No Surprise Here

The Pew Trust, I believe, summarized a study documenting the dissolution of the middle class in the United States. Since 2000 the information has been grim for anyone not in the 1% sector of wage earners. Respondents were queried and responded that it is much more difficult now to maintain their former middle class life style and very few had any optimism for the future. Since 1979-80 wages for virtually all jobs in the US have remained at a standstill, showing an increase of less than .5% per year since 1979. Yes, less than 1/2 of 1% wage increase in more than three decades. Unemployment is stuck at more than 8%, consumer spending is down and the economy is marooned on a reef of stagnation.

Looking at other sectors of the economy, what do we find? Increasing income disparity between most people and the top 1%. From controlling around 9% of the country's wealth in 1979 the 1%ers now control more than 25%. Corporate profits are at all time highs with tens of thousands of good paying jobs shipped overseas so corporations can show more profit, wages are being cut even as CEOs and boards increase their own compensation, shareholders demand quick profits at the expense of the middle class and long term economic prosperity, union jobs have drastically declined in 30 years. These blue collar people were always the backbone of economic growth in the US consumer economy. Corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars of capital and are unwilling to pass any gains on to workers or stimulate hiring despite being able to afford the wages. The consumer spending is stuck because companies are firing, governments are firing, wages are declining, unions are destroyed and all the while the corporate moguls are riding high.

It is painfully obvious what needs doing. But where is there a politician with the courage to say so? Certainly not the R/R ticket which is intent on railroading America into economic extinction and return the middle class to the horrors of 19th century capitalism. Middle class people who support the Republicans are dooming themselves and their kids to a faster decline in living standards. We are rapidly returning to a two class society: the Haves, as exemplified by the Republicans and their ridiculous presidential ticket, and the rest of the working people of this country who actually made it great.

Sad.

Little Paul tells fibs!

Well, here we have the pseudo Ayn Rand devotee espousing destruction of the federal government and abandonment of those who truly need help in order to help himself at his favorite trough: the federal government. The most recent blunder by the King of Cuts is he lied about taking money from the federal stimulus package. Seems that despite Paul denying for over two years he NEVER accepted or asked for any stimulus money that he actually did ask for two separate grants to be funded from the stimulus pool.

When confronted with his own letter, which was also acknowledged by the Wall Street Journal (gasp) and the Boston Globe, he fudged and made up a story that this letter was actually no different than asking for a flag for a constituent or some other heart felt favor from their favorite hypocritical phony deficit hawk.

Interesting about Ryan: he professes to be an avid follower of the ultra libertarian capitalist ideas of Ayn Rand; at least in so far as her ideas suit his agenda. Rand hated Reagan because she said that instead of having unfettered capitalism, he and his neocon pals rigged the tables in favor of business at the expense of the public. Also, Rand was a vociferous atheist who completely disavowed the phony conservative Christian ideals of the far right extremists. As a believer in the intellect of humanity, she saw no room for institutional superstition in any form. Ryan seems to ignore these key ideas of hers as he proselytizes for Christian based abandonment of Christian principles. As many conservatives or Convenience Christians who rail against people unlike themselves, Ryan is selective in the parts of Christianity he chooses to support and the philosophical precepts of Rand he chooses to accept. As a non-Christian I am not a huge reader of the Bible. But as I understand it, the Judeo/Christian ideals are based on responsibility to the tribe or society, showing charity to those in need and abjuring wealth for the sake of wealth. So, I seem to recall a saying something like it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Does Ryan and his billionaire pals not see a conflict with traditional JC ideals and how they propose to govern the country? Has there ever been a more anti-charitable duo than the Romney team in recent memory?

But I guess Ryan believes charity begins at home, which is why he had his paws out for the stimulus money.

Whining in the World of Republicans

Call up your WayBackMachine to the presidential race where John Kerry was a candidate. Although the US Navy decided that he indeed did earn a purple heart in Viet Nam, this did not deter the energy moguls in Texas from mounting, with mountains of money, a smear campaign against Kerry, saying that he did not deserve the medal. Some went so far as to say that he actually wounded himself in order to get a medal so that he could run for political office. The Republican Party fully endorsed this smear campaign and hammered  that "Swift Boat Veterans Against Kerry" were trying to save the country from a venous liar who wanted the big enchilada: the Presidency.

The fact that the medal citations had been a matter of public record for decades did not deter the guys from continuing on with lies; and this tactic, of discrediting a veteran, was considered honorable and correct by the Republican voters and Party across the country. So when Harry Reid makes a comment about Romney's tax paying history, this same groups of people get in a hissy fit for saying things that are  pure opinion and have no basis in fact. This one is an easy fix: Romney simply needs to release tax records going back 10 or 15 years to show what an upstanding citizen he is and that he paid his full share of taxes. The fact that he attempted to prevent even one year of his taxes from becoming public knowledge, should be enough to give any thinking person pause. Why so reluctant to show your taxes for one year? What are you hiding by refusing to release past returns?

The Obamas are wealthy and have displayed no reluctance to make their affairs public. So why will etch-a-sketch Mitt not pony up? Makes a body think the guy is hiding something.

Idiots in North Carolina

Well, let it never be said that the NC legislature cannot be bought or can ever be accused of making intelligent decisions. From the folks who brought you massive pollution from pig farmers run wild we now have a law, no, really, a law that says that sea levels are not rising; or at least not in North Carolina. Although rising sea levels are a well document fact from locations around the world from real scientists from many different countries making real scientific measurements using the scientific method, a developer in NC, who apparently employs the NC legislature as well as the governor, declared that sea levels are NOT rising in NC and that thousand upon thousands of scientists from around the world are using bogus information and flawed methods in making such statements.

Apparently, this developer owns lots of coastal land in NC and wants to start building like crazy. Well, this would mean that, if the state legislature were actually bright enough and honest enough to accept accepted scientific proof of rising sea levels, it would cost the state lots of money to upgrade sewage systems, roads and other insignificant items so that the state could be environmentally conscious and actually use accepted scientific measurements for these things.

So what we have is an entire state government passing a law for the benefit of a single developer. Never mind that when roads start washing out and houses and businesses get washed away the people of NC and the US will be on the hook for repairing all the damages that were entirely preventable. Republican political corruption at its best!