Yesterday, I worked on the computer most of the day. Busy, busy describes my days when I return home from traveling. And, a mental promise to off load “stuff” I’ve been keeping. Such small considerations compared to the mess going on in the bigger world out there. I get constant emails to donate to this or that. Save the elephants, the U.S. has just crushed Ivory so it can never be used in trade. Exotic bird smuggling, rhino’s poached for their horns are nearly extinct, the list goes on and on. But, today in my email , from a retired college professor friend, I received a link to a short video called the Most Honest Three Minutes Of Television. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16K6m3Ua2nw
And, in the news, the salmonella outbreak can’t be addressed by a closed government.
And this:
Are we in a mess? Yes.
A smidgeon of good news:
We can’t afford to have a government shutdown.
“Reducing the deficit” is a meaningless soundbite. If the DEFICIT is any amount more than ZERO, we have to borrow more and the DEBT grows.
Please spend a few minutes to look at and read about deficits and debt.
This is a quote from the web page….
http://www.federalbudget.com/
It has a great chart that is sourced…no idea where you got yours, but then again it is “Just a meaningless soundbite” according to the author 😉
I hope you enjoy your time at home
I listened to the video. I looked at the chart explanation. And, I guess my question to you is, Clinton left us with a balanced budget. Except, all presidents since Reagan have dipped into the special social security funds that are not part of the General fund. Now they don’t have the money to pay it back. So let’s get rid of Social Security? NO, AND NO. It isn’t an entitlment, we earned it.
Clinton also signed that Free Trade Agreement which helped send so many jobs overseas. And the author is so right, the interest is killing us. The debt began to mount horribly when the Bushs put us into wars over oil. Everyone knows the wars weren’t over fear of other’s might! We’ve only made terroists better funded and more determined.
So, the fix should be regulating off shore companies to pay taxes or tariffs to do business by paying “US origination taxes. What about that? Taxing corporations, many who profit by billions and pay zero taxes? What about fair taxes? Quit subsidizing big oil, big pharma. Quit buying huge weapons of mass destruction. We were going to launch “400 Tomahawk missiles” on Syria. Let’s see, kill hundreds of innocent Syrians or feed 80,000,000 Americans? Cost for each “as much as $1,400,000.” That would pay for a lot of hungry children’s food stamps. I believe our philosophical differences lie in the way we need to cut expenses. The accountant shies away from corporate entitlements. And, our congress should be fired because they aren’t doing their job. But, we are stuck with what we have. Revolt like Greece? I hope not. We are already witnessing a quiet revolt. It is going on right now. Grass roots organizations pushing to get the banks to pay back their bailout monies. Wall Streeters protesting Monsanto’s taking over of our food supply. People doing seed banking. Governors working to provide jobs for infrastructure INVESTMENTS, which would give people an income so they CAN pay taxes. We can’t tax our way out of this mess, but we don’t have to subsidize billionaires and furlined cadilacs for people who have benefited from our common labor. Rising labor Unions that force fair wages for work. Again, with a need to regulate free trade. Free trade only if wages are even across the board. The Main Stream Media controlling our news and feeding us lies. If we can enforce truth in advertising? We should be able to enforce truth on programs like the Rush Limbaugh. Fines, heavey fines for lies. If he doesn’t change his lies, we’ll do it for him. His sponsors will be held responsible. Open campaign financing ENFORCED, would help a bunch. So, keep looking, friend. The country can’t get very far without putting people to work.
I so totally disagree with your political beliefs if you could take me off your email list I would appreciate it. Thanks.
There was a time when people could debate disagreements. You’ve bought into polarizations, just like our do nothing congress and house. The video was an obvious set-up. The producer was making HIS point. Much of it I agree with. Education, under average. Fact. The number of incarcerated people the highest in the world. Fact. Babies. Fact. It is meant to get you to think about what is happening in this country. By all means, you should be off my email list.
I’d just say, “Shoot them all!”
Tempting, isn’t it. LOL
If you have not watched the HBO series that this youtube clip is about, you are missing out!! It is excellent! I do not have HBO but have managed to stream all the episodes online. Season 2 just ended and Jeff Daniels won the Emmy for Best Lead Actor.
I had no idea it was an HBO series. I don’t have it either. A friend sent the clip to me in an email. Jim arrives today. He knows about streaming. I’ll tell him YOU said he should do it for me. LOL Thanks for your support.
Oh and GOODBYE BRENDA!