What the fuck is wrong with this country?

[leftofthedial]

we give a trillion bucks to frigging banks, but nix any portion of it targeted to help citizens.

we spend a trillion or more bucks and sacrifice over 4000 dead and tens of thousands maimed and driven nuts to destroy a country that posed no threat to us.

we refuse to hold the worst traitors in US history accountable for their crimes, in the name of "bipartisanship."

we allow our servants to live like sultans while we are all losing our jobs, our homes, our ability to feed our families...



Maybe this country deserves to melt down completely.

[Atman]

1. It has nothing to do with "this country." It is about a FAMILY.

What is wrong with this country is that we're not storming their compounds and hanging them for their crimes.

.

[bdamomma]

15. exactly, we need to storm the bastille.

pitchforks and torches not needed or are they needed more now.

[sarcasmo]

80. When do I burn the broom and where do we meet up?

[FatDave]

100. Have you not noticed all this bread and these circuses?

Well, the bread's getting expensive, but...THE CIRCUSES!

[diamidue]

160. There-in lies the problem

Where DO we meet up? At the White House? At the Federal Reserve? On Wall Street? At the residences of the Rothchilds/Rockefellers/JP Morgans? Paulson? Bernacke? Greenspan?

This mess is so widespread and the players and the power structure so diverse and scattered and in many cases secretive, that we don't even know who is really in charge of things anymore.

[jhrobbins]

149. It will never happen until it affects a lot of Americans bellies and/or

their children's bellies. I loved the movie V for Vendetta, but I didn't believe the end because the populace at large were too comfortable - they went to movies, to restaurants, etc. They were happy to give up their civil liberties because they were allowed to continue with their lives almost as they were before.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

21. AMEN, and if I'm to judge by the keeping of Lieberman as chair....

... it doesn't look too promising. The country's Democrats are brave and strong and got out to vote. Meanwhile the alleged Democrats in Congress are sitting on their hands, grinning, and periodically high-fiving the Repukes.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

56. Exactly!

At a point in time when it was most appropriate to at least throw "The country's Democrats"
a crumb for their efforts the unforgivable insult of Lieberman was inflicted on them.

[TWiley]

61. Plato: Small powerful ruling class, and Large poor peasant class

Read that fucked up republican manual "The republic" sometime. We are bailing out the republican party base .... nearly a trillion bucks, and attacking the blue collar worker in Detroit.

Why did the airlines get bailed out several times and not the auto industry? Well, only peasants ride in cars?

[crim son]

108. Of course it has to do with this country.

We were itching to get into Afghanistan and I get that. But then we jumped joyfully into Iraq and had not our focus been shifted from dominance and revenge to whether or not we can afford to drive our massive vehicles, we might be in Iran now. I hold the government accountable for promoting and abetting the shit that lead to our current situation, but half of America was cheering it on.

And yeah, the fact that we're letting the criminals get off without even a tap on the wrist, that's also a huge wrong.

[ExPatLeftist]

137. I disagree. It is a fundamental attitude in the US.

All hail big business and fuck the lazy worthless poor people.

That is not about one family, and existed well before their rise to power. No, it is not about all Americans either. But it is prevalent in the nation and ingrained into its very legislation.

It effects welfare, health care, race relations, and education, just to name a few.

This general attitude is very different in many European countries, and is reflected in their legislation and safety net.

[quidam56]

153. If something is screwed up no one is responsible because..

Under Presidebt Bush's Administration, the mega profit machines have been allowed to run amok at the expenses of "We The People" In America today profit comes before people. http://www.wisecountyissues.com

[opihimoimoi]

2. We seem to have been dumbed down to the point of LOVING IT...WE WANT MORE MISERY

ITS A WAY OF LIFE....WE ARE DELUSIONAL......

[cliffordu]

3. I had to embrace living one social security check away from homelessness.

To keep from going totally insane.

It ain't so bad.

Let it burn.

[TahitiNut]

31. Ditto.

:patriot: :pals:

[cliffordu]

34. I knew there was a reason I like you.

:patriot:

:pals:

[madmom]

86. So I live one pension check away from homelessness, should I be allowed to go insane?

OH BTW...thanks for your support:sarcasm:

[RaleighNCDUer]

132. If you are not insane already

you haven't been paying attention.

[Castleman]

143. It's all a matter of WANTS vs. NEEDS

I WANT the latest high speed internet/satellite/Sunday ticket/every channel/sports lineup out there, but I only have a speedy connection because I NEED one. I use Vonage for my phone, and I have a refurbed Nokia cell that I paid 9.99 for instead of an iPhone, all because I really NEED A phone. It doesn't have to take pictures, take video, play 1000 games and play music. I do like some TV shows, but my high speed connection allows me to download most of the TV I want, no extra cost. Biiig savings vs cable TV, no?
I'd WANT a grande soy-milk hot chocolate when I go grocery shopping, but I skip it, it's not a necessity, I WANT to buy some nice tri-tip and grill it, but lookee there, a bag full of burritos is 2.89, and I get 6 meals out of it. Diet Coke, beloved by so many of us, is 4.59 a 12 pack? Store brand is 6 12 packs for 10 dollars, better stock up...:-) I NEED food to survive, but while I may WANT some fancier stuff, I'll eat what I can afford til things get better.
We, as a nation are spoiled rotten. We've bullshitted ourselves that we need everything, when we really WANT it all. My grandfather worked his ass off all his life, and I don't believe he EVER would have dropped 5 bucks on a latte. He managed to raise two children who turned out just fine without a single text message, he never had a cellphone nor did he ever play with a Nintendo. He worked hard every day of his life, and he managed to be one of the best at his job without e-mail or a YouTube video. He also never had a 60 inch big screen, but the little 13 inch he scrimped for was just fine.
Can we survive like that?

[BelgianMadCow]

157. totally agree

and from the analysis of want and need a reflection on values ensues. Doesn't have to be a bad thing.

:hug:
:hi:
and welcome

[Lint Head]

4. If something is not truly done by Obama to hold these criminals accountable

I fear we are in for troubled times because people are not going to stand for this and will take matters into their own hands.
:dem:

[Double T]

10. The founders knew this day and time would come; damn they were great visionaries!!

History has always repeated itself.

[defendandprotect]

90. But the Founders made many compromises with the ruling class --

Handing out property to elites, etc --

Compromise with slave owners which insured a Civil War --

Continued oppression of women for benefit of patriarchy --

oppression/genocide of natives

oppression of African-Americans even up to the overturning of Segregation, Inc.

Continued imperialistic expansions - attacking and taking over other countries --


JFK brought an interesting period forward when we were friendly to world elites

but questioned and challenged royalty, monarchies --

[truedelphi]

138. But they at least understood how that tariffs create local jobs

Equation

While we swallowed that whole "supply side, trickle down" thing-ee.

[defendandprotect]

150. People who overturn "tariffs" and national protections don't do so ...

because they don't "understand" them --

They do it because they're corrupt ...

Reagan/Bush were honest ...?

At first, I think Reagan began to resist some of the economic stuff --

Then came near-miss assassination --

They say after that Bush was president --

[truedelphi]

165. Agree with you on all you say

Still they not only overturned tariffs, the Powers that Be adopted a whole new vocabulary such that jobs and tarfifs were no longer part of the discussion.

And those trying to mention jobs and tariffs, people like Ross Perot when he said that NAFTA would be a giant suckng sound of jobs leaving, those people were marginalized

[defendandprotect]

151. dupe

they don't understand them --

but because they're corrupt -

I think Reagan was against some of the economic policies but then came the near-miss

assassination and some say after that Bush was president --

[girl gone mad]

18. You got it.

I fear that the next revolution will not be as peaceful as the one that took place on Nov 4th was.

[fla nocount]

63. People like this?

Watch the first one and decide if you want to watch the next two. The testimony leaves poor Sen. Thompson a bit flummoxed. Mr. Johnson is a bit more erudite than expected given the topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dib2-HBsF08

[pokercat999]

123. Today, with a whine in their voice, "I'm sorry, can someone

help me, please, please?"

[tbyg52]

64. Well, how much have we put up with already, for how long? nt

[bagrman]

98. A little medicine at a time, and in a while the whole bottles not problem.

[pokercat999]

122. Wrong word you used "people" it's sheep, Americans are sheep

and the people of the world have figured that out.

I'm so ashamed of my generation, what the fuck is wrong with the baby boomer's? Maybe it was that baby Dr, (I forget his name) that was so famous in the 60's he told our parents to coddle us. Maybe that's it, we're just spoiled brats that never grew up.

That we don't try and hang most of the congress and all of the administration shows just what kind of worthless sheep we have become.

[HillbillyBob]

142. Dr Spock, what a nitwit. You have to say no at least on ocassion

My parents did not subscribe to his never spank and never say no.
I learned to be responsible and try to have some discipline.
I have been saying ever since RonnyRaygun that we would end up here.
Those who ignore history are doomed....(Iforget whose quote that is)
It will get worse before it gets better, I have sick of the nimnits that say oh don't be negative, well sometimes you have to look the dirty one in the eye, if only to aim where to spit.
A while back I said on here that I have put up rice and beans..we grew beans this summer in our garden and got more than we anticpated and bought rice when it was on sale.
Some one responded that I was all doom and gloom..well if it gets really bad we have some food put up, I also canned some food too. I have a habit to buy what we use only on sale, it makes our limited income go further.

[Double T]

5. Almost EVERYTHING is wrong with this country.

Our nation is infected with bush/cheney terminal cancer; I'm not even sure radical surgery to remove the mASS will be effective. Meltdown is already in progress.

[bdamomma]

17. hitting bottom is not going to be very pleasant.

I want to see these criminals pay dearly to what they have done to our country.

[daggahead]

77. I think it started with Reagan, and Bush.Cheney have merely finished the looting. n/t

[bagrman]

99. Imagine all the spoiled rotten twits that won't get what they want

when they want it. The cig. riot, the potato chip riot and then the pepsi or coke war. Nothing will be safe. LOL

[RoccoR5955]

106. Damn straight!

Raygun started it when he hired scabs for air traffic controllers. Then the bastard said that government can't help the people. His followers are making damn sure of it, while they run things.
The morans gobble it up, and say that they are being patriotic. Shit, they don't know the true meaning of the word. They wouldn't know a patriot if one smacked them in the face.

[pokercat999]

124. And the first warning came from Eisenhower of all people. nt

[daggahead]

139. Yep.

Ike warned about the military-industrial complex and how it would corrupt government.

The question is, how do we unravel this? The money connections run so deep these days ...

Has anybody here read the book "Un-Jobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook?"

[wildbilln864]

6. kicking and recommending my bro....

we are surrounded by brainwashed sheep. :cry:

[blue sky at night]

7. deserve it or not..........

looks like it is happening right before our eyes....guess I was right when I thought; you know, I really do hate america!


("america" equals bu$hworld)

[Dragonfli]

25. Off topic - but I thought you would like this pic..

Based on your avatar - it is one of my first animations done a few years ago.
feel free to copy it and use it. :-)

[blue sky at night]

38. hey you are right........

I really like the still version, but the gif is way cool. I also like your dragon fly...it rocks.

thanks Dragonfli!

[Breeze54]

8. I hear you and agree but you and I and DU is what's GOOD with this country.

leftofthedial :hug: We will never give up!!

EVER!!!!

:kick: & Recommended

[leftofthedial]

40. yes. There is much good here.

I keep reminding myself. It keeps me going.

Thank you.

[patrice]

9. no answer

but something definitely is

WRONG

[Andy823]

11. Well all I can say

Is the problem was "BUSH" and the idiots in the republican party that got so damned greedy they helped the rich corporations do their best to destroy this country!

Can we fix it? I don't know. So far Harry and Nancy seem to lack the spine to take on the republicans. They simply have been rolling over and playing dead when the chips are down. Obama can make changes, but it won't be easy. Obama is going to have to kick some butt to get things done, and unless congress gets out of the pockets of lobbyists and big corporations, things won't change much.

The biggest problem is corporate "GREED" and millions of dollars going into bank accounts of the leaders of congress. Stop the buying votes and we have a chance, let it go on the same as before, but with the democrats in charge and I fear we will melt down!

[Breeze54]

13. "but with the democrats in charge and I fear we will melt down!"

Huh? :shrug:

ummmm.... :wtf:

[samplegirl]

12. GREED!

[obiwan]

50. That's it, concisely. This is the truth. Glad you get it.

[SammyWinstonJack]

68. GREED! And a lot of self-serving/self-righteous people who don't care so long

as they can keep their guns and bibles. :banghead:

[Dangerously Amused]

141. Bingo. GREED and "RELIGION."

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

[Generic Brad]

14. A trillion bucks given to banks?

I understand being upset. But, come on. Pulling a made up dollar figure out of thin air does not help advance the discourse. Banks have not been handed a trillion dollars.

[Breeze54]

22. It IS a trillion dollars!!

Yes it is... look it up.

[Generic Brad]

24. I'd like it better if you gave me a link

I work in banking. A trillion dollars has not been handed out to the industry. Only $70 billion in TARP money was approved and even that has not all been distributed yet.

[Breeze54]

29. Tue, Nov 18, 2008 ... Reuters

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Office/Story/A1Story20081118-101372.html

snip-->

'Bonuses have been strongly criticized as US taxpayers, suffering the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, question the US Treasury Department's $700 billion (S$1 trillion) bailout of the industry that played a large role in creating the crisis.

'Investors and taxpayers are being hit from all sides, and Wall Street needs to do the right thing when it comes to corporate leadership and responsibility,' New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said on Monday. 'It's time for the rest of Wall Street to look in the mirror and follow the steps taken by UBS and Goldman Sachs.'

California Congressman Henry Waxman and Mr Cuomo are investigating executive pay, adding to pressure on companies like Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.

Mr Waxman and other lawmakers have protested against taxpayers funding lavish Wall Street bonuses.

Earlier in November, the US government invested US$125 billion in Goldman, Citigroup and seven other large US banks.'

more..........

[Generic Brad]

32. If it makes you feel better...

No one's getting bonuses where I work.

[Breeze54]

35. Glad you have a job... still.... I wish I did.

But $1 trillion is on my kids backs and their kids backs.

That doesn't thrill me at all.

[Generic Brad]

36. And here is the list of which banks received money - It's a lot, but not a trillion

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/st_BANKMONEY_20081027.html

And it is not a bailout to the banks. It was an investment. The Treasury Department bought preferred stock and expects to be paid back with interest which will ultimately reduce taxpayer liability. Of course, they probably did not anticipate the whole banking sector getting shellacked today.

I know TARP money was also given to AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And while they provide financial services, they are not banks. You were correct on the dollars in terms of government bailouts, but I was looking at it specifically from the standpoint of retail banking.

I wasn't picking a fight. Peace.

[Breeze54]

37. "it is not a bailout to the banks. It was an investment. "

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Peace. I caught that you zeroed in on banks but there's been a LOT
of $$$ thrown around and it's adding up... to more than a trillion.

Peace to you, as well. :hi:

[glinda]

79. I demand they all cough up all of their money

sell their houses, property, cars and pay for their sins to the American people. We couldn't even buy groceries today.

[natrat]

30. actually including everything it's way more than a trillion

"...in the past couple of months Bernanke has loaned out $2 trillion to unnamed companies under eleven different programs and all but three of them were slapped together in the past fifteen months of financial crisis.

To repeat, we do not know who got this money or what collateral was put up in return for the loans or what conditions were attached to them.

The sums involved are almost three times as large as Paulson's $700 billion muddled bailout efforts that Congress voted for last month. Bernanke does have the legal authority to pass out these trillions without Congressional authorization and without explanation, but secrecy breeds suspicion and loss of confidence.

These officials preface every speech by talking about "transparency," their favorite word, at the same time they are handing off $2 trillion and they won't say to whom, and leading Bloomberg News to file suit under the Freedom of Information Act"


http://www.alternet.org/story/107340/

[Breeze54]

33. Thanks and great find!

:hi:

[Seldona]

65. Got there before I did.

The two trillion in secret loans has already gone out, and we don't even know to whom or under what terms. Last I heard about 125 billion had been handed out of the bailout money, with only about half to be slated to be given away before * leaves office.

That leaves the issue of at least 350 billion in our court. So at my count there is 2.13 TRILLION that has been handed out by Treasury, rounded up.

*Edited to add I think the two trillion might have been issued by the Federal Reserve. Can't recall atm.

[BelgianMadCow]

159. borrowing from the fed to the tune of hundreds of billions per week

you are so right.

[cascadiance]

16. This is the problem...

[leftofthedial]

74. that's definitely been a tactic

[leveymg]

76. Most of the MSM doesn't connect the dots, which leaves the propagandists plenty of room to obscure

the truth. Just like 9/11, WMDs, torture, wiretapping and the myriad other crimes of state of the Bush-Cheney era.

I'll be generous and give them two years, if things aren't moving in the right direction by then,I'm going 3rd Party - the one that Jefferson described when he wrote about the people dissolving their ties to government.

[Beam Me Up]

81. Not connecting, hell. Mostly they're obscuring them and knowingly. n/t

[Greyhound]

114. Upton Sinclair solved this mystery.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."

Who owns the M$M?

[Oregone]

19. "Maybe this country deserves to melt down completely."

Maybe...

[Dragonfli]

20. I wish I Knew The Answer

I do know that things will not likely improve unless the near half of the Democratic party that could accurately be described as republican "pre-op transpartisans" (AKA neo-liberals & Corporate DLCers) are replaced by democrats that believe in Democratic principles.

Much of the perceived "weakness" of the Dem leadership is more likely hidden agreement with the right wing than actual spinelessness.

It is hard to fight for the Americans that are not wealthy corporate policy purchasers when there is an entire party dedicated to helping only the top 1% while half your own team is also fighting for that same 1% from behind your back.

I realize that this is only my opinion and that I will likely be attacked for it, but it still seems that simple and obvious to me.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

46. What Dragonfli said

The Dem leadership and the DLC types most likely are most likely really closer to the Libertarian Party than they are to the Democratic Party of FDR.

They're all for abortion rights and gay rights and non-discrimination and other good stuff, BUT they're fine with the Republicanites' "preferential option for the capitalist pigs" and the endless pampering and feeding of the military-industrial complex.

[Greyhound]

115. The illusion of choice must be maintained, and that means two faces of the one true party. n/t

[Dragonfli]

23. K&R

[natrat]

26. "we" have nothing to do with it-organized crime has taken over

[FiveGoodMen]

92. Not quite.

If so many Americans didn't have their heads up their asses, Obama would have had nearly 100% of the vote and the House would have zero pukes in it by the end of January.

When you look at how bad the thugs have been, the fact that anyone -- let alone 30-40% of the country -- would still vote for them means that America is, indeed, to blame.

[fascisthunter]

27. I Place Blame on Bush, the GOP, dumbass republican voters and...

the cowards who enabled them all....

[NRaleighLiberal]

28. Lots of root causes here. I will add another. Television.

As in much of the trash that is on the air, and all of the advertising that it washes over people with. It has contributed much to the overall incuriosity and mass stupidity of the masses.

[RufusTFirefly]

107. Television is the propaganda arm of corporate America

It soothes, it amuses, it confuses, it distracts.

It does almost everything but inform.

[femrap]

39. It's only a matter of time....

our comeuppance is on the way. I hope it hits those who really deserve Justice.

[JimWis]

41. I feel your anger Leftofthedial. All that you said plus I am watching

my retirement funds go down the shitter, hoping they will come back up some day. I am just now watching the auto guys at the hearing - on C-Span again tonight. The only fun I am getting out of that is watching some of the Representatives reaming the auto guys asses. The only good news is Jan 20th is getting closer.

[Initech]

42. Dont forget that CEOs fly to DC in private jets to beg Congress for money

:argh:

[Mind_your_head]

43. Corporations, not citizens are "calling the shots" would be my answer

to explain this madness.

I'm not gonna add a shrug. That is what's 'wrong' with this country.

[Mnemosyne]

83. But the corps are run by people, the decisions made by people, etc.

They use the corporations knowing they will rarely be held responsible for all the greedy and murderous shit they pull.

Pure unmitigated greed.

It is madness.

[GOTV]

88. People running corps act entirely differently than people in the real world ....

... Because now they are behind a corporation which will allow them to make great piles of cash while simultaneously shielding them from the from any personal consequences of their action.

[Mnemosyne]

129. Exactly. n/t

[pokercat999]

125. They CAN'T be held responsible as long as they hide behind

the corporation. We MUST end the corporation as an entity if we are going to survive. But that's not going to happen without spilling lots of blood starting with companies like Blackwater. President Obama must secure the complete control of the military before anything else of importance.

[Mnemosyne]

130. So where would we start to end corporate personhood?

I am clueless. Is it even possible, I wonder?

[pokercat999]

164. The Supreme Court ruled on this I think in 1896 or there

abouts. You would have to overturn that ruling.

[Gregorian]

44. It's not being covered by the media in the proper medium.

And out of sight, out of mind is a terrible thing. Or something like that.

IF we had intelligence in main stream media, AND if they were on all of the major channels DURING the dinner hour, like we had during the Vietnam era, THEN we'd just barely have a majority of Americans who knew the truth AND were mad as hell and not going to take it any more.

And that's a lame ass answer, because your question addresses the real issue. Just what is wrong with Americans?

We are used to being fed. And now we're fat.

Even that doesn't address it. I'm fat, and I care. My dad's fat and he cares. My mom and dad are well off, and yet they agonize over those who aren't doing well. They cried the weekend Obama won, they were so elated.

I think it's a multifaceted answer. It starts with caring. A component is knowing. Add to that combination the group with those qualities who are saying and doing something about it. And so there may very well be a large group in this country who know, who care, and yet who aren't and can't really say or do anything about it.

Let's see where this goes when Obama has been in office long enough to alter the context of American society.

[RagAss]

45. Two Reasons ......Greed and Religion !

[SammyWinstonJack]

70. Bingo!

:thumbsup:

[leftstreet]

47. K&R

[tomp]

48. i know, insane isn't it, and du is enabling it all. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

49. Ideology, the banks was needed to get credit going

but part of that money should be used to get the auto industry the loan it needs (with conditions)

But the people in charge of that money (and that includes some of our dems by the way) rather blame the unions and seat on their assess

[leftofthedial]

66. supply side bailouts and loans won't work

they will just enable the wealthy to steal more befor ethe whole mess melts down completely.

[Hannah Bell]

91. but credit isn't "going," nadin.

over 2 trillion given to financial institutions, & ordinary people get depression regardless.

[pork medley]

51. "we give a trillion bucks to frigging banks, but nix any portion of it targeted to help citizens. "

I'm sorry, but do these banks run themselves? No! They're run by American citizens...American citizens who need help!

[Breeze54]

52. Banks are NOT 'citizens'.

:wtf:

They're corporations, formed to make money!!!

[leftofthedial]

67. you are right! their multi-million-dollar bonuses

and their weekend retreats at exclusive resorts are in danger!

[southerncrone]

53. It is truly f'd up. And we're f'n up the entire world in the process.

:(

I feel like I live in a world that makes no sense, is up-side down & that I don't belong in. My husband & I talk about this all the time. Things are so surreal now.

[LatteLibertine]

54. The bail out

was opposed by United States citizens at a ratio of 100:1. I'd say it's fairly obvious we are in the grip of corporatism and the voice of the wealthy few is what matters. The "common man" has little to no real representation. We are only pandered to when our vote is needed. After that we're ignored. We're marks to be exploited/drained economically and politically.

[bluecollarcharlie]

112. 100 to 1???

Look, i hated the bank bailout, but throwing around an unprovable number like that sure doesn't make sense.

[closeupready]

147. Yup. Congress is propping up stock prices because, duh, they have millions of their own $$ invested

in these failing companies.

edit to add, I should have said, "trying to prop up stock prices" but they ain't doing a very good job of it.

[specimenfred1984]

55. 100 years of propaganda and the criminals who have spread it

If a person removes themselves from believing anything a corporation or the government has to say, it becomes obvious.

[Jack Sprat]

57. Since 1981, it became a legitimate urgency

to get rich. The quicker and easier the better. Even the churches urged their parishioners to invest in the market for better returns and to have more to drop in the offering plate. New businesses had prayer breakfasts to appeal to God for guidance to lead everyone to the money. People forsook their old neighborhoods, sent the wives to work, so a new house could be purchased in the new suburbs away from bad city schools and crime. It became a world where the most dedicated workers got the pink slips due to technology and downsizing, while whiz kids made a fortune sitting behind a desk and oursourcing their jobs to Asia. Then, too, many of us found it easier to acquire wealth off someone else's toil. We made trade transactions on an attractive newcomer and sold them short when a healthy profit was made. Inheritance taxes became death taxes, terminology wise. In other words, why pick on sperm money? Hey, they might not have done a thing to earn it, but why shouldn't they inherit all that money tax-free. After all, paying taxes are for those of the lower classes. Understand? Everything is fuckt.

[BigBearJohn]

58. Sooner or later (hopefully not later) they will awaken the sleeping giant.. .then LOOK OUT /nt

[Life Long Dem]

59. And after all this, we start hearing about death threats against Obama from the media.

I think this is going to be an interesting 4 years.

[defendandprotect]

152. That's also what they did to Carter ...

including constant in-house reports ...

until he shut up --

[Hekate]

60. The Bush Crime Family, okay? They're still in charge, got it? When you write your congressmen ...

... with these concerns, I'm curious what they reply. :shrug:

Hekate

[FiveGoodMen]

93. They get plenty of support from Joe Sixpack.

Millions upon millions vote either out of greed -- and the ridiculous idea that they are going to be rich real soon now -- or because they listened to the emissaries from hell that occupy their pulpits.

The BFEE is there because enough dumb 'Murkins supported them.

An election like that last one helps, but America won't get well until its people do.

[earth mom]

62. The goal is to destroy unions and workers rights. I despise the bastards in power.

:grr:

[leftofthedial]

69. how can criminals drain this entire country dry--the whole frigging country!!!--

and get away with it?

[earth mom]

73. I so hear you. We need to get all French on their a$$es-except that few will unless it happens

to them personally.

Plus, we are all so spread out in this country geographically that there is no immediacy to what's going on.

It's pathetic really. :(

[burythehatchet]

71. Simple answer. Taxation without representation.

[leftofthedial]

72. large corporations and the super-wealthy

are the only ones represented in this country

[Auggie]

82. They're the only ones RUNNING the country. Rethugs and Democrats alike.

[Romulox]

75. Americans are selfish and ignorant. EOT

[HughBeaumont]

78. You got a couple of DAYS?

[Mnemosyne]

84. Word, left, word. knr n/t

[Soylent Brice]

85. i'll drink to that...

...while i can still afford it.

K&R

:toast:

[defendandprotect]

87. Capitalism .....

the invention of the Vatican to run their Papal States when Feudalism was

no longer sufficient --

Intended to move the welth and resouces of a nation from the many to the few --

nd ver successful at it --

[Kitty Herder]

104. Good answer.

Capitalism will destroy us if we can't learn to let it go.

[hangman86]

89. Just because we elected Obama

doesn't mean we're out of the neo-con wood works yet. I'm sure things will get better, but a more suitable question to ask yourself is "what the fuck is wrong with capitalism and the two party system?" Though a registered Democratic, I won't deny that my party is still a representative for big business more so than the common man.

They also fear being called radicals and communists so they give into polices and partnerships that they feel will make them look moderate. The Repuke hate machine has turned "liberal" into a threatening word for many Americans and most Democrats are afraid of being labeled as such. "Intellectual," "bleeding heart," "environmentalist" are all words they stray away from even though, ironically, there supposed to be good things!

[HEyHEY]

94. Obese, gay people - judging by GD

[really annoyed]

163. Right On

I've been waiting for somebody to say this..... Thank you, thank you.

[iamthebandfanman]

95. the same thing thats always been wrong with it

atleast since the 30s...

corporations own everything.
this government works more for big business than it does the working class.

its been that way for a while.

only now that they are all sinking because the workers are sinking, are the colours being shown for all to see...
yet still some people remain blind to the fact corporations are influencing and practically owning our government...

[Lumpsum]

96. It's simple: apathy.

The majority of dumbfuck Americans would rather watch the newest episode of "Dancing With The Stars" instead of actually doing something about the place in which they live. But it's these same assholes that will be the first to complain about the economy when it prevents them from getting their daily dose of McDonalds.

As the great Terence McKenna once said:

“We are so much the victims of abstraction that with the Earth in flames we can barely rouse ourselves to wander across the room and look at the thermostat.”

[Daemonaquila]

97. Whether we deserve or not...

... I think we're pretty much there.

"Where the hell did this handbasket come from, and what the hell am I doing in it?"
- Joe Q. Public

[FatDave]

101. A large portion of the country is made up of fucking morons.

And they are easily manipulated by the extremely wealthy to do their bidding. That's it in a nutshell.

[lib2DaBone]

102. 8 years of of CONservative Christian Fuckheads.....

[leftchick]

103. well first of all this country is no longer a democracy

I believe we are in mussolini territory here.

[OwnedByFerrets]

105. Revolutions are begun by peoples with nothing left to lose.....

it honestly could get that bad here.

[closeupready]

148. I fear that, too.

n/t

[Prophet 451]

109. Bread and circuses

It's an expression the Romans came up with. In the days of the Roman Republic, legislation had to be (in theory) approved by a plebiscite in the Forum. What the Senate (the patrician class) discovered was that if the plebs were fed and entertained (bread and circuses), they didn't look too closely at the legislation that was actually being passed.

[PatrynXX]

110. fees are my favourite.

used to be credit card fees. (thanx to school loans and how easy it was to obtain a Discover card when clearly it should have been illegal) thats been maxed out for years


Now we have overdraft fees. here's my scenario. I'm sure others have different names
Union Planters becomes Regions.... Regions is bought by AmSouth, but AmSouth having such a bad reputation keeps the Regions name. Thanks to deregulation, Checks go in first then paycheck. Meaning $30-35 in overdraft fees even with the paycheck in hand. Now that rarely happens now, but when the transition happened when AmSouth took control of things last December, I think I lost a good $150 for that switch. Timing, had to get used to their timing. So I rarely right checks. However there's only one problem. My local Regions banks seem to be nice. However I've understood if you don't deposit the deposit slip along with the money or check at one of their atm's or another, it's not credited to your account. old Regions was mostly computer driven, AmSouth was paper driven. Everything needs to be written on paper.

It was like Union Planters to Regions was a step forward in efficiently, but Regions to AmSouth was a step backward. I got used to it , but with that kind of attitude , yeah country will be screwed.

[TheKentuckian]

111. The greed is good, fuck the next guy, you are on your own, get rich or die trying mentality

fucked us up bad. Capitalism likely will have to be undone.

[bluecollarcharlie]

113. A real sin .

of the whole thing is how many DU'rs are more than willing to let Congress get away with holding one industry accountable over relatively trivial amounts when the primary industry target of the first bailout gets the cash and no one here wants to scream "let 'em fail" at the top of their lungs even when they take the money and run.

Like i posted elsewhere, let us go into depression. A country with this many stupid people doesn't deserve to be wealthy.

[shaniqua6392]

116. They have made us so poor we can not afford to revolt.

Who could afford to travel to Washington for the Revolution? Not me. I can barely afford groceries. They have us right where they want us.

[MzYvonne]

117. What the fuck is wrong with this country?

Nothing is wrong with the Country. They say Americans are like dumb cattle, just standing there smacking on your cud. Don't see nothing

[political_Dem]

118. Thank you for saying this.

I'm frustrated and sick of all the apologists who forget the heinous things that Bush and his cronies did. America has suffered a lot. We don't deserve a government in which some centrists can sing kumbaya with the Republicans while the GOP stabs us in the back in order to get back into the 2010 and 2012 elections.

I've been wondering what was wrong with some folk during this time as well.

[zeemike]

119. Like a great American humorist said in the 1930s

"There are a lot of people in this country that haven't been eating too good lately, but don't worry, we will get to them when everyone else has been taken care of"
History does repeat itself.

[acmavm]

120. When you figure out what the deal is, let me know okay? Because I don't

have the slightest idea.

[B Calm]

121. 28 years of Corporate Freedom and Personal Responsibility mentality. . .

When it should be just the opposite. . .

[DFW]

126. All great powers, empires and civilizations have eventually rotted from within

It may be our time, it may not, but unless we are to break with historical
precedent, it is our destiny, and just a question of time.

One might have thought that with today's possibility for enlightenment, this
could be a tradition to be broken, but then I look at the phenomenon of Sarah
Palin and the cheering crowds she drew, and shake my head. Obama was right, they
are proud of their ignorance, and their kind will always be the lead weight that
will weigh us down, preventing us from soaring to the heights we could have.

I remember a line from a movie I saw last year: "What it is, is human weakness.
You can't kill that with a gun."

[crickets]

127. "they are proud of their ignorance" When did Obama say that?

"their kind will always be the lead weight that will weigh us down"

I don't recall hearing him say those words. Could you please point me toward that speech?

[DFW]

154. I recall hearing him saying those words. I saw it on TV on CNN International.

It was during the campaign when he was mocked by Republicans for mentioning
that checking your tire pressure was a tip for saving energy. It turned out
he was perfectly correct about that, and his comment about those who mocked
him (and were wrong) was that "it's almost as if they were proud of their
ignorance," which came to be a line used to describe Republicans in general,
and Sarah Palin in particular. It got popular because it fit them in so many
situations.

The part about the lead weight was mine, not his.

[crickets]

161. D'oh! I remember the tire pressure flap

but had forgotten Obama's smackdown of the Repubs. It just sounded so unlike him and so different in tone from the majority of the election speeches and sound bites that I couldn't place it--but given the context, it was completely justified at the time.

Thanks for the reminder. :hi:

[DFW]

162. No sweat!

That was one phrase of his that has been used again and again, with the original
context being forgotten. It was such an accurate description of the prevailing
mentality of so many Republicans that it became a memorable quote, being subsequently
repeated often, simply because it so perfectly described their attitude. I haven't
the faintest idea if Obama even knew he had created a classic stock phrase at the
time, but it stuck in the minds of a LOT of people, myself included.

[smirkymonkey]

128. I thought I was the only person who was in a constant "WTF"

state over these things. I can't even get past being stupefied enough to address it.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

131. Class War.

[burbank_spiffers]

133. I know my comments will be deleted...

but not before being branded as a Democrat traitor, but, as a long time Democrat and reader of DU, I'm now a Green, because as long as you keep giving your vote to the same entrenched party, they're never going to do what you want them to. They need to know you can go elsewhere if you don't like what's in the shop.

You voted these people in, and now you're talking about storming their offices and throwing them out. Yet in another 2 and 4 years, you'll vote for them again.

Einstein once said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Think about that.

[The Backlash Cometh]

134. Tell me about it.

[scytherius]

135. Well, waiting to see what Obama does . . .

and I have no illusions about a sudden clean sweep. And he REALLY needs to make sure he doesn't do what the Republicans did . . . too much too right (in his case "left") too soon.

But, if the Obama years aren't the beginning of turing around this fright train to Hell (the U.S.) then boy IS it time to storm the Bastille.

[man4allcats]

136. I could not have said it better.

:kick:

[Turborama]

140. What about the $23 BILLION that mysteriously went missing in Iraq? Doesn't that tell us something?

Daylight Robbery - What Happened to the $23billion?
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=789547337385191959


http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home">Iraq War Clock


And the over $45 Billion that's been spent so far this year alone on the "war on drugs"?

http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm">Drug War Clock

[mackerel]

144. At least we got rid of Dingell

Lemonade anyone?

[trickyguy]

145. Most Americans want entertaining TV and cheap prices at WalMart. That's it.

[valerief]

146. Jesus, patriot, REAL Americans, flag pins, bootstraps. Did I say Jesus? nt

[Baby Snooks]

155. Welcome to the oligarchy...

Just as Benjamin Franklin predicted, we survived approximately 200 years. And suddenly, our democracy was replaced with oligarchy.

"By the people, for the people" has become "by the corporation, for the corporation." The people simply do not matter.

[threadkillaz]

156. The congressional branch has taken over.

How can congress have an approval rating less than Bush, but we end up having to choose from two Senators in the General?


Here come the Lawyers.

[peanut2010]

158. We are all just plain stupid

[Karenina]

166. Priorities.

[DFW]

167. Duplicate post

*now posted elsewhere