Enough politics already

[altivo]

It's time to tell these moronic politicians to shit or get off the pot, as my Dad used to say. And shit is what they're full of. Drastic cuts to spending as proposed by the Republicans would certainly trigger another bout of recession or worse. Historically that's what has happened every time it was tried as a "solution" when the economy was already in the dumps.

It would be amusing if it weren't so disgusting. Hyper-wealthy men, or their minions who are beholden to them, proposing to take away social support programs that help to make life at least tolerable for those who are less fortunate than they are. Actually, it's much worse than that. What we are seeing is the extremely wealthy trying their damnedest to move us backward to the economic conditions of the 1700s. The golden age when poor people were left to die on the street if they couldn't get a job or pay for medical care, and when wage slaves had no rights at all and had to work 50 or more hours a week for a pittance, while their employers lived the comfortable and idle life of leisure. Women had no rights at all, children were fit only to serve as slave labor in factories and mills, and woe unto anyone who questioned the social situation. This is what the Republicans stand for, make no mistake about it. The comfortable life for rich white men, and to hell with everyone else.

I hope at least that the Rupert Murdoch empire is about to crumble. He's abused his wealth and power long enough, it's time he was shut down. And I hope he takes Fox News and the tabloid press along with him to hell where he belongs.

Comments

[avon_deer]

A lot of media drones are talking about the collapse of the Murdoch empire on this side of the Atlantic at least. Speaking as someone who has despised Murdoch and his works long before it was fashionable to do so, even I feel this may be wishful thinking. Though I have never liked the guy, one thing I have learned is never to underestimate him. Evil he is. Thick he is not. His business acumen and sheer deviousness will continue to ensure he has a big say in the media in future. I doubt very much we have seen the last of him. Though if I am wrong (and I really hope I am) I will certainly be popping the champagne open.

[baphnedia]

As for m'self, I think that keeping the social programs in place is just fine; but changing (and raising) taxes. Oh, and get the contractors the hell out of the government. If they're a production contractor (like Boeing), that's one thing - they produce stuff. If they're a service contractor, they need to be gotten rid of, and replaced with good ol' federal employee labor (since federal employees get paid a lot less than commercial value for the jobs they do - but get a good benefits package). Of course, this comment would only serve as the beginning of my soapbox, and I don't intend to stand on your soapbox. :)

[altivo]

Just getting rid of the old Bush and Reagan tax cuts for the most wealthy would help a lot. And certainly there's plenty of government spending that can be cut without these proposals to kill off medicare or the Dept. of Education.

Let's start by eliminating Congressional paychecks. Those guys are all wealthy anyway, or at least getting larger kickbacks from their corporate masters than they ever get in Federal pay. And next, we take away their cushy retirement benefits and free health care and make them suffer with what the rest of us have.

If that doesn't wake them up, then I say it's time for the guillotine. The French seem to have been right after all.

[altivo]

Well, I suspect Murdoch himself can't live a whole lot longer. One can hope that like Alexander's empire, his will fall apart in bickering and calumny when he's no longer around to hold it together.

The real issue is much more stubborn: human stupidity. If people didn't read garbage like News of the World and take it seriously, or watch Fox News and believe the distortions, these things wouldn't happen at all.

[avon_deer]

I very very nearly made a jounral post on Sunday saying exactly the same. Essentially blaming the readership. But I could not cope with the drama, so I did not.

[hrrunka]

It seems from over here that the Republicans so want Obama to fail that they're prepared to do just about anything within their power to the economy to bring that about.

[altivo]

Yep, you've got it. At least 99% of what is going on here has nothing to do with helping or saving the economy or doing what's needed. It is entirely about gaming, the total hostility that has polarized the US for decades now. If someone from "the other side" suggested or even mentioned anything at all, it's automatically a lie. If they propose a solution, it can't be accepted under any circumstances. There is no rationality involved at all now. The Republican party in particular is operating under these rules, but many of the Democrats are just as bad.

Meanwhile, nefarious manipulators are able to take advantage of the deadlock to promote their own agenda. And that is the really bad part of it.

[avon_deer]

The GOP are in a win/win position on this though. If Obama caves in, they have their spending cuts with no tax increases. If he hold firm, and the US defaults; they can blame him and say it happened on his watch.

[altivo]

Yep. Game theory again. That slimeball Newt Gingrich used the same techniques to abort every progressive move made by the Clinton administration.

[avon_deer]

Very true. And it's also interesting to note how quiet the British press have been about the potential danger of a United States default, which could be economically disasterous for the whole WORLD were it to happen. I guess the News International story is more important as it involves the media itself. Nothing like a bit of naval gazing.

I do hope the president and congress are able to come to some sort of deal which averts disaster but does not screw the poorest.

[altivo]

Obama has already demonstrated the fact that he has no backbone and will cave if they push him far enough. Things look very bad, I'm afraid.

It's the old history repeating itself thing. Roosevelt did it in 1938. Kennedy was failing the same way and only made progress by getting himself assassinated. (The assassins were too impatient and tried to force things to move to the right faster.)

Carter and Clinton were both castrated by the same techniques that are being applied in Washington right now. Again and again, it's a combination of clever marketing purchased by abundant wealth (what used to be called "propaganda") and political grandstanding to create a smokescreen over the real action behind the scenes.

The US is really just a plutocracy, but the wealthy overlords have learned to hide their actions just enough so that the masses don't see through it.