Destroying America In 3 Easy Steps

Destroying America Headerby Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

EVERYTHING THE TEA PARTY AND THE GOP ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT… Were in full swing for 8 years under George Bush. Odd we heard not a peep from them then isn’t it? Wonder what’s changed???

How do you bring down the United States? It is easy!

Destroying America In 3 Easy Steps

STEP ONE: Get rid of the Glass-Steagall act.

This was a firewall between retail banking and investment banking. Investors want a certain amount of risk. Taking risks can lead to windfall profits. Yes, you can lose your shirt, but heretofore, people who played in the investment markets, were the wealthy and only played with money that they could afford to lose.

With Glass-Steagall out of the way, suddenly people’s mortgages became investment instruments. Retirements became pension funds tied to the success or failure of your corporation. The middle class was built on home ownership. The majority of people’s wealth was in their homes. These homes were then passed down to their children giving them a leg up into the middle class.

Destroying America - Fred Thompson AAG

For God’s sake! Don’t pass that wealth on to your children!!!

I can remember when ARMs – Adjustable Rate Mortgages – became all the rage. People were encouraged to re-finance their homes, take their equity out and spend it. Now they’re pushing “Reverse Mortgages,” Can’t have the “middle class” passing their wealth to the next generation. They might actually become really wealthy! You surely don’t think the collapse of the housing market was accidental do you?

STEP TWO: Cut the tax revenue coming into the United States

Destroying America - Debt Chart

Click for full size.

The Bush era tax cuts, which the Republicans made permanent, are what has caused our national debt to sky rocket. Under Bill Clinton, we balanced our budget and had begun paying down our debt such that had we followed through, our entire national debt would have been paid off by the year 2010. Our nation would have been debt free! Once debt free, we could kiss the Federal Reserve goodbye! However, as I recall, the GOP simply hated Bill Clinton. Matter of fact, they impeached him! If the future of their grandchildren were truly as important as they’d like to pretend… They would have embraced Bill Clinton’s policies and remained on track to America becoming debt free. Bill Clinton left George Bush a $1.9 trillion dollar budget surplus.

STEP THREE: Burn through the national savings account.

George Bush went on a spending spree along with the congressional Republicans that would make a drunken sailor blush. Yes, we were attacked on September 11, 2001. I won’t go into the plethora of facts that make the official story absolute nonsense, but let us examine our response.

First, “Terror” is not a person. It is not a nation State. It is not an organization such as Al’Qaeda. Terror is a TACTIC. You cannot wage war on a tactic. Of course, caught up in the fervor of blood lust with our thirst for revenge, very little critical thinking was going on back then. We went into Afghanistan – which made sense – but, when we had the chance to capture Osama Bin Laden and decapitate the head of Al’Qaeda, we let him escape in order to rush into Iraq which had absolutely nothing to do with the attacks on the United States. Al’Qaeda wasn’t even in Iraq until they followed us there.

Remember how we effectively cut our income by giving tax cuts to the top 1%? By launching two wars simultaneously, we were burning through billions of dollars a day and there was no revenue stream incoming to replace our outgo. Thus we simply threw everything on the national credit card. In point of fact, George Bush didn’t even include the costs of these wars as a budget item. What could possibly go wrong???

Destroying America - Bush Painting

He is a better painter than he was a President… And his paintings suck!

The only thing that did go wrong was George Bush’s timing. I am firmly convinced that the plan was to mortally wound the United States and then let a Black President preside over its demise and of course take the blame. Things came to a pimple just a bit sooner than Bush had planned thus the TARP bailout was on his watch. Yes, that’s right. It was George Bush who signed the TARP bailout, Republicans rail against. If only things had taken a few more weeks to come together, George would have been back in Crawford Texas painting his water colors and acrylics, pretending no involvement.

The media propaganda has been working hammer and tong to rewrite history such that even now, most Republicans and TEA Party nit wits will argue vociferously that President Obama was responsible for the TARP, Of course, history – and spelling – were never really their strong suits.

We Are In Much Better Hands Than We Should Be

Destroying America - Mitt Romney

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt!

So, here we are. What they never counted on was President Obama being as competent as he is. Remember Mitt Romney’s article, “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt?” Can you imagine having a President who would so cavalierly recommend the total destruction of an industry? Let us forget for a moment the human impacts of his advice. We all know that Mitt was born without a soul. Think for a moment what it would mean to the safety and security of these United States if we lost our manufacturing base.

If we have to have our weapons of war, manufactured and shipped to us, this creates a logistics problem and a critical supply line that could be cut by an enemy we were at war with. No need to bomb over here. Just bomb the factories that are producing our tanks, planes and other weapons of war in the various nations we’d be forced to buy them from. Think having a shotgun for home defense, but storing it at your neighbor’s house.

During WWI and WWII, it was our automotive manufacturing facilities that were tooled up and re-purposed to produce the Tanks, Jeeps, Half-Tracks, Heavy Trucks and fighter planes that helped us to win the war. The big foundries that were producing engine blocks began producing armor plating, hull sections for ships and submarines, and a host of other items we don’t even think about. Our automotive industries and their manufacturing capabilities are crucial to the safety and survival of this nation. Any person who doesn’t know this, shouldn’t be President.

Other than the Bush tax cuts, the next biggest drain on our budget is health care costs. I don’t want to live in a 3rd World Nation where people are left to die on the side of the roads. I want people around me to be healthy. My health and well being depend on it. So do yours. However, equally important is the fact that our population is greying, getting older. Older people require more and more medical attention. The question is not whether we’re going to pay for this, the question is how do we get the best service while keeping our costs down?

Let me share with you something from my own personal experience. A year or so ago, I had to have vein surgery to correct some varicose veins in both of my legs. Thus I had to have two surgeries. One on each leg. We spaced these about 4 weeks apart.

The bill for each leg was roughly $16,000 dollars or $32,000 for both. Mind you, this is routine outpatient surgery. I did not spend the night in the hospital either time. Of that total $32,000 my surgeon who actually performed the surgery, his two surgical nurses who assisted him and the Anaesthesiologist who put me to sleep and woke me back up, combined they got a total of a little over $5,000 dollars in total for both procedures. Where did the other $27,000 go? The Hospital received that for renting out it’s surgical suite for less than 4 hours.

Destroying America - Operating SuiteWhat did I use in that suite that amounted to $27,000 dollars? Since I saw the inside of the suite twice, I can tell you that the lights were the same each time, the stainless steel table was the same, the monitors and equipment were the same. Nothing had to be replaced between operations. So what exactly cost $27,000 dollars? That’s $6,750 per hour. Just like a gas station attempting to explain why the price of gas jumped 60 cents in 24 hours, the Hospital will try and explain the cost they’re charging those of us who can pay. You know? The ones of us with insurance. Their explanation is, we’re paying for all those people who do not have insurance. The ones who are treated in the Emergency room and never pay their bills.

It is a vicious circle. Insurance Companies raise your premiums because hospital costs keep rising. Hospital cost keep rising because people who’s only option is to use the “Emergency Room,” often cannot pay their bills. So, ultimately who is paying for people not having health insurance? You are. Just because you don’t see it as an itemized figure on your bill, doesn’t mean it is not there.

We need to address this and we’ve known since the 40’s we’ve needed to address the rising cost of health care. When people don’t pay their hospital bills, the hospital corporations write those off as losses on their income tax statements. In essence, they are double dipping. They’re claiming a loss to the federal government, while raising their rates to cover that loss through each paying customer. It is a sweet system… if you’re a hospital.

Saving America

To save America we need to simply reverse what has been done to her. Regulate the banks. Get rid of the Bush tax cuts. The 1% were doing just fine under the Clinton era tax rates and we need to fix health care so that people can protect their income. It is just that simple.

No Laughing Matter

No Laughing Matter Headerby Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

It’s No Laughing Matter

Does anyone truly believe that John – “waterworks” – Boehner possess the testicular fortitude to even recognize a principled position… let alone hold on to one? The only thing that matters to John is what his father would think if only he could have seen his little Johnny grow up to become the Speaker of the House.

No Laughing Matter - Boehner's New Gavel

Boehner’s New Gavel

He is transparent as glass and that makes him easy to control. When Nancy Pelosi passed Johnny that over sized mallet – gavel – he started bawling and very nearly burst into a full blown crying and snotting fit. Yes, it means so much to him. It means so much that merely the threat of it being taken away causes him to panic and fall in line.

No Laughing Matter - Eric Cantor

Eric’s got plans…

The power and prestige have blinded him to the reality he’s already lost the speakership in all but name only. In just a short while, even that will be gone as well. Eric Cantor is grinning in his face and stabbing him in the back each and every chance he gets. Why you ask? Because Eric wants to be the first Jewish Speaker of the House.

You know? That whole being third in line of succession thing really goes to some people’s heads! What I find frightening is, anyone who will scheme, manipulate and commit what meets the very definition of treason, once they are third in line for succession… I believe they’d be capable of arranging the demise of the President and Vice President. Unbridled Ambition is a terrible thing.

Puppet Masters

No Laughing Matter - Lap Dogs

Attack Dogs? Lap Dogs?

We have been focusing our ire on the Republican front men who are doing little more than parroting talking points they’ve been given. Like well trained attack dogs, they will sit up, lay down, roll over and attack on their master’s command. There is no doubt that an attack dog bearing down on you will get your attention. Of course, that’s the point isn’t it? To get you to focus on and expend your energies fighting and trying to survive the dog instead of taking out its master.

No Laughing Matter - Attack DogIt is time we raised our sights. We need to target the men behind the curtain and stop watching the noise and light show. The Koch brothers and the other members of the billionaire’s boys club can purchase an endless supply of Republican zombies to keep us dazed and confused. They are quite alright with the possibility of America burning to the ground. Once the fire is fully engaged – it’s already been lit – they’ll simply hop on their private jets and head to one of their many villas in Europe and wait for the fire to burn down to ashes. At which point they’ll return offering themselves as saviors to rebuild America in their own image.

No Laughing Matter - Homeless FamilyAsk yourself, why should multi-billionaires give a damn about people making a living wage? Children receiving assistance that “Head Start” supplies? People being able to have affordable health care? Women having control over their own reproductive choices? The truth is, they don’t! These are merely incendiary devices they’re using to start their fire.

Instead of us putting that fire out, we’re busy dancing with their trained attack dogs. It is time we saw past the illusions of their smoke and mirrors. It is time we go after the masters of the dogs. The dogs are merely dumb brutes doing as their told. Other than the fact they were willing… no eager, to sell their souls for a morsel of porridge, it is not their fault. We can deal with them later. Perhaps force them to attend Sunday school all over again and learn the lessons they clearly missed out on. We need to shut off the water at the main. Once we do, the leaks will become easier to fix. When you look at the Koch brothers and others who seem to be laughing it up, remember, this really is no laughing matter!

 

Radical Republicans Carry On Osama’s Legacy

Radical Republicans Headerby Benjamin T. Moore, Jr.

If you believe the official account of the events on September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden masterminded a plan to bring this nation to its knees. We lost 2,978 innocent civilians on that day by conservative estimates. Because of this, we launched two wars, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. We’ve spent trillions of dollars, ruined our economy and sacrificed 10’s of thousands of the treasure of this nation. Thanks to certain Radical Republicans, it turns out, Osama could have been more effective by simply donating to one of several Republican “Super-PACs.”

Radical Republicans

I am old enough to remember the political parties before the Republicans lost their damn minds. No, I’m not going to play the false equivalence game and pretend to be “fair and balanced” like FAUX News. Sometimes, one of the two sides in a dispute is clearly and unequivocally wrong! I can recall when the Republicans believed in fiscal responsibility. Now they merely pay lip service to it. Republicans used to believe in smaller government. Now, they’re fascist.

“Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”
Benito Mussolini

They care more about the wishes of the corporations who own them than they do about the actual constituents they purport to represent. The Republicans I remember growing up, tended to be against wars and if anything leaned towards “isolationism.” The radical Republicans of today, haven’t seen a seen a war they’re not in favor of.

The only things they’re not in favor of are the very things that would make this nation stronger, energy independent and would boost the standard of living and quality of life for United States citizens.

Radical Republicans were against bailing out our automotive industry. Think about this for a moment. During WWII, it was our automotive industry that tooled up to produce tanks, firearms and many of the necessities that made it possible for us to prevail. Were it not for the manufacturing base provided by our automotive industries, we all might well be speaking German today. That is, those of us left alive to live under a totalitarian dictatorship.

Radical Republicans - Detroit

Not the Detroit I remember.

Even if we ignore the national security implications, think of all the jobs that would have been lost. Not just the direct jobs lost because of factory closings, but all the additional downstream jobs in the companies that produce the products the automotive industries require. Think of the small businesses that depend on the people in communities who are employed by the automotive industry. Mitt Romney’s Op-Ed entitled, “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” should be instructional. Detroit has indeed gone bankrupt. Look at Detroit. It is rapidly spiralling down into a “3rd World” experience. This began when the automotive industries began pulling out and relocating. Trouble is, many of these manufacturing plants are now in communities all around the nation. Possibly there are a few employing people in your community. Had we taken the advice of the radical Republicans, you might have been surprised to find your own community looking like Detroit.

Radical Republicans Or Closet Terrorists?

Radical Republicans - Pear Harbor AttackWhat if a foreign power attacked the United States and killed 45,000 of our citizens? Men, women and children? I want you to actually consider this for a moment. What would you think ought to be done? When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 killing 2,402 of our sailors and wounding 1,247, we dove into WWII which resulted in nuclear weapons being used for the first – and hopefully the last – time in recorded history. When we were attacked on September 11, 2001, we counted 2,978 fatalities. We went to war with two nations – one of which had absolutely nothing to do with the attack – and spent trillions of dollars.

Yet, each year, 45,000 of our brother and sister American citizens die because they have no health insurance. That’s over 15 times the number of people we lost in the September 11 attacks… each year! Do you think we ought to do something about it? How can anyone claim to be a patriot and profess a love for this nation, be against a law that will potentially save 45,000 American lives? Radical Republicans are.

Radical Republicans make Osama Bin Laden look like a piker! He only murdered 2,978 of our citizens. The policy the Radical Republicans are doggedly pursuing will murder 45,000 of our citizens each year. We sent Seal Team 6 to get Osama. Who are we sending after these terrorists?

Backstabbing Our Troops The Radical Republican Forte`

Radical Republicans - Wounded Warriors

What about them? Can they stand a Government shut down?

If you’re old enough, you will remember when the Republican Party didn’t merely pay lip service to being pro-military. They actually respected and honored those who had served out country in uniform. Being a veteran put you at the head of the line for a job when you returned to civilian life. During the Vietnam war when there was a draft, many times employers would hold your job for you upon your return. Not so now. The families of many active duty soldiers depend on “food stamps” to feed their families during their loved one’s absence.

Radical Republicans in their zeal to stomp on minorities and people of color, are doing all they can to defund and under fund our food stamp safety net. Because of their policies, according to the Department of Defense, some 5,000 families of active duty servicemen will have their food stamps cut. Imagine what that does to the man or woman fighting in the field. How can he or she concentrate on their job while worrying about whether or not their children are going to bed hungry.

While we’re on the subject of hunger in America, 52.32 million people – 1 in 6 – many of them children, are struggling with hunger right here in this country which likes to boast of its “exceptionalism.” When Russian President, Vladimir Putin said that America was not exceptional, many of these same Radical Republicans took offense. Well damnit! The truth hurts doesn’t it?  How the Hell are we exceptional when 52.32 million of our citizens are going to bed hungry just like people in 3rd World Nations?

Radical Republicans - Bridge Collapse Minneapolis

The entire span of the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.

Our infrastructure is collapsing around our ears. We’ve got bridges all across this nation that have been marked as unsafe and closed. Some have even fallen down costing lives. We’ve got thousands of veterans, both men and women returning from war in need of jobs. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives under the leadership(?) of John Boehner have refused to pass a single jobs bill. They’ve refused to pass a single bill that would help our returning troops. Oh, by the way, they have voted to repeal Obama Care 41 times. They have caused the United States credit rating to be downgraded. At the time of my writing this, we’re headed for another Government shut down. Did I mention we have troops who are currently fighting a war? Might be nice if we paid them.

Who needs terrorist when you’ve got Radical Republicans doing everything in their power to destroy America. I’m sure Osama Bin Laden is spinning at the bottom of the sea saying, “Damn! If I’d only known!”