Why the name Ranch Chimp? it was in humour because, science says that humans have similar DNA to a chimpanzee,so I felt some way related biologically to a chimpanzee. 2nd, everytime I was out of Texas on a vacation or for whatever reason I’m always asked things like, do I live on a ranch?,or have cattle? so I commonly call Dallas the Ranch. "Politically Depressed" was also humour inspired by the 1993- 2002 Bill Maher TV/ tele show "Politically Incorrect".
This posting will be Part 16 of the "Black History | Harmon Loft" series of this journal/ blog ... to highlight the life and court cases of Dred Scott (wikipedia), and his wife, Harriet, they were American slaves. This story and case in history, should be an inspiration to people of all races today, let it be a lesson of sort, if anything, if you are a working class person. Because slavery has alwayz been a part of our system, in some form, just like racism still is, and bigger than ever today, it's just cleverly repackaged and redesigned, to be larger and broader than anything of past ... today more subtle and sugarcoated. Again, for the viewer that never been to this journal/ series ... it is in memory and totally inspired by my friend, Harmon Loft ... he was the black history buff, and known for it in his New York community, back in the 1960s/ 1970s. If you had a question about related history ... you could ask this guy, I was only a teen at the time, never knew any of this, or history for that matter, and listening to his stories were interesting. I believe Harmon (aka "Red" to most), may have been originally from Chicago, not sure, he told me things about being a kid on the West Side of Chicago, he didn't really know his dad, who he heard was an alcoholic, so Harmon and his kid sister were raised by mom basically. His mom had some disease called sarcoidosis, she died, him and his sister was sent to their auntie's place in Harlem/ NYC, where he lived his latter teen years in the area of 123rd St & Lenox Ave, he was at least 25 years older than me, and like a mentor to me ... he helped me when in trouble, let me set up a shoe- shine stand in his pool/ billiards hall, and treated me like a son (he never had kids or married that I knew of ... but had some close female companions), taught me some things, and how to make money.
The life of Dred Scott was interesting ... I guess back then, it depended on who was your owner, to the slave, of what you could do or not, or what kind of duties/ chores you were assigned. I figured the least you could hope for, is having a master/ owner as lenient as possible, because you had nothing else, period ... but to be pushed around, used, raped, sold/ traded/ leased out, punished/ beaten, killed, or whatever. Scott was a hustler though, and considered as a "skilled slave", and had some situations, where he was able to use his head and take advantage of, to at least try to make what life he had less miserable. When he seen opportunity, he jumped all over it, including escaping slavery, if he could, and was savvy enough to lease out his services while still being owned, and pocketing all the money, even attempting to buy his freedom ... and sharp enough to legally challenge the crummy system. Historically, there were thousands of slaves actually, that were bucking slavery all over the place, while some others, just decided to submit, and accept it as the only way to live ... folks like Dred were a bolt of revolt, and you had many of them. The Dred Scott case was so well known, because it involved the US Supreme Court, and Chief Justice R.B. Taney, decided that a slave can never be a citizen, or qualify legally, for any rights, freedom whatsoever, etc. Between court cases from lower courts to the top, Dred went from slave to free, and back to slave, then back to free, depending on which territory he was taken to by his owners. But moving around like that also had its advantages, and gave opportunity, instead of just spending decades on some plantation, and experiencing or seeing nothing different. And just like the past, aligning yourself with thinkers and doers, that have that bolt in them, is a plus, Dred's wife, Harriet, was one like that too.
The reason this Supreme Court case was so importante, is because of the amount of rage it inspired, and contributed to making the Civil War get on the road. Even though Scott lost this case, the nation won, in that respect, because any rights past due to come about, started taking shape then and there. Scott didn't die on his knees or at the end of a rope, he died from tuberculosis, which was common in those dayz, and he lived his life making decisions for himself. He also never gave up on taking cases to the courts, and had a friendship with the kids of his former owner/ master, who were his age, that those kids ended up funding his legal case expenses, and inspiring abolition to the new blood/ generation. Dred was gonna make it either way, he's tasted half assed freedom and full slavery, both ... him and Harriet were doing it mostly for their 2 daughters, to try to bring better times for them. He tried to purchase freedom for their girls/ kids mainly, from Mrs. Emerson, their owner, and widow of US Army surgeon, Dr. John Emerson. Mrs. Emerson was still leasing Dred and Harriet out as slaves, even though they were no longer in prime age, to try to milk every nickel she could out of them, and Dred and Harriet knew, she looked at their daughters as commodity/ asset money makers. Eventually, at the end, a couple years before Dred's death, he managed to buy him and his wife and daughters freedom. This is the same way all working classes are looked at today by the usual extreme capitalists and oligarchs ... it's still the same master/ slave mentality today, as back then ... this mentality abuses all working classes of today, unjustly incarcerates the poor, and uses them through prison labour, and endless debt, etc, as well as all their family members. The point is, looking at all we are facing in 2020, revolt on a large scale is way past due. If we do not challenge what we are facing now, our children will get trampled on more than we are, to come ... this is why Scott's life and cases, including things like the Civil War, are a good lesson.
Some read and video below. First video is a brief clip, to introduce the great- great- granddaughter of Dred and Harriet, today ... Lynne M. Jackson. I also chose a video below that of a known expert in race relations, criminal/ civil procedure, constitutional law, and civil rights ... to review Scott's Supreme Court case, out of several I reviewed, from Professor of Law @ The George Washington University Law School, Christopher A. Bracey ... I thought he done a great job reviewing the case, Scott family, and condition. Importantly in the 2nd half of the video, Bracey points out so many legal flaws with the court/ Taney's decision, none was based on case/ precedent/ law, but opinion/ view only. Basically you had a Supreme Court, that was ignoring law and the Constitution.
Word Out ....
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**** Early voting is underway in Texas now through the 28th of February, for the March 3rd primary season voting ... GET OUT TO VOTE, regardless of how much impact you feel your vote has ... you can bet Dred and Harriet Scott would have loved to had the chance to vote ... it's one of the few rights you still have. I'm out on my way after I post this, to vote for Senator Elizabeth Warren, for the Democratic Presidential nomination, even though I know she is trailing Senator Bernie Sanders, and I love Bernie Sanders, voted for Bernie in the 2016 primary season, but been waiting for Warren to run for years, because of her unique skills/ background. I committed to voting Warren, if she ran, and she did, before Bernie even announced he's running for 2020 nomination, so I done what I promised. And I will be first in line to vote for Bernie in November, if he gets the nomination, for sure. Even if Bernie has 90%+ of voters, understand, that Wall St/ banks/ corporations, the establishment of the Democratic Party, and their Superdelegates, corporate media, smear and fear ads, and others, may/ will all try to interfere with him getting the nomination, so the voters need to stand strong, and pound and push very very hard. Bernie is despised by big money and the establishment, and they will encourage other candidates to stay in the race long as possible, and have as many as they can in the race, just to try to lessen the amount of votes Bernie gets, if anything.
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**** Photo to the right is Lynne M. Jackson ... in front of the statue outside the St. Louis old courthouse, of her great- great- grandparents, Dred & Harriet Scott
This will be part 12 of the "Helluva F'n Day" series of this journal/ blog, for a little humour. Early sunday morning (yesterday), a demolition crew was hired to take down some building on the east side of Uptown Dallas, to make way for a new complex to be developed ... well, they done a half assed job, and this is the result. You boyz ought to be ashamed of yourselves ... I know damn well if it was up to me to hire a reputable demolition crew to take down a city building ... I'd call Al- Qaeda, Inc. ... at least they won't ask for a tax write- off, and give me a better rate ... they take pride in their work.
Leaning Tower of Dallas still standsmore than 12 hours after scheduled implosion ... Thanx to WFAA
This posting will serve the "Poverty & Despair" and "Neoliberalism" series of this journal/ blog. What inspired the posting, is the widening poverty and the historically unprecedented wealth, as well as several people that I have talked to over the last several years, that simply thought that all these folks with the largest wealth, are patriotic heroes of sort, for all that they contribute through their foundations/ charities and investments, for all the regular people/ working classes, to the poor and overall society. So I went seaching for some articles and video to help make my point, and include them below. Each of the 2 videos are 42 minutes long, that look at low end poverty to high end wealth, to show the contrast, and Thanx to DW Documentary. I opened below with a couple articles I found, that explains what all this philanthropic stuff is really about, which is also importante ... I have talked to several folks, that had no bloody idea, on how these are used as tax shelters, is why ... some folks may think that's just a cynical view. But this posting or links, is not to be cynical or unfair, it's about questioning and using common sense and reason ... after all, it's senseless and pointless to worship that, that has no consideration for you, eh? At the bottom, I'll add a few of my views/ opinion.
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp
With all the new housing/ office/ commercial development, all the new millionaires, high numbers of people taken out of extreme poverty in a country like China, the endless media of the bustling markets, and the most robust market and economy in history, and even all the well paying tech jobs and new middle class in America ... you may think that we are in paradise ... and some folks are. But most of what we see force-fed to us through media, just shows/ sells the glamour ... same as all the prime time tele commercials (approx every 6-7 minutes of programme airtime), showing all the pharma commercials, insurance company comedy skit commercials, to those of the financial/ retirement investors, with all the happy clients and families incorporated. But at the same time, the inequality gap between the wealth and poor is growing, and those extremes are beginning to clash, as well ... you can fudge figures any way you like, for whatever purpose or agenda. But you still can't miss the reality you see every day in our cities to rural areas, and that reality is expanding quickly ... overriding all the glamour that you are fed, whether by politicians, corporations, or Hollywood celebrities. More often, when we are shown homelessness in most cases, it is the worst of such, such as the Central City East area of downtown LA, which has been saturated for years and years ... yet now, just in the last few years, has nearly doubled. Rents have been becoming so expensive, and so restricted as far as who can lease/ rent, folks can't afford it ... even folks up in the Silicon Valley area, that have decent paying tech jobs, now have a growing amount of employees, using cars, vans, to used U- Haul trucks they buy to live in.
Over the last several years, you have seen a growing homeless population of working class, some are people that were able to afford to keep a car, and use their cars as their home. Those in San Diego, as you see in the first video, who have a vehicle, are lucky enough that they were provided a place to cook, and get water, or whatever ... and the reason they are more likely to help those, is because they see those as more valued homeless, because they work and spend more. The more extreme impoverished, like the skid- row types, aren't of the same value, besides to lock them up through criminalizing homelessness, and if they're healthy enough to work, they work them while incarcerated, for a company, or for the city/ county/ state, or whatever else they can use them for, it's actually a similar mentality in America today, as the former Nazi era of Germany. More like a corporate type fascism, even incorporating religion/ church, waving flags demanding patriotism to it, invading and occupying foreign lands, using economics, militarizing police forces, ignoring the rights of people and Constitution, creating more Gestapo type methods of policing, and criminalizing the poor, immigrants, mentally ill, etc ... similar in design to what Adolf Hitler done in Nazi Germany. Those homeless/ impoverished that are convicted on something like petty drug offenses, and are not an escape risk or danger to anyone, they make profits for investors through the private prison industry off state/ county taxes, free to buck ($1) a day labour, and/ or offer them to fight forest fires for $2 per day and a $1/ buck an hour (CNBC). This is how to make everything, including human life, a commodity in a market ran society.
One of the things that some may get mixed up here, is the "real economy" and "financial economy" ... and what we have been experiencing over the last several years, is how neoliberal economics been working fine in the financial economy, to where it's much stronger in growth and numbers, than the real economy. Even any economy booming off the charts, one bad hard hit to it, say a recession with huge stock losses (Seeking Alpha), mega investors take advantage ... while most consumers/ workers hurt and lose, the top wealth can/ will buy up whatever at bargain basement prices ... even a recession creates millions/ billions for few ... money/ capital doesn't disappear, it changes hands. We as workers and consumers are in a tighter regulated atmosphere, in our individual countries, like US, England, Germany, Italy, etc ... the financial economy, that also interacts with the real economy, good or bad, is swallowing us, and overpowering us, neoliberal economics is designed to simply grow wealth, then the trickle down theory is supposed to kick in ... been in the works for decades. As far as the explosion of wealth of the top 1/ 10th of a percent and the financial economy, it can be of little significance to our real economy, yet really hurt us in bad times and crashes. The wealth explosion basically comes from investing only, and the return they get from those investments, these are all your big money players, and the personal high paid investors that work for them, planning their strategies. These investment strategists (for the wealthy, not the same kind for the working classes, like retirement investors), use computer algorithms that invest for short term quick and mass investments, and to also shelter the money from governments and taxation, for wealthy individuals, families, and connected foundations/ groups. These investments are pretty much worthless for the 99%, they create nothing, they are simply wayz to generate large amounts of money quickly, for a very few.
If a country has forest land, or any natural resource that become available (through pre- paid legislation/ bought politicians) for purchase, even public land/ assets, because of the desperate need and scramble for money, you'll have 50 investors lined up to buy immediately, and interest rates being low, with tax loopholes and shelters, makes it more attractive. So it's basically like a board game of buy, sell, trade, and make all the money you can, while building private power ... not by producing or developing anything, but just personal interests. Many have so much money, that they are running out of places to invest, because all the wealth is buying up everything they can find, and trying to beat each other to it. That end of the economy is strong, and powerful enough to drain governments, milk taxes, and dictate public policies/ legislation, and big banks help to impose austerity, to influencing our campaign financing in America, and increasingly in EU countries. Much of the homes/ apartment/ commercial private investing, we are likely to tax subsidize, cloaking it as public/ private partnerships, but the public loses on it. And many of your bad investments, maybe too risky or simply bad planning, to unethical politicians ... it may be tax subsidized and failed to pay off, the public ends up shelling out through tax revenues for losses, like with much else. None of these homes/ apartments become affordable for working classes, until maybe 20+ years ... after the property/ asset been sold multiple times, and requires improvements/ maintenance, etc. New places go up in Dallas faster than seasons change, they are all higher priced leasing/ buying when new. Investors are for short term, after 5 years or less, as repairs become needed, they sell, then it gets sold again, again, etc ... eventually after a couple decades or so, the development/ asset devalues, these places are nice, but not built like those for the upscale buyers/ leasees, nor to retain value.
Like the Public/ Private Partnership scam, all these other deals that they create through legislation, directed by private money influence, are all designed to take, and give nothing ... and the public loses, from tax revenues, publicly owned assets and institutions, to anything of actual value. This is also the case with these mega philanthropies, which is why I included the articles on them. For years I have criticized them, some folks think I was unfair to criticize those that do so much for arts, charity, or whatever else. What we are doing by allowing these philanthropies to remain "as is", is basically letting all the wealthiest people decide what our revenues/ taxes are spent on. That multimillionaire/ billionaire not only gets a tax haven to hide money, they decide who makes the list for help, and what they require those to do, to get help. Pay taxes like the rest of us do, and "let us" decide what we do and help with our own tax/ fees revenue intake, stay the Hell out of our business ... you are not our partners, or even our friends. In fact, stay out of everything that don't involve you ... you have your business to care for, we have ours, and it is none of yours ... be grateful that we even consume, manufacture, and contribute to your success. Nor do you create any significant job growth, the majority of jobs in this country are created by consumer demand and the smaller companies. Take away their tax shelter, see how fast they change. We can give tax incentives to those with wealth that are drafted by us, we have our own advisors, that are in our interests, and fair to the corporation at the same time. They want to destroy and replace our social services with private charities approved by them, then they take all the public's funds/ taxes/ assets ... we don't need your help, we can do for ourselves, with our own money, and not by giving most to you.
Some same people of mega wealth, demonize taxation ... yet indirectly use our taxes to feed and subsidize them with welfare for the wealthy and corporations. They say they want to abolish taxation, yet are first in line to take all our taxes they can, and by spending them for us. They try to make us believe that government and taxation are the ultimate evil ... but understand, besides things like the power of the vote (which they want to eliminate and rig, too), these institutions from education, to environmental protection, to social safety nets, etc, etc, are all that we have in a system of capitalism designed like this, to support and secure our interests. I seen Bill Gates in a recent tele interview, say that Presidential candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, would want to impose a tax, if President, that would take 90%, of his $106/ $107 billion in taxes, and leave him with a measly $10 billion or whatever. This is all a LIE, and to try to scare the public like this through mainsteam media corporate controlled news, is shameful misinformation, trying to make the average working people think, that 90% of their paychecks would go to taxes, if she was voted in as President. And Gates knows it, and knows how ridiculous that statement was ... that is NOT how even the percentages of taxation worx, and never did. These folks of high wealth should be grateful that we pass their legislation, to have the general publics taxes help generate, maintain, and sustain their wealth, and bail them out every time they fail ... in a more sane society, they may have some of their ridiculous privileges revoked, and rightfully so. I myself am all for tax breaks, but within reason, nor do I give any praise or worship to which is not deserving, nor do I feel we should all be financially equal, in this type system, reward creates incentive and strengthens innovation. In the type of healthy and robust economy that we've had, with expanded safeguards for market failure, by any math, should not create more poverty.
Some of the extreme wealth, not all, are even getting more cocky and bold, and want to penalize or punish the 99%, saying that they're being attacked unfairly by working classes, who they look at, like an inferior species, ignoring all that those working classes contributed to their wealth and success. People around the globe rebel for a reason, many top wealth, have chosen to make enemies with us, and corrupt our economies, societies, rights, and goverments. These hoarders and manipulators of wealth, governments, and markets, are basically useless to us/ society ... they're "elite"? ... no, they're more like a household "pest", and about as useless to us as tits would be to a bull ... we do everything, why in Hell would we need them? Rebellion/ civil disobedience, in just about any form, is in order and justified, including violence. This has happened time and again throughout history for the same reasons, when they step on society the way they do, and slap the hand that feeds ... this time we have far more people with far better strategies, and weapons/ tools to fight back. Much top wealth, on the other hand, are concerned, and worried ... they know that we have big- big problems concerning inequality, and is a top growing issue at the Davos World Economic Forum year after year, to the World Bank, and several top figures even want change. They also have a slew of other problems that came from this neoliberal economics model, which also created the environmental problems and global warming, to the concerns of war activity, mass rebellion, to higher market volatility, etc, etc They're increasingly having to build luxury bunkers, increasing their security whenever in public, and trying to rathole all wealth and assets possible, to buy and secure more protection, because of their uncertainty, of what may come. You can bet, that even some top world leaders and financial institutions are going to propose modifications to this neoliberal economic model of current. Economic models come and go ... below, I added a short video of an alternative economic model.
Word Out ....
Introduction to a Resource Based Economy ... Thanx to The Venus Project
Grand Funk Railroad concert @ Shea Stadium, NYC, 09 July 1971 **** Grand Funk sold out this concert in 72 hours ... taking the previous sellout concert at this stadium in 1965, of The Beatles, weeks to sell it out.
This entry into the music/ arts honour roll society of this journal/ blog, will feature the original Grand Funk Railroad/ Grand Funk (wikipedia) out of Flint, MI, who I been wanting in this journal for some time now. The history of this band with the ups and downs, such as legal disputes/ lawsuits, along with break ups and make ups, multiple producers, which included well known artists such as Todd Rundgren (wikipedia), and Frank Zappa, is very lengthy, so I'll let the link handle most of that. I wondered, why this band didn't make it already into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? (although they did, only locally in Michigan), as tens of thousands of others wondered. I mean, the R&R Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, features one of Mark Farner's guitars, yet not the band ... a petition been floating around for folks demanding that they be included. Much speculation surrounds on why they didn't make it in there ... but I won't speculate, because I still feel they will one day be inducted into it ... there are several other artists/ crews, that I wonder why they're not in there too. What was surprising to many about the original GFRR 3 member lineup, is how fast they went from a garage band, to a mega headliner, selling out arenas/ stadiums ... I mean, this is a crew that was rehearsing in a farm house, and then suddenly filling a slot months later at the 1969 Atlanta International Pop Festival ... which made Capitol Records want to sign them. Frankly, it was the exposure and public demand, they had a sound and lyrics that related to so many, this crew was opening for large acts such as Led Zeppelin, yet getting standing ovations as a warm up crew ... yet all your big music media critics downplayed the group ... it was word of mouth among concert goers, and the will of the people, that boosted them. GFRR had all the chemistry of a mega arena hard rock crew ... they were good at being naturally themselves, with explosive raw sound and performance, and that relates to concert goers. I will give some credit here to their first manager/ producer, Terry Knight, simply because he recommended that they bring in Mel Schacher to play bass guitar, and Terry done well at promoting them. Keyboardist Craig Frost also came later as a fourth member, adding a new dimension to their sound, Craig is also keyboardist for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band. Don (drummer) and Mark (songwriter/ guitar/ vocalist), were previously with another crew, called "Terry Knight and The Pack". Also, Terry being an ex radio DJ, and singer, really had a knack for marketing, and the Capitol Records connection. On the other hand, I have plenty of criticism for Terry Knight, and glad that Grand Funk dumped him, he was shortchanging the shit out of these guys, who were about 20 yrs old, and didn't look at contracts closely, screwing them out of millions, which includes bad and unauthorized investments of earnings through GFRR as a corporation ... but I'll just leave that there.
Grand Funk Railroad's name changed to Grand Funk, then back to GFRR, around when Mark and Don dumped Terry, and then the problems started over rights of song ownership, etc. Capitol Records, because of original contract, could not deal directly with the band, they had to go through Terry. Terry came back suing GFRR for over $50+ million for breach of contract, which both parties agreed to a settlement ... but this also created conflict in the band, and by another contract, Don and Mel ended up voting Mark out of the band. Today GF still puts out music, with 3 new members, besides Mel and Don, but for me, GF is not GF without Mark Farner, and Mark wrote most of the music, Mark was also a great frontman, and a multi- instrumentalist. Mark Farner has his own solo project and crew, both groups play newer materials, as well as GFRR classics on their tours, and they have had reunion shows too. I found a YouTube video I included below, of a song called "Black Brass", I never heard of it, so looked it up, and nothing on it ever being published as a song, I read it was just some piece they done for some "In Concert" series special, it was intense, especially the keyboards work that Craig done in it, and the drumming by Don, Mark also played drums with Don on it. I opened below with "Inside Looking Out" from the early dayz, which was a favourite of mine (this was first done by Eric Burdon and The Animals, out of Newcastle, England, 1966, YouTube) ... Mark added slight modifications to lyrics and instrumental, and one of the first hard rock songs I learned as a kid/ teen. In particular, the intense and soulful vocal work on it by Mark, and alwayz loved the bass that Mel does on this, but overall I really liked Mel's bass guitar work alot, period. After Todd Rundgren started producing with the band, and the addition of Craig on keyboards, they started to play a more pop sounding music, which also turned over well, giving them some top chart hits. The music overall (early 1970s), especially in hard rock music, started expanding into other areas, and you also had the new disco, glam, and pop music that was growing at the time, so a growing demand for more pop rock leaning stuff as well. You could clearly see this in "The Loco- Motion" (originally wrote by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1962, and recorded by pop singer Little Eva, YouTube), along with other later songs, as far as comparing to the structure they started with on songs like "I'm Your Captain" or "Heartbreaker". I also included the classic hit, "We're an American Band", along with a Mark Farner interview at the bottom, where Mark talks about some of his gear, the band, and working with producers Frank Zappa and Todd Rundgren. Interesting, was the part about the incorrect accidental wiring of Dave West's "West" amplifiers, that Mark ended up wanting to buy, because that unintentional wiring when building that amp, is what gave Mark the guitar sound he was looking for. Thanks to these guys for all the great music and inspiration ... Enjoy!
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD- Inside Looking Out 1969 ... Thanx to The 1 stGunner **** this is Live from West Palm Beach, FL 1970
Grand Funk Railroad- We're An American Band ... Thanx to TurnItUp **** this was Live @ The Forum in LA, 1974
Grand Funk Railroad- Black Brass- MSG 12/23/72 ... Thanx to T.J. Ash
**** REFORM & CHANGE: Not ALL, but a significant portion of our Representation in Washington "truly" dont want much "Change" or "Reform" ... Why? Because it IS NOT human nature. I mean ... There is no incentive ... they have to be "forced" by the people ... just call it something like "laying down the law ...". Think about it a moment ... If you had a paycheck of say a couple hundred thousand dollars a year, the best health insurance money can buy (tax money at that), great retirement benefits, free luncheons/ dinners at fine eateries (tax write- off expense), a month or two off for major Holidayz such as Christmas/ New Years, luxury car rental reimbursements, recreation and health workout facilities, and additional financial support in the 100's of thousands to a million+ dollars or so annually, no term limit, you write and pass all the laws, cocked and locked for life, etc, etc ... Why would you possibly want much of anything to "change"? Why would you even want "reform"? Why would you want to get out of gridlock, or a 2- party system, especially when it stalls everything and guarantees you an opponent next election that you can blame everything on? - - Ranch Chimp, 20 january 2012
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This posting will serve four series of this journal/ blog ... "Funding & Stupidity are NOT Compatible", "Mo of Yo Money", "Off the WALL with Ron Paul", and "Tulsi Gabbard" series. The big news in every major media right now, is the impeachment of President Trump. I have not been following it much, only because I felt it will go through Congress, and be stopped dead by the Senate, later ... hope that I'm wrong. Did he abuse his Presidential powers? ... does a Teddy Bear have cotton balls? And I also feel like trial attorney, Farron Cousins does here, as far as rushing it. President Trump committed various felony criminal offenses (Reuters, on criminal charges on a President), even extortion, bribery, etc, from what I seen ... any good prosecutor would know how to go for the full plate to make impeachment more solid ... so I don't know what in Hell they're thinking, especially seeing how a Republican majority Senate, who increasingly seems to support Trump, will react to it, as such. I also expected that Trump may come out looking like the victim, and play the card, and the twist that will follow, where his popularity will increase, which it is. If not successful and done right, Trump and Republicans could come out smelling like a rose, after all said and done, in the 2020 elections. This is about the parties, instead of trying to prosecute Trump and associates, with what is CLEARLY criminal felony acts. I don't even see where impeachment of a President does much ... the move to, made President Nixon resign ... the first was President Andrew Johnson ... and Senate failed to convict. The last time we had this impeachment "show" (and it is a "show", being basically used to keep the masses politically interested in these parties, in what is otherwise meaningless), was on President Bill Clinton, he was acquitted, all he done was lied to Congress about a simple love affair with an intern, the intern admitted, she was in love with him. Personally, I've had mixed feelings about Clinton, and was not very fond of him ... not because of casual love affairs, but because of his 1994 Crime Bill, which led to mass incarceration for the private prison industries, the so called "welfare reform", and his NAFTA trade deal, etc. Bill Clinton was under impeachment proceedings for something that happens in the workplace daily across America ... people fall in love, and if married, sometimes publicly deny it. But I am concerned strongly about politicians that are repeatedly cheating and defeating us, taking money under the table directly/ indirectly to pass legislation that is against the majority of peoples interests, and committing felony crimes and/ or treason ... not politicians that have sexual engagements/ relationships with consenting adults.
Now, down to business. I want to have this posting to review what else has been going on in Washington, that has not been as widely covered in media, due to all else we been distracted with ... but is very importante. The "Afghanistan Papers" is really quite a read in itself, so that's first of importance, although I'm not surprised, as you can see in the related postings in the "Funding & Stupidity" series, that I suspected and been writing about for several years. I wanted to include some other links of several I been reviewing and reading, as far as reactions. Also, as these impeachment proceedings were in progress, the recent bipartisan spending budget went through Congress, and the massive defense spending increases. And credit to Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who decided to push legislation to require a Congressional Inquiry on the Afghanistan Papers, and a couple short video clips from her, just hear the woman out. This is very importante, because the American people have been constantly lied to and ripped off, and there has been zero transparency on this issue so far. We need to bring it out, as far as where these expenditures are going, and who is receiving what, as far as the political insiders, government officials, and corporate/ contractors who been hiding this ... and to pursue investigations to impose criminal charges/ indictments to various people in Washington, contractors, or anyone who colluded in this bipartisan highway robbery. Also I linked in some stuff on the overall $1.4 trillion government spending that just passed Congress, to get an idea of what we're looking at, and what to expect. It is not all that bad, and there are several good social spending parts in it, that Democrats pushed into it. There is a segment of Democrats with good ideas and moves, and the corporate dems have to go along with it, because both parties as a whole, are asking for billions in freebies for corporate lobbies that pressure them ... I mean, you got to give a little something, when you are taking so much ... it's business, eh? You also have that segment of corporate Democrats, that are just overpowered by right wing and neoliberal thinking, and weak at negotiating against the right, displaying weakness (and it been like this for years now), to the point where this newest form of far right republican culture and thought, clearly have the upper hand in Washington. I first wanted to open below with some excerpts from a speech of President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower in 1953, who was one of the stronger leaders as far as Presidents in my lifetime ... hear the man out. At the bottom, I'll add some of my own input.
A Chance For Peace (**** excerpts from President Dwight Eisenhower's speech 16 april 1953) ... Thanx to songoftheopenroad
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp
All these people that are suspected of wasting our money, and/ or intentionally robbing us, should be investigated, exposed, and even criminally indicted and tried, just as anyone else would be. Example, if a person ripped off Medicare/ Medicaid with false claims, they'd be in prison. The first time in my life I started wondering how defense spending worx and questioning it, was in 2003. We just invaded Iraq for WMDs, and President Bush said it should be over in a few weeks, or some ridiculous short time. Looking at the amount of equipment and personel going over there, I first questioned the length, it appeared we were setting up for a long term. I also asked myself, how much will this cost?, seeing all the infrastructure destroyed, because I know our gig is to rebuild after we destroy, and it's good business and public relations after such invasion. Due to the magnitude, I thought, this will mean your biggest contractors, big enough to handle jobs of this magnitude, as far as reconstruction, that we have to give millions to, to do all the subcontracting out, etc. Halliburton got awarded a contract, and first job, repairing damaged oil fields. VP Dick Cheney, who broke ties with Halliburton, claims he had no interest in Halliburton or making money, and we spent in the 10's of billions on Halliburton/ KBR services ... but there are too many wayz he can indirectly make money off that invasion, so I can't take that at face value. Halliburton was one of my/ our customers in the printing/ graphics industry, a big account, and we also loved government contracts of any kind, because they will not bid much, and pay premium prices at the drop of a hat. I also had family and friends employed with Lockheed Martin, Bell Textron, General Dynamics, and Raytheon, so I know what kind of business they depend on too ... as well as a couple guys I knew who were seeking large rig truck driving jobs over there, because the pay was incredible compared to driving here.
Bottom line, I was imagining how much could be made by everyone off this war, even in the short term, and U.S. was going to spend big time, we also had mass public support, because everyone still had the red- ass over 9/11 (even though it had nothing to do with Iraqis, but the Saudis). This was going to be a dream come true for the defense industry, and a big buy and payout. I'm not anti- war at all, either ... if someone intentionally invades us for no reason other than to kill and conquer, I sure as Hell am all for striking back with increased intensity ... I don't love war, but understand it's necessary to defend our country/ land/ interests. I have family that served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, all. Today, we are not even honouring the constitutionality for going to war (War Powers Clause), I feel we should be going through constitutional and congressional procedures, not just wake up with the red- ass, or fall to our knees whenever some billionaire oligarch, mining, bank, or oil company orders us to ... and at least, thinking it out better. Those politicians who say we are in Afghanistan to free women from oppression, got to either be full of shit, or blind ... we're in there for the resources, and anyone over there that retaliate against us taking them, we call a terrorist. Look at how dependent we are on supplying the Saudis with arms, and the innocent people that are dying from strikes on them ... yes, look at Yemen, and even our involvement (PBS/ FRONTLINE). What does that do for our people? ... nothing, but create a handful of jobs, that could be created elsewhere. And we wonder why so many don't love our muscling, occupations, and invasions of their societies/ countries. Americans wouldn't like being muscled by a foreign country, nor should we like having a bunch of multinational wealthy people, taking all of our money, and constantly muscling us, telling us we need to sacrifice more for them
Since the start of the 21st century, our defense spending has been getting looser and looser, as well as oversight of what we're spending on what and where, exceeding unprecedented levels, and becoming such an addiction, and so large, that like all else, our economy is becoming too dependent on a handful of too big to fail type industries. I think we can reduce risks a bit more and expand in other areas, most of which, we already have a foot in the door. We have totally lost even any fiscally sound policy and responsibility ... in fact, it's stupid, irresponsible, and retrogressive. It's so out of whack, and growing like a serious drug addict with a strong addiction, to where we will eventually overdose, without some control and scaling down. Just slow down a minute and look at where we are currently, such as our spending bills/ budgets ... it is so ridiculous, that we are actually squeezing the lowest of poor Americans, for measly food stamps, school lunches, healthcare, basic American standards of living, or anything ... just to be able to give it to some contractor who wants to build something like a gas station in some remote area of Afghanistan, for some ridiculous amout like $40- $50 million, that will not even be used, and drastically overpriced and worthless to our country and theirs. That is truly insane, and by any standards, left, right, in between, upside down. Even any multimillionaire/ billionaire investor would tell you how stupid this is ... because to them, money sitting and not working 24/ 7/ 365 is stupid, you alwayz want your assets/ capital working, not sitting, or investing a dime in anything that don't generate profit. Distribute those millions here in the U.S. in a form such as food stamps, as one example, all of those stamps get spent here in our communities and quadruple in value, as far as how much business they generate domestically, in rural to urban communities coast to coast. In other words, they don't sit like that gas station and make nothing or are worthless, they boost our domestic economy, and immediately, while creating needed services and business in America.
We should NOT need to have our poor people, especially working poor, begging for money and food from churches, wealthy philanthropists, food banks, just so they all can get a free tax ride ... we should take care of our own, so they can have some dignity too, and it's inexpensive, compared to what we waste on. Nor should our political representation have to spend half their time in phone banks panhandling from the richest to fund and control our campaigns and elections. I am for publicly funded elections, across the board, as well as reform to our lobby system, this is clearly screwing us, and fair representation. You can still have lobbying, and let people individually donate to a candidate, just have limits. Capitalism does not need extreme poverty to be healthy and flourish ... and a successful capitalist society, is better sustained and orderly for all, with a social safety net, not just for business, but for all. Affordable housing, and yes, government subsidized, is a big win as well for investments public and private ... because the demand is so much greater, than the gamble of highrise luxury condos in a place like Miami, where half of them remain empty half the time, and cities across America keep funding these investors, knowing that it's a bigger risk and gamble for investment, and will only turn well depending on when markets/ stocks are peaking, which are like a rollercoaster ... millions upon millions will fill affordable housing units so fast, and for long term sustainable leasing and buying, you will barely be able to keep up with market demand. Investments in energies transition, is a big winner for the future, at any level, as far as needed infrastructure renewal/ upgrading ... again, big demand, drawing big public and private capital investments, and for related industries/ services, and one of the largest seen in years, demand for new jobs, that will continuously need manufacturing, maintenance, and upgrading.
Another reason we're under so much pressure, is because of this newest neoliberal economics model being pushed by the global oligarchy, and this invisible economic war and race with the east ... which is pressing all of our governments, to appease the wealthiest and corporate class for their support and approval. Example, this has gotten so insane, we have cities fighting to give taxes and subsidies to some company like Amazon, or another giant, just to keep up in the rat race economy. We are fighting over which of the wealthiest we want to tell us what to do? ... are we crazy? ... fuck them, think for ourselves. We have become so embedded with fear, as well, that if we don't kiss asses of these top crust, who basically just took all our money to get where they are, we will become 2nd place in the world to China or whoever, and the big money will leave us and go to their side, etc ... as far as I'm concerned, leave, we are not helpless, or ever needed y'all. Like the markets, economies in countries are up and down like a yo- yo, we are being played like fools, or like a mark in their hustle/ game/ con ... China, sure, would like to be world leader, but they are China, and we are U.S., and a world of difference, both unique. China has big plans with their Belt and Road Initiative, and this is a big concern to US and EU, and their government (China) isn't as much a pushover like the US is, so harder for global neoliberals to deal with. China has much stricter enforcement and penalties for corruption in government, including prosecuting the wealthiest, while the US bends over to the wealthiest, and are weak at prosecuting any top wealth. We hear of China's high speed rail infrastructure as example, very impressive (engineering.com) ... and wonder why we are behind, but what people don't see, is that China has a government that owns most of the land ... so it is nothing for them to have thousands of miles of high speed rail. China also plans to extend its high speed rail network into much of southeast Asia, and even Europe. They also tell companies what they want, if those companies want to do business in their country. The big banks and corporations are playing China too, and any other country that they find assets of worth, the oligarchs want to govern the entire world, and use our lives, militaries, and capital to do it.
In the U.S., just to build a few hundred miles of high speed rail in a place like California, has regulations and zoning galore, and much private land ownership, they have to get through all that, to move ahead on construction, and the costs are enormous for such, compared to China, so China can build whatever they want, wherever and whenever, at the drop of a hat. We also don't have the money to spend as China, since we give so much of our tax money to rich people and corporate welfare, meaning we need to gather private investments. China is also gaining power by investing in so much in developing countries, because the deals they make with those countries for their investments, particularly in needed infrastructure, which directly helps Chinese business (airports, seaports, etc) ... so we are trying to outspend China as well, and trying to cut any kind of trade deal to compete, before China locks in a deal with them. We have to be unique in the US, and in accordance with what our needs are, and how to achieve them ... so we don't need to copy everything like China, to stay in some pointless race, while driving ourselves into bankruptcy doing so. But be innovative in our own way, and to what serves our country's interests, on every level, not just trying to play catch up with the Joneses (China or whoever). There is plenty we can do ourselves in our country, to make it much better for us, and to better our relations with people of the globe, and less of kissing up to these corporate banks and oligarchs, and invading countries, just for their resources, and to exploit their people. If someone wants our help or advice, they can simply ask, and we can go to help, if we're invited, not by invading them. Nor do we need corporations dictating our society and values, and making our decisions for us. Some constantly complain about big goverment, do they not ever question big corporation/ banks? ... as if a peoples government is evil. Hell, we should know from our local politics, that we are able to govern our own communities, those same people tell the federal goverment to stay out of our local government, but still want an acting government, so not all government is evil. I also vote in local elections, and on bonds, amendments, spending, or whatever, after all, that's our local government.
Also, concerning President Trump, since that's all we hear about out of Democrats, especially in these Democratic Presidential Debates, and daily on the news, and everywhere in between. It is obviously clear to me, that Trump is like a shyster, and who seems to have some sort of mental disorder between bipolar and schizophrenia. I myself have pointed out time and again how he is running game, like a street hustler, in this journal/ blog, and the importance of watching our money around him. But all we hear, is talk that he is the problem with this country, how we need to get him out of office, etc, etc. The problems we have in America, were around way before Trump, and have escalated copiously over the years. They are a RESULT of a fucked up and corrupt Washington, period. We want to impeach him, yet do a half assed job at getting a full plate, and Democrats leading the way, know with a half plate what will happen when it reaches the Senate, most likely, like I pointed out above. In bipartisanship, just enough Democrats, as alwayz, gave Trump support on things like judge appointments, his massive tax cuts for the rich a couple years ago of nearly $1.5T, they also gave him all kinds of treats in this recent $1.4T spending the other day (which we had to get something through on that to avoid another goverment shutdown), but also been giving him more than he asked for defense spending, including allocating more money for his border fencing, and today, just gave him his new USMCA trade deal (CNBC), etc, and his following is getting stronger over much of it. Just how serious are Dems about taking down Trump? ... I don't know, because it don't look serious, looking at what Dems give him. Much of what they're handing Trump on a silver platter, is going to work to his advantage, which he'll get all credit, including this economy, and the Republican Party ... and your olive branches and bipartisan love will soon be a lost memory, come november 2020. To the viewer/ reader ... Enjoy the Solstice Season, and may you have a fun Christmas and New Year Holidayz.
**** NOTE: On a serious note here, healthcare in the U.S. is about to exceed 18% of the GDP. Our economy, jobs, spending, etc, are becoming too dependent on this, for so called "growth". If we do not do anything about this out of control healthcare system now, looking at the math, it can really hurt us bad/ worse economically as it continues. At the rate this is currently going and growing, it can't get better, without drastic reform.
This posting is just a quickie posting for a laugh, it will serve the "Health Care Reform" and "American Exceptionalism" series of this journal/ blog. I realize that this is not a laughing matter, at all ... but I couldn't help laughing when seeing these folks response and cost estimates in the UK, concerning our health care costs, and the expression on their face when they found out our actual costs. All we hear out of politicians year after year here in the U.S., is how difficult it is to try to get the health care that an increasing majority of Americans want. It wouldn't be so difficult, if Washington would just not allow this problem to grow and grow, to where it gets bigger and bigger, year after year ... so it's the fault of our Congress who feeds the fire, this is one of the money issues that both parties are bipartisan on, for sure ... with just a handful of Democrats to join Republicans, every time, to make any progress fail. No doubt, year after year of continuous stalling, neglect, and corporate control interference, it is difficult to a degree, especially with the politicians of these 2 political party establishments we have. Difficult being also, that as year after year pass by, there is NO attempt to stop this crazy train of insane costs that is about to derail. I mean, there is so MUCH that "could be" done legislatively, to at least slow it down some, if anything, but they neglect to do ANYTHING, with the exception of talking about it when elections come up. It is so bad, that we can't even, only, negotiate drug and medical service prices, have any kind of real competition, or attempt to break up what is clearly a monopoly, and anti- free market. And anything that does get done, is to where what should be a simple couple dozen pages for a bill, ends up with a couple thousand pages, that are planned for months by corporate lawyers for big med/ pharma/ insurance and corporate think tanks. This is also why I hesitate, whenever they say they are going to do something, that gets bipartisan support ... my first thought is "what are they going to fuck us out of now?".
I don't know much about the NHS in UK ... but you can clearly see, how corporate America been trying to take over their system as well (The Guardian), which the corporate global neoliberal goal, is to dismantle national health care sytems and privatize everything. Back in the latter 80s, I got some sort of stomach virus, in London, I think I got it eating at one of the indie kebab joints I frequented for a quick bite, that are all over London, like indie taco joints in Dallas. But a buddy, who's a local and musician from Fitzrovia- Camden- London, where I was staying at the time, took me to a small hospital/ clinic place in London. I got to see a doctor after a short wait, maybe 30 minutes, and there was no ton of paper work to fill out like here, with signing of multiple financial responsibility documents or whatever, just asked my name ... even the doctor was friendly, he thought it was cool that I had what he called a distinguished English name, but was from Dallas, telling me of the roots of the name, etc ... I told him because my dad's family were from England. But the process was a little over an hour, I was prescribed meds, I got at a window around the corner down the hall from where I checked in, total out of pocket/ money was about 6 pounds (about $9 U.S. dollars), no one asked me for anything else, didn't even ask for a passport, insurance, etc. So that is the only experience I had over there ... I also was in Canada for awhile, but didn't use their health care system, but my sister- in- law just retired from a career in their government health care system, she was a RN for years in a Central Toronto hospital ... and she told me she was shocked at what we pay, even. The health care costs here in the U.S., are not just outrageously excessive ... but it's downright stupid, bold, and cocky of politicians, with how they pander to this shit, and what we are told to put up with. Below are a couple videos, the second video is a short :20 second clip from some recent Democratic presidential debates, which really made me laugh as well, at what Joe Biden told Senator Bernie Sanders, on why we pay so much more than other countries, even Senator Elizabeth Warren looked like she was about to laugh.
True cost of US healthcare shocks the British public ... Thanx to PoliticsJOE
Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren Battle Over Medicare for All | NowThis ... Thanx to NowThis News
First up, congratulations to Dallas Cowboys 35- 27 win this last sunday in Detroit against the Lions ... really an exciting game to the end! Sunday the 24th will be a big challenge for the Cowboys, as they go to Boston to take on the Super Bowl champ New England Patriots, which will be a big game watch nationally, opening point spread, Patriots by 6.5 points. Now, down to business ... this posting will serve 3 series of this journal/ blog, and will be a one on one interview/ conversation with Dylan Ratigan (wikipedia) on "The Jimmy Dore Show" ... this is one of the best interviews Jimmy had on his show, and one of the better ones I seen online, and well worth the listen, despite the length, so I wanted to highlight it in here. I started the video at 53:14, where the conversation really gets good, and in depth look at where we are today in America (and the globe), and how we got here. I guess Dylan is best known for his show in the past on MSNBC ... but there is much more to Dylan than just that, I been hearing this guy out for several years, I love hearing this guy out, and Jimmy, whether I agree with everything or not ... it's great food for thought. Dylan is also a little more objective and logical too, than what you will get out of much major media or popular websites that cover the political and financial arena, and he makes sense. Dylan was once the Global Managing Editor for corporate finance at Bloomberg L.P. as well ... he explains and simplifies things that are somewhat confusing, at least for me, when it comes to scams and games that the big money plays on us, and their strategies, of how to take over governments and societies of the globe, and basically rob us blind, of our money, minds, liberties, and anything else ... most of which are issues that I been covering throughout these series. This aristocracy of thieves, con artists, and tyrants, have no allegiance to any country ... and many of these "corporate communists" are our enemy, with no regard for our Republic, democracy, Constitution, and citizenry.
Also, I'm changing the series name of "Corporatcommunazica" to "Corporatocracy" to simplify the title ... because corporatcommunazica is just a word I made up, that combines corporatism, communism, nazism, and America, and looking at it, no one would even understand what it means at first glance. We have a corporatocracy, and as Dylan points out, is communism, that now controls damn near everything, including our failed politics, or at least, what these tyrants have molded politics into over the last few decades. While creating a system of racism and extreme classism even longer, and now increasingly incorporating religion into it, and making corporatism, like a type of religion, for people to submit to, and injecting it into captalism. And this time instead of kings of past, we have the CEOs of banks and corporations as the new high priests, that say they been chosen by a higher power, to dictate our finances as well as our morality ... just the same old shit of past centuries repackaged. Which is also why I'll change the name of the series "Neoliberalism Crisis", because we are beyond a crisis, neoliberalism is already the law of the land, also imposed by these tyrants, and their lobbyists, politicians, and judges ... so it will now be the "Neoliberalism" series for the title. Dylan also explains to Jimmy below, why he is so optimistic, because Jimmy is not ... I agree with Dylan on that, as I also point out time and again in these series ... although I do believe it will get worse before better, and it should, it's the best for us, if it does get worse, and must. I also included a couple links below the video that is related to what Dylan and Jimmy are discussing. I'll add a few remarks of my own at the bottom.
Dylan Ratigan: The Super Rich Have No Country. ... Thanx to The Jimmy Dore Show
***** PD/ RCJ: "NEOLIBERALISM CRISIS" ... PART'S 9 THRU 1 (**** this series will be called "Neoliberalism" now)
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp
So many good points that Dylan makes, that should make us question more. For me, this also explains why after the last recession and bailout deal ... why President Obama was constantly telling us "no more bailouts". Because of the new financial reform and Dodd- Frank (wikipedia), which was not Obama's plan, but the plan recommended to him ... basically they all (banks) would take care of it ... being Obama knew that we were unlikely to have to decide or vote anymore whether or not to do a bailout, because of the new legislation. But you can see, as Dylan discussed Obama, how they basically had President Obama in a sort of hostage situation (go to 1:41:00 in video), like they do to many others, same shit as old school racketeers of the 1920's thru 1940's done. There is a silver lining to that though, I guess ... being that instead of having to vote when we are seeing cracks in our financial systems or any trouble, the Federal Reserve can simply rustle up billions to smooth things out without having to go through Congress (still a bailout of sort, and still funding their mistakes with our money). The downside though, is losing that power of the vote ... but it would seem to lessen the blow of any uncoming recession, on how it would impact our economy overall. I didn't know much about how the credit default swap worx, but did know the purpose of creating mass debt for control over us, as I point out throughout this journal/ series time and again ... bottom line, the more indebted society is to these entities, the more money these entities make, and the less power society/ consumers/ citizens have, and strongly weakening democracy, while simultaneously building monopolies that we become increasingly dependent on. I was one of those folks years ago, that had accumulated quite a bit of credit card debt (over $20K, but under $30K, as a working man, it felt significant at that time), back in the mid 1980's to mid 1990's, and it took me a decade to get out of it. I knew the basics of how things worked from what I read, because as I was reading it (financial reports and magazines), much sounded very shaky, you can clearly see scam plans written all over it ... I mean, I have no background education in finance or much of anything, but what I learned on the streets showed me much, enough to know when a bite/ scam was in the details. Also importante, is how the euro has damaged economies in some European countries, as well as trade, and the sovereignty of countries. Globalization is not designed to make us a big happy family, as much as it's to weaken our countries/ people.
When I seen the 401(k) deal starting to replace pensions in the 1980's, I read up on that too ... and called that for what it was. My first introduction to 401(k), was a promo offer at a company meeting I attended, to replace our standard retirement plan (I worked at a Fortune500 insurance company, running the pre- press printing operations). They had us at a luncheon, selling us this deal with added incentives to join it ... most employees seen it as great, and it did sound attractive, the way it was presented ... after reading up on it, I had too many questions about it ... I didn't see it as more secure than the standard retirement plan they already had, paid a bit more (depending on the stock market, and the options you chose to put your money, that "they" offered), but had increased risks, fees, penalties. I knew folks like my Dad, and other uncles/ aunts/ friends that had decent pensions, back up on the east coast (New York and Pennsylvania) years ago, and were far more financially secure over the years, than most in todayz society. Bottom line, I was putting pieces together I found here and there, like a sort of jigsaw puzzle ... seeing how exactly Dylan points out, that all of the money was being redirected from the masses, to smaller and smaller groups of investors. Sadly, as Dylan points out, through things like 401(k), these folks are even investing our money in private prison systems, and well as dirty energy, and many things that are against our interests. When you got rid of Glass- Steagall (wikipedia), that was also to get all of even millions of folks saving/ checking accounts money to play with/ investments (luckily we have FDIC to cover our money), and todayz big banks are of mass fraud and theft ... consumers, customers, taxpayers have the biggest risks these dayz. But giving someone else your money to invest and gamble for you, and paying them to do it, while you are bearing all of any losses, is just insanity, to me. My question is/ was, would these entities give us their money/ capital to invest for them? ... of course not. Bottom line, as Dylan points out above, the goal is to suck dry all capital/ assets, or anything that holds any actual value ... but this includes, a huge transformation of government, to where these largest entities become the new governing body, something I been pointing out throughout these related series. And year by year, regardless of which party is in power, it's increasingly going in that direction as far as money ... even our basic liberties/ rights are being attacked by the same entities buying our politics/ legislation ... which you can clearly see for yourself.
I voted for Obama both terms, and liked him, seen him as bipartisan, thought it may do good to have a more moderate centrist constitutionalist like him, etc. But that was a decade ago, and I had not followed politics much before I got online and started this blog/ journal in 2008. So my political views have changed over the last decade, seeing now, bipartisanship as a failure. Even though I been voting Democrat, I agree with Dylan, and even Jimmy to some degree, when Dylan sayz that both political parties are hostile to America ... absolutely. We have got to the point now through corporatism, to where we are basically voting against who we hate most. The other day in the news, Obama told Democrats to stop moving too far left ... I guess because of the fear of "electability" (but Obama has been raking in big money off wealthy donors and the corporate/ banking sector over the last couple years too), this has gotten a bit insane ... "fear this, fear that" talk. We are told year after year, that we need to move more and more to the right ... why? We have already moved to the right, to where left is almost nonexistent, gave out more olive branches than an olive producer, we have held hands, kissed ass, and bent over backwards, including Obama ... what in Hell good has it done? Why should people fear, asking to be heard, and to be part of the process? You don't want to be ripped off by banks and corporations, more balanced distribution of gains/ capital, not to sell out our country to the highest bidder? ... so that is too far left? ... that's insane! When Obama first went to office, we had a Democrat congress, senate, and President ... Obama asked for a 20% public option on health care, which was bipartisan, pro- business, and would NOT suddenly eliminate the private related industries, but at least force them to compete ... I thought it was a brilliant idea, considering how dependent our economy was on health care industries, etc. And I called that one accurately as well in the start of this journal, when I seen the games the establishment Democrats and their Republican allies started playing ... kicking the can down the road as well with shit like the "trigger plan" (Washington Post), which was, we'll hold these industries accountable if they don't clean up their act in the next 5 years, or we will start a single- payer or whatever. In 2009, it was clear to me, that they were going to push a bipartisan plan, orchestrated to allow only a couple key Democrats to defeat public option, regardless of their talk, and legislate law, to force millions of the most vulnerable working classes, to buy inferior insurance at premium prices. And when people say they want something like "Medicare for All", well, they mean just that ... not a corporate plan where it will be about 10% government, and 90% of parts (A, B, C, D, E, F, etc) to be covered by private unreformed monopolies, don't be surprised if politicans push a "Medicare for All" plan like such.
Here we are a decade later, and health care is in worse shape than it was then, and now taking up even more of the GDP, with a growing majority still asking for choice and options ... we have gotten none. The prices are through the roof, not just nationally, but on a global comparison. I had to get a prescription some years back (4- 5?) after my kidney stone surgery, insurance didn't cover it, the price was $1277 here in U.S., and you needed prescription ... I got the same identical drug in Mexico, for $150, and they didn't even need my prescription ... go figure. I was asked back then, to take 2 full body scans, called MRI (?), by 2 competing doctors, within about a week, and these are not cheap, sending me to a flashy, doctor owned new hospital, takes about an hour, where you lay on a type bedding, listen to music, and they X-ray all around you in some donut type structure ... I told the 2nd doctor ... "why can't we use the X-ray I just took a week ago?" ... he said "sure, that'll work". In other words, if I didn't say anything, they would have milked my insurance for a couple thousand more? Premiums and out- of- pocket/ co-pays have been going through the roof too, year after year, chipping away at your benefits ... I can hardly believe the health insurance plan I had in early 1980s. I paid a small $20 premium (per 2 week paycheck deduction), full family health and dental (The Hartford), most was employer paid as part of my benefit package, I had thousands done in dental work, with maybe 10% out- of- pocket on it, and low deductible. Even when I worked for the insurance company, the coverage and out- of- pocket was multiple times better than these crap plans of today. We alwayz hear of cuts to Medicaid needed, eh? ... for politicians whining about Medicaid costs, single payer would actually eliminate Medicaid, and take a burden off states and employers. When the "Affordable Care Act" was made (aka ObamaCare) years back, I looked at it, and seen it had nothing to do with Obama, but a corporate designed plan, to force millions of poor to buy junk plans, that no politician would even want, and medical providers milking Medicaid, like some do to Medicare (inflated billing and unnecessary tests/ services, etc). And unless you had something catastrophic, you won't even meet deductible, nothing but premiums, out- of pockets, and endless debt ... poor folks were better off going to county hospitals with no insurance, and Trump was right saying people shouldn't be forced to buy it (although, that was mostly political talk). A single- payer is more benefits than losses, and every politician knows it. Senator Amy Klobuchar was honest, when she said that "Medicare for All" won't happen, even though folks whined about what she said ... because she knows that her and many other Democrats with Republicans, will do all they can to stop it in its tracks.
I also agree with Dylan, as far as him being so optimistic on the future ... I felt exactly the same way as him throughout this journal, without even hearing it from him or anyone else. Why?, because I have more faith in people, scientists, those that have innovative ideas, etc ... than I ever had for the political establishment, corporations, or religious leaders. History shows us that people fight back, and even start to make unconventional decisions on their own, and will, as Dylan sayz, do things under pressure, that they wouldn't otherwise do. When disasters strike, natural or man made, who is first in the trenches to help? ... people/ neighbours/ strangers ... most politicians only show up dayz after the damage or storm, to declare it an official emergency, or to give worthless prayers. And look at how people band together when push comes to shove ... the only ones who divide us and damage our societies most, are these ruling entities of mass wealth, who come back every so many decades to try to make us obey and submit. These entities contribute nothing at all, that we can't do ourselves, and have done all ourselves ... their biggest fear, will come when people realize that they never needed them to begin with, and simply walk away. That's why Dylan sayz that the huge risks make way for even bigger opportunity and reason for people to decide to make changes ... it alwayz happened in the past, and will continue. Which is also why I welcome things to get worse before they get better ... we need it ... it gets people off their ass. Jimmy sayz we need folks like "Yellow Vests" ... absolutely! ... and more dissent, disobedience, opposition, even non- violent, combined. And watch them start to whine like babies, and hide in fear, when the tables turn on them ... in time. If the Democratic Party changes, it will come from only more progressives moving into the party ... the likelihood of that must come from the party. Simply using progressives to boost your ratings, then later turning on them, is not good policy, for the sustainability of the party. And this talk that people who ask for simple justice and fairness are "purists", don't cut it either ... you establishment democrats, should stop and look in the mirror, at the type of purist ideology that you embrace ... of "our way or the highway", and rejection of voters that ask for reasonable change and basic accountability and fairness. Year after year, after year, Democrats are told they need to move further and further to the right, be more bipartisan, etc, etc, by the Democratic establishment ... NOT ONCE have I heard anyone, Democrat or Republican, ask the Republicans to be more moderate, centrist, bipartisan, and to move even slightly to the left. I am looking forward to a day, that if we don't see change, a new mass peoples interests party to form ... and not the existing Green or Libertarian, which are also outdated, but something that will serve the times and condition much better.
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