The Power Grab Of The Rich, And The Destruction Of Humanity

Crooks and Liars:

Let's be clear on something: Republicans firmly believe that nothing is important enough to trump a possible tax cut. That's why they oppose the adequate funding of the U.S. Weather Service -- and not incidentally, its tsunami warning system.

Republicans also don't believe in funding FEMA. They don't believe in infrastructure investment or maintenance. They don't believe Amtrak passengers deserve safe trains, or safe tracks. They don't believe in updating the nation's air traffic control system, and they don't believe in spending money to get clean air and water. They don't believe in spending on safe workplaces, either.

They're the main reason why America can't have nice things. Nobody in their right mind who wants any of these things should ever, ever, ever vote for a Republican.

In Michigan:

Though Gov. Rick Snyder says he is not interested in hurting unions, yesterday’s Senate approval of a package that gives Emergency Managers complete power over financially troubled towns and school districts means he will soon be asked to sign off on measures that are expected to eliminate union jobs across the state.

In a party line vote, and despite impassioned speeches of protest by the body’s Democratic minority, the Michigan Senate approved legislation that threatens to take over and even dissolve local governments that refuse to balance their budgets by breaking labor contracts.
　
According to the law, which has already been approved in the House, the governor will be able to declare “financial emergency” in towns or school districts and appoint someone to fire local elected officials, break contracts, seize and sell assets, and eliminate services.

Under the law whole cities or school districts could be eliminated without any public participation or oversight, and amendments designed to provide minimal safeguards and public involvement were voted down.

Just think for a moment about that. The new wave of Republican governors are passing bills that will allow them to declare financial crisis (even when one does not exist, such as the trumped up claims of Gov. Walker in Wisconsin) and unilaterally take over municipalities, cities and other forms of duly elected communities. This then allows "them" to appoint an individual or corporation to "run" these taken over communities. I would urge you to think very hard about this maneuver. This new law and this new way of thinking even will allow the governor(s) to disincorporate cities, sell off assets to private corporations ... basically to turn our democracy to the oligarchs. And they are not even trying to hide this. It is right in front of our faces. There is no show of pretense here. Just a power grab of all that is America.

When it happens to you and your little community, the "shock and awe" of it will bring chills down your spine. Before we become a nation of Stepford Citizens, people, you have to break out of the "stupidity" funk.

Bill Maher brings it home with this point from his show recently:

Maher: America's rich aren't giving you money, they're taking your money. Between the years 1980 and 2005 80% of all new income generated in this country went to the richest 1%. Let me put that in terms that even you fatass teabaggers, I'm sorry, can understand.

Say 100 Americans get together and order a 100 slice pizza. The pizza arrives and the first guy takes 80 slices. And if someone suggests, why don't you just take 79 slices, that's socialism! I know, I know. I know, I know, it's just a TV show. But it does reinforce the stupid idea people have that rich people would love us and share with us if only they got to walk a mile in our cheap plastic shoes.

But they're the reason the shoe factory moved to China. We have this fantasy that our interests and the interests of the super rich are the same. Like somehow the rich will eventually get so full that they'll explode. And the candy will rain down on the rest of us.

Like there's some kind of pinata of benevolence. But here's the thing about a pinata. It doesn't open on its own. You have to beat it with a stick.

We can't even escape it in sports, as our precious football season is now in jeopardy based on the owners' lock-out. Money, money, money ... even in this sport that is dominated by highly paid players, the owners eschew the collective bargaining process, claim they are broke or are losing tons of money, but then turn around and refuse to open the books for review. Yeah, I've got your "books" right here.

Vonnie Holliday, the Redskins' player representative, said in an interview on ESPN that "we want a fair CBA. That's it. The owners are saying that they're losing money and they want 18 percent back. Okay, if you are losing money, then in fact show us that. We are not opposed to restructuring, but they refused to do that."

I'll close with this one quote, from a local Republican in Barrington, MH (Martin Harty). Savor it, as this is the mindset of Republicans.

Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that “the world is too populated” and there are “too many defective people,” according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. [...]

Harty confirmed to the Monitor that he made the comments to Omand. [...]

Omand says Harty then stated, “I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population.” Omand said Harty appeared to be serious. After Omand responded that his idea sounded like what Adolf Hitler did in World War II, Omand said Harty responded, “Hitler did something right, and I agree with (it).”