So Angry!

I love my brother. I really, truly do. I know he doesn't believe it...we try hard to work through things...to see the same side of the road....but for some reason, we have managed to move further apart on things that really have little to do with "us" as brothers. We are both passionate about our positions...so much so...we will never be able to appriciate each other's point of view - and that is sad...so I try not to involve myself with these types of conversation with my brother....and it's been working (until the past few days....).

My brother and I do not see eye to eye on very much. Ok-we don't agree on anything really...but we do agree on one thing...the bailout that is currently being considered is WRONG. That said, we disagree as to how we got to this point (nothing new there. To put it in perspective, you should read his posts as of late....blame the democrats ...and oh, yeah, by the way Bush wasn't strong enough to stand up to the bullying Democrats...so he is a little to blame as well...(whatever!)

So I read his blog...even though it really angered me to my core (so I'm an emotional, sappy, liberal)....and I made a few responses,. My brother then stated that I was being "pompus" (but he used the big word "bloviate" ...and i'm elitist???)and accused me of not reading through his analysis to the end. So...angered, yet again, I responded (DAMMIT!!)..and here is my response:

We do agree on this. But as I stated earlier - you still want to lay blame with the Democrats. Your President has presided over some of the most disasterous policies this country has ever seen....he has been a FAILURE. Yet, Obama (and McCain aren't leaders -they are populists?) What does that make Bush..besides the obvious IDIOT and FAILURE?

This economic "SHOCK" as Naomi Klein aptly describes it, is a scare tactic devised by the same people that gave us the buildup to war with Iraq. "Grave Danger" "Impending Doom"...etc, etc...fear fear fear. Ridiculous!

The fact that we are even discussing a "bailout" has me ready to burst at the seams. So - while we agree that the bailout is the wrong answer to this problem - we disagree on how we got to this point in the first place...

And why is it the Democrat's fault that they didn't "push back" enough on the ruling party when these changes took place in 1999? IT WAS YOUR PARTY THAT WAS IN CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yet again, the Republican Party bears no responsibilty for what has happend. And yet again I say...shame on them.

The buck stops with the current administration...one you faithfully helped get elected and re-elected....one that you so staunchily defended on several occassions....let's really see who is taking from the the middle class .....sounds like your argument of redistribution of wealth (that you always preach to me) has been going on ...just in the opposite direction - and with all of us holding the bag!

I am sorry that you think I am the pompus one here ...interesting considering that you are always pontificating the merits of the Republican Party ...well - your party is the party that brought us to the table where we currently sit...so Cheers!

Yes, you do slightly blame Bush, but he is only guilty of "not being stronger" on the issue..What?

I did read your complete analysis....I respectfully believe that you look through glasses that paint a one-sided view of the entire situation. There is enough blame to go around. But the blame ulitmately lies with this administration. So, I will not apologize for speaking out....I love you Jimmy - but you stand on the wrong side of the "blame" issue here.

I promised myself that I would not get ensnared in these arguments with you - I really try...but I am sick and tired of this administration and the Republican party not taking responsibility for what has transpired over the past 7 years.

Our country is in dire straits. you can continue to believe that 40 years of Democratic rule has caused this (funny considering that the republicans have run Congress since 1994 until 2006...12 years! With a number of those years having the White House and the Supreme Court as well.) But this mess lays squarely on the policy positions of your party...."free markets"....no government regulation. This is where that gets us.

Peace.Love.Live.
JPB

The Shock Doctrine: It is coming true

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ NAOMI KLEIN'S BOOK THE SHOCK DOCTRINE YOU NEED TO NOW. Don't stop to think for a moment that the words she writes aren't based in serious research and fact. Her detailed accounts bring to light what is REALLY happening. If you LOVE this country...you need to read this book.



Disaster Capitalism in Action
Now is the Time to Resist Wall Street's Shock Doctrine
Naomi Klein, Huffington Post, September 22, 2008

I wrote The Shock Doctrine in the hopes that it would make us all better prepared for the next big shock. Well, that shock has certainly arrived, along with gloves-off attempts to use it to push through radical pro-corporate policies (which of course will further enrich the very players who created the market crisis in the first place...).

The best summary of how the right plans to use the economic crisis to push through their policy wish list comes from Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. On Sunday, Gingrich laid out 18 policy prescriptions for Congress to take in order to "return to a Reagan-Thatcher policy of economic growth through fundamental reforms." In the midst of this economic crisis, he is actually demanding the repeal of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which would lead to further deregulation of the financial industry. Gingrich is also calling for reforming the education system to allow "competition" (a.k.a. vouchers), strengthening border enforcement, cutting corporate taxes and his signature move: allowing offshore drilling.

It would be a grave mistake to underestimate the right's ability to use this crisis -- created by deregulation and privatization -- to demand more of the same. Don't forget that Newt Gingrich's 527 organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, is still riding the wave of success from its offshore drilling campaign, "Drill Here, Drill Now!" Just four months ago, offshore drilling was not even on the political radar and now the U.S. House of Representatives has passed supportive legislation. Gingrich is holding an event this Saturday, September 27 that will be broadcast on satellite television to shore up public support for these controversial policies.

What Gingrich's wish list tells us is that the dumping of private debt into the public coffers is only stage one of the current shock. The second comes when the debt crisis currently being created by this bailout becomes the excuse to privatize social security, lower corporate taxes and cut spending on the poor. A President McCain would embrace these policies willingly. A President Obama would come under huge pressure from the think tanks and the corporate media to abandon his campaign promises and embrace austerity and "free-market stimulus."

We have seen this many times before, in this country and around the world. But here's the thing: these opportunistic tactics can only work if we let them. They work when we respond to crisis by regressing, wanting to believe in "strong leaders" - even if they are the same strong leaders who used the September 11 attacks to push through the Patriot Act and launch the illegal war in Iraq.

So let's be absolutely clear: there are no saviors who are going to look out for us in this crisis. Certainly not Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, one of the companies that will benefit most from his proposed bailout (which is actually a stick up). The only hope of preventing another dose of shock politics is loud, organized grassroots pressure on all political parties: they have to know right now that after seven years of Bush, Americans are becoming shock resistant.

Peace.Love.Live.
JPB

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Words to Live By

Quote: "And to preserve their independence,we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude." -Thomas Jefferson


Enough said.

Peace.Love.Live.
JPB

Umm....Yeah....DUH!

As if it wasn't plainly obvious. Yes, dear Claymates! Clay is Gay!




Peace.Love.Live.
JPB