Community | August 01, 2011 | 248 comments

‪The Kennymotown Show - Special Comment 1‬‏

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHxW5d7uc8Y

kennymotown
My fellow Americans the following is a SPECIAL Comment from the Kennymotown show!
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248 comments // ‪The Kennymotown Show - Special Comment 1‬‏ // Video

  • artemis6
  • kennymotown
  • dalistuff
    • +2
      dalistuff  

    • been out and about... nice one KM! will everyone see the light at the end of this bout of wealth and power play the middle class as a sponge of imaginary currency? WTF

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • berryoh
    • +1
      berryoh  
    • Image

    • Bush 2.0: 100 Ways Barack Obama Is Just Like George W. Bush

      Bush 2.0: 100 Ways Barack Obama
      Is Just Like George W. Bush

      The election of President Obama was in no small part, a referendum on the administration of George W. Bush, and his victory was interpreted as a sound rebuke to eight years of open ended warfare, a vast and growing police state, the destruction of civil liberties, disregard for the Constitution, unchecked executive power, lies and broken promises, hypocrisy and arrogance, a lack of transparency in government, out-of-control federal spending, fever-pitch fearmongering, rampant corruption, and some really stupid gaffes. But what have we gotten instead?

      More of the same. A LOT more of the same. In fact, every negative aspect of the Bush Administration has come back with a vengeance in the presidency of Barack H. Obama. Everything the American people detested so strongly about Bush has not only characterized the presidency of his successor, it's gotten much worse. Don't believe me? The following is a list of 100 ways President Obama is just like President Bush. We might as well consider it a third Bush term on steroids, or call Mr. Obama "Bush 2.0." If you honestly didn't like Bush, you can't possibly justify liking Obama, not unless you ignore the facts:

      (I swear if this doesn't hit the front page of Reddit and every other social media website out there, I'll punch the next kitten I see in the face.)

      Open Ended Warfare
      One of the most disastrous and destructive aspects of the Bush Administration was a ramping up of the military-industrial complex to a level unprecedented in U.S. history. Bush's Global War on Terror worried critics because of its lack of clear objectives, no set timeline, and no specific enemy (as terror is a tactic, not an enemy). Along with it came the Bush Doctrine of preemptive warfare against countries that had not attacked the United States, which formed the foundation-- along with a few lies and sketchy intelligence-- for the massive, costly, and deadly war in Iraq.

      The antiwar movement in America reached a fever pitch under President Bush, and rightly so, but has Obama put an end to this tragic era in American history? He could be forgiven if he had merely taken some time to draw down troops in the Middle East and abroad, but instead, within his first term Obama has actually taken Bush's war machine and put it in overdrive, sending significantly more troops to fight overseas, spending more money on "defense" than even Bush, and engaging the U.S. in even more conflicts on more fronts, sometimes even ignoring the Constitutional separation of powers (i.e. breaking the law) in order to pursue warfare on a level unmatched by the worst excesses of the Bush Administration:

      1. Iraq - We should have known in 2008 that we wouldn't see any real change from the Obama Administration. Despite campaigning for the U.S. Senate in 2004 on a platform of voting against Bush's war budgets, when he became a Senator, Obama voted for every single one of Bush's requests to continue funding war in the Middle East. Apparently, his streak of broken promises started long before campaigning for the White House (and we'll get to those later down the list).

      Then right off the bat in February of 2009, a mere month into his administration, President Obama revealed a phony withdrawal plan that would take three months longer than promised, and leave a whopping 50,000 troops in Iraq (out of the 135,000 that were there when Obama assumed office). Eight months later in October 2009, 131,000 troops remained in Iraq, and Obama sent another 1000 at the request of theater commanders in Iraq. Seriously.

      2. First Surge in Afghanistan - Think Iraq was bad? It gets better! Mr. (Blind) Hope and (Regime) Change kicked off his presidency with a 17,000 troop surge to Afghanistan in February of 2009. 17,000! Don't defend him. Don't say it was necessary to help win the war there. You would not have defended Bush and you know it. Mr. Obama started his presidency by radically escalating Bush's war.

      3. Second Surge in Afghanistan - But wait- there's more! By December of 2009, less than a year into his presidency, Obama decided to outdo even himself and send another whopping 30,000 troops to Afghanistan! By this point, Al-Qaeda was scattered and devastated. Our troops were overseas fighting someone else's civil war, not defending our freedoms or our safety.

      4. Phony Afghan Withdrawal - In June of 2011, Obama announced a "troop withdrawal" from Afghanistan, and true to form, it was as phony as his Iraq withdrawal. Even if he stays on schedule and makes the most "radical" withdrawal on the table by the end of 2012-- 30,000 troops-- there would still be more than twice as many troops as there were in January 2009 when Obama took office. Only in the Orwellian world of U.S. foreign policy could something like that be called a withdrawal.

      5. The Rise of Drone Warfare - The Obama Administration's continued and extensive use of weaponized aerial drones to bomb enemy targets in countries throughout the Middle East (sometimes resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians at a time when the drone operators or intelligence make a mistake) has touched off a drone arms race with the rest of the world, most notably China. Great. Just great.

      6. Bombing Campaign in Yemen - Bush bombed in Yemen, but Obama's really been stepping it up.

      7. Bombing Campaign in Somalia - In Somalia too!

      8. Bombing Campaign in Pakistan - Under Obama, there have been more drone strikes in Pakistan than there ever were under Bush, and they're also claiming more civilians lives, Pakistanis claim, leading the country into uproar and protest against the United States.

      9. Bombing Campaign in Libya - In March of 2011, President Obama took America to war in an entirely new country, Libya, taking sides with insurgents in a civil war against a dictator that Washington has supported for years up until now. Expanding Bush's old wars wasn't enough it would seem; Obama had to start some new ones of his own, against a country that had not attacked us and did not threaten us. And get this: in all likelihood, we've been fighting on the same side as Al-Qaeda in Libya's civil war!

      10. Defense Spending Levels - "Defense" spending has only gone up during President Obama's first term from $616 billion under Bush in 2008 to $768 billion in 2011, and Obama still wants even more. We were promised change. Why are we spending even more on bombs and bullets?

      11. Record Casualty Levels - Under Obama, the wars haven't just gotten bigger, more numerous, and even more legally dubious than under Bush (more on that later)-- they've gotten deadlier. According to the most up-to-date figures as of this publication, under Obama, the U.S. casualty rate in Afghanistan is five times greater than it was under Bush.

      12. "Overseas Contingency Operations" - Despite ramping the Global War on Terror up to unprecedented levels as detailed above, the Obama Administration decided to seriously downplay its title by renaming it "Overseas Contingency Operations." Chillingly Orwellian, isn't it? And quite typically Obama: make no substantive changes at all (other than to make things worse and accelerate the damage done by Bush), but do make a big deal about changing a name or a logo!

      13. God and War Rhetoric - To wrap up Obama's continuation of Bush's foreign policy, I give you none other than Jon Stewart, marveling at how similar Obama's war rhetoric is to Bush's, even to the point of invoking God in our fight against other countries, and "refusing to apologize" for our way of life (which apparently includes bombing everybody else):

      continue reading:
      http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2011/08/bush-20-100-ways-barack-obama-is-just.h...

    • 10 months ago
  • awizard2u
    • +2
      awizard2u  

    • ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING !!! I'm with you, Kenny, on every word you have said. Know that I stand side by side with you. I'm 61, white, and college educated and fed up with the tea party republican racists ! Keep up the great work Kenny.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • Almibry
  • kennymotown
  • cherry5000
  • kennymotown
  • Hardytoo
  • kennymotown
  • demsbeans527
    • +2
      demsbeans527  

    • Kenny, you are correct that this faction of Republicans called the tea-party is destroying this country and I wish I was as optimistic as you are concerning the president and his saving of the country.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • 2warsoffbooks
  • kennymotown
  • AmericanStandard
  • kennymotown
  • Almibry
  • SFirman
    • +5
      SFirman  

    • Thank you Kenny. Your best special comment. I agree with you. Obama has accomplished a lot. He has now saved us from default. The tea party held him and the American people hostage. In 2010 voters let the president down. What was he to do, let us default. He is not going to please everyone. That's not possible. We need to get rid of these teapartiers that don't care about us.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • chew_chew
    • +3
      chew_chew  

    • Your videos and posts are always enlightening, Kenny.

      I have refrained from commenting on "specifics" of the debt ceiling "negotiations" since the hoop-la started. That is simply because I have no idea what the specifics are. During the process, specifics change from moment to moment. I hear updates from each side; what I hear from the Democratic side holds little value until I see where they (if they) stood their ground; and what comes from the professional Republican politician side has no value whatsoever, as they lie and distort almost as often as they breathe.

      The specifics may be out now. But I haven't had time to see what they are, so still no comment about that.

      From my perspective, this is a pivotal moment in his Presidency. But regardless of how Mr Obama's actions turn out, one thing is certain from my perspective: The Koch Bros / Murdoch and professional-Republican-politician mindset is destroying America, and they must be stopped if America is to survive. We still have a chance, but they are relentless. Our numbers is our strength.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • warman1138
  • kennymotown
  • wolfess
  • kennymotown
  • Leen61
    • +9
      Leen61  

    • kenny,
      You asked that I view your Special Comment. Now that I have, I will tell you exactly what I think and how I feel. I really don't care who gives me shit about my comments. I'm roasting here in WI (the temps here have been insanely hot) and I'm going to be 50 this month. I'm too old to give a rat's ass about what other people think. I'm a realist. It's not always fun being one, but I believe it's better than living life with rose colored glasses on. First off, Obama is as guilty as the Reps are for this horrible debt ceiling deal. The Reps weren't holding him hostage. Obama is not a fighter and has no spine. He turned his back on the American people...again. Namely the working class. (see the Paul Krugman story posted here and it will back up what I say). Obama and the Dems passed up on a great chance to use against the Reps the cutting of the social safety nets for their leverage issue. They could've used that for 2012. Instead,they caved in....again. I'm tired of Obama calling the social safety nets "entitilements!" That's just what the far right loves to hear. They are NOT entitlements, we the people paid into those social safety nets and now we are being told they won't be there when we need them?! BS!
      As for the wars, don't get me started. But I will say this, we are currently at "war" with Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemmen, Libya etc. For what? NOTHING! Except for making the MIC money. Look around this country....it looks like something out of a Mad Max movie! Have you seen what Detroit and New Orleans look like lately? They used to be 2 of America's major cities. The truth is this....the powers that be don't care what this country looks like just as long as the places they go to look good. To hell with everbody and everything else.
      Lastly, WI. I'm sick, sad and discouraged about what went on here in my state over the weekend. The burning down of the One Wisconsin PAC building in LaCrosse will hamper the efforts of the recall elections on August 9th...if they happen at all, now! If WI sadly goes down, at least WI can say "We went down fighting!" I'm at the point where attilatheblond is......I can't even get mad anymore. Not to mention that life is tough already. My husband is working a contract job that will last for 6 months. He's hoping the company hires him. It's the only thing left we can hope for. We are paying $1200 a month for COBRA because we can't be without health insurance. But this routine can't go on. If the company doesn't hire my husband, we are toast.... just like our country already is.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • alexandrek
  • warman1138
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • kennymotown
  • alexandrek
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
    • +1
      Leen61  
    • alexandrek:

      I never read the "Tales of Two Cities" but I just googled it. Madame DeFarge was a strong charater, but her revenge led to her downfall and death. :( So, I don't know if me reminding you of her is a good thing....

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • Leen61
  • kennymotown
  • Leen61
  • demsbeans527
    • +2
      demsbeans527  
    • Leen61:

      Leen, I thought about Wisconsin today while listening to the audiobook, people's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. The chapter I was listening to was about the civil rights movement and how it spread. It discussed how, what would today be the tea party, the segregationists resorted to violence and fires to intimidate, harass and cause as much destruction and human suffering as possible. It only served to spread awareness to others. I am hoping that this is how it will be played out in WI. That the movement will spread and back up is coming.

    • 10 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +1
      wolfess  
    • Leen61:

      I agree with you 150% -- it was Obama that was all chummy with McConnell over the week-end, and look where we are now -- the things that really mattered to US got flushed down the toilet just like the public option and single payer did. As far as I am concerned, Obama can walk on water, and turn one fish into 10 gazillion, I STILL WON'T VOTE FOR HIM!
      Pwr to the peons b/c our president sure as hell isn't doing anything to help us!

      And no Kenny, I most assuredly am NOT a tea partier, I'm not even a reptard. I AM a progressive, and a postmenopausal witch who PLAYS. WITH. DOLLS. >:-

    • 10 months ago
  • cherry5000
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • alexandrek
  • Leen61
  • alexandrek
  • Leen61
  • sauzin
    • +1
      sauzin  

    • President Obama doing us favors? How brainwashed do you have to be to believe that? If this latest deal isn't enough to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that President Obama is just another arm of the corporate right then I don't know what could. If there weren't such social unrest, I'm sure Obama would have cut further. Obama is pulling this country as far right as it will go. Any further, and there'd literally be riots. There still might be. I'm not yet certain what's going to happen when people hear that their SS checks and Medicare reimbursements are going to be smaller. It's one thing to steal money from our pocket, it's another thing to go after our grandma and her meds.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
    • +2
      kennymotown  
    • sauzin:

      We shall see, it is my understanding Social Security wasn't touched and there will be some defense cuts. Besides, no deal and financial default would have really thrown us off the cliff!

    • 10 months ago
  • sauzin
    • +2
      sauzin  
    • kennymotown:

      That wasn't my reading of it. As I heard, the initial 1 trillion in cuts does not exempt social security and medicare. The additional 1.5 "switch" option, if the special committee is unable to reach an agreement on additional cuts does exempt social security and medicare. I haven't been able to find any details as to what the first trillion is and is not hitting.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • sauzin
    • +1
      sauzin  
    • kennymotown:

      One more note, the 14th amendment option. Say Pres. Obama had used it, and then the republicans had sued and it had went to federal court. Consider the political consequences of that. It eliminate all the other things that the republicans are trying to attach to the bill and force them to argue only one point with the courts. That the the US should be allowed, no worse, forced to default on it's debts. They'd never do this. Such a challenge would be political suicide. Obama never had to negotiate anything. There was no real crises, just a political opportunity to make some of Obama's corporate contributors happy while making it look to his constitutes that he was forced to do this against his will. Nothing but political posturing that equated directly to campaign contributions for the upcoming elections. Default was never an real possibility.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • sauzin
    • +1
      sauzin  
    • kennymotown:

      The 14th amendment argument holds that the dept ceiling can't constitutionally exist and is thus null and void. This would allow the president and the treasury to ignore the debt cap for already appropriated funds. I'm sure the republican party leaders would throw a fit, but I can't imagine them actually taking it to the courts. As for the Harry and Nancy, with Obama being their party leader, I can't imagine them suing their own party leader. Maybe I'm missing your point here, but as I understand it this isn't a budget issue (which if it were it would require congressional approval as congress constitutionally sets the budget and appropriates funds). These funds have already been appropriated. We are within our budget. The debt issue is separate.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
    • +1
      kennymotown  
    • sauzin:

      I think you are missing my point, A deal was made by each side so the President pretty much at this point can't use the 14th. Now if this deal doesn't get done and we are at the last minute of the clock then he can use it. I hope I made that more clearer, he can't just say alright stop this nonsense he has to wait when everything has been exhausted. Hey I would love for no deal and the 14th being applied, but it looks like both sides are figuring something out.

    • 10 months ago
  • sauzin
    • +1
      sauzin  
    • kennymotown:

      OK...I'm going to do something terrible here and turn this into an analogy. Boat Captain Obama tells his crew that they need to make a deal to punch a grandmother in the face otherwise the republicans on the boat won't row and the boat will sink. He didn't think it should be a very hard punch, he wanted to use 16oz gloves, and he wants to punch a rich guy in the face to make the rest of the crew happy. After much negotiating now he gets in front of the crew saying he's reached a deal that involves 2 punches to a grandmother's face, one now and one in two months with 12 oz gloves and only a little bit harder then he originally planned. No punch in the face for the rich guy though. Now here's the punch line (excuse the pun)...the boat has a perfectly good gas engine and Captain obama has the key that turns it on. Infact the republicans don't intend to really row anyway, they are just going to "let" us use the engine and complain about not rowing.

      Now your argument is, since he's already made the deal he has to follow through rather then just using the engine and not punching the grandma? I don't get it. How can punching the grandma be a good idea under any circumstances? It has nothing to do with the boat moving or sinking, except that it might make things worse. Why did he feel the need to make a deal about rowing when he had the engine fueled and the key ready? It sure seems to me like he's just pissed at grandma and wants to blame someone else for him having to punch her in the face.

      I recently read that SS and Medicare cuts look to be off the table, assuming the special committee in 3 months doesn't agree on a a deal that makes cuts to the programs. I don't really care. Half a trillion is being cut from domestic spending. Half-A-Trillion! Where is that money coming from? Since President Obama has always had the ability to extend the debt, why are we agreeing to any-of-this?

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
    • +1
      kennymotown  
    • sauzin:

      We shall see who gets punched (Loved that analogy) won't we. Plus the cuts are spread out over 10 years, plenty of time for new elected people to change whats down the road. Kind of like the Bush Tax cuts written into law should have expired last year, it can always be changed. We can not give up, if anything this should motivate us all to elect true progressives as soon as possible. The Republican party is relentless, they don't give up how can we give up?

    • 10 months ago
  • SFirman
  • SFirman
  • oboith
  • SFirman
    • +3
      SFirman  
    • oboith:

      He is in command. He kept this country from default, Which would have taken our economy down, worst then Bush. It could have brought the world economy down. We don't want to be dead beats on money we borrowed, most long before Obama. I assume you meant the teaparty as traitors. If so how do you arrest people the voters elected. Get rid of them in 2012.

    • 10 months ago
  • oboith
    • -3
      oboith  
    • oboith:

      GWB could make decisions..they were wrong, but they were made.. His decisions affected the whole world...whereas Barry's indecision has affected the whole world. Two thumbs down.

    • 10 months ago
  • SFirman
  • kennymotown
  • kennymotown
  • SFirman
  • freedomsings
    • 0
      freedomsings  

    • Thanks Kenny for putting your words into what the majority of people are feeling.
      I am so angry at how the President turned against the American People.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
    • +2
      kennymotown  
    • freedomsings:

      Thanks, but I'm not sure he turned against the American people. This debt problem is not a real issue and just gave the right wingers more raw meat, and we saw how THEY turned against the American people. They were willing to let this country crash and burn!

    • 10 months ago
  • remanns
    • +1
      remanns  

    • The Tea Party is tasteless,....and toxic.

      p.s - and they want to FORCE a drinking of Kool - Aid. Sorry about the bitter mix of metaphors.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • attilatheblond
    • +2
      attilatheblond  

    • Have reached the point where I can't even get mad anymore. One typist with a soul, up on the Hill, putting in some stray sentences here and there, where nobody will actually read them, is about the only hope for the nation.

      I hope there is one, truly caring, patriotic typist with the courage of her/his conviction, to fuck this up for the criminal class that is running things. And that is the ONLY hope I have left. Pretty pathetic for an old fighter like me.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • ClassicalGas
    • 0
      ClassicalGas  
    • attilatheblond:

      Take a short break, get outside, take a walk, get some fresh air, find something of overwhelming beauty to immerse yourself in, go to the park and listen to children laughing. Too much of this insanity can sap your strength, recharge for a couple of days and think things through.

      ~ From an old fighter who gets it. ;-)

    • 10 months ago
  • attilatheblond
    • 0
      attilatheblond  
    • ClassicalGas:

      Thank you for the sage advice, and for giving a shit and sharing it. You have NO idea what a help that is. Sadly, where I live, the parks never have children playing in them and all but about 10 registered voters in the whole county are GOPTP (tis true!) and think FOX is actually accurate. I putter in a garden, behind a wall that keeps me from wanting to choke the stupid out of most people in my vicinity. LOL

      Really. If not for the online community options, I would forget how to use the language.

    • 10 months ago
  • keithponder
  • kennymotown
  • Frosty46
    • +1
      Frosty46  

    • The Tea Party has WON! Won big, won without question, won with the full support of the Republicans, won with serious support of the Democrats, won with the support of all mainstream US media, won with the collusion of President Obama.

      We have witnessed real change in America, not the bullsh*t change Obama promised but true change that will shape America's future for decades! That's decades as in 30 years or so---------------------

      Meanwhile the culprits in the Financial Collapse, the Saving & Loan con game of the 80's, the faked wars, the missing 16 Billions from that airstrip in Iraq, the no bid contracts to cronies, the OIL con game that's still evolving-----you get the ides; ALL go uncharged, not held accountable, scott free, and winning the most important political battle of this century!

      Thank you President Obama, thank you Republicans, thank you Democrats, thank you US Media Syndicates, for sticking the workers of America and the world!

    • 10 months ago
  • Georgia_Jim
    • 0
      Georgia_Jim  
    • Frosty46:

      This deal only provides cover for the President and other political leaders by using a Gang of 12 to do the dirty work!! The problem with this is that the American people always lose if a special commitee is formed. The rich and Wallstreet have no triggers that hit them. Triggers will only hurt the Dems because everyone knows the Defense will have to be cut away after the wars end!! Thanks Obama for screwing the American people with this Super group of 12!!!!! Obama is now a one term president!!

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • wolfess
    • 0
      wolfess  
    • Georgia_Jim:

      You are so right -- I will do whatever is necessary to make absolutely certain Obama doesn't get 4 more years to just ADD to the damage caused by 8 years of the shrub.
      Pwr 2 da peons!

    • 10 months ago
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +1
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • wolfess:

      You've stated who you don't want to be in the White House. Who DO you want to see there? If you're taling about getting behind another Democrat, Independent or some other kind of Third Party candidate, all you will be doing is watering down the Democratic Party ticket and opening a door wide open for a Republican to walk through the front door of the WH and into the Oval Office. If you think Obama is terrible, wait until you live under a Republican in these times. They think they have a Manifest Destiny to destroy the America we have become accustomed to living in. Corporations would interpret that as a green light to do whatever they want with workers' rights. You may even see the end to paid vacations, sick days and holidays. And healthcare provided for their employees? Gone. Retirement pensions? Gone. Unemployment insurance? Gone.

      But you will have the right to work twelve hours per day, six says per week for a salary. Hourly pay will be.....gone. Overtime pay? Gone.

      I've heard what the REAL Republicans say in their back rooms about where they want to take this country.

      And it ain't Heaven. More like the other "direction".

      And remember, whatever Obama lets happen to SS and MediCare is not even close to what the Republicans want to do. Kill them off. I'd say that's worse than reduced beneifts or losing COLA increases.

    • 10 months ago
  • wolfess
    • 0
      wolfess  
    • Buckeye_Bill:

      I asked for some input on all of this on another story yesterday -- no one bothered to give me any guidance. I don't see that much difference between Obama and a repub president, and that is what bothers me. I voted for Obama b/c I wanted ANYONE who wasn't repub and the shrub -- I still feel that way; ergo, I plan to vote for Bernie for president and then vote straight dem for EVERY other office that is open next year b/c I'm hoping by voting dem no matter who is in the WH the will of the people will start to matter again.

    • 10 months ago
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +2
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • wolfess:

      All it does is divide one Party or the other when you vote Third Party. You're THROWING your vote away when you do that since that candidate has a snowball's chance in Hell winning. It comes down to an either or proposition. Either a Republican wins or the Democrat. None other.

      Now, think about it for a second. Where would we be if McCain had won? The Republican agenda would be working double overtime ending SS and MediCare and the only option you or I would have today is figuring out who and how much we would be paying for privatized healthcare and retirement plans.

      We would be holding a voucher, or as the Republicans call it, coupon to use to negotiate with a healthcare provider what kind of plan we could afford. The one where the plan doesn't kick in until you've spent all of your life savings, sold your house and car and begged family and friends to loan you money...THEN they would pay so little that you'd be hardpressed to find a doctor that would take you in as a patient...if you could find one. Then, all the money you would put into a PRIVATE IRA would be at the mercy of the stock markets and could be eaten up by an unscrupulous investor and there would be absolutely NOTHING for you to live on if that happens, because the government would be out of that business. No fall-back plan like the SS Trust Fund does now for all those workers that toil every day, earning just enough to pay bills, buy food, clothe their bodies, etc., etc., then at the end of the day have nothing to put aside for their retirement. But the Republicans would just blame you for not being smart enough to invest it wisely. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

      How many of those smart Wall Street investors lost their shirts, too? And think how all those public and private pension funds lost so much that many have gone belly up and there's nothing for all those workers who slaved their lives away....except.....our government backs those pension funds but the retiree receives a small portion of what they were promised. And that would end too. The SS Administration is the most efficient government-run agency ever! They charge less than 1% to operate it. If we allow private firms to run it they have already said that they will charge above 6%. We'll lose money right out of the gate. And there will be no FDIC type insurance plan to rely on if all your money is lost.

      I hope this helps explain why I think it would be suicide to vote for anyone BUT the candidate chosen to represent the Democratic Party.

      Divide and be conquered.......that's what will happen to those who say they won't vote for Obama will be doing to the Democratic Party! But they will be doing that also to those who do vote for him, too.

      I can't thnk of a better gift for the Republican Party than Democrats splitting their ticket!

    • 10 months ago
  • SFirman
  • alexandrek
  • kennymotown
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  

    • Well, if Social Security and medicare will not be touched that is good. However, I am waiting to see Wall Street dealt the blow they deserve and frankly, I am sad because I fear the environment will be sacrficed in the process. They don't give anything unless they get back, and their free for all frenzy bill is still going on with so many riders attached to it I can't even keep it straight. So for me, that is what I am watching now as well as other decisions coming down the "pipe" (pun intended if you know what I mean.) But I do agree with you about Republicans and their obstructionism and the Tea Party. I am still not completely sold on Obama's policies however, but I will read what this is about and judge based on that. If he sold our environment down the river in a corporate fire sale to get this, I'm sorry, but I will not tolerate that.

    • 10 months ago
  • alexandrek
  • Buckeye_Bill
    • +1
      Buckeye_Bill  
    • alexandrek:

      I can see it now! Natty Nancy Marching into Congress with a large contingent of SS Card Carrying Seniors surrounding her with that GREAT BIG GAVEL in her hands, with the strut as if she was just crowned New Heavyweight Champion of the World, flashing the BIGGEST Crest Teeth-Whitening Smile as they all are singing this song!

      I must be daydreaming again...

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • mspray11
    • +1
      mspray11  

    • As usual, great stuff Kenny,

      What happens when the big fear of default is over? The rethugs will just find another “fear factor” to use for blackmail. We just signed yet another “death panel” to dish out to the population. Perhaps we should examine it this way. The president thinks he just guaranteed himself another term. We are still cutting into social services in two parts this time as to dilute the blow. I think it is just another way to convolute the outcome with more interference. There was mention of maintaining education costs. Are they seriously pushing this further down the road so they can educate to people that fell off of the grid? For what, to put the grunts back to work so we can milk them for even more down the road? They are just dressing this up to make it not look like slave labor. I wonder how many well paid psychologists are working for Washington these days. They have to somehow paint this up to look like they saved the country while sticking it to the middle class. That is putting it mildly. It sounds like they want to educate people just enough to shut up the masses all under the “good cop, bad cop” routine. The one thing the “think-tank” knows for sure is that the American attention span is very short. They are banking that this will blow over while people find a way to survive working for peanuts. I think the backbone of this country has been pushed too far this time. I know one thing is for sure. The days of assuming your children will have a better life than you, are over. We are really going into the abyss this time into unchartered territory. If you cling to such things as religion, then the time to pray is now. I wonder how much more of this manipulation does this president expect us to take? I have always been a diligent person, but even my loyalty is being tested here. I think Paul Krugman said it the best; "Make no mistake about it, what we’re witnessing here is a catastrophe on multiple levels.".
      Those of you that are lucky enough to still be working will probably walk into work this Monday morning to confront some happy bosses. Life will just go on as usual as you take another beating for “the man”. Just remember that a third of your check is likely not going anywhere that matters to you. Speaking of such, when do the needs of the working class become a special interest again? I truly wish we had instant run-off voting, because I would definitely vote all the bums out this coming election, and I do mean “all”. Deregulating corporate campaign donations is going to go down as the ruin of this society that we once knew. It is becoming apparent that we may have gone beyond the point of no return.

    • 10 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • telcod
    • -2
      telcod  

    • Kenny, Obama has no spine. He did not rise to the office and he ain't worth voting for again. Check out George Carlin on "Don't blame me, I didn't vote." Write in Richard Nixon next year. At least your vote won't be wasted. The fix is in. Has been for a long time. The arguments are bogus and make about as much sense as Disneyland with no electricity. No use sliding down the razor blade. Pax.

    • 10 months ago
  • Buckeye_Bill
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