the Communications Building, University of Washington, Seattle.
Bio: Richard D. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, and Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.
Wolff hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI, 99.5 FM, New York City (Pacifica Radio).
More: http://rdwolff.com/content/about
http://www.rdwolff.com
For more info or donations: http://www.democracyatwork.info/
Note: Used by permission of Prof. R.D. Wolff (with much appreciation & thanks to him, donations to DAW are tax deductible).
Why Bernie Sanders Should Invoke Eugene Debs
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/11/02/why-bernie-sanders-should-invoke-eugene-debs/Excerpt:
I urge you to reconsider how you respond to the inevitable questions about what you mean by democratic socialism and peaceful revolution. The next time, embrace our own American radical tradition. Theres nothing wrong with Denmark; we can learn a few things from them (and vice-versa). But most Americans dont know or care much about Scandinavia. More importantly, your response inadvertently reinforces the idea that socialism is a foreign import. Instead, talk about our radical forebears here in the United States, for the most successful radicals have always spoken the language of American society and appealed to some of its deepest values Each generation of Americans had made its own contribution to an ongoing radical tradition, and you are following in their footsteps. So next time, forget about Denmark and talk about (Thomas) Paine, (Frederick) Douglass, FDR, and Debs as forebears of a movement that can make the United States a fairer, more equal, more just society.
America has a rich history of radicalism, and Sanders is quite simply reviving this long tradition after decades of dormancy. It has been nearly a century since Debs was sentenced to prison for opposing the first World War, and today, opposition and revolt are more important than ever.
Prof. R.D. Wolff's Global Capitalism: October 2015 Monthly Update
Published on Oct 15, 2015
Global Capitalist Downturn Yet Again
Judson Memorial Church
Assembly Hall
239 Thompson Street at Washington Square, Manhattan
Co-sponsored by Democracy at Work, Left Forum, and Judson Memorial Church
These programs begin with 30 minutes of short updates on important economic events of the last month. Then Wolff analyzes several major economic issues. For this October 14, these will include:
1. Volkswagen: Scandal for Capitalism, Germany and Beyond
2. Bad US Job Numbers; Wages Stagnate; Prices Fall .Downturn Looms
3. Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): Corps/Govts Do Their Trade Deals
When time permits, we open the floor to questions and comments. Our goal: to develop all participants understanding and ability to explain current economic events and trends to others.
Bio: Richard D. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, and Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.
Wolff hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI, 99.5 FM, New York City (Pacifica Radio).
More: http://rdwolff.com/content/about
http://www.rdwolff.com
For more info or donations: http://www.democracyatwork.info/
Note: Used by permission of Prof. R.D. Wolff (with much appreciation & thanks to him, donations to DAW are tax deductible).
Saving Capitalism, For the Many, Not the Few, Robert Reich
Robert Reich gives us the lowdown in a few short minutes on the issue of our time. The many are screwed because the game is rigged for the few wealthiest & it's business as usual, pretending the "free" market dictates...and why it just ain't so. Like we've heard time & time again, the game is rigged. So how do we fix that?
Austerity is Smokescreen for Class War Against Poor, Says Yanis Varoufakis
Full article:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/09/25/austerity-smokescreen-class-war-against-poor-says-yanis-varoufakis
"To be talking about reducing the state further when effectively what you are doing is reducing taxes like inheritance tax and at the same time you are cutting benefitsthat is class war," Varoufakis continued.
Varoufakis called for Britain's public institutions, from the National Health Service to higher education, to be protected from free market economics.
Ultimately, Varoufakis expressed hope that Jeremy Corbynthe anti-war, anti-austerity candidate who was elected leader of the British Labour Party earlier this monthwill turn out to be the inverse of Margaret Thatcher, who he said "reinvigorated right-wing politics."
"It would be wonderful if Jeremy could do this for the left-wing and put on a show for us outsiders," Varoufakis said.
Jeremy Corbyn Proud to Be a Socialist
Published on Sep 26, 2015
Exclusive interview for teleSUR with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn http://multimedia.telesurtv.net/v/jer...
The Painful Facts, State-by-State: How We're Victimized by Corporate State Tax Avoidance
Corporate data from numerous sources, including annual reports directly from the companies themselves, has been merged and matched and managed into two spreadsheets that reveal state-by-state corporate tax avoidance. The results show how people all over America are being deprived of revenue that should be going to education and infrastructure.
1. Most of the State Tax Avoidance is by the Largest Companies
Before considering individual states, it will be instructive to consider the total state tax payments (and non-payments) by 45 of the nation's largest corporations. The data is derived from "current state tax" figures in the 10-K forms submitted to the SEC by the companies themselves.
These 45 corporations paid about $15 billion over two years, less than a third of their required state tax obligation of $46 billion, as calculated with the 2014 corporate state tax rates in their home states. Over $30 billion was avoided by these corporations in 2013-14, often by deferring taxes, and in some cases by using hypothetical or theoretical amounts to 'meet' their obligations.
MORE:
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/09/28/painful-facts-state-state-how-were-victimized-corporate-state-tax-avoidance
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We seem to know the costs of oligarchy, where is the political will to end it?
Keiser Report (E815)
?list=PLmWmTfi02yDsZrlmb6CmY9jrMUP_FdAy_Published on Sep 26, 2015
In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the nuclear option in monetary meets fiscal policy as QE for the people encouraged by more and more. They are joined by the Keiser Reports Spanish translator, Alberto Berenguer, who live translates Keiser and gives his insight into the Spanish. In the second half, Max and Stacy interview Liam Halligan of BNE.eu about the Peoples Railway, Jeremy Corbyns economic policies and more.
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As always one of the best takes on current events and economics...
Keiser Report: Four Horsemen of Accounting Apocalypse (E808)
Published on Sep 10, 2015
In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss conflicts of interest and hysterically funny wealth and income gaps. In the second half, Max interviews HBOS whistleblower, Paul R Moore, about the 4 horsemen of the accounting apocalypse as they turn to more consulting, thus creating a big conflict of interest with their audit functions.
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