Saturday, May 29, 2010

New Immigrants - Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

When I get a Forward that tries to represent The Truth and is nowhere near it, like this one called NEW IMMIGRANTS that has been circling the Internet since 2006... I can't help but debunk it through facts and maybe get one person, who is silly enough to believe these circulating bags of nonsense, to stop and maybe THINK for a change. thinkingblue http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/newimmigrants.asp


"Plusca change, plus c'est la meme chose."

(The more it changes, the more it’s the same thing.)

I received a Forward entitled “New Immigrants”, composed by a, Rosemary Laponta. I looked it up on Snopes and found some interesting information about it. thinkingblue

My response to the New Immigrants forward: Hi
{Friend}, Thanks for the forward but it is the same ole, same ole
Bull Crapperoni, usually circulated by ignoramuses who wouldn't
know a History Book From a Comic Book. Who also are inclined to
be very intolerant of anyone different from their own
TEABAG SELVES. Thanks, {Your Friend}


I like Ernie Lujan's sentiment and agree
with it... TEAR DOWN THE STATUE OF LADY
LIBERTY
(That welcomes people from other lands) IF
YOU BELIEVE WE NEED TO BUILD A FENCE
(To keep people
from other lands OUT!)... We are long overdue for a Comprehensive
Immigration Reform Bill but the Party of
NO tells us IT'S NOT TIME... instead they encourage a fence to keep people from entering our country... As usual THE PARTY OF NO makes no sense at all. thinkingblue

----


New Immigrants


Click This Site. http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/newimmigrants.asp



Watch Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV

New Robes For SCOTUS

Please sign this very important petition "demand question time"

(of our political leaders)
HERE...

We really need more dialog from those at the top...

The Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide
behind "NO" any longer! thinkingblue

Click to go to MOVE TO AMEND and sing petition.

MOVE TO AMEND

Let's keep our heads,
while we continue to watch THE

THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!



"A SEARCH FOR TRUTH WILL FIND INJUSTICE."

thinkingblue

Monday, May 24, 2010

Rand Paul - An Apple That Didn't Fall Far From Its Paul Tree

I have long felt that the "Tea Party" (that suddenly rose up and tried
to plump up its feathers to appear legitimate) was all foam and no beer. Watching them, in action is like watching a choreographed wrestling match in which you are fully aware that the slams, jabs and smashes are all fake! But for the people within this so called “Party” their actions
aren’t forged or concocted, well not totally, it is their anger and bigotry that motivates them and that is very real (even though they are not fully aware of it ).

Most of these people have been indoctrinated (or raised) to believe that someone is responsible for their unhappiness and that 'someone' has to be tangible or reachable, in other words Flesh and Blood in their face. Who better to serve as their battering ram then people who look, speak and act differently than they do...

This (Tea Bag) group is so easily persuadable and that is why the Republican Party (which includes Fox News, Right-wing Talk Radio and Sarah Palin) embraces them. Hate is a powerful tool to ‘divide and conquer’ and from the get-go the far right fringe elements, who lust for power, have been using it. It’s a damn pity that a voice of reason, (like Rachel Maddow's) can’t get through to the Tea Baggers (wake them the hell up) by telling them, they are all just pawns for the Big Gamers whose only desire is for absolute power and all that comes with it, (wealth, wars and brutality) to become a reality. thinkingblue

PS: Read Howard Fineman's (another voice of reason) opinion, it truly says it all!

First watch Rand Paul on the Rachel Maddow show



PART 1




PART 2



Rand Paul: Ideological Purist or Just Another Right Wing Bigot?







LIBERTARIAN - RAND PAUL

As a longtime libertarian, he espouses the view that personal
freedom should supersede all government intervention.
Neighborhood associations should be allowed to discriminate on
the basis of race, he has written, and private businesses ought
to be able to refuse service to anyone they wish. Under this
philosophy, the punishment for a lunch counter that refuses to
seat black customers would be public shunning, not a court order.

It is a theory of liberty with roots in Americas creation, but
the succeeding centuries have shown how ineffective it was in
promoting a civil society. The freedom of a few people to
discriminate meant generations of less freedom for large groups of others.

It was only government power that ended slavery and abolished
Jim Crow, neither of which would have been eliminated by a
purely free market. It was government that rescued the economy
from the Depression and promoted safety and equality in the
workplace.
---
Rand Paul: Ideological Purist or Just Another Right Wing Bigot?

"Rand Paul is promoting a narrow and rigid ideology and has
repeatedly rejected a fundamental provision of the Civil Rights Act.

He is focused on the Tea Party whereas I am running to be a
senator for all the people of Kentucky, who are really hurting right now.

No matter how he tries to spin to the contrary, the fact is that Paul's ideology has dangerous consequences for working families, veterans, students, the disabled, and those without a voice in the halls of power. Kentucky voters have a choice between Rand Paul's ideology and our campaign to create jobs, cut the deficit, and bring accountability to Wall Street and Washington.

We are reaching out to Democrats, Independents and Republicans
across Kentucky to ask them to join our campaign and stand up for Kentucky families."
KY-SEN
candidate **JACK CONWAY**


Now watch "RAND PAUL, AN APPLE THAT FELL, NOT FAR FROM ITS TREE!" on Ed Schultz Show.


THIS SAYS IT ALL! "Voting for Rand Paul and getting to know him may be two different things. For better or for worse, he's property of the GOP." RSN - Full Post Posted Thursday, May 20, 2010 10:43 AM

Rand Paul and D.W. Griffith

Howard Fineman

If Americans think of Kentucky at all, they
tend not to regard it as part of the Deep South on racial
matters: no history of water cannons fired at civil-rights
demonstrators; the kind of place that gave the world a proud and
defiant Muhammad Ali, not a brutal and racist Bull Connor.

But there is another Kentucky, one I witnessed as a reporter
starting out there when court-ordered busing began in the 1970s.
It is a border state with a comparatively tiny black population,
and which, as a result, is way behind the times in accommodating
itself to the racial realities of modern America.

There was little violence when busing started, but there were
Klan rallies and smoldering anger along Dixie Highway and a
Republican Party ready to rise on those emotions.


Some of that old-time, race-based attitude—a
Kentucky mix of romantic benevolence and cruel disdain
(immortalized in D. W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation)—has
seeped into the groundwater of the Tea Party. I attended one of
its first rallies, in Louisville more than a year ago, and I saw
on the ground some of the anti-busing elements of old there.



If Dr. Rand Paul doesn't immediately apologize for
holding his victory rally at a private club—and doesn't

abandon his opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act—then
he will not only pollute the Tea Party, he will severely damage
the GOP's chances of winning control of either the House or
Senate this fall.


Politics operates serendipitously in America,
thank goodness. One little slip can open the door to a wider,
even profound discussion. The Tea Party has rocketed to
prominence with a seething anti-federal message: that Washington
is spending too much, controlling too much, and taxing too much,
and is doing it unconstitutionally.


But the other side of that age-old American
argument is that our federal government is the protector of
rights and freedom, including the freedom to be treated
universally as a human being.


Tea Party philosophy runs smack into the wall of
rights the Constitution creates, and if Paul doesn't want to
recognize that, he will turn the entire election into a
referendum on racial discrimination.


We fought a war 150 years ago about that. Paul
wasn't born in Kentucky, but he should know the local history.
Brother fought brother; both Lincoln and Davis were born in the
state; Kentucky's government was Union, but many of its citizens
were rebels.


That war is over. It's not in anyone's interest—especially Paul's—to revive it.



RNC Document Mocks Donors, Plays on 'Fear'


Watch Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV


New Robes For SCOTUS



Please sign this very important petition "demand question
time" (of our political leaders)
HERE...

We really need more dialog from those at the top... The Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide behind "NO" any longer! thinkingblue


Click to go to MOVE TO AMEND and sing petition.

MOVE TO AMEND

Let's keep our heads, while we continue to watch THE THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!



"A SEARCH FOR TRUTH WILL FIND INJUSTICE."
thinkingblue

Monday, May 17, 2010

Bankers - From The Goodness Of Their Little Hearts.



THIS AFTERNOON'S DISCUSSION IS ABOUT THE KIND HEARTEDNESS OF BANKERS:




One afternoon a wealthy banker was riding in his limousine when he saw two rather tattered-looking men along the road-side eating grass.

Disturbed, he ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate.

He asked one man, "Why are you eating grass?"


"We have no money for food, the poor man replied. "We have to eat grass."


"Well, come with me to my house and I'll feed you," the banker said.

"But, sir, I have my wife and my two children with me. They are over there eating
the grass under that tree."

Bring them along," said the banker.

Turning to the other poor man he stated, "You can come with us, also."

The second man, in a pitiful voice, said, "But, sir, I also have my wife and six children with me!"

"Bring them all, as well," the banker answered.

They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine.

Once underway, one of the poor fellows turned to the banker and said, "Sir you are much too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you.":

The banker replied, "Glad to do it. You'll really love my place. The grass is nearly a foot high.”



Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?



MORAL:

IN THE WORLD OF THE BANKSTERS...

...AGAIN OFF THE BACKS OF THE EXPLOITED AND DOWNTRODDEN...

"ONLY A BANKSTER COULD FIGURE OUT SUCH A SELFISH WAY TO GET HIS LAWN MOWED FOR FREE!"



thinkingblue




Round 1 to the banks, more to come
Robert Weissman
11 May 2010

The Senate resumes debate today on the Wall Street reform bill,
having late last Thursday rejected probably the most important
measure proposed to reduce Wall Street power, strengthen
financial stability and fortify our democracy: breaking up the banks.

By a 33-61 vote, the Senate defeated the Brown-Kaufman amendment,
which would have forced the largest banks to get smaller. Three
Republicans, including Richard Shelby, the ranking member of the
Banking Committee, joined 30 Democrats in supporting the measure.

This was a very big deal loss. But things aren’t over by any means.

There are many important things still up for grabs in the Senate
bill — controlling derivatives, strengthening and protecting
the consumer financial protection bureau, eliminating a global
deregulatory scheme on insurance issues, and much more.

One vital measure would reduce bank size indirectly, while also
restraining the Wall Street speculative impulse. An amendment
proposed by Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Carl Levin,
D-Michigan, would implement the “Volcker Rule” —
the proposal from former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker to
keep commercial banks out of speculative investing. The
Merkley-Levin amendment would eliminate loopholes in the Senate
Wall Street reform bill, and ensure commercial banks stop betting
on the equity, bond and derivatives markets. It would prevent
banks from running their own hedge funds. It would make large,
non-bank financial companies hold more capital against the risk
of loss on speculative bets. And it would prohibit Goldman
Sachs-style conflicts of interest, with firms betting against
securities they sold to clients.

Merkley-Levin would force commercial banks to sell off their
internal betting divisions, and to re-focus on core banking
functions. It would make banks be banks.

If enough people weigh in right now, this far-reaching amendment
may meet a better fate than Brown-Kaufman. Go here for talking
points, and a “citizen whip chart,” where you can enter
information about what your senator says he or she is planning to
do on this vital matter.

Although the defeat of Brown-Kaufman was crushing, it was
nonetheless an indicator of the strength of the populist call to
break up the banks and reduce Wall Street power. A sign of Wall
Street’s ongoing dominance on Capitol Hill had been its
success in defining the call to “break up the banks” as
outside the bounds of legitimate debate. Wall Street succeeded in
the House, which did not seriously consider proposals to break up
the banks. But it could not block the issue from an airing in the
Senate; and once aired, the break-up-the-banks proposal gained
substantial support, notwithstanding opposition from the White
House and the chair of the Banking Committee, Chris Dodd.

The defeat of Brown-Kaufman does not mean the issue will go away.
Wall Street hopes that it will be able to weather the storm from
this round of legislation, and escape further scrutiny and
control. But as the recent Securities and Exchange Commission
charges against Goldman Sachs reveal, there are still a lot of
buried bodies to be uncovered. The growing tide of scandal may
well lead to subsequent rounds of reform, with momentum building
to break up the banks that are clinging desperately to their hold
on Capitol Hill.

In the meantime, opportunities for real reform remain on the
table right now. A host of named and anonymous industry lobbyists
recently admitted to the Washington Post that they fear they are
losing control of the Senate debate. “You’ve got an
environment, six months before an election, where politicians are
acting like politicians,” Sam Geduldig, a financial lobbyist
and former Republican staffer, told the Post. “They are
viewing any vote as a potential campaign ad. And that might not
be good for any of us.”

Well, not good for any of the industry lobbyists, perhaps. But
ideal for democracy, and the democratic imperative to exert
control over Wall Street.

Robert Weissman is president of Public Citizen.
---


Also, as the lobbyists and politicians POSITION themselves to win at all costs, our democracy takes a-bruisen and becomes weaker. It's amazing how these people in control who happen to be Americans themselves cannot see through their own greedy eyes WTF they are doing.

All of us must be vigilant, don't allow them to pull the fuzzy warm blanket of lies over our eyes again, forever to keep us in the dark. Become enlightened read, >read, >read, >read, sign petitions and call >your representatives' to tell them; “IT'S OVER, WE'VE GOTTEN WISE TO YOU AND YOUR GREEDY ANTICS. DO WHAT’S BEST FOR OUR DEMOCRACY OR YOU WILL NOT GET MY VOTE AND YOU WILL BE THE LOSER!” One little vote that's all we have but together we can make a difference with that one little vote.
thinkingblue



RNC Document Mocks Donors, Plays on 'Fear'

Watch Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV

New Robes For SCOTUS


Please sign this very important petition "demand question time"

(of our political leaders)
HERE...

We really need more dialog from those at the top...

The Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide
behind "NO" any longer! thinkingblue


Click to go to MOVE TO AMEND and sing petition.

MOVE TO AMEND


Let's keep our heads, while we continue to watch THE

THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!



"A SEARCH FOR TRUTH WILL FIND INJUSTICE."

thinkingblue

Saturday, May 15, 2010

History Of "Spill Baby Spill" on Rachel Maddow

OIL SPILLS ON THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW:


The other day on the Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)... Rachel took her viewers into the dark history of past oil spills. I had no idea there were so many. Where was I, while the oil companies were busy drilling and spilling? Ms Maddow does our country a great service by reminding us how negligent Big Corporations have become since deregulation has been used so frequently in a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch ours." While the politicians and the corporate world are busy scratching for scratch… Earth, our one and only home, takes all kinds of abuse so these scratchers can continue to make as much money as possible without little regard for us or our home, the planet Earth. Please watch these videos and become enlightened via the Rachel Maddow Show. thinkingblue





CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO "OIL SPILL LACK OF REGULATIONS"


In, my humble opinion regulations or the lack there of, is totally responsible for this disastrous and inexcusable spewing of petroleum (uncontrollably) into the ocean, threatening a part of Earth’s wildlife and beauty for many years to come.



Sad has become too insignificant a word to chronicle what will happen next. thinkingblue

Timeline Slideshow Here

MORE TOPICS:

[MP3] Ravi Batra interview on The
Thom Hartmann Show 04-30-2010 (starts at 36:00min)



ASK 'BUT WHY?'

ECONOMIC HELP

REAGAN, THE GREAT AMERICAN SOCIALIST

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RNC Document Mocks Donors, Plays on 'Fear'


Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV



New Robes For SCOTUS



Please sign this very important petition "demand question
time" (of our political leaders)
HERE...

We really need more dialog from those at the top...

The Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide
behind "NO" any longer! thinkingblue

Click to go to MOVE TO AMEND and sing petition.

MOVE TO AMEND

Let's keep our heads,
while we continue to watch THE

THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!



"A SEARCH FOR TRUTH WILL FIND INJUSTICE."

thinkingblue

Monday, May 03, 2010

IF Republicans Ruled (From "Blue Heart of Dixie" Blogger)

I was wondering what our life in America would be like if Republicans Ruled (absolute power)... Scary thought! In my GOOGLE RESEARCHING I came upon this blog who must have been wondering the same thing and came up with some suggestions. You can read all about it here: BLUE HEART OF DIXIE Or below. thinkingblue
---
Let's pretend that the American people simply lose their collective minds, and completely hand over control of the US Government to Republicans. I'm talking 90-95 seats in the Senate, 90-95% of the seats in the House. Oh, and they would also need to control state legislatures in at least 36 states. Yes, that's an obscene majority that would not happen in reality, but IF it did happen, what would be the consequences? What would be the wet dream of Hannity, Faux News, Rush, the Tea Baggers, and all other "conservatives"? My take is based off all the crap we hear on talk radio, as well as the GOP platform, along with arguments I've had over the years with Republicans.

US CONSTITUTION

With this kind of majority, the Constitution could be amended at will. Here are the changes to look for:
  1. Amendment XVI (Income Tax) - REPEALED
  2. Amendment XVII (Direct election of Senators) - REPEALED. This would put us back to the system where state legislatures elected Senators.
  3. AMENDMENT: Presidential Candidates must provide any evidence demanded by a member of the Electoral College as to qualifications for holding the Office of President. (sop to the birthers)
  4. AMENDMENT: Human Life Amendment, which will give the status of personhood and US citizenship from the moment of conception. (Bye, bye Roe, hello rusty coat hangers!)
  5. AMENDMENT: Balanced Budgeet Amendment, requiring balanced budgets every year but with a 75% vote required to waive this requirement in times of war ONLY (this is for you, Tea Baggers!)
  6. AMENDMENT: Will require that the Constitution be interpreted using word definitions in place at the time of adoption. (Originalist dream... anything the founders could not have forseen in 1787 will be unconstitutional without amendment. Amendments will be interpreted only as they might have been understood at adoption. That means the 14th amendment can only be looked at through the lens of 1868.)
  7. AMENDMENT: Federal Marriage Amendment that will adopt language of "Super DOMA" amendments of states banning same-sex marriage AND any benefits resembling marriage for same-sex couples nationwide. Amendment will also clearly undo any marriages that have already occurred.
  8. AMENDMENT: Citizenship granted only at birth for children whose parents are already citizens.
  9. AMENDMENT: Stating that the United States is based on Judeo-Christian tradition and values, and to protect our freedoms, no law may controvene that tradition.

LAWS AND AGENCIES

With their reconfiguring of the US Constitution finished, the GOP will then turn its eye on laws and agencies they hate.

  1. Social Security Act - REPEALED (not in one swift act, but those not already on Social Security at time of passage will not have it available. They'll let seniors currently in the system stay in it until they die off.)
  2. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education - ABOLISHED completely. All other departments, except Defense, will be seriously scaled down to about 10-20% current size.
  3. Food and Drug Act - REPEALED. Oversight of food and drug production only hampers business and increases prices, after all. Caveat emptor bitches!
  4. Health Reform - REPEALED. Whatever the Dems may pass this year will be repealed in its entirety. In its stead, the GOP will institute its "reforms": a) allow interstate sales of insurance (helps companies make more profit in low-cost areas by charging everyone as if they lived in NYC), b) BAN all medical lawsuits except in cases of gross negligence (to be fair, actual negliance could also be used, which is a lower threshhold), and that would be about it. Medicare/Medicaid REPEALED, although people currently in the system will be allowed to stay in until they die or are no longer eligible.
  5. Immigration Reform - Build a fortified wall on the Mexican border. Order all people deported to their country of origin who cannot provide absolute proof of legal residency. Legal residency will have an English fluency requirement. All government communications will be in English only without any translation provided. All illegal immigrants will be banned from any public service whatsoever, including schools and hospitals, even emergency rooms.
  6. Labor - All pro-labor laws and regulations will be REPEALED. The United States will become a "right to work" nation with the minimum wage also ABOLISHED.
  7. Education - States will be mandated to provide vouchers, although there will be no requirement that private schools accept any children they don't want to accept, and will be free to charge any amount they wish above the voucher limit, which the parents must pay or their children will not be allowed to attend. Teachers unions ABOLISHED and BANNED.
  8. Taxes - All income and inheritance taxes are REPEALED. Capital Gains Tax also repealed. Everything replaced with a 23% national sales tax.
  9. Environment - Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, etc all REPEALED. EPA ABOSLISHED. All regulations repealed; they only interfere with private enterprise anyway.
  10. Voter Reform: All "motor voter" laws REPEALED. Only people who prove that they have paid federal taxes may vote. No one on public assistance may vote until they are off public assistance. Felons banned from voting for life. Absolute proof of citizenship required to be shown before voting.

These are the top initiatives I believe would be swifly enacted with a GOP dominance of our government. I'm sure it would make the tea-baggers and other frothing conservatives very happy to see all these policies enacted. However, as we have seen time and again with legislation, unintended consequences would be a bitch. This America is not one that I would recognize, and if the people of this country approved of such changes, I would no longer feel welcome in my own country. I'd have two choices before me in such a scenario: join an armed rebellion to allow more liberal states to secede, or find another country in which to live. Neither option is palatable for me.

I hope this horror scenario will inspire you to not sit on your hands this year. We need to RETURN to the polls, no matter how disappointed we may be in this Congress and President Obama. It's important to remember that even with our large majorities, the Republicans have been dedicated to obstruction and forcing failure on all of our initiatives. We Democrats certainly have played our part in helping them out, but we've never been a party like the GOP that has sought to impose the absolute iron discipline on all of our members. It leads to problems, but I prefer it over the command and control style of the Republicans.

Thanks "Blue Heart of Dixie" for this insightful but very alarming view of what American life would be like if...

REPUBLICANS RULED!

thinkingblue

http://blueheartofdixie.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Question Of The Week "What Caused The Oil Spill?"

POLITICAL JUNKIES:

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Do you feel the problem with the oil spill comes from drilling off shore or the regulations surrounding drilling off shore?

Hmmm, interesting question. Let me try to put on an objective thinking cap. It is not an easy task to decipher the happenings within a capitalist economic system. Making money or a “living” (the word used for the middle-class) is the main component in capitalism, so needless to say, supply and demand (i.e. supply=what is produced and demand=wages in workers pockets) is the rule. Since “drilling” (what is produced) for oil is considered just your average, ordinary business enterprise, the drilling in and of itself, cannot be considered the culprit. (Why we need drilling for oil is because oil had become the chosen poison for the energy needs of human consumption. That’s a whole different subject)


Any endeavor that humans indulge in to make $$$, needs regulation in order to protect society from fraudulent business practices (like dumping toxic refuse in our water supplies). When Reaganomics became popular, the ascent of deregulation and the descent of organized unions (protections) occurred, (allowing for more money to be made by CEO’s and
stockholders) so a look the other way practice took effect.


Therefore, my humble opinion would be that regulations or the lack there of, is totally responsible for this disastrous and inexcusable spewing of petroleum (uncontrollably) into the ocean, threatening a part of Earth’s wildlife and beauty for many years to come.

Sad has become too insignificant a word to chronicle what will happen next. thinkingblue

Timeline Slideshow Here



MORE TOPICS:


ASK 'BUT WHY?'

ECONOMIC HELP

REAGAN, THE GREAT AMERICAN SOCIALIST





RNC Document Mocks Donors, Plays on 'Fear'


Watch Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV


Pleasesign this very important petition "demand question
time" (of our political leaders)
HERE...

We really need more dialog from those at the top...

The Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide
behind "NO" any longer! thinkingblue

Click to go to MOVE TO AMEND and sing petition.


MOVE TO AMEND


Let's keep our heads, while we continue to watch THE

THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!



"A SEARCH FOR TRUTH WILL FIND INJUSTICE."

thinkingblue