Did the Bush regime put an economic hit on the US?

[killbotfactory]

I was reading the book reviews about "confessions of an economic hit man" and it sounds like what the right wing is doing in their own country.

They're running the US like Enron. Throw enough disinformation to fool the masses out there, enriching yourself and friends to obscene levels, while sending the company down the tubes. So what if the US goes into horrendous debt? They're getting theirs. They were successful in having military money funneled through their coffers with Halliburton and the like providing services our soldiers could do cheaper, under the guise of "streamlining" our military, and are making obscene amounts of profit from that and this stupid war (your tax dollars at work!).

The theory is that's always put out, of course, is that privatizing is is always more effective and cheaper and must be done. I guess this happens by magic or something. It's not even remotely true, private companies are good at making profits, sometimes efficiency is a result. Other times, like in energy markets, health care, the military, they can charge a premium on there services because there are no other options, and they are necessities. What are you going to do, get price quotes for an emergency room visit? Turn off your air conditioning in the middle of summer and hope you don't die from exposure? It's no benefit to them to lower charges in those instances, so they don't. Now they're setting their sites on social security. Whee.

These corrupt assholes are driving the US into absurd amounts of debt, funneling as much of that money into their pockets as possible, and have convinced enough of the public that a turnaround is just around the corner, and 9/11 changed everything, etc.. to escape accountability for the dismal state they're leading us to, and therefore be reelected. They don't give a crap about tempering spending, they're working hand in hand with other conservatives who want to "starve the beast" out of principle, and the people who are going to be collecting interest on our debt for years to come, while they go apeshit slashing social services and other things they can't seem to skim a profit on and enriching themselves to obscene levels. When it comes crashing down, who cares? They won't be affected.

Sorry if I'm rambling. It's late at night and am sickened by what's happening in this country. The level of greed these people have is mindboggling.

[unblock]

1. nice rambling

keep it coming!

:hi:

[bliss_eternal]

2. I wouldn't put it past them to do this--

then again, I am convinced that they had something to do with 9/11. So you may not find my opinion of value considering how I feel about that.

Quote:
The level of greed these people have is mindboggling.

(sigh) 'Aint that the truth? :(

[Art_from_Ark]

3. I cannot disagree with anything you've said

Nice post! :thumbsup:

[proudbluestater]

4. I feel your pain. The book is a slightly different concept.

About how we went into poor countries and built infrastuctures for the rich to use, mainly, at exorbitant prices. When the poor counries discovered they couldn't pay, we'd say, "well, ok, then we will take all of your oil" or all of whatever they produced that was of value to us. "We" are pigs.

[killbotfactory]

6. Yeah, it's a bit different...

The main similarities I see, which got me on that train of thought, are the Bush admin & friends cooking the books to sell us a war we didn't need, and from which they would benefit enormously. When we run out of money to fund it, they'll start scaling back government programs they don't like and privatizing tp route as much taxpayer money into their pockets as possible.

[Lindsay]

5. I hear ya.

I thought at the time that Reagan was the epitome of the "greed is good" philosophy, but this crew makes Reagan look like a rank amateur.

[slor]

8. And I hear you...

I became of voting age in time to vote against raygun, and I was stunned at his popularity, considering all the scandals, but even I pine for those days when I see these criminals in office now.

[Art_from_Ark]

12. Of course, a lot of those criminals from the Reagan era

are still with us. Reagan was their mentor-- bu$h is their enabler.

[Mist]

7. We're being "colonized"

I've thought so for a while. By no stretch of the imagination could the * administration policies be considered good for the US overall. The "Plantation States of America."

[killbotfactory]

10. Welcome to the USA, brought to you by WALMART

A corprate colonized nation of debt slaves, forced by poverty into buying cheap ass shit made in impoverished countries that don't have those sissy laws about pollution or workers rights.

Be sure not to miss McDonald's Statue, formerly known as the statue of liberty, until being sold by the government at auction to help pay off the nation's debt, and subsequently painted in clown makeup and torch replaces with a shake, and tablet with french fries. "I'm lovin' it!"

A rising tide lifts all boats, a sinking ship only takes the poor with it.

Social darwinists - Scum of the earth.

[elehhhhna]

9. "Now they're setting their sites on social security. Whee. " LOL

[jdots]

11. I worked for alot of these wacko super rich babys

from the Global Crossing master blaster to medical company c.e.o.s ,movie moguls and investment scammers.They are building palaces,most of thier time is spent on spending thier money on toys.They all appeared to be not very happy in thier world of the finest money can buy.Since the 80s the attitudes about having body guards,heavy security and ripping people off to amass fortunes have been glorified by t.v. and movies,the print media appeals more to readers.What I don't understand is,was it these people who made the media romance greed so they could rationalize thier fantasys or the media influencing thier greed ? The gangsterism,pimped out 400,000$ exotic cars,private jets,50 thousand square foot houses,designer blond wives,plasma screens in the bathrooms don't seem to be making them happy.We all suffer because spoiled babys run the world again.Will these turd maggots grow up ? or just become sad old royalty surrounded by us peons.

[Cats Against Frist]

15. That would bring up an interesting question

remember when rap music images switched from downtrodden, gettin-by-by-pimpin gangstas, and into pyrotechnics & bling bling with the obligatory "neighborhood shot" thrown in for shits & grins? Not that I think L'il Kim runs the world, or anything, but I always thought that the glorification of these images was to both prey on the black consumer, and rationalize their exorbitant wealth, while continuing to use "black identity," to help sell their product.

Are you saying like "Dallas" and "Dynasty?"

I often share the Republican's suspicions about Hollywood, not because I don't think these people *think* they're empathetic to the cause, or that, on some level they're faking it -- it's just that, as a minimalist, I consider buying anything outside of its use value, which would include luxury goods, is like the worst thing that you could do. Celebrities perpetuate the consumer culture by their little "Vera Wang," gowns & vacations in private resorts in Fiji and whatnot. They're still looking out for number one. But, as opposed to the multinationals, at least they give a little bit of a shit.

But I still have problems reconciling, say, Oprah's wonderful work in Africa, with her purchase of a quarter-million dollar Shaker dresser at an auction. Also all the participating in material pass out that she does, gets to be a little, well, extravagant for me. I like it when she pays people's college tuition, though...

[Pam-Moby]

13. Maybe they will

get caught with their hands in the cookie jar and then that stolen wealth will do them no good when looking out at the world from behind bars!!!

[Cats Against Frist]

14. I've long thought that the multinationals

that have no allegiance to this country would milk her for all she's got, before moving on to make India and China their babies, leaving us in debt to China, while they go "open the market" over there, and get in on the ground floor of burgeoning economies with over 2 million consumers waiting to happen.

It's my "pit stop," theory.

[0007]

16. If we don't support our home force we'll go down for sure.

Waking up to the Economic Justice of the American Class System is enough to make one wonder about God & Country in which we live.

We guarantee income to Farmers for not producing crops. We guarantee subsidies to railroads and to oil companies. It seems to me only reasonable that we guarantee the subsidy of life to those who are starving and to those without shelter or medicine - reasonable not only on humanitarian grounds, but because there is a 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection of the laws. New York Times 1981

All I want is work, and when I work everyone has their hand out.

[E_Smith]

17. well said

i think the "starve the beast" faction is not talked about enough. they literally want to kill the federal government (except the military) because they don't consider that killing America.

[blm]

18. They are DESTROYING all, including our military, so they can PRIVATIZE

everything. Energy, water, even air will be sold at a premium.

Cheney started privatizing the military when he was Sec. of Defense. The bombing of the USSCole? That was Cheney's HALLIBURTON/KBR who had that refueling contract, another result of his privatization.

The military is being stretched too thin. They are being USED UP. They are ill-equppied which will hurry their weakened state and their eventual demise.

The highly paid mercenaries in Iraq, WHO are they loyal to? Who will a corporate military be loyal to and how much will the "market price" be for military protection in the coming decades?