I've Seen The Teabags and The Damage Done.

[20score]

(Repost with additions and better title.)

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is also bringing the debate about regulation to the forefront once more. Where it belongs. Time and time again, those who tout the “Government is the problem” meme manage to steer the conversation. The phrase is repeated by those who aren’t very introspective about their beliefs and in the minds of many, it becomes true. But it’s not. And it should be one of the most obvious things we deal with. The need for regulation should be a no-brainer. But, just like the mining disaster in West Virginia and the financial meltdown in 2008, this too will be blamed on the victims.


The financial industry spent five billion dollars to bribe politicians in order to game the system. They got what they wanted and they were also warned by many that the deregulation would cause a bubble and that bubble would break. Molly Ivins said of the deregulation 1998, “Not since Congress passed the Garn-St. Germain bill in 1981 – the one that deregulated the S&Ls and unleashed a half-a-trillion-dollar disaster, which the taxpayers of this country wound up paying for – has there been a move to match this for pure folly.” So the people who crashed the world’s economy and spend a good portion of their time talking about how great they are and how bad the government is, ran to the government to bail them out when it inevitably went south. But who got the blame on Fox News and right-wing radio? Poor people, brown people, black people and immigrants. Never ones with enough to character to stand up and take responsibility for what they have done, they quickly blamed the victims.


Within a week or so of the mining disaster in West Virginia – one that can be attributed to deregulation and a disregard for the regulations still in force – Rush Limbaugh tried to blame the unions. "Was there no union responsibility for improving mine safety? Where was the union here? Where was the union? The union is generally holding these companies up demanding all kinds of safety. Why were these miners continuing to work in what apparently was an unsafe atmosphere?" After more than twenty years of fighting to weaken unions, Limbaugh wants to know why the unions didn’t stop this from happening. There were questions and concerns voiced by people working in the Massey Energy mine, just as there was by some working on the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. But, just as with other foreseeable disasters, this was caused by the deregulation mindset so prevalent in some circles.


The people in our country are the victims of the broken system. Financial, safety related and ecological. The corporations pay the politicians to make counterproductive laws. Then they pay propagandists like Beck and Limbaugh, and Fox News, to lie to the people so they have popular support for those laws. In the meantime the middle class keeps shrinking and making less money. We keep going deeper and deeper in debt, and the people doing the damage keep privatizing the gains and socializing the losses. All the while making the people who follow them fight against their own interests. The need for regulation is very much common sense. Common sense and science. It follows the Cox Theorem.
Prediction: Remove B from the system and N will happen. In this case strong regulation and a disaster. Replace B and N will not happen. At least not to the degree as it was before B was reintroduced. This has been proven over and over again during the last century. But, memories are very short.


“Drill Baby Drill!” That less than stellar phrase is losing its popularity, lately. Where is that private industry that can handle this spill better than the government? Where is that private Coast Guard that can rescue people while making a big profit? To you teabaggers, propagandists and right-wing elite - you know your slogans are lies or you would be repeating them now, instead of crying for help from the government. All the damage you cause with your greed and shortsightedness is only compounded by your inability to take responsibility. And the responsibility for this spill, and the damage it has done and will continue to do, can be laid directly on all the people who have chanted, voted and pushed for deregulation.


After the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the obvious thing for the country to do was to cut our consumption of fossil fuel. We did the opposite. The obvious thing for us to do now after the Gulf oil spill is to put in strong regulations and cut our consumption of fossil fuel. But our track record for doing the right and obvious thing is not a great one. “Government is the problem” “The private industry does it better” “Don’t let big government stand in the way” Now that things have gotten out of hand in the Gulf, they are begging the government to fix it. Until the crisis is over, then they will start the process all over again. The talking points are ready to go the minute this spill is off the front page. We shouldn’t let them do it this time. Enough is enough. In fact, it’s already been far too much.

[geckosfeet]

1. Shaping up to be a turbulent summer/fall/election cycle.

[happygoluckytoyou]

32. Damn brown people have some nerve sending us that OIL SPILL! GOOF of MEXICO i say!!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/2/862447/-Massive-windspill-reported-in-Southern-California

[ihavenobias]

2. K & R n/t

[enough]

3. +1 (nt)

[AnArmyVeteran]

4. Great post... Right wingers need to be exposed for the liars they are.

But I am constantly amazed at how gutless democrats are, or how corrupt they are because they are feeding at the same corporate trough as the republicans. The ONLY way to break the cycle of sending corporate whore after corporate whore to government is to change campaign finance laws. No one should be allowed to give to a candidate unless they can vote for them. No money from outside a district or a state should be allowed. No one should be allowed to donate more than $500 to any candidate. And all campaigns should be publicly financed to prevent the constant corporate ownership of their government stable of whores.

There will be no real change until we change the system. And I am constantly baffled why people continue to blindly vote for either of the two major parties. If they began to vote for third party candidates who haven't sold themselves out to corporations or corrupting special interests our government would finally be a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

But every time finance campaign laws are addressed, conservatives go on the rampage condemning any restrictions in the amount of money that goes to candidates. They believe money is 'free speech'. So by default, if you're in the middle class or poor, you have no voice in government. Most conservatives even support the anti-American ruling by the corrupt conservatives on the Supreme Court which even allows foreign money to corrupt and taint every election in the country.

If the ideas I put in bold letters above were adopted then our system could be completely changed FOR THE BETTER within ten years. Competent people who are not owned by corporations could be elected and they would represent the people, not the thug with the most bucks.

[20score]

6. Thanks!

And I'm glad you liked the title.

[20score]

7. Also, couldn't agree more with those ideas.

[madokie]

31. With the present system I'm afraid if we start voting independent

we'll only increase the :puke:s stranglehold on our country. Both parties are bad as it is but the reptilicons are way worse than the dem's are even on a bad day for the dem's.

I really don't see an end to this in my lifetime, so sad.

[unpossibles]

39. I agree with you on the financing bit but I don't blame the parties per se

For one thing, if one of the third parties were to get to the place where the major parties are, they too would be subject to the same corruption. The real answer is, as you stated, to clean up and get rid of corporate sponsorship of politicians. Another problem is that these laws can be circumvented by the media - even if Corporation Z cannot support Candidate X, they can give money to Media Company Y which will promote Candidate X through soft-sell interviews and stories which are essentially ads for said candidate and potentially said corporation.

Although I dislike certain things about parties, they can form a similar function as unions - the ability to share numbers with allies in order to have better bargaining power instead of splitting allied voters, allowing a truly less popular position to win.

[AnArmyVeteran]

5. Oh yeah, I forgot to say "good play on Neil Young's words"

from "The Needle and the Damage Done"... I have played that song on my guitar hundreds of times. It would be cool to re-write its lyrics with current commentary. BTW, where in the hell are all the professional singers who used to write songs against the outrageous injustices in society? There were hundreds in the 60s and 70s. Aren't there any singers today who have the same convictions? Or do they just want to continue to write the same drivel as everyone else.

Having said this, can you list any current singers who give a damn about society's problems or the injustices being perpetrated by the greedy? It seems as if singer/songwriters are caught up in commercialism so much they are incapable of being a voice of the people.

[onethatcares]

9. they're gazzillionairs and don't care that much at all

now we have.....................................who??? the 60s were gonna change this shit and we weren't to trust anyone over 30 and all of a sudden, we're all over 30 and can't pay our bills because the guys that didn't tune in, turn on and drop out became dick fuckingcheney karlrove and those frigging pimples on our asses with tons of money have corporations that enjoy the advertisers dollars and don't give a rats ass about what happens ten years from now because they know it's not gonna happen to their kids when it falls apart.

Oh, and garage bands with heart are no longer available, anyone in the music biz has a rich daddy that buys playtime on clearchannel.

PEACE

[AnArmyVeteran]

40. When we blinked, the Roves, Cheneys & Bushes picked our pockets...

[PSzymeczek]

13. Isn't Tom Paxton still around?

He's one of the best.

[20score]

14. Here's one. In my opinion, pretty damn good. James McMurtry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTW0y6kazWM&playnext_from=TL&videos=6kdpYDLdXg8

On edit here's two more. Not as famous as the Beatles, but who is?
Asylum Street Spankers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8&playnext_from=TL&videos=nlxs0Hj7OUQ

Roy Zimerman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbQScYx5quc&playnext_from=TL&videos=Bf0Qdz7awGs

And many more that never get played on the radio. Nothing like the numbers of '60's and early 70's, but it's something.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

28. My personal favorite is Bruce Cockburn.

He and Neil are two who still care about what's right and wrong in society and put those feelings into action and words.

I still think that one of the main reasons that Bruce didn't catch on in America as much as he did everywhere else is that his songs made you think. Since the 60's and 70's, too many people became self centered above all else.

Link to The Cockburn Project: http://cockburnproject.net/
Lots of interesting thoughts and social commentaries especially in the "Issues" tab.

Link to 2007 trip to Nepal by Bruce and a film crew. http://www.kensingtontv.com/nepal/

The video "Crops from Stones" is a great short clip on two brothers who took 8 years to clear a small field of volcanic boulders by hand. They now grow enough to sell the extra produce and make a living as well as feed their families.

[Zoeisright]

8. I wish I could recommend this 1000000000 times.

This needs to be fed directly into the stopped-up ears of the American people.

[20score]

10. Thank you!

[snagglepuss]

15. Amen nt

[suede1]

11. I agree with Zoeisright

I can't K&R this enough.

[Initech]

12. Yup, I seriously hope the tea party will go down as a failed experiment.

They claim to have all the answers. But really they're just bullies who hate Obama. Nothing more.

[snagglepuss]

16. Bang on. nt

[spanone]

17. zat you neil?

[mercuryblues]

18. I am sick

and tired of the bushit.
If someone runs over me with their car, with co pays and caps my medical bills will be too much to handle. I must be absafunkinglutely broke, before the government will bail me out. Why is it the freaking oil companies can do this? I think the government should be depleting all their assets, before taxpayers are expected to pay anything.

[AnArmyVeteran]

20. They should have all of their rigs closed and all of their assets SEIZED...

And that includes every one of the BP executives we can get our hands on. Arrest them. They caused damage like the 9/11 terrorists. Why not arrest them as environmental terrorists? Why the double standard? They need to go to jail... You would if you dumped a can of oil down the drain. They are destroying the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Coast, but not one of their 'leaders' will ever see a dime in reduction in their fat salaries. Why is that? Why can a criminally insane sociopath destroy millions of people and kill human beings, but just because they are the head of a corporation they suffer zero consequences?

Put them in PRISON.

[elleng]

19. Excellent analogies, which should be brought to everyone's attention.:

Publish this.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is also bringing the debate about regulation to the forefront once more. Where it belongs. Time and time again, those who tout the “Government is the problem” meme manage to steer the conversation. . .

The financial industry spent five billion dollars to bribe politicians in order to game the system. They got what they wanted and they were also warned by many that the deregulation would cause a bubble and that bubble would break. . .

Within a week or so of the mining disaster in West Virginia – one that can be attributed to deregulation and a disregard for the regulations still in force . . .

The people in our country are the victims of the broken system. Financial, safety related and ecological. The corporations pay the politicians to make counterproductive laws.

[humbled_opinion]

21. The OP suggests that we cut our consumption of fossil fuel,

and although I agree with the sentiment of that, I don't understand where people see the practicality in it? I have a car, I must drive to get to work, I must drive to go to the store for food to feed my family, as gas prices soar I have to make choices to deny my family things in order to survive. Think if it was easy to cut consumption it would have been done already. Price increases hurt the poorer among us more then the wealthy i.e., rich people can adjust to gas price increses. What would be fair is the government control the oil and distribute, ration it with cost based on net wealth in other words If I pay $3 per gallon, Oprah should pay $3000 per gallon, Tom Brady should pay $1500 per gallon etc....

The true problem is that politicians and the oil companies have enslaved us to fossile fuels and none seem willing to create alternatives. I will gladly give up my fossile fuel existance when cheap alternative energy sources are available.

[20score]

26. Well, I'm hoping for the political will to force the government to do the right thing.

After 9-11 the government made it cheaper to buy gas guzzling SUV's by increasing the tax right off to 100 thousand. That type of thing can be reversed.

[JDPriestly]

27. humbled_opinion

Drive to work ------ with somebody else.

Drive to the store ----- with your neighbors.

You won't save much money. But if more us use public transportation (sharing our ride) and rideshare with friends and neighbors, we can cut back on our oil consumption.

Turn down the heat a couple of notches in the winter.

Don't use the air conditioning in the summer. Even in the South, people survived sweltering heat without air conditioning. I know. I lived there for some years without air conditioning.

We have to learn to live with less oil. Will it make us less independent, more interdependent. You bet. But it is what we have to do.

[humbled_opinion]

29. Ah so your answer is

That I should be punished... I am the one that has to find rides, in my rural town or rely on the non-existent public transportation, conserve, I am the one that has to figure it all out and make it more difficult in my life, while other well to do people continue to suck up what I manage to conserve?
Those people that couldn't care less if gas were $50 a gallon, no those savy business people have figured it all out in a capitalist nation you can pass costs on to consumers with ease, government regulation costing you more money, energy costs skyrocketing, no fear pass it on to your customers, jack up their prices, they still need the services or goods you provide and will continue to "PAY THE PRICE" and then the government comes right along behind them and says, oh I am regulating these business people so they don't screw you and in order to keep you safe I must raise your taxes to pay for the government that you need...

Yeah thats fair...

You are the backward man. The government has within its power the ability to spread the pain but it doesn't. The government also has within its power the ability to change the dynamic, but it doesn't. The government can make it more fair but it doesn't. The government can seed the growth of an alternative energy source for me but it won't.

Explain how this is fair, Solar panel roof and wind turbine in my backyard would allow me to be off the grid, cost estimate for installation of both 60K recoupment of investment 30 years, you think I don't want to be off the grid and have a ZERO dollar electric bill.... then add in a 100 percent electric car and my energy costs collapse to near zero my carbon footprint gets miniscule cost 50k or more so a little over 100K and I live energy independent LOL it is my wet dream but it is never going to happen and everyday I remain a slave to OIL and even if I manage to do everything I said because I scrimped and saved then maybe by the time I am dead I have recovered what it cost me to get there?

Where is my incentive?


But wait there is more, then I have to watch everyday these rich asses that can afford to do what I said and they don't, they fly around in their private jets and cruise in their gas guzzling trucks and cars, WHY???

Maybe I should join the teabaggers? I am becoming more and more anti-government by the minute and disillusioned of a President that I thought would solve some of these complex issues.

[Wednesdays]

35. I'm with you...except for the joining the teabaggers part...

Yeah, the greedy bastards screw us...and so WE'RE the ones who have to change our behavior. :eyes:

[unpossibles]

43. why is trying to do the right thing a punishment?

Seriously. I don't think anyone expects you to become a monk, and yes I agree that government should lead the way, but (a) every little bit helps, and (b) we need to be active citizens to keep the government on the right track. Instead of looking at these things as punishments, look at them as opportunities. Car pooling and public transportation can be a way to get to know people better. Cut down on beef/pork as they are resource wasteful and not so good for you in large portions - and instead of seeing it as a sacrifice, look at it as a way to be healthier and proud of your part in the solution.

[humbled_opinion]

45. Your Pollyanna views

may be ok from your perspective and I have no idea what that is however, I agree that we all need to do our part, it is the government that should be working for us to that end. We are the government and we say the priority should be to implement a plan to get the American people off of OIL....

That means a real alternative, invest the money, there are hundreds of ways the government can raise the capital, one would be to nationalize the oil industry and ration it equally and force the rich to pay their fair share, like I said earlier on it is unfair to burden the poorest with the pain that the rich escape.

[unpossibles]

49. pollyanna views. lol

Excuse me for trying to do something about it, not only politically - which I do - but personally - which I also do.

I'll try to be more MIMBY about things and expect everyone else to actually come up with solutions while we wait for someone else to make an even better solution.

FWIW, I agree that we need real investment into alternative energy, political action and support and even nationalization. But I'm glad I did not just sit around and wait for all of that a couple of decades ago too, or I'd feel kind of crappy about it.

[humbled_opinion]

52. But thats the rub...

Politically we aren't doing anything about it.

We have a Democratic President and control of both houses of congress.

It should have been issue priority one from day one take that Stimulus package make it as big as you want multi Trillions even but you end with a promise that our days as a nation of OIL users is over.

You solve so many problems with an agenda like that, you end wars, you lift nations.

What we need is a Leader that can lead a nation to the solution, you don't remain entrenched in the past. For all his rhetoric this President has not lived up to the standards that he could have.

IMHO.

[unpossibles]

41. I hate to inject this one because it will bring out the fight in people

but cut down on the amount of red meat. It's terribly wasteful both with oil resources and water among other things.

Sadly, no one will want to sacrifice because they will see it as punishing themselves, which is kind of a crappy attitude to take. When I look at things like rationing and Victory Gardens from WWII, I don't think we'd have the mettle to make it through that again.

I walk, ride public transport, a bike, don't use AC or high heat in the winter, have been eating vegetarian for most of the past 20 years, and try to be conscious of my choices as much as I can, while still realizing that some things will be hard or impossible for some people. I'm almost 40 and don't see these things as punishment; I'm proud to do them.

[JDPriestly]

44. I'm with you, unpossibles.

We live in Los Angeles on the side opposite the ocean. It gets really, really, blistering hot. We have trees around our house, not air conditioning.

I have lived in Europe. When we were there, Europeans used public transportation as much as possible.

That is why they are thinner and fitter than us. We need to walk more. We need to walk to public transportation more.

If you live in a small town, push the public transportation agenda.

[humbled_opinion]

47. Interesting..

I live in a double wide in a rural county in Florida, no public transportation, no way the community down here could ever get the city to bring a bus out this far it is simply not worth the money (in their opionion) It takes me 40 mins each way to commute to the city for work so I use many gallons of gas, as the price goes up, I have to give up such things as Ice cream for my kids (4 boys) or movie night, more hot dogs, less chicken, no vactions this year kids no not even to the county fair.

So I guess for some its all good, my kids don't need the ice cream they will just get fat anyway, movie night is so cliche anyway, and we should be out tilling our yard and planting organic crops to feed us instead of relying on that nasty Hot dog meat, who needs vacations when you can spend quality time with your kids, Right?

[Rhiannon12866]

22. K&R! Wow! Your best rant yet, my friend!!!

Unions?! This was a non-union mine! And does nobody remember the tragedy of 2006, or is that ancient history that has already been rewritten or forgotten?! Oh, right! "...we seem not to understand that coal pays the bills." :grr:



As for the oil leak?! Hasn't Halliburton caused enough tragedy for one century?! I totally agree with Bill Maher that those who shouted "Drill, Baby, Drill!" had better get out their waders and help with the cleanup! Starting with Sarah Palin! :grr:

[20score]

23. Thank you Rhiannon!

As always, you rock!

[Rhiannon12866]

24. So do you, my friend...

You wrote all that. I just clicked to recommend it... ;) :hi:

[Xenotime]

25. It's time for the RW reign to come to a close before more people and wildlife suffer.

[Evasporque]

30. But we have dominion not stewardship of the earth...

the Bible says..."Dig baby dig!"...and "Drill baby drill!"

[h9socialist]

33. But every Repub is a setting sun . . .

[Lena inRI]

34. China Baby China. . .

. . .excellent analysis, 20score, as you covered all the bases that explain the Decline of the American Empire 2010 C.E.

So, now what?

I'm adding the following to your final, "In fact, it's already been far too much" despondency:

Any American with your insight should already be planning their American exodus, either toward one of the Pacific Rim economies or the European Union.

Join the B R A I N-D R A I N. R E V E R S E-I M M I G R A T I O N.

More and more, retirees are becoming expats. The Millennium generation isn't able to afford living here so permanent work/duel citizenship abroad are very popular-doable options in our global economy.

Historically, the middle class led reform revolutions.. .the Yes-we-can crowd. Not this time around. The middle is taking the OPT-OUT choice. I see it among my own family and friends. . .the S I L E N T S H I F T away from a decaying American empire.

In 2 more election cycles, as the teabagger-Palin-Limbaugh-Beck dogs relentlessly yap at Obama's heels, the American system will cave in on itself. Only corporate-candidates will run and win in phony democratic elections.

Why should any middle class person invest their future in a corporate-controlled America???

The American experiment is dying a slow death as the middle class gasps for air. . .those of us who still have the money to relocate will be smarter to move ahead of this changing curve. . . NOW THAT'S CHANGE YOU CAN COUNT ON !



BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE--SHANGHAI 2010




http://europa.eu/abc/history/2000_today/index_en.htm

:hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: As in bye-bye America . . .

[20score]

50. .

:toast:

[redqueen]

36. "Enough is enough. In fact, it’s already been far too much."

Hear, hear!

[unpossibles]

37. another meme I've seen a few times is saying Obama delayed action on the spill

a la Bush - even though of course those same people were defending Bush, saying it was not the Federal Government's problem. This also creates a false analogy in that the oil spill is not a natural disaster, but man-made.

[Tsiyu]

38. saw his drummer just the other day, lol

He was laughing at their German Shepherd who lost a favorite chew toy under the dock and was imploring us all to dive under and get it...

As to the subject of the OP, the media convinced the Little Guy that regs were bad for the Little Guy.

And the Little Guy bought the line like a sucker.

Now, we see the Little Guy along the Gulf suffer massively due to de-regulation, while the Big Players just keep on keepin' on.

Someone posted a comment on another site: "Don't blame the government or corporations for the Gulf spill. Accidents happen. And corporations put food on the table."

Looks like corporations like BP and Halliburton are taking a lot of food OFF the table in the Gulf.

But let's blame no one. After all, there are $$$$ being made.

Money talks and common sense walks......

[Tsiyu]

48. OMG just laughing thinking about that dog again

Realized i had wrong dude.

i am a dumbass

but the rest of what i said stands...:crazy:

[ismnotwasm]

42. Excellent

I've never understood the people who think 'free market forces' (such as my brother the libertarian) would eliminate the need for well regulated industry. Over and over and over we see what happens without oversight.

[butterfly77]

46. K&R!

[workinclasszero]

51. Teabagger Holy Writ: DRILL BABY DRILL and

KEEP BIG GOVERNMENT OFF OUR BACK!

Yeah so this is what happens when capitalist cowboys are running the show? Did you get that WORLD?

This lesson is going to be one the world will find hard to ignore when is washes up and fowls its beautiful beaches.

When the stench of dead sea animals mixed with the smell of oil takes over cities all over the world, hey thats just the results of fucking unrestrained CAPITALISM for you people!

DO YOU FINALLY GET IT!? Capitalism without the strong hand of government on it WILL DESTROY THE ENTIRE WORLD! Just to make a dollar profit!

It wasn't socialism that destroyed the gulf of Mexico and turned it into a dead zone oh HELL NO!

It was pure, unrestrained CAPITALISM in its finest hour! God help us all and please deliver us from the dirty oil stained hands of the capitalists!