Example of what is wrong

[guinpen]

Lecter you will love this!

Bob Schieffer actually does a nice job in this clip, asks some tuff questions, but of course Mrs Pelosi shows us all what is wrong with politics today. Blames Bush for the debt, blames the R's for nothing getting done this year, says we need to "work together", funny where was that thinking when the D's were in total charge? I really like the segment that starts about the 2:54 mark. Bob quotes Nancy on her quotes from 2005 when she said that Bush was to blame for high unemployment and gas prices, then Bob asks her if the same should apply to BO since gas prices and unemployment are higher now. Of course her answer was why worry about the past.

What a hoot!

http://nation.foxnews.com/nancy-pelosi/2011/06/05/bob-schieffer-unleashed-scolds-nancy-pelosi

[Dracula]

Typical socalist. What a piece of work.

[pen4life]

I'm a yellow dog Democrat (i.e. if the party ran a yellow dog, he (or she) would get my vote. The Republican party of today is rapidly becoming the enemy of the middle class, the poor, the elderly, anyone outside of the well heeled upper crust. This republican love fest is bizarre. guinpen and hlector, get a room. 

[guinpen]

I'm a yellow dog Democrat (i.e. if the party ran a yellow dog, he (or she) would get my vote. I rest my case - truly amazing The Republican party of today is rapidly becoming the enemy of the middle class, the poor, the elderly, anyone outside of the well heeled upper crust. Sounds like you have bought into that class envy thing This republican love fest is bizarre. guinpen and hlector, get a room. Get a room, heck I don't even know hlecter!

[pen4life]

It's not class envy, there isn't much that is enviable about a bunch of self centered sociopaths motivated by greed and power. It's more like fear, class fear. I fear for this nation when half the republican governors secretly run off to grovel at the feet of the Koch brothers to get there marching orders, when 299 top CEO's  "earn" as much as 100,000 laborers, when a well known capitalist fat cat says "sure there's a class war and we are winning". I fear politicians that are owned by the highest bidder and a media that has forgotten that their job is to dig for the truth and report it. For much of our history America was divided into 2 classes the rich and the poor. There was no significant middle class. Those days were hell for laborers when the leading cause of death for working age males was industrial accidents. But it was a golden era for the robber barons who exploited the human and material resources of this nation. The advent of unions leveled the playing field somewhat. And men like Henry Ford who asked who's gonna buy the crap we make unless we pay them a decent wage added to this trend. But the rich never really liked this middle class and longed for a return to the way it was when workers were poor and desparate and would work long hours in dangerous(cheap or as we say today cost effective) conditions for low wages or better yet company script that's only good at company stores. Our politicians and sadly most are republican have been bought by these robber barons of today and hence have become the enemy of the middle class. If you are a member of this capitalist elite, I understand why you would embrace the republican agenda. But if you are not, it is time to realize that these people are not your friends and do not have the best interests of our nation at heart. Corporations have no national allegiance and privatization is a road to ruin and enslavement.   

[guinpen]

Pen4ife - I actually agree with some of what you say, one of things that you are missing is that both parties are putting to us. You mention the Koch brothers, ever heard of a guy named George Soros and his buying of Democrats - nuff said!

Politicians  - all politicians - have one thing in mind, getting and staying in power, it is as simple as that. Each side figures out what our fears are and then they play to them. Yea, they just love it when we get caught up in this little R verses D stuff, keeps us busy and they laugh and laugh. Sure there is a good politician now and then but we both know that they will not go far until they buy into the plan.

For what it is worth, I am not a member of the capitalist elite, no desire to be. No desire to die rich, I spend more time trying to be a good father and husband. Those are the right priorities for me. I can tell you that I have never been employed by a poor man. Like it or not we need rich people.

The trick for our government is to not swing too far in either direction, left or right. Too big is as bad as too small ( I do tend to lean to smaller ). At this time we are getting too big, can't be everything to everyone, heck we just can not afford it.

[Wick250]

pen4life,

Excellent historical analysis.  I would just add that these new Robber Barons today are unpatriotic egotists who destroy the fabric of American society by outsourcing good jobs and thus further reducing the middle class.

[guinpen]

pen4life,

Excellent historical analysis.  I would just add that these new Robber Barons today are unpatriotic egotists who destroy the fabric of American society by outsourcing good jobs and thus further reducing the middle class.

Darn that Clinton for signing NAFTA into law!

[Wick250]

Any leader, Democrat or Republican, who promotes the outsourcing of jobs is a traitor to the United States of America.

[guinpen]

Any leader, Democrat or Republican, who promotes the outsourcing of jobs is a traitor to the United States of America.

You are 100% correct.

[pen4life]

I would also add any leader, president or governor who sells vital public assets to private concerns who can then turn around and outsource as much as they want, is also a traitor, And that unfortunately would include Ohio's  own Gov. Kasich.

I have never worked for a rich man. I have worked for governments, myself and nonprofit organizations. The truth is we really DON"T need the rich man. Under our system of capitalism private wealth becomes a very important almost necessary ingredient to stimulate economic activity. But ours isn't the only form of economy or even capitalism. China has adopted a form of state capitalism that seems to be working very well for them.

The point is , the rich man needs us as much as we need him. We as the middle class have to keep the playing field level.  Yes unions have done some pretty grotesque things with their power but they are the only mechanism for ensuring a level playing field. We also need a government that will regulate trade and outsourcing in a manner that favors the American worker. This of course means BIGGER  Gov't. Remember it is our Gov't that establishes regulations, but it is the corporations, the rich man who actully stabs us in the back. He is not our friend but with the proper checks and balances he cane be our business partner. 

[guinpen]

Hummmm, some your last post is scary, let's just say that we look at things differently.

Just for grins, may I ask about how old you are? 20's 30's -----60's 70's 80's?

[pen4life]

I just celebrated the 24th anniversary of my 39th birthday.

[pen4life]

Standing up to tyranny whether it is political or economic is scarey. Nobody is going to look after our interests but us, When we declare that we deserve something better, something more than the crumbs that might fall from the tables of the rich that we are indeed entitled to the pursuit of life , liberty and happiness then we celebrate th spirit of July 4th. Happy Indepenence Day. God Bless America.

[guinpen]

I just celebrated the 24th anniversary of my 39th birthday.

Interesting, I just had had my 19th so we are rather close. I do see where we have some common ground in our thinking