Dallas Police Department Attacked

A right wing, anti-government, radical attacked the Dallas Police Department last weekend. This character used bombs, assault weapons and a used armored van in his attack. Armored van was a swat team van purchased as a used vehicle.
The corporate controlled media gave this incident little coverage, with nary a mention on Fox. At least I found nothing on Fox during the event.
It has been 20 years since another anti-government radical set off a bomb in Oklahoma, killing 168 people including 19 children.

In April of 2009 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano released a report suggesting lone wolf right wing extremists were the biggest threat to our national security.
This report was condemned by right wingers and Napolitano was chastised for issuing such a report.
The SPLC reports in the last 6 years a domestic terrorist incident has occurred, on average, about once a month.
Personally I think these radical “I hate gubbiment” characters come from Saint Ronnie’s “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” in his 1981 inaugural address.
This was the seed that began the growth of all these anti-government groups and thoughts. Some of my younger friends have experienced this rhetoric all their lives.
We currently have the government we elected. If you are not happy with this government, do something. Get involved, get learned and work to get people elected that will work for you, not just the wealthy few currently in control.
You can have the government you want.
Bernie Sanders is my choice to do this. Check him out and let me know what you think.
“and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Tom Brady to appeal verdict and other stuff in the news (TPP)

The NFL has found Brady and the Patriots guilty of, as John Oliver put it, playing catch with mom’s old leather bags.
Brady is expected to appeal his 4 game suspension. This action reminds me of Alex Rodriguez’s suit against major league baseball. And makes me wonder what causes these millionaires to be so greedy that they feel they have to cheat?

In other news President Obama was rebuked in his efforts at fast tracking the TPP. This came from senate Democrats.
While I have supported Obama and even praised him for his accomplishments in light of the obstructionism demonstrated by the Republicans controlling the legislative branch of government, in this case my sentiments are with Senator Sanders and those in opposition to this agreement.

This agreement may be good for corporations both national and international, but it is now time to consider what is good for the people.

Michigan’s Republican leaders opted for what is good for corporations six years ago when they gained control of the state and the results have been dismal.
Michigan has failing cities, failing school systems, crumbling infrastructure and an expected $350 million budget deficit in the coming year.

The TPP has the additional fault of giving corporations the power to sue governments. I for one do not want international corporations having that much power over the United States.

Links below explain these powers.

http://www.citizen.org/tppinvestment

Go here for more on Brady story….
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000492185/article/tom-brady-suspended-4-games-plans-to-appeal

Go here to support Senator Sanders in his efforts to stop TPP.
https://berniesanders.com/

OMG! Bernie is a Socialist

Just hold on a minute, he has defined himself as a Democratic Socialist. Splitting hairs? Perhaps but consider this.

The ten happiest countries in the world consist of “all borderline socialist states, with generous welfare benefits and lots of redistribution of wealth.” http://www.forbes.com/2011/01/19/norway-denmark-finland-business-washington-world-happiest-countries.html

Compare that to America’s “trickle down” capitalist state.

A country where the sweet little old lady down the street has stopped going to her quilting bee so she can spend more time at the range practicing with her Glock Gen4.

A country where little girls no longer have tea with their dolls, they now brandish miniature pink assault rifles. (Aww…. isn’t she cute?)

A country where inner city riots are becoming the norm.

A country where most people in their 40s and 50s think they will have to work until they die.

A country where college students owe more in student loans than their parents paid for their home.

A country with an ever increasing number of hate groups and an ever increasing number of lone wolf terrorist attacks.

A country with more gun deaths than any other country in the world.

A country with the largest prison population per capita than any country in the world.

America is indeed under attack. But America is not under attack from Isis or Al Qaeda or some other terrorist group.
No, America is under attack from within, from the voracious greed of the few mighty capitalists intent on owning the world.

If this is the country you want, continue supporting the corporate pawns.
Or you can join us here in creating a country of peace, love, happiness and prosperity for all. https://berniesanders.com/

Bernie Sanders for President?

Senator Bernie Sanders threw his hat in the ring today as a Democratic candidate for president of the United States.
As a progressive Democrat, I support Senator Sanders in this effort.

My concerns in this are many.
Senator Sanders will be painted as a socialist, communist? By the main stream media, Wall Street and the wealthy. This is a mighty force and they have unlimited funding behind them.
Senator Sanders does not always come off well in his public appearances as displayed already last night on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Where videos of Senator Sanders were played showing him addressing the senate.
Disregarding the visual and listening to the Senator and his views on the issues should be enough to sway the people to liking him and his proposals but, can we expect the general public to disregard the visuals?
For the record Senator Sanders is opposed to citizens united. He is opposed to TPP. He is opposed to the high cost of education for our children. Senator Sanders is for expanding Social Security and Medicare.
Senator Sanders has many other positions that ring a bell in my chapel. Check him out and join me in supporting him.
*Note. Senator Sander’s entry into this race if nothing else, will highlight the needs of our country and require a response from Hillary and the Republicans and that in itself is a worthy cause.
Should Senator Sanders lose the primary to Hillary, this voter will give full support to Hillary.

And my Friend from the North shares her view

Notestoponder, a blogger from Vancouver, has posted in her blog an opinion piece regarding Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency of the United States.
In reading her blog it appears she considers Hillary to be too boring to be a viable candidate. She is inspired by Elizabeth Warren, a true breath of fresh air.
Hillary is just a replay of days gone by. Nothing inspirational here.

IMHO Hillary is the only chance the Democrats have of winning the White House. She is pragmatic, she knows that in order to win she must have the support of “big” money including Wall Street money.

The Democratic Party has failed in their efforts at delivering a message to the voters that inspires them to get out and vote. This is evident in the results of the last few elections. Republicans came out in numbers significant enough to win numerous races.

The Democrats won the presidency because they had a gimmick, a black candidate. In the upcoming election they will need another gimmick, say a female candidate.

Personally, I think Hillary is further left than she lets on, she did try to get national health care when she was first lady.

Elizabeth Warren has the correct ideas regarding income inequality and I support her fully in her efforts to help the middle class and lower income people in America. However she does not have what it takes to win a national campaign in experience and skill. YET!

I also like Bernie Sanders but his “socialist” tag would be his albatross.
So, while I agree to some extant with Notestoponder, Hillary is boring and just another pawn of the Oligarchs. I do think she is the Democratic Parties only chance of holding the White House.

Ah what a shame, again the lesser of two evils gets my vote.

Link to Notestoponder’s blog here…..

Hillary Clinton A Big Mistake?

Special note to notes, I hope i have not misinterpreted your blog. If so I apologize. 🙂

Who do you trust?

Really, who do you trust? Watching various shows on the television this morning I see stories about putting a healthy nurse in quarantine in New Jersey. This action received the support of both New Jersey and New York governors. Political actions that truthfully serve no purpose to protect the people.
The nurse was let out of the quarantine tent and allowed to go home where she can impose a condition of self-monitoring and seek professional help if the need should arise. This release came about after she threatened to sue in federal court.
The Ebola situation in Africa is serious and will be addressed, if we let the experts do their job.
The media is telling us America is in a state of fear. Are we really, or is this media induced fear?
It saddens me to see the politicians use this catastrophe for political gain and the Main Stream Media use it to improve ratings.
The nurse that just returned and was held in a quarantine tent should have been welcomed home as a hero just like returning military. The treatment she received was shameful, all for political gain.
This mistreatment of American citizens must be stopped and it can be if we throw out the corrupt politicians.
Here are a couple of sites we can use to fight this corruption:

Homepage 2023 EOY

and
http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/
And here I a couple of politicians I think would work for the people vs. the corporate powers.
Bernie Sanders

Home

and Elizabeth Warren
http://www.warren.senate.gov/
The Republican supporters, Koch brothers, DeVos, and so on have the big bucks but they only have one vote each.
In the voting booth we are ALL equal, use your power November 4th!

Bernie Sanders on Meet the Press

Just watched the segment and personally I thought Senator Sanders did a good job.
Chuck Todd tried to get him into talk about Hillary and the Democratic Party. Tried to get him to criticize both Hillary and President Obama.
Senator Sanders handled himself well, refused to fall for Todd’s goading. Stayed focused and talked about the millions of workers struggling to maintain a lifestyle while the Wall Street millionaires are the only ones enjoying the improved economy in America.
This man has a message that should play well with all working people in this country including the millennials that at one time supported Obama only to be let down.
Todd next went to the panel and bemoaned what he called the lack of fight in Sanders demeanor. He tried to get a fight going and was not successful in his efforts. The senator is too wise for Todd and his manipulative manners.
Later Todd shared President Obama’s 40 percent approval rating. Suggesting this is a bad sign for Democrats with the upcoming mid-terms.
I beg to differ Mr. Todd, the poor rating comes from the issues mentioned by Senator Sanders, and Democrats are poised to take this country back and will do so under the leadership of people like Senator Sanders.
If we vote, we WIN!

This one is for all my hard working middle class taxpaying friends.

 

How many times have you expressed your anger with the taxes you have to pay and how those taxes are restricting your lifestyle?

More than you can count. At least that is the number I recall.

Well my friends here are a couple of charts from the U.S. Census bureau referring to 2012 household income data.

Take a few minutes to study the charts, you will see that incomes of less the $100,000 have remained stagnant for all these years if not dropped.

The joys of living in a Plutocracy are never ending for the top earning folks, not so nice for the rest of us.

And so my friends think about this come election time, think about it and support good people like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. There are others but these two are on top of the list. Do some checking and find candidates that support your needs and goals. And then go to the polls and vote.

Link to charts…..

http://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/Household-Income-Distribution.php

Chickens are calling, gotta go.

Trial Lawyers

19th century painting of lawyers, by French artist Honoré Daumier (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It has been my observation that trial lawyers are considered the evilest of evils amongst conservatives.  We all know our share of lawyer jokes and most everyone shares them as they tend to dislike lawyers until they actually need one themselves.

SO,

What is the difference between a dead skunk in the middle of the road and a dead lawyer in the middle of the road?

Answer.

The skunk will have skid marks in front of it.

Anyway, years ago in Michigan there was a proposition on the ballot concerning insurance, Proposition A, if I remember correctly.  I mentioned to my dad, a diehard republican that I didn’t really know how to vote on the proposal.  I told him that the insurance industry supported it.  He replied “Well if the insurance industry supports it there should be no question on how your should vote.” And I responded “yes but the trial lawyers oppose it.” His response was “Damn, now you have given me something else to worry about, trial lawyers, I won’t be able to sleep tonight worrying about trial lawyers.”  I sarcastically apologized for creating more stress in his life.

Republicans are constantly trying to reign in trial lawyers, putting caps on awards and blaming them for the high cost of medical care are just two examples of Republican attacks.

About 10 years ago I was sent papers to join in a class action lawsuit against Mastercard, Visa and the banks handling transactions during foreign travel. It seems they had been overcharging us common folk for this processing.

This lawsuit had left my memory many years ago and it came as a surprise today when I received a check for $8.23 as my portion of the winnings in this suit.  This of course is fodder for the right wing groups, telling everyone that the trial lawyers are getting millions and we are getting 8 bucks and change.

My view of this is a little different, if there were no trial lawyers to bring these suits against the big banks and corporations they would have freedom to go on screwing us out of our money a few dollars at a time unrestrained.

The only time our government gets involved in this type of action is when the big dudes are screwed out of their money.

Think of Bernie Madoff, he probably would still be living the good life today if he had screwed the common folk instead of going after the wealthy.

Think about it this and think about supporting elected officials that support all the people.

Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Gretchen Whitmer, Stacy Erwin Oaks are some that come to my mind this morning. I am sure you could add a few names to this list and please do so, thank you.

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• Nuggets of Wisdom from a Trial Lawyer Married to a Pastor (bagdoianlaw.wordpress.com)