Category Archives: Economics

Obama’s new approach to war chalks up another win | StarTribune.com

Yes, this is old.

Yet, given this is an election year, still relevant.

There are two trends that always seem to befuddle me. Republicans are given this assumed image that they are great for capitalism and effective war leaders.

It isn’t true though.

Economically, the average American fares better under Democratic administrations, as well as the general economy itself.

Wars? FDR beat the Nazis, Reagan conquered Grenada.

Bush got us into Iraq and Obama got our troops out of there. Not a clean victory, but it made up for the false reasons we went in there.

Granted, Nixon got us out of Vietnam, which Johnson mismanaged. Given the crap that mess was, call it a draw.

So, you are more apt to get into a brushfire war with a Third World nation and fight to a draw under the GOP and lose money and your savings with it. What is the reason to vote for these guys again?

What $40 Means to Americans Across the Country | The White House

The House GOP doesn’t care about you. Want proof? They supposed no-taxes party has already derailed plans to tax millionaires to pay for unemployment extensions and tax cuts for middle class families.

Now they won’t pass a bill to do either thing if they can’t get a guarantee on an oil pipeline that will only benefit foreign oil companies.

What does another $40 in your paycheck mean to you? Tell the White House so they can share your story.

Bankers Join Billionaires to Debunk ‘Imbecile’ Attack on Top 1% – Bloomberg

Read this. Be as sickened as I am.

I have said this time and time again. This isn’t – to me anyway – anything about class warfare.

Go ahead, get rich. Actually, scratch that.

Go ahead, provide goods and services. Honorably, with respect and consideration for the potential benefits AND harm you may cause. Be a good citizen AND a good vendor.

If that makes you rich, then great!

Now that you are rich, are you going to gamble your wealth on the market? If so, are you going to do so without jeopardizing commodity markets or lumping your cash in with a bunch of retiree pensions and possibly screw with people’s wallets, food supplies, and futures?

If so, go ahead, invest, make money. PAY TAXES ON THE EARNINGS! Not 15%, pay what you would if you actually WORKED for it. Hell, it is beyond fair to do so.

And when people wake up to the fact that rich people and corporations buy more and more political power as they pay less and less into the public coffers and are pissed about it, be a smidge sensitive to the anger.

Don’t take it so personally. Realize you are lumped in with thieves.

And, if you don’t care for that company, either do something about it or shut the hell up.

Mother Jones has some more on billionaires trying to silence their opponents.

In N.D. town where sugar is king, lockout hits hard | Minnesota Public Radio News

One of the more under-reported stories in the US right now are those folks brave enough to stand for their right to work in this economy. The folks over at American Crystal Sugar have been locked out for months. It isn’t just a Minnesota or North Dakota or a Plains states story. This is about Americans who want to both work AND be rewarded for it.

MPR has done a good job covering them and here is the latest installment. Things are not good and instead of focusing on real families facing real hardship, the only labor news you hear is about rich basketball players fighting with even richer owners.

We should be better than this. When that’s all the union news you hear, no wonder the average person hates unions.

Take a read/listen about this particular labor dispute. Consider what these folks are fighting for.

CHART OF THE DAY: These Are The 47 Percent | TPMDC

Republicans like to villainize those who aren’t paying income tax. I mean, not the rich billionaires who don’t because they have unscrupulous accountants. No, I mean the the elderly, the poor, those in college. Those who contribute sale taxes, payroll taxes, or either have contributed or are going to once they get a degree.

Basically, folks who are part of society rather than abusing it without paying for their take.

And that’s what this is all about. I doubt very few of the Occupy Wall Street folks are against making money. They certainly aren’t against paying for a system that allows you to get rich, contrary to FAUXNews and other conservatives.

Are there some socialists in the mix? Damn right. How much of Europe operates under a socialist idea that you can make up to a certain amount and after that, the taxes hike up considerably? Many of the more prosperous nations do so. Hell, the US used to do it.

Profit with responsibility. If you aren’t paying for the roads and rails that help you ship goods, you aren’t doing right by your community. If you don’t pay for the navy protecting your oil tankers or the army fighting for resource access, you are cheating the society that lets you get rich.

There used to be responsibility and a sense of shame over not doing your part. Now there is a political party that will let you off the hook on all of that, which them damns poor people for not giving more than they already have.

Shameful.