Class Warfare

Discerning women find my mind extremely lickable.

Hmmm, tastes like reason. Yum!

So good!

Throw the bums out.

You are so right! The only way we can turn all of this around however is to DEMAND the National Referendum Vote and replace the Electoral College with one person / one vote elections, dear. Sorry for having to state the truth. But, we can achieve this very easily if we raise our voices in unison.

George Soros spends mega millions funding left wing causes and elections.

Oh my lord, there is one billionaire with a conscience. Glenn Beck appreciates your dedication to his silly witch hunt. :)

Amen to that, Connie.

George Soros. Woooooo...scary.

So, George Soros is all you have? That soulds like 'just say it' and move along. Throw out 'George Soros' as justification for ads belittling our President by billionaires who are trying to manipulate the masses against our government and our President.

How about a break! It's bad enough when it's politician against politician. But now it's just billionaires against the President. WTF How about the masses just get to live for a while? If they have so much money, that they have to buy air time on television stations, why not do something good with that money? Why not do something constructive, which will help America? If they care so much, do something positive.

Give me a break. I don't want to watch negative commercials in an off year, just because rich people have the money to do it!!!!! Just stop it!

George Soros is not justification for American for Prosperity negative ads against President Obama. Koch Brothers are manipulating public discourse with money, just because they can. Sad, sad, sad!

Last year George Soros gave every family on public assistance $200 per child to buy school supplies. What have the Koch brothers ever done for anyone?

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/usprograms/focus/poverty-alleviation/news/child...

With you, Connie!

Thank you for your response. Facts 'really do' matter! Quite a difference, isn't it?

My pleasure. :)

Actually Soros doesn't have a conscious. He's using the left. He makes his money shorting economies and currencies. It's how he made his billions. It's in his best interest to support left wing philosophies that drive down the economy and the dollar.

Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it. Then people with money will buy up desperate people's assets for ten cents on the dollar. Soros will make out big time.

"Give me a break. I don't want to watch negative commercials in an off year, just because rich people have the money to do it!!!!! Just stop it!"

Off year? The presidential campaign season is just warming up. Scott Brown has been facing negative commercials from the left every time there's an important vote. There's a newspaper columnist who bashes Brown almost every week. He's the most popular politician in the state.

Glenn Beck talking points are less than factual. Even if this was completely true, and it is not, there is not a single billionaire in the world without blood on his hands. people do not accumulate that kind of fortune without an element of evil.

It is what you do with it when you get it that matters.

Are you that biased or that ignorant?

David Koch: Since 2000, Koch has pledged and/or donated more than $600 million to the arts, education and medical research.

Koch sits on the Board of Directors of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and has contributed $41 million to the Foundation, including $5 million to a collaborative project in the field of nanotechnology.[26] Koch is the eponym of the David H. Koch Chair of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a position currently held by Dr. Jonathan Simons.

In 2007, he contributed $100 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help fund the construction of a new 350,000-square-foot research and technology facility. He also contributed $20 million to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, $30 million to the Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York, $25 million to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to establish the David Koch Center for Applied Research in Genitourinary Cancers, $15 million to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center.

In July 2008, Koch pledged $100 million over 10 years to renovate the New York State Theater in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and has pledged $10 million to renovate the outdoor fountains at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Koch has been a trustee of the American Ballet Theater for 25 years and has contributed more than $6 million to the theater.

Koch contributed $7 million to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) show Nova, and is a contributer to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., including a $20 million gift to the American Museum of Natural History and a contribution of $15 million to the National Museum of Natural History.

Koch also financed the construction of Deerfield Academy's $68 million center for mathematics, science and technology.

Koch gave $10 million to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory which supports research that, "improves the health of people everywhere."

Charles Koch:

Koch has given money to support public policy research focused on "developing voluntary, market-based solutions to social problems." He has given to the Bill of Rights Institute, a non-profit that educates teachers, students, and others about the Bill of Rights. He has also given to the Young Entrepreneurs Kansas, an organization that teaches business skills to at-risk youth in Kansas schools and to the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project, a scientific effort to compile an open database of the Earth's surface temperature records.

In 2008, Koch was included in Businessweek's list of top 50 American givers. Between 2004-2008, Koch gave $246 million, focusing on "libertarian causes, giving money for academic and public policy research and social welfare around strict conservative ideals".

In 2011, Koch was awarded the William E. Simon Prize for philanthropic leadership. The award honors "the ideals and principles which guided William E. Simon’s giving, including personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual freedom, faith in God, and helping people to help themselves."

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer
All billionaires have pet projects for tax purposes. And your list may be accurate, but you neglected to include financing deliberate attacks on a sitting President.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22koch.html?pagewanted=all
Koch money plays a part in the Wisconsin attack on unions. You may find unions repulsive, but without them, there would have been no stopping greedy business owners from treating workers like slaves.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/apr/08/koch-brothers-lob...
Koch money is instrumental in demonization of the left and any idea that does not conform with corporate takeover of government.

I am not ignorant. I just do not blindly listen to one side of an issue.

I'm sorry, but Scott Brown 'IS NOT' Commander and Chief of the United States of America! Politics in America is not a popularity contest. There are chains of command. Barack Obama won the office of President.

There is a time to campaign and there is a time to govern. Running venomous commercials against President Obama is un-American. We elected President Obama. The Koch Brothers are obviously behind these efforts. They finance the group that is running the negative ads.

Paying for ads to divide our country, just for sport is just wrong. It helps them by dividing US. That has to change. I hope President Obama starts calling out these groups. Every time he speaks in front of the American people, name another group, or individual who is saying negative things to divide our country. I think it's time to shine a light on their dark character.

Your absolutely right, the people with money 'WILL' buy up desperate people's assets for ten cents on the dollar.

Soros is not the one leading the crusade against the President and the middle class. The Tea Party has earned that title! What they are doing is appauling. I hope their parents are the first to take the hits with Social Security and Medicare! Social Security and Medicare cross party lines. Whole families will be affected if Social Security and Medicare take a hit.

No, Soros is not doing what the Tea Party is. The Tea Party says it out loud. They don't care if America crumbles, as long as they get what they want. Just like the wrongs of George W., we will be forced to live with their mistakes. But of course, we will have to just move along. There is no accountability, or shame. They own the media and they control the spin. 'Nothing to see here. Move along', and we do. Shame on US.

You will have to speak for Glen Beck. I don't watch or listen to him. He's as crazy as Olbermann.

The subjecct was philanthropy. I see you didn't like the response, made excuses and changed the subject. It's very typical of a liberal when it's shown they're wrong.

Obama never stopped campaiging when he beame president. He's out doing fundraisers already. It's open season on candidates.

I believe the way Obama has constantly been negative and played class warfare with the country in an attempt to divide rather than pull people together displays a very dark side of character.

Projection. What an enchanting right wing attribute.

I don't consider what the Koch Brothers are paying for using the name Americans for Prosperity as campaigning! It's character assassination, plain and simple.

If it were a person running for President, it would negative campaigning. But it's not a candidate doing it. It's a group of rich people paying for commercials to discredit our President. Negative campaiging is bad enough. What the Koch Brothers are doing is past negative. It's disgusting!

Sadly, you are correct. Unfortunately, accountability would be what leads them to shame and there is no accountability. Only in the court of public opinion and our media is there to spin their accountability into 'nothing to see here, move along'. Shame on media first and foremost. They have failed US!

The Tea Party is for fiscal conservatism. The Tea Party is for saving entitlements so they continue to exist for future generations. The liberal agenda is to spend until we're broke. The spending cuts (ROTFLMAO) don't cut a thing. Most federal programs have automatic 10% increases built into them. The deficit will increase 7T in the next ten years even with these (ROTFLMAO) cuts.

The president is ruining his own character. Either he's an incompetent who can't lead and shouldn't run for reelection or he's a sellout to his backers and shouldn't run for reelection. Pick one. From the other side of the political fence people disagree with his erratic leadership and game plan. The man doesn't have a long term economic policy. That's what's killing the country. "It's the economy, stupid!"

Yes, but if people who received tax cuts did with them as they were intended, our economy would not be in decline. They would be creating jobs and growing our economy. But instead they are living large, spending money on politicians. The large sums of money corrupting our elections, comes from somewhere. I would rather see that money generating positive benefits for America, than working to divide us. Shame on them!

Come on, they say they are sitting on their money, because they don't like what Obama is doing. They say it 'out loud'. It's not working class Americans who are not doing their part. It's the people who make over $250,000.00 per year who are not stimulating the economy. People over $1,000,000.00 should be doing something to create jobs. If not, take away the tax cuts for jets and living large.

Large sums of money are being funneled into nasty commercials, just to discredit our President. These commercials do not promote a candidate who is running against him. They represent a group claiming to be American, who want to take down our government. Elections 'DO' have consequences. President Obama WON! He 'IS' our President. It's time for the right-wing to get over it. Don't embarrass themselves by acting poorly. Even Republican Representatives are supposed to be leading this country. They are 'leading' division. What kind of 'leadership' is that?

Don't blame it on us and act as though the Tea Party is something special. They are following the wrong leaders. Many of them will realize they led to their own short comings. They supported the ones who are going to cut Medicare. They supported the ones who are trying to end Social Security as we know it. Sadly, we will all have to live with their bad choices. 'I didn't know' shouldn't be good enough. Ordinary Americans who believe groups like 'Americans for Prosperity', represent prosperity for them, are terribly misguided.

'Open season'? That mentality is what is 'destroying' us from 'within'!!!

What, do you think this is 'just say it' and move along? I for one have been disappointed that he compromised as much as he did! He extended the tax cuts after saying he wouldn't. He gave up on 'National Health Care' without a fight.

President Obama has power. I wish he would use the rest of his term to get things done! Use his power and watch you guys cry. The country would be better for it. Who cares if you cry. No one cared that I cried during the Bush years. I helped to change it by supporting Barack Obama. Then when he gets into office, evertime you guys cry, he sells me down the river.

Don't just 'say it' and move along. You are wrong!

I hope he starts outing these 'dividers' for what they are, by name! I hope he starts talking about their spin and unspins it with facts, while shaming those who think they can lie to the American people and get away with it.

Spin is 'facts' distorted, leading away from truth. It's time to find the truth and talk about it!

Kudos. Thank you for your response. I appreciate the dialog.

There are so many people talking, our voices get lost in the crowd. I appreciate your voice. Thanks for sharing.

It is the economy. I understand his intentions. But to think he will be met halfway is misguided. President Obama has spent over the first half of his term appeasing cry babies. I hope he spends the rest, impressing his base. Show us 'real' leadership! Get this country out of the ditches. Implement policies, which will change the way we do business, not by asking the rich what will help them.

People want jobs! It's time to lead, 'educate, innovate, build! Yes we can!

I consult with small businesses. They aren't hiring. They have no idea what Obama has in mind for the future. They complain Obama doesn't have a coherent economic plan. They do hear Obama wants to tax their businesses more and them too if they make over 250K.

" I hope he starts outing these 'dividers' for what they are, by name!"

Obama is the biggest divider of them all. He constantly talks class warfare. HIs nickame is the Divider in Chief.

"President Obama has spent over the first half of his term appeasing cry babies."

For the first two years Obama along with Pelosi and Reid passed legislation against the wishes of the American public. It's why the Democrats got swamped in the House elections. Obama can only lead when he owns all the cards, A real leader sells his ideas to the public when he has to sway political opinion. The public isn't buying what Obama's selling when he speaks. It's why he's a failure when the Democrats aren't in complete control. To compensate he's selling out his principles to get reelected.

Well actually he was busy trying to stop the catastrophy caused by the Bush years and appeasing the Republicans. His mistake was not pursuing those who were responsible for the disaster. His looking forward and not backward, let the guilty walk free.

The media spin and large sums of money from outside groups, is what happened to the House elections. Republicans ran ads 'where's the jobs', as though they would create more jobs. They didn't even try to create jobs. That was a sham to get into office.

When the facts come out about Rupert Murdoch's shenanigans (crimes) in America come to light, people will see how he corrupted American politics.

ObamaCare had nothing to do with Bush. It's the biggest objection of the people.

Let me tell you, ObamaCare wouldn't hold a handle to ConnieCare! I would have taken it much farther! I would have implemented programs, which would have helped people get affordable health care. I would not have 'sold out' to the Corporate Health Care Industry, which puts profits before people.

Another question. Why bring up Bush? You couldn't take my answers about the criminal actions of Bush and Cheney. The only discussion I would talk about regarding Bush and Cheney isn't health care. Waterboarding, torture and wiretapping ring a bell?

OMG, their base was openly the have's and have more's. They are how we got into this mess. I only have 'sometimers', not full blown alzheimers.

You rock!~ Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For democracy to matter, we have to practice it. Please join in a national day of protest by not buying anything on November 5. If we shut down commerce (especially online commerce), we can send a strong and clear message that we are tired of being taken for granted. The corporate overlords are trying to push through legislation which would allow the government to collect names, addresses, phone numbers, bank account numbers, and other data from every Internet user, and they're calling it an "anti-pornography" bill. We have to stop this kind of blatant intimidation before they build a database with all of our lives' vital information. We have to declare independence from marketers, militarists, financiers, and politicians. We have to take back control of our personal and business lives. Please ask everyone you know to spread the word that November 5 is "No Commerce Day." Thanks.

Thanks - something concrete we can do to express our displeasure.

You're welcome.

I agree totally, Progresshiv. I have personally not made an on-line purchase for years and plan never to do so again. Due to my financial condition I haven't made any kind of major purchase in many months so it won't be a tough thing for me. We have a government who has turned its back on us, so all we have left is our own self-preservation at this point. Big Brother is alive and well and invading every part of our lives. We must resist the total takeover.

"Please join in a national day of protest by not buying anything on November 5."

These kinds of protests are a waste of time. People spend the money the next few days.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm sure your time could have spent in a more fruitful way, though.

Why am I not surprised you don't understand the goal of that type of boycott...

Don't like the truth on a futile idea?

I get it .... style over substance. It's symbolism that is forgotten in days if it even becomes news.

I like the idea because I think it brings awareness to how and why people spend their money. Any kind of non-violent act to bring about positive change is not a waste of time, in my opinion. And if a few people realize how important their spending habits are, then that alone is worth the effort.

I'm asking everyone I know to not buy anything November 5. If we shut down commerce (especially online commerce), we can send a strong and clear message that we are tired of being taken for granted. The corporate overlords are trying to push through legislation which would allow the government to collect names, addresses, phone numbers, bank account numbers, and other data from every Internet user, and they're calling it an "anti-pornography" bill. We have to stop this kind of blatant intimidation before they build a database with all of our lives' vital information. We have to declare independence from marketers, militarists, financiers, and politicians. We have to take back control of our personal and business lives. Please ask everyone you know to spread the word that November 5 is "No Commerce Day." Thanks.

I can get on board with that and I will ask those I know. Thought they have reached the point that they hate when I bring up politics. Why, oh why do people chose to be ignorant? I am also suggesting that we not support those who depend on our bucks to sell their entertainment but support those who would ensure that we don't have the revenue to do so. Boycott republican artists and stars.

I suggest you never again purchase anything made by or sold by a corporation. Otherwise you're just blowing smoke.

Yes!

Are you choking yet?

Only from laughter.

Very true. It is a sad commentary on human nature.

We can't sue the government, but we can stop this by refusing to buy anything November 5, 2011. If large corporations refuse to pay taxes and advocate collecting all of our personal information if we go online, then we can shut them down by refusing to buy anything. It is time that we did more than talk.

If we can't sue the government (and I have to wonder about that, considering the revolutionary language about "suing for redress of grievances") can we sue individuals for a broken contract?

I don't know. That's a question for the legal eagles.

You know what would be really cool--OMG, it would turn this nation on its head...

If a large group of people simply boycotted the televised election coverage on election day. Televised coverage has the highest viewer ship over a long term, and makes the most money, from election coverage.

It would be better to boycott it during the entire season, but harder for many to do.

Hell, boycott the election at the same time. It's just a charade, anyway.

I think that would be a wonderful way to poke them in the eye. Multiple boycotts, one after the other, that hit them square in the organ they value above all else: the wallet. We can drive them crazy with repeated guerilla nonviolent strikes.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Thanks. It's time we took the country back from the inbred assholes who have been robbing us blind.

I agree.

My sister and her husband were robbed of over $200,000 when their company's pension plan went belly-up, and no one was held accountable. The thieves and liars who have been raiding our bank accounts need to be stopped.

Wow, what a clear-sited way of looking at it.

Could there be a court case taking this position? Like a class-action suit?

I know, what wasn't lost directly due to the Ponzi-Hedge managers, like Madoff, was lost to unregulated markets that were being "overseen" by people philosophically opposed to regulation, including Madoff. And now that they know they won't even go to jail, and the Dodd Frank bill has no teeth, or even gums, what's gonna stop them?

We wouldn't win but at least the truth would be a part of the public record. They already own the courts, $5vs4.

The Egyyptians, faced with a fascist dictatorship (armed by U.S. weapons manufacturers), took to the streets. We'll have to do the same.

Thanks, Bob. Your point about emotional apathy hits hard, because it certainly seems like millions of folks are sleepwalking. Would it take an invasion by aliens to awaken Americans?

March 23, 2009, my boyfriend, a reporter for a small weekly newspaper, came home with a six pack and a pint of whiskey. Monday normally is deadline day, but he decided he’d heard enough. His fellow workers informed him, as soon as he entered the small office, that everyone would AGAIN have to take a week of furlough, this time in the second quarter of the year. I wrote this then (since then, he's been laid off).
This man has been a faithful, though underpaid, news gatherer and writer for 22 years. He has endured the crazy hours and crazy personalities of covering a small town; my boyfriend had endured years of abuse from a publisher who said he would “get writers off the street” and from a selfish editor who steadfastly refused to give my boyfriend raises he had earned. A publisher recently noticed how little he was paid compared to people who had even less time in and rectified it. Finally.
But this year, my boyfriend will lose at least two weeks of pay, while Gannett, at least until last year, had posted double-digit profit margins. (See http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/documents-reveal-double-digit-profit.htm... )
He had red circles around his eyes. He didn’t even have the heart to finish his drinks and went to bed.
However, I refused to cry. I saw in him the plight of all of us hard-working, but abused, people who work, or have worked, for soulless conglomerates of any type. And I’m pissed.
But instead of screaming and crying, I am calling for a national, AND PEACEFUL, strike, for one day, maybe two, and as soon as possible.
All you who are making $25,000 or less as full time workers for big companies, walk away.
All you who are laboring in large companies without adequate health insurance, walk away.
All you big box store employees, walk away.
All you truck drivers who must drive 20 hours a day, even though it’s illegal, because the boss requires you to, walk away.
All machinists, construction workers, factory and garment workers who labor long hours for large companies who threaten to take away your jobs, walk away.
All you chain fast-food “restaurant” workers, walk away.
All chain restaurant workers paid minimum wage despite declining tips, walk away.
All you reporters, copy editors, camerapersons, technicians, technical support persons, and typists working for conglomerate media, walk away.
All you farm workers, slaughterhouse workers, dock workers, miners, walk away; immigrants, legal or illegal, walk away with your brothers and sisters.
All you city, county, state, national, hospital workers and teachers hang out your signs in support.
Workers’ children, make signs and hang them out of your windows for your parents, and yourselves.
Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, praise the workers walking away; join them.
Walk away peacefully, even wordlessly, with signs large and small to tell your stories.
We need to walk away—for a day, maybe two. AS MANY OF US AS POSSIBLE! We need to show the people who are supposed to represent all of us (our congresspersons and senators) who really does the work in this economy. We need to show who really needs the “bailout.” It wasn’t the so-called “lazy union workers” and “illegal ‘imgrints’ who take all our jobs” who got us into this mess, it was many greedy people leading many conglomerates from all industries (not just banking).
Those who sit on their fat asses and gather profit while tearing away the souls of this nation’s workers don’t need another damn thing—except some long-deserved workers’ rights litigation.

Let’s show them we don’t need them, either. They—and the nation’s economy—need US.

Maybe that wouldn't even work. It would be like video game deja vu. I don't think too many people read their labor history enough to know what has been fought for already. Maybe they think it all just comes to them if they wait, or the floodgates of easy credit will open up again to "save the day". They just can't see the pattern that is developing here. Once many of these "entitlements" and benefits are gone, (like the jobs that left already), it will all be gone for good.

We should walk, and organize, and get politically active, and set up websites,(it only costs $8 a month), and call out our corrupt local politicians on what they do. We should show up at protests, and, study our labor history. We should have national holidays for Mother Jones and Eugene V. Debs. We have to make them respect the laboring classes again, no matter what it takes. But I get the feeling that the feeling of solidarity just isn't there, for those who are not currently in a union. My biggest fear is that all of the support shown union workers this year by people from all situations will not be reciprocated to those who are out-of-work or unorganized. That is where the next battles should be fought. First, we need jobs, second we have to fight for those who are being bullied by the mega-corporations. If we give up and lose this struggle, we are doomed to a life of destitution.

Strong and sensible ideas. it will take such a a strike to make the point. I suggest November 5.

Maybe it wouldn't, but not trying it will definitely not work.

Exactly.

^d x infinity.

The apathy is really disheartening. I post articles on my Facebook profile daily and I am sad to say those listed as family and friends barely give a notice. It's getting so that I want to write a post and declare that "if you can't give a hoot where this country is going and how it will effect you then I can't be bothered to have you listed as a friend of mine."

Don't need them? Keep holding out. See who's left standing.