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We Can Fix America If We Focus on What ALL Americans - Liberals AND Conservatives - Want
While there are some things that Knowing the many things we agree to While the mainstream political parties try to sell us on their brand, the truth is that "poll
liberals and conservatives will never agree about, there are many things
that we already all agree on.
empowers us, because it helps get us away from the distractions so that
we can realize that there is much common ground among all Americans, and
that if we work together, we hold a very strong position. If we shelve
our irreconcilable differences for a little while and join our voices
together on the issues we agree on, the sound will be so loud that it
will shake down the walls which are holding us back.
after poll shows that both national parties are deeply unpopular with
an electorate looking for something new and different". This essay focuses on what people want.
Break Up the Unholy Alliance Between Big Government and Big Banks
Conservatives tend to view big government with suspicion, and think that government should be held accountable and reined in.
Liberals tend to view big corporations with suspicion, and think that they should be held accountable and reined in.
Irreconcilable difference?
Not really.
Specifically, a Rassmussen poll conducted in February found:
70%
[of all voters] believe that the government and big business typically
work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.
(and see this).
Remember that the government helped and encouraged the giant banks to get even bigger, and then has hidden their insolvency and shielded them from the free market, and helped them grow even during the severe downturn.
In return, the big banks and giant corporations have literally bought and paid for the politicians.
Conservatives might call it "socialism" and liberals might call it "fascism" - they are the same thing economically.
But all Americans - conservatives and liberals alike - can agree that it is not capitalism, and it is not American.
As
just one example, the list of prominent economists and financial
experts calling for the too big to fails to be broken up is wholly
bipartisan:
- Nobel prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz
- Nobel prize-winning economist, Ed Prescott
- Nobel prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman
- Former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan
- Former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Paul Volcker
- Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich
- Dean
and professor of finance and economics at Columbia Business School,
and chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George
W. Bush, R. Glenn Hubbard
- Simon Johnson (and see this)
- President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Thomas Hoenig (and see this)
- President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Richard Fisher (and see this)
- President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Thomas Bullard
- Deputy Treasury Secretary, Neal S. Wolin
- The President of the Independent Community Bankers of America, a Washington-based trade group with about 5,000 members, Camden R. Fine
- The Congressional panel overseeing the bailout (and see this)
- The head of the FDIC, Sheila Bair
- The head of the Bank of England, Mervyn King
- The leading monetary economist and co-author with Milton Friedman of the leading treatise on the Great Depression, Anna Schwartz
- Economics professor and senior regulator during the S & L crisis, William K. Black
- Economics professor, Nouriel Roubini
- Economist, Marc Faber
- Professor of entrepreneurship and finance at the Chicago Booth School of Business, Luigi Zingales
- Economics professor, Thomas F. Cooley
- Economist Dean Baker
- Economist Arnold Kling
- Former investment banker, Philip Augar
- Chairman of the Commons Treasury, John McFall
Throw the Criminals In Jail
Liberals
tend to believe that the public should be protected against harm,
while conservatives tend to believe that people should be left free to
buy what they want.
Too far apart to ever agree?
No.
Conservatives believe that people must be held responsible for their
actions and punished for their transgressions. Indeed, some 82% of the American public wants tougher regulation of Wall Street.
Moreover, even for those who don't like the government sticking its nose in our business, liberals and conservatives agree that if a
company chooses to make a representation about something, it can be
sued if it is a lie. In other words, all Americans agree that fraud
laws should be enforced against everyone from
the homeowner who fills out a mortgage application on a small house to
the head of a giant bank who makes false statements about the bank's
balance sheets and the quality of it's investments.
Everyone agrees that financial scammers must be tried and put in prison.
(And
whether people believe in liberal Keynesianism or conservative Austrian
economics, we should all be able to agree that a free market without
bubbles is not possible without strong laws allowing prosecution of criminal fraud).
Audit the Fed
Both liberals and conservatives agree that the Federal Reserve should be audited. The bill to audit the Fed passed in a bipartisan landslide, and the overwhelming majority of Americans
favor a full and complete audit. Given that the Fed has such a
powerful influence on the economy, credit, unemployment, and which
sectors and even which individual companies win or lose, the audit - and
indeed whether or not the Fed should continue to exist - is a very
important issue.
Safe and Healthy Food and Water
Americans want to be free
to live our lives without being poisoned. We agree on safe food, clean
water and a healthy environment.
For example, polls show:
- A large majority of Americans want strong food safety rules, and want genetically modified foods to be labeled
- Most Americans are worried about water pollution
- Americans don't want to be exposed to toxic pollutants
Freedom and Fair Elections
All Americans agree that personal liberty and freedoms are vital.
We all agree that our own government should not murder us and then falsely blame others for it.
And we all agree that there should be free and fair elections. That is why - according to ABC News and the Washington Post - 80 percent
of all Americans oppose the Supreme Court's recent decision allowing
unlimited campaign contributions. Americans understand that - unless we
take the flood of money out of elections - Washington will represent
special interests, and not us.
And we all agree on publicly
verifiable, automatically audited paper ballot elections with reasonable
ID requirements, so that we assured that no party can manipulate
electronic voting results.
Whether the above list of common
positions seems modest or ambitious, the fact that we can all - liberals
and conservatives - agree on them is very powerful.
Because once we realize that we agree on them, and decide to rally behind them to restore prosperity to America, we will have a much better chance of turning our country around.
You
still might think that the people across the aisle are fanatics,
nutjobs, flakes, sinners or scoundrels on some issues. But remember
that - to the extent that they are working for the same goals you are on
the issues mentioned above - they are your valuable allies.
Big hat tip to Moneymutt for his help on thinking through areas of common ground.
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There are different forms of Anarchy.
This countries early settlers were anarchists,but is was more based on Natural/Common law.
Getting away from Common Law, Natural law, has gotten us to where we are.
But you are 100% correct, there is NOTHING more this admin wants than for riots, and /or armed insurrections to start.
That will be all the excuse they need to lay down that Royal flush.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwRZYeMfIJQ
the only way anarchy will solve problems is if it stops being called anarchy. until then, it's part of the problem imho.
Actually the Marxists don't want anarchy. There is a specific branch of left-wing political thought that believed in anarchy (and they were far more liberty minded that any conservative could ever be), and they clashed with the Marxists.
The biggest reason for clash was because the Marxists thought that it was unrealistic.
There is a reason why Washington D.C. is a STATELESS Enitity.
They knew that if they made the surrounding area feel like they were directly under the idiots in DC they would have trouble early and often.
There isn't any US Citizens within 50 miles of that place... Unless they are Turons.
GW, you want to deal with these back alley cutthroats as if they were honorable. I am not that niave.
True Power is NEVER given, it is USURPED.
Thanatos means "the urge towards death".
Tearing down the bad without plans to replace it with something better is not helpful. We need to tear down the old AND agree on something better we're going to replace it with (that's the drive towards life).
Whom ever flagged this a junk...
I am in overall agreement with Mr. GW's statement about both my Avatar and his summation that destruction without creation is pedantic.
I maintain that destruction of the current systems players and rulesets are pretty much not negotiable if there is to be any "Rebirth" of this Nation.
I am hopeful that both Rainmakers and Farmers can come together in a way that is satisfactory for both as that is the Only Hope.
GW is a great example of a Farmer... He grows things. Without a portion of his crops the Rainmakers goes hungry.
The Rainmakers can't grow shit... They makes it rain. They can make it rain so hard that all the weeds get washed out of the fields...
The Farmer has an uneasy relationship with the Rainmaker. He needs the Rainmaker, but only at the right times and amounts. Otherwise the Farmer's crops can be washed out of the fields, or not get enough gentle rain...
If everyone cooperates the Rainmaker makes it rain at just the right time and the Farmer plants anew in the clean field.
The Farmers must prepare in advance, having the seeds and fertilizer ready to plant at the "golden moment".
It's a delicate dance. One that can end catastrophically or end with Amazement and Delight.
First you decide:
Are you a Farmer or Rainmaker?
GW is a Farmer
The Character Tyler Durden was a Rainmaker that the Public will widely recognize.
Know your role.
GW, think LOCAL or State Level. Give the Farmers out there something to work with.
Rainmakers... STFU until the Farmer calls for the rain.
Simple.
I understand why the other person junked you. I very rarely junk people and when I do I tell them why (and I intend to junk you after I submit this).
Your rants boarder on the paranoid delusional and they are offensive.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion in Amerika.
The 1st ammendment protects free speech that is offensive... Not polite cocktail banter.
It would seem that there are far more who either agreed with my posts or didn't feel so disturbed that they junked and gave a free digital diagnosis.
Although I wouldn't be offended if ZH pulled my posts.
As you can assume from my posts, I am not overly concerned with public opinion.
now we're getting somewhere...nice analogy sir death.
GW, remember Catherine Austin Fitts' line:
"America is 3100 counties."
Man you got me thinking maybe GW's hope for a bloodless transition is an actual possibility.
Maybe. With about 8643 e5 proviso.
But in any event, the whole things gonna come down badly.
I am hopeful that enough common sense exists to ensure a better system grows from this ones ashes.
If people don't start thinking about this now, they are going to miss the boat... Noah
Really when one considers the state of most State Governments it would really be prudent to inject the "solution" at a site further upstream such as the County Seat.
Thanks.
And that:
"America is 3100 counties."
Says it all.
Regards,
I am truly a fan of your writings!
I do not mean to be hyper-critcal of you, if I am, do what all my friends do...
Tell me to shut the fuck up.
I will politely comply.
I would love to see your thoughts on reconstructing the Republic in this Nation.
I do love my country, I am merely angry that it has been hijacked by a sophisticated crime syndicate.
Based on life experience, I know how to fight these type of organizations...
Indirectly by building up their existing enemies and encouraging them to go at it.
Indirectly by "creating" new enemies for them to tangle with...
Then finally when the organization is drained of resources, their shooters are in bad moral, and they don't have much fight left in 'em... You swoop in and deliver the final dose for 'em.
It's formulaic. With the occasional unconventional thrown in to keep things unbalanced.
I want a local mechanism that can scale as needed to meet situational needs.
Not a guys with whores in a city that I can't carry a weapon into.
Thanatos
"I do love my country, I am merely angry that it has been hijacked by a sophisticated crime syndicate."
How can steal a nation founded by Rich White Males for Rich White Males?
It's like one faction of the mob claiming another is corrupt.
But that's neither her nor there.
I think you are someone paid to foment discontent. Tell your masters you need to train in subtlety. You have the speil, but you are so obvious.
Unfortunately the internet is being overrun by paid posters working for special interests to manipulate the crowd. You all have not learned nuance yet.
Once you do, that's it. Endgame. Poor fucking sods will be set up in fake scenarios to generate public massage of fear and anger.
The statement you make: "Tell your masters you need to train in subtlety" is being applauded in back rooms where important things most will never know about are whispered by faceless masters. They got rid of me because I wouldn't shut up and lay down.
If you only knew me... You would know I am renowned for my childlike inability to be subtle. That is what endears me to those who believe as I do.
And if ANYONE wants to pay me to write (or even write more) what I choose to write, I don't even care if it is Soros that pays me. I'll take his money and kick him in the nuts too... Just like those high priced Swiss hookers do...
BTW: I am far from rich and not exactly mono-cultural.
You can't believe that the education system has "little fuckers" like me make it through the grinder huh?
Happy Thanksgiving!
The New Republic is being formed as we speak, no joke. Take it or leave it
but it is moving forward. Investigation before condemnation.
http://republicoftheunitedstates.org/node/5
http://republicoftheunitedstates.org/
Don't be afraid of death.
Without it, Life would not be possible.
If you read some of the links I post you will understand that I am not advocating full blown anarchy.
I don't like the concept of centralized power. I like to be able to reach out to the people who make decisions that effect my life without haveing to send e-mail (which goes right to /dev/null) or get a busy signal.
I want my leaders to be able to bask constantly in the consequences of their actions... On a local and NON STOP basis.
The system is broken, wide open anarchy is preferable to me because I live on the edge of it right now... It's bad, but if you common sense, you can make it... Would it be so bad if this country lost a lot of people who have not 1 lick of common sense? Not from where I sit.
The government cannot insulate you from Natural Law and Physics. It can only leave penniless, hungry and begging for a handout.
Think LOCAL. Unless you want a serious bloodbath on K st.
The existing power structure MUST be made irrelevant one way or another before a new system can be re-born.
Thanatos
"If you read some of the links I post you will understand that I am not advocating full blown anarchy."
I think you should spend sometime reading about places where Anarchy has been practiced.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/List_of_anarchist_communi...
List of anarchist communities Icelandic Commonwealth (930–1262)Classical ("Thing system") Iceland (also called the Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State) was an example of society where police and justice were guaranteed through a free market. Author Jared Diamond has written
"Don't be afraid of death.
Without it, Life would not be possible."
Indeed, but without life, death would be not only impossible but meaningless.
Yes,
But without death, life would be unbearable.
Thanatos
OK. I give.
Which came first?
The chicken, egg or rooster?
The egg; dinosaurs were laying them well before chickens and roosters evolved.
Dunno about the avian cluster, but one thing is sure:
The Karma came before the Dogma.
Zatiz why Zappa sang while inhaling the ganja:
He He!
That is your koan.
You are naiive, GW.
The liberals, Democrats, Republicans, independents, socialists, and conservatives in Congress/White House/on K street do not agree that we should audit the Fed. Otherwise, we would most certainly have such an audit.
This is the most important issue.
The truth is the ruling class doesn't want an audit at all; they don't want us to know what they're really doing.
Ruling class is powerful and cunning but not infallible. Look at history, there are times and places of great misery, tyranny, and inequality and there are times and places that are quite golden, freedom, peace, economic good times, opportunity of most etc...The good and bad times are not determined by the rulers, but by the people, their attitudes, beliefs, will power desires. Many selfless, courageous acts are lost and do little good, but sometimes its that just one simple act that sparks a massive change for the better.
All we can do is to do our part, or not. We may not always win, but to stop tyring is to ensure we lose.
And the news component of your post is?
Allow me to explain why I know the type of plan being put forward will never work.
You cannot fix this broken system by using any mechanism of it.
It will merely be co-opted by the better positioned criminals already waiting like vultures.
If a problem is "solved" it means the problem has been eliminated and has NO possibility of returning (think dissolved)
If a problem is "fixed" it means that a "repair" has been made which causes function to return to the system. The problem can return because the system in which it occurred in still exists.
IMHO we need to be real careful that we don't end up with some compromise BS that will get us further down the road with less friction today and end us up in a further decline. (like that is possible at this point!)
I think of Gandhi... The hero of all peace loving idiots.
He was a genius. People believed in his bullshit and as a result we have the only Islamic country in the history of the world with multiple atomic weapons. Brilliant plan. Didn't it bring so much peace? I bet the Indians are wishing they had taken a little different tact with that bit of history huh?
What we are headed for isn't some bullshit re-vote. Too many people are too wise to this bullshit.
Boils down to this: Girly men can't stomach skinning a little rabbit for food, much less taking down bigger 2 leggers.
These are NOT the men who can solve anything other than which nail color goes better with their wife's new hair.
They do not have what it takes to step off the ledge, assume the risk, and move their ass under it's own power.
We call em snowballs.
Vote yourselves into oblivion... Your doomed to be subjects of some one or another. Hopefully you will find a home with a benevolent master.
Thanatos
Some upped their steroid dose recently.
"We call em snowballs." You and the little woman right? Or little man, it's a new century.
wtf?
Agree. The answer to a faulty system is not within the system itself. In fact the answer isn't within a group movement either. The answer lies within YOU, the individual. Opt out. Don't vote!!!! Become self-sufficient. Grow your own produce. Hunt your own meat. Buy as little as possible. Work as little as necessary (you'll also pay as little in taxes this way). Get prepared for what is inevitable (collapse). Starve the beast
Here are 11 ways you can act today.
I want liberty, period. That means I want to be left alone, especially by government thugs. Neither democrats nor republicans want liberty, especially the politicians in those political parties.
Give me liberty or give them death!
They ought to put a fence around Washington D.C. and charge admission. Disneyland Central. Milestones
They ought to put a fence around Washington D.C. then announce to all innocent civilians to evacuate to an 80 mile radius and nuke the un-Godly mess from outer space.
Liberal vs. Conservative. Too many people don't see this reality for what it is: A deliberate and daily exercise by our corporate owners to divide the electorate. So nothing ever gets done.
The masses watch these idiotic TV programs like Olberman, Hannity & Colmes etc. etc. etc. and get fired up over minor issues. In the meanwhile the government has continued to grow. Fighting wars that no one but corporations and banks want. De-regulating big business for 30 years while making the barries of entry for new smaller businesses more difficult with more regulations.
If we do not unite soon and end the fleecing of this country we will fall. There is still time. But not much.
Ripped Chunk
"If we do not unite soon and end the fleecing of this country we will fall."
All things must pass. Life is change.
http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Insecurity-Alan-W-Watts/dp/0394704681
The Wisdom of InsecurityIt must be obvious... that there is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentariness and fluidity.
Read it free.
http://www.isbnlib.com/preview/0394704681/The-Wisdom-of-Insecurity
K junked you for oversimplification. The programs you mentioned, which I don't watch, are symptomatic of the populace and where they feel they can get good info. Doesn't mean it is just means that's what folk think,
We are in a tough spot at the moment. What comes next is anyone's guess but I doubt if it will be much fun or return to what people think they had or want.
Think EBT
RC,
IMO, the issue of what constitutes FRAUD is missing. Both Liberal and Conservative can agree that we need to reduce FRAUD but we have to agree on what fraud is. Everybody can agree that fraud should be punishable by law. When we communicate with our Congressional Representation they will no doubt agree wholehartedly. But, what is fraud?
OK Webster says:
1 a : deceit, trickery; specifically : intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right b : an act of deceiving or misrepresenting : trick 2 a : a person who is not what he or she pretends to be : impostor; also : one who defrauds : cheat b : one that is not what it seems or is represented to beSeems pretty clear. Sounds managable. Is it possible that both Liberals and Conservatives, North, South, East and West, could agree that we want to actually eliminiate that in our market practice.
Saying that it sould be eliminated from Congressional practice, I will admit, might be a little too much.
+1,000,000
They junk but don't respond. Must be time for Hannity or Olbermann........................
RC
I'll give you a courtesy junk if whomever is leaving stinking turds around here would give us a courtesy flush.
That's all we ask!
[duplicate]
Let's start by agreeing that both parties suck.
tickhound
Finally, someone with sense.
GW,
Nice article dude.
Sadly, the Electorate is going to get what they want.
Except when they find out what it is, they will wish for the one their willing now to give up.
As it will be far worse.The one coming,is here, yet to be fully enacted,will /can only be demolished by force.
As Mao said,
"All political power comes from the end of a gun".
Damned murderer, on that point he was right, in this worlds goverance.
Folks think the wars in Iraq, and Trashcanistan were about WMD's slay me.
They were training exercises to make war machines that know how to fight in Urban areas.
Guess which Urban areas.
goooh.com for something new and different.