November 29, 2007
November 28, 2007
Robert Borosage: Psst! What About the Damn Economy?
Robert Borosage, TomPaine.CommonSense, November 27, 2007
Do we have to wait for soup lines in Shaker Heights before we have a serious debate on the economy? In the last two Democratic debates, not one question was directed at what to do about the economy. Iraq, health care, the politics of parsing, pearls or diamonds – all got attention. But the economy – growth, jobs, wages, inflation – the basic stuff has been missing in action. Now, with Republicans headed into the YouTube debate on Wednesday night, it’s time for the unctuous moderators to cut to the chase.
The candidates haven’t done much better than their interrogators. Republicans, for the most part, have been content to praise the Bush economy – “the greatest story never told” in Fred Thompson’s favorite mantra. Economic policy is just another ideological litmus test – prove your conservative credentials by promising to defend the Bush tax cuts and sprinkle on a couple more, while pledging to slash domestic spending. But cutting spending (and jobs) as the economy is headed into a recession is akin to using kerosene to douse a fire.
Democrats have focused more on the pressures facing working families – health care, affordable college, deference to trade fears – but they too have basically assumed a growing economy going forward. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s constant refrain is: Get Bush’s “crushing deficits” under control. But deficit reduction when the economy is slowing doesn’t make much sense, either.
What’s clear now is that this economy is in trouble. The credit crisis is roiling global financial markets. Housing prices and sales are down, with millions of foreclosures beginning to have far broader effect. Oil is at $100 a barrel. The dollar is sinking; gold is near record highs. Food prices are rising. Parents might well be tightening their belts while trying to find toys that won’t poison their children.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is about as dour as he dare be publicly, projecting sluggish growth through the spring. Larry Summers, Clinton’s former Treasury Secretary, says a recession is more likely than not. (Bob Rubin, Summers’ mentor, was no doubt too preoccupied trying to bail out Citibank to comment.)
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If you believe there’s a God, raise your hand
Bart,
Here’s my answer to your challange. I’ll raise my hand to profess my belief in God; a God who does not condone the conditions in Robert Parry’s rant. In Matthew 25:34-46, Jesus describes how He will honor those who give a drink of water, a meal, clothing, or minister to the needs of the less fortunate. He also tells of the condemnation awaiting those who exploit them. Some of us believe that Jesus was the first to preach Socialism. The book, “Acts of the Apostles” relates how members of the early church practiced a form of socialism, where the members shared everything they owned, so there none lacked for any of their needs.
Today, many of us support with our time and our money organizations like the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, and various other missions, shelters, and other charities where the homeless and the indigent are provided with assistance. Concerns about abortion, homosexuality, and other “sins of the flesh” are put on the back burner, and are less important than helping the needy — because that’s what Jesus did. Jesus showed compassion toward the poor, the sick, and His most severe condemnations were for he Religious Right of His day. The church I belong to, goes out into the community, periodically, to help the poor and the elderly with home repairs; we maintain a prison ministry, and there are those who regularly visit the sick and shut-ins.
It’s not true that the United States is a Christian nation. The religion of the United States is Capitalism, and the god of Capitalism is Mammon. The major dogmas of Capitalism are that (1) Greed is good; (2) Profits are more important than people.
I would rather conduct my life, living as though there is a God, and at the end, find out that there is not, than to live my life as though there were no God, and at the end find out that He exists. It would seem to me that it takes a greater faith to believe that this universe came into being through a series of random events, than to believe that there is an intelligent, all-powerful God who brought it about by an act of His will. The “Big Bang” was God speaking all this into existance.
Not preaching at you, my friend, and would never try to force my faith on you. Just giving you the perspective of one who believes in God and is willing to raise his hand in affirmation.
All the best to you, and keep on hammering.
Bill in Versailles.
November 27, 2007
Romney Brings His Bigotry Against Muslims To The White House
If you are an American Muslim Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says you don’t count. Romney who has made many negative comments about so called “radical” or “extremist” Muslims fighting against us in the Middle East has now brought his racist tone to American Muslims.
At a campaign appearance in Nevada a few weeks back Romney made a comment that many consider a bigoted attack on Americans that happen to be Muslims. When asked about having a Muslim in his cabinet Romney responded by saying “I cannot see that a Cabinet position would be justified” based on the percentage of Muslims in the U.S. Most people that are elected president base their selections for Cabinet secretaries on a candidates qualifications not their religious affiliation.
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BartCop.com Volume 2074 – Little Chechnya
BartCop.com Volume 2074 – Little Chechnya
In Today’s Tequila Treehouse…
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Our Two Americas |
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Pulling a Linda Blair  |
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Vets Losing Bonuses? |
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GOP Needs Rich, White |
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Happy Days Here Again? |
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Lott’s Gay Sex Scandal |
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Why I hate Hillary… |
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Our Media Poodles |
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Keira Knightly’s butt |
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Big Media ‘Fair and Balanced,’ But Not for Rudy
Imagine for a moment that Barack Obama, when he was a candidate for the Illinois state senate years ago, had attended a rally of drunken black police officers shouting insults and racial epithets at Chicago’s white Mayor Richard M. Daley and, in the heat of the moment, Obama leapt up and, gesticulating wildly, went on an obscenity-laced tirade against Daley, to the cheers of the angry crowd. The local daily newspapers the next day are filled with reports of the incident, one calling it “shameful,” and Daley accuses Obama of trying to incite the black cops to riot. Later, when asked by reporters why he did it, Obama refuses to apologize for his outburst, saying only that he tends to get over-emotional when talking about black police officers. Just how would the mainly white media have played that story these days as an indication of Obama’s character and fitness to be president? Wouldn’t they have questioned his maturity and judgment for making the profane remarks? Wouldn’t they have pondered soberly the dire consequences should a President Obama suddenly become ‘over-emotional’ during a world crisis? Wouldn’t they have further taken him to task for supporting a mob of racist police officers? And that’s just the MSM — the right-wing blogosphere and Fox News would have had a field day pummeling Obama.
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