Health Care "Reform" that Will Enrich For-Profit Insurance Companies and Big Pharma is What the WH is Fighting For Now

Submitted by mark karlin on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 6:54am.

EditorBlog

BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

By Mark Karlin

Okay, we've heard enough.

Just yesterday, the White House reluctantly released a partial log of who has visited with Obama's staff on so-called "healthcare reform" and it reads like a who's who of Big Pharma and health insurance lobbyists.

Let's stop the pretense of Obama making some bold move here.

Remember Medicare Part "D"? That was when Bush stuffed money in the pockets of Big Pharma by getting more prescription coverage for seniors, but only because the government was prohibited from negotiating or setting prices for the medications. In short, Big Pharma dictated the bill and has made billions of dollars and contributed to the Medicare shortfall at an an exorbitant rate. Medicare Part "D" helped seniors, but its real purpose was to loot the public treasury in order to fatten the profits of Big Pharma.

Now in that bill was a so-called "trigger" that if Big Pharma charged "too much" then a public option would trigger in on pharmaceuticals. But Big Pharma wrote the target for the trigger so high in the bill, which the Republicans championed, that the trigger has never been reached.

So a few weeks back Rahm "I don't give a shit about anything but winning -- don't f**king talk to me about principle and doing the right thing" Emanuel suggested to the Wall Street Journal that the public option for "Healthcare Reform" was no big deal anyway and the WH would be satisfied with a "trigger" for "healthcare reform," meaning that the for-profit insurance companies would police themselves. The WH had already negotiated a "self-policing" deal with Big Pharma, while keeping true healthcare reform advocates -- including public opiton and single payer advocates -- at bay, not even including them in negotiations.

Now, a New York Times article on Friday indicated that Emanuel was negotiating with Olympia Snowe on a "trigger" instead of a public option. This is Bush style "reform," not the change Obama promised. It's a sad joke that will allow Emanuel to end up with an outhouse and call it a victory, because that's all he is concerned with; i.e., to say he won, but what he won doesn't matter a whole lot to him.

This has all the makings of a travesty.

During the primary campaign BuzzFlash lost many readers because we were highly critical of certain racial coding in the Clinton campaign. Now, we will probably lose some readers because we are critical of the White House having been changed by D.C. into corporate appeasers rather than changing D.C. (Pissing people off is what comes of BuzzFlash being completely independent of any corporation or co-opting political relationships.)

Sure, we'd still vote for just about any Democrat over just about any Republican, particularly since the GOP has turned into a colony for lunatics and racists. But when it comes to corporate control over Congress, the healthcare "reform" that's on the table is only going to enrich the for-profit insurance companies and Big Pharma.

Yes, it will (after a multi-year phase in) eliminate pre-existing condition disqualification and recissions, but the insurance companies will just jack up their rates to accomodate the new requirements. It won't cost them a thing -- and the increased costs that for-profit healthcare brings to the system will stay in place.

What will happen is that the taxpayers will end up subsidizing for-profit insurance and Big Pharma through government subsidies to cover the premium increases.

This isn't "reform"; it's looting of the public treasury when Medicare has shown that a government option that negotiates and sets healthcare costs -- and doesn't need to make a profit -- dramatically reduces the costs of medical care.

Right now, the WH is leaking that it wants a deal, just about any deal. Obama can't afford to walk away without the appearance of a "win."

But the real winners will, it appears, once again be the corporations who pull the strings in D.C., with the cooperation of the White House.

Axelrod and Emanuel are also "anonymously" telling the press that it will be good for Obama to slap down progressives to show that he's a centrist.

But when given accurate information, more than 3/4 of Americans support a government option -- before FOX and Limbaugh get to them with lies.

Obama is buying the "centrist" mythology created out of a GOP disinformation campaign, as have his Democratic predecessors.

We need a Democratic President for Supreme Court appointments, but as far as anything related to Wall Street or business, it's business as usual.

BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

Login or register to post comments
Printer-friendly version

They should stay where they

Submitted by jem777 on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 2:00am.

They should stay where they are.
hollywood bistro

gucci sneakers

Submitted by menccq on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 2:36am.

Now, I would be the first to admit that I am not a willing shoppergucci sneakers. I don’t run true to female type on this mattergucci outlet; normally I need to be dragged kicking men gucci shoes and screaming to the shops as my clothes fall off me in rags, so dilapidated have they become. Why gucci handbags sale? Frankly, I just can’t stand the disappointmentcheap gucci handbags. Not that there are no clothes to buy, oh nogucci accessories; I live in London for goodness’ sake gucci wallets, close to both the Kings Road and Westfield Shopping Centregucci jewelry. It isn’t that there are not enough clothes to choose fromgucci clothing, rather that there are too many and – more to the point – they all make me look like a sack of potatoesgucci shoes for women. A sack of potatoes in a pair of well-cut jeans, perhapsgucci skirt, or in a pretty patterned shirt , but – to my jaded eyes – still a sack of potatoes.

This article is to my

Submitted by goodxo.com on Sun, 08/15/2010 - 12:08pm.

This article is to my feelings, thanks for your sharing, hoping to see more useful content, refueling,We are a Chinese supplier, we provide the best bag bag and clothes,ghd Moncler clothing P90x ghd Moncler Jackets Men Moncler

I know my mother

Submitted by danbao622 on Sun, 08/15/2010 - 1:28am.

I know my mother likespandora jewelry brand best, but she has never bought one piece of pandora jewelry,pandora,pandora schmuck. The next weekend is Mother’s Day. pandora armband I have decided to go home to accompany my dear mother. pandora ringe At the same time, I want to buy a pandora anhänger as a present for her. When I enter into pandora deutschland store, I am in big surprise. I feel I am in the paradise of cheapst pandoraworld and can touch the warm and bright atmosphere there. At pandora uk there are so many various different kinds of Pandora jewelry. cool fashion cool fashion goto study goto study rosetta stone rosetta stonerosetta stone spanish rosetta stone spanish rosetta stone language rosetta stone language Abercrombie And FitchAbercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie Abercrombie Abercrombie Clothing Abercrombie Clothing

BreitlingWatches

Submitted by lehua777 on Wed, 08/11/2010 - 4:13am.

Choose the most qualitative Replica Watches, Swiss Replica Watches, Cheap Watches, Wholesale Watches, Rolex Watches, A.Dunhill Watches, A.Lange&Sohne Watches, Alain Silberstein Watches, Audemars Piguet Watches, B.R.M Watches, Buying watches nowadays should not be as hard as acquiring a golf bar in a mine. Baume & Mercier Watches, Bell&Ross Watches, Blancpain Watches, BMW Watches, Breguet Watches, Breitling Watches, Replica Watches, Burberry Watches, Bvlgari Watches, Calvin Klein Watches, Carl F. Bucherer Watches, Cartier Watches, Are watches especially made for men. But the authentic one is overwhelming because of its high price. Chanel Watches, Chopard Watches, Christian Dior Watches, Chronoswiss Watches, Concord Watches, Corum Watches, D&G Watches, De Witt Watches, E-Sprit Watches, Ebel Watches, Emporio Armani Watches, Fendi Watches, Ferrari Watches, are suitable in all kinds of fashion style. Fossil Watches, Franck Muller Watches, Girard Perregaux Watches, Glashutte Watches, Graham Watches, Gucci Watches, Guess Watches, Hamilton Watches, Harry Winston Watches, Hermes Watches, You have to search for the real specification of the authentic one and look for a website that offers the same spec for Replica Watches.

As Stewart, once again, did

Submitted by davidgarso on Tue, 08/10/2010 - 8:19am.

As Stewart, once again, did the work that corporate media should be doing, he showed the hypocrisy of the Republican Senators, many of them who just the week before went on a successful partisan rampage to revoke government iyinet frmtr trkygnclr webmaster seo yar??mas? | iyinet frmtr trkygnclr webmaster seo yar??mas? | iyinet frmtr trkygnclr webmaster seo yar??mas? | iyinet frmtr trkygnclr webmaster seo yar??mas? | iyinet frmtr trkygnclr webmaster seo yar??mas? | zay?flama lida fx15 ve biber hap? zlfvbh | zay?flama lida fx15 ve biber hap? zlfvbh | burmeh yaza lida fx15 biber hap? ile formda girin funding of ACORN, an organization that had been entrapped by a right wing wannabe pimp, but did not have any employees raped on the job.

Credit and housing

Submitted by vicente on Thu, 08/12/2010 - 10:46am.

Credit and housing counselors say they’re approached all too often by people who waited months to stop ignoring the problem and get help. By that point, though, many of them had already received foreclosure notices in the mail.foreclosure coaching

Another area that might be a

Submitted by vicente on Wed, 08/11/2010 - 5:40am.

Another area that might be a little more of a gray area for most of us is the use of covert tracking on our children and teens. While I personally believe that such tracking is well within a parents rights and responsibilities as a parent.asset tracking

dfsdf

Submitted by doubleface on Tue, 08/10/2010 - 5:14am.

This is jsuta sad reality.

Submitted by jhakevargz on Mon, 08/09/2010 - 12:05am.

This is jsuta sad reality. Business is business. Our solicitors are industry experts at car crash compensation. All you have to do is fill out the form on the right of this page and we’ll get back to you to talk about the claim and also the compensation that you may receive.

used stationary bikes

Submitted by chan on Thu, 08/05/2010 - 10:44pm.

Did you need a Used Stationary Bikes? There are many types of Used Stationary Bikes design to suit the needs of many health conscious people. You need to look at a number of important things to make sure it is the right Used Stationary Bikes for you before you buying. The first thing you need to consider when buying an Used Stationary Bikes is what sort you need. The next thing you need to consider is the stability of the Used Stationary Bikes. Find More Information at Used Stationary Bikes Alicia Keys Wedding

MBT

Submitted by answer on Mon, 08/02/2010 - 1:23am.

For fans of walking,buy a mbt shoes is important thing,besides exquisite style design, really want to pursue more MBT shoes functionality and comfort, a look of fresh goods MBT shoes!If you want has a comfort feeling when you walking,MBT habari sandals which relieve pressure gait feet is a good chooice.MBT fora shoes can provide training and treatment of muscle damage.And is a nother choose,MBT sandals is specially designed to outdoor activities need high multifunctional shoes outdoors.If you want to purchase more mbt shoes clearance,you can login mbtstore.org.We also provide moncler which is very soft materials for you.Coat can also be used in summer, can increase the moncler jackets,and his personality and improve your impact on others. You can purchase the style and color moncler down jackets. If you want to dress up melting and stable,can be used by Moncler 2010 dressed as a mature.

MuratCan

Submitted by MuratCan on Thu, 07/29/2010 - 9:22am.

The story comes with a young man.chat siteleriHe comes from a small town.chatHe goes to the prosperous city New York.güzel sözler He is ambitious to own a big house,yonja a luxurious car. He has the confidence that one daysohbet/adana sohbet/netlog sohbet netlog his dream will come true. He imagines the daykizlarla sohbet/kizlarla chat/bedava sohbet sohbet et mirc indir/mirc indir sohpet He tries hischat sohbet | sohbet chat best to. One day,flip chat chat roulette chat roulet his entire dream comes true. He comes back home.He picksdini sohbet/ islami sohbet up his wife to the big city. He was invited to the party.muhabbet sohbet He brings his wife to take part in the partyHis workmates were disappointed for hisseviyeli sohbet old wife.His wife was also very sad thatgüncel haberler she wantchat sohbet | sohbet chat to go back to the town.Chat/sohbet He knows that today hesohbet odalari owns so much fortunate is from his tender andchat kind wife from many aspects. The reason why she looks old is because of him. He do not want his wife go back. He wants her live with him together. He want her suffer so much miserable life as before. While, he was so handsome is totally different from his wife. He wonders chat siteleri islami sohbet sohbet odalariand considers one day after one day. Soon, the day is drawing near. iyinet frmtr trkygnclr webmaster seo yarismasiHe doesn’t know what he could do to leave his wife. Suddenly, an ideaforum forum siteleri toplist eklecomes into mind.He goes to the .the price of the jewelry, then he puts his money film izle - dizi izle - mp3 indir -mp3 dinle - dizi izle yabanci dizi - lig tv izle on the counter with the twice price.burmeh yaza lida fx15 biber hapi ile formda girin//zayiflama lida fx15 ve biber hapi zlfvbh/travesti/

chanel bags

Submitted by Miu Miu bags on Wed, 07/28/2010 - 1:17am.

If you appetence to go big time and achieve big money fast and easy, afresh you should get abounding Miu Miu bags. Rather than get 18-carat online autograph that would be abounding at an absonant price, Miu Miu Handbags online will crop bigger address margins and achieve academy profits. But afore you exhausted into the abounding Miu Miu bag sale supplier.

Replica Handbags are precise copies of the original brand Handbags, eg:LV Handbags of creativity is endless, LV 2010 is bound to make your mood, enjoying to spend a vacation.It is expected that by 2015 the growing middle class and the balenciaga handbags sale rich will make China the largest consumer.Penelope accessorized a beautiful outfit by Prada bags and Prada handbag Wyeth Designs with a coordinating beige chanel Classic flap handbag with gold hardware and chanel bags are all very unique and luxury .one of the world's most famous design handbags brand and more at the cheapest prices is the Marc Jacobs Medium.Gucci is the leading name in luxury and style. With its outstanding quality, exceptional beauty, and the finest Italian craftsmanship, Gucci bags offers you only the best of the best. ... so even connoisseurs can't make the differences between replicas and real ones.they are recognized as masterpieces of art all over the world. Our Replica Handbags can give you the same quality for better price.

Mulberry Handbags ia a famous UK-based design for its creative and quality leather products.Mulberry Roxanne is famous for its uniting style and sophistication,stand out of greatest detailing. Also Mulberry Elgin have set new trend and become much desired objects to possess. So what are you waiting for?!

Purchasing the authentic

Submitted by weihe on Sun, 07/25/2010 - 10:30pm.

Purchasing the authentic designer replica handbags bags which cost about a thousand dollars is a louis vuitton luxury that most people cannot afford.handbags So why deny yourself the benefit of being able gucci handbags to carry trendy designer bags when replica handbags are available.Chanel, chanel handbags Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Prada - the mere mention of these names is enough to make some women hyperventilate, especially those who are obsessed with fashion.

thank you very much

Submitted by asdew34 on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 7:17pm.

varmisin yokmusun yarismasi tekrardan basladi.Acun il?cal?n?n sunumundaki varmisin yokmusun yar??mas? kald??? heyecanla izleyiciler kar??na ç?k?yor.Bizde varm?s?n yokmusun yarismasi ile ilgili resimleri , yar??ma günü özetini sizlerle payla?aca??z.Varmisin yokmusun yar??mas?n? show tvden izleyebilirsiniz.

shed plans | buy tattoo | audi cars

All markings and engravings

Submitted by weihe on Sun, 07/25/2010 - 10:17pm.

All markings and engravings are exact replica watches copies. Solid 316L, stainless steel is used, fake watches identical to the material used in authentic fake rolex watches and a sapphire crystal glass which replica is scratch resistant.Breitling replica watches have a Swiss movement, and are not typical of the fake watches you buy from a street seller as they are fully functional.

Yes, They can be discussed

Submitted by dankaylee on Fri, 07/23/2010 - 3:35pm.

Yes, They can be discussed at the right time. auto transport If You share the real facts that many times that it begins to run after all.

This is yet another example

Submitted by den.fletcher on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 8:06am.

This is yet another example of how the big corporations interfere in the government laws and how the state becomes their milking cow. Health and homeowners insurance should be regulated by the state or at least brought to a resonable level, based on transparency and real costs. Else, the insurance companies will be their own arbiters and charge as much as they want although it may not be a realistic price.

Mulberry Roxanne

Submitted by Mulberry Roxanne on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 3:56am.

D&G Handbags Handbag has become increasingly popular around the world women's efforts to achieve without having to pay thousands of dollars a designer Dolce & Gabbana handbag, the latest fashion look. As a package, and there are more and more online businesses selling designer purses and designer fakes.LV Handbags is a French multinational giant that is the global leader of the fashion products, not only Louis Vuitton Handbags, but also travel luggage, wallets, clothes, clothing accessories, shoes watches, jewellery items,etc.Miu Miu bag is indeed the greatest handbag brands, but also the most advanced line of handbags in the world. Miu Miu replica handbags have been established, let us closer to the famous handbag brands, our love.Marc Jacobs Wallet is indeed one of the greatest brand handbags ever and that of the most sophisticated line of handbags in the world..AnMarc Jacobs Handbags and share the great values.Mulberry black This more than a century of British veteran, and most historic boutique, as had into the troughs, but after the brand young, multi-pocket, multi-buckles, rivets so many attractive and practical combination of design, once again swept the globe.Gucci Handbags recognized at the beginning of the year of their adventure with Italy in Florence in 1921, covering goods and abundant high speed cultivation the growth of the industry in the appearance of well-known name.Jimmy Choo Handbags are not just fashionable, they are functional as well. Cheap juicy couture handbags has specifically coupled with eye-catching colors for the various regions: Designer Bags Sale from the California fashion brand Juicy Couture (Orange Zi), designed to take the sweet girl line.Our Cheap Miu Miu Tote offer all the same classic attributes - you'll be turning heads with one of these on your arm - and at only a fraction of the price! Please feel free to browse our selection, and contact us with any questions that you may have.In the fashion industry,LV Monogram an icon globally, it is always the world's leading brand.Mulberry Roxanne is a famous UK-based design for its creative and quality leather products.Mulberry handbag is famous for its uniting style and sophistication,stand out of greatest detailing.

Would love to see more designs. vey cool! Good work, thank you

Submitted by www123 on Mon, 07/19/2010 - 3:00am.

Moncler Moncler | Moncler Jackets Moncler Jackets | Moncler Vest Moncler Vest | Christian Louboutin Christian Louboutin | Christian Louboutin Shoes Christian Louboutin Shoes

Advice is very important in

Submitted by vicente on Mon, 07/12/2010 - 6:12am.

Advice is very important in the insurance business, and someone with extensive experience could really be a great help with good advice. In the field of real estate, experts and professionals on this field can help you with this kind of insurance leads.captive insurance

Because purses coach is

Submitted by infi88 on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 2:36am.

Because purses coach is famous for manufacturing the vast range of designer.find out what day the store gets its shipments in so that you can have your pick first of whichever coach purses cheap you want. You might find a lot of knock off coach purses that claim to sell authentic Coach Bags.

There are as many types of

Submitted by vicente on Tue, 08/10/2010 - 9:38am.

There are as many types of GPS tracking devices as there are applications for them. While this is very good for special uses, it can be overwhelming when you first start evaluating which GPS tracking device is suitable for you.gps surveillance

Yeah, you lost readers ....

Submitted by Yman on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 10:35pm.

... when you were "highly critical" of "certain racial coding in the Clinton campaign", and you may lose readers now by being critical of Obama's caving on health care reform. The difference, of course, .....

.... is Obama's capitulation is real.

The Fog of Disinformation

Submitted by SnoopDopeyDogg on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 5:45pm.

It is always difficult to navigate the seas of disinformation in a fog of misinformation when the lighthouses of truth are so few and far between.

Non-cryptically speaking, what Obama actually says, what the media says he says, even what some of his spokepersons say he says, often don't mesh. E.g., I read recently (a few days ago) in one of the AP (Associated Propagandists) reports on the status of healthcare reform that the public option was supported by "liberals" while opposed by "moderates and conservatives" (exact labeling). Really? Do liberals now constitute 70% of the population? They must because polling in May 2009 (WSJ and NBC, no less) reported that more than 70% favored the public option.

Keep in mind the very real possibility that Obama is playing Pharma off Big Insurance, although, obviously, the result may not be all good. If you want to add to the likelihood of a "good" result, make sure to report the dollar amounts of Pharma and Insurance Cartel stock owned by key players in the Obama Admin, especially by Rahmbo.

Based upon what Obama actually said, and upon Mr. Axelrod's recent revelations, Obama still supports the public option and has not ruled out vetoing a healthcare reform bill that does not contain it.

Based upon what the Ministry of Corporate Propaganda says he said and implies he will do, Obama will pass a healthcare bill written exclusively by corporate public relations firms, shoot all the legislators who refuse to sign off on it; veto any bill containing the public option; then resign and form a PR law firm with Rahm handling only corporate insurance and pharmaceutical clients.

I say we wait and see what Obama actually says this Wed., and then what he actually does. He would be foolish indeed to alienate his only real supporters (REAL Democrats like Mark) because then he would have about 90% of America against him: the right that will hate him no matter what, the milquetoast pansyassed centrists who secretly hate him but lack the cojones to own up to it, and the left that actually represents the views and positions of about 70% of Americans (who don't realize they are actually liberal). Although I am not a political strategerist of the caliber (and wealth) of Axelrod, Rahmbo, and crew, I think if you have the left, right, and center against you, you don't have much wiggle-room.

Appeasement of the right wing (fascism) is illusory and a proven failure. It just strengthens your enemies, weakens your support, and postpones your day of reckoning.

Mark, It's good to see you pissed off!

Submitted by Norm on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 9:29pm.

Confucious say, "It is better to be pissed off than pissed on."

Rahm'en "Noodles" Emanuel is corporate thug who is doing the bidding of Wall Street thugs and now, especially, the Health Insurance Company thugs. Noodles missed his calling as a lieutenant of Al Capone.

Bill Moyers said it best, "No more Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. President. We need a fighter." Single Payer or Public Option are the only ways that will stab the Dracula Health Insurance Company Vampires in the heart.

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/on-health-moyers-urges-obama/

Time to vote for the Green Party!

Submitted by Alan8 on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 9:24pm.

he Democrats aren't going to give us healthcare for all.

The Democrats aren't going to give us an even break.

The Democrats are on the corporate payroll; the majority of their income comes from corporate sources.

The Democrats think the insurance corporations are too big to fail, and that we're too little to matter.

Time to replace them.

The Green Party doesn't accept ANY corporate money.

The Green Party has been strenuously for Medicare-for-all from the beginning.

The Green Party represents CITIZENS' interests.

The Green Party will get Federal matching funds when they get 5% of the vote.

It'll take several elections to replace the Democrats with Greens. Voting Green won't get you health care in the next election. But voting Democratic won't either; we've seen that.

Right now the Democrats think they can sell us out to the insurance corporations, and we have nowhere else to go. They're wrong; the Green Party is on the ballot in every state.

Let's show them how wrong they are: Vote Green!

Green

Submitted by kamalia on Fri, 07/23/2010 - 7:59am.

The Green party would need a "little" more than 5% in order to make a difference and, since 5% seems to be a nice dream for them, we will have to wait. In my opinion the worst thing about two parties alternatively leading a country is this: they will finally shake hands for the profits and dispute only if necessary during campaigns.

Homeowners Insurance

Is there any hope for the US then?

Submitted by Tom Tele on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 7:49pm.

I am starting to think the prevailing mythology is so wack ass Right that A big enough minority of Americans to stop anything good might be a permanant feature of the US. Is there a point when it becomes like leaving germany in 1934? I know Progressives talked like tha in 2004 but the amazing coop-tion of the Obam administration, coupled with the lightning speed that reactionary idiocy spreads in the makes me think the US is a lost cause. I hadn't left because of familiy but the lifestyle/pollution/diet is getting them all with cancer. Call me a quitter but I guess so was Einstein.

Don't leave Democrat, stay and FIGHT!

Submitted by SpikeHeels on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:49pm.

The Democrats have become spineless Republicans. That's the problem. We can take back our country by dumping the Democrats AND Republicans. Right, center and left would all be better off if we all stopped voting for Republicans AND Democrats. Rs and Ds have both become wings of the Corporate Party. Corporate lobbyists write our laws and fund both parties. Congress must be doing a lot wrong when everyone hates what they do...except corporate lobbyists.

We just need ONE independent member of Congress or a state to introduce a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood and end corporate lobbying/bribes. The state legislatures are controlled by the Corporate Party and we'll probably not start reform there. One third party/independent member of Congress could introduce an amendment and then let the Corporate Party defend their corporate bribes.

It's only a dream now but it could happen. It will never happen as long as the sheeple in this country refuse to vote for anyone other than the Corporate Party that is sucking the life out of us.

On Supreme Court appointments

Submitted by nasrudin on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 12:54pm.

"We need a Democratic President for Supreme Court appointments, but as far as anything related to Wall Street or business, it's business as usual." ( I would add war, empire, the police state, campaign financing, foreign policy and a host of other issues to the biz-as-usual category.) On the SC, so far we have Obama replacing the Republican-appointed Souter (GHWB) with someone well to his right on most issues. With Republican-appointed Stevens (Ford), the most liberal justice on the Court looking to be the next to leave, we've gotta ask the question: Should Obama even CONSIDER anyone who is to the right of a justice whose appointment was vetted by then-WH Chief of Staff DICK CHENEY? Is there any point at which the evil of the lesser-weaselist religion becomes UNacceptable to the congregation of true believers?

Awesome blog. I enjoyed

Submitted by common on Sun, 07/25/2010 - 3:11am.

Awesome blog. I enjoyed reading your articles. This is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work! Discount Hotel Room ems pants

Get serious

Submitted by SpikeHeels on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:55pm.

Obama is a DLC DINO. Of course he is going to appoint a right of center justice. THAT'S WHAT DINOS DO! He'll then explain that he only wanted someone that could get confirmed in the Senate...the joke is that the Senate is controlled by corporate DINOS.

the question is

Submitted by daphne chyprious on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 7:58pm.

are political candidates naturally corrupt or does office-holding corrupt politicians? Both I suspect, tho I suppose they call it realism. Meanwhile, I don't know about losing readers but Carpenter may find himself tempted to revolt in response to this essay.

Power

Submitted by SpikeHeels on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:23pm.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton ~ 1887

Well, I do wish some one would do something

Submitted by ETS on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 4:18pm.

Really now people, I for one am mighty tired of hearing all this talk, and that's all it ever is, of revolution, marches on DC, voting the rascals out and so on and so forth ad nauseam.

On this Internet forum, Alternet.org, HuffingtonPost.com, DailyKos.com and on and on. The reactionary blogoshpere is abuzz with such nonsense too. The talk is of pitchforks and torches. Care to dust off the tumbrels and guillotines?

And so, big talkers, you march on Washington, DC and, should you get past whatever comic opera military force the Pentagon, the FBI, ATF, US Marshalls, CIA, US Park Police and the DC police force can throw together on a moment's notice then what? Murder all the US Senate and House leaders and whips, then send the rest of Congress to re-education camps?

Do you know why Osama bin Laden and his merry band of mad men targeted the World Trade Center? Well, some time in my education many, many years ago a teacher said, "If you dropped a nuclear bomb on the US Capitol when the president was giving the State of the Union speech and killed all of them the country would go on. But if you dropped that same bomb on Wall Street the country would be in chaos." Or words to that effect. I believe I heard that a year or two before the Tet Offensive in Vietnam...you do the math.

So you see, marching on DC or voting the Republicans back in or voting Green, who in the fullness of time would be corrupted by big corporate money anyway, won't make a bit of difference until corporate influence is tamed.

And really, the only surefire way to leash the corporate beast is a Constitutional amendment stripping corporations of 14th Amendment rights granted, illegally perhaps, by the 1886 Supreme Court decision in Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad.

Now, if anyone can come up with a better suggestion than that I am willing to listen.

ET Spoon

Boycotts

Submitted by oekoman on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:13am.

Boycotts are very effective because they strike at the pocketbook of the corporations. Just look at the changes in advertising that occurs when people start or even threaten to start a boycott on corporations who advertise on such shows as Glen Beck. But the liberals have feared boycotts under the assumption they will cost people jobs. This is the same logic that the liberals fall back on when they repeatedly vote for corrupt Democrats. The latter is often called the "spoiler theory." In either case the concept is that if we strike against corporations or the Democrats we are hurting ourself. This theory is false at its very base. If we keep voting for Democrats and we keep fearing boycotts we simply repeat the same results, i.e. the corporate interests win big time. We must brave a few initial setbacks, such as losing jobs or losing an election, if we are to effectuate meaningful reform. After all, liberals banded together and voted for Obama thinking that a vote for Nader would cause Obama to lose. And the result? Four more years of Bush's oligarch policies designed to further undermine democracy. Now we will not have a chance to speak our voices until the next election. What did we win by supporting Obama? Nothing. We should have voted our beliefs and lost the election. If McCain had won with Palin at his side the truth about the fascists would have become much more apparent and the 2010 and 2012 elections could have meant REAL change. Instead, we will probably lose control of Congress in 2010, Obama will be a lame duck one term Presidency and by 2012 we will have another 8 years of right wing rule. THis much is obvious to all but the brain dead. And to make matters worse, after destroying the economy, the Presidency was handed over to the Democrats and they will be blamed for the results of 30 years of neo economics (considering Clinton's NAFTA and free trade stance, the Democrats deserve at least half the credit for the failure of the US economy anyway - but that is beside the point). Many Democrats I know have stopped paying attention to the news and simply ramble on that Obama is better than a Republican would be, not noticing that 'no change' has occurred in Washington. The anti-war movement has been all but silenced. The opposition to illegal eavesdropping has disappeared. Torture, renditions, war and corporate profits all continue at an alarming rate while protest remains almost mute. So what else can progressives do? They can boycott. That is all left for real Americans to do. And it is a potent weapon but one so far unused by the progressives except in the case of a few TV shows.

spoilers

Submitted by Tom Tele on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:12pm.

The spoiler effect is real. Look at 1912. If a very popular former president couldn't win a 3rd party bid I'm not sure who could. Republicans to this day blame Clinton on Perot. The theory that is false is the hoary revolutionary line about it being good when things get bad cause the oppression will be less veiled and the masses will rise. If the last eight years of Bush/Cheney were not bad enough I do not see what could be. The thing that cause Russians to take to the streets was not oppression, it was tobacco shortages. I think Americans are just weak, contrary to our self myths. I do not have a better solution on a National level because the United States is a bad idea, it is too big and should be several states. Fifty is too many but one too few. What to do in the meantime is the question.

Hmmm, an idea...

Submitted by SpikeHeels on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:26pm.

Could we get all of the Krispy Kremes closed and blame it on the Republicans? <evil laugh>

No prob....

Submitted by marlow on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 4:52pm.

We'll do it tomorrow, ok? You call Baucus and I'll call Grassley. Easy as stepping in dogshit. This'll slide right on through. We'll have a "stripping party", as it were.

Yeah, easy as meaningful campaign finance reform

Submitted by smchris on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 7:32am.

The original post is right that marching is stupid. I've been saying for years that power doesn't care what exercise you take in your free time. Blows off steam and a little walk is good for your heart. You'll be that much better at work Monday morning.

But as I'm learning French by watching the French news station on stream these last years, I'm getting the clear impression that occupying factories and walking off the job is just a holding pattern too that slows the stampede of jobs to Asia but doesn't stop it. So what to do is a damn good question when you have a government that listens to the corporations instead of the people. Unfortunately, I've also been predicting that we are just going to slide down into the anarchy and chaos of a third world nation that may or may not explode into a revolution that goes God knows where when people's desperation finally does become critical.

Hegel's cycles. As a population, we behave like morons.

good post

Submitted by Tom Tele on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:15pm.

nuff said

Sure,...

Submitted by marlow on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 2:54pm.

...we'd still vote for just about any democrat over just about any republican...

Pardon me, but FUCK THAT SHIT.

It's obvious that, but for the few progressives and MAYBE one or two "principled, moderate" conservatives, our nation, our democracy has been hijacked by corporate power. We've been couped, and the continual mantra of "better a democrat than a republican" needs to be confronted head-on. I don't know what amount of sincerity Obama felt before he moved into the WH, but at this point he needs to see his base disappear. That may involve losing the House in 2010. So be it. This democratic party is bought and paid for by Greed Inc. We need to crash it and rebuild it or walk away and build something else entirely.

Easier than marching on DC

Submitted by SpikeHeels on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:32pm.

Stop donating to members of Congress and then call them and tell them why you will not give one more penny. Tell them that they work for corporate America, let them get ALL of their bribes from corporate America. Also tell them that you plan to let everyone you know know how much they get in bribes and where they get them. Don't use nice terms like "campaign contributions", call them what they are "B-R-I-B-E-S".

What we need is a FUCK THAT SHIT Constitutional Revolution!

Submitted by Kevin Schmidt S... on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 3:37pm.

We don't have to wait until the next election, WE THE PEOPLE can peaceably march on Washington and assemble there for as long as we want.

We can say FUCK THAT SHIT, and call out our mutinous, treasonous representatives and have them address our grievences before we summarily kick them out of office and out of Washington for good!

Those are indeed our rights under the Constitution.

They did it again

Submitted by SpikeHeels on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 12:52pm.

When will voters in Demcratic primaries learn that voting for DLC members like Obama and Clinton is the same as voting for a Republican? The DLC is filled with nothing but Republicans that want to get elected in Democratic states and districts. Half the Democrats in this country would vote for Pol Pot or Idi Amin, if they ran as a Democrat, just so they wouldn't have to vote for a Republican. That's why we keep getting stuck with people like Obama. Obama is a corporatist DLC Republican and no one should be surprised or disappointed. His DLC affiliation was no secret and I and others tried to warn folks last year.

We're getting screwed on health care and we should have an immediate progressive boycott of ALL Democrats. No volunteering, no donations, no votes. It is about time that the Democrats learned that liberals and progressives will no longer accept being taken for granted, abused and lied to. If they want our support and trust they will have to earn it.

The Democrats had the chance of a lifetime to give us REAL health care reform. Instead, they have chosen to collect bribes and probably make this crisis worse by doing exactly what insurance and drug companies tell them to do.

Enough is enough! It is time for a Dump the Democrats campaign!

the Supremes

Submitted by Tom Tele on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:18pm.

Maybe we dump the Dems once we have young healthy liberal jurists like Sotomayor in all "our" supreme court seats. I am so fuckin glad we had Obama to pick a justice instead of McCain. That is entirely why I voted for him.

Yes, yes and yes again!

Submitted by oekoman on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 8:32am.

I love it when I read common sense. Dumping the Democrats is the first in our twelve step program to democracy! We MUST stop voting for corrupt Democrats. After all, many Democrats are simply Republicans who switched sides when they realized the Republicans were going to lose. Career politicians are all bought and paid for by lobbyists. They are wholly owned subsidiaries of the oligarchs that coup'd our nation over the past 30 years. Get the Democrats out!!! Demopublicans and Repocrats are criminals.

CUT OFF THE CASH!!

Submitted by InExile on Sat, 09/05/2009 - 2:40pm.

You are exactly right! If we cut off the cash they will take notice. It worked for the gay community when they boycotted a democratic fundraiser. Obama immeadiately set up a cocktail party at the White House for gay leaders which was another nice way of doing absolutely nothing as far as keeping his promises to the gay community. Sad but I guess all they understand is money! So lets CUT IT OFF!

Get FREE BuzzFlash News Alerts

User login

Health Care "Reform" that Will Enrich For-Profit Insurance Companies and Big Pharma is What the WH is Fighting For Now

Navigation

Search

Syndicate

BuzzFlash on Twitter