pragmatic_dem
pragmatic_dem's JournalModerates Say 0% Growth for Middle Class Vindicates Balanced Economic Policy
WASHINGTON -- A new report published by the New York Times shows that over the last 30 years, the US middle class has experienced a near zero percent growth in income. After adjusting income for taxes and inflation, the US lags far behind Canada and Western Europe. In contrast, incomes of the richest Americans have soared over the same interval.
Moderates from both political parties were quick to credit the report as proof their economic policies are working, “We achieved the perfect balance necessary for our most advantaged citizens to prosper with virtually zero impact to the middle class”, says Eileen Wright, policy analyst at the Center for the American Center, a moderate leaning corporate trade group. Ms. Wright indicated there is still more work to be done, “Signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement with Asia promises future generations will continue to enjoy all the benefits of balanced economic policy initiatives.”
spying timeline
Very good outline is here:
https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying/timeline
It goes all the way back to Dec. 15, 1791.
Apologists claim that spying is OK because the founders made no mention of the internet.
It's the same argument the NRA uses to say the "founders" didn't say you can't own a machine gun or rocket launcher.
It's also the same argument that climate change deniers use when they deny man made global warming, "there is no evidence or consensus that the Earth is warming because of human activity".
Republicans do not have a monopoly on bad policy or bad people.
The Bill of Rights, Including the Fourth Amendment, Goes Into Effect
Dec 15, 1791
The Fourth Amendment reads: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
They saw it coming, over two hundred years ago; unchecked government power seizing communications, property, prosecuting dissenters, whistle blowers, reporters...
Now we are ruled by an oligarchy of millionaires and billionaires who fully understand what a threat those words are to their ambitions and power.
History repeats itself. It is only going to get worse from here.
Nothing worse for the Democratic Party or the United States than the spying apologists who
believe Americans cannot be trusted to use the internet and live our lives without an NSA chaperone.
They aren't keeping us safe, they are consolidating power and protecting against dissent.
Any employee knows the same thing at their work place - spyware running on computers, hundreds of pages of restrictions about what you can and cannot do as an employee
These corporate purists don't want a constitution - they want to give us an employee handbook.
Fight back!
North Korea Offers NSA Asylum, Bidding War for Embattled Agency Heats Up
(Fort Meade) -- Speaking through NSA negotiator Denis Rodman, Kim Jong-un has offered renegade spy agency NSA political asylum in North Korea. Complete terms of the deal have not been released but agency insiders are said to be seriously considering the offer. Mr. Rodman indicated that NSA would be allowed to develop its plans for a perfect surveillance state without the inconvenience of public oversight, “it’s a slam dunk”, said Mr. Rodman.
Ever since the illegal surveillance activities of NSA were disclosed, the agency has been playing a hide and seek game with US legislators, at first denying any such programs existed, followed by admission that it was an innocent misunderstanding by a few rouge agents, followed by admission that NSA has placed every American citizen under a state of permanent surveillance and could they have more money, please.
North Korea is the latest country hoping to attract the behemoth spy agency with an offer of asylum. Other interested nations include Iran, China and a group of former East German Stasi agents who have declared an abandoned North Sea drilling platform as their nation state.
“Clearly, America isn’t ready to handle NSA’s vision for a new self-regulating government where power is as pure as this driven snow I’m about to snort up my nose”, said Mr. Rodman.
Watch out for conservatives using the myth of NSA purity to distract and deflect...
Conservatives will proclaim the purity of NSA and use right-wing talking points like - "if you use email, certainly the government has a right to confiscate it, since clearly there is no mention of email in the constitution".
Here's the impact of NSA spying - a rotten, stinking, festering bucket of oppression.
- A free press investigating government corruption and abuse is no longer safe because the government is spying on them.
- Whistle blowers are now unable to report criminality and corrupt government practices because the government is spying on them.
- Environmental groups, human rights groups unable to organize protest against projects and practices that "conflict" with the best interests of a politician or political party because the government is spying on them.
- Stock market/banking activity can easily be abused by government insiders with exclusive access to trading information.
- Political opposition spied on to protect a rich and powerful incumbent.
- That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Free speech, freedom from search and seizure, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, right to fair trial, have all become political tools to be dispensed with whenever it is convenient to meet some short term gain.
For those fighting against injustice and corruption there is nothing but pain. For the perpetrators of abuse, nothing but rewards.
This spying shit is one of the most serious abuses of government power since formation of the USA. It allows the government to literally micromanage the public in order to protect itself from the accountability and justice necessary for a representative democracy.
conservative economic growth model revealed...
Surprisingly simple and no one has been able to break the code...
$wage = $initial_wage
start:
sleep(4 years)
if $person >= 1%
$wage = $wage + 15%
else
$wage = $wage - 15%
goto start
The L word, still embarrassing conservatives in both parties.
When Republican leadership campaigns, they talk about conservative values, conservative voting record, conservative policies, etc.
When was the last time Democratic leadership used the word liberal?
Apparently a long time. I never did find and answer but found this instead...
http://www.salon.com/2014/03/08/im_proud_to_say_im_a_liberal_how_conservatives_vulgarized_a_term_and_why_the_left_must_reclaim_it/
Democratic Leadership needs to stop being embarrassed by liberals - you know, we are against spying, is it really that hard to understand why? And NAFTA/TPP, why should we celebrate more jobs to Asia and lower wages for US workers? The median wage has barely moved since 1970s - unlike price of housing, food, health care, education, fuel, etc. We have states approaching 3rd world levels of poverty, yet we have money for 100s of billions worth of citizen surveillance and drone development? We are sending millions of jobs (new and old) and R&D to India and China. What's so unfashionable about putting America first?
Seriously - why so embarrassed by any opposition to these destructive policies, regardless of political affiliation?
Do you think being against spying or demanding justice for torture or CEO crime means you have to wear tie dye and sing folk songs?
Is that what this is about? Is Democratic leadership so superficial that they are afraid to stand up for and clearly articulate liberal values because it isn't "cool"?
NSA Offers Free Unlimited Talk and Text, 6 Million Apologists Sign Up
WASHINGTON – NSA, the nation’s largest provider of voice and text services, announced today that 6 million people have signed up for NSA’s HearYouNow ™ plan, far below initial estimates. Struggling to overcome a disastrous product launch, NSA lowered its monthly rate to zero, hoping to attract the large pool of mentally healthy subscribers needed to offset program costs.
However, apologists say NSA’s program has been welcome relief from privacy and free speech. “I couldn’t find a plan that would send all my data to NSA without paying extra costs,” according to Ruth Vinaigrette, apologist from Wichita Falls, Texas. “Signing up was easy to do and my friends and family are covered automatically,” she said.
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Member since: Fri Feb 21, 2014, 12:15 AMNumber of posts: 410