slothropia.com

Protest over. Site no longer blacked out.

Here is the great Thom Hartmann discussing the “freedom” and what it means in the U.S. of the 21st century:

“I think freedom means the right to have security in our economic system and our banking system, rather than rule by banksters,” he said. “Does freedom mean that business should be allowed to get as big as it can, so that we find ourselves in a situation where six financial institutions control 60 percent of the wealth of this country? … There is not a major industry in this country that is not now more than 70 percent controlled by fewer than six corporations. That is not competition. That’s monopoly. That has nothing to do with competition.

“As Franklin Roosevelt said in 1936, he said, ‘They hide behind the flag and the Constitution, but in their blindness they forget what the flag and the Constitution stand for.’ He said we must stand up to this kind of power. He said, ‘These economic royalists complain that we seek to overthrow the institutions of America. What they really complain about is that we seek to take away their power. Our commitment to American institutions requires the overthrow of that kind of power.’”

Contrast with the Right’s use of the context and content free use of the word and others, including “liberty”.

Here’s another sign that we are living in the New Wiemar Republic, where political insanity is the norm. Speaking to a group of Massachusetts Tea Thingies, Andrew Breitbart discussed how he was constantly under attack from the Left (which presumably includes anyone who is not a rabid Republican):

“I’m under attack all the time,” he said. “The call me gay. There are death threats… There are times when I’m not thinking as clearly as I should, and in those unclear moments, I always think to myself, ‘Fire the first shot. Bring it on.’ Because I know who’s on our side.

“They can only win a rhetorical and propaganda war. They cannot win. We outnumber them in this country and we have the guns I’m not kidding. They talk a mean game, but they will not cross that line because they know what they’re dealing with. ”

I don’t know what a “propaganda or rhetorical war” is. Maybe he is referring to “elections”. And given that the Tea party is one of the most unpopular groups in the U.S., I don’t know why he seems to they he and his kind have some numerical advantage. And who is it that he thinks wants to instigate some violent confrontation with the Right?

Perhaps there are no rational answers to these questions, since Breitbart is clearly an irrational, defensive paranoid. In any case, here is the Breitbart in all his raving, Youtube glory:

A few weeks ago I rolled out of bed on a Monday morning and went to the inter tubes to get the news. The news about Jack Layton was a kick in the gut though looking back we should have known it was closer than we wanted it to be.

Then, after what seemed like mere hours following an amazingly moving and somehow uplifting state funeral, it was back to politics – not politics as usual mind you, but real politics, the kind of politics that is not bean bag. The NDP leadership campaign has begun with the entry into the race of Brian Topp. Topp was joined at his Monday announcement by former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent and Quebec MP Francoise Boivin.

Topp’s candidacy does not puzzle me, but I don’t understand why it has been given as much weight as it has. He may be the world’s best campaign manager but I, like many others apparently, don’t know if he has any of the retail political skills it takes to get elected dog catcher, let alone MP or PM. The present contest will help answer that question, but I don’t know why the party would pick Topp over someone who is already, without question, well positioned to consolidate the gains made in Quebec.

To old school NDP eyes, Mulcair may be tattooed with dozens of question marks, but if the criterion is to AT LEAST keep the gains of May 2, he should be able to fill the bill.

It seems like Peter Julian, Megan Leslie, Romeo Saganash, Niki Ashton and a few others (along with Topp and Mulcair) should make for a substantial and lively debate. Pat Martin should stick to attacking Conservatives. There will be no merger as we understand the term, although some level of coordination might be attempted.

It will also be interesting to see how all the provincial elections interact with the internal contest. Gains are expected in Newfoundland and Labrador and perhaps PEI. Manitoba may re-elect the NDP. Ontario at last seems almost ready to forgive. A Stephen Lewis like outcome (20 to 30 seats) would be a real boost to the Federal Party.

Cross Posted at Peoria Progressive.

Remember how Paul Ryan got booed and had to answer tough questions about his medicare voucher plan when he held town hall meetings earlier this year? Well it seems the Congressman has discovered how to avoid such embarrassing scenes in the future: charge admission to keep out the riff raff. Per David Dayen at Firedog Lake.

I’ve been writing about the invisible town hall revolution, where dozens of conservative members of Congress have been bombarded by ordinary citizens delivering progressive messages. This actually started after the passage of the Paul Ryan budget in the spring, and some members have figured out methods to deal with it. Some do only tele-town halls. Some throw out “disruptive” constituents asking the wrong questions. Some screen the questions. Some hold no town halls altogether. Some stack town halls with loyal constituents. And now, Paul Ryan and friends have hit on a new approach – charge money for the town hall meeting. According to David Dayen at Firedog Lake:

It will cost $15 to ask Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) a question in person during the August congressional recess.

The House Budget Committee chairman isn’t holding any face-to-face open-to-the-public town hall meetings during the recess, but like several of his colleagues he will speak only for residents willing to open their wallets [...]

Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) is scheduled to appear Aug. 23 at a luncheon gathering of the Arizona Republican Lawyers Association. For $35, attendees can question Quayle and enjoy a catered lunch at the Phoenix office of the Snell & Wilmer law firm.

And Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) took heat in Duluth this weekend for holding private events in his district’s population and media center — including a $10-per-head meeting hosted next week by the local chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which on its invitation notes that the organization “supported Chip in his stunning upset over long time Congressman Jim Oberstar in the 2010 election.”

There is no constitutional requirement that Congress Critters hold open meeting with their constituents, but citizens do have the right to petition their representatives and their government. There should at least be a political price to pay for such cowardly evasions. Per Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Graeme Zielinski:

“Paul Ryan has had a hard time going before open crowds, and for good reason,” Zielinski said. “I’m sure Ryan doesn’t want to go before the public to explain while his extreme ideology caused Standard & Poor’s to downgrade U.S. long-term treasury bonds. Beside, Ryan likes smaller settings — the kind where you can cozy up to a hedge fund manager and get a good $350 bottle of wine.”

Closer to home , I received an invitation to one of several “listening sessions” Rep. Aaron Schock will be holding in the near future. They are all in little bitty rural communities and appear to be scheduled to last about 20 minutes each, all in one day. No admission fee afaik. But I would much rather see Schock hold an open meeting for anyone who cares to come for a discussion devoted to jobs and the economy. Schock has some ideas about how to create jobs – or rather, he has talking points that have been given to him to mouth. Other people have other ideas. I think it would be useful to hold an open and open minded discussion about all these ideas in an atmosphere in which frank and honest exchanges are possible. No insulting or racist signs, no name calling by either side. Just a conversation between an elected official and all those he represents – not just friends of the Congressman.

Following is the correspondence I have endured with my Congressman over the last few days:

Representative Schock,

Two days ago I inquired about the possibility of social Security Checks being delayed or canceled, as I am a Social Security pensioner. You responded as follows:

Dear Mr. Jones,

Thank you for contacting me with regard to the payment of Social Security monthly benefits in the event of a government default.

In the event of a government default, the government would lose authority to borrow more money, but it still will continue collecting regular tax revenue—which is substantial. The President is then responsible for prioritizing government expenditures, so it is up to him to decide which obligations are to be met. I see no reason whatsoever that President Obama would voluntarily chose not to pay Social Security recipients on time for the full amount of your monthly benefit.

I further believe—but cannot guarantee—that if the President were to chose to hold up Social Security checks that the Congress would ensure payments would be made up to recipients very quickly once an agreement on raising the debt limit is reached. But again, I see no need to interrupt Social Security benefits for even a few days.

Most importantly, I am hopeful that we will avoid such a situation entirely by reaching an agreement soon from the intense negotiations which are ongoing.

I absolutely understand how deeply many seniors rely on their Social Security checks for basic needs and that any interruption in benefits—even if only for a few days—would cause great difficulty for many seniors. As one member of Congress, I intend to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.

These negotiations are contentious and intense because of the tremendous consequences for our country. We have to stop borrowing money because sooner or later it needs to be paid back with interest. It is immoral for the current generations of Americans to enslave the next generations to a mountain of debt.

Current plans to deal with the deficit take great pains to ensure that everyone over age 55 will keep receiving 100% of both your current Social Security benefits and stay on the current Medicare program. Again, there is absolutely no reason to delay the payment of Social Security benefit checks for even a few days because of any plans to deal with our national debt.

I do not support measures to change or reduce Social Security or Medicare benefits for current retirees or those about to retire in the next ten years. Beyond that, we are working on strengthening both programs to meet the needs of the next generations of Americans to retire and support themselves financially.

Thank you very much for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future with regard to this or any other issue.

Sincerely,

My reply to you is this:

You and your party are wrecking this nation’s economy with your phony deficit hysteria. You are going to put millions more out of work and into poverty. How do you sleep at night?

I am sick of your talking points. Pull your head out and start thinking for yourself instead of parroting whatever madness Grover Norquist tells you to spout.

If I miss any Social Security checks I will hold you and your party responsible.

The GOP should grow up and govern or go out of business. Much more of this nonsense and maybe the voters will put you out of business.

Sincerely,

Larry Jones

Earlier today, late afternoon Norway time, a government office building in Norway was destroyed by an improvised explosive device (bomb). Reports on this event were quickly followed by news of a shooting at a Norwegian Labor Party youth camp. Reports this evening are that the death toll at the shooting is 80 and rising.

I learned of the bombing ans shooting as I learn of so many things by surfing the ‘net. I noted this afternoon, as I drifted around the inter tubes, that commenters at many sites were blaming Muslims, as is their custom. Their narrative is structures so that terrorism = Jihad.

It is still too early to speculate and there are a lot of details to be learned about these events. The Norwegian authorities have barely begun their investigation after all. But they do have a suspect in custody.

Norway’s TV2 reports:

The 32-year-old Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik set Friday night in a police interrogation after he was arrested after the shooting of vermin.

Right-wing
According to TV2′s sources, the arrested belong to the right-extremist groups in eastern Norway, and the man must have registered two weapons on their name – an automatic weapon and a pistol of the type of Glock.

Here is what the suspect looks like:


Huffington Post reports that Breivik had a Twitter account. He had over 100 followers, followed no one and tweeted only once, saying, “One person with a belief is equal to the force of 100 000 who have only interests.”

The people of Norway must be stunned and horrified. This will be a day remembered in grief for generations. The senseless loss of over 80 young people will no doubt be keenly felt by all of that small nation’s citizens, not just the families of the victims. All North Americans can do is sympathize and try to understand the pain Norway must be feeling.

The right in the U.S. and Canada will have difficulty trying to incorporate this incident into any war on global (meaning Muslim) terrorism

I am reliably informed by Think Progress that Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are both opposed to any cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits.

This proves that such cuts are opposed by almost everybody. I wonder if President Obama is aware of this fact. I am beginning to wonder if he wants to be a one term President. He is certainly doing all he can to alienate the people who voted for him in 2008.

Last week when it was reported that Obama had put Medicare and Social Security “on the table”, liberals and progressives exploded in rage. Fifty bazillion signatures were attached to who knows how many petitions against such a move. I, along with many others contacted the White House directly to make my position known.

To no apparent effect. Today we learned that Obama has offered to raise the eligibility age for Medicare. That hole he is digging is getting close to six feet deep, and such a hole is hard to climb out of.

Paul Krugman tries to figure out why the President seems to downplay Keynesian responses to the ongoing economic nightmare:

I’m not alone in marveling at the extent to which Obama has thrown his rhetorical weight behind anti-Keynesian economics; Ryan Avent is equally amazed, as are many others. And now he’s endorsing the structural unemployment story too.

SNIP

The question then is why. As I’ve tried to show many times, the facts overwhelmingly refute the anti-Keynes talking points. Neither the invisible bond vigilantes nor the confidence fairy have made an appearance. So why is Obama talking up those talking points?

OK, here’s an unprofessional speculation: maybe it’s personal. Maybe the president just doesn’t like the kind of people who tell him counterintuitive things, who say that the government is not like a family, that it’s not right for the government to tighten its belt when Americans are tightening theirs, that unemployment is not caused by lack of the right skills. Certainly just about all the people who might have tried to make that argument have left the administration or are leaving soon.

And what’s left, I’m afraid, are the Very Serious People. It looks as if those are the people the president feels comfortable with. And that, of course, is a tragedy.

In other words, the reason Obama acts like a moderate Republican is because he is a moderate Republican.

Meeting adjourned,brothers and sisters. the bar is open and I’m gonna use it.